April 10, 2006
LOGAN, Utah -
Fifteen Utah State student-athletes were on the list of winter academic all-Western Athletic Conference selections that were announced by the league office. Among the honorees were seven USU women's basketball players, six Aggie gymnasts and two men's basketball players.
Three gymnasts, Liesel Kohler, Rachael Mandy, and Jessica Parenti, each earned league academic honors for the fourth straight year.
Kohler, a senior from La Selva Beach, Calif., competed on the beam and floor this past season after winning the WGC floor title last year. Mandy, a junior from Fargo, N.D., tied for ninth on the vault at this year's league championship. Parenti, a junior from Glendora, Calif. qualified for the NCAA Regionals as an individual and finished 14th in the all-around.
Women's basketball selections included three-time choices Jessica Freeman and Brittany Tressler. Freeman, a senior from St. George, Utah finished her career as USU's all-time blocked shots leader. Tressler, a junior from Orem, Utah, averaged 3.7 points per game this past season.
Chris Huber and Cass Matheus earned honors from the men's basketball team. Matheus, a senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, averaged 9.1 points and 6.0 rebounds while starting all 32 games. Huber, a senior from Garland, Utah, was a key reserve and averaged nearly three points per contest, while handing out 75 assists and committing just 33 turnovers.
To be eligible for the teams, a student-athlete must have completed at least one academic year, have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's contests.
USU'S WINTER ACADEMIC ALL-WAC SELECTIONS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jessica Freeman, Sr., 3.62, Art
Brittany Hagen, Jr., 3.34, Pre-Physical Therapy
Ali Marchant, Sr., 3.54, PE Teaching
Taylor Richards, So., 3.30, Undeclared
Anne Marie Torp, Jr., 3.35, Health Education
Brittany Tressler, Sr., 3.33, Exercise Science
Jenny Gross, So., 3.07, Family Consumer Science
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Chris Huber, Sr., 3.36, Business Management
Cass Matheus, Sr., 3.25, Business Administration
GYMNASTICS
Liesel Kohler, Sr., 3.31, Animal Science
Rachael Mandy, Jr., 3.90, Human Resource Management
Alex Martin, Jr., 3.29, Exercise Science
Katie Omann, So., 3.21, Undeclared
Jessica Parenti, Jr., 3.52, Exercise Science
Ana Rickard, So., 3.17, Undeclared
