Today's Blue & White

Today’s Blue & White
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s Official Electronic Newsletter
Friday, April 29, 2010

First Pitch!
Spike and all of his friends in the Department of Athletics are gearing up for Saturday’s 23rd Annual Citadel Brigadier Foundation Auction, in which there will be a ton of goods, services and vacations available to the highest bidder.  If you haven’t yet made your plans to attend, call us at 843/953-5277 and we’ll set you up.  Walkups will be welcomed as well.

Brunson Miller is making a name for himself as he (again) won the 400m dash at the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and we chronicle the teams’ successes below.

Cadets are cramming for their final exams which began on Thursday and run through early next week.  Commencement is set for May 7.

Keep an eye out for the NFL Draft that is currently going on as cornerback Cortez Allen is expected to be selected in the middle rounds.  He would be the second Citadel player drafted in as many years as Andre Roberts was picked in the third round last year.  Allen graduated in December with a health and wellness degree, and we wish him the very best.

As expected, we have another packed issue of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!

TCBF Prepares for 23rd Annual Auction Tomorrow
“The Blue & White Bash,” also known as the 23rd Annual Citadel Brigadier Foundation, is set for tomorrow (Saturday) night in McAlister Field House.  The event, which features the live band The Sneakers, silent and live auctions, a delicious dinner and an evening full of fun, runs from 6-10 pm.

Proceeds from the event benefit athletic scholarships.

Vacation home rentals and trips, tickets, artwork and a multitude of gifts and services will be awarded to the highest bidder.  For more information and reservations, please call us at 843/953-5277 or email forsbergg@citadel.edu.

12 Cadet-Student-Athletes Named to The Citadel’s Who’s Who Class of 2011
Twelve cadet-student-athletes are among the 75 cadets that have been chosen by Citadel faculty members as the college's Class of 2011 Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges is one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs in the nation.  Nominations are based on strength of character, academic achievement, military achievement, leadership, campus activities and participation and excellence in athletics at the varsity, intramural or club sport level.

The Who's Who students will be recognized during the annual Awards Convocation, which is at 2 pm on Thursday, May 5 in McAlister Field House. The cadet-student-athletes and their respective sports are listed below:

• Toluwalase Eromosele Akindele, Houston, Texas – Football
• Amanda Beal, Scottsdale, Ariz. – Volleyball
• Christopher Joseph Castagno, Sugar Land, Texas – Track and Field
• Sarah Celeste Creel, Cordova, Tenn. – Track and Field
• Charles MacCrea Finch, Isle of Palms, SC – Football
• Kevin Patrick Flood, Naples, Fla. – Track and Field
• Katherine Rae Hardina, Fargo, ND – Golf
• Tatum N. Jestila, Scottsdale, Ariz. – Volleyball
• Samuel Patrick Keeler, Charleston, SC – Football
• Phillip Michael Pandak, Richmond, Va. - Basketball
• Sarah Patricia Stierwalt, Fremont, Ohio – Cross Country/Track and Field
• Joseph Antonio Trippi, Fountain Inn, SC – Rifle

Brunson Miller Earns All-SoCon Honors at Track and Field Championships
Brunson Miller tallied his sixth Southern Conference title with a school-record breaking run in the 400m dash at the 2011 SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, at Samford in Birmingham, Ala.  The Citadel men's team concluded the meet in fifth place with 48 points, while the women finished in ninth place with 20 points.

Miller entered the meet as the defending champion in the 400m dash after winning the event last season (47.25).  This season he improved his run and established a new school record with a time of 46.90 after cruising past his opponents to a first place finish and concludes his sophomore campaign with a total of three indoor titles and three outdoor titles.

Miller also ran the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay team along with Daniel Till, Christian Graham and Blane Woodfin, and the quartet became fourth all-time among The Citadel's most prolific runners after posting a 3:13.93 for a second place finish and All-Conference recognition.  Staring at a fourth place finish, Till anchored the 4x100m relay team to an All-Conference finish when he chased down a Samford runner 20 meters from the finish line to earn third place.  Till, Graham, Kevin Poland and Benjamin McCoy posted a 42.40 to take the final spot on the podium.  Till also earned the No. 9 all-time finish in the 200m dash running his personal-best time of 21.77 for a seventh place finish. 

Also garnering an All-SoCon honor was sophomore Micah Wessinger for her participation in the 800m run as she ran a 2:13.52 for a third place finish, collecting her second consecutive top-three finish in the event during conference outdoor competition. 

There were five Cadets that completed the second day with All-Freshmen honors as Christopher Sievert tallied recognition for his performances in both the 110m and 400m hurdles.  Dylan Gidado also earned honors for two events, the shot put and the discus. 

On the women's side, Danielle McKee added All-Freshman honors for her previous days' performance in the 800m preliminary round and Nicole Levermann garnered the award for her performance in the open high jump.  Levermann finished fifth and moved into the second all-time spot with a 5'03.00".  Andriana Love concluded the freshman honorees with her personal-best performance in the open shot put (40'04.25") that earned her a seventh place finish and the third all-time position on The Citadel's top-10 list.

All-Southern Conference Honors
Brunson Miller: 400m dash (champion)
Daniel Till, Christian Graham, Blane Woodfin, Brunson Miller: 4x400m relay (2nd)
Kevin Poland, Benjamin McCoy, Christian Graham, Daniel Till: 4x100m relay (3rd)
Micah Wessinger: 800m (3rd)

All-Freshman Team
Dylan Gidado: Shot put and discus
Nicole Levermann: High jump
Andriana Love: Shot Put
Danielle McKee: 800m run
Christopher Sievert: 110m and 400m hurdles

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Diamond Dogs Split DH with USC Upstate
The Citadel baseball team split a doubleheader with USC Upstate on Saturday afternoon at Riley Park with the Spartans winning the opener, 6-2, and in the second game, The Citadel scored early and held on to a 3-2 victory.

In the first game, the Bulldogs did not register a hit until the fifth inning and four errors haunted The Citadel defense in the loss.  William Ladd went 1-for-2 with a pair of runs and walks to lead the offense, while Drew DeKerlegand went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Austin Pritcher's solid pitching in the second game propelled the Bulldogs to a 3-2 victory and a split in the doubleheader.  Pritcher fired 7.0 innings while scattering nine hits.  He allowed one unearned run, walked none and struck out four to pick up his first win since early March.  All eight of the Cadets’ hits were scattered as no one collected two, and Joe Jackson recorded the only RBI.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

First Pitch for This Weekend’s Baseball Games Adjusted
Saturday's baseball game between The Citadel and Presbyterian has been pushed back to 4 pm to accommodate the final exam schedule at The Citadel.

The two teams will begin their series on Saturday, April 30 at 4 p.m. at Riley Park, instead of a 2 pm start time as originally scheduled.

Earlier in the week, the two teams agreed to play a doubleheader on Sunday, May 1 beginning at noon.  The final game of the series will start approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game on Sunday.

The series finale was originally scheduled for Monday, May 2 at 1 p.m., but was also moved to Sunday due to the exam schedule.

Four Wrestlers Participate at University Nationals at Akron
Four Citadel wrestlers competed at the 2011 ASICS University Nationals at the University of Akron over the weekend.

Reigning Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year Turtogtokh Luvsandorj led The Citadel with a second place finish.  Odie Delaney reached the quarterfinals of the heavyweight division while a pair of Bulldog freshmen also competed in Kenneth Radford and Joaquin Marquez.

Finishing as runner-up at 174 pounds, Luvsandorj defeated NCAA qualifier Cody Yohn of Minnesota in the quarterfinals.  In the semifinals, the sophomore would avenge a dual loss he suffered in January at the Lone Star Duals to Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell by downing the Sooner who attained All-America status and finished as runner-up in the 2011 NCAA Championships.  Luvsandorj eventually fell in the finals to Ohio State's Colt Sponseller, who finished fourth at the NCAA Championships last month.

Delaney reached the quarterfinals of the heavyweight bracket after stunning Minnesota's Tony Nelson when he pinned the Golden Gopher at the 1:30 mark.  Delaney narrowly fell to Ohio's Jeremy Johnson in the quarterfinals, by decision and in the consolation bracket, Delaney was eliminated by Michigan States' Mike McClure.

Radford at 174 pounds and Joaquin Marquez at 132.25 pounds also participated in the event but the freshmen were eliminated early in the double-elimination tournament.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Aponte, Garcia to Train with Colombian Women’s National Team
Rising sophomore soccer players Vanessa Aponte and Mariana Garcia have been invited to attend training camp with the Colombian Women's National team, May 4-14, as they prepare for their first-ever appearance in the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011.  The final team of 22 will compete in Germany during the week of June 26–July 17.

Aponte, a forward/midfielder from Orlando, Fla., was a member of the FIFA World Cup Women's Colombian U-20 National team during the summer of 2010 and saw 76 minutes of action in two matches.  As a Citadel freshman, Aponte played in 19 matches with 17 starts and finished first on the team in assists (5), tied for second in points (15) and was second on the team in shots (52) and shots on goal (20).  She also finished with two game-winning goals including the penalty kick that advanced the Bulldogs to the semifinals in their first-ever appearance in the Southern Conference Tournament.  For that goal, Aponte was named the CS360 Primetime Performer of the Week.

Garcia, a Bogota, Colombia, native started in all 21 games for the Bulldogs and finished the season leading the team in nearly every offensive category including goals scored (10), points (21), shots (53), shots on goal (32) and game-winning shots (five).  She also finished the season leading the league in game-winning shots and tied for first with goals scored.  For her efforts, Garcia was tabbed the league player and freshman of the year, a first team All-Conference recipient and a member of the All-Freshmen squad.  She was listed by TopDrawerSoccer.com top-100 freshmen to watch list and was ranked as high as No. 2 on the top-20 in the SoCon.  Garcia was named to the 2010 NSCAA/Performance Subaru NCAA Division I Women All-Southeast Region Second Team as well as the 2010 Soccer America All-Freshman Second Team.

As a part of group C, Colombia opens the World Cup against Sweden on June 28 in Leverkusen, Germany.

Cross Country, Track and Field Teams Hold Awards Banquet
The cross country and track and field teams held their annual awards banquet on Tuesday evening at the Altman Athletic Center.  Awarded by veteran head coach Jody Huddleston and assistant coach Kris Kut, the teams celebrated their accomplishments with coaches, athletic staff members, family, friends and alumni in attendance.

The banquet began with the recognition of first-year letterwinners and followed with the award ceremony of cross country participants.  Erinn Carter, Will Johnson and Austin Waldrop were awarded the Bulldog Award, which is given for toughness, practicing hard, helps out and does work not only on the track or field but in the classroom.

The Outstanding Competitor Award went to Atom Young, while the Mandy Garcia Cross Country Award went to Suzanne Gay.  Named for the first female cadet-student-athlete in The Citadel's history, the Mandy Garcia Cross Country Award is the outstanding competitor award for female recipients.  The MVP awards, as voted by the cross country team, went to Kyle Keene and Danielle McKee.

The track and field awards began with the High Point Award, given to the individuals that scored the most points throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons.  For the women, Nicole Levermann was honored as was Brunson Miller.  The Most Improved Track and Field Athlete award went to Kasandra Polson and Christopher Castagno.  For their assistance in making the team better, the Outstanding Track Athlete Awards went to Chalita Johnson and Daniel Till.  Levermann collected her second award for Most Outstanding Field Performer, while James Harris earned the award for the men.

The Braskie Award went to the athletes that did something abnormal and/or different and this year's honor went to Natalie Wolin and co-recipients Timothy Smith and David Melton.  The Thomas Metsker Award went to Andriana Love and Blane Woodfin.  The final awards of the evening were the MVP awards, voted on by the track and field teams and Micah Wessinger and Brunson Miller were recognized.

Volleyball Releases 2011 Slate
Amir Khaledi's first season as head volleyball coach features three matches against teams that reached postseason play.  The Bulldogs will host 13 games at McAlister Field House, including nine against Southern Conference competition.

The Citadel will compete in three in-season tournaments and 22 non-conference matches, beginning with a trip to Hampton University to open the slate.  Taking place on Aug. 26-27, it marks the second straight season that the Bulldogs open play in a tournament format. 

After a trio of games on Sept. 2-3 at the South Carolina State Tournament, which pits the Bulldogs against 2010 NCAA Tournament qualifiers South Carolina State and Alabama A&M, The Citadel will travel to North Carolina A&T to face the Aggies on Sept. 7.

Following a six-day break in action, the Bulldogs officially open the home slate when they welcome Charleston Southern to McAlister Field House.

To view the entire schedule, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Former Citadel Football Standouts Return for Piccolo Spoleto’s Spotlight Concert Series
They wore The Citadel blue and white football uniforms and toiled in the trenches of historic Johnson Hagood Stadium 17 years apart, yet both were named among the Southern Conference’s best linemen during their time.  Now they return together to their Alma Mater to present the most unique concert ever held in McAlister Field House.

Dr. Tony Cicoria, Class of 1974, and Morris Robinson, Class of  1991, revisit The Citadel on Sunday, June 5 at 7 pm, as part of the 2011 Piccolo Spoleto “Spotlight Concert Series.”  Both return to give back to the college they love so as a fundraiser for The Citadel Football Association in a concert setting that is appropriately entitled, “From Athletes to Artists.”

Cicoria is an orthopedic surgeon in Norwich, NY who was struck by lightning.  Having no musical background, he developed an insatiable desire to listen to piano music, taught himself to play and is now a celebrated concert pianist.

Robinson, on the other hand, is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most fascinating and sought after basses performing today.  A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in their production of Fidelio.

Both Cicoria and Robinson will appear with the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Donald Portnoy.

Tickets are $51 (Gold), $36 (Silver) and $16 (Bronze) and may be secured by contacting the Piccolo Spoleto Ticket Hotline at 866/811-4111.  General festival information may be secured by calling 843/724-7305 and the website is www.piccolospoleto.com.

Proceeds benefit The Citadel Football Association, its athletic scholarship and efforts to enhance the football program for players and coaches.

SoCon Baseball Tournament Seeks Patrons
The Citadel and the City of Charleston will again host the annual Southern Conference Baseball Tournament, set for May 25-29 at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.  As in the past, we are offering three great patron packages:

• Patron Package ($346 value for $130): 1 hat, 10 all-session passes and 6 meal tickets; 
• Super Patron Package ($455 value for $235): 1 hat, 1 Polo shirt, 12 all-session passes and 10 meal tickets (shirt comes with SoCon logo and one member school logo;
• Ultra Patron Package ($612 value for $340): 2 hats, 2 jackets, 15 all-session passes and 12 meal tickets (jackets come with SoCon logo and one member school logo).

As a convenience, we accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards.  Order forms are on the website at www.CitadelSports.com.  For additional information, please contact our Athletic Ticket Office at 843/953-DOGS (3647).

TCBF Schedules Coaches Nights
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s annual spring tour that features many of our coaches has been set, and we invite you to attend the one(s) closest to where you reside.  If you have questions or concerns, please contact Caleb Davis at 843/953-6813 or email him at caleb.davis@citadel.edu.

For the updated listing, please refer to “Upcoming Events” that appears below.

Soccer Team Sells T-Shirts As A Fundraiser
The soccer program invites fans to help with their fundraising effort as the team now has Citadel Soccer t-shirts for sale.  They come in two different color options: 1) red with Citadel blue, and 2) navy with Citadel blue. 

The cost of the t-shirts are $20 each and checks may be made payable to “Citadel Soccer.”  Team members will be selling the shirts throughout the summer and fall, and orders can be placed through them.  However, it may be easiest to contact Assistant Coach Jamie Stewart at jamie.stewart@citadel.edu or call her at 843/953-2469 with your requests.

As a side note, sizes run on the small side and kids may be able to wear an adult small.

Volleyball Signs Six
Volleyball coach Amir Khaledi has released the names of six players that will join the team as members of the 2011 recruiting class.  Khaledi is in his first season as head coach having served as an assistant.

The signees include Haley Corson, a libero/defensive specialist from Christchurch High in  Gloucester, Va.; Ise D'Angelo, a middle blocker from Boylan Catholic High in Rockford, Ill.; and Lauren Hurt, an outside hitter from Wando High in Mt. Pleasant; Janiece Judkins, a middle hitter from Aiea High in Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Mallory Moore, an outside hitter from Oconee High in Athens, Ga.; and Amanda Rudnik, an outside hitter
from Spring Valley High in Columbia.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Want to Keep Up With Citadel Athletics?
Fans have the opportunity to follow all the action of The Citadel Bulldogs by joining Twitter and Facebook for your round-the-clock news on Citadel athletics.
 
To join other loyal fans on Twitter, visit: http://twitter.com/CitadelSports and to become a devotee of the Bulldogs on Facebook, visit: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Citadel-Sports/108617202526805?ref=ts.  And, as always, we’re updated on www.CitadelSports.com.

Bulldog Business Partners
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation has started the “Bulldog Business Partners” for the 2010-11 academic year and the first to sign up are:

• Charleston Crab House/Palmetto Ale House
• Tommy Condon’s Irish Pub
• Hawthorne Suites
• Lutheran Hospice
• Piggly Wiggly
• Kevin Shealy, Allstate Insurance
• Sleep-Inn / Mt. Pleasant
• South Carolina Federal Credit Union

We encourage you to please stop by and thank our supporters.  If you want more information on how your business can partner with The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, please call us at 843/953-5277.

They Said It:
"I put him in the late third, fourth round area.  I think when you're looking at Cortez Allen, he's a big corner who runs well, tests well athletically and has good strength.  I think he's going to transition well from a I-AA program into the National Football League."

      • Mel Kiper, Jr., who has been ESPN's expert NFL Draft analyst since 1984, on Cortez Allen.

"Andre (Roberts) getting drafted and playing well definitely helped solidify that (the NFL) is possible for me.  It gave me motivation to work that much harder."

     • Cortez Allen.

May Birthdays
May 7  Andy Solomon   Administration
May 8  Robby Bennett   Administration
May 23 Al Buddin    Administration
May 28 Andy Alden    Football

Upcoming Events
April 30  TCBF Auction @McAlister Field House
May 3    TCBF Coaches Night: Conway/Myrtle Beach/Georgetown
May 4    TCBF Coaches Night: Camden 
May 5    TCBF Coaches Night: Orangeburg/St. Matthews
May 12   TCBF Coaches Night: Columbia/Lexington/Ft. Jackson
May 13    TCBF Coaches Night: Greenville/Anderson/Spartanburg
May 17   TCBF Coaches Night: Sumter/Shaw Air Force Base
May 19   TCBF Coaches Night: Winnsboro/Chester
May 24   TCBF Coaches Night: Florence/Darlington/Lake City
May 25   TCBF Coaches Night: Greenwood
May 25-29  SoCon Baseball Tournament @Riley Park
May 26   TCBF Coaches Night: Augusta/Aiken/North Augusta
June 16   TCBF Coaches Night: Summerville

Have a Friend Who Might Be Interested?
Today’s Blue & White is the sister publication of the The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation that is printed monthly.  In order to receive the printed version, one has to be a member of TCBF.  However, we’ve opened Today’s Blue & White to anyone and everyone who has a computer and who is interested in activities of TCBF and, of course, The Citadel’s Department of Athletics.  Today’s Blue & White is free.  All one has to do is sign up is to click on this link:  http://www.nmnathletics.com/main/NewsMailSetup.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9700&DB_OEM_ID=9700&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=&DB_OEM_ID=9700&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=9700&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=
 

Today’s Blue & White is the official electronic publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, Inc. with its office located at The Citadel, McAlister Field House, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC  29409 (office 843/953-5277).
Publishers……………...Jerry Baker & Larry Leckonby
Editor…………………Andy Solomon
Layout…………………Jeremy Helms