Northwest Notes

Lake City thrower Osika

signs with Idaho track and field

MOSCOW — The University of Idaho track and field program announced the signing of Jocie Osika of Lake City High.

Osika has a personal best of 131 feet, 4 inches in the discus and 37-6 1/2 in the shot put. Last year Osika won a regional championship in the discus and qualified for the state 5A track and field meet, placing 11th. She was fourth at her region in the shot put and placed seventh at state as a junior.

“Jocie fits in well with the team and with our mission here at Idaho,” said Tim Cawley, director of track and field/cross country at Idaho. “She is a very dynamic thrower, who is also very dedicated to her studies. We are very happy to add her to the Vandal family.”

Eastern schedules football

home-and-home with Western Illinois

Continuing its rivalry with the Missouri Valley Conference, Eastern Washington will play its first football games against Western Illinois in 2020 and 2021, Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves announced.

The two schools will meet for the first time on Sept. 12, 2020, in a game played at Roos Field in Cheney. The Eagles and Leathernecks will play again the next season in Macomb, Ill., on Sept. 18, 2021.

The Eagles are 5-12 all-time versus current members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, including a 40-38 home loss to Youngstown State in the semifinals of the 2016 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs at Roos Field. Earlier in the season, Eastern had a 34-30 home win over Northern Iowa on Sept. 17 and a 50-44 overtime loss to North Dakota State the previous week.

The win over the Panthers was EWU’s first in seven non-conference games versus the league and first in seven tries against UNI. Eastern is also 4-6 in the FCS Playoffs versus the MVC. Besides seven games against Northern Iowa (1-6), Eastern also has played three times against Illinois State (1-2), twice against North Dakota State (1-1), Youngstown State (0-2), and once versus Southern Illinois (1-0), South Dakota State (1-0), South Dakota (0-1).

North Dakota State and the Eagles are scheduled to meet again in Cheney on Sept. 16.

Boise State gets earlier kick times

for nighttime home football games

Boise State’s Mountain West Conference football home opener against New Mexico has been moved to Thursday (Sept. 14), and will kick at 6 p.m. on ESPN. As previously announced, Boise State’s game against Virginia at Albertsons Stadium will also kick at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22.

The kick times are earlier than any Boise State home game at Albertsons Stadium since also starting at 6 p.m. against Fresno State on Oct. 17, 2014. The four remaining home games will be played on Saturdays and air on the ESPN family of networks.

“It was important for us to have some games at Albertsons Stadium kick at a time that got our fans home before midnight,” Boise State athletic director Curt Apsey said Wednesday. “We have been working with both the Mountain West and its national television partners since last season, and I am extremely pleased they were able to accommodate our request. ... consistently kicking after 8 p.m. has made things difficult on our fans. I’m hopeful that today’s announcement makes it easier on them and their families, and that we see them in the stands throughout the 2017 season.”

A kick time and specific outlet for the home opener against Troy (Sept. 2) is anticipated by mid-June, whereas determinations for the final three regular-season home games — against Wyoming (Oct. 21), Nevada (Nov. 4) and Air Force (Nov. 18) — will be made during the course of the regular season, generally within a 12-day window.

Each of the Broncos’ conference road tilts will be played on Saturdays and air on CBS Sports Network. Kick times for each have also been set, and three are late-night kick times — the Broncos will play at San Diego State (Oct. 14; 8:30 p.m.), Utah State (Oct. 28; 8 p.m.), Colorado State (Nov. 11; 8:30 p.m.) and Fresno State (Nov. 25; 1:30 p.m.). All times are Mountain.

The Broncos’ nonconference road game at BYU had been previously announced for 8:15 p.m. on ESPN, Friday, Oct. 6, giving Boise State three non-Saturday games in 2017 — the fewest since playing two such contests in 2012. The two non-Saturday home games are the fewest since playing two in 2014.

Eleven of the Broncos’ 12 regular-season games will air on either the ESPN family of networks or CBS Sports Network. Kick time and broadcast information for Boise State’s game at Washington State (Sept. 9) is expected to be announced by the Pac-12 in early June.