Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Boise State #23 in College Football Playoff Committee Top 25


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Boise State Will Play Arizona Next Year in Hoops

Boise State has signed a contract to play Arizona next year in men's basketball, Blue Through and Through has learned.

The game between the Broncos and Wildcats will be part of Wooden Legacy Tournament that Boise State will play in.

Emma Bates Interview Post Race

Boise State #25 in AP Poll

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Boise State Women Finish 11th at NCAA National Cross Country Championships

Hats off to a superb performance by the Boise State women's cross country team.  The Broncos finished 11th today at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana.  Emma Bates was in the lead pack nearly the entire race, and finished third, following up a second-place finish a year ago.
Bates and Howard became the first Bronco duo to win All-America honors in the same year
Kate Avery of Iona was the leader for the majority of the race, and opened up a lead in excess of 15 seconds.  But Bates tried to stay with her, and cut the gap at the finish line., with Avery crossing in 19:31.6  Sarah Disanza of Wisconsin was second with a time of 19:35.9 and Bates finished in 19:44.5.

Marisa Howard of Boise State was 28th, while Emma Hyyppa was #114, Tessa Murray 147th, Sarah Hastings #206, and Gracie Tostenson #224. 

Boise State Swimming & Diving Team Performing Well in Texas

Sam Wicks set two school records as the Boise State swimming and diving team has set five NCAA "B Standard" times at the Art Adamson Invitational in College Station, Texas.   Wicks finished fifth in the 200-yard individual medley with a school record 1:58.83, smashed another school record in the 100 backstroke (52.92) to finish fifth, and posted a time of 22.93 in the 50 freestyle, then finished ninth in the "B" final. 

Aoyma recorded a B Standard time of 22.75 in the 50 freestyle, and finished 14th overall.  She followed that up with another B Standard in the 100 butterfly (52.06), and finished third in the finals.

"We had an outstanding day today, with our strength showing across the board over the seven events today," said Boise State head coach Kristin Hill. "Several women had tough turnarounds with back-to-back events and a lot of racing, but most were well-prepared and rose to the occasion. Brittany and Sam both posted times that should be fast enough to be invited to NCAA Championships, which was our plan for them this week. We are excited for our final day of competition tomorrow."

Freshman Morgan McClure (4:17.71) and sophomore Whitney Jorgensen (4:18.83) each set NCAA "B" marks in finishing 10th and 11th, respectively, in the 400 individual medley.  Harper recorded another B Standard for Boise State, finishing 12th in the B final of the 100 breaststroke (1:02.06).

The Bronco 200 freestyle relay team of Brittany Aoyama, Jessica Bottelberghe, Katelyn Martin and Wicks finished fourth, while the 200 medley relay team of Wicks, Heather Harper, Aoyama and Katelyn Marth was fifth, the 400 medley team of Wicks, Harper, Aoyama and Bottelberghe finished sixth, and the 800 freestyle relay team of Aoyama, Martin, Amelia Draney and Bottelberghe was also sixth.

The Bronco divers competed at the Wildcat Diving Invitational in Tucson, Arizona, with senior Erin Kohlbeck finishing sixth in the three-meters.

Action concludes today in Texas and Arizona.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Basketball Records Section Published

We will be adding many more records in the next few weeks and months that aren't available anywhere, including Boise State's own website.  Like the Blue Football Through and Through Football Records* section, this will soon be the authoritative website for basketball statistics. 

As we told you several months ago, as we continue to add tabs to our flagship Boise State website, Blue Through and Through, the Football Records*, which as noted above were moved to Blue Football Through and Through when we began that website, will disappear from this site. 

Aussie Combination Scores 50 of Boise State's 72 Points in Bronco Victory Over Montana

G'day mate!  Or more appropriately, Goodnight, as Anthony Drimic, Nick Duncan, and Igor Hadziomerovic scored 50 of Boise State's 72 points in a 72-67, double overtime victory over Montana last night in Taco Bell Arena.

Boise State overcame a horrendous start to down their former rivals from the Big Sky Conference, which opened up a 25-10 lead.  The Broncos uncharacteristically shot just 33% from the field, unable to take advantage of 17 Montana turnovers.  Perhaps it was looking forward to a game with Top 5 Wisconsin, but, as head coach Leon Rice said after the game, "There are no excuses.  No excuses for us to play like that."
Drmic poured in 29 points on a combination of long-range treys and spectacular drives to the basket.  Anthony tied former NBA Draft Pick Roberto Bergersen with 1,485 career points, sixth on Boise State's all-time scoring list.  When the Grizzly defense double-teamed Drmic, he found a wide open Nick Duncan, who joined his Aussie teammate with four three-pointers.

Jordan Gregory, who had 15 points for Montana, hit a three-pointer near the end of the second overtime, but his shot came after the shot-clock had expired. 

Drmic was money for Boise State, scoring the tie-breaking basket on a layup with 1:55 remaining in he second overtime, converted a tying three-point play with 1:04 left in regulation, and nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game with 19.5 seconds left in the first overtime.

Martin Breunig led Montana with 16 points while Mario Dunn scored 12.

In Boise State's comeback win, Derrick Marks passed Rawn Hayes for ninth place in career steals.  Derrick now has 133 in his fabulous Bronco career. 

Boise State travels to #3 Wisconsin Saturday night--tipoff at 8 p.m. Mountain Time.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Bowden and Heidemann make All-Mountain West Team

The Boise State soccer team landed two players on the All-Mountain West Conference First Team:  senior Mikhaila Bowden and junior Brooke Heidemann.  Heidemann is the first Bronco in history to earn all-conference honors three times.

Heidemann had five points in conference play, with two goals and one assist.  Bowden missed just 14 minutes of conference action, and her defense helped Boise State limit conference opponents to just nine goals while she was on the field.

 

Boise State to Host 1st and 2nd Rounds of NCAA Basketball Tournament in 2018

The NCAA has just announced that Boise will be one of the opening sites for the men's basketball tournament.  March Madness returns to the capital city!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Broncos Down San Diego 81-75 in Season Opener

Anthony Drmic scored 21 points and Boise State got 34 points from their bench, as the Broncos opened the 2014-15 basketball season with a 81-75 win over San Diego in the LMU Classic in Los Angeles this evening.

San Diego, an 18-17 team last season, broke out on top early 19-13, but the Broncos chipped away at the lead until they owned a 35-33 halftime advantage.  Boise State caught fire in the second half, opening up a double-digit lead, but poor free throw shooting down the stretch (3-11 until Montigo Alford's two free throws with 17 seconds remaining) made it a close game.

The Toreros cut the lead to 79-75 on a three-pointer from Johnny Dee with 19 seconds left, and had an open look after Joe Hanstad missed two free throws.  But Alford came from behind to reject the shot, then calmly sank both charity shots for the game's final points.

The game, played at the home of Loyola Marymount of the West Coast Conference, drew just over 50 fans.  There were more fouls than fans, as 63 fouls were whistled, 33 on San Diego and 30 on the Broncos.  The sensitive referees made bench strength a key factor, and Boise State dominated there, scoring 34 points to 12 for their Torero counterparts.

Drmic got good support from guard Mikey Thompson and forward David Wacker, each with 12 points, while Robert Heyer and Alford each scored 10 points and Kevin Allen had 9.  Drmic also led Boise State with 9 rebounds. 

Dee led San Diego with 25 points, including four treys, while Christopher Anderson had 14 points, and Thomas Jacobson added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Drmic hit three three-pointers on the night to pass Eric Lane for fourth-place on the Bronco career list--Drmic now has 201.  Drmic now has 1444 career points, just 41 shy of former NBA Draft pick Roberto Bergersen for fifth-place all-time at Boise State.
Boise State faces host Loyola Marymount tomorrow night

Breaking--Boise State Women's Cross Country Team Headed to Nationals

The Boise State women's cross country team tied with Stanford for second at the NCAA West Regionals in Stanford, California, and with a tiebreaker, earned the automatic qualifying bid for the NCAA National Championships.  It is a first in program history.
 
Emma Bates was second individually while Marisa Howard took fifth and Emma Hyyppa 28th.  The Lady Broncos came into the loaded regionals ranked fifth in the region behind Oregon, Stanford, Washington, and Arizona State.  The Broncos, however, will be one of just 18 teams at the National championships.

Bates, the defending West Region champion, was second in the 6-kilometer course in 19:34.2, less than three seconds behind individual champion Shelby Houlihan of Arizona State (19:31.6).  Howard finished with a time of 20:04.9.  Both Bates and Howard earned All-Region honors.

The Boise State men finished their 10-k course in eighth place.  Andrew Rafla finished 11th and David Elliott was 19th.
 
Boise StateStanford
2ndEmma BatesW3rdElise Cranny
5thMarisa HowardW10thMolly McNamara
28thEmma HyyppäL16thSophie Chase
30thTessa MurrayL21stEmma Fisher
38thSarah HastingsW53rdAbbie McNulty

 
 
 
The NCAA Cross Country Championships are set for November 22 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
 
 
Women’s Team Results
1. No. 3 Oregon, 88
2. No. 25 Boise State, 103 (W tiebreaker)
2. No. 10 Stanford, 103 (L tiebreaker)
4. No. 15 Washington, 131
5. No. 27 UCLA, 176
Men’s Team Results
1. No. 2 Oregon, 60
2. No. 8 Portland, 71
3. No. 9 Stanford, 97
4. No. 17 UCLA, 104
5. Washington, 139
 
 
Boise State's All-Region Honorees

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Elijah Armstrong Signs with Boise State

The Bronco cross country and track teams got a huge boost with the announcement that Pocatello High School senior Elijah Armstrong has signed a National Letter of Intent to go to Boise State. 

Armstrong ranks ninth in the nation, and he finished sixth at the 2013 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, earning All-America honors as a junior. 

“In Elijah, we have one of the top distance recruits in the country,” said head coach Corey Ihmels.  “His resume speaks for itself but beyond that he is someone who has goals and aspirations that very few are able to comprehend let alone achieve. He is a very humble young man and won’t accept anything but greatness.”

In addition to capturing four consecutive individual cross country championships, Armstrong also won three state titles in the 1,600-meter, two in the 3,200, and one in the 800-meter.  Armstrong holds state records in both the 1,600 and 3,200, and he ranks in the Top 25 in the nation in the 1,600 (22nd with a time of 4:09), 3,200 (19th at 8:55), and the 5,000 (3rd with a time of 14:28). 

“I have always set very high goals and will continue to do so,” added Armstrong. “I want to be the very best runner that I can be and hopefully win NCAA titles and also represent Team USA in the World and Olympic games. I want to help Coach Ihmels and the team put Boise State on the map as one of the premier distance running programs in the country.”

Armstrong is getting ready for the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional this Saturday at the Eagle Island Cross Country Course.  He will also compete in the Foot Locker West Regionals December 6, and hopes to qualify for the National Championships in San Diego on December 13. 

“Elijah is an addition to Boise State Athletics that won’t settle for anything less than the best,” said Ihmels. “He not only adds to our outstanding class from last year but sets the standard for years to come.”

Armstrong brings a 4.0 GPA from Pocatello High School to Boise State. 

Friday, November 7, 2014

Kohlbeck Finishes Fifth at USC Diving Invitational

Bronco senior Erin Kohlbeck collected a major feather in her cap with a fifth-place finish in the three-meter competition at the USC Diving Invitational. 

Congrats to Erin!


 

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Bronco Soccer Team Faces New Mexico in Mountain West Championships

The Boise State soccer team takes on #3 seed New Mexico this afternoon in the Mountain West Championships in San Diego.  Action gets underway at 5 p.m. Mountain time.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Schedules Now Updated Through Winter Sports

We now have all of the schedules for the winter sports up.  You can access any schedule for a Bronco team at any time by clicking on the Schedule* Tab at the top of the website.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Boise State Basketball Gets Paris Austin

According to comments on YouTube, Boise State has gotten the commitment of this smooth 5-11 guard from Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland.  He reminds me of Chris Childs--if he is anywhere near as good, the Broncos are set at that position.

 

Boise State Women Take Second in Mountain West Cross Country Championships; Bronco Men Fourth

Emma Bates and Marisa Howard staged a dominating performance over the field in taking first and second, and the #23 Bronco women's cross country team once again finished second at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships in Fresno, California.
Howard and Bates raced out to the early lead and continued to extend it over the six-kilometer course.  Bates win individual honors with a time of 19:37.3, while Howard finished in 19:53.4, crossing the finish line 25 seconds ahead of the third-place runner. 

As dominating as Bates and Howard were, so too were the Lobos.  #10 New Mexico successfully defended their conference title with just 33 points to 58 for the Lady Broncos.  Wyoming finished third with 79 points, followed by Colorado State (103), Air Force with 141, Nevada in sixth with 163 points, Utah State (180), Fresno State (225), ninth-place UNLV with 245, San Diego State (276) and San Jose State with 295 points.

David Elliott won the men's title with a time of 23:38.7, marking just the first time in school history that Boise State swept individual cross country titles, with Melinda Campbell and Cormac Smith being the last Broncos to do it in 1997 when Boise State was in the Big West Conference.  #18 New Mexico won the Mountain West team title with 26 points, with Air Force (73 points) upsetting #25 Colorado State (76) for second.  The Bronco men were fourth with 79 points, followed by Utah State (152), Wyoming (160), host Fresno State with 181 and San Jose State with 197 points.

Howard, Bates, and Elliott all earned First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors for their performances, with Bates and Elliott winning Female and Male Athlete of the Year honors, respectively.  Freshmen Emma Hyyppa and Andrew Rafla captured rookie accolades, as Hyyppa finished 23rd and Rafla took 10th place.  Rafla also earned Second-Team All-Conference honors, the first freshman in school history to accomplish that feat.  Sarah Hastings, who finished 13th, and Michael Vennard, who came in 14th on the men's side, also earned Second Team honors.
   
 
Mountain West Men's Student-Athlete of the Year:  David Elliott, Sr.,  Boise State
Mountain West Men's Coach of the Year: Joe Franklin, New Mexico
Mountain West Men's Freshman of the Year:  Andrew Rafla,  Boise State
Mountain West Women's Student-Athlete of the Year:  Emma Bates, Boise State
Mountain West Women's Coach of the Year: Joe Franklin, New Mexico
Mountain West Women's Freshman of the Year:  Emma Hyyppa, Boise State
 
Women's First Team All-MW
Emma Bates, Boise State
Marisa Howard, Boise State
Holly Page, Wyoming
Alice Wright, New Mexico
Calli Thackery, New Mexico
Charlotte Arter, New Mexico
Hannah Everson, Air Force
 
Second Team All-MW
Nicole Roberts, New Mexico
Demerey Kirsch, Nevada
Amber Zimmerman, New Mexico
Kerry White, Wyoming
Tamara Armoush, New Mexico
Sarah Hastings, Boise State
Alexandra Will, Colorado State
 
 
 
Men's First Team All-MW
David Elliott, Boise State
Patrick Corona, Air Force
Jake Shelley, New Mexico
Alex Cornwell, New Mexico
Ross Matheson, New Mexico
Matt Bergin, New Mexico
Riley Coates, Air Force
 
Second Team All-MW
Daniel Studley, New Mexico
Amos Bowen, Wyoming
Andrew Rafla, Boise State
Jerrell Mock, Colorado State
Jefferson Abbey, Colorado State
Elmar Engholm, New Mexico
Michael Vennard, Boise State

Boise State Swimmers Whip Oregon State 178-84

It wasn't long ago that only the football team was dominating PAC-12 competition.  The #23 Boise State swimming and diving team won 10 of 14 events yesterday in Corvallis to score a 178-84 win at Oregon State.  The win was the third straight over a PAC-12 team over two seasons.

"We swam very well tonight. There were some great races and OSU helped raise our level of competition," said Boise State head coach Kristin Hill. "We had a strong start to the season in our first two dual-meet wins earlier this month against Utah and Idaho, and today we took a big step forward as a team."

Sophomore Brittany Aoyama posted an NCAA B Standard time in winning the 100-yard butterfly in 54:06.  But the brilliant Bronco wasn't done.  She also won the 100 freestyle and helped the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams to victories.

Junior Sam Wicks also captured four events on the evening.  In addition to the two relay teams with Aoyama, Wicks won the 100 backstroke and 50 free, just missing NCAA B Standard times herself.

Oregon State's Sammy Harrison was a double-winner, taking first in the 500 and 1,000 freestyle races.

After Harrison's first win, however, Boise State captured the next six events to take a commanding 89-31 lead.  Felicity Cann won the 200 free, Wicks touched first in the 100 back, Emma Chard won the 100 breast, Jessica Bottelberghe won the 200 fly, Wicks won the 50 freestyle and Aoyama captured the 100 free.  Sophomore Whitney Jorgensen later won the 400 IM in 4:28.90.

The Boise State divers, which did not compete last night, are prepping for the USC Diving Invitational November 7-9.  The Bronco swimmers have three weeks to get ready for the prestigious Texas A&M Invitational November 20-22, where they will test their mettle against some of the top teams in the nation.