yote notes - edition 7

COMING UP: at Whitman Spring Three-Way (vs. Whitman/Lewis-Clark State), Wildhorse Golf Course (Mission, Ore.), Saturday, 10 a.m.; vs. Northwest Nazarene, River Bend Golf Course (Wilder), Tuesday, 1 p.m.

LAST WEEK: Idle

SPRING SEASON OPENS QUICKLY: Despite temperatures in the Treasure Valley struggling to hit the 50 degree mark, The C of I men’s and women’s golf teams have been practicing for the past month – preparing for their first two spring events of 2012.  The squads will open up Saturday in Oregon at a three-way event hosted by Whitman College, then return to River Bend Golf Course for a head-to-head meeting with rival Northwest Nazarene.

ABOUT THE THREE-WAY: Both C of I teams will face stiff competition at the Whitman Spring Three-Way (18-holes) at the 7,119-yard Wildhorse Resort Golf Course in Mission, Ore.  On the men’s side, Lewis-Clark State comes in ranked No. 14 in the NAIA Preseason Top-25 poll after a solid fall season, while Whitman placed third in the Northwest Conference’s Fall Championship.  The women’s competition should be exciting, as L-C is ranked No. 20 in the NAIA poll, while the Whits placed second in the NWC Fall event. 

A FRIENDLY WITH NNU: Next Tuesday, the Coyotes return to their home course for a 18-hole head-to-head dual with Northwest Nazarene.  The two men’s teams met at Centennial Golf Course in October, with C of I prevailing by four strokes.

LADY YOTES RANKED NO. 17: The C of I women earned a  No. 17 ranking in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Nov. 11 by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.  The ranking for the Lady Yotes is the highest in program history - as The C of I ascended to No. 20 during the 2010-11 season.  The Coyotes received 194 voter points in the tabulation, joined in the poll by fellow Cascade Conference rival Concordia, who was ranked No. 14. No. 2 Lee, No. 3 Northwood, No. 6 USC-Beaufort, No. 7 William Woods - who all finished above the Yotes at the NAIA Fall Preview, were in the poll, along with No. 12 Cumberlands and No. 16 Bethel - whom The C of I finished ahead of in the tournament.  The next national poll will be released on March 16.

SCORING LEADERS: Men - Kyle DeLorey () 76.6, Austen Giesie (Coto de Caza, Calif. / UNLV) 77.3, Tyler Thurston (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) 77.6. Women – Trish Gibbens (Caldwell, Idaho / Barry U.) 75.7, Baylee Borchers (Boise, Idaho / Mountain View HS) 77.0, Melissa Clausen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) 84.8.

NATIONAL LEADERS: Both Trish Gibbens and Baylee Borchers rank among the Top-20 in multiple Golfstat NAIA categories.  Gibbens ranks No. 3 in scoring average vs. par, No. 5 in Par-5 scoring and scoring average, and No. 11 in Par-3 scoring, while Borchers is No. 7 in Par-4 scoring, No. 12 in scoring average vs. par, and No. 16 in scoring average. 

ABOUT THE COACH: Garry Matlock is in his 12th season as head coach of The C of I men's and women's golf programs. Matlock had also served as the top assistant with The C of I men's basketball team for six years, before stepping down after the 2005-06 season. Last season, he led the Coyote men to a fourth-place finish and the Lady Yotes to a second-place finish in the CCC - earning CCC Coach of the Year honors in on the women’s side for the second-straight year. Matlock came to The C of I in 2000 after 16 years as a head basketball coach at Northwest Nazarene University and Rocky Mountain College, compiling a 232-242 career record. Matlock also served as an assistant coach at Boise State for one season. His coaching background, which dates back to 1966, includes serving as head basketball coach at Homedale High School (1971-82). He also coached at Buhl High School and Milwaukie (Ore.) High School. Matlock began his collegiate career at The C of I, where he played baseball and football, is a graduate of NNU, where he played baseball and basketball and is in their Athletic Hall of Fame.  He is married to wife Pamela, and the two live in Caldwell.

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