LOGAN, Utah – Utah State track and field Jayden Holdsworth has been named the America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, Feb. 15. The award is voted on by a state-wide media panel.
 
With their sponsorship of the student-athlete of the week, America First Credit Union donates funds directly to support student-athlete scholarships.
 
Holdsworth broke the Utah State record in the mile at the Washington-hosted Husky Classic, crossing the line in 3:59.90. He became the first Aggie to break the four-minute barrier in the mile, breaking Devin Pancake's school record of 4:00.36. The Orem HS product's time ranks eighth in the Mountain West.
  
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Nominees from other sports for USU Student-Athlete of the Week included:
MEN'S BASKETBALL – Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. (Clover, South Carolina) helped Utah State to a 2-0 record last week with a 91-78 home win against Fresno State and a 99-75 home win against Memphis. Against the Bulldogs, Collins scored 13 points to go along with one rebound and one steal, while shooting 5-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-9 from deep. Against the Tigers, he totaled a game-high 24 points, to go along with four assists and three rebounds, while shooting 10-of-14 from the field, 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 3-of-5 at the free throw line. For the week, Collins averaged 18.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game, while shooting 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the field, 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from 3-point range and 60.0 percent (3-of-5) at the free throw line.
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL – Senior guard Karyn Sanford (Bergen, Norway) posted 12 points on 5-12 shooting during Utah State's 73-59 Mountain West home loss to Fresno State. Sanford added five rebounds and a team-high four assists, also tying for the team lead with two steals and one block.
 
GYMNASTICS – Sophomore Olivia Orengo (Rogers, Minn.) helped Utah State to a 4-1 record this past week as the Aggies won its own Quad Meet with a team score of 195.875 against Southern Utah, Sacramento State and Alaska, and then lost a dual meet at Mountain West-foe San José State 196.350-195.675. At the USU Quad Meet, Orengo tied for second on bars with a then season-high-tying 9.850, tied for third on beam with 9.775, and tied for fifth on floor with 9.825. Against the Spartans, Orengo tied for first on bars with a career-high 9.900, tied for fourth on beam with a career-high 9.850, and tied for fourth on floor with 9.800.
 
SOFTBALL – Senior infielder Alex Bunton (San Diego, California) helped Utah State to a 3-2 showing at the Cal Baptist Classic in Riverside, California, last week as the Aggies earned wins over Saint Francis (W, 5-4 (8)) and CSU Bakersfield (W, 7-2), split two games with Hawaii (W, 5-1; L, 16-8 (6)) and lost to Loyola Marymount (L, 6-3 (8)). Bunton began the week by going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored against Saint Francis. Against Loyola Marymount, she went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. In the first game against Hawaii, she went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. She then went 0-for-4 against CSU Bakersfield before wrapping the week with a 1-for-4 performance with an RBI and a run scored against Hawaii. In total, Bunton hit .474 (9-for-19) on the week with two doubles, one home run, seven RBIs, three runs scored and a base on balls. She had a .500 on base percentage and a .737 slugging percentage. She was also responsible for three putouts and 16 assists with no errors in the field.
 
MEN'S TENNIS – Sophomore Roman Venger (Lviv, Ukraine) earned a pair of singles victories this past weekend as Utah State fell in a neutral site match to UC Davis (4-3) and at LMU (4-3). Against UC Davis, Venter was the first finisher in singles play, earning a 6-2, 7-5 victory at the fourth position to tie the match at 1-1. Against the Lions, Venger again won in straights sets at No. 4 singles, earning a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
 
WOMEN'S TENNIS – Freshman Terezia Mlkva (Piestany, Slovakia) went 3-1 across singles and doubles play this past weekend during a pair of road losses to Gonzaga (4-2) and Eastern Washington (4-3). Against the Bulldogs, Mlkva earned a 7-5, 6-1 victory at the No. 1 position of singles play to tie the match at 1-1. Mlkva then recorded a pair of wins against the Eagles, recording a 6-3 win alongside Natalie Paterova at No. 2 doubles to clinch the doubles point before adding a 6-4, 6-4 victory at the top spot of the singles lineup.
 
WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD – Junior Shelby Jensen (Saratoga Springs, Utah) broke the Utah State record in the women's 3,000 meters with a time of 9:21.31 at the Washington-hosted Husky Classic. Jensen's time beat Cierra Simmons-Mecham's 2019 standard of 9:23.86 and placed 15th in the field. Less than 20 hours later, the 2025 outdoor All-American ran the mile in a time of 4:44.65, moving into third place in USU history in that event. Jensen ranks fifth in the MW in the mile.

2025-26 America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 1 – Miles Davis, Football
Sept. 8 – John Miller, Football
Sept. 15 – Bryson Barnes, Football
Sept. 22 – Bryson Barnes, Football
Sept. 29 – Loryn Helgesen, Volleyball
Oct. 6 – Kaylie Kofe, Volleyball
Oct. 13 – Tess Werts, Soccer
Oct. 20 – Loryn Helgesen, Volleyball
Oct. 27 – Loryn Helgesen, Volleyball
Nov. 3 – Mara Štiglic, Volleyball
Nov. 10 – Rine Yonaha, Soccer
Nov. 17 – Garry Clark, Men's Basketball
Nov. 24 – MJ Collins Jr., Men's Basketball
Dec. 1 – Andrea Simovski, Volleyball
Dec. 8 – Loryn Helgesen, Volleyball
Dec. 15 – Javin Richards, Track and Field
Dec. 22 – Mason Falslev, Men's Basketball
Jan. 5 – MJ Collins Jr., Men's Basketball
Jan. 12 – MJ Collins Jr., Men's Basketball
Jan. 19 – Ayodele Ojo, Jr., Track and Field
Jan. 26 – Sydney Jelen, Gymnastics
Feb. 2 – Landon Bott, Track and Field
Feb. 9 – Mason Falslev, Men's Basketball
Feb. 16 – Jayden Holdsworth, Track and Field

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