SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On Monday, South Tahoe High School (STHS) senior Brody DeFranco signed his letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic
career at Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah, where he will compete at the NCAA Division I level in men’s track and field. Utah Tech competes in the Big Sky Conference, a Division I conference featuring universities across the western United States and sponsoring championship competition in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.
DeFranco will join the Trailblazers as both a hurdler and a decathlete. The decathlon, a two-day competition consisting of ten events spanning sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws, and distance running, is widely regarded as one of the most demanding events in track and field. It is also considered one of sport’s greatest tests of personal athleticism.
In front of family, friends, mentors and coaches, DeFranco announced his choice of colleges to attend in the fall. He had three top Division I offers — CSU Fullerton, Pepperdine, and Utah Tech, keeping his final choice of Utah Tech a secret until Monday. It is very rare for an STHS student to head to a Division 1 athletic program.
“It has been my dream to be a Division I collegiate athlete for as long as I can remember, and now with my commitment to Utah Tech, it is becoming a reality,” said DeFranco.
At STHS, DeFranco has competed at the state meet in four individual events: the 110-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles, the 100-meter sprint, and the 200-meter sprint. He is the 2025 3A State Champion in the 110-meter hurdles and the 2024 and 2025 3A State Runner-Up in the 300-meter hurdles. He also finished fourth overall in the 100-meter sprint at the state championships. He owns South Tahoe High School records in the 110-meter hurdles (14.55), 300-meter hurdles (39.67), and the 200-meter sprint (22.78), and he is pursuing the school record in the 100-meter this season.
Even though he has already committed to Utah Tech, there is still work to be done. DeFranco’s senior goals include defending his state title in the 110-meter hurdles and pursuing state championships in both the 300-meter hurdles and the 100-meter sprint. Winning the 100 meters would earn him recognition as the fastest man in Nevada’s 3A classification. He is also focused on helping South Tahoe achieve its broader team objectives, including regional and state championship aspirations this season.
DeFranco has competed nationally in the USATF Junior Olympics at the E.B. Cushing Stadium at Texas A&M University and at historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. He has also competed at Nike Outdoor Nationals, the Arcadia Invitational, the Stanford Invitational, and the Sacramento Meet of Champions.
DeFranco’s passion for running started at a young age, competing in the running portion of triathlons, then came the turkey trots and other community races.
“By fifth grade in the local elementary school track competition, I was excelling in multiple events, and that’s when I first realized track wasn’t just something I did, it was something I loved and something I was genuinely good at,” said DeFranco. “Through middle school, I continued to grow, especially in eighth grade when my confidence as both an athlete and a person really took off. That’s when the bigger vision began.”
He has also been a very good student, carrying a 3.9 unweighted GPA into the wrap-up of his senior year. He will graduate from STHS in June while simultaneously completing his associate’s degree from Lake Tahoe Community College this summer. At Utah Tech, he plans to pursue a double major in Business Management and Exercise Science.
Coach Chad Laurence.
Left to Right: Jeff DeFranco, Rocco DeFranco, Brody DeFranco. Kasey DeFranco