On the heels of a third-place finish at state, the West Jordan boys track team doesn’t plan on slowing down. 

The Jaguars return plenty of talent and experience on both the boys and girls teams. Both squads have lofty goals for the 2025 season as they look to continue the momentum of the previous year. 

“We want to win the region championship again on the boys’ side and place in the top three at state,” head coach Taylor Thompson said. “On the girls’ side, we want to send more girls to state and win region as a team.”

West Jordan should be a favorite in Region 4 along with Taylorsville, which has an excellent group of distance runners.

As the new season began, Thompson said his pupils were focused and had a positive attitude and outlook. No one on the West Jordan team wants last season’s success to be a short-lived aberration. The Jaguars have established a program Thompson hopes can be strong from year to year. 

“We have a winning mindset,” Thompson said. “We want to finish what we started. Everyone is very determined to keep our success from last year alive.”

Thompson and the West Jordan track athletes know that these accomplishments won’t come without effort, determination and resilience. The Jaguars are taking a step-by-step and day-by-approach to achieving their objectives. Thompson said that includes not overlooking anything in their workouts and training. 

“Kids just need to keep showing up and doing all the little things,” she said. “We have had a lot of kids put in the work during the indoor season and to keep the momentum going throughout the outdoor season.”

Not only do the Jaguars boast talent and experience, but the team is big. In a sport like track and field, the number of athletes on a team plays a significant role in determining how many points the squad can score. West Jordan had an overwhelming turnout when the season began, leaving Thompson thrilled with the excitement and enthusiasm swelling around the program. She said the sheer size of the team is one of its biggest strengths. 

“We have a big team this year and a lot of depth,” she said. “I have never seen this much depth on both girls’ and boys’ side since I have been at West Jordan (since 2017).”

On the other hand, the Jaguars have areas they can work on, and Thompson and her staff are doing their best to address where the team needs to improve. 

“One area of improvement we’re looking at is just scoring in every event,” Thompson said. “We have great athletes all across the board, so it is just a matter of everyone figuring things out and putting it together when it matters most.”

In the spring, sports such as track and field regularly contend with weather issues for a month or more. It’s not unusual for snow to wreak havoc with practices and meets in track and field. Cold weather can be a factor well into the season. 

“The weather is a big challenge,” she said. “You never know what you are going to get with spring sports, especially the wind.”

Several athletes stand out for the Jaguars. Thompson highlighted these competitors, noting that she has a good group of upperclassmen and underclassmen contributing to the squad. 

“We have so many good athletes,” she said. “Right now, I would say some standouts that are seniors are Ayden Carter, sprints/hurdles; Ryan Smith, sprints; Lincoln Houston, hurdles; Campbell Brown, hurdles; Jaidon Colbert, jumps; Keaton Lewis, throws; Bryten Christensen, distance; Devin Butterfield, distance; and Tristan Duffin, sprints/jumps.”

In addition, Thompson is eager to see what some of the top girls on the team can do this season as the Jaguars work hard to qualify as many athletes as possible for state. She pointed out the talents of senior Ellie Maher, sprints; senior Claire Tyler, sprints; senior Bree Halterman, jumps/sprints; junior Abby DeMass, distance; sophomore Emma Nordquist, jumps/sprints; and sophomore Faythe Myles, sprints. 

Thompson said the Jaguars have a group filled with devoted athletes who want to excel. They also want to build on the efforts of those who have come before them in the West Jordan track and field program. 

“They work hard,” Thompson said. “Almost all of them show up on a daily basis and come to the workouts on the weekends. They want to get better and help continue the legacy our athletes have created from years before.” λ