The Lewis-Clark State College men's and women's track and cross country programs have added three high school senior recruits for next season, Warrior coach Mike Collins has announced.

Conor Smith, a senior at Eagle High School in Idaho, and Dakotah Pilon, who attends Lake Stevens High in Washington, are both distance runners who will compete in both cross country and track for LCSC.

Smith currently holds personal bests of 4 minutes and 35 seconds in 1,600, 10:01 in the 3,200 from earlier this year, and 16:22 in the 5K for cross country. He finished 10th overall in the Idaho State 5A Cross Country Meet last fall and helped his team to a fourth-place finish. He also placed 16th as a junior when his team won the state title.

"He already understands the importance of the team concept as an important contributing member of two trophy winning teams in the past two years," Collins said.  "We expect that mentality to continue here where he will help the program take a step to the next level."

Pilon has posted times of 2:32 in the 800, 5:40 in the 1,600, 12:15 in the 3,200, and 20:03 for 5K in cross country.

"She comes from a well developed program and is used to running a lot of miles already, so we feel she is going to have a great base of running coming in and we will focus on getting her faster," Collins said. "We believe with the supportive and competitive environment here at LCSC, she will start to shine and show what she is capable of doing in races."

The third recruit is Jorden Lorton, who is a thrower for the Emmett High track team in Idaho. She currently ranks No. 1 in Class 4A for the shot put and is second overall among all high school seniors in Idaho. She also ranks No. 5 in discus and is expected to medal in both events at the State meet this week.

Last year at State, she finished third in the shot put and sixth in the discus.

"We believe she has a lot of potential to improve and could be a national qualifier in both events her freshman year," Collins said.

Durham became the athletic director in 2007. He is a Montana Western alumnus and played basketball and served as the assistant basketball coach from 1985 to 1990. He returned to Montana Western in 1996 when he became the head coach of the men's team after Casey Keltz. He served as head coach until 2007.

"It was pretty special to be able to be the third coach after Bill Straugh and Casey Keltz," Durham said.

A Three Forks, Mont. native, Durham will be taking a position at Western States Insurance in Bozeman. He will also be closer to his two daughters, Kelsey and Kalli. Kalli Durham is finishing her freshman year as a business/accounting major at Montana State University and is a guard for the MSU Bobcats. Kelsey Durham will graduate from Custer County High School on May 17, 2012 and will be attending MSU-Bozeman in fall 2012.

CALDWELL-The College of Idaho will welcome football back to its campus, a move that also establishes the only small college football program in the state of Idaho. The Board of Trustees approved the reinstatement of the College's football team at its May 10-11 meeting and the team is expected to begin play during the fall 2014 season.  

University of Great Falls (UGF) head women's basketball Coach Bill Himmelberg announced three Montana high school players have signed with the Lady Argonauts. 

"I am really excited about the recruiting class we have coming into the 2012-2013 season," Himmelberg.  "I expect all of the ladies to have a positive impact with academics as well as on the court." 

Cara Stettler is a 5-foot-8 guard from Noxon, Mont.  She averaged 12 points, 2.5 assists, 2.6 steals and eight rebounds per game.

"We are happy to sign a solid Montana player," Himmelberg said. "Cara is going to add a lot to our university both on and off the court." 

Sam Manley  is a 5-foot-10 post player from Missoula Loyola of Missoula, Mont. 

"We are really excited Sam is coming to UGF," Himmelberg said. "Sam is a great student and is going to be a valuable asset on the court as well as in the classroom. We are excited to get a player from Loyola. They have a great program and the students coming out of there are always great character kids. Sam is the kind of student, athlete and person we want at UGF." 

PORTLAND, Ore. -" Rigoberto Jimenez of Royal City, Wash. had one goal in mind, to qualify for the NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field Meet.  In his final regular season meet of the 2012 season, Jimenez not only accomplished his mission but did so in an extremely impressive fashion with a 10K time of 30:49.3 crushing the UGF record.

On Thursday, the Argos competed in 30 mph winds at Dickinson State University as Taylor Lucero of Fresno, Calif. ran a 2:17.08 in the 800, winning the race but falling just short of a national qualifying time.

The Argonaut track team will send four men to the national championships in two weeks. Travis Price, Andrew Hornung and Jimmy Sliwa will run in the 800 and Jimenez will compete in the 10K.

"Rigo (Jimenez) had an amazing performance today." head coach Chad Colwell said. "He executed his race plan flawlessly."

An appearance in the finals is not new to Jimenez as he competed in the 2010 and 2011 Men's Cross Country National Championships.

"Today he fell a little under his initial pace with about 1.5K remaining but did not overdo it and jeopardize his chances at the Nationals in two weeks." Colwell said.

The Argos will compete May 24-26 on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.  The schedule calls for the men's 800m trials to begin at 4:30 p.m. and the men's 10,000m Run finals to conclude the first days schedule at 9:20 p.m. The men's 800m semifinals is slated for 3:35 p.m. on May 25 and the finals the next day at 4:40 p.m.

"What a great way to end the regular season." Colwell said. "The Argo Track and Field teams set twenty-five outdoor records this season. I am extremely pleased with the overall effort and dedication this group of athletes displayed. My assistant coaches did a wonderful job of getting the athletes ready to compete week after week. Next year our goal is to have more athletes qualify for the National Championships."

"We are excited that Maazin has decided to join our basketball program at Montana Western," Keller said. "He can play both the point and 2-guard positions, is a very good three-point shooter and has the ability to get to the rim and finish. Maazin will also be a great defender in our league."

Butler played the past two years at Butte College in Oroville, Calif. in the Golden Valley Conference (GVC). In the 2011-12 season, Butler averaged 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He made 104-293 (.355) field goal attempts, 47-140 (.336) three-point shots and 59-92 (.641) free throws. Butler, a Roadrunners team captain, led his team in scoring, steals and assists and was named to the GVC all-conference team. Butte College finished second in the GVC at 7-3 and posted an overall record of 13-10.

BUTTE, Mont. - Head Women's basketball coach Kerie DePell announced another recruit for the Lady Digger 2012-13 team. Cieana Close, of Rathdrum, Idaho, committed to attending Montana Tech next year. 

Close is a 5-foot-6 shooting guard and will bring ball handling, three-point shooting and overall court awareness and intelligence to the Diggers squad. During the 2012 basketball season at Lakeland High School, she was named first team all-league and played for the North Idaho All-Star Team and the Idaho State All-Star Team. She was also nominated to the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Her Lakeland teammates voted her Offensive Player of the Year.

"Cieana is a great fit for us athletically and academically," DePell said. "She has proven that she is a very hard worker, motivated, and shows tremendous leadership qualities. She will do well on the court for us because of her toughness and basketball IQ, but I also have no doubt that she will be a positive asset to the Environmental Engineering program and campus as a whole."

Close has been an honor roll student every year of high school and her studies will continue to be important to her at Tech. 

"The environmental engineering program is a perfect fit for me and it will allow me to achieve many of my lifelong goals," Close said. "I love the outdoors and I love productivity. Balanced equally, society will benefit. I hope to learn how to help it balance."

She also couldn't be happier to be continuing her basketball career at Montana Tech. 

"The program coach has created appears to be challenging, but enjoyable. It's a fun group of players and I really enjoyed playing with them on my visit. I am very excited to be part of the team."

"We are pleased to announce that Kris has decided to join our basketball program at Montana Western," Keller said. "He is an outstanding three-point shooter as well as a great defender. Kris also has the ability to post up and score inside."

Collins played high school basketball for Holy Cross High School in New Orleans and the past two years played college basketball at Reedley College in Reedley, Calif. in the Central Valley Conference (CVC). In the 2011-12 season, Collins was named to the All-CVC first team and averaged 12.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He made 122-303 (.403) field goal attempts, 53-133 (.399) three-point shots and 11-17 (.647) free throws.

"We are excited Josh decided to join our basketball program at Montana Western," Keller said. "Josh is a pure three-point shooter with great range and has a very quick release for a high school player. We look for Josh to become one of the best three-point shooters in our league."

Schultz earned Southwestern A All-Conference first team and Montana Class A All-State team honors during the 2011-12 season. It was the third time Schultz earned All-State honors. He has been selected to play in the Montana/Wyoming all-star game this summer, being only the second player from Stevensville to receive that honor.

Schultz scored 1,300 points in his career at Stevensville High School - the most in school history - with a single game high of 38 points. He averaged 15.3 points per game in the 2011-12 season and made 39 percent of his three-point attempts. Schultz led the Yellow Jackets to an 18-5 record and runner-up finishes in both the regular season and the Southwestern A divisional tournament.

Stevensville's head coach Keith Chambers has witnessed Schultz's long-range shooting ability, overall play and contributions to the team for the past four years.

"I call Josh the silent assassin," Chambers said. "Josh is open when he enters the gym. But most of all he is a good person and we are going to miss him."

Schultz is the son of Kevin and Teri Schultz and plans to major in business at Montana Western.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Westminster College men's basketball team has signed Blake Skidmore to a Frontier Conference letter of intent, head coach Adam Hiatt announced today. He becomes the third player to sign with Westminster during this offseason and will have two years of eligibility.

Skidmore comes to Westminster after playing at Big Bend Community College. The 6-foot guard from Mud Lake, Idaho attended West Jefferson High School.

"Blake is a high-end recruit for our program," Hiatt commented. "He is a prolific scorer and an outstanding student. He will make our team better from the moment he steps on the court with us. I expect Blake to make a significant imprint on our program over his final two years."

Skidmore averaged 24.2 points per game last season and scored over 30 points in seven games and reached 40 points on three occasions. He was named co-MVP of the Eastern Region and was first team All-Tournament after setting a NWAACC Tournament record by scoring 31 points per game in the four games he played. In high school, Skidmore averaged 30 points per game as a senior and was the Idaho 2A Player of the year.

"Westminster has established itself as being one of the best programs in the region at all levels," Skidmore said. "I feel like it's a great fit for me and my family and I can't wait to join the team and start working with the players and coaches."

The University of Great Falls Argonaut track and field team participated in multiple locations this past weekend.

On Friday night at Mt. Hood Community College, Jimmy Sliwa ran a personal best in the 800-meter with a time of 1:53.20. The time has Jimmy ranked 26^thin the NAIA behind fellow Argos Travis Price (9^th) and Andrew Hornung (18^th). Also on Friday, senior Shane Weldon ran a 15:25.24 in the 5K.  

For the ladies, Taylor Lucero posted the winning time in the women's 800 with a personal best of 2:16.85.  The performance leaves Lucero less than a second off the national qualifying mark for the 800 and is a six second PR for Taylor this year alone. Brandi Eloff took third in the 1500 with a time of 4:57.02, which is also a PR for Brandi.

Saturday at the University of Oregon Twilight Travis Price ran 1:52.75 and Andrew Hornung ran a 1:53.99 in the men's 800. This meet featured professional athletes including the 2008 US Olympian Andrew Wheating who won the men's 1500.

This is the Argos first trip to the University of Oregon and historic Hayward Field.  Later this year Hayward Field will host to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for Track & Field.

On Sunday Christian Bruce celebrated Cinco de Mayo in a peculiar way.  It was not peculiar because she was participating in a half marathon, it was peculiar because about 1.5 miles into the event the runners had to wait on a cargo train that was blocking the course for about ten minutes.  With that said Bruce ran an impressive 1:43.17, including the ten minutes waiting on the train.

"This was a great experience for our athletes," head coach Chad Colwell said.  "The opportunity to compete at Hayward Field in that type of environment is amazing. It was a great test of our abilities. Taylor Lucero winning the 800 and our seniors Shane Weldon, Brandi Eloff, and Jimmy Sliwa setting a PR's were the highlights of the weekend."

"We are excited that Keegan has decided to join our basketball program at Montana Western," Keller said. "Keegan has improved his game drastically the last two years and we expect him to continue that progress. Keegan can shoot the three as well as get to the rim and he is long and athletic which will help him on the defensive end."

McCarthy played for Coach Brodie Kelly at Butte Central High School on a team that finished the season with an overall record of 13-8. In 18 regular season games this past season, McCarthy averaged 13.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He made 81-173 (.468) field goals, 27-66 (.409) three point shots and 46-74 (.622) free throw attempts. McCarthy also blocked 38 shots (2.1 per game) and was selected to the Southwestern A All-Conference first team.

Coach Kelly has seen the improvement McCarthy has made over the past two seasons and believes he can be an impact player at the college level.

"Keegan worked extremely hard to become a college-caliber basketball player," Kelly said. "With the combination of his work ethic and potential, I think he will become a great player for the Montana Western Bulldogs."

Oredigger Football program has two camps in June. The camps offer the opportunity to enhance individual skills in a team atmosphere. Camp instructors include head coach Chuck Morrell and his staff. The 8-man camp is June 8-10 and the 11-man camp is June 18-20. For more information, contact camp director Doug Schleeman at (406) 496.4768 or dschleeman@mtech.edu.

Men's basketball and head coach Aaron Woliczko offer camps for two age groups for basketball players looking to develop their skills. The camps run Monday through Thursday with each camper receiving individual instruction from Oredigger coaches and players.

For youths age 10-14, camp runs June 11-14. Camps for younger players age 5-9 runs from June 25-28. Campers will receive a free t-shirt. There is a cap to each camp so early registration is recommended. For more information, camp director Patrick O'Herron at (406) 496.4844 or poherron@mtech.edu.

Montana Tech women's basketball and volleyball offer individual camps or combined camps June 18-22. The camps include instruction from coaches and players on fundamental skills. The camps are offered to girls entering third grade up to ninth grade. Volleyball camp is during the morning session and basketball in the afternoon. Lunch is included to campers attending both sessions. For more information, contact head basketball coach Kerie DePell at (406) 498.5283 or kdepell@mtech.edu.

The Lady Digger Hoop Camp is July 23-26 for girls ages 8-16. The camp runs 9 AM-3 PM and includes lunch and a t-shirt. The camp is for all skill levels and focuses on fundamentals and basic knowledge of the game based on each camper's level of experience. Contact coach DePell for more information.

For more information about Oredigger Athletics, check www.godiggers.com.

Duvall, a 5-foot-6 shooting guard from Geraldine, Mont, is a quick, strong guard who will bring a variety of skills to the backcourt of the Diggers.

She was a first team all-conference selection her junior and senior seasons as well as a first team all-state selection in those same two years. During her senior season, Duvall was the team MVP and team captain.

Duvall also excelled in other sports. In volleyball, she earned all-state and all-conference selections in her junior and senior seasons. She was named all-conference in track and finished fifth at the state meet in the javelin as a sophomore.

"Tayler is an exciting prospect because she has a lot of the tools needed to be a successful college player," DePell said. "She will not only be a positive aspect to add to our basketball program, but also an asset to our campus and community." 

Duvall also excels in the classroom and community. Currently, she maintains a 3.97 GPA and earned academic all-state honors in her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. She participates in National Honor Society, student council, Science Club, Letter Club, Pep Club, BPOA, band and choir.

"I am excited to play basketball for Montana Tech because I love basketball,"  Duvall said. "I think Tech's athletic program is very solid and the players and coaches seem like a great fit for me. I am also excited to attend Montana Tech because of their nursing program and small class size."

Duvall will join the Orediggers this fall and begin her path toward a nursing degree. 

Roberts, a freshman from East Wenatchee, Wash., averaged 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, two assists and 1.7 steals per game for the Rustlers last season. He shot 51 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line.

"We look at him to be able to come in and be a person who can make shots for us and score in a variety of ways," Rocky coach Bill Dreikosen said. "He's a very good athlete. He understands the game well."

Roberts redshirted one season at Sheridan College before competing for coach Curtis Condie at CWC. He will have three years of eligibility for Rocky beginning in the fall.

"He's had very good coaching from a fundamental and detailed standpoint," Dreikosen said. "That's just something that's definitely going to be important when you get him. You don't have to make up for so many things that they didn't learn in the last program.

"To have him come in and be with us for three years is an exciting thing for me. I just think he's going to continue to grow and he can really be an excellent performer in the Frontier Conference."

CWC compiled a 20-11 record last season, losing in the first round of the Region IX tournament. It was the Rustlers' first 20-win season in over 20 years.

During his senior year at Eastmont High School, Roberts averaged a league-high 24.6 points per game. He was a first-team all-league performer and was selected as the Big Nine Conference athlete of the year.