Athletics Update

By Janie Harris

Snow College student athletes have shown dedication throughout the 2019-20 season. Though the season was cut short due to COVID-19, much was accomplished on the field and the court.

The volleyball team posted 32 wins during the 2019 season, marking the most wins in school history during the rally scoring era. They finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation and became the first Region XVIII team to go undefeated in league play since 2013. Snow defeated Utah State Eastern in the Region Championship final, 3-2, to win the school's first region and district title since 1986. They earned an automatic bid to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCA A) National Championship Tournament, marking a school record second-straight appearance at the national tournament. Freshman Lydia Montague earned NJCA A First-Team All-America honors and was the Region XVIII Player of the Year. Freshman Korrin Thornock earned All-Region first-team honors, while sophomore Sarah Morley and freshman Ellee Anderson earned second-team honors. Sophomores Andreanna McKee and Savannah Tanner earned honorable mention honors. Head coach Jeff Reynolds was named the 2019 Region XVIII and Rocky Mountain District Coach of the Year.

In just their fourth year, the men’s and women’s soccer teams continued to see success. The women’s team finished the 2019 season ranked No. 6 nationwide, won the regional tournament, and made its first-ever appearance in the NJCA A Tournament. The men’s team finished second in the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) and made it to the championship game in the SWAC Tournament. Both teams will enter this year with a new head coach, Charles Long, who spent the past two seasons at Cloud County Community College in Kansas. Long replaces Coach Nuno Gourgel, who accepted a coaching position at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.

The football team began the season at No. 6 in the 2019 NJCA A preseason rankings. With the breakup of the Western States Football League, Snow College was forced to put together an independent schedule for the fall season. All totaled, the Badgers took on five different opponents ranked in the nation's Top 20, marking one of the toughest, if not the toughest, schedule in Snow's 100th year of college football. Snow completed the season with a victory in the team’s final game, and the Badgers finished the 2019 campaign with a 5-3 overall record.

The men's basketball team won six of its final seven regular season games to finish the season ranked second in the Region XVIII standings. The Badgers defeated Southern Idaho in the first round of the Region XVIII Tournament but lost to nationally ranked Salt Lake Community College by just three points, 84-81, in the region final. All totaled, Snow College finished the season 18-14 on the season. Freshman Trey Farrar and sophomore Brayden Johnson both earned first-team All-Region honors. Farrar, who has transferred to Utah Valley University, averaged 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Johnson, who has signed to play at Westminster College, averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Brantzen Blackner earned second-team All-Region honors, and Matt Norman earned honorable-mention honors.

The women's basketball team finished the season with a record of 14-18, which included six 20-point victories during the season, including a season-high 35-point win over Colorado Northwestern. The Lady Badgers led the region with two All-Region second-team performers, including Sydney Pilling who averaged 9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, and Rachel Roberts, who averaged 8.4

points and 3 rebounds per game. Freshman Reagan Yamauchi earned All-Region honorable mention honors.

The rodeo team had a great 2019-20 season, despite it being cut short by COVID-19. Twenty-three students competed in rodeos sanctioned by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Of those students, João Miranda finished fifth in team roping, Cody Ruby was fourth in saddle bronc, Travus Partridge finished fifth in bull riding, and freshman Makayla Brown was the reserve champion barrel racer. Snow was the last school that hosted a rodeo for the year, and it was a big success. The 2020-21 season is looking to be another great year, and the team will compete in three rodeos this fall.

The softball schedule was cut short this spring, but the team played some great games before the season ended. The team was ranked second in the SWAC, with a 7-2 conference record and a 10-8 overall record. In addition,

Mia Fernandez was named an SWAC Player of the Week in March. The Lady Badgers look forward to playing a full slate of games in Spring 2021.

In its first year at Snow College, the esports team had a very successful season. During the first semester of competitive NJCA A esports play, Snow College established itself as a national leader, placing in the top four in each of the in-season games. During the spring semester, Snow’s FIFA team won the spring NJCA AE tournament. Two Snow College students, Gaspar Vedoya and Valentin Fernandez, met in the finals match, and Vedoya won the tournament.

Student athletes performed exceptionally this season, despite unprecedented circumstances surrounding NJCA A spring sport cancellations. Although most fall sports will be postponed for the 2020-21 season, we look forward to cheering for all teams in the spring.