June 2, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State track and field athlete Silas Pimentel has been named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending Sunday, June 1, it was announced on Monday. The award is voted on by a state media panel.

Pimentel, a freshman from Orem, Utah (Timpanogos HS), was in the finals of both the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the NCAA Regional Championships, held this past weekend at Northridge, Calif. He finished sixth in the 100m and seventh in the 200m race, with times of 10.60 and 21.30, respectively. In the 100, Pimentel and Calvin Abram of Arizona State both had 10.60 times, however, Abram's was officially a 10.598 and Pimentel's was 10.600. Pimentel was just off of his personal-best times of 10.45 in the 100m and 21.21 in the 200m.

Pimentel will await an announcement Wednesday to see if he will receive an at-large berth to the NCAA National Championships, held June 11-14 at Des Moines, Iowa.

This is the sixth USU weekly award for a member of the men's track and field team, after juniors Nick Karren (Feb. 11) and John Strang (March 3) earned the honor during the indoor season while juniors Blake Hadfield (April 21) and Seth Wold (April 28) as well as Strang (May 5) and now Pimentel, have been recognized during the outdoor season.

Overall, this the 11th USU Athlete of the Week Award for an Aggie track and field member as members of the women's team includes sophomore Erin Stratton (Jan. 28) and freshman Maria Halton (Feb. 4) during indoor season while senior Stacie Lifferth-Dorius (March 24 and May 12) and junior Katie Thatcher (May 19) garnered the accolade during the outdoor portion of the season.

This is the sixth week in a row that a track and field member has earned the weekly honor, as track and field has been the only USU sport competing for the last three weeks.

Nominees from other sports included:

WOMEN'S TRACK - Senior Stacie Lifferth-Dorius (Layton, Utah) just missed automatically qualifying for the NCAA National Championships, by placing sixth in the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the NCAA West Regional with a time of 10:20.93. That time is Lifferth-Dorius' season-best and the second-fastest in her career, just behind her school record of 10:10.89. The at-large selections for the NCAA National Championships will be announced Wednesday.

2007-08 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 4 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Sept. 10 - Amanda Nielson, Volleyball
Sept. 17 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Sept. 24 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Oct. 1 - Melissa Osterloh, Volleyball
Oct. 8 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Oct. 15 - Seth Wold, Cross Country
Oct. 22 - Amanda Nielson, Volleyball
Oct. 29 - Seth Wold, Cross Country
Nov. 5 - Lauren Hansen, Soccer
Nov. 12 - Danielle Taylor, Volleyball
Nov. 19 - Rob Myers, Football
Nov. 26 - Stephen DuCharme, Men's Basketball
Dec. 3 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Dec. 10 - Danyelle Snelgro, Women's Basketball
Dec. 17 - Tai Wesley, Men's Basketball
Dec. 24 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Dec. 31 - Gary Wilkinson, Men's Basketball
Jan. 7 - Tai Wesley, Men's Basketball
Jan. 14 - Gary Wilkinson, Men's Basketball
Jan. 21 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Jan. 28 - Erin Stratton, Women's Track and Field
Feb. 4 - Maria Halton, Women's Track and Field
Feb. 11 - Nick Karren, Men's Track and Field
Feb. 18 - Jakob Asplund, Men's Tennis
Feb. 25 - Jenny Gross, Women's Basketball
Mar. 3 - John Strang, Men's Track and Field
Mar. 10 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Mar. 17 - Kelley Kaneshiro, Softball
Mar. 24 - Stacie Lifferth-Dorius, Women's Track and Field
Mar. 31 - Megan Tschida, Gymnastics
Apr. 7 - Kayla Dunn, Softball
Apr. 14 - Jasmine Minion, Gymnastics
Apr. 21 - Blake Hadfield, Men's Track and Field
Apr. 28 - Seth Wold, Men's Track and Field
May 5 - John Strang, Men's Track and Field
May 12 - Stacie Lifferth-Dorius, Women's Track and Field
May 19 - Katie Thatcher, Women's Track and Field
June 2 - Silas Pimentel, Men's Track and Field