A Look Back at the Athletic Accomplishments of 2006-2007 Taking a look back at 2006-2007 University of the Cumberlands Athletics seasons, one might be pleasantly surprised by the countless accomplishments conquered by the small private college. The Mid-South Conference awarded sixty-four Patriots All-Conference honors, and an additional sixty-four Academic All-Conference awards. Among these athletes were thirty-one Players of the Week and four MSC Players of the Year. The Mid-South Conference also honored two Cumberlands’ coaches by naming them Coaches of the Year. The abundance of talent combined to earn three Mid-South Conference titles and made Cumberlands the runner-up for the MSC President’s Cup. On a larger scale, Cumberlands competed among the 287 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools across the nation. Four players made the NAIA Region XI teams, twenty-two athletes earned All-American status, and another twenty-two athletes were named Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes. Two players were named NAIA Region XI Players of the Week, while one caught national attention by being named NAIA Player of the Week. In addition to the outstanding athletes, Cumberlands is home to a NAIA Coach of the Year. Football Even though the Patriots began a new era with a new head coach in John Bland, the team continued on their path to excellence. Ending the season with a 6-4 record overall and a 3-2 finish in the conference, the Patriots were able to secure the 26 th slot in the NAIA polls. The Patriots received nine All-Conference honors, five Academic All-Conference honors, one Mid-South Conference Player of the Week, and one NAIA Player of the Week. Cumberlands ranked fifth in the nation with an average of 221.1 yards per game and sixth for fourth down conversions with 56 percent. Sophomore quarterback Kyle King threw 105 times for 592 yards, ran the ball for 499 yards, and scored seven touchdowns. Marlon Jones played in seven games and gained 533 yards on the ground, an average of 76.1 yards per game, and earned three touchdowns. Marcus Wesley had a career high 92 tackles with 45 being solo, three interceptions, four forced fumbles, and one blocked kick. Brandon Goss, a freshman, set a new interception record with eight on the season, and Jordan Brown claimed the long punt record with 71 yards. Earning All-Conference Honors were John Patton, Quincey McNair, Derrick Hightower, Marcus Wesley, Eric Tisdol, Alex Wright, Lemuel Holifield, Brandon Goss, Jordan Brown, Ronnie Bowling, Josh Frosch, Kyle King, and Josh Ward. Bowling, Brown, Frosch, King, and Ward were also recognized for their academic excellence by being named to the Academic All-Conference listing. Marcus Wesley was the only Patriot to be named Mid-South Conference Player of the Week, which he received twice, and NAIA Player of the Week. Men’s Soccer Cumberlands men’s soccer team had an outstanding season with an overall record of 15-5-2. The Patriots finished second in the Mid-South Conference, but did not receive a bid to the national tournament. They did, however, manage to secure the 22 nd ranking in the NAIA. Claiming eight All-Conference honors, four Academic All-Conference student-athletes, two NAIA Region XI team members, one Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete, and two All-American Honorable Mention players, the Patriot soccer team surpassed even their own expectations. The Patriots’ strong defense was led by Russell Stewart, Ashleigh Townsend, Joe Townsend, and Alonso Jimenez, who had 65 saves this season and nine shutouts. The offense was led by the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year Shawn Picou, who tallied 21 goals for the season. Gino Ray added 13 goals and Bosko Cupac scored six goals and had six assists. Many Patriots received honors for their outstanding achievements. All-Conference honors went to Shawn Picou, Ashleigh Townsend, Bosko Cupac, Joe Townsend, Gino Ray, Alonso Jimenez, Russell Stewart, and Igor Petsch. Sean Aspenlind, Blazej Skoczylas, Tyler Sweeney, and Chris Waters were named to the Academic All-Conference team. Russell Stewart and Shawn Picou earned a spot on the NAIA Region XI team and were named to the NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Team. Student-athlete Tyler Sweeny was the sole player named as a Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete. Shawn Picou also earned the distinction of being named Mid-South Conference Player of the Week on five separate occasions. Women’s Soccer The University of the Cumberlands women’s soccer team completed their season with an overall 7-12-1 record. The Patriot ladies finished fourth in the Mid-South Conference had six All-Conference team members, three Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes, and one Mid-South Conference Player of the Week. Leslie Allred scored the most goals for the Patriots with a total of 16. Rebecca Rube scored 11 goals this season and tallied 4 assists. Though mainly a defensive player, Tammi Kerr still accounted for two goals and one assist on the year. Receiving All-Conference honors for the Patriot ladies were Rebecca Rube, Tammi Kerr, Leslie Allred, Davin Caudill, Nery Saucedo, and C.J. Link. Leslie Allred, Katie Delozier, Jamie Dubeck, Tori Hogg, Ashley Kennerly, and Nery Saucedo were named Academic All-Conference while Hogg, Delozier, and Bethany Ott received the Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete award. Rebecca Rube was also named as a Mid-South Conference Player of the Week. Volleyball The volleyball team ended the season with a 22-17 record, a third place finish in the Mid-South Conference, and ninth place in the NAIA Region XI tournament. The Patriots also received five All-Conference honors, had nine named to the Academic All-Conference team, two Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes, and two Mid-South Conference Players of the Week. Anna Clemenz racked up 458 defensive digs on the year with Katlyn Suttles barely trailing with 455. Clemenz also had 43 aces while only having 13 serving errors the entire year. Lauren Taylor led the team in kills with 380 while Taran Johnson followed close behind with 334 and 81 blocks to lead all blockers. The senior leadership and dominance provided by Liz Bowling and Aslean White did not go unnoticed as they both went over 700 assists for the year with Bowling also getting 251 kills and White having 272 defensive digs. Anna Clemenz and Aslean White earned the Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete award. Accompanying Clemenz and White as Academic All-Conference team members were Jennifer Burke, Rebecca Callis, Lisa Catron, Taran Johnson, Katharina Mueller, Heather Rutherford, and Laura Sivado. Liz Bowling, Anna Clemenz, Taran Johnson, and Aslean White earned the distinction of being All-Conference team members, and Clemenz and Bowling captured a Player of the Week award from the Mid-South Conference. Cross Country As Mid-South Conference and NAIA Region XI Champions, the men’s cross country team successfully ended the season as the 24 th ranked team in the NAIA. The Patriot ladies concluded their season with a second place finish in the region. Led by Kelly Schnee, Marius Cozmanciuc, and Josh Laughlin, the Patriots received several honors. Cozmanciuc received Mid-South Conference Player of the Week on three separate occasions, while teammate Laughlin received the honor twice. Laughlin was also named the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year. The Mid-South Conference named Josh Laughlin, Aleer Duot, Seth Darrell, Marius Cozmanciuc, Brett Ratliff, Carl Roberts, Kelly Schnee, Whitney Brainard, Shelly Schnee, and Elyse Velte to the All-Conference squad. Academic All Conference honorees were Brain Jones, Joshua Patrick, Will Slider, Kelly Schnee, Shelly Schnee, Susie Norris, Whitney Brainard, and Christina Stodghill. The Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes were Carl Roberts, Shelly Schnee, Kelly Schnee, and Susie Norris. Men’s Basketball At the close of the season, the Patriots were ranked second in the Mid-South Conference and had a record of 20-11 as they participated in the NAIA National Tournament. They also held the NAIA 3-point shot record with a percentage of 44.3% an average per game at 10.452. Sam Brown and Darnell Howell received All-Conference honors, while Ryan Williams was named to the Academic All-Conference team and honored as a Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete. Brown was also named as a Third Team All-American and received Mid-South Conference Player of the Week twice. Teammate Darnell Howell earned the distinction of being a MSC Player of the Week once. Leading the Patriots was Brown who finished the season averaging 16.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, a total of 129 assists, and 38 steals; Howell finished the season averaging 14.7 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, a total of 86 assists, and 51 steals; Mike Gibson averaged 10.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, a total of 20 assists, and 6 blocks; and freshman Chad Byron shined averaging 8.7 points per game, 2.3 rebounds, 87 total assists, and 11 steals. Women’s Basketball Along with setting a new school record with a national ranking of #4 in the NAIA, members of women’s basketball team also set many personal records. By mid-season, Head Coach Missie Irvin earned her 200 th win and was inducted into the University of the Cumberlands Hall of Fame, Kirsten Roberson earned her 1000 th career point, and Jennifer Nagy reached 1,500 points. As a team, the ladies finished the season with a 25-6 record and second in the Mid-South Conference. The Patriots made it to the National Tournament with 25-5 record and a #10 national ranking, but fell to Oklahoma Christian 77-64, which kept the Patriots from advancing to the second round. Recognized for their outstanding talents, Lissi Fuller, Jennifer Nagy, and Kirsten Roberson were on separate occasions named Mid-South Conference Players of the Week, with Roberson receiving it three times. These three ladies were also named to the All-Conference team. Nagy and Hannah Jefferson earned Academic All-Conference honors, with Nagy also being named as a Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete. Jennifer Nagy was also selected as All-American Honorable Mention. Cheerleading With two All-Conference athletes and four on the Academic All-Conference team, Cumberlands managed a third place finish in the Mid-South Conference Cheerleading Competition. The Mid-South is the only conference in the NAIA to hold a championship event for cheerleading. Amanda Farris and Greg Foley earned spots on the All-Conference squad. Student-athletes Michelle Lackey, Jolina Miller, Amy Shemwell, and Emily Sturgill were named to the Academic All-Conference squad. Swimming Patriot swimming had a very impressive season with both teams finishing fifth in the NAIA National Tournament. During regular season action, the men had a perfect dual record of 10-0, while the ladies had a respectable 8-2 record. The men also won three tournaments and finished as runner up only once. Patriot ladies earned one gold, two silver, and one fourth place finish in tournament action. The Patriots also set many new records this season. Times set by the Patriots include: Laurie Skaggs, 50 Free (24.25); Ian Wenstrand, 100 back (53.90); Trevor Lowe, 1000 free (9:46.36) and 1650 free (16:18.53); and the women’s 200 free relay (1:39.39). Head Coach Garry Nelson earned Female Coach of the Year for the NAIA. Nelson also plans to serve as the new President of the NAIA Swimming Coaches Association for 2007-2008. The Patriots returned home with three All-American athletes. Alex Robertson (500 free), Andrzej Lenard (200 back), and Trevor Lowe (500 free and 1650 free) earned this title with their exceptional performance at the national tournament. Cumberlands swimmers also had several athletes named as Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes. Performing well in the classroom were Ki Young Cha, Johnny Hammons, Brandy Grimes, Autumn Rodden, Lane Royer, Laurie Skaggs, and Megan Wakeley. The Patriots also received twenty-five All-American Honorable Mention awards. Men’s Wrestling Although former Patriot Andy Medders has only been coaching for two years, he already has several accomplishments under his belt. Not only did the Patriots return with a fifth place finish in the NAIA this season, they also returned home with two national champions, one runner up, and two honorable mention athletes. Delrico Choates claimed his second national title this season, Eric Flinchum finally landed a championship after years of hard work, and Brad Cooper earned a silver medal for the team. All-American Honorable Mention athletes were Dustin Center, finishing 6 th and Matt Reis, and finishing 5 th. Coach Medders looks forward to his underclassmen, as well as a talented recruiting class, to fill the positions left behind by the graduating All-Americans. Women’s Wrestling Dominating the women’s wrestling scene in the United States, the Patriot lady wrestlers concluded the season with eleven Collegiate All-Americans, eight top finishers at the FILA Senior National Tournament, and nine qualifiers to compete for a spot on the U.S. World Team. The ladies have managed to maintain a number one ranking among colleges in the United States for several years running and have moved up to the number two program in the entire North American continent. Due to the low participation among collegiate women’s wrestling programs, the Patriot ladies were forced to compete in several open tournaments, which featured outstanding athletes from around the world. The Patriot ladies held their own against the best the world has to offer. Earning the status of Collegiate All-Americans were Jackie Stiles, Othella Lucas, Alaina Berube, Bethany Harris, Aquilla Hills, Jessica Medina, Leann Barney, Sandy Do, Rachel Hubbard, Sherolynn Eppinger, and Theresa Fennell. Placing within the top eight of Senior Nationals were Hills, Barney, Medina, Stiles, Berube, Lucas, Eppinger, and Lauren Knight. Olympic-level athletes qualifying for the United States Marines Corps U.S. World Team Trials, which will be held June 9-10, 2007, were Stiles, Hills, Barney, Medina, Lucas, Hubbard, Eppinger, and Harris. This event determines who will represent the United States in the World Championships, which will take place later this year. Tennis After a rebuilding year during the 05-06 season, the Patriots made significant progress during 06-07 action. The men’s team finished with a much improved record of 10-13, while the ladies had a 6-14 conclusion. The Patriots also earned a top four finish in the Mid-South Conference. Two freshmen athletes, Higor Silva and Mary Ngiam, earned All-Conference singles players, while David Spaggiari, Juliana Negosek, Veronica Sizemore, and Haley Farris were awarded All-Conference Honorable Mention honors. Jessica Lowrie earned the team’s only Academic All-Conference recognition. The Mid-South Conference awarded Player of the Week to Mary Ngiam for her outstanding performances. Baseball Patriot baseball concluded their season at the Mid-South Tournament with an overall record of 35-19, and 10-8 in the conference. The team broke several records this season, earned ten All-Conference awards, two Mid-South Conference Players of the Week, one MSC Player of the year, and had one named to the NAIA Region XI Team. Patriot baseball has a total record of 1133-615, with Head Coach Brad Shelton earning 225 of the wins, pushing his coaching career wins total over 400. Daniel Guttridge, Mid-South Conference Player of the Year and the sole Patriot on the NAIA Region XI team, set team records in career triples (15), runs scored (184), and hit by pitch (65). Guttridge, with 18 stolen bases, also aided in setting the new stolen bases record for the team, 120 total. Honored for their outstanding performance, Javier Gali-Rodriguez, Daniel Guttridge, Robert Mills, and Adam Blakey were named All-Conference team members. For excelling in the classroom as well as on the diamond, Academic All-Conference awards were presented to Justin Adams, Joel Dobney, Daniel Guttridge, Alem McDougall, Chris Short, and Jon Silverman. Two Patriots, Javier Gali-Rodriguez and Daniel Guttridge, were named Mid-South Conference Players of the Week on separate occasions. The NAIA and Rawlings teamed up this season to honor student-athletes for their exceptional play on the field, by honoring them with the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Receiving the awards for the Patriots on the conference level was: Victor Wooldridge, Javier Gali-Rodriguez, Daniel Guttridge, and Mike Fiers. Fiers, however, also received the award at the regional level. Softball Though the softball team ended with a 24-31 record, the ladies were quite successful. Many records were broken this season, both individual and team. The ladies were also awarded several honors for their outstanding performances. Records broken by the team included: Runs Scored, with the new record of 228, significantly higher than the old at 173; 215 RBIs compared to the previous record of 154; Homeruns set at 33, 14 more than the old record; 67 Doubles; and tied Triples with13 and Pitching Wins with 24. Individually, Kim Catoe broke the Hits and Stolen Bases records. She had 54 hits compared to previous 53 and she accumulated 21 stolen bases out of 22 attempts compared to 20 out of 23. Katie Kitchen proudly broke the Homeruns record with 10 compared to the previous 9. Several of the Patriot ladies were honored for their accomplishments during the season. Katie Kitchen and Lara Jackson both made the All-Conference team. Kitchen was also named Mid-South Conference Player of the Week on one occasion. Academic All-Conference recognitions were Meagan Aiken, Maggie Callis, Kim Catoe, Samantha Kooch, and Jessica Taulbee. Katie Kitchen was also named to the NAIA Region XI team. Golf This season for the Patriots was very trying, but the men held it together and finished the spring season placing third in the NAIA Region XI Tournament. The team, filled mostly with underclassmen, earned Top Ten finishes in almost all of the tournaments they participated in. Justin Price was named to the All-Conference team for his accomplishments and Cory Cox received recognition as a Mid-South Player of the Week. Emily Sturgill was awarded the Academic All-Conference award for her outstanding performance in the classroom. Coach Bill Sergent earned the distinction of being the Mid-South Conference’s Coach of the Year. Track & Field Along with earning the Mid-South Conference title, seven athletes qualified for the national indoor tournament, while three competed in the national outdoor tournament. The Patriots had an exceptional season and earned several honors. Patriots earning All-Conference recognitions were Brandon Griffin, Tyler Harris, Jordan Jeffers, Kristen McKenna, Zora Beth Mefford, Brett Ratliff, Shelly Schnee, Kelley Seifert, and A.C. Wright. Several athletes were also recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom. This included Whitney Brainard, Melia Jewell, Kristin McKenna, Susie Norris, Kelly Schnee, Shelly Schnee, Christina Stodghill, Ronnie Bowling, Brian Jones, Josh Laughlin, Josh Patrick, and Carl Roberts. Jordan Jeffers, Kelly Schnee, and Shelly Schnee earned Indoor All-American status, while Shelly Schnee was the lone Outdoor All-American. Susie Norris, Shelly Schnee, and Carl Roberts earned the distinction of being named Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athletes. Returning from an injury last season, Jordan Jeffers displayed outstanding talent. For this, Jeffers was named the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year. Coach Floyd Stroud also earned the honor of being named the Mid-South Conference Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year. Winning the conference title two years in row is a great accomplishment for the Patriots. Look for the Patriots to continue their streak and increase their representation on the national level during the 2007-08 season. Though Cumberlands is a small school, the Patriots attained great accomplishments throughout the 2006-2007 year. Each of Cumberlands’ twenty-one varsity sports defines success and the Patriots have achieved more than anyone would ever expect. 2005-2006 Year in Review
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