Boise State Wants Nick Patti as Quarterback

When Eagle High School's Tanner Mangum chose to go to BYU, I didn't worry; I knew Coach Petersen and his staff would get someone better.  Now comes word that Boise State has offered Nick Patti of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.  One has to wonder if he wasn't the first choice anyway because, according to Patti, Coach Pete told him that he was the only quarterback the Broncos would offer.


Patti is 5'11, 195 and led his team to a 14-1 record last year, losing only in the Florida State Championship.  He carries a 3.50 G.P.A. into his senior year.  Patti threw for over 2,000 yards and rushed for 500 (he runs a 4.5 40) as a junior.  He had Kellen Moore-like numbers with 37 touchdowns against only four intercepts.  He understands the game very well, excels at reading opposing defenses, and can make any throw he needs to.
I'll have more info, including videos that you can take a look at soon.

Honors Continue for Boise State's Creative Writing Professors

Members of Boise State's faculty in Creative Writing and the Master of Fine Arts program at the university continue to set the pace in Idaho and beyond.

Brady Udall's novel, "The Lonely Polygamist" was named the #1 work by Entertainment Weekly, and made national top 10 fiction lists at Publisher's Weekly (#9) and Amazon.com (#10).  "The MS of My Kin", the latest work from Boise State's Janet Holmes, was a 2009 bestseller for international publisher Shearsman and for Small Press Distribution.  Mitch Wieland's 2009 book "God's Dogs" was named Idaho Book of the Year, was a John Gardner Fiction Book Award finalist and a selectee for the "Best of the West" prize anthology.

Also, a new collection by Martin Corless-Smith, "English Fragments:  A Brief History of the Soul," led Boston Review poetry editor Timothy Donnelly to name Corless-Smith as one of his six favorite contemporary poets.  Visiting Boise State professor Anthony Doerr's latest book, "Memory Wall," was named one of the best of 2010 by the Boston Globe (#3), the Oregonian (#6) and Amazon.com (#9) as well as being a New York Times Notable Book and winner of the $20,000 Story Prize.

New Boise State Business Building Beginning to Take Shape

When construction began on the new Business Building at Boise State, I showed pictures and did a story about the project, which will elevate an already-strong and well-respected Business School at Boise State to a new level in terms of capability and respect.

The facility will be the Gateway to the campus from the West side, perfectly situated at the corner of Capitol Boulevard and it's going to be gigantic--four stories tall and 118,000 square feet and at a cost of $37 million.

Of course, Boise State's business college already holds the gold standard of accreditation.  It is included in the four percent of all business programs in the world and 25 percent of business programs in the United States that have AACSB accreditation.  Boise State's business school was honored by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's Best Undergraduate Business Programs in 2011. 

As enrollment in Boise State's graduate programs is expected to double over the next ten years, the university wants to build graduate and undergraduate programs that are recognized nationally for their quality and innovation and to create internationally-renowned centers of excellence. 

I'll continue to provide details and photos as construction continues on this exciting development and new facility.

Discoverer of New Dinosaur Species is Conducting Postdoctoral Research at Boise State

In 2004, Celina Suarez and her identical twin sister, Marina, discovered the remains of a dinosaur in Utah no one had ever seen.  Now Suarez is now a geochemical paleontologist conducting her postdoctoral research at Boise State.



The Suarez sisters where investigating the sediment profile above a dinosaur dig site when they spotted dinosaur bones sticking out of the rock.  So far, three species have been recovered from the "Suarez Sisters Quarry" so far, including one that was not officially classified until late in 2010.  Geminiraptor surezarum habitated the Earth about 125 million years ago, and the dinosaur is the oldest known to be present in North America during the Early Cretaceous period.  The newly classified dinosaur is named after the sisters' family name and refers to Gemini, which is Latin for "twins". 

Suarez received a prestigious fellowship from the National Science Foundation to be able to conduct her research at Boise State over the next two years.  Working with Matt Kohn in the Department of Geosciences at the university, Suarez will examine an area of paleontology that is not well understood, the process of fossilization.

Boise State Consturction Continues at a Dizzying Pace

As I told you on this blog recently, the Destination Distinction campaign is near 100% of its goal and over the last four years, Boise State has started construction on 11 new projects encompassing more than 600,000 square feet of living, classroom, laboratory, office, event, parking and common areas. 

New facilities like the Environmental Research Building, the Micron Business and Economics Building and the Transit Center are the most visible signs that Boise State is completing the transformation to a metropolitan research university. 

The academic progress, while startling, is not all that is happening on campus.  Boise State recently broke ground on a new student housing community that will open next January.  They take the form of two-story townhouses along Lincoln Avenue, which will be home to 360 additional students as Boise State has doubled the capacity of student housing on campus since 2004.  The new housing is dedicated to juniors and seniors only.

And of course, the athletic department is beginning the first phase of massive stadium expansion with a brand new football facility, upgraded weight room, removal of the track in Bronco Stadium and the construction of a new 10,000-seat track facility across Broadway Avenue at Dona Larsen Park.  If all goes right, construction can begin following the upcoming football season.  Right after that, the next phase will be to add 10,000 seats to the north end zone.

Destination Distinction included plans for many other facilities, upgrades and structures that have not been announced yet but when it's all completed, the campus will look considerably different, from the Gateway Business building at Capitol and University all the way to Bronco Stadium at the other end of University Drive.

It's an extremely exciting time to be a Bronco or to be connected to the university.

Boise State Offers Davis Twins

Fitch High School in Ohio has been churning out some top student-athletes, and Boise State hopes good things will soon happen in pairs, as in both Demitrious and Chris Davis committing to Coach Chris Petersen and the Broncos. 




Demitrious was the Federal League Player of the Year, accounting for 28 touchdowns and 2,077 yards of offense.  He ran for 1,091 yards and 9 touchdowns (6.9 yards per carry) and passed for 986 yards and nine scores.  Davis completed 62.6% of his passes and was intercepted just twice in 99 attempts.

He did everything. He rushed for over 1,000, and passed for almost 1,000. He was the catalyst for our offense. He was a great leader. Very coachable. He had a real high quarterback rating. Just a tremendous kid with a tremendous work ethic.” — Fitch head coach Phil Annarella

Chris had 400 yards in receiving with eight TD receptions and ran for another 200.

Chris runs a 4.37 40 and Demitrious has been clocked at 4.38.  Hopefully, one or both of them will play in Boise.

Sink or Swim for the Bronco Softball Team

If Boise State is going to return to being a championship contender, the Bronco softball team will have to prove it on the Islands against one of the top teams in the country.  Hawai'i had the experience and the pedigree, having competed in numerous NCAA Tournaments.


The two teams will hook up for one game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday.  Boise State is currently in third place, precariously ahead of the very team that is set to host them--Hawai'i.

Boise State Tennis Team in Third Place

One week prior to the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Championships in Boise, Bronco Head Coach Greg Patton finds himself in unfamiliar territory--third place.  Boise State will get an opportunity to play for seeding this week when they take on Nevada and New Mexico State in Las Cruces, New Mexico.


Boise State is favored over both, of course the Broncos did lose to Idaho while being favored.  Still, the team would like to gain some semblance of momentum heading into the tournament that they will host.  Boise State plays Nevada Friday at 8: 30 a.m. before challenging New Mexico State at 1:30.

Bronco Softball Doubleheader Canceled

Boise State's scheduled doubleheader with Weber State in Ogden was canceled because of typical inclimate weather in Utah.

Boise State Defeats Hawai'i 5-2

Since the official Boise State site does not have it yet, I'll break the news.  Boise State defeated Hawai'i in men's tennis today 5-2.


The score is the same that Boise State lost to Fresno State Saturday, so after the tough loss to #9 Stanford and the pain that comes with relinquishing the favorites' role in the WAC to Fresno State, it was gut check time and Patton's Army came through.  Congratulations to them!

Updated WAC Commissioner's Cup Standings

The results are in for the Western Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championship, and, as you can expect from this blog, I will have the most up-to-date Commissioner's Cup Standings here.


Boise State finished fourth, one stroke ahead of Nevada in the three-day event.  San Jose State captured the championship with solid play.  Combining those results with my earlier Spring projection, here are the updated results:

The Commissioner's Cup is given annually to the WAC school that has the best overall sports department for that school year.  The standings are determined by a point system that gives inverted points to the schools based on their performance in 20 sports that the conference sponsors and how many WAC schools participate in each sport.  For example, there are nine teams in football, thus the champion gets nine points, the runner-up eight points, the third-place team gets seven points, etc.  If there is a tie, the two tied teams split the points for two positions, i.e. a tie for first would split the points awarded for #1 and #2 (9 + 8 = 17 divided by 2 = 8.5 each).  

There are four WAC schools that are able to field men's indoor track, so the winner gets four points, #2 gets 3 points and so on.  Some sports, such as gymnastics, have auxiliary members (schools that are not officially in the WAC but participate in the conference in that sport).  In those cases, the auxiliary teams do not get points for the Commissioner's Cup but their places count in the point configuration.  If there are five schools that compete in a sport and Sacramento State, for example, is third, the league champion still gets five points, second gets four points, and the next WAC school, the fourth-place team, gets two points.  Men's and women's tennis, baseball and softball all split awarded points with half going to the regular season and half to the postseason championships.

Currently, Boise State has built a good lead (68.50 to 59.75) over Utah State.  New Mexico State is third with 48.25, followed by Fresno State (46.00), Idaho (42.50), Nevada (41.75), Hawai'i (37.75), San Jose State (36.50) and Louisiana Tech (33.00).  


The championships in men's and women's tennis that will be April 27-May 1 in Boise are next in line.

In coming up with the projections, I use the best available data in each sport.  For softball and baseball, the league standings are used.  For golf, I use Golfweek's weekly ratings and for tennis I use College Tennis Online's weekly rankings.  As the teams play more, the standings and weekly rankings will be more reliable.  For track, I will initially use the WAC Indoor Track Championship data but will switch to projected point totals for the Outdoor Championship based on top times once there is enough data available.  


Here are the projections for each sport:

Men's Tennis:  (April 27-May 1)
1.  Fresno State (7)
2.  Boise State (6)
3.  Idaho (5)
4.  Hawai'i (4)
5.  New Mexico State (3)
6.  Nevada (2)
7.  Utah State (1)


Women's Tennis:  (April 27-May 1)
1.  Boise State (9 points)
2.  Fresno State (8)
3.  Nevada (7)
4.  Hawai'i (6)
5.  Idaho (5)
6.  New Mexico State (4)
7.  Utah State (3)
8.  Louisiana Tech (2)
9.  San Jose State (1)
 
Coach Roghaar has his team playing well


Men's Golf:  (May 2-4)
1.  New Mexico State (8 points)
2.  Idaho (7)
3.  Fresno State (6)
4.  San Jose State (5)
5.  Nevada (4)
6.  Louisiana Tech (3)
7.  Hawai'i (2)
8.  Boise State (1)



Coach Kevin Burton's team hopes to improve in time for WAC Championships 


Softball:  (May 11-14)
1.  Fresno State (8 points)
2.  New Mexico State (7)
3.  Hawai'i (6)
4.  Boise State (5)
5.  Louisiana Tech (4)
6.  San Jose State (3)
7.  Nevada (2)
8.  Utah State (1)


Men's Track (May 10-13)
1.  Utah State (5 points)
2.  Fresno State (4)
3.  Boise State (3)
4.  Louisiana Tech (2)
5.  Idaho (1)


Women's Track (May 10-13)
1.  Louisiana Tech (8 points)
2.  Utah State (7)
3.  Nevada (6)
4.  New Mexico State (5)
5.  Boise State (4)
6.  Fresno State (3)
7.  Hawai'i (2)
8.  Idaho (1)


Baseball:  (May 25-29)
1.  Fresno State (7 points)
2.  New Mexico State (6 points)
3.  San Jose State (5)
4.  Louisiana Tech (4)
5.  Hawai'i (3)
6.  San Jose State (2)
7.  Nevada (1)


I will continue to do these projections on a semi-weekly basis.  As the teams get close to the championships in their respective sports, the data will get more accurate as being able to project the championship results.  As of right now, here are the projections for the final Commissioner's Cup point totals:


1.  Boise State 96.50  
     Boise State is expected to pick up most of its points in men's and women's tennis and in men's track.  The Broncos are projected to score 30 points this spring--they will need to do well to hold off Fresno State.  If those teams do not come through, we will have a tight race for the Cup.  On the other hand, since the women's golf team did better than expected, if the men's golf team can finish better than expected, Boise State's chances are dramatically improved.



2.  Fresno State 89.00
     The Bulldogs traditionally are the strongest team in the spring sports and this year should be no exception. Fresno State is expected to score 46 points in the spring alone.  Fresno is projected to win men's tennis, softball and baseball and women's tennis and they are also expected to do extremely well in men's track and men's golf.  If one or more of those teams do not come through, Fresno could relinquish the challenger's role to New Mexico State.  All those teams have to do well and Fresno State has to hope that the key Boise State sports falter for the Bulldogs to take the Cup.

Fresno State will once again provide the closest challenge to Boise State 



3.  New Mexico State 81.25
     The Aggies outdual Boise State for having the second best spring sports program to Fresno State, scoring 39 points.  The Aggies' best hope is to finish strong in their strengths and hope that their men's and women's tennis teams and women's track team can finish high while Boise State slips up somewhere.



4.  Utah State 76.75
     USU does fairly well in the spring but they aren't able to field a team in baseball, men's golf or women's golf.  Until they are able to fund those programs, Utah State will never have a serious chance of winning an overall competition.  Utah State is projected to score just 17 points this spring.  They could possibly finish third if everything goes right.



5.  Nevada 63.75
     Nevada has been a challenger nearly every year in the Commissioner's Cup.  However, poor fall programs hurt their chances severely.  They finished near the bottom in women's cross country, soccer and volleyball.  The only reason they are this high is because of their football, basketball and swimming programs.  Nevada is projected to score 26 points in the spring.



6. Hawai'i 60.75
    Hawai'i is expected to do the best in men's and women's tennis and softball.  UH should score in the neighborhood of 24 points this spring.  That's a good total, but they are too far down to climb all the way to the top.



7.  Idaho 56.00
     The Vandals have been in the middle of the pack for the last several years.  Idaho will get most of their points in men's and women's golf and men's tennis.  Idaho should get about 18.5 points this spring.  They will fight for positions 5-8.



7.  Louisiana Tech 56.00
     Louisiana Tech has climbed out of the cellar in the Cup race and will score around 23 points this spring.  They probably won't get higher than #7, but they have a shot at that.

9.  San Jose State 50.50
     The Spartans are the favorite in women's golf and they should also do well in baseball.  San Jose State is projected to score 21 points this spring.

Boise State Women Finish 4th at WAC Golf Championship

The Boise State women's golf team fought their way out of last place and finished strong in the final nine holes today in Mesa, Arizona to finish fourth at the Western Athletic Conference Golf Championship.


The Broncos shot a 310 in the first round Friday, a 309 yesterday, and improved that score to 302 to finish 69 strokes over par.  With Boise State in the clubhouse, Nevada had an eight-stroke lead but lost nine strokes to finish 70 over par and fifth place.  San Jose State shot a 294 today to win the WAC with a plus 32, followed by New Mexico State at 34 over and Fresno State 61 over.  Idaho was sixth (74 over) and Hawai'i finished 77 over.


This is the final WAC action of course for Boise State, who will find the Mountain West much more challenging next year.

Jones Finishes 2nd at Utah State Invitational

Racquel Jones had great promise when she signed her letter of intent to come to Boise State.  Saturday, Jones used her great ability in a win at the Utah State Invitational.


Jones finished second in the 200 meters in 24.30, which gives her the top time in the Western Athletic Conference this season.  Jones also won the 100 in 12.36 and, together with Destiny Gammage, Cyntrail Pierce and Mackenzie Flannigan, won the 4 x 100-meter relay with a season best time of 47.15.   


Rolando Trammel won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.48, off his best but Trammel continues to lead the WAC.  Justin Malnes was second (14.58).  Manoah Wesson was second in the 200 with a time of 21.66 and second in the 400 (48.09).  The Bronco team of Nick Tatro, Ethan Slight, Tyler Rackleff and Michael Walrath won the 4 x 400-meter relay with a time of 3:17.79.

Boise State Rocks Utah State 10-1

After a rain delay, Boise State exploded to take out Utah State 10-1 in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader in Logan.  


Mackenzie Whyte and Tazz Weatherly each had two hits, both doubling in two runs apiece in a six-run Boise State uprising in the fourth inning.  Meanwhile, red-hot Aubray Zell tossed a five-hitter at the Aggies to even the series at a game a piece.  Weather permitting, the second game should be getting underway shortly.

Defense Tops Offense 21-13 in Boise State Spring Game

Defenses win championships, and it should come as no surprise to anyone who follows Boise State football, whether close or from afar, that the Bronco defense is the strength of the team.


That was quite evident tonight in the annual Blue & Orange Spring Game in Bronco Stadium before over 14,000 people on a warm evening in Boise.  When Kellen Moore has trouble completing passes, you know he's facing a top-notch defense, and that was the case tonight.  Moore only played two series by my account and simply did not have people to throw to.  Joe Southwick and Grant Hedrick had more luck against the second team Boise State defense, but nothing came easy.  Hedrick led the offense to its only touchdown as time ran out with a scamper into the end zone.

Two players really stood out, well three but more on that.  Freshman cornerback Bryan Douglas had a pick of Southwick, three other passes broken up and several tackles.  Wide receiver Geraldo Hiwat was by far the star of the receiving corps with four catches for 93 yards.  Hiwat's height, a raw ability that can be honed by the Bronco coaches exactly the way they want it to go, and his speed make him a dangerous receiver.  I told you about him as spring ball was unfolding and he indeed is the real deal.


The third Bronco to really stand out was defensive tackle Billy Winn.  He had a couple of sacks, a few more tackles for loss, and was a constant bother to the offense.  Here's the bad news--a few minutes before the game was over, Winn went down.  Trainers rushed out on the field to aid him.  Billy put no weight at all on his left leg.  He was sitting at the trainer's table for the remainder of the game and after the game.  He tried once to get up but could not put weight on his leg.  If it's a sprain or break, it's something he can probably recover from.  If it's an ACL, outlook not so good.  Stay tuned for more on that.


As for who will step up on defense, it appears that freshman Jeremy Ioane and JC transfer Dextrell Simmons have made great strides and will be serious contenders at strong safety and nickelback, respectively; Hunter White also played well at nickel tonight.  Charles Leno played a good deal with the offense at tackle.


While Hiwat stepped up, as we told you a month ago, unfortunately a third receiver did not to join returning starter Tyler Shoemaker.  It's going to be a toss-up apparently for that third wideout between Aaron Burks, Kirby Moore, Mitch Burroughs and Chris Potter.


Several of the key players for Boise State were kept out of the game with nagging injuries, none of them too serious, and the stars for Boise State--Kellen Moore and Doug Martin played sparingly.  The one real concern is Winn.


Overall, a great effort tonight--saw lots of good things from the Boise State team.  Last year, the Broncos got off to a big lead over Virginia Tech then let them back in the game.  Don't want to do that against Georgia and roll the dice again for another miracle finish.  So we will find out September 3rd if Boise State is to be taken seriously on the national stage.

Boise State Softball Team Slips to Second Place Tie

As revealed first here on Blue Through and Through, Boise State's loss to Utah State dropped them into a tie for second place in the Western Athletic Conference.  New Mexico State is the new front-runner at 9-1, with the Broncos and Fresno State tied at 8-2.  Hawai'i looms in fourth with a 7-3 mark.

Boise State Women's Golf Team Vies for Position

The final round of the Western Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championship is underway in Mesa, Arizona.


(Refresh for Updates)


Boise State and Idaho, as the last two teams in yesterday's competition, began on the course early this morning and are playing the fourth hole.  Boise State is 3 over and Idaho is 2 over--looks like those teams will battle to avoid the cellar.  Boise State is now 29 over with the Vandals 32 over.  The closest team to those two is fifth-place Fresno State, 24 over.


UPDATE:  Boise State is golfing well at the moment.  The Broncos are on the 7th hole and 5 over on the day (for a total of 31 over), so only 2 over since the last update.  The good news is that Idaho is now 12 over today and 42 over so Boise State can avoid last place with a good finish.  More good news--Fresno State is also 5 over, bringing their total to 29 over, just 2 strokes ahead of Boise State.  


UPDATE:  Boise State now 38 over, Fresno State is 30 over and Idaho 49 over.

Viitala Wins Mt. SAC Long Jump

Eetu Viitala won the long jump at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays yesterday with a jump of 24-11.25.

Unfortunately, he was the only Bronco to place in the top three.  Action continues today in the 53rd annual event.

Glass 11th in Semifinals of NCAA National Gymnastics Championships

Here are the current standings:

1.  Leslie Mak, Oregon State 39.350
1.  Kim Jacob, Alabama 39.350
3.  Stephanie McAllister, Utah 39.325
4.  Corrie Lothup, Utah 39.250
5.  Jacquelyn Johnson, Utah 39.050
6.  Makayla Stambaugh, Oregon State 38.825
7.  Kayla Slechta, Minnesota 38.600
8.  Houry Gebeshian, Iowa 38.125

Amy Glass's current score with bars to go--  29.325.  She had a 9.750 on bars.  Glass finished with 39.075.

Boise State Loses to Utah State 4-3

The Lady Bronco softball team has fallen behind Utah State 2-0 in the third.  Allie Crump is pitching for the Broncos in Logan.

(Refresh often for updates.)


Utah State added one in the third to make it 3-0.  Crump just doubled in Holly Bourke for Boise State's first run.  Two errors in the inning have aided the Bronco cause.  With runners on second and third and freshman phenom Devon Bridges up, the Aggies did not intentionally walk her, which in itself is unbelievable.  Then, when she hit it, they made an error, allowing a second run to score.  Tazz Weatherly flied out with the bases loaded, so the score remains Utah State 3, Boise State 2.

Mackenzie Whyte has come through in the fifth, doubling in Kellie Caplan with the tying run.  Boise State has one out with Whyte on second.  The Broncos loaded the bases but Whyte was thrown out at the plate to end the threat--still tied at 3.

Boise State will have to fight from behind once again.  USU scored on a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth and leads again 4-3.  Lela Wok has had to come on for the Broncos.

No luck for Boise State in the sixth--the game moves to the 7th for the Broncos' last chance.  It will be Bourke, Whyte and Crump for Boise State.  First place on the line.

Bourke comes through with a leadoff single, Whyte singles to right.  Runners on first and second, no outs.  Crump was out at first, but she did move Bourke to third and Whyte to second.  Will they do the smart thing and walk Bridges this time? 

Yes, the bases are loaded for Vanessa Alvarez.  She popped up, meaning two outs.  Lela Work is up with the Broncos down to their final out.  She grounds out, and the Aggies have pulled off the upset.

Boise State Men's Team Off to Great Start

While their counterparts are struggling mightily at the WAC women's championships, the Boise State men's golf team is golfing well at the moment at the PING Championship hosted by departing Mountain West school BYU.  The Broncos have suddenly caught fire and have tied Utah State for the lead (3 under par) in the 18-team tournament.  Better yet, Boise State is ahead of WAC members Nevada, Idaho and Fresno State, host BYU which is abandoning the Mountain West, Utah, which the Pac-10 chose for their conference, and future Mountain West Conference mates UNLV, Colorado State, Air Force and Wyoming.

Colorado State is two back of the leaders, Utah is one back while UNLV is even so far.

UPDATE:  UNLV caught fire and leads after one day, eight strokes under par.  The Broncos, meanwhile, unfortunately settled back to their performance so far this year and are 3 over, tied for seventh.

Boise State Women Off to Last Place Start

The Bronco women knew going into the Western Athletic Conference Golf Championship that they were at the bottom looking up, and the view hasn't changed so far. 


Boise State is currently a plus 14, tied for last with Nevada and 12 strokes behind leader Hawai'i.  The Wahine are just two shots over on the Mesa, Arizona course while San Jose State and Idaho are tied at 4 over.  Fresno State is plus 7 while New Mexico State is in fifth, 11 over par.


Update--The rest of the lower tier is trying to come down to Boise State's level, so if the Lady Broncos can get their game going, they might be able to move up by default.  Pre-meet favorite San Jose State is now in first, 9 strokes over.  Hawai'i is now 11 over with Idaho 16 over in third place.  New Mexico State and Nevada, two schools that are chasing Boise State for the WAC Commissioner's Cup, are tied at 18 over par, with Fresno State 20 over and Boise State now 24 over.

Update--This indeed happened, as Idaho is now 30 over for last place--after the bad start, Boise State seemed to settle down and finished 26 over.  New Mexico State finished the first round 21 over and Fresno State 24 over, so the Broncos are in position to finish in the upper half, provided they relax and play with confidence tomorrow.  Nevada finished as the first round leader 17 over while San Jose State is 18 over. 

Blog Highlights

If you're new to Blue Through and Through, Welcome!  Please tell your Bronco friends about this site.  You have a lot to catch up on, but to remedy that, there is a Tab located at the top of the page called "Blog Highlights".  I've included the link below, but anytime you want to check out the top articles on this blog or look up something from an old article, you can click on the tab and it will take you to the best features on this site.

http://rocketman5000.blogspot.com/p/blog-highlights.html

Boise State Loses 6-1 to #8 Stanford

The Broncos got a lesson today in Palo Alto.  Sears was the only Bronco who won and most of the matches were not close.  Boise State must now shrug that off because they have crucial matches against Western Athletic Conference foes Fresno State and Hawai'i this weekend.   

Glass & Gher Head to Nationals

Boise State fell hundreds of a point shy of qualifying for their first NCAA National Gymnastics Tournament.  Two Broncos, however, did qualify individually, and tomorrow Amy Glass and Bekah Gher will be out to prove themselves in Cleveland.

Glass qualified in the all-around competition, while Gher will compete on beam.  Both will begin competition at 4 p.m. Mountain Time.  Glass will begin on beam, followed by a bye, then will take to the floor, the vault, have another bye and finish up on bars.  Glass will rotate with the #1 Florida team, the team that the Broncos nearly beat at Regionals.  Gher will compete in the third rotation along with the Kent State Team.

Best of luck to Amy and Bekah!

Boise State Tennis Team Gets Chance to Prove Itself

The Boise State tennis team has had its troubles with Top 40 teams.  Today, Coach Greg Patton's group gets yet another opportunity against #8 Stanford.  The match between the Cardinal and Broncos is underway in Palo Alto.

Bronco Basketball Team Gets Stronger

Boise State basketball coach Leon Rice made it official with the announcement of three new recruits on LOI Day.  Kenny Buckner, Jarrell Crayton and Igor "Iggy" Hadziomerovic will join the Bronco team that advanced to the semi-finals of the and were one of the last college basketball teams still playing.

“We are very excited to coach and develop this class,” Rice said. “Although this is a very diverse group, they share a common love for the game and a desire to improve. They are high-character young men who care about their teammates and this program. Bronco Nation will enjoy watching them in the years to come.”

Buckner (6-9, 250) is the newest recruit from the legendary College of Southern Idaho program to come down Interstate 84 and play for Boise State.  Buckner gives the Broncos a tall, muscular force in the middle, something they haven't had for a while.  Bucker was one of the key reasons why the Golden Eagles (33-4) swept to yet another Junior College National Championship, averaging 10.8 points and 10.0 rebounds during the national tournament.  Buckner was named to the All-Region team and was also named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team.  Last season, Buckner led CSI in field goal perentage (59.3%) and was second in rebound with an 8.2 average.  Boise State is very fortunate to get a student-athlete of Buckner's caliber.

Crayton (6-7, 210) has a good frame that strength coach Tim Socha can work with.  He played power forward for Sheridan College each of the past two seasons.  Crayton led te Generals in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.6) and helped his team to the championship of the Region IX Tournament.  He was All-Region last season and all-conference as a freshman.  Last year, Crayton averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game.  Together with Buckner, Crayton will help solidify the inside game for Boise State.


Hadziomerovic is a 6-4, 200-pound guard from Melbourne, Australia who will have four years.  Hadziomerovic will represent Australia at the U19 World Championships in Latvia this summer.  He averaged 23 points and five assists for Victoria State, helping his team win the U20 National Championship.

With all the talent coming back for Coach Rice, this trio will give Boise State a solid team next winter.

Erickson Wins Greco-Roman Junior Nationals

Boise State's Toby Erickson, who saw limited action last fall, has won the 264.5-pound Greco-Roman championship at the FILA Junior National Wrestling Championship in Cleveland, Ohio.  


Erickson downed Parker Betts 6-0 and 2-1 to win the title and finished second in the freestyle competition.  Toby was 1-2 in dual competition for the Bronco wrestling team this past season.  

Nelson Wins WAC Honor

The Boise State track team didn't fare particularly well at the Sun Angel Classic, but Alex Nelson did, and his hammer throw win earned Nelson an honor from the Western Athletic Conference office.

The WAC named Nelson as its Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week for his performance in Tempe.  Nelson tossed the hammer 208-feet, 8-inches to win the Collegiate Division event.  He not only won that event, but his mark would have placed second in the so-called "Premier" hammer throw as well.  Nelson now owns the best mark in the WAC this season, the only Bronco to have that distinction in any event.

Winn Named to Lott Trophy Watch List

Boise State defensive tackle Billy Winn received word that he is on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List this coming season.  The Lott Trophy is given annually to the top collegiate defensive player in the nation.

This alone lets Winn know what he must achieve this fall.  For the Broncos to be the kind of team that the players, coaches and fans want them to be, Winn must be a leader (if not The Leader) on a Boise State defense that will again be one of the best in the nation.  Billy has had his moments of greatness (his knifing through the Oregon offensive line to nab LaGarrette Blount for a safety is one), but the Broncos are looking for him to thoroughly dominate the opposition on every play, to be so much of a threat that opposing offensive coordinators are constantly drawing up double-teams and having to change their offense because of him.  If Winn forces that, it doesn't matter which and how many awards he receives; he will have done his job.



The Western Athletic Conference never recognized Winn as a first-team player (to each his own, I suppose.)  He has had 22 tackles for loss and 10 sacks combined in the last two seasons.  Now, Billy needs to ring up those kind of numbers in one year to rise to the next level.

There are 42 others on the Lott Impact list--IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, qualities that Ronnie Lott himself stood for.  More than 200 former stars and coaches, media members and LOTT Board members vote on the finalists, which will all be recognized at the Lott IMPACT Trophy banquet December 11 in Newport Beach, California.

Blue-Orange Game Set for Saturday at 5

Of course the real "moment of truth" will be this fall, but in a way, it will be Saturday for the Boise State football team.  The Broncos will be on display for all to see how what they have learned in spring ball.

There have been several things to look for:

1.  Who is going to step up at receiver?  Tyler Shoemaker is the most seasoned, but you can't beat Georgia (or TCU, or Fresno State, or Air Force, or Nevada.....). with one receiver
2.  Has the defense conditioned itself so they can play four full quarters against a quality opponent without getting tired, ala the Nevada game?
3.  Will the Broncos have a kicker they can rely on to make the clutch field goal for them?
4.  Who will step up at safety to replace Jeron Johnson?

Boise State lost several players and a lot of talent off the team that lost a game last year, but we know that the Broncos reload each year and new players become stars before our eyes.  To be honest, there isn't a lot of improving that has to be done, but the four areas mentioned above must be taken care of for Boise State to dream of a game in January.

It will be an exciting year, if for no other reason because Boise State is entering a new conference, the Mountain West, with a new group of conference rivals and a new set of challenges.  The quality level goes up considerably week to week.  I always felt that the top part of the Western Athletic Conference could compete with most teams, but it was #4-#9 where it was suspect and fell behind the Mountain West and the "BCS" conferences.  That isn't to say the games were easy--Boise State could always count on getting another team's best effort, and that was something most outsiders could never understand.  But now, you not only get an opponent's best shot, but you get opponents that are solid top to bottom in the Mountain West. 

So Saturday, fans will get to see the "new Broncos", without Titus Young and Austin Pettis, without Jeron Johnson, Winston Venable and the rest of the talented senior class that surpassed all others before them.  That said, the Blue & Orange Game is nothing more than a glorified scrimmage.  Still, to the finely tuned Bronco fan's eyes, there will be enough action to be able to answer the questions posed above either affirmatively or negatively.

The "Game" starts at 5 p.m. Saturday in Bronco Stadium.  It will be most interesting to see how this new group of Broncos is progressing.

WAC Women's Golf Seedings Heading Into Tournament

The Western Athletic Conference women's golf Tournament is set for Friday.  Here are the seedings heading into the tournament:

1.  New Mexico State (ranked #57 in the nation)--5-29 against Top 50 teams and 26-51 vs. Top 100 teams
2.  San Jose State (#66--0-19 vs. Top 50 teams and 21-72-1 vs. Top 100 teams)
3.  Nevada (#99--1-3 and 7-16)
4.  Idaho (#102--0-15 and 8-65)
5.  Fresno State (#115--1-26 and 11-49)
6.  Boise State (#149--0-6 and 1-39)
7.  Hawai'i (#160--0-28 and 0-63)

Boise State's Aubray Zell is the WAC Pitcher of the Week

Aubray Zell of Boise State is the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, according to the league office.



Zell won two games over the weekend, pitching 12 innings without allowing an earned run.  Zell struck out nine and walked one in two victories over Louisiana Tech that helped vault the Broncos into first place in the WAC.  She struck out five in a complete game win over Louisiana Tech Friday afternoon, then came back to record her fourth shutout of the season Saturday, allowing just four hits.  Zell is now 9-1 this season with an ERA of 0.95.

WAC Statistics for Week of April 11

        STANDINGS (as of Apr 12, 2011)

                                  WAC                Overall
     Team                   W   L   T   Pct       W   L   T   Pct
     New Mexico State....   8   1   0  .889      29  12   0  .707
     Boise State.........   8   1   0  .889      25  13   0  .658
     Fresno State........   7   2   0  .778      23  11   0  .676
     Hawai`i.............   6   3   0  .667      28  12   0  .700
     San Jose State......   2   7   0  .222      16  25   0  .390
     Louisiana Tech......   2   7   0  .222      11  28   0  .282
     Utah State..........   2   7   0  .222       7  33   0  .175
     Nevada..............   1   8   0  .111      10  25   0  .286
    
    

---

Leaders Summary

Western Athletic Conference
WAC Leaders Summary as of Apr 12, 2011            
(All games)

TEAM BATTING           G   Avg   AB    R    H   2B   3B   HR   BB   SO  SB-ATT 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Mexico State....  41  .338 1117  283  377   66    8   52  179  208  63-71  
Boise State.........  38  .311 1008  227  313   39    2   38  129  145  38-45  
Nevada..............  35  .274  920  153  252   45    5   27   92  236  23-27  
San Jose State......  41  .262 1092  168  286   52    2   18  143  194  34-42  
Hawai`i.............  40  .253 1003  183  254   35    3   42  129  225  24-28  
Fresno State........  34  .247  870  118  215   30    7   22   81  197  36-42  
Utah State..........  40  .246 1031  122  254   40    3   18   87  228  11-17  
Louisiana Tech......  39  .220  982  115  216   25    2   15   98  203  36-45  
Totals.............. 154  .270 8023 1369 2167  332   32  232  938 1636 265-317 

TEAM PITCHING          G   ERA   W   L  Sv     IP     H     R    ER    BB    SO 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hawai`i.............  40  1.48  28  12   1  264.0   180    80    56    65   303 
Fresno State........  34  2.49  23  11   2  239.0   215   104    85    83   197 
Boise State.........  38  3.27  25  13   6  243.2   247   144   114   102   224 
New Mexico State....  41  4.65  28  12   4  262.0   338   215   174    86   157 
Louisiana Tech......  39  4.69  10  28   2  255.0   305   217   171   117   224 
San Jose State......  41  4.91  16  25   2  265.0   390   247   186   123   131 
Nevada..............  35  5.81  10  25   1  215.2   273   242   179   136   165 
Utah State..........  40  6.14   7  33   0  248.2   355   256   218   163   150 
Totals.............. 154  4.16 147 159  18 1993.0  2303  1505  1183   875  1551 

TEAM FIELDING          G    PO     A     E    Pct    DP    PB SBA-ATT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresno State........  34   717   293    31   .970    12     3  23-26 
Hawai`i.............  40   792   285    39   .965    10     5  19-23 
Boise State.........  38   731   307    43   .960     9    14  40-51 
Louisiana Tech......  39   765   294    52   .953     7     9  59-71 
Utah State..........  40   746   331    53   .953    15     5  39-53 
New Mexico State....  41   786   348    58   .951     8     4  32-39 
Nevada..............  35   647   240    48   .949     5    14  36-49 
San Jose State......  41   795   338    64   .947    14     3  21-41 
Totals.............. 154  5979  2436   388   .956    80    57 269-353

INDIVIDUAL BATTING
Min 2.0 AB/Team game         G   Avg  AB    R    H  RBI   2B   3B   HR   BB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nohara, Hoku-NMSU.........  37  .461  89   31   41   56    6    1   19   45
Bridges, Devon-BSU........  38  .418  98   25   41   42    5    0   11   19
Jones, Kandis-NMSU........  40  .413 138   40   57   30   10    1    0   10
Bourke, Holly-BSU.........  38  .398 123   29   49   27    8    1    3   12
Crump, Allie-BSU..........  37  .369 103   22   38   21    3    0    8   14
Caplan, Kellie-BSU........  38  .361 133   31   48   15    3    0    1    3
Jennings, Tiare-NMSU......  41  .357 115   37   41   33    6    0    9   35
Randall, Kylie-NMSU.......  41  .354 130   43   46   10    6    3    1   20
Hopkins, Karley-NEV.......  35  .349 126   26   44   12   14    1    2    6
Jones, Erin-NEV...........  25  .342  79   14   27   19    3    0    5    6
Maroda, Ashley-NMSU.......  38  .339 118   23   40   25   11    0    4   11
Uchida, Kassandra-USU.....  38  .333 108   14   36    8    5    0    1   11
Conrad, Teresa-NMSU.......  37  .330 106   25   35   32    5    1    7   13
Wolfe, Annica-SJSU........  38  .327 104   12   34   20    5    0    3   10
Murdock, Britton-NEV......  35  .324 105   15   34   17    7    1    2    8
Coenen, Sadie-SJSU........  36  .323  99   23   32    5    9    1    0   16
Stange, Alex-SJSU.........  39  .319 113   15   36   18    5    0    2   11
Swedberg, Valerie-NMSU....  35  .316  98   17   31   29    9    2    6    6
Iwata, Jessica-UH.........  40  .311 122   32   38   25    3    1   11   20
Gilleland, Haley-FS.......  34  .310 113   19   35   11    6    2    0   12

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING
Min 1.0 IP/Team game       App   ERA  W-L  Sv    IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Parnaby, Kaia-UH..........  14  1.07 10-3   1  84.2  53  19  13  19 103
Ricketts, Stephani-UH.....  28  1.57 17-9   0 173.2 117  56  39  45 196
Zell, Aubray-BSU..........  16  1.64  9-1   0  77.0  65  22  18  11  71
Oakes, Mackenzie-FS.......  20  2.07 13-2   1 101.2  99  41  30  29  55
Moses, Michelle-FS........  23  2.90  9-9   1 120.2  98  57  50  44 134
Krieg, Meghan-LATEC.......  26  3.36  7-16  1 150.0 137  91  72  71 183
Work, Lela-BSU............  20  3.57  4-5   6  53.0  54  28  27   7  51
Newman, Alex-NMSU.........  31  3.73 18-4   0 107.0 114  63  57  35  64
Crump, Allie-BSU..........  19  3.84 11-5   0  96.2 108  73  53  53  93
Ames, Jennifer-SJSU.......  22  4.09  6-12  2 119.2 167  90  70  47  49
Walker, Celisha-NMSU......  22  4.13  3-4   3  57.2  76  44  34  12  29
Darby, Mallary-NEV........  30  4.94 10-18  0 157.1 175 150 111  85 124
Fox, Elyssa-SJSU..........  19  5.00  4-11  0  68.2  95  62  49  32  50
Kipp, Erin-LATEC..........  14  5.65  0-7   1  62.0  93  64  50  23  26
Harmon, Mandy-USU.........  30  5.71  5-19  0 122.2 161 114 100  74  82

HITS
----
Jones, Kandis-NMSU........   57
Bourke, Holly-BSU.........   49
Caplan, Kellie-BSU........   48
Randall, Kylie-NMSU.......   46
Hopkins, Karley-NEV.......   44

RUNS SCORED
-----------
Randall, Kylie-NMSU.......   43
Jones, Kandis-NMSU........   40
Jennings, Tiare-NMSU......   37
Iwata, Jessica-UH.........   32
2 tied with 31 run(s) scored

RUNS BATTED IN
--------------
Nohara, Hoku-NMSU.........   56
Bridges, Devon-BSU........   42
Kliebenstein, Shar-UH.....   34
Jennings, Tiare-NMSU......   33
Conrad, Teresa-NMSU.......   32

DOUBLES
-------
Hopkins, Karley-NEV.......   14
Maroda, Ashley-NMSU.......   11
Jones, Kandis-NMSU........   10
3 tied with 9 double(s)

TRIPLES
-------
Randall, Kylie-NMSU.......    3
Swedberg, Valerie-NMSU....    2
Ortiz, Brooke-FS..........    2
Gilleland, Haley-FS.......    2
23 tied with 1 triple(s)

HOME RUNS
---------
Nohara, Hoku-NMSU.........   19
Kliebenstein, Shar-UH.....   11
Bridges, Devon-BSU........   11
Iwata, Jessica-UH.........   11
2 tied with 9 home run(s)

TOTAL BASES
-----------
Nohara, Hoku-NMSU.........  106
Bridges, Devon-BSU........   79
Iwata, Jessica-UH.........   76
Jennings, Tiare-NMSU......   74
Kliebenstein, Shar-UH.....   73

STOLEN BASES                SB-ATT
----------------------------------
Randall, Kylie-NMSU.......  26-27 
Gilleland, Haley-FS.......  18-20 
Caplan, Kellie-BSU........  12-14 
Weatherly, Tazz-BSU.......  11-13 
Murdock, Britton-NEV......  10-10 

STRIKEOUTS                    IP   SO
-------------------------------------
Ricketts, Stephani-UH..... 173.2  196
Krieg, Meghan-LATEC....... 150.0  183
Moses, Michelle-FS........ 120.2  134
Darby, Mallary-NEV........ 157.1  124
Parnaby, Kaia-UH..........  84.2  103

Trammel, Gammage Pace Broncos at Sun Angel Classic

A fourth-place and a pair of fifth-place finishes highlighted Boise State's showing a the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona yesterday.


Junior Manoah Wesson ran a great race to finish fourth in the 400.  Wesson (48.18) finished behind Iowa's Steven Willey (46.48), Arizona State's William Henry (46.87) and Iowa's Chris Barton (47.63).


Pontus Thomee and Alex Cartwright took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the javelin.  Thomee tossed the spear 205-feet, 4-inches while Cartwright was right behind with a mark of 203-5.


Rolando Trammel placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles to lead the Boise State men.The Bronco hurdler crossed the finish line in 14.92 seconds.  The top collegiate finisher was Jordan Mullen of Iowa, who finished #2 in 14.24.  


The promising sophomore Destiny Gammage was fifth in the 200 meters with a time of 24.97.

Lady Broncos Gear Up for WAC Golf Championship

The Boise State women's golf team has been improving recently, and they'll need to be at their best next weekend as another championship in the Western Athletic Conference is decided.  The Championship will be in Mesa, Arizona Friday through Sunday.

Devon Bridges Becomes 3rd Player in NCAA History With 3 Slams in a Season

Prior to this season, only two collegiate softball players had ever hit three grand slams in a season.  

Better make it three.  Boise State freshman phenom Devon Bridges hit another salami yesterday to key a seven-run inning and complete a Bronco sweep of Louisiana Tech.  It was Bridges' third of the season and she still has plenty of games to go.  She homered with the bases full in the 17th game of the season against Seattle, did it again on May 26 in a victory over Nevada and cleared the bases again this afternoon.

Bridges has now reached base safely in 28 games in a row.  The Broncos head out on the road for an eight-game trip beginning with three against Utah State.

#57 Boise State Wins Again

The Boise State women's tennis team is building momentum for the upcoming Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Broncos downed New Mexico State 5-2 this afternoon for their fourth WAC win against no defeats.  Boise State won the doubles points, then spread out for four singles wins against the Aggies.   

                                            Megale keys wins at #1 singles and doubles

Lauren Megale and Marlena Pietzuch are playing well right now, getting an 8-5 win over Isabela Kulaif and Annemieke Witte at No. 1 doubles.  Elyse Edwards and Sonia Klamczynska clinched the point with an 8-6 victory over Manon Sylvain and Jodie Williams.  Megale made it 2-0 after Kulaif withdrew from their match at No. 1 singles; at the time Megale was leading 6-3, 2-1.  Edwards won her match 6-2, 6-3.  Pietzuch clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-3 disposal of Williams.  Morgan Basil added a win at No. 6 singles for the final Bronco win. 

Boise State moves its season record to 14-6 and will take on Nevada in Reno Sunday at noon Mountain Time. 

#57 Boise State 5, New Mexico State 2

DOUBLES
1.  Lauren Megale/Marlena Pietzuch (Boise State) def. Isabela Kulaif/Annemieke Witte (NMSU) 8-5
2. Elyse Edwards/Sonia Klamczynska (Boise State) def. Manon Sylvain/Jodie Williams (NMSU) 8-6
3.  Stephanie Jasper/Sandy Vo (Boise State) def. Ginet Pinero/Ros-Polly Nguyen (NMSU) 8-6

SINGLES
1. Megale (Boise State) def. Kulaif (NMSU) 6-3, 2-1 (retire)
2. Sylvain (NMSU) def. Klamczynska (Boise State) 6-4, 6-3
3. Pinero (NMSU) def. Jasper (Boise State) 6-2, 3-6, 10-8
4. Edwards (Boise State) def. Witte (NMSU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Pietzuch (Boise State) def. Williams (NMSU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Morgan basil  (Boise State) def. Nguyen (NMSU) 6-1, 6-4

Boise State Softball Team Moves Into Tie for First Place

You heard it on this blog first.  With #23 Fresno State's 9-1 softball win over New Mexico State last night and New Mexico State's 10-2 and 9-1 wins over Fresno this afternoon, the WAC race is up for grabs.  Boise State and New Mexico State are now tied for #1 in the conference with 8-1 records with Fresno State a game back at 7-2.  The Broncos swept a doubleheader from Louisiana Tech and are now 8-1.  Fresno State is 8-0 pending the second game of a doubleheader.

Boise State Blanks Louisiana Tech 8-0

Freshman sensation Devon Bridges hit another grand slam to key a seven-run Boise State fifth and Allie Crump had a homer as well.  Aubray Zell moved to 9-1 on the season as she struck out four and didn't walk a batter.


The Lady Broncos are on fire.  With the win, the Broncos are now tied for first with New Mexico State.

Boise State Rocks Louisiana Tech 11-3 in First Game

Boise State has defeated Louisiana Tech 11-3 in the first of a scheduled twin bill at Mountain Cove Field in Boise.

Mackenzie Whyte's solo homer in the first helped the Bronco cause right off the get-go.  In the second, Tazz Weatherly's grounder scored Devon Bridges who had singled to lead off the inning.  Kellie Caplan came up and singled to drive in Kelly Sweeney and then stole a base, putting her in position to score on a single by Holly Burke that Weatherly also scored on. 





The Lady Broncos have blown it open in the third with a two-run homer by Christina Capobianco and a solo shot by Sweeney to make it 8-2.  Boise State added a run on Vanessa Alvarez's double down the left field line that scored Allie Crump in the fourth and two runners scored on an error following Caplan's sacrifice in the fifth.  Caplan finished the game a perfect 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Crump allowed just three hits to pick up the victory for Boise State.  The two teams will play a second game shortly.

Boise State Professor Jorcyk Receives Grant to Research Breast Cancer

Boise State associate professor Cheryl Jorcyk has secured a $600,000 grant from the Komen for the Cure Foundation to research breast cancer.

Jorcyk has studied Oncostatin M, a protein that is produced by breast cancer and immune cells that plays a role in inflammation.  With the grant, she will be able to explore the therapeutic effectiveness of an existing antibody against the metastasis of cancer from breast to bone.  Jorcyk believes that the spread of cancer is connected to OSM and that the antibody could block the binding mechanism of OSM.




“It’s extremely exciting to be entrusted with such important resources and the responsibility to produce results,” Jorcyk said. “It is every investigator’s hope that the return on investment will be significant, and this project has the potential to deliver.”

The Komen Foundation hopes that Jorcyk's work will lead to a new treatment product that will better address the complexity of breast cancer.  If Jorcyk is successful, she will be a major contributor to combating the disease. 

“Dr. Jorcyk exemplifies the spirit of Boise State’s research mission, to surpass expectations and define powerful new possibilities,” said Director of Technology Transfer Mary Givens. “The knowledge generated by her research has great promise to impact health and society across the world.”

Boise State Receives Grant to Research Biological Hazards

The money keeps coming in for Boise State.  The Univeristy recently received a grant from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in conjunction with the National Science Foundation to research chemical and biological hazards. 

Inanc Senocak and Jodi Mead of Boise State will be conducting the research that will reconstruct and simulate hazards once they have been detected in the atmosphere.  The pair will study how to reduce and control the threat of contamination that could occur to civilians as well as troops in the battlefield.



Senocak has already secured millions in grants for his work in other areas--he is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering.  While working on a postdoctoral fellowship, Senocak used statistical algorithms and models of air pollution to reconstruct how contaminants would disperse in the atmosphere.  Mead, a professor of mathematics at Boise State, assisted Senocak with her expertise in numerical analysis.

Boise State's Nelson Wins Collegiate Hammer Throw at Sun Angel Track Classic

Boise State's Alex Nelson won the hammer throw in the Collegiate Division at the Sun Angel Track Classic in Tempe, Arizona yesterday.  Nelson uncorked a throw of 208-feet, 8-inches on his fourth of six throws at the competition.  Nelson's throw would have finished second and been within a foot of Minnesota's Micah Hegerle, who won the so-called "Premiere Division".



Unfortunately, Nelson's effort represented the only Boise State finish in the top five yesterday.  Action resumes this afternoon in Tempe.

Lady Broncos Down Louisiana Tech 6-2

Chalk up yet another win for the Boise State softball team.  Aubray Zell's complete game paced the Broncos to a 6-2 victory this afternoon over Louisiana Tech at Mountain Cove Field.  Freshman phenom Devon Bridges once again powered the offense with a three-run blast in the fifth inning.  The amazing Broncos are 6-1 in conference play and 23-13 overall.

Zell had a shutout going through five and two-thirds before Tech was able to get two unearned runs in the sixth.  Zell put out that fire and was there at the finish to accept congratulations from her teammates as Aubray is now 8-1 this season.  Zell has turned into one of Boise State's best pitchers with a 1.75 ERA.

Kellie Caplan got things going in the first with an infield hit and her 10th stolen base of the season, then advanced to third on a passed ball.  Allie Crump lofted a two-out single behind second base and the Broncos were on the board.  The score stood at 1-0 until the Broncos' fifth, when Tazz Weatherly walked and stole second and dependable Holly Bourke sent an RBI double into the gap in left center.  Crump came through again with a two-out hit that found a hole between the pitcher and second base.  Bridges came up and belted the next pitch over the left-field fence and Boise State took a 4-0 lead. 

Like all good teams do, Boise State added an insurance run in the sixth as Bourke drove in Weatherly.  Bourke now has eight hits in the last nine games and 48 on the season.

Coach Erin Thorpe's team has to feel pretty good about its run production against All-WAC pitcher Meghan Krieg.  Krieg went the distance to pick up the loss but made the Broncos earn every hit and every run.

Fresno State and New Mexico State are undefeated in the WAC, meaning that Boise State must continue to win and knock off those two in head-to-head action.  The Broncos face Louisiana Tech in a doubleheader tomorrow.  First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mountain Cove.  All participants in the Beat Coach Pete Scholarship Run/Walk will be admitted to both games free--just show your race t-shirt a the gate!

Bronco Track Team at Sun Angel Classic

Action is underway in the prestigious Sun Angel Classin in Tempe, Arizona. 

Boise State is sending part of its squad there this weekend.  Broncos who will compete at the Sun Angel are Anthony Belcher, Yvonne Bennett, Karrie Butler, Taryn Campos Eric Capelle, Alex Cartwright, Jeff Daw, Austin Edwards, Emily Field, Mackenzie Flannigan, Emily Funkhouser, Destiny Gammage, Quinten Hennekam, Shannon Jacobs, Racquel Jones, Steffanie Jordan, Sasa Kampic, Dustin Klein, Jamie Knapp, Trevor Kraychir, Will Lohman, Justin Malnes, Rici Morill, Alexi Morton, Mathew Moyer, Alex Nelson, Alyssa Osai, Cyntrail Pierce, Paul Robertson, Nadine Russell, Chase Sexton, Tajanee Simmos, Pontus Thomee, Dan Thompson, Rolando Trammel and Manoah Wesson.

Other teams facing Boise State are Adams State, Air Force, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Central Arizona, Colorado State, DePaul, Eastern New Mexico, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, San Diego State, Syracuse, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and Virginia Tech

Obviously the Classic will give the Broncos a good idea where they stand not only in the Western Athletic Conference and not only in their future Mountain West Conference but nationally as well.

Lady Broncos Host Louisiana Tech This Weekend

Boise State's softball team must keep winning in its quest for the Western Athletic Conference title.  The Broncos host Louisiana Tech this weekend for a three-game set.


Returning All-WAC pitcher Meghan Krieg will be stingy so Boise State will have to make the most of its opportunites.  Krieg leads the conference with 8.77 strikeouts per seven innings pitched and ranks 16th in the nation with 175 K's.


First pitch is set for 3 p.m. this afternoon at Mountain Cove Field in Boise.  The two teams will square off in a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m.

The "Near-Finalized" Boise State Football Schedule for 2011

2011 Boise State University Football Schedule  

(Tentative - as of April 7, 2011)

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME TV
Sept. 3 (Sat.) vs. Georgia Atlanta, GA 8:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN
    Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game  (Georgia Dome)  
Sept. 10 (Sat.) Open
Sept. 17 (Sat.) at Toledo Toledo, OH TBA   TBA
Sept. 24 (Sat.) Tulsa Boise, ID 6:00 p.m. (MT)  CBS SN
Oct. 1 (Sat.) Nevada Boise, ID TBA   VERSUS
Oct. 7 (Fri.) at Fresno State Fresno, CA 6:00 p.m. (PT) ESPN
Oct. 15 (Sat.) * at Colorado State Fort Collins, CO 4:00 p.m. (MT)  The Mtn.
Oct. 22 (Sat.) * Air Force Boise, ID 1:30 p.m. (MT)  VERSUS
Oct. 29 (Sat.) Open
Nov. 5 (Sat.) * at UNLV Las Vegas, NV 7:30 p.m. (PT)  CBS SN
Nov. 12 (Sat.) * TCU Boise, ID 1:30 p.m. (MT)  VERSUS
Nov. 19 (Sat.) * at San Diego State San Diego, CA 5:00 p.m. (PT)  CBS SN
Nov. 26 (Sat.) * Wyoming Boise, ID 12:00 p.m. (MT)  The Mtn.
Dec. 3 (Sat.) * New Mexico Boise, ID 4:00 p.m. (MT)  The Mtn.
* Mountain West Game   Home Games in Bold