The 2026 Park City Twilight XC took place on August 20, 2026, at the Quinns Junction Athletic Fields, marking the fifth annual occurrence of the early-season cross-country meet. The event, held at the same course used for the later Park City Invitational, brought together nearly 1,000 participants for a series of junior varsity and varsity races.
Event Schedule and Course Details
The race schedule for the event included an open race at 5:20 p.m., followed by a junior varsity boys race at 6:00 p.m. and a junior varsity girls race at 6:35 p.m. The varsity competitions commenced later in the evening, with the boys varsity race starting at 7:15 p.m. and the girls varsity race at 7:45 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 8:15 p.m. to recognize the top 10 individuals in each race and various team winners.
According to meet director Steve Cuttitta, the course is a three-mile challenging layout consisting of grass and dirt trails. While the footing is considered excellent for most of the course, runners cross pavement for only a few steps. The course follows a single loop design where the finish line repeats the starting point, providing a high-quality spectator experience and a significant challenge for cross-country athletes.
Junior Varsity Race Results
The junior varsity boys race saw Corey Winger of Mountain View High School take first place with a time of 16:18.7. He was followed by McKay Marchant of Riverton High School, who finished second in 16:26.6, and Marko Jovanovic of Riverton High School, who took third place with a time of 16:30.3.
In the junior varsity girls race, Olive McCormick of Park City High School secured the top position, finishing with a time of 20:05.4. Brooke Greenberg, also from Park City High School, finished second with a time of 20:16.3, while Abi Hooper of Park City High School rounded out the top three with a time of 21:14.4.
Varsity Boys Competition
The varsity boys entries for the 2026 UIAAA Invitational included a large field of 213 athletes competing across 371 participations. Notable entries in the varsity boys 5k included Tristan Smith of Cedar Valley, who recorded a time of 15:45.88, and Cooper Clark of Grantsville, who finished with a time of 15:50.41. Other competitors included Whittaker Bettis of Brighton, Luke Noall of Cedar Valley, and Michael Weber of Carbon High.
The field also featured runners from various schools, including Lincoln Hallows of North Sevier, Andoni Garcia of West Jordan, Trevor Dance of Brighton, Mathew Stromness of Carbon High, and Braxton Aschliman of West Field. Other participants noted in the entries included Rylan Egbert of Grantsville, Tyrail Rasmussen of Copper Hills, Ethan Johnson of Jordan, Levi Clarkson of Kanab, and Cooper Duncan of Union.
Pinnacle Panthers Profile
The Pinnacle Panthers, a 1A classification school in the 19th region, are a charter district based in Price, Utah. The school's athletic department is overseen by Principal Roberta Hardy and Assistant Principal for Athletics Mark Stuckenschneider, who also serves as the Athletic Director.
Stuckenschneider is listed as the coach for both the boys and girls cross country teams. The school's athletic offerings include football, girls soccer, girls tennis, girls volleyball, boys basketball, girls basketball, competitive cheer, drill team, boys and girls swimming, boys and girls wrestling, baseball, boys and girls golf, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, softball, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, boys and girls volleyball, and esports.
Logistics and Registration
The Park City Twilight XC is an early-season event designed to prepare athletes for the later Park City Invitational. The meet's registration for the 2026 season was managed through RunnerCard, with a final deadline for coaches on August 18, 2026.
The meet organization required specific protocols at the Quinns Junction Sports Complex, including a prohibition on tents, team camps, and spikes on the turf field, requiring all setups to be located in designated grass areas. Because parking at the event site is limited, spectators were encouraged to carpool, and buses were directed to park at Park City High School at 1750 Kearns Blvd after dropping runners at the sports complex.
Participation Summary
The 2026 meet saw a total of 956 participations across several events, including 346 for the varsity boys 3 mile, 185 for the varsity boys 3 mile, 241 for the junior varsity girls 3 mile, 153 for the varsity girls 3 mile, and 31 for the open/public race. The event remains a staple for regional cross-country competition in the Utah area.
