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
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