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Nov 10

Cheer Coach Hired

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November 10, 2015–Lehi, UtahCiera Stanley

Ciera Stanley has been hired as the Cheer Coach for Skyridge High School, currently under construction in Lehi, Utah. The school will open in August 2016.

Coach Stanley is currently the assistant cheerleading coach and choreographer at Lehi High School and has held that position for the last five years. She started cheering when she was 11 and did competitive all star cheerleading until she got to high school. She has coached all-star cheerleading for five years, and has experience in coaching levels 1-5. Last season, Ciera’s two all-star teams qualified for the prestigious competition “The Summit,” held in Orlando, Florida. Ciera is also a former Universal Cheerleader’s Association summer camp instructor, where she had the opportunity to teach high school cheerleaders from all over the state.

Stanley attends Utah Valley University, where she has been part of several performance groups including Mosaic Hip Hop Company and Synergy Modern Dance Company. She also teaches at multiple dance studios, teaching contemporary, jazz, and hip hop.

A graduate of Lehi High School, Stanley served as choreographer her sophomore, junior, and senior years, and served as captain her senior year. She also danced with the dance company and also served as a head choreographer. She says, “I have enjoyed my time coaching at Lehi High School and being part of their great cheer program. I am honored and excited to be part of Skyridge High School and for the opportunity to build a successful cheer program. I look forward to working with talented student athletes as well as other great educators and coaches in helping to support the athletic teams and raise school spirit.”

Skyridge Principal Joel Perkins says, “Ciera is an outstanding cheer coach and has great enthusiasm for involving all students in building school spirit at our school. She will also be instrumental in building our dance program at Skyridge. She is going to do a great job.”

Stanley expects members of the cheer squad to excel academically, as well as in their sport. She says, “I believe that cheer and dance can be a place that young athletes can learn valuable life skills. I expect the cheerleaders to work hard in maintaining their academics while we balance supporting fellow sports teams, supporting the community, and being a competitive cheer squad. I am 100% committed in helping young athletes realize their full potential and will provide a safe environment where they can express themselves and learn the value of working together as a team. It is important to me that my athletes graduate from high school having had a positive experience and feeling more prepared for their future.”

Coach Stanley is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in dance education at Utah Valley University. She lives in Lehi with her husband Zach. She loves spending time with family and friends, being outside in the sunshine, and feels like she is practically a permanent resident of Disneyland.

Nov 10

Meet the Skyridge Coaches Night

By blog

Come and meet the Skyridge coaches on Wednesday, November 18 at 6pm at Lehi Junior High School. We will start in the auditorium with brief introductions, then we will move to the cafeteria for students and parents to have the opportunity to shake hands with and ask questions of the coaches. We hope to see you there!

Nov 09

Golf Coach Hired

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November 9, 2015–Lehi, UtahMark Whetzel

Mark Whetzel has been hired as the coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at Skyridge High School, currently under construction in Lehi, Utah. The school will open in August 2016.

Coach Whetzel is the CEO and Founder of Vanguard Golf Management Group, and was elected to PGA Membership in 1999. He joins the Skyridge athletic team with nearly 25 years of management experience in the golf business, including director of golf course operations, head professional, tournament director, and director of instruction. Vanguard Golf Management and their partners manage and own the Ranches Golf Course in Eagle Mountain, Coral Canyon Golf Course in Washington, and Falcon Ridge Golf Course in Mesquite, Nevada. In addition to these properties, Vanguard holds golf course management, lease, and operational agreements with Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah, and with Thanksgiving Point Golf Club located in Lehi, Utah.

Whetzel started his coaching career teaching golf classes at the University of Utah. During his tenure at the University of Utah, he taught hundreds of classes while completing most of his internship studies to become a PGA Member. Following his time at the University of Utah, he helped open the golf course at Thanksgiving Point as the Tournament Director in 1997. He has coached and mentored many notable students, several of whom are currently playing collegiately and professionally. Some of his most famous students as juniors are current PGA Tour sensation Tony Finau and his brother Gipper Finau. He helped start the Tony Finau Foundation and remains active with the foundation today.

Whetzel has a passion for business and sports. He says, “In golf and coaching any sport, I’ve always had the philosophy of patience, enthusiasm, and support. Persistence and determination alone are the keys to success. As I say to my students and to my children, to be the best you have to work the hardest. Working hard and pressing on will always be the key to success in anything you do in business, sports, or life.”

Skyridge Principal Joel Perkins is looking forward to working with Coach Whetzel. He says, “Mark is an established PGA professional and has been very supportive of high school golf for many years. His knowledge and talents as a coach will be a welcome addition to our athletic department and he will provide our student athletes with extremely positive experiences. He is passionate about coaching our students and instilling in them a love for the game of golf.”

Athletic Director Mark Clinton says, “We are excited to have Mark as part of our team. He is extremely experienced, understands player development and strategy of the game, and has the ability to use those things to make our golf teams competitive.”

Coach Whetzel is the current Tournament Director of the PGA Tour Web.com Utah Championship, Utah’s only PGA Tour event, and was influential in helping the PGA Tour move the tournament to Thanksgiving Point. He and his wife Kristen have four children and have lived in Lehi for the past 12 years. His youngest two children will attend Skyridge High School.

Nov 06

Women’s Head Basketball Coach Hired

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November 6, 2015–Lehi, UtahCoach Sikander, 1

Khalil Sikander has been selected as the Women’s Head Basketball Coach for Skyridge High School, currently under construction in Lehi, Utah. The school will open in August 2016.

Coach Sikander has twelve years of experience as a head and assistant coach at various high schools and with club teams. He is currently an assistant varsity coach for the men’s basketball team at Mountain View High School, and also coaches with a well-respected AAU travel team at Utah Basketball Club. He was the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Lehi High School for four years, where during his first season as head coach, the Pioneers were Region Champions and took 3rd place in the state tournament. Coach Sikander then moved to Westlake to help open the school and start the Men’s basketball program. He coached for five years both as a JV and Assistant Head Coach. He travels all over the west coast providing opportunities to help student athletes move on and play collegiately.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Sikander was a three-year letterman at Telecommunication High School, where he was named to the All-Brooklyn and All-City teams. He was a two year letterman at Colorado Northwest Community College, and a two year letterman at Southern Utah University. He also spent time as a basketball camp counselor at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York.

Speaking about leaving the schools he is working with now, Sikander says, “It is difficult to leave students and athletes you have invested in and have seen grow into responsible citizens of their respective communities. I have countless memories of both schools and will always have a place for them in my heart. I’m thankful to Mr. Perkins and Mr. Clinton for their confidence in me and that they have trusted me with this task. It’s an honor to work alongside with individuals who put students first. I’m ecstatic to help create a culture of success at Skyridge and excited to put on that orange and grey.”

Skyridge Principal Joel Perkins says, “Coach Sikander is an enthusiastic and experienced educator who is committed to positively influencing young people’s lives. He has a tremendous amount of experience in coaching both men’s and women’s basketball and we are very excited about what he will bring to our program.”

Coach Sikander has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in education with an administrative certificate. He and his wife Kim live in Lehi with their four daughters. He loves spending time with his kids and going on vacation with his wife and family and has fallen in love with the beauty of Utah.

Nov 05

Marching Band Director Named

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November 5, 2015–Lehi, UtahHoward Summers

Howard Summers has been hired as the Marching Band Director for Skyridge High School, currently under construction in Lehi, Utah. The school will open in August 2016.

Summers has been teaching band and orchestra classes for the past 14 years at both the junior high and high school levels. He spent five years at Eastmont Middle School (Sandy), five years at Orem High, and is in his fourth year at Lehi Junior High School. He has a long track record of successful ensembles, and his concert bands consistently earn Superior ratings at state festivals. A native of New Orleans, his jazz bands are consistently among the best in the state. Last year his Advanced Jazz Band took 1st place at the Peaks Jazz Festival – the largest jazz competition in Utah. While at Orem High, Howard led the Marching Band to several State Championships in Marching. The Orem High Marching Band was a BOA Regional Championship Finalist in 2010 and Class Champion 3 out of 4 years.

Summers is principal trumpet with the Utah Wind Symphony – one of the top Concert Bands in the US. He performs regularly with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on their “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcasts. He is a Senior Brass Design consultant with Cannonball Musical Instruments and has designed a line of Trumpets and Flugelhorn that are marketed worldwide. Summers also conducts the prestigious Utah Wind Symphony Youth Ensemble. He has served on the UMEA Executive Board heading up Jazz Education for the State of Utah and has also served as President of the Utah Wind Symphony.

Speaking about his new position, Summers says, “I am not leaving Lehi Junior but will be working with Lehi Junior, Willowcreek Middle, and Skyridge High to create a vertically unified band program that will be competitive on a national scale. While I expect the program will be very strong and quite large, my first priority will always be individual student growth.”

Skyridge Principal Joel Perkins says, “Howard is one of the finest band directors in the state and we are thrilled that he is joining the Skyridge team. He has great vision and builds talented and well rounded students. I am confident that Howard will create an outstanding marching band at Skyridge.”

Summers has a BA in Music Education and an MM in Trumpet Performance. He received the Excellence in Teaching award in 2007 in Jordan School District, was Orem High Teacher of the Year in 2012 and Lehi Junior Teacher of the year in 2014. Howard lives in Lehi with his wife, Amber, and their five beautiful girls. In addition to his duties at Skyridge, he will continue teaching at Lehi Junior High.

Nov 05

Track and Field Coach Named

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November 5, 2015–Lehi, UtahCody Fonnesbeck

Cody Fonnesbeck has been named the Head Track & Field Coach at Skyridge High, where he will serve as head coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. Skyridge is currently under construction in Lehi, UT and will open in August of 2016.

For the past four years, Coach Fonnesbeck has been associated with the faculty and athletic teams at American Fork High School, where he has most recently served as the head coach of the Caveman Track & Field teams. His track teams have excelled in the past, including coaching the fastest 100 meter sprinter in Utah prep circles in 2014 and while also having success in the relays and longer sprints. His 2015 team finished 4th in the state 5A classification on the boys’ side and 8th on the girls’ side.

Fonnesbeck, a Utah native from St. George, was a standout sprinter in track at Dixie High School, where he holds several school records and is listed high among the all-time fastest sprinters in Utah prep history, with a best time of 10.54 seconds in the 100m. As a prep, he is the only Utah sprinter to have won the 100m and 200m sprints twice at the BYU Invitational, and was the Utah Class 3A 100m champion & All-Classification title holder as well.

Coach Fonnesbeck was able to compete for the BYU Cougars in both indoor and outdoor track as sprinter and relay team member. Overall, Fonnesbeck was a key part of four indoor and four outdoor Mountain West Conference championship teams, placing in the MWC finals of the 60 meter dash and 100 meter dash, and winning the conference championship in the 4×100 meter relay 3 times. He is also on the All-time Top 10 List in the 100m and 60m at BYU. Coach Fonnesbeck stated, “I pride myself in developing student athletes that excel on the track and in the classroom, as well as setting a high bar of achievement for both the boys and girls track teams at Skyridge High School. I’ve been in their shoes and know what it takes to be successful in both areas.”

Skyridge Principal Perkins says, “Cody is an outstanding special educator and track coach. He takes his craft seriously and cares deeply for those with whom he works. We are very excited about what he will do in the classroom in addition to the exceptional track program he will create. ”

In addition to being an outstanding prep coach and individual sprint trainer, Fonnesbeck is a very successful Special Education teacher, where he has served the special education students of American Fork High the past four years and will head up the Special Education Department at Skyridge. Originally a communications major, he started his teaching career at Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, UT before moving to AFHS. His teaching philosophy carries a high degree of importance in mainstreaming special education students into traditional classes and the increased utilization of available technology by his students. Coach Fonnesbeck has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from BYU, with certification in Special Education from Weber State University. Married to the former Annie Eldredge of Pleasant Grove, Coach Fonnesbeck is the proud father of three boys, and they reside in Eagle Mountain.

Nov 04

Department Heads Named

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The Department Heads have been named at Skyridge High School.

CTE: Brian Kane

Brian Kane

Brian Kane will be leading our CTE Department. For the past 18 years, he has been teaching classes at Lehi High School Subjects including: Accounting, Business Law, Business Math, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality & Tourism, Personal Finance, Desktop Publishing (Newspaper), Real Estate, and Retailing. He has a bachelor’s degree in business finance and marketing from California State University-Fullerton, and a master’s degree in education from Western Governors University.

Kane grew up in Southern California and lived in Europe during his high school years. He also lived in Africa for awhile. He and his wife have four children, and they live in American Fork. His current hobbies include playing the guitar, reading and traveling.

 

Driver Education: Jeff Gardner

jeff-gardner

In addition to his duties as the Men’s Head Basketball Coach, Jeff Gardner will be leading our Driver Education department. For the past nine years, he has taught driver education and math classes at both Mountain View and Brighton High Schools. He received a bachelor’s degree in business (finance) from Idaho State University, and a master’s degree in education from University of Phoenix.

Gardner and his wife Lindsay live in Lehi with their four children. He loves to golf, fish, and travel with his family.

 

 

English: Evertt Williams

Evertt Williams

Evertt Williams will be the head of our English Department. For the past eight years, he has taught at Brighton and Orem High Schools. His teaching experience includes AP Language, AP Literature, College Writing, Honors courses, and English 10, 11, and 12.

Before starting his teaching career, Williams was the Vice President of Development for Verizon. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance from BYU, an MBA from Butler, and a bachelor’s degree in English from UVU. He and his family reside in Alpine.

 

 

Fine/Performing Arts: Howard Summers

Howard Summers

Howard Summers will be the chair of the Fine/Performing Arts Department. He has been teaching band and orchestra for 14 years at both at the junior high and high school levels, and currently teaches at Lehi Junior High. He has a BA in Music Education and an MM in Trumpet Performance, both from the University of Utah.

In addition to being an extremely skilled performer himself, Summers has a long track record of bringing the best out of his students. His concert bands consistently earn Superior ratings at State Festivals. A native of New Orleans, he and his wife and five daughters currently live in Lehi.

 

 

Mathematics: Anna Barton

Anna Barton

Anna Barton has been selected to chair the Mathematics Department. This is her 9th year teaching at Lehi High School. She is currently teaching AP Statistics, Secondary 3 Honors, and Secondary 2 and previously taught Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, College Prep Math, Math Skills, and Secondary 2 Honors. She has a BS in Mathematics with a Computer Science minor from Westminster College and received her secondary teaching certification at UVU. She is currently working on her master’s degree.

Barton and her husband have two grown children and live in Lindon. When she isn’t doing schoolwork, she loves to read and work on word and number puzzles.

 

Physical Education/Health: Angela Roberts

Angie Roberts

Angela Roberts will be the head of the Physical Education/Health Department. She has been teaching at Lehi High for the past 11 years. Prior to that, she taught for five years at Timpanogos High School and spent a year at Mountain View. She played volleyball at Idaho State University, graduating with bachelor’s degree in health education. She coached basketball, volleyball, softball and track at THS and MVHS, and has been a volleyball coach at LHS for the last 11 years. She currently teaches PE, adaptive PE, Health, and conditioning at Lehi High.

She and her husband Ryan reside in Lehi with their four children. They love eto watch and participate in sports as a family, and also enjoy boating and any other outdoor activities.

 

Science: Mindy Hinckley

Mindy Hinckley

Mindy Hinckley has been selected to head the Science Department. She has been teaching at Westlake High School for the past six years. She loves teaching Biological sciences, including Honors and regular Biology, Zoology and Botany.

Hinckley attended Ricks College (now called BYU-Idaho) and completed her education at BYU with a bachelor’s in Biology Composite Teaching. She loves good food and considers chocolate and cookies ‘good food.’ She has four boys including twins who will be among the first graduating class from Skyridge.

 

 

Social Studies: Jon Lehman

Jon Lehman-2 crop

In addition to his responsibilities as the Head Football Coach, Jon Lehman will be leading the Skyridge Social Studies Department. For the past five years, he has been teaching US History and Government and Citizenship classes at American Fork High School, where he is a five time recipient of the “Teacher of the Month” award. He currently serves as the US History team lead at AFHS.

Coach Lehman has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (history), and a master’s degree in education (teacher leadership). He and his wife Christy have an eleven month old daughter and live in Lehi.

 

Special Education: Cody Fonnesbeck

Cody Fonnesbeck

Cody Fonnesbeck will be leading the Special Education Department. He previously worked two years as a Special Education teacher at Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, Utah, and is currently in his fourth year teaching Resource Math at American Fork High School, where he has been the Department Head for Special Education for the past two years.

Fonnesbeck earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications Studies at BYU, and a Special Education Certification from Weber State University.
He and his wife Annie are the proud parents of three boys, and they reside in Eagle Mountain.

 

World Languages: Aaron Andersen

Aaron-Andersen

Aaron Andersen has been selected to head the World Languages Department. For just over eight years, he has taught AP US History classes at Lehi High, and started an extremely successful Chinese language program. When the program began, there were only two sections of Chinese, and the program has grown to be one of the largest in the state with over 200 students. He teaches courses ranging from Chinese 1 through Chinese 5 (AP). His program has been awarded a Confucius Classroom grant in recognition of the tremendous efforts of his students. Each year, they host a Chinese New Year Celebration each year, which is attended by hundreds of people from throughout the community.

Andersen has a bachelor’s degree in history (teaching), with minors in Chinese and English (teaching) from BYU, and completed a master’s degree in teacher education at BYU last year. He and his wife Shantel have four children and reside in Orem.

Oct 30

Softball Coach Hired

By blog

Riley White cropOctober 30, 2015—Lehi, Utah

Riley White has been hired as the Softball Coach for Skyridge High School, currently under construction in Lehi, Utah. The school will open in August 2016.

Coach White is a recent graduate of Utah Valley University, where he attended on an athletic scholarship and was a four year starter on the baseball team. While at UVU, he was the team captain for the 2014 season, was named to the All Great West Conference and Academic teams, and was the first UVU player to hit for the cycle after the transition to Division 1.

In addition to his collegiate experience, Coach White has been playing fastpitch softball for the past ten years. He was a member of Team USA’s Junior Olympic men’s national fastpitch softball team, and was able to compete in the 2005 World Games in Prince Edward Island, Canada. He also competes annually in NAFA and ISC mens fastpitch events, in addition to his experience as a volunteer coach for the Lehi baseball team.

Coach White feels that education should always come first, and he wants to build the Skyridge softball program around the principles of “hustle, attitude, and integrity.” He says, “The opportunity to start the Skyridge softball program is an absolute honor. I look forward to working with a great group of athletes and I am eager to work to build a successful program.” He also says that his vision is to create a program that will build confidence in players as a team and as individuals.

Skyridge Principal Joel Perkins says, “Riley is a dynamic young coach who is dedicated to helping the student athletes on his softball team to be successful both on and off the field. He is very involved in the softball community, and has a passion for not only the sport, but also for teaching life lessons. He is committed to providing a well rounded experience for his athletes.”

Softball has always been an integral part of Coach White’s life. His father played fastpitch softball for over 20 years, his mother was the first softball coach at Lehi High, and his wife is the head softball coach at Orem High. His sisters Carley and Sydney both played for LHS and will be playing together at Weber State next year.

Skyridge Athletic Director Mark Clinton is impressed by Coach White’s drive for student success. He says, “Riley demonstrates to me a unique burning desire to redefine success for all of the right reasons. We look forward to having him as part of our Skyridge athletic program that strives to win consistently with class.”

Coach White has a bachelor’s degree in communications/journalism. He currently works as a sales associate for a business consulting company and is the head coach for an 18U elite club softball team. He and his wife Whitney reside in Lehi.

Oct 24

Baseball Coach Hired

By blog

October 23, 2015–Lehi, Utahryan roberts 3, crop

Ryan Roberts has been named as the baseball coach for Skyridge High School, currently under construction in Lehi, Utah. The school will open in August 2016.

Coach Roberts is a local entrepreneur and small business owner. He has 14 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level. During his four years at UVSC (now UVU) and his ten years at BYU, he worked as the recruiting coordinator and hitting and infield coach. He was a multi-sport student athlete at Mountain View High School, and he played baseball at UVSC, BYU, and for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Coach Roberts feels his primary responsibility as a coach is to foster the personal development of each player and to build a program that young players will strive to be part of as they grow up in the community. He expects his student athletes to be passionate about the Falcon baseball program and Skyridge High School. Skyridge Athletic Director Mark Clinton says, “Ryan is the kind of coach that will have his players respect and enjoy one another and be willing to sacrifice for the good of each other and for the benefit of our school.”

Skyridge Principal Joel Perkins is excited to have Coach Roberts as part of the coaching team. He says, “Ryan is extremely well respected in the baseball community, and we are delighted that he will be joining the Skyridge team. He is committed to creating a program that will mold young men to individual and team excellence. Coach Roberts believes that student athletes are students first, and wants to help broaden their education by providing a quality baseball experience.”

Speaking about his new position, Roberts says, “I am very excited about Skyridge High School and the future athletic programs, including the baseball program. Not only are Mr. Perkins and Mr. Clinton assembling a great group of educators and coaches, but the future students are exceptional people. Skyridge will have tremendous student athletes. I’m excited for the chance to be associated with them, and for the opportunity to start a new program. This job will be a great opportunity, and we need our entire community to be involved in the process of making this school the best it can be.”

Coach Roberts has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, and a master’s degree in Health, Recreation, and Physical Education. During his tenure at BYU, he served as an exercise science instructor. He and his wife Angela live in Lehi with their four children.

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