Minky Couture Week 9 high school star athletes of the week

Football

Kohen Cunningham, Mountain Ridge (Sr.)

Kohen Cunningham turned in a top-10 worthy performance in Week 7.

The senior hauled in 15 catches for 301 yards and four touchdowns leading Mountain Ridge to the dominant 41-19 win over Riverton. His TDs covered yards of 23, 42, 9 and 33.

His 301 yards ranks 10th all-time in the state record books for receiving yards in a game.

“Kohen has been a huge part of our whole team this year. His leadership and his ability to make plays on the field are unmatched. I am grateful to have been able to coach this great young man,” said Mountain Ridge coach Nick Robins.

For the season, Cunningham has grabbed 44 passes for 757 yards and eight touchdowns.

Girls Volleyball

Olivia Bassett, Millard (Sr.)

North Summit is in the midst of a four-game winning streak heading into the final few weeks of the regular season, and the steady play of senior outside hitter Olivia Bassett has been a big reason why.

In Millard’s most recent win over North Summit, Bassett tallied 18 kills with a .444 hitting percentage.

For the season, she’s tallied 349 kills, 214 digs and 43 aces.

“Olivia Bassett is an all-around player. She passes well, can get above the net to block and can slam the ball. She brings a lot of talk to our team also. The four-year starter brings a lot of experience to our team,” said Millard coach KJ Stevens.

As a junior last year, Bassett was voted a 2A all-state honorable mention.

Girls Soccer

Camila Palafox, Copper Hills (Jr.)

Camila Palafox has vaulted to the front of the 6A golden boot race in the past two weeks.

The junior scored 10 goals in the past three games, pushing her season total to 20 goals to go along with her seven assists. She’s helped Copper Hills to its third consecutive season of double-digit wins.

“Camila is a creative and dynamic playmaker who is always a threat to score. Despite facing constant double teams and physical play, she leads our team in scoring with 20 goals,” said Copper Hills coach Justin Hendrix. “She plays the game with passion and energy and has really elevated her game and leadership impact this season.”

Palafox recently committed to Purdue University. Back in April, she was called up to represent the U.S. under-16 youth national team.

Boys Cross Country

David Webb, American Fork (So.)

American Fork sophomore David Webb appears to be hitting his groove heading into the home stretch of the season.

Last week in the TwiKnight Invite at Art Dye Park, Webb finished second with a strong time of 15:11.88 in the three-mile race — a new PR.

The week before, Evans finished with a time of 15:07.99 at the UVU High School Invitational to beat teammate Chase Hejny by four seconds. It was a new 5K PR as well.

A month ago, he also had a first-place finish at the Wahsatch Rendezvous.

“David is a hard worker, and is continuously learning how to train and race at a higher level,” said American Fork coach Timo Mostert.

Girls Cross Country

Maya Bybee, Lone Peak (Jr.)

Lone Peak’s Maya Bybee enjoyed one of her best performances of the season last weekend, capturing the TwiKnight Invite title at Art Dye Park.

The junior finished the three-mile race with a time of 17:39.69, edging Park City’s Tatum Flach by .35 seconds.

“Maya is an amazing person inside and out. Her willingness to always be consistent and do the little things is what sets her apart. She is strong mentally and physically. We love having Maya as part of the team,” said Lone Peak coach Courtney Meldrum.

As a sophomore last year, Bybee finished second at the 6A state meet, helping the Knights win their third straight state title. Led by Bybee, they’re the big favorites to win against next month.

Girls Tennis

Soo-Ah Byun, Highland (Fr.)

Highland freshman Soo-Ah Byun heads into her first high school state tournament this weekend as the big favorite in 4A first singles.

She’s balanced a high school schedule and a national tournament schedule this fall in earning the No. 1 seed at first singles. The 5-star recruit, according to tennisrecruiting.net, is the top-ranked player in Utah in her age group. She helped lead Highland to the Region 10 title.

“Soo-Ah has a Caitlin Clark effect, a transcendent superstar who elevates the play of everyone around her. Soo-Ah plays with heart and maturity beyond her years. She gives her best no matter where she plays,” said Highland coach Long Le.

Last weekend, she was the youngest participant at the Pacific Cup BG18s Intersectional Team Event in Oregon, posting a combined 7-1 record across singles and doubles matches.

Boys Golf

Austin Shelley, Skyline (Sr.)

Skyline’s Austin Shelley wrapped up Region 6 play this week with another great outing for the Eagles.

The senior shot a 67 at Rose Park, finishing the season as the overall Region 6 runner-up with a 66.8 stroke average, narrowly behind the 66.3 average from Olympus’ Will Pedersen.

“Austin Shelley is a great golfer. He has the ability to do anything with a golf club in his hand. He is a great leader and teammate, positive and vocal. I have enjoyed having him on our team, and he will be missed,” said Skyline coach Kenny James. “He is a very hard worker and is a determined competitor. He has led this team all year and his consistency was amazing. Everything we accomplish this year will have his fingerprints all over it.”

A year ago at the 5A state tournament, he finished in ninth place, helping Skyline win the state title. He’s a BYU commit.

Baseball

Coy White, ICS (Sr.)

Coy White has enjoyed a fantastic senior season for the 18-2 Lions, who are gearing up for the start of the 1A state tournament this weekend.

White finished the regular season with a 9-1 record on the mound with a 2.89 ERA and 66 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings.

At the plate, he hit .447 with 28 RBIs, 24 runs, three doubles, four triples and 11 stolen bases.

“He’s a good leader. Sets a good example with his play that his teammates follow. On the mound, he keeps us in ballgames and at the plate he’s a tough out that knocks in a bunch of runs,” said ICS coach George Sherrill.

ICS heads into the state tournament as the No. 6 seed.