Mantz hopes to be back in time for FL West

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Conner Mantz is still trying to figure out whether there is life left in his 2014 cross country season.

Last Thursday at the UHSAA Championships in Salt Lake City, Mantz of Sky View collapsed while leading the Class 4A race just 20 meters short of the finish and Josh Collins from Wasatch blew by to claim the victory. Twelve painful seconds later a dazed Mantz took second.

Mantz spoke to DyeStat on Monday. He has a stress reaction in his femur and he remains hopeful that he will be on the starting line – and healthy – at the Foot Locker West Regional in California on Dec. 6. He would be trying to reach the national finals for the third year in a row.

But there is some cause for caution as well. Mantz tried a pool workout Monday and while that may have been welcome change for his leg he was unable to get his heart rate high enough to adequately work his cardiovascular system.

So there could be a push and pull between resting the leg vs. not losing fitness.

As for the race last week, Mantz gave a gutty effort while knowing that he had a problem. He had spent nearly a week and a half resting his sore leg before the state meet hoping an injury that he initially thought was a sore muscle would go away. But it didn't.

Mantz knew he had a stress reaction in the bone by the day of the state meet but was cleared to run. In a series of strides before the race, he noticed that he could hardly sprint.

At the top of a hill less than a mile into the race, Mantz said he felt something unstable in his leg and nearly lost his balance.

Collins past him the first time about the two-mile mark but Mantz wouldn't let go of his goal of winning the state title (even if the goal of breaking Luke Puskedra's course record was off the table).

"I really don't know what happened when I fell down," Mantz said. "I knew (Collins) was coming and tried to hold him off but my body just gave out. I can't explain it."

It was as if all the parts of his body that he was using to compensate for the sore leg wore out.

Mantz had the presence of mind to look around and see that he was not in danger of being passed again. So he pulled himself up and got to the finish line.

Mantz's doctor was at the park and the two of them had a discussion, but he did not go to the hospital for treatment.

The fall sent reverberations of concern throughout Sugar House Park. Mantz is universally admired, especially in his home state.

The next day, and over the weekend, Mantz received messages of support from across the region (including Elijah Armstrong, for instance).

"It was actually overwhelming to see how much support I had," Mantz said. "Maybe it took something like this to realize it."

Mantz said he will not run at NXN Southwest and instead try to put himself back together for the Dec. 6 race. And if he can't make it by then, he will turn his focus to the U.S. Junior Cross Country Championships on Feb. 7 in Boulder.

American Fork crushes state course record

American Fork concluded its regular season US#1 and then broke the cumulative team time record at the Utah state meet by a whopping 36 seconds. 

AF will go into a second phase of the season now and try to peak again for NXN.

"The kids are aware (of the ranking)," coach Timo Mostert said. "They look at the polls but I also think they take it in stride. Until Dec. 6 it doesn't mean all that much."

Mostert said the 2010 American Fork team was more accomplished as a group of individuals with sterling track times. But the accomplishment of last Thursday in the state meet sets a new standard of excellence for the Cavemen.

"This team is young," Mostert said. "I think when we look back in a few years we'll see that these are the fastest guys we've had."

Senior Zac Jacklin led the way with a individual title and 15:05.5 -- fourth-fastest in meet history. Sophomore Casey Clinger ran 15:12.1 for second -- the second-fastest non-winning time in Utah state meet history. And another sophomore, McKay Johns, was fourth in 15:25.2.

Three of American Fork's runners return with NXN experience from last year. 

The record didn't come as a shock to Mostert. He figured that his team could run about 77:30, well under the record of 78:01. And they ran five seconds faster (77:25).

The boys also took some energy to the starting line know that the school's girls, US#12 and coached by Bruno Hunziker, had beaten in-state rival Davis for the team championship. 

"I think that gave th boys a little boost," Mostert said.

Biles Chooses A College

Lucy Biles of Herriman, who won her second staight Class 5A girls title, has made a verbal commitment to attend the University of North Carolina next year.