April 7, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State softball player Kayla Dunn has been named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, April 6, it was announced on Monday. The award is voted on by a state media panel.

Dunn, a designated player from Carson City, Nev., helped Utah State post a 4-1 record last week, as it swept Utah Valley, 9-4 and 10-1 after five innings, and then went 2-1 against San Jose State, falling in the first game, 15-8, before winning, 8-6 and 11-10, in a doubleheader on Saturday. Dunn batted .667 overall, going 10-for-15 at the plate, recording 11 RBI, nine runs, four walks, three doubles and three home runs. She tallied a home run in both games against Utah Valley as she was 3-for-5 with five runs scored and four RBI on the day. In the first game against San Jose, she went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, while she was 4-for-6 in two games on Saturday, scoring three runs and adding five RBI.

On the season, Dunn is hitting .344 to rank tied for 13th in the WAC and is seventh in the conference with 17 walks. She has also tallied 22 hits, 15 RBI, six doubles and three home runs.

The Aggies continue action on Wednesday, April 9 traveling to Pocatello, Idaho to face Idaho State in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m..

Nominees from other sports included:
MEN'S TRACK - Senior Dasheek Akwenye (Windhoek, Nambia) won the 400 meters at the BYU Cougar Invitational on Friday with a Western Athletic Conference-best and NCAA provisional time of 46.83. He was also part of USU's 4x400 meter relay that finished first with a time of 3:14.47, which ranks as the second-best time in the WAC this year.

WOMEN'S TRACK - Sophomore Krista Larson (Kaysville, Utah) placed fourth in the hammer throw (182-9) and fifth in the discus (144-0) at the BYU Cougar Invitational on Friday. Her distance of 182-9 in the hammer is the sixth-best in Utah State history, and the best in the Western Athletic Conference this season.

MEN'S TENNIS - Senior Jonas Tyden (Stockholm, Sweden) helped Utah State's men's tennis team defeat Idaho State, 5-2, on Tuesday. Tyden went undefeated in singles and doubles action on the day as he recorded a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 4 singles and paired with freshman Jakob Asplund to notch an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles.

WOMEN'S TENNIS - Freshman Hailey Swenson (North Salt Lake City, Utah) went 1-1 at No. 2 singles during the week, as Utah State fell to No. 36 Boise State, 7-0, and Portland State, 5-2. Swenson began her week with a 6-2, 6-1 loss against BSU, and then recorded a 7-5, 2-6, 10-2 win against PSU.

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 and Field
Mar. 31 - Megan Tschida, Gymnastics
Apr. 7 - Kayla Dunn, Softball