ATHLETIC NEWS:
C-TOWN
FIGHT NIGHT RETURNS: On Thursday, The College of Idaho baseball team will join forces with
the
COYOTE
SOFTBALL TO RUN HITTING CLINICS IN JANUARY: The College of Idaho softball
program will be hosting Hitting Clinics in mid-January, announced by head coach
Al Mendiola. Mendiola,
the 2007 Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year, along with his
coaching staff and players will host the sessions this weekend - with the cost
just $30.00. The Saturday sessions are for elementary and junior high
school students. The 9 a.m. to noon session is for kids 8-11 years old,
with the 1-4 p.m. session for kids 12-15 years old. The Sunday sessions
are for high school players - with the 9 a.m. to noon session for freshmen and
sophomores, and the 1-4 p.m. session for juniors and seniors. Please fill
out the registration forms (located on the Coyote Softball homepage at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm)
and mail to Coach Mendiola in The C of I softball
office. The camp will focus on instruction based upon level of experience
and ability. Mechanics and fundamentals will be the main focus of
instruction for the elementary and junior high level. The high school
level will learn about the mental approach and preparation to hitting.
Parents and coaches are welcome to attend.
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Coyotes take four-game win streak to
COMING UP: at No. 3
LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon (PPD – snow), vs.
Northwest (67-48), vs.
RADIO/INTERNET/TELEVISION: All 30 regular-season games will be
broadcast live in the
LIVE STATS: Live statistics will be available
for all three games this week, Tuesday via the EOU athletic website at http://snake.eou.edu/athletics/livestats/mbx/xlive.htm,
Friday at Concordia via the CU athletic website at www.gocugo.com/stats/xlive.htm;
and Saturday at Corban via the Corban
athletic website at www.corban.edu/athletics/live/xlive.htm.
YOTES SWEEP WASHINGTON SCHOOLS: The Coyotes extended their win
streak to a season-best four games in a row with weekend wins at home over
Northwest and
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN THE NORTHWEST?: 17 games into the 2007-08 season, a quick look at the Coyotes schedule
shows how difficult the slate has been.
Of the nine losses by The C of I – seven have been to teams ranked or
receiving votes (Concordia-Irvine, Vanguard, Carroll, Oregon Tech, Warner
Pacific, and twice to Westminster), with the Yotes notching wins against three
NAIA Division I teams (Montana Western, Montana Tech, Westmont), with both
Northwest and
UNDER 50 UNDER OWEN: The 48 points scored by Northwest on
Friday night marked the eighth time under head coach Mark Owen that the Coyotes have held an opponent under 50 points in
a game – and the first time since the 2005-06 season. The other occasions – 49 by Warner Pacific
(2000-01), 47 by Southern Oregon (2005-06), 46 by Oregon Tech (2003-04), 45 by
Evergreen State (2005-06), 44 by Taylor (2002-03), 42 by Bethany (2000-01), 35
by Warner Pacific (2003-04).
MAGGARD HAS BIG WEEKEND: Despite playing against posts three,
four, and five inches taller than him, Coyote big-man J.R. Maggard (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) continues
to have a banner senior season. Maggard followed up an 11 rebound performance against
Northwest with a career game against
OWEN CONTINUES TO CARRY LOAD: Although he had his consecutive
30-point game streak ended at three, Josh
Owen (
CHAMP DOUBLES UP: For the second time in his career, Bryan Champ (
TAKE TWO – CAN THEY GET TO LA
GRANDE?: The
Coyotes and Eastern Oregon were set to play last Tuesday night, however, a
brutal winter storm made in impossible for The C of I to make the 150-mile
journey. The Yotes left Caldwell in a
snowstorm and took two hours to make it 50 miles – when they found out the
interstate ahead of them was closed. The
bus promptly turned around and traversed back home, with the game rescheduled
for this Tuesday night.
THIRD-RANKED MOUNTIES SET FOR YOTES:
The C of I heads
into the lion’s den on Tuesday night, traveling to Quinn Coliseum to meet
third-ranked
I-84 CUP ON THE LINE: The two teams will play once again
for more than just a victory, as the victor Tuesday will claim the I-84 Cup –
which signifies the rivalry between the two most eastern outposts in the
CCC. EOU and The C of I have met on the
hardwood every season since 1945, but began the I-84 Cup tradition in
2004. Since then, the Coyotes have won
four of the six games – but EOU has held the Cup since a 78-75 win over the
Yotes in La Grande last February.
BACK TO THE
CAREER RECORD BOOK: The Coyote career record book
continues to shuffle each week, as a pair of Yotes continue
their assault on history. Josh Owen
ranks in the Top-11 in ten categories – including No. 2 in career
three-pointers made (237) and attempted (606).
He is third in field goal attempts (1,032), sixth in points scored
(1,350), seventh in steals (138), eighth in assists (262), ninth in field goals
made (438 and free throws made (237), and is eleventh in games played (105) and
free throw attempts (276). Also on the
list is junior Bryan Champ, who is
No. 9 in career steals (136).
CASCADE
CONFERENCE TOP-SIX: The latest CCC Top-6
Coaches Poll was released on Monday – with teams jockeying for position. Oregon Tech assumed the top spot for the
first time this season, moving past
CASCADE
CONFERENCE STATS: The Coyotes as a team continue to lead the CCC in steals per
game (9.7) and in turnover margin (+5.2), ranking third in the NAIA in the
latter category. The squad has improved
in nearly every other league statistic – now No. 3 in three-pointers made per
game (8.3) and scoring defense (72.1), No. 6 in field goal percentage (.444)
and scoring margin (-0.2), No. 8 in free throw percentage (.689), three-point
percentage (.329), and assists per game (12.6), is ninth in scoring average
(72.1) and in blocks per game (1.9), and No. 11 in rebound margin (-7.6). Individually, Bryan Champ leads the league
and is No. 2 in the NAIA in steals per game (3.1), with Josh Owen leading the
league in minutes played per game (35.2) and three-pointers made per game
(3.1), while ranking No. 9 in scoring average (17.7) and free throw percentage
(.808).
CASCADE
CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Nate Menafee
(ESC) 23.7, Scott O’Gallagher (WP) 22.0, Ryan Fiegi (OIT) 20.7, Mark Carollo
(19.5), Wade Douglas (CRB) 19.3; Rebound Average – Jalonta
Martin (WP) 8.3, Josh Jarrett (NCC) 8.1, Joshua Wetzler
(OIT) 8.1, Ryan Barker (CAS) 8.0, Christian Cavanaugh (OIT) 8.0; Field Goal
Percentage – Wetzler .706, Kyle Janke
(EOU) .609, Cavanaugh .604, Matt Ochs (CU) .598, Douglas .584; Assist Average –
Fiegi 6.1, Jesse Alvarez (CU) 5.3, Jeremy Templeton
(EOU) 5.2, Martin 4.6, O’Gallagher 3.8.
DEFENSE
LEADS YOTES BY NORTHWEST: The Yotes held Northwest University to just
29-percent shooting for the night, as The C of I knocked off last season's NAIA
semifinalist, 67-48, Friday night. The
Eagles converted just 4-of-24 shots in the first half as The C of I closed the
half with six straight points to take a 34-20 lead at the half. The
second half saw the Yotes use a 17-6 run to open the period, including a
thunderous Steffen Spinks (Manteca, Calif. / East Union HS) dunk,
to build a 25-point lead and coast to the win.
Josh Owen led the Yotes with 18 points, with Spinks scoring 13 points,
and Bryan Champ scoring 11 points with four second half steals. J.R. Maggard had six points, but pulled down 11 rebounds and had
four steals. Northwest got 12 points and
six rebounds from Pat Mattson, with Greg Peters scoring 11 points off the
bench. The Eagles had 15 turnovers on the night, while the Yotes -
playing their first home game since Dec. 8, had just four.
OVERTIME
THRILLER GIVES C OF I WIN OVER CLAMS: The C of I connected on 7-of-8 free throws in overtime, as the
Coyotes upended visiting Evergreen State, 89-86, Saturday night. In a game that saw 13 ties and 15 lead
changes, the Coyotes outlasted an ultra-athletic Geoduck
club that dropped a heartbreaker at the buzzer last night to No. 3 Eastern
Oregon. Leading 40-39 at the break, The
C of I saw the Geoducks open the second half on a 11-2 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 50-42,
six minutes in to the period. But the Yotes would fight back, regaining
the lead on a Josh Owen triple, followed by a Steffen Spinks trey with 3:59
remaining - giving the hosts a 67-62. Evergreen was not done, as Nate Menefee banked in a long trey to tie the score at 73-73, then got an off-balanced Marcus Whittaker triple with eight
seconds left to send the game to overtime.
In the extra session, the Geoducks got
back-to-back Mike Ward buckets to take an 82-80 lead, but the Yotes got a Brian
Champ put-back with two minutes remaining to give them the lead for good.
After Spinks hit two free throws with 30-seconds left, Evergreen had two
chances to tie, but three's by Menefee and Ward
rimmed out, giving The C of I the win.
Owen led all scorers with 26 points, while J.R. Maggard
had his second double-double of the season - scoring a career-high 21 points,
to go with 12 rebounds. Champ had 18 points, ten rebounds, and five
steals in the win.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyotes, head
to the official homepage of The C of I men’s basketball – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: C of I will try again for
first-place battle at EOU,
COMING UP: at No. 19
LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon (PPD due to snow),
vs. Northwest (W 75-49), vs.
INTERNET/RADIO/TELEVISION: All ten
College of
LIVE STATS: Live stats will be available will be
available for the Eastern Oregon game on Tuesday, via the EOU athletic website
at http://snake.eou.edu/athletics/livestats/wbx/xlive.htm,
Friday at Concordia via the CU athletic website at www.gocugo.com/stats/xlive.htm;
and Saturday at Corban via the Corban
athletic website at www.corban.edu/athletics/live/xlive.htm.
CLARK JOINS THE 1,000 POINT CLUB: With a free throw late in the
victory Saturday night against Evergreen State, Whitney Clark (Jerome, Idaho
/ Northwest Nazarene U.) became the sixth College of Idaho women’s
basketball player to score 1,000-or-more points in her career. The senior has now scored 1,003 points in her
two-plus seasons with the Lady Yotes – and should move into fifth-place on the
list this week, as she trails Linsi Sloan (1,012
points) by just nine points. Others who
have score over the 1,000 point mark are Heidi Goicoechea
(1,393), Michelle Wescott (1,295), Alyson Pincock (1,265), and Jeannie Thompson (1,035).
OTHER CAREER MARKS: Three players have found their way
in The C of I career record book 14 games into the season. Whitney Clark is amongst the leaders in nine
different categories – No. 3 in three-point attempts (383), No. 4 in
three-pointers made (120) and free throws made (258), No. 5 in free throw
attempts (335), No. 6 in points scored (1,003) and field goal attempts (803),
No. 7 in field goals made (310), No. 9 in steals (123), and No. 11 in assists
(162). Denise Hill (Eugene, Ore. /
Boise State U.) is No. 8 in free throws made (158), No. 10 in free throw
attempts (231), while ranking No. 5 in field goal percentage (.484). Rounding out the group is Christon Vander Esch (
SECOND HALF LATELY THE LADY YOTES
FRIEND: During the
last three games, the Yotes have used big second-half runs to put away their
opponents. A week ago, The C of I used a
15-0 run early in the second half to beat Northwest Christian, then outscored
Northwest by 21 points in the second half on Friday. Saturday, it was a 31-10 run over the first
eight minutes of the second half that helped in the win over
HORNER CONTINUES TO DRAIN THE THREE:
The torrid pace by ShaNae Horner (
FILLING IN FOR HILL: With the season-ending injury to
Denise Hill, both Christon Vander Esch
and Magen Dufurrena (
OVER 80 POINTS EQUALS WINS: The win over
CAN THEY GET TO LA GRANDE: The Lady Yotes and
LADY YOTES SET FOR
LAST WIN IN LA GRANDE: The Coyotes have not won a regular
season game at Quinn Coliseum against EOU since the 2000-01season. The last time The C of I earned a victory
over the Mounties was in 2002, a 92-71 victory in the CCC Tournament
semifinals.
CONCORDIA LOOKING TO BREAK C OF I
HEX: The Yotes make
their third of three regular-season trips to the
LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT OUTCOME AT
CORBAN: Saturday,
the Lady Yotes head south to Corban, where they saw their 2006-07 season end in a CCC Tournament semifinal game. It isn’t the same Warriors (6-12, 2-6) team,
as Corban lost four starters to graduation, has a new
head coach in Terry Williams, and are mired in a seven-game losing streak. However, the attack is paced by Jessica Steigleman (16.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Corban’s
all-time leading scorer, along with newcomer Emily Goette
(12.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg). The Warriors have struggled offensively all
season – scoring just 58 points a night, converting just 24-percent of their
three-point attempts, while going 0-5 in games decided by seven points or
less. Corban
won two of the three meetings between the teams last season, but the Yotes hold
a 16-13 all-time series lead.
CCC TOP-6: The latest CCC Top-6 Coaches Poll
was released on Monday, with unbeaten
LEAGUE STATISTICS: 14 games into the season, the Lady
Yotes continue to lead the CCC as a team in steals per game (16.1) and turnover
margin (+7.3) – ranking No. 4 in steals and No. 6 in turnover margin in the
NAIA Division II. The C of I is second
in the loop in scoring offense (78.0), three-pointers made per game (7.3), and
three-point percentage (.354), No. 3 in free throw percentage (.696), No. 4 in
assists per game (14.6) and scoring margin (+7.1), No. 5 in field goal
percentage (.416), No. 8 in blocks per game (2.0), No. 9 in scoring defense
(70.9), and No. 10 in rebound margin (-4.9).
Individually, Christon Vander Esch leads the league in
steals per game (2.7) is third in blocked shots (1.3), and is ninth in rebounds
per game (7.3). Also in the top-ten is ShaNae Horner, who leads the league in three-point
percentage (.594), Kayla Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS), who is
No. 2 in three-point percentage (.438) and No. 9 in three-pointers made per
game (1.5), Whitney Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue
HS), who is No. 4 in steals (2.2), and Whitney Clark, who is No. 3 in
scoring average (16.0), No. 7 in steals (2.0), and No. 9 in free throw
percentage (.784).
CASCADE CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL
TOP-FIVE: Scoring
Average – Brittany Bowsher (NU) 17.4, Jessica Steigleman (CRB) 16.8, Whitney Clark (CI) 16.0, Crystal Idrogo (OIT) 15.7, Raquel Morin (CAS) 14.7; Rebound Average
– Te Awhina Aranui (CAS)
11.6, Jennifer Solberg (ESC) 9.3, Jackie Speer (SOU) 8.5, Cora McVey (OIT) 7.9,
Sheena Henderson (EOU) 7.6; Field Goal Percentage – Emily Goette
(CRB) .547, Elise Hawes (EOU) .547, Tiffany Ulmer (EOU) .542, Ann Snodderly (CU) .534, Ulmer .556, Danielle Clauson (CU) .517; Assist Average – Karissa
Boyd (WP) 5.0, Meagan Miyasaka (OIT) 4.9, Amy Croll (NCC) 4.6, Brittany Bostwick
(CRB) 4.3, Robin Swain (CAS) 4.1.
YOTES
STOP NORTHWEST: ShaNae Horner went 4-for-5 from outside the arc and
scored a game-high 16 points, as The C of I sprinted past Northwest University,
75-46, Friday night. Playing in their
first home game since Dec. 1, the Lady Yotes recovered from a difficult start,
missing their first 12 shots from the floor, using a 12-2 run to take a 30-22
lead to the locker room. The C of I used a 13-4 run to open the second
half to take control, building a lead as big as 29 points. Kayla Brewer had 12 points - all from outside
the arc, with Whitney Clark scoring 11 points - all in the second half. Christon Vander Esch had a
team-high ten rebounds in the win. The
Eagles, who have lost ten games in a row, got 16 points and nine rebounds from
Rachel Travis and 14 points from Brittany Bowsher.
However, NU turned the ball over 28 times in the game and watched the Lady
Yotes record a 43-35 edge on the glass.
35
TURNOVERS DO IN EVERGREEN: A 20-4 run over a six minute stretch early in the second half propelled
the Lady Yotes to an 82-60 victory over
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Lady Yotes,
head to the official homepage of The C of I women’s basketball – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.
SKIING: Season Preview
COMING
UP: at Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference Qualifier
#1 (Giant Slalom),
LAST
SEASON: Both the C of I men's and
women's alpine ski teams continued their dominance in the Northwest, claiming
their fifth-consecutive Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference
championships. The Lady Yotes placed second at the USCSA Western
Regional, with the men's team taking fourth - as the women's team advanced to
their ninth-straight national championship, with the men heading to nationals
for the fifth-straight year. Both teams placed ninth at the national
championships in
PREVIEWING THE MEN'S TEAM: The
men's ski team is short on experience, as only two competitors with extensive
collegiate time on the hill return.
Seniors Aaron
Flynn (
PREVIEWING
THE WOMEN'S TEAM: The Lady Yotes return
five skiers with loads of competitive experience - juniors Becky Anderson
(
WORDS
FROM THE COACH: Head coach Ron Bonneau likes what he sees in the 2008
Coyote ski team. "We definitely will have more depth to the team
this year than last year," said the Yote
leader. "We have always had good kids as part of this program, but
the 2008 team seems to have a special cohesive bond - which makes it fun.
They have a special opportunity to excell not only
this year, but for years to come."
ABOUT
THE NORTHWEST COLLEGIATE SKI CONFERENCE: The Coyotes join 13 other teams as part of the NWCSC - with the
schools competing in four weekend qualifiers during the regular season,
comprising of eight giant slalom runs and eight slalom runs.
The C of I will compete against
THIS
WEEK'S VENUE: The Yotes will travel this
weekend to Mount Spokane Ski and
ABOUT
THE COACH: Ron Bonneau
is in his 18th season as head coach for The College of Idaho alpine ski
programs. During his tenure at The C of I, the native
of New Hampshire has seen the Coyote men's team qualify for the USCSA
championships on ten occasions, with the women's team making appearances 13
times. His 2004 women's squad finished second in the nation in the slalom
and fourth in the alpine combined. The Coyotes have seen much success in
the 21st Century, as both the men's and women's programs, under Bonneau's direction, have won five-consecutive Northwest
Collegiate Ski Conference championships, with the Lady Yotes taking home
Western Regional championships in 1999, 2003 and 2006. His women's teams
have advanced to nine-consecutive USCSA championships, finishing in the Top-9
on each occasion. Bonneau,
a graduate of Plymouth State College, replaced Tom Olson as the alpine ski
coach in 1991 - and worked with Chris Melgaard on the
nordic side to claim the
women's nordic championships in 1994 and 1995.
During his tenure, he has coached five national champions, 30 All-Americans,
and 62 All-America Scholar-Athletes.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on
The C of I alpine ski program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes - www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/skiing.htm.
SWIMMING: Coyote Men win five events at
Pacific Lutheran, squad set to swim at Whitman
LAST WEEK: at Pacific Lutheran (Men L 126-63, Women L
152-51)
COMING
UP: at
Whitman, Saturday, 2 p.m. (PST)
COYOTE MEN WIN FIVE EVENTS AT PLU: In their first dual meet
since November, The College of Idaho men's swim team logged three individual
event winners and swept both relays at Pacific Lutheran on Saturday
afternoon. The Yotes won the 200-medley relay by nearly two seconds,
while taking home the crown in the 200-freestyle relay - in a season-best time
of 1:30.85, the fourth-fastest time in program history. Earning wins
against the Division III Lutes were Casey
Walker (
LADY YOTES TAKE SIX SECOND-PLACE FINISHES: Although The C of I did
not win a race on the women's side, the Lady Yotes took home six silver medals
at PLU. Both relay teams took second place to the host Lutes, while Annie Younggren (
YOTES HEAD BACK TO
YOTES AMONG TOP-20 TIMES IN THE NAIA: Four
C of I swimmers are among those listed in the most recent NAIA Top-20 list,
released in late December. Casey
Walker ranks in the Top-20 in three events – No. 7 in the 100-back,
No. 12 in the 200-back, and No. 18 in the 200-IM. John Green ranks in the Top-20 in two
events – No. 10 in the 100-free and No. 14 in the 50-free, as does Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell, Idaho /
Caldwell HS), who is No. 16 in the 200-breast and No.
16 in the 100-breast. Ellen Judd (
NAIA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS: Casey
Walker – 100-backstroke, 200-backstroke, 200-IM;
John Green – 50-freestyle, 100-freestyle; Alphonsina Savell –
100-breaststroke, 200-breaststroke; Ellen Judd – 200-breaststroke; Ashlee Byrnes (Vancouver, Wash. / Columbia River HS) –
200-butterfly; Men’s 200-freestyle relay; Men’s 200-medley relay; Men’s
400-freestyle relay, Men’s 400-medley relay, Men’s 800-freestyle relay; Women’s
200-freestyle relay; Women’s 200-medley relay; Women’s 400-freestyle relay,
400-medley relay.
NAIA BONUS CUT QUALIFIERS (must have at least one
“A” qualifying time): Casey Walker – 100-butterfly; John Green –
500-freestyle; Alphonsina Savell
– 50-free, 100-free, 200-IM, 400-IM; Ellen Judd – 100-breaststroke.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on the Coyote
swim team, head to the official homepage of The C of I,
www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm.