Cedar Hills Champions

There are many Cedar Hills residents who achieve noteworthy accomplishments in academics, athletics, leadership, arts, business, community service, etc. This page was created to recognize some of these outstanding people. Eligibility is open to all Cedar Hills residents, young and old. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured on this page, please complete a nomination form and submit it to the City office for consideration.

Nicole Graf
With all the community service one Cedar Hills woman has done and is currently doing, it is little wonder she has been chosen as a member of the 2010 Days of '47 royalty. Nicole Graf, the second attendant this year, has contributed to putting smiles on the faces of children in Third World countries, worked with orphans in Ensenada, Mexico, has a buddy in Lindon as part of the "Best Buddies Utah" program and has volunteered at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Click here to read the Daily Herald article.

Mattea Denney
A Cedar Hills elementary school student recently harvested a nice chunk of cabbage (the kind you can put in a bank) on account of previously harvesting a cabbage (the kind you eat) that was a pretty impressive chunk: 27 pounds. "I wasn't quite sure what would happen," 9-year-old Mattea Denney said of planting the tiny cabbage start sent home with her from school. "I thought it would just die." Instead, the cabbage ended up being wider (about four feet) than Mattea is tall, crowding out the pepper plants and earning its initially pessimistic grower a college seed fund of $1,000 from vegetable, herb and flower transplant supplier Bonnie Plants. Click here to read the Daily Herald story.

Wendie Edwards
If there is one thing Cedar Hills resident Wendie Edwards doesn't want to be, it's stereotyped. Sure the BYU graduate, a former head cheerleader who grew up to marry her college sweetheart and have nine children, might seem easy to classify. But try to force her into that mold, and the champion arm wrestler, power lifter and Olympic lifter is likely to make you cry for your own mama. Click here to read the Deseret News story.

Zach Holley
There are not many 11-year-olds who have the opportunity to fly across the country to visit Washington, D.C. There are even fewer that get to do it alone. Zach Holley, of Cedar Hills, did so when he went to the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in the nation's capital. Click here to read the Daily Herald story.

Chris McCullock
Cedar Hills resident Chris McCullock thought the thud at his front door late at night on Dec. 1, 2008, was a sign of vandalism. But Chris is the man who ended up saving the life of his neighbor, Marcus Parmenter, after he had been allegedly stabbed in the neck by his roommate. McCullock was recognized for his lifesaving efforts at Cedar Hills city hall on Jan. 6, 2009. "I just did what anyone would have done, because there was no other choice," explained McCullock humbly. Click here to read the Daily Herald story and view a video of Chris explaining what had happened.

Scott & Courtney Rasband and Jathon & Jennifer Strauss
These two energetic, fun-loving couples formed Team Cedar Hills to enter Utah Valley's first-ever 24-Hour Race, and they WON! They drove from Sundance to Mt. Nebo and Rock Canyon to Eagle Mountain to compete for a trip to Cancun by earning points through a series of mental, physical, and emotional "challenge tasks" (including driving golf balls at the Cedar Hills Golf Club), which highlighted all the fun things to see, taste, and do in Utah Valley. Click here to read their detailed race experience. Go, Team Cedar Hills!

Debbie Besselievre
Three years ago, Elliot Cardon was born---10 weeks premature. His grandmother, Cedar Hills resident Debbie Besselievre, saw a need and set out to fill it. Three years later she is devoting a lot of time making made-to-order preemie tees to help parents bond with their premature infants and to help make the preemies "look more normal." Read the news article here.

Jeanette Bennett
Jeanette is the editor of Utah Valley Magazine, Utah Valley BusinessQ, and Utah Valley Bride. She oversees the story selection, writing, editing, and proofing of the magazine pages. Jeanette is known for waking up in the middle of the night worrying about comma placement. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from BYU and has worked at the New Era Magazine, Deseret News, and Utah Business Magazine. For two years, she was a communications and English instructor at BYU-Idaho. When she's not hovering over her laptop, Jeanette enjoys reading to her three children, watching the stock market, and spending time with family.

Scott Montrose
Born with a heart problem, Scott has had eight open heart surgeries and has a pace maker. His heart condition has helped him gain a better sense of life outside of high school. "It's not just about, 'Do I look good today?'" he explains. "High school is important, but there are things I need to be more concerned with." Scott was chosen by Utah Valley Magazine as one of 14 high school students who are most likely to change the world. To read the article, click here.

Tom and Rebecca Gleason
Deerfield Elementary School is getting its fourth annual play ready, put together by an all-volunteer group of neighbors. Heading up the entourage producing "Robin Hood" with a cast of more than a hundred kids are Thomas and Rebecca Gleason. Producing the plays is a yearlong experience for the Gleasons. When the play ends, Rebecca will relax a few days, then start writing next year's play. Read the Deseret Morning News article here.

Steve Kroes' half acre in Cedar Hills is a yard act to follow
Steve Kroes is a businessman by day, gardener by night and weekend. Raised by a flower-and-vegetable-gardening mother, Steve helped in the yard and designed a few flowerbeds as a teen. But he says it didn't become a full-grown passion until he and his wife bought their first condo. Look at the two-page spread in Utah Valley Magazine.

Chad & Michelle Lewis
Not only did Chad Lewis haul in an impressive 111 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns during his career in a Cougar uniform, but he was also an Academic All-American his senior year. Add his numerous NFL achievements to the mix (three-time Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles), and his resume is downright scary. However, in a ceremony held the night before his former team's 42-7 drubbing of Eastern Washington on Saturday [October 20, 2007], Lewis may have reached the pinnacle of his career. It was there that the former walk-on was inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame. Chad joins his wife, Michelle, as a member of the prestigious hall of fame. She was a former volleyball standout, helping the Cougars to the Final Four in 1993. To read the entire article and view pictures, click here.

Jeff Phillippi wins Farms 5K
Jeff Phillippi was simply looking for a way to get in better shape for his soccer exploits when he took up running two years ago. The 31-year-old Cedar Hills resident had started playing in an indoor soccer league, and he quickly discovered he could definitely use a fitness boost. Click here to read more of the Deseret Morning News article published August 10, 2007.

Sean Broderick
There is something about having someone cheer for you that helps brings out the best in individual performances. A second wind is achieved, intensity is heightened and sometimes records are broken. Upsets are recorded and sometimes great and illogical things are accomplished. Click here to read more....

Ben Powell and Christian Lopez
Ben Powell, 8, was one of the youngest vendors in Heritage Park at the Cedar Hills Family Festival on July 21, 2007. All of his proceeds from his sales of freshly squeezed lemonade went to the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Christian Lopez, 14, did his Eagle Scout project by working as a vendor at the Cedar Hills Family Festival on July 21, 2007. Parents and children lined up Saturday at his booth for free safety kits, which included fingerprint and DNA samples. Click here to read their stories....

Samuel Brady
Sam Brady, a junior at Lone Peak High School, received Congressional Award Bronze and Silver medals from U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon on January 8, 2007. Click here to read the the Deseret Morning News article.

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