Two recruits pick Vandals
Idaho added forward Ayodele “Ayo” Ojo of Jonesboro, Ark., (State Fair Junior College), and guard Perrion Callandret of Bothell, Wash., (Bothell High School) to the men’s basketball team Nov 21. Ojo will join Idaho as a junior and Callandret will join as a freshman for the 2013-14 season.
Ojo — a 6-foot-7-inch forward — averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks-per-game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor during his sophomore season at State Fair Junior College in Missouri. He was also a McDonald’s All-America nominee in high school.
Callandret — a 6-foot-2-inch guard — averaged 17 points per game for Bothell High School as a junior, reaching double-figures in all 28 games.
Golfers win tournament, help veterans
In late October, the Vandals won the UTEP Miner Invitational in El Paso, Texas, behind a strong performance from senior Gordon Webb. What the team didn’t expect was a chance to work with wounded veterans in El Paso. The Vandals had the opportunity to help in a Wounded Warriors clinic in town. The golfers worked with Staff Sergeant Rodriquez, who was wounded while serving in Afghanistan. They also met 30 other Wounded Warriors and were addressed by Fort Bliss commander General Wayne Grigsby Jr., on the trip.
Volleyball receives four WAC honors
Vandals Allison (Walker) Baker, Alyssa Schultz, Alex Sele and Katelyn Peterson have earned All-WAC honors for the 2012 volleyball season.
Baker was named to the All-WAC first-team for the third consecutive season. The junior outside hitter ranked second in the WAC in both kills and points, with 4.09 kills-per-set and 4.65 points-per-set on the season. Baker also had 20 double-doubles and earned a WAC Player of the Week honor during the regular season.
Schultz also earned All-WAC first-team honors for the Vandals. The sophomore middle blocker ranked second in the WAC with 1.66 blocks-per-set while adding a seventh-best .341 hitting percentage.
For the second straight season, Sele earned second-team All-WAC honors for Idaho. The senior finished her Idaho career by hitting .377 in WAC matches, ranking third in the conference.
Peterson earned WAC All-Freshman team honors for Idaho. She had a career-high 17 kills on Oct. 20 in a victory over San Jose State to highlight her freshman season.
Swim and dive participates in huge meet
Idaho swimming and diving had several strong performances Nov. 16-18 at the enormous Phill Hansel Invitational, hosted by the University of Houston. More than 10 teams from around the nation competed in the meet.
Idaho’s performances were highlighted by junior diver Paige Hunt’s 10th place finish in the platform dive — a rare event that she seldom practices. She scored 220.10 in the event.
The Vandals also had an impressive performance from freshman Jamie Sterbis, who won the consolation final in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:01.59. Sterbis’ time set an Idaho record and was the fifth-fastest time at the meet.
Discounted basketball tickets on sale
Idaho men’s basketball will visit Pullman Wednesday for a border rivalry match-up with Washington State and Vandal fans will have an opportunity to buy tickets at a discounted rate.
Tickets in a designated Idaho section are being sold for $13 per ticket, $5 less than the standard rate. Tipoff at Friel Court in Beasley Coliseum is at 7:00 p.m. Last season, Idaho hosted WSU and fell just short of upsetting its Pac-12 opponent when the Cougars’ Reggie Moore hit a buzzer beater to win it for the visitors. The Vandals are 1-3 coming into the game while WSU stands at 3-3. The Cougars are led by Brock Motum, who led the Pac-12 in scoring last season is currently averaging 16 points-per-game.