Football
Manase Tuatagaloa, Ben Lomond (So.)
Manase Tuatagaloa continued his torrid pace this week in leading Ben Lomond to the 49-19 victory over American Leadership.
The sophomore completed 14 of 22 passes for 185 yards and five touchdowns. For the season, he’s completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,659 yards and 21 touchdowns. Defensively he’s tallied 19 tackles and six tackles for loss.
“Manase has done a tremendous job for us on both sides of the ball,” said Ben Lomond coach Lyndon Johnson. “Offensively he has thrown the ball and ran it well, but more importantly made good decisions with the ball.”
Volleyball
Jaiden Van Horn, Salem Hills (Sr.)
Jaiden Van Horn played a big role in leading Salem Hills to a strong showing at the UVU Invitational last weekend as her team posted a 4-2 record.
The setter/right side hitter has recorded four triple doubles this season, and according to her coach is the heartbeat of the Skyhawks team.
“We’re so proud of how hard she’s worked, but even more proud of who she has been to our team off the court. She is one of the kindest people and a fantastic leader. We love Jaiden,” said Josh Treanor.
So far this season she has a .345 hitting percentage of 35 kills.
Girls Soccer
Cassidy Andrews, Clearfield (Sr.)
Clearfield has been the surprise team in 5A this year as it has rocketed up to the No. 2 spot in the 5A rankings, and Cassidy Andrews has played a key role in that success.
She leads the Falcons with 12 goals, including a pair in a recent win over Bonneville.
“Cassidy is a senior captain that leads by example. She isn’t the fastest or tallest athlete on the team. She has very good technique but there are some that are probably better. But, Cassidy is a natural goal scorer and leads our team with 12 goals. She is one of those rare players that just has ‘it,’ the ‘It’ being the ability to get things done on the field, especially scoring, when her team needs her. She’s also a great kid that is fun to be around,” said Clearfield coach Kelly Parke.
As a junior last year Andrews scored nine goals but she’s well on her way to eclipsing that mark this season.
Boys Cross Country
Camdon Larsen, Emery (Sr.)
Competing against runners from mostly larger schools at the Juab Invitational last weekend, senior Camdon Larsen ran a terrific race to first in first place with a 21-second cushion. He raced the line with a time of 15:05.8, with Timpview’s Teagan McCune in second in 15:26.4.
“We as coaches have enjoyed being able to watch Camdon grow as a runner the past four years. Some of the things that have made Camdon such an amazing runner is he’s always looking for ways to improve himself,” said a statement from Emery’s coaches, Kristy Guymon, Talina Labrum and Hugh Christiansen.
“He has been dedicated to working hard, running the extra miles, and lifting to get him to where he wants to be. Not only does he work hard to improve himself, He is a great teammate and pushes the Emery boys & girls to do their best. He has a positive attitude and instead of looking for excuses to quit, He works harder. We are excited to see what He is going to accomplish this year.”
A year ago at the state meet Larsen finished in sixth place as a junior, a position he’ll be looking to improve on at next month’s state meet.
Girls Cross Country
Jaylie Jenkins, Union (Jr.)
Last year’s 3A state meet runner-up, Union’s Jaylie Jenkins isn’t slowing down whatsoever this season as she continues to build toward next month’s state tournament.
Last week at the Park City Invitational PM race at Quinns Junction, Jenkins finished first against a field of primarily higher-classification schools as she finished first with a time of 18:23.9, 27 seconds faster than the runner-up.
At the state meet a year ago as a sophomore, Jenkins finished second to Carbon freshman Rozlyn Stowe by nine seconds, finishing with a time of 18:26.5. Last spring at the 3A state track and field meet, Jenkins had another runner-up finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races.
Girls Tennis
Fabiana Gonzalez, Hillcrest (Jr.)
Hillcrest’s first singles player Fabiana Gonzalez currently owns a 13-0 record and has been one of the key contributors in leading the Huskies to a 9-4 record.
Over her three years of playing varsity tennis she owns a 38-2 record, with her own two losses coming in the state tournament. Her coach Creighton Chun said last year’s she reached the 5A quarterfinals, losing in three sets.
“This year she is one of the favorites to win the 4A First Singles state championship,” said Chun, who said Gonzalez has worked hard on her mental game and it has paid off with a pair of tight 3-set wins.
Gonzalez maintains a 3.5 GPA and is a member of Latinos in Action at Hillcrest High School.
Boys Golf
Boston Bracken, Crimson Cliffs (Sr.)
Last year’s 4A state medalist is looking like he’s poised to do it again this season.
Bracken shot a 67 at Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane last week to win the region match, and through five weeks of the season he currently has the low stroke average in 4A.
In four region matches to date, Bracken has shot 67, 62, 68 and 67 for an impressive stroke average of 66. That puts him in the company of the top 6A and 5A golfers in Utah.
This year’s 4A state tournament will take place at The Ridge Golf course in West Valley City on Oct. 11-12.
Baseball
Ricardo Navarro, Bryce Valley (So.)
Bryce Valley went 1-1 last week to improve to 9-9 on the season, and the steady play of Ricardo Navarro has been a key part of the team’s success.
For the season the shortstop is batting .490 with 24 hits and two home runs. When he’s been called to the mound he’s maintained a 2.59 ERA and is a great overall leader according to coach Tyson Brinkerhoff.
“He is constantly teaching his teammates whenever he can help them become better. Ricardo is a amazing baseball player, but an even better teammate and friend,” said Brinkerhoff.