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(04/22/13 11:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Many successful college teams have seniors who help lead the way.IU men’s tennis is no different.Seniors Josh MacTaggart and Isade Juneau lead by example with strong play on the court.Both were crucial players in the Hoosiers’ 7-0 sweep of Vincennes this past weekend to finish the regular season.In the individuals competition, MacTaggart defeated freshman Warren Kuhn in his singles match 2-0.This was the Barnston, U.K., native’s 116th singles win in his four-year career.The 116 singles victories have helped put MacTaggart on top of the all-time singles wins list in IU history.Juneau had the same success against his singles opponent. He swept his opponents and only allowed one set point in the entire match.This win gave Juneau his 100th career win and put him in the century wins club with MacTaggart, as well as IU alumni Sven and Gunner Salumaa.It’s a very difficult mark to reach for any college tennis player. Only four Hoosiers are in that club, and two of them are finishing out their careers after this season.The other four IU players won their singles matches by a dominating margin.The success in the singles competition continued to the doubles matches.No. 19 doubles team Juneau and freshman Sam Monette defeated Kuhn and sophomore Erick Bermudez 8-4. The Hoosier duo ended their regular season with a 20-3 record, which is one of the best overall doubles record in the nation.Both Juneau and Monette are from Repentigny, Quebec, which certainly helps them today because of their familiarity with each other’s styles.The win gave Juneau his 84th career doubles victory donning the cream and crimson.MacTaggart won his doubles match and earned another IU record in the process.MacTaggart and freshman Alekzander Davila beat freshmen Garrett Mandrell and Harsha Manjunath 8-3.The senior won his 102nd doubles match, which ties the all-time IU record for doubles victories.Now, MacTaggart tops both the singles and doubles records, which proves why he is one of the best Hoosiers on the tennis court ever.His consistency seemed to improve each and every season throughout his collegiate career, which might lead to a possible professional career.But making it to the next level won’t be easy with the tough competition from solid players around the world.Both MacTaggart and Juneau will be known for their IU records, but, more importantly, for the impact they made on this program.The two players have done leaps and bounds for bringing success to Bloomington.One of the most important things they did is help provide senior leadership during their last season.The Hoosiers are a very young team in comparison to other Big Ten conference squads.Five of their eight players on the roster are freshmen.Coming from high school sports into college can be a big jump, and having experienced and successful players on the roster like MacTaggart and Juneau can help.Hopefully, the two graduating seniors graduate know that they left the program in good hands and made their individual mark in the process.That is something all college athletes want to do when they come into the program, and MacTaggart and Juneau did it. — amsiegal@indiana.edu
(04/16/13 12:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU football last made a bowl game in 2007.Since then, the Hoosiers have a 17-43 record in five seasons.The question on every IU football fan’s mind is, “Will this be the season to break the drought?”Two positive things the team can rely on for the upcoming season are the weak schedule and depth at the quarterback position.The Hoosiers start the season with five consecutive home games against Indiana State, Navy, Bowling Green, Missouri and Penn State.Also, there are three other home games against Big Ten opponents in Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue.The four away games are against Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State, which are all tough competition.Out of the 12 games, there seem to be eight very winnable games this season.This will certainly be a big factor in the chance of success in the upcoming year.This offseason will be interesting for Wilson and his coaching staff because they will have three quarterbacks trying to earn the starting spot.Each quarterback has his strengths and weaknesses that need to be assessed to figure out who would be the best option for the position.Sophomore Tre Roberson has the best speed of the three quarterbacks with a solid arm that the team can benefit from. Junior Cam Coffman had success this past season with making quality shorter throws to receivers and running backs, which helped move the ball down the field.Sophomore Nate Sudfeld showed youth in the first half of the season but started to show a strong arm that could make deep throws during the second half.All three quarterbacks have solid qualities they bring to the field.There are also intangibles like mental toughness, character, work ethic and leadership that contribute to a quarterback’s evaluation.One thing that is known for sure is there isn’t a clear-cut favorite like last season with Roberson starting the season.The summer will be a period for Wilson and his coaching staff to start figuring out who fits best for the starting role.The main message that can be taken away from this quarterback battle is that whoever the coaches go with, the team will be in the right hands. - amsiegal@indiana.edu
(04/08/13 11:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU baseball has seen a lot of success so far this season, but things changed during the weekend.As the Hoosiers (25-4, 8-1) walked off the field after Sunday’s game, they knew they had done something they hadn’t done in almost a month: lost. After losing to Illinois on Sunday, IU ended their 18-game winning streak, which is the new NCAA 2012-13 season record.College baseball fans around the country may wonder how a basketball school from Indiana pulled off such an amazing feat.The Hoosiers did it with solid hitting and strong pitching.First, IU doesn’t lack powerful and consistent hitters in its lineup.Three Hoosiers are in the top seven in the Big Ten for their batting averages.Seven of IU’s normal starters have a .300 batting average or better through 29 games.Three of the top five players are in the Big Ten in terms of slugging percentages.Sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber leads the team with a .420 batting average, a .688 slugging percentage, seven homeruns and 31 runs batted in, putting him in first place on the team in all categories except RBIs. Hitting could have been a problem because of the loss of big contributors from last season.Before the start of the season, IU lost junior Dillon Dooney, the second team All-Big Ten designated hitter last season, to personal issues. His effectiveness with the bat will certainly be missed.But in sports, it’s all about the next man up.Virginia Tech transfer and sophomore designated hitter Scott Donley has stepped in and filled those big shoes. The Crown Point, Ind., native has a .369 batting average with three home runs and a conference-best 37 runs batted in.However, impressive pitching has been the backbone to this team’s success.IU leads all Big Ten teams with a 2.34 earned run average.Three Hoosiers rank in the top 10 in Big Ten individual ERAs.Sophomore starting pitchers Aaron Slegers and Kyle Hart have combined for an 11-1 record with 59 strikeouts in 85 innings.Both pitchers boast under 2.20 ERAs so far this season.The main go-to pitchers for Head Coach Tracy Smith have come from his bullpen.Freshman pitcher Scott Effross leads the team with a 1.02 ERA, 21 strikeouts and three saves in 14 appearances.Junior pitcher Ryan Halstead is fourth on the team with a 1.86 ERA, 19 strikeouts and five saves. Both have had to pitch well in clutch situations, since former reliever Jonny Hoffman was released from the team because of a drug-related situation in January.Last season, Hoffman led the team in ERA, wins, saves and appearances.So far, Effross and Halstead have been vital substitutes in the absence of Hoffman.Finally, Hoosier Nation showed up big this past weekend against Illinois. All three games were sold out in their series against the Fighting Illini.Smith discussed the impact that the big crowds had on his team.“It’s exciting to see the reaction of the kids when you put about 3,000 people in the stands,” Smith said. Fans should continue to support this team because of the talent on the field and the brand-new Bart Kaufman field, which creates an excellent fan experience.“When we see lots of fans in the stands, it makes the games seem more important,” senior shortstop Michael Basil said. “We want to keep them coming back, especially with how well our team is playing.”Although the winning streak has ended for this squad, there is still more than a month left in the regular season to record more victories.This season has already turned out to be one of the best in IU baseball history, and there is still more damage to be done.— Amsiegal@indiana.edu
(04/02/13 12:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sports world goes crazy when ranked teams get beaten by weaker opponents. Although collegiate women’s tennis isn’t as polarized as men’s basketball, there are still big wins happening on tennis courts around the country.IU women’s tennis has continued to get major wins against the top teams in the sport.Halfway into the spring season, the Hoosiers defeated then-No.2 Duke 4-2 in Las Vegas.At the time, IU was ranked No. 60 in the country, which shows how impressive the victory was.The Hoosiers have done it again. Just more than two weeks later on Sunday, IU beat No. 10 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.Call it Easter Day luck, but two top-10 victories prove that this team has the talent to beat the top competition.Not only did this squad get their second top-10 win of the season, but they also had to travel on the road to earn it. The Hoosiers beat the top-ranked Big Ten team through success in their singles and doubles matches.In singles play, IU won four of the six matches, which started the squad off on a good note.Two of the singles matches stood out because two Hoosiers beat top-ranked opponents.In the second match, No. 112 individual-ranked sophomore Katie Klyczeck defeated No. 39 freshman Ronit Yurovsky two sets to one.Another big win against Michigan came when IU sophomore Carolyn Chupa beat No. 76 sophomore Sarah Lee two sets to one as well.These were two crucial matches against individually ranked opponents that the Hoosiers had to win if they were going to beat the Wolverines.In doubles play, the success continued for the Hoosiers.They won two of the three matches to pick up crucial victories in the upset.Although in the first match IU lost to Michigan’s best doubles team, which ranks No. 2 in the nation, they won the next two doubles matches.The big game-changer in the doubles side came when sophomores Alecia Krauss and Shannon Murdy upset No. 49-ranked Yurovsky and Lee 8-4. This win was one of the main reasons why the Hoosiers ended up clinching the overall victory.A lot of credit has to be given to head coach Lin Loring and associate head coach Ramiro Azcui for getting this team ready to play against one of the best teams in the country.These coaches have helped guide their players to two of the best victories in IU tennis history. In addition, the players that have won the big matches for the Hoosiers are sophomores.It’s a major accomplishment when your underclassmen are the ones leading the team to upsets and big wins.This shows that the program will have success in the future because the young talent is already helping the team earn major victories.IU has asix more Big Ten matches before the Big Ten tournament, but if their success continues, then they will have a shot at making the NCAA tournament.The Hoosiers’ tournament résumé looks pretty strong so far, but more conference wins will help increase their chances of making the field in May. — amsiegal@indiana.edu
(03/26/13 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The NCAA tournament only has spots for a select few of the top teams in the country, and many teams don’t make the field.The IU men’s basketball team not only made the field but also reached the Sweet 16 for a second straight year. On the other side, the women’s team failed to make the field, which wasn’t a big surprise after it lost nine of its last 10 games.Certainly, this wasn’t the season first-year IU Coach Curt Miller had hoped for.But considering the state of the program the last few years, there were some big strides made this season that showed there is a bright future for this squad.With former coach Felisha Legette-Jack, the Hoosiers won 15 games combined during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.The team went 4-29 in the Big Ten play in those years and had a tough time of competing against the other teams in the conference.This year, there were positives from how IU was playing against some very good opponents.The Hoosiers only won 11 of a possible 30 games, but they started off the season on a bright note.IU won 10 of its first 15 games, beating teams such as Murray State, Clemson, Xavier and Northwestern.Eight of those 10 wins came at Assembly Hall.This certainly shows the team can play well with the home crowd behind them.Seniors Jasmine McGhee, a guard, and forward Aulani Sinclair were the backbone of this team for most of the season.They were the top two scoring players on the team, averaging a combined 28.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.These two players led their team in scoring in 27 of the 30 games.Even though McGhee and Sinclair were huge for the team throughout their years of donning the cream and crimson, they both will graduate soon and have no more years of eligibility.Senior forward Linda Rubene has also finished her career as a Hoosier, while fifth-year center Sasha Chaplin will apply for a sixth year of eligibility and is at the mercy of the NCAA waiver process. All four of these players were crucial to IU’s success and will certainly be missed. However, every year brings a new recruiting class that hopes to step in and make up the production missed with the graduating seniors.The good news is Miller and his staff has put together a very good recruiting class moving forward.Miller’s 2013 class ranks 27th in the country by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.“This recruiting class represents the new era of IU women’s basketball and will be the backbone of our future,” Miller said in a press release after signing five players.These commitments show the Hoosiers are becoming competitive in recruiting with other top schools around the country.Recruiting success will eventually lead into success on the court with the right coach.Miller seems to be the right coach for the Hoosiers. Give credit to IU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass for the hire.This year might have not been the most successful in recent years, but the program is certainly headed in the right direction under Miller.— amsiegal@indiana.edu
(03/20/13 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>New facilities can dramatically affect a team’s growth and success.The IU baseball program starts a new beginning with the opening of Bart Kaufman Field. It is a facility that the baseball team will cherish for a long time.Tonight, the Hoosiers will break in the new field against IU Coach Tracy Smith’s alma mater, Miami (Ohio).IU has already kicked off the season on a good note.The team has had more than a month of games in warmer climates against non-conference opponents.The Hoosiers are 14-3 with losses to Connecticut, Georgia Southern and then-No. 28 Florida.Big wins have come against then-No. 4 Louisville in the season opener and against the Gators twice in Gainesville, Fla.This week is exciting for IU students and baseball fans around Bloomington.Kaufman Field makes Sembower Field look like a little league field.It’s a field that encompasses everything any college baseball team should have.First off, it has a clubhouse that features the players’ and coach’s locker room, as well as a training area and team room. The dugouts and warm-up areas are much better than what the team had at Sembower Field.Indoor and outdoor hitting cages will give the baseball team a great advantage for practice.This feature means the team can practice at the indoor batting cage, instead of having to practice at Mellencamp Pavilion (IU football’s indoor practice field) during the colder months.The new field will impact the IU fans as well.The Bloomington community and students will really love the experience they are going to receive from now on, starting with stadium seating for 2,500 fans, replacing the bleacher seating at Sembower Field.This will give the fans a more up-to-date seating system that they can enjoy while watching an approximately three-hour game. Other amenities featured at the new field include an entry plaza, a new scoreboard, a PA/sound system and lots of parking. Sembower Field lacked all of these things.One of the most important aspects of Kaufman Field is the new stadium lighting, which will allow for night games. Night games are a game changer for full-time workers who can’t make it to day games because of their 9-to-5 workday.The most important benefit from the new field is how much it will help recruiting.When a high school athlete receives a scholarship offer, that person will compare facilities as one of their criteria for which school they choose.Now, Smith can persuade the top athletes to come to IU because their facilities are as good or better than other top baseball programs in the country.In time, Smith and the program will reap the benefits from the facility.The baseball players will love the modern amenities that the field offers.Fans will enjoy their experience and continue to come back to support their school.The IU baseball program will be forever changed because of Kaufman Field.
(03/05/13 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Success has been synonymous with the IU swimming and diving programs.The men’s squad has won 24 Big Ten Championships, and the women’s squad has won five during the last 10 years.This past weekend, both programs placed second in the Big Ten Championships.They reeled in two more Big Ten titles and five school records.The main reasons the Hoosiers placed so high as a team were junior swimmer Cody Miller and junior diver Conor Murphy.Miller was named the Swimmer of the Championships, which is the highest honor a swimmer can earn from the event.Miller also won his third individual championship and second Big Ten record in the meet.In the 200 breaststroke, he finished with a time of 1:51.03, which is the second-fastest time in NCAA history. You could call him the Big Ten king of the breaststroke event with a perfect 6-for-6 in that event in Big Ten meets.In diving, the Hoosiers got a very good performance from Murphy.The California native won his first Big Ten title in platform with a school-record score of 495.55.His score was 20 points better than the previous IU record set by Mike Collier in 1996.The other new IU records were set by senior Jim Barbiere in the 1,650 freestyle, senior Daniel Kanorr in the 100 freestyle and sophomore Steve Schmuhl in the 200 butterfly. Even more honors came to junior Darian Schmidt and Jeff Huber, who earned shared Diver of the Championships and Diving Coach of the Year, respectively.On the other side, the women’s team earned second place in the Big Ten Championships, as well.Three Hoosiers took home individual Big Ten titles.Junior swimmer Lindsay Vrooman won her second-straight Big Ten title in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 15:56.50.Not only is that a new IU record, but it is also a new Big Ten meet record.Freshman Brooklyn Snodgrass took first place in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:51.77.The youngster earned a spot in the upcoming NCAA Championships.Senior diver Amy Cozad earned her first conference title in the platform event with a Big Ten record score of 390.05.Vrooman was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships, and Snodgrass won Big Ten Freshman of the Year.Watch out for Miller, Snodgrass and the other Hoosiers in the NCAA tournament to make their mark on the national stage.The honors and major wins from men’s and women’s teams during the past weekend show their hard work and preparation paid off when it mattered most.Their achievements have continued to uphold the rich tradition of the Indiana program. — amsiegal@indiana.edu
(02/27/13 5:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you attend IU and have not heard of senior high jumper Derek Drouin, then you probably live under a rock.This past weekend at the Big Ten Championships, Drouin set the world record in the men’s heptathlon high jump event.Drouin has proven time and time again why he’s one of the top track and field athletes in the country, and is now one of the top high jumpers in the world.During the years, a list of his track and field accomplishments reads like a Harvard pre-med graduate’s resume.In 2009, he won the Pan American Junior Championships in the high jump for Canada.The success has continued for Drouin at IU.He has won the last three NCAA championships in the high jump.Then, the collegiate success translated to the international level.This past summer at the London Summer Olympics, Drouin won the Bronze medal for Canada in the high jump with the world watching.It is very impressive for a young track and field athlete to do this well on this stage.His jump cleared 2.29m, which was right behind Ivan Ukhov of Russia and Erik Kynard of the U.S.Drouin’s medal was one of Canada’s 18 total medals in the Olympics and one of 12 Bronze medals.Also, this was Canada’s first medal in the high jump since the 1976 Summer Olympics, when Greg Joy medaled for the country.Drouin’s ability to perform well has continued to his final season at IU.This year, Drouin has finished well at all the events he has competed in.In December’s Hoosier Open, the Canada native earned first place in the indoor pentathlon, where he was first in 60m hurdles, high jump and long jump.In the other two events, the 1,000m run and shot put, he finished second and third, respectively. It shows how talented of an athlete he is because of the success he has had in a variety of track and field events.In the Indiana relays Jan. 25, Drouin won the high jump and long jump events.Then, he finished first again in the high jump at the Hoosier Hills competition in early February.It is a pretty impressive season for the senior to end the indoor season with a world record in the high jump.With every great athlete, there is a great coach helping him reach his full potential.Associate Head Coach Jeff Huntoon has been that great coach for Drouin.Huntoon works specifically with the sprints, hurdles, jumps and multi-event athletes.Through his four years at Indiana, Drouin has excelled in the high and long jump events because of Huntoon’s coaching.Drouin appears to be the favorite to win in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.If Drouin does win, then he will go down as one of the top IU track and field athletes ever.He is one of the main reasons why IU students shouldn’t just care about the student-athletes playing popular sports like basketball and football.When all is said and done, Drouin will go down as one of the best IU athletes ever.—amsiegal@indiana.edu
(02/19/13 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although the weather is still cold in most parts of the country, the softball season has begun.Through their first two tournaments, the Hoosiers are 7-3 and starting to heat up.IU lost three of their first five games in the Kajikawa Tournament to three top-25 ranked Pac-12 conference teams.Losing to highly ranked teams will help build character for this team in the long run.This past weekend at the Georgia Tech Classic, Indiana went undefeated in the tournament.The Hoosiers won all five games, including two wins against the home team, No. 24 Georgia Tech.IU really brought out their bats by outscoring opponents 28-5 in their five victories.To start off the tournament, the Hoosiers beat Miami (Ohio) 10-0 in five innings, including their first mercy rule win of the season.Junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy tossed a no-hitter, which was the first for the program since 2009.Not only was the pitching there, but the team also hit the ball really well.Senior infielder Breanna Saucedo, sophomore utility Shannon Cawley and freshman catcher Kelsey Dotson all had multiple-hit games against the RedHawks.IU also had two 2-1 victories against Marshall during their next two games.These early season wins will help provide confidence to a team with four more nonconference tournaments until Big Ten play.One of the main reasons for the program’s success is due to head Coach Michelle Gardner.Gardner has helped transform this program and got them back to prominence and what it is today.Gardner’s first two seasons were a bit of a struggle. The Hoosiers went 22-75 in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.IU was having problems defeating teams like Radford, Long Island and Jacksonville State in Gardner’s first two seasons.After the first two losing seasons, the program enjoyed success during the next two years. In 2011, the Hoosiers went 37-18 and 17-3 in Big Ten play.The next year, IU finished the season at 30-25.This was the first time since 1989 and 1990 that the Hoosiers posted two back-to-back 30-win seasons. It’s impressive to see the major change after Gardner’s first two seasons at the helm.During her time at Indiana, there have been 10 players to earn All-Big Ten honors, including three First Team All-Big Ten players.There were only two First Team All-Big Ten players through 2001-10.Players like Morgan Melloh, Sara Olson and Jennifer Glueckert helped build this program back to where it is today.This just shows that Gardner is recruiting the right players and developing their skills to help bring success back to this program.When IU starts to play home games in mid-March, they will be playing on the brand new Andy Mohr Field.This facility will really help this program’s ability to recruit and please the athletes’ playing experience on the field.But before then, there are three more nonconference tournaments the team has to play in.This upcoming weekend, the Hoosiers head to Florida for the NFCA Leadoff Classic for another five-game weekend.IU needs to continue their early season success into the next three weekend tournaments to set themselves up for the rest of the year.— amsiegal@indiana.edu
(02/12/13 1:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU has one of the richest collegiate basketball traditions in the country.However, success doesn’t come to mind when considering IU football.The program has been to two bowl games in the last 20 years and has won only 10 games in the last three seasons combined.But the program is headed in the right direction under IU Coach Kevin Wilson.This year, the Hoosiers showed glimpses of a team that could compete with other Big Ten programs.They only won four games, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it’s still a major improvement from the 2011 season.Two of those four wins were against Big Ten opponents.Close losses plagued the team, though. Four out of their eight losses were by four points or less, including a narrow three-point loss to undefeated Ohio State.Although these weren’t wins, they were signs that Wilson’s young squad has a bright future.That future got even brighter when Wilson signed 22 players on National Signing Day on Wednesday.“We are very fortunate to have a good amount of returning starters, but we backed that up with what, on paper, is a very, very strong class, which is critical in building our program,” Wilson said.According to Rivals.com, Wilson’s class ranks 42nd in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten conference.The 22-man class includes four four-star commits, 13 three-star commits and five two-star players.This is easily the best class in IU history dating back to when recruiting sites started to rank players and teams.This class is impressive, because there are players who can start right away next season.Two players to watch out for are defensive back Antonio Allen and defensive tackle Darius Latham.Allen has the ability to help out a secondary that gave up too many yards to opposing teams last season.The Hoosiers ranked ninth in the Big Ten, allowing more than 230 passing yards per game.Allen can start right away, because he has excellent speed, and he is a very hard hitter for a secondary player.He was once an Ole Miss commit and could have been part of a top-10 recruiting class, but he decided to stay in his home state and play for the Hoosiers.Latham is a big defensive tackle who will bolster a weak defensive line.IU was ranked at the bottom of the Big Ten in rushing defense, giving up more than 230 yards per game.The Hoosiers lost senior defensive tackles Adam Replogle and Larry Black Jr. to graduation.The good news is Latham is a player who could come in and start immediately.Latham is another Indianapolis native who had offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Michigan and Notre Dame.His size and ability to stop the run game made him a coveted recruit.Both players will help out a weak defense that hurt the team’s chances for success last year.The talent coming in should help the Hoosiers right away and put them in position to win more games next year.If Wilson can consistently earn commitments from talented players, then the program will have a lot more success in the upcoming seasons.The 2013 class shows that the future of the IU football program is headed in the right direction under Wilson.-amsiegal@indiana.edu
(02/05/13 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A tragedy can bring a family closer together.This past summer, IU Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Tom Morris was injured in a bicycling accident that left him indefinitely paralyzed.It is tough for any person, especially a very athletic individual, to be told that he or she may never be able to walk again.Although Morris was struck by the horrible news, the IU Athletic Department has united to support Morris through the adversity.The efforts began when Morris’ cousin Kathy Beaulieu created the Tom’s Team Facebook page.Beaulieu used social media to update people on Morris’ recovery and ways people can donate to help him with his medical expenses. When people caught word of the page, it spread like wildfire throughout the IU Athletic Department.The athletic community was hit particularly hard by the news because of Morris’ great importance to various varsity teams.Morris’ work has contributed greatly to the strength and conditioning of the men’s soccer, women’s basketball and track and field teams.During the years, Morris especially bonded with members of the soccer team.That connection has led to their support of Morris.Morris was helping junior midfielder Harrison Petts train for the Hoosier Triathlon until the injury sidelined Morris.Petts helped establish a website to donate money for Morris in the Triathlon.IU athletes Jordan Hulls and Caleb Konstanski continued the efforts last June. The two created a fundraiser at Village Deli to sell T-shirts and wristbands with the proceeds going to Morris.The soccer team used Morris’ tragedy to inspire them on the field this year.In December, the Hoosiers went from being one of the underdogs of the NCAA Tournament to winning their eighth national title. Konstanski voiced his appreciation for how Morris inspired them on Twitter in late November. “Would never have got here without Tom Morris,” Konstanski said. “That guy has been motivation for us all year. We will always be #tomsteam”When the soccer team won it all, Morris was in attendance to watch the victory. After the game, the team gave Morris the championship trophy to hold because of how much he has been a part of the team during the last few years.Other IU Athletics teams have continued to show their support of Morris.IU men’s basketball Coach Tom Crean elected Tom’s Team as his charity of choice in the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge.Infiniti is donating $5,000 to each charity involved and will give another $100,000 to the winner of the challenge.People can vote each day to their charity of choice by accessing the challenge's website, and the winner will be announced March 11.This is a call to action to all Indiana students and Bloomington residents to vote for Crean and help Tom’s Team win the challenge.It only takes the click of button to vote for Crean and can really make the difference in Morris’ road to recovery.IU Athletics has rallied around Morris, and the students and Bloomington community need to do the same.Morris said he greatly appreciates any help you are able to give and this is an easy way for you to contribute to a fellow Hoosier.
(01/29/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Defending your home court may sound like a cliché, but it is important in sports. The women’s tennis team did just that last weekend. The Hoosiers defeated Marquette, Western Michigan and Butler all 7-0 at the IU Tennis Center. IU did not lose a set all weekend and completely controlled every match.There were impressive performances from senior Jithime Jayawickrema and juniors Sophie Garre and Gabrielle Rubenstein, who didn’t drop a single game from their Butler opponents. Also in the doubles category, sophomores Alecia Kauss and Shannon Murdy did not lose a game in their Butler win. When a team plays this well at full strength, confidence flows to all of the members of that team. If you are IU Coach Lin Loring, dominating victories like these are what you like to see.Loring has put together a good squad top to bottom that has a lot of sophomores and a few upperclassmen.Currently, the Hoosiers are ranked No. 50 in the country. These three wins give IU its fifth consecutive victory.The other two wins came from earlier matches against Miami (Ohio) and Cincinnati. Success in these nonconference games is crucial for setting the team up for the Big Ten road ahead. Three Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25. The Hoosiers had a difficult time against Big Ten teams last year. They only won four of a possible 11 matches, including losing their last five matches of the season.They lost in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament and were knocked out of playing in the NCAA Tournament. IU will need to play better in conference this season. It’s crucial for the team to have success in conference, so that its chances of making the tourney increase.The good news is that Loring is known for success and can take his squad to the top. Through 35 seasons at IU, Loring has the most Division I wins at 777.These five wins this season have put him at 782. During his time as head coach, Loring has won 16 Big Ten titles and had 104 consecutive victories against Big Ten opponents 1978-1985.He has also had 12 undefeated seasons and 27 NCAA tournament appearances. Through those appearances, Loring has been a part of one national championship team, two singles championships and one doubles championship.Loring has helped set the benchmark for women’s tennis coaches around the country.The Hoosiers will certainly excel with Loring as their coach. IU is already off to a good start, and that needs to continue if the Hoosiers want to make it in the NCAA tournament. But for now, IU needs to take it match by match and continue to play well as a team. — amsiegal@indiana.edu
(01/23/13 4:45am)
Hoosier Sports columnist Aaron Siegal-Eisman gives his top three moments in IU sports from the past weekend.
(01/18/13 5:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The legacy of IU soccer athletes playing on the next level continues.Former forward Eriq Zavaleta and goalkeeper Luis Soffner join a fraternity of former Hoosiers playing in the MLS.Zavaleta was drafted with the No. 10 pick to Seattle Sounders F.C. in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.The New England Revolution grabbed Soffner in the second round with the 36th pick overall.Two of the main reasons why IU won its eighth national title was because of Zavaleta’s ability to score and Soffner’s clutch play during the NCAA tournament. Zavaleta scored 18 goals in 24 games played and had seven game-winners on the season.Soffner’s career had its ups and downs, but he really came into his own during the NCAA tournament, when he had three shutouts and provided the team with needed senior leadership. Winning another national title helped the Hoosiers continue success for their storied program.Every great soccer program has a tradition of talented athletes to back it up.There have been more than 40 IU players that are either currently playing or have played on the professional level.Soffner joins former Hoosiers Kevin Alston and Lee Nguyen on the Revolution team.Although there are no Hoosiers on the Sounders, Zavaleta will be a part of a rivalry with the Portland Timbers, who has former IU midfielder Eric Alexander on the roster.Alexander (@ExDoesIt17) tweeted, “Welcome to the rivalry @_Air_RIQ_ #Hoosiers” Thursday afternoon.Former Hoosiers can be seen throughout the MLS, but one player is having a major impact on the next level.Former IU forward Will Bruin was drafted with the 11th pick by the Houston Dynamo just two years ago.In his first year with the team, Bruin scored five goals in 25 appearances.Bruin followed it up with a stellar sophomore season scoring 12 goals, which was tied for ninth in the league. There are some noticeable similarities between Bruin and Zavaleta.Both played forward for IU, led the team in scoring and were drafted in the top-15 in the MLS SuperDraft.Also, before Bruin and Zavaleta entered the MLS SuperDraft, they were both named to Generation adidas, a group of talented American players ready for the next level.We will see if Zavaleta can have the same success that Bruin has had in his first two years in the league.Zavaleta and Soffner are ready to start new chapters of their lives.Although they won’t be wearing the crimson and cream kits anymore, they will always be Hoosiers.Zavaleta and Soffner came to Indiana to win a national title, and that’s what they were able to do.Both players have had success at the collegiate level, but will that continue on the professional level?It remains to be seen. — amsiegal@indiana.edu
(01/15/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The track and field season has started on a good note.This past weekend, the men’s and women’s teams won the Indiana-Purdue dual meet for the fourth straight year.There are high expectations for the men’s team, due to the recent No. 7 preseason ranking.This team deserves just as much recognition and respect on its own campus as it does on the national level. They earned the ranking due to senior Derek Drouin’s high jump performances and the experienced class of distance runners.Drouin returns after a solid junior year when he recorded both his third NCAA title and his fourth Big Ten title in the high jump. In addition, he received a bronze medal in the high jump at the 2012 London Olympics.The athlete from Ontario, Canada, seems prepared to lead the high jumping field in the NCAA during his final year of college.Middle-distance runner Lance Roller, a graduate student at the end of his eligibility for collegiate sports, is another athlete to watch this year. He had a stellar undergraduate career at University of Virginia, where he was a two-time All-American and eight-time All-ACC performer. Roller has already helped the Hoosiers with his win in the men’s 600-meter race at the IU-Purdue dual last weekend.Roller finished the race in 1 minute, 18.25 seconds, which was 2.54 seconds better than the second-place finisher and the second-fastest time in IU history.The men’s team won nine of 16 events in the dual.The women’s team, unfortunately, was not ranked in the preseason’s top 25.The women’s team won by a close margin of 69-67 in overall points.Senior distance runner Kelsey Duerksen led the way with her wins in the mile and 800-meter events.Duerksen’s mile time of 4:44.84 is the best in the Big Ten so far this season. The women’s team finished first, second and third in the mile and first and second in the 800-meter, which gave it 17 points.Early season success in these distance events will help give confidence to the team moving forward.This year will be a major test for the men’s team to see how they can compete against the nation’s top teams.As a student, you should feel obligated to give support to the Olympics-sports teams, especially if they are very good.Although the track-and-field are athletes, they are students first. Just like you, they are in classes, take tests and want to graduate on time, difficult tasks even for the average student to complete without worrying about practices and meets.The opportunity to step out of the “traditional sport” comfort zone and support this team is available to those who want to support these hard-working individuals.There are two major track and field events in Bloomington taking place during the next two weekends. If you’ve never seen a track and field meet, then this is something you should experience, at least once, while in college.As students and supporters of IU, we should be united in 24 sports, one University.— amsiegal@indiana.edu
(01/08/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A coaching change can be detrimental for a sports program. After an abysmal 6-24 record in the 2011-12 season under former IU women’s basketball Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack, a change had to be made.Less than a month after the Hoosiers ended their season, Legette-Jack stepped down, and current IU Coach Curt Miller took over the program.Miller’s coaching résumé lists his many successes in the Mid-American Conference during his 11 seasons at Bowling Green.Nine of those 11 seasons had 20 or more wins, including five appearances in the NCAA Tournament.Miller won MAC Coach of the Year six times and boasted a 73.7 winning percentage while coaching the Falcons.His successful leadership has positively impacted our current Hoosier team.They have already won 10 of 15 games, and there are still more than 10 games left in the season.With their newfound confidence, they’re ready to win games they might have lost a year ago.The last time IU won 10 or more games was three seasons ago.Last year, Legette-Jack and the Hoosiers won their first Big Ten game after losing the first 14 games.In their second Big Ten game under Miller’s coaching, IU defeated Northwestern 68-64.Senior forward Aulani Sinclair leads the Hoosiers with 19.9 points per game and 31 points against the Wildcats.Other notable athletes include senior guard Jasmine McGhee, who is averaging almost 12 points per game, and junior forward Milika Taufa, who is grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game.All of the players were recruited by Legette-Jack and are consistently playing well under Miller.His or her ability to recruit is an important quality to find in a collegiate coach.Miller’s five commitments for the class of 2013 ranked the Hoosiers 27th in the country by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and the third-best Big Ten class by Blue Star Basketball. “This recruiting class represents the new era of IU women’s basketball and will be the backbone of our future,” Miller said after signing these five players.Miller also received a commitment from highly touted point guard Tyra Buss, who is the No. 22 ranked point guard in the 2014 class.Buss averages more than 30 points per game and is the fastest player in Illinois history to reach 2,000 points.This commitment shows the Hoosiers are recruiting more competitively with other top schools around the country.The women’s basketball team is in the right hands under Miller.He is exhibiting his ability to win with the current team and recruit effectively, which shows that the future is bright.This IU team is leaps and bounds from where it was a year ago.Although the team is basically the same, the coaching change has made a large difference.Expect to see big things this year and in future years from this Hoosier team while under Coach Miller. — amsiegal@indiana.edu
(11/26/12 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WEST LAFAYETTE — History repeated itself in the IU-Purdue rivalry game Saturday afternoon.The Boilermakers (6-6, 3-5) defeated the Hoosiers (4-8, 3-5) 56-35 for the second straight year in the Old Oaken Bucket game.IU had a 21-14 lead at halftime, but it was Purdue who outscored the Hoosiers 42-14 in the second half to secure the bucket.After the Boilermakers weren’t able to score on their first drive of the game, IU responded by scoring a touchdown.The Hoosiers scored on a 51-yard run from junior running back Stephen Houston on the third play of the drive.On the next possession, Purdue answered back with an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard run from running back Brandon Cottom.Purdue scored once more in the opening 15 minutes, but the Hoosiers were able to hold Purdue scoreless in the second quarter. Houston added two more touchdowns to give IU the seven-point lead going into the locker room.But the lead didn’t last long, as Purdue scored three touchdowns on the team’s first three drives of the second half.After Purdue’s 21 unanswered points, IU countered with a one-yard quarterback sneak by sophomore Cameron Coffman to bring the Hoosiers within seven points, down 35-28 heading into the fourth quarter.The Hoosiers scored again on their next possession, but that would be their last touchdown of the game.Sophomore wide receiver Cody Latimer said he saw mistakes that led to missed chances for putting more points on the board in the final minutes of the game.“On the offensive side, we started out firing and did a great job, but what killed us was a couple of penalties, some turnovers and missed opportunities on third downs,” Latimer said.The Boilermakers ended up recording three touchdowns on the last four drives of the game to seal the victory.Junior defensive back Greg Heban said he felt like missed tackles were the biggest factor in letting the Boilermakers score 21-straight points to end the game.“We had way too many missed tackles,” Heban said. “Tackling is going to be a big emphasis for us in the offseason, and it’s something that we have to correct.”Purdue became bowl eligible with the win against the Hoosiers, and IU ended up just two games short of a postseason game, including a three-game losing streak to end the season.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said he thinks the future is bright going into next season for his squad.“It’s a young group that’s got a lot of time to continue to mature physically and mentally,” Wilson said. “We have made some good strides, but we are not as close to where we need to be.”
(11/25/12 1:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>West Lafayette, Ind. – History repeated itself in the IU-Purdue Rivalry game.The Boilermakers (6-6, 3-5) defeated the Hoosiers (4-8, 3-5) 56-35 for the second straight year in the Old Oaken Bucket Game.The Old Oaken Bucket will remain in West Lafayette, Ind.This game was a tale of halves.IU held a 21-7 at halftime, but was then Purdue outscored them 42-14 in the second half.Starting out the game, the Hoosiers won the toss and deferred, so that they could get the kickoff after the first half. After the Boilermakers weren’t able to score on their first drive of the game, IU responded by scoring a touchdown.The Hoosiers scored on 51-yard run by junior running back Stephen Houston on the third play of the drive.On the next possession, Purdue answered back with an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard sophomore running back Brandon Cottom run.The Hoosiers recorded two three-and-out drives and the Boilermakers scored one more touchdown to take the 14-7 lead by the end the first quarter.The second quarter saw no scores from Purdue.IU recorded two touchdowns out of their five drives of the quarter.Both were Houston runs inside the red zone.The first was an eight-yard run at 5:50 mark and the second was a one-yard run by Houston on the Hoosiers second-to-last drive of the half.Indiana held a 21-14 lead into halftime.The lead wouldn’t last long as the Boilermakers scored on the first three drives of the half.The first score was a 19-yard pass from senior quarterback Robert Marve to junior wide receiver O.J. Ross at the 11:18 mark of the third quarter. The next came less than four minutes later off a one-yard run by junior quarterback Rob Henry run.The third score ended in a 25-yard Henry pass to junior wide receiver Gary Bush with 3:54 left in the quarter.On the very next drive, IU countered with a one-yard QB sneak by sophomore Cameron Coffman to bring the Hoosiers within one score.Purdue held a 35-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter.The Hoosiers scored again on their next possession, but that would be their last touchdown of the game.Sophomore wide receiver Cody Latimer saw mistakes that led to missed chances for putting more points on the board.“On the offensive side we started out firing and did a great job, but what killed us was a couple of penalties, some turnovers and missed opportunities on third downs,” Latimer said.The Boilermakers would end up recording three touchdowns on the last four drives of the game.Junior defensive back Greg Heban talked about missed tackles being one of the main contributions to Purdue scoring in the second half.“We had way too many missed tackles,” Heban said. “Tackling is going to be a big emphasis for us in the off-season and it’s something that we have to correct.”This season the most Purdue has scored in a Big Ten game was 28 points, but they were able to total 42 points in the second half alone.Purdue scored eight touchdowns on their 17 drives of the game.On the other hand, IU recorded five touchdowns on their 14 drives with four offensive turnovers.“When you turn the ball over four times on the road, you are not going to win,” IU coach Kevin Wilson said. “We have to take care of the ball better than we have been.”The Boilermakers end up becoming bowl-eligible off of the victory and the Hoosiers will take the 100-mile drive back to Bloomington without the Old Oaken Bucket.The Hoosiers ended the season with three consecutively losses, but Wilson sees the future is bright.“It’s a young group that’s got a lot of time to continue to mature physically and mentally,” Wilson said. “We have made some good strides, but we are not as close to where we need to be.”
(11/16/12 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After recording their worst loss of the season against Wisconsin, IU (4-6, 2-4) will hit the road this Nov. 17 to face Penn State (6-4, 4-2), a team IU has yet to defeat. But after 15 losses against the Nittany Lions, the Hoosiers will see a new Penn State coach opposite them on the sideline.After the Jerry Sandusky scandal, the Bill O’Brien era of Penn State football began on Jan. 7.Though the Nittany Lions started the season with two losses, they’ve been able to turn around and win six of their last eight games, largely due to their success on defense.PSU ranks 20th in the nation in defense, keeping opponents to 18.6 points per game.Even, with a new coaching staff, the defense is still recognizable to the Paterno days, IU Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell said.“They are very similar from what they were last year,” Littrell said. “Coach O’Brien has done an unbelievable job of the situation. Not only that, but the football team has responded well, and they’ve really been playing some solid games on defense.”Penn State is known as “Linebacker U” for producing great linebackers such as Paul Posluszny, Sean Lee, Dan Connor and NaVorro Bowman.This year is no different with seniors Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti, as well as junior Glenn Carson leading the team in tackles.“They have got some good linebackers,” sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman said. “They run pretty well and they come up and hit hard.”IU’s players and coaches said with Beaver Stadium’s 106,000 fans, winning there is never easy, but it’s also something the Hoosiers can’t focus on if they hope to win Saturday.“You never really look at the stands while you are playing, but you need to just do your job,” freshman quarterback Nate Sudfeld said. “Obviously it’s going to be louder, but we are just going to have to focus and do what we do.”
(11/12/12 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU hasn't defeated Wisconsin on the football field since 2002.This year, the result was no different, with the Badgers (7-3, 4-2) beating the Hoosiers (4-6, 2-4) 62-14 at Memorial Stadium.The last time IU allowed more than 60 points was against Wisconsin two seasons ago in Madison, Wis.The Badgers scored on 10 of their 14 drives in the game.On the other hand, the Hoosiers were only able to score twice on their 14 drives.“We didn’t play good D, we didn’t play good O, we just kind of got spanked,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “We didn’t like the result of today. Credit to Wisconsin, they played great.”Wilson started sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman for his eighth consecutive game.The offense wasn’t able to muster any points in its three drives of the first quarter.Coffman and the Hoosiers were only able to earn two first downs out of those three drives.“They were a good defense, but we should be able to move the ball against anybody,” Coffman said. “We just couldn’t get in a rhythm and really started off slow and couldn’t get going.”Wilson then replaced Coffman in the second quarter with freshman quarterback Nate Sudfeld.Sudfeld wasn’t successful with either of his first two drives in the quarter.First, Sudfeld and the offense went three-and-out and only gained five yards in the drive.On the very next possession, Sudfeld fumbled the ball and Wisconsin junior linebacker Chris Borland recovered on the IU 30-yard line.Wilson switched back to Coffman the next possession and stuck with him the rest of the game.Coffman and the Hoosiers earned two first downs before freshman punter Erich Toth had to kick the ball back to Wisconsin.The Hoosiers, though, weren’t able to get much momentum going until the last few minutes of the first half, where junior tight end Ted Bolser caught a six-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman for IU’s first points of the game. IU went into halftime down 24-7.The Hoosiers didn’t start out the second half on a good note.Their first two drives both ended in three-and-outs with a combined seven yards on six plays.The Hoosiers were then able to put together a scoring drive on their next possession. Coffman and the offense marched 87 yards down the field and ended the drive with a touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kofi Hughes from seven yards out.On IU’s final three drives of the game, the offense was only able to accumulate 55 yards on 15 plays and no points.The first two of those drives ended in Coffman picks. One interception went to senior defensive back Devin Smith, and the other was picked off by junior linebacker Conor O’Neill.Coffman completed 25 passes on 46 attempts and threw 233 yards and two touchdowns. Wisconsin had success not only on defense by stopping the Hoosiers to 294 total offensive yards, but also running its offense. Wisconsin came into Bloomington and rushed for the most yards the team ever has in a game, dropping 564 on the Hoosiers.“They were a pretty good, pretty effective team, all the credit to them,” senior defensive tackle Larry Black Jr. said. “They came out an played their A-game, and that’s a good team.”Out of Wisconsin’s 71 total offensive plays, 64 of them were running plays. The team’s two leading rushers, Montee Ball and James White, combined for 359 rushing yards off of 41 carries and five of the Badgers’ eight touchdowns.“Give credit to Wisconsin just running it well,” Wilson said. “We made some strides, but we weren’t very good today. Those are two really, really good backs.”Black Jr. said he wants to move on to the next game after a tough loss. “It’s just tough, but you know I’m starting to get it out of my head and start turning into Penn State,” Black said.