Felix in 9th after 7 Events of Decathlon

Kurt trying to become the first Bronco in history to finish in the Top 10 in any event at the Olympics:

Standings After 7 Events:

1.  Eaton, United States 6,398

2.  Warner, Canada 6,283

3.  Mayer, France 6,211

4.  Kazmirek, Germany 6,127

5.  Bourrada, Algeria 6,046

6.  De Araujo, Brazil 6,003

7.  Taiwo, United States 5,984

8.  Ziemek, United States 6,006

9.  Felix, Boise State and Grenada 5,934

10.  Saurez, Cuba 5,899

11.  Helcelet, Czech Republic 5,894

12.  Abele, Germany 5,853

13.  Dudas, Serbia 5,842

14.  Victor, Grenada 5,825

15.  Van Der Plaetsen, Belgium 5,811

16.  Dubler, Australia 5,797

Felix in 8th After Day One of Decathlon

1. Eaton, United States (4,621)

2. Kazmirek, Germany (4,500)

3. Warner, Canada (4,489)

4. Mayer, France (4,435)

5. Taiwo, United States (4,414)

6. Bourrada, Algeria (4,378)

7. Kasyanov, Ukraine (4,309)

8. Kurt Felix, Boise State and Grenada (4,290)

9. De Araujo, Brazil (4,281)

10. Ziemek, United States (4,241)

11. Van Der Plaetsen, Belgium (4,225)

12. Dudas, Serbia (4,219)

12. Dubler, Australia (4,219)

14. Helcelet, Czech Republic (4,218)

Felix 4th in 400 Heat

Boise State Bronco Kurt Felix Still in 8th after Four Events in the Decathlon

1. Eaton, United States 3,616

2. Warner, Canada 3,548

3. Taiwo, United States 3,542

4. Mayer, France 3,539

5. Kasmirek, Germany 3,529

6. Bourrada, Algeria 3,468

7. Ziemek, United States 3,448

8. Felix, Boise State and Grenada 3,435

9. Kasyanov, Ukraine 3,427

10. Van Der Plaetsen, Belgium 3,393

11. Helcelet, Czech Republic 3,381

12. De Araujo, Brazil 3,379

13. Dudas, Serbia 3,364

Felix Moves Up To 8th Place in Decathlon After Three Events

1. Eaton, United States 2,803

2. Warner, Canada 2,708

3. Mayer, France 2,699

4. De Araujo, Brazil 2,648

5. Kazmirek, Germany 2,633

6. Kasyanov, Ukraine 2,614

7. Bourrado, Algeria 2,572

8. Felix, Boise State and Grenada 2,567

9. Taimo, United States 2,565

10.  Ziemek, United States 2,552

11.  Helcelet, Czech Republic 2,541

12.  Dudas, Serbia 2,524

13.  Braun, Netherlands 2,491

14.  Distelberger, Austria 2,471

Felix in 9th Place After Two Events

1.  Eaton, United States 2030

2.  Warner, Canada 2000

3.  Kazmirek, Germany 1,892

4.  Mayer, France 1,863

5.  Bourrada, Algeria 1,857

6.  Kasyanov, Ukrraine   1,855

7.  De Araujo, Brazil 1,842

8.  Ziemek, United States 1,829

9.  Felix, Grenada 1,791

10.  Distelberger, Austria 1,790

11.  Taiwo, United States 1,780  

Former Boise State Bronco Kurt Felix Wins 100 Heat of Decathlon at Olympics

RIO de JANEIRO--Former Boise State national champion and All-American Kurt Felix won the first heat of the 100 meters in the decathlon with a personal best of 10.93 this morning at the Summer Olympics.

Felix scored 876 points in the event and is in 18th place.

Kurt has always done well in the opening day, as competition in the decathlon includes many of his best events. When he won the NCAA National Championship in 2012, Felix was in second place after the opening day before winning the national title.

Felix ran his best 100 meters of his career this morning, topping the 11.02 he ran in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014. In the 2012 National Championship of the decathlon which he went on to win, Felix ran the 100 in 11.26. Competition now moves to the long jump.

The event can be see live here.

Incoming Boise State Freshman Courtney McGregor Finishes 16th in Vault at Summer Olympics

RIO DE JANEIRO--Incoming Boise State gymnastics freshman Courtney McGregor of New Zealand turned in a solid performance in vault at the Summer Olympics, finishing 16th today.

McGregor, who will join the Broncos this fall, turned in a two-vault total of 14.333 in her first Olympic games. The top eight in each event qualified for the finals. Simone Biles of the United States had the top qualifying score of 16.050, Hong Un-Jong of North Korea was second with 15.683 while Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland was third with a score of 15.266. McGregor missed qualifying for the finals by a little over half a point, as the eighth-place finisher scored 14.850.

McGregor finished 41st in the individual all-around competition (53.165), while another incoming Bronco freshman, Isabella Amado of Panama, finished 44th with a score of 52.832.

McGregor lived in Christchurch, New Zealand until May, when she moved to Boise to train for the Olympics. McGregor won a bronze medal in the vault at the 2016 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships, and qualified for the Summer Olympics the following week. She is the first artistic gymnast to represent New Zealand since 2000 and at age 17, is her country's youngest Olympic competitor. Courtney's coach, Mary Wright, moved with her to Boise to prepare her for the Games.

"Courtney is a beautiful gymnast who has a ton of difficulty in her routines," said Bronco co-head coach Tina Bird when the new Boise State class was announced. "She will be so much fun to watch compete. Her experience as an International Elite competitor will bring a lot to the table. She is sure to be a crowd favorite.

Boise State Broncos #1 Gymnastics Academic Team in the Nation

BOISE, ID--The Boise State gymnastics team finished the 2015-16 academic year with the highest team grade point average (GPA) in the nation, according to the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women. The Broncos posted a team GPA of 3.8087 to finish superior to every other collegiate gymnastics team. The No. 1 ranking surpasses the school record of #3 set in 2014-15.

Fourteen of the 15 members on the team earned NACGC/W Scholastic All-America honors. In order to qualify for Scholastic All-America honors, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA for the 2015-16 academic year.

“I could not be more proud of this team,” co-head coach Tina Bird said. “They have worked tirelessly in the classroom to achieve the No. 1 ranking. The way they represent our university on a national level is outstanding.”

Five Broncos achieved a 3.9 GPA or higher--Ann Stockwell (3.97 psychology), Lianne Josbacher (3.96, English), Abby Webb (3.94, biology), Shani Remme (3.91, kinesiology) and Paige Urquhart (3.90, biology).

Sarah Means (3.88, mathematics), Alex Esmerian (3.85, health sciences), Sandra Collantes (3.82, psychology) and Diana Mejia (3.80, health sciences) all finished with GPA's of 3.8 or higher.

Bronco gymnasts which achieved a 3.5 or higher include Molly McFarland (3.75, kinesiology), Mary Frances Bir (3.75, health sciences), Marissa Wossner (3.72, kinesiology), Maddie Krentz (3.62, mechanical engineering) and Krystine Jacobsen (3.61, communication).

The Bronco team set a school record with a national #8 ranking, were the only undefeated collegiate gymnastics team in the nation in the regular season, and finished .175 short of qualifying for the NCAA National Gymnastics Championship.

Boise State Freshman Allie Ostrander Qualifies for 5K Final at U.S. Olympic Trials

EUGENE, OR--Boise State freshman Allie Ostrander finished fourth in the second heat of the women's 5K at the U.S. Olympic Trials this afternoon to qualify for the final Sunday. Ostrander, running competitively for the first time since she was injured with a tibial stress fracture in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 11, crossed the finish line in 15:27.13, just eight-tenths of a second behind first place Molly Huddle, who broke the tape in 15:26.33.

Ostrander (in her white Boise State jersey) in sixth in this photo...

Ostrander began the race near the back, content to draft from the other runners and conserve energy without running a longer distance on the outside. With about three laps to go, she began moving outside, positioning herself for a run at the nation's elite female runners. One by one, Ostrander began to pass them and was in fourth at the bell lap. She briefly moved into third, but with the top six in the heat automatically qualifying, settled for fourth.

The heat was much faster than the first heat, as Ostrander's time was fourth overall as well. Katie Mackie finished second, followed by Shelby Houlihan, Ostrander, Marielle Hall and Abbey D'Agostino, the six automatic qualifers form the heat. Ostrander was the only collegiate runner in either heat going up against seasoned professionals.

Ostrander thus qualifies for the U.S. final of the 5K this Sunday, set for 5:28 p.m. Mountain Time.  The top three finishers in that race will make the U.S. Olympic Team, provided they have met or exceeded the Olympic qualifying standard. Ostrander, by virtue of her 5K time of 15:21.85 at the UW Invitational in Seattle on January 30, has already done that. If she finishes in the top three Sunday, she will make the U.S. Olympic Team.

The women's 5K final will be broadcast nationally on NBC-TV.

Click this link to replay the race.

List of Women's 5K Qualifiers at U.S. Olympic Trials

EVENT	ATHLETE	MARK	LOCATION	DATE
5K	Molly Huddle	14:48.14	Eugene OR (USA)	05/27/16
5K	Emily Infeld	15:00.91	New York NY (USA)	02/20/16
5K	Abbey D'Agostino	15:03.85	Heusden (BEL)	07/18/15
5K	Nicole Tully	15:04.08	Stanford CA (USA)	05/01/16
5K	Marielle Hall	15:06.05	New York NY (USA)	02/20/16
5K	Shelby Houlihan	15:06.22	New York NY (USA)	02/20/16
5K	Kim Conley	15:09.31	Seattle WA (USA)	01/29/16
5K	Shalane Flanagan	15:10.02	Eugene OR (USA)	06/28/15
5K	Lauren Paquette	15:14.45	Stanford CA (USA)	05/01/16
5K	Molly Seidel	15:15.21	Birmingham AL (USA)	03/11/16
5K	Stephanie Garcia	15:16.56	Stanford CA (USA)	05/01/16
5K	Katie Mackey	15:16.60	Stanford CA (USA)	05/02/15
5K	Ashley Higginson	15:18.53	Stanford CA (USA)	05/02/15
5K	Jessica Tonn	15:18.85	Stanford CA (USA)	05/02/15
5K	Gabe Grunewald	15:19.50	Portland OR (USA)	06/12/16
5K	Allie Ostrander	15:21.85	Seattle WA (USA)	01/29/16
5K	Jessica Tebo	15:21.88	Eagle Rock CA (USA)	05/20/16
5K	Kellyn Taylor	15:22.10	Eagle Rock CA (USA)	05/20/16
5K	Alisha Williams	15:23.11	Portland OR (USA)	06/12/16
5K	Erin Finn	15:23.16	Birmingham AL (USA)	03/11/16

Peloquin Gets Third All-America Honor of Freshman Season

A phenomenal freshman season for Boise State's Brenna Peloquin.  She finished ninth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Thursday she finished eighth in the 10,000 and tonight, another eighth-place finish in the 5,000.

BREAKING--Brenna Peloquin 8th in the Nation in 10,000 at National Outdoor Track & Field Championships

EUGENE, OR--Boise State freshman Brenna Peloquin finished 8th in the women's 10,000 meter run tonight at the NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 32:58.78.

Peloquin, who earned All-America honors last fall with a ninth-place finish in the NCAA National Cross Country Championships, added another All-America honor tonight in the 10,000. Peloquin beat her personal best in the event and ran the second-fastest 10,000 time in school history. Brenna ran a 33:03.48 in the 10,000 at the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1 in the first 10,000 of her career and finished ninth at the NCAA West Regionals two weeks ago with a time of 34:25.45.

The freshman from Gig Harbor, Washington, was among the top two runners for the vast majority of the race entering the final mile. As runners jockeyed for position, it appeared that she was stepped on a couple times and faded to eighth. But Peloquin gamely sprinted to the finish to take eight. Peloquin, the only freshman in the national final, also beat all but two sophomores and finished ahead of seven seniors and eight juniors.

Ryp-Cord?

Chase Cord, a 6-3 quarterback from Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria, Arizona, has committed to Boise State, according to his Twitter account.

Cord chose Boise State over Utah, Colorado, Oregon State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia, among others.

Cord tore up defenses last year by passing for 2,286 yards and 33 touchdowns and running for 933 more yards and 12 TD's to lead Sunrise Mountain to an 11-1 record last fall.

The commitment of Cord allows him the possibility of redshirting this fall and being able to take the reins from current Bronco quarterback Brett Rypien when he graduates after the 2019 season.  The Broncos have a home-and-home series scheduled with Florida State in 2019 and 2020 and against Oklahoma State in 2018 and 2021.

Elliot Qualifies for 1,500 Meter Nationals....Barely

David Elliott finished second in his heat by 7/1000th's of a point, just enough to qualify for the NCAA National Championships beginning June 8 in Eugene.

Results: Men 1500 Meter Run (Prelims)
Advance top 2 places. plus next best 4 times to Eugene

Place	Athlete		Affiliation	Time			Heat (pl)
1	Izaic Yorks	SR	Washington	3:43.14	Q		3 (1)
2	Dillon Maggard	SO	Utah State	3:43.37	Q		1 (1)
3	Sam Prakel	SO	Oregon	3:43.38	Q		4 (1)
4	Andy Trouard	JR	Northern Arizona	3:43.61	Q		4 (2)
5	Matthew Maton	FR	Oregon	3:43.62	Q		1 (2)
6	Matt Dorsey	JR	Air Force	3:43.65	q		4 (3)
7	Josh Kerr	FR	New Mexico	3:43.67	Q		3 (2)
8	Alex Rogers	FR	Texas	3:43.77	q		3 (3)
9	Chase Horrocks	JR	BYU	3:44.06	q		4 (4)
10	Blake Nelson	SR	Washington	3:44.08	q		3 (4)
11	Jack Bruce	SO	Arkansas	3:44.14			4 (5)
12	Nick Harris	JR	Colorado	3:44.39			1 (3)
13	Jeff Thies	SO	Portland	3:44.40			1 (4)
14	Derek Wiebke	JR	Minnesota	3:44.75			4 (6)
15	Ferdinand Edman	SR	UCLA	3:44.81			4 (7)
16	Will Crocker	SR	Missouri	3:44.83			1 (5)
17	Chris Brewer	SR	Oregon	3:45.14			3 (5)
18	Adam Cotton	SR	New Mexico	3:45.23			3 (6)
19	Marcus Dickson	SO	BYU	3:45.33			4 (8)
20	Zach Hansen	SR	St. Mary's (Cal.)	3:45.74			4 (9)
21	Jacob Burcham	JR	Oklahoma	3:45.96			4 (10)
22	Blake Haney	SO	Oregon	3:46.41	Q		2 (1)
23	David Elliott	SR	Boise State	3:46.46 (3:46.452)	Q		2 (2)
24	Justin Brinkley	SR	Stanford	3:46.46 (3:46.459)			2 (3)
25	Zach Perrin	SO	Colorado	3:46.97			2 (4)
26	Jeff Lautenslager	SO	Boise State	3:47.24			2 (5)
27	Ugis Jocis	JR	Wichita State	3:47.28			3 (7)
28	Ethan Moehn	FR	Arkansas	3:47.70			1 (6)
29	Johnathan Stevens	SO	Washington	3:47.72			2 (6)
30	Austen Dalquist	FR	Arkansas	3:47.75			2 (7)
31	Bryce McAndrew	SR	North Texas	3:48.04			1 (7)
32	Shyan Vaziri	SR	UC Santa Barbara	3:48.74			3 (8)
33	Brady Turnbull	SR	Texas	3:48.90			2 (8)
34	Liam Markham	SR	Illinois	3:49.23			2 (9)
35	Thomas Coyle	SO	Stanford	3:49.42			2 (10)
36	Alex Riba	SO	Texas A&M	3:49.61			1 (8)
37	Bernie Montoya	SO	Arizona State	3:49.66			4 (11)
38	Chris Walden	SR	California	3:51.69			3 (9)
39	Hugh Nicklason	FR	San Francisco	3:51.90			2 (11)
40	Patrick Perrier	FR	Stanford	3:52.42			1 (9)
41	Cameron Griffith	FR	Arkansas	3:53.60			3 (10)
42	Joshua Thompson	JR	Oklahoma State	3:53.90			1 (10)
43	Jesse Reiser	FR	Illinois	3:54.01			1 (11)
44	Ryan Herson	SR	Arizona State	3:54.13			3 (11)
45	George Baier	JR	UC Santa Barbara	3:56.01			2 (12)
46	Matthew Fayers	JR	Oklahoma State	3:57.76			3 (12)
47	Bryce Basting	SR	Illinois	4:05.09			1 (12)
	Anass Zouhry	SR	Cal St. Northridge	DNF			4