Seeing green: Top 10 stories of 2023 for UVU athletics
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- UVU fans celebrate a made 3-pointer during the NIT quarterfinal game against Cincinnati at the UCCU Center in Orem on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
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- Utah Valley players celebrate with the WAC regular-season title trophy after defeating UT Arlington at the UCCU Center in Orem on March 1, 2023.
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- UVU head coach Mark Madsen directs his team during the WAC game against Stephen F. Austin at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, March 3, 2023.
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- New Utah Valley University men’s basketball coach Todd Phillips (center) shares the stage with UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez (left) and Director of Athletics Jared Sumsion at the NUVI Basketball Center on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
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- UVU wrestler Demetrius Romero (right) battles Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State during the NCAA wrestling finals at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday, March 17, 2023.
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- Utah Valley’s Everlyn Kemboi reacts after winning the NCAA title in the 10,000 meters at Mike A. Meyers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, June 8, 2023.
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- UVU head coach Chris Lemay talks to his players during the game against No. 19-ranked Clemson at Clyde Field in Orem on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.
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- Willy the Wolverine poses for a photo after the green-and-white scrimmage at Clyde Field in Orem on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023.
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- UVU junior Faith Webber (2) battles for the ball during the game against No. 19-ranked Clemson at Clyde Field in Orem on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.
The color green is often associated with growing things, as exemplified by the idiom “having a green thumb.”
In many ways, that association highlights the fact that the Utah Valley athletics department has an appropriate color scheme.
The last 12 months have been another collection of growing moments for the Wolverines as UVU continues to put down roots and expand its branches.
Some of those moments were triumphs, while others were disappointments.
Overall, however, it’s clear to see that the Wolverines have an upward trajectory as they demonstrate what they can accomplish in the arenas of competition.
There are certainly many things for UVU and its supporters to look forward to in 2024, but before it arrives it is time to take a few minutes and look back at what the Wolverines accomplished.
Here are the Top 10 stories for UVU athletics in 2023:
1. UVU men’s basketball rallies from disappointment, reaches NIT semifinals
It was a moment that could’ve crushed the soul of any college basketball team.
After putting together a phenomenal season and winning the regular season title, the Wolverines were just one play away from reaching the WAC tournament finals — only to see all their dreams end when the final buzzer sounded.
But instead of collapsing from the disappointment, UVU made the most of its opportunity to continue playing basketball in the NIT. The Wolverines won road games at New Mexico and Colorado, then held off Cincinnati at home to set the program record for wins in a season.
Although UVU ended up two points short in overtime against UAB in the NIT semifinals in Las Vegas, it was still one of the great seasons in Wolverine history (28-9) and showcased remarkable resiliency and tenacity.
2. Wolverine men’s hoops mixes consistency with dramatic change
While the on-court success certainly deserved to be the top story from the last year, the aftermath of that run was also profound.
It wasn’t a huge surprise that UVU head coach Mark Madsen would get attention from big-time schools. The result was an announcement in March that he had accepted the head coaching job at Cal.
The Wolverines elected to promote from within as a week later assistant coach Todd Phillips was elevated to the top position. He had a brand-new challenge, however, since the UVU roster was decimated by transfers.
Phillips rebuilt the team and started his first year with some decent success, going 6-6 heading into Friday’s game at Boise State.
3. Wolverine track star Everlyn Kemboi caps amazing career with NCAA title
There is nothing like being first.
Not only did UVU senior Everlyn Kemboi come in first in the 10,000-meter finals at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, in June, but in doing so she became the first Wolverine to win an NCAA Division I national championship.
She was with a group of 14 runners for the first 5,000 meters before that was whittled down to nine and included the defending champion, Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat, and Utah’s Emily Venters, who finished second on Thursday night.
The pack shrunk to five with about 2,000 meters to go, and Kemboi pulled away over the final 800, extending the lead to about 40 meters as the bell rang for the final lap. She ran the last mile in 4:51, winning the race by eight seconds.
She also finished as the runner-up in the 5,000-meter final. Her 2022-23 season also included five WAC Championships–two each in indoor and outdoor track–and she was the WAC Cross Country champion and NCAA Mountain Region Champion last fall.
Kemboi became a four-time All-American, with three coming in outdoor track and one in cross country, in just two seasons at Utah Valley.
4. UVU wrestling coach Greg Williams announces retirement
For the last 17 years, Wolverine wrestlers have turned to Williams to set the tone for the program. He announced in August, however, that his impressive tenure would come to an end after the 2023-24 season.
And what a journey it has been.
Williams led the Wolverines to over 100 dual victories and five NCAA All-America honors. He took over the program in May of 2006 with three years remaining in the school’s transition from junior college to D1 status. He coached through a stint in the Western Wrestling Conference (WWC) before leading the program through its transition to the Big 12 Conference.
During the 14 years of the Wolverine’s post-season eligibility, Williams coached the first five All-Americans in program history, including all-time wins leader Ben Kjar, who became the first to achieve the feat when he reached the semifinals and placed fourth at the NCAA Championships in 2011. Jade Rauser (2016), Tate Orndorff (2020), Taylor LaMont (2021), and Demetrius Romero (2021) also earned All-America status under Williams’ tutelage. In 2021, LaMont and Romero became the first multiple semifinalists and All-Americans in the same season in program history.
5. UVU women’s soccer showcases abilities against elite opponents
A heartbreaking semifinal upset kept the Wolverine women’s soccer team from reaching the NCAA tournament in 2023, but that in no way diminished what UVU accomplished during the season.
The Wolverines won their second consecutive WAC regular-season title but also put together an impressive non-conference slate. In a first for the program, UVU had two of the four College Cup semifinalists play at Clyde Field as both BYU and Clemson made trips to Orem.
The Wolverines also got a big win on the road over a ranked USC team (3-2) as they went 10-4-5 on the season.
UVU senior Sydney Bushman was named co-WAC Defensive Player of the Year, while Heather Stainbrook and Faith Webber were on the All-WAC first team and Jenna Shepherd Gremillion was on the All-WAC second team.
6. Current and former Wolverine wrestlers have success
It’s hard to top what former UVU star Ben Kjar achieved at the 2023 Veterans World Championships in Loutraki, Greece.
Kjar won the gold medal in the 62kg Greco Roman competition and took silver in the freestyle competition.
Current Wolverines also reached the pinnacle of college wrestling as a trio — Demetrius Romero, Evan Bockman and Isaiah Delgado — made it to the NCAA championships.
Although none of the three were able to make it onto the podium, Romero and Bockman made it through to the second day with Romero having the best run.
In December, UVU’s Jacob Armstrong became the first Wolverine to take home a title from the Reno Tournament of Champions by winning the 184-pound weight class.
7. UVU baseball shows significant improvement
UVU has had some highlights on the diamond in the past, but the program needed to take a big step forward after some lean times.
In his second season leading the Wolverines, baseball coach Eddie Smith directed his team to a 34-win season in 2023, the fourth most in the program’s NCAA Division I era. UVU was one win shy of it’s second NCAA tournament berth.
Utah Valley finished the regular season by winning eight of its last nine games to finish third after being picked 11th in the preseason.
After the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, Smith agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in Orem through the 2029 season.
8. Wolverine women’s cross country returns to NCAA championships
UVU finished 23rd in its second straight trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which took place in November at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia. Morgan Nokes led the team with a 68th-place finish.
The 22nd-ranked Wolverines improved on last year’s team finish of 26th overall while making just the second team appearance at the NCAA final in program history. Nokes finished the 6k in 20:28.5 to record the second-best individual finish in program history.
9. UVU athletics expands partnership with Intermountain Healthcare
While not as exciting as championships or big wins, every college athlete knows the value of quality healthcare and that meant this partnership was a big deal in Orem.
In May, Wolverine athletics and Intermountain Health announced a new five-year partnership that will provide UVU’s 400 Student-Athletes with expanded healthcare coverage and additional professional caregivers.
Under the agreement, all Utah Valley athletic trainers are Intermountain Health employees. The partnership also provided continuing education and training from Intermountain Health for the athletic training staff, which will enhance the health and safety of UVU’s student-athletes.
10. Wolverine golfers make strides on the links
UVU golfer Brady McKinlay earned an individual at-large bid into the 2023 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship and competed in the NCAA Regional at Bear’s Best Las Vegas and finished tied for 22nd.
McKinlay, from Alberta, Canada, joined Mason Casper and Gabe Lysen as just the third golfer in UVU history to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship.
On the women’s side, the Wolverines set a new 54-hole scoring mark at the Timpanogos Collegiate Invitational at the Timpanogos Golf Club in Provo in September, firing an 8-over-par 872.
In April, Leighton Shosted shot a final-round 1-under-par 71 at Riverside Country Club to finish third in the 53-player field at the BYU Riverside Classic with a three-round score of even-par 216 (75-70-71)
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