Utah women’s basketball sophomores Gianna Kneepkens and Jenna Johnson, along with a group of other Utes student-athletes, participated in the Ute Leadership Academy, a 10-week program that culminated in a weeklong stay in Ecuador.
From left, Utah's Kennady McQueen , Gianna Kneepkens and Jenna Johnson celebrate after defeating Oregon in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Pac-12 women's tournament Friday, March 4, 2022, in Las Vegas.Nestled deep in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador is Verde Sumaco, a small village accessible only by an hours-long canoe ride in water that sometimes wasn’t deep enough to keep it afloat.
The 2022-23 season, though, should feature them even more with the graduations of Dru Gylten, Andrea Torres, Brynna Maxwell and Maka Jackson. Knowing that they’d be expected to up their leadership, the pair thought applying for the academy made sense, especially after first learning about it from Gylten’s experience the year before.
Utes sophomore women's basketball player Jenna Johnson paints the nails of a villager in Verde Sumaco, Ecuador. “Being able to develop in those leadership areas is important because people are watching you,” Kneepkens said. “If you can learn to do the right thing when you’re younger rather than older, that can be an impact on someone else, even if you don’t know them.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah Utes mailbag: Should Utah fans worry whether or not Tavion Thomas plays?Utah Utes mailbag: 'What adjustments can Utah’s defense make between now and Washington State to help put them in Pac-12 title contention?” - RichieOstler
Read more »
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham keeps quiet on Tavion Thomas’ status as Utes enter bye weekIn the aftermath of an emotionally charged 43-42 win over previously-unbeaten USC at Rice-Eccles Stadium, ESPN 700 reported that Thomas had taken his pads off and left the game early.
Read more »
Perspective | Women are the best thing about ‘NHL 23’From LauncherWP | Perspective: Women are the best thing about “NHL 23”
Read more »
Ice Castles set to reopen for 12th season in MidwayOne of Utah's most popular winter attractions is getting set to return for its 12th season in Midway.
Read more »