2012 IU Football preview: opponents
(07/23/12 12:59am)
Here is analysis of Indiana football's 2012 opponents and how we think they will fare against the Hoosiers.
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Three-star Moeller HS tight end Evan Jansen verbally commits to IU
(07/05/12 12:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Evan Jansen expected to be wooed to come to IU during his visits here, but last week, he experienced IU support in a different context: his grandfather’s retirement party.Jansen, a tight end from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, said that side of his family is from IU. Though he didn’t expect to commit before his senior year of high school, the family influence won him over. Jansen verbally committed to IU on Tuesday.“It’s good to know that everybody else in the family wants me to go there as bad as I did,” Jansen said. “I realized, OK, maybe I should go through with it.”Jansen becomes the second member of IU’s 2013 recruiting class. He joins fellow three-star recruit Isaac Griffith, a wide receiver from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. Griffith committed June 11.The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Jansen last visited IU on June 12 and has visited other schools since then, but he ended up choosing IU. He had offers from Air Force, Harvard and Western Kentucky, among others.He said the coaching staff was a major component in his decision, especially the resumes of Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell and Head Coach Kevin Wilson. Littrell coached now-NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski at Arizona before coming to IU, and Wilson’s offenses at Oklahoma impressed Jansen.Jansen is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and has had IU as his top school for a while, but didn’t expect to commit quite yet.“I never thought I’d be committing before my senior year,” Jansen said. “Most schools told me they couldn’t offer because I didn’t have enough film, so I always figured that maybe I’ll pick up an offer after the season when I had more film.”Jansen only caught five passes for a total of 90 yards during his junior year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. However, Jansen said he put on some weight and impressed coaches with his ability to both block and run routes.“Now that I’ve put on a lot of weight and gotten a lot bigger,” Jansen said, “I think the biggest thing is to maintain speed, quickness and build on it.”
IU gains another commitment to class of 2013
(07/03/12 9:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Evan Jansen expected to be wooed to come to IU during his visits here, but last week, he saw IU support in a different spot: his grandfather's retirement party.Jansen, a tight end from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, said that side of his family is from IU, and though he didn't expect to commit before his senior year of high school, the family influence won him over. Jansen verbally committed to IU on Tuesday."It's good to know that everybody else in the family wants me to go there as bad as I did," Jansen said. "I realized, OK, maybe I should go through with it."Jansen becomes the second member of IU's 2013 recruiting class. He joins fellow three-star recruit Isaac Griffith, a wide receiver from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. Griffith committed June 11.The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Jansen last visited IU on June 12 and has visited other schools since then, but he ended up choosing IU. He had offers from Air Force, Harvard and Western Kentucky, among others.He said the coaching staff was a major component in his decision, especially the resumes of Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell and IU Head Coach Kevin Wilson. Littrell coached now-NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski at Arizona before coming to IU, and Wilson's offenses at Oklahoma impressed Jansen.Jansen is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and has had IU as his top school for a while, but didn't expect to commit quite yet."I never thought I'd be committing before my senior year," Jansen said. "Most schools told me they couldn't offer because I didn't have enough film, so I always figured that maybe I'll pick up an offer after the season when I had more film."Jansen only caught five passes for a total of 90 yards during his junior year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. However, Jansen said he put on some weight and impressed coaches with his ability to both block and run routes. "Now that I've put on a lot of weight and gotten a lot bigger," Jansen said, "I think the biggest thing is to maintain speed, quickness and build on it."
Three-star tight end Evan Jansen verbally commits to IU
(07/03/12 9:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Evan Jansen expected to be wooed to come to IU during his visits here, but last week, he saw IU support in a different spot: his grandfather's retirement party.Jansen, a tight end from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, said that side of his family is from IU, and though he didn't expect to commit before his senior year of high school, the family influence won him over. Jansen verbally committed to IU on Tuesday."It's good to know that everybody else in the family wants me to go there as bad as I did," Jansen said. "I realized, OK, maybe I should go through with it."Jansen becomes the second member of IU's 2013 recruiting class. He joins fellow three-star recruit Isaac Griffith, a wide receiver from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. Griffith committed June 11.The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Jansen last visited IU on June 12 and has visited other schools since then, but he ended up choosing IU. He had offers from Air Force, Harvard and Western Kentucky, among others.He said the coaching staff was a major component in his decision, especially the resumes of Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell and IU Head Coach Kevin Wilson.Littrell coached now-NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski at Arizona before coming to IU, and Wilson's offenses at Oklahoma impressed Jansen.Jansen is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and has had IU as his top school for a while, but didn't expect to commit quite yet."I never thought I'd be committing before my senior year," Jansen said. "Most schools told me they couldn't offer because I didn't have enough film, so I always figured that maybe I'll pick up an offer after the season when I had more film."Jansen only caught five passes for a total of 90 yards during his junior year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. However, Jansen said he put on some weight and impressed coaches with his ability to both block and run routes."Now that I've put on a lot of weight and gotten a lot bigger," Jansen said, "I think the biggest thing is to maintain speed, quickness and build on it."
Former IU tackle McDonald does more than football at Dolphins camp
(07/01/12 8:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Entering Organized Team Activities and training camp with the Miami Dolphins as a rookie, former IU offensive tackle Andrew McDonald wanted to work hard on the field, but he also made an impact off the field.McDonald wanted to do some volunteer work while in Miami, so he approached Ilona Wolpin, senior director of community relations, who helps players get out into the community. McDonald is an animal lover, so he suggested a trip to somewhere like the Humane Society. She set him up for a visit to the Marti Huizenga Animal Care Center in Dania Beach, Fla.Before heading there, McDonald decided it might be even better if he brought others with him.“She set it up and it was just going to be me originally, so I’m like, let’s see if we can get some other guys,” McDonald said. “I went and talked to rookies, and it turned out to be pretty good because we got, like, 15 other guys. It was just really cool. There were a lot of little kids at the Humane Society, and we went there and these kids had been at a camp at the Humane Society.”Upon arriving, McDonald instantly reached to pet a nearby dog when a little girl stopped him, saying there were health risks when petting the dogs and he needed to be careful.McDonald found the interaction very funny, and he laughed as he recounted the moment. “It was a good time,” McDonald said. “It turned out to be a pretty big hit. The kids liked it, and I know the players really liked it.”It was another situation during which McDonald grew closer to his group of rookies, which include the Dolphins’ top draft pick Ryan Tannehill, a quarterback from Texas A&M and former Michigan State wide receiver B.J. Cunningham.McDonald said the rookies have been hanging out together and have become close since they reported in May. He has worked with Offensive Line Coach Jim Turner and teammates on improving his fundamentals and working to combat the speed of NFL defenses.“It’s all really about technique, honing the technique that you need for this level of play,” McDonald said. “That’s the main thing that concerns me, things like the pass rush technique, getting out of my stance and staying vertical.”McDonald, who now wears number 67 for the Dolphins instead of the 72 he donned for the Hoosiers before he graduated in December, returned to his home in Indianapolis on Friday and plans to see friends and family between workouts until he returns to Miami on July 25.When he returns, McDonald and the rest of the rookies will face a similar challenge: earning a permanent spot on the team. “You pretty much have to prove yourself,” McDonald said. “You haven’t been in any preseason games yet. I guess it’s expected because we really do have to prove ourselves, and all we can do is just practice with (the veteran players).”
Trio of Hoosier swimmers qualify for 2012 London Olympics
(07/01/12 8:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As dozens of current and former IU athletes fought to qualify for their first Olympic games, IU graduate Kate Fesenko was busy qualifying for her third Olympiad.Fesenko qualified for the Ukranian Olympic team this weekend after representing the country at the 2004 games in Athens and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Fesenko participated in the 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke in 2008 and is currently a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay team.“Three Olympic games is impressive in and of itself, so it’s a credit to her longevity, persistence and perseverance more so than anything else,” IU Coach Ray Looze said. “To do anything at this level for this long is not easy, and Kate’s probably a great example of someone who keeps hanging in there, and it’s an honor to see her go to her third Olympics.”But she wasn’t the only Hoosier to be named to a foreign Olympic team. Sophomore Dorina Szekeres qualified for the Hungarian Team in the 200-meter backstroke, while senior Nicholas Schwab will swim the 200-meter freestyle for the Dominican Republic.Szekeres earned her way by winning the 200-meter backstroke at the Hungarian Nationals in April, and Schwab’s qualifying time is from the Indianapolis Grand Prix in March. FINA announced the final cut for the Olympic Games on Sunday, so Szekeres and Schwab learned of their Olympic fates then, Looze said.Both will be swimming in their first Olympics, but neither is a stranger to international competition. Fesenko and Schwab have been training with Looze and the team recently while Szekeres has been in Hungary since May to qualify for the Olympics. Looze, currently at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., hailed the work ethic of not only the Olympians, but the team as a whole.“They and their teammates have been working extremely hard,” Looze said. “This is the best we’ve ever trained at this point of the summer, and I just couldn’t be more pleased with how they have performed and the team here in Omaha. We’re way above the curve, which is really encouraging.”Szekeres had a trio of top-40 finishes at the European Championships in May, including 17th at the 200-meter backstroke. Schwab broke the Dominican Republic national record in the 400-meter freestyle at the national championships there last summer and then won three medals at the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships in Puerto Rico. He earned a gold medal for his career-best performance in the 200-meter individual medley.Szekeres was born in Hungary, but Schwab only earned citizenship in the Dominican Republic, his mother’s native country, in 2011.The trio of IU swimmers will join recent graduate Margaux Farrell in the Olympics, as she qualified for the French Olympic team in March as an alternate for the 4x200 freestyle relay team.Farrell recently left for France, Looze said, and though he won’t be in London for the games, he said the swimmers are all in good hands.“We’re planning their training and whatnot,” Looze said. “But they all have coaches for their countries that are going to take good care of them, so we’re confident that their needs will be met.”Swimmers such as junior Cody Miller, sophomore Steve Schmuhl and recent graduate Allysa Vavra competed in the USA Olympic Trials this week. Though they won’t be joining the likes of Farrell or Fesenko in London, Looze is confident they aren’t far from making Olympic appearances.“I think Cody and Allysa and Steve and all those guys have a chance to, in four years, make an Olympic team,” Looze said. “That’s where we’re at. We’re poised over the next four years that we’ll be in position to put some Americans on the Olympic team in 2016. We should be right at the correct point age-wise and strength-wise to make a good bid.”
Sixteen current, former IU swimmers vying for spot on U.S. Olympic Team
(06/22/12 6:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Recent IU graduate Margaux Farrell has already punched her ticket to this summer’s Olympics, but she might not be the last Hoosier swimmer that makes it to London.Farrell will swim for the French team, but starting Monday, 16 current and former IU swimmers will attempt to make the United States team at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.Preliminary races will begin every day at 11 a.m. EST and finals will start at 7:45 p.m. EST. The Trials continue through July 2.The IU competitors include:Allysa VavraIU status: GraduatedEvents: 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter IM, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter backstroke.Career notes: 2012 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, currently a member of the U.S. national team in the 400-meter IM.Steve SchmuhlIU status: SophomoreEvents: 400-meter IM, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter IM.Jim BarbiereIU status: SeniorEvent(s): 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 1,500-meter freestyle. Cody Miller IU status: Junior Events: 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter IMCareer notes: Two-time defending Big Ten Champion in 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke.Sam TrahinIU status: SeniorEvent(s): 400-meter IM, 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter IMCareer notes: Placed fourth in the 400-yard IM at the NCAA Championships in March with a school-record time of 3:44.37. Kim Tracey IU status: Graduated Events: 400-meter IM, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter IMIan BoggsIU status: SophomoreEvents: 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststrokeLindsay VroomanIU status: JuniorEvents: 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 800-meter freestyle Career notes: Won Big Ten title in 1,650-yard freestyle and finished sixth in the event at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Lauren JordanIU status: SophomoreEvents: 200-meter backstroke, 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyleAndrew TaylorIU status: Graduated Events: 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle Katelyn IsheeIU status: Graduated Events: 200-meter breaststroke Daniel KanorrIU status: Senior Events: 50-meter freestyle John Schnittker IU status: Graduated Events: 400-meter freestyle Ashley Specht IU status: Senior Event(s): 100-meter breaststroke Sara Delay IU status: Sophomore Events: 50-meter freestyle James Wells IU status: Junior Events: 100-meter backstroke Ben Hesen IU status: Graduated Events: 100-meter backstroke Career notes: 2008 NCAA Champion in 100-yard backstroke and a former All-American. Kevin Swander IU status: Graduated Events: 100-meter breaststroke Misc: 2006 NCAA Runner-Up in 100-yard breaststroke and former All-American.
All 24 IU athletic teams exceed APR standard
(06/21/12 11:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While the recent release of the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate report spelled doom for some high-profile schools, it helped prove the academic excellence of IU student-athletes.All 24 IU athletic teams exceeded the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate standard of 900 for 2010-2011, while seven IU programs received a perfect APR score of 1,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year. “I want to congratulate our student-athletes, coaches and staff for embracing this high priority for our department,” IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass said in a release. “These are successes of which all of Hoosier Nation should be proud of.”IU men’s basketball program has improved from 866 when Head Coach Tom Crean arrived in 2008, to a cumulative multiyear score of 952. The team recorded a perfect score of 1,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year, the most recent year of APR data. The other six IU programs to receive a perfect score for 2010-2011 include men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis and water polo. For most teams, this is the ninth year of APR data. The NCAA also released multiyear APR scores, which averages scores from 2007-2012. IU Men’s golf and women’s tennis both have perfect APR scores for that time period.The APR is a real-time measure of Division 1 student-athlete academic progress based on program eligibility, retention, and graduation rates. Some schools’ programs, such as the Connecticut men’s basketball program, scuffled.The Huskies — the 2011 NCAA basketball champions — are one of 15 teams to be banned from postseason competition because they did not meet a certain APR score. Men’s golf, women’s tennis and both track and field teams have the highest respective scores in the Big Ten.On June 14, the NCAA recognized the baseball, men’s golf and women’s tennis teams for scoring in the top 10 percent. “I want to congratulate the baseball, men’s golf and women’s tennis student-athletes for their outstanding work in the classroom, and commend the leadership of Head Coaches Tracy Smith, Mike Mayer and Lin Loring for continuing to reinforce academic achievement as a top priority,” Glass said in a release.The NCAA publicly recognized 954 teams for the 2011-2012 academic year, including 560 women’s teams and 394 men’s or mixed teams.“These teams prove that it is possible to not only balance academic and athletic commitment, as most student-athletes do; but to exceed standards and post outstanding academic scores,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a release. “The drive and determination shown in the classroom and on the field by these men and women represent what it means to be an NCAA student-athlete.”
Boys and Girls Club, IU football engage in day of fun
(06/20/12 11:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore wide receiver Cody Latimer slid to a halt at midfield and groaned in defeat. Two young girls and a boy celebrated their tug-of-war victory as Latimer endured the laughs from his teammates.“You just lost to two girls!” a blond boy with glasses yelled in Latimer’s direction.“No, no,” Latimer said as his teammates laughed harder. “I slipped.”For the fourth consecutive year, two bus loads of children from the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington paid a visit to Memorial Stadium for a day of games, fun and a little bit of football.Mark Deal, assistant athletic director for alumni relations, said the activity takes place on the football field with the team, but very little football is played.“It’s a fun day,” Deal said. “We’re not trying to teach football or anything like that. We’ll do a few football things, but we’re not trying to teach football. We’re trying to have fun.”The children, usually between the ages of 6 and 12, arrived at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. They were each paired with an IU football player and moved between eight stations.Brenda Salvo, program director of the Boys and Girls Club of Ellettsville, Ind., said anticipation of the event begins long before the visit to the stadium.“We have only a handful of kids who get to come every year, but they love it every single time,” Salvo said. “We have kids who ask about it all summer long.”Each station involved a different activity. Tug-of-war was on the large, painted outline of Indiana at midfield, while children raced to put on football pads just yards away. At the 5-yard line, youngsters practiced their tackling form.The idea for organizing the Boys and Girls Club visit came from former IU Coach Bill Lynch, Deal said. The team was already involved in the community, but Lynch felt the need to invite the children to the field for a day during the summer when there were no games to imminently prepare for and no organized practices.Salvo, who attended for the first time on Wednesday, said the athletes’ character is very important to the club.“Clearly you can’t be a college athlete and not have good character, especially at a Big Ten school,” Salvo said. “They just don’t tolerate that. They don’t recruit people who aren’t good citizens first.”Senior defensive tackle Nick Sliger said the day helps the participants get a little taste of life as a college football player.“They want to come out and see what we do every day, running out here at Memorial Stadium,” Sliger said. “I think it’s great that they get to meet players, and hopefully they come back on Saturdays and watch us play.”The players pay visits to the Boys and Girls Club periodically, but Deal said this event is the biggest of the year for the IU football team and the club. It is also one of the most fun events.“I’ve been doing this for four years, and I don’t know who has more fun — the 6- to 12-year-old kids or our players,” Deal said. “It’s awesome. I think our players have just as much fun as the kids do, which is really neat to see.”
5 years after his death, Coach Hep remembered for vision
(06/18/12 12:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On a foggy Bloomington night in June, two beacons shine brightly through the mist. They are the towers that form the North End Zone complex at Memorial Stadium, and they serve as just that: a memorial to a man who has been absent for five years. A man who never saw the towers built. Nearly four miles away, another monument stands for the same man. It’s much shorter, rising only halfway up one’s thigh. It’s tucked into a far corner of the Valhalla Memory Gardens, just feet from a cracked concrete path and half-covered in shade from a nearby tree.The black letters on it clearly stand out from the granite — “Terry Hoeppner: August 19, 1947-June 19, 2007.” “Can you see it?”Hoeppner’s vision for IU football began to take shape in 2005 when he accepted the head coaching job for the Hoosiers. It was the only job that could lure him away from being at the helm of Ohio’s Miami University Redhawks, and he knew he had some work to do.IU was a school that put basketball first, and some were even disrespectful of the football program. During the summer of 2005, Hoeppner caught wind that leaders at student orientation had been making jokes about the football team. The next day, at 7:30 a.m., Hoeppner was in attendance at their meeting, speaking about his goals for the program and why he needed students’ support. “Those are the kind of things that ended up endearing him to people,” Jane, his wife, said. “Because he wasn’t afraid to speak up for his team, for his program, for all of those things that he had a vision for.”His sights extended from the student body to improving the facilities at Memorial Stadium, which many saw as a lackluster stadium for Big Ten football.Early in his IU tenure, a high school football recruit visited IU. While he was standing on the field and talking with Hoeppner, Hoeppner turned toward the north end of the stadium, where he was already envisioning what would eventually become the North End Zone complex.“Can you see it?” he asked the recruit. “Because I can.”Hoeppner described it in detail: towers rising high above the field, shining with glass and an enormous IU logo.When James Hardy — who had actually come to IU with a basketball scholarship — worked out with the football team, Hoeppner had a vision for him. Hoeppner watched film of catches Hardy had made. He was going to make Hardy a football player.“He’s one of my best friends,” Hardy said. “He taught me things about life that you’re supposed to learn from your father. Unfortunately, I never did, so within the time period that I knew (Hoeppner), he respected me for a lifetime.”Hardy went on to start as wide receiver and set the all-time record for receptions at IU.Hoeppner’s 2005 team finished 10th in the Big Ten, but he was confident they would improve. On Christmas Eve 2005, however, Hoeppner was bothered by a headache and had it checked out. The tests revealed a tumor in his right temple. He had it removed Dec. 27, 2005. During the 2006 season, continuing health concerns kept him from consistently being on the sidelines with the Hoosiers and confined him to his house.One night, while sitting in his living room watching television from his recliner, he turned to his wife sitting nearby on the plush floral couch and apologized.He said he was sorry they hadn’t had the opportunity to spend time together in a low-key setting, like sitting in front of their TV. He was constantly working and watching tape and scouting opponents, but now, he had time to spend lounging in his living room.“We wouldn’t have done it any differently had we had a chance to do it over again,” Jane said. “I think he was just feeling kind of nostalgic.”Even through the hard times, he wanted to remain strong for his players. One evening, Hardy walked into the locker room. Hoeppner, who was using the wall to support himself as he walked, didn’t notice Hardy.“Hey, Coach!” Hardy yelled.Hoeppner quickly took his hand off the wall, turned and put a smile on for Hardy, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.“That’s when I knew it was worse than what I thought,” Hardy said.Months later, before the start of the 2007 season, host Dave Revsine of the Big Ten Network would ask Jane when it was clear to her that her husband might not survive the cancer.“I guess June 19,” she answered.June 19In March 2007, it was clear Hoeppner wouldn’t be able to coach the team in the upcoming season. As his replacement, he chose Bill Lynch.The two had coached against each other for their entire professional careers; Lynch coached at Butler while Hoeppner coached at Franklin College. Lynch coached at Ball State University while Hoeppner was at Miami. When Hoeppner took the job at Indiana, he called Lynch out of the blue and lured him away from his job at DePauw to join him. “You had to know him,” Lynch said. “He was just such a positive guy, and he had a personality that he was going to beat anything.”During summer conditioning, Hoeppner’s condition was getting worse.June 19, 2007, was set to be a big day for the Hoeppner and Hoosier families. The ground-breaking ceremony for the North End Zone complex was to take place. Hoeppner’s vision was finally physically coming to fruition. He never had a chance to see it happen.Early in the morning of June 19, Hoeppner died. Immediately, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan decided to cancel the ground ceremony. Even in her grief, however, Jane insisted otherwise.“I was thinking in my mind, ‘He would be doing it if he was here,’” Jane said. “‘Since he can’t and I can, then I will do that,’ and there was not ever any question about not doing that.” Hoeppner’s passing was a shock to many of those in his life, especially Hardy.“Yes, I thought he was going to beat it,” Hardy said. “He helped me beat my odds, and he was there for me, so of course he’s going to be there and he’s going to beat it for his own life.”Hoeppner’s service drew visitors from around the nation. Sean Payton, who coached with Hoeppner at Miami and was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints at the time of Hoeppner’s death, was there. Current IU Coach Kevin Wilson, who had also coached with him at Miami, arrived to pay his respects. “Even as Terry was fighting cancer and he was battling in his last years,” Wilson said, “he was trying to help me out with a couple jobs and help me as an assistant coach get in line to be a head coach. He was always there for me.”In front of Wilson and thousands of attendees, both Hardy and Jane, among others, spoke. Hardy wondered aloud what he was going to do without his mentor.Jane was never much of a public speaker, but she figured that if she could make it through the loss of her husband, she could make it through a few minutes at the podium.“We are going to play in a bowl game,” Jane assured the crowd. “And Coach Hep is going to be there with us.”Unexpected giftsFive months later, IU was on the verge of that bowl game. Kicker Austin Starr trotted onto the field at Memorial Stadium during the final season game against Purdue. The teams were tied at 24 with 35 seconds remaining, and he had to kick a daunting 49-yard field goal.Starr had swum in Hoeppner’s pool and played with his grandchildren. He had also been disappointed that he was never a member of a senior class when Hoeppner was the head coach.Now, he had a chance to both beat Purdue at home and win IU’s seventh game of the season. He took a deep breath, and when the snap was perfect, he made sure the kick was just as perfect. It sailed through the uprights, and IU beat Purdue, 27-24, and advanced to a bowl game. Cameras from the Big Ten Network captured the jubilee. Students cheered wildly. Jane, on the sidelines, turned every which way to receive hugs from those near her. “It was fitting in a lot of different ways,” Jane said. “It was fitting because we were close to Austin, and we were so happy for him. It was fitting that it was just a magical night. It was just unbelievable.”It was a gift to the Hoosiers and the Hoeppners. Coach Hoeppner had many phrases and mantras, and one of them was “Unexpected gifts at unexpected times.”“That’s what you’re all about,” Jane would joke with him, “because you don’t remember the birthdays and the anniversaries and things you’re supposed to remember.”Whatever the reason, Hoeppner made a habit of giving gifts at unexpected moments. When Hardy thought he was destined to play basketball, Hoeppner gave him a chance to play football.When Lynch was happily coaching at DePauw, Hoeppner gave him a chance to coach in the Big Ten. When he saw the need, Hoeppner gave the University a large gift in his vision for the North End Zone complex. On the first Saturday of the 2007 season — the first game without Hoeppner — the doorbell rang at the Hoeppner house. Jane, who was getting ready to head to the stadium, answered the door.In front of her was a man with a bouquet of flowers. Confused, Jane accepted them and took them inside. The note was from one of Hoeppner’s former players at Miami, Shean Williams, now an attorney in Atlanta.“A wise man once told me, unexpected gifts at unexpected times,” the card read.“Make your plans succeed”Five years later, Jane sits on her couch, recounting stories from meeting Terry at Franklin College to learning to speak in public after his death. Behind her is a pillow with a Bible verse written on it.Psalm 20:4-5. “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”Hoeppner’s plans succeeded, even though he wasn’t around to see all of it.Hardy became one of the best football players in IU history and has a tattoo of Hoeppner on his arm, with a question eternally etched in his skin — “Where would I be without Hep?”Wilson, whom Hoeppner wanted to be made a head coach, now has that job. He coaches the Hoosiers on the same field Hep did.“There’s a good deal about being a head coach and being at Indiana, and if there’s one bad thing, it’s because Terry Hoeppner’s not the head coach here,” Wilson said. And that North End Zone complex became a reality. “I drive by that stadium and I look at that North End Zone and I think, ‘Wow,’” Jane said. “It’s what he saw.”
Griffith becomes first IU football 2013 commit
(06/14/12 12:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An hour after leaving IU Head Football Coach Kevin Wilson’s Football Camp on Sunday, Isaac Griffith made his choice.The Homestead High School (Fort Wayne) junior wide receiver knew he wanted to spend his college career in Bloomington after just one visit. “With IU, it’s just a place I can feel comfortable at,” Griffith said. “They made me feel a part of the team even when I wasn’t part of the team. They made sure I hung around with players and harped on becoming part of a family, and that’s what I feel a part of now.”His father was immediately supportive, and fewer than 24 hours after participating in the Elite Camp portion of Coach Wilson’s camp, Griffith became the first player to commit to IU’s 2013 recruiting class.While the camp serves as a chance for IU football to gain commitments such as Griffith’s, it is also a place for young football players to improve their game. LaVincha Wilbon, a junior defensive end from Crete Monee High School in Park Forest, Ill., was shocked at how helpful coaches were.“Their instructions were mind-blowing about the things we can do that we didn’t really know that we can do,” Wilbon said. “It was a great experience.”Elijah Daniel, who is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, also said he has seen improvement during camp.“It’s going pretty well,” Daniel said. “I got a lot accomplished. I think I’m getting better with my technique and getting closer to the D-line coaches.”Daniel’s teammate, Jalen Edwards, hopes to get an offer from IU. Edwards said that as long as he continues to work hard, he could earn one.Edwards has been in IU’s sights even before he entered high school.“Eighth grade year, they were actually looking at me, and I knew a lot of their coaching staff and was real iffy about them,” Edwards said. “This coaching staff, Coach Wilson brought in a bunch of guys from Oklahoma. They’re really cool and laid back and their style of offense I love.”Like Edwards, Chase Dutra is waiting on an IU offer with high hopes after growing up in IU and Purdue country. He plans to visit Iowa soon, but if IU offers him a scholarship, he said he might forego his Iowa visit.Camp continues through Sunday, and this coming weekend will include visits from many out-of-state players such as Andrew Billings.Billings has received offers from 21 schools, including top-tier programs such as Baylor, Texas and Missouri, as well as IU. The 301-pound junior said he didn’t grow up cheering for any college football teams and location isn’t a huge factor in his decision.“I’m taking it pretty seriously,” Billings said of his IU offer. “I just haven’t had a chance to go up there and see what they have to offer, so that’s what I’m going to do.”Billings will attend a cookout with IU coaches Saturday, and Griffith, who is IU’s only 2013 commitment so far, will be there to convince him to stay.“I’m trying to get kids to believe in IU football again,” Griffith said, “and be a part of something special and be able to build something from the ground up.”RECRUIT PROFILESJalen EdwardsHigh school: Avon (Ind.)Position: Wide Receiver/Defensive BackHeight: 5-11Weight: 170Top offers: Cincinnati, Western KentuckyWhere IU stands: Edwards has drawn interest from many schools and will visit Utah and Minnesota soon, but has yet to receive an offer from IU.Andrew BillingsHigh school: Waco (Texas)Position: Defensive Tackle/Offensive LinemanHeight: 6-1Weight: 301Top offers: Baylor, IU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Northwestern, TexasWhere IU stands: Billings said he is taking the IU offer very seriously and is set to visit Saturday. Elijah DanielHigh school: Avon (Ind.)Position: Defensive EndHeight: 6-4Weight: 253Top offers: Florida, IU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, TennesseeWhere IU stands: Daniel was in Bloomington for camp this week, and IU is the only Big Ten school in his top 15.Chase DutraHigh school: Brownsburg (Ind.)Position: AthleteHeight: 6-1Weight: 188Top offers: Western MichiganWhere IU stands: Dutra has been awaiting an IU offer for some time, but has been developing relationships with other Big Ten schools such as Iowa and Purdue.
From childhood to college, brothers play for each other
(06/11/12 7:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jordan Wallace needs to find his brother.Only a few minutes remain until Wallace and his brother Kevin Davis are to play the biggest game of their life, and one last item remains on their pregame to-do list.Wallace spies the white Warren Central jersey emblazoned with a black numeral six that his brother wears and the two of them head immediately for the end zone.They kneel among the purple painted letters of Carmel High School’s end zone. They pray together, the same way they have done before every game they had ever played together as teammates.Even if it’s the last game the two seniors would ever play in together wearing Warriors jerseys, it won’t be the last time they will ever play together.A snowball effectFrom the first time their father introduced the game to them, the brothers planned on playing together. Of course they would go to the same high school. But even before then, they had dreamed of playing together in college.They dreamed, but it wasn’t until June 2010 that colleges began calling.With University of Cincinnati Head Coach Butch Jones watching, members of the Warren Central team participated in a practice under the hot June sun. The brothers, along with their teammates, impressed Jones. They impressed him so much that Jones offered Davis a scholarship, making him the first in his class to receive an offer.“For me, it made me more hungry,” Davis said. “I was like, ‘I can’t settle. Not only do I have this offer, but I’m trying to go to this school and play and then do well at that school so I can go pro,’ so it put more pressure on me.”Jones also expressed interest in Wallace, and a reporter from Rivals.com talked to both of the brothers afterward. Davis assured the reporter that this was only the first of many and this would begin “a snowball effect” of offers.***The Indiana Sectional 5A title game between Warren Central and Carmel was not the first time the two teams had met in the 2011 season, and this particular game had quite a bit to live up to. Not only did many of the top recruits in the state take the field, but during the first meeting, the Warriors won the game on a field goal in the final seconds.“It’s hard to beat a good team twice, and we beat them with five seconds left the first time,” Wallace said. “We knew it was going to be tough.”Half the players on the field were playing their final game of the year, and many would finish their high school careers on that field. Davis began the game by doing everything he can to ensure he won’t be one of them.Senior quarterback Kyle Faunce dumped a screen pass into Davis’ arms, and Davis began to pump his legs. As Davis blows past defenders, Wallace begins to rush toward the field out of excitement. Then-Head Coach John Hart and other coaches hold him back from interfering with the action.85 yards later, Davis stops running and hands the ball to the referee in the end zone. 6-0 Warriors.By the middle of the second quarter, Warren Central has a stranglehold on the game, leading 20-0.SEC callingFor Davis and Wallace, the snowball of offers continued to roll. Purdue, Western Michigan, Illinois and IU all threw their hats into the ring for either of the two. It was something Wallace had always dreamed of.“I didn’t really watch too many cartoons when I was little,” Wallace said. “I was always watching ESPN, and to be able to look up my name on Rivals the first two weeks I was on Rivals, I think I was on that website so much.”In early May 2011, then-Arkansas Offensive Coordinator Garrick McGee dropped by a Warren Central workout to see their wide receivers. McGee had helped a Razorbacks offense that had only thrown for 2,125 yards in 2007 — the year before his arrival — to throwing for 4,338 yards in 2010, his first year as offensive coordinator.McGee didn’t have his eye on Davis, but Davis’ first moment on the field changed that.Faunce saw Davis open over the middle for what looked like a five- or 10-yard gain. He hit Davis in the hands, and Davis did the rest. Nobody touched him as he ran past the defense and 50 yards into the end zone.“(McGee) walked over to me and said, ‘Hey, we’re offering that kid,’ and called Coach Petrino,” Hart said. “They weren’t even there for him.”It had taken Davis just one play to garner an offer from perhaps the best college in the country for wide receivers.***As Davis had struck Arkansas just months before, the Greyhounds of Carmel begin to strike quickly against Warren Central. Weeks earlier, they had trailed the Warriors 19-0 at halftime and ended up taking a late 20-19 lead before Warren Central kicked a field goal as time expired.Carmel chips away, cutting the lead to 10 by halftime and to just three at the end of the third quarter. This looks familiar.The brothers look to their faith, which had begun years before with Davis, for aid throughout the emotional, hard-fought game.“Kevin helped me get more in touch with God,” Wallace said. “Everything happens for a reason, and I feel like God made that game happen for a reason.”Not a package dealDavis respected the Arkansas offer, but what was most important to him was with whom he played: his brother.The brothers made it obvious they wanted to play together, and coaches took that to heart, often offering both of them a scholarship. They knew the only way to get one was to get both.“It wasn’t a secret,” Davis said. “Everybody knew it, but we wanted somebody that wanted us for us.”When they visited Indiana on June 23, 2011, they found that “somebody” in IU Head Coach Kevin Wilson.“It’s not a package deal,” Wallace remembered hearing from Wilson. “I don’t do package deals. Kevin, I want you for this, this and that. Jordan, I want you for this, this and this. It’s not a package deal.”The visit completely changed their opinion of IU. While driving to Bloomington, the two had been “dogging IU,” as Wallace said, “judging a book by its cover.”They were in the car riding home when they both simultaneously told their parents to turn the car around. Their decision was made, and they had made it together.***The clock is ticking away during the sectional championship, but time is on Warren Central’s side. They leads 30-27 with 3:03 remaining.Carmel is deep in its own territory with Wallace and the tough Warrior defense standing in the way.Warren forces Carmel into a third-and-11. They convert. They do the same with a third-and-eight. With 38 seconds left, the Greyhound offense is just 27 yards from a score. Wallace and his defense need a stop, and it is fourth-and-five.Warren Central is one play away from ensuring victory.Carmel quarterback Brandon Denning completes a pass for 11 yards on the next play, setting up what will become the final defensive play of Wallace’s high school career. Carmel running back Jalen Duncan receives a handoff and bounces to the left side, breaking through to the end zone to give the Greyhounds their first and final lead of the game. 34-30 Carmel, 23 seconds left.On the final play of the game, Davis lines up to Faunce’s right with two other receivers. They streak down the field as the clock fills with zeroes. Faunce heaves a desperation pass toward the end zone. Sprinting for the ball, Davis watches as the pass gets to the five-yard line before any of the receivers. It’s knocked down just in front of him, and Carmel defenders leap and yell with joy.The sideline to which he returns is one of despair.“I couldn’t cry about that game,” Davis said. “I saw everybody upset, and I just couldn’t cry. I was more worried about how everyone else was feeling other than myself.”For the time being, Wallace is crushed.“When you’re at an age when you don’t really have any bills to pay and you don’t have anything to worry about and all you care about is football, it hurts to lose that kind of game,” Wallace said.***In a Columbus, Ohio hotel 200 miles from Indianapolis,, Mike Ekeler, the assistant coach at IU who had recruited Wallace, gets a call on his cell phone.A quick glance at a clock in his hotel room reads 5 a.m. His team is just seven hours away from playing Ohio State, who won the Big Ten the previous season.Wallace is on the phone.Still shaken up from the loss hours earlier, he wants to talk. Ekeler picks up.“He taught me about life and being a man,” Wallace said. “At that point, that confirmed that I made the right decision. I can call this man at 5 in the morning the day they’re about to play Ohio State and get over a situation.”Something to make it betterTheir Warren Central careers are over, but Wallace said the excruciating end to his high school career happened for a reason.“Now we know what it feels like to lose big games,” Wallace said. “But now that we’re at IU, we’re going to get back to a big game so we know what it feels like to win it.”They’ll have that opportunity when the season begins in September, but for now, they will work with the IU strength coaches to prepare for the season. The sport was good for them in high school and should continue to help them adjust to the ups and downs of college life, Hart said.“Football is one of those very emotional games, and sometimes, you’re tired or you’re beat up and you have a tough day and you have something to do to make it worse or better,” Hart said.When they don’t have football, they have each other. The brothers moved into their new homes at Ashton Quadrangle on June 3. They’re not in the same room but admitted they would probably be spending quite a bit of time in each other’s rooms.Whether the two are kneeling in an end zone praying or simultaneously making a major life decision, they will continue to do it all together.“The next four years of my life whenever we go our separate ways or start our own families or whatever, I just know that he’s always been there for me, and he’ll always be there for me no matter what,” Davis said.
13 football commits move to campus, become IU students
(06/04/12 12:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With their high school careers, graduation and cafeteria food in their rearview mirrors, 13 IU football recruits became IU students Sunday when they arrived on campus.From wide receivers Kevin Davis and Caleb Cornett to defensive linemen Nick Mangieri and Alex Todd, players unloaded cars and settled into their on-campus rooms.Many junior college transfers, such as defensive back Tregg Waters and defensive end Justin Rayside, came to campus for the spring semester, while freshman quarterbackNathan Sudfeld made it to Bloomington in time for summer classes.“Excited for Frosh QB Nate Sudfeld,” IU Head Coach Kevin Wilson said Friday via his Twitter account, @IUCoachWilson. “Already In Summer School. Grades Looking Gr8 & Physically Looks the Part! A Gym Rat!! Gonna B A Player.”Another group of players is set to arrive in the coming weeks, such as Westfield High School (Houston, Texas) offensive tackle Dimitric Camiel. He is set to arrive June 13 because his high school graduation ceremony is June 10.For the athletes, summer conditioning starts Monday and will run until fall practice starts Aug. 2. Only strength and conditioning coaches are allowed access to the players during the summer.Last summer, Strength Coach Mark Hill and his staff made a priority of making the players leaner. The slogan for the summer was “nutrition and condition,” as the team added nutritionist Amy Freel to the mix while increasing the amount of running and decreasing resting time.The transition was difficult for many of the players during summer 2011.“Guys were a little in awe, if you will,” Hill said that fall. “But coming into this fall camp practice, when you’re in the best shape of your life, you’ve been running, you’ve been doing the things you need to do. There’s no longer a shock.”The current strength and conditioning staff includes Hill, Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach Will Peoples, Director of Strength and Conditioning Rick Danison, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Lyonel Anderson and newly appointed Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Deonte Mack.Mack, who was an intern in the 2011 season, is also a four-year letterwinner on the IU defensive line from 2007-10. He played in 36 career games, starting nine. He compiled 45 tackles, a pair of sacks, three and a half tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in his IU career.The strength staff’s track record is full of NFL talent and bowl wins. Hill has coached 13 All-Americans and 37 NFL Draft picks, including six first-round selections, during tenures at IU and the Universities of Arizona, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Danison, meanwhile, has worked with more than 40 All-Americans and a pair of national champions.After a spring during which the team was playing without both graduated seniors and upcoming freshmen, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said he is more than ready for a fresh batch of players to arrive.“The only think I hated about spring was that we were about 20 bodies short,” Wilson said after the spring game. “I wish those high school kids could have been here because with that depth, I think we could have looked like a much better team and made some great strides.”
Bruin a Dynamo at Professional Soccer
(05/24/12 12:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former IU standout forward Will Bruin, who was drafted 11th in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, is currently in his second season with the Houston Dynamo. IDS reporter Alex McCarthy caught up with Bruin just before the Dynamo took on the New England Revolution on May 19. Bruin scored his team-leading fifth goal in a 2-2 draw. IDS How have you had to adjust from collegiate soccer to the MLS?Will Bruin It’s definitely a different jump up because everybody’s just as big and strong and fast, so you kind of have to adapt to the league and figure out what works and what doesn’t. You also have to adjust your body to the length of the season. I went from playing three and a half months back at school at Indiana, and it’s about a nine-month season here. IDS You mentioned figuring out what works and what doesn’t. What kinds of specific techniques or strategies worked at IU that don’t work as well now?Bruin At Indiana, I could pretty much play the same way every game — make runs behind and body people off because I was a little bigger and a little stronger than some of the guys. Now, you have to base your play based on your matchups. If you are playing somebody and you know that they like to press you and they’re not the quickest, then you’ll have to get in behind more. If you’re playing a fast defender and they’re not going to be up your back the whole time, then you’ll have to check into the middle and turn and go at them. IDS You were the first Houston rookie to start on Opening Day last year and kind of got thrown right into the mix. Now, you’re leading the team in goals this year. Do you see yourself as the go-to guy on that offense?Bruin Yeah, last year was a big learning year. Like you said, I kind of got thrown into the fire right away and had to adjust on the fly and then the knee injury in the summer, so I had a lot of highs and lows. It was just a really good overall learning experience, and I feel like I’ve grown a lot from last year to this year, but there’s still a long season and still a lot more to learn. I’m just taking it game by game. IDS You scored in three straight games earlier this year. What allowed you to keep that momentum??Bruin I think I went through a little streak where I was pretty confident. I was like, ‘Hey, look, I’ve been scoring. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and don’t really change anything up.’ Like I said, it’s a long season. You’re going to have highs and lows. You’ve just got to stick with it. You can’t get too high on the highs, can’t get too low on the lows.IDS The franchise record (for consecutive games with a goal) was three games. During that fourth one, was that kind of in the back of your head?Bruin I honestly had no idea. That’s the first time I’ve actually heard it, when you said it. Yeah, going into that New York game, we had a real busy schedule. We had a Wednesday game at New York, a Saturday game at home, a Tuesday game at home and now we’re in New England. We had a really busy schedule, with a lot of guys playing and a lot of guys getting minutes, getting time, and a lot of guys have been stepping up. IDS After your knee surgery last year, what was the recovery process like?Bruin Obviously, since I’ve never really had that serious of an injury, it was difficult for me because I’m not used to sitting out a while. I was getting pretty antsy sitting there being like, ‘Well, I can’t run yet, I can still kind of rehab and everything,’ so it was definitely difficult, but it was an eye-opener, too. Just with one play, you can be out a month or be injured with something, so it’s just important to take care of your body and do a lot of injury-prevention stuff. IDS A couple of IU players have found their way onto MLS rosters. What’s it like to go against them?Bruin It will be fun. We played Portland on Tuesday and (former IU standout) Eric Alexander is on Portland. I talked to him before and after, but I don’t really talk to him on the field when we’re on different teams. It was fun to catch up with them off the field and see how their life is going and how everything is going. It’s always good to play them.
Miami Dolphins sign McDonald
(05/10/12 12:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last Saturday, former IU left tackle Andrew McDonald was invited to rookie camps for two National Football League teams — the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers.??It turns out that he didn’t even need to go to the second camp to get signed. McDonald’s agent Josh Marks called him at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to inform him of Miami’s interest after a weekend with four practices in Miami and multiple meetings.??He said prior to receiving the call, he didn’t realize how much the situation was affecting him.??“It was a big relief,” McDonald said. “I felt like I was pretty calm and collected throughout the process, but when I finally got called this morning, I realized that I was almost just holding my breath the entire time. I just got a big weight off my shoulders.”??McDonald left for Miami’s camp May 3 and said he didn’t have the opportunity to get out much in Miami between meetings, practices and team meals. He did, however, get the chance to impress the Dolphins’ coaches on the field.??“They liked what they saw,” McDonald said. “I went down there for camp and had enough raw power and ability so they could make a wise investment.”??McDonald said he meshed well with Offensive Line Coach Jim Turner and Head Coach Joe Philbin. McDonald also said the weather was welcoming.??“It was crazy seeing palm trees right next to the field,” McDonald said. “It was really nice. It was really hot, too, but they took care of us. It’s something I’ll have to get used to, but I’d rather be warm than freezing.”??He doesn’t have to deal with the freezing weather for now, as Marks called the Packers on Tuesday to inform them of McDonald’s offer. McDonald heads back to practice near the palm trees of Miami on Sunday to take part in the Dolphins’ camp that ends June 22.??If he were to make the roster, he would join former Hoosier running back Marcus Thigpen, who graduated from IU in 2008. Thigpen was the first IU player to compile 1,000 of each receiving, rushing and return yardage.??McDonald isn’t the only recent IU player to have a shot at making an NFL roster. Graduated linebacker Jeff Thomas will attend a rookie camp with the Buffalo Bills May 11-13.??The 310-pound tackle is the third IU tackle in as many years to sign with an NFL team. In 2010, the St. Louis Rams selected Roger Saffold, and in 2011, James Brewer went to the New York Giants.??McDonald, who graduated with a general studies degree in December, started all 12 games this past season at left tackle. He helped the team rush for 1,374 yards in Big Ten Conference play, the program’s highest total since 2001, and helped running backs post five games with more than 200 rushing yards.??McDonald said although he is about to get signed — the Dolphins are still drawing up the details of his contract — there is still quite a bit standing between him and playing on Sundays.??“I still have to earn a spot, pretty much,” McDonald said. “We’ve still got to do practice. I might get cut and get put on the practice squad, something like that. Nothing is really guaranteed.”
Pair of Hoosiers earn invites to NFL teams' rookie camps
(05/04/12 1:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After the NFL Draft finished last Saturday, former IU linebacker Jeff Thomas’ phone rang. It was the San Diego Chargers, talking to Thomas about a possible career in the NFL. When the team decided to go in a different direction later that day, however, Thomas’ confidence in his professional football future was shaken.“I kind of just thought it was done from there,” Thomas said. “It just kind of sucked. I thought something good was going to happen, and it didn’t happen on Saturday, so I was really pretty disappointed.”Two days later, however, Thomas’ agent called him and said he wasn’t done with football yet. The Buffalo Bills invited Thomas, who led IU with 80 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss, to their rookie camp May 11-13.The day before Thomas got his positive call, his former teammate, left tackle Andrew McDonald, was getting some good news of his own. The Green Bay Packers, just one full season removed from a Super Bowl championship, were on the phone with an invite to their rookie camp the same weekend as Thomas’.For McDonald, however, that was only half of the offers he would receive. Later the same day, the Miami Dolphins called McDonald, inviting him to camp with them this weekend.McDonald admitted he was nervous Saturday night after the draft but wasn’t worried about being a free agent. In fact, it was almost what his agent, Josh Marks, wanted for McDonald.“I expected to be a free agent,” McDonald said. “I was hoping to get drafted in the later rounds, but my agent was telling me that if you’re not drafted in the first four (rounds), it’s better to be a free agent. That way, you have more choices.”McDonald left for Miami at 6 a.m. Thursday and will return after practices and team meetings Sunday evening. Days later, he will transition from Miami, a city known for its sun, to Green Bay, a location known for snowy and tumultuous weather during football season.He said even if the experience in Miami doesn’t go well, it will still help him when he ventures to Green Bay’s camp.Another factor that helped both McDonald and Thomas catch the eye of NFL scouts was the way they worked out during the offseason.After IU’s season ended, Thomas worked out both in Utah and extensively at his high school in Millbrae, Calif.“There’s still a long way to go, and I have to put in more hard work just to even get an invite to the camp,” Thomas said. “Beggars can’t be choosers and tend to get lucky, so I’m happy with it as of now. I feel pretty good about it.”McDonald added weight while staying in shape at St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis. He increased his weight from 290 to 310, while having enough strength to bench press 225 pounds 23 times at IU’s pro day.McDonald has tried to keep a fairly low profile about his opportunity and not make too big a deal about it.“I pretty much told my family,” McDonald said. “I don’t really want to say, ‘Oh, yeah, I made it. I’m in the league now’ because I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m going to go out there and do the best I can, and I expect to get signed with one of them, but I haven’t made it until I make it.”As much as he tries to keep a low profile, McDonald said he knows the importance of this weekend and next weekend.“I feel pressure, obviously,” McDonald said. “My whole life builds up to this moment, as far as football goes.”
Former Hoosier Stanford to join water polo Hall of Fame
(04/19/12 1:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kristin Stanford, who played water polo for IU from 2000-03, will be inducted into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Hall of Fame on April 26.She is the first Hoosier to be inducted and is the 21st player to be enshrined in the hall since its founding in 2002.“It is with great pride and admiration that Indiana Water Polo celebrates Kristin Stanford’s induction into the CWPA Hall of Fame,” IU Coach Barry King said in a press release. “Her athletic career accomplishments speak for themselves, but her ability to be the best teammate possible is what made her the great player she was.”She was an Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-American three times and is the all-time leading scorer in IU history with 246 goals, including a single-season IU record 73 goals in 2003. She ranks in the top 10 in IU history in assists and steals, as well.During her collegiate career, Stanford and her teammates compiled a record of 85-48 and a 33-6 conference record. In 2003, she helped lead IU to its first CWPA Eastern Championship and NCAA Final Four appearance.Her success extended beyond the pool during and after her time at IU. She made appearances on the ACWPC All-Academic team and the CWPA All-Academic team while having a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten list from 2001-03.She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in exercise physiology in 2002 and earned a Master of Science in exercise physiology in 2004. She finished her Ph.D. in biomedical science from the University of California-San Diego in 2009.While working at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, she has found time to volunteer as an assistant coach at Harvard the past two seasons.
Spring Series recap
(04/18/12 3:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>QualificationsAfter Beta Theta Pi rode its men’s qualification lap in 2:21.05 — almost five seconds faster than the best 2011 qual time — at 8:50 a.m., 37 teams tried to go faster. They failed.Beta Theta Pi’s time stood, and the team will be in the first position come race day. It’s the third time in the fraternity’s history that it has been the pole-sitter for the race. The defending champion Cutters squad finished five seconds behind Beta Theta Pi and qualified eighth.Teter followed up a victory in the 2011 Little 500 with a victorious run in 2012 quals and will be in pole position for the first time since 2009. Teter’s time of 2:35.54 in 2009 is still the record, but this year’s time of 2:42.95 was good enough to win.Individual Time TrialsWith an Individual Time Trials victory in sight, Delta Tau Delta rider RJ Stuart nearly fell victim to the dangerous third turn, hitting the gutter, but he steadied himself and continued to win his first career ITT title.His time of 2:18.65 is the fastest since former Cutters rider Eric Young’s 2:18.25 in 2009 and the second-fastest since 2007.On the women’s side, Kappa Alpha Theta rider Kathleen Chelminiak improved her time by six seconds from her 2011 performance, finishing in 2:38.95. Teter’s Lisa Hutcheson came in second, ensuring that a Teter member finished in the top two for the third consecutive year.Miss-N-OutChelminiak kept her winning ways, as she rebounded from her ITT victory to outlast the field in the Miss-N-Out competition. She led wire-to-wire, leaving Delta Gamma’s Kayce Doogs and Hutcheson behind her.Chelminiak was the top seed, and she was joined in the top four by the other top-four seeds: Doogs, Hutcheson and Wing It’s Melissa Moeller.The men’s final was filled with lower seeds, such as No. 17 Sigma Chi rider Adam Fish and No. 11 Sven Gartner from Phi Delta Theta, but the victor was No. 2-seed Steve Sharp.Sharp stopped top-seeded Stuart from sweeping the individual events when he passed him on the final two turns of the last lap. It was Sharp’s second career victory in the event.Team PursuitIt was a day of repeats for the Team Pursuit, as both 2011 victors continued their success in the 2012 edition of the race.The day was doubly repetitive for men’s winner Delta Tau Delta, as the team faced Phi Delta Theta early in the competition and in the finals. Though they lost to Phi Delta in the first meeting, the riders from Delta Tau Delta finished first in the finals, preserving their second win in as many years.With its victory in the women’s race, Teter had its third consecutive Team Pursuit win, and claimed victory in the Spring Series. Both of the previous times they have won the Team Pursuit, the riders from Teter have also taken the championship on race day.
How to keep up with the race
(04/18/12 3:15pm)
WIUX has flag-to-flag coverage of both the 25th running of the women’s Little 500 and the 62nd running of the men’s Little 500.
Cinder track is one-of-a-kind
(04/18/12 3:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are other high-profile cycling races in the world. There are other big party weeks and weekends at colleges across the country. There are other big draws for major musical acts. One factor, however, that Little 500 has that similar events don’t is a cinder bike track. It’s the only one of its kind in the world.The race began on a cinder running track in 1951 when cinder running tracks were commonplace. The track at Bill Armstrong Stadium has stayed the same, while many other tracks are now asphalt, concrete, Mondo or any number of different surfaces.This move from cinder running tracks is a good one, Little 500 groundskeeper Steve McCutchen said. “I know in high school ... you’d try to run on (the old cinder tracks), and it was like one of those nightmare dreams where you felt like everything was in slow motion,” McCutchen said. “You couldn’t move.”Though the move from cinder worked for running tracks, the decision to stay with cinder is necessary for Little 500 races, said Delta Tau Delta Coach Ken Nowakowski.“I think they’ve kept it cinder just because of the tradition of the race,” Nowakowski said. “You wouldn’t be able to run the race the way it is on any other surface.”Nowakowski rode competitively from 1975 to 1989 and was the head coach and race director at the Indianapolis Velodrome for 14 years. The Velodrome is a concrete track complete with steeply banked turns. The Little 500 track is almost completely flat all the way around, making it necessary to slow down around turns.“If you go full speed into turn three and four,” Nowakowski said, “you’ll end up in Bedford instead of going into the home stretch.”The uneven cinder surface also makes it a little more difficult to maneuver, and the lack of banking makes it tougher to pass riders on the outside during turns, Nowakowski said.During exchanges in the Little 500, skidding on the bikes is necessary. If it were done on a concrete track, the tires would be worn down and the rider would struggle to maintain control of the bike.“Obviously, on the hard surface, you would wear down the tire relatively quickly, and you would lose control of the bike,” Nowakowski said. “Not saying that skidding on a Little Five bike offers you control. No, on the contrary, it does not.”Nowakowski has coached Delta Tau Delta since 2009, so he has become familiar with the racing conditions on race day. He said mishaps and crashes are not only common on the track but are almost expected, and the cinder surface has both its advantages and disadvantages. “If you were to stumble and crash on a concrete surface, it’s a lot less unforgiving than the cinder track,” Nowakowski said. “Although some people would probably question that if they’ve crashed hard and are picking cinders out of their skin.”
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