WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - MARCH 21, 2022
Weekly Aggie Update
GYMNASTICS
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361
Next Week
Wed.-Sat., March 30-2 --- at NCAA Regionals, TBA
• Utah State gymnastics (14-9) continues its 2022 season next week when the 25th-ranked Aggies compete at the NCAA Regional Championships, which will be held at various locations, Wednesday through Saturday, March 30-April 2.
Last Week
1st, 197.025 --- at Mountain Rim Championships, Boise, Idaho
• Utah State captured its first-ever Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference championship as the Aggies recorded a 197.025 this past weekend at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho. With their season-high-score, which ranks second all-time in school history, the Aggies notched their sixth conference title overall, including their first since 2005 (Western Gymnastics Conference). Boise State placed second with a 196.500, Southern Utah finished third with a 196.500 and BYU rounded out the team scoring in fourth with a 196.375. Junior Rebecca Wells led the Aggies as she became the third USU gymnast to win the MRGC all-around title with a 39.400, which is the second-best score for a conference championship meet and tied for 11th all-time in school history. USU had an individual champion in three of the four events, as junior Maia Fishwick earned a share of the bars title with a career-high-tying 9.950, senior Carley Bayles won beam with a career-high-tying 9.925, and freshman Brie Clark had a career-high-tying 9.950 to capture the floor crown. In total, USU had six top-three finishes and scored a 49.325 or higher on three events. Utah State began the meet on beam, its best event – the Aggies were ranked 13th nationally on the event coming into the championships. USU did not disappoint as the team scored a 49.375, which ranks sixth all-time in school history and the best-ever for a conference championship meet. Junior Sofi Sullivan tied for second on beam with a 9.900, while Wells, Clark and sophomore Brianna Brooks had matching 9.850s to tie for seventh. Following the first rotation, Utah State was in the lead, where it would stay for the duration of the meet. The Aggies carried their momentum from beam to floor, where all six of Utah State's gymnasts recorded a 9.825 or better. Sophomore Eve Jackson, along with freshmen Trinity Brown and Amari Evans, tied for fifth with identical 9.850s. Utah State finished with a 49.325 on floor, bringing its team total to 98.700 at the midway point of the meet. The Aggies moved to vault in the third rotation, where they recorded their lowest team score of the night with a 48.950. Wells tied for second with a 9.850 and Brooks tied for fifth with a 9.825. Closing the meet on bars, where it had to count a fall in each of its last two meets, Utah State turned in one of its best performances in school history on the event to slam the door on Boise State, BYU and Southern Utah. Junior Jessica Gutierrez led the Aggies off on bars with a 9.800, while Wells followed with a 9.875. Senior Grace Rojas, seeing action in just her fifth meet of the season due to injury, had a career-high 9.900 in the third spot to place sixth. Brooks notched a 9.850 in the fourth spot, setting the tone for Fishwick and her stellar 9.950 to give Utah State its 49.375 on the event, which ranks second all-time in school history and is the top score for a conference championship meet.
SOFTBALL
Contact: Ashley Springer - (435) 797-5547
This Week
Wed., March 23--- UTAH VALLEY, 3 p.m. (MWN)
Fri., March 25 --- at New Mexico, 6 p.m. (MWN)
Sat., March 26 --- at New Mexico, 4 p.m. (MWN)
Sun., March 27 --- at New Mexico, Noon (MWN)
• Utah State softball (12-15, 0-0 MW) continues its 2022 campaign by hosting Utah Valley (10-9) on Wednesday, March 23, at 3 p.m. The Aggies then open Mountain West play with a three-game series at New Mexico (19-9, 0-0 MW). The first game against the Lobos will be played on Friday, March 25, at 6 p.m. The second game will be on Saturday, March, 26, at 4 p.m. And the series finale will be on Sunday, March 27, at noon. All-time, the Aggies are 25-13 against the Wolverines and 27-28 against the Lobos. Fans can watch every game via the Mountain West Network, streaming online at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Last Week
Utah State Aggie Classic
W, 8-7 (8) --- MAINE
L, 6-12- --- IDAHO STATE
W, 7-3 --- MAINE
L, 2-6- --- IDAHO STATE
• Utah State posted a 2-2 record in its home-opening Aggie Classic after defeating Maine (8-7 (8); 7-3) and losing to Idaho State (12-6, 6-2). Five Aggies saw time in the circle, combining for an ERA of 5.31. The USU pitchers allowed 44 hits and 22 earned runs, while striking out 20 batters and walking five. Senior shortstop/first baseman Lexi Orozco led the Aggies at the plate after batting .583 (7-of-12). As a team, USU hit .271 (29-of-107), including six doubles and two triples. Orozco also led the team with 11 assists, while senior first baseman Bri Lerma had a team-best 25 putouts.
MEN'S TENNIS
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Sat., March 26 --- BYU, 1 p.m.
• Utah State men's tennis (6-8, 0-0 MW) continues its 2022 spring season this week at in-state rival BYU (6-5) on Saturday, March 26, at 1 p.m.
Last Week
L, 3-4 --- PORTLAND
• Utah State lost at home to Portland 4-3 in its lone match last week. Juniors David Cierny and Roko Savin secured USU's lone victory in doubles play with a 6-2 win at the third position. After falling behind 3-0 following the first two matches of singles play, the Aggies stormed back to tie the contest with three straight victories. Freshman Sergi Mico Fenollar outlasted his opponent in a marathon tiebreak to secure the win at the No. 4 spot (6-2, 7-6 (13-11)). Junior Bodin Zarkovic stretched his unbeaten streak to 10 matches with a three-sets win at the No. 2 spot (6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4). And, junior Javier Ruiz then squared the match at three apiece with a straight-sets win at the No. 6 spot (6-2, 6-3).
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
Next Week
Fri.-Sat., April 1-2 --- at Stanford Invite, All Day
Fri.-Sat., April 1-2 --- at West Coast Relays, Fresno, California, All Day
• Utah State men's and women's outdoor track & field teams continue their outdoor season on Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, at the Stanford Invitational and the West Coast Relays hosted by Fresno State.
Last Week
NTS --- at Arizona Invite
• Utah State track & field began its outdoor season at the Arizona-hosted Willie Williams Classic last weekend and won four titles to go along with 15 top-three finishes. For the women, sophomore Gia Malone won the high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters (5-3.00) and junior Bailey Brinkerhoff won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:10.07. On the men's side, sophomore Kelton Chenworth won the high jump with a height of 2.05 meters (6-8.75) and senior Zach Meyer won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.51. Sophomore Ben Hoffman finished right behind Chenworth in the high jump to place second with a mark of 2.00 meters (6-6.75). Three Aggie women also broke into the top 10 all-time in school history in their respective events. In the pole vault, sophomore Maren Garnett set the fifth-best mark at 3.83 meters (12-6.75), finishing second overall. And in the javelin, freshman Valerie Clark, competing in her first collegiate meet, set the sixth-best mark in school history with a throw of 45.14 meters (148-1), while sophomore Djamilliah Paepke-Chile posted the eighth-best mark in program history at 43.30 meters (142-0).
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Sat., March 26 --- vs. UNLV, San Diego, California, 11 a.m. (MT)
Sun., March 27 --- at San Diego State, 3 p.m. (MT)
• Utah State women's tennis (5-4, 0-0 MW) returns to action this weekend when it travels to San Diego, California, for a pair of Mountain West matches. USU will play a neutral court match against UNLV (10-2, 0-0 MW) on Saturday, March 26, at 11 a.m. (MT), and then face San Diego State (7-4, 0-0 MW) on Sunday, March 27, at 3 p.m. (MT).
Last Competition
L, 1-6 --- at UC Davis
W, 4-3 --- at CS Northridge
L, 2-4 --- at CS Fullerton
• Utah State posted a 1-2 record two weeks ago with a 6-1 loss at UC Davis, a 4-3 win at CS Northridge and a 4-2 loss at CS Fullerton. Against the Aggies, junior Zara Ryan notched USU's lone victory with a straight-sets win at No. 3 singles (6-2, 6-3). Against CSUN, USU began the match by winning the doubles point as junior Zeynep Naz Ozturk and sophomore Lisa Küng posted a 6-1 win at the second position, while junior Carolina Millan and Ryan posted a 7-5 win at the third position. In singles play, Millan won in three sets at the No. 1 spot (6-1, 5-7, 6-3). Küng won in three sets at the No. 2 spot (3-6, 6-4, 6-1). And, Naz Ozturk won in straight sets at the No. 5 spot (6-4, 6-4). And against CSF, the Aggies earned the doubles point as Naz Ozturk and Küng recorded a 6-3 win at the second position, while Millan and Ryan notched a 6-4 win at the third position. Millan then earned the Aggies' lone point in singles play with a straight-sets win at the No. 1 spot (6-2, 6-4).
GOLF
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361
This Week
Mon.-Tue., March 21-22 --- at UC San Diego Invite, All Day
• Utah State's golf team continues its 2022 spring season on Monday and Tuesday, March 21-22, at the UC San Diego Invitational, held at La Costa in Carlsbad, California.
Last Competition
8th/14 --- at Southern Utah Invite, St. George, Utah
• Utah State shot an even-par 288 in the final round of the Southern Utah hosted-Pizza Hut-Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational, held at Sunbrook Golf Club in St. George, Utah, on Feb. 11-13. The Aggies finished in eighth place against the 14-team field as they posted a 54-hole team score of 7-over 871 (292-291-288). Javier Vazquez was one of four Aggies to shoot an even-par 72 on the third and final day as the sophomore tied for 16th at 1-under 215, a 54-hole career best. John Cook, making his collegiate debut and playing as an individual, tied for 29th at 2-over 218 after closing with a 3-over 75. The sophomore led USU during the first round with a 4-under 68. Freshmen Luis Gerardo Cantu and Julio Arronte Sanchez both shot even-par 72 during the final round and finished in a tie for 38th at 4-over 220. Seniors Jesse Henderson and Cameron Tucker tied for 47th (222, +6) and tied for 50th (223, +7), respectively. Tucker was the fourth Aggie to close with a 72 during the final round. Besides Cook, USU had two other golfers play as individuals. Sophomore Purin Yingpisit tied for 76th (234, +18) and redshirt sophomore Spencer Panter tied for 83rd (239, +23).
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Kyle Cottam - (435) 797-2066
Last Week
2022 National Invitation Tournament
L, 72-83 --- OREGON
• Utah State (18-16, 8-10 MW) ended its 2021-22 season with an 83-72 loss at home against Oregon in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. Sophomore guard Steven Ashworth led the Aggies with a game-high 20 points and was joined in double figures by senior forward Brandon Horvath with 15 points and junior guard Sean Bairstow with 12 points. Senior forward Justin Bean narrowly missed his 21st double-double of the season, finishing with nine points and a game-high 16 rebounds. USU shot 38.5 percent (25-of-65) from the floor, 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from behind the 3-point line and 61.9 percent (13-of-21) at the free throw line. Oregon shot 50.8 percent (33-of-65) from the floor, 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from behind the 3-point line and 64.3 percent (9-of-14) at the free throw line.
