Yote Notes – May 19, 2009

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS:

2008-09 RECAP COMING NEXT WEEK: The yearly recap of the entire C of I athletic season will be featured in the final Yote Notes of the year next week.

WOMEN’S SOCCER ANNOUNCES SIGNINGS: Coming off the best season in the 20-year history of the program, College of Idaho women's soccer coach Niki Taylor has announced the signing of NAIA Letter of Intents for the first six players of her 2009 recruiting class. A pair of high school players and a junior college transfer headline the class - as incoming freshmen Kayla Bigelow and Jessica Ayala, along with junior Kirsten Olson are headed to the Caldwell campus. Bigelow won a pair of 5A state championships at Timberline High in Boise, earning All-Southern Idaho Conference honors as a junior and senior, while earning All-SIC Academic Team honors in 2006, 2007, and 2008.  As a member of the Les Bois United Soccer Club, she helped her U-14, U-15, and U-16 teams to Idaho Cup championships, while played this winter on Les Bois' futsal national championship team.

Ayala was an All-SIC selection at Eagle High last fall, while helping her squad to a runner-up finish in the 2007 5A state tournament.  She served as team captain as a senior and was named team MVP in 2008.  Ayala also plays club soccer for the Les Bois United Soccer Club. Olson transfers to The C of I after an outstanding two-year career at North Idaho College, where she was a two-year starter.  The Boise native helped her squad to the 2007 Scenic West Athletic Conference title and the 2008 NJCAA District B championship - placing third at the NJCAA National Championships. Three others will also play for the Lady Yotes, a trio of freshmen - Natasha Rooney, Quinn Woody, and Maggie March.  Rooney, from Melbourne, Australia, played for the University of Melbourne as a prep, while Woody prepped at Boise High and March played at Eagle High.

HAHN AND SAFFORD TO ANCHOR NAIA WORLD SERIES COVERAGE: For the second-straight year, Dave Hahn and Mike Safford will be the lead broadcasters for television coverage of the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston. Hahn, a major gifts officer in The C of I Development Office and Voice of the Yotes from 1983-97, and Safford, C of I’s sports information director and Voice of the Yotes since 2001, will call games on JumpTV’s coverage of the World Series.

BUY YOUR COYOTE GEAR ONLINE: Fans of the Yotes can now purchase official C of I athletic apparel and gear online at the Yotes new e-store at http://www.estoresbyzome.com/college_idaho.php - with a portion of every sale supporting Coyote Athletics.  Hats, sweatshirts, jackets, and t-shirts are just the tip of the iceberg on the Yotes e-store.   

IDAHO PRESS TRIBUNE FEATURES C OF I/NNU SPORTS BLOG: Fans of C of I athletics can share their thoughts on the Yotes as part of the Idaho Press Tribune’s College of Idaho/Northwest Nazarene Sports Blog.  Beat writer Mike Stetson shares his thoughts and stories, along with pictures and videos, on both the Yotes and Crusaders, with fans having the ability to leave their thoughts on their favorite team.  The blog is linked on the front of The C of I athletic website or can be visited at http://www.idahopress.com/blogs/?blogid=6.

DONATE TO THE COLLEGE OF IDAHO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Click here to make your tax deductible gift to assist the CIAA with post-season championships team travel, scholarships and recruiting - https://www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/_secure/makeagift.asp

TRACK: Yotes off to St. Louis for NAIA Outdoor Championships

LAST WEEK: Idle

COMING UP: NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Edwardsville, Ill., Thursday-Saturday.

LIVE RESULTS: Live results of the National Championships will be available online at http://www.cfpitiming.com/2009%20Outdoor/NAIA_national_champs_2009/NAIA_championship_2009.htm.

YOTES HEADED TO NATIONALS: For the fifth-straight year, The C of I will be sending representatives to the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, this year on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The Coyotes will have ten competitors (eight women, two men) on the track, competing in ten events. The team left Boise on Tuesday morning and will stay in the St. Louis metro-area through the weekend.

HISTORY AT NATIONALS: In their first four trips to Nationals, the Coyote men have scored points twice, tallying three points in both 2006 and 2008. David Fluckiger placed sixth in the finals of the 3,000-steeplechase in 2006, with Tyler Hopper placing sixth in the 1,500-meters in 2008. The 2006 squad had the highest overall-finish by the Yotes, taking 45^th. No women’s team has scored at Outdoor Nationals, with Shannon Edwards finishing ninth in the 2006 5,000-meter final as the Lady Yotes top finish.

WHO’S COMPETING: On the men’s side, sophomore Paul Sartin (Meridian, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) will be competing in his first national championships, running the 10,000-meters, while freshman Terriel Thomas (Chicago, Ill. / Borah HS) will run both the 110-hurdles and 400-hurdles. On the women’s side, the Lady Yotes will field a team in the 4x800-relay, with junior Molli Lee-Painter (Moscow, Idaho / Moscow HS) running the 3,000-steeplechase, junior Chantel Varland (Meridian, Idaho / Mountain View HS) running the marathon, sophomore Maggie Miller (Anchorage, Alaska / Lane CC) running the 800-meters, sophomore Stephanie Helm (Challis, Idaho / Challis HS) running the 5,000-meters, and Tegan Troutner (Lake Fork, Idaho / McCall-Donnelly HS) running the 5,000 and 10,000-meters.

NATIONAL STANDINGS: The best hopes for the Purple and Gold rest in the distance events, as Stephanie Helm holds the sixth-fastest time in the NAIA in the 5,000, while Paul Sartin has the ninth-fastest time in the 10,000. Look for the 4x800-relay team of Miller, Jayne Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS), Colleen Smith (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), and Emily McCutchan (Eagle, Idaho / Cole Valley Christian HS) to have a chance to make the finals, as the quartet is ranked No. 12 in the NAIA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I track program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/track.htm.

SOFTBALL (34-18): Season Review

LAST WEEK: at NAIA Women’s World Series, Decatur, Ala. –vs. No. 9 Martin Methodist (W 3-2), vs. No. 8 Bethel (L 8-4), vs. Virginia-Wise (W 1-0) – Tie for 1^st in Pool H.

COMING UP: Season Complete

ZILLNER NAMED ALL-AMERICAN: Capping a record-setting 2009 season, right-hander Jody Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / College of Southern Idaho) was named to the NAIA All-America Team as an honorable mention selection. The junior went 22-8 on the year with a 1.35 ERA, striking out 246 batters in 212 innings of work. Zillner established new single-season records for ERA, shutouts, wins, and strikeouts in 2009. She joins her sister, Katie Zillner, as the only two All-Americans in the eight-year history of the program.

TWO EARN SCHOLAR-AWARDS: Also honored following the NAIA Women’s World Series were senior Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) and junior Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS) were named to the 292 person Daktronics/NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete Team. Both players maintained at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA during their C of I careers.

YOTES LOSE OUT ON TIEBREAK: The Lady Yotes showed their mettle during the World Series, upsetting No. 9 seeded Martin Methodist on Day 1 of the tournament, and shutout Virginia-Wise on Sunday night. However, an 8-4 loss to No. 8 seeded Bethel proved to be the clincher as The C of I lost out on a trip to bracket play due to tiebreakers. The Yotes, Martin Methodist, and Bethel were all tied at 2-1 following Pool Play – the only pool in the tournament with a tie, forcing the NAIA to go to a laundry list of tiebreakers. Since the three teams were all 1-1 against each other, the next tiebreak was run-differential among the three teams – with Bethel at +3, MMC at 0, and C of I at -3, while eliminated the Yotes. Bethel and MMC went through the process again, and since MMC defeated Bethel, 1-0, the Tennessee bunch headed to bracket play.

BATS WERE COLD IN ALABAMA: The humidity and heavy rains that plagued the World Series at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex had a lasting effect on the Lady Yotes bats – as the team struggled to a .236 batting average during the tournament. Only one player – Haley Butcher, had more than two hits in Alabama, as the senior went 5-for-9 with a run scored and two RBI.

RECAP OF WORLD SERIES: Six of the eight top seeds advanced into bracket play – Cal Baptist, Lubbock Christian, Point Loma Nazarene, Oklahoma City, St Gregory, and Dickinson State advanced, along with Martin Methodist and Notre Dame. When the dust settled on Wednesday, top-seeded Cal Baptist completed a perfect run through the tournament, taking the title game 3-2 over St. Gregory for their first-ever softball national title.

TEAM RECORDS BY WAYSIDE: As a team, the Coyotes tied a trio of single-game records this season – belting four home runs at Oregon Tech, recording 16 hits in a win over Southern Oregon, and claiming three extra inning wins during the year. On the season, the squad established new team records for at bats (1383), sacrifice flies (13), ERA (2.21), complete games (37), shutouts (9), innings pitched (352), fewest runs allowed (144), and strikeouts (333).

OTHER RECORDS: Three players established new single-season records in 2009 – as Heather Dixon (Boise, Idaho / Idaho State U.) set a new record for home runs (18), RBI (48), and at bats (155) in a year, with Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) setting the bar for hit by pitches (9). Jody Zillner set new pitching records for ERA (1.35), wins (22), strikeouts (246), innings pitched (212.1), and shutouts (7). Haley Butcher holds the career school records for hits (175), doubles (36), at bats (531), games started (184), and defensive assists (310), while Smith established career marks for RBI (103), home runs (24), games played (187), and hit by pitches (24).

SENIORS LAST HURRAH: The World Series was the final games in the Purple and Gold for six players – four-year members Haley Butcher, Stacy Smith, and Stephanie Stover (Caldwell, Idaho / U. of Nevada), three-year player Brooke Judy, two-year player Katy Luetke (Yreka, Calif. / Mendocino CC), and one-year player, Heather Dixon.

WHAT’S RETURNING: Despite losing a ton of offensive punch, the cupboard will not be bare for the Lady Yotes in 2010. The squad will have an experienced infield, as Kristen Haugen (Salem, Ore. / South Salem HS) should assume the third-base job, Amy Rhoades (Eagle, Idaho / Dixie State Coll.) will return at short, Brittany Wenzel (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) returns at second, with Dani Villyard (Kent, Wash. / Kentlake HS) reclaiming her spot at first base. Look for Donnae Carrell (Caldwell, Idaho / Middleton HS) and Nikki Shumway (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) to claim two outfield spots, while the starting battery returns with Jody Zillner and Kalie Kurdy (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS).

GAME RECAP – C OF I 3, MARTIN METHODIST 2: Haley Butcher lined a walk-off RBI single to centerfield in the bottom of the eighth inning, as The C of I upset No. 9 ranked Martin Methodist, 3-2, on the opening day of the 29th NAIA Women's World Series. Freshman Brittany Wenzel led off the decisive frame with a slap single and was moved to second on an Amy Rhoades sacrifice bunt.  Heather Dixon followed with a sharp single to left, putting runners on the corners.  After Jody Zillner struck out, the senior Butcher ripped the Sally Gale offering up the middle for the game-winner. Zillner was the story in the circle, allowing just three hits and one earned run.  The Cascade Conference Pitcher of the Year did not walk a batter and struck out nine. The Coyotes got on the board in the second, as Zillner led off with a double, then stole third, scoring when Redhawks catcher Maria Robinson's throw went into the outfield.  The C of I would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, as Butcher lined an RBI single to centerfield to make it 2-0. However, the squad from Pulaski, Tenn., would not go away, as Brooke Kelley led off the seventh with a double, then scored when Butcher overthrew Dixon at first on a grounder.  Nikki Osborne followed with a run-scoring single to knot the score at 2-2.  The Yotes, however, got out of the inning on a nifty bang-bang double play on a failed sacrifice attempt. Butcher went 3-for-4 and Zillner added a pair of hits in the win, the Coyotes second all-time victory at the World Series.  Gale walked three and struck out nine in the loss for the Redhawks.

GAME RECAP – BETHEL 8, C OF I 4: Three long home runs by Bethel College provided the difference, as the No. 8 ranked Pilots knocked off The C of I, 8-4, to open up Day 2 NAIA Women's World Series. After the No. 23 ranked Coyotes stranded the bases loaded in the top of the first, the Pilots jumped on the board in the bottom of the frame.  Sarah Rassi singled in a run, then following a two-out error, Mandy Cripe hit the first of her two home runs on the day, a three-run shot, to make it 4-0. Bethel got a Katie Boocher RBI single in the second to make it 5-0, before the Yotes battled back.  In the fifth, Brooke Judy and Kalie Kurdy each singled, then with two outs, Amy Rhoades walked, and Heather Dixon provided the big blow, blasting a grand slam, her 18th homer of the year, pull C of I within 5-4. Unfortunately, the momentum was short-lived, as Cripe led off the bottom of the frame with a homer, and Boocher put the game out of reach in the sixth with a two-out, two-run long ball. Jody Zillner saw her 13-game winning streak snapped, lasting just two and one-third of an inning, allowing five runs, two earned, on seven hits, walking three, and fanning one.  Six different Yotes had one hit in the game. Boocher, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, pitched three shutout innings for Bethel, with Rachel Zirille tossing the final four frames to pick up the win.  Cripe had a 2-for-3, four RBI game for the Pilots.

GAME RECAP – C OF I 1, VIRGINIA-WISE 0: Haley Butcher scored on a passed ball in the second inning for the lone run of the game, as The College of Idaho knocked off Virginia-Wise, 1-0, on the final day of pool play at the NAIA Women's World Series in Decatur, Ala. Jody Zillner won her 22nd game of the year, allowing just four hits and fanning eight in the victory. Butcher reached on a dropped fly ball by Cavaliers right fielder Brittany Tunnell, taking second on the error.  After a Stacy Smith single, the senior scampered home when a Lauren Snead pitch eluded catcher Mary Wilson.

ABOUT THE COACH: Al Mendiola is in his fourth year as head coach of The C of I softball program, having compiled an 117-75 career record – having won more games than any other softball coach in Coyote history. The native of San Diego, Calif. has helped the Lady Yotes become a force in Northwest softball, leading The C of I to four consecutive playoff appearances, including the 2007 and 2009 Cascade Conference championships, the 2008 NAIA Region I championship, and a berth in the 2008 and 2009 NAIA Women's World Series’. Following the 2007 season, Mendiola was honored as CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year after the Coyotes set a school record with 37 wins. Under his direction, the Yotes have been ranked as high as No. 14 in the NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll. Outside of softball, Mendiola was the head coach of the Caldwell Silver Streaks American Legion baseball team from 1997-07 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.