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Show Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 Page 9 FridaySports Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com TouchBase Trinity Western game won’t be radio broadcast By USU ATHLETICS DALE MILDENBERGER WORKS ON senior 100-meter runner Kimiko Griffith’s foot in the new Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine complex. Mildenberger has been keeping Aggie athletes healthy for 35 seasons. PETE SMITHSUTH photo A lifetime of athletic training By TIM OLSEN sports editor Tucked amid a myriad of taping tables and strength training machines sits the quaint-yet-modern office of the man who has been in charge of the athletic training staff at USU since the mid-1970s. Dale Mildenberger, who is in the midst of his 35th season as the head athletic trainer at USU, is to USU what milk is to cereal – you just can’t have one without the other. He is there to watch over the athletes, prevent injuries and then take care of those injuries when they inevitably happen. “I’m involved in mostly lowlights, the highlights are the touchdowns and the baskets to win games,” Mildenberger said. “If I’m involved, something’s gone wrong.” Growing up in the small town of Fort Morgan in eastern Colorado, Mildenberger said he loved athletics. When he was a sophomore in high school, his football coach took his team to see a Colorado State University football game. Before the game, the team toured the athletic training facilities, and Mildenberger said he knew right then and there what he wanted to do. That initial interest led to an interesting early career before he finally ended up at USU. He served as an assistant athletic trainer at the U.S. Military Academy and the University of Arizona, as well as the head athletic trainer for the Harlem Globetrotters. Despite such high positions early in his career, raspy-voiced Mildenberger needed only one word to explain what first brought him to Logan and USU. “Ego,” he said with a smile. “I was the assistant trainer at the University of Arizona, and (USU) called me and offered me the head trainer job at Utah State, so I took a cut in pay and moved myself to come be the head trainer at Utah State. What I realized afterwards is that I was the head trainer because I was the only trainer. I moved from the athletic training staff to being the athletic training staff.” Despite arriving in Logan with the intent of using USU as a stepping stone rather than a career spot, Mildenberger has made a home and a name for himself. He said the lifestyle of the community, the size of the university and the quality of the athletic programs kept him here. “A lot of people may look at Utah State and say well, ‘What’s Utah State?’ It’s a fantastic academic institution, athletics have been successful, and now with the new facilities and the things that the institution’s done, it’s rewarding to have stayed so long,” he said. “I hope that I’ve stayed this long due to some personal merit, and not just due to the fact that I’ve outlasted everybody.” - See LIFETIME, page 10 Women’s soccer Aggies hoping to qualify for NCAA tournament By LANDON HEMSLEY staff writer Utah State soccer will have the opportunity Friday to extend the season for three outgoing seniors and get one step closer to fulfilling the team goal of getting into the NCAA tournament. Erin Salmon, Lindsey Smart and Sydne Garner have spent the last four seasons looking to achieve the elusive goal of getting to the big show, but the tournament berth has always just eluded them. This year could be different. Team leader, senior and starting forward Salmon said she believes this is the Aggies’ year. “I hope that the team can play to our best ability,” Salmon said. “I think out of all four years, this year I’m feeling it and we’re going to take it and be able to go to the NCAA tournament. I hope that’s what happens.” Unless USU wins the WAC tournament, Salmon’s, Garner’s and Smart’s turn to wear Aggie blue will be over after this weekend. Salmon said she has some plans in place for her future. “I’m going to finish school. I graduate this summer,” Salmon said, “and then I’m going to go teach preschool. I don’t have any jobs lined up right now, but I actually am thinking of a job in Orem that I’m probably going to take.” Her fellow seniors have also plotted a clear course for the future. Garner, a graduate student in business administration, will finish her degree here at USU. Smart, an undergraduate studying exercise science, plans to become a physician’s assistant down the road. She has applied to several different physician’s assistant schools around the country, including the University of Utah. Coach Heather Cairns said her seniors’ influence will be missed. “There’s no coincidence that this has been the most successful four-year period in USU soccer history,” she said. “It’s their four-year period. They’re impact players for us. Smartie (Lindsey Smart) started every match of all four years. That’s an insane accomplish- The Utah State men’s basketball exhibition game versus Trinity Western on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. will not be broadcast on radio due to USU’s football game in Hawaii which will play at the same time. Kickoff in Honolulu is 8:05 p.m. Mountain Time. Fans who are unable to watch Utah State’s exhibition basketball game live can still watch live streaming of the event through USU’s Web site at www. UtahStateAggies.com. All Utah State home basketball games during the 2009-10 season will be available to watch on tape-delay via Comcast On Demand. Women’s hoops faces Montana Tech once again By USU ATHLETICS Utah State will play its first and only exhibition game against Montana Tech on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum. This is the second season in a row the Aggies have played the Orediggers in an exhibition. Last season, Utah State opened the 2008-09 campaign with a 73-46 win. USU was led by forward Nicole Johnson who had two offensive and six defensive rebounds. In her first game as an Aggie, Nibley, Utah native, Lydia Whitehead had seven rebounds to go along with nine points. As a team, the Aggies out-rebounded the Orediggers, 41-33. Durant named Academic AllRegion VIII By USU ATHLETICS AGGIE SENIOR FORWARD ERIN Salmon battles for possession of the ball during a game against Fresno State earlier this season. She hopes to extend her career this weekend at the WAC tournament. CODY GOCHNOUR photo ment. She blew away all the records. Off the field, they’re great leaders. Syd (Sydne Garner) is the quiet leader. The one who will make sure her teammates succeed. Sammy’s just pure emotion that you just can’t help but feed off of. When she celebrates she’s got the arms in the air, is jumping and has a smile from ear to ear. Her emotion is contagious. They all bring something different. You hope they’ve made an imprint on some of the returning players to carry on their legacy.” Salmon said she will remember a lot from her time in Aggie Blue. “I’m definitely going to remember the girls,” Salmon said. “Mostly I’ll remember the girls and big games that we’ve played and come together in the hard times.” - See HOPING, page 10 Utah State volleyball player Shantell Durrant has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic AllDistrict VIII second team it was announced on Thursday. Durrant joins Erin Birmingham of New Mexico State and Kanani Danielson of Hawaii as the only players from the Western Athletic Conference to earn academic all-district honors as all three players were named to the second team in their respective regions. Durrant was also one of just three players from the state of Utah honored as BYU’s Melissa Wright and Nicole Warner were both named to the third team in District VIII. It is the third year in a row that Utah State has had at least one player earn academic all-district honors as Rebecca Anderson was named to the second-team in both 2007 and 2008. |
