The Hayes name has been well known around these parts for decades in the sport of swimming. 

Cyprus swim coach Jason Hayes received Coach of the Month honors from the Utah High School Athletics and Activities Association in partnership with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders recently. 

Hayes starred at Cyprus as a swimmer, winning many honors for the Pirates along with his siblings. And yet it’s his work as a coach at CHS that might be just as memorable. 

Hayes just led the Pirates girls to a Region 4 title this February at the Kearns Aquatics Center, and in so doing, defeated nearest competitor West by 54 points. 

The Bucs wasted no time getting going in the 200-medley relay, winning that race by five seconds in a time of 1:59.13. 

Mia Smith added to that by winning the 200 free in 2:00.74—a whopping eight seconds better than her closest competition. 

Then, Tiffanie Palmer won her 200 individual medley in 2:20, another decisive victory. 

Smith followed up her win in the 200 free with her second individual medal in the 100 butterfly, gliding across the pool in one minute flat. 

Palmer then backed up her first place finish with another in the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:03.26, and then the Pirates wrapped up their firsts with one more in the 400 free relay, capturing that medal in 3:56.64. 

For the Pirates girls that also got a second place finish from Charlotte Boothe in the 500 free (5:59.89), a third from her in the 200 free (2:09.97) and a third-place finish in the 100 free from Zoe Layton in a time of 1:01.80, it was an impressive showing from all the top finishers and from the team itself.

On the boys side, Cyprus finished third as a team at the Region 4 Championships behind West and champions Kearns, but still had some strong showings up the Bacchus Highway and around the corner.

Chaz Keddington won the 100 butterfly in 52.85, a full two seconds faster than his closest competition. He’d also grab gold in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall in 53.23 seconds. 

McKay Simons was another notable Pirate, finishing second in the 200 IM (2:03.78) and third in the 500 free, in a time of 5:01.95. 

As a team, the Pirates boys also were third in the 400 free relay, working together and coming in just behind two other teams in 3:25.12. 

To boot, Cyprus has clocked in some of the fastest times in the state—let alone Class 5A. 

Smith has the 11th fastest time for a high school swimmer in a Utah pool in the 200 IM; that happened back in the Granite District Meet on Dec. 18. At the same event, Smith clocked Utah’s eighth fastest time in the 100 butterfly. 

A Cyprus boys swimmer has also turned in the 13th best time in the state in the 100 butterfly (Chaz Keddington) and he’s also ninth best in the 100 backstroke, as a matter of fact. 

What does all this mean? 

Some of this success had to have rubbed off from their coach, and it just so happens they’ve got a pretty good one as they prepared for the 5A state swimming championships (after press deadline). 

Cyprus swimming won the girls Region 4 championship and the team’s coach, Jason Hayes, was named UHSAA coach of the month. (Stock photo)