Bengal Champions
Bengal Champions The Idaho State athletic department has a storied past sprinkled with Olympians, pro athletes, NCAA and Big Sky champions as well as All-Americans. On the National Stage In the 100-plus year history of ISU athletics, the teams have totaled 30 NCAA post-season appearances and one AIAW showing. Probably the most visible of those appearances culminated in the Bengals winning the NCAA Division I football championship in 1981. Bengal athletes have also earned 18 NCAA individual championships, including 16 in boxing, a sport which was discontinued by the NCAA in 1961. More than one hundred Bengals have garnered national recognition in the form of All-America honors, since records were kept. Forty-eight footballers along with 53 individuals from the track and cross country programs have received the prestigious athletic award. One Bengal, Jared Allen, has also garnered ISU’s only National Player of the Year Award, as he was named the 2003 Buck Buchanan Award winner. In the Conference Idaho State has been successful on the conference level, tallying 72 Big Sk y post-season appearances including 39 championship titles. The Bengal track/cross country program has nabbed 21 Big Sky team
titles dating back to the 1963-64 season - the most of any ISU program. Before joining the Big Sky Conference, ISU also boasted 29 more postseason conference appearances, 12 in men’s basketball, nine in track and five in football as a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference as well as three in volleyball as a part of the Mountain West Athletic Conference. Of those 29 appearances, the Bengals took home 26 titles, nine each in men’s basketball and track, five in football and two in volleyball. Individual Bengal athletes have also found success on the Big Sky level, snagging 315 conference titles overall. ISU tracksters have garnered 294 of those titles, while men’s and women’s tennis athletes have contributed 20 to the total and men’s and women’s golf have one each to its credit. On Top of the World Idaho State’s reach has not ended with the college ranks as several ISU athletes have gone on to the professional and elite ranks in their respective sports. NBA teams have picked up 15 Idaho State hoopsters since 1963, while 39 Bengals have played, or are currently playing in the NFL. T h e A r e n a Fo o t b a l l L e a g u e has claimed several Bengals on its rosters while over 20 former ISU players have suited up in the Canadian Football
League. Idaho State players have also been well represented in the Indoor Pro Football League, the National Indoor Football League, the Arena Football League, and one Bengal even strapped on an XFL helmet. Over 10 Bengals have also played in AF2. B u t I S U ’s c re a m o f t h e c ro p athletes have made it to the highest level of competition in the world; the Olympic Games. Eleven Bengals beginning in the 1952 Games have represented ISU and their respective countries at the Olympics.
Four boxers, five track athletes and two coaches have competed for four different countries at eight different Olympic Games, highlighted by Stacy Dragila winning gold in the inaugural women’s pole vault in Sydney, Australia.
Bengal Champions National Tournament Appearences 13 Men’s Basketball 6 Women’s Basketball 4 Women’s Volleyball 4 Women’s Soccer 2 Football 2 Men’s Cross Country National Team Championships 2 Boxing 1 Football National Individual Championships 16 Boxing Women’s Outdoor Track & Field 1 1 Men’s Cross Country All-Americans 48 Football 26 Outdoor Track and Field 21 Indoor Track and Field 6 Cross Country 2 Women’s Basketball
Conference Team Championships 14 Men’s Basketball 12 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 7 Football 4 Men’s Indoor Track and Field 4 Women’s Soccer 3 Women’s Volleyball 4 Women’s Basketball 2 Men’s Tennis 1 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field 1 Women’s Golf 1 Women’s Tennis Conference Individual Champions 185 Outdoor Track and Field 107 Indoor Track and Field 15 Women’s Tennis 5 Men’s Tennis 1 Women’s Golf 1 Men’s Golf 1 Women’s Cross Country 1 Men’s Cross Country
Idaho State Ring of Honor In January of 1999, the Idaho State athletic department instituted the ISU Ring of Honor. Encircling the top of Holt Arena, the Ring of Honor is for the truly outstanding men and women in Idaho State University history. On January 30, 1999, the first 16 individuals were enshrined in the Ring of Honor, along with Idaho State’s three national championship teams. In 2009, Idaho State inducted the 17 individual into the Ring of Honor as Jared Allen earned the nod and had his jersey retired. In order to earn induction into the Ring of Honor, a candidate must meet one of the following criteria: 1) Have his or her number retired 2) Have competed in the Olympic Games 3) Have brought fame and national attention to Idaho State University For teams to be inducted, they must win a national championship.
Ring of Honor Inductees
Inducted on January 30, 1999 unless otherwise noted
Ed Bell, football Lawrence Butler, men’s basketball Babe Caccia, football, coach, athletic director Stacy Dragila, track Case deBruijn, football Merril Hoge, football Milton ‘Dubby’ Holt, football, coach, athletic director Tom Jewell, football, coach, athletic director Jim Killingsworth, coach Dave Kragthorpe, coach Mike Machurek, football Les Roh, men’s basketball Ed Sanders, boxing Dave Wagnon, men’s basketball Ellsworth ‘Spider’ Webb, boxing Amber Welty-Cnossen, track Jaren Allen, football (2009)
National Championship Team Inducted 1953 boxing team 1957 boxing team 1981 football team
titles dating back to the 1963-64 season - the most of any ISU program. Before joining the Big Sky Conference, ISU also boasted 29 more postseason conference appearances, 12 in men’s basketball, nine in track and five in football as a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference as well as three in volleyball as a part of the Mountain West Athletic Conference. Of those 29 appearances, the Bengals took home 26 titles, nine each in men’s basketball and track, five in football and two in volleyball. Individual Bengal athletes have also found success on the Big Sky level, snagging 315 conference titles overall. ISU tracksters have garnered 294 of those titles, while men’s and women’s tennis athletes have contributed 20 to the total and men’s and women’s golf have one each to its credit. On Top of the World Idaho State’s reach has not ended with the college ranks as several ISU athletes have gone on to the professional and elite ranks in their respective sports. NBA teams have picked up 15 Idaho State hoopsters since 1963, while 39 Bengals have played, or are currently playing in the NFL. T h e A r e n a Fo o t b a l l L e a g u e has claimed several Bengals on its rosters while over 20 former ISU players have suited up in the Canadian Football
League. Idaho State players have also been well represented in the Indoor Pro Football League, the National Indoor Football League, the Arena Football League, and one Bengal even strapped on an XFL helmet. Over 10 Bengals have also played in AF2. B u t I S U ’s c re a m o f t h e c ro p athletes have made it to the highest level of competition in the world; the Olympic Games. Eleven Bengals beginning in the 1952 Games have represented ISU and their respective countries at the Olympics.
Four boxers, five track athletes and two coaches have competed for four different countries at eight different Olympic Games, highlighted by Stacy Dragila winning gold in the inaugural women’s pole vault in Sydney, Australia.
Bengal Champions National Tournament Appearences 13 Men’s Basketball 6 Women’s Basketball 4 Women’s Volleyball 4 Women’s Soccer 2 Football 2 Men’s Cross Country National Team Championships 2 Boxing 1 Football National Individual Championships 16 Boxing Women’s Outdoor Track & Field 1 1 Men’s Cross Country All-Americans 48 Football 26 Outdoor Track and Field 21 Indoor Track and Field 6 Cross Country 2 Women’s Basketball
Conference Team Championships 14 Men’s Basketball 12 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 7 Football 4 Men’s Indoor Track and Field 4 Women’s Soccer 3 Women’s Volleyball 4 Women’s Basketball 2 Men’s Tennis 1 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field 1 Women’s Golf 1 Women’s Tennis Conference Individual Champions 185 Outdoor Track and Field 107 Indoor Track and Field 15 Women’s Tennis 5 Men’s Tennis 1 Women’s Golf 1 Men’s Golf 1 Women’s Cross Country 1 Men’s Cross Country
Idaho State Ring of Honor In January of 1999, the Idaho State athletic department instituted the ISU Ring of Honor. Encircling the top of Holt Arena, the Ring of Honor is for the truly outstanding men and women in Idaho State University history. On January 30, 1999, the first 16 individuals were enshrined in the Ring of Honor, along with Idaho State’s three national championship teams. In 2009, Idaho State inducted the 17 individual into the Ring of Honor as Jared Allen earned the nod and had his jersey retired. In order to earn induction into the Ring of Honor, a candidate must meet one of the following criteria: 1) Have his or her number retired 2) Have competed in the Olympic Games 3) Have brought fame and national attention to Idaho State University For teams to be inducted, they must win a national championship.
Ring of Honor Inductees
Inducted on January 30, 1999 unless otherwise noted
Ed Bell, football Lawrence Butler, men’s basketball Babe Caccia, football, coach, athletic director Stacy Dragila, track Case deBruijn, football Merril Hoge, football Milton ‘Dubby’ Holt, football, coach, athletic director Tom Jewell, football, coach, athletic director Jim Killingsworth, coach Dave Kragthorpe, coach Mike Machurek, football Les Roh, men’s basketball Ed Sanders, boxing Dave Wagnon, men’s basketball Ellsworth ‘Spider’ Webb, boxing Amber Welty-Cnossen, track Jaren Allen, football (2009)
National Championship Team Inducted 1953 boxing team 1957 boxing team 1981 football team
