SPORTS
page 12 december 5, 2012
Opinion
Games not very cheap
december 5, 2012
Transfer athletes proving themselves Sophomore playing hard for Eagles
Jois named Big Sky Player of the Week
By Amye Ellsworth
By Amy Meyer
editor-in-chief easterner.editor@gmail.com
All students at EWU must be either single or dating other EWU students. Yeah, this isn't true, but this seems to be the assumption of the ticket office. Last month I went to the bookstore to acquire a ticket with my student ID. My husband and I were going together. I knew I would have to buy a ticket for him since he is not presently a student. During the transaction, I discovered that the free ticket I would have received as a student would have allowed me to sit in the student section, but my husband's ticket would have been in a different section. I couldn't acquire a seat next to him unless I bought it. He couldn't buy a ticket next to me in the student section. Between my conversation with the bookstore attendant and my phone conversation with the ticket office, someone suggested acquiring a ticket from a student who was not attending the game. Evidently the situation is so problematic that even the university is trying to finagle a way around it. I was uneasy about this option and declined. It seemed to me like it would be sneaking my husband in under false pretenses. I propose that EWU sells tickets to people that students bring as guests. Be hospitable. Allow these groups to sit together in either the student section and charge a couple dollars more than the endzone tickets. Guests would probably be willing to pay $12 or $13 for tickets that placed them with their friends. In order to ensure these were student guests, student ID could be a requirement for their purchase and limits could be placed on the number of student guest tickets each student could purchase. One per student would be fair. If a student were going with a large group of nonstudents, this deal would not make sense. It would be better for that student to buy a ticket outside of the student section at a student discount, like half price. After my conversation with the ticket office and then a bit of additional thought, my husband and I purchased tickets for both of us. We went to the game with two EWU students who also purchased their tickets so we could sit as a group. But I am somewhat discouraged from going to games by the price of buying tickets for two. It cost us $41.10. Yeah, we could have had tickets in the endzone for cheaper, but we opted to sit just above the student section. Having said that, it wasn’t a tragedy that we paid full price though. We had a great time, and the Eagles won to boot.
SPORTS
page 13
Photo by Evan Sykes Currently, Baldwin is 43-18 in his five years as Eastern's head football coach. Including this year, he has taken his team to the playoffs in 2009 and 2010.
Everyone wants to know Beau Football coach remains humble despite program's success By Peter Sowards
staff repoter packerfan4life@gmail.com
Walking past a young reporter and one of his assistant coaches, Eagles head football coach Beau Baldwin heard his name spoken, and his ears perked up. “Everybody wants to know Beau,” said Ryan Sawyer, EWU’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, when informed that The Easterner was planning on doing a story on his head coach. From about 15 feet away, between shaking hands and giving hugs to EWU supporters out watching practice, Baldwin turned and asked, “Everybody wants to know what?” “They’re doing a story on you and want to interview me,” Sawyer said. Baldwin playfully rolled his eyes and smiled, finally walking off the track and onto the red speed turf also known as “The Inferno” after catching up with the Eagles fans. Sawyer is right—everybody wants to know Beau, and with good reason. Under Baldwin’s tutelage as head coach, EWU has achieved a tremendous amount of success. His team won a national championship in 2010 and is participating in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the third time in four years. One might think that all this success would go to Baldwin’s head. Not true,
said EWU sports information director David Cook. “You’d think that a guy would get an inflated ego or something after winning a national championship, but not Beau. He’s been very humble through it all. “He’s very accommodating. He’ll make the time for just about anybody, anytime. He’s just been unbelievable in terms of our need for media exposure. He’s able to do the interviews and the media love him, and that makes my job that much easier.” Cook’s job includes, but is not limited to, making sure the media has sufficient access to EWU players and coaches, in particular Baldwin, before practice and after games. These are stressful times, especially for the head coach of an elite NCAA Division I college football program, but Baldwin never turns down an interview request or fails to honestly answer questions. “[He’s a] tremendously high-character individual,” said EWU athletic director Bill Chaves, the man who hired Baldwin as the Eagles head coach in 2008. “And obviously you need to be a very good coach as well, but he commands respect of his team and really everyone at the university just by the way that he carries himself, and I think that ends up being a reflection of how his teams play and certain[ly] how they carry themselves both on and off the field.” On the field, Baldwin
Sword play open to all By Cody Brockman
contributing writer codybrockman1@gmail.com
The fencing club took a stab at boredom and allowed students a chance to relieve stress at the same time. Meghan Woods, president of the club, said, “About 10 to 12 people join every quarter, but then the group starts to shrink around midterms and by the end there are seven to eight left.” The joining fee is $20 per quarter. Fencing is a sport that requires patience at first and a certain level of sophistication, according to Woods. The club is open to anyone interested to join. “We are willing to teach anyone that is willing to learn,” Woods said. Michael Schomburg is a club member who discovered he could continue to fence after transferring to Eastern from Western Washington University. Schomburg said “Any skill level can join and have fun in this sport. That’s why I enjoy it.” Chris Palmer, who has been fencing with the team the past two months, said, “It’s fun and not bad to get involved
with. It is as much a physical sport as it is a mental one.” The club provides the equipment necessary to fence, but members can bring their own equipment if they would like. This ensures that all the members involved with the club can participate. The team as a whole does not participate in competitions as part of a club activity, but some members choose to individually compete, according to Woods. “Fencing is largely an individual sport, but there are events in Spokane members of the team compete in.” “It is a lot of fun and you get to stab people safely.” said Woods. Schomburg added, “There are swords and sophistication mixed with safe fighting that leads to a good outlet for stress relief.” The club meets three times a week for two hours to practice Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. “The club can be a lot of work and even overwhelming at times to beginners,” Woods said. “Attending the practices will make you better and that is when you start to have the real fun.”
will never be mistaken for a Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher type coach—that is, one who visibly chews out players and referees, throws clipboards or demonstratively acts in emotional fashion. Instead, Baldwin takes a more consistent approach, never reacting too much or too little to any given situation. “You know that he’s not going to panic in a situation if things go bad,” Sawyer said. Aaron Best, EWU’s offensive coordinator, went to the same high school as Baldwin in Tacoma, Wash., and remembers cheering for him at football games. “When he speaks, people listen,” said Best. “He doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low, and that’s what he preaches to the kids.” Best said that Baldwin’s offensive knowledge is unparalleled. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a more brilliant mind offensively in the pass game, and he does it without an ego. That’s kind of where the mellowness comes. He’s steady in his ways, and he knows what he’s doing and we all kind of sit back and put our seatbelts on and know he’s driving us to the right destination.” A study of Baldwin’s coaching staff reveals a common theme: familiarity and friendship. John Graham, who has served as EWU’s defensive coordinator since Baldwin became the head coach, went to the same high school as Best and Baldwin and was
Victory: continued from front
both quarterbacks receiving substantial playing time. Baldwin said there was not any one main factor that influenced his position to go with Padron as the starting quarterback vs. Wagner. According to Padron, he was notified that he would be the starter vs. Wagner during the middle of the week of practice leading up to the game. Baldwin did not say who would start at quarterback on Dec. 8 vs. Illinois State. “Whether it’s me or Vern or whoever is out there, our job is to get the ball to these guys [the receivers] and let them do work and get the yards after the catch,” Padron said. “They make our job a little bit easier.” Padron got the ball to junior wide receiver Brandon Kaufman 10 times for 174 yards, giving Kaufman 1,444 receiving yards on the season, just nine yards short of the singleseason record of 1,453 held by Eric Kimble set during the 2004 season. Kaufman’s 174 receiving yards
actually on the same team as Baldwin in 1991, when Graham was a senior and Baldwin was a sophomore. “He’s a great boss; he’s a great friend,” Graham said. “It’s a really good friendship.” Zak Hill had the unique experience of being coached by Baldwin at Central Washington University and now coaching alongside Baldwin at EWU as quarterbacks coach. During Hill’s first four years at CWU—from 1998 to 2001—Baldwin served as Hill’s quarterbacks coach. “He was a very positive coach,” Hill said. “I think that helped myself and I know a lot of other guys out in that position because it can be one of those [positions] where there’s a lot of stress, so it’s nice having a coach that’s always backing you and supporting you. I think that was one of the big things that I learned too, and I carry that into my own coaching.” Aside from the coaches, EWU players have a great deal of respect for Baldwin. In particular, senior wide receiver Nicholas Edwards, a member of Baldwin’s first recruiting class at EWU. Edwards said that he was originally planning on attending Santa Monica Junior College but received a phone call from Baldwin that helped persuade him to take his talents to Cheney instead. “He taught me the whole [offensive] system, from top to bottom, not just the receiver position,” Ed-
were the second-most he has had in a single game in his career, while his 10 catches tied a career-high. “We knew that the middle of the field would be open more,” Kaufman said. “They tried to stop the run and they’re real big-bodied in the middle so we knew there would be some holes in the middle of the field.” Baldwin said Kaufman plays his best when it means the most. “Like a lot of our guys—and you’ve seen it over the years—in those crunch time moments he just has it—he has it,” Baldwin said. “The lights are on and it’s time to make a huge play. He will make it time in and time out.” Wagner head coach Walt Hameline was similarly impressed with Kaufman’s performance. “Coming in, we knew all of them were good receivers, but he is a heck of a receiver,” Hameline said. “He just made plays and it comes down to that in a game when you look back. “Players have to make plays and he made a ton of them.” Defensively the Eagles were spurred by undersized defensive
wards said. “He taught me everything. I think that’s what makes him a good coach; he just doesn’t focus on one thing, he focuses on the whole big picture.” Eagles nose tackle Evan Cook, another member of Baldwin’s first recruiting class, said it took awhile to get to know Baldwin. “He’s a great guy,” Cook said. “At first I feel like he was kind of hard to get a beat on, but now after being around him for five years, he’s just great. He’s always the same.” Cook also appreciated Baldwin’s ability and willingness to connect with the team. “That’s the best thing that a coach can do is be able to communicate with his players; he’s amazing at that.” For senior safety Jeff Minnerly, the team’s confidence in Baldwin’s methods is what allows them to maintain their high levels of success. “We just trust that he’s always going to do what’s best for the team, and that in itself is calming,” Minnerly said. “I think his demeanor always matches what we need it to be.” The job of being a head football coach at a Division I university is a tall order, and one that Baldwin undertakes with help from his complimentary coaches and players. “He’s a team player,” Best said. “He looks after his assistant coaches, and it’s obvious. It’s not something he tells us and we believe, it’s obvious without him even having to tell us.”
end Jerry Ceja, who sacked Seahawks senior quarterback Nick Boscher twice and added three tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries, as well as a blocked field goal attempt. Linebacker Zach Johnson led the team in tackles with 11 and added two tackles for loss. Wagner managed to convert just five of their 14 third-down attempts, which helped led to field goal tries instead of touchdowns. “Probably the biggest difference in this game was our red-zone defense,” Baldwin said. Wagner scored on four of their five red-zone chances, but those four scores went for only 16 points. The Eagles scored at a lesser rate in the red-zone—three for five—but their three scores were touchdowns. The Seahawks kicked field goals of 46, 21, 29 and 32 yards, and had another attempt blocked from 41 yards. EWU’s upcoming opponent, the Illinois State Redbirds, improved their record to 9-3 after defeating Appalachian State 38-37 behind quarterback Matt Brown and his career-high tying five passing touchdowns. The win was their sixth in six tries on the road this season.
By Matt Ward
staff reporter amyeellsworth@gmail.com
contributing writer matthew.ward.ewu@gmail.com
Martin Seiferth is a 6-foot-10-inch sophomore from Germany who uses his height to his advantage. “He is an outstanding shot blocker and a solid rebounder,” said head coach Jim Hayford. Seiferth currently has 19 blocked shots this season, breaking the school record. “It’s just great,” Seiferth said of breaking the record. “I’ve been working so hard, and it’s a nice reward.” His performance this year has already crushed his freshman year debut while playing at the University of Oregon. Last year, Seiferth had to sit out due to NCAA rules regarding transfer players. At the end of his season at Oregon, however, Seiferth had a total of three blocked shots. During the EWU game against Washington State University alone, Seiferth had two blocks within the first minute of play. Seiferth also holds the distinction of being Eastern’s first transfer student from a Pac-12 school in close to 10 years. Seiferth said that the coach and the team stood out to him the most and they were the reason why he chose to come to Eastern. Seiferth was also named Big Sky Player of the Week, an honor he did not think he would receive.
Venky Jois is enjoying a solid start to his first season with the Eagles. He currently leads the Big Sky in rebounding through seven games this season, averaging 8.9 rebounds per game. Assistant coach Craig Fortier claims effort is the reason Jois is so successful collecting rebounds for the Eagles. "[Jois] has good size and very good athleticism, which are both very important. But more than that, he's just relentless on the boards," Fortier said. "Really, the best rebounders ... are guys who just never stop. They keep going, and they're just hungry to get the ball. That's really the best asset he has." Jois hails from Boronia, Australia. He is one of three Eagle basketball players from Australia, which is something he says has been helpful in acclimating to his new surroundings. “In the beginning, having people you can relate to, you don’t just get swamped with a different culture,” Jois said, Jois is still getting used to his teammates, but he is getting acquainted quickly. “On the court, there’s always going to be mistakes trying to find out the tendencies of people,” Jois said. “Who likes to do what, where they’re going to be at certain times. We’re figuring that out. Off the court, each and every single guy, they’re all great. They’ve been very accepting of me coming in.” Jois brings experience to
Photos by Aaron Malmoe Sieferth transfered from the University of Oregon two years ago.
“I did not expect it,” he said. “I was surprised.” Although Seiferth has already broken the school record, he plans to continue striving for success throughout the rest of the season. “[My goal is] to keep playing hard and get a good overall point and rebound average, and to improve every game,” he said. Beyond these personal goals, Seiferth also has goals he hopes to see his team achieve. “The big goal is the Big Sky Championship and [to] get a lot of wins,” Seiferth said. In order to reach both his personal and team goals, Seifterth plans on taking the advice coach Hayford has given to him.
“As a post player, coach tells me all the time to play tough,” Seiferth said. “The main goal is to get a lot of rebounds and be a solid defender.” Hayford has high hopes that Seiferth will live up to this high potential. “As Martin gains game experience, he will develop over the course of his career and be an outstanding post player in the Big Sky Conference,” Hayford said. Seiferth will attempt to add to his record-breaking statistic on Dec. 6 against Idaho in Reese Court. The Eagles are one game into a three game homestand. They play four of their next five games in Reese Court, where they will try to improve upon their 2-5 record.
Photo by Aaron Malmoe Jois is bonding with his team on and off the court.
the Eagles this season even as a freshman. Prior to coming to EWU, he played in the South East Australian Basketball League for the Dandenong Rangers. According to the league’s website, the league is the premier winter basketball league in Australia. Eagle head coach Jim Hayford says that Jois has been a great teammate thus far for his team. “[He is a] perfect example of what a teammate should be: very encouraging, giving. He’s a good friend to all of his teammates,” Hayford said. Fortier feels that Jois wants to be a good teammate. "I think he wants to have great relationships with his teammates," Fortier said. "Sometimes, as a freshman you get guys who want to sit back and see what the climate
is. He's a guy that really is engaging and is willing to put his voice out there and really wants the locker room to be very close and tight. I think that's really helped early in his career." Jois has played the second highest number of minutes on the team. The only player who has played more minutes is junior guard Justin Crosgile. Jois is also second on the team in scoring this season. He gives credit to his coach for allowing him to succeed on the floor. “I think a lot of it is coach Hayford giving me the freedom to actually perform,” Jois said. “He’s playing me a lot of minutes for a freshman. I guess at this period [I am] just trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Having that freedom allows you to work that out and succeed.”
Mt. Spokane Silver Mountain
49 Degrees North Schweitzer Mountain
Lookout Pass
There are 45 designated runs with 16 night ski runs. There are five double chairlifts with 1,425 acres of skiable terrain.
There are two mountain peaks, 73 trails and 1,600 acres of terrain. For beginners, there is a 700-foot moving carpet lift. Silver Mountain’s longest trail is 2.5 miles long and there is a vertical drop of 2,200 feet.
This year, 49 Degrees North is opening a new ski lift. There are two peaks, one quad chairlift, five double chairlifts and one surface lift. Their longest run is 2.75 miles long.
Schweitzer’s longest continuous run is two miles long. Home to Idaho’s only six-person, high-speed chairlift, two high-speed quad charilift, one triple chairlift, three double chairlifts, one T-Bar and one conveyor lift.
Lookout Pass’ average annual snowfall is 400 inches with its longest run being 1.5 miles long. There are tree double chairlifts and one triple chairlift.
Mead, Wash.
Kellogg, Idaho
Chewelah, Wash.
Sandpoint, Idaho
Mullan, Idaho
46 miles
85 miles
74 miles
103 miles
108 miles
µ Tubing µ Terrain park
µ Snow tube park µ Terrain park µ Indoor waterpark
µ Groomed trails for cross country skiers µ Ungroomed snowshoe trails µ Terrain park
µ Groomed trails for cross country skiers µ Ungroomed snowshoe trails
Student Pack $99 – 4 lift tickets. Student ticket pricing ranges from $20-$42.
College ticket pricing range from $40-$50.
Offers website discounts, so buy your tickets online. College ticket $43-$51.
College ticket $48-$58. Check online for specialty tickets. Schweitzer offers night tickets for $15 and Sunday afternoon tickets for $25-$35, depending on if you buy the ticket online or at the ticket window.
College tickets $28-$36. Online deal, 6-pack advance ticket package for the price of 5 tickets. College price $180.
Summit Elevation:
5,889 feet
6,300 feet
5,774 feet
6,389 feet
5,650 feet
Base Elevation: Website:
4,200 feet
2,300 feet
3,923 feet
3,960 feet
4,500 feet
www.mtspokane.com
www.silvermt.com
www.ski49n.com
www.schweitzer.com
skilookout.com
By Kelly Manalo
staff writer manalo.kelly@gmail.com
Location: Distance from Cheney: Unique features:
Rates:
If you plan on skiing and snowboarding a lot you can take PHED 125, section 51. It is a one-credit ski and snowboard class. The class is self-study. Students are responsible for their own tickets, equipment and transportation, according to instructor Christopher Cindric. “[Students] need to ski/snowboard at least six times at any resort in the world throughout the quarter and then submit your tickets or a copy of their season pass as proof,” said Cindric.
EPIC
Eqipment Rentals
µ µ µ µ µ
Snowboard Package (board, boots, bindings) First day $15.00 Additional day $10.00 X-C Ski Package (skis, boots, and pools) First day $6.00 Additional day $4.00
Terrain park µ Terrain park Tubing µ Snow bus from Liberty Lake, Wash. Check Snowmobiling online for schedule Zip line Spa
Ski/Trekking Poles First day $2.00 Additional day $1.00 Snow shoes First day $6.00 Additional day $4.00 Ski/Snowboard Helmet First day $2.00 Additional day $1.00