San Juan and Monument Valley girls wrestlers earn all-state honors

Thirteen wrestlers representing San Juan County finished third or better in their respective state tournaments this season.
The San Juan Record is proud to present profiles of the San Juan High School and Monument Valley girls All-State wrestlers this week.
Profiles of additional wrestlers and All-State athletes will appear in upcoming issues as the teams are named by the Deseret News.

Khatira Keith
San Juan Junior ~ state champion
12 wins - 3 losses

Head Coach Art Adair: “Khatira works hard at everything she does. She not only comes to practice for two hours a night but gets up early in the morning to work out and then works out when she gets home as well. There’s a reason she and her siblings have found success on the wrestling mat.
Khatira joined the team after Christmas and didn’t have a lot of preseason time to learn as she was thrown into one of the toughest girls tournaments in the state for her first competition.
“None of us could’ve imagined the success she would find in such a short season in her first year of wrestling. At that first tournament, she ended up in the championship match after beating some very tough wrestlers in the quarterfinals and semifinals. She ended up placing second to a very good 3A wrestler. We knew after that, as soon as she got some technique and found her confidence on the mat she was going to be good.
“Khatira had the best overall record throughout the season at 12-3. She was very physical on the mat, quickly found her confidence and style, and recognized her ability. She focused on what she was good at and didn’t stress the rest. She’s very easy to coach as she was very motivated for success. That’s not to say that she was never nervous but she always gave everything no matter if it was a practice or a tournament.
“Khatira advanced to the state championship match through a very tough bracket that had multiple previous state placers. Her final opponent was a young lady who took second in 2024. She had a lot more experience on the mat and in big-time matches than Khatira did. Khatira didn’t let that phase her, stayed true to herself and her wrestling ability, and secured a win to become the first-ever girls state wrestling champion at San Juan High School. We look forward to her defending her title next season as a senior.”

Saraeya Mills
San Juan sophomore ~ second place
16 wins - 10 losses

Head Coach Art Adair: “Saraeya is one of those kids who always has a smile on her face – win or lose, easy match or hard match. She also had one of the funniest quirks on the team. We noticed early on in the season it looked like she was talking to herself or her opponent throughout the match. When we asked her about this, she said she was talking to her opponent because it made it easier to wrestle them if she talked to them.
“Saraeya placed high at every tournament we attended this season. She also won a bunch of dual matches as well. She was one of our hardest workers in the room and it was evident each weekend at tournaments she had put in the time and effort throughout the week. She also was instrumental in helping those she practiced with get better each week.
“Every time we asked her to change something or do something a little different, she would listen and make the changes. This made her very coachable and also a better wrestler. Saraeya was a team leader both on and off the mat and was a big reason for San Juan Wrestling’s success this season.
“At the state tournament, Saraeya was in the state championship match with a returning state champion as her opponent. In one of the best matches of the tournament she gave everything she had and came up just short. It was a heartbreaking loss for everyone. We look forward to having her back next season.”

Morgan Kaytso
San Juan Sophomore ~ third place
14 wins - nine losses

Head Coach Art Adair: “Morgan came out this season like every other girl on the team as a first-year wrestler. She was put in a weight class where she was always undersized for her weight. Morgan is a quiet and reserved individual. I was worried at the beginning of the season that she might not be successful in a sport that is always mentally and physically tough.
“Throughout the season I saw tremendous growth on Morgan’s part both on and off the mat. She placed seventh in her first tournament though, and it was apparent she had the basic skills to be successful. Morgan constantly worked hard in practice and was very coachable. She was one of our most consistent placers throughout the season and was always one we could count on to lead the team.
“Morgan ended the season with a record of 14-9 and placed third at the state tournament which was not easy. I remember one tournament after weigh-in she was a little nervous and you could tell had some apprehensions. I wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to overcome her fear that day and I asked her just to go out and wrestle one match at a time and see how it went.
“She only lost one match in that tournament and ended up placing third. It was a testament to her willingness to trust her coaches and learn that she could overcome fears. The one thing that most impressed me this season about Morgan, and many of her teammates, was the kindness they showed to their opponents, win or loss. We’re excited to have Morgan back next year and see her improvements and hopefully watch her wrestle for a state championship.”

Summer Atene
Monument Valley Freshman ~ third place
14 wins - 10 losses

Head Coach Sidiah Parker: “Summer was a freshman this season and first-year wrestler. She placed at several tournaments including second place at the Sixth Annual Veterans Memorial Invitational in Window Rock, Az. She also took fourth at the Girls Utah Winter Classic and Women’s Battle at the Mine. Summer works very hard on and off the mat. Her dedication, motivation, and hard work helped her improve every week and paid off in some of her toughest matches.
“Summer had some significant wins at these tournaments. She demonstrated to the team that the time you put into practice is what is going to show in the match. She stepped up when it counted the most. We really enjoyed coaching Summer this season and are excited to see what she is going to do in the future, on and off the mat.”