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(04/25/13 6:33pm)
The Mercer Univerity Athletics Department announced its 2012-13 Outstanding Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year at its third annual Big Bear Event held at Hawkins Arena on Saturday April 20.
Seniors Will Betts and Kacie Niemann picked up the honors after four impressive years at Mercer University filled with outstanding achievements both on and off the field. Betts will be graduating this May from the men’s soccer team and Niemann recently finished up her running career on the women’s cross country team.
“It was really unexpected,” said Betts. “I’m extremely honored and humbled to have the opportunity to bring recognition to the men’s soccer program and the strides that the team has made throughout my four years here.”
Both Betts and Niemann have had impressive careers in their respective sports.
Betts finished his Mercer career with 77 games played and tied for the fifth-most games started in A-Sun Conference history, with 74. The Brenham, Texas native had 33 career points on 12 goals and nine assists, including a stellar 2012 senior campaign where he amassed 11 points on four goals and three assists.
Niemann will go down as one of, if not the best, women’s cross country runners in Mercer history. She holds seven of the top times ever run by women’s runners in the Bears’ record book and is now a two-time Academic All-Conference selection. Niemann also picked up All-Conference honors for the third time in her career with a top 14 finish in the conference championship race this past fall. Niemann wrapped up her A-Sun career with a personal best of 17:47.3 and finished 8th overall in the conference championship.
Both Betts and Niemann have also had impressive careers as students at Mercer.
This isn’t the first major honor for Betts, who has a 3.98 cumulative GPA as a finance major. The Brenham, Texas native was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-American first team, the 2012 NSCAA Scholar All-South Region first team and was voted the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2012. This past season Niemann was also twice named Atlantic Sun Runner of the Week for her performances in the Bears’ fall schedule.
Niemann carries a 3.97 overall GPA as a double major in Spanish and Pre-Physician’s Assistant.
“It came as quite a surprise,” explained Niemann. “We have so many talented athletes at Mercer, but I am honored by the recognition. Coach Bailey took a chance on adding me to the team because I had only been a mediocre high school runner, but with God’s grace I have been able to significantly improve over the last four years. I still have terrible running form, asthma and a predisposition to stress fracture, so I can really only attribute my running success to God because it does not biologically make sense for me to be able to run well.” Niemann said.
“I have to give credit to coach Bailey’s instruction, my wonderful team, and the tough love of my fiance and fellow captain Jacob Law for giving me the tenacity to endure the pain of 3.1 miles over and over in a Mercer uniform. I am proud to bring what honor I could to an already great university.” Neimann said.
(04/25/13 6:32pm)
After yet another successful week between the lines, the Mercer baseball team completed its season-long rise to the top of the charts to the No. 1 ranking in the most recent College Baseball Daily Top-25 Mid-Major Poll released earlier this week.
Mercer (32-11, 12-6 A-Sun) started the week off by collecting a solid 5-3 mid-week road win over Georgia Southern before continuing its recent surge in league play by taking two-of-three from Lipscomb at home this past weekend.
Against Georgia Southern, Chesny Young and Sasha Lagarde led the way for the Bears on the strength of a homerun and two RBIs a piece.
The series against Lipscomb started well for the Bears as the team took game one by a score of 7-4. Chesny Young went a perfect 3-for-3 hitting on the day earning two RBIs. On the strength of one homerun and two hits, Nick Backlund batted in four runners during the contest.
The Bears continued their winning ways in game two of the series defeating the Bison 5-2. Michael Massi, Sasha Lagarde, Logan Gaines and David Reid-Foley all contributed an RBI in the winning effort. Brandon Barker earned the win on the strength of six innings of work that included nine strikeouts.
The final game of the series was not so lucky for the Bears as they fell 8-4 to Lipscomb. Nick Backlund, David Reid-Foley and Logan Gaines each contributed an RBI in the loss.
The Orange and Black started the season ranked 25th in the poll and has been steadily moving up all season long leading up to its No. 1 ranking this week, just slightly beating out Big East power Louisville for tops in the nation.
The Bears are one of three Atlantic Sun Conference teams in the CBD Mid-Major poll, joining No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast and North Florida who is currently in the receiving votes section.
Mercer has one day off before its back on the road in Tallahassee for a mid-week contest against Florida A&M on April 23. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Moore-Kittles Field.
(04/25/13 6:30pm)
Reimers finishes ninth overall in the conference
The Mercer men’s golf team finished off the season with a fifth place finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament.
On day one of the tournament, Junior James Beale booked a 75 (+3) in to lead the Bears to a tie for fifth place on the team leaderboard. Mercer’s first day total of 308 at The Legends Course of Chateau Elan positioned the team seven strokes behind Jacksonville and East Tennessee State for third place and 19 strokes off North Florida’s tournament leading pace.
Head coach Steve Bradley explained the rough conditions throughout the turf.
“It’s not an easy golf course,” Mercer head coach Steve Bradley said. “Firm greens combined with winds and cooler temperatures made the course play longer today. We got off to a rough start and righted the ship in the middle, but we played our last two holes eight over par which is disappointing,”Bradley said.
The second day saw the Bears drop to sixth place in the tournament after they slipped to sixth place in the second round of the Atlantic Sun Championship. Individually, Hans Reimers posted a 73 (+1) to jump into a tie for eighth place.
Again, the conditions were far from ideal for the Bears.
“Obviously it was a tough day condition-wise, and a tough day for the Mercer Bears,” Mercer head coach Steve Bradley said. “We had some swings that really cost us, but they didn’t quit. We’ve got another day tomorrow, so we hope we can put this behind us and try to move up.”
In the final round of the Atlantic Sun Championship, junior Hans Reimers tied for ninth place at the Atlantic Sun Championship while leading the Mercer men’s golf team to a fifth place finish.
North Florida (881) shot 291 on the final day of competition to fend off East Tennessee State (895) and Kennesaw State (897) for its second-consecutive title. The Ospreys’ final round total capped a dominating performance that saw the team place three players in the top-five individuals, highlighted by sophomore MJ Maguire’s individual medalist performance.
Mercer’s final round 298 was the team’s low round of the event, fueled by an even-par 72 from junior James Beale. The effort pushed his tournament total to 228 and tied him for 13th place individually.
Reimers’ used 77 strokes on Tuesday and completed his tournament with a score of 226. The effort marked his fourth top-10 finish in his last five events. Sophomore Trey Rule and freshman Jeffrey Heinicka both tied for 21st place with 56-hole scores of 232. Senior John Gregory Joseph rounded out Mercer’s competitors with a final round 82 to place 46th at 244.
The men’s golf team graduates two seniors in John Gregory Joseph and Thomas Holmes.
(04/25/13 5:35pm)
The fifth seeded Mercer sand volleyball team was eliminated from the Atlantic Sun Tournament on Saturday after dropping 3-2 decisions to No. 4 Florida Gulf Coast and No. 3 Jacksonville at the Dolphin Beach Volleyball Courts.
Mercer (0-17) saw its season conclude while FGCU (5-9) and Jacksonville (6-16) moved on to Sunday’s play, where they will face each other at 11 a.m.
In the fifth flight against FGCU, Charlayna Braxton and Erin Brett pushed Jill Hopper and Gigi Meyer to a deciding third set before ultimately falling 2-1 (14-21, 21-7, 15-10). The Bears rebounded to take wins in the No. 3 and 4 flights as Madison Petsos and Molly Locke claimed a 2-1 (21-17, 17-21, 15-13) victory over Liga Strautniece and Christine Pinder and Emily Rochefort and Caroline Carlton topped Olivia Mesner and Lindsey Childs 2-0 (21-15, 21-12).
The Eagles claimed a 2-0 (23-21, 21-17) win in the No. 2 flight, setting the stage for a deciding match between Mercer’s No. 1 pairing of Jamie Duffy and Jennifer Katona and FGCU’s Brooke Kohler and Brittany Muse. After the teams split the opening sets, Kohler and Muse captured a 15-8 win in the deciding frame.
Against Jacksonville, Mercer picked up wins in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots again, but the Dolphins prevailed by capturing straight-set victories in the No. 5, 4 and 1 spots. Petsos and Locke teamed for a 2-0 (21-9, 21-11) victory in the fourth flight while Rochefort and Carlton rolled to a 2-0 (22-20, 21-17) win in the third flight.
Despite a disappointing season, two Bears were recognized for their accomplishments. Junior Erin Brett and freshman Molly Locke among the honorees. Brett earned an All-Academic team selection while Locke picked up All-Freshman team honors.
Brett landed a spot on the 10-member Academic All-Conference team, consisting of nominees who maintained at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA, had matriculated one year at their institution and participated in at least 50% of their team’s matches.
This spring, Brett has blossomed into one of the team’s most consistent players, teaming with classmate Carly Iannarino to post a 2-1 record in A-Sun play at the No. 5 pairing. In the classroom, Brett boasts a 3.86 GPA in Environmental Engineering.
Locke played alongside seniors Jenn Katona and Madison Petsos in the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 pairings this season. She notched a pair of wins, including a league triumph over Florida Gulf Coast’s No. 4 pairing of Liga Strautniece and Christine Pinder on March 30.
Locke’s selection is her second conference accolade of the academic year after also picking up All-Freshman honors following the indoor volleyball season.
(04/10/13 2:34pm)
Fail to capitalize at North Florida
After an impressive 10-1 win against then No. 12 ranked Georgia Tech and taking the first game against North Florida in a 5-4 thriller, the Mercer baseball team dropped their next two matches to the University of North Florida making it the Bears’ first weekend series loss of the year.
Junior Brandon Barker and senior David Randall pitched the first two innings for Mercer and didn’t allow a single hit to start the night off for the Bears hurlers.
The home team broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third when sophomore Chesny Young followed up a double by senior Evan Boyd with an RBI single to left field to give Mercer an early 1-0 lead.
After Georgia Tech tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, senior Travis Benn provided the Bears with an answer in the bottom half of the frame. Benn lifted a two-run home run that bounced on top of, then over the wall in right-center field to push Mercer back in front 3-1.
That is the way things would stay until the Orange and Black put the game out of reach with an emphatic seven-run bottom of the eighth inning. Mercer batted around in the frame and received a three-run home run by Benn and a two-run long ball from junior Sasha LaGarde to make the final score 10-1.
Junior Stephen Glaze earned his second win of the season by throwing two frames of scoreless relief while sophomore Dimitri Kourtis picked up his third save of the season by closing out the contest with three-straight shutout innings.
In the first game of the series against the Ospreys, junior Brandon Barker received the start on the mound for the Bears. The first inning was quiet for both Mercer and North Florida as neither team was able to get anything going from behind the plate.
The Bears struck first in the top of the third. An RBI double by senior Evan Boyd followed by an RBI single by sophomore Chesny Young put Mercer in front by a 2-0 margin.
The visitors kept things going in the top of the fourth when an RBI double by senior Logan Gaines extended the Bears advantage up to 3-0.
Mercer added two more insurance runs in the top of the sixth thanks to a pair of North Florida errors and a perfect suicide squeeze bunt by senior Travis Benn to take a 5-0 lead.
That would be enough for the Bears and starter Brandon Barker to win the game despite a valiant comeback effort from UNF to make the game 5-4.
The North Florida bats proved too much to handle for the Orange and Black in game two as the Ospreys were able to rattle off 10 runs to win the game 10-4.
Mercer wasted little time jumping on North Florida’s starting pitcher Nick Allbritton, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first. With junior Sasha LaGarde and sophomore Chesny Young on second and third, junior Nick Backlund brought them both home with a two-RBI double to make the score 2-0.
The Ospreys came back with an answer just an inning later thanks to a three-spot in the bottom of the second. A two-RBI triple by sophomore Drew Weeks and an RBI single by freshman Kyle Brooks put UNF back up 3-2.
North Florida continued to simply put balls in play, pushing another three runs across in the bottom of the fourth on several balls that were not hit hard at all but continued to find holes in the Bears defense. Six singles, most of which either failed to leave the infield or just slipped past a Mercer defender, accounted for three UNF runs to push the home team’s lead up to 6-2.
While the Ospreys were finding ways to manufacture runs, Mercer had no such luck against Allbritton. After some success in the first inning, the Bears struggled against the right-hander until the top of the eighth. Following a single by Young, junior Derrick Workman deposited a fastball over the fence in right field for his team-leading eighth home run of the season to bring Mercer within two, at 6-4.
That would be as close as the Bears would get however, as UNF scored four runs in the bottom half of the eighth and freshman Corbin Olmstead pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the win for the Ospreys.
Game three was once again a disappointing one for the Bears. Despite a valiant effort from starting pitcher DJ Johnson, the Bears fell 3-2.
For the third time in as many days, Mercer lit up the scoreboard first after an RBI single by junior Austin Barrett put the Bears ahead early 1-0.
The Orange and Black tried to add to their advantage in the top of the third inning, but a fly out by junior Michael Massi left the bases loaded and the score still 1-0 in favor of Mercer.
The score would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Drew Weeks yanked a solo home run to left field to pull UNF into a tie with Mercer at 1-1.
The Ospreys continued to use the long ball to their advantage in the bottom of the fifth after senior Paul Karmeris and junior Tyler Marincov both went yard with solo shots to make the score 3-1 in favor of the home team.
The Bears offense continued to struggle to generate any momentum against North Florida starting pitcher Michael Renner. Following the first inning, Mercer only mustered one hit against the soft throwing left-hander until a hectic top of the eighth.
After singles by Barrett and Massi, senior Logan Gaines lined an RBI single to left field to make the score 3-2.
The Mercer rally ran out of steam going into the ninth as freshman Corbin Olmstead pitched a scoreless frame to secure his fifth save of the season.
The Mercer baseball takes to the field again on Friday, April 12 for a home weekend series against FGCU. Games are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
(04/10/13 2:31pm)
Mercer University seniors Richie Edmondson of the men’s soccer team and Charlayna Braxton of the women’s volleyball team were both recognized as National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-Americans as released by the organization Wednesday afternoon.
The prestigious national honor is awarded to a select group of collegiate athletes nominated with measurements in the vertical jump, pro-agility run, 40-yard dash, bench press poundage and squat poundage. Last year, only eight collegiate men’s soccer players and 13 women’s collegiate volleyball players earned the distinction throughout the country.
Edmondson wrapped a stellar four-year career in the Orange and Black in the fall of 2012, helping the Bears capture their second Atlantic Sun Championship runner-up finish in four seasons. Edmondson appeared in 70 games over his career, including 48 starts, and racked up 32 career points on 11 goals and 10 assists. The Montego Bay, Jamaica native was also named to the A-Sun All-Tournament team as a freshman and voted onto the A-Sun All-Conference second team at the conclusion of his sophomore and senior seasons.
Braxton played in 69 volleyball matches with Mercer after transferring from UAB. For Mercer University, Braxton knocked down 319 kills and totaled 158 blocks while leading the Bears to 48 wins and a pair conference tournament appearances. She also participates in sand volleyball, where she’s posted a pair of match victories this season.
The NSCA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year program recognizes those collegiate and high school athletes whose athletic accomplishments, in the opinion of their strength coach, reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning.
The athletes are also recognized for their academic and personal accomplishments and their integrity as student athletes. Power Systems, Inc. is the official sponsor of the program.
(04/10/13 2:31pm)
The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced its Division I All-District teams on Tuesday, with Mercer senior guard Travis Smith among the 242 national honorees. Smith was named a second team selection in District 3, comprised of teams in the Atlantic Sun and Big South Conferences.
Smith was selected by the NABC member coaches in the A-Sun and Big South after leading the Bears to a 24-12 record while averaging a team-best 13.9 points per game. Smith was one of five A-Sun players to score 500 or more points this season after reaching the mark in the team’s final game at BYU on Monday evening.
Smith led or tied for the team lead in scoring 21 times while reaching double-digits on 27 occasions. The Johns Island, S.C. native also scored 20 or more five times, including a pair of 25-point outings against Stetson and at Tennessee.
Smith’s season was a model of efficiency, as he shot 43.3% (74-of-171) from three point range and 89.8% (114-of-127) from the free throw line. His free throw percentage was the best single-season mark in school history while his three-point shooting percentage ranks sixth on the school’s single-season chart. His 74 three pointers positioned him sixth in the school’s single-season record book.
In three seasons of Division I play, Smith racked up 984 points while playing for Presbyterian and Mercer. In 2009-10, Smith scored 219 points for the Blue Hose before transferring to Gulf Coast Community College before his sophomore campaign. In the last two years, Smith racked up 766 points in Orange and Black, highlighted by 502 points in his senior year.
(04/10/13 2:30pm)
The Mercer women’s golf team recently took home the title at the MSU Invitational.
After day one, Mercer junior Lacey Fears and senior Kaitlin Marrin each fired 71 to help the Mercer women’s golf team wrap up opening play at the MSU Invitational atop the team standings. Mercer’s team score of 293 on Sunday at the Juliette Falls Golf Course outpaced the next closest team by four strokes.
Stetson (297) is second while Toledo (298), host Morehead State (302), Western Kentucky (305) and Appalachian State (305) rounded out the top six teams.
Fears and Marrin were two of just five players to post sub-par rounds, and were both tied for third place overall. Ohio’s Kara Brinkmann led all individuals after shooting 68 on Sunday.
Junior Mary Alice Murphy shot 74 and was tied for 10th place while senior Aurelie Wiriath was tied for 32nd at 77. Sophomore Sarah Louie Brown shot 79 and was tied for 42nd place.
On the second day of competition, junior Lacey Fears posted her second consecutive sub-par round to help the Mercer women’s golf team extend its lead on the field at the Juliette Falls Golf Course. Through 36 holes, Fears sat atop the individual leader board while the Bears held a 12-stroke lead on the next closest teams.
Mercer’s team score of 291 on day two was a two-stroke improvement on day one’s total and helped the Bears stay ahead of Stetson (596) and Toledo (596) for the tournament lead. Host Morehead State (604) was fourth while McNeese State (606) was fifth.
“This team is really coming together,” Mercer head coach Gary Guyer said. “Our lineup is starting to see how well it can play as a team. Each time we go out, our goal has been to shoot an even-par 288, and we had a good chance at it today. Hopefully, we can focus a little bit more tomorrow and execute well enough to achieve our goal.”
Fears’ 70 (-2) combined with an opening round 71 placed the Bonaire, Ga. native two strokes ahead of Ohio’s Kara Brinkmann for the individual lead. Junior Kaitlin Marrin followed day one’s 71 with a 75 and was tied for sixth, while senior Aurelie Wiriath turned in an even-par 72 and was tied for 13th at 149.
Junior Mary Alice Murphy carded a 78 and is tied for 22nd at 152 while sophomore Sarah Louie Brown was one shot behind her after shooting 74 and is tied for 27th.
Junior Lacey Fears wrapped up a third place finish in the MSU Invitational on Tuesday at Juliette Falls Golf Course while leading the Mercer women’s golf team to the event’s team title. Mercer’s three-day total of 883 outpaced second place Stetson by seven strokes and marked the squad’s second tournament championship of the academic year.
On day three, as a team, Mercer booked three sub-300 rounds to maintain a wire-to-wire lead at the event. The final round score of 299 combined with team totals of 293 and 291 on days one and two to outpace 13 other teams in the field. The team also captured the Eat a Peach Collegiate title on Sept. 24, 2012.
“This win gives us a lot of momentum heading into the conference championship,” Mercer head coach Gary Guyer said. “We started well, stayed focused in the middle of the tournament and closed the deal.”
Fears’ third place finish was her third top five placements of the academic year and seventh top five finish of her collegiate career. After shooting 71 (-1) and 70 (-2) in the opening rounds, the Bonaire, Ga. native carded a 77 in the final round to come three strokes shy of tying McNeese State’s McKayla Anderson for individual medalist honors.
Junior Mary Alice Murphy posted Mercer’s low round of the tournament on the final day of play, shooting 69 (-3) to tie for eighth place at 221. Senior Kaitlin Marrin also tied for eighth place after following an opening round 71 with a pair of a 75’s.
Senior Aurelie Wiriath completed her showing with a 79 and tied for 18th at 228. Sophomore Sarah Louie Brown (231) rounded out Mercer’s competitors with a tie for 32nd after shooting 78 on Tuesday.
In six seasons as Mercer head coach, Guyer has now led the Bears to eight tournament championships, including two titles in each of the last three years.
On the heels of her tournament victory, Lacey Fears garnered A-Sun recognition as she was named the A-Sun Player of the Week.
Mercer returns to action in the aforementioned Atlantic Sun Championship on April 15. The three-day event will be contested at Pine Lakes Golf Course in Jekyll Island, Georgia.
(04/10/13 2:30pm)
Despite dropping a weekend series for the first time all season, the Mercer baseball team jumped up into the No. 6 position in the most recent College Baseball Daily Top-25 Mid-Major Poll released earlier this week.
Mercer did drop two-of-three at North Florida this past weekend, but offset that with a dominant 10-1 mid-week win over No. 12 Georgia Tech on April 2 for its second win in as many seasons over the Yellow Jackets.
The Bears started the season ranked 25th in the poll, before moving up to 15th after week one, the #10 slot after week two, staying in the No. 7 position for two-straight weeks, slipping slightly down to a No. 8 ranking for three-straight weeks before moving up to its current No. 6 position.
The Bears are one of three Atlantic Sun Conference teams in the CBD Mid-Major poll, joining No. 10 Florida Gulf Coast and North Florida who is currently in the receiving votes section.
(04/10/13 2:01pm)
During halftime of the Michigan versus Syracuse semifinal game, Jakob Gollon, junior forward for the Mercer men’s basketball team was officially honored with a spot on the All State National Association of Basketball Coaches Good Works Team.
The award recognizes a unique group of men’s college basketball student-athletes who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement including building homes for the elderly, leading basketball clinics, reading to students and working with children with hearing disabilities.
“It’s a fantastic honor for him and our program to be recognized for the things we’re doing off the court to make a difference in the community,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “It’s a special thing for a young man like him, because he’s taken it to another level and epitomizes what the Good Works team is about.”
Gollon was recognized alongside Saint Joseph’s Langston Galloway, Belmont’s John Mann, Louisville’s Peyton Siva, and Duke’s Tyler Thornton.
Gollon has used the pedestal of collegiate athletics to change the lives of countless others. Since arriving on campus in the fall of 2008, heís been a part of numerous community service initiatives, becoming a welcome face in the local school system and the community. With young students, Gollon jumps at the opportunity to participate in reading marathons - and with older students, heís visited several classes to speak about the importance of test prepping. In the community, Gollon is an active member of Rebuilding Macon, a foundation created to help rehabilitate the houses of low-income and elderly homeowners. In similar efforts, heís taken part in Macon Impact, a yearly community service drive that focuses on rebuilding the Macon community while also organizing food and blood drives. Heís also partnered with Pastor James Moore, who mentors a group of children by offering friendship and helping with education.
Aside from those efforts, Gollonís exemplification of the ìGood Worksî team is evident in his personal mentorship of a young man at a local alternative school, who is striving to get back into the public school system. Gollon has taken it upon himself to form a close relationship with the boy, visiting both him and his family on a weekly basis. Gollon has gone to his school and home to mentor him, aiming to provide a shoulder to lean on while spending valuable time with the boy.
Along with the honor, Gollon was invited to attend all of the Final Four events in Atlanta, Ga.
(03/27/13 2:21pm)
The Mercer baseball team has gone 3-3 in their last six contests.
The first of the six-game stretch was against in-state and conference rival Kennesaw State. Mercer fell 5-4 to close out a 2-1 series victory.
After the loss to Kennesaw State, the Bears played a pair of games against Georgia State. Mercer won the first game 9-4 before falling in the second game 13-7.
Following the split against Georgia State, the baseball team traveled to Deland, Fla. to take on the Stetson Hatters. In the first game, the Bears managed to pull out a 9-4 win.
In the second game of the series, Mercer fell to the opposing Hatters 6-4.
The final game of the series saw the Bears down the Hatters 9-1.
The Bears take on Savannah State on March 27 at 6 p.m.
(03/27/13 2:21pm)
In just their second season as a competitive team, the Mercer sand volleyball team is off to a rough start. Losing in their first seven contests, the team looks to regroup and claim that all-important first win.
Despite the dismal record, the team has had some quality performances from several members of the sand squad.
Duos have posted victories in each of the team’s matches except for one.
Against Tulane on March 9, Mercer’s No. 2 pairing of senior Jenn Katona and freshman Molly Locke picked up Mercer’s only match victory with a 2-1 (21-14, 21-23, 15-12) triumph over Tulane’s No. 2 pairing.
In a 3-2 loss against Georgia State on March 12, Mercer got wins in the first two matches as senior Codi Schepp and junior Zoe Becton downed GSU’s Kaylee Kavanaugh and Katelyn Rawls in the No. 4 flight and junior Emily Rochefort and sophomore Caroline Carlton topped GSU’s Kaitlynn Hufstettler and Nikki Senopoulos in the No. 5 flight. Both matches went Mercer’s way by straight-set victories.
In a 3-2 loss at home against UAB, at the No. 4 position sophomore Caroline Carlton and junior Emily Rochefort were able to come back from a first set loss to win the match 2-1. After back and forth play in the first set, Carlton and Rochefort were unable to come on top, losing 18-21. The second set saw more back and forth play but this time the Bears were on the winning end, forcing the match into a third set. Once again the set was tightly contested, but Carlton and Rochefort were able to string together several points to win the set 15-11.
The No. 3 position saw Mercer pick up its second win of the day. Seniors Jamie Duffy and Madison Petsos took their match in two sets 21-19, 21-19.
After their first home match of the season, the sand volleyball team traveled to Charleston, S.C. for the College of Charleston Invite. There the team would take on the College of Charleston, Georgia State and UAB.
On day one, Mercer fell to the College of Charleston and UAB by a score of 4-1. Carlton and Rochefort earned Mercer’s point with a 2-0 (22-20, 21-19) win against the Cougars while the Bears’ No. 2 pairing of Codi Schepp and Zoe Becton took a 3-2 (18-21, 21-18, 15-10) win against the Blazers.
On the second day of play at the College of Charleston Invite, Mercer’s No. 4 duo of sophomore Caroline Carlton and junior Emily Rochefort topped Georgia State’s Alexis Townsend and Molly Smestad 2-0 (21-16 and 21-14) to claim the team’s first point of the day. Later, the Bears’ No. 3 pairing of Jamie Duffy and Madison Petsos claimed a 3-2 (14-21, 21-14, 16-14) win over Katelyn Rawls and Milani Pickering.
(03/27/13 2:12pm)
The Mercer men’s basketball recently played in the General Shale Atlantic Sun Championship. Despite the ultimate goal of winning the tournament and receiving a bid to the big dance, the Bears came out on the short end of the stick in the championship match.
The first game of the tournament for Mercer was against the Lipscomb Bison. The Bears came out on top defeating the Bison 82-48.
Four players reached double figure scoring in the game led by junior Langston Hall’s double-double effort behind an impressive 12 points and 10 assists.
Junior center Monty Brown chipped in 11 points off the bench while the senior guard duo of Travis Smith and Chris Smith each added 10. Brown and Chris Smith’s 21 points off the bench led the way for Mercer’s reserves, who outscored Lipscomb’s bench by a 38-11 margin.
After the first-round win against the Bison, the Bears moved onto the semifinal to face the Spartans of USC Upstate. Mercer was able to pull out a 72-64 win in the late minutes of the game.
Junior guard Langston Hall scored the 1,000th point of his career and Bud Thomas tallied a career-high 20 points.
Thomas’ scoring output was powered by three-of-six shooting from long range and came in conjunction with six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Hall hit five-of-11 from beyond the arc en route to 18 points, four rebounds, six assists and a block.
After the win against the Spartans, the Bears moved onto the championship match to face the FGCU Eagles. Mercer was not on the winning side, losing their first game at home since last season.
Senior Travis Smith paced Mercer with 16 points in the loss while adding three rebounds, an assist and a steal. He was joined in double figures by juniors Jakob Gollon, Bud Thomas and Langston Hall. Gollon came up just shy of a double-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. Thomas collected 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal, while Hall also narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points, nine assists and six boards.
FGCU’s 88 points was the most allowed by the Mercer defense all year, as the Eagles posted 50-second half points to break away from a two-point game at halftime. In the end, five FGCU players scored double digits, led by sophomore point guard Brett Comer’s 21 points. Comer was later named the A-Sun tournament MVP.
Thomas and Hall gathered All-Tournament team selections after 14.3 and 14.0 points per game during the tournament, respectively. The honors marked first-time All-Tournament team selections for both players.
With the loss and after already securing the regular season championship, the Bears were invited to participate in the National Invitational Tournament.
(03/27/13 1:57pm)
Justin Timberlake is back. For the first time since 2006 Timberlake has released a studio album, titled “The 20/20 Experience”. With this album, we see a man who is ready to leave his past behind him to venture into something new and different.
Over the years, Timberlake has taken his fair share of criticism in reference to his hiatus from music. Most major artists release albums every other year or even every year, but this seven-year gap from Timberlake was unheard of from someone who was still relevant in the musical world.
In an interview in which his break from the music industry was discussed, Timberlake responded, “I’m the one that sits and is obsessive about it before you even get to hear it.”
“As close as I get to it, I don’t think I can physically torture myself that much, year in and year out, and expect it to fulfill me the way that it does and the way that it is right now. You just don’t get that every day. You have to wait for it,” Timberlake added.
“The 20/20 Experience” blends several sounds, showing that the now 32-year-old has definitely grown into more of an artist since his two previous albums.
Timberlake has grown up with his fans, and that fact is ever present through his musical stylings. Leaving the pop days of “Bye Bye Bye” behind him and moving forward past the dance-filled “SexyBack” time period, Timberlake has truly grown into an artist for the modern-day adult.
There are the obvious hits in the singles released from “The 20/20 Experience”. After “Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors” were released as the first singles from the album, fans were more than anxious for the album release of the new and improved Justin Timberlake.
(03/27/13 1:50pm)
Bears beat Tennessee in first round, lose to BYU in second
March Madness is in full swing and the Mercer men’s basketball team has made a push to make themselves known in the midst of it all. After failing to secure a conference championship and an NCAA tournament bid, the team received a bid to the National Invitational Tournament.
The Bears shocked many as they took down the No. 2 seed and SEC member Tennessee in the first round.
“This was our ninth road win this year,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “Last year, we had 12 road wins. It’s not a mistake; it’s not just something crazy that happened tonight. These guys have been road warriors and done it at a high level. These guys were special tonight.”
Senior Travis Smith had a career night, something that has been a common occurrence this year, as he led four Mercer players in double-figure scoring with a career high 25 points. Junior Langston Hall netted 16 points to go along with seven assists, while junior Daniel Coursey scored 15 points on perfect seven-of-seven shooting. Junior Jakob Gollon rounded out the collection with 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half.
The Bears’ win was their third road triumph against a power conference team this season and pushed the team’s postseason winning streak to six. Hoffman also moved one win closer to a pair of career milestones, as he now holds 99 wins with Mercer and 499 overall collegiate coaching wins.
After the win at the University of Tennessee, the Bears traveled to Provo, Utah to take on Brigham Young University. Mercer would fall to the No. 3 seeded BYU 90-71.
Senior Travis Smith led the Bears with 19 points in the loss while juniors Langston Hall and Daniel Coursey added 15 and 12, respectively. “It was a shootout, and we didn’t make enough shots,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “BYU was unbelievable tonight. It is hard to come back when BYU was hitting 35, 40 footers. We didn’t play as well as we would have liked to, but BYU was every part of that.”
The 2012-13 edition of the Bears says goodbye to Travis Smith and Chris Smith, two seniors who have been integral parts of the basketball program.
(03/06/13 5:34pm)
Team begins quest towards conference tournament championship, NCAAs
The Mercer men’s basketball team was riding high going into their final four contests of the season. With the stresses of winning the regular season conference championship as well as taking the No. 1 seed going into the 2013 General Shale Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championship fresh on their minds, the poised Bears went 3-1 in their final four games to finish the season as the regular season conference champions.
In the first of their final four games, the Bears took on the Bison of Lipscomb University and defeated them in an 83-58 rout. Four Mercer players were in double figure scoring on the night led by junior guard Anthony White Jr. with 15.
The start of the game saw a lot of back-and-forth play before the Bears finally capitalized in the late minutes of the first half to go on a 15-0 run to finish at the break with a 38-17 lead.
In the second stanza, the Bears went on a dominant 17-4 surge which would see Mercer go up by as much as 36 before the final whistle.
Senior Travis Smith scored 13 points in the victory while juniors Jakob Gollon and Bud Thomas chipped in 10 each.
After destroying the Bison, the men were back at home one more time during the regular season to take on the newest member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, Northern Kentucky.
After a slow start to the first half, the Bears ended up winning the contest 63-46.
The Norse of Northern Kentucky came out blazing as they built a 12-4 lead in the opening four minutes of the play. The Bears would not let this deter them however, as they battled their way back to a 16-16 tie with 8:42 left to play in the first half of play. From then on, it was all Mercer. The Orange and Black went on a 15-4 run to enter halftime with a 31-20 lead.
In the second half, Northern Kentucky came as close to being within eight points, but could not muster the strength to beat the Bears.
Travis Smith led Mercer with 13 points, while junior teammates Jakob Gollon and Langston Hall scored 13 and 12 respectively.
The game against Northern Kentucky served as Senior Night for the Bears. Both Travis Smith and Chris Smith were honored for their contributions to the men’s basketball team. The game against the Norse also marked a milestone for senior Chris Smith. Smith played his 121st consecutive game against a sold-out crowd at Hawkins Arena.
After two crucial wins at home, the Bears took to the road for their final road trip of 2012-13 regular season play.
Unfortunately, the first road game was not kind to Mercer as they lost a devastating 60-57 decision at Florida Gulf Coast.
Mercer was riding an eight game winning streak before the loss to Florida Gulf Coast. After trailing by as many as eight in the first half, the Bears battled back to be within two going into the second half.
From then on the game would go back-and-forth with both teams briefly exchanging the lead. With eighteen seconds left in the game and the Bears in the lead, a controversial foul was called that put the FGCU Eagles on top.
Mercer junior center Daniel Coursey booked his first career double-double in the loss with 14 points and 10 rebounds. His 14 points tied senior Travis Smith for the team lead.
“We were right there,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “Our second half execution was really good. It was a good college basketball team and we could have won it, but didn’t.”
The Bears quickly regrouped when they took on the Stetson Hatters for their final contest of the regular season. On the line was the No. 1 seed in the conference championship and Mercer needed a win to secure that top spot. Mercer did what they needed to do to secure the top spot and defeated the Hatters 77-65.
All five Mercer men’s basketball starters reached double-figure scoring in the winning effort.
“It was a tremendous team victory,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “We’ve got great guys who play their hearts out. They’re a blessing and I’m thankful that we were able to find a way to get the No. 1 seed.”
The triumph came a decade and a day after the last time the team finished atop the regular season standings, ironically also in a win over Stetson on March 1, 2003. That year, the team finished as Co-Champions with Troy and won the No. 1 seed by virtue of a tie-breaker.
Mercer senior Travis Smith netted a game-high 15 points while finishing just shy of a double-double with eight rebounds. Juniors Bud Thomas and Daniel Coursey each tallied 14 points, while junior Langston Hall contributed 12. Stetson fell to 14-14 (11-7 A-Sun) with the loss.
The Mercer men’s basketball team plays in the quarterfinal round of the 2013 General Shale Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m.
(03/06/13 5:30pm)
Athletes are human, not gods, therefore athletes are flawed, not perfect.
I love watching sports on television just as much as the next person, but in today’s society, athletes are being looked up to in an unhealthy fashion. Children and adults alike look up to these figures and see them for what they are not.
Many athletes are seen as idols, but when it comes down to it most of the time they disappoint you.
In the summer of 2012, the world was introduced to double-amputee Oscar Pistorius. Pistorius sprinted alongside some of the world’s greatest sprinters, whom had both legs, and did so extremely successfully. It was admirable. But should he have been worshipped for it? No.
Pistorius became a phenomenon in America and throughout the world. People looked up to him as the perfect example for overcoming adversity, which he was, but he was wrongly idolized.
Like so many other athletes in the past, Pistorius let the world down when just weeks ago he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend.
People were shocked and outraged that an athletic figure such as Pistorius would have done something like this. He seemed so happy and well put together.
This is a prime example that athletes are human and being human means you are inherently flawed. People should not be idolized for their athletic abilities because people let you down.
This may come off as pessimistic or even disheartening, but the fact of the matter is that this a huge problem in American culture. Individuals are being put on the highest pedestal and when they are seen for the people that they truly are, people are shocked.
Another athlete that has been wrongly idolized is Lance Armstrong.
Lance Armstrong overcame testicular cancer en route to winning several Tour de France titles. People worshipped him; spending money on Armstrong’s Livestrong armbands to show their support for what they thought was a great athlete.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong admitted to the worlds that he had taking performance-enhancing drugs in order to win his Tour de France titles.
Again, the world was shocked. Expressing outrage, throwing away their armbands and tearing down posters they had of Armstrong.
People disappoint, therefore athletes disappoint. Athletes are not to be treated like they are more than everyday people in society, because if you treat them that way you will be undoubtedly dissapointed how many choose to live their personal lives.
My message to everyone out there is do not worship athletes, celebrities or anyone for that matter. People make mistakes and you will end up heartbroken, disappointed, and just downright sad.
(03/06/13 5:22pm)
After a perfect 5-0 week on the diamond, the Mercer baseball team continues its methodical climb up the ranks to the number 7 slot in this week’s College Baseball Daily Top-25 Mid-Major Poll as well as an even more impressive ranking in the NCBWA Division I Top-30 Poll where the Bears are ranked 28th.
According to Mercer all-time records, this is the first time in program history that the Bears have received a national ranking.
In addition to its No. 28 ranking in the NCBWA poll, Mercer is also receiving votes in the Perfect Game College Top-25 poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top-25 poll.
The Bears started the season ranked 25th in the Mid-Major Poll, before moving up to 15th after week one, the #10 slot after week two and now sliding up into seventh for week three.
The Orange and Black began the week with a pair of convincing mid-week wins over Florida A&M before rolling through the weekend with a three-game series sweep of Miami (Ohio). The Bears out-scored their opposition by a combined total of 60-15.
Mercer is the highest ranked school from the Atlantic Sun Conference in the poll, joined by Florida Gulf Coast at #11 and North Florida, who makes its 2013 debut in the poll, at #24.
In addition to the national ranking and regional rankings, two Mercer Bears received Player and Pitcher of the Week honors.
Sophomore Chesny Young and junior DJ Johnson were named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectfully.
The play of Young and Johnson were two of the main reasons why the Orange and Black are off to such a hot start.
Young had a breakout performance at the plate for the Bears, batting .474 for the week to go along with a .542 on-base percentage, six runs scored, three doubles and 12 RBI. Young went a perfect 3-for-3 with a career-high six RBI in a 9-6 win over Miami (Ohio) on March 2.
Johnson threw a complete game one-hitter in an 11-0 win over Miami (Ohio) on March 2. The Adel, Ga. native allowed no runs and no walks while striking out four and needed just 111 pitches to go the distance for the win. Johnson has not let up a run in his last two starts and has now recorded 18.0 consecutive scoreless innings.
Mercer returns to action on March 5 with a monumental mid-week contest with No. 18 Georgia Tech.
(03/06/13 3:46pm)
The 85th Annual Academy Awards proved to be an interesting one as Family Guy writer and voice-over phenomenon Seth MacFarlane took over hosting duties.
Seemingly, this was supposed to be MacFarlane’s year. With several shows on television, the release of his first feature film “Ted” and hosting the Oscars, one would think that MacFarlane would end the coveted night on top. But this was far from the case, as his hosting abilities were mediocre at best.
MacFarlane opened with a horrible stab at humor with his performance of “We Saw Your Boobs.” In the song, MacFarlane mentioned every major actress in attendance and sang about the films in which people saw their boobs, making sure to point out to Jennifer Lawrence that we have yet to see hers.
MacFarlane also took a stab at the Oscars’ youngest nominee, nine-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, saying that she was only 15 years away from being too old to be George Clooney’s girlfriend. Granted, it was a personal attack at Clooney’s choice in significant others, but there was no reason for him to bring up Wallis in that remark.
Despite the questionable hosting decision, the awards saw few surprises. Best Actor was won by the always talented Daniel Day-Lewis for his titular role in Stephen Spielberg’s “Lincoln”.
Best Supporting Actor was won by Christoph Waltz, a seemingly easy decision for the judges. Waltz won for his portrayal of Dr. King-Schulz in Quentin Tarentino’s film “Django Unchained”. This was Waltz’s second Oscar win; he has won twice while starring in Tarentino films.
Best Actress went to the not-so-elegant Jennifer Lawrence, who tripped walking up the stairs to receive her award. Someone should have an instructional session with her on how to walk in heels, because this was not the first time she has had a slip when walking to receive an award. I love Jennifer Lawrence, her movies and her acting, but I was more partial to Quvenzhané Wallis’ role in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”.
Best Supporting Actress was an easy call. Anne Hathaway walked away with the coveted prize after her phenomenal performance as Fantine in the movie-musical “Les Miserables”.
Best Director went to the talented Ang Lee. This was Lee’s second win in the directing category. Lee won in 2006 for his direction of “Brokeback Mountain”. This year Lee won for “Life of Pi”, and deservingly so. Lee was able to tell a story that I, personally, did not think would translate very well to film, but he told it so well that I was entranced while I was in the theatre watching “Life of Pi”.
The most coveted award in filmmaking was given to Ben Affleck’s “Argo”. “Argo” took home the prize for Best Picture and deservingly so. Ben Affleck produced, directed and starred in a film that told the story of the Iranian hostage situation during the Carter administration.
The Oscars had little surprises besides the lack of a decent host. Hopefully 2013 can compare when it comes to movies and top 2012 when it comes to hosts.
(03/06/13 3:40pm)
Mercer University is set to host the 2013 General Shale Atlantic Sun Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships for the fourth year in a row at the University Center’s Hawkins Arena on March 6-9.
After failing to make the tournament last season, the Mercer women’s basketball team is making an appearance in 2013 as the No. 3 seed.
Set to play their first match on Thursday March 7 at 12 p.m. the team looks to make a deep run into the playoffs and hopefully walk away with a conference championship on their home court, in front of their home crowd.
In the quarterfinal match, Mercer will face the No. 6 seeded team from Jacksonville University.
The women’s basketball team is 2-0 against the Dolphins in the 2013 season, with both contests being close ones.
On Jan. 12, the Mercer women’s basketball team traveled to Jacksonville, Fla. to take on the Dolphins.
The Bears left with a narrow 72-68 victory thanks to the efforts of senior Ry’van Buchanan and her 32 points that night.
The Bears’ second game against Jacksonville at home saw yet another close match as the Bears pulled away with a close 68-61 victory. A different senior paved the way for the Bears this time around. Sharmesia Smith scored 16 points en route to the victory at Hawkins Arena.
Other quarterfinal matches on the women’s side are as follows:
#8 Kennesaw State vs #1 FGCU Wednesday, March 6, 12 p.m.
#7 ETSU vs #2 Stetson Wednesday, March 6, 6 p.m.
#5 North Florida vs #4 USC Upstate Thursday, March 7, 6 p.m.
On the men’s side, the Mercer men’s basketball team claimed the No. 1 seed as they finished conference atop of the league table. After falling in the semifinal to FGCU last year, the men’s basketball team looks to exact revenge and make it to the NCAA tournament.
The Bears will face Lipscomb in quarterfinal play on Thursday, March 7 at 8:30 p.m. After previously defeating Lipscomb twice this season, both by large margins, Mercer looks to make it three wins versus the Bison as they begin their quest towards the ultimate goal of an NCAA Tournament appearance.
On Jan. 26, the Bears traveled to Nashville, Tenn. to take on the Bison. The Bears came away with a close 71-65 victory. Senior Travis Smith led the Bears with an impressive 22 points on the day.
The second match against Lipscomb at Hawkins Arena saw the Bears win in a much more dominant fashion. Junior Anthony White Jr. led a quartet of Mercer players in double figure scoring with 15 points against the Bison.
Other quarterfinal matches on the men’s side are as follows:
#7 North Florida vs #2 FGCU Wednesday, March 6, 2:30 p.m.
#6 ETSU vs #3 Stetson Thursday, March 7, 2:30 p.m.
#5 USC Upstate vs #4 Jacksonville Thursday, March 7, 8:30 p.m.