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Show SPORTS The Park Record. Editor: Ryan Kostecka sports@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.15704 Twitter: @ParkRecSports BACK TO SCHOOL GLOW N’ GO RUN As the summer winds down, the fun doesn’t have to end. Basin Recreation is hosting its first Back to School Glow N’ Go Run on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 9:30 p.m. at Willow Creek Park. Prerun festivities will begin at 8 p.m. with a DJ and face painting. Cost is $30 per runner or $15 for runners under 18 years old. Learn more and register at basinrecreation.org. OPENING FOR COACHES AT PARK CITY HIGH SCHOOL Park City High School is looking for head coaches for the following sports: girls lacrosse, boys soccer, wrestling and softball. There’s also an opening for a freshman/sophomore girls soccer team coach for the upcoming season. Anyone interested should contact athletic director Jamie Sheetz at jsheetz@ pcschools.us. SELF DEFENSE CLINIC FOR COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS A two-part seminar designed to help college students head back to campus informed on how to avoid potentially dangerous situations and how to respond if threatened or attacked. Classes will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 and 14 at Athletic Republic training center at Quarry Village in Pinebrook. Cost is $75. To register go to www. progressivedefensetactics.com. LUNCHTIME LEARNING PC Recreation’s ‘Lunchtime Learning’ is scheduled for Aug. 14 from noon to 1 p.m. Guest speaker, Kristen Ulmer, is a former pro extreme skier and the author of The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead. Join us at the PC MARC to find real solutions to help with fear and anxiety that challenge existing coping norms. Lunchtime Learning is free and open to the public. For more information, visit parkcityrecreation. org or call 435-615-5401. Please see Sports briefs, B-4 FORMER OLYMPIAN RUNS ELITEAM CAMP, B-2 www.parkrecord.com TRIPLE TRAIL CHALLENGE FINALE IS NEXT WEEK, B-2 B-1 SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, AUGUST 10-13, 2019 Park City goes from hunter to hunted Armed with lots of experience, Miners are ready for new season RYAN KOSTECKA The Park Record It takes a totally different mentality for a team to go from being the hunter to being the hunted. For Park City football coach Josh Montzingo, having his team understand and accept that mentality change for the upcoming season will go a long way into determining how successful the Miners are. “Our expectations have definitely increased this year because of last year. … Last year I believe we snuck up on some people; surprised some people with the way we played,” Montzingo said. “Now that advantage is gone and we will be getting each team’s best game. … They’re going to have to played with renewed effort and energy, they’re excited for the challenge.” Last season, the Miners (9-4, 4-1 Region 10) did as Montzingo said and surprised quite a few teams by advancing all the way to the 4A state semifinals. They upset undefeated top seed Sky View 15-14 in the quarterfinals before falling to Dixie 20-0 in the semifinals. Looking to improve on last year’s end, Park City has implemented “swing the pick” – a reference to the town’s mining heritage and the school’s mascot – as a mantra to reach its final goal. “I don’t know if the boys are going to understand what comes along with having a target on their back,” Montzingo said. “Back in the old days you were swinging a (mining) pick over and over again to make a difference. Each swing you kept getting closer to your goal, never losing sight of it, and if you stay with steps, you could ignore noise on the outside, which for CHRIS SAMUELS/PARK RECORD Quarterback Jack Skidmore, who is expected to play a major role this season for the Miners, throws a ball in a recent preseason practice. us is getting more attention.” Leading the way for Park City this year is its senior class, a group of guys who’ve played for years together and, according to Montzingo, love and care about one another. Quarterback Jack Skidmore, wide receiver Mark McCurdy and running back Dylan Bauer all return this season. They account for more than two thirds of the total yards returning to the team this year. McCurdy is a dynamic offensive talent who could be one of the better players in the state after totaling 1,729 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. Skidmore returns as a passer who threw for 1,524 yards and 20 touchdowns last season while adding another 241 yards on the ground. The running game will be led by Bauer, a Division I college lacrosse recruit with great athleticism, who ran for 948 yards and eight scores last season. “We have a great running back coming back in Dylan, really excited to see what he can do because he’s the perfect build with good strength for his size,” Montzingo said. “He’s a high level athlete with great vision who is his own style of runner. …He can see the cutback and uses it when he needs, often making us coaches look good.” On the other side of the ball, Montzingo describes the Miners defense as “nasty.” Senior linebacker Brady Baumann leads the way as the heart and soul of the defense who makes plays bigger than his 5-foot-7, 165-pound stature suggests. “Brady, no doubt about it, sets the tone physically for us. … Pound for pound, he’s probably the strongest on our team; one of the hardest workers,” Montzingo said. “Brady wants to run through everybody’s Please see Veterans, B-3 AM PURCHASE YOUR ADVENTURE PASS ONLINE IN ADVANCE TO SAVE 10% PARKCITYMOUNTAIN.COM/ACTIVITIES |