Baseball
Sawyer Leifson, Maple Mountain (Sr.)
Defending 5A state champ Maple Mountain is off to a 9-0 start this season with strong showings in St. George each of the past two weekends. Senior Sawyer Leifson has been one of the catalysts to that strong start.
Leifson is batting .462 this season with an OPS of 1.202. He’s recorded 12 hits, with two doubles and a home run.
“Sawyer is a senior two-way utility player that can play in the outfield, infield and on the pitcher’s mound. He has started every game in centerfield for Maple Mountain in 2025, but started at shortstop during the 2024 championship run,” said Maple Mountain coach Jeremy Thomas. “Sawyer has been an anchor in the bottom half of the batting order and a standout closer on mound. Sawyer is a leader on and off the field and looks to help the Golden Eagles make another run at a state title.”
On the mound, Leifson has a 0.00 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched with 10 strikeouts and just two walks.
Softball
Kennadie Blackmer, Box Elder (So.)
Just a sophomore, Kennadie Blackmer is a force in the circle and in the batter’s box for Box Elder this spring.
The Bees have jumped out to a 7-0 start in the first two weeks, with Blackmer on the mound for three of those wins with 18 total strikeouts. At the plate, in those seven games she’s batting .684 with six home runs, four doubles and 18 RBIs.
She’s hit a home run in five of six games and is tied for third in the state with six home runs.
As a freshman last season, Blackmer hit four home runs and drove in 46 runs and was named a second team all-stater after racking up a 9-3 record on the mound with 87 strikeouts.
Boys Soccer
Jake Riches, Murray (Jr.)
Jake Riches has made huge strides at both ends of the field for Murray this season, and it has paid off on the scoresheet and win column.
With Riches leading the team with six goals to go along with his one assist this season, the Spartans are off to a strong 4-0 start, which includes wins over Corner Canyon and Orem.
“He works hard defensively and helps in possession. He has improved how he makes, and the timing of his attacking runs greatly from last year,” said Murray coach Bryan Mann.
As a junior last season Riches scored two goals for Murray, but he’s well on his way to shattering that total this year.
Boys Track
Brock White, Corner Canyon (Sr.)
Brock White played large role defensively during the football season in leading the Chargers to the 6A state title, and he’s expected to take on a large role this spring as Corner Canyon chases a sixth straight boys track state title.
Just a couple weeks into the season, White has already posted top 10 times in Utah in three different events, including a state-best time in the 300 meter hurdles.
White on the 300 hurdles as the Snow Canyon Invitational two weeks ago with a time of 38.83. A week later he won the 300 hurdles again at the Early Bird Invite at UVU, winning with a time of 38.91 in chilly conditions.
White’s top time in the 100 meters so far this year is 11.18, and in the 200 it’s 21.90.
A year ago at the state meet he was a member of Corner Canyon’s 4x100 and 4x400 state champion relay teams.
Girls Track
Amelia Nadauld, Snow Canyon (Jr.)
One of the top returning sprinters in the state, Snow Canyon junior Amelia Nadauld has picked up right where she left off.
In the Snow Canyon Invitational to open the season, Nadauld won the 200 meters and long jump, and then finished second in the 100 meters.
“Amelia loves to compete. She trains hard and is dedicated to the small things that make her better daily,” said Snow Canyon coach Justin Redfearn. “I love this quote from her regarding her preparation to compete, ‘I visualize what I want my body to do, then I go and do it.’ Such an honor to coach her.”
Nadauld’s winning time in the 200 meters was 24.70, which is not far off the pace she set at the end of last season at the BYU Invitational (24.12). In the 100 meters she ran a 12.04 in the season-opening meet, which is narrowly off the pace of a her season-best time of 11.92 a year ago.
At last year’s state meet as a sophomore, Nadauld was a quadruple winner in the 100 and 200 meters, 300 hurdles and long jump. She’ll again be the 4A favorite in every event she enters.
Girls Lacrosse
Karlee Farnsworth, Mountain Ridge (Sr.)
Last year’s 6A runner-up, Mountain Ridge has rolled through its first four games this season, and the outstanding play of senior Karlee Farnsworth has been a big reason why.
In four games, Farnsworth has notched 10 goals and 17 assists this season, including a nine-points game last week in a 20-2 win over Lehi.
“Karlee has been a core component to our team success so far this season. She is selfless with her play and looks to do what’s best for the team. She puts in the work on and off the field. We’re excited to watch her lead her team to success this year,” said Mountain Ridge coach Angie Brescia.
Last year, Farnsworth recorded 27 goals and nine assists in finishing with 36 points. She’s well on her way to shattering those numbers this spring.
Boys Lacrosse
Ian Marsland, Park City (Sr.)
A 5A all-state honorable mention a year ago, Marsland is expected to take on a much larger role this season for Park City, and that was obvious in his season debut last week against Judge Memorial.
“A preseason injury delayed the start of Ian’s season by a game. However, in his first game back Ian showed just how important he is to our team as an offensive threat and a leader. He notched two goals and four assists, the last one a great feed to Henry Alnwick for the overtime game winner against Judge on Friday night,” said Park City coach Michael Persky.
Marsland’s six-point game in Park City’s 11-10 win over Judge puts the senior well on track to best his junior season a year ago when he tallied 22 goals and 19 assists.
Boys Volleyball
Jack Komenda, Morgan (Sr.)
It’s been a busy first couple weeks of the season for Morgan, but a very successful one led by Jack Komenda.
The senior pin hitter leads the Trojans in kills (94) and aces (18) through eight games as he’s led the team to a 7-1 record so far.
“We’re very fortunate to have a core of very strong all-round volleyball players, including Madden Bell, Kevin Wangsgard and Caleb Stephens to which much of the credit for our early success is due, but as one of our team captains, Jack anchors our front line and sets the tone for our team,” said Morgan coach Kyle Komenda, Jack’s father.
Jack Komenda stands at 6-foot-8, and is an imposing presence at the net who is also one of the team leaders in assists and digs.
“He continues to grow as a volleyball player and we’re excited to see how we, as a team, develop as the season progresses,” said coach Komenda.
Boys Tennis
Henry Owen, Brighton (Jr.)
Henry Owen is stepping into a larger role with Brighton tennis this spring.
A state runner-up at first doubles last year with James Covey, the junior Owen is stepping into the first singles spot for the Bengals, and he’s already shown his quality in a 6-0, 6-0 win over Rowland Hall’s Andrew Murphy last week.
“Because of his older brothers, Henry has been a part of Brighton tennis since he was 10-years old. Henry has true orange blood and a great team attitude. He always gives 100% and has the confidence that it takes to play our No. 1 varsity singles position this year,” said Brighton coach Natalie Meyer.
Henry Owen is the fourth Owen brother to compete at Brighton High School dating back to 2017 when Redd Owen first started competing at the high school level as a freshman.
Girls Golf
Abbee Albrecht, Richfield (Sr.)
There’s no rest for Richfield’s Abbee Albrecht.
In the fall she was an all-state volleyball player. In the winter she was an all-state basketball, and now that spring is here the year is already showing she’s one of the best golfers in 3A.
In the opening Region 12 meet of the season last week at Canyon Hills Golf Course, Albrecht won the meet as she shot a 78.
“As a golfer, she has great hands. Physically she’s tall with long arms and she is very strong. She’s a bomber off the tee. She is fiercely competitive but the fire burns quietly most of the time. That’s a great personality for golf,” said Richfield coach Troy Jones. “Abbee is such a rare athlete. Regardless of the competition, or confrontation, I always want Abbee with me.”
Albrecht was a fourth-place finisher at state last year, and she’ll again be one of the medalist contenders.