Coming off a thrilling victory at the 3A State Cross Country Championships, Carbon High School’s girls’ cross country team was honored at the Carbon School Board meeting on Wednesday. Head Coach Telisse Martak, along with her team, was celebrated for their historic win and the determination it took to claim the top spot in Utah’s 3A classification.
Martak took to the podium to share her reflections on the season and the challenges the team overcame on their journey to becoming state champions.
“We went into the state meet after winning the Carbon Invitational,” Martak said. “After we won the Carbon Invite, they didn’t realize it yet, but Christy [Engar, assistant coach] and I did. When we beat Emery, who had been beating us all season, I started to think, ‘We have a shot at this.’”
The victory at the Carbon Invitational had a significant impact on the team’s confidence, but it wasn’t without its ups and downs. After the invitation, the team faced a tough loss at the Region meet, where they were bested by Emery High School. Despite this setback, Martak stayed focused on the bigger goal: the state championship.
“There’s not a senior up here,” Martak pointed out, referring to the team’s young roster. “I just talked to them a little bit those leading weeks up to it and kind of lit a fire under them.”
When the state meet arrived, Carbon’s performance was strong from the start. By the first mile, the Lady Dinos were in third place. Martak watched as the race unfolded, tracking her team’s progress in real time.
“I thought, ‘Okay, we can do this.’ By the second mile, it shifted and we were now in second [place]. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we are on the podium. We have to hold this,’” said Martak.
The race came down to the final mile, where Martak knew the outcome could shift with just a few positions. She singled out Aly Bryner, who was in a crucial spot to make a difference. “I was putting on the pressure,” said Martak. “But they did all their work.”
With solid performances across the board, Carbon’s runners outpaced their competitors. Rozlyn Stowe finished ahead of Emery’s first and second runners, while Josie Yates took care of Emery’s third runner. Bryner pushed past Emery’s fourth, and Carbon’s Kaylee Pitcher and Brettlee Kennedy both finished ahead of Emery’s fifth runner, securing enough points to give the team a decisive victory and securing the 3A State Championship.
“We beat them across the board,” said Martak.
After clinching the 3A State Championship, the Lady Dinos have their sights set on a new challenge: the Nike Southwest Regionals in Mesa, Arizona, on Nov. 23. The team earned the invitation to compete after placing first at the state meet, and will race against top teams from Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
Martak is no stranger to the competition. Last year, she took Stowe, the 2023 state champion, as an individual runner to the regional meet and this year, Carbon will bring all seven of the state meet’s top performers to race as a full team. The team will compete in the “small school” division, based on Carbon’s enrollment size, which will pit them against similarly sized schools rather than larger teams.
“We’re going to put ourselves in the small school race and hopefully, we’ll come out with the win,” said Martak.
