Summer will soon turn to fall, bringing a new school year and the arrival of the fall prep sports season. Recently, the spring 2024 All-State teams were released, and some standout Alta players received well-deserved recognition. 

Alta players made All-State in baseball, softball, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, boys soccer and boys volleyball. Here’s a look at these players and their accomplishments. 

Baseball 

After going 17-13 overall and 14-7 (third place in Region 6) in league play this past season, Alta placed one of its top players on the All-State Second Team.

Jose Pereira, a catcher who will be coming back for his senior season in 2025, put together a strong season for the Hawks, helping the team compete admirably in a challenging Region 6. Pereira batted in 33 runs this season, leading the team in that category. He also hit a pair of home runs, two triples and nine doubles. 

Next season, Pereira will be one of the Hawks’ leaders as the team aims to once again challenge for a region title. 

Softball

The Hawks went 8-12 this past softball season and were fourth in Region 6 with a 3-4 record. 

One member of the team received All-State recognition, with that honor going to Addyson Brownell, a first baseman. Brownell, who’ll be a junior this coming school year, made Second-Team All-State for her efforts in the spring. She hit three home runs and 11 doubles while driving in 25 runs from the plate. 

Girls lacrosse

In girls lacrosse, the Hawks had a 7-9 season and went 3-5 in Region 6. Two players made All-State for Alta. 

Both Lucy Bizek, a senior attacker, and Mackenzie Searle, a senior midfielder, made the Second Team this past season. Bizek led the Hawks in points and goals, as she tallied 46 goals and 15 assists. She also had 17 ground balls and forced four turnovers. Searle was second on the team with 40 goals. She also chipped in six assists and had 27 ground balls. She was a strong defender too, forcing 29 turnovers on the year. 

Boys lacrosse 

Region 6 was arguably the toughest Region in the state for boys lacrosse, with Brighton, Olympus and Park City sharing the region title and competing well in the state tournament. Alta was fourth in the region with a 5-3 record. The Hawks also went 10-7 overall and placed three players on the All-State list. 

Braxton Horoba was a team leader and a standout performer on the field. The junior attacker had 49 goals and dished out 47 assists in the spring. He also had 50 ground balls and caused 22 turnovers. Horoba will be back as a senior in 2025 to build on those numbers. 

Andrew Parry, a senior long stick midfielder, also made the First Team. The brilliant all-around player caused 65 turnovers and had 67 ground balls. He added seven goals and six assists. 

Senior defender Drew Tanner made Honorable Mention after forcing 13 turnovers and tallying 11 ground balls. He had two goals on the year. 

Boys soccer

The Alta boys soccer team placed second in Region 6 with a 9-3 record. The Hawks were 12-4 overall and advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals. 

Justin Roberts was perhaps the top player for Alta, and he was recognized with a spot on the All-State First Team. Roberts, a senior midfielder, had six goals and a team-high 11 assists this past season. 

“[Roberts] led by example this season and brought everyone together,” head coach Mackenzie Hyer said. “He has a high soccer IQ and is so creative.” 

Meanwhile, Second-Team All-State honors went to Josh Glazier. The junior forward paced the Hawks with 12 goals on the year. 

Boys volleyball

Alta had a nice season in its first year in boys volleyball. The Hawks were second in Region 6 with a 9-3 record. They were 18-9 overall. 

The Hawks featured First-Team All-State player Kaleb Puikkonen, a junior middle blocker. Puikkonen totaled 209 kills, 22 aces, 19 digs and 41 blocks in the spring. He had a stellar .304 hitting percentage too. 

Third-Team honors went to Jameson Biggs, a junior setter. He’ll be back, along with Puikkonen, to make the Hawks a formidable team in 2025. λ