In 2019, the Jordan High School cross country team didn’t have enough participants to send anyone to state. This season, both the boys and girls once again sent a full team to the state championships on Oct. 26.

The Jordan boys have now had four years in a row of having a full team at state. It was the third year in a row for the girls sending a complete team to the championship race. Both teams continue to improve and are competing at a higher level. 

“We’re continuing to move in a positive direction,” head coach Gregory Shaw said. “We’re loving the direction our team is headed and making steady progress.”

Before heading to state, the Beetdiggers won the Region 10 title by defeating Stansbury by one point in come-from-behind fashion. At the region meet, four Jordan boys placed in the top 10, with Kolter Parkin taking first overall. In an exciting race, Parkin sprinted with all his might toward the finish line at the end, overtaking the lead runner. 

The Jordan girls placed 14th out of 21 teams at the Class 4A state championship. Junior Caroline Wagner was the top Jordan runner on the girls’ side, finishing 51st with a time of 20:40.9. Senior Sarah Seamons was second on the team and 69th overall, running the race in 21:07, while sophomore Sierra Ferguson was third for Jordan with a time of 21.43.4. 

Meanwhile, the boys placed 13th at state, with Parkin coming in 20th overall with a time of 16:22.6. Parker Lassig, a junior, was second on the time, finishing in 17:27.8. All seven Beetdigger boys ran the race in under 20 minutes. 

The Jordan cross country team does much more than run, however. 

Shaw has helped oversee some community service efforts where the team members have joined with Park Lane Elementary School for its Fun Run. Jordan runners assist Park Lane students of all abilities start and finish a 1-mile run. Jordan has also visited nearby middle schools to run with their teams and even hosted the Canyons School District middle school championships. The Beetdiggers also played host to a high school invitational where several schools from around the state came to compete. 

These efforts have given the program more exposure and are helping the Beetdiggers continue to improve the team. 

“Many of the kids and parents have given their time and energy to give to our program and help us to grow in success,” Shaw said. “We are grateful for the community that has surrounded and supported our cross country program as we continue to work together toward our goals.” λ