Wildcats end on upbeat

BOUNTIFUL — Things didn't exactly go as scripted for the Woods Cross boys cross country team this season, but the Wildcats still finished sixth overall in Class 4A. A breakout performance from Roy dropped Woods Cross to a third-place finish at the Region 5 Championship.

"I thought they'd be good, but I expected us to be better," said Woods Cross coach Sam Wood.

The Wildcats were able to rebound at the 4A championship, beating region champion Roy by five points to exact some revenge on the Royals. Overall, the state meet at Sugarhouse Park was dominated by Utah County schools.

Eventual 4A champion Timpview squeaked past Mountain Crest by two points, followed by Orem, Provo and Springville. Woods Cross was next despite not having a healthy Zach Hallows. The senior was dealt a case of mononucleosis just days before the race, but he toughed it out anyway, finishing in 44th place.

The Wildcats also missed talented runner Griffin Hansen. He sat out the season due to an injured leg.

Regardless of the misfortune, coaches were still upbeat about the season and look forward to next year.

"They ran as hard as they could," Wood said. "A lot of the things we dealt with, they handled well."

With Hallows unable give his best, Stephan Hunter (26th) and Cody Despain (40th) helped the team finish strong in the season's final race. The team also got a boost from junior runners like Zach Zimmerman (45th) and Chaz Rymer (59th). Both will figure into next year's team.

Woods Cross coaches are optimistic for the boys team but still look to Mountain Crest as the early favorites.

The girls team also took third place at the region championship and made a strong effort at the state meet. Led by Sarah Edwards and Sandra Rangel, Woods Cross finished the 4A championship in seventh place. It was the Wildcats best finish in recent memory.

"I like the group we have. I think our girls are on the rise," Wood said.

Watching Region 5 champion Mountain Crest win the state title for the second straight year wasn't what they had planned, but they understand how good they'll have to be to compete with the Mustangs.

"It's probably not obvious to people watching it, but our kids know it," Wood said.

Mountain Crest won't be easy to catch, especially when the team is getting great turnout from the student body.

"When you have a team that wins a state championship, the students want to be part of that," Wood said.

This season, Woods Cross had strong runners at the top but lacked depth. One of the strongest runners in the state is Edwards, the granddaughter of legendary BYU coach LaVell Edwards. Her third-place finish was 10 spots better than last year, and she clipped 36 seconds off her time from 2005.

Joining Edwards next year will be Allison Edwards, Allison Snow and Maggie Edminster. The coaches are excited for next season, but they also lose three good runners in Rangel, Meagan Oswald and Janice Wilkenson.

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E-mail: tpeterson@desnews.com