The Herriman track and field team found itself in a familiar spot at the state meet: near the top. 

The Mustangs were third among all boys teams at the Class 6A state meet. The girls came in eighth place. Herriman has consistently been one of the top teams in the state, and this past season was no different. 

Because Herriman excels in cross country, the team has traditionally done well in the distance events. Head coach Doug Soles was pleased with how the team did in the sprint and field events. 

“This was the first season where we really competed at a high level on the sprints side of things,” he said. “Track is such a speed-based sport, and having a sprints group that could really compete at and win meets this year was amazing. Our distance crew continues to be a big point scorer at the state meet, sweeping the boys distance wins this year. Girls pole vault was a shining spot for us all season, with Eli Ekins and Savannah Berbert going 1–2 at state. Halle Willardson winning the girls long jump state title really stood out this year.”

The competition at state was fierce, Soles said the regular season helped to get his team ready for the rigors of state. 

“We used the regular season to really prepare for the stresses and intensity of the state meet by traveling to big meets like the Mt. SAC Relays in California and a couple meets in St. George,” he said. “Taking on the best in the country in the regular season really helps prepare you for the state meet. We were proud of our performances, having athletes perform at or near expectation in almost every event. We won a lot of state titles in lots of different events, which shows the level of success we are having in many of our event groups.”

Soles had the bittersweet experience of saying goodbye to the team’s seniors, who started their careers in the program when Soles first arrived. He was grateful for their dedication and efforts in representing the program. 

“The seniors this year were really special, as they were all the ninth graders my first season with Herriman in 2022,” he said. “So, to see them grow up to do so well as seniors has been amazing.”

Numerous athletes stood out at state with exceptional performances. 

Junior Jackson Spencer brought home a lot of honors, winning the 1600, 3200, 4x800 and 4x400 at the state meet. Senior Tayshaun Ogomo took first in the 800, 4x800 and 4x400. He was also fifth in the 1600. Senior Micah Tang was fourth in the 4x800, 800, 1600 and 3200. Senior Jonah Tang was the state leader in the 1600 most of the season.

In addition, senior Zeke Kearney finished sixth in the 400 and was second in the 4x200, first in the 4x400 and fourth in 4x100. Senior Ryan Snedaker placed second in the long jump and was second in the 4x200, first in the 4x400 and fourth in the 4x100 at the state meet. Senior Max Blankenship had a fall at the state meet and broke his collarbone. Still, he ran 22.06 and 10.97 at region and was a leader on the team’s relays.

On the girls’ side, Eli Ekins, a junior, won the pole vault at state and ran on relays. Sophomore Savannah Berbert ended up in second place in the pole vault and ran on relays. Senior Maci Woolf placed third in the 3200 and was fourth in the 4x800. Senior Claire Hoenes took seventh place in the 3200 and was fourth in the 4x800. Halle Willardson, a junior, captured the state title in the long jump.

Soles couldn’t say enough positive things about his coaching staff either. 

“We really had some amazing groups led by great coaching this season,” he said. “That combination really gave us a chance to compete in any meet we were in, and the ability to run well in the postseason. Our sprints coach, Gabe Keil; long jump coach, Zach Baggett; and pole vault coach, Cameron Vongsawad, all saw the young groups they started developing a couple of years ago grow into some of the best groups in the state this year. On top of that, our throws group, led by Amy Paasi, got out a lot of young athletes and kept them out, forming a great group for the future.”

Overall, it was another standout season for the Mustangs. Soles is optimistic about the season to come, too, as he saw some great performances from younger athletes. 

“Watching our athletes perform so well at the Mt. SAC Relays, winning the boys 4x1600 and DMRs, along with individual wins from Ogomo in the 800 and Noah Manwaring in the 3200 really stood out on the big stage,” he said. “At state, having all of our relays either win or be in contention on the boys’ side really stood out as a coming of age of this group of Herriman athletes. Adding fast sprinters Maliyah McGill (ninth), Isaac Owens (10th) and Malachi Chaney (10th) has really set us up well for the future.”

The 2025 season may have just ended, but Soles is already eager to see what the team can do in 2026. 

“Our program is designed to have the next group prepped and ready,” he said. “I think we will be just as good and ready to continue to challenge for state titles in the coming years on both sides. We have some very good sophomore boys who will play a big role over the next couple of seasons in our success.” λ