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Show SPORTS The Park Record. ALPINE SKIERS COMPETE IN SOUTH SERIES, B-2 www.parkrecord.com JEREMY RANCH HOSTS THE SHOOTOUT, B-3 B-1 WED/THURS/FRI, JANUARY 16-18, 2019 Editor: Ben Ramsey sports@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.15704 Twitter: @ParkRecSports A family tradition, from Brave to Ute TUNA SUPER QUALIFIER North Summit’s Kennady McQueen commits to U of U From Jan. 17-19, Soldier Hollow will host more than 700 youth cross country skiers from all over the West ages 6 to 20 for the Junior Super Nationals Qualifier. Check-in and training starts on Thursday. Racing will begin with a skate sprint on Friday and will finish on Saturday with a classic mass start. Racing will start at 9 a.m. on both days. SKELETON INTERCONTINENTAL CUP The Utah Olympic Park will host International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation skeleton races on Jan. 18-19. The races are free and open to the public and will host some of the most competitive youth sliders in the world. Competitions are scheduled to start at noon, though the schedule may be subject to change. SUMMIT PARK SNOWSHOE HIKE Hike with Basin is exploring the trails on snowshoes this winter, including a hike at Summit Park on Friday, Jan 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. The hike is approximately 4 miles long and considered moderate in difficulty. Hikers will meet at the Fieldhouse before being transported by Basin Rec to the trailhead. Hikers should bring a sack lunch or snacks and snowshoes and trekking poles. Due to the location of the hike, dogs are not permitted. The hike costs $10 per person. For more information and to register, visit basinrecreation.org. FIRST AID COURSE PC MARC is hosting a course in first aid, CPR and AED skills from our certified National Safety Council Instructors. The winter class is Monday, Jan. 28 from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. Register online at parkcityrecreation.org or call 435-615-5400. The course meets national safety standards. SPRING YOUTH SOCCER Early bird registration for Park City Recreation’s Spring Youth Soccer League is now open. The league runs from April 17 to June 1 and is held at the Park City Sports Complex on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Players ages 4 to 11 welcome. Volunteer parent coaches will receive 50 percent discount on the program and a five-punch pass for the PC MARC. Registration is available online at parkcityrecreation.org or by calling 435-615-5400. YOGA AT BEAU COLLECTIVE The Beau Collective hosts an hour of free yoga on Wednesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with instructor Lindsey Marshall. For more information call 435-729-9245. Please see Sports briefs, B-4 BEN RAMSEY The Park Record As far back as Kennady McQueen can remember, her family has always been a basketball family. Her mother, Melanee, was a Utah Runnin’ Ute in the late ‘80s. Her father, Cory, was a considerable talent as a high school player, as was her sister, Haylee. Her brother, Keegan, played for the University of Montana Western Bulldogs. All of them played for North Summit High School. But Kennady stands out even among them. The 5’11” junior guard has a vision for the court her mother says she never had. According to Braves coach Jerre Holmes, she has excellent ball handling skills, can drive to the basket, and “works her guts out defensively.” She currently averages 20 points per game with the Braves. Earlier this month, all those attributes and the work that went in to building them paid off as she weighed her collegiate options – a group of 15 schools that included Gonzaga University and Texas Tech University – and chose to don the crimson of her mother’s alma mater. “I think it’s just crazy,” Kennady said of verbally committing to Utah. “When I’d do workouts or go running and I didn’t want to do anymore I’d think, ‘for Utah,’ so finally it’s come true. It’s really satisfying.” For those that have known her long, the question hasn’t been whether she would play Division 1 ball – just which color her jersey would be. Melanee, who has been an assistant coach at North Summit on and off for close to two decades, said she thought Kennady could one day play D1 since around eighth grade, and has showed a love of the game long before that. “From the time she was little, she was coming to practice and she wanted to be the manager,” Melanee said. She even had a shirt that said “manager” on the back, her mother said, and would get agitated if the players filled their own water bottles instead of letting her do her job. Holmes, who is also North Summit’s superintendent, remembers Kennady following her older brother, Keegan, and sister, Haylee, as they played for the Braves. “Whenever there was a timeout or halftime, she’s grabbing a ball to get out there and get a shot off,” he said. “It’s just been a part of her. It’s just been a natural setting for her to be in.” In middle school, Cory, coached her, including after practice when she and him would spend an hour shooting baskets in their hometown of Henefer. “I have no doubt that nobody has shot more baskets in her little church in Henefer than she has,” Holmes said. Then, in spring of 2017, she joined the Colorado Premier, a club team based in Grand Junction, Colorado, competing in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League as a shooting guard. “Starting in March, it gets really busy,” Melanee said. “She will go to Colorado every weekend for practice. They meet in Salt Lake and will drive to Grand Junc- TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD Kennady McQueen, a junior at North Summit High School, has verbally committed to playing with the University of Utah. tion. And this being part of an out-of-state team, it is, it’s hard for school. They’ll do skill sessions twice a week in Orem that she has to get to.” For the Braves, Kennady is a standout point guard. She earned varsity time as a freshman, contributing 10 points a game, then started her sophomore season averaging, 19.2 points per game. Holmes and Melanee both say one of Kennady’s greatest strengths is her unselfishness as a player. She distributes the ball well, even when the competition doesn’t call for it. “There are so many times when she can just dominate a game, but she makes sure to keep her teammates included,” Melanee said. “Which is so important because if you don’t keep them included they will stop playing with her.” Her attitude and ability has also drawn praise from Keith Van Horn, former Ute and NBA player, who coaches her club team. “She never once complained or asked for more time even though he was playing great. She just showed up and competed every single day,” Horn said over Twitter. Over the last year, letters from colleges seeking to bring Kennady to their program have poured into North Summit’s administrative office. “The mail that she got at the high school, they about had to get her her own box,” Holmes said. “She just took it in stride, and yet I know how badly she wants to go compete at the next level.” Kennady said it has always been a dream of hers to compete in college, but to play at Utah was the best possible outcome. She visited Spokane, Washington to tour Gonzaga first, but then Utah made an offer, and Kennady consulted her mother about her options. “I just told her you have to go where you’re going to fit in and be the most happy,” Melanee said. “I think when it came down to it, it’s a big time program, and this way her family can still watch her play. I had a great experience. It’s hard, but I would do it all over again.” Melanee played for the Utes from 1987 to 1991, during which time she earned 183 steals, 305 assists and held a record for most steals during a game at 9, which stood through 2004. During her junior year she averaged 8.2 points a game as a guard. “It was hard,” Melanee said, reflecting on her time at Utah. “That’s what I told her. As a freshman, it wouldn’t matter where you went, it’s going to be challenging.” The competition level is higher in the Pac 12, and skills that dazzle at the high school level are the average. Please see McQueen, B-4 TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD Kennady McQueen is hoping to help the Braves earn a Utah state championship title, as her mother, who also played for the University of Utah, did in the ‘80s. 1717 E. Haystack Mtn. Ct. 3 Bedrooms | 4 Bath | 2,326 Square Feet MLS 11804553 | $1,145,000 • Contemporary stone and timber exterior • Backs to 7th & 8th fairways of the Golf Park • Located on a quiet cul-de-sac • Covered outdoor living deck • Large two-car garage • Mud room and locker area next to garage entry • Hardwood floors throughout main living area • Great room with vaulted ceiling • Convenient main floor living • Luxurious master suite with walk-in closet • Gourmet kitchen with walk-in pantry • En suite bathrooms in each bedroom • Beautiful open and spacious floor plan • Dual vanities and euro shower in master Chris Beardsley (435) 657-4050 RedLedges.com Chris.Beardsley@RedLedges.com Exclusively Brokered by Red Ledges Realty, LLC . Obtain the Property Report required by federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. All descriptions, depictions, and renderings are provided solely for illustrative purposes and are subject to change. ©2018 Red Ledges Land Development, Inc. |