'I don’t see myself as being so different'

USD freshman says he’s just a student, not an inspiration

Freshman Zac VanBeek eats his lunch with a fork in the Commons. He cuts his waffle fries in half before stabbing them and lifting them to his mouth. He skewers the lump of chicken on his plate and examines it before deciding not to eat it. And he does all of this using only his feet. VanBeek was born without arms; a fact that he hardly seems to notice. Full story

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Noah Shepard

Most of the schools who had an interest in Noah Shepard out of high school thought he might have a decent college career as a safety, but he wanted a chance to play quarterback and USD head coach Ed Meierkort offered him the opportunity. Full story

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Emma Erickson

She’s won two national championships and three events in the Great West Conference Indoor Championships, but sophomore Emma Erickson didn’t have those accomplishments on her list of goals when she came to USD last year. Her goal was to just make the distance medley relay team. Full story