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Quite
a run at Nationals
By
Brian Lowe
Justice
Editorial Board
Samson
Yohannes ’00 became the second Brandeis runner in the 1990s to
crack the top 10 at the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division III Championships, as he placed seventh on
Saturday at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Yohannes’
time of 24:01.7 was 19 seconds off the winning pace, set by Dave
Davis of the University of Puget Sound, but he did earn
All-American status, as well as a plaque signifying the honor,
with a top-35 finish.
“I
went out with the leaders and stayed there until the last
mile,” Yohannes said.
Yohannes
won the New England Division III Regionals one week before,
finishing ahead of Michael Danahy of Bates College and Scott
Jensen of Keene State College, respectively. Those three runners
represented New England as the top three from the region, but in
a different order. Jensen took fifth place (23:58.7) while
Danahy fell behind Yohannes once again, placing ninth (24:02.7)
“He
was right in there to win the thing, even halfway through the
race,” Brandeis Coach Bruce Bickford said. “He just ran a
great race.”
Yohannes
said he was on pace to crack the 24:00 mark, which the top five
runners did, for most of the race. “During the race I was
shooting for top two or top three, but I was really disappointed
that I didn't break 24 (minutes),” he said.
Yohannes
ran 16 seconds faster at Nationals than he did at the New
England race.
Rob
Olson ’99 was the last Brandeis runner to finish in the top 10
nationally. He came in fifth in 1997.
Rusty
Nelson ’00 placed 12th at New England’s last week, but at
Nationals he finished 86th overall, 16th among New England
runners.
His
time of 25:06.5 was nine seconds behind his time at New
England’s.
Nelson
said that, after a long season, he was unable to keep up with
the pack after a quick first mile. “I didn’t have the wheels
to hang in there,” Nelson said.
Added
Bickford: “He just faded.”
Nelson
said that the course was flat and fast, which was not to his
benefit, as he prefers hillier courses. “I knew right off the
bat that it wasn't my kind of course,” he said.
In
three career appearances at Nationals, this was Nelson's lowest
finish. He came in 50th in 1997 and 60th last year.
North
Central College (Ill.) was the winning team on the men’s side,
with senior Colin Young (23:51.9) placing second and junior Tim
McCoskey (23:53.3) finishing third.
Keene
State College, winners at New England, placed second. Also out
of New England, Tufts University, Bates and Williams College
placed ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively, and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology came in 14th.
Davidson
represents women
Unlike
her male teammates, Heather Davidson ’02 was participating in
cross country Nationals for the first time. She finished 93rd in
the race, crossing the finish line in 18:15.6.
“I
could’ve done better but I guess that was as good as I could
have done on that day,” Davidson said.
Bickford
said that Davidson was in the top 35 for the first half of the
race.
At
last week’s New England Championships, the Judges placed
sixth, with the three best teams heading to Nationals. Davidson
was the sole Brandeis runner to qualify individually. That is
something she hopes will change come November 2000. “I can’t
wait to go back and take my team,” she said.
The
University Athletic Association was well-represented at
Nationals. On the women’s side, UAA champ Rhaina Echols, a
senior at the University of Chicago, demolished the field,
finishing in 16:46.2. Teammate Margaret Bradley placed 32nd at
17:38.9.
Yohannes
was the top UAA runner for the men, while UAA winner Tim Julien
of Washington University clinched 10th place, running in
24:05.5.
Calvin
College had a pair of top 10 runners as it took home the team
crown. After that, New England’s two best teams — Middlebury
College and Williams College — placed second and third,
respectively.
A
lot to look forward to
The
women’s team did have a remarkable season, considering the
Judges placed in the top three in nearly every event, usually
with Davidson, a sophomore, and a trio of first-year runners at
the top.
They
will be returning next year, along with current juniors Molly
Lacher-Katz and Shannon Markley.
The
lone senior who has been a regular runner this season was Morgen
Buehner.
The
men had an “up-and-down campaign,” Bickford said. On the
down side, Greg Foley ’00, who placed 18th at Nationals last
year, was never able to run while battling the flu. On the up
side, however, Geoff Getz (GRAD) ran all year; Bickford did not
know he would have him in the fold until late spring.
Mike
Peters ’02, consistently Brandeis' third runner this year,
will be the highest-finishing returnee in 2000.
Track
season is next
Cross
country Nationals does not mark the end of the Brandeis athletic
careers of Yohannes or Nelson. Nor does it mark the end of the
1999-2000 athletic season for Davidson. All three will now
switch focus toward the indoor track and field season and will
join the rest of the Brandeis men’s and women’s squads,
which have already begun practice.
The
season opener, and the final track and field event of the 1900s
for Brandeis, is the Harvard Invitational on Dec. 11. The Judges
then take a semester break before resuming the season on Jan. 22
with the Brandeis Invitational.
Women
win tourney
By
Michael Ravid
Justice
Staff
The
Brandeis women’s basketball team had an extremely successful
trip to Northampton, Mass. for the Tip-Off Tournament at Smith
College last weekend. The Judges won the tournament as they beat
Albertus Magnus College on Friday night and then Smith on
Saturday afternoon.
The
Judges were very excited to begin the season.
“We
were pumped to have the season start,” Stacey Snow ’01 said.
“It was great to get started.”
“We
came out very strong,” Head Coach Carol Simon said. “The
team was ready to play.”
The
Judges backcourt had a strong weekend as shooting guard Lindsey
Sensenbrenner ’02 was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the
tournament while point guard Jen Curran ’02 was selected for
the All-Tournament Team.
“They
both played extremely well,” Simon said.
“They prepared well in the off-season. They both had
very good games.”
In
the title game on Saturday, the Judges faced off against Smith
and the Judges earned a decisive 62-33 victory. Brandeis used
intense defense, incorporating their full-court press to throw
Smith off guard. The Judges’ tenacious defense held Smith to
33 points on 23 percent shooting from the floor.
“Our
defense was intense, it was very intense,” Snow said. “Our
regular full-court man press worked well.”
The
strong defense helped lead to easy scoring opportunities as the
Judges forced the Pioneers to commit 21 turnovers.
On
offense, the Judges were led by Sensenbrenner and Curran who
scored 16 and 15 points respectively. Curran also added seven
rebounds and five steals while Sensenbrenner had eight rebounds.
Sensenbrenner
hit several three-pointers early in the first half, to help lead
the Judges to perfect shooting from three point land in the
first half. Natalia Zubko ’01 led the team with 12 rebounds
and had 10 points.
As
a whole, the Judges played very well.
“Everything we have been working on in practice came
together,” Sensenbrenner said. “We all came out and played
well.”
In
order for them to reach the finals, the Judges had to first beat
Albertus Magnus. The Judges won this contest by a score of 73-49
after getting off to a quick start and leading 39-16 at the
half.
Once
again, the defense was the key to victory as they held Albertus
Magnus to an amazing 21 percent shooting from the field. The
Judges also out rebounded Albertus Magnus 58-40.
In
a balanced offensive attack, the Judges were led by Zubko, who
had 12 points and led the team with 11 rebounds. Tri-captain
Erika Holmes ’00 added 11 points and nine rebounds. Curran had
nine points, while Sensenbrenner, Snow, and Becky Bristol ’03
each added in eight points for the Judges.
“She
(Becky) had a nice solid game off the bench,” Simon said.
“She played some good defense and got some rebounds.”
Simon
said she was happy that the whole team got involved in the game.
“We had good scoring distribution,” she said. “We want a
total team effort.”
“We
kept the intensity up for 40 minutes,”
Zubko said. “We had lapses, but we were level.”
The
Judges were also able to control the pace of the game and force
Albertus Magnus to play at the Judges’ tempo. “It (the
press) gets teams to play a different pace. It frenzies teams
that want to fast and rushes teams that want to slow it down,”
said Snow.
The
Judges were pleased with the results of the weekend.
“It
was a really good weekend,” Zubko said. “We did well. It was
a great way to start.”
The
Judges say they are excited and looking forward to the rest of
the season, but know that the games will be more difficult in
the future.
“It
(winning the tournament) is great,” Sensenbrenner said. “It
is a good confidence builder.”
The
Judges will play Wellesley college tonight at
7 p.m.
“The
team knows we cannot live on our laurels, “ Simon said.
“Wellesley is deep. We will definitely be tested (tonight).”
Sports
Commentary
Women’s
role examined
By
Dana Czapnik
Justice
Contributing Writer
Nearly
every woman who has ever played sports has had to face the
isolating feeling of being overlooked and under-appreciated.
Sports magazines and newspapers dedicate most of their pages to
the accomplishments of male athletes, while neglecting to report
on the achievements of female athletes in the same field.
While
there have been an increasing number of feature articles in
sports publications in recent years, straight news articles on
female athletics are few and far between. With a few exceptions,
namely professional women’s tennis, the 1999 Women’s World
Cup and the WNBA, the stories and achievements of female
athletes have been largely ignored.
Now
we sit on the edge of the millennium and most people can sense
the change that is the midst of taking shape. Ultimately, few
female athletes will grace the covers of the most widely read
sports magazines, nor will there be many feature stories
dedicated to female athletes on ESPN’s SportsCenter, but
female authors, athletes and publishers, who have always
recognized the lack of media coverage of women in sports, have
now begun to take action.
Joli
Sandoz, a former Brandeis track coach, and her co-editor Joby
Winans, are two women taking part in fueling change. They have
just published the second of their two anthologies “Whatever
It Takes: Women on Women’s Sport.”
Their
book is a collection of poetry and short stories by female
athletes whose talent levels range from that of professional and
collegiate athletes to those of “weekend warriors.” Some
stories are nostalgic recreations of competitions that the
authors participated in as children, while others describe the
rush of competition at middle-age.
“Whatever
It Takes” has a special meaning for the Brandeis community
because of Sandoz’ involvement with the Judges’ athletic
department in the early 1980s. It was the result of her
experiences at Brandeis, and
with Professor Joyce Antler (AMST) in particular, that
Sandoz chose to become an advocate for women in sports.
In
a letter she wrote to Antler, Sandoz said, “I coached track
and field at Brandeis and wanted to be involved in the academic
life of the university as well. (Antler) hosted a faculty forum
on women in sports (and) agreed to let me participate in a
faculty forum from that perspective and supported me when people
there belittled my interest in sports and my position as a
coach. Your acknowledgment of the significance of my interest
and my athletic experiences was of immense value in helping me
hang on until general public and academic attitudes toward
sportswomen changed for the better.”
Antler
said that “Whatever It Takes” is an extremely important
publication because it “is really the first book that allows
women to speak in their own voices.”
“The
problem with women in sports is the fact that it is
male-oriented in terms of coverage and that women sports persons
are not presented usually as competent and achieving as they
have been,” Antler said.
Antler
voiced her amazement of the fact that the invitation she
extended to Sandoz to speak at the gathering 18 years ago had
made such an impression on Sandoz. Antler was thanked in the
“Acknowledgments” section of Sandoz’s book.
Antler
said that the publication of this book was a sign of “how
embattled
(the writers and advocates of women sports) seemed to be.”
Sandoz
and Winans wrote “Whatever It Takes” to give female athletes
the chance to relate their inspirational stories to aspiring and
established athletes, male and female alike. Their book is a
testament to the fact that times are changing and that women’s
sports are gaining the recognition they deserve.
Up
next for fencing: the Ivy League
By
Brian P. Weinberg
Justice
Staff
The
Brandeis fencing team is confident that it will fare well in
upcoming games against competitive schools that few other
Brandeis teams face.
On
Dec. 1 the men and women will make journey to Cambridge to face
Harvard University. In the past four meetings the men have
beaten Harvard three times.
“We
beat them badly (last year),” Coach Bill Shipman said. “The
women have been successful against Harvard in the early 1990s.
This is a big meet, a rivalry.”
This
year will be is Brandeis’ chance to show up Harvard.
Shipman said that the rivalry has only grown over the
years, adding to the excitement for the upcoming dual meet.
“This
should be fun,” Shipman said. “They have a new coach, a new
attitude; they’re gonna be jacked up.”
The
fencing team is one of the few at Brandeis that goes up against
schools such as St. John’s, Penn State and Yale Universities.
“An
opportunity to beat an Ivy League (team) is always a bonus at
Brandeis,” Shipman said.
“It’s
always exciting to fence Harvard and beat them,” men’s
captain Tim Morehouse ’00 said.
He
added that he expects a high performance from the women’s foil
who fenced well last week, and all of the men’s number-one
fencers, Morehouse, Brian Sirlin ’01, Boris Moyston ’00 and
Mike Topper ’02.
“It’s
a very balanced team,” Morehouse said. “We have a lot of
good fencers; it’s a very good mix. If we fence hard we’re
going to be fine.”
On
Dec. 4, the teams will face St. John’s, the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston College (BC) and Vassar
College in the Brandeis Invitational.
Shipman
said he thinks that Brandeis will have a chance to beat St.
John's because the Redmen’s two best fencers are in training
for the Olympics and will not compete.
Brandeis
has not beaten St. John's since it began its fencing scholarship
program.
As
for the other teams, the Brandeis men have never lost to BC, and
the women Judges are at the same level as BC’s women. While
Shipman compared MIT’s fencing program to that at Brandeis, he
said that the part time coach employed by other teams is
“typical (of a) division three team.”
Through
recruitment, training, and even the occasional walk-on, Shipman
has been able to form a consistent line-up of top-notch fencers,
some who even go on to compete in national tournaments.
The
only draw back that Shipman now faces is that some schools can
offer scholarships for fencing, while Brandeis cannot.
The
women’s program has not only grown but has also produced well
throughout the years.
When
Shipman first came to Brandeis the women were only competing in
one of the three weapons categories. The expansion in the
line-up has provided room to bring interested fencers to
Brandeis as well as invite walk-ons.
Coaching
aside, in the same way that basketball and baseball coaches are
funded to attract scholar-athletes, Brandeis allows Shipman to
recruit fencers.
He
said that lately recruitment has been going well compared to
other years which had some recruits and some walk-ons.
While
the number of walk-ons has been lessening, Shipman said that the
players who join the Brandeis team with no experience seem to
fall right into the winning ways of the team.
Another
bonus is that Shipman is a full time coach. Not many teams have
the luxury of having a coach around at all times. This enables
the team to have set practice times as well as someone to take
care of any unforeseen situations that might occur during the
year. The benefits
of having a fencing room also contribute to the team’s winning
ways.
Shipman
stressed the fact that he purposefully competes against top
level programs for exposure.
The
day after the Brandeis Invitational, Topper and Shai Ben-Yakov
’02 will try to qualify for the Junior Olympics held next year
in California. Morehouse
also traveled to Penn State to compete individually in the Penn
State Open.
He
competed against top fencers from schools such as the University
of Notre Dame and Penn State.
Morehouse
placed seventh out of 55 fencers, but said he felt he could
played better despite qualifying
for the finals.
Fencing
is an individual sport. There is no such thing as doubles
fencing,
but the meets are scored by team.
Individuals
draw support from their teammates and thrive on this support in
order to be successful individually and as a group, which
is
why the unity of the Brandeis has contributed to its success.
Swim
team drowns competition
By
Alyson Krause
Justice
Staff
In
an unusual role reversal, the Judges fielded a larger swim team
than its opponent Salem State College for Saturday’s meet,
which both the Brandeis men and women won.
The
Brandeis swim team, which consists of just 30 swimmers, is
usually the smaller team competing in a dual meet. The Judges
usually enter with the numbers working against them. It was not
so at Saturday’s meet.
Salem
State had such a small team that Head Coach Jim Zotz cancelled
the 200-yard butterfly event because Salem State had no one to
enter into the race.
According
to Zotz, the situation as a whole “gave us an opportunity to
see what kind of times people could do in all events.”
“We
need to have versatility — we need everyone to swim the right
event to gain those extra points,” Zotz said.
At
Saturday’s meet Zotz placed people in events that they had
never swam before, and he said he was very pleased with the
results. Both the men’s and women’s teams emerged
victoriously. The men won with a score of 130 to 110 and the
women with a score of 121 to 98.
Men’s
team captain Jaret Weber ’00 said that the Judges did
well,“they just didn’t have the numbers and were shorthanded
especially without any men divers.”
“It
was a nice low pressure meet, and we were pretty confident that
we could beat them,” Mariel Meringolo ’03 said.
From
the start of the meet it was apparent that Salem State had a
small men’s team, when it failed to enter the 200-yard medley
relay. It was at this point that Zotz put his plan into effect.
According to Weber “people switched around and tested out
things they normally didn’t do.
They tested out the versatility of the team.”
Marshal
Goldman ’03 displayed the coach’s plan perfectly, swimming
and winning events in which he does not normally compete in.
Goldman swam the 500-yard freestyle and placed first with a time
of 5:17.81. As Goldman puts it,
“The
coach just put me in to see how I would do,” Goldman said.
And
boy did he do well.
Zotz
said he was pleased, and felt that every time he put people in
events that they did not usually swim they did well.
“Athletes
need to be challenged,” Zotz said. “They need to be in
competition to push themselves. Otherwise they do not push
against the clock.”
So
Coach Zotz challenged his swimmers to go where they had never
gone before.
On
the women’s team, another success story involves Natalie
Ishimura ’01 who placed first in three of the competitions
that she entered; one of which she had never swam before.
Ishimura won the 100-yard butterfly event in 1:07.32, which is
the best time anyone on the team has gotten this year.
Zotz
said he was also pleased with the performance of diver Hannah
Johnson ’02.
For
the fourth time this year she qualified for the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Finals, this
time with a score of 252.35 on the one-meter board.
“It
was gratifying to see Johnson succeed since she has worked so
hard to come this far,” Zotz said.
Overall
Zotz said he was pleased with the results and was happy to have
a chance to see what the team could really do.
He
said he felt that since it was pretty obvious that the Judges
would not lose this meet, the swimmers should take advantage of
the situation. With no pressure on them, the swimmers should
“try a different approach,” Zotz said.
“Collectively
we did pretty well,” he said.
Not
bad when the day’s line-up looked nothing like ever other
meet’s.
Volleyball
finishes ‘fun’ season
By
Sara David
Justice
Editorial Board
It
was anything but a typical season for the Brandeis volleyball
team. While other teams struggled with inexperience and
transitional difficulties, these women made Brandeis history and
wrapped up the year at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic
Conference (ECAC) Championship at Bates College on Nov. 12.
From
the start of the season, the players could tell that there was
something different about this year’s squad that they did
not feel with groups of the past.
“It
was pretty amazing the way the team came together early in the
season,” captain Kelly Randels ’00 said. “We had so much
fun being around each other. That hasn’t happened in the last
few years.”
Still,
going into the season even Coach Sheryl Sousa ’90 was unsure
as to how the players would respond to the competition.
“I
wasn’t sure how we were going to respond to the tough
schedule,” Sousa said.
Having
ended last season 13-20 the team had a lot to prove this year,
and managed to go above and beyond all expectations held by both
the players and Sousa.
“(The
season) definitely lived up to my expectations,” Sousa said.
“And I have very high expectations.”
The
season opened with the Springfield Tournament and despite
starting out in the losing column, the players were not
discouraged.
“Springfield
was a tough tournament,” Sousa said. “(The Rochester
Institute of Technology, SUNY) Brockport and Springfield were
all ranked teams throughout the season. I wanted to open with a
tournament for an overnight team bonding thing. It also gave the
kids a sense of the level of competition we have to play.”
Despite
starting the year 1-3 after the season-opener, the Judges went
on to win seven straight matches, including four in the Brandeis
Invitational. The Judges won the invitational and went into the
University Athletic Association (UAA) round robin on a winning
streak.
After
having placed last in the UAA for years prior, the Judges came
out of the weekend in Cleveland,
Ohio, in seventh place and remained there through the season and
the home UAA Championship.
But
this was only the beginning of the firsts that the team
experienced this year.
After
spending a week as the number eight team in the National
Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Northeast Poll, the
Judges ended the season 10th in the New England Women’s
Volleyball Association’s rankings after making the historic
trip to the ECAC Championship.
Randels
said that making the ECACs was one of the high points of her
career.
“It
was just the fact that we were there,” Randels said. “People
won’t take us for granted. We earned a different kind of
respect this year that we didn’t in the past. Team’s had to
prepare to play us.”
Theresa
Ceriello ’03, who made great contributions to the team this
year as a recruited freshman, agreed with her teammate.
“The
high point was definitely ECACs versus Bates,” she said.
Despite
losing the first match against number one seed and finisher
Bates College, the Judges were proud of their performance, and
rightfully so.
“Even
though we didn’t win, we definitely proved that we deserved to
be there,” Ceriello said. “We gave them a run for their
money.”
Having
ended the season on such a high note the team has a lot to look
forward to in the future.
Sousa
said that the biggest challenge for next year will be for the
team to learn that “when you’re winning, put the team
away.”
“We
have to come out on top in the close matches,” Sousa said. She
added that this was one of the team’s weaknesses this year, as
Brandeis did not win any of the matches that went into five
games.
“I
think we’ll be able to do it,” she said.
One
such match came against the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology on Oct. 14. Sousa said that she felt that this was
the first of two peaks in the level of her team’s performance,
the second of which came during the UAA Championship.
“(MIT)
was such a disappointing loss,” Sousa said. “But it was one
of the hardest points of the schedule.”
Sousa
said that she felt that the team was struggling going into the
conference championship, but that “they played great at
UAAs.”
Much
of the team’s unity can be attributed to Randels, who helped
the team bond creating a team that Sousa described as “fun.
“I
enjoyed being with this team everyday,” Sousa said. “I
looked forward to practices, games and traveling with them. It
was fun.”
Randels,
who will graduate in the spring, is the only player who will not
be returning for the 2000 season, a circumstance which will
affect the team both positively and negatively as the Judges try
for an even better record than this year.
“We’re
losing Kelly, which is a big deal, but at the same time it’s
only one player,” Becca Grace
’01 said.
“Kelly
is definitely one of the pieces that holds us together both on
and off the court,” Ceriello said. “She always had a smile
on her face and was very talkative on the court.”
But
with such a strong core of juniors on the team, led by
co-captain Naomi Skolnick ’01, there is much hope for an even
better season next year.
A
View From Below
The
good and the bad of the last two decades
By
Seth Horwitz
As
this is the final Justice issue of the millennium, I have
decided to take a look back at the defining sports moments over
the past 21 years.
I
have only been alive for 21 years, so I figured it made more
sense to look back on these years only, rather than the century
as a whole. Here is my take on the teams, players and events
that we saw and followed.
The
Best Quarterback: Of all the great quarterbacks, none was as
good as Joe Montana. He always rose to the occasion and became
the greatest winner of them all.
Proof
that not all Notre Dame quarterbacks are winners: Rick Mirer. He
is the sports definition of bust. If Mirer did not attend Notre
Dame, would he still be in the National Football League (NFL)?
Greatest
Running back: Walter Payton. He is the NFL’s all-time rushing
leader and was equally magnificent off the field. Payton defined
how a running back should play.
Mike
Ditka used to be sane: Ditka’s decision to trade the New
Orleans Saints’ entire NFL draft for Ricky Williams has yet to
pay dividends. Having coached Payton, one would think that Ditka
could recognize a great running back. Ditka should have plenty
of time for golf in his future.
The
ultimate wide receiver: The choice is easy, as Jerry Rice owns
every important receiving record. Rice did not make the big
flashy plays, he just caught everything in sight.
Growing
old is not easy: Rice has struggled greatly as his skills have
declined. He has complained frequently and is not the same
receiver he once was. Here is hoping Rice does not become the
Willie Mays of our time — the star athlete who hangs around
too long.
Top
Middle linebacker: Junior Seau, he makes the Pro Bowl every year
for a reason. Try naming another player on the San Diego
Chargers.
Biggest
flop at linebacker: Brian Bosworth, steroids can only help so
much.
Greatest
Team: The 1985 Chicago Bears. The most intimidating defense ever
coupled with a Payton-led offense made this team unstoppable.
Winning
is not for everyone: To say the Cincinnati Bengals have had a
rough decade would be an understatement. They have been an easy
victory throughout the ’90s. So of course, Bruce Coslet
deserves a vote of confidence.
Best
NBA layer: Michael Jordan. The NBA came alive in the ’80s, and
it is no disrespect to Larry Bird or Magic Johnson to say that
Jordan was better. Jordan was simply amazing and dominated the
game like no one since Wilt Chamberlain.
At
least he is tall: Manute Bol was the tallest player in the NBA,
but sadly he lacked any
skills in playing the game. His offense consisted solely of
launching three-pointers, and all he did defensively was raise
his arms.
Greatest
rivalry: The Boston Celtics - Los Angeles Lakers matchups in the
’80s. Watching Bird and Magic square off was legendary. The
teams were natural rivals and basketball fans were treated to
some amazing games.
Hope
I die before I get old: The Celtics
- Lakers rivalry has diminished in large part due to
the decline of the Celtics. Nothing was more damaging to the
Boston team than the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. Sadly,
they scored cocaine as often as they scored points.
Biggest
moment on the court: Jordan hit the game-winning jumper in Game
Six of the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah
Jazz. It was the perfect ending to his career.
Biggest
moment off-the-court: When Johnson announced that he had
contracted HIV in the fall of 1991. Apparently, Johnson was the
Magic Man off-the-court as well.
A
college education is only so important: Kevin Garnett shocked
everyone when he decided to forgo college and head straight into
the NBA. Garnett has handled the jump with ease and is arguably
the greatest player in the game right now. Plus, he has a sweet
$120 million contract to live on.
For
some, college is necessary: Take for instance Korleone Young,
who went straight to the pro, last year. Drafted in the second
round by the Detroit Pistons, Young barely played. During
training camp this year, he was robbed at gun point and is
currently out of the NBA.
Greatest
Dynasty: When the Bulls won six championships in an eight year
span. Two three-peats gives them the edge over the Celtics and
Lakers.
Saddest
Franchise: It could only be the Los Angeles Clippers. They have
never been able to build and keep a solid nucleus of players.
Los Angeles has always only had one pro team.
It
is the Yankees: The greatest single-season team was the 1998 New
York Yankees. They won an amazing 114 games and swept the San
Diego Padres in the World Series. It is impossible to argue with
success.
My
nose is filled: The New York Mets had a chance to be a great
dynasty with Darryl Strawberry being one of the best of
all-time. Strawberry, however, literally blew it all by snorting
cocaine and beating his wife. He may claim to be a changed man,
but is that referring to his new drug of choice?
Greatest
single moment: Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run in the bottom
of the ninth off Dennis Eckersley in game one of the 1988 World
Series. Gibson could barely walk and he was facing the greatest
reliever in the game. The series basically ended with that
homer.
Worst
reaction to a mistake: Yes, Mitch Williams cost the Philadelphia
Phillies the 1993 World Series when he served up the series
winning home run to Joe Carter, but the Philadelphia fans were
absolutely merciless by booing him every single time thereafter.
The Wild Thing became the Sad Thing.
Greatest
Offensive Performance: Mark McGwire was the man in 1998. He
smashed Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs, as Big Mac
crushed 70. Plus, he had a slugging percentage of .752 with an
on-base average of .470. It was a year for the ages.
Greatest
Pitching Performance: Pedro Martinez in 1999. How could he not
win the MVP after going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts?
And he was even more amazing in the playoffs as he pitched a
no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians for six innings despite
being injured.
Top
Offensive Performer: Barry Bonds. Year in and year out he has
been amazingly consistent. Of course, he has three MVP awards
under his belt as well. If only he got along better with the
media.
Top
Pitcher: Greg Maddux. Roger Clemens comes in a close second, but
Maddux has been more consistent. Since 1988, Maddux has won 15
games or more every single year. Plus, Maddux never complains
about money or management.
Greatest
Mistake: The baseball players strike in 1994 which forced the
cancellation of the regular season and the World Series. The
strike was the greatest threat to baseball since the Black Sox
scandal in 1919.
Of
course, it was impossible to fit all of the major events and
stories of the past 21 years into this column, for just in this
time span, every sport has changed radically. There is no doubt
that the 21st century will continue to be just as exciting and
interesting. I will see you then.
Men
learn from coaches galore
By
Brian Lowe
Justice
Editorial Board
Never
fear — Wallace Johnson and Chris Cullinan are not going
anywhere. The men’s basketball assistant coaches are returning
for their third season on the sideline.
However,
they will be joined this year not only by Head Coach Ken Still
’72 but by a pair of new assistants, Alex Aikens ’71 and
Evan Hammond, who hopped on board this summer. Both are
first-time coaches.
Aikens
played for the Judges for half of one season and was a teammate
—- as well as a roommate — of Still’s.
What
is part of the reason he has rejoined Still? “He’s my
buddy,” said Still, who is set for his ninth season at the
helm.
Another
reason, perhaps? “He played some of the best defense as anyone
on me,” Sill said.
Aikens
recently retired from BankBoston, where he was overseer of
corporate bank loan assets.
He
has lectured about corporate finance at Brandeis in the past and
will begin teaching in the Graduate School of International
Economics and Finance next fall.
“He
has good insight, a good head. He brings a little
‘corporate’ to the team, which I like,” Still said.
Aikens
will be doing some scouting and recruiting as well as coaching.
“I
expect to do absolutely everything he asks me to do,” Aikens
said.
“We
have a nucleus of good, young players,” he added. “It’s
fun working with them … It’s quite a satisfying
experience.”
Hammond
is a second-year law student at Boston College and, with finals
approaching, has had an erratic schedule with the team thus
far. “It’s an escape right
now,” he said.
Beginning
in mid-January, Hammond will primarily work on recruiting and
advance scouting.
Hammond,
who went to the University of Massachusetts - Boston for his
undergraduate work, met Still through one of Still’s former
Boston English High School players.
He
has coached at basketball camps in the past but this is his
first taste of more formal basketball coaching.
“He
said he wanted to get into coaching,” Still said. “He has a
real good sense for the X-and-O’s of the game.
“He’s
like a sponge,” Still added about Hammond’s ability to pick
up some of the little pieces of the game.
Hammond
said that, on the coaching side, everyone’s duties are
well-defined, and he knows what his role will be.
A
for the players, “I know all the guys pretty well, I know the
personalities,” he said.
Season
tip-off tonight
The
Judges played two exhibition games earlier this month, losing to
Eastern Connecticut State University and splitting two halves
with Salem State College. Rashad Williams ’02 did not play in
either game with swelling in his knee, but he probably will play
in tonight’s opener against Wheaton College.
Mike
McGlynn ’02 has been bothered by a swelling bruise on the top
of his foot but is not expected to miss playing time.
Jason
Roberts ’03 is hobbling with an ankle sprain and will miss the
beginning of the season while Marin Berket ’03 has a thigh
bruise and probably will not miss playing time.
McGlynn
and Josh Mahan ’00 are expected to start at guard when the
Judges take the floor tonight at 7 p.m. Up front, Marc Corliss
’00, Dave Root ’02 and Williams will start, with Bobby
Brayboy ’02 taking Williams’ spot if he cannot go.
The
hope, of course, is for both Williams and McGlynn to get going
right away. “When you have two starters out who are your two
leading scorers, that’s tougher,” Still said.
Brandeis
has four other games before winter break, including a University
Athletic Association weekend at home, with Case Western Reserve
University in town Dec. 3 and the University of Rochester at
Brandeis on Dec. 5.
Small
club wins big in competition
By
Adam Baumwoll
Justice
Staff
The
Brandeis tae kwon do club has existed for the past nine years,
but with all of the hype over varsity sports it has often been
easily overlooked. But on Nov. 13 the group proved its skill at
the American tae kwon do Championships held at New Hampshire
College.
It
was the club’s first competition of the season, but the team
came away from the meet with a remarkable 11 medals, having
brought only 10 competitors to the competition.
“For
our first meet of the season, we had great success,” said Club
Vice President Adam Frost ’02, who garnered a third place
finish in the black belt sparring competition. “Everybody gave
their best effort, and in many cases the results were
excellent.”
The
competition was broken down into three different categories,
sparring, breaking and forms, and the Judges were successful in
all of them.
The
most decorated competitor for the Judges was Nicole Faron ’01,
who took home gold medals in both the breaking and forms
categories despite having little experience in the sport.
“Going
into the competition I was very nervous,” Faron said. “I
have only taken tae kwon do for a short period of time and this
was my first-ever competition. I was really excited in the way
it turned out.”
Ivan
Liachko ’01, club president, also had a good deal of
individual success in the competition, capturing a gold medal in
the form category, and a silver medal in sparring.
Members
of the club participate in three, two-hour practices a week,
which are led by Brandeis’ tae kwon do master, Jean Robert
Theodat.
Theodat
is the only master of this sport who has called Brandeis a home,
and his credentials make him an excellent choice for this
position. Theodat is a fifth degree black belt and has taught
martial arts for over 30 years.
“Master
Theodat is an excellent instructor,” Liachko said. “He has
tremendous knowledge in this sport, and everybody on the team
trusts his instruction.”
The
next meet for the Judges is scheduled to take place this spring,
but if the club continues to experience the same success that
they did in their first meet, it has the potential to grow and
reach even greater heights.
Men
row in for winter
By
Lauren Warner
Justice
Staff
The
men’s varsity and novice crew squads wrapped up their fall
season as they competed in the Tail of the Charles Regatta on
Saturday. Although neither of the two boats placed near the top,
they were both able to race despite the calamities that occurred
last week.
The
team sent both a four-man varsity boat and an eight-man novice
boat to the regatta.
Rebekah
Lu ’00 rode as coxswain of the varsity boat in spite of her
injury, which occurred on Nov. 11 when the launch ran into the
dock.
While
some people anticipated that the team’s success would be
hindered by the sudden loss of the men’s coach last week, Bob
Simmons ’00 said that the loss posed no real problems towards
the preparation for or the race on Saturday.
The
varsity boat “had a problem two-thirds of the way in, and then
we couldn’t get our momentum back,” Simmons said. They
placed 47 out of 51 competing boats in 15:51, coming in just in
front of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute team.
Captain
Matt Walker ’01 said he was not at all disappointed by the
race.
“The
competition was very, very strong. (The teams that beat us) are
some serious rowing schools,” Walker said.
The
novice eight-boat placed similarly coming in 30 out of 36 boats
in 15:17 and beating out the Harvard LT “D” team. Walker
said he feels that this performance was good and that the novice
team is “improving every day.”
“Overall
we rode a nice solid race,” Simmons said.
The
club hopes that during spring season it will not experience as
many impediments in their pursuits.
“I
think that both squads will do really, really well in the New
England Rowing Championships,” Walker said.
Now
that the weather is turning colder, the team is set to practice
through the winter to prepare for the spring season. |
