It's been a summer of highs and lows for Olympic hopeful Sara Reiling. The sophomore diver has spent the summer in the air, flying around the country and world for training camps and competitions. Along with the rest of the U.S. Olympic diving team, Reiling toured six cities, including Bloomington, giving exhibitions for the public. She also competed in the U.S. national competition in Mission Viejo, Calif., and traveled to a meet in Spain.
When senior Amanda Welter was entering her final year in high school she had a decision to make. Would she accept a scholarship to play volleyball, or would she accept one to play basketball? Luckily for the volleyball team, she took her aunt's advice and played volleyball. Now, Welter is IU's leading outside hitter.
Rausell "Rocky" Harvey ran for 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior in high school and blew up in his second Illinois football game for 215 yards and three touchdowns. But is was not until his 17th collegiate contest against Michigan last season that the 5-foot-9, 215-pounder gain respect from his critics.
Eleven days away from home is a long time. Practicing football continuously for 11 days in Marshall, Ind., 90 minutes west of Indianapolis, can make the time seem even longer.
INDIANAPOLIS ' Last season, quarterback Peyton Manning and a number of other key players helped Colts coach Jim Mora accomplish things he had never dreamed of. Mora won his first AFC East division crown. He coached the Colts to a 13-3 mark, tying the franchise mark for most wins in a season. Finally, he led Indianapolis to a 10-game improvement from his first 1998-1999 season.
FORT WAYNE ' After his team lost to Duke 8-0 at the Soccer Showcase at IU-Purdue University at Fort Wayne Sunday afternoon, IPFW coach Terry Stefankiewicz turned to the stands and thanked the crowd. Stefankiewicz later thanked IU men's soccer coach Jerry Yeagley for his help in drawing other highly touted teams to the inaugural tournament at the Division II school. Stefankiewicz said he came up with the idea for a preseason tournament that would feature nationally ranked teams more than two years ago. Getting sponsorship was difficult at first, but once IU joined the bill, no other teams rejected the offer, Stefankiewicz said.
In an eight-game span last season, the women's soccer team managed just two goals. Scores by junior Stacey Peterson and sophomore Kate Kastl were all IU had in nearly 25 days.
Freshman midfielder Emily Hotz scored twice in the first half as the women's soccer team rolled to a season opening 3-0 win over Xavier Saturday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Men's soccer coach Jerry Yeagley predicted a tough match Saturday between his Hoosiers and IU-Purdue University at Fort Wayne. The match indeed was a tough one. For IPFW.
FORT WAYNE ' After 67 minutes of flying mud and grass and brutal play, sophomore forward Mike Bock headed the ball into the goal to break a scoreless tie for the top-ranked Hoosiers, who defeated No. 20 Rutgers 2-0 in the final game at the IU-Purdue University at Fort Wayne Soccer Showcase Sunday. IU men's soccer coach Jerry Yeagley said his team's offense clicked during the first 30 minutes of the game when all starters were in the game. The substitution of Bock in the 70th minute, however, allowed the Hoosiers to end repetitive scoreless counterattacks from both teams.
Even without mentioning coach Bob Knight, the IU basketball program found itself constantly in the news this summer. Some people involved with the program moved on the NBA. Others ran into some trouble with the law. Here are the highlights, and lowlights, from summer headlines.
Junior linebacker Justin Smith has been named to the Butkus Award Watch List. The Butkus Award is an annual honor given to top linebackers in college football. Smith is one of 70 players nationally to make the list. He started all 11 games at linebacker last fall and led Indiana in tackles with 89. Smith played the entire 1999 season with a broken wrist.
Every coach uses preseason games to evaluate players and answer questions. Who should play where? Who will excel in game situations? Who's ready to play the nation's best teams before the season even starts? IU soccer coach Jerry Yeagley will get a chance to answer such questions this weekend, when his Hoosiers travel to Fort Wayne to play in the Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne Soccer Showcase.
No other team captured the hearts of football fans everywhere last season more than Minnesota. The Golden Gophers went to a bowl game for the first time in 14 years en route to an 8-4 record that included a stunning 24-23 triumph at Penn State. After last season's successes, with the Gophers climbing to No. 12 in the polls, it is back to square one for coach Glen Mason and Minnesota.
As the volleyball team prepared for its daily practice yesterday, it hardly resembled a 10-day-old team. Instead, the players sat in a circle and laughed like they've known each other for years. In truth, the team has only been together since the beginning of the preseason on Aug. 15. This isn't your normal, everyone's-returned team. There are seven new players on the team and all are freshmen.
Junior Greg Yeldell, an All-American triple jumper and a two-year starter on the football team, has been dismissed from both squads and released from his scholarship, IU athletics officials said Wednesday. Football coach Cam Cameron announced at training camp in Marshall, Ind., that Yeldell had been released for "a violation of team rules."
For four years Versie Gaddis has heard the critics. They said he wouldn't rebound from an injury and that he had hands of stone. During the same time span, he has been there when the Hoosiers couldn't get the win at the end of the game.
Solutions by The State News