Friday, Jun. 20, 2008

Class of Their Own

Carroll Senior Athletes Left Indelible Mark on Dragons Program

By Zach Warner

Staff Writer

Winning is a tradition at Carroll. Anything less than success in each of the school’s sports doesn’t sit well with its athletes, who want to keep the Dragons’ thriving heritage intact.

Although assembling winning teams throughout the entire athletic program is a practice that’s been in place at Carroll for many years, several graduating athletes helped set the bar even higher during their years competing for the school.

Carroll captured nine team championships over the last four years, the most ever during that span in the school’s history, while several individual state titles were captured as well.

This recent graduating class contained many special players whose impact on the program will be felt for years to come. Here’s a look at some of the top boys and girls athletes that helped make Dragon athletics an all-around success between 2004 and 2008.

Carroll Boys

Colby Lowe. Lowe, a star in both cross country and track, finished his impressive career in May by capturing his seventh gold medal at a 5A state meet. Winning the 1,600 and 3,200 races at the state track meet marked his fourth and fifth track titles. Lowe also has two individual state titles in cross country, finishing first at the 5A race in 2006 and 2007 to help the Carroll boys capture second place as a team both years. Besides gold, Lowe has two silver medals in his collection as well.

Riley Dodge. Son of former Carroll football coach Todd Dodge, Riley Dodge could operate the spread offense with the greatest of ease. The Dragons quarterback was a part of two state championship teams his sophomore and junior years, earning the title of 5A Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 as the first-year varsity starter. This past season, Dodge guided Carroll to an 11-2 record that ended in an injury and a halt to the Dragons’ 20 consecutive playoff wins. Dodge passed for 8,143 yards and 101 touchdowns in three varsity seasons.

Wil Singley. Bursting onto the swimming scene as a freshman, Singley continued to improve each year. Setting school records and registering All-American times along the way, Singley captured or contributed to five medals at state during his career. He earned gold individually in the 500 free as a senior and was on the first-place 400 free relay team as a junior, both the first golds earned by Carroll since swimming at the 5A level. He also captured two additional silvers (200 free, senior; 500 free, junior) and a bronze (500 free, junior).

Robert Prigmore. Coming into the wrestling program with high expectations as a freshman, Prigmore drew closer and closer to his goal of earning the state title in the sport. Competing in the 189-pound division, Prigmore finished third in state as a sophomore, finished as the runner-up in a very close title match as a junior and ended his high school career by capturing the gold via a defeat of Canyon Randall’s Joseph Flores at state this past February. The title was Carroll’s first in wrestling.

Edgardo Padilla. Padilla was the Dragons boys soccer team’s leading scorer as a freshman and a constant threat as a sophomore and junior for Carroll. A strong supporting player as a sophomore who developed into the Dragons’ primary offensive weapon as a junior and senior, Padilla was one of the top scorers in the area this spring with 29 goals and 15 assists. Carroll made it to the playoffs each of his last three seasons with the team.

Carroll Girls

Regan Soldner. Although her basketball teams never challenged for a state title, Soldner was a steady force for the Lady Dragons throughout her career. Helping lead her team to the playoffs three out of four seasons, Soldner became the go-to player for her team as a junior and senior, during which time she averaged 13.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Soldner was the leading scorer and rebounder for her team as a senior, helping spur her team to a 5-5A district title and a 28-7 overall record.

Lani Huntley. A defensive star for the Carroll girls soccer team each of her four years on the team, Huntley helped Carroll reach the playoffs every year. But her notoriety as a defender reached new heights her senior year when the Lady Dragons’ shut out their opponents 24 times en route to the 5A state championship, the Carroll girls team’s first title. Known as the 'Brick Wall,’ the Carroll defense was spearheaded by Huntley, as the team went 24-4-4 for the season.

Kalie Presti. Presti, a four-year letterman on the Lady Dragons golf team, helped usher in a new era of success for the Carroll girls program. Shooting a 152 at state her junior year, Presti was the Lady Dragons’ second-leading performer and helped her team finish third at state, the team’s former best showing. As a senior this spring, Presti stepped it up to finish tied for ninth at state as Carroll’s best performer, spurring the Lady Dragons on to their first state title in the history of the program.

Taylor Stephens. Although rarely the top runner for the Carroll girls cross country team, Stephens was a consistent member for the Lady Dragons who could be counted on for a good race. Stephens finished 11th at the 5A state cross country meet each of the last two seasons, the third runner to cross the finish line for Carroll in 2007 and the second one in 2006. The senior’s effort was a key in the Lady Dragons’ ability to capture three consecutive state titles dating to 2005.

Caitlin Baran. A Carroll varsity swimmer all four seasons, Baran qualified for four state events as a freshman and returned her junior and senior seasons. Bouncing back from a sophomore season in which she was slowed by a sinus infection, Baran reached state as a junior and senior. Helping the team rack up points by competing in four events, the Lady Dragons took ninth at state, Carroll’s best finish at the state swim meet since moving up to the 5A classification in 2003.