SPORTS
- Preparing for 2010 Amanda Leather
- Team bids senior farewell Jeremie Canton
- Team earns first victory of 2007
- An Osprey dream come true Ryan Clarke
- New head coach brings World Cup experience Natalie Nguyen
- Team loses to highly-ranked foe Brittinee Phillips
Preparing for 2010
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Although the University of North Florida men's basketball team can't compete in the conference and NCAA tournaments until 2010, head coach Matt Kilcullen is already preparing his team for a smooth, confident transition.
In the coming seasons, Kilcullen plans to work with players to improve - both individually and as a team - on
the court.
He also wants to upgrade recruiting, which will get
easier because he can now offer the players the chance to play in postseason tournaments their junior and senior years, Kilcullen said.
The goal to is to recruit better players, he said. Students and local fans hope the coming team will reverse its previous 3-26 record to 26-3 by 2010.
North Florida is also helping the basketball program by increasing the number of assistant coaches and financial aid opportunities for
the players.
For the 2007-2008 season, Kilcullen still has two scholarships open and is hoping to give them to a power forward or center, he said.
Other than the players, the schedule is one of the biggest factors in the coming seasons.
"We need to schedule smart. We have 12 home games and 17 away games next season," Kilcullen said. To build the Ospreys' reputation, they're choosing many teams that are established basketball programs such as Florida,
he said.
But Kilcullen isn't ignoring the present.
His goals for next season include winning more games and working hard to develop the program internally and externally.
To achieve his goal internally, Kilcullen plans to hire an assistant coach in July 2008 while externally, he plans to expand recruiting.
After closing their season with a loss against Belmont University Feb. 24, Kilcullen and his assistant coaches will now begin making changes to ensure winning against Division I competition come 2010.
Contact Amanda Leather at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Team bids senior farewell
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Senior guard Tamara Hubbard, who has been a leader for the Ospreys over the past four years, will say goodbye to her UNF team March 3 when the season comes to a close . |
The University of North Florida women's basketball team will soon say goodbye to its senior top scorer Tamara Hubbard as the 2006-2007 season comes to a close.
After breaking records in career points, most points in a game and most 3-pointers in a game at Terry Parker High School, Hubbard came to UNF in 2003 to carry out even more scoring feats.
Standing at 5 feet 7 inches, Hubbard currently holds places in UNF's top 10 categories for scoring, free throws made, free-throw percentage, 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage.
"It's been great," Hubbard said. "It's not like high school, you have to be more disciplined. It's not a sport you just play, it prepares you for real life and teaches you work ethic."
The senior will miss her teammates and the competition the most, she said.
On a young team with three seniors this season, the women's basketball team experienced tough losses on the Division I level against teams such as the University of Florida and the University of Virginia. Although Hubbard will soon become an alumna and move on from UNF basketball, she sees potential in the Ospreys' future.
"Even though next year they will be young, they are talented," Hubbard said. "Once they learn each other's moves and how to play together, they will build chemistry over the next four years and be capable of being great and achieving anything."
During Hubbard's four seasons at UNF, the school began its transition into Division I. It was an obstacle for her as a college student because the team would sometimes miss up to four days of school, she said. Hubbard persevered and will be graduating this summer with a degree in psychology and a minor in public health.
After UNF, the 21-year-old plans to take a break from school and get a job. She previously planned to play basketball overseas but now only plans to play for recreation. However, she still sees herself being involved in the sport later on.
"I want to be an established young woman, have a good career and coach a girls' high school team," Hubbard said. "I see a lot of girls going down the wrong path when there are other options. You can still play sports and carry yourself in a good
manner and a good way."
Contact Jeremie Canton at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Team earns first victory of 2007
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The University of North Florida men's basketball team received a standing ovation Feb. 22 after it won its first game in the past 15 against Lipscomb University, 73-64. Junior point guard Chris Timberlake led the Ospreys with 16 points against the Bison. Three other teammates - freshman guard Germaine Sparks, junior forward Arnold Henry, and junior center James Grimball - scored double-digits as well. North Florida closed its season Feb. 24 with a 74-54 loss to Belmont University. |
An Osprey dream come true
From the Cheap Seats
Movies always have a happy ending.
The city always survives, the hero gets the girl and the credits roll.
On Feb. 22, for the first time in a long time, the men's basketball team finally got the girl.
Instead of being stuck with the role of the defeated, they were winners.
Some might ask why? Why would they care? What reason would they have to try? What's the difference between 2-26 and 3-25? After all, it's not like a four-place jump in the RPI could mean much to this beleaguered team.
Head coach Matt Kilcullen, the men on the court, and any of the other 697 fans in attendance would tell you
otherwise.
"Very rarely do you have a team that has the record that we have, that comes out and gives the effort they do," Kilcullen said. "I think for this program, this is one of the best wins since I've been around."
Junior center James Grimball, who recorded his ninth double-double of the season, agreed.
"We could have packed it in with two games left but these guys never gave up, never quit," he said.
And really, how could Thursday have gone any
better?
With three minutes to go, the Ospreys were up by five, and in prime position to do what they've always done: give up the lead.
That's when freshman guard Germaine Sparkes, who is known more for his Marley-esque hair than his shooting touch, hit a 3-pointer that set the building on fire.
"I told him if you don't want to shoot those shots,
come sit with me on the bench," Kilcullen said. "He
stepped up."
Junior forward Arnold Henry - who had chicken pox last week - also stepped up to record his first double-double and clinched the victory, slamming down a dunk with 34
seconds left.
Henry, the first player
from St. Lucia to ever play Division I basketball, sure made his town proud.
The "great silent point guard," junior Chris Timberlake, also had a big night on the scoreboard, putting up a team-high 16 points and went 7-8 from the free-throw line.
After the game, the team received a standing ovation from the crowd.
"It's almost like one of those teams you see in the movies where everything's against them, a lot of stuff goes wrong, and they find some way to overcome," Timberlake said.
Now that's a happy ending.
Contact Ryan Clarke at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
New head coach brings World Cup experience
Planning to finish higher than third in the Atlantic Sun Conference, the University of North Florida athletics department recently hired a new head coach for the women's soccer team - one who has traveled around the world for her love of
the sport.
Linda Hamilton, a former eight-year player for the U.S. women's national soccer team from 1987-1995, joined the UNF athletic staff Feb. 22.
Hamilton was a defender and marking back with the national team and played in 82 international games. Hamilton also played for two World Cup teams that earned a gold in 1991 and a bronze in 1995.
"We're excited about having Linda Hamilton join the UNF Athletic family," said UNF Director of Athletics Dr. Richard Gropper. "Linda brings a wealth of experience, leadership skills and the maturity that we were looking for in a head coach. The future looks very bright for our women's soccer program."
In college, Hamilton played for North Carolina State University for three years before transferring to the University of North Carolina for her senior season. During her collegiate career, Hamilton was named a four-time All-American and a four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. Hamilton was also a runner-up for national player of the year during her last three years as a college player.
"I feel very lucky," Hamilton said. "I feel that anything with any level of success is both luck and talent. Being seen at the right time by the right coaches, I was able to do something that I absolutely love and travel to places I've never would have gone to on my own and that was something that helped guide me."
Hamilton continued playing soccer with the U.S. national team after graduating from UNC with her bachelor's degree in communications. She then went to work as the director of development for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society from 2002-2005 and then for the Easter Seals of Virginia from
2005-2006.
"I realized I was successful outside of sports," Hamilton said. "But what I loved most was when I played for the country, traveling, and the friendships I had when I was on the team which led me back to college sports."
Hamilton comes to UNF with assistant coaching experience from Hofstra University in New York. Her head coaching experiences include stints at Old Dominion University from 1993-1995 and the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club of Virginia from 1997-2006.
She will be the fourth head coach in UNF's 10-year women's soccer program history.
Hamilton will arrive on campus to meet the women's soccer team Thursday, March 1 and hopes to officially start her position April 2.
"I'm looking forward to meeting the girls and learning their names," Hamilton said. "I have a really clear vision of the kind of program I want to have and I'm excited to put that into place and see how it works. I'm really excited about having an ability to make a true impact."
Contact Natalie Nguyen at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Team loses to highly-ranked foe
The University of North Florida softball team went into unfamiliar territory Feb. 21 in
a doubleheader against the University of Florida.
The Ospreys lost 6-0 during their first-ever game against Florida, due to what head coach Sonya Wilmoth believes was the inability to drive in runs. Despite the slow start, the Ospreys
handled the second game with more control, allowing one run - which brought the second
score to 1-0.
Throughout the games, junior shortstop Ashley Parenteau hit well and freshman Kara Rutenbar had multiple hits to lead the team, Wilmoth said.
"We were nervous going up against Florida, but we hung in right there with them," said freshman pitcher Devyn Findley.
Senior pitcher Katie Brosky said it's still early in the season, but the team played great defense. That is something the team takes away from the experience with Florida, especially because playing at that level is a victory in and of itself, Wilmoth said.
The Ospreys will head back into tournament play at
the Arizona State Tournament.
The games the Ospreys have played so far have prepared the
them for this tournament,
Wilmoth said.
"It's an incredible experience to go play a ranked team," Brosky said.
The Ospreys face No. 2 Arizona State University the second day of the tournament, which begins March 2.
Contact Brittinee Phillips at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE