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Sanpete cross-country teams post top finishes

ByRobert Stevens

Manti runner wins region cross-country title with 15:30.4 time

Manti High School cross-country team after the Region 13 championships
Members of the Manti High School cross-country team gather for a photo following the Region 13 championships Oct. 13 at Roosevelt Golf Course. The Templars finished second in the boys competition and fourth in the girls competition. Paul Gardner won the boys individual region championship, while teammate Mason Carlile placed second. Sariah Peterson led the Manti girls with a ninth-place finish. Photo courtesy of Coach Brandon Norris.

Manti High School senior Paul Gardner captured the Region 13 boys’ cross-country championship, leading the Templars to a second-place team finish, while North Sanpete's girls placed third as Sanpete County schools competed in their regional championships.

Manti Templars

At the Oct. 13 competition at Roosevelt Golf Course, Gardner won the 5,000-meter boys race with a time of 15:30.4. Teammate Mason Carlile finished second in 16:22.7, giving Manti the top two individual finishers.

Despite Manti's individual success, Carbon captured the boys team championship with 29 points, followed by Manti with 39 and Union with 72. Emery finished fourth with 114 points, while North Sanpete placed fifth with 116.

"The Manti Templars had a great day at the Region Championships in Roosevelt, Utah!" Manti cross-country coach Brandon Norris wrote in an email following the competition.

Freshman Emerson Smith added another top-10 finish for Manti, placing eighth overall in 17:06.9. Porter Worthington finished 14th in 17:31.9, while Asher Henry placed 16th in 17:48.9.

Micah Andreasen finished 23rd in 18:06.8, and Porter Rasmussen placed 33rd in 18:57.7 to round out Manti's top seven boys.

"We're proud of the hard work, commitment, and determination these athletes have shown throughout the season," Norris said.

North Sanpete Hawks

North Sanpete's boys were led by Easton Henrie, who finished 21st overall in 17:56.5. Jesse Dyches followed in 24th with a time of 18:10.2, while Kamden Grasteit placed 25th in 18:13.4.

Freshman Will Bradley finished 28th in 18:35.8, and Jarrett Sloan placed 32nd in 18:55.6 to complete the Hawks' five scoring positions. Their 116-point total left them just two points behind fourth-place Emery.

North Sanpete's girls recorded the highest team finish among Sanpete schools in the Region 13 girls competition, placing third with 73 points.

Union won the championship with 37 points, followed by Carbon with 47. Manti finished fourth with 83 points, while Emery placed fifth with 123.

North Sanpete freshman Meghan Henrie led the Hawks with a seventh-place individual finish in 20:45.2, the fastest time among Sanpete County girls in the competition.

Senior Oakley Sederquist joined Henrie in the top 10, placing 10th in 21:18.9.

Brielle Sorensen finished 15th in 21:44.1, followed by Emily Ashliman in 20th with a time of 22:13.1 and Savannah Christensen in 21st at 22:35.6. Ada Heywood rounded out North Sanpete's runners, finishing 26th in 23:06.0.

Manti's girls were led by senior Sariah Peterson, who finished ninth overall in 20:49.9, just 4.7 seconds behind North Sanpete's Henrie.

Kylie Hart placed 12th in 21:33.5, while freshman Shaelyn Hart finished 16th in 21:48.9.

Melinda Allen crossed the finish line in 22nd place with a time of 22:40.8, followed by Caitlyn Merrill in 24th at 22:58.8. Brooklyn Worthington finished 25th in 23:01.3, and Grace Gardner placed 27th in 23:30.9.

Wasatch Academy runners place in top five

Wasatch Academy also recorded individual top-five finishes at the Region 16 championships held Oct. 8.

Junior Ferrell Sekaquaptewa led the Tigers with a fourth-place finish in the boys three-mile race, completing the course in 18:47.0.

Fellow junior Kevin Chen followed closely, placing fifth overall in 18:59.6.

In the girls competition, Wasatch Academy senior Finley Tonui finished 15th with a time of 32:43.8.

Wasatch Academy had two boys and one girl listed in the varsity results, leaving the school without enough runners to qualify for a team score.

Gunnison Valley, which belongs to Region 15, had no runners listed in the published results from its Oct. 5 regional championship. The available results do not establish whether the school participated in the meet.