Boise State's Babinkostova Receives Three-Year Grant

Grants are now coming to Boise State on almost a weekly basis.


Assistant professor of mathematics Liljana Babinkostova was awarded a three-year, $329,000 Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site grant by the National Science Foundation yesterday afternoon.

The REU Site "Complexity in Algebra, Geometry and Applications" will introduce undergraduate students at Boise State and around the nation to information security or genome biology, using math applications.  The main objective of the program is to produce a group of researchers in the United States who will transcend the artificial boundary between mathematics and real-world applications.

“The ongoing revolution in communication technology and cloud computing is driving demand for information security tools and specialists,” said Babinkostova. “Likewise, the revolution in molecular and cell biology is driving a rapidly emerging demand to mathematize biology and for professionals competent in both mathematics and biology. The nature of computing and complexity are central themes for both.”

Beginning this summer, eight college students will be awarded research positions along with their faculty mentors to come to Boise State to engage in eight weeks of mathematics-based interdisciplinary research.  Two of those students will be from Boise State and the other six will be selected from applicants around the country.   The program will give students a broad array of professional development elements and will conclude with a symposium where students will present the results of their research.

The NSF grant provides each awarded student a summer stipend, free on-campus housing at Boise State, a meal allowance, financial assistance to out-of-state students for travel to Boise, and financial assistance for each student to travel in a subsequent national undergraduate research conference.  Boise State will host the program for three years under terms of the grant.

Boise State Economic Summit Drawing National Attention

Boise State has hosted the International Economic Summit since 1971 but up until recently, the program was mostly for students in Idaho.  Now, the Summit is going National.
Nearly 350 students from 11 Mississippi high schools took part in Boise State's Summit at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi.  The purpose of the Summit program is to give high school and university students a practical, hand-on experience in globalization, international relations and economics.


Carolyn Jensen is now a Boise State student who once participated in the summit program.  “Before the International Economic Summit, I had no interest in international economics or global relations. That has now changed 
dramatically.”


Funding for the Boise State's program in Mississippi was provided in part by the Council for Economic Education through an EEE (Excellence in Economic Education) Grant.

Will Walker Beat Byron Marshall to Boise State Scholarship?

We know that everyone and their brother has offered Valley Christian star running back Byron Marshall.  I did a story on Byron ("The Marshall Plan") back several months ago.


I'm looking at another back that Boise State has offered--Kenny Walker (Kennedy High School in Richmond, California).  As most of you know, Coach Chris Petersen and his staff may occasionally offer more than one recruit at the same position even though they might actually only sign one of them.  What is often the case (and Petersen is very candid and up front in his approach) is that the one who commits first is the one that gets the scholarship and the other one has to look elsewhere.  


Marshall has at last count over three dozen scholarship offers.  He may be stalling on Boise State thinking he can do better.  With the mind-blowing growth in academics and athletics at the school in Boise's capital city, not to mention the high quality of living, he can't.  But the young man has to find out for himself.


In the meantime, that scholly may just be taken by Kenny Walker.  I've watched his tape, which promotes him as having speed, vision and agility--he does, and that's a "Yes" to all three.  He finished second in California in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.50.  You can't teach speed.  Walker has it, plus the instincts to run to openings.  

It may be that Walker also has the intelligence to know a golden offer when he has one, and that could leave the other guy having to go elsewhere.  That one may like the school and the conference, but they won't be on as good a team as Boise State.  He might have enjoyed his season and all, but he'll be at home watching a Boise State running back score the winning touchdown in a January bowl game.


Of course, both backs may be watching Davien Payne (another Bronco offer) score that touchdown!

Would This Be Fair?

I was thinking about the possibilities regarding talent being currently recruited by Boise State (as football fans all like to do).  


I was trying to imagine what an offense would be like with Nick Patti at quarterback, with his amazing accuracy plus the ability to gain huge chunks of yardage on the ground, throwing to two receivers (the Davis brothers) with 4.37 speed.  Add to that combination a running back the caliber of Jay Ajayi.


I'm not jumping ahead or anything, but is that fair to an opposing defense?

Sexton Named WAC Field Athlete of the Week

You can't do much better than winning both the shot put and discus at the famed Oregon Relays.



That is what Boise State's Chase Sexton did, and the feats earned him the WAC Field Athlete of the Week.  Sexton set a personal best in the discus with a throw of 173-0, which elevated him to the second-best mark in the conference this season.  Sexton also won the shot with a throw of 53-3.5.


Sawyer Bosch was nominated for the Track Athlete of the Week after a fine performance in the steeplechase, but that honor went to Utah State's Armahd Lewis for winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Cal Brutus Hamilton Invitational.

Chaz Anderson Gets Latest Bronco Offer

Loyolla, California cornerback Chaz Anderson is the recipient of the latest scholarship offer from Boise State.  


The 6-0, 175-lb. Anderson happens to be the cousin of Bronco corner Bryan Douglas.  Anderson had three interceptions last year and caught 14 passes for a touchdown as a wide receiver.  He is quick, having lettered in track.  He has run the 110-meter hurdles in 16.88 and the 300 hurdles in 42.80.  Anderson played on a losing team last year, so he had plenty of opportunities to make tackles in the secondary.  He displayed good coverage skills, good instincts, and wasn't afraid to stop a speeding locomotive (a running back at top speed) from reaching its destination.


Although Anderson was happy to receive Boise State's offer, he wants to go to both the USC and UCLA camps, which tells me that like so many others, he values a school's conference more than the school itself.  No knock on those two schools, but Los Angeles, with all its big-city problems, doesn't compare to Boise.  


More on the recruitment of Anderson as it progresses.

Current WAC Commissioner's Cup Projections

I will always try to provide the most complete and up-to-date analysis of the WAC Commissioner's Cup race.  I know people from all over are interested and follow it so these projections can help you gauge how the race is shaping up.  The race has tightened up considerably since my last update.  The reason is that Boise State has fallen towards the bottom in two sports, women's track and men's golf, and the men's tennis team is down to 4th while the men's track team is projected to finish third.  Whereas Boise State had the Cup to themselves in a breeze, now it's up in the air.




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).  

 Men's Tennis:
1.  Fresno State 3.5
2.  Idaho 2.75
2.  New Mexico State 2.75
4.  Boise State 2
5.  Utah State 1.25
5.  Hawai'i 1.25
7.  Nevada 1 (awarded the full points for last place since they aren't in tournament)

Women's Tennis:
1.  Fresno State 4.5
2.  Boise State 3.75
2.  Nevada 3.75
4.  Idaho 3
5.  New Mexico State 2.5
6.  Hawai'i 2
7.  San Jose State 1.5
8.  Louisiana Tech 1
9.  Utah State .5

 Currently, Boise State has built a good lead (74.25 to 61.75) over Utah State.  Fresno State (54.00),  has moved into third.  New Mexico State is fourth with 53.50, followed by Idaho (49.25), Nevada (46.50), Hawai'i (41.00), San Jose State (38.00) and Louisiana Tech (34.00).  As pointed out however, after tennis, the only substantial points that Boise State will get will be in softball. 

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.  New Mexico State (6)
3.  Idaho (5)
4.  Boise State (4)
5.  Hawai'i (3)
6.  Utah State (2)
7.  Nevada (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)

 Men's Golf:  (May 2-4)
1.  New Mexico State (9 points)
2.  Idaho (8)
3.  Fresno State (7)
4.  San Jose State (6)
5.  Nevada (5)
6.  Louisiana Tech (4)
7.  Hawai'i (3)
8.  Boise State (2)
9.  Utah State (1)


Softball:  (May 11-14)
1.  Fresno State (8 points)
2.  New Mexico State (7)
3.  Boise State (6)
4.  Hawai'i (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.  Nevada (7)
3.  Utah State (6)
4.  New Mexico State (5)
5.  Fresno State (4)
6.  Idaho (3)
7.  Hawai'i (2)
8.  Boise State (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 93.50  
     Boise State is expected to pick up most of its points in men's and women's tennis and in softball.  The Broncos are projected to score 25 points this spring--they will need to do well to hold off Fresno State.  If those teams do not come through, Boise State will likely lose 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 91.00
     The Bulldogs traditionally are the strongest team in the spring sports and this year should be no exception. Fresno State is expected to score 45 points in the spring alone.  Fresno is projected to win men's tennis, softball and baseball and are a strong contender for 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.  So far, that has happened.

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



3.  New Mexico State 85.25
     The Aggies outdual Boise State for having the second best spring sports program to Fresno State, scoring 37 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.  Since they already have, NM State now has a chance.



4.  Utah State 77.75
     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 18 points this spring.  They could possibly finish third if everything goes right.



5.  Nevada 64.75
     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 23 more points in the spring.

6.  Idaho 64.50
     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 22 more points this spring.  They will fight for positions 5-8.




8. Hawai'i 59.75
    Hawai'i is expected to do the best in men's and women's tennis and softball.  UH should score in the neighborhood of 22 more points this spring.  That's a good total, but they are too far down to climb all the way to the top.




7.  Louisiana Tech 57.00
     Louisiana Tech has climbed out of the cellar in the Cup race and will score around 24 points this spring.  They probably won't get higher than #7, but they have a shot at that.

9.  San Jose State 51.50
     The Spartans are the favorite in women's golf and they should also do well in baseball.  San Jose State is projected to score 15 more points this spring.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.

Projected Points for WAC Women's Track

Here are the current projections for points at the upcoming WAC women's track championships.  They are based on the performances thus far in the WAC.

1.  Louisiana Tech 150
2.  Nevada 140
3.  Utah State 116
4.  New Mexico State 100
5.  Fresno State 99
6.  Idaho 96
7.  Hawai'i 67
8.  Boise State 53

Projected Points for WAC Men's Track

I usually don't like doing these early because of early-season injuries, etc.  so with just a few weeks left before the WAC Championships, here are the projected points for each team.  I should mention that Boise State's do-everything man, senior Kurt Felix, has not competed thus far in any of Boise State's meets.

1.  Utah State 189
2.  Boise State 143
2.  Fresno State 143
4.  Louisiana Tech 95
5.  Idaho 78

Make Plans to See #24 Fresno State and Boise State

Boise State's softball team accomplished a great feat over the weekend in sweeping Hawai'i.  From the frying pan into the fire.

The task gets much tougher this weekend as the Broncos have to face #24 Fresno State for three games.  Boise State is trying to secure one of the top three spots in the upcoming WAC Tournament.  The first game is scheduled for Friday at 3 with a doubleheader Saturday (games at 1 and 3).  And the weather really needs to cooperate because Boise State needs to get these games in to have a shot at the WAC title!

Boise State Softball Receives First Votes in Program History

It hasn't taken Boise State softball coach Erin Thorpe long to build a program.  In its third year, Boise State has received national votes for the Top 25.

The Broncos (29-15) have three votes in this week's poll to tie for 31st.  Boise State hosts #24 Fresno State this weekend at Mountain Cove Field for three games that will go a long way in deciding the regular season champion in the WAC. 

Aubray Zell Wins Third WAC Player of the Week Honor

The Boise State softball pitcher is making a bid for all-conference honors.  Today, the WAC office announced that Zell was its Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season.  Zell had two complete game victories over powerful Hawai'i in Honolulu over the weekend, posting a 0.50 ERA.


Zell and the Broncos have complete control of their destiny in the WAC.  Behind #25 Fresno State by just one game and New Mexico State by two games, Boise State hosts Fresno this weekend for three games and travels to Las Cruces for three games with New Mexico State.  Win them all and the Broncos are champs.

Schedule for Women's WAC Tennis Tournament

The women's tournament, keep in mind, gets underway one day earlier than the men's.  It starts Thursday.


Boise State gets the #1 seed and a first-round bye.  They will meet the winner of the Utah State-San Jose State match Thursday at 2:30 at the Appleton Center.

Thursday, April 28
Women's #8 (Utah State) vs. #9 (San Jose State)  -  9:00 a.m. - Appleton Tennis Center (ATC)
Women's #4 (Idaho) vs. #5 (New Mexico State)  -  9:00 a.m. - Julia Davis Park (JDP)
Women's #3 (Nevada) vs. #6 (Hawai'i)  -  12:00 p.m. - Julia Davis Park (JDP)
Women's #2 (Fresno State) vs. #7 (San Jose State)  -  12:00 p.m. - Appleton Tennis Center (ATC)
Women's Winner #8/9 vs. #1 (Boise State) - 2:30 p.m. - Appleton Tennis Center (ATC)

Friday, April 29
Women's semi-final -  Winner #3/6 vs. Winner #2/7 - 12:00 p.m. - ATC
Women's semi-final -  Winner #4/5 vs. Winner #1/8-9 - 3:00 p.m. - ATC
                               

Saturday, April 30

Women's Championship Match  -  10:00 a.m. - ATC 

Schedule for Men's WAC Tennis Tournament

Friday, April 29:
Men's #3 (Idaho) vs. #6 (Utah State)  -  12:00 p.m. - Julia Davis Park

Men's #4 (Boise State) vs. #5 (Hawai'i)  -  3:00 p.m. - JDP        

                           

Saturday, April 30Men's semi-final  -  Winner #3/6 vs. #2 New Mexico State  -  1:00 p.m. - Appleton Tennis Center
Men's semi-final  -  Winner #4/5 vs. #1 Fresno State  -    4:00 p.m. - ATC

Sunday, May 1Men's Championship Match - 12:00 p.m. - ATC

Up-To-the-Minute WAC Commissioner's Cup Standings

In this case, literally.  The last regular season matches have just been completed and, as shown in the other post, points awarded for the regular season in both men's and women's tennis.  I don't believe the WAC site posts the points on their page until the tournament is over, but you now know what the standings are without having to wait!


1.  Boise State 74.25
2.  Utah State 61.60
3.  Fresno State 54.00
4.  New Mexico State 53.50
5.  Idaho 48.25
6.  Nevada 46.50
7.  Hawai'i 41.00
8.  San Jose State 38.00
9.  Louisiana Tech 34.00


As mentioned in my Cup projections post last week, I am now forecasting Fresno State to finish with about 89 points.  That is going to be about the limit for them because they are projected to be near the top in most of the remaining sports (they can't get much higher).  As soon as Boise State tops that estimated total (and I will continue to revise projections as is necessary and will be able to provide a concrete number very soon), they will clinch the Cup.  At this time, I don't see any other league school challenging for the title.

New Points Awarded For WAC Commissioner's Cup

With the conclusion of the regular season for men's and women's tennis, points have been awarded for the WAC Commissioner's Cup.  The points for tennis are split with half going to the regular season and half to the tournament coming up in Boise.


Here is how it breaks down:


Men's Tennis:
1.  Fresno State 3.5
2.  Idaho 2.75
2.  New Mexico State 2.75
4.  Boise State 2
5.  Utah State 1.25
5.  Hawai'i 1.25
7.  Nevada 1 (awarded the full points for last place since they aren't in tournament)


Women's Tennis:
1.  Fresno State 4.5
2.  Boise State 3.75
2.  Nevada 3.75
4.  Idaho 3
5.  New Mexico State 2.5
6.  Hawai'i 2
7.  San Jose State 1.5
8.  Louisiana Tech 1
9.  Utah State .5

Boise State Tennis Team Loses to Arizona

The Broncos fell again to Arizona 4-2 this morning.  Their play in Las Cruces appears to have knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament unless they are able to win the WAC.


The men's WAC tourney gets underway Friday in Boise.

Boise State Beats Hawai'i 3-2 to Sweep Series

Boise State and Hawai'i each have a hit through an inning and a half.  Hawai'i got a leadoff single in their half.  Boise State won the first two games so Hawai'i is trying to salvage one.


Hawai'i takes a 2-0 lead, both runs earned but as a result of two Bronco errors in the inning.  Boise State has mounted a bit of a comeback in the fourth.  Allie Crump singled and Devon Bridges walked.  After a Capobianco strikeout, Kelly Sweeney doubled in Crump and Bridges is on third with one out.  Vanessa Alvarez did her job, pinch-hitting for catcher Megan Harvey.  She send a bly ball deep enough to score bridges and the game is knotted at two.


Crump's single in the fifth scored Holly Bourke with the game-winner.

Boise State Beats Hawai'i 7-4

I have heard local Boise media people say that Boise State had no chance to win the WAC because of teams like Fresno State and Hawai'i.


Well, Boise State is on the islands at the moment.  Last night, the Broncos won 2-1 in a pitcher's dual.  Tonight, Boise State leads Hawai'i 7-4.  The game is in the bottom of the seventh.


And the game is over, and once again, you heard the final score on this blog before any other site anywhere, radio, television, newspaper or internet.  Broncos win 7-4.


Here's how they did it.  With two outs, Kelly Sweeney's single to left center scored Vanessa Alvarez for a 1-0 Bronco lead in the second.  Kellie Caplan's single then scored Sweeney, who had advanced to second.


Boise State added two runs in the fourth.  Mackenzie Whyte walked, setting up freshman sensation Devon Bridges.  Guess what?  Bridges did it again, a two-run shot that gave Boise State a 4-0 lead.  Boise State would tack on two more runs in the fifth and they would prove to be important ones.  Pitcher Allie Crump singled, and for the second consecutive game, Christina Capobianco sent a two-run blast deep over the fence.  


Hawa'ii got two runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the bottom in the sixth to make it a 6-4 game.  Tazz Weatherly's walk with the bases loaded gave the Broncos an insurance run in their half of the seventh and Lela Work came in and saved the game for Boise State, pitching the last two innings.  


By the way, these two wins are the first two in program history over the mighty Rainbow Wahine, and even better, it was at their place.  I've been saying it all year and I'll repeat it--I believe this team can make a solid run at a championship, either in the regular season, the postseason, or both.  


They are about to play the second game of the doubleheader and last of the three-game set.  New Mexico State and Fresno State both continued to win today so the Broncos must do the same.  Boise State hosts #25 Fresno State next weekend and plays at New Mexico State the following weekend so they control their own destiny.

Sexton a Double Winner at Oregon Relays

Chase Sexton has won again at the Oregon Relays, this time in the shot put. Sexton, who won the discus last night, threw the shot 53-feet, 3.5 inches to take first.

And once again, this news was brought to you first in Idaho by this blog.

Nelson, Kraychir Finish 2-3 in Collegiate Hammer at Oregon Relays

Boise State juniors Alex Nelson and Trevor Kraychir have finished 2-3 out of the collegiate competitors in the hammer throw at the Oregon Relays in Eugene.

Nelson posted a mark of 203-10 while Kraychir recorded a 196-05.  Oregon's Jordan Stray (210-10) was the top collegiate competitor.  Two professionals finished 1-2 today.

Sexton Wins Discus at Oregon Relays

Boise State's Chase Sexton went into famous University of Oregon and captured the discus title at the Oregon Relays taking place this weekend in Eugene.

Sexton threw the disc 173-feet to take first place; Oregon's Randall Horn was third with a mark of 158-11. 

Bronco Men's Tennis Team Could Finish 4th in WAC

With two WAC matches remaining in the regular season, Boise State's proud tennis team could be seeded fourth in the upcoming tournament.  Idaho is currently 3-2, having lost to New Mexico State.  The Aggies are also 3-2 and both have matches against Nevada today.  Nevada is 0-4 and the odds highly favor wins by Idaho and New Mexico State.

If that happens, Fresno State (6-0) will be the #1 seed, followed by New Mexico State, Idaho, Boise State (3-3), Hawai'i and Utah State (2-4, but Hawai'i getting the #5 seed) and Nevada at 0-6.

Broncos Top Hawai'i 2-1 To Open Series

There are still two games left in their series, but Boise State was able to strike the first blow.

Christina Capobianco launched a two-run home run in the fifth inning to propel Boise State to a 2-1 victory over Hawai'i in the opening game of their three-game set in Honolulu.  Aubray Zell pitched another masterpiece in holding down the hot Hawai'i bats to preserve the victory.

Stephanie Ricketts of Hawai'i also pitched a gem, facing the minimum number of batters through four.  But a one-out walk to Devon Bridges set the stage for Capobianco's blast, her fifth of the season.  Bridges has now reached base safely in 32 consecutive games.  Boise State loaded the bases following the home run but stranded them all.

Zell handled Hawai'i until the sixth when Hawai'i (30-14, 8-5 in the WAC) cashed in on an error and left the tying run at second.  Aubray is 11-2 on the season, having defeated all seven WAC opponents in her career.

Boise State advanced to 27-15 and 10-3 in conference.  The Lady Broncos are the seventh team in WAC history to win 10 conference games twice in its first three seasons in the conference and the first to accomplish the feat in its first three years as a program.  Boise State and Hawai'i meet tonight in a doubleheader, with games at 8 and 10 p.m. Mountain Time.

Boise State Football Team Ranked #5 by ESPN

Boise State was ranked #5 by ESPN on the network's College Football Live show.  Oklahoma was rated as the best team with Alabama #2, Oregon #3 and LSU #4.  


Boise State was ranked #5 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll and got as high as #2 before the traditional drop when the college football elite get nervous that the Broncos are getting too close to a championship game.


Boise State meets a vastly-improved Georgia team September 3 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game to open the 2011 season.

Seeds 2-6 Up in the Air for WAC Men's Tennis

On the heels of Boise State's loss to New Mexico State tonight, the WAC standings are up in the air.  The tournament field is now set with Nevada being officially eliminated as the Pack will finish seventh.  We also know that Fresno State will be the #1 seed.  


Other than that, it's now up in the air.  Boise State finishes the season 3-3 and can be passed by New Mexico State (2-2) for third place if the Aggies win tomorrow and Sunday.  Utah State and Hawai'i can finish no higher than fourth but could be lower depending on what New Mexico State does.  


We'll now have to wait until Sunday to get the seedings for the upcoming WAC Tournament in Boise that starts Friday.

Bronco Men Lose To New Mexico State

Boise State has lost to New Mexico State 4-2 in men's tennis.  The match won't affect the WAC standings, but it's a bit of an eye-opener for Bronco fans who just a few short years ago were celebrating their third straight WAC title.  Boise State will finish the regular season 3-3 and third place in the WAC.

Bronco Women Host Hawai'i

They won't be able to enter the Western Athletic Conference Tournament as the #1 seed, but Boise State still has plenty to play for this Sunday when they host Hawai'i.

In fact, a loss could send the Lady Broncos tumbling to #4 in the conference standings, which not impacts them but the entire school as it tries to win the WAC Commissioner's Cup.  Boise State hosts the tournament beginning next Thursday and the team certainly wants to clinch the #2 seed.  Plus, they will want to end the regular season on a winning note for seniors Lauren Megale and Stephanie Jaspar. 

Admission is free and action gets underway at noon at the Appleton Center.

Boise State Shuts Out Nevada 4-0

Boise State blanked Nevada this morning 4-0 in men's tennis at Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The Bronco won all three doubles matches and then captured three singles matches to earn the victory and move their season record to 14-12, 3-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.   



No. 50 Boise State vs. Nevada
April 22, 2011, at Las Cruces, N.M.


Boise State 4, Nevada 0

 Singles competition
1. Andy Bettles (Boise State) def. Wessiem Derbel (NEV) 6-4, 6-3
2.  Scotty Sears (Boise State) def. Krsitian Kuharszky (NEV) 6-4, 6-1
3. Filipp Pogostkin (Boise State) vs. Victor Ouvrard (NEV) 7-6 (4), 2-0, unfinished
4. Nathan Sereke (Boise State) vs. Quentin Mege (NEV) 6-4, 5-3, unfinished
5. Eric Sheldon (Boise State) def. Kyle Walker (NEV) 6-1, 7-5
6. Michael Gilland (Boise State) vs. Nathan Reix (NEV) 7-6 (5), 3-2, unfinished

 Doubles competition
1. Jeff Mullen/Nathan Sereke (Boise State) def. Kristian Kuharszky/Victor Ouvrard (NEV) 8-4
2. Andy Bettles/Filipp Pogostkin (Biuse State) def. Wessiem Derbel/Quentin Mege (NEV) 8-7
3. Michael Gilliand/Scotty Sears (Boise State) def. Nathan Reix/Kyle Walker (NEV) 8-6

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.