Special Saturday Set for Wittenberg Women's Basketball

UPDATE: To see video clips from the dedication ceremony, click here.

Saturday will be emotional and uplifting for Wittenberg women's basketball. The school will be officially dedicating the Pam Smith Arena to memorialize Pam's remarkable gift of self to her students, her athletes, her colleagues and to the community at-large. The ceremony begins at 12:00 p.m.

Pam, the coach with the most wins and highest winning percentage in NCAC women's basketball history, passed away in June 2007 following a long battle with cancer. During its October 2007 meeting, the University Board of Directors unanimously resolved to name the site of so many of the beloved coach's wins Pam Evans Smith Arena.

The dedication event will include comments from Director of Athletics and Recreation Garnett Purnell, President Mark H. Erickson, Assistant Director of Athletics/Head Softball Coach Becky Hall, Chair of the Department of Health, Fitness and Sport/Head Men's Soccer Coach Steve Dawson and Smith's husband, Roger, in Pam Evans Smith Arena. Roger and Smith's parents, Richard and Roslyn Evans, will then unveil a commemorative wall display that will hang next to the arena doors in Legends Lobby. A reception will follow immediately afterward.

Fittingly, the women's basketball team, along with all Tiger women's varsity sports teams, and some club teams, will host a sports expo in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday. Even more so than the dedication, this event is a tribute to Pam, and her long history of coaching and teaching. Pam understood how athletics can be a positive force in women's lives.

Team members provide the hundreds of invited Springfield area children with camp information, slideshows and sports demonstrations. Additionally, professional female football player Andrea Judy, a local sports nutritionist and a certified athletic trainer will all be on hand to share their experiences working in athletics-related careers.

The expo will begin around 1:00 and will continue during halftime of the 2:00 women's basketball game against Wooster. Admission to the game is free and a meet and greet/autograph session with Wittenberg women's basketball team members will take place immediately after the game.

For more information on the dedication ceremony, or the sports expo, visit Wittenberg's athletics site.

Wabash Alum Has Super Interest in Super Sunday

Wabash alum, Mark Miles '76 will be paying close attention to the Super Bowl on Sunday - like millions of other fans. However, he won't be focusing on the commercials, or even the action on the field.

Miles has been selected by Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard to chair a group that will decide whether the city has everything in place to bid for the 2012 event. He and the rest of the group will head to Arizona for some fact-finding during this year's Super Bowl.

Indianapolis has a good shot at hosting the big game, as the city was a finalist for the 2011 Super Bowl, along with Dallas. Dallas was eventually chosen.

Miles, a former Little Giant tennis player, has plenty of experience with large events. He was instrumental in bringing the Pan American Games to Indy in 1987 as the president of the organizing committee. He also served as CEO of the Association of Tennis Professionals, the men's professional tennis players' association, for 15 years.

Miles spoke to Inside Indiana Business about some of the items the NFL requires of any city planning to host the Super Bowl.

Click here to read Wabash SID Brent Harris's take on Miles and the Super Bowl

Around the NCAC

** Oberlin AD Joe Karlgaard has posted his lastest From the Director's Chair. He shares details from a recent men's basketball game/alumni event at Yale and previews of some of the exciting things we can look forward to at Oberlin this spring. Click here for the whole post.

** Kenyon will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday, with festivities starting at 11:30 a.m. The day will feature free sports clinics, a reception, and a Ladies women's basketball game. For a pdf flyer with more information, click here. For more information contact Kelly Bryan, 740-427-5796, bryank@kenyon.edu or Chrissy Kilroe, 740-427-5232, kilroec@kenyon.edu

** Wabash basketball coach Mac Petty was interviewed in the latest Hoopsville Podcast on D3hoops.com. You can listen to all or part of the show here.

Wittenberg Voices of the Hollow Series Interviews Maurer

Wittenberg's Voices of the Hollow series returns to the athletic department for an interview with Tiger coaching legend Dave Maurer.

Maurer did a little bit of everything in his time at Wittenberg. He coached football, track, swimming and golf at various points during his career. He also served as the director of men's athletics and was a professor of health and physical education, but is probably most well-known for his exploits on the gridiron sidelines.

After more than a decade as an assistant football coach, Maurer took the reins in 1969 from National College of Football Hall of Famer Bill Edwards, his mentor. By the time he stepped down after the 1983 season, Maurer had posted a record of 129-23-3, good for an astounding .842 winning percentage, best among active coaches at that time. He had directed three teams to national championships (and was an assistant coach for two other national titlists) and two teams to NCAA Division III Tournament runner-up finishes. The Tigers went undefeated three times and won seven OAC championships in his 15 years as head coach.

Click here for excerpts - you can listen to the audio, or download an MP3 of the interview

Kenyon Student-Athletes Organizes Refreshing Fundraiser

Before Saturday's 2 p.m. home women's basketball game against Oberlin, Kenyon Student-Athletes members will be selling 34 oz. water bottles featuring a "H2OPE" logo for seven dollars each. All the proceeds will go to the Interchurch Medical Association's Lifestraw project. Monetary donations also will be accepted, and the fundraiser will continue at Lords' and Ladies' contests on campus as long as supplies remain available.

Sophomore Rachel Goheen, a member of the women's soccer team, classmate Stephanie Caton, a Ladies softball player, were inspired to search for a way to help people in struggling areas of the world after Goheen returned from a summer abroad. They found IMA's Lifestraw emergency water purification initiative, which aims to stem the spread of cholera in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the World Health Organization states diarrheal disease kills approximately 28,000 people annually and is the leading cause of death in the country.

The Lifestraw is a portable water filter about the size of a large kazoo that can be carried easily on a string around a person's neck. According to the product's website, the straw offers relief from common diarrheal disease by effectively removing 99 percent of waterborne bacteria and viruses. Each Lifestraw is capable of filtering 185 gallons of water, enough to last a typical Congolese family the better part of a year.

Goheen and Caton hope sales warrant ordering more water bottles. Their ultimate goal is to increase awareness in the cause and make the fundraiser a regular staple at Kenyon sporting events throughout the year.

For more information on IMA's Lifestraw initiative or to make an on-line donation, visit the organization's website at www.interchurch.org. For more detailed information on the Lifestraw itself, go to www.lifestraw.com.

Wabash Winter Sports Extravaganza

Winter sports fans in search of some action should head over to Crawfordsville, Indiana, this weekend as all four Wabash winter sports teams will be in action in the Allen Center at some point Saturday.

Things kick off Friday night when the swimming and diving team heads battle arch-rival DePauw in Greencastle at 7 p.m. You can read what some former Little Giant swimmers think about competing against DePauw in the Lanelines blog.

The next day the tankers host the University of Indianapolis at 1:00 p.m. Seniors John Kasey, Kyle O'Keefe, Tom Schiltz, and Aaron Spolarich will be honored prior to the start of the meet.

The Little Giant wrestling hosts the annual Monon Bell Wrestling Duals in Chadwick Court. Twelve teams will be in action throughout the day in Olympic pool format competition. Wrestling begins at 8 a.m. with the Little Giants taking on Ohio Northern University at 9:30 a.m. on mat number one. Competition will continue throughout the day with the finals scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

The indoor track and field team will be competing in the annual Alumni Invitational. Field events start at 11:30 a.m. in the Knowling Fieldhouse, with the combined 5000-meter run to start at noon. A full schedule of events is available online.

The final piece of the winter sports festival takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Chadwick Court when the basketball team will try for its seventh win in its last eight games against visiting Denison.


All of the events are free of charge.

NCAC Women's Soccer All-Americans

We couldn't ask for a better way to show the success of NCAC women's soccer than the above photo. The women pictured above all earned All-American status from the National Soccer Coaches Coaches Association of America. They were honored for their skills on the field and or their dedication in the classroom.

Sarah Ash - Denison, Michelle Corbett - Ohio Wesleyan, Meghan O'Rourke - Wittenberg, Suzanne Medwid - Wittenberg, Amanda Farrell - Wittenberg (from left to right) received their awards over the weekend at the NSCAA/Adidas All-America luncheon at the annual coaches' convention in Baltimore, MD.

Their honors:
Sarah Ash, DEN - Soccer All-America (1st team); Scholar-Athlete All-America (1st team)
Michelle Corbett, OWU - Soccer All-America (3rd team)
Meghan O'Rourke, WIT - Soccer All-America (2nd team)
Suzanne Medwid, WIT - Soccer All-America (3rd team)
Amanda Farrell, WIT - Scholar-Athlete All-America (2nd team)

NCAC Soccer Players Earn All-Ohio Honors

The Ohio College Soccer Association announced the 2007 All-Ohio teams. The NCAC was well represented on both the women's and men's sides.

Leading the women's honorees was Denison senior forward Sarah Ash, who was named Player of the Year. Wittenberg skipper Norm Riker was named Coach of the Year.

The complete list of female honorees includes:

All-Ohio First Team
Denison forward Sarah Ash - Player of Year
Kenyon forward Amanda Drummond
Ohio Wesleyan forward Michelle Corbett
Wittenberg goalkeeper Meghan O'Rourke
Wittenberg midfielder Amanda Farrell
Wittenberg midfielder Suzanne Medwid

All-Ohio Second Team
Denison goalkeeper Liz Gillette
Kenyon defender Jean Arnold
Ohio Wesleyan defender Jessie Seaver
Ohio Wesleyan midfielder Lindsey Macklin
Wittenberg midfielder Lindsey Rusch
Wittenberg forward Lisa Rusch

All-Ohio Third Team
Kenyon defender Sam Schoney
Ohio Wesleyan forward Allie Cozzone
Wittenberg defender Maggie Amorello

On the men's side, the conference was represented by:

All-Ohio First Team
Ohio Wesleyan midfielder Nick Skoczen
Wittenberg forward Matt Borland
Wittenberg forward Shane Price

All-Ohio Second Team
Denison defender David Folt
Kenyon forward Felix Hoffman
Ohio Wesleyan goalkeeper Jamison Dague
Ohio Wesleyan midfielder Ryan Harminis
Ohio Wesleyan forward Tyler Wall

All-Ohio Third Team
Denison forward Ryan Linn
Hiram midfielder Nick Gdanetz
Hiram forward David Krems
Kenyon midfielder Reiner Bauerfeind
Kenyon midfielder Nate Pritchard
Kenyon defender Jeremy Fischer
Wittenberg defender Justin Jenkins

Around the NCAC

** Allegheny will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day with the theme “All In,” on Saturday, Jan. 26.

The program will be divided into two: one for girls, the other for adult women. All ages are welcome and all events are free - preregistration by Jan. 16 is required. For more information, call Paula Habel, head coach of women’s lacrosse at 332-2828.

Girls will take part in clinics hosted by Allegheny’s women athletics teams in basketball, volleyball, lacrosse and soccer as well as enjoy the opportunity to spend time in the Mellon Pool. The day begins with registration from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. and ends with the Allegheny women’s basketball game against Denison University at 2 p.m.

The women’s program begins with registration from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and ends at 2 p.m. with the women's basketball game. The program includes introductions to golf, weight training and Pilates, all led by Allegheny coaches or instructors, with participants choosing two of the three sessions.

** Oberlin will be hosting a pair of clinics in the near future. Women's Basketball will host a Youth Day Clinic before the Yeowomen take on Heidelberg on Monday, Jan. 21 - Martin Luther King Day. The day tips off at 11:45 a.m. and is open to all children. Participants will go through a fun set of drills and activities with head coach Christa Champion and assistant coach Janell Crayton. The kids will also have the opportunity to meet all of the Yeowomen and get autographs on an official team picture. The clinic will last until 1 p.m. and children in attendance are encouraged to stay for free pizza and to cheer on the Yeowomen. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m. Click here for more info, a clinic brochure and a registration form.

The Yeowomen softball team will also host a skills clinic on Feb. 16 for all girls in grades K-6. Head coach Adrienne Davis and assistant coach Kelsey Knapp will serve as camp directors.
The girls will learn fundamentals such as hitting, fielding, throwing, catching, and more advanced skills such as specific positions and strategies. Click here for more info, a clinic brochure and a registration form.

** Wittenberg has announced ticket policies for the highly-anticipated Wooster-Wittenberg men's basketball matchup on Saturday. The Scots and Tigers are currently tied for first place in the NCAC, heading into the game. The two teams split last season's series, with each team stealing a win on the other's home court. One of the two teams has won the NCAC regular season title every year since 1989.

** Congratulations are in order for Wittenberg's Rick Gold and Oberlin's Curt Karpinski, who are being inducted into the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. They are two of this year's four inductees.

Wooster Ranked #1 in Preseason Baseball Poll

Collegiate Baseball ranked Wooster as the top team in Division III in their annual preseason coaches' poll. This is the second time in three years, and the third overall, that the Fighting Scots have been tabbed as the Division's favorite entering the season.

Last spring Wooster put together a 42-7 record and finished the season ranked 10th nationally. The Scots also were picked No. 1 entering the 1998 and 2006 seasons, when they ended up going 40-6 and 38-9, respectively, while reaching an NCAA Div. III Regional Tournament each year.

Wooster story
Complete poll

Ohio Wesleyan did not crack the top 30 poll, but was named one of the Division's top teams.

Committed to a Cure

Wittenberg sophomore Erin Berger has a lot on her plate. She is a key member of the Tigers' field hockey team, and is a member of the campus SAAC. She is involved with the dance program through the university's Theatre and Dance Department, is active in the Delta Gamma sorority, serves as a student representative with WittPath, the university's career center, and as a justice on the Student Senate Hearing Board. She is also a dedicated student who carries a 4.0 GPA as a psychology major with a pre-medicine concentration.

At the start of a new school year, an hectic time for anyone, let alone a student-athlete with such a packed schedule, Erin remarkably carved out time for one more activity - to raise awareness and garner support for the 2007 Walk to D'Feet ALS in Dayton.

After learning more about neurological diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, Erin realized she could make a difference. She even created her own web site to help raise funds for the event.

In the end, she helped collect almost $500 for ALS research through her efforts.

You can read more about Erin here.

Wooster Athletes Advocate Against Domestic Abuse

Sports Illustrated's year end issue features eight Wooster male student-athletes who volunteer regularly at Every Woman’s House, a domestic violence shelter for women and children in Wayne County.

The student-athletes are part of the Wooster group Men Working for Change, which has a goal of promoting and raising awareness to stop the cycle of violence against women. The student-athletes attend local middle and high schools to talk about healthy relationships and dating violence; they have hosted a radio show and have carried out similar campaigns on the Wooster campus. The athletes also help women move in and out of the shelter and assist with office work.

What is unique about the athletes is that few males are willing to volunteer for the shelter. According to Geoffrey Martin, the Community Education coordinator at Every Woman's House, some men are afraid of being seen as abusers who are performing court-ordered community service. But the Wooster athletes show no such fear.

The players pictured in the SI issue are: football players Keith Adams, Jeff Dauer, Jeff Geffert, Ben Schrock, Trey Simmerman, and Dan Sommers, as well as baseball team member Jake Sankal and Ricky Giavonette, a student supervisor for operations in the athletic department.

To see the complete Sports Illustrated article, click here (pdf). Wooster also features a story on the student-athletes on its athletic page.