Official Blog of the Western Athletic Conference

2010 WAC Men's Basketball Schedule

2010-01-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Catch the following WAC Men's Basketball games on either ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU

Thursday, Jan. 14 Fresno State @ Louisiana Tech 8p.m. CT on ERT
Thursday, Jan. 21 Utah State @ Fresno State 7p.m. PT on ERT
Monday, Jan. 25 Boise State @ Idaho 8p.m. PT on ESPNU
Saturday, Jan. 30 Hawai‘i @ Nevada 7p.m. PT on ESPNU
Wednesday, Feb. 3 Idaho @ Utah State 9p.m. MT on ESPN2
Thursday, Feb. 4 San Jose State @ Louisiana Tech 8p.m. CT on ERT
Saturday, Feb. 6 Nevada @ Utah State 8p.m. MT on ESPNU
Monday, Feb. 8 Louisiana Tech @ New Mexico State 7p.m. MT on ERT
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Nevada @ Idaho 8p.m. PT on ESPN2
Wednesday, Feb. 17 Louisiana Tech @ Utah State 9p.m. MT on ESPN2
Wednesday, Feb. 24 Idaho @ New Mexico State 9p.m. MT on ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 27 Fresno State @ San Jose State 7p.m. PT on ESNPU
Thursday, March 4 San Jose State @ Idaho 7p.m. PT on ERT
Thursday, March 11 WAC Tournament Quarterfinal Noon PT on ESPNU
Thursday, March 11 WAC Tournament Quarterfinal 2:30p.m. PT on ESPNU
Friday, March 12 WAC Tournament Semifinal 9p.m. PT on ESPN2
Saturday, March 13 WAC Championship game 7p.m. PT on ESPN2

2010 WAC Play Up Tour Set

2010-01-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

The dates for the 2009-2010 women’s basketball Play Up Tour have been set. WAC giveaway items will be distributed prior to the game. While at the game fans will have a chance to register for a WAC Prize Pack as well as enter a drawing for a WAC Basketball Tournament package that includes two tickets to the tournament, airfare and hotel accommodations. The grand prize drawing will occur following the final Play Up Tour date (Feb. 27). The winner will be contacted by the conference office and a release will go up on wacsports.com

The following are the dates and opponents of each of the 2009-10 Play Up Tour stops.

School Date Opponent

Nevada Dec. 2, 2009 Sacramento State

Fresno State Jan. 23, 2010 Louisiana Tech

San Jose State Jan. 23, 2010 Idaho

Utah State Jan. 23, 2010 New Mexico State

Louisiana Tech Jan. 30, 2010 Idaho

New Mexico State Feb. 6, 2010 Boise State

Hawai‘i Feb. 20, 2010 Louisiana Tech

Idaho Feb. 24, 2010 San Jose State

Boise State Feb. 27, 2010 Fresno State

WAC Commercials

2009-08-06T08:42:00.005-06:00

The Western Athletic Conference is unveiling two commercials later today.

The first commercial focuses on the Conference as a whole. The commercial includes images from our diverse geographic locations, recent athletic success including Fresno State's College World Series victory and the final images of the Boise State / Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game. Other images featured focus on the commitment each university has to both athletics and academics through recent facility (Idaho and Louisiana Tech) and campus renovations (Nevada) and enhancements.

The second commercial focus on the importance of sportsmanship and the traits we instill in our student-athletes and expect from our coaches and fans. The sportsmanship commercials feature student-athletes from all nine institutions. We traveled to Logan, Utah back in June to shoot the commercial. The SAAC student-athletes were meeting at that time and it was the perfect opportunity to film a representative from each institution while in one location. As you can see the SAAC student-athletes did a superb job in the commercial! SAAC stands for Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Representatives from each campus have a monthly conference call to discuss ways to get involved in the community and issues they face as student-athletes. SAAC members are elected on campus by their peers and we have various sports represented on the board and in the commercial....football, swimming, basketball, golf, gymnastics and soccer and more.....

The Conference wide and Sportsmanship commercials will air on the WAC website, pre-game at WAC athletic events and during nationally televised games.

2009-07-20T09:14:00.004-06:00

WAC compliance administrators enjoy some downtime at the Boise Hawks game with Humphrey the Hawk during their recent in-person summer meeting in Boise, ID. (photo left)

Representatives from all nine institutions were present for the meetings which took place July 15/16. The compliance officers reviewed existing policies, best practices and new and upcoming legislation.

Summer Update and New Projects!

2009-07-17T09:29:00.007-06:00

I can't believe we are half way through the summer! It seems like the spring sports just concluded.

In the office things have been moving right along as we prepare for the upcoming fall season. That's right we are only 48 days out from the first football game....can you believe it?! Utah State will travel to Salt Lake City to take on Utah at 7pm MST and ESPN will televise the Oregon / Boise State game at 8:15pm MST on Thursday, September 3.

We have had a lot of projects in the hopper over the summer which are close to being complete. We have been working with row27 to create our sportsmanship and conference wide commercials. The sportsmanship commercial features student-athletes from each of our nine institutions and the conference wide commercial will focus on both academic and athletics. The commercial will feature photos and footage from each of our nine institutions. The commercials will air during WAC football games, on http://www.wacsports.com/, the WAC twitter and facebook pages as well as our blog.

We are also working with JumpTV, our website provider to redesign www.wacsports.com I think you are going to like the new features and look of the site. We are pleased with the drafts and are looking forward to the launch date which is still TBD...so keep checking http://www.wacsports.com/!

We are also in the process of filling the Associate Commissioner position....Darlene Bailey who previously held the position was named the Director of Athletics and Physical Education Department Chair of William Jewell College on May 20. We are so excited for Darlene!

We are currently looking at possible student-athlete gifts, championship merchandise, awards and closing the books on the 2008-2009 budget. Finally, we are in the process of finalizing our fall sport media guides! They will be available for download during the first week in August.

WAC Commercials

2009-06-11T08:53:00.003-06:00

It’s that time of year again, when conference offices’ and athletic departments across the country begin to film commercials for sportsmanship and football season and single game tickets. At the WAC we will film our sportsmanship commercial on Friday. We are working with a fantastic company, row27 on this commercial and two others (conference wide and basketball tournament).

Currently we are gathering footage for our conference wide commercial and I would like to know what you, the WAC fans think we should highlight in the commercial….we would like for the commercial to highlight our academic and athletic accomplishments from the past season. What type of shots, information do you think we should include / highlight in the commercial? Is there a particular commercial you have seen on the airwaves that really impressed you? Just post your recommendations and comments here on the WAC blog!

NAPA Auto Parts WAC Baseball Tournament - Game Two - NM State / Fresno State

2009-05-21T18:28:00.016-06:00

NM State wins game two of the NAPA Auto Parts WAC Baseball Tournament They will face the winner of the LA Tech/Hawai`i game tomorrow @ 7pm

NM State hits a three-run homer in the top of the 9th inning to reclaim the lead over Fresno State.

Heading into the top of the inning Fresno State takes the field. We are all tied up...Fresno State has four runs on ten hits and have committed one error. NM State has four runs on seven hits and no errors.

NM State takes the lead....4-3 with a single

We are tied up in the top of the eighth inning. NM State is up to bat with one out and have a runner at third

After a few innings of running promotions we are back for the final two innings of the game! Fresno State has three runs on five hits with no errors while NM State has two runs on eight hits and have committed one error.

With two outs and two runners on base Fresno State has an opportunity to increase the lead....but they can't capitalize....as we head into the top of the second Fresno State leads 2-1.

More trash talking fills the time....Paka and Paul (from a local radio station)
are arguing about basketball...

Fresno State takes the lead off of a Dusty Robinson two-run homer.

New Mexico State is off to a good start scoring a run off two hits in the top of the first.

The press box is alive with chatter over the Nuggets / Lakers game. Eddie Morelos, SID for NM State, who is currently sitting next to me is a HUGE Lakers fan while our SID host Pakalani Bello is a Nuggest/ Birdman fan...there is a lot of entertaining trash talking taking place.....

Fresno State takes the field first. Interesting fact about Les Murakami Stadium...they play on a turf surface...Nevada also plays on a turf surface.

Game two of the NAPA Auto Parts WAC Baseball Tournament is underway at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu, HI. The weather is gorgeous....sunny and 80!

NAPA Auto Parts WAC Baseball Tournament Game One Underway

2009-05-21T15:50:00.009-06:00

San Jose State will take on the loser of the Fresno State/NM State game tomorrow at 3pm HST while Nevada will face the loser of the LA Tech/Hawaii game tomorrow at 11am HST

Heading into the top of the eighth inning San Jose State leads Nevada 5-1. A total of four home runs have been

We have an incredible view of Diamond Head from the press box!

The tournament is a double elimination format with three games played each day at 11a.m., 3p.m., and 7p.m. HST.

We are in the bottom of the third inning and we have already witnessed two home runs as the Spartans lead 4-1.

Today's game features the regular season champions and top seeded San Jose State Spartans and the sixth seeded Nevada Wolf Pack.

Welcome to the NAPA Auto Parts WAC Baseball Tournament. We are blogging live from Les Murakami Stadium on the campus of the University of Hawai`i in Honolulu. It's a beautiful day as you can imagine.....sunny skies and a little humidity.

May Is A Busy Month!

2009-05-13T08:18:00.008-06:00

Although we are only two weeks into the month of May, it has been very busy for the conference and our schools.....

The month started out with the WAC Softball Tournament in Fresno, CA. The Fresno State Bulldogs (36-18), WAC regular season co-champions won three consecutive games to earn the Tournament title and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs play in the Los Angeles Regional and will face UNLV on Friday at 1p.m. Nevada, who shares the regular season co-champions honors lost one game en route to the championship game where they fell to Fresno State (3-2 in extra innings). Nevada (39-17) earned an at-large bid the NCAA Tournament and will travel to the Palo Alto Regional to face Cal Poly at 3p.m. on Friday.

This week Utah State is hosting the Outdoor Track and Field Tournament May 13-16 at Ralph Maughan Track Stadium. Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State and Utah State will all compete for the tournament title and individual qualifying times and standards for the NCAA Regional (May 29-30).

The following week (May 21-24)the University of Hawai`i will host the NAPA Auto Parts WAC Baseball Tournament. The top six teams in the league will play for the tournament title and automatic berth to the NCAA Regional. As you are aware last years tournament champions, the Fresno State Bulldogs won the College World Series....

Tickets may be purchased by calling the University of Hawaii Athletic Ticket Office at (808) 944-2697 or online at http://etickethawaii.com/?DB_OEM_ID=10100.

Fresno State Wins WAC Tournament Title

2009-05-09T14:55:00.040-06:00

What a great tournament! We hope you have enjoyed the blogs!

Fresno State Wins The Tournament Title & Receives The Conference's Automatic Berth To The NCAA Tournament!

Extra innings for the third game in a row.

The Wolf Pack couldn't advance Patrick....we are still tied at 2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

#20 Patrick reaches first base on a single for the Wolf Pack.

Gilleland was unable to outrun the throw to first base. we are still tied at two heading into the top of the seventh inning.

Fresno State has two outs and a runner at second base with #11 Gilleland in the batters box.

In the top of the sixth inning the Wolf Pack had one run on one hit...tying the game up at 2!

We are tied up at Bulldog Diamond as the Wolf Pack score a runner...the Pack have two outs and runners at first and second base.

A special thanks to Malcolm Butler, Louisiana Tech Assistant AD for Media Relation - He is doing the Nevada radio broadcast for Chad Hartley, Wolf Pack SID. Chad lost his voice during yesterday's radio broadcast.

As we head into the top of the sixth inning the Bulldogs are in the field. It's 87 degrees out and there are a ton of umbrellas in the stands and out on the lawn past the outfield fence.

The crowd is now singing along to Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline'

The Pack were unable to produce any runs in the top of the fifth inning....Fresno State 2 - Nevada 1

The Bulldogs end the inning with two runs on two hits.

The crowd is very vocal this afternoon....even when a fan catches or drops a foul ball they react with cheers or boos!

The Bulldogs have one out in the bottom of the fourth inning and have scored two runs and have a runner on first. The Wolf Pack have made a pitching change.....

#8 Phipps just hit the second double of the game with the ball bouncing from left field out of the ball park.

The Bulldogs start the inning with a double from #14 Angene.

The Wolf Pack ended the inning with S. Hunt stranded at third. Fresno State is up to bat....

The Wolf Pack score the first run of the game with a hit by Sarah Hunt, who now sits at third base.

In the top of the fourth inning the Wolf Pack have a runner on second and two outs. Sarah Hunt is currently in the batters box....lets see if she can make her way to first base.

After three complete innings Fresno State and Nevada are still tied at zero in the championship game of the WAC Softball Tournament.

Silagyi strikes out swinging. The Pack head into the field as we make our way into the bottom of the third inning.

The Wolf have runners on first and second base and two outs on the board...lets see if #2 Silagyi can load the bases.....

The Bulldogs ended the second inning with two runners left on base. We are still scoreless heading into the third inning.

Wolf Pack center fielder Sarah Hunt just made an UNBELIEVABLE diving catch!

The Bulldogs hit a pop fly to end the inning. After one compete inning we are tied at zero. The Wolf Pack are up to bat next.

A Bulldog single loads the bases.

In the bottom of the first inning the Bulldogs currently have one out and a runners are first and second base. The crowd is really behind the Bulldogs!!

The Wolf Pack were at bat first and were unable to get a runner past first base...the last out of the inning involved the first base runner getting thrown out at second base.

The Bulldogs are the home team in today's contest. Since the WAC Softball Tournament uses a double elimination bracket, if Fresno State loses this game the two teams will face off 30 minutes later since this would be the first loss of the tournament for the Bulldogs.

As you may have guessed, we are having ANOTHER wonderful day....the sun is out, there are no clouds in the sky and we have a slight breeze to help keep somewhat cool. Thankfully there are sun screen stations in the restrooms here at the stadium.

We have a good crowd today....fans are still walking into the facility and a number of fans have camped out behind the out field fence.

We are coming to you live from Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State....The Bulldogs and Wolf Pack are co-regular season champions and each are looking to claim the tournament title and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Game eleven of the WAC Softball Tournament - Nevada / Louisiana Tech

2009-05-08T20:29:00.019-06:00

The Nevada Wolf Pack will take on the Fresno State Bulldogs tomorrow afternoon at 2p.m. in the championship game of the WAC Softball Tournament.

Nevada wins the game in nine innings!

We are in the top of the ninth inning and are still tied at one a piece. Nevada has played a total of eighteen innings today since they played in the 4:30p.m. game this afternoon against Hawaii.

We a heading into extra innings for the second game in a row.....

The Wolf Pack end the inning with a runner on second ....Top of the seventh inning is about to begin

We just heard a loud WOLF PACK shout from the crowd to start off the inning...looks like it was a bit inspirational for the Pack as their first batter is now resting on first base.

We are still tied at one heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Wolf Pack are up to bat...

Just got in a fight with a five year old over a song....long day.

In the top of the fifth inning a Lady Techster player was thrown out trying to steal third base.

We still have a pretty good crowd at Bulldog Diamond....most the hats are off and the umbrellas have been put away as the sun goes down.

We are still tied at one heading into the top of the third inning.

The Wolf Pack runner on second attempted to score on a ball hit toward center field and was thrown out at home plate.

We are all tied up at one......a Nevada double allowed for the runner at second to score.

The Wolf Pack have two outs and a runner at second base.

For Louisiana Tech in the top of the inning there was one run off of one hit.

The Lady Techsters are on the board first with one run, one out and a runner currently at second base.

The Nevada Wolf Pack had a thirty minute rest period following their ten inning game against the Rainbow Wahine.

Well we are about to start the final game of today's three game stint. The winner of this game will play the top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs in the championship game of the WAC Softball Tournament.

Day three continues as Nevada faces Hawaii in the third day of the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-08T17:01:00.042-06:00

And that's that ball game! Nevada defeats Hawaii in ten innings. The Wolf Pack will now play the Lady Techsters in 30 minutes.

The second Rainbow Wahine batter is thrown out at first base. One more out and the game is over!

The first batter of the inning is throw out at first base.

The inning ends with the Wolf Pack taking the lead 4-0 as we head into the bottom of the tenth inning. The Rainbow Wahine have to score two runs to go into the eleventh inning or three runs to win the game.

Nevada scores two runs and have a runner at second base with two outs in the top of the tenth inning. What a great two out rally for the Pack!

The Wolf Pack have a runner at first and second base and only one out on the score board.

The inning ends with a Rainbow Wahine batter at second base. Neither team can seem to get a runner past second base. The Wolf Pack are up to bat as we head into the top of the tenth.

We are now in the bottom of the ninth inning.....the Rainbow Wahine are up to bat and have no outs and a runner at first base.

The Wolf Pack batter was thrown out at first.

The Rainbow Wahine were unable to produce any runs ....so we are heading into the top of the ninth inning.

We have two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a Rainbow Wahine runner on first base.

Nevada had one hit in the inning but couldn't advance their runner past second base. We are still tied at two heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.

We are now heading into extra innings tied at two.

The Rinbow Wahine start out the inning with a pop fly.

We are tied at two heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Nevada needed to step up in this inning and they did! The Pack have two outs and a runner on first and third base.

That's a tie ball game folks! Mika's single allowed another run by the Wolf Pack. The Pack have one out and a runner at first base.

The first play of the game the first baseman touches the bag for an out...the second play is a triple! The Wolf Pack are in scoring position.....

Nevada has to score another run in order to stay alive....otherwise the game is over and UH will advance to the next game.

A throw from the short stop to first base gives the Rainbow Wahine the third out of the inning.

UH scores another run - out running the throw home that was dropped by the catcher.
The runner at second was thrown out at third for the first out of the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Hawaii has runners on first and second base.

Hawaii just tied the game on an RBI-triple by Audrey Andrade.

Pitching change for Nevada - Mallary Darby. She strikes out the first two batters she faces.

We just had a throwing error by the catcher to second base that was about 4 feet high.

The winner of this game will play the Lady Techsters this evening at 7 p.m. The winner of that game will face the top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs in the championship game tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.

The Rainbow Wahine have a number of fans in attendance for this afternoon's game.

The third out comes from a strike out.
She strikes
A Rainbow Wahine start out the bottom of the third inning with a double play.

After two complete innings of play Nevada 1 - Hawaii 0

The Rainbow Wahine just had a double play to end the inning.

The Wolf Pack are on the score board and have the bases loaded with one out.

The Wolf Pack have runners on second and third due to an error.

The Wolf Pack off the second inning with a single.

Game ten of the Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament featuring the fourth seeded Rainbow Wahine and the second seeded Nevada Wolf Pack. The Rainbow Wahine are the home team for the game and took the field first allowing one walk and zero hits.

Day Three of the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-08T14:54:00.032-06:00

The top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs advanced to the championship game after defeating the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters 5-0. The Lady Techsters will play the winner of the Hawaii / Nevada game this evening at 7 p.m.

The Lady Techsters have been unable to score as we head into the top of the seventh inning.

The pitching change seems to have helped as the Bulldogs have two outs with the bases loaded.

The Bulldogs have the bases loaded and zero outs....the Lady Techsters just replaced their pitcher....

The Bulldogs have five runs on ten hits and have committed no errors. The Lady Techsters have zero runs, two hits and zero errors.

We just learned the story behind the Bulldogs playing Sweet Caroline. Apparently they used to play Cotton Eyed Joe and an unnamed fan would get up and dance...the fan requested that a new song be played in place...the Fresno State announcer "Worm" stole the idea from the movie Fever Pitch...thus Sweet Caroline is now a tradition at Bulldog Stadium

That is five strikeouts in a row....

Melloh is now #1 and #2 in the WAC record books for strikeouts in a season.

The fans are ALL singing along to Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline

Morgan Melloh just had her 400th strikeout of the season, tying her for third on the WAC leader board for strikeouts in a season.

The Bulldogs just scored another run increasing their lead to 4-0

We just had our third double of the inning by the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs have two doubles in a row and now lead 2-0.

Looks like some more fans have made their way into the stadium....we're guessing the attendance is up to 750

We are now in the top of the fourth inning and the Bulldogs are up 1-0 and up to bat....they start the inning out with a double.

The inning ends with only three batters....

The Bulldogs were unable to score a run. Fresno State has one run on three hits with no errors. The Lady Techsters have zero runs, two hits and have committed zero errors.

In the top of the third inning the Bulldogs have runners on first and second with two outs on the board.

We have a few umbrellas up today...so smart...the sun is just beating down out here!

The crowd is filled with straw hats...I don't think I have ever seen this many straw hats in one location.

The Lady Techsters had one hit but were unable to produce any runs....the Bulldogs are up to bat and are already on base.

The crowd is extremely loud at today's game and are into every play.

The Bulldogs are on the board in the top of the first inning. A run was scored on a single that was hit into shallow right field.

The Lady Techsters are the home team in today's contest and are on the field first.

We have a decent size crowd....we are estimating between 200 and 250 in attendance...not bad for a Friday afternoon....

The crowd is predominantly in red with a few sprinkles of blue....During BP and infield the FS athletic department provided the fans and student athletes with some stellar music selections.

It's a lovely day at Bulldog Diamond...the sun is shining (shocking) and we have a view of Yosemite from the Press Box. It's a warm 82 degrees in Fresno.

We are back for the third day of the WAC Softball Tournament. The first game of today's three game stint features our host and top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs and the the fourth seeded and WAC Tournament defending champs the Lady Techesters.

Wolf Pack take on the Aggies in the final game of day two of the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-07T19:15:00.032-06:00

That's it for day two action from Bulldog Diamond. We are outta here!

The Wolf Pack will continue their quest for the WAC Tournament title when they play the Rainbow Wahine tomorrow at 4:30p.m. The first game of day three is at 2p.m. when the top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs play the Lady Techsters at Bulldog Diamond.

Wolf Pack 4 - Rainbow Wahine 1

Pitching change for Nevada - Mallory Darby in now in for the Wolf Pack in the top of the sixth inning.

Little Luke Baily cruising for chicks in the stands

Footlose cut loose...

The Wolf Pack just scored two run and only have one out....the Wolf Pack lead with three runs on five hits and have one error and the Aggies have one run, three hits and one error.

The sun has just gone down and the stadium lights are on....we had a spectacular sunset this evening.

Pitching change for NM State in the bottom of the fifth.

We are still tied at one a piece heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

The inning ends and we are tied at one heading into the bottom of the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Rainbow Wahine are on the board and have a runner on second and third base with two outs.

The Wolf Pack end the inning with one run on two hits and no errors.

Pitching change for new Mexico State.

Patrick scores the first run of the game and for the Wolf Pack. Micka is on first base.
Patrick hits a double - two outs remain.

Second out is a pop fly to center field.

First out of the bottom of the third inning is an infield pop fly.

We are still scoreless heading into the third inning.

We are on our second Billy Joel song....life is good.

Let me tell you....the fans are going nuts for the WAC t-shirt toss!

New Mexico State had no runs on one hit with one runner left on base after the top of the first inning New Mexico is scoreless and the Wolf Pack are up to bat.

#23 Jennings walks to first base.

Randall strikes out

Randall has a full count
#4 Kristy Randall leads off for the Aggies

We are the game some techno music

The winner of this game will play Hawaii tomorrow afternoon at 4:30p.m. while the loser of the game goes home

We are just about to start the final game of the evening featuring the second seeded Nevada Wolf Pack and the fifth seeded New Mexico State Aggies

Game Seven - No. 3 Hawaii vs. No. 7 Boise State

2009-05-07T17:29:00.026-06:00

The Rainbow Wahine take the game with the eight run rule.....UH has ten runs on 12 hits two errors while Boise State had two runs on four hits and committed three errors.

A Boise State double in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Rainbow Wahine had 2 runs on 2 hits and lead ten to zero.

Hawaii leads the game 8-0.

There are quite a few Boise State fans in attendance at this evening's game.

The Rainbow Wahine have eight runs on ten hits and have no errors. The Broncos have zero runs, one hit and have committed two errors.

#24 Tavoli'i hits a triple! The Rainbow Wahine now lead 5-0.

The Rainbow Wahine are back at bat in the top of the third inning and have scored one run and have runners on second and third base.

Coach Turner is meeting with his pitcher and catcher out on the mound

The Broncos have one out and a runner at second base

#15 Capabianco leads off for the Broncos

The Rainbow Wahine were unable to reach a base this inning

The Broncos were unable to produce any runs....as we head into the top of the second inning the Rainbow Wahine lead 2-0

We are rocking out to a little NSYNC - Bye Bye Bye

The Rainbow Wahine scored two runs on three hits to end the top of the first inning.

UH score's another run -only one out on the board.
With one out the Rainbow Wahine have a runner at second.

Hawaii's #6 Milca starts the game off right with a homerun!

We have a pretty good crowd in attendance at Bulldog Diamond for this afternoons game.

Boise State is in the field first.

This is the second game of the day for the Broncos - they lost the first game of the day to Fresno State who will play Louisiana Tech tomorrow in the winners bracket.

We are just about to start game seven of the WAC Tournament between the seventh seeded Boise State Broncos and the third seeded Rainbow Wahine.

Game Seven of the tournament is now underway - NM State /SJSU

2009-05-07T14:51:00.031-06:00

That's the ball game folks. NM State will play the winner of the Nevada / Hawaii game tomorrow at 4:30 pm.

The Aggies just scored to increase their lead - 6- 1. NM State has runners on first and third. with Angie Ortega up to bat.

After five and a half innings of play the Aggies lead the Spartans 5 - 1

Fangonilo hits a double and the Spartans score their first run of the game. The Aggies now lead 5- 1

S. Taylor leads off for the Spartans and reaches first base on an error. #42 Fangonilo is up next.
The Spartans are up to bat in the top of the sixth inning.

Aggie's Baumhover is up to bat...the Aggies have a runner on second and third....but she strikes out.

New Mexico State has five runs off ten hits and have committed one error while San Jose State has zero runs, three hits and one error.

The Spartans were unable to come up with any runs in the inning.

#21 Aiello hits a double. San Jose State has runners at second and third base with only one out. #20 Schatz is in the batters box. The Spartans are still scoreless but are in scoring position.

The Aggies were unable to score any runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Aggies lead 5-0.

Jones hits the ball to the third baseman and is thrown out at first base.

The Aggies are up in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and no one on base. #1 Jones is in the batters box with a count of one and one.

The inning ends with no runs for SJSU.

A close call for the Aggie second baseman and center fielder as they both went for the pop fly....thankfully there was no collision. The second baseman makes the play for the first out of the inning.

In the top of the third the Aggie infield congregates to talk with their coach.

We are now in the bottom of the second inning and NM State has already scored a run with two outs on the board.

Born in the USA takes us into the top of the second inning. The Aggies lead 4-0.

Maroda hits a double and brings in an RBI. NM State has a runner stationed at third.

Nohaun singles and receives an RBI. NM State has a runner at first and third base.

Jennings #23, walks while Randall sits at second.

#1 Jones hits it to the short stop and is thrown out at first base while Randall advances to second base.

Leading off for the Aggies is Kristi Randall. Randall singles to center field

San Jose State is sporting banana color colored jerseys.

Fangonilo strikes out swinging...that three in a row for San Jose State.

A foul pop fly is caught by the Aggie 3rd baseman.

San Jose State starts out the game with a pop fly to center field.

Game five of the WAC Softball Tournament is just about to start as the fifth seeded New Mexico State Aggies face the sixth seeded San Jose State Spartans.

Wolf Pack and Lady Techsters face off in the fifth game of the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-07T13:29:00.030-06:00

The Wolf Pack will play the winner of the NM State/SJSU game which is slated 2:30p.m.
The Lady Techsters will play the top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs tomorrow afternoon at 2:00p.m.

The Wolf Pack hit a ball directly to the second baseman to end the game.
Patrick hits a line drive right into the glove of the Lady Techster short stop.

#20 Patrick is up with a two and two count
The first Wolf Pack batter struck out

Heading into the top of the seventh inning Louisiana Tech still hold a 4-0 lead over the Wolf Pack

As we head into the bottom of the inning La Tech still leads 4-0.

La Tech has two outs on the inning as #22 Kirby steps into the batters box.

The Lady Techsters are up to bat and looking to increase their lead over the Pack.
Both San Jose State and New Mexico state are on site taking BP. They play this afternoon at 2:30p.m.

Murdock strikes out looking ending the inning. The Pack have zero runs, six hits and have no errors. The Lady Techsters have four runs on six hits and have committed no errors.

Puzzy walks bringing Murdock up to the plate. The bases are not loaded by the Pack.

The Wolf Pack have two outs and a runner on first and second with B. Puzey at bat.

A little Journey takes us into the bottom of the fourth inning as the Lady Techsters are up to bat

Wolf Pack batter #22 Murdock hit a single to reach first base.

#14 Kylie Bassett just hit one out of the park to increase the Lady Techster score to 4-0! What an inning for Louisiana Tech!

#1 Waits just hit a single to reach first base.

Daniel Sheridan hit a two run home run to put the Lady Techesters on the board. (2-0) The Lady Techsters are the WAC Softball Tournament defending champions....

The Lady Techsters just tallied another hit as #3 Heather Doiron hit a single to reach first base.

Puzey get the third out of the inning. We are still scoreless heading into the bottom of the third inning.

We have some vocal fans in attendance.

#13 Puzey is up for the Wolf Pack - with a runner on first and second base

The Wolf Pack have tow outs and one runner on first base.

Patirck hits an infield pop fly that is caught by Lady Techster short stop.
#20 Patrick is up to bat with a two and two count
First Wolf Pack batter hits it to the first baseman and is out at the bag.

The Wolf Pack had three outs in a row...

The Wolf Pack take the field here in the bottom of the second inning.

La Tech brought quite a few fans to the tournament.

Game two featuring the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Louisiana Lady Techsters is now underway.
We are in the top of the second inning and each team has one hit but neither has scored a run at this point.

Day Two of the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-07T10:57:00.043-06:00

That's the game folks....Fresno State advances in the winner bracket and plays tomorrow at 2:00p.m. The Bronco's will now play Hawaii at 4:45p.m. this afternoon.

The second game of today's five game stint features New Mexico State and San Jose State. First pitch is slated for 12:15

The Bronco's have their first out of the inning from a pop fly to third base.

The inning ends with the Bulldogs scoring four runs on three hits.

A wild pitch allows the Bulldog runner on first to advance to second base. The Bulldogs are currently in a two out rally

The crowd exploded after each hit!

Another Fresno State single brings in two more runs! The Bulldogs are now up 4-0

Lujon hits a single between right and center field scoring two runs! The Bulldogs lead 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Bulldogs have the bases loaded. Lets see if #12 Alexis Lujon can make something happen.....

Fresno State now has a runner on second and first after a walk.

Fresno State knocked one out of the park but just passed the foul ball line....#25 Moses heads back to the batters box.

The Bulldogs have one out and a runner on second.
Fresno State just got their third hit of the game.

For our Fresno State fans you can now follow Bulldog Athletics on Twitter - just search FS Athletics

Heading into to the top of the sixth inning we are still scoreless.

New Kids on the Block is now entertaining the crowd...a little fact...the New Kids on the Block will appear on the TODAY show tomorrow morning.

Boise State and Fresno State each have two hits in the game as we remain scoreless.

Boise State's center fielder #2 Tazz Weatherly just made an unbelievable diving catch!

Fresno State gets another hit as #3 Caitlin Stiglich reaches second base on an error

Fresno State has two outs in this inning...the first was a strike out the second was a foul ball pop fly.

Fresno State has a store that sells local products and we have some yogurt covered almonds and some dark chocolate raisins...both are fantastic!

The Bronco's head back into the infield for the bottom of the fourth inning while ACDC plays over the speakers.

We are still scoreless heading into the top of the fourth inning.

Fresno State has their first hit of the game!

Boise State has two hits while Fresno State is still looking for their first hit of the game as we head into the bottom of the third inning.

The Broncos start out the inning with a runner on first and the second batter is retired with a strike out.

We had our first broken bat of the tournament.

A pop fly ends the inning. The Bulldogs return to the infield while we listen to a little 'Brown Eyed Girl'

The Bronco's return to the infield for the bottom of the second inning.

Quote of the day so far.... 'I rock' - little Luke Bailey.
Straton strikes out to end the inning.

M. Moses get the foul ball out as #6 Straton enters the batters box.

We are now in the top of the second inning - still scoreless.

We have a pretty good crowd for today's first game. There is a lot of red out there!

'That was three up three down' - Hope Shuler, Director of Media Relations.

Fresno State has two outs with no runners on bases. M. Moses is up to the plate.

On the mound for the Bronco's is # 8 Allie Crump.

Melloh struck out Viers-Gordillo to end the inning.

Boise State has the bases loaded with two outs and #11 A. Viers-Gordillo in the batters box.

Boise State has two outs with runners on first and second base. Fresno State's licensing and trademark representative just brought the press box ice cream....hooray!

Pitching for the Bulldogs is Morgan Melloh. Boise State has one out and a runner on first base in the top of the first inning.

The Bulldogs are the home team in today's game and are in the field first.

The first game of the day features the seventh seeded Boise State Broncos (this is their inaugural year in the WAC) and the top seeded Fresno State Bulldogs. The Bronco's are 22 and 28 while the Bulldogs are 33 and 18 on the season.

Good morning! We are just about to start day two of the WAC Softball Tournament. It's another beautiful day in Fresno. It's a breezy 66 degrees this morning and the sun is out! We have another perfect view of Yosemite.

Game Three of the WAC Softball Tournament Underway

2009-05-06T20:33:00.026-06:00

That's the ball game ladies and gentlemen! Louisiana Tech 7 - Hawaii 1

Home run for UH. That puts them up on the scoreboard. (7-1)

La Tech increases the lead to 7-0 in the top of the seventh inning.

A UH double play closes out the inning La Tech leads 4-0.

Louisiana Tech hits their second home run of the game! (fourth of the tournament)

Heading into the top of the sixth inning Louisiana Tech still leads 3-0. The Lady Techsters have three runs on four hits and have no errors while Hawaii has zero runs with four hits and have committed one error.

Great catch by Hawaii's center fielder!

Double play by Louisiana Tech closes out the inning.

Louisiana Tech just hit the third home run of the tournament...they now lead 3-0.

Louisiana Tech leads the game with two runs on three hits and no errors while Hawaii has zero runs, three hits and one error.

Tech closes out the inning with only 4 batters

Louisiana Tech scores the first two runs of the game in the top of the third inning.

The Wahine were unable to advance their runners. We are still scoreless heading into the third inning.

The Rainbow Wahine have runners on second and third...lets see if they can produce a run or two before the inning ends.

UH has runners on first and second base.

Heading into the bottom of the second inning we are still tied at zero. Hawaii is up to bat....

Fresno State's Kristina Netzler has been selecting the tunes all day and has done a fantastic job...we are currently listening to come on ride the train
After a full inning of play the score is 0-0.

The Wahine close out the inning. A little Aruba, Jamaica.... is hitting the the airwaves here at Bulldog Stadium.

The Rainbow Wahine take the field first and are warming up to TNT's 'Thunderstruck'

The Fresno State ground crew has done an excellent job! The field looks amazing.

The UH baseball team strolled into the ball park a few minutes to support Rainbow Wahine. The UH baseball team plays Fresno tomorrow afternoon.

Game three of the Western Athletic Conference is starting thirty minutes behind schedule due to the first game going into extra innings. Right now Hawaii and Louisiana Tech are warming up.

It's an absolutely beautiful evening in Fresno. The sun is starting to set and we have a clear view of the mountains from the press box at Bulldog Diamond.

Game Two of the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-06T18:20:00.061-06:00

The Rainbow Wahine take on the Lady Techsters in approximately thirty minutes.

Nevada just defeated the Aggies 5-4.

#10 Beach up to bat. Beach strikes out looking.
The UH Baseball team just showed up to show support for their Rainbow Wahine softball team who plays in the next game.

Haight hits a pop fly caught by the third baseman.

The Wolf Pack are up to bat #11 Haight makes her way to the batters box.
The Aggies close out the inning. Nevada leads 5-4!!

Maroda hits the foul pole and earns a homerun! The Aggies pull within one.
#17 Maroda hits a foul ball close to the fence.

Ortega hits the second homerun of the tournament and brings the Aggies within two of the Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack are back on the field for the start of the sixth inning. #24 Ortega is up to bat. Ortega hits a foul ball to start off

Murdock was a few inches away from a homer, but instead hit a foul ball off the left field fence.

The Aggies take the infield and #22 B. Murdock steps into the batters box.

Jennings hits the ball to the short stop and is thrown out at first base. After four and a half innings of play the Wolf Pack lead the Aggies 5- 2.

#23 Jennings now up. The Aggies have two outs and one runner on third base.
# 1 Jones makes her way to the batters box and is one and one. Jones strikes out.
Randall steals second while K. Randall strikes out.

#4 K. Randall makes her way to home plate as her sister sits at first base.
Up first for the Aggies is #21 Randall. Randall hits one between short stop and third base.
A little Vanilla Ice is entertaining the crowd while the Wolf Pack take the infield.

#13 Puzey is thrown out at first base to end the inning.

#2 Silagyi hits one up the middle to the center fielder and earns a RBI bringing in another run and increase their lead. 5-2

The Wolf Pack score and lead 4-2.

Beach hits it to short stop and is thrown out at first base.

The Wolf Pack head to the plate next. Leading off for Nevada is #11 J. Haight. Haight strikes out bringing #11 Beach to the plate.

Our ears are now being graced with a little John Mellencamp...who doesn't love a little Jack and Diane.

#17 Maroda hits a single and earns an RBI. The Aggies end the inning trailing 2-3 heading into the fourth inning.
#5 Autry steps up while a pitch hitter takes over at first base for Nohara.

Nohara hits a fly ball which finds its way to the center fielders glove. #24 Ortega makes her way to the plate next. She hits the ball directly between the short stop and left fielder. Ortega sits at first base.

Up first for the Aggies is #23 Jennings. Jennings hit a double. Up next #26 Nohara.

We were just just treated to a little "Kung Fu Fighting"

D. Bailey carries Lysol wipes with her...she did this prior to the swine flu...thankfully she is prepared so we can clean up a little mess that was created in the press box.

Hunt strikes out ending the third inning.

#7 Bias is up to bat. Bias reaches first base on an error while the Wolf Pack bring in another run. The score is now 3-0. S. Hunt makes her way to the plate while the NM State Aggies bring their team in for a quick huddle.

Puzzy hits one over the left fielders head and two runs are scored.

A ball is thrown and Puzzy advances to second base. The Wolf Pack have one out and a runner on second and third base.
Puzzy is walked bringing #22 B. Murdock to the plate.
#13 B. Puzzy is up to bat. The Wolf Pack only have one out and a runner at third.

We are still scoreless heading into the bottom of the third inning. The Wolf Pack are at the plate. The lead off batter N. Mika hit a fly to center field for the first out of the inning. Up scond is #2 Silagyi.

Fans are going wild for some free t-shirts!

Jone's ended up striking out.
#1 Jones is up to bat. A strike is thrown and K. Randall steals second base.
K. Randall strikes out. The Wolf Pack need one more out to end the inning.
Now up #4 K. Randall (sybling Kylie Randall)

Randall walks down to first base.
Randall has a full count...

Lien strikes out... #25 K. Randall is up to the plate next.
Up first for the Aggies is #32 Lien.

We are now rocking out to a little Billy Joel...Uptown Girl

Patrick hits it to short and is thrown out at first base. After two complete innings we are still scoreless.

Up next is #20 D. Patrick
Beach hits a fly ball which is caught by the third baseman. The Wolf Pack now have two outs.
#10 Beach is up to bat with a one and one count.

Second at bat is #11 J. Haight. First pitch is a strike and Hunt steals second base.
The Wolf Pack are up to bat...leading off is #3 S. Hunt. Sarah walks.

Maroda hits a fly ball to left field. We are still scoreless after 2.5 innings.
Autry strikes out. Up Next is #17 A. Maroda

Up next is the DH #5 Tiffany Autry

#24 Angie Ortega is up first - Angie strikes out

A little Bon Jovi is blaring over the speakers here at Bulldog Diamond.
We are just about to start the second inning with the Aggies at Bat.

First pitch was at 5:05p.m. The Aggies are at bat to start the game.
We are in the bottom of the first inning and are scoreless.

The second game of the Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament featuring the second seeded Nevada Wolf Pack and the fifth seeded New Mexico State Aggies is now underway.

WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-06T14:20:00.044-06:00

Boise State wins the first game of the tournament 8-4 and will play top seeded Fresno State tomorrow morning at 10a.m. while San Jose State plays the loser of the Nevada / New Mexico State game tomorrow at 2:30p.m.

San Jose State has two runners on first and second with one out. They need a five run surge to take the lead and advance in the winners bracket.

San Jose State has their first strike out of the inning and one runner on first base.

San Jose State finally gets the third out of the inning ending Boise State's four run rally.
Boise State leads 8-4 in the top of the ninth inning.

Boise State is on a two out rally....A Bronco batter drilled the Spartan first baseman en route to second base.

Boise State just scored their fourth run of the inning.

Boise State scores three runs in the top of the ninth inning on an error by a San Jose State right fielder.

Boise State has a runner on first and second with one out.

A San Jose State strike out ends the inning...we head into the top of the ninth inning.
Boise State has four run on eleven hits and has committed two errors while San Jose has four runs on eleven hits and has committed four errors.

We are still tied in the top of the inning. San Jose State has two outs and no one on base. #22 Sarah Taylor is up to bat.

The Spartans had runners at second and third with one out and were unable to score ... so we're going to extra innings folks!!

San Jose State just tied the game in the bottom of the seventh.

In the top of the seventh inning Boise State has four runs on nine hits and have committed two errors while San Jose State has three runs on eight hits and has committed three errors.

Pop fly by San Jose State ends the inning.

San Jose State just scored another run and trails by one.

Boise State now leads the game 4-2 as we head into the bottom of the sixth inning.

We are now tied at 2 a piece in the top of the sixth inning.
Boise State scores another run on a SJSU error at second base. Boise State takes the lead, 3-2

Top of the fifth inning the Spartans lead 2-1.
Top of the sixth inning San Jose State still has the lead 2-1 but BSU is up to bat and has runners on first and third with no outs.

First home run of the game by SJSU's #4
P. Ladwig, Associate AD of External Relations has just graced us with his presence.

San Jose tied up the game....1-1.
We are heading into the bottom of the fourth inning...SJSU

#22 Sarah Taylor leads off for San Jose State in the bottom of the third inning.
Taylor has the first hit of the game for SJSU.

Boise State leads the game 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning.
Heading into the top of the third inning we are treated to a little Bryan Adams 'Summer of 69'
Boise State has the sole run of the game.

Boise State is at bat first.
Boise State has the bases loaded with two outs.

We are officially underway....first pitch was at 2:02

We just finished with all of the pre-game festivities. It's a beautiful day in Fresno. Breezy, sunny and 82 degrees out.

Boise State is in their inaugural year and are appearing in their first WAC Tournament. Quiet an impressive session for a first year program. Boise State is seeded seventh in the tournament and has a season record of 21-28. San Jose State is seeded sixth and posts a 19 and 35 season record.

Currently Boise State and San Jose State are on the field getting ready to compete in the first game of the tournament.

We are coming to you live from Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State, the host of the 2009 WAC Softball Tournament. We have been at the ballpark for an hour now putting together the final preparations before the first game.

Travel Day to the WAC Softball Tournament

2009-05-05T18:38:00.003-06:00

It was an early morning for a few WAC Staffers (Elizabeth Kampfe, Director of Championships ; Hope Shuler, Director of Media Relations and Megan Allen, Director of Marketing) as we made our way from Colorado to Fresno, California for the 2009 WAC Softball Tournament.

Today has been a debacle to put it mildly. Our flight was to depart DIA at 8:37 a.m. - unfortunately we encountered some technical difficulties just before taking off. Thankfully we could stay on the plane while the proper adjustments were being made. The sky's were friendly today with minimal turbulence. Thankfully we were all entertained for the 2+ hour flight....we all watch the movie Bridal Wars. A chick flick that was pretty entertaining and predictable but still good.

We arrived in L.A. and made our way to to our next flight. It was only an hour till we reached Fresno. We decide to split up...I stayed and waited for our bags while Elizabeth stood in line for our car. Usually it takes much longer to get the car when compared to retrieving the bags.....as you can guess our bags did not make the same trek we did....after speaking with a friendly United agent we discovered that our bags had never left Denver. Thankfully they made it a few hours later.

The remainder of our day was spent working with the staff at Fresno State and setting up for the tournament.

Check back tomorrow afternoon as I blog from each game of the tournament.

Butch Harmon Addressed WAC Men's Golf Teams at Championship Banquet

2009-05-01T11:10:00.004-06:00

Last week at the men’s golf champion banquet, WAC student athletes were treated to a speech by legendary golf coach Butch Harmon. If you are a golf enthusiast then you are aware of Butch’s reputation. For those of you who are golf rookies Butch is the former coach of Tiger Woods and current coach of Phil Mickelson.

Butch and Tiger worked together for a ten year stint. The relations began back when Tiger wan an amateur. Prior to his time with Tiger, Butch coached Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and so on…..

Not only is Butch a world renowned instructor, he also owns the Butch Harmon School of Golf at the Rio Secco Golf Club, the site of the 2009 WAC Golf Tournament. Butch told stories of his time with Tiger and Phil as well as dispensed advice for collegiate athletes seeking a career in the PGA. Also on site was LPGA golfer and Butch Harmon School of Golf student Natalie Gulbis. Butch and Natalie also participated in a Q&A Session with the teams and posed for photos.

Its a busy month in WAC Athletics

2009-04-28T10:50:00.004-06:00

It’s a busy time in the Western Athletic Conference. It seems like each week we have a different championship! Below are some highlights from WACSports.com on some of our student athletes accomplishments.

New Mexico State Leads after Day One of the 2009 Club Glove WAC Men's Golf Championship. Follow along

After winning the Western Athletic Conference Championship last week and earning an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships, the San Jose State women’s golf team learned they would compete in the NCAA Regionals May 7-9 at the Arizona State Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, AZ.

Hawai`i men’s tennis earned its second-consecutive tournament crown after a 4-2 victory over No. 1 seed Boise State, Sunday. On the women's side, Top-seeded Fresno State defeated No. 2-seed Boise State to capture their eighth-straight WAC Championship crown.

New Mexico State outfielder Nate Shaver has been named Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week and Fresno State right-handed pitcher Matt Morse, along with San Jose State right-handed pitcher Ryan Shopshire have been named the WAC’s Co-Pitchers of the Week

WAC Baseball Tournament Tickets on Sale Now!

A total of 10 former WAC football players were selected in this year's NFL Draft. Click here for the WAC Draft Picks

Fresno State’s Brooke Phipps and Louisiana Tech’s Meghan Krieg have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

The Western Athletic Conference, in conjunction with its Web site partner JumpTV Sports, has announced it will stream the 2009 WAC Softball Tournament live from Fresno, Calif.. Viewers can sign up HERE

WAC Happenings

2009-04-21T11:21:00.004-06:00

Since not everyone has time to read each article on WACSports.com I have perused the website and have listed the most recent achievements and information on WAC Championships and conference information.

Fresno State defeated first-place Nevada 1-0 in nine innings Friday night, Morgan Melloh (pictured left) notched her 800th career strikeout, while head coach Margie Wright earned her 300th WAC win.

Louisiana Tech’s Amberly Waits and Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively

Tickets for the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, hosted by Fresno State at Bulldog Diamond May 6-9, are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets for the tournament by logging on to http://www.gobulldogs.com/, calling (559) 278-DOGS

Louisiana Tech outfielder Devon Dageford and left-handed pitcher Mike Jefferson have been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

Southern Utah's Elise Wheeler will not only be bringing home All-American first-team honors on bars and beam and second-team All-American honors on floor, but the junior will also be bringing home NCAA hardware after a sixth-place finish on the balance beam at the NCAA National Championships on Saturday night.

The WACSports Twitter page is available at http://twitter.com/WACSports?DB_OEM_ID=10100

The 2009 WAC Football Spring Preview is available. The preview contains information on the upcoming WAC football season with notes and conference information.
2009 WAC Spring Football Preview

San Jose State took a 13-stroke lead over Idaho after the first round of the Club Glove Western Athletic Conference women's golf championship. The Spartans shot a total of 285 in the first round at the 6,133-yard, par-72 Wolf Run Golf Club in Reno, Nev. LIVE SCORING

FIND THE WAC ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

2009-04-15T14:55:00.000-06:00

In an effort to connect with more WAC fans, the Western Athletic Conference now has a presence on the Facebook and Twitter social networking sites.
The Western Athletic Conference facebook and twitter accounts will feature up-to-date posts on WAC Championships, weekly releases, promotions and conference information.

The WACSports twitter page is available at http://twitter.com/WACSports

Locate us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/#/pages/Western-Athletic-Conference/75100205217

WAC ACTION

2009-04-14T10:48:00.011-06:00

With the Spring season well underway here are this weeks Top Ten in WAC Action...ENJOY!

10. New Mexico State junior Sophia Marks has been named the WAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week. This is the first player of the week honor for Marks, who was a second team all-WAC performer last year for the Aggies in both singles and doubles. Marks led the Aggie women’s tennis team to a 2-1 record last weekend with wins over Utah State and Louisiana Tech. She went 2-1 in her singles matches and 2-1 in her doubles matches.

9. SJSU’s Erica Moston (pictured left) is ranked in the top-10 nationally among collegiate women's golfers and will be the live in-studio guest during the April 14 KRON TV (Channel 4, San Francisco) evening sports report. Heading into the WAC Championship Moston is ranked ninth nationally and has a season stroke average of 71.41. She has recent back-to-back tournament wins at the Ryder Canes & Carinal Classic in Miami Lakes, Fla., and the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz.

8. Utah State women's track and field athlete Sonia Grabowska has been named both the WAC and America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week. The WAC honor is selected by the conference office while the USU award is chosen by a statewide media panel. Grabowska, a sophomore set a new USU school record, taking second-place in the pole vault on Saturday at the UCLA Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational clearing 13-09.75 (4.21m). Grabowska's record setting height is also a new personal-best, a new Western Athletic Conference-best and an NCAA regional qualifying mark. She now holds both of the Aggies' indoor and outdoor record in this event.

7. Boise State football player Tommy Gallarda has been selected to attend the 2009 NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference. Gallarda is one of 233 Division I student-athletes who will participate in the annual conference. The conference is to provide a forum for student-athletes to discuss campus and community issues. It will also give them the opportunity to develop leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills.

6. The UH cheerleaders placed first and fifth respectively in the Partner Stunt Division at the National Cheerleaders Association's Collegiate Cheer Championship held in Daytona Beach, Fla. on Saturday. Partners Kristin Kowalkowski and Kelvin Lam won the prestigious event and Amanda Lucero and George McGuire captured fifth place.

5. The Nevada softball team had a strong performance in their Saturday sweep of Boise State. In game one of the doubleheader, freshman pitcher Mallary Darby tossed the third no-hitter in school history. Senior outfielder Brittany Puzey (pictured right) extended her hitting streak to 20 straight games, the longest in school history and the longest on record in the WAC. The Wolf Pack belted eight home runs on the day and broke the school record (43) for home runs in a season.

4. University of Idaho athletes Mac Hopson and Allix Lee-Painter garnered Athlete of the Year awards at the North Idaho Sports Banquet over the weekend. Hopson, a junior point guard with the Idaho men’s basketball team, was named the top men’s college athlete in Northern Idaho while senior Lee-Painter earned the same award for women as a member of the Vandal cross country and track and field teams.

3. Fresno State Junior Tom Mendonca (pictured above) hit two home runs in his first two at bats of the night at the FSU / NM State baseball game on April 13. The home runs tied the third baseman for all-time home run leader.

2. The Louisiana Tech Track and Field Team captured ten top five finishes and three regional qualifying marks at the Ole Miss Invitational.

· Sophomore Larry Jones placed second in the discus throw with a regional qualifying
throw of 177' 07".
· Senior Nadia Alexander recorded two top five finishes in the woman's discus and shot put.
Alexander finished third in the shot put with a regional qualifying throw of 51' 0" and fifth in
the discus with a throw of 146' 11".
· Sophomore sprinter Chasidee Lewis-Baker who finished third in the 100m with a regional
qualifying time of 11.50 which is top in the conference.

1. For only the second time in school history, San Jose State will be represented at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships. Veronica Porte and Thomasina Wallace will compete in the all-around on Thursday, April 16. They are just the second and third Spartan gymnasts to compete in the all-around at the championships.

PLAY BALL!

2009-04-13T11:00:00.010-06:00

This past Friday was opening day for the Colorado Rockies. For some reason I started to think about music in baseball and ‘at bat’ songs. I wonder how long it takes an athlete to select their ‘at bat’ song. This is a big decision…this song will be played multiple times each game and hundreds of times during the season. The song selected serves multiple purposes. The song selection helps to shed some light on the individual’s personality; it’s used to pump up the athlete and is an entertaining element for the crowd.

I’ve searched the internet and it is unclear when and where ‘at bat’ songs originated, one thing is evident, it is a tradition you can hear at MLB and college stadiums across the US.

I stated to think of the song I would use for my at bat song and thought it would be fun to include songs my co-workers would select. Just click on the name to hear the song selected…

Karl Benson
Jeff Hurd
Dave Chaffin
Anthony Archbald
Steve Borland
Kathy Schild
Hope Shuler
Michelle Smith
Mollie Lehman
Elizabeth Kampfe
Megan Allen

“At bat: songs in MLB:
Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay Devil Rays

While doing research on ‘at bat’ songs I stumbled upon some interesting information about music in baseball, in particular the origins of the seventh inning stretch.

The reason for the seventh inning stretch is unclear. Some historians believe that President Taft started the time honored tradition while attending the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics game in 1910. Apparently Taft became restless during the game and decided to stand and stretch his limbs. When Taft stood up, the entire stadium rose – as you know if the President stands those in his presence are to stand as well. Fans expected Taft to depart the stadium, instead he returned to his seat to watch the conclusion of the game. Others believe the tradition began in 1869 when Harry Wright of the Cincinnati Red Stockings noted that "The spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches."

To this date ballparks still honor this tradition and play “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the middle of the seventh inning. Some franchises have even started their own traditions:

The Yankees play “New York, New York” after each home game.
Boston Red Sox play “Sweet Caroline” during the eight inning of each contest.
After the passing of Harry Carry the Chicago Cubs organization welcomes various guest to attend the game and lead the crowd in the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

To read about more MLB ball park traditions click here

WAC BASEBALL HEADING INTO CONFERENCE PLAY THIS WEEKEND

2009-04-02T10:22:00.012-06:00

The baseball season is in full swing as we head into conference play this weekend. Our baseball programs have made some notable accomplishments during the non-conference portion of their schedules. Here’s a classic baseball tune for your enjoyment while catching up on WAC Baseball highlights….

Fresno State third baseman Tommy Mendonca (pictured left)and Sacramento State junior outfielder Tim Wheeler have been named to the preseason All-American team by Baseball America.

As of March 29, New Mexico State ranks fifth or better in 13 team statistical categories. The Aggies lead the nation in scoring, runs, doubles, Home Runs, slugging percentage, base on balls and win-loss percentage. NMSU also ranks second in the nation in hits and home runs per game.

Nevada head coach Gary Powers (pictured on the right) recorded his 800th career victory when the Wolf Pack defeated Oregon 6-5 on March 12. Powers the longest tenured coach in the history of Nevada athletics is in his 27th year as skipper of the Pack.

San Jose State’s victory over Dartmouth College on March 19, marked win No. 700 for 22nd-year Spartan head coach Sam Piraro. Piraro is the winningest coach in program history with a record of 704-525-6.

The NMSU Aggies broke into the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division I baseball poll last week and stayed at No. 24 after picking five consecutive road wins.

Fresno State’s Tom Mendonca continues to front the WAC as the league’s active career leader in home runs with 40.

San Jose State entered Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Division I baseball poll at the No. 25 spot on March 9. It was San Jose State’s first in-season national ranking since the 2002 campaign.

NMSU’s Richard Stout(pictured left) leads the nation in four categories. Stout fronts the country in runs per game, runs, base on ball per game and base on balls.

Louisiana Tech senior Chris Kersten was named National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on Feb. 24.

The New Mexico State baseball team set the school record for most home runs in a game when it hit 10 home runs against Chicago State, Friday, Feb. 27. The old record was nine, when the Aggies accomplished that feat against Pacific, May 3, 1997.

CURRENT WAC STANDINGS

New Mexico State (25-3)
San Jose State (19-5)
Hawai`i (16-9)
Sacramento State (16-9)
Louisiana Tech (12-9)
Fresno State (13-11)
Nevada (11-15)

WAC Softball Update

2009-04-01T09:38:00.019-06:00

So far the WAC Softball teams are off to a great start this season. I thought I would highlight some of their accomplishments thus far…

Both Fresno State and Nevada are ranked, No. 23 and No. 25 respectively in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.

Fresno State’s Haley Perkins and Morgan Melloh, and Nevada’s Noelle Micka (photo on the righ)were named to the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) Watch List for the eighth Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The 2009 Preseason Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 32 schools and 13 different NCAA Division I Conferences.

Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh was named a first team Easton All-American. Melloh was one of just 14 student-athletes from across the country to be named to the first team and the only representative from the WAC.

Nevada catcher Noelle Micka (photo below) and Fresno State pitcher Morgan Melloh earned second team All-America honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh (photo on the left) became just the third freshman in school history to be named the WAC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in the same season.

New Mexico State has earned three WAC Hitters of the Week accolades while Boise State, Fresno State, Hawai`i, Louisiana Tech and Nevada have each received the honor once.

Nevada has received the WAC Pitcher of the Week honors four times this season while Louisiana Tech has notched two weekly accolades and Fresno State and Hawai`i have each received the honor once.

WAC teams combined to hit 32 home runs last week(March 23), including seven each by Fresno State and Louisiana Tech. Hawai‘i’s Amanda Tauali‘i hit three homers in one game, tying the WAC single-game record

In their inaugural year Boise State swept its first WAC series on the road at Utah State, winning 2-0, 12-6 and 7-3.

Brittany Puzey’s (photo on the right) seventh-inning home run against Oregon State on Feb. 28 at the DeMarini Invitational moved her into first place on Nevada’s all-time home run list.

San Jose State senior Brittany McConnell set the SJSU career mark for RBI (119) and tied the career home run mark of 27 on a three-run homer in the Spartans’ 7-4 loss to Cal State Northridge at the UTEP Invitational Feb. 20.

Current WAC Standings:
Fresno State Bulldogs (22-13, 5-1 WAC)
Nevada Wolf Pack (24-10, 4-1 WAC)
Boise State Broncos (17-13, 3-2 WAC)
Louisiana Tech Techsters (18-14, 3-2 WAC)
Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine (15-19, 3-3 WAC)
San Jose State Spartans (15-23, 2-4 WAC)
New Mexico State Aggies (21-14, 1-4 WAC)
Utah State Aggies (8-22, 1-5 WAC)

Lady Techsters plan to Knock Domestic Violence Out of the Park!

2009-03-31T16:01:00.005-06:00

If your in Ruston, LA on Saturday, April 11 be sure to attend the Lady Techsters doubleheader softball game against the No. 23 Fresno State Bulldogs.

The Louisiana Tech softball team is teaming up with Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (D.A.R.T) of North Louisiana to Knock Domestic Violence out of The Park!

The Louisiana Tech softball team and athletic department are encouraging members of the community and fans to attend the game and donate food for the concessions stand, clothing, gift baskets, monetary contributions, etc... These items will be raffled off with the proceeds going to D.A.R.T. Just a reminder that all donated items are tax-deductible. As a tribute to those affected by domestic violence both teams will wear unifroms featuring D.A.R.T's signature color, purple.

We hope to see you at the game!

WAC WEEKLY TOP TEN

2009-03-30T10:08:00.009-06:00

10. The Western Athletic Conference has a facebook page. Check us out and become a fan!

9. New Mexico State's Travis Reid and Idaho's Kayla Mortellaro have been named the WAC Golfers of the Week. Reid, tied for third place in the Barona Collegiate Cup played March 16-17. He was under par in all three rounds with a low of 68 on the final 18 that included six birdies. Mortellaro, won her first collegiate tournament with a three-over par 219 (69-75-75) at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii, March 16-18. Mortellaro won the tournament by one stroke and helped the Vandals to a second place finish in the 10-team field that included three other WAC teams (Boise State, Nevada and Hawai'i). Her first round total of 69 was the best of the day.

8. All six of the WAC’s gymnastics teams will be represented at the 2009 NCAA Gymnastics Regional Championships on April 4.

7. The Aggie baseball team set the school record for most home runs in a game when it hit 10 home runs against Chicago State, Friday, Feb. 27. The Aggies are currently ranked No.24 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division I baseball poll.

6. Fresno State is ranked No. 23 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. While Nevada is ranked No. 25 in the Ultimate College Softball poll.

5. Erica Moston led the Spartan women’s golf team with a seven-under par for her three-round total. She won the individual title and led San Jose State to its third consecutive tournament win with a nine-shot victory at the MountainView Collegiate at the MountainView Golf Course.

4. Fresno State’s Latrisha Jordan earned WAC Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors. Jordan set the all-time Fresno State record in the 400-meter hurdles at the USC Trojan Invitational. Jordan ran to a first-place finish with a time of 58.88, a mark that is currently the best in the WAC by more than 1.5 seconds. Her performance garnered an NCAA Regional Qualifying mark in just the second meet of the season. Jordan also competed in the 4x400 relay that finished second with a time of 3:43.48.

3. Fresno State’s Melanie Gloria has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week. Gloria led the Bulldogs to a monumental upset over No. 5 California on Saturday. Leading No. 18 Fresno State at the top position, Gloria (No. 19) defeated the No.17th-ranked player in the nation, Jana Juricova, 7-6 (4), 6-3. In doubles action, she and her partner Tinesta Rowe (16), played to an 8-6 win over Cal’s No. 9 Cossou/Ilcinkas. The win against Cal is the first time this season any WAC team, men or women, has defeated a top-5 opponent.

2. Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh was named a first team Easton All-American. Melloh was one of just 14 student-athletes from across the country to be named to the first team and
the only representative from the WAC.

1. Fresno State junior third baseman Tommy Mendonca and Sacramento State junior outfielder Tim Wheeler have been named to the preseason All-American team by Baseball America. Mendonca received first team honors while Wheeler was named to the third team.

New Mexico State Baseball breaks into the Top 25

2009-03-25T08:58:00.002-06:00

Its not easy breaking into national rankings, but with their best start since 1990 , the New Mexico State baseball program has cracked the Top 25. The Aggies are currently ranked No. 24 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division I baseball poll.

The Aggies (20-3) boast a team batting average of .381, have 58 home runs on the season and victories of No. 20 New Mexico and San Fransisco.

The Aggies currently lead the nation in offense with 12.6 runs per game and are fourth in the nation in scoring margin at +7.2. The team also leads the conference in home runs with 58. Short stop Bryan Marquez (3/16) and catcher Jeff Farnham (3/2) have each received the weekly WAC honor of Player of the Week.

Congratulations NMSU!

WAC TOP TEN (March 14-23)

2009-03-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

Check out the latest and greatest in the WAC with our Top Ten picks from the past week!

10. Southern Utah junior Elise Wheeler earned WAC Gymnast of the Year honors. Wheeler landed a 9.825 on the bars en route to claiming the all-around title with a score of 39.325

9. San Jose State outfielder Jacob Bruns helped the Spartans to a 5-0 record last week. Bruns batted .588 with five doubles (three in one game) his first home run as a Spartan, seven runs and nine RBI.

8. Ricketts, a freshman from San Jose, Calif., went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and threw the first no-hitter in the WAC this season as the Rainbow Wahine went 2-1 on the road at Louisiana Tech. She fired her first career no-hitter in the first game vs. the Techsters, retiring the first 12 batters before a walk became the only blemish in the score book. She then proceeded to retire the next nine straight for the no-hitter.

7. In women's golf action, Idaho's true freshman Kayla Mortellaro notched her first collegiate tournament victory with a one-stroke decision over Texas A&M’s Lauren Johnson and Osaka’s Nanae Shinzato at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational.

6. The San Jose State University baseball team defeated visiting Dartmouth College, 6-1, for its sixth straight to give head coach Sam Piraro career win No. 700 in his 22nd season in charge at his alma mater, at Municipal Stadium on Thursday night, March 19.

5. For the second consecutive year, Louisiana Tech has earned the distinction as the Western Athletic Conference's winner of the NCAA Pack the House Challenge. Louisiana Tech's Pack the House Challenge game was Feb. 13 when the Lady Techsters hosted Hawaii and drew a season-high 4,972 fans.

4. Idaho defeated Drake 69-67 in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Five different Vandals scored in double figures. Idaho now travels to face Pacific in the quarterfinals of the tournament. The game is slated for Monday, March 23 at a time to be determined.

3. Adrienne Johnson scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Louisiana Tech to a 77-54 win over SMU in the first round of the WNIT Thursday. With the win, Tech (21-12) advances to Tuesday's second round game at Illinois State.

2. Winning three of the four event rotations, Boise State defended its title at the Western Athletic Conference Gymnastics Championship

1. Ten WAC Athletes Earn All-America Honors at Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Boise State / Ryan Grinnell / Triple Jump
Boise State / Simon Wardhaugh / Weight Throw
Boise State / Eleni Kafourou Long / Jump
Fresno State / Sharon Ayala / Weight Throw
Hawai`i / Amber Kaufman / High Jump
Hawai`i / Annett Wichmann / Pentathlon
Idaho / Mykael Bothum / Shot Put
Idaho / KC Dahlgren / Pole Vault
Utah State / Clink Silcock / High Jump
Utah State / John Strang / Heptathlon

Top Ten this Week in WAC Action

2009-03-18T09:36:00.000-06:00

Check out the latest and greatest in WAC action with this weeks Top Ten picks.

10. In softball action Nevada’s Danielle Patrick was name WAC Player of the week as she hit .700 (7-for-10) on the week as Nevada swept Santa Clara and extended its WAC-best home winning streak to 21 straight games. In three games against the Broncos, Patrick had four runs, five RBI and two doubles. She recorded a .900 slugging percentage and a .700 on-base percentage.

9. Nevada right handed pitcher Derek Achelpohl received WAC Pitcher of the week honors as he pitched two shutout innings and did not give up a hit in his start at UC Davis. He registered three strikeouts after facing seven batters in his two innings of work. Achelpohl threw 7.0

innings and picked up the 2-1 win against Oregon, compiling seven strikeouts while only allowing the single run. Overall on the week, Achelpohl pitched 9.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA.

8. In more softball action Nevada’s Mallary Darby was named the WAC Pitcher of the week for her performance this past weekend. Darby picked up a pair of victories over Santa Clara over the weekend with a 0.78 earned-run average and 11 strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work. In the first victory, she notched her third complete-game shutout of the season by yielding just three hits while striking out six. On Sunday, Darby improved to 9-3 on the season by striking out five and giving up just two hits and one earned run. She now has 110 strikeouts in 91 innings of work.

7. New Mexico State shortstop Bryan Marquez earned player of the week honors for his performance this past weekend. Marquez hit .600 in helping the Aggies to a 4-1 record last week. Marquez had a season-high three hits and tied a career high with five RBI as he hit a solo home run and the game-tying grand slam to lead NMSU to a 10-inning, 11-10 victory over Northern Colorado. Marquez had two grand slams on the weekend, and finished the week going 9-for-15 at the plate with nine hits, 13 RBI, four home runs and six walks.

6. Louisiana Tech (20-12) earned the automatic bid out of the WAC by virtue of its share of the WAC regular-season championship. The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team will host SMU in the first round of the WNIT Thursday at the Thomas Assembly Center.

5. In other post season action Nevada and Boise State received initiations to participate in the CBI while Idaho is participating in the inaugural year of the CIT.

4. In WAC Gymnastics, Southern Utah’s Elise Wheeler broke the school record in the all-around with a 39.525 as she finished first in the event at Boise State. It was the third time this year that the junior has recorded one of the top five all-time marks in SUU history.

3. In women’s basketball news, Nevada guard Dellena Criner and Louisiana Tech forward Shanavia Dowdell are two of 52 players named as regional finalists for the 2009 State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.

2. The Utah State Men’s Basketball and the Fresno State Women’s Basketball programs received automatic berths to the NCAA tournament after capturing the WAC Tournament title this past Saturday in Reno, NV.

1. Boise State senior Eleni Kafourou made history, Friday, by winning the women’s long jump at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in College Station, Texas. Kafourou is the first women’s NCAA National Champion, in any sport, in Boise State history.

WAC Tournament Women's Game No. 5 - No. 2 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 7 New Mexico State

2009-03-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

The final quarterfinal game is underway as second-seeded Louisiana Tech battles with seventh-seeded New Mexico State for a chance to play third-seeded Nevada in the semifinals on Friday night.

(12:30) With the score knotted at 10-10, Louisiana Tech's Shanavia Dowdell converted on a lay-up to put the Techsters up two.

The two teams are just four days removed from playing each other in Las Cruces last Saturday when Louisiana Tech won a 78-69 contest to sweep the season series.

NMSU's Pistol Pete breaks out into his own version of ... I'm not really sure what to call it. It included lots of gyrating of the hips, some waving of his arms was involved... please send us any possible names for this so called "dance."

(10:00) Meanwhile, Tech has pulled away with an 11 point lead with Shanavia Dowdell and Whitney Jones collecting seven points apiece.

WAC Director of Championships, Elizabeth Kampfe, points out that all the males in the New Mexico State band have pink lettering instead of the normal white. Why is this? The red dye from the NMSU shirt has bled on the font. Moral of the story: Men do not know how to do laundry.

(3:51) At a timeout, Tech leads 25-20...

The "Verizon Dance Off" got a little crazy as the band played and the dancers danced.

I'm going to go ahead and apologize to all the readers out there. The blog for this game definitely wasn't my best material. After a long day of basketball, I am 0-for-thoughts, 0-for-coherentness and 1-for-8 on funny jokes. Tune in tomorrow for maximum comedic value.

Halftime score update: Louisiana Tech takes a 33-26 lead into the locker room.

Note: New Mexico State has registered 13 turnovers while the Techsters have only committed two... LTU has scored 14 points off of those turnovers, hence the seven-point deficit.

The second half is getting started and we have a 38-30 game, with LTU leading.

Score update: LTU 48, NMSU 35 14:15 left in the game

Everyone currently has the fourth-game funnies.

One lucky fan just one a $100 gift card for a Spa treatment at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino for on-the-spot shooting, his significant other must be stoked!

Score update: LTU 58, NMSU 42

Louisiana Tech's Adrienne Johnson is pacing the Techsters with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Score update: LTU 73, NMSU 60

Final Score: LTU 81, NMSU 68

WAC Tournament Women's Game No. 4 - No. 3 Nevada vs. No. 6 Boise State

2009-03-11T18:46:00.000-06:00

The game has tipped off ... Nevada is wearing whites, Boise State is in blue with orange and white trim ...

(14:50) Five minutes into the game, Nevada has taken a five point lead to go up 10-5.

The Boise State band, fans and cheer squad have all made the trip to Reno.

(8:20) Boise State takes the lead on a Melissa Rima three-pointer, 19-16. Boise State is currently 3-for-4 on shots from beyond the arc. Nevada seems to be effective on the inside as it has shot ten free throws in the early going, connecting on seven of them.

(5:00) After the Broncos went up eight, Nevada's Johnna Ward hit back-to-back threes to bring the Wolf Pack within two. Ward is 3-for-4 from the three-point line in the game.

The always entertaining "Verizon Wireless Dance Off" produced a winner out of "Steve" from Nevada. Steve won a brand new LG Voyager... The crowd enjoyed his dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

At the half, Boise State leads Nevada on the Wolf Pack's home court.

During the regular season, the two teams split 1-1, each garnering a win on their respective home courts. Nevada defeated Boise State 77-45 in a late-January game, while the Broncos earned their victory in a 75-74 win in February.

Ladies and gentleman, we just saw the best live rendition of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance. A male band member from Nevada just killed it. He would have made Mrs. Knowles jealous.

Play has resumed...

18:10 mark - Boise State 38, Nevada 35

This game may come down to free throws, the women just seem like they do it much better than the men this tournament... that's how we do it at the WAC.

The Jiffy Lube Cheetah attempts to break his losing streak in the scooter ride...

... Nope, maybe next time.

(15:03) Nevada pulls within three on a Shavon Moore lay-up... current score: BSU 45, NEV 42.

(13:40) Nevada takes its first lead after Brandi Jones hit a lay-up with contact, 47-45. The crowd is getting restless/anxious/all of the above (insert appropriate word here) as neither team can pull away.

Boise State went up two, 49-47, but the Wolf Pack used its homecourt advantage to pull ahead, 52-49 with a two three-pointers with 12 minutes left.

Score update: knotted up at 54 with less than nine minutes to go in the game.

And here we are... The Mascot Dance-Off... The Bronco of Boise State is showing his moves with the breakdancing moves, but "Wolfie" of Nevada broke out the worm that won the crowd over. They definitely showed their dance skills off, but they may need to hit the gym before taking on the Summit League Mascots

As we check back to the game, it looks like we have ourselves a ballgame. A lot of back-and-forth up-and-down play as the final minutes tick away.

(5:39) The two teams are trading baskets with the score at 61-59 in favor of Boise State.

Stat update: Nevada guard Johnna Ward has a game-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including five three-pointers.

(2:05) Nevada's Shavon Moore just put the Wolf Pack up 64-63 on a lay-up that came as the shot clock was expired.

(1:35) Boise State's Heather Pilcher responds with a hard drive to the basket to cut Nevada's lead to one, 65-66.

A late game steal sealed it for the home team, Nevada wins it, 73-65. The Wolf Pack will move on to the semifinals to play the winner of New Mexico State/Louisiana Tech.

Final Score: Nev 73, Boise State 65

WAC Tournament Women's Game No. 3 - No. 1 Fresno State vs. No. 8 Hawaii

2009-03-11T15:36:00.000-06:00

Top-seeded Fresno State will showcase its talent for the first time as it takes on Hawaii here in the quarterfinals.

The Rainbow Wahine are holding their own and keeping pace with the Bulldogs early, in a 10-8 game, as Fresno State is on top.

Side note: Three out of every four people have chapped lips among WAC staff, citing the lack of moisture in the air around the greater Reno area.

(12:17) Fresno State has extended its lead to six, with the score at 16-10. The Bulldogs have converted on 4-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc. FS leads the nation in three-pointers per game, making 9.9 per contest this season.

Fun fact: Hawaii is the most isolated population center on Earth. It is 2,390 miles (3,850 km) from California, 3,850 miles (6,195 km) from Japan and 4,900 miles (7,885 km) from China.

SID update: Director of WAC Media Relations, Jason Erickson, returns from lunch where he thoroughly enjoyed his Jimmy Johns. And it looks like he is going to follow his tuna sandwich up with a roll of shortbread cookies from Girl Scouts of America. Mmmmmm, good.

At the 6:51 mark, Hawaii is only down two, 18-16. Fresno State won both contests during regular season play.

Fun fact: Fresno is the Raisin Capital of the World.

With 15 points so far, Bailey Amundsen leads the Bulldogs in scoring converting on 5-of-6 three-pointers.

At one point, Fresno State had a 12 point lead, but the Rainbow Wahine have cut the deficit to just one at the half, 33-32.

The Utah State dance team has arrived is to watch game No. 3. The Aggiettes served as the halftime entertainment for the first game of the day. They performed a stunning routine that would have made even Valerie Baum, a dance team specialist for the WAC, honored.

And the second half begins...

(18:00) The Rainbow Wahine takes their first lead of the game on a Tara Hill bucket, 34-33.

DC is in the house... sitting courtside.

(15:50) The Bulldogs retake the lead, 38-36, to continue this back-and-forth game.

The Jiffy Lube Cheeta has continued his scooter slump, losing for the third-straight time in the full court race.

Checking back in to the contest: Fresno State still holds the advantage, 42-39. Amundsen has a team-high 18 points, making six three-pointers so far.

Score update: Fresno State 53, Hawaii 45

(3:15) Fresno State has extended the lead to 11, in the 61-55 game.

And the Bulldogs are going to continue on to the semifinal round to face 4th-seeded Utah State on Friday.

Final Score: Fresno State 65, Hawaii 50

WAC Tournament Women's Game No. 2 - No. 4 Idaho vs. No. 5 Utah State

2009-03-11T13:09:00.000-06:00

Coming at you live from Reno, the second day of the WAC Basketball tournament gets underway! 4th-seeded Idaho plays 5th-seeded Utah State in the first installment of four games this afternoon.

(14:38) The Vandals and Aggies are currently locked up in a tight one, 7-7, after only five minutes of play.

The two teams split 1-1 in the regular season, including a double-overtime thriller in Logan that resulted in a 70-64 victory by USU.

Big Blue is in attendance for the Aggies, the bull-human hybrid is getting rowdy next to the Utah State. He is going with a select breakdancing move during the time out, poor execution -- "A" for effort though.

(10:02) With the game still tied up, Idaho continues to go back to junior forward Yinka Olorunnife. Olorunnife was the only player in the WAC to average a double-double this year.

(7:25) T's for THREES! as Utah State's Chelsea Burns puts the Aggies up one (16-15) with a three-pointer from the wing.

Side Note: the WAC Staff has yet to feel the effects of fatigue just two games into the WAC tournament, only 14 more games to go...

(3:31) Utah State currently killing it on the boards with a 20-7 advantage just before the half to fuel its 22-20 lead.

(Half) Idaho's Derisa Taleni hits an incredible half court buzzer beater to put her Vandals up 25-24. Taleni leads all scorers with 11 points.

Sorry for the delay, internet troubles over here at Lawlor Events Center. Hence the silence from the blog (insert cricket noise here.)

The went into overtime after both teams failed to convert on finals attempts to win in regulation.

After a clutch mid-range jumpshot by Utah State's Ana Pares put the Aggies up 59-54 with 1:32 left in overtime, a lead that they would never relinquish.

Final Score: Utah State 59, Idaho 58

WAC Tournament Men's Game No. 1 - No. 9 Fresno State vs. No. 8 Hawaii

2009-03-10T20:54:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay, but we were wrapping up the press conferences from the women's game. It's always tough to see a team's season come to an end, especially when you have seniors that have made a big impact on their program.

We're currently at the 7:50 mark of the first half. The Rainbow Warriors are up 14-10. Neither team is shooting particularly well - Hawaii is at 33 percent, and the Bulldogs are at 29 percent.

Roderick Flemings has a game-high 10 points for Hawaii.

Hawaii has a player named Balocka. It's pronounced Ba-loach-ka. For some reason, it makes me think of pasta.

With five minutes left in the first half, it's 17-11 Hawaii.

Now Trevor is showing off - throwing shirts across the court to the fans on the other side of the arena!

There are 11 photographers on the baseline. It seems like a lot more than usual.

The timeout entertainment is a dance contest. I'm voting for the 50+ gentleman. Unfortunately, he didn't win. He seemed a little out of his element. Then again, all three contestants did.

At halftime, Hawaii leads 28-23.

Hawaii's baton twirler is the halftime entertainment again, but there's a glitch with her music. Now that she's started, she is amazing. She is using three batons at a time!

Our intern Trevor just threw t-shirts into the stands for a three-pointer and I'm not sure he made it past the third row. He's also unshaven. He's had a long day ...

We're got a one-point ballgame, 34-33!

There are some really good prizes for the games! Some guy just won an iPod for going the fastest on a scooter!! Too bad employees can't participate.

I think Fresno State is now making threes just to give Trevor a chance to redeem himself!

We just had the highlight of the tournament so far - Hawaii's Roderick Flemings just had a nasty dunk!

Brian Seals just returned the favor with a dunk, although it wasn't as impressive as Flemings'.

Now Trevor is showing off - throwing t-shirts across the court to fans on the other side of the arena.

In our latest promotion, a teenage boy won tickets to Menopause, the Musical. Funny!!

With 8:00 minutes left, it's a three-point game, 51-48.

The two teams have combined for 13 treys. The Fresno State women average close to 10 a game.

It's a five-point game with less than two minutes remaining. It looks like both Hawaii teams will advance out of the opening round.

Fresno State rallied to win 62-58.

WAC Tournament Women's Game 1 - No. 9 San Jose State vs. No. 8 Hawai‘i

2009-03-10T18:11:00.000-06:00

WAC staff here blogging live from the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. San Jose State and Hawai‘i women have already tipped off. UH leads by a score of 11-9 with 15:55 to go in the first half.

Hawaii band is present and playing proud and loud ... The UH twirler is in full action out on the floor.

Back to the action ...

15-9 UH leads 14:45 to go in 1st

UH band dressed in green polos and is very loud as SJSU shoots its free throws

16-11 with 13:06 in 1st

Hawaii goes on a run ... 21-11 UH with 11:47 tp play in 1st

23-15 with 10:05 to go in 1st

Kanekoa of UH leads both teams in scoring with 10 points

we have one Nevada fan with a sign that says "SPAM" and he is rooting for SJSU and is trying to compete with UH's band as far as who is being louder.

SJSU making a little run ... UH 23, SJSU 17 with 7:59 to go in 1st

Hawaii band is very entertaining ...

UH's Kanekoa still leads all scores with 10 points ... Liepkalne has five

Shaunna Ridge leads SJSU with seven points ... Sayja Sumler has five rebounds

UH just drained its fifth three of the game ... 26-17 UH with 7:24

UH shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor

UH 29, SJSU 22 with 4:45 to go in 1st

Just spotted Natalie Williams in the crowd ... from wikipedia: see wikipedia .. link is here

Williams has an olympic gold medal ... was a ucla star and a wnba star

UH 31, SJSU 22 with 3:50 to go in 1st

WAC just had its version of So You Think You Can Dance as it just had a Verizon Wireless Dance-Off between fans during the time out. Very funny ...

Kanekoa continues to lead all scores with 12 ponts ... Ridge leads SJSU with seven points ... UH is 5-for-11 from beyond the arc ...

UH 35, SJSU 24 ... 1:26 to go in 1st

HALFTIME: UH 39, SJSU 24

Halftime Stats brought to you by the Saibini family:

SJSU: Ridge, 7 pts., Hamilton and Brown, 4 pts., Sumler, 5 reb.,

UH: Kanekoa, 12 pts., Liepkalne, 10 pts., Arbuckle, 6 pts., Tinnin and Liepkalne, 4 reb.

Second period is now underway ...

UH with its sixth three-point basket of the night ... UH leads 42-30 ... 18:18 to play

UH 46, SJSU 32 15:39

Jiffy Lube timeout promotion ... very nice ... race on mini scooters ... winner got an ipod nano

Stats: UH Tinnin and Kanekoa each with 12 points ... lead all scores

UH 60, SJSU 36 ... 8:10 to play

UH 62, SJSU 40 ... 5:51 to play

UH 64, SJSU with 2 mins to play

FINAL SCORE: UH 70, SJSU 57

Hawai‘i moves on to play Fresno State in Wednesday's quarterfinal game.

Peppermill Hotel Casino and Resort

2009-03-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here’s a look at the Peppermill Resort Hotel Casino

PEPPERMILL Resort Hotel Casino

The Peppermill is paired with Boise State, New Mexico State and San Jose State men’s and women’s basketball teams.

ROOM RATES:
For reservations call - 866-821-9996
**Please refer to code : LWACBSS, LWACNMS, or LWACSJS when booking accommodations**
$59.99 for midweek (Sunday – Thursday)
$109.00 for weekends (Friday/Saturday)

To reserve a room in the newly renovated Tuscany Towers simply request the room when booking accommodations. Rooms are on a first come first serve basis and may cost more than other rooms.

LOCATION:
The Peppermill is located at 2707 South Virginia Street

Directions from the Reno – Tahoe International Airport:
From the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, take Interstate 395 north to the I-80 exit. Exit on I-80 West exit. Drive on I-80 west until Downtown Reno/Virginia Street exit. Exit on Downtown Reno/Virginia Street. Cross Virginia Street. Turn left at South Virginia Street

FOOD AND BEVERAGES:
There are several delicious restaurants located at the Peppermill.

FINE DINING:
Bimini Steakhouse –
Bimini’s features Harwood grilled stakes, chops and seafood. Bimini’s is also known for their expansive wine selection.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:Open Sunday – Thursday from 5:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.
Open Friday and Saturday from 5:30p.m. to 10:00p.m.For reservations are strongly recommended.

Romanza Ristorante Italiano-
Enjoy award winning Italian cuisine from wood-fired specialties to handcrafted pastas and fresh seafood.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:
Open at 5:30 p.m.Wednesday – Sunday
Reservations are strongly recommended - 775-689-7178

CASUAL DINING:
Oceano –
Oceano is elaborately decorated like the ocean floor. The Oceno menu changes daily and features the freshest seafood available. Items include sushi, pasta, steak and lobster.
Click here to view a menu
Hours:Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Island Buffet –
Enjoy a selection of hot entrees, carved meats, soups and fresh salads at the Island Buffet.
Click here to view menu and dining hours.

SILVER LEGACY RESORT CASINO

2009-03-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here’s a look at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino.....

SILVER LEGACY – Resort - Casino

The Silver Legacy is paired with the WAC Staff, Utah State, Fresno State and Nevada men’s and women’s basketball teams.

ROOM RATES:
For reservations call - 1-800-687-8733
**Please refer to code : WACUTAH or WACFRESNO when booking accommodations**
$49.99 for midweek (Sunday – Thursday)
$109.00 for weekends (Friday/Saturday)

LOCATION:
The Silver Legacy is located at 407 N. Virginia Street valet and self parking is located on Sierra Street. It’s about a five minute drive to the Lawlor Events Center.

Directions from the Reno – Tahoe International Airport:
Distance from hotel: 4 mi Drive time: 7 min
From the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, take Interstate 395 north to the I-80 exit. Exit on I-80 West exit. Drive on I-80 west until Downtown Reno/Virginia Street exit. Exit on Downtown Reno/Virginia Street. Cross Virginia Street. Turn left on Sierra Street. The Silver Legacy is located between Fifth Street and Fourth Street.

**The Silver Legacy offers a complimentary shuttle to and from the airport.**

FOOD AND BEVERAGES:
There are several fantastic restaurants at the Silver Legacy.

FINE DINING:
Sterling’s Seafood and Steakhouse –
Sterling’s is the ultimate dining experience, featuring steak, veal, and seafood specialties. Sterling’s was recently awarded with the “Best Casino Restaurant” in the Best of 2008 poll by the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:Open 5:00 PM Nightly For reservations please call 775-325-7573

Fairchild’s Oyster Bar –
Fairchild’s offers fresh seafood in a casual setting. Specialties included Cioppino, crab cakes, coconut tempura prawns and more.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:
Open at 11 AM Daily

CASUAL DINING:
Café Sedona –
Café Sedona offers a variety of contemporary and Asian dishes. Entrees range from Huevos Rancheros to hamburgers, steak, lobster and prime rib.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:Open Daily 24 hours a day

Flavor’s the Buffet –
Not really in the mood for a particular cuisine, then hit up the Flavor’s Buffet. Flavor’s serves authentic Italian, Asian and Mexican dishes prepared daily.
Friday night enjoy the seafood buffet and Saturday is International night.

Flavors is open for breakfast lunch and dinner.

ENTERTAINMENT:
The Silver Legacy has a variety of entertainment options.

Catch A Rising Star Comedy Club

Catch A Rising Star has helped to launch the careers of Robin Williams,
Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal and many more…

To purchase tickets for Dinner & A Laugh packages, call 1-800-687-8733 or 775-325-7401, or visit the Box Office on the main casino floor.

Ticket prices to Catch A Rising Star are $15.95 Tuesday through Friday and $17.95 for Saturday.

For all other entertainment options click here

WAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT HOTEL INFORMATION

2009-02-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

In honor of the upcoming 2009 Men’s and Women’s WAC Basketball Tournament I am going to do a brief over-view of each team hotel. While at the women’s soccer tournament this past fall I had the opportunity to tour the Eldorado Casino and Resort and thought I would share some photos and information on the hotel. ELDORADO – Hotel – Casino - Resort

The Eldorado is paired with the University of Hawai`i, the University of Idaho, and Louisiana Tech men’s and women’s basketball teams.

ROOM RATES:
For reservations call - 1-800-648-5966
**Please refer to code : MWAC09 when booking accommodations**
$49.99 for midweek (Sunday – Thursday)
$109.00 for weekends (Friday/Saturday)

LOCATION:
The Eldordo is located at 345 N. Virginia Street and is a five minute drive to the Lawlor Events Center.

Directions from the Reno – Tahoe International Airport:
Distance from hotel: 4 mi Drive time: 7 min
From the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, take Interstate 395 north to the I-80 exit. Exit on I-80 West exit. Drive on I-80 west until Downtown Reno/Virginia Street exit. Exit on Downtown Reno/Virginia Street. Cross Virginia street. Turn left on Sierra Street. Follow Sierra Street until you cross Fourth Street. Arrive at the Eldorado Hotel Casino.

**The Eldorado does offer a complimentary shuttle. Click here for shuttle information

FOOD AND BEVERAGES:
There are several fantastic dining options at the Eldorado.

FINE DINING:

Roxy’s Bar and Lounge –
Roxy’s offers steaks, seafood, soufflés, bakes and sorbets. Roxy’s also has over 100 different martinis and over 350 wines to choose from.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:Open 5:00 PM Daily Reservations Suggested

La Strada –
La Strada was named one of the top 10 Italian restaurants in the nation. Pasta is made fresh daily.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:
Open 5 PM Friday - Tuesday Open until 10 PM on Friday Closed on Wednesday and Thursday Reservations Suggested

CASUAL DINING:
Brew Brothers –
Brew Brothers is a pub style restaurant located just outside of the casino. Brew Brothers was named Best Brewpub in America by Nightclub and Bar magazine. Brew Brothers offers items from wood-fired pizzas to burgers, ribs, salads and sandwiches and offers eight custom micro brews.
Click here to view the menu
Hours:Open Daily 11:30 AM for Lunch Open 11:00 AM on Saturday & Sunday**Happy Hour:Monday - Friday, 2-6 PM

Live Music:Friday & Saturday, starting at 10:30 PM

The Buffet –
This is the place you can go to get it all! The Buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a variety of cuisine ranging from Italian to Chinese dishes. As you can see the buffet was recently renovated and offers something for everyone.

Monday-Thursday Breakfast: $9.99 adults/$4.99 children(7:45 AM - 11:00 AM)Lunch: $10.99 adults/$5.49 children(11:00 AM - 2:00 PM)Dinner: $15.99 adults/$7.99 children (4 PM - 9 PM)Tuesdays - Italian Extravaganza
Friday Break fast: $9.99 adults/$4.99 children(7:45 AM - 11:00 AM)Lunch: $10.99 adults/$5.49 children(11:00 AM - 2:00 PM)Dinner: $20.99 adults/$9.99 children(4 PM - 10 PM)Seafood Dinner Buffet
Saturday Brunch: $12.99 adults/$7.49 children (7:45 AM - 2:00 PM)Dinner: $20.99 adults/$9.99 children(4 PM - 10 PM)Steak, Shrimp and Crab Dinner Buffet

ENTERTAINMENT:
The Eldorado has plenty of unique opportunities for guests.

If you are feeling lucky in love you get married by the Fountain of Fortune. All you need to do is supply the Justice of the Peace……

The Garage Boys will perform at Brew Brothers march 9-15.
10:00p.m. midweek / 10:30p.m. weekends

For all other entertainment options click here

Play Up Tour - Week Two

2009-01-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Play Up Tour continued last weekend in San Jose, CA.

I flew in the night before and was able to attend the men's game between San Jose State and Fresno State.

After the game I had dinner with Michael Beaubien, Director of Marketing at SJSU and Brian Bates, Associate Executive Director of the SJSU Alumni Association...they took me to the best pizza place...Pizza My Heart. Now, I am not a huge pizza fan. Odd, I know....I have been told this several times. So, heading into the establishment I was a bit skeptical but seriously, the pizza was amazing. They give you a giant slice with tons of toppings. It was glorious.

The next day at the women's game we gave away 150 Play Up t-shirts to fans as they entered the facility. In addition to the Play Up festivities SJSU also had a pre-game program in honor of their 40th anniversary in women's athletics. About 100 former female student-athletes and coaches were in attendance at the luncheon and were then recognized on court at half time.

San Jose State 52 / Nevada 66

After the game I was back on a plane to Denver.

Next week the Play Up Tour hits Fresno State and Utah State.

The first 200 fans in attendance at the Fresno State game will receive a mini sharpie. Sunday's game is also their National Girls and Women in Sports Day .

Those of you attending the Utah State women's game we will distribue water bottles to the first 200 fans in attendance.

Click HERE for more information on the Play Up Tour.

Play Up Tour - New Mexico State University

2009-01-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Hope Shuler, Director of Media Relations and I went to Las Cruces, New Mexico for the first stop in the Play Up Tour.

Day one of our trip:
Our adventure began on Saturday evening with an uneventful plane ride to El Paso, TX.
It was about an hour and fifteen minutes plane ride. Thankfully we each had our iPods and cell phone games to keep us busy. I am a huge country music fan and Hope is not....we are in a continuous argument over the song 'Come on Get Higher' originally composed by Matt Nathanson. Hope likes his version of the song and I prefer the Sugarland version. I think it sounds better....you be the judge. To hear each version simply click on the artist. I am sure you will agree with my verdict.

After we land in El Paso, it's about a 45 minute car ride to Las Cruces. We alternated the radio stations, one country song then one hip hop song or 80’s song. Although we actually only listened to about 30 seconds of each country song before flipping the station. Hope really hates country. It was dark so unfortunately I can't describe the scenery.

Day two of our trip:
We got up and had the most amazing breakfast burritos from Santa Fe Grill at the PIC Quik gas station. The burrito was so good I refuse to order one at another restaurant for fear of disappointment. After our fantastic breakfast burrito experience we headed over to the Pan Am Center to set up our promotional table. At each Play Up Tour stop we will distribute a promotional item to fans as they enter the arena. NMSU chose pom poms as their item. Fans also had the opportunity to register for a WAC prize pack (includes WAC shirt, hat and some other items). All fans who register for the WAC prize pack are eligible for the grand prize drawing at the end of the tour for a trip for two to the 2009 WAC Basketball Tournament in Reno, NV.

New Meixco State 80 / Fresno State 74

Day three of our trip:
Monday morning we were at the airport at 5am to catch our 6am flight. Talk about an early morning! Thankfully we stayed the night in El Paso so it was a quick drive to the airport.

Well that’s it for our first stop.

This Sunday we have three Play Up Tour stops scheduled:

Sunday, Jan. 25 – San Jose, Calif.
Nevada at San Jose State, 2 p.m.
The first 150 fans in attendance will receive a WAC Play UP t-shirt.

Sunday, Jan. 25 – Boise, Idaho
Louisiana Tech at Boise State, 2 p.m.
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a pom pom courtesy of the WAC.

Sunday, Jan. 25 – Honolulu, Hawai‘i
Utah State at Hawai‘i, 5 p.m.
The first 400 fans in attendance will receive a rally towel courtesy of the WAC.

Submitted by: Megan Allen, Director of Marketing

2009-01-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Not everyone has the opportunity to attend a WAC Tournament, but now thanks to the WAC's partnership with Pictopia.com fans will have the opportunity to purchase pictures from each of our tournaments.

This is your chance to get a glimpse of the game winning shot, close finish or a photo of the WAC Tournament Champions. To view pictures from our 2008 cross country, women's soccer and volleyball tournaments click HERE

Purchase pictures for your basement, a room dedicated to your alma mater or your office.

We hope you enjoy this new feature.

As always for the latest in WAC news log onto http://www.wacsports.com/

Play Up Tour Returns

2009-01-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are unaware of the 'Play Up Tour', the tour is designed to improve perceptions and increase exposure of the WAC and its nine member schools. "Play Up" is more than just a slogan; it is the WAC’s promise to never settle for mediocrity.

For the past three years one women's basketball game per school has been deemed a "Play Up" game. At the game a WAC staff member will be on site to distribute a promotional item to the first 200 or so fans who enter the arena. Fans will also have the opportunity to sign up to win a WAC prize pack that includes WAC apparel and other WAC related items. All fans that enter the drawing will be eligible for the grand prize of a WAC Basketball Tournament package. The package includes airfare, hotel accomodations and two tickets to the tournament.

The following are the dates and promotional item descriptions for this years Play Up Tour. All times are local and subject to change. Please check http://www.wacsports.com/ for the most up-to-date women's basketball information.

Sunday, Jan. 18 –
Las Cruces, N.M.
Fresno State at New Mexico State, 2 p.m.
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a pom -pom courtsey of the WAC

Sunday, Jan. 25 –
San Jose, Calif.
Nevada at San Jose State, 2 p.m.
The first 150 fans in attendance will receive a t-shirt courtsey of the WAC

Sunday, Jan. 25 –
Boise, Idaho
Louisiana Tech at Boise State, 2 p.m.
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a pom-pom courtsey of the WAC.

Sunday, Jan. 25 –
Honolulu, Hawai‘i
Utah State at Hawai‘i, 5 p.m.
The first 300 fans in attendance will receive a rally towel courtsey of the WAC

Friday, Jan. 30 –
Logan, Utah
Hawai‘i at Utah State, 7 p.m.
The first 200 fans will receive a water bottler courtsey of the WAC

Sunday, Feb. 1 –
Fresno, Calif.
Utah State at Fresno State, 2 p.m.
The first 200 fans will receive a mini sharpie courtsey of the WAC

Sunday, Feb. 8 –
Reno, Nev.
Utah State at Nevada, 2 p.m.
The first 300 fans will receive a cinch sack backpack courtsey of the WAC

Friday, Feb. 13 –
Ruston, La.
Hawai‘i at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m.
The first 150 fans in attendance will receive a t-shirt courtsey of the WAC

Sunday, Feb. 15 –
Moscow, Idaho
San Jose State at Idaho, 2 p.m.
The first 300 fans will receive a cinch sack backpack courtsey of the WAC

We hope to see you at one or more of the above mentioned games. For more information on the Play Up Tour please contact Megan Allen (mallen@wac.org) at the WAC office at (303) 962-4204.

2008-12-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Seasons Greetings WAC fans,

We wanted to wish all of you a Happy Holidays and hope you enjoy this time with friends and family.

Best wishes for the New Year!
The Western Athletic Conference

Bowl Schedule

2008-12-19T09:37:00.001-07:00

The following is a guide for all of the WAC teams participating in post season bowl games....

New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State vs. Colorado State
Dec. 20, 12:30p.m. MT
ESPN
ESPN360.com

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Boise State vs. TCU
Dec. 23, 5p.m. PT
ESPN
ESPN360.com

Sheraton Hawi'i Bowl
Hawai'i vs. Notre Dame
Dec. 24, 3p.m. HT
ESPN
ESNP360.com

Independence Bowl
Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
Dec. 28m 7p.m. CT
ESPN
ESPN360.com

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Nevada vs. Maryland
Dec. 30, 2:30p.m. MT
ESPN
ESPN360.com

Cast your VOTE for Boise State head coach Chris Petersen!

2008-12-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Boise State’s head coach Chris Petersen was named one of ten finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year is awarded to the college football coach who best demonstrates sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility, and excellence on and off the field.Active football coaches in all NCAA divisions with a winning record are eligible to receive the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.

The winner in each division will be chosen using a combination of fan votes and votes received from members of the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Selection Committee. Click on the link below vote for Coach Petersen!

VOTE FOR COACH CHRIS PETERSEN HERE

In addition to the award Liberty Mutual provides each winning coach with $50,000 to donate to one or more charitable organizations of his choice and a $20,000 grant to donate to his school's alumni association to enhance student scholarships and activities.

Petersen was also named one of nine finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award which is voted upon by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Check out the latest and greatest in WAC news

2008-12-08T09:31:00.001-07:00

It was an exciting week/end for the Western Athletic Conference with multiple basketball games, two teams participating in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament and of course the highly anticipate postseason bowl selections were announced yesterday!

Below is a list of Top Ten things that happened in WAC action over the last week/end...

10. Last week in women’s basketball action:
Dec. 1
Southern Utah 60, Boise State 74
Dec. 2
Utah Valley 70, Hawai’i 77
Dec. 3
Louisiana Tech 42, Mississippi State 72
Dec. 4
San Jose State 49, Kansas 93
TCU 71, Fresno State 75
New Mexico State 48, New Mexico 80
Nevada 37, UC Santa Barbara 59
Dec. 5
Boise State 70, Montana State 65
Dec. 6
E. Washington 65, Utah State 71
Hawai’i 58, Northern Arizona Univ. 61
Fresno State 70, Pacific University 84
Arizona 53, Louisiana Tech 68
Dec. 7
Boise State 51, Montana 72
Long Beach State 55, Idaho 54
San Jose State 63, Cal State Northridge 69
Nevada 47, UCLA 62
UTEP 67, New Mexico State 77
Hawai’i 46, UC Irvine 74

9. Last week's men’s basketball scores:
Dec. 1
Prairie View A&M 70, Hawai’i 78
Idaho 72, Sacramento State 58
Dec. 2
Nevada 82, Colorado State 76
UC Irvine 62, Utah State 74
Dec. 3
New Mexico State 79, Kansas 100
UNLV 82, Fresno State 76
Wyoming 85, Boise State 86
Santa Clara 59, San Jose State 56
Dec. 6
Idaho 65, Portland 68
BYU 68, Utah State 63
New Mexico State 83, North Texas 85
Fresno State 66, Pacific University 64
UNLV 64, Nevada 57
Grambling 47, Louisiana Tech 77
Colorado State 76, Boise State 85

8. The Western Athletic Conference announced its all-WAC teams and coach and players of the year awards as voted upon by the WAC’s nine head coaches. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick was named the Offensive Player of the Year, Hawai‘i’s Solomon Elimimian and San Jose State’s Jarron Gilbert shared Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore was named the Freshman of the Year. Boise State’s Chris Petersen was voted the WAC’s Coach of the Year.

7. Hawai’i and New Mexico State earn bids to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

6. Fresno State rallied for a 75-71 victory over No.22 TCU. The Bulldogs trailed 69-53 with 6:20 remaining in the game before going on a 22-2 run to earn the victory. TCU led by as many as 18 points with 3:31 left in the first half.

5. In Men’s Basketball action, Mark Sanchez's layup in the final second gave Boise State an 86-85 victory over Wyoming Wednesday night.

4. Gary Andersen has been named Utah State head football coach. Andersen becomes the 26th head coach in 115 years of Aggie football.

3. Both Hawai’i and New Mexico State advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. No. 6 Hawai’i swept Belmont in three sets while New Mexico State rolled passed Saint Mary’s in four sets.

2. No. 6 Hawai’i swept No. 12 USC in the 2nd round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament to advance to the NCAA Regional match set for Fri., Dec. 12th. Hawai’i will play No. 10 Purdue in Fort Collins, CO

1. For the second time in its history and first since 1992, the WAC is sending five teams to postseason bowl games.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – Dec. 23
No. 9 Boise State vs. No.11 TCU

Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl – Dec. 24
Hawai’i vs. Notre Dame

Independence Bowl – Dec. 28
Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl – Dec. 30
Nevada vs. Colorado State

2008-12-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Last night a few WAC staff members made the trip over to Fort Collins, CO to watch the Nevada Wolf Pack play the Colorado State Rams, in a WAC versus MWC clash.

The trek to Fort Collins took us about two hours....the traffic in Denver is horrible starting at 4pm (our departure time). We made it safely and dined at the original C.B. & Potts. Which I have to admit is a really fun restaurant. Good food, lots of TV screens featuring sporting events and it was close to Moby Arena home of the Rams.

When you walk into Moby Arena you are over come with green...the seats are green, some of the walls are green, the students are wearing green and some of the walls are painted to look like ram horns. There is even a hanging ram feature that lights up during time outs. Apparently it used to blow smoke out of its nose....unfortunately this did not happen during our visit.

There were about 2,500 Ram fans and only a handful of Wolf Pack fans in attendance.

After starting off slow the Wolf Pack would take and sustain the lead with 10:08 remaining in the first half. The Rams came within four points of the Pack in the second half, but that is as close as they could get to the Pack.

Several players for Nevada made key contributions to the Pack's victory. Joey Shaw had 21points and two assists while teammate Armon Johnson tallied 23 points and five assists. Luke Babbitt and Lyndale Burleson contributed 13 points each.

Top Ten in WAC Action (Nov. 26-30)

2008-12-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest and greatest in WAC action with our weekly Top Ten picks. We scoured wacsports.com and found the top ten items to highlight for the week....

10. Idaho senior punter T.J. Conley was named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team on Wednesday, Nov. 26, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Conley leads the nation in punting with a 47.4-yard average. He punted a total of 58 times for 2,751 yards this season with a long of 74. He was the only WAC player named to either the first or second team.

9. In women’s basketball news Idaho defeated Cal State Bakersfield 75-62, while New Mexico State outplayed Texas A&M Corpus Christi 74-47. Fresno State walked away with a victory over Sam Houston State (76-73) and San Jose State added another ‘W’ with a victory over Sacramento State, 49-48.

8. In their final games as USU Aggies, seniors LB Jake Hutton and DT Ben Calderwood anchored the USU defense which held NMSU to negative seven yards rushing and 156 yards of total offense. Hutton tied a game-high with 10 tackles while Calderwood only had three tackles, but they were all sacks for a total loss of 30 yards. Calderwood added a fumble recovery to boot.

7. In men’s basketball action, Idaho defeated UC Irvine101 -47, while Boise State topped Southern Utah 62-52. Utah State picked up a ‘W’ over Cal Poly with a 40 point victory, 97-57.

6. Vai Taua ran for a 22-yard touchdown with 3:15 left to cap Nevada’s 35-31 comeback victory over Louisiana Tech. Taua's rush capped a 21-0 run that washed away Louisiana Tech's 31-14 lead with 4:48 left in the third. Nevada's three-touchdown turnaround started late in the third with Colin Kaepernick's 18-yard touchdown connection with Marko Mitchell, continued with Kaepernick's 27-yard toss to Mike McCoy to start the fourth and ended with Taua's game-winner.

5. In more men’s basketball action Utah State wins its 56th –straight non-conference home game, improving to 4-0 on the season.

4. In women’s hoops action Nevada recorded their first-ever victory over a nationally-ranked opponent as they upset No. 7 Louisville in the final game of the 2008 Nugget Classic.

3. University of Hawai’i football team defeated Washington State (24-10) to secure its third straight bowl bid. Following the game, the Warrior football program accepted an invitation to the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl set for Dec. 24th

2. Both Hawai’i and New Mexico State will represent the WAC in the 2008 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The seventh seeded Rainbow Wahine will face Belmont at 5pm on Dec. 5, in Los Angeles while the Aggies will travel to Berkeley, Calif., to take on Saint Mary’s at 6pm on Friday.

1. No. 9 Boise State finishes the regular season undefeated, 12-0.

WAC Top Ten (Nov. 17-23)

2008-11-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest and greatest in WAC action with our weekly Top Ten picks. We scoured wacsports.com and found the top ten items to highlight for the week....

10. San Jose States Freshman swimmer, Heather Denman was awarded Player of the Week honors for her contributions to the Spartans second place finish at the annual Nike Cup. She earned UC Irvine/Nike Cup Most Outstanding Female Swimmer honors with three individual wins and five total school records over the three-day event.

9. Paul George highlighted Fresno State’s game at Saint Mary’s (11/17) with a memorable dunk that landed as the No. 1 play on Sportscenter’s Top 10 “Plays of the Day” for Nov. 18, 2008 and opened the preview highlights for the broadcast. The dunk, where the freshman slashed straight to the basket and delivered an emphatic one-handed slam on two Gael defenders, beat a pair of Lebron James’ and other professional highlights for the top spot.

8. Boise State’s Mark Sanchez led the Broncos in scoring last week, posting 14 points at Siena and 25 more against Idaho State. Sanchez recorded his first career double-double in a double overtime win against Idaho State, registering a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with his 25 points. On the week, Sanchez averaged 19.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Sanchez currently leads the WAC in scoring, averaging 20 points per game

7. Other interesting news in men’s basketball….Utah State has won 54 straight regular season non-conference home games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation behind Duke who has won 58 straight. When including postseason play, USU has won 30 straight home games against non-conference opponents and 54 of its last 56 overall. The last time Utah State lost a non-conference home game during the regular season was on Jan. 8, 2000 against BYU, 82-73

6. In women’s basketball news, Fresno State’s Bailey Amundsen helped lead Fresno State to a 2-0 record last week after averaging 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in a 71-54 home win over UC Santa Barbara and a 74-68 road win over Sacramento State. She shot 12-of-26 from the floor (46 percent) and 8-of-18 from beyond the arc (44 percent) on the week. In the win over UCSB, Amundsen had a career-high 26 points and helped the Bulldogs set a school and WAC record for most three-pointers in a game (16) by going 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.

5. Outside hitter for the Rainbow Wahine, Jamie Houston had a match-high 22 kills on .341 hitting to go along with 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. In the semifinal against Idaho, she posted team highs of 11 kills and five blocks. In the quarterfinal win against Boise State, Houston tied for the match high with 12 kills. She also added nine digs.

4. Louisiana Tech running back Keith Brown made two solo tackles on kick returns and blocked a punt that was recovered and returned for a touchdown by a teammate in Louisiana Tech's 35-31 win at New Mexico State. Brown blocked the punt in the second quarter to help give the Bulldogs a 28-10 lead.

3. After a historic post season run that resulted in the program's first National Championship and third consecutive WAC title, the Fresno State baseball team is honored again. Sports Illustrated writer Lee Jenkins has nominated the Bulldog baseball team for SI's 2008 Sportsman of the Year. This is one of the most coveted honors in sports and is bestowed upon the athlete who best symbolizes in character and performance the ideals of sportsmanship. Click here to read Jenkins essay.

2. Hawai’i defeated top-seeded New Mexico State in four sets to claim its ninth straight WAC Volleyball Tournament title.

1. Boise State wins outright WAC title with 41-34 at Nevada. The Broncos are now undefeated at 11-0!

WAC Volleyball Championship Match

2008-11-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

We are blogging live from the Championship match of the 2008 WAC Volleyball Tournament in the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawai'i campus in Honolulu, HI.
The two regular season co-champs, top seeded New Mexico State and the second seeded University of Hawai'i will fight for the title of Tournament Champion.

We are just under a minute away from the start of the match.
The University of Hawai'i are visitors in today's match since they are the higher seeded team in today's competition.

Fans are still piling into the arena....I would guess that our attendance is about 5,500.
A number of fans in attendance are waving tea leaves, they are supposed to bring good luck.

We are just seconds away from the first serve and the fans are chanting "Let's Go Bows!"
New Mexico State takes the first point of the set.

We are tied at two a piece.
The Bows lead by two points, 5-3.

7-5, Hawai'i has the lead and the serve.
The Aggies have claimed the last two points and are within one of the Bows.

The UH fans are making plenty of noise in support of their team as they lead the set 12-9.
I have noticed that the UH fan's will cheer for a good play regardless of who scores the point, although they are bit louder when the Bows walk away with the point.

Time out. I had no idea it could get so loud in here!
The Bows now lead by five points, 19-14.

Time out Aggies. The top seeded New Mexico State Aggies are having a bit of trouble out of the gate. They are down seven points in the first set.

The Aggies have walked away with the last two points and are down 18-22.
Match point University of Hawai'i.
Hawai'i takes the first set of the match 25-19.

The second set of the match will begin in about two minutes.

We are into the second set of the tournament and the Aggies are up by two, 15-13.
17-14, Aggies have the serve, Hawai'i gets the point.

The Bows are within one point, 17-16.
The crowd is really getting behind Hawai'i, chanting "Let's Go Bows!".
Hawai'i is down by two points, 19-17.

The Aggies have the lead at 20-19, UH has the serve.
We are now tied at 20!

We are going point for point....Hawai'i gets a point, then New Mexico State responds with a point and vice versa. We are tied at 23 points each.

Match point Hawai'i. Time out New Mexico State.
The Aggies must get a point now in order to stop the Bow's from winning the second set of the match.

Point Aggies! We are tied up at 25! In order to win the set one team has to have a two point advantage over the other team.

27-25 Aggies win. Each team has won one set.

We now have a ten minute intermission.
In order to win the match, the winning team must take three of the five matches.
Since are are tied at one a piece, we will play a minimum of four sets.

The Aggies have the first serve of the match, but the Bow get the first point.
The Aggies are up by two points, 4-2.

Time out Hawai'i. The Aggies lead, 6-2.
The UH Cheerleaders are leading the crowd in a chant of "Rain - Bows".
Since the start of the first set the crowd size has increased! They are really getting into every point scored.

The Bows have received the last two points and are within two of the Aggies.
Aggie serve is out of bounds, the Bows are down by one and have the next serve.

The Bows are behind by one point and have the next serve, 9-8.
Service error by Hawai'i, New Mexico State is up 11-9.

We are now tied at 14.
The Aggies get the next point and lead 15-14.

Time out Aggies. Hawai'i leads 17-15.
Hawai'i has increased their lead to four, 20-16.
Time out Aggies.

The Aggies are awarded the first point after the time out.
Match point Hawai'i.
Hawai'i wins the third match.

If Hawai'i wins the next match they will be the tournament champions. If the Aggies take the next match the fifth and final match will determine the winner of the match.

Hawai'i wins the first two points of the fourth set.
The Aggies have yet to score a point in the fourth set. UH leads 4-0.

Time out New Mexico State.

The Aggies score their first point of the set and are down by four.
The Bows have extended their lead to six.

Hawai'i 9 / New Mexico State 1.

Hawai'i is dominating the set. They now lead by nine.

Time out. UH leads 14-3.

Hawai'i has increased their lead, 21-8.
We have just received the official attendance figures and there are 5,250 fans in attendance.

Match point Hawai'i.
The UH fans are on their feet.

Hawai'i takes the fourth match and are the 2008 WAC Volleyball Tournament Champions.
Looks like the tea leaves worked!

We are just minutes away from the awards ceremony.
Commissioner Karl Benson just handed over the WAC Tournament trophy to the University of Hawai'i.

WAC Volleyball Semi-Finals, UH vs. Idaho

2008-11-21T22:17:00.001-07:00

We are about fifteen minutes away from the the final match of night featuring the second seeded University of Hawai'i Bows and the third seeded University of Idaho Vandals.

The stands are starting to fill in here at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Bow nation is strong this evening. Both teams have cheerleaders present (UH plays host to Idaho tomorrow at Aloha Stadium).

We are just under one minute away from the start of the match.
The teams are preparing for starting line ups, we are following the NCAA format - we introduce the entire team starting with the non-starters, then the starters, followed by the libero, the team captains and the coaching staff (assistants then head coach).

The teams are making their way onto the court while the crowd is chanting "Let's Go Bows!" There is a great crowd/atmosphere here in the Stan Sheriff Center!

Idaho has the first serve of the set and Hawai'i comes away with the first point.
2-1, Hawai'i leads.
We are now tied at two a piece.

The Bows are up by three, 5-2.
Time out Idaho.

Idaho is within two points of UH, 8-5.

The Idaho fans respond to the 'Go Bows!' with a "Go Vandals" chant.
UH is only up by one point, 12-11.

The teams are going point for point.
Idaho now has a two point lead and both the Idaho and UH fans are getting into each volley of the set.

We are tied at 18.
The Bows are up 22-20 in the first set of the match.

25-21 UH wins the first set of the match.

UH will have the first serve of the second set....the band is getting behind their team chanting....the Bows will have the first point.
The Vandals respond with a point of their own.

The floor wipers sporting their WAC Play Up shirts are doing an excellent job this evening.
UH is up by one, 3-2.

The crowd is getting into every play and point.
The Bows are up two points, 6-4.

Time out Vandals. UH is up four points, 8-4.
9-5 Bows lead.

Hawai'i has expanded their lead to six, 11-5.
13-9, the Vandals are looking for a rally to propel them ahead of the Bows.
The Vandals are within two points of UH.

Time out. The Bow's Band is providing the crowd with some entertainment....A little Hawai'i 5-0! The crowd responds well to the song with a little paddle action.

14-13, the Vandals are gaining momentum.
A mix up in communication costs the Vandals a point.
However, they rebound and gain a point in the next play.

Time out Vandals. UH leads 20-16 in the second set of the match.
UH is up 22-20.

Match point Hawai'i.
Idaho steals the point...in order for either team to win the set, they must have a two point advantage.

Time out. We are tied at 24.
Out of the time out, UH takes the first point, giving them match point.
Hawai'i takes the set. In order to advance to the championship round the Bow's have to win one more set.

Set three is now underway. UH leads 6-1.
So far, UH is dominating this set.

Time out Idaho. They need this time to regroup and find a way to stop UH.
Hawai'i extends their lead to 13 points.

Hawai'i has reached the 20 point mark.
They are now four points away from winning the set and advancing to the championship round.
The winner of this match will face top seeded New Mexico State at 3pm (HST) on Sunday.

Match point Hawai'i. The crowd is now on their feet.
Hawai'i sweeps Idaho in three sets to advance to the championship match.

It's official, the top two seeds and regualr season co-champions will play each other for the Tournament title on Sunday at 3pm (HST) here at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI.

WAC Volleyball Semi-Finals - San Jose State vs. New Mexico State

2008-11-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

We are blogging live from the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI, home of the 2008 WAC Volleyball Tournament. We are just starting the semi-final round in day two of the tournament.

San Jose State and New Mexico State are on the court now.
New Mexico State is leading the set 4-3.

New Mexico State with the serve, San Jose State with the point.
The Aggies lead by two, 7-5. Aggie serve, Spartan point.

The Spartans have claimed the lead, 10-9.
We have another lead change as the Aggies have pulled one point ahead of SJSU, 12-11.

Time out. New Mexico State leads by four, 15-11.
The teams are back on the court and New Mexico state claims the first point.
The winner of this match will move on to the championship round set for Sunday at 3p.m. (HST)
The Aggies now lead by four, 19-15.
Time out San Jose State. The Spartans are down by five, 20-15.

Match point New Mexico State.

I just noticed that the head coach for one of our teams is wearing a "Chandler Bing" type shirt and the other has an outfit that resembles Jerry Seinfeld.

New Mexico state takes the first set of the match, 25-18.

New Mexico State has claimed the first two points of the second set.
New Mexico State has six unanswered points and the Spartans call a time out.

San Jose State just scored their first point of the match.
The Aggies are up 11-6.

The Spartans have pulled within two of the Aggies.
We are now tied at 14.
The crowd is really getting behind the Spartans who are up by one point.

San Jose State leads 18-20 in the second set of the match.

We are tied at 21.
Match point New Mexico State.

New Mexico State only needs to win one more set to advance to the championship match.

The Aggies lead 6-5 in the third set of the match.
We are now tied at seven.

The Aggies are down one point.
A weather note for those of you on the mainland....although Hawai'i is traditionally sunny...we are under a flash flood warning....just thought I would share this tid bit of information with all of you....

Match point New Mexico State.
New Mexico State advances to the championship round set for tomorrow afternoon at 3p.m. EST.

Hawai'i vs. Boise State in the Final Match of the First Day of the WAC Volleyball Tournament

2008-11-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Second seeded Hawai'i takes on the seventh seeded Boise State Bronco's in the final match on the first day of the WAC Volleyball Tournament. The winner will advance to the semi-final match tomorrow evening at 7:30p.m. (HST).

We are about three mintues away from the start of the match.

The crowd has increased considerably. I would guess we have around 2,500 fans in attendance.

The teams are lining up for team introduction and the Anthem...we will hear Hawai'i's State Anthem followed by the National Anthem.

It looks like the crowd has now grown to over 3,500 fans!

Boise State scores the first point of the match.

The crowd is really into the match and haning on every point scored by Hawai'i.
The arena is silent when Hawai'i serves the ball. Hawi'i leads the set 6-5.

Time out Boise State. We have a brief sponsor read and then some entertainment by the University of Hawai'i Volleyball Band. For those of you at home in Honolulu, HI the match is being televised locally on K5.

Hawai'i leads 11-5 in the first set.
Hawai'i has an eight point lead over the Bronco's.

Hawai'i is bringing some heat in their spikes. Boise only trails by six points, 17-11.
The crowd is getting behind UH chanting 'Let's Go Bows!'

Time out. Hawai'i is four points away from taking the first set.

Boise State trails by eight points, 23-18.
Match point Hawai'i.

Hawai'i wins the first set of the match. We now have a three minute break.

Hawai'i scored the first two points of the second set.
Boise State has tied it up at two.

Hawai'i leads five to three.
Boise State is now within one point of UH.

We are now tied at six a piece.
Hawai'i has the lead with two points, 9-7.

We are tied up at ten points each.
The crowd is trying to inspire the Hawai'i student-athletes by chanting 'Let's Go Bows!' UH responds with three consecutive points.

Time out. Hawai'i 15, Boise State 11.
Hawai'i leads 18 - 11 in the second set.

Time out is called by the Bronco's.
We are being enteratined by the UH Volleyball...a little Hawai'i 5-0.

Boise State is down by 9 points.

Match point Hawai'i.
Boise State has responded with two points, but UH just scores their final point of the match.

Hawai'i wins set two of the match. They just need to win one more set in order to advance to the semi-finals of the Tournment set for tomorrow evening at 7:30p.m.

Karl Benson, WAC Commissioner and UH Director of Athletics Jim Donovan were just introduced to the crowd during our intermission period.

We are being treated to a little Bob Marley over the speakers.

Set three is about to begin. Boise State has the first serve and first point of the set.
Boise State has four unanswered points.

The Bronco's are up 7-0. Time out UH.
Hawai'i scores their first point of the match. They now trail by eight points.

UH is now down by six points. They have scored the last two points.
Time out Boise State.

Coming out of the time out the UH fans are excited and chanting, hoping to inspire the team to score....which they did. UH is now down by five points in the third set of the match. If UH wins this set they advance to the semi-final rounds. If Boise State wins the teams will play set four of the match.

UH is now within three points of the Bronco's.
Boise State 13, Hawai'i 10.

Hawai'i is within two points of Boise. 14-12.
We are now tied at 14 a piece.

UH now has a two point lead over Boise State. 17-15.
Time out Boise State.

Hawai'i is up 20-17. They are five points away from winning the match and advancing to tomorrow night's semi-final match. The winner of this match will face the Idaho Vandals.

Match point Hawai'i. The UH fan's on their feet. I would guess about 5,000 strong.

The match is over. UH wins and will advance to tomorrow's match.
We will be back to blog about the semi-final matches tomorrow beging at 5p.m. (HST)

New Mexico State vs. Fresno State in the Fourth Match of the Tournament

2008-11-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Top Seed New Mexico State faces eighth seeded Fresno State tonight at 5pm (HST) in the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI. Fresno State won the first match of the tournamnet earlier this morning when they beat Louisiana Tech.

We are about two minutes away from the start of the fourth match of the day. Our final match of the day features Hawai'i and Boise State at 7:30pm (HST)

We are underway and Fresno State leads 3-2.
New Mexico State is up one, 6-5.

Time out is called by Fresno State. New Mexico State leads the first set 16-10.
New Mexico State is up 21-15.

New Mexico State won the first match 25-17.

The Aggies score the first point of the second match. The Aggies have the top seed and are Regular Season Co-Champions...they share the honors with Hawai'i.

New Mexico State is serving with a two point lead, 7-5.
Time out Bulldogs.
The Aggies are up 10-5.

The Bulldogs are on a five point streak and have pulled within one point of the Aggies.
18-14, the Aggies lead.

New Mexico State is up 21-16.

New Mexico State advances onto the semi-finals and will face the San Jose Spartans at 5pm (HST) tomorrow afternoon.

San Jose State vs. Utah State in match three of the Tournament

2008-11-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

We are back in action at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI as the fifth seeded San Jose State Spartans and the fourth seeded Utah State Aggies fight for a spot in the semi - final match set for tomorrow afternoon.

The Aggies are on top 10-6.

Utah state has a comfortable seven point lead.

Both teams are consistantly chattering, keeping the lines of communication open on the court.
Utah State has increased their lead over San Jose by eight, 21-13.

Match point Utah State...

Utah State wins the first set 25-16. The Aggies lead one set to none.

Set Two is about to begin, with the Aggies having the first serve. The first point was awarded to San Jose State. The Spartans lead 4-1.

San Jose has a four point lead, 10-6 over Utah State.

The Aggies are starting to get back in the zone. They have the serve and are down by two points, 12-10.

Utah State is within two points.

The Spartans are leading the second set 21-16.

The Aggies had a nice rally are are within three points of the Spartans.
San Jose State is at match point with the serve. They lead 24-22.

San Jose takes set two of the match.

Set three has just started. Utah State is down four to two.
SJSU is up 8-6.

Its like a disco / rave in here...exciting times.
Eddie Morelos, Assistant Director of Media Relations for New Mexico State just described himself as a social butterfly traveling from flower to flower.

San Jose State is up 22-13
Match point San Jose State.
San Jose State is building off of their fans energy as we head into the fourth set of the match.

Match four is about to begin...Utah State will have the first serve of the set.
Utah State leads 2-1.

Both teams have a decent amount of fans in attendance at the match and we are tied at six a piece.

If San Jose State wins this set they will advance to the semi - finals set for tomorrow evening.

Utah State leads 10-7 in this do or die set.

Utah State's Chelsea Fowels, just served two tough points for the Aggies.
Both coaches have been extremely calm throughout the set. Utah State stil has the lead, 16-11.

We are now is set five of the match and San Jose State is up 8-5. The team that reaches 15 points first will win the match and the semi-finals spot.

The Spartans are just three points away from advancing in the tournament.

Match point San Jose State.
San Jose State will advance to the semi-finals of the WAC Tournament set for tomorrow evening
at 5pm to play the winner of the New Mexico State/Fresno State match.

Nevada vs. Idaho in match two of the WAC Volleyball Tournament

2008-11-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Match two of the WAC Volleyball Tournament is just underway. The Nevada Wolf Pack and the Idaho Vandals are are competing for a shot in the semi-finals of the Tournament.

Idaho leads the first set 6-4.

Nevada has tied up the match at 10.
Idaho brought a pretty solid fan base to the Tournament.

The teams are going point for point thanks to the rally scoring.

Time out Nevada. Idaho now leads 16-12.

Idaho is now up by four.
Idaho is seeded third while Nevada has the sixth seed for the Tournament.

We are about three minutes away from the start of the third set. This is do or die for the Wolf Pack. They must win this set in order to keep the match and their Tournament hopes alive.

Idaho is getting closer the 25 point mark and their first win of the match (23-19)

Match point Idaho.....Idaho ends up winning the first set up the match.
We now have a three minute break prior to the start of the second match.

SET TWO just started and we are tied at three.
Both teams are doing a great job of being vocal and communicating throughout the set.

Nevada is on a three point streak...they lead 8-5.

Idaho is now within two of Nevada....10-5.

Idaho won the second set of the match, 25-21.
Idaho now leads the match two sets to zero. They just need one more win to move onto the semi-finals of the Tournament.

Nevada has the lead...4-2...
Nevada has now scored three consecutive points and leads the set 7-4.

Idaho is now within one point of the Wolf Pack.

Idaho now leads 11-10.
If Idaho wins this set they will move onto the semi-finals to face the winner of the Hawai'i / Boise State match.

The Idaho fans are now chanting.....the east side of the arena is shouting IDAHO the west side of the arena is responding with VANDALS....the Idaho Volleyball team got a kick out of their fans support.

Idaho is five points away from sealing the deal and moving onto the next round.

Match point Idaho.

Idaho wins the match in three sets.
We will be back in about thirty minutes for the third match of the 2008 WAC Volleyball Tournament featuring the San Jose State Spartans and teh Utah State Aggies.

WAC Volleyball Tournament Underway

2008-11-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

The 2008 WAC Volleyball Tournament is now underway! We are coming to you live from Honolulu, HI!

We are in the second set of the first match of the Tournament. Lousiana Tech (seeded nine) and Fresno State (seeded eighth) are fighting to advance in the Tournament.

Louisiana Tech won the first set 25-23.
Fresno State just took the the second set 25-23

In other WAC Volleyball Tournament news we had a very long tournament banquet due to the fact that one team decided to test the limits of hotel elevator by stuffing 16....yup, that's right 16 females in one elevator. As you can imagine the elevator got stuck....for over an hour! I am happy to report that the team made it out safely and the banquet proceeded as planned. I can honestly say that they will not attempt that again!

We are now in our ten minute intermission between sets two and three.
Just a reminder for those of you who are unfamiliar with volleyball terms. Each individual game is know as a set and there are a total of five sets in one match. A team needs to win three sets in order to win the match.

Little Luke Bailey just shared his delicious Mauna Loa chocolate covered macadamia nuts with myself and Hope Shuler, Director of Media Relations.

We are about to start set number three of the match. Since La Tech and Fresno split the first two sets will be forced to go to a minimum of four sets to determine the winner of the match.

We have a sporadic crowd at this mornings first match.

Fresno State leads the third match 6-3.

A point is award after each service....this is also known as rally scoring.

The Bulldogs are up 9-7.

"Are you the Shuemacher's from Dirty Dancing," commented Hope Shuler, Director of Media Relations....in regards to my large purse falling over and a variety of her pens spilling out onto the floor.

Fresno State is now up 15-9 in set three of the match.

La Tech is now within two points of Fresno State....

Fresno State leads 23 - 22.

Fresno State just won the thir set of the match.
In order for them to advance in the tournament they will need to win one set.

We are tied at three a piece in the fourth set of the match.

Elizabeth Kampfe, Director of Championships just saved the day by catching a volleyball headed our direction. Good hands EK good hands.

La Tech just took the frist time out of the set. Fresno State leads 9-5.

Fresno State is up 12-9.

Time out Fresno State....a little Smooth Criminal is coming through the speakers...

FSU is up by one point...15-14.

Time out Fresno State...Louisiana Tech is leading for the first time of this set...17-15.

Fresno State just scored four straight points to reclaim their lead...19-17.

Fresno State is now up 23-19. If they win this set they win the match and advance in Tournament action.

Fresno State just won the set and the match.
I will be back to blog about the second match (Nevada/Idaho) of the tournament in about thirty minutes.
See you then.

Top Ten in WAC Action (Nov. 3 - 10)

2008-11-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

10. In volleyball news Nevada’s Allison Hernandez became the eighth player in school history to reach 1,000 digs.

9. New Mexico States Maria Spies swept the breaststroke events in dual meets against Houston and Rice on Nov. 6. En route to taking top honors, Spies broke the school record in the 100 breast (1:03.74) and then improved her school record in the 200 breast (2:17.40). She was also a member of the 400-free relay team which posted the WAC’s fastest time of the season (3:30.70) and a third-place finish.

8. Fresno State kick returner A.J. Jefferson returned six kicks for 241 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s game against Nevada. After a couple of 38-yard returns, Jefferson broke free in the fourth quarter with a 92-yard return for a touchdown. It was his first kick return for a touchdown this year and third of his career.

7. Fresno State’s Clancy Shields earned an automatic bid into the ITA National Indoor Championships by winning the Mountain Region Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. on Oct. 19. Shields, playing as the No.1 seed, went 6-0 in singles play and 3-1 in doubles, reaching the semifinals with teammate Kean Feeder as the No. 2 seeded duo.

6. Utah State’s Emily Kortsen helped the Aggies notch a four-set win over San Jose State last week when she hit .522 with 12 kills and no hitting errors. She also added a career-high seven block assists in the win as Utah State out-blocked San Jose State 14-4 on the match.

5. In women’s soccer action Boise State won their first Tournament match when they beat the Spartans 1-0 in the opening match of the WAC Soccer Tournament.

4. No. 6 Hawai‘i swept Fresno State to clinch at least a share of the WAC Volleyball regular-season title. New Mexico State, which has a 13-1 WAC record, has two matches remaining. Should the Aggies win both, they will share the regular-season title with the Rainbow Wahine.

3. Louisiana Tech cornerback Terry Carter made three tackles and scored on an interception in Louisiana Tech’s 21-0 win at San Jose State. With the Bulldogs leading 7-0 in the second quarter, he picked off a pass and ran 50 yards for his first career collegiate touchdown.

2. Nevada’s Vai Taua, rushed for a career-high 263 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in Nevada’s 41-28 win at Fresno State. His touchdown run went for 25 yards and came in the fourth quarter to give the Pack a 38-21 lead. He is the first WAC running back to top 1,000 yards on the season.

1. Fresno State defeated Utah State in double overtime for the 2008 WAC Tournament Championship. The Bulldogs will face UCLA on Nov. 14th in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Leadership Conference and the WAC

2008-11-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

The NCAA hosted a Regional Leadership Conference Nov 7th – 9th in La Jolla, California. Five western conferences and its respective institutions were represented with the WAC having 100% representation by all nine schools. What a tremendous opportunity for the students that attended to develop and refine their leadership skills.

To begin the conference, we were all assigned to specific color teams. I had the fortunate opportunity to be a participant on the RED team with several student-athletes and administrators. As an ice-breaker, we joined with another red team member and, among other items, were asked to share something about ourselves that no one would ever guess. Although there were several unique answers I wanted to share what I considered the best. One student-athlete (to remain unnamed although I told him I was going to blog about it because I felt it was so exceptional) finished, and I mean finished, two burritos from Chipotle in one sitting. Now, as an avid Chipotle and burrito fan, I understand the significance of stuffing your face twice, not just once, with all the rice, beans, meat, and whatever extras he could handle, at ONE time. Although the significance may not be recognized nationally, it prompted my research regarding the weight of burritos and if I may interject, the world’s largest burrito in the Guinness Book of World Records weighed in at 4500 lbs. Although the combined weight of his two burritos was much less than the World Record, who knows, maybe the leadership skills that he acquired about setting goals will drive him to eat three next time.

A large part of the conference focused on principles and values and the importance of understanding these to become an effective leader. Defining and being clear about these values will serve to guide a person’s daily choices, actions, and behaviors. After engaging in much intelligent discussion the Red Team identified the following headline that they wanted to be remembered by.

“Shaping tomorrow’s leaders one student-athlete at a time.” The Red Team Represents
R = respect
E = effective communication
D = dedication

T = teamwork
E = enthusiasm
A = attitude
M = motivation

Another session of the conference focused on Sportsmanship and how both student-athletes and administrators can be involved in promoting good sportsmanship, regardless of the sporting event. The WAC has taken a proactive approach to promoting good sportsmanship amongst all nine institutions. Specifically, the Conference office created the tag line, PLAY UP, to demonstrate that regardless if you are a fan, coach, player, student, parent, official, we want YOU to Play Up. We want YOU to be positive, to be proactive, to be encouraging, to be a role model, to be involved in creating a healthy environment for competition. And I encourage all of us to consider what sportsmanship means, and ask that we maintain the integrity of the game and ‘Play UP’ in promoting good sportsmanship.

Candice Wiggins (former Stanford Women’s Basketball Standout and current WNBA Lynx player) was the keynote speaker, and the message that she delivered was one that the student-athletes will remember for some time. The advice she offered about leadership based on her own experiences were to
Establish Goals
Have integrity
Trust people around you
Lead during times of adversity
No matter what your role is, you can become a leader
HAVE FUN

However, in my opinion, the greatest advice that she received while she was a student-athlete was, “if you want something that you have never had, then you need to do things you have never done.” If you want to reach the goals that you have established for yourself, either personally or professionally, then one must think outside the box, not be afraid to fail, and do things you have never done before because it is through the journey of failures that you will eventually find success.

Submitted by Mollie Lehman, WAC Director of Business and Operations

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH OF THE WAC SOCCER TOURNAMENT

2008-11-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

We are about 15 minutes out from the championship match of the WAC Women's Soccer Tournament. Top seed Utah State and second seed Fresno State will square off for the Tournament title and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

So far this season Utah State is unbeaten in conference action.

We just had the team introductions and National Anthem. We are moments away from the start of the match. Its a pretty cold day...about 45 degrees, cloudy and windy.
The weather is not a factor to the crowd...they are pretty vocal and the match is just underway.

41:19 so far the ball has stayed towards the center of the field with no action by either goal.

40:01 Fresno State has the first foul of the match.

39:43 A header shot by Utah State's Candice Clark is just wide of the goal.

38:33 Fresno State responded with some pressure on goal but has no results. We are still scoreless.

35:03 Both teams are having trouble pushing the all past the 20 yard line.

31:46 Throw in Fresno State....we are still scoreless.

28:20 Corner Kick Utah State. After some action by the goal we are still scoreless thanks to a save by Fresno State's Kaitlny Revel.

25:55 GOOOOOOAL by Utah State's #17 Lauren Hansen assisted by #19 Candice Clark.
That was the first goal scored on Kaitlyn Revel in the four matches and only the second in conference action.

23:44 GOOOOOOAL by Fresno State's #19 Ali Sill. We are now tied at 1-1. The Fresno fans respond with loud cheers and barks.

That is two goals in two minutes.

21:55 Shot by Utah State's Erin Salmon. Save by Kaitlyn Revel.

20:08 A direct free kick is awarded to Utah State. We are still tied at one a piece.

17:20 remaining in the first half of the match.

14:34 Corner kick by Utah State resulting in nothing.

We are just under the 12 minute mark in the match and we are still tied 1-1.

A statistical update:
Fresno State has three shots, two shots on goal, one goal and six fouls while
Utah State has six shots, three shots on goal, one goal, one assist and six fouls.

Utah State is on the attack but can't seem to get the ball past the twenty yard line.

Four minutes remain in the first half of the match. Still tied 1-1.

The Aggie fans are trying to inspire their team with a cheer from the crowd.

The first half ends in a tie 1-1. Both teams are now retreating to their locker rooms.
A quick shout out to our sponsors of for the tournament....Brine, Geico and Gatorade.
A little JT is blaring over the speakers providing some entertainment for the Aggie and Bulldog fans.

We are just about to start the second half of the second half. We start off the half still tied 1-1.

39:13 Shot by Utah State's Lindsey Smart was high.

35:20 Shot by Utah State. Save by Fresno State's Kaitlyn Revel.

Both teams are having difficulty getting the ball anywhere near the goal.

Another statistical update for you...
Fresno State has four shots, three shots on goal, one goal and eight fouls while Utah State has 14 shots, four shots on goal, one goal, one assist and seven fouls.

27:30 Corner Kick Fresno State results in a close call but no goal.

25 minutes left in the half.

Fresno State is attacking aggressively and has control of the ball for most of the half.

22:20 Fresno State's Nicole Gutierrez attempted two shots, one was deflected the other went wide.

18:34 remains in regulation play. We are still tied 1-1.

14:00 Corner kick by Utah State...the ball was kicked away from the goal.

9:08 Corner kick by Fresno State results in nothing.

4:00 remain and we are still tied one a piece.

The winner of this match will automatically receive a bid to the NCAA Soccer Tournament.

One minute remains in regulation and Fresno State has a corner kick. The ball is deflected out of play and Fresno State has another chance. ...but nothing comes from the kick.

Match ends. Since we are tied at 1-1. We will have a five minute break and being our first ten minute over time period.

If we still have a tie at the end of the first over time period we will have another five minute break and followed by a second ten minute period. If we are still tied at one a piece following the conclusion of the second over time period we will go into penalty kicks.

We now have ten minutes on the clock and the first period of over time is underway.

GOAAAAALLL with just over 5 minutes left by Fresno State's Elora Martinez!

MATCH FOUR OF THE WAC SOCCER TOURNAMENT

2008-11-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Match number four of the WAC Soccer Tournament is underway. Currently on the field are Fresno State and the home team, the Nevada Wolf Pack. We are joining you with just under 36minutes to go in the match. Currently we are scoreless.

28:42 GOOOOAL by Fresno State's #19 Ali Sill

23:20 Shot on goal by Nevada's #3 Erin Smith. Shot blocked by Kaitlyn Revel.

The Nevada fans are getting into tonight's competition. I am sure the Wolf Pack appreciate their fans being in attendance.

16:58 A corner kick for Nevada produces nothing.

The crowd is now chanting 'Let's go Wolf Pack! They sure have some spirit this evening.

For those of you who are football fan's the Nevada vs. Fresno State football game is on ESPN2. Watch the game while following along with the Women's Soccer Tournament via this blog.

12:25 left in the first half and Fresno State leads 1-0.

6:50 Nevada is the back field trying to set up a play.

We are just under the five minute mark and Fresno State still has the lead. 1-0.

The first half just ended. Fresno State has the lead 1-0. Both teams are exciting the field.
We are listening to a little Nelly "Grillz" ....a little Big N Rich and some classic 80's tunes...

We are back in action....

For those of you who are curious about the Nevada/Fresno State football game going on at this time...Nevada leads 7-0 in the first quarter.

On the soccer field Nevada is on the defense looking to make a stop and turn things around.

39:42 Shot by Nevada's #16 Cristen Drummond....the shot was blocked.

Nevada is on the attack again....with another shot on goal by #16 Cristen Drummond with just under 38 minutes left in the second half. Nevada still trails 1-0.

In football action Fresno State just tied up the game, 7-7 with 1:05 left to play in the first quarter.

Fresno State is now on the attack but couldn't produce anything. We are just under the 33 minute mark in the second half of the match. The winner of this match will go on to play top seed Utah State Sunday afternoon at 1pm (PST) in the championship match of the tournament.

29:21 Fresno State just attempted another shot on goal but was denied.

28:00 Nevada was called off sides when attempting to score.

The Wolf Pack crowd is getting into the match and chanting 'Wolf Pack, Wolf Pack'

24:15 The Bulldogs still have the lead, 1-0.

In football action the Wolf Pack now lead the Bulldogs 14-7 with just under 13 minutes in the second quarter.

21:17 Fresno State had another shot on goal that was blocked.

18:27 Fresno State's shot on goal was blocked again.

15:01 - Shot by Nevada was just too high.

The crowd is chanting again hoping to inspire the team.

8:25 left in the second half of the match and Fresno Still leads 1-0.

6:16 GOOOOOOAL...Utah State just scored their second goal of the match.

4:57 Nevada's attempt at a goal was a bit too high.

3:42 Another shot on goal by Nevada, this time the shot was too wide.

3:11 Shot on goal by Fresno State was blocked.

Fresno State leads 2-0.

In football news Nevada is leading Fresno State 17-7 with 3:49 to go in the second quarter. Again that game is being televised on ESPN2.

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..end.
Game over. Fresno State will go on to face Utah State in the championship match of the tournament on Sunday at 1pm (PST).

The Wolf Pack fans are chanting and showing support for their team.

We will be back to blog about the championship match. See you then.

MATCH 3 OF THE WAC SOCCER TOURNAMENT

2008-11-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

Match Three is just underway.
Fourth seed Boise State is looking to knock off first seed Utah State.

40:56 left and Boise State just tallied their first foul of the match.

There is a pretty sizable crowd this afternoon....a number of Utah State fans have made the trip out to Reno for the Tournament.

36:09 Boise State has the first shot of the game which was wide.

32:20 Shantel Flanary has the first shot on goal for Utah State....Save by Jennifer Burns.

29:36 Corner Kick by Utah State's #9 Lindsey Smart resulting in three shots on goal....but nothing could get past Jennifer Burns.

27:46 Corner Kick by Boise State #11 Sheyenne Jones. Save by Ali Griffin.

23:04 Yellow card on BSU's Kaylea Perenon.
Both teams have tallied four fouls with less than 18 minutes left in the match.

15:50 Shot by Utah State's Lauren Hansen. Save by Jennifer Burns.
Utah State now has five shots on goal resulting in zero goals.

13:09 A corner kick by Boise State has no results for the Broncos.

Just under ten minutes remain in the first half and we are still scoreless.

Combined the teams have tallied ten fouls.

6:09 Shot by Utah State's Erin Salmon. Save by Jennifer Burns.

4:38 Utah State's Erin Salmon attempts her second shot on goal. Save Jennifer Burns.

2:19 left in the match and Utah State's Erin Salmon had her third shot on goal. Save Jennifer Burns.

1:12 Injury timeout.

The ball is now back in play.

The first half of the match just ended. We are still scoreless.

We start off half time with a little Motel Jordan...This is How We Do it....
After a few PA announcements we are treated to a little Bon Jonvi...Shot Through the Heart...a classic tune.

The teams are heading back to the field. We are three minutes away from the start of the second half.

The second half is now underway.

43:20 Shot by Boise State's Randi Baker was blocked.

It is a beautiful day here in Reno. Sunny skies and 66 degrees....a perfect day for a soccer match.

36:18 Utah State's Stefani Shiozaki shot is high.
We are still scoreless.

A statistical update for you:
Utah State has tallied eight shots, seven shots on goal and six fouls while
Boise State has racked up five shots and nine fouls.

30:01 Wide shot by Boise State's Randi Baker.

23:04 remain in the second half of the match.

Utah State is now on the attack.
Boise State is having difficulty getting the ball past the 40 yard line on the north side of the stadium. For those of you who don't know, the soccer tournament is taking place at Mackay Stadium home of the Wolf Pack football team.

17:15 left in the match and we are still scoreless.

12:17 GOOOOOAL kicked in by Utah State's #17 Lauren Hansen assisted by #26 Andrea Seledee.

Ten minutes remain in the match. The score is 1-0 Utah State.

Another statistical update for you:
Boise State has seven shots and 13 fouls while Utah State has nine shots, eight shots on goal, one goal, one assist and eleven fouls.

6:09 remaining in the match.

4:33 A corner kick for Boise State produces nothing for the Broncos.

1:49 a yellow card was awarded to Utah State's Marissa Sanchez and one was awarded to Boise State's Lindsay Roberts.

End of match. Top seeded Utah State will move on to the Championship round to face the winner of the Nevada / Fresno State match.

We will be back to blog at the Nevada / Fresno State match in about 30 minutes.

MATCH TWO OF THE WAC WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT

2008-11-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

We are into the second match of the WAC Women's Soccer Tournament.....
We are joining you half way through the first half of the Hawai'i Nevada match.
So far we are tied 1-1 with 6:36 remaining in the first half.

As media relations intern, Trevor Edy predicted....it is now dark out. (see Kenny Chesney)

Just prior to time expiring on the clock Natalie Ratnavira, assisted by Miranda Montejo notched another goal to lift the Wolf Pack to a 2-1 lead over the Raindow Wahine heading into the half time.

A little Nelly is blaring over the speakers for our half time entertainment...a little "#1"

The teams are back on the field and the second half is now underway.

The Nevada Wolf Pack are still leading 2-1.

Both teams are playing aggressively. Nevada had tallied nine fouls while the Hawai'i has six.

Injury timeout.

The ball is now back in play with Hawai'i taking a corner kick. The corner kick did not produce any results for the Rainbow Wahine.

34:32 remain in the second half of the match.

33:57 Save by Hawaii's Kori Lu.

31:08 Save by Hawaii's Kori Lu.

Nevada has a pretty good student turnout...they are participating in today's festivities chanting Wolf - Pack Wolf - Pack Wolf - Pack. I am sure the student athelte's appreciate the support from their fellow students.

Nevada is on the attack with six shots on goal.

For those of you who don't know the Soccer Tournament is taking place in Mackay Stadium home not only to Nevada's women's soccer team but also to the Wolf Pack football program. For the past few minutes the ball has been between the 40 yard line (N) and the 20 yard line (S).

Nevada has increased their shots on goal to eight....they really want a decisive "W" this evening!

13:34 remains in the second half of the match with the Nevada Wolf Pack in the lead 2-1.

10:38 left and the crowd is still into the competition.

Injury timeout. A Nevada and Hawai'i student athlete collided midfield.
Both student athletes are up and walking off the field on their own.

7:17 left in the contest.

For video quotes from the coaches and student athletes check out our WAC Tournament Central Page on WACSports.com

Nevada was on a roll but went off sides with 2:48 left in the match.

Hawai'i is feeling the pressure of time and scrambling to score.

Just under a minute left in the match.

The match is over. Sixth seed Nevada knocked off the third seed Hawai'i in the second match of the WAC Soccer Tournament.

We will be back again tomorrow for the third match of the tournament featuring the top seed Utah State Aggies and the fourth seeded Boise State Broncos.

See ya tomorrow!

LIVE BLOGGING FROM THE FIRST MATCH OF THE WAC SOCCER TOURNAMENT

2008-11-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

We are blogging live from Mackay Stadium in Reno, NV...bringing you the most up-to-date WAC Women's Soccer Tournament Information.

Match One:
Boise State vs. San Jose State

32:17 left in the first half of today's first WAC Soccer Championship match. We are still scoreless
28:20 Ball possession has been split equally between the two teams.

21:22 Each team has one shot, not on goal.

19:25 Boise State has racked up three fouls while San Jose State has notched two.

18:02 First corner kick of the game by San Jose produced nothing.

13:12 Jeff Hurd arrives.
12:41 The stadium looks great. There are WAC Championship banners along the east side of the stadium and we have live action on the video board.
6:24 Remaining in the match. A weather update for you....it is 63 degrees out with a slight wind. A perfect day for a soccer match!
5:07 Each team has two shots, not on goal.
2:59 Shot on goal by Andrea Huerta. Save by San Jose States Sarah Wisotsky.
2:28 Corner kick Boise State.
1:23 Kara Irving from Utah State and former WAC staff member arrives.
We end half scoreless. Boise State has four shots, one shot on goal and three fouls. San Jose State has two shots and six fouls.

HALF TIME:
Nevada is playing some great tunes for our entertainment. A little Kriss Kross action...
Just had a shout out to WAC Sponsors Gatorade, Geico, Zia Graphics and Brine.
Trevor Edy, WAC media relations intern just predicted that "it will get dark later."
We are now treated to a little Salt n' Pepa over the airwaves.... our announcers is singing along in the press box....he's a big fan.

The second half is now underway
39:00 the match is still scoreless.
36:10 GOOOOOOOAL by Boise State's #7 Brandi Hickcox assisted by #15 Janelle Jin.
33:02 Injury timeout.
The ball is back in play.
28:37 Boise State still leads 1-0.
28:11 GOOOOOOOAL by San Jose States #10 Emmy Belding assisted by #25 Hallsie Pacheco. The score is now tied 1-1.
26:17 Corner kick Boise State resulting in nothing.
24:24 We are still tied at one a piece.
23:44 Yellow Card on Boise State's Shannon Saxton.
13:11 Remaining in the second half of the match. We are still tied at one a piece.
9:34 GOOOOOOAL by Boise State's #26 Andrea Huerta assisted by #20 Chelsea Robinson.
8:42 Check back for video of the goal later today.
8:00 Boise State now leads 2-1.
5:42 Corner kick San Jose State resulting in nothing.
3:12 Remaining in the second half and Boise State still has a 2-1 lead over San Jose State.
1:00 left in the match.
END OF MATCH
Boise State will move on to the second round of the Tournament and play #1 Tournament seed Utah State tomorrow at 3pm.
Match #2 of the Tournament will begin in about 35 minutes. Join us as we blog about the Rainbow Wahine and they hometown team the Nevada Wolf Pack

"And back in 5, 4, 3..."

2008-11-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

On the road with the Bulldog Sports Network

Halloween weekend of WAC football finds us in Ruston, La., looking in on the matchup between Fresno State and Louisiana Tech. This happens to be broadcast #4 of the fall season for those involved with Fresno State’s Bulldog Sports Network. Let’s check in with Paul Ladwig, Producer for BSN and Associate Athletics Director at Fresno State.

A lot of people watch sports on TV, but don’t get the opportunity to take a peak behind the scenes. Tell us a little about what it’s like in the production truck during the broadcast.

Ladwig: Live broadcast TV should never get old and should always be fun… Controlled chaos is the best way to describe the control room. It is thirty people coming together to do a show, a show no one knows the script for and what event or thing will happen next. But you need to be prepared for any change in the story.

What do you get out of producing your own show?

Ladwig: For those of us who help produce the Bulldog Sports Network it is a medium that we use as one venue to help promote and enhance the Fresno State Athletics story. It is not just a football or basketball or softball broadcast; it is three hours of talking and telling about our student-athletes and their coaches and the experience of being a Bulldog. As the producer of the show, I am very fortunate to have a core group of people who work on every show, who bring the highest level of professionalism to each and every game. I hope I tell them thanks enough; they are the real stars. They are my friends, friends who put their heart and soul into each and every show.

35 shows and counting… What’s the future for BSN?

Ladwig: We hope to do more contests in the future and become a model that other departments our size can follow to tell their stories as well.

Check out Producer Paul and Director Matt McCandlish during Saturday's broadcast:

Captions from photos shown above:

1 - Inside the control room

2 - Paul Ladwig, Producer (left), and Matt McCandlish, Director (center)

3 - Randy Rosenbloom, Color Commentator (left) and Ralph Wood, Play-by-Play (right), interview Karl Benson, Commissioner of the WAC (center)

TOP TEN IN WAC ACTION (Oct. 27th – Nov. 2nd)

2008-11-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

10. In swimming action this weekend Nevada’s Margaret Doolittle racked up two individual first place titles and finished third in the 50- yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard freestyle respectively. Doolittle was also a member of the second place medley relay squad.

9. The New Mexico State men’s golf team won the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate for the second time in three years at the NMSU Golf Course. The Aggies went into the final round tied for seventh, but fired a 10-under-par to take home the team trophy with a three-round total of 9-over-par 861 (296-291-274).

8. Jared Strubeck set one school record and tied another with three field goals leading San Jose State University to a 30-24 victory over the University of Idaho.

7. On the volleyball court New Mexico State rattled off eight service aces in a sweep of Boise State at Bronco Gym Saturday. The Aggies dominated the match, bettering the Broncos in kills (42-16), assists (38-10), digs (54-32), blocks (10-5) and service aces (8-2).

6. Junior Daniel Porter rushed for a career-high 189-yards and two touchdowns Saturday to propel Louisiana Tech to a 38-35 win over Fresno State at Joe Aillet Stadium.

5. In volleyball action Jamie Houston led the Rainbow Wahine charge, hitting .607 with 19 kills and eight digs, passing three-time All-American Teee Willliams for second in kills in the UH career record book. Houston’s efforts helped propel Hawai’i past Nevada in three sets.

4. Diondre Borel threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 113 yards to lead Utah State 30-14 over Hawaii Saturday.

3. Louisiana Tech senior Quin Harris was named a 2008 National Scholar-Athlete Wednesday and has been awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. Harris is one of only 15 student-athletes out of a pool of 164 candidates nationwide and Louisiana Tech's first ever recipient to earn the prestigious honor.

2. Utah State swept the 2008 WAC Cross Country team championship titles Saturday. The Utah State men claimed a fourth-straight team title as five runners finished in the top-20, including three in the top seven. Utah State’s women won the team title as five runners finished in the top-15, including three in the top-10.

1. New Mexico State Athletics Director McKinley Boston announced that Michael Needham has been named the first head coach in the history of Aggie women’s soccer.

2008-10-31T16:05:00.000-06:00

It was Louisiana Tech head coach Kerry Rupp and his staff that were treated to a special visitor Friday morning in the Thomas Assembly Center.

Ian Naismith, the grandson of James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball, made a brief stop during The Naismith Good Sportsmanship Tour to go through Ruston, address students at A.E. Phillips and finally meet Rupp and his staff while seeing the improvements made in Tech’s basketball program in just over a year’s time.

“This is a very special time for our basketball program and the university to have a representative from the Naismith family here to see our facilities and to address our players,” Rupp said. “The ideals that Dr. Naismith emphasized when he founded the game are exactly what we are trying to focus on with our program and that’s the need to get an education, be held accountable and to give back to the community and others. It’s an honor to have someone from their family here, because these are ideals that are very special to the Bulldogs’ program and myself.”

The tour is out to promote good sportsmanship, teamwork and positive role models using basketball as a basis. Naismith teaches an awareness of the history and heritage of the game of basketball and the importance of higher education.

“What we sell is respect, dignity and role models,” Naismith said. “My grandfather’s desire was to give this game to the world and to leave it a better place.”

Naismith said he was pleased with how attentive the students were to his tour and also how historic Louisiana Tech is for basketball.

“The kids this morning were so respectful,” Naismith said. “You could hear a pin drop while I was talking, and then the following Q and A was just littered with questions. Add to the fact that Karl Malone played here is history in itself. It’s exciting for me to be here right now.”

Naismith is the founding director of The Naismith International Basketball Foundation in Chicago and holds many distinguished positions in national and international sports organizations. The foundation presents a highly prized sportsmanship award and supports basketball camps for underprivileged youth.

In 1891, James Naismith invented the game of “Basket Ball” at Springfield College as an indoor recreation. Since then, basketball has become the fastest growing worldwide sport in history and is now played in over 200 countries.

“This is not that old of a game,” Ian Naismith said of the sport and his tour. “We need to get out on the road and show what we are about.”

Halloween Costume Ideas

2008-10-31T10:11:00.000-06:00

If you are still in need of a Halloween costume you could dress up as one of the following college mascots…hope this blog helps with your last minute shopping…

Notre Dame Leprechaun
East Carolina University Pee Dee the Pirate
Arizona State University Sparky the Sun Devil
Auburn University Aubie the Tiger
University Southern California Traveler, the noble horse or the Trojan Warrior
San Jose State Sammy Spartan
Georgia Tech’s Buzz the Yellow Jacket
The Ohio State University Brutus the Buckeye
Purdue University Purdue Pete
Portland Pirates
Kansas Jayhawks

For those of you looking for costume ideas for a pair…check out the following recommendations:

University of Arizona - Wilber and Wilma Wildcat
Bowling Green State University Freddie and Frieda Falcon
Youngstown State – Pete and Penny

Happy Halloween!

New Basketball Rules for the 2008-2009 Season

2008-10-30T09:50:00.000-06:00

As we head into the basketball season there have been a few rule changes that you may be interested in…..

The following changes were approved by the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committee:

Three Point Line: A significant rules change for the upcoming season is the moving of the men’s three point line to 20 feet 19 inches. The women’s three point line will remain the same (19 feet 9 inches).

Uniforms: The two uniforms will be of contrasting colors with the opposing team wearing a dark jersey while the home team sports a white or light colored jersey.
Note: This rule may be altered by mutual consent of the competing institutions.

The use of an arm, leg, or knee sleeve is only permissible for medical reasons.

Officials Jurisdiction: When all three officials leave the visual confines of the court at the end of the game, the official’s jurisdiction has ended and the score has been approved.

Goal Tending: When the entire ball is above the level of the ring during a field-goal try and contacts the backboard, it is considered to be on its downward flight. In such a case, it is goal tending when the ball is touched by a student athlete.

Flagrant Technical Foul Penalty (WBB only): When a flagrant technical foul is committed in a game the ball shall be awarded to the offended team at the point of interruption.

In addition to the newly adapted rules official are expected to place extra emphasis on the following ….

Men’s Basketball Points of Emphasis for the 2008-2009 season:
Elimination of rough physical play.
- Illegal contact is prevalent in screening situations including the high screen set within the opponents’ field of vision and a screen set outside the opponents’ visual field.
- Coaching box restrictions/ Coaches behavior
- Palming/ ball carrying
- Charge / blocking

Women’s Basketball Points of Emphasis for the 2008-2009 season:
- Contact on and by the Ball Handler / Dribbler
- Traveling
- Sportsmanship

WAC Top Ten (Oct. 24th - 26th)

2008-10-28T13:09:00.000-06:00

The following is a Top Ten list of notable WAC accomplishments from last week’s competitions.

10. Both the men’s and women’s cross country programs at Utah State were picked the favorite heading into the Cross Country Championship slated for Nov. 1st in Las Cruces, N.M.

9. After a four-year hiatus, Fresno State is back in the pool. Freshman Heidi Gjoen competed in her second collegiate meet and first invitational and managed to earn a personal-best in the 100 backstroke and spot in the WAC Top Ten with a time of 59.40.

8. UH quarterback Greg Alexander, came off the bench to start the second half of Hawai‘i’s 38-31 win over Nevada and was 17-of-22 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Alexander also led the Warriors in rushing with nine carries for 21 yards.

7. In women’s soccer action, Utah State’s Senior Candice Clark received player of the week honors for her outstanding performance. Clark scored seven points in five matches. Clark had three goals on five shots and added an assist. The senior scored the game-winning goal in both road wins over Hawai‘i and San Jose State.

6. Idaho boasted a record crowd of 1,842 fans as it swept Boise state in this weekend’s volleyball action (25-22, 25-16, 25-7)

5. In volleyball action, Lindsay Yon led the Aggies to a victory over La Tech with a match-high 16 kills with no errors. Her .696 hitting percentage in the match is the highest of any WAC player this season.

4. Kevin Goessling kicked a 58-yard field goal as time expired to lift Fresno State to a 30-28 win over Utah State.

3. Boise State moved up one spot in the BCS Standings and is currently ranked 11th.

2. Idaho captured its first conference win since 2006, knocking off New Mexico State 20-14.

1. Utah State captured its sixth consecutive win (a school record) en route to claiming its first WAC regular season championship title. The Aggies have earned the top seed heading into the tournament scheduled for Nov. 6-9th in Reno.

WAC Vortex Available

2008-10-27T13:28:00.000-06:00

You will notice we have added a new feature, a Vortex on the right side of the blog.
The Vortex can be added to a number of websites on your computer allowing you to have the latest in WAC news while searching other websites.

The Vortex can be added to the following website pages:
Facebook
iGoogle
Apple Dashboard
Windows Vista and more…..

To upload the Vortex onto your computer/selected websites simply click on the ‘copy me’ button located at the bottom of the Vortex on the right.
Then select the pages you would like the Vortex to appear. The vortex will upload onto the page(s) you requested and you will have access to the latest in WAC news.

We hope you enjoy this new feature!

Music and College Football

2008-10-23T09:20:00.000-06:00

Music is an integral part of the collegiate game day experience. Music is used for a variety of reasons:
· Pre-game entertainment - when fans are entering the facility
· Generate momentum in the game – can be used to pump up the team
· Create a reaction / noise from the crowd at a crucial moment
· Provide entertainment for fans even when the action on the field is less than entertaining.

Marketing departments take game day scripting and music selection very seriously. You always want to pick the right song for when the team takes the field, for kick offs, punt returns and for other crucial moments such as third downs on defense. Not only do you need to play popular songs for your team and student section, but you also need to incorporate songs that will hit home with your season ticket holders, alumni and youth.

Below are some songs that I have either played at a college football game/basketball game or that I think would be great for an in-game situation:

Living on a Prayer
Hells Bells
Stronger
Enter Sandman
Machinehead
Zombie Nation
Rock n’ Roll Part II
Crazy Train
Sweet Home Alabama
Hey Baby
Jump Around
Welcome to the Jungle
Thunderstruck
Remember the Name

I’m curious to hear what songs you think inspire crowds. So, post a comment with your song suggestions. Please keep in mind there are some rules we are asking you to follow…

The song cannot contain any swear words. We are looking for clean cut, G- rated songs.
The song should not contain any sexually explicit comments, degrading or racial remarks.

I look forward to seeing/hearing your posts!

College Students and School Spirit

2008-10-21T13:54:00.000-06:00

Students paint themselves week after week not only to show their school spirit but to get a few seconds of face time on ESPN or the network that is broadcasting their game. I applaud the creativity these students display but for some reason body painting has always baffled me. I personally have NO desire to paint my skin and then stand outside where the elements can ruin the hard work I have put into my design.

Body painting just seems too messy. The following are questions I have always wondered when looking at someone who has painted him / herself…. How does one clean off all of the paint? How do you prevent the paint from rubbing off onto your fellow fans? What about acne??? These are questions inquiring minds want to know…

Lucky for you I have done some research via the internet to help prepare those interested in painting themselves. The following are some suggestions I have found on-line….I’m not sure how valid these suggestions are…but thought I would share them anyway….

· Avoid heavy oil based paints – oily skin typically causes acne.
· To remove the paint – try baby wipes. They are supposed to help remove the paint from your skin with minimal irritation.
· I’ve also heard that soap and water can do the trick.
· Apply more than one coat.
· If you have sensitive skin one site recommends that you apply hand cream to the application areas…the hand cream is supposed to act as a barrier.
· To prevent rubbing or flaking over long periods of time spray hairspray over the completed paint section. As always when using hairspray I would recommend that you avoid your eyes and mouth….

Again, I’m not sure if my internet research is valid but you never know. Good luck to those of you who plan to paint your face/body in the next coming weeks…..

2008-2009 WAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Picks

2008-10-16T09:25:00.001-06:00

Midnight Madness is right around the corner and with the impending basketball season we have the 2008-09 WAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Media picks. Nevada owns a commanding leading over second-place Utah State which trails by 16 first-place votes.

Rank Team Points
1. Nevada 255
2. Utah State (4) 220
3. New Mexico State (2) 201

4. Louisiana Tech 149

5. Boise State (3) 142

6. San Jose State (1) 132

7. Fresno State 114

8. Hawai‘i 103

9. Idaho 34

(#) = First place votes received.
Points are awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

The following student athletes have been selected as this year’s Preseason All-WAC Team as selected by the media: Jonathan Gibson, Jr., G, New Mexico StateKyle Gibson, Jr., G, Louisiana TechArmon Johnson, So., G, NevadaC.J. Webster, Jr., C, San Jose StateGary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah StateThis year’s Preseason Player of the Year is Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State,while Newcomer of the Year honors go to Luke Babbitt, Fr., F, Nevada.

In the Coaches Preseason Poll conducted by the WAC, Nevada claimed the number one slot followed by Utah State, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Hawai’i, Fresno State and Idaho.

This years WAC Basketball Tournament will be held in Reno, Nevada, March 10 – 14, 2009.

Alana Curtis - At A Glance

2008-10-15T08:40:00.000-06:00

University of Idaho
Sport: Women’s Basketball
Number: 22
Position: Guard
Year: Sophomore
Major: Journalism
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colo.

Q: When and why did you start to play basketball?
A: I was in fifth grade and it was because my parents signed me up for it.

Q: What other sports did you play growing up?
A: My first sport was golf. I also played softball and ran track.

Q: What has been your most rewarding experience off the court? A: Winning the Colorado High School Press Association Newspaper Sweepstakes my senior year of high school.

Q: Why did you choose to become a Vandal?
A: I loved the campus and wanted to be a part of rebuilding the basketball program.

Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
A: Running around the house and making up games with my sister.

Q: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far as a student athlete?
A: Starting in several games as a freshman and shooting 82 percent from the free throw line.

Q: What do you still hope to accomplish as a student athlete?
A: Making the All-WAC team.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
A: Everything from Led Zeppelin to Dr. Dre and from Al Green to Justin Timberlake. I love all kinds of music, as long as it’s good.

Q: What do like to do when you are away from the court?
A: NAP! I love taking naps!

Q: Name your favorite class…
A: History of Rock and Roll

Q: What is your game day routine?
A: In the afternoon, I always eat, then take a shower and take a nap before we leave for the game. The nap is essential.

Q: What are your expectations for your team this season?
A: I expect to win several preseason games and to be competitive in the WAC.

Q: What is your favorite television show?
A: Family Guy and House

Q: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
A: My dad.

Q: What do you want to do after college?
A: A lot. I want to either design for ESPN the Magazine or Rolling Stone and eventually make a documentary about black people in America.

Q: What is the best advice you have ever received?
A: You can do whatever you want in life.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete (professional)?
A: Allen Iverson and/or Kobe Bryant

Q: If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life, which actor/actress would play your role?
A: Sanaa Lathan

Q: If you were to win a million dollars what would be your first purchase?
A: A guitar.

Q: Describe the perfect meal…
A: Old Chicago pizza, followed by Walrus ice cream (a local ice cream shop in Fort Collins).

Making the Call.....WAC Officiating

2008-10-09T09:44:00.000-06:00

There have been multiple comments/complaints regarding WAC officials lately. I recently spoke with Commissioner Benson and Jim Blackwood, Supervisor of Football Officials regarding our officials and the recent scrutiny they have received.

Fans disapproving of officials and their in-game calls are nothing new. This is an issue that all collegiate conferences face each year. I think it is important to bring to light the requirements that must be met and what officials must do to be retained for the following year.

In order to be considered for a WAC officiating crew the individual must have 10 years of officiating experience with at least five of those years working in collegiate athletics. Officials must attend a mandatory summer clinic (officials are also encouraged to participate in other clinics throughout the year), complete on off-season exam, and stay in top physical condition.

By Wednesday of each week during the regular season, WAC Supervisor of Football Officials Jim Blackwood has reviewed video tape of all football games played the previous weekend. Specifically, he reviews every penalty that is called during the game, along with other plays that WAC coaches submit for him to review. He determines whether each penalty called is correct or incorrect; and also determines whether there are plays where penalties should have been called. Each official is “graded” on his performance for each game and these grades are then used to determine post season (bowl game) assignments. For example, the highest graded official at each of the seven positions is then assigned to the bowl games where the WAC assigns the officials – usually two or three games each year. These grades are also used to determine whether an official is retained for the following season.

Also, it should be noted that each official receives a tape from his previous game and is required to view the tape and assess his own performance. Officials also attend sessions in and around their hometown during the week with officials to study video of other games. And finally, prior to each game – either the night before a day game or the morning before a night game – the officiating crew conducts a 3 hour meeting where the video of their previous game is viewed. This session is designed to review the previous game and to prepare the officials for the upcoming game. As you can see, an official may spend up to 12 hours a week reviewing his previous performance and preparing for the next game. Needless to say, these officials take their assignments very seriously and are very dedicated. Just like the players and coaches, they expect their performance on the field to be perfect each and every week.

Lonyae Miller at a Glance

2008-10-08T11:24:00.000-06:00

Sport: Football
School: Fresno State
Number: 1
Position: Running Back
Year: Junior
Major: Kinesiology
Hometown: Fontana, Calif.

Q: When and why did you start to play football?
I started playing football when I was eight years old. My family was into athletics and they played football.

Q: What other sports did you play growing up?
I played basketball once in middle school but I wasn’t too good at it…. Track was my main sport.

Q: What has been your most rewarding experience off the field?
I made honor roll two years in a row.

Q: Why did you choose Fresno State?
The personality and how they are known nationally. I really liked the academic programs too.

Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
The day I got my Nintendo 64. I was pretty excited.

Q: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far as a student athlete?
Being one of the first ones out of my family to make it to college was an accomplishment for me. Being able to compete on a Division I level is exciting.

Q: What do you still hope to accomplish as a student athlete?
As a student I plan on getting my degree within four years. On the field, I would like to make it to the next level and play in the NFL. If that doesn’t work out I would like to make a name for myself at Fresno State and have people look up to me as a veteran running back.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
A little bit of everything. I listen to some Metallica, Jimmy Hendrix, Lil Wayne.

Q: What do like to do when you are away from the field?
Most of my time is spent on the Xbox, doing homework or hanging out with my girlfriend.

Q: Name your favorite class…
Kinesiology 125

Q: What is your game day routine?
Because I am really nervous before a game I tend to throw up. If I am not throwing up I am listening to my iPod while getting some warm-ups in.

Q: What is your favorite television show?
I’m not a big TV watcher but if I had to pick any show it would probably be the The Hills. I have a girlfriend who watches it all the time. I am starting to get into it now.

Q: Who has influenced you the most if your life?
My father without a doubt. He has been with me since I was eight years old and given me all the tools I need on and off the field. He has developed me into what I am now. I respect and admire him for that.

Q: What do you want to do after college?
I would like to settle down and take care of my son.

Q: What is the best advice you have ever received?
If you want something you have to do what you have never done to get what you have never had.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete?
Terrell Davis

Q: If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life, which actor would play your role?
Denzel Washington

Q: If you were to win a million dollars what would be your first purchase?
I’d probably buy a Benz

Q: Describe the perfect meal…
Pizza

And the nominees are…

2008-10-08T09:58:00.000-06:00

It's time to highlight our WAC student athletes who have been nominated for awards this fall…..
Louisiana Tech senior linebacker Quin Harris has been selected as one of 30 finalists for the inaugural Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award’s criteria is as follows: to be eligible for the award, a student athlete must be in senior standing at a NCAA Division I institute and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: Classroom, Character, Community and Competition.

Harris has surpassed the criteria listed above and is a class act on and off the field.

On the field, Harris has recorded over 200 career tackles, earning Second Team All-WAC honors in 2007, Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Team in 2006 and 2007 and Rivals.com All-WAC Team in 2007.

Harris exemplifies what it is to be a student-athlete. He maintained a 3.8 G.P.A, graduating in the spring of 2008 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology and sports performance.

In addition to Harris’ commitment to education and athletics, he has also contributed the Ruston community by completing over 50 hours of community service for a variety of charitable organizations including Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude Radio-athon and Northeast Louisiana Food Drive to name a few.

The 30 nominees will be narrowed down to a list of 10 finalists halfway through the regular season. The 10 finalists will be placed on the official ballot which will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans who will then select the candidate who they feel is worthy of the award. The winner of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for football will be announced during a 2008-2009 post season college football event.

Patrice Godwin, senior defender for the Wolf Pack women’s soccer team has also been nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Similar to the football requirements, student athletes must possess achievements both on and off the playing field.

Godwin, a four year starter for the Wolf Pack has played an integral role in Nevada’s defense, helping her team to record 23 shutouts and three WAC Tournament appearances, including the programs first tournament title in 2006. She has started and played in 62 career games and in July of 2008 was selected to attend the U23 Select/Amateur nation Team Training Camp.

Off the field, Godwin has contributed to the Reno community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, Renown, Nevada’s Soccer Clinic and Great Basin Youth Soccer League Clinic.

Similar voting guidelines apply. The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed down to ten finalists whose names we be placed on a nation wide ballot beginning on Oct. 9th and concludes Nov. 19th. A combination of fan votes, coaches and media selections will determine the recipient of the award. The winner will be announced during the 2008 Women’s Soccer Championship in Cary, North Carolina (Dec. 5-7th).

Three WAC punters, Utah State sophomore, Peter Caldwell, Idaho senior, T.J Conley, and LA Tech senior, Chris Keagle have been named to the Ray Guy watch list, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter.

The list will be narrowed down to ten semi-finalists in early November. The national voting body will then determine the top three finalists and ultimately the winner of the award. The award will be presented live on ESPN during the ESPNU-Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 11, 2008.

2008 Football Awards Watch Lists:

Maxwell (National Player of the Year):
Chase Holbrook, QB, NMSU; Ian Johnson, RB, BSU

Walter Camp (National Player of the Year):
Tom Brandstatr, QB, FS; Ian Johnson, RB,
BSU

Bronko Nagurski (Best Defensive Player):
Antonio Baker, DB, LTU; Solomon Elimimian,
LB, UH; D’Anthony Smith, DT, LTU; Kyle
Wilson, CB, BSU

Chuck Bednarik (Best Defensive Player):
Solomon Elimimian, LB, UH

Lombardi (Best Lineman/Linebacker):
Solomon Elimimian, LB, UH; John Estes,
OL, UH; Dominic Green, OL, NEV; Adam
Leonard, LB, UH; David Veikune, DL,UH

Davey O’Brien (Best Quarterback): Tom
Brandstater, FS; Chase Holbrook, NMSU

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm (Best Senior
Quarterback): Tom Brandstater, FS; Chase
Holbrook, NMSU

Doak Walker (Best Running Back): Deonte’
Jackson, UI; Ian Johnson, BSU; Luke
Lippincott, NEV

Butkus (Best Linebacker): Jake Hutton, USU;
Paul Igboeli, USU; Adam Leonard, UH;
Joshua Mauga, NEV

Mackey (Best Tight End): Bear Pascoe, FS

Rimington (Best Center): John Estes, UH;
Dominic Green, NEV; Adam Korby, UI; Ryan
Tonnemacher, USU

Outland (Best Lineman): John Estes, C, UH

Groza (Best Placekicker): Kyle Brotzman,
BSU; Dan Kelly, UH; Jared Strubeck, SJSU

Congratulations to all of our nominees!

Buster Bronco in the running for Mascot of the Year

2008-10-06T16:50:00.000-06:00

It’s time again for the Capital One Mascot Challenge. Since 2002, mascots have been competing for this prestigious title and 2008, is looking to be another competitive year as 12 mascots from six conferences compete to be the Mascot of the Year. Each week college football fans can log onto: www.capitalonebowl.com/home/main to vote for their favorite mascot.

This year one of our very own, Buster Bronco from Boise State is in the running…. we need your VOTE to help keep the Mascot Challenge Title dream alive!

We thought you should have the stats on Buster and his competition for the week….

Name: Buster Bronco, Boise State
Height: 7’
Weight: 225 lbs – a lean, mean stallion machine
Favorite Colors: Orange & Blue
Current Ranking: 10th

Name: Cosmo Cougar, BYU
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 182.6 lbs
Favorite Colors: Blue & White
Current Ranking: 5th

The rules state that you can vote once a day….so lets keep Buster in the running for Mascot of the Year. Vote for Buster!

Friday Night Lights at Utah State

2008-10-06T14:41:00.000-06:00

It was a great atmosphere at the Utah State - BYU football game on Oct. 4. Utah State outscored No. 8 Brigham Young 14-10 in the second half. However the Aggies were down 24-0 at halftime and lost to the Cougars in a closer than the score reflects contest, 34-14, Oct. 4 at a packed and rowdy Romney Stadium. The Utah State fans were great, cheering on the Aggies to the very end of the game.

Here is Utah State's take on the game.

The WAC was on the sidelines and here are a few photos and video clips from the game.