USU Athletics HOF Class of 2022 headlined by Robert Turbin and Tai Wesley
Utah State inducted eight members into the USU athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Of those eight, four were recognized as the Hall of Fame class of 2022.
Those former Utah State student-athletes included Trever Ball, Robert Turbin, Tai Wesley and Barb Zahl-Klein. Saturday’s ceremony also recognized 17 current Hall of Fame members that were in attendance as a part of the largest audience turnout for any previous USU Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Here is a snapshot of each athlete inducted as a member of the 2022 class.
Trever Ball
Ball was a member of Utah State Men’s Cross Country from 2002-2006. Ball became the first USU men’s cross-country athlete to become an All-American, doing so in the 2005 season. During that same season Ball was named the WAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year while helping the Aggies win the WAC Championship.
Ball shared numerous stories of his time at Utah State, including his early time being injured and serving an mission before enrolling at the university. Ball qualified for Nationals once in his time at Utah State in 2005, running while having a severe case of strep throat during the competition.
“I am grateful for this university and the education it gave me and the great people in the athletic department,” Ball said during his induction. “This is a great place, wonderful people and I’m very grateful for my time here. I would say that we know if you work hard, you can get whatever you want.”
Robert Turbin
Turbin played for Utah State Football from 2008-2011. Turbin was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2011 after rushing for 1,517 yards and a school record 19 touchdowns. Turbin is one of four USU players to win Offensive Player of the Year and one of five Aggies to rush for over 1,000 yards in multiple seasons. After his illustrious career in Logan, Turbin was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.
Turbin had other offers entering college but detailed his decision coming to Utah State being decided largely by where he felt he had the opportunity to make the biggest difference.
Robert Turbin looks back at the pack after a 96-yard run vs. Utah
“My father in the process would ask me ‘where do you feel like you can make the biggest impact, not only as a ballplayer, but as a community member, as a person, as an individual,’” Turbin said. “This community has been nothing but great to me.”
Turbin also said his proudest moment at Utah State wasn’t on a football field, but when he was awarded academic honors in both the 2010 and 2011 academic years.
Tai Wesley
Wesley played for USU Men’s Basketball as a forward from 2008-2011. Wesley was named the WAC Player of the Year in 2011 after averaging nearly 15 points per game, 8 rebounds per game and shooting nearly 60% from the field. Wesley was also named AP Honorable Mention All-American in the same year. During Wesley’s time on the team, Aggie basketball won four straight regular season WAC Championships, two WAC Tournament Championships and played in three NCAA Tournaments.
Wesley was very appreciative to his former head coach Stew Morrill, who was in attendance. Morrill is also in the USU Athletic Hall of Fame after his storied and legendary Aggie career. Wesley recounted stories of playing with Morrill and creating lifelong friendships and bonds with his teammates.
Tai Wesley poses as a freshman.
“Coach, I love you. I appreciate you. You took a chubby boy from Provo, Utah, and you turned him into a Hall of Famer,” Wesley said emotionally. “This will always be my home. And I have so many unforgettable memories here. These memories will last forever, and I would not have wanted to share them with anybody else. I love them.”
Barb Zahl-Klein
Zahl-Klein was a member of Utah State gymnastics during the 1988 and 1990-1992 seasons. Zahl-Klein claimed the Big West Championship for her floor routine during her senior season, receiving other awards in the all-around, vault and bars. Zahl-Klein also competed at the National Championships in 1990 and is tied for seventh in school history with 34 total titles. Zahl-Klein excelled in the classroom as well, being named USU’s Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1991 and recognized as a three-time High Country Athletic Conference All-Academic honoree.
Zahl-Klein’s speech was filled with emotion as she spoke of her former coach Ray Corn. Corn, a member of the USU Athletics HOF Class of 2015, was the first ever gymnastics coach at Utah State. Corn passed away last August at the age of 71.
“I want to thank Ray, who isn’t here tonight. I wish I could see him out there, but he’s the real reason why I’m standing here,” Zahl-Klein said with tears in her eyes. “Ray Corn had such a passion for gymnastics, and life and his family, and I miss him every day. He had so much excitement for what he did. He was loved and his passion for the sport was just infectious.”
The ceremony was closed by athletic director John Hartwell, who congratulated each Hall of Fame member and shared his thoughts on the evening.
“Nobody here was a five-star recruit. Nobody had every school in the country banging down the door to recruit them to have them come to play,” Hartwell said. “They had a passion. They had a chip on their shoulder. I believe that blue collar, roll up your sleeves, I am not going to be denied work ethic is what makes this place so special.”