Wrestling State Champions!!!

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

            You read the headline correctly, Mercer brought home the Georgia State Championship in wrestling for the first time in five years.  Defeating much larger schools such as University of Georgia, Georgia Southern, and Kennesaw State, the Mercer grapplers made history with four individual state champions. 

            “This was a total team effort to win this Championship, I was proud of how the team wrestled,”  said head coach Kevin Andres.  “By adding three new wrestlers this semester in Mike Ferson, Nic Harford and Jerod Northcott, it really strengthened the team. This is our first State Championship in five years and after taking second last year it was nice to finally take the top honors,” added the exuberant top man.

 As a team, Mercer had a combined 60 points, 13 more than second place Georgia.  Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State rounded out the field finishing third and fourth with 42 points and 24 points respectively.  On an individual level, Mercer’s Kyle Eastis (125 lb), Mike Ferson (133 lb), Jerod Northcott (184 lb), and Nic Barker (235 lb) were all crowed as individual weight class champions.  In addition to a championship, Kyle Eastis was also voted ‘Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament.’

Not to be forgotten were six other wrestlers that tallied points for Mercer.  Shaun Walker (149 lb) and Dominique Billingsely (285 lb) were runner-ups while Parker Reed (125 lb), Nic Harford (141 lb), and Ben Mercier (285 lb) were third place finishers.  Allan Stokes (174 lb) would finished in fourth place for the Bears. 

“I was very proud that the coaches also voted Kyle Eastis 125lbs as Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament,” Andres went on to say.  Andres pointed out that the title gives them momentum going into the first-ever National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Duals Championship Tournament at Middle Tennessee State University where twenty teams from across the nation will vie for the dual championship title.

With such a competitive club squad, it seems like only a matter of time until Mercer promotes wrestling to the varsity level.  More information about the club can be found online at: www.mercerwrestling.com.

Cycling Club Back on Track

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

The club on two wheels is back in the saddle for the spring semester, with sophomore engineering student Elizabeth Lee at the helm.  Renewing interest in the organization will be on of Lee’s main objectives this semester as the Mercer Cycling Club has planned an ambitious schedule in 2009. 

            “We are doing organized group rides and making a trip to do a century ride,” commented Mercer Cycling Club President Lee.  She elaborated on the club’s upcoming events adding, “We also plan to attend the Athens Twilight Criterium, one of the premier pro races in the southeast, and have some students compete in the amateur races. We are also looking at getting the club involved in collegiate races and we are currently in the process of making cycling and triathlon kits [clothing].”

            Mercer Cycling Club encompasses road cycling and mountain biking as well as a partnership with Students for Environmental Action (SEA) in the Bear Bike campaign.  Members of the club are working with members of SEA to prepare and maintain all of the orange rental bikes available to students on Mercer’s campus. 

            Upcoming plans this semester involve weekly club rides on the weekends and Bike Week (March 16^th).  Lee, who races all over the southeast on weekends, hopes the club will also enable others to begin their racing career as well.  “Eventually the plan is to get the club involved in collegiate races across the southeast and to have more students involved in cycling in general,” said Lee.

For students looking to get involved, the club has a Facebook group page (keyword: Mercer Cycling Club) and meetings every other week.  The club is also in the process of designing cycling jerseys ($30), shorts ($40), and triathlon jerseys ($30) with Mercer logos.  Those interested in purchasing Mercer Cycling apparel can do so be contacting Lee.

Although still small in size, it seems as if the wheels are back under the club and rolling again. 

Mercer Rosters Quite Diverse (Part 1 of 2)

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

This two part series dives into the sporting culture at Mercer to discover the differences among athletes on the university’s fourteen varsity teams.  Much like the population of the United States, it’s diverse.  Part 1 of this series takes a look at the differences among the sports and their respective international appeal.

  A quick look at the hometowns of the players listed on a roster can tell you a lot about a team.  Does that team recruit nationally or emphasize its’ efforts more locally?  At Mercer, a few minutes on the university’s website will reveal an interesting picture.  On some teams, recruiting seems to be much more localized and limited to Georgia.  Baseball and softball boast two of the highest percentages of ‘home-grown’ athletes, with 75% and 79.2% of their rosters hailing from Georgia respectively. 

            Other sports however, seem to be much more diverse, attracting athletes to Mercer from all over the United States and the world.  Men’s soccer and men’s tennis boast of having 10 of Mercer’s 15 international athletes on their rosters.  Of course, these sports could be considered much more ‘international’ in flavor, but it also raises interesting questions concerning other sports.  Baseball is certainly an international sport now, with a large percentage of MLB players hailing from Latin America or Asia.  A quick look at the baseball roster reveals that only 8 players are from outside the state of Georgia.  Zero international players are on the baseball, softball, volleyball, or women’s soccer squads.  Interesting, considering that all four of those sports are considered ‘international’ in nature. 

            Most of the differences can probably be attributed to the recruiting strategies of the different coaches.  For example, baseball has traditionally finished high in the Atlantic Sun standings with a squad that consists of players mainly from Georgia.  Why tinker with something if it isn’t broken?

            Volleyball on the other hand has only one player from the home state, freshman Anna Coursey (Savannah, GA).  Traditionally, the program has recruited heavily in ‘volleyball’ states (i.e. California, Oregon, Florida). 

            One drawback and hesitation with recruiting international athletes is the fact that their assimilation into the university’s sports and academic culture could be slow or just not a good fit.  It’s a chance coaches knowingly take when they recruit international athletes.  Sometimes, international athletes turn out to be gems.  Take Bolade Ogunmade, a senior defensivemen from Glasgow, Scotland on Mercer’s men’s soccer team.  This season he recorded a team-high seven goals on 24 shots as well as a game-winner.  Ogunmade, in one word was ‘invaluable.’

            Other times though, athletes from former countries just get homesick, or don’t like the fit, or find the coursework extremely difficult.  For instance, highly touted player Zach Natoli, a Austrailian-native, was on the basketball roster right until the season began before he realized that the Mercer fit just wasn’t for him.  Markus Rytkola was a one and done deal for men’s golf.  But then didn’t Hrvoje Pervan work pretty well for men’s basketball just two years ago, averaging 8.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg?  It comes down to a roll of the dice for coaches.

               In part 2 of this series we’ll take a look at two international tennis players, Fernando Armendaris and Juliana Moscoso.  The Ecuadorian natives will help give us a peak into the lives of international athletes in a foreign country.

Tough Road Ahead in Spring for Women’s Soccer

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Rather than bask in the limelight of their 2008 Atlantic Sun Championship, the women’s soccer team is going back to work, facing a six game slate in the spring months that should challenge them heading into next season. Two-time A-Sun Coach of the Year Grant Serafy was particularly excited about the upcoming schedule, which features SEC schools Florida and Auburn and ACC foe Clemson.  “This is the most competitive spring schedule we have had since I have been here. We lost some very good seniors and some very good leadership, but have a good core group of players returning and I wanted to challenge them,” said Serafy.  “It will be interesting to see how they respond to the challenge. I am certain this competitive spring season will prepare us well for the fall campaign as we will attempt to defend our title,” added the Mercer coach.

            Goalie Jean Worts sees the challenging schedule as a way to continually improve for next year.  “We are all really excited to be able to play against such high caliber programs, and spring is the time for us to get ready for conference next fall. The schedule is tough, but now is when we have to start working for our goal, to win the ASUN tournament next fall,” commented the junior goalie. 

            Although the Bears lost a few of their key seniors from 2009, they’ll have Worts returning in the goal, leading a stingy defense that ranked in the top ten in the nation a year ago.  Offensive weapon Olivia Tucker will also be a key contributor on next year’s squad.  The spring schedule gives Tucker, as well as her teammates, a few games to gel offensively and play together before the summer.  One of Serafy’s top priorities will be replacing Atlantic Sun Defender of the Year Heather Manting and the team’s most valuable attacker, Meghan Castaldo.  With trips to Gainesville, Auburn, and Clemson as well as home contests against GCSU, Columbus State, and Georgia State, the Bears should head into next season with plenty of momentum in quest for a 2009 A-Sun title.

 2009 Mercer Women's Schedule

            

Intramural Basketball Primed for 2009

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

With the 2009 Mercer Intramurals Basketball season only a few days away, it seems as if a lot of changes will be in store for this spring.  A lot of unanswered questions also remain, such as will the Plunketteers repeat their 2008 run to the men’s competitive championship or will scrappy PKF steal it away this season.  Even on the women’s side there isn’t a clear favorite in either league.  Last year, the Flatliners ran away with the championship, but can they assemble the same team and repeat?

            Patrick Cooper, Mercer Intramurals official and contributor had plenty to say about the upcoming season and the changes set forth in his column on MercerIntramurals.blogspot.com.  “The theme for this year's basketball season is sportsmanship: towards other players, towards teammates, towards officials, towards spectators,” commented Cooper.  He went on to add, “We will be cracking down on sportsmanship issues this year, so please, for everyone's sake, keep yourself and your teammates under control.”

            The rule changes come after several incidents during the fall semester and with new policies set forth by first year Intramural Director Todd Thomas.  Official rules and changes for the upcoming basketball season can be found on Mercer Intramural’s home page: http://www2.mercer.edu/Recreation/Intramurals/default.htm

Polls and season previews of each team can be found at the home for Mercer's Intramurals: mercerintramurals.blogspot.com

Spring Time Tune-Up in Store for Women’s Golf

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Last year, the spring weather was consistently unpredictable.  From playing in 30 mph gusts in California to lightning delays in South Carolina to snow flurries at the A-Sun Championship in Tennessee, the women’s golf team struggled to find their groove as the season wore on.  A tournament win at the Cateechee Collegiate in Hartwell Georgia started off 2008 on a good note, but inconsistencies plagued the Bears down the stretch as they finished 6^th in the Atlantic Sun Championships. 

Junior Monica Kelsey hopes to reverse their fortunes in the coming months, elaborating, “I’m definitely looking forward to the spring with much warmer weather than last year.  We will be expecting low scores and a great finish at the A-Sun Championship in April.”  As Kelsey said, expectations are a bit higher this year, despite having no seniors on the squad.  Head Coach Gary Guyer’s squad consists of four juniors, one sophomore, four freshman and two commitments for the 2009-10 season.

The fall season wasn’t exactly kind to the Bears in terms of how the team placed in tournaments, but Guyer certainly didn’t shy away from the nation’s top tier tournaments either.  After hosting their first home tournament in some time (Eat A Peach Collegiate – Macon, Ga), the Bears traveled to the LPGA International – Xavier Invitational in Daytona Beach, Florida and to the Hatter Invitational in nearby DeLand.  Upcoming stops in the spring will include the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate in South Carolina as well as the Hiddenbrook Intercollegiate in California. 

Statistically speaking, Guyer will rely on a trio of juniors in Kelsey, Alex Quagliata, and Carolyn Levy for dependable play this spring as well as developing freshmen Alicia Poole and Leslie Choucard.  As Guyer and his team look forward to the spring schedule and aim for consistent play, they’ll also be hoping for warmer and more consistent weather as well.

  

            2009 Women’s Golf Schedule

Dates	Tournament	Location
2/15-17	Qdoba Invitational	Miami Lakes, FL
2/22-24	Kiawah Island Women’s Invitational	Kiawah Island, SC
3/7-8	Cateechee Collegiate Classic	Hartwell, GA
3/14-16	Hiddenbrooke Intercollegiate	Vallejo, CA
3/30-31	Larry Nelson Collegiate	Braselton, GA
4/13-15	A-Sun Conference Championship	DeLand, FL
5/7-9	NCAA Regionals	Gainesville, FL
5/19-22	NCAA Finals	Owing Mills, MD

 

Bears On Top in Barnburner, 101-98!

Putting up NBA stats, both Stetson and Mercer fought tooth and nail for one of the most exciting A-Sun Games so far in the 2008-09 season.  James Florence's 32 points led all scorers, but in a game that had to be decided in overtime, it was Mark Hall's clutch free-throw shooting that propelled Mercer to their third straight Atlantic Sun win in a row.   Calvin Henry's monstrous second half (16 points, 12 rebounds in the game) helped pace Mercer against Stetson offensive threats Eric Diaz and Garfield Blair who combined for 54 of the Hatter's 98 points.  The Bears travel to Nashville for a two-game series with Belmont and Lipscomb before returning back to Macon for another home stand.

Game Report

Mercer Wins Defensive Battle Against Stetson

A low-scoring 58-44 victory over visiting Stetson Saturday helped the Bears improve to 4-3 in Atlantic Sun play and brought their record back to the .500 mark at 8-8.  After Thursday night's loss against Florida Gulf Coast, Mercer's defensive looked much stronger against the Hatters, holding them to 16-56 from the field (28.6%).  All around efforts from Dominique Chism (12 pt, 8 reb) and Cristin Seymour (6 pt, 10 reb, 2 blk) helped the Bears jump off to a 14-2 advantage early in the game, one they wouldn't reliquish for the entire contest.

Mercer travels to Nashville next weekend for a pair of games against A-Sun contenders Belmont and Lipscomb.

Full Game Report

Mercer Soars Above Eagles 88-63

After a long road trip in December and early January, the Bears continued their winning ways at home with an 88-63 win over Florida Gulf Coast.  Calvin Henry's huge night helped the Bears soar by FGCU easily, finishing the night with 17 pt, 12 reb, and 9 blk.  Pittsburg native E.J. Kusnyer also was hot from behind the perimeter, nailing six three-pointers en route to a 21 point night.  Mercer faces Stetson in what is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup Sunday afternoon in the University Center.

Full Game Report

Men's Golf Aims for A-Sun Title in 2009

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

The men’s golf may not have won any tournaments this past fall, but if you’re keeping tabs on head coach Andrew Tredway’s team, you should know by now that special things are coming the Bears’ way.  Finishing the fall 2008 season with the #10 Freshman Class in the Nation (Golfstat.com), Mercer is primed to make a serious run at the Atlantic Sun title in April. 

            “We have a big challenge ahead of us, but I think it's very attainable. Making it into the NCAA championship without the need of the Atlantic Sun's automatic qualifier is a very lofty goal, but very realistic. I don't think any team in any sport at Mercer has ever done this and it's something we are definitely aiming for,” commented Tredway.  He added, "In order for that to happen we have to play well week in and week out.  It's that simple."

            One of three seniors on the squad, Bill Jones III also feels confident about the upcoming tournaments, saying, “We have a couple of early tournaments in February where we have a great chance to play well.  We’ve got some great players this year and the work we’ve been putting in since the fall should begin to show very soon this spring.”  In his final campaign, Jones hopes to better his fourth best round average (75.88) in the upcoming tournaments.

            This will also be the final slate of tournaments for seniors Ryan Blackburn and Ryan Peters, who will eventually hand off the reigns of the squad impact freshmen Devin Patel and Andres Pumariega.  Patel and Pumariega have raised a few eyebrows in their first three tournaments as Bears, posted the top two round averages on the team (72.5 and 73.5) with consistent play.

            With consistent play out of his underclassmen, Tredway envisions the Bears reaching some rather lofty goals this season, but realizes that achieving any of these goals will take a team effort.  “We really need some other guys to step up this spring and consistently pit together quality tournaments. We need to have 3-4 players finishing top 20 every week and I think this team is capable of that,” said Tredway.

            A challenging fall season will likely prepare the Bears for the spring schedule, which includes trips to six different states.  Mercer’s first stop will come on February 9^th and 10^th as they enter the Mardi Gras Invitational in New Orleans, Louisiana.  "Our first event in New Orleans is going to be a good one. It's at TPC Louisiana where the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic is held. I think we'll be ready to go come February 9,” added the second year coach.

Afterwards, stops in Florida, California, and Mississippi will give them ample time to prepare for the A-Sun Tournament in Buies Creek, North Carolina, April 20^th – 22^nd.

Quadworks Continues to Mercer Athletic Promotions in Spring

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

As the spring semester kicks off with start of the Atlantic Sun schedule for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, Quadworks hopes that their promotions in the upcoming months make the events rowdier and more exciting than ever.  “Since Mercer’s  athletic teams play such an important role in the life of the campus, Quadworks’ “Bear Brigade” committee is charged with finding ways to instill school spirit in Mercer students; it is only natural that we should search for ways to work together to increase support and momentum for our teams while supplying students with ways to become involved on campus,” commented Quadworks representative Aaron Adkins.  After sponsoring several different activities in the fall, including a plethora of promotions during Mercer’s homecoming basketball game against Georgia Tech, Quadworks released their upcoming promotions schedule for the spring semester this past week.

        Quadworks Marketing Associate Lindsey Hazzard was quite excited about the upcoming promotion schedule, commenting, “I think Mercer Athletics is really stepping it up.  There will be free give-aways at all Quadwork sponsored events as well as tailgating at some baseball and softball events.”  She added, “It’s just a little more excitement for those who come and support Mercer University athletics.”

        In January and February, Quadworks is sponsoring four basketball games against key A-Sun rivals, including the final home stand of the season February 20^th and 21^st against Lipscomb (men’s basketball) and Belmont (women’s basketball). 

        Other promotions in the spring will include a pair of softball games against Furman and Georgia State as well as the baseball team’s home date against in-state rival Georgia Tech.

         Commenting on the upcoming athletics schedule, Adkins added, “Some of the most exciting moments on campus occur during sporting events so if we can offer students excitement and the opportunity to show their “Bear Pride” on the outside, it’s a win-win.”

 Quadwork’s Spring Promotion Schedule

Jan. 28th	9pm	Kennesaw Whooooo?	Women’s Basketball vs. Kennesaw St.	University Center
Feb. 9th	7pm	Slam Dunk the Sprey’s	Men’s Basketball vs. North Florida	University Center
Feb. 20th	7pm	Bear Baller Weekend	Men’s Basketball vs. Lipscomb	University Center
Feb. 21st	2pm	Bear Baller Weekend	Women’s Basketball vs. Belmont	University Center
Feb. 26th	5pm	Strike Out Paladin	Softball vs. Furman	Sikes Field
March 17th	5pm	Strike Out State	Softball vs. Georgia State	Sikes Field
April 1st	6pm	Yourrrr Out Yellow Jackets	Baseball vs. Georgia Tech	Claude Smith Field
April 14th	6pm	Silence the Rattlers	Baseball vs. Florida A&M	Claude Smith Field

Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Optimistic

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

After an exciting fall season, capped with the emergence of freshman Stephanie Cohen and her tournament win at the Barras Classic, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams are ready to begin their teams’ respective spring schedules, beginning in early February.  In the Atlantic Sun’s Coaches Poll, the men’s team was tabbed to finished ninth while the women’s team was picked to finished 10^th.  Despite the low pre-season ranking, head coach Nick Stutsman was positive about the upcoming season.  In a preseason preview released by MercerBears.com, Stutsman commented, “We are very excited about the season.  We have a lot of new faces and are anxious to get underway.”  Stutsman went on to add, “We have high hopes and great expectations.” 

The men’s team may have the most potential, returning three highly successful players that accounted for more than half of Mercer’s singles wins a year ago.  The Bears have four incoming freshmen, Dave Barton, Victor Dias, Adam Hunt, and Andrew Sims to team up with the six returning letterwinners from last season.  The squad that finished 4-19 (2-8 A-Sun) will attempt to the prove the preseason on-lookers wrong as senior Justin Wimpee and teammates Matt Poleon and Fernando Armendaris lead the men’s squad into the 2009 slate.  Their non-conference spring slate is diverse, with home matches against Jacksonville State, Buffalo, and UNC Asheville before taking on the Atlantic Sun in March and April.

On the other side of the net, the women’s team will look to improve on their 9-16 (3-8 A-Sun) mark from last year.  Led by a pair of juniors in Anna Wieslander and Priscilla Dias as well as senior Irys Citko, the women’s team will certainly have their work cut out for them.  Replacing Kelly Blount (13-7) may be Stutsman’s biggest task of the season, but he’ll certainly have help coming from incoming freshmen Stephanie Cohen, Sarah Hanna, and Juliana Moscoso.  The women start their season at UNC-Charlotte February 7^th and continue their non-conference schedule until their first Atlantic Sun match at home versus Campbell March 6^th.

Cutback?

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

           While the American economy struggles to regain ground in 2009, one sports team brings in the new year by spending outrageous amounts of money.  It’s nothing new for the New York Yankees to spend money, but to pay $424 million for three players when the unemployment rate continues to rise is a little ostentatious.  The plush deals for 1B Mark Teixeira and pitchers A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia should keep them quite content for the next few years, even if the Yankees fail to win a title, but one has to wonder when enough is enough.  The $46 million those three players are earning annually is greater than the payrolls for three TEAMS from last season.

            Everyone is feeling the pinch of the slumping economy, from the Arena Football League to Major League Baseball to the National Football League.  On December 15^th, the twenty-two year old Arena Football League decided to ‘suspend’ the 2009 season to redevelop their economic model.  Colorado Crush co-owner and former NFL quarterback John Elway said, “Although it is disappointing to suspend the 2009 season, the Arena Football League and its owners feel it is essential to reevaluate the current business model to ensure the livelihood of the AFL in the future.” 

Come on.  We can read between the lines.  The AFL, which acted as a sort of minor league for the NFL isn’t coming back anytime soon.  The same may be true for small market teams in other major sports as well.  Led by the San Francisco Giants, sixteen of the MLB’s thirty teams will ‘freeze’ season ticket prices for the upcoming season as well as bolster promotions at home games.  Only during these times will you see promotions pop up like the NHL’s St. Louis Blues’ promotion last month to help one lucky fan pay three months of his or her mortgage.  Mortgages?  What happened to umbrella giveaway night?

It’s not the fact that the Yankees are spending money that I see wrong.  In fact, to restart the economy Americans must spend money instead of wavering in their consumer confidence.  Until this current period ends though, you’ll start to see the teams with money only grow exponentially bigger while smaller market teams will scrape by and attempt to make ends meet.

A salary cap would be a good idea.  Maybe the idea would catch on when the Yankees spend 10 times the amount of any other team to win the World Series.  What about the players and stadiums and owners though?  Shouldn’t they cut back?  Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones surely isn’t will his $1 Billion dollar Texas Stadium almost complete.

Corporate sponsorships however are starting to slow down though, reflecting the downturn on Wall Street.  Domino’s Pizza and Home Depot are two major NASCAR sponsors that are pulling out their support next year for financial reasons.  Many other companies are thinking twice before shelling out money just to put their name on a stadium wall.

I find the Yankees’ strategy especially intriguing considering the circumstances.  There’s nothing illegal about what they’re doing, but by outbidding every other team to assemble a team of all-stars they will only hurt the game of baseball in the long run.  While I like seeing advancements in sports, from the huge jumbo-tron scoreboards to a worthy player cashing in from a new contract, sometimes cutting back can be a good thing.   

           

 

J. Andrew Lockwood is a free lance sports reporter for The Bear Zone, Mercer's Cluster Newspaper, and a broadcaster for ASun.TV

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