Salt Lake Community College to cut track and field programs after banner season

TAYLORSVILLE — One of the more successful athletic programs at Salt Lake Community College has been discontinued after just three seasons.

The Bruins have discontinued both the indoor and outdoor track and field programs, the state's largest two-year college confirmed to KSL.com Friday afternoon after a banner year for the sport on the Taylorsville campus.

"After thorough evaluation, this decision reflects broader institutional priorities and financial challenges," the school said in a statement. "It was made after careful consideration and in no way reflects negatively on our student-athletes, who have represented the college with excellence and dedication."

Athletes on scholarship and those who have signed letters of intent prior to the announcement will have their scholarships honored for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year, a spokesperson for the school said.

SLCC will continue to field a men's and women's cross country team, and "has no plans to discontinue cross country," per the college.

Salt Lake is in the early days of new athletic leadership under Gary Veron, a former associate athletic director at BYU over student-athlete experience and NIL who replaced long-time athletic director Kevin Dustin after a decade in charge.

Prior to his time in Provo, Veron held several positions at BYU-Hawaii, including interim athletic director and associate athletic director for compliance and student-athlete welfare.

SLCC head coach Isaac Wood, who led the Bruins to three cross country national championships in his first three seasons and dual men's and women's national titles last year with the program, could not be reached for comment.

The 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association national coach of the year of the Bruins was coming off arguably the most successful season in the combined program's short history, including national championships in both men's and women's cross country. It was the second consecutive title for women's cross country, which also won the NJCAA half-marathon title in the fall.

Emerald Kehr, one of the stars of the 2023 national champions who prepped at West High, went on to sign with LSU after finishing second nationally in cross country and top five in the NJCAA in the mile, 3,000 meter and 4x800-meter relay.

Salt Lake sophomore JaQuavious Harris finished first overall to pace the men's team in 23:30.7. The Cheraw, South Carolina, native then signed a professional running contract with Saucony and still competes and trains regularly with the local Run Elite Program.

The Bruins followed up the feat in March, when freshman Jayden Holdsworth won the NJCAA indoor 3,000-meter championship. The redshirt freshman from Orem surged to the front of the pack in 600 meters to become the second individual champion in the men's track and field program's short history and pace an eighth-place finish at the national meet.

In the outdoor season, Michael Maiorano and Melanie Anderson won championships in the men's and women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively, and American Fork native Jayden Fitzgarrald finished runner-up in the 5,000 meters. In all, 19 athletes earned NJCAA All-American status.

SLCC men's cross country and track and field fielded 39 athletes on its roster last year, the majority of whom were from the state of Utah, with all but 11 of them coming from the state of Utah.

The Salt Lake women's program lists 30 players on its roster — all but six of whom come from the Beehive State.

With the move, SLCC will sponsor four men's sports and six women's sports, as well as cheer/spirit squads and varsity esports rosters.

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