Monday, February 21, 2011

WAC Indoor Track Championships Preview

Boise State is set to host the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Track Championships this week at Jackson’s Track in Nampa.  The Utah State men are slight favorites over Boise State while once again Louisiana Tech is the team to beat on the women’s side.

This article will focus on the men’s competition—why Utah State is the favorite, who the key players are, and how Boise State might wrest the title away from the Aggies in their final year of competition against them.

For years, Boise State’s strength has been the field events.  The Broncos have produced some of the top competitors in the nation in Jarred Rome, Gabe Wallin, Keron Francis, Pontus Thomee, Simon Wardhaugh and Ryan Grinnell are just a few of the former Boise State student-athletes that have been successful on the national stage.

With the hire of J.W. Hardy, I’m hoping the tradition Boise State has established in the field events continues, but that also the level of success that field athletes have enjoyed begins to spread over to the track.  Hardy’s group was able to capture the WAC Cross Country Championship last fall and that’s a good start.  For some reason, however, those same cross country athletes that produced a championship there have been unable to carry over that ability to the track season.

For example, in the 1500 meters, it is Utah State and not Boise State that has three of the top five times in the conference.  USU is set to score 23 points in an event that should be controlled by the Broncos.  The Aggies are expected to get another 19 points in the 3,000, another event that the harriers from Boise State should lead.  Given the fact that the Bronco cross country team bested Utah State just a few months ago, there aren’t too many conclusions that can be drawn—1)  The Utah State long distance runners have trained better  in the last few months or 2) the Boise State runners prefer running in the hills than on a straight track.

No matter the reason, the Aggie long distance stars have come roaring back with a vengeance and are out to prove that the Boise State cross country victory was a fluke.  If USU is allowed to score 42 points in those two events, it will go a long way towards crowning them WAC champions.  The Bronco runners simply cannot let that happen.

The long distance competitions are just the beginning of the Aggies’ strength.  They are solid throughout the track events, and are just enough of a force in the field events to take the championship.  Utah State is slated to score 18 points in the 200, 17 in the 800-meters and 16 in the 60-meter dash.  Now you have 93 points in those five events alone and it’s pretty easy to see why I say they are the favorites. 

The real frustrating thing if you’re Boise State is seeing how well the Aggies do in the field events.  That is where the Broncos are supposed to make up the gap.  But as stated above, Utah State has just enough stars and does just well enough to have the overall edge on Boise State.  Clint Silcock just set a personal best of 7-feet, -4.25 inches in the high jump and is the favorite this week.  John Johnson is seeded second in the pole vault.  Damian Szade is the “fly in the ointment” that disrupts an otherwise 1-2-3-4-5 Boise State finish in the long jump.

One area that I’ve already noticed improvement in the Boise State team is in the hurdle races, both men’s and women’s.  You can see Rolando Trammel of the Broncos as the #1 seed and Justin Maines third.  Boise State is also building a solid group in the 400—Manoah Wesson has the second-fastest time in the conference and Jeff Daw is third.  That translates to 14 points for those two.  The trio of Paul Robertson, Rolando Trammel and Karrie Butler is also in range.  Currently, Robertson is seeded sixth for another team point but imagine how the Broncos could do if those three could all score for the Broncos this weekend.  It could be a key race to watch if the Broncos are to capture first place.

Another area that Boise State could potentially gain points in is the 5,000 meters.  As you can see, no Broncos have run this distance in the track season but obviously, several are capable with the Cross Country WAC title.  Boise State could land 6-7 more points here with good performances this weekend.

In the WAC leaders below, you will notice Kurt Felix appearing several times.  He won’t participate in all the events this weekend but rather the ones that Coach Hardy believes he can make the most impact in.  Felix is the latest in a long run of incredible multi-event athletes at Boise State and will score heavily.  But he won’t get points in every event you see him listed in below.  That does, however, bring up another point.  Felix has a teammate this year participating in the heptathlon, Anthony Belcher.  Utah State and Idaho always have two multi-event stars and it’s good to see Boise State join them.  It was always disappointing to see a Bronco win the event in years past only to have Utah State ahead in team points.
So there you have the analysis in a nutshell.  Thursday, the heptathlon and pentathlon will take center stage, with the rest of the events getting underway Friday and Saturday.  Single-session tickets for Thursday are $5 for students, senior citizens and youth and $8 for adults.  This weekend, single-session tickets are $6 for students, $8 for seniors and youth and $12 for adults.  An all-session pass can be purchased for $10 for students, $15 for seniors and youth and $20 for adults.


Watch this blog for a schedule of events and further information and results. 




60-meters



200 meters




400 meters



800 meters



1,500 meters




3,000 meters




5,000 meters




60-m hurdles




4 x 400-meter relay




High Jump




Pole Vault




Long Jump





Triple Jump




Shot Put




Weight Throw




Heptathlon







Posted by Rocketman5000 at 1:52 PM 0 comments

Broncos Whip Vandals 6-1

#44 Boise State found the going against Idaho much easier than their Pac-10 rival Washington State.  Whereas the Cougars battled Boise State to the end, the Broncos had an easy time in beating Idaho 6-1 yesterday in Pullman.  Boise State is 5-1 this spring.


Boise State won all three doubles matches to secure the doubles point.  The six Broncos split up and kept the ball rolling in singles competition.  Sonia Klamczynska won again at #2 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 victory.  Stephanie Jasper also made it 2-0 this weekend with a 6-0, 6-2 win at #3 singles.  Marlena Pietzuch clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-4 win at #4 singles.  Lauren Megale and Morgan Basil also won their matches to give Boise State the 6-1 victory.


Idaho slipped to 4-2 overall this season.  Boise State faces Arizona and Saint Mary's this weekend in their first two matches at home.  The Broncos take on the Pac-10 Wildcats Friday at 1:30 and will meet St. Mary's Sunday morning at 10.  Both meets are slated for the BOAS Indoor Tennis Center off of Boise Avenue.




#44 Boise State 6, Idaho 1
DOUBLES
1. Lauren Megale/Marlena Pietzuch (BSU) def. Victoria Lozano/Lauren Simpson (UI) 8-5
2. Stephanie Jasper/Sandy Vo (BSU) def. Yvette Ly/Molly Knox (UI) 8-4
3. Morgan Basil/Sonia Klamczynska (BSU) def. Silvia Irimescu/Barbara Maciocha (UI) 8-1
SINGLES
1. Megale (BSU) def. Simpson (UI) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Klamczynska (BSU) def. V. Lozano (UI) 6-0, 6-1
3. Jasper (BSU) def. Irimescu (UI) 6-0, 6-2
4. Pietzuch (BSU) def. Maciocha (UI) 6-1, 6-4
5. Knox (UI) def. Vo (BSU) 6-3, 3-2 withdraw
6. Basil (BSU) def. Ly (UI) 7-6 (4), 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2), Singles (2, 3, 4, 1, 5, 6)
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 11:57 AM 0 comments

Boise State Gymnasts Come In #13

Once again, this blog is first in the Boise Valley to have this information.

This was the first week that the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Rankings used the RQS and a couple of late meets by Denver and Washington allowed those two teams to pass Boise State this week.  The Broncos are #13 officially--click on the story link at the top to view the rankings.

Boise State is just hundreds of a point away from #11 and within striking distance of #10.  And, as was pointed out on this blog yesterday, if the Broncos can perform better at home than they have on the road (and nearly all teams do this), they can gain half a point this week in their RQS.  That would put them at #7, just behind Oregon State.  Of course the other teams can also gain with great performances.

Individually, Amy Glass is #8 all-around.  It would be nice to get a teammate that can perform all four specialties to join her.  Amy's mistake on the balance beam last week cost her; she dropped from #1 in the nation all the way down to #38.  She is #24 on the vault with a 9.84 RQS and Hannah Redmon, who had a superb meet against Utah State, is now #18 on vault.  There are no other Broncos ranked in the Top 25.  After having fun their first few meets, the Broncos now know how far they have to go to get to their goal of nationals.  At that level, there is simply no room for mistake on any event by any team member.  It is better to perform a routine flawlessly than it is to go all out for a great score.  I know--I have a niece that was a world-class gymnast about 10 years ago.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 11:40 AM 0 comments

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Huge Week in Bronco Sports

Four conference titles and a slew of important games, meets and matches are on tap next week for Boise State.  The Broncos are in the running for three of those league championships.

The Boise State swimming and diving team will attempt to defend their WAC crown against surging San Jose State and a solid Hawai'i team when the WAC Championships are decided this Wednesday through Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.  Boise State will host the WAC Indoor Track Championships Thursday through Saturday at Jackson's Track in Nampa.  The Utah State men are favored by about 18 points but the Bronco men will try to overcome that.  Louisiana Tech is once again the solid favorite to take the women's crown.

There may be revenge on the minds of the Bronco wrestlers when they head to Corvallis to compete in the Pac-10 Wrestling Championships.  It was Oregon State that stole the thunder away from Boise State last year by winning the Pac-10 title by two points over Coach Greg Randall's team.  Boise State came back from Stillwater bruised, battered and disappointed after getting mopped up by Oklahoma State.  How will they respond to that?

As if all that wasn't enough, the #11 Boise State gymnastics team will try to move up the rankings with two home meets, hosting Wisconsin at 7 p.m. Friday and Utah State Sunday afternoon at 2.  The Broncos are hoping to score at least 196 in both events to improve their chances of making it to Nationals.

The Boise State men's basketball team has been getting it done lately and head out on the road for two WAC battles with Fresno State and Nevada.  The men's tennis team is at the acclaimed Blue-Gray Tennis Classic in Alabama Friday through Sunday while the #44 women's team hosts Arizona Friday afternoon at 1:30.  Meanwhile, the Bronco softball team returns to Las Vegas for games against UNLV, UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge this weekend.

That's a lot to follow for one fan in one week!  I'll help you out here on this blog with information, analysis and results.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 10:36 AM 0 comments

Bronco Gymnasts Getting it Done on the Road

This week is scheduled to be the week that the NCAA gymnastics ratings convert to the Regional Qualifying Score (RQS).  I want to take a look at that because it reveals something of particular interest to Bronco fans.

The RQS is calculated by taking a team's top three road scores, the top three remaining scores (home or away), dropping the high score, and averaging the remaining five.  Boise State has spent the early portion of the season on the road and ringing up amazing scores, while teams ranked ahead of them (Florida and Utah in particular) have been winning at home.  Because of the way the RQS is calculated, road scores are quite important in the formula.  Boise State has posted three of its four highest scores of the season on the road (the 196.250 at Utah State, the 195.925 at San Jose State and the 195.000 at #6 Alabama).

Boise State should come in at #11 in the RQS rankings with a 195.223--Stanford should come in #3 this week with196.585, idle Oregon State will remain at 195.935, Nebraska should have a 195.595, UCLA a 195.355, Arkansas a 195.100, Washington a 195.035, Ohio State a 194.975 and Denver a 194.961.  Utah, Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia should hold down positions 2, 4, 5 and 6, respectively.  Current #1 Florida does not have enough road meets yet.

What this means is that Boise State's best score of the year, which happened to be on the road, is being thrown out.  Typically a team's best scores are at home.  You can contribute that to comfort level, home cooking, or whatever.  Because the Broncos have not hosted many meets yet (they have three in a row coming up), a golden opportunity lies before them.  Boise State is currently counting their lone disappointing meet of the season (a 194.40 loss at Arizona) in their RQS.  They are also counting their 194.575 score from their season opening meet at Washington.  Thus, if the Broncos can score 196 or better in two of their three home meets, they get to remove both of those sub-195 scores from their RQS calculation.

"If's" never count for anything; Boise State has to go out and achieve in front of their home fans who are eager to have their team back in Boise.  But two 196 team scores at home would gain Boise State a whopping 5/10th's of a point in their RQS.  In gymnastics, that's a big number.  At present, it would put the Broncos at 195.7, more in line with teams like Michigan, Nebraska and Oregon State.  Yes, I said Oregon State, which as I have pointed out is a team that the Broncos will have to defeat at the Western Regionals to qualify for the NCAA Gymnastics Championships.  I also said that in order to do that, Boise State pretty much has to be seen by the judges and the gymnastics world at being roughly the equal of the Beavers.  You see where I'm going with this.  With two 196 scores at home, Boise State would be there.

Therefore, the next three home meets are going to be fun to watch.  The team has put itself in a position of extreme pressure but only because they are so talented.  They've had pressure before and have handled it well.  Time to take the next step up.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 7:47 AM 0 comments

Boise State Claims Thrilling Win over UCSB

La’Shard Anderson’s basket at the buzzer helped Boise State to a dramatic 78-76 overtime win over UC Santa Barbara last night in California.

Orlando Johnson’s three-pointer with 8.5 seconds remaining tied the game at 76.  Wes Perryman launched his own three-point shot for the Broncos that caromed off, but Anderson was there to grab the rebound and score the winner.

After Boise State scored the first two points of the overtime, the Gauchos came back to take a 69-66 lead with 3:22 remaining.  Anderson’s lay-up cut the lead to one, but Will Brew nailed a three-pointer from the corner to put UCSB ahead 72-68.  Paul Noonan aced a pair of free throws and following a Gaucho turnover, Anderson hit two more to tie the game with 1:21 left.  Johnson was fouled on a drive to the hoop but made just one of two free throws. 

Anderson penetrated the Santa Barbara defense for a lay-up to give the Broncos a one-point lead (74-73) with 53 seconds remaining.  Johnson missed an opportunity from close range on the ensuing possession, but James Nunnally was there to collect the rebound and draw a foul.  However, Nunnally misfired on both attempts and the Broncos had the ball and the lead with 36 seconds remaining.

Noonan was fouled with 18 seconds left and sank both shots to set the stage for the exciting finish.

Boise State Head Coach Leon Rice has his team taking excellent care of the basketball in his first season.  The Broncos were under 10 turnovers again last night (6).  Boise State could hold the national lead in turnover margin following this weekend’s action. 

Free throws played a significant role in the game.  Boise State was 31-39 from the line while UCSB sank 26-of-33.

Boise State overcame deficits of 26-21 and 30-24 to battle back.  A Noonan three-pointer brought the score to 26-23 and Daequon Montreal’s lay-up answered the second run of the first half for the Gauchos. 

Noonan became the 20th player in school history to join the 1,000 career points club; Noonan led Boise State with 20 points last night.   Montreal netted 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds; Anderson finished with 18, nine assists, five rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots and consistently harassed the Gaucho guards.  "He (Anderson) was pretty crafty with the ball when he got into the paint," said UCSB’s Johnson. "He also has quick hands and kind of disrupted us at times."  Anderson came into the game 15th in the country in steals with 2.4 and improved upon that average with his performance in California last night.  Jeff Elorriaga also scored a career-high 10 for the Broncos.

Johnson - who forced overtime by making two free throws with four seconds left in regulation - had 25 points and James Nunnally 21 for the Gauchos.  UCSB shot 50% from the arc (8-16) to keep the game close.  Johnson added nine rebounds and three blocked shots for the Gauchos while Nunnally had six rebounds.  Jaime Serna, who was returning from a groin injury, had 10 points, seven boards, three blocked shots and three assists. 

Coach Rice’s Broncos won for the third consecutive game to advance their record to 15-11. Boise State has important conference games next week at Fresno State and Nevada.  UCSB dropped to 14-11 with the home loss.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 7:22 AM 0 comments

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Saturday Survival

Things never go as easy as you expect.

The #44 Boise State women's tennis team went through a terrific battle in Pullman, Washington today. First the match was delayed by weather. When it came time to play, the homestanding Washington State team gave the Broncos more than they bargained for before Boise State was able to pull out a 4-2 win.

Lauren Megale and Marlena Pietzuch won their doubles match 8-5 and then went out and each lost their singles matches. That made it extremely tough on the Broncos, who had to go to the bottom of the lineup to pull out the win. Morgan Basil and Sonia Klamczynskais lost at #3 doubles 8-5. Stephanie Jasper and Sandy Vo saved the doubles point with a 7-4 tiebreaker win.

Jasper got the Broncos even at 2-2 with a 6-1, 6-7, 5-1 win (forfeit?). Klamczynska was victorious at #2 singles 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to put the Broncos ahead 3-2. Morgan Basil, who won the first set of #6 singles at 6-2, held a 3-0 lead in the second set but found herself tied at 5. The only other action remaining was #5 singles, where Sandy Vo lost the first set 6-4. Knowing it may be up to her, Vo rallied in the second set to go ahead 5-4. Basil held serve to go ahead 6-5 and then broke for the 7-5 win in her match and the win for the Broncos.

Boise State, now 5-1 on the season, stays in Pullman for a 10 a.m. match tomorrow with Idaho.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 4:11 PM 0 comments

WAC Swimming & Diving Championships Start Wednesday

It figures to be a battle for the Western Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in San Antonio next week.

Boise State is the defending champion, but San Jose State has enjoyed a fantastic season and Hawai'i will be a factor as well. In fact, the Spartans are the highest-ranked WAC team in the final NCAA Division I swimming poll (#42). The Broncos came in at #57 in that poll, not because of lack of star power but a question of depth.

Amber Boucher was sensational last year in leading Boise State to its first-ever WAC crown and she no doubt will once again garner her share of medals. Boise State appears often in the top three conference times for each event. However, points that usually decide championships are picked up from #4-#8. You want finishes early and often. Space won't allow a top eight in each event, but that is where San Jose State will make its run. Boise State has Boucher, Stephanie North and others but they don't have the numbers. Plus, the times you see for Boise State were swam in December and the Broncos haven't put up those kind of numbers in quite a while.

Boise State is hoping that altitude makes a difference. Specifically, San Jose State doesn't have any. The good thing about these championships is that you throw all the swimmers in the same pool and decide it. And since the championships are in San Antonio, altitude won't be a factor. We might find that the Broncos in fact swim their best times of the year. We'll see.

Here are the top three times in each event:

50-meter freestyle:
1. Amber Boucher, Boise State (22.80) #43 in the nation
2. Maura Barrett, Hawai'i (23.13)
3. Danielle Yoho, Fresno State (23.30)

100-m free:
1. Amber Boucher, Boise State (49.59) #43 in the nation
2. Stephanie North, Boise State (49.79)
3. Maura Barrett, Hawai'i (50.08)

200-m free:
1. Amber Boucher, Boise State (1:47.88)
2. Maura Barrett, Hawai'i (1:49.08)
3. Stephanie North, Boise State (1:49.51)

500-m free:
1. Mi Mengjiao, Nevada (4:54.01)
2. Julia Koch, Boise State (4:54.54)
3. Jennifer Cahill, Boise State (4:55.61)

100-m backstroke:
1. Heather Denman, San Jose State (54.94)
2. Shana Lim, Idaho (55.36)
3. Rudie Guerrero, San Jose State (56.06)

200-m back:
1. Kelsy Diener, Boise State (2:01.44)
2. Denise Green, Boise State (2:02.33)
3. Morgan McLain, Boise State (2:02.63)

100-m breaststroke:
1. Darcie Anderson, San Jose State (1:02.52)
2. Taylor Ritenberg, Hawai'i (1:03.66)
3. Alannah Lawrence, New Mexico State (1:03.75)

200-m breast:
1. Darcie Anderson, San Jose State (2:16.06)
2. Chelseas Miller, Boise State (2:16.24)
3. Taylor Ritenberg, Hawai'i (2:16.25)

100-m butterfly:
1 Amber Boucher, Boise State (53.44) #22 in the nation
2. Heather Denman, San Jose State (54.73)
3. Stevie Hughey, Boise State (56.12)

200-m fly:
1. Rachel Heaney, Boise State (2:01.13)
2. Christine Raininger, Boise State (2:01.41)
3. Heather Denman, San Jose State (2:02.76)

200-m individual medley:
1. Taylor Ritenberg, Hawai'i (2:03.63)
2. Heather Denman, San Jose State (2:04.60)
3. Morgan McLain, Boise State (2:04.79)

400-m IM:
1. Christine Raininger, Boise State (4:22.44)
2. Julia Craddock, San Jose State (4:25.08)
3. Brittany Buna, Fresno State (4:26.34)

200-m freestyle relay:
1. Boise State (1:33.24)
2. San Jose State (1:33.35)
3. Hawai'i (1:34.92)

400-m free relay:
1. Boise State (3:21.45), #24 in the nation
2. Hawai'i (3:24.38)
3. San Jose State (3:26.43)

800-m free relay:
1. Boise State (7:26.32)
2. San Jose State (7:28.37)
3. Hawai'i (7:29.39)

200-m medley relay:
1. San Jose State (1:43.20)
2. Boise State (1:43.39)
3. New Mexico State (1:45.24)

400-m meley relay:
1. San Jose State (3:43.00), #32 in the nation
2. Boise State (3:46.35)
3. Hawai'i (3:49.47)
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 2:19 PM 0 comments

Arguinchona Basketball Complex Should be Ready by June

The Boise State basketball complex should be up and running by this June.

The two-level project will significantly upgrade basketbal facilities at Boise State. The complex will feature state-of-the-art locker rooms, player lounges, film rooms and academic study areas.

We would like to join Boise State in thanking Larry and Karen Arguinchona for their leadership gift in making this happen. Other major donos include Larry & Marianne Williams, Jerry & Muriel Caven, Pat & Bill Insko, Jerry & Lois Dancer, Kenny & Suz Bolton and John Bleymaier.

Gifting/naming opportunities are still available as detailed below. Contact Curt Apsey at (208) 426-1781 for further information.

Men' or WOmen's Players' Lounge-------$150,000
Men's or Women's Film Room------------$100,000
Women's Academi Area------------------$ 50,000
Men's or Women's Coaches' Locker Room-$ 50,000
Men's or Women's Locker---------------$ 2,500
Donor Wall----------------------------$ 500-$2,499
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 12:50 PM 0 comments

Lady Broncos Win 7-5, Lose 7-5

Boise State won this one through persistence. Coach Erin Thorpe's team produced two runs in the top half of the seventh inning and pitcher Allie Crump shut down Cal Poly 1-2-3 to give the Broncos a 7-5 victory at the Desert Softball Classic in Las Vegas this morning.

After taking a 5-4 lead in the fourth, the Broncos surrendered the tying run to Cal Poly. Pitcher Allie Crump worked herself out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth to send the game to extra innings. After Stephanie Cochiolo of Cal Poly hit a leadoff double, Crumpt got Whitley Gerhart to pop to shortstop Mackenzie White, then Kellie Caplan threw out Camille Brown on a grounder and with Cochiolo on hird, Crump got Kim Westlund to fly out to Holly Bourke in right.

In the top of the seventh, dependable Caplan singled to left. Tazz Weatherly came up and doubled to right, scoring Caplan, and Tazz advanced to third on the throw. Crump popped up, but it was deep enough to score Weatherly with the second run of the inning.

Boise State opened up with two runs in the first, when Kellie Caplan singled and Crump sent a two-run shot into the seats. Cal Poly took a 4-2 lead into the fourth inning. Vanessa Alvarez started a Bronco rally with a one-out single. Whyte came in to run for her. Kelly Sweeney followed with a single and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After a Christina Capobianca strikeout, Devon Bridges was hit by pitch to load the bases. Bourke came through with a clutch two-out single to score Whyte and Caplan's single drove in two including the go-ahead run. Even though the Mustangs tied the game in the bottom half, the Broncos were able to pull out the win.

Crump went the route for the complete game victory and was a hitting star with three RBI's, including the two-run homer and the insurance RBI in the seventh. Caplan went 3-4 with two runs scored and Weatherly was 2-4 this morning. The Broncos go after Long Beach this afternoon.

This helps team spirit after a 1-5 start, including two losses to nationally-ranked teams yesterday.

Boise State then lost to Long Beach State yesterday afternoon for the third time this season, and this one hurt.  The Broncos shot out to a 5-2 lead, only to see it evaporate.  The final blow came in the eighth inning on a two-run homer.  Freshman Devon Bridges blooped a two-run single just over the first baseman to punctuate Boise State's five-run fourth inning.  But it wasn't enough as LBSU came back for the dramatic win.

Boise State faces Oregon Sunday morning at 10.




Posted by Rocketman5000 at 12:20 PM 0 comments

Broncos Take Lead

After scoring three in the fourth, the Broncos surrendered the tying run to Cal Poly. Pitcher Allie Crump worked herself out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth. After Stephanie Cochiolo of Cal Poly hit a leadoff double, Crumpt got Whitley Gerhart to pop to shortstop Mackenzie White, then Kellie Caplan threw out Camille Brown on a grounder and with Cochiolo on hird, Crump got Kim Westlund to fly out to Holly Bourke in right.

In the top of the seventh, dependable Kellie Caplan singled to left. Tazz Weatherly came up and doubled to right, scoring Caplan, and Tazz advanced to third on the throw. Crump popped up, but it was deep enough to score Weatherly with the second run of the inning.

Broncos still batting in the seventh, leading 7-5.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 11:47 AM 0 comments

Bronco Softball Team Takes Lead Over Cal Poly

The Boise State women's softball team is up bright and early this morning. Although they fell behind Cal Poly, the Broncos notched three runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 5-4 lead.

Boise State opened up with two runs in the first, when Kellie Caplan singled and Allie Crump sent a two-run shot into the seats. In the fourth, Vanessa Alvarez started the rally with a one-out single. Mackenzie Whyte came in to run for her. Kelly Sweeney followed with a single and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After a Christina Capobianca strikeout, Devon Bridges was hit by pitch to load the bases. Holly Bourke came through with a clutch two-out single to score Whyte and Caplan's single drove in two including the go-ahead run.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 11:26 AM 0 comments

Construction of New Boise State Business Building Coming Along

Construction is well underway on the new business building at Boise State. The business building will be the gateway to the Boise State campus from the west, located at the intersection of Capitol and University. I drove by there the other day after doing research for this blog at the Albertson Library and am excited about the progress.



The number of business students at Boise State has tripled over the last 30 years. As the College of Business has become one of the most attractive colleges at Boise State, there was definitely a need for a new building. Graduate and Executive Education programs will have space on the top floor to unleash their full potential. The new building will also house business help units such as the Idaho Small Business Development Center, Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Creativity and Innovation and TechHelp. These facilities will not only foster the growth of Boise State business students, but will also help drive economic development in the Boise Valley.

The College of Business aspires to create undergraduate and graduate programs with a national reputation for their quality and innovation. The new home for business at Boise State will feature high-tech, flexible classrooms, inviting, tech-savvy team rooms, engaging areas to network, study and collaborate and a place to expand thinking with state-of-the-art resources for research. The new business building will provide:

Productive spaces for research
Interactive environment that encourages collaboration
Inspiring workspaces to recruit and retain world-class faculty
Building for the Community: A Place to Collaborate

The COBE building will be a vibrant courtyard and home to the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and will feature convenient access to COBE resources.

“The Creation of a state-of-the-art facility for our College of Business and Economics is a top priority at the University.”

Bob Kustra, President
Boise State University


The new business building will be a source of pride for any alumnus of Boise State, but especially for former business students. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:11 AM 0 comments

The "Philosophy of Blue Through and Through"

You can go anywhere and get news about Boise State football, and Boise media outlets will talk about Boise State basketball. In this blog, I will strive to provide outstanding coverage of both, including statistics and information you won't get elsewhere.

What will differentiate this blog from other media and internet sites is its coverage of Boise State. First, sports like wrestling, tennis, track, swimming and softball are not something to be hidden on back pages. Their student-athletes deserve the same first-rate coverage as their counterparts in football and basketball. You'll get that here. Second, when a comparison with other schools is warranted, I won't hesitate to do that. For example, if Oregon is rising in the college football polls compared to Boise State despite the fact that the Ducks lost in each of the last two years, that information should be pointed out. You'll get that here. Third, If an organization makes a bad judgement about Boise State and that ignorance affects the university, it will be pointed out. For example, when the Pac-10 ignored Boise State for expansion and chose Utah and Colorado, that poor decision should be called out. You'll get that here. And when a sports analyst makes a ridiculous statement such as "The four Boise State players are not great athletes," as was recently heard during the East-West Shrine game, that analyst should be thoroughly lambasted. You'll get that here.

Fifth, the media and other sports sites seem to ignore news about Boise State academics. I shouldn't have to remind anyone that people go to college first to learn. And, if Boise State is ever going to grow into the university we hope and believe it will, academics must be first and foremost. I am not hesitant in the least in sharing that information. I know that Boise State President Bob Kustra shares this vision. That is why when there is news about academics, that too will be front page news on Blue Through and Through.

To summarize, this blog is about Boise State. If a science student, a debate team or a soccer team makes news, you will read about it here. And this site may be the only place you can find it.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 7:45 AM 0 comments

Friday, February 18, 2011

Broncos Lose to Tennessee 15-1

Not a good game when you're trying to get your confidence. Hopefully the team can bounce back tomorrow.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 10:55 PM 0 comments

Gymnastics Scores From Around the Country

#1 Florida defeated Auburn with a score of 196.850, slightly below their average
#2 Stanford defeated Arizona with a 195.3; the Cardinal came in averaging 196.650
#3 Utah defeated #8 Michigan with a score of 196.425, slightly above their average
#4 Oklahoma defeated Missouri with a score of 196.425, slightly above average
#5 Georgia downed #21 LSU with a score of 196.5, half a point better than their average
#6 Alabama beat Kentucky with a great score of 197.075, a full point above average
#7 Oregon State is idle this week
#8 Michigan lost to Utah with a 195.425 score, 3/10 lower than their average
#9 UCLA is off this week
#10 Nebraska fell to #19 Denver and scored 195.725
#11 Boise State throttled Utah State with a season-high 196.250, a full point above average
#12 Arkansas lost to BYU with a 195.025, slightly below average
#13 Washington lost to Arizona State with a 195.45
#14 Ohio State defeated Michigan State with a 195.2, slightly above average, and will meet Kentucky Sunday
#15 Minnesota takes on Iowa State Sunday
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 10:06 PM 0 comments

#3 Tennessee Jumps on Broncos for 7-0 Lead

Jessica Spigner just blasted a grand slam to lift the Vols to a 7-0 lead. Freshman Morgan Barnes has replaced Lela Work on the mound for the Broncos in the second. Nothing like pitching to the #3 team in the nation in your first year.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 9:29 PM 0 comments

Boise State Gymnasts Blast Utah State With Season High

In the second breaking story that this blog has brought you, the Boise State gymnastics team scored a season high tonight in ripping Utah State in Logan tonight. The Broncos scored 196.250 to beat their previous high of 196.175 and defeated their opponents by over 2.5 points. Only 11 teams in the country have posted higher totals than Boise State did tonight. USU finished with 193.600.

Boise State had a shot at a 194.450 score (which would have been the nation's 10th-best this season), but Amy Glass, who earlier this week took over the #1 spot in the nation, scored 9.375 on the beam. Glass needed a 9.9 to give Boise State the 194.45 but it was not to be. That is the second individual score under 9.50 tonight. Still, Boise State so far has the 7th best score in the country this weekend.

Hannah Redmon was brilliant tonight in leading the Broncos to the win. Redmon paced the team in the vault (9.925), bars (9.850) and floor (9.875) and won the vault and floor events. Hailey Gaspar was also fantastic with a 9.875 on vault, a 9.825 on floor and a 9.7 on the beam. Kelsey Lang was another star, contributing a 9.850 on beam and a 9.775 in floor exercises. Bekah Gher scored a 9.825 on beam and a 9.750 on the bars. Glass won the all-around competition with a 38.925, getting a 9.875 on vault, a 9.850 on floor and a 9.825 on bars.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:52 PM 0 comments

Bronco Softball Team About to Go Against #3 Tennessee

The Lady Vols blasted Cal Poly 11-2. This game is already late getting underway--it was supposed to begin at 7 p.m. Mountain Time.

Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:40 PM 0 comments

Bronco Gymnasts Still in Command

But alas, Kelsey Black had a 9.050 on floor.

The Broncos will beat Utah State with those scores, but they won't have a chance against Oregon State and the like.

Boise State has a 147.275. As I mentioned in the story, they need a 197 to stay within half-a-point average of Oregon State. With the floor scores, the Broncos now need almost 5 10's to reach that 197.

Boise State leads 147.275-144.675. As a team, they are putting away the Aggies which was one thing I called for.

Redmon again led the Broncos on floor with a 9.875. Hannah is having an incredible meet, starting out with the 9.925 on vault. Add in the 9.850 on bars and that's a great evening.

Boise State also starting out well on beam. That used to be Boise State's weakest event several years ago; they have really stepped it up. Right now, the Broncos have a shot to beat their season-best of 48.925.

With a 9.8 on beam, Amy Glass can help the Broncos to their best score of the year. Coming up!
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:25 PM 0 comments

Boise State-USU Update

The gals must have read this blog because so far, no scores below 9.7.

After two rotations, Boise State leads 98.250-96.925.

Hannah Redmon rang up a 9.925 on the vault to lead Boise State and also paced the team on bars with a 9.850. Hailey Gaspar and Amy Glass scored 9.875's on the vault.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 7:54 PM 0 comments

BYU edges Boise State at Desert Classic

Yet another score brought to you first in the Boise Valley on this blog--

BYU may be #16, but the difference between the Cougars and Boise State was one run. The Cougar sports information department was quick to point out that Boise State came into the game averaging 1.25 runs per game.

I've found out over the years that once you point out a flaw in your opponent, it comes back to bite you. The nationally-ranked BYU team was fortunate to win this afternoon's game, squeaking by the Broncos 12-11.

The game was a hard-fought contest thoughout. BYU was ahead 6-5 in the fifth and appeared to put the game out of reach with a six-run sixth. Junior Stacie Graham sent a blast into the gap that scored Delaney Willard and Madisen Robb. JC Clayton's single plated Graham. After Tiffany Messerschmit reached safely on a bunt, Kristin Delahoussaye sent a shot over the left field fence for a three-run homer.

But Coach Erin Thorpe's team battled back. Pitcher Allie Crump launched a one-out single to begin the rally and Ashley Collier pinch-ran for Crump. Tazz Weatherly came through with a single and Megan Harvey was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jessica Kraft came in to run for Harvey. Kelly Sweeney hit a shot up that the BYU pitcher had trouble with and a run scored. All three Bronco baserunners moved up on a wild pitch with Weatherly scoring the second run of the inning. Devon Bridges reached on an error to load the bases but Mackenzie Whyte struck out. Batting with two out, Holly Bourke singled down the left-field line, advancing to second on the throw as Sweeney and Kraft both scored. Kellie Caplan came through with a single to score Bridges and Vanessa Alvarez followed with a single to knock in Bourke. It took three Cougar pitchers to finally put out the fire, as finally a fly ball ended the inning.

Delahoussaye was 4-5 with two doubles, the three-run homer, five RBI's and two runs. Jessica Fitu added a homer and a double in a 3-5 afternoon for BYU.

Caplan was 3-5 with three RBI's while Crump was 3-4 including a home run. Weatherly contributed to the Bronco hitting attack by going 2-4.

Boise State takes on another ranked team tonight in #3 Tennessee. Tomorrow, the Broncos meet Cal Poly and Long Beach and then battle Oregon Sunday.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 7:35 PM 0 comments

Bronco Gymnasts Grab Early Lead on Aggies

After one rotation in Logan, Boise State has begun on the right foot. The Broncos have 48.975 points to 48.250 for Utah State. Boise State performed on the bars while USU started out on the vault.

The beam is where we'll see how the Broncos have progressed. They had trouble against San Jose State.

In the preview on this blog, I said to watch the scores for Boise State, especially the lower ones. I said they should all be 9.5 or higher.

So far, the low on bars was a 9.7 and the high 9.85. The 49.275 team score on vault is a season high. Great start ladies!
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 7:29 PM 0 comments

The TIme is Now for Bronco Gymnasts

Boise State's gymnastics team is loaded with seniors all set for their last few weeks in collegiate competition.

Tonight, the Broncos travel to Logan for a meet with Utah State. The competition is important for several reasons. First, Boise State wants to quickly put away the Aggies before another Western Athletic Conference team thinks they have a chance to upset Boise State at the upcoming conference championships. Last week, it took top-notch performances in the final few vaults for the Broncos to defeat San Jose State. Although the Spartans were defeated, they left the meet feeling upbeat that they could come so close to the 11th-ranked Broncos. When you are in fact #11 in the nation, best to give your opponents the feeling that they don't have a chance.

The second thing to look for is that the WAC Championships are indeed coming up. Boise State wants to continue to get better. They want to add more difficult elements in their routines but even more importantly, they want to execute flawlessly. Last week, Boise State had three performances of 9.3 or less and it almost cost them. The Broncos feature several excellent gymnasts; what they are looking for now is consistency throughout the lineup. The senior members on the team and those that are highly-ranked need to help the other members out for the good of the team. That is leadership and it is what the senior-laden Broncos need. So look for not just how the nationally-ranked Broncos perform tonight--look at the score for the lowest member of the team--that should be at least 9.5 in every event.

Yet another thing to watch is the Broncos' final team score. As I've pointed out on this blog, Boise State is part of a Regional that contains five of the nation's top 13 teams and only two of them will get to advance to the national championships. Of course, it is head-to-head competition in the Regionals that determines which two teams go. But gymnastics is very much a subjective sport, in which you live or die by what the judges think of you. Thus, if you are perceived as weaker than another team, it is tough to get the judges to give you a better score, no matter how good you perform on a given night. So it is important for Boise State to get themselves to a position where they are perceived as being the equals of their rivals in the Western Regional.

Stanford is the highest-ranked team in the West (#2 in the nation) with a 196.650 average score. Oregon State, a team the Broncos have to defeat in the Regionals, averages 195.896. Boise State's average is more than a half a point lower than Oregon State at 195.215. Boise State needs a team score of 198 to close within 3/10th's of a point. They need a 197 to close with half a point. It is important not only from a confidence level for the Bronco gymnasts to see themselves close to Oregon State but also for the judges to see that as well.

The Bronco-Aggie meet starts at 7 p.m. Mountain Time tonight.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 12:36 PM 0 comments

Bronco Men Go Against UC-Santa Barbara

Boise State goes out of conference for a contest against UC-Santa Barbara Saturday night as part of the ESPN "Bracket-Buster" series.

The series pits teams from what ESPN calls "mid-major" conferences against each other. ESPN chose to let the Gauchos host the game in Santa Barbara, where they are 8-3 this season. UCSB has won three of its last four games and is tied for fourth place in the Big West Conference.

The Broncos and Gauchos were together in the Big West several years ago and split six games. They have not met since 2001.

Saturday's game tips off at 9 p.m. Mountain Time.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 11:57 AM 0 comments

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Boise State Women Lose to Fresno State 75-57

Hate to be the bearer of bad news....the Boise State women's basketball team lost yet again tonight at the hands of rival Fresno State.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:59 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

#44 Lady Broncos in Action This Weekend

Boise State's women's tennis team, which sports a 5-2 record in the team's season-opening road swing, is in the Palouse for a pair of matches this weekend.

The Broncos take on #74 Washington State Saturday and Idaho Saturday. Then it's finally home!
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 10:38 PM 0 comments

Bronco Softball Team at Last Vegas Tournament

Boise State's softball team had a rough opening last week losing three of four, although the Bronco pitching staff certainly did its job. Boise State's pitchers gave up a total of nine runs in four games. Now if the hitters can only come through.

Boise State faces two NCAA Tournament teams in BYU and Tennessee Friday, before meeting up with Cal Poly and Long Beach State Saturday and Oregon on Sunday.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 10:36 PM 1 comments

Utah State, Louisiana Tech Favored in WAC Track

It seems like a broken record that is hauled out every year. However, the Utah State men and Louisiana Tech women are once again favored to win WAC Championships at the Indoor Track competition starting a week from tomorrow.

The Utah State men are projected to score 184 points in the event based on top times this year in the WAC. However, Boise State is close enough (165) that the Broncos could wind up on top if everything goes right. Louisiana Tech (85) and Idaho (59) will fight for third and last place.

The Louisiana Tech women are the heavy favorites once again. Boise State will be doing well to finish in fifth place. Boise State female student-athletes are ranked in the top eight in the conference 12 times and most of those are near the bottom. The Bronco women's program never did catch the other teams in the WAC in 10 years in the conference. The going won't get any easier either as next year the Bronco women have to compete in the Mountain West.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 10:27 PM 0 comments

"Tab" Sections Coming Along

My goal is to make this the most complete site for Boise State statistics. It already contains more than the official Boise State site!

I have recently updated the Football Starting Lineups, Past Statistics and Records. The lineups are pretty complete back to 1995, the statistics are fairly complete to that time, and I continue to work on the records section. I will be adding categories for several records that do not show up either in the football media guides or online. One of these categories is blocked kicks. Frank Robinson is the record holder with 7, an amazing number.

I will also be adding records for pass breakups, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, and others. Not only that, but the record books typically show 10-15 people and we lose track of the stars of the past that way. This site will eventually list considerably more than that in every category.

Also check out my "E Store". I have selected items from Amazon's site that you may be interested in. There are some Bronco items as well as DVD's, books, etc. I will keep changing those so hopefully you will find something you like. As this is this site's only revenue source, it helps this site keep going!
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 2:26 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Blue Through and Through First--Boise State Beats San Diego State 5-2

In one of many stories that you will hear about first right here on this blog--the Bronco tennis team salvaged a win in California with a 5-2 win over San Diego State.

Boise State had suffered 6-1 and 7-0 setbacks to #20 Pepperdine and #6 UCLA before today but the good news is they didn't leave the Golden State empty-handed.



No. 36 Boise State 5, No. 54 San Diego State 2
Doubles
1. Damian Hume/Scott Sears (BSU) def. Hunter Nicholas/Jose Sierra Short (SDSU) - 8-5
2. Jeff Mullen/Nathan Sereke (BSU) def. Javier Pulgar/Juan Florez (SDSU) - 9-7
3. Andre Feliz/Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU) def. Flipp Pogostkin/Erik Sheldon (BSU) - 8-5

Singles
1. No. 109 Damian Hume (BSU) def. Javier Pulgar (SDSU) - 6-2, 6-4
2. Flipp Pogostkin (BSU) def. Andre Feliz (SDSU) - 6-2, 6-3
3. Juan Florez (SDSU) def. Scott Sears (BSU) - 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Hunter Nicholas (SDSU) def. Jeff Mullen (BSU) - 6-1, 7-5
5. Andrew Bettles (BSU) def. Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU) - 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Natahan Sereke (BSU) def. Jose Sierra Short (SDSU) - 6-4, 2-6, 0-6
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:24 PM 0 comments

Boise State Making Headway on Gymnastics Scene

Boise State is ranked higher than they have ever been in gymnastics (11th) and Amy Glass is ranked #1 in the nation on the balance beam. Does this mean the Broncos will finally break through and qualify for Nationals? At this point, it doesn't appear that way.

To reach Nationals, a team must finish in the top two at Regionals. There are six regionals scattered around the country, each sending two to the Championships. Boise State is #11, but would have to perform at a higher level to reach their goal. The problem for the Broncos is that 5 of the top 13 teams in the country are in the West and only two can go. Boise State is ranked fourth out of those five.

Now we know how the SEC feels in football.

Glass has a season average of 9.875 on the beam, ranked ahead of #2 Leslie Mak of Oregon State (9.865) and #3 Sharaya Musser of Penn State (9.867). Glass is also #8 overall. That spot is held by Lindsay Cheek of Georgia with a 39.550 all-around average.

1. Cheek, Georgia 39.550
2. Kylee Botterman, Michigan 39.504
3. Allyse Ishino, Stanford 39.345
4. Alaina Johnson, Florida 39.340
5. Shelley Alexander, Stanford 39.330
6. Stephanie McAllister, Utah 39.325
6. Ashley Morgan, Stanford 39.325
8. Amy Glass, Boise State 39.320

Hailey Gaspar, who turned in a remarkable 9.95 vault to help the Broncos defeat upstart San Jose State last week, is now 8th on the floor with a 9.875 average. Ashanee Dickerson of Florida is #1 with a 9.930 average. Boise State's Brittany Potvin-Green is also 11th in vault with a 9.858 average this season; Cheek leads that apparatus with a 9.925.
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:41 AM 0 comments

Boise State Drops to #5 in Intermat Wrestling Rankings

The Boise State wrestling team came back bruised and battered from their dual with Oklahoma State last week. Despite being roughly even on paper, the Broncos were badly beaten and to make matters worse, their star wrestler, #1-ranked Kirk Smith, was carried off the mat following his medical forfeit.

Boise State Coach Greg Randall is being tight-lipped about the injury and Smith's condition is unknown at this time. That uncertainty is contributing to the downgrading of Boise State's prospects at the National Championships. Intermat today dropped the Broncos from #2 to #5 and they are probably being kind. If Smith's teammates perform in Philadelphia the way they did in Stillwater, the Broncos will be fortunate to finish in the Top 15. Three of Boise State's previously unbeaten wrestlers went down in Oklahoma and Alan Bartelli was the only individual to step it up and get an upset.

But life isn't about the cards you're dealt but rather how you respond. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about the Bronco team. Will the rest of the Bronco team pick up the slack for their fallen star? Passionate Boise State wrestling fans are hoping they do.

(Click on the story title to see this week's Intermat rankings.)
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:22 AM 0 comments

Monday, February 14, 2011

Boise State's Amy Glass #1 in the Nation

The new gymnastics rankings are out. Boise State was able to gain a spot in the team rankings to #11. But bigger news. Amy Glass is rated as the #1 gymnast in the country on the balance beam. This is the first time a Bronco gymnast has been ranked #1.

Congrats Amy--great job!
Posted by Rocketman5000 at 8:40 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)