April 2016
DANKE SCHÖEN Keith says thank you to German man who saved his life
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CONTENTS P.8
P.18
Opportunity to say thank you
Farnsworth’s rise
Track and field/cross country head coach Steve Keith recently traveled to Germany to meet the man that unknowingly saved his life.
Commodore golf star is always working on her game, mentally and physically.
P.12 New training room New state-of-the-art training room is now officially open for business.
P.10
P. 20 Charley continues to soar
Cutler returns for Hall of Fame induction
P.2
Former Vanderbilt quarterback honored during annual Black and Gold Spring Game.
Compliance Corner
Vanderbilt junior triple jumper earns All-American status. Again.
P.3 National Commodore Club
P.7 Inside McGugin
P.23 It’s My Turn
Rod Williamson’s monthly column
P.24 My Game Emma Dagres
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Inside McGugin
By The Numbers
Notes from the athletic department
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his issue of Commodore Nation was going to press as the search for our new men’s basketball coach was just beginning. We expect to dedicate much of next month’s issue to profiling the new coach and possibly his staff should they be finalized at press time. The news of Kevin Stallings accepting the head coaching position at Pitt allows both programs the opportunity of a fresh start. Coach Stallings had served Vanderbilt well for 17 years, quite an accomplishment in and of itself in these times of rapid change. His departure and the arrival of our new coach will create an exciting buzz as our fans ponder the possibilities. There are many in collegiate athletics that consider Vanderbilt to be a “basketball school” and that can be very appealing to excellent
coaches looking for a program to make their mark. We have learned from recent searches that the appeal of living in the dynamic city of Nashville coupled with Vanderbilt’s membership in the Southeastern Conference is also helpful in attracting top talent. Director of Athletics David Williams has mentioned the importance of “fit” in landing a coach that understands and buys into our university’s philosophy and values of academics and sportsmanship. By the time you are reading this, there is a good chance the search will be over and our new coach is known to all. It will be a time to come together and rally behind our basketball leader as much can be accomplished with a united front. Anchor Down! —Rod Williamson
The exact distance in feet triplejumped by All-American Simone Charley to finish second at the NCAA Indoor Championship.
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JOE HOWELL
Will Gordon’s 9-under final round to finish in a first-place tie at the Schenkel Invitational, which Vanderbilt won with a 41-under par total.
Calendar
April/May Events May 16–18
April 29–May1
Vanderbilt will host one of six NCAA Men’s Golf Regional tournaments at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin. There is no admission cost to watch some of the nation’s top collegiate golfers.
JOE HOWELL
The Commodore baseball team plays host to Georgia in a three-game series on Hawkins Field.
May 13–14 Vanderbilt tennis expects to host a first and second round NCAA Tennis Tournament on the courts of the Currey Tennis Center.
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Keith gets opportunity to say thank you to hero By David Dawson
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fter being rescued from a life-threatening situation, wouldn’t you want to meet the person who pulled you from the burning building or performed CPR? Steve Keith, the head coach of Vanderbilt’s cross country and track teams, was recently given the chance to meet his hero—and Keith wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass him by. Two and a half years after receiving a lifesaving bone marrow transplant, Keith traveled to northern Bavaria, Germany, last month and came face-to-face with Bernhard Horst—the man that gave him “a second chance at life.” Horst is an engineer for a plastic fabricating company that specializes in medical products in Amberg, Germany. He doesn’t wear a cape or a mask and has never leaped a tall building in a single bound. But make no mistake, he’s a superhero. By volunteering to take part in the Marrow Donor Program and becoming available on the Bone Marrow Transplant registry, Horst unknowingly saved Keith’s life, providing him with the match that was needed when Keith became dangerously ill in the spring of 2013 while battling myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). It’s not exactly the type of story that can be found in a comic book, but the theme is the same: The good guy saved the day. “The fact that there was a 27-year-old man in northern Bavaria waiting to give me a second chance at life—and the fact that he was a perfect match—it’s just amazing,” said Keith. Last month, when the two men met for the first time, Keith—now fully recovered—was able to say thanks, in person, to the man he jokingly calls his “DNA doppelgänger.” Needless to say, the meeting was a special moment for both parties. “I didn’t want to Skype or FaceTime with him
Keith and Horst get to know each other over a cup of coffee.
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recruit from Germany, Keith decided that a visit to Germany could serve two purposes. He wanted to use it not only as a chance to visit the family of Mailin Struck—the cross-country standout from Hamburg, Germany—but also as an opportunity to meet Horst. Hamburg is roughly 300 miles away from Amberg (where Horst lives), but Keith gladly made the approximately five-hour drive between the two cities, and jokingly said: “You know, since I was going to be in the neighborhood, it made sense to do both.”
Vanderbilt’s Steve Keith poses for a selfie with Bernhard Horst in Germany.
(before the trip to Germany) because I wanted to meet him face-to-face,” said Keith. “In a situation like this, you want to reach out, shake hands and hug the guy—and you can’t do that over Skype. So I saved that for our actual meeting.” Long time in the making Almost immediately after his recovery, Keith became determined to meet the man who saved his life. But there were legal hurdles to be cleared and geographical issues to be solved. “International privacy laws, or at least within Germany, require two years to pass before you can request to have contact (with the donor),” said Keith. “And even after that two-year window, there has to be a mutual agreement before contact can be made. “In our case, there was one (a mutual agreement),” Keith said. “So, at the end of September, we started emailing each other and getting familiar with each other’s worlds.” Next, it became a matter of planning a journey to Germany. And, as it turned out, the details fell right into place. Having recently signed a cross-country
The big moment Balloons? Music? What exactly is the right way to celebrate your first meeting with the man who saved your life? Keith said he pondered that question in the hours leading up to his visit with Horst. “I was sitting in the hotel room (in Amberg) and I was thinking, ‘Ok, how do I want to do this?’” Keith said. “I’d always had in my mind some orchestrated celebratory reveal.” But when the big moment actually came, Keith kept things simple. “I finally just called him from the hotel room and said, ‘hey, come on over to my hotel and let’s get some coffee.’ So, he came to the hotel and met me in the lobby.” And there it was. No music, no cameras— other than a few selfies with Keith’s cell phone—and really, no fanfare at all. “We’re typical guys, I guess,” said Keith with a laugh. “Nothing too sentimental.” Keith said there was some awkwardness at first, but it didn’t last long. Soon enough, the conversation was flowing between Horst, who speaks English, and Keith. “When we first got together, I said, ‘You look nervous.’ And he said, ‘Oh yes, I’m really nervous,’” Keith said. “So I told him, ‘I’m probably more excited than nervous, so I’ll do all the talking right now.’” But it didn’t take long for Horst to open up. He gave Keith an in-depth tour of the town, taking him to the school where he earned his engineering degree, among other stops. “It was sleeting and snowing, but we enjoyed just walking around and talking,” said Keith. “He drove me to his house to meet his wife and his kids. Unfortunately his youngest was sick and
In a situation like this, you want to reach out, shake hands and hug the guy.
Vanderbilt’s Steve Keith captured these images during his recent visit to Northern Bavaria.
his wife had to take him to the doctor. So it was just the three guys—me, (Horst), and his oldest son, who is 3½ years old and is totally into Star Wars and Legos. Those things have universal appeal, obviously. So, we continued to talk and visit and had a nice typical Bavarian meal.”
he stabilized and was soon put on the National Marrow Donor registry. Roughly four weeks later, after a round of chemotherapy, Keith received the stem cell transplant—which is where Horst comes in. Horst’s donation enabled Keith to beat the odds: Only about 40 percent of those in need actually find a match. In the days since his recovery, Keith has become a tireless advocate of the National Marrow Donor registry, known as the Be The Match program. He championed the cause in many
Drumming up support Although Keith has made a full recovery—and has returned to his normal of coaching and running— the memories of March 2013 will never fade. Keith was in Fayetteville, Ark., for the NCAA Indoor Championships when he contracted a virus that almost cost him his life. At the time, Keith was unknowingly suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which later developed into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The disease had destroyed virtually all of Keith’s white blood cells, leaving him almost defenseless against the normally common virus. Keith was life-flighted to Vanderbilt, where
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Strong connection The following morning, after their initial meeting, Keith learned more about Horst—including visiting his parents—and continued to tour the town. “It’s not even a village; it’s probably more like 50 houses spotted all over the countryside,” said Keith. “The road out of town can barely fit one car, much less two. It was great.” By the end of the visit, Keith and Horst were at ease with one another, and a friendship was forged. “He was a super nice guy, and it felt really comfortable to sit down and talk to him,” said Keith. “We both would occasionally shake our heads and think about how far medical science and research have come. It is truly amazing that they were able to find a match—and such a good match that there were no rejection or graft-versus-host issues.”
ways, even lobbying for funding in Washington. “The Wednesday before I went to Germany, I went to D.C. to advocate for the registry on Capitol Hill,” said Keith. “They took me and another transplant recipient as the two ‘exhibit As.’” “It’s really a numbers game,” said Keith. “The more people in the registry, the more mixing and diversity there is, and the more lives that will be saved.” And the more stories we’ll have about heroes.n
Vanderbilt’s Steve Keith has returned to full-time coaching duties since his recovery.
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Cutler returns to VU for Hall of Fame Induction By Ryan Schulz
JOHN RUSSELL
J
JOHN RUSSELL
Jay Cutler is surrounded by reporters and media members at the annual Black and Gold Spring Game.
Cutler waves to the crowd while being joined on the field by (from left) former Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt director of athletics David Williams (left) and current Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason.
JOHN RUSSELL
ay Cutler was officially inducted into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame in a special halftime ceremony at the Black and Gold Spring Game. The former All-SEC quarterback and current member of the Chicago Bears was joined on the field by athletics director David Williams, current head coach Derek Mason and former head coach Bobby Johnson. Additionally, Cutler was surrounded on the field by eight of his former teammates and closest friends. “I’ve been blessed and privileged to play a lot of football, but always coming back here with the fans and the Vanderbilt community, it means a lot to me,” Cutler said. “It puts a smile on my face and I owe a lot to everybody at this university and you guys as fans. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.” Cutler was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2005 before being selected 11th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He holds school records in total offense, touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions and combined touchdowns. “Jay was more than a quarterback; he was a great leader for us,” Johnson said. “He was tough as nails and he played that way ... and he was a great competitor.” Cutler is a member of the 2015 Hall of Fame Class, but cannot attend the official induction ceremonies in September due to obligations with the Bears. n
Cutler addresses the crowd while being honored at halftime of the Black and Gold Spring Game.
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Ribbon cut on state-of-the-art training room
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anderbilt’s new athletic training room officially opened for business in February. The state-of-the-art facility in McGugin Center
more than doubles the former facility’s capacity. The centerpiece of the new space is the hydrotherapy room, featuring both hot and cold plunge tanks as well as an underwater treadmill pool with athlete-specific, programmable protocols and video recording capabilities. Additionally, three separate physician exam rooms, 12 new treatment tables, 12 pieces of cardio equipment, nine taping stations, two private treatment rooms, an abundance of brand new modalities and rehab equipment, a conference room, a staff locker room and more combine to form one of the most complete athletic training facilities in the country. n PHOTOS BY JOE HOWELL
(above) Vanderbilt’s new training room facility features a wide range of rehabilitation equipment for the athletes who are recovering from injuries. (below) Vanderbilt’s new training room—with 10 examination tables and state-of-the-art equipment— is one of the most complete facilities in the nation.
The centerpiece of the new training facility is the hydrotherapy room, which includes both hot and cold plunge tanks. It also includes an underwater treadmill pool with video recording capabilities.
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Newman teams up with brother to represent Bahamas By Catherine Hilley
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ed hair, and a freckled face… he’s got to be from the Bahamas, right? For Vanderbilt men’s tennis player, Baker Newman,
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that’s the case. It’s called dual-citizenship, and as soon as Newman was born, his family rushed back to his father’s hometown of Nassau, Bahamas, to ensure both he and his older brother could be a part of a culture which means so much to two generations of Newmans. “When I was born, my dad immediately got us passports to the Bahamas. Basically my grandfather moved there for work, and my dad was born there. So I kind of got lucky.” Lucky is an understatement, as Baker’s Bahamian citizenship has given him and his brother Spencer an opportunity of a lifetime… a chance to represent the Bahamas in the 2016 Davis Cup. However it’s an opportunity Newman never thought he’d have himself. It was always his older brother, Spencer, who competed for the Florida Gators and trained against the best in the nation at the USTA Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., who got all the acclaim growing up. “Well actually it’s been in talks for a while to compete for the Bahamas… since we were younger. But even then it was more Spencer, never really me. I remember when he was 15 or 16 and the Davis Cup coach called him and asked if he wanted to play for them, and I was like ‘man, I want to do that some day.’ It never really crossed my mind that I would.” Last summer, the Newmans vacationed in Nassau. To stay in shape Baker hit with a local police officer and son of the former president of the Bahamian Federation who knew how to go about getting Baker on board the Bahamas team. “It was the police officer, Jared Turnqvist, who really pushed us to go down in December to compete in the qualifier. At first he didn’t know I was a dual citizen, so when I told him, he was like, you have to do it. If I wasn’t Bahamian I couldn’t play for them.” Over this past winter break, Baker and Spencer traveled to the Bahamas to compete in the Davis Cup qualifier, the Giorgio Baldacci Tennis Tournament at the National
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Tennis Center, which featured the island’s best players and gave the brothers a glimpse of what they were getting themselves into. Several players on the Bahamas team are or were collegiate athletes themselves; earning spots on the rosters of the University of Central Florida and Georgia Tech men’s tennis programs. “When I went to the national training center in the Bahamas I figured it would be pretty nice, but I’d never been there so I didn’t know. The courts were really nice, they were kept up, but the fences and buildings were falling apart like what a rundown facility here in the United States would look like. And that surprised me, because people like Mark Knowles used to play there, and he’s No. 1 in the world in doubles.” During the tournament, both Newmans made it all the way to the championship, with Baker defeating his brother for the first time ever. But in the trip Baker gained much more than a win over big bro, as he was able to connect to their roots and watch older brother Spencer begin to reconnect to a sport and passion he thought he would never go back to. “That win was so awesome. I was always ‘the younger brother.’ I’m not saying I didn’t do well, but he was always the better one. He (Spencer) wanted to go pro and all that... but he got hurt playing at Florida, and stopped playing tennis for a while. He never took his last year of eligibility; he graduated and said ‘I’m not playing tennis any more.’ “But he started training up for this Bahamian Davis Cup, and has actually started coaching this kid. And he’s been playing again, and playing pretty well. He beat me in a few practice sets over break. But the tournament in the Bahamas was his first tournament back. He has the excuse that he was hurt, but it still meant a lot to me.” “I can kind of hold it over his head now a little bit (laughing),
Baker Newman (far right) poses with John Elwood, director of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, and his brother, Spencer, (left) after a tournament.
because I absolutely beat him. The only reason it went to three sets is because he’s my brother and he got in my head. He knows what ticks me off.” While Baker and Spencer weren’t playing matches or training they toured around the island meeting people from the family’s past and seeing where his father grew up. “I actually did an interview with my grandpa two weeks ago for a class and he was telling me about his 15–20 years he spent in the Bahamas… he said he never thought he was going to leave. He built a house down there with his bare hands. I saw that house over the break, and that was just really cool to see. “I also met my dad’s care taker when he lived there as a child. She was like his second mom. She has this restaurant now, and all this food she made for him I had when I was there and that was really cool. I had their boiled fish, which is like their trademarked food for breakfast.” Following the conclusion of the Vanderbilt tennis season, the Newman brothers will meet the rest of their teammates a week prior to the Davis Cup in this year’s host site, La Paz, Bolivia. At one of the highest elevations in the world, Baker and his brother are interested to see how the altitude will affect their games, but are just excited to get the chance to play together. “It’s going to be really cool playing with my brother. We want to play doubles together, you know, Newman and Newman representing the Bahamas… that’s something we’ve always talked about, even when we were younger. It’s always been a dream.” n
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NCAA Golf Regional coming in May By Rod Williamson
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anderbilt is hosting an NCAA Men’s Golf Regional May 16–18 at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. It marks the first time in program history the men have hosted an NCAA post-season event; the
women’s program hosted the 2012 national championship. The regional, one of six nationally, will bring in 14 excellent teams and five of the top-ranked individuals from teams that did not qualify. They will play 54 holes with the top five teams from each regional advancing to the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon, May 27–June 1. Hosting the prestigious tournament is yet another forward step by Commodore golf, which has shot to the top echelon in seemingly short order under Head Coach Scott Limbaugh. In just his third year last season, Vanderbilt finished second in the championship stroke play and advanced to the match play round of eight for the first time. Limbaugh’s team narrowly missed winning the Southeastern Conference championship, getting edged at the wire by eventual national champion LSU. “I think that us having this opportunity to host NCAA Regionals continues to show our commitment to having the best golf program in the nation,” Limbaugh says. “Our athletic department is committed to excel-
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lence and when I mentioned that hosting this was good for our program, everyone was on board. This will bring some of the best golfers in the nation to our home course and will continue to put the Vanderbilt brand out there in the golf world. Scores will be running daily on The Golf Channel which will give our program and golf course more publicity. We are excited to continue to show off what we feel are the best golf facilities in all of college golf and our student-athletes are excited to play at home for the right to play for a national championship.” This year’s Commodore team is another talented group with a blend of veterans such as senior Carson Jacobs and junior Matthias Schwab, freshman flashes Will Gordon and Patrick Martin and tourney-tested men such as Zack Jaworski and Theo Humphrey among others. The Nashville golf community has stepped up to help host. “We have about 100 volunteers helping us in various ways before, during and even after the tournament,” says tournament director Rod Williamson. “We are greatly appreciative of their assistance in making this a first-class tournament for the participants.” There is no admission fee for the tournament, and fans will no doubt see several players on the verge of playing on the PGA Tour. n
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Work ethic fuels Farnsworth’s rise By Rod Williamson
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t was a dreary weekend afternoon, spitting rain and cool. Alexandra Farnsworth has stopped hitting balls inside Vanderbilt’s Conner Family Training Center to meet briefly with a reporter. When informed it might be 10 minutes before the interview could begin, she asks if she can study until things are ready. While no doubt other college students are using the same time to take a nap or watch March Madness, Farnsworth is scraping every second out of her allotted 24 hours. She is that driven. Time might be her most valuable resource and she uses it wisely. She has a purpose heading into each practice and each competition, written down on notecards for emphasis. “Putting goals on paper solidifies the thought for me,” Farnsworth shares. “That’s how I study. I write my personal goals before each tournament, non-score-oriented points that I want to focus upon. For our last tournament my goal was to be less technically oriented and to focus on visualizing the type of shot I want to hit.” If Farnsworth sounds serious about golf, she is—and she comes by it naturally. “Golf runs in my family,” she says. “My grandmother is a Tennessee rules official and both my parents are avid golfers. Growing up we lived on a golf course. Golf began as a way for my family to get together and enjoy the outdoors. I started playing when I was three and began entering tournaments when I was eight. By the time I was 13 I knew this is what I wanted.”
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Her competitive genetics run deep. A grandfather (Jim Cunningham) was captain of Vanderbilt’s Gator Bowl team and her mother (Amanda) gave basketball at Vanderbilt a shot until sustaining a very quick knee injury. An aunt, Kathy Cunningham, was a member of Vanderbilt’s first varsity basketball team in 1977–78. Farnsworth herself played some basketball before focusing on golf. Farnsworth finds working on her game therapeutic. “On days like today, when for once I have a light weekend of homework, all I really want to do is come out and have some good, quality practice,” she says. “This is my happy place. It is tranquilizing to hit balls and (motioning to the new Conner Family Training Center) having these facilities makes it hard to stay away from the course.” Farnsworth talks frequently about her teammates and all that they share. “It’s great to have teammates who love golf as much as I do,” she says. “I know when I’m out here others will be here, too.” These Commodores have had a spectacular run of success in the classrooms, recording team grade point averages exceeding 3.6 to lead all Vanderbilt women’s teams. “We don’t do anything without putting in a full effort,” Farnsworth proudly says of her teammates. “It can be hard to balance the needed time requirements of sports and rigorous academics but we all have the type of personalities that what we do, we want to do well.” She has little free time so asking what she enjoys away from golf and academics produces a reflective pause. “I like music,” she finally says, “and I love country music. I like cooking and next year my dorm room has a kitchen so my roommate and I can bake some. And I love food, and Nashville has an endless number of restaurants. Morgan Ransom (a teammate) and I made a list of restaurants we wanted to visit and we tried to check them off but barely made a dent.” It seems as though Farnsworth—just a sophomore who came to Vanderbilt as a heralded junior golfer—has been a mainstay for quite some time but she reminds that success wasn’t instant. “I didn’t play at all fall semester my freshman year,” she says. “The first semester was a real learning experience. Time management was huge. The rigorous academics and golf demanded time and I didn’t realize how much sleep I required. That took a toll on my golf. After Thanksgiving I took a three-week break and then went back to practicing like I did for junior golf and worked really hard over winter break.” She wants to take golf as far as she can (Who wouldn’t want to make these beautiful surroundings your office?, she wonders) but as one might expect, she isn’t putting all her eggs in one basket. “I have a Plan B if golf doesn’t work out,” Farnsworth says. “That’s a huge reason why I chose Vanderbilt. I major in economics and minor in Spanish so I’d love something in international business but I might also like something in sport management.” Professional golf is on the far horizon. Right now, the organized “Farney” as she is called on the team, is all about being a Commodore. “I enjoy spending time with my friends and I love the girls on the team,” she says. When time allows, you can find Farnsworth in Memorial Gymnasium or Hawkins Field following the ‘Dores. “I love watching sports, especially basketball and baseball. We painted up for the Kentucky basketball game and hopefully we can take a little credit for the victory,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. n
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Charley continues to soar for VU By David Dawson
V
anderbilt All-American triple jumper Simone Charley added another chapter to her decorated career by claiming second place in the triple jump at last month’s NCAA Indoor Championships. Competing in front of her hometown fans in Birmingham, Ala., Charley posted a mark of 44-0 (13.41m) to break her own school record and earn First Team Indoor All-American honors for the second consecutive year. It was the best performance by a Commodore since Ryan Tolbert captured a national championship in the 400 hurdles in 1997. “It was an amazing feeling,” said Charley. “Just to see all the hard work pay off—and to see everything come together—was very satisfying and exciting.” Charley, who also earned First Team AllAmerican honors during the outdoor season last spring, hit her record-breaking mark on her first attempt. “Simone has been steady all season, and we were very proud to see her come out and cap it off the way she did,” said head coach Steve Keith. “We’re super excited for her.” Charley finished fourth at last year’s Indoor Championships and earned All-American honors, then earned All-American status again during the outdoor season with a third-place finish at the national meet. “Some athletes seem to get really tight in a championship setting, while others are able to cut loose and really perform. Simone has proven she is in the latter group,” said associate head coach Clark Humphreys. “She had a little extra pressure in terms of being in front of her hometown fans—but she used that as a motivation, not a distraction.” n
“It was an amazing feeling, just to see all the hard work pay off.”
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Salamone joins Vanderbilt staff By Rod Williamson
V
eteran Southeastern Conference marketing executive Martin Salamone joined Vanderbilt Athletics administrative team in early March. Salamone, who came to Vanderbilt after 14 years at the University of Florida, serves as the Associate Athletic Director for Sales, Marketing and Revenue Generation. His most recent position at Florida was Assistant Athletic Director for Revenue Generation. “We had a deep pool of very talented applicants,” Director of Athletics David Williams says. “We wanted a person with a rich background of successful marketing and our national search found a number who fit our profile. There are many people who want to work at Vanderbilt, be in the Southeastern Conference and live in Nashville. Martin was our first choice and we expect him to make significant contributions in the months and years ahead.” Salamone is a Philadelphia native and Penn State graduate. He worked briefly with the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles before returning to Penn State, where he served in the Nittany Lions’ marketing office until accepting a position as Director of Marketing at Florida in August of 2002. Over the next 14 years, Martin was promoted three times with increasing responsibilities over a broad range of revenue, media rights, customer relations and associated topics. He served as one of Florida’s representatives on SEC Marketing Director teleconferences, where his good work was noted by the conference office. “Vanderbilt hit a home run with the hiring of Martin Salamone to lead its athletics marketing program,” said SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent. “Martin brings with him a solid history of successful marketing and branding in the Southeastern Conference and he is sure to have a significant influence on the exposure and fan enjoyment surrounding Commodore Athletics.” ■
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It’s My Turn By Rod Williamson
I
’ve been thinking a lot about my mom. It has been painful for our family to watch her slow but inevitable decline due to the cruelties of dementia. Her struggles are no different than the countless others who have gone from being sharp as a tack to slightly forgetful to mixed up to an abyss. Mom was (is?) the cornerstone of our family—smart, kind, modest to a fault. She liked sports and when she met Dad working at the Pentagon near the end of World War II they went to Washington Senator baseball games. Dad didn’t have the patience to fool around teaching me how to play so Mom became my first coach. I got the hang of hitting a thrown ball from her. Dad played golf but Mom was first to show me how to swing a club. Dad and I played “burn-out” where we would throw the ball as hard as we could and Mom would step outside to warn Dad not to hurt me. Years later, with less urgency, she would remind me not to hurt Dad. Mom attended all my games. She was pretty good at being a fan; she came to cheer and be optimistic, she didn’t try to second-guess the coach and she said little about the game to me afterwards. There were a couple memorable exceptions and all involved my conduct. One came when I was the starting quarterback on our middle school team. Early one week I had burst into the law office where she was the secretary to get some money so I could join the guys at Dreyer’s Drugstore. One of her elderly bosses, Mr. Mulder, came tottering out of his office as I rushed in and said, “How are you doing, sonny boy?” I barely acknowledged him or his question, getting the 50 cents and sayAs it came time for me to go ing “Fine” as I raced onto to the airport, Mom walked the sidewalk. When we both got home, Mom said to me, her voice cracked matter-of-factly, “You are with emotion, and she got out not playing in the game “Good luck.” She then left, Friday night.” “Why?” her head on Dad’s shoulder. “Because you embarIt’s an unforgettable image. rassed me by being rude to Mr. Mulder.” My coach apparently made a few attempts to get Mom to change her mind but she refused to budge. I didn’t suit up for the game, which I have long since forgotten about, but I will never forget her valuable lesson. I don’t remember seeing her cry; she kept her emotions from us boys, except for another memorable day. I had taken an exciting new job at Vanderbilt University and Mom knew from her own experience that she would not only see much less of Phyllis and me but also her two young grandkids. As it came time for me to go to the airport, Mom walked to me, her voice cracked with emotion, and she got out “Good luck.” She then left, her head on Dad’s shoulder. It’s an unforgettable image. She was a trooper, becoming a big Vandy fan while attending my alma mater’s games with Dad for years. We owe a debt of thanks to the Betty Williamsons past and present; they formed the foundation of the sports world we know and love today. ■
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N
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My Game
Emma Dagres By David Dawson
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mma Dagres is a midfielder for the Vanderbilt lacrosse team and is a four-year starter for the Commodores. The senior from Weston, Mass., recently sat down with Commodore Nation to talk about her sport’s growing popularity, her life as a Vanderbilt athlete and numerous other topics. Here’s a sampling of what she had to say: Commodore Nation: How does it feel to be a lacrosse player in the South? Obviously, the sport isn’t as big in this region as it is in some other parts of the country, but it seems to be picking up speed. Dagres: I honestly do think that the South is growing in the lacrosse world, but there are a lot of people who still don’t know much about it. For example, sometimes our team will be eating at a restaurant— even in Nashville—and people will ask us what lacrosse is (laughs). They always ask if I can connect it to another sport, so I tell them it’s like having a soccer team. It’s really hard to explain when someone doesn’t know anything
about the sport. Coming from the Northeast, where I grew up—in Boston—it’s much bigger there than it is here, and I think it’ll be like that for a while. But again, I do think that the sport is growing in the South. It would be interesting if one day the SEC formed a lacrosse league. I would love for that to happen. CN: When did you start considering Vanderbilt among your college choices? Dagres: The funny thing is that I didn’t even know Vanderbilt had a lacrosse team when I was a sophomore in high school. I never really looked at colleges down south, knowing that it wasn’t the biggest sport down here. So when I was talking to my club coach about
CN: What’s your favorite part about lacrosse?
JOE HOWELL
Dagres: That’s a tough question because there is so much about it that I love. I would say being with 11 other girls on the team that are motivated in the same way you are, and who are competing toward the same goal. Yes you want to win a game, but you’re all competing for the same thing and on the same page. It’s an awesome feeling when you go out there and connect with everyone and make things happen.
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Dagres: I picked up the sport in eighth grade. I was a soccer player my entire life. I was going to play soccer in college—it was my dream. I grew up with my cousin, who was a semi-professional soccer player, so soccer was kind of engrained into my brain. Then all the other girls started to play lacrosse, so I thought, why not give it a try? I loved the sport immediately, and when I was in high school I joined a club team called Revolution Lacrosse in the Boston area. All the girls started to join club teams because that’s how you get recruited for lacrosse. CN: Do you ever still play soccer? Dagres: I don’t. I miss it a lot. The funny story is, the last game that I ever played of soccer was the state championship—and we won. I don’t feel the need to ever go back and play because we ended on such a great note (laughs). CN: How does lacrosse appeal to the common sports fan?
Vanderbilt being on my list of schools, I did my research and found out that it’s one of the only southern schools with a DI team.
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CN: How long have you been playing lacrosse?
Dagres: I feel like they’re changing rules every year to make it more fun to watch. Yes, they’re making it safer, but I think that over the years it’s become a faster-paced game. In high school there were a lot of rules that stopped us from playing, but now with the rule changes—like self-starts and others—it makes the game a faster pace and I think that’s what people like to watch. People don’t like to watch a game where the whistle blows every 10 seconds. And that’s bad for the players, too. It’s awful when you’re on the field and you’ve got this mojo and you’re having to stop every time the whistle blows. I think the NCAA is trying to do a better job of making the game faster-paced and fun to watch. You can throw in some dirty checks here and there too and that’s fun to watch. CN: What do you like to do in your free time? Dagres: On the days when I don’t have a game or practice, I’m in my bed with my legs up, trying to feel them because I can’t after a game (laughs). Days off are very important to me because I need my mentality back. It’s nice to rest from lacrosse for a day because everything is always about lacrosse, especially as a DI athlete. The days that I do get to myself, I don’t take for granted. n
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