yote notes - edition 11

COMING UP: Host College of Idaho Invitational, Monday (36 holes)-Tuesday (18 holes), River Bend Golf Course, 8 a.m. (shotgun start)

LAST WEEK: Idle

YOTES TO HOST THE CCC: The C of I will host the fourth Cascade Conference tournament of the 2011-12 season on Monday and Tuesday, as teams converge on River Bend Golf Course for the two-day College of Idaho Invitational.  The teams will have a shotgun start at 8 a.m. on Monday morning, playing a morning and afternoon round, with the final round set for 8 a.m. on Tuesday.  No admission will be charged, however all spectators are to refrain from speaking with competitors during the competition.

ABOUT THE TEAMS: Corban, Concordia, Northwest Christian, and the Warner Pacific will bring their men’s teams to the Treasure Valley, along with teams from Northwest Nazarene and North Idaho College.  Corban, Concordia, Warner Pacific, and North Idaho will bring complete women’s teams to the event, while Northwest Christian will bring three individuals.

HISTORY OF THE EVENT: It marks the fifth-straight year that the CCC will hold an event in the Treasure Valley, with the Coyote teams looking for their first-ever win.  On the men’s side, Concordia won the team title from 2008-10, while Northwest Christian won the team title last season.  The best finish by the Yotes was in 2010, while they placed second – thanks to a second-place overall finish by Tyler Thurston (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS).  Concordia has won all four women’s titles, while the Lady Yotes have placed second each of the past three seasons – including a second-place overall finish in 2011 by Trish Gibbens (Caldwell, Idaho / Barry U.).

LOOKING AHEAD: April 16-17, the CCC will converge on Diamond Woods Golf Club for the CCC Championships –the final conference event of the season.  The women’s teams will head to Southern California for the NAIA West Qualifier, April 23-24, while the men’s teams will head to the Bay Area for their NAIA West Qualifier, May 7-8.

LADY YOTES RANKED NO. 18: The Lady Yotes remained at No. 18 in the second NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll of the spring, announced this afternoon by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.  It equals the highest regular-season ranking for the tem, who were ranked No. 20 last season. The C of I was No. 17 in the preseason balloting, released in November.  The Coyotes received 188 voter points in the tabulation, joined in the poll by fellow CCC rival Concordia, who was ranked No. 13. No. 2 Lee, No. 4 William Woods, No. 6 Northwood, No. 10 USC-Beaufort - who all finished above the Yotes at the NAIA Fall Preview, were in the poll, along with No. 15 Bethel, No. 22 Point Loma Nazarene, and No. 25 William Penn, whom the Lady Yotes defeated at the event. Also in the poll is No. 14 Victoria, who defeated the Lady Yotes at the recent Concordia invite.

STROKE AVERAGE LEADERS: Men – Kyle DeLorey (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) 76.6, Tyler Thurston 76.6, Austen Giesie (Coto de Caza, Calif. / UNLV) 77.0; Women – Trish Gibbens 76.5, Baylee Borchers (Boise, Idaho / Mountain View HS) 78.9, Jocie Cracroft (Soda Springs, Idaho / Soda Springs HS) 85.6.

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.