Football
Carson Rasmussen, Pleasant Grove (Jr.)
As far as fourth-quarter comebacks go, few quarterbacks at any level enjoyed the success that Carson Rasmussen did last Friday in leading Pleasant Grove to the 34-31 victory over previous No. 1 Skyridge.
Rasmussen tossed three touchdown passes over the final 7:40 of the game to rally and send the game into overtime — with the last TD pass coing with 25 seconds remaining.
Then in overtime, he hooked up with Bronco Winterton on the game-winning TD strike to complete the comeback.
“Carson showed great toughness to stay in the game and play despite being banged up. Carson focused one play at a time to take the offense and score,” said Pleasant Grove Taylor Walkenhorst.
Rasmussen finished the game completing 22 of 30 passes for four TDs and a season-high 286 passing yards. He’s passed for 1,407 yards and 18 TDs this season, while also rushing for 13 more TDs.
Volleyball
Cami Christiansen, Lone Peak (Sr.)
Lone Peak went a perfect 6-0 at the three-day 5A/6A Challenge at Mountain View High School last week, including beating Bingham in a thrilling five-setter 18-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 17-15. At the heart of the success all week was senior outside hitter Cami Christiansen.
“Cami is a huge block on the right side and an effective offensive weapon. In the 5A/6A Volleyball Challenge, Cami averaged 9.8 kills per set and hit .343. Last week, another coach called her ‘unstoppable’ and I agree,” said Lone Peak coach Paula Jardine, whose team improved to 21-4 with the six tournament wins.
For the season, Christiansen has a .281 hitting percentage with 169 kills and 28 total blocks.
Girl Soccer
Mia Lopez, Logan (Jr.)
Mia Lopez’s fourth hat trick of the season came at the perfect time for Logan last week.
Logan edged Dixie 3-2 in the first round of the 4A state tournament, with Lopez accounting for all three goals.
“Mia is unlike any player I have ever seen and it’s so fun to watch. She can create something out of nothing for herself or for her teammates and she has done that time and time again for us this year, including last week,” said Logan coach Natalie Norris. “She is a workhorse in whatever position she plays and comes up with clutch plays in crucial moments and has done so in multiple games for us. Mia’s just a special player. I call it Mia Magic and I love being able to coach her and witness it on a daily basis,” said Logan coach Natalie Norris.
For the season, Lopez has recorded 17 goals and 14 assists, raising her career total in three seasons with Logan High to 43 goals and 14 assists.
No. 13 seed Logan will take on No. 4 seed Ridgeline in the 4A quarterfinals this Tuesday.
Boys Cross Country
Gabe Hooper, Viewmont (Sr.)
Viewmont senior Gabe Hooper heads into the home stretch of the cross country season poised for another top 10 finish at state, if not higher.
Last week at the Region 5 championships at Layton Commons, Hooper captured the Region 5 crown as he dominated the field for an 18-second victory, crossing the finishing in a time of 14:52.9.
“Gabe is one of the most diligent athletes I’ve ever coached. He will set a goal, and methodically execute all of the steps needed to achieve the goal. He’s also incredibly courageous. He will go all in on a bold race plan,” said Viewmont coach Trent Hooper, who is also Gabe’s father. “I have found athletes that are consistent, diligent and courageous tend to have huge improvement. And that’s Gabe. We are still early in his senior year, looking forward to seeing what he does at state and into the spring.”
A year ago at the 5A state cross country meet he finished in seventh place with a time of 15:19.7.
Girls Cross Country
Mya Oyler, Riverton (Jr.)
Riverton junior Mya Oyler was instrumental in leading Riverton to a big win at the Region 2 championships at Cottonwood Complex last week.
Oyler was crowned the Region 2 champ as she won with a time of 18:36.81, finishing 27 seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher from Herriman.
“Mya is consistent and dedicated, always showing excitement for her team’s success, perhaps even more than her own. She’s a fantastic leader and an exemplary figure to her team,” said coach Chase Englestead.
Oyler will be running in the 6A Divisional meets this week to qualify for the state championships next week, with an eye on improving on her 19th-place finish at state in 2022.
Girls Tennis
Avery Olsen, Brighton (So.)
Top seed Avery Olsen backed it up in impressive fashion at the 5A state tournament last week.
Olsen captured the 5A first singles state championship with an impressive performance at Liberty Park last week, winning all four matches in straight sets.
It was sweet redemption after losing a title match in last year’s first singles state title as a freshman.
“Avery has maturity, poise and finesse beyond her years. She is professional, coachable and remains calm throughout all of her matches. She is truly an exceptional player,” said Brighton coach Natalie Meyer.
Olsen beat Olympus’ Lily Stohl 6-1, 6-3 in the championship match.
Boys Golf
Cayson Duffin, Summit Academy (So.)
With the 3A state tournament slated for later this week at Meadow Brook Golf Course, Summit Academy’s Cayson Duffin will be full of confidence when he tees off on No. 1.
Duffin was the top overall golfer in Region 14 this year finishing with a 77.9 stroke average. In his final match in region play he shot an 80 at Meadow Brook, the site of this year’s state tournament.
“Cayson is a passionate golfer. He’s dedicated to the sport and is always thinking one shot ahead. With a talent like his, he was able to preform phenomenally for Summit Academy and especially for himself,” said Summit Academy coach Bryce Jacquez.
As freshman last year at state, Duffin finished tied for 37th at Cove View Golf Course in Richfield, but expectations are for a much higher finish in 2022.