State cross country title could be anybody's game

There was a time when it was fairly simple to handicap favorites entering the state high school cross country championships, which will be run Wednesday at Sugarhouse Park. Top schools enjoyed going head-to-head in the weekend invitational meets leading up to state, but that's not the case anymore. Many top teams choose not to run against one another during the invitational season.

So as this year's top harriers get together, there are favorites and dark horses, which should make for interesting races that begin with the 1A girls finals at 11:30 a.m. and continue through the boys 5A final at 4 p.m.

Here's a brief rundown of runners and teams to watch for:

Class 5A

The only real given here is in the girls race, where defending champ and nationally-ranked Fremont should easily win again. The Silver Wolves have everyone back from a year ago, allowing coach Amber Tingey to think ahead toward regional and national competitions in December.

"Everyone's worked really hard again this year, and the girls have some high expectations," Tingey said after the Wolves dusted everyone at the Orem Kiwanis meet earlier this month.

Leading the way is senior Cassie Ricks, one of the state's elite. Sophomore Jessie Chugg and seniors Lexie Meyer, Katie Chugg and Lindsey Slater form perhaps the most powerful girl's 5A team in state history.

So the battle would appear to be for second. Always talented Mountain View, led by sophomores Sarah Yingling and Alexis Harrison and senior Emily Benson, appears to be the favorite to win silver, though Alta and Jordan could also be strong.

Top girls runners include Davis' Candace Eddy and Natalie Haws, Bingham's Kim Quinn, Timpanogos' Brooke Hodson, Alta's Marissa Floodman and Millie Wegener, Skyline's Rachel Webb, Weber's Angela Baker, American Fork's Sausha Sommer and Jordan's Samantha Robinson, Erin Fuller and Stephanie Burt.

The boys race will likely come down to Mountain View, Davis, and Bingham. The Bruins are paced by senior Adam McDonald, who moved from Los Angeles last summer and has already established himself as one of the state's best. Teammates Derek Zabriskie and Luke Harrison will also vie for top 10 finishes.

Davis is led by junior Jared Ward and senior Patrick Hall. Bingham won the team title at the Juan Diego invite with seniors Alex Weber and Devan Antczak leading the way.