Sports
Caveman boys continue service at global tennis event
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
For the sixth year in a row, American Fork tennis coach Jason Herrud trained and prepared a group of local student athletes to go down and work on the ball crew at the BNP Paribas Open, a full-spectrum professional tennis tournament that ranks right below the acknowledged four “majors” in the pro sport.
Herrud supervises a ball crew at the event and also conducts the intense training required to prepare youngsters for this service, which involves much more than retrieving balls on the court, though that’s the most visible evidence of the job.
“This year, we had four boys from our team and probably three future Cavemen come down and train,” Herrud said. “We also had players from Corner Canyon and Lone Peak and other area schools, 35 total trainees here at our American Fork location.”
Herrud said the ball boys and girls perform what amounts to a community service by their participation. “They couldn’t run the tournament without these ball kids,” he said. “This year, they had an overwhelming response to requests for student volunteers.
“So, we had to be on top of things, because there were over 500 kids who applied to be ball kids, and many of them didn’t get in. So the ones that went and got to perform service were pretty lucky and pretty fortunate to have the opportunity.”
The American Fork contingent this year included parents, administrators and three other teachers who went down to experience the spectacle. The program boys included Matt Davis, Drew Jacobsmeyer, Bridger Hansen and Truman Jones.
“From my standpoint and from the other teachers that went down, it was pretty neat to see everything about how a tournament of that magnitude works, how it’s organized, how corralling that many kids and getting them to lock in on what they do each day works,” he said.
“It’s not for the faint of heart,” Herrud continued. “They’ll work six-hour shifts. A lot of the kids are working a double shift a day, so that’s 12 hours. And out of those 12 hours, they will physically be on the court at least six of those hours.
“They’re out there running around, grabbing towels for the players, servicing them while they play a match in any way they need. And they have to be on point, because the last thing they want to do is be a distraction.”
Davis, a senior, is a repeat participant. He explained, “We were required to do six shifts throughout the week where each shift is six hours—we would work an hour and be off an hour so really only working three hours a shift.
“It’s always fun to have a road trip with your friends, but it’s especially fun when you’re going down to California with your close-knit tennis team working for a professional,” he said.
“Being a ball boy at first is a little nerve-racking, but after your first shift of working, you pretty much get the hang of it. It’s really fun to be on court with the players because you see them from a level no one else gets to see.”
Although the time to staff the event is donated, it does come with some perks. “We didn’t get paid but we got credit for food there. It was enough for a cheeseburger and fries just because the food is so expensive,” Davis said.
“We got shoes, socks, pants, a shirt, sweats, a hat, wristbands and a sweatshirt that we got to keep as uniforms,” he added. “Additionally, we got two grounds pass tickets that we could give to people like our parents.”
Davis loved the whole experience, but there were still a few things that stood out. “I enjoyed the community of friends we brought down. We made (new) friends there and we met some really cool people, but our group was really the best.
“One of the greatest parts about this event is to meet your favorite players and see them play,” he said. “I think my favorite part of the tournament was watching Joao Fonseca play Karen Khachanov with my family on the first row of seats on the sideline. The energy that the Brazilian brought to that match was next level. It is really awesome to see!”
Jones was excited about his chance to serve at the event. “It was a really cool experience being a ball boy at BNP,” he said. “I loved being so close to the matches and seeing how fast and competitive the game is at that level.
“One thing I learned was how organized professional tournaments have to be, with everyone working together to keep matches running smoothly,” Jones said.
“I also learned how important it is to stay alert and react quickly so you can do the job well without getting in the way of play. It was exciting to be part of such a big event, and it gave me a new appreciation for the sport,” he concluded.
“It’s a great opportunity for the boys and the girls from other schools that do it as well, just to foster their love for tennis and to perform a pretty cool service for these professionals,” Herrud said.
“They get to be on court with some of the best players in the world. They get to see them up close. They get to service them, be part of the game. The tournament itself is pretty overwhelming with how many people come through there. They set a record for attendance this year,” he added.
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden hosts the event. It’s located near Palm Springs in California and this year lasted from March 4-15. The American Fork participants were there for a week in the earlier part of the event, when the need for staffing is greatest because of the number of matches being played.
According to the venue’s website, it includes 29 world-class courts, including the 16,000-seat Stadium 1 which is center court for the BNP Paribas Open. Last year, tournament attendance surpassed 500,000 people. The men’s and women’s singles winners each received a prize of $1,151,380 in 2026.
“To see people from all over the world, top athletes, it’s pretty inspiring to up your game and to work on your own game,” Herrud said. “That’s one of the reasons we love our players to go down and do that.
“With the new tennis club being built over in Lehi, the Utah Valley Tennis Club, we’ve got a bona fide training facility for this in years to come,” Herrud said. “It really does just empower kids to have a little more confidence, to be around the game. It gives them knowledge of the game.
“And you know, that’s why everyone’s doing it,” the coach added. “It’s because they love it, and tennis is one of those sports that we love around here, just because, no matter what the age, no matter what the level, you’re out there on the court, getting a good workout and really enjoying life.”
Photos courtesy of Sam Penrod.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The American Fork High School girls and boys cross country teams each earned second place in their division of the 6A Cross Country State Championships on Oct. 27 at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.
In the Varsity Girls race, nationally-ranked Lone Peak was the runaway winner with 30 points. The Cavemen tallied 86 points, easily outdistancing third-place Davis at 123 points.
The top placer for American Fork was junior Sarah Watson, who came in eighth on the individual medalist list. Girls Coach Bruno Hunziker was named the 6A Coach of the Year by the UCCTCA and received his award during the medal presentations. Lehi’s Chris Dorton won the boys award.
On the boys side, it was a very close Varsity race as Lehi finished in a tight group for 61 points to edge the Cavemen at 66 points. Riverton was third at 82 points. Junior David Webb was the silver medalist in the individual standings after being seeded fourth entering the event.
Other medalists for American Fork included junior Chase Hejny in fifth place and sophomore Bennett Jensen, who set a new personal record to finish seventh.
Check online later at afcitizen.com or in next month’s issue of the American Fork Citizen for all the details.
Photos by Matt Paepke.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The American Fork mountain biking team completed their season by finishing 15th at the Utah High School State MTB Championships on Saturday (Oct. 24) in St. George on the Renegade Ridge Trail Park at Desert Color. The event included 2,246 participants in the various divisions and skill levels.
Lone Peak earned the state title in a field of 20 teams in Division I with 4489 points, followed by Corner Canyon at 4461 and Skyline at 4446. The Cavemen tallied 3847 points for their efforts in the two-day event with a very young team. Only three of their 16 scoring riders were seniors.
The leading points-earner for American Fork was junior Hallie Lunsford, who improved her finish from last year by two spots to claim 11th place in the Varsity Girls event with a time of 1:12:08.25 for 290 points.
The Cavemen also had a category winner in freshman Lila Jonas, who captured the top spot in the JV B Girls race to contribute 280 points, second-highest on the team. Jonas also won the Queen of the Mountain title in her skill group with a time of 1:34.5 on the designated course section.
The top male points total came from another youngster. Cannon Eccles garnered 10th place in the Freshman A Boys race to add 271 points to the combined team total.
American Fork had four other scoring riders in the varsity races. For the girls, junior Norma Rockwell provided 214 points and senior Laura Jacobsen added 210 points. On the boys side, it was senior Ryder Warnock with 213 points and junior Asher Anderson with 210 points.
All of the team’s other points were earned in the junior varsity events. In JV B girls, freshman Savannah Nielsen supplied 249 points, freshman Aspen Wilde added 229 points and freshman Madison Baker got 208 points. Sophomore Kensley Langford came in 13th in JV C Girls for 258 points.
In JV A Boys, it was sophomore Kimball Gay with 260 points while sophomore Benjamin Preece collected 249 points and sophomore Austin Gunther earned 224 points. In JV B Boys, senior Tucker Alsop tallied 248 points and sophomore Aaron Antillon made 234 points.
With most of their top riders returning next season, the Cavemen will have a great foundation to build on.
Photos by Curtis Carter.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The sixth-seeded American Fork girls volleyball team claimed fourth place in an all-Region 3 Final Four on Wednesday (Oct. 28) in the 6A state tournament at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center.
The Cavemen eliminated No. 3 Syracuse (22-7) in the Tuesday quarterfinal 3-1 to join No. 1 Corner Canyon, No. 2 Skyridge and No. 4 Lone Peak in the final rounds of the championship bracket.
In Wednesday morning’s epic semifinal, American Fork battled toe-to-toe with the Falcons, forcing two sets to extra points.
Skyridge won the first two games 26-24, 25-16, but the Cavemen rallied to secure the next two sets 25-22, 25-20 to bring on the fifth-game tiebreaker. It took five extra points to reach a decision, but the Falcons eventually prevailed 20-18 to move on to the title match.
American Fork had to make a quick turnaround after that marathon for the best-of-three placement match against the Knights.
The Cavemen competed well throughout this contest also. In the first game they were still right there, answering every challenge until the score reached 17-18. At that point Lone Peak began to slowly pull away until they finished the game at 25-20.
In the second set, American Fork got off to a great start and surged out in front 10-2. The Knights would begin to reduce the deficit, but the Cavemen responded every time and they still had the spread when the score stood at 19-11.
However, Lone Peak was successful in their efforts to chip away at the margin starting at that point and the Knights overtook American Fork to win the set 27-25 and capture third place.
Check online later at afcitizen.com or in next month’s issue of the American Fork Citizen for all the details.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The American Fork High School girls volleyball team won four of their last five matches to finish the regular season, tying for third place in Region 3 at 4-4 and ending up 15-11 overall heading into the playoffs.
Oct. 6: American Fork 3, Lehi 0
The Cavemen easily won the first two sets against the homestanding Pioneers 25-11, 25-13. However, Lehi put up more of a fight in the third round, pushing it to an extra point, but American Fork still prevailed 26-24 to secure the match.
Senior outside hitter Destinie Hampton led the attack with 14 kills, two aces, 10 digs and eight serve-receives while senior outside hitter Macy Melville added 12 kills, three aces, 11 digs and 12 serve-receives.
Senior setter Brynn Murray supplied 27 assists. Sophomore libero Calla Pranger led her team with 17 serve-receives.
Oct. 8: American Fork 3, Syracuse 2
The Cavemen had a marathon battle on the road against the Titans. They got off to an exciting start by outlasting Syracuse 26-24 in the first set, but the home squad responded by winning the next two games 25-14, 25-16.
American Fork came back to capture the fourth set 25-23 and then closed out the match by securing a 15-13 win in the tiebreaker.
Melville sparked her squad with an outstanding effort, contributing team highs of 15 kills, five aces and 11 digs to go with 19 serve-receives. Hampton added 12 kills and led the squad in serve-receives with 32. Junior middle blocker Daci Roberts tallied six kills.
Junior opposite Alivia Lemon contributed 11 kills while freshman middle blocker Alexis Brant provided eight kills with four combined blocks and Murray served three aces to go with 10 digs and 40 assists. Pranger collected 25 serve-receives.
Oct. 12: American Fork 3, Fremont 1
The host Cavemen had a lively match with the Silverwolves. They got a comfortable win in the first set 25-14 but fell just short in the next one 24-26. American Fork rallied to claim the final two sets 25-20, 26-24 to capture the match victory.
Melville had another fantastic outing with 14 kills, six aces, three combined blocks, 23 digs, four assists and 40 serve-receives. Hampton garnered 13 kills, 13 digs and 15 serve-receives.
Lemon made eight kills and three aces while Brant supplied six kills and four combined blocks. Pranger served six aces with 11 digs plus 10 serve-receives and Murray had three solo blocks, 11 digs and 37 assists.
Oct. 20: Skyridge 3, American Fork 1
The Cavemen challenged the Falcons in their gym. After dropping the first set to Skyridge 25-16, American Fork bounced back to win the second game 25-22. The Falcons took the third 25-16 and then hung on to win the final set 26-24.
Melville continued her productivity with 15 kills, three aces, 12 digs and 15 serve-receives. Hampton supplied 12 kills, 12 digs and 17 serve-receives. Lemon posted nine kills.
Murray dug 11 times and dished out 35 assists. Pranger recorded 26 serve-receives. Senior libero Taanii Fielding made 10 digs.
Oct. 22: American Fork 3, West 0
The Cavemen scheduled a competitive match to close out the regular season, but they hung on to sweep the Panthers 26-24, 25-18, 25-18.
Hampton paced the attack with 14 kills while Lemon had 10 kills and Melville made nine kills with 18 digs. Murray served five aces and made 34 assists. Fielding tallied 11 digs and 26 serve-receives. Brant provided five kills, three aces and four combined blocks.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The Cavemen competed well in the state’s toughest region, which has teams claiming three of the top four spots in the final rankings for the classification. This year only 16 teams make the field so the entire event takes place Tuesday and Wednesday at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center.
Here’s how they are positioned going into the 6A state tournament.
American Fork
Season record: 4-4 Region 3 (T3rd), 15-11 overall
Final MaxPreps ranking: 6 in 6A, 11 statewide
Next contest: Oct. 27
Prospects: The Cavemen will take on #11 Farmington (16-12) at 10:30 a.m. on Court 4 in the first round of the playoffs. If they advance, they will face the winner of #3 Syracuse (21-6) and #14 Westlake (8-14) in the quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. on Court 4. A loss in the first round would drop them to a consolation game at 1:30 p.m. on Court 3. American Fork has defeated all three of these teams this year, sweeping the Phoenix and Thunder and outlasting the Titans 3-2 just two weeks ago.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The No. 4 American Fork High School girls soccer team fell to top-ranked Lone Peak 3-0 in the semifinals of the 6A state tournament on Monday (Oct. 19) at the Zion’s Bank Stadium in Herriman. They finish the season with a 13-7 overall record.
The Knights got the advantage right out of the gate by scoring their first goal just 30 seconds into the contest. They added a second score with about 13 minutes remaining in the first half and held the 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Freshman goalkeeper Sofia Crowley made numerous saves in the contest and did a great job defending the net the entire match, but she was under constant pressure from Lone Peak’s speedy offense. The Knights got their final goal on a breakaway with 18 minutes left.
For their part, the Cavemen did not roll over and kept competing throughout the contest. Senior defender Jill Kesler plus junior defenders Lehua Fisher and Abby Slater worked especially hard clearing threats from the attacking third of the field.
American Fork had the best chance for a score on a counter following the third Lone Peak goal. Senior midfielder Cambree Ballard got off a rocket shot from the top of the box, but it hit the crossbar and bounced back out.
In the midfield, Ballard, senior Suri Parsia, junior Eva Gunn and junior Sophie Adams tried to keep the ball moving and kept switching it from sideline to sideline to try to find a path through the Knight defense. They took some shots but weren’t able to convert them.
Ballard finished the season as the leading offensive force for the team with 20 points from seven goals and six assists. Parsia was second with 13 points for five goals plus three assists and sophomore forward Ivy Jacobson was third with 11 points for three goals and five assists.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
Several products of our local high school teams had an impact in the first-ever meeting of two top-10 teams at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 17), when the No. 8 Cougars pulled off a thrilling 28-24 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame.
At the top of the list is the former Lehi star, true freshman wide receiver Legend Glasker. Glasker earned a starting role in spring and fall camp, and is BYU’s leading receiver six games into the season with 24 catches for 444 yards and three touchdowns. That’s 200 yards more than the next man on the list.
He’s been averaging 18.5 yards per reception and 74 yards per game. Against the Fighting Irish, he was tied for receiving yards with 66 on five catches but added some rushing yards as well to finish with the highest all-purpose yards total of 75.
Glasker made key receptions on two critical Cougar drives. Trailing 7-10 in the second quarter, Glasker gathered a toss from sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier that he turned into a 19-yard gain, reaching the Notre Dame 28-yard line.
This drive eventually ended with a double-pass touchdown by Bachmeier which put BYU back in front 14-10.
Glasker was called on once more in the fourth quarter, after the Cougars had again fallen behind 21-24. On 2nd-and-10, Bachmeier connected with Glasker for a 26-yard pickup that brought the ball to the Irish 15-yard line and led to the game-winning score.
This is Glasker’s third game with 5+ receptions, tied for the fourth-most by an active FBS true freshman this season. He is the only Big 12 true freshman with even one game of 5+ catches this season.
Former Skyridge standout Tausili Akana starts on the BYU defensive line. The redshirt junior has also played in all six games and is 10th on the team in total tackles with 13, but he leads both in tackles-for-loss at 6.5 for 30 yards and sacks with 3.5 for 24 yards. In this game he had two tackles and a pass break-up.
Freshman Bott Mulitalo starts on the offensive line and could often be seen in the game making key blocks for the offense. A Lehi resident, he was a 4-star recruit out of Lone Peak.
Sophomore defensive end Hunter Clegg started this game and is a team co-captain and a member of the Leadership Council. The former Caveman star had two solo tackles and a hurry for this game. He has 10 tackles, four hurries, an interception and a pass break-up so far this season.
Redshirt senior defensive end Bodie Schoonover is also a co-captain and on the Leadership Council. Another American Fork alum, he had three tackles and hurry against the Irish and is tied for sixth on the team in tackles with 15, including three for a loss, and also has three hurries this year.
Other locals who participated in reserve roles against Notre Dame were former Cavemen tight ends Noah Moeaki and Will Zundell, both redshirt sophomores.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The American Fork boys golf team finished in a tie for sixth place at the soggy 6A State Tournament October 12 and 13 at Talons Cove Golf Club in Saratoga Springs.
The Cavemen earned fifth place in the qualifying first round with a combined team score of 289 (+1), ahead of Region 3 foes Lone Peak at 291 (+3) and Corner Canyon at 294 (+6).
Together, the Knights and the Chargers own 13 of the last 14 state championships and both finished ahead of American Fork in Region 3. However, this year Corner Canyon was the last team to make the cut at the state event.
Lehi won their first 6A title in boys golf by a landslide with a two-day total of 562 (-14). Skyridge earned a surprising second place with 569 (-7) after struggling against the league foes all season.
Lone Peak rallied behind their repeat state individual medalist, junior Blake Brown, to finish in third place. The Cavemen tied Bingham for sixth place with 584 (+8). They bested the Chargers, tied for eighth place, by four strokes.
Sophomore James Smith was the top placer for American Fork, carding a 143 (-1) over the two days to claim 14th place. Junior Landon Lieu was next in for the squad, ending in a tie for 20th place at 145 (+1).
The other counted scores came from junior Sam Fairbanks, tied for 28th place right behind his teammate at 146 (+2), and senior Wes Brown rounded out the tally with a 150 (+6) in a tie for 39th place.
Additional Cavemen who competed at the state event were junior Cade Henneman (152, +8) and senior Chad Douglass (156, +12).
Jennifer Thomas / American Fork Citizen
The American Fork football team put up a valiant effort on the road in the final game of the regular season, but the Skyridge Falcons secured the Region 3 title on their Senior Night with a thrilling 21-15 victory over the Cavemen.
The hard-fought battle captured the grueling nature of Utah high school football, showcasing standard-setting grit alongside a somber reminder of the game’s physical costs.
The intense, regular-season finale took an ominous turn during the first half that briefly silenced a roaring stadium. In a collision indicative of the Region 3 gauntlet, American Fork defensive leader Dalin Afu suffered a severe injury late in the second period.
Play halted for several minutes in a deeply emotional scene as the player was carefully stabilized and taken off the field on a stretcher, drawing a poignant mix of applause and supportive gestures from both sidelines.
The injury cast a heavy, physical toll over an already battered American Fork roster working to manage multiple depth adjustments that include the starting quarterback ahead of the playoffs.
Down 14-0 at the half, the Cavemen refused to fold and dialed up an aggressive aerial assault when senior quarterback Nate Childs connected with senior two-way player Noah Behm on a 15-yard strike in the corner of the endzone to narrow the gap to a single score in the third quarter.
The Falcons answered back before the end of the period to extend the advantage to 21-7. The energized American Fork defense relentlessly pressured the Skyridge quarterback and attacked with physicality and determination to effectively slow down the Falcons, holding them scoreless in the fourth quarter.
“We have been stressing the next play with the guys,” said Coach Aaron Behm. “We play good teams who will make plays and score some points. All we can do is bounce back and get to the next play. I think they did a really good job of doing that.
“I think they tackled really physically, when the contact was made that was the end of the play, which was a great sign. If we keep that up, we will be in great shape,” added Coach Behm.
It was the fourth quarter that nearly turned the game completely on its head. Facing an uphill battle, American Fork’s offense, led by Childs, suddenly went into hyper-drive.
The Caveman offense started slicing through the Skyridge secondary. Late in the final frame, Childs connected with senior tight end Zack Cowie on a clinical 4-yard touchdown pass.
Refusing to back down, the Cavemen went for a high-risk two-point conversion, with Childs successfully rushing it across the goal line to cut the deficit to 21-15 with just over eight minutes remaining in the game.
“Nate did a really nice job in this game,” Coach Behm said. “He had a full week of practice and came ready to play. It helped to be able to run the ball tonight as that took some of the pressure off.
“I am super proud of him. He did really well when he got flushed from the pocket keeping his eyes up and converting on some crucial downs,” the coach said. Childs finished the game completing 19-of 37 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Behm tallied seven catches for 87 yards while junior wide receiver Cash Taiese made four receptions for 77 yards. American Fork’s leading rusher for the contest was senior running back Tani Vaki with eight carries for 39 yards.
The defensive effort was led by senior linebacker Luke Vernon with 13 combined tackles and senior linebacker Mason Peterson with 10 tackles including a sack.
Despite the frantic, physical push from the Caveman offense, the Skyridge defense dug deep in the final minutes, forcing a decisive stand to run out the clock and secure the victory.
“I really love these guys. We’ve been on the short end of the stick the last couple of weeks, but they have continued to get better, they have continued to work. These guys continue to have great energy when they come to practice. That is all a coach can ask for,” concluded Coach Behm.
American Fork finished 1-3 in Region 3 play and 6- 4 overall. The Cavemen head into postseason play carrying plenty of momentum from a late-game offense that proved it can threaten anyone in the state.
Photos by Sam Penrod.
American Fork earned home field in the first round of the playoffs. Here’s how the Cavemen are positioned going into the 6A state tournament.
American Fork
Season record: 1-3 Region 3 (T3rd), 6-4 overall
Final RPI ranking: 8 in 6A
MaxPreps ranking: 6 in 6A, 10 statewide
Next contest: Oct. 30
Prospects: The Cavemen will welcome #9 Copper Hills (7-3) in the new initial round of the playoffs after the field was narrowed to 16 teams, resulting in an automatic bye for all 6A teams in the playoffs. If American Fork wins, the team will advance to play either #1 Skyridge (8-1) or #16 Riverton (2-8) on Nov. 6 at the home of the higher seed in the quarterfinals. The default start time for these games is 6 p.m. unless the teams agree to change it. The Cavemen did not see the Grizzlies this year and suffered a narrow loss to the Falcons in the final game of the regular season.
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