Skyridge senior Shiann Thompson won the Queen of the Mountain competition at the Utah High School State MTB Championships, finishing the designated course section in 2:11.7 in the Senior Open Girls race.
Thompson's individual title highlighted a solid team showing for the Falcons, who placed ninth out of 20 Division I programs at the two-day event Oct. 23-24 at Renegade Ridge Trail Park in St. George, Lehi Free Press reported.
Skyridge earned 4,118 team points. The team competition was tight at the top: Lone Peak claimed the championship with 4,489 points, followed by Corner Canyon at 4,461 and Skyline at 4,446.
Junior Pepper Smith led Skyridge's scoring with 295 points after finishing sixth in the Varsity Girls race in 1:09:30.79. That represented an 11-place improvement from her final ranking last year. Senior Easton Day added 291 points with a 10th-place finish in Varsity Boys.
Freshman Camden Butterfield turned in a strong ride in the Freshman A Boys division, placing ninth for 272 points. Seniors Milo Peterson and Dallin Butterfield rounded out the Varsity Boys scoring, finishing 36th and 38th for 265 and 263 points.
The Varsity Girls group provided depth. Seniors Samara Smith and Emeree Gale finished a fraction of a second apart in 44th and 45th place, earning 257 and 256 points. Junior Evelynn Rasmussen placed 56th for 245 points, and senior Emma Walton was 58th for 243 points.
Varsity riders accounted for half of Skyridge's scoring spots across the two days, with three in the boys bracket and five in the girls race.
In JV A Boys, sophomore Jaxon Griner placed 38th for 253 points and senior Porter Strong was 41st for 250. Four Freshman A Boys riders finished within a minute of each other: Carson Smith (32nd, 249 points), Ezra Fuhriman (33rd, 248), Reed Homer (35th, 246) and Tyler Stirling (39th, 242).
Freshman Simone Smith added the final 243 points to the team total with a 28th-place finish in JV C Girls. The Falcons had depth to spare. Five other riders finished within 10 points of the scoring group, including freshmen Nora Tippetts and Nora Barrett, junior Zach Stirling, senior Hayden Brown and sophomore Collin Spencer.
