Following 13th-place finish at Mt. SAC last year, Hansen becomes first regional winner from Utah since Hull in 2016, leading three qualifiers from the state; California has six athletes advance, highlighted by runner-up Skapinsky

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

WALNUT – Samuel Hansen kept it fast and loose Saturday morning.

With a nothing-to-lose approach and outlook for fun, the Woods Cross High senior from Bountiful, Utah, found himself as a regional champion.

Hansen ran a charged second half of the 5-kilometer race and won the championship boys race at the CHAMPS Sports West Regional final in 15 minutes, 20 seconds at Mt. San Antonio College.

Hansen became the first boys regional champion from Utah since Talon Hull of Ogden in 2016.

The top 10 in each gender Saturday advanced to race Dec. 10 at the CHAMPS Sports National Championships at Balboa Park in San Diego. The boys championship race begins at 10 a.m. PST.

Hansen was 38th at the mile mark and second by the 2-mile mark and moved into the lead in the final mile. He won by nine seconds over another hard charger, Milo Skapinsky (15:29) of San Luis Obispo and third-place Grant Morgenfeld of Palo Alto (15:30).

“I didn’t really go in expecting anything,” Hansen said. “I just wanted to have a fun time, so I just went out kind of easy and then on the switchbacks picked up a lot of ground, then went pretty quick on the downhills.

“Then I got on the backstretch, and I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s the front group right there.’”

From there, Hansen rode the momentum.

“I realized, ‘I’m with the front group, and they’re slowing down,’” he said. “So I’m just like, ‘Let’s do this.’”

Hansen not only secured the win but became the first CHAMPS Sports national qualifier from his school. After just missing a year ago with a 13th-place finish, he ran 23 seconds faster Saturday.

He was 12th in the Class 5A race Oct. 25 in the Utah state championship.

“It means a lot,” the senior said. “I’ve often had really good small races, you know, ‘Oh I could do something great.’ When it comes to a big race, I’ll sometimes slip off. ... This is fun. It feels great to finally get something.”

That second-half surge wound up being needed thanks to the impressive kick shown by Skapinsky, a San Luis Obispo senior. He was 11th at the second-mile split and shifted into another gear, catching everyone in the race but Hansen.

“I didn’t really think I was going that fast,” Skapinsky said. “I knew I was in ninth or eighth going up the hill and I was just trying to qualify. I was more focused on not getting passed than passing people and then I came around the last 200, 100 to go. And I was just thinking as I usually do, and randomly started passing people. I imagine most of those spots were in the last 400. But it felt pretty good to pass people, and then I closed and found myself in second.”

In a bit of a topsy-turvy postseason, Saturday was a bit of redemption for Skapinsky, who was fourth in Division 1 at California’s state meet last week, with San Luis Obispo placing fifth as a team.

Still, he is San Luis Obispo’s third qualifier in 32 years, and first since Callum Bolger in 2016.

“CIF went really well; our team was able to get the win, so that was a great day,” he said. “And then state didn’t go as we hoped as a team and individually. It wasn’t that great, but really happy to be able to bounce back today. I’m happy with how it ended. I mean, I still got one more, but happy.”

Morgenfeld held his position through the second half of the race and finished a strong third. The CIF Central Coast Division 2 champion was pleased with his run.

“I really just tried to keep moving up and staying in the top pack,” said Morgenfeld, who was 39th in this race a year ago. “I’m really happy with it.”

Landon Heemeyer, a junior at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian, Idaho, was the only boys qualifier not from California or Utah, and finished fourth in 15:32.

“It was a really fun experience,” Heemeyer said. “It was a really tough course, but this place is so cool. Just a beautiful area.”

Small school success story Micah Sanchez of Liberty Charter in Alpine followed up Division 5 championships in the San Diego Section and at the CIF State final with a fifth-place run in 15:33. He will run next week about a 25-minute drive east of San Diego.

“Oh my gosh, beyond happy,” Sanchez said, when asked about the strong end to his season. “I’m so stoked to be out here. What a race. I think it was nerve racking the whole time.”

Templeton junior Joshua Bell, a third-place finisher in Division 3 at the Nov. 26 state meet, finished sixth in 15:33.

Sonora sophomore Broen Holman, a third-place finisher in California’s Division 4, was seventh in 15:33. Concord De La Salle sophomore Trey Caldwell was eighth in 15:34.

A pair of Utah runners rounded out the qualifiers, giving the state three in the top 10.

Corner Canyon High senior Jeffrey Lewis picked up three spots in the final mile to finish ninth in 15:35.

Spencer Bradshaw, a senior from Farmington High, was 10th in 15:37. He is also his school’s first CHAMPS Sports national qualifier.