Some high school cross country teams and coaches dream of making it one day to the Nike Cross Nationals. Other teams realize that dream and just hope to be competitive in the loaded meet of the nation's top programs. Meanwhile, the American Fork boys just do it. Year after year. For the past five years, the Utah powerhouse program American Fork has qualified and finished no worse than 8th place at the Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon. Never have they come away with the ultimate prize in the national title, but they have been in contention almost every time and been guided well each year to Portland Meadows by their long-time head coach Timo Mostert despite having to work with a long layover between the Utah State Championships in late October to the NXN Regionals in mid November to the national race in the first weekend of December.
Times are always misleading coming out of Utah since they often run 3 mile courses at altitude. They typically fool the competition in states at sea level running 5K's that American Fork are not that good and not to be taken seriously. They are always mistaken every November and December in the NXN races. American Fork does not usually travel out of state until the NXN regionals and rather focuses on taking care of business in its state despite always receiving a tough challenge from another great national class program in Davis High School. The Cavemen of American Fork enter this season as reigning 5-time consecutive state champions and the seniors want to go out as champions all four years of high school like the last two graduating classes from their program and try to match or better the 2012 squad which finished runner-up at NXN.
Zack Jacklin is the team front runner with personal bests of 14:42 for 3 miles, 9:21 for 3200, and 4:23 for 1600. Despite running at higher elevation, American Fork had four guys run 4:25 or faster in the 1600 last spring. What really gives this team great upside and promise despite only returning 3 runners from their 2013 Nike Cross Nationals race is the jumps expected from two talented rising sophomores in Casey Clinger (16:01 5K/9:51 3200 indoor) and McKay Johns (9:33 3200/4:23 1600). If Clinger and Johns continue to develop, American Fork could have a very potent top 3 including the senior Jacklin and the two sophomores.
Watch a 2012 workout video with American Fork boys on Flotrack
Head coach Timo Mostert shares some insider info about his program below on what puts his teams annually in the hunt at NXN and what to look forward to from the 2014 American Fork boys squad.
Boys Top 7 Returnees Times: 3 Miles XC - 3200m - 1600m
Top 7 Boys Returnees from 2013 XC Season (3 Mile Times)
| American Fork (UT) | ||
| 1) Zac Jacklin | 14:42.20 | |
| 2) Casey Clinger | 15:03.50 | |
| 3) Daniel Bentley | 15:20.80 | |
| 4) Nathan Tracy | 15:30.50 | |
| 5) Mckay Johns | 15:40.90 | |
| Average Time: 15:15.58 Total Time: 1:16:17.90 1-5 Split: 58.70 | ||
| 6) Hoopes Connor | 15:47.90 | |
| 7) Jacob Chase | 15:53.60 | |
Top 7 Boys Returning 3200m Times from 2014 Outdoor Season
| American Fork (UT) | ||
| 1) Zac Jacklin | 9:21.22 | |
| 2) Mckay Johns | 9:33.60 | |
| 3) Daniel Bentley | 9:42.75 | |
| 4) Hagen Harmer | 10:04.69 | |
| 5) Joe Simmons | 10:10.56 | |
| Average Time: 9:46.56 Total Time: 48:52.82 1-5 Split: 49.34 | ||
Top 7 Boys Returning 1600m Times from 2014 Outdoor Season
| 11 | American Fork (UT) | 624 | ||
| 1) Mckay Johns | 4:23.58 | 82 | ||
| 2) Daniel Bentley | 4:23.61 | 83 | ||
| 3) Zac Jacklin | 4:23.63 | 84 | ||
| 4) Jacob Chase | 4:25.41 | 108 | ||
| 5) Nathan Tracy | 4:34.36 | 267 | ||
| Average Time: 4:26.12 Total Time: 22:10.59 1-5 Split: 10.78 | ||||
Q&A with American Fork High School (UT) XC head coach Timo Mostert
Watch 2012 video interview with Coach Mostert on Flotrack
Coaching since 1988, at AFHS since 1998
A solid training philosophy and a bunch of boys willing to put in the work.
I try to run or bike with the boys. I also try to teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves.
Lydiard Training: Huge base, Periodization, Concentrate on the components of distance running - endurance, speed, strength, guts.
3 from NXN, but 5 with at least one varsity race last year, and 5 back from track sub 10:00.
Who is your projected top 7 heading into the cross country season?
Don't know yet. Zac Jacklin, Casey Clinger, McKay Johns, Daniel Bentley, Jacob Chase, Nathan Tracy, Connor Hoopes, Joseph Simmons, Hagen Harmer
Zac, Danny, Jacob, Nathan, and Connor are our Senior team captains. Captains act as assistant coaches for the team, they lead the team in warmups, workouts, cooldowns, team stretch, weights, and core workouts. They take over when I can't be at practice.
Zac Jacklin has been to NXN 3 times. Casey Clinger owns the Freshman course record at NXN. McKay Johns ran 4:23 and 9:33 as a Freshman last year. Daniel Bentley and Jacob Chase were on the podium in the 2000m Steeplechase at the Great Southwest Classic in June.
The team, as a whole, has improved from last year. Our Summer has been going well with most of the potential varsity projected to be in the 750 Mile Club (Memorial to Labor Days) for their Summer mileage.
Regretfully not.
American Fork Grass Relays, Nebo Invitational, Herriman Invitational
Our numbers will be down - about 25 on the team this year. We had a larger than normal attrition rate over the Summer.
June, July, and August.
Sliding Rock: a three mile uphill run to a natural waterslide about 8 miles North of town, then 3 miles back down after a refreshing slide in the frigid mountain water.
3 X 1 -Mile @ 3 mile race pace with 5 min. rest. Mile warmup, 2 mile cooldown
Ticket workout: a bunch of tickets in a hat with distances from 200m to 1000m in varying amounts. Each athlete picks a ticket, starting with runner #1, and we do the distance on the ticket until the total is at least 3200 m.
1. Help each boy improve at least 30 seconds from their times last year.