Track and field freshman earns first WAC honor
Idaho freshman Arphaxad Carroll nabbed his first-career Western Athletic Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award, following strong performances in the Vandals’ home meets Friday and Saturday at the Kibbie Dome. Carroll, from Las Vegas, won the long jump with a jump of 23 feet, 5.5 inches and finished third in the triple jump with a mark of 46-7.25. He then picked up a win in Saturday’s triple jump, leaping 46-1.25 — good enough for fourth in the WAC this season.
Ramos Salazar named WAC Player of the Week
The Vandal men’s tennis team kept its WAC Player of the Week streak alive when junior Cristobal Ramos Salazar earned the honor for the week of Feb. 3-9. Idaho players have now claimed all six weekly or monthly tennis honors given out by the conference in 2013-14. Ramos Salazar, originally from Hermosillo, Mexico, was 4-0 in matches against Washington and San Francisco — contests that Idaho lost as a team. The junior won 8-5 at the No. 1 doubles position against UW, partnering with Jose Bendeck. At No. 4 singles, he won in straight sets, beating the Huskies’ Jeff Hawke 6-2, 6-3. Previously, he had singles success against USF, beating opponent Rich Van Hout 6-2, 6-2. Bendeck earned the WAC Player of the Month award in September and October and was Player of the Week in January. Artemiy Nikitin won Player of the Month in November and Odon Barta was Player of the Week, earlier this month.
Madison grabs fourth honor
Idaho senior Stephen Madison was named WAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, his fourth time winning the honor this season. Madison, who currently is the leagues’ second-leading scorer and rebounder, averaged 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in the Vandals’ two home wins. In a win against league favorite New Mexico State, Madison recorded 24 points, eight rebounds and two steals. He added 22 points, 13 rebounds and two assists against Texas-Pan American, and hit a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining to send the Vandals into overtime.
“I look at these as team awards and it was good for Stephen to win WAC Player of the Week for the fourth time and I couldn’t be happier for him — but I’m also happy for our team with two wins,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said.