Five Things to Watch For From Bronco Spring Drills

Boise State is ready to open spring football practice with some unfinished business to take care of.  Coach Chris Petersen is opening the practice sooner than usual and instead spreading the practices out over a period of weeks.

Here are some things I’m looking for in Boise State’s spring practices:

1. Chip on the shoulder—Boise State teams have always played their best when they feel like they have something to prove.  The collective “chip” can be formed by many factors—disrespect from someone like Craig James or Mark May, low ranking in the polls, and disappointment from a previous game or season.

It is this latter factor that I’d like to address.  We know James and May and the rest of their ilk will never be able to look at the college football landscape intelligently.  And getting college football voters to respect Boise State is a long, difficult process.  But what Boise State can control; it is in fact the only thing they can control, is how they play on the field.  I just basically paraphrased Coach Chris Petersen, who I think we can all agree is one of the top minds in college football right now.

Boise State no doubt has been watching and re-watching the Nevada loss last season, seeing how plays made or not made throughout the game greatly influenced the outcome, how tackling at the line of scrimmage sometimes is the only way to stop a touchdown, how making a key block is the difference between a tackle for loss and an amazing run.  The casual observer saw Bronco defensive players with their hands on their hips huffing and puffing.  Coach Pete denied the Bronco defense was tired.  But did he do that to honor Nevada’s victory and not make excuses?

In any case, the loss is there and it alone prevented Boise State from playing in the time-honored Rose Bowl.  Instead, the Broncos allowed TCU to play and defeat Wisconsin. 

So I am looking for concentration, intensity, focus and a serious and angry group of Broncos.  Anything short of that and I’ll be disappointed. 

2. The emergence of talented young wide receivers—We all know what Austin Pettis and Titus Young meant to Boise State last year and over the last four years.  They simply were the best duo to ever play for the Broncos and the best duo in the nation last year.  The raves that both have received from their Senior Bowl experience and from the workouts at the NFL Combine are a testament not only to their tremendous athletic abilities but to the state-of-the-art techniques that the best coaches in the nation have used to develop both Pettis and Young.

I think I speak for most Bronco fans when I say that I was excited when I learned Kirby Moore was coming to Boise State.  The kid had video game-type statistics in high school.  I was excited when I found out about Geraldo Hiwat and Aaron Burks and Matt Miller.  I see athletic ability in those four young men that is not overshadowed in the least by the raw ability of Pettis & Young when they first stepped onto campus. 

With a quarterback like Kellen Moore, the four young talents mentioned above have an opportunity that very few receivers in the nation have.  If they get open, KM is going to get them the ball—that’s what he does.  Kellen has an uncanny ability to read defenses and to spot the open man.  The scary thing is that if he stays healthy (see #5 below); he is going to be better in his senior year because of three years of starting experience.

How fortunate the Bronco receivers are to be playing at the same time as Moore.  Kellen’s brother Kirby redshirted last year, presumably to prepare him for being a tight end.  Whatever position the coaches decide is best for Kirby, his great routes and hands (not to mention the special familiarity he has with the quarterback) make him a perfect possession receiver to replace Pettis.  That said, Kirby doesn’t have to “mimic” anyone to be successful.  Pettis is an incredible receiver with amazing leaping ability and sticky hands.  Kirby has his own unique set of skills that he brings to the table.

Geraldo Hiwat has learned much about football that he wasn’t able to acquire in The Netherlands.  But when he was one of the highlights of the 2009 recruiting class, Bronco fans saw great raw talent—the speed of Titus Young and the leaping ability of Austin Pettis.  But Hiwat has something those gifted receivers did not—6’4” size.  To be able to accomplish what the 2010 Broncos could not do, go undefeated and play in the BCS National Championship Game, Offensive Coordinator Brent Pease needs a breakout year from a receiver.  Hiwat very well could be that guy.

Aaron Burks was one of the first great talents to flow from Boise State’s Texas recruiting pipeline.  Pease of course had established great connections with the high school coaches in Texas when he coached at Baylor and he brought those connections with him to Boise State.  Given that Pease saw something special in Burks when he recruited him to be a Bronco, one would think that Pease will showcase that ability this fall.  Burks is about the size of Pettis (6’2”) but he has great speed and can also go up and get a football.

That brings us to Matt Miller, the 6’3” target that had coaches all over the country (with offers from Arkansas, North Carolina, Stanford, Oregon and Oregon State just to name a few) salivating.  But Boise State is the school that landed him and if he can learn the complex Bronco offense and adjust to the speed of the college game, one would think he will see the field often this fall.  Miller isn’t going to burn you with speed like Young but fans will note that his 4.5 40 time is exactly that of Burks—that tells us that he’s going to be great for yards after the catch.  Miller has football focus, a great combination of route-running, concentration and great hands. 

So I’m looking for a breakout year from at least one of the four.  One or more of that quartet has to step forward for Boise State to reach its goals.

3. The third thing I’m looking for is a defensive line that exceeds the performance of the 2010 Broncos.  Yes, I know what I just said.  The Boise State defensive line last year was the best to ever play at the school.  But the Broncos have not climbed the ladder to the top yet—something happened on the way there.  Clearly they need better play, and that fact was crystal clear in the Nevada game.  When the play needed to be made in the second half to halt Wolf Pack momentum, it was not made.  The group not only needs to be aggressive and play smart for two-three quarters or for 10 games; Boise State needs all-out monsters to wreak havoc for all four quarters of all 12 games this season. 

Boise State lost one of its best-ever defensive ends in Ryan Winterswyk, but there is plenty of talent in the wings. I expect Tyrone Crawford to step into that role nicely.  Although Crawford did not start or even play two quarters in a given game, he still finished the 2010 campaign as Boise State's 10th-leading tackler (32) with 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks as just a sample of what he can accomplish in a full-time role.  Crawford’s coach, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, made a name for himself with aggressiveness, sure tackling ability, and an outstanding motor.  Suffice it to say that Pete K. is looking for the same in Crawford.  For offensive linemen not familiar with him, Crawford will shock them with his quickness off the ball and at 6’4”, 276; Crawford has the size and strength to manhandle his opponent. 

But one of the strengths of last season was that Kwiatkowski had the luxury of substituting at will on the defensive line without losing anything in terms of shear talent and ability.  So just as at least one wide receiver needs to step up, one of the talented young defensive lineman has to do the same.  Kharyee Marshall, Nick Alexander, Robert Ash and Samuel Ukwuachu form the talent pool to accomplish just that.  Marshall will not participate in spring drills I am told.  Normally new recruits like Ash and Ukwuachu would redshirt.  But Coach Petersen has been clear that he wants to even out the recruiting classes and that means playing a good deal of the 2011 recruits.  I suspect that if Kwiatkowski isn’t “wowed” by what he sees, the Broncos will not hesitate to utilize Ash and/or Ukwuachu. 

Ash has good foot speed and an unstoppable motor, two qualities that are tailor-made for being a great defensive end.  He still needs to work on his range and needs work in the weight room.  But Boise State has always placed more emphasis on speed and quickness from its defensive linemen and Ash certainly fits the bill there.  Oregon State, UCLA and Washington are three of the many schools that Ash turned down in favor of Boise State.

Ukwuachu (6-5, 210) is smaller than Ash and likely isn’t ready yet until Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim Socha releases him from the weight room.  But Ukwuachu has good speed and quickness that Boise State needs and if it is not provided by upperclassmen, he’ll be there.

Kharyee Marshall has already begun to exhibit the talent that he brings to the position, both in spring games and on the scout team.  Marshall runs a 4.6 40 and has incredible acceleration and closing ability.  He would have been excellent in running down (Nevada quarterback Colin) Kaepernick last year.

Nick Alexander has made great strides since first coming to the Bronco program in 2009.  Besides the full-out attack to the ball carrier, Alexander has bloodlines—he is the grandson of NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller.

Again at least one of those four young prospects must seize the opportunity that is there this fall for Boise State to have an outstanding season.  Justin Jungblut, Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe and Michael Atkinson are others that must work their way into the defensive line rotation at tackle. 

4. Clutch field goal kicking—unfortunately for Boise State, one of their only weaknesses was exposed last year at a time when they could not afford it.  So the Bronco coaching staff brought in strong-legged and highly-acclaimed placekicker Jake Van Ginkel.  Van Ginkel’s 39 career field goals at Upland High School (California) were a state record.  Van Ginkel only missed two field goals under 40 yards, he converted several in pressure situations, and, on kicks of 58 and 59 yards, he split the uprights with room to spare.

So I’ll be watching Van Ginkel to see this great talent for myself.

5. The teamwork and consistency of the offensive line—As Kellen Moore goes, so will go the Broncos.  He is poised to have a great senior year but a lot of what Kellen can do for an offense is dependent upon the solid play of the guys up front.  There isn’t any reason to think the Bronco line, which only loses two starters, cannot continue to protect Moore the way they have done in the last three years.  Nonetheless, it is an area to watch because it is vital to Boise State’s success.  We are aware that defense is always ahead of offense in the spring.  We also know that Boise State’s defensive line will be one of the most challenging the Bronco offensive line will face this season.  But, with Georgia looming as the season opener, the offensive line has to be ready from the start of spring practice and then go full steam ahead into September.

So there are five key areas to watch this fall.  I will be evaluating the team primarily considering those factors to determine how the 2011 Boise State team measures up.

Boise State Biology Professor Julia Oxford Part of Breakthrough Bone Study

Julia Oxford, a biology professor and director of the Biomolecular Research Center at Boise State, helped discover a key mechanism in the way in which bones build and maintain strength and elasticity.  Findings of the study are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.  The discovery could have a significant impact in treating osteoporosis and other diseases that can lead to decreased bone mineral contact and could provide a blueprint for improving methods of preserving bone strength with age.

A collaborative group of researchers conducted the study, including Oxford and led by Jeff Gorski, a professor of oral biology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  Oxford explained that mineralization is the process that contributes to the strength and hardness of bone, whereby calcium phosphate crystals produced by bone-forming cells accumulate in the fibrous protein matrix that is the scaffolding of the bone itself.

“We found that mineralization depends on a specific enzyme called SKI-1, though it is just one of several proteins we’re looking at that play important roles in essential biological mechanisms,” she said. “Our growing understanding of these mechanisms could have significant implications in helping clinicians monitor bone health as well as diagnose and treat debilitating bone diseases.”

By studying bone cells isolated in culture dishes, researchers in the collaborative study demonstrated that the deactivation of SKI-1 means bone mineralization cannot occur. They alternatively observed that if the actions of SKI-1 are stimulated, more mineralization takes place, triggering production of the proteins that form the bone’s mineralized matrix. Scientists may be able to use such enzyme regulation to stimulate bone formation after fracture.

Boise State students of biology and chemistry are active in Oxford's research that provides a tremendous learning opportunity.  Those students are Ben Davis, Stephanie Frahs, Anthony Hafez, Jon Reeck, Luke Woodbury, Bryan Martin, Chris Mallory and Dawn Mikelonis.

Boise State recently received a $750,000 NASA EPSCoR grant that will support a related project by Oxford (at right in photo) in collaboration with Boise State biology professors Cheryl Jorcyk, Troy Rohn and Kristen Mitchell.   

Since 2007, the Idaho State Board of Education has contributed $1 million to Boise State for the formation of the Musculoskeletal Research Institute, co-directed by Oxford and biomedical engineering professor Michelle Sabick.

“We have been working to grow musculoskeletal research strength in Idaho, and the State Board is providing crucial infrastructure,” Oxford said.

Boise State Research and Intellectual Property to be Showcased Thursday

If you have followed Boise State only on the Blue Turf, you have missed the boat.
Thanks to the vision of President Bob Kustra and the work of Vice President for Research Mark Rudin, growth and excellence on the academic side of Boise State has at least kept pace with the growth of the football team and perhaps surpassed it.  

As research and external support continue to swell at Boise State, local industry and the broader community are invited to a unique showcase called Research Revealed.  The program begins Thursday, March 10 at 3 in the Stueckle Sky Center and will provide an unprecedented look inside Boise State's intellectual property portfolio and related technology transfer opportunities.  The event is free and open to the public--please see below for details as registration is required.


Rudin will give a welcome address, followed by short presentations featuring faculty with patents issued or pending for their discoveries and inventions.  Program participants are then welcome to network with Boise State faculty researchers and discover potential in the following sectors:

• Biotechnology
• Consumer and Industrial Electronics
• Equipment Manufacturing
• Environmental Engineering, Monitoring and Remediation
• Green Products and Renewable Energy
• Health and Medical Devices
• Mining
• Transportation

“Boise State has a vested interest in the economic future of the Treasure Valley and Idaho, and we hope to cultivate many more partnerships with community roots,” said Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) Director Mary Givens. “At Research Revealed, potential partners will hear vital statistics from the OTT’s first annual report on research activities and efforts to translate them into commercial impacts.”

The event steering committee includes industry experts Don Bush, Lloyd Mahaffey, Rick Ritter, Michelle Travis, Mark Winkler and Ed Zimmer. Expanding that connection between the marketplace and the research bench is the purpose of Research Revealed.

“Research Revealed represents a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and companies to meet and network directly with leading researchers who are creating and discovering potential solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s problems,” said Ritter, president/CEO for statewide innovation incubator Idaho TechConnect.

Zimmer, recently retired from his role as CEO of Boise-based manufacturer ECCO Group, currently serves as the OTT’s first executive in residence and as a member of its advisory board. Having taken a closer look at intellectual property generated by Boise State faculty, he said it deserves recognition.

“The business community and general public would be pleased and impressed to learn of the groundbreaking research that is happening on campus these days." Zimmer said. “Boise State research has already drawn the attention of organizations such as NASA and the U.S. Air Force and companies in sectors ranging from biotech to natural resource management. Local companies and entrepreneurs will not want to miss this opportunity to learn more and take the next step.”

To register for Research Revealed or for more information, contact Lyn Moore at lynmoore@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-5727.

Boise State Cheerleaders Win National Title

The Boise State Cheer Squad won the USA Collegiate Cheerleading Championship for the third time in the last four years.  The Bronco cheerleaders captured the title in the Division I-A small coed category, an honor they won in 2008 and 2010.  Boise State also placed third in 2009.

“The group spent many hours working on difficult skills to showcase in the routine, plus had some fun and entertaining parts that brought cheers and applause from the audience,” said head coach Julie Stevens. “They represented Boise State, the city of Boise and the state of Idaho well, and I am very proud of their accomplishments. Go Broncos!”

Boise State One of 20 CUDA Research Centers in the World

Boise State was recently named as one of 20 Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) Research Centers worldwide by NVIDIA, a world leader in visual and parallel computing using graphics processing units.


Boise State was recognized for its groundbreaking work in parallel computing.  Boise State is the only school in the Northwest and one of only eight in the nation that was designated for the Research Center.  Boise State is in the company of United States universities such as Clemson, Johns Hopkins and UCLA, as well as 12 international research centers, including Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany and Nanyang University in Singapore.


Graphics processing units (GPU's) are increasingly being used by leading software developers and researchers to dramatically increase the processing of a wide range of computationally intensive data.  Boise State was one of the early users of the technology for both research and teaching and the CUDA designation aligns Boise State with the other top technical institutions that are using GPU computing to solve the most challenging computational problems.


"From world-changing scientific discoveries to commercial products that impact our everyday lives, the potential of this area of technology cannot be overstated," said Boise State Vice President for Research Mark Rudin.  "To be recognized as a leader in developing that potential demonstrates Boise State's commitment to drive innovation that is shaping the future."


Applications for acceptance into the CUDA Research Center Program were evaluated based on the quality of current GPU research, the vision presented for furthering the application and technology of GPU computing and the opportunity for broad impact.  Several distinguished faculty from Boise State are responsible for landing the prestigious honor.  Inanc Senocak is the principal investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering.  Tim Andersen (Dept. of Computer Science), Hans-Peter Marshall (Dept. of Geosciences), Jodi Mead (co-principal investigators professor) and Grady Wright (Dept. of Mathematics) also were key contributors to the proposal.


"GPU computing with CUDA has tremendously advanced Boise State research projects in numerical simulations of mantle convection, wind energy forecasting, remote sensing of snow depths for water resources, threat reduction in chemical and biological defense, and DNA sequencing for forensics," Senocak said.  "Our vision is to develop and apply advanced numerical methods and computational algorithms to applications in science and engineering and broaden GPU computing research in modeling and simulation."


Parallel computing is a form of computation in which many calculations are carried out simultaneously, operating on the principle that complex problems can often be divided into smaller ones, which are then solved concurrently or "in parallel".  


To learn more about the CUDA Research Center program, click on the story link.

Bronco Women's Golfers at Fresno State Classic

The 2010 Boise State women's golf team had a rough go of it, finishing next to last in the Western Athletic Conference Championships.

But Nicole Harris is in her fourth year at the helm and, now that she has the recruits that she wants, this is the year that things are supposed to turn around.  Coach Harris takes her team to the Fresno State Classic today to compete against 15 other teams.

The Classic golfers will play 36 holes today and another 18 tomorrow.  It will be the first indication of where the Broncos stand in the WAC, as host Fresno State and Nevada will also be there.

These are the GolfStat rankings going into the tournament:

#18  UC Davis
#91  Portland State
#100 UC Irvine
#104 Kansas State
#107 UTEP
#120 Santa Clara
#121 Nevada
#124 San Francisco
#132 Boise State
#147 UC Riverside
#149 Fresno State
#153 Cal Poly
#157 Sacramento State
#167 Cal State Fullerton
#183 Portland
#200 Seattle

Bronco Softball Statistics

Avg:
Tazz Weatherly .408
Allie Crump      .400
Devon Bridges  .381
Kellie Caplan    .379
Holly Bourke    .371

Doubles:
Tazz Weatherly (3)
Holly Bourke (2)
Devon Bridges (2)
Christina Capobianco (2)






Home Runs:
Allie Crump (5)
Devon Bridges (4)
Holly Bourke (2)
Christina Capobianco (2)
Megan Harvey (2)






RBI's
Allie Crump(12)
Devon Bridges (10)
Vanessa Alvarez  (10)
Holly Bourke (9)
Kellie Caplan (9)
Tazz Weatherly (8)

Slugging Percentage:
Allie Crumb (.756)
Devon Bridges (.714)
Holly Bourke (.569)
Tazz Weatherly (.531)
Christina Capobianco (.513)
Megan Harvey (.500)

Walks:
Kelly Sweeney (8)
Holly Bourke (7)
Allie Crump (6)

On-Base Percentage:
Allie Crump (.462)
Holly Bourke (.448)
Devon Bridges (.435)
Tazz Weatherly (.407)

Pitching Record:
Allie Crump (6-3)
Aubray Zell (2-1)

Boise State Men's Singles Records

1.  Andrew Battles (9-3)
2.  Damian Hume (9-8)
3.  Erik Sheldon (6-5)
4.  Michael Gilliland (4-4)
5.  Freddy Walsh (9-9)
6.  Filipp Pogostkin (10-10)
7.  Scott Sears (9-12)
8.  Nathan Sereke (6-9)

The Football Records Section

Please keep in mind this is a work in progress.  I have done quite a bit on it today, but there are areas that are incomplete.  My goal is for this page to be the most complete record of Boise State football statistics anywhere.  I have started many other fun categories to watch and will continue to update as the weeks progress.

Blog Archives

This blog allows you to easily find past articles.  The Blog Archive, located in the lower right-hand side, lists the dates of past articles.  By clicking on each date, you can see the titles of all the articles submitted on that date.

One that might be of special interest is the article that goes into different scenarios for seeding of teams in the upcoming WAC Men's Basketball Tournament.  It is included in the February 27 articles.

Lady Bronco Tennis Team Blanks Montana

Shocked by a 20-position drop in the NCAA tennis rankings (to #62), the Boise State women's team completed a weekend sweep with a 7-0 win over Montana today at the BOAS Indoor Tennis Complex.


All three doubles teams were victorious to get Boise State off to a good start.  Sonia Klamczynska easily won at #2 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Montana's Heather Davidson.  Morgan Basil won 6-0, 6-0 to give Boise State its third win of the day.  Elyse Edwards followed with a straight sets win at #4 singles to clinch the match.  Stephanie Jasper, Sandy Vo and Lauren Megale all won as well for the shutout.  


Boise State needs to find its road strength with three matches set this week.  The Lady Broncos play UNLV Friday, Furman Saturday and SMU next Sunday.






#62 Boise State 7, Montana 0


DOUBLES
1. Lauren Megale/Marlena Pietzuch (BSU) def. Rebecca Bran/Whitney Paluch (UM) 8-5
2. Elyse Edwards/Sonia Klamczynska (BSU) def. Heather Davidson/Lauren Gibson (UM) 8-1
3. Stephanie Jasper/Sandy Vo (BSU) def. Ashley Mackey/Madeline Murray (UM) 8-2


Order of finish: 2, 3, 1




SINGLES
1. Megale (BSU) def. R. Bran (UM) 6-1, 6-2
2. Klamczynska (BSU) def. Davidson (UM) 6-0, 6-1
3. Jasper (BSU) def. Paluch (UM) 6-1, 6-1
4. Edwards (BSU) def. Gibson (UM) 6-1, 6-2
5. Morgan Basil (BSU) def. Mackey (UM) 6-0, 6-0
6. Vo (BSU) def. Murray (UM) 6-1, 6-0


Order of finish: 2, 5, 4, 3, 6, 1

Bronco Gymnasts Look to Climb in New NCAA Rankings

Boise State could gain a spot in the climb back up the ladder of the NCAA women's gymnastics rankings.  Although the Broncos fell short of 196 points, their Regional Qualifying Score increased from 195.540 to 195.700.  That should be enough to overtake #13 Ohio State, which had a 196.1 this weekend.

However, Boise State will still be no better than fourth in the Western Region.  Only the top two teams from each region qualify for Nationals, and Stanford, Oregon State and UCLA all have regularly been scoring over 196 and in fact are nearing 197.  That is what it is going to take to make Nationals.

Anderson Named to All-WAC Team

La'Shard Anderson, who was a key factor in Boise State's 19-win season, was named today to the All-Western Athletic Conference team, the league office announced.  Anderson was also recognized on the All-Defensive team.

Anderson averaged 15.4 points this season, fifth in the WAC.  He also led the league in steals (2.47 per game) and was second with 4.67 assists a game.



Boise State will play in the WAC semifinals Friday night at 10 Mountain Time.


2010-11 WAC Men’s Basketball Postseason Award Winners

All-Conference
First Team
La’Shard Anderson, Boise State, G, 6-1, 170, Sr., San Diego, Calif. (Irvine Valley CC)
Troy Gillenwater, New Mexico State, F, 6-8, 238, Jr., Boston, Mass. (Stoneridge Prep)
Adrian Oliver, San Jose State, G, 6-4, 210, Sr., Modesto, Calif. (Washington)
Brockeith Pane, Utah State, G, 6-1, 195, Jr., Dallas, Texas (Midland JC)
Tai Wesley, Utah State, F, 6-7, 240, Sr., Provo, Utah (Provo HS)

Second Team
Bill Amis, Hawai‘i, F, 6-9, 235, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla. (Pratt CC)
Brian Green, Utah State, G, 6-1, 200, Sr., Kaysville, Utah (Salt Lake CC)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, 230, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
Jeff Ledbetter, Idaho, G, 6-3, 195, Sr., Brea, Calif. (Irvine Valley CC)
Greg Smith, Fresno State, C, 6-10, 250, So., Fresno, Calif. (Westwind Academy)

Honorable Mention
Olu Ashaolu, Louisiana Tech, F, 6-7, 220, Jr., Toronto, Canada (Humble Christian)
Kyle Barone, Idaho, C, 6-10, 220, So., Garden Grove, Calif. (Pacifica HS)
Deonte Burton, Nevada, G, 6-1, 185, Fr., Los Angeles, Calif. (Compton Centenial HS)
Justin Graham, San Jose State, G, 6-4, 195, Sr., Ripon, Calif. (Ripon HS)
Zane Johnson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona)

Player of the Year : Tai Wesley, Utah State
Freshman of the Year : Deonte Burton, Nevada
Don Haskins Coach of the Year : Stew Morrill, Utah State

All-Defensive Team
La’Shard Anderson, Boise State, G, 6-1, 170, Sr., San Diego, Calif. (Irvine Valley CC)
Olu Ashaolu, Louisiana Tech, F, 6-7, 220, Jr., Toronto, Canada (Humble Christian)
Justin Graham, San Jose State, G, 6-4, 195, Sr., Ripon, Calif. (Ripon HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, 230, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
Tyler Newbold, Utah State, G, 6-5, 210, Sr., Payson, Utah (Payson HS)

All-Newcomer Team
Deonte Burton, Nevada, G, 6-1, 185, Fr., Los Angeles, Calif. (Compton Centenial HS)
Olek Czyz, Nevada, 6-7, 240, Jr., Gdynia, Poland (Duke)
Zane Johnson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona)
Brockeith Pane, Utah State, G, 6-1, 195, Jr., Dallas, Texas (Midland JC)
Tim Steed, Fresno State, G, 6-4, 215, Jr., Philadelphia, Penn. (Highland CC)

Utah State Narrows Boise State's WAC Commissioner's Cup Lead

Utah State has used a #21 men's basketball team and a third-place finish in the WAC for the women to edge closer to Boise State in the race for the WAC Commissioner's Cup.

I reported last week that Boise State had a 48.25 to 42 lead over Utah State following the track and swimming championships.  That lead is now down to 53.25 for Boise State to 50 for USU.  New Mexico State is third with 36.75 followed by Idaho (36).  Fresno State has begun its move by jumping from sixth to fifth with 35.25.  Hawai'i (34.50) is now sixth, followed by Nevada with 33, Louisiana Tech with 29 and San Jose State with 22.25.  (Note:  I am adding in the regular season results for basketball, which account for half of a school's score.  (Note:  I am also giving the last-place team (Louisiana Tech in men's and San Jose State in women's) one full point since they will finish in last place after the tournament is over and the points allocated.)

Utah State has been in the upper half of the Cup Standings but isn't likely to finish in second.  Fresno State and Nevada (along with Boise State) have traditionally dominated the spring sports and should battle New Mexico State for the top spots along with Utah State.

If Boise State is fortunate enough to duplicate last year's spring sports, when they scored 34.75 points, the Broncos can finish with 93 points.  Keep in mind that that performance included a last place by the women's golf team and a seventh-place finish by the men's golf team.

Watch this blog for continued updates of the Commissioner's Cup race.

Bridges' Grand Slam Lifts Broncos to 8-0 Win

Boise State's softball team made it a perfect 5-5 this weekend at the Bronco Invitational Softball Tournament.
Coach Erin Thorpe's team won all five games, including an 8-0 win in five innings today.

Singles by Kellie Caplan, Tazz Weatherly and Allie Crump and a grand slam by Devon Bridges have propelled Boise State to a 4-0 first-inning lead over Southern Utah.  Kelly Sweeney then singled to center and, following an error that allowed her to go to second and Mackenzie Whyte to reach first safely, scored on Ashley Collier's hit to make it 5-0.  Crump also homered to aid the Bronco cause.  Collier allowed one hit over four innings to get the victory.

NCAA to Announce At-Large Wrestling Berths Wednesday

The last of the conference wrestling tournaments are taking place this weekend and soon we'll know if there are any Boise State wrestlers in the at-large pool for the NCAA National Tournament in Philadelphia.


After all of the qualifying events, the NCAA Wrestling Committee will meet to select the remaining 48 at-large qualifiers.  Those will be announced March 9.  Seven wrestlers (Alan Bartelli, Andrew Hochstrasser, Jason Chamberlain, Adam Hall, Levi Jones, Kurt Swartz and J.T. Felix) earned automatic berths by virtue of their finish at the Pac-10 Championships in Corvallis last weekend.  Jake Swartz, Matt Casperson and Kirk Smith await their fate next Wednesday.  Jake finished fourth in the Pac-10 at 174 pounds, Smith was sixth at 184 pounds and Casperson was sixth at 197 pounds.





All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers.  The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class.

Kraychir & Viitala Make Push for NCAA's

Trevor Kraychir and Eetu Viitala made one final effort to qualify for the upcoming NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with wins at the University of Washington's "Last Chance" meet in Seattle yesterday.


Kraychir captured first place with a lifetime-best 67-feet, 3.25 inches in the weight throw.  Viitala remains unbeaten in the long jump with a performance of 25-2.75 yesterday.  


The Bronco duo will find out tomorrow if they earned a spot at the Nationals.  Kurt Felix is the only automatic qualifier from Boise State thus far.  Felix earned an automatic berth in the Championships in the heptathlon.

Marcus Rios In-Depth

(Click on the story title for a link to Rios' YouTube highlights.)

Marcus Rios was the earliest football commitment in Boise State history when he gave his verbal earlier this week.  The Cosumnes Oaks High School  (Elk Grove, California) star will join former teammate Robert Ash (a 2011 Boise State recruit) and former Elk Grove defensive back Brandyn Thompson as a Boise State Bronco.

“No one will work harder,” he said.  Robert (Ash) and I will become champions.  Rios has been a Bronco fan since the seventh grade and attended camp at Boise State last summer.

Rios had already received scholarship offers from Arizona State and Washington State and had received interest from Arizona, California, Colorado, Fresno State, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Jose State, Stanford, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Utah and Washington.  In other words, even though each of the 12 Pac-12 teams wanted Rios, he prefers to come to Boise State. 

That is a landmark statement.  The Pac-12 didn’t invite Boise State in its expansion last year, but the student-athletes prefer Boise State over the Pac-12.  Better get used to that.

Rios (6-0, 170) played free safety last season as a junior at Cosumnes Oaks, recording 47 tackles, an interception and an 83-yard return for a touchdown.  He also brought a kickoff back 96 yards for a TD as a sophomore.  Rios also played some on the other side of the ball, rushing 4 times for 11 yards and catching 7 passes for 77 yards.  He averaged 27.4 yards on kickoff returns last season.

Rios also is on the track team this spring at Cosumnes Oaks, with an 11.6 time in the 100-meters.

Lady Broncos Face Nemesis Idaho in WAC Tournament Opener

Boise State's women's basketball team qualified for the WAC Tournament, but they have a long climb to the top.  The Broncos are the lowest seed in the tournament and will face #5 Idaho at 7 p.m. Mountain Time Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Idaho humiliated the Broncos in both regular season games this year and are no doubt glad they drew Boise State in the tournament opener.

Click on the story title for a pdf file that shows the tournament bracket.

Bronco Softball Team Takes Two

Make it four in a row for the Boise State softball team.

The Broncos trounced Seattle 14-1 and handed Southern Utah a 2-0 setback at the Boise State SpringHill Suites Invitational at Mountain Cove Softball Field yesterday to even their season mark at 8-8.

Boise State's bats have shown signs of life this weekend, never more so than the opener, when six Broncos hit round-trippers.  Junior Aubray Zell, who fired the school's first no-hitter on Saturday, came back to get the win over the Thunderbirds in the nightcap.

Back-to-back homers by Kellie Caplan and Holly Bourke provided an early 4-0 edge over Seattle.  But the hits just kept coming.  Sophomore Megan Harvey sent a shot over the fence in the third and Boise State batted around to score nine runs in a devastating fourth inning.  Christina Capobianco hit her second homer of the weekend, Allie Crump launched her fourth of the season and freshman Mackenzie Whyte hit her first collegiate home run in the offensive display.  Crump got the complete-game win by allowing just four hits and striking out eight.

Boise State's bats went quiet again in the second game, but Zell struck out seven in getting her second win in as many days.  Crump (3-3 in the game) helped out her fellow pitcher with liner up the middle to score Caplan in the third.  Devon Bridges homered in the sixth for added measure and the Broncos had the sweep.

The Broncos face Seattle again today at noon at Mountain Cove.

Bronco Tennis Team Earns First WAC Win

After facing 11 consecutive ranked teams on the road, Boise State's recent success on the courts may just be that the players are glad to be home. The #47 tennis team completed a sweep of teams from Utah with a 6-1 victory over Utah State last night at the Boise Racquet & Swim Club.  Boise State shut out Utah earlier in the day 7-0, adding to its impressive resume of all-sports success over the Utes. "Those are two good teams," Boise State head coach Greg Patton said after Saturday's duals. "It is so gratifying to see our guys get better and better. Our young guys are getting a graduate degree in what tennis is all about right now. They are starting to figure it out and how we want them to play." Andy Bettles and Filipp Pogostkin blasted their opponents at #2 doubles 8-2, and then Damian Hume and Scott Sears came in to clinch the doubles point with an 8-4 win at #1 doubles. Sears became the first Bronco to finish with an impressive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Utah State's Fredrik Peterson.  Nathan Sereke got the job done with a 6-2, 6-1 win at #5 singles.  Pogostkin earned the match victory with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at #2 singles.  Hume won at #1 singles and Bettles also won in straight sets to provide the final margin. Boise State will host BYU next Saturday. #47 Boise State 6, Utah State 1 DOUBLES 1.  Damian Hume/Scott Sears (Boise State) def. Bryan Marchant/Sven Poslusny (USU) 8-4 2. Andy Bettles/Filipp Pogostkin (Boise State) def. Fredrik Peterson/Alex Thatcher (USU) 8-2 3. Jakob Asplund/Nikita Ryashchenko (USU) def. Michael Gilland/Erik Sheldon (Boise State) 8-6 Order of finish: 2, 1, 3 SINGLES 1. Hume (BSU) def. Poslusny (USU) 6-2, 6-4 2. Pogostkin (BSU) def. Asplund (USU) 6-1, 6-4 3. Sears (BSU) def. Peterson (USU) 6-1, 6-1 4. Bettles (BSU) def. Marchant (USU) 6-2, 7-5 5. Sereke (BSU) def. Thatcher (USU) 6-2, 6-1 6. Ryashchenko (USU) def. Freddy Walsh (Boise State) 3-6, 7-6 (1), 10-8 Order of finish: 3, 5, 2, 1, 4, 6

The WAC Men's Basketball Tournament Pairings

(Click on the story link for a pdf file of the WAC Tournament bracket.)

The 2010-11 WAC regular season is in the books.  Here are the pairings for the WAC Tournament:

#1 Utah State receives a first-round bye
#2 Boise State has a bye
#3 New Mexico State has a first-round bye
#4 Idaho has a first-round bye
#5 Hawai'i will play #8 San Jose State Wednesday at 1 p.m. Mountain Time
#6 Nevada will play #7 Fresno State Wednesday at 3:30

Idaho will play the winner of the Hawai'i-San Jose State game Thursday at 1
New Mexico State will play the winner of the Fresno State-Nevada game Thursday at 3:30

Utah State will play the winner of the game between Idaho-Hawai'i/San Jose State game Friday at 7 p.m.
Boise State will play the winner of the New Mexico State-Fresno State/Nevada game Friday at 10 p.m.

The winners of the two semifinal games above will play in the WAC Championship Saturday at 8 p.m.

Broncos Pull Away From San Jose State 66-51

Whatever they're paying Leon Rice, they'd better double it.

Rice has Boise State playing like world beaters.  They've won seven straight now with a 66-51 victory tonight in the last WAC game ever in Boise.  That's a pretty good way to head into the WAC Tournament.  The last time a Boise State team won seven consecutive games, Rod Jensen was the head coach.

La'Shard Anderson once again led Boise State with 18 points.  6'7 forward Paul Noonan did not score inside, getting all of his 12 points on three-point shots while Westly Perryman had one of his better games of late with 11 points.  Daequon Montreal cleared the boards for the Broncos with nine rebounds.  Adrian Oliver had 30 points for San Jose State, but the Spartans were still held to season lows in points and field goal percentage (29.1%).

We already know the Broncos have a first-round bye as well as a second-round bye.  They automatically advance into the conference semifinal game.  If they can keep the same energy level they've been playing at (and there's no reason to think anything different), they have as good a chance at winning the thing as anyone else.  That Boise State had already clinched the #2 seed and still played inspired basketball tells us a lot about the way this team is playing right now.  San Jose State (15-14, 5-11 in conference) needed a win to avoid being the #8 seed and still got beaten by 15.



The Spartans did close to seven points with six minutes remaining.  But Boise State responded down the stretch to claim the win.

Boise State is now 19-11 on the season and they finish their final WAC campaign with a 10-6 conference mark. The Broncos will play Friday at 9 p.m. in one of the conference semifinal games against the winner of the New Mexico State-Nevada/Fresno State game.

Boise State Softball Team Scores Another Big Win

Boise State unleashed a nine-run outburst in the fourth inning and coasted to a 14-1 win this afternoon over Seattle University at Mountain Cove Field.

Holly Bourke went 3-3 to lead the Bronco hitting attack that has come alive since Boise State returned home.  Kellie Caplan and Bourke sent back-to-back blasts over the field in the Bronco second to help the Broncos take control.  Bourke also plated the first run of the Bronco fourth with a triple to the gap and Megan Harvey, Christina Capobianco, Mackenzie White and Allie Crump all homered later in the inning, Crump's a three-run shot.

The nightcap between Boise State and Southern Utah is underway at Mountain Cove.

Yet Another Boise State Win Over Utah, Which is Headed for the Pac-12

The #47 Boise State tennis team left Utah in the dust after pitching a 7-0 shutout today at the BOAS Indoor Tennis Center in Boise.  Andy Bettles and Filipp Pogostkin won their match at #3 doubles and Damian Hume and Scott Sears finished the Utes off to score the doubles point.  The Bronco singles players roared past their opponents, with all but one taking their match in straight sets.  


Boise State faces Utah State tonight in their Western Athletic Conference opener at the Boise Racquet and Swim Club.  Action gets underway at 6 p.m.

#47 Boise State 7, #66 Utah 0 DOUBLES 1.  Damian Hume/Scott Sears (Boise State) def. Alejandro Medinilla/Benito Suriano (UU) 8-4 2. Andy Bettles/Filipp Pogotskin  (Boise State) def. Matt Cowley/Devin Lane (UU) 8-5 3. Gino Octa/Dmytro Mamedov (UU) def. Michael Gilliand/Erik Sheldon (Boise State) 8-7 (4) Order of finish: 2, 1, 3 SINGLES 1. Hume (Boise State) def. Suriano (UU) 6-2, 6-2 2. Pogostkin (Boise State) def. Mamedov (UU) 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) 3. Sears (Boise State) def. Lane (UU) 6-3, 6-1 4. Bettles (Boise State) def. Medinilla (UU) 6-4, 6-4 5. Nathan Sereke (Boise State) def. Cowley (UU) 6-1, 7-6 (4) 6. Freddy Walsh (Boise State) def. Garrett LaBarre (UU) 6-2, 6-2 Order of finish: 3, 4, 6, 1, 5, 2

The Football Records Section

Please keep in mind this is a work in progress.  I have done quite a bit on it today, but there are areas that are incomplete.  My goal is for this page to be the most complete record of Boise State football statistics anywhere.  I have started many other fun categories to watch and will continue to update as the weeks progress.

Bronco Women Sweep New Mexico 7-0

The Boise State women's tennis team hosted future Mountain West opponent New Mexico last night and the Broncos came away with their first home win of the year 7-0 at the BOAS Indoor Tennis Complex.


The Lady Broncos had been in a bit of a slump and needed the shutout win to boost confidence.  Elyse Edwards and Sonia Klamczynska started it off with an 8-3 win at #2 doubles.  Lauren Megale and Marlena Pietzuch downed Ashley Bonner and Anya Villaneuva of New Mexico 8-3 to get the doubles point and Stephanie Jasper and Sandy Vo won at #3 doubles 8-4.


Edwards was the first of the Bronco singles players to lock up a win, defeating Kristin Eggleston in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.  Klamczynska scored a 6-4, 6-3 win at #2 singles and Boise State was a win away from the dual win.  Pietzuch clinched it with a 7-6, 6-3 win at #5 singles.  Jasper, Vo and Megale all won their matches to record the sweep.


Boise State is in action tomorrow (Sunday) in a match against Montana.  That gets underway at 10 a.m. at BOAS.




#62 Boise State 7, New Mexico 0


DOUBLES
1.  Lauren Megale/Marlena Pietzuch (Boise State) defeated Ashley Bonner/Anya Villanueva (UNM) 8-3
2.  Elyse Edwards/Sonia Klamczynska (Boise State) downed Michaela Bezdickova/Nikolina Grbac (UNM) 8-1
3.  Stephanie Jasper/Sandy Vo (Boise State) topped Laura Richardson/Kristin Eggleston (UNM) 8-4


Order of finish: 2, 1, 3


SINGLES
1. Megale (Boise State) def. Bezdickova (UNM) 6-3, 7-5
2. Klamczynska (Boise State) def. Villanueva (UNM) 6-4, 6-3
3. Jasper (Boise State) def. Grbac (UNM) 7-6, 6-3
4. Edwards (Boise State) def. Eggleston (UNM) 6-2, 6-1
5. Pietzuch (Boise State) def. Bonner (UNM) 7-6, 6-3
6. Vo (Boise StateU) def. Michaela Oldani (UNM) 6-1, 6-4

The Top Gymnastics Scores This Weekend

The teams that have the best shot at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships are peaking right now, rolling up scores of 196, 197 and above.  Here are the top scores this week:

1.  Alabama--197.075
1.  Penn State--197.075
3.  Oklahoma--197.050
4.  Florida--197.000
5.  Utah--196.750
6.  Ohio State--196.525
7.  Michigan--196.325
8.  Arkansas--196.000
9.  Boise State 195.925
10.  Minnesota 195.325

The #2, #6, #7, #8, #10, #15 and #17 teams will be competing either tomorrow or Sunday.  With Boise State's relatively low score, you might think a couple teams will pass them.  But with the nature of the RQS, anything can happen from week to week.

Bronco Gymnasts Top Southern Utah on Senior Night

Boise State didn't top 196 tonight but they came as close as you can get.  The Broncos downed Southern Utah 195-925 to 194-650 on Senior Night in Taco Bell Arena.

Mallory Dziawura, Kelsey Lang, Hannah Redmon, Sarah Smith and Katie Tuller were saluted prior to the meet to acknowledge their outstanding contributions over the last four years.

Amy Glass once again paced the Lady Broncos with a brilliant evening.  Glass won the all-around with a 39.50 and topped three of the four apparatuses.  She was the top performer on the floor (9.875), beam (9.90) and bars (9.925).  Glass not only tied Julie Wagner for the school record of seven all-around wins in a season but put up the seventh-best all-around performance in school history.  Amy is also all alone in second place with 13 career all-around wins.  Glass's bar score also tied the seventh-best performance by a Bronco .  Hailey Gaspar scored a 9.850 on floor and won the vault with a mark of 9.875.  Redmon tied with Glass for tops on the bars with a 9.925 and backed up Gaspar on vault with a 9.85.  Those were the only Bronco scores above 9.85.

From here, Boise State has just one more meet to prepare for the Western Athletic Conference Championships. The Broncos will take on Sacramento State and UC-Davis next Sunday.  The following week, Boise State will take on the best in the WAC and then it's on to the Regionals where Boise State knows they'll need to score a 197 to have a chance to advance to Nationals.

Boise State Research Team One of 14 Chosen by NASA

A collaboration involving the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering has resulted in Boise State being selected into NASA's Microgravity University 2011.  The Boise State team is one of 14 groups selected.

The Boise State students will study the issue of bone density loss suffered by astronauts who are in an extended period of weightlessness.  The team will collect information on and monitor the body's response to the environmental stress of microgravity given the fluctuation of calcium molecules in bone cells.  The Bronco students will propose, design, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment that is based on NASA's mission.

Boise State will be joined by peers from Yale, California Institute of Technology, Cal Poly, George Washington, Utah State, the University of Washington, Florida, West Virginia, Lehigh, Oklahoma State, Dartmouth, Purdue and the University of New York at Buffalo.  The schools will present and conduct their experiments June 2-11 during Flight Week at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The prestigious invitation is the culmination of two years of work by team leader and senior Jake Forsberg (computer science), 2010 graduate Ben Davis (biology) and faculty advisers Robert Hay (electrical and computer engineering), Julie Oxford (biology) and Sondra Miller (civil engineering).  Additional members include sophomore David Connolly (mechanical engineering), senior Travis Dean (mechanical engineering), junior Stephanie Frahs (chemistry), sophomore Dawn Mikelonis (biology), graduate student Alex Miller (materials science and engineering), senior Ron Pierce (electrical engineering) and graduate student Ellen Rabenberg (materials science and engineering).  Former NASA astronaut Barbara Morgan, now Boise State's distinguished educator in residence, is assisting the team.

"Our 2011 Microgravity University team is looking at some basic biological questions in a new way, and a lot will be learned from their exploration," Morgan said.  "Major advances in technology happen at the intersection of disciplines," said Hay.  "This kind of collaboration forces us to look at things from a different perspective."

Zell No-Hitter Highlights Boise State Sweep

Aubrea Zell pitched the first no-hitter in Boise State history with a 12-0 masterpiece over Southern Utah. Zell struck out eight and threw just 51 pitches in leading the Broncos to a doubleheader sweep of the Thunderbirds. Vanessa Alvarez belted a three-run blast in support of Zell's gem.

"It was great for Aubray to accomplish what we know she's capable of," said head coach Erin Thorpe. "She maintained control throughout the game. That's the goal we have for every pitcher on our staff- be in control of the zone."

The Roadrunners had several chances to break up the no-hitter.  In the fourth inning, a shot was hit to the left side of the inning that could have gotten through.  But Lela Work dove to snare it, got up and threw to first for the out.  Later that inning, with two out, Southern Utah's Haylee Hoch sent a deep ball to center.  Ashley Collier ran back toward the fence and made the catch with her back to home plate.

Tazz Weatherly had a home run, a single and a double for the Broncos and relief pitcher Lela Work pitched two innings of perfect baseball to win the opener 7-3.

The Broncos host Seattle University tomorrow at noon at Mountain Cove Field and will meet the Thunderbirds at 2.