Sports

Dance places at UDA College Nationals

By Sumaia Wegner

STAFF WRITER

After a two-year pause, San Diego State’s dance team returned to Orlando, Florida to compete in the Universal Dance Association College Nationals at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex from Jan. 14 to Jan. 16. The prestigious three-day event takes place annually where college dance teams (and cheerleading teams [Universal Cheerleaders Association]) compete in a variety of categories ranging in divisions and styles of dance. SDSU placed fourth this year in D1A Hip-Hop with a score of 93.6. In January 2020, SDSU brought home the championship as they placed first in D1A Hip-Hop.

“In the past, we have enjoyed the opportunity to showcase our diversity by competing in multiple categories. However, this year we felt it was best to compete in one division and we chose hip-hop because of the outcome in 2020, senior Briana Eubanks said. “We wanted to go back and continue to have SDSU be competitive in that category, and I would say we accomplished that goal.”

Eubanks is a fourth-year SDSU dance team veteran who is majoring in liberal studies: elementary education. She, along with the other dancers from SDSU, represented the Scarlet and Black school spirit of the Aztecs at the competition passionately.

This year also came with some changes in the competition. In 2020, one less school competed in the D1 Hip-Hop division while each team was allowed to have eighteen competitors.

“We were able to compete with more dancers this year than in 2020. By putting eighteen on the floor, it allowed our team to utilize more space, offer more variety in the formations, and increase the difficulty and visuals,” Eubanks said. “Just being back at nationals after a long two years means everything to the dance team. We were so lucky to get the opportunity to travel and represent our school at the collegiate level. It was such a rewarding experience.”

When asked what school spirit means to her as a dancer, Eubanks said. “As one of the twenty-one sport club teams managed by Associated Students Aztec Recreation, school spirit is a big part of what we do. Our job as a collegiate dance team is to attend sporting events and provide support and school spirit. It is an amazing experience and opportunity to be able to represent our university. I can speak for everyone on the team when I say that we love the Aztecs, and it is an honor to be able to represent our SDSU.”

Photo Courtesy of Briana Eubanks San Diego State’s dance team placed fourth at this year’s UDA College Nationals. It’s the second time in a row the team has placed at Nationals after placing first in 2020.

The SDSU dance team performs at all women and men’s basketball home games. They will be performing their nationals routine on Thursday, March 3 at the men’s basketball game against Fresno State at halftime.

Cal Poly gets served by SDSU Women’s Tennis

By morgan Prickett

STAFF WRITER

The San Diego State University women’s tennis team (5-1) handed out two straight shutouts this weekend at the Aztec Tennis Center, winning 4-0 on Friday, Feb. 11 against Long Beach State University (12) and 7-0 on Saturday, Feb. 12 against California Polytechnic State University (41).

The two wins eclipsed an Aztec milestone, making this the best start to any SDSU women’s tennis season since 1994.

“I’m proud to be their coach and I hope that they’re proud to be members of this team. I just reminded them of how lucky we all are, so it feels good. We have a good group and we knew that going in. We’re just going to try and keep getting better every day and keep it rolling,” head coach Peter Mattera said. “I know we’ve had some really good teams in the past; we have a legacy here that we’re trying to uphold so it feels good to be one of the best teams we’ve had in a long while. But we’re only as good as our next match so we’re gonna keep it rolling.”

Versus LBSU

Despite the final scores of both matches this weekend, this was some of the most competitive tennis the Aztecs have played this season.

The day started off with the 49ers grabbing a win in a doubles match that featured some of the best players in the country. The elite duo of freshman Sheena Masuda and junior Zara Lennon — ranked 48th nationally — handed SDSU’s top duo of seniors Bunyawi Thamchaiwat — ranked 80th nationally — and Tamara Arnold their first loss of the season.

The Aztecs didn’t take kindly to the loss and would go on to win every single remaining game.

Seniors Nnena Nadozie and Alicia Melosch evened the score with a 6-3 win over LBSU freshmen Nikola Homolkova and Claire Le du. This meant the Aztecs would win the doubles point in the final doubles game as senior Regina Pitts and junior Cécile Morin recorded a 6-4 victory over freshmen Arina Babkova and Peppi Ramstedt.

Up 1-0, the Aztecs then went on to thrash the 49ers, winning all six singles games. The singles matchups were highlighted by Thamchaiwat and Arnold’s stellar performances.

Arnold improved to 3-1 on the season with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Masuda while Thamchaiwat surrendered only three games in a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Homolkova moving her to 4-0 on the season.

Arnold and Thamcahiwat both expressed their gratitude for being able to play alongside one another after both transferring from Oklahoma State University.

“Playing with Bunyawi is so much fun on the court. It‘s so relaxed and easy,” said Arnold.

“We’re good partners. At OSU I feel as if we played really well. We know each other, we know the game, and we’re really connected,” Thamchaiwat said.

With the win, the Aztecs snapped a 14-match losing streak to the 49ers, posting their first victory against LBSU since April 12, 2005.

Versus Cal Poly

On Saturday the Aztecs welcomed the Mustangs from Cal Poly to the Mesa.

Doubles action began with a win for each side. Thamchaiwat and Arnold defeated juniors Emily Ackerman and Kim Bhunu 6-4 while Cal Poly sophomores Delanie Dunkle and Melissa LaMette evened it up in a 6-3 win over Nadozie and Melosch. The doubles point would come down to a nailbiter where Pitts and Morin narrowly defeated freshmen Eliza Bates and Peyton Dunkle 7-5.

After the Aztecs took the doubles point, they once again set the pace for a dominant singles run where the Aztecs went undefeated.

The final game of the day came down to Nadozie as she eked out a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 over Ackerman to the rejoice of her Aztec teammate and sealed the day for the Aztecs with a dominant 7-0 win.

The two wins extended the Aztecs’ home win streak to eight in a row.

“It’s always very helpful to play in your home environment and on the courts where we feel comfortable. Its conditions that we’re used to,” Mattera said. “Last week on the road we had some wind and a little bit of elevation which is a bit different. It’s always harder in any sport to win on the road.” Mattera and his players all share the same fondness for playing at the Aztec Tennis Center.

“If you ask anyone on the team, everyone will say that they love to play here,” Arnold said. “It’s our home, we know the people that are here, we know the courts, we know the balls, we know the weather conditions and we have a couple of fans that feel like they’re a part of the program.”

The Aztecs will look to continue their hot start to the season and home winning streak as the University of Hawaii visits Friday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. and the University of California, Berkeley visits on Sunday, Feb. 19 at noon.

Photos by Morgan Prickett (Top) The senior duo of Bunyawi Thamchaiwat and Tamara Arnold shake hands after a set against the Cal Poly Mustangs. (Bottom) Nnena Nadozie shakes hands with her opponent after winning her singled match.