Football – Elijhaa Penny
Idaho senior running back Elijhaa Penny was a workhorse for the Idaho football team this season. Penny rushed for 1,159 yards on 246 carries for a 4.7 yards per carry average. He rushed for 10 touchdowns and averaged 96.6 yards per game on the ground. He was a threat out of the backfield also as he hauled in 27 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
Soccer — Amanda Poertner
Freshman goalkeeper Amanda Poertner shattered the previous Idaho single-season record for shutouts, tallying a total of nine for the Vandals and maintaining a goals-against average of 0.82 on the season. Poertner provided 94 saves for the Vandals and possessed an 85.5 save percentage on the year. Poertner’s success on the pitch caught the eye of Big Sky Conference coaches, who named her the Goalkeeper of the Year for the conference in late October.
Men’s Golf — Daniel Sutton
Idaho sophomore Daniel Sutton played an important role during the fall season for the men’s golf team. His performance at the Price’s Give ’Em Five Invitational not only helped Idaho finish in fifth place, but it earned him the Big Sky Golfer of the Week award. Sutton also led the Vandals at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational in Kauai, Hawaii.
Women’s Golf — Michelle Kim
Idaho freshman Michelle Kim started her first collegiate golf appearance with a bang. Kim qualified for one of Idaho’s five starting spots for the Washington State Cougar Cup, where she finished fourth and earned the Big Sky Golfer of the Week award. That was only the beginning. Kim went on to earn a total of three Big Sky Golfer of the Week awards and finished in the top ten in three fall invitationals.
Volleyball — Jenna Ellis
A historic season for senior defensive specialist Jenna Ellis had its share of highlights. She earned a career-high 34 digs against Western Carolina Sept. 18. In a five-set win against Montana Oct. 15, Ellis became Idaho’s all-time digs leader, passing Meghan Brown’s 10-year record. In Idaho’s win against Eastern Washington Nov. 7, Ellis solidified her legacy by becoming the first Vandal to reach 1,500 digs. Ellis ended her career with 1,571 digs. This season, Ellis earned 443 digs and averaged 3.89 digs per set, which was eighth best in the Big Sky Conference.