Sports briefs

Soccer duo earns All-Tournament honors

Despite falling in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, Katie Baran and Gabby Leong earned all-tournament team accolades for their strong play in the Idaho soccer team’s 6-1 loss to Seattle U. Baran, a graduating junior, and Leong, a freshman, started against the Redhawks and earned 80 minutes of playing time. The pair are the first to receive the honor since Christine Leathem was selected to the all-tournament team in 2011. A young Idaho team graduates six players but will return 11 true freshmen from 2013. The Vandals, who qualified for the conference tournament on the last day of the regular season, went 4-16-1 overall and 4-8 during the conference season.

Christman named WAC Volleyball Player of the Week

Coming off her best performance in an Idaho uniform, senior outside hitter Ashley Christman was named WAC Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 4-10. It’s the first-ever honor for Christman.

“I don’t know if it’s that senior kind of urge to finish strong. Hopefully she can keep this up, because for us to reach our goals at the end of this season we’re going to need that and some other players to be doing that as well,” Idaho coach Debbie Buchanan said.

Christman, from Christina Lake, B.C., tallied 18 kills and 13 digs in her first double-double as a Vandal.  She added four blocks and a service ace, while hitting .353 against the Redhawks on Senior Night. Entering the week, Christman averaged 1.91 kills on .202 hitting, 1.43 digs and .77 blockson the season. The Vandals defeated the Redhawks with the 3-1 victory.

Idaho’s Means inducted into GCAA Hall of Fame

Idaho men’s golf coach John Means will be one of six coaches to be inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame, when the annual Reception and Awards Banquet is held on Dec. 9. It is an honor that Means calls “the pinnacle of my career.”

“I am extremely honored and humbled with my being named to the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame,” Means said. “This wouldn’t have been possible without great committed student-athletes and very supportive administrations, helping me with my efforts to build championship programs at each institution.”

Means, who has coached at Colorado State, Army and Minnesota, led eight Golden Gopher teams to NCAA Championship Tournament appearances and led Wisconsin-Eau Claire to another five. This summer, he was named Coach of the Century by the WIAC Conference.

Madison earns WAC Basketball Player of the Week

Idaho senior Stephen Madison was named WAC Player of the Week by the WAC and College Sports Madness following a 21-point, 14-rebound performance against Western Illlinois on Saturday — a game the Vandals won 67-64. The Portland native finished the season-opener with five assists and recorded just one turnover. He was 7-of-11 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range and shot 3-4 from the free-throw line. Madison currently leads the conference in defensive rebounding and is second in total rebounds at 10.5 per game.

“He shot the ball extremely well and played with a lot of energy on both ends of the court,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “I couldn’t be happier for the way he started his senior year.”

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