Bronco boys earn solid sixth-place team finish at Utah 2A state cross country meet

by Jessica Walker
Contributing Writer
The combination of anticipation, nervousness, and pure excitement that accompanies a state cross country race is matched by few other experiences.
Athletes who have trained for months, coaches who have helped each athlete in their attempts to reach their potential, and parents and other spectators who have supported the athletes all come together united in the hope that each athlete runs a spectacular race worthy of the hard work they put in.
The San Juan boys team did not disappoint, a sentiment with which head coach Holly Walker agreed. “Each and every one of the boys implemented the hard work and training they have put in,” she stated. “They had extremely strong races and ran like a well-seasoned team.”
The 2A field was stacked with talented runners who started the race off quickly. Edward Lyman kept pace in the top fifteen before overtaking several runners in the last mile to break into the top ten and place seventh in 16:57. Lyman’s performance improved on his 2021 tenth-place finish and beat his 2021 time by almost 30 seconds.
Abe Lyman accelerated on the last corner and straightaway to finish strong in 25th with a time of 18:18. Ryan McCullough showed off his impressive kick at the finish and passed several runners to cross the line right behind his teammate. Unfortunately due to an error, McCullough’s time and place were not scored.
Toby Ward and Noah Begay finished next in 35th and 40th. Ward finished in 18:38, one second faster than his 2021 time. Begay finished in 18:47, a personal record for him, and a satisfying conclusion to his debut season.
Begay was followed by Austin Pincock, who like many of his teammates had an incredible finish. Pincock edged out Enterprise’s Crew Evans and Duchesne’s Walker Young by a single second to finish 43rd with a time of 19:07.
Rounding out the Broncos’ state meet was Rosendo Martine who finished in 50th and a time of 19:33. Martine is another freshman who has made remarkable strides, shaving nearly three minutes off of his time during the course of the season.
The team combined to earn sixth place (second among Region 19 teams at the event). The landscape of the 2A classification is set to change next season with seven of the top ten boys in the 2A race graduating this year. San Juan, on the other hand, will return all its 2022 state-qualifying runners.
When asked about the race and the team in general, coach Will Walker stated, “The team has continued to impress me this season.
“Each runner has shown marked improvement and it was inspiring to watch them race. It’s clear to see the team is preparing for a championship season next year.”