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(03/26/07 4:00am)
Home runs were the theme in each of the Hoosiers’ four victories in this weekend’s IU Classic. \nSenior Kim Richards’ two-run shot and junior Jennilee Huddleston’s solo home run was all the offense the Hoosiers needed in their 3-1 victory against Eastern Michigan.\nJunior Tory Yamaguchi, who paced the heavy-hitting Hoosiers with three home runs in the tournament, provided just enough offense for IU as they avenged an earlier loss to Illinois-Chicago by defeating the Flames 2-1. Yamaguchi continued her strong hitting with a three-run home run en route to a 4-0 shutout of Buffalo. \nIn the third-place rematch versus Buffalo, Yamaguchi hammered a pitch over the center-field wall for her third home run of the tournament and her 10th of the season. \nYamaguchi now has 31 career home runs and owns second place on the all-time home-run list at IU.\nIU softball coach Stacey Phillips was happy with the barrage of home runs but said she wanted to see more variety in the Hoosiers’ offense. \n“We have a really strong hitting team,” Phillips said. “Home runs are great. There’s not one person in our sport that wouldn’t say they don’t like home runs. But they have to become a perk, not a necessity.”\nIU also got a stellar performance from an unlikely source in the Buffalo win. \nSenior Christy Wahl pitched her first career shutout, allowing only five hits and four walks. \n“It just felt really good,” Wahl said. “I felt more and more confident each inning. It just felt really great being out there, helping my team and working through some adversities through the years.”\nAlong with Wahl, the Hoosiers’ defense played a major role in their four tournament wins. Yamaguchi said the defense, not the home runs, was the key to IU’s victory.\n“I think our defense came out really strong,” Yamaguchi said. “We’re holding the other teams to fewer runs then they were (scoring) before. That’s what’s keeping us in the game right now. Even if our hitting is not always there, you can only hit a home run every so often.”\nThe Hoosiers’ lone loss of the tournament was to Eastern Michigan. The Hoosiers stranded nine runners on base in the 3-2 loss. \n“We were struggling a little bit to get that base hit to score a run,” Phillips said. “We were pressing a little too much. Eastern Michigan had done that the first time we played them. The difference was they had made their adjustment and they scored when they got on, and we weren’t able to do that.”\nIU captured third place with its fourth win of the tournament, a 10-2 pounding of Buffalo. \n“It’s never OK to lose,” Phillips said. “We’re not going to win them all, but we still have to remember that it’s not OK to lose. I do still like the adjustments we made from that loss to be able to come back and finish the weekend on a high note.”
(03/23/07 4:00am)
After spending the first month of the season on the road, the IU softball team will finally get a chance to play in front of its home crowd when it hosts the IU Classic this weekend. \nJoining the Hoosiers in the tournament are Buffalo, Illinois-Chicago and Eastern Michigan.\n“It always feels the best defending home, because we always say we don’t lose at home, and you have the music to pump you up and your own fans, so it’s exciting,” junior Jennilee Huddleston said.\nAlthough any team would prefer playing at home, the Hoosiers have fared well away from Bloomington. They enjoyed a nine-game winning streak during spring break and enter the IU Classic having won 10 of their last 12. The Hoosiers now have a chance to extend the streak and protect home turf at the same time.\n“Protecting home is taking pride in your school and taking pride in the program,” Huddleston said. “(It’s) showing everybody what you can do and saying we’re going to stop you no matter what.”\nThe offense came alive for the Hoosiers during their hot streak as they eclipsed the 10-run mark three times, all of which ended early due to the mercy rule. They mixed in good offense with good defense, scoring more than six runs per game while allowing fewer than two runs per game during their nine-game winning streak. However, it was the pitching that caught the eye of IU coach Stacey Phillips.\n“I’m impressed with our offense but I’m most impressed with our pitching right now, of (sophomore) Monica Wright especially,” Phillips said. “She’s the one that stepped up in a lot of the ballgames that have given us the opportunity to tag on a few runs in one inning. She does a great job on the mound and I’m really impressed and proud of how she’s taken games really into her own hands a lot of the time.”\nThe Hoosiers have some familiarity with their opponents in the IU Classic having faced two of the participants already this season. \nIU squared off against the Illinois-Chicago two weeks ago and lost to the Flames 2-0. \n“We’ve got to stick to our attack mentality,” Phillips said. “We had kind of drifted away from that in that game, for whatever reason. We just have to clear our heads and go out there and just attack the way we have and the way we’ve done as of late, especially.”\nThe Hoosiers exploded March 16 against Buffalo for 10 runs on 15 hits. Buffalo enters the IU Classic with a 2-20 record.\n“I think we go into it like any other game,” junior outfielder Julia Hamilton said. “You can’t underestimate them no matter what happened in the previous game. You have to go into it with the mentality that we play Indiana softball and not to anybody else’s level.”\nThe Hoosiers’ recent success has them hungry for more. \n“The more you as a player and as a coach say, ‘I want, I want, I want,’ and the harder you work to go get it, the better it feels when you get it and the better it tastes,” Phillips said. “In a sense too, we’ve won a couple tournaments in the last week and a half, and we want to have that again.”
(03/06/07 5:00am)
The weather in Carbondale, Ill., may have been too cold to play in, but the Hoosiers’ offense heated up at just the right time. \nSophomore infielder Stephanie Pellerito hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, as the Hoosiers (3-4) rallied for a 6-2 win Sunday against Ball State, splitting two games at the Kay Brechtelsbaur Southern Classic. The Hoosiers were defeated by Western Illinois by the same score Saturday. \nDown 2-1 at the bottom of the sixth, junior outfielder Julia Hamilton got the rally going with a leadoff triple. After the Cardinals intentionally walked junior catcher Tory Yamaguchi, sophomore infielder Sarah Padove dropped a single into shallow right field to plate Hamilton, tying the game at two. IU coach Stacey Phillips decided to pinch run freshman outfielder Kelli Ritchison for Yamaguchi, and Ritchison made the most of it by beating a throw to third on a fielder’s choice, setting the scene for Pellerito’s two-out clutch hit.\nPellerito stepped up to the plate in the situation every softball player dreams of as a kid: bases loaded, two outs and the ballgame tied. \n“I was thinking base hit, base hit, which would tie the game,” Pellerito said. “Coach tells us the best pitch to hit is the first hit. It’s a great feeling. I was smiling the whole time – I’m still smiling.” \nThe Hoosiers also received some help from sophomore pitcher Monica Wright, who picked up the win in relief of junior Jennifer Moore. \nMoore started the game but only lasted one-third of the first inning, as she allowed two runs on two walks. Wright shut down the Cardinals, allowing only five hits and two walks in almost seven innings. \n“Monica is such a hard worker,” Phillips said. “She puts a lot on her shoulders and takes the reigns a bit. When we brought Monica in, she shut down the offense and albeit gave up a couple walks, we were able to control things a little bit.” \nThe come-from-behind victory was a big boost for a team that has struggled out of the gate. \n“That (the win) builds our confidence because you come back from losing so we battled all the way back to the end of the game,” Pellerito said. “Anything can happen.” \nIt was a tale of runs in both games for the Hoosiers, although they were on the short end of the stick in the Western Illinois game. \nWith the score tied at two in the top of the seventh, Western Illinois took full advantage of three hits and an IU error. \nThe Westerwinds loaded the bases on a walk and a pair of hits. After forcing a grounder to short, Yamaguchi failed to hold onto sophomore Emily Bergeson’s throw home, allowing seniors Amy Douglas and Jennifer Garcia to score. One out later, freshman Julie Depolo singled up the middle, scoring senior Nicole Green and freshman Erin Schlotfeldt to propel Western Illinois to the 6-2 victory. \n“We got down a little bit, and early on when we weren’t getting to them the way we thought we should be, we sat on our heels and let them win it for us,” Phillips said. “No team is going to roll over. Western Illinois had a lot of fight in them. They tried to keep us off our game.”\nThe Hoosiers struggled on offense the entire game, getting only one hit in seven innings compared to eight hits from Western Illinois. The Hoosiers also failed to take advantage of three errors committed by the Westerwinds. \n“When a team walks batters, you have to make them pay for it,” Phillips said. “We didn’t make them pay. We have to have a sense of urgency. When someone gives us a present we want to take it.” \nThe Hoosiers were supposed to play tournament host Southern Illinois, but the game was canceled due to cold weather in the area.
(03/02/07 5:00am)
As her team prepares for an upcoming tournament, IU softball coach Stacey Phillips wants her players to establish a certain mind-set.\nShe wants the Hoosiers to start playing with a purpose.\n“I want the team to come away with the mind-set we can attack and get after things,” Phillips said. “I don’t want our team to be tentative. I want them to be mean and kind of nasty. It’s a matter of playing with a purpose, not going through the motions.”\nThe Hoosiers will get the chance to put that attack mentality to use this weekend when they compete in the Kay Brechtelsbauer Southern Classic in Carbondale, Ill. IU will face Western Illinois on Friday, then Ball State and tournament host No. 20 Southern Illinois on Saturday.\nA pivotal part of the attack mentality is getting off to a quick start. To be successful, Phillips said, posting that first run on the scoreboard can be the difference between a win and a loss.\n“That’s where the attack mentality comes in,” Phillips said. “Generally the first team that scores is going to win the game. If you can nip that early one in the first or second inning, that’s often the big key of the game. We can be that attack team that’s able to do it.”\nThe Hoosiers struggled with their attack mentality in the opening tournament of the season. The Hoosiers committed one key throwing error and walked 25 batters en route to being outscored 19-5. \n“We have focused on those things in practice,” Phillips said. “Throwing errors are controllable. You can’t control an umpire’s call. But you can control your pitching, your throwing overhand. If we do walk someone, let’s not make an error on top of that.”\nIU will have the opportunity to avenge its earlier loss to Southern Illinois. The Salukis defeated the Hoosiers 6-2 on Feb. 16 at the Crowne Plaza Classic. In that game, one inning was the difference in what would have otherwise been a very close ballgame. In the second inning, Southern Illinois separated itself from IU with four runs on four hits.\n“First and foremost, I think we’re going to have a better pitching performance,” Phillips said. “That was the first day of games, and there were a bit of jitters. On top of that, we’ll continue that attack mentality. They just have to keep after it; they have that understanding.”\nWith the exception of Southern Illinois, the opponents for IU have a combined overall record of 5-9 heading into the tournament. Even though the Hoosiers appear to have the advantage on paper, they say they are ready for anything to happen. \n“We take every game one at a time,” junior infielder Jennilee Huddleston said. “Anyone can beat you at a given time, and we just try to work with what we know about that team at that particular time and try to keep the mentality of being aggressive.”\nThe Hoosiers’ game plan is simple: attack early and often.\n“We need to be more aggressive and go out there ready to swing the bat and jumping on every ball and hitting every pitch we can,” Huddleston said.\nIt all comes back to the aggressive mind-set Phillips is trying to instill in her team.\n“Knowing we can do it” is the necessary attitude in approaching the tournament, said junior pitcher Jennifer Moore. “It’s just that we have to believe in ourselves.”
(02/16/07 5:21pm)
The IU softball team begins its trek to what it hopes is a second-consecutive NCAA tournament bid when it kicks off the 2007 season at the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston on Friday. \nThe Hoosiers hope to build upon last year's historic campaign in which the Hoosiers earned their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 10 years. Head coach Stacey Phillips said she wants the hunger from last year to remain but was quick to warn that this is a brand new year.\n"Last year is last year and this is this year," Phillips said. "Last year we set the bar and for those who felt what it was like last year to do so, well they're hungry to do it again. They want to be able to feel that feeling again. As far as being a program, it's what we're hungry for."\nAfter smelling success in the 2006 campaign, the Hoosiers hope to bring it every single game.\n"Every game truly matters whether it's the first or 56th," Phillips said. "Every time we go out on the field and play our game and not be lax. That's the basis behind every game matters." \nThe Hoosiers have some big shoes to fill in the pitching staff after losing two key starters in last year's rotation, Mariangee Bogado and Megan Roark. The pitching duo combined to set the school record for most strikeouts in a season (461).\n"Anytime you lose pitchers that threw 95 percent of the game ... you have to fill that void that was left," Phillips said. "What they did was instill the attitude that will live for quite a long time in our program."\nIU will rely on a pair of transfers and an improved offense and defense to fill the void left by Bogado and Roark.\nJennifer Moore, a junior college transfer from Volunteer State Community College, owns a career ERA of 0.93 and struck out 620 batters in only two seasons in the circle.\nSophomore Monica Wright, a Northern Iowa transfer, recorded 91 strikeouts in 169.2 innings in her freshman season.\n"The two of them are going to take the load of pitching," Phillips said. "From day one to now, they've improved tremendously. They're in great shape and should throw a lot of innings. Their job is to keep the ball in the park and give us a chance to hit to win."\nAlong with the two transfers, the Hoosiers will rely on their blue-collar identity to propel them to national contention.\n"It's the hardworking team," Phillips said. "They know they won't get anything without hard work. It's the blue collar mentality of hard work and trying to take care of business and get it done."\nIU will be tested throughout the season as its faces some of the best teams in the country. The Hoosiers' schedule includes 13 games against teams that made the NCAA Division 1 Softball Championships. Six of IU's foes closed the year ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll, including opening weekend opponent LSU (No. 11), Big Ten rivals Northwestern (No. 2) and Michigan (No. 10).\nPhillips said the team is looking forward to playing the country's best because that is where it hopes to be one day.\n"Playing big games early and having the chance to take down the big dog will help us in the latter part of the season," Phillips said. "That will help us to prepare for the 'Northwesterns' of the Big Ten. That is where we expect to be overtime."\nThe Hoosiers will face Centenary College and Southern Illinois Friday, LSU and Houston Saturday and Missouri State on Sunday.
(02/16/07 4:08am)
A $2 million grant from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research will help faculty members start research projects that will aid them in securing larger grants.\nThe grant, announced earlier this month, will go to IU's Faculty Research Support Program, a three-year-old fund set aside to help professors conduct initial research in their projects, according to an IU news release.\nThe idea behind the program is that governmental and other agencies will be more likely to fund an IU research project if the professor can include the findings of some preliminary research.\n"The challenge, if we are to continue to increase externally funded research, is that we must continue to increase our internal research investments, at the school and the campus levels," IU Provost Michael McRobbie said in a statement. "In short, we must invest internal IU resources to attract more external grant funding to IU."\nInternal funding programs, like the Faculty Research Support Program, are the first step in the process of receiving grants from external funding programs, said biology professor Laura Hurley. The programs raise money that provides the necessary equipment to conduct preliminary research for a project. \nOnce a professor finds a reason for a project should continue, the researcher can include that data in a grant application to organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation in hopes of receiving a grant that will pave the way for bigger projects.\n"In this very competitive environment, investigators have to provide substantial evidence to the reviewers that they can do the work that is proposed," said Vice Provost for Research P. Sarita Soni in a statement.\nHurley is one professor involved in a 2007 project. According to an IU news release, Hurley will collaborate with professors of speech and hearing sciences Robert Withnell and William Shofner to study tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Though the condition is prevalent in the U.S., little is known about what causes it.\nHurley said her team is interested in whether serotonin, a chemical in the brain, is involved. She said there has been clinical evidence the chemical could be involved in triggering tinnitus. \n"Our main goal is to figure out whether serotonin is involved in the changes that occur in the brain as tinnitus develops," Hurley said. "If there turns out to be a link, it would help us start thinking about additional approaches to treating tinnitus. It is so important to have this support to see if there's anything there."\nOptometry professor Ann Elsner is another professor focused on a project that will benefit from the grant money. Elsner said she is attempting to develop a low-cost device that screens for retinal disease. She said that most people do not get regular eye examinations. This is of particular importance to patients with diabetes because they should get one every year and many do not. Elsner warned that most people with treatable eye diseases are not going in for checkups often enough and therefore treatments that work best when applied early are not getting utilized.\n"It's difficult to compete for federal grants and difficult to publish in review journals without that commitment," Elsner said. "Individual grants don't buy large pieces of equipment typically. You have no other way to get them if your university isn't willing to get that donation"
(11/15/06 5:01am)
IU senior David Bubenicek fell in the finals, but junior Dara McLoughlin advanced to the semifinals of the men's tennis Big Ten Singles Championship, hosted by Michigan. The host team's player, Matko Maravic, defeated McLoughlin in the semifinals 6-1, 6-2 and then prevailed against Bubenicek 6-3, 6-2 to take home the championship Monday.\n"I was very pleased," IU coach Ken Hydinger said of his team's play. "We had two guys playing good, quality tennis, and that's what we were trying to establish this fall."\nBubenicek, a No. 8 seed in the tournament, began his journey to the finals by defeating Juan Gomez of Northwestern 6-1, 6-2 and Michael Flowers of Michigan State 6-4, 6-0 on the first day of the singles championship.\nHe advanced to the semifinals with a pair of wins against No. 10 seed Ryan Heller and Peter Aarts.\nIn the semifinals, Bubenicek defeated No. 4 seed Nolan Polley of Wisconsin 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to set up his meeting with Maravic.\n"I'm proud of David," Hydinger said. "He fought hard and played at a good level of tennis. He said he wanted to win this tournament, and he made a heck of a run at it. His game and expectations have improved."\nAlthough McLoughlin came up short in the semifinals, he launched his way to the semifinals with some hard-earned victories. He opened the singles championship by defeating John Allare of Michigan State 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in a three-set match and Scott Warner of rival Purdue 6-3, 6-2.\nMcLoughlin continued his success by overtaking Drew Eberly of Ohio State 6-4, 7-5 and earned another hard-fought victory in a three-set match, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.\nIn the semifinals, however, he ran into an opponent whom he could not overtake.\n"The kid hardly makes mistakes," Hydinger said of Michigan's Maravic. "He's always ready to play, is a tough competitor. He really passes well and moves well."\nMcLoughlin did not believe in the moral victory that is often preached about after a solid but disappointing performance.\n"I wasn't satisfied," he said. "It would have been nice to get to the finals. I wasn't happy with how I played."\nThe problem was how he started out of the gate, McLoughlin said.\n"I started my matches slowly," he said. "I need to start having better rhythm in my matches."\nThe Hoosiers will not be in action until January 2007, giving them plenty of time to take what they have learned in their season so far and improve on it. Hydinger said his team will work on such things as increasing its intensity level and the running program, but it all starts with how bad his team wants it.\n"Things are given to athletes," Hydinger said. "The big factor is our guys have to do this on their own. Hopefully, they have the desire and determination and not wait for it to be handed to them."\nIU returns to the court Jan. 15, 2007, to host Morehead State University.
(11/14/06 4:28am)
Students who enter college less prepared academically than others tend to benefit the most from engaged learning, a recent IU study reports.\nThe 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement found involvement in activities, such as working with peers, has positive effects on grades and increases the chance of a student's return to college for a second year.\nGeorge Kuh, director of the IU-based National Survey of Student Engagement, said another example of student engagement includes "problem-solving in the company of peers where they monitor and give feedback in a learning community."\nThe results of the study also reveal distance-education students and adult learners immerse themselves in as many educational activities as do traditional-age students taking classes on campus. Compared with other students, part-time students who work were less likely to participate in educational exercises such as collaborative learning, according to the IU news release.\n"Student engagement is a powerful concept guiding our efforts to increase student academic achievement," said Scott Evenbeck, dean of University College at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, in the release.\nHowever, if universities do not implement engaged learning in their own curricula, it does not mean learning will not take place; it just provides more bumps along the road for those less prepared students, the study found.\n"It's harder for them," Kuh said. "Can they learn without being exposed to engaging teaching activities? Sure, but not as much and not as efficiently."\nThe report is based on information from about 260,000 randomly selected first-year and senior students at 523 four-year colleges and universities. The study, titled "Engaged Learning: Fostering Success for All Students," provides schools with an idea of how well their students are learning, as well as the input and output of the students' undergraduate experience.\nKuh said the study gives every school its own results. The report shows the school in different comparison groups, so a university like IU can be compared to other large institutions. However, Kuh emphasized it is more important for IU to compare itself to other Big Ten universities than the national average.\n"The report itself brings attention to how we could work with our students more effectively," Kuh said. "This is mostly about giving schools information they can use so they can improve. We don't get better at things if we don't practice them."\nThe study measures five key areas of educational performance: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences and supportive campus environment.\nWith such programs as freshman interest groups, freshman intensive seminars and Groups Student Support Services, IU appears to be doing its part to ensure students get the most out of engaged learning, Kuh said.\n"I think the NSSE results indicate students feel they are learning quite a bit during their time at IU," said Rachel Boon, a research analyst in the office of the IUB chancellor and NSSE project associate. "Academic challenge is a core piece of engagement and students, especially first-year students, appear to be experiencing it at IU."\nHowever, Boon emphasized that there is always room for improvement.\n"What is important here is not the scores we get or if we are better than our peers," Boon said. "So it appears we are doing well in each of the five levels of engagement, but we also are committed to doing even better in each of those areas."\nAs universities and educators strive to provide a better educational environment for students, it appears they have one effective strategy to enforce. \n"The seeds of innovation and improvement in undergraduate education are taking root and student engagement is essential to these efforts," Kuh said.
(11/10/06 5:14am)
Legendary sports broadcaster and IU alumnus Dick Enberg spoke on the IU campus Thursday to reminisce and offer advice from his illustrious career. \nDuring the event, Enberg fielded questions from a panel of professors and journalists, and afterward the floor was opened up for questions to the captivated audience with questions ranging from the controversy surrounding potentially renaming Assembly Hall in honor of former IU basketball coach Bob Knight to who he believes are the most significant athletes of this century.\nEnberg earned his master's in health and safety in 1959 at IU and his doctorate in 1962 and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University in 2002. \n"Most of us like to think we're a legend in our own mind," School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Dean David Gallahue said. "This is a gentleman that really is a legend in his own time."\nEnberg is in his seventh year with CBS sports. Prior to CBS, Enberg spent 25 years with NBC sports.\nHowever, he said it was his tenure as a professor that best prepared him for his career in television. Prior to broadcasting, Enberg was an assistant professor at California State University Northridge.\n"It's been the greatest ally, that I was educated to teach," Enberg said. "The experiences in a classroom, preparation for conducting lecture and providing information in an interesting way provided the foundation for what I do now. There is nothing more exciting then the challenge of a raised hand in a classroom."\nEnberg has been seen by millions covering such events as the Super Bowl or Wimbledon, but there is something else that rattles his nerves even more.\n"I got more nervous getting ready for class and in my preparation for teaching then I do for a Super Bowl contest," Enberg said.\nAs the "conversation" ended, Enberg wanted to give what he called his own "commercial." Throughout all his experiences, the people he has met and the incredible events he has witnessed, it was a simple piece of advice that acted as his final remark of the evening.\n"As you walk through campus, think about the times you can look someone in the eye and say thank you," Enberg said. "It's the power of kindness"
(10/25/06 4:13am)
Senior Arnaud Roussel defended his home court as he won the singles bracket of the Hoosier Invitational Sunday at the IU Varsity Tennis Courts. Meanwhile, senior David Bubenicek led the Hoosiers to a strong showing at the ITA Midwest Regional.\n"It felt good," Roussel said of his Hoosier Invitational victory. "It was my goal to win the tournament. Fighting and winning were all that mattered. It felt good to protect our home court."\nRoussel owned Wisconsin's squad as he defeated Gian Hodgson 2-6,6-2,6-4 to reach the semifinals and then defeated Michael Dierberger 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the finals. In the finals, he met yet another Badger, Michael Muskievicz, and won that match 4-6, 6-3,6-4 to take the Hoosier Invitational crown.\n"He's been working hard on his game," IU coach Ken Hydinger said. "The guy he played was a big offensive player and had a huge serve. I'm pleased to see him getting those results."\nRoussel countered his opponent's big serve by working on his own offensive gameplan.\n"I worked on an offensive pattern," Roussel said. "It was crucial to play offense inside, and I was able to return his serve well."\nAt the ITA Midwest Regional in Minneapolis, No. 18 seed Bubenicek won his first singles match at the tournament Saturday by beating Michigan's Andrew Mazlin 6-4,6-4 to advance to the round of 32. Bubenicek then defeated the sixth-seeded D.J. Geatz of Minnesota, 2-6, 6-4,7-6 but lost his next match against No. 10 seed Chris Klingemann of Ohio State.\nBubenicek teamed up with junior Dara McLoughlin in doubles matches, and the pair, seeded fourth in the tournament, defeated Kevin Hayward and John Pelton of Western Michigan University, 8-6. The Hoosiers advanced to the round of 16 and conquered the Notre Dame duo of Santiago Montoya and Irackli Akhvlediani, 8-2. That victory earned the pair a date with the No. 1 seeded pair from the University of Louisville, Slavko Radman and Damar Johnson. Although the twosome fell 8-6, they gained valuable experience playing against one of the best duos at the regionals, they said.\n"We were keeping up with them," Bubenicek said. "So I think that shows that we're not very far from being at the top. It showed we can play at that kind of level."\nWith the Hoosiers out of action for nearly three weeks, the break will give the team a chance to work on the areas of its game that are not up to par just yet.\n"We're playing good tennis," Hydinger said. "We're playing at a good level, but we need to get stronger. We need to do the right things better."\nIU resumes action at the Big Ten Singles Championships on Nov. 11 at the University of Michigan.
(10/24/06 4:10am)
IU President Adam Herbert appointed Bloomington law professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs John S. Applegate as the University's first Presidential Fellow Oct. 12.\nThe program, modeled after the White House Fellows program, will allow Applegate the opportunity to work as a full-time special assistant to the president for at least six months beginning Jan. 1, 2007, according to a press release issued by IU Media Relations.\n"The idea of having this kind of fellowship is a terrific one," Applegate said. "When I think of the people who are in positions like mine across the University, there are some very impressive people, which is why I feel very honored and flattered."\nHerbert got the idea for a Presidential Fellow from his days of serving as a White House Fellow in the Ford Administration in 1974, according to the release. He served for a year as special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.\nHerbert has an interest in developing leadership among the faculty and wants to give other professionals the experience and knowledge of the decision-making process at the presidential level.\n"As a White House Fellow, I was able to gain insight into how senior-level officials deliberate and make decisions," Herbert said in the release. "It was an immensely valuable experience, and I want to give similar opportunities to people who have great potential for higher levels of professional success."\nApplegate joined the faculty of the IU School of Law in 1998. He specializes in environmental law and is nationally recognized for his work in environmental risk assessment and policy analysis, according to the release.\nLast February, he was among 30 IU faculty members named to participate in the 2006 IU Leadership Development Project, according to the release. Known as IU LeaD, Herbert designed the program to emphasize the importance of leadership throughout the University, according to the release, and Applegate said he thinks his experience with the program will help him in his new position.\n"It's a great program," Applegate said. "The whole idea is to develop internal leadership skills. Having an organized, systematic introduction to issues such as budgeting, human resources and planning and negotiations has been tremendously helpful."\nHerbert said Applegate will continue to teach during the current semester but starting in January will be excused from his administrative and teaching duties at the law school to concentrate on his tasks as the Presidential Fellow. The position carries with it an array of responsibilities, notably the possibility of assisting in the presidential transition next spring and summer.\nHerbert said he hopes this is a program that will be around for a long time. \n"It is my hope that this will establish a tradition at IU that will continue long into the future with a Presidential Fellow appointed every year to work at the side of the president," Herbert said in the release.\nAlthough Applegate's position has not officially begun, he has already started to attend meetings of the presidential staff and board of trustees in order to get acquainted with the dynamics of the IU decision-making process.\nHe said Herbert is determined to make the last period in his presidency an active one and wants to accomplish a lot between now and the end of his presidency.\n"It's a very important and exciting time in the history of the institution," Applegate said. "Helping to make those things happen and make it an active transition in which IU moves forward and is not stagnant, that's the contribution I want to make"
(10/19/06 2:09am)
The IU men's tennis team ends a month-long layoff today when it takes part in the Hoosier Invitational and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Midwest Regional Championship, hosted by Minnesota. The Hoosiers host the Hoosier Invitational this weekend and send three players to the Midwest Regional Championship starting today and ending Oct. 24.\n"Our guys are ready to play," IU coach Ken Hydinger said. "We made improvements, and now we just need to try to put together what we've been working on."\nThe Hoosiers have been out of action since the Cincinnati Invitational Sept. 22-24 in which senior David Bubenicek (3-1) and sophomore Mak Kendall (3-0) led the team with three singles wins each. Hydinger said keying in on the basics will be the Hoosiers' method for dealing with such a long layoff.\n"You're not in the same routine as when you're playing every week," Hydinger said. "We have to focus on fundamentals and the process and just let the results happen."\nOne positive that came from the layoff was that it gave the Hoosiers time to work on their conditioning, something Bubenicek said will come in handy in the Hoosiers' two tournaments this weekend.\n"We are definitely stronger then we were," Bubenicek said. "We have an advantage because later in the tournaments, the other players will be tired."\nThe Cincinnati Invitational was an early season measuring stick for the Hoosiers and it gave them a chance to see what they needed to work on. Hydinger said the Hoosiers focused on securing their own game early on in upcoming matches.\n"We worked on being more definitive and taking control of the matches," Hydinger said. "We want to establish our pattern and play our game."\nThe Hoosiers send Bubenicek, along with juniors Dara McLoughlin and Michael McCarthy to the Midwest Regional Championship. The trio has the opportunity to represent the Hoosiers as it goes up against some of the top talent in the country.\n"I want to do really well for IU and to qualify for nationals," Bubenicek said. "I really believe we can do well, and I think we can win it."\nWhile the trio represents IU at the Midwest championship, sophomores Kendall and Peter Antons, as well as freshman Paul Boskovich and senior Arnaud Roussel have a chance to defend their own courts at the Hoosier Invitational. The Hoosiers will face competition from the University of Louisville, Purdue, the University of Dayton, Wisconsin and Western Kentucky University.\nThe Hoosiers already faced Louisville once this year as Antons (2-2), Boskovich (2-2) and Roussel (2-2) posted wins against Louisville opponents at the Cincinnati Invitational.\n"I'm looking to see some guys break through," Hydinger said. "I look for them to be confident and aggressive. It's a mentality and a sense of mind. It's one thing to do it in practice and another to do it in a match."\nFor the Hoosiers to have a successful weekend, Hydinger said they need to give everything they have on the courts.\n"It's about seeing a play in your mind and following the vision," he said. "Letting it go and not holding back. It's all about the aggressive mentality, relaxation and concentration."\nOr maybe IU's success comes down to two simple words from Roussel: "fighting" and "winning"
(08/15/06 3:26pm)
INDIANAPOLIS -- In the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500, Sam Hornish Jr. edged out rookie driver Marco Andretti Sunday in the second closest finish in the race's prestigious history.\nHornish, the 65th driver to win "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," won his first Indianapolis 500 by 0.0635 of a second. \n"It's a great feeling," Hornish said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I thank God for giving me a lot of talent, not so much for what I can do driving, but the fact that I didn't want to give up."\nIn lap 197, Hornish passed Michael Andretti for second going into turn three. Then in lap 198, Marco led Hornish by 0.5644 of a second when he blocked Hornish's attempt to pass him going into turn three. In the final lap of the race, Hornish got a run off of turn four, dove under Marco and edged the rookie driver by a car length, becoming the 18th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 from the pole position.\n"It was for everything, for all the marbles," Hornish said. "You don't get too many times like that at the Indy 500 where you're out there and you have a chance to win the race right in front of everybody on the last lap."\nIn his overtaking Marco on the final lap, Hornish increased his speed to 219 mph, five mph faster then the 19-year-old rookie; a move that caught Marco by surprise.\n"To be completely honest, I thought I did it with one lap to go," Marco said. "But I don't know where that speed came from. I was on the overtake the last three laps of the race just holding it, but I don't know where that came from."\nEven Michael thought his son had picked up his first career Indianapolis 500 win.\n"I literally put my hand in the air thinking (Marco) won the race, and I couldn't believe it," Michael said. "Where did Hornish get that speed? It was like he had a button in there to push. It was just unbelievable."\nMichael came out of retirement in hopes that his 15th Indianapolis 500 would be the one that finally got him his first title. Meanwhile, his son Marco became the third-youngest driver to start the Indianapolis 500 at 19 years, two months and 15 days. He is the youngest since A.J. Foyt IV, who turned 19 when he made his first start in 2003.\n"I just knew (Marco) was going to surprise a lot of people," said Michael. "He didn't surprise me. He did everything that I thought he could and he just did it a little quicker than I thought he would."\nHowever, the day belonged to Team Penske and Hornish, who attributed his last-second boost in speed to fuel and his failure to pass Marco the first time.\n"We had the fuel turned all the way up. He slowed me down enough and it did give me enough of a run coming back at it. It's not always the fastest car that wins the race but the one that makes the fewest mistakes."\nA year after qualifying for his first Indianapolis 500 with Marlboro Team Penske, Hornish found himself in the winner circle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.\n"It's the best day that I'll ever have as far as my career goes." Hornish said. "There's other things outside of racing, but as far as my professional career or anything outside my family life, this is the best day that I'll ever have"
(07/26/06 11:30pm)
In signing 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end Brad Martin, the Hoosiers may have picked up its most versatile athlete in the 2006 class. Hailing from Marion Pleasant High School in Marion, Ohio, Martin led his team to an 8-3 finish his senior year and earned first team all-league honors as a tight end, defensive back and punter. \nHe earned first team all-district as a tight end and all-state recognition in the Associated Press Division V poll in his senior campaign. \nHe showed his potential in a 41-6 victory over Buckey Valley when he caught a 50-yard pass for a score as part of a 63-yard drive. \nMartin's junior year saw him earn second team all-district honors for his production on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Martin recorded 21 receptions for 333 yards and four touchdowns while defensively he posted 72 tackles, forced two fumbles and had a pair of interceptions. He also earned defensive all-district in 2003 and picked up an all-district honoree award in basketball and baseball.\nRivals.com said Martin is a "Division I prospect; considered a mid-major prospect; deemed to have limited pro potential but definite Division I prospect; may be more of a role player."\nESPN.com gave Martin a rating of 40, meaning that he has redeeming qualities and is projected to contribute at the Division 1 level. \nIn Martin, the Hoosiers could have a standout athlete who has experience in playing three positions, a potentially valuable asset to a team who finished 4-7 last year and hasn't seen a winning season since 1994. \nHoeppner is hoping Martin helps round out the class.\n"One of our staff objectives is to maintain a recruiting presence in Ohio, and Brad is key in that mission. We offered Brad after he was at our camp last summer, as we like his size and speed," IU football head coach Terry Hoeppner said in a statement.
(07/26/06 11:28pm)
The Hoosiers added another weapon to their offensive repertoire with the signing of 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end Jeff Sanders. Rated as the 25th-best prospect from Illinois by Rivals.com, Sanders, who chose IU over the University of Illinois and Vanderbilt University, led Sacred Heart-Griffin High School to a 14-0 record and its first state title in school history. Sanders is not the only player to join the Hoosiers from Sacred Heart-Griffin as red shirt junior running back Kenni Burns also played there. In the championship win over Rock Island Alleman, Sanders caught 10 passes for 134 yards. In his senior year alone, Sanders caught 59 passes for 671 yards and three touchdowns. During Sanders' high school career, Sacred Heart-Griffin posted a 38-2 record and three straight Central State Eight championships. \nSanders earned all-state honors from The Champaign News-Gazette, the Chicago Tribune and the Illinois High School Coaches Association Academic Team. Additionally, Sporting News tabbed Sanders as a top Midwest tight-end prospect for the class of 2006. \nThe third player out of Illinois in the 2006 Hoosier class, football was not the only thing the Springfield native excelled at. Sanders earned all-conference recognition in basketball as a sophomore and junior. He was also a high honor roll recipient and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.\nESPN.com recruit tracker gave this synopsis on Sanders: "A good all-around tight end that can contribute in both phases of the offensive game."\nIU head football coach Terry Hoeppner gave Sanders high praise as well. \n"Jeff was one of the first commits in this class, and he is from a quality high school program," Hoeppner said in statement. "He is a big, tough tight end who runs well." \nAlong with being a great athlete, Sanders has great hands for a tight end. He'll hope to contribute for IU right away.
(07/20/06 1:23am)
Ben Chappell
With the signing of Bloomington South's Ben Chappell, IU football coach Terry Hoeppner accomplished something that the basketball team has struggled with in recent years: signing in-state talent. Hoeppner signed Chappell after IU's football camp the summer before his senior year, when the 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback threw for 2,359 yards and 27 touchdowns. That effort garnered him Associated Press, Indiana High School Football Coaches Association and Bloomington Herald-Times first team all-state honors. Chappell also ran for seven scores as he led the Panthers to the Conference Indiana Championship.
His senior year witnessed a couple of standout performances. Chappell tied for the best production in 2005 and set a new school record with a six-touchdown performance against Pike on Sept. 30.
Known as one of the "Seven Blocks of Limestone" -- the seven offensive linemen in the 2006 IU class -- Alex Perry is a 6-foot-7, 251-pound lineman from Morris Community High School in Morris, Ill. Perry hails from a football family and brings with him plenty of success.
(07/17/06 3:11am)
Matt Mayberry is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and can play both sides of the ball as a linebacker and running back. He starred at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Ill., as a fullback, middle linebacker and safety. As a senior, Mayberry proved his multi-dimensional talent as he rushed for 2,242 yards and 36 touchdowns, recorded 68 yards passing with one touchdown, 20 tackles, a 30-yard kick return average and 221 punt return yards as he led his team to a 10-2 finish. That production earned him all-state honors as well as the Reporter-Progress/Suburban Life All-Area Football Player of the Year award. \nMayberry owns several Hinsdale South school records for rushing yards (2,827) and touchdowns (39), single-season records for rushing yards (2,242), touchdowns (36) and points (186) and the single-game record for touchdowns (five).\nHe registered a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time en route to a No. 14 Illinois state ranking by Rivals.com and is regarded as the 61st-best linebacker in the country for the class of 2006.\nMayberry showed his ability to run the football when he ran for more than 280 yards on three different occassions. In a 42-18 victory over Lyons Township, Mayberry rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. He then went on to produce 290 yards with four touchdowns in a 42-28 victory over Downers Grove South . He followed those two regular season performances with a 287-yard, three-touchdown effort in a 48-28 playoff win over Bardley-Bourbonnais. \nRivals.com gave Mayberry a 5.5 out of 6.1 rating, meaning that he is an all-region selection; one of the top prospects in the region and among the top 500 prospects in the country. The rating also means that Mayberry has the potential to play professionally one day and that he has the ability to make an impact on a college team. \nWith the Hoosiers having depth at both the safety and linebacker position, his experience in all areas of the game should prove to be a valuable asset as IU strives to earn their first postseason berth since their loss to Virginia Tech University in the 1993 Independence Bowl.
(07/17/06 3:09am)
With the IU football team losing three starting offensive linemen to graduation (Isaac Sowells , Adam Hines and Brandon Hatcher), coach Terry Hoeppner and his staff needed help along the front line. In recruiting Cody Faulkner, they got it.\nThe 6-foot-5, 306-pound lineman, regarded as one of IU's top recruits in the class of 2006, was a three-year starter for Hamilton Heights High School in Cicero, Ind., a career that produced several state and national honors. \nFaulkner was named to the All-State Top 33 and Tremendous 26 teams. He also earned CBS Sportsline All-America All-Region honors as a senior. \nFaulkner racked up awards his entire high school career as he garnered all-state honors in his sophomore and junior seasons. He also earned class 3A first team all-state honors, while registering a blocking efficiency of 92 percent during his career at Hamilton Heights. \nAdditionally, Faulkner collected the Kokomo Tribune all-area first team recognition and All-Mid-Indiana Conference first team honors.\nFaulkner added to his resume with a spot on the Fab 50 offensive lineman watch list. He also competed in the Max Emfinger (known as the voice of high school recruiting) All-American Bowl in Shreveport, La. \nFaulkner is the son of former Florida tight end Chris Faulkner , who went on to play professionally with the Dallas Cowbows (1983-84), Los Angeles Rams (1984) and San Diego Chargers (1985). \nScout.com gives Faulkner high praise in its scouting report: "gives 110% effort on every play. Very good short-area blocker. Big, athletic road grader. His size, strength, power and bulk to dominate when he plays with leverage. Very good lower-body strength. Dominates as drive run blocker. Plays to the whistle. Shows nastiness. Powerful hands. OG at next level"
(07/13/06 12:09am)
IU women's basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack added the final piece to her staff Monday when she announced the hiring of Cheri Hogg as an assistant coach.\nHogg spent the previous two years as an assistant coach under Legette-Jack at Hofstra University.\n"(Hogg) brings continuity," Legette-Jack said. "She knows my system and is a hard worker. She knows our goal is to win championships. It's great that she decided to join me at IU."\nLegette-Jack now has a full staff that includes Vera Jones, Marc Wilson and director of operations Jeana Finlinson. \n"I think we have one of the best staffs in the country," Legette-Jack said. "They all have a complete commitment to success."\nHogg and Legette-Jack teamed up to help Hofstra advance to the 2006 Women's National Invitation Tournament. Under Hogg and Legette-Jack, Hofstra ranked among the NCAA's top three in scoring offense (second, 69.5 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.379), rebounding offense (second, 43.0), rebounding margin (third, 3.9), assists per game (second, 16.0), steals (second, 11.03), offensive rebounds (second, 16.73), defensive rebounding (second, 26.27) and three-point field goals per game (third, 5.37), according to IUHoosiers.com. \nLegette-Jack said Hogg will be mostly responsible for the guards and preseason and postseason conditioning. Hogg was a point guard at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was the 1992 California JUCO Player of the Year at Lassen Community College in Susanville, Calif.\nAccording to IUHoosiers.com, Hogg played professional basketball overseas in Australia, Holland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. Hogg also served as a police officer for the South Australian Police Department from 1997 to 2000.\nLegette-Jack said that Hogg's professional basketball career combined with her stint as a police officer will "demand immediate respect from the players."\nWith a complete staff, Legette-Jack can now plow ahead to focusing her efforts on trying to improve a team that advanced to the 2006 NIT quarterfinals.\n"It feels great," said Legette-Jack on completing her staff. "We can move forward and now focus on the work at hand"
(05/11/06 12:30am)
For the second straight year, IU men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson will accompany some of college basketball's elite coaches from May 23-29 to participate in the eight-team Operation Hardwood II basketball tournament, in Kuwait. \nSampson is one of six basketball personalities -- including Alabama's Mark Gottfried, South Carolina's Dave Odom, Charlotte's Bobby Lutz, Michigan State's Tom Izzo and ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas -- who took part in the inaugural "Operation Hardwood - Hoops with the Troops" last August. The tour is part of an effort by the United Service Organization to bring professional athletes and sports-related events to troops serving away from home. \n"Of all the things I've done outside the arena of basketball," Sampson said, "I don't think I've had anything as life-changing as the trip to Kuwait. You don't realize how insignificant you really are until you go to a place like this. What they're doing is significant."\nEach participant will coach a military basketball team that will compete in a championship tournament. The soldiers, however, do not have access to such luxuries that an arena like Assembly Hall has to offer.\n"The guys I coached (last year) rolled out something you would see in the backyard," Sampson said. "Some kind of aluminum stuff, a hard cover that you could bounce a ball on and they put up temporary baskets, and that's how they practiced for the tournament."\nFor Sampson, the trip to Kuwait served as a reminder of what is really important in the world and put his own life into perspective. \n"The next day you're having lunch with two more soldiers and they say they serve as arm security on a specific mission," said Sampson. "They said they go and retrieve bodies. For guys that are basketball coaches in the United States, at these universities, for us to go over to Kuwait and be around those soldiers and hear about their jobs and what they do, it certainly puts a lot of things that you do in perspective."\nOne moment stood out in particular for Sampson.\n"We went into the dining facility and they had a picture of the Pentagon on 9-11," Sampson said. "A very graphic picture. It covered the side of the wall, and very succinctly underneath that picture were five words, real simple words: 'Don't forget why we're here.' They were constant reminders."\nWhen Sampson was asked to go on the trip again, he hesitated, considering he had just taken over as the new head basketball coach at IU and had an insurmountable list of things to do. All it took was an e-mail, though, to remind him of the impact this project has on soldiers overseas.\n"It really hit me right after Thanksgiving," Sampson said. "I got an e-mail from one of the girls I had lunch with. Over a three-month period, between eight and 12 members of their unit were killed by roadside bombers. That's why you have to go back. Are you making a difference? We're making a difference either in their lives or our lives."\nThe trip to Kuwait also serves as an opportunity for Sampson to teach his own players lessons in life that he learned from those that face life and death situations nearly every day.\n"Nobody complained," Sampson said. "Everybody has a role to play -- three-star generals, colonels, sergeant majors, platoon leaders, squad leaders, foot soldiers -- everybody has a role. And nobody complains. Everybody plays their role to a T." \nSampson said that after the coaches got through all the checkpoints, they have cement barriers placed at intervals because of car bombers. After that, they only have 3 signs, 50 to 75 yards apart on the base. The first sign says 'act like a leader,' the second sign reads 'look like a leader' and the third sign says 'be a leader,' Sampson said. \n"I'm a leader," he said. "I talk to our kids about the things I see over there. The greatest team in our country isn't Florida or Duke -- those are great college basketball teams -- but our greatest team is the Army and how they do things."\nFor 65 years, the USO has tried to provide the boost in morale and spirit needed for the U.S. military and their families. Operation Hardwood is an example of the USO's efforts to provide support for the men and women on military duty. \n"You have to be over there to understand how important it is for us to do this; what they get out of it," Sampson said. "You can see it in their eyes. They get to have some normalcy in their lives. They kept saying 'thank you for coming,' but you leave there thinking no, thank you for doing this for us. We're insignificant. But you realize your significance by what you do for them"