In an unusual and difficult year, Bruin athletic teams and athletes reached some extraordinary heights. Coronavirus cancelled spring sports last year and nearly put an end to fall and winter sports this year. Luckily, Utah was able to go on with the sports seasons with some adjustments to prevent the spread of the virus. Athletes had to get Covid tests every other week, limited fans, if any, were allowed, and teams had to suspend all activities if even one player had a positive test. This year had lots of ups and downs, but the teams and athletes worked extremely hard to compete at the highest level and accomplished lots of great things.

There was some great team success at the very beginning of the year. One year after the girl’s volleyball team won the 5A state championship, they were back in the finals against region 7 foe, Timpview. They ended up losing the championship game in 5 sets, but the team had a great year and was the runner-up in 5A. It is rare for a team to have back-to-back years with so much success as usually many of the best players graduate. This just goes to show how great the coaching and players are and it looks like the Bruins will be in the hunt for a state championship next year.

Another team that had some success was the boy’s basketball team. The team ended up tying for third place in the best region in 5A and was the five seed in the state tournament. Along with this, the Bruins only lost one game by more than ten points- they were close to winning every time they stepped on the floor. In the state tournament, the team lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual state runner-up, Farmington, but overall the Bruins basketball team had a lot of success.

Lastly, the tennis team has had a great season. Not only have they accomplished a lot on the court, but more importantly, they have been doing great in the classroom. The tennis team was the academic state champion for tennis with a team GPA of 3.95. This is extremely impressive not only for the players, but the coaches who stress the importance of academics. On the court, David Hair and Jens Peterson have been a doubles team to watch all year in 5A. They are currently ranked third in 5A with the top four teams making it to state. They have a good chance of bringing a state championship back home.

Mountain View athletes have had some great individual achievements as well. To start off, Carter Walker is hands down the best athlete at Mountain View. He recently displayed some of his great athleticism at the Alpha Invitational, a track meet that included athletic powerhouses like Corner Canyon and Lone Peak. In only his second meet ever, Carter cleared 6’ 5” in the high jump, taking home first place. Carter truly showed who the alpha was at this track meet and looks to win state for high jump. When asked how he is so athletic, Carter said, “Ever since I was little my parents have encouraged me to be athletic. My dad helped me achieve this by doing workouts and whatever else it took to help me.” If you know his father and family, it is no surprise to see Carter succeed at this level, even with such little experience in high jump. Carter is also a stand-out basketball player and when asked how basketball has helped him in high jump, Carter claimed, “In basketball you jump a lot throughout the games and practices. This has helped condition me for high jump.” Hopefully Carter can build on his early success and bring a trophy back to Mountain View.

Now to the wrestling mats. Mountain View had three state champions and three runner-ups this year. Gable Stoddard, Zaria Power, and Chris Esparza all took second place in their weight classes this year and had great seasons. Lillian Spieth, Radi Stafford, and Eli Stafford all won state titles in their respective weight classes. Eli and Radi are twin brothers and were able to watch each other win their championship match. Winning a state title is special, but to have your twin brother win as well, is truly amazing. When asked how it felt to win a state championship with his twin brother, Eli said, “It was so amazing. He left for a trip the next day so we didn’t celebrate that much together, but I know that without him this season, I couldn’t have achieved what I did.” The twins definitely push each other to be the best they can be and it worked out great for them. Even more incredible is that fact that Eli competed on Mountain View’s wrestling and basketball teams at the same time. When asked about the difficulties of doing both sports at the same time, Eli said, “It kept me in shape, but it was rough. Sometimes I didn’t want to go to both practices, but being able to contribute to two Mountain View teams at the same time was awesome.” The whole Stafford family has contributed so much to the athletic programs here at Mountain View.

Lastly, Mountain View has had lots of teams place in the top three in academics for their respective sport. Girls volleyball, boys basketball, and boys wrestling all placed third while softball, girls track and field, and boys golf took second place. Overall, Mountain View has done a great job stressing the importance of academics and the athletes have taken it to heart.

There has been a lot of success at Mountain View this year in spite of the Coronavirus. This just proves the dedication and perseverance that Mountain View athletes have demonstrated all year. Whether it be on the court, on the field, or on the track, student athletes have faced the challenges and found ways to thrive. Hopefully Mountain View can have a more normal year next year with even more success.