Wichita State News: Athletics

Shocker bowlers sweep tournament

The Wichita State men's and women's bowling teams claimed their second title of the season at the S.I. Elite Collegiate Tournament, sweeping the tournament of 34 men's and 24 women's teams in Fairview Heights, Ill., Nov. 7-8.

Also finishing well was the Shocker Developmental Teams, which competed in their final tournament of the season. On the men's side, the WSU team finished fifth with a score of 8,956 and sixth place at 8,950. The final men's squad ended up eleventh at 8,666.

The women also claimed third with an 8,456, just seven pins away from taking second place, and the final team finished in eleventh with 7,728.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for the developmental team players," said head coach Gordon Vadakin. "We're seeing improvement in them, and their work will still continue this season with our associate coaching program."

Once again, the Lady Shockers dominated the individual honors as four women were named to the All-Tournament Team. Junior Jessica Baker was named the women's tournament MVP. Joining Baker was freshman Jazreel Tan, senior Sandra Gongora and senior Rocio Restrepo.

Gongora also threw the high game of the tournament with a perfect 300 during competition – only the seventh 300 thrown in the history of Shocker Bowling.

The Shockers will now take a break until the Team Match Games, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28 in Fairview Heights, Ill.

Shocker Rowing looks for new home

The Wichita State University Rowing program is in search of a new home along the river.

Because of damage sustained during the severe hail storm this summer to some facilities, BG Products Inc. will no longer be able to provide boathouse facilities to Shocker Rowing, effective Dec. 31. BG's maintenance operations facility was damaged and will need to move to the space currently occupied by Shocker Rowing.

This ends an eight-year arrangement in which BG has provided a home for Shocker Rowing with river access and facilities.

"It's unfortunate that we will no longer be able to use these facilities, but the support BG has shown Shocker Rowing during the past eight years has been tremendous," said Calvin Cupp, head crew coach. "In 2001, BG stepped forward during a transitional time for Shocker Rowing and provided warehouse space for equipment storage and river access."

In 2006, BG moved Shocker Rowing to the current BG Products Boathouse at 300 W. Indianapolis. This facility included shell storage for the entire fleet of shells for both Shocker Rowing and the Wichita Rowing Association, kitchenette, restrooms with showers, lobby and meeting area. This boathouse also was the base of operations for all WSU home spring races.

WSU is in the process of pursuing several promising options that will meet both the immediate short-term and long-term needs of Shocker Rowing and the rowing community as a whole.

Shocker Rowing has a roster of 47 student-athletes this fall. Earlier in spring, four of five crews made the grand finals at the ACRA (American Collegiate Rowing Association) national championships.

Shocker Rowing hosts three or four home regattas each year.

Shocker Rowing is a supporting group to the Wichita Frostbite Regatta that brought about 800 rowers from several states to Wichita in November.

WSU Rowing prepares for last home race of the season

Wichita State Rowing will take part in the 18th annual Frostbite Regatta on the Little Arkansas in Riverside Park from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

WSU will have 29 boats competing in 19 events.

They will race against the University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Colorado and Washington University.

For more information on WSU Rowing, go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?296.

Shocker bowling sweeps mid states tournament for fourth consecutive year

The men's and women's Shocker bowling teams started their new season just like the last one ended: with a sweep. For the fourth consecutive year, the Shocker bowling teams swept the Mid States Tournament, held at Northrock Lanes in Wichita Oct. 10-11.

Both teams won with ease, and their developmental teams played well, as WSU had three of the top four finishers in the men's and women's divisions.

"We're happy to start the season out with a win, but we can play a lot better with our physical game, team play and our lane play skills," said WSU Head Coach Gordon Vadakin. "This tournament does a lot in pointing us in the directions where we need to work."

There was never a doubt the Lady Shockers would win the tournament as the WSU-Guerrero team won by 979 pins with a 12,685 – good enough for third place in the men's division.

The Lady Shockers also had a clean sweep of the All-Tournament Team honors.

The Shockers have a history of success at the Mid States Tournament. The men's team has claimed the title five years in a row and seven of the past eight years, while the women have won four straight Mid States titles and six of the past eight.

KPTS films men's recollections of 1970 Wichita State football plane crash

Dave Lewis came down from the mountain in Colorado with a pine tree. He also came down a little more healed from the plane crash on Oct. 2, 1970.

"I had to go see it before I died," he said. "It was good that I did.

"Scary, though."

Lewis is one of the three survivors of the Wichita State University football plane crash who visited the site in late July.

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National champ Shocker bowling teams honored by U.S. House of Representatives

On Sept. 23, the 2008-2009 National Championship men's and women's Shocker bowling teams were honored on one of the largest platforms in the country: the U.S. House of Representatives.

House Resolution 455 was agreed on, acknowledging and congratulating the Shocker men and women for their national championship sweep at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in April 2009.

The resolution was brought by Kansas Rep. Todd Tiahrt and was supported by Rep. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania.

"By its very nature, a national title is special, but having both men's and women's teams winning the same title on the same year is truly remarkable," said Tiahrt in front of the House.

Tiahrt went on to talk about the National Championship tournament and name each member of the bowling teams, as well as the coaches. Hirono also spoke about the Shocker bowling tradition at Wichita State University.

Thompson spoke about the history of bowling and the history of WSU, its origins, development and how WSU became the Shockers.

"Recognition and congratulations from not only our state representative, Mr. Tiahrt, but from the United States House of Representatives is amazing, not only for Shocker bowling, but for Wichita State University as well," said head coach Gordon Vadakin. "We are very honored to have been acknowledged at such a level."

The resolution lasted about 10 minutes and was shown on CSPAN and can be seen at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?237.

The Shocker bowling section of the House meeting can be found at the 1 hour and 47 minute mark.

WSU baseball team tries out Eck Stadium's new turf

The Wichita State University baseball team had its first practice on the new turf at Eck Stadium Thursday, Sept. 24.

The players took batting practice, then held an intrasquad scrimmage.

The team will hold a public intrasquad game at 2:30 p.m., Sept. 26, and fans will be able to go onto the field to experience the new turf following the game.

'Not Your Average Joe: Bars, Cars and Catastrophe'

At the age of 14, on Sept. 11, 1984, Joe Rhea sustained a broken neck on the football field and was paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors said he would never walk again.

End of story, right? Wrong.

Come hear Joe's inspirational story about his road to recovery and find out why he is not your average Joe at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

The event is sponsored by Women's Pahellenic Association, Interfraternity Council, Athletics Department and Alcohol Advisory Board.

Wild intern helps earn IFL Franchise of the Year award

Wichita State University student Eric Siever interned with the Wichita Wild, an indoor football team, and helped the organization win the Franchise of the Year award.

Eric Siever

Siever, a sport management senior, has a strong background in sports, especially football.

He attended Emporia State University directly after high school to play football, but tore his ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee, after two seasons and gave up playing.

He coached college football at West Virginia University, but decided to move back to Wichita when he realized he wasn't making any money and wanted to go back to school.

"I wanted to experience life a little, trying to decide what it was I wanted to do for a career," Siever said. "I found that here at WSU."

Siever was in the business administration program when he first enrolled, but he found sport management was a better fit for him.

"Being involved in sports is my passion," he said, "so I figured I should do something that I will love to do day in and day out."

Siever applied to intern with the Wichita Wild in December 2008.

"I think my previous experiences in sports, playing and coaching, my personality, work ethic and my drive to get better is why they (the Wichita Wild) chose me," he said.

Siever began his internship in late January and worked until the last home game, Aug. 1. He worked 20 hours a week, unpaid, at the office and another several hours during weekend home games.

He was the ticket management intern for the Wild. He dealt with ticket sales, birthday parties and any other duty needing to be done for the organization.

During Siever's time with the team, the Wichita Wild saw a 75 percent increase in attendance over last year.

James Bain, internship coordinator and Wild assistant general manager, attributed part of the increase in attendance to the interns, including Siever.

"(Siever) and the rest of our students from WSU were prepared very well for the internship," Bain said. "They all took their responsibilities very seriously."

Siever said it was exciting trying to get the Wichita community involved with the organization.

"Getting people to come out to their first indoor football game ever and watch them enjoy themselves so much is a thrill to watch," he said.

Siever's internship gave him the added benefit of networking with people he said he wouldn't have met had he not participated.

He said it also "adds to my drive to get through school and start my career." He wants to be one of the best in the industry.

His career path is certain: an athletic director or front office management for a team.

He will graduate in spring of 2011.

Foster named head women's tennis coach

Colin Foster, former assistant women's tennis coach at TCU, has been named the seventh head women's tennis coach at Wichita State, Director of Athletics Eric Sexton announced on Wednesday.

"Colin communicated a vision of excellence that builds upon the foundation and direction of our women's tennis program," Sexton said. "The future of the program is very bright. With Colin's strong recruiting presence and cutting edge player development skills, we have put together a winning combination that can take this program to new levels.

In his three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Foster helped create a Mountain West Conference power. He helped guide TCU to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons in Fort Worth, sending players to the NCAA Individual Championships each year as well.

Read full story.

Shocks Ranked 18th in AVCA Poll

The Wichita State volleyball team is ranked 18th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, which was released Aug. 18.

It is the highest preseason ranking for the Shockers in the AVCA poll in school history.

The Shockers open the season on the road Aug. 28, at the Louisville Invitational in Louisville, Ky.

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Wichita State rowing team ready for fall season

Shocker rowers head to the water Thursday, Aug. 20, to start training for fall races, which start Saturday, Sept. 26, at home versus Oklahoma State University.

Other home events include the Frostbite Regatta on Nov. 1. And new this year will be Class and Alumni Races, on Oct 17.

Shocker Rowing will also travel to Oklahoma City in October and Louisiana in November.

"I'm excited for rowing to start," said junior Erica Kuhlman. "I think we have a great team spirit. Everyone is connected."

Also excited for the season is second-year WSU rower Malcolm Johnson.

"I'm looking forward to beating a lot of people," he said.

Johnson spent the summer rowing and coaching juniors in sculling. He also came in first at the Capital Sprints in Washington, D.C.

Wichita State Rowing will have nine returning women and 11 returning men. The 20-athlete team will be joined by six new WSU rowers who each have previous rowing experience.

Wichita State Volleyball season outlook

The 2009 Shockers return 10 letterwinners and six starters to a team that won a school-record 30 matches a season ago. WSU won its fourth Missouri Valley Conference title in the last five years with an 18-0 mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. WSU also earned its highest ranking in school history at No. 9 in the AVCA poll and finished the regular-season 29-0.

Head coach Chris Lamb returns for his 10th season with the Shocks having led the team to five-straight 25-win seasons and seven-straight Missouri Valley Conference Tournaments.

WSU returns six starters including seniors Emily Stockman, Katie Niggemeyer and Melissa Granville, junior Sarah McGee and sophomores Mary Elizabeth Hooper and Sarah Waldorf.

At setter, the Shockers return Collegiate Volleyball Update National Freshman-of-the-Year Mary Elizabeth Hooper. Last season, Hooper, who was also named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman-of-the-Year, averaged 10.47 assists, 1.28 kills, 1.94 digs and 0.54 blocks per set. The Shockers will welcome highly touted freshman setter Chelsey Feekin to the team as well.

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Sweat equality

Charlie Hardesty is a personal trainer in Quincy, Mass., with a lot of female clients, and he's not too impressed with the older ones.

"Most of them have never exercised in their lives," said Hardesty, referring to women 50 and up. "As far as they're concerned, going to the mailbox is exercise."

For today's older women, "the level of (exercise) education and awareness hasn't been there their entire lives as it has been for women 40 and younger," said Michael E. Rogers, research director of the Center for Physical Activity and Aging at Wichita State University in Kansas.

Read full story.

Shocker bowlers have strong showing at junior national championships

Shocker junior bowler Maggie Zakrzewski (Palatine, Ill.) topped the field of 524 women to become the Women's Junior National Amateur Champion and earn a spot on Junior Team USA for the upcoming season.

Maggie Zakrzewski

Zakrzewski shot a 9,491 over the weeklong, grueling 44-game USBC Junior Gold Championships held July 13-17 in Indianapolis, Ind.

The top four overall finishers in the men's and women's division earned automatic spots on Junior Team USA. A committee then selected an additional two members to join both the men and women.

In her final year of eligibility for Junior Team USA, Zakrzewski ended a long journey to join the elite national team members in her fifth and final try at the Junior Gold Championships.

"Winning it was the best way to leave the tournament and youth bowling as a whole," said Zakrzewski. "I have no words to describe how it feels to be recognized as the best women's youth bowler. I guess I never thought it was possible, but it feels great to know that I competed with the best and came out on top."

Zakrzewski was a multiyear member of the Shocker Bowling camps prior to attending Wichita State.

After one year on the developmental squad she made the team last season and was a major contributor in the finals of the National Championships.

"The Shocker Bowling Camps and the Shocker Bowling Program have helped me in more ways than one to be prepared for this event," said Zakrzewski.

Zakrzewski wasn't the only Shocker to have success at Junior Gold. Juniors Erik Gulbrandson (Superior, Wis.) and Jake Peters (Decatur, Ill.) both earned spots on the men's side.

Gulbrandson, a member of the 2007-2008 Shocker team, stayed at the top of the men's division all week with consistent bowling. He finished third and earned an automatic spot on Junior Team USA.

Fresh off his six-medal performance at the Youth Championships in Colombia, Peters continued his hot streak at Junior Gold's as he was selected by the committee for a second consecutive season as a member of Junior Team USA.

Also earning recognition was junior Brent Bowers (Mulvane, Kan.), who was awarded the David Dahms Sportsmanship award following the competition.

Also showing well was current Junior Team USA member and former Junior National Amateur Champion sophomore Geoffrey Young (Denton, Texas) who finished 24th and sophomore Kevin Tatrow (Bel Aire, Kan.) who finished 27th.

WSU now has 38 members who were or are members of either Team USA or Junior Team USA, more than any other collegiate bowling program.