All State Cross Country Runners
EDWARD LYMAN
S J H | 2 A B OY S X C
2ND P L AC E • S E N I O R
Head Coach Will Walker: “Edward is one of the most talented runners I have ever coached, but more importantly he has been one of the hardest workers I have had the pleasure of working with. “His grit and determination paid off in a big way, helping him individually place second in the State Finals and lead his team to a third-place finish. “Edward’s work ethic and easy-going personality influenced the rest of his team to become better. “He has consistently been a positive influence and a great friend to many athletes during his high school career. “His presence and leadership will be sorely missed as he moves on to the next phase of his life.”
KEIARRA MARTIN
WHS | 1 A G I R L S X C
2ND P L AC E • F R E S H M A N
A s t o u n d i n g Whitehorse High School freshman runner Keiarra Martin won six of the eight races she competed in this season. Her 19:30 in the 1A State Meet at the Salt Lake City Regional Sports Complex was just 27 seconds behind the state champion and is the fastest girls 5K time in Whitehorse Raiders history. Martin now owns all three of the fastest times in Whitehorse girls cross country history. In addition to the new 5K record, her 20:02 at the Loyds Lake Classic September 1 is the fastest three-mile time and her 19:32 at the Region 19 Championship October 18 in Green River is the fastest 3.2-mile time.
Head Coach Boyd Silversmith: “Keiarra Martin is self-motivated, passionate, and disciplined in her running activities. These qualities have set a standard for the rest of her cross country teammates and will impact the team in the future. “She is a valued asset to the Whitehorse cross country program. Yeigo, Yeigo KM!”
MARAH LONG
M H S | 1 A G I R L S X C
3RD P L AC E • J U N I O R
Head Coach Jeff Hunt: “Marah is the epitome of the saying, ‘Hard work will take you anywhere.’ Nobody puts in more effort day in and day out than Marah. She is the team leader and leads by example. Her biggest strength within the race was the fact that she kept getting stronger and stronger as the race went on. We first saw this in Cedar City where she kept closing the gap on the Canyon View runner who led for most of the race.
Marah eventually ran her down and took the lead. The win was a microcosm of how her season went. Race after race she kept getting stronger and stronger until eventually she was at or near the top. We have a saying at practice: ‘If someone beats you because they are better that is one thing, but no one should beat you because they outworked you.’ “No one outworked Marah.”
ETHAN BEGAY
WH S | 1 A B OY S X C
6T H P L AC E • S O H P M O R E
Whitehorse High School sophomore runner Ethan Begay paced the Raiders cross country team all season long. His 17:54 in the State Meet was the fastest time among athletes from San Juan County and is the third-fastest 5K in Whitehorse school history.
Head Coach Boyd Silversmith: “Ethan has developed and grown in his runing from his junior high experience. He is still developing and learning what it takes to become a disciplined runner. His confidence and passion for running keeps him motivated as he continues on his running activities. “He will be a great asset to the Whitehorse cross country program. “Yeigo, Yeigo, EB!”
KOOPER NIELSON
MH S | 1 A B OY S X C
7T H P L AC E • S O H P M O R E
Head Coach Jeff Hunt: “Kooper is a phenomenal athlete who is good at everything he does. The week before the state meet, Buckaroo alumnus Adam Bunker came and worked out with the team. He gave some really great race advice which Kooper took to heart. He saved his best race of the year for the state race. One of the other coaches at MHS commented, 'Kooper is a gamer.' He really brings is when it is most important and he certainly did this year. However, you don’t get to be in that position without putting the work in and he was always in the top four for the team all year both at practice and at meets. Last year he seemed to be happy to be at the state meet; this year he was happy to be a medalist.”
JESSE PETTIT
MH S | 1 A B OY S X C
8T H P L AC E • S E N I O R
Head Coach Jeff Hunt: “Jesse has been one of the rocks of the Monticello cross country team for a long time. Over the past four years he was been the most consistent of the boys. As a freshman, he helped the team finish fourth while some others faded. As a sophomore he finished just outside the top ten to finish third. He led the team as a junior medalist to finish second, and as a senior he was the rock that helped the team finish on top this season. Every year he got a little better, a little stronger. His leadership skills improved each year as well, to be just a little better every year. In the end he leaves with his second state medal and a state title."
AYLA CARLING
M H S | 1 A G I R L S X C
9T H P L AC E • J U N I O R
Head Coach Jeff Hunt: “Ayla has been affectionately renamed as the team Mom. She keeps everyone in line, especially the coaching staff. She has also been the biggest cheerleader on the team. She is constantly thinking about other kids on the team and how they are doing. She often worries about others while neglecting herself. She ran most of the season injured but rarely said much. She also has plenty of determination and grit to share. She worked her tail off every day yet finished almost every day with a smile. Even at the state meet where she ran through pain to finish in the top ten, she stood on the podium with a smile."