Saints Playbook Winter 2015

WINTER 2015

2015-2016 BASKETBALL

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he fall semester is in full swing, and the Saints are kicking it into high gear both academically, and on their field or court of play. But that’s not all that’s going on in the athletics department. Already ranked No. 1 in the nation among community colleges, you can be sure that Santa Fe College will continue to improve services for all faculty, staff, students and the Gainesville and Alachua and Bradford County communities.

Within our athletics department, we have increased our professional relationship with the University of Florida to include complete cardio screening for SF student-athletes.

This assures that our student-athletes are getting the very best health care available.

Major renovations have already begun at the baseball and softball fields, including a new press box at the baseball field and new dugouts for both fields. SF President Dr. Jackson Sasser, Vice President of Student Affairs Naima Brown, and Vice President for Advancement Charles Clemons are committed to redeveloping the athletic facilities on the Northwest Campus.

Meanwhile, our coaches and student-athletes continue to represent the SF student body, faculty and staff and the entire Gainesville area in a first-class manner.

This season already, the volleyball team has qualified for another trip to the FCSAA State Tournament, setting the stage for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, baseball, and fastpitch softball, all of whom have their sights set on Mid-Florida Conference titles and tournament berths.

In 2014-15, a record 40 student-athletes earned honors for their work in the classroom, and five were given the highest honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association, three of them coming from the women’s basketball team.

Twenty-nine student-athletes earned Florida College System Activities Association academic honors while 38 student athletes earned Mid-Florida Conference academic honors.

SAINTS PLAYBOOK Publisher Santa Fe College District Board Of Trustees Caridad “Carrie” E. Lee, Chair Jeff Oody, Vice Chair G.W. “Blake” Fletcher Robert C. Hudson Col. Arley McRae, Ret. G. Thomas Mallini Lisa M. Prevatt Robert L. Woody President Jackson N. Sasser Provost and Vice President Ed Bonahue Vice President of Student Affairs Naima Brown Produced by Communications & Creative Services Editors Jon-Paul Wimer Amanda Hernandez Writer Scott Jamison Photography Aaron Daye

So, you have a lot to be proud of within the SF Athletic teams and we invite you to join us as we cheer them on to conference, state and national prominence.

Contact Information Main Office Fax Lines

352-395-5535 352-395-5547

Sincerely,

Athletic Director Jim Keites

352-395-5536

Sports Information/Intramurals Scott Jamison 352-395-5616 Fitness Center Manager Marshall Blair 352-395-5540

Jim Keites, SF Director of Athletics

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE SANTA FE SAINTS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:

Athletic Trainers Jessica Quinn Brandon Rumph

352-395-5884

Head Coach Baseball Johnny Wiggs 352-381-3866 Head Coach Fastpitch Christine Ahern 352-395-5638 Head Coach Men’s Basketball Chris Mowry 352-395-5548

www.facebook.com/SFathletics

www.youtube.com/santafesaints

Head Coach Women’s Basketball Chanda Stebbins 352-395-5541 Head Coach Women’s Volleyball Nick Cheronis 352-395-5537

www.twitter.com/SF_athletics

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www.instagram.com/santafesaints

ON THE COVER (left to right) Brianca Roberts and LaBrian Shiflet.

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Flashback! Santa Fe Women’s basketball whoop it up as they defeated Pensacola State College 70-57 Thursday, December 4, 2014.

2015-2016 BASKETBALL Men’s Women’s

Q&A

Get to know your student-athletes

ATHLETICS

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Fitness Center and Intramurals

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PREVIEW: BASEBALL AND FASTPITCH

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VOLLEYBALL 14 PARTNERSHIPS UF Health and SF

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BASEBALL

January 29, 2016 3 p.m.

Full schedules, roster and bios can been seen at santafesaints.com.

FASTPITCH

February 5, 2016 2 p.m.

Full schedules, roster and bios can been seen at santafesaints.com.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

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he Santa Fe men’s basketball team returns just one player from last year’s team, but that hasn’t stopped the Saints from setting their goals on a Mid-Florida Conference championship and a spot in the FCSAA State Tournament. Ty Birts is back as the lone returner after a solid freshman season, but will be relied upon heavily this year on both ends of the court after being more of a role player a year ago.

The Saints open their season on Oct. 30, against Game on Rise Academy, and continue on the road on Halloween day against Indian River State College. They host the annual Florida Colleges Shootout, which will see 10 teams from the state of Florida compete for two days at the Santa Fe College Gym. SF will battle Gulf Coast State and Broward College, two top-level teams.

Joining lone returned Ty Birts is a recruiting class that includes three sophomore transfers with college experience, seven freshmen, and four redshirt freshman. Coach Mowry expects the three sophomore transfers to have a big impact and help bring along the freshmen who

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lack collegiate game experience. Leo Edwards, a transfer from Louisiana Tech University, brings size at the post position, but can also run the floor and shoot jumpers. LaBrian Shiflet played last season for Salt Lake CC and is extremely athletic, can shoot the three, and will be expected to put points on the board for the Saints. Alex Brown, a transfer from University of Louisiana Monroe, brings ball handling, defense, and scoring ability to the 2015-16 Saints

Ty Birts is back as the lone returner after a solid freshman season, but will be relied upon heavily this year on both ends of the court.

To see full schedules, rosters, bios and more on our basketball programs, and to watch live games, please visit www.santafesaints.com.

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Tylan Birts

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NOTHIN’ BUT NET

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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he Santa Fe women’s basketball returns three players from last year’s team and will look to improve with the addition of 10 freshmen, and the return of Desi’Rai Shaw, who sat out last season with an injury after playing in 2013-14. Bri Roberts, last year’s leading scorer Sonya Franklin, and Tanesha Campbell return to give the Saints a veteran presence.

Three players from last year’s team will look to improve with the addition of 10 freshman, and the return of Desi’Rai Shaw.

(Jacksonville / Paxon Advanced Studies), and Rayven Wade (Jacksonville, FL / Paxon Advanced Studies). The entire recruiting class will be expected to contribute to a team that has set its sights on a Mid-Florida Conference championship and a run through the FCSAA State Tournament.

The Saints won’t be at a disadvantage in the size depart as they boast six players 6’0” or taller, including 6’5” Tabitha Odabe (Abuje, Nigeria / The Rock School).

Santa Fe College opens their season on Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. against IMG Academy during Dunkoween, and continues on Halloween day against Gulf Coast State College at 4 p.m.

To see full schedules, rosters, bios and more on our basketball programs, and to watch live games, please visit www.santafesaints.com.

Coach Chanda Stebbins expects the freshman class to make an immediate impact, led by forward Evelina Avleeva (Yekaterinburg, Russia / The Rock School), guard Corey Staples (Buford, GA/Buford), Ari Emanuel-Wright

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Q&A /// STUDENT-ATHLETES You go to class with them, watch them play and cheer them on, but do you really know the athletes that represents your college? We sat down with five players and asked them questions to see what makes them tick, in and out of uniform.

KEYSHA GORDON

Tyler Kinney /// Baseball Q: The Saints had a very successful season last year, what are your goals for the team your sophomore season?

A: Our goal as a team is to have another successful season and come together as a group. Winning one game at a time is the main goal, and if we are able to do that we will end up at the state tournament.

The state tournament was a great experience as a freshman but as a sophomore, I am hoping the other sophomores and I can lead us to a state championship.

Q: What would be your dream MLB team to play for?

A: As a kid growing up I was always a Cleveland Indians fan and if I were ever lucky enough to get drafted by a major league team, it would be a dream to get drafted by them.

Q: Who do you admire most and why?

A: I admire my father most. He has been a role model to me my entire life and I look up to him each and every day. He has shown me what it’s like to be a good father and how to be a great man.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to a freshman on your team?

A: If I were to give freshman advice, it would be to make sure to focus on being a student-athlete. Without good grades, you can’t play, and if you can’t play, you can’t go to that “big d1” school you’ve always dreamed about going to. And other than school, have a good work ethic off the field. If you do those two things you will have a better chance at chasing your dreams!

Keysha Gordon /// Fastpitch

A: With a year of experience under my belt, I can truly say I look at the game differently. I have a tunnel vision for my goals and I focus on how I will reach them. I believe when you work on the little things in your game, the big things will follow.

Q: If you could take a vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A: I would take a vacation to Rome, Italy. I’ve never been to Europe and that would be the first place I’d go, to see the coliseum, the Trevi fountain and eat the amazing food there.

Q: Who is your role model?

A: My role model is my cousin, Dee Gordon, who is also the starting second baseman for the Marlins!

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A: The best advice I ever received was to trust God and trust the process.

You cannot do anything without God and you have to trust the path he wants you to take!

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TYLER KINNEY

Q: As a sophomore with a year of experience, how have you adjusted your approach to the game to make improvements?

LABRIAN SHIFLET

Tanesha Campbell /// Women’s Basketball Q: As a sophomore, what one piece of advice would you give to the incoming freshman about balancing their studies and basketball?

A: For all incoming freshman, I would say try and get ahead in all your classes and don’t procrastinate. When the season starts, we get busy and for some players it’s hard to keep up. By getting ahead, it saves you time and stress and allows you to focus on basketball. We are student-athletes; students first.

Q: Is there any particular part of your game that you worked on in the offseason? If so, what was it?

A: in the offseason, I worked on my shot because last season I was not confident about shooting the ball. I always work on posted moves and finishing near the basket. I worked on taking my game to the next level.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from a coach?

A: You don’t have to be talented to be the hardest worker. Because hard work can beat talent.

Q: Who is your role model and why?

LaBrian Shiflet /// Men’s Basketball Q: You’ve had an interesting path to Santa Fe College, with a stop in Utah.

Tell us a little about it.

A: The Utah move was a great experience. The style of play out west really fit me at the time, coming off an ACL injury. The teams out there don’t play like Florida teams. They walk the ball down the court and call plays every time down, which was perfect for me until my leg healed completely. After I got my release from SLCC, Coach Mowry got in contact with me and I knew instantly I wanted to play for him. He’s a very genuine guy and I knew he could really help me get to where I want to be which is a division 1 program.

TANESHA CAMPBELL

A: My role model is my high school mentor, Calvin Burney. He always believed in me and set the bar high for me. He is always pushing me to succeed, even when I thought there was no hope for me.

Q: What’s your greatest basketball memory?

A: My greatest basketball memory has to be hitting the buzzer beater my 11th grade year to beat the No. 1 team in the state during conference play.

I had 34 points that game.

Q: What professional team would be your dream team to play for?

A: I would play for any NBA team. I just want to make a lot of money and take care of my family. If it was my choice, it would be Los Angeles Lakers!

Kobe Bryant is my Michael Jordan.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A: The greatest advice I’ve ever received would have to be from my mother.

She always tells me seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Mathew 6:33.

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Q: You’ve had a very nice freshman season so far. Coming in, did you foresee the early success you would experience?

A: I definitely did not go in thinking it would be going this well. I just went in trying to get better, and I wanted to prove myself to all the other girls and coaches that I deserved to be there.

Q: What was it like winning the state championship your senior year at Bishop Kenny Catholic High School, the first for the school since the 1990’s?

A: It leaves me speechless whenever someone says it. I cannot believe it. We worked incredibly hard. We didn’t only work that year, but all the years leading up to it. I’m so glad we could win it for our coach. She’s an inspirational person, and she also deserved it just as much as we did.

NADINE WILLIAMS

Nadine Williams /// Volleyball

Q: Coach Cheronis is regarded as one of the top coaches in the country.

What piece of advice has he given you that has really stuck and made an impact?

A: “You have to learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.”

Everything Coach has said from the very being has also impacted me.

He is a great coach.

Q: Who is your role model and why?

A: My role model is my uncle Chuck. He has worked so hard for everything, and he helps out a lot of people. He is most definitely my biggest fan. He has great moral and values in life. He has such a sweet and loving soul. He he has impacted my life so heavily. I wouldn’t be the young lady I am today without him.

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ATHLETICS /// FITNESS CENTER AND INTRAMURALS

FITNESS CENTER: WORK IT! WORK IT!

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ould you like access to a fully functional gym, free of charge? A deal this good almost sounds too good to be true.

Now is a great time to save some money because the Santa Fe College Fitness Center is free for all currently enrolled SF students, faculty and staff. All you need is your valid Santa Fe College ID. The Fitness Center operates from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. It is closed on weekends and days when the college is closed. It’s located in Building V (Gymnasium) on North Road on the Northwest Campus.

The Fitness Center and Santa Fe Athletics also host yoga classes Tuesday and Thursday. Both are also free of charge and held in Building V. Marshall Blair manages the Fitness Center and oversees the state-of-theart facility. The facility offers three separate rooms: a cardio room, a freeweights room and a Cybex machines room.

The cardio room consists of a Stair Master, five stationary bikes, six treadmills and four elliptical machines. The treadmills offered by the Fitness Center allow you to focus more on your lower body while the elliptical trainers give you a total body workout with dual action handlebars for your arms and foot pedals for your legs.

The bikes offer a low-impact way of getting the exercise you need without putting too much strain on the lower body.

The free-weights room consists of two flat benches, an incline bench and decline bench, a shoulder press bench, two cable crossovers, rubberized weights, dumbbells, a squat rack, two leg press machines and other various free-weight equipment.

The Cybex room has a total of 30 machines that can be used for every muscle group. It also offers stretching mats, medicine/exercise balls and multiple leg and abdominal machines. The Cybex equipment is the most innovative in its field and offers cardiovascular exercises as well as strength training. The machines are very user friendly and are great for both first-time and experienced gym users.

The Santa Fe College Fitness Center also offers an indoor racquetball court, basketball courts in the main gym, walking trails, and beach volleyball courts. There is also a locker room for both men and women, with lockers available to rent.

For more information on the SF Fitness Center, visit sfcollege.edu/ athletics/fitnesscenter or call 352-395-5549.

INTRAMURALS: GET YOUR GAME FACE ON!

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ntramural sports are starting for the 2015-16 school year and now is the time to get involved. This particular sports program at Santa Fe College is a great way to meet new people, compete against others in a competitive but friendly environment, and a fun way to get exercise.

Sign-ups take place online at imleagues.com.

From the fall through the spring term, SF offers a wide variety of intramural sports, including 7-on-7 flag football, soccer, basketball, weight lifting competitions, racquetball tournaments and more.

Recently, Santa Fe College paired up with the University of Florida to offer students a chance to compete in a number of different UF intramural sports, including beach volleyball, softball, tennis, 4-on-4 football, kickball, Ultimate Frisbee and more.

“Intramural sports are a great way for students, faculty and staff to play sports and test their skills in a fairly competitive setting,” said Intramural Coordinator Scott Jamison. “We encourage everyone to get involved and come play one or more sports with us.”

Fall intramurals start in early September and include 7-on-7 flag football, soccer, weight lifting, yoga, and a racquetball tournament. Flag football takes place on Tuesday and Thursday and soccer plays Monday and

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Wednesday. Each sport has more than 150 students competing on 10plus teams. In addition to fall sports, soccer and basketball are offered in the spring, with games beginning in March after spring break. Soccer, the only sport to run during both the fall and spring terms, competes on Monday and Wednesday while basketball is played on Tuesday and Thursday.

Finally, bench press and leg press competitions will be held throughout the fall and spring terms and a racquetball tournament, with the dates to be determined. A schedule of events will be posted on the intramural website at imleagues.com.

Intramural participants can also stay updated about Santa Fe College intramurals on Facebook by searching “Santa Fe College Athletics,” or following on Twitter at twitter.com/SF_Athletics for live weather updates and more.

To participate in intramurals, each player must be a current SF student and sign up at imleagues.com with their SF ID number and a valid email address. You can sign up as a team or a free agent. Teams will need to select a color and provide their own jerseys.

Santa Fe College Intramurals…Get Involved!

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BASEBALL AND FASTPITCH

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he Santa Fe baseball and fastpitch teams are winding down their fall ball seasons and will head into the winter with some time off before the seasons officially get going at the end of January.

The fastpitch team will cap off a positive fall campaign with a game against the University of South Florida Bulls on Nov. 1, and the two-time defending NCAA National Champion University of Florida Gators on Nov. 4, at 5 p.m.

The Saints defeated another NCAA school, winning one against University of North Florida on Oct. 16.

and the College of Central Florida twice. They also handled a travel ball team full of NCAA Division 1 signees (University of Florida, Florida State, etc.), on two separate occasions.

Both Coach Chris Ahern and Coach Johnny Wiggs are excited about the potential of their teams, and will head into the winter break with a positive outlook on the spring. Baseball will wrap up the fall on Sunday, Nov. 8, and fastpitch finishes up Nov. 14. Both of those are at home.

Both teams will open their regular seasons in late January. For full schedules and rosters, please visit www.santafesaints.com.

Baseball also had a successful fall, defeating rivals and defending MFC champions St. John’s River State College all four times the two teams met

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Farah Rajaee

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VOLLEYBALL

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or the second time in as many seasons, the Santa Fe Saints are headed back to the FCSAA State Tournament after a very successful regular season. The tournament takes place in Pensacola, Florida Nov. 6-8 and will see the Saints face off with College of Central Florida in the first round. The two teams met twice in the regular season, with each team winning on the road. For updates and results of the tournament, visit santafesaints.com.

Coach Nick Cheronis and the Saints are 19-6 overall as of Oct. 26, and finished with a 7-3 Mid-Florida Conference record. Santa Fe displayed a balanced attack all season, and did a lot of their damage at the net, racking up 228 blocks. Sophomore Kaylin Powell led the way with 116

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total blocks, and freshman Nadine Williams had the most kills through Oct. 26, with 327. Despite missing a good portion of the beginning of the season, sophomore Farah Rajaee picked up where she left off last year, leading Santa Fe in assists with 439.

The Saints are looking toward bigger and better things at the State Tournament Nov. 6-8. An FCSAA Championship and trip to the national tournament in Wyoming are at the top of the list. Fans can tune in live to each game, and also watch archives of the matches. Info found at santafesaints.com. A full schedule, roster, player bios and more can be seen at www.santafesaints.com.

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PARTNERSHIPS \\\ UFHEALTH

352.265.BONE

Bryan Prine, M.D., CAQSM Assistant Professor Medical Director of UF ORTHOcare Clinic, Primary Care Sports Medicine, ORTHOcare

Seth Smith, M.D., CAQSM, PharmD Assistant Professor Primary Care Sports Medicine, ORTHOcare, Co-Medical Director High School Outreach Program

Charlie Michaudet, M.D. Assistant Professor Primary Care Sports Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, UF

Floyd Burke, M.D., FACC Associate Professor of Medicine Director, Sports and Exercise Cardiology General Cardiology and Imaging Section Division of Cardiovascular Medicine

Stephan Eisenschenk, M.D., Associate Professor of Neurology Board certified in Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Medicine

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anta Fe College Athletics is proud of our relationship with UF Health, and the world-class doctors who provide medical care for our studentathletes. This relationship allows the athletics department to provide unparalleled support for the well-being of our athletes. Santa Fe Athletics strives to provide the best possible care for our student-athletes, and that starts at UF Health.

“Our relationship with University of Florida doctors, athletic trainers and staff enables us to offer the very best in health care for our student-athletes.” – Jim Keites, Athletics Director, Santa Fe College

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Watch live Santa Fe Saints basketball, baseball, fastpitch and volleyball games on santafesaints.com.

Stay up to date with the Santa Fe Saints via social media:

www.facebook.com/SFathletics

www.twitter.com/SF_athletics

www.youtube.com/santafesaints

www.instagram.com/santafesaints