Sports Briefs April 4, 2011

UVU’s Casper named America Sky Golfer of the Week

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Utah Valley’s Mason Casper was named America Sky Men’s Golf Conference Golfer of the Week for his performance at Southern Utah’s Pat Hicks Invitational on Feb. 14-15, the conference office announced March 28.

Casper, a sophomore from Springville, Utah, captured the SUU Pat Hicks Invitational at St. George, Utah’s Sunbrook Golf Club by firing seven-under par on Feb. 14-15. In his first-ever collegiate start, the grandson of PGA great Billy Casper fired rounds of 67 and 70 for a two-day total of 137 in defeating Dixie State’s Taylor Reardon and College of Charleston’s Alex Ellis by two shots. Casper spearheaded the Wolverines to finish third as a team, six shots behind winner Dixie State and one shot back of second-place College of Charleston.

Also nominated was Binghamton’s Jake Katz, Northern Colorado’s Nick Bisogno, Sacramento State’s Grant Rappleye and Weber State’s Nick Despain.

Men’s basketball’s Isiah Williams named All-American by Associated Press

OREM, Utah – After leading Utah Valley University to the Great West Conference Championship and earning himself the GWC Player of the Year award, Isiah Williams added All-American to his list of accolades when he was named honorable mention All-America by the Associated Press March 28.

Williams averaged 17.4 points per game in his first year at UVU, receiving the honor after the Wolverines went 19-11 overall and 11-1 in conference play. The 19 wins are the school’s highest win total since the 2006-07 team won 22 games.

“That’s fantastic,” said head coach Dick Hunsaker. “He had an outstanding season. Isiah is a wonderful individual and great teammate and it’s great to see him receive such special recognition.”

Williams upped his season average to 18.8 points per game during Great West games and earned the Player of the Week award on Feb. 7 after scoring a career-high 33 in a win at Texas-Pan American.

The junior guard was also named to the Great West’s All-Conference first team and received the league’s Newcomer of the Year award
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Williams is the first men’s basketball All-American in Utah Valley’s young NCAA Division I history and the fourth UVU athlete, in any sport, to garner the honor.

Yocom and Summers honored as Player/Pitcher of the Week

PORTLAND/NAPERVILLE, Ill. – UVU senior Meghan Yocom was named both the Great West Conference and PCSC Mountain Division Player of the Week and Josi Summers was honored by the PCSC as the Mountain Division Pitcher of the Week for the second time in as many weeks after outstanding performances March 25-27 at the Great West Early Season Tournament.

Yocom, an outfielder from Milford, N.H., was named both conferences’ Player of the Week after hitting .526, slugging 1.158 and recording an on-base percentage of .550 at last weekend’s GWC softball event where the Wolverines posted a 4-2 record. The four-year starter hit a double, a triple, three home runs and drove home five RBI while also being a perfect 2-2 in stolen bases and playing an errorless center field for the Wolverines. Yocom is batting a team-high .404 on the season.

Summers, a right hander from Tremonton, Utah, was honored as the PCSC Pitcher of the Week after she pitched 21 innings, allowed just four runs (only one earned), seven hits and struck out 13. During the weekend GWC opponents hit just .103 against Summers. On the season Summers has five of the Wolverines six wins as she is 5-8 with a 4.37 ERA. She also has pitched eight complete games in 12 starts.

“These awards are well deserved for both individuals and for Josi it is a back-to-back honor for her,” UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. “Their performances and numbers speak for themselves last week.”

The weekly award is Yocom’s first of the year, while it is Summers’ second.

Gendlek’s shutout garners him Pitcher of the Week award

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Jeremy Gendlek’s three-hit shutout at Sacramento State March 25-27 has garnered the Utah Valley junior the Great West Conference’s Pitcher of the Week award, the league office announced March 29.

Gendlek led the Wolverines to a 6-0 victory over Sacramento State on Friday. The righthander limited the Hornets to just three hits as he only faced 32 batters in the first complete game shutout by a single pitcher for UVU since 2008. It was the third team shutout for Utah Valley so far in 2011.

Chicago State’s Michael Carpen was named GWC Offensive Player of the Week.

McCabe Named GWC Athlete of the Week

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Utah Valley’s Joshua McCabe and South Dakota’s Emma Erickson have been selected Great West Conference Track & Field Athletes of the Week for their outstanding performances the week of March 21-25. The league office announced the awards March 30.

McCabe, a sophomore from Provo, Utah, finished second overall and broke the 5,000m school record by nearly 10 seconds at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival in San Francisco’s Bay Area last weekend with the time of 14:24.71. In his race were runners from Cal, Air Force, Arkansas-Little Rock, Idaho and Santa Clara.

Others nominated for the awards were South Dakota’s Tane Owens, Texas-Pan American’s Omar Doria and Melinda Sarmiento and Utah Valley’s Kodi Kleven.