Extra points: Former Detroit Lion coming to campus, Simons earns MAC honor


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Quarterback Cooper Rush passes the ball during his game September 7, 2013.

Walton training for NFL Combine

By Greg Wickliffe

Staff Reporter

With the college football season officially finished, players have now set their sights on playing on Sundays. Central Michigan University defensive tackle Leterrius Walton is one of those hopefuls setting his eyes on a possible future in the NFL.

Walton has paired with St. Vincent Sports Performance (SVSP), for a six-week training program to prepared for the NFL Scouting Combine which takes place in Indianapolis, next month.

Former NFL linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion Rosevelt Colvin will lead Walton’s preparation efforts for the annual event.

As a senior at CMU, Walton finished the 2014-2015 season with 33 tackles, 3.5 of which were for a loss. Walton’s two sacks helped the Chippewas earn a berth in the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl. The Chippewas finished 7-6 on the 2014 season. Walton’s performance this season earned him an invite to the East-West Shrine game earlier this month.

CMU golf announces schedule

By Greg Wickliffe

Staff Reporter

Central Michigan University women’s golf team released its 2015 spring schedule on Monday.

The Chippewas will open the spring slate with the Mid-American Conference Match Play Challenge on Feb. 9-10 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Bowling Green State University will serve as the home team for the match that will take place at the Royal Lakes Course at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

The CMU women are led by new head coach Cheryl Stacy, who was hired on Dec. 10. to replace fired coach Tom Beidleman.

The Chippewas will play in five tournaments during the season before competing in the MAC Conference Championships the weekend of April 24 at Shaker Run Golf Club in Lebanon, Oh.

Simons named MAC West Player of the Week

By Joe Judd

Staff Reporter

John Simons, a junior forward on the men’s basketball team has been named the Mid-American Conference’s West division Player of the Week.

Simons has started all 17 of the Chippewas games this season and ranks first in the MAC with a 48 percent 3-point field goal shooting percentage. Simons averages 11.3 points per game and is first on the team with six rebounds per contest.

A native of Cadillac, Simons is shooting 53 percent from the field as the Chippewas are off to a 14-3 start to 2014-15.

Simons scored 15 points in CMU’s 84-73 win over Buffalo on Wednesday and had 15 points and nine rebounds in CMU’s 65-51 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday.

This is the second time in his CMU career Simons has been named the conference player of the week.

More than two dozen CMU football players make All-MAC Academic Team

By Joe Judd

Staff Reporter

Fourteen members of Central Michigan University’s football team have been named to the All-Mid-American Conference’s Academic Team.

This total ties Northern Illinois University for the most selections from any team in the conference.

Chippewas sophomore quarterback Cooper Rush made the team for the second year in a row, maintaining a 3.93 grade point average as an actuarial science major.

The thirteen other Chippewas named to the team include:

Joe Bacci, sophomore integrated science-3.24 GPA.

Jarret Chapman, senior sociology/criminal justice-3.22 GPA.

Mark Chapman, freshman, undecided-3.95 GPA.

Ron Coluzzi, sophomore, marketing-3.58 GPA.

Josh Cox, freshman, undecided- 3.51 GPA.

Jabari Dean, sophomore health administrations-3.28 GPA.

Kavon Frazier, junior, sport management-3.35 GPA.

Chris Kantzavelos, freshman, undecided-3.27 GPA.

Mike Kinville, senior, sport management-3.90 GPA.

Jesse Kroll, junior psychology-3.57 GPA.

Joe Ostman, sophomore, marketing-3.67 GPA.

Jeff Perry, freshman, mechanical engineering-3.88 GPA.

Anthony Rice, sophomore, accounting-3.51 GPA.

Detroit Lions legend Jason Hanson to speak on campus Wednesday

By Taylor DesOrmeau

Staff Reporter

The Detroit Lions all-time leading scorer will be in Mount Pleasant on Wednesday night to speak to students.

Jason Hanson will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Football Team Meeting Room, presented by the CMU Fellowship of Christian Athletes. All are welcome to the event.

Hanson was the kicker for the Detroit Lions from 1992-2012 and has 2,150 career points. Only Morten Andersen and Gary Anderson have more career points in NFL history.

Hanson was the longest-tenured Lion and set an NFL record for the most seasons with one team.

The Lions selected the Washington State-graduate in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft, the season after Detroit’s last playoff victory.

Hanson hit 21 of his 22 field goal attempts in the Lions 0-16 season in 2008. He made 82.4 percent of his field goal attempts in his career with a career long of 56 yards.

In his final season, 2012, Hanson hit all 14 attempts inside the 40-yard line and scored 134 total points, the most of his career in a single season.

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