Five MHS students earn double Academic All-State awards

As reported earlier, 23 Academic All-State awards were earned by MHS students in the Spring. Two students, Lindsay Birt and Ashlyn Noss, received three awards over the course of the year (see June 14 edition). Five additional students earned the award twice this year. Londyn Elmer, Preston Johnson, Gavin Olsen, Talmadge Sommers and Abby Titus each won two Academic All-State awards during the 2023-204 school year. In addition to sports, Academic All-State awards are presented to students in the Performing Arts Activities: Speech Debate, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, and Theater. Elmer, Johnson and Olsen were featured last week, and this week wraps up coverage with Talmadge Sommers and Abby Titus, both members of state championship teams at Morgan.

Talmadge Sommers earned his first Academic All-State award in the fall for football and his second Academic All-State award this spring for track. Talmadge won a state championship with the football team and a second this year with the track team.

“I am honored to receive this award because it’s nice to know that all the hard work that I put in over the years has paid off and is being recognized,” Sommers said. “It motivates me to continue striving to increase my abilities and knowledge.”

He plans to continue to expand his knowledge as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and then when he returns, he will attend Weber State to finish his associate’s degree that he started while in high school.

Sommers shared sage words of advice about procrastination for all future student-athletes. “Balancing athletics and academics was not easy. There were many late nights or bus rides home spent studying for assignments and tests. The biggest help that I found was avoiding procrastination because if I could get stuff done ahead of time, it was less stressful.”

He continued, “Time management was also a huge contributor to balancing academics and athletics. Understanding how to effectively manage my time in order to make sure I could get homework done. Between practice, lifting, film, traveling, as well as games and meets, my schedule was very busy, but I learned how to manage my time well so that I was able to complete all my academic work in time.”

Another multiple state champion, Abby Titus also received two Academic All-State Awards in her senior sports: basketball and track. Titus was a member of the 2021 and 2023 state championship basketball teams, the 2023 state championship girls track team, and the 2020 girls’ soccer state championship team. In 2024, she added an individual state championship in the high jump to her medal collection.

Titus will attend Weber State in the fall to pursue a career as a nurse. “I also have the amazing opportunity to compete for the Weber State track team next year, and I am very excited for it,” she said. “I am still talking to the coaches to finalize all the details.”

Titus will continue to use her balancing talents in college as she once again juggles academics and athletics. “Balancing both academics and athletics was something I had to learn to do early in my high school career. I played two or more sports all four years of high school as well as kept good grades and participated in my other clubs and organizations.”

This was very tough, she said. “It took lots of sleepless nights and very early mornings, so I could finish homework that was due the next day or so I could finish watching film for my sports practice the next day. I also had a lot of help from all of my coaches and teachers. They were very understanding and were willing to help me in any way that they could to help balance my schedule.”

“I also had help from my family and friends because they were also very understanding when it came to wanting to hang out or go somewhere and I couldn’t because I was either studying or staying late at practice. All I can say is it took a lot of hard work and sacrifices to balance both academics and athletics but the rewards of doing so were very worth it. I couldn’t have done it alone and I am so grateful to all the people who helped me balance my busy schedule.”

She concluded, “I am proud to earn the Academic All-State Award because it is a result of all the hard work I put into my academics and sports. I worked so hard all four years of high school to maintain good grades as well as be a competitive athlete in both basketball and track. This really showed me what hard work and determination can do, and also that I am capable of great things.”