Breaking down the MWC
With Utah State entering its inaugural season in the Mountain West Conference, the Aggies face a number of new foes, as well as some old faces. Here’s a breakdown of each member in the Mountain West and what sports each institution has traditionally excelled in.
Boise State Broncos
Men: football
Women: gymnastics
Let’s start with the obvious. Boise State is good at football. Last year broke a three-year streak of top-10 finishes for the Broncos, and in the last five years, they have lost five games. They started out this season ranked No. 19 before a shocking loss to Washington, which is now ranked. Boise State is one of two teams to win a BCS bowl game from a non-BCS conference. Both times, they did it out of the WAC conference.
The Broncos were put on the map by the 2006 season, the first season under head-coach Chris Peterson, when they won the Fiesta Bowl on the back of the famous “Statue of Liberty” play. It’s one of those plays every football fan should see, not only for its trickery, but the weight it carried as the last play of one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Well-known football stars from the Broncos include Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, Detroit Lions backup quarterback Kellen Moore and Carolina Panthers safety Quintin Mikell. Going into this season, the Broncos had a .905 winning percentage under coach Chris Peterson.
The Boise State gymnastics team is less-known, but tough. The Broncos were very successful last year, finishing with an 18-7 record, a WAC championship and their 27th regional championship berth.
Caitlin Mann won the WAC All-Around Individual Title last year in addition to the Individual Beam Title and WAC Gymnast of the Year. She is returning for her junior season and is accompanied by WAC Freshman of the Year Maddie Krentz. Coaches Tina Bird and Neil Resnick won WAC Coach of the Year honors last year.
New Mexico Lobos
Men: basketball
Women: cross-country
The men’s basketball team for the Lobos has finished in the top-25 the past two years. They made the NCAA Tournament the last two years as No. 5-seed in 2012 and a No. 3-seed in 2013. New Mexico was the centerpiece of an extremely talented MWC last season that put four teams in the tournament. The Lobos won the MWC Tournament and regular season titles last year and were part of one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, a loss to No. 14-seed Harvard. They return leading their leading scorer, junior guard Kendall Williams, and their leading rebounder, sophomore center Alex Kirk.
New Mexico’s women’s cross country team won the MWC last year and finished impressively in the nation at 10th. This is higher than expected, as the Lobos were ranked 17th going into the meet. Senior Charlotte Arter will lead the cross country team for the Lobos. Kirsten Follett, who finished 38th in the Mountain Region finals will also return for her junior season.
Wyoming Cowboys
Men: wrestling
Women: volleyball
The Cowboys’ wrestling team is the reigning Western Wrestling Conference champion and finished 23rd in the nation last year. Their best performer in nationals last year was senior Alfonso Hernandez, who finished seventh in the 197-pound weight class. The second-best performer for the Cowboys was sophomore Tyler Cox, who finished eighth in the 125-pound weight class. The top-25 finish was the 17th such finish in program history.
The volleyball team for Wyoming will also be a tough opponent. They finished with an impressive 21-11 record last year, and they were almost unbeatable at home with a 16-2 home record. They return eight players from last year, including four starters. This is the first year with Wyoming for head coach Chad Callihan, who was 107-59 with Georgia Southern in the last five years. They are 7-3 this season and undefeated at home with four wins.
Colorado State Rams
Men: basketball
Women: volleyball
The Rams finished second in the MWC last year in regular-season basketball ahead of traditional powerhouse programs UNLV and San Diego State. They also were one of two MWC teams to win a tournament game last year, doing so as a No. 8-seed. They defeated Missouri in their first game before losing to eventual NCAA champion Louisville. They return their leading scorer and rebounder from last year in Colton Iverson, a 7-foot, 255-pound dominating force on the court. He will be a player to watch in January when the Rams come to Logan.
Even more impressive than their basketball team is CSU’s volleyball team. The Rams have dominated the MWC volleyball competition with four straight conference championships. In their loss in the NCAA Tournament to Purdue, they were swept for the first time in 55 matches. The Rams return all but four of their starters from last year and are 8-0 this year.
Nevada
Men: football
Women: softball
Nevada hasn’t been up to its usual standards for the past couple of years, but the Wolf Pack is still a tough team.
Nevada has had five-straight winning seasons. Many will remember the 2010 season for the Wolf Pack in which they finished 11-1 and ranked No. 11 in the nation in Colin Kaepernick’s senior year.
The Wolf Pack didn’t go to a bowl last year, ending an eight-year postseason streak. The football team is most famous for its use and revolutionizing of the pistol formation, a hybrid formation that utilizes speed as the quarterback lines up half as far as a traditional shotgun set and the running back lines up a couple of yards behind the quarterback.
Nevada also has a respectable softball team. The team finished 30-23 last year and return offensive star Erin Jones, who batted .340 last year and tied the school record for doubles at 18.
She is expected to bat in the middle of the lineup again this year for her senior season. The Wolf Pack also has their ace pitcher in Karlyn Jones coming back for her senior season. Jones led the team in ERA at 3.45 and had 17 wins last season.
Air Force
Men: track and field
Women: air rifle
The Air Force men’s track and field team has won the Mountain West title for two years in a row.
They will be led by junior Zach Perkins, who won the MWC individual title last year in the 1,500-meter race, and senior David Ptacek, who finished second in the 400-meter race behind fellow senior Anthony Delgato.
Perkins finished second in the national championship in the 1,500 and was the academies first ever all-American in the 1,500.
Air Force also boasts a great women’s air rifle team. They placed fifth in the national air rifle championships last year. They are also ranked seventh nationally in the preseason rankings.
Fresno State
Men: football
Women: basketball
Fresno State has had a quality football team for the past few years. They finished with a 9-4 record last year and finished second in the MWC in their inaugural season in the conference. They are currently 3-0, and after an impressive win against Boise State last week, they are ranked 25th in the nation.
Quarterback Derek Carr, who has 1,121 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns this season, leads the Bulldogs. Some famous football players to go through Fresno State’s program are San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer.
Fresno State’s women’s basketball team won the MWC Tournament last year and Aggie fans will remember them winning the WAC regular season title two years ago in their last year in the conference.
They will be led by junior Alex Sheedy, a third-team All-MWC selection last year who was selected to the MWC Tournament team. They also return guard Bree Farley, who led the team in assists last year for her senior season.
San Jose State
Men: football
Women: softball
San Jose State is USU’s partner this year in transitioning from the WAC to the MWC. The Spartans finished second in the WAC last year with a record of 11-2. Their only losses were to USU and Stanford, who they almost beat in their season opener.
The Spartans finished the season ranked No. 21 in the nation. Their leader is senior quarterback David Fales, a 4,000-yard passer last year. They have struggled so far this year with a 1-2 record, losing to Stanford and Minnesota.
Jeff Garcia, a former member of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL, played for San Jose State.
The Spartan’s softball team had an impressive record of 42-17 last year. They won the WAC Tournament and regular season titles, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. They lose 29-game winning ace from last season Amanda Pridmore, but they have many players returning this year, like senior Devin Caldwell, who had a .355 on base percentage last year and earned second team All-WAC infielder honors.
Hawaii
Men’s: Sailing
Women’s: Volleyball
The co-ed sailing team placed 11th nationally last year. The Wahine will have Adam Pokras back this year for his senior season with the team. The national sailing co-ed championships are an invitational event and played out by head-to-head races. Hawaii’s sailors earned the invite to the tournament last season, then took advantage for the 11th place finish.
Hawaii’s women’s volleyball team is one of the best nationally. They are ranked No. 6 in the nation and finished last year with a 27-3 record. They are currently 11-1. Emily Hartong leads them with more than 200 kills and also is second on the team in digs. Kalei Adolpho leads the team in blocks, averaging more than a block per set and Ali Longo leads the team in digs with 180.
San Diego State
Men’s: Basketball
Women’s: Soccer, Tennis, Basketball
San Diego State’s basketball team finished with a 23-11 record last year to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference and earn a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. They were one of two Mountain West teams to advance to the round of 32, defeating Oklahoma before losing to the Cinderella of 2013, Florida Gulf Coast. They have gone to the NCAA tournament for four straight years and have earned three wins in those four years in the tournament.
The Aztecs lost Jamaal Franklin, the leader in scoring, rebounding, and assists last year, to the NBA but picked Josh Davis via transfer from Tulane. In two seasons he averaged 17 points per game.
San Diego State is stacked in women’s sports. Their women’s soccer team had a 21-2-1 record last year, won the Mountain West and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Junior Hannah Keane is the Aztecs’ most dangerous player, currently leading the team in goals with four, and was second on the team last year in goals and assists. She also earned first team all-Mountain West honors in 2012. San Diego State has struggled so far in a really tough non-conference schedule. They are currently 2-5-2, but they have played one of the toughest schedules so far of anyone in the country.
The women’s tennis team won the regular season conference title last year and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament only to be ousted by nationally ranked Baylor. They had a 22-6 record and didn’t lose a match to a Mountain West opponent until the conference championship game when they were upset by UNLV. Their best returning player is senior Laura Antonana, who played in the No. 3 singles spot on the team last year and achieved a national ranking in Spain where she grew up before coming to the states to play collegiately.
The Aztec women’s basketball team had a 27-7 record last year and finished second in the Mountain West, losing just two games in conference. Both of those losses were to Fresno State – one in the regular season and one in the conference championship game. They lose their two top leading scorers, but the team is led by senior Erimma Amarikwa, who averaged almost 10 points per game.
UNLV
Men’s: Basketball
Women’s: Golf, Tennis
Basketball in the Mountain West features a lot of talent, and UNLV is a part of that. The Rebels were one of the four Mountain West teams to go to the NCAA tournament, earning a No. 5 seed, but lost to Cal. UNLV lost in the conference tournament championship to New Mexico. The Rebels have gone to the NCAA tournament four straight years but have not picked up a tournament win in that time. UNLV produced Anthony Bennet, the No. 1 overall draft pick in last year’s NBA draft, and he led the team in scoring and rebounds last year.
The UNLV women’s golf team is the defending Mountain West champions. The Rebels placed 15th in the NCAA west regional championship last year. Junior Dana Finkelstein is the best returning UNLV golfer. She tied for 10th in the NCAA west regional and shot an average of 74 strokes per round.
UNLV also has a stellar women’s tennis team that won the Mountain West Conference tournament last year and won a NCAA tournament first-round game before losing to Nebraska in the second round. Lucia Batta, the defending Mountain West player of the year, will be back for her senior season. She finished last season nationally ranked and ended up losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament, snapping her 28-game single-play winning streak.
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