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We Make Your Money Grow! South Ogden Ogden Ben Lomond 4605 Harrison Blvd. 2605 Washington Blvd. 115 Washington Blvd. 801-394-6611 801-409-5000 801-399-4425 II Bleed Purple Summer 2016 WeberStateSports.com www.bankofutah.com LARRY H. MILLER CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM RIVERDALE SUPPORTS WEBER STATE ATHLETICS 801-398-2800 • LHMRiverdale.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 1481 West Riverdale Rd. Riverdale, Ut 84405 WeberStateSports.com Summer 2016 Bleed Purple 1 801-398-2800 • LHMRiverdale.com CONTENTS STARTING LINEUP FEATURES 14 WORLD OF SUCCESS Mixing a strong group of internationals with a solid core of national and local players has led to three-straight Big Sky men’s tennis titles and a resurgence with the Wildcat women’s program. BY CORIE HOLMES 20 FAMILY AWAY FROM HOME Nearly 7,000 miles from her home in Israel, Yarden Danan has discovered a new family playing basketball at Weber State. BY CHRIS J. MILLER 28 TRACK TO SUCCESS Once an international track & field recruit for Weber State, Javier Chavez has called Ogden his home for nearly 40 years. BY JIM BURTON 33 FINDING WILDCATS AROUND THE GLOBE The practice of recruiting international student-athletes presents some unique challenges for Weber State’s coaching staffs, but it also comes with some great benefits for the program and the university. 28 BY DARIN HOGGE 40 DIGGING OUT A NEW LIFE Thamires Cavalcanti endured a tremendous amount of change from her club volleyball career in Brazil to collegiate volleyball in the U.S., but the junior libero is hoping for a new life in America after graduation. BY CORIE HOLMES 46 LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS Venla Makarainen and Pihla Hokkanen, a pair of distance runners from Finland, moved nearly 5,000 miles from home last year and experienced an amazing year of changes. 14 40 BY JUSTIN JOHNSON DEPARTMENTS 4 FROM THE A.D. 6 SNAPSHOTS 12 PLAYIN’ ON PURPLE with Jake Ness 19 COMPLIANCE CORNER 45 CREATE A LEGACY 52 NAME GAME 33 20 56 TOP TWEETS 2 Bleed Purple Summer 2016 WeberStateSports.com uring our periodic planning who was a member of the 1982 meetings for each issue Women’s Golf Team that is of Bleed Purple Magazine enshrined and football’s Halvor over the last year, we Hagen, who was born in Oslo, Doften discussed doing stories Norway, but moved to Seattle at on one of the international stu- age nine, and the list expands to dent-athletes that is currently nine athletes. competing for Weber State. In this issue, you will be able to These athletes, coming from read a great piece on the story of THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WEBER STATE ATHLETICS different countries around the Chavez, one of those Hall of Fame presented by world, and at times vastly different athletes, who came to Weber cultures, often have very inter- State from Mexico in 1977. esting stories about their path to After Javier’s great track career, Weber State and the adjustment he chose to make his home in that comes with moving to a Ogden, and he has gone on Volume 2, Issue 2 foreign country for school. to become a very successful As a few of these stories got businessman with a chain of Editor in Chief Darin Hogge added to our pool of ideas, we restaurants and has been a very Executive Editors Paul Grua decided to dedicate an entire issue philanthropic member of the Chris J. Miller to international student-athletes. community. Corie Holmes In addition to reading the Many other international Creative Director Darin Hogge stories of international student athletes have chosen to become -athletes from women’s basketball, part of the Ogden community as Contributing Writers Chris J. Miller Jim Burton tennis, track & field, cross country well. Compton and Ehrlin both Corie Holmes and volleyball, this issue features chose to stay in the local area and Darin Hogge Paul Grua an inside look at the process of are former Weber State head tennis Jerry Bovee recruiting internationally. The coaches. Tennis’s Brad Ferreira Becky Thompson Justin Johnson coaches that choose to look found his way to Weber State Will Pridemore outside of the U.S. for talent find from South Africa in the ‘80s and Photography Robert Casey that benefits to the program and opted to stay in Utah. Ferreira Darin Hogge the university come beyond just opened the Eagle Ridge Tennis Justin Johnson adding an additional source of Club in North Salt Lake and made Ad Director Dave Champlain talent to the roster. a positive impact on many local Weber State has not traditionally young athletes, including some recruited international players in who went on to become Wildcat EMAIL: [email protected] vast numbers, with the exception of tennis players themselves. Four WEBSITE: WEBERSTATESPORTS.COM tennis, but several of the interna- years ago, Ferreira made a move FACEBOOK: facebook.com/WeberStateAthletics TWITTER: @WeberState tionals that have plied their trade to make an even greater impact INSTAGRAM: WSUWildcats for the Wildcats have had great on Weber State tennis, taking careers. Seven of those players over the head coaching position are enshrined in the WSU Athletics of the men’s team, and eventually Hall of Fame in Carmen Garduno- becoming the Director of Tennis Berlinerblau (track), Wendy for the Wildcats. In Ferreira’s Compton (tennis), Javier Chavez tenure, the men’s squad has put (track), Jonas Ehrlin (tennis), together three-straight Big Sky Anna Gunnarsson (tennis), Conference regular season titles. Carito Villaroman (golf), and Copyright © 2016 by Bruce Covernton (football). Add Weber State Athletics Publications to that list Elizabet Wahlquist, Darin Hogge All Rights Reserved Director of Digital Media and Publications Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. WeberStateSports.com Summer 2016 Bleed Purple 3 From the A.D. A Message from Jerry Bovee new school year is are plenty of local or regional quickly approaching and students-athletes who could be thus the second year of given those same opportunities. The “Bleed Purple Magazine” ultimate consideration a coach is ready for distribution. determines in recruiting student- AThe 2015-2016 season was an athletes is can the recruit help the amazing one for Weber State program to be successful in Athletics as four of our teams won competition and in the classroom. Big Sky Championships and There are, however, other outcomes advanced to the NCAA Tournament. that add to the successful culture of In addition, nearly each of the 16 an athletics program from foreign teams participated or qualified for student-athletes. Having a diverse Big Sky Tournament play and 12 of group of students from different the 16 sports finished in the top five backgrounds and cultures improves in Big Sky Conference standings. the educational experience within Among some of the achievements I’m asked occasionally as to the the athletics program as well as the was the Wildcat women’s basketball reasons we would offer students of general student-body at Weber team setting a new school record in other countries scholarships to play State. It serves a vital role of the wins with 23 and earning a trip to a sport at Weber State when there overall mission of the university and the championship game in the improves the cultural diversity of Women’s Basketball Invitational; the educational experience for every Women’s Cross Country won their “Having a diverse group student. As you’ll see in some of the fourth Big Sky title in the last five of students from following articles, these student- years and had their third-highest different backgrounds athletes have made and continue to finish at the NCAA championships; and cultures improves make worthwhile contributions to and Men’s Tennis made their first our community. It is just another ever appearance in the NCAA Tour- the educational aspect of what truly makes Weber nament. These accomplishments experience within the State great, great, great! make us proud that the hard work, athletics program as well dedication and efforts of our as the general We’ll see you at the games, go student-athletes and coaches student-body at Weber Wildcats! translate into success. It’s been rewarding to see the community State. It serves a vital Until next time, go Wildcats! pride in the accomplishments of our role of the overall teams. mission of the This edition of “Bleed Purple” university and features the experiences of stu- improves the cultural dent-athletes who have come to Jerry Bovee Weber State from other countries diversity of the Weber State Director of Athletics looking for an opportunity to play educational experience their sport and get an education. for every student.” 4 Bleed Purple Summer 2016 WeberStateSports.com WeberStateSports.com Summer 2016 Bleed Purple 5 6 Bleed Purple Summer 2016 WeberStateSports.com The Weber State softball team celebrates following a home run by Aubrey Whitmer during the Wildcats’ 6-0 win over Idaho State in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference championship tournament. (Photo by Robert Casey) WeberStateSports.com Summer 2016 Bleed Purple 7 8 Bleed Purple Summer 2016 WeberStateSports.com Members of the Pittsburgh pep band filled in for Weber State at the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament after the Wildcat’s band was unable to attend the game due to a scheduling conflict. (Photo by Darin Hogge) WeberStateSports.com Summer 2016 Bleed Purple 9 10 Bleed Purple Summer 2016 WeberStateSports.com Weber State’s Desirae Cruse clears the bar in the high jump and appears to be swallowed up by the mat during the team’s Twilight Meet in May. (Photos by Robert Casey) WeberStateSports.com Summer 2016 Bleed Purple 11 with Jake Ness Get to know men’s track’s Jake Ness, a freshman from Salisbury, England as Lexie Albi met up with him for the latest edi- tion of Playin’ on Purple.

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