Top WSU
athletes: No. 5 to 1
Two athletes on soccer team cracked top five, all picks had
immediate impact on WSU when they arrived
By Sam Heikell, Evergreen
columnist
Graphic by Teva Mayer,
Evergreen
April 17, 2018
The following rankings of current athletes at WSU were
determined based on a variety of factors, including impact on their teams on
and off the playing surface, achievements in competitions and performance of
the team in their absence.
#1 Taylor Mims
After another successful season playing for WSU volleyball,
junior outside hitter Taylor Mims undoubtedly solidified her number one spot.
Standing at 6-foot-3-inches, Mims provides dominant athleticism and hustles on
every play, which is how she led the Cougars in kills. Mims was fifth best in
the Pac-12 with 4.10 kills per set this past year. The attacker is WSU’s go-to
threat, with one of the most powerful strikes in the conference. But she can
get it done on the defensive end as well, as she was second on the team in digs
in the 2017 season. After receiving an All-Pac-12 honorable mention her
sophomore year, Mims came back and was named to the All-Pac-12 Volleyball First
Team and helped lead the Cougars to another NCAA Tournament berth. In the first
round of that tournament, Mims led the Cougars to a 3-1 win over Florida State
University, where she tallied a whopping 28 kills and 22 digs. With her senior
season coming up next year, Mims will look to continue to stack the numbers and
lead WSU to another run in the NCAA Tournament.
#2 James Williams
With a new quarterback at the helm next season, WSU football
will need to rely on its veterans, and one in particular: redshirt junior
running back James Williams. Since his first year on the field, Williams has
been a workhorse for the Cougars. He was second on the team in all-purpose
yards his redshirt freshman season, scoring seven touchdowns and receiving a
Freshman All-American honorable mention by Campus Insiders. Last season,
Williams was a major contributor to WSU’s 9-4 campaign. He played in all 13
games while leading the team in carries and the nation in receptions for a
running back, as well as hauling in the most catches from a running back in WSU
history. The 5-foot-11-inch, 195-pound running back has adapted well to Head
Coach Mike Leach’s offense and will be one of the Cougars’ main threats next
season.
#3 Ella Dederick
An excellent soccer team is never complete without a strong
goalkeeper, and WSU has exactly that in redshirt junior Ella Dederick. She has
started in nearly every match since her first season for the Cougars and has
become an important player and leader on the team. The 5-foot-10-inch goalie
out of Camarillo, California, earned Third Team All-Pac-12 honors after
finishing this past season with 11 shutouts. That’s the second most shut outs
of any goalkeeper in WSU history, the second most in the conference this past
season and the ninth best in the nation. Dederick earned shutouts in close
games against difficult opponents all year, including wins against No. 19
University of Minnesota, No. 14 University of Nebraska, No. 2 University of
California, Los Angeles, and No. 8 University of Central Florida. Dederick
still has one more season of college eligibility and will be looking to lead
the Cougars to another NCAA Tournament run next season.
#4 Morgan Weaver
Since her freshman year playing for WSU soccer, sophomore
forward Morgan Weaver has not only started in every game, but has also been a
huge contributor to the Cougars’ success. She earned Third Team All-Pac-12
honors this past season and was invited to participate in the U-23 USA National
Camp back in December. As the Cougars’ go-to scoring threat, Weaver led the
team in shots and scored seven goals to go along with two assists in 2017. The
highlight of her 2017 season may have been her game-winning goal against No. 14
Nebraska in the 69th minute, where she put one past the goalkeeper off a
deflected pass from a teammate. Weaver also had a few other game-winners and
went on a four-game goal streak last season, the longest of her collegiate
career.
#5 Andres Alvarez
After transferring from Trinidad State Junior College in
Colorado, junior shortstop Andres Alvarez has excelled in his time playing for
WSU. In his first season with the Cougars, he earned an All-Pac-12 honorable
mention, started in all 53 games at shortstop, earned a team-high 60 hits and
had the second best batting average on the team at .308. Alvarez is the team’s
speedy leadoff hitter, but he can also get it done in the field. His 166
assists in the 2017 season ranked third in the conference. This year the
Cougars haven’t been seeing as much success as they had hoped, with an overall
record of 10-19. Alvarez is currently batting .243 with nine RBIs, and is
second on the team in hits with 28.
…….
Snow,
wind, expected today
Apr 17, 2018 Moscow Pullman Daily News
This morning’s snow showers are expected to subside by 11
a.m. and be followed by a chance of rain and strong winds. Winds are expected
to reach 21 to 25 mph this afternoon, with gusts as high as 34 mph and a 60
percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight’s
forecast calls for mostly cloudy conditions with winds of 6 to 16 mph and gusts
as high as 24 mph.
:::::::::::::::::
Pullman’s
most dangerous crossroads
Study reveals many collisions occur at streets intersecting
Grand Avenue
By Scott Jackson, Moscow Pullman Daily News staff writer Apr
17, 2018
A study examining intersections throughout Pullman has
identified streets intersecting with Grand Avenue as the city’s most dangerous.
According to a traffic signal safety improvement study,
conducted by DN Traffic Consultants, 1,536 crashes were recorded on Pullman
roadways between 2012 and 2016. Of those, more than 1,500 crashes, 77 percent
(1,180), occurred at an intersection.
The study found there were 44 city intersections which saw
multiple collisions each year; of those 44 intersections, 14 were on Grand
Avenue.
Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins said he was not surprised
there were a high number of incidents on the city’s busiest avenue.
“Grand is probably our most well-traveled street in town,”
Jenkins said. “It’s a major north-south street, and then, of course, even
coming through town on Highway 27, you have to travel a portion of Grand
Avenue.”
The study found four of the top five most dangerous
intersections for collisions were recorded on Grand Avenue.
Those intersections include Grand Avenue and Davis Way (58
collisions), Grand Avenue and Stadium Way (49 collisions), Grand Avenue and
Main Street (31 collisions), and Grand Avenue and Bishop Boulevard (23
collisions). The third most dangerous intersection was Stadium Way and Valley
Road (36 collisions), according to the study.
The intersection of Grand Avenue and Davis Way was by far
the most active and also included five pedestrian versus vehicle collisions.
Deputy Public Works Director Clayton Forsmann said the Grand
Avenue-Davis Way intersection, combined with where Grand Avenue meets Main
Street, are basically two pieces of east-west highway intersecting a major
north-south route.
“One way to think about it is it’s the two major routes and
Pullman intersecting at that one point,” Forsmann said.
Fourteen serious injury accidents were reported on Pullman
roadways within the five-year period, according to the study. While 10 of those
were reported at intersections, only two Grand Avenue intersections — Grand
Avenue and Stadium Way and Grand Avenue and Larry Street — saw serious injury
collisions. Other serious injury collisions occurred at a handful of Valley
Road intersections and along Kamiaken Street downtown.
During the five-year period, there were three fatal
collisions. However, only one of those fatalities occurred at an intersection.
That fatal collision was in 2013 at the intersection of Grand Avenue and
Crestview Street.
Non-serious injury collisions were much more prevalent, with
about 270 reported over the five-year period. While pedestrian-related
collisions were relatively rare, Forsmann said the study identified two major
areas of improvement: visibility, and signal timing and coordination. Forsmann
said fixing visibility issues often means increasing the size of fonts on
street signs as well as installing larger signal lights. He said most signal
heads are eight inches across, and he would like to increase that to 12 inches.
Forsmann said allowing motorists to see lights and signs from farther away
helps minimize last minute turns and adjustments, and thus collisions.
As for signal timing and coordination, Forsmann said that
would require installing signals along a roadway that were capable of
communicating with one another.
“We’d need to seriously upgrade all of our infrastructure to
do that — to have the tools to actually implement better signal timing,”
Forsmann said.
Forsmann said with signal timing, the goal is to create
continuity between each light. In an ideal system, when released from a red
light, drivers would encounter only green lights at the ensuing signals —
provided they go the speed limit.
Moving forward, Forsmann said his department is using the
data gathered from the study to apply for grant funds to implement improvements
throughout the city.
:::::::::::::::
Coug Baseball
= WSU Heads To Spokane For Tuesday
Matchup at Gonzaga
From WSU Sports Info
WSU HEADS TO SPOKANE FOR TUESDAY MATCHUP AT GONZAGA
WASHINGTON STATE (10-19, 5-10 Pac-12) at GONZAGA (18-16, 9-6
WCC)
Spokane, Wash. | Patterson Baseball Complex (1,500) | April
17, 2018
Tuesday, 6 p.m. |
SWX-TV
PROBABLE STARTERS
Michael Newstrom | FR | LHP | 1-1, 3.52 ERA, 7 K, 7.2 IP vs.
Taylor Davis | JR | RHP | 1-3, 4.91 ERA, 17 K, 25.2 IP
COUGARS HEAD TO SPOKANE FOR TUESDAY MATCHUP AT GONZAGA
Washington State heads to Spokane for a Tuesday night
matchup against Gonzaga. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on SWX. The Cougars won
the season's first meeting, 4-3 in Pullman April 3.
FOLLOW ALONG
Follow all the season's action on the Washington State
baseball official twitter page @CougBaseball, instagram page @Coug_Baseball and
wsucougars.com. Links to live stats and radio streams will be available at the
baseball schedule page on wsucougars.com. Every home game will be webstreamed
through wsucougars.com.
ON DECK
The Cougars will host a three-game nonconference series with
Santa Clara beginning Friday at 5 p.m.
::::
Captain Nathan Wadhwani, a WSU Cougs track & field men’s
team captain
MEET THE COUGARS TRACK & FIELD CAPTAINS: NATHAN WADHWANI
By: Nina Antic/WSU Athletics
Nathan Wadhwani, a junior and Canadian native is one of the
Men's track distance captains this season.
Wadhwani began running when he was eight-years-old, coached
by his father, Vid Wadhwani. Growing up in Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada, he ran
for the Golden Ears Athletic Track and Field Club.
After graduating from Terry Fox Secondary School, Wadhwani
took a year off from school to train. Upon visiting WSU, he fell in love with
the school and program and knew this was where he wanted to be.
"Coming here, you could just tell that everyone had a
positive attitude and they were here to compete and be the best that they could
be," Wadhwani said of his visit.
Though there were cultural differences, the overall
transition from Canada to Pullman was not too difficult for Wadhwani, he
appreciates the peacefulness of Pullman, a contrast from the busy city life of
Vancouver. Having international teammates and a Canadian coach made his
transition comfortable as well.
"We all come from different places but we all quickly
became one big family," Wadhwani said.
The unique and fast bond with his teammates helped Wadhwani
deal with homesickness, especially the separation from his dad and brother,
Isaac. With Isaac being his best friend and his dad being his coach and
inspiration, it was tough for Nathan to part from them.
"The best thing about my dad being my coach was he
could always tell if I could work harder than I was," Wadhwani said.
"He was encouraging, but kept me humble in acknowledging that there is
always more that can be achieved."
His family and team played a big role in being there for
Wadhwani this season when he was diagnosed with achilles tendonitis. The
condition forced him to sit out from running for over two months, his first
time away from competing.
"I hated the feeling of being incapable," Wadhwani
said. "It taught me how important it is to listen to your body."
Having recently been cleared to train again, Wadhwani
anticipates a lot from himself this season. The three-time competitor in the
Pac-12 Cross Country Championships and the NCAA Cross Country Championships is
ready to get back on the track and help lead his team to victory this season.
"He played a key role in helping the team qualify for
the NCAA Cross Country Championships," said Wayne Phipps, Director of
Cross Country and Track and Field. "He will be even more impactful as we
attempt to qualify for the NCAA championships for the fourth consecutive year
and achieve our goal to finish in the top 10 in the nation."
While he was sidelined due to injury, the finance major
shifted some of his free time to the Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate Club
(FIRE) at WSU. His involvement has allowed him to put his love for
problem-solving and research into creating business plans and projects.
Wadhwani plans on using his degree in finance to pursue a
career in real estate. He sees himself in a field where he can utilize both his
social skills and his business skills. Following graduation, he is considering
getting another degree while he competes in his final year of eligibility.
Though he has plans for his future, Wadhwani does not plan
on settling down anytime soon. Following graduation, he plans to travel and
explore before eventually working somewhere in the United States.
::::::::::::::
April 14, 2018 / Women's Tennis
CAL UPSETS COUGARS ON SENIOR DAY
From WSU Sports Info
PULLMAN, Wash. – The 45th-ranked California Golden Bears
captured the first four singles matches to clinch a 4-3 victory over No. 37
Washington State Saturday afternoon at the Simmelink Tennis Courts.
The match moved inside due to inclement weather.
The Cougars started strong, capturing the opening point by
winning and the first and third doubles. Michaela Bayerlova and Aneta Miksovska
posted a strong 6-1 win at No. 3 while Barbora Michalkova and Melisa Ates
sealed the point with a 6-3 win at No. 1, defeating the nation's 36th-ranked
team of Julia Rosenqvist and Olivia Hauger.
In singles play, Cal was strong at the top of its lineup,
winning by identical scores of 6-2, 6-2 at the first, third and fourth
positions. The Bears clinched the match at No. 2 as No. 38 Olivia Hauger
defeated Guzal Yusupova in two close sets, 6-4, 7-6. Ates picked up a
straight-set win at No. 6 and Miksovska rallied for a three-set victory
accounting for the Cougars other points. Washington State is next in action
Saturday when it travels to Seattle to face Washington. Match time is set for
noon.
Coach Hart Comments on the Match:
"I was very impressed with how Cal came out in singles
and competed. It is disappointing we could not capitalize after doubles,
fortunately we have another match next weekend to hopefully improve that. We will take a few days of rest and then
begin preparing for UW."
Things You Need to Know:
Prior to the match, the Cougars recognized senior Barbora Michalkova,
who was playing the final home match of her career.
The Cougars have won the doubles point in 21 of 25 matches
this season.
Michaela Bayerlova and Aneta Miksovska improved to 20-3 this
season in doubles.
The duo of Michalkova and Melisa Ates defeated its first
ranked opponent this season and improved to 15-8 on the season.
Sophomore Melisa Ates picked up her 24th singles victory of
the season.
The Cougars conclude their dual match season Saturday, April
21, when they visit Washington in a noon match.
::::::::::
Spokane to Pullman travel on WSU game days about to get
easier
From Cougfan.com
WEDNESDAY MARKS groundbreaking for construction on five new
passing lanes on U.S. Highway 195 between Spokane and Pullman.
Projected to be completed before the football season, the
highway improvements will decrease travel time while also increasing safety,
state Sen. Michael Baumgartner tells Cougfan.com.
"We'll see how it plays out this fall but I think you
could see a time savings of up to 10-15 minutes on game days," said
Baumgartner. "The improvements are
also hugely important in the area of safety for WSU students and everyone
traveling on US-195."
The construction that begins Wednesday will result in new
passing lane sections between Rosalia and Plaza, plus another about eight miles
north of Steptoe.
The widening of the highways began last year, with two
passing lanes going in between Spangle and Colfax in both directions.
The groundbreaking takes place during WSU's Spokane Week,
which culminates in the Crimson and Gray spring game in Joe Albi Stadium on
Saturday at 1 p.m.
Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony takes place at 10 a.m.
on U.S. Highway 195 at the Horn School Rest Area near milepost 60.
#
