Hunter High School is a public high school located at 4200 South 5600 West, West Valley City, Utah, United States. It was opened in 1990 with its first graduating class graduating in 1991. During the first school year (1990–1991), the enrollment was below capacity, largely because seniors and juniors (classes of '91 and '92, respectively) were allowed to choose whether to come to Hunter or complete their high school education at their current schools. The school celebrated its 25th anniversary at the end of the 2014–2015 school year.
The school was heavily featured in the TV movie Wish Upon A Star, starring Katherine Heigl and Danielle Harris. The main gym was also used for the filming of an LA Gear shoe commercial featuring Utah Jazz player Karl Malone.
Hunter High's mascot is the Wolverine and the school's colors are navy, silver, and white. The mascot and school colors were selected by a student vote prior to the school opening, from among a number of alternatives (including the Knights and the Hunters) previously chosen by an ad hoc committee of prospective students. Michigan's uniform colors were among some of the various color-combination suggestions (which also included hunter green and white) considered by the ad hoc committee, but most members of the committee voted against the colors because of neighboring Cyprus High School's colors of blue and gold. The school colors of navy, silver, and white were eventually selected.
The school's fight song is the same as the University of Michigan's. The current lyrics to the school song were written in 1990 by Brian Sorensen, who submitted the lyrics as part of a school-wide contest.
As of 2015 the school expanded, incorporating ninth grade students for the first time. As part of this, portable classrooms were added to the student parking lot, which lessened the parking space available.
Academics
Hunter high offers a broad range of scholastic disciplines ranging from core classes (English, Math, the Sciences, Foreign Languages) to art and trade classes (Auto Mechanics, Electronics, Photography, Video Productions, Drama). Hunter High School is highly regarded for its wide array of foreign language classes. Students have the option of studying Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese, and American Sign Language. Hunter has offered the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program since 2005, but due to lack of funding and student interest, is shutting it down after the class of 2010 graduates. Hunter also offers a wide array of off-campus programs ranging from Travel and Tourism to Aviation to Home Building. Many of these courses are provided in conjunction with Salt Lake Community College.
Athletics
In their first year of competition, Hunter's football team was winless but turned their fortunes around the next year and made it to the "turf" (a reference to the playing surface that was installed at the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium which hosts the state high school playoffs). Hunter's football team has had repeated success ever since with its run-first offense which, as a result, has given Hunter the nickname of "Tail Back High". In 2003, Hunter's football team won their first state championship. As of the end of the 2005 season, Hunter's overall record is 123-56 and has only three times finished a season under .500 (1990, 1994, and 2007).
On September 19, 2008, the Hunter High football stadium was named "Ed Mayne Stadium" after the late Senator Ed Mayne for all his support in getting lights for the stadium as well as for other athletics in the school.
Like the football team, the basketball team was winless in its first season. 2003 saw Hunter's boys' basketball and hockey teams winning championships. The Drill Team (the Silhouettes) have twice taken state championships in both 1997 and 1998. The boys' swimming team took the 1998 5A State Championship, with several individual championships and All-American performances. The boys' water polo team also took the State Championship in 1999.
The boys' and girls' tennis teams won numerous region titles throughout the 1990s and dominated play out west. The boys' tennis team finished second in state in 2000, with Alan Tran winning the 5A State Championship in #1 Singles while still attending Hunter Junior High School.
In the first season of competition, one of the only sports to perform well was the boys' soccer team, which made it to the state playoff game, unfortunately resulting in a loss.
Hunter High's wrestling team took first in Region II in 2010.
Hunter participates in the following sports: