Today's Blue & White April 27, 2012

Today’s Blue & White

The Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s Official Electronic Newsletter

Friday, April 27, 2012

First Pitch!

Final exams are upon us, which means that the library is busy and the barracks lights are on at all hours of the night.  And as a direct result, we also suspect that Summerall Chapel has seen its fair share of Cadet visitors as well.

The Department of Athletics held its inaugural all-sports Awards Banquet on Monday night at the Holliday Alumni Center where wrestler Odie Delaney and soccer player Vanessa Aponte took top honors as the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.  Congratulations, Odie and Vanessa!

We also congratulate tracksters that earned All-Southern Conference accolades at last weekend’s conference meet in Cullowhee (see write-up below).  And how about our mascot, General, who captured the Southern Conference’s live mascot of the year citation?

Spike was excited to learn that Dr. Harvey Schiller ’60, a proud member of our Hall of Fame, will be providing the Commencement Address when graduation rolls around on Saturday morning, May 5.  We believe this is the first time a hall of famer will be providing the commencement address and possibly the first to receive an honorary degree.

As you’ve come to expect, we have another packed issue of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!

Department Hosts Inaugural Athletics Awards Banquet

The Citadel held the first-ever Athletics Awards Banquet at the Holliday Alumni Center on Monday, April 23, with wrestler Odie Delaney and soccer player Vanessa Aponte taking top honors as the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

An MVP and Academic award was also presented to athletes on each of The Citadel's 14 varsity teams.

Delaney capped off a 2011-12 season with his third trip to the NCAA Wrestling Championships and came within one match of earning All-America honors while Aponte led the Southern Conference in shots while also ranking fourth in goals and fifth in points.

MVPs and Academic Award Winners by Sport

Baseball: No MVP awarded as the season was still in progress at the time; Academic - Nick Orvin; Basketball: MVP and Academic - Mike Groselle; Men's Cross Country: MVP - Kyle Keene; Academic - PJ Wasilchak; Women's Cross Country: MVP - Danielle McKee; Academic - Erinn Carter; Football: MVP - Derek Douglas; Academic - Preston Bailey; Golf: MVP - Erica Pelligrini; Academic - Alanna-Jean Keith; Men's Rifle: MVP - Robert Jackson; Academic - Matthew Bernard; Women's Rifle: MVP - Julia McCullohs; Academic - Julie O'Meara; Soccer: MVP - Mariana Garcia; Academic - Shanna Couch; Tennis: MVP - David Orces; Academic - Josh Cook; Men's Track and Field: MVP - Quintin Turner; Academic - Clay Allen; Women's Track and Field: MVP - Nicole Levermann; Academic - Micah Wessinger; Volleyball: MVP - Rachael Farrell; Academic - Cassie Uribe; Wrestling: MVP - Turtogtokh Luvsandorj; Academic - Alex Wettstein.

Another Southern Conference Citation

The Southern Conference has been providing citations and accolades since its inception in 1921 and since The Citadel joined the league in 1936, the Bulldogs have been blanketed with a multitude of successes. However, their latest award is for the dog.

General, the 9-year-old English bulldog that has been The Citadel's mascot since he was 14 weeks old, has been duly recognized with the league's inaugural "Live Mascot of the Year Award" for 2012.

"General has a lot of personality," said Assistant Athletics Director/Facilities Mike Groshon, who is the mascot's caretaker. "Sometimes he loves the attention, while other times he'd rather sleep."

The popular mascot has appeared on television, in parades and has made countless appearances in the community while also being seen on the Bulldogs' football sidelines, the basketball baseline, in the lower bowl of Riley Park and others games and matches that are played on The Citadel campus.

General was surprised and appreciative of the award. "It's a great day to be a Bulldog," he barked.

After a lengthy delay to start the game on Sunday, College of  

Baseball Drops 3-Game Series at CofC; Hosts Georgia Southern This Weekend

Charleston’s Rob Harding's one-out single in the bottom of the 11^th gave the Cougars a 6-5 victory over The Citadel at The Ballpark at Patriots Point.  With the score knotted at 5-5, Bradley Goodson doubled off the wall in left to lead off the 11^th.  TJ Clarkson intentionally walked Murray to set up the force and Daniel Aldrich popped up a fielder's choice on a bunt, with the Bulldogs getting Goodson, the lead runner, at third.  Harding then slapped a 0-1 pitch through the left side for the win.

The extra-inning game was the first ever played between the two local rivals in a 104-game history that dates back to 1899.  The Citadel continues to lead the all-time series, 58-46, but the Cougars have taken the last five meetings.

Joe Jackson led the Bulldogs with three hits, while Hughston Armstrong collected three RBI.  Clarkson (1-4) suffered the loss, allowing one run on two hits and three walks in two innings with two strikeouts. Reliever Ryan Hines turned a solid performance as he scattered three hits over 4.1 shutout innings and struck out three.  

On Saturday, Jackson recorded a pair of doubles and Mason Davis added two hits, but the College of Charleston used a three-run sixth inning to break the game open to take a 7-2 victory over The Citadel.  Jackson hit doubles in the second and sixth frames, boosting his team-high total to 12 on the season. Kevin Connell suffered the loss as he allowed six runs – five earned - on seven hits in five innings. The freshman southpaw struck out three and walked three.

On Friday, College of Charleston scored four runs in the third inning and pushed across runs in four straight frames on the way to an 8-4 victory over The Citadel.  Austin Pritcher suffered the loss as he allowed seven runs – six earned – on 11 hits in 4.2 innings. TJ Clarkson allowed one hit in 2.1 innings of relief with five strikeouts.  Calvin Orth, Nick Orvin and Armstrong each had a pair of hits.

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

Interested in Enjoying A Luxury Suite to Watch the Diamond Dogs Play at Riley Park?

The Citadel's Department of Athletics is now positioned to offer you the opportunity to enjoy one of the luxury suites at beautiful Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park.

These suites provide a unique entertainment experience to be shared with friends and/or business associates.  A variety of menu items, from hot dogs to caviar, are available from our good friends at the Charleston RiverDogs (food and beverages are not included in the rental fee).  The suite is equipped with interior seating, standing room and 16 outdoor balcony seats, all with a panoramic view of the game, park and the scenic Ashley River.

To find out how you can rent one of the suites for the baseball season, please contact Jeremy Helms at 843/743-6155 or email him at helmsj1@citadel.edu. 

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

Jones Captures SoCon Long Jump Championship As Smith Nabs Second

Eddie Jones jumped a personal-best mark of 23'11.25" to win the long jump championship during the 2012 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at the Catamount Athletic Complex in Cullowhee in which the men finished in fourth place while the women took ninth out of twelve teams.

Jones' long jump conference championship is The Citadel's third in the last four seasons as Kevin Hardy captured the award in the event in 2009 and 2010.  Two others nabbed all-conference honors as Denard Smith took second in the long jump and Clay Allen took second in the javelin.  Smith's leap of 22'11.75" is a new personal-best and moves him into a tie for ninth place all-time.  With a jump of 19'2.25", Tanner Shoemaker was tabbed with all-freshman honors in the long jump.

Quintin Turner heaved the shot put 50'9.5" to take second place and earned all-conference honors in the process.  Along with Turner, the Bulldogs placed two other throwers in the top eight as Michael Sellers hurled a personal-best 48'1.25" to nab fifth place and Dylan Gidado recorded a personal-best 47'2.5" to take eighth.

The 4x400m relay team consisting of Jamaal Brantley, Daniel Till, Jordan Ashley and Blane Woodfin posted a 3:21.49 to take second and earn all-conference honors while the 4x100m team ran a personal-best time of 41.88.  Micah Wessinger closed out her season with a fourth place finish in the 800m (2:12.74), while Nicole Levermann finished the heptathlon in sixth place with 4,272 points and finished tied for eighth in the open high jump, clearing the bar at 5'3".

In the triple jump, the Bulldog men scored in the fourth and eighth positions as Eddie Jones jumped 46'1.5" and Valian Brown leaped 44'2".  Brantley finished in fourth place in the 400m-hurdles (54.49) while Parker Gaston cleared the bar at 6'1.25" to score and take eighth place in the open high jump.  In the decathlon, Ellison Glenn took fourth place with a 10-event total of 5,831 points.

Two Bulldog freshmen were tabbed with all-conference honors as Ian Aikman recorded a decathlon total of 4,837 points and Matthew Beausoleil posted a triple jump of 50'11.25" to earn the honor.

Next week, Turner and Allen will head to Philadelphia, Pa., to compete in the Penn Relays.

Men's Results – Final

1. Appalachian State                238

2. Western Carolina                 225

3. Samford                               107

4. The Citadel                            79

5. Davidson                               58

6. Chattanooga                         37

7. Furman                                  31

8. UNCG                                     30

9. Wofford                                 11

Women's Results – Final

1. Appalachian State                 207.50

2. Western Carolina                  149

3. Samford                                113

4. Georgia Southern                 104

5. Elon                                      102

6. College of Charleston            62

7. UNCG                                     37

8. Furman                                  16

9. The Citadel                            14.50

10. Chattanooga                       10

11. Wofford                                 4

12. Davidson                               0

Seniors and Staff Top Underclassmen in Soccer’s “Final Exam Game”

Athletic trainer Steve Outlaw netted a last-minute penalty kick goal for the Bulldog seniors and staff to give the veterans a 4-3 advantage over the underclassmen in the inaugural "Final Exam Game."

Other scorers for the seniors and staff were Angela Foyt, Miranda Johnson and Whitney Nave.  The underclassmen goals were scored by Mariana Garcia, Vanessa Aponte and Ruth Leiva. 

The contest was used as a farewell scrimmage for the eight graduating seniors as they conclude their last week of classes.  The eight graduating seniors - Shanna Couch, Angela Foyt, Leah Hawkins, Miranda Johnson, Amy Loughran, Whitney Nave, Laura Serafino and Hannah Warne - have made a huge impact on the program the last four years.

Spike Takes a Lunchtime Stroll to Support Blue Cross and Blue Shield's "Walk@Lunch"

On Wednesday, Citadel mascot “Spike” joined members of the Charleston community at downtown’s Marion Square Park to take part in National Walk@Lunch Day.

National Walk@Lunch Day, sponsored by local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, is designed to complement—not compete with—a busy lifestyle. It is designed to improve personal health while decreasing healthcare costs for employers and employees.

Spike participated in the 30-minute National Walk@Lunch Day session, designed to kick start a new daily walking routine for participants, helping to improve one’s health step-by-step.

Hello, World

Congratulations are extended to the family of Assistant Basketball Coach J.D. Powell as Tucker Marion Powell was born at 11:25 am on Friday, April 20, and checked in at 8 lbs., 11 oz.  JD, Keri and big brother Jack are all doing well and very excited about the new addition to the family.

Keep Up With Citadel Athletics

For the latest on all athletic events and giveaways, visit the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of The Citadel Athletics at www.facebook.com/citadelbulldogs and at www.twitter.com/citadelsports.  Also, the baseball and football teams now have their own Twitter accounts at www.twitter.com/citadelbaseball and www.twitter.com/citadelfootball.  Follow them today!

College Seeks Past Mascot Information

Did your or any of your family’s pet bulldog ever roam the sidelines of Johnson Hagood Stadium for a home football game?  If so, we want to know more about it.

Specifically, we are seeking the name(s) of any former live Citadel mascot(s) and the dates in which the dog served as the Cadets’ lucky charm for a minimum of four events.  If you have photos, we’d love to have those as well.

If you can help, please contact Assistant Athletic Director/Facilities Mike Groshon at 843/953-2161 or email him at groshonm@citadel.edu.

Upcoming Birthdays

May 7              Andy Solomon             Administration

May 8              Robby Bennett            Administration

May 23            Al Buddin                     Administration

Upcoming Events

Apr. 25            Central Savannah River Area Club Meeting

Apr. 26            Atlanta Area Citadel Club Meeting

May 3              Calhoun & Orangeburg Area Club Golf Outing & Meeting

May 8              Sumer Area Citadel Club Meeting

May 10            Greenwood Area Citadel Club Meeting

May 11            Greenville County/Spartanburg Citadel Club Golf Outing & Meeting

May 17            Pee Dee Area Citadel Club Meeting

May 18            Columbia Area Citadel Club Golf Outing & Meeting

May 22            Chester/Winnsboro Area Citadel Club Meeting

May 23            Rock Hill/York/Charlotte Area Citadel Club Meeting

June 7              Summerville Area Citadel Club Golf Outing & Meeting             

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.citadelsports.com/list-signup

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…………………...Mike Petrini