March 24, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State women's track and field athlete Stacie Dorius has been named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, March 23, it was announced on Monday. The award is voted on by a state media panel.

Dorius, a senior from Layton, Utah, won the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the Arizona-hosted Willie Williams Classic with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10:46.61, which is also the third-fastest time in school history. Dorius is the defending outdoor WAC Champion in the steeplechase as well as the 3,000-meter run.

The Aggies continue action April 4, at the BYU Invitational in Provo, Utah.

Nominees from other sports included:
MEN'S BASKETBALL - Junior forward Gary Wilkinson (South Jordan, Utah) recorded his team-leading seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds in Utah State's 61-57 loss at Illinois State in the first round of the 2008 MasterCard NIT. Wilkinson was 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line in the game, to go along with two steals and one block.

GYMNASTICS - Senior Megan Tschida (St. Paul, Minn.) tallied a season-best 9.900 in winning the floor exercise in Utah State's 195.075-193.150 loss to Southern Utah. That 9.900 on floor is the fourth-highest score in school history and the second-highest in the WAC this year.

SOFTBALL - Sophomore center fielder Emily Reilly (Portland, Ore.) led Utah State last week as she hit .357 (5-of-14) with a triple and two runs, while walking twice, as the Aggies dropped all five of its games. In the first game of a three-game series at Nevada, she scored a run and walked twice in the Aggies' 12-1 loss. In the final game of the series, she was 3-of-4 at the plate in USU's 7-2 loss. Overall, Reilly had a .750 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage, to go along with a perfect fielding percentage.

MEN'S TRACK - Senior Dasheek Akwenye (Windhoek, Nambia) placed third in the 400 meters with a regional qualifying time of 47.24 at the Arizona hosted Willie Williams Classic. That time also ranks as the ninth-fastest in school history in that event. Akwenye also finished 15th in the 200 meters with a time of 22.13 and anchored the 4x100 meter relay team that placed second with a time of 41.35.

2007-08 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 4 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Sept. 10 - Amanda Nielson, Volleyball
Sept. 17 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Sept. 24 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Oct. 1 - Melissa Osterloh, Volleyball
Oct. 8 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Oct. 15 - Seth Wold, Cross Country
Oct. 22 - Amanda Nielson, Volleyball
Oct. 29 - Seth Wold, Cross Country
Nov. 5 - Lauren Hansen, Soccer
Nov. 12 - Danielle Taylor, Volleyball
Nov. 19 - Rob Myers, Football
Nov. 26 - Stephen DuCharme, Men's Basketball
Dec. 3 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Dec. 10 - Danyelle Snelgro, Women's Basketball
Dec. 17 - Tai Wesley, Men's Basketball
Dec. 24 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Dec. 31 - Gary Wilkinson, Men's Basketball
Jan. 7 - Tai Wesley, Men's Basketball
Jan. 14 - Gary Wilkinson, Men's Basketball
Jan. 21 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Jan. 28 - Erin Stratton, Women's Track
Feb. 4 - Maria Halton, Women's Track
Feb. 11 - Nick Karren, Men's Track
Feb. 18 - Jakob Asplund, Men's Tennis
Feb. 25 - Jenny Gross, Women's Basketball
Mar. 3 - John Strang, Men's Track
Mar. 10 - Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Mar. 17 - Kelley Kaneshiro, Softball
Mar. 24 - Stacie Dorius, Women's Track

-USU-