Where are they now?

This archived article was written by: Micah Iverson

Many of the collegiate athletes participating in division 1-A sports, started their careers in junior colleges positioned all over the country. It isn’t any different here at the College of Eastern Utah. Over the years, CEU has produced athletes who have moved on into the realm of Division 1-A sports. Junior colleges help athletes work on their respective game, and to learn the fundamentals of that sport. It also gives athletes the opportunity to have the best time of their lives, even if they don’t end up going on to bigger and better things. Last season, CEU enjoyed a winning season, and had a lot of success in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. So where are those athletes now that helped CEU enjoy that success just a year ago?
Eleven players from last year’s roster are in different places this year. Three point guards went on to big Division 1-A Universities.
Casey Iverson, starting point guard, was invited to join the Utes at the University of Utah. Although only playing half the season, Mike Kirkpatrick, also point guard, took his relentless defense to the University of San Diego. Little Robert Young, was able to walk on with the Runnin’ Rebels at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Shooting guards have an intricate role on every squad. Jared Quayle, “The Magician,” as he was named because of his ability to come up with the ball at any given time, has made the choice to serve a mission but plans to come back to play at CEU.
Chris Langhorne, made his way to Texas State University where he will continue to push the ball up the court with reckless abandonment (the good kind of reckless abandonment). Steve Williams, who oftentimes sparked the team and kept us on our toes, is now at Cal Riverside sparking that part of California.
Last year CEU had outstanding power forwards who helped them contend with the competition in the SWAC. Tyrone Shephard, earned first team all-conference for CEU and is continuing his stellar performance at Fort Hayes State University with fellow second team all-conference member, Jeremy Atwater. Atwater consistently had us on our feet with his high flying dunks and in your face blocks. We can’t forget Leonta “Tay” Matthews who is now playing at Texas Southern University, and his physical play in the key.
No team can make it in collegiate sports without a big man taking up space in the middle. Soft spoken center Chris Anderson, just after his freshman year here at CEU, moved on to the University of Wyoming and will now play with the big dogs in the Mountain West Conference. Radee Tutler, another fellow center is playing in San Diego, not with prior teammate Kirkpatrick, but at San Diego City College.
In the office of Coaches Zollinger and Erickson, the walls are decorated with newspaper clippings of previous players and their accomplishments beyond CEU. With the aforementioned players and their new places of residence, we see that CEU is a diamond in the rough for the perpetuality of college basketball. We wish them all the success in the world and hope their basketball dreams come true along with their scholastic dreams as well. We will definitely miss those players of old, but we welcome the new recruits this year and hope all of their dreams and expectations pan out and CEU will continue their winning ways in beautiful Price.