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Show Graduation Summer 2016 University Journal Page A18 Continued from Page A17 spent significant During the 2015 season, four freshmenBrielle Bourgeois, Summer Soriano, backline. the time on Bell all played alongside MaKenzie and Johnson Kristy returner Jessica French at the defender position word As she looked at her back line, Hogan only had one to describe that group of players, gritty said (Against Utah Theyre like seasoned vets, Hogan were Valley University and Real Salt Lake Women) they Once rock solid and we still have improvements to make. we make some of those improvements, theyre going to be like a fortress back there. finished the spring season with a record of The with losses coming from Western Colorado and BYU. SUU tallied wins against UVU, Dixie State and the Real Salt Lake Womens team as well as a win in the Alumni game. The teams draw was against Westminster College. was because the Hogan said the loss to Western Colorado the have not did and focused intensity she not was team had. have would the team hoped To win, you have to be on your game all the time, she said. Youre not going to be handed anything. In order to not repeat a loss like to Western Colorado, and players Hogan said the key is having a good summer for their accountable performance. being The individual accountability over the summer will determine what we work on (in the fall), she said. If we have to work on fitness (in the fall), thats terrible because we cant work on tactics. But if were all set up with fitness, then were going to be fine. As a whole, Hogan said she thinks all her team needs is finetumng, especially in positioning on the back line but she is confident for the teams opener in the fall. 4-- 2-1 Winners of each event will also win various awards, including bronze, silver and Continued from Page A17 gold medallions. said every Whittaker My soccer team entered year, the Utah Summer the summer games and it Games continues to grow was a lot of fun, Whittaker and improve. We played against said. People are paying more other teams that were very attention to it and it kind of competitive, but at the same has a she said. time, we played against People meaning, come from all over others who were there just which is really cool for fun. There was a lot of Utah, because it brings the state variety and that was what so its a really neat together, made it fun. Sames handful of the top 10 SUU athletes of the 2015-1- 6 school right). SUU centerfielder Kylee Wolf steps up to the plate year. SUU opposite hitter Ann Clappier spikes the ball (bottom left). SUU Track and Field thrower Jayson Kovar over the net (top left). SUU forward Ally Thimsen (top practices the discus throw (bottom right). A Continued from Page A17 4. Taylor Viquelia to Thanks Viquelias performances this season, SUU golf is further solidifying itself on the map. She has rightfully earned the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year award after she performed in the Big Sky Womens Championships, taking fifth individually As a junior now becoming a senior, shes already performing at a veteran level in collegiate golf. 5. Jayson Kovar When one Kovar leaves, another takes her place. SUU track and field was blessed by the talents of Kayla Kovar over the past few years and this year, Jayson Kovar is filling our Kovar void. Breaking the school record is no easy feat but doing it three times 6. LeShaun Sims One of the more quiet athletes on this list and by quiet, we mean both on and off the field However, Sims talents did not go unnoticed, especially by the NFL scouts. His presence made Big Sky quarterbacks fear throwing his way while at the same time making those NFL scouts drool Hes fast, hes quick and he's silent but deadly on the field. Mike Tate In any other year, Mike Tate would be much higher on this list, but the talent pool was a tough one to pick from this year. Tate was an absolute beast on the cross-countcourse. While he is unattached this season, competing he still hit a sub-1- 4 minute time in ry keeping her opponents from doing what she did best. As the No. 13 individual blocker in the country when it came to blocks 8. Kylee Wolf set, shes been a threat per Since she came to SUU, Kylee since she arrived to SUU and Wolf has been an offensive will continue to terrorize the machine when she is at the plate for one more year. when conference defensive ball the 5K. However, if this list were about hair, Tate, easily would have been second, behind Cowser in one meet, now thats cause for celebration. Jayson has been a dominant thrower and he seems to be revitalizing the throwing crew as well. Thats a lot of steaks to buy for head coach Eric Houle. 7. and a hog she wears her mit in centerfield While she leads the in 10. Ally Thimsen Ally Thimsen has been a threat runs, hits and steals, Wolf also has also shown a defensive effort for goalkeepers since she arrived in putouts and assists which gives and this year scored seven goals her an 97.3 percent field average. on 16 shots on goal Those seven At the end of the season, it will goals tied her for second in the not be easy for head coach Tom SUU record books for goals in Gray to replace Wolf when she a season However, Thimsen graduates. fit perfectly in a solid forward group but she emerged as the 9. Ann Clappier leader on this team and definitely Madi Forsythe was the leader of deserves a spot on this list. the SUU volleyball team, but Ann Clappier showed that she was one Honorable Mentions: Ammon of the top athletes to compete on the team. As an opposite Olsen, Ashley Hawks, Breanu hitter and middle blocker hybrid, Reid, Casey Oliverson, Fidel Clappier has stayed consistent Concepcion, Madi Foisythe, at the net offensively while also Mike Needham, Stacie Webb. Continued from Page A17 With former head coach Ed Lamb leading the way, the team accomplished the following: defensive end James Cowser broke almost every Big Sky Conference record available, the team has produced three NFL Draft prospects (Cowser, safety Miles Killebrew and cornerback LeShaun Sims) and it brought home the first Big Sky Conference Title in school history. However, after Christmas Day, Lamb announced he has left the SUU football team to take an assistant coaching position at Brigham Young University. With coordinator defensive that, Demario Warren has been promoted as the new head coach. With the conclusion of the Red vs. White scrimmage, Warren is preparing his team for the 2016 season the right way. The end result, however, will justify if that statement stays true. the departure of former head coach Ed Lamb, new SUU head football coach Demario Warren addresses the media after athletic director Jason Butikofer formally introduces him to the community and the media Jan. 11 (top). Former SUU head mens basketball coach Nick Robinson squats down with the team during a timeout against Eastern Washington (bottom), Following r r The Utah Summer Games offers a variety of events for all participants to compete in. The events in the Utah include Summer Games archery, the 5k and 10k races, baseball, gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, Karate and even Arm Wrestling. Volleyball Prior to the start of the 2015 season, SUU appointed Craig Choate as the new head coach for the SUU volleyball team. In his first year, Choate led the to a 15-- 15 overall record (which tied the school record) and into the first round of the Big Sky Tournament. Despite not winning a Big Sky Conference title, the did accomplish a few milestones. In fact, the team broke a few records during its 2015 season. It set a new mark for the highest hitting percentage (.199) while recording the most blocks in the season (272) since the program came back to SUU in 2009. SUU was also 67th in the nation in opponent hitting will be without percentage. The four graduating seniors next season, but their arsenal will come back stronger before 2016 gets underway. ds The mens basketball I y. utahsummergames org JOSH MARTINEZ UNIVERSITY JOURNAL Members of The Roadrunners baseball team huddle at the mound after the team changes its pitcher during the Utah Summer Games in 2015. have its best season, but it did get a taste of what the new Big Sky Conference postseason tournament had to offer. Instead of the top eight teams in the conference, all twelve teams would get into the tournament regardless of their winloss record. Led by former head coach Nick Robinson, the finished the season in 12th place and lost in the first round against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. the loss, Following postseason Butikofer made the executive decision to let Robinson go. Shortly after, he found former UNLV interim head coach Todd Simon to fulfill that head coaching position. Simon has had a successful career under his belt and has the potential to bring SUU beyond its limits, but he is in a similar situation Warren is in: the end result of next years season will remain a mystery. ds Womens Basketball overall school record of 196.575. Then, the team went into the NCAA Regionals meet and came out with a 194.950 score, shy of qualifying for the NCAA Nationals meet. However, after recording, a 39.400 in the NCAA Regionals meet, SUU junior Danielle Ramirez punched a ticket to Fort Worth, Texas. She returned home tying for 16th in the event. Golf The womens golf team wrapped up its season after it competed in the 2016 Big Sky Championship, finishing sixth as a team. With Taylor Viquelia leading the team, she was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year e finish in the following her championships. With that, Viquelia also broke the school record for individual scoring average this season. For the mens side, it will be competing in its 2016 Big Sky Championships with Fidel Concepcion leading the way. Prior to the championships, Concepcion has been honored for his performances three times by the Big Sky as he was named the Big Sky Mens Golfer of the Week. For a full recap of the mens golf teams 2016 Big Sky Championship results, check suunews.comsports. fifth-plac- This no secret about it, this was not the season head coach Chris Boettcher had hoped for out of his young team. However, despite some injuries and no road wins to their name, the competed from the get go. They pushed several top Big Sky teams, causing teams on their to be worried to see the schedules. With players such as Jessica Richardson, Breanu Reid and Jamie Smith returning next year and the team Track and Field with a year of experience under its belt, This team has everything: a group of SUU is primed to begin its upward climb seasoned distance runners, a thrower in the Big Sky. who continues to impress each and ds Gymnastics team has The SUU gymnastics talents and its scores on since improved the beginning of the season. What is even better is there will be seven seniors returning to the lineup in 2017. Birds overcame To start, the Flippin one of the top 5 teams in the nation, the Michigan Wolverines, setting a new overall score. The season-hig- h also went into the Mountain Rim team did not Gymnastics Championships and tied its ds Mens Basketball event to unite everyone. The Utah Summer Games June is scheduled to kick-of- f 2 and is expected to run For more through mid-Julinformation on how to apply or get involved in this years Utah Summer Games, go to every week, a young womens team that is primed for success and a young core of sprinters. Theres still a lot left in the season with Regionals and Nationals ahead, but the track and field team looks to continue its success from its second-plac- e finish on the mens side in the Indoor Championships while the women look to avenge their e finish at the Indoor Championships. Stay tuned for more exciting and thill ling track and field coverage. last-plac- |