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Athletics

Spring 2002

Play-by-play announcer calls 500th football game

Alumnus Bob Curtis (’47 Speech Comm.) broadcast his 500th consecutive University of Idaho football game as “Voice of the Vandals” last October, when the UI entertained Louisiana-Lafayette in Martin Stadium. He also has been play-by-play announcer for Idaho basketball for more than 30 years.

Curtis got his start in sports broadcasting in his senior year at Washington State University, when he was employed to announce games in the Spokane region. Initially, he called a number of WSU and UI games before joining Idaho permanently.

His string of Vandal football broadcasts dates back to the fall of 1958. He has been named “Idaho Sportscaster of the … » More …

Spring 2002

The Cougars win their place in the sun

Forget the adage, “Nice guys finish last.” Coach Mike Price and his Washington State football team are proof to the contrary. The Cougars overcame a 20-17 halftime deficit to defeat Purdue 33-27 December 31 in the Sun Bowl at El Paso. The crowd of 47,812 included more than 5,000 diehard Cougar fans.

WSU surprised nearly everyone, except possibly the Cougar players themselves and their coaches, after the media picked WSU to finish in the Pac-10 cellar. The Sun Bowl win improved the Cougars’ record to 10-2. Only the 1929 and 1997 teams have fared as well since football became a fall pastime in Pullman in … » More …

Spring 2002

Track—Women’s team strong, men’s team well-balanced

“We need the new people to raise that level of performance and take over leaderships roles in some areas.”—Coach Rick Sloan

Coach Rick Sloan has good reason to be optimistic. He welcomes back five All-Americans to the Washington State University women’s track and field team. Joining them will be several top returnees and a bevy of talented newcomers.

“The women’s team seems to be very strong right now,” says Sloan, entering his 29th season at WSU and eighth as head coach. “We’re real excited about what the newcomers are going to be able to accomplish.”

The fact that WSU will host the Pac-10 Championships May … » More …

Spring 2002

Mooney banking on improved pitching

Good pitching is like money in the bank. It’s there when you need it, and it can carry you over the rough spots.

That’s the philosophy of Washington State University baseball coach Tim Mooney.

Last season, Mooney’s first at WSU, quality pitching was thin, particularly in the tough Pacific-10 Conference where teams typically play three games in three days. Too often, he was forced to remove his starting pitcher as early as the second, third, or fourth inning of a game and bring in a succession of other arms. That’s no way to succeed, he says. If a starting pitcher can go seven innings “that’s … » More …