Deseret News week 31 high school star athletes of the week

Baseball

Josh Vandenakker, Olympus (Sr.)

Olympus sits a perfect 9-0 through the first three weeks of the spring season, and the steady play of senior Josh Vandenakker has been one of the driving forces.

On the mound he’s been outstanding with a 2-0 record and a 1.86 ERA. At the plate he’s been on fire batting .625 with runners in scoring position, with nine of his 5A-best 15 RBIs coming with two outs.

He’s also recorded four doubles and two home runs.

“Josh has gotten off to a great start this season both on the mound and at the plate and is obviously a very critical part of our team. Even more important than just what the stats indicate, he has come through in clutch situations time and time again this year,” said Olympus coach Corland Felts. “In addition to all of this he provides great senior leadership for our team and is just an excellent person that any coach is lucky to have.”

Softball

Indee Jones, South Summit (Jr.)

Indee Jones has been ripping the cover off the softball early this season for the 12-0 Wildcats.

The junior leads the state with 3A RBI through the first three weeks of the season while she’s also tied for the state lead with seven home runs. She also has five doubles and is batting .542 this season.

“Indee is a terrific player and teammate. We are fortunate to have her on our team. Indee is a powerful, explosive hitter. She isn’t afraid of a crucial high pressure at bat and she provides many clutch hits and RBI for our team,” said South Summit coach Cody Bowen. “Indee loves the game and works very hard to be good at what she does. She is fun to watch at the plate and her home runs this year are as deep and majestic as I’ve seen in high school softball. Indee is also a fantastic infielder and pitcher for us. She has a great softball mind and we are very happy she is a Wildcat.”

Boys soccer

Nihau Siau Chin, Juan Diego (Sr.)

Senior Nihau Siau Chin has been delivering game after game for Juan Diego this spring.

He’s recorded 14 goals and six assists for the 8-1 Soaring Eagle, and his 14 goals are the second-best in the state so far in 2021.

Last week in a 3-0 win over Ogden he recorded a goal and assist, and then two days later in a 3-1 win over Uintah he scored all three goals for his second hat trick of the season.

“Nihau is such a lethal scorer because of his high work rate and his willingness to move off the ball. He has a great head for the game and a really high motor. He never stops running, which puts him in great positions to score the ball,” said Juan Diego coach Joe Alamilla. “He’s also fearless in the box and has a nose for goal. He is a phenomenal soccer player and an even better person, a true captain of the team. He’s a special player and I’ve enjoyed watching him compete.”

Boys lacrosse

Jon King, Corner Canyon (Jr.)

Top-ranked Corner Canyon has dominated the early part of the 2021 season, and attackman Jon King is one of the many reasons why the Chargers look untouchable.

In eight games this year, King leads the state with 36 goals to go along with his 22 assists, all while switching to a different side of the field.

“The word I would use to describe him is relentless. He is a high-energy player. This year Jon has moved to play our left-handed attack spot. He creates chaos on the field not only when he has the ball but when he is riding to get the ball back for our offense. Jon makes others around him better and pushes guys to be their best. I can’t wait to see what he can do at the next level when he gets to St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia in two years,” said Corner Canyon coach Aaron Ika.

The Chargers have a busy week ahead with road games at Pleasant Grove on Wednesday and at Westlake on Thursday.

Girls lacrosse

Marley Kierstead, Bear River (So.)

Just a sophomore, Marley Kierstead has been one of the catalysts to Bear River’s perfect 4-0 start.

In four games Kierstead has scored a whopping 29 goals, including eight last week in a game against Box Elder and then seven more against East.

“Marley Kierstead has been a great part of what the Bear River girls lacrosse family embodies. Marley is such a great player for many reasons. Marley understands what is going on in the game and she knows her role. She comes to practice and games and gives her best, rarely taking a play off. She has the desire to win and does all the little things to help her team achieve success,” said Bear River coach Jeremy Webb. “But, what impresses me the most about Marley is her willingness to put the team first. She always tries to help her teammates improve their own skills, always trying to get them involved in both practices and games.”

Kierstead will look to add to her goal haul and keep the Bears perfect on the season this Thursday with a game at Mountain Crest.

Boys track and field

Dominique McKenzie, Pine View (Jr.)

Dominique McKenzie was a burner on the football field for Pine View last fall racking up 1,719 yards and 18 touchdowns and being named first team all state, and he’s continuing to flash that speed on the track this spring. He already owns the best 100 and 200 meter times this season.

Last week he won the 200 meters at the Pine View Invitational with a state-best time of 21.33 — the state record is 21.12. He finished second at the meet in the 100 meters to twin brother Marcus McKenzie, both finishing with 10.67 times, but Marcus winning as times were adjusted to a thousandth of a second.

The weekend before at the Snow Canyon Invitational, Dominique McKenzie won both the 100 and 200 meters. He won the 100 meters with a state-best time of 10.65 and then won the 200 meters with a wind-aided time of 21.17.

“Dom is a great athlete and a great teammate. He cares about his teammates’ success as much as his own and spends a lot of extra time at the track helping others develop the same skills he has spent years finely tuning. He has a wonderful personality and is easy to work with and fun to be around,” said Pine View coach David Holt.

Girls track and field

Milly Garren, Logan (Jr.)

Milly Garren burst onto the track and field scene early this season and established herself as one of the premier throwers in the state.

Last week at the Cache Box Invitational at Ridgeline High School, Garren won both the discus and shot put and finished second in the javelin.

Her mark of 39’09 in the shot put and then 134’05.50 in the discus ranks as the best throws in the entire state three weeks into the season.

Her javelin heave of 116’07 ranks ninth in the state.

Boys tennis

Erik Marchant, Murray (Sr.)

It’s been a busy first three weeks of the season for Murray senior Erik Marchant, whose played 13 matches and tallied a 7-6 record so far.

Two weekends ago he participated in the St. George High School Invitational and ended up finishing in first place in the Top Flight silver division.

“Erik has been steady, resilient and loves to play. He is an athlete coaches love on their team because he is the total package, an exceptional athlete with great leadership, academics, integrity and most importantly sportsmanship,” said Murray coach Andrea Perschon.

Girls golf

Millie Terrion, Herriman (Jr.)

Despite being hobbled by a high ankle sprain that occurred while playing soccer, Herriman junior Millie Terrion has enjoyed a strong start to the season so far.

In her first three tournaments she shot a 31 on the front nine at Mountain View, and then in two 18-hole rounds at The Ridge she shot a 78 and a 72.

“The thing that sets Millie apart from other golfers is her steadiness. She reacts the same whether she is 4 under or 4 over. As a junior, Millie is really stepping into the leadership role on our team. She is a great example to her teammates and helps make us all better,” said Herriman coach Jeff Price.

Two years ago at the 6A state tournament as a freshman Terrion tied for ninth place shooting a two-day score of 155 at Talons Cove.

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