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Show Snorts B5 Monday • February 23,2669V Sports Briefs McPherson Named Track & Field POW Utah Valley's Justin Morrill grapples his opponent as the Cowboys snapped the Wolverines win streak. Dave Iba/UVU Review Cowboys snap Wolverines win streak push the pace against us. Of course there are definitely things that we can work on, The University of Wyo- but I was really pleased and ming broke a ten-match win I think we are getting very streak last Friday against the close to where we need to Wolverines, 21-15, in front be." of a full crowd. Utah Valley had fans beThe Wolverines are now hind them, but got stumped 10-3 overall and 3-1 in the to start with Wyoming winWestern Wresthng Confer- ning the first two matches, at ence, but still have reason to 133 pounds and 141 pounds. rejoice with a roster full of UVU fought back at 149, freshman and sophomores with Justin Morrill beating that are likely to improve Wyoming's Chase Smith with time. 3-1. Soon after a Cowboy "That's what I wanted win at 157, Sophomore Jeb to see," said coach Greg Clark pinned Wyoming's Williams. "I wanted to see Alex Rieder in a cradle at if we could push the pace 2:28 in the first round to against a team that wants to Sports writer even the score at 9-9. Fans stood to cheer Clark for his courageous pin, and getting the Wolverines back in the match. "Oh my gosh dude, it was awesome," said All-American Ben Kjar about Clark's pin. "He has been out with injuries for about a month. So it's been difficult for him to get back into it. So for Jeb to come in here and pin his man, and to get that force we needed to put us back in the match was huge." "I knew I was one of the ones that were supposed to get a win tonight for the team," Clark said. "I got ex- cited and just really wanted to win for the team." The Wolverines fell behind 15-9 after losing the next two matches, but came back at 197, when Adam Fager improved to 32-10 this season with a 4-2 decision over Wyoming's Alfonso Hernandez. In the final match of the evening, Benjamin Kjar, ranked 19th in the nation at 125 pounds, came through for the Wolverines, beating the Cowboy's Michael Martinez 5-3. However, it wasn't enough for the team win. "You know what?" asked Kjar. "If we just had a couple upsets we would have been good. On paper they were going to beat us, but that's why we come out here and wrestle, tofindout. If everything worked out on paper then we wouldn't have to show up. But this match we were able to come and prove ourselves. We lost but we're all still sophomores and freshman." Included in the crowd of spectators were high school state wrestlers. Coach Williams says there is a lot of good wrestlers here watch-' ing and hopes to bring more depth to his team next year in his recruiting efforts. Fairbanks is top scorer Wolverines expect competitive season MATT BEAUDIN Sports editor Utah Valley basketball will look to make a splash this off-season with several players who could be playing professional basketball next year. And one in particular has been considered as one of the top senior prospects in the country. If you were thinking Ryan Tooison, leading scorer for the men's basketball team, you would be off the mark. Utah Valley's Robyn Fairbanks, currently leading the nation in scoring, has been listed among the most efficient basketball players in the nation and is being considered for the W N B A Draft, which will take place on April 9th. At weeks end Fairbanks was averaging 26.2 points , a game and 10.7 r e bounds. Not only is Fairbanks a doubledouble m a chine, but she is also a leader• -on the floor. In this, her senior season, Fairbanks has led her team in points and rebounds in 13 games and has been named Great West Player of the Week seven out of the 14 weeks the award has been handed out. She was named as an AIl-American in her junior and sophomore seasons and there is no reason she shouldn't be named for a third time as an All-American performer. However, you wouldn't know any of this by talking to her. She is as candid about her accomplishments as a criminal being interrogated and shies from the limelight by crediting her teammates and coaches at every opportunity. She led the Wolverines to a recordsetting 16- win season a year ago and has her team on pace to match that mark again this year. As Ryan Toolson continues to make headlines for the men's team, and Fairbanks does the same for the women's team, it appears Utah . Valley has one of the best one-two combinations of basketball superstars in the country. As Fairbanks' career at Utah Valley winds down, she may find herself with little vacation time before •potentially suiting up for a WNBA team this .summer. ,- Fairbanks' 26.2 point average leads the nation In scoring Kve Iba/UVU Review get hit into center field and they've never seen a fastball they couldn't turn into an Utah Valley University's extra-base hit in St. George. softball team opened its sea"The thing that we son with a win, 6-5, over learned from this weekend in-state rival Southern Utah is that if our pitchers can at the Red Desert Classic in step up, we are going to win St. George. The Wolverines some games," Fairbourne played five big name teams added. "We are going to be a and won against two. pretty competitive team this This year Wolverine season. We showed down softball will be fun to watch. here that we can scoye some A new pitching squad and runs even off of good pitchsome big hitters, UVU hopes ing." to gain more confidence acThe team is a little thin cording to coach Todd Fairat pitching. Junior, Ambourne. ber Sackett, who had not "Realistically, if we can been counted on to pitch be close to .500 I would be this season, threw eight inhappy," Fairboume said. nings in the first four games. "I'm not going to say we Now without their expected don't want to win this year pitcher UVU will also be because we have three seforced to pitch with freshniors, but what I would man, Amanda Perez and like is that when these girls Jessica Martin. leave for the summer they One of the keys to the do so with the belief that offense will be Kylee Steadwhen they come back next year we can challenge for a man, a senior catcher from conference title and a post- Lehi who hit .295 last season. Steadman is off to a season berth." great start. She's hitting .455 This year coach Fair- and already has nine RBIs. bourne calls his infield as Jessica Andersen, hit .252 good of a fielding team as last year to go along with 23 he's ever had. Fairbourne RBIs. Those numbers look also has the taskjo make a to go up this season. She hit competitive team with six of a 3-run homer to help UVU his 15 players being freshrally to beat Idaho State in men. St. George. But this team knows how to swing, the team didn't have a change-up that didn't See SOFTBALL • B6 Michael McPherson, a freshman (Parker, ColoVChaparral HS) on Utah Valley University's men's track and field team, has been named the Great West Conference Male Indoor Track and Field Athlete of The Week, as announced by league officials Tuesday. McPherson obliterated the school record in the men's heptathlon last Saturday at the Mountain States Games in Pocatello, Idaho, as McPherson finished the event with 4,632 total points. With his impressive totals in the men's heptathlon McPherson placed fifth overall at the event. The true-freshman shattered his own record that he set back at the opening meet of the season at BYU on Jan. 10. McPherson beat his previous record by more than 700 points at Idaho State. Out of the seven total events in the men's heptathlon, McPherson placed first in the two of the events, the 60m dash, and the long jump. He also placed second in the high jump and third in the 1000m run. McPherson is the third Wolverine to be named a GWC Indoor Track and Field Player of the Week as his teammates; sophomore Jared Keller and sophomore Jazmine Wittman, each won the male and female awards on Jan. 27. Toolson Garners Fifth Weekly Honor Senior guard Ryan Toolson was named Great West Conference Player of the Week the league office announced Tuesday. Toolson captured his fifth weekly honor after leading the Wolverines to a perfect 2-0 record on the road last week where he averaged 24 points per contest Toolson was perfect from the free throw line (15-of-15) while averaging 44.8 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Gilbert, Ariz., native went 13-of-13 from the charity stripe while producing 33 points in a win at Savannah State Saturday! Toolson's scoring average (24.8 ppg) is currently sixth in the nation, and he also, currently holds the highest freethrow percentage in the country (93.2). Sports writer Fairbanks picks up Great West Award Utah Valley's Robyn Fairbanks has been named the Great West Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week along with Kierah Kimbrough of North Dakota for the week ending Feb. 15, the league office announced Tuesday. Fairbanks continues to put up impressive numbers this season en route to capturing her seventh weekly honor in 14 weeks. The senior center helped Utah Valley capture a 2-0 record last week, with both wins coming against conference foes NJIT and Chicago State. Fairbanks scored 30 points in each game and averaged 12.5 rebounds as the Raymond, Alberta, Canada, native cok lected her fifth straight doubledouble and 12th this season. She shot 77.1 percent from the floor while also producing four steals and-three blocks. ; • |