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ATHLETIC
NEWS:
COYOTE
APPAREL, A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT: With the holidays fast
approaching, Albertson College athletic apparel is a great gift for the
season. T-Shirts (short and long sleeved), sweatshirts, hooded
sweatshirts, polo shirts, and hats are available for purchase daily in the ACI
development office (third-floor, Sterry Hall) or by calling 459-5301.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (3-4, 1-0 CCC): ‘Yotes notch big win at Eastern, face tough trip vs. No. 1 Azusa and No.
12 Concordia
LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon (W 89-86)
COMING UP: at Cougar Classic, Azusa, Calif. –
Friday vs. No. 12 Concordia-Irvine, Friday, 5:30 p.m. (PST); Saturday vs. No. 1
Azusa Pacific, 7:30 p.m. (PST)
RADIO: All 27 regular-season men’s basketball games will be
broadcast live in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM, the “Home of the
Coyotes.” Mike Safford Jr. begins his
fifth season as the play-by-play man for Albertson basketball, with the pregame
show beginning 20 minutes prior to every game.
BIG WIN IN LA GRANDE: Sophomore Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) converted
six consecutive free throws within the final 45 seconds as the Albertson
College men's basketball hung on to defeat Eastern Oregon, 89-86, in the
Cascade Conference opener for both teams Friday night at Quinn Colesium. The win for the Coyotes ended a three-game losing streak
while snapping EOU’s three-game burst. Albertson
held a 81-71 edge with four minutes remaining, but the Mountaineers ran off
ten-straight, capped by two Chad Fairbanks free throws with a minute left to
tie the score. Enter Owen, who gave the 'Yotes leads of 85-83, 87-84, and
89-86 with his freebies. A Maurice Thomas desperation three at the final
horn went no good, allowing the Coyotes to escape. Brandon Nielsen (Twin Falls, Idaho / Big Bend CC) led all scorers
with 26 points for ACI, with Owen adding a career-high 23.
FREE THROWS SEAL THE DEAL: Knocking
down free throws late was the key to victory for the ‘Yotes, as Albertson went
11-for-11 from the line in the final five minutes at Eastern. Kurt Nielson (Rexburg, Idaho /
Eastern Utah CC) started the streak with a free throw completing a
three-point play, Derek Brown (Las Vegas, Nev. / Desert Pines HS)
added two more (giving the Coyotes a 81-71 lead), Brandon Nielsen hit two
inside the final minute, followed by the six-pack from Owen. The club hit 24-of-29 free throws on the
night, 13-of-15 in the second half.
YOUNGSTERS START, SENIORS SIT: Head coach
Mark Owen did something on Friday that most coaches wouldn’t – change his
line-up to start two players who have never started a college game, and sit his
only two seniors. When it was all said
and done, Owen knew what he was doing. Freshman
Kurt Nielson had five points and three rebounds in 21 minutes of play,
including key back-to-back buckets midway through the second half. J.R. Maggard (Caldwell, Idaho /
Vallivue HS) logged 18 minutes and didn’t score, but played outstanding defense
on the bigger EOU posts and grabbed a crucial rebound in the final three
minutes. Coming off the bench
jumpstarted Derek Brown, who played his best game of the season – scoring 12
points, grabbing nine rebounds, to go with four assists. Also off the bench was Dan McFaul (Moses
Lake, Wash. / Big Bend CC), who converted his first three shots, finishing
with 13 points and five rebounds.
HAS THE I-84 CUP LOST ITS LUSTER?: Although
the I-84 Cup enjoyed a round-trip to La Grande on Friday night (as the
traveling trophy was in Quinn Coliseum), no fanfare was present for the new “rivalry.” Unlike the past two games in which a
post-game ceremony presented the winner with the Cup, not one word was mentioned
of the trophy following the game – with the Cup being secured by a group of ACI
fans 15-minutes following the contest and escorted back to Caldwell.
CASCADE CONFERNENCE POLL: The first Cascade
Conference coaches’ poll was conducted on Monday morning, with voting among the
top-six teams pretty tight. Leading the
way was Southern Oregon, who earned six first-place votes after starting CCC
play with a 2-0 mark. Unbeaten Warner Pacific
vaulted to No. 2 and should enter the NAIA national poll. Despite an 0-2 start to conference play,
Oregon Tech remains at No. 3, followed by Albertson and Concordia. Eastern Oregon and Northwest were tied for
sixth, followed by Corban, Evergreen State, and Cascade. The first NAIA Division I regular-season
poll will be released on Wednesday afternoon.
LEAGUE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Eric Fiegi (COR)
29.4, Joshua Garrett (CAS) 20.4, Shea Washington (SOU) 19.6, Michael Lay (CU)
19.2, Levell Hesia (OIT) 18.3; Rebound Average – Fiegi 10.6, Jeff Williams
(SOU) 9.3, Washington 7.7, Cody Aker (CU) 7.6, Aaron Sawyer (NW) 7.5; Field
Goal Percentage – Thomas Cook (ESC) .744, Tanner McIntosh (EOU) .667, Erion
Moore (SOU) .660, Washington .632, Lay .622;
Assist Average – Lay 5.9, Hesia 5.7, Donny Woods (WPC) 5.1, Garrett 5.0,
Andre Lawrence (OIT) 4.9.
COUGAR CLASSIC WELCOMES COYOTES: Albertson
heads to Southern California this weekend, making their third trip to SoCal
under Mark Owen. It will be the ‘Yotes
second appearance at the Cougar Classic, hosted by Azusa Pacific in their
spacious 3,700-seat Felix Event Center – as Albertson participated in the
2000-01 tournament, playing in the first contest in the building’s
history. ACI opened the building with an
84-42 victory over Bethany, but dropped an 86-69 decision to host Azusa
Pacific.
ABOUT CONCORDIA-IRVINE: The Coyotes open up the
Cougar Classic against the 2004 NAIA Division I national champions, Concordia-Irvine. The Eagles (3-3) began the season ranked No.
12 in the nation, but are in a rebuilding mode this year. Leading the way is 6-4 combo-guard Joe Roberson
(20.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg), a transfer from San Francisco State who earned
All-Conference honors last year.
Concordia is big up front, led by forwards Levi Luster (10.0 ppg, 5.0
rpg) and Josh Kramer (14.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
The Eagles have notched wins over Montana-Western, Carthage (Wisc.), and
Wisconsin River Falls, while lost to Carthage, Westminster, and San Diego
Christian. It is the first meeting
between Albertson and CUI.
ABOUT AZUSA PACIFIC: Saturday night, the ‘Yotes meet
the NAIA Division I preseason No. 1 ranked team, Azusa Pacific, the
defending NAIA Division I national runner-up.
The Cougars (5-1) return four starters from last years 29-10 club,
including All-American Lance Soderberg (13.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg), a 6-9 senior that
can play inside and out. Transfer
Damario Butler (17.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg) was a junior college All-American, while 6-7swingman
Scott Zea (11.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has an outstanding perimeter shot. APU is led by head coach Bill Odell, who
picked up his 400th career win over the weekend against Westmont. It is the fourth meeting between the teams,
with Azusa Pacific leading the all-time series, 2-1.
LAST TIME AGAINST NO. 1: Albertson last played a No.
1 ranked team during the 2002-03 season, when top-ranked Oregon Tech came to
Caldwell in January. OIT topped the ‘Yotes
that night, 85-66.
PRESEASON RANKINGS BECOMING FAMILIAR: For the
fifth-consecutive season, the Coyotes have been ranked to start the
season. Last season, Albertson began
the year No. 21 and ascended as high as No. 5 in the nation. The last team not to be ranked to start a
season was the 2000-01 club, the first season with Mark Owen as head coach, a
team that eventually advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA Tournament.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the official site Coyote Basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (5-4, 0-1 CCC): Lady ‘Yotes to meet NNU on Tuesday night, travel to Aramark Classic in
La Grande
LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon (L 67-47)
NOTE SCHEDULE AND TIME CHANGES: Montana
Tech has dropped out of the Aramark Classic this weekend in La Grande. Albertson will now play Rocky Mountain on
Saturday night. Tournament times are
different than on pocket schedules as well – the Lady ‘Yotes will play both
nights at 5 p.m., instead of the originally scheduled 5:30 p.m. (PST) times.
COMING UP: at Northwest Nazarene, Tuesday, 7
p.m.; at Aramark Classic, La Grande, Ore. – Friday vs. Montana-Western, 5 p.m.
(PST); Saturday vs. Rocky Mountain, 5 p.m. (PST)
RADIO AND INTERNET: All nine women’s CCC road games
will be broadcast live this season on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr.
calling the action. Although no ACI
broadcasts will be originated this week, fans can listen to the Albertson-NNU
game Tuesday night online at http://media.nnu.edu
with John Brasch calling the action.
LIVE STATS: Live stats of the Aramark Classic
will be available via the Eastern Oregon athletic website at www.eoni.com/~sghrist/livestats/wbx/xlive.htm.
CANYON COUNTY SHOWDOWN, WOMEN’S STYLE: Tuesday
night, Canyon County will have its eyes on the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa,
as Albertson and Northwest Nazarene meet on the hardwood for the only time
this year in women’s basketball. The
two teams have played every year since the Lady ‘Yotes brought back women’s
basketball, with the exception of the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons. The series has been lopsided, as NNU has won
16-of-19 games between the teams – including all ten meetings in Nampa.
ABOUT NORTHWEST NAZARENE: The Crusaders (1-1) have
only played two counting games this season – defeating Bethany (Calif.) 90-57
and losing to Linfield (Ore.) 64-58. NNU
has been a rebounding force in the two games, averaging 18 more rebounds than
their opponents, however, the Crusaders are averaging 26 turnovers per
contest. Leading the way is Danielle
Dwello (17.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Jessica Metz (11.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), both returning
starters. The key is point-guard
Mallory Whipple (10.5 ppg), who is averaging nearly ten turnovers per game.
LAST YEAR: Albertson College held Northwest
Nazarene without a field goal for the final 6:29 of the game, using a
game-ending 12-0 run to upset the NCAA Division II Crusaders, 72-63, in the
J.A. Albertson Activities Center. With
the win, the Lady 'Yotes ended an eight-game losing streak to NNU, topping the
Crusaders for the first time since Feb. 20, 1999. NNU took a 63-60 lead on a pair
of Danielle Pridgen free throws with 5:52 left, but would miss their final nine
shots and not score again. Albertson would tie it on a Libby Baker
(Dillon, Mont. / Beaverhead County HS) trey, then make five free throws
down the stretch, sandwiched around lay-ups by Angie Gribble (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) and Desirae Smoot (Provo, Utah / Western
Wyoming CC). Kasey Hooter scored a
game-high 17 points and 15 rebounds, making 7-of-9 shots from the floor.
Valissa Sneck had 15 points and seven assists, with Gribble recording 15 points
and seven assists.
EASTERN OREGON TOPS LADY ‘YOTES IN LEAGUE OPENER: Albertson
College shot just 27-percent from the floor and just 16-percent from
three-point range, as Eastern Oregon ran away with a 67-47 Cascade Conference
victory at Quinn Coliseum on Friday night.
The Mountaineers extended a winning streak to seven with their
eighth-straight win over ACI. Eastern led 45-28 with 13:57 left, but
watched as the 'Yotes scored seven points in 30 seconds to cut the margin to
ten. However, the Mounties got a trey from Christie Weaver and
back-to-back Heidi Horobiowski jumpers and were never threatened again. Adria Layne led all scorers with 17 points
and 14 rebounds, with Horobiowski adding 15.
Albertson, which had a four-game win streak snapped, saw Whitney
Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest Nazarene U.) score ten, the lone
player in double figures.
THE THREE IS THE TELL-TALE SIGN: How the
three-point shot goes through the twine has been the sign whether or not the Lady
‘Yotes have won this season. In the
five victories in 2005, Albertson has converted 40-of-98 treys, a .408
three-point field goal percentage. In
the four losses this season, the Coyotes have struggled beyond the arc, making
just 11-of-56 three’s, or a .196 percentage.
BACK TO LA GRANDE GO THE COYOTES: For the
second-straight weekend, the Lady ‘Yotes will head on the 150-mile jaunt to La
Grande, this time for the Aramark Classic, hosted by Eastern Oregon. Last season, ACI went 1-1 in the tournament,
defeating Walla Walla, but dropping a game to Whitman.
ABOUT MONTANA-WESTERN: Albertson opens up play
against Montana-Western, the No. 18 ranked team in the NAIA Division II,
who defeated the Coyotes 76-62 in November.
The Bulldogs (11-1) have won seven games in a row, and have won three
games against nationally-ranked foes (No. 7 Oklahoma City, No. 12 Azusa
Pacific, No. 22 Campbellsville) over the last three weeks. Western is led by the one-two punch of posts
Becky O’Neil (17.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Katherine Sunwall (12.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg),
along with shooting guard Megan Schmitz (14.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg). The Bulldogs have won the past four meetings
in a row and hold an 8-2 all-time series edge with the Lady ‘Yotes.
NOT MUCH ABOUT ROCKY: Not much is known about Rocky
Mountain, who were a last-minute addition to the Aramark line-up, after
Montana Tech decided not to make the trip.
The Battlin’ Bears (3-8) have a perfect 3-0 record on their home court
in Billings, Mont., but are 0-8 on the road.
No statistics are available on Rocky, a Frontier Conference squad that
has never faced the Coyotes.
CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Emilee Eisinger
(NW) 20.8, Jori Grady (ACI) 16.7, Rachel Ross (ESC) 15.5, Jenny Olson (ESC)
15.1, Darcy Madison (CU) 14.9; Rebound Average – Ashley DuBrey (OIT) 10.9,
Joyce Oniah (CU) 9.9, Becky VanTine (WPC) 9.4, Olson 9.1, Ross 8.5; Field Goal
Percentage – Eisinger .588, Brianne Carras (COR) .569, Adria Layne (EOU) .556,
Brittany Bowsher (NW) .550, Grady .524; Assist Average – Tosha Wilson (COR)
5.6, Jacque Barton (WPC) 4.0, Cassie Snyder (NW) 4.0, Chelsey Zimmerman (SOU)
3.7, Amanda Spivey (CAS) 3.6.
COACHES POLL: The first regular season Cascade
Conference coaches’ poll was released, with Corban leading the way, followed by
Eastern Oregon, Evergreen State, and Warner Pacific. The Lady ‘Yotes placed fifth, with Southern Oregon rounding out
the top-six.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For up-to-date statistics, stories, and information about the Albertson women’s basketball team, head to the official website for the Lady ‘Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.
VOLLEYBALL (27-7): Hartman named All-American, Lady ‘Yotes finish tied
for ninth at NAIA Championships
LAST WEEK: at NAIA National Championships,
San Diego – vs. No. 1 Fresno Pacific (L 3-0), vs. No. 14 Houston Baptist (L
3-0), vs. No. 11 Georgetown (Ky.) (W 3-2), vs. No. 21 Lee (Tenn.) (W 3-0).
HARTMAN NAMED ALL-REGION, ALL-AMERICAN: After an
outstanding 2005 season, Coyote middle blocker Fran Hartman (Lakeview,
Ore. / Lakeview HS) was the ‘Yotes lone selection to the All-NAIA Region I
team and the lone selection as an honorable mention NAIA All-American. The senior led Albertson with 421 kills and
a .352 hitting percentage – both among the top-ten for a single-season in
school history. The lone four-year
member of the team, Hartman finished her career with 1,055 kills and 270 blocks
– both No. 4 on the all-time list, while playing in 396 games.
COYOTES FINISH NINTH AT NATIONALS: After
running off seven consecutive postseason victories, the ship that was the
Albertson College volleyball team ran into choppy waters at the 2005 NAIA
Volleyball Championships, but managed their best national finish in school
history. The Lady ‘Yotes dropped their opening
two games in straight-sets, but rallied to win back-to-back games to finish
third in the five-team Pool A, one win shy of a national quarterfinal
berth. Albertson was among a group of
four teams tied for ninth-place, equaling the highest finish by a Cascade
Conference squad since the 1998 season.
WHERE THAT RANKS IN ‘YOTE HISTORY: The 27
wins amassed by the ‘Yotes in 2005 are the most by a volleyball club in school
history – with an asterisks next to it.
The 1982 team won 28 games – many against junior colleges, with some of
the matches best-of-three affairs. The
.794 win percentage is tops in history, as is the seven losses being the fewest
by an Albertson club. The ninth-place
finish overall is also the highest finish by a Coyote women’s program in NAIA competition
in five years (women’s basketball placed second in the NAIA in 2001).
MENDIOLA WINS #100: With a victory over Georgetown
(Ky.) on Day 2 of the tournament, head coach Liz Mendiola eclipsed the
100-win mark in her Coyote coaching career.
The fifth-year head coach finishes the season with a 101-52 overall
record, needing just 13 victories to become the all-time winningest coach in
program history. During Mendiola’s
tenure, the Lady ‘Yotes have won at least 17 games each year, qualified for the
Cascade Conference tournament every season, and advanced to the NAIA Region I
tournament on three occasions.
VS. NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS: The Lady ‘Yotes
squared off against seven different nationally ranked teams during the 2005
season, recording an overall 7-6 mark in matches against teams in the
Top-25. Albertson won four of the seven
matches against teams ranked in the Top-14 or higher (their victory over then
No. 8 Southern Oregon in the CCC title game equaled the highest-ranked team the
‘Yotes had ever defeated).
RECAP OF DAY 1 AT NATIONALS: The
opening day of the 2005 NAIA Volleyball National Tournament was not kind to the
Albertson College spikers, as the Lady 'Yotes dropped a pair of straight-set
matches to No. 1 ranked Fresno Pacific and No. 14 ranked Houston Baptist last
Wednesday. In the morning match, Thais
Julio recorded 15 kills and 15 digs as top-ranked and No. 1 seed Fresno Pacific
ended the Coyotes seven-game win streak with a 30-21, 30-18, 30-21 win at
Golden Gym. This afternoon, Nicole Westerterp racked up 14 kills as
Houston Baptist topped ACI 30-21, 30-25, 30-19. Julio, a native of Brazil, helped the Sunbirds use a five-point push in Game 1 to break a
5-5 tie and were never threatened. The
Coyotes would take leads of 1-0, 4-3, and 5-4 in Game 2, but a seven-point run,
keyed by setter Shu Liu of China, helped FPU to the lopsided win. Albertson stayed within striking distance in
Game 3, trailing just 15-12, but a pair of Julio kills and two Gera Bahr aces
gave the Sunbirds a commanding edge. Fran
Hartman, Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS), and Anne Parker
(Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) each
had six kills for the Lady 'Yotes, while Charity Gaston (Harrisonberg,
Va. / James Madison U.) recorded 12 digs. HBU had an all-around solid
match in the nightcap, rolling to a .376 attack percentage, while holding the
Coyotes to a .193 clip. The tell-tale statistic was hitting errors, which
ACI held a 21-8 edge. Hartman and Hogue
each had 11 kills for the Lady 'Yotes, who were held to a season-low one block
in the match. The Huskies, the Region VI champ, got ten kills and 12 digs
from Jessica Barrera.
RECAP OF
DAY 2 AT NATIONALS: Albertson
College battled back from two-games down to notch head coach Liz Mendiola her
100th victory in her coaching career, a hard-fought 23-30, 23-30, 30-28, 30-20,
15-13 win over No. 11 ranked Georgetown (Ky.) Thursday morning in Pool Play at
the NAIA Championships. The squad then won 30-26, 30-24, 30-18 over No.
21 ranked Lee (Tenn.) in an afternoon.
This morning,
the Coyotes forced the tournament's No. 8 seed into 48 hitting errors, while
freshman Kathryn Ely (La Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS) racked up
20 kills and 16 digs to lead the charge.
Katie Hogue had
14 kills and six blocks, while libero Charity Gaston recorded 36 digs - the
seventh time this season she has record 30-or-more digs. Amy Schiller led the Tigers, the Region XI champions, with
21 kills. Jessica Hoeh added 11 kills and 27 digs in the loss. Four hours later, a potent Albertson attack smashed 60 kills
to the sweep of the Tigers. Fran Hartman and Ely each had 14 kills, Hogue
added 12 kills and four aces, while Erin Cherrington (Granby, Colo. /
Middle Park HS) recorded 50 assists. Gaston continued her torrid
streak with 26 digs. Lee was led by the 11 kills of Daisy
Varbanova and the 27 digs of Courtney Williams.
CAL BAPTIST WINS SECOND-STRAIGHT TITLE: In the
end, California Baptist took home their second-straight NAIA title with a three-game
victory over National American (S.D.)
RECORDS FALL: Charity Gaston, one of four
seniors who played their final match at the tournament, established new school
marks for digs in a season (704) and digs per game (5.72), while becoming the
seventh player in school history to record more than 1,000 career digs (1,007). Sophomore
Katie Hogue established a new single-season record for aces (68), while junior
Erin Cherrington broke her own school record for assists per game (13.03).
MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2005 volleyball team can be found on Albertson volleyball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm. Up-to-date Cascade Conference standings can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/stats/standings.htm.
SWIMMING: Coyotes set 13 school records at Northwest Invitational
LAST WEEK: at Northwest Invitational, Portland, Ore. – Men placed eighth, Women placed ninth
COMING UP: at Seattle University, Jan. 14, 11 a.m. (PST)
‘YOTES HAVE OUTSTANDING MEET IN PORTLAND: A
total of 13 school records fell this weekend as the Albertson College men's and
women's swim teams competed at the Northwest Invitational, hosted by Lewis
& Clark College. The
men's squad scored 212 points in the two-day event, winning two titles,
finishing eighth out of nine teams (finishing ahead of Whitworth), while the
women scored 103 points, finishing ninth out of ten teams (ahead of Pacific).
BARCLAY WINS RACE, QUALIFIES IN 50-FREE: Leading
the charge for the ‘Yotes was senior sprinter Matt Barclay (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS), who took home the title in the 50-freestyle in
22.64 seconds. Not only did Barclay top
the other 36 swimmers in the field and defeat the lone competitor to beat him
this season (J-Law Lawson of Lewis & Clark), but he recorded an NAIA
provisional qualifying time in the event.
SAVELL ADDS ANOTHER NAIA QUALIFYING TIME: On the women’s side, freshman Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) recorded a fifth-place finish in the 200-breaststroke (2:42.59) – also an NAIA provisional qualifying time. Savell, who placed third in the 100-breast (1:14.58) and eighth in the 50-free (school-record time of 26.39), recorded 41 overall points during the weekend.
WOMEN’S RELAY OFF TO NATIONALS: Also joining the party at nationals will be the women’s 200-freestyle relay team, which shattered the school record in a time of 1:52.31 – nearly three seconds faster than the previous top-time.
OTHER RECORDS BROKEN: Records also fell in the men's 100-free, 100-back, 100-fly, 100-breast, 200-medley, 200-freestyle relay, and 200-medley relay, while women's records fell in the 100-free and 200-back.
NATIONAL QUALIFIERS: Matt Barclay (50-free), Alphonsina Savell (100-breast, 200-breast), Men’s 200-freestyle relay, Women’s 200-freestyle relay, Women’s 200-medley relay – a total of nine athletes.
MORE ON THE COYOTE SWIM TEAM: For more information on the Albertson swim team, including meet results and top times, head to their official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm.
- ALBERTSON -