WSU
student leaders hope to increase Martin Stadium access
--Students
asked for reopening, athletics to explore options
--Martin
Stadium may soon be opened to students once again, but issues such as lighting
and security need to be addressed first.
By Ian Smay, Evergreen news editor
June 14, 2018
ASWSU
President Savannah Rogers and Vice President Tyler Parchem listed opening
Martin Stadium for public use and shutting off the field’s lights as two of
their goals during their first 100 days in office.
Opening
the stadium has been a priority for students since its closing a couple of
years ago, Rogers said.
“It’s just
something that students feel is so important to them,” she said. “It was a
selling point for the reason a lot of students chose WSU.”
WSU
decided to close the stadium following multiple incidents of heavy littering
inside the facility. Much like Granite Point earlier this year, a few students
left garbage in the stadium, causing it to be closed to the public as a whole,
Parchem said.
However,
he feels the field should be open since it has been funded by students.
“We’re
paying for this stadium,” he said. “We should be able to utilize it.”
The pair
recently met with officials from the athletic department about the possibility
of reopening Martin Stadium for public use. One idea discussed at the meeting
was using CougarCard swiping stations to allow access to students, a system
that Rogers said has already been used previously in other areas. However,
issues arise with the possibility of the stations breaking or people leaving
the doors open once inside.
No
decision has been made yet, but ASWSU plans on having further discussion with
athletics about the issue once Director of Athletics Patrick Chun returns to
Pullman, Rogers said.
Another
issue students voiced concern to ASWSU about was the field lighting in Martin
Stadium, which sometimes remains on when the facility isn’t in use.
Students
told the pair during their campaign that they didn’t like the light pollution
and potentially costly energy usage caused by leaving the lights on unnecessarily,
Parchem said.
“Pullman
is in a very beautiful place where we can see stars,” he said. “But if the
lights in Martin Stadium are on when no one’s using it, that just adds to the
light pollution and we’re not able to take in the full effect of the beauty of
campus.”
The
leaders also discussed this issue with athletics, where they discovered the
lights are not purposefully left on at unnecessary times by the department but
instead comes as a result of miscommunication between different groups reserving
the field.
If a group
fails to notify the proper officials of plans to cancel reservations, the
lights sometimes get left on, Rogers said. Other times, it may be
counterproductive to turn the lights on and off if the period of time between
usage is short, as the process can take time and be hard on the bulbs, she
said.
The
lighting issue also plays into opening the stadium to the students, as the
lights would need to be on any time there is not sufficient sunlight to ensure
the safety of possible visitors, Rogers said. While no decision has been made
yet, she said the group plans on revisiting the issues when Chun returns.
Rowing: WSU
rower Danielson earns Academic All-America honor
Moscow
Pullman Daily News
Add
another honor to Paige Danielson’s resume.
The
Washington State rower was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America
Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday.
The
nativer of St. Cloud, Minn., was previously named to the All-District 8 Team in
May, which made her eligible for All-America honors.
Danielson,
a junior, owns a 4.0 GPA in electrical engineering and is a member of the
Honors College.
She is a
two-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honoree, CRCA Scholar-Athlete First
Team honoree and CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District team recipient,
earning each of those accolades in both 2017 and 2018.
Danielson
was also honored in both 2017 and 2018 as the Elite 90 Award winner, given to
the student-athlete with the highest GPA at each individual NCAA Championship.
She was
part of the Cougar squad that finished 14th at the NCAA Championships.
:::::::::::::::::::::::
DNR to
acquire acres of Palouse prairie
Washington
State Parks official says agency would not allow hunting on land surrounding
Steptoe Butte if Parks manages it
By Katie
Short, Moscow Pullman Daily News
June the 15th
in the year 2018
The
Washington Department of Natural Resources took the next step in the long
process of acquiring 437 acres of land surrounding Steptoe Butte on Thursday
night.
At a
public hearing at the Whitman County Library in Colfax, DNR officials examined
which arm of the DNR - the Natural Heritage Conservation or the Natural
Resources Conservation Areas - should manage the land, or if the land would be
better managed by Washington State Parks.
In 2016,
Kent Bassett, his late wife, Elaine, and Ray and Joan Folwell, of Pullman,
purchased the land for $638,000 for the purpose of preserving one of the
largest tracts of natural Palouse prairie in the state.
The group
has since decided the best course of action is to make the property public land
and sell it to a state agency to manage.
John
Gamon, Natural Heritage Conservation manager, who presented at Thursday's
hearing, said historically the agency has managed property in a more
conservative manner - allowing less public access in order to maintain as much
natural ecosystem as possible.
He said
the NRCA has allowed for more public access, typically allowing recreational
use of their lands, like hunting and trails.
A large portion
of Thursday's public hearing centered around hunting.
Gamon
confirmed Washington State Parks would not allow hunting on the property if
they were chosen to manage it.
Joey
McCanna, with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, said for
many years there has been restricted hunting access on the butte, and it has
become one of the most popular hunting grounds in Whitman County. He said the
restricted hunting access has had little effect on the ecosystem.
Others
voiced their should be no one disturbing the broadleaf plants of the prairie.
Karen
Kiessling, of Pullman, said that even if it means people should only be able to
view the land from afar, access should be completely restricted in order to
preserve the only slice of Palouse prairie left in Washington.
"There
should be no multiple use because we cannot recreate it," she said.
Gamon said
after a summary of the public forum is compiled, their team will propose the
plan to Hilary Franz, the state's commissioner of public lands, who will decide
if the project should seek grant funding for the acquisition.
Gamon said
funding would not be available until July 2019.
Bassett
said during Thursday's meeting he and the Folwells are not looking to make a
profit on the sale. Joan said all they truly care about is preserving the land.
Further
public comment can be submitted to DNR until end of day June 22.
:::::::::::::::::
NCAA's new
rule a vote for common sense ... and Coug QB Camm Cooper?
By Barry
Bolton Cougfan.com Jun 14th
of 2018
THE NCAA’S
Division I Council this week cast a vote on the side of player development and
common sense in college football. Starting in the upcoming campaign, players
now can participate in up to four games in a season without losing a season of
eligibility.
Jon Wilner
of the San Jose Mercury News noted in a column today that the provision could
be an immediate boon to schools like Washington State and UCLA who don’t have a
clear-cut starting quarterback heading into the fall but do have a highly
promising youngster — yes, we’re looking at you, Cammon Cooper — standing in
the wings.
Wilner
writes: “Coaches without an obvious starter now have the ability to insert a
hotshot freshman into early-season games to determine if he’s ready to take
over immediately, if he needs 12 months of refinement … or if he might not be
of service for several years.”
Cooper,
the strapping southpaw from Lehi, Utah, graduated early from high school and
participated in WSU’s recent spring practice season, completing 29 of 51 passes
for 414 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs in three official scrimmages. He showed some
major flashes but clearly needs seasoning before he’s on par with leading
returnees Trey Tinsley and Anthony Gordon or incoming East Carolina graduate
transfer Gardner Minshew.
As for the
NCAA’s decision, players still have five years to compete in four seasons but
“the new exception allows football players to preserve a season of competition
if, for example, injuries or other factors result in them competing in a small
number of games.”
Said
Council chair and Miami AD Blake James: “This change promotes not only fairness
for college athletes, but also their health and well-being. Redshirt football
student-athletes are more likely to remain engaged with the team, and starters
will be less likely to feel pressure to play through injuries. Coaches will
appreciate the additional flexibility and ability to give younger players an
opportunity to participate in limited competition.”
For
schools such as Washington State, where depth historically has been an issue,
this is a major boost to the development of young players who can now get their
proverbial feet wet. Coaches have long talked about the virtues of a bowl
invitation and the extra reps it provides young players. This new ruling could
do wonders for development.
Moreover,
it doesn’t penalize youngsters who may be pressed into limited action. Current
or recent Cougars who lost a year of eligibility as freshmen when they saw action
in four or fewer games include Riley Sorenson (3 games in 2013), Marcellus
Pippins (3 games in 2014), Dylan Hanser (4 games in 2014), Fred Mauigoa (4
games in 2016) and Dezmon Patmon (4 games in 2016).
The NCAA
Council’s decree specifies that mid-year enrollees who participate in
postseason football competition that occurs before or during the
student-athlete’s first term at a school cannot use the exception.
The
Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee will examine how a similar
concept could be applied to other sports, including what number of games would
be appropriate.
::::::::::::::::::
Which
freshmen will make an impact for the Cougs in 2018?
A new NCAA
rule will enable more true freshman to play this season
By Chet
Broberg Coug Center
Years 2108
on the 15th day of the month of June
Washington
State brought in one of its highest rated recruiting classes this past year and
a new rule will help more of the talented freshmen see the field in their first
season.
On
Wednesday, the NCAA announced that players can play in up to four games and
still be able to redshirt, preserving an extra year of eligibility. For WSU,
perhaps the most intriguing player this could apply to is quarterback Cammon
Cooper.
A four
star prospect, Cooper enrolled early and participated in spring practices.
However, by most accounts he looked a step behind Trey Tinsley and Anthony
Gordon. With the new rule, Mike Leach could give Cooper a shot when the Cougs
have some easier games earlier in the schedule, without sacrificing his
redshirt.
Wide
receiver, a position where the Cougs rotate plenty, seems like another position
where the coaching staff will take advantage of the change. Drue Jackson was a
four star prospect and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get an opportunity this
season. On a another note, Rodrick Fisher impressed so much in the spring that
he might force the coaches to play him in more than four games.
On
defense, the secondary is another position group that sees a lot of rotation.
Per 247 Sports, Halid Djibril and D’Angelo Mckenzie were the highest rated
defensive backs in the recruiting class and should have a chance to get on the
field. The development of freshmen all over the field will be an interesting
thing to watch come fall camp.
Which
freshman are you most looking forward to seeing play in 2018 and what are your
thoughts on the rule change?
::::::::::::::::
COUG
FOOTBALL
WSU O-line
takes body blow: Noah Osur-Myers out for year
By Barry
Bolton, Cougfan.com June 15, 2018
THE
MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED. But the reveal isn’t what anyone wanted to hear. There
was a reason Washington State offensive lineman Noah Osur-Myers (6-4, 315), who
entered spring drills high on the list of starting candidates, didn’t finish
the spring atop the depth chart at guard – he was battling a serious shoulder
injury all spring long, independent sources with knowledge tell Cougfan.com.
Unfortunately, the news gets worse.
The injury
ultimately resulted in shoulder surgery a couple weeks ago and Osur-Myers – who
has since been seen around campus in a brace – is projected out for 6-8 months,
effectively the 2018 season.
Osur-Myers,
a fourth-year junior guard and arguably the most versatile offensive lineman on
the roster, actually first hurt the shoulder during preparations for last
December’s Holiday Bowl, the sources said.
He
competed this spring first at right guard and then later at center, but it was
clear Osur-Myers lacked his customary “punch” and movement over the course of
15 spring ball practices.
Osur-Myers’
best on-field moment last year came when he filled in for an injured Cody
O’Connell vs. Colorado at right guard. Wazzu's o-line faltered in the back half
of the 2017 campaign but Osur-Myers was impressive against the Buffs, helping
power WSU into the end zone on three of the Cougs' four TDs. At season's end,
he had firmly establishing himself as a strong 2018 starting candidate.
Former o-line
coach Clay McGuire tabbed Osur-Myers the Cougs’ “sixth lineman” this past
season, speaking not only to his versatility but also his ability to come in
off the bench and perform like a starter.
NOTABLE
NOTE:
Fifth-year
senior Robert Valencia finished spring drills atop our unofficial depth chart
at right guard, Frederick Mauigoa was the No. 1 center and third-year sophomore
Josh Watson was the starting left guard.
Fifth-year senior Andre Dillard and second-year freshman Abraham Lucas
were clear-cut choices for the starting gigs at left tackle and right tackle,
respectively, coming out of spring and headed into August's fall camp.
……………..
WSU
FOOTBALL
Mike Leach
talks about his flirtation with Tennessee
By Kevin
Dudley Coug Center Jun 16, 2018
Hey,
remember last winter when it seemed like Mike Leach was going to be named the
next head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers at any moment?
We all
know how that ended.
Dennis
Dodd of CBS Sports had an article yesterday on coaches who sought other jobs
only to return to their current employer, for one reason or another. Mike Leach
was one such coach, after he briefly danced with former Tennessee AD John
Currie before remaining WSU’s head coach.
Leach, via
Dodd:
“I wasn’t
in any hurry to leave Washington State. Tennessee was talking crazy numbers.
There’s that and the other thing is [that] Washington State won nine games last
year. That’s what Tennessee wants to do.”
The last
part of that quote might be criticized, and fairly so. I’m guessing Leach meant
Tennessee wanted a consistent winner, something Leach and WSU have been the
past three seasons, but who knows.
Former
Athletic Director Bill Moos is also quoted in that article, saying he’d prefer
coaches notify him when they seek other opportunities (Moos wasn’t talking
specifically about Leach, and he wasn’t even the AD during Leach’s Tennessee
courtship).
The
coaching carousel in college football is fun to follow....up until your team’s
coach is involved.
Alas,
Leach remains at WSU and even got a fat new contract out of the whole thing.
All in all, I’d say he made out just fine.
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