UMKC Fall 2008
Roo Fan News from the UMKC Department of Athletics
In a league of his own Growing up in Montgomery City, a small town in central Missouri with a population of approximately 2,500, the lanky guard from Warrenton Christian High School was someone everyone knew. But they didn’t know their player would turn out to be UMKC’s most prolific scorer, senior Dane Brumagin.
I'm taking it upon myself to be a good team leader and set good examples for our younger players because I will do whatever it takes to help this team succeed.
–Dane Brumagin
UMKC senior Dane Brumagin started his basketball career as a sixth-grader, when his parents, Craig and Beverly, would load him in the car and take him on the hour or so trek from Montgomery City to St. Louis three times a week. Basketball became a staple in the youngster’s life, which led to big things down the road at Warrenton Christian High School.
Brumagin’s high school career was different from that of the typical Division I student-athlete, as he was just one of two members of the graduating class of 2005. As a senior, he was also one of just 45-50 students in the entire school. “I really enjoyed my high school experience because I never really knew anything different,” said Brumagin, who was named the WCHS valedictorian. “I have no regrets, and honestly, I remember looking forward to going to school everyday.” On the hardwood, Brumagin was instrumental in his team’s success as early as his freshman season. As a junior, he helped lead his squad to the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association Class 2A State Championship, and he finished his career as the school record holder in several categories including points (3,248) and rebounds (1,545). “At Warrenton Christian, there was a lot of focus on sports, and from a basketball standpoint it helped me a lot as a player because I always had the ball
Brumagin is a leader both on and off the court.
in my hands,” said Brumagin. “I was pretty much given the green light throughout my career, and that helped me develop a certain mentality as a player.” With the gunner mentality engraved into his mind, Brumagin couldn’t stomach the (continued on back)
The Roo gets a new look
After putting a pair of logos to a vote last April, the UMKC Athletics Department announced that the full body Kangaroo was chosen as the new athletics logo. The logo will be put into place in the fall, at the start of the 2008-09 school year.
Nearly 2,200 supporters voiced their opinions online and at the campus voting stations from April 21-25. The winning full-body Kangaroo received 59 percent or 1,286 votes, while the Kangaroo in boxing gloves received 41 percent or 903 votes. Bernstein-Rein, an advertising company headquartered in Kansas City, was challenged to develop an identity that encapsulated a strong competitive edge and a fierce attitude. The conceptual approach for the Roo icon and the typography was to establish a sense of motion and direction. The winning Roo logo depicts the animal in one of its most iconic poses: The side
profile in mid-stride. Its eyes are focused and driven, and its snarl adds attitude. “I am very pleased with both the process and outcome of this initiative,” said UMKC Director of Athletics Tim Hall at the time of the announcement. “From the outset, comprehensive collaboration and inclusion were at the forefront. The significant response from all of our constituencies was refreshing. We look forward to further partnering with all of these groups in the fall to aggressively advance the new brand for UMKC Athletics.”
Contact Roo Fan Submit your stories, ideas or comments to: Alumni Director name, Title, University of Missouri-Kansas City,
Athletics Department Contact, 5100 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110-2499 • Phone: 816-235-0000 • E-mail: name@umkc.edu Relay Missouri: 1-800-735-2966 (TT) UMKC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
Season ticket prices Priority seating
Donation required; contact Steve Stroud at 816-235-6018.
• Laker seats $375 (+ $500 donation) per seat • Endzone seats $300 (+ $250 donation) per seat • Lower level $225 (+ $125 donation) per seat Sections 9,10,11,27,28,29. Rows A,B,C,D,E,F
Additional upgrades
Season parking pass $80 Swinney sports pass $50 For Kangaroo Club pre-game hospitality, contact Steve Stroud at 816-235-6018.
General seating
• Lower level and loge • General admission
$225 $150
Hooping it up
In her home town of Oakland, Calif., Chazny Morris had all of the benefits of life in a big city: thriving entertainment, fine dining, professional sports and – important to a lot of young women – a vibrant array of shopping outlets. During her high school career, she competed against and played alongside some of the best and brightest up-and-coming basketball players, including Courtney and Ashley Paris, now University of Oklahoma. With lots of options for college, Morris eventually found herself deciding between UMKC and Hawaii. For many, the mild tropical climate of the island state would have been an easy
winner over the cold winters and hot summers of Kansas City. But not for Morris. She stayed in the lower 48 states, finding her way to the Heartland and the Kangaroos, where she has been a key part of the rebuilding process for UMKC’s women’s basketball team. Friends back home may have questioned her choice, but she quickly acclimated and hasn’t looked back. “Before I came here I thought it was going to be country; lots of grass, with cows everywhere,” says Morris. “It’s a lot like home. I thought I was going to miss my parents more, but it’s pretty easy.”
New Athletics Hall of Fame Beginning in September 2008, the best-of-the-best former Kangaroo student-athletes will take their place in UMKC history. The athletics department is proud to announce the creation of the UMKC Athletics Hall of Fame, which will showcase Kangaroo athletics history and pay homage to the players, coaches, administrators and friends of the program who have succeeded at the highest levels. Student-athletes can be considered for induction a minimum of two years after their last date of enrollment. Only student-athletes who have earned an undergraduate degree and all-conference, all-district or all-region status will be considered. Coaches, administrators, and friends of the program will be judged based on their overall impact on their programs and the entire athletics department. The first Hall of Fame class will be formally announced on Saturday, Sept. 27, during its launch party at Arrowhead Pavilion. All UMKC alumni and fans are welcome to attend this special event, which will feature a full meal, special guests, an auction and more. The price to attend the celebration is $50 per couple. For additional details or to R.S.V.P., call 816-235-6018.
On the court, the adjustment has been smooth, as she settled into the starting lineup just a third of the way through her freshman season. As a sophomore, Morris helped the Roos to a first-round upset of Western Illinois at The Summit League Championships, only the second time in the the tournament’s 16-year history that a seventh-seeded team won in the first round. Off the court, the communications major has not shied away from challenges in the classroom. Looking to fulfill a higher-level math requirement, Morris chose Professor Rebecca Roberts’ Math 210 class, Calculus I. The tough class turned out to be one of her favorites as a Kangaroo, although the end result wasn’t quite what she had anticipated. “The final didn’t really go my way,” laughs Morris. Although she has found a new home away from home in Kansas City, the rising junior certainly hasn’t taken a liking to one aspect of life in the Midwest. When asked what the hardest part of the transition has been, Morris barely allowed the question to finish before answering. “The snow,” she replies. I don’t like the snow and how cold it gets. Coming from California, I haven’t seen a lot of the storms and cold weather that we have here.” She is quick to point out, however, that basketball – more specifically her teammates – keep her spirits up during the winter doldrums. The chance to see NFL stars at her games is something else that boosts her spirits, and it’s something that none of the other schools she visited was able to offer. During the 2007-08 season, Chiefs’ running back Larry Johnson became somewhat of a fixture at UMKC men’s basketball games, where he is a season ticket holder. During doubleheaders, Morris and her teammates sat in the stands cheering on the UMKC men after playing in the early game. At one game, the conversation turned to Johnson. “We were all sitting in the stands after a game and saw him,” she recalled. “A couple of my teammates joked, ‘Why don’t you go down and ask him why he hasn’t been to our games?’” The garrulous Morris took the challenge, approaching the nationally known superstar. Although the Chiefs’ running back claimed a tight schedule, he promised that he would be in the crowd for a couple games during the 2008-09 season. “And we’re friends now,” she jokes. “No, not really, but he was easy to talk to.” With success on the court and the classroom in her sights, Morris has come to love Kansas City. “It feels like I’m at home.”
Upcoming events UMKC Volleyball Kangaroo Klassic
Sept. 5-6 Times vary Swinney Recreation Center, Volker campus
Kangaroo Athletics Kick-Off Party Sept. 27 Time TBC The Pavilion at Arrowhead Stadium
Join UMKC Athletics for a kick-off party for the upcoming year, featuring coaches, staff and former student-athletes. The event will feature the announcement of the inaugural Hall of Fame class and a silent and live auction featuring great trips, sports memorabilia and sports tickets. Tickets are $50 per couple, or complimentary with paid golf participation (see below).
Annual UMKC Athletics Golf Tournament
Sept. 29 Tee times at 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Oakwood Country Club 9800 Grandview Road, Kansas City, Mo.
Breakfast and lunch will be served for early tee times and boxed lunches and an awards dinner will be served for the afternoon tee times. The tournament will cost $200 per person ($800 per foursome), with discounts for senior and young alumni. As stated above, all golf participants are also invited to attend the kick-off party (see Sept. 27) at no cost.
Oct. 3 5- 9 p.m. UMKC Volker campus quad
The carnival will feature interactive tables hosted by various student groups, including the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The event is free to the public and will be a fun, family gathering.
UMKC 75th Anniversary Homecoming Pep Rally Oct. 4 Noon Various locations
UMKC’s homecoming pep rally featuring former Kangaroo student-athletes begins at noon. Food and drinks will be served at the rally before we walk as a group to Rockhurst University for the Kangaroo men’s soccer game against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), which kicks off at 1 p.m.
UMKC Men’s Basketball Home Opener Nov. 14 7:05 p.m. Swinney Recreation Center
Come check out the UMKC men’s basketball regular season home opener. Head coach Matt Brown and the Kangaroos will square off against North Dakota State in their first regular season contest at Swinney since Feb. 1, 1997. Special promotions are planned, and fans will receive a number of complimentary gifts.
Celebrate
This five-team volleyball tournament is the first such event that UMKC has hosted since the 2004 season.
UMKC 75th Anniversary Homecoming Family Night Carnival
UMKC’s 75th anniversary with the Roos The UMKC Athletics Department will host a wide array of events to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the University. • A special decal commemorating the 75th anniversary will be displayed on the court for all men’s and women’s basketball games. • The department will hold 75th anniversary UMKC trivia on the videoboard for all men’s basketball games in January and February 2008 to help kick-off celebration.
Brumagin (continued from page 1) thought of moving too far away for his college experience. With his parents and three younger sisters playing such an important role in his life, he wanted to continue his education and playing career close to home. “My parents made a ton of sacrifices for me when I was a kid,” said Brumagin. “It was important for me to attend a school where they could come and watch me play, and I knew it was something that was very important to them as well.” Brumagin’s wish to stay close to home led him to UMKC, where he’s been a key part of the team over the past three years. Last season, the forward thrived under first-year
head coach Matt Brown’s new system, as he was selected as a second team all-Summit League selection. He led the team and ranked among the top-six in the league with a 17.1 scoring average. Off the court, the business administration major has been a three-time academic all-conference selection, and was also presented with the Lee Hunt Award, which is given to a student-athlete who demonstrates academic ability, moral character and leadership. Brumagin’s leadership and playing abilities were noticed on a national scale when he was selected to play for the William Jones Cup Team last summer.
The team, which is sponsored by the sports ministry organization Athletes In Action, traveled to Taiwan in July to play competitive basketball and spread their faith. When looking ahead to his senior season, Brumagin says his main goal is to tally a bunch of W’s in the win column. “I would like to be an all-league selection as a personal goal, but most of all I want to win. I am taking it upon myself to be a good team leader and set good examples for our younger players because I will do whatever it takes to help this team succeed.”