With invitation in hand, UVSC senior Erkin Tadzhimetov is preparing to make UVSC wrestling history Thursday and Friday when he competes in the prestigious Midlands Tournament in Evanston, Ill.

What's so great about being invited to some tournament in Illinoisfi After all, who wants to go to the "wind-chill city," Chicago, in Decemberfi

What wrestler wouldn't want to gofi

Getting an invitation to Jessica Simpson's next wedding will be easier. Having actor Sean Penn pose for a picture with a paparazzi is more likely to happen.

To get an invitation to the Midlands Tournament, you have to be at the top of your game. You have to be the best of the best. Tadzhimetov (133 pounds) is just that -- one of the nation's elite. He is the first UVSC wrestler to ever get an invitation to this tournament.

"It is probably the most prestigious college tournament outside the NCAA college tournament in the country," said UVSC wrestling coach Cody Sanderson about the Midlands Tournament. "Erkin is seeded eighth, so hopefully he'll get a good draw. He's lost four times this year and three of those were to guys ranked in the top 10. He's had a lot of close matches. He's got to win those close matches and I think this will be the tournament for him to do it in."

Prior to Christmas, Tadzhimetov went 2-2 at the Reno Tournament of Champions. He won his opening match and then drew the top-seeded wrestler of the tournament at 133 pounds in Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State. Morgan beat Tadzhimetov 7-3.

Tadzhimetov responded by pinning Dan Quintella of Northwestern State before losing to Justin Pearch of Oregon, the fifth seed, 3-2.

Tadzhimetov is now 12-4 in a season highlighted by a first-place finish at the Cyclone Open in November.

Tadzhimetov's teammate Justin Rawle won three matches at the Tournament of Champions while former Mountain View star Mark South picked up two wins.

Rawle finished the tournament 3-2, while South ended up 2-2. After winning his first match over Monterrious Adams of Upper Iowa 7-4, Rawle dropped a match before winning his next two. His day came to an end with a loss to B.J. Jackson of Oklahoma State in a 7-2 decision.

South pinned Portland State's A.J. Lawrence to open up the day before falling to Penn State's David Erwin 9-1. After topping Lex Case of Boise State 8-2, his tournament ended after a loss to Stanford's Brian Perry in a 6-1 decision.

Fairbanks named Newcomer of the Week: Freshman center Robyn Fairbanks won the Division-I Independent Newcomer of the Week award thanks to her performance last week against Southern Utah.

Fairbanks, a 6-foot-1 freshman center from Raymond, Alberta, Canada, scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds against Southern Utah.

She leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg).

Fairbanks also had a big game against BYU. She scored 17 of her 19 points in the second half to help UVSC give the Cougars a scare.

"We know if we execute our play, get the ball to Robyn, that Robyn is going to score," said UVSC coach Cathy Nixon. "If she can add that low block presence to her game, I think Robyn Fairbanks is just going to be phenomenal."

Fairbanks has scored in double figures seven times so far this season while starting all 10 games for Utah Valley State. Her top statistical performance came in her first Division-I game when she scored 21 points and pulled down 19 rebounds against Jacksonville State on November 18th.

UVSC track team looks in-state for help: Track coach Scott Houle announced the signings of 13 athletes to the track and cross country program for 2006-07 season.

Of the 13 athletes, 11 are from the state of Utah. The majority of Houle's signees will compete in the distance events. Tyler Jackson (American Fork), Mike Felix (American Fork), Race Ostler (Orem), Dallin Kauffman (Lone Peak), James Monsen (Richfield), Trevor Baker (Mattawa, Mich.), Trisha Wright (Woods Cross) and Mary Nothum (Washington, Mo.) will all run the distance races for the Wolverines next year.

In addition, Houle signed Alise Lindsey (Santa Clara) in the middle distance events, Tiarah Shumway (Orem) in the jumps and hurdles, and Jamie Daniels (Bear River), Mandi Barnes (Hillcrest) and Tori Merrill (Logan) all in the sprints and jumps.

Woodbury Named November Scholar-Athlete: Soccer player Alyssa Woodbury was named UVSC's Scholar-Athlete of the Month for November. The award is given by the athletic department each month to a student-athlete based on academic excellence, leadership, and performance in the field of competition.

Woodbury, who just completed her junior season, had a spring semester GPA of 3.94 and has a cumulative GPA of 3.98.

The junior midfielder and defender has been equally impressive on the soccer field. In November, she helped lead the Wolverines to the first-ever championship game of the United Soccer Conference tournament. In the semi-final game of the tournament she scored a goal in a 4-0 win over Howard. Woodbury was named to the All-Tournament team.

"She is a really responsible person," UVSC soccer coach Justin Wagar said. "She is a player we could count on with her good attitude and work ethic. A big part of our turnaround was because of her leadership. She is a responsible dedicated student athlete."

Neil Warner can be reached at nwarner@heraldextra.com.

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This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.