Ogden High School secured two state championships in the 3A girls and boys divisions during the Utah UHSAA cross country championships held Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City. Avery Barton captured the individual 3A girls title, while the Ogden boys team reclaimed the 3A throne, marking their first boys state title since 2022.
Barton Secures Individual Title
Avery Barton, a senior who committed to the University of Utah for cross country and track on Monday, delivered a dominant performance to win her first career individual title. Barton finished with a time of 17:49.88, approximately 54 seconds ahead of runner-up Gentry Christiansen. Barton said the victory felt unreal and noted that her strategy to start slower and push during the final mile proved effective because it preserved her energy for the finish.
Ogden Boys Reclaim 3A Throne
The Ogden boys team finished with a collective effort that saw six runners placed in the top 20. Daniel Ekstrom led the Tigers with a third-place individual finish in 16:23.76. The team's victory marked a significant jump from their 11th-place finish last year. According to Ekstrom, the team's success was the result of consistent training and maintaining a positive mindset throughout the season.
Key Contributors for Ogden Boys
The Ogden boys' roster for the championship included several high-performing runners: Josh Nielson finished 10th in 16:42.53, Boone Burton finished 12th in 16:53.56, Andrew Francis finished 15th in 16:57.64, Tate Browning finished 18th in 17:01.30, and Ryker Nicholas finished 19th in 17:02.11. Dallin Francis also contributed to the team's success with a 17:44.77 finish.
Ogden Girls Finish Second
The Ogden girls team finished just behind Canyon View to secure the runner-up position in the 3A classification. The Tigers featured five runners in the top 25, including Clara Geddes in 4th place (19:13.91), Lucia Butte in 16th place (20:36.71), Molly Ekstrom in 17th place (20:47.61), and Ally Stark in 23rd place (21:11.01). Shay Ekstrom finished 29th, and Georgia Smith rounded out the team's performance in 41st place.
Regional Performance Highlights
Other notable results from the 3A classification included Morgan placing sixth in the girls' team competition, led by Alexis Cox, who finished fifth individually in 19:15.41, and Misty West, who finished 27th in 21:29.56. In the boys' race, Morgan took eighth place, led by Seth Hopkin, who finished 21st in 17:08.99. Ben Lomond placed seventh in the boys' race, with True Ferrier finishing 25th in 17:22.82 and Daniel Hodges finishing 28th in 17:25.74. Gracie Butler led the Ben Lomond girls, finishing in 48th place.
Other State Championship Results
In other classifications at the Sugar House Park meet, the Lehi boys won the 6A boys title with 61 points, narrowly defeating American Fork, who finished with 66 points. Lone Peak won the 6A girls title with 30 points. In the 5A division, Maple Mountain won the boys championship with 73 points, while Viewmont won the 5A girls title with 83 points. Mountain View won the 4A boys race with 21 points, and Orem won the 4A girls race with 96 points. In the 3A boys division, Ogden won with 58 points, while Canyon View won the 3A girls title with 55 points.
Lower Classification Results
The 2A championships saw Grand County's boys win the team title with 49 points, led by River Shaw's individual win in 16:08. North Summit won the 2A girls title with 46 points, with Hadley Kasprick taking the individual title in 18:48. In the 1A division, Bryce Valley won the boys title with 26 points, led by Taj Morse in 16:08, while the Panguitch girls won the girls title with 40 points, led by Lyda Taylor, who won by 85 seconds in 19:14.
