The Standard-Examiner is transitioning its longtime All-Area postseason awards to a new format called All-Standard honors for Northern Utah prep sports, according to a November 14 report. The new system will replace the previous model for each team sport that has traditionally been recognized with postseason awards.
Under the new All-Standard format, the publication will consolidate player tiers. Instead of awarding multiple tiers such as First, Second, or Third Teams along with honorable mentions, the new All-Standard teams will consist of one honor for top players in a sport plus honorable mentions. Additionally, the Standard-Examiner will continue to honor a Player of the Year for each recognized sport, which includes a profile story in a special print edition.
The size of each All-Standard Team will be determined by the specific sport to account for participation differences. The number of players honored will be the number of players on the field or court for that sport, plus one, and then doubled. For example, in soccer, an 11-player field would result in 24 honored players, including the Player of the Year.
The selection process for the awards remains similar to the previous model, as the All-Standard Teams will continue to originate with coach nominations. These nominees then undergo a performance evaluation to determine the final All-Standard Team.
The shift to the All-Standard model comes as the sports desk has remapped coverage priorities across Weber, Box Elder, and Davis counties to maximize daily prep coverage. The name change is intended to lend the paper's name to the awards to better signify a player's accomplishment. The evolution in coverage also responds to editorial changes and a shift in the Standard-Examiner's daily print deadline.
