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(08/13/14 2:52am)
While other students spent their summer working jobs or enjoying the beach, four members of the Mercer University Sand Volleyball team dedicated part of their summer to service. For the first month and a half of their summer vacation, these girls devoted their time and energy into helping others on two separate Mercer on Mission trips.
Zoe Becton and Erin Brett, graduate students returning to Mercer to play sand volleyball, traveled to Gulu, Uganda.
“The initial purpose of this specific Mercer on Mission trip was to teach primary and secondary school students about water, sanitation, and hygiene, nutrition, HIV/AIDS and malaria,” said Brett. “We were also expected to research and improve the water quality in northern Uganda by testing water quality parameters like iron concentration, pH and conductivity. This would help the people of Gulu to better understand the source of contaminants.”
As an environmental engineer, Brett wanted to further her knowledge in her discipline.
“I love traveling and want to be able to work in the field of international water development. I knew that Mercer on Mission would be a great opportunity to get more experience with different water projects and organizations and would allow me to better understand what it takes to work in such a field.”
Becton, a global health major, needed the trip to fill a degree requirement, but she also had several other reasons for going,
“I was mainly interested in participating on the trip due to an interest in working overseas. I also wanted to see if I could handle working in a developing country,” she said. “My favorite overall experience was being in the rural village interacting with the people. The women didn't speak a lot of English, but we were able to make due. One woman let me wear her baby on my back and it was so amazing. The people of Uganda are such loving people, despite their history. They were incredibly welcoming, and it was difficult to leave.”
Two rising sophomores, Hannah Sorenson and Emma Peel, traveled around Belize. Peel said their primary goal was to help develop the sustainable tourism industry in contemporary Mayan villages in southern Belize.
“We held meetings with community representatives, conducted tourist surveys, and learned about the cacao industry, which is quite prominent in many Mayan villages,” said Peel. “We also held a workshop for the women of San Filipe, a small Mayan village where we spent the majority of our trip.”
Peel’s reasons for participating in this Mercer on Mission trip go back to her roots. “My main inspiration for going on this trip was my parents, both of whom were in the Peace Corps in Guatemala after graduating from the University of Vermont. The connections that they formed with those they met in Guatemala have lasted them a lifetime,” she said “And they will be going back to the village in which they volunteered for their 25th anniversary this September. Their dedication to people halfway across the world from them has inspired me to travel and perpetuate the cycle of service,” said Peel.
(08/13/14 2:38am)
Men’s Cross Country
At the last Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, the Mercer University Men’s Cross Country team finished seventh out of ten teams. The team graduated three seniors out of nine total members.
“This upcoming season will be more of a building season with an incoming class of seven freshman guys, but I am sure that we will still have a successful season,” said senior Austin Pfeifer.
While the Atlantic Sun was a competitive conference for cross country, the Southern Conference could possibly prove to be even more challenging. Not only did the Furman University Paladins win the Southern Conference championship, but they also had top-three finishes on two other occasions. The Paladins are graduating four seniors, but the team has a plethora of competitive runners returning.
“The SoCon will have many strong teams, but I am sure we will compete well with them,” said Pfeifer.
Women’s Cross Country
The Mercer Women’s Cross Country team finished six out of 10 teams at the 2013 Atlantic Sun Championship. The team is only losing two seniors and they have a lot of members returning for the 2014-2015 season.
The Furman Paladins not only won the men’s championship, but they also won the women’s cross country championship. Along with that championship, the lady Paladins were among the top three in three separate races. The team is only graduating two seniors and they are going to be a difficult group to compete with, but that does not lower the Mercer team’s expectations.
“I expect the new conference to present us with new challenges with more competition, and it will also give us a chance to run against many different teams. I think we will match up well with the other teams in the SoCon, and the competition will help us improve and become stronger,” said Kami Orrender, team captain.
Men’s Soccer
The Mercer Men’s Soccer team will have a great deal of work to do to prepare for their entrance into the Southern Conference. In the 2013 season, the team possessed a 5-14-1 overall record, while losing to North Florida in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
Although the team lost six seniors, they are gaining thirteen freshmen and two transfers. With so many young players, the squad will need to step up before starting their Southern Conference schedule.
“The freshman coming in will create a difference in terms of players, but our team mentality will not change. I think integrating the freshman and getting them on the same page could be key to our success early on,” said junior Mark Riggins. “They are all excited to come in to try to prove that they have what it takes to help us win games and we're excited to see what they can do.”
The Elon University Phoenix has been the defending champions of the men’s Southern Conference Championship for the past three years. In the 2013 season, the Phoenix went 15-5-3 and graduated five seniors.
Although the Bears struggled this past season, the team is confident that they will be able to bounce back this next year.
“The SoCon is full of great teams, with a legendary program like Furman and consistent teams like Wofford (College) and UNCG (University of North Carolina at Greensboro). They're all tough opponents, but we have what it takes to beat even the best, like Furman,” said Riggins. “ETSU (East Tennessee State University will also be an exciting rival to play after having played against them so many times before.”
Women’s Soccer
The Mercer Women’s Soccer team finished the 2013 season with a 10-8-3 overall record, while losing in the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Championship to longtime rival, Florida Gulf Coast University.
Although the team graduated six players, they have a strong and devoted group of rising seniors to fall back on. Within this large senior class, the team has a great deal of leadership and experience to carry them forward.
“We have 10 seniors this year and we're counting on our experience to help us get through some big games,” said senior Lauren Gassie. “It will be important for all of us to encourage the freshman, help them get through preseason, and allow them to develop as players.”
In the 2013 Southern Conference Championship, the Furman Paladins came out victorious. The Paladins also appeared in the 2012 championship finals before falling to the Georgia Southern University Eagles.
Although the competition is fierce, the lady Bears are confident that they will be fully prepared and have the opportunity to have an extremely successful season.
“We are having an intense preseason in order to allow us to perform for each game. We're playing new teams, so scouting reports and pre-game practices are going to be crucial. We're preparing to hopefully win a conference championship,” said Gassie.
Volleyball
In the 2013 season, the Mercer volleyball team struggled throughout their conference and nonconference schedule. After only winning one game, the Mercer team was not eligible to compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. After graduating four seniors, the team is bringing in six new freshmen and one transfer student. Even though the team is young, they are expecting to be extremely competitive with the teams of the Southern Conference.
“With seven new players and losing four seniors, there will definitely be opportunities arising for the new comers, and I am excited to see the new girls compete for the starting positions,” said senior Caroline Carlton.
In 2013, the Georgia Southern Eagles came out victorious in the Southern Conference Championship against the Samford Bulldogs. Even though the Eagles are moving to the Sunbelt Conference for the 2014-2015 season, the SoCon will still be an extremely competitive conference.
Longtime rival for the Bears, the ETSU Buccaneers will also be joining the SoCon. The Buccaneers won the 2012 ASUN Conference Championship and will prove to be a tough competitor for the Bears.
“The Southern Conference will be different, but it will be exciting and it's time for a change. I think our primary rivals will be ETSU and Samford (University),” said Carlton. “We have competed against ETSU for the past several years in the Atlantic Sun Conference and we are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. We have also competed against Samford, which has proven to be consistently a strong program.“
Men’s Golf
Last season, the Bears obtained the 2014 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship title in Jacksonville, Fla. In addition, Hans Reimers and James Beale, the team’s two seniors, individually finished in first and second at the championship.
Although the team is losing it’s top two performers, senior Trey Rule is confident in his team and what they will be able to do on the course.
“Losing two first team all-conference players and leaders like Hans and James is tough and they will be missed. The three of us have played together for three years and we made history. We could never replace them, but we have capable guys who can step up this year,” said Rule.
At the Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championship, the Georgia Southern Eagles finished on top, with the Chattanooga Mocs and the UNCG Spartans taking second and third place. Although the Eagles will not be returning to the SoCon for the upcoming season, the conference will nonetheless prove to be extremely competitive.
Rule and the rest of the team plan to keep moving forward and continue to compete with the top programs in the country.
“We cannot dwell and hang our hat because of what we did last year. We had a great, record-breaking year, but it is just the beginning. I'm expecting us to be just as competitive as we were and strive to be even better. It's going to be fun seeing who will step up and make the travel team,” said Rule.
Women’s Golf
The Mercer Women’s Golf team also had a successful 2013-2014 season, and they finished third out of 10 teams in the Atlantic Sun Championship.
The lady Bears are only graduating two seniors and have four golfers returning for the upcoming year. Although the two seniors contributed greatly this past season, the team has high hopes for the approaching 2014-2015 season.
“We have a really solid group of girls this year including four returners and three freshman coming in. We have a lot of talent on our team and we are coming back after a really great 2013-2014 season where we finished 55th in the nation,” said senior Sarah Brown.
The Chattanooga Mocs are the five-time defending champions of the Southern Conference. Year after year, the program has proven to be a strong competitor and will be a difficult opponent for the Bears.
Another competitor that the team has faced many times before, the ETSU Buccaneers, has been a long time rival for the team.
“Our biggest rival without a doubt is ETSU. They were our number one enemy in Atlantic Sun as well,” said Brown. “Unfortunately, we lost to them at the conference championships this past season, but we have beaten them in regular season tournaments over the past year. This season we are coming back with a vengeance and we plan to win that SoCon trophy.”
(08/13/14 2:35am)
For the past two years, SGA and the athletic department have worked closely together to increase student attendance at Mercer University sporting events. With the creation of the PAW Points program, the presence of the student body at these events has increased significantly. The program gives students a certain amount of points for attending athletic events and they are able to receive rewards from those points.
Amidst the addition of football, Mercer athletics have risen to a whole new level and the PAW Points program plans to grow with the university and its athletics.
“Mercer Athletics has exploded in the past few years largely due to the creation of the football team and the tremendous success of our basketball team. The purpose of PAW Points is to bring students to all games. PAW Points are offered at most sporting events from soccer to softball to encourage participation in supporting all of our great student athletes,” said SGA president, Joey Wozniak.
With this growth, SGA is planning to advance the program even further. The association is striving for a rise in attendance at a wider range of athletics events.
“This year, we hope to offer PAW Points at more types of sporting events and offer more prizes. We fully expect to propel the tremendous growth of participation by warmly welcoming the largest freshmen class Mercer has ever had,” said Wozniak.
To make sure the program continues to be successful, Wozniak and SGA have decided to team up with other Mercer organizations that are involved in athletics.
“This year, SGA, the Mercer Maniacs and the athletics department will be working closely with each other to ensure the visibility and growth of the program to all students,” said Wozniak.
“I think this new partnership could lead to the ultimate sustainability of the PAW Points program. This partnership is key in developing an evolving program that brings visibility to our sporting events and increased participation from our students as well as more prizes.”
Because Mercer Maniacs has become so popular among the student body, especially in the last year, SGA believes that their participation with the PAW Points program can be tremendously effective. Blaze Jeffrey, president of Mercer Maniacs, never had any intention of the group becoming so sizable and popular.
“The Maniacs started off as a bunch of guys who just wanted to be crazy at games and show their support for Mercer sports. They would throw things together at the last second and never had any sort of formal organization. The Maniacs are still all about showing up dressed up crazy and giving all of our support to the bears, but we have grown from just a handful of people to almost the entire campus,” said Jeffrey. “We are more organized, can plan unique ways to show support for the Bears, know how to include everybody and every sport on campus and we have the ability to become a nationally recognized fan base.”
Jeffrey and Melina Hettiaratchi, chairman of the PAW Points program, trust that this new partnership will prove to be successful. Hettiaratchi truly believes that including the Mercer Maniacs in the PAW Points program will increase student attendance at games other than football and basketball.
“We may have more of a bandwagon fan problem after the win over Duke when basketball season rolls around, but I like to think our Mercer students will get behind the team and use that excitement we have seen since that day with all of our sports. It’s not just about more students at basketball and football,” said Hettiaratchi. “We had fifteen of our sixteen teams make it to the conference tournament. That’s just outrageous, and those athletes deserve more of our support. Speaking of, see you at the soccer game on the 22 versus Oglethorpe to kick off the year.”
(08/12/14 10:53pm)
After countless wins throughout the 2013-2014 season, there is one that will forever remain in the hearts of all Mercerians, the men’s basketball team defeat of Duke.
Since that win, the basketball team, and Mercer as a whole, has received various amounts of national attention and awards. One of those awards included 2013-2014 ESPY for the “Best Upset” for their memorable win over Duke.
Along with Coach Bob Hoffman, six of the seven seniors attended the awards show, and it was an experience they would never forget.
“It was a surreal event. I started watching the ESPY’s at a young age and I always thought to myself how awesome it would be to be there,” said senior Monty Brown. “I never imagined actually winning an award in front of all of the famous people and professional athletes. And there we were, sitting 10 rows back from the stage, winning an ESPY! Words cannot do enough to explain that feeling.”
While receiving the award was obviously the highlight of their trip, the former student-athletes had other memorable moments during their time in Los Angeles.
While their childhood heroes andheroines surrounded them, the former Mercer players did not waste anytime meeting their favorite professional athletes.
“I think the person I met at the ESPY’s I am most excited about would probably be Kevin Durant,” said senior Jake Gollon. “We also spent a lot of time with the U.S.A. soccer team and they were a great group of guys.”
Although receiving the “Best Upset” award at the ESPY’s was the main highlight of their summer, the men’s basketball team continued to collect postseason awards.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced the 2013-2014 Mercer men’s basketball team as one of 29 NCAA Division 1 teams to receive the Team Academic Excellence Award. The award is given to NCAA and NAIA basketball teams that earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
During the school year, the team managed a 3.211 overall GPA, while 13 out of 17 members boasted a 3.0 GPA or higher. The team is just one of 32 teams in the nation to be chosen for the award two years in a row.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches also announced their Honors Court for the 2013-2014 season, which included Kevin Canevari and Anthony White Jr. This award specifically recognizes student athletes of junior or senior class with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher for both fall and spring semesters.
Out of the ten academic institutions and thousands of athletes, Canevari and White Jr. were the only two student-athletes included from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
“This award is huge for me. My parents have always been hard on me about my academics,” said White Jr. “If I didn't have respectable grades when I was younger, then I didn't get the chance to play. This award just shows how hard Kevin and I worked on and off the court.”
(03/21/14 12:39am)
After an impressive week of play, the Mercer Bears baseball team now stands at 16-6 and leads the Atlantic Sun Conference after their first weekend of conference play.
Michael Massi, the second basemen, picked up his first A-Sun Player of the Week award after his stellar performance both at the plate and on the field.
“It was an honor being named player of the week, however, I’m glad it helped our team get off to a good conference start,” said Massi.
The infielder hit .571 during the week leading the bears to a 4-1 week overall including a sweep over Mercer’s in-state rival, Kennesaw State University.
Before the opening weekend of conference play, the Bears took on the Butler Bulldogs for a pair of midweek wins.
On the Tuesday night game, freshmen Matt Meeder and Kyle Lewis stepped up offensively for the Bears. The score was tied 2-2 until the bottom of the ninth when Meeder bunted the ball to the first basemen who mishandled the ball.
On the second day of play, freshmen Austin Lord shined for the Bears on the mound. He pitched seven full innings with three strikeouts.
The Mercer bats supported Lord’s efforts and the Bears won the game 5-0.
In the opening game of conference play, the Bears fell to the Kennesaw State 2-1. Freshman Ryan Askew earned the loss after pitching seven innings and allowing only one earned run.
Offensively, Massi was the impressive force against the Owls, going 3-3 at the plate and reaching base four separate times.
Although the Bears dropped the season conference opener, they came out alive on Saturday to the take the series against the owls. This is the fifth consecutive year that the Bears have taken the series from KSU.
At the plate, senior first baseman Nick Backlund and senior centerfielder Sasha Lagarde both had impressive appearances to lead the Bears for the sweep.
In game two of the series, Backlund launched a grand slam at the bottom of the fourth to ensure the lead for the rest of the game.
The bats did not stop swinging after the Bears’ first conference win. There were several home runs from the Orange and Black in the third game of the series, including Sasha Lagarde’s three-run walk-off home run at the bottom of the ninth to take the series. Lagarde was greeted by his fellow teammates at home plate as they celebrated the dramatic finish.
“Our team morale is very high after winning a hard fought rivalry series against Kennesaw,” said Massi, “We want to build on this and carry this momentum through the rest of our conference games.”
For their second conference series, the Bears will take on the Jacksonville Dolphins.
“Jacksonville will be a good test for us. We plan on putting all three components of the game (hitting, pitching, defense) together and get our first series road win,” said Massi.
In the 2013 series, the Mercer Bears went 2-1 with the Dolphins at Claude Smith Field. The Bears are excited to travel to Jacksonville and compete to stay on top of the conference.
(02/21/14 2:26am)
Even after the delay in the start of their season, the Mercer baseball team still came out victorious in their opening weekend against the High Point Panthers. The Bears’ sweep was a combined effort between their high-powered offense and their pitching staff.
In game one (5-2), Brandon Barker started on the mound allowing only two earned runs with six strikeouts in five innings. After weeks of scrimmaging against his teammates, the senior standout was more than ready to compete against the opposing team.
“It was great to be back pitching against a different team other than my own for nearly eight months, but it’s like riding a bike. After those first inning butterflies, it’s the same thing I’ve been doing all of my life,” said Barker.
While Barker earned the win for game one, Stephen Glaze earned the save after striking out the final batter of the game.
Offensively, the upperclassmen rose to the occasion for the Bears. Like Barker, senior first baseman, Nick Backlund, was also excited for some real competition.
“It felt really good to get in the box and be facing someone not on my own team. I was very comfortable and felt like I have been playing for weeks,” said Backlund.
On Saturday, Backlund hit an RBI double, while Massi led all hitters with a combined five RBI during the doubleheader.
Starting for game two (5-4), Grant Papelian pitched 4.2 innings allowing only one run on six hits. In relief of Papelian, Glaze earned the win after 1.1 innings of scoreless play.
Paving the way for the Bears offensively in game two, junior Nate Moorhouse recorded a two-run home run in the bottom of the third. After overcoming an ACL injury endured last season, the junior was fully prepared to return to his centerfield position.
“I had a little nervousness starting out, but I was just glad to be back on the field with my team,” said Moorhouse.
In game three against the panthers (4-3), junior Eric Nyquist earned the win after 5.2 innings allowing only one run on four hits. This was the first start for the junior and he was fully prepared to start his season off right.
“It felt good to start for this team. I knew I was ready and I am glad I was finally able to show everyone what I can do,” said Nyquist.
Nyquist’s classmate, Ben Lumsden, also had a solid weekend for the Bears earning the save for the final game of the series.
Also during the final game of the series, three seniors, Derrick Workman, Sasha Lagarde, and Nick Backlund, shined offensively for the Bears. While Backlund recorded a solo home run, Lagarde rocketed a two-run home run at the bottom of the fourth to secure the lead for the Bears. Workman also contributed a single and a double throughout the game.
While this is the second season in a row that the Bears went undefeated on their opening weekend, their expectations are even higher for the 2014 season.
“We expect to continue to win baseball games and we hold ourselves to an extremely high standard. As a team, we want nothing less than a championship,” said Backlund.
Mercer continues their homestand on Wednesday, Feb. 19 against Florida A&M University at Claude Smith Field. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.