Whitehorse senior signs letter of intent with CNCC
Whitehorse High School senior Shunbaah Begay signed a letter of intent on Saturday, May 4 to run cross country and play basketball for Colorado Northwest Community College (CNCC) beginning this fall.
Begay has been a standout athlete and student for her entire career at Whitehorse High. She was named to the 2024 1A Utah All-State Third Team and received an All-State Honorable Mention in 2023 for basketball.
Begay is a member of the National Honor Society and Whitehorse Girls Basketball Coach Joni Dickson says she is “a great scholar and has performed highly with her academics.”
Dickson describes Begay as an excellent mentor who possesses a strong work ethic, toughness, and mental strength.
She consistently helps her younger peers and sets a great example for younger athletes and students, leading both academically and athletically.
Begay was the team captain and second in team scoring this season for Lady Raider basketball with 211 points, an average of 8.8 points per game. She scored two three-point baskets which led the team.
She received numerous honors and awards during her high school basketball career, including being named the Top Player of the Night at the 2023 Utah All-State Tournament in Richfield and an All-Tournament Player at the Chinle 3A Basketball Tournament.
In November 2023 Begay concluded her high school cross country career with a 19th-place finish in the 1A Utah State meet. Her time of 22:43 is the fourth-fastest 5K run in Whitehorse school history. In addition she was named an All-Star runner for Navajo Nation Cross Country in 2023
Begay has earned numerous academic honors as well, including the Jim Dandy, Sr. Standing Tall Award for outstanding academic achievement and leadership and the Outstanding Achievement Award from American Indian Services Pre-Freshman Engineering Program among others.
Begay plans to major in biology at CNCC and will minor in special education for students with disabilities. She also hopes to pursue a career as an orthodontist.