Student Life Archives

Matthew Goldberg
Sports Editor

Outlook:
This has been a tragic week in Southern California. Thousands of homes have been charred in the most horrific wildfires in memory. Send some good vibes SoCal’s way because they need all the help they can get. Football seems very unimportant right now.

Game of the week: Washington at Dallas
The Fun ‘N Gun invades Texas this weekend. Although I doubt that The Ol’ Ball Coach will have any fun. Look for a bunch of visor throws in this game becuase the Cowboys will take it to the ‘Skins pourous defense.

Pankaj Chhabra
Sports Editor

Outlook:
People always say that the holiday season is time to reflect on the good things in life. So on Halloween, why not reflect on the bad things, like Yankees fans, Lakers fans and Packers fans? I hate you all!

Game of the week: New England at Denver
Tha Patriots lead the AFC East despite injuries to several key players. Meanwhile, Denver looks to be in big trouble with their top three quarterbacks injured. Hey. Manny Ramirez was just waived. Maybe the Broncos can claim him; his lack of hustle always seems to hurt Beantown.

Joe Ciolli
Sports Editor

Outlook:
New York sports fans should feel fortunate to have a team from its city finally win a game this weekend as the Jets take on the Giants. And, unlike World Series chumps the Yankees, the strategy for winning won’t involve buying all of the league’s best players during the off-season.

Game of the week: Jacksonville at Baltimore
With a pair of rookie quarterbacks (Kyle Boller and Byron Leftwich) starting this weekend, it’ll be a tough battle to see which team can compile fewer passing yards. At least Baltimore still has the Orioles. Ha ha.

Ashley Malnove
Sports Designer

Outlook:
It’s that time of year again. No it’s not just Halloween, it’s time for basketball. Imagine, a sport I actually follow. Then again, I live near a dealership called “Stockton to Malone.” Since Malone’s move to the Lakers, are they going to rename the car dealership?

Game of the week: Carolina at Houston
In honor of Panther, Macintosh’s latest update to OS X, I’m going with the Carolina Panthers. Yeah I’m a dork, but Panther is so cool. Texans can’t make my computer run better. And anyway, Panthers can eat Texans.

Jonathan Greenberger
Associate Editor

Outlook:
It’ll be a huge weekend in college football, with OK State at Oklahoma, Miami at Va. Tech and Washington State at USC. Of course, the marquee matchup has to be my Ohio State Buckeyes at 2-6 Penn State.

Game of the week: Indianapolis at Miami
Sure it will be a snoozer, but the Bengals have a chance to win their third game in a row. How often does that happen? Next thing you know, the Cubs and Red Sox will be in the World Series. Oh wait…

That’s right, I’m anointing James to the king’s throne vacated by Michael Jordan when he retired in 1998. It may be too early to compare James’ game to that of Michael Jordan (he’s more akin to Magic Johnson), but anyone who saw LeBron’s debut Wednesday night against Sacramento can no longer doubt that he is destined for great things.

I’m not proud to say this, but until his NBA debut I was a James doubter. In the hours leading up to the Cavs’ season opener, I became antsy, partially because of the awesome aura of James and partially because my Bulls were getting manhandled by the Wizards, sans Jerry Stackhouse. I was gearing up for three hours of precision passing, glorious finishes and poise aplenty.

I was preparing for LeBronathon.

But to my dismay, ESPN decided to run overtime of the Orlando-New York game, which cut into the start of The Coronation.

Even New Yorkers want to watch King James, not their pathetic Knickerbockers!

The mistake finished second in all-time sports programming gaffes. Only NBC’s infamous 1968 Raiders-Jets AFL misstep, in which network executives cut out the last minute of a tight game to show the made-for-TV movie “Heidi,” tops ESPN’s blunder.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but I wanted my LeBron. To make matters worse, they showed highlights of James’ first-quarter exploits during dead balls, as if teasing viewers with what they were missing.

Finally, the Magic won and they cut to the Cavs-Kings game. King James appeared on the tube, and he immediately went to work as if recognizing that the spotlight was now entirely on him instead of Tyronn Lue.

A series of jumpers dispelled the myth that he lacked touch from the perimeter. Granted, it was only one game and he was being guarded by a notoriously slow-footed and short defender, Mike Bibby, but one thing became apparent. While most professional ballers are pigeonholed as being a point guard or a small forward, James is both.

He took it to the hole with authority several times, finding Ricky Davis on an alley-oop slam and then finishing left-handed on an incredible whirling dervish finger roll. He showed unselfishness, passing up a sure highlight-reel slam and instead letting Davis pull off a wicked 360 reverse dunk on a fast break. His defense was also surprisingly good.

I always wondered how he would do when not playing against kids scared to death of their upcoming algebra test. But James went into the raucous home of one of the NBA’s elite teams and, by keeping his team close until the waning moments of the contest, showed that he was not only the best player on his team, but also the best player on the court. His line says a lot, but still doesn’t do him justice; LeBron finished with 25 points on 12-of-20 shooting and chipped in six boards, nine assists and four steals.

Making his virtuoso performance all the more remarkable, James turned the ball over just twice. The 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio for a prep-to-pro 18-year old rookie is stunning; the poise James displayed while dominating players five- to ten- years his senior is flat out astonishing.

Sometimes it is easy for people like me to forget that it was just one game. James would be hard-pressed to play at that level for the rest of the season. Still, I have to up my projections for his initial campaign.

I figured LeBron for 12 points, three boards and three dimes per game, not enough for Cleveland to compete for a playoff spot. Now I see him averaging 18 points, five boards and seven assists, at least making the Cavs competitive for the eighth and final playoff spot in the moribund Eastern Conference. Needless to say, that’s a significant difference.

Now we know LeBron has skills. But how will he handle the elite combo guards in the NBA? LeBron faces off against Tracy McGrady on Dec. 25; think of it as a Christmas present from the basketball gods.

This past weekend the Washington University women’s cross country team found itself in an uncommon position: ranked in the national top 25. Positioned in the 24th spot, the Bears received an overdue reward after finishing first out of 17 teams at their most recent meet, the Milliken University Classic.

Two Bears runners, junior Maggie Grabow and freshman Elizabeth Herndon, finished in the top ten, propelling their team to an impressive victory.

Hoping to build upon this achievement, the Bears travel to Chicago this Saturday to compete in the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships. With only one UAA team (Emory University) ranked ahead of them nationally, the women’s team will certainly enter the Championships with a great deal of confidence.

The men’s team, also fresh off of a first-place overall finish at the Milliken University Classic, hope to join the women as the conference’s best squad at the Conference Championships.

The team hopes sophomores Brennan Bonner and Greg Reindl, as well as senior Darius Viet match their success at the Milliken Classic, where the three runners finished in the third through fifth spots, respectively. However, with several UAA teams currently occupying spots in the men’s national rankings, the Bears appear to have their work cut out for them at the conference meet this weekend.

Once the teams compete at the Conference Championships, they have a full week off before returning to action at home in the National Invitational Two Mile. However, all attention is currently focused on the task at hand. If the teams can ride the momentum created by their successes at the Millikin Invitational, other teams in the UAA will definitely have to look out for the Bears.

The men’s soccer team faces the “game of the season” this Friday, Oct. 31. The 8-4-4 Bears take on the 10-4-1 conference rival, Rochester University, at 5:00 p.m. on Francis Field.

Head Coach Joe Clarke is calling the showdown the “game of the season” because he considers Rochester to be the strongest team left on the Bear’s schedule.

“They make you be at your finest if you are going to beat them,” said Clarke.

Luckily, Clarke indicated that his team is playing better than ever.

“We’ve played a strong game virtually every game, and we’ve been getting better every game,” said Clarke.

In fact, the Bears, who were only 4-4-2 earlier this month, have not lost in their last six games. Since a 1-0 loss to Carnegie Mellon Oct. 5, they’ve tied Emory University and Webster University, ousted New York University 3-2 in overtime, and shutout Blackburn College, Brandeis University and Westminster College.

The University beat Westminster 2-0 at home Monday, Oct. 27. The Bears out-shot their opponents 21-6 for the game but found themselves scoreless at the half. That changed when midfielder senior Mike Torres put his team up at 58:53, scoring off an unassisted shot 25 yards out. Midfielder junior Josh Farber extended the lead by knocking in a rebounded shot only 7 minutes later. Colin Robinson, junior, guarded the net all 90 minutes, making four saves.

Clarke’s men have put the win behind them though, focusing on their final three games, which are all against UAA Conference teams.

Rochester is only one of a handful of conference teams that poses a serious threat to the Bears.

“The league is very, very crowded,” said Clarke. “There are six teams that still have a chance of winning it.”

Rochester and Carnegie Mellon sit atop the UAA with conference records of 3-1. Both Washington and Emory hold 2-1-1 records, while Brandeis and New York have each won two and lost two.

Those standings could fluctuate after Friday, however, and again after Sunday. The UAA conference includes eight men’s soccer teams, and all 8 teams face two conference opponents this weekend.

After Friday’s challenge, Washington and Rochester are each scheduled to play an easier match-up Sunday. At 11:00 a.m., Washington will play its final home game of the season against the 2-9-1 Case Western Reserve University team, currently 0-4 in the conference. Meanwhile, the University of Chicago, just 1-3 in the UAA, will host Rochester.

The Bears will face Chicago on the road Saturday, Nov. 8, ending the regular season with what they hope will be a solid victory.

Prevailing over Rochester, as well as Case Western and Chicago, is crucial for the Bears, who are striving to win the conference title in order to be the one team that the UAA sends into the NCAA playoffs.

Clarke said the team may be able to survive in the conference if they tie Rochester, but not if they lose.

In a best-case-scenario, Washington would defeat Rochester and win their final pair of games, while both Carnegie Mellon and Emory would suffer a loss. It is a fair possibility since CMU and Emory will flip-flop playing NYU and Brandeis this weekend.

The Bears can only hope though that their conference rivals wind up with tarnished records. They cannot control how anyone plays except themselves.

“My expectations are that they give 100 percent effort physically and use their brains,” said Clarke. “There are only two things they can control: their effort and brains. I’m happy with the direction this season is going.”

Clarke attributes the team’s success to strong senior leadership in the form of co-captain midfielders Steve Bujarski and James Wards, midfielder Nate Reller, defensive-back Mike Torres, and top-scoring forward Scott Siebers.

“The seniors are doing a great job,” said Clarke. “They own this team, and it is their last chance to play here this weekend.”

That said, it seems the Bears have every reason to be motivated and able to win the “game of the season.”

J. DANIEL OPPENHEIMER

Walk a mere twenty-five minutes from the South 40 and you’ll find 27 holes of beauty and pure bliss. I sure did. After a $12.8 million renovation project, the newly refurbished Norman K. Probstein Community Golf Course in Forest Park is nothing short of exquisite.

Scott Lanemann, the head professional of the course, attributes the immense improvement to the new double-row irrigation system and the dedicated maintenance of the three nine-hole courses: Hawthorne, Dogwood, and Redbud. Redbud debuts this spring.

“The difference in the conditions is like night and day,” Lanemann said. “Everybody loves it.”

Designed by the Hale Irwins Company, the course now offers a full service eatery, Ruthie’s, as well as a brand new clubhouse. To enjoy the serene ambiance of the course, weekend rates are $21 for riding nine holes and $40 for riding eighteen. Or be like me; burn off that Center Court brunch, and save a considerable amount of cash by walking the course.

Playing during the week is substantially cheaper, and provides a unique way to relieve the stress and overwhelming anxiety from any disastrous test, miserable essay, or other academic catastrophe.

Paul Brackens, one of the marshals of the course, has been working and playing at the course for approximately eight years. He described the renovation as “a great transformation, one that exceeded my wildest expectations.” Watching the renovations, Brackens recalled that they required “bringing in heavy machinery, like they were building a highway.”

New irrigation pipes, additional sand traps, sodden fairways, and seeded roughs are some of the ingredients added to this rich course, which have been well received according to Brackens

I became well acquainted with these sand traps, lush roughs, and other hazards. The eighth hole, a 447-yard par five, was simply discouraging, as I lost three balls in three strokes. The ninth hole was equally treacherous, as my Titleist found its way into a pond, short of the green.

With three pars, six nightmares, and a Macanudo cigar, I completed my first experience on the beautiful Hawthorne course. Open throughout the year, except when snow covers the ground, the course is located on the corner of Skinker and Forsyth, across from Brookings Hall.

WebSTAC

This Saturday night is Senior Night for the Washington University volleyball team. The Bears will hold a ceremony to honor their three seniors: Katie Quinn, Amy Brand, and Cindy McPeak.

“Senior Night is an opportunity for us to recognize the seniors and their accomplishments at [the University],” said head coach Rich Luenemann. “Amy, Katie and Cindy have been great leaders of the program and excellent role models for the other players. It is appropriate for us to take time to recognize what they’ve done to make Wash U volleyball one of most successful programs in America.”

Throughout their participation in the volleyball program at the University, the seniors have each proven to be a major asset to the team. According to Luenemann, each senior plays a special role on the team.

Middle blocker Quinn acts as the team’s go-to person in the offensive system. “She [Quinn] is explosive both as attacker and blocker, leading the team in block percentage,” said Luenemann.

Fellow middle blocker Brand is the team’s quiet assassin. “She [Brand] accumulates blocks and digs and you don’t even realize she’s doing it,” Luenemann said.

Cindy is the team’s hardest hitter. “There is an instantaneous energy when she puts the ball away,” said Luenemann.

According to Luenemann, Quinn, Brand, and McPeak’s contributions go far beyond their athletic abilities.

“One of their most important contributions has been the leadership roles they have accepted while here at Wash U,” said Luenemann. These seniors lead by example, both on and off the court. We strive for our players to be empathetic, caring people like these women are.”

Their teammates say the seniors will be sorely missed and difficult to replace next year.

“They were sophomores when I was a freshman,” said junior Ishi Ballew. “When you come in as a freshman, there is so much you don’t know and the sophomores help you out the most because they went through everything the year before. They showed us the ropes and they were always there to help and support us. It will be hard to let them go.

Quinn, Brand, and McPeak have formed the nucleus of the team for the past few years of the program. The team will undergo a huge transition next year after the loss of three of their five starters.

In addition to anticipating Senior Night, the team is preparing for the Washington University Classic this weekend. They will face Illinois College, Webster University, and Westminster College.

While none of these teams rank in the top 25, the Bears do not anticipate easy wins.

“The Bears’ program is recognized as the premier division III volleyball program,” said Luenemann. “We have a target on our back. We have to respond and play our best because other teams will play their best against us.

In practices this week, the athletes continue to work the technical and mental aspects of their game. Each practice begins with 40 minutes of five-minute drills.

“All the drills have been a lot more intense and we are pushing ourselves to work on game-level speed,” said Ballew.

This intensity, along with an increased energy level on the court, will be crucial to the team’s post season success.

“In practice, we are constantly reminding the players to maintain confidence and have meaningful interaction on the court,” said Luenemann. “Maintaining momentum is by far the most critical factor in preparing for post season play.”

Bernell Dorrough

After a brutal early season schedule, the Washington University football team have settled into a familiar role of creaming their UAA rivals.

Last week the team thoroughly destroyed Case Western University, winning easily 38-10. The Bears also tied a UAA record by only allowing fourteen rushing yards to Case Western. A week before that, Washington University kicked off UAA play with a 28-0 drubbing of the University of Chicago.

The team looks to continue this success against a talented University of Rochester team. Rochester is in the hunt for the UAA crown, sporting a 1-0 record in UAA play. However, in non-conference play, Rochester is a meager 2-4. Despite this relatively weak record, Rochester has the talent to make the Bears sweat for a victory.

According to Junior Adam Meranda, “Rochester is a team that plays hard and has great athletes. We will probably see two of the best corners we have seen all season. Their defensive philosophy revolves around making the quarterback make quick decisions under pressure, and that excites me.”

Coach Kindbom echoes agrees with Meranda’s assessment of Rochester.

“Rochester is a very good skill team. They are very fast, and they really like to put pressure on the offensive line by blitzing. Controlling their dynamic running game is also a priority.”

The Bears will look to control Rochester’s strengths by continuing to play an aggressive run stopping defense and by stopping Rochester’s aggressive defense, using strong offensive line play to control the line of scrimmage.

One of the themes of this season has been the steady improvement that the team has achieved week after week.

“Our team has been on a steady incline as far as the level of our play this season. Every day in some facet of the game we find ways to get better, and I think that that is all you could ask,” says Meranda.

According to Kindbom, there are still some areas that the team can improve upon. “We need to work on finishing every thing off as best we can. We need to finish our blocks, finish our drives, and finish off each game strongly.”

Meranda believes that, at least on offense, the team has to avoid mental lapses in order to be victorious in the last few games.

“Offensively we have to keep eliminating mental mistakes,” said Meranda. “We turned the ball over twice against Case Western, once in the back of their endzone, and have had a couple of pre-snap penalties in the past two games.”

“We are doing a good job converting when we get inside our opponent’s twenty yard line, and that is going to have to continue if we are going to win the last two games.”

But even if the Bears do successfully turn around these mistakes and prevail against Rochester and Carnegie Mellon, postseason play is not likely.

“Our chances for postseason play are pretty slim. Generally, a team in our situation should be 9-1 or 8-2 to be eligible for postseason play,” explains Kindbom.

Despite the slim odds of making the playoffs, the team does have a realistic shot at winning the UAA. Currently, the Bears lead the UAA with a 2-0 mark, with Rochester and Carnegie Mellon following with records of 1-0.

“Right now we must take everything game by game, even play by play,” says Kindbom.

“We take things one week at a time,” said Meranda. “We’re not good enough to do more than that. No one is. Rochester is in for a dog fight this weekend here in St. Louis. The outcome depends on whether we perform or not.”