Cowan invited to NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Idaho’s most prolific punter is headed to the 2013 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. The college all-star game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 19, at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 while ESPNU will air live broadcasts from practices on Thursday, January 17. Former NFL coaching sensations Herm Edwards and Dick Vermeil will serve as the head coaches for the American and National Teams.
Cowan was chosen for the all-star game after completing four successful years as Idaho’s starting punter. He ended his career as the punting average record holder (44.7 yards-per-punt) as well as the record holder for total punts (259) and punting yards (11,570).
Sopel hired as women’s tennis coach
Former Indiana University women’s tennis standout Myriam Sopel has been hired as Idaho’s new head women’s tennis coach. She was most recently the head coach at Wagner College in New York.
Sopel graduated from Indiana University in May, 2011 with a 59-44 singles record and an 89-59 doubles record in four seasons. She was a part of two teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament and the Hoosiers ranked as high as No. 30 in the nation during her time at Indiana. She was also a three-time Academic All-American.
Sopel takes over for Daniel Pollock, who joined the men’s tennis staff at BYU as an assistant coach.
Vandals receive academic honors
With the conclusion of the fall sports season, 34 Vandal student-athletes were chosen to the WAC All-Academic Team for fall sports.
The soccer team received the highest number of honors with 13, followed by football and volleyball at six each. Women’s cross country added five and the men’s team had four.
Idaho’s honorees are as follows:
Soccer: Katie Baran, Liz Boyden, Chelsie Breen, Jill Flockhart, Erica Hart, Lauren Layton, Christine Leathem, Megan Lopez, Annie Millard, Emily Ngan, Chelsea Small, Breanna Wilson and Nitalia Zuniga.
Volleyball: Allison Baker, Janelle Chow, Julia Church, Jennifer Feicht, Alyssa Schultz and
Alex Sele.
Football: Logan Bushnell, Bobby Cowan, Cody Elenz, Maxx Forde, Justin Parkins and
Justin Podrabsky.
Women’s cross-country: Holly Browning, Alycia Butterworth, Hannah Kiser, Abby Larson and Emily Paradis.
Men’s cross-country: Colton Hastings, Jeff Osborn, Cayle Turpen and Kyle Tylor.
Four tennis players make national rankings
Four Idaho tennis players — two on the men’s side and two on the women’s side — are ranked nationally and regionally in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s first rankings of 2013.
On the men’s side, Idaho’s doubles pairing of Abid Akbar and Marius Cirstea start 2013 at No. 46 in the nation and No. 1 in the Mountain Region. The duo won the ITA regional doubles championship and advanced to the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in the fall.
On the women›s side, Almudena Sanz and Victoria Lozano are ranked No. 10 in Mountain Region doubles. Sanz is also No. 13 in the region in singles.
Both teams start the spring season on the road with the Vandal men beginning on Jan. 20 at Eastern Washington, while the Idaho women open play on Jan. 19 at Washington State.
Barone earns WAC Player of the Week
Idaho senior center Kyle Barone earned his third career WAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor after his efforts in a comeback victory over Seattle U on Saturday, Dec. 29. He had a career-high-tying 25 points and a season-high-tying 11 rebounds in the 71-64 victory. Barone went 8 of 15 from the floor and converted nine of his 11 free throw attempts in 38 minutes of play on the night. He also scored 16 of Idaho’s 38 second-half points.
Barone earned two WAC Player of the Week awards last season.