Fresno State notebook: Football 101 night for women returns for 2016

Football 101 Ladies Night will be back at Bulldog Stadium for a second straight year.

Participants get a behind-the-scenes look at Bulldog football, instruction from coaches and an opportunity to meet with student athletes.

The event is hosted by Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter, wife Kara, and the Bulldogs staff to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Central Valley breast cancer foundation. This year’s edition is scheduled for June 7.

Registration is $50 per person by May 30 or $60 after that. Drinks, appetizers, two tickets to Fresno State’s home opener against Sacramento State and a Nike visor are included. Space is limited to 150 people.

RSVP’s can be made to Judy Lea or the Bulldog Foundation at 559-278-4112 or jalea@csufresno.edu.

▪ Six Bulldogs players have been named to the National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society for maintaining a 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.

Fresno State’s six honorees – center Bo Bonnheim, long snapper Dylan Detwiler, running back Malique Micenheimer, offensive lineman Justin Northern, outside linebacker Kyrian Obidiegwu and punter Garrett Swanson – are a Mountain West Conference high.

Tennis – Fresno State senior Sophie Watts is the Mountain West women’s tennis player of the week.

It is the second time this season and seventh in her career that Watts has received the honor. She won her 20th singles match of the season Saturday in a victory over Nevada. It marked the third straight year in which Watts has won at least 20.

The No. 1-seeded and nationally No. 47 Bulldogs, 8-0 in the MW regular season, face No. 8 Air Force or No. 9 Utah State in Friday’s conference championship quarterfinals in Fort Collins, Colo.

▪ Fresno State drew top-seeded Utah State in Friday’s first round of the men’s tournament in Las Vegas.

Women’s basketball – Bulldogs coach Jaime White added some height for next season with the signing of 6-foot-2 Sharae Chalmers.

Chalmers starred at Nimitz High in Irving, Texas, where she helped the Vikings reach the state playoffs the past two seasons after being absent for more than a decade. She averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds as a senior and was the District 9-6A Defensive Player of the Year Award.

The Bulldogs’ 2016 recruiting class includes five 6-footers, including three at or above 6-2.

“We’re very excited about signing Sharae,” White said. “She’s been a little bit of a late bloomer, and didn’t play club last year so we turned over a lot of bushes to find her. She gives us a lot of strength inside. She’s a very physical player at 6-foot-2, and I haven’t seen anyone that can defend her on the drop step. She’s a good person that I think will really flourish in our program.”

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Fresno State notebook: Football 101 night for women returns for 2016."