Nineteen Aggies Earn Academic all-Big West Honors For Fall

Cross country runner Clark Bryner, and soccer players Melissa Baggaley and Megan Mills were three Utah State student-athletes who were named in the academic all-Big West Conference for the third straight year.

 

In all, 19 Aggies were named to the league's fall academic teams, including eight soccer players, six women's cross country runners, three volleyball players and two men's cross country runners.

 

With the 19 selections, Utah State had the second highest amount of students named among conference schools. Idaho ranked first with 25 student-athletes placing on the team. Cal Poly was third with 17 selections, while UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara had 15 each.

 

In addition to the three three-time selections, eight other Aggies were named for the second consecutive year. To qualify for the teams, student-athletes must be a sophomore academically, compete in 50 percent of the team's contests, and own a 3.2 or better grade-point average.

 

Baggaley, a senior defender from Salt Lake City, Utah, was also a first-team all-conference selection on the soccer field as she earned that honor for the second straight season.

 

Bryner, who was named to the academic team for the third straight season, finished second in the Big West Cross Country Championships earlier this fall.

 

Zuzana Cernianska, a member of the volleyball team, was also tabbed a first-team all-conference player on the court. She earned both first-team athletic and academic league honors for the second consecutive season.

 

Women's cross country runners Lida Ripplinger and Tiffany Strickland, were both second-year honorees and both finished in the top 15 of the league championships as well as in the top 25 at the regional meet.

 

Utah State's other two-time academic selections included David Danley from cross country, Chanel Balquiere, Charlsie Harris, Michelle Haws and Elizabeth Masson from soccer.

 

Utah State Academic all-Big West Selections from Fall semester include:

 

Men's Cross Country

 

Clark Bryner                 Sr.        Bio/Regional Planning, Logan, Utah

David Danley                Sr.        Fisheries and Wildlife, Roosevelt, Utah

 

Women's Cross Country

 

Carolyn Andrus,           So.       Pre-Elementary Educatio, Orem, Utah

Sarah Dimmick             Sr.        English, Wasilla, Alaska

Kristen Guymon           Sr.        Health, Physical Education & Recreation

                                                      Layton, Utah

Ashley Johnson            So.       Physical Education, Hyrum, Utah

Lida Ripplinger             Sr.        P.E. Teaching, Salt Lake City, Utah

Tiffany Strickland          So.       Elementary Education, Orem, Utah

 

Soccer

 

Melissa Baggaley         Sr.        Accounting, Salt Lake City, Utah

Chanel Balquiere         Jr.        Social Work, Alta Loma, Calif.

Charlsie Harris             Jr.        Physical Education, Taylorsville, Utah

Michelle Haws              Sr.        Accounting, Bountiful, Utah

Elizabeth Masson         Jr.        Finance, Salt Lake City, Utah

Megan Mills                  Sr.        Business Administration, Sandy, Utah

Sierra Smith                 So.       Undeclared, Salt Lake City, Utah

Ashley Wilson              So.       Communications Disorder and Deaf Education, 

                                                      Sandy, Utah

 

Volleyball

 

Dominique Arsenault     So.       Undeclared, Quebec City, Quebec

Zuzana Cerniaska         Jr.        Business, Prague, Czech Republic

Kindy Peterson              Sr.        Physical Education, Lyman, Wyo.