WAC announces that all Utah Tech athletics teams are eligible for conference tournaments

Trailblazers senior Cameron Gooden, in a WAC game last year, and Utah Tech open the season at Nevada, St. George, Utah, Nov. 3, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The news that the Western Athletic Conference gave a green light to all 15 Utah Tech sports teams to compete in postseason conference tournaments impacted some Trailblazers more than others.

“For us it was already going to happen,” men’s basketball coach Jon Judkins told St. George News from his office Tuesday afternoon.

He went on to explain that the Trailblazers and Tarleton State were both on track to be fully eligible for WAC tournament play this coming year anyway, as it was part of their agreement with the WAC when both teams transitioned to Division I two years ago.

“So that was something we were looking forward to,” Judkins said. “For some of our teams like the baseball and softball teams, who might have made a tournament this year, the news was a bigger deal.”

Last season Judkins became the all-time winningest head coach in Utah collegiate basketball history and also recorded his 300th career coaching victory on the Trailblazers bench.

The Utah Tech baseball team, here warming up for a game earlier in the season, and every other Trailblazers athletics team will be eligible to play in WAC conference tournaments, St. George, Utah, June 14, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

According to a June 10 press release, last week’s announcement by the WAC means that all of Utah Tech’s 15 intercollegiate programs are now eligible to play for conference championships.

“Today is a banner day for Utah Tech University Athletics and all of our student-athletes,” Utah Tech Director of Athletics Ken Beazer said. “We are grateful for the unanimous support of the WAC Board of Directors in granting immediate access to all of our sports teams to compete in conference championships.

“We look forward to working with the board and all member institutions as we collectively solidify the WAC’s brand amongst the NCAA’s elite D1 conferences.”

On the baseball diamond this past season, Utah Tech finished 22-33 overall with a 14-16 recond in WAC play, which might have been good enough to get them into postseason play had they been eligible.

Utah Tech’s 14-8 season-ending victory over California Baptist on May 21 was Trailblazers head coach Chris Pfatenhauer’s 300th career win as manager, bringing his record to 300-193-1.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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