Graduation marks the end of a sports career for most athletes except for pickup games and a few intramural games.  But for some MHS players, high school graduation is only a springboard into even greater playing opportunities.  The 2026 graduating class of Malad High School has been full of great athletes and a few of them are excited to lace up their game shoes at a whole new level.

Mikell Keetch

Anyone who really knew Mikell Keetch would know that this girl had big dreams of playing college 

Mikell Keetch

 basketball since she was little, even as young as eight years old.  And she meant it.  She had a passion for the game,  a competitive hunger to play the game at a higher level.  She was never concerned with being better than others, only playing better than she did the day before.

Accomplishing the dream didn’t come easy.  With a smaller stature and being a part of an extremely talented team, it took a lot of work to stand out for recruiters to see what Keetch had to offer to their programs.  To avoid being overlooked and so that colleges would see she was wanting to put her hat in the ring, Keetch began contacting college programs and coaches.  She said, “I emailed highlights to every possible college that I could and had more phone calls than I can count with them.”  

As a way to both improve playing and widen her network, Keetch played on a AAU travel team.  Playing on a different stage with coaches primed to help athletes make that jump, Keetch was able to connect with an even wider network of colleges.  

Going into her junior year, all the hard work began to pay off and her dream was becoming a reality.  Return calls and emails suddenly turned into connections and offers from college coaches.  In total, Keetch received nearly 20 offers to play at the next level from college  in “Maine to California and everywhere in between.”  That’s when it hit her that she had accomplished her goal, that she would get to keep playing the game she loved.  “It felt crazy and so good that this was actually happening for me!” Keetch shared with excitement.

Earning a runner up state title with her team in the 2025 basketball season fueled what would become her best year on the court.  She wasn’t content to just put in the scheduled practice time on the court but would spend hours outside of the gym shooting, running through drills, and conditioning to push to become an even greater athlete.  Through it all she became a threat on the court coaches feared and a recruit colleges wanted.

Keetch finished her senior year with a champion state title as well being named a number of times to the All-Conference team, All-tournament team, and the defensive player of the year.  She was poised and ready to make the next step, it was just a matter of where.

Schools in Tennessee, New York, and Washington caught Keetch’s eye as she learned about their programs, schools, teams and academic programs.  But it was Western Nebraska Community College that caught her heart.  She explained, “Ultimately it was the best fit.  They made the best offer, paying for my school and room and board.  I also felt a good connection to the coaches and trainer and the town felt like home.”

Stepping up her game comes with a lot of emotions but Keetch is undeniably excited to play basketball at a higher level and with new teammates that have the same drive and goals.  She also admits how excited she is to not only be accomplishing her dream of playing basketball, but to also be working towards her goal of becoming a nurse, saying “I am excited to get my school paid for while doing what I love.”

Keetch isn’t done setting goals now that she has secured her place on a college team.  Moving to this new stage, she hopes to use this opportunity as a stepping stone, a place to learn and develop but also connect her with other programs and colleges at the next level.  Outside of basketball and her academic goals, Keetch also wants to improve in little things, from playing the piano to traveling the world.  

She would never admit that she accomplished this dream on her own.  Along the way, Keetch had countless coaches, teammates and mentors that encouraged, sacrificed and pushed her to accomplish such a feat.  She shared, “The people that impacted me the most were my parents. They have taken me everywhere for basketball. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without them. 

“My dad always taught me to not quit when life gets hard. He constantly drilled in my head “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” And so I’ve worked hard no matter how frustrating life has gotten.  I’m grateful for that trait he has gifted in me.” 

She continued, “My mom, who has listened to my rants, has been there for me when I felt like I couldn’t go on and carried me through life. She helped me feel confident and know that I am worthy. I know she loves me and will climb mountains for me just to see me succeed. I know that with their support I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.”

In her circle of supporters she also named Trisha Beutler, who has done multiple training sessions with Keetch and has given crucial advice, Alex Probst who took the time to string together her highlight videos, and Allison Eliason, who as a coach she considered to be more like a second mom.  High school coaches Trevor Jones, Tyson Daniels and Joe Miller helped champion and cheer along the way as she made her way to this exciting goal.

Joining the WNCC Wildcat basketball team is only a beginning for Keetch as she steps onto a new stage.  The future is bright and only time will demonstrate what this MHS star will ultimately accomplish.

Carter Carey 

As a standout athlete in multiple sports, it was no surprise that Carter Carey wouldn’t let something like high school graduation keep him from playing.  The only question was what sport?  Being a leader on both the basketball court and the baseball field, in the end it was his lifelong love of baseball that pushed him to choose that route.  Really thinking about it, the dream to play college baseball was always in his heart, even as a little boy.

For years Malad has had a dominating baseball team, stacking together dozens of district 

Carter Carey

 championships, state tournament appearances, and numerous state titles.  Carey has played a large part in that legacy over the last four years.  

Playing catcher for the Dragons, Carter had a perspective and a responsibility no other player on the field had- seeing the whole game before him and not just reacting to what was playing out in his space.  He had a responsibility to act as the strategist of the team by calling pitches, managing the pitcher’s emotions and rhythm, and reading hitters and runners. 

As a catcher also had to carry major defensive responsibilities, including blocking pitches, preventing stolen bases, and directing the defense. The physically demanding asked him to endure constant squatting, foul tips, collisions, and quick reactions on every pitch. More than any other position, a catcher combines leadership, toughness, communication, and game intelligence.  Qualities Carey surely had.

Going into his junior year, Carey began to believe that his lifelong love of baseball and that thought “maybe someday” could actually happen.  But he knew it wasn’t something that “might” happen unless he was intentional with not only his training but his attitude and lifestyle.  Tailoring things from his at home practice sessions to smart nutrition became the norm for Carey.  Putting in the time, effort, and sacrifices in multiple ways was worth it for the rising baseball star.  Not only did he and his team accomplish great things but that discipline developed him as a player ready for the next level.

Carey wasn’t about to sit back and see what fate had to offer.  He went to work compiling stats and videos, posting them to multiple recruiting sites, sending them to so many colleges he lost track of where he had sent them.  It took time and patience waiting to hear that there was a college looking for a player like him.  While he waited, Carey never stopped, as he put it, working his tail off to develop and sharpen his skills.

Finally the replies and offers he was hoping for began trickling in, enough that it would take some hard choices to narrow down to the one program he would sign his name to.  It was St. Cloud Tech Community College in Minnesota that stood out among the rest for Carey.  He shared, “I chose this school because I really liked the coaches and their philosophies, I like that it’s a winning culture and they want to keep that going.  Also, it’s a great school to start my academics.”

The years of baseball in Malad have fond memories for Carey, from tournament weekends spent together as a team to winning the state championship in his junior year.  Those core moments helped shape his love of the game and drive to become more.  With that foundation, Carey is especially looking forward to honing in on the details of the game at a different level.  He is excited to see what he can contribute to keeping that winning tradition alive at St. Cloud.

There are countless fans and mentors that helped Carey get to where he is today, a handful especially standing out to the senior player.  Coach Jeff Snow, his coach that led their team to the 2025 state title, played a large part in Carey’s growth mentally and physically as a player.  Constantly teaching him, “Let no one outwork you,” Carey’s developed a whole new mindset as a player.  

Carey’s dad spent countless hours with a ball in hand.   “I want to thank my dad for always being my personal trainer and helping me with everything from hitting to catching,” he shared.  From the sidelines, his mom was always his biggest fan even though, “She doesn’t really know what’s going on.”  

It may have begun as his own hope and dream, but playing baseball on a bigger field became a dream of a loving and supporting community that could see a bigger future ready for the taking.  

Bostyn Burbidge 

He admits that his running career focused far more on the social opportunities, hanging  with friends and goofing around, than actually running.  But along the way there was a breakthrough moment when Bostyn Burbidge realized, “I can really do this,“ that he began to wonder what more he could accomplish running.

 His love for running began at a young age.  In third grade something clicked for Burbidge that running wasn’t a chore or a means to better conditioning, but instead something that made his body and mind feel alive.  All along the way,  his parents, coaches and other mentors knew there was an untapped potential within him, he just had to realize it.

In his sophomore year of cross country, the MHS boys team beat Soda Springs for the first time in several years, an exciting accomplishment for their team.  In fact, it was the first time in 20 years that Malad had taken a full team of runners and not just individual qualifiers to the state 

Bostyn Burbidge

 meet.  Racing against the best in the state and helping his team earn a fourth place finish, Burbidge realized there was a lot more for him to tap into.  

He began putting in the word, tallying hundreds of miles in his running shoes to get his lungs and legs in the best shape he could to compete.  Racing his junior year, he began to rise to the top, dominating in cross country and track where he set both the school XC record and the 1600-meter school record.  

As he continued to train and compete, his times continued to drop.  In his senior year, Burbidge re-broke the XC school record, set a division record, and helped break the school records in the 3200 and medley relay.  He dropped nearly three minutes from his season best time of his sophomore year when things clicked to his personal best of 15:18 at the IHSAA cross country state meet where he, individually and as a team, won first place.  

Choosing consistency, discipline, and to trust the process Burbidge grew from a “skinny runner who lacked confidence and motivation” to a multi-event state champion with a drive and desire to not just compete but to win.  

Seeing doors opening for a future in running, Burbidge dove headlong into the fray.  He received praises and offers from colleges around the country, but he had his eyes set on Utah State University early on.  He made the first move, taking the initiative to make a connection that would ultimately lead to an official signing for the Aggies.  

Utah State was always top of his list but he finally signed his name to their team because it felt like the best fit both athletically and personally.  He shared,  “My high school coach trained us in a style very similar to Coach Gulden’s philosophy, so I felt like the transition would be smooth. The facilities are top-tier, and the team culture is extremely competitive, which is something I wanted to be part of.“

His running dream isn’t just a single minded venture but also something he sees will help grow and develop him as a person. Pushing to accomplish something that requires discipline, commitment, and consistency while also taking him through moments of failure and frustration, he knows those attributes will also help him with other goals.  Other goals like serving a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and receiving his degree either as an AutoCAD technician or accounting to run the books for the family business.  

Burbidge expressed a special thanks to his parents that he says have played a huge role in his success.  He shared, “They supported me through every stage of my journey and gave me the opportunities and encouragement to keep improving.”  Being a part of the MHS XC and track teams, Burbidge had several coaches and teammates that help train and inspire him in ways he never could have done alone.