Yote Notes – May 28, 2009

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS:

 

YOTES SET RECORD FOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES: A total of 19 College of Idaho spring student-athletes were named to their respective Daktronics/NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete teams, announced by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.  Coupled with the fall and winter sports, Coyote student-athletes have set a new school record with a combined 46 national scholar-athletes - surpassing the total of 42 set last year.  Of the 19 sports sponsored by The C of I, 17 of them had at least one honoree.  Earlier, the Yotes set a new Cascade Conference record, as in 2008-09, the school recorded 75 Academic All-Conference awards.  Leading the way this spring was the track team with eight recipients (Sam Hardy - Eagle, Rand Kline - Caldwell, Jude Penaflor - Elko, NV, Molli Lee-Painter - Moscow, Emily McCutchan - Eagle, Courtney Mitchell - Boise, Jayne Saunders - Emmett, Chantel Varland - Meridian), both the golf team (Erica Sheppard - Nampa, Colin Slaugher - Sandpoint, Ben Coate - Boise, Cris Tietsort - Caldwell) and baseball team (Jake Bottari - Wells, NV, Matthew Conner - Colorado Springs, CO, Perry Hamilton - Buhl, Dane McGrady - Boise) each had four, the softball team had two winners (Haley Butcher - Eagle, Brooke Judy - Kuna), with the women's tennis team recording one honoree (Kate Leadbetter - Grand Junction, CO).  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a junior in academic status and maintain a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.

 

C OF I SECOND IN ALL-SPORTS AWARD: Despite finishing in the Top-3 in nine of the 13 sports sponsored by the Cascade Conference, the Coyotes finished second to Concordia in the 2008-09 CCC All-Sports Trophy race.  The Cavaliers, who last won the crown in 2006-07, totaled 158 points to edge the Yotes (150) and third-place finisher Eastern Oregon (131). Southern Oregon (126) and Oregon Tech (122) rounded out the top five. Points are awarded based on regular season conference finishes in a maximum of eight sports.

 

SUMMER CAMPS OFFERED BY THE YOTES: The C of I softball, volleyball, soccer, and tennis teams will be offering summer camps this summer.  For more information on these camps and clinics, visit the sport specific webpages on the Coyote athletic website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete.

 

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

 

 

YEAR IN REVIEW:

 

2008-09 BY THE NUMBERS:

 

75           Cascade Conference All-Academic Team selections (tops in CCC)

56           All-Cascade Conference selections

49           Cascade Conference Players of the Week

46           NAIA/USCSA All-America Scholar-Athletes

10           All-Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference selections

8              NAIA All-America selections

6              Cascade Conference Coach of the Year selections

5              Cascade Conference Player of the Year selections

5              USCSA All-Americans

1              NAIA National Player of the Week selections

 

11           Teams ranked in the Top-25 or receiving votes (men’s cross country, women’s cross

                country, volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s skiing, women’s skiing, men’s

                basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball)

 

11           Teams competing at the National Championships (men’s cross country, women’s cross

                country, volleyball, men’s swimming, women’s swimming, men’s skiing, women’s skiing,

                women’s basketball, softball, men’s track, women’s track)

 

7              Conference Championships (men’s soccer, women’s cross country, volleyball, men’s

                skiing, women’s skiing, women’s basketball, softball)

 

MEN’S SOCCER: The Coyotes (14-3-1) set a school record with a 13-game win streak – winning the South Division title, becoming just the second team in CCC history to complete the league schedule with an unbeaten, untied record.  The Yotes reached the CCC Tournament title game, losing a tough 2-1 decision to Concordia.  Antonio Bautista led the way with 21 goals on the season, earning CCC Offensive Player of the Year honors, while being named to the NAIA All-America team.  Head coach Brian Smith was named CCC Coach of the Year.

 

WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Lady Yotes (12-6-2) recorded their best season in the 20-year history of the program, finishing second in the CCC.  Led by seven All-CCC selections and CCC Coach of the Year, Niki Taylor, the Coyotes defeated Southern Oregon in the CCC Tournament semifinals, before dropping a 3-0 decision to eventual national runner-up Concordia in the title game. 

 

VOLLEYBALL: The Lady Yotes (24-10) won their third consecutive Cascade Conference regular-season championship and their third-straight CCC Tournament title.  The C of I was ranked as high as No. 9 in the NAIA Top-25 Poll and battled back from a 3-6 start to win 21 of their next 22 games, including an NAIA Opening Round Tournament game over Menlo.  Unfortunately, the squad dropped two four-set and a five-set match at the NAIA National Championships.  Head coach Liz Mendiola was named CCC Coach of the Year, while Kristin Henning was named to the NAIA All-America team.

 

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The Coyotes finished third at the CCC Championships and earned their third at-large berth to the NAIA Championships in the last four years.  Led by All-CCC runners Paul Sartin and Kiprotich Langat, the Yotes finished 20th out of 32 teams at the National Meet.  The C of I was ranked No. 15 in the final NAIA Top-25 poll.

 

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The Lady Yotes claimed their first-ever CCC title, running away with first-place at the CCC Championships.  Sophomore Stephanie Helm won her second-straight CCC individual title and was named Runner of the Year for the second-straight season – including six CCC Runner of the Week awards.  The Yotes, ranked No. 10 in the final national poll, advanced to their first NAIA Championships, where they finished ninth overall – with Helm earning All-America honors after finishing 12th in the field of over 300 runners.  Head coach Pat McCurry was named CCC Coach of the Year.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Coyotes (16-15) rebounded from a rocky preseason schedule to earn their 26th playoff berth in the last 27 years.  All-CCC and NAIA All-American Craig McGee led the Yotes attack, scoring in double figures in 29 of the 31 games, including wins over Eastern Oregon and Evergreen State – both national tournament teams. 

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The Lady Yotes (29-5) recorded their best win-loss record in program history, claiming a share of the CCC championship and earning their first berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament since 2001 (losing a tough game to eventual national runner-up Hastings).  The squad recorded their first-ever win against an NCAA Division I team (69-65 win at Weber State), then rattled off a school-record 21 wins in a row – climbing as high as No. 8 in the NAIA Top-25 poll.  Christon Vander Esch was named CCC Player of the Year and earned Defensive Player of the Year for a second year in a row, while she and Nicole Gall were named to the NAIA All-America team.

 

MEN’S SKIING: The Coyotes secured their sixth-straight NWCSC championship and advanced to the USCSA Championships in Winter Park, Colo.  The squad finished ninth overall at the national championships.

 

WOMEN’S SKIING: The Lady Yotes dominated the NWCSC in winning their sixth-straight league title – finishing first in all eight qualifiers.  However, the squad struggled on their trip to Nationals, placing 11th.  The women’s freestyle Boarder-X team, however, claimed the USCSA national title, outdistancing themselves from UC-Santa Barbara and UCLA.

 

MEN’S SWIMMING: The Yotes had a phenomenal regular-season – winning their season-opening dual at Lewis & Clark, the first-ever dual meet win by The C of I.  It was one of three wins by the Coyotes during the season.  The squad had a quality performance at the NAIA Championships, placing 16th overall, including the 200-freestyle relay team, which finished sixth-overall.  The squad was also honored at the NAIA Championships as the Champions of Character Team by the NAIA.

 

WOMEN’S SWIMMING: The Lady Yotes failed to win a dual meet , nor score a team point at the NAIA Championships, but established seven school records during the season.

 

BASEBALL: The Yotes (28-20) recorded their 23rd-straight season with at least 25 wins, placing second in the NAIA West North Division.  The squad, which was ranked as high as No. 23 in the NAIA poll during the year, dropped a pair of one-run decisions in the NAIA West Tournament to close the year.  Outfielder Cody Brubaker was the lone Coyote named to both the All-CCC and All-NAIA West Team, while skipper Shawn Humberger was named CCC Coach of the Year for the fourth-straight season.

 

MEN’S GOLF: The Yotes had a much improved season, finishing fourth in the Cascade Conference regular-season and fourth at the CCC Tournament.  The squad opened the year with a dual win over Northwest Nazarene, shooting a season-low 298, with freshman Tyler Thurston leading the team with a 78.6 stroke average.  Head coach Garry Matlock was named CCC Co-Coach of the Year.

 

WOMEN’S GOLF: The Lady Yotes had a quality year, finishing second in every CCC tournament, along with the CCC Championships.  Three players – led by Cecilia Garcia, were named to the All-CCC team, as the squad set a record for the lowest team score for a round (340).  Head coach Garry Matlock was named CCC Coach of the Year.

 

SOFTBALL: The Lady Yotes (34-18) had a fabulous second half of the season, claiming their second CCC championship in the last three years and earning their second-straight berth in the NAIA Women’s World Series.  Led by NAIA All-American and CCC Pitcher of the Year, Jody Zillner, the squad won 13 of their final 14 league tilts.  CCC Player of the Year, Heather Dixon, established a new league record with 18 home runs on the year.  At Nationals, the Coyotes went 2-1, losing out on a berth in the quarterfinals by a tiebreaker.

 

MEN’S TENNIS: The Coyotes (0-7) struggled in their first season as an intercollegiate team since 2001, but did pick up three victories against junior college competition.

 

WOMEN’S TENNIS: The Lady Yotes (2-6) finished third in the West Coast Unaffiliated Group standings, thanks to a 5-4 win over Alberta.  Melissa Rowe and Molly Leadbetter led the team with five singles wins each.

 

MEN’S TRACK: The Coyotes established seven outdoor and one indoor school record during the season, finishing sixth at the CCC Championships.  Paul Sartin was the Yotes top performer at the NAIA Championships, finishing tenth in the 10,000-meters.

 

WOMEN’S TRACK: The Lady Yotes had an outstanding season, missing out on third-place at the CCC Championships by one-half of a point.  Stephanie Helm won her second-straight title at 5,000-meters, while Tegan Troutner (10,000-meters) and Emily McCutchan (heptathlon) each won CCC title.  At the NAIA Outdoor Championships, the 4x800-meter relay team became the first-ever C of I relay team to score at a national meet, placing seventh in the final, while Helm finished seventh in the 5,000-meter championship – helping the Lady Yotes to a 45th-place team finish.  At the NAIA Indoor Championships, Helm was named an All-American for the second-straight year, placing fourth in the 3,000-meters.