Utah
Mountain Bike Mania: Pedaling Utah Tourism
SALT LAKE CITY — A growing number of Utah high schools have about as many mountain bike racers as football players. That surprising development becomes obvious at the starting line of weekend races.
“We are the largest youth cycling organization in the nation,” said Dallen Atack, board president of the Utah High School Cycling League.
Just 10 years ago, there were 320 riders. Now more than 7,500 students compete.
“I love being out there all the time,” said Morgan High School rider Blair Erickson.
Riders aren’t the only ones who love high school mountain biking.
“They have an incredible impact on our community,” said Maria Twitchell, director of Visit Cedar City, Brian Head Tourism Bureau.
“It bolsters the community because they have to eat and get gas and stay,” said Dennis Jorgensen, mountain bike organizer in Richfield.
Mountain bike races held among the ridges of Richfield, the peaks of Price and the vistas of Vernal bring thousands of visitors who likely wouldn’t otherwise come to these small Utah towns.
“From fast food to sit down, our restaurants are full,” said Price Mayor Michael Kourianos.
In Richfield, traffic and hotel parking lots are filled with cars carrying valuable cargo.
“Any time you drive down main street, you see a van or car with bikes on the back of it, and that didn’t use to be the case,” said Carson DeMille, chairman of the Richfield Trail Committee.
A pair of cars transporting multiple bikes each shown outside a restaurant. Utah locals say it’s now common to see bike racks when driving down main streets, and that wasn’t always the case. (Courtesy Ashley Burr)
What’s become clear in city after city, is that on race weekends, huge open fields have become paydirt:
- $1,000,000 in Price
- $1,800,000 in Cedar City
- $500,000 in Richfield.
So no surprise, small towns all over Utah are racing to build tracks of their own.
Tracks have existed for a number of years in Richfield, Cedar City, Vernal, Price, St George, Manti, Beaver Mountain, Eagle Mountain and Soldier Hollow.
More recently, trails have come online in Mantua, Herriman and Beaver. And new trails have come or are coming to Tooele, Panguitch and Gunnison. Morgan has a track in the works.
A map showing Utah counties and the many bike trails that have been established. (KSL TV)
The cities of Price and Herriman are working on second tracks.
“It’s pretty competitive. We don’t really talk about it, but on our end, we try to take care of those race directors,” said Lesh Coltharp, director of Tourism and Events for Uintah County.
Ahead of the races, big open fields of dirt turn into mini cities of high school staging tents. There’s a reason these races are more suited to rural Utah than established ski resorts and trail areas.
“We do have specific standards on how long the course needs to be,” said Michelle Lyman, race director for region 2.
They need broad tracks that are 4-6 miles, about 500 feet in elevation, with nothing too steep or too narrow.
But the number one requirement:
“We need to have at least 1,000 parking spaces to hold one of our races,” Atack said.
Many cities combine private, county and BLM lands with donations, county and state grants to build their tracks.
It’s more than just economics that fuels mountain biking mania. Unlike most high school sports, everyone gets to compete. No one sits on the sidelines.
“Nobody rides the bench, is one of our favorite mottos of the league,” Atack said.
These tracks provide a valuable source of recreation and opportunity for kids, especially in small towns.
“I knew that if we could get these kids riding it would change their lives,” said Dennis Jorgensen, of Richfield.
“We’re building athletes. And those athletes turn to lifetime users and recreationists and come back year after year and bring their kids,” added Maria Twitchell, of Cedar City.
In many cities, trail maintenance can also become a part-time, high school job.
Since mountain biking isn’t a high school-sanctioned sport, the need for parent volunteers is great. They require a 1:6 coach-to-student ratio, just to ride on the trails.
“This is a sport where parents can practice and ride right alongside their kids, support them in the day,” Lyman said.
So, while mountain biking is changing the face of high school sports for thousands of families, it is also putting Utah towns on the map for tourism.
“Word of mouth continues to grow, so the impact is much larger than we anticipated,” said Amy Myers, Sevier County tourism director.
“When the community benefits,” Jorgensen said, “We all benefit.”
Utah
Utah Royals FC Announce the Addition of Assistant Coach Jessie van den Broek to 2026 Coaching Staff | Utah Royals
HERRIMAN, Utah – (Thursday, June 25, 2026) – URFC announced today the addition of assistant coach Jessie van den Broek to the 2026 technical staff.
The Dutchwoman brings experience from several levels of soccer across Europe. Her coaching journey has steadily progressed through commitment to player development, making her a strong addition to the Royals as the club continues to build for the future.
After gaining coaching experience at various levels, van den Broek made the jump to professional soccer in Germany’s Bundesliga, joining as an assistant coach and second in command to head coach Robert de Pauw and helping to support the club in its sixth place finish during the 2023-24 season. After a year and a half in Germany, she followed de Pauw to England, joining the coaching staff of Aston Villa Women, continuing to expand her experience in one of Europe’s top leagues.
In 2025, van den Broek returned to her native country of the Netherlands to join the coaching staff of HERA United, the country’s first stand-alone women’s soccer club. Her work with HERA United further strengthened her coaching abilities and her dedication to the women’s game. Following the conclusion of the club’s season in May 2026, she has now accepted her first position overseas, joining the Utah Royals, bringing the international experience and diverse coaching background with her.
Away from the pitch, van den Broek attended Radbound University in the Netherlands, earning a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. She also earned an A Licence through the Union of European Football Associations in 2025. Her combination of education and coaching credentials, along with her experience in Germany, England and the Netherlands gives Utah Royals FC a coach with high-level experience and a proven commitment to the game of women’s soccer.
The Royals return to NWSL play on July 5 to take on the Chicago Stars at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. MT. The match is available to watch on CBS Sports Network and KMYU.
Utah
Edwin Munk Woolley — Obituary | Larkin Mortuary
Edwin Munk Woolley died on June 19, 2026, in a canyoneering accident in Zero Gravity canyon in the San Rafael Swell in Southern Utah. He was born October 28, 1974, in Salt Lake City, Utah to James and Jeanette Woolley. The youngest of four children, he exemplified all the best qualities of the baby in the family: funny, adaptable, sociable, and adventurous.
Growing up, he skied as soon as he could walk, excelled at Zim-Zam, roamed the Federal Heights foothills and threw snowballs at passing cars with his pack of life-long friends. Although his high school attendance record was less than stellar, he was a proud and committed member of the East High Leopard hockey team. Hockey was a huge part of his life and he cherished playing on a late-night team with some of his closest friends.
A life-long Utah enthusiast, he graduated from the University of Utah and lived in the Millcreek area of Salt Lake City. He served a faithful mission in Rome, Itay for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There he gained a love and appreciation for everything Italian, people, culture and especially the food. He built his career in various roles at Goldman Sach’s Salt Lake bank. He married Whitney Scott in the Salt Lake temple in 2006 and they had four children. Eddie’s family was the greatest joy of his life. He was a deeply engaged husband and father. He treasured his wife and cherished his children, supporting their pursuits and encouraging them through times good and bad.
Eddie was an excellent athlete and took full advantage of Utah’s outdoor opportunities. He was an expert skier, water-skier, and mountain biker. He also loved riding dirt bikes and helicopter-skied across the globe; he generally reveled in all things outdoors. He particularly loved introducing his children to all his activities, encouraging them with patience, humor, and occasionally a firm nudge.
He was an avid sports fan, cheering on the Utes, Mammoth and Dallas Cowboys and would follow a variety of professional teams and players, but only those who lived up to his exacting standards. As a devoted hockey fan, he was delighted when Salt Lake acquired a team and had strong opinions on name selection. Some of his favorite times were cheering on the Mammoths with his kids, all of whom he managed to convert into fans.
While he loved all the wild places, Snowbird, Southern Utah, and Hebgen Lake, Montana were favorites. Southern Utah brought adventure and challenge, while Hebgen meant water-skiing, boating, and meaningful time with family and friends. One of Eddie’s greatest passions in life was teaching his kids how to ski at his beloved ski resort, Snowbird. Eddie had a season pass at Snowbird ever since he was four years old.
Eddie had a gift for finding common ground and connection with everyone he met. He gave the good Samaritan a run for his money, always jumping in to help without reservation or complaint. He was up for any challenge, always with a positive, can-do attitude. He found purpose and comfort in the church and served admirably in many callings.
Eddie is survived by his adored wife, Whitney Scott Woolley, his four children, Sadie (17), Spencer (14), Savanna (9), and Lewis (7) Woolley, and his father James Woolley. In addition, his siblings (Sue, Calvin, and Camille), in-laws (Brad and Kathy Scott), nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends are bereft at the loss of his buoyant presence and will always treasure his memory.
Viewings will be held on Friday, June 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday, June 27, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Canyon Rim Stake Center, 3051 S. 2900 E., Salt Lake City, Utah 84109. Funeral services will be held at the Canyon Rim Stake Center on Saturday, June 27, at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 E. 1300 S., Salt Lake City, Utah.
A livestream of the funeral services can be accessed via the following link: Zoom Link
Utah
4 Prospects the Utah Jazz Could Trade Up to Draft in the Second Round
After landing Darryn Peterson at the top of Tuesday night’s first round, the Utah Jazz are heading into day two of the 2026 NBA Draft without a second round at their disposal.
However, with a front office like the one that’s in Utah, it’d be hard to truly count out the Jazz from making a trade throughout the night to jump into the second round, in the event there was a prospect the Ainges had a certain appeal for.
While most of the big names of this class have already been scooped up in the first 30 picks, there’s certainly a few both interesting and potentially valuable names to keep an eye on through the next 30.
And for the Jazz, a few of them could fit their current lineup or some specific needs well enough that would make sense to get back on the clock once again.
Let’s take a look at four prospects still left up for grabs on day two of the draft that could be a worthwhile pickup for the Jazz to consider trading up for.
Dillon Mitchell | F, St. Johns
An athletic forward fresh off of a season under Rick Pitino at St. John’s, trading up to add another D-Mitchell to Utah’s draft history might not be the worst idea here.
Offensively, he won’t bring a ton to the table, as he only averaged 8.3 points a night during his senior season and shot a rough 6.7% from three. What he does do is check a ton of boxes in terms of size at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, as well as his abilities as a defender, rebounder, and energy guy enough to warrant a look at the top half of the second round.
For the Jazz, perhaps they’d like to land on a more dynamic fit on both ends than Mitchell. But he sure would bring a nice spark on the defensive end that Utah could utilize after multiple lackluster years of production on that end of the floor.
Richie Saunders | G, BYU
A local product who spent four years with Brigham Young, Saunders might not fit exactly the type of mold on the defensive end that Utah could really covet here in the second round.
However, he does project to be a pretty seamless connecting wing with solid NBA size standing at 6-foot-5, has a strong outside shooting ability with a 38.7% clip from deep from his career, and should be able to at least hold his own on the other end.
He’d be a nice fit in Will Hardy’s system, and have a solid pro career as role player in the wing.
Trevon Brazile | F, Arkansas
If you’re looking for a lengthy, two-way impact player that could fit with the current standout size in this Jazz frontcourt, Brazile would be a perfect fit to bring in that would do just that.
He’s got great length standing at 6-foot-10, can be an ample shot blocker, is a threat at the rim who can finish well, stretches the floor, and on paper, looks like the type of piece in the frontcourt that many front offices around the league would love to get their hands on.
However, he has seen several questions regarding his lighter frame at 225 pounds, and has shown a lack of physicality and a real motor from his time at Arkansas. That same reason is why many GMs might turn away from taking a flier on him.
Jaden Bradley | G, Arizona
For the guards that are up for grabs in this range, Bradley has some of the best traits in terms of size at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and has the chance to be an impactful player on both ends of the floor as a solid playmaker and perimeter defender.
He wasn’t a high-volume scorer during his three years at Arizona, but he was efficient in his opportunities, shooting over 46% from the field and 39% from three on over nine shots a game. He could be a worthwhile dart throw to bring in for the back-end of the roster.
Another note that could make him a fun target for the Jazz: Bradley and Keyonte George are tight-knit from their days as teammates back at IMG Academy. So he’d be a pretty awesome fit into the locker room on top of the impact he offers on the floor.
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