Mtn. View, Davis, Bingham win cross country titles

Saturday was a big day for Utah high school cross country programs, with Mountain View and Davis winning team titles at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Charlotte, N.C.

The Bruins captured the most prestigious title — first in the Boys 5K Race of Champions. Davis girls captured the crown in the Girls' Invitational Seeded race.

Meanwhile, at the Cottonwood Complex, Bingham High took both team titles at the annual Wahsatch Rendezvous meet.

In Charlotte, Mountain View senior Mike Steele led the Bruins to a 10-point team victory over Ohio's Hilliard Davidson in what some bill as the national high school cross country championship.

There is no such event, but as Bruins coach Dave Houle said Saturday afternoon, "This is about as close to one as it gets." Across a course still somewhat wet from the remnants of Hurricane Isidore, Steele finished at 16:50.7, more than two seconds faster than runner-up Alan Burkitt of Hilliard. Mountain View junior Steve Strickland was third at 16:54.4 in a close finish that included a 16:55.7 time from fourth-place Ian Gottesfeld of Henderson High of Pennsylvania.

"Mike and Steve both ran great races," Houle said as the team prepared for a return to Salt Lake City. "This was a great chance for Utah runners to see how they stacked up against some of the best preps in the country."

Mountain View's other scoring finishers were junior Nate Houle, 28th at 17:27.4; senior Sterling Goodwin, 44th at 17:37; and sophomore Justin Leavitt, 49th at 17:39.3.

The team title came with a bit of controversy as several runners in a pack with Steele, Burkitt and Strickland turned the wrong way on the course and were disqualified.

"We all jogged the course the night before," Houle said. "We just don't know why they took the wrong course."

Davis High's Jace Nye finished 10th at 17:06.5, and the Darts took seventh as a team. Mountain View finished with 125 team points to 135 for Hilliard Davidson and 158 for always-tough Woodlands from Texas. The Bruin girls finish was hurt when two of its lead runners collapsed about 50 yards from the finish with dehydration. Both girls walked across the finish line despite being disoriented.

In the Girls' Race of Champions, Orem's Amber Harper was edged at the wire by Nicole Blood of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. for the medalist honors. Blood finished at 19:02.7, with Harper in at 19:03.1. Heidi Magill of Mountain View was fourth at 19:51, with teammate Heidi Houle eighth at 20:00.8.