Athletics Good Stuff – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
March 27, 2007
Athletes of the Week
Ron Lewis of the men’s basketball team has scored 108 careerpoints in NCAA tournament play, included a team-high 87 points inthe four games this year. His NCAA tournament scoring total is thesixth-most in Ohio State history. Jerry Lucas (1960-62) owns therecord with 266 points. He is followed by John Havlicek(156/1960-62), Michael Redd (133/1999-2000), Scoonie Penn(123/1999-2000) and Jim Jackson (121/1990-92). Lewis hasthree-consecutive 20+ scoring outings in NCAA tournament play (27vs. Xavier, 25 vs. Tennessee and 22 vs. Memphis). The effort vs.Xavier is tied for the No. 9 spot in OSU history for points in anNCAA game. Against Memphis, Lewis tied an Ohio State NCAAtournament game record with 10 made foul shots (10 attempts).Arnold Risen knocked down 10 freebies against NYU at Madison SquareGarden in 1945. Lewis has not missed a foul shot in NCAA tournamentplay this year (21-21) and is 29-31 (.935) from the charity stripein six all-time NCAA tournament game appearances. Sophomore fencerAndras Horanyi won the individual national championship in men’sfoil last weekend, helping lead the Buckeyes to theirsixth-consecutive Top 5 finish at the NCAA championships. Horanyiwas the national runner-up last year as a freshman and went 45-3 inthe regular season this year for Ohio State, which placed fifth inthe finals. Horanyi is the No. 1-ranked men’s foil fencer in theUnited States.
Athletics Good Stuff
A total of 23 current and former Ohio State student-athletesreceived degrees at winter quarter commencement March 18 in St.John Arena. Among the graduates were basketball player Ron Lewis,who will be playing this weekend in the NCAA Final Four, three-timeWomen’s Basketball Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport andtwo-time CCHA player of the week Mathieu Beaudoin of the men’shockey team.
Lewis was an honor mention All-Big Ten selection this year and helped lead the Buckeyes to the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships. Davenport was a two-time WBCA and Associated Press All-American. She scored double digits in 83 of her last 84 games and is the only player in Big Ten history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocked shots.
Beaudoin was named CCHA Player of the Month in January 2005 and was a two-time CCAA Scholar-Athlete award winner. Also among the graduates were Tim Schafer of the Big Ten champion football team, former soccer standout Kevin Nugent, softball standout Chelsea Baker and All-Big Ten gymnast Kaylin Schlecht. Nugent played in 77 matches and made 42 starts during his career at Ohio State. He made six game-winning goals including the winning goal that gave Ohio State its NCAA tournament victory. Baker served as captain last year and helped lead the team to the NCAA tournament.
Graduate, sport, college
Ronald Lewis, basketball, SBS
Nicholas Hanneman, diving, ART
Timothy Schaffer, football, SBS
Marcus Schulenberg, fencing, SBS
David Barton, men’s hockey, BUS
Mathieu Beaudoin, hockey, BUS
Kevin Nugent, soccer, BUS
Mike Tomes, swimming, AMP
Dennis Mertens, tennis, BUS
Jordin Humphrey, wrestling, SBS
Tim Kist, wrestling, HUM
Nathaniel Hamm, pistol, SBS
Jessica Davenport, basketball, EHE
Chelsea Poling, cross country, BUS
Sarah Obee, rowing, B.S. BUS, B.A. HUM
Jana Schiller, rowing, BUS
Jennifer Selfinger, golf, HUM
Leah Boccaccio, gymnastics, EHE
Kaylin Schlecht, gymnastics, BUS
Chelsea Baker, softball, SBS
Erin Greene, swimming, HUM
Nicole Maglich, swimming, EHE
Chelsea Poling, track & field, BUS
The men’s basketball team (34-3) travels to Atlanta Wednesdayin advance of the Final Four matchup with Georgetown (30-6) in thefirst national semifinal Saturday (6:07 p.m./CBS) at the GeorgiaDome. The Buckeyes have enjoyed a record-setting season with 34victories, regular-season (15-1) and postseason Big Ten titles, theprogram’s 20th NCAA tournament appearance and ninth Final Four.
Freshman center Greg Oden was selected to the Associated Press All-America First Team Monday. He leads the Buckeyes in scoring (15.4 ppg), rebounding (9.5 rpg) and blocks (3.33 bpg). He is the first Buckeye since Jim Jackson in 1992 to make the AP All-America First Team. Oden, the Buckeyes’ first freshman All-American, is the 15th Ohio State first team All-America selection and 10th AP honoree. The last center to earn the accolade was Gary Bradds in 1964.
The men’s lacrosse team returns home after three-consecutiveroad matches, including losses at No. 17 Towson (10-8) and UMBC(11-9) last week. The Buckeyes will host Quinnipiac at noon Sundayin Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Sophomore Joel Dalgarno led theBuckeyes with seven points and four assists in the two gamescombined last week, sophomore Jeff Ryan had a team-best five goalsand junior Kevin Buchanan had six points, including four goals.Women’s lacrosse (4-2, 0-1 American Lacrosse Conference) split apair of road matches last week, losing at 12-ranked Notre Dame,16-9, and defeating St. Bonaventure, 15-14, in overtime. KristenSlahor had a team-high three goals against Notre Dame with sixother players scoring once. Against St. Bonaventure, Slahor hadthree goals and added four assists in the victory. Kelly Haggertyand Megan Levins each added three goals in the game. The Buckeyesfell behind late in the game, twice, but goals by Levins and NataleMiller tied the score. Miller’s goal came at 5:24 to tie the scoreat 14 to close out regulation play. In overtime Levins scored at2:43 in the first half of the overtime period for the game winner.Goalie Joy DeMarco stopped a St. Bonaventure eight-meter attemptwith six seconds left in the second half of the overtime period tosecure the win. DeMarco had eight saves in playing the final 36minutes of the game. OSU returns home this week to hose VirginiaTech Friday at 7 p.m. and California Sunday at Noon. Thesynchronized swimming team scored 84 points to finish second at the2007 U.S. Collegiate National Championships March 22-24 at BalfourNatatorium in Norton, Mass. The Buckeyes finished second in threeof the four finals events. In the solo competition, runner-upBarbara Nesbitt scored an even 96.000. The combination of Nesbitt,Leah Pinette and Hannah Shively notched a 95.167 while classmatesEllen Hacker, Carmen Moraes and Caitlin Stewart were not far behindin third place with a score of 93.667.
The Scarlet team recorded a season-best 98.167 for second and coming in sixth-place was the Gray squad with a 93.833.
The fencing team finished in fifth place with 144 points asfour days of competition at the 2007 NCAA Championships, hosted byDrew University in Madison, N.J., came to a close Sunday. TheBuckeyes have now recorded six consecutive Top 5 finishes andsophomore foilist Andras Horanyi captured the program’s seventhindividual national championship. The baseball team has won 12straight games, including all seven on their just-completed springbreak trip in Bradenton, Fla., and are 13-3 overall. In Florida,OSU wrapped up its trip with wins over Yale (16-10), Northwesternin a non-conference game (11-6) and Harvard (5-3). The Buckeyes hit.349 in the seven games and were led by Matt Angle, who hit .444.Leadoff hitter Jacob Howell hit .423 and J.B. Shuck .391. Shuckleads the Buckeyes in batting on the year at .423 and is on a13-game hitting streak. On the hill in Florida, Cory Luebke andJosh Barrera went 2-0, while Theron Minium, Darren Sizemore andShuck also earned wins.
With a 5-3 win over Harvard on March 23, Ohio State head coach Bob Todd earned his 900th career victory. The Buckeye skipper is 900-470-2 all-time, including 776-388-2 at OSU. His 900 wins rank 17th among active coaches in NCAA Division I and 47th all-time. The 12-game winning streak the Buckeyes are currently on is the team’s longest winning streak since a 17-game run early in the 2001 season.
Ohio State’s home opener is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Bill Davis Stadium vs. Toledo. After Toledo, OSU plays host to Iowa Friday-Sunday in the first Big Ten series of the year.
The softball team went 3-3 on its spring break trip in LosAngeles last week and is now 17-13 on the season. Senior pitcherJamee Juarez went 3-0 last week and collected career strikeout No.600, while senior Nycole Koyano batted a team-best .381 with twotriples. The Big Ten season begins at home this weekend for theBuckeyes, who host Minnesota for games at 4 p.m. Friday and noonSaturday, then welcome Wisconsin for a doubleheader at noon Sunday.The sixth-ranked rowing team opened the 2007 season with strongraces against No. 1 Princeton and No. 5 Brown Saturday on CarnegieLake in Princeton, N.J. The day included an upset of top-ranked anddefending NCAA champion Princeton in the first varsity eight raceas well as a defeat of the Tigers in the second varsity eight race.Brown took first in both events. The competition featured three ofthe Top 5 teams in the 2006 NCAA Championship: Brown placed second,Princeton third and Ohio State fifth.
Ohio State will next travel to Charlottesville, Va., to face No. 3 Virginia and Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Duals March 31.
The women’s track and field team opened its 2007 outdoor seasonSaturday at the Auburn Springtime Invitational in Auburn, Ala. TwoBuckeyes set facility records at the Auburn University TrackComplex as Melanie Price won the steeplechase and Veronica Vanceposted the top mark in the triple jump. Price clocked a time of11:26.90 to top the steeple field. Vance reached 41 feet, 1 inchfor her victory in the triple jump. Junior thrower Veronica Jatsekalso added a third individual win for Ohio State with a 187-5 heavein the hammer. On the track, Ayrizanna Favours clipped thefourth-best time in the 800 meters (2:15.28).
The Buckeyes compete next week at the Indiana Invitational in Bloomington, Ind.
The men’s track and field team competed in its first meet ofthe outdoor season Saturday at the Arizona State Invitation inTempe, Ariz. Marios Iacovou, a junior high jumper, posted the topindividual performance for the Buckeyes, taking second place.Iacovou cleared 6 feet, 8 ¾ inches to take his runner-upspot. On the track, John Ealy and Elon Simms each scored Top 5times. Ealy paced 8:19.42 to place fourth in the 3,000-meter run.Simms crossed the finish line in the 400m hurdles in 52.57 for afifth place spot.
The Buckeyes head back to Big Ten country for the Indiana Invite next Friday and Saturday.
After a week off, the No. 1-ranked men’s gymnastics team (7-4overall; 2-1 Big Ten) will compete at the Big Ten Championships at8 p.m. EST March 30-31 in Minneapolis, Minn. The Buckeyes enter thechampionships as the two-time defending Big Ten Champions. OhioState looks to defend its back-to-back conference titles and add athird crown in as many years for the first time in program history.
Last week, Willie Ito was named one of eight Nissen-Emery Award finalists, an honor presented to the nation’s outstanding senior male collegiate gymnast each year. The winner will be announced at the NCAA/CGA banquet April 11 in University Park, Pa. In addition, junior DJ Bucher was tabbed the NCAA Division I National Gymnast of the Week by the College Gymnastics Association. Bucher earned the award and his second weekly conference honor for his performance in the win over then-No. 1 Michigan. Bucher came in first on pommel horse (9.3), rings (9.5) and parallel bars (9.65).
No. 20 women’s gymnastics team placed first last week in theAll-Ohio Championships at Bowling Green, Ohio, with a 195.825,which matched the season high. The Buckeyes took first in eachevent and scored a season-best 48.950 on beam. Junior MaalikaMoore-Thomas finished first in the all-around with a 39.275, whichincluded a first-place finish and team season-best 9.90 on floor.This week, the squad will head to the Big Ten Championships hostedby Penn State at 6 p.m. Saturday. The women’s tennis team was 1-1in two Big Ten road matches over the weekend, downing Minnesota,4-3, before falling to Iowa, 7-0. Against the Gophers, Buckeyesophomore Julie Voss clinched the Buckeye win with a three-set,come-from-behind victory at No. 6 singles. The Buckeyes moved intothe national rankings at No. 46 after going 3-1 combined last week,including a win over then-No. 16 Wichita State, marking theirhighest ranking since ending the 2004 season 41st. The No. 2 men’stennis team collected a pair of Big Ten wins in Columbus thisweekend. OSU is now 15-1 and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes beatIowa and Minnesota, each by a 7-0 score Saturday and Sundayrespectively. Minnesota failed to take even one singles set fromOSU. The wins helped Ohio State extend its home win streak to 48matches. Ohio State has outscored opponents 88-14 this season.Opposing teams have managed to take only 43 of 221 singles setsfrom the Buckeyes. The women’s golf team wrapped up competition atthe Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational March 21st in sixth, withthree student athletes finishing in the Top 20. Junior Haley Brownled the way for the buckeyes finishing 14th. Sophomore GemmaWebster and freshman Emma Jandel followed close behind, roundingout the Top 20 tied for 19th.
Ohio State women’s golf will be back in action April 6-8 with competition at the Bryan National Collegiate in Winston Salem, N.C.
Ohio State Athletics Schedule
March 28 – April 4
March 28
Women’s Swimming at USA Nationals, All Day
TBA
Men’s Swimming at USA Swimming Spring Championships, All Day
Long Island, N.Y.
Baseball vs. Toledo, 2 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Bill Davis Stadium
March 29
Women’s Swimming at USA Nationals, All Day
TBA
Men’s Swimming at USA Swimming Spring Championships, All Day
Long Island, N.Y.
March 30
Baseball vs. Iowa, 6:35 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Bill Davis Stadium
Softball vs. Minnesota, 4 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Buckeye Field
Women’s Tennis at Michigan State, 3 p.m.
East Lansing, Mich.
Men’s Tennis vs. Notre Dame, 4 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Stickney Tennis Center
Men’s Volleyball at Lewis, 7 p.m.
Chicago, Ill.
Women’s Lacrosse vs. Virginia Tech, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Men’s Track at Stanford Invitational, All Day
Palo Alto, Calif.
Men’s Gymnastics at Big Ten Championships, All Day
Minneapolis, Minn.
March 31
Men’s Basketball vs. Georgetown, 6:07 p.m.
Atlanta, Ga.
Baseball vs. Iowa, 1:05 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Bill Davis Stadium
Softball vs. Minnesota, Noon
Columbus, Ohio
Buckeye Field
Men’s Lacrosse vs. Quinnipiac, Noon
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens Memorial
Women’s Gymnastics at Big Ten Championships, 6 p.m.
University Park, Pa.
Men’s Volleyball at Loyola Chicago, 7 p.m.
Chicago, Ill.
Men’s Gymnastics at Big Ten Championships, All Day
Minneapolis, Minn.
Women’s Crew at Virginia and Duke, All Day
Charlottesville, Va.
April 1
Softball vs. Wisconsin, Noon
Columbus, Ohio
Buckeye Field
Women’s Tennis vs. Syracuse, 11 a.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Stickney Tennis Center
Women’s Lacrosse vs. California, Noon
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Men’s Tennis vs. Michigan State, Noon
Columbus, Ohio
Stickney Tennis Center
Men’s Tennis vs. Wright State, 6 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Stickney Tennis Center
April 4
Women’s Tennis at Indiana, 3 p.m.
Bloomington, Ind.
Men’s Volleyball vs. Penn State, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
St. John Arena
