Cedar High School's girls varsity cross-country team captured first place in the afternoon division of the Timpanogos XC Invitational at Lakeside Sports Park in Orem on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. The victory was led by junior Eliza Johnson, who secured the overall individual win in the afternoon race.
Cedar Girls Dominate Afternoon Race
Cedar's afternoon girls varsity victory was fueled by a strong performance from Eliza Johnson, who crossed the finish line first with a time of 18:27.2 on the 5K course. She was followed by teammate Macie Mitchell, who finished third with a time of 19:07.3. Hurricane's Arya Armstrong placed second in the afternoon race with a time of 18:54.6.
The Cedar girls finished the afternoon race with a total of 74 team points, earning them the top spot on the podium. Springville secured second place with 89 points, while Crimson Cliffs took third with 91 points, according to reporting from St. George News.
Region 9 Boys Show Strength
The afternoon girls race included a total of 16 schools competing for position. In the boys varsity race held during the same afternoon session at Lakeside Sports Park, Region 9 schools demonstrated significant strength, occupying three of the top six team finishing spots. Crimson Cliffs placed third, Hurricane finished fifth, and Cedar placed sixth.
Springville emerged as the overall winner in the boys afternoon race, finishing with 43 points. Hurricane's Karter Holt was the highest-placing athlete from Region 9 in the boys afternoon race, securing eighth place overall with a time of 16:34.1.
Morning Session Results
The Timpanogos Invitational featured extensive competition across two sessions. The morning section of the meet was significantly larger, featuring 38 schools in the girls varsity race and 44 schools in the boys varsity race.
In the morning girls event, the top-finishing Southern Utah teams were Canyon View, which placed sixth overall, and Desert Hills, which finished 14th. In the morning boys varsity race, Region 9 rivals Pine View and Desert Hills finished in 10th and 13th place, respectively.
Morning Boys Competition Details
The morning boys varsity race saw American Fork Cavemen secure the top team position with 65 points, followed by Riverton Silverwolves in second with 86 points, and Herriman Mustangs in third with 106 points. The Lehi Pioneers finished fourth with 185 points.
Individual standout performance in the morning boys race went to Trevin Lounsbury of Herriman, who took first place with a time of 14:48.6. Chase Hejny of American Fork followed in second with 14:51.6, and David Webb of American Fork took third with 14:52.8.
Morning Field Standings
Mid-Utah Radio reported a wide array of results for the morning boys race, noting that the Lehi Pioneers placed fourth. Other notable finishers in the morning field included Maple Mountain Golden Eagles in fifth and Davis Darts in sixth.
Among the lower-ranking teams in the morning boys race, Snow Canyon Warriors finished 40th, while the Portland-area school Jackson Hole (Wyo.) Broncs placed 21st. The morning field also included various schools from across the region, such as Desert Hills, which placed 13th, and Pine View, which placed 10th.
Upcoming Local Competition
The Timpanogos Invitational, hosted by Timpanogos High School, provided a platform for numerous regional schools to compete. The event utilized the 5K course at Lakeside Sports Park to host both the AM and PM sessions.
Following the Timpanogos meet, Region 9 and other local schools were scheduled to compete in the Dixie All-Comers meet, which was set to take place on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 8, at Bloomington Hills North Park in St. George.
Meet Overview
The results from the Timpanogos XC Invitational highlighted the competitive nature of Southern Utah cross-country programs. From the individual success of Cedar's Eliza Johnson to the team depth shown by Springville and American Fork, the meet showcased a broad spectrum of talent across the region.
