Yote Notes – Oct. 2, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS:

COYOTE OPEN A SUCCESS: The latest edition of the storied Coyote Open Golf Tournament was a major success for the Albertson College of Idaho athletic department, as 184 golfers joined 109 sponsors at the event, last Friday at Falcon Crest Golf Course. For complete results of the tournament, along with the ticket numbers of unclaimed raffle prizes, head to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/2007Open.htm.

GOLFERS, SWIMMERS SET TO GO: The ACI golf teams will return to action in less than two weeks, heading to Vancouver, Wash., for the second Cascade Conference Tournament. The Yotes will tee it up for 54-holes at Tri-Mountain Golf Course, beginning Oct. 15. Also, the Coyote swim team will make their season debut under first-year head coach Mary Parsons, next Saturday, as ACI travels for a dual at Whitworth College.

THE COYOTES NEW “ASSISTANT SID”: ACI sports information director Mike Safford and his wife, Liza, celebrated the birth of their first child last Tuesday, as Parker James Safford was born at West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell. P.J. was seven pounds, 12-ounces and measured 21 ¼ inches in length. Mother and son are doing well (Picture of P.J.)

VOLLEYBALL (10-6, 8-0 CCC): ACI puts eight-game win streak on line at Concordia and Corban

LAST WEEK: vs. Evergreen State (W 3-0), vs. Northwest (W 3-0)

COMING UP: Exhibition vs. College of Southern Idaho, Tuesday, 7 p.m.; at Concordia, Friday, 7 p.m. (PDT); at Corban, Saturday, 7 p.m. (PDT)

LIVE VIDEO ON THE INTERNET: The exhibition match on Tuesday against the College of Southern Idaho will be broadcast live on the Internet, thanks to local sports site, IdahoSportsZone.com. The tandem of J Bates and Will Hoenike will have the play-by-play, beginning at 7 p.m., Tuesday night. To access the broadcast, which is free, head to www.IdahoSportsZone.com.

THE STREAKS ROLL ON: ACI extended a pair of long streaks stopped Evergreen State and Northwest at home. The Lady Yotes ran their Cascade Conference win streak to 26 matches in a row and their win streak against teams not receiving votes in the NAIA poll to 52 in a row. ACI has not lost a CCC match since the 2005 season, and has not lost a match to a non-receiving votes team since August of 2005. The Lady Yotes have also won 29 games in a row in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center, dating back to the 2005 season.

BACK AT HOME: The Lady Yotes have enjoyed much success in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center over the last 12 years, compiling a 122-36 record in the building – winning 77-percent of their matches. Over the last three seasons, ACI has a staggering 41-2 record at home, including the current 29-match home win streak. Under Liz Mendiola, the Lady Yotes have a 70-12 record in the JAAC.

HOGUE NETS TWO MARKS ON WAY TO CAREER BLOCKS RECORD: Heading into last week, NAIA All-American middle blocker Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) needed just eight blocks to become the all-time career leader in ACI history. After five blocks on Friday against Evergreen State, Hogue used the most prolific blocking display in school history to break the record on Saturday night. The senior set single-game marks for block assists and total blocks in a match – recording 11 block assists and 13 total blocks in the three game victory. Hogue broke the block assist record of ten set by Fran Hartman in 2004 and Barb Brazier in 1997, and topped the total blocks mark of 11 set by Kristin Bailey (2003) and Farrah Keanaaina (1994). She now has 481 blocks in her career, ten more than the record Jesse Evett set from 1994-97.

NEXT MARK IS ELY’S, LOOKING FOR 1,000 KILLS: The next record to fall will be that of outside hitter, Kathryn Ely (La Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS), and her quest to become the seventh member of the 1,000-kill club. The junior has 998 kills in her career, and barring injury, should break the record at Concordia on Friday night.

LINK HAS BEST WEEKEND AS COLLEGIAN: Making the most of her playing time, right side hitter Jessie Link (Tonopah, Nev. / Nicholls State U.) had the top offensive numbers of any Lady Yote last week. In three games played, the redshirt sophomore recorded 11 kills on 15 swings, without a hitting error – good enough for a .733 attack percentage.

YOTES SERVE ASIDE EVERGREEN: ACI dispatched a short-handed Evergreen State team in three games - 30-12, 30-12, 30-8, on Friday night in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. Jessie Link had her best match as a collegian, recording eight kills on ten swings without an error, while Kristin Henning (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) had eight kills and four blocks.  Katie Hogue had seven kills, five blocks, and four aces, with Sarah Buhler (Middleton, Idaho / Middleton HS) recording seven kills and five blocks.  Catherine Everist (Portland, Ore. / Chicago State U.) had a team-high 17 digs and seven of the Yotes 18 service aces. The Geoducks, who had just six players available for the match, fell to 0-7 all time in Caldwell.  Evergreen could not get into a rhythm, recording jus ten kills in the match, while being forced into 23 hitting errors.

NORTHWEST NO MATCH FOR ACI: The aforementioned big night from Katie Hogue helped the Lady Yotes win their eighth-straight match, stopping Northwest University 30-19, 30-13, 30-22 Saturday in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. Hogue added 13 kills and four aces to go along with her record-setting 13 blocks. Joining the party for the Yotes were both Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) and Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.), who had 11 kills a piece, while Catherine Everist led all players with 20 digs and four aces. The visiting Eagles got ten kills from Gina Lubanovici and 24 assists from Tarah Petrick, but could not stop the Yotes attack, as ACI blasted 51 kills.

NAIA POLL: The Yotes fell one spot to No. 12 in the NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll, released last Wednesday. ACI, who has won eight matches in a row, has now been ranked in the Top-25 in each of the last 17 rankings.  Eight teams ACI faced this season are in the Top-25 - No. 1 Fresno Pacific, No. 4 National American, No. 5 Biola, No. 7 Point Loma Nazarene, No. 9 Westminster, No. 16 Vanguard, and No. 17 Savannah A&D. The NAIA poll is released each Wednesday afternoon by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.

PREVIOUS NATIONAL POLLS: The Coyotes have been ranked in the Top-25 on 22 occasions in program history – the second (No. 24) and third (No. 19) polls of the 1997 season, the preseason (No. 15) and first poll (No. 19) of the 2001 season, the final poll during the 2005 season (No. 24), the preseason poll and all 11 rankings during the 2006 season, the 2007 preseason poll., and the fourth regular-season polls this season. ACI has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the poll.

REGIONAL POLL: The fifth NAIA Region I Top-10 ranking was released on Monday, with the Yotes remaining in a tie for first-place in the rankings. For the second-straight week, ACI is in a tie for the top spot with Westminster. Southern Oregon moved into third, followed by Montana Tech and Lewis-Clark State. The next five include Oregon Tech, Concordia, Rocky Mountain, Great Falls, and Eastern Oregon. The regional poll will be released each Monday afternoon during the regular-season.

RECORD BOOK: Five Coyotes continued their climb up the career record book. Katie Hogue ranks first all-time in blocks (481), fourth in kills (1,180), and sixth in aces (161). Anne Parker is fifth all-time in blocks (333) and is ninth in kills (795), with Kathryn Ely now seventh on the all-time kills list (998). Tiffany Sower (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is now fifth all-time in aces (166) and is seventh in digs (1,048), while teammate Catherine Everist is sixth in digs (1,116).

CONFERENCE / NATIONAL STATISTICS: As a team, the Yotes lead the CCC in aces per game (2.45) and blocks per game (2.75), are second in hitting percentage (.216) and kills per game (13.85), and are third in assists per game (12.57) – while leading the loop in attack percentage (.305), blocks (3.26), and aces (3.40) in league-only counters. Individually, Katie Hogue ranks in the Top-10 in three categories – third in both hitting percentage (.299) and blocks (1.18), and is fourth in aces (0.48). Other Yotes in the Top-10 are Catherine Everist, who is No. 3 in digs (5.43), Sarah Buhler is No. 5 in blocks (1.13), Ashley Galeai (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) is No. 5 in assists (7.50), and Kathryn Ely is No. 8 in kills (3.14). In league-only games, Kristin Henning leads the CCC in hitting percentage (.471) and is second in blocks (1.53), Hogue tops the charts in blocks (1.64) and is second in both hitting percentage (.427) and aces (0.68), and Everist leads the league in aces (0.76). This season, the NAIA is compiling a weekly national statistical report, thanks to DakStats. To read the national report, head to the Coyotes DakStats webpage at http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WVB&sea=NAIWVB_2007&team=1900.

EIGHT-TIME JUCO CHAMPS HEADED TO C-TOWN: Tuesday, ACI holds a non-counting exhibition match against the College of Southern Idaho. The junior college from Twin Falls has won eight NJCAA national titles and are led by former Coyote, Heidi Cartisser. The Golden Eagles (22-5) are led by Alyssa Wistrick (3.3 k/g, 1.0 b/g) and Gabby Bulawczyk (2.9 k/g, 2.3 d/g) and recently had a 14-match win streak snapped by Salt Lake CC.

BACK TO THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY: After the brief homestand, the Lady Yotes make their final trip to the Willamette Valley this season for a pair of key CCC matches. On Friday, a solid Concordia team hosts ACI – which should be a stern road test. The Cavaliers (10-7, 6-2 CCC) are alone in third-place in the league standings, thanks to the play of hitters Lindsey Fryer (3.39 k/g, 0.91 b/g) and Raluca Dinca (3.23 k/g, 2.46 d/g) and libero Rachel Cotter (5.64 d/g). It is the 51st meeting between the teams, with ACI holding a 30-20 series edge, including eight wins in a row. Saturday, it’s a trip south to Corban, where first-year head coach Heather Dunn has the team thinking playoffs. The Warriors (7-7, 5-3) are much improved and a balanced team – paced by hitters Rachelle Davenport (3.65 k/g, 2.72 d/g) and Chelsea Reeher (3.02 k/g, 2.82 d/g), setter Amy Thompson (10.72 a/g), and libero Margo Wyatt (5.68 d/g). It is the 32nd meeting between the teams, with ACI holding a 21-10 edge, including four wins in a row.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: With ACI and Eastern heading to Portland this week, the other Portland schools (Warner Pacific and Cascade) will make the trek south to Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon. Evergreen State and Northwest will venture south as well to Northwest Christian. This marks Week 5 of the round-robin schedule – as the halfway point in the CCC season occurs following Saturday night.

ABOUT THE COACH: Liz Mendiola is in her seventh season as the ACI head volleyball coach.  During her first six seasons at the helm, the Coyotes have advanced to six consecutive Cascade Conference tournaments, four NAIA regional tournaments, and back-to-back trips to the NAIA National Championships, amassing a record of 146-62, the most wins in school history. Last season, she led the Lady Yotes to their best season in program history, compiling a 35-4 record - earning CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year honors.  ACI won their first Cascade Conference championship in 24 years, becoming just the second school to complete the league schedule without a loss.  The Coyotes also captured their second-straight CCC Tournament title, along with their second-straight NAIA Region I Tournament title, before placing ninth at the NAIA Championships.  Her team set a school-record with 22 straight wins and heads into the 2007 season with a 25-game home win streak and a 45-game win streak against non-ranked opponents, dating back to 2005. Mendiola was an assistant for the Coyotes on two separate occasions – from 1995-96 and from 1999-2000, before elevating to head coach. She has also coached club volleyball at Emmett High, for the Treasure Valley Volleyball Club, the Boise River Volleyball Club, and various camps in the Northwest. A native of Jerome, Mendiola graduated from ACI in 1996 with a degree in elementary education, and taught kindergarten in Nampa before becoming head coach in 2001. A two-year member of the Coyotes, Mendiola set school records for kills per game (4.86) in 1994, and holds the school mark for kills per game in a career (4.46). She earned All-CCC honors following her senior season with the Yotes. Mendiola is married to former Coyote baseball standout and current ACI softball coach Al Mendiola. The Mendiola’s have two children, Aleah and Micah, and live in Caldwell.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI volleyball program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm.

MEN’S SOCCER (6-4-1, 3-3-1 CCC): Yotes look to rebound on Wednesday as second half opens against Cascade

COMING UP: vs. Cascade, Wednesday, 1 p.m.

NOTE GAME TIME: Fans take note that the start time of the ACI-Cascade match on Wednesday is set for 1 p.m. at Symms Field. This is different than the 3 p.m. start time that was published in the 2007 Coyote Soccer Media Guide.

TALE OF TWO GAMES IN PORTLAND: It was a weird weekend in the Rose City for the ACI men’s soccer team – as the Yotes dropped a pair of one-goal decisions to conclude the first half of the Cascade Conference round-robin. On Friday, traffic in Portland delayed the team on Interstate 5 for nearly an hour, with the Coyotes arriving at Concordia just 15 minutes prior to kickoff. It was the opposite on Saturday and ACI’s match at Warner Pacific, where the start of the game was delayed by 45 minutes, as the officials did not arrive to the field on time.

FIRST CCC SWEEP SINCE: The back-to-back losses in Portland were the first time since the opening trip of the 2004 season that ACI had been swept on a Cascade Conference road swing. It marked just the fourth time in the last ten seasons that the

LATE GOAL ENDS YOTES COMBACK BID: After rallying out of a two-goal deficit, the ACI could not find the winner, as host Concordia got a goal with five minutes remaining to top the Yotes, 3-2, in Portland. Joey Graham stunned the Coyotes with a pair of goals in the first ten minutes of the match. However ACI would rally just after halftime, as Mauricio Both (Cachaoeira de Sul, Brazil / Nampa HS) cracked a 35-yard blast to the upper corner of the goal to draw the Yotes within one, then see Michael Delgado (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) convert a Kazuki Murata (Tokyo, Japan / Ichiritu HS) touch to tie the score in the 53rd minute. ACI would have a pair of counter-attack chances thwarted by offsides calls, but the Cavaliers, who had a 512 minute scoreless streak snapped by the Yotes, got a Steve Pirotte left-footed blast inside the box to win the match. CU held a 21-11 edge in shots in the victory - as they ran their Cascade Conference unbeaten streak to ten matches, dating back to last year.

WARNER TAKES 2-1 WIN OVER ACI: Chris Price scored the game winner with less than ten minutes to play, as Warner Pacific knocked off ACI, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon. Price opened the scoring in the 37th minute of the first half, but the Yotes countered, as Stephen Reinschmidt (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) headed home a corner kick from Michael Delgado five minutes into the second half – but it wasn’t enough. The Knights held a 20-12 edge in shots in the win.

YOTES WITHOUT CASERTA THIS WEEK: ACI will be without the services of midfielder, Garga Caserta (Aracatuba, Brazil / North Idaho CC) on Wednesday against Cascade, as the junior will serve his one-game suspension for a red card in the loss to WP. Caserta was whistled for the straight red in the 81st minute of the match for a hard tackle.

LOSSES DROP YOTES OUT OF REGIONAL RANKING: With the two losses, ACI dropped out of the NAIA Region I Top-5 ranking for the first time this season. Simon Fraser continues to hold the top spot, followed by Concordia, Westminster, Warner Pacific, and Cascade. The regional poll is released each Monday, with the national poll released each Wednesday.

FIRST OR SECOND PLACE THE ONLY WAY: It is expected that this season will be the final year of qualification for the NAIA Championships through the region process. This year, the top two teams in the Cascade Conference round-robin, along with the next two teams (including Simon Fraser, Westminster, and Great Falls) with the highest Longo rating, will qualify for the NAIA Region I Tournament in November – playing for a national berth. Next season, the CCC Tournament is expected to be reinstated for the first time since 2003 – with the champion earning an automatic bid to nationals.

UPSTART CASCADE OPENS SECOND HALF IN CALDWELL: The Yotes currently sit in fourth-place in the CCC standings with seven matches remaining in the regular-season – needing to crack the Top-2 to advance to the postseason. ACI will play five of their final seven games at home, beginning with Wednesday’s battle against Cascade, who sits in second-place in the loop. The Thunderbirds (4-5, 4-3 CCC) used a pair of set pieces to knock off the Yotes last month, 2-1, in Portland, and are gunning for their first playoff spot since 2001. Leading Cascade are scorers Girardo Cifuentes (4 goals, 3 assists) and Edson Zacarias (1 goal, 4 assists), and keeper Anthony Trejo (2.17). It is the 31st meeting between the teams, with the Yotes holding a commanding 25-5 series edge.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Travel partners meet this week, as Corban heads to Northwest Christian, Evergreen State hosts Northwest, and Concordia meets Warner Pacific.

ABOUT THE COACH: Brian Smith is in his fourth season as head coach of the ACI men's soccer team and has compiled a 36-24-3 overall mark.  In his first season two seasons, the Coyotes narrowly missed a spot in the NAIA Region I Tournament, despite a second and third-place finish in the Cascade Conference standings.  Last season, however, the Yotes claimed their first CCC title since 2001 and advanced to the regional semifinals.  For his efforts, the Coyote skipper was named CCC Coach of the Year. Smith, who helped the Coyotes to a 35-21-1 record as a player for longtime coach, John Calpin, from 1990-93, returned to his alma mater in 2004 after a successful high school coaching career in the Treasure Valley. He coached the Timberline High School boys’ team for three years, before taking over the THS girls’ program in 2002 – earning Idaho State Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2001 and Southern Idaho Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2003. After earning All-District honors as a player, he graduated from ACI with a degree in political science in 1994.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI men’s soccer program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/menssoccer.htm.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (6-4-2, 3-1-2 CCC): Lady Yotes set to host Northwest Christian, square off with No. 14 Simon Fraser in La Grande

LAST WEEK: vs. Corban (W 2-1), vs.Warner Pacific (L 2-0)

COMING UP: vs. Northwest Christian, Friday, 2 p.m.; vs. No. 14 Simon Fraser, Saturday, 1 p.m. (PDT) in La Grande, Ore.

RHOADES NAMED NAIA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lady Yote goalkeeper Amy Rhoades (Eagle, Idaho / Dixie State Coll.) became the first-ever ACI women's soccer player to earn NAIA National Player of the Week honors, as announced Wednesday by the NAIA National Office in Kansas City, Mo. The sophomore earned the accolades after helping ACI to their first ever wins at Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech. Rhoades made eight saves in a 1-0 shutout at Southern Oregon, then followed it up with six saves, including a stop of a penalty kick in a 2-0 win at Oregon Tech. 

IN ELITE COMPANY: Rhoades joins ten other ACI student-athletes who have earned NAIA National Player of the Week honors - volleyball players Erin Cherrington (2006), Charity Gaston (2005), and Amanda Basanez (2003), men's soccer players Jason Southward (2002) and Jared Larsen (1999 & 2000), women's basketball player Alyson Pincock (2001), baseball players Tim Onofrei (1996) and Luke Hays (1999), and men's basketball player Mark Owen (1985).

LADY YOTES RALLY TO DEFEAT CORBAN: Amanda Barrieau (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) scored a pair of second half goals, as the Lady Yotes ran their unbeaten streak to six games with a 2-1 victory over Corban College at Symms Field on Friday. The win kept ACI alone in second place in the Cascade Conference standings and was their second win over the Warriors in a row after losing 17-straight games against the Salem, Ore. school, dating back to 1995. Corban got on the board midway through the first half, as Erin Laughlin beat Coyote keeper Amy Rhoades after a touch from Jessica Mathews to make it 1-0. In the second half, ACI mustered a rally, with Barrieau rifling a shot into the net in the 61st minute off an Allie Dufault (Irvine, Calif. / University HS) feed to tie the score.  She would win it for the Yotes in the 80th minute, as her shot off a Leah Roach (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) pass went through the arms and legs of Warrior keeper Karyn Allen, into the net. Corban mustered a late push, getting a corner kick in the final minute, but was turned away by the ACI defense. Sadie Hughes (Courteney, B.C / Vanier SS) made a key second half save in her first appearance since September 1 to notch the win in goal for the Coyotes.

STREAKS AGAINST WARRIORS: It has been a weird set of streaks in the series between ACI and Corban. The Coyotes opened the series with five straight wins, but watched as the Warriors won the next 17 matches in a row. However, with the back-to-back wins, ACI has their own new streak going.

YOTES LET DOWN VS. WARNER: Nicole Graskopf and Rachille Kliewer each scored goals as Warner Pacific upset ACI for the second-straight season, defeating the Yotes, 2-0, at Symms Field on Saturday. Graskopf got the Knights on the board in the 43rd minute on a feed from Kliewer, with Kliewer sewing up the victory with an unassisted goal in the 73rd minute. The Coyotes saw a six-game unbeaten streak ended and for saw WP hand them their first CCC loss of the season - just as they did in 2006. ACI held an 8-6 edge in shots and a 4-2 edge in corner kicks, but WP keeper Ali Foster made five saves to notch the win in goal.

ROACH MOVES UP ON ALL-TIME LIST: With a goal at Oregon Tech on Sept. 22, Leah Roach moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time goals scored list. The senior has now scored 15 goals in her ACI career, drawing even with Amy Wells on the list. Kristine Jones (Halter) has the school record with 30 goals from 1990-93.

YOTES DROP OUT OF REGIONAL RANKING: After being ranked in the NAIA Region I Top-5 ranking for the last four weeks, the Lady Yotes were left off the list in the poll, released Monday afternoon. Instead of five teams listed only three were revealed – Concordia, Carroll, and Simon Fraser, all teams ranked in the Top-15 of the NAIA National Poll. The regional ranking is released each Monday, with the national poll released each Wednesday.

LADY YOTES MEET NEWCOMER NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN, PERENNIAL POWER SIMON FRASER: ACI ends their three-game homestand on Friday afternoon, hosting Northwest Christian. It will be the first-ever meeting with the Beacons (0-10-1, 0-6 CCC), the newest member of the CCC – and in just their second season of intercollegiate soccer. NCC has struggled offensively throughout 2007, being outscored 41-5, with opponents holding a 246-87 edge in shots. Jacque Lipp (3 goals) is the top weapon for the Beacons, who logged their lone decision this season in a 0-0 draw at Northwest. Saturday, the Lady Yotes finally get their shot at Simon Fraser, one of the premier women’s soccer programs in the Northwest. The Clan (6-2) are currently ranked No. 14 in the NAIA poll and have won a pair of NAIA National Titles (1996 and 2000) – but have never met ACI. Shelly Howieson’s bunch is a balanced attack, with ten different players scoring goals, but none with more than three (Lauren Lachlan – 3), but keeper Cassie Newbrook (0.80 GAA) has helped SFU back after missing the playoffs last season.

IN LA GRANDE: ACI will meet Simon Fraser on a neutral field (in La Grande) on Saturday, not at Symms Field in Caldwell.

ABOUT THE COACH: Niki Taylor is in her second season has head coach of the ACI women's program and has an overall record of 12-14-4. In her first season with the Coyotes, she helped to their fourth-ever postseason berth, losing the Evergreen State, 2-1, in the Cascade Conference playoffs.  A graduate of Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., Taylor was an honorable mention all-conference player for the Bulldogs in 1999 and 2000, helping the squad to an NCAA Division II regional championships.  She went on to assist coach Mike Cannon during the 2001 season, helping TSU to the regional finals, then moved West, where she was an assistant for Steve Lucas at Boise State for three seasons. She has also been involved with the Les Bois United Soccer Club for the past four years, while serving as a head coach in the Idaho Olympic Development Program.  Taylor has received her USSF "B" Coaching License.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI women’s soccer program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmenssoccer.htm.

CROSS COUNTRY: ACI off to dual with Idaho State

LAST WEEK: at Bob Firman Invitational (Men 8th-place out of 11 teams, Women 6th-place out of 13 teams)

COMING UP: Idaho State Duals, 10/6 – Pocatello.

COYOTES USE BYE WEEK TO HEAL UP: The Albertson College of Idaho cross country teams had a well-deserved week off after solid finishes at the Bob Firman Invitational in Eagle. The Coyote men were able to have a good week of conditioning – and should have their No. 2 and No. 3 runners Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan HS) and Sam Hardy (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) back in the mix this weekend. Chlebeck did not finish the eight-kilometer race on Sept. 22, while Hardy missed the race due to injury. The Lady Yotes used the week to heal up Stephanie Sparks (West Jordan, Utah / Juan Diego HS), who has been battling injuries over the last couple weeks.

BOTH TEAMS RANKED IN THE NAIA TOP-25: Both the ACI men's and women's teams remained in the NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll for the third straight week, as the national polls were released last week by the national office in Kansas City, Mo. The men's team dropped two spots in the poll to No. 21 – following the Yotes eighth-place finish at the Bob Firman.  Joining ACI in the Top-25 were Lewis-Clark State at No. 5, Eastern Oregon at No. 9, and Simon Fraser at No. 13. The women’s team also rose two spots in the NAIA poll after a sixth-place finish at the Bob Firman, coming in at No. 19 - the third week in a row that the Lady Yotes were in the Top-25.  Three other Region I teams were in the ranking - No. 1 Simon Fraser, No. 6 British Columbia, and No. 16 Lewis-Clark State. The next NAIA poll will be released on Wednesday.

REGIONAL RANKINGS: Both the ACI men and women were in the Top-5 of their respective NAIA Region I Top-10 polls, released Monday. The men’s team remained No. 4 with Lewis-Clark State holding the top spot, followed by Eastern, Southern Oregon, ACI, and Simon Fraser. Corban, British Columbia, Northwest, Carroll, and Evergreen State round out to men’s ranking. On the women’s side, the Lady Yotes are the top Cascade Conference team in the poll, remaining at No. 4 this week. Powerhouse Simon Fraser continues to hold the No. 1 spot, followed by British Columbia, Lewis-Clark State, ACI, and Eastern. Rounding out the Top-10 are Corban, Evergreen State, Northwest, Carroll, and Oregon Tech.

AROUND THE REGION: Last weekend saw defending NAIA champion, Simon Fraser, show why they aren’t just the top team in the NAIA, but one of the top teams anywhere – as the Clan took home the team title at the Stanford Invitational. Also last weekend was the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational – as nine regional teams were in the field in Salem. Lewis-Clark State fared well in both the men’s and women’s races, taking sixth on the men’s side and seventh in the women’s race, with Eastern placing seventh in the men’s race and ninth in the women’s. Other Cascade Conference finishers were: Men’s – Southern Oregon (No. 9), Corban (No. 17), Northwest (No. 21), Warner Pacific (No. 24), Oregon Tech (No. 25), and Cascade (No. 27); Women’s – Corban (No. 12), Northwest (No. 20), Oregon Tech (No. 22), Warner Pacific (No. 23), and Concordia (No. 24).

ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE BENGALS: For the second-straight season, ACI will take on their NCAA Division I friends in Eastern Idaho, as the Yotes head this weekend to Pocatello for a dual with Idaho State. Unlike last season, when the Bengals dominated the Coyotes in both races, this season could be interesting – especially after the Lady Yotes finished ahead of ISU at the Bob Firman. The ISU men are solid, led by Saheed Kahn, who placed fifth at the Firman – as the Bengals placed second overall. On the women’s side, ISU is led by Gemma Maini, who was seventh at last week’s race – but the Bengals are young, having just one upperclassman on their roster.

HOSTING THE REGIONAL: For the first time, ACI will play host to a major cross country meet, as the Coyotes are the host institution for the Cascade Conference Championships. The event will be Oct. 20 at Eagle Island State Park – and is sponsored by Bandanna Running and Walking of Boise. For fans attending the race, an admission charge of $5.00 per person ($3.00 for seniors/students) will be charged, while the Idaho State Parks Department will charge a nominal fee for parking.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI cross country program, head to the official homepage of the Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc.htm.