Utah has beauty in its nature, with sights to behold around the state. There are also treasures on the sports fields, with athletes having emerged from stardom at the prep level to become legends in their respective games.
Super Bowl winners like Jim McMahon. Hall of Famers like Natalie Williams. Some of today’s most dominant football players like Penei Sewell and Puka Nacua. One of the country’s greatest runners in Jane Hedengren.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY is launching its 250 for 250 series, a celebration of the best athletes from each state. With your votes, five will be selected to represent the athletes who have defined high school sports.
With that in mind, here are the Utah high school athlete nominees. The 12 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout at the high school level.
Tradon Bessinger, Football, Boys Basketball, David High School (Kaysville)
Tradon Bessinger put together an all-time great statistical season in state history, throwing for 4,313 yards and 53 touchdowns at 76%. Graduating with 10,908 passing yards and 127 touchdowns, he finished eighth in Utah career passing yards and fourth in career touchdown passes.
Helaman Casuga, Football, Timpview (Provo) and Corner Canyon (Draper) high schools
Helaman Casuga, one of the top-ranked QBs in the nation in the class of 2026, played in four state title games, winning three of them (once with Timpview and twice with Corner Canyon). Over two years at Corner Canyon, he passed for 5,104 yards and 55 touchdowns and rushed for 797 yards and 12 more TDs, according to Texas A&M.
Jaxson Dart, Football, Baseball, Roy and Corner Canyon high schools
Jaxson Dart was MaxPreps National Player of the Year as a senior at Corner Canyon, where he threw for a state record 67 touchdowns and accumulated more than 6,000 total yards of offense with 79 total TDs, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. He graduated with 10,688 career passing yards and 117 touchdowns. He was named All-State in baseball twice.
Jane Hedengren, Cross Country, Timpview High School (Provo)
Jane Hedengren is one of the most dominant prep runners ever. She set national high school records in eight track events, including the mile, in which she broke the record by four seconds and finished only 0.04 seconds shy of the collegiate record, according to Runners World, and the 5,000-meter, in which she became the first high schooler to run it in sub-15 minutes and broke the record by nearly 30 seconds. Few anywhere have done it better.
Frank Jackson, Boys Basketball, Lehi and Lone Peak (Highland) high schools
Frank Jackson broke out in high school, winning a championship at Lehi and then averaging 26.9 points per game as a junior and 28.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior at Lone Peak, being named Utah Player of the Year and earning a five-star ranking. He was co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Jim McMahon, Football, Roy High School
In two years at Roy High School, Jim McMahon was an elite athlete who was named MVP in three sports, according to ESPN. He was an All-State football player as a senior, recording 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Puka Nacua, Football, Orem High School
Puka Nacua is one of the all-time great Utah high school football players, graduating with records in receptions (260), receiving yards (5,226) and receiving touchdowns (58). As a senior, he had 103 receptions for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns in 14 games, the yardage of which ranked fifth all-time nationally. He had a 182-yard, two-touchdown championship-game performance as a senior, his second straight title with Orem.
Haloti Ngata, Football, Rugby, Highland High School (Salt Lake City)
A five-time Pro Bowler, Haloti Ngata was one of the top-ranked prospects in the nation in his 2002 class and was named First-Team USA TODAY ALL-USA and the 2001 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, recording over 200 tackles as a senior. He also won a rugby national championship while in high school.
Merlin Olsen, Football, Boys Basketball, Logan High School (Salt Lake City)
Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Famer and 14-time Pro Bowler with the Los Angeles Rams, got his start in Utah, where he was an All-American football player and All-State in basketball.
Cael Sanderson, Wrestling, Wasatch High School (Heber City)
A future Olympian, Cael Sanderson showed his dominance from an early age, compiling a record of 127-3 on the mat while winning four state championships.
Penei Sewell, Football, Desert Hills High School (St. George)
Penei Sewell dominated on the offensive line at Desert Hills, being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl as a senior. He emerged with further national recognition at the University of Oregon and has made four Pro Bowls in five years in the NFL.
Natalie Williams, Girls Basketball, Girls Volleyball, Track and Field, Taylorsville High School
Hall of Famer Natalie Williams, named Utah’s Female Athlete of the 20th Century, won championships in basketball and volleyball, as well as the long jump, according to the Encyclopedia. She was a two-sport athlete at UCLA and made four WNBA All-Star teams.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These Utah high school athletes defined the state — who’s the greatest?
