Sunny Smallwood Named New Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach at Boise State

Former Bronco Sunny Smallwood is the new associate head coach for women's basketball; Smallwood was named to that position today by head coach Gordy Presnell.

Smallwood, who played for Boise State from 1979-1983, is a 24-year veteran of college coaching, and has a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the nation.  Smallwood replaced Ben Finkbeiner, who left to become his father Jerry's assistant at Utah State.

“Sunny is one of the premier coaches in the country and success has always followed her where ever she has been. Boise State basketball just got a lot better today,” said Presnell. “We are not only fortunate to hire such a quality person and a fantastic coach, but also a Bronco alum. She has recruited first-round WNBA draft picks, top-10 recruiting classes and numerous postseason honorees. She is one of the premier recruiters in the country and we are lucky she has decided to come home to Boise.”

For the past ten seasons, Smallwood has coached at the University of Nebraska, the last six as the associate head coach.  She helped the Cornhuskers to eight postseason appearances, with six trips to the NCAA National Tournament.  In six of those seasons, Nebraska won 20 or more games, including a 26-7 mark last season.  In 2009-10, Smallwood helped develop Nebraska into one of the top defenses in school history, as they finished 32-2 and won the Big 12 regular season championship.

One of the top players was four-year starting point guard Lindsey Moore, whom Smallwood helped recruit.  The two-time Nancy Lieberman Award finalist and 2012-13 national player of the year candidate earned All-America honors in 2013 and a two-time All-Big Ten selection.

Prior to her time in Lincoln, Smallwood coached at the University of California, where she was the 2004-05 associate head coach.  Smallwood helped California land one of the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation in her one season in Berkeley.

Smallwood was an assistant coach for 11 seasons at the University of Washington, and served as the recruiting coordinator during her entire time in Seattle.  Smallwood helped the Huskies to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2001.

During her time at UW, Smallwood helped recruit High School All-American Jamie Redd, UW's all-time leading scorer, and Amber Hall, the school's all-time leading rebounder, along with All-Conference selections Megan Franza, LeAnn Sheets, Loree Payne, Andrea Lalum and Giuliana Mendiola, the 2003 Pac-10 Player of the Year.

Smallwood began her collegiate coaching career at Washington State from 1990-1993, and helped the Cougars earn their first-ever NCAA appearance in her first season.

After earning all-academic honors at Boise State in two seasons, Smallwood became the head coach at Boise High School, leading the Braves to state tournament appearances in 1986 and 1989.

Welcome back to Boise, Sunny!

Boise State Opens With San Diego

The Bronco tennis team will take on San Diego (17-7) in the opening round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament in Los Angeles.  #6 UCLA hosts Cal-Poly in the other match in L.A.

The pairings were just announced, and Blue Through and Through is bringing you this news as an Idaho exclusive.

Boise State Signs Two to Letters of Intent

Boise State head basketball coach Leon Rice signed two players to National Letters of Intent today.  We knew about Zach Haney.  It's the second one that was news.

Montigo Alford, a JC transfer from well-known power College of Southern Idaho is that second guy.  Alford averaged 15.1 points and 3.8 assists last year in leading CSI to the Region 18 Championship Game.  He earned All-Region, scoring over 20 points in eight games and hitting 44.2% from three-point range. 

Alford played high school basketball at Summit High School in Fontana, California, the same high school that Bronco cornerback Donte Deayon went to.  At Summit, Alford led his team to the CIF DIvision II Championship game with a 28-8 record. 

“Montigo has great quickness and athleticism,” Rice said. “He’s a little different than the guards we have in the program. He has the ability to get where he wants with the ball and create within our system. He has the chance to make an immediate impact because of that.”

It sounds like, with the additions to the program, Boise State will not have to worry one bit about depth or getting tired.  We look forward to seeing the improvements to the Bronco team.

 

Tenreiro Closes Out Bronco Sweep

Thomas Tenreiro won the deciding match in Fresno, 6-2, 6-3, as the Broncos swept second-seed New Mexico 4-0.

BREAKING--Boise State Wins Mountain West Tennis Championship

Boise State scores a 4-0 win over second-seed New Mexico to win the Mountain West championship.

This is the second time in the last ten years that Boise State has won three consecutive conference championships in a row.  The Broncos won the WAC from 2005-2007, and now Coach Greg Patton's team has won three straight Mountain West titles.

Bettles Ahead 3-0

Andy Bettles also has a break at #1 singles, after winning the first set 6-3.

Tenreiro Up Two Breaks

Thomas Tenreiro won his first set 6-2, and he is ahead 5-2 in the second set.  If Thomas can finish out, the Broncos are Mountain West Champions.

Boise State Wins Five of Six First Sets

The Broncos playing much better today than yesterday.  Either that, or Nevada should be #2 team in the conference.

Mitchell Wins, 6-3, 6-2

Boise State leads New Mexico, 3-0 in the Mountain West Men's Tennis Championship in Fresno.

Patton Wins, 6-2, 6-4

Boise State is halfway there.

Boise State Grabs Lead In MWC Championship

Patton & McClain win 8-5 at No. 2 doubles, and Mitchell & Sereke win 8-4.  Boise State moves ahead in the match, 1-0.

Patton & McClain Get A Break Also

All three Boise State doubles teams are up a break.  Andy Bettles & Thomas Tenreiro lead 7-6, Patton & McClain are ahead 5-4, while Mitchell & Sereke are ahead 6-3.

Mitchell & Sereke Up A Break

Toby Mitchell and Nathan Sereke are now up 4-1 in No. 3 doubles, as Boise State tries for its third consecutive Mountain West Men's Tennis Championship.  Andy Bettles & Thomas Tenreiro are ahead 4-3 at No. 1 doubles.

Bettles & Tenreiro With An Early Break

Andy & Thomas have a 2-1 lead at No. 1 singles for Boise State.

Mountain West Tennis Championship On Deck

Boise State and New Mexico will meet for the third straight year.  The Broncos will have to play better than yesterday to win. 

Note:  the MWC Women's Championship is not over yet--expected start time for the Broncos:  About 2:50 Mountain Time.

Boise State Will Play New Mexico for Mountain West Championship

The Broncos will be going for their second "three-peat" in the last ten years.  Boise State has won two consecutive Mountain West titles, and Boise State won consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The two teams will face off tomorrow at 2 p.m. Mountain Time in Fresno.

New Mexico Having Trouble With San Diego State

#2 seed New Mexico won the doubles point, but #3 San Diego State won four first sets.  Boise State will face the winner tomorrow in the Mountain West Championship.

Patton Wins Tiebreaker 6-3

Shame on the Mountain West for putting in a system where luck in a short tiebreaker rather than skill in a third set decides the winner.  Rain delay or no rain delay, that isn't how you decide championships.

Boise State emerges with a 4-2 win in a match much, much closer than that.

Patton Rallies To Lead Tiebreaker

Patton now has a narrow 4-3 lead--no indication on who has next serve, but he was down 2-1 in the tiebreaker earlier, so he has at least turned it around.  Mitchell one game away from losing second set and going to a tiebreaker.

Mitchell Loses A Break

Toby is now down 5-4 in the second set, and could face a tiebreaker at No. 6 singles.  26-4 Boise State is now in real trouble.

Tenreiro Wins 6-1, 6-4

Thomas came through like a charm.  He has given Boise State a 3-2 lead.  Garrett Patton is in a tiebreaker at No. 4 singles.  Toby Mitchell leads his second set 4-3 after winning the first, 6-2.

Tenreiro Wins First Set 6-1

That gives Boise State four wins in the opening set. But, as we pointed out earlier, that doesn't matter in the delay-abbreviated format that the teams must use.

Three Broncos Win Opening Sets

Three Bronco singles players have won opening sets.  That's how many Boise State needs to advance in the Mountain West Men's Tennis Championships in Fresno, California, but it would be nice to have some cushion.

Nathan Sereke won 6-2 at No. 2 singles, Garrett Patton won 6-4 at No. 4, and Toby Mitchell won at No. 6 singles, 6-2.
 

Official: Bronco Women Are Out

The #4 seed goes down in the Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championships.  Wyoming upset the Broncos 4-3.

Boise State let one get away from them.

Bronco Men Win The Doubles Point

Boise State leads Nevada 1-0 in the semifinals of the men's tennis tournament in Fresno.

Reid and Foley Get a Break

Aidan Reid and Brian Foley have scored a break at No. 3 doubles and lead 7-4.  The #1 team of Bettles & Tenreiro is down by the same 7-4 score.

Sereke & Mitchell Win 8-1

The No. 2 doubles team of Boise State has won in Fresno.  The No. 1 team still down, and no breaks in No. 3 doubles.

The Good News & The Bad News...

The Bronco men have finally taken to the court, nearly two hours later than scheduled because of the delays in the womens' matches.

Boise State's #2 doubles team of Nathan Sereke and Toby Mitchell are leading 6-1, and the #3 doubles team of Aidan Reid and Brian Foley is leading their Nevada opponents 5-4.

The bad news:  Boise State's ace doubles team of Andy Bettles and Thomas Tenreiro is losing 6-3.

Watson Loses Five Consecutive Points to Lose Match

It was that kind of match today for Boise State's Sammie Watson.  She won her opening set 6-0 and was headed for an easy win.  However, she lost her second set 7-6.  In the tiebreaker, she broke her opponent's service twice to lead 5-2.  She was one point from winning her match and sending her Bronco teammates to the semifinals.

But then, she lost five straight points to lose her match, and now, Boise State and Wyoming must play doubles to decide the match.  The format will be:  the top two doubles teams play each other in a winner-take-all one set (necessitated by the lack of facilities in Fresno).  If each team wins a match, the third doubles team will then play to decide the match.

Can't we just have a regular tennis match?

Watson Loses Again

Sammie has lost her 5-2 lead and is now down 6-5 in the tiebreaker to decide the match between Boise State and Wyoming.  If the Wyoming player wins, more delays (the two teams will move to doubles) in a disastrous Mountain West Championships in Fresno.

Watson Loses One of Her Breaks

Sammie Watson was up 5-2 serving for her match and the win for the Broncos.  She lost, and her opponent held serve, so now the lead is tenuous at 5-4.  Watson again serving for the match.

Watson Up Two Break Points

Sammie Watson has come back to lead the tiebreaker at #6 singles, 4-1.  If Watson can hold on, Boise State will win the quarterfinal match.

The winner plays the winner of the Fresno State-UNLV match.  The Bulldog women are seeded #1, but having a tough time with the #8 seed.  UNLV was up 3-1, but the home team has rallied to tie the match at 3 and send it to doubles.

LaLone Wins 6-2 Tiebreaker, Boise State Leads Wyoming 3-2

The two teams will have to play doubles, thereby extending the already cramped time for the other conference teams, unless Boise State wins at #6 singles.  Sammie Watson was up 6-0, but lost the tiebreaker for the second set, 7-4.  The two players will now move to a tiebreaker to determine the winner of that match.  And again, if Espinosa wins, the two teams will then have to play doubles to decide the match.

The teams are playing at a Sport & Racquet Club--Fresno isn't blessed with a facility as fine as the Appleton Center at Boise State.  So the eleven teams in both men's and women's tennis are all there waiting to play.  In fact, the Boise State men were due to play at 2 p.m. in the semifinals, but are already 30 minutes delayed.  The other semifinal match between New Mexico and San Diego State is also delayed, as are the other three women's quarterfinal matches.

Basil Loses

Morgan Basil has dropped her match, 6-4, 7-5 at #5 singles today.

This means that unless Wyoming's Christa Gecheva can rally, the match will have to be decided by doubles.  LaLone leads Gecheva 3-2 in the tiebreaker to decide the match.  Watson at #6 singles has been unable to shake her opponent in the second set after winning the first, 6-0, and trails 5-4.  That one may come down to a tiebreaker as well.

LaLone Gets Break in Tiebreaker

Megan LaLone got a service break in the short tiebreaker in the third set of her match.  She leads 3-2 trying to get to 6 points.

Boise State Struggling With Wyoming

Sandy Vo, who just won Mountain West All-Conference honors, promptly went out and lost to her Wyoming opponent 6-4, 7-6, in the quarterfinals of the MWC Women's Tennis Championships in Fresno, California.

Because of the rain delay on Thursday, they will try to settle this without playing doubles.  They are also playing only two sets in singes.  Should each player win a set, they will go to a tiebreaker.  If one team gets to four wins first, the match is over. 

Boise State currently leads 2-1, with the Vo loss the only blemish on the Broncos' ledger today.  Anissa Bryant-Smith had no such problems, beating her opponent 6-4, 6-0 at #2 singles and Teal Vosburgh won 7-6 (7-5), 0-6, and won the tiebreaker 6-0 at #3 singles.

Megan LaLone is trying to close out her opponent, but she lost a 10-8 tiebreaker in the second set (LaLone won the opening set 6-4).  They are now in the tiebreaker, and LaLone is down 2-1.  Morgan Basil is in a tiebreaker already, trying to keep from getting beat.  Basil lost the first set 6-4, but leads the tiebreaker 10-8 in the second set.

It appears that Sammie Watson may need to win at #6 singles,  Watson breezed through the opening set 6-0, but is down 5-4 in the second.

Broncos Get Three Wins at BYU Robison Invitational

Allison Jeffries, Brandi Williams and Daniell Zehrung led the Boise State contingent yesterday at the BYU Robison Track & Field Invitational yesterday in Provo, Utah.

Jeffries broke her own school record she set last weekend in winning the pole vault with a vault of 12-feet, 10.25-inches.  Allison has now won three consecutive pole vault competitions.

Williams won the long jump with a mark of 19-2.75, while Zehrung won the mile in 5:10.53.

Hayli Bozarth recorded the third best women's hammer throw in school history with a heave of 198-8.75. 

Women's Mountain West Tennis Championships Postponed

Weather in Fresno has forced the postponement of the Mountain West Women's Tennis Championships.

Boise State was due to play Wyoming today, but that match has been rescheduled for Saturday morning at 10 Mountain Time.

Boise State Slips To Fifth in MWC Women's Golf Championships

One round to go, and Boise State is now 12 strokes back of first-place New Mexico.

	New Mexico	+13	F	+6	295	294	589
2	Fresno State	+16	F	+8	296	296	592
3	45 UNLV	+17	F	+2	303	290	593
4	San Jose State	+18	F	+12	294	300	594
5	Boise State	+25	F	+17	296	305	601
6	43 San Diego State	+26	F	+21	293	309	602
7	Colorado State	+40	F	+17	311	305	616
8	Nevada	+42	F	+22	308	310	618
9	Wyoming	+51	F	+29	310	317	627

Bronco Women Fall Seven Strokes Back

Boise State was right in the hunt after the opening round yesterday at the Mountain West Women's Golf Championships in Rancho Mirage, California.  Today, the Broncos are slipping behind.

San Jose State has moved to the top at six over-par, with New Mexico and Fresno State both seven-over.  San Diego State has slipped to fourth (+9), with Boise State fifth at 13 over-par.  UNLV is sixth (+16), followed by Colorado State (+27), Nevada (+32) and Wyoming (+40) rounding out the field.

Bronco Women Fire Record Round in Mountain West Golf Championships

Last year, Boise State surprised the Mountain West Conference with a strong finish, and nearly pulled out the championship.

The Lady Broncos are once again in the thick of things at this year's championship in Rancho Mirage, California, thanks to a school record 296 on the opening day.  The eight over-par score set a mark for the lowest round at a conference championship, breaking the mark of 302 set at the Western Athletic Conference Championships in 2011 and matched by Boise State at last year's MWC Championships.

"I'm pleased with the way we played today," head coach Nicole Bird said. "We got off to a good start with some birdies early on, which helped us when we made the turn. The weather was great, and everyone played really steady. We are excited about where we sit heading into round two - anything can happen."

The Broncos are tied with Fresno State for fourth place, just three strokes behind leader San Diego State, two behind San Jose State, and one stroke back of New Mexico.

Freshman Oceane Pelloille is in sixth individually with an even-par 72 today.  Boise State will tee off tomorrow morning at 8:45 Mountain Time.
 

Garrett Patton, Brendan McClain Win the Race to Close the Match

Patton won 6-3, 6-3, while Brendan McClain won his match, 6-2, 6-0.

Boise State will play #4 Nevada in the semifinals on Saturday; the Wolf Pack beat host Fresno State 4-1.

Mitchell Wins 6-1, 6-1

Boise State ahead 2-0 over Utah State in the opening round of the Mountain West Men's Tennis Championship.  Three Broncos have won five games in their second sets--if two of them win their second sets, Boise State will advance to the semifinals.

The Bronco women open play tomorrow against Wyoming.

Bettles, Patton, McClain, Mitchell and Foley Up Breaks in Second Set

All six Boise State singles players won their first sets, and now five have breaks in the second set.

Andy Bettles leads Denni Baumgartner of Utah State 6-1, 4-1 at No. 1 singles.

Thomas Tenreiro won his opening set 6-2.

Garrett Patton is up 6-3, 3-0 at No. 3 singles.

Brendan McClain leads 6-2, 3-0.

Toby Mitchell is about to put the Broncos up 2-0, leading 6-1, 5-0 at No. 5 singles.

Brian Foley won his opening set 6-4 and leads 3-1.

Bettles, Tenreiro, Mitchell and Foley Win First Sets

Top-seed Boise State won the doubles point and leads their quarterfinal match with Utah State 1-0. 

Andy Bettles won his opening set at No. 1 singles, 6-1, with teammate Thomas Tenreiro winning 6-2.  Garrett Patton leads 5-2 at No. 3 singles, and Brendan McClain is up a break 4-1.  Toby Mitchell won his opening set at No. 5 singles 6-1, while Brian Foley emerged with a 6-4 win in the opening set.

Boise State Men Win Doubles Point

Going against Utah State and former Bronco Clancey Shields (now head coach for the Aggies), Boise State opens play in the Mountain West men's tennis tournament by winning the doubles point:

Andy Bettles and Thomas Tenreiro put away Marcus Fritz and Fredrik Peterson of USU 8-4 at No. 1 doubles.  Toby Mitchell and Nathan Sereke won their match 8-4, while Brian Foley and Aidan Reid lost 7-5.

Opening Round Scores from Mountain West Women's Tennis Championships

#8 UNLV whipped #9 Air Force 4-1
#7 Nevada blanked #10 Utah State 4-0
#6 San Jose State rocked #11 Colorado State 4-0

LaLone, Vo Named To All-Mountain West Team

Megan LaLone and Sandy Vo captured All-Mountain West Conference tennis honors last night in a banquet in Fresno, California.

Vo was tabbed All-Conference for both singles and doubles, while LaLone earned honors for doubles play.  Vo was 19-8, including a 14-5 record at #1 singles.  Vo and LaLone teamed up for a 6-2 record at No. 1 doubles.  Vo's overall record was 15-9 in doubles, while LaLone's overall doubles mark was 15-12

Boise State plays Wyoming Friday morning at 11 in the MW quarterfinals.

2013-14 Women’s Tennis All-Mountain West Team

Singles

Tiffany Tran, Jr., Air Force*Sandy Vo, Sr., Boise StateSophie Watts, So., Fresno State*Rana Sherif Ahmed, So., Fresno State*Michelle Okhremchuk, Sr., NevadaSheila Morales Hidalgo, Fr., Nevada***Michaela Bezdickova, Sr., New MexicoLizette Blankers, Fr., New Mexico*Laura Antonaña Iriarte, Sr., San Diego StateKristin Buth, Jr., San Diego StateMarie Klocker, Fr., San José StateGaelle Rey, Fr., San José State***Lucia Batta, Sr., UNLV***Aleksandra Josifoska, Sr., UNLVMcKenzie Davis, Jr., Utah State***Veronica Popovici, Sr., Wyoming
 
Doubles

Sandy Vo, Sr. / Megan LaLone, So., Boise State
Anneka Watts, So. / Sophie Watts, So., Fresno State^Michelle Okhremchuk, Sr., / Sheila Morales Hidalgo, Fr., Nevada#Michaela Bezdickova, Sr., / Lizette Blankers, Fr., New MexicoDora Somoracz, So. / Hailey Johnson, Jr., San Diego StateMarie Klocker, Fr., / Gaelle Rey, Fr., San José State^Lucia Batta, Sr., / Santa Shumilina, Jr., UNLV+Veronica Popovici, Sr., / Dorottya Jonas, Fr., Wyoming
Player of the Year: Laura Antonaña Iriarte, Sr., San Diego StateCo-Freshmen of the Year: Lizette Blankers, New Mexico; Gaelle Rey, San José State

Five Broncos Selected To All-Mountain West Tennis Team

Boise State has some great talent on its tennis team, as evidenced by the Broncos' sparkling 25-4 record this season.  Five players on the team were named All-Mountain West Conference in a vote by the conference's eight head coaches.

Seniors Andy Bettles and Nathan Sereke and Garrett Patton, Thomas Tenreiro and Brendan McClain were all named to the First Team in a ceremony last night in Fresno, California prior to the beginning of the conference tournament.

Bettles earned postseason honors for the fourth year in a row, capturing All-MWC in both singles and doubles.  Andy is 23-14 in singles play, and is 23-7 in doubles action.  Sereke was tabbed all-conference in singles after sporting a 15-12 record.  Tenreiro made the All-MWC team in doubles with a 16-5 record in duals, including a 7-1 mark at No. 1 doubles with Bettles.

Patton and McClain teamed up for a 16-10 doubles record to each make the all-conference team in doubles.  

The #1 seeded Broncos open play against Utah State this morning.



2013-14 Men’s Tennis All-Mountain West Team

Singles
**Andy Bettles, Sr., Boise State
*Nathan Sereke, Sr., Boise State
Sai Kartik, Jr., Fresno State
*Victor Ouvrard, Sr., Nevada
Moez Chargui, Jr., Nevada
*Sam Iftikhar, Jr., New Mexico
Hayden Sabatka, Fr., New Mexico
**Thorsten Bertsch, Jr., San Diego State
Hunter Nicholas, Sr., San Diego State
*Ace Matias, Jr., UNLV
Denys Plume, Jr., UNLV
Tamas Batyi, Sr., UNLV

Doubles
^Andy Bettles, Sr. / Thomas Tenreiro, So., Boise State
Brendan McClain, Fr. / Garrett Patton, Jr., Boise State
Victor Ouvrard, Sr. / Robert Allan, Fr., Nevada
Sam Iftikhar, Jr., / James Hignett, Jr., New Mexico
#Thorsten Bertsch, Jr., / Hunter Nicholas, Sr., San Diego State
^Ace Matias, Jr., / Denys Plume, Jr., UNLV

Player of the Year: Victor Ouvrard, Sr., Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Hayden Sabatka, New Mexico

Bronco Basketball Update

As we told you earlier today, the commitment of Zach Haney meant that someone was leaving, and we now have word from Twitter that Edmunds Dukulis and Joey Nebeker will not be returning next year.
 

Broncos Sweep Utah State

There's good news out of Dona Larsen Park.  The Broncos rallied to beat Utah State 11-9 in the game resumed from yesterday's rainout.  Then, Boise State whipped the Aggie women 10-1 to sweep the mid-week three-game series, something the Lady Broncos had to do to have a good shot at the Mountain West title.

Boise State shattered the Mountain West record for stolen bases.  Jordan Kreiger's swipe of second base in the sixth inning of the nightcap gave Boise State 88, and the opportunistic Broncos recorded five more after that to give them 93 for the season.

Boise State has now won nine of their last eleven.  The Lady Broncos moved into fourth place, one-half game ahead of 10-7 UNLV, and in a statistical tie with the three co-leaders (Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State, all with 9-5 records).

Although Boise State is now up with the conference leaders, they have a long ways to go to win the championship, because there are so many teams bunched up.  The Broncos have six games remaining, and probably need at least five wins to finish in first, and probably need at least two of three in their season-ending series at San Diego State. 

After a game at Idaho State, Boise State returns home for a three-game series next weekend with New Mexico.

Here are the current league standings:

1.  Colorado State 9-5
1.  Fresno State 9-5
1.  San Diego State 9-5
4.  Boise State 11-7
5.  UNLV 10-7
6.  San Jose State 8-6

Boise State Reduces Size Disadvantage

Boise State head basketball coach Leon Rice recognized right away that to compete with the elite of the Mountain West Conference, he would need height on his roster.  This year, with the addition of David Wacker, Kevin Allen and now is newest recruit, Zach Haney, Rice has addressed that need.

Haney, 6-11, 222 pounds from Atascocita High School in Texas, has verbally committed to Boise State.  That gives Boise State 14 players on scholarship, one over the limit, meaning that someone is leaving or has already left the program.

Haney chose Boise State over offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oregon State, Nevada, and Stephen F. Austin and interest from Colorado State and Virginia Tech.

Boise State Signs Kevin Allen

We told you back on April 2 that Kevin Allen had committed to Boise State--now it's official.  The big man has signed a letter of intent with the Broncos, giving the basketball program a solid force in the middle that they have lacked for years. 

Allen, 6-10, averaged 13.4 points and 8.4 rebounds a game at Pratt Community College in Kansas this season.  He joins the Broncos as a junior with a redshirt year available should he and Coach Leon Rice choose to go that way.

“We are really excited to get Kevin,” said head coach Leon Rice. “He fills a need for us with size we’ve been lacking and the departure of Ryan Watkins.  Kevin has tremendous upside and with his work ethic and our system we’re really looking forward to his development as a Bronco.”

Allen helped Pratt go 22-13 this year, with a Region VI championship and a berth in the NJCAA Tournament.  In the team's opening round loss, Allen hit 31 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.

What is really key for Boise State and should have Bronco fans excited is his 1.8 blocks per game, 39th in the country. 

The 2014 recruiting class has reached three with both David Wacker and Chandler Hutchison signing in November.  And it is an amazing one.

Bronco Track Team Comes Home From Oregon Relays With Medals

The Oregon Relays are famous for their competition, and the site (Eugene, Oregon) is the home of this year's NCAA National Championships.  But Boise State wasn't intimidated in the least.

Jasmyn Jewett won the triple jump with a leap of 40-feet, 6.75-inches, while the 4 x 100-meter relay team of Shannon Jacobs, Chelsey Washington, Brandi Williams and Kimberly Miller beat the field with a time of 48.21.  Meanwhile, the men's 400-meter relay team composed entirely of freshmen finished fourth with a time of 42.70.

Jacobs also claimed a fifth place finish in the 100-meters with a career best 11.98, while Justin Maines was fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.66).  Miller was fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 38-3.25, while Dominique Drayden was second in the men's triple with a leap of 47-5.  Jordan Ward topped 5-feet, 5-inches to place third in the high jump.

The Broncos will compete in the annual BYU Robison Invitational next week in Provo.

Broncos Notch 25th Win of Season

In the 2013-14 school year, it will be remembered that the Boise State tennis team was one of the school's most successful.  The Broncos are now 25-4, having beaten San Francisco 4-1 to wrap up a double win on the Appleton courts--Boise State earlier blanked Air Force 7-0 to finish the conference season 5-0.

Next up:  the Mountain West tournament, next Thursday through Sunday in Fresno, California.

Current Mountain West Softball Standings

schools	Conference W-L-T	Points	Conference PCT	Overall W-L-T	Overall PCT
1.	Fresno State	8-4-0		.667	24-16-0	.600
2.	Colorado State	8-4-0		.667	27-10-0	.730
3.	San Diego State	8-4-0		.667	31-12-0	.721
4.	UNLV	9-6-0		.600	19-24-0	.442
5.	San José State	7-5-0		.583	24-18-0	.571
6.	Boise State	8-7-0		.533	23-19-0	.548
7.	Utah State	5-7-0		.417	17-24-0	.415
8.	New Mexico	4-11-0		.267	13-29-0	.310
9.	Nevada	3-12-0		.200	21-22-0	.488

Kelsey Morris and Ciera Perkins Impress at NCAA Nationals

While the rest of their teammates were home in Boise, the duo of Kelsey Morris and Ciera Perkins were amazing at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.

Perkins nailed a 9.90 on floor exercises to finish tied for eighth in the nation and earn Second Team All-America honors.  Perkins is the fourth Bronco to accomplish that feat, joining Johnna Evans and Diana Loosli (1998) and Amy Glass (2012).

Morris scored a 9.850 on uneven bars, tied for the highest in school history (with Lindsay Ward) at the National Championships.  Morris finished the competition tied for 10th place.

Way to go, Kelsey and Ciera!

Boise State Softball Team Beats San Jose State 7-6

The Lady Broncos probably needed a sweep to have a good chance at winning the conference, but they at least scored a series win with a hard-fought 7-6 win over San Jose State this afternoon at Dona Larsen Park.

Boise State now travels to Utah State for three--a doubleheader Tuesday followed by a game Wednesday.

Bronco Netters Ground Air Force 7-0

Patton's team has done it again.  On Senior Day, the Broncos blanked Air Force 7-0 at Appleton Tennis Center.

Boise State is now 24-4 on the season, with their 12th consecutive home victory.  The Broncos finished the Mountain West Conference regular season 5-0.

Boise State hosts San Francisco in a non-conference matchup for the regular season finale tonight at 6.

Marisa Howard Top Collegiate Finisher in Mt. SAC Steeplechase

Boise State's Marisa Howard finished seventh in the steeplechase elite invitational with a time of 10:07.17 at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California last night.

Howard was the top collegiate student-athlete in the race that was filled with mostly professional runners.  Her time was just shy of Marisa's school record of 10:01.12.

Allison Jeffries finished first in the pole vault (12-9.50) to highlight Boise State's success at the Oregon Relays in Eugene.  Hayli Bozarth and Karyna Armstrong were 2-3 in the women's hammer with throws of 193-5 and 182-5, respectively, while Matt Post was third in the men's hammer with a throw of 195-2.  Bozarth also finished third in the shot put with a heave of 47-8.

Fernando Martinez was second in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 53.25.  Kimberly Miller also had a good day, finishing third in the long jump (18-6), and Dominique Drayden was third in the men's long jump with a mark of 22-9.25.

Emma Bates Finishes Fifth in 5,000

Emma Bates set a Mountain West Conference record and broke her own school record  in the 5,000 meters by 25 seconds in finishing fifth at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California last night.  Bates finished in 15:33.42, topping the mark set by New Mexico's Sarah Waldron in 2012 (15:37.49).  The elite invitational race consisted mostly of professional runners, which Bates likely will be herself when she hangs up her cleats next year.  

 

Bates just can't seem to get past Dartmouth's Abbey

D'Agostino, though tonight, she was less that three seconds behind. 

 

 

Event 215  Women 5000 Meter Run Invit. Elite
===============================================================
World Record: W 14:11.15  2008        Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia
American Rec: @ 14:44.76  2010        Molly Huddle, Saucony    
 Meet Record: $ 14:44.80  2007        Shalane Flanagan, Nike   
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
===============================================================
Finals                                                         
  1 Meraf Bahta                  Hälle IF              15:30.37
  2 Brenda Eunice Flores Mun     Mexico-FMAA           15:30.87
  3 Abbey D'Agostino             Dartmouth             15:30.93
  4 Jessica O'Connell            UCAC                  15:33.29
  5 Emma Bates                   Boise State           15:33.42
  6 Jordan Hasay                 Nike Oregon Project   15:34.35
  7 Erin Finn                    Michigan              15:41.35
  8 Brenda Martinez              New Balance           15:41.50
  9 Elinor Kirk                  UAB                   15:42.13
 10 Dominique Scott              Arkansas              15:42.42
 11 Mara Olson                   Butler                15:47.14
 12 Crystal Nelson               Iowa State            15:49.90
 13 Sarah Crouch                 Zap Fitness           15:51.86
 14 Dana Giordano                Dartmouth             15:53.96
 15 Shalaya Kipp                 Colorado              15:54.13
 16 Addie Bracy                  Brooks                15:57.92
 17 Alia Gray                    Brooks / HTS Elite    16:01.29
 18 Kara Lubieniecki             Saucony/HTS Elite     16:03.95
 19 Meghan Peyton                Saucony/Team          16:03.99
 20 Megan Goethals               Washington            16:04.86
 21 Grace Heymsfield             Arkansas              16:05.96
 22 Beth Potter                  Unattached            16:09.98
 23 Kelsey Smith                 U C Los Angeles       16:12.47
 24 Gladys Lucy Tejeda Pucuh     Club Rodolfo Gomez    16:12.85
 25 Alycia Cridebring            UC Davis              16:15.08
 26 Lindsay Flanagan             Washington            16:21.98
 27 Natasha LaBeaud              Brooks                16:22.54
 28 Ellie Keyser                 Boulder Track Club    16:24.77
 29 Ángela Maria Figueroa Pa     Colombia              16:32.25
 -- Betzy Jimenez                Brooks ID                  DNF
 -- Valerie Lehmann              Swiss Athletics            DNF

San Jose State Tops Lady Broncos 11-5

At a time in which the Boise State softball team needs wins to get somewhat close to the top of the Mountain West Conference standings, it was San Jose State with the victory tonight on the Lady Broncos' home field.

Bozarth and Armstrong Go 1-2 in Hammer at Oregon Relays

Football players aren't the only Broncos to carry the hammer well.  Hayli Bozarth finished second tonight at the Oregon Relays, uncorking a throw of 193-feet, 3 inches, while teammate Karyna Armstrong was third with a throw of 182-05.
 

Townsend Unable to Finish Decathlon

Roderick Townsend, who led after the opening day of the decathlon at the California Invitational, competed in the first three events yesterday, but was unable to finish.

Howard Eighth, Elliott 11th in Mt. SAC 10,000 Elite

Jeff Howard and David Elliott took on some of the nation's finest runners in the invitation-only Elite 10,000-meter run at the Mt. SAC relays in Walnut, California.  Howard finished eighth with a time of 29:28.78, just 26 seconds behind the winner, Joseph Gray, while Elliott was 11th in 29:33.51.  Howard's and Elliott's times are the third and fourth best, respectively, in Boise State history.

Finals                                                         
  1 Joseph Gray                  SCOTT Sports/ADP      29:03.84
  2 Matthew Gillespie            Iona                  29:08.71
  3 John Mascari                 Indiana State         29:10.32
  4 Sean Davidson                Cal Poly              29:11.20
  5 Jannis Topfer                Illinois              29:13.07
  6 Kieran Clements              Iona                  29:17.22
  7 Andrew Larsen                Minnesota             29:28.30
  8 Jeff Howard                  Boise State           29:28.78
  9 Ernest Kibet                 Louisville            29:29.05
 10 Tyler Byrne                  Louisville            29:30.62
 11 David Elliott                Boise State           29:33.51
 12 Scott Dahlberg               BoulderRC/adidas      29:36.46
 13 Isaiah Bragg                 Air Force             29:37.25
 14 Thomas Gruenewald            BYU                   29:37.56
 15 Kevin Joerger                Loyola Marymount      29:40.85
 16 Chris Borg                   Unattached            29:40.89
 17 Andrew Kimpel                Washington St.        29:41.06
 18 Drew Jordan                  Washington St.        29:49.39
 19 Pablo Ramirez                Eastern Illinois      29:52.95
 20 Tim Freriks                  Northern Arizona      29:58.66
 21 Edwin Kibichiy               Louisville            29:59.12
 22 Mark Beams                   Michigan              29:59.65
 23 Tuomas Jokinen               Team Finland          30:17.79
 24 Evan Landes                  Kansas                30:18.93
 25 Robert Walgren               Gonzaga               30:26.90
 26 Reesey Byers                 Sac State Redshirt    30:35.60
 27 Phil Schneider               Colorado Mines        30:39.30
 -- Dayne Gradone                Chico State                DNF

Lady Broncos Hold Off San Jose 7-6

Boise State got a big lead early, then held on to defeat San Jose State 7-6 tonight in Boise.  The Broncos, 7-6 in Mountain West play, are now 1 1/2 games behind first-place Fresno State.  Boise State and San Jose will do battle again tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Schedules Tab Updated

With the announcement of the Boise State television schedule for football, that schedule as well as the other sports has been updated.  View all Boise State schedules by clicking on the Schedules Tab at the top of the website.

Roderick Townsend Leads "B" Decathlon at California Invitational

Boise State's Roderick Townsend paces the field after the first day of the decathlon at the California Invitational in Azusa.  Townsend won the high jump and shot put on the opening day of competition, and tallied 3,753 points.


 

Boise State Sings Lewis Roskilly to Letter of Intent

Lewis Roskilly (from Stevenage, England), the #4 junior player in the U.K., has signed a letter of intent to play tennis for Boise State.  Roskilly is currently ranked #133 in the world among 18 boys single players, and and won two English junior national championships.

“I chose Boise State as I’m family orientated and Boise is sure to become another big family of mine,” said Roskilly.

“We hit a home run today which will resonate for the next four to five years with the signing of Lewis Roskilly from the United Kingdom, said Coach  Greg Patton.  As there was the British invasion of Rock and Roll in the 1960’s, we have had our own 21st century Bronco Tennis version of that which started with the likes of Scott Sears, Andy Bettles and Toby Mitchell.  Now it will continue with the lineage of Lewis Roskilly who is not only a top British player but an elite junior player at the international level.  With Lewis as part of the Bronco family our future will continue to sparkle like a full moon night in the Idaho mountains.”

Welcome to Bronco Nation, Lewis!
 

Tara Glover is the Mountain West Player of the Week

Boise State senior superstar Tara Glover is this week's Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, the fourth time she has won the award.

Glover helped Boise State record a rare road sweep at Nevada with four hits, four stolen bases and three runs scored.  She led off the fourth with a homer to center, which was the only run of the game in Boise State's 1-0 victory.  The next day, Glover pounded three hits.  She singled in the first, stole second, stole third, and came home on an errant throw.  Glover also doubled, singled, and got her third stolen base of the game in the third inning. 

Glover now has three three-hit games in the last five.  She started off the third game being hit by a pitch, then stole second.  She advanced to third on a bunt and scored on a ground ball. 

Glover went over the 200-hit plateau for her Boise State career, is the first Bronco to accomplish the feat.  Glover, a transfer from Utah, has 256 collegiate hits, nine shy of the all-time Mountain West record.

Tara broke the school record with 119 career runs scored on Friday and she now has 121 at Boise State.  Her 165 collegiate runs rank fifth in MWC history. 

David Wacker Named Texas 5A Player of the Year

David Wacker (6-9, 235, Judston High School in Converse, TX) was named this week as the Texas 5A Player of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.  Wacker, who helped his team reach the 5A State Championship game, is a verbal commit to Boise State.

Bronco Tennis Team Pulls Out 4-3 Win

Winning ugly--Boise State did it tonight over San Diego State.  The lower-ranked Aztecs took the Broncos to the wire and then some.  Garrett Patton's 7-6 tiebreaker win gave his team the 4-3 victory, Boise State's 23rd against 4 losses this season.

Patton & Hendrick Jebens Tied at 6

The MWC tennis match between Boise State and San Diego State is coming down to a tiebreaker.  Both Garrett Patton & Hendrick Jebens protected their serve and are tied at 6 games apiece in the third set.

It's Down to #4 Singles

Garrett Patton did his best for the team, battling back from an opening set 6-4 loss.  Patton took the second set 6-4, and is tied 5-5 in the final set.

Boise State Tied With San Diego State

The Bronco tennis team is having problems with another lesser-ranked team.  On its home courts no less.

Boise State won the doubles point, but now finds itself tied 3-3 with San Diego State.

Unranked Thorsten Bertsch of San Diego State bested #85 Andy Bettles of Boise State in straight sets.  That pretty much tells how it is going.