Racing for a Cause

Allegheny graduate Katie Kuba is running her first half-marathon. A noteworthy goal, especially to those of us of the more sedentary persuasion. However, she has a larger goal than just finishing the race: Kuba aims to raise $5,000, awareness of Crohn’s disease.

She will run the Napa to Sonoma Valley (Calif.) Half-Marathon on July 19 as a member of Team Challenge, an athletic arm of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America which raises funds for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research. That cause is near to the heart of Kuba, a former Allegheny runner who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in April 2008.

“What I want people to know is what I’m still trying to convince myself of — that you can still have a normal life with Crohn’s disease. It’s not an easy thing to deal with, it’s not easy to talk about and it’s embarrassing, but you can’t keep it to yourself.”

Read the story, "Racing for a Cause" by Andrew Reiner in the Buckhannon Record Delta.

To join Kuba’s fundraising effort through Team Challenge and the CCFA, visit her donation page.

For the complete article see the 06-05-2009 issue.

Wooster in SI

Update: The Wooster Daily Record talks to both Matt and Mark about the photo. And there's also a story behind Mark's flat-brimmed ball cap from the Dayton Daily News.

A photo by Wooster photographer Matt Dilyard is included in today's issue of Sports Illustrated - the Leading Off section includes a two-page spread of Fighting Scot pitcher Matt Miller walking off the diamond at the conclusion of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship game in Appleton, WI.

The photo used is the first in this photo gallery on Wooster site. The SI text is on their site.

Swimming with Purpose

Usman Javaid of Lahore, Pakistan, and David Gatz of Delaware, Ohio, both members of Ohio Wesleyan's men's swim team, will swim the English Channel this summer to demonstrate the power of friendship in making the world a better place. They have named their effort the “Channeling Peace Initiative.”

As part of their 21-mile relay swim in the frigid Channel, the seniors are raising funds to support the Pakistani relief efforts of Doctors Without Borders, an international medical humanitarian organization.

“It is our sincere hope that our efforts will raise awareness of the need for international friendship and cooperation in addressing many of the world’s challenges,” the swimmers state. “It can be a challenge within our daily lives to reach out and befriend someone of another culture, but these are the steps that bring about a unified world.”

The pair is scheduled to make their Channel swim between July 28 and Aug. 6, with the weather determining exactly when they take the plunge. Once they dive in, they will alternate one-hour swims, braving the 60- to 65-degree Fahrenheit water and 3- to 5-foot waves wearing only a Speedo, swim cap, and goggles. Thermal suits and other protective gear aren’t allowed if the swim is to be officially recognized. The swim is expected to take between 12 and 14 hours coast to coast.

Javaid and Gatz began training in earnest in April for their Channel swim. That training has included spending hours in Delaware’s icy Alum Creek, and experiencing “convulsing shivers” afterward, to acclimate themselves to the strength-sapping cold of the English Channel.

Ohio Wesleyan Head Coach Richard Hawes, who helped to devise training regimens for the pair, and university Chaplain Jon Powers, who is helping them to reach out to government leaders and faith-based organizations to support their international fund-raising and friend-raising venture, will join the swimmer sin Europe.

Powers said the men’s efforts are inspiring.

“Usman and David provide a tangible example of the power of friendship and cooperation in changing the world,” the chaplain said. “Their friendship transcends the boundaries of nationality, politics, culture, and religion. They remind us of what is possible when we make sacrifices and work together.”

To learn more about Javaid and Gatz’s “Channeling Peace Initiative,” including how to support them, visit www.channelingpeace.org. The pair also have a blog at: Peace in Progress and a Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of David Gatz.

The Aouad Brothers - What A Week!

Wabash SID Brent Harris has quite a story over on his SID Notes blog about the Aouad brothers.

Last weekend Wabash junior Emmanuel Aouad competed at the NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time. He finished 14th overall at Marietta in his first experience.

This week his 13-year-old brother, Kennyi, was competing for the third time in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. The Otter Creek Middle School eighth-grader worked his way into this year’s finals. Aouad finished sixth after misspelling palatschinken, a thin Central European pancake often eaten for lunch or dinner.

The brothers even got quite a bit of TV time. Check out Brent's blog for the full story.

College Entrance Essays from a Different Angle

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a very interesting article on the college admission essay. So what, you might think. It's the time of year that high school students all across the country are waiting by the mail, hoping a thick envelope arrives welcoming to their desired college.

Well, the paper turned the tables and assigned essay questions to 10 college presidents. Some found the task more difficult than they thought. Some questioned their topics. But all turned out some interesting essays. Included in the group were Oberlin President Marvin Krislov and former Kenyon president, Rob Oden, now at Carleton College.

Krislov was asked: "Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence." He chose to write about Nelson Mandela.

A few years ago, I traveled to South Africa, and visited Robben Island, where Mandela was incarcerated. I was astonished to learn that in prison Mandela and his colleagues created a school, a makeshift Robben Island University. In wretched conditions, they educated themselves, their fellow prisoners, and even some jailors. I was deeply moved by their faith even under horrific circumstances in education as the path to social change and uplift.

Read his full essay here.

Oden was asked: "Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you." He chose to write about being lost in Cairo.

Here's what I learned. That people are people, that the world around most people are friendly and helpful and come swiftly to the aid of those lost. Something more, something equally important, something which with me has stuck, I learned. I learned that life is an adventure and that that best course through life is to approach all of life as an adventure. Thus placed into context, getting lost is an adventure from which we can learn uncommon and uncommonly important life lessons.

Read his full essay here.

NCAC Issue of Champion Magazine

The current issue of NCAA Champion magazine could be considered the NCAC issue. Not really, but the conference is featured several times throughout the magazine:

* The NCAC's 25th anniversary is highlighted in Incusive approach a stalwart of NCAC success, by Leilana McKindry

* Kenyon men's swimming's amazing 30 consecutive national championships are part Freaky Streaks by Greg Johnson. A sidebar to that story also mentions Hiram softball player Whitney Dropsey, who, as of April 1 had not struck out in her collegate career - 305 at-bats. Dropsey rang her streak up to 354 at-bats before suffering her first K in the third game of the NCAC Softball tournament. The Terriers went on to win their first league tourney title and a trip to the NCAA turnament.

* Kenyon's 2009 men's and women's swimming titles are featured as part of the winter championship wrap-up.

* Terry Schermer's touching memorium for former Kenyon athletic trainer George Christman.

In Honor of ...

The NCAC Tennis championship trophies won't be the only honors talked about on campuses this weekend. Denison, Kenyon and Oberlin are all finalizing plans to honor special alums at dedication ceremonies for new athletic facilities.

Oberlin will hold a dedication ceremony on Friday 5 p.m. to officially honor 1955 graduate Bob Kahn and the track and field complex that bears his name. The ceremony will be held in front of the entrance to the track, across from the concession stand. Kahn, who earned a bachelor of arts in music education, enjoyed success with several athletics teams while at Oberlin, earning varsity letters in both tennis and cross country. As a senior he led the men’s tennis team as their captain. He also ran track and wrestled. After the ceremony, teams from across the state will compete in the Bob Kahn Invitational. The track will also be in full use on Saturday and Sunday for the NCAC Multi-Event Championships.

Also on Friday, Denison will dedicate a plaque in honor of former head track and field coach Bob Shannon who passed away last April. The Big Red Track & Field Invitational is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the dedication slated for 7 p.m., inside the stadium, during a break between running events. A reception will follow the dedication ceremony in the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. A 1950 graduate of Denison, Shannon began his collegiate coaching career in 1954 as an assistant football coach on Keith Piper's staff. In 1958 he was appointed head track and field coach, two positions he would hold until his retirement from Denison in 1993. During his tenure at Denison, Shannon had the opportunity to coach an Olympic gold medal sprinter and serve as an official at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He was voted by his peers in the NCAC as the league's Track and Field Coach of the Year on 10 different occasions and his Denison teams won numerous indoor and outdoor conference championships. In 1987 his Big Red track squad placed fifth at the Division III National Championships.

Kenyon hosts the NCAC Men's and Women's Tennis tournaments from Friday through Sunday. The men play Friday and Saturday morning, while the women begin play Saturday afternoon. Between the conclusion of the men's tournament and the beginning of the women's tournament Kenyon will have a dedication ceremony for the Peter VandenBerg Tennis Pavilion. Peter was a Kenyon Tennis Alum and the father of current tennis player Will VandenBerg.

Oberlin will also be hosting an Open House and ribbon cutting ceremony for the recently completed Williams Field House on Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to tour the facility. President Marvin Krislov will be present to cut the ribbon at noon to officially open the new athletic facility. Director of Athletic Facilities, Mike Snyder will be on hand to answer questions.

Hiram Coach Sets World Records

** Hiram swim coach Jack Groselle speaks from experience when coaching his student-athletes. Current experience, it turns out. Jack still competes at the Masters level and this past weekend, broke two FINA Masters World records at the four-day USA Sectional Swim Meet held at the Indiana University-Purdue University Natatorium in Indianapolis this past weekend. [Complete Results (pdf)]

He set his first mark in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:07.12, surpassing Jim McConica time of 2:08.03.

“The entire experience was something that I’ll remember for a long time,” said Jack. “The swimmers and coaches were cheering me on knowing that I was attempting to break the record and that made all the difference in the swim.”

Jack recorded his second world during the final day of competition - this time in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 56.20 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 57.85 seconds held by Alexander Mills of Norway. His time also passed the United States Masters Swimming national record held by Paul Trevisan (58.07).

In addition, he finished five one-hundredths of a second shy of a third world record in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 25.36 seconds. The current world record is held by Mike Tennant at 25.31 seconds.

Around the NCAC

* The Denison SAAC will host a free Sports and Games Clinic in celebration of National Student Athlete Day on Sunday. Kindergartners through sixth graders are invited to join Big Red student-athletes for a day of games, relay races, sportsmanship and teamwork. Children will also receive a snack and certificate of participation at the end of the day. Registration will take place on the day of the event from 1:15-1:50 pm. The clinic will begin at 2:00. Parents do not need to stay for the clinic unless they want to. Pick up is at 4:30 pm. For more information, please contact Lynn Schweizer.

** The Hiram SAAC and Baseball team are joining together to sponsor a collection drive for new and used baseball or softball equipment during all home games during this spring. SAAC reps will have a table to collect equipment and uniforms for all ages, such as helmets, bats, pants, belts, gloves, baseballs and more. All donations will be distributed directly to schools, neighborhoods and Nicaraguan Rotary clubs by Hiram College students. Please contact Joe Trela at with any questions, comments or willingness to help.

** Former Oberlin football star Chris Schubert caught a touchdown pass in his professional debut for the Mahoning Valley Thunder of af2. His fourth quarter score helped the Thunder come-from-behind to upend the Albany Firebirds 44-34 on Friday night on March 27. (boxscore)

** Sisters Rita and Sarah Cook are both members of the Ohio Wesleyan softball team. The two, both chemistry majors, also paired up to attended the American Chemical Society (ACS)’s national conference in Salt Lake City last week to present projects they have been working on since last summer. According to the ACS’s Web site, more than 10,700 scientists and exhibitors attended the event.

Rita says the conference includes an undergraduate program, but she and Sarah missed the undergraduate presentation because of a softball game. They presented their projects among what Rita calls the “big kids” of chemistry. They began their work at a 10-week research group program in Minnesota called Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). REU is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Rita’s project was in environmental chemistry. She studied a groundwater pollutant and its effects on water supplies. Sarah worked on synthesizing a luminescent potassium sensor, which she said can be used to measure levels of potassium in the blood to better prevent seizures and strokes.

** Former Kenyon basketball player Shaka Smart was named head coach of the men's basketball program at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a three-year captain during his days in purple and white, he set the Kenyon single-season (184) and career (542) records for assists. During his senior season he was named the team's MVP, was selected to the All-NCAC team, and was an NCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He also earned a position on the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic team and received a NCAA postgraduate scholarship. Last season, he worked for the University of Florida and helped head coach Billy Donovan guide the Gators to a 25-11 record. Before that, Smart worked at Clemson University for a couple of seasons that included a combined 49 wins and back-to-back postseason appearances. Smart also had stops at the University of Akron, Dayton University, and at California University of Pennsylvania, where he worked under former Kenyon head coach Bill Brown.

** Wittenberg has cheerleading tryouts for the 2009-2010 season on April 23 & 24. For more information, click here.

Follow Obies on Spring Break

Oberlin is on spring break and the athletic teams are sharing all of their adventures. You can follow along on their blogs:

Baseball
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Men's Lacrosse
Location: Hilton Head, South Carolina

Women's Lacrosse
Location: Pomona, California

Softball
Location: Fort Myers, Florida

Women's Tennis
Location: Hilton Head, South Carolina

Track & Field
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Mitchell to be Inducted into Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame

Louis A. Mitchell, a Denison University Life Trustee and a member of the Class of 1957, will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame during its fourth annual banquet and ceremony on May 30 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Hall of Fame recognition is reserved for those men and women who have best exemplified the highest traditions and strengths of basketball. Mitchell’s dedication to the sport—as well as to the community, his profession, and to his alma mater—have been demonstrated by his outstanding achievements, on and off the hardwoods.

Mitchell first took the basketball spotlight as a Newark High School standout in the early 1950s. By 1957, when he graduated from Denison with a Bachelor of Science in physical education, he held 30 university records as a scorer and rebounder while averaging more than 20 points and 15 rebounds per game throughout his four-year varsity career. He also held numerous Ohio Athletic Conference records.