Pre-Footlocker Invitational 2014

Timp Sports Weekly

November 11, 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at the Nov. 8 Pre-Footlocker Invitational, hosted by American Fork, which had won both girls and boys' state 5-A cross country championships last month. Let's speed straight to that story.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Awesome AF Caveharriers Dominate at 2014 Pre-Footlocker Meet Nov. 8

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

As a follow-up to their state in both the girls and boys' divisions of last month's state 5-A cross country championship races, the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen and Cavemen dominated both divisions of the Nov. 8 Pre-Footlocker Invitational hosted by their school.

No team scores were kept during the invitational, which saw runners from 3-A to 5-A division schools racing together. Juab Wasp harrier Kashley Carter won the girls' division. Awesome Caveman Casey "Corporal" Clinger, a sophomore won the boys' division.

His picking up the boys' division's first-place trophy was a great way for him to show that despite finishing second at the state 5-A meet, he could still come out on top in a boys' race. Teammate Zach Jacklin had defeated him for the first-place spot at the state meet.

Holding his championship trophy, Clinger said, "This was a great way to tune up for racing in the Nike Southwest Invitational in Casa Grande, Arizona. Last year, I placed 25th at that meet in a time of 16:01."

American Fork boys' coach Timo Mostert said, "Zach and Casey pace the team in their races. Those two guys race so well that either of them can beat the other on any given day. Zach bested him at state, and today Casey defeated Zach. Our boys raced really well. Now our varsity runners are going to be focusing in on Nike in a few weeks from now."

With Clinger having finished first and Jacklin second, the Awesome Cavemen dominated the race's top 30 spots. Hagen Harmer finished seventh, Jacob Chase 11th, Dan Bentley 13th, and Conner Hoopes 23rd. As for the other Awesome Cavemen in the boys' race, Parker Rasmussen took 32nd, Jason Manning 45th, Tony Jeffs 55th, Jared Anderson 70th, Cole Phillippi 75th, Parker Barris 895th, Tyler Garrcik 109, Coollin Nielson 149th, Nate Baird 170th, and Parker Williams 175th.

In the girls' division, American Fork's Cami Squires took third, Sammy Hollingsworth third,  Nikki Smith fifth, Maddie Bench sixth. Lexie Green 13th, Katie Bradshaw 16th, Katie Cornell 21st, Katy Phillipi 22nd, Anna Gunther 25th, Kendra Heath 27th,  Bonnie Schellenberg 34th, Madison Marrott 39th, Ashlyn Lee 61st, Camille Garrett 63rd, Mallory Finch 65th, Abbi Lamb 85th, Stormy Watson 91st, Andie Weight 98th, Hailey Smith 101st, Jessica Anderson 103rd, Heather Bergson 104th, Kaylie Green 108th, scout McMillan 111th, Melissa Smith, 121st, Candace Lundahl 129th, Lara Reading 132nd, Hannah Simmons 133rd, Meg Ipson 139, and Emma Bench 144th in the girls' race.

American Fork Coach Bruno Hunziker said, "For our varsity girls, this meet was a great tuneup for the Great Southwest Region in Casa Grande. Cami Squires and Sammy Hollingsworth had frequently traded the No. 1 running spot. That was not too surprising today. The biggest surprise today was Nikki Smith, a senior. All season long, she's been our No. 6 girl. To see her finish as our No. 3 runner today was absolutely fantastic."

AKA the Froggies, the Lehi PIoneers and the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings also had runners compete at Pre-Footlocker. Both schools had runners finish in the top 30 in or both of the races.

For the Froggies in the girls' division, Maddy Kauffman, a "distant cousin" of late comedian Andy Kauffman, finished 12th. In the boys' division, Froggies Sean Haggart took ninth, Conner Arnell 17th, Brady Taylor 24th, and Tommy Boy Heaps 30th.

The Ferocious Vikings had two runners finish in the top 30 of the boys' division. Spencer Palmer took 18th and Zac Slater 29th. Pleasant Grove Coach Mark Morrison said, "They were two of three boys who represented us at state. Tanner Nelson was the third one, and he placed 38th at the state meet. He sat this one out, because of a leg injury. We're expecting him to be back for Footlocker over in Walnut, Calif., within a few weeks. The meet is going to be held at San Antonio College."

For Pleasant Grove in the girls' division, Skye Jeppson took 38th, Haley Tanner 49th, Kate Spackman 50th. Mia Rahl 118th, and Becky Gilbert 140th. Morrison said, "Jeppson was a late-comer to our team. She was a move-in from Blanding, Utah. She joined our program after the school year had started."