The West Jordan boys track team nearly brought home a state championship, coming in third at the competitive event May 14–16 at Brigham Young University. 

The Jaguars were just 8.5 points out of first place, which went to Maple Mountain. West Jordan accumulated 64.5 points, while Woods Cross was second with 67 points. The Jaguars might have had even more points and moved up the standings had it not been for an unfortunate setback to one of its top athletes. 

“We are very proud of our boys team,” head coach Taylor Hatch said. “We really wanted to win, but some things were out of our control. Dominic Overby, sadly, suffered a hamstring injury in the [200-meter run]. He holds the state record in that event and was the favorite to win. So, when he went down, that was really hard for our team.”

Other athletes stepped up, helping West Jordan remain one of the top teams at the meet. 

“However, the same time that was happening was during the javelin finals,” Hatch said. “Jackson Roybal did not let the tragic news affect him, and on his fifth of six throws, he threw his state-winning throw and won. Pole vault did not score for 5A this year, which was very frustrating considering we had three boys score in that. The boys wanted that state title so bad. We all did. That really drove them to place high at state. Our theme this year was ‘We will.’ The captains came up with it, and there were five pillars to it: we will be dedicated, we will be motivated, we will be united, we will prove ourselves, we will win.”

The West Jordan boys team have built a strong program. Many seniors on this squad were around in 2021 when the Jaguars placed fourth in state. Those athletes worked hard to get West Jordan back near the top. The Jaguars had a chance to take first, even with Overby’s injury. 

Several team members had memorable, standout performances at state. 

Before his injury, Overby ran the 100-meter race, finishing first. He also won the state title in the long jump. Overby ran the 400 as well, placing second while running the third-fastest time in state history. He finished in 46.81 seconds, becoming just the third athlete in the state to break the 47-second mark. Roybal’s state-winning javelin throw was 178-4, a personal best. 

Other stellar showings included Dimitri Lovio’s third-place long jump of 21-9.5 and Max Freeman’s second-place pole vault of 14-3. He was also seventh in the high jump and eighth in the long jump. Elijah Young tied for fifth in the high jump, while Daniel Oliver was sixth in the pole vault. Cedar Thomas was eighth in the pole vault and Jackson Worthington was fifth in the shot put and seventh in the discus. The 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams each scored. 

Other accolades capped a successful season for the Jaguar boys. 

“Some memorable moments would have to be [Overby] winning state in the 100 and long jump,” Hatch said. “Jackson Roybal winning state in javelin was memorable. He tore his ACL for the second time this football season and really had to stay positive and work hard to come back. He did this only six months after ACL surgery, which is incredible.”

Hatch was awarded the 5A boys coach of the year, while assistant coach Jags Carpenter, who coaches the high jump and pole vault, was voted 5A assistant coach of the year.

As Hatch looks back on this season, she’ll always be grateful for the effort the boys made and for their commitment at each practice and meet. 

“This group of boys were special,” she said. “They all dedicated themselves to being the best team we have ever had at West Jordan. I will always remember how they fought until the very end and never gave up. That was so inspiring and powerful to me. We had so many age group, school record and state records broken this season, which is very unheard of in one single season.”

The West Jordan boys graduated several key athletes from the team, and replacing them won’t be easy. Hatch acknowledges that the 2025 campaign will be challenging, as he looks to develop other team members and bring new ones into the fray. Still, he has high expectations and wants the program to continue what it has established. 

“It is definitely going to be a rebuilding year, but I still believe we can place high at state next year,” she said. “That is always my goal every year. We have great athletes coming back in every event. They now have gotten a taste of what it is like to be one of the top teams in the state, and I think that will drive them to continue the legacy the seniors have left behind.”

For those athletes who are slated to return to the squad next season, Hatch needs them to stay in shape and improve their speed and strength. She is confident that if they do these things, the 2025 season is more likely to be successful, and the team can follow-up on this past year’s strong finish.

“The athletes need to work hard in the offseason, whether that be doing cross country, working on their speed during the football season, indoor track and field or any other sport to stay in shape.” λ