“Over the last several years, the state of Utah has taken the reins in setting the pace for distance-running supremacy across the 50 states. Daniel Simmons ensured that the trend continued this past season, smashing a national record and rewriting a trio of state records. He graduates as the greatest distance talent in state history, which is saying something.”

Rich Gonzalez

editor for PrepCalTrack.com

Athletic Excellence

The 5-foot-10, 125-pound senior distance talent set a high school national record in the 5000-meter run this past season with a time of 13:25.86 at the Portland Track Festival. A two-time Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year, Simmons won the national title in the 2-mile run at New Balance Nationals Outdoors in a state-record clocking of 8:38.49, which ranked No. 4 nationally among prep competitors this spring. He also set a state record in the 1600-meter run (4:01.27) at the Class 6A state meet, leading the Cavemen to a second-place finish as a team.

Academic Achievement

Simmons has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to compete on scholarship at Brigham Young University this fall.

Exemplary Character

Simmons works at a local running store and has volunteered locally chopping and stacking wood for the elderly and sand-bagging to protect against flooding. He has also donated his time organizing fundraising campaigns for both young people and the needy.