Letter from the editor
The leaves are changing colors, the students are back on campus and the coffee and energy drink sales are up. Undoubtedly, another fall semester at Utah State is in full swing, and with it comes a new season of athletics. From soccer fields to volleyball courts and beyond, Aggie athletes are suiting back up to represent USU.
With this, I am so excited to present this issue of the Fall Statesman Sports magazine. This edition ushers in a new look, introduces a new team of Statesman sports staff and starts an era we are ecstatic to embark on. We are bringing you into the lives of several student-athletes behind the touchdowns and mile markers to show their journeys as Aggies. In these pages, you’ll find that sports are not just a physical expression of their passion, energy and drive but something more. It’s where family is found and personal victories are won.
I want to thank you for picking up this issue. I am thrilled to share these stories with you and celebrate the spirit of USU sports. Without further ado, welcome to the Fall 2024 Statesman Sports magazine.
Go Aggies!
Ashley Dorius
Contributors
Magazine editor: Ashley Dorius
Statesman managing editor: Leah Call
Copy editor: Ella Stott
Photo editor:
Jack Burton
Adviser: Shelby Black
John Zsiray
Reporters:
Ashley Dorius
Mark Greenwood
Carson Frost
Gabriella Kozic
Mikey Bishop
Landri LaJeunesse
Photographers:
Jack Burton
Dane Johnson
Kelly Winter
Wyatt Merchant
Statesman file photos
Submitted photos
Produced and Distributed by USU Student Media
0165 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-0165
By Ashley Dorius
They might not be setters or wide receivers, but several student groups change the game when it comes to game days. Three key players are the USU Spirit Squad, the Aggie Marching Band and the HURD, who work together to get the ball rolling and the stadium excited before the Aggies even take the field.
These student groups make game day a vibrant experience by cheering and dancing on the sidelines, providing a soundtrack for the game and filling stands for the Aggies. Each one puts in time and attention to make game day an immersive occasion for fans, players and staff.
to cheering on student-athletes.
Robbie Flaherty, a civil engineering student and Aggiette, has been on the Spirit Squad for four years. During that time, she’s seen many game days and said they are some of her favorite days.
“It’s so fun to be there and watch the game,” Flaherty said.
She went through her routine for these days, which consists of getting ready by playing some of her favorite hype-up music. She does make-up and hair and puts on her uniform.
The Spirit Squad begins running through their performance a few hours before the game. They go through pregame with the AMB and run their timeout routines. After this, they return to their locker rooms to stretch and do quick touch-ups.
A bit before kickoff, it’s showtime. The squad gets set for pregame, which consists of the USU fight song, the Star-Spangled Banner and the Scotsman. Then, they move to the sidelines,
The Spirit Squad comprises the USU cheer team, the Aggiettes and Big Blue. They work together to bring spirit to every game. From sideline dances to Big Blue stunts, they bring energy
where they perform dances and cheers to the music from the band and the speakers. A game day captain changes every game and calls the shots on what dances they perform to the music. During time outs and halftime, they perform on the field.
Flaherty said she had a few favorite
dances, including one called “Fireball” and another called “Outrageous.”
“They’re all so good,” Flaherty said. “We have a big chunk of different routines that we do, and we’re like, ‘Okay, this one will go better with this song.’”
She shared that some dances are named after their favorite snacks, like “Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper” or “Goldfish and Cinnamon Roll.”
Savana Brown, a cheerleader studying global communication, has been on the team for three years. She’s been doing cheer for 11 years and said being part of the Spirit Squad is a very different experience than any she’s had before, primarily because they don’t compete.
“I adore the program. All our coaches are incredible,” Brown said. “I really like not competing. We get to focus on game day.”
Flaherty added to that sentiment and shared that the Spirit Squad is dedicated to what they do.
“We are all here because we love it,”
Spirit Squad MAKING MAVERIK MEMORABLE MAKING MAVERIK MEMORABLE
Flaherty said. “There’s not one single person on this team that doesn’t want to be here and to be involved in school. Being involved in school is our number one priority, and that’s also part of why we don’t really compete. It’s because we want to give everything we have to the school.”
The Aggie MArching Band
Game day lacks ambiance without music, and the Aggie Marching Band supplies the music at Maverik Stadium. Under the direction of Lane Weaver and led by drum majors and section leaders, the marching band performs at all home football games, select away games and post-season bowl games. Available for anyone interested in joining, the AMB comprises representatives from almost every age and major of USU and performs halftime shows, timeouts, and pregames. Even with the variety of backgrounds, the drum majors of the AMB say that everyone belongs.
“It really is just like a big family,” said Josephine Roderer, a drum major. “Everybody wants to be there and chooses to be there, so it’s really, really fun to do.”
Shayla Baird, also a drum major for the AMB, shared her personal experience joining during her first year.
“The second I walked into my first rehearsal, there was no doubt in my mind. I was like, ‘This is home,’” Baird said. “Before I had even started being a college student, I was a part of a thing. I didn’t have to put in so much work to find where I belonged in college because I already did.”
Cameron Steere, the third drum major for the AMB, shared one of his favorite aspects of the band was the opportunity it gave him and his peers.
“It truly is just an opportunity for growth,” Steere said. “I’ve seen myself grow, as well as all the other band members who have stuck with it the four years I’ve been in it.”
The drum majors walked through their game day schedule, which starts at Maverik Stadium. They arrive with the percussion and larger instruments three hours before the game to set up everything and make sure they’re ready to go. Two and a half hours before kickoff, the rest of the band arrives.
They do regular warm-ups and run through the show and trouble spots.
After this, they give the band time to put on uniforms, do checks and get checked out. They then form the inspection block by their practice field, which allows them to get into the mindset of game time.
“With our inspection block, we’re getting into the mindset of ‘It’s game time,’ and so it’s silent,” Baird said. “We go around, and we just make sure everyone’s uniforms are in order, and after that, we get ready to march
over to our cadences. I think that sets a really good tone and a really good standard for what we want to be for that game and for the season.”
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They march up to the stadium and then go into the stands to set down their stuff and get situated before taking the field for pregame. With 17 minutes left on the clock, the pregame show starts with classic USU songs and the Star-Spangled Banner.
After pregame, the band plays during timeouts, sometimes taking turns with visiting bands and cheer squads. They also retake the field at halftime to perform their halftime show, which the drum majors love and are very proud of.
“Usually, we have at least one song that everybody knows and can sing too,” Roderer said. “Everybody’s involved, and we always do at least one song with the Spirit Squad dancing to it. It’s just so fun and such a cool environment.”
According to Flaherty, the Spirit Squad loves getting involved with the band. She said it was so fun to dance with them, and they offer snacks and encouragement at every performance.
“The band is awesome,” Flaherty said. “They’ll sometimes come down and be like, ‘We have extra snacks if you want some.’ Every time we walk by them, we’re like, ‘Good job, band!’ And they’ll be like, ‘Thanks, you too!’ You know, we love the band so much.”
Baird shared that the band has less practice time than most collegiate
marching bands, but that doesn’t limit them. She credited the band members and Weaver with their ability to perform a new show each week.
“We do more things with less rehearsal time than almost any other band in the country,” Baird said. “We only rehearse three to four hours a week, depending on whether we have a game or not, and we have a new show every single time. The people who produce the most work are Dr. Weaver and the students who make up the Aggie Marching Band. They’re incredible. They do so much. I mean, they give their time, and they give so much effort since we don’t have a lot of scheduled rehearsal time, and we really appreciate them.”
After halftime, the AMB returns to the stands to play the rest of the timeouts. They have several favorite songs, including “Mr. Brightside” and “I’m Gonna Be.” However, they all agreed their favorite to play was the Scotsman.
“There’s something so powerful about hearing the student section sing with the band,” Roderer said.
Baird added she has a personal connection to the song.
“That song is so special to me, both as an Aggie but also the arrangement that we play,” Baird said. “Dr. Larry Smith wrote it, and he is my uncle. That is
something that is very, very near and dear to my heart, both because of my familial connection with the school and with that song and also being an Aggie myself.”
At the end of games, the AMB always plays the Scotsman, the USU Fight Song and the Alma Mater, win or lose. However, Steere added they do an extra tune on nights when the Aggies win.
“If we win, we play, “All I Do Is Win,” Steere said.
He added that after that, the band cleans up their area and is free to go. He joked that he hunts down band members who leave their trash, but hasn’t had to do that this semester.
The drum majors said one thing they want the student body to know is that Weaver puts in a lot of work and deserves a huge amount of recognition. He ensures they don’t repeat songs and that the students can have a life outside the AMB. He arranges all their songs and writes all their drill. Baird shared he is someone she turns to for help, and Steere added he always makes band members feel loved.
“Even on our worst days, he always makes sure to let us know that if nobody else has told us, that he’s aware of us and that he loves us,” Steere said.
The HURD
The HURD is the Utah State student section. Often cited by major publications as one of the best student sections in the country, they’re most famous for their unity and cheers. Led by a committee, the HURD is made up of any student who enters the venue. They organize events, watch parties, cheers and more to celebrate Aggie athletics.
Ben Burdette, a sophomore studying management and pre-med, serves as the HURD’s operations director and is the first Mr. HURD to compete in the Mr. USU pageant. He said that being in the HURD helps students make memories.
“Being on the HURD just makes your college experience so much better,” Burdette said. “It really is one of the best atmospheres in the nation to cheer at games.”
Part of the reason Kyle Davie loves the HURD is knowing they have a major impact on the game. Davie, a senior studying outdoor product design, is also the game day director of the HURD.
“I go to the games because I know that we have an impact on the game,” Davie said. “I realized that the cheers we do, especially in unison, and even just like joking with the players gets in their heads.”
Burdette added to Davie’s statement, saying the HURD doesn’t just impact the opposing team.
“You see the impact that it has on our athletes and the coaching staff and how grateful they are that we show up for them every time game after game, win or lose,” Burdette said. “We have 1000s of students there wanting to support them.”
Amaya Baca, marketing and communications director of the HURD and senior studying journalism, shared that she grew up playing sports. In her experience, she played better when there were family and friends in the stands.
“I know that, in the games that I played, when students were there cheering us on, or my family was there, I wanted to play better,” Baca said. “Knowing that we can have that impact on our student-athletes here is huge. They do play better if we’re loud and we’re cheering them on, and so I think it’s important.”
Even people on the field who aren’t playing the game feel the energy of the HURD. Brown said that the student section is electrifying, and Flaherty said
it’s her favorite part of games.
“The best feeling is to see the students,” Flaherty said. “That’s what we look forward to, just to see how many are there. They’re the best part of the game. They’re so fun.”
Davie added that the HURD’s ability to fill stands is one of the university’s recruiting assets.
“It’s expected that the HURD will be there at every game,” Davie said. “You’ll listen to broadcasters as they’re preparing to cover our games, and that’s what they talk about — that the students will be there regardless of the sport. It’s a marketing tool that our athletics program uses for recruits coming in. There’s a definite pull to being in that environment.”
The Spirit Squad, marching band and HURD work together and change the game. Whether with pom poms, instruments or signs in hand, the USU student body has several ways to get involved and make a day spent at a stadium, arena or field a memorable moment.
RECEIVING ROYALTY RECEIVING ROYALTY RECEIVING ROYALTY
By Mark Greenwood
For the last several seasons, Utah State football has boasted one of the most prolific passing offenses in the country. Their typical up-tempo offense and vertical passing game have produced some of the best individual receiving seasons in the school’s history in just the last few seasons. Utah State’s offense has finished in the top 25 in the country in total offense in two out of the previous three seasons, primarily fueled by their relentless passing attack.
No one has been more at the front of that relentless Aggie passing game than senior wide receiver Jalen Royals. After transferring to Utah State in 2022 after a season at Georgia Military College, Royals had a quiet season for the Aggies, making just one start and posting zero stats on the year. Just one year after that quiet performance, Royals exploded onto the scene.
During the 2023 campaign, Royals hauled 71 passes
for 1,080 receiving yards, becoming the 13th player in school history to record a 1,000-yard season. His 15 touchdown catches set a new school record for single-season touchdown receptions, and his seven touchdown receptions of 50-plus yards were the most in the country. With his record-setting season in 2023, Royals left no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was one of the top receivers in the country.
“He’s got kind of the combination of all the things that you’re looking for,” said offensive coordinator Kyle Cefalo on his star wideout. “There’s just not a lot on the football field he cannot do, and you can put him in any situation — inside, outside, versus a bigger corner, versus a smaller, faster guy — and I feel like we always have an advantage with him on the field.”
Royals has undoubtedly made a name for himself with his explosive play-making ability, but his demeanor off
the field is quite the opposite and possibly even more surprising. Royals is one of the most reserved players on the team.
“Jalen doesn’t talk — he’s really quiet. He is a very quiet, very reserved kid. Not going to be loud, not going to be the class clown or anything like that,” Cefalo said.
Despite his quiet tendencies, Royals is aware of his situation and is not afraid to speak up when necessary.
“He’s very confident in who he is, and he’ll ask questions and speak up when he needs to, but he’s about his business,” Cefalo said.
His humble, stoic attitude starkly contrasts the typical personality of a superstar athlete. In a day and age where loud, marketable social media personalities are the standard, Royals’s overwhelming humility brings a refreshing change to football fans.
Even with his quiet, down-to-earth appearance on the surface, Royals is a very social person and one of the most well-liked guys on the team.
“He’s actually not as quiet as people think he is. He will open up and be very talkative, very open and very fun-loving. He just has to get to know you first,” said Deandre Royals, Jalen’s father.
Cefalo and Deandre agree Royals is fiercely loyal and always has had a tight-knit group of friends.
“Everyone has always loved him. He’s very family-oriented, even in high school with his friends. He spends a lot of time with his close buddies,” Deandre said. “It’s probably about four or five of them, but they’re very tight and close … they’ve been friends since they were five.”
Royals’s family-oriented mindset is a defining characteristic of the Royals family, not just for Jalen. Their family, comprised of Jalen, his older sister and his parents, spent most of their summers traveling for athletics for both Jalen and his older sister. Their time spent together throughout the years has built and continues to fortify a strong family culture that has left a lasting impact on them.
Deandre also names the family-oriented culture at Utah State and within Cache Valley as a top reason that Royals decided to transfer to USU after his freshman season. The Royals family continues to nourish their strong family culture whenever possible. Jalen’s parents even travel to each of Utah State’s football games, making the trek from their hometown of Atlanta to wherever their son will be in action.
Royals is an incredible athlete, and not surprisingly, that athletic ability transfers to much more than just the gridiron. One of his favorite activities outside of football is getting after it on the basketball court.
“I used to play basketball when I was growing up, all throughout high school, middle school and elementary school. I stopped playing when I got to college, of course,” Royals said.
Those that are frequents to Utah State’s on campus facilities might just get to see him around and shooting some hoops.
“I like to play at the ARC actually — play with some of the locals here,” Royals said.
Royals was not highly recruited out of high school for several reasons. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic limited his ability to play at recruiting camps and get recruited that way, but his love of basketball and inherent talent were also limiting factors.
“I think that’s what hurt his recruiting career because when it was time to kind of focus on football or make a decision which way you wanted to go, he still had basketball as an option,” Deandre said.
Royals was one of the higher-ranked point guards for the state of Georgia and spent significant time with his family traveling across the U.S. for Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournaments and playing in tournament championships.
Even without being highly recruited, Royals has found a way to become one of the top receivers in the country. After his record-setting season just a year ago, he still has his sights set on the future. Royals hopes to repeat his 1,000-yard season and prepare for the upcoming NFL draft with the goal of being selected and playing at the next level.
Despite his success from last season, Royals is not too concerned with pressure or expectations for this season.
“Calming down, knowing that I can do it all over again, just knowing my ability and trusting myself — that’s it,” Royals said.
Even though he’s a quiet guy, Royals enjoys social interaction and being around fans.
“Honestly, I’m a very easy person to come up to. I’m not like a ‘rah-rah-rah’ type of dude, so you don’t have to be shy,” Royals said. “Just say, ‘Hey, how’re you doing,’ something like that.”
Everyone around Royals has nothing but praise for the young student-athlete, especially coach Cefalo. “Just how much [the fans] love watching him play football — I could stand on the table and say they would enjoy him just as much off the field … I think everyone in Cache Valley would be very, very pleased just how well he represents them.”
Football Schedule
8/31 vs Robert Morris
9/7 @ USC
9/14 vs Utah
9/21 @ Temple
10/5 @ Boise State
10/11 vs UNLV
10/19 vs New Mexico
10/26 @ Wyoming
11/9 @ Washington State
11/16 vs Hawai’i
11/23 vs San Diego State
11/29 @ Colorado State
12/6 Mountain West Championship
Robert Freeman IV
Jon Ross Maye
Jalen Royals
Robert Briggs Jr.
Jaiden Francois
JD Drew
Rahsul Faison
D.J. Graham II
Marlin Dean
Otto Tia
Ike Larsen
Omari Okeke
Spencer Petras
Grant Page
Taz Williams
Colby Bowman
Blaine Spires
Gabriel Iniguez Jr.
CJ Tiller
Kahanu Davis
Gabe Peterson
Simeon Harris
Chase Tuatagaloa
EJ Fisk
Jack Hestera
Bronson Olevao Jr.
Jacob Conover
Torren Union
Bryson Barnes
Terrell Taylor
Avante Dickerson
Braden Siri
Jackson Olsen
Chase Davis
Levi Manning
Cole Joyce
Tate Kjar
Herschel TurnerMason
Derrick Jameson
Courage Ugo
Kyrese White
Nick Floyd
Jordan Vincent
Noah Flores
John Miller
Logan Pili
Gio Kafentzis
Tre Kofe
Corbin Cottle
Nathan Wright
Jonathan Baird
Kadiyon Sweat
Tanner Williams
Max Alford
Grayson Brousseau
Teeg Slone
Will Booth
Jadon Pearson
Zion Andreasen
Carl Nesmith
Clyde Washington
Tanner Jolley
Bo Maile
Enoka Migao
Ryan Marks
Seni Tuiaki
Jacob Garcia
Lawrence Falatea
Jared Pele
Alexander McDougall
Teague Andersen
Falepule Alo
Cole Motes
Ioholani Raass
Trey Andersen
William Holmes
Wyatt Bowles
K’leyone Iosua
Aloali’i Maui
Stephen Kotsanlee
Caysen Whittaker
Tavo Motu’apuaka
Adam Pond
Jr Sia
George Maile
Elia Migao
Jarvis Griffiths
Bryce Radford
Camden Jury
Cole Keele
Quentin Riley
Cole Christensen
Josh Sterzer
Noah Wright
Will Monney
Broc Lane
Tanner Cragun
Elliott Nimrod
Isaiah Bruce
Braydon Bailey
Bryan Vogl
Siolaa Lolohea
Miguel Jackson
Manase Tupou
Cian Slone
Collin Vaughn
A DIAMOND IS SOCCER’S BEST FRIEND A DIAMOND IS SOCCER’S BEST FRIEND
Utah State soccer is at an all-time high in 2024. They are off to their best start in program history, winning their first eight matches before their first loss or draw and climbing as high as seventh on the United Soccer Coaches top 25. The ranking of seventh is tied for the highest of any Utah State athletic team in the university’s history.
Coming off their first Mountain West Conference title in program history, the Aggies have a roster full of contributors and familiar players. Although many players have noted considerable production this fall, perhaps none have been more influential this season than midfielder Summer Diamond.
Diamond is in her second season with the Aggies after playing in 22 matches for Utah State a year ago. In her 2023 campaign, Diamond tallied four goals, which tied her for the most on the team. She was named to the Mountain West All-Newcomer Team and was twice awarded Mountain West Freshman of the Week.
Diamond first joined the team in January of 2023, allowing her a few extra months to get familiar with the program before the start of the season. After her stellar first-year performance, Diamond’s offseason plans were derailed by injury.
“It was hard because she could definitely feel it over the end of last season, which I think was difficult for her because she wanted to be 100%, and she was scared that she wasn’t giving the team her 100%,” said Whitney Diamond, Summer’s twin sister. After initially hoping that the injury could be cured by physical therapy, Diamond ultimately underwent surgery after the season, somewhat altering her offseason training plans.
After a great first season for Diamond and despite the offseason injury troubles, she is off to an even faster start in 2024. Diamond has already passed her production from 2023, totaling 11 points and four goals in just her first eight games.
For Diamond, her on-field awareness is what she feels has been the difference-maker in the new season. Additionally, Diamond thinks her jump in production can be attributed to her work off the field as much as, or even more than, her work on the field.
“I would say awareness because I took a lot of time this offseason not playing, obviously rehabbing and stuff, but I would watch film a lot,” Diamond said on her improvement this season.
By Mark Greenwood
Despite being healthy and in season, Diamond has kept her adaptive, film-heavy approach the same.
“She’s very coachable,” said head coach Manny Martins. “She always comes in for film. As much as she plays and starts and contributes, she’s every week coming in, asking for film and always trying to find ways to learn and grow and continue to evolve.”
Along with her role as a top team producer, Diamond is also quickly becoming one of the faces of the team from a leadership standpoint.
“She very much leads by example, but she also is someone that everyone likes. Everyone sort of gravitates to her. She’s not an in-your-face personality,” Martins said. “But the really cool thing is, there are moments in games when it’s needed — a level of accountability, a level of firmness … she brings that. She knows how to bring that when it’s needed.”
Diamond has showcased her on-field firmness in her short career with Utah State, leading the Aggies to a level they’ve never reached before. Her high standards and motivation have been inside her from a young age.
“She’s probably the most hardworking person I’ve ever met,” Whitney said of her twin. “She wants to succeed in all aspects of life, which is super cool and really inspiring to watch.”
Both Summer and Whitney credit their parents for instilling a hard-nosed, hardworking attitude in them from a young age. The Diamond family, consisting of Summer, Whitney and their parents, is a tight-knit family that is supportive but also constantly pushes one another to be better.
“I love my family. I think family is everything. That’s how I got here. Those are the people that I love to be with,” Diamond said. “They’ve just supported me in everything. They’ve given me a lot of opportunities that I really appreciate, whether it’s sport-wise, school-wise, having different experiences.”
Not only is Summer playing a pivotal role for one of the top soccer programs in the country, but Whitney is attending school at Colorado Mountain College and will be a member of their downhill ski racing team. With two collegiate student-athletes in the family, the drive demonstrated by the Diamond family cannot be understated.
After a breakout performance last year and already a big start to this season, it would be logical to think that
Diamond would have her sights set on further awards and accolades beyond what she attained last season. For Diamond, and for Martins’s squad overall, that’s not the focus.
“I first look at just the team goals, because I think those are more of my goals that I think about. As long as I feel like I’m making an impact on the field, off the field, in whatever my role is,” Diamond said. “Each person has that mentality … we all just love and support each other so much, and we’ve realized that’s what helps our success the most.”
Martins has repeatedly emphasized that while the personal awards are to be celebrated and reflect great onfield performance, the team goal is championships and not individual success. Martins doesn’t want to compete just for Mountain West Championships but be considered a program that could be playing for national championships in the coming days.
With the success the Aggies have seen so far this season, that goal is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality. For Diamond, though the personal awards are not the primary focus, they will certainly come rolling in as she leads her squad to higher highs. In just a few short seasons, Diamond has gained the trust of her coaching staff and fellow teammates through her talent, work ethic and loyal leadership.
“If I had to go to war and I had to pick people to be in the foxhole with me, she would be one of them because she’s loyal. She’s always going to leave it all out on the field,” Martins said. “She’s someone that’s intelligent and always ready to grow and learn and get better. If you have someone like that in your corner, you’re always going to be successful.”
Soccer Schedule
8/18 @ Hawai’i
8/15 @ Pepperdine
8/25 vs Texas Tech
8/ 28 @ Utah
8/31 @ BYU
9/5 @ UVU
9/8 vs Pacific
9/15 @ Weber State
9/19 vs Washington State
9/22 @ Grand Canyon
9/26 @ San José State
9/29 @ Fresno State
10/3 vs San Diego State
10/6 vs New Mexico
10/10 @ Wyoming
10/13 @ Colorado State
10/17 vs Colorado College
10/20 vs Air Force
10/24 @ UNLV
10/27 @ Nevada
10/31 vs Boise State
11/3 Mountain West Tournament
Kercher-Pratt
Bizzy Arevalo
Mia Mullenmeister
Ally Yoshimura
Ellie Hendrix
Solena Sellers
Kaylie Chambers
Kate Christian
Whitney Lopez
Brooklyn Smith
Tess Werts
Kylie Olsen
Summer Diamond
Addy Weichers
Rine Yonaha
Ava Gotchy
Austin Miller
Alysia Butters
Presley Ray
Hannah Roe
Kaeda Wilson
Rachel Reitz
Gracie East
Alex Day
Faith Hines
Isabella Velazco
Kasie Vigil
Kaitlyn Richins
Kayla Sato
Addi Coon
Natalie Hadlock
Azra Soyer
READY, SET, KATE READY, SET, KATE READY, SET, KATE
By Carson Frost
Just over a month ago, first-year setter Kate Lijić arrived in the United States for the first time, marking a transformative shift in her personal life and athletic career. Lijić has been a key player for the Croatia women’s national volleyball team throughout her teenage years. She now has the advantage of joining USU’s program alongside her fellow Croatian teammate, first-year outside hitter Mara Štiglic.
Born in Split, Croatia, Lijić appreciates her hometown’s stunning coastal beauty and vibrant urban culture. The water of the surrounding Adriatic Sea has a stunning clear blue hue and is home to a diverse range of wildlife.
“I really love swimming, and we don’t have sharks in Croatia, so it’s beautiful,” Lijić said. “The city is very beautiful, and we have a lot of tourists every summer.”
Swimming was Lijić’s first love as a young athlete, a popular sport for young Croatians, but by the age of seven, her mother’s athletic career inspired her to pick up a volleyball for the first time.
“[My mother] was a handball player, and I always had fun playing sports with a ball,” Lijić said. “That’s why I thought that volleyball was the best sport for me.”
Soon after she decided to pursue volleyball, Lijić joined the professional club OK Split, where she competed for 10 years. By the time she entered high school at 14, she was invited to join the youth Croatian national team, joining forces with the future Aggie Štiglic.
Lijić’s international career transformed her into one of Croatia’s best young prospects. She led her team to firstplace finishes in the Croatian national championships in U16, U18 and U20. Following the 2022 and 2023 Croatian championships, she was named the tournament’s best setter. Lijić also finished fourth in the 2023 World High School Beach Volleyball Championships in Israel.
Lijić could be one of head coach Rob Neilson’s most promising recruitments. Neilson first saw her play in a video shown to him by a friend who runs a recruiting service with players from Brazil and Eastern Europe looking to come to the U.S.
This summer, Neilson traveled with a Mountain West all-star team that competed in the Global Challenge. The
competition happened to take place in Pula, Croatia. As a build-up to the tournament, Neilson’s team had an opportunity to play the U19 Croatian National Team, a team in which Lijić and Štiglic were heavily featured. Neilson relied on one of his skills to recruit Croatia’s best young setter.
“I served a mission in Croatia, so I think being able to speak a bit of their language helped,” Neilson explained via email. “We mostly talked about the success of our program, the resources they would have access to in training and the safety and support of an amazing Aggie Community.”
When Lijić committed to playing volleyball at Utah State, a conversation with her friend and teammate led to one of the more unique situations in American college sports.
“I decided first to come here,” Lijić said. “And then I was like, ‘Mara, I’m going to USU, do you want to come with me?’ And we were talking about it and she said, ‘Yeah, why not?,’ and then she talked with our coach. So, we came here together.”
The Aggies now had two Croatian talents who had shared the court for many years and won consistently internationally. Soon after the team picked up Lijić and Štiglic, they signed another player in the Balkan region: Serbian outside hitter Andrea Simovski, who had a similar high school experience. She also played in a professional club for much of her childhood and won gold and bronze medals as a member of the Serbian National Team.
“We usually start playing volleyball much earlier than people here,” Simovski said. “It’s usually like nine, 10, seven, eight years. We also have that experience of playing professionally, which is a little different than here because we had to manage both school and volleyball.”
Unlike the American players, who play with support from the school, the players in Croatia and Serbia struggled to balance athletics and academics.
“Volleyball wasn’t something that school would necessarily support,” Simovski said. “Your teachers wouldn’t be supportive about you going on trips for volleyball, so we needed to choose between what we wanted to do.”
The fact that USU would allow their athletes to compete while also granting them a free education was a significant draw for Lijić and her international teammates. There is already a tight bond between the three of them that will serve them well. Lijić and Štiglic have built chemistry through their years of setting and spiking for one another, and Simovski speaks the same language as them, which has helped all three girls adjust to their major life transition.
“It’s nice to have someone who can talk your own language here because, at the end of the day, it’s really exhausting to not speak your first language the whole day,” Štiglic said. “I just feel weird when I need to talk to [Lijić] in English.”
The setter is often called the most critical position on the volleyball court. While setters don’t score many points throughout the season, they are responsible for giving their hitters accurate passes and keeping the opponent’s spikes in play. A hitter’s spikes will help a team win, but the setter’s pass will make that spike possible in the first place.
“First, I need to organize the game,” Lijić said. “Then I try to see the blockers on the other side. Then I need to know who is a player that is having a good day that day. If Mara has a good day, then I know that she’ll hit every ball. If she is not in the mood that day, then I’ll not set her.”
Štiglic couldn’t help but laugh at her teammate’s brutal honesty, but she agreed with the assessment. “Setter is mentally the toughest position because the rest of us have to focus on a few things, like what we have to do, what is our job. And she has to focus on those things, but also she has to pay attention to how the rest of us are doing along with the other team.”
Watching Lijić play, it’s easy to understand why she was considered Croatia’s best setter for the last couple of years. She can set in a stationary position but also on the move, and her height on these sets is relatively consistent. Defensively, she never quits on the play and has dived for bump sets on multiple occasions.
The Aggies have gotten off to a slow start this season, but the team is young and steadily improving gameto-game. First-year students in Lijić’s position would typically spend more time on the bench learning from their more experienced upperclassmen. She and her teammates have been thrown into the fire, learning to play a new style with new teammates and in a new environment.
“Everything is different,” Lijić said. “This system is different. Everyone is playing faster. And everyone talks a lot. We have great coaches. I think they’re doing a great job with us because we’re all new.”
She’s young, new to the country and adjusting to the American volleyball style. Still, Lijić is already gaining the respect of her coaches and teammates, and her confidence is only continuing to grow.
“She’s a smart player,” Simovski said. “She knows what she’s doing, especially as a setter. I think it’s a very important feature to have. She’s very reliable.”
No matter how things play out on the volleyball court for Lijić, she can rest easy knowing that she has the ideal support system around her. When it comes to her studies, she isn’t worried.
“School is pretty easy compared to Europe,” Lijić said. “High school in Europe is even harder than this college.”
VB Schedule
8/30 @ Green Bay
8/31 @ Utah
9/1 @ UTEP
9/6 vs California
9/7 vs Purdue
9/12 @ USC
9/13 @ LMU
9/14 @ Ohio
9/18 @ BYU
9/19 vs Utah Valley
9/21 @ Weber State
9/26 vs Colorado State
9/28 vs Wyoming
10/3 @ San Diego State
10/5 @ UNLV
10/10 vs New Mexico
10/12 vs Air Force
10/15 @ Nevada
10/19 @ Boise State
10/23 @ San Jose State
10/26 vs Fresno State
10/29 vs Nevada
10/31 vs Boise State
11/7 @ Air Force
11/9 @ New Mexico
11/14 vs UNLV
11/16 vs San Diego State
11/21 @ Wyoming
11/23 @ Colorado State
11/27 Mountain West Championship
VB Roster
Lauren
Tierney
Ava Napierski
Kendel Thompson
Loryn Helgesen
Andrea Simovski
Kelsey Watson
Emersyn Robbins
Delaney Lawson
Jagoda Bialek
Kaylie Ray
Kate Lijic
Sophie Danielson
Mara Štiglic
Adna Mehmedovic
Olivia Tukuafu
Rachel Reed
Kaylie Kofe
Middle Blocker
Middle Blocker
Middle Blocker
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Opposite Side Hitter
Outside Hitter
Middle Blocker
Outside Hitter
Outside Hitter
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Outside Hitter
Setter
Opposite Side Hitter
Outside Hitter
Opposite Side Hitter
Setter
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Setter
By Gabriella Kozic MILE BY MILE, MOMENT BY MOMENT MILE BY MILE, MOMENT BY MOMENT
With quiet determination and relentless perseverance, two standout runners have emerged as driving forces behind Utah State’s cross country program, guiding their teams toward NCAA championship aspirations.
Mimi Miyazawa, seasoned fourth-year runner from Orem, Utah, has become one of the cornerstones of the women’s team. Known for her unwavering dedication on and off the cross-country course, she has consistently earned Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Awards both in track and cross country from 2021-24. But her journey wasn’t always defined by distance running. Mimi didn’t begin as the endurance powerhouse she is today.
“I actually started out as a sprinter,” Miyazawa said with a laugh.
She joined track alongside her close friend — the two do everything together.
“She started doing track. I started doing track,” Miyazawa said.
Before long, that friendship led her to long-distance events and later, cross country.
Miyazawa’s inspiration also came from her family. “My oldest brother actually ran cross country, and I watched him when I was really young … and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. Like, I want to do that too. I want to follow in his footsteps.’” With his influence, she carried her love and passion of cross country into her collegiate career, where she has become a competitor and a leader.
On the men’s side, from Eagle Mountain, Utah, Jed Megargel is already making
waves in his first season of cross country at Utah State. He may be new to collegiate cross country, but he’s already a seasoned competitor for the Aggies. After completing a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he returned to competition for Utah State’s indoor track team last school year. He quickly made a name for himself by earning Academic All-Mountain West and Mountain West Scholar-Athlete honors. His seamless cross-country transition showcases his athletic versatility and drive to contribute to the team.
Running, for Megargel, is in his blood.
“My dad, ever since I was a young kid, has kind of led me to be a runner,” Megargel said. “He would take me on runs with him in the morning.”
Early exposure to the sport led him to middle and high school cross country. Now, he’s bringing that lifelong experience to the Aggies, where he continues to build on his already impressive foundation.
Both Miyazawa and Megargel wasted no time making their mark this season. In their debut at the Utah State Alumni Challenge, their tactical racing earned praise from head coach Artie Gulden.
“Both of them were very patient and waited until the end of the race to really get after it,” Gulden said. While many runners burned out early in the race, Miyazawa and Megargel paced themselves, ready to strike when it counted.
Miyazawa’s race strategy led her to a stunning victory, crossing the finish line first overall with a blazing 5k time of 17:59.1 –one of the fastest
times ever recorded by a Utah State woman on their home course. Megargel, too, showed remarkable composure, securing seventh overall and first Utah State man with a 7k time of 21:05.3, the fastest finish by a Utah State male runner on the same course.
As the NCAA Cross Country Championships loom in November, both runners have their sights on helping their teams qualify for the prestigious event.
Gulden expressed his confidence in them.
“They’re going to be very integral parts,” Gulden said. “They have the ability to be a huge part of helping us get to NCAAs.”
Though the program is divided into men’s and women’s teams, they train as one, unified by a shared goal: to make it back to NCAAs as a team. “They’re shooting for the stars,” Gulden said.
Their bond truly sets the team apart – a strong friendship that feels more like a family.
Women
Sara Abbott
Hazel Baird
Allie Black
Cailey Bracken
Hannah Davidson
Sarah Ellis
Brooklyn Hill
Shelby Jensen
Sammi Lee
Malia Lowe
Megumi Ludlow
Mimi Miyazawa
Caroline Moon
Cameron Moore
Elizabeth Phillips
Meredith Sanford
Brie Smith
Natalie Swain
Emma Thornley
Ava Trimble
Alayna Wardle
Ana Weaver
Jane Williams
“It’s an excellent team, excellent environment,” Megargel said.
Despite competing separately, they support each other every step of the way, whether on long practice runs or during intense race days.
“Runs are really fun with each other. It’s way better to run with people than by yourself,” Miyazawa said.
When asked what they love most about being a part of Utah State’s cross country program, Miyazawa and Megargel answered without hesitation: the people.
Miyazawa and Megargel exemplify the heart of their cross-country program, illustrating how two dedicated athletes can drive each other toward greatness and inspire a unified team that thrives on mutual support and shared aspirations, creating a legacy of camaraderie and achievement.
Cross Country Rosters & Schedule
9/31- Utah State Alumni Challenge
9/13- BYU Autumn Classic
9/21- UC Riverside Invitational
10/5- Paul Short Run
10/11- Steve T. Reeder Memorial Invitational
10/19- 2024 Wisconsin Pre-Nationals
10/24- Utah Open
11/1- Mountain West Championships
11/15- NCAA Mountain Regionals
11/23- NCAA National Championships
Men
Caleb Armstrong
Joshua Armstrong
Brennan Benson
Landon Bott
Wyatt Evans
LJ Floyd
Logan Garnica
Eli Gregory
Bryce Hill
Drew Hogan
Joseph McKee
Joshua McKee
Jedidiah Megargel
Michael Moffat
Eric Nelson
Spencer Nelson
John Simmons
Luke Stockett
Camren Todd
BACKING WITH BROTHERS BACKING WITH BROTHERS By
As an athlete, not many things can compare to playing your sports with a loved one, especially at the collegiate level. Matt and Sam Gatherum have made this dream come true and plan to embrace every second of it.
Matt, a junior majoring in psychology, and his brother Sam, a junior studying sports management, are not just members, but vital contributors to the USU Men’s Rugby Team.
They hail from Castle Rock, Colorado, but they moved to various states as children.
“We moved a lot during our childhood. I was born in Utah and then moved to Colorado, then Kansas and then North Carolina, which was probably my favorite place to live. And then we moved back to Colorado,” Matt said.
Mikey Bishop
Even though both now play rugby, during his youth, Matt had aspirations to pursue other sports in college.
“As a kid, I played baseball, football and many different sports but never really tried rugby until coming here,” Matt said.
Sam, however, picked up the sport when the family moved to Colorado for the second time.
“I started playing rugby my freshman year of high school,” Sam said. “I was 14 and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. My family moved to Colorado that year, and I met a couple of guys who invited me to come and play. I learned the game from that point on and haven’t stopped playing, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Matt became interested in the sport when he first arrived on campus.
“We knew some of the guys that were on the team, and we started to play touch rugby with them on Saturdays,” Matt said. “From there, I started to enjoy myself and looked forward to playing weekly.”
Matt joined the team in his first year. He immediately excelled at rugby and made many lifelong friendships through the sport, including with Cooper Nelson, a fellow freshman on the team.
“I met Matt my first year going into the spring rugby season. Matt just stuck out to me. He is a nice guy and a leader on the team. He was always vocal about what we should be doing better, and he brought the energy every practice,” Nelson said when recounting how he and Matt first met.
After the season, Matt and Nelson continued to remain close. Matt even served as a groomsman at Nelson’s wedding this past summer.
Nelson and Sam also became good friends through rugby.
“Sam is a leader and a great friend,” Nelson said. “He supports and shows his interest in the things that you do. He’s always there, willing to ask questions about how each person is doing and what they may need.”
Sam and Matt have made their marks on Utah State rugby, both on the pitch and off. They both noted the immense growth that the club has experienced since the beginning.
“It started off very slow. We only played about four games a semester, and it was against two teams, BYU and UVU. Then we moved up to playing more teams. We got a new coach, and it has just been a constant growth of the program and the team,” Matt said.
When asked about the growth, Sam said, “When I first got here, almost nobody joined the team. It felt like we would get around 20 players, and by the end of the season, we had maybe 15 guys who were still healthy. It got to the point where we changed some recruiting tactics, and now we are able to have around 40 guys on the team. We have been able to field two teams of 15 as well, which has been pretty good so far this year.”
Sam also serves as the rugby club’s vice president, which allows him to assist in the team’s steady growth.
“My responsibilities fall a lot on recruiting, social media and engagement,” Sam said.” A lot of times, it’s just being out in the community, getting us out there and helping with the HURD.”
On the pitch, the brothers wreak havoc on opposing teams and players. Sam plays the “number 8” position, which he describes as “having a responsibility on offense and defense, making sure that everyone is getting out of scrums quick, stopping any potential set plays that
the other team has.” Meanwhile, Matt plays fullback, the rugby equivalent of a football safety. He is the last line of defense and plays a vital role in the kicking game.
The brothers have very different responsibilities on the field. Sam described Matt as being “a defensive presence. His position is like a safety in football. He is required to make a lot of one-on-one tackles when they’re running past us, and he’s that last guy.” Sam also noted, “It has been really fun watching him not only develop at that position, but really embrace it.”
“I would describe Sam as a leader,” Matt said. “He’s always doing something. He never takes a play off and is a very strong and intelligent rugby player. So, I would describe him as a leader of the team.”
The two’s opportunity to share the field has been one of dreams. Growing up, they could never play together due to their interest in different sports and age differences.
While discussing this privilege, Matt said, “It is a super cool experience because we never played any sport together growing up besides football, but we were never on the same team. He was three years older than me, so I always watched him play, but I never got to play with him. So, it has been super cool to be able to play a collegiate sport alongside him.”
Sam echoed the same sentiment.
“Playing with Matt has been a blessing. He might not say that because I’m pretty hard on him— way harder than I am on other people — but it’s been awesome to share a passion with my brother. I will see new strategies and things I like in the off-season and want to implement, and I immediately walk into his house and talk to him about them. Overall, it has been a ton of fun, especially knowing that I already have that trust with him on the field. I can trust him to do what he needs to do.”
Together, the two have forever etched their names into USU rugby history. Throughout their time donning the USU jersey, the two have also learned priceless lessons and formed eternal relationships.
“USU rugby changed my life. I met my wife through it, with her being on the women’s team. That is definitely the biggest way it changed my life, but it also taught me a lot about how to be able to deal with overcoming hardships and just being able to keep pushing through,” Sam said.
The Aggies are expected to shine on the pitch this upcoming season, and with the Gatherum brothers leading the pack as seniors, look for them to make some noise.
RUGBY RACHEL RUGBY RACHEL
By Landri LaJeunesse
For rugby player Rachel Billings, there is nothing better than an adventure.
Growing up in Tigard, Oregon, Billings lived only 30 minutes away from the Columbia River Gorge. It’s a place that according to her, provided the perfect excuse to go for a swim.
“I spent a lot of time out there, swimming in waterfalls and going for adventures,” Billings said. “I did a lot of things outdoors.”
However, Billings didn’t just get outside. She also got involved. There were many sports to choose from in her community in Tigard, and she tried them all.
“I was always looking for a new sport to play in Oregon,” Billings said. “I was very blessed to grow up in an area that had a lot of sports opportunities for me.”
But Billings didn’t just want a sport to play — she wanted a team.
After serious attempts with both basketball and soccer, Billings felt like she would have to compromise on her dream team environment — until she tried rugby.
“Rugby clicked,” Billings said. “It has the best team environment I ever felt playing a sport.”
This discovery surprised her because according to Billings, “Most girls don’t even know rugby is a sport they can play.”
World Rugby reports that nearly a quarter of the playing population is female, and since she discovered her love for the sport, Billings has been included in that population.
Billings has been a part of the USU Women’s Rugby Team since she moved to Utah State. All it took was one email and one practice for her to join the team. With her previous experience, she felt as though she fit right in.
However, Billings’s decision to come to Utah State wasn’t as easy as she imagined.
“The transition to college was really hard,” Billings said. “I think it is for everybody.”
According to Billings, this experience differed from what she was used to because her family is very spontaneous and close.
“One time, my siblings and I biked across the whole state of Oregon,” Billings said. “We did not train or have good bikes. We just set out.”
College was a different ride for Billings. She said it was a hard decision to be so far away from her family and the waterfalls of Oregon.
However, she is not without support.
“I have a sister here and grandparents that are pretty close,” Billings said. “I really appreciate all the efforts they make to come support me in my sport.”
In addition, Billings has her teammates. She believes they give her the same team camaraderie that made her fall in love with rugby years ago.
“It’s the best way to make friends here that I’ve come across,” Billings said. “We take brand new players and create a team of whoever wants to be a part of it.”
This group dynamic has not only helped Billings feel comfortable in a new place but has also helped her feel comfortable in her skin.
“The biggest thing that inspires me and pushes me to keep playing is the power and confidence it gives me in my body,” Billings said. “Because rugby is so physical, it highlights that.”
But rugby hasn’t just helped her. It has also helped her teammates, who credit Billings for making it happen.
“She empowers fellow women,” said Maddy Martin, Billings’s friend and teammate. “Rachel has been a great source of confidence for many people.”
According to Martin, Billings never misses a practice and is always willing to help her teammates on and off the field.
“Rachel is essentially our main leader for practice,” Martin said. “She is always there giving pointers and helping people to improve.”
Another thing Billings does is focus on empowering her teammates.
“I think the biggest thing I have to share is the power to understand what we are capable of,” Billings said.
Billings explained that she has faced inappropriate comments and sexualization in her life. For her, rugby provides a safe place for her to be herself.
“Having a place where everybody is welcome, everybody is needed,” Billings said. “I think it’s really cool that it’s a place that can be celebrated.”
However, body empowerment is not the only adventure Billings has started since she’s been here.
In addition to playing on the team, she is double majoring in physics and oboe performance.
Billings believes her decision to focus on music in addition to school and extracurriculars has a lot to do with her family mantra of taking chances.
“I didn’t intend on majoring in oboe performance,” Billings said. “But I have always wanted to teach oboe lessons.”
According to Martin, Billings can accomplish all she has set out to do.
“Rachel is super dedicated to everything she sets her mind to — on and off of the field,” Martin said.
However, Billings’s main focus for her last year in school will be convincing women that tackling is fun. She hopes to inspire and empower women and remind them rugby is more than a sport, “no matter if you win or lose.”
9/21 @ Boise
9/28 vs Colorado Mesa
10/6 @ CU Boulder
10/12 vs Utah Tech
10/26 vs Montana St
9/7 @ Boise 9/14 vs Utah 9/28 @ CSU
10/4 @ BYU
10/12 vs UVU
10/19 vs Idaho St
11/02 vs Wyoming
