LOGAN, Utah – Dillon Maggard made sure to end his 2021 racing circuit in style.
 
The nine-time Aggie All-American, who is in his third season as a volunteer assistant coach with Utah State's track & field and cross country programs, captured the men's title at the inaugural Cross Champs at Mount San Antonio College, hosted by Sound Running and Trials of Miles, last Saturday in Walnut, California.
 
Maggard, who races professionally for HOKA One One, completed the 5.5-mile course, which featured six significant hills, in 27:03.6. He made a decisive move after the three-mile mark, overtaking the leader and putting it on cruise control from there.
 
"I was trying to use as little energy as possible and just cover moves, but Evert (Silva) took off," Maggard said. "I was just holding back waiting to see if someone would try to reel him back in, or take the bait. Nobody did, and I ended up doing it. I wasn't planning on doing it, and was kind of concerned, and was like, 'I don't know if this is a good idea.'
 
"Once I did that, I tried to take it easy on the uphills and really hammer the downs. That was my strategy, and then work the flat sections and try to stay honest there. I tried to really conserve on those uphills, because I had heard it was a pretty unforgiving course and I didn't want to pay for it in the end."
 
Maggard didn't.
 
In a race that began with 34 competitors, the men went through the flat first mile in about 4:40 in a big pack. Silva, a University of Portland athlete running for New Generation Track and Field, made a move up the switchbacks hill, creating a seven-second distance on the field by the time they reached the first split (around 1.7 miles in).
 
Silva maintained the lead through the two- and three-mile marks, which he hit in about 9:40 and 14:52, but Maggard was lurking.
 
As the runners crested the switchbacks for the second time, Maggard pulled up alongside Silva, who hung on until they reached the "poopout hill" for the second time. But it was Maggard's downhill running that propelled him to extend the lead.
 
For more information on the Utah State track & field/cross country programs, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at USUTF_XC.
 
-USU-