SPORTS
- Inside the Huddle
- Athletes performing on the field and in the classroom Kaelena Incinelli
- Split games in double- header against Stetson Lori Bero
- Ospreys close season with conference win Holli Welch
- Alumni looks to continue family legacy Brett Morgan
- Outstanding Athletes 2007 Kaelena Incinelli & Brett Morgan
Inside the Huddle
 PattyMcJazzfingers Ribbon Dancer Extraordinaire |
 Matt Coleman Editor |
 Ace Stryker Copy Editor |
 Brett Morgan Assistant Sports Editor |
| Question 1: Do you have a problem with the University of Florida's Billy Donovan backing out of his agreement to coach the Orlando Magic? | |||
| How can one have a problem with Mr. Donovan. With his diminutive stature, he has the perfect physique for a professional ribbon dancer. Now, that's what I call Magic. | I've been a Magic fan since I was eight-years old and I've learned to deal with the fact that nothing goes right with the franchise. They paid $93 million for a guy on crutches, so losing a coach after a few days isn't bad. | He's back where he belongs, but the whole ordeal showed very bad form on his part that'll probably stain his image for the rest of his career. | It's fitting that Orlando ownership allowed new ticket purchasers to pull a Donovan- and back out of their agreement. He screwed a lot of people with no accountability. |
| Question 2: If Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick is convicted of involvement in illegal dog fighting, what's a proper punishment? | |||
| He should have to adopt puppies and train them to perform in a show. | He should be forced to dine on Alpo for six months. | Fine him, tie the punitive damages around his neck next time he lines up against a large defensive line and let them have at it. | No condoning his actions, but my greater concern is the NFL witchhunt. I'm not comfortable with Roger Goodell as moral police. |
| Question 3: Since the San Antonio Spurs won their fourth NBA title, should they be considered a dynasty? | |||
| They are lacking the flash and pizzazz of a true dynasty. I should know. I revolutionized ribbon-dancing with my sparkling multi-colored, jewel encrusted outfits. | They've been a dynasty for years. The only reason their legacy is still in question is because they aren't that flashy. | Yep. But more than that, they should be recognized for their dynasty of community service in addition to basketball skills. | Dynasty is thrown around too loosely. They aren't the Bulls, Celtics or Lakers. Good team, but not a dynasty. |
| Question 4: In light of a recent suggestion that New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi used steroids, how bad is the steroid problem in baseball? | |||
| Steroids make athletes far too bulky - the exact opposite of a true ribbon dancer. Plus, the back acne associated with steroids isn't flattering in backless ribbon dancing attire. | The steroid problem in baseball has been terrible for years. When players' forearms are three times the size of the bats they're wielding, it's time to reassess the sport's direction. | I'd say the problem is a self-punishing one. If these guys want to trade huge biceps for certain other parts of their bodies, we don't need them reproducing anyway. | Bad enough to put an asterisk next to the statistics and records of this era. |
Athletes performing on the field and in the classroom
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Michael O'Neal - Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Right-handed junior golfer Michael O'Neal was honored for his physical and mental performance in 2006-2007 by being named the University of North Florida's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
O'Neal is majoring in criminal justice and has built up a 3.8 grade point average while also securing a 74-stroke average in 11 golf events.
O'Neal played in every tournament for UNF golf this season, and made the Atlantic-Sun Conference All-Tournament Team after taking second at the conference championship. He also was UNF golf's top finisher at three 2006-2007 events.
O'Neal also spends his time volunteering for The First Tee, a golf-centric education and life skills program.
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Senior cross-country and track athlete Sarah Coghlan earned the title of 2006-2007 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year with a 3.85 grade point average and numerous athletic honors.
Coghlan is majoring in graphic design and will earn her degree in spring 2008.
Coghlan was the cross-country team captain, and in 2006 helped bring her team to second place in the Atlantic Sun Cross Country Championships with her third-place finish. She received all-conference honors for her performance in the Atlantic Sun.
During the 2006-2007 cross-country season, Coghlan had two first-place finishes.
In the A-Sun Indoor Championships for track, Coghlan had two fourth-place finishes in the 3K and 5K and finished first in two other events.
Additionally, Coghlan was named second-team Academic All-District by the College Sports Directors of America. This award is the only academic All-America award acknowledged nationally.
Contact Kaelena Incinelli at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Split games in double- header against Stetson
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Amy Higgs runs to first in a game against George Washington University. She also hit a triple to right-center against Stetson University. |
A doubleheader split against Stetson University concluded the University of North Florida softball team's 2007 season when the Ospreys (33-24, 9-9 Atlantic Sun Conference) lost 13-5 in the opener May 5 and won the nightcap 1-0.
"This was a great way for us to close the season," UNF head coach Sonya Wilmoth said. "Katie Brosky closed out her career at UNF with an outstanding performance."
Senior pitcher Katie Brosky closed her UNF career with a three-hit shutout, while junior second baseman Gwen Williams hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning for her 10th home run of the season.
"Once again, we got a clutch hit from Gwen Williams," Wilmoth said. "She has been doing it all season and came through to send us out on a winning note."
Williams kept Stetson scoreless in the first inning by throwing out Stetson's Amy Joyce at home. Brosky continued to keep Stetson scoreless and eventually tied a career high with her 10th strikeout of the game.
In the opener, Stetson scored four runs in the first inning and three more in the second. The lead was 10-0 by the top of the third, after a home run by the Hatters' Andrea Migliori.
In the bottom of the third, senior outfielder Amy Higgs hit a triple to right-center. Senior catcher Kelli Rutenbar and senior outfielder Christina Evans followed with singles, cutting the lead to 10-3.
Higgs then hit her first career home run in the bottom of the fourth, while junior first baseman Heather Hyde later drove home a pair of runs for UNF.
Stetson gained a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth and one more in the fifth to end the contest after five innings.
Contact Lori Bero at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Ospreys close season with conference win
The University of North Florida baseball team (24-32, 13-14 Atlantic Sun Conference) played a bittersweet double-header May 18, as 10 seniors led the Ospreys for the last time in a 4-2 win over Gardner-Webb University.
Senior pitcher Derek Bell finished his final Osprey game leading with six strikeouts in seven innings.
Despite the senior's performance in game one, the Ospreys lost 6-4 in game two. Redshirt freshman Tucker Pryor led the Ospreys in game two, throwing 6.1 scoreless innings against the Runnin' Bulldogs. Pryor pitched his career best during the game, allowing five hits and striking out two.
"I started throwing the ball the best [I have] all year," Pryor said. "It was a great feeling to end the season on a top note and to go into summer ball."
Pryor, along with sophomore pitcher Tyler Stohr, junior infielder Mike Smith and freshman infielder TJ Thompson, stepped up in game two as they said goodbye to the seniors.
Stohr recorded his sixth save of the season against the Runnin' Bulldogs, while Smith led the Ospreys from the plate with a 4-for-8 performance. Scoring two of the runs, Smith was joined by Hale, who ran the final two Osprey runs in.
"The seniors are going to be missed for what they brought to the team, but we have enough talent to step up and fill in," Pryor said.
That's exactly what they did.
To begin the first game against Gardner-Webb, Thompson and sophomore outfielder Brian Wilson ran two in off two RBI singles by Hale. Thompson returned the favor in the third inning, hitting a RBI double to bring in junior infielder Chad Knight and up the Osprey lead to 4-1.
The Runnin' Bulldogs scored one more run at the top of the seventh, but redshirt freshman pitcher Jonathan Turner and Stohr finished the game at the mound, securing the Osprey win and finishing the season.
"The end of a season is always tough," Pryor said. "It will be really different when we get back, but there are some good freshmen coming in that can compete."
Contact Holli Welch at managing@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Alumni looks to continue family legacy
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Papelbon is pictured pitching submarine style in the 2005 season. He currently plays in the minors for the Boston Red Sox. |
The University of North Florida's all-time career saves leader, Josh Papelbon, was featured in "Sights and Sounds" last month on MLB.com.
The former UNF closer discussed sharing the Osprey spotlight with his twin brother, Jeremy Papelbon, now a prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization, and his excitement at the prospect of playing in the shadow of his older brother, Jonathan Papelbon, the closer for the Boston Red Sox.
After being selected by Boston in the 48th round of the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft, Papelbon is in a position of developing in the same organization and at the same position where his brother is already an established all-star.
"When I would first go out with him in Boston, it was like, 'You're a Papelbon, don't worry about it,'" Papelbon said. "I'm getting used to the clout that Jonathan's name brings."
The younger Papelbon is currently the closer for the Red Sox Class-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive. As of June 12, Papelbon's record was 2-4 with a 3.27 ERA, and his nine saves tied him for sixth in the South Atlantic League.
Papelbon, a former walk-on at UNF, also talked about the unique road he took in transforming himself into a submarine pitcher. After arriving on campus with a traditional over-the-top delivery, he struggled to add velocity on his fastball, so head baseball coach Dusty Rhodes allowed him to tinker with dropping his delivery down.
Now the UNF career leader in saves with 24, Papelbon talked about becoming the next major-league submarine pitcher and the inspiration he gets from Chad Bradford of the New York Mets. Bradford is currently the only submarine pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Also discussed is the "Papelbon Papel-bet," an idea launch by Papelbon and his twin brother Jeremy. In the promotion, the twin with the lowest ERA at the end of the season will get to name a charity to which his brother's team must make a donation. For every half-run difference between the twins' ERAs, the losing team will pay $50.
The entire interview can be found in the "Sights and Sounds" archives for May on MLB.com.
Contact Brett Morgan at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Outstanding Athletes 2007
Gwen Williams
Female Athlete of the Year
Junior softball player Gwen Williams received the Female Athlete of the Year award for her performance in 2006- 2007 Season.
Williams set the team record for
RBIs in a single game, with seven against Bethune-Cookman University
March 28.
"I was really seeing the ball," Williams said. "It was getting huge
coming in."
Williams' offense during the season led the team to several of its 24 wins. Some of Williams' career highs include a .374 batting average, 64 hits, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs and 36 runs.
"I used to be a contact hitter and turned into a power hitter," Williams said. "I had never hit a home run before college."
Williams also earned a position on the All-Atlantic Sun First Team and was named Atlantic Sun Conference player of the week twice, April 2 and 23.
Jeff Dennis
Male Athlete of the Year
For a golfer, it's all about consistency.
In battling the ups and downs of a round, there's a constant struggle to maintain a strong form in your swing and approach.
The 2007 University of North Florida's Male Athlete of the Year, sophomore golfer Jeff Dennis, has been the model of consistency, head golf coach Scott Schroeder said.
"He is always so steady," Schroeder said. "There is such a confidence in his approach."
That confidence has helped Dennis put together an extensive resume over his first two seasons at UNF. After bursting onto the scene as the Atlantic-Sun Freshman Golfer of the Year in 2006, the 2007 season saw Dennis lead his team in top-five finishes, top-10 finishes, total rounds and a low round of 65.
Dennis also led his team in average for the second consecutive season with a 73.4. His career average of 73.41 ranks him second-best in UNF history.
Although Dennis says he's a team player who focuses on team goals, he does acknowledge there are personal goals, both short- and long-term, in his sights.
"Next year I want to win a college golf tournament and ultimately make it to the PGA tour." Dennis said.
Schroeder believes his goals are within reach.
"If Jeff continues to work hard and dedicate himself, there is no limitation to what he is capable of," Schroeder said. "He can hit it a mile, and if the other aspects of his game keep improving, he can absolutely make it to the PGA tour."
Contact Kaelena Incinelli and Brett Morgan at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE