No. 4 — Women’s basketball squad
Meredith Spelbring
No, it is not just one person. But it does not take just one person to get to the No. 1 spot in the Big Sky. Yes, the “Splash Sisters” duo of senior guards Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce can knock down points unlike most others in the conference. As it currently stands ahead of the weekend contests, Ferenz is only 13 points away from the conference scoring record, for both men and women, and Pierce leads the nation in 3-pointers with 114 this season alone. While the two are undeniable talents, they have an incredibly talented group of athletes around them in Gina Marxen, the Klinker sisters and a number of others. Basketball is a team sport, and this Idaho team encom- passes that mindset perfectly.
No. 3 — Marianna Petrei, women’s tennis
The Idaho tennis standout was named Big Sky Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for the second week in a row following her performance against Northern Colorado and Lewis-Clark State College. The senior finished the weekend with a 4-0 record at No. 1 singles and doubles. After winning her last six matches, she is currently 34-0 in conference play. The weekly accolade is her ninth in her career. Tennis athletes often perform quietly under the radar, but Petrei’s performance not only throughout the past week, but throughout her career, are more than noteworthy.
No. 2 — Sophie Hausmann, women’s golf
Hausmann finished The Gold Rush tied for third at 1-under, not far behind the co-champions of the tournament. The senior completed the tournament with a top-25 finish in 11 consecutive team events and five top-10 finishes over six events this season alone. Hausmann has been at the top of the leaderboard for Idaho for a number of seasons for the program and this season looks to be no different. The best is yet to come.
No. 1 — Zachary Short, track and field
Short is not only making a name for himself within the current Idaho track and field squad, but he has cemented his legacy at Idaho and is not even done yet. After breaking the Big Sky record in the shot put in the Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships for the third time this season with a throw of 19.81 meters, Short was the sole Vandal invited to the NCAA Indoor Championships and currently sits at No. 9 in the nation in his event. Short’s performance at the conference champion- ships were more than notable, but even more noteworthy is the fact his record- breaking season is not even over yet. If his skyward trajectory is any indication of the finale to come, it is a finale no one will want to miss.
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]