Youth Sports Alliance honors Park City’s next generation at Circle of Excellence awards night

Get Out And Play athletes in front, along with Program Director Heather Sims and Olympians with former YSA athletes/elite global competitors. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — The Youth Sports Alliance held its annual Circle of Excellence awards ceremony Monday at the Park City Library, recognizing athlete achievement across multiple sports. Past recipients turned Olympic athletes, including 2026 Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Farquharson, returned to celebrate with the next generation.

The event featured a panel discussion with former YSA athletes before awards were announced by emcees Carl Roepke and Ryan Walsh.

“Circle of Excellence is one of my favorite events that we do, because athletes are recognized in front of the whole community instead of just their team,” YSA Executive Director Emily Fisher told TownLift. “It was really special to have former Circle of Excellence award winners here and able to speak directly with members of the next generation.”

The seven competitive teams in the Youth Sports Alliance are Wasatch Freestyle, Park City Ski & Snowboard, Figure Skating Club of Park City, Park City Speed Skating Club, Ice Miners Hockey, Wasatch Luge and Utah Olympic Park Bobsled & Skeleton.

Eight categories of awards were presented throughout the evening.

Alivia Broughton, Awstyn Knight and Dylan Taylor received the Leadership Award, which Fisher called arguably the most important of the eight categories.

“Every year, I remember how much I looked forward to these awards, and how celebrating even the smallest things, even just a fun season, was so cool to me at this age,” Farquharson told TownLift. “So, getting to come back and show what’s possible was super fun.”

Ian Carmack, Sadie Rifkin, Cruz Brimley, Mason Schwarzenbach and Dashiell Williams were nominated for the Sam Jackenthal Showstopper of the Year Award, which recognizes a singular, outstanding moment in sport rather than any particular result.

Sister and brother figure skating partners Maddie and Mat Penafiel won the Breakthrough Performance of the Year Award.
The ACTiV8 Core Values Award — representing sportsmanship, perseverance, optimism, respect and teamwork — went to middle school athletes Aspen Denton and Anthony Tapioca.

Core values awards were also presented to elementary school athletes in the Youth Sports Alliance’s Get Out And Play program:

The All-Star Award recognizes athletes who attain significant results in regional competition went to: 

These Champion Award winners earned a top-five national ranking in their sport, represented their country in international competition, or attained top results at a national or international level competition:

Ali and Lauren Macuga were on stage to hand out awards and offer advice — and got to watch their mother, Amy, win the Spirit of Service Award. Amy and her husband, Dan, were recognized for countless hours of volunteerism that have advanced the landscape of youth sports in Park City, benefiting the entire community beyond their four elite-level skier children.

Olympians Stephen Schumann and Jana Lindsey-Johnson were inducted into the YSA Hall of Fame. Schumann is a Park City native, Park City Ski & Snowboard alumnus and coach, graduate of the Winter Sports School and 2022 Olympian in Nordic combined. Lindsey-Johnson is a two-time Olympic aerial skier, longtime Park City Ski & Snowboard coach and current program manager for the Youth Sports Alliance.

The Youth Sports Alliance itself has earned recognition in recent years, including the 2024 President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership Award, the 2024 Defender Service Award for Outdoor Accessibility & Education, the 2022 Russell Wilder Award from U.S. Ski & Snowboard and designation as a 2022 Aspen Institute Project Play Champion.