Salem Hills' 10 softball seniors didn't let Wednesday's playoff game prevent them from donning cap and gown. Photo courtesy Courtney Moody.
TAYLORSVILLE — Years from now, long after Salem Hills’ 2012 graduating class has forgotten about most of the details from its commencement ceremony, 10 senior girls on the softball team will have an entirely different memory.
It’s not every day you graduate from high school on a softball field just minutes after winning the biggest game of your life.
For 10 Salem Hills seniors though, that was their reality following Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over Box Elder in the 4A state tournament at the Valley Complex.
“It’s definitely not what anyone expects. It’s unique,” said Salem Hills senior Hailey Ingram.
After the victory, Ingram and her teammates slipped on their cap and gowns and went through a quick commencement ceremony that was led by assistant principal Troy Bohling — whose sophomore daughter Kirtlyn Bohling was coincidentally the winning pitcher against the Bees.
“I told everyone if I was going to miss graduation I was going to win a state championship too. Hopefully we can do that,” said Ingram. Continue reading
Utah Valley University will be offering a number of basketball camps this summer for boys and girls.
There is a UVU Women’s Basketball Fundamentals Camp for Boys and Girls For boys and girls who want to learn and improve their basketball fundamentals from the UVU Women’s Basketball coaching staff and players.
Ages: Boys and Girls entering Kindergarten through 8th grade
Dates: Mon-Wed. June 18-20 9am-noon each day
Registration Cost: $90
Continue reading
Utah AAU ball certainly doesn’t begin and end with Utah Pump-N-Run or with Utah Reign. In fact, the longest-running and most successful AAU program has been Salt Lake Metro through the years.
Since 1992, Salt Lake Metro has had 306 of its players go on to play college basketball with 120 of those playing with division-one programs. There are currently 111 Salt Lake Metro products on college basketball scholarships, including 35 at the division-one level according to program sources.
SL Metro is headed by Dave Hammer who has put together an incredible resume through the years. The following bio is from SL Metro:
Dave began his coaching career as a volunteer men’s basketball assistant coach to Coach Lynn Archibald at the University of Utah. Dave helped coach the Runnin’ Utes from 1986 to 1989. During that time Utah had a record of 72-51. Utah won the WAC and played in both the NCAA and NIT tournaments while Dave was on staff. .
Other assistant coaches on staff while Dave was an assistant coach at Utah include:
- Trent Johnson current head coach at TCU.
- Larry Eustachy current head coach at Colorado State and former national coach of the year.
- Bob Burton current head coach at Cal State Fullerton.
Beginning in 1992, Dave joined Norm Parrish as a men’s basketball assistant at Salt Lake Community College. During Dave tenure from 1992 to 2000. Salt Lake Community College had a record of 184-101, won the league twice and attended the NJCAA national tournament.
During his time coaching men’s basketball Dave has helped develop and recruit more than 150 college basketball players including many who have gone on to play professionally.
Dave is nationally recognized for his expertise in the development and evaluation of high school basketball players. He has been the Utah representative for the McDonalds All American Game for both the boys and girls. Dave is the publisher of the IntermountainHoops.com website. Dave’s Intermountain Hoops camps are nationally recognized as top 10 camps in the nation for both boys and girls. Dave was inducted into the Speice Wall of Fame in 2004.
Dave brings a unique perspective to club basketball. He has run a successful club basketball organization since 1995. He has over a decade of collegiate basketball experience both as a coach and as a recruiter. He also is the father of two former college basketball players. Dave’s ability to understand all sides of player development and collegiate recruiting gives him a unique perspective that he is able to share with his Metro parents and players. As a father he has had his children participate in club sports, move away to college and make the same sacrifices necessary to have them achieve their potential.
Another one of the top teams is Utah Hoops which is coming off a very productive weekend.
The following is from Coach Lynn Lloyd:
Utah Hoops 16U team won the Adidas Elite 8 in the Desert, 17U National Division. The team went 6-0 for the weekend.
Utah Hoops also won two weeks ago in Denver at the Best Buy Mile High Classic, winning the 16U Tourney.
The team will travel to the San Francisco Bay area for a Tournament over Memorial Weekend.
The team is comprised of Bountiful High School players Jordan Bleak, Pere Lesueur, Trevor Lloyd, Sam Merrill, Zac Seljaas; Davis High School- Abel Porter; Layton High School –Mike Hibbert; Roy High School-Brekkott Chapman, Woods Cross High School- Luke Jowers. Dalton Nixon from Orem High School also played in Phoenix.
Cottonwood quarterback Cooper Bateman scrambles in a game against West Jordan in 2011.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl has nominated five high school football players from Utah for the 2013 game this January in San Antonio.
The committee, which includes regional coaches from around the country as well as Rivals.com, nominated 400 athletes from around the country. It will whittle the list down to 90 players throughout the football season this fall.
The five juniors from Utah hoping to make the cut include a pair of quarterbacks, a pair of lineman and a defensive back. They are Woods Cross’ Sean Barton (DB), Cottonwood’s Cooper Bateman (QB), Logan’s Luke Falk (QB), Bingham’s Lowell Lotulelei (DL) and Pine View’s Logan Stott (OL).
The final 90 players selected will participate in the East-West match-up on Saturday, Jan. 5 in a game that will be televised nationally on NBC.
Nobody from Utah participated in the game in 2012, but the year before both Bingham’s Harvey Langi and American Fork’s Ryker Mathews were members of the West squad.
Past local participants in the Army All-American Bowl are: Brighton’s Ricky Heimuli (2010), Bingham’s Austin Holt (2008), Cottonwood’s Lynn Katoa (2008), Bingham’s Justin Sorensen (2008), Cottonwood’s Simi Fili (2007), Timpview’s Matt Reynolds (2005), Hunter’s Ray Feinga (2004) and Highland’s Haloti Ngata (2002).
MURRAY – The Murray girls basketball team will be led by a familiar – and much beloved – face next winter.
Lisa White, who led the program for 11 years, agreed to return to coaching several weeks ago, according to Murray athletic director Lisa Parker. Under White, the Spartans were a perennial power earning multiple region titles, as well as making a run in the playoffs most seasons. The program struggled after White left, and administrators released head coach Isaac Beh, who took over after White retired, after the 2011-2012 season ended. This year the team did not win a single game finishing 0-21.
Parker hopes White’s return will restore the pride that once existed in the program. The popular coach with a no-nonsense style retired from coaching four years ago but continued to teach at Murray High. She assisted Parker on the softball team for a couple of seasons, as well. When Murray High officials opened the job last month, White did not apply. Parker went to White and discussed the possibility of coming back to lead the program for a year or two, in hopes of mentoring some of the younger coaches.
MILLCREEK – Former Skyline head football coach Roger Dupaix and his wife, Edie, will be honored for their years of service to the Skyline and Highland communities with a reception at Skyline High School on Saturday night.
Dupaix coached for eight years at Highland High before taking over the Eagles football program 26 years ago. He is the state’s only football coach to win 300 football games. In all, Dupaix was a teacher and coach for nearly four decades.
The reception on April 28 will run form 5 to 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria and is a chance for friends, former players and their families to say hello to the Roger and Edie Dupaix. The couple will leave for an LDS Church mission in the Philippines in a few months. They’ll be based in Quezon City, and Roger will serve as the surrounding area’s public affairs director.
Memorabilia will be on display, and there will be videos and refreshments for all to enjoy.
The high school track & field season recently passed the midway point, with the state tournament at BYU exactly one month away.
There have been a lot of outstanding performances turned in by numerous athletes across the state, including returning state champions like Timpview’s Lauren Baxter, Wasatch’s Cale Strong, Park City’s Megan Glasmann and Davis’ Shae Martinez and Brad Nye.
The Utah High School Track Coaches Association recently sent out a Press Release highlighting some of the stars of the track season, which is a must read for track and field fans.
For results and stories on meets from around the state this year, check out of the following track list from the Deseret News.
MURRAY – Cottonwood quarterback Cooper Bateman could choose to go to school with some of his high school teammates. The UCLA Bruins offered three of Cottonwood’s most promising juniors scholarships on Friday.
Receiver Inoke Lotulelei, who had 74 receptitions for 1,184 yards and 15 touchdowns, Siale Fakailuatonga, a 6-4 junior tight end and defensive end, and quarterback Cooper Bateman were all offered scholarships by UCLA, Cottonwood head coach Josh Lyman confirmed Friday. Bateman, a 6-3 junior who threw for 2,484 yards and 25 touchdowns (and rushed for three others) last fall, received offers from Florida, Arkansas, Colorado and Purdue last month. He’s also had offers from most of the Utah schools.
Additionally, the University of Utah offered the Colts’ offensive tackle Haile Falemaka a football scholarship, Lyman said.
The players plan to visit the campus of the schools they are interested in this summer.
West Jordan's Loveridge tries to block a shot against Lone Peak's Nick Emery during the 5A semifinals at the Maverik Center.
West Jordan star Jordan Loveridge added another marquee awarded to his trophy case. A week after being named Utah’s Mr. Basketball by the Deseret News, Loveridge was named Utah’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
A 6-foot-6 Ute signee, Loveridge averaged 22.9 points and 13.1 rebounds in leading the Jaguars to the 5A semifinals. Loveridge maintains a 3.49 GPA as well.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes star athletes in 12 sports in 50 athletes. Past Utah winners include Lone Peak’s Nick Emery (2011), Provo’s Kyle Collinsworth (2010), Lone Peak’s Tyler Haws (2009 & 2008) and Provo’s Chris Collinsworth (2007).
According to a Gatorade press release, “the award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court.”
Loveridge is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award, which includes past winners like Dwight Howard and Jason Kidd.
In the Gatorade press release, Orem coach Golden Holt had the following to say about Loveridge. “(He) is very long, with a strong body, and he uses that length so well. He keeps getting better and better. His body has developed and he’s worked so hard that now there really isn’t a weakness in his game.”
Wasatch boys soccer coach Dawain Wheatley notched his 200th coaching victory on Wednesday with the Wasps’ 6-0 victory against Union.
“We started out a little sluggish, especially with Alex (Espinoza) out with an injury,” said Wheatley in a press release. “But the kids made some great adjustments and were able to get the game under control.”
Wheatley, 57, has scored at Wasatch for 22 years, and says he doesn’t plan on retiring from coaching anytime soon.
Wheatley was hired in the 1990-91 school year to take over the program started by coach John Lemon the year before.
“This has been a great program to coach. I have always loved the kids and the staff that has worked with me. While I have been here for 22 years, my assistant, Cevin Carr, was with the program the year before and actually has 23 years of experience at Wasatch,” said Wheatley.
Wheatley said that support on the home front has made his success possible.
“My wife, Susan, has had a lot of patience, but she is always there for me and the team,” he said. “I have enjoyed coaching my own children as well. My youngest, Jonathan, will graduate this year, but while he is my last birth child, I still have many soccer children left to work with.”