Tag Archives: University of Montana

Robin Selvig named coach of the year

19 Mar

Tuesday the Big Sky Conference recognized Lady Griz head coach Robin Selvig as the Big Sky Conference coach of the year.

In 35 years of coaching, Selvig has 798-254 record. He has won Big Sky Conference coach of the year 14 times, won five times in the Mountain West Conference and once in the Northwest Women’s Basketball League.

“Everyone is very loyal to him,” sophomore Maggie Rickman said. “He has earned it in every way and I haven’t met someone who doesn’t like him for everything yet.”

Rickman was drawn to the program for Selvig’s respect others give him for his accomplishments and personality.

Senior Katie Baker and Big Sky Conference MVP said she wanted to join Montana four years ago because Selvig said they were about more than just basketball.

“He said we love the game but it’s not just about basketball, we want them to have a good college career and a good life,” Baker said. “Basketball ball coaches across the country live and breathe basketball and he loves the team but it’s more than just basketball with him. It’s a family and a love and that’s what pulled me in.”

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Lady Griz receive 13 seed, to face 4 Georgia seed

19 Mar
Tim Goessman/Montana KaiminFrom left, Kenzie De Boer, Alexandra Hurley and Lady Griz teammates watch a tv screen at the Press Box March 18, 2013 moments before they learned of their seeding against 4-seed Georgia Saturday, March 23, 2013 for a second-round NCAA tournament game.

Tim Goessman/Montana Kaimin
From left, Kenzie De Boer, Alexandra Hurley and Lady Griz teammates watch a tv screen at the Press Box March 18, 2013 moments before they learned of their seeding against 4-seed Georgia Saturday, March 23, 2013 for a second-round NCAA tournament game.

Every player’s eyes on the Lady Griz basketball team were glued to the TV’s in the Press Box waiting to hear who and where they would play in the Women’s 2013 NCAA tournament. At 5 p.m. the first three teams were announced.

Then it finally came: 13th seeded Montana vs. 4th seeded Georgia in Spokane, Wash. at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The room erupted in cheers. Continue reading →

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Lady Griz win Big Sky Conference championship, to head to NCAA tournament

19 Mar

The Northern Colorado Bears were second once again in the Big Sky Conference championship as the Lady Griz fought their way to a 56-43 win for the BSC championship. Montana has the Big Sky automatic berth to the NCAA tournament and will find out Monday evening who and where they play.

“I’m thrilled for these ladies, from day one they’ve been determined and they backed it up,” head coach Robin Selvig said. “I think we beat a really good team today, a really good defensive and rebounding team. You know I watched them and we played them twice and I think how in the heck are we going to score.” Continue reading →

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Lady Griz headed to conference championship game

19 Mar
Samuel Wilson/ Montana KaiminUniversity of Montana forward Torry Hill (2) fights her way past the half court line Friday, March 15, 2013 in Dahlberg Arena. UM beat Sacramento State 74-53.

Samuel Wilson/ Montana Kaimin
University of Montana forward Torry Hill (2) fights her way past the half court line Friday, March 15, 2013 in Dahlberg Arena. UM beat Sacramento State 74-53.

Forget that six days ago the Lady Griz (23-7) lost to the Sacramento State Hornets (19-12) in Montana’s final regular season game. Montana’s memorable part about the two team’s history this season is when No. 1 Montana beat the Hornets 74-53 in the 2013 Big Sky Conference Tournament semi-final game.

Montana will face the No. 2 seeded Northern Colorado Bears Saturday at 2 p.m. for the Big Sky Conference championship. Continue reading →

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Griz conference champs after 12-year drought

5 Nov

© Tim Goessman/Montana Kaimin
Tyler Adair (27) and Chansi Crompton (2) jump in the air as Stacy Bair (30) head-butts the ball during the Grizzlies’ match against Weber State on Sept. 23 at the South Campus Stadium. The Griz won 1-0.

When the Big Sky added soccer to conference play in 2000, the Montana Grizzlies clinched the first regular season title. Fast forward to 2010, and the Griz were at the bottom of the stat sheets.

Move to 2012 and the Grizzlies (10-6-2, 6-2-1 BSC) once again hold the honor of Big Sky regular-season champions with their Sunday win against Northern Arizona University.

“It feels great because it shows how much hard work we have put into this season,” sophomore Paytyn Wheeler said. “We had a rough start, but we’ve gone five games in a row, and we shut out each team, too.”

The team has not had a five-match winning-streak shutout since 2000 under the program’s first coach, Betsy Duerksen. The 2000 season was the best program in history, going 16-5-1 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Continue reading →

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Griz want to finish vs. UND

1 Nov

© Samuel Wilson/ Montana Kaimin
Peter Nguyen leaps over SUU’s Tommy Collett during the Grizzlies’ loss to the Thunderbirds Saturday, Oct. 13, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The last time the Grizzly football team traveled to Grand Forks, N.D., Richard Nixon was engulfed in the Watergate scandal, “The Exorcist” was released in theaters and North Dakota dominated the Griz in a 31-10 victory.

This year, things are a little different as the Montana Grizzlies (3-4 overall, 1-3 Big Sky Conference) take on North Dakota (3-4 overall, 1-3 BSC) in the Alerus Arena.

Their last meeting was in Missoula in 2010. The Griz won 27-17 and led the series 11-7-1. This is the first year that North Dakota is competing in the Big Sky Conference for football.

Last week Montana continued its season struggles, losing 30-20 at home to Southern Utah University. The Thunderbirds killed the possibility of a winning streak for the Griz after they outscored UM 17-3 in the second half.

Losing is not a pastime that Grizzly fans are accustomed to.

“It’s one of those situations that, man, to lose at home, particularly with the things that have happened here at Washington-Grizzly Stadium over the past several years since Washington-Grizzly Stadium opened, is really difficult,” head coach Mick Delaney said. “In both losses there was a point in each of those games that we had control.”  Continue reading →

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UM’s old married couple going strong

1 Nov

© Taylor Romack/ Montana Kaimin
Doubles partners Heather Davidson (left), and Laurence Pelchat (center) return serves from their head coach Steve Ascher at Tuesday afternoons practice. The two have been improving their communication and styles with each other over the year.

“Say it,” Heather Davidson said.

“You say it,” Laurence Pelchat responded. “We argue a lot.”

“We are a married couple,” Davidson said.

Both women erupted in laughter.

University of Montana tennis doubles partners Pelchat and Davidson giggled at the definition of their relationship.

Their banter was friendly, as they goaded one another to answer questions. This doubles marriage was meant to be from the start. Continue reading →

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To ‘air’ on the side of caution

1 Nov

© Abby Redfern/Montana Kaimin
Precious Gbadamosi practices with the UM tennis team despite the smoky conditions. Tennis coach Steve Ascher says the smoke has definitely affected the players practicing outside.

On a Monday afternoon, Missoula can look as picturesque as a postcard — endless skies, green mountains and a bustling college campus. But a dry summer has led to several ravaging forest fires in western Montana, and Missoulians have suffered. A Monday afternoon with a hazy sky that smells of fire turns Missoula into an industrial scene.

For some athletes, practicing outside in the smoky air is not even an option. Sophomore Ciara Lozier has dealt with asthma her entire soccer career, but growing up in Tacoma, Wash., made it manageable. Come to Montana and combine asthma with dry air, high altitude and smoke, and you get a soccer player who struggles. Continue reading →

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UM jumps ahead in athletic training

21 Oct

© Montana Kaimin/Abby Redfern
Maggie March, a senior in athletic training, stands by the sidelines during UM soccer practice on Tuesday, September, 11. As the athletic trainer for the soccer team March stands on the sidelines in case any injury occurs in practice.

At 3 p.m., Montana Grizzly soccer players trickle into the athletic training room at Dornblaser Field. Some come to get ankles or toes wrapped, blisters taken care of or to stretch out muscles while music blasts from the locker room. While the players have their ankles wrapped, they chat with senior athletic training student Maggie March, who is working with the soccer team this fall for her bachelor’s degree.

“I grew up playing soccer, so I can easily default to, say, soccer,” March said. “I understand the sport, and I played with some of the girls, so I can understand that.”

Recently, it was announced that the University of Montana would turn their athletic training bachelor’s program into an entry-level master’s program come summer 2013. Continue reading →

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Rested, recovered and back on the field

15 Oct
© Taylor Romack/ Montana Kaimin

© Taylor Romack/ Montana Kaimin
Erin Craig balances a busy schedule between soccer and school in her senior year.

To Grizzly soccer sensation Erin Craig, the cracking sound of her bone as she fell down signified more than just pain. It was also the sound of her senior year crumbling. She had already begun putting in hours for her final season in fall 2012 and was prepared for a summer filled with work.

Her junior season was paramount for her and the Grizzlies- — a Big Sky Conference championship and a trip to the NCAA finals. But in the spring of 2012, the soccer player was unsure of her future, as people gathered around her on the intramurals field at Dornblaser Field.

“All I knew was I saw Erin laying down as I was walking by and I was like ‘What happened?’” head coach Mark Plakorus said. “Her ankle didn’t look right, I thought it could be something serious and I was hoping it wasn’t.” Continue reading →

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