Ags split weekend road trip in Boise
Jason Trask was the only Aggie to pick up wins in matches last weekend in Boise, Idaho against Boise State and Gonzaga.
On Saturday, Utah State fell to Boise 6-1, despite Trask improving his record to 12-4 for the spring season. On Sunday, playing at the number two singles spot for the first time this season, Trask was also able to tally a victory there. The Aggies defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 6-1, for the second time this season.
“[Boise has] an incredible program and a very good team,” Trask said. “Overall, we played well against them. It was good to get that experience and play at that level.”
Boise, ranked 38th in the nation, started out the match by winning the doubles point. The closest match came from the duo of Trask and Hungsoon Park at the number one spot, 9-7.
In singles play, the Aggies stepped it up but were unable to get the points they needed. Park, playing at number one, ended a four-match winning streak falling to Boise’s Mahmoud Resk 7-6, 7-5. Trask defeated James Ludlow in three matches going 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in number four singles play.
Hannes Schenk was defeated by Boise’s Matias Silva 6-1, 6-1. Nile Kleeman of Boise took down USU’s Roshan Rasekhi 6-2 in both matches. USU’s Tyler Bastian and Ryan Bair were defeated by Ehren Vaughan and Beck Roghaar to give Boise its six points.
On Sunday, the Aggies were ready for the win. The Aggies had faced Gonzaga before and had defeated them, Trask said, so they looked to do the same thing again.
Because of large blisters on his feet, Park was unable to play against the Bulldogs. But the Aggies managed to survive without him.
“Everyone stepped up and played very well,” Trask said.
USU started the match on a positive note, winning the doubles point and taking a 1-0 lead into singles play.
Because of Park’s absence, Schenk played at the number one singles spot where he defeated Gonzaga’s Dru Ernst 6-2, 6-2. Trask, at the number two singles spot, defeated Brett Womack 6-1, 6-4.
Rasekhi was the only Aggie to fall in singles play as Reid Arthur defeated him 7-6, 6-4.
Bastian and Bair were able to defeat Robert Penney and Jesse Goldsmith 6-3, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-2 at the number four and five singles positions. Lucas Bouton didn’t let Gonzaga’s Jeff Hedrick score at all in his 6-0, 6-0 victory at the number six spot.
The Aggies played without Jonah Nelson, and will have to play without him for the rest of the season, because of pain from a back injury.
“Jonah’s helped the team out a lot,” Trask said. “It hurts us, but everyone has stepped it up.”
The Aggies have only three matches left for the regular season. Their next two matches are both in Logan against Pacific on April 9 and Idaho State on April 13. Their last match of the season will be in Ogden against Weber State.
With so few matches left, the Aggies are looking to finish the season strong both, individually and as a team.
“We are looking to compete as a team and finish strong,” Trask said. “Individually, I would like to work hard and stay focused and continue to do well. This season has gone pretty well for me.”
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu