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(09/20/06 4:00am)
Sophomore forward Kelly Jordan was one of the field hockey team’s most
dependable players last season.
It seemed like a stiff task to be even better this season.
But she has managed to do it.
By the numbers
Kelly Jordan (So.): leads team with nine points; scored a goal in
each of the last three games.
Team received 11 votes in the Division I Coaches Poll for a ranking
of No. 27.
“Kelly’s overall game has totally improved,” said coach Cristy
Freese. “She’s a good all-around player.”
Jordan has scored a goal in each of the last three games and leads
the team with nine points on the season.
“Once you get one goal, you get into a rhythm,” Jordan said. “It
gets to be natural and you get some confidence.”
After being second on the team with 25 points last season, Jordan
has worked hard on other parts of her game.
She has become a good passer and forces her opponent to go outside
on defense where she gets help from the rest of her teammates.
Jordan’s strength still remains in her scoring ability, Freese said.
CMU won 2-1 in overtime against Maine and lost 2-1 in overtime to
No. 14 Indiana last weekend.
“We played an amazing game against Indiana on Friday and I think
that will uplift us throughout the rest of the season,” said sophomore
Moyra Betuzzi.
Freshman Kim Erasmus scored the winning goal and her first career
goal against the Black Bears.
“I went for it and scored,” Erasmus said. “I didn’t know what to
think. It was a great moment for me.”
Erasmus is known for her defense but showed her offensive skills
against Maine.
“She’s got good skills with the ball even though she is a defender,”
Freese said.
Freese said one thing the team needs to improve on is getting the
ball out of its own end of the field.
Seniors Cortney Blanchard and Erin Dottery, along with Erasmus, are
key players in making that happen.
Blanchard was a forward last season and made a move to back
before the season started to give the Chippewas another player who
could carry the ball out of the circle.
CMU hosts Northwestern at 11 a.m. Sunday.
(09/18/06 4:00am)
Freshman midfielder Kim Erasmus could not have picked a better time to
score her first career goal.
Erasmus blasted the ball into the net in overtime Saturday, giving
the field hockey team a 2-1 comeback win against Maine. The teams
played at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.
“The game went back and forth a bit, but we were able to control the
ball,” said coach Cristy Freese. “Winning in overtime is always
exciting.”
Central did not tie the game until sophomore Kelly Jordan scored
with nine minutes remaining in regulation.
“I beat a girl, pulled to the right and shot the ball,” Jordan said.
“It’s something we’ve been working on in practice all year.”
CMU improved to 4-2 on the season. Maine took an early lead when
Kristen Costa scored for the Black Bears.
The Black Bears had an early scoring chance in overtime, but they
were turned away on one of Frank’s five saves in the game.
It was the second consecutive game CMU played beyond regulation.
The team lost to the No. 14 ranked Hoosiers 2-1 in overtime Friday.
Freese said it was mentally and physically tiring for the team to play
two overtime games consecutively.
“We kept pushing ourselves — personally I was exhausted,” said
senior goalie Danielle Frank.
Frank notched 12 saves against the Hoosiers.
“Danielle was fantastic all weekend,” Freese said. “She made some
great saves and had good timing.”
CMU held a 1-0 lead on the goal by Jordan.
Lydia Schrott scored her eighth goal of the season with just three
minutes remaining in regulation for IU. Her goal set the stage for
Meredith Brown’s game-winner that came on a penalty stroke in the 11th
minute of overtime.
“Our best team effort came against Indiana,” Freese said. “There was
nothing to hold our heads down about.”
CMU plays Northwestern Sept. 24 at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
(09/15/06 4:00am)
Sophomore Samantha Sandham said the field hockey team has its biggest
challenge of the season when it plays Indiana and Maine this weekend.
CMU (3-1) will play No. 14 ranked Indiana (5-1) at
3 p.m. today and Maine (3-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.
“I think we’ve worked hard this week, and we’ve stepped it up a
level,” Sandham said.
Indiana’s lone loss came to Virginia
3-2 in the first game of the season. The Hoosiers are led by senior
Lydia Schrott, who has seven goals and two assists for 16 points this
season.
“Lydia is an excellent player,” coach Cristy Freese said. “She’s
just excellent in the circle.”
The Chippewas may shuffle some players into different positions on
the field this weekend.
Freese said hard hitters Kelly Jordan and Sandham could play as
forwards with senior Alicia Balanesi.
Jordan is coming off her best game of the season with a goal and two
assists in last Saturday’s 5-3 win against Colgate.
“I think it always boosts your confidence when you score a goal or
get an assist,” Jordan said.
Freese said CMU wants to intimidate the Hoosiers with its forward
line.
“I think we need to be able to muscle Indiana a little bit and
push them around,” Freese said.
There are four games remaining until Mid-American Conference play
begins, and Freese said this is the time to experiment with the
lineup.
Maine lost last weekend to Hofstra University 3-1.
The Black Bears goalie Rebecca Giroux has a 1.87 goal against
average and 37 saves in five games played.
(09/11/06 4:00am)
The field hockey team could have let a win slip away after allowing
Colgate’s Katelyn Nerbonne to score two consecutive goals to erase a
two-goal lead Saturday.
(09/08/06 4:00am)
Senior midfielder Erin Dottery of the field hockey team said last
weekend’s loss to Saint Louis was a wake-up call.
(09/06/06 4:00am)
Field hockey coach Cristy Freese was visibly upset after her team lost
its first game of the season Sunday.
She said her team tried to play as individuals — not as a team — in
its 3-0 loss to Saint Louis at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
“We have to learn to move together, play as a team and not let one
person try to do something,” Freese said. “Our strength is never going
to be one player.”
CMU dropped to 2-1 on the season.
The lack of team play also was recognized by the players.
“We just didn’t play together,” said senior back Courtney
Blanchard. “We need to know that we need to be together out there and
not play individually.”
Up Next
A CMU (2-1) plays in Kent, Ohio against Colgate for its only game
this weekend
The Billikens made the most of their opportunities early in the
game, scoring two goals on their first two shots.
Central also had many chances, with 13 penalty corners in the game,
compared to six for SLU.
“(SLU) scored on their opportunities,” Freese said.
The Chippewas started the weekend with a 2-1 win in the opening game
against the Billikens Saturday.
SLU took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but CMU tied the game with 14
minutes left on a goal by Blanchard.
Senior forward Alicia Balanesi took a rebound off the post and put
it in the net for the game winner just five minutes later.
“It was a relief,” Balanesi said of her goal. “I knew we needed it
and I was there to put it in.”
CMU outshot the Billikens 16-6 in the second half.
The Chippewas look to rebound from their loss Saturday against
Colgate in Kent, Ohio.
(09/01/06 4:00am)
Field hockey coach Cristy Freese said her team needs to work on its
depth when it hosts Saint Louis University twice this weekend.
In last weekend’s 2-1 win against Syracuse, Freese only substituted
two players during the game.
That won’t be the case this weekend with games at
11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday against the Billikens at the CMU Field
Hockey Complex.
“We have two games back-to-back,” Freese said. “What we need to work
on now is to fine tune what we’re doing with the starters and prepare
our players on the bench.”
Saint Louis won its first game of the season last weekend 1-0
against Missouri State.
Freese said the Billikens have proven to be a dangerous scoring
team, which is evident from last season’s match between the two teams.
Central relinquished a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2.
“Last year, (Saint Louis) seemed to be in really good game shape and
seemed to be conditioned well,” senior forward Alicia Balanesi said.
“But when it comes to actual skill, I think we have an advantage.”
While Syracuse was a bigger team, SLU will try to use their team
speed to score goals.
“I think Saint Louis will be a faster team that actually may
challenge us more defensively,” Freese said.
Four seniors started against the Orange — the rest were freshmen and
sophomores.
The defense, which was a question mark heading into the season with
young and inexperienced players, has responded well so far this season.
“They really work well together as a unit and they’re willing to learn
which is a good thing,” senior goalie Danielle Frank said.
E-mail reporter Jeremy Goorhouse at sports@cm-life.com
(08/28/06 4:00am)
Recruiting is difficult enough for small schools.
(08/28/06 4:00am)
The field hockey team had an advantage over Syracuse before its game
even started Sunday.
And it wasn’t an advantage CMU expected.
The Orange had their sticks misplaced during their trip from New
York, forcing them to play the entire game with CMU’s back-up sticks.
The sticks weren’t enough for the Orange, as Central edged out a 2-1
win at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
“I’d like to think it’s a non-factor,” said Syracuse coach Kathleen
Parker. “We talked to them about the mental aspect. To some degree a
stick is a stick.”
Coach Cristy Freese said Syracuse faced some adversity by not having
its own sticks. The win was the first time CMU has beaten the Orange in
three previous meetings.
“It’s a nice win,” Freese said. “Syracuse is a very good team.”
Both Syracuse (Big East) and Central (Mid-American Conference) were
picked to finish third in their respective conferences this season.
Sophomore forward Moyra Betuzzi scored into the lower left corner of
the goal at 21:22 to give CMU the early 1-0 lead. Senior forward Alicia
Balanesi got the assist.
“Everyone was like ‘this is a huge game,’” Betuzzi said. “It’s
definitely a confidence booster for the whole team.”
Early in the second half, sophomore midfielder Samantha Sandham
added another goal on a rebound off a shot by sophomore forward Kelly
Jordan.
The Orange avoided a shutout with their lone goal at the 55-minute
mark when senior back Michelle Sola scored.
Senior goalie Danielle Frank had five saves.
CMU hosts a pair of games Saturday and Sunday against Saint Louis at
the Field Hockey Complex.
(08/24/06 4:00am)
Coach Cristy Freese hopes the field hockey team remembers both feelings
it experienced last year.
(08/24/06 4:00am)
Men’s Cross Country
Jeff Drenth Memorial
Sept. 1 .
Mel Brodt Invitational
Sept. 16
Bowling Green, Ohio
Great American Cross Country Festival
Sept. 23
Hoover, Ala.
Pre-NCAA Meet
Oct. 14
Terre Haute, Ind.
Mid-American Conference Championships
Oct. 28
Buffalo, N.Y.
NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships
Nov. 11
Bowling Green, Ohio
NCAA Championships
Nov. 20
Terre Haute, Ind.
Women’s Cross Country
Jeff Drenth Memorial
Sept. 1
Mel Brodt Invitational
Sept. 16
Bowling Green, Ohio
Buffalo
Sept. 23
Buffalo, N.Y.
Michigan Intercollegiate Championships
Oct. 6
Big Rapids
Western Michigan Invitational
Oct. 13
Kalamazoo
Mid-American
Conference
Championships
Oct. 28
Buffalo, N.Y.
NCAA Great Lakes
Regional Championships
Nov. 11
Bowling Green, Ohio
NCAA Championships
Nov. 20
Terre Haute, Ind.
Field Hockey
Aug. 27 Syracuse Noon
Sept. 2 Saint Louis Noon
Sept. 3 Saint Louis 11 a.m.
Sept. 9 Colgate 1 p.m.
Sept. 15 Indiana 3 p.m.
Sept. 16 Maine 1 p.m.
Sept. 24 Northwestern 11 a.m.
Sept. 26 Michigan State 4 p.m.
Sept. 29 Ball State 3 p.m.
Sept. 30 Miami 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 Ohio 3 p.m.
Oct. 7 Kent State 1 p.m.
Oct. 10 Michigan 3 p.m.
Oct. 14 Missouri State 11 a.m.
Oct. 15 Missouri State Noon
Oct. 17 Michigan State 4 p.m.
Oct. 20 Ball State 3 p.m.
Oct. 21 Miami 1 p.m.
Oct. 27 Ohio 3 p.m.
Oct. 28 Kent State 11 a.m.
Nov. 2-4 MAC Tournament at Athens, Ohio
Volleyball
Super 8 Chippewa Classic
Aug. 25 Indiana State 7 p.m.
Aug. 26 Wisconsin-Green Bay 1
p.m.
Aug. 26 Idaho State 7 p.m.
George Mason Invitational
Sept. 1 George Mason 7 p.m.
Sept. 2 Lamar 10 a.m.
Campbell 4:30 p.m.
Panther Invitational
Sept. 8 Northern Colorado 11:30
a.m.
UW-Milwaukee 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 Windsor 4:30 p.m.
BSC Challenge
Sept. 15 Nicholls State 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 South Alabama 10 a.m.
Birmingham-Southern 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 Western Michigan 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 Northern Illinois 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 Eastern Michigan 7 p.m.
Sept. 30 Kent State 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 Northern Illinois 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 Western Michigan 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 Bowling Green 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 Miami 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 Chicago State 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Ball State 7 p.m.
Oct. 21 Toledo 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 IPFW 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 Akron 7 p.m.
Oct. 28 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 Eastern Michigan 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 Ohio 7 p.m.
Nov. 10 Toledo 7 p.m.
Nov. 11 Ball State 7 p.m.
Nov. 14 MAC Tournament First Round
at Campus Sites
Nov. 17-19 MAC Tournament
at Toledo, Ohio
Soccer
Aug. 25 Michigan State 4 p.m.
Aug. 27 IPFW 2 p.m.
Sept. 1 Detroit 3 p.m.
Sept. 3 Illinois State 1
p.m.
Sept. 8 Niagara 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 Canisius 11 a.m.
Sept. 15 Nebraska 5 p.m. CDT
Sept. 22 Ohio 3 p.m.
Sept. 24 Akron 1 p.m.
Sept. 29 Kent State 4 p.m.
Oct. 1 Buffalo 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 Ball State 3 p.m.
Oct. 8 Miami Noon
Oct. 13 Northern Illinois
3 p.m.
Oct. 15 Western Michigan 1 p.m.
Oct. 20 Bowling Green Noon
Oct. 22 Toledo 1 p.m.
Oct. 26 Eastern Michigan 3 p.m.
Oct. 29-Nov. 5 MAC Tournament at TBA
(07/12/06 4:00am)
Normally over the summer a handful of field hockey athletes will remain
in Mount Pleasant to attend summer classes and train for the upcoming
season.
Not this summer.
Internships and summer jobs have pulled the team apart for the time
being, something coach Cristy Freese said isn’t a bad thing.
“Everyone is doing their own thing,” Freese said. “They need to get
away and I think the break is good for them.”
Most of the defending Mid-American Conference Tournament champions
have taken it upon themselves to train by themselves without assistance
from coaches or teammates.
But that isn’t the case for sisters Allyson and Jessyca Doan, who
are training together in their hometown of Ann Arbor.
“It’s really beneficial,” Allyson said. “She’s (Jessyca) always
around to run with and I think I have a real advantage there.”
This summer Allyson is busy with a landscaping job at Eastern
Michigan University. She also works in an Ann Arbor sports bar.
Even with two jobs and training, the time away from school has been
just what she needed.
“I definitely needed a break,” Allyson said. “My body was exhausted.”
Nicole Rao is working in a recreational building in her hometown of
Pendleton, N.Y. She had the opportunity this summer to visit two of her
teammates in South Africa.
Samantha Sandham and Courtney Blanchard of Cape Town, South Africa
welcomed Rao for a six-week stay.
During that time Rao visited with Sandham and Blanchard’s families
while also checking out tourist sites.
“I got to see what life is like for them,” Rao said. “It was very
rewarding.”
Freese said summer pick-up field hockey games are popular for her
athletes to participate in, especially the ones from New York and
Pennsylvania.
The Doan sisters also plan on trying to compete in pick-up games at
the University of Michigan. Allyson said they happen over the weekend
with nearby Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and U of M field hockey
athletes participating.
The team will report Aug. 10 for the season’s first practice as
Central prepares to defend its title.
“I love it (in Pennsylvania), but I’m excited to get back and defend
our title,” Rao said.
The season starts Aug. 27 with a home game against Syracuse.
(06/14/06 4:00am)
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t get what the big deal is.
Okay, so the World Cup is going on. That’s great. But why does
everyone suddenly care about soccer?
It’s not like soccer matters any other time. It’s not like most
Americans can name many soccer players who aren’t David Beckham or even
many teams that aren’t Manchester United.
And forget about teams that play in this country. Last time I heard
about American soccer, it was the Detroit Rockers and I was 12.
I’m also convinced that 12 is the highest possible age that 90
percent of the people living in this country can reach and still think
soccer is anything but boring.
Yet here we are, and all my sports-fiend friends are interested in
forcing me to watch soccer games whenever we hang out. They can’t seem
to do anything while a game could be playing on TV.
Sure, summer has a huge sports void. Baseball is only interesting in
the highlights and basketball and hockey playoffs dwindle out early.
But, I have to say it – soccer just plain sucks.
The field is too big, there are too many players and nothing happens
for way too long at a time. At least if the players could run each
other over we’d have a game reminiscent of hockey or football, but
that’s not allowed either.
Just because countries compete against each other doesn’t mean
soccer isn’t a snore. But for some reason, just like the Olympics,
people seem to think the chance to rub it in Europe’s face elevates
sports like figure skating and softball to prime-time levels.
I can go watch people run back and forth on a huge piece of grass at
my local kindergarten and be about as entertained as when watching the
World Cup. I don’t need it on every TV in sight during the summer, too.
Reruns are boring enough.
Phil Hornshaw can be reached at news@cm-life.com
(04/03/06 4:00am)
A primary concern for field hockey coach Cristy Freese was the defense.
After a three-goal first period by Michigan State Sunday in a 6-2
exhibition loss, the concern still remains.
“It is pretty evident we need to work on our defense,” Freese said.
“We made some mistakes, especially in the first period.”
The Chippewas’ lost backs Laura Glaza and Kim Ferris to graduation.
That leaves junior Erin Dottery to anchor a young defense.
“I am just trying to be a leader,” Dottery said. “I just let them
know where they need to be and try to lead by example.”
CMU allowed the second lowest goals per game in the Mid-American
Conference at 2.51 goals per game, and had three shutouts last season.
“It would concern me more if we played defense like that three weeks
from now,” Freese said. “That is what these games are for. We just need
to work on some things.”
The teams played three 20 minute periods at the Field Hockey Complex
in an exhibition game.
CMU settled down after the first period. It allowed just three more
goals in the next two periods.
“Our intensity was really good in the third period,” Dottery said.
“We were playing really well with each other.”
The Chippewas’ goals were scored by freshman Samantha Sandham and
Dottery.
This is the first of three weekends of exhibition games for CMU. It
plays games against Kent State, Michigan State and Northwestern
Saturday in Ann Arbor.
(03/31/06 5:00am)
The alarm clock sounds just after 8 a.m. to start a day that usually
doesn’t end until after midnight.
It is a day packed with a full class load, practice and a strenuous
workout schedule aimed to prepare an athlete for a season that is a
distant eight months away.
This is a typical schedule of an offseason athlete, and in this
case, men’s basketball center Justin Blevins.
“It’s a year-round thing,” Blevins said. “You’re always fighting to
get your work done even if it’s just five minutes here or 15 minutes
there.”
The team resumed practice just three weeks after the season ended.
Blevins’ Daily Schedule:
8 a.m. Alarm clock sounds
9 a.m. Business Calculus (meets four times/week)
10 a.m. Guitar class (Tuesday/Thursday)
11 a.m. Statistics class (Tuesday/Thursday)
12:30 p.m. Introduction to Marketing (Tuesday/Thursday)
2 p.m. Lunch
3 p.m. Practice on Monday/Thursday
4 p.m. Weight lifting at IAC (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday)
6 p.m. Dinner
7 p.m. Homework study
7 p.m. Finance class on Monday/Wednesday
10 p.m. Free-time
Midnight Bedtime
Hobbies: Guitar, video games, hanging out with his girlfriend
Favorite video game system: 8-bit Nintendo
Favorite video game: Super Mario Brother’s 3
Favorite food: Fettuccini Chicken Alfredo
Position: Center/Forward
Many teams start individual workouts right after a season’s
completion, while full practices can start less than one month later.
The volleyball team’s season ended Nov. 15 with a loss in the
Mid-American Conference Tournament. It restarted individual practice
before the tournament concluded.
“When you commit, you are committing for four to five years,” said
sophomore setter Courtney Kersten. “If you want to get better then you
have to get into the gym and do it.”
Blevins said the offseason is as grueling as the regular season
because of the weight-training schedule.
The basketball team trains four days a week and practices twice a
week, while the volleyball team lifts three days and practices four.
Field hockey coach Cristy Freese said outsiders see athletes only in
the competitive season and sometimes don’t understand what it takes to
be a Division-I athlete.
“You have to be a 12-month athlete,” Freese said. “They are always
busy because when they’re not practicing they are lifting.”
And when they are not doing that, they are in the classroom.
However, he has learned to manage his time efficiently after playing
at CMU the past three years.
He’s a video game fanatic, plays guitar and still maintains a 2.9
grade point average.
And he has a girlfriend in a relationship he calls “very strong.”
Since Blevins can’t hold a paying job like non-athletes, he buys
video games at garage sales and sells them in his own lucrative
business on eBay.
Kersten’s Daily Schedule:
6 a.m. Alarm clock sounds (Monday through Thursday)
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7 a.m. Weight lifting
8 a.m. Practice
11 a.m. Weight lifting class (Tuesday/Thursday)
Noon Lunch
1 p.m. Chemistry class (meets four times/week)
2 p.m. Library to study
3 p.m. Snack
3:30 p.m. Psychology class
5 p.m. Dinner
6 p.m. Free time
8 p.m. Homework or back to library
10 p.m. Bedtime
Hobbies: Watching game film, hanging out with roommates
Favorite TV shows: “American Idol” and the “OC”
Position: Setter
Quotable: “If you want to get better then you have to get into the
gym and do it.”
His sales have netted him more than $1,000 in the last three and a
half weeks.
Blevins, who said he owns every video game system ever made, has six
8-bit Nintendo’s stacked at his apartment ready to be cleaned and
shipped out.
“I clean up the games and make sure they work,” he said. “Then my
girlfriend helps me send them out.”
Even with the strenuous schedule, Blevins usually has the weekend to
relax.
“Friday is the best day for me,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to
just sleep right through the alarm.”
This Friday is an exception because he is traveling home to Marion
to play in an alumni game Saturday at Marion High School.
“These players do this stuff all year long,” said men’s basketball
coach Jay Smith. “With recruiting, camps, lifting and practice, it
becomes a full-time job.”
With the volleyball season drawing closer, Kersten’s free time has
become limited.
Her health fitness major includes a lifting class, which makes her
lift an additional two days.
She starts spring volleyball Saturday and will help run a youth
clinic Sunday.
Kersten forces herself to study at the library during free time to
maintain her 3.5 GPA.
“I always feel like I am doing something,” Kersten said. “It’s tough
sometimes to maintain everything. The library is a good place for me.”
Neither Blevins nor Kersten struggled to get back on the court after
their seasons ended.
“We know we’re working for that goal of being a better team for next
year,” Blevins said. “It wasn’t that big of a struggle. It wouldn’t be
right any other way.”
(03/31/06 5:00am)
Field hockey coach Cristy Freese said she isn’t worried about her
team’s offense.
She is concerned with the defense after two players were lost to
graduation.
This is just one of many things CMU will work on when it begins its
spring competition with a game against Michigan State at 2 p.m. Sunday
at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
“We’re trying to solidify our defense,” Freese said. “We will work
together to accomplish those goals.”
Backs Laura Glaza and Kim Ferris both graduated.
They helped CMU allow just 2.51 goals per game, tied for second
lowest in the Mid-American Conference. The Chippewas posted three
shutouts last season.
The offense led the MAC in goals, assists and points.
It returns top goal scorers Alicia Balanesi and Kelly Jordan, who
tied for second in the MAC with 11 goals each.
The team competes in an eight-team spring league for the next three
weekends.
CMU plays at Michigan for three games April 8 against Kent State,
Michigan State and Northwestern.
It also plays Miami University and Ohio at Michigan State April 15.
Another thing Freese wants to work on is getting the younger players
playing time.
“We want to give them some time in a starting role,” Freese said.
“We want to get them acclimated to playing a bigger role.”
(03/29/06 5:00am)
The Trout/Calkins courtyard features a wide range of recreational
playing fields for students to enjoy.
It has remained nearly dormant, however, even during the warmer
spring and summer months – and it’s not hard to see why.
Cracks and gouges have formed on the basketball and hockey courts,
making the surfaces close to unplayable. Wooden boards are covering up
missing fences on the tennis court.
Sand from the volleyball area has scattered around the cement – even
onto the makeshift track surrounding the area.
“The (tennis) court was in decent shape, but on the basketball
courts there were large cracks that could trip people up,” said Canton
freshman Dan Levine. “There’s also a lot of un-elevated ground that can
puddle up from rain.”
Levin played tennis in the courtyard with friends during the early
fall semester and said the damaged area needs work.
If the area isn’t renovated, he said students and children could be
at risk playing on the surfaces.
Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management,
said no price tag can be put on a possible replacement or renovation
because it hasn’t been inspected yet.
“You would determine the overall condition of the existing pavement
to determine if a complete replacement was required versus partial
replacement,” he said in an e-mail to Central Michigan Life.
Levine said despite the condition of the courtyard, he doesn’t think
a complete renovation is needed.
“They could use better drainage on the courts so large puddles don’t
form after a little rain,” he said.
Another important concern, Lawrence said, is the access of heavy
equipment into the area.
“We would look at other utilities that may be impacted by a project
in the area and sidewalks that could be damaged by heavy equipment,” he
said.
(03/15/06 5:00am)
I never went on spring break with my friends before.
The wild trips to Cancun, Mexico or Miami never came to fruition.
So when I decided to go to Jamaica with four of my friends, it was
kind of a big deal.
I left March 4 from Detroit and I was nervous from the get-go.
See, a few years back someone stole my identity and somehow I ended
up on the Transportation Security Administration’s “No Fly List.”
Basically what that means is a giant headache every time I fly.
Extra security checks, hassles about my identification and extra bag
checks are just a few of my travel-induced migraines.
So I said “screw it.” I procrastinated and didn’t get a passport and
relied only on my birth certificate and driver’s license.
As soon as I landed in Montego Bay I was detained by Immigration and
Naturalization for about two hours – because I didn’t know the address
of where I was staying.
The first couple of days were sort of a shock and we were all forced
to adapt a little.
The refrigerator wasn’t very cold, the stove didn’t get very hot and
we could only buy cases of beer during the day.
And the local gas station doesn’t like it when a bunch of American
tourists role up at 11 p.m. and buy beer and munchies, trying to use
U.S. currency.
Needless to say, we went and exchanged some money at Cambio King the
next day.
I felt sort of like a high roller. For every American dollar, I got
$64 Jamaican. After changing $180 U.S., I rolled out with $11,520
Jamaican.
After getting situated, we were ready to experience our Jamaican
spring break.
Sunday night it was a St. Patty’s party at Margaritaville in Montego
Bay. It cost $30 U.S. to drink for free until 1 a.m. I think I blacked
out around 12:30 a.m. after I had professed my love to a gorgeous Penn
State field hockey player.
Monday we went fishing in the Caribbean. It was great, but I wish I
could have hooked a big barracuda.
But I settled for the most comedic moment of the trip when two of my
buddies were tossed out of the boat by a rolling wave.
Note to self: Don’t stand up in small aluminum boats.
Then it was off to a Jamaican strip club where the saying “whatever
happens in Jamaica, stays in Jamaica,” is very appropriate.
All day Tuesday we walked the beaches of Negril and found Red Stripe
for $100 Jamaican – that’s about $1.50 U.S.
After we got back to Montego Bay, it was back to Margaritaville
where we ran into a whole crew from CMU and the Mount Pleasant area.
Thursday was our last real party night, so we went to Negril again
for some “Playboy Get Wet Beach Party.”
Talk about false advertising.
There were no Playboy Bunnies and the only people who got wet were
those who had a hotel nearby and could go change their clothes.
Oh, and girls from the east coast are stuck up – (fill in expletive
here).
It was a great trip that I’ll never forget and I can’t wait to get
back.
Dominic Adams can be reached at editor@cm-life.com.
(02/22/06 5:00am)
Staff Reporter Larry Pietron grills soccer junior goalie Anne Decker on
her life, on and off the field.
Larry Pietron: How does it feel being the last line of defense
for the soccer team, knowing that if you don’t make the save you might
be the one blamed rather than the rest of your team?
Anne Decker: Pressure. I take it the same as I do in life. I’d much
rather take on challenges myself, rather than putting it on the hands
of others.
LP: So with all that pressure do you consider yourself the leader of
the soccer team?
AD: I may not be the captain of the team, but I still feel that I am
a leader in other ways. I feel I’m more of a vocal leader on the
field and in the locker room.
LP: Dating Wynn Michalak, the No. 1 wrestler in the country at
197-pounds, must be pretty intense don’t you think?
AD: Definitely. But when I began dating him he wasn’t number one, so
I would like to think that I may have some contribution to his success.
LP: Does Wynn know this?
AD: I’m not sure, I would want to think so.
LP: As the current record holder of most consecutive shutouts for
Central, do you ever battle Wynn for rights to best athlete in the
relationship in an American Gladiator style showdown?
AD: All day, every day. But I can always hit him with the fact that
he doesn’t hold any records yet. But we do get into some pretty heated
wrestling matches which usually ends my arguing.
LP: What’s your opinion on the winter Olympic games in Torino. Can’t
wait to see what the events are today? Or can’t wait till they’re over
with?
AD: I love watching the Olympics, especially women’s hockey. I was
so depressed when the U.S. lost to Sweden.
LP: What’s the worst job or job experience you’ve had?
AD: Honestly, I never really have had that many jobs. My life is
soccer and coaching soccer, so it’s pretty hard to give any bad
experiences.
LP: Name one thing that bothers you about CMU?
AD: Drivers. People just seem to have no idea how to operate motor
vehicles in Mount Pleasant.
LP: If you would compare yourself to any famous athlete who would it be?
AD: Terrell Owens. Maybe not every aspect of him like how he fights
with his teammates. But I think I can relate to the confidence of his
game. He just knows that he’s going to make the catch, put up
touchdowns and finish with an end zone dance.
LP: Do you have an end zone dance?
AD: No. But I think I put on a show for the fans.
LP: What do you think is the main reason why the U.S. economy has been
so poor the last few years?
AD: I really don’t know much about the economy.
LP: What if I allowed you to phone a friend, who would you call?
AD: Wynn. Because he’s really smart when it comes to politics.
LP: So why do you think that the American people mainly liked Bill
Clinton so much more than George Bush even though he was impeached but
not removed while in office?
AD: I think he related himself to the people in everyday life. Also
I think that President Clinton didn’t have to deal with 9/11 while in
office.
(02/06/06 5:00am)
Christine Molnar couldn’t have been happier to spend a day playing
sports with her 9-year-old friend.
Molnar is a mentor to Katherine Wilson, a Mount Pleasant
resident. They were just two of around 20 different pairs who attended
Girls and Women in Sports Day Saturday at the Student Activity Center.
“This was a great opportunity for us to hang out with each other,”
said Molnar, a Taylor senior.
The University Recreation and Athletics Departments co-hosted the
seventh annual event. National Girls and Women in Sports Day has
been held annually in February for the past 20 years.
Girls between the ages of 8 and 13, along with their mothers or
mentors, attended Saturday’s event. Each pair took part in sport
clinics taught by CMU coaches and athletes, in addition to area
coaches. The clinics included field hockey, soccer and volleyball.
Participants received a T-shirt, lunch and a free ticket to the
women’s basketball game against Ohio later that afternoon where CMU
handled the Bobcats 64-48.
Lindsie Posey, coordinator of programs and special events for
University Recreation, said the goal was for girls and their mothers to
have fun.
“My favorite part of today was seeing the mothers with their
daughters. They were laughing and having a good time,” she said.
“Developing awareness and showing that there are many different sports
available to young girls is important.”
Shepherd resident Lilly Maloney, 13, was one of many who were
laughing and having a good time. She said her favorite part of the day
was learning how to play field hockey.
“I’m good at it and I like hitting things with a stick,” she said.
“If I could, I would come back next year.”
Kim Ferris, St. Louis senior and co-captain of the field hockey
team, helped teach the field hockey clinic.
“Some girls haven’t seen field hockey before and I think it’s
interesting seeing their faces when they learn about it,” she said. “I
think sports are really empowering and it’s nice to see these girls
have enthusiasm about sports.”
Ferris also said teamwork, self-esteem and friendship are really
important aspects for girls to learn. She said she believes girls can
do whatever they want.
“Just have some excitement with it,” Ferris said.
