State XC: West Field’s Hailey Atwater brings home historic title in 4A girls race
Ogden's Bradley Ekstrom claims 3A boys runner-up honors
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- In this 2024 photo, West Field sophomore Hailey Atwater runs during a regular-season cross country meet against Logan.
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- Left to right: Fremont seniors Brecklyn Bugnet, Taylee Richards and Indianna Lundell stop for a picture before the 6A girls cross country state championships Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2024, at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis sophomore Isabella Cram stares down the finish line during the 6A girls cross country state championships Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2024, at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.
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- Runners take off the starting line during the 6A girls cross country state championships Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2024, at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton senior Jonathan Thornley is jubilant crossing the finish line during the 6A boys cross country state championships Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2024, at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.
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- The Syracuse, Davis and Layton teams take off the starting line during the 6A boys cross country state championships Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2024, at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.
SALT LAKE CITY — Hailey Atwater will soon etch her name into the walls at West Field as the school’s first-ever state champion.
The sophomore ran her way to a three-second individual victory (18:07.81) over runner-up Charlotte Felt of Green Canyon on Tuesday at the 3A girls state championships held at Sugar House Park.
The headliner led the Longhorns to a 12th-place team finish among 21 competing schools, but it didn’t come without some late-season challenges. Atwater, moving over to West Field from Fremont, said West Field head coach Jamie Pilkington played a key role in pushing her.
“I was struggling a little bit,” Atwater said. “I was just like not mentally there. (Pilkington)’s helped a lot to help me with my mental and talk through different scenarios that help me prepare for it.”
Reaching the pinnacle in Year 2, Atwater said her run game is at an all-time high. She compared Tuesday’s course at Sugar House to Quinns Junction Sports Complex in Park City, a course West Field visited for the Park City Invitational in September.
She used a combination of more demanding courses and a personal push to become better between races.
“I know a lot more about what to expect now just from the experience,” Atwater said. “This year, I’ve made sure I’m training a lot harder. Last year, I didn’t take it very serious.”
Two area 3A boys joined the top-five club Tuesday: Ogden junior Bradley Ekstrom finished roughly 13 seconds by Summit Academy’s Kaden McGovern for the runner-up spot and Morgan senior EJ Lee finished fifth (16:16.23).
Ogden High produced four total top-10 finishes between the 3A boys and girls. Ekstrom (second, 15:48.02), senior Rustin Reddish (10th, 16:37.73), and senior Ryan Ekstrom (27th, 17:17.75) ranked in the top 30 of the boys list; senior Berlin Bartlett finished sixth (19:20.57) and sophomore Clara Geddes finished ninth (19:34.24) in the girls race.
The Tigers finished fourth overall in the boys race and the girls finished seventh.
Two Ben Lomond runners also made their way into the individual top 10 in the 3A races. Senior Lundi Ferrier placed 10th (19:50.66) in the girls race and junior Daniel Budge placed 26th (17:16.52) with the boys. The Scots placed ninth overall in the boys race and didn’t qualify for a girls team score.
Three Morgan runners — sophomores Alexis Cox (14th, 20:22.82), Brooklyn Guymon (26th, 21:26.78) and senior Brooke Williford (27th, 21:33.81) — finished inside the top 30 for 3A girls; senior Maverick Guymon finished 13th (16:44.53) for the boys.
The Trojans finished fifth overall in the boys race and the girls finished eighth.
Utah Military-Hill Field senior Jocelyn Peery (21st, 21:41.56) and St. Joseph freshman Ava Volpe (25th, 22:13.07) combined for a pair of top-25 finishes in the 2A girls championship Tuesday.
Four 6A, 5A locals finish in top 10
State meets concluded Wednesday with the 6A and 5A championships.
Davis sophomore Isabella Cram led area runners in the 6A girls pack with a sixth-place performance (18:29.56) followed by Fremont senior Indianna Lundell (22nd, 19:01.63), Weber junior Catherine Wald (23rd, 19:04.31), and Layton freshman Eliza Thornely (30th, 19:12.83).
Layton senior Jonathan Thornley finished in the top 10 of the 6A boys (eighth, 15:18.78) trailed by Davis sophomore Harrison Skousen (24th, 15:55.44), Weber senior Garrison Johnson (26th, 15:59.17), and Fremont junior Zach Steoger (31st, 16:05.25).
Bonneville sophomore Avery Barton (fifth, 17.56.79) and Northridge freshman Evelyn Cook (8th, 18:22.57) reached the top-10 pool for 5A girls.
Barton’s teammate, senior Nicole Wayment, finished 11th (18:45.65) followed by four Box Elder runners in the top 30: junior Maya Lee (20th, 19:10.73), senior Kassidie Douglass (22nd, 19:17.27), junior Macie Lee (27th, 19:27.93), and junior Elizabeth Rupper (30th, 19:39.76).
Northridge worked solo in netting the only two area boys — senior Nate Eskelson (13th, 15:49.67) and sophomore Jeff Hazard (16th, 15:54.90) — in the 5A top 20.
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
