WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - JANUARY 16, 2023
Weekly Aggie Update
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Ashley Springer - (435) 797-5547
This Week
Tue., Jan. 17 --- UNLV, 7 p.m. (MWN)
Sat., Jan. 21 --- SAN JOSÉ STATE, 4 p.m. (MWN)
• Utah State men's basketball (14-4, 3-2 MW) continues Mountain West play this week with a pair of home games as it hosts UNLV (12-5, 1-4 MW) on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., and San José State (12-6, 3-2 MW) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. USU is 12-34 all-time against the Rebels, including an 8-13 home record, and 68-22 all-time against the Spartans, including a 39-4 home record. Both games will be streamed live on the MW Network and available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Last Week
W, 83-63 --- WYOMING
L, 70-85--- at Nevada
• Utah State split its Mountain West games last week with an 83-63 home win against Wyoming and an 85-70 road loss to Nevada. Against the Cowboys, four Aggies scored in double figures as graduate forward Taylor Funk had 22 points, graduate forward Dan Akin had 16, and senior guard Sean Bairstow and junior guard Max Shulga each had 14. Akin logged a double-double with a season-high-tying 15 rebounds. USU shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61) from the field, 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from behind the arc and 86.7 percent (13-of-15) at the free throw line, while Wyoming shot 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the floor, 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from behind the 3-point line and 41.2 percent (7-of-17) at the free throw line. Against the Wolf Pack, Funk and junior guard Steven Ashworth led the Aggies with 15 points each, while Bairstow and senior center Trevin Dorius each added 11. USU shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) from the floor, 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from behind the 3-point line and 78.3 percent (18-of-23) at the free throw line, while Nevada shot 55.4 percent (31-of-56) from the field, 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from behind the arc and 83.3 percent (15-of-18) at the free throw line.
MEN'S TENNIS
Contact: Adalee Randall - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Fri., Jan. 20 --- at Oregon, Noon (MT)
Sun., Jan. 22 --- at Portland, 11 a.m. (MT)
• Utah State men's tennis (0-0, 0-0 MW) will open its 2023 spring season this weekend with a pair of matches as it plays at Oregon (0-0) on Friday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m. (MT) and at Portland (0-0) on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 11 a.m. (MT).
Preseason Notes
• Utah State returns six letterwinners from last year's team that posted an 11-12 record, including a 4-2 mark in Mountain West play to finish second. The Aggies concluded their season with a 4-3 loss to New Mexico in the semifinals of the MW Tournament. Seniors David Cierny, Javier Ruiz, Roko Savin and Bodin Zarkovic highlight the returning class for USU, joined by junior Jack Ninteman and sophomore Sergi Micó Fenollar. Sophomore Christian Holmes also returns after spending his freshman season at USU in 2020. The Aggies are joined by junior Stijn Paardekooper, who transferred to Utah State from St. Bonaventure. Five Aggies recorded seven or more singles victories during the 2022 fall tournament season in Cierny (9-5), Paardekooper (9-3), Ruiz (9-3), Savin (8-2) and Micó Fenollar (7-5). Cierny also became only the second Utah State tennis player to ever reach the finals at the ITA Regionals.
GYMNASTICS
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361
This Week
Fri., Jan. 20 --- at No. 21 Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
• Utah State gymnastics (1-2, 0-0 MRGC) continues its 2023 season this week when the Aggies travel to Cedar City, Utah, to take on No. 21 Southern Utah (6-1,0-0 MRGC) on Friday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m., at the America First Event Center.
Last Week
3rd, 195.800 --- vs. No. 6 Utah/No. 22 Southern Utah/BYU, at Rio Tinto Best of Utah Meet, West Valley City, Utah
• Utah State recorded its second-best season-opening score in school history with a 195.800 to place third at the fourth-annual Rio Tinto Best of Utah Meet last weekend. No. 6 Utah won the meet with a 197.750, No. 22 Southern Utah finished second with a 196.175 and BYU placed fourth with a 195.175. Sofi Sullivan was tabbed the Aggies' MVP of the meet as the senior tied for fourth on beam with a 9.900. USU opened the meet on bars, recording a 49.025. Senior Jessica Gutierrez led the meet off for the Aggies with a 9.825 to tie for ninth. Freshmen Avery Bibbey followed suit in the third spot with a 9.825 of her own. Fifth-year senior Grace Rojas and senior Lexi Aragon each had 9.800s, tying for 14th in the process. The Aggies kept the momentum going in the second rotation with another 49.025 on beam. After Sullivan's 9.900, junior Brianna Brooks tied for ninth with a 9.825 and Aragon tied for 11th with a career-high 9.800. USU moved to floor in the third rotation and recorded another 49.025. A trio of Aggies in tied for sixth (matching 9.850s) in seniors Alivia Ostendorf and Ariel Toomey, and sophomore Amari Evans. For Toomey, the 9.850 matched her career high. The Aggies closed the meet on vault, where they tallied a 48.625 as Brooks tied for fifth with a 9.825.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Ajay Salvesen - (435) 797-2066
This Week
Mon., Jan. 16 --- at Fresno State, 5:30 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
Thur., Jan. 19 --- AIR FORCE, 6 p.m. (MWN)
Sat., Jan. 21 --- at San José State, 3 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
• Utah State's women's basketball (3-13, 0-5 MW) continues Mountain West play this week with three games as it plays at Fresno State (8-11, 1-5 MW) on Monday, Jan. 16, at 5:30 p.m. (MT), hosts Air Force (8-10, 3-3 MW) on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m., and plays at San José State (2-15, 0-6 MW) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m. (MT). USU is 6-28 all-time against the Bulldogs, 14-7 all-time against the Falcons and 19-14 all-time against the Spartans. Every game will be streamed live on the MW Network and available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Last Week
L, 58-78 --- at Nevada
• Utah State lost at Nevada 78-58 in its only game last week. Graduate forward Ashya Klopfenstein led the Aggies with 16 points, including a 12-for-14 performance from the charity stripe. Junior guard Tamiah Robinson chipped in 13 points, while graduate guard Maria Carvalho added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. USU shot 20.9 percent (14-of-67) from the field, 12.0 percent (3-of-25) from 3-point range, and 84.0 percent (27-of-31) at the free throw line. Nevada shot 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-of-20) from 3-point range, 84.0 percent (21-of-25) at the free throw line.
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Sat., Jan. 21 --- at Nebraska Invitational
• Utah State's indoor track & field teams continue their 2023 season at the Nebraska Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 21.
Last Week
NTS --- at BYU Invitational
• Utah State's men's and women's track & field teams totaled three titles and 18 top-five finishes last weekend at the BYU Invitational. Junior Peyton Teevens, a transfer from Washington State, started USU's string of titles with a victory in the women's pentathlon on the meet's opening day. Teevens registered a score of 3,418 points, catapulting to first place with strong performances in the 800 meters (1st, 2:20.96), shot put (1st, 10.14m/33-3.25) and the 60 meters (2nd, 9.28). In the discus, senior Tori Bailey notched USU's second title of the opening day with a mark of 47.60 meters (156-2). Bailey also finished fourth in the weight throw with a mark of 17.36 meters (56-11.50). Senior Dolly Gabri also registered a top-five finish in the women's shot put, placing fifth with a mark of 14.02m (46-0.00). Junior Gavin Beierle and sophomore Nate Franz finished in the top-five in two men's throwing events on the first day of competition. Beierle placed third overall in the shot put with a mark of 16.79 meters (55-1.00), while Franz placed fifth in the shot put (15.65m/51-4.25) and second in the weight throw (16.27m/53-4.50). On the competition's second day, sophomore Marshall Rasmussen captured the third Aggie title with a mark of 12.35 meters (40-6.25) to finish first in the triple jump. Junior Sidnee Naerebout placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 11.28 meters (37-0.00). Senior Inka Mehtola recorded a fifth-place finish in the high jump with a mark of 1.62 meters (5-3.75). On the meet's final day of competition, freshman Logan Hammer and Rasmussen placed fourth and fifth in the men's pole vault, respectively, with marks of 4.93 meters (16-2.00) and 4.78 meters (15-8.25). Senior Zach Meyer nabbed the men's final top-five finish of the meet, placing third in the final of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.22. On the women's side, junior Mattie Geddes placed second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.52. In the women's 400 meters, juniors Autumn Kidd and Delphine Dah each finished in the top-five as Kidd placed third with a time of 58.33, while Dah took fifth with a time of 59.0. Senior Anna Parkinson took fourth in the women's pole vault with a cleared height of 3.63 meters (11-11.00). Utah State's final top-five finish came in the women's 4x400-meter relay where the quartet of Geddes, senior Kari Taylor, junior Hannah Davidson and sophomore Adi Nielson placed fourth with a time of 4:10.22.
