Men’s golf players grab postseason honors
After winning the Big Sky Championship and sweeping the top three spots in the tournament, its not surprising the Idaho men’s golf team earned a host of postseason honors. Tournament winner Jared du Toit took home Big Sky Player of The Year on top of earning first-team honors. The sophomore was joined on the first team by senior Aaron Cockerill and freshman Dan Sutton, who finished the tournament in second and third place, respectively. Sutton was also named Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
Beaman, Cobra named Big Sky Coaches of the Year
Idaho swept the Big Sky Conference Tennis Coach of the Year awards after sweeping the conference tennis championships. Jeff Beaman won on the men’s side, while Mariana Cobra won on the women’s side. The coach of the year honors were chosen by a vote from the conference’s coaches. Beaman’s Big Sky Coach of the Year honor comes a year after he won WAC Coach of the Year in 2014 for both the men and women’s teams.
Barta, Bykova earn Big Sky MVP
Four players earned all-conference honors for the men’s tennis team this spring. Big Sky MVP Odon Barta and freshman Felipe Fonseca each earned first-team honors, while senior Cristobal Ramos Salazar and freshman Mark Kovacs were honorable mention selections. On the women’s side, sophomore Galina Bykova earned Big Sky MVP and first-team honors. Senior Emmie Marx joined Bykova on the first team. Senior Sophie Vickers earned second-team honors and junior Belen Barcenilla earned an honorable mention. Both Vandal teams are back in action for the NCAA Tournament where the men’s team will play USC Friday and the women’s team will play UCLA Saturday.
Men’s basketball adds transfer
Chris Sarbaugh, a 6-foot-3 guard, chose Idaho as his next men’s basketball stop after graduating from San Diego. Idaho will be Sarbaugh’s fourth team as he originally walked on at Gonzaga and spent time playing at North Idaho College before transferring to San Diego. Sarbaugh was the 2011 MVP of the Washington State 4A Tournament while playing for Gonzaga Prep in high school. He has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining.
“Chris is a dynamic player who has a great feel for the game of basketball,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “He also has a knack for penetrating and making plays for his teammates.”
Men’s golf
The Idaho men’s golf team will be the No. 10 seed at the NCAA Regional Championship, which takes place May 14-16. The Vandals will stay on the West Coast, as they travel to Rancho Santa Fe, California, to play at The Farms Golf Club. The No. 1 seed in Idaho’s region is Arizona State, a team coached by Tim Mickelson — the brother of PGA Tour legend, Phil Mickelson. According to Golfweek, ASU is ranked No. 6 in the country. The region also features No. 10 ranked Georgia Tech and No. 15 ranked Oklahoma. Idaho is the No. 57 ranked team. There are a total of 13 teams in Idaho’s region, which is one of six, and the top five teams of each region will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held May 29 to June 3 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.