Jordan High runners give the best a run for their money

SANDY — For Miles Batty and Jared Bienlien, their final competition in a Jordan High School uniform was not at high school meet, but against world class athletes in the Deseret Morning News/KJZZ-TV 10K race.

Batty had competed in this race previously and planned a strategy to conserve energy with a slow start.

Soon many of the runners were 20 seconds or more ahead of him. His smart strategy paid off by the end of the race, and he was surprised to see himself run past nationally known runners and place second among juniors and eighth overall.

"I didn't expect to beat them, but I beat the Ethiopian and the Canadian," Batty said.

Bienlien finished fifth among juniors, 13th overall, and was grateful for the opportunity to run with world class athletes in the 10K.

"It was a treat," he said. "You only get to step up on a line with true national competition a few times in your life."

Both athletes were seniors this year and thrived in their high school athletic careers. Both are going on to college with scholarships. Both were on a New York All-American four-man team in the four-by-one relay.

Both, however, were not interested in running until their freshman years of high school. Batty, in his freshman year, decided to join a friend who ran cross country and has run competitively ever since. He was the state cross country champion this year and placed second at state in the 1,600 meters. He has an academic and athletic combination scholarship with BYU and hopes to run for the varsity team this fall.

The sport of track triggered complete boredom for Bienlien until the summer before his freshman year. During that summer his younger sister, Lydia, was in a youth track program. He would ride with her and attend her meets until he decided to become more than just a spectator.

His mother, Sara Bienlien, said, "He was too bored so he decided to jump in one of the races. He did so well he impressed Cley Twigg (Jordan coach), and Cley went up to him and said, 'You are going to run for us this year!' "

"I didn't like track before that summer but I've been running ever since," said Jared. "That summer I went to regionals in New Mexico and placed sixth or seventh."