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Show StatesmanSports Page 10 Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 Lifetime: 35 seasons at Utah State -continued from page 9 UTAH STATE QUARTERBACK Diondre Borel prepares to hand the ball off to sophomore running back Robert Turbin in a game against Louisiana Tech earlier this season. cody gochnour photo Ags say ‘Aloha’ to Warriors By G. Christopher Terry assistant sports editor A team on its way down the Western Athletic Conference ladder – Hawaii – meets with a team that believes it is on its way up the ladder in Utah State, Saturday in Honolulu. The Warriors were an undefeated non-BCS darling two seasons ago when quarterback Colt Brennan led them all the way to the Sugar Bowl, where Georgia de-cleated them, 41-10. Coach June Jones left for Southern Methodist after that bowl loss, and since then the Warriors have fallen from WAC-contender status. “They’re a good football team,” USU head coach Gary Andersen said. “They’re in an area they’re not used to. They’re used to going to bowl games and competing for championships. This is uncharted waters for them for many, many years.” Second-year coach Greg McMackin has had to deal with losing his senior starting quarterback, Greg Alexander, to an ACL tear as Hawaii has struggled to a 2-6 (0-5 WAC) record. Alexander had thrown for 1,433 yards in four games before injury ended his season. It’s a clear blow to Hawaii’s chances, as Alexander threw nine touchdown passes to current starter Anthony Moniz’s six, despite 16 fewer attempts. Alexander also has one less interception and was completing his passes at a 65 percent clip, compared to Moniz’s completion percentage of 56. Junior safety Rajric Coleman is pumped for the chance to play a team that consistently goes with four wide receivers on first down, as opposed to the steady diet of WAC-power-rushing attacks USU has seen. l a i c pe - See HAWAII, page 11 AGGIE S Students & Faculty Receive 30% OFF The Diamond Gall ery Your Engagement Ring Specialist 435.753.4870 • 45 North Main (Next to Persian Peacock & across from Tabernacle) In more than three decades at USU, approach is something that’s helped him stay in Mildenberger has seen many changes. However, it for so long.” one of the biggest may be a fairly recent one. In That body of work hasn’t been without its August 2008, USU completed the $12 million hardships. Athletic trainers must constantly Jim and Carol Laub Athletics and Academics deal with athletes who find themselves in a posiComplex. tion they do not want to be in. Mildenberger Inside the 11,000-square-foot center is the said advances in treatment and technology Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine Complex. have only increased the healing expectations The new facility is a veritable haven for athletes of today’s injured athletes, making his job even – especially when compared to USU’s old facilmore challenging. ity, which was nicknamed “the bunker.” “The downside of this job is the realization Smelling of sweat and athletic tape, the bunthat there’s not a fix-it for everything that can ker was located in the basement of the building happen, and at times injuries can end careers, that used to sit in Romney Stadium’s north end hopes and dreams,” he said. “That’s not always zone. During his time at USU, Mildenberger an easy thing for the athlete. It’s not always easy has received countless awards for his career to be the one to tell them those types of things.” accomplishments. One of those accomplishHaving the right attitude has been paraments is the establishment of a widely-used con- mount in helping Mildenberger deal with threecussion program. and-a-half decades of injured “There are a number of differ- “The decision athletes and their triumphs and to put my name failures in overcoming those injuent programs we use to test for concussions,” said Dr. Trek Lyons, on this comries. USU’s team doctor, “and what he plex, that’s an “I consider myself a positive (Mildenberger) and one of the person in a negative situation,” he extremely hum- said. “If I’m involved, something’s previous doctors did is brought together a couple elements of these bling and very probably gone wrong, but if you programs and formulated a very gratifying expe- let the negative continue through, specific program. This gives the it’s difficult to be proactive and rience.” coaches and athletic trainers a make a positive difference.” more specific program to follow One of those players who has with concussions. No two concus- – Dale Mildenberger, triumphed is Adriane Bybee, a sions are ever the same. What he’s head athletic trainer senior linebacker on USU’s footallowed by creating this program ball team. Bybee battled injuries is he’s allowed coaches and players throughout his junior season, a better expectation of how they’re appearing in only one game for going to go through the process of a concusthe Aggies. sion.” “I remember the first time I had any sort of Due to this research and other accomplishinjury I went to him. I really thought he was just ments, Mildenberger was named to the National some stubborn guy because he was like, ‘Well, Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in what are you going to do about it?’ and I was 1994, and in 1998 he was named to the Rocky like, I don’t know, you’re the trainer,” Bybee said. Mountain Athletic Trainers Association Hall “As you get to know him though, you just find of Fame. He was also inducted into the inauguthat’s his style. He asks you more questions to ral Utah Athletic Trainers Association Hall of truly diagnose what it is because he’s dealt with Fame in 2003, as well as being named the Utah a lot of athletes and there’s been plenty of them Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2004. that come for something and it ends up being “I hope they’re not all clerical errors, one or something little.” two might be, but I hope they’re not all clerical When he’s not on the field or in the training errors,” said Mildenberger, feigning seriousness. room, the 60-year-old keeps busy summer and Jokes aside, Mildenberger said the greatest winter with the recreation Cache Valley has to honor of his career came not from national recoffer. Water and snow skiing are some of his ognition but from USU itself. favorite hobbies – with his wife Kathy of course “The decision to put my name on this com– along with playing golf and just being involved plex, that’s an extremely humbling and very, in the community. very gratifying experience when your own insti“I’m a pretty good waterskier,” he said with tution feels like you’ve had a body of work that’s a smile. “Even though I’m 60, I can still look worth that type of recognition,” he said. pretty good on a Sunday afternoon.” More than accolades, the circle he’s estabIt’s that fun and witty attitude that makes lished around himself in the athletic training Mildenberger so special. It has allowed him to profession can probably measure Mildenberger’s succeed at Utah State and it has allowed him to body of work better than anything else. During succeed in his profession by connecting with his time at USU, he has passed on his skills to athletes and helping them overcome their trials. numerous trainers. Those trainers have in turn “Once you get to know him, he’s quite a passed on their skills, which have created a vast funny guy. He really is one of the funniest guys I network in the profession that leads back to know,” Bybee said. Mildenberger. “He has a huge network of people that have –t.olsen@aggiemail.usu.edu worked for him, been trained by him and then trained other people,” Lyons said. “His job is one that can lead to burnout, but his common sense Hoping: Seniors’ last hurrah -continued from page 9 USU’s season has indeed been a memorable one. Specifically, Salmon spoke of a match that will live on in her heart for a long time to come: “The Utah game,” Salmon said. “Playing in Rio Tinto was amazing. The field was beautiful, and we beat Utah. That was one of our goals. Us three seniors, we’ve always wanted to beat BYU or Utah, and I think beating Utah, especially in Rio Tinto, was one of the best feelings in the entire world.” USU is now two matches away from clinching a berth to the NCAA tournament. Right TRUNK SHOW (see all the latest styles) Saturday, November 7 10 am-4 pm Meet an Ugg Sales Representative FREE Cleaning Kit with Every Ugg Purchase 129 North Main 752-0211 now, the only teams standing between the Aggies and WAC glory are No. 3 seed Boise State and the winner of the match between No. 1 seed San Jose State and No. 4 seed Nevada. Starting freshman defender Natalie Norris said the team is ready. “As a team I think it’s just to come out and battle,” Norris said. “We just have to come out hard for this Friday game and make sure we give it everything we’ve got and play the entire 90 minutes so that we can progress to the championship on Sunday.” Of course, always lingering in the back of everyone on the team’s mind is the devastating double overtime loss to Fresno State in the championship match last year. Norris was not there to experience that defeat, but even so she said she is motivated to make sure something similar does not happen this year. “Obviously, it’s in the back of our minds,” Norris said. “It was a bitter experience. We don’t want to experience it again. Losing a championship is horrible. We’re trying to look forward and make as much progress as a team this year and give it all we’ve got.” The soccer tournament is not broadcast on television but will be streamed online at WAC.tv. USU’s match is Friday at 3 p.m. – la.hem@aggiemail.usu.edu |