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Miserable and Memorable

2007-05-13T17:00:00.000-04:00

**I just realized that this blog was never posted...so here ya go!**

A recent practice reminded me of a blog I have been meaning to write. I have spent a great deal of time exploring the memorable experiences of Bellarmine teams outside of their actual participation in their sport. However, I want to touch on an aspect of practice that can also be a very team-bonding experience: the worst practices.

Anyone who is an athlete or is a former athlete can easily tell you about a miserable practice which he/she and their teammates suffered through, most likely cursing the coaches the entire way through and repeatedly asking themselves why in the world they do this “for fun.” In the end, however, these are the practices we all remember most, and share stories about later. In the end, these are the practices I am actually most proud of.

Last Thursday in the midst of running 250-meter repeats, there came a slight trickle that, in a matter of minutes, became nothing short of a downpour. The teammate I was working out with looked at me and we sort of just shrugged and stepped back up to the line and took off. We could see nothing but gray in front of us and the track had suddenly become the spitting image of a creek bed. In that “short” 250-meters everything I was wearing was soaked through and through.

This is not actually the miserable practice which I first referred to. In fact, this practice was not all too miserable as the rain only lasted about five minute (long enough to drench us) and the practice was nearly over when it did hit.

It did bring flashbacks to a rainy practice about a month prior, though. With storm clouds lurking above, my group of about five mid-distance/sprint girls stepped up to the line to begin a workout that would consist of a 1,000-meter, 800, 300, 300 and a 400. Dreading the workout, one of my comrades muttered, “I wish it would just downpour right now!” Little did she know that a downpour would have no effects on our workout.

No more than 50 meters into that first 1,000 meters did the clouds burst open. I ran on, in the back of my mind thinking that the rain would have to lessen or we would take cover at least when we finished this portion of the practice.

Finishing the 1,000 breathless and my shoes feeling pretty soggy, the rain just continued. My coach came to us after an extremely short break and asked if we were ready for the 800 and to “toe the line.” The rain began to come down harder and I watched as teammates from the other workout groups ran for cover in the equipment supply building nearby. So…we weren’t stopping—yet.

The rain only picked up through the next 800. The inside lane of the track became one giant puddle of standing water at least two inches deep. My feet seemed to suction to the ground in every step, making it nearly impossible to pick up my knees and actually run—not to mention I couldn’t see a thing due to the heavy rain and the steams of water rushing down my face.

The rain only continued just as heavily so we only continued just as hard. Not only had we all become at least ten pounds heavier due to the amount of water absorbed in our shoes and clothing, but the distances we’d been running had taken its toll as well. By the time we reached the second 300, no one in the group even cared about the rain or our condition anymore—what were we going to do about it at this point? We ran on as our teammates stood watching and cheering from the dry quarters of the storage building.

It would be that by the time we had finished that last 400 the rain had tapered off and everyone else had made their way back to the track. Practice was winding down—thank goodness! I was exhausted!

Miserable and slightly insane? Indeed it was. But what do you think the five of us talked about the rest of the night and how many people do you think we shared our story with? Suddenly we found ourselves very proud of the fact that not only had we made it through the practice, but also that we had been put through such a practice.

Do I remember the practices where my teammates and I went on a 30 or 40 minute run? Do I remember the practices where we did that same workout under sunny skies? No, not really—and if I do they are never spoken of due to their lack of meaning. However, now that the misery of that rainy day’s practice is well over, my teammates and I constantly look back on it with a smile and think, “Yeah, we did that.”

Low Strokes, High Grades

2007-04-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

They’ve been anticipating it all season, but perhaps a little scared to get their hopes too high, but finally the men’s golf team can brag. After finishing fourth at the Great Lakes Regional last week, their overall place in the region should earn them a the needed recommendation for an invitation to the NCAA Super Regional Tournament in May.

The men’s golf team is experiencing a successful year both on and off the green. The team finished fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) match a week prior to the recent fourth place finish. In the mean time, the men are scoring high in the classroom, while carrying a 3.52 cumulative GPA.

“We’ve done a really good job of finishing well,” said senior Chris York of the team’s play in tournaments. “We’ve just had a tough time winning one.”

The Great Lakes Region was a two-day tournament in which sophomore Kyle Leach and freshman Brooks Herrick led the team to fourth by tying for eighth with a three-over-par.

The men finished fourth among the 13 teams competing in the GLVC Championship held over a three day period at Otter Creek Golf Club. The team was only 24 strokes behind the winning Northern Kentucky team with their final tally of 910. Of the top eight schools, they were the only team not to break 300 on a single day, as their scores were 301-302-307.

Herrick was again the Knights’ leader as he tied for 14th with 226, 11-over-par. Leach tied for 17th with 227 and York finished in a three-way tie for 22nd with 228.

“Brooks has played really, really well, (this season)” said York on the freshman. “He kind of surprised everyone.”
Previously, the Knights were third in the Great Lakes Region Spring Invitational, shooting 11-over-par, six shots behind the winner. Leach led the team and was only one shot away from earning medalist honors with his three-under-par.

The men also hosted a home invitational at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club at the end of March.

“The problem is Persimmon Ridge is a pretty tough course,” said York. He said it is sometimes hard to convince
teams to compete in their tournament due to the difficulty of the course.

The men finished third out of the twelve teams at the two-day tournament. All five Knights finished in the top 22. Freshman Doug Wilkinson and Herrick led the team who came in third and fourth respectively.

In the school realm, the team has a chance to post four Academic All-American Scholars this season. It is rare for a team to post more than two All-Americans in one season. To qualify, an athlete must have a stroke average below 77 and a GPA of 3.2. According to York, two of the Knights should qualify for sure while the play in their final tournaments will determine whether the other two qualify.

The men’s 3.52 GPA was also the highest cumulative GPA of all Bellarmine athletic teams as of last semester.
Now, with their regular season complete, the men await word on the Super Regional. The NCAA Super Regional selection is based off of points earned by teams over three particular tournaments, including this one. The Knights were tied for first with five points while being ranked third in the region prior to the Great Lakes Regional. The top six teams from each region are invited to compete.

Good luck to the Knights for an extended season—and for finals and those high GPAs!

Oh, and by the way, these guys do take time to just relax between studying the books and swinging their clubs, they're big on playing cards during their travels to matches.

Upcoming Events

2007-04-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

Baseball Team
4/25/2007 - 12:00 & 2:30
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Ind.

Softball Team
4/25/2007 - 2:00 & 4:00
Spalding University
Home

Softball Team
4/26/2007 - 2:00 & 4:00
Morehead State University
Morehead, Ky.

BU Hosts Annual Sports Banquet

2007-04-24T00:17:00.000-04:00

On April 23, 2007 Bellarmine University Athletics Department hosted its annual Athletics Banquet in Frazier Hall.

Teams that were recognized consisted of Men's and Women's cross country, soccer, basketball, golf, tennis, and track teams. Also giving awards to players were the softball, baseball, volleyball, field hockey, and lacrosse teams.

The ceremony was started with a prayer by lacrosse jr. Adam Gardner. After the meal radio personality Terry Meiners spoke to the crowd and was followed by the presentation of awards.

A few recognitions of note were Fall 2006 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Freshmen of the Year Ben Draper of the Men's Cross Country team. Also recieveing player of the week honors for the GLVC were Jaime Halas (Women's Soccer), Ashley Elmore (Women's Basketball), Brandon Clifford and Adam Brames (Men's Basketball), and Denasha Mondy (Women's Track and Field).

Lindsay Scheer of the Women's Soccer team also recieved academic honors from ESPN The Magazine. She was named to the Academic All-American second team, as well as District IV All-Academic first team.

Congrats to all those honored.

Tennis standouts deserve a spotlight

2007-04-23T16:47:00.000-04:00

In the past two and a half years, the worst part about being sports editor for The Concord is picking a choosing the articles. During the winter there is not much choice as basketball is the only sport really taking place; however, fall is busy with two soccer teams, volleyball, field hockey, cross country, as well as some tennis and golf play. Spring is just as bad if not worse with both tennis teams and both golf teams, baseball, softball, track and lacrosse. With only two pages for sports and a very limited writing staff, I often feel guilty about the level of coverage certain teams end up receiving.

Two of the teams who have not been given an adequate amount of coverage this season are the tennis teams. The men's team did receive some coverage but the women have not received much at all so here is my attempt to make up for that.

In conclusion of their season, the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has named their All-Conference team and Bellarmine freshman Sarah Roebker was named two awards. She was not only named to the All-Conference team, but also named the Freshman of the Year.

During her debut season, Roebker posted a 9-6 singles record while playing as Bellarmine's primary No. 1 position. She also spent the season teaming with Elizabeth Bohnert as the Lady Knight's No. 1 doubles team where they picked up six wins.

Also receiving GLVC honors was head coach John Mican. He lead the team to a 14-6 record this season and went 4-1 in the GLVC. Earlier this year Mican was named the United States Tennis Association Kentucky Co-Coach of the year.

The team concluded their season last weekend with the GLVC tournament where the ladies went down in the first round against Southern Indiana, 5-1. Roebker picked up the team's only win as she won the in the No. 1 singles match, 6-1, 6-0.

Hats off to both Sarah and Coach Mican for a successful season. With such young talent on the courts for the Knights, there is no reason not to believe there are several more successful seasons in the near future!

Coach Smith's Still Successful (Part 2)

2007-04-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

Outside the Court

“With myself being such a young coach straight out of college, it’s been a learning process to be under someone with so much experience and success,” stated Peetz. “It’s making me better.” And that’s what Smith prides himself with the most.

“The most rewarding thing about being a coach is watching the girls in years to come having successful careers. They come in just out of high school, and we help mold them into who they become,” states Smith.

Trisha Bennett, a current player, states, “He is a remarkable coach that a player can not take lightly. He is one of the best coaches in NCAA history and I feel that I am learning from him every single day. He is the type of person that will always have an influence in my life.” In most cases, anyone who has played an organized sport can relate to how the experience has helped them with their careers. Smith is someone that if a person pays attention too, he can teach him/her a life lesson that the person can carry with them forever.

Smith’s Future

Coach Smith starts a tradition with every basketball team that he takes over. He believes he has found home with the Bellarmine Knights. “The only way I will coach at a Division I level is if Bellarmine goes D1. I wouldn’t want to coach at D1 level just to say I did it,” said Smith. “I would rather be at a school with tradition that is competing with the best schools around the country rather than at a struggling D1 program.

Smith has many things to look forward to in the upcoming season, 2007-2008, considering he lost only two seniors. He should look forward to the awards and recognition that will be coming to him throughout the rest of his career.

Coach Smith's Still Successful (Part 1)

2007-04-19T12:48:00.003-04:00

Life Before Bellarmine

Before David Smith's name was ever mentioned in the same sentence as Bellarmine, he was making a name for himself elsewhere. "When I first started, I didn't think about what was going to happen the next 20 years," stated Smith. "The goal is to just win the next game." And that he did.

Smith started his college-coaching career at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., where he founded the first women's basketball team in school history in 1976. Not only was he the founder, but he also led the Pumas to three GLVC crowns and two
Regional titles. He was well rewarded for his efforts by being named GLVC Coach of the Year three times during his reign at Saint Joseph's.

Smith moved from Saint Joseph's to Pennsylvania to start another basketball empire at Shippensburg University. "I’d say the main goal is to win a national championship," said Smith. "We go out every year with the possibility at arms reach."

Although he has not won a national championship, he did lead four of his teams to the Big Dance, with his 1996 team being the national runner-up while his 1998 team made it to the Elite Eight. Along the way, Smith's team grabbed three PSAC championships, while he achieved personal success with three PSAC Coach of the Year awards.

Bellarmine Achievements

"He is very intense and passionate about his job. The things he does and says only make people better because he demands success," stated Lindsey Peetz, a current assistant under Smith. His record and accolades show evidence that his demands are being met.

Coach Smith's career record is 499-205. One win away from a record making 500 wins could be a disappointing scenario to end a season with. Although, Coach Smith is still very optimistic stating, "My 500th win is just a number. If it was my last year then I could see why I would be a little disappointed. But I have many years to come and hope to reach my 600th and 700th win."

Coach Smith’s most recent honor is making the list of the best women’s coaches in the NCAA. “It’s just a list. I go out everyday just to win the next game,” replied Smith about receiving the honor.

The list includes many prestigious coaches including Tennessee’s Pat Summit, and Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma. There were five different categories that NCAA coaches could have made the list through. Smith made the list because his career winning percent is 70.9, .9% higher then it had to be.

Virginia Tech

2007-04-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

Virginia Tech head basketball coach mourns after Monday's shootings.

The Virginia Tech community came together to mourn those lost in Monday's horrific shooting spree.

Click here to view video interviews on VA Tech athletes ready to resume play.

All Bellarmine athletes and students, hearts go out to all students and families effected by Monday's tragedy. We are praying for you.

For further information on Virginia Tech go to any of the following links:Few will forget where they were during shootings,Remembering a tragic event,Violence a problem we all can agree on.

You can also go to ESPNU.com for more information, and other college sports news.

Running Scared (PT. 2)

2007-04-19T12:39:00.000-04:00

This is the conclusion to my feature article. Once again let me re-emphasize the fact that in no way am i attempting to cast a negative light on Katie Hickey. She is a great runner and has all my respect.

With two laps to go the pace suddenly picked up more and more. Now the run was a full on sprint. As these runners came back from behind, the questions began to creep back in as well.

“Shake them off. Keep up the pace. Keep going. KEEP GOING.” She told herself these things, but her body wasn’t listening the way her mind wanted it to.

During the struggle with herself, Hickey did not notice what was going on around her. She had gone on auto-pilot and became self-engulfed. When she came to her senses she had realized something. This was something she couldn’t help, and it was something she was now helpless to fix.

Hickey was boxed in.  
Runners had surrounded her. It was now more strain to follow in the footsteps of these runners, and not run over them, then it was to bust out and take the race over. But she had no choice, she had no where to go, no where to run. Katie was stuck. Stuck, boxed in by two inferior runners, while the pack passed her by.

By the last 300 meters of the race Hickey was beat, emotionally from not being able to escape being boxed in while the pack raced away, and physically from having to watch her every step so she wasn’t disqualified for bumping another runner in an attempt to break out.

When the pack made the turn for the home stretch everyone seemed to take off. They sped up and gave everything they had for the final bit of the race. Hickey followed suit. When she took off it was like she was running in quick sand. Her legs felt like rubber and her wind was gone.

She crossed the finish line. Even though she was one of few to make it that far, it wasn‘t good enough for her. Making it to nationals proved she was one of the best in the nation. Not the conference, not the region, but the whole nation. But where she finished wasn’t good enough. “It just wasn’t enough.”

She felt sick. Like she could throw up, like someone had punched her in the stomach, then kicked her in the head while she was down. Some of it was because of the physical strain of running at such a high level for an extended amount of time. But most of it was she was sick from herself. She was so dissatisfied with the way she ran. It wasn’t her best run, and that is what hurt the most.

This instilled a hunger into Hickey . She was like a shark that just got its first taste of blood. This blood was the National meet. And her prey was the other runners she will face. She knew she was better than that. She still knows this today.

Now she has been there. She has done that. No more surprises. Next time she will not be boxed in. Next time she will win. She will win.

Young Hickey has now grown into experienced, strong, fast Hickey . Is she an All American? Can she win the National meet? She doesn’t know the answers, and no one else does, only the future knows what lies ahead.

Running Scared (PT.1)

2007-04-18T20:58:00.000-04:00

I know you are probably sick of hearing about the same runner over and over again. However I have one more article to present to you about Katie Hickey. You have heard about her going to Nationals, and you have heard things about her in general. Now I bring to you the story that you didnt get. This is the story of the race itself.

Let me first say that even making it to Nationals is something that hundreds, maybe even thousands of runners will never do in thier entire college careers. Katie did so as a sophomore. This article in no way is meant to make Katie look bad. She is a great runner and i have all the respect in the world for her. ENJOY!!!

Bellarmine runner Katie Hickey had never felt like this before. For the first time in her career it was all about her. Well, her and two other teammates. Still, this was a far cry from the 30 plus members that took precedent over her wants on any given meet day This time it was more than just that.

There were many other firsts for Hickey on this trip. It was the first time that she had flown on a team event. It was the first time that there were more coaches than runners. It was the first time she had ran at such a large and important event. She had many first indeed.

There were three of them from Bellarmine at the National Event, Meghan Crowe, Jenna Lillpop, and Hickey. She was the new girl, the sophomore, running in a senior’s event. She was Katie Hickey.

Granted this event wasn’t just for seniors, but Nationals are a big deal, and it isn’t often that you see sophomores there. The only runners you see at Nationals are the best. The best of the best.

Knowing this she would frequently ask herself; “Why am I here?” “Can I keep up?” “Do I even belong here?” Everyone told her she was there because she earned it, that she could keep up, and believed that she definitely belonged. Yet the questions still lingered in her mind. These types of questions would be those that after her race, she would never ask herself again.

When she stepped on the track she looked at the other runners. All of them were older, stronger, and larger. These runners were proven All Americans and she was only a sophomore. It was like a young Philly stepping onto the track at the Kentucky Derby for the very first time. Nervous. Anxious. Wide eyed, and scared.

There was no time for these feelings. There was no time for fear. She couldn’t seem to shake this voice in the back of her head: her own voice which was making it hard to concentrate. It was like Chinese water torture, a constant dull tapping that ate away at her.

She stepped up to the starting line…BANG!!! And the race was off. The runners bolted off the line. The first 100 meters it was as if the race was a sprint. Then, suddenly, the pace came to a jarring halt.
After the initial 100 meters the pace became painstakingly slow. “How can this be? Why are they going so slow?” The pace was that of a 5k run, not that of a race just under a mile. The 1500 meter run.

She became bored with such a pace, so she threw all her doubt into the wind. She picked up the pace and challenged the front. Challenged the best of the best, the All Americans. This move was one that was embraced by the field. It seemed that everyone else thought the pace was too slow as well. Hickey had made her move, and the field followed.

For the conclusion of the race visit the blog later.

Upcoming Events

2007-04-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

Women's Tennis Team
4/19/2007 - TBA
GLVC Tournament

Softball Team
4/19/2007 - 2:00 & 4:00
Northern Kentucky University
Home

Women's Track Team
4/20/2007 -
Vanderbilt Invitational
Nashville, Tenn.

Men's Track Team
4/20/2007 -
Eastern Kentucky Invitational
Richmond, Ky.

Men's Golf Team
4/21/2007 -
GL Region Spring Invitational #2
Alton, Ill.

BU Lacrosse: Just a Toddler

2007-04-17T01:45:00.000-04:00

I’ve chosen to take a break from my “team fun” spotlights in order to express a few thoughts regarding our Division-I lacrosse program which will be concluding it’s first season as part of a the Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) this Saturday.

There has been much talk over the past three years about Bellarmine’s first Division-I team. The team came in with my freshman class and their 13-2 season in 2005 brought much excitement to the school and those attending games and learning about the sport. This season the Knights have struggled to pick up wins and, at a glance, one may think our Division-I team is a joke with their 3-9 record. I would not be so skeptical though.

All one needs to do is, first, take a look at the competitive schedule the Knights have been up against this season and, second, take a look at the scores of these games, especially in comparison to last year.

The lacrosse team is in its first year as a member of the GWLL—finally able to compete as more than a provisional team on the Division-I level. The team most recently picked up its first GWLL win as they defeated the Air Force Academy 16-10 last Saturday, April 15. In 2006 the Knights were defeated 9-7.

The Knights’ two other wins came against St. John’s, 12-11, in their home opener (making it their third consecutive home opener win) and Wagner, 12-8, after starting the game down 0-3.

So what about the loss tally? What does that say for the Knights?

Four of the nine teams BU has lost two were opponents from their 2006 schedule as well. Of these four, the score difference was smaller in three of the games and two of the losses were by two or fewer goals.

The men fell to Denver on April 13, a GWLL member, 9-7 while missing leading scorer Ray Finnegan. In 2006 they lost 13-5. A month earlier they were defeated by Brown, 9-8, after losing 6-9 in 2006. The one-point loss was the second of the season as the Knights fell to Manhattan, 7-8, ten days prior in a double overtime.

Their other two second-meeting losses came from Duke and Notre Dame. While their Notre Dame score did not better (3-11 in 2007, 2-8 in 2006), their large marginal loss to Duke was a great improvement. The team was crushed 16-1 in 2006, but picked up eight additional goals this year, while Duke only had two more, making the 2007 score 9-18.

Perhaps I may seem to be digging deep to find optimism, but when speaking of a No. 5 ranked team in the country, which Duke was as of March 31 when the Knights faced them, I believe it’s worth something.

Five of the nine teams Bellarmine lost to were ranked in the nation’s top 20, including the previously mentioned No. 5 Duke and No. 19 Notre Dame, as well as No. 6 Maryland, No. 9 Princeton and No. 15 North Carolina.

The Knights will conclude their 2007 season this weekend when they take on final GWLL opponent Quinnipiac. Bellarmine lost to Quinnipiac in 2006 by one goal in a double overtime. A win this Saturday would give the Knights a 2-2 record in their first season as part of the GWLL.

So do not discount the Bellarmine lacrosse program after a glance at their record. There is a reason a team plays a competitive schedule, and that is for improvement and a long-term goal. Sometimes it cannot be about showing a single respectable record, but building a respectable program. The lacrosse program is three years old. It’s just a toddler. Keep feeding it and it will grow strong.

With Summer Around the Corner, Basketball Camps are just a Call Away.

2007-04-16T17:31:00.000-04:00

Bellarmine University is to hold basketball camps throughout the summer. These camps are held for young boys and girls from the ages of six all the way up to seniors in high school. Camps will be held from June 4th all the way up wintil July 20th, however, there are different camps each week for the different ages.

The "Jr. Knights Camp" will be held from June 4 through June 8. This camp is held for boys and girls who are six and seven years old. Camp will start at 9 a.m. and will conclude at 11 a.m. each day.

"Boys Fundamental Camps" will take place over three different weeks. All three sessions are aimed for ages eight through 12 and will be on the dates of June 11-15, June 18-22 and June 25-29. Sessions will start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.

"Girls Fundaments Camps" are held for the same ages as the boys fundamental camps and will also begin and end at the same time. The session for this camp will be July 16-20.

Bellarmine University's Head Men's basketball coach Scott Davenport and Women's Head Coach David Smith co-direct these camps. Davenport led the Knights to thier first GLVC tournament birth in 6 years during his first year at the helm. David Smith is also going for his 500th win in the upcoming season, a milestone few women's college basketball coaches have reached.

For more information on these camps as well as the boys and girls high school camps you can visit the bellarmine athletics website. You can also get prices for camp and an application for sign-up as well.

Visit here for brochure.

Ferch's Behind the Scenes Experience

2007-04-15T15:19:00.000-04:00

From March 24-28, Connie Ferch, a Bellarmine student-athlete, got to be a part of one of the most talked about things in Louisville. Ferch was asked to help coach the McDonalds West girl's team.

"My experience was great," stated Ferch. Her main job as a coach was to keep track of minutes played by each girl and handle substitutions. That’s a pretty big task for a young coach, but she handled it with eloquence.

There were 12 players on each team and each must play a minimum of 12 minutes. Ferch stated, "That is easier said then done. We developed a rotation system, but within a few minutes of tip off, we crumbled it up and decided it wouldn't work."

Most of the excitement was not necessarily taking place on the basketball court. Although that was the reason the players were there, it was just as much about experience and having fun, as it was actually winning the game.

The opening event for the week was a dinner held at the Marriot downtown. That just started the list of appearances and luncheons the teams had to attend. Ferch, who had an open invite to all of the events, got to experience things that the average spectators did not get to.

"Overall, it was a great experiences and was cool to see some of the preparation that went into the game," commented Ferch. Although Ferch's team did not win the game, it was still "an experience I would love to have again."

Cheerleaders Prepare for upcoming season

2007-04-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

Individuals wanting to tryout for the 2007-2008 Bellarmine Cheerleading squad need to mark their calendars! Tryouts will be held on April 27, 28, and 29th.

Bellarmine Cheerleaders cheer at all of the home basketball games as well as some away basketball games. Practice generally starts when school starts in the fall, though we will go to summer camp this year. A date has not been set for that. We practice twice a week for 2 ½ hours as well as extra conditioning in the fall before basketball season starts. The cheerleaders also do some community service-judging various cheerleading tryouts and competitions throughout the community.

They are expected to be role models and be good representatives of Bellarmine University. Currently, we are not a competition squad, however this is not to say that we wouldn’t in the future.

The requirements to make the team are as follows:

**Excellent Jumps-will have demonstrate at tryouts a toe-touch and then another jump of choice.

**Previous stunting ability, whether it be as a base or a flyer.

**At the tryouts, you will be taught the fight song, as well as another band dance and a cheer. Motions and technique while performing these will be judged and scored.

**Tumbling is required. You will have to show a standing back-handspring and a running round-off backhandspring to make the team. Any other tumbling ability is a bonus.

The tryouts material will be taught on April 27 and 28 and then the actual tryout will be on April 29th. If you are unable to attend the tryouts, a private tryout or a tape submission showing your cheerleading ability can be arranged.

Click here for your try-out information form.

If you have any questions, please contact the following people! We look forward to seeing you at tryouts!

Coaches:
Katie Curran: Goodman379@aol.com
Kristin Klein: kristinkleinrn@yahoo.com
Captains:
Crystal Early: cearly01@bellarmine.edu
Tiffany Simpson: tjames01@bellarmine.edu

You can also check the squad out on their
BU athletics webpage, or on their facebook.com group BU's finest the Cheerleaders.

2007-04-12T16:24:00.000-04:00

Softball season is up and running on Bellarmines’ campus as of last Sunday when the Knights had their first home game. During the perfect weather we had over the weekend the Knights took on University Wisconsin-Parkside for their GLVC opener.

The Knights wasted no time on scoring with a double to left field in the first inning by Anna Mehr from Lousiville. Clean-up batter Kim Locke from Avon, Indiana then followed up with a single to right, scoring Mehr for what would be the Knights lone run of the game.

In the fourth UW-Parkside evened things up with a narrowly avoided tag at the plate to tally the Rangers’ first run.

The game was even until the top of the sixth when a misfortune for the Knights happened. Two outs, and a runner on first, Ranger catcher Allison Wodziak hit a grounder to short passing freshman Emily O’Bryan from Evansville, Indiana. Then UW-Parkside’s, Katrina Homa, launched a three-run homer over the left field wall bringing in the game-winning run.

In the second game was a lot closer, the scored was knotted at 0-0 until the eighth. Stephanie Polio from Louisville and Sharon Brill from Louisville led off the eighth with back-to-back singles. The Bellarmine centerfielder lined a shot up the middle, which grazed off Shimkus’ glove, driving in Polio for the victory.

Two losses against No. 23 Lewis University are bittersweet to some Knights.
Bellarmine junior Claire Horstman f rom Westerville, Ohio established a new strikeout mark in the second game as she fanned eight Lewis batters. Horstman now has 322 career strikeouts, surpassing Jamie Robinson on the Bellarmine list.

In the first game against Lewis, both teams failed to score a run until the top of the sixth. The Flyers added an insurance run in the seventh on Beth Shelus’ RBI single. Bellarmine never got a runner past first base in the game.

In the second outing, Lewis scored the only run of the game on a suicide squeeze play in the first inning.

Jorie Doll from Battle Ground, Indiana broke up Lewis starter Jenna Howard’s no-hitter in the fifth with a single down the right field line, but failed to advance past first.

The Knights had a chance finally when Anna Mehr from Louisville was hit by a pitch. Kim Locke from Avon, Indiana was the only BU player to get multiple hits on the day, followed up with a single to right. Mehr turned second hard and tried to move to third base but was gunned down by Lewis’ Lisa Gartland.

Look at her go

2007-04-12T16:16:00.000-04:00

Bellarmine junior Denasha Mondy from Louisville was named the GLVC female track and field athlete of the week by league officials today. Denasha Mondy also known for her great abililties on the basketball court for the Lady Knights, shattered records, in record time this Track season. Running in her first collegiate track meet ever, she won both the 100 and 200 meter sprints in the Gerald England Invitational hosted by the University of Indianapolis.

In both the 100 at 12.07 seconds and 200 at 24.66 seconds were BU records. In fact,she shaved a second off the previous Bellarmine top 100 meter time of 13.02, set by Maisah Edwards during the 2005 season.

In addition, both of Mondy’s times met the provisional standard for the NCAA national outdoor meet this year. Currently Mondy is ranked first in both the 100 and 200. She has ran the 200 in 24.66 seconds with the next fastest time at 25.79; in the 100 she ran in 12.07 seconds with the next fastest time at 12.64. In track to be running ahead by a tenth of a second is doing quite well.

Mondy a graduate from Ballard High School was a three-time Kentucky High School Gatorade Athlete of the Year and won 10 individual state titles. She elected to play basketball in college, however, and has been the Knights starting point guard the last two seasons after playing her freshman year at the University of Evansville.

If you want to check out Mondy in action or the rest of the BU track team they will be back in action this weekend at the Cumberland Invitational.

Click here for more information on women's track from this season.

Bellarmine Men's Assistant Coach to take Job at U of L

2007-04-12T13:29:00.000-04:00

On Easter sunday the University of Louisville announced the recent expansion of their coaching staff. Eric Scott, former assistant coach to Scott Daventport and the Bellarmine Knights will now be director of basketball operations for Rick Pitino and the Unversity of Louisville.

Before coming to Bellarmine Scott was program assistant for U of L from 2003 to 2005. He also had a two year stint in the NBA in international basketball operations, where he tracted progress of american players overseas, helped players obtain visas as well as having a hand in USA basketball representative selections.

Scott graduated from Penn. University with a bachelors degree in U.S. History in 1998. He later recieved his MBA in sports management from Seton Hall University in 2003.

Coach Scott will be greatly missed by the players and coaching staff here at Bellarmine, and we wish him the greatest of success in his future!

2007-04-12T13:13:00.000-04:00

Upcoming Events

Lacrosse Team
4/13/2007 - 7:00
University of Denver
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4/14/2007 - 2:30
Drury University
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Women's Tennis Team
4/14/2007 - 2:00
Union College
Barbourville, Ky.

Baseball Team
4/14/2007 - 12:00
Drury University
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Women's Track Team
4/14/2007 -
Boston-Moon Classic
Nashville, Tenn. (Hosted by Tennessee State)

Softball Team
4/14/2007 - 12:00
Rockhurst University
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Guys and Dolls

2007-04-12T00:55:00.000-04:00

The men’s basketball team lost a special friend last fall whom they are not sure will ever be replaced: Diva.

Diva is a four-foot doll dressed in a pair of jeans and a cute little shirt with her name written across the front.

“We actually bought it on a road trip,” said junior Jamie Jackson. “We were at a truck stop and our bus driver was getting gas.” Jackson said there was a large rack full of the dolls inside the station and when they saw Diva, a purchase was necessary and would be a perfect tool for freshmen orientation.

“We didn’t really know what we were going to do but we had to get it,” said Jackson.

Devising a plan did not take long.

“We decided that when you come in as a freshman, each freshman has to carry Diva with him for a week at a time and if you leave Diva unattended and one of the upperclassmen got her, you had to do the Diva Run.” The Diva Run consisted of running the length of the court with Diva in hand.

Freshmen were required to carry Diva with them to classes, keep her in their room and were even told they had to bring her to the showers. “The only place Diva cannot be taken by one of the upperclassmen was in the gym,” Jackson said, referring to it as “base.”

Diva would take a step back from the team’s scene and return to her assigned corner, properly named “Diva’s Corner,” when official practice began every season.

Unfortunately, Diva was misplaced at the end of her season this past fall. “I’m hoping she’ll show up in the gym somewhere,” said Jackson. However, he also said that if she does not, there will be no replacing Diva and a new freshmen orientation ritual will begin. “It won’t be as fun as having Diva with the guys...because, basically, it was grown men walking around with a four foot doll.”

For the men’s basketball team, when Diva went to her corner at the beginning of the season, it meant it was time to get serious all around. The team spends countless hours together in the gym, on the bus and at the games. Jackson did say that the guys do have an appreciation for needing time beyond that to have fun together that does not pertain to basketball.

“We went bowling (as a team) for the first time as a team last year,” Jackson said. “Were on a losing streak—four games in a row—and to relieve some of our stress and to get us together—to bond us—Coach D got all the coaching staff and players tog ether and made it mandatory to go…so instead of practice we went bowling.”

This past season the team never had any mandatory outings, but according to Jackson, there were multiple times when quite a few team members carried on the bowling tradition.

Road trips for the basketball team typically do not have planned excitement; however, the guys have found themselves in some trouble due to wintry weather at times.

**Adam Brames, Jamie Jackson and Matt Otte (pictured), of the men's basketball team, live together along with Matt Pait**

Last season a snow storm hit as the team traveled to Indianapolis causing one of their coldest adventures.

"For some reason a mile away from an exit our bus driver decides he needs to pull off and wipe off the windshield,” Jackson said, explaining that the road could not be seen and the bus ended up out of the emergency lane and into the grass where the bus ended up stuck.

“We had to get out of bus and walk mile in a blizzard to a truck stop—then the truck stop kicks us out because we’re not going to eat in the restaurant.” The guys ended up walking to a McDonalds where they all bought cheap Happy Meals while they thawed out. They never made it to the game that day.

The team spends countless hours together, whether it be on the court, in the locker room, on the bus or in the snow. And when they aren’t with one another, one of them may be lucky enough to have the company of a lovely lady named Diva.

**Photos by Michael Mahlbacher and Marisa Larkin**

Laughs, Snacks, and Goals

2007-04-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

“Secret Santas” tend to be a popular game around the holiday season, but for the Bellarmine softball team, it was after the Christmas season that their “secret pal” system began.

The softball’s spring season consists of a lot of road trips and the girls have a system that enables them to give each other a little boost for both the long rides, and the games ahead. The ladies exchange names prior to the season’s beginning and for the entire season they randomly buy gifts for that person. (team, above, at Daytona Beach while competing in Spring tournament.)

“We started when we got back from Christmas,” said senior catcher Adrienne Price. “We don’t do it for every game, but we usually do it for away games.” Price said the gifts can range from snacks and goodies to gag gifts relating to certain inside jokes within the team and sometimes they even get festive. “We just did Easter baskets,” she said.

“It’s a fun little thing,” Price said, adding with a laugh, “It’s a girl thing. The baseball team doesn’t do it.”

Aside from their secret exchanges, Price said the team tries to have get-togethers when there is time. “Sometimes in the fall we’ll have days like Fridays that are ‘fun days’,” she said. These “fun days” tend to be chances for the girls to put up their typical balls and bats and try their hand at another sport, like volleyball or basketball.

The Lady Knights have found a way of contributing to their play by use of their off-the-field closeness. Price said that before each game every class of girls (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors) creates a list of goals for that particular game they hope to accomplish.

The team is currently struggling through a tough season, as they are ranked last in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). Their closeness, however, is one thing that is helping the girls continue to have fun, no matter their rank.

“We don’t point fingers at each other,” said Price.

Price is one of five seniors (photo to right)—all of whom have been starting since their freshman year—and the team is very meaningful to them all. “We get along so well. It helps when we can take that on the field.”

So, despite the disappointments of losses, the girls still have their own goals they are accomplishing, while continuously sharing laughs, snacks or whatever surprise gift may come from a secret pal.

**photos provided by Kimberly Locke, Katie Wolsiefer, and Abigail Hardy**

Bellarmine Track and Cross Country Star Prevailing Despite Setbacks (pt. 3)

2007-04-09T15:04:00.000-04:00

Katie Hickey's success and leadership are not easily replaced, as the team found it hard to rebound without her.

“During cross country losing (Katie) was a big impact because she was our number one runner,” Horton said, “ but she still lead and handled (the injury) well. Others stepped up, but to replace someone like her it is a team effort.”

Hickey also praised some of her teammates for stepping up during her absence.

“A lot of freshmen have stepped up and done well.” Hickey said, “Stephanie Clouser has been doing well and should be stellar in the future. Cristin Samuels has also been doing well. With all our other runners stepping up we should be alright.”

(here you see freshmen Cristin Samuels)

There is hope on the horizon however, as she is starting to get back into shape, and could possibly compete at the end of this outdoor track season.

“She is just starting back to running,” Horton stated, “she wont do any indoor track meets, but we won’t rush her either, she has an outside chance of competing in nationals.”

These sentiments were also echoed by Hickey.

“Today was my first time running and I was really excited.” Hickey said,” (Running) is great, I’m addicted! I might try and come back for out door, but we will have to wait and see, the coaches tell me not to rush anything.”

While taking time off from running, Hickey has also taken a big part in the Bellarmine Pep Club., where she holds the title of president. From this spot she has assembled many great activities to further strengthen the student support of Bellarmine athletics.

Some of the activities she helped to organize can be seen in these links:

http://www.bellarmine.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=649

http://www.bellarmine.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=550

Bellarmine Track and Cross Country Star Prevailing Despite Setbacks (pt. 2)

2007-04-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

This was uncharted waters for the young Hickey who at the time was a sophomore who had never accomplished such a feat.

“You can’t imagine, it was amazing.” Hickey said, “I was nervous though, I was a very low seed, but the coaches told me it was a learning experience, most were seniors and I was just a sophomore. They just told me to do my best because I was capable of doing well.”

However, as the expectations grew, injuries to her hamstring hampered her performance on the field, leaving teammates room to step up, and Hickey frustrated on the sidelines and unsure of her future.

This article is the one from the Bellarmine athletics site that gives a preview for the season that just ended, as you can see by this Hickey was expected to the one of the most relied on runners.
http://www.bellarmine.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=397

Bellarmine distance running Coach Kris Horton had nothing but praises for the now junior, Hickey.

“(Katie) is very positive, talented, and hardworking,” Horton said, “sometimes she works so hard I have to put a leash on her. She is always doing something.”
He also acknowledged her accomplishments from the past season. Even then she was fighting injuries, as well as being young against many older competitors.

“All the coaches kept telling Katie to keep her sights set on nationals.” Horton continued, “She did have her setbacks (referring to Katie’s nagging injuries), but every time she raced, she raced well.”

Next time I will conclude my postings on Katie, they will include more from Katie herself, as well as some of her off the field activities.

Jimmy V's Arthur Ashe Award

2007-04-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

Jimmy V had many memorable moments throughout his career. He is a man that succeeded in all of his dreams that were on his "little-white note card." Although, the greatest thing about Jimmy V is not what he did for himself, but the impression he left on millions of other people.

When Jimmy V was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 1993 inaugural ESPY's, he changed the lives of many. The Arthur Ashe Award is an honor that goes above performing well in an athletic event. It is given to people involved in sports that have had to overcome issues bigger than losing a game. It is handed out at ESPN's annual sports awards show as one of the main honors.

Jimmy V's legendary acceptance speech was full of advice, encouragement, and humor that caught the attention of everyone that was tuned in. During the speech Jimmy V stated, " I'm a very emotional and passionate man. I can't help it. That’s being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love." After that emotional confession, there was not a dry-eye in the audience as Jimmy V was giving one of the last speeches of his life.

Even though he had a horrible time getting to NYC because of health issues, no one would have been able to tell by the way he presented himself on stage. He appeared at his prime, and that is one of his characteristics that makes him such a hero to so many people.

On April 28, 1993, Jimmy V passed away with a challenge for the people in this world. "Try if you can to support, whether its AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease."

The Jimmy V Foundation is a brilliant charity that hopes to continue to raise millions of dollars for cancer research. Because of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and ESPN, Jimmy V was able to get his message out to millions of people.

Coach David Smith

2007-04-03T20:36:00.000-04:00

Bellarmine women's basketball coach, David Smith, has had a very successful career with many accolades under his belt. He recently has gotten his most prestige honor yet, being part of a list of the best NCAA women's coaches. I have had the honor to play under him for a season. He is a very aggressive coach that deserves every honor that he receives.
There are many different requirements that must be completed to receive this noble honor. The list took all Division I, II, & III coaches into consideration. The requirements are as follows:
* Coached a national championship team
* Elected to the Hall of Fame
* Won 500 games
* Coached three teams to the Final Four
* Post a career winning percentage about .700 with at least 150 wins
Coach Smith received the honor because of his winning percentage of 70.9 (499-205). Being a part of the team, I hope to help him get in with more than one category. He is one win away from his 500th win. Hopefully we can accomplish the victory for him early in next years season.Even though as a team we are anxious for the mark, he does not feel the urgency. " My 500th win is just a number. If it was my last year then I could see why I would be a little disapointed,"Smith stated. "But I have many years to come and hope to reach my 600th and 700th wins."
He also came close to surpassing other prerequisites; he has taken four teams to the Sweet Sixteen. He even got close to a national championship in 1996 with his Shippenburg team that ended with a national runner-up finish.
Coach Smith is obviously a very successful coach with many more good things to come. He is in a league with Tennessee's Pat Summit and Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma , who join him on the list. The honors that he receives also help with the recognition that the players and the school get. So as a small community here at Bellarmine, everyone needs to continue to support the athletic programs and the good things that come out of it.

Bobby Valvano's Background

2007-04-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

I am going to be doing my feature article on the Jimmy V Foundation. Jimmy V's brother,Bob, recently came and spoke in my Sports and Media class. I hope to be interviewing Bobby Valvano one-on-one so I can get some inside scoop on how exactly the foundation works and how it got its start. The following is a little background of B.Valvano. He speaks about life and how to be good at giving an interview. I learned alot and he gave very vital information. Not only did he give good information, he is very experienced and the following biography is what I personally learned from Valvano's speech.
Bobby Valvano is a very ambitious, hard-working, and successful man. Since he graduated from Junior Wesleyan College, he has held titles that few people can claim. He began the first chapter of his career by becoming the youngest ever Division I coach. For 20 years he bounced around between Divisions I, II, and III, coaching basketball. Once he completed that chapter, he began doing what he is currently doing today; a little bit of everything. He currently is a host for ESPN radio, which airs on 420 stations across the country. In his free time from that, he participates in many other sports related events. He hosts a golf show, commentates NCAA basketball games, and writes a column for the New Albany Times. Valvano is full of experience and knowledge that anyone could learn from.
One of the main things that has brought Valvano so much success is the characteristic that he is unbelievably versatile. Employers can count on him to successfully produce, regardless of what they are calling upon him to do. Valvano stresses the fact that to strive in the communications field, a person must have a wide range of talent. Even if a person has more ability in one area, they have to at least be willing to learn other aspects of a job. Not only is that true in the communication world, it is true in most parts of life.
Valvano broke down the basics of how to be good at his job. Although his radio station has a lot of factual information, probably the most crowd-appeasing portion is the interview fragment. With experience, he has become more knowledgeable about the key elements of interviewing. One key to a good interview is being able to listen. When an interviewer gets a response; many times the response leads into another question regarding the original question. That sequence leads to a better story or broadcast.
Another characteristic to a good interviewer is he/she has to be brave. The best stories are when the interviewee gives interesting information that has not been reported yet. For that information to be given, the tuff questions must be asked.
Like Valvano said, the media are the eyes and the ears of the public. When a person is performing an interview, they must hold into respect how important the information is to the public. The interviewer must be prepared and professional during the meeting. There is a ladder of respect that each interviewer needs to climb when attempting to get a story. Normally the more respect that is shown, the higher up the ladder the interviewer climbs.
Valvano has a very impressive resume. He knows what it takes to win over an employer, and understands what many company's are looking for. The things he said employers are looking for are a smart, passionate person that is willing to learn and be open-minded.
He talked about a lot of things that we have learned about in class. We had a whole section about interviewing, and he made it very clear through experience on how to go about getting a good one. Within most things in the media, a person has to be objective. It is important not to mix too much personal opinion into stories that are written. We learned in class what an important attribute that is when reporting.
There are many things that I can do to help myself enter Valvano's profession. I am currently in the process of trying to get an internship with a media network. I am a strong believer in using every resource that is available. In this profession, it is very much about who a person knows or builds relationships with. Throughout the process of the whole ordeal, I have learned that I have to be brave and dive into what is going on around me. I have had to overcome a little bit of shyness that I have to hopefully set myself up for a successful career.
"Pick what you do with your time because you can't get it back," stated Valvano. That quote is very relevant to everything in life. I was impressed with Valvano and all of the advice that he handed to us. I think that he gave myself and the rest of the class a lot of inspiration to go out and get the job done regardless of what field we end up in.

The ten simplest things you can do to get healthier:

2007-04-03T14:06:00.000-04:00

10. Walk to class! It is not that far and it will take you five more minutes. If you walk to and from Anniversary Hall to Kosters Commons, you will have walked one mile.

9. Drink water with one meal instead of a coke, you will be surprised, I promise.

8. Take a multivitamin before bed or when you wake up. Depending on what type of vitamin you choose depends on your benefits.

7. Eat fruit, nuts, or dried fruit if you have a craving for something at two in the morning.

6. Eat breakfast, I know, another five minutes taken up in the morning. If you do eat breakfast, you won’t eat as much at lunch.

5. Go to bed before midnight half of the week. You will look refreshed, replenished, and ready to go.

4. Plan ahead; write that 10 page paper a little at a time. It won’t cause you as much stress.

3. Eat dessert in moderation, or eat dessert only at lunch or dinner.

2. Try a new activity, Frisbee, kickball, shoot a basketball at the SURF with some friends after class. This will relieve some of your stress, and gain some physical activity. A 30-minute exertion of exercise is all you need for one day.

1. Last but not least, and probably the simplest, laugh. That’s right laughing releases endorphins that cause all kinds of good things. Stress relief, it burns calories, it boosts your immune system.

Getting Healthy at BU Continued

2007-04-03T14:05:00.000-04:00

What do students need to get involved?

Suggestions, suggestions? Anyone, anyone? Over the past semester BU has obtained a nutritionist. Just one more feature Bellarmine has to help you be healthy.

Denise Burd, a part-time nursing teacher, has offered her services to Bellarmine. She is willing to provide you with a meal plan for a week, advise healthy food options on campus, and assess the foods you are eating regularly.

If you would like to speak with Burd sign-ups are located in the SURF at the front desk. She is available Wednesday and Thursday noon until 2 p.m..

Bellarmine also has opportunity of getting a personal trainer. You heard me, you can have a staff member from the SURF make you a work-out plan.

Besides all the obvious work out possibilities there are always simple daily routine changes you can make to be healthier. On a campus that has park like settings students should walk more.

Alice Kimble, a registered nurse on BU’s campus told me about some healthy options BU has to offer, and some changes she feels should be made.

“[I think there are] plenty, of healthy options in Koster’s. The salad bar and fruit is always fresh. People choose to eat the stuff that looks appeasing but high in fat, but healthy choices are available” said Kimble.

She then told me that the majority of things offered are high in fat but it’s because of the high demand. Surprisingly there are options offered everywhere, the café, Koster’s, and even the vending machines.

“Average college students doesn’t care about it [their health] now. Things we eat now tend to effect us in our 60’s. Nursing and Physical Therapy majors usually are the ones that care the most.”

I then asked Kimble what she would like to add to campus to make BU more

healthy. “I would love to see a mandatory class for freshman, lifetime wellness
class, that dealt with nutrition, and health topics in general.”

Lastly Kimble told me that if people “moved more, and ate less” we would be better off. “Eat four Oreo’s, instead of eight.”

Get healthy at BU

2007-04-03T13:52:00.000-04:00

Calling all BU students, it’s spring and it’s time to get healthy. Getting healthy and staying healthy on campus isn’t as hard as some may think.

You are in your late teens, early twenty’s and having the time of your life, you are at your prime, on your way to success. You are on top of all the latest news, style, and in the best shape of your life. Or are you?

What you are about to read may astonish you, but the majority of American
college students are just like the rest of the United States population overweight, and unhealthy. So where does Bellarmine students fall into that category? Are you healthy?

On a campus where many students think the majority of the student body is athletes. One would think the student body is very healthy and in tip top shape.

According to Athletics Director Scott Weigandt only a quarter of incoming freshman classes are athletes. The majority of campus may be involved in some sort of activity but we are not all athletes. For students that aren’t athletes there are ways of being and staying healthy.

Bellarmine’s Campus are we healthy or not?
How does BU rank against other colleges on the health scale?

Bellarmine may be smaller in campus size and student body numbers but BU has just as much as those other university’s. We have the SURF, intramurals, various choices of athletics to get involved in, and numerous student activities. Just see for your self and click on healthy involvement to see all the activities BU has to offer.

If you still are not convinced click on following links to compare Bellarmine to
University of Louisville,University of Kentucky, Spalding University, Spencerian College, and Jefferson Community College on how much they offer.

Weigandt, commented that he feels his athletes are in good physical shape for the most part, “but there is always room for improvement.” Most people can agree they feel comfortable with their health but they could do more.

I asked sophomore Ian Tracy a Physical Therapy major, and sophomore Jason Schreck a Psychology major about being healthy, and what they thought contributes to a healthy college student. “[Am, I healthy?]No, but by its choice, bad food tastes good.” said Schreck

What is something that would compel you to get healthier? “[To have the] will to work out.” said Tracy

Both Tracy and Schreck said they were once involved in intramurals but lost interested. “Yeah, dodge ball, maybe volleyball, I can’t really remember.” said Schreck

Girls in skirts love to have fun

2007-04-03T00:33:00.000-04:00

***While writing my blog about Wacky Friday and my own team-bonding fun, I began talking to other Bellarmine athletes about the fun they enjoyed off the field. You can expect my blogs from this point forward to spotlight different teams and their off-the-field fun and experiences.***

Never mind the fact the Bellarmine field hockey team wears skirts, when they are carrying large sticks and wearing mouth guards, they look pretty intimidating. However, a girl in a skirt is always out to a have a good time. Sometimes that good time includes dominating the playing field, but other times it just includes crashing weddings or playing in the mud—and these times have bonded the girls on a whole new level.

First off, the team has a history of celebrating their season by finding Halloween fun.

“Every year we try to go to as many haunted houses as we possibly can afford,” said senior Michelle Esterle. “One year, we were traveling as a team on Halloween and were so excited about a particular haunted house that we actually stopped there on the way (back to Bellarmine).”

Last fall the team did not hit up the haunted houses as much as in the past, but after missing Bellarmine’s Ball on the Belle event due to a game, the ladies still pulled together their most creative costumes for their own Halloween party.

Haunted houses are not the only thing the team has made time for while out of town on the weekends. The ladies found wedding crashing to be a fun event as well.

After playing on a Friday, the ladies spent Saturday in their hotel resting up before their Sunday game. “A bunch of us were in the study room studying, others were watching TV or just in their rooms,” said sophomore Malory Brake. According to Brake, a wedding reception was set up in the center of the hotel, which was nearby the study room.

“(The reception) was really dead and no one was really dancing,” Brake continued. “All of a sudden, someone, Kim (Roberts), I believe, started talking to the D.J. He said ‘This party sucks. You should bring the field hockey team.’ Kim told him he should play a song for the team.”

Next thing the ladies from the study room knew, they were hearing an announcement from the D.J. about a song for the Bellarmine field hockey team. Brake said the girls could not help but hit the dance floor after that.
“Then the best man—he was the only college-aged person there—asked us to stay,” Brake stated. “It was completely a wedding crash. We didn’t know a single person there.”

A new tradition began this year by the team pretending to already have a tradition.

The freshmen were told that every year the freshmen had to make a music video for the team. While the girls did not share the video, their laughs and comments made it obvious that this too brought for a lot of team bonding.

“They did great. It wasn’t really a tradition before, but it is a tradition from now on,” Brake said.

Practice has brought for goofy memories as well—particularly for this year’s seniors who walked off the practice field for the last time, covered in mud, wearing the most ridiculous attire one could imagine.

“When our coach told us we didn’t have to wear our practice uniforms to our last practice we kind of took it to an extreme,” said Esterle.

“You can wear anything you want,” was the statement made by Coach Don Hubbuch. While the girls knew he was probably referring to whatever t-shirt they preferred as opposed to their typical team practice shirts, they decided to sport their brightest colors and goofiest accessories.

“We were a little nervous about actually going to practice but our coach thought it was funny,” Brake said.

“I’m not sure why, but in our heads it’s kind of like we thought we wouldn’t have real practice, but we did,” said Esterle. “We must have looked crazy to anyone driving by, wearing what we were, while holding a serious practice.”

The practice turned into a mud mess due to the rain that fell throughout the day. “After practice we slid in the mud and were pulling each other down in it. I think everyone was wet and covered (in mud),” said Brake.

It is pretty safe to say that the ladies of the field hockey team have a way of being the life of any party—whether it is their own or a complete stranger’s!

**Photos: first two by Kelli Weddington, third by Rita Dixon**

Bellarmine Track and Cross Country Star Prevailing Despite Setbacks (pt. 1)

2007-04-03T00:14:00.000-04:00

This is a three part story on Bellarmine junior runner Katie Hickey, each part will be posted a few days apart...read and enjoy!

Last season Sophomore Katie Hickey came to the forefront of Bellarmine women’s cross country and track teams. She helped lead the cross country team to a rank of sixth out of 22 teams total in the NCAA regional cross country meet. As well as finishing as the number 19 placed runner out of 150.
(To see all the results to the regional meet you should check out this website:
http://www.siue.edu/ATHLETIC/CCW/2005/wreg.html )

Hickey also was a stellar performer in outdoor track as well as she qualified for outdoor nationals.
(This is also seen on the BU athletic site here: http://www.bellarmine.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=366 )

Hickey did not know immediately, however if she was to be attending the national meet. Instead she had to wait for the qualifying times to be posted and the call from the NCAA to let her, and her coaches know she had made it in. (http://www.bellarmine.edu/athletics/news.asp?id=147 )

“I was waiting on the qualifying call with the coaches,” Hickey said, “it was on the final day and I was on the bubble, (the coaches and I) weren’t sure if I was going to get in.”

To find out more about this article stay tuned for my next post!!!

New Sports and Media Class

2007-03-31T12:31:00.000-04:00

The Sports and Media class that is being offered by Mr.Popp brings many new opportunities to students. It is by far the most interesting course that I have taken throughout my college career. The class is based around how to deal with the media and how to be the media. That is the least interesting part of the class, we get to the good stuff when we have guest speakers and take field trips. So far in the class we have got "backstage" at Papa John Stadium, the Louisville Slugger Field, watched a live news broadcast, and got to listen to Bobby Valvano speak. Mr.Popp's networking skills have given us many experiences that most people do not get to have. Connie Ferch stated, "Because of the class, I realized what I really want to do with my career. It enlightened me on what goes on behind the scenes at places. Because of this class, I got an internship with the tv station." Along with the places and the people that we have got to see and meet, we are also doing lots of hands-on stuff that many of us in the class will have to take with us eventually in our careers. We have to do media releases, which SID's have to write basically everyday. It is nice to hear how to write a successful one by an actual SID himself. We also are currently working on Media Guides. It is a long, tedius task, but there is a nice rewarding feeling to know that it is complete, and it will be a good selling point on my resume. I definitely would recommend this class to anyone that is trying to get into the sports world. Regardless of what the emphasis of what you want to do is, this class touches on a little bit of everything. It also opens the door to many networking opportunites that could become useful for a long time career.

McDonald's All-Americans to Visit BU

2007-03-22T13:26:00.001-04:00

The Annual McDonald's High School All-American game is making it's stop in the city of Louisville this year. The game itself will be held at Freedom Hall, however other events will be held here on the campus of BU. The POWERade JamFest will be at Knights Hall on Monday, March 26. The JamFest consists of a Slam Dunk contest, men's and women's 3-point competition, and then a 3-point shootout between the men's winner, and the women's winner.

Some of the high profile names in this years contest include high school teammates O.J. Mayo, and Patrick Patterson. Also perticipating on the men's side is Eric Gordon, an Indiana native from North Central High School in Indianapolis. On the women's side you have Maya Moore (Suwannee, Ga.), Angie Bjorkland (Spokane Valley, Wash.), and Jantel Lavender, (Cleveland, Ohio)

The All-American game was first held in 1977. Since then there have been more than 800 high school seniors to compete in these festivities. This game has showcased talents of the likes of Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony on the mens side. As well as Shanna Zoleman, Ann Strother, Seimone Augustus, and the 2005 Slam Dunk contest winner Candice Parker.

Both the All-American game and the POWERade JamFest will be airing on ESPN. The JamFest will start at 7 p.m. (ET) on March 26, while tip-off for the men's game will be on March 28 at 8 p.m. (ET) and the Girls game will be March 28, at 5:30 (ET). The men's game, and the JamFest will be on ESPN, and the women's game is on ESPNU.

video link

For more information visit the offical website at:
http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com./

Lady Knights compete in NCAA tournament

2007-03-20T13:32:00.000-04:00

Team bows out to Lewis in GLVC and NCAA tournaments

The Lady Knights traveled to Romeoville, Illinois to finish out their 2006-07 season. After falling out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) tournament in the semifinal, Bellarmine qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament, extending their season. BU was defeated by host team No. 9 Lewis University, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Bellarmine began with a running chance in the first half but after Lewis went on a strong run, the game was over for the Lady Knights. Lewis finished the first half by making eight of 10 3-pointers that ended the first half. The score at the end half was 49-28, Lewis.

BU knew what it would take to regain the lead, and they fought until the end. The Lady Knights opened the second half by scoring six straight points to cut the lead to 49-34. Lewis' Darcee Schmidt buried a 3-pointer to end the run for BU.

Bellarmine continued to battle, but the Lady Knights had no answer for Schmidt, who finished with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds. Schmidt, the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Player of the Year, scored 43 and 33 points against Bellarmine in the regular season.

Final score of the game was 82-62 victory for Lewis.

This was the fourth meeting between Bellarmine and Lewis this season. The Flyers were victorious in all four games.

Outside of their regular season meetings, Bellarmine's third match-up against Lewis came in the GLVC semifinal.

The Lady Knights built up their second half lead when they scored 10 straight points, starting with Dana Beaven's 3-pointer. A pair of free throws by Denasha Mondy and the score was 50-41 in favor of Bellarmine with just under 12 minutes left.

BU held an eight-point lead with nine minutes left in the game, but Lewis pulled away and triumphed once again verse the Lady Knights.

Lewis proceeded to go on a game changing run of their own, however, outscoring Bellarmine by 12 points between the 9-minute mark and 4:38, to take over the lead.

Final score was 66-60 victory for Lewis.

Bellarmine defeated Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) in the first round of the GLVC tournament. Both teams started out a little anxious, but after a few minutes the game was underway.

Beaven and Mondy sparked a run for the Lady Knights late in the first half. Beaven hit a pair of free throws, and then Mondy glided through a left-handed lay-up. Beaven gave the Bellarmine their biggest lead of the half by drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key with about two minutes left to put them up 34-24.

After falling behind at the end of the first half, Bellarmine returned to the second half and Angela Smith immediately hit a 3-pointer to put the Lady Knights up 41-39 and swing the momentum back in her team's favor. A few moments later, Smith hit another three from the same spot on the left wing. The Lady Cougars were done; they would not be able to cut the margin to fewer than seven points the rest of the game.

The Lady Knights concluded their season with a 19-11 (11-8) record. Coach David Smith, finished the season with 499 wins. Smith will have to wait until next year to become the 13th Division II coach to record 500 career victories.

Goodbye Seniors

2007-03-18T15:54:00.000-04:00

When the end of the season wore down, the seniors on the womens basketball team began to feel the end coming near. It is an end that neither Becca Kopple or Ashley Elmore had ever experienced. In high school; they both knew it wasn't really the end. They had each committed to continuing their careers for four more years. On March 9th, 2007 they both played their last form of organized basketball. These girls were in the thier last basketball game for the rest of their lives. Whether this is depressing or a relief, it is up to the athlete to decide. College athletes don't just play basketball as a past time; it is a main part of an athletes life. When an althletes sport ends, it is up to them to find a different peice to fill the empty space with. Although, the thought of this can make any athlete slightly unstable, it is the beginning of a new chapter in their life. Even if an athlete goes on to play in the NBA or WNBA, eventually it will be over. Every person must face it, and knowing Elmore and Becca, they will look at the end as an opportunity. They will take what they have learned on the basketball court and apply it to every aspect of their lives.

Playing as a team requires bonding as a team

2007-03-12T16:04:00.000-04:00

(Wacky Friday Practice)

I decided it was time to give an explanation to anyone who has ever seen my teammates at or headed to our Friday practices. We’re those girls dressed in ridiculous clothing that you want to take a closer look at, but do not necessarily want to stare. And, yes, there is a reason behind it.

Being a team consists of so much more than practicing and playing together, it’s enjoying one another and laughing together. With so much pressure in today’s sports world, finding time for these things within your team is more important than ever. Bellarmine teams, all around, know the importance of having experiences that extend beyond the courts and fields. Every team seems to have their own ways of laughing together.

My large track and field team of over 60 athletes has to find ways to bond as a team. We all practice different events at different times and come together as a team once a week for three and a half months of the year. Fortunately, the team has developed a number of traditions that make our team unity extend beyond the track. One of my personal favorites, which my short distance group of girls has developed, is our traditional in-season “Wacky Friday” practices.

Wacky Fridays were started last year. Since Saturdays tend to be meet days, the most we ever do on a Friday is an easy jog from Knights Hall to Eastern Parkway and back. Because this run is not meant to be strenuous, we like sticking together as a team. We used to tease certain members who tried to pick up the pace on these runs and on one of these occasions myself and a fellow teammate joked about the idea of dressing silly. Then, we thought, no one will ever want to run faster than the pack, because if you are dressed weird with the group at least it looks like there is a purpose. If you are dressed weird running by yourself, well, it just looks weird.

That’s when it began. From that point forward, the practice before a meet we would dress in clothes we would never wear in public, let alone wear to practice. We have started counting the number of honks and yells we get during our leisurely jog towards Eastern Parkway.

Walking to and from practice has to be one of the most entertaining parts as we have multiple students trying to figure us out. Someone in the group always gives a smile and says, “It’s Wacky Friday,” as if it’s the most logical explanation in the world. Our coaches have even started looking forward to our Friday practice attire. You should have seen the look we got from Athletic Director Scott Weigandt the first time he saw us.

Getting an inside look at an athletic team, to know what goes on beyond the tiring conditioning, practicing and playing, is something we do not always get. It is often times these other forms of fun that a team finds time for that truly create a team spirit. I look forward to investigating Bellarmine athletics further to report how other teams are furthering their camaraderie

Its me!

2007-02-12T19:04:00.000-05:00

Well after procrastinating long enough about writing about myself, I better get it over with before class tommarow. My name is Chelsea Gugliotta! Along with everyone else that is involved in this blog, I am a Bellarmine athlete. I am on the basketball team, which is having a pretty successful season! I transferred from Lamar University near Houston, TX. and have never been happier with the decision I made to come back home! Well I look forward to learning more about this "blog sensation" as I will be reporting back throughout the semester!!! :) Go BU!

A Sporty Girl

2007-02-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

So, under the demands of Dr. Cooper, I am finally beginning a blog for the first time ever--not that I have ever held anything against blogs. In fact, I'm surprised I have not jumped on the bandwagon before now, being the obsessive writer that I am who writes for thirty minutes in a journal every night before bed. Before we go there, though, let me back up a little.

My brother and I at last Spring's Conference Meet-->

I am junior at Bellarmine, studying communications without a clue as to where I am going with it. My name is Rita and my last name is not Peat. In fact, "Peat" is nothing more than a nickname I have had since the age of three and there isn't even much of a story to it except that my dad has a way of evolving words and names until they are something completely new. (Once earning the name "Peat" I started learning how to write and this spelling of the name is what phonix-sense told me was correct and I've kept it that way since.)

Now, it is through my sports ties that this name has actually stuck around. From my earliest days of running around a 400-meter track as a sixth grader, my father always belted out my name to cheer me on. Soon teammates, friends, and coaches were picking it up and finding it catchy. Many find it odd at first to call a girl "Peat," but say "RitaPeat" aloud a couple of times and you too might find that it's got somewhat of a ring to it. However, I do still respond to Rita alone.

So yes, I am a runner to this day--thus my tie-in to the sports world. I have been running for Bellarmine's Track and Field team since my freshman year while throwing in one season of cross country, but being a 400/800-meter runner, I opted for fall track training.

My sports world reaches far beyond the 400-meters of a track, though. I sported the #10 jersey on the basketball court through my sophomore year in high school, giving it up focus on running, but stayed on the bench as a manager my final two years of school. Football was once a mystery to me, until I assisted in keeping scoring stats at one of my older brother's games in high school. I quickly became addicted and found myself traveling with the team, carrying my laptop to the press box game after game to keep official stats . I have also been writing about sports since being asked to help with the county newspaper high school coverage. This is where I was forced to learn a little about all sports. My first assignment was a tennis game and, well, who knew love was found on the tennis courts? Not me! Obviously, I was forced to learn quickly! I spent the next three years covering everything from tennis, volleyball and golf, to softball and track, as well as submitting editorials from time to time.

Today my wide array of sports involvement comes through The Concord. In dire need of a sports editor my freshman year, I was asked to step up, and, not knowing what I was getting into, I agreed. It is my fifth semester as editor and it is quite a job keeping up with every BU sports team out there! However, I have caught myself with somewhat of an addiction to it. Unfortunately, with only so much time in a girl's life--and any student for that matter--only so much coverage can be printed in The Concord week after week. That's where this blog is going to come in handy. With four student-athletes working together, we hope to bring you an inside look to Bellarmine athletics that you aren't going to find elsewhere. So, stay tuned...get the details that lie behind the scoreboard.

Who I am...

2007-02-06T13:41:00.000-05:00

Hi, welcome to the BU Locker Room.

I, Megan C. the cheerleader of the group, am a communication major. I have wrote for the university paper The Concord, for two years now. I have wrote a few blogs before, in past courses, but nothing that focused on campus issues. I hope this blog will give you some insight on some behind the scenes action and summaries from BU sporting events. Since all contributing authors from this blog are BU athletes I think the mix of styles and ideas should layout well. Hope to read some comments for you soon.

Go Knights!

About Me

2007-02-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

What's good? This is my first post on my first blog. So allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jamie Jackson, i am a junior at bellarmine university. The objective of this blog is to inform the public about what is going on in bellarmine sports. I play basketball here at the BU, thus giving an inside scoop on what is going on inside the locker room and i give you information that otherwise would not be passed on. I hope you enjoy my posts and what i bring to this blog. By the way, i dont have a crush on that handsome fellow you see above, that is actually me.....just so you know

holla at a playa when you see 'em in tha streets

jamie