Yote Notes – March 5,
2008
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS: Softball Dinner-Auction set for
Saturday night
DINNER AUCTION ON SATURDAY: The fifth-annual College of Idaho
softball dinner-auction is set for this Saturday night in the Simplot Dining
Hall on The C of I campus. The event
will begin with a no-host bar and bidding on silent auction and dessert items
from 6-7 p.m., with dinner and the auction to follow. Tickets for the event are $25.00 per person
and going fast. To reserve your spot,
contact Al Mendiola at 459-5113.
BASEBALL: Coyotes get weekend off after sweep
of OIT, set for Tuesday-Wednesday series with No. 1 LC-State
LAST WEEK: vs. Oregon Tech (W 8-1, W 8-0, W 5-2, W 6-2)
COMING UP: vs. No. 1 Lewis-Clark
State (DH), Tuesday, 1 p.m.; vs. No. 1
Lewis-Clark State, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
LIVE STATS / INTERNET BROADCASTS: All home College of Idaho
baseball games will have Live Stats available, thanks to the NAIA’s contract with DakStats. To access the live stats, head to http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=MBA&sea=NAIMBA_2008&team=1612,
and click on the corresponding webcast “W” next to
the game being played. All three games
of the Lewis-Clark State game will be broadcast in the Lewis-Clark Valley
on 950 KOZE-AM and on the internet via www.koze-sports.com
with Brian Danner calling the play-by-play.
TOP RANKED WARRIORS HEADED TO TOWN: Baseball fans in the Treasure Valley
will see two of the top small-college teams in the Northwest converge on
Simplot Stadium on Tuesday, as Lewis-Clark
State squares off with the Coyotes in a three-game series. The Warriors (12-2) have won six-straight
games since a loss to The C of I on Feb. 17 –
including a victory at the University
of Washington and a home
win over Gonzaga.
The 15-time NAIA Champions and current No. 1 team in the nation has a
quality pitching staff, boasting a 2.95 ERA, thanks to returning starters Matt Fitts (3-0 3.48 ERA) and Brad Schwarzenbach
(1-0 1.08 ERA), and top relievers Michael Guerrero (2-0 1.50 ERA) and NNU
transfer Justin Mace (0-0 1.88 ERA, 3 saves).
Despite losing the left side of their infield to the Major League Draft,
the Warriors have a potent offensive attack, led by outfielder Paul Martin
(.432 2 HR 14 RBI), converted shortstop Brent Wyatt (.396 1 HR 11 RBI), and
first-baseman Ikaika Lester (.356 2 HR 13 RBI). The teams have met 156 previous times since
1940, with L-C holding a 115-40-1 series edge, including winning 3-of-4 games
this season.
THE MAN THAT BUILDS L-C: Longtime L-C
State coach Ed Cheff
brings one of the most awe-inspiring resumes to Caldwell, as the 32nd-year head coach is
closing in on his 1,600th win. Cheff has a remarkable 1,571-405-2 overall record with the
Warriors – leading L-C to their first NAIA World Series title in 1984,
beginning the nearly 25-year run that has brought 15 total championships to the
state school. Cheff
has also coached on the national level, serving as Team USA’s third-base coach in 1994.
ENDING A STREAK IN CALDWELL: The Coyotes will look to end an 11-game losing streak
to the Warriors at Simplot Stadium, dating back to the 2001 season.
During that stretch, The C of I has two wins against L-C, but both of
them occurred at Memorial Stadium in Boise
(wins in 2002 and 2003). It marks the
fourth-straight season that the Yotes have played their games vs. the Warriors
in Caldwell.
GAMES COUNTED AS NON-CONFERENCE: After much discussion last season,
the coaches in the NAIA Region I have determined that all games against Lewis-Clark State will not count in determining who
will host the NAIA Region I Tournament in May.
However, each of the five teams in the Region will play L-C as part of
the scheduling pool.
WIND HELPS ERA DIP: As it typically does during the
first two months of the home season, a cold, stiff wind out of the Northwest
blew at Simplot Stadium during the four-game series with Oregon Tech. The gale made it nearly impossible to drive a
ball to either left or center field – giving pitchers the decisive edge. The Yotes took advantage of it, allowing just
three earned runs in the 32 innings pitched, good enough for a 0.84 ERA –
without allowing an extra base hit in the series. In doing so, The C of I dropped their team
ERA from 5.40 to 4.15 in one weekend, while their opponent’s batting average
dropped from .306 to .273.
TOP ARMS OF THE WEEKEND: The Coyotes got a pair of
outstanding starts on Saturday and might have found themselves a closer during
the OIT series. Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) continued his hot start in 2008,
tossing the Yotes first complete game of the year, allowing just two hits in a
8-1 win over Tech. The senior retired
the last 17 batters in a row to pick up his second win of the season and drop
his ERA to 2.12. Also pitching well was Andrew Brock (Burnaby, B.C. / Douglas
CC), who threw seven shutout innings in the 8-0 win vs. OIT. Brock allowed just three hits and struck out
four, without a walk. In his 19 innings
of work this season, the junior has not walked a batter, while posting a 0.95
ERA. After struggling in the starting
rotation, the Yotes moved Jason Barry (Castlegar, B.C. /
U. of Northern Iowa) to the closer role
against OIT – and it worked well. The
transfer tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning in Game 2 on Saturday, followed by a
two-inning stint in Game 1 on Sunday, allowing just one hit and striking out
two to pick up his first save of the season.
TOP BATS OF THE WEEKEND: As a team, the Yotes hit .311 in the
OIT series – despite the windy conditions.
Dane McGrady
(Boise, Idaho
/ Borah HS) did his part – going 4-for-5 at the plate, along with, four
walks, a .889 on base percentage. Also
helping the Yote cause was shortstop Alex O’Brien (Everett. Wash. / Everett CC), who went 4-for-9
with two doubles and two RBI, freshman Jordan
Lanman (La
Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS), who went 4-for-9 with three RBI, Richie Snider (Sandpoint, Idaho / Porterville CC), who went 4-for-10 with three
RBI, and basketball all-star turned third-baseman Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho /
Borah HS), who went 3-for-7 with a double and three runs scored in his
season debut
REGIONAL TEAM STATS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State
.330, Concordia .284, C of I .283, Corban .276,
Oregon Tech .231, British Columbia .231; Earned Run Average – Lewis-Clark State
2.95, British Columbia 3.83, C of I 4.15, Oregon Tech 5.78, Concordia 5.83, Corban 6.17; Fielding Percentage – Concordia .988,
Lewis-Clark State .968, British Columbia .952, C of I .949, Corban
.948, Oregon Tech .932.
OREGON TECH DAY 1 RECAP: C of I pitchers allowed just seven
hits in 16 innings of work Saturday, as the Coyotes opened up NAIA Region I
play with a doubleheader sweep of Oregon Tech, winning 8-1 and 8-0 at Simplot
Stadium. In the opener, The C of I used
a six-run fifth inning rally to erase a 1-0 OIT lead, then had three pitchers
combine on a four-hit shutout in the nightcap.
The Owls jumped out to the lead in Game 1 in the second, as Kenny
Simmons rolled a two-out base hit through the left side, scoring Frank
Drake. However, it was all OIT would get, as Coyote starter Joey Zubizarreta retired the final 17 batters in a row - tossing
the complete game two-hitter. The Yotes
would erupt in the fifth, as Ray
Morrison (Cumming,
Ga. / Chattahoochee Valley CC) and Jake Miller (Idaho Falls, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) led off with
singles and were sacrificed into scoring position. Pinch hitter, Bryan
Champ, fresh off the basketball team, hit a chopper to short that scored
Morrison, but Ryson Mauricio's throw was wild to
first, allowing Miller to move to third and Champ to second. Jordan Lanman would follow with an RBI ground out to give The C of
I the lead. An RBI single by Cody
Brubaker (Post
Falls, Idaho / Spokane Falls CC), a two-run triple by
Richie Snider, and an RBI double from Alex O'Brien gave the Yotes an
insurmountable lead. Game 2 was
dominated by Andrew Brock and the Coyote hurlers. The junior tossed seven
shutout innings, allowing just three singles without a walk and four
strikeouts. Pat Lyon (Bonners Ferry, Idaho / Bonners Ferry HS) and Jason
Barry each threw a shutout inning in the win.
OREGON TECH DAY 2 RECAP: The Yotes took advantage of a stiff
wind blowing in from left field to limit the Oregon Tech attack, mustering
enough offense to complete a four-game sweep of the Owls, winning Sunday's
doubleheader 5-2 and 6-2. In the opener,
OIT took an early 1-0 lead in the first on a Ryson
Mauricio RBI single, but the Yotes came right back,
getting RBI singles from Cody Brubaker and Jordan Lanman
in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good. The Yotes would make it 4-1 in the second,
scoring a run on a wild pitch and another in a rundown, which was more than
enough for the pitching staff. After starter Jake Bottari (Sparks, Nev.
/ Western Nevada CC) faltered in the fourth, Chris Larsen (Vancouver, Wash.
/ Everett CC) pitched two and a third scoreless innings of relief, with
Jason Barry getting the final six outs for the save. Lanman and Dane McGrady had two hits for the Yotes, while Mauricio, Trenton
Smith, and Sean Teaters each had two hits for
OIT. Game 2 saw the Yotes break it open
in the first, as the first four batters reached base - a single by Brett Ward (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS), a bloop single
by Nick Harris (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS), and RBI single from Richie Snider, and an
RBI double by Gavin Gamboa
(Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS),
part of a four-run frame. The C of I got back-to-back RBI doubles by Devin Weaver (Boise, Idaho
/ Treasure Valley CC) and Matt Mejia
(Ontario,
Ore. /
Eastern Oregon U.) in the third to make it 6-0. The Coyotes got strong pitching in their split start, as
both Tim Bourner
(Buhl, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) and
Justin Marsh-Quinlan (Seabeck, Wash. /
Olympic CC) tossed three scoreless innings, before Tech scratched across a
pair of runs, aided by three walks, two wild pitches, and a passed ball against
two relievers before Matt Greely (Juneau, Alaska / U. of the Cumberlands) got the final out to get the save. Ward, Snider, and Gamboa each had two hits for the Yotes, who extended their
win streak against the Owls to 13 in a row.
ABOUT THE COACH: The 2008 season marks
the 21st year in The College of Idaho baseball program for head coach Shawn Humberger,
his eighth year as Coyote skipper. Last
season, he led the squad to a 31-17 mark, their third-straight Cascade
Conference championship, and a runner-up finish at the NAIA Region I
Tournament. During his tenure, Humberger has compiled a 244-163-1 record, including a
third-place finish at the 2002 NAIA College World Series. He has been named CCC Baseball Coach of the
Year in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, along with earning NAIA Region I Coach-of-the-Year
and CCC Men's Coach-of-the-Year for all sports in 2002.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyote
baseball program, head to the official homepage of the Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm.
SOFTBALL: Coyotes set to host weekend
tournament after earning win over NCAA Division I Utah Valley
LAST WEEK: at Northwest Nazarene (W 2-0, W
9-4), at Utah Valley (L 8-0, W 4-2)
COMING UP: Host C of I Classic, Friday-Sunday –
vs. Holy Names, Friday, 6:30 p.m., vs. Holy Names, Sunday, 3 p.m.
C OF I SET TO HOST TOURNAMENT: For the second time in the
seven-year history of The College of Idaho softball program, the Lady Yotes
will play host to a tournament in Caldwell. Starting Friday afternoon, a total of six
teams will head to Caldwell
for the C of I Classic, as 13 games will be played on the lighted Symms Field diamond.
The first tournament was held in 2004, when the Yotes held the Cascade
Conference preseason tournament – as 15 games were played in two days.
TOURNEY SCHEDULE: Friday – Eastern Oregon vs. Treasure
Valley CC, 2:30 p.m.; Eastern Oregon vs. Holy Names, 4:30 p.m.; College of Idaho vs. Holy Names, 6:30 p.m. Saturday – Concordia vs. Holy Names, 9 a.m.;
Eastern Oregon vs. Holy Names, 11 a.m.; Concordia vs. Treasure Valley CC, 1
p.m.; Eastern Oregon vs. Holy Names, 3 p.m.; Eastern Oregon vs. Treasure Valley
CC, 5 p.m. Sunday – Concordia vs. Holy
Names, 9 a.m.; Concordia vs. College of Southern Idaho, 11 a.m.; College of
Idaho vs. College of Southern Idaho, 1 p.m.; College of Idaho vs. Holy Names, 3
p.m.; Holy Names vs. Treasure Valley CC, 5 p.m. (Games vs. Treasure Valley CC
and College of Southern Idaho are scrimmages – as they are not four-year
institutions)
TEAMS IN THE CLASSIC: Making the trip up from California is first-year
program, Holy Names. The Hawks (6-15), an independent member of
the NAIA Region II, have played an ambitious early season schedule – which has
featured wins over No. 10 ranked Vanguard and a 4-3 win over The C of I. Offense has been
the issue for HNU, as the Hawks have been shutout eight times already this
season. Also in the tournament are CCC
teams Eastern
Oregon and Concordia. The Mountaineers are making
their 2008 debut this weekend, after splitting a pair of non-counters last week
against Blue Mountain CC. Eastern
returns top pitcher Melodie Mildenberger
(6-5 2.54 ERA) and slugger Michelle St. John (.291 5 HR 27 RBI). The Cavaliers (3-4) were picked to finish
third in the CCC preseason poll – but have lost four of their last five games,
including two tight games against NCAA Division III power, Linfield. CU is led by C of I transfer Nicole Illias (.458 2 HR 11 RBI), along with pitcher Danielle Pulfrey (2-3 1.30 ERA).
Two junior colleges will also be competing – Treasure Valley
and Southern
Idaho. TVCC will be
making their 2008 debut in Caldwell, while CSI (16-9) is ranked No. 10 in the
NJCAA rankings, thanks to the play of Megan Zimmerman (.413 2 HR 19 RBI) and
Jody Zillner (7-3 2.86 ERA).
MENDIOLA NEW WINS LEADER: With the Game 1 win at Northwest
Nazarene, Al Mendiola
became the all-time wins leader in C of I softball history. The third-year skipper has now won 61 games
with the Coyotes – surpassing the 58 victories Kelly McDonald had in her four seasons
as head coach from 2002-05.
SHUTOUT STREAK ENDED: The longest streak in C of I women’s
softball history came to an end on Saturday, in the 8-0 loss to Utah Valley. It marked the first time in 47 games that the
Lady Yotes had been shutout by an opponent.
The last time the Coyotes failed to score a run in a game was on March
13, 2007 – a 3-0 loss to Idaho
State. In fact, the 2007 team was shutout only two
times.
WINS AGAINST D-I TEAMS: The 4-2 win over Utah Valley
marked the fourth time that the Coyotes had defeated an NCAA Division I
team. The Lady Yotes defeated UVU in Caldwell in 2006, then swept a
doubleheader in Caldwell against Idaho State
last season. Overall, The C of I has a
4-11 record against D-I teams, a 28-15 record against D-II teams, and 6-6
against D-III teams – for a combined 38-32 record against NCAA competition.
TOP BATS OF THE WEEK: In the four games last week, the
Lady Yotes did not swing the bat well, recording just a .257 team batting
average. Only four players had an average
above the .300 mark – Donnae Carrell (Caldwell, Idaho / Middleton HS), who
was 3-for-7 with two runs scored, Kalie Kurdy (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS), who was 4-for-11 with a double and RBI, Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), who was 4-for-11 with two doubles and a
home run, and Katie Zillner
(Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.),
who was 4-for-12 with two doubles and a home run. The Yotes struggled with the strikeout bug,
as The C of I struck out 26 times in 101 bats.
TOP ARMS OF THE WEEK: With a 3-1 week, the Coyotes
continue to perform well in the circle.
Katie Zillner allowed just two earned runs in
11 innings of work last week – including a three-hit shutout of Northwest
Nazarene, recording her ninth-career shutout and her 17th game with at least
ten strikeouts, after fanning 11 in the win.
Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS) picked up two wins during the week,
including the victory at Utah
Valley. The sophomore allowed four earned runs on 13
hits in 14 innings of work – going the distance in both of her starts.
PRESEASON RANKINGS: For the first time, the Lady Yotes
were ranked in the NAIA Preseason Top-25 Coaches Poll, earning the No. 14 spot
in the voting – the same spot The C of I ended the 2007 season. The squad was also the unanimous pick by the
Cascade Conference coaches to win the league title in 2008. The first NAIA Region I Top-5 poll will be
released on March 17, with the first regular-season NAIA Top-25 poll set to be
released on March 19.
YOTES CONTINUE DOMINANCE OF NNU: The C of I continued their
dominance over Canyon County rival Northwest Nazarene, sweeping a
doubleheader from the Crusaders, 2-0 and 9-4, last Tuesday in Nampa.
The victories for the No. 14 ranked Lady Yotes extended their win
streak over their neighbors to seven in a row, and upped their all-time series
lead to 27-7. Game 1 was dominated by
Katie Zillner, as the right-hander tossed a three-hit
shutout, walking two and striking out 11 in the victory. The C of I got both runs in the fourth inning
as Haley Butcher led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice
bunt. Brooke Judy then struck out, but the ball was dropped by
catcher Kate Free, who tossed the ball into centerfield trying to pick off
Butcher - allowing her to score from second. Kalie
Kurdy followed with an RBI double to cap the
scoring. Game 2 was a tight affair, as
the Yotes held a slim 2-1 lead heading into the sixth. But The C of I got
a leadoff homer from Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) and added two more
runs on NNU miscues. In the seventh, the Yotes got an RBI single from Donnae Carrell and a three-run
homer from Sammy Dodge (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) to
make it 9-1. The Crusaders would get three in the seventh, but it wasn't
enough. Judy went the distance to pick
up her second win of the season, allowing six hits and three earned runs.
Dodge, Kurdy, and Nicole Antonoplos (Boise, Idaho / Idaho State U.) each had two
hits in the nightcap for the Yotes.
KEY SPLIT AT D-I UTAH VALLEY: For the third-straight season, The
C of I picked up a victory over an NCAA Division I opponent, as the Lady Yotes
split a doubleheader with Utah Valley, Saturday in Orem, Utah. After losing the opener, 8-0, the Coyotes
used a school-record tying three home runs to pick up a 4-2 win. Katie Zillner and
Haley Butcher each hit solo homers and Caylin LePire (Meridian, Idaho / Mountain View HS) added
a two-run shot in the seventh that provided the winning margin. Brooke Judy earned the complete-game win,
striking out three and scattering seven hits, giving up just one earned run Donnae
Carrell and Butcher each had two hits in the win for
the Yotes against the D-I independent.
In Game 1, Zillner struck out five in the
circle, but four errors cost the Yotes in the five-inning contest, as the
Wolverines broke the game open with a five-run third.
ABOUT THE COACH: Al Mendiola is in his third year as head coach of The College
of Idaho softball program and has a 61-40 all-time record. The native of San Diego, Calif.
has helped the Lady Yotes become a force in Northwest softball, leading The C
of I to back-to-back playoff appearances, including
the 2007 Cascade Conference championship.
Following the season, Mendiola was honored as
CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year after the Coyotes set a school record
with 37 wins, climbing to as high as No. 14 in the NAIA poll, an advanced to
the regional title game. Outside of
softball, Mendiola has also been the head coach of
the Caldwell Silver Streaks American Legion baseball team since 1997 and has
also assisted with the Boise Clippers men's fastpitch
team. He was also an assistant coach for
The C of I baseball team for seven years.
A 1994 graduate of The C of I, Mendiola played
two seasons of baseball for head coach Tim Mooney, earning honorable mention
NAIA All-America honors as a senior.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyote
softball program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm.
SKIING:
Coyotes set to compete at USCSA Championships
COMING
UP: at USCSA
National Championships, Sunday River,
Maine, Wednesday-Saturday.
YOTES
HEAD TO MAINE: A contingent of seven men and eight
women student-athletes will represent The College of Idaho at the USCSA
National Championships at Sunday River Resort - touted as New
England's "Premier Ski Resort." The Coyote men and
women will compete in both alpine and snowboard events - beginning on
Wednesday. It is the tenth-straight year that The C of I women have
advanced to nationals, while the men have advanced to national for six straight
seasons.
WHO
IS REPRESENTING THE YOTES: The alpine men are led by Northwest Collegiate Ski
Conference Skier of the Year, Dewey
Moss (Jerome, Idaho /
Oregon State U.), with both Aaron
Flynn (St. Paul, Minn. /
Central HS) and Matt Weaver
(Aurora, Ohio / Aurora HS) having
experience at Nationals. Making their first trip are freshmen Travis Morris (Santa Fe, N.M. / Santa Fe Prep) and
Eric Ostrand (Gilford,
N.H. / Gilford HS).
The women's alpine team is led by NWCSC Skier of the Year, Lara Mann (Beford, Mass. / New Hampton School),
along with returners Nicki Maxwell (Belfry, Mont. / Red Lodge HS),
Jessica Wise (Reno, Nev. / Wooster HS),
LaRue Seitz (Livingston, Mont.
/ Park HS), and Monica
Taylor (Sylvania,
Ohio / Sylvania
HS). Freshman Katie Kernan (Shelbourne, N.H. / Gorham HS) has also been
a steady finisher this season for the Lady Yotes. On the snowboard side,
three-time national champion, Evan
Williams (Arlington, Vt. /
Burr & Burton Acad.) leads the group, while Kaylie Aaker (Hailey, Idaho / Wood River HS) is a
returning All-American. Also headed to Maine
with the boarders are Camrin Braun (Fish Haven, Idahoand
Allie Straubhar
(Boise,
Idaho / Boise
HS).
WHO
WILL THE YOTES COMPETE AGAINST: Among the teams set to square off against the Coyotes in the
alpine events are Air Force, Boston College,
Brown, Colorado State,
Cornell, James Madison, Minnesota, Penn
State, Stanford, Syracuse,
and West Virginia. On the snowboard side, the Yotes will battle against
the likes of Appalachian State, Cal-Berkeley, Colorado,
East Carolina, Rutgers, Southern Cal, San Diego
State, UC-Santa Barbara, UCLA,
Virginia, and West Virginia.
HISTORY
AT THE MEET: The
Yotes have a history of outstanding performances at the USCSA Championships -
winning 21 individual and 16 team national titles, dating back to 1979.
However, it has been 18 years since the alpine team has won a team title, while
snowboarders have won national titles each of the last three years.
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.
TRACK:
Coyotes off to Tennessee
for NAIA Indoor Championships
COMING
UP: at NAIA
Indoor Championships, Johnson City,
Tenn., Thursday-Saturday
YOTES
OFF TO INDOOR NATIONALS: The College of Idaho track team will wrap up the indoor portion of
the season this weekend, as a contingent of six travels to the NAIA Indoor
Championships at East Tennessee State
University in Johnson City, Tenn.
It marks the fourth-straight year that the Yotes have had competitors at Indoor
Nationals, with one male and five female athletes competing this season.
HISTORY
AT THE MEET: The
Coyote men have placed at the meet twice - taking 32nd in 2005 and 38th in
2006. Former middle-distance standout, David Fluckiger,
earned All-America status in both 2005 and 2006. Of the current Yotes,
only Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) has
competed at the meet - as a part of the Distance Medley Relay in 2006 and
placing seventh in the mile last year.
WHO
IS GOING: Hopper
is the lone male runner headed to Tennessee,
set to compete in the 1,000-meters. The senior is ranked No. 10 out of a
field of 22, heading into the meet. On the women's side, Stephanie Helm (Challis, Idaho
/ Challis HS) has a legitimate chance at being the Yotes first-ever
track national champion, as she is ranked No. 3 nationally in a field of 22 at
the meet. The Lady Yotes will also compete in the Distance Medley
Relay - as Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) will run the
1,200-leg, Jayne Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS) will run the
400-leg, Maggie Miller (Anchorage, Alaksa / Lane
CC) will run the 800-leg, and Molli Lee-Painter (Moscow, Idaho / Moscow HS) will run the
1,600-leg. The DMR is seeded No. 13 in a field of 20.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I track and field team, head to the
homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/track.htm.
WOMEN’S
TENNIS: Lady Yotes struggle to 0-6 start after losses in Lewiston
COMING
UP: Idle until
March 15-16 at George Fox and Pacific
LAST
WEEK: at NAIA
Region I Challenge - vs. Southern Oregon (L 7-2), vs. Alberta
(L 7-2), vs. Lewis-Clark
State (L 9-0)
YOTES
STRUGGLE IN LEWISTON: For the second time in three
seasons, The College of Idaho women's tennis team failed to win a match in the
annual NAIA Region I Challenge in Lewiston -
dropping matches to Southern Oregon, Alberta, and Lewis-Clark
State. Against
Southern, the Lady Yotes dug themselves a hole after failing to win a doubles
match - despite being in all three matches, then lost
a pair of singles matches in tiebreakers. Kim Clements (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) and Amanda
McEldowney (Caldwell, Idaho / Linfield Coll.) picked
up the lone singles wins - earning victories at No. 3 and No. 5, with McEldowney rallying from a set down to get the win.
Against Alberta, the Yotes won only one
singles match (earned one victory via default), as Kate Leadbetter (Grand Junction, Colo. / West
River Academy)
picked up a win at No. 5. Against L-C, the Yotes were swept,
although Karin Hayashida
(Caldwell, Idaho
/ Caldwell HS) put up a good fight at No. 6 singles, losing 6-2,
7-5.
WORST
START EVER?: The
2008 Lady Yotes have opened the season 0-6, the first time in the 23-year
history of the program that The C of I has dropped the first six matches of the
year. On two different occasions, the Coyotes have lost the first five
matches - in both 1994 and 2000.
DOUBLES WOES: In doubles matches that have been played this season, the
Coyotes are a woeful 0-17, with their one win via default against Chaminade. But all isn't lost, as eight of the pro-set losses
have come with The C of I winning at least five games.
INDIVIDUAL
LEADERS: Three
players - Kate Leadbetter, Amanda McEldowney,
and Molly Leadbetter
(Grand
Junction, Colo. / West River
Academy) lead
the team with two singles wins apiece. McEldowney
leads the club with 45 games won, with Molly Leadbetter
right behind her with 43. In doubles play, Kyla Westerberg (Caldwell,
Idaho / Boise State U.)
and Kim Clements are 0-5, but have won more games than any other duo, winning
24.
A
WEEK OFF: The
Lady Yotes will have a week of rest, before they head to the Willamette Valley
the following week for matches at George Fox and Pacific.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Lady Yote tennis team, head to the official home page of the
squad, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm.
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Season Recap
COMING UP: Season Complete
LAST WEEK: at No. 8 Oregon Tech (L 74-68)
SEASON ENDS AT OREGON
TECH: Ryan Beesley hit a three-point basket with 12 seconds remaining,
as No. 8 ranked Oregon Tech withstood a second half comeback from upset-minded College of Idaho,
escaping with a 74-68 victory in Klamath
Falls, last Wednesday night. The victory for the Owls was their first-ever
playoff win at home against the Coyotes, and their first postseason win against
The C of I since 2000. OIT used a 7-0
run in the second half, capped by a Christian Cavanaugh bucket, to take their
biggest lead of the night at 52-40, with 15-minutes left. However, the
Yotes used a 16-5 run, capped by a Tucker
Long (Pocatello, Idaho
/ Century HS) three to cut the margin to 57-56 with eight minutes
left. A driving lay-up by Long with 43-seconds left had The C of I within 69-68, but Tech worked the ball to Beesley, who drained the triple from the right wing to end
any upset hopes. The loss ended the
career of a pair of Coyote seniors - as Josh
Owen (Caldwell,
Idaho / Vallivue HS)
finished with 14 points and J.R. Maggard (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Vallivue HS) had 14 points and five
rebounds. Bryan Champ (Boise,
Idaho / Borah HS) led The C
of I with 15 points and six rebounds. Ryan
Fiegi had a monster night for OIT, scoring 21 points,
with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Beesley
came off the bench to score 17.
A LOOK AT THE CCC TOURNAMENT: Although all of the top seeds
advanced out of the opening round of the CCC Tournament, the seeds failed to
hold the rest of the way. Both Evergreen State and Warner Pacific pulled off
upsets in the semifinals, with WP winning 87-69 in the final to claim their
second-straight CCC tourney title.
THREE TEAMS HEAD TO NAIA TOURNEY: Earning the automatic berths from
the conference were Eastern Oregon and Warner
Pacific, while Oregon Tech was the lone CCC team to earn an at-large berth to
the national tournament. The CCC has had
at least three teams in the NAIA Tournament in each of the last seven seasons –
including four teams in the tournament in 2005 and 2007. Eastern earned the highest seed at No. 8,
meeting Edward Waters (Fla.) in their opener,
while OIT was seeded No. 11, earning a first-round date with Mount Vernon
Nazarene (Ohio). Warner, who has advanced to the second-round
each of the last two seasons, was unseeded, meeting Bethel
(Ind.) in
their opener.
END OF THE ROAD FOR SENIORS: Last week’s game ended the career’s of the Yotes seniors, Josh Owen and J.R. Maggard. For Owen,
it capped a remarkable run, where he played in all but one game during his
Coyote tenure, scoring in double figures 80 times – becoming the first player
in school history to score 1,500 points, record 300 assists, and 150 steals. Maggard came into
his own as a senior, recording 14 double figure scoring games, including three
double-doubles.
LOSING SEASONS RARE FOR YOTES: The Coyotes finished with a 13-18
record this season, just the third time since 1981 that The C of I failed to
reach the .500 mark. However, the team
earned votes in the NAIA Division II national poll for the 16th-straight season
and advanced to the post-season for the 26th time in the last 27 years.
OWEN EARNS ALL-CCC HONORS: For his efforts this season, Josh
Owen was named to the All-Cascade Conference team for the first time in his
career. Owen led the CCC in
three-pointers made per game and minutes played, while ranking among the top-ten
in the loop in scoring average and free throw percentage. He was the only player on either the All-CCC
team or honorable mention list for The C of I.
CHAMP REPEATS AS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF
THE YEAR: The
numbers did not lie for Bryan Champ, as the Coyote junior was named CCC
Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season. The guard not only led the CCC in steals and
steals per game, but he finished the regular-season with the most steals and
steals per game in the NAIA Division II.
Champ also led the Yotes with 94 assists, while ranking second on the
team in rebounding. He is the only
player in C of I history to record back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year
honors.
MORE ON THE ALL-CCC TEAM: Earning Player of the Year honors in
the CCC was Oregon Tech guard Ryan Fiegi, while
Eastern Oregon head coach Ryan Looney earned CCC Coach of the Year honors. The top newcomer in the league was Nick Moore
of Evergreen State, while Greg George of Northwest
earned Freshman of the Year honors.
RECORD BOOK UPDATES: With the conclusion of the 2007-08
season, The College of Idaho men’s basketball record book has been updated,
through the final game of the season.
Only one single-game record was broken – as Josh Owen set a new mark for
three-pointers attempted in a game, when he took 18 long-distance shots at
Northwest Christian. Three new marks
were found on the single-season chart, as Owen ranks No. 7 in three-pointers
made (90) and No. 8 in three-point attempts (227) in a season, with Bryan Champ
recording the third-highest steal total in C of I history (100). Owen finished his career ranked among the
career Top-10 in 11 different categories – No. 2 in field goal attempts
(1,291), three-pointers made (275), and three-pointers attempted (697), No. 4
in points scored (1,561) and field goals made (513), No. 5 in games played
(118), No. 6 in steals (160), No. 7 in assists (303) and free throw percentage
(.844), No. 8 in free throws made (270), and No. 9 in free throw attempts
(320). Champ is also on the career list,
ranked third all-time in steals (183).
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: Season Recap
COMING UP: Season Complete
LAST WEEK: vs. Evergreen
State (W 78-75), vs. Oregon
Tech (63-44) at No. 18 Southern Oregon (L
82-72 OT)
LADY YOTES RUN ENDS IN OVERTIME: Southern Oregon scored the first 11
points of overtime, as the Raiders claimed their fifth Cascade Conference
Tournament championship, defeating The College of Idaho, 82-72, at McNeal
Pavilion in Ashland, Ore., on Monday night. Whitney Scott opened the extra session with a
lay-up, Ashley Baker added a pair of free throws, Rhiannon Dickison
knocked home an off-balanced 18-footer, and Scott canned a long three, giving
Southern a 78-69 lead with 1:25 left in OT - and the Yotes could not
rally. The C of I hit just 1-of-7 field goals in the added time. The Lady Yotes had the No. 18 team on the ropes,
using a 14-0 first half run to help build a 36-32 halftime edge. SOU
would rally, using a 15-2 spurt to take a 51-45 lead with nine minutes left in
regulation, but ShaNae Horner (West Jordan, Utah / Snow CC) sparked The C of I, scoring 11 second
half points, including a lay-up inside the final three minutes to give the
Yotes a 66-60 lead. Unfortunately, Chelsey Muri hit two free throws, the got a steal and ensuing
three-point play to get the Raiders back in.
Tied 69-69 with 35 seconds left, Southern played for a final shot, but
Horner stripped Muri with the ball and called timeout
with 11 seconds left. The Yotes went into Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC), but her
off-balanced left-handed runner was short, giving SOU one last chance.
The Raiders used two passes to get the ball to post Jackie Speer, whose lay-up
at the horn rimmed out, sending the game to overtime. Horner and Vander Esch
each had 16 points for the Lady Yotes.
FOURTH TIME STILL NOT THE CHARM: Monday marked the third time the
Lady Yotes had played in the league title game under Reagan Rossi, and their fourth CCC Tourney championship game
appearance overall. However, The C of I
is still looking for that elusive title.
The 1999-00 team lost to Northwest Nazarene in the title game, with the
2004-05 losing a three-point game against then Western Baptist. Both the 2001-02 and this year’s club lost
the championship game at Southern Oregon. The Lady Yotes, who have a 7-1 all-time home
record in the playoffs have not played a title game in
Caldwell.
END OF THE ROAD FOR SENIORS: Monday’s game was the finale for a
pair of C of I seniors – Whitney Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest Nazarene U.) and Magen Dufurrena (Denio,
Nev. / Lowry HS).
Clark scored 13 points in the game –
capping an outstanding playoff run, while Dufurrena
scored a career-high 16 points in the loss.
PLAYOFF RECAP – YOTES DEFEAT
EVERGREEN STATE: Whitney
Clark hit two free throws with 42 seconds left to give The C of I the lead for
good and withstood a 35-foot heave from Jennifer Solberg that rimmed out at the
buzzer, as the Lady Yotes defeated upset-minded Evergreen State, 78-75, in the
CCC quarterfinals last Tuesday. Fueled by 61-percent shooting in the first
half, the Geoducks raced out to a 15-9 lead on a
Molly Clark trey, extending the margin to 36-23 on a pair of Kristi Auckland
free throws with five minutes left in the period. The Coyotes would
battle back, cutting the deficit to 44-37 at the break. A long three by Solberg two minutes into the
second half gave Evergreen a 51-42 edge, but the Lady Yotes forced three
turnovers in a 12-1 run, capped by a ShaNae Horner
jumper, to give The C of I their first lead. The two teams would combine
for seven ties and seven lead changes, with the Geoducks
taking a 75-74 lead on an Auckland
jumper with 57 seconds. The Lady Yotes got the ball in the hands of Clark,
who was fouled and canned two free throws, part of a career-high 33 point
night, including 13-for-14 shooting from the line. Evergreen worked the shot clock down, but
Solberg was tied up by Whitney Owen (Caldwell,
Idaho / Vallivue
HS), with the arrow giving the ball back to the Yotes. After Owen hit
two free throws with six seconds left to extend the lead to three, the Geoducks got the ball to Solberg, who launched a trey from
two steps inside the half court stripe, which rattled out at the horn. Christon Vander Esch had 15 points and seven rebounds, with Owen adding 12
points and seven rebounds in the win.
PLAYOFF RECAP – YOTES DEFEAT OREGON TECH: The C of I moved one win away from the NAIA Division II
national tournament with a convincing 63-44 victory over Oregon Tech in the CCC
semifinals on Friday. After brief 3-0
and 5-4 leads by OIT, the Lady Yotes used an 12-3 run
to take control of the game at the 13-minute mark of the opening half. A
Vander Esch lay-up with six minutes left in the
period gave The C of I a 24-13 lead, a margin that
would not drop below double-digits the rest of the way. Owen had 14 points
and 11 rebounds in the win, as the Coyotes will play in their first CCC final
since 2005. Clark had 14 points, with
Vander Esch adding 12 points, seven rebounds, and
five assists for the victors.
PLAYING IN THE AFTERNOON: The CCC semifinal game between the
Lady Yotes and Oregon Tech was moved from the 7:30 p.m. start time mandated by
the CCC to 4 p.m. in the afternoon – due to the IDHSAA 4A Boys Basketball
Tournament being hosted by The C of I.
The Yotes had to play between sessions of the high school tournament –
getting a two-hour window to get the game completed.
NAIA TOURNAMENT UPDATE: Two teams from the CCC will compete
at the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. Regular-season champion, Eastern Oregon,
received a No. 7 seed in their pod, and will meet Cardinal Stritch
of Wisconsin. Southern Oregon, the post-season tournament
champion, received a No. 5 seed in their pod, and will meet St. Ambrose of Iowa. No CCC team has won a game at the tournament
since 2001 – when the Lady Yotes advanced to the NAIA championship game.
TWO COYOTES NAMED TO ALL-CCC TEAM: The CCC announced its annual
All-League team on Sunday, with a pair of Coyotes earning honors. For the second-straight year, Whitney Clark
was an All-CCC selection. Clark ranked third in the league in scoring at 16.4
points a game, while ranking among the CCC’s leaders
in free throw percentage and three-pointers made. Along with Clark,
Christon Vander Esch earned
the highest honor for defense – being named the CCC’s
Defensive Player of the Year. The junior
led the league in both steals (88) and blocked shots (59), while ranking among
the league leaders is rebounding and scoring.
Vander Esch was also the lone C of I player to
earn All-CCC honorable mention honors.
MORE ON THE ALL-CCC TEAM: Southern Oregon took the other two top awards – as Chelsey Muri was named CCC Player
of the Year and Lynn Kennedy was named Coach of the Year. Amanda Johnston of Oregon Tech was Newcomer
of the Year, with Concordia’s Danielle Clauson
earning Freshman of the Year honors.
RECORD BOOK RE-WRITTEN UNTIL NEXT
YEAR: The Lady
Yotes record book has been updated to include all of the statistics following
the 2007-08 season – with six different players on the
lists. Both Josie Pugsley (Park Valley, Utah
/ Snow CC) and ShaNae Horner tied the single-game
record for field goal percentage, as Pugsley went
5-for-5 from the field against Evergreen
State, and Horner went 5-for-5 from
the field against Westminster. Also breaking a single-game record was Denise Hill (Eugene, Ore. / Boise State U.) who made 14 free
throws on 23 attempts at Warner Pacific.
As a team, the Lady Yotes set a school record with 37 made free throws
at Warner Pacific. As a team, the
Coyotes broke the single-season record for scoring average (73.9), while connecting
on more three-pointers (199) than any other previous C of I team. Individually, Whitney Clark was among the
single-season top-ten in nine categories (No. 3 in scoring average, No. 4 in
points scored, No. 5 in field goal attempts, free throws made, and free throw
attempts, No. 8 in three-point attempts, and No. 9 in field goals made,
three-pointers made, and steals. Also on
the single-season list were Kayla Brewer
(Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS),
who was No. 4 in three-point percentage, and Christon
Vander Esch, who was No. 2in steals and No. 3 in
blocked shots. On the career list, Clark
finished her career ranked in the top-ten in 13 different categories – No. 2 in
free throws made (327) and attempted (421), No. 3 in points scored (1,271),
scoring average (14.28), field goals attempted (1,029), three-pointers made
(151) and three-pointers attempted (470), No. 5 in field goals made (394) and
games started (69), No. 6 in free throw percentage (.762) and steals (142), No.
9 in assists, and No. 10 in games played.
Also on the career list are Denise Hill, who is No. 5 in field goal
percentage (.484), No. 8 in free throws made (158), and No. 10 in free throw
attempts (231), Christon Vander Esch,
who is No. 2 in blocked shots (91) and No. 4 in steals (151), and Magen Dufurrena, who is No. 11 in
steals (121).
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.
SWIMMING:
Coyote Men 12th, Lady Yotes 18th at NAIA Championships
LAST
WEEK: at NAIA
Championships - Men 12th Place, Women 18th Place.
COMING
UP: Season
complete
COYOTE
MEN SET NEW TEAM RECORD AT NATIONALS: A great three-day run by The College of Idaho men's
swim team netted the Coyotes their most team points at the NAIA Championships
in school history, scoring 79 points, good enough for a 12th-place team
finish. In fact, the 2008 point total was more than all of the previous
trips to Nationals by the Coyote men combined. All five relay teams set
school records in San Antonio
with each of them advancing to the consolation finals. The 200-free relay
took home the title of the consolation heat, dropping the school record to
1:28.73.
GREEN
REACHES FINAL IN 50-FREE: The Coyote men also had their first individual in program
history qualify for the championship heat, as John Green (Pleasanton, Calif.
/ Foothill HS) placed sixth in the preliminaries in the
50-freestyle with a 21.32 - dropping his own school record by five-tenths
of a second. In the finals, Green swam a 21.56, placing eighth - the
highest individual finish by a C of I swimmer. He
also set a new school record in the 100-free with a 47.56, finishing fifth
in the consolation final.
SAVELL
QUALIFIES FOR TWO CONSOLATION FINALS: For the second-straight year, Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell,
Idaho / Caldwell HS)
was the lone C of I women's swimmer to advance out of the preliminary heats -
making the consolation final in both the 100 and 200-breaststroke. Her
time of 1:10.46 in the 100-breast not only set a new school record, but placed
her third in the consolation final - good enough for 11th overall - the highest
individual finish by a Lady Yote swimmer in program
history. Savell also placed 15th in the
200-breast.
MIKELONIS,
JUDD HONORED BY THE NAIA: Each year, the NAIA honors student-athletes as part of their
"Champions of Character" initiative - promoting leadership through
sports. The Coyotes had two recipients this year - as Scott Mikelonis (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS)
and Ellen Judd (Missoula,
Mont. / Sentinel HS)
were awarded certificates by the NAIA at the Opening Ceremonies.
RECORD
BREAKING SEASON: In their fourth season of competition, and their first under head coach Mary Parsons, The C of I swim team
continues to improve. The men's team broke ten individual and five school
records on the season - five by Casey
Walker (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Skyview HS), three by John Green, and
two by Scott Mikelonis. The women's team broke
eight individual and two relay records - including four records by Alphonsina Savell. The
future looks bright for the Yotes, as of the seven men and 17 women on the
roster - they will lose just one senior, Randi
Brattin (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS)
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.
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C of I -
