OCR Text |
Show StatesmanSports Page 10 N Western Wats Western Wats has increased wages, and we are still willing to work around your schedule. We still offer weekly pay, a fun work environment, and we'll give you time off for school events, tests, and holidays. Call Cody 753-1303 or apply online at surveynetwork.com/application. USU gymnastics hosting Denver DUranked 13th in nation ByCANDICESANDNESS staff writer We Fit Your Needs MATERNITY INSURANCE • Costs as little as $75 - $175 / MONTH Pays out as much as $5000-$7000 Must be in effect 10 months BEFORE you deliver Works great with other health insurance policies Cireat prices on all Life, Health, Auto & Renters Cache Valley Insurance, Inc. 94 South Main, Logan (435) 752-456(f Ask for Amanda or Curtis Friday, Feb. 2% 2008 Aggie gymnastics will be trying to put the past disappoints behind and look to opportunities for success in their meet Friday against 13th-ranked Denver University, gymnastics head coach Ray Corn said. "We are pretty down to be 39," Corn said. "We've never been this deep before in the hole in terms of wins and losses. But we have to forget all the disappointments and move forward and look at the possible successes." Coming off of a third place in the last meet against the University of Utah and Southern Utah University, the team will be having a more promising and stronger lineup as freshmen Chelsea Marquardt and Jasmine Minion are back in after struggling with injuries, sophomore Heather Heinrich said. "We've gotten a lot healthier and we actually have some depth coming into this meet," she said. "We've done a lot more routines this week and also have done a lot more visualizing for beam, so hopefully that will help for this meet." Corn said he is excited for this meet and hopes the team has a "shining night," as they have not had one yet in the Spectrum this season. "As a team, we've turned this corner and the able bodies are all healthy," he said. "We hope to have a great outing (tonight)." The Aggies last competed with DU earlier this month as they came in behind DU with a score of 192.275 to their 195.700. "This team stood up to DU in three out of the four rotations when we were there in Denver," Corn said. "They just need to put that beam rotation together and see how we close. We can get to the 13th-ranked team in the country." DU will be without junior AilAmerican Jessica Lopez, who may be selected to compete in Saturday s Tyson America Cup, one of the sport s premier international events, which is an allaround invitation competition showcasing the top male and UTAH STATE FRESHMAN GYMNMAST NICOLE SIMON E A U practices in the HPER earlier this year. Simoneau and the Aggies host Denver, Fridat at 6:30 p.m. TYLER LARSON photo female gymnasts in the world. Utah State is 18-18 all-time against the Pioneers. Funds from the meet will go directly to support the fight against breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Logan Regional Hospital Foundation for cancer research. -can(!ice.sam!ncss@aggiemail. usu.edit Swedes: Men's tennis team hails three of them Di continued from page 9 Tyden is one of three members of the Aggie men's tennis team from Sweden. The others are sophomore Oscar Ericsson and freshman Jakob Asplund. All three call Stockholm their hometown, all three started playing tennis when they were 7, and all three are starters on the team's lineup. "I was looking for colleges, but I didn't really know where to look," Ericsson said. "I knew Jonas and he kind of helped me out." Ericsson arrived at the GEICO. A 15-minute call could save you 15% on car insurance. 1513 N. Hillfield Rd., Suite 3 (8O1) 752-O485 beginning of the 2006 season and played at the No. 1 spot for the Aggies during his freshman year. Ericsson then paid it forward by recruiting a Swede of his own, Asplund. The two had played together at the same tennis club in Stockholm. In Sweden, there are no high school or college sports, Ericcson said. Kids young and old who are serious about tennis have to try out at extremely competitive sporting clubs. Ericsson and Asplund happened to play together at Bromma Gymnasium in Stockholm. When Asplund started looking for a college team to play for, his old friend Ericsson was there to give him direction. "I knew Oscar, so that's how I found out about Utah State," Asplund said. "But (Jonas) had it harder than we did. We had lots of help once we got here." Although the team is struggling to find its footing after starting 2-7, the Swedish trio continue to succeed in both singles and doubles play. But their opponents are not always their biggest challenge, according to the three. Opponents can sometimes be secondary trials to living 5,000 miles away from home, missing out on mom's home cooking and adjusting to an American culture. "America's different than what I thought it would be," Tyden said, "except for some things. We would watch those high school movies like American Pie with the jocks and their letterman's jackets. That's actually real." All three agreed the culture emphasis in the United States on athletics was something they weren't accustomed to, noting Aggie basketball games attract more spectators than the most popular professional hockey team in Sweden—the country's most popular sport. "The people in Sweden just have a different mentality," Ericsson said. But they said some of the changes that come with their relocation to America are welcome ones, particularly when it comes down to the way tennis programs are run. "Playing for a team is something that I really enjoy," Tyden said. "In junior's tennis in Sweden, you only play for yourself. Here you play for a team, and you're part of something more." Asplund said, "With our scholarships, school is practically free. Just the opportunity to come out here, play tennis and get an education, it's a great experience." Ericsson noted that traveling and seeing the country has USU FRESHMAN JAKOB ASPLUND, ABOVE, and sophomore Oscar Ericcson, below, return serves earlier this year at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club. Both are from Stockholm, Sweden. TYLER LARSON photos been an especially rewarding experience. "I love to see all the beautiful places in America," he said. "From Las Vegas to Pocatello, it's nice to see the diversity in the country." Tyden will be graduating in December with a degree in public relations, Ericsson is an economics major and Asplund is an undeclared business major. The three said they plan to use their degrees to get jobs in varying fields back in Sweden. Because so much of their time is soaked up by the sponge that is Aggie tennis, it leaves little time for leisurely activities or studying. But if they have a free evening, they said they like eating at their favorite place in town: Costa Vida. "In Sweden we never just go out to eat because it s so expensive," Tyden said. "And even if you do go out, they don't have Mexican food. That's why I love the sweet pork burritos so much." Despite all the challenges and differences they've had to overcome, these cheery Swedes continue to contribute not only to the university's cultural diversity, but to a tennis team that just simply wouldn't be the same without them. And lucky for USU, their recruiting efforts are far from finished. "We're working on it," Tyden said. "We're going to get some our friends from Stockholm to take our place when we've gone." -jackson.olsen@aggiemaiL usu.edu |