I haven't come up with a formula for this (!), but I use Boise State's tennis swing through California as a measuring stick for the Bronco team. Usually how Coach Greg Patton's army performs on this trip is a good indicator if the team is going to be a solid national contender or will have to fight to win the WAC.
What I like is how aggressive Patton is in his scheduling. After this road trip, the Bronco men will have completed their eighth consecutive road match in a row, seven of those against Top 30 teams! What Patton very much would like to do is get the sun-baked California youth to come to Boise. The California schools preach to their brethren that Boise is a cold, cold, so cold place that is blustery and uninhabitable by California citizens. The truth is, of course, that Boise is extremely mild for a city as north as it is, especially in the last 20 years or so. Patton of course has seen it all. He's been Conference Coach of the Year umpteen times and National Coach of the Year twice. He's headed professional tennis teams and USA National teams. Knowing Coach like I do, whatever Greg says you can take to the bank. He is a man of his word, and I cannot imagine any tennis player in the nation not wanting to jump at the chance to play for a man and a coach of his caliber. If I want the motivator of the millenium and a coach that is going to improve my tennis, I want Patton. And there isn't anyone else close.
But those sun-baked California tennis stars would probably be more likely to come up to mild Boise if the Broncos win on their California swing. In 1997, the Broncos came down to L.A. and stunned mighty UCLA on their way to a #2 national ranking. In the years in which Boise State has fared well in Cali, they are a strong threat to reach the Sweet 16. But if they don't play well, I don't see them as a clear favorite in the WAC. Again, I don't know how precise the correlation is, but it's something I follow and pay attention to.
Patton's group takes on #20 Pepperdine Saturday just across from famous Malibu beach. You can follow the action live here:
http://www.pepperdinesports.com/sports/m-tennis/sched/pepp-m-tennis-sched.html
Then, it's on to #6 UCLA Sunday for a battle with the Bruins. UCLA's site also will have live scoring of the Broncos and Bruins at:
http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-tennis/ucla-m-tennis-body.html
(Go down to the bottom of the page for the schedule to find the Boise State-UCLA match and click on the "Live Results" link.)
Finally, Boise State concludes its California visit with a meeting against #53 San Diego State. Obviously since Boise State is ranked higher, they need to at least come away with this one. A win against the national powers would be a bonus.
Good luck to Patton's Broncs, and make a mental note of how they fare on this trip and how they do at the conclusion of the season.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
TCU Game Rumor: December 3rd
If true, what a great way to finish the season for these two football heavyweights! More info as it becomes available.
Bronco Men Slip A Bit Behind Utah State
Last week, the check of top times in the WAC this indoor track season showed that the Boise State and Utah State men would battle for the crown later this month in Nampa. The Aggie men right now are making better strides than Boise State and now it's Utah State holding a nine-point lead in projected points at the WAC Championships.
The way this battle has shaped up in recent years, Utah State dominates the running events and Boise State does better in the field. That looks to be the case again this year. Utah State holds a commanding 124-72 advantage over the Broncos in running events, with Louisiana Tech projected for 59 points and Idaho 20. Boise State leads the field events 101-49 over Utah State, but not enough to offset the huge gap in the running events. Idaho is projected for 49 points in the field while Tech is slated to get 10 at this point.
Overall, then, Utah State is currently projected for 182 points to 173 for Boise State and 69 each for Idaho and Louisiana Tech. The Broncos have one more meet prior to the championships; and the Aggies just happen to be one of the teams invited to the Boise State Team Challenge that begins Friday.
Action gets underway at Jackson's Track Friday afternoon at 3:30. Then it's full speed ahead to the WAC Championships February 24-26.
The way this battle has shaped up in recent years, Utah State dominates the running events and Boise State does better in the field. That looks to be the case again this year. Utah State holds a commanding 124-72 advantage over the Broncos in running events, with Louisiana Tech projected for 59 points and Idaho 20. Boise State leads the field events 101-49 over Utah State, but not enough to offset the huge gap in the running events. Idaho is projected for 49 points in the field while Tech is slated to get 10 at this point.
Overall, then, Utah State is currently projected for 182 points to 173 for Boise State and 69 each for Idaho and Louisiana Tech. The Broncos have one more meet prior to the championships; and the Aggies just happen to be one of the teams invited to the Boise State Team Challenge that begins Friday.
Action gets underway at Jackson's Track Friday afternoon at 3:30. Then it's full speed ahead to the WAC Championships February 24-26.
Clash of the Titans
This is the type of wrestling match made in heaven. #2 Boise State goes against #4 Oklahoma State Friday night in Stillwater. You have two of the top five wrestling teams this year and two of the top programs annually in the nation.
Championship teams win on the road, no matter who the opponent, no matter the location. Let’s not kid around—championship this year is exactly what both these teams are thinking. This one has all the drama. The dual at 133 pounds pits the top two wrestlers in the country: #1 Jordan Oliver of OSU vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State.
Hochstrasser has waited a long time for this. He was one of the most promising prospects for Boise State when he signed his letter of intent and did not disappoint, going 29-8 and placing third at the Pac-10 Championships his freshman season. Andrew then went on a church mission but has returned with vigor. He won the Pac-10 title and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in 2009. Hochstrasser was 8-0 last season in brief action due to difficulties off the mat. Hochstrasser is now a senior and is unbeaten in 21 matches this season. Oliver is 19-0 and as a sophomore, has unlimited potential. The two hooked up at the NWCA All-Star Classic exhibition November 21 with Oliver winning 8-7. Hochstrasser scored five of his seven points on escapes, indicating that Oliver very much was the aggressor. Oliver has won eight matches by pin and five matches by technical fall and has scored 82 takedowns.
Another eagerly-anticipated match is at 184 pounds—Cowboy fans believe Chris Perry can get the upset over #1 Kirk Smith. Perry has been wrestling well as of late and even though Smith is #1, he’ll have to continue to get better to back up his ranking.
Clayton Foster is another of OSU’s top grapplers. He is 17-0 this season and ranked #3 at 197 pounds. Foster has defeated eight ranked opponents this year, including a 16-5 major over #13 Brent Haynes of Missouri last Friday and a 4-0 victory over #12 Andy Johnson of Nebraska. Senior Neil Erisman has won five bouts in a row at 157 pounds with bonus points added in four of those. Redshirt freshman Chris Perry is also on a roll with eight consecutive victories, four against ranked opponents. Perry has worked his way up to a #9 national ranking.
Oklahoma State is a legendary wrestling program. Oklahoma State is the second wrestling program in history to win 1,000 duals, as they achieved the feat January 28 with a 44-0 win over Northern Colorado. Iowa State (1,011 wins) is the only other team to go over 1,000. If that scares Boise State wrestlers, they should tell Coach Greg Randall to leave them home. This isn’t a match for the faint of heart.
I’ve been saying that for Boise State to be a solid title contender, they need to be consistent throughout its lineup. The Broncos have four wrestlers either first or second in their weight category, but there are two wrestlers in their starting lineup that are unranked. Looking at Oklahoma State’s lineup, they have what it takes to win it all. I look at Friday’s probable matchups and what strikes me is that every one of the Cowboy wrestlers is ranked at least #17 nationally but one (heavyweight Blake Rosholt). And guess what? When returning All-American Alan Gelogaev returns from injury, he gives Oklahoma State a perfect 10-10 of wrestlers in its lineup that have a shot at All-America status. That is what is needed to win a national title. OSU has five wrestlers ranked in the top 10 compared to the four from Boise State. And even the most optimistic Bronco fan would tell you that Boise State has only 6-7 wrestlers that have a realistic chance at All-America. The top ten is where you really score your points, get additional chances for pins and technical falls, and are an upset away from attaining All-America status.
So what does Boise State have to do to match OSU’s potential at the National Championships? The Broncos very easily could win this dual, but that doesn’t mean they yet have the overall strength of Oklahoma State in a national setting. If Boise State is truly going to be the contender that the Cowboys are, Kurt Swartz, Alan Bartelli and J.T. Felix must all reach the Top 15 nationally and must be legitimate All-America candidates. Those three can start climbing that road Friday, a road that includes a win over their OSU opponent as a prerequisite.
In my mind, Boise State has to win this match. It is a tremendous opportunity for them, and it is what championship teams do. But to achieve the win, the entire Bronco team must come through, and that means pulling off some wins that would be considered “upsets” on paper.
The two wrestling powers have met four times previously with OSU winning all. The Cowboys are 2-0 in Stillwater, 1-0 in Boise and 1-0 at a neutral site. In the last meeting seven years ago, it was OSU 38, Boise State 0.
The match gets started Friday night at 6 Mountain Time. You can watch the dual live online at okstate.com. Click on “Multimedia” and roll your mouse to “Live Events” on the left-hand side. Scroll down to the Boise State-Oklahoma State dual and click the link to the video feed. Your feed will also include audio from the radio broadcast of the match. The bad thing there is you have to pay a subscription fee to watch the video. You can also follow the action through live results on the web site. Go to the main wrestling site and click the link to the primary story on the page for play-by-play results--those are free!
Here are the probable matchups for the showdown:
125: #8 Jon Morrison (16-4) vs. #16 Alan Bartelli (14-7)
133: #1 Jordan Oliver (19-0) vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (21-0)
141: #17 Josh Kindig (20-6) vs. #18 Levi Jones (12-7)
149: #7 Jamal Parks (20-3) vs. #2 Jason Chamberlain (21-0)
157: #16 Neil Erisman (8-3) vs. #2 Adam Hall (21-0)
165: #12 Dallas Bailey (19-5) vs. unranked Kurt Swartz (10-7)
174: #14 Mike Benefiel vs. #15 Jake Swartz (16-11)
184: #10 Chris Perry (19-4) vs. #1 Kirk Smith (8-0)
197: #3 Clayton Foster (17-0) vs. #20 Matt Casperson (10-5)
285: unranked Blake Rosholt (6-5) or unranked Tyron Yoder (10-11) vs. unranked J.T. Felix (8-8)
Championship teams win on the road, no matter who the opponent, no matter the location. Let’s not kid around—championship this year is exactly what both these teams are thinking. This one has all the drama. The dual at 133 pounds pits the top two wrestlers in the country: #1 Jordan Oliver of OSU vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State.
Hochstrasser has waited a long time for this. He was one of the most promising prospects for Boise State when he signed his letter of intent and did not disappoint, going 29-8 and placing third at the Pac-10 Championships his freshman season. Andrew then went on a church mission but has returned with vigor. He won the Pac-10 title and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in 2009. Hochstrasser was 8-0 last season in brief action due to difficulties off the mat. Hochstrasser is now a senior and is unbeaten in 21 matches this season. Oliver is 19-0 and as a sophomore, has unlimited potential. The two hooked up at the NWCA All-Star Classic exhibition November 21 with Oliver winning 8-7. Hochstrasser scored five of his seven points on escapes, indicating that Oliver very much was the aggressor. Oliver has won eight matches by pin and five matches by technical fall and has scored 82 takedowns.
Another eagerly-anticipated match is at 184 pounds—Cowboy fans believe Chris Perry can get the upset over #1 Kirk Smith. Perry has been wrestling well as of late and even though Smith is #1, he’ll have to continue to get better to back up his ranking.
Clayton Foster is another of OSU’s top grapplers. He is 17-0 this season and ranked #3 at 197 pounds. Foster has defeated eight ranked opponents this year, including a 16-5 major over #13 Brent Haynes of Missouri last Friday and a 4-0 victory over #12 Andy Johnson of Nebraska. Senior Neil Erisman has won five bouts in a row at 157 pounds with bonus points added in four of those. Redshirt freshman Chris Perry is also on a roll with eight consecutive victories, four against ranked opponents. Perry has worked his way up to a #9 national ranking.
Oklahoma State is a legendary wrestling program. Oklahoma State is the second wrestling program in history to win 1,000 duals, as they achieved the feat January 28 with a 44-0 win over Northern Colorado. Iowa State (1,011 wins) is the only other team to go over 1,000. If that scares Boise State wrestlers, they should tell Coach Greg Randall to leave them home. This isn’t a match for the faint of heart.
I’ve been saying that for Boise State to be a solid title contender, they need to be consistent throughout its lineup. The Broncos have four wrestlers either first or second in their weight category, but there are two wrestlers in their starting lineup that are unranked. Looking at Oklahoma State’s lineup, they have what it takes to win it all. I look at Friday’s probable matchups and what strikes me is that every one of the Cowboy wrestlers is ranked at least #17 nationally but one (heavyweight Blake Rosholt). And guess what? When returning All-American Alan Gelogaev returns from injury, he gives Oklahoma State a perfect 10-10 of wrestlers in its lineup that have a shot at All-America status. That is what is needed to win a national title. OSU has five wrestlers ranked in the top 10 compared to the four from Boise State. And even the most optimistic Bronco fan would tell you that Boise State has only 6-7 wrestlers that have a realistic chance at All-America. The top ten is where you really score your points, get additional chances for pins and technical falls, and are an upset away from attaining All-America status.
So what does Boise State have to do to match OSU’s potential at the National Championships? The Broncos very easily could win this dual, but that doesn’t mean they yet have the overall strength of Oklahoma State in a national setting. If Boise State is truly going to be the contender that the Cowboys are, Kurt Swartz, Alan Bartelli and J.T. Felix must all reach the Top 15 nationally and must be legitimate All-America candidates. Those three can start climbing that road Friday, a road that includes a win over their OSU opponent as a prerequisite.
In my mind, Boise State has to win this match. It is a tremendous opportunity for them, and it is what championship teams do. But to achieve the win, the entire Bronco team must come through, and that means pulling off some wins that would be considered “upsets” on paper.
The two wrestling powers have met four times previously with OSU winning all. The Cowboys are 2-0 in Stillwater, 1-0 in Boise and 1-0 at a neutral site. In the last meeting seven years ago, it was OSU 38, Boise State 0.
The match gets started Friday night at 6 Mountain Time. You can watch the dual live online at okstate.com. Click on “Multimedia” and roll your mouse to “Live Events” on the left-hand side. Scroll down to the Boise State-Oklahoma State dual and click the link to the video feed. Your feed will also include audio from the radio broadcast of the match. The bad thing there is you have to pay a subscription fee to watch the video. You can also follow the action through live results on the web site. Go to the main wrestling site and click the link to the primary story on the page for play-by-play results--those are free!
Here are the probable matchups for the showdown:
125: #8 Jon Morrison (16-4) vs. #16 Alan Bartelli (14-7)
133: #1 Jordan Oliver (19-0) vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (21-0)
141: #17 Josh Kindig (20-6) vs. #18 Levi Jones (12-7)
149: #7 Jamal Parks (20-3) vs. #2 Jason Chamberlain (21-0)
157: #16 Neil Erisman (8-3) vs. #2 Adam Hall (21-0)
165: #12 Dallas Bailey (19-5) vs. unranked Kurt Swartz (10-7)
174: #14 Mike Benefiel vs. #15 Jake Swartz (16-11)
184: #10 Chris Perry (19-4) vs. #1 Kirk Smith (8-0)
197: #3 Clayton Foster (17-0) vs. #20 Matt Casperson (10-5)
285: unranked Blake Rosholt (6-5) or unranked Tyron Yoder (10-11) vs. unranked J.T. Felix (8-8)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Bronco Gymnasts Receive #12 Ranking
The Boise State gymnastics team came in at #12 this morning in the new national rankings. I am checking on this but I believe it is the highest ranking ever for Boise State. The highest finish for a Bronco team at the end of a season is #14 in 1997. In any case, it still shows how far the team has to go to reach Nationals. Boise State has to finish in the top two in the West; right now Oregon State is the second-highest Western team at #6. That said, the qualification for Nationals is the Regionals and Boise State would still get a chance to beat Oregon State and the rest of the Western teams head-to-head.
Rank Team Name Team Ave Region Conference Division High RQS
1 Florida 197.035 SE SEC 1 197.550 -
2 Stanford 196.656 W PAC 10 1 196.975 -
3 Utah 196.165 NC None 1 196.525 -
4 Georgia 195.950 SE SEC 1 196.725 195.795
5 Oklahoma 195.933 SC Big 12 1 196.300 195.860
6 Oregon State 195.821 W PAC 10 1 196.950 195.595
7 Alabama 195.770 C SEC 1 196.825 -
8 Michigan 195.635 NE Big 10 1 196.800 -
9 Nebraska 195.438 SC Big 12 1 196.075 195.310
10 UCLA 195.430 W PAC 10 1 196.675 -
11 Arkansas 195.180 SC SEC 1 195.775 -
12 Boise State 195.038 W WAC 1 196.175 -
13 Washington 194.975 W PAC 10 1 195.800 -
14 Kent State 194.925 C MAC 1 195.475 -
15 Ohio State 194.830 C Big 10 1 195.575 -
16 Illinois-Champaign 194.800 SC Big 10 1 195.750 -
17 Minnesota 194.720 NC Big 10 1 195.575 -
18 Penn State 194.665 NE Big 10 1 195.550 -
19 L.S.U. 194.650 C SEC 1 195.875 -
20 Denver 194.629 NC Independent 1 196.375 194.280
Rank Team Name Team Ave Region Conference Division High RQS
1 Florida 197.035 SE SEC 1 197.550 -
2 Stanford 196.656 W PAC 10 1 196.975 -
3 Utah 196.165 NC None 1 196.525 -
4 Georgia 195.950 SE SEC 1 196.725 195.795
5 Oklahoma 195.933 SC Big 12 1 196.300 195.860
6 Oregon State 195.821 W PAC 10 1 196.950 195.595
7 Alabama 195.770 C SEC 1 196.825 -
8 Michigan 195.635 NE Big 10 1 196.800 -
9 Nebraska 195.438 SC Big 12 1 196.075 195.310
10 UCLA 195.430 W PAC 10 1 196.675 -
11 Arkansas 195.180 SC SEC 1 195.775 -
12 Boise State 195.038 W WAC 1 196.175 -
13 Washington 194.975 W PAC 10 1 195.800 -
14 Kent State 194.925 C MAC 1 195.475 -
15 Ohio State 194.830 C Big 10 1 195.575 -
16 Illinois-Champaign 194.800 SC Big 10 1 195.750 -
17 Minnesota 194.720 NC Big 10 1 195.575 -
18 Penn State 194.665 NE Big 10 1 195.550 -
19 L.S.U. 194.650 C SEC 1 195.875 -
20 Denver 194.629 NC Independent 1 196.375 194.280
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Two Boise State Players Are Champions of the World!
Boise State's Daryn Colledge and Korey Hall are celebrating tonight as the Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl Champions. Former Bronco players now have a record of 5-2 in the Super Bowl. Markus Koch (two rings) and Kimo von Oelhoffen (1 title) are the other former Broncos with Super Bowl Championships.
Congrats to two great, classy winners--Daryn Colledge and Korey Hall!
Congrats to two great, classy winners--Daryn Colledge and Korey Hall!
Jay Ajayi Named to Parade All-America Team
Boise State recruit Jay Ajayi, who played for Frisco High in Texas, has been named to Parade Magazine's All-America team. The future Bronco running back, who just signed a letter of intent to play for Boise State last Wednesday, ran for over 2,000 yards and 35 touchdowns last season. Congrats Jay and we look forward to seeing our Parade All-American on the Blue!
Two More Victims for Boise State Swimming Team
The Boise State swimming team continues to ride a tidal wave to victory. The Broncos rolled over Oregon State (178-83) and host Seattle (190-71) yesterday to move their two-year dual mark to 27-5. Along the way, Boise State picked up nine victories. Boise State now owns head-to-head wins against every NCAA Division I swimming program in the Northwest. This season, The Broncos defeated another Pac-10 foe, Washington State, earlier this season.
So much for the Pac-10 inviting Utah and Colorado instead of Boise State. The Broncos just continue to make the league look bad for that decision.
We've made it a goal to be the premier swimming and diving program in the northwest, and though the true test is at the end at our championships and NCAA's, this season has been a great breakthrough for us," Hill said.
Juniors Amber Boucher and Stephanie North and sophomore Jennifer Cahill each won two individual titles to lead Coach Kristin Hill’s squad. Boucher set a Connolly Center record with her 200-yard freestyle win and her 100-yard butterfly swim ranks #3 all-time at Boise State. North captured both short freestyle races while Cahill won the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle events. Junior Morgan McLain touched first in the 200-yard individual medley.
"We performed well today and exceeded expectations in a few areas. Amber'
s 200 free and 100 fly times were phenomenal," said Coach Hill. "Stephanie's 100 freestyle was a great swim. We also had a number of strong finishes in close races."
The Broncos also defeated Seattle in the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes and 200 butterfly. Freshman Rachel Heaney won the fly with the fifth-fastest time in school history while senior Denise Green won the 100 backstroke and McLain took the 200 backstroke. Boise State also bested the Beavers in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events, as senior Kelly Forrester and freshman Chelsea Miller won those events, respectively, against Oregon State.
Boise State also won both relay events as well yesterday in piling up the lopsided wins. The Broncos now prepare for the Western Athletic Conference Championship in San Antonio and a chance to defend their title. That event is set for February 23-26 in San Antonio, Texas.
So much for the Pac-10 inviting Utah and Colorado instead of Boise State. The Broncos just continue to make the league look bad for that decision.
We've made it a goal to be the premier swimming and diving program in the northwest, and though the true test is at the end at our championships and NCAA's, this season has been a great breakthrough for us," Hill said.
Juniors Amber Boucher and Stephanie North and sophomore Jennifer Cahill each won two individual titles to lead Coach Kristin Hill’s squad. Boucher set a Connolly Center record with her 200-yard freestyle win and her 100-yard butterfly swim ranks #3 all-time at Boise State. North captured both short freestyle races while Cahill won the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle events. Junior Morgan McLain touched first in the 200-yard individual medley.
"We performed well today and exceeded expectations in a few areas. Amber'
s 200 free and 100 fly times were phenomenal," said Coach Hill. "Stephanie's 100 freestyle was a great swim. We also had a number of strong finishes in close races."
The Broncos also defeated Seattle in the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes and 200 butterfly. Freshman Rachel Heaney won the fly with the fifth-fastest time in school history while senior Denise Green won the 100 backstroke and McLain took the 200 backstroke. Boise State also bested the Beavers in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events, as senior Kelly Forrester and freshman Chelsea Miller won those events, respectively, against Oregon State.
Boise State also won both relay events as well yesterday in piling up the lopsided wins. The Broncos now prepare for the Western Athletic Conference Championship in San Antonio and a chance to defend their title. That event is set for February 23-26 in San Antonio, Texas.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Bronco Wrestlers Put Away Utah Valley 32-6, Oklahoma State Next
The #2 Boise State wrestling team could not have picked a better way to salute the eight seniors who performed for the final time in front of their home crowd. The Broncos won eight of 10 matches over Utah Valley to record a 32-6 win last night in front of a splendid crowd of 3,396 fans in Taco Bell Arena.
Boise State advanced their record to 10-2-1 (5-0-1 in the Pac-10) and more importantly, continue their push towards perhaps another Pac-10 Championship and a top-notch performance at the Nationals in Philadelphia. Eight seniors responsible for the most accomplished wrestling team in school history were honored prior to the competition: Alan Bartelli, Matt Casperson, Adam Hall, Andrew Hochstrasser, Eli Hutchison, Levi Jones, Kirk Smith and Kurt Swartz all bid adieu to the Bronco faithful that made up one of the largest wrestling crowds ever at Boise State.
The eight wrestlers mentioned above have a combined record of 586-219 over the last four years, a winning percentage of 72.8%. But enough for accolades. The road ahead is daunting for this group if they are to reach their goal of a Top 5 finish at Nationals.
#15 Jones opened the match and was upset by Justin Morrill. Morrill scored a take down in the third period for a 4-2 lead. Jones was able to escape and his riding time advantage allowed him to get into overtime. However, an escape by Morrill in the second OT allowed the Utah Valley wrestler to pull of the 4-3 shocker. A similar result at the upcoming Pac-10 Championships could open the door for Oregon State to once again walk away with the conference title.
Jason Chamberlain did not suffer a similar fate. He put away Josh Wilson 8-3 at 149 pounds to even the match at 3-3. UVU forfeited at 157 pounds rather than put someone in to face Hall, who unfortunately did not get to wrestle on senior night. Kurt Swartz is wrestling well right now for the Broncos and his 5-2 win at 165 pounds enabled Coach Greg Randall’s team to go ahead 12-3. Kurt’s brother (#14 Jake) followed with a 6-4 decision over Brad Darrington. It didn’t come easy however, as Jake trailed 4-3 with just seconds remaining. Swartz tied his match at 4-4 with an escape with 44 seconds left and then scored a thrilling take down in the final three seconds as the crowd erupted.
Smith, the nation’s #1-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, left no question as he scored a 22-8 major to push the Bronco lead to 19-3. Casperson, who recently entered the national rankings at #20, continued his hot streak with a 3-2 decision over Trevor Rupp at 197 pounds. Another Utah Valley forfeit at heavyweight followed to set up one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches of the night.
#14 Bartelli went against #13 Ben Kjar at 125 pounds. Bartelli held a 1-0 lead after the first two periods, but a Kjar escape and take down reversed the outcome. Bartelli did manage an escape with 1:10 left but could not get the necessary takedown to earn the win. #2 Hochstrasser put his opponent away to finish the match with a 19-5 major decision.
Now, a match that will tell us if this Boise State team is for real. They take on #5 Oklahoma State next Friday in Stillwater. This match will go a long ways in telling us if the Bronco team has what it takes to defeat the best in the nation. And, as I’ve been saying in this blog, it will take more than the Broncos’ “Big Four” that are ranked #1 or #2 in their weight classification. It will take a team effort and more than likely six Broncos that can win individually. A loss wouldn’t be the end of the world, while a win would be huge for their confidence as Boise State prepares for the postseason.
#9 Boise State 32, Utah Valley 6
141 - Justin Morrill (UVU) dec. #15 Levi Jones (BSU) 4-3
149 - #2 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) dec. Josh Wilson (UVU) 8-3
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) win by forfeit
165 - Kurt Swartz (BSU) dec. Jeb Clark (UVU) 5-2
174 - #14 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Brad Darrington (UVU) 6-4
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Casen Eldredge (UVU) 22-8
197 - #20 Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Trevor Rupp (UVU) 3-2
HWT - J.T. Felix win by forfeit
125 - #13 Ben Kjar (UVU) dec. #14 Alan Bartelli (BSU) 3-2
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) major dec. #13 Flint Ray (UVU) 19-5
Exhibition
149 - Avery Garner (UVU) dec. Eli Hutchison (BSU) 5-4
Boise State advanced their record to 10-2-1 (5-0-1 in the Pac-10) and more importantly, continue their push towards perhaps another Pac-10 Championship and a top-notch performance at the Nationals in Philadelphia. Eight seniors responsible for the most accomplished wrestling team in school history were honored prior to the competition: Alan Bartelli, Matt Casperson, Adam Hall, Andrew Hochstrasser, Eli Hutchison, Levi Jones, Kirk Smith and Kurt Swartz all bid adieu to the Bronco faithful that made up one of the largest wrestling crowds ever at Boise State.
The eight wrestlers mentioned above have a combined record of 586-219 over the last four years, a winning percentage of 72.8%. But enough for accolades. The road ahead is daunting for this group if they are to reach their goal of a Top 5 finish at Nationals.
#15 Jones opened the match and was upset by Justin Morrill. Morrill scored a take down in the third period for a 4-2 lead. Jones was able to escape and his riding time advantage allowed him to get into overtime. However, an escape by Morrill in the second OT allowed the Utah Valley wrestler to pull of the 4-3 shocker. A similar result at the upcoming Pac-10 Championships could open the door for Oregon State to once again walk away with the conference title.
Jason Chamberlain did not suffer a similar fate. He put away Josh Wilson 8-3 at 149 pounds to even the match at 3-3. UVU forfeited at 157 pounds rather than put someone in to face Hall, who unfortunately did not get to wrestle on senior night. Kurt Swartz is wrestling well right now for the Broncos and his 5-2 win at 165 pounds enabled Coach Greg Randall’s team to go ahead 12-3. Kurt’s brother (#14 Jake) followed with a 6-4 decision over Brad Darrington. It didn’t come easy however, as Jake trailed 4-3 with just seconds remaining. Swartz tied his match at 4-4 with an escape with 44 seconds left and then scored a thrilling take down in the final three seconds as the crowd erupted.
Smith, the nation’s #1-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, left no question as he scored a 22-8 major to push the Bronco lead to 19-3. Casperson, who recently entered the national rankings at #20, continued his hot streak with a 3-2 decision over Trevor Rupp at 197 pounds. Another Utah Valley forfeit at heavyweight followed to set up one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches of the night.
#14 Bartelli went against #13 Ben Kjar at 125 pounds. Bartelli held a 1-0 lead after the first two periods, but a Kjar escape and take down reversed the outcome. Bartelli did manage an escape with 1:10 left but could not get the necessary takedown to earn the win. #2 Hochstrasser put his opponent away to finish the match with a 19-5 major decision.
Now, a match that will tell us if this Boise State team is for real. They take on #5 Oklahoma State next Friday in Stillwater. This match will go a long ways in telling us if the Bronco team has what it takes to defeat the best in the nation. And, as I’ve been saying in this blog, it will take more than the Broncos’ “Big Four” that are ranked #1 or #2 in their weight classification. It will take a team effort and more than likely six Broncos that can win individually. A loss wouldn’t be the end of the world, while a win would be huge for their confidence as Boise State prepares for the postseason.
#9 Boise State 32, Utah Valley 6
141 - Justin Morrill (UVU) dec. #15 Levi Jones (BSU) 4-3
149 - #2 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) dec. Josh Wilson (UVU) 8-3
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) win by forfeit
165 - Kurt Swartz (BSU) dec. Jeb Clark (UVU) 5-2
174 - #14 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Brad Darrington (UVU) 6-4
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Casen Eldredge (UVU) 22-8
197 - #20 Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Trevor Rupp (UVU) 3-2
HWT - J.T. Felix win by forfeit
125 - #13 Ben Kjar (UVU) dec. #14 Alan Bartelli (BSU) 3-2
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) major dec. #13 Flint Ray (UVU) 19-5
Exhibition
149 - Avery Garner (UVU) dec. Eli Hutchison (BSU) 5-4
Bronco Gymnasts Win in Commanding Fashion
#15 Boise State has finally made a bit of a move on the national scene. With a convincing 196.176-189.175 victory over Cal State Fullerton last night in Taco Bell Arena, the Bronco gymnasts evened their season record at 3-3. Although they have ambitiously gone through a vigorous non-conference schedule, teams hoping to qualify for NCAA Nationals sure better have a winning record on the season.
Coaches Tina Bird and Neil Resnick have assembled on paper what could be the school's top team in history. What is yet unseen if this senior-laden group can make the push necessary to be able to compete with the nation's elite teams. Last night went a long way towards taking that step. That said, it was a home meet. To be an elite team (and the Bronco football and wrestling teams know this) you have to get it done on the road, even against other elite teams.
Last night's heroics were part of the annual Beauty and the Beast promotion, in which the Bronco wrestling team also won convincingly. For
As one might expect with a lopsided score, Boise State won all four events and the good news is that they recorded seasonal bests on all four apparatuses. The Broncos compiled a 49.150 on bars, 49.075 on floor,
49.025 on vault and 48.925 on beam.
"We were strong from the top of our lineup to the bottom tonight," said co-head coach Tina Bird. "Each Bronco stepped up and had a great performance. Hannah Redmon had a stellar night, as did Amy Glass. It was great to add Hailey Gaspar back in the lineup, she had a great night as well."
Boise State's Glass and Redmon were terrific. Glass set a career-high of 39.40 in the all-around (40.00 is perfect.) She also performed her beam routine with brilliant precision, setting a career-best of 9.925 there to win that event. What Glass did not do, Redmon was there to win the other three events. Redmon tied her career-best of 9.925 on the floor, tying her uneven bars best of 9.90 and catapulted off the vault for a season-best 9.875.
With her win last night, Redmon broke Julie Wagner's record for all-time career floor wins with 18. Hannah's vault win now gives her 17, tying her for second, and her eight bar wins is now tied for #6 all-time.
Glass improves to nine career all-around wins, good for No. 5 on
Glass and Hailey Gaspar were right behind Redmon on the floor with 9.850 each. Potvin-Green scored a new career-best of 9.850 to place second on bar, while Glass claimed third with a 9.825. Katie Tuller tied a career-best of 9.80 to place fourth, Kelsey Lang placed second on the beam with a 9.825. Black placed second on vault with a career-best 9.825. Glass tied with CSUF's Alaina Baker for third, scoring a 9.80.
Glass captured the all-around title, while CSUF's Baker placed second with a 38.850. The Titan's Shelly Cooper was the only other all-around competitor, scoring a 38.025 for a third-place finish.
Now more on what matters. As good as last night's performance was, it still is a full half a point away from the top scores of both # Team Average Region Conference High 1. 196.906 SE SEC 197.500 2. Stanford 196.550 W Pac-10 196.825 3. 196.075 NC None 196.725 4. 196.060 SE SEC 196.725 5. 195.860 SC Big 196.175 6. 195.850 C SEC 196.825 7. 195.595 W Pac-10 196.625 8. UCLA 195.430 W Pac-10 196.675 9. 195.344 NE Big 195.875 10. 195.188 SC Big 195.600 11. 195.031 SC SEC 195.325 12. 194.925 C MAC 195.475 13. 194.819 NC Big 195.575 14. 194.769 W Pac-10 195.475 15. 194.658 W WAC 195.000 16. 194.658 C Big 195.450 17. 194.594 NC Big 195.250 18. 194.592 SE EAGL 195.150 19. Illinois-Champaign 194.563 SC Big 195.350 19. 194.563 NC WAC 195.750 The Broncos now must take their act on the road and defeat a hard-charging San Jose State team that is mounting a challenge for the best in the Western Athletic Conference. The Broncos will also compete against UC Davis and Seattle Pacific in the quadrangular meet next Friday night.
Thus, the time for Boise State is now. The Broncos must prove to themselves, the judges and the national gymnastics powers that they are good enough to deserve a national berth. To do that, they need to make their move on Oregon State and UCLA right now. You can also see that fellow Western Regional competitor Washington is also ahead of Boise State and in fact the Huskies defeated the Broncos earlier this year in an important dual meet. When the first RQS scores come out, the Broncos must be either ahead or very near OSU and UCLA. I have included the current Top 20 national rankings for review.
Score
12
10
12
10
10
12
10
Friday, February 4, 2011
Two Games, Two Losses for Bronco Basketball
Boise State's basketball teams took it on the chin once again, and it didn't matter what the location was.
The Bronco men's team, a 12-point favorite at home against Hawai'i, fell 73-66 last night in Taco Bell Arena. The women got their turn several hours later on the island and lost 69-53.
The good news is that now all Bronco fans can get behind the outstanding #2-ranked Boise State wrestling team, which has its last home match of the season against Utah Valley tonight. It is part of the popular "Beauty and the Beast" promotion that also features the #15 Boise State gymnastics team. Eight seniors who have helped form the most accomplished wrestling team in school history will be saluted prior to the event. Be there early for that.
Action gets underway tonight at 7 in Taco Bell Arena.
The Bronco men's team, a 12-point favorite at home against Hawai'i, fell 73-66 last night in Taco Bell Arena. The women got their turn several hours later on the island and lost 69-53.
The good news is that now all Bronco fans can get behind the outstanding #2-ranked Boise State wrestling team, which has its last home match of the season against Utah Valley tonight. It is part of the popular "Beauty and the Beast" promotion that also features the #15 Boise State gymnastics team. Eight seniors who have helped form the most accomplished wrestling team in school history will be saluted prior to the event. Be there early for that.
Action gets underway tonight at 7 in Taco Bell Arena.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Marcus Henry
Washington tried to steal this kid from Boise State late and the word I hear is that he basically told them "Thanks but no thanks". He made a commitment and stuck with it. This guy has the nasty mentality needed in a lineman. He will keep after his guy until he gets him knocked down, and then looks for someone else to knock down. Boise State has had some amazing offensive linemen in the past (Hill, Vian, Huff, Colledge, Clady, Potter). This guy has the capability to join that group. Word from the coaches is that they want him to be center.
Jay Ajayi
Ajayi was the only running back in the 2011 Boise State recruiting class. He is an amazing recruit for several reasons. He averaged over 8 yards a carry in the state of Texas and gained 2,200 yards with 35 touchdowns. He can fake guys out of their shorts and yet still isn't afraid of contact; I loved his comment "I love to stiff-arm people!" Even more impressive than sheer stats alone--he said he is trying to get better and make himself a better player. He has the drive and the intangibles to be a Bronco. I would be shocked if he isn't a huge star.
Some of Jay's greatest runs can be seen by clicking on the story title, which takes you to YouTube.
Jimmy Laughrea
Boise State's newest quarterback is 6-2, taller than most former Broncos at that position. What impresses me most about him is his footwork--the Boise State coaches said the same thing tonight at the LOI Day show at the Stueckle Center. He also has a nice touch. On one throw in his highlight reel, he floated the ball softly over the defender to his receiver who caught it in stride. Many so-called experts look at zip on the ball and certainly that is important. But on many throws, you have to have "touch" rather than "zip". Only the best can do that and Laughrea has it.
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