Feb. 15, 2005

LOGAN, Utah- Jessica Parenti, a sophomore from Glendora, Calif., helped Utah State gymnastics upset 11th-ranked Denver in only her second meet of the season, after sitting out their first of the season with an illness. For her efforts Parenti was named USU Athlete of the Week. A state media panel votes on the weekly award.

In the Aggies loss to Southern Utah on Tuesday, Feb. 8, Parenti had the second highest Aggie score on vault (9.775) and bars (9.625), while taking third overall on beam with a 9.725. This performance came just 24 hours after she was cleared to compete, after being sidelined for a month with an illness.

In the Aggies upset over Denver (194.925-194.875) on Friday, Feb. 11, Parenti tied for first on vault (9.850) and beam (9.850) and finished second on the bars with a 9.775. She led the Aggies to a ninth best all-time team vault score of 48.950 as well as recording season highs in the three events she competed in.

As a freshman in 2004, Parenti received academic all-Western Gymnastics Conference honors and was named to the all-WGC second team in bars, beam and all-around.

The Aggies will travel to Boise, Idaho on Friday, Feb. 18, to face Boise State.

Other Nominees...

Women's Basketball-Jessica Freeman...Became Utah State's career shot block leader (71), passing Jill Swainston (1987, 70), as she swatted four shots in the Aggies' 77-75 win at Pacific on Saturday. Freeman, a junior, also added eight rebounds, four points and two steals against the Tigers. In USU's 63-52 loss to Cal State Northridge last Thursday, Freeman swiped a career-high four steals to go along with nine rebounds and five points.

Men's Basketball-Jaycee Carroll...Led Utah State in scoring in both games this past weekend as the Aggies defeated Cal State Northridge 77-57 and lost to 24th-ranked Pacific 64-63. Against the Matadors, Carroll made 8-14 field goals, including 4-8 from three-point range en route to scoring 22 points. Against the Tigers, Carroll scored 19 points on 6-13. For the week he averaged 20.5 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range.

Men's Track and Field-Justin Wickard...Finished the 60 meter hurdles in 8.00, which was good enough for second place at the highly competitive Holiday Inn Invitational in Nampa, Idaho. Wickard also finished seventh in the long jump, with a leap of 7.04 meters.

Women's Track and Field-Carrie Bitton-Yost...Led the women's track and field team with a sixth place finish in the high jump with a leap of 1.70 meters.

Softball-Michell Vlahos...Hit a home run against Arizona State to put Utah State up 2-1, but the lead was not enough as Arizona State beat the Aggies 11-2

Men's Tennis-Brad Ferguson...Was the only Aggie to win a match at the UNLV Invitational. Ferguson played in the fifth spot and won 6-2, 6-3.

Women's Tennis-Courtney Anderson...Was the only Aggie to win a match against 26th-ranked Oklahoma State. Anderson played in the fourth spot and won 6-4, 5-7, 10-4.

2004-2005 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 6 - David Danley, Cross Country
Sept. 13 - Lindsay Lauro, Soccer
Sept. 20 - Kindy Peterson, Volleyball
Sept. 27 - Robert Watts, Football
Oct. 4 - Megan Mills, Soccer
Oct. 11 - Nicole Gooch, Soccer
Oct. 18 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Oct. 25 - Amanda Fahnestock, Volleyball
Nov. 1 - Trevor Ball, Cross Country
Nov. 9 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Nov. 15 - Zuzana Cernianska, Volleyball
Nov. 22- Travis Cox, Football
Nov. 30- Christina Zdenek, Women's Basketball
Dec. 7- Nate Harris, Basketball
Dec. 14 - Spencer Nelson, Basketball
Dec. 21 - Spencer Nelson, Basketball
Dec. 28 - None Selected
Jan. 3 - Nate Harris, Basketball
Jan. 10- Jaycee Carroll, Basketball
Jan. 19- Ali Aird, Women's Basketball
Jan. 24- Taylor Richards, Women's Basketball
Feb. 1- Spencer Nelson, Basketball
Feb. 8- Spencer Nelson, Basketball
Feb. 15- Jessica Parenti, Gymnastics