Minky Couture Week 25 high school star athletes of the week

Boys Basketball

Brody Thompson, Westlake (Sr.)

Brody Thompson has been on a roll since region play started.

During Westlake’s five-game winning streak to open region, Thompson has averaged 19 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Last Friday in an 80-65 win over Mountain Ridge, Thompson scored 25 points, his second-best game this season.

“Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall, with tremendous ball handling skills, shooting touch from deep, footwork in the paint and explosiveness to the rim, Brody can punish opponents inside and out. Most importantly, Brody is a great teammate that shows up and works hard with a great attitude every day,” said Westlake coach Nate Carling.

The senior’s steady play throughout the season has been one of the catalysts for the 16-0 Thunder.

Girls Basketball

Hayden Stilson, Dixie (Sr.)

Hayden Stilson played a big roll in leading undefeated Dixie to a pair of wins last week.

Last Tuesday, the senior scored a season-high 20 points and grabbed three rebounds as the Flyers beat Cedar 70-55. Three nights later in a showdown with Kanab, she recorded two clutch blocks late in the game as Dixie used a 19-6 advantage in the fourth quarter to rally for the 53-47 win.

She recorded six points, seven steals, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the win over Kanab.

“Hayden is a fantastic senior leader for our team. She is a great teammate that leads with her example and voice. She is respected by her coaches and teammates and continues to leave her positive impact on the Dixie Flyer basketball program,” said Dixie coach Kasey Winters. “She is an amazing student and has a very bright future ahead of her.”

Boys Swimming

Xander Berg, Lone Peak (Sr.)

According to his coach, Xander Berg is a sprinting powerhouse for the Lone Peak Knights.

With less than a month remaining in the season, Berg’s top 50 freestyle time (21.93) ranks third in 6A while his top 100 free time (48.97) ranks seventh in 6A.

“Xander has always been a sprinting powerhouse and is an essential part of our relays. His hard work in and out of the pool makes him a fierce competitor and a great leader for our team. I’m excited to see what he can accomplish at the end of the season,” said Lone Peak coach Calvin Smith.

Lone Peak’s 200 and 400 free relay teams both rank third in 6A this season.

As a junior last season, Berg finished third at the 6A state meet in both the 50 and 100 free races.

Girls Swimming

Soleil Grimshaw, Canyon View (Sr.)

Soleil Grimshaw has been dominant in the pool this season for Canyon View.

The senior ranks in the top three in 3A in all eight individual events, including owning the best time in 60 of those events (50, free, 100 free, 200 individual medley, 100 fly, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke).

Across the whole state, her time of 25.18 in the 50 free ranks 10^th.

“Soleil is very consistent in her efforts. She has an inner focus that blocks out external distractions in her daily workouts and race performance,” said Canyon View coach Kirt Brown.

Grimshaw’s 100 back time of 1:01.03 ranks 12th across all classifications.

With the 3A state meet a few weeks away, Grimshaw will be looking to improve upon her runner-up finish in the 50 free at state last season and her third-place finish in the 100 free.

Boys Wrestling

Jantz Greenhalgh, Carbon (So.)

Carbon’s Jantz Greenhalgh continued his fantastic sophomore season at the Rockwell Rumble in Farmington last week.

The sophomore went 4-0 in his 106-pound bracket to take home the coveted individual title against a quality field of wrestlers. He won two matches by fall and two by technical fall.

“The thing that I think makes Jantz such a great wrestler is ultimately he is not afraid to lose. He just loves to wrestle and is willing to do it everyday,” said Carbon coach Trent Greenhalgh. “

For the season, Greenhalgh owns a 37-4 record. Other tournament titles include the Beehive 25 Invitational, Utah Winter Classic and a win at the Utah All-Star Duals.

A year ago as a freshman, he finished the season with a 51-record and a runner-up finish at 106 pounds.

Girls Wrestling

Marabelle Brown, Wasatch (Sr.)

Wasatch’s Marabelle Brown played a big roll in leading Wasatch to a 5A state title a year ago as she also won an individual title. She’s hoping for repeat performances in both during her senior this year.

Brown improved her record this season to 19-3 over the weekend as she won four matches at the 5A Girls Dual Championship at Fremont High School.

The weekend prior at the Girls Tournament of Championships at Uintah, Brown recorded a third-place finish in the 130-pound bracket. She lost to eventual champ Sage Eggleston in the quarterfinals, but battled back for the third-place finish.

A year ago, Brown wrestled at 120 pounds and posted a 45-7 record on her way to the individual state title.