American Fork High School
Encyclopedia
American Fork High School is a public high school
in American Fork, Utah
. Its mascot
is the Caveman
, chosen as a tribute to Timpanogos Cave. Other High Schools in the United States with the Caveman as their mascot include Cave City High School in northern Arkansas
, Grants Pass High School in Southern Oregon
, Mishawaka High School in Indiana
, Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad, New Mexico
, and Kuna High School (Kavemen) in Southern Idaho
. The Cavemen currently play in Class 5A and Region IV. The school's girls' basketball team won the 2008-2009 Utah 5A state championship against Riverton High School, winning 51-40. In 2009 the boys and girls cross country teams won the 5A state championships, and in 2010 the boys team went back for a repeat with another state championship. The school is perhaps best known for its award-winning marching band
, which has regularly reached the final rounds of national championships, performed in high-profile parades, and been the state champion for over 20 years.
In 2009, the girls' team also won a State championship, and has placed well in years since.
has been invited to parades across the nation, and have performed at Bands of America
(BOA) competitions on multiple occasions. In January 2005, they participated in President George W. Bush
's inaugural parade. In 2007, they traveled to New York City
to become the only band from Utah ever to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2008, the band placed 1st at the BOA Regional in Las Vegas
, becoming the reigning Western Regional Champions, the only band from Utah ever to win the title. The band then won the Western Regional competition in 2009. In 2010 and 2011 the band placed 2nd overall.
The band has consisted of 200+ members for the past several years. The band has a tradition of honoring deceased current students and teachers by using a missing man formation
, which has happened at least four times in the last two decades. Recently, a band instructor died in a bus accident while attempting to prevent a crash.
In 2008, the American Fork High School Marching Band traveled to Indianapolis, IN for the Bands of America
Grand National Championships. They made it to the semifinals and placed 14th out of nearly 90 bands. At the 2009 BOA Grand National Competition, the AF Marching Band was presented with the Esprit de Corps award. They also placed 15th in the nation when they competed in one of the most competitive years Grand Nationals has ever seen. In 2010, American Fork was one of the three recipients of the Sudler Shield.
The band has been selected to perform in the 2012 New Year's Day Rose Parade
in Pasadena, California
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in American Fork, Utah
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
. Its mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is the Caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
, chosen as a tribute to Timpanogos Cave. Other High Schools in the United States with the Caveman as their mascot include Cave City High School in northern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Grants Pass High School in Southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Mishawaka High School in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
, and Kuna High School (Kavemen) in Southern Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The Cavemen currently play in Class 5A and Region IV. The school's girls' basketball team won the 2008-2009 Utah 5A state championship against Riverton High School, winning 51-40. In 2009 the boys and girls cross country teams won the 5A state championships, and in 2010 the boys team went back for a repeat with another state championship. The school is perhaps best known for its award-winning marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
, which has regularly reached the final rounds of national championships, performed in high-profile parades, and been the state champion for over 20 years.
Cross-Country
After many years of successful State campaigns (2nd place in '07 and '08), the Cavemen took care of "Unfinished Business" by winning their first State Championship in '09. The Cavemen went undefeated in Utah, and shattered the State record by 90 seconds behind individual State record holder Austin West. They went on to win NXN-SW and was ranked #1 in the nation by ESPN-RISE, the network's high school website. In 2010, they again went undefeated in the state of Utah, decimating every course record, culminating in breaking their own State record by more than 30 seconds. They were again ranked #1 nationally for a time by ESPN-RISE. State champion Clayton Young led the charge, coming in first for a Caveman team that placed 5 in the top 8. They again went on to win NXN-SW in record fashion. In 2011, despite graduating nearly all their varsity runners, the Cavemen again went undefeated in the state of Utah. They barely edged out Davis for their 3rd straight State Championship, behind individual champion MacKenzie Morrison. Currently, they are again ranked #1 in the nation by ESPN-RISE.In 2009, the girls' team also won a State championship, and has placed well in years since.
Cheerleading
American Fork High's cheer squad, in 08-09, took 2nd place at Cheerleading Nationals in Anaheim, California. In 09-10 they took 1st place at 4 regional competitions, including taking 1st place in the state of Utah. That same year they took 2nd place at Nationals. Currently, in the 2010-2011 season, the cheerleaders took 1st place at every regional competition, including taking 1st place in state. They competed at United Spirit Association cheerleading nationals on March 26, 2011, and took 2nd place.Marching band
The American Fork High School Marching BandMarching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
has been invited to parades across the nation, and have performed at Bands of America
Bands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
(BOA) competitions on multiple occasions. In January 2005, they participated in President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's inaugural parade. In 2007, they traveled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to become the only band from Utah ever to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
In 2008, the band placed 1st at the BOA Regional in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, becoming the reigning Western Regional Champions, the only band from Utah ever to win the title. The band then won the Western Regional competition in 2009. In 2010 and 2011 the band placed 2nd overall.
The band has consisted of 200+ members for the past several years. The band has a tradition of honoring deceased current students and teachers by using a missing man formation
Missing man formation
The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flyover of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot. The missing man formation is often called "the missing man flyby"...
, which has happened at least four times in the last two decades. Recently, a band instructor died in a bus accident while attempting to prevent a crash.
In 2008, the American Fork High School Marching Band traveled to Indianapolis, IN for the Bands of America
Bands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Grand National Championships. They made it to the semifinals and placed 14th out of nearly 90 bands. At the 2009 BOA Grand National Competition, the AF Marching Band was presented with the Esprit de Corps award. They also placed 15th in the nation when they competed in one of the most competitive years Grand Nationals has ever seen. In 2010, American Fork was one of the three recipients of the Sudler Shield.
The band has been selected to perform in the 2012 New Year's Day Rose Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Notable alumni
- Derek Smith (linebacker)Derek Smith (linebacker)Derek Mecham Smith is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
, Former NFL linebacker . - Bronco MendenhallBronco Mendenhall-Personal life:Mendenhall has three children: Raeder-Steel, Breaker, and Cutter. Mendenhall is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-External links:**- References :...
, head coach of Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
's football team. - Eric Franson, Big West ConferenceBig West ConferenceThe Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
Player of the Year for Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
's basketball team. - Julie B. BeckJulie B. BeckJulie Bangerter Beck has been the general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 31 March 2007...
, Relief Society General President of LDS Church. - Merrill J. BatemanMerrill J. BatemanMerrill Joseph Bateman is an emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy of the church...
, general authority in LDS Church and former president of Brigham Young University