Utah Valley University baseball was honored on Wednesday morning by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for their outstanding performance in the classroom. They joined over 470 college programs to earn the honor, and it’s the program’s fourth consecutive award.

“This is an award that we hold as high as anything we do here at Utah Valley. Having high standards in the classroom ultimately leads to having high standards in the field. I am proud of the work our players continue to put forth for their academic success!” said UVU head coach Nate Rasmussen

To earn the designation, the team must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale during the 2023-2024 academic year. The Wolverines had 23 players make the spring Academic All-WAC team and five earned spots on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team.

UVU senior Burke Camper received national recognition when he was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team.

The Wolverines were joined by WAC rivals Abilene Christian, California Baptist, Grand Canyon, and Utah Tech, who earned the honor.

Wolverine women’s hoops adds McKenzie Mangino to coaching staff

Utah Valley University women’s basketball coach Dan Nielson has announced the hiring of McKenzie Mangino to his coaching staff. Mangino previously spent two seasons on staff at Utah State University.

“We are thrilled to add McKenzie to our coaching staff. She brings valuable experience from all levels of basketball as both a player and coach,” Nielson said. “Her connections in recruiting and experience in game preparation will make an immediate impact for us. From the first time we spoke, I knew she’d be a great fit for our program and has already hit the ground running. I’m excited to watch her help our players grow and improve.”

“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the UVU women’s basketball program! The players are an amazing group, and I can’t wait to get in the gym with them,” said Mangino. “I want to thank Coach Nielson for wanting me to be a part of his staff and giving my family the chance to stay in Utah, I’m excited to get to work!”

At Utah State, Mangino worked with post players while also holding responsibilities with scheduling, camps, and recruiting. She was also involved with donor relations, team bonding, and community service events.

Before her time in Logan, Mangino spent five seasons at Hawai’i Pacific; two seasons as graduate assistant, two as the head assistant coach, and prior to her final year there was promoted to associate head coach.

During the 2019-2020 campaign, the Sharks reached No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the West, ending the COVID-shortened season on a 25-game win streak that included an unbeaten PacWest Conference schedule. HPU had two All-Americans and five All-PacWest players that season. Mangino was instrumental in the development of All-American Amy Baum during her time at Hawai’i Pacific. Baum’s accolades include the PacWest Freshman of the Year, two PacWest Player of the Year honors, and she was a two-time All-American.

Mangino began her coaching career at her junior college alma mater, Santa Rosa Junior College, in 2015, where she served as an assistant coach to both the women’s and men’s programs. With the men’s program, she worked for head coach Craig McMillan, who played four years for Hall of Fame coach Lute Olsen at Arizona.

A native of Ukiah, California, Mangino attended Ursuline High School in Santa Rosa. She began her collegiate playing career at Santa Rosa Junior College where she was a part of back-to-back Big 8 Conference Championships, which earned her a scholarship to the University of Hawai’i-Hilo. At Hilo, Mangino and her team earned a bid to the PacWest Conference Tournament as a junior and she served as team captain her senior season.

Mangino earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from UH Hilo in 2015 and added a master’s in communications from Hawai’i Pacific in 2019. She and her boyfriend, Keith Lai, have two dogs: Sage and Maverick.

Six BYU women’s tennis players named ITA Scholar Athletes

The women’s tennis team was awarded the All-Academic Team distinction with six ITA Scholar-Athletes, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Monday.

Athletes Elizabeth Tullis, Emilee Astle, Kaavya Sawhney, Kara Wheatley, Madison Smith and Tina Li were named 2024 Division I Women’s ITA Scholar-Athletes for their performance in the classroom and on the court.

To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, players must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the current academic year and be listed on the institutional eligibility form.

The BYU women’s tennis team as a whole was named one of the 2024 Division I Women’s ITA All-Academic Teams. To be named an All-Academic Team, the program must have a team grade point average of 3.2 or above.

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