Don't be surprised if Bingham's boys cross country team rules the roost in Class 5A this year. Even though the team won Region 3 in 2005, Coach Jeff Arbogast was disappointed with their ninth-place finish at the state meet.
After 30 years of coaching, Arbogast feels that this Bingham team will return the Miners to the glory days.
"As far as I'm concerned, I wanted to see if they could get back to the Bingham of old," he said. "I see a potential state championship team but really — we're not doing it for just the wins. I'm sticking it out to get the luster back on the Bingham distance program," he explained.
Arbogast thinks that the next couple of years will be the best opportunity for Bingham's return to prominence in cross country. The longtime Miners coach has been digging for more depth and toughness. Runners one through nine have the potential to be all-state performers for the Miners.
"They haven't come in with a lot of 'umph,' but they run like the banshee," Arbogast said.
The veteran coach has confidence that his boys are capable of winning the region and more this season.
"They were solid last year," he said. "They're better this year."
For the girls of Region 3, Copper Hills is the clear favorite to repeat as region champions. With plenty of talent, the school could take a serious run at a Class 5A title, but the coaches are saying that it'll take the girls' best effort.
"If we run very, very well," says coach Garth Rushforth. "They have to want it to win."
Copper Hills lost only one senior from last year's region title team, and they return top runner Jessica Zamudio. They also return with a tone of confidence after knocking off Bingham in a showdown at the 2005 region championships.
The Grizzlies look to have the talent and confidence to emerge with another region title. Meanwhile, Bingham's boys could have one of their best teams in decades and should be a strong threat for a state championship.
Here's a team by team look at Region 3 cross country.
BINGHAM: Going back to the future is what Miners coach Jeff Arbogast is planning on doing this season. He's looking for one more championship run. Bingham and Mountain View dominated the 1990's in boys cross country. The Miners won three state titles in six years. Arbogast is hoping this team is of the same mold. Led by Logan Clark, Ryan Barrus and Nate Jewkes, the Miners look to be very deep and they bring a toughness that hasn't been around for awhile. Conner Davis, Jason Sara and Andrew Unker round out the heart of the team and younger runners should develop to make the team better for 2007.
The girls' team has the fastest runner in the state in Kim Quinn, but that might not be enough. Coach Arbogast is looking for more fight from his girls' team. Jessica Palmer, Danika Antczak and KristiRichardson will have to step it up this season for Bingham to get past Copper Hills and Riverton.
RIVERTON: New cross country coach Brian Fauver comes to the school from Atlanta. With assistant Jill Alsbury, the Silverwolves should challenge in both girls and boys for the region title. The boys return most of their team from last season; coaches say they are ready to go right now. Trevor Sharp and Macy Butterfield are the top runners followed closely by BraxtonMorgan, Chris Sanders and John Fawcett. The girls' team lost only one senior to graduation. They could overtake Copper Hills if the Grizzlies slip. Alisa Sheffer, Kathy Oman, MeganInama and Kristi Nichols are the team's top runners.
COPPER HILLS: Ranked in the state's top five of Class 5A, Copper Hills is the team to beat. With a strong returning class, the girls appear to be headed for another championship in Region 3. Jessica Zamudio, Jordan Turner, Rebecca Barnes and Heidi Price are the team's top runners along with some newcomers. The defending region champions will be tough to oust. The boys could be a year away. Seniors Jeff Scott and John Coles are going to be solid runners but they don't seem to have much help. Sophomore runners Ryan Summer, Preston Stelter and Ben Bass will be thrown into the mix right away for coach GarthRushforth.
KEARNS: Coach Jim Flanagan's boys are a little thin on the depth chart but they're solid runners. They'll have a shot at the region if injuries don't hit the squad. Flanagan is in his fourth year of coaching at Kearns but he's got some 30 years of coaching under his belt and believes this is his most talented team. "We're young — I think we'll be a surprise," Flanagan said. Seven of the top ten runners are sophomores including Josh Shrewsbury, TannerSmedley and Aaron Quilter. Juniors Anthony Chavez and Elvis Machado will be strong contributors. Flanagan believes the only thing they lack is experience in the big races. Injuries have been the main problem for the girls' team. Emily Benson is one of the top runners for the Cougars but she's out with a fractured foot. Junior Jamie Duffy is going have to carry the team until some younger runners can step up.
WEST JORDAN: Looks to be a few years away from contending. Coach Jana White is taking a wait-and-see approach. The improved Jags will look for Walker Bickmore and sophomore Jeff Walker to keep the team on track. Junior Randy Carsey is also going to have an opportunity this season. The West Jordan boys don't have the overall depth of Bingham and Riverton but they could be gaining momentum for next year. The girls lost a lot of seniors from last year which will keep them down this season. White does return some bright spots in Anna Willis and Emily Lund. The girls will be battling Kearns and Hunter to stay out of the basement.
HUNTER: Coach Jeff Martsen is encountering a heap of trouble trying to revive Hunter's cross country program. Right now he's having a tough time getting a team together let alone being competitive. "I'm expecting we'll take last place," Martsen says. "Last summer we had 10 kids — this summer we had two," he said. He plans to step up his recruiting process with the junior high schools but this season appears to be a wash. Junior KennyJackson and Derrick Orr have potential for the boys' team. The girls' team is non-existent. Getting girls to come out for cross country has been very tough this year. Many of them have turned to soccer or cheerleading.
Coaches predictions
Boys: 1-Bingham 2-Riverton 3-Kearns 4-Copper Hills 5-West Jordan 6-Hunter
Girls: 1-Copper Hills 2-Riverton 3-Bingham 4-West Jordan 5-Kearns 6-Hunter
E-mail: tpeterson@desnews.com