Athlon Sports releases its 2015 Pac-12 preseason all-conference

Exactly two weeks ago Phil Steele released his Pac12 preseason All-Americans which included three Cougars; Dom Williams, Gabe Marks, and Joe Dahl. This week we see Athlon Sports release their Pac12 preseason all-Americans which includes two different Cougars than Steele had in his list.

The one name that most of us expected to see on Steele's list, River Cracraft, appeared as a third-team receiver on Athlon's list. Cracraft hauled in 66 receptions in 9 games for 771 yards and 8 touchdowns and is the leading receiver of those returning next season.

One name we didn't see on previous lists was linebacker Kache Palacio. As one of the best linebackers in the conference last season he recorded 57 tackles with 1 forced fumble that he also recovered. He recorded 6.5 sacks last season which was best for 12th in the conference. He is listed as a fourth-team linebacker.

Marks, who was also included in Steele's, is the one player that was a surprise on both lists as he sat out last season due to injuries. In Steele's rankings he was listed as a second-team receiver but is listed as a fourth-team receiver on the most recent. This ranking seems to be a little more understandable for a player who has not seen the field since 2013.

Offensive lineman Joe Dahl was placed as a third-team lineman on Steele's list but is listed on the second-team for Athlon. As one of the anchors for the young offensive line Dahl helped out greatly during the struggles of last season and stepped up a lot. Look for Dahl to be one of the Cougars go-to guys when it comes it comes down to time of need next season.

Football:

Four Cougars Named To Athlon’s Preseason All-Pac-12 Teams - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Four Washington State Cougars were placed on the 2015 Preseason All-Pac-12 Team by Athlon Sports, the magazine released recently.

Track & Field:

Track & Field All-America Honors Announced - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Track & Field All-America Honors Announced

Steve Gleason:

Former Cougars player Steve Gleason wins Halas Award
Steve Gleason, who is afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), has won the George Halas Award for overcoming adversity and succeeding.

Rowing:

Watson and Hare Earn All-America Honors - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State University women’s rowing junior, Jordan Watson, has been named to the 2015 Pocock All-America First Team and her classmate, Nicole Hare, was named to the second team, the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) announced Monday.

Other Cougar News:

Cougar Athletic Fund tour makes stop in Moses Lake - Columbia Basin Herald: Washington State University
the Cougar Athletic Fund made a stop at the Pillar Rock Grill in Moses Lake to congregate with local Washington State University athletics fans and share a slice of its vision for the future.

WSU, Bellevue College move toward potential partnership | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News
Washington State University and Bellevue College have taken another step toward a potential future education partnership.