UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
February 24, 2020
For Immediate Release
 
Contact: Wade Denniston
(435) 797-1361
 
Four Aggies Garner Weekly Honors From MRGC
Leighton Varnadore also tabbed AFCU USU Student-Athlete of the Week
 
LOGAN, Utah – Four Utah State gymnasts garnered Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference (MRGC) weekly awards for their efforts in a quad meet at Boise State last Friday night at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho.
 
USU juniors Mikaela Meyer and Leighton Varnadore were named MRGC Co-Vault Specialists of the Week, while junior Autumn DeHarde and freshman Sofi Sullivan shared Co-Beam Specialist of the Week accolades.
 
It is the fifth time this year and ninth time in her career that DeHarde has garnered MRGC weekly honors. It is the third time this year and third time in her career that Sullivan has picked up a weekly honor from the MRGC.
 
For Varnadore, it is the second time this year and second time in her career that she has earned MRGC weekly accolades. It is the first time this year and second time in her career that Meyer has been recognized by the conference.
 
Overall, these are Utah State's 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st MRGC weekly accolades in its fifth season in the league.
 
Additionally, Varnadore was tabbed the America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week after helping the Aggies notch a season-high 196.800, which ranks second all-time in school history, to tie Boise State for first place at the quad meet. With their sponsorship of the Student-Athlete of the Week, America First Credit Union donates funds directly to support student-athlete scholarships.
 
Varnadore won the all-around for the Aggies with a career-high 39.350. The native of Aiken, S.C., also tied for first on vault with a career-best 9.875, tied for first on floor with a personal-best-tying 9.875, tied for fifth on beam with a 9.875 and tied for 15th on bars with a 9.700.
 
Meyer tied Varnadore on vault with a career-high-tying 9.875, helping USU record a season-high 49.175 on the event.
 
On beam, DeHarde and Sullivan tied for first with identical 9.950s. For DeHarde, it was her 11th such title on the event, which tied the school record first set by Christy Denson (1997-2000).
 
The Aggies recorded a school-record 49.575 on beam at the BSU quad meet to break the old mark of 49.475 set in a home tri meet against Boise State and Utah on Feb. 26, 1999. Furthermore, the 196.800 is the second-highest score in school history.
 
Utah State returns home to face UC Davis on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m., at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics, on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics, and on Instagram at USUGymnastics. Fans can also follow the USU athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at UtahStateAthletics.
 
Nominees from other sports for USU Student-Athlete of the Week included:
MEN'S BASKETBALL – Sophomore forward Justin Bean (Moore, Okla.) recorded his Mountain West-leading 14th double-double of the season in Utah State's 78-58 Mountain West home win against Wyoming last week. Against the Cowboys, Bean finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 34 minutes, while shooting 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the floor, 33.3 percent (1-of-3) from behind the 3-point line and 100.0 percent (3-of-3) at the free throw line. Bean's rebounding total included a team-best four offensive boards, matching Wyoming's total as a team.
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL – Senior forward Marlene Aniambossou (Cotonou, Benin) had a team-high 13 points and seven rebounds, to go along with one assist and one steal in Utah State's 64-45 loss at Wyoming last week. Against the Cowgirls, Aniambossou shot 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from the field and 83.3 percent (5-of-6) at the free throw line.
 
SOFTBALL – Junior outfielder Stephanie Reed (Santa Fe, Texas) helped Utah State to a 1-3 record at the Grand Canyon-hosted Purple Classic last weekend with a 7-0 win against the host Antelopes, followed by a pair of losses to Cal State Northridge (8-7, 11-3) and a loss to Drake (8-0). In the weekend opener against CSUN, Reed was 2-for-5 at the plate with two putouts. Against the Lopes, she was 2-for-4 with a double, to go along with four RBIs and one run scored, while adding four putouts in center field. Against the Bulldogs, Reed was 1-for-2 at the plate, recording one putout and one assist. And, in the weekend finale against the Matadors, she hit 1-for-3 with a double, to go along with a hit by pitch, while adding one run scored and two defensive putouts. On the week, Reed batted a team-high .429 (6-of-14) with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBIs. She finished the tournament with nine putouts and one assist.
 
MEN'S TENNIS – Senior Sergiu Bucur (Constanta, Romania) posted a straight-sets win (7-6, 6-4) at No. 2 singles and teamed with freshman Arvid Hjalte at the first singles position in Utah State's 4-1 road loss at BYU last weekend. In their doubles match, Bucar and Hjalte lost 6-3.
 
WOMEN'S TENNIS – Senior Hannah Jones (South Ogden, Utah) posted a straight-sets win (6-2, 6-4) at No. 2 singles and teamed with sophomore Sidnee Lavatai at the first singles position in Utah State's 4-1 road loss at Utah last weekend. In its doubles match, Jones and Lavatai lost to the 16th-ranked team in the nation, 6-1.
 
2019-20 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 2 – David Woodward, Football
Sept. 9 – Ashley Cardozo, Soccer
Sept. 16 – Lucy Octave, Women's Tennis
Sept. 23 – Shaq Bond, Football
Sept. 30 – David Woodward, Football
Oct. 6 – Luke Beattie, Men's Cross Country
Oct. 13 – Colten Cordingley, Golf
Oct. 20 – Luke Beattie, Men's Cross Country
Oct. 27 – Devin Pancake, Men's Cross Country
Nov. 4 – Dallin Farnsworth, Men's Cross Country
Nov. 11 – Justin Bean, Men's Basketball
Nov. 18 – Eric Munoz, Football
Nov. 25 – Justin Bean, Men's Basketball
Dec. 2 – Gerold Bright, Football
Dec. 9 – Justin Bean, Men's Basketball
Dec. 16 – Lindsey Jensen-Baker, Women's Basketball
Dec. 23 – Sam Merrill, Men's Basketball
Jan. 6 – Hailey Bassett, Women's Basketball
Jan. 13 – Christian Holmes, Men's Tennis
Jan. 20 – Stokton Smith, Men's Track & Field
Jan. 27 – Sofi Sullivan, Gymnastics
Feb. 3 – Hannah Jones, Women's Tennis
Feb. 10 – Autumn DeHarde, Gymnastics
Feb. 17 – Kapri Toone, Softball
Feb. 24 – Leighton Varnadore, Gymnastics
 
-USU-