Bozeman boys upset American Fork for team title
The No. 1 ranked American Fork Cavemen looked unbeatable ahead of Nike Cross Nationals, as three of the top-ranked runners in the nation --including No. 1 ranked Casey Clinger-- have steered the ship all season with elite marks. The trio most notably swept the NXN Southwest Regional, which is widely considered the most competitive region in the nation, though the gap between No. 3 and Nos. 4 and 5 was always a cause for concern.
In Portland, American Fork's top three of Casey Clinger, McKay Johns and Patrick Parker earned All-American status in the top 21 overall finishers, yet No. 4 ranked Bozeman High from Montana defeated the Cavemen, 105 to 141 points, thanks to a superior 23-second spread.
Below is a comparison of their top five scorers:
Bozeman:
1. Chase Equall (26th overall/8 pts/16:08)
2. Duncan Hamilton (52nd overall/19 pts/16:26)
3. Riley Collins (56th overall/22 pts/16:28)
4. Orrin Clark (58th overall/24 pts/16:30)
5. Leonard McComas (68th overall/32 pts/16:36)
American Fork:
1. Casey Clinger (1st overall/1 pt/15:28)
2. McKay Johns (9th overall/4 pts/15:46)
3. Patrick Parker (20th overall/7 pts/16:01)
4. Carson Clinger (99th overall/58 pts/16:55)
5. Dalton Brems (113th overall/71 pts/17:00)
Read more about why American Fork lost here.
-Jojo, MileSplit national editor
First-year head coach Casey Jermyn on Bozeman's journey to the national title:
