Historic Cross-Country Triumph for Taylorsville
On a beautiful Wednesday at Sugar House Park, the city of Taylorsville celebrated a monumental achievement as the Taylorsville boys cross-country team captured its first state title in school history. This victory also marked the school’s first title in any sport in the past 22 years, making it a day to remember for the entire community.
The Warriors’ coach, Guy Mackay, expressed immense pride in his team’s accomplishment, noting that this wasn’t just a victory for Taylorsville but for all schools on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, many of which have also been searching for their first title in decades. This year’s team had a strong regular season and entered the state meet as one of the favorites, finishing with a total of 66 points, while their nearest competitor, Viewmont, gathered 80 points.
“We’ve been building for four years with this group,” said Mackay. “They’ve bought into everything we’ve been trying to get across to them. They run for each other, that’s what they do. None of them want to let each other down.” Mackay, who was part of the Taylorsville baseball coaching staff in 2002 when the last state championship was won, reflected on the journey the boys had taken over the years. The team had previously finished in 17th place in 2021, 10th in 2022, and fourth in 2023 before claiming the title this year.
While the drama in the boys’ race unfolded, the Timpview girls’ team showcased its dominance. Led by a stunning 1-2 finish from Jane Hedengren and Lily Alder, Timpview secured the girls’ state title with a total of 72 points, far ahead of Box Elder, who scored 132 points. Hedengren posted a phenomenal time of 16:21.48, faster than 773 of the 878 boys who competed across classifications at the meet.
Alder, who finished second with a time of 17:21.86, remarked, “We knew that if we worked hard we were going to get it.” Both runners are eyeing continued success, with Hedengren looking forward to the upcoming NXR Southwest Regional in Arizona.
In a remarkable performance, Bountiful junior, Hayden Hooper, clinched the boys’ individual title with a time of 15:07.26, making a significant jump from his 12th-place finish last year. Taylorsville’s Edward Stout took second place with a time of 15:34.71, helping his team secure the state title. Other notable finishes in the boys’ race included Alta’s Aidan Neal, Viewmont’s Talmage Bruschke, and Wasatch’s Alexander Spencer.
The triumph of the Taylorsville cross-country team is a story of perseverance, teamwork, and ambition. As this historic season draws to a close, the entire community stands behind their athletes with immense pride, eagerly looking forward to the future.
