MT. PLEASANT– A very intense and challenging two-week period came to a close for the North Sanpete cross country teams with races last week at the Sanpete Classic Invitational and the Park City Invitational; Sept. 28 and 30, respectively.

“It has been a tough go for many on the team, with four races in 10 days, but our goal was to put them through it with smart recovery practices, and know that they will be strong for region and State later in October,” offered Coach Bill Bedford.

Sanpete Classic Invitational

The annual Sanpete Classic Invitational has grown to draw 650 runners from over 25 teams to the golf course at Skyline Mountain Resort. It is now among the best attended athletic events in central Utah.

The runners appreciate the breathtaking scenery as well as a challenging course over gorgeous surfaces on the golf course. With registration and timing all handled by Utah County’s Runnercard.com, the meet went flawlessly and drew rave reviews from visiting schools.

North Sanpete’s boys competed successfully against many larger programs as well as all the Region 12 foes and finished in the middle of the team rankings and fourth among Region schools.

Carl Peel grabbed the final individual medal awarded (15th place) as he motivated teammates Justin Bowles, Ethan Bowles, Matt Hindes and Vance Strait to work successfully together as the Hawks’ top five. Stansbury claimed the team title for the second year.

Wasatch Academy’s Sheilah Cheruiyot, All-State in 2A last year, continued her strong come back from knee trouble and also placed in the top 15 in the girls’ varsity race, won by Provo High’s Kate Hunter.

Park City Invitational

Park City’s Invitational proved to be an even bigger affair. Held on the trails at the Round Valley Recreation Complex, the course offered an ideal mix of up, down, flat and turns to keep the runners engaged and challenged throughout the three miles of dirt.

Cool and damp weather allowed the teams to enjoy a break from the heat and sun which has dominated the fall weather.

With Carl Peel resting his knee, sophomore Ethan Bowles stepped up for the Hawks as #1, with freshman Matt Hindes just seconds behind (both just over 19:00). Justin Bowles, Vance Strait and Benjamin Palmer completing the top five for the team score.

The teams look forward to a week of solid training prior to returning to Skyline Mountain Resort Tuesday, Oct. 11, to host the Region 12 Championships, starting at 4 p.m.