May 02, 2008
A Special Presentation
I have the good fortune to be able to attend several of the post-season awards banquets for the various Wabash athletic teams. Sometimes, however, I'm forced to miss them due to other scheduled varsity events.
That was the case this year with the 2007-2008 Swimming and Diving Team Awards Banquet. The event was schedule on a Sunday afternoon when we also had a home baseball game. I knew their was a slim chance I would make the banquet. I didn't.
I did, however, get the opportunity to see a very special moment near the end of the awards portion of the evening.
The team had asked Patrick Woehnker's family to attend the banquet. Woehnker, a Wabash freshman, had perished in an accident very early in the school year. Patrick had remained in the hearts and on the minds of his teammates, and they chose to remember their fellow athlete in a very special way.
Brent Graham, recently named one of the co-captains for the 2008-09 team, spoke of getting to know Patrick. Graham was not only a teammate of Woehnker, but was in the same fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.
"We only had a short time to get to know Patrick," Graham said at the banquet. "But that time was special."
With the Woehnker family standing at the front of the room, Graham announced that Woehnker had received his varsity letter as a member of the Wabash team, and presented the white "W" to his mother, Wendy.
After the letter award, members of the team presented the family with a Wabash banner signed by each athlete and coach. Finally, a check made out to the Kendallville, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department was given in Patrick's honor. The money had been collected by the swim parents group to support one of Patrick's favorite hometown organizations.
There are always wonderful moments at the end-of-the-year banquet --- a special speech by a senior realizing what his career has meant, an anecdote that captures a key moment of the past year, etc. In a year that has seen several great moments, this five minute presentation at the swimming team's banquet may be the one remembered with a smile and a tear.
Posted by harrisb at 09:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 15, 2008
The Magic Number
Just over a year ago the Wabash baseball team defeated the undefeated and number-one ranked College of Wooster. As I was wrapping up the broadcast that day, I talked about the progress of the team, and that a win over a program like Wooster didn't mean the Little Giants had finally arrived at their goal of becoming a better baseball program. They had only taken another step.
Now Wabash is poised to take one more step --- its first trip to the North Coast Athletic Conference baseball tournament. The Little Giants have already taken two steps toward that goal in two earlier series this year. The first was when Wabash took a 3-1 series from perennial Western Division power Ohio Wesleyan on the road. The Little Giants had never taken a series from the Battling Bishops before, and had lost 14 of their last 15 games against OWU.
The next step came last weekend against Denison. Wabash split the season series against the Big Red, thanks in part to a tremendous pitching effort from freshman Brian Van Duyn in Sunday's final game and the hitting of Matt Dodaro and Tanner Coggins in Saturday's extra inning affair. The split put Wabash a game behind Denison in the NCAC standings with two conference series remaining for the Little Giants.
Monday night the Little Giants split with a much-improved Earlham baseball team in Richmond, Indiana. The loss was a slight stumble for Wabash. However, Ohio Wesleyan completed its 16-game conference schedule by taking two games at Wittenberg to finish 10-6 in league play.
Now comes the mathematics portion of today's blog --- the magic number. With apologies to Professor Mike Axtell and the rest of the math department at Wabash, I'll give you the formula to calculate the magic number.
G 1-W(a)-L(b), where G = total games, W(a) is the number of wins that team A has in the season, and L(b) is the number of losses team B has in the season.
To break down what means in the case of the Little Giants --- Wabash has to win four games out of its remaining six conference games to make the NCAC Tournament. If Denison (8-4 in the NCAC currently) sweeps Earlham in the Big Red's final series this weekend, Wabash would need to win all six games to earn the top seed from the West.
A tall order? You bet, but so was beating Ohio Wesleyan at OWU and taking no worse than a split against Denison. So was beating Wooster last year on its home field. This Little Giant team is no longer worried about what they're not supposed to be able to do. They are focused squarely on what they want to do.
Keep an eye on that magic number this weekend when Wabash plays a four-game set against Wittenberg at Mud Hollow Field. Let's see if it can go all the way to zero.
Posted by harrisb at 08:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 01, 2008
Make That Two Little Giant Championship Coaches
Last week I wrote about Joshua Kendrick '97 leading the Brownsburg Bulldogs to the Indiana High School Athletic Association 4A state basketball championship. I just learned another Wabash alumnus took his high school basketball team to the state's 3A crown.
Gene Miiller '75 has been the head basketball coach at Washington High School in southwestern Indiana for the past three seasons. He was also varsity letter winner as a member of the Wabash basketball team. Miiller is among the winningest coaches in Indiana high school hoops, eclipsing the 500-win mark earlier this year.
Miiller led the Hatchets to their fifth state title by defeating Fort Wayne Harding 84-60 two weeks ago in the championship game. Miiller also has been the coach of McDonald's High School All-American Tyler Zeller, who scored 43 points in the title game and is one of the favorites to win the Indiana Mr. Basketball Award later this year.
Congratulations to Gene Miiller --- Some Little Giant and state champion coach.
Photo - Miller (right) talks to one of his assistant coaches. Photo by Scott Myers Photography.
Posted by harrisb at 01:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 24, 2008
Kendrick Takes Brownsburg To State Title
Congratulations to Josh Kendrick '97 and his Brownsburg High School boys' basketball team. The Bulldogs won the Indiana High School Athletic Association's Class 4A state championship Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse on one of the wildest final plays you will ever see.
Don't believe me? Watch it by clicking here!
Kendrick and Bulldogs certainly had all the fan support Browsburg could muster. The Wabash baseball team stopped for dinner in Brownsburg on its way to Ohio Wesleyan last weekend. Everywhere we went there were signs, banners, and people wearing buttons wishing Brownsburg the best of luck in the state finals.
Josh is no stranger to fantastic finishes in important basketball games. I remember working the radio broadcast of the 1997 Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference championship game between Wabash and Rose-Hulman. Wabash got a running one-handed jumper from Chad Tabor with three seconds left in the game for a 63-62 win, giving Kendrick, Tabor, and the rest of the team the conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III basketball tournament.
Kendrick's path the IHSAA state title wasn't easy. His Bulldogs knocked off the top-ranked team in Class 4A --- undefeated New Albany at 26-0 headed into the semistate --- by a score of 51-41 to earn a shot at Marion in the finals. The last play of the game was supposed to be a pass to Julian Mavunga on the right side of the basket. When Marion's Jay Edwards intercepted the pass, Mavunga tipped it away and right to teammate Gordon Hayward. The senior drilled an off-balance shot just ahead of the buzzer to give Brownsburg the 40-39 victory and start Kendrick and the team's celebration. Earlier tournament wins included a 62-58 contest against North Central and a 63-59 victory over Carmel. Those victories over some of the best teams in the state of Indiana earned Kendrick the Indianapolis Star's Coach of the Year Award.
William Hobbs '97, Kendrick's roommate at Wabash, fondly spoke of Kendrick and his knowledge of the game even before entering the high school coaching ranks.
"If there is such a thing as a walk-on to a Division III basketball program, Joshua Kendrick fit the bill when he arrived to campus in 1993," Hobbs said. "He prepped at 400-student Blue River Valley High School, a perennial mushroom in the shadow of powerhouse New Castle. We met at the General Lew Wallace Motor Inn, where we were residents for more than a semester (due to an housing problem on campus).
"Kendrick was sure Petty would cut him before the season, and he nearly quit a couple of times. But he persevered. Though not the most talented player, he was smart --- a coach's player. He worked relentlessly to perfect his jump shot, which he unleashed in the Little Giants' NCAA run."
Joshua Kendrick --- Some Little Giant and quite a Bulldog!
Photo - Josh Kendrick cut down the nets after winning a conference championship as a player at Wabash. Now he's cut down the nets as a successful high school head coach after winning the state title last Saturday.
Posted by harrisb at 01:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 07, 2008
SID Representative Bob Bittel '57
Ordinarily I would be posting a blog from Arizona, California, or Texas right about now. I normally travel with one of our sports teams on their spring break trip. It's a great experience. I get to know the players a little better, which helps me (hopefully) tell more of their great stories. This year one of those great stories came from Wabash alum Bob Bittel '57.
This year the strange leap year calendar had the Little Giant spring teams traveling while the Wabash basketball team was competing in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. I had already talked to Wabash coaches Cory Stevens, Jason Hutchison, and Mac Petty about my travel plans. Everything was in place to get the results from each sport as quickly as possible so we could share them with everyone on the web site.
Part of that information heads out in an email to alums and friends of the College who have requested an email copy of the stories as soon as they are posted to the site. Bob is one of many alums with whom I've developed on-going online conversations regarding the success of the Little Giant teams. Bob has sent emails during radio broadcasts letting me know he's listening and cheering along with the Little Giant fans in the stadium while he listens to the game in his home in Yorba Linda, California.
When Bob received the tennis results from California during the first part of the spring break week, he sent me an email asking about their schedule. Thursday's tennis match at Whittier was close enough for him to make a trip to watch the Little Giants in person and meet some of the players he had read about all season long.
Here's a note Bob sent me last night after going to see Wabash fall 6-3 to Whittier:
Brent,
I was able to make it to Whittier College to see the Wabash tennis team play and it was just great! Meeting Coach Hutchison and the team members reinforced my respect for Wabash, its sports program and its student athletes. Had some great conversations with the Coach and players. The matches here were their first outdoors and a couple of them were sunburned. One of the guys was celebrating his birthday today. They were looking forward to seeing the L.A. Kings hockey game tonight from a luxury box, no less. Thanks for sending out the notification of their playing here during Spring Break!
GO WABASH!
Bob
I've seen this same thing happen again and again as Wabash teams travel to different parts of the country. I'm so happy one of the College's number one fans got a chance to spend some time with the players during their trip to California. Thanks, Bob, for your never-ending support of Wabash.
If you would like to be included on the same email list Bob and many others have joined to receive updates regarding Wabash athletics, drop me an email at harrisb@wabash.edu. Let me know what sports you are interested in and we'll add you to the list.
Posted by harrisb at 08:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 02, 2008
Heading Home...
Between Dayton, Ohio and Richmond, Indiana ---
It's Sunday morning and a tired group of Wabash basketball players are all sleeping on the bus as we head back to Indiana. When we arrive early in the afternoon they will all disperse to begin their spring break plans. Some are traveling to vacation spots. Others are headed home to relax. All have earned a break.
That includes the three seniors --- Earl Rooks, Gary Simkus, and Andrew Zimmer. That trio have provided great leadership on and off the court all season long. No small portion of credit in Friday night's huge win over 11th-ranked Wooster goes to those three for the way they've brought what is essentially a young Wabash basketball team together down the home stretch of the hoops season. This team has come together like no other in the past few years. Wabash basketball will be in good hands over the next few seasons with Brian Maloney, Aaron Brock, Wes Smith, and others. But make no mistake... we will certainly miss Earl, Gary, and Zim.
But now we move forward to spring sports. All week long we'll keep you updated with the efforts of the Wabash baseball and tennis teams as they travel and compete in Texas, Tennessee, and California. The golf team will wait for its coach to join the trip to Arizona --- Mac Petty left Saturday night after the loss to Ohio Wesleyan to head out West to take over his other duties as head golf coach (no break for Mac!). The Little Giants track team will take a break (except for our three national qualifiers) and prepare for the outdoor season. Swimmer Adam Petro will be the last winter sports athlete competing. Adam will participate at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships March 20-22 at Miami University (OH).
So take a break with me until later tonight. Then let's find out if the Little Giants picked up two wins in baseball at the University of Dallas.
Posted by harrisb at 10:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 22, 2008
The Next National Qualifier?
For the second time in eight years the NCAA Division III Wrestling Regional returns to Wabash College. Chadwick Court will be packed Saturday, full of fans supporting their favorite athletes all day Saturday.
Wrestling has always been a special sport in this area, from its rich history at Wabash to the successful high school programs around the area. Saturday will be a perfect opportunity to see some of the best collegiate wrestlers in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Pennsylvania compete for a spot at the national championship meet in Iowa March 7-8. Fifteen athletes --- each winner from the ten individual weight classes and five at-large representatives chosen the coaches at the end of the tournament --- will represent the region at nationals.
Part of that rich tradition of wrestling at Wabash includes a regional championship by the 2004-05 Little Giants. Wabash has sent a wrestler to nationals nearly every year since the last time the regional was here in 2001. Chris Healy ’05, Phu Hong ’05, Garrett Pino ’07, and Keith Garrard ’07 all represented their team and the College in the national spotlight. Saturday evening we'll find out if Rob Arnett, Jared Tribbett, Graham Youngs, Stephen Mosier, Rob Beeler, Michael Burke, Brandon Johnson, Keith Closson, or Stephen Iles will add their name to that list as a national qualifier.
Posted by harrisb at 10:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
