High school girls lacrosse: Park City cruises to another 5A state title

Published: May 21, 2026, 8:24 p.m. MDT

Park City plays Fremont in the 5A girls lacrosse state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

By McCade Pearson

Park City claimed its second consecutive 5A girls lacrosse championship Thursday, rolling past Fremont 19-9 to cap another undefeated season against Utah competition and extend its winning streak against in-state opponents to 36 games.

Fremont applied early pressure when Bailey Sargent found the back of the net just 90 seconds in, giving the Silverwolves a quick 1-0 lead, but the Miners answered immediately.

Natalia Szwajkun struck first to level the score, then Coco Crawford followed just 32 seconds later to put Park City ahead for good. The Miners rattled off four goals in three minutes total, and from that point the outcome was never seriously in doubt.

Fremont managed a few more before the first quarter was over but trailed 9-3 heading into the second.

“It was really helpful,” Szwajkun said of the immediate response after Fremont’s goal. “It was great to get momentum and get us going. After that we played really good lacrosse.

“When we have that momentum and are really playing together as a team, we get comfortable and can stack up those goals.”

Fremont's Bailey Sargent (23) battles for a loose ball with Park City's Georgia Kostuchenko (3) during the 5A girls lacrosse state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 21, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Fremont's Makenzi Overdiek (18) shoots past Park City's Lily Yatkeman (44) and Georgia Kostuchenko (3) during the 5A girls lacrosse state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 21, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Park City celebrates after defeating Fremont in the 5A girls lacrosse state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 21, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Park City's Natalia Szwajkun (5) celebrates with Sophia Mondschein (6) after scoring against Fremont during the 5A girls lacrosse state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 21, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Park City never took its foot off the gas, pushing the lead to 12-6 at halftime before pulling away in the second half.

Szwajkun finished with eight goals on the day, five before the break. Her game-tying strike in the opening minutes served as her 100th point of the season, a milestone that speaks to a sophomore campaign that was nothing short of extraordinary.

She seemed to sense early that this day would be special.

“I think we knew the whole season that today was going to be a good day, this day was going to be amazing,” she said. “Our vibes have been high all season and all day.”

If Szwajkun was the present, Crawford was the embodiment of the program’s legacy. The senior capped a decorated four-year career with four goals Thursday, finishing with 181 for her career and three championship rings.

As one of the seniors who helped establish the standard, she spoke about what it meant to pass that torch.

“As a freshman I had great seniors to guide me. It really motivated me to be the leader now that I am older,” she said. “These past four years have led to a lot of learning and a great opportunity. It really is unexplainable.”

Crawford also reflected on the road back to the top after falling short in the championship as a sophomore.

“Every single hardship was a learning lesson,” she said. “You have to hit bottom before you can get to the top, but it is just the start.”

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Guiding the Miners through it all was first-year head coach Adam Ghitelman, who added a championship to an already decorated playing career in his very first season on the sideline, but he was quick to point the credit elsewhere.

“I am happy for the girls, to know the amount of dedication and hard work that they have put in,” he said. “The amount of love they have for each other, this is a byproduct of that. Our seniors are graduating with three championships and leaving an outstanding legacy.”

On the unique challenge of inheriting a championship program and delivering a repeat in his first year, Ghitelman kept it simple.

“You have to let trust lead you as a coach,” he said. “There are certain things we try to pride ourselves on as a team. The girls bought into those things and the system, but in the end you let the players play.”

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