Boise State wins two Mountain West athlete of year awards; kicker earns preseason nod
Former Boise State nickel Kekaula Kaniho was named 2021-22 Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday.
Kaniho is the fourth Boise State athlete in five years to earn the conference’s highest honor, joining former women’s cross country and track and field standouts Kendra Noneman (2019-20) and Allie Ostrander (2018-19), and former football center Mason Hampton (2017-18).
In addition to athletic success, recipients of the scholar-athlete award must have a 3.5 GPA, demonstrate leadership, and exhibit good character and community involvement over the course of their college career. The award includes a $2,500 postgraduate scholarship.
Kaniho, who set a Boise State record for games played with 60 between 2017 and 2021, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals in April, but he was released in May.
A native of Kahuku, Hawaii, Kaniho posted 217 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, six interceptions, 30 pass breakups, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his Boise State career. He also scored four career touchdowns, including one on a punt return.
He was a three-time All-Mountain West selection, earning first-team honors in 2019, and Kaniho’s success in the classroom has been well-documented. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound defensive back was the FBS Senior CLASS Award winner in 2020, and he was named a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2021 and ‘22.
Kaniho graduated from Boise State in May 2021 with a degree in health science and a 3.96 GPA. Last fall, he was enrolled in Boise State’s College of Innovation and Design and earned a 4.0 GPA for the semester.
Schoffield earns another title
Boise State’s Kristie Schoffield, the reigning 800-meter national champion, was named the 2021-22 Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.
Schoffield posted a Mountain West and Boise State record time of 2:01.09 en route to capturing the national title and her sixth career All-America honor at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships last month in Eugene, Oregon.
She is the fourth woman in Boise State track and field history to capture an individual national championship, joining Eleni Kafourou (2009 indoor long jump), Emma Bates (2014 outdoor 10,000-meter) and Ostrander (2017-19 outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase).
Dalmas named preseason All American
Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas was named a preseason third-team All American earlier this week by Athlon Sports.
Dalmas, a former football and soccer standout at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian, set Boise State’s single-season record with 26 made field goals last season.
After missing just two field goal attempts, Dalmas was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist last year. He was also the first Boise State kicker to be named first-team All-Mountain West since 2015.
