Post by vufan75 on Dec 27, 2006 11:25:56 GMT -5
Interesting article from todays Post-Trib, and I'd personally like to offer my congratulations to ML for making this happen. Hopefully, 2007 can bring more on the field/court success for VU athletic programs:
Valparaiso's biggest move came off court
December 27, 2006
BY MARK LAZERUS Post-Tribune
The most significant accomplishment of 2006 for the Valparaiso University athletic department didn't take place on a basketball court, or a football field, or a volleyball court.
It came over the phone, in board rooms and in hotel lobbies.
It wasn't spearheaded by Homer Drew, Keith Freeman, Stacy Adams or Carin Avery, but rather director of athletics Mark LaBarbera.
In a year of great disappointment for its marquee teams, Valparaiso pulled off one momentous, program-altering feat -- abandoning the Mid-Continent Conference and joining the Horizon League.
The move doesn't take place until next fall, but already its implications have been felt, particularly in the floundering men's basketball program. Once an unstoppable juggernaut in the Mid-Con, the Crusaders have fallen on hard times. Their season ended abruptly on March 7 with a lopsided loss to Oral Roberts in the conference tournament semifinals in Tulsa, Okla.
And after graduating their five top players, the Crusaders are off to a dreadful 4-8 start to this season, including an eight-game losing skid against a brutal schedule.
But even though the competition will surely get better in the Horizon, so should the Crusaders.
Top 2006 recruit Paul Guede -- currently deemed ineligible by the NCAA -- was swayed by VU's impending jump in stature. So were highly touted 2007 recruits Bryan Bouchie and Howard Little.
"That was very big," said Little, a native of Crete, Ill. "I thought they were going into a stronger conference. And Valparaiso's supposed to be a weaker team going into a stronger conference, so I thought I could help them go to the Horizon League and contend for a conference championship."
There's still plenty of work to do before that happens, of course, as the VU men are playing eight freshmen and sophomores on a regular basis. As one would expect with such an inexperienced team, turnovers and mental errors are costing the Crusaders dearly.
"These bumps in the road, if these guys cannot lose confidence and not doubt themselves, if they can stay strong and persevere, they're going to have some good moments," Drew said.
The VU women are in a similar position. The Crusaders entered the season with high hopes, hoping to improve on last season's semifinal loss in the conference tournament. But it's been an up-and-down run so far, as the 4-7 Crusaders have lost five straight -- including a heartbreaking one-point loss to Notre Dame last week -- since winning four in a row.
But with an experienced and talented senior class, led by Betsy Rietema and Tamra Braun, plus talented underclassmen including Chesterton grad Kelly Peller, VU still expects to contend for a conference crown this year.
The VU football team wallowed through a 3-8 campaign after losing preseason mid-major All-American running back Jeff Horton to a foot injury in the second game of the year. But the Crusaders got some good news last month when Horton was granted a fifth year of eligibility, lending some optimism to next season.
Even the Crusaders volleyball team, the school's most successful in recent years, endured disappointment. For the first time in four years, VU failed to make the NCAA Tournament, falling to Oral Roberts in the Mid-Con championship. Still, the Crusaders went 20-5, their fifth straight year with 20 wins.
The women's soccer team had its best year ever, tying the school record with 12 wins and winning their first outright regular-season Mid-Con championship. But the top-seeded Crusaders were upset by No. 4 Western Illinois in the tournament semifinals, ending their season earlier than expected.
The men's tennis, men's track and softball teams are on the uptick. The tennis team, led by conference player of the year Nic Kooyers, had its best season in more than a decade before falling in the conference semifinals.
Morgan Township grad Steve Bartholomew, a standout in the throwing events, was the Mid-Con Outdoor Athlete of the Year, setting several school records in the process. He's of to a good start in his junior campaign, as well.
The softball team, meanwhile, won 22 games in 2006, its best mark since 1989. Laura Rolf -- just a sophomore -- reached the NCAAs while leading a solid season for the women's cross country team.
Some new faces are injecting some optimism into struggling programs. Michelle Mahoney took over the women's tennis program, and former major-leaguer Tracy Woodson hopes to improve on the baseball team's 17-34 mark in 2006. Woodson replaced longtime coach Paul Twenge, who resigned after 19 seasons at the helm.
Valparaiso's biggest move came off court
December 27, 2006
BY MARK LAZERUS Post-Tribune
The most significant accomplishment of 2006 for the Valparaiso University athletic department didn't take place on a basketball court, or a football field, or a volleyball court.
It came over the phone, in board rooms and in hotel lobbies.
It wasn't spearheaded by Homer Drew, Keith Freeman, Stacy Adams or Carin Avery, but rather director of athletics Mark LaBarbera.
In a year of great disappointment for its marquee teams, Valparaiso pulled off one momentous, program-altering feat -- abandoning the Mid-Continent Conference and joining the Horizon League.
The move doesn't take place until next fall, but already its implications have been felt, particularly in the floundering men's basketball program. Once an unstoppable juggernaut in the Mid-Con, the Crusaders have fallen on hard times. Their season ended abruptly on March 7 with a lopsided loss to Oral Roberts in the conference tournament semifinals in Tulsa, Okla.
And after graduating their five top players, the Crusaders are off to a dreadful 4-8 start to this season, including an eight-game losing skid against a brutal schedule.
But even though the competition will surely get better in the Horizon, so should the Crusaders.
Top 2006 recruit Paul Guede -- currently deemed ineligible by the NCAA -- was swayed by VU's impending jump in stature. So were highly touted 2007 recruits Bryan Bouchie and Howard Little.
"That was very big," said Little, a native of Crete, Ill. "I thought they were going into a stronger conference. And Valparaiso's supposed to be a weaker team going into a stronger conference, so I thought I could help them go to the Horizon League and contend for a conference championship."
There's still plenty of work to do before that happens, of course, as the VU men are playing eight freshmen and sophomores on a regular basis. As one would expect with such an inexperienced team, turnovers and mental errors are costing the Crusaders dearly.
"These bumps in the road, if these guys cannot lose confidence and not doubt themselves, if they can stay strong and persevere, they're going to have some good moments," Drew said.
The VU women are in a similar position. The Crusaders entered the season with high hopes, hoping to improve on last season's semifinal loss in the conference tournament. But it's been an up-and-down run so far, as the 4-7 Crusaders have lost five straight -- including a heartbreaking one-point loss to Notre Dame last week -- since winning four in a row.
But with an experienced and talented senior class, led by Betsy Rietema and Tamra Braun, plus talented underclassmen including Chesterton grad Kelly Peller, VU still expects to contend for a conference crown this year.
The VU football team wallowed through a 3-8 campaign after losing preseason mid-major All-American running back Jeff Horton to a foot injury in the second game of the year. But the Crusaders got some good news last month when Horton was granted a fifth year of eligibility, lending some optimism to next season.
Even the Crusaders volleyball team, the school's most successful in recent years, endured disappointment. For the first time in four years, VU failed to make the NCAA Tournament, falling to Oral Roberts in the Mid-Con championship. Still, the Crusaders went 20-5, their fifth straight year with 20 wins.
The women's soccer team had its best year ever, tying the school record with 12 wins and winning their first outright regular-season Mid-Con championship. But the top-seeded Crusaders were upset by No. 4 Western Illinois in the tournament semifinals, ending their season earlier than expected.
The men's tennis, men's track and softball teams are on the uptick. The tennis team, led by conference player of the year Nic Kooyers, had its best season in more than a decade before falling in the conference semifinals.
Morgan Township grad Steve Bartholomew, a standout in the throwing events, was the Mid-Con Outdoor Athlete of the Year, setting several school records in the process. He's of to a good start in his junior campaign, as well.
The softball team, meanwhile, won 22 games in 2006, its best mark since 1989. Laura Rolf -- just a sophomore -- reached the NCAAs while leading a solid season for the women's cross country team.
Some new faces are injecting some optimism into struggling programs. Michelle Mahoney took over the women's tennis program, and former major-leaguer Tracy Woodson hopes to improve on the baseball team's 17-34 mark in 2006. Woodson replaced longtime coach Paul Twenge, who resigned after 19 seasons at the helm.
