We know about the achievements of our Vandal student-athletes on the field of play. They put in hard work practicing every day to compete and be the very best versions of themselves. That dedication was on display last weekend when our Vandal Men’s Track and Field Team finished fourth and Vandal Women’s Track and Field Team fifth during the 2020 Big Sky Indoor Championship. Swimmer Katie Hale also represented her team well during the recent WAC Championships, taking first place in the 100-yard backstroke. Vandal fans, including myself, will fill the stands in Boise starting Tuesday to cheer on our student-athletes at the 2020 Men’s and Women’s Big Sky Basketball Championships. It’s been a milestone season for our basketball teams. Men’s senior guard Trevon Allen recently passed 1,000 points and is moving up the top 10 all-time scoring list. Women’s Basketball Coach Jon Newlee notched his 300th career Division I win this season, including over 200 as a Vandal. I can’t wait to see impressive performances by student-athletes and Vandal coaches from both rosters. Our staff is also gearing up to host NCAA March Madness First- and Second-Round games later this month in Spokane. This massive undertaking puts Vandal Athletics in the national spotlight. Thank you to all the amazing Vandal Scholarship Fund chapters, volunteers and donors across the state who support our student-athletes. We all want an athletic program we can be proud of. Excelling in coursework and as citizens of the community are just as important to that equation as performing well during a game. While our student-athletes show up every day on the field of play, they also set the bar high in the classroom. Our Vandals have been posting a departmental GPA above 3.0 for each of the past 12 semesters, including tying an all-time high last fall. More than 200 of our 325 student-athletes earned GPAs over 3.0, including 68 who had perfect 4.0s. Over 60 of our student-athletes were named to the Fall Big Sky All-Academic Team. Among those rankings, our Women’s Cross-Country team posted a 3.86 GPA in the fall, the fourth highest for a squad in the country. In January, the entire Vandal Swim and Dive roster was named to the Scholar All-American Team by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America for excellence in the classroom. That hard work takes support, something we strive to give all our students at the University of Idaho. For our student-athletes, that includes nutrition. We opened the Athletics Fueling Center in September to support the nutritional needs of our student-athletes, providing healthy snacks and beverages to all of Vandal Athletics. Operated by U of I students and staff, the 576-square-foot space is in the north hallway of the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center between the athletic training room and our strength and conditioning facility. This location is intentional, and will enhance our student-athletes’ performance and recovery. We have amazing students at U of I, and our student-athletes are no exception. It’s important we support them and offer them the necessary resources to manage their overall health. That’s what it means to be a part of the Vandal Family. |