Nicholas Boersma, Cody Helbling and Santos Vargas — cross country
The Idaho men’s cross country team was successful at the WAC championships in Seattle, running their best WAC race since 2007. The team finished second with 43 points. They only trailed the winner Utah Valley by five points. More significantly, the team wrapped up the top three spots in the race. Boersma, a freshman from Wenatchee, Wash., won the men’s 8-kilometer race with a time of 25:26.70. The second and third place finishers were junior Cody Helbing, who finished with a time of 25:32.30, and sophomore Santos Vargas, who finished with a time of 25:37.90.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” Idaho coach Wayne Phipps said. “We did not quite pull off the victory but we were very close. Those guys ran very aggressively and to go 1-2-3 it was quite the accomplishment by those guys.”
The men also travel down to Sacramento, Calif., on Nov. 15 for the NCAA West
Championship Meet.
Hannah Kiser —
cross country
The Idaho women’s cross country team capped a successful WAC season over the weekend. The team clinched their fourth-straight WAC Championship, led by Hannah Kiser. Kiser, a senior from Wenatchee, Wash., finished her WAC career with a first-place finish in the tournament. It was her second individual WAC title in two years. She was also named the WAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row and was named to the All-WAC first team. Kiser finished the women’s 5-kilometer race in 18:44.50. The season isn’t over for the Vandals as the next challenge for the team is on Friday, Nov. 15 at the NCAA West Championship Meet in Sacramento, Calif.
James Baker — football
The Vandals played their second-to-last home game this season against the Texas State Bobcats on Saturday in the Kibbie Dome. While the team couldn’t limit the Bobcats from scoring points, the young team found some success on offense. The offensive standout for the Vandals was running back James Baker. Baker, a senior from Deerfield Beach, Fla., totaled 114 yards on 24 carries and had one touchdown. Baker also had a one-handed 9-yard reception on a fourth down conversion in the fourth quarter. The Vandals conclude their home season next Saturday when they play host to
Old Dominion.
Ashley Christman — volleyball
The Vandal volleyball team dropped the first set before winning the next three against the Texas-Pan American Broncs in Memorial Gym over the weekend. Idaho came back to win in four sets largely due to Ashley Christman. Christman, a senior outside hitter from Christina Lake, B.C., led the team with a season-high 13 kills and a hitting percentage of .440. She also added four aces, which is one shy of her career-high, seven digs and four blocks in the match. It was an all-around impressive offensive and defensive performance from Christman.
“(Meredith) Coba’s setting was on tonight, I mean it was perfect,” Christman said of what aided her success. “I had Taylor (Wilkinson) holding the block, so I had almost no block every time, so it was really nice that we’re a team working together to get that offense.”
The Vandals return to the court on Friday against Seattle U in Memorial Gym.