Sports briefs

Toolson Named GWC Player of the Week

Senior guard Ryan Toolson was named Great West Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Toolson, who was also named National Player of the Week by NCAA basketball icon and ESPN commentator Dick Vitale, averaged 42.5 points, 8.5 rebounds while knocking down 58 percent of his shots from the field as Utah Valley split a pair of games last week.

“It was a tremendous Great West preview of budding rival institutions in the Chicago State game,” UVU head coach Dick Hunsaker said. “Fortunately Ryan [Toolson] had the bigger-than-life game.”

The senior, who collected his fourth weekly honor, scored 63 points in a four-overtime win against league-foe Chicago State. He had 42 points in regulation while playing all 60 minutes. His 63-point performance is the highest total for any NCAA Division I player in the nation this season, and his last two points of the game came with 2.3 seconds left on the clock for the win. The Gilbert, Ariz., native also grabbed 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and chipped in six assists and finished the game 20-21 from the free-throw line. Toolson rounded out the week with 22 points and five rebounds at Cal State- Bakersfield.

Kjar Named WWC Wrestler of the Week for Second Time

UVU’s 125-pound sophomore Benjamin Kjar (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference’s Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials Tuesday.

Kjar defeated the No. 18 ranked Tony Mustari from Northern Colorado by decision, 7-4, Saturday evening as Kjar controlled the match from start to finish. Kjar’s victory, which came in the final bout of the evening, sealed the win for Utah Valley in their first conference dual of the season as UVU downed UNC, 23-16. With the win, UVU won their seventh dual in a row to improve their record to 7-2 (1-0 WWC).

Kjar, who has been ranked as high as No. 17 on the year, took early control in the matchup as he took down Mustari three times in the opening period to lead 6-2 after one and held on by winning, 7-4. With the win Kjar’s season record now currently sits at 24-8 (8-1 duals).

This marks the second time on the season that Kjar has been named the WWC Wrestler of the Week. He previously won the award back on Nov. 25.

The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.