Where has the time gone – I just realized that I haven’t done a very good job of keeping up with our blog this year. I am going to try and update you on our first half even though we have had a lot happen up to this point.
First and foremost I hope you all had a happy thanksgiving and the Red Storm want to wish you Happy Holidays to come.
The 2009-2010 team has a lot of new faces this year (9 to be exact) and with our returners we have a solid team. Our record is 2-4 however, that doesn’t really give you a good indication to the year because our schedule has been brutal.
Two of the four losses were to Fort Lewis, who has been ranked as high as 3 in the nation. One Loss coming from Seattle Pacific who has been ranked as high as 14, and the last one to Northwest Nazarene, who is actually receiving votes in the top 25 polls. So needless to say our schedule was very difficult, but I am hoping it prepares us for conference. Our two wins were against Western State from the RMAC and Pittsburg State from the MIAA (who also has had some votes in the top 25 poll).
We have two games before we let our players go home for Christmas Break – We play Domiguez Hills (who made the national tournament last year) and Cal State LA.. Hopefully we can get back on the winning track before the holidays.
I am asking Santa (only because I have been such a good girl) for a healthy team for 2010. We have yet to play a game fully loaded. We have battled knee injuries, ankles, bronchitis, swine flu, and pneumonia.. It has been a rough year for injuries, but still who ever is on the court continues to battle and I appreciate that very much.
We did get an early Christmas present with signing Rachel Gines early. She is a post player from Bingham High School and will be an impact player for us. We were very fortunate to get her and are excited to see what she does in her four years at Dixie.
We appreciate all your support and look forward to winning a lot of games in 2010!
Happy Holidays!
Coach Kristensen and the Red Storm Basketball Team
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Healthy DSC women have more depth this season
ST. GEORGE - So far this year - keep your fingers crossed - the number of Dixie State wounded does not match or exceed those on the courtThat alone is an improvement from last year.
Sure, minor pains persist for some players, but the Red Storm women's basketball team should be at full strength for its first public action of the year Saturday at 5 p.m., when the current team takes on its alumni.
"It helps a lot with morale and keeping focus in practice," said senior guard Jessie Ingraham. "It helps (boost) our intensity and helps bring new players up to our level."
Ingraham is one of three returning starters who picked up preseason Pacific West accolades; joining her were sophomore guard Shanae Vaifanua and forward Tanya Clark. Coach Angie Kristensen said the returners will face fierce competition for playing time.
That wasn't the case last year. Kristensen needed all hands on deck.
Jessica Carver graduated and opted not to pursue a medical redshirt after sitting out most of last year with an injury. Shayla Martinez (knee) and Brandi Barrett (foot) redshirted because of their ailments. Various nagging injuries cost playing time for several other regulars.
The squad was a M.A.S.H. unit.
"It was like a domino effect," Clark said. "It was really hard, but I think we made a lot of adjustments and came out successful. There were large voids, but collectively everybody filled those voids."
This year depth could carry the Red Storm a long way.
Three newcomers should step in immediately. Kristensen is particularly high on junior college transfer Na'Chelle Catron, a 6-foot forward with great presence around the hoop.
"She's unreal. When she's on, she's on," said DSC coach Angie Kristensen. "She's got a full game. You have to stay on her a little bit because she tends to coast, but when she plays hard she's probably the best player on the floor."
Veronica Siqueiros, a 5-5 point guard from College of Eastern Utah, and freshman forward Johnna Brown are expected to see time in Kristensen's deep rotation, which sometimes includes 11 or 12 players"All our returners are going to get pushed," Kristensen said. "Honestly, our new kids are very talented. The bottom line is every year you recruit better than what you have. If I'm not doing that, I'm not doing my job."The Red Storm figure to be bigger and quicker. Last year Tanya Clark led Dixie State in rebounding at 7.9 per contest - almost out of necessity.
At 5-10, Clark was sometimes the tallest Red Storm player on the floor. Not so any more.
"We're a taller team than we were last year," Clark said. "That is a definite plus."
DSC have five players 6-feet or taller, and they can run - always a prerequisite in Kristensen's attack.
"I think the team this year is very athletic," Ingraham said. "We're quick, fast and all-around good athletes. We're really long, too."
Rebounding, however, has proven to be an issue in the early going.
"We need more kids to sell out and go for the boards," Clark said. "If we have four people crashing the boards, with how big we are we should be getting rebounds, especially on the defensive end."
Sure, minor pains persist for some players, but the Red Storm women's basketball team should be at full strength for its first public action of the year Saturday at 5 p.m., when the current team takes on its alumni.
"It helps a lot with morale and keeping focus in practice," said senior guard Jessie Ingraham. "It helps (boost) our intensity and helps bring new players up to our level."
Ingraham is one of three returning starters who picked up preseason Pacific West accolades; joining her were sophomore guard Shanae Vaifanua and forward Tanya Clark. Coach Angie Kristensen said the returners will face fierce competition for playing time.
That wasn't the case last year. Kristensen needed all hands on deck.
Jessica Carver graduated and opted not to pursue a medical redshirt after sitting out most of last year with an injury. Shayla Martinez (knee) and Brandi Barrett (foot) redshirted because of their ailments. Various nagging injuries cost playing time for several other regulars.
The squad was a M.A.S.H. unit.
"It was like a domino effect," Clark said. "It was really hard, but I think we made a lot of adjustments and came out successful. There were large voids, but collectively everybody filled those voids."
This year depth could carry the Red Storm a long way.
Three newcomers should step in immediately. Kristensen is particularly high on junior college transfer Na'Chelle Catron, a 6-foot forward with great presence around the hoop.
"She's unreal. When she's on, she's on," said DSC coach Angie Kristensen. "She's got a full game. You have to stay on her a little bit because she tends to coast, but when she plays hard she's probably the best player on the floor."
Veronica Siqueiros, a 5-5 point guard from College of Eastern Utah, and freshman forward Johnna Brown are expected to see time in Kristensen's deep rotation, which sometimes includes 11 or 12 players"All our returners are going to get pushed," Kristensen said. "Honestly, our new kids are very talented. The bottom line is every year you recruit better than what you have. If I'm not doing that, I'm not doing my job."The Red Storm figure to be bigger and quicker. Last year Tanya Clark led Dixie State in rebounding at 7.9 per contest - almost out of necessity.
At 5-10, Clark was sometimes the tallest Red Storm player on the floor. Not so any more.
"We're a taller team than we were last year," Clark said. "That is a definite plus."
DSC have five players 6-feet or taller, and they can run - always a prerequisite in Kristensen's attack.
"I think the team this year is very athletic," Ingraham said. "We're quick, fast and all-around good athletes. We're really long, too."
Rebounding, however, has proven to be an issue in the early going.
"We need more kids to sell out and go for the boards," Clark said. "If we have four people crashing the boards, with how big we are we should be getting rebounds, especially on the defensive end."
Women's Hoops Receive High Preseason Praise
ST. GEORGE – On Monday, the Pacific West Conference held their 2009-2010 Women’s Basketball Media Day and conference call. Dixie State College was projected to finish second in a vote of the head coaches and three returning stars for the Red Storm – Tanya Clark, Jessie Ingraham and Shanae Vaifanua – were honored with selections to the preseason all-conference team.
Dixie State had the most selections to the preseason all-conference teams with three players.
In the 2009-10 season, the Pacific West will compete with nine teams for the first time due to the additions of two Northern California schools – Dominican University in San Rafael and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In a vote of the coaches, Dixie State College is anticipated to finish runner-up to defending conference champion Grand Canyon University out of Phoenix, Arizona. DSC received two first-place votes.
The Red Storm had the best overall record in the Pac West last year at 17-10, but finished one game back of GCU in the conference at 8-4.
The current hoops team returns six players who saw ample playing time last season including three players who earned All-Pac West honors this preseason.
Tanya Clark (Beaumont. CA/Beaumont) played most of the 2008-09 season out of position due to various injuries in the post, but excelled in her first year at Dixie State. The transfer from Arizona Western College averaged 9.2 points and 7.9 rebounds a game, third best in the entire conference. She also finished ninth in the league in foul shooting (69.1%) and ninth in field goal percentage (46.1%). Clark pulled down 13 boards twice (3/6/09 vs. GCU, 12/18/08 vs. Central Washington) and earned second-team all-Pac West accolades.
Another junior-college transfer from Arizona, Pima’s Jessie Ingraham (Tuscon. AZ/Canyon Del Oro) was the only DSC player to average more than ten points (10.9), five rebounds (5.6) and three assists (3.2) a game. The gritty point guard also had a lethal touch from beyond the arc making 41.7% of her three-pointers. She also had the third-best free throw percentage in the league, connecting on 80.5% (66 of 82) of her attempts from the line. Ingraham led the team in scoring six different times last season and had a season-high 21 points at home against BYU-Hawaii on Feb. 20. Ingraham was a conference honorable mention
Shanae Vaifanua (Hurricane. UT/Hurricane), last year’s fantastic freshman from Hurricane, scored in double figures in her first exhibition game and never looked back putting up some of the best all-around numbers in the entire conference. Vaifanua averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for Dixie State. She ranked eighth in boards and 17th in scoring. She also finished 10th in shooting (45.9%) after making 106 of 231 field goal attempts, while her 1.96 steals-per-game average landed her sixth in the conference. Like Clark, Vaifanua earned second-team honors last season.
The DSC women’s team begins their 2009 exhibition season on Saturday, November 7 against an alumni squad. Tilts against Southern Utah and Weber State close out the three-game exhibition schedule.
The regular season begins November 20 against nationally-ranked Fort Lewis in Durango, Colorado. Dixie State will host a Thanksgiving Tournament featuring Academy of Art, Fort Lewis and Pittsburg State on November 27th and 28th. DSC will also compete in the GNAC/Pac West Challenge in early December with games against Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific.
The Red Storm kicks off conference play at home on January 7, 2010 against BYU-Hawaii.
Dixie State had the most selections to the preseason all-conference teams with three players.
In the 2009-10 season, the Pacific West will compete with nine teams for the first time due to the additions of two Northern California schools – Dominican University in San Rafael and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In a vote of the coaches, Dixie State College is anticipated to finish runner-up to defending conference champion Grand Canyon University out of Phoenix, Arizona. DSC received two first-place votes.
The Red Storm had the best overall record in the Pac West last year at 17-10, but finished one game back of GCU in the conference at 8-4.
The current hoops team returns six players who saw ample playing time last season including three players who earned All-Pac West honors this preseason.
Tanya Clark (Beaumont. CA/Beaumont) played most of the 2008-09 season out of position due to various injuries in the post, but excelled in her first year at Dixie State. The transfer from Arizona Western College averaged 9.2 points and 7.9 rebounds a game, third best in the entire conference. She also finished ninth in the league in foul shooting (69.1%) and ninth in field goal percentage (46.1%). Clark pulled down 13 boards twice (3/6/09 vs. GCU, 12/18/08 vs. Central Washington) and earned second-team all-Pac West accolades.
Another junior-college transfer from Arizona, Pima’s Jessie Ingraham (Tuscon. AZ/Canyon Del Oro) was the only DSC player to average more than ten points (10.9), five rebounds (5.6) and three assists (3.2) a game. The gritty point guard also had a lethal touch from beyond the arc making 41.7% of her three-pointers. She also had the third-best free throw percentage in the league, connecting on 80.5% (66 of 82) of her attempts from the line. Ingraham led the team in scoring six different times last season and had a season-high 21 points at home against BYU-Hawaii on Feb. 20. Ingraham was a conference honorable mention
Shanae Vaifanua (Hurricane. UT/Hurricane), last year’s fantastic freshman from Hurricane, scored in double figures in her first exhibition game and never looked back putting up some of the best all-around numbers in the entire conference. Vaifanua averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for Dixie State. She ranked eighth in boards and 17th in scoring. She also finished 10th in shooting (45.9%) after making 106 of 231 field goal attempts, while her 1.96 steals-per-game average landed her sixth in the conference. Like Clark, Vaifanua earned second-team honors last season.
The DSC women’s team begins their 2009 exhibition season on Saturday, November 7 against an alumni squad. Tilts against Southern Utah and Weber State close out the three-game exhibition schedule.
The regular season begins November 20 against nationally-ranked Fort Lewis in Durango, Colorado. Dixie State will host a Thanksgiving Tournament featuring Academy of Art, Fort Lewis and Pittsburg State on November 27th and 28th. DSC will also compete in the GNAC/Pac West Challenge in early December with games against Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific.
The Red Storm kicks off conference play at home on January 7, 2010 against BYU-Hawaii.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Dixie State Women's Basketball Signs Seven to National Letters of Intent
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – June 15, 2009) – Dixie State College of Utah head women’s basketball coach Angela Kristensen announced Monday the signing of seven players, including three junior college transfers and four prep players, to National Letters of Intent. Na’Chelle Catron (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Amber Scruggs (Los Angeles, Calif.), Veronica Siqueros (Phoenix, Ariz.), Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, Nev.), Vajae Robinson (Las Vegas, Nev.), Gabrielle Rodriguez (West Jordan, Utah) and Chanel Maxey (Anaheim, Calif.) will join the Red Storm program for the 2009-10 season.
The signing of these seven players brings DSC’s recruiting class total to nine players overall. Dixie State inked Deanna Daniels, a 5-11 guard/forward, and Rashawnda Gray, a 5-8 guard, from Las Vegas’ Centennial High School during the early signing period last fall.
“I feel this was a great year as far as recruiting goes,” Coach Kristensen said. “We have laid a winning foundation over the last few years and now it is time for us to start building a program that competes for championships.
“With the additions we have brought in, along with our returners coming back, I am very excited about the upcoming season,” Kristensen added. “We have a lot of talent and now it’s just be a matter of putting it all together.”
Catron, a 6-0 forward, played one season at Pepperdine University before transferring to Mount San Antonio CC, where she averaged eight points and four rebounds, while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor, in helping lead the Mounties to a 31-4 overall record last season. She scored in double figures in seven of her outings, including a career-high 22 points with a season-best nine rebounds in a win over San Jose CC Dec. 4. Catron was the 74th-ranked player in the country out of JW North High School prior to signing with Pepperdine.
“Na’Chelle is an extremely versatile player that has the ability to play both on the perimeter and in the paint,” Kristensen said. “We feel very fortunate to sign a player with her abilities and experience and she’ll make an immediate impact on our team.”
Kristensen also signed Catron’s juco teammate in Scruggs, a 5-7 guard who averaged just under five points and three rebounds as a sophomore. During her two years at Mount SAC, she helped lead the Mounties to a 69-5 record and the California state title as a freshman in 2008.“
Amber is a guard that can play not only at the point, but the two-guard and small forward as well,” Kristensen noted. “She is an extremely quick guard who we expect to make immediate contributions on the defensive end for us.”
Siqueros, 5-5 point guard from the College of Eastern Utah, played a key reserve role in her two seasons in a Golden Eagle uniform. She averaged seven points, including a career-high 17 points in an 81-65 triumph at Colorado Northwestern last season, to go with two rebounds and nearly two assists in 58 career games. Siqueros prepped at Trevor G. Browne HS out of the Phoenix area.
“Veronica was able to gain valuable experience at the junior college level,” said Kristensen. “We felt it was important to bring in a point guard with her knowledge of the game and creativity on the court. She is a great passer that puts her teammates in the best positions to be successful. We look for Veronica to step in and be a leader for this team right away.”
Brown was a stand-out 6-0 guard/forward from Las Vegas’ Centennial HS, where she teamed with DSC early signees Deanna Daniels and Rashawnda Gray to lead the Bulldogs to a 32-2 overall record and the Nevada 4A state title this past season. Brown averaged 17.4 points, nine rebounds and five assists en route to being named the Las Vegas Review-Journal Player of the Year. In addition, Brown got it done in the classroom as she earned academic all-state honors. Brown was an all-state athlete in three sports, including volleyball and softball, and helped guide CHS to the state 4A softball title this past season. She will play both basketball and softball at Dixie State.
“Johnna can literally play every position on the floor. Her scoring and passing abilities make her dangerous on the offensive end,” Kristensen said. “Defensively, she is very mobile and makes great reads, which will make her very effective in our press coverage. She is an extremely talented athlete who was highly recruited by a number of Division I programs and we feel very fortunate that she chose to come to Dixie.”
Robinson was a first team all-region selection as a senior at Green Valley HS, where she averaged 8.0 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Gators last year. In addition, the 6-3 center led the region in blocks at 3.5 bpg, while her season rebounding average was the third-best in the region.
“Vajae is someone we consider a diamond in the rough. Her best basketball is ahead of her because of her height, athletic ability and work ethic,” noted Kristensen. “She is an absolute monster on the boards and her knack for the basketball is something that can’t be taught. It will be exciting to watch Vajae grow into a great college basketball player, the sky is the limit for her.”
Rodriguez, a 5-5 point guard, signed with DSC out of West Jordan HS, where she was a McDonald’s all-American nominee, a Utah 5A all-state honorable mention and an academic all-state selection as a senior. Last season she averaged 7.0 points, scoring in double figures in five of her final six games in a Jaguar uniform, along with seven assists, two rebounds and two steals in 21 games.“Gabby is someone who we feel slid under the radar as far as recruiting goes,” says Kristensen. “We saw her at our camp last summer and loved her game. She is an extremely heady point guard that sees the floor well. Along with her passing abilities, Gabby is a great outside shooter and can also get to the rim off the dribble.”
Maxey, a 5-9 guard out of Canyon HS in Orange County, was an all-Century League and all-CIF selection after averaging 11 points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals a game last season. As team captain and MVP last season, she helped lead CHS to an 18-11 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the CIF tournament.“
Chanel is an extremely long athlete that can play all three guard positions for us,” Kristensen stated. “She is very athletic and will create havoc on defense with her length and active hands. Chanel’s also a very good perimeter shooter and possesses the ability to get to the basket.”
The signing of these seven players brings DSC’s recruiting class total to nine players overall. Dixie State inked Deanna Daniels, a 5-11 guard/forward, and Rashawnda Gray, a 5-8 guard, from Las Vegas’ Centennial High School during the early signing period last fall.
“I feel this was a great year as far as recruiting goes,” Coach Kristensen said. “We have laid a winning foundation over the last few years and now it is time for us to start building a program that competes for championships.
“With the additions we have brought in, along with our returners coming back, I am very excited about the upcoming season,” Kristensen added. “We have a lot of talent and now it’s just be a matter of putting it all together.”
Catron, a 6-0 forward, played one season at Pepperdine University before transferring to Mount San Antonio CC, where she averaged eight points and four rebounds, while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor, in helping lead the Mounties to a 31-4 overall record last season. She scored in double figures in seven of her outings, including a career-high 22 points with a season-best nine rebounds in a win over San Jose CC Dec. 4. Catron was the 74th-ranked player in the country out of JW North High School prior to signing with Pepperdine.
“Na’Chelle is an extremely versatile player that has the ability to play both on the perimeter and in the paint,” Kristensen said. “We feel very fortunate to sign a player with her abilities and experience and she’ll make an immediate impact on our team.”
Kristensen also signed Catron’s juco teammate in Scruggs, a 5-7 guard who averaged just under five points and three rebounds as a sophomore. During her two years at Mount SAC, she helped lead the Mounties to a 69-5 record and the California state title as a freshman in 2008.“
Amber is a guard that can play not only at the point, but the two-guard and small forward as well,” Kristensen noted. “She is an extremely quick guard who we expect to make immediate contributions on the defensive end for us.”
Siqueros, 5-5 point guard from the College of Eastern Utah, played a key reserve role in her two seasons in a Golden Eagle uniform. She averaged seven points, including a career-high 17 points in an 81-65 triumph at Colorado Northwestern last season, to go with two rebounds and nearly two assists in 58 career games. Siqueros prepped at Trevor G. Browne HS out of the Phoenix area.
“Veronica was able to gain valuable experience at the junior college level,” said Kristensen. “We felt it was important to bring in a point guard with her knowledge of the game and creativity on the court. She is a great passer that puts her teammates in the best positions to be successful. We look for Veronica to step in and be a leader for this team right away.”
Brown was a stand-out 6-0 guard/forward from Las Vegas’ Centennial HS, where she teamed with DSC early signees Deanna Daniels and Rashawnda Gray to lead the Bulldogs to a 32-2 overall record and the Nevada 4A state title this past season. Brown averaged 17.4 points, nine rebounds and five assists en route to being named the Las Vegas Review-Journal Player of the Year. In addition, Brown got it done in the classroom as she earned academic all-state honors. Brown was an all-state athlete in three sports, including volleyball and softball, and helped guide CHS to the state 4A softball title this past season. She will play both basketball and softball at Dixie State.
“Johnna can literally play every position on the floor. Her scoring and passing abilities make her dangerous on the offensive end,” Kristensen said. “Defensively, she is very mobile and makes great reads, which will make her very effective in our press coverage. She is an extremely talented athlete who was highly recruited by a number of Division I programs and we feel very fortunate that she chose to come to Dixie.”
Robinson was a first team all-region selection as a senior at Green Valley HS, where she averaged 8.0 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Gators last year. In addition, the 6-3 center led the region in blocks at 3.5 bpg, while her season rebounding average was the third-best in the region.
“Vajae is someone we consider a diamond in the rough. Her best basketball is ahead of her because of her height, athletic ability and work ethic,” noted Kristensen. “She is an absolute monster on the boards and her knack for the basketball is something that can’t be taught. It will be exciting to watch Vajae grow into a great college basketball player, the sky is the limit for her.”
Rodriguez, a 5-5 point guard, signed with DSC out of West Jordan HS, where she was a McDonald’s all-American nominee, a Utah 5A all-state honorable mention and an academic all-state selection as a senior. Last season she averaged 7.0 points, scoring in double figures in five of her final six games in a Jaguar uniform, along with seven assists, two rebounds and two steals in 21 games.“Gabby is someone who we feel slid under the radar as far as recruiting goes,” says Kristensen. “We saw her at our camp last summer and loved her game. She is an extremely heady point guard that sees the floor well. Along with her passing abilities, Gabby is a great outside shooter and can also get to the rim off the dribble.”
Maxey, a 5-9 guard out of Canyon HS in Orange County, was an all-Century League and all-CIF selection after averaging 11 points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals a game last season. As team captain and MVP last season, she helped lead CHS to an 18-11 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the CIF tournament.“
Chanel is an extremely long athlete that can play all three guard positions for us,” Kristensen stated. “She is very athletic and will create havoc on defense with her length and active hands. Chanel’s also a very good perimeter shooter and possesses the ability to get to the basket.”
Friday, April 10, 2009
Red Storm Women Get Five Post-season Recognitions
ST. GEORGE, UTAH – The Pacific West Athletic Conference officially released the 2008-2009 All-Conference Teams and post-season awards on Sunday, March 29 and Dixie State College garnered five players on the first, second or honorable mention squads.
“I feel it was a great compliment to land five people on all conference, which was the most for any team in this conference” said Dixie State Head Coach Angela Kristensen. “I felt like each one of the players had a major impact on the outcome of our season. They are all deserving of each of these awards.”
Senior guard Deney Phommabout (West Valley, UT/Hillcrest) made First Team honors by averaging 11.6 points per game. She led the Red Storm and ranked 13th in the PacWest in scoring. With a no-fear attitude, the former Otero JC product provided instant offense of the bench for the Storm. Kristensen notes “she changed the game immediately when she got in.” Phommabout scored a season-high 24 points twice in crucial conference wins against Hawaii-Hilo at home and on the road at Notre Dame de Namur. Deney finished the year strong averaging over 13 points in conference and notching double digits in scoring in 11 of her last 16 games.
“Her being our 6th man and being on the all conference first team speaks very highly of how much respect she has in this conference. Deney always put this team first” added Kristensen.
Junior guard Courtney Boyd (Keokuk, IA/Keokuk), junior forward Tanya Clark (Beaumont, CA/Beaumont) and rookie guard Shanae Vaifanua (Hurricane, UT/Hurricane) claimed Second Team accolades.
Boyd was an Honorable Mention in 2007-08 and made the jump this year after leading the PacWest in assist average (4.56 per game). She collected 4.1 rebounds per contest and averaged 2.11 steals per outing - the latter high enough for fifth in the league. She averaged 1.70 three-pointers made per contest to stand ninth in the conference.
Her coach praised Boyd “as our leader whether she was on the floor or on the bench. She put this team on her back when we needed it and helped us finish in second place.” She nabbed a season-high 23 points at Grand Canyon on January 22.
Clark averaged 7.9 rebounds per game to lead the Storm and rank third in the PacWest. She also finished ninth in the league in foul shooting (69.1% - 56 for 81) and ninth in field goal percentage (46.1% - 94 for 204). Her four double-doubles led all Dixie State players.
“(She) played out of position for the entire year. Was always outsized, but did such a good job of the post. Did exactly what we needed her to do” said Kristensen. Clark backed up a 2nd Team Arizona Community College Athletic Conference nod in 2007-2008 with gritty play in her first year in a Dixie State uniform.
Vaifanua, the fantastic freshman guard, averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for Dixie State. She ranked eighth in boards and 17th in scoring this year. The Hurricane High grad also finished 10th in shooting (45.9%) after making 106 of 231 field goal attempts, while her 1.96 steals-per-game average landed her sixth in the conference.
“What an amazing freshman year”, said Kristensen. “In my mind (she) was the best freshman in this conference because she changed the game so much defensively for us.” Playing against some of the most talented players in the conference, Shanae showed toughness that will help her grow over the next three years.
Junior guard Jessie Ingraham (Tucson, AZ/Canyon del Oro) averaged 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to earn Honorable Mention.
“(She) was our best shooter throughout the year and one of our best rebounding guards” declared Kristensen and the numbers back it up. She finished 15th in the league in scoring and 10th in rebounding, while her 3.23 assists per game placed her ninth among all PacWest players. She also had the third-best free throw percentage in the league, connecting on 80.5% (66 of 82) of her attempts from the line.
An ACCAA first-teamer with Pima College in 2007, Ingraham earned multiple Pac West Honor Roll appearances this season “doing a lot of great things her first year in a DSC uniform.”
John Potter II
Assistant Sports Information Director
“I feel it was a great compliment to land five people on all conference, which was the most for any team in this conference” said Dixie State Head Coach Angela Kristensen. “I felt like each one of the players had a major impact on the outcome of our season. They are all deserving of each of these awards.”
Senior guard Deney Phommabout (West Valley, UT/Hillcrest) made First Team honors by averaging 11.6 points per game. She led the Red Storm and ranked 13th in the PacWest in scoring. With a no-fear attitude, the former Otero JC product provided instant offense of the bench for the Storm. Kristensen notes “she changed the game immediately when she got in.” Phommabout scored a season-high 24 points twice in crucial conference wins against Hawaii-Hilo at home and on the road at Notre Dame de Namur. Deney finished the year strong averaging over 13 points in conference and notching double digits in scoring in 11 of her last 16 games.
“Her being our 6th man and being on the all conference first team speaks very highly of how much respect she has in this conference. Deney always put this team first” added Kristensen.
Junior guard Courtney Boyd (Keokuk, IA/Keokuk), junior forward Tanya Clark (Beaumont, CA/Beaumont) and rookie guard Shanae Vaifanua (Hurricane, UT/Hurricane) claimed Second Team accolades.
Boyd was an Honorable Mention in 2007-08 and made the jump this year after leading the PacWest in assist average (4.56 per game). She collected 4.1 rebounds per contest and averaged 2.11 steals per outing - the latter high enough for fifth in the league. She averaged 1.70 three-pointers made per contest to stand ninth in the conference.
Her coach praised Boyd “as our leader whether she was on the floor or on the bench. She put this team on her back when we needed it and helped us finish in second place.” She nabbed a season-high 23 points at Grand Canyon on January 22.
Clark averaged 7.9 rebounds per game to lead the Storm and rank third in the PacWest. She also finished ninth in the league in foul shooting (69.1% - 56 for 81) and ninth in field goal percentage (46.1% - 94 for 204). Her four double-doubles led all Dixie State players.
“(She) played out of position for the entire year. Was always outsized, but did such a good job of the post. Did exactly what we needed her to do” said Kristensen. Clark backed up a 2nd Team Arizona Community College Athletic Conference nod in 2007-2008 with gritty play in her first year in a Dixie State uniform.
Vaifanua, the fantastic freshman guard, averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for Dixie State. She ranked eighth in boards and 17th in scoring this year. The Hurricane High grad also finished 10th in shooting (45.9%) after making 106 of 231 field goal attempts, while her 1.96 steals-per-game average landed her sixth in the conference.
“What an amazing freshman year”, said Kristensen. “In my mind (she) was the best freshman in this conference because she changed the game so much defensively for us.” Playing against some of the most talented players in the conference, Shanae showed toughness that will help her grow over the next three years.
Junior guard Jessie Ingraham (Tucson, AZ/Canyon del Oro) averaged 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to earn Honorable Mention.
“(She) was our best shooter throughout the year and one of our best rebounding guards” declared Kristensen and the numbers back it up. She finished 15th in the league in scoring and 10th in rebounding, while her 3.23 assists per game placed her ninth among all PacWest players. She also had the third-best free throw percentage in the league, connecting on 80.5% (66 of 82) of her attempts from the line.
An ACCAA first-teamer with Pima College in 2007, Ingraham earned multiple Pac West Honor Roll appearances this season “doing a lot of great things her first year in a DSC uniform.”
John Potter II
Assistant Sports Information Director
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Goodbye Seniors...
Farewell to our seniors!
Well unfortunately we had an opportunity last weekend that we did not take advantage of. If we would have beaten NDNU on Friday, we would be playing Grand Canyon this weekend to go to the national tournament. However, it just wasn’t meant to be. With that being said I have the opportunity to coach these four seniors for the last time this week. I have coached for ten years as an assistant and a head coach, and I must admit this is one of the toughest goodbye speeches I will have to make. This class is special to me for various reasons. I am proud of each one of them for not only what they do on the court, but the women they are off the court. Jessica Carver, Lindsey Chettinger, Deney Phommabout, and Courtney Boyd, will go down as some of the best to wear a Dixie State jersey in my opinion, and I can’t thank them each enough. Starting with Jessica Carver. She was already a member of the women’s basketball team when I got the job, and I can’t tell you all enough how lucky I am as a coach to have the opportunity to coach her. Unfortunately this year, she got robbed of a true senior year by going down with an ACL tear the third game of the year. This was tough to swallow because I felt horrible for her. She has worked so hard and we had such high expectations for our seniors that this was tough to swallow. Jessica was our leader – our go to kid. She wasn’t someone who was going to lead with her mouth, she led by example, every day, every minute, every second of her life. That is what made Carver special – she separated herself from everyone by how hard she worked. That is the reason why she was one of the best in this conference. Lindsey Chettinger – as we all know her by “Chet” This kid is extra special to our staff because Coach Larson has known her for years. Chet originally committed to us at our last institution. When we got the job we asked Chet to make the move with us. I knew this was going to be a difficult task because Iowa is so far from Utah. She did, of course make it and have been through thick and thin with us the past three years.. I am proud of Chet because this was a tough transition for her. I think this gave her an opportunity to find out that she really can do things on her own and I am super proud of what she has accomplished. Every day Chet brings a smile to my face because of her personality. She might be the wittiest person I know (except for me) she has done a tremendous job at this level and our team is better because of her! Deney Phommabout - Looking back on Denney’s visit to Dixie State wasn’t sure we were going to get her to come here. I am not sure she said a word on her visit as she made the visit the exact same time as Courtney Boyd. Apparently Deney must have had a GREAT time with her teammates, because she did indeed choose Dixie and boy were we lucky to get a kid like her. People probably question how you have your leading scorer come off the bench, but Deney never has. That is what I love about her, she always puts the team first. Deney has had an unbelievable senor year, did exactly what we needed her to do to be successful. This girl would do anything for anyone on this team, on or off the court, and that is what makes her special. She works so hard – and continues to make us better each day in practice. Courtney Boyd - Courtney has been our rock, our heart, our soul for the past two years. We go as Courtney goes, and thank goodness she had more good games than bad. As a coach, you have kids that come in and out of your program that you know you won’t have too many opportunities to coach, well Courtney is one of them. She is a leader by example and a leader by mouth. Those kids are tough to find. What I love about Courtney is she is a gamer – she brings it when we needed it the most, and has hit some unbelievable bit shots this year. She sees the court better than anyone I have coached and has done such an unbelievable job of running this team for me this year. What I admire most about Courtney is the fact she always leaves it on the floor. No matter if we are up 25 or down 25 she is diving after loose balls, playing the same at all times. She has all the respect from her teammates because of what she has done here! It will be hard to watch these ladies walk out of that gym for the last time on Friday, but I know that I am a better coach by having each one of them in my program. This truly is our first senior class and I couldn’t be more prouder of them. I know they are all going on to do bigger and better things in their lives. I wish you all the best and know how much we admire, appreciate, and love each of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ladies! Coach K
Monday, February 23, 2009
Dixie Redstorm in Hawai'i!
ALOHA!Okay so in all honesty after spending 10 days in Hawaii I hope I don’t hear that term for a long time. We had a great trip that was filled with many adventures!
We left here at 3:45 am on Jan 29th to catch our 6 AM flight from Vegas. We had a layover in San Francisco – and then we arrived in Honolulu around 12:30 on Thursday afternoon. We didn’t have practice so the team had a free day to spend it how they wanted to – beach, shopping, sleeping, probably no homework.. Typical for a college student! Ha We only gave them a few days in the sun as we were there for business first.
Saturday was our first game – we played Hawaii Pacific who was at that time first in the conference. We played good and ended up beating them and giving them their first loss of the conference year!
Super bowl Sunday was another free day – I am sure most of them spent it doing homework (yeah right) Some of the girls got surf lessons – which I really wanted to see!
Monday we played BYU Hawaii which is by the north shore- This was a scary night as one of our players (Breanne Haslman) went down with a neck injury during the game. This was the single most scary moment in my coaching career! Needless to say we spent the night in ER – Bre had a 2 day stay in Honolulu (just how she wanted to spend her time in Hawaii) but in the end she is okay. Not sure if she will be able to play the remainder of the season, but we are thankful it ended the way it did. We ended up losing to BYU Hawaii, which was unfortunate.
We played Chaminade next – we were only up 2 at half – very disappointing first half, but coach Larson gave the girls a good talking too and we ended up scoring 69 points in the second half. That was a great turnaround and that was the team that I have coached all year. Megan Tidwell went 9-9 from the feld and grabbed 17 rebounds for the game. Both are new DSC records..
Thursday we caught a plane to Hilo – We took Friday and went over to Kona which is on the other side. I gave the girls two options: cut across the state for the shorter route, or take the scenic route along the ocean. We took the route across the state. Lets just say I felt like I was playing Mario Kart and wasn’t a fun drive.. My hands hurt so badly from gripping the steering wheel – they never will do that again. Most of them were car sick. We rented a boat to go whale watching and snorkeling.. They said so many whales are out this time of the year. Just our luck we didn’t see ONE.. lol However did see some sea turtles and the snorkeling was unreal – saw about 100 foot down all clear. (this is a great sell for my recruits who are reading this right.. lol)
Friday during our practice Megan informed me she would beat me in leg wrestling. I feel I have strong legs, so of course I welcomed the challenge. After all if I beat her she was buying me lunch. Anyways it lasted approximately 1.5 seconds.. She flipped me so hard I almost went to the chiropractor.. ha So really she is strong.. LOL
Saturday’s game against Hilo didn’t go well – 2 more kids got injured in second half and that really hurt us. We were up 9 thought and couldn’t close the deal- So many fouls were called our game was 2 hours and 15 minutes – we almost missed out flight. We left the gym at 7:50 and our flight to Honolulu left at 8:20. We got everyone threw and made it barely.
We then caught a flight to San Francisco and another flight to Las Vegas. We ended with a record of 2-2 – and we are now 12-9 on the year. I can’t tell you how proud of my team I am .. With all the bumps in the road with injuries they continue to play their tales off. We have 6 games left and I want to send my seniors out on top because they have helped me more than I can ever tell them.
By the way – our new mascot is the RED STORM!
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