The Third Half: The Magic of Spring Training

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

In mid-February each year, the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues swing into full gear in one of the best kept secrets in all of sports – spring training baseball. It’s the simplest form of the game as the big leaguers go back to practicing the fundamentals of the baseball while the games are often a cornucopia of players young and old.

Many of my best sporting event memories occurred during the warm, spring months in Florida as I chased big leaguers down for autographs or pictures before or after a game. Only in spring training baseball can certain, special things occur:

• Only in spring training baseball can you carry on a conversation with the first base coach for more than an inning. At a Houston Astros game in Kissimmee, I vividly remember the fans in our section right on the field bantering back and forth with the Astros first base coach Jose Cruz, Jr. He’d exchange thoughts on certain players and the game while trying to amuse the crowd at the same time. It was neat to just feel that close to the game without being a professional baseball player yourself.

• Only in spring training can a city embrace a team from so far away. This is especially true in the Grapefruit (Florida) League in which certain teams have called specific towns their spring training ‘homes’ for decades. The Tampa area loves the Yankees (sometimes even more so than their hometown Rays) while Vero Beach (Dodger-town) had an intimate love affair with the Los Angeles Dodgers before they recently relocated to Arizona. Perhaps the most intriguing town-team combinations are those of the smaller-market teams. For example, the town of Bradenton loves the perennial cellar dwellers of the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Only in spring training can you see a professional baseball game with less than 3,000 people in attendance. Yes, the Florida Marlins struggle to put even that many people in their stadium during the hot months of July and August in Miami, but the real appeal of spring training is the fact that you don’t feel like you’re a number in the crowd. The stadiums are often very simple ballparks (as they often double as minor league ballparks during the summer months), thus the atmosphere is composed of more of the game itself rather than the jumbotron in centerfield and the ‘kiss-cam’ every half-inning.

• Only in spring training can teams be so optimistic. Each February brings about a renewed sense of hope for every team, no matter how bad they were the year before. The optimism seems to spread from the organization to the fans in the stands. Ask any fan of any team and they’ll tell you all about the new acquisitions of this year’s team. It’s a fun time of year to be a fan, especially if you root for the Royals or the Orioles.

• Only in spring training can you see players re-establish themselves before your eyes. Perhaps my favorite story of a player coming back with a new identity was that of Josh Hamilton. I had the chance to witness Hamilton’s assent back into the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds after struggling with alcoholism and drugs for five years. His promising career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was derailed by injury and soon Hamilton found himself so addicted to drugs that everyone had written him off. But an energetic Hamilton made a big impression on the fans that saw him play that spring and eventually Hamilton would go on to become one of the premiere outfielders in the game today.

• Only in spring training can an organization play two games at the same time. They’re called split squad games and though confusing, it’s entertaining to see a lineup of minor-leaguers and major-leaguers alike on the same field. For the club, it gives the younger players an opportunity to prove themselves while allowing the veterans the chance to shake off the rust from the winter months.
If you get the chance to make a ballgame in the spring, go…you won’t regret it. It makes for some of the best sporting vacations as you can take in up to two games a day without driving more than 50 miles to the different host cities. It’s a relaxed atmosphere that’s just as much about the baseball as it is about catching up with long lost friends. It’s a time for optimism and hope as well rejuvenation. It’s one of the best kept secrets in all of sports.

Top Finish for Women Wrestlers at Nationals

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

Wrestling season quietly came to a close for Mercer’s grapplers this season, but not before an electrifying finish by the women’s team at Nationals in Hampton, Virginia. Finishing near the top of the field to eventual winner Yakima Valley, Mercer’s small women’s team represented the university well on the mat.

“Our ladies just wrestled very well this weekend,” commented head coach Kevin Andres. “I’m very proud of the way they performed in the competition, especially with only two years experience. We lost to bigger, more experienced schools but they competed very well.”

Two of women’s entry went on to finish second in their respective categories. In fact, KaLia Burnette, a sophomore in the 148lbs weight class became a 2 time NCWWA All-American, the first in Mercer wrestling history. Also traveling to wrestle for the weekend were Rachel Hockenberger (Freshman, 148lbs), Christina Le (Freshman, 176lbs), and Amanda Almeyda (Junior, 139lbs). Almeyda would be forced to withdraw from the tournament on the second day after an injury forced her out of the tournament.

On the men’s mat, the results weren’t as kind as they were to the women, but nevertheless, the Bears were represented well by three first-year collegiate wrestlers that qualified into the national tournament for the first time. Mercer’s fourth entry Austin Griffin (Freshman, 133lbs), was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. Also representing the men’s team in the national tournament were contenders Parker Owen (Freshman, 165lbs), Nick White (Junior, 197lbs), and Bert Sykes (Freshman, 285lbs).

The men’s team would end up finishing 24th in the Division I NCWA Championship bracket, 127 points behind eventual winner University of Central Florida.
“We did very well, especially with three of our four guys being first time qualifiers. There were 83 schools represented and we wrestled well,” Andres added. “Being a NCWA D1 Program, there’s a higher set of standards to meet and it’s tougher to qualify kids for this national tournament.”

Andres is already looking forward to next season when the Bears will again host at least two home tournaments in the University Center during the winter months. For more information on the Mercer wrestling team and the NCWA, visit the conference’s website at www.ncwa.net.

Softball Stays Hot; Holtz Pitches No Hitter Against Campbell

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

Mercer’s softball team seems to be shaking a tough spring break week of softball with three quality wins in a pair of two-game series against Furman and Campbell. With a series victory against the Furman Paladins, Mercer snapped their seven game losing streak with 5-3 and 2-0 wins. The Bears followed up that series with a double-header split with Campbell that included a no-hitter pitching performance from Jenni Holtz.

Mercer’s first win in two and a half weeks came off a Kristin Marko homerun (4th of the season) in the top of the 8th inning as the Bears almost fumbled away the game in the bottom of the 6th inning. Pitcher Jenni Holtz held the Paladins scoreless for the first five innings of the game until a costly error put a runner on base for Furman. Two batters later, a homerun from Lana Mackey put Furman in prime position to win at home until shortstop Sara Stukes launched her own homerun to tie the game.

Mike Raynor’s team would late long to strike in extra innings with the Marko homerun, helping Holtz garner her tenth win of the season with a 12 strikeout, 2 hit and 2 earned run performance. The second game of the series saw junior pitcher Kari Chambers return from an injury earlier in the season to dominant form, striking out five and giving up two hits in five innings of work as the Bears worked to put two runs on the board in the third inning. Kristin Marko’s 3-for-3 day with an RBI helped Mercer plate a run in the low-scoring affair as Mercer’s Jenni Holtz picked up a save in two innings of relief work. For the weekend, Holly Oglesbee averaged .500 at the plate hitting a double and triple in aiding the Bears’ scoring efforts in Greenville.

With the reigning Atlantic Sun softball champions visiting Macon last weekend, Holtz would electrify Sikes Field with a huge 1-0 no-hitter to start to the two-game series. Pitching ten innings, Raynor’s squad would provide a run of support in the bottom half of the inning to upset the visiting Camels. The game-changing play occurred in the tenth frame when sophomore Stephanie Canara would steal home on a wild pitch from Campbell’s Christina Melton.

The pitching duel between Melton and Holtz shaped up to be one of the best matchups in conference play this season as Melton would only allow three hits on the afternoon, backed up by a defense that recorded a triple play in the fourth inning.

“That was huge,” commented Mercer head coach Mike Raynor after the game. “Throwing that kind of game against the defending Atlantic Sun champs is something special. She is so mentally tough out there and it’s great to watch her work,” he added on MercerBears.com.

Unfortunately, the second game of the series didn’t go Mercer’s way as they fell to the Camels 2-0. Kari Chambers, the starting pitcher, gave up two early runs in the first inning to ultimately decide the contest as the Bears squeaked out only three hits on the day. Campbell’s Brittany Stanley capped the three hit shutout by pitching only 81 pitches in route to her 6th win of the 2010 season.

With the first conference series of the year complete, Mercer now faces Samford in non-conference action before continuing A-Sun play against Kennesaw State. The Bears then return to Macon for an eight-game homestand against Georgia Southern, Lipscomb, Belmont, and Auburn.

Bears Cycling Battles in the 'Boro

By Adam Hunt
Senior Reporter / Columnist

Mercer’s cycling team continued their impressive start to their inaugural season with a solid showing at the 2010 ‘Battle of the ‘Boro’ race in Statesboro, Ga.

The event was hosted by local rivals Georgia Southern and representatives poured in from 17 colleges and universities around the southeast to participate.

The Bears were in search of vital SECCC qualifying points and faced some tough conditions with low temperatures and blustery winds.

The weekend’s racing began with a time-trial in Rocky Ford, a rural town 30 minutes from Statesboro itself. Mercer’s first team of Gabe Denes, Andrew Lockwood and Kevin Roberts finished first in the ‘C’ category and 10th overall with a 20km time of 33:02. The Bear’s second team consisted of Jason Glow, Paul Rush and AJ Sholly who came in third in the ‘C’ category with a 12th place finish.

After the morning team time-trial effort, the weary cyclists moved to Georgia Southern’s campus for the criterium races. The venue, which featured eight hairpin turns, proved to be a speedy course for the riders but also whipped up winds as cyclists sped down the second straightaway.

College of Charleston’s Brooks Bostick and Brian Arne jumped out to an early advantage in front of a sizable chasing group. The field of 44 then quickly narrowed midway through the race as riders began to fade. Mercer’s Kevin Roberts, however, did attempt to bridge the gap between himself and the top riders. Having been briefly successful, Roberts dropped back a lap later to work with Andrew Lockwood in shuffling through the chasing group.

Late in the race, lap traffic became a problem as Bostick and Arne would easily claim the first and second positions. The rest of the field all finished closely as the chasing pack finished in the middle of the lapped peloton.

Unofficially, Lockwood clinched fourth while Roberts hung onto fifth despite much competition in the closing stages of the race. Sholly managed to grind out a mid-pack finish followed by Glow, Denes and Rush.

The final road race also proved to be highly controversial as the 22 mile course quickly morphed into a 27 mile course for the ‘C’ category riders. Rider confusion and poor race organization led to a combined peloton of ‘B’ and ‘C’ riders despite more than a five minute staggered time around the 22 mile Rocky Ford loop.

All of Mercer’s riders hung on with the peloton until the pace truck unexpectedly pulled over to the side of the road after missing a turn. After the confusion had settled, Lockwood, Roberts, and Denes found themselves locked in a duel with the leaders from King College, College of Charleston and ETSU until the final sprint.

In the end, Roberts pushed too early in his sprint, falling back to finish 18th as Lockwood garnered third place behind Bostick and Georgia Southern's Matt Gentry. Denes rebounded from a slow start to take 14th while Glow (24th), Rush (25th) and Sholly (33rd) rounded out the results for the Bears.

Men's Golf Begins Spring Season

By Adam Hunt
Senior Reporter / Columnist

The Mercer men’s golf team began their spring schedule in earnest this March, competing in two prestigious events.

The first was the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational hosted by the University of North Florida. The Bears fired a total score of 307 on the final day to clinch 15th place.

Conditions were tough on the notoriously tricky Sawgrass Country Club course and Mercer did well to improve on their round one and two totals of 312.

Freshman Will Meason was the star man for the Orange and Black with a team-best 229 over the three rounds, good for 42nd place overall.

Matt Tribby also found his form, especially on the final day where he notched a 76. The star senior picked up six birdies over the three-day tournament to finish tied for 65th individually.

The Bears’ youthful line-up was rounded out by three freshmen, Thomas Holmes, John Gregory and Matt Kocolowski.

Mercer completed the event with a score of 931, 17 strokes behind North Carolina State who claimed 14th. UNF took full advantage of their home advantage to capture the title with a six-over par 876.

Just a week later, head coach Andrew Tredway’s men were back in action, this time in Aiken, SC at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate.

Meason was quick to adapt to the course and burned up the fairways in his second round to shoot a five-under par 67. He finished with an 80 on the final day and tied for 22nd place in the individual standings.

Tribby pitched in with the low score for the Bears over the last round with a 73, good for a five-way tie at 59th place.

Once again, Mercer were rounded out by three freshmen – Gregory, Kocolowski and Holmes. Kocolowski was the Bears birdie machine for the tournament, carding ten in 54 holes.

Southern golf powerhouse the University of Chattanooga raced to the title with a total score of 855. Mercer’s 901 just overtook Elon by one stroke to clinch the 14th spot.

The Third Half: We Were Witnesses

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

A major sneaker company launched a huge marketing campaign only a year or two ago that focused on the phrase, ‘We Are Witnesses.’ It was supposed to be the type of campaign that reflects watching athletic greatness, specifically in basketball. Statistical achievements, incredible plays, and re-defining a sport seem to carry the ‘witness’ persona, but I found myself being a ‘witness’ to something I thought I’d see in my college years here at Mercer.

James Florence, Daniel Emerson, and E.J. Kusnyer, the three starting seniors on Mercer’s men’s basketball team, came within points of advancing to the NCAA tournament. Their battles against Belmont, Jacksonville, and ETSU in the Atlantic Sun Tournament were epic, nail-biting contests that came down to the final few seconds.

Although they didn’t make NCAA or any other postseason tournament for that matter, the way they went out was indicative of their style of play for the past few years. Flo, Emerson, and Kusnyer as well as the rest of the men’s team could be described as ‘late-season warriors.’

For Florence, he battled through a high ankle sprain just two weeks before the tournament kicked off to return to the quarterfinals against Belmont at nearly full strength. For Emerson, a blood clot behind his eye sidelined him for a good portion of a late season road trip to Belmont. Fighting through various nagging injuries and despite little time practicing with the team, Emerson sported a pair of goggles in the tournament as he made his presence know in the post. Kusnyer kept shooting the three-ball as the season wore on despite going through hot and cold streaks. By the A-Sun tournament, Kusnyer was the #1 three-point shooter in the NCAA with the most 3-point field goals made this season.

While Emerson and Kusnyer were two year starters after transferring in from Western Kentucky and Collins County Community College (Texas) respectively, they gave Mercer a much needed shot in the arm when the university hired on new head coach Bob Hoffman to lead James Florence and a group of talented role players.

We knew how great Florence would be from the day he first stepped foot on the hardwood for the Bears. 39 points against Jacksonville as a freshman was only a sign of things to come. Florence, of course, went through his share of struggles too at Mercer. There was the Jacksonville-Mercer homecoming brawl in 2007 in which he received a two-game suspension. Then there were the murmurs around the University Center that Florence was turning into a shoot-first, pass-second player that single handedly won and lost games for the Bears during the 2008-09 season.

But as we all seem to grow up during our college years, we got to witness the growth of Mercer’s all-time leading scorer, Mercer’s most dominant big-man in the past decade, and Mercer’s best three-point shooter all within the last few years. From raw talent with un-channeled emotion to a group of brothers that brought the entire Macon community to their feet countless times during their final few games, we’re going to miss these guys.

It may take a few years for us to fully appreciate what we see, what we witnessed, but even though we feel short of our postseason expectations, we truly got to see three of the best players in college basketball here at Mercer. It will take time for the memories of those last three tournament games to sink in, but what we witnessed was a team of committed players who were fatigued to their limit yet played off of the adrenaline generated by the crowd, by their love of the game, and by their love for one another. I’m glad I was in the front row to witness it.

Santana Named Player of the Week; Raynor Reaches 100

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

While the Atlantic Sun conference season has yet to start, Mercer softball continues to make headlines with Sarah Santana receiving the A-Sun Player of the Week honor only a few weeks ago and head coach Mike Raynor surpassing the 100 win milestone recently at a tournament in Atlanta.

Santana, a freshman from Valdosta, was honored after the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament in which she was named Most Outstanding Position Player. The infielder launched three home runs and 12 RBI in a 7-for-14 effort from the plate over the course of five games to earn a starting position in the lineup. After little playing time in the lineup before the tournament, Raynor was impressed with what he saw, commenting, “We can only be happy for a freshman like Santana to step in and do that kind of job. We have high hopes that she can continue to perform at that level.”

Santana’s big weekend at the plate was a big wake-up call for the Mercer offense which has struggled early in the season to produce enough runs to win close games.

“She showed up when we needed our offense to wake up,” Raynor added on the online press release. “She not only produced hits but RBIs. She really produced some enthusiasm in the team and into the offense in particular,” he added.

Raynor himself surpassed a big coaching milestone at Mercer in his fourth season, winning his 100th ballgame as the head coach. At his current mark after the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic, Raynor (100-100) is the winningest coach in Bears history joining three other head coaches in attaining the 100 win plateau.

Hired in 2007 to replace former Mercer head coach Tony Foti, Raynor went 14-46 in his first season before turning Mercer into an Atlantic Sun softball powerhouse during recent years. Upset wins over Georgia Tech, Auburn, and other schools have earned both Raynor and the Bears acclaim from all over the southeast.

Softball Splits Games at Georgia Tech Buzz Classic

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

You build experience quickly when you take on the best teams. At least that’s what Mercer head coach Mike Raynor was thinking when he decided to take his team to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech “Buzz Classic,” to take on Tennessee Tech, Ole Miss, Rhode Island, James Madison, and Seton Hall. Mercer would end up winning 3 of the 5 games including Raynor’s 100th win at the university against James Madison.
It was ultimately a tournament that would feature several pitcher’s duels and only a hint of offense. The Bears would be outscored 18-7 during the tournament, yet picked up keys wins in Atlanta.

Mercer 1 – Tennessee Tech 0

Facing the Eagles, a team they defeated two weeks ago, pitcher Jenni Holtz pitched a complete game shutout, striking out ten while giving up five hits in route to the 1-0 win. On the other side, TTU’s Holly Thomas only gave up two hits in her seven innings, but they were crucial to the Bears’ victory. In the fifth inning, outfielder Stacey Condra doubled, followed by sacrifice bunt from catcher Brandy Keeter. Leadoff hitter Holly Oglesbee’s single would score Condra and give Mercer the 1-0 win.

Ole Miss 11 – Mercer 0

After a close 1-0 contest against Tennessee Tech, the Bears were blown away by the Rebels in an 11-0 victory. Mercer starter Jessie Holmes would give up four runs on four hits as she lasted only two innings into the game. Natalie Jones, Molly Anderson, and Kerri Nidiffer all came in to relieve, but to no avail as the team could only muster two hits on the game. Meanwhile, starter Lindsey Perry would pick up the win for the SEC school while Aly Presswood and Cali Overbeck would put balls over the fence for Ole Miss. The game ended after the five inning run rule.

Mercer 1 – Rhode Island 0

Another tight ballgame saw the Bears come out on top after seventh inning heroics from several players. Playing small ball, the Bears offense helped push across a run in the bottom half of the inning to pick up another win for starting pitcher Jenni Holtz. Lilli Luke started the inning off with a single to centerfield before Megan Rutherford would move her over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Kristin Marko would single to right field before Holly Oglesbee moved Luke home on another single up the middle. The hit from Oglesbee would be the second game-winning RBI single from her bat in two days.
“I thought we played well,” Raynor said. “I thought Lilli had a good game with two crucial hits today and of course she scored the winning run as well. Holly did her job and drove in the winning run and Jenni pitched great and kept us in the ball game,” he added after the game on MercerBears.com.

Mercer 3 – James Madison 1

Jenni Holtz once again looked dominant in striking out ten batters and allowing only one run in Mike Raynor’s 100th win at the helm of the program. Mustering four hits apiece, Mercer was able to jump ahead of James Madison in the top of the third inning when Lilli Luke would hit an RBI-single followed by a pair of walks from JMU pitcher Cara Stecher to put the Bears up by three runs.
Mercer would leave seven runners stranded on base during the game, but a two run lead after the fourth inning was enough for another tournament win over the Dukes. Playing for Raynor for two years and now serving as an assistant coach, Page Raynor was glad to see her Dad get his 100th win, commenting, “I’m just proud of my dad and what he has done so far. It’s been great to be a part of it.”

Seton Hall 6 – Mercer 2

The final game of the tournament was a different story than the convincing win over James Madison as Mercer was shelled for 12 hits and 6 runs by the Pirates. Holtz started the game once again, but had trouble collecting outs and was replaced with Jessie Holmes after 3.2 innings. Kristin Marko an Stacey Condra were able to collect RBIs in the 5th and 7th innings, but the overpowering Pirates strung together runs in the first, second and fourth innings for the 6-2 win.

After the series against Furman was postponed to a later date due to weather, Mercer finds themselves traveling to Atlanta once more for the Georgia Tech Tournament in which they’ll face Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and Fordham.

Bears Advance to A-Sun Finals, Fall to ETSU

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

A near sell-out crowd in the University Center saw the final game of Mercer’s basketball season come to an end with a 72-66 loss to the Atlantic Sun Champions, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. After getting past Belmont 87-81 in the quarterfinals and Jacksonville 66-63 in the semifinals, it appeared that the Bears would be the first team to win the Atlantic Sun Conference championship on their home floor since Florida International did it in 1994.

Mercer’s quarterfinal matchup against the Bruins had plenty on the line as star forward Daniel Emerson was knocked out of the game only a week ago with an eye injury. Belmont had also beat Mercer in the two matchups during the regular season as well as knocked off the Bears in last year’s quarterfinal round of the A-Sun Championship.

After falling behind by as much as 14 points early in the first half due to hot shooting from Belmont’s Ian Clark and Drew Hanlen, Mercer led a furious comeback in the second half in route to shooting 65.2% from the field to win by six points. James Florence would play all 40 minutes, finishing with 24 points and making key free throws down the stretch. Inside, Daniel Emerson was able to overmatch Jon House and Mick Hedgepeth with 19 points and 9 rebounds while teammate Jeff Smith chipped in 16 points to bring the University Center crowd to their feet.

“It was a great advantage to be at home,” commented Emerson after the game. “Anytime in the first or second half when we started to feel a little flat, they did a great job of picking us up. I loved having the Mercer student section near us tonight: I think we might want that to be a permanent move,” he added.

The second night, Mercer faced a familiar A-Sun foe in Jacksonville. Always a physical battle in nature, the Bears battled through 13 lead changes to finally come out on top by three, 66-63. Jumping out to an early lead, the Dolphins and Bears would exchange baskets for most of the first half until Mercer’s 12-3 run to start the second half allowed them to pull away.

Led by guard Ben Smith, Jacksonville valiantly fought back, fouling Florence with 15 seconds left. Florence would sink a pair of free throws to give Mercer a three point lead before the Dolphins aimed to take a last second shot to tie the game. Unfortunately, everyone in the UC Arena knew that it would have to be Smith taking the shot. Keying on the Dolphins’ best shooter, Florence was able to deflect the final shot to win the game, sending Mercer to the A-Sun finals for the first time since 1996.

While Florence only managed 8 points during the contest, Emerson would drop another double-double with 21 points and 18 rebounds, followed by Jeff Smith’s 18 points. JU’s Ben Smith would lead the Dolphins with 19 points on the night.

The championship final, televised on ESPN2, featured an ETSU 20-14 (13-7) team that had defeated Campbell and Kennesaw State as well as Mercer. With 3,200 fans on hand, ETSU found a way to stop Mercer’s offense with a zone defense that keyed on Florence and Emerson, beating the Bears for the first time in three contests this season to advance to the NCAA tournament.

Another slow start plagued the Bears from the beginning as they fell behind 9-0 before Emerson sank a jump shot to cut the lead. Mercer’s offense caught fire late in the first as E.J. Kusnyer hit three consecutive three-point field goals to tie the game, but ETSU was able to put two more points on the scoreboard to lead at halftime 37-35.

“We felt like we would take the lead, but we just couldn’t get a stop,” said Emerson. “They did a great good on us and had a good gameplan. We just had too many turnovers,” he added.

Fouls and tough officiating calls plagued Mercer for a good part of the second half with Brian Mills and E.J. Kusnyer on the bench for a good part of the period, yet the Bucs never led by more the 6 points. ETSU made the shots that mattered down the stretch to pull out the victory, repeating as A-Sun champs for the second year in a row. Kusnyer would lead Mercer with 16 points (five 3-pointers) to tie Campbell’s Eric Smith (2005-06) for the most three-pointers in one season (107). Additionally, Florence would finish with 9 points, finalizing his place atop the Mercer scoring charts at 2,287 points.

Florence’s total ranks 142nd in NCAA Division I history for career points scored. Forward Daniel Emerson also made a mark in his final game as a Bear as the senior grabbed 13 rebounds to set the Atlantic Sun Conference season rebound record at 385. Emerson finishes out the year ranked as the #3 rebounder in the nation.

“These guys are special,” head coach Bob Hoffman relayed during the post-game press conference. “It’s about who they are and how they go about their business. The game didn’t turn out as we wanted, but that wasn’t because they didn’t give it all they had. It’s a blessing for me to coach young men like these guys,” Hoffman added.

Women’s Golf Finishes 13th at Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate

J. Andrew Lockwood
Senior Editor / Columnist

Freshman Kimmy Graff overcame a rough start in Augusta to help lead her team to a 13th place finish at the Administaff Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate. As a team, Mercer finished three strokes ahead of UAB with a combined 326 in the final round to move up in the standings as they prepare for the Atlantic Sun tournament in Florida that is less than a month away.

After firing a 90 in her first round, Graff turned things around quickly in her next two rounds, recording a 76 and 77 in route to a tie for 50th overall. With an eagle on the sixth hole, Graff became one of four players in the tournament to score the shot during the three rounds. Despite a double-bogey on her final hole, Graff would lead the Bears during the final day with a 77 (+5). Graff’s final two rounds and Alex Quagliata’s 78 would be the only three rounds in the 70s for the Bears during the tournament.

Graff and her teammates indicated that the greens on the course were unusually slippery and that the ball experienced more movement than expected during putts, leading to the higher scores.

Freshman Aurelie Wiriath would be the Bear’s second-best finisher for the tournament (82, 82, 84) to finish in a tie for 57th overall. Seniors Alex Quagliata (86, 78, 85), Monica Kelsey (87, 84, 80), and Carolyn Levy (85, 86, 86) rounded out the team score card for Mercer as senior Kathryn Cook played as an individual during the tournament.

Coastal Carolina pulled an upset win in garnering the team title, recording a 891 over the three day even to edge the favored Augusta State Lady Jaguars. Mercer would finish a ways back in the field at a combined 986 overall. The Bears now head to Ocala for the MSU Women’s Intercollegiate in a final tune-up for the A-Sun Championship held at the Venetian Bay golf course in New Smyrna, Florida.