Northwest Notes Feb. 25, 2010
North Idaho returns home
tonight to face Eastern Utah
The North Idaho Cardinals return home following a six-game road trip to take on Eastern Utah in Scenic West Athletic Conference play starting tonight at 5:30 at Christianson Gym.
North Idaho (24-4, 14-4 SWAC) faces Eastern Utah (20-8, 13-5) at 7:30 p.m. The Cardinals have gone 1-2 against the Golden Eagles this season and are the only team in the league that the Cardinals have a losing record against. Eastern Utah defeated North Idaho 76-66 in their most recent game Feb. 6 in Price, Utah.
With a win, the Cardinals can wrap up the Scenic West title and earn the top seed to the Region 18 tournament next week in Price.
The Cardinal women (22-6, 12-6 SWAC) will face the Golden Eagles (7-21, 3-15) at 5:30 p.m. NIC is in a three-way tie for second place with Snow and Southern Idaho. North Idaho, currently ranked 19th in the NJCAA, defeated the Golden Eagles 80-69 and hold a 3-0 season series lead.
DeLong named MVC
pitcher of the week
Drake junior pitcher Jenna DeLong was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 16-21.
DeLong, formerly of Dalton Gardens, was dominant at the Sleep Inn Classic in Denton, Texas, striking out 33 batters in 17 scoreless innings and compiling a 2-0 record. She began the weekend with a three-hit, 13-strikeout performance in a 5-0 win over Buffalo and pitched three scorless innings with six strikeouts in a 6-2 win over North Texas. She tied a career high with 14 strikeouts in seven shutout innings in a 2-0 win over Sam Houston State.
Over the weekend, DeLong went 2-0 and allowed nine hits and three walks.
Pupunu joins Vandals
as tight ends coach
Former San Diego Charger and one-time FCS single-season receptions record holder Al Pupunu has joined Robb Akey's Idaho football staff as the Vandals' tight ends coach.
Pupunu, who comes to Idaho after two seasons at Southern Utah University, spent nine seasons in the NFL, seven with the Chargers. A tight end, he was the Offensive Player of the Game in the 1994 AFC Championship game and averaged 9.8 yards per catch during his career.
He made his collegiate mark at Weber State, when Akey was on the Wildcats' staff, by leading the FCS in receptions with 93 in 1991. That mark still stands as the second-best ever by a tight end in FCS history.
"Al is a first-class person," Akey said. "He proved to me he's a very good teacher. He also brings along some tricks of the trade that come with having played this game successfully at the highest level.
"I'm very happy and very excited about having Al as a member of our staff."
A native of Tonga, Pupunu attended Dixie State College for two years before transferring to Weber State. Not only was he an all-conference performer at Weber State, he was a Walter Camp All-American and is in the Wildcats' Hall of Fame as well as the Dixie College Hall of Fame and Utah Sports Hall of Fame. He was presented with the Distinguished Utahn Award by former Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher.
Give-back day to be
held at resort course
The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course will host the first ever Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery Golf "give-back" day on Monday, May 24, with rates going for $125.
For the special one-day discount price, each round of golf will include the following amenities: 18 holes of award-winning golf; service of a forecaddie; complimentary use of a custom luxury golf cart; unlimited range balls at the over-the-water practice facility; complimentary warm up sports massage and personalized engraved souvenir bag tag.
Tee times are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To book a tee time, contact either (800)935-6283 or 667-4653 between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.