Celebrating Champions
9/15/2023
Lately, being a Utah fan has been pretty fun--no matter what team or teams you call your favorite.
And in particular, the 2022-23 school year was one to remember at the U. Among the numbers: seven teams combined to win 10 conference championships; eight programs qualified for either its respective NCAA Championships or a bowl game; a 28th-place finish in the LEARFIELD Directors' Cup (the highest in the award's existence).
Utah Athletics will celebrate Champions Weekend on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, in conjunction with the Utes' noon football game vs. Weber State. Throughout the game, each of the championship-winning teams and individuals from a year ago will be recognized.
Fall 2022
Football
2022 Pac-12 Champions
On the way to another Rose Bowl berth--and with a sea of red in the Allegiant Stadium crowd--the Utes rallied for a 47-24 victory over No. 4 ranked-USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game for the team's second straight league title.
Quarterback Cameron Rising was named MVP of the game and 13 Pac-12 postseason accolades were won by the Utes. Unanimous All-American cornerback Clark Phillips III was a finalist for the Thorpe Award.
Though the Utes came up short vs. Penn State in their second Rose Bowl appearance, Utah still finished the year ranked No. 8 in the CFP rankings--its highest finish since the CFP was established.
Winter 2022-23
Skiing
2023 NCAA Champions - RMISA Champions
After bringing home another RMISA Championship, the Utah Ski Team reached an unprecedented level of national success with its fourth straight NCAA team championship and 16th national title all-time. In the combined-gender era of NCAA skiing, no other program has won four straight team crowns.
At the national championship meet out in Lake Placid, New York, the Utes swept the women's individual titles with Madison Hoffman and Novie McCabe atop both alpine and Nordic podiums, respectively. It made Utah the first team since 2018 to amass four individual NCAA titles at a single championship meet; Hoffman was also the first Ute since 1990 to win both women's alpine races at NCAAs.
Prior to the national meet, RMISA and NCAA West Regional individual champions from Utah included McCabe (women's 5K freestyle; women's 20K classic) and Wilhelm Normannseth (men's slalom).
Head alpine coach JJ Johnson and head Nordic coach Miles Havlick were named RMISA Coach of the Year in their respective disciplines.
Women's Basketball
2023 Pac-12 Regular Season Co-Champions - NCAA Sweet 16
A truly special year for the Utes saw Lynne Roberts' squad earn a share of the Pac-12 Regular Season title. More than 9,600 fans packed into the Jon M. Huntsman Center to watch a hard-fought battle vs. No. 3 Stanford, with the Utah victory that day securing the team's first outright or shared conference championship as a Power Five program.
Three weeks later, the Utah faithful were back in the Huntsman to cheer on the second-seeded Utes in the NCAA Tournament. With victories over Gardner-Webb and Princeton, the squad was Sweet 16-bound for the third time in program history and first in 17 years.
Though the magical run came to an end against eventual national champion LSU, forward Alissa Pili reeled in All-America honors and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year. Roberts also was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
Gymnastics
2023 Pac-12 Champions - NCAA Regional Champions
The Red Rocks made the short trip over to the Maverik Center in West Valley City and became the first team in the Pac-12 era to win three straight conference championships. Abby Brenner was crowned Pac-12 vault champion, another highlight on the way to a third-place NCAA Championships finish for the only team to compete in all 47 national championship meets. Utah's 198.225 score in the NCAA semifinal round was the highest in school postseason history.
NCAA All-Around champion Maile O'Keefe (39.7625) won the first such title by a Red Rock since 1999 and first NCAA beam title by a Ute since 2007. The beam championship, her fourth NCAA individual title, came thanks to O'Keefe's 11th perfect 10.0 of her career.
Five Red Rocks totaled nine NCAA All-American awards and six All-Pac-12 laurels went to Utah gymnasts.
Spring 2023
Softball
2023 Pac-12 Tournament Champions - NCAA Salt Lake City Super Regional Champions
There was no shortage of team or individual accolades on the road to Oklahoma City for the Utah softball team, winning its first Pac-12 Tournament Championship and reaching the Women's College World Series for the sixth time.
Sparked by a three-run sixth inning, the Utes downed No. 2 UCLA in the Pac-12 Championship Game and were named a host team for NCAA Regionals the following day. Amy Hogue's club went 3-0 over the regional weekend at Dumke Family Softball Stadium and earned the right to host San Diego State in a best-of-three Super Regional. The resilient Utes bounced back from a tough Game 1 loss with commanding victories in Game 2 and Game 3, punching the team's ticket to the Women's College World Series.
Utility player Ellessa Bonstrom and pitcher Mariah Lopez earned All-America honors, while the Utah coaching staff was named ATEC/NFCA Pacific Region Coaching Staff of the Year and D1Softball.com Coaching Staff of the Year.
Utah's eight selections for All-Pac-12 and All-Region awards were program records, and the team's No. 7 national ranking was its highest.
Lacrosse
2023 ASUN Champions
In just its fifth season as a varsity program, the Utah lacrosse team went 9-0 in ASUN Conference play to win its second straight regular season conference championship. The Utes then made history in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, winning the league's tournament championship and securing an NCAA Tournament bid--a first for Utah.
Eight Utes were named All-ASUN Conference, three were ASUN All-Freshman picks and head coach Andrew McMinn claimed his second ASUN Coach of the Year laurel in as many years. Attackman Ryan Stines was tabbed ASUN Freshman of the Year after starting all 17 games and resetting Utah's single-season freshman record for goals (38).
Men's Tennis
2023 Pac-12 Regular Season Co-Champions
With a 6-2 record in league play, Pac-12 Coach of the Year Roeland Brateanu and the Utes shared the league's regular season championship with USC and Arizona. Geronimo Espin Busleiman and Franco Capalbo were named All-Pac-12 First Team, while Francisco Bastias was placed on the Second Team.
Though Utah came up short in its quest for a Pac-12 Tournament Championship--the Utes were outlasted by USC in the title match--the team earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and carried a No. 17 national ranking into postseason action. Utah opened NCAAs with a 4-1 victory over Old Dominion, but fell to host North Carolina in the second round.
Espin Busleiman, who also qualified for the NCAA Singles Championships, was named ITA Mountain Region Senior of the Year. Brateanu was selected as Mountain Region Coach of the Year and Sten van Beurden was named ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Women's Outdoor Track & Field
Simone Plourde - 2023 Pac-12 1,500m Champion
Emily Venters - 2023 Pac-12 10k Champion
History was made on Day One of the Pac-12 Championships, with Emily Venters running away from the field and winning the 10k for Utah's first Pac-12 individual championship. Venters took the lead right as the gun went off and never looked back. She broke away over the final 17 laps, crossing the finish line at 32:32.98.
Two days later, Simone Plourde would give Utah another individual crown with a championship in the 1500m. The race was Plourde's from wire-to-wire and her time of 4:09.48 was not only a PR, but reset a meet record that had stood for eight years.
In the end, both Utah's team points total and finish in the team standings were its highest since joining the Pac-12. Plourde and Venters each earned two All-America awards, helping the Women of Utah clock a 15th-place team finish (16 points) at the NCAA Championships. Both were the highest in program history.