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IndyCar: Helio Castroneves wins Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Frozen Four: Ferris State advances to the Frozen Four
Take me out to the ball game: Two foot long hot dog runs at $26
Helio Castroneves won the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida last Sunday to open the 2012 IndyCar Series season. The Brazilian driver drove his Chevrolet to victory through the city streets and airport runway for his first win since 2010. New Zealander Scott Dixon and American Ryan Hunter-Reay also placed on the podium.
Ferris State University is the only Michigan school to advance to the Frozen Four in the NCAA men’s ice hockey national championships. The Bulldogs defeated Cornell University 2-1 in the Midwest regional final last Saturday. Ferris will play Union College (NY) on April 5. The winner will play for the national championship on April 7.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and when it comes to hot dogs, they may have a point. A two foot long hot dog that weighs just over a pound will be available at Ranger Ballpark in Arlington for a meaty price of $26. This massive heart attack waiting to happen has been dubbed the “Champion Dog” and is set to make its debut.
It’s March, stop talking about football dan meloy | sports editor Last week, at the end of one of my late night excursions of Grand Rapids, I returned home and turned on the TV to ESPN to catch up on all the scores I missed. The first story on SportsCenter was about Peyton Manning heading to the Denver Broncos. Okay, he is a famous guy and a Super Bowl winning quarterback, understandably a big story. Second story was about Tim Tebow, cult icon. Word on the street is that he also plays football, heading to the New York Jets. Alright, even in March we can’t escape Tim Tebow, but surely we can get some hockey scores next, right? Breaking news! The NFL has handed sanctions to the New Orleans Saints. Oh now, what the hell? It’s March, it’s spring. Neither of those two facts imply that it is football season, so why are these still the main sports headlines across the country? Yes, I realize that football is the most popular sport in the country, but is it so grossly popular that it overrides sports that are actually in season? I mean seriously ESPN, I love your programming, but would it kill you to not talk about a sport that will not play a meaningful game for another six months? Look at all the sports stories that you could be talking about now: an exciting NBA Playoff race, one of the most balanced and competitive NHL seasons ever, or even this whole March Madness event! Do you at least think that has precedence over reporting what Peyton Manning ate for breakfast? I want to know: when was the allimportant board meeting at ESPN that decided that the NFL would operate on a 24-hour, 365 days a year cycle? You know the old saying too much of a good thing is a bad thing? There is a reason why that is a saying, folks. However, the sad truth is that ESPN is making the savvy move from a business perspective. More people like football than any other sport in the country. Thus more people watch content on football. And it is that kind of information that sponsors are looking for when it comes to who they want to spend their advertising money on. That line of reason works just fineif you are an entertainer. If you are an entertainer, than go right ahead do what it takes to appease the masses. But if you claim to be the worldwide leader in sports broadcasting and journalism, you have to do some real journalism. This means not simply choosing what stories will boost the ratings and creating a schedule of football, football, followed by more football. Instead, reporting on stories that are newsworthy or in other words timely, is required. So stop with the mindless speculation and gossip about what all 32 NFL clubs might be doing six months away from any meaningful events happenning in the league. Stop yammering about where a player may or may not go if you have absolutely no information on it. You may think it is a trendy way of reporting, but the rest of the journalism community has a word for it also: crap. Now, the likelihood of the good folks in Bristol, Connecticut reading this column is slim. And if they do, then the likelihood of them giving me a job will probably be slimmer (until they read my awesome cover letter, of course). This goes out to all my fellow sports junkies out there. We do not have to put up with this slothful journalism. We deserve better. So turn off the TV. Sure, let’s keep watching our beloved sports, but after the final whistle is blown and all the Tebow, Peyton, and whatever nonsense begins, turn off the TV. It’s time for sports fans to demand that sports return as the primary focus on our favorite programs. Or maybe I am just alone on this endeavor. Maybe the rest of the world is so in love with football and nonsense that they honestly don’t care about what SportsCenter throws at them? Fair enough, but count me out. If you need me I’ll be online, reading about sporting events that are actually happening, with the rest of the purists.
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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012
New league provides women’s lacrosse team with stiff competition
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WHAT TO WATCH >> SOFTBALL
The Aquinas College softball team will host Hope College tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Fuller Park. The Saints are 10-9 this season and are playing their last home series until April 17. Fuller Park is located on Fuller Ave. in between Michigan and Fulton streets.
Men’s tennis team on an 11 game winning streak
ANDRIS VISOCKIS / AQUINAS
Return to sender: Junior Kyle Masteller returns a volley over the net. The men’s tennis team is 13-1 this season and ranked 13th in the country. By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter MORGAN DANTZER / THE SAINT
Facing fierce resistance: Sophomore midfielder Taylor Truttschel fires a ground ball toward the Savannah College of Art and Design goal while junior attacker Katie Rogers looks on. By Alyssa Frese Staff Writer With a 5-4 record and a 3-2 record in the National Women’s Lacrosse League, the Aquinas College women’s lacrosse team is trying to find their stride in a challenging new league. The women’s lacrosse team has always been hard to beat. The Saints have always been at the top of the conference and have had amazing records in past seasons. This year however, the women’s lacrosse team joined NWLL, a new, tougher conference. This change has kept the team on their toes and so far their hard work has paid off. “It’s definitely a new level of playing and having to adjust to that higher level,” said sophomore Bailey Terebinski. “It has brought our team a lot closer and really shown us how teamwork wins games, not individuals.” The Saints played their first postspring break game against arch rival Calvin College on March 15 and came out with a 21-1 victory. They played four home games in a row from March 22 to March 25. On March 22, they faced Midland and came out with an 18-4 victory. The next two games were just as successful, with the Saints defeating Olivet College 17-6 on March 23 and defeating Robert Morris University 13-5 on March 24. Aquinas went into their last game of weekend on March 25 with confidence
and ambition. However, the Saints fell short, losing to the Savannah School of Art and Design 18-11. This loss did not get the Saints down, it just made them more determined to work even harder and finish the rest of the season stronger than ever. “We are finally coming together as a team. The chemistry between all of is really great, we all get along really well,” said freshman midfielder Haley Jacob. “I think the season as a whole is going really well, as a freshman I felt welcomed to the team right away. I’m expecting a really good outcome this season.” The Saints have worked hard thus far and have produced positive results. Women’s lacrosse head coach Frank Rogers is pretty pleased with his team’s performance this far into the season. “The national organization we are now playing in is a lot harder then what we have been in,” said Coach Rogers. “We are heading into the teeth of the schedule and I feel strongly that the team is putting things together and are going to reach our two main goals of winning the regular season championship and the National Tournament Championship. We are building the season off the slogans of ‘Dawn of a new day’ and ‘What we can accomplish is limitless as a team.’ We had something to work out coming out of spring break, but the team is doing a great job at practice and building that foundation to reach the major goals.”
Coming off an impressive spring break in Florida, the Aquinas College men’s tennis team did not lose their momentum, winning four straight matches since returning from spring break. The first two matches were not even close as The Saints dominated Hope College, sweeping the Flying Dutchmen 9-0. A notable singles match included sophomore Aaron Hendrick defeating his opponent 6-1, 2-6, 11-9. “I knew my opponent from Hope, Bobby Cawood, growing up playing tournaments in West Michigan,” said Hendrick. “I knew he was a solid player, so I had to capture the big points and not give him anything free. I felt I played pretty decent down the stretch and was happy in the end with the win.” Sophomores Peter Tratt and Brendan Petz won their doubles match, defeating their opponents 8-5. “My usual partner, John Telfer, didn’t play doubles that match so I was paired with sophomore Brendan Petz at number three doubles,” said Tratt. “I felt like we were able to mesh quickly as a team and both play well. We got up early in the match but Hope fought back to tie the score. We then were able to take the last three games. I thought the match went well. It wasn’t difficult to play together after only practicing one time.”
On March 16, the Saints dominated their next opponents, the University of St. Francis (IL), again shutting them out 9-0. Next the team took a road trip to Lima, Ohio to face Roberts Wesleyan College. Although Aquinas did not shut out Roberts Wesleyan, the Saints still won 8-1. A notable singles match was senior Travis Wolf defeating his opponent 6-3, 1-6, 10-7. A notable doubles match was junior Kyle Masteller and Wolf defeating their opponents 8-0. “Me and Travis have been playing stronger lately and we finally have stated playing up to our potential as a doubles team,” said Masteller. This past Wednesday, Aquinas notched their eleventh straight victory by defeating local rival Grand Valley State University 7-2. Head Coach Jerry Hendrick is excited about where his team is right now. “I have been very happy with our team so far this year,” said Hendrick. “We are currently ranked #13 in the US and have a record of 13-1. I am pleased with the play of all our guys, but have especially enjoyed the success of our two seniors this year, Travis Wolf and John Telfer.” The men’s tennis team will host Kalamazoo College today at 3 p.m. at Orchard Hills in their final home match of the season.
New Orleans set for the Final Four this weekend
Young baseball team learns quickly in a challenging WHAC By Alyssa Frese Staff Writer The Aquinas College baseball team has started out the season on a decent note, with a 10-14 record and a 3-5 mark in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The Saints had a very busy week, with games on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, three games in a row during the week and more games this past weekend. Aquinas played two doubleheaders against Madonna University on March 17-18. The Saints came out of the series 2-2, losing the first two games 6-5 and 10-7 and winning the second two 4-1 and 3-1. Then Aquinas played Grand Rapids Community College at home on March 20. The Saints lost 10-8. However, they went into a doubleheader the following day against Calumet College of St. Joseph, they split the series, winning the first game 9-3 and losing the second 6-4. On March 22, the Saints played at Muskegon Community College and lost 13-3. This past weekend, the Saints played two doubleheaders against the University of Northwestern Ohio at home. The first doubleheader featured two really close games. The Saints lost the first game 2-1 after going into an extra inning. The second game was just as close with the Saints losing 2-0. The second doubleheader was a bit more Sports Editor Dan Meloy
successful, with the Saints splitting the series. The losses have not got the team down as they are determined to improve and get a solid winning streak going. “We just played our toughest two series of the year against University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) and Madonna,” said sophomore pitcher Jake Ritsema. “We split 2-2 with Madonna and went 1-3 against UNOH. Yet, we look forward to improving every weekend in conference play and expect to end up right at the top of our conference by the time the regular season is finished.” The Saints have a lot of time left to improve in the season. Aquinas has doubleheaders against Concordia and Davenport coming up as well as other games and practices to get prepared. “We have a young squad still maturing but have been very competitive against a tough schedule,” said baseball coach emeritus Terry Bocain. “I see constant improvement throughout the season as team readies for postseason. Top players so far are Nick Kissane, catcher/infielder, and Ryan Grigonis, infielder. Some of the pitchers have shown flashes of brilliance such as Caleb Ort, sophomore; Jake Ritsema, sophomore; Vince Misiewicz, junior and Brendan Penny, freshman.” The Saints have a good chunk of their season left and with enough practice, hard work and determination, anything is possible.
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Reaching for the top: Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger rejects a Loyola shot during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Buckeyes are heading to New Orleans to the Final Four and will face Kansas Saturday night. By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter After two weeks of craziness, including 15-seeds beating two-seeds and closes games all around, the Final Four is finally set. Representing the West region is the #4-seed Louisville Cardinals. Coached by Rick Pitino and led by star guard Peyton Silva, the Cardinals are the Connecticut Huskies of last year, being mediocre in the regular season and then turning it on once the tournament starts. In its path to New Orleans Louisville has defeated Davidson, New Mexico, Michigan State and Florida. Representing the East region is the #2-seed Ohio State Buckeyes. Coached by Thad Matta and led by superstars Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft, the Buckeyes overcame a slump in the middle of the season to make it to New Orleans. Ohio State defeated Loyola (Md.), Gonzaga, Cincinnati and Syracuse. Representing the Midwest region is the #2-seed Kansas Jayhawks. Coached by Bill Self and boasting stars such as Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks were expected to be in rebuilding mode this year. However, the Jayhawks surprised everyone by
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making this far, defeating the likes of Detroit-Mercy, Purdue, North Carolina State and top seed North Carolina. The fact that North Carolina star point guard Kendall Marshall was out due to injury aided the Jayhawks in booking a spot in the Final Four. Representing the South region is the #1-seed Kentucky Wildcats. Coached by John Calipari and led by superstars Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the inexperienced Wildcats dominated throughout the season to get to New Orleans. Their road included wins over Western Kentucky, Iowa State, Indiana and Baylor. The Final Four matchups for this Saturday’s games are Kansas vs. Ohio State and Kentucky vs. Louisville. The Kansas frontcourt duo of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey will be challenging the dominant frontcourt composed of Ohio State guards Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas. The point guard duel between Kentucky freshmen Marquis Teague and Louisville senior Peyton Silva will be what to watch out for in the battle of the Bluegrass State. The winners of the two Final Four games will meet on April 2 to play for the National Championship.