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Dear Friends and Family

2009-12-10T12:30:00.001-08:00

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

Healthy DSC women have more depth this season

2009-11-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

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."

Women's Hoops Receive High Preseason Praise

2009-11-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

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 Women's Basketball Signs Seven to National Letters of Intent

2009-08-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

(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.”

Red Storm Women Get Five Post-season Recognitions

2009-04-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

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

Goodbye Seniors...

2009-03-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

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

Dixie Redstorm in Hawai'i!

2009-02-23T14:36:00.001-08:00

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!

Shanae Vaifanua

2009-01-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

The following article was featured in "The Spectrum". The story was written by Tom Zulewski.
ST. GEORGE — Shanae Vaifanua has been involved with a lot in her young life. If it’s musically inclined, chances are pretty good she’s danced to it a time or two. As a freshman with the Dixie State basketball team, Vaifanua has been making some sweet music of her own on the court.
Vaifanua has started eight of 12 games for Dixie State and is averaging 10 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. The graduate of Hurricane High has put up double figures in rebounding in the last three games (11, 11 and 10), a season-high of 24 points in a Dec. 5 win over Western New Mexico and a 23-point effort on Dec. 22 against Northwest Missouri State.
“I knew the game was going to be a little quicker (in college), but being able to stay home has made the transition a lot easier,” said Vaifanua, who is one of five Dixie State players to average 10 points a game and ranks second on the team behind Tanya Clark in rebounding.For her game preparation, Vaifanua is almost never without an IPod in her ears. She listens to a wide range of music, from Beyonce to Usher, and even country music stars like Taylor Swift and Toby Keith.It’s all part and parcel of the family Vaifanua was raised in. She moved with her family to Western Samoa at the age of 3 and returned to Utah by the time she reached fourth grade.Her younger sister, Taylor, who will be 17 on Monday and attends Hurricane, is trying to sing her way up the ladder on the new season of “American Idol” that starts Tuesday. She played with Shanae for the Tigers on the court last season.
While Vaifanua admits she sings “just about everywhere,” she is an accomplished dancer, having served as a backup on her sister’s Christian-themed album that was released four years ago.“Dancing is a big part of our (Samoan) cultural heritage, and our family was always doing that along with singing,” Vaifanua said.Vaifanua was also part of a girl group named “4 Real” that appeared on a KJZZ show called “Create The Group,” a cross between “Making the Band” and “Idol.” After several auditions for various record companies, the group disbanded last year to pursue their own individual opportunities; Taylor to the bright lights of the Fox reality music show, their two bandmates to solo singing careers, and Shanae to the hardwood at Dixie State.For DSC head coach Angie Kristensen, Vaifanua has been a pleasant surprise.
“You can tell she can change the game in a matter of seconds when she plays,” Kristensen said. “I’m excited to have her here and I’m excited to have her here for the next three years.“When we saw her (in high school), her potential was off the charts. I always thought ‘if that kid had committed herself to basketball, she’d probably be playing Division I.’
“Her skills are getting there. She’s got to become a better ball handler and better outside shooter. When that catches up to other parts of her game, she’s going to be unstoppable.”Although Vaifanua was pursued by bigger schools like Utah, she ended up at Dixie State with some motivation, courtesy of her former teammate at Hurricane, Brandi Barrett.“My senior year playing with her was a lot of fun,” said Barrett, a sophomore who is sitting out this season as a redshirt after suffering a foot injury before preseason workouts began. “We had a certain bond together when we played, so when I left, we would always talk like we wish we could play together again. When it was her turn to be recruited, I told her ‘if you can come here, you should.’”Vaifanua did. And the music came right along with her.Barrett didn’t mind a bit.“I don’t know if I want to just listen to her solo all the time, but at our house, we usually have radios going and we sing along, dance along,” Barrett said.With the opportunity to watch her at practice and in game situations, Barrett knows her friend and teammate has a personality that fits in like a veteran.“She does really well and gets along with everybody. She genuinely cares about people,” Barrett said. “You can do anything with her and have fun.”For her freshman year in high school, Vaifanua went to Keokuk High School in Iowa. One of the seniors on that roster was current Dixie State upperclassman Courtney Boyd.“She gives everyone an extra spark, and her intensity on the court carries to the bench, and for a freshman, that’s a big step,” Boyd said of Vaifanua. “If you can take that role as a freshman, good things are going to come in the future.”More than anyone else, freshmen are most likely to be on the receiving end of any practical jokes their teammates may come up with. Vaifanua has the personality and attitude to not only take what’s dished out, but give some of it back as well.“As a freshman, you’re always going to be ‘the freshman.’ She takes the role well and she’s always got a lot of energy off the court,” Boyd said. “She’s always making people laugh, and we make her laugh in return. It just so happens she’s the butt of some people’s jokes.”Vaifanua’s success at Dixie State brings a smile to her high school coach, Hurricane’s Clair Woodbury. Woodbury hasn’t had a chance to see her play, but he’s been kept in the loop with the help of his assistant coach and Vaifanua’s father, Bryan.“She’s doing exactly what I figured she’d do,” Woodbury said. “As good a high school player as she was, I knew she’d be a much better college player. Dixie is very, very fortunate to get her.“Shanae has a very special personality, so bubbly and happy, and she always has the wisecracks."

Here's to 2009!

2009-01-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

Well first of all I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and an even better New Year’s. We all got a small break so everyone got home for the holidays. My home is in South Dakota and I didn’t want to get off that plane because I knew how cold it was going to be. You know it is bad when you are stepping off the plane, you can see your breath in the tunnel and there are snow piles in there as well. Seriously, that can’t be normal? Well it wasn’t as cold as it had been, but temperatures were around zero for the most part. I have turned into a baby living here with the mild winters; I still wear sweats when it is 70 degrees because I am cold!

Anyways I had a great time with my family; I must have a very good girl this year because Santa treated me quite well. I guess that is why my mom named me Angel(a)..
All I did at home was eat and play the Wii. I have gotten very good at Mario Kart, so please if anyone wants to challenge me, BRING IT ON! My mom is an unbelievable cook, not sure why I didn’t inherit that, however, I ate so much I am pretty sure that I ate South Dakota right off the map!

We brought everyone back on the 29th! Those first practices are always conditioning practices to get the girls legs back. We had two-aday’s, which they absolutely look forward too.

Our first conference game was against Chaminade University. Last year we opened up with a loss against Hilo, so I wanted to make sure that we got off to the right start this year. We won that game 95-36. Every girl got a chance to get some good minutes and I was pleased with everyone’s efforts. So that puts us to 7-5 on the season and 1-0 in conference. We are off till January 17th, when we host Hilo University. Each game is so important from here on out!

We wanted to wish you a Happy New Year – We hope that 2009 is an eventful one for everyone. All our games are broadcasted live from our website so if you get a chance tune in.

GO DSC!

Omaha Nebraska

2008-12-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

Omaha, NE- The Dixie State women’s basketball team visited the 3rd grade classrooms at Central Park Elementary School in Omaha, NE. They spent the morning reading and doing crafts with the students of Ms. Larson’s and Ms. Pederson’s classrooms. “It was a great opportunity for our student-athletes to work with students from a different socio-economic background. The students seemed to really respond to our girls,” stated Coach Kristensen. The 3rd grade students were then able to eat lunch with the girls and finished the visit with questions about athletics and college. “At Central Park they put a big emphasis on going to college and having goals. I thought it was great that we were able to provide them with some answers on how to get there and hopefully serve as role models,” says Coach Kristensen.

Bulldogs stand out to play for Dixie

2008-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Johnna Brown drew plenty of recruiting interest to play Division I softball or basketball.
But the Centennial senior signed with Division II Dixie State in order to play both.
"It's going to be exciting to see how it turns out," Brown said. "A lot of coaches didn't want to work with me to play two (sports)."
Brown will be joined in women's basketball at Dixie State by Centennial teammates Deanna Daniels and Rashawnda Gray, who also signed with the Rebels during the early signing period (Nov. 12 to 19).
"We were fortunate to get (Brown) because she could have played Division I basketball," said Dixie State coach Angela Kristensen, who envisions the 6-foot Brown playing small forward. "She'll be one of those special kids. It's tough to be an impact player as a freshman, but Johnna has the potential to do that."
At Centennial, Brown is a starting outside hitter in volleyball, forward in basketball and shortstop in softball. She was an all-state selection in basketball and softball as a junior.
"Johnna wanted to go and do multiple sports," Bulldogs basketball coach Karen Weitz said. "(Dixie State) was kind of the window of opportunity for her."
Brown was close to scheduling a visit to Florida State for softball but finally sided with Dixie State to play two sports.
Overlap of schedules will be a hurdle with the Rebels. Dixie State's basketball season ends in March, and softball begins in February.
"The two (Dixie State) coaches talked, and they said, 'We would work it out,' " Brown said.
The Centennial basketball team has attended summer camps on the Dixie State campus, which turned out to be a key to the Bulldogs trio signing with the St. George, Utah, school.
"We'd mess around and say, 'If the three of us go here, that'd be pretty cool,' " Brown said.
Daniels, a power forward, attracted Division I interest from schools including UC Irvine, Weitz said. Gray, a wing who is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, took a visit to San Diego.
But the chance for the trio to play together in Division II apparently was more appealing than playing separately in Division I.

Updates

2008-12-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

I realized this week that I haven’t done a very good job of updating this blog – so I am going to try and play catch up. So far it has been filled with a season of some highs and lows but still I am overall very happy with the girls.

We started off with two games in southern California playing San Bernardino and UC San Diego – two teams who made the national tournament last year. We didn’t play very well against Bernardino and ended up losing 62-57. I felt that was a game we could have very easily won, but didn’t play up to our potential. Then we traveled to San Diego a team that starts five girls above 6’0. They also played in the national tournament last year. We battled with them the entire game, got down in the second half by 13 – but came back to tie it. We ran out of gas and came up short and had to foul in the end. Final score was 71-61. I feel this team will be a top team in our region and felt like we were right there – so I took some positives from the weekend even though we went 0-2.

The next weekend we were again on the road at Chico State! We played the host school first and they hadn’t lost a game in 24 home game win streak, which was huge. Chico made the national tournament last year as well and were picked this year to win the CCAA. I was so proud of our girls as we played well. It was a bitter sweet victory though because we lost, Jessica Carver to a season ending knee injury. That is the fourth player from last year’s starting squad that is missing from this team - talk about adversity! Saturday we played Sonoma State – another team that made the national tournament last year. It was a back and forth game, but we just didn’t have enough gas and lost 70-63. This puts us at 1-3.

This past weekend we got to go back to the Midwest. Two of our seniors and Coach Larson are from Iowa (Lindsey Chettinger and Courtney Boyd) along with myself being from South Dakota. We spent Thanksgiving at the Chettinger’s and ate more food than you can possibly imagine! We pretty much ate Iowa right off the map! Saturday we played University of South Dakota – who was National Champion Runner’s up last year at NCAA DII. This year they made the jump to Division I. With four minutes to play in the game we were all tied up – then we only score one point in the final minutes. We had good looks they just didn’t fall and lost 80-62.

Monday we traveled to College of Saint Mary, which is the college that I coached at before coming to Dixie State. We won that game by a score of 100-67. It was a great game for some of our younger girls to get some minutes.

That puts us at 2-4 but we have had a pretty challenging schedule up to this point. We FINALLY have home games this weekend when we host our tournament.

We have had some bad luck with injuries but that is a part of the game. We just have to try different things to get the job done and they are responding well. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and we appreciate your support!

Dixie State Women’s Basketball Signs Two Vegas Prep Players to National Letters of Intent During Early Signing Period

2008-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

(ST. GEORGE, Utah – November 18, 2008) – Dixie State College of Utah head women’s basketball coach Angela Kristensen announced Tuesday the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Both signees, Deanna Daniels, a 5-11 guard/forward, and Rashawnda Gray, a 5-8 guard, are seniors at Las Vegas’ Centennial High School, and have committed to play at DSC in the upcoming 2009-10 season.“Both of these student-athletes are tremendous leaders both on and off the court and we look for them to make an immediate impact for us next season,” Coach Kristensen said. “They’ve both been coached by one of the most successful prep coaches in the country in Karen Weitz, so they are well prepared to play at the collegiate level. With both of these players receiving interest from a number of Division-I schools, we feel very fortunate that they chose to come to Dixie State.”Daniels, who is a three-time all-division and 2007 first-team all-state performer, has helped lead the Bulldogs to an 85-12 overall record, three-straight division titles, one region title and a state runner-up finish in her first three years of play. She averaged nearly a double-double as a junior at 14.0 points and 9.1 rebounds a game, along with 3.8 steals and 2.5 assists per outing. Daniels has also got the job done in the classroom as she has been listed on the honor roll all three years and was named Scholar Athlete as a sophomore.“Deanna has an unbelievable knack for the ball,” Kristensen noted. “She is a tenacious rebounder with very long arms and has a lot of upside as she continues to develop her perimeter skills.”Gray is a three-year letterwinner who got her first chance to start as a junior last season. She responded by averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals at the off-guard position. “Rashawnda is a strong, athletic guard with a quick first step and has the ability to finish around the basket,” Kristensen said. “She is also a consistent shooter from the outside, so we look for her to be able to score a number of different ways.”

Underway By: Coach K

2008-11-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

We have been at this now since the day after Labor Day – conditioning, weights, study hall, and classes and now it is officially started! We had 2 weeks of practice before hitting the hardwood for our first exhibition game over the weekend. I have been nothing less than impressed with this group of ladies we have that make up this team. They come to practice every day wanting to get better and giving me everything they have! I respect them for that and hopefully it will all pay off.

We played Southern Utah University this past Saturday evening. Exhibition games are always funny because you never really know what to expect. I like them because win or lose it gives the coaching staff a feel of where you are and what you have to do in order to get better. I feel that each player this year can give us something and that is what I am most proud of!

We didn’t shoot it very well (29% to be exact) but we made up for it in different areas. We had 22 offensive boards to their 7 and that gave us an opportunity to shoot it 14 more times. That might have been the difference in the ball game. They also shoot it from the free throw line better than their coach EVER did in college. I won’t even tell you what my overall percentage but we were 18 of 21 from the charity stripe – which is great!

The win was bittersweet because at the time of the game Southern Utah’s coach, Steve Hudson, was at home battling cancer and he just passed away earlier this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. We enjoyed the games we played against him and his teams and respect so much what he did for basketball in southern Utah!

We learned a lot about this team and our strengths and weaknesses! We hope we can do better as we head up to play Utah State on Friday and BYU on Saturday! Two weeks until the season officially kicks off!

Looking from the Outside In By: Lexe Jacobs

2008-10-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Where to begin! Last year I was recruited to come to play here at Dixie State by Coach K and Coach Larson. I committed, signed and before I knew it I was down in St. George getting ready for the season to start! Through out the summer and preseason I had been working so hard, I was determined to get some playing time. Preseason was a blast! Well, kinda... Early morning conditioning, weights, and pick-up all in one day was exhausting. Getting to know the girls and hangin out with them was awesome! I loved it. Preseason soon came to an end and we were stoked for the games to begin. I personally started off playing well and was playing with the team. That slowly went down hill; having a history of back problems was taking its toll and slowing me down. Sitting at the end of the bench wasn't exactly what I had expected, as well as the coaches. It was like I made a complete U turn. But the season was ending soon and I was determined to get my back ready and my self in shape for the next season! Little did I know the last game of the season would be the last game of my career.
Now that basketball is only something I watch and not physically be a part of, I wish I could go back. There are so many things I would change and do different with basketball. I wish I would have worked out the days I was too lazy and wasn't in the mood, I wish I would have stayed that extra half hour after practice to work on my shot. So many others; but mostly, I wish I would have realized how little time I had left. I took so many things for granted. So I guess the moral of my story is play and practice like its your last, because you really never know when it all comes to a halting screech. Do what you love and love what you do; don't waste your time!

CJ Miles Comes to Dixie!

2008-10-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Dixie State Women's Basketball Team conducted a youth clinic this fall. Utah Jazz guard, CJ Miles, came down and volunteered his time for the clinic. It was for area youth ages K-8th grade. CJ and the girls did a great job and enjoyed the opportunity to work with kids in the community! I am not sure who got more out of the clinic - the kids or our girls as CJ taught them all a lot!

CJ Miles with the basketball team

Brandi with a participant from the camp

CJ Miles with the kids!

The Move, By: Tanya Clark

2008-10-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so basically, the 16th of August rolled around and it was time to say my goodbyes. The summer was awesome and it was a heartbreaker to leave all of my friends! I spent the summer back home in Beaumont , CA at my dad’s house. He kept trying to coax me to stay at home. “C’mon Tanya, there are plenty of schools out here you can go to! Just stay here.” I’m sure every college student went through that with their parents! I think everyone just got used to me being home, especially my little sister Erynn. “Whose going to read to me Tanya?” I was like seriously, I don’t want to leave!
The car ride was interesting to say the least. At first I was just going to drive up to St. George by myself but my dad offered to drive me. Between my dad singing country songs and my little sister asking me a million and one questions, I was going insane! My dad was going like 90 miles per hour. Until we got to the gorge I swear riding with him is like riding a roller coaster at an amusement park. But we always get there faster when he drives so that’s a plus!
I was really anxious when we arrived in St. George! We pulled in at about 11:30 p.m. and I wanted to meet my roomies! I already knew one, Jess Jones and I had seen Allison on my visit. Nani, on the other hand, was a mystery. A name like Nan …i I was like sweet, she’s Hawaiian! Boy was I wrong! The early morning hit and we were getting ready to leave the Ramada Inn. I was just really excited. My dad looked a little blue but I knew he was happy for me.
Around noon, I officially met my roommates! I found that Nani’s real name was Danielle and she was from Laguna Nigel. It didn’t take long to unload all of my stuff because there were plenty of hands. The coaches came by and made sure everything was going ok and they got to meet my family. My dad thought they were players at first! The apartment was very nice, I was impressed. I finally got my own room for the first time in my life! After a short tour of St. George, my family left and I started to get teary eyed. I’m a huge daddy’s girl. My advice to those who get homesick: Stay busy! Have fun with new friends and take each day in as a learning experience.
To make a really long story short, Nani, Allison and I had no couches, no table, and no lamps. When Jess Jones came into town, we acquired a few of those things and more. Getting it all over here took a while. Three girls, a couch, all of Jess’ things and an entertainment center isn’t the best combo on a hot summer’s day. It was hard, but we worked together to get the apartment furnished and we even made friends with our neighbors. After we worked out all the kinks we could truly call St. George our home away from home!

Coach K

2008-10-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our Dixie State Women’s Basketball page. I am beginning to start my third year here at Dixie State College and I have never been more excited for a season than this year. I am from Plankinton, South Dakota which has a population of 600 people (probably what some people have in their graduating class). I started playing basketball at Huron University in South Dakota and ended at Briar Cliff University, in Sioux City, Iowa (where Coach Larson is from). Both schools were NAIA Division II. I played on some unbelievable teams and as much as I would like to think I was the “star”, I really was just a great role player (but don’t tell my players that.) I finished my career with a runner-up finish in the National Championship game my sophomore year and an overall record of 124-14. I feel that the college athletic experience is something I will never forget. College is where you find your friends for life. I still keep in contact with so many of my teammates and will never forget those times. Of course I also watch old game films and find myself yelling at things I should have been doing on the court. Good thing I didn’t coach myself, not sure if I would have given myself that much playing time haha!
Since I transferred to another institution, it took me five years to finish school. That gave me the opportunity to be a student assistant that final year. That is when I decided this is what I want to do with my life; become a college coach. I decided to follow my college coach and be an assistant at Metro State University in Denver, Colorado. I had a great experience there and decided I needed my Master’s if I wanted to pursue this profession. I was hired to be a Graduate Assistant at Northwest Missouri State University and I received my Master’s there as well. I spent two years there before I got my first shot as a Head Coach.
My very first head job was at College of Saint Mary’s in Omaha, Nebraska, a small private all-women’s institution. Talk about an experience! I didn’t have an assistant, was a first year coach, and had to find ways to finish practice with 7 kids. I learned more that first year than I ever could imagine! We got better every year and my final year we made it to the NAIA National Tournament and finished in the Sweet 16. We made history that year. Coach Larson joined my staff that year after she got done playing, so she likes to take a lot of credit for going to Nationals (We will let her think she played a big part).
I am excited to share my experiences with you about Dixie State! We are very excited for this upcoming year and I can’t wait to tell you how awesome my staff and players are! Go DSC!

Coach Larson

2008-10-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!
I would like to introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me. I am Coach Larson and this will be my third year as an Assistant Coach at Dixie State. I couldn’t be more excited for this year, expectations are high and now all we have to do is follow through! A little bit about my history…..My playing career started at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA (also home to Courtney Boyd our senior point guard.) After one year at Kirkwood I transferred down to NCAA II Pittsburg State University in Kansas. I played one season at Pittsburg before my career was cut short by a knee injury. Suffering a career-ending injury is never easy but it did give me the opportunity to begin my coaching career as an Undergraduate Assistant. I always knew I wanted to be a college coach and was excited to get started! After Pittsburg State I moved up to Omaha, NE to be an assistant under Coach Kristensen at College of St. Mary, a small NAIA school. We had a great season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history. Coach Kristensen applied for the head job here at Dixie State and was hired that June (of course I’m still trying to convince her it was all because of her Assistant Coach but she can be kind of stubborn!) So here I am out in Utah in a place I didn’t even know existed (all I knew was that is was 90 miles from Las Vegas.) St. George is a great place to live and I am surrounded by great coaches and players. I consider myself very lucky; I think I have the best job in the world!

Recruiting Experience, By: Tanya Clark

2008-10-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

As the season winded down at Arizona Western College , The national junior college in which I transferred from, I had an important decision to make. I had already gone on one official visit to a Division II school back in the Midwest and Dixie State was next on my list. I was skeptical yet optimistic about visiting Dixie because I did not know much about it.
My first phone conversation with Coach K went something like this… “So Tanya, would you like to come on a visit to Dixie ?” I was excited that she asked me to come! I said, “well, sure sounds good.” A mixture of seriousness, sarcasm and friendly jokes embodied our conversation. Our first meeting was at the Las Vegas airport. Coach K greeted me with a smile. Her and Coach Larson just got back from the NCAA Final Four and were tired, worn out and ready to get back to St. George. We did however have a minor delay. Coach Larson’s bags got lost and were in Africa or something random like that and she wouldn’t be able to get them until the next day. Even though both coach’s had a long day and were pooped, they still had enough enthusiasm to make me feel welcomed. And it was a definite plus because they took me to McDonald’s for my first meal on the way back… seriously who could beat a 99 cent double cheeseburger!
My host “Family” was amazing. Chet and Courtney (2 seniors this year) made me feel like I was part of the team already. The whole recruiting process is so difficult because it is hard to determine whose being real and who is just being nice because they want you to attend their school. Everyone at Dixie was so real and straight forward. I got to experience the wonderful scenery of St. George and I met a lot of great administrators who seemed to support and encourage their student-athletes. Dixie ’s business program was a homerun for me. The graduation rate was high and it seemed challenging. Academics is so important to an athlete. The sport is not always going to be there, eligibility runs out. However, an education lasts a lifetime.
My first meeting with all of the girls was kind of awkward. A lot of “hi, where are you from?” And then I met Megan Tidwell, and everything went uphill from there! We talked; we were both Cali kids so that was an instant connection. The other girls were kind of quiet at first, but once we got on the floor everything just flowed. I think that’s an important part of a basketball visit to be able to get a feel for the girls and how they play. I meshed really well with the team. What sealed the deal for me was Megan’s famous dance! Seriously, all of the girls were amazing.
I chose Dixie because it was right for me. Coach K knows what she is doing when it comes to the game of basketball and Coach Larson is just as knowledgeable about the game. They both care about their players and want to see them succeed not just on the court but off it as well. As my time ended at Dixie I had a tough decision to make. The two schools I was considering were so different in so many ways. However, Dixie had something special. It’s important for a player to feel comfortable in their surroundings and I felt most comfortable at Dixie . The recruiting process was long and difficult, but in the end I based my decision on education, the coaches and the team. I chose what was best for me and I wouldn’t change a thing.