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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The 52nd running of the men's Little 500 came and went in the tradition of past years without emphasis on the controversy that led up to the race. \nSaturday The Corleones won the race with speed, humor, and an almost two-lap lead over the majority of the competition. \n"Everything went off smoothly," senior Daniel Burns said. "I don't know, nobody is going to like us now because we won, so no one wants to be our friend. It's kinda cool when you lose because everyone wants to be your friend because everyone lost with you. But once you win nobody likes you which kinda sucks, but we won, so it's cool."\nThe Corleones, made up of Burns, senior Luke Isenbarger, junior Clint Seal, and senior Chris Irk, won the race with a large margin of victory, which they said is a result of smart riding and avoiding the nearly 10 minor wrecks. The teams rode under the yellow flag caution pace only twice within the race. IU Student Foundation assistant director and Little 500 Coordinator, Alex Ihnen, said the two yellow flags on the race were a significantly small number as opposed to past years, which usually has four or five yellow flag periods.\n"Everything was pretty safe with just a couple of accidents," Ihnen said. "Nothing was too bad."\nThe Corleones made exchanges twice within the final ten laps of the race while they held on to their one and a half-lap lead, which translated into a 2:04.58 finish over second place finisher, Gafombi who ended the race at 2:05.25. The third place team, Dodds House finished at 2:05.29. When the final two laps approached the team and fans were already celebrating and Burns relied on humor to get the crowd going. Burns sped past The Corleones' pit with his tongue out and a smile on his face. After the final exchange Burns and the remaining two riders waved to the crowd in victory while Irk finished off the race.\n"Once we got that quarter lap, it's kinda iffy for awhile, but then once we started pulling away at 185, 190 we knew we had it," Burns said. "But I almost got in a wreck, so anything's possible."\nThe race began after the pace car left the track and without much surprise the three front runners; Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, and Team Major Taylor broke out to lead the pack.\nComing out of the tenth lap, things changed dramatically. Gafombi lead the pack with Team Major Taylor, The Corleones, and Phi Gamma Delta following close behind. The devastation of the first major wreck happened during the 19th lap. Sigma Phi Epsilon, Alpha Tau Omega, Sigma Nu, Chi Phi, and Delta Chi all went down near the first turn. No riders were seriously hurt and only a few bikes needed to be replaced. \nThe Corleones followed the pack again in the 20th lap, as they fell from second to fourth place. As the race neared the 20-minute mark, The Corleones entered first place and remained near the front, never falling lower than fourth place for the remainder of the race. \nAt the 60th lap, Phi Gamma Delta was involved in an individual wreck that slowed them from gaining from their fifth place position. They finished in sixth place.\nThe 80th lap proved to be a large gain for The Corleones; the team finished the lap at 49.10 with an almost 40 second lead over the second-place team, Phi Delta Theta. The 40 second lead translated into almost one lap.\nAfter The Corleones gained their lead in the 80th lap, they led the field for the majority of the race. Even through exchanges the team did not falter, extending their lead to one-and-a-half laps. The second and third place teams; Gafombi and Dodds House also contended for the lead throughout the final 100 laps, but a wreck in the early stages of the race slowed Dodds.\n"We had a wreck and that kinda affected us for second and third place because it was between us and Gafombi," Dodds House rider, freshman Craig Luekens said. "Gafombi did a hell of a job and you gotta give them credit. They had a hell of a race and we had a wreck and they took advantage of that and did a great job."\nAfter Acacia and Team Major Taylor, who had been top competitors throughout the race, were involved in a wreck during lap 157, the two dropped from first place contention. The wreck, which involved the fourth through seventh teams, gave the top three finishers the chance to trade positions through first, second and third and not worry about the remaining teams. \n"With wrecks like that, especially in the beginning, it kind of makes you feel more optimistic at the start of the race," Gafombi rider, senior Michael Rubin said. "We knew that we were going to be up there if we just stayed out of the wrecks." \nThe Corleones were lucky to stay out of many of the wrecks that slowed Team Major Taylor to a ninth-place finish and claimed defending champ Phi Delta Theta, who did not finish within the top ten.\n"It's great and there were a lot of great teams out there and a lot of good teams went down and that's a part of racing," Isenbarger said. "Things happen and we were ready for whatever would happen. We got lucky today, no wrecks and everything went smoothly as planned."\nThe final ten laps had already determined the winners, at which The Corleones turned to humor and celebration, despite their disbelief that they captured the 2002 Little 500 title.\n"It's great. I don't even know what to say. It's kind of surreal," Burns said. "I never thought that it would ever happen, but it did happen"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
After leading his team, The Corleones, to victory Saturday in the 52nd running of the men's Little 500 race, senior Daniel Burns credited his older brother and friends for pushing him to victory.\n"My brother got me started on riding," Burns said. "I rode with him in the 2000 race; he was a fifth-year and I was a sophomore. I became good friends with all his friends and they all kept pushing me on, pushing me on. I guess I can attribute my victory to him more than anyone else. They kept pushing me all the way, all the old riders kept pushing me."\nThe history of the Burns' family riding in the race dates back to Burn's brother, Matt, riding in the race starting in 1997. Matt rode for four years for Sigma Alpha Epsilon, but never claimed a Little 500 title. \nBurns' teammate, senior Luke Isenbarger, said many people talked about the Burns' curse that wouldn't allow anyone from the Burns family win the race. \n"After we won, I was so happy for the team, but I was especially happy for Dan," Isenbarger said. "His brother didn't get a victory when he rode and the people have said that there was the Burns curse and I was so happy that Dan could break the curse."\nThe confidence and explosive energy Burns possessed on the track provided a high entertainment value for the spectators and his team throughout the race. Nearing the end of the race, with an almost two-lap lead over the majority of the competition, Burns stood along the sidelines with his teammates cheering on the Corleone rider still on the track. \nSmiling and making faces as his teammates wizzed past him, he quickly got the crowd and his fellow teammates cheering louder than any of the others in Bill Armstrong Stadium. \n"We always have energy and try to stay focused," Burns said. "But when you see something unfold like that you can't help but get pumped up. It was a fun race to watch and everyone was working hard."\nSpeculation that Burns would return for another year of riding and a fifth year of school was mentioned when the team won. Burns confirmed the rumors were true and looked to the future of the team. \n"Yeah I still have some classes to finish up. I don't think we will change what we do for preparation for next year," Burns said. "I think the two guys that are rookies will work harder this summer. Until you have ridden in the race you don't know how much you have to train and you can't tell how much you haven't trained until you lose."\nBurns and fellow cyclist, senior Phi Gamma Delta rider Todd Cornelius, met through cycling and became roommates after developing a friendship on and off the track. \nCornelius said the two riders have similar personalities and live similar lives due to cycling. Cornelius attributed Burns' success on the track to Burns' colorful personality and said that his aggressive riding got him far in Saturday's race. \n"He's definitely off the deep end and if you want to be good at cycling and Little 500 you have to be," Cornelius said. "He's the backbone of his team and they have a team four people deep. They have really strong kids and I think that Dan having the crazy colorful personality he has, when something happens for the good of the team, he gets fired up and they see that in him and it fires them up as well."\nWhether Burns helped the team to their victory doesn't matter as Burns stressed that the team all contributed to the winning performance. Burns said the goals of the team had been met and they were all happy with their performance.\n"I had the most experience out of everyone on the team, but everyone else was very determined and hard working. We kept saying that we didn't care if we won or lost. As long as we left everything out on the track, we would be happy with the race and we are"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
After one of the most successful years that the IU women's basketball team has had in recent history, senior Heather Cassady was supposed to hang up her sneakers at the end of her career as a Hoosier. But fans haven't heard the last of Cassady, who hopped on a plane for New York City late last week to participate in the New York Liberty's training camp. \n"We are just obviously proud as parents and family," Cassady's father, Pat, said. "Heather is just thrilled, but nervous, ready and looking forward to it."\nThe 5'7" point guard who helped lead the team to a Big Ten Championship Tournament win and the first round of the NCAA tournament is now setting her sights on the future, which could hold a career in the WNBA.\n"I am so excited about this opportunity," Cassady said in a prepared statement. "It is a once in a lifetime chance, and I can't wait. I was so disappointed after the draft, but good things happen and now I am so excited again."\nCassady and two other Hoosiers were picked up by WNBA franchises; senior Erin McGinnis will try-out with the Miami Sol, while senior Jill Chapman was selected as the 21st overall pick in the draft by the Detroit Shock.\nWomen's basketball head coach Kathi Bennett said she couldn't be happier for Cassady. Bennett corresponded with the Liberty about Cassady and was the one to give her the news of New York's interest. \nBetween Cassady's busy schedule and trying to finish the school year, Bennett was having a hard time getting in touch with Cassady to give her the news. "I have been trying to get in touch with her all day. I have left so many messages on her machine. I am so happy for her," Bennett said.\nThe try-out, which began Monday, will end with a roster finalizing on May 24. Each WNBA team is allowed to list 18 players on the roster until the May 24 deadline. The teams must then cut the roster to 11 active players and two on the injured reserve list.\nDespite Cassady's new-found opportunities in recent weeks, her past is not far behind her. The teammates she will leave this year said they will not forget her in the least and said they have high hopes for her future.\n"Heather brought so much heart to the team," junior Jill Hartman said. "She played so hard and did it all out. She really inspired us to play harder and play hard for her. When she would have the ball, we all knew that she would bring poise and calmness to the team."\nCassady leaves IU after earning Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player honors and was an all-Big Ten selection. She also led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio last season with a 2.46 mark. Cassady averaged 12.6 points and 3.4 rebounds her senior year.\nNew York is ranked third in the league in assists and had the third-least amount of turnovers last season.\nBennett said that Cassady's passion for the game will no doubt be one of the things she will miss the most about her. "What am I not going to miss?" Bennett said. "She is probably one of the most loyal, hardworking and passionate players. She has a passion for the game and that inspires others. Heather is a great leader and never had a bad day. She could hit open shots and wasn't scared to step up and take it."\nStanding behind Cassady, Hartman said Cassady's participation in the WNBA training camp gave her a good chance at the team and the experience alone will be beneficial for a basketball career.\n"I think that it is great for her," Hartman said. "She has a good opportunity and I know New York is a really good team so just the experience is so great for her. No matter what, she will be happy. The right thing will happen for her, and I guess we will just have to wait and see"
(04/17/02 4:26pm)
It seems like Phi Delta Theta can't escape from the spotlight -- not that it would want to. \nSprinting from a fourth-place qualification time last year and winning the 2001 race improved the team's status from its fifth-place finish in 2000. This year, the team is starting strong, finishing qualifications in first on its first attempt. The Phi Delts have also dominated the series events, finishing near the top in each.\n"Obviously we want to win -- that's the main goal," Phi Delt senior Brian Drummy said. "I think it's going to be much more competitive this year. The series events have shown there are much tougher riders this year than last."\nThe series events proved the team has individual strengths on the track outside of the strong team bond. Four riders placed in the top 30 during Individual Time Trials and two finished in the top five during Miss-N-Out. Senior and Riders Council member, Matt Marketti placed second in the ITT and finished in first place in Miss-N-Out. Fellow teammate senior Ryan Hamilton also made it to the final round of Miss-N-Out, placing fifth. \nThe team has shown its talent on the track, turning out stellar performances in the series events and in previous races. Marketti and Drummy are back for their third years, while Hamilton and junior Matt Ewing return for their sophomore season.\nThe team credits its coaching staff and the support of its fraternity for its success.\n"We have a lot of experience coming back, and we have a great coaching staff," Drummy said. "We wouldn't be able to do anything that we have without the coaches. Coming back, we have the desire to win again."\nThe coaching staff, made up of three veteran Little 500 riders and Phi Delta Theta alumni, coaches the team from as far as Florida, where the team went to train during spring break. \nA member of the 1996 winning Phi Delta Theta team, coach Rob Rhamy said this year's team compared to last is a much more seasoned team with miles of experience to its credit.\n"We lost out best rider from last year, but we have lots of leadership right now," Rhamy said. "The thing that I am most happy with is that they walk around like they are a team hungry to win the race. They aren't living in last year's shadow at all. They are just hungry to win this race."\nThe determination the team has to win is a a commonality between all the members. Rhamy said the team's similar mindset and goals are what keeps them sane during tough training. \n"These guys are definitely a tight knit bunch," he said. "Many good teams get hindered by the pressure. We try to make it fun. It's great get a group of guys that can stand to be together and can work so well together."\nThe three seniors of the team live together off-campus, and Hamilton said living together brings them closer together and makes training much easier.\n"We have a real tight bond," Hamilton said. "Even though Matt (Ewing) doesn't live with us, we all have similar mentalities and he fits with us well."\nA win from last year and a six-second finish over second-place qualifying team Phi Gamma Delta, hasn't gone to the team's head. \n"I don't think it gives us an edge at all," Hamilton said. "If anything at all, people don't want to see us win again, but we know what it takes, and we are able to remain focused because of that. Anything we have experienced is going to help us, but there are other teams that have just as much if not more, so it's going to be a tough race"
(04/17/02 4:03pm)
Taking a spot in the third and fourth rows of the men's field doesn't count any team out of a winning position. Each team qualified within tenths of seconds of one another and despite injuries on two teams, working their way to the top is the main goal.
(04/17/02 4:02pm)
The men's second row of the racing field is anything but second best. Returning residence hall team -- Teter -- and independent teams -- Corleone and Achtung -- are trying to prove you don't have to be Greek to succeed in the race. \n \nROW 2\nno. 4 Team Corleone (2:33.233)\nNamed after the Corleone family in the movie "The Godfather," the team proves having fun and working hard will get you far in the Little 500 series. The team has dominated the series events to date, beginning with a fourth- place finish at qualifications. The first-year independent team, with two returning riders from other teams, showed its strength at Individual Time Trials. Senior rookie Luke Isenbarger finished first, with the three other team members directly behind each other in sixth, seventh and eighth place. Not letting his reign at the top end, Isenbarger again snagged a top spot during Miss-N-Out, finishing second.\n"I think we are doing great. It's been a pleasant surprise," team captain and senior Daniel Burns said. "But we have been working really hard. The rookie riders know how to dig deep and how to suffer. We are going to go out there and leave everything on the track."
(04/17/02 4:01pm)
The top three contenders for the men's Little 500 race couldn't be more diverse. One team has the 2001 title under its belt. The next team is returning all four riders from last year's team, and the third team has no Little 500 experience to speak of but is tough enough to hold its own in the race.\nEach team has a different story and different people, but all are competing for the one spot at the front of the pack.
(04/01/02 6:47am)
A controversial ruling by the IU Student Foundation last week questioned the eligibility of the men's Little 500 team, Team Major Taylor. The team challenged the IUSF ruling, which will be decided this week. If IUSF continues with their original decision on the matter, it will disqualify Team Major Taylor from the 2002 race. Speculation surrounds a rider who might have had too much riding experience to race in this intermural event. \nAccording to the rules specified by IUSF, Team Major Taylor does not qualify because of one rider's affiliation with the United States Cycling Federation (USCF). The rules state that "any rider who has held, presently holds, or will hold a (USCF) category I or II license by April 18, 2002 shall be deemed ineligible by the Little 500," according to Section II of the Little 500 Rules of Eligibility manual.\nFreshman Joshua Weir, who rode two of the four laps for Team Major Taylor during qualifications, presented eligibility questions, according to an IUSF press release from March 29. \nWeir provided documentation stating that he was eligible under IUSF standards, an IUSF press release said. Further information uncovered by IUSF indicated that Weir was not a valid rider under Section II of the IUSF Rules of Eligibility.\nWeir participated at the United States Olympic Team Trials for track cycling in 2000, according to cbs.sportsline.com. The site lists Weir as a sixth-place finisher in the match sprint (200-meter time trial) and eighth in the final standings. Weir also participated in events in Australia and Minnesota.\nIUSF confirmed Team Major Taylor's eligibility for competition before qualifications from documentation provided by Weir that said he was a category III rider. After receiving additional information after qualifications leading IUSF to believe Weir was a category I or II rider, IUSF declared Weir ineligible under Little 500 rules. \nTeam Major Taylor rider, freshman Kurtis Bishop, would not comment for this story and said the team had decided they would not comment at this time.\nAfter receiving notice they could be disqualified, Team Major Taylor supporters pointed fingers at IUSF for questioning the team's eligibility because of racial issues. Team Major Taylor, a three member team, is one of the first minority teams to ride in Little 500 in the last five years. Supporters of the team e-mailed the IDS stating that Team Major Taylor's third place qualification time gave IUSF motivation to look into the team further.\n"Rules are rules and we understand that, but at the same time I think that they apply the rules when it's convenient," Team Major Taylor supporter and junior Sophia Smith said. "It's a good chance for a minority team to break through and do well. We want Team Major Taylor to know there are people that are supporting them and they have people behind them. \n"This is the chance to bring minorities into the event and all minority students should be involved in all events on this campus."\nOther groups have joined the campaign for Team Major Taylor. The Black Student Union sent an e-mail educating members of the group on the situation. In the e-mail obtained by the IDS, Carolyn Randolph, BSU Vice President of Political Action, stated the reason for IUSF's question of Weir's eligibility.\n"These young men, consisting of a team of Blacks and Hispanics, came onto the track and placed third. They SCARED some people. These Brothers showed IU that it is time for Blacks and Hispanics to enter into a new arena where people of color seldom enter. And these Brothers proved that they are good and ready to snatch a victory from the hands of people who thought they weren't capable."\nRandolph has planned protests at the Wilcox House, the IUSF's offices, for Monday and Tuesday. \nIUSF will hold an arbitration hearing for Team Major Taylor Wednesday.
(02/27/02 6:29am)
The only place you could find cream and crimson at IU in recent history were in the University's fight song, but Athletics Director Michael McNeely has proven in his short seven-month tenure that he's looking to rebuild tradition and pride within the IU community. \nIn January, the athletics department announced plans to revamp its red-and-white look back to vintage cream and crimson, colors that are mentioned in IU's fight song and have represented IU in the past. \nThe change is an effort to define IU spirit and unify the University and the athletics teams, McNeely said. \n"We have consistency in the way that we represent ourselves. It doesn't mean that there is radical change. In fact, the reality is that some changes will be ever-so-subtle people wouldn't even notice a difference," McNeely said. "What we are talking about here -- and the big picture -- is Indiana representing themselves consistently. The way we look in terms of our colors and the logo that we use, that's really what the question is.\n"It's not about a radical change at all."\nThe decision to unify the logo, colors and mascot came at the beginning of the fall semester. The athletics department wanted to narrow the broad range of reds and whites associated with IU. Currently, each athletics team sports a different look and logo. \n"We need to be proud of who we are, know who we are," McNeely said. "And it should be clear that when people see us…that's Indiana."\nThe timeline for the new logo, mascot and colors is expected to be finished by May, but a definition of an icon could be established earlier. \nThe project has been broken down into three phases, the third phase ending in May if the department feels that its goals have been met. \nThe first phase consists of the redefinition of the logo and colors. The second phase begins with the development of an icon, and the final phase will be the introduction of a mascot. \nThe mascot will possess the characteristics of a Hoosier that adults and children can identify with. \nThe process of reconstructing the exterior look of IU has involved focus groups and the hiring of Michael Osborne Designs, a design company overseeing the project. \nThe focus groups included numerous people from the IU community, ranging from students and professors to alumni and Bloomington residents. \nMary Ann Rohleder, associate athletics director for marketing, said the focus groups were brought together for the department to get an idea about what the community feels are the characteristics of a Hoosier and what would be appropriate representation of the IU spirit.\n"For the most part the focus groups were responsive to the plans, and they all agreed the logo was a good identifier for IU," Rohleder said. "(Focus groups) agree that a mascot is a great idea and they were enthusiastic about it, but it's hard when we don't have anything concrete yet."\nThe major changes at IU will consist of new uniforms for many sports and changing of logos on University facilities. Rohleder said the cost of new uniforms for each varsity team will be taken from the sport's individual budgets. Each team budget allots annual funds for uniforms, although not all teams replace them on an annual basis. \nThe student body reacted to the change with mixed emotions. Some supported the decision, and others spoke out against the changes. Many students expressed their thoughts on the topic during the men's basketball game against Louisville Feb. 9. \nThe game was televised by CBS, and five IU students held up a Go Big Red sign with Red crossed out and replaced with Crimson. Senior Kim Flesher said the sign was one way to get on television because of their good seats, but they also wanted to prove a point.\n"I think that it will be hard for the athletic department to change the colors," Flesher said. "IU has been red and white forever, and we wear those colors all the time. I think it will be hard for everyone to jump into the cream and crimson. I don't think that it's a bad thing, and I think it will be interesting to see how the students react to it.\n"There are a lot of teams in the Big Ten who are red and white, and I think that the change will make us stand out, which is a good thing."\nSports Editor Sarah Meinecke contributed to this story.
(02/21/02 3:21pm)
The future riders of the Little 500 began their intense training yesterday, marking the start of the annual Rookie Week for all first year riders. The preparation for the rookies will last until Feb. 28, after which the track will open for all veteran riders.\nThe ten-day preparation for new riders was created to give rookies the chance to get a feel for the course, learn track rules and become comfortable with bike exchanges. The practices are closed to all other riders to give the new riders a chance to get comfortable with the track and regulations without the pressures of veteran riders on the track.\n"Rookie Week is a good opportunity for new riders to get a feel for the track before veterans start riding, which can be intimidating to new riders," IU Student Foundation assistant director and Little 500 coordinator Alex Ihnen said. "During Rookie Week, riders get to know the Riders Council and get a chance to work on exchanges and get to know other aspects of the course. Right now, it's really relaxed, so it's a great chance for the riders to get used to the track before it gets too competitive."\nThe rookie training week is headed by IUSF, which is on hand for all practices and the 2002 Riders Council. The council is made of nine men and twelve women veteran riders with two or more years experience to their credit. The council was composed to mentor new riders and give them a chance to learn about the course and aspects of the race from riders that have competed in years past. \nDelta Chi rider and Riders Council member, junior Patrick Thomas said the Riders Council works with new riders in order to get them comfortable with exchanges and pack riding to prevent injury. \n "It is important to get everyone on the same page during Rookie Week, because it could ruin a race when someone doesn't know what they are doing. It can be very dangerous. Learning how to ride the right way is a very serious thing. It's not like a high school sport where everyone knows how to play and (what) the rules (are); people need to learn how to do things like exchanges and pack riding. There's no way that they will be able to learn those things unless someone that has done it before shows them how to, which is why we are there to help."\nIn the eyes of rookies, the Riders Council eased the first day nerves and made each rider feel welcome at Armstrong Stadium. After all the first-year riders entered the stadium, the Riders Council began the practice with introductions and examples of exchanges, which they later worked on in small groups. \nFirst year rider, sophomore Kate Buschkopf, said the Riders Council was far from competitive and made her first time at the track easy to handle. Buschkopf, who rides for Alpha Phi, said once she got onto the track and looked into the stands imagining race day, her fears and nerves disappeared.\n"Once I got onto the track everything was fine. The Riders Council made things so much easier. They were all neutral and really wanted to help me to be the best possible rider I could be. They were so helpful to all the rookies and were trying to get everything together," she said. "We all just wanted to help each other out"
(01/29/02 6:30am)
The Little 500 spring season began Wednesday, as the IU Student Foundation held the first riders meeting of the season. The meeting prepped riders on what to expect this year, introduced rookie riders to the traditions of the race and discussed rules and regulations every rider must understand. \nThe meeting was an opportunity for riders to learn what to expect in the coming weeks and learn about different activities provided by IUSF. Alex Ihnen, IUSF assistant director and Director of the Little 500 said the foundation is looking to make safety a bigger issue than it was in past years.\n"We are looking at safety pretty seriously. We are making sure that everyone is taken care of. It's a really serious sporting event; people can get hurt in some instances," Ihnen said. "It doesn\'t happen very often. We are involving the IU Emergency Medical Services Club this year, which is medical students involved with the EMS. They are going to be out there helping out. In the past we have had athletic trainers, this year we are going to have EMS on hand at all the events and practices."\nA behind the scenes aspect of the race that many spectators never get to see is the Little 500 Riders Council. The council is made up of returning men and women riders who volunteer to coach rookie riders through the ropes of the course and the safety issues that surround the race. \nBesides safety issues and dates to remember, the main issue expressed by IUSF members were the life experiences that each rider would gain through the course of the three and a half months leading up to the race. \nSenior Robyn Faike, vice chair of the women's riders council and rider for Con Fuoco, said the relationship with her team and coach is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the race.\n"I think the relationships that are formed is the best part. We relate to each other so much more as friends, rather then getting together to ride. My coach and I are roommates," Faike said. \nThe traditions and experiences of the race are a couple reasons why freshman Raj Joseph decided to get involved in training with Dodds House.\n"I am trying to get everything out of this experience and take it for what it's worth," Joseph said. \n"I want to see why everyone's hyping the race up. I am trying to get a feel for what it's all about and maybe make some friends along the way"
(01/22/02 6:01am)
After a successful weekend at Purdue, the men's club volleyball team is preparing to carry its confidence into the upcoming Michigan Classic at the University of Michigan Jan. 26 and 27. \nThe Hoosiers began their Big Ten season Sunday, competing in the first of two Big Ten qualifiers. The next qualifier will be played at Iowa Feb. 16. The results of overall play through the two qualifiers determine the seeds for the Big Ten tournament March 22 and 23 at Northwestern. \nFacing Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue and Iowa didn't seem to faze the Hoosiers as they returned to Bloomington undefeated (4-0) and looking forward to the next series of matches.\n"This past weekend we played well, but I still think that we are not on top of our game," club president and junior Jeremy Levy, said. "Next weekend we want to go out there and prove we are the team to beat in the Midwest."\nLevy said the team is now tied with Illinois for the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten. The past weekend's matches gave the men experience against teams that they haven't yet scouted, which will prove helpful for the Michigan Classic. The Hoosiers are looking forward to matches against teams including Vanderbilt, Army, Navy, the University of Pennsylvania and Tennessee.\n"I think we stand a great chance at winning this weekend," sophomore Topher Soya said. "Illinois will not be there, but we play Michigan State and they played great this past weekend. We won the tournament last year, so things look very good for us."\nThis week the Hoosiers continue their three-hour practices and will use video of the past weekend's matches to correct mistakes made at Purdue. Recently the team has been working on its blocking skills to be able to have an advantage over its opponents.\n"Last week we really worked on defense and blocking in practice. We have been working with a new blocking strategy, and it really worked well for us this weekend," sophomore and club secretary Chris Reilly said. \nThe Hoosiers' success through the preseason has come from hard work, but the team's chemistry has also played a huge part on their undefeated record.\n"The team gets along very well," Soya said. "I have played on a lot of teams, and no team that I have played on has gotten along as well as we do on and off the court. The team is the best that I have been on that has meshed this well"
(12/04/01 5:35am)
The time has come for the Bloomington Faculty Council to make a decision that could change Big Ten athletics eligibility rules and game coverage. The proposal stems from an article written by IU President Myles Brand in the March issue of NCAA news. It calls for lesser exposure for college sports and the reinforcement of academics on college campuses.\nIf passed, the resolution will be be enforced by IU administration and staff. \nThe BFC will hold its meeting today in Ballantine Hall. The meeting is open to the public. \nBFC President Robert Eno said the BFC will review the resolution and additional items in today's meeting, but is not sure how the proposal will go over with members.\n"I have not talked to anyone about it. I can't predict what they are going to do," Eno said.\nThe adoption of a resolution on athletics has been a long process, starting with Brand's article and a speech he gave at the National Press Club in March. The article then took form as a reform movement -- the PAC-10 adopted a similar athletics reform and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the academic equivalent of the Big Ten, also discussed the reform at its most recent meeting.\nThe proposal outlines three key issues regarding intercollegiate athletics including:\n• The importance of intercollegiate athletics within the academic community, but making the point that many of the athletic events within the University have been too time-consuming for student athletes.\n• The competitiveness of athletics and the entertainment industry strains the university's financial resources and takes the public and student focus away from academics and places it on athletics.\n• The CIC and the PAC-10's urging to "the presidents, faculty athletics committees and faculty conference representatives of Big-10 conference schools and of other institutions engaged in intercollegiate athletics, to join in a concerted commitment to bring these forces under control."\nLooking at the proposal to have long term effects, men's basketball coach Mike Davis said he agrees with the reform. He said limiting of games and commercialization will help athletes and other teams to focus on academics first.\n"I love basketball, it's my job, but I think that sometimes we put too big of an emphasis on it and it takes away from the concentration of the other more important things that athletes have to do," Davis said.\nThe terms of the proposal begins with the statement that athletes are students first and athletes second, enforcing the importance of academics within student-athlete lives. The proposal calls for athletes' academic support systems to fully comply with university-wide programs that all students fall under.\nThe second aspect of the proposal calls for a reduction of inappropriate commercialization.\nExamples include limiting the times and days when games are played, the number of breaks in games for commercials, the type of advertising in stadiums and the logos worn by players and coaches. \nThe final point of the proposal states that the "arms race" of intercollegiate athletics must be scaled back. The proposal includes that "while competitive sports must aim at winning, the success of an athletics program is measured by the value it adds to college athletes and campuses, not by championships."\nEligibility regulations are also included in the resolution as an addendum. \nThe eligibility reform regulates athletes whose academic profiles are not up to standard to be ineligible for freshman year of play. According to the proposal, this will ensure athletes' college stay is worthwhile in and out of the classroom. The reform also calls for minimal conflict between academic schedules and athletic games.
(11/30/01 5:00am)
Standing in the pouring rain last Saturday, the IU pom squad was prepared to cheer the football team to its first victory against Purdue since 1996. But before they took the field, the team listened to an unexpected announcement. The women were told that their athletic department funding had been canceled. Without the funding, the pom and crimson squads would not be able to travel to the national competition that they had been working for since August.\nSenior pom squad co-captain Erin Gross said the IU athletic department pays the way for the team's annual trip to Orlando, Fla., for the national Universal Cheerleaders Association cheer and dance competition. \nThe women were told Tuesday that they must raise $17,00 by today to make the trip to Orlando in January.\n"As seniors, we said that we will do anything it takes to get there. We have worked hard for four years and the talent level on this team is amazing, in a way we feel like the talent is being wasted if we don't get to go and compete," Gross said. \nLike many IU athletic teams the three squads -- cream, crimson and pom pom, which are made of nearly 60 students -- participate in four practices and two lifting and conditioning sessions a week at the same Assembly Hall facilities that the football team uses. \nTo qualify for nationals, the squads must prepare videos of their routines to be judged by the UCA. In the college championship qualification results, the pom pom squad placed 11th in the Division I-A dance competition and in their first year of competition, the crimson squad placed fourth in the All Girl Division I of cheerleading.\nDisappointment in the cutback spurred action as many of the pom squad members' parents e-mailed the athletic department to get answers to the sudden change.\n"Parents are sending e-mails and the athletic department is not responding," Melnee Kasper, mother of sophomore and pom squad member Megan Kasper said. "We wrote to IU administration and the athletic department to get a handle on what the original budget was and why the girls were cut from it. \n"We would like to understand their motivation for this, but we have not gotten a phone call or e-mail in response from (Athletics Director) Michael McNeeley or the administration. There is a $30 million budget and they can't or won't find $17,000, that's not a lot of money in a $30 million budget."\nThe recent cut to the squads' program was foreshadowed at the beginning of its season when last year's funds for equipment were revoked. Bouncing back from the cut the pom squad raised $23,000 from corporate sponsorship over the summer to prepare for the season. \nWhen asked about the cut, athletic department media relations director Jeff Fanter said the cut was strictly budgetary. \n"The trip would have put them 11 percent over budget. We are sympathetic to the squads, but everyone's budgets are being scrutinized," he said. \nFanter also said the squads' budget money this year had been spent on equipment and coach's salaries and their trip proposal was a set amount. Fanter said the squads did not pursue partial payment, the proposal was a concrete number. \nMembers of the pom squad said had they been notified earlier in the season that they would have to fund the trip they would have raised the money themselves.\n"They didn't tell us until this past weekend that we have to fund the trip ourselves," Gross said. "There is no time to get the money. We have been working to get commitments from companies. The athletic department doesn't think it's important, but no one is on scholarship and we work just as hard as any of the other sports. We are doing this for us and the five seniors on the team have built up the program since we were freshman. We are going to do anything we can to get there"
(11/27/01 5:45am)
The fall meeting of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA) might not have made significant changes in the NCAA, but it certainly made progress for many substantial changes in the coming years. \nAccording to a November 5 NCAA posting on their Web site, the goal of the meeting was to "focus on ways to enhance the faculty's role in intercollegiate athletics, as well as ways faculty might address issues raised in the most recent Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate athletics report".\nThe forum, which was held in San Diego November 15-17, gave panel discussions to examine the latest Knight Commission reports, which "challenges the NCAA to curtail commercialism in big-time sports and encourages institutions to refocus their athletics programs on the educational mission," according to the article. \nIU business professor Bill Perkins attended the forum as IU's faculty representative to the Big Ten and NCAA. Perkins said the meeting, although important and informative, was only discussions about reform and eligibility, not a decision-making forum. \n"We had some great discussions, and I was a part of a panel, but there were no decisions made. That will be done at a later date," Perkins said. \nPerkins said the forum's main discussions were detailed to discuss amateur issues for pre-collegiate athletes and a proposal for a tougher degree requirement policy for continuing student athletes.\nHe also said the proposal was established to adopt a more strict policy for continuing athletes' degree requirements, which he said are not strong throughout the NCAA. Perkins gave a hypothetical situation of the current state of athletes' quest for graduation, stating that currently many athletes graduate with only 50 percent of their degrees finished. \nThe new proposal would demand a 15 percent increase for student athletes requirements, but such a proposal is still in the works. Perkins' hypothetical situation highlighted that current athletes in their first two years only finish 48 hours in contrast to many students 60 hours. \nThe NCAA policy is looking to conform to a stronger standard, such as the Big Ten's high eligibility standards Perkins stated. In conjunction with this reform that was discussed, many colleges are looking to change financial aid standards for student athletes. \nUnder this still preliminary change, athletic departments will have their own discretion to whom they award scholarships. Currently many athletic scholarships are given without thought to the athletes scholastic futures in mind. The council wants to know where the line is drawn with financial aid for athletes. \nThe next item for discussion was the still pending issue of amateurism. Richard Weinberg, professor of child development and faculty representative to the Big Ten and NCAA for the University of Minnesota, said the topic is still continuing and controversial. \nThe forum's intent is to redefine the meaning of an "amateur" and the ways that students should be treated when they are being recruited.\n"The word 'amateur' is very loaded, there are many different opinions. Many international students come into college after being involved in professional sports overseas. We are trying to fix that and contain that more domestically," Weinberg said.\nThe amateur issues is still being voted on.\nIn addition to those discussions, other topics that were discussed were time demands placed on student-athletes and the amount of power given at the conference level in the NCAA's federated governance structure. \nThe next FARA meeting is scheduled for early January in Indianapolis.
(11/20/01 4:43am)
The players on the volleyball team have their work cut out for them as the season concludes this weekend. After quick Thanksgiving celebrations, IU will tackle Michigan and Michigan State. The Hoosiers enter the break following a win against rival Purdue and regaining possession of the Monon Spike. \n"The one thing that I can say about this team is that we are competing through the end and everyone on the court is going hard," head coach Katie Weismiller said. "We are working harder and we are playing as a team. These two matches, going against Michigan and Michigan State on the road, they are really important for everyone and I know that the seniors want to get a win at Michigan and Michigan State. \n"If we can keep up the intensity and really focus on where we are right now and that's competing and playing hard for every point I think our opportunities are pretty good."\nThe Hoosiers' final two matches fall the Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving break, but thanks to the coaching staff, the players will get to celebrate the holiday with their families.\n"This year, people are getting the chance to go home and see their families, which is wonderful because it's been probably been a long time for a lot of people," sophomore Melissa Brewer said.\n"We have practice really early Wednesday morning and then we get to share it with our families, which I think it is a wonderful move on the coaches part. I think it will be that much better if people get to see their moms and dads."\nThe competition looks fierce for the Hoosiers in East Lansing, Mich. After taking out the Hoosiers in four games in their last meeting, MSU has added two big wins to their record after knocking off No. 14 Penn State and No. 9 Ohio State, each in four games. MSU improved their record 18-7 overall and 11-7 in the Big Ten. \nMichigan (12-13, 8-10 Big Ten) was another competitive match for IU. The Hoosiers battled the Wolverines to five games loosing 15-11 in the final game. Michigan is coming off two losses to Penn State and Ohio State this past weekend. \nAfter five games in their last meeting, the Hoosiers are looking at their match against Michigan with confidence. \n"These last two games we just have to go out there and we have nothing to lose," senior Laurie Gardner said. "We are gaining confidence every match and we have been playing pretty well so I think that we are definitely going to go in this with confidence. \n"We played them tight last game and we wished it would have gone the other way, but we just have to show them this time that we are the better team."\nBrewer version 4.0\nIt seems that Brewer has the right moves on and off the court, being one of six named to the 2001 Verizon Academic All-District V Volleyball Team. \nBrewer is majoring in biology and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. Because of her accomplishments, she is eligible to be place on the Verizon Academic All-America team.\nThe team was chosen by the 1,800 members of the College Sports Information Directors of America . To be eligible for a vote, each athlete must start or play as a reserve at the varsity level and maintain a cumulative 3.20 or higher GPA.
(11/15/01 5:15am)
The Hoosiers' season dwindled down to only three matches left as IU battled Illinois last night at University Gym. The Hoosiers gave a stellar performance and held off No. 21 Illinois in the first match of the game, but couldn't pull out the win falling after four games.\n"We definitely competed with this team and I think that Illinois was very strong with their middles and when they were in system they were really good. We struggled with stopping their middles, but we served tough and we took their middles out. We were competing and playing," head coach Katie Weismiller said. \nGame one started off in favor of IU as they scored the first point of the match against the Illini. Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Brewer proved she has what it takes to compile an unstoppable performance as she led the team with five kills at the end of the first game and recorded 12 for the evening. Illinois led the match 8-7, but an answer by Brewer tied the match. A timeout at 17-12 gave the Hoosiers time to regroup. Illinois regrouped to win the first game 30-21. \nThe second game of the evening gave the Hoosiers a chance to show their skills as they leapt into the next game leading 5-1. IU battled to continue their lead at the first timeout, 10-3. Another kill by freshman Katie Pollom pushed the score to 11-3. The Hoosiers continued their reign over Illinois after a timeout leading 26-19. After a lift was called on Illinois the score tallied 28-21. IU wrapped up game two towering over Illinois 30-22. \nAfter half time the Hoosiers returned to the court, adding freshman Karla Crose to the line up. The first timeout of game three showed Illinois dominating over IU 15-9 after tough playing by Illinois senior outside hitter Shadia Haddad. Haddad tallied six kills in the third game. IU showed their determination battling the score to 20-12, despite controversial official calls and fast hitting kills by Illinois. Match point approached for Illinois, but IU fought the score to 29-27 after trailing Illinois trough most of game three. The game ended with Illinois\' second win of the night 30-27.\nHeading into game four IU took the led fast at 4-1, but Illinois soon cut the lead to tie up the match at 4. The competition between the two teams grew as they flip flopped for the lead and tied the score nearly eleven times. IU finally took the lead at 23-22. The Hoosiers added freshman setter Victoria Zimmerman to the court and again tied the score at 29. IU had the ball serving at the crucial match point for both teams, but a serving error by Brewer raised the score to 30-29. A lift was called in the last moments of the game to award Illinois the win 31-29.\nThe Hoosiers' next match will be Friday against Purdue for possession of the Monon Spike. Friday will also mark the final home game for seniors Laurie Gardner, Crecia Keithley, and Meghan Stout. \nAccording to sports information director Laura Dewitz, Gardner will pass on her last year of eligibility. Gardner redshirted her freshman year and will qualify for academic graduation in May. \n"I can graduate in May and I have decided to move on," Gardner said. "I have had a great four years and I have just decided that I am ready to move on"
(11/14/01 5:01am)
The end is approaching for the women's volleyball team as they look toward their final two home matches of the season this week. The Hoosiers' first game of the week is scheduled for tonight as they face off against No. 21 Illinois (17-7, 10-6 Big Ten). The Hoosiers' second match of the week begins Friday against rival Purdue. \nIU and Illinois both come into the match after devastating weekend losses. IU has lost its last three matches to Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State. The Hoosiers' overall record is 7-17 and 4-12 in the conference. \nIllinois also had problems when they faced No. 9 Ohio State, falling in three matches to the Buckeyes. The Hoosiers are looking at their loss to Penn State as a stepping-stone for confidence. \n"I think we definitely gained a lot of confidence with the Penn State match. We lost, but it's the first time that we competed and players started playing to their potential," head coach Katie Weismiller said. "We had more than two players playing well at a time, and I think there were a lot of pluses for us. Illinois is coming off a pretty solid loss to Ohio State, but Ohio State is good. I think the difference is we have Illinois on our home court. We know that we can compete with them, and we have an opportunity to compete with them in front of our fans, and I think that will be a plus for us." \nThe Illini bring a tough team including senior outside hitter Shadia Haddad, who led the team with 491 kills last season and tallied 13 kills against IU in their last meeting. Another up and coming Illinois player is sophomore middle blocker Lisa Argabright who recorded 12 kills when they last faced off against IU.\nIllinois head coach Don Hardin says that the upcoming match will be a hard fight for the Illini. \n"Playing on the road in the Big Ten is a huge challenge and at Indiana is no exception," he said. "Katie (Weismiller) is an excellent coach, and Indiana has the talent to put things together at any time. This is a very important match for us."\nDespite the Illinois national ranking, the Hoosiers have confidence in their staring lineup. IU's dynamic duo's individual successes radiated in their past weekend's match against Penn State. Freshman outside hitter Christina Archibald and sophomore middle blocker Melissa Brewer both recorded 18 kills. Archibald leads the team with 309 kills for the season, while Brewer has recorded three double-doubles, including her dominating performance against PSU. \nAnother Hoosier to watch is senior defensive specialist Crecia Keithley who recorded a team-high of 15 digs against PSU.\n"I definitely think that the reason that I played well was because our team played so well," Keithley said. "It's easy to make a dig behind a great block, and we put up a lot of great blocks this (past) weekend. That made it easy to play defense behind our blockers, because they did such a great job for me."\nThe Hoosiers hard playing and confidence from the weekend has continued into this week as they look to repeat their hard fought performance from the PSU match.\n"I think that our past weekend will definitely be an advantage because we played the first game against Ohio State really well," Brewer said. "That gave us momentum going into Penn State and now coming off (the weekend), it was the best that we have ever played. I think that we have finally proven to ourselves that we can play like that."\nSenior Finishes Season Early\nThis Friday marks the final home game for seniors Laurie Gardner, Crecia Keithley and Meghan Stout, but noticeably one senior has not been included in the closing good byes. Senior transfer Disney Bronnenberg has left the team, said sports information director Laura Dewitz. Bronnenberg's final match was played Saturday against Penn State.\nWeismiller declined comment when asked about the situation and Dewitz said the coach wants to remained focus on this weekend's game.\n"Of course, this wasn't an easy decision at all," Bronnenberg said. "The bottom line is that things just didn't work out here at IU with the volleyball program the way anyone had imagined it would. I didn't transfer here for the volleyball, I transferred here to be a part of the school, and so this semester is definitely a reflection of a very good decision that I made to go to IU. Things just did not really pan out the way anyone would have liked them to with the volleyball program."\nBronnenberg said she will be running for the track team this spring.
(11/07/01 5:43am)
This weekend, the faculty presidents of the Big Ten schools endorsed a proposal from IU President Myles Brand to reform intercollegiate athletics and create a policy of "Academics First."\nThe PAC-10 conference colleges had already endorsed a similar proposal, also based on Brand's blueprint for reform. The faculty presidents of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation - the academic counterpart of the Big Ten -- discussed the reform as part of a larger meeting.\nThe Bloomington Faculty Council will vote on the resolution at its Dec. 4 meeting after two final points of the resolution have been drafted. Each Big Ten university has the right to accept or decline the policy.\nBloomington Faculty Council President Robert Eno said the policy's objective is to continue the momentum created by the PAC-10 and expand the reform of intercollegiate athletics to other conferences. \n"Twenty years from now we would like to look back to this year and see that some control developed in intercollegiate athletics," Eno said. "We hope that this picks up steam and other Division I conferences adopt this same policy."\nUnder the PAC-10 Resolution, each university's faculty council or senate is urged to adopt a policy to reduce the "arms race" of intercollegiate athletics and focus on student-athletes' academic needs before their athletic status. \n"I was hopeful that people would find that we need to make some reforms academically in the way that athletics is conducted across the country," Brand said Tuesday. "I am not interested in downgrading athletics; let's be clear about that. I like winning teams, and I always root for IU, but I would like to be able to make sure that academic considerations come first. We want students to not only succeed on the field of play, but we want them to graduate. The NCAA has had good rules about this, and I just want to reinforce that."\nBrand's concern is that the "glitz and commercialism" associated with professional sports is making its way into intercollegiate athletics. He said he believes it is inappropriate at the college level.\nBrand said the goal of his policy is to strengthen athletics departments in the Big Ten and at other universities. \nThe call for reform started in a speech Brand gave at the National Press Club; the NCAA News later asked him to write an article on it. He said he was surprised that the PAC-10 and Big Ten schools are modeling their reform movements on his proposal. \n"It's an attempt to strengthen intercollegiate athletics by making sure that it is academically sound and separating it from professional athletics," Brand said. "I am concerned that we make sure that it doesn't get out of hand and that it doesn't turn into professional sports. You have to understand that this is not an isolated instance. There is a national movement going on now for reform in intercollegiate athletics."\nThe CIC resolution outlines three major points. The first point states the importance of athletes as students. It says "academic support structures for athletes must be fully integrated in university-wide programs so that academic expectations and services are as robust for athletes as for other students."\nIt continues on to call for less commercialization of sporting events. It suggests limiting the times and days when games are played, reducing the number of breaks for television commercials, controlling the advertising in sports venues and cutting back on the logos worn by players and coaches. The CIC resolution states the goals of college athletics and commercial sports are different.\nThe last point in the resolution calls for a scaling back of the intercollegiate "arms race." The resolution states that even though winning is the goal of collegiate sports, the value of an athletics program is gauged by what it adds to the university and campus, not by the number of championships it has.
(11/02/01 6:19am)
After two long and successful games at home last weekend the women's volleyball team hits the road Friday, traveling to Northwestern and Wisconsin for another weekend of Big Ten play. IU is 6-14 overall and 3-9 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers' last two conference games proved to be a confidence booster for the team as they defeated Iowa in four games (24-30, 30-28, 30-20, 30-27) and nearly defeated Minnesota in five games (30-27, 30-32, 22-30, 30-19, 10-15). \n"I think that we have a lot of confidence going in, we have gained confidence with the Iowa and the Purdue and then playing Minnesota in five is certainly one way to gain confidence," coach Katie Weismiller said. \nThe first rematch of the weekend pitts the Hoosiers against Northwestern, who are 8-11 overall and 4-7 in the conference. The Wildcats beat the Hoosiers the first time around, but Northwestern head coach Keylor Chan is expecting the match to be anyone's game. \n"I think that both teams are pretty close," Chan said. "I think that Indiana is a very good team. I think that we played well and I don't think it really matters who won the first contest, it's always nice to play at home, but Indiana is a very capable team and they are capable of beating us if we don't come out and play well. I am looking forward to a good match and it will be a tough one for us." \nNorthwestern comes into the match after a four game losing streak. The team's trouble has had it's toll on the Wildcats. Sophomore middle blocker Erika Lange was held to three kills against Ohio State, as opposed to her usual double digit scoring.\nThe Hoosiers' second match of the weekend takes them to Wisconsin, the home state of IU junior Laurie Gardner, who will play against sister Korie for the second time this season.\nIn their last meeting the Badgers swept IU in three games (30-15, 30-23, 30-26), but Wisconsin is now reeling after a five game loss to then No. 13 Penn State. Wisconsin now falls two spots to seven in USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Coaches poll. \nDespite its disappointing weekend Wisconsin still boasts a 17-3 overall record and sits at the top of Big Ten with a 11-1 record. The Penn State match posed problems for the team, but senior middle blocker Sherisa Livingston still dominated with 21 kills, and freshman outside hitter Jill Odenthal tallied 14.\nThe Hoosiers have their own power team with Christina Archibald, Melissa Brewer and Hillary Toivonen all dominating the court in their last games. Archibald is leading the team with 251 kills for the season, Brewer recorded 17 kills against Iowa and Toivonen has counted 169 digs in 20 matches.\nWith their roster full of key players, the Hoosiers take their confidence on the road for more Big Ten challenges.\n"We are trying to come out strong and ready to play," Gardner said. "If we do that I think that we can beat anyone"