WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - MAY 2, 2022

Weekly Aggie Update
 
SOFTBALL           
Contact: Ashley Springer - (435) 797-5547 
 
This Week
Fri., May 6 --- at San Diego State, 7 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
Sat., May 7 --- at San Diego State, 5 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
Sun., May 8 --- at San Diego State, 1 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
• Utah State softball (25-24, 10-8 Mountain West) continues its 2022 campaign with three Mountain West games this weekend at San Diego State (33-12, 16-2 WAC). The first game against the Aztecs will be on Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m. (MT). Game 2 will be on Saturday,  May 7, at 5 p.m. (MT). And the series finale will be on Sunday, May 8, at 1 p.m. (MT). All-time, the Aggies are 10-23 against the Aztecs. Fans can watch every conference game via the Mountain West Network, streaming online at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
 
Last Week
L, 2-3 --- at Utah Valley
L, 4-8 --- BOISE STATE
L, 2-10 --- BOISE STATE
L, 0-6 --- BOISE STATE
•  Utah State went 0-4 last week after losing 3-2 at Utah Valley, followed by three-straight Mountain West home losses to Boise State (L, 4-8; L, 2-10; L, 0-6). Four Aggies saw time in the circle, combining for a 4.97 ERA. The USU pitching staff allowed 38 hits and 18 earned runs, while striking out 10 batters and walking 10. Senior right fielder Sydnee Smith led USU at the plate after batting .400 (2-of-5). As a team, USU hit .200 (19-of-95), including two doubles and two home runs. Junior first baseman Makenzie Macfarlane led the Aggies defensively with 28 putouts and one assist.
 
 
GOLF    
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361 
 
Last Week
9th/11 --- at Mountain West Championships, Bremerton, Washington
• Utah State's golf team concluded its season by placing ninth out of 11 teams at the 2022 Mountain West Championship, which was contested last weekend on the 7,115-yard, par-72 Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Washington. The 10th-seeded Aggies shot a final-round 3-over 291 to finish ninth at 19-over 883 (293-299-291). No. 50 San Diego State captured the team title with a 22-under 842 (283-273-286), while Colorado State's Connor Jones won individual medalist honors at 10-under 206 (67-66-73). USU freshman Esteban Jaramillo fired a 4-under 68 in the final round as he tied for ninth with a 54-hole career-best 4-under-par 212 (74-70-68). It was the Aggies' first individual top-10 finish in a conference championship since 2007. He is also the first USU golfer to finish under par since Braxton Miller tied for 15th at 1-under 215 at the 2017 MW Championships. USU sophomore Javier Vazquez gave the Aggies a pair of top-20 finishers as he tied for 20th at 1-over 217 (70-76-71). Sophomore John Cook tied for 42nd at 11-over 227 (75-77-75) and senior Jesse Henderson tied for 48th at 16-over 232 (75-76-81). Senior Cameron Tucker (illness), who missed the first two rounds, shot a 5-over 77 on Sunday. 
 
 
 
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD          
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584 
 
Next Week
Wed.-Sat., May 11-14 --- at MW Champs., Fresno, California, All Day
• Utah State men's and women's outdoor track & field teams continue their respective seasons next week at the Mountain West Championships, held in Fresno, California. The meet will start on Wednesday, May 11 and run through Saturday, May 14. The Aggie men finished third at last year's championships, while the women placed seventh.
 
Last Week
NTS --- at Idaho State Invitational 
NTS --- at Fresno State Invitational
NTS --- at Stanford Invitational
• Utah State competed in three meets this past weekend at the Stanford-hosted Payton Jordan Invitational, the Idaho State-hosted Bengal Invitational and the Fresno State Invitational. At the Fresno State Invitational, junior Bailey Brinkerhoff posted USU's first title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:36.96, while freshman Emma Thornley delivered USU's second title in Fresno with a win in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:00.67. Senior Mica Rivera finished fourth in the invitational finals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:28.40, which ranks eighth all-time in school history. Junior Tori Bailey moved to third all-time at USU in the women's discus, placing seventh in the event with a mark of 52.26 meters (171-5). In the invitational finals of the 5,000 meters, senior Katie Haviland placed eighth with a time of 16:34.92, ranking fifth all-time at USU. Junior Abby Jensen also improved to fifth all-time at USU in the 1,500 meters, placing third in the event with a time of 4:25.30. Sophomore Olivia Smith became the 10th Aggie in program history to break the one-minute mark in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing with a time of 59.99 to place fourth. At the Idaho State Invitational, the high marks for the Aggies came in the distance events as sophomore Mattie Geddes registered two top-three finishes on the women's side. Geddes placed second in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:38.23 and placed third in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.57. For the Aggie men, freshman Walker Cole finished second in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:42.52. Freshman Ben Berlin recorded USU's final top-three finish in Idaho, placing third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:22.12. At the Stanford-hosted Payton Jordan Invitational, USU's three participants each posted marks ranking in the top 10 all-time in school history. Senior Devin Pancake now ranks third all-time in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:43.30, placing eighth in the event. In the 5,000 meters, a mere four-hundredths of a second separated junior Spencer Nelson and graduate senior Connor Weaver. Nelson finished sixth with a time of 13:48.09 while Weaver finished right behind in seventh with a time of 13:48.13. Nelson and Weaver now rank third and fourth all-time in the event at USU, respectively. Also at the Stanford Invitational, former Aggie All-American Dillon Maggard won the 10,000 meters with a personal-best time of 27:37.26, breaking his previous best mark by 17 seconds.
 
 
MEN'S TENNIS 
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584 
 
Last Week
2022 Mountain West Championships, Colorado Springs, Colorado
W, 4-1 --- vs. #7 UNLV
L, 3-4 --- vs. #3 New Mexico
• Utah State men's tennis (11-12, 4-2 MW) concluded its 2022 season by advancing to the semifinals of the Mountain West Championships, which were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. USU began the championships with a 4-1 win at seventh-seeded UNLV in the quarterfinals, before losing to third-seeded New Mexico 4-3 in the semifinals. Against the Rebels, USU took the doubles point by sweeping all three matches. Juniors David Cierny and Bodin Zarkovic posted a 6-4 win at the first position, while junior Javier Ruiz and sophomore Jack Ninteman posted a 6-3 win at the second position, and senior Felipe Acosta and freshman Sergi Mico Fenollar notched a 6-4 win at the third position. In singles play, Cierny won in straight sets at the No. 2 spot (6-2, 6-3). Junior Roko Savin won in straight sets at the No. 5 spot (6-2, 7-5). and, Mico Fenolarr won in three-sets at the No 3 spot (6-1, 4-6, 6-3). Against the Lobos, the Aggies again won the doubles point to take the first lead in the match. Cierny and Zarkovic posted a 6-4 victory at the first position and Ruiz and Ninteman matched it with a 6-4 win at the second position. In singles play, Cierny completed an undefeated weekend with a straight sets win at the No. 2 spot (6-2, 6-1), while Savin won in straight sets at the No. 5 spot (6-3, 6-2).
 
 
WOMEN'S TENNIS          
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584 
 
Last Week
2022 Mountain West Championships, Tucson, Arizona
L, 2-4 --- vs. #6 Wyoming
• Utah State women's tennis (6-14, 1-9 MW) concluded its 2022 spring season with a 4-2 loss to sixth-seeded Wyoming in the first round of the Mountain West Championships, held last week in Tucson, Arizona. USU began the match by losing the doubles point as senior Annaliese County and junior Carolina Millan combined for a 6-2 win at the third position. In singles play, junior Zara Ryan won her match at the No. 3 spot (7-6 (6), 5-2, retired) and junior Naz Ozturk posted a straight sets win at the No. 5 spot (6-3, 6-2).