FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:

Rick Pike
Snow College
Rick.Pike@snow.edu
(435) 283-7062
Fax: (435) 283-7064

 

 

SNOW COLLEGE TO HOST INAUGURAL

ZIONS BANK TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS BOWL

11^th-ranked Rochester to Face Snow College Saturday, December 4 in Salt Lake City

 

EPHRAIM, Utah—November 17, 2004—Snow College today announced it will play Rochester Community and Technical College in the inaugural Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl Classic. The game will be played at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 4 in Rice-Eccles Stadium located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City. Snow College earned the bowl invitation upon defeating Pima Community College Saturday 26-7, finishing the regular season 6-4.

            “We’re delighted to participate in what will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of these student athletes – playing in a bowl game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the Utes and the 2002 Winter Olympics,” said Michael T. Benson, president of Snow College. “I’m particularly grateful to Zions Bank whose three-year financial commitment to this bowl game makes the first junior college bowl game to be held in Salt Lake City a reality.”

            Snow College brings one of the nation’s strongest defenses into the game. The Badgers give up 15 points a contest and have two players among the national leaders in interceptions and sacks. Quincy Wallin led the Western States Football League (WSFL) in interceptions with 6 in 10 games; C.J. Ah You, a transfer from Brigham Young University, was third in the WSFL in sacks with 11 in 10 games. Snow also has the league-leading kickoff return team led by Deondrick Nunez who has 4 touchdowns on 17 returns and a 37-yard average this season.

            The WSFL was perhaps the strongest conference in the NJCAA this season. Three teams finished the regular season in the top 15 – Scottsdale (5), Dixie State (7) and Pima (13). Snow College and Glendale finished just out of the top 20 among the “others receiving votes.” Except for Glendale, all of the above teams will represent the WSFL in bowl games this year. Last December, Snow College traveled to Brunswick, Ga. and defeated Georgia Military in the Golden Isles Bowl 27-21 en route to a 9-1 season and a number four ranking in the final NJCAA poll.

Rochester (9-2) finishes the regular season on a three-game win streak. The Yellow Jackets avenged early season losses to Mesabi Range and Minnesota West by defeating each of them in the semifinals and finals, respectively, en route to the Minnesota State Championship.

Rochester is finishing a season in a bowl game for the eighth consecutive year. The visit to Salt Lake City will be their second to Utah. In 2001, Rochester played in the Dixie Rotary Bowl where they were runner up to Dixie State College.

Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl Classic

The Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl was the idea of Michael T. Benson, president of Snow College. The purpose is to provide a bowl experience for two junior college football teams with preference given to Snow College located in Ephraim, Utah. As long as the Badgers finish above .500 they will host the game. The bowl game became a reality when Zions Bank offered a three-year commitment of financial support to help underwrite the event. Proceeds from the game will go to the Snow College Foundation for the school’s general scholarship fund.

 

Snow College

Snow College, founded in 1888, serves approximately 3,000 students at its Ephraim campus. The college provides general education and applied technology programs leading to Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Pre-Engineering degrees, and certificates of completion in a number of occupational areas.  Once owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Snow College became a state college in 1932.

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