Brighton athletes receive honors on and off the field of play. The academic all-state designation from the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) awarded to 10 Brighton students for the winter trimester is among the highest of those honors. It indicates both excellence in the student-athlete as well as school rigor. 

"We are incredibly proud to have 10 athletes honored as Academic All-State recipients. These student-athletes embody the ideal balance between academic excellence and athletic achievement,” said Brighton Principal Marielle Rawle. “It’s no easy task to compete at the varsity level while maintaining high academic standards, and these athletes have shown remarkable dedication, discipline and time management. They truly represent the best of what it means to be a student-athlete at Brighton High School. Their success is a reflection of the strong commitment to excellence that we foster in both academics and athletics at Brighton.” 

Academic all-state awards are typically given to only 10 senior student athletes for each 5A sport across the state. The awarded students maintain a near-perfect 4.0 grade point average to qualify to be among the top in their sport. They must also be seniors competing at the varsity level in their sport. 

Brighton wrestling coach Burke Gappmayer expressed his praise for his son Jarom Gappmayer who is a state qualifying wrestler and a 4.0 student (all four years). “Everyone who knows Jarom knows how smart he is, and he is very smart, but he has worked extremely hard to achieve the success he has in both academics and in wrestling. After watching how hard he works and how much he cares, it is no surprise that he finds success in all he does,” the coach said. 

Jarom 

Gappmayer now adds Academic All-State student-athlete to his list of accomplishments. 

The Brighton trimesters aligns near seamlessly with the three sports seasons: fall, winter and spring. For the winter sports season the Brighton academic all-state winners are: 

Kira Amevor-girls basketball

Sophie Nielsen-girls basketball

Paige Ballstaedt-cheer

Clark Nelson-boys swimming

Jackson Evensen-boys swimming

Nathan Moehle-boys swimming

Audrey Kessinger-girls swimming

Gabriela Viana-girls swimming

Kate Johns-girls swimming

Jarom Gappmayer-boys wrestling

The nomination process is found at UHSAA.org