Griz Gab
9/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | General
Griz Gab
Issue: No. 3, Year 4 - Sept. 19, 2001
By Jim O'Day
Director of Development
For Intercollegiate Athletics/UM
Phone: (406) 243-6294/Cell - (406) 240-2806
Here is a listing of events involving University of Montana teams this weekend:
Friday, Sept. 21
Women's tennis at Washington State Invitational;
men's tennis at Idaho Invitational;
volleyball at Eastern Washington (8 p.m.).
Saturday, Sept. 22
Women's tennis at Washington State Invitational;
men's tennis at Idaho Invitational;
soccer at Cal Poly Invitational (vs. Boise State at 3 p.m.);
volleyball at Portland State University (4 p.m.);
cross country at Montana Invitational at UM Golf Course (8:30 a.m.);
football vs. Western Washington (1:05 p.m. at Washington Grizzly Stadium).
Sunday, Sept. 23
Soccer at Cal Poly Invitational (vs. Cal Poly at 1 p.m.).
The University of Montana Grizzlies (1-1 overall/0-0 Big Sky Conference) play their home opener, hosting the Western Washington University Vikings (2-1/0-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference), Saturday, September 22. The game in Montana's Washington Grizzly Stadium (18,845/SprinTurf) begins at 1:07 p.m. (Mountain).
In its last action, Montana dropped a 30-12 contest to the University of Hawai'i in a game played on Maui Sept. 8. UM led 6-0 after the first quarter on two Chris Snyder field goals, but trailed 20-6 at halftime. Montana's loss at Hawai'i ended a 10-game road winning streak by the Grizzlies, which began in 1999 at Portland State.
Other Griz football notes:
Last year, UM was 13-2 overall, losing 27-25 to Georgia Southern in the Division I-AA title game played in Chattanooga, Tenn. It was UM's third trip to the championship game, as the Griz beat host Marshall 22-20 in 1995 and lost 49-20 at Marshall in '96. Over the last eight years in a row, Montana is 86-21 - an average of 10.8 wins a season.
Griz mentor Joe Glenn is 14-3 (.824) overall in his second season at Montana. His 13 wins last season are the 2nd most ever by a first-year Griz coach. (Mick Dennehy had 14 wins in a row in 1996). He is 133-56-1 (.704) overall in 16+ seasons as a head coach. He was the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado (1989-99) and had a record of 98-35-0 (.737) there and 11 winning seasons in a row. He won two Division II titles (1996 and 1997). He is a 1971 graduate of South Dakota.
Griz season-long captains (voted by the team): senior offensive guard #73-Thatcher Szalay and senior strong safety and #47-Vince Huntsberger.
Players selected as captains for Western Washington game (along with Szalay and Huntsberger): senior tight end #43-Spencer Frederick (Scobey) and sophomore kicker #29-Chris Snyder (Spokane, Wash.).
Injury update: Sophomore free safety Kyle Scholle (knee), who was injured in the Hawai'i game, is out for the season. Sophomore offensive tackle Jon Skinner, who injured his knee in the Hawai'i game, is probable for the Griz-Vikings game.
Polls: Montana was second in The Sports Network's most recent (Sept. 10) weekly Division I-AA poll. UM ended last season ranked in the second spot as well. The Griz have been ranked in the top 25 all but 3 weeks over the past 114 weeks! The Griz were ranked No. 1 in the final five weeks of the Sports Network's 2000 poll. UM's No. 1 ranking last year was its first since Sept. 29, 1997.
About Western Washington:
The Vikings return 16 starters from a 7-3 team that finished 3-1 (tie, 1st) in the Columbia Football Association League. WWU returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense, and its punter.
The Vikings are a first-year member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Teams in the new league are Central Washington, Humboldt State, Western Oregon and UC Davis.
The Vikings are led by senior quarterback Scott Mitchell (6-3, 210), who is a remarkable 50-of-63-0 (.794) for 777 yards and 8 touchdowns this year. Last year Mitchell passed for 1,975 yards and 21 TDs and threw only 4 interceptions. His favorite target is Greg Dykstra (6-1, 200), who has 14 catches for 344 yards and three scores. Veteran halfbacks Nyle Chambers (6-1, 220, So.) and Devin Martin (5-8, 190, Jr.) have rushed for 171 and 153 yards respectively. Defensive back Erik Totten is a returning All-American and leads the team in tackles with 18. He averages 12.0 yards per punt return and 26.5 yards on kickoff returns.
Head Coach Rob Smith (Washington, 1981) is 83-40-1 in his 13th year in Bellingham. He is 0-0 against Montana. The teams have one common opponent: Western Washington plays at Cal Poly next Saturday.
Totten was among the Division II leaders last year in punt returns (15.7 avg.) and kickoff returns (27.3 avg.).
Western Washington has a 2-1 record and is coming off an impressive 77-0 rout of visiting Western Montana September 15th in the Vikings' Bellingham (Wash.) Civic Stadium. In last week's win the Vikings scored on 10 of their first 11 possessions and set a modern-day school record for points with 77. The Vikings dominated statistically, out-gaining the Bulldogs 570 to 78 in total yards and failed to score on just three of their possessions. Two weeks ago, WWU beat host Fort Lewis of Colorado 48-10. The Vikings opened the year with a 28-24 loss to Central Oklahoma.
Griz football stats:
Senior running back Yohance Humphery continues to build on his school record for rushing yards and now has 2,704 career yards.
Senior receiver Etu Molden has now moved up to 16th on the career receiving yards list with 1,371 yards.
Junior quarterback John Edwards is now 13th in career passing yards with 1,776 in just five (5) career starts.
The Griz had a 10-game road winning streak broken at Hawaii.
Sophomore kicker Chris Snyder had a 49-yard field goal at Hawai'i, which is the second longest in his young career.
One of the thing necessary to defeat the Vikings is for the Grizzlies to have more success in the red zone and get more big plays from their offense...Montana has scored just three touchdowns on offense in its first two games. At Cal Poly three weeks ago, the Griz scored on a pair of one-yard TD runs by Humphery and Edwards. Edwards' 12-yard scoring pass to Molden was the sole touchdown scored against Hawai'i.
UM football coach Joe Glenn comments:
On the Griz: "I don't think that it's any secret that we are having trouble punching the ball into the end zone. We need to really work at getting sixes (points) instead of threes. We need to get more solid in the red zone and hit a few big plays... In the third quarter we had several drives deep into Hawaii territory, but we had a pass interception and we had a ball stripped away from us, and we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot.... We need to be more efficient when we are close to the end zone and finish our drives. We had Hawaii pinned back in their territory a few times, but they converted on long third down and long situations, so we need to be more efficient in that area too."
On Western Washington: "Their quarterback (Mitchell) is an 80 percent passer who has thrown eight touchdown passes and no interceptions, and he's rushed for 4.3 yards a carry. He's a heck of a football player and a good leader. He was the player of the year in their league last year, and we'll have to work hard to contain him... Overall, they are very talented off offense, with good size and quickness... Number three (Totten) really stands out on defense and on special teams. They play hard all of the time, they give great effort, and they understand their scheme. They do a lot of things well and play as a team... Again, what really stands out is how hard they play, how they play with confidence, and how well coached they are."
On the past week: "We'll never forget what happened. It will always be on all of our minds. In our own way we'll dedicate the freedom to play this great game to what happened. I do think that our country has to go on, and yet we can never forget what has happened."
All 12 of Montana's 2001 regular-season games will be televised this
year. The remaining schedule is as follows (all times Mountain):
Sept. 22.....Western Washington, 1:05 p.m. (Fox sports)
Sept. 29.....Eastern Washington, 1:05 p.m. (KPAX)
Oct. 6 .....at Sacramento State, 7:05 p.m. (KPAX)
Oct. 13.....Saint Mary's (homecoming), (Omega)
Oct. 20.....at Northern Arizona, 3:05 p.m. (KPAX)
Oct. 27.....Portland State, 1:05 p.m., (Fox sports)
Nov. 3.....at Idaho State, 6:35 p.m., (KPAX)
Nov. 10.....Weber State, 12:05 p.m., (Omega)
Nov. 17.....at Montana State, 12:05 p.m., (KPAX and Fox sports)
Note: For games televised by Omega Television Productions LLC, check cable channel locations across the state - or for more information, visit the Omega web site at www.omegatvp.com. Satellite coordinates are as follows - G.E. 5 Transponder 13 on the K.U. band at 79 degrees W Longitude.
Individuals looking for tickets to any Grizzly home football game should contact the Adams Center Box Office on the Thursday or Friday prior to that week's game for tickets that might be available as they were released by the visiting team or not picked up by the students from their allocation.
This week's Big Sky Conference football games:
Saturday, Sept. 22
Western Washington at Montana (1:07 p.m.)
Weber State at Eastern Washington
Idaho State at Sacramento State
Northern Arizona at Southern Utah
Grambling State at Portland State
Cal Poly at Montana State.
Next week's Big Sky Conference football games:
Saturday, Sept. 29
Eastern Washington at Montana
Sacramento State at Weber State
Northern Arizona at Portland State
Montana State-Northern at Idaho State
Cal State-Northridge at Montana State.
UM-Idaho game rescheduled with tighter security (By Jon Kasper of the Missoulian)
Montana and Idaho will meet at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in 2001 and when they do, it will be under tighter security. The Griz-Vandal football game, originally scheduled for last Saturday, but postponed in the wake of the terrorist attacks, was officially rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 24, at 12:05 p.m. ... click here to read the full story.
This week and this week only, the tailgate area will be closed at 12:45 p.m., roughly 20 minutes prior to kickoff. This is to encourage all fans to attend a special ceremony that will begin at roughly 12:50 p.m. The tailgate area will open again at halftime. Hogan opted to keep much of the ceremony a secret, but said both teams and coaching staffs, along with all Montana athletes and the UM marching band, would be on the field. Hogan said there would be a musical tribute, as well as some audio clips. "We have a very well thought out and hopefully meaningful and touching tribute to the victims," Hogan said.
Hogan said that the school's portion of the 50-50 split-the-pot raffle would be donated to the regional Red Cross office to help provide relief to the victims. Hogan said that could be as much as $10,000. That's a nice sum of money, but not nearly as much as the university and the city of Missoula stood to lose if the Idaho-Montana game wasn't rescheduled. The school would have lost between $250,000 and $300,000 from ticket sales. Each home game has an economic impact in Missoula of between $4 and $4.5 million, according to the latest figures Hogan heard. "Money always becomes a factor one way or another," Hogan said. "It's not just our money. It's the money the people who support our program live by. They need these home-game weekends. We are aware of that. I think it's a win-win for everybody."
UM and other Division I-AA teams were anxiously awaiting approval by the NCAA management council to move the start of the I-AA playoffs back a week, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1. That approval came Wednesday at noon. The national championship game will be on Friday, Dec. 21, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Kickoff will be 3:30 p.m., MST.
Hogan thanked Idaho for waiting for a decision and not scheduling another game. "I have to credit the University of Idaho for hanging in there," Hogan said. "As you know they could have made another move. They wanted to play an 11th game. They had some opportunities to schedule other opponents, in fact opportunities to schedule teams that would have been more financially beneficial to them." Hogan said officials toyed with the idea of playing the game on Thanksgiving or Friday, Nov. 23. The Saturday date was decided after coaches, players, and others in the community were polled. Omega TV Productions, which originally intended to televise the game, is planning to show the rescheduled contest. Hogan said fans holding tickets will be given the opportunity to receive a full refund. Beginning Monday, fans can either bring their tickets to the ticket office, or mail them to the university. Refunds will not be offered this week. The deadline to receive refunds is Oct. 26. "We certainly want to have the opportunity to re-sell seats to a lot of our fans who would love to see that game and probably couldn't get tickets originally," Hogan said. "This is again a situation where everyone can come out a winner. We're hoping our fans stay with us. We've got a sellout game. There are 19,000 tickets out there and we hope people are going to say, 'we were going in September, we'll go in November to support the Grizzlies.' " All student tickets will have to be reissued, Hogan said. Students holding tickets who would like to attend the November game are asked to return the old tickets by Oct. 26. A vast majority of students will be gone for Thanksgiving that weekend. If all general admission tickets sell out, there is a good chance many student tickets will be available to the general population.
Montana coach Joe Glenn said the Grizzlies will display stickers of the American flag on the backs of their helmets if the stickers arrive in time for Saturday's game. It's expected nearly all professional and major colleges will wear American flags on their uniforms in honor of the victims and heroes of last week's attacks. The Grizzlies are already sporting a small sticker on their helmets in memory of booster John C. Hoyt, who died last March. Hoyt gave Montana $550,000 in 1999 to help build new offices for the coaches and administrators. The sticker on UM's helmets has the letters 'J' and 'R' for "Jolly Roger." Hoyt's Angus ranch just outside of Great Falls is called the Jolly Roger Angus Ranch. The Grizzlies began wearing the stickers the week of the Hawaii game.
Montana starting right tackle Jon Skinner is listed as probable for this Saturday's game. Skinner suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee against Hawaii. Skinner probably would not have played against Idaho last week. If Skinner can't go, true freshman Cory Procter will get the nod.
Montana senior cornerback Calvin Coleman was named to the America Football Coaches Association's Good Works Team on Tuesday. The team recognizes "community service champions.'' There were 11 players named to the Division I-A team and 11 more named to a squad of I-AA, Division II, Division III and NAIA players. According to the press release, Coleman is involved in "Random Acts of Kindness," a program in which UM student-athletes read to elementary school children. He has also spent the last two summers working for the National Youth Sports Program overseeing physical activities and teaching kids values and goals. Coleman, a senior from Niceville, Fla., also helped in the construction of the Dragon's Hollow, the new playground located near the Carousel in downtown Missoula. Idaho State defensive end Donnell McNeal was also named to the team.
The University of Montana cross country teams will open their season this Saturday, September 22 in Missoula at the Montana Invitational. Both teams were slated to open the season last weekend in Bozeman, however the Montana State Invitational was cancelled due to the Big Sky Conference Presidents' Council postponement of all events scheduled for Sept. 14-16. The Montana State Invitational will not be rescheduled. The men's 8 kilometer race is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. with the women's 6 kilometer race set to start at approximately 9:15 a.m. Both races will be held at the University Golf Course.
Teams expected to compete in the men's race will be: University of Montana, Montana State University-Bozeman, Idaho State, University of Utah, Weber State, Gonzaga, Montana State University-Billings, Lewis and Clark State, Ricks College and Flathead Valley Community College. The nine schools competing in the women's race will be: University of Montana, Montana State University- Bozeman, Idaho State, University of Utah, Gonzaga, Flathead Valley Community College, Lewis and Clark State, Ricks College, and Montana State University-Billings.
The meet will be scored as a dual among Division I teams and a separate score for non Division I teams. The University of Montana is scheduled to be scored against Idaho State, Montana State University-Bozeman, and Gonzaga.
UM head coach Tom Raunig is in his sixth season with the squads. A 1982 All-American distance runner at UM, he has guided two Griz student-athletes to the individual title.
"Since this is our opening race (with the season starting a week later), we need to put a little more importance on the meet" Raunig said. "We should be better fitness wise (ready to race), but we have the flip side of not having any race experience."
Montana runners competing Saturday are: Erik Berquist, Dickie Bishop, Antony Ford, Scott McGowan, Shane Mundt, Ben Rush, Wesley Scheck, Chris Tobiason, and Vance Twitchell for the men. The women running on Saturday are: Abigail Anthony, Amber Arvidson, Jesse Ballew, Kerry Bogner, Amy Farmer, Julie Ham, Lauren Keithly, and Jamie Miller.
Expected favorites for the meet are Teren Jameson from The University of Utah, who placed fourth in last year's Mountain Regional Championship, and Nicole Hunt, from Deer Lodge, who will be running for Montana Athletic Association, a team consisted of post collegiate runners.
In its next action, the UM team will head east to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Invitational scheduled for Saturday, October 6.
The University of Montana volleyball team (3-4) opens Big Sky Conference play this weekend with a pair of matches. On Friday, Sept. 21, the Grizzlies will be in Cheney, Wash., to face Eastern Washington University in an 8 p.m. (MDT) contest. On Saturday, Sept. 22, Montana travels to Portland, Ore., to take on Portland State University in a 5 p.m. (MDT) match.
Nikki Best (Nebraska, 1994) is in her second season as the Grizzlies' head coach. Last season she directed the Griz to a 16-14 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the Big Sky Conference. Her record at UM is currently 19-18. Now in her fourth season as a collegiate head coach, Best's career record stands at 72-51. Her prior head coaching experience came at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology where she compiled a 53-33 record during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In 1994, she led the Hardrockers to the Dakota Athletic Conference crown. The 1993 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year at Nebraska, Best served as an assistant coach with the Cornhuskers from 1996-99. In four seasons, Nebraska posted a 116-20 overall record and won three Big 12 titles. The Huskers reached the NCAA Sweet 16 four times, twice reaching the Final Four. Best's assistants this season are Dave Best (Nebraska, 1994) and Stacie Maser (Nebraska, 1999). Both are in their second seasons with the Griz.
Last week, Montana was scheduled to participate in the Michigan Nike Invitational last weekend. However, the team's trip to Ann Arbor was cancelled due to the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Griz volleyball notes:
After seven matches, the Grizzlies are averaging 13.59 kills per game and have a .188 attack percentage. Montana's defense is averaging 16.19 digs and 1.85 blocks per game. Individually, Lizzie Wertz leads the team in kills (3.70 kpg) and digs (3.52 dpg). Teresa Stringer and Mary Forrest are the top two blockers with 28 and 21 blocks, respectively. Lindsay Kaiser has a team-high 17 service aces.
Sophomore outside hitter Lizzie Wertz was named to her second straight all-tournament team at the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Invitational. Wertz averaged 4.25 kills and 2.92 digs in the three matches.
Outside hitter Lizzie Wertz is having a strong sophomore season. Wertz leads the Griz in kills (3.70 kpg) and digs (3.52 dpg). In addition, she has nine service aces, which is third on the team, and eight blocks, which is fourth on the squad. Wertz has led UM in kills in five matches and in digs four times. She has tallied at least 10 kills in six of the team's seven matches. Against Kansas, Wertz pounded a career-high 22 kills.
Senior outside hitter Joy Pierce has been cleared to play after a bout with mononucleosis. She missed the Eastern Illinois Invitational, but returned to the lineup two weeks ago at the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Invitational. After playing sparingly in the first three matches of the week, Pierce returned to the starting lineup against Georgia Southern and promptly recorded 13 kills and 0 errors on 19 attacks for a .684 attack percentage.
The Grizzlies have used the ace serve as a weapon so far this season. After seven matches, Montana has 58 service aces. The Griz served 15 aces against Central Michigan and 14 against Gonzaga. Those are the top two team single-match totals this season. Individually, sisters Lindsay and Marci Kaiser lead UM. Lindsay Kaiser has a team-high 17 aces, while Marci Kaiser has 10. Lindsay served a career-high eight aces in the season-opening match against Central Michigan.
Freshman Wendy Baker made her first collegiate start against Gonzaga on Sept. 4. Baker, a setter from Spokane, Wash., dished out 35 assists and had five kills. She also helped the Griz rally from a 29-26 deficit by serving four straight points, including an ace.
Senior outside hitter Natalie Jacksha and junior right side hitter Katy Kubista are out for the season. Jacksha is recovering from offseason back surgery, while Kubista suffered an ACL injury during spring practices.
Montana was picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Conference Volleyball Coaches' Poll conducted by the Big Sky Conference. The Grizzlies received 21 points from the league's eight head coaches to finish two points behind Weber State. Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, who tied for the regular season title last season, are the preseason favorites to battle for the conference title in 2001. NAU received five first-place votes and 47 points to edge out Sacramento State, which garnered three first-place votes and 45 points.
Since the inception of volleyball as a sponsored sport by the Big Sky Conference, Montana has amassed a 129-69 record against Big Sky opponents. During that time, the Grizzlies have won two Big Sky regular season championships (1991 and 1992) and one Big Sky tournament title (1991).
Montana returns home for the first time in three weeks next weekend. The Grizzlies will play their first Big Sky Conference home matches when they entertain Weber State on Friday, Sept. 28. Montana will then play host to Idaho State on Saturday, Sept. 29. The start time for Montana's match against Weber State on Friday, Sept. 28 has been changed. The match will now start at 6 p.m. instead of the original 7:30 p.m. start time. The match was moved up due to a scheduling conflict in the Adams Center that night.
Griz volleyball opponents:
Montana owns a 37-16 series advantage over Eastern Washington dating back to 1976. The Eagles, however, won all three meetings last season, including a five-game thriller at the Big Sky Conference Tournament. EWU has won nine of the last 11 meetings against Montana over the past five seasons. Prior to that, the Grizzlies had won 12 straight meetings dating back to 1990. Montana trails in the series with Portland State by an 11-27 count. The Grizzlies have had the upper hand recently. UM is riding a seven-match winning streak against the Vikings dating back to the 1997 season.
Eastern Washington enters Big Sky Conference play with a 7-0 record, the program's best start ever. The Eagles, picked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll, are also riding a 28-match home winning streak dating back to Sept. 26, 1998. The winning streak is the third-longest active home winning streak in the country. Last week, EWU was scheduled to play Chicago State in Portland, Ore., as well as participate in the Spokane Spikeoff Invitational at Gonzaga. All four matches were cancelled due to last week's tragedy. The Eagles are paced by junior outside hitter Janelle Ruen. Ruen, who is averaging 3.60 kills and 4.48 digs per game, already is a two-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. An All-Big Sky Second Team selection in 2000, Ruen earned Most Valuable Player honors at both the Maine and Oregon Invitationals. Senior outside hitter Robyn Felder is adding 3.28 kills per game. As a team, EWU leads the Big Sky with a .260 attack percentage. The Eagles also lead the league in digs (17.32 dpg) and service aces (2.28 sapg), while ranking second in kills (15.56 kpg) and assists (13.76 apg). Head coach Wade Benson is in his second year at Eastern Washington. He has a 26-11 record with the Eagles, while his career record stands at 68-18.
Portland State is 3-1 and riding a three-match winning streak heading into conference action. The Vikings play host to Montana State Friday night before facing the Grizzlies Saturday afternoon. PSU has not lost since dropping a four-game decision to Youngstown State in the first match of the season. The Vikings also went 5-0 at the Camosun Tournament in Victoria, B.C. The matches were part of an exhibition tournament and do not count in the standings. Last week PSU was to have played at the Portland Tournament, but it was cancelled due to last week's tragedy. Portland State's lineup features the one-two punch of sophomore outside hitter Richell Wilson and junior outside hitter Kristina Thom. Wilson is averaging a team-high 4.43 kills per game, which is also tops in the Big Sky, while Thom is close behind at 4.00 kills per game, which ranks her fourth in the league. Senior setter Katie Kaysinger is second in the conference in assists at 12.29 per game. Head coach Jeff Mozzochi is in his second stint at Portland State. He previously was the head coach from 1984-92, during which time he compiled a 287-75 and won four NCAA Division II national championships. He then spent six seasons as the head coach at Oregon State University, where he accumulated a 96-92 record. His career record now stands at 386-168.
Comments by UM volleyball head coach Nikki Best:
On Opening the Conference Season: "Everyone has a clean slate starting this week. We are playing one of the top teams in the conference on their home court. That will be a big challenge for us because we haven't played will there in the past. Then on Saturday, we have to fly to Portland which, in light of the events of last week, will an added stress. And then to top it off, we are playing an earlier match. Keeping our focus this week will be a challenge."
On Eastern Washington: "Eastern Washington is a team that will attack you in every way possible. They are very mentally tough, aggressive and very alert. You can't make tentative decisions against them. We will have to be just as aggressive as they are in our decision making, sets and attacks."
On Portland State: "I believe they will be a better team than they were last year. We went four games with them last year, so they are a competitive team. They brought back a former head coach, and they have already won some matches this season, so that creates some new energy. I am sure they will be gunning for us after last year. We will have to go in there and play well in order to win."
The University of Montana women's soccer team (2-1) resumes play this weekend with a trip to California. The Grizzlies will take part in the Cal Poly Tournament in San Luis Obispo, Calif. UM is scheduled to play Boise State on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. (MDT) and Cal Poly on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. (MDT).
Last week, the University of Montana was scheduled to play at Brigham Young University and Utah, but the games were cancelled in the aftermath of last week's terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. The games will not be rescheduled. In UM's last game, Erin Smith scored the game's only goal and reserve goalkeeper Jennifer Zuhlke came off the bench to record eight saves, helping Montana defeat Oregon 1-0 on Sept. 7 at South Campus Stadium. Smith scored her first goal of the year at the 25:39 mark. Freshman Saraid Faville assisted on the play, which was her team-high fourth assists of the season. A stingy defense made sure Smith's goal would stand. Zuhlke, a freshman making her first collegiate appearance, replaced starter Katie Peck 15 minutes into the game after Peck injured her knee making a sliding save.
Other Griz soccer notes:
Betsy Duerksen (Boston College, 1988) is in her eighth season as head coach of the Grizzlies. The only coach the Griz have ever had, Duerksen has amassed a 95-41-4 record at Montana. The 1999 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, Duerksen has led the Grizzlies to three outright regular season crowns and a first-place tie for a fourth. UM has also advanced to the championship game of all four Big Sky Conference Tournaments, winning the title in 1997, 1999 and 2000. She has guided the Griz to the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and 2000. Prior to coming to Montana in 1994, Duerksen was the head coach at Seattle University from 1991-93. In three years she compiled a 44-20-2 record. Duerksen's career record now stands at 139-61-6. She entered the 2001 season ranked 18th among active Division I coaches in winning percentage (.690) and 26th in career victories (137). Duerksen was a standout player at Boston College. A four-time All-American, she was named BC's Female Athlete of the Decade for the 1980's. She was inducted into the Boston College Hall of Fame in 1993 in her first year of eligibility.
Duerksen's assistants this season are Erik Snyder and Scott Newman.
Duerksen is nearing a coaching milestone. With one win during the 2001 season, Duerksen now has 95 wins as the Grizzlies head coach. She needs only five victories to reach the 100-win plateau.
After three games, Montana is outshooting its opponents by a 51-50 margin. However, it hasn't translated into goals as the Grizzlies have been outscored 5-4. Junior Liz Roberts and freshman Saraid Faville are the team's leading scorers with four points apiece. Roberts has one goal and two assists, while Faville has a team-high four assists. In addition, Faville has attempted a team-high 12 shots. In goal, sophomore Katie Peck has a 2.31 goals against average with 12 saves.
Senior forward Heather Olson continues to climb up the Montana scoring charts. Olson has scored one goal this season, giving her 30 for her career. She is currently in third place on the career list, four goals behind Karen Hardy (1995-98). If Olson can duplicate her 14-goal season from a year ago, she could break the UM career record of 43, set by Courtney Mathieson (1994-97). In addition, Olson is close to breaking the Big Sky Conference career goals record. Olson's 30 goals ranks her second to Northern Arizona's Raegin Eyre (1997-00), who scored 33 career goals. Last season, Olson earned the "Golden Boot Award" for leading the Big Sky Conference with 14 goals.
Injury update: Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Peck and sophomore midfielder Nikki Bolstad were both injured against Oregon, but both are expected to be back in the starting lineup this weekend. Peck left the Oregon game after 15 minutes with a bruised knee, while Bolstad twisted her ankle in the second half. Sophomore forward Amy Wronski has been sidelined during the early portion of the season while she recovers from offseason knee surgery. Last year's Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year, Wronski will miss this week's action but could be available for the Grizzlies' game against Washington on Oct. 5. She will be re-evaluated by the doctors next week.
This weekend will be the first time Montana and Boise State have faced each other in soccer. Montana and Cal Poly have met four previous times and they have each won two games. Cal Poly won last year's game 3-0 in Missoula.
Montana was picked to win its fourth Big Sky Conference championship in five years according to the Big Sky Conference Soccer Coaches' Poll conducted by the league office. The Grizzlies were a unanimous pick to win the conference. Six of the seven head coaches picked Montana, giving the Griz 36 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Idaho State was tabbed second. The Bengals received the other first-place vote and a total of 30 points.
This week's soccer opponents:
Boise State brings a 3-1-1 record into this week's action. In their last games, the Broncos tied St. Bonaventure 0-0 on Sept. 7 and lost 2-1 to Duquesne on Sept. 9. Boise State, which averages 20 shots per game, is led by freshman Megan McCoy, who has four goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Jeanne Orm has a 1.38 goals against average along with 17 saves. Head coach Steve Lucas is in his second year at Boise State. He has a 7-12-3 record with the Broncos.
Cal Poly is 1-3 heading into this weekend's games. In the Mustangs' last game, Megan Schlegel scored in overtime to lift Cal Poly to a 2-1 win over San Jose State. The Mustangs dropped their first three games and were outscored 5-0 in those games. Two of those games were 1-0 contests. Schlegel and Katie Bowe have scored Cal Poly's only goals of the season. Goalkeeper Greta Shirdon has a 1.49 goals against average with 17 saves. Head coach Alex Crozier is in his 10th season at Cal Poly. His career record stands at 116-57 with the Mustangs.
Golf preview: With everyone back, UM golf team anxious to play (By Nick Lockridge of the Missoulian)
It's time to get back in the swing of things. So says University of Montana golf coach Joanne Steele. ... click here to read the full story.
Former Griz star joins men's basketball coaching staff (From the Missoulian)
The Grizzlies turned to one of their own to fill a vacancy on the Montana men's basketball coaching staff. Wayne Tinkle, a two-time all-Big Sky Conference selection during his Grizzly career, was named last Thursday by head coach Don Holst to replace Pryor Orser as an assistant on the Montana staff. Orser recently accepted the job as head coach at the Colorado School of Mines. "It's always nice to bring someone back into the loop," said Holst, who is starting his fourth year as head coach. "He's the only guy I called. He's the guy I wanted from the beginning." Tinkle, a 6-foot-10 center, played for the Griz from 1985-89, earning all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons. He ranks fourth on the career rebounding list. Tinkle, one of the best passers from the post position to ever play for the Griz, performed in the CBA, Europe and the IBL during a professional career that ended last season. Tinkle played in Spain for most of his pro career in Europe, which also included stops in Sweden, Italy and Greece. Tinkle joins Todd Schmautz and Jim Sampson as Holst's assistants. Tinkle said he had planned to complete his degree in education and pursue a career in coaching once his playing days ended. This opportunity allows him to do both without uprooting his family. Tinkle is married to Lisa McLeod, a former Lady Griz basketball player. They have three children: daughters Joslyn, 10, and Elle, 8, and son Tres, 5.
The 15th annual Grizzly Roundball Golf Classic has been rescheduled for this Friday, Sept. 21 at the Highlands Golf Course/Shadow's Keep in Missoula. The event was originally slated for last Friday, but was canceled along with other collegiate events last week.
Registration for the men's basketball fund-raiser begins at noon, with a 9-hole shotgun start at 1 p.m. The format is a six-person scramble at a cost of $250 per person. The tournament will also have prizes on each hole. Thanks to Earl and Donna Sherron of Northwest Travel in Missoula, one of the prizes will result in one player and a companion accompanying the Griz men's basketball team to Hawaii for their tournament on Dec. 20-22. Four Season Buick-Subaru is also providing a car for a hole-in-one prize. Entries for the tourney should be mailed to: Griz Roundball Classic, P.O. Box 2637, Missoula, MT., 59806.
The University of Montana track program has a goal of raising $70,000 to replace worn track equipment (hurdles, pits, etc.) for Dornblaser Field in time for the 2002 Big Sky Conference Track and Field Championships.
UM will host the Big Sky championships on May 16-18, 2002 - or one year earlier than originally planned. (Montana State University was scheduled to host the Big Sky meet in 2002, but renovations to the Bobcats' track facility won't be complete by that time. Thus, UM was asked to host the 2002 championships.) In the conference rotation, Montana was originally set to run the meet in 2003.
Anyone interested in donating toward the purchase of new equipment can contact UM head track coach Tom Raunig at 243-5413.
The recently formed Board of Visitors for UM Athletics will hold its first meeting on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Adams Center in Missoula. The board, under the direction of UM Athletic Director Wayne Hogan, will meet twice annually to discuss various aspects within the department and help establish future priority goals for Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Montana. Members of the board are as follows: Sylvia Jensen of Chester/Missoula, Mick Blodnick of Kalispell, Dave Enger of Seattle, Gene Leonard of Billings, Mike Tilleman of Havre, Dr. Bill Reynolds of Missoula, Tom Boone of Missoula, Ron Paige of Philipsburg, Brad Kliber of Whitefish, Pat Connors of Butte, Nikki Sliter of Kalispell, Bill Bouchee of Missoula, Jim Kastelitz of Missoula, Larry Gianchetta of Missoula, David Paoli of Missoula, John Ross of Billings, John Olson of Sidney, Scott Peterson of Missoula and Cal Christian of Missoula.
The fall meeting of the Grizzly Athletic Association's State Board of Directors will be held on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Holiday Inn-Parkside in Missoula. Members of the state GAA board are: Bob Cerkovnik of Billings, Doug Mason of Corvallis, Mark Vucurovich of Butte, Arlene Myllymaki of Kalispell, Shannon More of Cut Bank, Doug Darko of Great Falls, Doug Sexe of Great Falls (Board President), Bob Throssell of Helena, Carlene Bockman of Ronan, Bill Kayser of Bozeman, Jon Oldenburg of Lewistown, Dave Cotner of Missoula, Curt Bowler of Missoula, Kitt Huggins of Missoula, Julie Gemar-Williams of Missoula (Past President), Cynthia Brenden of Missoula and Ed Anderson of Missoula.
The six winners of the "Hogan's Heroes Raffle," which was sponsored by the Grizzly Athletic Association, have been announced.
The six main winners receive for a package that includes two box seats in Athletic Director Wayne Hogan's stadium box at one of the six regular season home games in Missoula. In addition, the winners receive two night's lodging at the Double Tree Hotel in Missoula, dinner for two, two admissions to the pre-game Corporate Brunch and a $20 gas certificate. Tickets were sold through the out-of-Missoula GAA Chapters.
Claiming the packages were: John Murphy of Great Falls (UM-Idaho), Patrick Montalban of Cut Bank (UM-Western Washington), Rick Weaver of Bozeman (UM-Eastern Washington), Teresa Lutey of Bozeman (UM-St. Mary's), Hal Dantic of Laurel (UM-Portland State) and Pat Belinak (Laurel).
Along with this, there were 20 additional drawings for $50 gift certificates at the UM Bookstore. The winners were: Doug Hagen of Great Falls, Sean Darko of Great Falls, Mick Iten of Hamilton, Michal Crebo of Helena, Bill Zins of Great Falls, Pat Davison of Billings, John Kays of Cut Bank, Jane Iten of Hamilton, Patrick Laabs of Great Falls, Doug/Vickie Darko of Great Falls, Tim Gallagher of Corvallis, Ore., Rod Cline of Cut Bank, Bryan Dantic of Laurel, Peg Kayser of Bozeman, Scott Mayer of Bozeman, Deb DeKaye of Cut Bank, Jan Stingley of Laurel, Margaret Mason of Hamilton, Dick Swenson of Cut Bank and Ron Campbell of Cut Bank.
The seventh winner in the Grizzly Athletic Association's Trip of the Month" program was Dan Sullivan of Butte. He receives a trip for two to Bangkok and Taipei.
Last month's winner, Sherm Lohn of Missoula, received a trip for two on an Alaskan cruise. Other winners are: Kara Jacobson of Missoula (July - Northern California Wine Country), Mark Vucurovich of Butte (June - Maui), Dana Palmquist of Missoula (May - Cabo San Lucas), Dave Enger of Deer Lodge/Seattle (April - San Francisco) and Nadine Thyfault of Lolo (Washington, D.C.).
Other destinations in this year's promotion include Nassau (Bahamas), London, Las Vegas, Disneyland and "Canadian Old Charm." Proceeds from the ticket sales help benefit the UM Athletics scholarship fund. For more information on the program, contact either Bill Schwanke (243-5405) or Dan Ingram (243-4509) at the Grizzly Athletic Association.
The UM Dance Team is selling 2002 calendars as a fund-raiser for the team. The calendars are currently on sale for $10 at the UC Bookstore, as well as other retail outlets around Missoula. They will also be sold by members of the "Sugar Bears" in the tailgate area prior to upcoming Griz football games. The calendars, which contain photos of the local dance squad, can also be purchased by calling Dance Team Advisor Debbie Sharkey at 251-4383.
University of Montana sports fans now can support the Grizzlies simply by surfing the Web or checking their e-mail. The University has partnered with Denver-based SnapWave Communications to provide Internet service to UM's sports department and its fans. Steve Moats, president and chief executive officer of SnapWave, says the service is available to 98 percent of the U.S. population and in 25 countries. The service costs $19.95 per month, $3 of which is paid directly to Intercollegiate Athletics to support its programs. Fans also can pay $220 for an annual subscription and get one month free. UM supporters may subscribe to the new service by calling (877) 736-7129 or by visiting.
Montanans who make contributions to the permanent endowments of Montana charities (including those endowments established by UM Athletics through the UM Foundation) will receive a tax credit for six more years through new legislation extending and modifying Montana's Endowment Tax Credit.
The tax credit allows individual donors to pay less in Montana income taxes by giving a qualified planned gift to a Montana charitable endowment. A corporation, partnership or limited liability company may also receive the credit by making an outright gift.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2002, the incentive for planned gifts is 40% of qualifying contributions to a Montana charitable endowment, up to a maximum of $10,000 tax credit, per year per individual. A corporation, partnership or limited liability company receives a credit of 20 percent of an outright gift to an endowment for the same maximum tax credit. In addition, the Legislature placed time limitations on the following types of eligible planned gifts - charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities and deferred gift annuities.
Until Dec. 31, 2001, the incentive for planned gifts is 50 percent of qualifying contributions, up to a maximum of $10,000 tax credit per individual, and a credit of equal size for a corporation, partnership or limited liability company.
The Governor's Task Force on Endowed Philanthropy estimates that $115 million in contributions will be made to the endowments of Montana non-profit organizations as a result of the first five years of the tax credit, which was established in 1997. An additional $147 million is projected to be contributed during the six-year extension.
Issue: No. 3, Year 4 - Sept. 19, 2001
By Jim O'Day
Director of Development
For Intercollegiate Athletics/UM
Phone: (406) 243-6294/Cell - (406) 240-2806
Here is a listing of events involving University of Montana teams this weekend:
Friday, Sept. 21
Women's tennis at Washington State Invitational;
men's tennis at Idaho Invitational;
volleyball at Eastern Washington (8 p.m.).
Saturday, Sept. 22
Women's tennis at Washington State Invitational;
men's tennis at Idaho Invitational;
soccer at Cal Poly Invitational (vs. Boise State at 3 p.m.);
volleyball at Portland State University (4 p.m.);
cross country at Montana Invitational at UM Golf Course (8:30 a.m.);
football vs. Western Washington (1:05 p.m. at Washington Grizzly Stadium).
Sunday, Sept. 23
Soccer at Cal Poly Invitational (vs. Cal Poly at 1 p.m.).
The University of Montana Grizzlies (1-1 overall/0-0 Big Sky Conference) play their home opener, hosting the Western Washington University Vikings (2-1/0-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference), Saturday, September 22. The game in Montana's Washington Grizzly Stadium (18,845/SprinTurf) begins at 1:07 p.m. (Mountain).
In its last action, Montana dropped a 30-12 contest to the University of Hawai'i in a game played on Maui Sept. 8. UM led 6-0 after the first quarter on two Chris Snyder field goals, but trailed 20-6 at halftime. Montana's loss at Hawai'i ended a 10-game road winning streak by the Grizzlies, which began in 1999 at Portland State.
Other Griz football notes:
Last year, UM was 13-2 overall, losing 27-25 to Georgia Southern in the Division I-AA title game played in Chattanooga, Tenn. It was UM's third trip to the championship game, as the Griz beat host Marshall 22-20 in 1995 and lost 49-20 at Marshall in '96. Over the last eight years in a row, Montana is 86-21 - an average of 10.8 wins a season.
Griz mentor Joe Glenn is 14-3 (.824) overall in his second season at Montana. His 13 wins last season are the 2nd most ever by a first-year Griz coach. (Mick Dennehy had 14 wins in a row in 1996). He is 133-56-1 (.704) overall in 16+ seasons as a head coach. He was the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado (1989-99) and had a record of 98-35-0 (.737) there and 11 winning seasons in a row. He won two Division II titles (1996 and 1997). He is a 1971 graduate of South Dakota.
Griz season-long captains (voted by the team): senior offensive guard #73-Thatcher Szalay and senior strong safety and #47-Vince Huntsberger.
Players selected as captains for Western Washington game (along with Szalay and Huntsberger): senior tight end #43-Spencer Frederick (Scobey) and sophomore kicker #29-Chris Snyder (Spokane, Wash.).
Injury update: Sophomore free safety Kyle Scholle (knee), who was injured in the Hawai'i game, is out for the season. Sophomore offensive tackle Jon Skinner, who injured his knee in the Hawai'i game, is probable for the Griz-Vikings game.
Polls: Montana was second in The Sports Network's most recent (Sept. 10) weekly Division I-AA poll. UM ended last season ranked in the second spot as well. The Griz have been ranked in the top 25 all but 3 weeks over the past 114 weeks! The Griz were ranked No. 1 in the final five weeks of the Sports Network's 2000 poll. UM's No. 1 ranking last year was its first since Sept. 29, 1997.
About Western Washington:
The Vikings return 16 starters from a 7-3 team that finished 3-1 (tie, 1st) in the Columbia Football Association League. WWU returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense, and its punter.
The Vikings are a first-year member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Teams in the new league are Central Washington, Humboldt State, Western Oregon and UC Davis.
The Vikings are led by senior quarterback Scott Mitchell (6-3, 210), who is a remarkable 50-of-63-0 (.794) for 777 yards and 8 touchdowns this year. Last year Mitchell passed for 1,975 yards and 21 TDs and threw only 4 interceptions. His favorite target is Greg Dykstra (6-1, 200), who has 14 catches for 344 yards and three scores. Veteran halfbacks Nyle Chambers (6-1, 220, So.) and Devin Martin (5-8, 190, Jr.) have rushed for 171 and 153 yards respectively. Defensive back Erik Totten is a returning All-American and leads the team in tackles with 18. He averages 12.0 yards per punt return and 26.5 yards on kickoff returns.
Head Coach Rob Smith (Washington, 1981) is 83-40-1 in his 13th year in Bellingham. He is 0-0 against Montana. The teams have one common opponent: Western Washington plays at Cal Poly next Saturday.
Totten was among the Division II leaders last year in punt returns (15.7 avg.) and kickoff returns (27.3 avg.).
Western Washington has a 2-1 record and is coming off an impressive 77-0 rout of visiting Western Montana September 15th in the Vikings' Bellingham (Wash.) Civic Stadium. In last week's win the Vikings scored on 10 of their first 11 possessions and set a modern-day school record for points with 77. The Vikings dominated statistically, out-gaining the Bulldogs 570 to 78 in total yards and failed to score on just three of their possessions. Two weeks ago, WWU beat host Fort Lewis of Colorado 48-10. The Vikings opened the year with a 28-24 loss to Central Oklahoma.
Griz football stats:
Senior running back Yohance Humphery continues to build on his school record for rushing yards and now has 2,704 career yards.
Senior receiver Etu Molden has now moved up to 16th on the career receiving yards list with 1,371 yards.
Junior quarterback John Edwards is now 13th in career passing yards with 1,776 in just five (5) career starts.
The Griz had a 10-game road winning streak broken at Hawaii.
Sophomore kicker Chris Snyder had a 49-yard field goal at Hawai'i, which is the second longest in his young career.
One of the thing necessary to defeat the Vikings is for the Grizzlies to have more success in the red zone and get more big plays from their offense...Montana has scored just three touchdowns on offense in its first two games. At Cal Poly three weeks ago, the Griz scored on a pair of one-yard TD runs by Humphery and Edwards. Edwards' 12-yard scoring pass to Molden was the sole touchdown scored against Hawai'i.
UM football coach Joe Glenn comments:
On the Griz: "I don't think that it's any secret that we are having trouble punching the ball into the end zone. We need to really work at getting sixes (points) instead of threes. We need to get more solid in the red zone and hit a few big plays... In the third quarter we had several drives deep into Hawaii territory, but we had a pass interception and we had a ball stripped away from us, and we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot.... We need to be more efficient when we are close to the end zone and finish our drives. We had Hawaii pinned back in their territory a few times, but they converted on long third down and long situations, so we need to be more efficient in that area too."
On Western Washington: "Their quarterback (Mitchell) is an 80 percent passer who has thrown eight touchdown passes and no interceptions, and he's rushed for 4.3 yards a carry. He's a heck of a football player and a good leader. He was the player of the year in their league last year, and we'll have to work hard to contain him... Overall, they are very talented off offense, with good size and quickness... Number three (Totten) really stands out on defense and on special teams. They play hard all of the time, they give great effort, and they understand their scheme. They do a lot of things well and play as a team... Again, what really stands out is how hard they play, how they play with confidence, and how well coached they are."
On the past week: "We'll never forget what happened. It will always be on all of our minds. In our own way we'll dedicate the freedom to play this great game to what happened. I do think that our country has to go on, and yet we can never forget what has happened."
All 12 of Montana's 2001 regular-season games will be televised this
year. The remaining schedule is as follows (all times Mountain):
Sept. 22.....Western Washington, 1:05 p.m. (Fox sports)
Sept. 29.....Eastern Washington, 1:05 p.m. (KPAX)
Oct. 6 .....at Sacramento State, 7:05 p.m. (KPAX)
Oct. 13.....Saint Mary's (homecoming), (Omega)
Oct. 20.....at Northern Arizona, 3:05 p.m. (KPAX)
Oct. 27.....Portland State, 1:05 p.m., (Fox sports)
Nov. 3.....at Idaho State, 6:35 p.m., (KPAX)
Nov. 10.....Weber State, 12:05 p.m., (Omega)
Nov. 17.....at Montana State, 12:05 p.m., (KPAX and Fox sports)
Note: For games televised by Omega Television Productions LLC, check cable channel locations across the state - or for more information, visit the Omega web site at www.omegatvp.com
Individuals looking for tickets to any Grizzly home football game should contact the Adams Center Box Office on the Thursday or Friday prior to that week's game for tickets that might be available as they were released by the visiting team or not picked up by the students from their allocation.
This week's Big Sky Conference football games:
Saturday, Sept. 22
Western Washington at Montana (1:07 p.m.)
Weber State at Eastern Washington
Idaho State at Sacramento State
Northern Arizona at Southern Utah
Grambling State at Portland State
Cal Poly at Montana State.
Next week's Big Sky Conference football games:
Saturday, Sept. 29
Eastern Washington at Montana
Sacramento State at Weber State
Northern Arizona at Portland State
Montana State-Northern at Idaho State
Cal State-Northridge at Montana State.
UM-Idaho game rescheduled with tighter security (By Jon Kasper of the Missoulian)
Montana and Idaho will meet at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in 2001 and when they do, it will be under tighter security. The Griz-Vandal football game, originally scheduled for last Saturday, but postponed in the wake of the terrorist attacks, was officially rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 24, at 12:05 p.m. ... click here to read the full story.
This week and this week only, the tailgate area will be closed at 12:45 p.m., roughly 20 minutes prior to kickoff. This is to encourage all fans to attend a special ceremony that will begin at roughly 12:50 p.m. The tailgate area will open again at halftime. Hogan opted to keep much of the ceremony a secret, but said both teams and coaching staffs, along with all Montana athletes and the UM marching band, would be on the field. Hogan said there would be a musical tribute, as well as some audio clips. "We have a very well thought out and hopefully meaningful and touching tribute to the victims," Hogan said.
Hogan said that the school's portion of the 50-50 split-the-pot raffle would be donated to the regional Red Cross office to help provide relief to the victims. Hogan said that could be as much as $10,000. That's a nice sum of money, but not nearly as much as the university and the city of Missoula stood to lose if the Idaho-Montana game wasn't rescheduled. The school would have lost between $250,000 and $300,000 from ticket sales. Each home game has an economic impact in Missoula of between $4 and $4.5 million, according to the latest figures Hogan heard. "Money always becomes a factor one way or another," Hogan said. "It's not just our money. It's the money the people who support our program live by. They need these home-game weekends. We are aware of that. I think it's a win-win for everybody."
UM and other Division I-AA teams were anxiously awaiting approval by the NCAA management council to move the start of the I-AA playoffs back a week, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1. That approval came Wednesday at noon. The national championship game will be on Friday, Dec. 21, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Kickoff will be 3:30 p.m., MST.
Hogan thanked Idaho for waiting for a decision and not scheduling another game. "I have to credit the University of Idaho for hanging in there," Hogan said. "As you know they could have made another move. They wanted to play an 11th game. They had some opportunities to schedule other opponents, in fact opportunities to schedule teams that would have been more financially beneficial to them." Hogan said officials toyed with the idea of playing the game on Thanksgiving or Friday, Nov. 23. The Saturday date was decided after coaches, players, and others in the community were polled. Omega TV Productions, which originally intended to televise the game, is planning to show the rescheduled contest. Hogan said fans holding tickets will be given the opportunity to receive a full refund. Beginning Monday, fans can either bring their tickets to the ticket office, or mail them to the university. Refunds will not be offered this week. The deadline to receive refunds is Oct. 26. "We certainly want to have the opportunity to re-sell seats to a lot of our fans who would love to see that game and probably couldn't get tickets originally," Hogan said. "This is again a situation where everyone can come out a winner. We're hoping our fans stay with us. We've got a sellout game. There are 19,000 tickets out there and we hope people are going to say, 'we were going in September, we'll go in November to support the Grizzlies.' " All student tickets will have to be reissued, Hogan said. Students holding tickets who would like to attend the November game are asked to return the old tickets by Oct. 26. A vast majority of students will be gone for Thanksgiving that weekend. If all general admission tickets sell out, there is a good chance many student tickets will be available to the general population.
Montana coach Joe Glenn said the Grizzlies will display stickers of the American flag on the backs of their helmets if the stickers arrive in time for Saturday's game. It's expected nearly all professional and major colleges will wear American flags on their uniforms in honor of the victims and heroes of last week's attacks. The Grizzlies are already sporting a small sticker on their helmets in memory of booster John C. Hoyt, who died last March. Hoyt gave Montana $550,000 in 1999 to help build new offices for the coaches and administrators. The sticker on UM's helmets has the letters 'J' and 'R' for "Jolly Roger." Hoyt's Angus ranch just outside of Great Falls is called the Jolly Roger Angus Ranch. The Grizzlies began wearing the stickers the week of the Hawaii game.
Montana starting right tackle Jon Skinner is listed as probable for this Saturday's game. Skinner suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee against Hawaii. Skinner probably would not have played against Idaho last week. If Skinner can't go, true freshman Cory Procter will get the nod.
Montana senior cornerback Calvin Coleman was named to the America Football Coaches Association's Good Works Team on Tuesday. The team recognizes "community service champions.'' There were 11 players named to the Division I-A team and 11 more named to a squad of I-AA, Division II, Division III and NAIA players. According to the press release, Coleman is involved in "Random Acts of Kindness," a program in which UM student-athletes read to elementary school children. He has also spent the last two summers working for the National Youth Sports Program overseeing physical activities and teaching kids values and goals. Coleman, a senior from Niceville, Fla., also helped in the construction of the Dragon's Hollow, the new playground located near the Carousel in downtown Missoula. Idaho State defensive end Donnell McNeal was also named to the team.
The University of Montana cross country teams will open their season this Saturday, September 22 in Missoula at the Montana Invitational. Both teams were slated to open the season last weekend in Bozeman, however the Montana State Invitational was cancelled due to the Big Sky Conference Presidents' Council postponement of all events scheduled for Sept. 14-16. The Montana State Invitational will not be rescheduled. The men's 8 kilometer race is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. with the women's 6 kilometer race set to start at approximately 9:15 a.m. Both races will be held at the University Golf Course.
Teams expected to compete in the men's race will be: University of Montana, Montana State University-Bozeman, Idaho State, University of Utah, Weber State, Gonzaga, Montana State University-Billings, Lewis and Clark State, Ricks College and Flathead Valley Community College. The nine schools competing in the women's race will be: University of Montana, Montana State University- Bozeman, Idaho State, University of Utah, Gonzaga, Flathead Valley Community College, Lewis and Clark State, Ricks College, and Montana State University-Billings.
The meet will be scored as a dual among Division I teams and a separate score for non Division I teams. The University of Montana is scheduled to be scored against Idaho State, Montana State University-Bozeman, and Gonzaga.
UM head coach Tom Raunig is in his sixth season with the squads. A 1982 All-American distance runner at UM, he has guided two Griz student-athletes to the individual title.
"Since this is our opening race (with the season starting a week later), we need to put a little more importance on the meet" Raunig said. "We should be better fitness wise (ready to race), but we have the flip side of not having any race experience."
Montana runners competing Saturday are: Erik Berquist, Dickie Bishop, Antony Ford, Scott McGowan, Shane Mundt, Ben Rush, Wesley Scheck, Chris Tobiason, and Vance Twitchell for the men. The women running on Saturday are: Abigail Anthony, Amber Arvidson, Jesse Ballew, Kerry Bogner, Amy Farmer, Julie Ham, Lauren Keithly, and Jamie Miller.
Expected favorites for the meet are Teren Jameson from The University of Utah, who placed fourth in last year's Mountain Regional Championship, and Nicole Hunt, from Deer Lodge, who will be running for Montana Athletic Association, a team consisted of post collegiate runners.
In its next action, the UM team will head east to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Invitational scheduled for Saturday, October 6.
The University of Montana volleyball team (3-4) opens Big Sky Conference play this weekend with a pair of matches. On Friday, Sept. 21, the Grizzlies will be in Cheney, Wash., to face Eastern Washington University in an 8 p.m. (MDT) contest. On Saturday, Sept. 22, Montana travels to Portland, Ore., to take on Portland State University in a 5 p.m. (MDT) match.
Nikki Best (Nebraska, 1994) is in her second season as the Grizzlies' head coach. Last season she directed the Griz to a 16-14 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the Big Sky Conference. Her record at UM is currently 19-18. Now in her fourth season as a collegiate head coach, Best's career record stands at 72-51. Her prior head coaching experience came at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology where she compiled a 53-33 record during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In 1994, she led the Hardrockers to the Dakota Athletic Conference crown. The 1993 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year at Nebraska, Best served as an assistant coach with the Cornhuskers from 1996-99. In four seasons, Nebraska posted a 116-20 overall record and won three Big 12 titles. The Huskers reached the NCAA Sweet 16 four times, twice reaching the Final Four. Best's assistants this season are Dave Best (Nebraska, 1994) and Stacie Maser (Nebraska, 1999). Both are in their second seasons with the Griz.
Last week, Montana was scheduled to participate in the Michigan Nike Invitational last weekend. However, the team's trip to Ann Arbor was cancelled due to the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Griz volleyball notes:
After seven matches, the Grizzlies are averaging 13.59 kills per game and have a .188 attack percentage. Montana's defense is averaging 16.19 digs and 1.85 blocks per game. Individually, Lizzie Wertz leads the team in kills (3.70 kpg) and digs (3.52 dpg). Teresa Stringer and Mary Forrest are the top two blockers with 28 and 21 blocks, respectively. Lindsay Kaiser has a team-high 17 service aces.
Sophomore outside hitter Lizzie Wertz was named to her second straight all-tournament team at the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Invitational. Wertz averaged 4.25 kills and 2.92 digs in the three matches.
Outside hitter Lizzie Wertz is having a strong sophomore season. Wertz leads the Griz in kills (3.70 kpg) and digs (3.52 dpg). In addition, she has nine service aces, which is third on the team, and eight blocks, which is fourth on the squad. Wertz has led UM in kills in five matches and in digs four times. She has tallied at least 10 kills in six of the team's seven matches. Against Kansas, Wertz pounded a career-high 22 kills.
Senior outside hitter Joy Pierce has been cleared to play after a bout with mononucleosis. She missed the Eastern Illinois Invitational, but returned to the lineup two weeks ago at the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Invitational. After playing sparingly in the first three matches of the week, Pierce returned to the starting lineup against Georgia Southern and promptly recorded 13 kills and 0 errors on 19 attacks for a .684 attack percentage.
The Grizzlies have used the ace serve as a weapon so far this season. After seven matches, Montana has 58 service aces. The Griz served 15 aces against Central Michigan and 14 against Gonzaga. Those are the top two team single-match totals this season. Individually, sisters Lindsay and Marci Kaiser lead UM. Lindsay Kaiser has a team-high 17 aces, while Marci Kaiser has 10. Lindsay served a career-high eight aces in the season-opening match against Central Michigan.
Freshman Wendy Baker made her first collegiate start against Gonzaga on Sept. 4. Baker, a setter from Spokane, Wash., dished out 35 assists and had five kills. She also helped the Griz rally from a 29-26 deficit by serving four straight points, including an ace.
Senior outside hitter Natalie Jacksha and junior right side hitter Katy Kubista are out for the season. Jacksha is recovering from offseason back surgery, while Kubista suffered an ACL injury during spring practices.
Montana was picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Conference Volleyball Coaches' Poll conducted by the Big Sky Conference. The Grizzlies received 21 points from the league's eight head coaches to finish two points behind Weber State. Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, who tied for the regular season title last season, are the preseason favorites to battle for the conference title in 2001. NAU received five first-place votes and 47 points to edge out Sacramento State, which garnered three first-place votes and 45 points.
Since the inception of volleyball as a sponsored sport by the Big Sky Conference, Montana has amassed a 129-69 record against Big Sky opponents. During that time, the Grizzlies have won two Big Sky regular season championships (1991 and 1992) and one Big Sky tournament title (1991).
Montana returns home for the first time in three weeks next weekend. The Grizzlies will play their first Big Sky Conference home matches when they entertain Weber State on Friday, Sept. 28. Montana will then play host to Idaho State on Saturday, Sept. 29. The start time for Montana's match against Weber State on Friday, Sept. 28 has been changed. The match will now start at 6 p.m. instead of the original 7:30 p.m. start time. The match was moved up due to a scheduling conflict in the Adams Center that night.
Griz volleyball opponents:
Montana owns a 37-16 series advantage over Eastern Washington dating back to 1976. The Eagles, however, won all three meetings last season, including a five-game thriller at the Big Sky Conference Tournament. EWU has won nine of the last 11 meetings against Montana over the past five seasons. Prior to that, the Grizzlies had won 12 straight meetings dating back to 1990. Montana trails in the series with Portland State by an 11-27 count. The Grizzlies have had the upper hand recently. UM is riding a seven-match winning streak against the Vikings dating back to the 1997 season.
Eastern Washington enters Big Sky Conference play with a 7-0 record, the program's best start ever. The Eagles, picked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll, are also riding a 28-match home winning streak dating back to Sept. 26, 1998. The winning streak is the third-longest active home winning streak in the country. Last week, EWU was scheduled to play Chicago State in Portland, Ore., as well as participate in the Spokane Spikeoff Invitational at Gonzaga. All four matches were cancelled due to last week's tragedy. The Eagles are paced by junior outside hitter Janelle Ruen. Ruen, who is averaging 3.60 kills and 4.48 digs per game, already is a two-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. An All-Big Sky Second Team selection in 2000, Ruen earned Most Valuable Player honors at both the Maine and Oregon Invitationals. Senior outside hitter Robyn Felder is adding 3.28 kills per game. As a team, EWU leads the Big Sky with a .260 attack percentage. The Eagles also lead the league in digs (17.32 dpg) and service aces (2.28 sapg), while ranking second in kills (15.56 kpg) and assists (13.76 apg). Head coach Wade Benson is in his second year at Eastern Washington. He has a 26-11 record with the Eagles, while his career record stands at 68-18.
Portland State is 3-1 and riding a three-match winning streak heading into conference action. The Vikings play host to Montana State Friday night before facing the Grizzlies Saturday afternoon. PSU has not lost since dropping a four-game decision to Youngstown State in the first match of the season. The Vikings also went 5-0 at the Camosun Tournament in Victoria, B.C. The matches were part of an exhibition tournament and do not count in the standings. Last week PSU was to have played at the Portland Tournament, but it was cancelled due to last week's tragedy. Portland State's lineup features the one-two punch of sophomore outside hitter Richell Wilson and junior outside hitter Kristina Thom. Wilson is averaging a team-high 4.43 kills per game, which is also tops in the Big Sky, while Thom is close behind at 4.00 kills per game, which ranks her fourth in the league. Senior setter Katie Kaysinger is second in the conference in assists at 12.29 per game. Head coach Jeff Mozzochi is in his second stint at Portland State. He previously was the head coach from 1984-92, during which time he compiled a 287-75 and won four NCAA Division II national championships. He then spent six seasons as the head coach at Oregon State University, where he accumulated a 96-92 record. His career record now stands at 386-168.
Comments by UM volleyball head coach Nikki Best:
On Opening the Conference Season: "Everyone has a clean slate starting this week. We are playing one of the top teams in the conference on their home court. That will be a big challenge for us because we haven't played will there in the past. Then on Saturday, we have to fly to Portland which, in light of the events of last week, will an added stress. And then to top it off, we are playing an earlier match. Keeping our focus this week will be a challenge."
On Eastern Washington: "Eastern Washington is a team that will attack you in every way possible. They are very mentally tough, aggressive and very alert. You can't make tentative decisions against them. We will have to be just as aggressive as they are in our decision making, sets and attacks."
On Portland State: "I believe they will be a better team than they were last year. We went four games with them last year, so they are a competitive team. They brought back a former head coach, and they have already won some matches this season, so that creates some new energy. I am sure they will be gunning for us after last year. We will have to go in there and play well in order to win."
The University of Montana women's soccer team (2-1) resumes play this weekend with a trip to California. The Grizzlies will take part in the Cal Poly Tournament in San Luis Obispo, Calif. UM is scheduled to play Boise State on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. (MDT) and Cal Poly on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. (MDT).
Last week, the University of Montana was scheduled to play at Brigham Young University and Utah, but the games were cancelled in the aftermath of last week's terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. The games will not be rescheduled. In UM's last game, Erin Smith scored the game's only goal and reserve goalkeeper Jennifer Zuhlke came off the bench to record eight saves, helping Montana defeat Oregon 1-0 on Sept. 7 at South Campus Stadium. Smith scored her first goal of the year at the 25:39 mark. Freshman Saraid Faville assisted on the play, which was her team-high fourth assists of the season. A stingy defense made sure Smith's goal would stand. Zuhlke, a freshman making her first collegiate appearance, replaced starter Katie Peck 15 minutes into the game after Peck injured her knee making a sliding save.
Other Griz soccer notes:
Betsy Duerksen (Boston College, 1988) is in her eighth season as head coach of the Grizzlies. The only coach the Griz have ever had, Duerksen has amassed a 95-41-4 record at Montana. The 1999 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, Duerksen has led the Grizzlies to three outright regular season crowns and a first-place tie for a fourth. UM has also advanced to the championship game of all four Big Sky Conference Tournaments, winning the title in 1997, 1999 and 2000. She has guided the Griz to the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and 2000. Prior to coming to Montana in 1994, Duerksen was the head coach at Seattle University from 1991-93. In three years she compiled a 44-20-2 record. Duerksen's career record now stands at 139-61-6. She entered the 2001 season ranked 18th among active Division I coaches in winning percentage (.690) and 26th in career victories (137). Duerksen was a standout player at Boston College. A four-time All-American, she was named BC's Female Athlete of the Decade for the 1980's. She was inducted into the Boston College Hall of Fame in 1993 in her first year of eligibility.
Duerksen's assistants this season are Erik Snyder and Scott Newman.
Duerksen is nearing a coaching milestone. With one win during the 2001 season, Duerksen now has 95 wins as the Grizzlies head coach. She needs only five victories to reach the 100-win plateau.
After three games, Montana is outshooting its opponents by a 51-50 margin. However, it hasn't translated into goals as the Grizzlies have been outscored 5-4. Junior Liz Roberts and freshman Saraid Faville are the team's leading scorers with four points apiece. Roberts has one goal and two assists, while Faville has a team-high four assists. In addition, Faville has attempted a team-high 12 shots. In goal, sophomore Katie Peck has a 2.31 goals against average with 12 saves.
Senior forward Heather Olson continues to climb up the Montana scoring charts. Olson has scored one goal this season, giving her 30 for her career. She is currently in third place on the career list, four goals behind Karen Hardy (1995-98). If Olson can duplicate her 14-goal season from a year ago, she could break the UM career record of 43, set by Courtney Mathieson (1994-97). In addition, Olson is close to breaking the Big Sky Conference career goals record. Olson's 30 goals ranks her second to Northern Arizona's Raegin Eyre (1997-00), who scored 33 career goals. Last season, Olson earned the "Golden Boot Award" for leading the Big Sky Conference with 14 goals.
Injury update: Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Peck and sophomore midfielder Nikki Bolstad were both injured against Oregon, but both are expected to be back in the starting lineup this weekend. Peck left the Oregon game after 15 minutes with a bruised knee, while Bolstad twisted her ankle in the second half. Sophomore forward Amy Wronski has been sidelined during the early portion of the season while she recovers from offseason knee surgery. Last year's Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year, Wronski will miss this week's action but could be available for the Grizzlies' game against Washington on Oct. 5. She will be re-evaluated by the doctors next week.
This weekend will be the first time Montana and Boise State have faced each other in soccer. Montana and Cal Poly have met four previous times and they have each won two games. Cal Poly won last year's game 3-0 in Missoula.
Montana was picked to win its fourth Big Sky Conference championship in five years according to the Big Sky Conference Soccer Coaches' Poll conducted by the league office. The Grizzlies were a unanimous pick to win the conference. Six of the seven head coaches picked Montana, giving the Griz 36 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Idaho State was tabbed second. The Bengals received the other first-place vote and a total of 30 points.
This week's soccer opponents:
Boise State brings a 3-1-1 record into this week's action. In their last games, the Broncos tied St. Bonaventure 0-0 on Sept. 7 and lost 2-1 to Duquesne on Sept. 9. Boise State, which averages 20 shots per game, is led by freshman Megan McCoy, who has four goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Jeanne Orm has a 1.38 goals against average along with 17 saves. Head coach Steve Lucas is in his second year at Boise State. He has a 7-12-3 record with the Broncos.
Cal Poly is 1-3 heading into this weekend's games. In the Mustangs' last game, Megan Schlegel scored in overtime to lift Cal Poly to a 2-1 win over San Jose State. The Mustangs dropped their first three games and were outscored 5-0 in those games. Two of those games were 1-0 contests. Schlegel and Katie Bowe have scored Cal Poly's only goals of the season. Goalkeeper Greta Shirdon has a 1.49 goals against average with 17 saves. Head coach Alex Crozier is in his 10th season at Cal Poly. His career record stands at 116-57 with the Mustangs.
Golf preview: With everyone back, UM golf team anxious to play (By Nick Lockridge of the Missoulian)
It's time to get back in the swing of things. So says University of Montana golf coach Joanne Steele. ... click here to read the full story.
Former Griz star joins men's basketball coaching staff (From the Missoulian)
The Grizzlies turned to one of their own to fill a vacancy on the Montana men's basketball coaching staff. Wayne Tinkle, a two-time all-Big Sky Conference selection during his Grizzly career, was named last Thursday by head coach Don Holst to replace Pryor Orser as an assistant on the Montana staff. Orser recently accepted the job as head coach at the Colorado School of Mines. "It's always nice to bring someone back into the loop," said Holst, who is starting his fourth year as head coach. "He's the only guy I called. He's the guy I wanted from the beginning." Tinkle, a 6-foot-10 center, played for the Griz from 1985-89, earning all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons. He ranks fourth on the career rebounding list. Tinkle, one of the best passers from the post position to ever play for the Griz, performed in the CBA, Europe and the IBL during a professional career that ended last season. Tinkle played in Spain for most of his pro career in Europe, which also included stops in Sweden, Italy and Greece. Tinkle joins Todd Schmautz and Jim Sampson as Holst's assistants. Tinkle said he had planned to complete his degree in education and pursue a career in coaching once his playing days ended. This opportunity allows him to do both without uprooting his family. Tinkle is married to Lisa McLeod, a former Lady Griz basketball player. They have three children: daughters Joslyn, 10, and Elle, 8, and son Tres, 5.
The 15th annual Grizzly Roundball Golf Classic has been rescheduled for this Friday, Sept. 21 at the Highlands Golf Course/Shadow's Keep in Missoula. The event was originally slated for last Friday, but was canceled along with other collegiate events last week.
Registration for the men's basketball fund-raiser begins at noon, with a 9-hole shotgun start at 1 p.m. The format is a six-person scramble at a cost of $250 per person. The tournament will also have prizes on each hole. Thanks to Earl and Donna Sherron of Northwest Travel in Missoula, one of the prizes will result in one player and a companion accompanying the Griz men's basketball team to Hawaii for their tournament on Dec. 20-22. Four Season Buick-Subaru is also providing a car for a hole-in-one prize. Entries for the tourney should be mailed to: Griz Roundball Classic, P.O. Box 2637, Missoula, MT., 59806.
The University of Montana track program has a goal of raising $70,000 to replace worn track equipment (hurdles, pits, etc.) for Dornblaser Field in time for the 2002 Big Sky Conference Track and Field Championships.
UM will host the Big Sky championships on May 16-18, 2002 - or one year earlier than originally planned. (Montana State University was scheduled to host the Big Sky meet in 2002, but renovations to the Bobcats' track facility won't be complete by that time. Thus, UM was asked to host the 2002 championships.) In the conference rotation, Montana was originally set to run the meet in 2003.
Anyone interested in donating toward the purchase of new equipment can contact UM head track coach Tom Raunig at 243-5413.
The recently formed Board of Visitors for UM Athletics will hold its first meeting on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Adams Center in Missoula. The board, under the direction of UM Athletic Director Wayne Hogan, will meet twice annually to discuss various aspects within the department and help establish future priority goals for Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Montana. Members of the board are as follows: Sylvia Jensen of Chester/Missoula, Mick Blodnick of Kalispell, Dave Enger of Seattle, Gene Leonard of Billings, Mike Tilleman of Havre, Dr. Bill Reynolds of Missoula, Tom Boone of Missoula, Ron Paige of Philipsburg, Brad Kliber of Whitefish, Pat Connors of Butte, Nikki Sliter of Kalispell, Bill Bouchee of Missoula, Jim Kastelitz of Missoula, Larry Gianchetta of Missoula, David Paoli of Missoula, John Ross of Billings, John Olson of Sidney, Scott Peterson of Missoula and Cal Christian of Missoula.
The fall meeting of the Grizzly Athletic Association's State Board of Directors will be held on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Holiday Inn-Parkside in Missoula. Members of the state GAA board are: Bob Cerkovnik of Billings, Doug Mason of Corvallis, Mark Vucurovich of Butte, Arlene Myllymaki of Kalispell, Shannon More of Cut Bank, Doug Darko of Great Falls, Doug Sexe of Great Falls (Board President), Bob Throssell of Helena, Carlene Bockman of Ronan, Bill Kayser of Bozeman, Jon Oldenburg of Lewistown, Dave Cotner of Missoula, Curt Bowler of Missoula, Kitt Huggins of Missoula, Julie Gemar-Williams of Missoula (Past President), Cynthia Brenden of Missoula and Ed Anderson of Missoula.
The six winners of the "Hogan's Heroes Raffle," which was sponsored by the Grizzly Athletic Association, have been announced.
The six main winners receive for a package that includes two box seats in Athletic Director Wayne Hogan's stadium box at one of the six regular season home games in Missoula. In addition, the winners receive two night's lodging at the Double Tree Hotel in Missoula, dinner for two, two admissions to the pre-game Corporate Brunch and a $20 gas certificate. Tickets were sold through the out-of-Missoula GAA Chapters.
Claiming the packages were: John Murphy of Great Falls (UM-Idaho), Patrick Montalban of Cut Bank (UM-Western Washington), Rick Weaver of Bozeman (UM-Eastern Washington), Teresa Lutey of Bozeman (UM-St. Mary's), Hal Dantic of Laurel (UM-Portland State) and Pat Belinak (Laurel).
Along with this, there were 20 additional drawings for $50 gift certificates at the UM Bookstore. The winners were: Doug Hagen of Great Falls, Sean Darko of Great Falls, Mick Iten of Hamilton, Michal Crebo of Helena, Bill Zins of Great Falls, Pat Davison of Billings, John Kays of Cut Bank, Jane Iten of Hamilton, Patrick Laabs of Great Falls, Doug/Vickie Darko of Great Falls, Tim Gallagher of Corvallis, Ore., Rod Cline of Cut Bank, Bryan Dantic of Laurel, Peg Kayser of Bozeman, Scott Mayer of Bozeman, Deb DeKaye of Cut Bank, Jan Stingley of Laurel, Margaret Mason of Hamilton, Dick Swenson of Cut Bank and Ron Campbell of Cut Bank.
The seventh winner in the Grizzly Athletic Association's Trip of the Month" program was Dan Sullivan of Butte. He receives a trip for two to Bangkok and Taipei.
Last month's winner, Sherm Lohn of Missoula, received a trip for two on an Alaskan cruise. Other winners are: Kara Jacobson of Missoula (July - Northern California Wine Country), Mark Vucurovich of Butte (June - Maui), Dana Palmquist of Missoula (May - Cabo San Lucas), Dave Enger of Deer Lodge/Seattle (April - San Francisco) and Nadine Thyfault of Lolo (Washington, D.C.).
Other destinations in this year's promotion include Nassau (Bahamas), London, Las Vegas, Disneyland and "Canadian Old Charm." Proceeds from the ticket sales help benefit the UM Athletics scholarship fund. For more information on the program, contact either Bill Schwanke (243-5405) or Dan Ingram (243-4509) at the Grizzly Athletic Association.
The UM Dance Team is selling 2002 calendars as a fund-raiser for the team. The calendars are currently on sale for $10 at the UC Bookstore, as well as other retail outlets around Missoula. They will also be sold by members of the "Sugar Bears" in the tailgate area prior to upcoming Griz football games. The calendars, which contain photos of the local dance squad, can also be purchased by calling Dance Team Advisor Debbie Sharkey at 251-4383.
University of Montana sports fans now can support the Grizzlies simply by surfing the Web or checking their e-mail. The University has partnered with Denver-based SnapWave Communications to provide Internet service to UM's sports department and its fans. Steve Moats, president and chief executive officer of SnapWave, says the service is available to 98 percent of the U.S. population and in 25 countries. The service costs $19.95 per month, $3 of which is paid directly to Intercollegiate Athletics to support its programs. Fans also can pay $220 for an annual subscription and get one month free. UM supporters may subscribe to the new service by calling (877) 736-7129 or by visiting
Montanans who make contributions to the permanent endowments of Montana charities (including those endowments established by UM Athletics through the UM Foundation) will receive a tax credit for six more years through new legislation extending and modifying Montana's Endowment Tax Credit.
The tax credit allows individual donors to pay less in Montana income taxes by giving a qualified planned gift to a Montana charitable endowment. A corporation, partnership or limited liability company may also receive the credit by making an outright gift.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2002, the incentive for planned gifts is 40% of qualifying contributions to a Montana charitable endowment, up to a maximum of $10,000 tax credit, per year per individual. A corporation, partnership or limited liability company receives a credit of 20 percent of an outright gift to an endowment for the same maximum tax credit. In addition, the Legislature placed time limitations on the following types of eligible planned gifts - charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities and deferred gift annuities.
Until Dec. 31, 2001, the incentive for planned gifts is 50 percent of qualifying contributions, up to a maximum of $10,000 tax credit per individual, and a credit of equal size for a corporation, partnership or limited liability company.
The Governor's Task Force on Endowed Philanthropy estimates that $115 million in contributions will be made to the endowments of Montana non-profit organizations as a result of the first five years of the tax credit, which was established in 1997. An additional $147 million is projected to be contributed during the six-year extension.
Lady Griz Basketball Locker Room Unveiling - 5/1/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Track & Field - Montana Open Highlights - 4/25/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Softball vs. Idaho State Game-Winning Hit - 3/25/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Softball Championship Series Promo
Friday, May 01
