Cougar Fans One-Stop Resource on Anything and Everything about WSU Athletics

Questions or comments? Please direct them to Jason Krump, Communications Coordinator, Washington State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, at athleticinfo@wsu.edu.

July 2, 2008

The U.S. Olympic Trials has been underway since June 27 at the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. Though the trials are taking place at a Pac-10 rival school, it has been under quite a Crimson and Gray presence during the opening days of the event.

Cougar alums Diana Pickler and Bernard Lagat each earned berths to the Olympic team, Pickler in the women's heptathlon and Lagat in the 5,000m. Lagat will attempt to earn a spot for the 1,500m beginning with a quarterfinal race tomorrow.

For information on the Olympic Trial go to the event's official website.

June 24, 2008

Cougar Chats continued today when Tony Bennett took his turn participating in the series. Here is the transcript from the chat.

Freshman Jeshua Anderson (pictured) continued his incredible June with a couple of more sterling achievements. Just over a week after capturing the national title in the 400m hurdles, he won the same event in record-setting fashionat the 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

June 20, 2008

There has been a lot happening over the last couple days at WSU Athletics so let's get right to it.

Today, Director of Athletics Jim Sterk conducted an online chat and next week Tony Bennett will be featured in the Cougar Chats series, presented by Northwest Dodge Dealers.

The weekly stadium renovation photo update was posted on the martinstadium.org website on Wednesday. Be sure to check it out.

And speaking of the stadium, a new scoreboard will be installed by the time of the Sept. 6 Pullman opener against California.

And finally, Kiersten Dallstream, a member of the Washington State University soccer team, has been keeping busy this summer playing for the United States Under-20 Women's National Team.

June 17, 2008

The 2007-08 Cougar sports season wrapped up this past weekend, and what a ending it was as Jeshua Anderson (pictured) captured the national title in the men's 400m high hurdles.

Anderson's NCAA Championship is the second by a Cougar track and field student-athlete this season. Back in March, Ebba Jungmark earned the indoor high jump title.

In addition to Anderson, four other Cougars earned All-America status including McKenzie Garberg (women's discuss, hammer), Anna Layman (women's 800m), Rickey Moody (men's decathlon) and Trent Arrivey (men's high jump).

With the completion of the 07-08 athletic year, the Cougar Tracks blog will be taking a break from the daily entry log, but I will still be posting entries on a weekly basis and when events warrant. Once August hits, the blog will once again be updated on a daily basis.

I appreciate your readership and I hope this blog has been beneficial in keeping you up-to-date on the goings-on of Cougar Athletics.

June 12, 2008

A total of 16 Cougar student-athletes are currently in Iowa competing at the NCAA Championships. Yesterday, seven Cougars moved on to a final or semifinal in eight events, something you can read about HERE.

For more information on the NCAA Track & Field Championships, go to the track and field page on ncaa.com.

And finally, be sure to check out the weekly photo gallery at the martinstadium.org website.

June 11, 2008

Today marks the first day of the NCAA Track & Field Championships. WSU will be represented by seven women and nine men at the four-day event in Des Moines, Iowa. Check wsucougars.com throughout the championships for the latest on the Cougars at the NCAAs.

The NCAA Track Championship will tie a ribbon around the 2007-08 sports season for WSU. On Aug. 30, the Cougar football team will kick-off their 2008 campaign against Oklahoma State at the Cougar Gridiron Classic presented by Washington Beef Producers. Tickets are selling well, so don't miss out on the chance to witness Paul Wulff's debut as head coach of the Cougars.

Finally, the Athletic Foundation spring tour comes to an end this weekend and early next week with several events throughout the state.

June 10, 2008

The postseason accolades keep rolling in for members of the rowing team. This time, Irena Neffeova was named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) 2008 Division I Pocock All-America First Team, while teammate Karin Brevick earned second team honors.

And, 11 Cougar student-athletes recognized as 2008 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars. Congratulations to all of them.

June 9, 2008

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. Big football news on this Monday as FSN has selected four WSU football games, including the Cougar Gridiron Classic against Oklahoma State at Qwest Field in Seattle, for national or regional television.

Congratulations to senior rowers Kelly O'Brien and Tiana Rodriquez, who were named to the 2008 Pacific-10 Women's Rowing All-Conference Team.

June 6, 2008

As the weekend approaches, it will be a great one for a quartet of Cougar baseball players: Paul Gran, Jim Murphy, Jayson Miller, and Matt Way. The four were selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft today.

Five Washington State student-athletes -- McKinnon Hanson, Sara Trané, Haley Paul, Jon Jeffreys and Alex Grant -- were named to the 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII for University Division Men's and Women's Track & Field/ Cross Country Teams.

The Cougars play at Baylor on Sept. 13 and for those interested in making the trip down to Texas, consider the package Dodds Athletic Tours has put together for Cougars who want to make the trip.

And finally, two days ago, the weekly photo update was posted on the martinstadium.org website. Be sure to check it out.

Have a great weekend. Go Cougs!

June 5, 2008

Congratulations to football's Alex Brink and tennis' Ekatarina Burduli, who were named Pacific-10 Conference Medal winners today. As you will read in the news release, a Conference Medal is awarded annually to each Pac-10 school's outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.

Speaking of Burduli (pictured), she, along with Aleksandra Stefanova and Ekaterina Kamendova, finished in the top 30 of the Northwest Region, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association recently announced. As a team, the Cougars finished their 2008 campaign fourth in the region and 43rd nationally.

From time to time, I like to point out some of the numerous pages we offer at wsucougars.com. This is one of those times. For instance, to get just a flavor of the decorated history of WSU Athletics, check out the history page. And to read feature stories on a variety of topics on WSU Athletics, check out the features page. Both of these links can be found under the Inside Athletics menu bar on the wsucougars.com home page.

June 4, 2008

This has already been an NCAA themed spring for Cougar Athletics with postseason appearances by men's basketball, tennis, and rowing. Now, track gets in the act as 14 student-athletes will be competing at the NCAA Championships, June 11-14, in Des Moines, Iowa.

It's never too early to think about football. Never. And on that note, Brandon Gibson (pictured just after making the game-winning TD catch in the Apple Cup) and six other Cougars were named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-America Team the magazine recently announced.

And there is never a bad time to think about golf. Yesterday, I wrote about the new Palouse Ridge Golf Club. Today, it's about the Atheltic Foundation golf tour. It continues this weekend with stops in Vancouver, Wenatchee and Moses Lake.

June 3, 2008

I've included a couple of links from outside of wsucougars.com for this entry, but still with a WSU connection. Then again, why would I ever give you a non-WSU related link?

First of all, Alex Brink recently conducted a Q&A session on the Houston Texans' website. Check out his answer to question 5.

This isn't the first Q&A Brink has done over the past year. Back in October, he joined Husain Abdullah for a Q&A at wsucougars.com. You can find this along with numerous other Q&As from WSU student-athletes on the Cougar Q&A page.

And summer is almost here (although you wouldn't know it today in Pullman) and the new Palouse Ridge Golf Club opens in a couple of months. You can check out an early review that ran today in the Journal Newspapers. Please try to look past the fact it was written by a UW grad.

June 2, 2008

It was a busy weekend in Cougar Athletics headlined by the rowing and track teams.

Rowing competed at the NCAA Championships and registered an eighth place finish, the second best in program history, behind only the fourth place finish in 2006. You can view photo galleries, courtesy of Bill Stevens, from the each day of the event. Just click on the highlighted links: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

While rowing was competing at the national championships, track & field was at the NCAA West Regionals. Jeshua Anderson captured the 400m hurdles, Saturday and Trent Arrivey (pictured) won the men's high jump, Friday. Anderson, Arrivey and several other Cougars will be competing at the NCAA Championships, June 11-14.

Track will conclude the 2007-08 season next week and then it's time to look ahead to 2008-09. But why wait? In that spirit, Matt Potter announced the soccer schedule for next season.

And finally, last week June Daugherty conducted an online chat at wsucougars.com . This week, she will be the guest speaker at "Getting to the Heart of the Matter," a seminar for medical professionals put on by Team Up for Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness and sponsored by St. Jude Medical Center.

May 29, 2008

Just a day away from rowing's fifth NCAA Championship appearance in the last seven years. You can follow the event throughout by going to the official championship website and by visiting wsucougars.com.

Also competing in NCAA postseason action this weekend, in the version of the west regionals, are 29 members of the men's and women's track and field teams.

Congratulations to Jayson Miller (pictured), who was named the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for baseball. Miller is the second WSU student-athlete to earn this prestigious honor as men's basketball Robbie Cowgill earned the accolade earlier this year. Well done. And congratulations to Paul Gran as well, who was named All-Pacific-10 Conference and the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Finally, new stadium photos were posted on the martinstadium.org website yesterday.

I'll be taking an extended weekend so I will be back on Monday. Have a great weekend and Go Cougs!

May 28, 2008

Here are a couple of links for today's entry.

As rowing prepares for the NCAA Championships later this week, several members of the team were recognized by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association.

As promised in yesterday's entry, here is the transcript from today's online chat with women's basketball coach June Daugherty. Be sure to check out June's answer to her preference between Cougar Gold or Ferdinand's ice cream.

May 27, 2008

I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend. The baseball team sure did, taking two of three from USC. WSU opened the series with an 8-5 win, Friday. Matt Way pitched a complete game and Jim Murphy (pictured) capped a 4-for-4 night with his 16th home run of the season to break a 5-5 deadlock in the seventh. The Cougars rode another strong pitching performance, this time courtesy of Jayson Miller, to best the Trojans 4-2 on Saturday.

In the series, and regular season, finale, WSU nearly came all the way back from an 8-0 deficit before falling 8-7.

At the end of the week rowing will be at the forefront, competing at the NCAA Championships at Lake Natoma, Calif. The Cougars' 2008 appearance at the national finals marks the fifth time in the last seven years the program has been represented at the NCAAs.

Last week, rowing coach Jane LaRiviere conducted an online chat and tomorrow June Daugherty will be the latest coach to participate in the Cougar Chats series. Coach Daugherty's chat will begin at 10 a.m. To follow the chat and to submit questions click Here. A full transcript of the chat will be on the front page of wsucougars.com afterward. I will post the link in tomorrow's entry as well.

That's it for today. Go Cougs!

May 23, 2008

Just a couple of items to touch on before the Memorial Day weekend.

Rowing coach Jane LaRiviere conducted an online chat this morning. Here is the transcript. This time next week, the Cougar rowing team will be competing at the NCAA Championships. The team is no stranger to the NCAAs, as this will mark the Cougars fifth appearance at the national championships in the last seven years. Stay with wsucougars.com next week for coverage of the Cougars at the NCAAs, which takes place from May 30 to June 1.

Moving on to another spring sport, Rick Sloan announced the signing of three student-athletes to the track program yesterday.

That's it for now. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

May 22, 2008

Good Thursday afternoon Cougars. The Memorial Day weekend is approaching and with it the final series of the 2008 for the Cougar baseball team. WSU hosts USC for a three-game set beginning tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Bailey-Brayton Field.

And a quick football note as senior Matt Mullennix has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Finally, don't forget that rowing head coach Jane LaRiviere will be conducting an online chat tomorrow at 10 a.m. To submit questions click HERE

May 21, 2008

A day after rowing earned a selection to the NCAA Championships tennis' Ekaterina Burduli competed at the NCAA Singles Championships at Tulsa. Burduli fought hard but fell in a tough three-set match against Gira Schofield of South Carolina 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Results from the NCAA Singles Championships can be found HERE

Speaking of rowing, head coach Jane LaRiviere will be conducting an online chat this Friday (May 23) at 10 a.m. To submit questions click HERE

The Athletic Foundation golf tour continues next week with the Sterling Savings Bank King County Cougar Golf Classic, May 30, at The Golf Club at Newcastle . The King County event is just one of numerous events the Athletic Foundation is conducting throughout May and June.

And finally, what would a Wednesday be without the latest photo gallery from the stadium renovation at the martinstadium.org website.

That's it for today. Until tomorrow...

May 20, 2008

Just one item on today's docket but it is a major one.

The NCAA theme that has become prevalent for Cougar Athletics during the past few months continued as rowing got in the act with a selection to the NCAA Championships today. The Cougars were one of 12 teams who received a team (varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four) berth. The NCAAs take place from May 30 to June 1 at Lake Natoma in California. This will mark the fifth time in the last seven years that WSU rowing will be represented at the national championships. Congratulations to the Cougars on their well-deserved selection.

May 19, 2008

Good afternoon. I hope everyone is getting through their Monday and that you enjoyed your weekend.

I think it's safe to say that Jeshua Anderson (pictured) and Sara Trané enjoyed theirs, as both captured titles at the Pac-10 Track & Field Championships in hot Tempe.

Anderson won the 400m men's intermediate hurdle title while Sara Trané's defended her Pac-10 title in the women's steeplechase.

Rowing also competed at the conference championships in Lake Natoma, Calif., finishing third. WSU and its nationally-ranked varsity eight crew will learn its NCAA fate tomorrow. Check wsucougars.com for the latest information on the rowing team.

Volleyball is still several months away but here is some news regarding recent WSU graduate Tara West, who will play on the Australian National Team later this month.

And finally, be sure to check out a season review from the historic campaign turned in by the men's basketball team.

That's it for today. Have a great rest of your Monday.

May 16, 2008

Okay, so why did I skip over the May 15 entry?

Well, yesterday, I went up north to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the Washington Trust Bank Devlin Cougar Golf Classic. Yes, I know...tough gig. As you can tell by the photo, the day could not have been any better, although I can't say the same for my golf game.

The Devlin is just one of the numerous golf events the Athletic Foundation is conducting throughout the next month. Don't miss out! For a complete list of events across the state please click HERE. Today, the Bank of Whitman Palouse Cougar Golf Classic is on tap.

Also on tap this weekend, a couple of sports are competing at the conference championships: the track and field teams in Tempe, and the rowing team , and its No. 4 nationally-ranked varsity eight crew, at the Pac-10 Championships on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.

Also in California is the baseball team, who travels to UCLA for a three-game series beginning tonight.

And finally, to tie a ribbon around this entry and the week, congratulations to Ekaterina Burduli, who was named the 2008 Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Northwest Region winner of the ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. Next week, Burduli caps her stellar WSU career at the 2008 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships.

May 14, 2008

The week's midpoint has come and gone, and the weekend, and the anticipated 80 degree temperatures with it, is fast approaching.

While it will be hot in Pullman, it is sure to be even warmer in Tempe where the Pac-10 Championships continue this weekend. Read the track and field release to get the inside scoop about the Cougars and the conference championships.

Baseball will be in action at UCLA this weekend, coming off a 7-5 extra inning win last night at Gonzaga. Jim Murphy drove in two runs with a two-out double in the top of the 11th inning to propel the Cougars to the win.

And if it's Wednesday, it must mean new photos on the martinstadium.org website. A sample of what's in today's gallery is pictured to your left. Compare this picture to the one that is posted in the April 16 entry.

That's it for today. Have a great rest of the day and Go Cougs!

May 13, 2008

The baseball team is in action tonight at Gonzaga, while rowing and track are in preparation for the Pac-10 Championships later this week.

While those sports continue their seasons, I'll look ahead to the '08 football season with this entry. Three months ago on signing day, I had the opportunity to spend the day with Coach Paul Wulff, the coaching staff, and some doughnuts. Huh? Well, hopefully, once you read my story in Washington State Magazine , it will make sense.

The 2008 class who signed on that day will undoubtedly experience many memorable moments playing at Martin Stadium. To relive some past memorable moments, go to the Memorable Moments at Martin Stadium site. The page features recaps, pictures and video clips from games, so be warned: Once you begin your visit, you won't be able to draw your eyes away from it. So on that note, I'll let you peruse the site and I'll check back in tomorrow.

May 12, 2008

Happy Monday, Cougars! I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day weekend.

It was a busy weekend for Cougar Athletics headlined by the tennis team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. Though the Cougars fell to LSU, Friday, the team's 16 wins were the most by the program since 1996.

The season is not officially over, however, as Ekaterina Burduli will compete in the NCAA Singles Championships, May 21-26, at Tulsa.

Continuing with the championships theme, this of the Pac-10 variety, the track and field team was competing at the conference championships. The meet was highlighted by senior Rickey Moody's (pictured) second place finish in the men's decathlon on a sweltering day in Tempe, Ariz. The championships continue in Tempe this weekend. By the way, rowing gets in the act as the Cougars compete at their conference championships in California this weekend.

Across the state, baseball played a three-game set at Washington. On Saturday, Jason Miller tossed a complete game in propelling the Cougars to a 5-1 win. The Cougars return to action tomorrow at Gonzaga with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

May 8, 2008

Here's a rundown of what's happening this weekend with Cougar Athletics.

While tennis begins competition at the NCAA Championships tomorrow at Berkeley, Calif., the track and field teams head to Tempe, Ariz. for the Pac-10 Championships.

Winners of seven of its last nine games, baseball looks to continue its hot play at Washington this weekend. The three-game series begins tomorrow with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.

While the aforementioned sports hopes to create some historic memories this weekend, you can now relive the historic season the men's basketball team turned in by ordering the commemorative Sweet 16 poster, as you can see pictured with this entry. Click Here to place your order.

May 7, 2008

It will be a football-themed entry today as I have a few links to pass on to you.

First of all, it's Wednesday, so new renovation photos were posted today on the martinstadium.org website. There are over 40 photos in today's gallery so enjoy.

Secondly, redshirt junior Kenny Alfred (pictured) was named to the 2008 Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List , it was announced today. Just another reminder that there are only 115 days until the 2008 season opener against Oklahoma State.

Speaking of Oklahoma State, for ticket information to the Cougar Gridiron Classic at Seattle's Qwest Field click here

By the way, the tennis squad departed today for Berkeley, Calif., and its first NCAA Championships since 2002. The Cougars face Louisiana State, May 9. Stay with wsucougars.com for complete coverage on the Cougars' trip to the NCAAs.

May 6, 2008

For today's post I wanted to share some links that have recently been posted on wsucougars.com.

Track and swimming have recently announced new signees to their respective programs. Click here to read about the incoming track student-athletes coming to the Palouse and here to read about the new additions to the swimming class.

Summer session has started at the WSU campus, which means it is also time for the Athletic Foundation summer golf tournaments and events to tee off. For a complete listing of events across the state, as well as to register, please click here.

Finally, the rowing team has the weekend off from competition before the May 18 Pac-10 Championships; however, that doesn't mean the Cougars will be taking the weekend off. The Cougars will be participating in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive this Saturday at the Safeway and Dissmores IGA grocery stores in Pullman.

May 5, 2008

An annual rite of spring in the eastern Washington region is the running of the Bloomsday race at Spokane on the first Sunday of May. I had to privilege to run the race for the first time this year, and in addition to worrying about what my final time was going to be, I kept an eye on how much Cougar attire I would be seeing throughout the race. I'm happy to report that I saw plenty of competitors wearing Cougar apparel yesterday, and I can't recall seeing any purple, other than on the bib numbers of some of the runners.

Speaking of running, the Cougar track and field men's and women's teams had a successful weekend, sweeping Washington in dual meets on Saturday. The WSU men defeated Washington 93-70, for their first victory in four years, while the Cougar women prevailed over the Huskies with a 116-47 win, making it 11 wins in the last 12 dual meets contested. Be sure to check out a Photo Gallery from the meets.

While the track and field team was competing in a dual meet, the rowing squad was 15 miles away on the Snake River in a dual regatta against Oregon State. Like their track counterparts, the Cougars also came out victorious and captured the Winchell Cup (pictured with senior coxswain Kelly O'Brien). The meet was highlighted by the No. 3 nationally ranked Cougar varsity eight crew defeating No. 13 Oregon State.

Despite dropping today's series ending game, the Cougar baseball team took a pair of games from the two-time defending national champion and 23rd ranked Oregon State Beavers during the weekend. Michael Weber drove in a career-high four runs to lead the Cougars to a 10-3 win in the opener , Saturday. Yesterday, Weber equaled Saturday's RBI total on one swing with a grand slam, which capped a seven-run second inning, to lift the Cougars to an 11-4 win. Weber's grand slam is currently featured as the Sterling Savings Bank Play of the Week .

And a reminder, at week's end, the tennis team will begin competition at the NCAA Championships . Stay with wsucougars.com for complete coverage of the Cougars' at the NCAAs.

May 2, 2008

As Friday draws to a close, we are on the cusp of graduation weekend, and another busy weekend for Cougar Athletics.

Here are the Track and Field Heat Sheets for tomorrow dual meet with Washington. As a reminder, events begin at 11 a.m. and admission is free of charge.

And once again, the Cougars and their No. 3 nationally-ranked varsity eight crew will host Oregon State tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on the Snake River.

After graduation ceremonies are completed at Beasley Coliseum, the new WSU alumni can make their away across the street to Bailey-Brayton Field and catch the Cougar baseball team take on two-time defending national champion Oregon State. First pitch is at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. Game times for the remainder of the three-game series are 2 p.m., Sunday and noon on Monday. There will be $1 hot dogs at Monday's game so all the more reason to play hooky from work and catch the Cougars in action. Not that I condone that at all, of course!

To tie a ribbon around the week there is one last item I'd like to mention. In January a group comprised of WSU student-athletes and staff visited Japan for a study tour of International Christian University in Tokyo. Take a moment to to read their testimonies and view the photos from the trip. You'll see it was quite an enriching experience for them.

Have a great weekend everyone. Go Cougs!

May 1, 2008

It's the first day of May and fall practice for the current group of Cougars is still several months away, but some terrific news regarding a past Cougar gridiron great was announced today.

Record-setting All-America running back Rueben Mayes was selected for induction to the College Football Hall of Fame. Mayes is the first Cougar player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since tackle Glen "Turk" Edwards (1929-31) was enshrined in 1975, and the third player overall. Center Mel Hein (1928-30) was the first Cougar to be inducted in 1954. Read the National Football Foundation Release, which, in addition to containing information on Mayes, has plenty of material on the entire 2008 class.

Also today, rowing coach Jane LaRiviere conducted an online chat. The Cougars and their No. 3 nationally-ranked varsity eight crew will host Oregon State this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the Snake River.

Also on Saturday, track and field hosts Washington in a dual meet at Mooberry Track. Events begin at 11 a.m. and admission is free of charge. Not that I am keeping track of this but so far this season the Cougars have defeated their intrastate rivals in football, soccer, men's basketball, rowing, women's golf (at Pac-10s), and tennis.

Go Cougs!

April 30, 2008

Hard to believe that May is just around the corner. So on this last day of April here are a few items for your reading and viewing enjoyment.

First of all, the good news for tennis continues as Ekaterina Burduli (pictured) was one of 64 players named to the 2008 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships singles field. Burduli will compete in the singles draw that will take place, May 21-26, at Tulsa, Okla.

Tennis is not the only WSU program making a national splash as the varsity eight crew moved up to No. 3 in the latest national rankings today. As a reminder, rowing head coach Jane LaRiviere will be on hand tomorrow at 10 a.m. for an online chat. The Cougars and their No. 3 nationally-ranked varsity eight crew will host Oregon State this Saturday on the Snake River.

The weekly stadium renovation photos on the martinstadium.org website were posted today. There are 30 photos in this week's gallery. I've included one in this post.

That's it for today. See you tomorrow and Go Cougs!

April 29, 2008

Just two, but very important, items on the docket today.

First of all, congratulations to the tennis program for its selection to the NCAA Championships today. The team, coaches and athletic department staff members gathered in the Camp Room at the Bohler Athletic Complex to watch the live broadcast on ESPN News. After having to sit through 20 minutes of sports updates (mainly Larry Brown changing NBA jobs. When has that ever happened?), and the men's tennis selections, the team didn't have to wait long to find out its fate. Just minutes into the announcement of the women's selections, Washington State's name was displayed in a first round match-up with LSU. You can see by the picture their reaction. Good stuff.

The Cougars will as part of the four-team bracket May 9 at Berkeley, Calif. For all the information on the Cougars at the NCAA Tournament stick with wsucougars.com. To learn a little more about the program, check out an online chat head coach Lisa Hart conducted on April 18.

Speaking of online chats, another head coach from a nationally-renowned program in Cougar Athletics will be on hand this Thursday at 10 a.m. for a chat. The Cougars and their No. 4 nationally-ranked varsity eight crew will host Oregon State this Saturday on the Snake River.

Congrats once again to Cougar tennis. Well done.

April 28, 2008

It was an eventful weekend of Cougar Athletics so let's get right to a recap.

Track hosted the Cougar Invitational on Saturday. WSU won 17 of the 37 events contested.

Baseball took two of three from San Jose State at Bailey-Brayton Field. The Cougars took the the opener 8-3 behind a solid pitching effort from Matt Way. The Cougars made it two in a row, and three overall, with a 7-5 victory on Saturday. WSU scored five runs in the eighth to nail down the win. The Spartans managed to take the final game of the series 6-2.

Tennis was in California for the Pac-10 Championships. The team will learn its NCAA fate tomorrow.

Men's golf is currently competing at the Pac-10 Championships. You can follow the championships by going to live scoring of the event on the web.

Though it's the offseason, check out an update on women's basketball coach June Daugherty's 2008 recruiting class.

Congratulations goes out to Alex Brink, who was drafted by the Houston Texans in the seventh round of the NFL draft yesterday.

A note of interest on another former Cougar athlete, Kim Welch, as she is competing on the Golf Channel's show "The Big Break."

That wraps up a busy weekend for Cougar Athletics. Another busy one is on the horizon so check this page throughout the week for updates on what's happening.

April 25, 2008

Dead week is nearly over and finals week has almost arrived for the students of Washington State.

In addition to a lot of studying, there will be baseball and track going on in Pullman this weekend.

The baseball team opens a three-game series against San Jose State this evening at Bailey-Brayton Field. I took a look at the weekend forecast and temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-60s with a small chance of precipitation. Sounds like ideal conditions to watch some Cougar baseball.

And also track and field. The Cougar track and field team will be hosting meets over the next two weekends beginning with the Cougar Outdoor Invitational, Saturday. Field events begin at 10 a.m. and running events at 1:15 p.m. Here are the Heat Sheets for the meet.

Coming off its big win over Washington last week, tennis is in California for the Pac-10 Championships

Also, as their women counterparts just completed their Pac-10 Championships, men's golf tees it up next week for their conference championships.

As a reminder, you can check out photos from the many events we host, in addition to much more, by going to our photo gallery page.

And finally, to receive just a small sample of Cougar Athletics history, visit the Northwest Dodge Dealers This Week in Cougar History page. The site is updated weekly with new entries about historic events in WSU Athletics' past.

That's it for this week. Best of luck to all WSU students with their finals. Have a great weekend.

April 24, 2008

Hello, just a quick entry highlighting the new postings on the website today.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Cougar track and field team will be hosting meets over the next two weekends beginning with the Cougar Outdoor Invitational, Saturday. Field events begin at 10 a.m. and running events at 1:15 p.m. Here are the Heat Sheets for the meet.

Sticking with track, the women's indoor team was recognized as part of the NCAA's Public Recognition Awards. Here are the details.

And last but not least, the baseball team opens a three-game series against San Jose State at Bailey-Brayton Field tomorrow. Click here to read the baseball release.

Have a great evening Cougars!

April 23, 2008

We're past the midway point of the week so that must mean it's all downhill the rest of the way until the weekend hits.

Right?

Well, hopefully that's the case for you. But if not, take a break and catch up on what's going on with Cougar Athletics.

First of all, baseball came back for a 9-8 win over Gonzaga yesterday at Bailey-Brayton Field. Travis Coulter's two-out single scored Shea Vucinich to cap a three-run ninth inning rally and secure the Cougars' 20th win of the season. The seven-game homestand continues when WSU hosts San Jose State this weekend.

It's Wednesday, so that must mean new photos were posted on the martinstadium.org website. As you can see, I've included one with this entry. Also, be sure to check out Paul Wulff's message that was recently posted on the website's home page.

Play has completed at the Pac-10 Women's Golf Championships. Visit the Golfstat Live Scoring page to view the final results. A recap of the day for the Cougars will be posted on our site later today. When posted, it will be on the WSU women's golf home page .

The Cougar track and field team will be hosting meets over the nest two weekends beginning with the Cougar Outdoor Invitational, Saturday. Field events begin at 10 a.m. and running events at 1:15 p.m.

Hope that provides some respite. If not, check back tomorrow for a new entry.

April 22, 2008

For those who missed out on this morning's online chat with volleyball head coach Andrew Palileo, you can read a transcript of it by clicking Here. Coach Palileo's chat marked the ninth edition of the ongoing "Cougar Chats" series. You can access an archive of all the chats by clicking Here.

Day two of the Pac-10 Women's Golf Championship just completed. Visit the Golfstat Live Scoring page to see how things stand after 36 holes. A recap of the day for the Cougars will be posted on our site later today. When posted, it will be on the WSU women's golf home page.

I will conclude today's post by saying congratulations to javelin thrower Marissa Tschida (pictured), who was named the Pacific-10 Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Week for April 14-20, 2008 yesterday.

April 21, 2008

What a memorable tennis match that took place Saturday at The Simmelink Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse.

Not only were those in attendance treated to free pizza, courtesy the marketing department (I, and my stomach, sure appreciated it), they also saw, as Lisa Hart described, one of the biggest wins in school history. Down 2-0 to No. 34 Washington, the Cougar tennis team rallied to take a dramatic 4-3 victory over their intrastate rivals. As you will read in the recap, the win was clinched with Bianca Selaru's (pictured) win. Now the No. 42 ranked Cougars (who are sure to move up in the ITA rankings after the win) play at the Pac-10 Championships this week and then play the waiting game until NCAA bids are announced next week. Check out a Photo Gallery, courtesy of Rod Commons, from the match.

A week after disposing of Washington themselves, the rowing version of the Cougars headed down south to California for the Stanford Invitational. The Cougars, led by the No. 5 nationally ranked varsity right crew win over No. 10 Stanford, captured 11 of 12 races in the two-day event. Fans will be able to see of the top crews and teams in the nation when the Cougars host Oregon State at Wawawai Landing on the Snake River, Saturday, May 3.

The men's track and field team also had a successful venture to California, as the 18th ranked Cougars were named the team of the meet at the SAC Relays. WSU returns home to host meets over the next two weekends beginning with the Cougar Invitational, April 26 and Washington in a dual meet, May 3.

Men's golf wasn't in California, but turned in an impressive second-place performance, nonetheless, at the Ping Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah. The women's team is currently at the Pac-10 Championships through Wednesday. Check out live scoring from tournament.

Also check out the baseball results at Arizona over the weekend. The Cougars have a quick turnaround, as they begin a seven game homestand against Gonzaga, tomorrow at 5:30 at Bailey-Brayton Field.

One last item, don't forget that new volleyball head coach Andrew Palileo will conduct an online chat tomorrow at 9 a.m. You can submit questions to Coach Palileo now by clicking Here

See you tomorrow!

April 18, 2008

There was some news coming from men's basketball late yesterday as the program signed Ferris High School product DeAngelo Casto to a National Letter of Intent.

"We are excited to have DeAngelo sign with us," Head Coach Tony Bennett said in the official release. "He is a great addition to our fall signing class. He played in a tremendous high school basketball program at Ferris High and we are looking forward to watching DeAngelo reach his full potential."

If you missed tennis coach Lisa Hart's online chat earlier today you can access the transcript Here. As a reminder the tennis team wraps up the regular season on the WSU campus against Washington tomorrow at noon at the Hollingbery Fieldhouse. Seniors Ekaterina Burduli (pictured), Aleksandra Stefanova and Kara Konomos will be recognized for their career accomplishments at a ceremony prior to the match beginning at 11:40 a.m.

The next online chat will be with new volleyball head coach Andrew Palileo. The chat will take place, Tuesday, April 22 at 9 a.m. You can submit questions to Coach Palileo now by clicking Here.

Have a great weekend everyone. See you Monday.

April 17, 2008

Another busy weekend of Cougar Athletics is almost upon us, in fact for some sports its already here, so this entry will be devoted to a rundown of what's happening.

Baseball plays a three-game series at Arizona beginning this Friday with first pitch occurring 7 p.m. Pacific Time.

Coming off its outstanding victory over Washington last week, rowing heads to California for the Stanford Invitational at Redwood Shores. By the way, the varsity eight moved up from No. 8 to No. 5 in the latest national rankings.

Members of the track team will be competing at the 50th Annual Mt. SAC Relays, which began today.

While women's golf takes the week off preparing for the Pac-10 Championships next week, the men's team is in action at the Ping Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah.

On the WSU campus, tennis concludes its regular season with maybe its biggest regular season match of the year against Washington.

And don't forget, tennis head coach Lisa Hart will be conducting an online chat tomorrow beginning at 11:30 a.m. If you are unable to participate in the chat, be sure to check tomorrow's entry for a link to a transcript.

April 16, 2008

Here are some links that have been posted over the last couple of days.

The postseason accolades continue to roll in for Kyle Weaver. His latest honor was a selection to the Rivals.com All-Defensive Team.

The latest weekly photos have been posted on the martinstadium.org website. I've included one in this entry. As you can see, work is coming along on the east side of the stadium.

Spring football has just completed but it's never too early to start thinking about the 2008 season. The Cougars play at Baylor on Sept. 13. For those interested in making the trip down to Texas, consider the package Dodds Athletic Tours has put together for Cougars who want to make the trip.

Finally, special thanks goes out to Butch, who was kind enough to mention this blog in his latest blog entry . You can read Butch's Blog and several other blogs and columns from Washington State coaches, staff and student-athletes on the Cougar Blogs page.

Tomorrow's entry will rundown all the athletic events happening this weekend. Until then...

April 15, 2008

Just a couple, but very important, topics to touch on for today's entry.

First, a special welcome goes out to Andrew Palileo, who was announced today in a news conference (see photo) as the new head volleyball coach at Washington State. You can read all about Coach Palileo, as well as his staff, Brian Lamppa and TeAna L. Crutcher-Tramel, in the news release. Director of Athletics Jim Sterk also addresses Coach Palileo's hiring and welcomes him to the Cougar Family in his latest A.D. Forum column. Finally, take a look at the Photo Gallery from the news conference.

Secondly, tennis coach Lisa Hart will conduct an online chat this Friday at 11:30 a.m. You can submit question for Coach Hart now by clicking here. Coach Hart's chat will mark the eighth installment of the "Cougar Chats" series. To read an archive of previous chats, including Paul Wulff's chat, please click HERE.

It's been an eventful Tuesday in Cougar Athletics. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

April 14, 2008

As a new week begins, I'm trying to figure out what happened to the great weather we experienced over the weekend. Today it's raining, which followed two days of sun and 70 degree temperatures. I guess you have to take what you can get.

To say this past weekend was eventful would be a major understatement. There is always a lot of great stuff happening on Mom's Weekend, but this year was especially special, not only in athletics but for the entire university.

So before I get to a recap of the weekend athletic events, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Elton John concerts at Beasley. For those who attended (including yours truly) it will be something no one will soon forget. As you can see, I have included a photo from the concert. Special thanks to WSU photographer Shelly Hanks for sending me the photo. You can view more of Shelly's photos as well as read a concert review by going to the WSU Today website. By the way, WSU Today is a great resource to catch up on all that is happening at WSU so be sure to visit the website whenever you have the chance.

Okay, back to athletics. Football wrapped up it spring practice with a scrimmage on Saturday. Check out Rod Commons' photos of the scrimmage by clicking HERE. I've included a photo from the scrimmage, which was held at Martin Stadium, below.

Rowing wasn't in Pullman over the weekend, but the impact from the Cougars' victory on Saturday could be felt here. The Cougars turned in their third straight dual regatta victory over Washington. The win was highlighted by the No. 8 varsity eight crew's victory over the No. 4 Husky varsity eight boat.

While rowing was still in-state, a couple of sports competed down south in California. Track was in Los Angeles at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invite. Here is a recap from the final day of competition. Meanwhile, women's golf was in Stanford at the Peg Barnard Invitational.

In Pullman, tennis posted a pair of wins over Montana State and Portland State. Check out a PHOTO GALLERY from the match. Baseball played a three-game set against No. 2 Arizona State, and defeated the Sun Devils 10-4 on Saturday.

I think this post is already long enough so have a great Monday everyone. Go Cougs!

April 11, 2008

The weekend slate of Mom's Weekend athletic events is almost upon us. Tennis begins at 4 p.m. and first pitch for the WSU-ASU baseball game is at 5:30 p.m.

There's one more sport in action this weekend that wasn't mentioned yesterday and that's women's golf. They are competing at the Peg Barnard Invitational in Stanford, Calif.

Congratulations to Danielle Berish, Bryn Mooney, Maya Dill and Jamie MacLeod, who were all named to the Pac-10 All-Academic Swimming Team.

Yesterday, as a nice tie-in with the weekend theme, Baseball Coach Donnie Marbut, Tennis Coach Lisa Hart and Swimming Coach Erica Quam talked with Pullman area moms giving their expertise on youth sports activities. I've included a couple of pictures taken by Rod Commons for you to see.

Finally, and I will be doing this frequently throughout my entries, I want to draw your attention to one of the many features we offer at wsucougars.com. On our front page, you will notice a Sterling Savings Bank Play of the Week graphic. Here's what you will currently see when you click on the graphic. It is Jim Murphy's grand slam against UC Davis last week. Check this link every week for a new play.

That's it for today. Have a great weekend everyone, especially all Cougar Moms!

April 10, 2008

As promised, the blog has returned.

I mentioned in my final post of the NCAA Tournament blog that I decided to continue the blog, this time with an emphasis on Cougar Athletics in its entirety. The reasoning behind this is that I found it to be an effective way to communicate with you, fans of Cougar Athletics.

I can say this with confidence because of the hit count from the NCAA blog. Nearly 12,000 impressions were made to the page during the course of the tournament. I want to thank all of you for your readership. Judging from the e-mails I received it was a big hit, no pun intended, especially the photos. I greatly appreciate your readership and for visiting our overall athletic website, wsucougars.com.

So now that the introductions are out of the way, let's get down to why you are here, and that is to learn about what is going on with Cougar Athletics.

First, to tie a ribbon around the NCAA Tournament check out the PHOTO GALLERY, which I hopes documents the Cougars' run throughout the event. I've included a couple photos so you can receive a taste of what is included in the gallery.

Work on the stadium renovation continues. Here are the latest PHOTOS posted on the martinstadium.org website.

The Elton John concerts are not the only highlight for what promises to be a tremendous Mom's Weekend slate of Cougar Athletics.

Spring football practice concludes while the No. 41 ranked tennis team hosts Portland State and Montana State. Also, No. 2 Arizona State comes into town for a three-game set against the Cougar baseball team.

Across the state, the No. 15 ranked varsity eight crew and the rest of the Cougars travel across the state to take on Washington. In addition, track will be in action at Los Angeles and up the road in Cheney.

Whew! That was a lot of ground to cover. Hope that gives you an idea of what I hope this blog will accomplish. Thanks for checking in and please stop by tomorrow and beyond.