Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — It's a new year, with new opportunities, and the first KSL.com Clean Simple Eats high school hoops players of 2024 are looking to make the most of it.
Senior Amelia Echternkamp and the Cyprus Pirates dropped their first game of 2024 at Copper Hills Tuesday but won three straight before that to close out 2023.
"We have a different coaching staff now, but I feel like we've adapted well. We're just trying hard and focusing," Echternkamp said. "My main goal is to just have fun; and I feel like, especially getting into region, it's going to be a lot of fun. I want to focus on the positives."
Echternkamp dropped a season-high 28 points on Dec. 29 against Juan Diego and is the leading scorer this season for the Pirates as they enter a tight Region 4 with a 6-6 record. They'll welcome first place West Jordan on Jan. 12 to open region play.
On the other side, junior Ryker Mikkelsen and the Pleasant Grove Vikings enter one of the toughest regions in the state in first place with a 10-2 record. The Vikings won three games in a row last week at the Utah Autism Holiday Classic — including a 16-point outing from Mikkelsen against Skyline — before dropping a close one to Murray.
"I think sharing the ball helps us, and just running at a high, fast pace has helped us," Mikkelsen said. "We've got to play as a team better and learn our rotations, but, personally, I want to get better at being a better teammate and having fun."
Mikkelsen said the end goal is a state championship, but that road goes through what he called "the hardest region," in Region 3. The Vikings have one last tune-up game at Riverton on Jan. 9 before welcoming Lone Peak to Pleasant Grove on Jan. 12 to begin region play.
If you'd like to nominate a basketball player for their impact on or off the court, email our sports team at onlinesports@ksl.com.
