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Show i i i &i •1--4- 1-4-- Spetman says so long to Utah St Takes job with ACC's Florida State By SAMMY HISLOP sports editor R A N D Y S P E T M A N speaks at the Veteran's Memorial Nov. 12, 2007, outside the Spectrum. Spetman, who was the athletic director of USU since 2004, was named Florida State University's athletic director Monday. DE&RA HAWKINS photo Aggies to face old Big West sgiiad By SAMMY HISLOP sports editor A former Big West Conference men's basketball rival of USU will be coming to Logan Feb. 22. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos will be the opponent. The game is part of the 2008 O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters. This is the third straight season the Aggies (16-6, 6-1 in Western Athletic Conference play) have participated in BracketBusters. Last year they won at Oral Roberts, 71-65, and in 2006 they beat Northwestern State, 66-63. The time of the game on ESPN will be announced Feb. 11, the day the Aggies play their make-up game at Nevada. "Santa Barbara is one of the favorites to win the Big West Conference, and they are right there," USU head coach Stew Morrill said. "We are very familiar with their program and their system/and we have great respect for them and the job coach (Bob) Williams does. It will be a tremendous challenge for us in that they will bring a well-coached, athletic-looking, defensiveminded team into here." The Gauchos (16-5, 5-3 in the Big West) are 6-3 on the road this season and return four starters and seven letter winners from last season, when they placed second in the Big West. >' The game wi,U be the 59th meeting between USU and UC Santa Barbara. The Aggies have won each of the past four games in the series and 10 of the last 12. All oftheWAC's nine teams will be taking part in the BracketBusters event this season. Before the Santa Barbara match-up, the Aggies play three of four on the road. -samuel.hislop @aggiemail. usu.edu Utah State has lost the man who was the driving force behind the Athletics Center in the north end zone of the USU football stadium. Randy Spetman, director of athletics at USU since July 2004, was introduced Monday as the new athletics director for the Atlantic Coast Conference's Florida State Seminoles. The Seminoles' hiring of Spetman ended a nationwide search that began in December. "Florida State University is one of the finest college athletics programs in the nation," Spetman said Monday. "To be asked to serve as its athletics director is a great compliment, and I was thrilled to accept. I proudly served my country for many years with honor, commitment and pride. And I now look forward to bringing my skills as an athletics director to this university and serving Florida State University with the same honor, commitment and pride." Spetman is expected to begin at FSU within the next three weeks. USU is expected to pick an interim director later this week and also begin the search for a permanent replacement. Spetman was one of four final candidates for the FSU job. Included in the other three were Wayne Hogan, an associate athletic director at Georgia Tech, and Martin Mayhew, the senior vice president of the Detroit Lions. "These were all excellent candidates who interviewed very well," said FSU Vice President Mary Coburn, who chaired the search committee. "This was an interesting experience. It allows you to see the campus through the eyes of other people. We look forward to working with a new athletic director who will help get us to a new level." Aside from his help with the Athletics Center, Spetman was at USU when the Aggies joined the Western Athletic Conference in 2005. Other notables include how he crafted a business partnership for medical health coverage that improved the overall coverage of USU student-athletes and reduced medical costs. He also negotiated a new marketing agreement for USU athletics with Learfield Sports Properties. Before USU, Spetman was H See AD, page 10 USU ATHLETIC DIRECTORS SINCE 1 5 5 0 RANDY SPETMAN - '04-'08 RANCH PUGMIRE - '99-'O4 BRUCE VAN DEVELDE- '98 CHUCK B E U - ' 9 3 - ' 9 7 RODTUELLER-'85-*92 DAVE KRAGTHORPE - '83-'84 LADEU. ANDERSEN - '73-'82 FRANK WILLIAMS - '64-72 H.B.HUNSAKER- ! 55-'63 Slammed by SUU ByCANDlCESANDNESS staff writer Chants of "Southern Utah!" drowned in the ears of more than 2,500 fans as the SUU Thunderbirds grabbed a win against the Aggies Monday, 196.000-192.250. "SUU was phenomenal," USU head coach Ray Corn said. "That 196 tonight was well-earned and well-deserved." The Aggies walked away with disappointment as they saw their fourth loss of the season. In spite of USU seizing the first three places in the vault, it was no match for Southern Utah, who dominated the bars, balance beam and floor exercise events with five solid first-place finishes in every event. "I'm just waiting for the season to get started," Corn said. "For some reason we can't get it going. We warmed up superbly, and 1 thought it was going to be the night (of success)." Freshman Jasmine Minion, who has the best average vault score on the team so far this season, captured first place on vault, scoring a 9.850, followed by fellow teammate junior Nicki Felley and sophomore Heather Heinrich, who both tied for the second place finish of 9.825. On bars, there was afive-waytie among the T-Birds and Aggie freshman Nicole Simoneau, who all topped a 9.850. Simoneau has won the bars routine four of the past five meets. USIPS N I C K I FELLEY performs on the bars Jan. 22 in the Spectrum against Boise State. Monday night at Southern Utah, Omann placed a 38.400 in the all-around as the Aggie gymnasts started out on the bars, Aggies lost, 192.250-196.000.Though the Aggies lost, they placed a higher score than in where they suffered one fall that put them in a hole, and by the half mark, the T-Birds their previous meet TYLER LARSON photo were leading, 97725-96.600. she did take a fall on floor as a result of her with sophomore Elise Wheeler claiming Before the first two rotations were over, foot," Corn said. "We need to get this team first place as she recorded the best fourth two mishaps occurred for the Aggies, as healthy, and somehow, someway, we have place finish in SUU's gymnastics history Felley cut her foot on the vault board and to get a meet without drama and having to with '"' a 9.925. senior Megan Tschidas right leg started to make the line-up changes." go numb after her routine ^ ^ _ ^ _ ^ ^m^^^m^^ Minion was the first Aggie to place, Although the team expeon the uneven parallel bars. coming in the sixth spot with a 9.775. rienced downfalls, there "We pressed a little too "Elise Wheeler has been that capable of were some bright things hard, and the drama that a floor worker her entire career," SUU head that came out of the meet, took place after the first coach Scott Bauman said. "She pegged two events led to tacky Corn said, such as vaulting, every one of her landings, and those were performances on floor and After Tschida was out, tough tumbling passes." beam," Corn said. Jackie Dillon stepped in for On the beam, SUU junior Kellie her and scored a 9.625 on the floor. Senior Kelly Patterson stepped in and Dangerfield had a capital performance, On the balance beam, USU saw personal recording a career high of 9.900. took Tschidas place on the balance beam, records set by freshman Lyndsie Boone her first time competing this season, and "Kelly did not even wobble on beam. and Patterson, both marking a 9.675. marked a 9.675. She is one of the premier beam workers in In addition, Boone accomplished two In addition, Heinrich s knee was hurting the country," Bauman said. more personal records, when she preand affected her performance on the balThe first Aggie to place was Boone, who sented a 9.725 on floor and a 9.700 on the ance beam, where she suffered a fall and came in fifth place. vault. scored a 9.200. Southern Utah's performances on "It's a big step in the right direction, and beam and floor are the best marks in the But she performed her best this season on vault, where she set a personal record of e v e r y day I w o r ^ o n the little things that Western Athletic Conference. a 9.850. get me better and better. I'm happy with "We are getting closer, and I am not givi t B o o n e said "I thought Heather had a sensational " ing up on this team by any means," Corn On tne oor meet along with Nicki leading us in the all^ exercise, Southern Utah said. "This is the second time the third around" Corn said. creamed Utah State, capturing the first meet we've been heading towards a 194, Despite Felley s cut foot, she finished her ^ lve finishes and catapulting their seasonand we buckle." routines, best score to a 49.275. •candice.sandness@aggieniailMsu.edu The "All kudos to Nicki. She didn't stop, but T-Birds all recorded 9.8 range scores USU trainer to receive Hall honor BY USU ATHLETICS Dale Mildenberger, Senior ,Vssociate Athletics DireciovaiUtah State Universit\. will be honored by the- U;ih Sports Hall of Fame frmndationon Tuesday, l-t-b. 12 in Salt Lake City. Mildenberger. who is in his 33rd year as [he head athletics trainer at Utah State, will receive the annual Distinguished Service Award at the Paul Ream Scholarship/Distinguished Awards Banquet. Logan native Joe Watts, along with Randy Hollis an Don Norton will join Mildenberger as honorees. Mildenberger has received numerous awards throughout his career, including being inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1994, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1998 and being named to the inaugural Utah Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition he was named the 2004 Utah Athletic Halton gets top Aggie award BY USU ATHLETICS Utah State women's track athlete Maria Halton has been named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, Jan. 27, it was announced on Monday. The award is voted on by a state media panel. Freshman, Maria Halton from West Valley City, Utah, posted two personal-bests at the Air Force Invitational last weekend, including the second fastest time in school history in the 60m with a 7.67, good for second-place. She also placed third in the 200m with a time of 24.91, which is.the 10th fastest time in school history and the fastest in the WAC this season. The Aggies continue action this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9, in Boise, Idaho, at the Boise State Invitational. Watts WAC top athlete GameOver BY USU ATHLETICS SUU 196 USU 192.250 Utah State women's tennis player Britney Watts has been named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week it was announced by the league office on Monday. It is the first time this year a USU tennis player has been named WAC Athlete of the week. Watts, a sophomore from Salt Lake City, Utah (Cottonwood), clinched the fourth point and the victory for the Aggies, defeating Weber State, 4-3 on Feb. 2. Watts battled the Wildcats Greyce Farias in a three-set match, winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, to help seal the Aggies first team victory. |