COLUMN: Looking back at Aggie Athletics in fall 2011
The end is finally near, and while we’re all busting our butts to study for finals, I thought it fitting to take a look back at a semester of Aggie sports.
At The Statesman, we’ve come a long way from the three-person sports staff that started the year and our teams have, too. These are my favorite things The Statesman has reported in the past four months.
The soccer team had a historic season with its 15-5-2 record, as the best ever by a Utah State soccer squad. The women played amazingly well all season and even made an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Three of their five losses were at the hands of good soccer schools like Tulsa, BYU and Oklahoma State, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time.
We saw the breakout performance from freshman forward Jade Tarver, who wowed fans with her quick feet. Senior goalkeeper Molli Merrill climbed to No. 11 in the NCAA goalie standings and senior Shantel Flanary shattered records all season long.
Utah State hockey is ranked No. 1 in the West and rightfully so. The Aggies debuted rookie talent in Brian Gibbons, who has become one of their leading scorers. Earlier this season, the Aggies beat D-I powerhouses Lindonwood and Michigan State, showing that their talents go far beyond the reach of their D-II ranking.
Oh, and Tyler Mistelbacher and Jeff Sanders are having the best seasons of their Utah State careers.
The volleyball team found they had some young talent when star Josselyn White injured her ankle. Freshmen Rachel Orr and Kaitlyn Van Hoff stepped up and showed off their skills. The two played great for the Aggies and, even though the team didn’t have the great season they did last year, the young talents that broke through this season give a lot of hope for the future.
If any Utah State team deserves a shout-out, it is the men’s cross-country team, led by Brian McKenna. For the sixth time in seven years, the team took home a WAC title. McKenna won his second individual title. The senior also got an at-large bid for the NCAA championships and placed 63rd in the nation.
Also deserving recognition is Daniel Howell. Howell placed fourth at the WAC championships and received first-team all-WAC honors along with Brian McKenna and his younger brother Kyle McKenna.
Yes, that’s right, Brian McKenna has a brother running for Utah State. The best part is that Kyle just a freshman.
No recap of Aggie sports would be complete without mention of the Utah State football team. For the first time in my three years at USU, there’s more buzz about football than basketball.
To start the season off, Anthony Calvillo, former USU quarterback, broke the all-time passing record with more yards than any quarterback ever and the news about Aggie football only got better.
Sure they had their ups and downs, but they wowed fans with their performances against Auburn for three-and-a-half quarters at least. Everyone fell in love with Chuckie Keeton. I seem to remember someone even vowing to name their first child Chuckie — I think I’ll hold him to his word.
Then tragedy struck when Keeton went down with a stinger in the Hawaii game. Then everyone fell in love with Adam Kennedy. The freshman stepped in for the Aggies and led them to an impossible victory over the Wahine.
Now just a few weeks later the Aggies are headed to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Sure the Aggies may have set the record for most games decided by a touchdown or less and are the cause of high blood pressure across Cache Valley. It’s a rough life being an Aggie fan, but it’s worth it in the end.
See you in Boise.
– Meredith Kinney is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism and an avid hockey fan. She hopes one day to be a big-shot sideline report working for ESPN. Send comments to meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu