sports

Women’s basketball looks to improve upon last year

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Published Oct 24, in Sports, W. Basketball

In the 2012-13 season, the Mercer women’s basketball team is looking to prove their doubters wrong. Head coach Susie Gardner enters her third season at the helm for the Bears, and she assures it’s going to be a great year for the team.
“We’ve been practicing for a long time. Women’s basketball allows us to start the season rather early. We started on Oct. 4 and we were able to have a great fall break where we could have two-a-days, so we’ve gotten a lot of things accomplished,” said Gardner. “Our program’s growing, we’re still building. We’re not there yet but we are taking steps in the right direction.”
For the first time under Susie Gardner’s direction, the Bears will have a veteran squad hitting the court. Consisting of three seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and one freshman, the Mercer women’s basketball team is going to be looking for veteran leadership on and off the court.
“We only have two new players on the team, so I have a majority of people who can run a drill rather than our coaches running a drill. So you can feel the flow of practice going a lot better,” mentioned Gardner.
Unfortunately for the Bears, their leading point earner from last year is not available during this season. Junior guard Briana Williams is out for the 2012-13 season, with a tear in her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Last year, the star guard averaged 17.5 points per game. Her presence will be missed on the court.
“With Briana getting hurt, we had a game plan in place as a coaching staff and that had to be tweaked overnight, but I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Gardner said.
With Williams out, the Bears are going to have to look for other sources to make baskets for the team. One of those sources is senior forward Ry’van Buchanan. Last season, Buchanan averaged 10.8 points per game as well as 5.3 rebounds per game. Her efforts last season were enough to get her named to the Atlantic Sun’s Preseason All-Conference Team.
Another player the Bears are looking forward to having back is redshirt junior, Kendra Grant. Grant has had to sit out due to several knee injuries, but she is back this year and ready to perform at the best of her ability.
“It was very difficult. Going from being able to play out there to just sitting out on the sidelines was difficult. But I’m ready now to get back out there and pick up where I left off,” Grant said.
Last season, the women’s basketball team was within 10 points of the opposing squad in several games. Unfortunately, they were unable to close out the majority of those games.
“You can try to simulate time and score situations in practice,” Gardner said. “Hopefully with the experience of going through those games in the past we can come out on the correct end of those this year.”
The women’s basketball team hits the court for the first time this season on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Hawkins Arena for an exhibition match versus Francis Marion.

Men’s golf takes third

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Published Oct 24, in Golf, Sports

The Mercer men’s golf team recently competed at the AutoTrader Classic at the Berkley Hills Country Club in Duluth, Ga. After finishing sixth at the Brickyard Collegiate, the Bears looked to improve upon their performance in their last tournament of the fall season.
After the first day of play which consisted of the first two rounds, the Bears rounded out the day with a combined stroke count of 595 which was good for third place.
“The guys played good, but we kind of stubbed our toe at the end,” Mercer head coach Steve Bradley said. “The 10th hole is the hardest hole on the course and we made a double and triple on it.  Other than that, we were solid this afternoon and if we play well tomorrow can move into second.”
Junior James Beale led the way for the Bears as he fired a 70 and a 74 in the first two rounds, leaving him in a six-way tie for fifth place overall with several of the country’s top collegiate golfers, including the reigning U.S. Amateur Champion.
“Those guys are good players and so is James,” Bradley said.  “He shot three-over in the second round with a double on ten that I know he wishes he could have back. He’s gone back to just playing golf and let go of self-imposed expectations, and he’s playing great right now.”
Junior Hans Reimers was tied for 19th place overall after finishing with scores of 75 and 72 in the first two rounds of play.  Sophomore Trey Rule was tied for 28th overall after shooting 78 and 71.  Senior Thomas Holmes posted scores of 72 and 78 and was tied for 32nd. Freshman Jeffrey Heinicka, Jr. rounded out Mercer’s competitors with a 36-hole total of 151.  He was tied for 37th place overall.
Senior John Gregory Joseph recorded scores of 72 and 76 while competing as an individual and is tied for 22nd place overall.
“Trey bounced back from a 78 to lead us in the afternoon and Hans also showed a lot of fight,” Bradley said.  “I’m very proud of our effort.”
Mercer shot 289 in the final round of play to complete the tournament with a three-round total of 874.  At the conclusion, the Bears were just eight strokes behind in-state rival Georgia State for second place while another in-state rival, Georgia Southern captured the team title with a stroke count of 859.
Head Coach Steve Bradley credited his players on a well played tournament.
“Obviously to finish third is nice, we had a shot at second, but Georgia State just played slightly better than us over the last five holes,” Bradley said. “Our guys have come a long way over the past six weeks. Trey’s tie for 11th finish was his career-best, James had another top-10 finish and Hans played solid for the second-straight tournament.”
Junior James Beale took home the team’s best individual finish, tying for eighth place overall with a three-round total of 216. Sophomore Trey Rule’s final round 70 combined with scores of 78 and 71 in the opening two rounds to place him tied for 11th overall.   Junior Hans Reimers finished in a tie for 17th at the event with a three-round total of 220, while freshman Jeffrey Heinicka, Jr. used 225 strokes and tied for 31st place. Senior Thomas Holmes capped his tournament with a 79 on Tuesday and tied for 50th place at 229.  His classmate, John Gregory Joseph, shot 76 on Tuesday and tied for 27th at 224.
“Overall I’m very happy with our play in this tournament and happy with the fall and how we’ve gotten better,” Bradley said. “The guys have a competitive fire now and after we take a couple weeks off we will get right back after it to get ready for the spring.”
James Beale’s performance in the AutoTrader Classic garnered him his third Atlantic Sun Conference Golfer of the Week honor this season.
Mercer is now finished with its fall schedule and will take a few months off before resuming play in the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at the Sawgrass Country Club on Feb. 24, 2013.

Volleyball battles for A-Sun positioning

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Published Oct 24, in Sports, Volleyball

In their last 5 matches, the Mercer women’s volleyball team has come up victorious in only two of those competitions. While playing some of their best volleyball to date, some efforts weren’t strong enough to secure those all important conference wins and they now see themselves in a battle to earn a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament against several other teams in the last few weeks of play.
The first match-up for the Bears was a rematch against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers. Mercer previously defeated ETSU in front of their home crowd, and looked to take the momentum from the previous win into this competition. Unfortunately for the Bears, ETSU came up on the victorious end this time taking the match 3-1.
The Orange and Black lost the first set 19-25, but battled back to win the second set 25-23. The Bears could not muster up enough strength to take the match however, and lost the next two sets (18-25, 18-25).
Leading the way for Mercer was sophomore Caroline Carlton who knocked down 15 kills. Senior Charlayna Braxton put down nine of her own while senior Jenn Katona and freshman Molly Locke each contributed seven apiece.
Senior setter Monica Sanchez was able to dish out 37 assists in the losing effort.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior libero Emily Rochefort contributed 24 digs while senior teammate Jamie Duffy was able to add 18 of her own. Monica Sanchez and Molly Locke aided the team getting seven digs of her own.
After coming up short against ETSU, the Bears looked to rebound against in-state rival Kennesaw State University. The team did just that and won the game in five sets (22-25, 25-18, 25-12, 11-25, 15-8).
Freshman Molly Locke led the team in kills with an impressive number of 16. Sophomore Caroline Carlton was not far off knocking down 15 of her own. Seniors Jamie Duffy, Jenn Katona and Charlayna Braxton also had impressive nights adding 11, 10 and nine kills, respectively.
Senior setter Monica Sanchez had an impressive outing and sent out 51 assists on the day.
Defensively four players reached double digit digs with Jamie Duffy leading the way with 19. Junior libero Emily Rochefort added 16 of her won, while Molly Locke and Monica Sanchez earned 15 and 13 of their own.
With another conference win in the books, the ladies looked to add another tally in the win column against the Spartans of USC Upstate. The Bears came up short and lost the match in three sets (19-25, 19-25, 14-25).
Freshman Molly Locke led the team in kills with eight while senior Jenn Katona was able to knock down seven of her own. Senior Jamie Duffy and sophomore Caroline Carlton also contribute six apiece.
Senior setter Monica Sanchez was able to amass 21 assist in the match, while junior setter Carly Iannarino was able to come in and contribute six of her own.
Junior libero Emily Rochefort added 22 digs in the match while Molly Locke amassed 16 of her own. Senior Jamie Duffy also contributed in the dig category with 11.
In the next match, the Bears saw themselves in a tight competition against the league leaders from Florida Gulf Coast University. The Orange and Black were able to take the match to five sets, but despite a resilient effort, came up on the losing end. The Bears took the first set 26-24 but lost the next two sets (26-28, 25 20). The ladies were able to bounce back in the fourth with a win of 25-18, but ultimately lost the fifth and final set 8-15.
Three players attained double digit kills with freshman Molly Locke pacing the Bears with 21. Senior Jamie Duffy and sophomore Caroline Carlton contributed 13 and 12, respectively.
Senior setter Monica Sanchez was able to obtain 51 assists in the match
Junior libero Emily Rochefort led the team in digs with 21, while Jamie Duffy and Molly Locke contributed 18 and 16, respectively.
After coming up just short against FGCU, the Bears were able to get back to winning ways against Stetson University. The Orange and Black defeated the Hatters in an impressive 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-19) fashion.
Sophomore Caroline Carlton paced the team with 15 kills while freshman Molly Locke was not far behind her knocking down 14.
Senior setter Monica Sanchez dished out 41 helpers in the competition.
Junior libero Emily Rochefort and Molly Locke each were able to add 14 digs in the winning effort.
The next match for the Bears is Oct. 26 vs. the Dolphins of Jacksonville University at 7 p.m. The Bears will also take on the University of North Florida the following day (Oct. 27) at 3 p.m. The game against North Florida will also double as senior night honoring the six seniors on the squad. Charlayna Braxton, Jamie Duffy, Jenn Katona, Madison Petsos, Monica Sanchez and Codi Schepp will all be honored for their service to Mercer University.

Day in the Life: Lizzie Knapper

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Published Oct 24, in Day in the Life, Sports

Volleyball player, dual math and psychology major Lizzie Knapper contributes much to her team’s advancement. Knapper ardently supports her teammates by attending every volleyball practice and tournament while also staying connected to the school community. Mercer students usually spot Knapper attending Reformed University Fellowship service or teaching a Pre-calculus SI class to freshman. Although balancing schoolwork, church, a social life, and volleyball resembles walking a tightrope, Knapper demonstrates the expertise of a trapeze artist.
On Thursday, Knapper’s busiest day of the week, she wakes up around 7 a.m. and quickly snatches a yogurt before heading off to her 8 a.m. 400 level math class, Real Analysis. “It’s really challenging and a lot harder than last year’s classes,” commented Knapper. After her Real Analysis class, she runs to History 110, which starts at 9:25 a.m. Then, at 10:50 a.m., Knapper studies Behavioral Statistics, a psychology course she takes to fulfill her major requirements. Commenting on her 12:15 p.m. Criminal Justice class, Knapper explains, “I am mainly taking that course for extra hours.”
After Knapper finishes her classes for the day, she grabs a quick bite to eat at 1:40 p.m. After eating lunch, the studious volleyball player finds a quiet place to study and does her homework from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Knapper then changes in the locker room for her 3:30 p.m. practice. Volleyball practice generally lasts from 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Before some practices, the team meets at 3:00 p.m. in the team room to watch films and critique their performance. During practice, the new volleyball coach, Damian Elder, demands the best from his athletes. “He wants us to be a new Mercer,” says Knapper, “He wants us to play with a new momentum or what he calls ‘mojo,’ but he has been pushing us to do our best.” Once practice is over, Knapper orders a chicken sandwich at the University Center’s Chick-Fil-A. On rare occasions, she ventures into the Caf for dinner.
Hurriedly, Knapper takes a shower and briskly walks to her 8:00 p.m. SI Pre-calculus class. “SI is a tutoring session,” explains Knapper. By 9:10 p.m., the SI tutoring session ends and Knapper darts over to Tarver Library to finish some last minute homework. At 12:00 a.m., the worn-out volleyball player finally falls into bed.
In her interview, Knapper expressed how she likes to extend her circle of friends outside of the volleyball team. “A lot of my friends are on my team, but I also go to RUF, so I also have friends from there,” explains Knapper. “It’s tough at times, though, because we have weekends [when] we are here [on the Mercer campus] and we can do stuff and have fun, but a lot of times I am on the road so I don’t have time, so our team kinda really becomes like a family…it’s really nice.”
Realistically, Knapper humbly accepts her role as a team motivator: “One of the best things about being on the team is that I am not the star player and I sit on the bench a lot, but it’s good to just be a teammate to the other girls and push them in practice…I just enjoy being part of the team,” acknowledged the right-side hitter.
With her hopeful attitude, Knapper provides a refreshing perspective in a cut-throat NCAA Division I sport, “If my identity were in volleyball it would be really hard for me because I am not the best on the team… it’s easy to lose who you are, but I know my identity is in Christ and that helps me to realize that I need to be humble on the court and it just makes me a better teammate.”

Olympians, Mercerians: One and the same

Former Bears Jimmy Carnes, Cindy Brogdon lead past teams to podium

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Published Aug 15, in Sports

Every four years, the entire world comes together as one for the largest sporting event in the world, the Olympics. The world watches in anticipation, hoping their home country’s athletes can bring home the coveted gold medal. With the Olympic Games being such a large competition, many athletes in the different realms of athletics have the opportunity to showcase their talent for the entire world to see.
Although it may not be as large as some of the country’s larger athletic programs, Mercer University has an Olympic tradition of its own. A few athletes and coaches who have graced Mercer University with their presence have been able to participate in the Olympics.
James “Jimmy” Carnes attended Mercer University from 1952 to 1956, where he played for the Mercer Bears basketball team and was a javelin-thrower and high-jumper for the Bears track and field team.
After a successful collegiate campaign in both sports, Carnes took his skills and began coaching at the high school level.
After graduating college, Carnes accepted his first job as a physical education teacher and assistant coach for the football, basketball and track teams at Druid in DeKalb County, Georgia.
In his second year at Druid Hills, he was named head coach of the track team. From 1957 to 1962, Carnes’ Druid Hills track teams were a perfect 52–0 in dual meets and captured six Georgia high school state championships, and he was recognized as the Georgia coach of the year six times.
After being successful at a high school level, Carnes began to be highly sought after in collegiate athletics. In 1962, Carnes became the head cross country and track and field coach at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.
His Furman track and field teams were 16–3 in dual meets, and won both the Southern Conference indoor and outdoor track and field championships in his two seasons there.
After the 1964 track season, Carnes accepted the head coaching position at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. From 1965 to 1976, Carnes’ Florida Gators track and field teams finished in the top three in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) fifteen times, won two SEC indoor track championships, and compiled a 93–3 overall record in dual meets.
Among his many Gators track and field athletes were sixty-five SEC individual champions, four NCAA individual champions and twenty-four All-Americans.
It was obvious that Carnes had a knack for coaching, and this led him to be instated as one of the coaches for the U.S Olympic team.
Carnes served as the assistant coach of the U.S. men’s track and field team for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
He was named the head coach of the U.S. men’s track and field team that was forced to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow as a result of the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.
Carnes was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, the U.S Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998 and the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2008.
Cindy Brogdon, a former Mercer athlete, played for Mercer University in 1976 and 1977 before transferring to the University of Tennessee.
Brogdon was the first Georgian to play as a member of a United States Olympic Basketball team and helped the 1976 U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team to a silver medal at the Montreal Summer Olympic Games while she was only a freshman at Mercer University.
In 1999, Brogdon was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame for her dedication and contribution to the sport of women’s basketball.
Although Mercer University may not be necessarily known for their athletics, these two athletes are absolute proof that Mercer University has helped produce some of the top athletes and coaches of all time and true Olympians who have helped progress their sport.

Mercer Athletics expects successful seasons with new coaches, renewed staff contracts

The latest on Mercer coaches and staff

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Published Aug 15, in Sports

The success of Mercer Athletics is proven through the work ethic and commitment of the coaches, who mold and guide their players. This summer, the Athletics Department has been preparing for many successful athletic seasons by renewing the contracts of both Baseball Head Coach Craig Gibson and Basketball Head Coach Bob Hoffman. In addition, Mercer Athletics recently hired Kyle Hannan to be the head Mercer Lacrosse coach.
Gibson agreed to terms on the renewed contract extension through 2017 after finishing his ninth season coaching for the Bears. With a 277-233 all-time record at Mercer, Gibson is the second coach with the most wins in Mercer’s baseball history.
This spring, the Bears were led to a 38-21 overall record and attended the Atlantic Sun Tournament for the seventh year in a row.
“I am excited to get this deal done with Craig because he exemplifies the commitment to academic and athletic excellence that Mercer stands for,” said Jim Cole, director of athletics.
“Craig is the ideal leader of our baseball program for the future and I would be proud to have my own son play for someone of his character.”
Over Gibson’s last three seasons as head coach, he has led the Bears with a 115-65 record marking the program’s best three year run. The success over the last three years with 115 wins places the bears at the 29th in the nation.
Gibson graduated from Mercer in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and recreation. While at Mercer, Gibson was a four-year member of the baseball team where he received the 1985 Atlantic Sun Player of the Year award after his junior season. Gibson also received his master’s degree in social science from Mercer in 1988.
In addition, Mercer’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Bob Hoffman was rewarded after last year proved to be the most successful men’s basketball season in Mercer’s history. Hoffman’s new five-year contract will lead him to continue his head coach position through the 2016-2017 season.
“Bob has done a tremendous job taking the men’s basketball program to new heights,” Cole said.  “We were proud to extend this offer and look forward to the team’s continued success on and off the court.”
The Bears previous season was one to set records as they won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship and finished their season with a 27-11 overall record. That season record established the program record for single-season wins.
Hoffman holds a 75-61 as head coach since beginning in the 2008-2009 season. The Men’s Basketball team has qualified for the Atlantic Sun Championships all four years he has coached for Bears. Hoffman’s 75 wins in four seasons holds the program-best win total over a four-year period.
Hoffman has been recognized by SI.com, where he was listed among some of the nation’s elite coaches.
Bleacher Report and CollegeInsider.com also gave him recognition where the Bears were among the season-end top 25 mid-major polls.
Mercer Athletics has also taken a step forward with the lacrosse program as they recently hired Head Coach Kyle Hannan to lead the program.
Hannan has 19 years of experience as a head coach and will begin his coaching role as the team moves to the Tony and Nancy Moye Family Football and Lacrosse Complex, which is expected to open in early September.
“I am extremely excited and proud to announce the hiring of Kyle Hannan to lead our men’s lacrosse program,” Cole said.
“Kyle quickly rose to the top of our search list because of his reputation in the lacrosse world, not only as a coach but more importantly as a person of high character. Kyle, his wife Angie, and their two children are a welcome addition to the Mercer family and the middle Georgia area.”
Hannan has produced an overall 179-122 record throughout his 19 years as a head coach, including a 128-71 record in his most recent coaching at Goucher College in Towson, Md.
Hannan spent 12 years as a coach at Goucher. Prior to his work with Goucher, Hannah was the head men’s lacrosse coach at Colorado College from 1998-2000 and Virginia Wesleyan College from 1993-1998.
Hannah received his education at Salisbury University where he graduated in 1986 and was a four-year starting midfielder for the Sea Gulls.
As a player, he received the Charles B. Clark Award for Salisbury’s best all-around men’s lacrosse player in 1985.
“I want to thank Director of Athletics Jim Cole and President William D. Underwood for providing this opportunity to my family,” Hannan said.  “I’m excited to continue developing my relationship with them and the entire middle Georgia community.”

U.S. Women’s Soccer: Gold and a bust

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Published Aug 15, in Opinions

I became enamored with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) when they won over the hearts of many during a miraculous win over Brazil in the 2011 Women’s World Cup. Unfortunately the USWNT lost in the finals against Japan in penalty kicks. Despite the loss, the USWNT was greeted with a warm welcome and a spike in nationwide interest in women’s soccer. I have always been upset with the way people view women’s soccer. Many times women soccer players are seen as weaker and slower and unable to keep up with male soccer players. I disagree to a degree. I don’t really enjoy watching some of the men’s professionl soccer games because they can become so melodramatic. Half the time they throw themselves on the ground asking for a non-call. If you see a female player doing that on the field they get chastised. It’s almost expected that women have the “male” mentality when they get hurt on the field. A common phrase among my teammates when we get knocked around or cut up is, “Be a man. Rub some dirt in it!” And we get back up running. Men are allowed to take their time getting up without being seen as weak to onlookers. The expectations for behavior create an unequal playing field that demeans the quality of women’s professional soccer. I do admit that women’s soccer is slower pace, but that does not take away from the drama that ensues when the USWNT steps on the field — buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Before the 2012 Summer olympics came olympic qualifying games. The U.S. Men’s team fell short and was unable to qualify, but the U.S. Women’s team came out undefeated. I watched every single game that I could get my hands on and I was never disappointed by what I watched. Once the olympics started I planned my schedule around every single women’s soccer match, especially the USWNT’s games. The USWNT won a gut wrenching, emotional, yet exhilarating semi-final match against Canada that secured the U.S. a spot in the finals, a rematch against Japan – the reigning world champions. We defeated Japan 2-1 and received gold, the third consecutive olympic gold in women’s soccer. However, back in May, the Women’s Professional Soccer league announced a permanent suspension of operation for the upcoming season. According to the WPS press release, the league had put too much money into legal issues. The highly unprofessional team manager of MagicJack filed suit against the league and the WPS did not have the funds to support a counterattack and run the league at the same time. They also didn’t want to run the risk of working with him during the season and regretfully saw no other way out of their situation.
I hate that some team managers feel the need to power play even when they are in a position of power. Not only does it hurt the image of U.S. Women’s soccer, but it also hurts the players. A comment was made in an ESPN article that the suspension of the professional league was positive because it provides the USWNT more time to play together, but I think that’s a poor response to this inherent problem. The USWNT made a name for Women’s soccer and I find the fact that they doesn’t have a professional league to come home to insulting. Our national team is doing something wonderful for the sport of soccer and they have no way of keeping the interest alive outside of national games. Fortunately, there is talk of the formation of a new league in the Spring of 2013. For now I will grumble about not being able to watch Atlanta Beat games, the local WPS team, and be content with watching the USWNT whenever I can.

Students gear up for Intramural season

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Published Aug 15, in Sports

Mercer Intramurals continues to offer students of all interests the chance to participate and get involved in various sports. Whether you are a sports fanatic, or just looking to meet new people, Mercer’s Intramural sports is a great way for freshman to graduate students to get out and get active.
Many organizations sign up to participate and compete in intramurals but it’s not just organizations that have the ability to form a team. Anyone can grab a few friends and register their team on www.IMleagues.com
Todd Thomas, assistant director of recreational sports and wellness, explained that, “Intramurals are one of the premiere ways for all Mercer students to interact with students outside of their typical social structure. They get to meet people that they’re not going to see in their classes or their residence hall. They essentially get to expand their pool of people that they meet and somewhere in there chances are they’re going to find someone to connect with.”
With almost 55 percent of the student body participating in intramurals of some kind, it’s apparent that one will connect and meet a variety of people.
“There’s tons of empirical research to suggest that those students who are involved in Student Affairs activities, including intramurals, show higher retention rates, higher graduation rates, and higher GPAs,” said Thomas.
Mercer’s Intramurals offers many different sports throughout the year, including competitive sports such as basketball, flag football and soccer. For those looking to just blow off some steam after class hours there are less competitive sports such as battleship, which takes place in Plunkett Pool during spring semester, and table tennis.
“It’s also just fun. We do a ton of special events each year that are fully intended to be non-competitive and just fun,” said Thomas.
“Battleship is a great event that’s not ultra competitive, our Championship Nights are always a big event, the Mercer Madness event last year had a great dodgeball tournament that drew a large crowd, and our Halloween 5K event this year partnering with Quadworks should be a lot of fun.”
“So while there’s a whole lot of intrinsic value in participating, I’m more than willing to admit that the main reason most people participate is because it’s a blast.”
To register a team for an upcoming intramural season visit www.IMleagues.com, enter your information with a valid Mercer email account and register your team.

Athletes prepare for upcoming seasons, strive towards success

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Published Aug 15, in Sports

As the school year begins, several athletic teams across campus are already in preparation for their competitive seasons.
Men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and volleyball have all begun preseason training.
The men’s soccer team brings a wealth of experience onto the pitch this fall. Led by Atlantic Sun Conference first team member Josh Shutter and second team member Joey Heavner, the bears look to improve upon last year’s Atlantic Sun semi-final performance.
From his center-back position, Shutter was able to amass an impressive three goals and four assists, while Heavner was credited for one goal and seven assists. Shutter was also named to the preseason All-Conference team.
Last year’s leading goal scorers junior Ehjay Henry and senior captain Will Betts will look to have yet another impressive season on the field. Last year, Henry and Betts both tallied five goals apiece to pace the bears towards a successful season.
With eleven freshmen added to the squad the bears should be all set to have another successful season. The bears were predicted to finish fourth in the Atlantic Sun conference.
Head women’s coach, Tony Economopoulos, enters his first year as head coach for the bears. Economopoulos and the women’s soccer team looks to improve upon last year’s impressive run that saw them in the Atlantic Sun Tournament Finals.
Unfortunately, the bears came up short in that final, but the bitterness of last year’s defeat is sure to be fresh in their minds. Junior Nikki Atkinson, who had a stellar sophomore season in goal for the bears, is set to be the net minder for the bears again this year. Atkinson boasted a 0.74 goals against average while amassing an incredible .806 goals against average.
Also leading the bears is senior captain P.A Upson. Upson had an incredible season in the back line for the bears last year. Upson was one of the few people to play in all 20 matches for the bears last year, and was able to score two goals as well as tally two assists.
Also returning is sophomore Washida Blackman, who tallied four goals in her freshman year.
Women’s volleyball is also working to improve upon last year’s performance under former head coach Noelle Rooke. In the winter, Rooke was replaced by current head coach Damian Elder. Elder began making improvements to his squad last spring during the Sand Volleyball season, and is continuing to push his players to become better all around the court.
Leading attacker for the bears last year was senior Jennifer Katona. Katona was able to knock down 255 kills last year.
Also returning for the bears is senior setter, Monica Sanchez. Sanchez was able to dish out 504 assists last year, and looks to continue to be the playmaker for the bears this fall.
Men’s and women’s cross country is looking to have another impressive year. The men’s team is led by Junior Sony Prosper and Seniors Jacob Law and Chris Svidesskis.
The women’s team’s front runner is Kacie Niemann. Both squads look to steadily improve throughout the year to make a run at a conference title.
This fall should be an interesting one for the bears with several head coach changes within the athletic department. Despite the new personnel, each team is expected to have a positive and successful season.

Mercer to welcome Chipper to First Pitch Classic

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Published Jan 25, in Sports

Year after year, the Athletics Department at Mercer continues to exceed its expectations and outdoes the previous year with high-profile speakers and remarkable talents roaming the halls of the University Center.
In four years, Mercer has hosted the likes of college basketball legends such as the outspoken Dick Vitale, the former Duke Blue Devil Jay Bilas and the inspiring wisdom of CBS analyst Clark Kellogg. The talent level continues to rise for the baseball visits as Mercer continues to attract the eyes of former Braves such as outfielder Jeff Francoeur and the legendary John Smoltz. This year, the Bears family welcomes another Braves legend to its fourth annual First Pitch Classic. This time, Macon welcomes the current All-Star third baseman and future Hall of Famer, Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones, Jr.
Sponsored by Macon Occupational Medicine and in-time to kick off the baseball and softball seasons at Mercer, the 39-year-old Chipper comes to the UC Arena on Feb. 7, 2012.
If anyone is qualified enough to speak to a crowd of young, aspiring athletes, this 17-year veteran fits the bill. Playing all of his seasons at the Atlanta Braves, Chipper’s name is synonymous with the Atlanta baseball franchise.
Undoubtedly one of the best switch hitters of all time, Jones has made his mark on the game of baseball since his inception in 1993. Hitting an impressive .304 in his career, Jones currently ranks second all-time among switch hitters in career RBIs (1,561) and is third in career home runs by a switch hitter (454).
The seven-time All-Star is a native of Deland, Fla. and was the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft at the young age of 18. After making his debut in 1993, Jones quickly blossomed into a perennial All-Star as he worked his way to an eventual NL MVP award in 1999. Through the years, Jones continued to show signs of consistency as his average continued above .300 leading him to an NL Batting Title in 2008. That season, Jones hit a remarkable .364 and tied a MLB record for consecutive seasons with 20 or more home runs to start your career (14).
In his time with the Braves, Jones and then manager Bobby Cox would lead the club to 14-consecutive NL East Division titles including a World Series Championship in 1995.
All-in-all, Chipper Jones brings a definite sense of experience and knowledge to a small university whose athletic programs could always use a little pep talk before the beginning of a season. The community, staff and student body were thrilled to hear the news of this year’s speaker. “When you think of the Atlanta Braves organization and all the great players that have come through there over the years, Chipper Jones is one of the first players that comes to mind because of the way he handles himself both on and off the field,” said head baseball coach Craig Gibson. “For us to be able to have him come down to this event and help us open our 2012 season is a very special honor,” he added.
The night is sure to be filled with stories, introductions and hopes of a successful season to come for both the Bears and the Braves.
The event is open to athletes and those who wish to donate to Mercer’s baseball program. The autograph session begins at 6:00 p.m. in the President’s Dining Room and the dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. in the UC Arena.
For more information on the event or to make a reservation, contact Mercer Baseball Director of Operations Jason Farhadi, at (478) 301-5218 or by email at firstpitchclassic@mercer.edu.

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