Sports

Good day at region meet for Bronco track team

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The San Juan High School track and field team traveled to Cedar City this past Wednesday, May 10 to compete in the Region 19 Championships at the Eccles Coliseum at Southern Utah University. The boys team had an excellent day, scoring 118 points to finish second...

San Juan softball coach Bowers reflects on the season

Rhett Sifford: Coach, I know the season didn’t end exactly how you wanted, but it was an excellent season nonetheless. Give me your thoughts now that it’s done. Coach Bowers: I didn’t like the energy we finished with in our last game. I attribute that to mental fatigue from hyper focus during the...

San Juan junior pitcher Trinity Whatcott joined an elite group after she registered a perfect game in a 15-0 win over Panguitch in the 2A first round on Saturday, May 6. She retired all 12 of the batters she faced, striking out eight of them. Whatcott became just the seventh pitcher in Utah State softball history to accomplish the feat. It’s the 20th perfect game and 103rd no-hitter in Utah history. Chris Hart photo

Trinity Whatcott pitches a perfect game as #3-ranked San Juan softball team cruises past Panguitch into 2A state second round

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The San Juan High School softball team took full advantage of their home field matchup in the first round of the 2023 2A Utah State Softball Tournament this past Saturday, May 6. Pitcher Trinity Whatcott pitched a perfect game – that’s right, a perfect game – and the...

Monticello long jump master Tommy Sheeran sails through the air on the way to his winning jump of 21 feet, ten and a quarter inches at the BYU Invitational on Saturday, May 6. Jeff Hunt photo

Tommy Sheeran wins long jump as Buckaroos and Broncos get strong showings at BYU Invite

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The annual BYU Invitational is the longest-running and most prestigious track and field invitational in the Intermountain West. This past Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6 nearly 3,200 athletes competed in the 113th running of the event. One Monticello High School...

Bronco baseball team splits first two games of 2A state tourney, faces a challenging road back to title game

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The fifth-ranked San Juan Broncos opened the 2023 2A Utah State Baseball Tournament in Beaver this past weekend with a 12-0 victory over local rival Monticello, then suffered a 10-3 loss to #4 host Beavers in the second round. The loss dropped the Broncos into the one...

Lady Buckaroo senior Jade Nielson is all focus as she executes a perfect chip shot. Nielson finished sixth in the Region 23 tournament on Monday, May 8 and is set for the 1A state tournament coming up May 15-17 in Richfield. Anna Fredericks photo

Monticello golf teams win Region 23 titles in Price, prepare for state tourney

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The Monticello High School girls and boys golf teams both got strong performances at the Carbon Country Club in Price to win their respective 1A Region 23 Championships on Monday, May 8. The Buckaroo boys beat Pinnacle by 120 strokes, 370 to 490 while the girls topped...

Members of the team include: (top row, left to right) Coach Mersadez Wilcox, Head Coach Laici Snyder, Taylor Barry, Tessa Slade, Millie Morrison, Gracey Bylilly, Ali Barry, Alexis Keith, Hannah Barry, Jacy Montague, Coach Tyrell Snyder, Manager Marli Snyder. Bottom: Jocelyne Francom, Avery Shumway, Jemma Robison, Annabell Felix, Angelica Gutierrez, Madi Snyder, and Nicole Francom. Courtesy photo

Monticello softball team upsets Wayne to earn birth in state tournament, but softball and baseball seasons both come to premature end over weekend

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The Monticello High School softball team pulled off a shocking 24-13 upset win over Wayne in a 2A Utah State Softball Tournament play-in game in Duchesne this past Saturday, May 6. The win was impressive not only because it was the Lady Buckaroos’ first this season...

Monticello Berlynn Black conquers the high jump during the annual Blue Mountain Invitational at the MHS track on April 26. Black cleared four feet, ten inches to win the high jump. The Buckaroos finished second as a team at the event while San Juan was third, Whitehorse was fifth, Navajo Mountain sixth, and Monument Valley seventh. Anna Fredericks photo

Blue Mountain Invitational track and field meet provides spirited competition among local teams

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The Monticello High School track and field team hosted all the San Juan County schools along with Grand County and Green River this past Wednesday, April 26 in the annual Blue Mountain Invitational. It was a beautiful day despite a little wind, which of course is very...

The team includes: (top row, left to right) Coach Ryan Young, Coach Baylr Eldredge, Head Coach Josh Keyes, JD McDonald, Jackson Keyes, Easton Young, Mason Atwood, Shane Lewis, Javlin Robison, Tyson Wheeler, Traken Lee, Zac Thayn, Camren Carpenter, Treydon Harris, Coach Reed Anderson, Coach Brian Kirby. Bottom: Cache Young, Jaeden Camacho, Evan Carpenter, Skyler Peterson, Kooper Nielson, Landon Shumway, and Peyton Hatathley. Courtesy photo

Baseball, softball teams conclude regular seasons

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The San Juan and Monticello high school baseball and softball teams all concluded their regular seasons in the past few days and now they await the final RPI standings and state tournament bracket reveals. The matchups for the first round of the teams’ respective...

Bronco senior Marty Clinger battles Gunnison Valley’s Oakley Christensen on April 25 at San Juan High School. Clinger won the match then led his team with a third-place performance at the Region 12 Championship in Richfield this past Thursday, April 27. The Broncos are set to begin their state tournament this weekend. Chris Hart photo

Three Broncos win matches at boys tennis region championship

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor Marty Clinger, Conner Montella, and Denim Howell led the San Juan High School boys tennis team with match victories at the Region 12 Championship Thursday, April 27 in Richfield. Clinger defeated Koda Corona of Gunnison Valley in the first round of third singles play...