Despite challenging winter conditions, USATF Utah athletes delivered a strong showing on Saturday (13-Dec) in Shelbyville, Indiana, at the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, which brought together approximately 2,500 of the top youth athletes from across the country.
Utah’s top individual honors came in the highly competitive Boys 9–10 division, where Elijah Jarrett (Wolfpack Running Club Utah) led the way with a seventh-place finish to earn All-American recognition. He was joined in the top 25 by teammate Corban Shepherd, who placed 25th, as the duo led the team to a fifth-place team finish, the best team result recorded by any Utah club at the meet. Following Jarrett and Shepherd across the line as team scorers were Dean Bullock (65th), Zachary Allen (102nd), and Gabe Martinez (238th).
Additional All-American honors were earned by Adam Moody (Wolfpack RC Utah), who finished 19th in the Boys 15–16 division, and Brooke Schnaitter (Wolfpack RC Utah), who placed 20th in the Girls 15–16 race, giving Utah four All-Americans across multiple age divisions.
Athletes finishing inside the top 25 of their respective divisions earned All-American honors, which included recognition at the awards podium, a commemorative All-American hat and patch, and a championship medal.
Utah All-Americans • Elijah Jarrett — Boys 9–10, 7th (Wolfpack RC Utah) • Adam Moody — Boys 15–16, 19th (Wolfpack RC Utah) • Brooke Schnaitter — Girls 15–16, 20th (Unattached) • Corban Shepherd — Boys 9–10, 25th (Wolfpack RC Utah)
Utah Team Finishes • Boys 9–10 — Wolfpack Running Club Utah, 5th • Boys 11–12 — Wolfpack Running Club Utah, 18th • Girls 11–12 — Wolfpack Running Club Utah, 12th • Girls 13–14 — Wolfpack Running Club Utah, 20th • Boys 13–14 — Wolfpack Running Club Utah, 31st
Utah athletes and clubs once again demonstrated depth, resilience, and competitive spirit while competing against the nation’s best on the championship stage.