July 16, 2012

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head women's basketball coach Jerry Finkbeiner announced Monday that Tanja Steed will join the Aggie roster.

Steed, a 6-7 center, hails from Melbourne, Australia and comes to Utah State from Carl Albert Junior College in Poteau, Okla. She will be a junior next season for the Aggies. Despite fighting a shoulder injury, she played in 23 games for the Vikings last season. During her freshman year at Carl Albert, she played 17 games for the Vikings. Steed first got a taste of life in the United States, spending a year at Forsyth Country Day School in Louisville, N.C. She represented Queensland at the U16/18 level at the National Championships. Steed was also invited to the Australian National Training Camp at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Utah State has now signed eight players for the 2012-13 season. Haylee Thompson, a 6-0 forward from Hailey, Idaho, will be a freshman next season. Makenlee Williams, a 5-11 forward/guard, from Syracuse, Utah, will also be a freshman. The Aggies also added Stephanie Bairstow, a 6-1 forward from Brisbane, Australia. Junior transfers Kelsey Corcoran and Jasmine Porter will become Aggies this season as well. Cristal Turner, a 6-2, guard from Scunthorpe, England will also join Steed and Miles on the USU roster.

Fans can follow USU women's basketball and Utah State athletics at http://twitter.com/USUAthletics, as well as on facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/USUAthletics.

Complete 2011-12 Utah State Women's Basketball Signing ClassStephanie Bairstow, 6-2, F, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (Mansfield State HS)Kelsey Corcoran, 6-2, F, Middletown, Va. (The Miller School/Winthrop)*Jasmine Porter, 6-1, G, Layton, Utah (Layton Christian Academy/San Diego State)*Tanja Steed, 6-7, C,  Melbourne, Australia (Box HS/Carl Albert JC)Haylee Thompson, 6-0, F, Hailey, Idaho (Wood River HS)Cristal Turner, 6-2, G,  Scunthorpe, England (Maidstone Grammar School/Oral Roberts)Makenlee Williams, 5-11, F/G, Syracuse, Utah (Syracuse HS)
*Will sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules