9.
Team: Lone Peak (UT)
Analysis: All six runners from the squad that finished third at the Class 6A championships and fourth at NXR Southwest a year ago are back. And early forecasts have this team making the jump from a contender to a potential favorite in Utah. Up top, the program is led by sophomores Reagan Gardner and Eliza Harrington, who were fourth and sixth at the state championships, respectively. Based on numbers returning from the 2017 season, the team brings back an average of 18:27.00 and a spread of just 90 seconds.
Probable Top Seven:
- Eliza Arrington, sophomore: Potentially the team's No. 1, she was sixth at the Utah Class 6A championships, eighth at NXR Southwest and 13th at Foot Locker West. She ran a 3-mile best of 17:56.70 and a 5K best of 17:44.00. She was fourth at the Region 4 Championships.
- Reagan Gardner, sophomore: Paired with Arrington, Gardner will make Lone Peak dangerous. She was fourth at the state championships, sixth at the Region 4 Championships, 27th at NXR Southwest and 16th at Foot Locker West. She set 3-mile/5K PRs of 18:07.20 and 18:04.00, respectively.
- Monet Winger, junior: She was 17th at the Class 6A state championships, 11th at the Region 4 Championships, 57th at NXR Southwest and fifth in a divisional race at Foot Locker West. She ran a 5K best of 18:30.00 and posted a time of 18:44.20 at 3-miles.
- Ali Bybee, senior: She was seventh at the Region Championships, 77th at NXR Southwest and 57th at Foot Locker West. She ran a 5K best of 18:43.00.
- Madi Hafen, senior: She was 25th at the Class 6A state championships and ninth at the Region 4 Championships in a 5K PR of 19:14.00.
- Brylee Wilcox, junior: She ran a 3-mile best of 20:06.60 and a 5K PR of 19:19.00 at NXR Southwest, where she was 16th in a divisional race. She was also eighth at the Region 4 Championships.
- Mackenzie Meldrum, junior: She was 54th at the state championships, 25th at the Region 4 Championships and 31st at Foot Locker West. She ran a 5K best of 19:49.00.
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Lone Peak girls coach Courtney Meldrum answered a few questions about her team's upcoming season. See her answers below.
How long have you coached at your school?
We are super excited for the upcoming season. This is my fourth XC season at Lone Peak, and its been awesome to see the growth that has occurred over the last few years.
How has your team's culture changed and adapted in the years since you began coaching at Lone Peak?
The team culture has been evolving, boys talk to girls now, athletes realize they can do hard things. They are really team oriented. They have learned that their watches are not the end all and that pain is not always a bad thing.
How has summer training been different for your team in 2018 as opposed to year's past (or how has training changed even in the last five years, as compared to the last decade) What are the small differences in training that you've seen this offseason?Summer training has gone well. The girls continue to strengthen their friendships while pounding out some good miles in the hills and finishing it off with some cold river talks. We have changed a few things this summer, but mainly just making sure our programs are a little more personalized and keeping everyone healthy. Which athletes do you see as the probable top five this season?We have everyone returning this year, plus a few new freshmen. The twins, as we call them, are back. Reagan Gardner and Eliza Arrington and two returning seniors Ali Bybee and Maddie Hafen. We did convince Taylor Smart that she was not a sprinter, and she worked all last year at getting a good base. Monet Winger is a great racer and she will be right there, too.What is your meet schedule this fall?We will open at the Grass Relays, then Pre-Region, the Utah county invite, BYU Classic and the Murray Invite. We have a few others mixed in there. We know there will be some good competition this year; so we just hope the girls are all healthy and ready to run fast at the state meet. We have taken the girls to NXR Southwest the last two years, and we believe that it has been super helpful for them to get in those big races and run with the big dogs. It can be a bit shocking to the girls when their first mile is close to their PRs.What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?Keeping everyone healthy is always one of the biggest obstacles, and as we all know, that is not always easy. The girls will be successful, because they have great teammates to train with everyday. They also run in a pretty good pack which is always helpful.What's one belief you've leaned on over your years coaching high school athletics, and why has that been important each year?One of my biggest beliefs is helping the kids realize their potential and providing a way for them to reach it. They have to believe they are fast to be fast. Each girl has set some individual goals and as coaches if we help them reach those goals we will be successful.
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Top Returning 5K Times From The 2017 Season
| 9 | Lone Peak (UT) | |||
| 1) Eliza Arrington | 17:44.00 | |||
| 2) Reagan Gardner | 18:04.00 | |||
| 3) Monet Winger | 18:30.00 | |||
| 4) Ali Bybee | 18:43.00 | |||
| 5) Madi Hafen | 19:14.00 | |||
| Average Time: 18:27.00 Total Time: 1:32:15.00 1-5 Split: 1:30.00 | ||||
| 6) Brylee Wilcox | 19:19.00 | |||
| 7) Mackenzie Meldrum | 19:49.00 | |||
Top Returning 1600m Times From The 2018 Season
| 9 | Lone Peak (UT) | |||
| 1) Ali Bybee | 5:00.96 | |||
| 2) Eliza Arrington | 5:09.58 | |||
| 3) Reagan Gardner | 5:11.99 | |||
| 4) Taylor Smart | 5:14.50 | |||
| 5) Monet Winger | 5:15.28 | |||
| Average Time: 5:10.46 Total Time: 25:52.31 1-5 Split: 14.32 | ||||
| 6) Madi Hafen | 5:19.82 | |||
| 7) Mackenzie Meldrum | 5:29.36 | |||
Top Returning 3200m Times From The 2018 Season
| 9 | Lone Peak (UT) | |||
| 1) Reagan Gardner | 11:01.81 | |||
| 2) Eliza Arrington | 11:18.44 | |||
| 3) Madi Hafen | 11:36.75 | |||
| 4) Lenia Ainsworth | 11:53.87 | |||
| 5) Taylor Smart | 12:02.53 | |||
| Average Time: 11:34.68 Total Time: 57:53.40 1-5 Split: 1:00.72 | ||||
| 6) Elizabeth Pike | 12:04.93 | |||
| 7) Julia Shumway | 12:17.15 | |||
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| MILESPLIT50 TEAM RANKINGS COUNTDOWN | |
|---|---|
| Aug. 14 -- Cardinal Gibbons (NC) | |
| Aug. 14 -- Bozeman (MT) | |
| Aug. 14 -- Mountain View (ID) | |
| Aug. 14 -- Fort Wayne Carroll (IN) | |
| Aug. 14 -- Farmington (MN) | |
| Aug. 15 -- North Central (WA) | |
| Aug. 16 -- Saratoga Springs (NY) | |
| Aug. 17 -- Bishop Guertin (NH) | |
| Aug. 18 -- Muskego (WI) | |
| Aug. 19 -- Blacksburg (VA) | |
| Aug. 20 -- Pine Crest (FL) | |
| Aug. 21 -- Buchanan (CA) | |
| Aug. 22 -- Liverpool (NY) | |
| Aug. 23 -- Battle Mountain (CO) | |
| Aug. 24 -- Yorkville (IL) | |
| Aug. 25 -- Edina (MN) | |
| Aug. 26 -- Lone Peak (UT) | |
| Aug. 27 -- Claremont (CA) | |
| Aug. 28 -- Centerville (OH) | |
| Aug. 29 | |
| Aug. 30 | 5 |
| Aug. 30 | 4 |
| Aug. 30 | 3 |
| Aug. 30 | 2 |
| Aug. 30 | 1 |
| Aug. 31 | Final Rankings |