‘Yote Notes –
Oct. 1, 2003
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
GENERAL
ATHLETICS NEWS:
ALBERTSON COLLEGE A
"CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER" INSTITUTION FOR THIRD-STRAIGHT YEAR: The Albertson College athletic
department was named one of 193 NAIA schools nationwide as a "Champions of
Character" institution, a school which excels and embraces the charter
program of the organization. Through "Champions of Character",
the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every NAIA student-athlete,
coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition
through five tenets: respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and
sportsmanship. Albertson was one of seven Cascade Conference schools to
be included in the national award.
ALBERTSON
ANNOUNCES NEW DISTANCE RUNNING PROGRAM: Albertson College announced
Wednesday the return of intercollegiate distance running to its campus, along
with the hiring of new head coach, Pat McCurry. Cross country and track and field were big
draws at the College of Idaho decades ago, but the institution has not fielded
a squad in either sport since the mid-1970s - that is until 2004. "I am excited about the opportunity to
bring student-athletes to Albertson College," said the new coach.
"I think distance running is a great fit for students at a small
college." McCurry, a native of
Boise and graduate of Bishop Kelly High, has served as the assistant coach at
Eastern Oregon University, his alma mater, the past two years, helping the
Mountaineer men achieve a No. 1 ranking in the 2003 NAIA preseason poll.
As a head coach, he led North Powder High to a track and field state
championship. He also competes at a high-level post-collegiately, running
for the Nike-Portland Track Club, with hopes of qualifying for the Olympic
Trials in July of 2004. "We are
excited about the hiring of Pat and the start of our new distance running
program," said athletic director Marty Holly. "We feel
with his history at Eastern Oregon and the success of that program, Pat and his
program will be able to give Idaho distance runners an opportunity to compete
at that level." The Coyotes
will compete in the Cascade Conference men's and women's cross country in the
fall, and compete as a distance-only track and field program within the CCC
during the spring.
THANK YOU FROM THE COYOTE OPEN: The annual Coyote Open Golf
Tournament took place last Friday at River Bend Golf Course with 165 golfers
braving the 90-degree day. The ‘Yotes
would like to thank those in attendance, along with the over 100 sponsors who
made the event a success.
THINK AHEAD FOR LAS VEGAS?: This year, the Albertson men's basketball team will be playing two games in Las Vegas on November 7 and 8. Airfare and hotel packages are available through Caldwell Travel at 459-3602. A three-day, two-night package at The Orleans Hotel and Casino with round-trip airfair is $421 for a single person or $621 for a couple.
SOFTBALL STEAK AND CRAB FEED: The Albertson softball team will
be holding a Steak and Crab feed on Saturday, November 1, at the Boise Police
Clubhouse. Tickets for the event and auction are $25 and can be purchased
from a Coyote softball player or by calling head coach Kelly Gibbons at
459-5113.
GOLF SEASON OPENS WITH
WIN OVER NORTHWEST NAZARENE: Hot conditions were conducive to
low scores for the Albertson men's golf team as the Coyotes opened up their
fall season with a 299-312 victory over Northwest Nazarene at River Bend Golf
Course. Jeff Masingill and Travis
Gibbens each shot a 71 to share medalist honors for the 'Yotes.
Joining the duo were Tim DeJong (76) and Aaron Vick (81), as
Albertson claimed four of the top six scores.
The squad will next compete on Oct 13 and 14 at the Bronco Round-Up at
Falcon Crest Golf Club.
VOLLEYBALL (4-5, 3-3
CCC): Lady ‘Yotes to take three-game
win streak into Portland
LAST WEEK: Defeated Evergreen, 3-0;
defeated Northwest, 3-2.
COMING UP: at Warner Pacific, Friday, 7
p.m. (PDT); at Cascade, Saturday, 7 p.m. (PDT); at Eastern Oregon, Tuesday, 7
p.m. (PDT)
LADY
‘YOTES JUMP BACK INTO CONFERENCE RACE: Two
weeks ago, the Albertson volleyball team looked deep into an 0-3 Cascade
Conference start and felt no sense of panic – they knew things would eventually
come around. Come around they did this
past weekend, sweeping a week set from Evergreen and Northwest, two teams above
the Lady ‘Yotes in the CCC standings.
The wins vault the Coyotes to .500 in league play (3-3), with their next
three matches against the three teams (Warner Pacific, Cascade, Eastern Oregon)
sitting in the bottom tier of the standings.
FINALLY
IN THE REGIONAL POLL: What the wins
did do is have the squad debut for the first time this season in the NAIA
Region I weekly top-ten poll. Although
sitting precariously at No. 10, Albertson has come a long way from a 1-5 start
to the season. Southern Oregon, which
dropped to No. 15 nationally after losing to Western Baptist, sits at No. 1,
followed by NAIA No. 19 Carroll, and two teams receiving votes in the national
poll – Montana Tech and Lewis-Clark State.
Three CCC schools, Western, Oregon Tech, and Northwest claim spots five
through seven, with Rocky Mountain and Montana-Western holding the spots just
above the Coyotes.
ROCKIN’
MATCH VS. NORTHWEST: At times over the past
few years, the atmosphere at an Albertson College volleyball match has been a
bit complacent. It was far from that on
Saturday night, as the 200-or-so fans that turned out were treated to a five-game
marathon, with the spectators helping the Coyotes to a big win over then
CCC-leading Northwest. Both teams
dominated games at times, with a see-saw Game 5 overshadowing the bunch. The game was tied at every point from 4-4 to
16-16, with three match-points being squandered. Kristen
Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah /
Snow CC) and Brittany Bonnett (Logandale, Nev. / Dixie State CC) led the team with 15 kills – Bailey recording a
team-high seven blocks and Bonnett recording a team-high 19 digs.
CLUTCH
PLAYS: What made the match that much more exciting
was the tenuous moments late in the match.
Northwest had a chance to win the match at 15-14, but Tiffany Sower (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), who began Game 5 on the bench, entered the line-up
and tied the game with a thunderous kill, one of her ten on the night. With the score tied at 16-16, Northwest
looked to regain the lead, but Amber
Igoe (Blackfoot, Idaho /
Firth HS) dug an apparent kill in
the middle of the court, keeping the rally alive – which resulted in a
Northwest attack error. The Coyotes
would win the match when Brittany Bonnett dug another Northwest kill attempt,
then tipped an Amanda
Basañez (Elko, Nev. / College of
Southern Idaho) pass to the court for
the win.
MENDIOLA
LIKES THE DEFENSE: Highlighting the season
for head coach Liz
Mendiola thus far has been the
balanced attack of the team and the collective defensive play. No less than six players average two-or-more
kills per game (no other CCC team can match that), along with five other
players who average two-or-more digs per game.
“This is by far the most balanced team I have had here at Albertson,”
said Mendiola. “We have so many options
in our attack and do not miss a beat defensively with our rotation.”
CLAMS
LEFT AT THE BEACH: Friday night, the squad
had the opportunity to complete a daily sweep of the Evergreen fall athletic programs
– as both the men’s and women’s soccer team had already defeated the
Geoducks. The spikers did their part in
quick fashion, winning their first match in straight sets – 30-21, 30-25,
30-24. The ‘Yotes hit a season-high
.248 percent in the win. Brittany
Bonnett recorded ten kills, served home four winners, and dug ten balls. Freshman setter Erin Cherrington (Granby,
Colo. / Middle Fork HS) recorded 18
assists and ten digs in the match.
NEAR
PERFECT: The big statistic on
Friday night was the play of transfer Ashlea Thornton (Glendale,
Calif. / California Baptist),
who came within a whisker of setting a new single-match school-record. Thornton recorded 12 kills in 15 attacks
without an error, a .800 attack percentage – highest in the Cascade Conference
during the 2003 season, was just off the school mark set by Miranda Harris
against Concordia during the 1994 season.
CONFERENCE
STAT REPORT: Headed into weekend
play, the Lady ‘Yotes as a team do not sit lower than fourth in any statistical
category. Albertson ranks third in the
league in attack percentage, kills per game, assists per game, aces, and blocks,
while sitting in fourth-place overall in digs per game. Individually, Kristen Bailey is just
two-hundredths of a block out of first-place in the stuff category, along with
being No. 8 in the CCC in attack percentage.
Tiffany Sower sits No. 2 in the loop in aces per game, while the
double-headed setter role has Amanda Basañez eighth and Erin Cherrington ninth
in assists.
PORTLAND
PARADE: With their annual
Blocktoberfest Tournament awaiting them when they return next weekend, the
Coyotes head off on a three-game road swing.
Friday night, Albertson meets a much-improved Warner Pacific squad, which despite its record, has played teams
tough. The Knights (5-10, 1-6) have not
fared well in Cascade Conference play, but picked up non-conference wins over
Great Falls and Eastern Oregon, and took regionally ranked Lewis-Clark State
and Oregon Tech to five games. Jo’Lene
Bogle (3.43 k/g, 31 aces) is the primary attacker, while Region
Setter-of-the-Week Rebekah Patton (8.9 a/g) distributing the ball. Albertson has won each of the 11 meetings
between the teams since 1990 – one of four current win streaks of ten-or-more
matches. Saturday night the ‘Yotes head
to the Thunderdome and a meeting with Cascade. The Thunderbirds (2-9, 0-7) have been
dealing with off-the-court issues this fall – a complete overhaul of their
athletic department, but have won two of their last three, albeit against Walla
Walla College. Laura Weigandt (3.00
k/g) is the top option at the net for the T-Birds, who have won just one
Cascade Conference volleyball match in the past four seasons. It is the 18th meeting between the teams,
dating back to the Columbia Christian College days, with Albertson holding a
13-4 mark – including wins in the last 12 meetings. After coming home for a couple days, Albertson heads off for a
Tuesday meeting at Eastern
Oregon, a team that has struggled during 2003. The Mountaineers (1-13, 0-6) utilize a
rotation of 15 ladies in Ryan Platt’s system, but have won just 12-of-54 games
this year. All-Conference hitter Kaki
McLean (2.6 k/g, 2.9 d/g) is a force at the net, but Eastern has had trouble
with the personnel around her. The
Coyotes hold a 23-9 series led over Eastern, having won the last 15 matches
with the Mounties – the longest win streak in Albertson history.
RAFFLE
FOR QUILT: The Coyote volleyball
team is holding a raffle for an 86-square inch quilt to be drawn on May 9,
2004. The original design “Crown
Jubilee” will be present at all home matches and is valued at over $800. Tickets are just one dollar each, or six
tickets for five dollars – and can be purchased at all home volleyball matches,
or by calling coach Liz Mendiola at 459-5858.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson women’s volleyball program, head to the
official site Lady ‘Yote volleyball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm. Each night, scores and updated standings are
posted on the Conference Standings page within the Albertson volleyball website
at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/stats/standings.htm.
MEN’S SOCCER (5-2, 3-1
CCC): Oregon trip set for Coyotes as
final month begins, Abo named CCC and Regional Player-of-the-Week
LAST
WEEK: Defeated Evergreen, 5-2; defeated Northwest,
9-2.
COMING
UP: at Western Baptist, Friday, 3:30 p.m. (PDT);
at Warner Pacific, Saturday, 1 p.m. (PDT)
COYOTES
TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME: Coming
off a demoralizing loss at Concordia a week prior, the Albertson men’s soccer
team knew what it needed to accomplish in their opening weekend at Symms
Field. What the ‘Yotes did on the field
established the team as one of the top squads in the NAIA Region I by sweeping
Evergreen and Northwest by a combined score of 14-4. The victories also vaulted Albertson from fifth-place in the
seven-team league into third-place, one game back of front-running Concordia
and Warner Pacific.
UNSELFISH
PLAY LEADS TO SCHOOL RECORD: Sometimes
speed carries teams to leads, but it is unselfish play that will lead teams to
wins and championships. Case in point
this weekend – as speed led to goals by both Evergreen and Northwest, but the
deliberate tactical soccer played by the Coyotes led to a total of 20 assists
over the weekend. The 12 assists
tallied by Albertson in the win over Northwest set a new school record –
breaking the mark of 11 set by the 2001 squad in a 13-1 victory over Walla
Walla College. One unique sidebar to
the 20 assists – 11 different Coyote players recorded an assists over the
weekend.
STRONG
SECOND HALF STOPS NORTHWEST: Leading
2-1 at halftime against one of the squads sitting in the cellar of the Cascade Conference,
head coach John
Calpin asked his team for a strong effort. What the 18th-year head coach got back was a
resounding seven goal performance in the 45-minute period, as the ‘Yotes
stifled Northwest, 9-2. Three goals in
the first eight minutes of the period gave the hosts an insurmountable
lead. The win allowed every reserve to
see action – including a goal and an assist from Dustin Crim (Boise, Idaho /
Borah HS), and assists from Conrad Frank (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS), Shaun Shannon (Boise, Idaho / Meridian HS), and Nick
Piccono (Great Falls, Mont. /
Great Falls HS).
ABO
NAMED PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK: The top player
over the weekend for the Coyotes was junior midfielder Ryan Abo (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS), who scored a total of three goals and assisted on
six others. For his efforts, Abo was
named Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Player-of-the-Week – the second
Albertson player to earn the award this season. Coming off successive knee injuries in each of his first two
seasons, Abo was at the top of his game this weekend – assisting on three goals
in each match, knocking home a penalty kick against Evergreen, and scoring two
goals in the win over Northwest. He
currently leads the Cascade Conference in assists with eight.
A HEAD
ABOVE THE REST: Also scoring two goals
in the Northwest match was senior Brad
Thornburg (Yreka, Calif. / Yreka
HS). A
midfielder by trade, Thornburg has crept up into the scoring zone at times this
season, using his 6-4 frame to cause problems – including a pretty header in
the second half against Northwest.
After concentrating on his degree last year, Thornburg has returned to
his 2001 form – scoring five goals and assisting on another so far this season.
COYOTES
WELCOME BACK CARMODY: Fans were
excited to see Shane
Carmody (Boise, Idaho /
Timberline HS) get back on the pitch
last weekend after an extended absence.
The sophomore missed all of the 2001 season with a broken leg, then
missed much of last season with a hip and groin injury. Still recovering from off-season surgery,
Carmody has been moved from his typical sweeper role to an attacker – scoring
his first collegiate goal late in the Northwest game.
‘YOTES
DIG UP CLAMS: Early goals may put some
teams into a panic, but not the 2003 Coyotes.
Take for instance Friday’s match with Evergreen where the Geoducks
scored less than one minute into the contest.
Albertson would eventually tie the score at 2-2 before halftime, and
used three second half scores to put the game away. Joe
Chandler (Nampa, Idaho / Univ. of
Utah) headed home a redirected corner with 23
minutes remaining to give the ‘Yotes the lead, then watched as Roger Aguilar (Payette, Idaho / Payette HS) knocked home back-to-back winners in a six minute
span to give the team a key three-goal longo advantage.
AGUILAR
FINDS SCORING KNACK: With his two goals
against Evergreen, Roger Aguilar broke out of a long-term goal scoring
funk. The senior, who scored eight
goals and assisted on nine others during an All-Cascade Conference campaign
last year, had only scored three times in his last 20 games prior to
Friday. Aguilar became one of five
Albertson players in school history when he scored four goals against Northwest
on Sept. 20, 2002.
REGIONAL
RANKINGS: With the two wins,
Albertson remains at No. 3 in the NAIA Region I weekly poll for the third
consecutive week. Leading the group is
Simon Fraser, which moved to No. 9 in the NAIA national poll, and Concordia,
which extended its winning streak to five with wins over Western Baptist and
Warner Pacific. Rounding out the
regional poll was No. 4 Warner Pacific and No. 5 Western Baptist, with
Westminster dropping out of the poll after dropping two matches in California.
LEAGUE
LEADERS: Following weekend play,
the Coyotes as a team lead the Cascade Conference in goals per game, assists
per game, points per game, and shots per game.
Individually Jason
Southward (Hailey, Idaho / Wood
River HS) is one of five Albertson
players among the top-15 in scoring, along with ranking fourth in shots per
game and fifth in points per game. Joe
Chandler ranks second in assists and sixth in shots per game, while Brad
Thornburg is eighth in goals scored.
KEY
WEEKEND IN OREGON: This weekend will have a
lot to say about which teams will be in the drivers seat for one of the four
berths for the Cascade Conference Tournament at the end of the month. Friday’s opponent, Western Baptist, took 2-of-3 matches from the Coyotes last year,
including a 5-0 CCC semifinal decision in Caldwell. The Warriors (6-5-1, 2-2-1 CCC) have the most dangerous one-two
punch in the league in strikers Patrick Daka (20 goals, 3 assists) and Scott
Marshall (15 goals, 4 assists) – who have combined to score 35 of Western’s 44
goals. Daka is a two-time defending CCC
Player-of-the-Year and is among the NAIA’s top-ten in all-time scoring. Albertson dropped a 4-1 decision in Salem
last season, but holds a 15-12 all-time series lead, dating back to 1984. That game in 1984, incidentally, was the
most lopsided score in Coyote history, a 14-0 drubbing of the Warriors. Saturday, the ‘Yotes look to tackle the most
surprising team in the loop – Warner
Pacific. The
Knights (5-5, 4-1) share first-place in the CCC after an important 4-3 home
victory over Western Baptist on Tuesday.
Newcomer Garen Bedoyan (8 goals, 6 assists) is the key cog in the Warner
lineup, while freshman keeper Dustin Fuchs (1.96 GAA, 3 ShO) has been
impressive at times. This week’s game
is the 17th between the clubs, with Albertson winning the past eight
meetings with the Knights – yet leading the all-time series by an 8-7-1
margin.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding
the Albertson men’s soccer program, head to the official site Coyote Soccer: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/menssoccer.htm. Each night, scores and updated standings are
posted on the Conference Standings page within the Albertson men’s soccer
website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/msoccer/stats/standings.htm.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (4-3, 3-2 CCC): Lady ‘Yotes alone in second-place after upset of
Evergreen, meet NCAA Division I team
LAST WEEK: defeated Evergreen, 2-1; lost to No. 3 ranked
Concordia, 5-0.
COMING UP: at Utah Valley State, Saturday, 1 p.m.
LADY ‘YOTES CLING TO
SECOND-PLACE: Seven games into the 2003 season
and the Albertson women’s soccer team has completed half of its schedule – and
the Lady ‘Yotes are sitting in pretty good shape. With a weekend split – a surprising 2-1 victory over Evergreen
and a loss to NAIA No. 3 ranked Concordia, the Coyotes are all alone in
second-place in the Cascade Conference Northern Division with six loop matches
to go. The top-two teams in both the
North and South Division’s advance to the CCC Tournament in early November.
HUGE WIN OVER EVERGREEN: A benchmark for an up-and-coming program is the
ability to overcome others expectations.
Last season, the Lady ‘Yotes knocked off NCAA Division II Northwest
Nazarene – this year, Albertson sent Evergreen, ranked No. 5 in the regional poll,
home with a 2-1 loss at Symms Field. On
paper, and even at the game, the Geoducks seemed to be a much superior opponent
– much more speed and skill. However,
the Coyotes had the two big intangibles – heart and support, which led the team
to victory. Evergreen took an early
lead on a goal by All-American Tiffany Fenster, but the hosts fought back. Just before halftime, freshman Adele
Johnson (Riverton, Utah / Waterford HS) entered the contest and made
an immediate impact. The youngster
flicked the ball away from a Clam defender trying to clear the ball, used a
cross-over dribble to create space, and rolled a slow shot into the back of the
net to tie the score. The Lady ‘Yotes
would score the winner early in the second half, as a handball in the box
allowed senior Alyssa Latham (Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC) step
to the six-yard mark for a penalty kick, which she drove home inside the left
post.
DEFENSE WINS IT FOR ALBERTSON:
What clearly won the Evergreen match for
the Coyotes was a collective job of tough defense. Leading the charge was senior sweeper Shaila Goodman (La
Crescenta, Calif. / Boise State), along with senior defender Brittany
Cross (Washougal, Wash. / Washougal HS). Goodman directed traffic in front of the Coyote goal, while Cross
had the tough job of marking Tiffany Fenster – which she did well. The Clams had nine shots in the second half,
five on goal, but keeper Danielle Dorsch (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) stood
tough.
REED TIES CALPIN FOR CAREER
MARK: With the victory over
Evergreen, head coach Aisha Reed reached a major milestone in her short
coaching career. The win was her 14th
as Lady ‘Yote coach, tying her with current men’s head coach John Calpin atop
the all-time standings in Albertson women’s soccer history.
Head Coach Years Overall Record Pct.
Aisha Reed (2002-Present) 2 14-14-0 .500
John Calpin (1989-91) 3 14-15-5 .485
Kristine
Jones (1995-98) 4 13-39-5 .272
Hiro
Wantanabe (1992-93) 2 11-11-3 .500
Bill
Blazek (1999-01) 3 10-33-4 .255
Erin
Luthy (1994) 1 2-10-0 .167
POSITIVES
IN LOSS TO CONCORDIA: The highest-ranked
women’s soccer team ever to come to Symms Field left victorious on Saturday, as
No. 3 ranked Concordia shutout the Lady ‘Yotes for the first time this season
in a 5-0 victory. Despite the loss,
some positive notes can be taken from the match. Albertson had a golden opportunity to notch just the third goal
of the season against the Cavs, but junior striker Adria Carley (Emmett,
Idaho / Emmett HS) hit the left post in the sixth minute – and the Coyotes
would not have another shot one goal the rest of the afternoon. Credit must be given to Dana Landon (Idaho
Falls, Idaho / Idaho Falls HS), Kristi Dalsoglio (Boise, Idaho /
Meridian HS), and Katie Rupert (Boise, Idaho / North Idaho CC) for
their physical play in the midfield.
Although she gave up four goals and a penalty kick, Danielle Dorsch made
a season-high 11 saves – many from point-blank range.
REGIONAL
RANKINGS: Some changes took place in the
NAIA Region I top-five poll this week.
Evergreen bowed out of the rankings after losing to the Coyotes, while
Southern Oregon joined the group after a stunning 1-0 victory against Western
Baptist. Concordia leads the pack,
moving up to No. 3 in the NAIA national poll, followed by NAIA No. 14 ranked
Simon Fraser. Carroll of Montana jumped
from No. 4 to No. 3 with a 1-0 win over Rocky Mountain, with Western Baptist
and Southern rounding out the top-five.
CONFERENCE
STATISTICS: A trio of Coyotes are among
the top-ten in Cascade Conference statistics heading into weekend play. Alyssa Latham ranks third in the loop in
assists and assists per game, while ranking sixth in shots and eighth in total
points. Both Kristi Dalsoglio and Katie
Rupert rank fifth in both assists and assists per game.
OFF
TO UTAH, MEETING WITH DIVISION I SQUAD: For
only the third time in school history, the Albertson women’s soccer team will
take on an NCAA Division I program, as the Lady ‘Yotes head to Orem, Utah and a
date with Utah Valley State. The
Wolverines (3-2-1) made the jump from the junior college ranks over the summer
and compete as an independent, having already taken a win from Weber State and
a tie from Eastern Washington.
Midfielders Teryn Mendenall and Megan Dickerson, along with forward
Taylor Cracroft are the Utah Valley top guns.
Albertson faced both Boise State and Idaho State during the 1998 season
– the only other matches against NCAA Division I programs.
MORE
INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For
game stories, statistics, and information regarding the Albertson women’s
soccer program, head to the official site Lady ‘Yote Soccer: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmenssoccer.htm. Each night, scores and updated standings are
posted on the Conference Standings page within the Albertson women’s soccer
website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wsoccer/stats/standings.htm.
SHARE THE POSSIBILITIES AT
ALBERTSON COLLEGE: Refer a student! Just complete the referral form on the web site: http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/alumni/alumni_relations/Referral.htm or contact Charlene Brown , Assistant
Director of Admission, cbrown@albertson.edu,
phone (208) 459-5689.
- ALBERTSON -