Felix Drops to 16th After Shot Put

As we told you, Felix would drop after the shot put.  The third event is in the books at the Summer Olympics, and, although Kurt topped his NCAA Championships result, he fell from 9th to 16th in the decathlon.

Standings

Rank	Bib	Athlete	Points	+
1	3214	EATON A	2848	+
2	3220	HARDEE T	2713	+
3	3132	KASYANOV O	2664	+
4	1140	VAN ALPHEN H	2639	+
5	1301	WARNER D	2637	+
6	2268	KARPOV D	2625	+
7	1898	FREIMUTH R	2575	+
8	2948	DUDAS M	2539	+
9	2549	SINTNICOLAAS E	2536	+
10	2610	NEWDICK B	2533	+
11	2834	SVIRIDOV S	2527	+
12	1893	BEHRENBRUCH P	2516	+
13	2425	DRAUDVILA D	2514	+
14	1482	SUAREZ L	2500	+
15	1164	MIKHAN E	2492	+
16	2004	FELIX K	2485	+
17	1223	DE ARAUJO L	2480	+
18	2411	ADDY J	2463	+
19	2552	VOS I	2457	+
20	1469	GARCIA Y	2410	+
21	2778	COERTZEN W	2410	+
22	2828	SHKURENEV I	2393	+
23	1760	MAYER K	2376	+
24	2387	ERINS E	2367	+
25	1910	KNOBEL J	2355	+
26	2050	SZABO A	2355	+
27	1335	BARROILHET G	2346	+
28	2240	USHIRO K	2275	+
29	3328	ARTIKOV R	2192	+
	1799	AWDE D	DNF	+
	1523	SEBRLE R	DNF	+

Felix With a Shot Put of 13.08 Meters at Summer Olympics

Competition is now underway in the third event of the decathlon at the Summer Olympics.  Kurt Felix of Boise State threw a 13.08 for 672 points at the NCAA Championships when he won the National Championship.  On his first attempt, a throw of 12.78 meters.  On Kurt's second throw, he uncorked a 13.28, already better than his throw at the NCAA Championships.  That would be good for 684 points.  Kurt is currently in 13th place in Group B and 28th overall in the shot put portion of the event.  Felix's third attempt put him at 12.93 meters so he'll take the 13.28 for 684 points.

Most of Felix's competitors are clearing 14 meters.

So after three events, Felix has 2,485 points.  We'll give you a live standings report when the rest of the competitors have finished.

Competition About to Get Underway in Olympic Decathlon--Shot Put

This isn't one of Kurt's best event, although he's still good at it.  He likely will fall from 9th place after this event.  At the 2012 NCAA Championships, Felix threw the shot 42-feet, 11-inches (13.08 meters) for 672 points.

Kurt is in Group B in the shot put, so he won't be throwing for a while.  He is competitor #8 in the second group.

Felix 3rd in the World in the Decathlon Long Jump at the 2012 Olympics

Boise State's Kurt Felix may not medal in the competition, but he's already accomplished a major feat, taking third place among decathletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics with a long jump of 7.63 meters.  Felix scored 967 points for his effort and now has1,801 points total, good for ninth place after two events.

At the NCAA Championships, Felix registered a 7.40 in the long jump for 910 points.  After two events earlier this summer, Kurt had 1,793 points.

As expected, Blue Through and Through is first in Idaho with this information.  A check of all media sites shows that the competition is sleeping...Keep that in mind when you select who you want to get your Bronco news from.

Standings

Intermediate

Rank	Bib	Athlete	Points	+
1	3214	EATON Ashton	2079	+
2	3220	HARDEE Trey	1936	+
3	1301	WARNER Damian	1925	+
4	3132	KASYANOV Oleksiy	1908	+
5	2834	SVIRIDOV Sergey	1832	+
6	2948	DUDAS Mihail	1825	+
7	1140	VAN ALPHEN Hans	1820	+
8	1898	FREIMUTH Rico	1804	+
9	2004	FELIX Kurt	1801	-

Felix Runs 11.12 in 100

                              Former Bronco Star Kurt Felix (3rd from left)

Kurt Felix of Boise State ran an 11.12 in the 100-meter dash, the first event of the decathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  That gave Felix 834 points to start the competition; he's in 23rd place after the 100.

At the NCAA Championships, which Felix won, Kurt ran a 10.90 for 883 points.

Kurt Felix Set to Compete in 2012 Summer Olympics Tomorrow

Boise State's Kurt Felix will begin competition in the decathlon in London at the Summer Olympics.  Felix is the defending NCAA Champion and will compete for his native country of Grenada.

The first event is the 100-meter dash, set for 3:10 A.M. Boise time.

Rome Finishes 31st in Discus at London Summer Games

Former Boise State standout Jarred Rome finished 31st in the discus at the 2012 Olympics earlier this morning in London.  Rome recorded fouls on his first two throws before landing a throw of 195-5 on this final attempt.  The top 12 advanced to tomorrow's finals.

Defending gold medalist Gerd Kanter of Estonia led qualifying with a throw of 218 feet.

2012 Boise State Soccer Preview

Fall camp is underway for the Boise State soccer team as they prepare for one of the earliest openings ever August 17 against New Mexico State.  The Broncos were 2-4-1 in their debut season in the Mountain West Conference and 8-11-1 overall.  Boise State finished fifth in the conference during the regular season, dropping a 2-0 decision to UNLV in the conference playoffs.  Seven of the Top 10 scorers and 10 players who started five or more games last season return for Coach Steve Lucas.


But the defense took a major hit when star goalkeeper Liz Ruiz and defensemen Lindsay Roberts and Serena Montoya graduated.  The departures of leading scorer Kati Lucas (7 goals and 15 points) and middle fielders Lauren Hickok, Ashley Walsh and Chelsea Robinson also left big holes in the Bronco lineup.

Erica Parks returns to the Boise State lineup at forward after starting 11 games last season.  Parks scored just once last year but she has 15 career goals (sixth all-time at Boise State) and was a key part of the 2009 WAC championship team.  


"Erica is ready to breakout again," Lucas said. "The thing about Erica is we just need her to be dangerous in whatever way. If she's not scoring goals she can help us to score goals. It's not so much that we need her to finish with 10 or 12 goals. we just need her to be in dangerous spots and get chances. If we are getting chances we are doing the right things."


Eble Harris, a transfer from UC Riverside, is expected to battle for the other starting spot with junior Ashley Hruby, redshirt freshman K.T. Clayton and true freshman Anna-Marie Popma.  Harris did not score last season but did provide an assist and had nine shots on goal.  Hruby had two goals and five shots on goal for the Broncos in 2011.


Clayton started for the state championship club team and scored 12 goals her senior year as an all-conference performer at Kent Mountain View High School in Kent, Washington.  Popma was a four year starter at Tualatin High School in Oregon, leading her team to a 6A state championship last season.  Popma was an all-conference performer in each of her four seasons including being named player of the year as a junior and a senior.  Popma was named Oregon State 6A Player of the Year as a senior, when she scored the 100th goal of her high interscholastic career in the state championship game. 


The Broncos are loaded at middle fielder; six players with more than five starts return for Coach Lucas.  Katie Oehring, Tylyn Hughes and Gabby Garcia form a strong nucleus and Boise State is hoping to have a healthy Brandy Hickcox as well.  In addition to that foursome, Shannon Schueren was second on the team in goals (3), points (8) and corner kicks (12), despite only starting three games. 

Oehring started 18 games last season and had three assists and led the team with 20 corner kicks.  Garcia started 13 games while Hughes started 10.  Lucas would like to see both take more shots this fall.  Hickcox started all 23 games as a freshman on the WAC championship team, but played just once in 2010 and just six games last year.  


Rebe Wolverton also scored twice for the Broncos and will see a lot of action.  Other middle fielders vying for playing time include Jenna Griggs, Brianne Favatella, Kallie Neimann, Janelle Jin, Ali Clarkson and Noelle Kolb.  In addition, Lucas secured the talent of Brooke Heidemann of Rocky Mountain High School in the 2012 recruiting class.  Heidemann was named the Idaho Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year last season.  


"Our returning set is really good," Lucas said. "They had a great spring and they are starting to form some cohesiveness. Their fitness, willingness to work and knowing where each other are will play big roles in our success."

Mikhaila Bowden started in all 20 games last season and Mandy Nader started in 16, and those pair will be called upon to bring along their new starting mate on defense.  That is expected to be junior Kallie Neimann, who moves back to her natural position of defense after spending the first two years of her career as a midfielder.  Avery Salisbury is the only other returning defender, and freshman Dominique Banks will also fight for playing time.  

Salisbury, who started seven games last season for Boise State, helped her high school team win four league titles and she played on the same state championship club team as Popma.  Banks was an all-conference player for Los Alamitos High School all four seasons and helped her club team, Legends Breakway, reach the National Championships earlier this year.  Lucas brought in freshmen Kelsey Nicassio and Kelsey Witker and one or both of them could also play this fall.


"We have a good mix of experienced players and young players on that back line," Lucas said. "Between the recruits coming in this year and a few returners we will be in good shape back there."


Replacing Ruiz in the net won't be easy.  Ruiz holds career records in wins, shutouts, save percentage and goals-against average at Boise State.  Redshirt sophomore Maddy McDevitt will contend with senior Megan Blanchard for the starting spot.  Blanchard had a goal-against average of 1.88 last season while McDevitt's was an even 2.00.  


"We're a team that wants to keep the ball and that is never going to change," Lucas said. "Our athleticism and ability to do that has increased which is great. We want to be able to play faster while still keeping the ball."


The schedule may be the toughest in school history, and it is certainly one of the earliest.  The Broncos take on Seattle in an exhibition August 11, then open with New Mexico State at home on Friday, August 17.  The contest against the Aggies will be part of the Holiday Inn Tournament through Sunday, August 19.  


Boise State makes its road debut against Washington State, one of three opponents who qualified for the 2011 NCAA Tournament (the others are Montana and New Mexico).  The Broncos also have an exciting East Coast road trip to Navy and Pennsylvania.


It is a great mix of experience and talented youth, a combination that usually results in good seasons.  If an aggressive offense can play ball control and the new Bronco goalkeeper is solid, Boise State should join the upper echelon in the Mountain West.

Boise State at the Olympics

Boise State will enter two athletes in the Olympics in London.  It is the first time that two former Broncos are in the same Olympic Games.


August 6, former All-American Jarred Rome will begin competition in the discus throw while current National Decathlon Champion Kurt Felix will go for the Gold August 8-9 in that event in London.


Rome kicks it off for the Broncos with competition getting underway at 3 a.m. MDT Monday morning.


Best of luck to Jarred and Kurt and we'll have complete results for you!

Just Over a Month Until School Starts

Blue Through and Through will present thorough analysis of the fall sports at Boise State.  The soccer team has some very early games in August and we'll look at the Bronco soccer team first.  You can also check out the site Blue Football Through and Through for more specific news about Boise State football next month as we get ready for another great season.