Lehi Froggie Volleyball and AF Grass Relays

Timp Sports Weekly

September 3, 2013

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, outlasting the Fremont Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, in a five-game volleyball match played at Lehi Aug. 29. We also look at how four northern Utah County schools' cross country teams did at the 17th Annual American Fork Grass Relays. As they say in Lehi, let's swim straight to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Lehi Froggies Survive Ribbiting 5-Match Against Fremont Silverpups Aug. 29

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a non-league volleyball action at Lehi Aug. 29, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, survived a five-game match against the Fremont Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, by scores of 25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 13-25, 15-10.

There could be no doubt that the game turned out to be more riveting -- correction, ribbiting than expected. During the match's first two games, the Froggies capitalized on the Silverpups' problem service errors to hop all over them. However, when Fremont defeated Lehi in the third game, the Froggies realized how extremely hungry for a victory the Silverpups were. Lehi Coach Jamie Ingersoll said, "In the fifth game, we managed to keep the ball in the court, so we could control the tempo all the way through. We played consistent in that game. In the third game, we let them get that early big lead, and we paid for it with having to play five games instead of three."

The first game opened with the Silverpups howling out to a 2-0 lead. Froggie Reesie Tua dumped a shot into Silverpup hole, turning the game into a nail-biting contest. Jessica Quayle, Mandi "Ms. Baad" Lamb, and Kenzie Burrows guided the Silverpups in staying ahead for a little while. Carly Ituma, Cydney Lund, Faitoto'a Faleao, and Rylin Roberts pooled their efforts together to pace the Froggies into leaping past the Silverpups 8-7. Taking a turn at serving, Ituma guided the Froggies into stroking far ahead of Fremont. Lehi  led by as far as 15-9. Lamb, Amanda Wayment, and Whitney Wray battled fiercely late in the first to prove that their Silverpups were still far from being fixed. After Lamb had chopped the Froggie lead down 23-22 on a kill, Makayala Houghton delivered hits that produced a 25-22 win for Lehi.

Ituma's hitting guided the Froggies out to an early 3-1 lead in the second game. Silverpups raced back to take a 4-3 advantage. Frequent service errors made it impossible for them to keep a tight hold on the momentum. As it kept slipping from the Silverpups' paws, the Froggies got an outstanding front-row performance from Houghton. Her hitting enabled the Froggies to stay several points ahead of Fremont despite strong efforts from Wayment, Burrows, Lamb, and Quayle. Houghton's hitting netted the Froggies a 25-17 in Game 2.

By the way the first two games had turned out, the Froggies, on paper, should have had no problem with swishing the Silverpups away in the third game. Even though it opened with Froggie Brynn Christensen registering a kill to give her team a 1-0 lead, Lehi came out flat. Aided by a Burrows ace, the Silverpups set their paws on a 4-1 lead quicker than you could say Ali Lamb Chop. A "distant cousin" of famed British actor Anthony "Tony" Quayle, Jessica Quayle held her own against Houghton, Ituma, and Faleao at the net. Quayle's hitting helped the Silverpups to stay ahead the entire game. In their attempts to catch up with Fremont, the Froggies frequently shot themselves in the fin through committing errors at very critical moments. Lehi finally did tie the game at 24-24. Wray delivered two straight kills that gave the Silverpups a 26-24 win.

The fourth game opened with Lamb registered a kill. Aided by Wayment, Burrows, and Wray, Lamb chopped Lehi to pieces in the game by a score of 25-13.

Despite the bruising loss in Game 4, Lehi put on the kind of performance that save the Froggies from getting dried up by Fremont. Tua, Houghton, Lund, Roberts, Sydney Wright, and Courtney Walker worked together to guide Lehi to a 15-10 win over the Silverpups.

Awesome AF Cavemen Win Varsity Boys' Title at AF Grass Relays Aug. 31

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavemen won the varsity boys' title at the 17th Annual American Fork Grass Relays, held behind the American Fork High School Aug. 31.

Unlike the cross country meets at which American Fork will be competing this fall, the one last Saturday involved having varsity runners each taking a turn at carrying a baton twice around a one-mile course. Each of the 20 schools competing at the meet field a team of five carriers.

The current state 5-A champs, the Awesome Cavemen showed why they were still a team of highly experienced runners. During the varsity boys' race, American Fork's No. 1 runner, Connor McMillan, built up a wide distance between himself and all of the other guys running in his turn of the race. Despite having to leap over hay bale barricades, McMillan didn't lose ground to his pursuers. With him finishing his turn of the race in first-place, he enabled his relay team's four other runners to stay way ahead of other baton carriers. The other four Awesome Caveman varsity racers included Zac "Zebra" Jacklin, Tyler "Tinker" Bell, Nate Tracy, and Caleb Thompson.

In the overall varsity boys' finishes, McMillan took first and Jacklin fourth. Lone Peak's Jacob Warner took ninth in those overall finishes.

American Fork boys' coach Timo Mostert said, "Dean, there are two kinds of runners: those who race and those who want to race. My guys wanted to race today."

The Awesome Cavemen weren't the only northern Utah County boys' cross country team that proved something at the Grass Relays. The Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, proved something, too. Loner Coach Steve Ravelli said, "The varsity boys did much better than many people thought they would do. Our guys beat a nationally ranked team. Like American Fork, Riverton is nationally ranked, but we still beat the Silverwolves. We finished second in the varsity boys' relay."

Among the other three schools to finish in the varsity boys' relay's top five, Bingham took third, Riverton fourth, and Orem fifth.

The Loner runners in the varsity boys' relay included Warner, Jacob Harmer, Mikey Rossi, Jon Cahoon, and Marcor Peterson.

The Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings and Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, also fielded teams for the varsity boys and girls' relays. Pleasant Grove's varsity boys' quintet consisted of Zach Slater, Justin Coutts, Ethan Mitchell, Spence Palmer, and Tanner Nelson. The Froggies' varsity boys' quintet comprised of Connor Arnell, Austin Hinckley, Mikey Hinckley, Tom "Cat" Heaps, and Brady "Bunch" Taylor. Pleasant Grove finished 21st in the varsity boys' relay, and it saw Lehi take 22nd.

The Awesome American Fork Cavewomen finished fifth in the varsity girls' relay, which Bingham won. AKA the Pickers, the Bingham Miners took firm control of that race. The best American Fork could do was move from a seventh-place position to a fourth-place spot. The Awesome Cavewomen's varsity girls' relay consisted of Maddie Bench, Sophie Baird, Lexie Green, Diane Leach, and Makayla Stepps. American Fork head coach Bruno Hunziker said, "They've finished fifth in our grass relays practically every year, except that one time when they won first a few years ago. Today showed what they will need to work on, so they can get better as the season progresses.

Lehi took ninth in the varsity girls' relay. The Froggie girls' relay team consisted of Kenzie Draper, Nicole Rich, Emily Anderson, Maddy Kauffman, and Shariss Bevan.  

The Ferocious Vikings and Loners also fielded teams for the varsity girls' relay. The Ferocious Viking girls' team comprised of Annie Henninger, Aspen "Grove" Lucas, Melissa Reid, Faith Olsen, and Michaela Tanner. The Loners' varsity girls' quintet consisted of Emily Morrin, Monica Gividen, Amelia Southwick, and Jessica Smith. Lone Peak finished 10th in the varsity girls' race while  Pleasant Grove took 28th.

The meet opened with four races involving junior varsity runners. American Fork dominated the top 10 finishes in all of those races. 

A "distant cousin" of MASH character Corporal Clinger, Awesome Caveman Casey Clinger won the boys' 9th-10th grade division race. Among the other Awesome Cavemen to finish high in that race, McKay Johns took second, Joe Simmons sixth, and Hagen Hammer seventh. Loner Adam Jensen finished fourth.

In the girls' 9th-10th grade division race, Hannah Kendrick took first, Sophie Stewart second, Katie Bradshaw third, and Sammy Hollingsworth sixth. Loner Amanda Erickson took fifth in that race. Coach Ravelli said, "Amanda Erickson was the biggest surprise of the day with her fifth-place in the freshman-sophomore race. She ran well enough to have a shot at becoming our No. 3 runner on varsity."

Hunziker said, "Hannah Kendrick and Sophie Stewart are ninth graders, and they showed their race today why they deserved a chance at getting placed on varsity."

During the girls' junior-senior jayvee race, Awesome Cavewoman Nikki "Slicky" Smith finished first while teammate Amber "This is Your Night" Bardin took 10th.

American Fork practically swept the top 10 finishes of the boys' junior-senior jayvee race. During it, Awesome Caveman Dan Bentley won first while Spence Herzog took second, Jace Jenson third, Jacob Chase fourth, Luke "Use the Force" Gunther fifth, Connor Hoopes seventh, and Ashton Jensen eighth.