Whitney Johnson has always been a good student.
But excelling in the classroom became intertwined with her passion for sports during her first season as a high school athlete.
"Ever since I was a freshman, that first year, I played up with the sophomores, and I saw Lacey Laycock get her Academic All-State Award in her uniform because we were playing in the championship match," said Johnson. "I just thought I would like that some day, to be recognized for not only my hard work at school, but to be playing in the state game."
Johnson made that dream a reality two weeks ago when the senior accepted her Academic All-State Award in her uniform, just minutes before the middle hitter helped Lone Peak claim the 5A state volleyball championship.
"I think it's really important," she said of the award. "Honestly, your eduction is what is going to get you far in life. It's a great thing because it honors kids who not only do well on the sports court but who excel in the classroom."
The Academic All-State Award has been around more than two decades and honors student-athletes who are the best students in their respective sports, as well as key contributors on their varsity teams in their senior seasons. The award was the idea of Dave Wilkey, former executive director of the Utah High School Activities Association.
"It's one of the better things that was created here," said assistant director of the UHSAA Bart Thompson, who took over administering the program after Wilkey retired last year.
"It really emphasizes what we're all about with high school sports. We see activities, those sports, as tools that schools use to accomplish their missions. We see it as the most important award we give."
Part of the reason that the UHSAA sees the honor as vital to their overall mission is that success in the classroom often translates into success in sports.
Thompson was the head wrestling coach at Viewmont for many years and said his best academic teams were often his best performing teams.
"When somebody develops the habit of working hard in the classroom, that spills over into other areas," he said. "It's very difficult to turn those types of attitudes on and off."
That would be the case for athletes like Piute High's Kandice Gleave.
She didn't set out to earn an Academic All-State Award, but she was inspired after her sister earned the honor her senior year.
"My parents just always expected us to work hard and get good grades," said Gleave, who led the T-birds to a 1A state title last winter and then earned Academic All-State honors this fall in volleyball. "I just did my best and tried to get As in every class."
The result was a 4.0 GPA and a spot on the 1A volleyball academic all-state team, which had a cumulative GPA of 4.0.
The prestige of that award has only increased over the years as the cumulative grade point averages of most teams hovers at 3.8 or better. This year, the UHSAA honored the most boys in 4A football it ever has, with 20 young men earning a 4.0 throughout their high school careers.
"That's the largest number (in one class) that we've ever had in football," said Thompson.
While 4A football can be proud, so can Bonneville High School. The Lakers honored 13 student-athletes this season with Academic All-State Awards, including seven from the volleyball team.
Athletic Director Matt Williams said it is something the school emphasizes.
"Last year we had 15 and we thought that was a very good year," said Williams. "We had 13 just through the fall, and we have a lot more to come. We stress student first as coaches and teachers. Everybody says that, and we make sure that's true."
He said Weber School District actually adds a component to the minimum academic requirement (2.0 gpa) by having a strict attendance policy as well.
"They are held to a higher standard, and we have a lot of great kids," he said.
He said school administrators try to make the award a big deal so that it becomes a goal for every student.
Gleave and Johnson have both had success on the court and in the classroom and say it's tough to compare the two different kinds of awards.
"Taking state was everything," said Gleave of Piute's basketball title. "But I couldn't have played basketball if I didn't have good grades. It makes me feel good that I accomplished both. (Academic All-State) is right up there."
While coaches submit the nominations, administrators have to sign off on them. Anyone earning a 4.0 is on the team, but when the grade point averages are lower than that, ties are broken using ACT scores. Normally teams are made up of 12 athletes.
Even minimal standards like the state requirement that all student athletes maintain a 2.0 or better elevate expectations and eventually the performance of students in the classroom. In some cases, a passion for sports can translate into better performance in the classroom.
"Athletics does help to keep kids in school," said Thompsons. "It's an important tool in that way."
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com