For Bingham head coach Courtney McCabe, it was truly a season of firsts. 

First time she’d led an entire staff of new coaches. First time she’d herself been in charge of a high school lacrosse team. And the first time that she could have ever recalled this many days filled with stormy weather. 

“Our season started out with a ton of rescheduling as we had a lot of snow days,”  Bingham’s new coach said. The first two games of the 2023 season started out with a literal bang in early March, as the Miners walloped Alta 7-3 and pummeled Juan Diego 21-4 before succumbing to Corner Canyon in a tight 14-8 loss. 

But with school valedictorian Paige Nelson as one of the focal points on this Bingham team, you had to know the Miners would figure things out after a 2-4 win-loss record in April put a wrench into all of their plans. 

“Our girls played hard and adjusted well [on the fly] which showed some great resilience and team growth,” McCabe said of a merry month of May that saw the Miners go on a 6-game unbeaten run and avenge a loss to Corner Canyon in the 6A quarterfinals, May 20. 

Bingham put up 12 points in the first half and held on for a 13-11 win, moving the upstart 6-seeded Miners into the 6A semifinals—with a brand-new coaching staff to boot. 

“For our team, we emphasize good sportsmanship, success on all parts of the field and having a positive team dynamic,” McCabe said, who added that several coaches remarked how hard the girls hustled, spoke with respect and had fun regardless of the conditions on the pitch. 

For her efforts, McCabe was honored with the USA Lacrosse Coach Of The Year in Utah at the conclusion of the season that ended in the 6A semifinals for the Miners, who came up against the eventual 6A champions Lone Peak at Westminster College May 25 and lost, 19-9. 

Several Miners were named to the 6A All-State team: seniors Ashlynn Smith and Bailey James; junior Morgan Edman; and sophomores Norah Davis and Aspen Little. 

In addition, senior Mary Stubben was given the USA Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award “in recognition for high school seniors who go above and beyond in service to their team, school and community.” λ