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Show JTut DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE E4 August 2009 BASEBALL fc* Team plans for encore of '09 wins Bubba Brown STAFF WRITER - Just a few months after winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament and squaring off against college baseball's elite teams in an NCAA Regional, the Utes are already preparing for an encore. Sixteen Utes have spent the summer honing their craft by playing in various summer baseball leagues throughout the country. Among the players was catcher C.J. Cron, who was named to the California Collegiate League All-Star team as a member of the San Luis Obispo Blues. "Summer ball is a good chance to keep playing the game," Cron said. "It makes you better each day. It's a chance to keep improving individually, which will make the team better." Nick Kuroczko, who spent much of his time last season at third base for the Utes, excelled for the Vienna Senators this summer and was named to the Clark Griffith Collegiate League All-Star team. Kuroczko agrees with Cron about the benefits of playing ball throughout the summer. "I think I speak for the whole team when I say the opportunity to play summer ball is great," Kuroczko said. "It allows you to improve your skill set. You get a chance to play every day so you can stay in the groove of things. That consistency is very important." If the Utes are to expect a repeat performance, they will have to do so without the aid of several players now graduated from last year's club. I See BASEBALL Page E10 i: during Italy summer tour Matt Sanchez STAFF WRITER TYLER COBB/tot Doily Utah Otronidr Head basketball coach Jim Boylen signed a five-year contract extension during the summer. Boylen led the Utes to a Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship and a tie for the regular-season title last season. IPs Kinneberg to coach national baseball team Boylen signs contract to stay through 2014 Bubba Brown Matt Sanchez STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER On the heels of guiding the Utes to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 49 years, head coach Bill Kinneberg has been selected to serve as head coach of the 2010 USA Baseball National Team. The team will participate in the FISU World University championship in Japan. The event, which (Seeurs every othefyear, has been won by Team, USA three consecutive times, including last year's 1-0,12-inning victory over Japan in the final. '^I'm very honored and extremely humbled for the opportunity to put on the uniform and represent USA Baseball again," Kinneberg said. "I would like to thank everyone at USA Baseball for the opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge of putting a great staff and team together to ultimately win the FISU Championships next year." Kinneberg's close friend Dave Serrano, head coach of Cal State Fullerton, was announced as the team's pitching coach. Serrano's Fullerton squad eliminated the Utes in this year's NCAA regional. Kinneberg served as the director of USA Baseball's Athlete Development Program between two stints serving as the team's pitching coach in 1999 and 2007. The 2007 teamfinished25-12 and sported a gaudy 1.93 team ERA. "Bill was part of Mike Weathers' staff in 2007—a year that saw us go through the toughest schedule and selection process on record for a National Team," said Eric Campbell, general manager of USA Baseball National Teams. "He did a great job managing the pitching staff to a silver in Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro as well as working through three mid-summer roster moves within that pitching staff." In addition to leading Utah to the 2009 Mountain West Conference Tournament championship, Kinneberg's accomplishments include establishing school wins in a season record at UTEP (1985), Wyoming (1990) and Utah (1996). jb.brown@chronicle.urah.edu For Utah head basketball coach Jim Boylen, Utah really is the place. The Utah men's basketball team was coming off two consecutive losing seasons and desperately needed some change. Ray Giacoletti's teams were seen as underachieving, and the program needed"7" a shot of enthusiasm and excitement. The fans needed a reason to cheer, and the Ute nation needed a. coach who would help restore the team to prominence. Enter Boylen. See BOYLEN Page El 2 Utah makes history with MWC Tournament win Marco Villano STAFF WRITER said head coach Bill Kinneberg. "Our pitchers were on fumes and the guts they all showed was indicative of what they wanted." The pitchers weren't the only players running on fumes, as ^ Utah finished the tournament ^ with a 5-1 record during a span j~ of five days. r With the Mountain West Conference having arguably the strongest group of teams in its 10-year history, the road to the championship was not an easy one by any means. It all started with a bang after the Utes defeated No. 3 BYU 2-1 in a 10-inning thriller. From there, they moved on to For the No. 6-seeded Utah baseball players, a tournament win seemed out of the question—to everyone ~* but themselves, that is. | On the afternoon of May 23, ^ Utah did something that no ••* team has ever accomplished in Mountain West Conference history by winning the tournament as the final seed in the conference. The road was longer than most, but the Utes overcame adversity to take the title and earn their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since i960. "What a tremendous feat that our guys accomplished the whole week," See TOURNAMENT Page E12 See ITALY Page Ell TRACK & FIELD TENNIS Track welcomes star freshmen Tennis hopes depth will help win championship 5 Matt Sanchez brought them in." Kepler said new freshmen Alyssa Johnson and Natalie Young, i The 2009-2010 version of the among others, will help the team track and field team might look a right away their first seasons. little different than what fans are Johnson is a highly decorated used to. sprinter from Winnipeg, ManiThe team will undergo a make- toba, Canada and is experienced • over of sorts as it loses 12 seniors in running the 300-meter and from last year's squad. 400-meter long sprints. Among the athletes leaving "Alyssa has a wealth of expeare Josefin Berg, a thrower, and rience at the international level Chelsea Shapard, a hurdler and and we expect her to make an imsprinter. Both stood out in their mediate impact on our program," m ; respective sports. Kepler said. With departures come arrivals Young, a Springville native, .. and the team will be welcoming was a five-time class 4A state ; 10 incoming freshmen. champion during her high school ; "We have some bright young career. In high school, she com':, stars coming in as freshmen," peted in the 200 meter, 400 mesaid head coach Kyle Kepler. ter, 4x100 meter relay and 4x400 . "They all have one thing in com- meter relay. As a senior, she was •• mon in that they love to run, train named the 4A Female Athlete of -'and compete,,and that is.why we the Year for girl's, track and field. STAFF WRITER r I Boylen, the 2009 NABC District 17 Coach of the Year, has brought a winning tradition back to the U and has led the Runnin' Utes to a 42-25 record since taking the reins in 2007. Boylen recently signed a five-year contract extension that will keep him in crimson red through 2014. The new deal will pay Boylen $850,000 a year and could be worth as much aV$"i miliron""witfi" bonuses. "My family is very happy and we've been well-supported," said Boylen, an The U sent its women's basketball team on a journey, but it was not a typical road trip. From May 9 to May 19, the team traveled around Italy, playing four games against various Italian clubs. This was a basketball trip, but the team was able to experience much more than just hoops. The Utes went unblemished during their trip, winning all four of their games by an average of more than 20 points. Led by junior Kalee Whipple and her 19 points, the Utes won their first game, against Santa Marinella, 67-57. Next, the Utes faced Firenze Basket and were able to win 69-37 behind a balanced attack that included 15 points from Whipple and a near triple-double from freshman Janita Badon, who finished with eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists. In their third game, the Utes played A.S. San Martino Basket and got a strong performance from senior Katie King, who scored 19 points and paced the team to an 81-59 victory. To close out their Italian tour, the Utes bested Crema 67-49 behind junior Halie Sawyer's double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. "The most beneficial part about this trip was young kids getting game time and having an expanded role on the team," said head coach Elaine Elliott. Elliott said she was particularly pleased with freshmen Mandy Munns and Iwalani Rodrigues and hopes this experience will help them to have bigger roles on the team and have more confidence next season. :rT ; .~_ r *2UfK6Sg&~lhe games were;^i6f-'all*tKat competitive, the team still faced chaJU lenges. Elliott and many of the players, expressed frustration with the Italian referees and the way they officiated the games. "The refs have not yet discovered the pivot foot yet in Italy," Sawyer said. "It seemed like every time we try to attack for a layup or make a move such as a shot fake or jab step, we get called for travels," said junior Sasha McKinnon. "(The) refs can't understand you, so you have to learn to play through new frustrations and rely on your game," Elliott said. Throughout their travels across Italy, many of the players shared memories and experiences via a blog on the team's website. They wrote about visiting Rome, Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, but also about attacking pigeons, negotiating with street vendors and pizzerias. The blogs make it clear that this trip was much more than just basketball—it was an opportunity for the players and coaches to form unity and become closer. "One of the best things about this trip (was) the camaraderie we shared," Elliott said. "During this intense 10-day In addition to track, Young will also be competing for the women's soccer team. "Natalie is another two-sport star in the making," Kepler said. "We expect her to step in and contribute heavily within our spruit group right away." This year, the team will have new leaders, and Kepler expects Sarah Grimm to be one to step in andfillthis role. Grimm, a Jordan High School alumna, will lead by example on and off thefield.She and Shapard were the lone Utes to represent the team at last season's NCAA Championships. Grimm has excelled in the hammer throw and won the event at last season's MWC Championships. Track and field is different See TRACK page Q3 _ . ••)_ Matt Sanchez Maughan as well as sophomore Anastasia Putilina were recognized by the MWC for their exceptional play last season, and Women's tennis each made the All-Conference team. The After an injury-plagued 2008-2009 sea- three will be counted on to set the tone son that ended in a loss to TCU in the for the rest of the team and to lead by exsemifinals of the Mountain West Con- ample on and off the court. ference Championships, the Utah tennis In addition to their stellar leaders, the team will now look to remain healthy in Utes have signed Paige Miles out of Juan order to contend for this year's confer- Diego Catholic High School to add to the ence championship. team's depth. "It was a pretty good year, but it could Miles is a four-time Utah state 3A have been better had we been completely singles champ and the top recruit in the healthy," said head coach Mat Iandolo. "I region. Miles also remained undefeated expect us to be much better this next sea- against high school competition, ending son." with a perfect 72-0 record. Perhaps the team underachieved last "I am very excited and anxious to start season, but coming into the 2009-2010 playing," Miles said. "I like all the girls and campaign, the team will bring back its am looking forward to being on a team three best players and add a star freshman with them. I am also very excited to have to the mix. Seniors Erin Monson and Andrea See TENNIS Page El3 STAFF WRITER ' • ' • • ; * ! |