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(09/22/08 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Starting strong is only good if you finish the job thoroughly. Such a lesson was learned by the IU volleyball team at this weekend’s TIS Bookstore IU Invitational. After opening the tournament with convincing victories against George Mason and Ball State on Friday, IU ran into a wall Saturday against Cincinnati. The Saturday result meant an undefeated tournament championship effort for Cincinnati.Freshman Mary Chaudoin said she thought the Hoosiers could have played better against the Bearcats. “We are not satisfied (with our play),” Chaudoin said. “While Cincinnati played with heart, we are not satisfied and should have gone 3-0.” IU got off to a 7-0 lead in the first set of the Cincinnati match, but things went downhill from there, as the Bearcats won 11 of the next 14 points en route to winning in straight sets 25-21, 25-21 and 25-19.Sophomore Ashley Benson said she thought the match showed the Hoosiers have room for improvement.“This weekend was an eye-opener for us,” Benson said. “We knew it would be tough, but we didn’t bring the play we needed to.” To open the tournament, IU struggled in a 25-19 loss in the opening set against George Mason but rebounded to win the next three sets and the match.The Ball State match was more of the same, as IU won in straight sets before Saturday’s disappointment against Cincinnati. One area in which IU won all weekend was at the gates, as they totaled more than 2,400 fans for the three matches, including more than 1,000 spectators for both the Ball Sate and Cincinnati matches. Sophomore Taylor Wittmer was excited to see support for the team.“I enjoyed the crowd, and it was amazing to see that many people in the stands,” Wittmer said. Things will not get any easier next Friday and Saturday when IU opens Big Ten play at University Gym.The team will face No. 23 Illinois on Friday before archrival No. 20 Purdue comes calling Saturday. Chaudoin thinks the team needs to play with a sense of urgency in these matches.“We have to practice hard, battle and want each and every point,” she said.
(09/15/08 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Familiarity was lacking for the IU volleyball team this weekend.Playing on the road in a new environment and in hot conditions, the Hoosiers took two out of three matches at the University of Kentucky tournament in Lexington, Ky. “The facilities were different, and there was no air conditioning,” said IU coach Sherry Dunbar.IU lost 3-1 Friday to Kentucky but rebounded Saturday to defeat Albany and Eastern Kentucky by scores of 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. With the two wins, the Hoosiers improved to 6-3 on the year.Dunbar said she wished the Hoosiers had swept the tournament but knew they weren’t capable of doing that based on Friday’s engagement.“We were trying to go 3-0 but didn’t play well (Friday),” she said. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Benson, who recorded a team-high 20.5 points in the Eastern Kentucky match, said she was pleased with Saturday’s play.“I felt good about (our play against) Albany,” Benson said. “Eastern Kentucky was our best match, and I felt great about it.”Dunbar was complimentary of Benson’s individual play afterward as well.“Ashley started out strong, and her defense was really good throughout the tournament,” she said.As a team, the Hoosiers recorded 181 points for the weekend. Three of those points come from freshman defensive specialist Cailtin Cox, who said the team played hard in Saturday’s matches. “We competed and fought and the scores showed that,” Cox said.IU returns home this Friday and Saturday to host the TIS Bookstore IU invitational. The Hoosiers will welcome George Mason and Ball State at 12:30 p.m and 7:30 p.m., respectively, Friday at the University Gym. On Saturday the action moves to Assembly Hall at 3 p.m. against Cincinnati. Benson said she hopes the Hoosiers play as well as they did in their opening home tournament when they swept all three matches.“Hopefully, it will be like the adidas Classic, as we played great in that and did what we had to do,” she said.
(09/08/08 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite her name, there was nothing short about Erica Short’s performance in the adidas Classic this weekend at Assembly Hall. The senior middle blocker and co-captain was named tournament MVP after recording 61 kills during the weekend, including an IU-record 24 in the Friday match against Valparaiso. Short said the record was a great accomplishment but was quick to credit her team as well.“(The record) feels great, but I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Short said.Coming off a 1-2 trip to the West coast, IU won all three matches this weekend, including three-set sweeps of Valparaiso and Wake Forest to open the tournament Friday. On Sunday, however, the competition got tougher, as IU faced a Louisville team that was receiving top-25 votes. IU coach Sherry Dunbar said. Louisville was the preseason favorite to win the Big East.IU appeared unfazed by the challenge at first, securing wins of 25-23 and 25-20 in the first two sets. Louisville fought back to take the next two sets 25-20 and 25-12, forcing a fifth and deciding match. In the fifth set, the Hoosiers were leading 14-12 with Louisville serving to get back into the match. However, the ball had other plans as the serve from Louisville’s Justine Landi floated harmlessly out of bounds, and the Hoosiers were tournament champions. Dunbar said she knew Louisville would never give up and was glad her team came out on top.“I knew (Louisville) would come back strong,” Dunbar said. “We had to fight, and the intensity was good for us.”Sophomore Ashley Benson, who was also named to the all-tournament team said she was pleased with the team’s play overall.“We played great,” Benson said. “We had some trouble in the middle sets, but otherwise we had a great tournament.” Benson had a solid tournament herself, recording 39 kills individually. As a team, the Hoosiers recorded 152 kills to their opponent’s 118 for the tournament. For the tournament, more than 1,000 fans passed through the turnstiles, heaping more and more fervent support on the Hoosiers with every kill. Dunbar said the crowd was a big key to IU’s success this weekend.“We put a fighting team out there, and the crowd was on our side this weekend, which was a big key,” she said. IU will hit the road next week when the team goes to the University of Kentucky Tournament on Friday and Saturday in Lexington, Ky.Short said she hopes to use this weekend’s tournament success as a booster for Lexington.“There are great teams (next weekend),” she said. “We just need to play well, and this tournament was a huge confidence booster.”
(05/19/08 12:24am)
By the skin of its teeth, the No. 23 IU men’s golf team advanced to their first National Championship since 1996. Needing a 10th place finish at the Central Regionals on Ohio State’s Scarlet Golf Course, IU bested Tennessee by one stroke and achieved their goal, shooting a 901. \nIU Coach Mike Mayer thought the team played far from perfect, but the bottom line was they advanced to nationals like they were capable of doing. \n“We felt this team was good enough to go to the finals and it was a great team effort,” Mayer said. “It wasn’t the best we could play but we fought down the stretch and got the job done.” \nNeeding a rally down the stretch, IU turned to juniors Jorge Campillo and Drew Allenspach. Campillo played a steady tournament and placed 5th overall. Although he was locked into nationals as an individual based on his top-10 finish at regionals, Campillo was happy he didn’t have to enjoy the party alone.\n“It wouldn’t have been a good feeling to go (to nationals) alone and it is nice to go with the team,” Campillo said.\nAllenspach, however, was the deciding factor in the Hoosiers’ finish as he played the final five holes at three-under par.\nAllenspach, who finished 75th after shooting a 73 on the final day of play, said taking things slowly helped him overcome his recent sub-par play.\n“I struggled early in this tournament and have struggled lately (in general),” Allenspach said. “Today I stayed patient and did the best I could and I tied to convince myself we were in it and I needed make birdies.”\nMayer complimented Allenspach for sticking through tough conditions and said he was the difference maker in the Hoosiers’ success.\n“It was difficult and windy and Drew was outstanding down the stretch, shooting a three under par,” Mayer said. “He was the reason we advanced.”\nAlso competing for the Hoosiers was junior Seth Brandon, sophomore Alex Martin and freshman Ren Han, who placed 33rd, 89th and 133rd, respectively. \nWinning the individual title was Oklahoma State’s Kevin Tway, who shot a 214 for the tournament.\nThe National Championship takes place close to home on May 28 in West Lafayette on Purdue’s campus. The Hoosiers have enjoyed a lot of success on this course in the past, carding 1st, 6th and 3rd place finishes over the last three years at Kampen Golf Course. Campillo has enjoyed even greater success, winning individual titles twice in three years while breaking the course record earlier this year.\nMayer said anything can happen in golf and the Hoosiers have as good of a chance as any team at delivering the program its first national title.\n“Golf is a funny sport and we always have a chance if we play well,” he said.
(05/15/08 12:50am)
For the Hoosiers, this season’s success means nothing if the team can’t win now.\nThe No. 23 Hoosiers have won two tournaments and finished in the top 10 in every other tournament but one.\nHowever, if the Hoosiers are to make it past this weekend’s NCAA Central Regional and have a chance at a National Championship, they must muster one more top-10 finish against the nation’s top teams.\nCompounding the difficulty of Regionals is the fact that the tournament takes place at Ohio State’s Scarlett Golf Course, known as one of the trickiest collegiate golf courses in the country, according to IU coach Mike Mayer. \nBut junior Drew Allenspach thinks the layout of the course suits IU perfectly since they are familiar with its design.\n“Ohio State’s (golf) course sets up well for us as it’s long and difficult and these are the courses we’ve played on all year,” Allenspach said.\nThe tournament takes place Thursday through Saturday and begins each day at 7 a.m. Mayer thinks IU’s experience may pay off in the tournament. \n“There are 320 Division I men’s golf teams that have been around a long time and we’re a veteran team and I think we’re ready and know what Regionals are all about,” Mayer said. \nIU Junior Jorge Campillo thinks coming out on top in the tournament may be difficult, however.\n“You have the number one and two teams in the country at Regionals, so being a winner there is hard,” Campillo said. \nThe Hoosier lineup will be the same for the sixth straight tournament, featuring Allenspach and Campillo as well as fellow junior Seth Brandon, sophomore Alex Martin and freshman Ren Han.\nCompeting against the No. 8 seed Hoosiers will be 26 other teams, including Big Ten rivals Michigan, Penn State, Illinois and host Ohio State.\nAllenspach thinks IU’s success this year is due to a fast start from day one of the season. \n“We’ve played solidly all year and got off to a good start in the fall allowing us to focus on postseason play and get into a comfort zone,” Allenspach said.
(05/12/08 12:56am)
Success breeds more success.\nThat is the theme for IU men’s golfer Jorge Campillo, who has earned a trophy room full of accolades with the Hoosiers and is the driving force behind the team’s impressive national ranking.\nThe 6-foot-1-inch junior from Caceres, Spain’s play has led the Hoosiers to a ranking of No. 23, second best in the Big Ten.\nBut Campillo said despite his accomplishments he thinks he can get better.\n“You always want to improve as a golfer and not stop (t)here,” Campillo said. “You want to do even better and win more tournaments.”\nIndividually he has earned several honors since joining IU, with the pinnacle coming recently when he was named Big Ten Golfer of the Year and ranked as the 14th-best player in college golf, according to www.golfweek.com.\nHis success began from day one of his freshman year when he was unanimously named Freshman of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. \nIU coach Mike Mayer complimented him as a leader and said he is a great all-around Hoosier.\n“He has been the No. 1 player on our golf team for three years,” Mayer said. “First and foremost, though, he is an outstanding human being and bleeds cream and crimson.”\nHis accomplishments did not stop his freshman year, as Campillo was again named first-team All-Big Ten his sophomore year and qualified as an individual for NCAA Central Regional. These awards led to him being selected to compete in the Palmer Cup as a representative for Europe for the summer of 2007.\nCampillo’s teammate and fellow junior Drew Allenspach was complimentary of everything Campillo has accomplished.\n“He is great, and an unbelievable player and is very patient,” Allenspach said. “He has unbelievable talent and is not afraid to play against anyone.”\nCurrently, Campillo is on a hot streak, winning the last three tournaments in which the Hoosiers have competed. These tournaments were the April 7 Missouri Tiger Intercollegiate, the April 19 Boilermaker Invitational and the Big Ten Championships on April 25. \nMayer thinks all this success will eventually lead to Campillo playing professional golf. \n“There is no doubt in my mind that Jorge will play professionally and be very successful,” Meyer said.
(05/08/08 1:55pm)
IU can just about see the promised land again.\nComing off a trip to the NCAA Championships last year, the No. 44 Hoosiers are one tournament away from returning there.\nIU head coach Clint Wallman said it would be a disappointment if the Hoosiers didn’t get to nationals, but they must think about regionals first. \n“You always want to make nationals,” Wallman said. “With that said, we’re not really focused on that, and we are preparing for this week.”\nTo get to nationals IU needs a top-four finish in the NCAA East Regionals in Athens, Ga. The tournament began Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. and runs through Saturday. Live scores are available through www.golfstat.com. \nThe difference from last year is that the Hoosiers played on the University of Michigan Golf Course, a place they are very familiar with and have had a lot of success carding top-four finishes in each of their last three tournaments there.\nHowever, the Hoosiers have never played at the University of Georgia Golf Course where this year’s regionals take place.\nIU senior Lauren Harling said this is the regional site the Hoosiers have wanted to play in all along, and they are unconcerned that they have never been there before.\n“I think we’re excited about playing at a new golf course,” Harling said. “We wanted to come to Georgia, and we’re excited to come up with a game plan and try a new course.”\nIU sophomore Anita Gahir echoed Harling.\n“It helps us when we have a clean slate and having no past experience – which is a good thing,” Gahir said. \nGahir, who has been IU’s most consistent player this year, was named to the All-Big Ten second team. \nShe said she embraces being a team leader and will help out in any way needed.\n“I have practiced hard the last two weeks and I can motivate people and step up for the team if I need to,” Gahir said. \nCompeting in this tournament along with Gahir and Harling will be sophomores Kelly Belcher and Laura Nochta as well as senior Elaine Harris. This is the same lineup the Hoosiers have used all spring.\nWallman said the Hoosiers have as good a chance as anyone to ultimately reach the nationals. \n“Any team that gets to regionals can move on,” Wallman said. “There are a lot of good teams and anyone can play well and move on to the national championship.”
(04/28/08 4:51pm)
IU is floating on a bubble right now, and will see today if it pops or expands. \nAfter finishing fourth at the Big Ten Championships this weekend, IU will wait and see if its name is called for a spot at the NCAA Central Regional.\nIn terms of the Big Ten Championships, IU finished where expected, as it was the fourth-best team in the tournament based on Golf Week’s rankings.\nIU coach Clint Wallman said this finish will leave IU sweating their positioning until the last minute. \n“I don’t know if we’ll make (regionals),” Wallman said. “We played all right and didn’t hurt ourselves, but we didn’t help ourselves.”\nIn terms of individual players at Big Ten Championships, sophomore Anita Gahir led IU for the second straight tournament with her 14th-place finish by shooting a 75, 74, 78 and 75, respectively in each of the four rounds. \nGahir said she was pleased with her play even though her third round could have been better.\n“I was pretty happy,” Gahir said. “(Saturday) was my only bad day, and I’ve worked on my putting to improve.”\nRight behind Gahir were sophomores Kellye Belcher and Laura Nochta and senior Lauren Harling, who finished 16th, 19th and 23rd, respectively.\nHarling, who shot a final round score of 75, said she was happy with her play.\n“This is my most solid ball-striking tournament, and it was a good way to close out my last tournament if we don’t make regionals,” Harling said.\nRival and No.6 Purdue continued to dominate the competition as they followed up their 48-stroke victory at the Indiana Invitational with a 21-stroke victory over Michigan State this weekend. \nPurdue’s Maria Hernandez dominated the individual competition as she finished 7-under-par to beat teammate Christel Boeljion by 10 strokes. For Hernandez, it was her sixth career collegiate victory. \nWith the victory, both she and the Boilermakers earn an automatic bid to regionals. \nWallman said the season as a whole was very much up and down.\n“I think we improved and had a high in Arizona and a low at UNLV, and every season has ups and downs,” Wallman said.
(04/09/08 3:28am)
Carmel, Ind. – It’s called the Indiana Invitational, making it appropriate that a team from the state of Indiana would win the tournament. However it wasn’t the Hoosiers that won, but in-state rival Purdue. \nThe No. 6 Boilermakers dominated the tournament in every way Monday and Tuesday, while No. 42 IU settled for eighth place. \nThe Hoosiers did get a good tournament performance from sophomore Anita Gahir who played three steady rounds of golf to finish in 13th place, 7-over-par. Gahir finished with scores of 73, 77 and 73, making nine birdies during the tournament.\nGahir said afterward she was pleased with her play, especially since conditions weren’t ideal.\n“I did pretty well and I was happy I was hitting the ball well,” Gahir said. “I am also happy with my (score), and it was tough out there with pin placements and the wind.”\nIU coach Clint Wallman complimented Gahir’s play after the tournament.\n“Anita is a phenomenal player and is strong from tee to green,” Wallman said. “She hits the right shots in the right situation and was a good player on a great course.” \nFollowing Gahir was senior Elaine Harris, who finished 24th – \nher best finish since Oct. 9 in the Johnie Imes Invitational. Harris finished with scores of 77, 73 and 77 while making seven birdies. \nHarris said she wants to work harder and get a better score next tournament.\n“I always wish my score is lower and I need to work on my putting (to do that),” Harris said.\nSophomore Laura Nochta, 33rd place, and senior Lauren Harling, 40th place, followed Harris, while sophomore Kellye Belcher placed 54th. \nAlso competing as individuals were junior Amber Lindgren and freshman Lauren Giesecke, who finished 55th and 64th, respectively. It was Giesecke’s first career collegiate tournament.\nWallman said the team’s play as a whole was good early but fell off as the tournament went on. \n“We didn’t play as well as we wanted to on (Tuesday),” he said. “(Monday) was pretty solid, but (Tuesday) we didn’t get anything going.”\nPurdue dominated the leaderboard as its players occupied the top three individual spots with Junthima Gulyanamitta taking home the player crown, finishing four strokes ahead of teammates Maria Hernandez and Maude-Aimee Leblanc. All three players finished a combined 13-under-par, with Gulyanamitta finishing 7-under-par and Hernandez and Leblanc each finishing 3-under-par. \nAs a team, Purdue finished 12 strokes under par, which was 42 strokes better than second-place finisher No. 44 Ohio State. Illinois, No. 26 Texas and University of Nevada, Las Vegas rounded out the top five teams. \nIU returns to action in postseason play when they head to State College (Pa.), for the Big Ten Championships on April 26.
(04/07/08 4:40am)
Now it is their turn. \nAfter watching other teams host tournaments and participating as guests at different invitationals this year, the Hoosiers finally get to host a tournament of their own. The IU Invitational, which will be held at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., will begin today and run through Tuesday. \nThe No. 43 IU women’s golf team used this privilege to invite and compete against a diverse field of 14 teams, including four ranked teams – No. 6 rival Purdue, No. 27 Texas, No. 42 Oregon and No. 44 Ohio State.\nNot only will the Hoosiers host the tournament, but they will do so at the prestigious Crooked Stick Golf Club. The course has played host to many national events, including the 1991 PGA Championship, the 1993 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2005 Solheim Cup, and it will host the 2009 U.S. \nSenior Open. \nIU sophomore Kellye Belcher said having the tournament at Crooked Stick is good and bad at the same time. \n“I really like it, and it’s an honor to play there, and it’s a beautiful course,” Belcher said. “The only thing is we don’t have an advantage playing there since we haven’t played at Crooked Stick since our last tournament there (last year).”\nAt last year’s IU Invitational, Belcher was in second place at the end of the first day although she was also battling mononucleosis at the time. Despite feeling less than 100 percent at the end of the tournament, she still led IU with a 22nd-place finish. \nIU’s hottest player right now is senior Lauren Harling, who led the Hoosiers to their first team win since Sept. 11, 2006, when she won the individual title at last week’s Mountain View Collegiate.\nHarling, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this year, said last week’s tournament should be a momentum builder. \n“I feel good (about last week) and we look forward to carrying our good play into this tournament,” Harling said.\nIU coach Clint Wallman agreed with Harling’s assessment but said the team still needs to improve.\n“The key is not to do anything different from last week and pay attention to detail,” Wallman said. “We still need to work on wedges and putting and play with an urgent state of mind.”\nAt last year’s IU Invitational, the Hoosiers placed ninth as a team. \nHarling said last year’s disappointment in the tournament is behind them and the team is better prepared this time around.\n“We are focused on the present, and we’ve matured since last year,” she said.\nJoining Belcher and Harling in the tournament will be sophomores Anita Gahir and Laura Nochta and senior Elaine Harris.\nBelcher said the team cannot be overconfident after last week and still needs to work on its short game.\n“We all put good rounds together at the same time last week, but we are still working on some things, including our putting and chipping,” she said.
(04/01/08 4:13am)
The Hoosiers desperately needed to get back on track and get a good finish \nthis weekend. \nThey managed to do that and more by winning the Mountain View Collegiate this past weekend. This result was IU’s first team title since Sept. 11, 2006, when it won the Lady Badger Invitational.\nThis was not the only achievement for the Hoosiers, as senior Lauren Harling put the icing on the cake and picked up IU’s first individual title since last year’s Mountain View Collegiate when senior Elaine Harris won the title. \nHarling, who has been the top-finishing Hoosier in each of the last three tournaments, finished 1-under-par with a score of 215.\nAfterward, she credited her first career win to being in the right place at the right time. \n“I feel really good,” Harling said. “I played solid and put myself in a good position to win.” \nHarling also said the team’s victory was equally important for its future prospects.\n“We knew we had to play well to be in contention for postseason play, and we did just that,” she said. \nAs a team, IU won by nine strokes over second place San Jose State. Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Missouri rounded out the top five.\nThe Hoosiers achieved the victory by shooting a three-round total of 880, which broke down into scores of 294, 295 and 291, respectively.\nIU coach Clint Wallman credited the win to the team’s preparation.\n“We had a good week of practice and took care of what we needed to,” Wallman said. “I am proud of the girls and how we played as a team.”\nIn addition to Harling, two other Hoosier players reached the top 10 as sophomores Laura Nochta and Anita Gahir finished fourth and seventh, respectively.\nGahir, who shot a 4-under-par on the final day of the tournament, said afterward she thought she and the team was relaxed during the tournament.\n“I felt like I was more patient today,” Gahir said. “The team was also really patient, and we worked hard to get the result we did.”\nRounding out IU’s lineup was sophomore Kellye Belcher who placed 49th, while Harris – \nin stark contrast to last year – placed 76th. \nAlso competing as an individual, junior Amber Lindgren placed 83rd. \nThe Hoosiers will now head to the prestigious Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., where they will host the IU Invitational, their only home tournament of the year, April 7 and 8. \nWallman said the Mountain View Collegiate will provide a boost for the upcoming \nIU Invitational.\n“We now have momentum for Crooked Stick and the girls will play with a sense of urgency there,” he said.
(03/20/08 2:51am)
Hampered by rough weather and a strong field that featured 14 teams ranked in the top 50, the No. 45 Hoosiers stumbled to a 10th-place finish at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational in Austin, Texas. \nThe tournament was shortened from three rounds to two after rain and high winds struck the University of Texas Golf Club.\nIU coach Clint Wallman attributed IU’s poor finish to the weather conditions. \n“We’ve run into some rugged weather and rain delays that caused everyone’s score to be high,” Wallman said.\nLeading the Hoosiers for the second straight tournament was senior Lauren Harling, who placed 32nd after making a bogey on five of her last six holes. \nHarling also said the rough conditions contributed to the Hoosiers’ finish.\n“We were pushing hard out there,” Harling said. “The conditions got worse, and we had a tough finish on the last few holes.” \nFollowing Harling were sophomores Laura Nochta and Anita Gahir, who placed 38th and 47th, respectively. Both players struggled with the weather at the end of the tournament as Nochta shot a six over par on her final five holes while Gahir made triple bogeys on each of her final two holes. \nRounding out the lineup for IU were sophomore Kellye Belcher and senior Elaine Harris, who both finished the tournament in 72nd place. Harris attributed her struggles to a rough period that every golfer goes through.\n“You go up and down, and it is part of the game,” Harris said. \nNo. 22 New Mexico won the tournament, while No. 5 Florida, No. 32 Texas, No. 6 Arkansas and No. 24 TCU rounded out the top five. \nWinning the individual title was Arkansas’ Stacy Lewis, who is currently the top-ranked college golfer in the country. Lewis edged out Florida’s No. 18 Whitney Myers by one stroke in a tournament where every golfer finished at least seven-over-par.\nIU returns to action March 30 - 31 when it heads to Tucson, Ariz., for the Mountain View Invitational.\nThe course is the same venue where the Hoosiers recorded a third-place finish last spring.\nHarris, who won the tournament’s individual title last year, thinks the Invitational might be a perfect cure for the Hoosiers’ recent struggles.\n“We will get back and work hard,” she said. “I won at Arizona last year, and we like that field.”
(02/12/08 4:46am)
After a long winter of hibernation, the IU women’s golf team is ready to get back into the swing of things. \nThe Hoosiers will look to pick up where they left off in the fall, when they finished in the top three in four of\nfive tournaments. \nWith autumn behind them and winter coming to a close, the spring season is about to get underway and IU coach Clint Wallman said he expects great things.\n“Our outlook is really optimistic as we are excited to be going back to venues we played well at,” Wallman said. “Spring is a good time for us, and the girls have great attitudes and we are excited to get out and play.”\nIU has already competed in an exhibition match against Wisconsin, losing 10-8 in match play. But given the nature of the competition, Wallman said he was proud of his team.\n“I am extremely optimistic as we had a number of good rounds, and we saw what we need to work on,” he said. \nThe Hoosiers will return to tournament play for the first time since Oct. 30 when they compete in the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla., Feb. 18 -19. \nSophomore Anita Gahir said she is excited to get the season back underway. \n“We all work really hard over the offseason and we’re really excited to get out playing again.” Gahir said. \nFellow sophomore Kellye Belcher echoed Gahir’s sentiment. \n“It’s good to finally play golf since we haven’t played since October,” Belcher said. \nAfter the Central District Invitational the Hoosiers will compete in four more regular-season tournaments this spring. Those contests will include hosting the annual IU Invitational in Carmel, Ind., at the nationally-acclaimed Crooked Stick Golf Course April 8 and 9.
(01/29/08 4:33am)
The Indiana Pacers want a younger crowd at their games. To accomplish this, they are offering a special promotion to college students. \nChris Bence, director of group sales for Pacers Sports and Entertainment, said the team is trying out new promotional ideas to expand its fanbase.\n“We’re trying more segmented promotions which led us to this idea on (Tuesday) nights,” Bence said.\nThe promotion offers a ticket for the best available seat in the balcony for $10 and a free T-shirt for every college student in the state with a valid student ID card. The offer runs for every Tuesday home game this season, and the next opportunity will be today’s game against the Pacers’ conference rival, the Detroit Pistons. The Pacers’ next college nights come against two of the NBA’s elite teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics on Feb. 5 and 12, respectively.\nBence also said the Pacers considered selling inexpensive tickets particularly because college students usually have a lower income.\n“We want an affordable price point for all college students,” Bence said. \nStudents at IU had mixed reactions to the promotion.\nSenior Kevin Halter said he did not care for the Pacers’ offer.\n“I don’t go to Pacer games, so I am probably not interested,” Halter said.\nHowever, freshman Brad Antcliff was excited to hear about the promotion. \n“Ten dollars for a Pacer ticket is a great price,” Antcliff said. \nBence said the promotion’s success so far will allow it to continue for the foreseeable future.\n“This is the first year of the promotion and each night gets better, so we will continue it as long as we can,” Bence said.\nToday’s game against the Pistons opens a four-game homestand for the Pacers after the team played 26 of its first 45 games on the road. After hovering around .500 earlier in the season, the Pacers have fallen to 19-26.\nThe Pacers are 9-10 this season at Conseco Fieldhouse.
(01/22/08 3:23am)
Eighteen thousand fans stand up in Assembly Hall. The Star Spangled Banner begins to ring out over the crowd, and a group of men carrying flags and rifles stands at center court.\nThey are the Pershing Rifles Color Guard, a military society whose forte is military and drill, Commander Jacob Levin said. Pershing Rifles participants, who present the flag during the national anthem at IU sporting events, said they are proud honor their country, and they are currently recruiting more members who want to do the same.\n“It feels great,” said Levin, who is also an IDS opinion columnist. “I identify strongly and we are a very close team and we represent our country.”\nSecond Lieutenant James Hodges echoed Levin.\n“I enjoy it because it is a fun group of men and women, and a good way to give back to our community,” Hodges said.\nWhile most members are part of IU’s ROTC, any IU student may join. Pledging for Pershing Rifles began Monday with an eight-week course. \nHodges said despite the time involved, pledging should not get in the way of anyone’s school work.\n“(The commitment) takes one hour a week maximum as well as color guard at football and basketball games,” Hodges said. “There are enough members in our fraternity, so school work is not an issue.”\nPershing Rifles currently has about 20 members at IU and is looking for more, he said.\nSophomore Christine Mitchell was satisfied to hear that the national anthem at athletic events is done locally by students in Pershing Rifles.\n“We are a local school, and while (some people) may not support the war, it is good to honor our country,” she said.\nOther events in which the Pershing Rifles participate include Evansville’s Fall Festival, the IU Homecoming parade and a yearly national convention, as well as other social functions around campus. \nHodges said he strongly suggests anyone with interest in the military should join.\n“I recommend it for anyone who wants affiliation with the military because when you are down on the floor honoring your country, it gives you a sense of pride,” he said.
(11/27/07 4:46am)
The LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., seemed to be a place the Hoosiers were not thankful for. \nAfter placing a season low 18th on Oct. 13 in the Pre-Nationals, the Hoosiers once again struggled and placed a new season low of 28th in the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19. However, as this is the National Championship, IU coach Ron Helmer said the team did the best it could and would not let a poor finish take away from a great season overall. \n“This was not a great performance, but it was a really good year for this young group,” Helmer said. “Finishing 28th in the country is not too bad for (this team’s) first time around” \nIndividually, IU was led for the first time this year by junior Timothy McLeod who placed 83rd. He was followed by freshmen Ben Hubers and Cole Hardacre who finished 111th and 127th, respectively. \nFollowing Hardacre was sophomore Jordan Kyle who placed 139th. The finish for Kyle was in stark contrast to his previous performances this year and as an IU freshman. This season, Kyle placed first at the Indiana Invitational and the Indiana Intercollegiates and placed a strong fifth in the Great Lakes Regional Championships. He also placed 33rd as an individual at last year’s National Championships and earned All-American status.\nRounding out the Hoosier lineup were junior Mark Fruin and freshman Jacob Rich who placed 182nd and 206th, respectively. \nWinning the National Championship was Oregon, while Liberty’s Josh McDougal won the men’s race as an individual. \nHelmer said this tournament should teach the Hoosiers important lessons for future seasons. \n“(This season) was a good, solid effort that will hopefully be a great learning experience, and we will go forward and see what happens in the future,” he said.
(11/16/07 4:16am)
A strong showing at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships has gotten IU to the promise land. \nAfter hosting the regionals and placing fourth, the 30th-ranked Hoosiers managed to score enough points to earn a spot in the National Championships for the first time since 2005. \nIU coach Ron Helmer was proud of the team and said regionals were the deciding factor in earning a berth to the National Championships. \n“I’m very happy for this group of kids,” Helmer said in a statement. “They met the challenge of being at their best when it mattered most. Our regional performance was definitely the best of the season, and I am happy they were rewarded with a trip to the NCAA Championships as a result.”\nThe National Championships will be held Monday at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute.\nThis course is familiar to the Hoosiers, as they have already competed in Terre Haute this season at Pre-Nationals on Oct. 13. They placed a season-low 18th, their only finish outside the top 10 this year.\nIU is led by sophomore Jordan Kyle, who ran as an individual at the National Championships last year and earned All-American honors by placing 33rd. \nKyle carried that success into this year, as he has been the top-placing Hoosier in four out of five meets. \nAs a team, IU will look for its fourth national title and first since 1942.\nHowever, Kyle predicts a more modest finish for himself and the team.\n“I think if (the team) runs as well as we did at regionals, we may finish in the Top 25,” Kyle said. “After finishing 33rd last year, I now have background and may finish in the Top 25.”\nKyle, however, said being at nationals is important for improving, even if the team does not win it all.\n“I think it’s good for the young guys to learn how a national meet is run, so they can gain experience,” he said.\nThe race is 10 kilometers long and will begin at 12 p.m. It will be televised live by CSTV.
(11/12/07 4:56am)
Jordan Kyle is headed back to Nationals for the second year in a row, but it is unclear if the rest of his team will follow him.\nBy placing fifth in the Great Lakes Regional competition Saturday in Bloomington, Kyle earned an automatic bid to compete in the championships.\n“I thought (Saturday) went really well,” Kyle said. “It is a challenging course, but I put myself out there to stick with the front pack.” \nAs a team, the IU men placed fourth and were right on the bubble as to whether they would earn an at-large bid to Nationals.\nIU coach Ron Helmer said he was proud of his team, but was not optimistic that the Hoosiers would get a berth.\n“The team did everything we wanted them to,” Helmer said. “This was not the result we wanted, and we were too slow to come on (as a team).”\nThe rest of the Hoosier team saw four other runners place in the top 34 in a competition that had 203 competitors.\nPatrick Smyth of Notre Dame won the race as an individual, while Wisconsin and Michigan placed in the top two to earn automatic bids to Nationals. \nThe women’s cross country team has a clear fate after placing 17th in the meet, a finish low enough to end its season. Sophomore Sarah Pease, who had aspirations to run as an individual, will not get the chance after placing 27th.\n“I felt I ran a pretty good race, but I needed to finish higher and be All-Region (to get an invite to Nationals),” she said.\nHelmer said the women’s team needed more runners to be competitive.\n“This is a young team, and if we find more people to run, we’ll be better next year,” Helmer said.\nMichigan and Michigan State earned automatic bids to Nationals and Nicole Edwards of Michigan took home the individual title. \nThe NCAA Championships will take place Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind.
(10/31/07 4:31am)
It appears the IU women’s golf team may have found themselves haunted on Halloween this year. \nHowever, it is not a ghost that haunts the Hoosiers, but instead the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which has been a course tormenting IU the past two years. \nAfter a season-low 11th-place finish there last year, the Hoosiers faired only marginally better and once again placed a season-low – this time 10th – Monday and Tuesday in the Edwin Watts/Palmetto intercollegiate in Kiawah Island, S.C. \nIU coach Clint Wallman said the Hoosiers could not maintain their fast start and struggled down the stretch.\n“This is a tricky course,” Wallman said. “I think we had a strong start, but then made mistakes and compound errors.”\nThe Hoosiers played much of the first nine holes in the Top 3 before falling back to between 10th and 15th place for the rest of the tournament.\nOne player who has not struggled with the course is sophomore Anita Gahir. After placing 15th last year, she led the team again this year, despite being absent from the team’s two previous tournaments because of injury.\nGahir, who placed 21st, finished the tournament strong, placing four strokes over par the final two rounds after shooting 11 strokes over par in the first round.\n“I was excited to come back (from injury),” Gahir said. “I hit the ball poorly to start, but finished off well.”\nGahir was followed by sophomore Laura Nochta, who placed one stroke lower in 26th after a strong final round of two-over par.\n“I am pretty happy with how I came back,” Nochta said. “I had a pretty bad streak to start, but played well today.”\nRounding out the IU line-up were seniors Lauren Harling and Elaine Harris, as well as junior Amber Lindgren, who placed 34th, 57th and 78th, \nrespectively. \nEast Carolina won the tournament as a team, while Nebraska, Kansas State, Maryland and Georgia State rounded out the Top 5.\nJC Stevenson of Nebraska captured the individual title by finishing two strokes under par in each of the last two rounds. \nWith their final fall tournament behind them, the Hoosiers head into a long winter break, as the college golf season does not resume until February.\nThe spring season begins Feb. 8 with an exhibition match against Wisconsin, and the Hoosiers return to regular season tournament-style play Feb. 19 in the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla.
(10/29/07 3:44am)
The weather is getting cooler, which means postseason competition is finally here for the IU men’s and women’s cross country teams. \nDespite a temperature of 49 degrees at race time, the men finished a sizzling fourth this weekend at the Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio.\nIn a bit of a surprise, the team was led individually by freshman Cole Hardacre in 14th place. Hardacre finished one spot better than sophomore Jordan Kyle, who had already posted two wins and led the Hoosiers in every race so far this year. \nIU coach Ron Helmer said he felt good afterward, and praised both Hardacre and Kyle.\n“Cole was second-team All-Big Ten, so he was good,” Helmer said. “Jordan ran at the front for a while, then faded back and came back up to the front, so I was happy with his race.”\nAs a team, IU placed six runners in the top 35, as junior Timothy McLeod, freshman Ben Hubers and juniors Brennon Plotner and Mark Fruin came in behind Hardacre and Kyle at 22nd, 25th, 29th and 35th respectively. \nOn the women’s side, IU placed farther back than its male counterparts, finishing in ninth place. \nHowever, Helmer said the women’s team finished where he thought they would. \n“I expected a ninth- or 10th- place finish,” Helmer said. “(The team) raced with a lot of pride, and we put ourselves in position to do as well as we could.”\nThe team was led by sophomore Sarah Pease, who placed 32nd.\nHelmer said he was proud of Pease’s accomplishments. \n“I felt if she got into the 30s, it would be a great day for her,” Helmer said. “And she ran her best (time) by a lot, as she is a great athlete.”\nAlso of significance were the two points on the line in the AT&T Crimson and Gold Cup, an annual competition between IU and Purdue to see who can win or place better in head-to-head or mutual events in several different sports. The Hoosiers are looking to return the Cup to Bloomington for the third time in four years after the Boilermakers won it last year. \nBy virtue of the men’s team placing higher than 10th-place Purdue, the Hoosiers took a 1.5-1 lead. Purdue did win its first point of the season for its eighth-place finish on the women’s side. IU already took half a point from the volleyball team’s win against Purdue on Oct. 17 in Bloomington. \nIU returns to competition Nov. 10 in Bloomington when the teams host the Great Lakes Regional Championship. The Hoosiers must finish in the top two in this race if they hope to continue their postseason journey and go to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19 in Terre Haute.