Baseball
Bode Gladhart, Murray (Sr.)
Murray faced numerous questions this year with virtually no varsity experience, but Bode Gladhart has helped quell some of that uncertainty early this season for the undefeated Spartans.
In 12 innings on the mound this season, he’s 2-0 with only three hits allowed while striking out 17. Opponents are batting .083 against him.
“Much like his teammates, Bode has had little to no varsity experience. When the 5′7″ lefty takes the mound I’m certain most opponents assume they are going to get a bunch hits, improve their batting averages and walk out with a win,” said Murray coach Marce Wilson.
“So far that hasn’t been the case. Bode is a competitor who will challenge every hitter’s at bat. There’s no quit in him and he’s a big reason our new group of varsity players have some optimism about the season ahead.”
The senior has made contributions at the plate as well with a .375 batting average and three RBIs last week in a win over Kearns.
Softball
Cambree Cooper, Logan (Jr.)
Cambree Cooper helped lead the Grizzlies to an impressive region-opening split last week.
She struck out six in a narrow extra inning loss to West Field, and then three days later only allowed two hits as Logan rolled past mistake-prone Ridgeline for an impressive 13-2 win.
For the week, Cooper recorded seven strikeouts and finished with a 3.20 ERA, while also driving in three runs.
“Cambree is a leader on this team when it comes to work ethic and brings a competitive mindset that pushes the whole team to be better. Whether it’s practice or a game, Cambree shows up ready to give it everything she’s got,” said Logan coach Kim Laing.
For the season, the junior is batting .368 with an OPS of 1.192. She’s homered four times and driven in 19 runs.
Boys Soccer
Tanner Kunz, Alta (Jr.)
A big reason behind Alta’s perfect 7-0 start to the season has been the finishing of center mid Tanner Kunz.
The junior has tallied 12 goals, second in 5A, as he’s scored in every game but one this season.
“Amazing, explosive player. Tanner came into the season ready to go and hasn’t slowed down yet. I’m super impressed with not just his dynamic game play but his positive attitude and hard work at practice. Tanner’s play and teamwork have been key in our success this far,” said Alta coach Mackenzie Hyer.
Last week Kunz notched two goals in each of Alta’s wins, a 7-1 win over Highland and a 4-1 win over West.
His 12-goal outburst is even more impressive considering he didn’t score in varsity soccer a year ago.
Girls Track
Kinzlee Riddle, Mountain Ridge (Sr.)
Kinzlee Riddle is making a big splash in her senior season so far for Mountain Ridge.
After her strong performance at the UVU Invite over the weekend, her times rank in the top four in Utah in the 100, 200 and 400 meters this season.
Riddle won the 200 meters at UVU with a state-best time of 23.89. She also won the 100 meters with a time of 12.13, the fourth-best time in the state.
Two weekends ago at the Pine View Invite, she won the 400 meters with a state-best time of 54.49.
As the season progresses, the senior figures to further chip away at her times in pursuit of state titles in May.
Boys Track
Aidan Neal, Alta (Jr.)
His performance at the Pine View invite two weeks ago was a dream meet for Alta junior Aidan Neal.
He broke two school records in two cray tight races with Mountain View’s Kyle Steadman.
Steadman edge Neal by .01 seconds in the 1,600 meters, with Neal’s time of 4:09.28 still breaking the school record. The next day, Neal beat Steadman in the 3,200 meters by .10 seconds, set a new school record again with a time of 9:08.46.
“Aidan is an all-around great young man. He works hard to achieve high levels of success in the classroom and on the track. He’s become a leader on the team and is the first to crack jokes. You can always expect hard work and laughter when Aidan is around. Watching him run is always inspiring,” said Alta coach Becca Bennion.
Neal finished third in the 1,600 meters at the 5A state meet last year as a sophomore behind a pair of seniors. He finished seventh in the 3,200.
Girls Lacrosse
Cecelia Walton, Viewmont (Jr.)
Behind the strong early play of Cecelia Walton, Viewmont is enjoying a perfect 5-0 start to the season.
Walton has scored 32 goals and dished out 13 assists for 45 points. Her 9.0 points per game is tops in the entire state right now. Her 45 points leads 5A as well.
“Cecelia emerged as the team leader two years ago as only a freshman and hasn’t slowed since. However, not only her talent, lacrosse IQ and prowess on the field make her a worthy opponent. She is a selfless teammate, a teacher, a mentor to those new to the sport, and a true testament to a dedicated work ethic. It is an honor to coach her, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her lacrosse career,” said Viewmont coach Lauren Pescetti.
Last week in Viewmont’s 20-3 win over Green Canyon, she recorded six goals, two assists and two ground balls. She’s also tallied 25 ground balls this season to go along with her 45 points.
Boys Lacrosse
Gary Bolton, Payson (Sr.)
At the center of Payson’s 7-1 record in the past eight games has been the steady presence of senior Gary Bolton.
He ranked in the top 10 in the state in goals and points, ranking first in 4A in both categories. His 35 goals is second in the state and his 43 points ranks eighth.
“Gary has been critical to our team’s offensive and overall success this season. He leads the team in goals scored and sets the tempo for our offense. He is a three-year starter at attack and has taken on a new leadership role off the field this season as a team captain,” said Payson coach Daniel Sisneros. “He is one of the hardest working players in the state and plays with relentless energy and toughness.”
In wins over Salem Hills and Orem last week, he combined for nine goals and four assists.
A year ago he tallied 40 goals, 21 assists and 50 ground balls and was voted a 4A second team all-stater.
Boys Volleyball
Brady Holt, Lone Peak (So.)
A third-team all-stater as a freshman last year, Brady Holt has made a huge jump in production this season for Lone Peak, and a big reason why the team owns a 16-2 record so far.
He was at his best last week as the Knights opened Region 3 play with wins over Skyridge and American Fork.
The outside hitter recorded 20 kills in a 3-2 win over Skyridge, and then the very next night set a team record with 31 kills in a 3-2 win over American Fork.
“Brady is well on his way to having another great season,” said Lone Peak coach Cecil Read.
For the season, Holt is averaging 3.8 kills per set with a .333 hitting percentage.
Boys Tennis
Morgan Taufahema, West Jordan (Sr.)
Morgan Taufahema has an infectious personality on and off the court for West Jordan this season. It can also be intimidating for an opponent said his coach Abel Thompson.
“He has a firecracker of a personality: loud and fun to be around, but being on the other side of his business on the court can be intimidating,” said Thompson.
So far this season, Taufahema is 2-2 in first singles play and 2-0 in second singles play.
In his most recent match he dislocated his shoulder in a narrow loss to Hillcrest’s Crew Hutchings.
“He plays best when he is either really enjoying the day, or is in his ‘focused-anger’ zone as we endearingly put it. In a recent win playing Caleb Fausett at Kearns, both of them were enjoying each other, talking with each other on change overs, even though it was a three-set battle with two sets going to tiebreakers. You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t like Morgan,” said Thompson.
Taufahema finished with a 14-4 record across all positions last year and qualified for the state tournament at the third singles position.
Girls Golf
Navy Hubbs, Salem Hills (So.)
Salem Hills’ Navy Hubbs is backing up her terrific freshman season with a great start to her sophomore season so far this year.
She’s won both Region 7 matches this year, shooting a 74 to win at Sleepy Ridge and then a week later shooting a 70 to win at Canyon Hills.
A year ago as a freshman, Hubbs finished in third place at the 5A state tournament as she shot a 4-over 148 over the two-day tournament at Soldier Hollow. She helped lead the Skyhawks to a third-place finish as a team as well.
“Navy has an incredible work ethic and understanding of the game of golf. She competes in both state and national junior events throughout the off season,” said Salem Hills coach Brad Fillmore. “There are very few flaws in her game, but her driving and iron play are fantastic. She hits the ball really long compared to most of the girls she competes with. Despite all of her success, she stays very grounded and is a friend to everyone on the team. We’re lucky to have her.”