UI student athletes come to Idaho from variety of backgrounds
Football
Roberto Asencio, a junior defensive lineman from Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, originally came to Idaho to play basketball for Don Verlin and his program.
After redshirting on the basketball team last year, Asencio decided to become a two-sport athlete and try his hand at football. At 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds, Asencio is already a large player on the basketball court, but towers over everyone on the football field.
Marius Burgsmueller a senior defensive end from Dortmund, Germany, played football in a soccer-dominated country. While his high school didn’t have a football program, Burgsmueller found a club team located in his hometown. In his final season with them, Burgsmueller finished with 65 tackles and 10.5 sacks and was named the teams MVP.
Men’s tennis
Cristobal Ramos Salazar enters his senior year with the Vandals after earning first-team All-WAC honors in doubles last season and second-team All-WAC in singles. Coming from Hermosillo, Mexico, Ramos Salazar has enjoyed his time at Idaho.
“It’s been an amazing experience so far,” he said. “I enjoy every day I’m here. There is no day I don’t enjoy. It’s nice being different from everyone else. It’s a good experience.”
Felipe Fonseca is just starting his freshman season here at Idaho, but in his first collegiate tournament this past weekend in the EWU Fall Classic, he finished 4-0 while winning Main Flight B singles. Coming from Curitiba, Brazil, he came to Idaho after being ranked No. 6 in Brazil and No. 1 in his state.
“I really wanted to come here because the women’s head coach is from Brazil and I knew here, so she helped me pick (Idaho),” Fonseca said. “All the camps were really nice, and academically the university is really good. All the team is really nice, they help me a lot.”
Women’s tennis
Sophie Vickers, a senior from Melbourne, Australia, was a second-team All-WAC selection in doubles play during the 2013-14 season. She returns as a senior leader for Idaho this season after finishing with a 20-15 singles record and 21-5 doubles record last year.
“Our MVP was Sophie,” Idaho coach Mariana Cobra said after Idaho’s first tournament of the fall. “She competed hard in every match — singles and doubles.”
Emmie Marx won her first singles match as a Vandal, beating Lewis-Clark State College’s Stephanie Buckingham 6-0, 6-3. The senior transfer student from Illinois State originating form Mossel Bay, South Africa, was named to the Valley 2012 All-Select Team while playing for the Fighting Illini.
“Emmie comes in and she already has a lot of leadership skills,” Cobra said. “She’s ready to step up. I think she’s going to be top of our lineup and she’s really going to help us in doubles.”
Men’s golf
Aaron Cockerill, a senior from Stony Mountain, Manitoba, started his college golf career at NCAA Division II Texas A&M-Commerce. After playing in Texas for a year, he transferred to Idaho where he earned first-team All-WAC honors during the 2013-14 season. Cockerill also played hockey in high school.
“It’s been a lot better than where I was before,” Cockerill said. “I guess being Division II, you’re busing around everywhere. The tourna- ments aren’t as good, the courses aren’t as good, the coaching isn’t as good, everything here has just been way better and I’ve enjoyed it a lot more here.”
Jared du Toit, a sophomore from Kimberley, British Columbia, who is only in his second season at Idaho, has already made an impact. He earned first-team All-WAC and WAC Freshman of the Year honors last season.
“I kind of like the vibe here (in Moscow),” du Toit said. “It’s a small town but big enough that you get all the stuff that you need.”
Women’s golf
Leilanie Kim, a senior from Surrey, British Columbia, didn’t always enjoy golf, which might be hard to believe as the senior earned WAC Player of the Year honors last season. When not playing golf or studying for school, Kim said she likes to watch movies. She recently enjoyed “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” One thing she said was different between the U.S. and Canada is sometimes the two countries use different words. For example, Canadians say “tuque” while Americans say “beanie.”
“When I was super young, I didn’t like it,” Kim said of playing golf. “But it definitely grew on me. I love it now.”
Soccer
Sophomore midfielder Elexis Schlossarek is the lone member of the Vandal soccer team from outside of the United States. The Delta, British Colombia, native was named team captain in 2013 and has emerged as one of the leaders on the young Vandal team. While attending Burnsview Secondary she helped lead the team to back-to- back British Colombia provincial titles and district championships as a three-year varsity captain and she was also the youngest player to ever be named MVP of the Canadian Provincial Tournament.
“In Canada you are just going to college but here it is a big ordeal– people really get into the sport and I love that aspect of it,” Schlossarek said. “Moscow is just a cute little town that I never thought I would end up in but I am really happy to be here.”
Other international Vandals:
Football
Kato Fawkes — Sophomore, offensive line, Freeport, Grand Bahamas Mason Woods — Sophomore, offensive line, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Men’s Tennis
Odon Barta — Junior, Budapest, Hungary Mark Kovacs — Freshman, Budapest Hungary Jackson Varney — Junior, Canberra, Australia Andrew Zedde — Junior, Canberra, Australia
Women’s Tennis
Lucia Badillos — Freshman, La Rioja, Spain (IES Duque de Najera) Belen Barcenilla — Junior, Leon, Spain Galina Bykova — Sophomore, St. Petersburg, Russia Beatriz Flores — Senior, Guzman, Mexico Emmie Marx — Senior, Mossel Bay, South Africa (Illinois State) Claire Yang — Sophomore, Taipei City, Taiwan (Fresno State)
Men’s Golf
Chris Wilson — Junior, Timmins, Ontario