Idaho Aide Takes Missouri Post

University of Idaho assistant volleyball coach Melissa Stokes has been named the head coach at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.

Stokes has served as Tom Hilbert’s top assistant for the past four seasons. In those four years, Idaho has won four Big Sky Conference titles, made four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and posted a record of 103-21.

The 1991 San Diego State graduate takes over at Southwest Missouri State for Linda Dollar, who resigned to become assistant athletic director at the school. Southwest Missouri State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and finished last season at 16-12 overall and tied for third in the conference with a 14-6 record.

Track and field

For the second time in three weeks, the Idaho Vandals men’s track team swept the Big Sky Conference track and field athlete of the week awards.

Freshman sprinter Tawanda Chiwiri of Zimbabwe provisionally qualified for the NCAA indoor championships by running a time of 21.6 in the 200-meter dash at the Holiday Inn Invitational in Reno, Nev. That time is the fastest in the conference this year.

Senior Tad Hathaway won the field award by clearing 7-2-1/4 in the high jump at the same meet. His mark also surpassed the provisional qualifying standard for the NCAA championships. That mark leads the conference standings by more than 2 inches.

Idaho will host the 21st Vandal Indoor Invitational at the Kibbie Dome at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and the McDonald’s II All-Comers Meet starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Tennis

University of Idaho freshman tennis player Jorge Aldrete has been picked as the men’s tennis Big Sky Conference player of the week.

Aldrete, from Mexicali, Mexico, has won all four of his singles matches and three of his four doubles matches this year. He had singles wins against players from Colorado State, Weber State, Oral Robert and Air Force.

The Vandals women’s team will be back in action today against Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston at 3 p.m. They will then host Santa Clara in the Kibbie Dome on Friday at 8 a.m. The Vandals men’s team will take on Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston on Friday at noon.

, DataTimes