Yote Notes – July 10,
2008
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS:
MEN’S TENNIS RETURNS: On June 19, College of Idaho
athletic director Marty Holly announced that men's tennis will return as an
intercollegiate sport, beginning in the spring of 2009. It marks the third time that the Coyotes will
compete in the sport. The C of I sponsored men's tennis from the World
War II era up until 1978, when all sports except men's basketball, women's
volleyball, and men's and women's skiing were eliminated. The highlight
during that period was the play of Jan Christensen, who became the first C of I player to advance to the NAIA Championships during the mid
1970s. The current women's tennis
program began in 1984, with the men's program returning during the 1996-97
school year for a five-year run. However, the men's team was eliminated
once again due to a lack of quality courts - which were not able to handle two
teams. "We're excited to bring back
men's tennis as an intercollegiate sport," said Holly. "With
the academic profile of most men's tennis players, it is a natural fit for The
C of I." Women's
head coach Cisco Limbago will coach the men's program as well - and will
benefit by the construction of three state-of-the-art courts, between the J.A.
Albertson Aquatic Center and Covell Hall, while the two existing courts have
been resurfaced - featuring a purple playing surface. "With our new courts, there is no reason
why we can't attract some of the better student-athletes in the Treasure Valley," said Holly. Five players will join the Yotes next year -
Eric Schuler of Mountain View High, James Collet of Pocatello High, Gage
Egurrola and Shravan Sriganesh of Homedale High, and Joel Hernandez of Caldwell
High - adding to a group of five current C of I students who competed at the
club level this spring. With the
addition of men's tennis, The C of I now sponsors 19 intercollegiate
sports - the most of any four-year school in Idaho.
PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL UPDATE: Although no former College of Idaho
baseball players are currently in Major League Baseball organizations, four
former Coyotes are playing in independent leagues. Leading the way is Branden Florence
(1999-2001), who is an outfielder for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic
League – regarded as the top independent league in baseball. Florence
was recently named to the all-star team after finishing the first half of the
season with a .319 batting average, along with four home runs, eight doubles,
and 31 RBI. Also in the Atlantic League
is Jason Simontacchi (1996), who is pitching with the Long Island Ducks. The former big leaguer, who is recovering
from a shoulder injury, is 0-1 with a 6.11 ERA in 17.2 innings of work. In the Canadian-American Association is Matt
Zachary (2004-05), who has been a stalwart in the bullpen for the Brockton
Rox. Zachary has a 1-0 mark with a 2.52
ERA in 18 appearances, with opposing batters hitting a paltry .245 against him. Rounding out the group is former minor leaguer
Jason Roach (2006-07), who is a starting pitcher for the Chico Outlaws in the
Golden Baseball League. Roach has struggled
this season with a 0-6 record and a 9.46 ERA – thanks in part to allowing
eleven home runs.
SID EARNS NATIONAL HONORS: College of Idaho sports information
director Mike Safford Jr. was honored June 29 with four top-ten finishes in the
NAIA-Sports Information Directors of America Publications Contest, announced at
the annual NAIA-SIDA convention in Tampa, Fla. Safford, who will begin his
eighth year at The C of I in September, earned the praise of his peers in four
Media Guide categories - in Combined Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, and
Combined Soccer. It is the eighth-straight year that he has received at least
one top-ten finish. The Coyote Combined
Basketball Media Guide finished second overall in the contest, the Volleyball
Media Guide was sixth, with the Softball and Soccer books placing seventh out
of the nearly 300 NAIA schools across the nation. Each of the publications were printed by The Caxton Printers, Inc. in Caldwell - with the help
of Wayne Garrett and Dennis Pattee. Safford was the lone SID of the 22 NAIA
schools in the Pacific Northwest to be recognized, and has now accumulated 20
top-ten awards in his career, including two "Best in the Nation"
awards.
MEN’S SOCCER RECRUITING UPDATE: College of Idaho
men's soccer coach Brian Smith has announced the signing of eight freshmen and
one junior college player to NAIA Letter of Intents for the upcoming 2008
season. Leading the group is transfer
Brian Griffiths of Walla Walla
Community College.
The midfielder from Boise
was a starter at WWCC and is a true winner - having won five state titles with
the Boise Nationals - playing for Smith at the club level in the U-11, U-14,
and U-16 ranks. Two keepers are on the
list - Aaron Reynolds of Boise and Trevor
Spielman of Idaho Falls.
Reynolds was an All-Southern Idaho Conference selection at Capital High and
played for the Boise Capitals, while Spielman was the starting keeper at Idaho
Falls High, helping the Tigers to a fourth-place finish in the 5A state
tournament. Two other midfielders come
from the prep ranks - Brad Byers of Boise and Jon
Schmehl of Coeur d'Alene.
Byers, from Capital High, was an All-Southern Idaho
Conference selection, while Schmehl, from Coeur d'Alene High, helped
the Vikings to a third-place finish in the 5A state tournament - earning
All-North Idaho honors. Three defenders
look to help the Yotes in 2008 - Jon LaTorre of Coeur
d'Alene, James Collet of Pocatello,
and Spencer Ward of Kent, Wash. LaTorre, from Coeur d'Alene
High, was a teammate of Schmehl in high school and earned All-North Idaho
honors. Collet, of Pocatello High, was MVP of his squad, while Ward, of
Kentwood High, was an All-South Puget Sound League selection. One forward rounds
out the group - Travis Newbold of Meridian.
The former Warrior striker was an All-SIC selection in 2007. "I am really pleased with our recruiting
class at this point," said Smith. "This group has a lot of
experience at the prep and club level - and we have improved at the positions
where we needed to from last year. Each of these players will push for
playing time in the fall." The
Yotes return 15 players from last season's 11-6-1 team that placed third in the
Cascade Conference. The C of I opens up the 2008 campaign on August 28 at
Northwest Nazarene - marking the first meeting between the two clubs since 2002.
WOMEN’S SOCCER RECRUITING UPDATE: College of Idaho
women's soccer head coach Niki Taylor has announced the signing of 12
student-athletes to NAIA Letter of Intents for the upcoming 2008 season. The group includes eleven freshmen and one
junior college transfer - with ten of the 12 players calling the Treasure Valley home. Leading the group is transfer Lauren
Winterholler of North
Idaho College.
Winterholler, a defender from Idaho
Falls, is a two-time All-Scenic West Conference
selection and earned All-Region 18 honors in 2007, leading NIC to the regional
title. Of the freshmen, three are
forwards - each looking to help the Yotes improve on their goal-scoring
abilities. Leading this group is Macy Egerman of Boise High, who led the
Braves to three-straight 5A state tournaments, including runner-up finishes in
2005 and 2006. She led the team in scoring each of the last two
years. Other strikers headed to The C of I are Kelly Hardegree-Ullman of
Mountain View High and Ashley Page of Emmett. Hardegree-Ullman was a
two-time All-Southern Idaho Conference selection, helping the Maverick to a
fourth-place finih in the 2007 state tournament, while Page was a four-time
All-SIC selection. Five midfielders are
a part of the recruiting class - led by Utah
native, Caitlin Boswell. The graduate of Mountain View High in Orem was an All-Region 7
selection last fall, helping her team to the 4A state semifinals. Included in the class are Chelsea Heffner of
Mountain View High, Annie Ball of Boise High, Taylor Culver of Skyview High,
and Jordan Huttash of Bishop Kelly High. Heffner was a two-time All-SIC
selection, while Ball is the younger sister of former Coyote defender, Katie
Ball. Culver was an All-SIC section, helping the Hawks to a 4A runner-up
finish in 2007, with Huttash helping the Knights to the 4A state championship. Two other defenders and one
keeper round out the recruits. Defenders Justine Hawkins of
Capital High and Jessica Patton of Eagle High, along with goalie Tracy Diaz
should all be factors for the Coyotes. Hawkins and Patton are both
All-SIC selections, with Patton helping the Mustangs to the 2005 5A state title
and a runner-up finish in 2007. Diaz pitched three consecutive shutouts
in goal in the 2007 5A state tournament, helping the Wolves to the title. The Lady Yotes, coming off a 9-7-3 record and
their second-straight appearance in the Cascade Conference Tournament, open
their season on Aug. 28 at Mills College in California.
TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY RECRUITING
UPDATE: College of Idaho cross country and track coach Pat
McCurry announced today the members of his initial 2008-09 recruiting class -
with nine men and four women joining the Coyote program. Headlining the women's class is Kayloni Jones
from Nine Mile Falls, Wash., who will compete in both cross
country and track. The recent graduate of Lakeside High finished eighth
in the 1A state meet, while finishing second in the 1A track meet in the
3,200. "She has all the tools to be a national class collegiate runner,"
said McCurry. "Her upside is tremendous and she wil be a factor in
our women's program immediately." Also
headed to The C of I is sprinter Aurora Torres from Pendleton, Ore.
Torres helped Pendleton High win the 5A 4x100-meter relay at the 2008 state
championships. "Aurora
is a great fit for our developing sprint group and we will look to her to be a
cornerstone in that area for the next few years." Torres will have company in the sprints
during the 2009 track season, as Emilee Lantis of Hilo, Hawaii,
and Bailee Lowry of Bishop Kelly High will also run for the Coyotes. Leading the men's class is Zeke Wilson of
Challis, who is coming off a phenomenal senior season at Challis High. Wilson took home the
1A-2A cross country state title, and followed it up with 2A state titles in
both the 1,600 and 3,200-meter events. "Zeke is hands down the best
male distance runner coming out of the state this year and we are thrilled to
add him to our program," stated McCurry.
Joining Wilson is Greg Bush from Billings, Mont.,
who won a 4A state title at Billings West High as the lead leg in the
4x400-meter relay, while placing second in the 800-meters. "Greg has
great range as an athlete and that versatility will be of great value to our
program," said McCurry. Two other
small school gems will be headed to The C of I -
Garrett Traughber of Arco and Joe Montoya of Challis. Traughber, of Butte
County High, placed sixth last fall at the 1A-2A cross country state meet,
placing 3rd in the 2A track meet in the 800-meters, while Montoya of Challis
High, placed fourth in the 1A-2A cross country state meet. Five others round out the men's class -
sprinters George Fiadjoe of Boise High and Style Salek of Caldwell High, along
with cross country/track runners Josh Williams of Mountain View High, Elliott
Gould of Vermont, and Daniel Wenz of Germany.
VOLLEYBALL RECRUITING UPDATE: College of Idaho
volleyball coach Liz Mendiola announced today the signing of Kaylyn Hayashikawa
to an NAIA Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2008 season. The incoming freshman hails from Waikoloa, Hawaii, where
she was a four-year standout at Hawaii
Prep Academy,
earning All-Big Island Interscholastic Federation honors. The 5-2 libero
also played for the YMCA Na Opio Juniors Volleyball Club and joins her sister
Karly, who played at Washington
State, as a collegiate
volleyball player. "Kaylyn has solid
technical skills and will provide the depth that we need in ball control and
defense," said Mendiola. "She has a great love for the game and
a competitive intensity that makes her a great fit for our program. Hayashikawa is the sixth member of the 2008
recruiting class - joining Courtney Bull (Pocatello),
Ciciley Fox (Challis), Alicin German (Jerome), Bryanne Gribble (Boise), and Megan Spinks (Manteca, Calif.)
as new members of the Coyotes. The C of
I opens up the 2008 season on Aug. 22 at the NAIA Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City against
national semifinalist Concordia-Irvine.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RECRUITING
UPDATE: The College of Idaho women's basketball coach Reagan
Rossi has announced the signing of Nicole Gall to an NAIA Letter of Intent for
the upcoming 2008-09 season. Gall, an
incoming sophomore, heads to the Lady Yotes after a successful freshman
campaign at NCAA Division I Santa Clara, where she averaged five points and two
rebounds per game. The 5-10 guard averaged nearly 18 minutes per game for
the Broncos, connecting on 37-percent of her three-point attempts, scoring a
career-high 17 points vs. Pepperdine. She also had a career-high seven
rebounds vs. Nevada
and four assists vs. Stanford. A native
of Boise, Gall
was a three-time 5A All-State selection at Borah High, playing for former C of
I All-American, Alyson Pincock. She helped the Lions to three-consecutive
District III titles and a second-place finish in the 2005 5A state
tournament. As a senior, she averaged 13 points and six rebounds. She is the fifth player to sign with the Lady
Yotes - joining transfers Katie Strunk (Walla Walla CC) and Alexandria Allen(Columbia Basin CC), and incoming freshmen Morgan
Vander Esch (Grangeville HS) and Meghan Huges (Bishop Kelly HS). The
squad, coming off a runner-up finish in the 2008 Cascade Conference Tournament,
opens the 2008-09 season on Nov. 3 with an exhibition
game at Weber State.
SCHEDULES RELEASED: As the 2008-09 school year rapidly
approaches, many of the Coyote athletic teams have released tentative schedules
for the upcoming season.
Men’s Soccer
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/msoccer/schedule/08.htm),
Women’s Soccer
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wsoccer/schedule/08.htm),
Volleyball
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/schedule/08.htm),
Cross Country
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc/schedule/08.htm),
Men’s Basketball
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/0809.htm),
Women’s Basketball
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wbasketball/0809.htm).
