Monday, January 30, 2012

Maple Mountain January Students of the Month

Maple Mountain High announces the January students of the month.
http://mmhs.nebo.edu/news/january-students-month




In five years, sophomore Jezni Widdison sees herself in college working on a bachelor’s degree and living on her own. She also hopes to be traveling and dating the man of her dreams. Jezni’s favorite subject is English because she loves to read and learning about different styles of writing. English helps her to go beyond the surface and gives her a chance to be creative.
Her favorite quote is, "There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." – Nelson Mandela. She explains that “if we’re not living our lives to the very fullest and not reaching our highest potential, then what can we say we’ve accomplished? This quote applies to me because I’m always striving to do my best in every aspect of my life.”
Jezni’s favorite hobbies include playing softball, volleyball, reading, writing, spending time with family and friends, listening to music, and playing the guitar. One thing that makes her different from everyone else is that she has a strong sense of who she is and of who she wants to become.



Sophomore Jeson Martin plans to be attending college in five years. His current interest in school is welding and weight training because they are his most fun classes.
His favorite quote is, "Do the things you want to do before the opportunity passes because any day could be your last." - Unknown. One thing that makes Jeson different is that he always tries to be nice to everyone, and he works hard to keep up his grades.
Jeson’s hobbies include learning to drive my truck, playing on the computer, and playing football with friends. The funniest thing that happened to him was when he fell off the stairs into the bushes at his mom and step-dad’s wedding.



Junior Megan Larsen plans to serve an LDS mission in five years. Her favorite subject in school is psychology. She’s always amazed at how complex the human mind is.
Her favorite quote is, "Life is too short to be wasted on sadness.” – Unknown. This quote says it all to Megan. She explains, “sure, bad things happen to everyone, but the important thing to remember is that those negative things do not have to control your life. Be happier because it’s easier than being sad.”
Megan’s favorite hobbies include spending time with my family and friends because they lift her up and help her become a better person everyday. She learns from them and loves creating lasting memories with them.



Junior Nathan Jeffery sees himself going to college at BYU in five years and expects to be a returned LDS missionary and an eagle scout. He also plans to be in the Cougar Marching Band and have a part-time job. His favorite subject in school is physics. He likes to learn how the world works and why things happen the way they do.
His favorite quote is, "From the day you were born ‘til you get in the hearse, there’s nothing so bad but what it could be worse." – Helen Stirland. He likes this quote because his grandma would always quote it to him when he was having a difficult time. He’s heard it so much that it’s gone to heart.
Nathan’s hobbies are reading, playing the piano, and hanging out with friends. I especially love marching in the band and winter drumline. One thing that makes Nathan different from everybody else is that he shares a birthday with Dr. Seuss, only 91 years apart.



In five years, Senior Chelsea Scutt plans to be almost done with getting a master’s degree in nursing or physical therapy, and she plans to graduate debt-free. Her favorite subject is any music class. This is because they relax her, and she gets to spend time with friends while creating beautiful music. She also enjoys her science, English, and history classes because she finds them interesting.

Her favorite quote is, "A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." – Mahatma Gandhi. One thing that makes Chelsea stand out from everyone else is that she is a faithful Catholic.
Chelsea’s hobbies include skiing and canyoneering, as well as playing the clarinet in Dixieland Jazz. She also loves to listen to music and relax with friends.



Senior Ty Singerman sees himself in five years returning from an LDS mission, getting ready to graduate from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or media music. His favorite subject is psychology. He loves people and finds it very interesting to study how they think and behave. He feels like the quality of life can be improve by having an awareness of the human condition.
His favorite quote is, "Deserve what you get, if you can.” – His Grandpa. Ty likes that quote as it suggests that life is meaningful because we have worked for the things that we have, not because we have so much. That perspective gives him joy in the tasks of everyday living.
Ty’s favorite hobbies are playing the guitar and drums. His favorite past time is song writing. He has occasionally played in local rock shows and recorded in a studio.




Sunday, January 22, 2012

Maple Mountain Boy's Basketball Win against Timpanogos and PG.



In a boys basketball game that featured 15 made 3-pointers accounting for almost half of the 109 total points scored, the one that mattered most Wednesday night in Pleasant Grove was one that didn't go in.

The visitors from Maple Mountain were up three but missed a pair of foul shots with five seconds left in the game, giving Pleasant Grove got one more chance to force overtime.

Viking senior guard Spencer Pincock raced up the floor and got a pretty good shot from beyond the arc, but it sailed wide right and the Golden Eagles hung on to get the 56-53 win.
"We finally got that win," said Maple Mountain head coach Johnny Averett. "There have been several during this preseason that I thought we deserved but we didn't close the deal. This time we made plays but give Pleasant Grove credit. The way they were shooting tonight made them hard to put away."
Since the Golden Eagles have lost some heartbreakers earlier in the year, Averett said at the end of this game he was counting on finally getting a break to go his team's way.
"When they were taking the ball up the floor, I was thinking that this can't be happening again," he said. "We lost a couple of big leads in games in St. George, including one to Pine View on a last-second shot. Luck was finally in our favor this time."

For Pleasant Grove head coach Randy McAllister, it was a tough way to lose. Although he appreciated the fight his team showed, he said the Vikings are sick of being in that position in the first place.

"We've had three or four of those, so it's time for us to stop getting in that position where we have to fight back," he said. "We need to figure out how to get a lead rather than play from behind."

Both teams put their shooting ability on display during the game as they rained down bombs from beyond the arc.

The first half shooting edged belonged to Maple Mountain, who knocked down six of their eight treys before halftime. That allowed the Golden Eagles to build a 10-point lead at one point.
"Those are shots we've been missing," Averett said. "When we miss those, teams pack it in. When we make them, that gets the defense to come out and that's to our advantage because we are small and quick."

Pleasant Grove responded with five 3-pointers in the second half, four of them coming from sophomore guard Forrest Pincock (who finished with five total and 15 points for the game).

That allowed the Vikings to rally but Maple Mountain had the edge for much of the final 16 minutes of play. Late foul shooting problems for the Golden Eagles (who were 10-of-18 from the charity stripe for the game) gave the home team the late chance to tie.

"We've got to do a better job at the free throw line, but I think we will," Averett said.

Both teams have now completed non-region play and will start league action.

"We're in a tough region, so we have our work cut out for us," McAllister said. "If teams are going to beat us, we're going to make them work to do it."

Daily Herald sports editor Jared Lloyd can be reached at 801-344-2555 or at jlloyd@heraldextra.com. He can also be followed on Twitter at @JaredrLloyd.

Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/high-school/basketball/maple-mountain-boys-basketball-survives-late-pleasant-grove-surge/article_87e65d34-375e-11e1-84ba-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1kE0PMA1S

Thomas Mortensen
Spencer Allred

Drew Bates

Justin Bradford

Devin Gillies

Jackson Gunther

Nate Guymon

K.J. Hall

Bryson Hunt

Josh Phelps

Jayden Whitehead

Devin Barker

Porter Brown

Jace Edmunds

Zach Porter

Jake Varney

Maple Mountain rolls at The Rumble

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Grant LaMont didn’t need long to get his sixth pin of the weekend. Facing Payson’s Zac Loveless for the second time this season, LaMont knew what buttons to push, what speed to work. It was less than a minute and a half before the junior had two-time state champ Loveless on his back.
“I knew I had to go strong,” LaMont said. “It’s the second time I’ve beaten him, and I just keep pushing the pace.”
LaMont’s school, Maple Mountain, has similarly taken almost no time at all — on a relative scale — to establish itself as arguably the state’s best wrestling program. It took another step toward earning that title on Saturday, winning The Rumble tournament at Utah Valley University.
To get the team title, the Golden Eagles had to best Pleasant Grove, Delta and Payson — three of the strongest traditional powers in the state. But led by LaMont at 138 pounds — he was named one of the tournament’s most outstanding wrestlers — and Kimball Bastian at 152, Maple Mountain took home one of the most prestigious team titles in the West.
They had to sweat out first place, waiting on a few consolation matches. But by the time the heaviest wrestlers were competing, the win was assured. And despite winning in only the program’s third year of existence, LaMont emphasized that Maple Mountain has come a long way since its beginnings.
“It’s kind of awesome that a third-year can do this,” he said. “We’ve matured a lot. When we first started, we were all freshmen and sophomores. But our whole team is just getting more focused.”
That didn’t mean Payson, the second-place finisher, didn’t go home with some hardware as well. In the 132-pound match, Jed Mellen came away with the highlight of the tournament when he beat Centennial’s Hayden Tuma, the No. 7-ranked wrestler in that class in the country



By Kyle Goon The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Jan 14 2012 09:21PM
Updated Jan 17, 2012 12:51PM

Another article was posted in the Herald.



In a classic back-and-forth battle, Maple Mountain outlasted Utah County rival Payson to win The Rumble Wrestling Tournament on Saturday night.

"I'm beyond excited," said Maple Mountain head coach Justin Judkins. "To win The Rumble is cool. It says a lot about our program.
It wasn't exactly easy for the Golden Eagles. Payson held a slim lead after the first day of competition. The Lions put four wrestlers on top of the podium compared to two for Maple Mountain, but in the end the Golden Eagles were just a bit deeper.
Maple Mountain scored 255.0 points while Payson ended with 251.0. Pleasant Grove was a distant third with 210.0. Centennial (Idaho) finished fourth at 203.0 and Delta was fifth with 185.0.
Maple Mountain crowned champions in Grant LaMont (138 pounds) and Kimball Bastian (152).
LaMont had six pins in the tournament, including one over Payson's Zach Loveless in the championship final. For his efforts, LaMont was named as one of the tournament's outstanding wrestlers.

"I expected to get some pins, but not six," LaMont said. "It feels good to get the (team) win for Coach Judkins."
Maple Mountain nearly had one more champion, but Britain Carter lost to Cedar City's Dusty Hone 2-1 in overtime.
Austin Rowley (126) and Jesse Carlisle (145) placed third for the Golden Eagles, while Landon Knutzen (132) and Jordan Argyle (170) finished fifth. Two Maple Mountain wrestlers -- Mitch Kay (138, fourth) and Brooks Robinson (132, seventh) -- were wrestling unattatched (non-scoring) at the meet.

Full article can be read at:

Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/maple-mountain-edges-payson-at-the-rumble/article_0d47e4b5-7482-58f7-b078-c071a8722c0e.html#ixzz1kDtVutwL

Maple Mountain Wrestling making a name for itself.

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They remember when nobody knew who they were.  It was only two years ago when the Maple Mountain wrestling team would go to meets almost anonymously. The school had just opened, and few in the state were even looking out for the Golden Eagles.

Of course, once they wrestled Maple Mountain, they wouldn’t soon forget it.

"We try to remember that every time we wrestle, we’re trying to make a statement," junior Britain Carter says. "We want people to remember us. We want to represent our school."

It’s hard to imagine Maple Mountain doing a better job of representing itself than it has in its first two seasons. Last year, the Golden Eagles took a step forward by winning second place in the Class 4A tournament and getting three individual state champions.

They’re already hungry for more, and this year they have a team that could challenge Box Elder, the squad that surged far ahead of the field last year.

Maple Mountain so far has been the precocious new school with a wrestling team consisting of individually accomplished members. But the Golden Eagles’ goal is to be seen as one of the elite perennial powers — and it appears they’re well on their way. Winning The Rumble last week at UVU over Payson, Delta and a few out-of-state powers should be a warning sign to all opponents.

"For someone like me, it’s a lot about finally getting the feel of wrestling," says Jordan Argyle, who wrestles at 170 pounds. "I’m getting to the point where I can wrestle with my eyes closed. A lot of guys are wrestling a lot better this year."

Although returning state champs Brandon George, Grant LaMont and Carter are stalwarts, this year’s team has been about balance. Wrestlers such as Austin Rowley, Kimball Bastian and Jesse Carlisle are breaking through as title contenders, and others might be potential state placers.

It starts with the team’s conditioning — coach Justin Judkins has the Golden Eagles convinced they have the most challenging workout routine of any program in Utah. They lift weights in the morning four times a week. After school, they’ll practice until 5:30 p.m. using a variety of wrestling drills, plyometrics and cross-training exercises.

A typical stretch: They wrestle a partner for two minutes. Judkins blows a whistle. They do pushups for two minutes. Whistle. They do squats with a partner on their shoulders. Whistle. More wrestling. Whistle. They climb ropes to the ceiling. And this goes on and on, all the while with Judkins pacing the room like a drill sergeant, telling them they aren’t going fast enough or working hard enough.

"The other day, I went home and didn’t talk to anyone," Rowley says. "My parents were worried I was depressed or something was wrong. No, we just wrestled live for an hour, then ran sprints for an hour. I’m just tired — don’t have any energy left."

The work is only part of it. Most of the people on the team have wrestled together since their days at Mapleton Junior High, when they were also a dominant program. They’ve spent years on the road together, sharing hotel rooms and celebrating each other’s achievements.

"We’re all kind of brothers," George says. "People say this is an individual sport, but we really do have a team."

That team resolve has been tested. Several wrestlers last season and even this season were discontented with the program and elected to quit.

But that hasn’t had a divisive effect on Maple Mountain. The wrestlers who remain are OK seeing others go.

"I think some of that held us back last year," LaMont says. "I think we could’ve been even better. This year, we definitely have higher goals, and the people who are still here are pretty motivated."

It won’t be easy to deal with Box Elder and Mountain Crest, seen as two of the top contenders this year. Maple Mountain has some of the strongest wrestlers in the light weights, but depth gets thinner and thinner in the heavier groups.

Of course, it’d be dangerous to count them out, either.

"We’re going to keep pushing," Carter says. "We’re going to keep working until that extra work shows on the mat."

kgoon@sltrib.com
http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile/53346871-190/mountain-maple-team-wrestling.html.csp

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Aimee Vargas, An inspiration to us all.

Aimee Vargas


Written by Aimee Vargas.
Ever since I was a little girl it was hard to realize that I had potential in this place we call Earth, and it was also hard to know for myself that I could reach my dreams, but for years I thought I was "stuck" where I was because of my disability. Now that I'm older I have realized that I can achieve what I want and be happy with the best I can do. Not many can discover what their purpose in life is, but I can say that helping others is MY mission. Helping others makes me happy and I do the best I can to reach out to others. A way to help others I've started a Facebook group and in that way I can reach out to hundreds, maybe thousands.

My Disability
I have Spina Bifida, which means "Split Spine"(Spina Bifida – a condition in which the spine does not develop properly before birth; can cause varying degrees of disability. A diet with sufficient levels of Folic acid taken in the months before and during pregnancy can help prevent Spina bifida. http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/centres/pregnancy/glossary/index.html) In my case, my mom's pregnancy was a surprise and she did not know about Folic acid. Spina Bifida was also something that was passed down to me because of my dad's side. I thought that I couldn't achieve my dreams because of it, but now, I look at my disability as a blessing rather than a hold back. With my disability, it gives me certain knowledge of things, to teach others, and to help others/motivate on their way to success. I wouldn't change the circumstance that I'm in because it has brought me to where I am now, and that's part of my identity. Without it I wouldn't be me, and my disability makes me stronger and stronger each and every day. I may not say to myself “Okay, I'm a lot stronger today because of my disability,” but what I mean is, that every day I learn something new, and realize that everyone has their own “disability” to deal with. I am dealing with this, and so the best I can do is accept it because I know that I will be able to go through it. When I get the chance to look back on two or years previous I do take notice that I have matured, and have been able to handle most situations in the way that they are supposed to be handled. For example, every time I am about to get a surgery, I know how react to it because I've been through it before. Every day is a learning process, for myself, and for everyone else.

Junior Wheelin' Jazz Experience
I have achieved a lot, and when I got the chance to be part of the Utah Jr. Wheelin Jazz last year, it really boosted up my confidence that I can get to where I want to be. I am living my dream being part of the team and am grateful to have been introduced to Wheelchair Basketball (but unfortunately this is my last season with the junior team). Back when I was in the 7th grade was the first time I got a “taste” of what basketball really was like. When I held the basketball in my hand and started shooting, I instantly fell in love with the sport. Now that I'm part of a national sport, I couldn't be happier. From the first practice that was held, to now, I have improved a lot. I love the fact that I've gained so much knowledge and get to improve each and every week. Not only are the Utah Jr. Wheelin Jazz a team who gets to shoot around and make baskets, but our mission is be role models to others and let people know that there is a chance to achieve your dreams. It's also about letting others know that even in our situations we can play sports just as much as the able bodied. The actual definition of disability is: not being able to perform something because you're lacking physically or mentally. In my case, I can't run, jump, or tip-toe, while someone else wouldn't be able to do the splits, or even dance. Everyone has a disability, even though that's not what most people see.

I want others to know that even if you feel like you are at rock bottom and can never rise up, you can. You can do anything you desire and can find happiness, but just as long as you don't give up. If you do feel like giving up, don't. Every time you try hard, it's something that is worth while, trust me.
Join the Aimee Vargas Fan Club.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aimee-Vargas-Fan-Club/124630280888810

Monday, January 16, 2012

Maple Mountain High Ellevés Drill Team continue to win as a team and individually.



Written in partnership with
Shalee Hiskey
 The Elleves recently performed at the Jordan Beet Competition. They did an amazing job (of course). They ended up taking 1st in Hip Hop, 2nd in dance, 2nd in Character, 3rd in Military and 4th in Lyrical.

BUT WAIT.... there is more :) We also had two of our ladies who were top 5 finalists in the 4A/5A overall competition.
Kimber Creer finished in 1st place
Aubrey Finch finished in 5th. Way to go ladies.

The MMHS Ellevés also competed at the Salt Lake Valley Drill Team Competition at Juan Diego High School on January 7, 2012. They placed:
2st in Hip Hop
2nd in Military
2nd in Lyrical, 2nd in Character
3rd in Dance.

There were eight 4A schools competing at the competition.


Three of our Elleve took the top spots in the Drill Down.
Neisha Martinez took 1st place,
Aubrey Finch took 2nd,
Laney Melton took 3rd.

On Friday the 13th at the Solo Competition, Junior Shalee Hiskey, performed in the 4A jazz solo competition and won 1st place in region. 

Our lady eagles also performed at the Murray Classic Drill Competition which is located in Murray. The Elleves did a fantastic job as a team. They took:
1st in Hip Hop
2nd in Lyrical
3rd in Military
3rd in Dance
4th in Character.

The drill down was almost a MMHS sweet of the top 5 spots:
1st Aubrey Finch
2nd Melissa Durtschi
4th  Makayla Wilson
5th  Kaitlynn Blood,
Congratulations to the Ellevés. They work so hard and it pays off, great job!

Here is a breakdown of the team members of our incredible Elleves

Seniors:
Makayla Wilson
Kaitlynn Blood
Aubrey Finch
Hailey Bishop
Neisha Martinenz
Kimber Creer
Jada Poulson.


Juniors:
Melissa Durtschi
Shalee Hiskey
Lindsey Bagley


Sophomores:
Jamie Topham
Laney Melton
Madeline Froerer
Emily Perry
Brynn Shaw
Morgan Benhoff
Brooke Rawlings
Kersten Gull
Whitney Johns
Bryn Starkey