Matt Tebo had a distinct advantage coming into Monday's Energy Solutions Junior 10K race that was part of the annual Deseret Morning News 10K — he actually dropped down in altitude to run. Tebo, a native of Albuquerque and its 5,000 feet of training altitude, easily won the boys individual title in the second-year competition, pitting top high school runners from throughout the West against all-star teams from Utah and Idaho.

Tebo, running for the U.S. all-star squad, not only took first in his division with a time of 30:09 but also toyed with the overall leaders. In fact, 10K winner Miles Batty, who won in a time of 29:47, and Patrick Smyth, second at 29:54, had Tebo on their heels for most of the race.

"My goal was to try to stay with the leaders for at least four miles," Tebo said. "I just planned on going with them as long as I could."

The New Mexico state champion, who runs at El Dorado High School, did more than just stay. He was in the lead pack well past the four-mile mark, then dropped back just slightly when Jordan High graduate Batty and Judge Memorial graduate Smyth began to pull away. The three lead runners were on their own once the racers hit downtown Salt Lake City, and Tebo stayed focused on finishing strong in his first-ever Utah event.

"(Race director) Bob Wood just called me and invited me," he said. "I guess he'd read about me running at home, and I left a cross country camp in New Mexico and just flew in yesterday for this event."

Tebo liked the course, though the downhill stretches were "a little dangerous in places." Still, he was pleased with his time.

The top Utah team finisher was Mountain View graduate Adam McDonald, who finished fourth at 30:39.

"I felt pretty good having never run a race this long," said McDonald after his first-ever 10K. "I tried going out with the leaders and staying with them, and this gives me something to shoot for in my next race."

McDonald will be running at Southern Utah University in Cedar City this fall.

Paced by Tebo, the U.S. team that included Dan Geib of Reno and Ben Sitler of Los Gatos, Calif., finished with 8 points. Utah was second with 13, as Connor Kamm of Skyline and Kyle McKenna of Viewmont finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

The girls race was won by Bingham High senior Kim Quinn, who took second overall in the 10K and won the junior division in 36:28.

"I definitely wasn't used to running this long a race," she said. "The start was really slow and packed, and I learned in last year's race not to go out too fast, so I think that really helped me today."