UTAH STATE A CLUB NEWS AND VIEWS OF AGGIE ATHLETICS

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1 Club UTAH STATE A CLUB NEWS AND VIEWS OF AGGIE ATHLETICS September 2007 In This Issue Hall of Fame Class of 2008 Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon Review 2007 Schedules: - Football - Volleyball - Soccer Aggies in the Spotlight: - Brandon Broadhead - Taylor Richards Utah State University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall Of Fame Announces Class Of 2008 Five individuals and the first-ever team are included in the latest class. LOGAN, Utah - A legendary football coach, a running back who was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, one of the best guards in men s basketball history, an All-American softball player, a long-time Aggie supporter, and the 1978 National Championship volleyball team comprise the latest class of Utah State University s Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. The dinner and induction ceremony for the Hall of Fame s sixth class is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 8, The inductees include: MacArthur Lane, one of the top running backs in school history; Chuck Mills, who was Utah State s head football coach for six seasons from ; Max Perry, who was an outstanding basketball player in the late 1950 s and early 1960 s; Kelly Smith, one of the most decorated softball players in school history; Jay Dee Harris, who was a long-time contributor and advisor to Utah State Athletics; and the Aggie Volleyball team that captured the 1978 National Championship. We are extremely excited to induct another amazing class into the Aggie Hall of Fame, said Utah State Director of Athletics Randy Spetman. This class joins 38 outstanding individuals and further ensures the proud tradition of Utah State Athletics. MacArthur Lane one of the top running backs in school history, also selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. A total of 43 individuals have now been inducted into the Utah State Hall of Fame, while the 1978 National Championship volleyball squad becomes the first team inducted. The Hall of Fame was founded in 1993 with 12 initial members, followed by eight additions in 1994 and seven in The addition of any members was stopped until 2006 when five more individuals were added, followed by six more recipients in The Hall of Fame Committee made its final selections for this year s class in April. The inductees must fit into one of five categories: student-athlete, coach, team, athletics staff member, or contributor/special achievement. Contributor/special achievement includes individuals who have contributed to the ideal of sports at the University. Each nominee must receive at least 75 percent of the committee s vote to be eligible for induction. 1

2 Utah State Recognizes 148 Student-Athletes At Annual Whitesides Luncheon Utah State s athletic department recognized 148 student-athletes, three managers and # student trainers for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 52nd annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must have a cumulative 3.2 GPA or have posted a 3.2 GPA during the last two semesters. 2 Rachael Mandy and Sierra Smith were both named Joe E. Whitesides Award winners UTAH STATE WHITESIDES SPECIAL HONORS Whitesides Winner Rachael Mandy, Gymnastics Sierra Smith, Women s Soccer Aggie Achievement Dasheek Akwenye, Men s Track Meet The Challenge Taya Flores Outstanding Tutor Lacey Bryant Top Teams (20 + members) 1. Women s Track 2. Women s Soccer 3. Men s Track Top Teams (less than 20 members) 1. Men s Tennis 2. Gymnastics Women s Cross Country 3. Volleyball Most Improved Teams 1. Men s Golf Men s Tennis Women s Tennis Volleyball 2. Men s Track 3. Gymnastics The top two athletes honored during the luncheon were gymnast Rachael Mandy and soccer player Sierra Smith, who were recognized as the Joe E. Whitesides Award recipients. It is just the third time in the 52-year history of the event that the top honor was shared. In 1994 Haley Houtchens-Lindhardt and Lori Loudner, both gymnasts, were selected for their outstanding academic work, while tennis player Carolyn Stephens and track and field athlete Crystal Thisselle shared the honor in Mandy, a senior from Fargo, N.D., was a three-time academic all-conference selection, while earning a 3.91 GPA in human resource management. During her Utah State career, she helped USU win the 2005 Western Gymnastics Conference Championship. This past season she served as a graduate student-assistant for student-athlete services. Smith, a senior from Salt Lake City, Utah, has posted a 3.91 GPA while majoring in exercise science and was one of 11 players from the WAC to be recognized with the National Soccer Coaches Association/adidas College Women Scholar All-West Region honorable mention selection this past fall. During her senior season, she helped Utah State to a record and a second-seed in the 2006 Western Athletic Conference Tournament as USU recorded a league mark. Twelve of the past 13 recipients of the top individual honor have been women as the only male in that time to win the award was Mike Puzey from men s basketball in Utah State also handed out team honors as the men s tennis team was named the top academic team with less than 20 members, while the women s track team was the top academic team with more than 20 members. Four squads tied for the most improved team academically in men s golf, men s tennis, women s tennis, and volleyball. Track athlete Dasheek Akwenye was presented the Aggie Achievement Award for overcoming injuries, dealing with eligibility issues and most recently the passing of his father. The athletics department also honored Taya Flores and Lacey Bryant for their contributions to USU s student-athletes. Flores, who is a scholarship counselor in the financial aid office, received the Meet The Challenge Award, while Bryant received the Outstanding Tutor Award. The Whitesides honors started in 1953 by former USU athlete, coach and athletics director Joe E. Whitesides.

3 Football News Utah State is entering its third season in the WAC, was 1-11 overall and 1-7 in WAC play last year, finishing tied for seventh after being picked seventh in both of last season s preseason media and coaches polls. USU has 19 starters. Guy and his staff return 88 players that went through spring drills. Included in that number are the 19 starters from last season, including all 11 starters from the defensive side of the ball. Seven offensive starters and one special teams starter round out the returning starters Football Schedule Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result Aug. 16 Aggie Family Fun Night Romney Stadium 5 p.m. Aug. 30 UNLV Logan, Utah L, Sept. 8 at Wyoming Laramie, Wyo. Noon Sept. 15 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 1:30 p.m. Sept. 22 SAN JOSE STATE Logan, Utah 6:05 p.m. Sept. 29 at Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at Hawai i Honolulu, Hawai i 10:05 p.m. Oct. 20 NEVADA Logan, Utah 1:05 p.m. Oct. 27 LOUISIANA TECH Logan, Utah 1:05 p.m. Nov. 3 at Fresno State Fresno, Calif. 3 p.m. Nov. 10 BOISE STATE Logan, Utah 1:05 p.m. Nov. 17 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. Noon Nov. 24 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho 3 p.m. * All times Mountain Home games are BOLD and ALL CAPS WAC Football Media Preview Follow-Up Utah State was picked eighth in both the coaches and the media preseason polls was represented at the two-day event by head coach Brent Guy and junior defensive end Ben Calderwood, taking their turn at facing the media in Tuesday s afternoon session. Guy and Calderwood rotated from talking to newspaper, radio and television reporters. Guy and Calderwood echoed each other in saying that several changes have been made in efforts to improve from last season s 1-11 record, including adjustments to the strength and conditioning workouts, as well as adapting to a new offense under new USU offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey. Senior DT Frank Maile (#57) is one of 11 defensive starters returning for Utah State, part of the 19 starters from last season. Romney Stadium North Endzone Building and Scoreboard A-Club Newsletter 3

4 Volleyball News Utah State s head volleyball coach Grayson DuBose announced the signing of Christine Morrill to a National Letter of Intent. Christine Morrill earned first-team all-state honors as a prep senior at Union High School in Roosevelt, Utah Volleyball Schedule Date Opponent Time Aug University of Arizona Tournament Aug. 24 at Arizona L, 3-0 Aug. 24 vs. Saint Mary s L, 3-0 Aug. 25 vs. Eastern Washington W, 3-0 Aug. 31-Sept. 1 Montana State Tournament (Montana State, Wash. State, Texas A&M) Aug. 31 vs. Texas A&M L, 3-0 Sept. 1 at. Montana State W, 3-0 Sept. 1 vs. Washington State L, 3-0 Sept. 7-8 Cal Berkley Tournament Sept. 7 at Cal 8 p.m. Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota 1 p.m. Sept. 8 vs. Eastern Kentucky 5:40 p.m. Sept. 13 Boise State* 7 p.m. Sept. 15 San Jose State* 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at New Mexico State* 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at LA Tech* 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at San Jose State* 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at Fresno State* 2 p.m. Oct. 4 New Mexico State* 7 p.m. Oct. 6 LA Tech* 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Nevada* 8 p.m. Oct. 15 Hawaii* 7 p.m. Oct. 18 Idaho* 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Boise State* 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Weber State 7 p.m. Oct. 25 Utah Valley State 7 p.m. Oct. 27 Fresno State* 7 p.m. Oct. 30 Utah 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at Utah Valley State 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at Idaho* 8 p.m. Nov. 8 Nevada 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at Hawaii* 11 p.m. Nov WAC Tournament (Las Cruces, NM) TBA * Indicates a WAC Match Home Matches in Bold All Dates and Times are Mountain and are Subject to Change 4 Volleyball Picked To Finish Seventh In WAC s Preseason Poll USU s women s volleyball team has been picked to finish seventh in the Western Athletic Conference s preseason poll according to the conference s coaches as the Aggies received 22 votes. Senior opposite side hitter Amanda Nielson (#33) returns as a part of the five returning starts and seven letterwinners Volleyball Season Tickets On-Sale Aug. 1st

5 Soccer News Cairns, became the winningest coach in USU soccer history After four seasons, Heather Cairns, became the winningest coach in USU soccer history by percentage. She took over the school record for total victories on Sept. 30, winning No. 27 and passing Stacy Enos who went (.306) in five seasons ( ) with the Aggies. Cairns has compiled a (.486) record in 76 matches. Heather Cairns has a (.750) record in WAC matches, giving her the highest winning percentage among the eight league coaches in conference matches. Joshua Walters Named USU Assistant Soccer Coach Utah State women s soccer head coach Heather Cairns announced that Joshua Walters has been hired as assistant coach for the Aggies. We re really excited to add Josh to our staff for the 2007 season, Cairns said. He comes to us with a diverse soccer background, as well as extensive leadership qualities that he developed in the military. Our team will really benefit from his well-rounded knowledge, in addition to really enjoying his enthusiasm for the game. Utah State returns nine starters and 22 letterwiners Utah State returns nine starters and 22 letterwiners from last year¹s team that went on the season and finished second in the Western Athletic Conference with a league record. Among those returning for USU are senior midfielder Dana Peart who earned second-team all-wac honors in 2006 and sophomore defender Lindsey Smart who was named the 2006 WAC Freshman of the Year and earned second-team all-wac honors as well Soccer Schedule Date Opponent Location Time Aug. 18 Dixie State (exhibition) Logan, Utah T, 1-1 (2OT) Aug. 31 at Texas State San Marcos, Texas W, 1-0 Sept. 2 at Texas Christian Fort Worth, Texas L, 3-0 Sept. 7-9 at Northern Arizona Tournament Sept. 7 vs. UC Irvine Flagstaff, Ariz. 5 p.m. Sept. 9 at Northern Arizona Flagstaff, Ariz. 3 p.m. Sept. 12 at Weber State Ogden, Utah 3 p.m. Sept. 14 Oregon Logan, Utah 4 p.m. Sept. 16 Idaho State Logan, Utah Noon Sept. 21 at Gonzaga Spokane, Wash. 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at Eastern Washington Cheney, Wash. Noon Sept. 27 Montana Logan Utah 4 p.m. Oct. 4 at BYU Provo, Utah 7 p.m. Oct. 6 Utah Logan, Utah 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at Idaho Moscow, Idaho 4 p.m. Oct. 14 Boise State Logan, Utah Noon Oct. 19 at Nevada Reno, Nev. 8 p.m. Oct. 21 at Fresno State Fresno, Calif. 3 p.m. Oct. 26 Hawaii Logan, Utah 3 p.m. Oct. 28 San Jose State Logan, Utah Noon Nov. 3 LA Tech Logan, Utah 1 p.m. Nov WAC Championship * Indicates a WAC Match Home Matches in Bold All Dates and Times are Mountain and are Subject to Change A-Club Newsletter 5

6 Aggie Spotlight Brandon Broadhead Earns All-District Vlll Honors Utah State golfer Brandon Broadhead has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District VIII at-large second-team it was announced on Thursday. Broadhead, a sophomore from Brigham City, Utah, has a cumulative 3.90 gradepoint average in accounting. District VIII is made up of schools from Arizona, California, Hawai i, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Brandon Broadhead was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII at-large second-team. During the season, Broadhead played in nine tournaments for Utah State and shot a season-low round of 73 at the Pat Hicks Classic hosted by Southern Utah. He shot an average of for the season, which was the fifth lowest average on the team. He placed 45th at the WAC Championships for his best finish of the season. Broadhead also earned academic all-wac honors and was named a Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete. 6 Richards is the career assists record holder with 296 assists, also has sole possession of the No. 9 spot on USU s career steals list with her 113. Guard Taylor Richards receives the Off-Season Conditioning Award and Most Outstanding Offensive Player Award. Richards also eclipsed the 800 point milestone, currently at 850 career points and moving up to the No. 10 position on the career scoring list. She will enter her senior season needing 13 points to pass Mary Danielson ( ) at No. 9 with 862 points. Richards, who is the career assists record hold with 296 assists, also has sole possession of the No. 8 spot on USU s career steals list with her 113 career steals needing 11 more steals to crack the top three on the steals list. Richards started and appeared in 29 games, one of two Aggies to do both. She led the team in minutes played (943) and assists (89) while both Richards and Brittany Phillips scored the most points with 342 (11.8 points per game). She was second on the team with 42 steals was fourth on the team with 109 rebounds. Richards was fourth in the WAC with 3.1 assists per game. The native from West Valley City, Utah scored a career-high 28 points in a home overtime win against Fresno State and lead the team in being the high scorer in 12 games. Richards scored in doubles digits in 22 games. Richards was recognized as an academic all-wac selection and earned Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete honors as well.