Boise State Wins Seventh National Championship

The Boise State debate and speech team has won its second national championship in the last six years, as the Broncos are coming home with hardware from the Pi Kappa Delta National Championship Tournament in Portland, Oregon.

These championships seem to be coming in pairs--the teams that have won championships have won more than one.  The football team has won two (one each in junior college and I-AA), the cheerleaders have won three national championships and now the debate team has won two national titles. 

Boise State's intellect and debating skills were in top form as the Broncos beat Oregon State, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Arkansas and dozens of other schools in head-to-head competition on an even playing field.   In addition to the two National Championships, the Talkin' Broncos have also captured two runner-up trophies.

This win was not the result of a few good performances.  Throughout the competition, the Bronco team was at the top of the standings in each individual segment.  Nowhere was this more demonstrated than in the Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking and Informative Speaking categories in which Boise State dominated the podium.  The Boise State student group received one Superior Award (Jon Agnew) and six Excellent Awards (Taylor Bruun, Debra Groberg, Sam Pagano, Mallory Pouraghi, freshman Cassandra Sullivan and sophomore Josh Watkins) in Impromptu Speaking.  Two Broncos (Agnew and Mike Fitzgerald) were honored with Superior Awards and two more (Pagano and Sullivan) captured Excellent honors in Extemporaneous Speaking.  In Informative Speaking, Josh Watkins was Superior, while Monica Cutler, junior Sabonn Dammarell, Debra Groberg and Cassandra Sullivan all received Excellent marks from the Championship judges. 

Groberg also received a Superior mark in Dramatic Interpretation.  Sam Pagano received Superior marks in Poetry, Discussion and Oral Interpretation.  Sadonn Dammerell was judged Excellent in After Dinner Speaking and To Honor Immigrants and Superior in Prose.  Watkins also received an Excellent grading from the judges in Dramatic Interpretation and another Excellent Award in Persuasive Speaking.  Mallory Douraghi won an Excellent Award in the category To Honor Immigrants.  Lauren Bramwell received an Excellent Award in Oral Interpretation.  Fitzgerald received an Excellent Award in Persuasive Speaking.  Jessica Gresl was given Excellent in both Prose and Broadcast Journalism.  Ben Larsen captured Superior Awards in both Prose and Oral Interpretation and an Excellent mark in Communication Analysis.  Jon Agnew was judged Superior in the Editorial Impromptu category.  Taylor Bruun won an Excellent Award in Persuasive Speaking.  Taylor Brook also received Superior in Editorial Impromptu and Howie Long captured an Excellent trophy in Broadcast Journalism. 

Watkins and Larsen received an Excellent Award in the Dramatic Duo competition.  Lauren Bramwell and Tanya Medukha received Excellent Awards in the NPDA competition and Taylor Bruun and John Agnew were awarded Excellent trophies in the Open competition. 



They Are the Champions!!!!!!

I give my highest salute to this group of Broncos--super job!

Well-Deserved Award for Bridges

Boise State freshman sensation Devon Bridges has been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week, the league office announced yesterday.

Bridges blasted four home runs over the weekend and knocked in 10 in a three-game sweet of Nevada.  Bridges hit .714 (5-7) with an .800 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of 2.429.  Bridges set school records of six RBI's in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader and two grand slams in a season, hitting her second of the year in that game.



And the season is barely getting started.








Bridges now has eight homers on the year and leads the Broncos with 30 RBI's.  Boise State plays seven road games this week.

Geraldo Hiwat Poised for Banner Year

You've all heard the phrase "The game is slowing down for ________."

The college game (especially at Boise State's level) is played at a fast pace and the difference from high school is considerable.  Once players put in the work, study the plays and study the film, the awareness hits them.  That appears to be the case this spring for Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Hiwat.  Consider that the learning curve for a guy who just started football in high school in the Netherlands is pretty steep and one would have to say he's made considerable progress. 

Hiwat has both the size (6-4, 200) and the speed (timed at 4.57 in the Netherlands and he's faster now); the raw package the Broncos got when he committed to Boise State had tremendous upside.  It seemed like a match made in heaven--Geraldo wanted to learn and he had some of the best teachers in the game in the Bronco coaches.  Now, word out of Boise State spring camp is that Hiwat is running the routes, making the cuts, and using his body the way the coaches want him to.  This is extremely good news for Boise State's prospects this fall.  If Hiwat and a few other receivers (Aaron Burks, Kirby Moore and Matt Miller to name a few) can close the gap between them and departing seniors Titus Young and Austin Pettis, it would certainly take pressure off of Doug Martin and the Bronco ground game.