Breen, Zuniga receive WAC honors
Idaho soccer players Chelsie Breen and Nitalia Zuniga were honored with postseason All-WAC accolades, Tuesday. Both senior defenders, Breen and Zuniga were named to the first and second WAC team, respectively. Breen, from Cheney, Wash., has started 79 games throughout her Idaho career, setting her fourth all-time in that category. Primarily a center back for the Vandals, Breen has scored three goals and tallied six points for Idaho. Zuniga, a California native, has logged 1,498 minutes for Idaho this season, ranking fourth on the team. She doubled her career assist total in a Sept. 27 game against New Mexico State, dishing out three against the Aggies. The pair of defenders have helped Idaho record 14 shutouts and 32 wins during their four-year careers.
“Chelsie is not the fourth in games started in Idaho history for no reason. Everything she and Nitalia have given to this program, both these honors are well deserved,” Idaho coach Pete Showler said. “It goes without saying that we (the coaching staff) see it day in and day out. It is great when other coaches can recognize that.”
Bendeck, Lozano honored by WAC
Idaho tennis players Jose Bendeck and Vicky Lozano were named WAC Tennis Players of the Month for October. Bendeck, who went 15-1 during the month, won the ITA Mountain Regional doubles competition with partner Cristobal Ramos Salazar. The pair cruised through the doubles draw and won their semifinal match 8-1, before winning the final 8-2. Bendeck and Ramos Salazar earned a berth to the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, for their performance. In the ITA Regional, Bendeck also reached the Round of 16 in singles play before falling to New Mexico’s Victor Ouvrard in three sets.
Lozano, a senior from Guadalajara, Mexico, was a combined 12-3 during October, going 5-2 in singles and 7-1 in doubles. Along with partner Almudena Sanz, Lozano won the round-robin doubles draw at the WSU Invite in Pullman, where the duo went 5-0. The pair advanced to the Round of 16 during the Regional tournament, where they fell 8-6. Lozano went 2-1 to take third in singles play at the WSU Invite and won three matches in the Regional Tournament before falling to the eventual champion in the Round of 16. The honor was Bendeck’s second of the fall season and Lozano’s first.