Football roster loses 19, adds two players
The departure of quarterback Chad Chalich was well-known around the Idaho community, but he’s not the only player from last season’s football roster who had eligibility left and isn’t on the current 2015-2016 roster. Including Chalich, 19 players from last season’s team are absent from the latest Vandal roster. The reason why some of these players were left off is unknown. A full list of the athletes no longer on the roster can be found at thevandalnation.com.
Also worth noting, wide receiver Dezmon Epps, who was dismissed from the team prior to last season for violating team rules, looks to be back on the team. Not only is Epps on the current roster, he also appears to be enrolled at UI. Epps was a Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2013 after finishing the season with 79 catches for 980 yards.
Another name Vandal fans will be glad to see back on the roster is Chris Edwards. The safety from Detroit, Michigan, left the team for unknown reasons after he played in the first five games last season. Prior to his departure, Edwards led the team with two interceptions.
Hunt chasing Olympic dream
Former Idaho diver Paige Hunt, a 2014 graduate and former WAC Diver of the Year, is continuing her career on the diving board by pursuing her dream of competing in the Olympics. Hunt competed in the USA Diving National Championships in the 1-meter dive Dec. 16 in Columbus, Ohio. She finished 22nd overall in the country with a score of 229.90 and just missed the top 8 cut by 24 points.
“My goal is to reach my potential and to see how far I can go with diving,” Hunt said. “I’m not only learning how to dive, but to be a better coach. Some day, I would like to be a Division I coach later down the road. My ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympic Trials. My coach here in Arizona is pushing me outside my comfort zone to achieve my dreams.”
Cross country earns honor
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its Division I Scholar Teams of the Year for the 2014 cross country season last Thursday and both the Idaho men’s and women’s teams received recognition. The women’s team had a collective GPA of 3.7, which was tied for 14th among NCAA Division I schools. The men’s team had a collective GPA of 3.07.
“I’m proud of both the men’s and women’s team for getting it done in the classroom,” Idaho coach Tim Cawley said. “That is a big part of the culture here at the University of Idaho — we would like to keep that going.”
Barr named Academic All-District
Senior guard Stacey Barr of the Idaho women’s basketball team was named to the Capitol One Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America Feb. 5. Idaho is in District 7 with schools from Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. Barr maintains a 3.47 GPA while studying exercise science and health and leads the Big Sky in scoring, averaging 20.4 points per game. She is also Idaho’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made — a record she broke earlier this season.