Baseball
Corbin Middleton, San Juan (Sr.)
One of the catalysts to San Juan’s strong 11-3 start during the first month of the season was the all-around play of senior Corbin Middleton.
Whether at the plate or on the mound, he’s been consistent throughout the season for the Broncos.
“Corbin has come into this season with a winning mentality, he is positive, he works hard, he is a good teammate, and has figured out what it means to have grit. One of our team Mottos is “TOUGH,” which means being accountable, no excuses, be coachable, do your job, and never give up, Corbin has exemplified this very well this year,” said San Juan coach Jens Nielson.
For the season, Middleton is batting .512 with six doubles, two triples, two home runs, 24 RBIs and a .540 OBP. He’s also 3-0 on the mound.
“He decided last season that he would do whatever it took to be a great baseball player. We have seen his goals come to life and he has earned everything that is happening. He has a desire to not only excel individually but to help his teammates as well, he wants to win and understands that it is a team effort, he celebrates his team success as much as his own,” said Nielson.
Softball
Grace Leary, Riverton (Fr.)
Starting as a freshman in any sport is tough, let alone a 6A state championship softball team.
Grace Leary, however, has forced her way into Riverton’s starting lineup game after game with her staggering numbers the first half of the season.
Through 11 games, she leads Riverton with a .632 batting average, six doubles and 28 RBIs. She’s second on the team with four home runs and 18 runs, and has played a flawless middle infield so far.
“Grace has consistently excelled at the plate throughout the month. She’s a key contributor to our powerful offensive lineup, leading in batting average, hits, RBIs, and doubles, with four home runs this season,” said Riverton coach Whitley Haimin. “Defensively, Grace has been equally reliable. Her composure during games, especially as a freshman, is remarkable. She’s a diligent and humble individual, and we are extremely proud of both her achievements and her character.”
In Riverton’s three most recent wins over Herriman, Copper Hills and Lehi, Leary hit .769 with two doubles and 10 RBIs.
Boys Soccer
Demitri Larsen, American Fork (Sr.)
Demitri Larsen has become the engine for undefeated American Fork this season.
“Demitri Larsen has become quite the sleeping giant for our squad. He is humble, coachable and very hungry to prove to his teammates, his coaches and the world what he is capable of,” said American Fork coach Casey Waldron.
The defensive mid is a great disrupter in the middle of the field, thwarting opponent’s attacks and then quickly sending the Cavemen the other way up the field.
“We always knew Demitri was a fantastic player but over the past two seasons and especially these past couple of weeks he has shown great leadership for our team, serving as one of our captains, and igniting the team during matches when we needed a spark. Demitri has a very deceiving motor on him that just keeps going, he can turn on the gears and show his explosiveness when needed. We believe he hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet and that’s an exciting thought,” said Waldron.
Larsen was a second team all-stater a year ago.
Girls Track
Kate Carter, Hurricane (Sr.)
Kate Carter’s senior season has already been record breaking, and there’s six and a half more weeks to break them again.
Earlier this season at the Desert Hills meet Carter broke a 22-year old school record in the javelin, and then last week at the Hurricane Invite she broke it again.
Carter’s throw of 135’02 in the meet is the second-best throw in Utah this season.
“Kate is an incredible athlete. We have seen a lot of great things from her and she has had a lot of success in her track and field career so far,” said Hurricane coach Lacey Stout.
In that same Hurricane meet, she also finished second in the discus and shot put. Her shot put mark of 36’05.75 was a new personal best and a top 10 distance in the state this spring.
“Kate is not only a great athlete, but she is also one of the kindest and most humble athletes I have had the privilege of knowing. These qualities and the many more she possesses have made her a great leader on our team, which is why she was voted to be one of our team captains this year,” said Stout. “Hurricane is going to be losing a big part of the team when she graduates this coming May, but I know wherever she decides to go and whatever she decides to do, she will have great success.”
Boys Track
Davis DeGroot, Bonneville (Jr.)
Davis DeGroot’s improvement from his sophomore year to his junior has been phenomenal.
Five weeks into the season, he owns the fastest time in both the 200 and 400 meters — both set at Fremont on March 26. A year ago, his best 200 time of 22.05 didn’t rank in the top 15 in Utah, while his strong time of 47.23 ranked third.
In both events this season, his top times are better than they were a year ago. At Fremont, he ran a 21.56 in the 200 and a 47.20 in the 400.
“Davis DeGroot is a true embodiment of what it means to be a student-athlete. As a junior, his performances on the track are already remarkable, but what truly sets him apart is his relentless drive to be the best version of himself, both as an athlete and a person. His eyes are firmly set on the state record in the 400-meter dash, and I have no doubt that he’ll achieve it,” said Bonneville coach Kenzie Harter. “What’s equally impressive is his character. Davis was nominated team captain for two years in a row because of his leadership, kindness, and unwavering integrity.”
His distance of 22’01 in the long jump at the Fremont meet ranks seventh in Utah as well.
“He wants to be great, but he is willing to outwork other athletes to make sure he achieves his goals. Despite his talent, he is humble when it comes to receiving feedback. He routinely comes to his coaches to proactively receive feedback and advice. As long as he continues on his current path, we are going to see Davis take down a few State records by the time he graduates,” said Bonneville jumping coach John Keeffer.
Girls Lacrosse
Brooke Warren, Salem Hills (Sr.)
Brooke Warren’s leadership, grit and skill are a huge reason Salem Hills is 8-0 this season.
Statistically, she leads Salem Hills with 30 goals, 35 ground balls, 82 draw controls (65%) and nine caused turnovers.
But coach Cliff Yerkes said it’s her understanding of the game and makes her such a weapon at both ends of the field.
“She leads us in transition and makes great decisions with the ball. She also is tenacious on our ride, catching players from behind and turning them into teammates for the check,” said Yerkes. “In the settled defense, Brooke is outstanding, as she calls out screens and switches, constantly talks, and makes sure all her teammates are in the right spot.”
In the attack, she plays extremely fast but makes it look effortless, with stick skills to finish in traffic.
“Brooke understands the team sport psychology and consistently does what is best for the team, it is like having a coach on the field, her decision making is next level,” said Yerkes.
“In 27 years of coaching high school soccer, basketball and lacrosse, I’ve never coached a tougher player. Against Skyridge, she got her toenail stepped on which resulted in the entire toe nail of her big toe coming off. She didn’t tell anyone, played the entire game, and then at the end, when the game ended, finally showed she was human, crying from the extreme pain. When she took off her cleat, it was soaked with blood from the missing toenail.”
Boys Lacrosse
John Freihofner, Snow Canyon (Jr.)
John Freihofner played a big role in leading Snow Canyon to region wins over Pine View and Desert Hills last week as the Warriors improve to 6-0 in region play in their first year participating in UHSAA lacrosse.
He combined for 10 goals and five assists, with a shooting percentage of 76%.
“We are fortunate to have a group of strong attackman this year and John has been an integral part of our offense with strong ball handing and eye for moving the ball where it needs to go,” said Snow Canyon assistant coach Luke Udy.
For the season, the attacking player has tallied 23 goals and 15 assists for 38 points. That ranks third in 4A, just behind teammate Easton Salazar who ranks second with 42 points.
Gary Bolton leads 4A with 43 points.
A year ago while Snow Canyon competed independently of the UHSAA against Region 9 competition, Freihofner finished with 19 goals and 34 assists.
Boys Volleyball
JJ Serre, Wasatch (Jr.)
Wasatch returns from spring break ready to continue its great start to the 2025 season, with opposite hitter JJ Serre leading the way.
The junior is hitting .313 this season with 184 kills, which breaks down to 3.6 per set for the 13-4 Wasps.
“While basketball is understandably JJ’s first love and main priority, he continues to grow and develop as a volleyball player in the few months of the year that we get him. He loves to compete and is a steadying influence for our team on the court,” said Wasatch coach Mike Wilton. “He is off to a great start for us this year and has become a much more consistent offensive threat for us than he was last year. Most importantly, he’s a good human and a joy to coach.”
Serre has reached double-digit kills in 10 of 17 matches this season. He’s also recorded 28 total blocks this season.
In basketball this past season, he was voted a 5A honorable mention recipient.
Boys Tennis
Ryan Austin, Timpview (Jr.)
A Round of 16 participant in each of the past two state tournaments, Ryan Austin is working hard this season to try and make a deeper run in this year’s 5A state tournament.
The junior is 6-1 at first singles this season for the T-Birds and has a 2-0 record in first doubles.
“Ryan loves tennis and he is a fierce competitor. Ryan has a growth mindset and he always wants to play the toughest competition. Ryan is a terrific player and a team leader on a talented Timpview tennis team,” said Timpview coach Nate Warner.
As a freshman, Austin finished with a 12-9 record at second singles, and then last year posted a 12-4 record at first singles.
Combined with his overall 8-1 record this year, he’s 32-14 in his three-year career for Timpview.
Girls Golf
Natalie McLane, Herriman (Jr.)
A top four finisher at state as a sophomore a year ago, Natalie McLane has picked up right where she left off.
Through two Region 2 matches so far this season, the junior is leading with the way with a 72.5 stroke average.
“Since Natalie has been here at Herriman, she has been our silent assassin. She doesn’t say much, but her work ethic speaks volumes. I’ve never coached anyone who works harder than Natalie. She is the ultimate ‘lead by example’ type of player,” said Herriman coach Jeff Price. “The greatest asset Natalie possesses is, despite her obvious talent, she is still very coachable. She is an absolute pleasure to work with and I can’t wait to see just how great she can become.”
At state a year ago, McLane finished in fourth place with a two-day score of 154 (76-78).
The top five golfers at last year’s 6A state tournament were all underclassmen, so the competition for another top five finish will be very competitive.