POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State Athletics had 13 student-athletes earn All-American honors by The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). The honor recognizes the individuals' athletic accomplishments and their dedication to strength and conditioning.
This year's honorees are, Jared Rodriguez (men's basketball), Cortland Horton (football), Andreas Kramer (men's tennis), Zack Ramos (track and field), Brandon Walker (cross country), Finley Garnett (women's basketball), Tya Seth (golf), Gabby Warta (soccer), Rheanne Lewis (softball), Hana Cho (women's tennis), Sarah Wilensky (track and field), Andri Dewey (volleyball) and Katie Weedn (cross country).
Nominated by
Brandon Stephens, the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Idaho State, this group has shown the determination to improve in athletics while maintaining academic prominence is a great model for all student-athletes at Idaho State.
"We are proud to have Coach Stephens join the NSCA in its mission to safely improve athletic performance," says Eric McMahon, NSCA's Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, "Supporting our student-athletes like this group of athletes guarantees a stronger future for the NSCA."
Congratulations to these 13 Bengals and for an updated list of the All-American Athletes of the Year award, visit
www.nsca.com/All-American.
Below, Stephens and Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning,
Brandon Rodewald, talk about each student-athlete.
Jared Rodriguez - MBB
"J-Rod" has been an excellent addition to the Bengals. Jared has become one of our "Gym Bro's" and for good reason, as he brings great energy and an awesome work ethic to every session. From increasing his vertical jump to decreasing his sprint and shuttle times, J-Rod's growth this summer was awesome to watch as he improved in everything during our 8 weeks together. Jared has embodied what it means to work and "Saw Wood." ~
Brandon Stephens
Cortland Horton - Football
"Cort" is just one of those athletes that makes any strength coach look good. His dedication and commitment to his physical performance is apparent and inspiring to those around him. Cortland's effort is second to none and it's no surprise that it led to significant growth in the weight room and increased playing time towards the end of last season. Excitement is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about Cortland's future development and untapped potential. His progress is going to be a fun one to monitor and be a part of. ~
Brandon Stephens
Andreas Kramer - Tennis (M)
Andreas has been a pleasure to coach this year, always bringing energy, effort and discipline to the weight room. He was our strongest guy this year and motivated the rest of the team by pushing the weight on his lifts and by encouraging others to push themselves as well. His hard work has transferred onto the court, and I look forward to seeing his success continue. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Zack Ramos - T&F
Zack is a monster in the weight room and a pleasure to coach. He not only works hard but has been extremely coachable and bought into the program. He pushes not only himself but his teammates to get better and it creates a great weight room atmosphere. His hard work has also shown on the track earning All-Conference this indoor season in the shot put. I have no doubt he will continue to keep getting better and stronger this outdoor season. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Brandon Walker - XC
Brandon is a fantastic student-athlete dedicated to his schooling, sport and the weight room. He takes pride in where he does work, always making sure the weight room is cleaned up and shows leadership with helping others during the team lift. Although he battled some injuries, he always asked for exercise modifications and was the last to leave the weight room, ensuring he was getting better any way he could. I look forward to seeing his hard work transfer into successes during track season. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Finley Garnett - WBB
"Is there a time I can lift today?" is a common text I receive from Finley on a regular basis. Especially during this season. Always wanting to improve her game, Finley is by far the hardest worker on the team, and it has been a pleasure watching her hard work translate to the court as she's played a vital role in her team's back-to-back conference championships. Because of her ever-growing love for the weight room and her curiosity of the S&C field, she has decided to pursue an internship with our strength staff after this season concludes. We look forward to working with Finley as an athlete and as a future strength professional. ~
Brandon Stephens
Tya Seth - Golf
Tya has been nothing but a delight to work with during our brief time together. She's a natural leader and competitor who brings a great attitude to every training session. Tya's willingness to take initiative not only for her own betterment, but for the betterment of her team is what impresses me the most. She continues to seek advice and guidance from our strength staff and has been a positive influence for her teammates. ~
Brandon Stephens
Gabby Warta - Soccer
Gabby has shown success both on the field and in the weight room this year. As a freshman she led the team in goals this past season and has become a leader in the weight room as well. Her hard work to improve her own strength and speed is well respected by the team and she's been incredible to coach. I look forward to watching her continue to grow as a leader and become even more dominant on the field. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Rheanne Lewis - Softball
A pure athlete, competitor, and leader; Rheanne embodies all three. Rheanne has been a pleasure to get to know and work with. Always looking for extra work, her gritty work ethic has been on display, overcoming a few significant knee surgeries to being one of the strongest and fastest players on the team. Rhe's grit and determination has placed herself in a position to play a key role in her final season. Rheanne's dedication and commitment to her craft is inspiring and commendable. ~
Brandon Stephens
Hana Cho - Tennis (W)
Hana has a lead by example personality but her ability to push herself and buy into the program has stood out tremendously. I can always count on her to follow the program and get everything done. This discipline has shown success on the court as well beating some top talent this year. As just a sophomore I look forward to watching her get stronger and even more successful on the court. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Sarah Wilensky - T&F
Sarah is an avid weightlifter and is extremely dedicated to the weight room. She has not only applied her hard work to exercise technique but has gone through our intern development program to learn more about strength and conditioning. She leads by example every day and her hard work earned her the strongest on the team. I am excited to watch her strength transfer to the track and for her to continue growing as a leader in the weight room. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Andri Dewey - Volleyball
To the team, she goes by "Granny." Far from a senior citizen, this senior has BOUNCE. With a standing vertical of 33.75" and an approach jump of 35.5", "Granny" is by far our most explosive female athlete at ISU. Andri's athleticism and blue-collar work ethic has helped her excel not only in the weight room, but on the court and classroom as well. She is looked to as the leader of the team and for good reason. Andri has all the intangibles and the skills to back it up. I'm excited to watch her evolve her leadership skills as she enters her final season. ~
Brandon Stephens
Katie Weedn - XC
Katie has been impressive this year with her work ethic and discipline in the gym. She leads by example and is bought into the program. I've enjoyed watching her push herself on her lifts and even get outside of her comfort zone. She has also seen success running, posting season bests during cross and I am excited to see her success transfer into the track seasons. ~
Brandon Rodewald
Media Note: For additional information about the NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year visit www.nsca.com.
About the National Strength & Conditioning Association
Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world.
The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence- based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.
