Statesman Sports Desk | Fall 2023

Letter from the sports editor

I grew up in a sports-centered family and always had a competitive mindset. Weekends were spent traveling to games, and summers consisted of hours of practice. Although my own talents didn’t take me past high school, I knew sports would remain a core part of my life because of the people both in and out of the spotlight. USU Athletics is all about them and their community, grit and passion. My college experience has allowed me to use my love of writing within the sports world, and the Statesman Sports Desk is constantly striving to give a voice to those less recognized and shine a light on the successes of our student-athletes.

In this edition, you’ll find information on new players, team schedules, the student section and the ‘why’ behind athletes’ drive. This is greater than the jerseys, the games, or the scoreboard — we’re a community of dedicated fans, coaches and athletes who are ready to compete.

Utah State is here to win.

-Madison Weber

Production

Magazine Editor: Madison Weber

Statesman Manager: Leah Call

Photo Editor: Heidi Bingham

Magazine Designer: Derrick Hawley

Advertising: Tylin Ritchie, Monique Black

Reporters

Madison Weber

Ella Stott

Caitlin Keith

Emma Becerra

Leah Call

Henry Wright

Photographers

Heidi Bingham

Sam Warner

Claire Ott

Elise Gottling

Phil Weber

BY ELLA STOTT

What USU sports mean to the Logan community

Current and prospective students can all agree USU’s student section at its sports games are different from other schools. The support of USU sports extends beyond the school and into the Logan community.

“I feel like inside the valley, USU is everything,” Ethan Morriss, USU football safeties coach, said. “I grew up in a small community down in Texas and Friday night lights was everything. Everybody knew your name, everybody knew who you were and I feel like it’s the same way here in

Cache Valley. When it comes to sports, they’re very supportive. They’re at every game. As soon as the gates open up, people are flooding in.”

“One reason I’m excited to go to USU is the student section at sporting events,” future Aggie Jennifer Malm, said. “Just being there surrounded by people cheering together creates such a strong sense of community.”

The HURD is a student-led organization that brings the Aggie spirit to sports. The group initiates

Merlin Olsen Field, also known as Maverik Stadium, is home to the Utah State Aggie football team.

chants and encourages crowd participation.

“There’s definitely a place for everyone,” said Tate Bennett, athletics and campus recreation executive director for the Utah State University’s Student Association. “Any who shows up to games is a part of the HURD.”

The HURD has been recognized as one of the best student sections in the nation by multiple news outlets The school spirit is felt not just among students, but all community spectators.

Bennett said USU sports and the community’s support of them really influenced his decision to attend the

school.

“I am an out-of-state student,” said Bennett. “As I was researching, I found an ESPN article and a SportsCenter segment on the HURD. They ranked it among the top student sections in the nation.”

For Abby McBride, an upperclassman on the HURD Committee, USU sports were a key factor in her decision to attend the university.

“I actually didn’t even apply anywhere else,” she said.

USU student section cheers on the Aggies against UCONN on August 27, 2022 in the Maverik Stadium.

McBride not only grew up in Cache Valley but on USU’s campus.

“I went to the elementary school on campus so I’ve always known I wanted to go to Utah State.”

Although McBride is full of Aggie pride as a current student, she said this pride originated from growing up in the community.

“I’ve been going to Utah State basketball games since I was born,” McBride said. “When I was in third grade, my school went to one of the women’s basketball games, and I even had birthday parties at USU games,” she said.

McBride said growing up in the Aggie family has helped her feel closer to friends and neighbors. She said you always have something to talk about, Aggie sports.

“I feel like being in a college town with Utah State kind of helps unite everybody,” McBride said. “The atmosphere of the valley changes when we’re doing really well in sports.”

Bennett has also recognized how Aggie pride extends beyond USU’s current students.

“The sporting events are pretty important to the Logan community,” he said. “It’s something for families to do.”

Bennett said being a part of the Aggie family doesn’t start and end with attending as a student.

“Little kids, it gives them something to look forward to as a student in a few years. Parents, it gives them an opportunity to look back on their days at USU,” Bennett said. “We’re connected with our alumni. There’s kind of a legacy we carry on.”

USU sports offer a chance to unite current students, future Aggies, alumni and the entire the community.

Suzanne Stout, a resident of Cache Valley, often went to USU games, despite not going to the school.

“Some of my best memories are attending tailgating parties and football games with extended family,” Stout wrote in an email to the Statesman. “The Logan community is really supportive of USU sports. They bring people together.”

Beside attending sporting events, the Logan community has other ways of showing their support for the school.

“I have the USU ‘A’ license plate and it’s fun to see how many others have the plates around town,” Stout wrote.

When the students and others in the community come together, the USU cheering section comes to life.

“We’re witty, we’re belligerent,” Bennett said. “Other teams want to be like us.”

Though new and returning students are excited for the games this fall, there

will be others in the community just as invested in the athletics of the town.

“I can’t wait to be part of the Aggie family,” Malm said.

As sports teams return to campus for fall training, the Aggie spirit comes back to Cache Valley and the USU

community is reunited for another year of chants, cheers, opponents and game days.

“Something that all of us can be unified around is the Aggies,” said Bennett. “I think that’s pretty important to the Logan community as a whole.”

Aggie soccer fans support the team by cheering them on against BYU on September 9, 2022.

Loyal local: Ike Larsen sticks around because of the community

BY MADISON WEBER

Safety standout Ike Larsen has eyes on him as he enters his sophomore season. He set thesingle-season school record with three blocked punts in 2022, and he was recognized with First-Team All-Mountain West, Athlon Sports First-Team All-Mountain West and Phil Steele First-Team All-Mountain West honors.

Larsen has also been named to the 2023 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List, just one of 35 defensive backs selected, and he has returned to the field excited to continue making an impact on Aggie Nation.

After redshirting his freshman season, Larsen made a significant impact on the Aggie defense. He finished the season with 33 tackles (19-solo, 14-assist), which included 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, with a teambest four interceptions and a teamhigh three blocked kicks while adding two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. His raw talent has left him in the spotlight for the 2023 season.

“There’s always room to get better — better with tackling, technique, football IQ, all that. I’m not going to be complacent,” Larsen said. “I’m going to go out there and just keep trying my best to be my best.”

Born and raised in the valley, Larsen was recognized for his talents long before stepping onto USU’s field. He attended Sky View High School in Smithfield, where he was a three-star prospect and the 24th-best recruit in the state of Utah, according to 247Sports.com. As a senior defensive back, he earned first team all-state honors from MaxPreps.com and Deseret News. He helped the Bobcats to their second straight 4A state championship in 2020 and was named the team’s MVP.

In his senior season, he posted 55 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns and blocked nine kicks during the year. Offensively, he had 762 all-purpose yards and caught 24 passes for 565 yards (23.5 YPA) and five touchdowns, and he carried the ball 19 times for 197 yards (10.4 YPC) and four touchdowns.

But if those stats don’t impress fans enough, his loyalty to the area will.

“I love the community. I love Logan. I’m from Logan, so the support I’ve had since I was a freshman in high school to a freshman in college — now, as a sophomore, it’s been so good,” Larsen said.

Utah State Football gained 38 new players this season, influenced by NIL (name, image and likeness) deals and a volatile transfer portal. Many athletes left their schools in search of sponsorships and side money, even if it meant less playing time or a less preferable school. But Larsen didn’t bat an eye.

“With the NIL and the portal nowadays, it’s super crazy. People can go make a hundred thousand at a different school and not really have to do anything,” he said. “The reason why I stay is because of the community. I could have left, but I didn’t feel a need when I have everything I want here.”

Chris Howell, Sky View’s head football coach, spoke of Larsen visiting the high school team and giving the players an example of how far they can go.

“I love it when Utah State takes local kids, whether it’s from Sky View or any other school, because it creates a connection between the community and a really good program,” Howell

said. “It says something about the brand of football and the level of football that we play in the valley.”

USU safety coach Ethan Morriss is heading into his third season in Logan and has seen the impact Aggie Athletics has had on the community. Coming from a small town himself, he knows what it means to have a local playing under the lights.

“It just means so much to the community: him wearing Aggie blue and white, having a local kid come out here and be a part of the team and being successful very early on in his career,” Morriss said.

“It’s awesome to see because it gives kids in the community a chance to see, ‘Hey, I grew up down the road from him. If I just continue to work hard, I could be just like that kid. That could be me one day.’”

The Larsen family — parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins and more — attend nearly every game,

Ike Larsen plays at home against UConn on August 27,

cheering #6 on. They are long-time Aggie fans who never doubted Larsen’s potential.

“We have a new team, so I’m really just looking forward to how we all collaborate together and become a brotherhood. That’s the biggest thing for football. If you’re not a brotherhood, then you’re not going to be successful,” he said.

The “brotherhood” Ike described extends beyond the workouts or game days. As someone who has struggled with mental health, he tries to be more aware of those around him and how they are doing.

“Winning games is fun, but having that brotherhood — loving each other and having each other’s backs 24/7 off the field — those are the memories that we’re going to remember,” he said.

On hard days, faith keeps Ike going.

“Faith is key. That’s what I live by. If I’m having a bad day or if I’m sad, I just tell myself, ‘Faith is key,’ and it makes everything a lot better,” he said.

“100%, I knew he had the potential to play in college,” said Mike Larsen, Ike’s father. “I always said that, watching him in Little League. Even in flag football when he was five or six years old, there was a night and day difference from the skill level of other kids to what he was doing. I’ve always said, ‘This kid’s going to go somewhere.’”

As Ike looks to the rest of the 2023 season, he’s counting on the brotherhood USU football is creating.

For serious struggles, Ike said he hopes those who are struggling will reach out and talk to someone.

“Don’t be scared to reach out. Don’t hold it in, because that makes it 10 times worse. That’s what I did — I held it in for years, and then finally I just blew up. My advice would be don’t hold it in, just get it out, talk to somebody,” he said. “People care about you, and they want you to be here.’”

Submitted photo

Just as Ike tries to be there for his teammates, he is there to support his family. When his parents became sick during the COVID-19 pandemic, he stepped in and made their health a priority.

Mike said when he was too sick to walk, Ike “got me where I needed to be.”

“He’s my hero,” Mike said. “He’s got a good heart. The kid will do anything for anybody.”

Morriss said outside of the game, Ike “always has the guys laughing.”

“Goofy, funny, just has a smile that lights up the room,” Morriss said. “Every time you walk in and you see that smile, it’s like ‘Oh, that’s Ike!’ You see it from a mile away.” Morriss hopes to see Ike continue to grow both physically and mentally this season.

“We saw it physically in the summer and how much preparation he put in,” Morriss said. “I’d like to see him continue to grow as a leader and continue to learn the game so it all becomes second nature to him.”

After last season, Ike has spent much of his time training and preparing for what’s next.

“When I talked to him after fall camp, after that last game, he looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I felt like Ike Larsen again,’” Mike said. “And I said, ‘Good — now let’s start strong and finish strong.’”

Despite his busy student-athlete schedule, Ike finds time for music. It’s become both a hobby and a mental outlet.

“I love doing it, and I’m going to keep doing it for as long as I can,” he said. “With mental health, that’s how I cope, just like singing about or talking about it in my music.”

Ike has recorded five songs available to listeners on Apple Music and Spotify.

“It makes me super happy, and my teammates love my music,” he said. “I’ll be walking down the hall and they’ll say a line from my song, and it just makes me laugh. So I’m going to keep doing it. I love it for sure.”

Family, music, friends, school and faith are frequently on Ike’s mind. But for now, he’s focused on the 2023 season as he continues to make a name for himself in and outside of Cache Valley.

“I’m excited to see what we can do with the new team,” he said. “Hopefully we can execute and keep building day by day.”

Female Athlete of the Year Tatum Stall leads her team on and off the court

BY CAITLIN KEITH

Tatum Stall is going into her fourth year as an outside hitter on the USU women’s volleyball team. Last season, she helped lead her team to the NCAA tournament and was named USU’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2022-2023.

Stall is a senior from Chandler, Arizona studying marketing. She worked as a marketing intern for USU athletics during the 2022 spring semester, and over the summer, she interned at a marketing agency.

Stall has been playing volleyball since she was ten years old. She said she chose volleyball because she was scared of other sports that involved a ball like softball and basketball.

“I just so happened to pick up a volleyball at a sand court one day with one of my family friends,”

Stall said in a phone interview. “And they were just like, ‘Let’s see if you’re good at volleyball,’ and I was like, ‘OK.’ So she thought I was good at

volleyball, and then I started playing club. And I am in my 11th year of playing volleyball, and I’ve loved it ever since.”

She played club volleyball throughout junior high and high school and fell in love with Logan when she would come up to watch her brother, Klay Stall, play for the USU basketball team. Stall was recruited to the volleyball team by Grayson DuBose, head coach at the time.

Stall said “everything just lined up perfectly” with her recruitment to USU.

“I always loved the college town and that Utah had four seasons because we don’t really get that in Arizona — it’s just constantly 115 degrees,” Stall said. “I loved how safe it was up here too, and I also don’t like the city, so I was more of a college town girl to begin with.”

Starting her sophomore year of high school, Stall was looked at by multiple mid-major schools. She said it was a

Submitted photo

challenge for her because she wasn’t looked at by any Power Five schools, but she eventually realized that going to a Power Five school wouldn’t be what she wanted as an athlete.

“I wanted to go to a school that I would get there and automatically make an impact,” Stall said.

Stall was able to make that impact on the USU team, as she was able to play in all 15 matches as a freshman in the 2020 season.

Chloe Hirst has worked as the associate head coach for the USU volleyball team since 2020 and started at USU at the same time as head coach Rob Neilson. In a phone interview, she shared how Stall fits into the team and the role she plays for her teammates.

“Tatum is such a leader on our team, and sometimes she doesn’t even realize how much of a leader she is,” Hirst said. “Her teammates look to her for sure.”

Hirst said how Stall connects with her teammates is a big deal for the volleyball program and the success of the team overall.

“Everything is obviously all fun and dandy when a team is winning, and all the band-aids come off when a team loses,” Stall said. “But I feel like I have so much trust and confidence in my teammates, and they have the same in me. And we know what we can do on the court together.”

Stall was not at the ceremony when she won Female Athlete of the Year due to a team scrimmage, so she found out about the award when her assistant coach called her.

“I was just in complete shock because they were like, ‘Yeah, it’s probably the one of the biggest awards that you can get being an athlete here,’ and I didn’t realize that,” Stall said. “I was super honored to receive that award, and it was cool to be recognized in front of all the athletes.”

Hirst shared why she thought Stall won this award.

“I mean, obviously, she produces really good numbers for us,” Hirst said. “It’s very rare that Tatum comes off the court for us, and match, after match, after match, Tatum shows up. And so probably, that’s a big contributing factor as to why she received that award.”

Tatum Stall - Female Athlete of the Year.

One of Stall’s teammates, Kennedi Boyd, a fifth-year who started at Arizona State University and plays middle blocker, said Stall probably plays “the most influential position.”

“No one I know worked harder than her this year,” Boyd said in a phone interview. “She’s led us to championships. She capitalized in games; we really needed her to carry out the wins.”

Over the past three years since Neilson became the team’s head coach, the team has gotten better each year having stronger seasons each time.

“Ever since I got here, my freshman year, every year has gotten better,” Stall said. “We had COVID, and that’s the bottom of the bottom. And then the next year, we had our first winning season in, I don’t know, five years, and we tied for a conference championship. And then this year, we owned it all and won the conference tournament and went to the NCAA. And so I was like, it’s just gotten better every year. I don’t know how we can top it this year.”

In July, Stall traveled to Europe with the Mountain West Conference All-Star team, a group of the best volleyball players in the conference, to play in

the Global Challenge tournament in Slovenia.

During this tournament, they played against national teams and junior national teams from different countries around the world. The Mountain West team won the Global Championship Challenge.

“It’s just an awesome experience for Tatum,” Hirst said. “Well, one, to see Europe and to see different countries and different places in the world. And then to play at a high level with a lot of other top performers in our conference. And then the international game is just — it’s super high level, it’s fast, it’s competitive. So for her to gain that experience is invaluable to her as a player and hopefully for her as a person as well.”

Stall said over the past three years being in Logan and playing for the team, she learned to have more confidence in herself, among other things.

“I have learned to enjoy the little moments, especially with my teammates, because, you know, we spend every minute together,” Stall said.

“And when we see each other again in 10 years, we’re not going to talk about the wins and losses. We’re going to talk about how we went line dancing

Tatum Stall rises against Utah on August 30, 2023.

in Logan, Utah as a team, and I feel like just cherishing those little moments because it does go by so fast.”

Stall described herself as being confident, creative, hard-working, persistent and sociable. She also said she is proud of herself for her determination and for accomplishing the goals that she has set for herself in volleyball, in school and in life. Boyd described Stall as being honest, caring and loving.

“She’s just so strong, and people can see that in her,” Boyd said. “She’s very strong. She’s very confident. But she’s also very humble. She’s very selfless at the same time, too, which has been such a cool side to see from her.”

As a coach, Hirst said she sees the whole team, including Stall, give full effort every single time.

“It’s just a group of young women that get after it every single day in the gym. I don’t know if we’ve ever had to ask them to give more effort,” Hirst said.

Stall, Hirst and Boyd said they look forward to this next season and to seeing what they can accomplish with a tougher schedule as the team improves.

“I’m not settling for last year,” Stall said. “We’re a better team than last year. I know we have more wins coming our way next year; we want another ring next year.”

Dynamic duo going the distance

BY EMMA BECERRA

Twins Karlee and Kaybree Christensen have not only proven their skills by contributing to the USU Cross Country and Track & Field teams but have also taught the team how to be a family.

The two have been extremely successful their past two seasons competing. Both had multiple accolades during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, including Academic AllMountain West, USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete and MW ScholarAthletes.

Hailing from Malta, Idaho, Karlee and Kaybree come from a sports-driven family that fostered a competitive atmosphere, and both twins were taught from a young age to compete.

Mike Christensen, their father, said he and his wife are extremely competitive in everything they do and unintentionally passed off this trait to the girls.

“They come by competitiveness naturally, I guess,” Mike said. “All growing up — no matter what we were doing as a family, if it was a board game or sports — they were super competitive.”

Karlee Christensen Kaybree Christensen-Hamson

With the competitive attitude instilled in them young, the twins participated in track, basketball and volleyball. They were reluctant to begin running for their high school cross country team, as they were invested in the other sports they were playing.

But while competing for their track team, they quickly figured out they had a natural gift for being able to run distance.

“It was in our sophomore year that our great-grandpa convinced us to join the cross country team because we did well in it when trying it out our freshman year,” Karlee said. “I’m really happy he convinced us because I wouldn’t be here without that.”

Karlee and Kaybree have had the unique experience of being able to compete against and with each other for the entirety of their careers.

“It was definitely very competitive,” Kaybree said. “Just because everyone tries to compare you, and you naturally do that yourselves, but it was worth it. I mean, if you want to lose to someone, it’s better to be your sister than anyone else.”

For a while, Karlee would never pass Kaybree in a race,” Mike said. “But one time during a race, Karlee was yelling at Kaybree that she needed to go faster if she wanted to win, and Kaybree yelled back that she should just run faster then. So she did. She won the race, and after that, the two were very equal.”

During the twins’ time at Raft River High School, they helped win three state titles for track & field and one for cross country, along with four letters in track & field and three in cross country.

Kaybree was the individual state cross country champion in both 2018 and 2020. She holds the school record for the 800 and 3,200 meters, and set the 3,200-meter state classification record.

Karlee is the high school’s record holder in both the 1,600 meters and high jump, and she set the 1,600-meter state classification record.

Submitted photo

Their time running cross country in high school taught them how to work off of each other to get the best out of their running.

“We figured out the best ways to push each other,” Karlee said. “I need more love, and Kaybree needs more tough love. So once we figured that out, we knew how to motivate each other better.”

“There was really no one else, and it was always just us racing each other and pushing each other,” Kaybree said.

“Their competitiveness feeds off of each other,” Gulden said. “Overall, they are really good teammates. They help each other out, not only as teammates but also as a sister.”

During their freshman year at USU, Karlee and Kaybree helped the cross country team place second overall in the Mountain West Championships, the Aggie’s best-ever finish in a championship meet.

During her sophomore year, Kaybree placed 57th at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships and 32nd at the Mountain West Championships, where the team placed in third.

Karlee was out with a foot injury during her sophomore competition season. The loss was mourned by not only herself but also by Kaybree, as it was unfamiliar to run without her sister next to her.

“Racing was weird because I’m used to having her somewhat by me, and not having that was really sad. I’m pumped to have her back,” Kaybree said.

Artie Gulden, the head USU cross country coach, said because they came from such a small high school, it was an adjustment for Karlee and Kaybree to come in and have more than themselves to run with. But having each other through this adjustment period allowed them to acclimate quickly and make an immediate impact.

“It was horrible,” said Karlee. “Not only was I out of my sport, but I think it was the most time that me and Kaybree ever spent apart, and I really missed being out running with her but more just spending time with her.”

“They find comfort in each other, and Kaybree not having Karlee was more impactful in other ways rather than missing her during a race,” Gulden said.

Sisters Kaybree and Karlee warm up for their first race of the season at USU on September 2, 2023.

The close relationship the twins have happened to bring them to the same school, but they couldn’t imagine their collegiate careers any differently.

“I just think about their freshman year when we were going on a travel trip for five days, and Karlee was freaking out because it was going to be the longest they had ever spent apart,” Gulden said.

Associate head cross country coach

Sarah Nardoni said Karlee and Kaybree not only have a positive impact on each other but the entire team. “They have really brought in the idea of being a part of a team,” Nardoni said.

“They run for the team and are supportive of their teammates, and they both bring that to the table.”

Going into this next season, Gulden is optimistic about the positive impact both of the girls will have on the team. “The women’s team has an opportunity to be very good, and having both of them as significant contributors will be huge for us,” Gulden said.

Whether you need a quiet spot to focus or a dynamic space to collaborate, we have you covered—no wonder we're USU's favorite study spot!

• Access to over a million books, journals, and online databases

• An open access computer lab with 120 workstations, a VR Lab, 3D Printers, and One Button Recording Studio

• Special Collections & Archives with artifacts and rare books

• 37 group study rooms

• One-on-one research help with specialized subject librarians

• Laptops, webcams, graphing calculators, chargers, and more freely available for checkout

• 3-hour checkout for select textbooks, DVDs, and other course reading materials at Course Reserves

A silent leader: Rine Yonaha

BY MADISON WEBER

Rine Yonaha grew up in Okinawa, Japan, where her family’s focus was always soccer. She was born and raised to love it. Now, the midfielder is one of Utah State Soccer’s greatest assets.

Her dad coached, and her two brothers played competitively, one with the Japanese national team. She watched all of their games and learned from them for years.

“We’re a soccer family,” Yonaha said.

This passion for soccer pushed her to pursue a new opportunity.

After playing three years at Hinomoto Gakuen High School, including a national championship during her first year in the program, Yonaha came to the United States.

“They have tryouts in Japan, and some of the coaches from the USA came to watch us play. I also made a film that my agent sent out to lots of coaches,” she said.

Snow College, located in Ephraim, first recruited Yonaha. She played with the Badgers for the 2021 season. She appeared and started in each of the Badgers’ 19 matches, totaling nine points behind two goals and five assists.

Coming from Japan to Utah was unlike anything she had imagined.

“I had no idea. I had no idea what Utah was,” she said. “When I came here, I was so surprised by so many things. I didn’t speak English, and I couldn’t understand anything. But I feel like the people were so nice to me, and they helped me a lot.”

Even the gameplay was different than she expected.

“I feel like we do like more paths and more technical stuff in Japan,” Yonaha said.

Head coach Manny Martins said it’s a different game because of the cultural aspect. Teams in Japan spend hours focusing on small technical details, trainings which he says are not typically done in the U.S.

“The level of technical ability of every player (in Japan) is quite phenomenal,” Martins said. “Typically, it would be frowned upon in a training environment, doing one activity for an hour. We would say, ‘Oh it’s boring,’ and then you have an unmotivated athlete. In countries like Japan, they do that and have no issue with it.”

While Martins watched film in the recruitment process of Nicole Hadlock, he noticed Yonaha. The two played together at Snow and to no surprise, Yonaha made a good enough impression that Martins wanted her at Utah State.

“On the field, she is everything and more than what we expected. Very composed and very intelligent in how she plays. Her soccer IQ is really something that is pretty special,” he said. “But then we’ve also seen a part that I hadn’t necessarily seen in the video, which was her competitive edge and her ability to be physical.”

Yonaha, the first international player in program history, joined the Aggies in July 2022. During her first season, she played a total of 874 minutes, earned academic all-Mountain West honors and was a MW Scholar-Athlete. She scored four total points from one goal and two assists and started in eight of their matches.

There is an adjustment for all players coming to college and this level of competition. For an international player, it’s even greater.

Martins has recruited internationally at every other institution he’s worked at.

Submitted photo

He’s seen players go through adjustment both culturally and on the field.

“A lot of times, internationals tend to be a little bit more mature than kids that grow up here. You’ve got language barriers, food, other cultural things and certain things that we sometimes take for granted,” he said. “There’s an adjustment in a new team, but I think the key for an international to adapt to an environment is helping them feel valued.”

Although she enjoyed her time at Snow, Yonaha is glad she is at Utah State because of the growth she’s had.

“Snow College was fun, but I feel like it’s different here,” Yonaha said. “Everything is so professional. The coaching style, the way they treat us. I like my teammates, the team and the coaching staff and the people around here because everyone’s so nice, and we have so many fans.”

Yonaha’s biggest fans are her parents and siblings back in Japan. They haven’t been able to come in person, but they are watching every game online.

“If it’s like 5 p.m. here, it’s 7 or 8 a.m. in Japan, so they watch every game,” Yonaha said.

They were excited when she had the opportunity to play here and hope to come to watch her in person one day.

“She’s very close to her family. And after every game, she’s always talking to her mom about the game, how it went,” goalkeeper Diera Walton said.

Walton and Yonaha have become close friends since playing on the same team, Oly Town FC, in Seattle this summer.

The change hasn’t always been easy, but Yonaha says her teammates make all the difference. Off the field, they are roommates. They watch movies, play FIFA and support other teams at their games.

“[My favorite part is] spending time with teammates. We’re always together. We always eat together and practice every day,” Yonaha said.

On the field, they are sisters.

“We’re like a sisterhood. We can always depend on each other for anything. We’re always like hanging out and making plans outside of soccer. We’re just super close, and we’re just very comfortable with each other,” Walton said.

Yonaha is very close with her family, especially when it comes to soccer.

Yonaha is a woman of few words. She describes herself as “very shy and quiet.”

Martins described #17 as their “silent leader.”

“She brings a little bit of a quiet leadership because she inspires people like her and people look up to how she plays without her necessarily having to be a voice that’s telling people what to do,” he said.

like my teacher, she’ll just give me new words every day, things like that,” Walton said. “We just push each other out of our comfort zone, so it’s fun and new every single day.”

Yonaha is most excited about winning the Mountain West Championship. She is confident the team will continue improving and learning from their losses. Her coach and teammates are confident in her.

“She’s willing to sacrifice anything just to be better every single day. She’s just someone that you can like learn from, whether it’s attitude, skills or anything like that. You can always learn off of Rine,” Walton said

Martins is excited to see how Yonaha continues to grow in her career as an Aggie.

But for those who get to know her on a more personal level, she is sweet, funny and open about her culture.

“Rine comes off as very shy, but getting to know her, she’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. She’s very open and willing to teach people about her new culture. Every day, she’s

“I want her to be healthy so that she can have the opportunity to really contribute in ways that I know she can and enjoy everything that comes with it,” he said. “The healthier she is, the fitter she is, the more freedom she can play with, the more she’s going to enjoy the experience and the more she’s going to contribute to the program.

BY LEAH CALL

USU Spirit Squad fired up and ready to give their all

When the music comes on, an entirely different side of the dancers is seen. The grace and athleticism they portray may look effortless, but it’s actually the result of countless hours of practice, passion and sheer grit. Even though they learned it only hours before, the choreography looks clean and polished.

The Aggiettes, one component of the Utah State University Spirit Squad, completed their last day of choreography camp alongside the cheer team on July 19. The camp kicks off the season with conditioning, choreography and stunts to learn that will be performed throughout the season.

Head coach Morgan Watts, a former cheerleader and Aggiette herself, has been coaching since 2020. Watts has been a part of the cheer and dance world her whole life and knew coaching was something she wanted to do.

“I knew that before I could get a position at USU, a serious position, I would have to get experience coaching high school teams, so I coached at Sky View High School. I coached their drill team as well as their cheer team,” Watts said. “And when the coaching position at USU opened up, I’m sure I was the first one to turn in my application. I did not waste any time

and was super excited when I found out that the position opened. And the rest is history.”

Made up of 12 Aggiettes, 16 cheerleaders and stuntmen and two Big Blue mascots, the goal of the Spirit Squad is to encourage and show support for all sporting events on campus.

“We are a unit. The cheerleaders, the Aggiettes and Big Blue — without one of them, it just wouldn’t be the same, and each team is such an important part of the Spirit Squad,” Watts said. “It just creates a family. Once you’re on the Spirit Squad, you’re always on the Spirit Squad.”

Third-year stuntman Kortlen Sullivan cheered all four years of high school before following in his brothers’ footsteps to cheer at USU. He said it

USU Spirit Squad cheers at the volleyball game on August 30, 2023.

was tradition and a right of passage in his family.

“It’s kind of like being the face of the university,” Sullivan said. “If you’re having a bad game, the cheerleaders are able to hype everyone up, and it eventually turns into a whole hype fest. Be a person who gets the stadium up and roaring.”

According to Watts, the squad practices Monday through Friday from 6-9 a.m. in the Spectrum and dedicates an estimated 15-25 hours a week practicing, not to mention the time spent at games and traveling.

“The bar is pretty high. They got to do it all. It’s a full-time job from August to March,” she said.

To be a member of the Spirit Squad, one must successfully make it through the audition process, which takes place the first week of April. In the first round, those trying out must submit a video to be judged virtually. If you make it through the virtual round, you are invited to the Spectrum for an in-person audition. Following that, the team is finalized. According to Watts, about 120 audition every year, including those who have been members in previous years.

At a typical practice, the cheer team will separately stunt, tumble and get their routines done while the Aggiettes work on technique, conditioning and any dances that will be performed. The last hour of practice is when joint and combined dance routines are worked on.

“It’s a group that works very hard and loves the school, loves the experience and loves the crowd,” Watts said. “It’s the best student experience you can get, being on the Spirit Squad, if you ask me.”

“I’m always looking for the most advanced dancers with charisma because our student section is so amazing that I feel like the dancers with the most crowd engagement are what the HURD and the crowd will respond to the very best,” Watts said. “The cheerleaders, I find a lot of local talent within the Cache Valley schools, and the guys recruit each other. They look for big guys who have experience partner stunting.”

Cheerleader Jada Osborn is a fourthyear member of the squad. She grew up doing gymnastics, joined the drill team in high school and cheered her

USU cheerleaders perform during the football game on September 24, 2022.

senior year as well. Osborn is from Logan and grew up familiar with the “Aggie world”.

“You might start a new year not knowing very many people but by the end of it, you’re family,” Osborn said.

“All of the closest people in my life are from the Spirit Squad. I’m excited to meet all the new people who are starting as freshmen.”

“Our coaches are incredible. They put in so much work and time, sacrificing so much for us. They support us unlike anyone else. They are the best mentors I’ve ever had,” Pulley said.

Coaching alongside Watts are Bronson Stolworthy, a previous Big Blue mascot, and Linsey Hammons. Watts said they are a big part of the program and help her to do the best job she can.

The time and effort put in by the coaches and members of the squad is evidenced by the way the laserfocused Spirit Squad moves in sync. The precision with which they move their bodies is juxtaposed by the way they make it look completely effortless.

Fourth-year Aggiette Whitney Pulley grew up dancing, and when she graduated high school, she knew she wanted to further her career as a member of the Spirit Squad.

“I am so excited for this year and to see what happens. There’s something so special about being in Logan and being a part of the community and being involved with the school,” Pulley said. “Our student section is unlike any other.”

Pulley credited the team’s success to the coaching staff.

“My proudest moment is their proudest moment,” Watts said. “Whenever they do a routine that they stick and completely nail, I see that they are proud of their work and in turn, I’m proud of what I do as a coach. Ultimately, that’s my goal. I want them to be proud of their work and I want them to succeed and if they feel that, those are my proudest moments. They love what they do and that makes all the difference for me.”

Pulley said although knowing it’s her last year makes it bittersweet, she is excited for the upcoming season.

“I love representing Utah State,” Pulley said. “It means so much to me, and I’m thrilled with the opportunity that I get to dance alongside so many beautiful and talented girls. It’s truly so amazing, and it’s been a privilege to do this.”

Aggiettes member Whitney Pulley cheers at the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament.

Graduate degrees for every career ambition.

Pursuing your graduate degree online through USU allows you to follow your passion without sacrificing your career.

USU HURD Adds to the College Experience

BY HENRY WRIGHT

Much more goes into university game day than meets the eye. The staple in the Americancollege experience involves traditions, chants and events to create an iconic game day atmosphere.

Each year, USU students elect an athletics & campus recreation executive director, a position that oversees the HURD. This year’s director, Tate Bennett, will lead a committee of students working to enhance game days and encourage students to attend sporting events.

“I’m a huge sports fan; I’ve been into it my whole life,” Bennett said. “I was on the HURD committee every year since my freshman year, and I felt like there were a few things that I wanted to change with the committee. My opportunity to do it was if I could be Athletics VP.”

The HURD is known for creating raucous environments at football and basketball games, but Bennett hopes to promote the differences between sports to try and appeal to a wide variety of students.

“I think figuring out what environment each team wants for their games is important because that environment attracts different students,” Bennett said. “Football is a big, loud environment. A lot of heckling goes on there. Volleyball is a different experience than football, even though it is still a big sport at USU. We’re figuring out how to communicate that to the student body so that they have a fun time and they’re willing to come back.”

Megan Carter, the assistant director of the HURD, echoed the same sentiment.

“We’re trying to make a different environment for each game and market that to the students,” Carter said. “Each game is different. We just want you to come and try it out and see what fits you best.”

The “Midnight Yell,” implemented last school year, gathers students, players and coaches to prepare for upcoming games by practicing cheers and learning about the opponents. This is just one aspect of the effort to include more students in athletics.

Tate Bennett - Athletics VP

“One of the things that we’re working on is assisting international students in participating with the HURD by teaching them the rules of sports that they may be unfamiliar with and teaching them the cheers we do at games,” Bennett said. “We will be working with the inclusion office and the International Student Union on getting a night where we can go over those kinds of things with them. And then we’ll be personally meeting them as a committee so that they have a friend to be with at the games.”

Chloe Hirst, associate head coach for USU Volleyball, played collegiate volleyball at Idaho State University

before becoming part of the coaching staff at Weber State and University of Utah. She believes the environment at USU is unlike any other.

“I will say, hands down, this is my favorite game day atmosphere environment,” Hirst said. “A sold-out Estes of 1,500 people is the loudest gym that I have ever been in. The HURD is right on top of the athlete who’s serving, and it is unbelievable to hear how loud they get. I know our players love, love, love playing here because of the home-court advantage.”

USU student fans yell during the football game against Air Force on October 8, 2022.

Hirst acknowledged some of the challenges that come with trying to build a fanbase for a sport more unfamiliar to students. She believes it’s important to have an educational aspect of the HURD. Not only will more fans attend, but they’ll feel a part of the team.

“I think not a lot of people know when or how to cheer at volleyball games,” Hirst said. She appreciates the work the HURD is doing and hopes it will continue to evolve.

“Over the last three years, it’s obvious the fan base has grown and you can tell that they’re really starting to love volleyball and starting to understand volleyball as well,” Hirst said.

One obstacle many incoming and current students face when trying to go to events is not feeling like they have anyone to go with. The HURD says it is here to help.

“I think the biggest thing that we, as a committee, want students to understand is that if you want to come to a football game and you have no one to sit with, come sit with us. Come get to know us,” Carter said. “We’d love to have you there.

Fans do the Scotsman during the volleyball game against UVU on September 13th 2022.

NEW TO USU TRANSFERS AND INCOMING FRESHMEN

Al Ashford III #13

Aloali’i Maui #62

Arcelles Johnson #7

Avante Dickerson #17

Blaine Spires #52

Cian Slone #98

Clifton Mosley Jr. #90

Colby Bowman #8

Davon Booth #6

Devin Dye #16

Gabriel Bryan #24

Gavin Barthiel #40

Grant Page #23

Jackson Sundstrom #29

Jaiden Francois #10

Jake Hellmann #55

Javar Strong #3

Kahanu Davis #14

Denver, CO - Wisconson

Sophomore

Pago Pago, American Samoa

New Mexico Military Institute - Sophomore

Woodland Hills, CA - Moorpark College

Sophomore

Omaha, NE - Oregon

R-Sophomore

Youngstown, OH - Bowling Green

Junior

Rocklin, CA - American River College

Junior

Shreveport, LA - Navarro CC

Sophomore

Orange, CA - Stanford

Junior

North Las Vegas, NV - Cerritos College

Junior

San Diego, CA - Palomar College

Sophomore

Windsor, CT - Navarro CC

Junior

Lakeland, FL - Washington State

Sophomore

Boulder, CO - Colorado

R-Freshman

Smithfield, UT- Concordia College

R-Freshman

Florida City, FL- UCF

Junior

Pleasant View, UT - College of San Mateo

Junior

Cherokee, AL - Hutchinson CC

Sophomore

Kapa’a, HI - Southwestern College

Junior

Logan Pili #26

Loholani Raass #56

Maka Tu’akoi #41

Micah Davis #4

Rahsul Faison #3

Ralph Frias III #77

Shively Asoau #58

Siaosi Lauhingoa #55

Simeon Harris #12

Sione Finau #22

Sir Mells #96

Teeg Slone #34

Vaughn Mamea #94

William Testa #59

Zeke Payne #17

Provo, UT- BYU

R-Freshman

Lehi, UT - Snow College

Sophomore

West Jordan, UT - Independence CC

Sophomore

Atlanta, GA - Iowa Western CC

Junior

Salisbury, CT - Snow College

Junior

Safford, AZ - Arizona State

Senior

San Francisco, CA - Chabot College

Junior

Kahuku, HI - Independence CC

Junior

Vallejo, CA - University of Colorado

Sophomore

Kearns, UT - BYU

Senior

Las Vegas, NV - Oregon

R-Freshman

Rocklin, CA - American River College

Sophomore

San Jose, CA - College of San Mateo

Junior

Bergamo, Italy

New Mexico Military Institute - Junior

San Diego, CA - New Mexico

Highlands Junior

Alexander McDougall #50

Bowen Fjord #28

Bryan Vogl #93

Chase Davis #19

Cole Christensen #82

Cole Keele #78

Corbin Cottle #29

Dalin Walker #97

Corona, CA - Freshman

Boerne, TX - Freshman

Eagle Mountain, UT - Freshman

Little Elm, TX - Freshman

Highland, UT - Freshman

Morgan, UT - Freshman

Bountiful, UT - Freshman

Meridian, ID - Freshman

Emerson Conlon #46

Ezra Harris #22

Ja’kheo Mitchell #23

Jackson Olsen, #18

Jaeden Wright #37

Jarvis Griffiths #74

Jaydon Bailey #28

Jr Sia #70

K’leyone Losua #61

Kadiyon Sweat #31

McCae Hillstead #10

Noah Flores #25

Reggie Foster #24

Tanner Jolley #51

Titan Saxton #38

Will Monney #86

Zakkarii Black #13

Zion Andreasen #11

Holladay, UT - Freshman

Stansbury Park, UT - Freshman

St. George, UT - Freshman

Millville, UT - Freshman

Pleasant Grove, UT - Freshman

American Fork, UT - Freshman

Cibolo, TX - Freshman

Herrima, UT - Freshman

Lehi, UT - Freshman

Lehi, UT - Freshman

Lehi, UT - Freshman

Sandy, UT - Freshman

North Lauderdale, FL - Freshman

Fruita, CO - Freshman

Smithfield, UT - Freshman

Spriingville, UT - Freshman

Covin, CA - Freshman

Salt Lake City - Freshman

QB = Quarterback RB = Running Back TE = Tight End WR = Wide Receiver

OL = Offensive Line CB = Cornerback S = Saftey ILB = Inside Linebacker

DE = Defensive End DT = Defensive Tackle PK = Placekicker

Women

Karlie Callahan

Karylee Taylor

Megumi Ludlow

Mercy Smith

Drew Hogan

Kobe Yost

Shelley, ID - Freshman

Universal City, TX - Freshman

Albany, OR - Freshman

Provo, UT - Freshman

Men

Syracuse, UT - Freshman

Jerome, ID - Freshman

Jocelyn Bybee #37

Abby Scholfield #27

Brooklyn Smith #11

Gracie East #57

Kasie Vigil #31

Kate Christian #35

Kayla Sato #30

Presley Ray #21

Shay Kercher Pratt #1

Solena Sellers #6

Summer Diamond #14

Jill Schneggenburger #7

Kelsey Watson #8

Kambree Rodriguez #14

Kaylin Scott #11

Kendell Hone #4

Rachel Reed #19

Forward Forward Defender Forward Defender Forward Defender Forward Goalkeeper

Forward Midfielder

OH

MB L/DS Setter

L/DS L/DS

Alpine, Utah - UVU

Graduate Student

West Point, Utah - Freshman

South Jordan, Utah - Freshman

South Ogden, Utah - Freshman

Gilbert, Arizona - Freshman

Kennewick, Washington - Freshman

Mililani, Hawaii - Freshman

Highland, Utah - Freshman

Broomfield, Colorado - Freshman

Highland, Utah - Freshman

Uintah, Utah - Freshman

Irvine, CA - University of Colorado

Graduate Student

Ballwin, MO - Loyola Chicago

Graduate Student

Syracuse, UT- Freshman

Provo, UT - Freshman

Idaho Falls, UT - Freshman

Mesa, AZ - Freshman

OH = Outside Hitter MB = Middle Blocker

L/DS = Libero/Defensive Specialist

Home team bundle