championship
championship at Wazzu is a file of 4 stories. The newest of them: “Helm guides Cougs through opening day of Hawaii tournament”, “Golf Cougs One Swing Back at Saint Mary's Invitational”, and “Coug doubles squad owns the Northwest Regionals, no qualifiers needed”. Helm walked into Hawaii's tournament opener and got exactly what you'd expect from a first day on a strange course: a mix of good swings, a few head-scratchers, and enough to keep the Cougs in the game. The Washington State golf team is back on the course this week at the Saint Mary's Invitational, and they've got a little momentum to work with. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every championship story on Wazzu, newest first.
Helm guides Cougs through opening day of Hawaii tournament
Helm walked into Hawaii's tournament opener and got exactly what you'd expect from a first day on a strange course: a mix of good swings, a few head-scratchers, and enough to keep the Cougs in the game. If you've ever lined up a putt with the wind coming off the Pacific, you know. It's not the Palouse. The team settled in, though, and Helm's steady hand through the rotation kept things from drifting. No heroics. No panic. Just the kind of golf that gives you something to build on for the rest of the week. If you missed it, we also had the Cougs at the Saint Mary's Invitational recently, different island, different feel, same stubborn approach to getting the ball in the hole. Worth a read if you want to see how this squad handles a road trip. For now, the Hawaii tournament is still wide open. The Cougs are in the mix. That's all you can ask on day one. Go Cougs.
Golf Cougs One Swing Back at Saint Mary's Invitational
The Washington State golf team is back on the course this week at the Saint Mary's Invitational, and they've got a little momentum to work with. After a tough stretch, the Cougs are one swing back. That's the kind of phrase that means something when you've been grinding through a fall schedule that doesn't let up. They're not looking for moral victories out there in California. They're looking to stack a solid round and keep climbing. This group has shown flashes. The question is whether they can string them together when it matters. The field at Saint Mary's won't hand out anything easy, but that's the point. You go to these tournaments to find out what you're made of, and Pullman has always been a place that builds players who can handle a little adversity. If you missed our earlier coverage on the Cougs heading to the Tyson Invitational, that story gives you a sense of how this team prepares for the road. Same grit, different course. For now, the focus is on Monterey. One swing at a time. Go Cougs.
Coug doubles squad owns the Northwest Regionals, no qualifiers needed
The Cougar doubles squad rolled through the ITA Northwest Regionals without needing a single qualifier. That is not a typo. That is a statement. You don't stumble into that kind of weekend. You earn it. And this group did, match after match, leaving no doubt who the best team in the region was. No play-in rounds. No scrambling for a spot. Just straight-up owning the bracket from the first serve. This follows a pattern we have seen all fall. The Cougs gave Colorado State everything they could handle, just not a win earlier this season, and that fight carried over. They snuck into a tie for second out in Tacoma, and that'll play. But this regional title is different. It is clean. It is decisive. It is the kind of result that makes you wonder what happens when they get a full spring schedule in front of them. Pullman does not always get the headlines in tennis. That is fine. The Cougs do not need them. They just need a court, a ball, and a chance to prove it. They proved it this weekend. Go Cougs.
Pac-12 power rankings leave little doubt about the gap ahead of WSU
The gap between the top three and the rest of the Pac-12 is a chasm, and the power rankings make it official. Boise State, Oregon State, and Fresno State are the class of the conference. Washington State? We're sitting at No. 7, and the takeaway from the rankings is brutal but fair: we don't have enough offense to secure a bowl berth, let alone sniff the championship game. It's one week into round-robin play, and the picture is already clear. The beauty of this eight-team league is everyone plays everyone, so there are no excuses. The defining dates are set: Boise State at Fresno State, Oregon State at Fresno State, and Oregon State at Boise State. The analytics favor the Broncos to sweep. Our hunch is they do. For the Cougs, the immediate concern is finding an offensive pulse. First-year coach Kirby Moore has no answers right now, and if that doesn't change in the next 19 games, Pullman will be in the market for a new coach. That's the hard truth. We've got deeper coverage on the situation, including a look at Moore taking over playcalls and what the Cougs need against Utah State this Friday. It's a short week, and the offense is MIA. Pullman is letting them hear it. Go Cougs.