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COLANGELO SPEAKS AT HOOPS BANQUET
2010 UIC ATHLETICS GOLF OUTING Wednesday, June 9, 2010 Broken Arrow Golf Club Lockport, IL 10 a.m. Shotgun with BBQ, Raffle, Auction and Awards to follow $620 per foursome $580 for paying UICAAC Members $170 per single golfer RSVP BY JUNE 1st
Contact Lisa Meindl at 312-996-5874 or lisam@uic.edu for more information on this event
The UIC men’s basketball team held its Endof-Year Banquet on Friday, April 9th to honor the senior class of Chris Buchanan, Jeremy Buttell, Kris Harris and Spencer Stewart for their extraordinary contributions to the Flames. Jerry Colangelo, a Chicagoland native and the Chairman of USA Basketball’s Board of Directors, addressed the banquet’s attendees as the featured speaker. “When I come back to Chicago, I feel at home,” said Colangelo, who grew up in the Hungry Hill neighborhood of Chicago Heights. Colangelo is the architect of the United States’ resurgence on the international basketball landscape. He was a driving force behind the Senior Men’s National Team’s gold-medal performance at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
in Beijing, which is chronicled in the book Return of the Gold: The Journey of Jerry Colangelo and the Redeem Team. In addition to his tremendous work with USA Basketball, Colangelo is perhaps best known for his duties with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. He has served in a variety of roles since the team’s inaugural season in 1968 ranging from general manager to head coach to chairman. Colangelo is a Basketball Hall of Famer and a member of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, which sits in the Jerry Colangelo Center, located on Taylor Street less than a mile from the home of the Flames, the UIC Pavilion. At the event, the former AAU teammate of UIC legend and Hall of Fame member Tom Russo told stories infused with motivational quotes and historical examples of perseverance that carried over to the rest of the evening, a night that also included remarks from UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt and head coach Jimmy Collins. “It’s not if you have adversity, it’s how you deal with it when it comes,” noted Colangelo.
JOIN US THIS SUMMER!
From The UIC Athletic Director’s Desk UIC Director of Athletics Jim Schmidt shares his thoughts on the past year and what’s in store for the Flames. First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who contributed to making this past year a success, particularly in the classroom and in private contributions during this difficult economic time.
The UIC Flames and the UIC Athletic Alumni Club are hosting several social events throughout the summer.
As I look back, this past year featured some memorable achievements across the board.
May 25th Cubs Rooftop $100/ticket* 7:05 p.m. vs. Los Angeles 3609 N. Sheffield June 9th Athletics Golf Outing 10 a.m. Shotgun $620/foursome* Broken Arrow Golf Course
Our men’s gymnastics team defended its ECAC title and advanced to the national meet, and our women’s gymnastics team sent three qualifiers to NCAA Regionals. The women’s tennis team won its 14th straight conference championship. As of press time 20 of our student-athletes earned all-conference accolades, and our teams had 30 competitors honored as conference athletes of the week. Brian Anderson was named the Horizon League Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Year and Swimmer of the Championship Meet, while Emily Gniatczyk was named Women’s Swimming Newcomer of the Year, highlighting the swimming and diving team’s haul of 10 event championships. Jovan Bubonja of the men’s soccer team and Andrew Stover of the men’s gymnastics team were in the running for national athlete of the year honors in their respective sports. We hosted both the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships and Outdoor Track and Field Championships this year, giving student-athletes around the League a first-class experience. In the classroom, our student-athletes once again achieved an 84 percent graduation rate (well above the national average of 79 percent for Division I schools).
June 18th UICAAC Membership Drive 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. $30 membership dues The Fifty/50 September 2nd UIC Scholarship Classic Time: TBA Bolingbrook Golf Club For more details, please contact Lisa Meindl at 312-996-5874 or via e-mail at lisam@uic.edu *Don’t forget to ask about great UICAAC discounts!
We continue to make positive strides toward our fundraising goal of $6.6 million, raising 63 percent of that goal thus far. Highlighting our fundraising efforts this year was the start of the Campaign to Honor Tom Russo and the Ann Baum Softball Scoreboard Campaign. Both fundraising efforts are underway, so please consider making a gift toward these projects that honor our past and help us build for the future. The upcoming months will offer some other great opportunities to help the department and have some fun at the same time—-those include a Cubs Rooftop event, the UIC Athletics Golf Outing, and the UIC Athletics Scholarship Classic. These are very important events for us as they help provide funding for student-athlete scholarships and each athletic program. Few realize that athletics receives less than one percent of our funding from the state. The majority of our athletics budget is self-generated and is heavily reliant on fundraising. Without your support, we would not be able to provide the scholarships, facilities, and support staff needed to provide our student-athletes with the best opportunity to succeed. I hope that you are enjoying the spring, and we look forward to seeing you at some Flames special events this summer. We expect great things both in the classroom and in victory! Go Flames! James W. Schmidt, Director of Athletics
DRAGON’S ROAR © 2010 UIC Athletic Development. All rights reserved.
A publication of the Athletic Development Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Please submit items for publication to: Alice Tym, Assoc. AD/Dir.of Advancement UIC Athletics 839 W. Roosevelt Rd. (MC 195) Chicago, Ill. 60608 Development Office: (312) 996-2042 e-mail: tymalice@uic.edu
Athletic Director: Jim Schmidt Editor: Dan Yopchick Contributors: John Jaramillo and Zoe Kind Photography Credits: Steve Woltmann, UIC Archives, UIC Development Office, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Yankees
Flames Enjoy Success In Competition and Classroom The Flames concluded the 200910 sports seasons with plenty of highlights. From postseason appearances to all-conference selections, there were accolades abound for many of UIC's athletic squads. Shannon Tully’s women’s tennis squad continued to dominate the opposition as they ran their streak of Horizon League victories to 123, while earning a 12th straight NCAA Tournament berth. Sophomore Mariya Kovaleva had another outstanding year which culminated in a second straight Horizon League Player of the Year Award. CJ Johnson's men's gymnastics squad returned to the NCAA Championships after capturing their second straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League Cup on April 2nd. Peter and Mary Jansson's women's gymnastics team also enjoyed a solid season sending a trio of qualifiers to the NCAA Columbia Regional. In the pool, head coach Paul Moniak's swimming and diving teams continued their tradition of aquatic excellence. The Flames hosted the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships in February where the men's team finished third and the women fourth in a deep conference. Men's swimmer Brian Anderson was named the Horizon League Men's Swimmer and Men's Athlete of the Year. The Flames were also successful in the classroom. UIC placed a Horizon League-high 11 student-athletes on the conference’s winter sports All-Academic Teams.
THE CLASS OF 2010
CLASS OF 2010: UIC Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees (from left) Cameron Astiazaran (Softball), Sasha Begovic (Men’s Soccer Coach), John Ellis (Men’s Basketball), Jenni Goebel (Women’s Cross Country and Track), Luke Reckamp (Football, Wrestling and Track and Field) and Tim Grover (Lifetime Achievement Award).
Jerry Roberts Installed As New President Of The Chicago PCA
with UIC and the PCA, Roberts is the owner and founder of JSR Enterprises, a specialty contractor serving commercial, industrial and institutional markets. He runs the successful business with his wife of nearly 26 years, Sharon. Roberts has been presented with several distinguished honors throughout his career including the Black Contractors United’s prestigious “Best Contractor of the Year” award and the R. Lewis A.H. Caldwell Award.
On January 23rd, Jerry Roberts, a prominent member of the UIC Athletics Development Leadership Board and loyal supporter of the Flames, was installed as the new President of the Plumbing Contractors Association of Cook The Dragon’s Roar County and Chicago congratulates Jerry on (PCA). his new post! In addition to his roles
UIC Athletics Celebrates Hall Of Fame Weekend
Granderson Joins World Champion Yankees
UIC Athletics Hall of Famer Curtis Granderson has A night celebrating six UIC greats took place on Friday, Feb. 5 at the 2010 UIC Athletics Reunion moved to Major League Baseball's biggest stage after the and Hall of Fame Banquet inside the UIC Forum. former Flames baseball star was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the 2009 World Series champion New York Softball All-American Cameron Astiazaran, Yankees in December. cross country standout Jenni Goebel, basketball Granderson played for the Tigers for four full seasons legend John Ellis, all-time winningest soccer coach Sasha Begovic and multi-sport Navy Pier and was named to the American League All-Star Team in star Luke Reckamp were inducted into the UIC 2009. After the 2009 campaign he was named the Marvin Athletics Hall of Fame, while world-renowned Miller Man of the Year by his peers for his efforts on and off personal trainer and former Flames basketball the field. player Tim Grover was presented with a Lifetime In three seasons at UIC, Granderson hit .350 and set the Achievement Award. Flames' career record for runs scored with 178 from 2000A bevy of past Hall of Fame inductees were in 2002. He was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American by attendance, as were members of outstanding UIC Baseball America in 2002. On January 18, 2008, Granderson was inducted into the UIC Athletics Hall teams such as the softball squads of the late 1990s of Fame for his achievements. and early 2000s, the 1999 and 2000 soccer teams, and many more Flames contributors. The following day featured a jam-packed slate of alumni events at the UIC Pavilion. Prior to the men’s basketball game against Youngstown State, former Flames such as Ellis, Martell Bailey, Armond Williams, Kenny Williams, Joe Scott, Kyle Kickert, Jordan Kardos, Bryant Lowe, and a host of others took part in the 2010 men’s basketball alumni game. Associate head coach Tracy Dildy and assistant coach Mark Miller, both former Flames players, were pitted against each other on the sidelines as they led their respective alumni teams. The friendly contest featured a competitive showing, numerous playful moments and even a couple of slam dunks. Feb. 6 was also alumni day for the Dancing Flames, as current coach and former Dancing Flame Toya Ambrose and numerous former UIC dancers gathered to perform at halftime of the men’s basketball game.
UIC Elevates Sean Phillips To Lead Men’s Soccer Program On February 3rd, UIC Athletic Director Jim Schmidt proudly announced that Sean Phillips, the top assistant coach of the UIC men’s soccer team since 2005, had been selected as the fifth men’s soccer coach in school history. “The past five years here at UIC have been a tremendous experience on and off the field, both professionally and personally,” said Phil“Our men’s soccer team has achieved trelips. “All mendous success over the last five years, and the players Sean was a major part of spearheading the efthat I have forts that took UIC men’s soccer to national w o r k e d prominence. After talking with Sean and seewith and ing his plan for the future, I am convinced all of the that he is the right person to lead our program alums from and continue its ascent to great heights.” UIC who – Jim Schmidt, Athletic Director p l a y e d here before
2005 make UIC a unique and exciting place to be the head men’s soccer coach.” The Flames advanced to three straight NCAA tournaments between 2006-2008, including backto-back Sweet 16 runs and an unprecedented trip to the Elite Eight in 2007. UIC won Horizon League regular season championships in 2006 and 2008 and clinched the league’s tournament title in 2007. UIC has gone 54-24-26, along with 51 shutouts, during Phillips’ tenure on staff. The Flames have also achieved some of their greatest national rankings during Phillips’ UIC career, including a school-best No. 4 ranking in 2008.
YOU CAN HELP PUT UP THE BOARD ... YES! The UIC softball program boasts a field with one of the greatest backdrops, Chicago’s skyline, in the entire country. One way that UIC is trying to make Flames Field even better is with the addition of the Ann Baum Scoreboard. The UIC athletic development department, in conjunction with head coach Michelle Venturella and the softball program, is working to put up a stateof-the art scoreboard at beautiful Flames Field. The overall cost for the project is $150,000. UIC has already received a generous grant of $100,000 from the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund in honor of Ann Baum, for whom the new scoreboard will be named.
Catching Up With A Former Flame: Mike Gapski, Class of ‘82
The former UIC student and athletic trainer has been behind the bench for one of the top teams in the NHL for 21 years, Chicago’s very own Blackhawks.
“The support of the athletic departm e n t and the community has been outstanding for the UIC Softball program. This generous donation in remembrance of Ann Baum will not only enhance the look at Flames Field for the UIC softball team, but also for those in the community who use our venue as well,” said Venturella. “It will be something that will be enjoyed for years to come.” Michelle MacCartney Peterson played for UIC from 1987-1991. Recently, Peterson made a contribution directly to the softball program and wrote a letter to her teammates and friends to encourage each of them to do the same. In the letter, Peterson writes, “What I found at UIC was everything I was looking for in a school: education, major, teammates, and a softball program that
was a great fit for me and my goals. “If I had not played softball, I would have never gotten the education I received.” Peterson went on to add, “Since I know there is still a competitive athlete in you, I challenge you to match my donation or at least give what you feel you can comfortably afford.” For more information on donating, please contact: Rick Harrigan (312) 9965633, rickhar@uic.edu, or Alice Tym (312) 996-2042, tymalice@uic.edu. Donors may also contribute by sending a check (made out to UIC Athletics) to: Ann Baum Softball Scoreboard Campaign, UIC Athletics, 839 W. Roosevelt Rd. (MC195), Chicago, IL 60608.
A career that once began as an assistant athletic trainer at UIC has taken Chicago native Mike Gapski to the bench of an Original Six franchise in the National Hockey League, which also happens to be his hometown squad. After graduating from UIC with a physical education degree and highest honors in 1982, Gapski stayed on as an assistant athletic trainer for the Flames for three years before being promoted to the school’s head athletic trainer position. He would remain in that role for two more years before fulfilling a lifelong dream and accepting the Blackhawks’ Head Athletic Trainer position in 1987, a job he has held ever since. The Dragon’s Roar recently caught up with Gapski as he helped prepare the Central Division Champion Blackhawks for a deep Stanley Cup playoff run. DR: Was there anyone during your time at UIC who helped to inspire or mentor you? MG: When I first got there and started as a trainer, the head trainer was more of a basketball guy, so he assigned me to the hockey team. This was great for me because hockey was my favorite sport and it was an off-site rink; because of this, we didn’t have the luxury of having more students to help, which forced me to think and act on my own. This was a lot more difficult, but I learned how to be my own person and about responsibility, too. DR: What is your favorite memory from your 20-plus years as the head athletic trainer for the Blackhawks? MG: The first was working the 1991 All-Star Game at the Chicago Stadium. The other was the following year when we went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992. The lean years were kind of tough; it was not as much fun watching the team play in front of 5,000 people. The last few years have been really exciting though. Being from Chicago myself, along with being a Blackhawks fan, the resurgence of the team and the city feels great. DR: What is the best part of your job? MG: The best part of my job is all of the different people I get to work with. We meet people from all over the world; doctors, therapists, players, management, everybody. You learn a lot from working with everyone and just the camaraderie and teamwork it takes for us all to work together. It’s just a lot of fun and I really enjoy it.