Best of Fall 2021: Torero sports

Five of USD’s best sports moments this fall

JAREK MORGAN / ASST. SPORTS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Yet another incredible achievement came from the Torero volleyball team. Led by seven This sports season was unlike any other. It was defined by overcoming adversity and the ever-present unknown — mostly if the sports we love could continue. However, there were still moments of triumph, trailblazing athletes,  long-standing school records broken, and several championship performances that will remain in USD’s history. Looking back, the year will be remembered for the unknowns, the uncertainties and the adjustments made by both coaches and student athletes, and in between it all there were exciting and incredible moments that won’t be soon forgotten. 

Here are some of the best moments that were achieved by our fellow student athletes this fall, in no particular order. 

Cross-Country

Early this year, senior captain, Ethan Steiner, of the men’s cross-country team outlined some of his personal goals for the upcoming season. Steiner was not shy about what he believed he could accomplish with hardwork and dedication. 

“It’s simple, for me and my time goals I want to run 24:30 or better in the 8K,” Steiner said. “I know what I am capable of and I want to prove that this season.” 

In picture-perfect fashion, late October, Steiner achieved his goal when he ran a personal and school best of 24:27. There has never been another Torero athlete that has run a faster time, and it could not have been done by a more dedicated student athlete than Steiner. 

Golf

Team wins are just as important to the university as individuals. And that is what the men’s golf team did this year when they achieved their first team overall win since October of 2020. 

Redshirt junior, Charlie Reiter, put together three rounds of 70, 69, and 69 strokes for a total of 208, finishing with a tournament-best eight strokes under par for the win at the Hoakalei Country Club on Oct. 26. 

The Toreros also finished first as a team, scoring 857 over three rounds to top the standings. The dominant performance in Hawaii was very much indicative of how the team has persevered this year.

Redshirt junior, Harrison Kingsley, won his first collegiate tournament at the Mark Simpson Invitational in September, hosted by the  University of Colorado Boulder at the Colorado National Golf Course. Kingsley shot a tournament record 15-under with scores of 67, 68, and 66.

Men’s Tennis

Through various great team performances this year by our fellow Toreros, possibly one of the most impressive individual efforts seen was completed by outstanding redshirt senior, August Holmgren. 

Holmgren, of the USD men’s tennis team, became the first Torero in program history to advance to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American championship match in October. The Dane won five-straight matches en route to the championship, eventually falling to Florida’s Ben Shelton, 6-3, 6-4. 

Holmgren took that loss, and turned it into a learning opportunity. He finished the year by becoming only the second Torero to win the ITA Fall National Championshipship when he defeated Stanford’s no.1 ranked sophomore, Arthur Fery, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. 

Volleyball

Yet another incredible achievement came from the Torero volleyball team. Led by seven 2021 All-West Coast Conference (WCC) honorees, this year’s team competed from start to finish with a tenacity that will be remembered for years to come. 

One of the most anticipated games this year was when the women traveled to no. 24 ranked Pepperdine for a matchup that could have championship implications at the end of the season. 

Before conference play even kicked off, sophomore Isa Terçariol talked about some goals for herself and her teammates this season. 

“I know for me something I think is a huge goal of mine is when we go to Pepperdine and beat them on their home court,” Terçariol said. “To beat them would be sweet revenge since we lost to them last year.” 

In early October, the team got their chance to make good on that promise when they went into hostile territory and battled a grueling five game series that took every ounce of their best to pull out a victory in the end, beating the Waves 3-2. 

The team finished another stellar season with a trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament where they eventually lost to Rice 25-20, 25-19, 25-20. This makes 21-23 seasons that head coach, Jennifer Petrie, has reached the NCAA postseason tournament, an incredible feat for a collegiate coach. 

Football

Finally, in 1991, a record was set for the school’s longest field goal ever made at an astounding 53 yards. On Oct. 16, 2021 during the homecoming game against Drake University, first-year kicker Pablo Tager tied that record and in doing so engraved his name in the USD record books. The Toreros held on to win a close 13-10 game against the Bulldogs. In the same game, head coach Dale Lindsey tied Brian Fogarty for most wins as a head coach at 71 total, a record he has since made his own as they finished the season on a seven game winning streak.

As the Fall semester closes, there have been incredible achievements made by all sports programs. This list is just a fraction of those accomplishments so here is a brief list of other honorable mentions to outstanding performances by USD athletics.

The team finished with a stellar six game winning streak. In addition to that, this is now the program’s 11th straight season with a winning record, something that takes maximum effort from every player and coach.

Women’s rowing

The Toreros traveled to Boston this season and competed in the prestigious Head of The Charles Regatta. With a great team effort the team of four finished 10th out of 54 teams and the team of eight finished 11th out of 31 teams. To be selected for this invite a team must compete at the highest level, and while on the other side of the country USD represented themselves proudly.

Men’s soccer

The soccer team’s record does not indicate how hard they played this season. That is why the WCC recognized four athletes for their outstanding performance. Sophomore forward, Nicklas Clausen, was named to the All-WCC Second Team. Sophomore midfielder, Ross Johnstone, and junior midfielder, Mason Tunbridge, were named All-WCC Honorable mention, and forward Luke Pardoe earned All-WCC Freshman Team honors.

Women’s soccer

 Senior defender, Michaela Foster, was named to the All-WCC Second Team. At the beginning of the season, Foster helped lead the team to a 3-0 start. Foster scored goals in the first three games of the season. 

This university has some of the nation’s best athletes. The USD community was fortunate to witness so many high quality moments this fall season. The coaches, the players, and staff have so much to be grateful for this year and have put in a lot of hard work to make these moments possible. As we look forward to spring sports, the only real questions are what championship will be won, and what records will be broken next? Stay tuned for much more to come this spring as baseball, rowing, and tennis start up.