SALT LAKE CITY — All student-athletes who had their seasons canceled by the NCAA earlier this month because of coronavirus pandemic concerns received some good news Monday afternoon. The NCAA announced they would have a year restored to their eligibility.
“I am pleased for all our spring student-athletes who have been granted their year of eligibility back. Tonight those I most think of are our seniors. They have been terrific leaders of their respective teams since before the cancellation, and even more so during this period of uncertainty,” said Mark Harlan, Utah’s Director of Athletics.
“I am grateful they get to decide to rejoin their teams next year and whatever that choice might be they will always be a historical group who handled adversity with such grace. I also recognize that for our winter sports student-athletes who did not complete their season, today’s decision was another moment of finality to their collegiate careers. They, too, have shown amazing leadership and maturity that will forever be remembered by Utah athletics and our loyal fans.”
The Utes have 32 seniors on their spring sports rosters. The breakdown includes athletes from the following teams: baseball (4), beach volleyball (5), men’s golf (3), men’s lacrosse (7), men’s tennis (2), softball (3), women’s track and field (7), and women’s tennis (1).
Utah baseball coach Bill Kinneberg said he’s happy for the guys — everyone and not just the seniors.
“We had played 13 games and you never wanted it to be a season,” Kinneberg said. “So now I’m starting the process of putting the roster together and see how that looks. It starts now so that’s good.”
“We had played 13 games and you never wanted it to be a season. So now I’m starting the process of putting the roster together and see how that looks. It starts now so that’s good.” — Utah baseball coach Bill Kinneberg
As for the four seniors on the 2020 baseball team, Kinneberg isn’t sure yet what they’ll decide to do — return or move on.
“It’s still up in the air. In reality I still don’t know all of the details on it,” he said. “So I don’t know yet.”
In a newsletter posted on utahutes.com before the NCAA decision, softball coach Amy Hogue expressed optimism about the situation.
“I am crossing my fingers for our seniors to get the opportunity to have the season back. All of them, across each spring sport and in each class,” she wrote. “Even though that decision will bring challenges of its own, I still hope they choose this so the student-athletes can get a chance to play.”
The Utah spring sports seniors affected by the NCAA’s decision include:
BASEBALL: Chase Fernlund, Zack Moeller, Jacob Rebar, Kyle Robeniol.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL: McKenna Granata, Tiyana Hallums, Keana Smalls, Lauren Sproule, Kinga Windisch.
GOLF: Jordan Costello, Peyton Hastings, Mitchell Schow.
LACROSSE: Colin Burke, Aaron Fjeldsted, Seth Neeleman, Jimmy Perkins, James Sexton, Josh Stout, Dan Tracy.
MEN’S TENNIS: Azat Hankuliyev, Slava Shainyan.
SOFTBALL: Alyssa Barrera, BreOnna Castaneda, Claire Feldman.
TRACK & FIELD: Anna Busatto, Caitlin Faust, Sarah Feeny, Nicole Griffiths, Ashley Licata, Brooke Martin, Kolbi Sims.
WOMEN’S TENNIS: Whitney Hekking.