ATH: Athletics Good Stuff – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
Athletics Good Stuff
Athletics
The Big Ten announced the Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2008-09 academic year for all sports June 4. Each conference school also had a male and female Outstanding Sportsmanship Award recipient. In all, 37 Ohio State student-athletes were honored for their respective sports, with Taylor Candella of the men’s cross country team and women’s gymnast Alyssa Meyer highlighted as the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the school.
No. 26 Baseball (42-19; 18-6 Big Ten)
Head coach: Bob Todd
Senior closer Jake Hale was named one of five finalists for the fifth-annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award June 3. The NCBWA’s All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year’s recipient to be announced June 13, the opening day of the 2009 College World Series.
Sophomore pitcher Alex Wimmers received and accepted an invitation to compete at the 2009 USA Baseball National Team Trials to be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., June 15-24. The National Team Trials will be comprised of 36 collegiate players vying for a spot on the final 22-man roster to be announced on June 24.
Football
Head coach: Jim Tressel
Ohio State earned the highest preseason pick for a Big Ten program sitting in the No. 8 spot of the Lindy’s 2009 Preseason Top 25 announced June 3. There are a total three Big Ten teams in the Top 25 with Ohio State at No. 8, Penn State at No. 11 and Michigan State at No. 24.
The Ohio State-Minnesota football game on Saturday, October 24 at Ohio Stadium will kick off at noon EST, the Big Ten Conference announced June 3. That game will be Homecoming for the Buckeyes. Television plans will be announced at a later date.
Phil Steele released his preseason All-Big Ten Team June 2 with 13 Buckeyes making one of four squads. Ohio State is represented on the first team by safety Kurt Coleman, cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, offensive lineman Justin Boren and return specialist Ray Small. Second-team selections were quarterback Terrelle Pryor, safety Anderson Russell, linebacker Ross Homan and defensive end Thaddeus Gibson. Kicker Aaron Pettrey, running back Brandon Saine, center Michael Brewster and receiver DeVier Posey were third-team picks while kick returner Lamaar Thomas was on the fourth team.
Men’s Golf Head coach: Jim Brown
Vaughn Snyder advanced to the 2009 U.S. Open Championship after firing rounds of 67-69 on the South Course at NCR Country Club in Dayton in sectional qualifying Monday. The Massillon, Ohio, native is among the final field of 156 for the U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., June 18-21.
Men’s Gymnastics
Head coach: Miles Avery
Raj Bhavsar, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and Ohio State gymnast from 2000-2003, debuted an original release move on the parallel bars at the 2009 World Stars in Moscow May 30. It is expected the new skill will be named the Bhavsar, but will not be official until it appears in the FIG Men’s Technical Committee’s newsletter.
The 10-time All-American and 2002 NCAA all-around champion was the runner-up on parallel bars in Moscow with a score of 15.05, trailing Mitja Petsovsek of Slovakia who won with a 15.625. Also competing on rings, Bhavsar tied Timur Kurbanbayer of Kazakhstan for fourth with a tally of 15.0. The top score on rings was a 15.6 from Yury Van Gelder of the Netherlands.
Women’s Gymnastics
Head coach: Carey Fagan
Ohio State celebrated its successful 2009 season with the presentation of its annual awards May 31. Sophomore Rebecca Best, who competed the all-around at the NCAA championships, was named a second-team All-American, becoming just the sixth Buckeye to take home All-America honors. For her achievements, Best earned the team’s “O”-chievement Award for the Most Valuable Performer, as well as being named the Impact Player on beam. The other Impact Players were Taylor Jones on vault and Alyssa Meyer on bars.
Jones added the “Most Dedicated” Award to her collection after being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year at the Big Ten Championships March 21. Meyer also earned a second recognition with the Academic Achievement Award. A senior exercise science major, she holds a 4.0 cumulative GPA and was one of just five Big Ten athletes to do so during the winter season.
Rounding out the winners were junior captain Hillary Dow with the Most Inspiration Award and freshman Casey Williamson, who was named Most Improved.
Meyer, along with fellow seniors Amanda Surine and Kiki Holman, were also honored for their four years of dedication to the gymnastics program.
Women’s Hockey
Head coach: Jackie Barto
Seniors Rachel Davis and Raelyn LaRocque were voted captains while juniors Teal Bishop and Shannon Reilly earned assistant captain positions for the 2009-10 season. It is the first time any of the four will serve in captain roles at Ohio State.
Catherine Hanson, former U.S. Women’s National team member and assistant coach at Ohio State, was named an assistant coach for 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team. Hanson, who played for the U.S. Women’s National Program from 1998-2000, recently completed her seventh season as an assistant coach at Ohio State, where she was responsible for the team’s defense.
Ohio State announced its 2009-10 schedule June 4. The Buckeyes will face half of the teams ranked in the Top 10 of the U.S. College Hockey Online poll at the conclusion of last season, including four that played in the NCAA tournament. After an exhibition game at the OSU Ice Rink Sept. 26 against Wilfrid Laurier University from Waterloo, Ontario, Ohio State will officially open its 2009-10 slate on the road at Boston University of the Hockey East conference, Oct. 2-3. The Buckeyes host 2009 Frozen Four participant Minnesota in their first home series, Oct. 9-10.
Pistol
Head coach: James Sweeney
James Sweeney, Ohio State head coach, will welcome Blake Reburn of Kensington, Md., to the roster for the 2009-10 season, he announced June 3. Reburn comes to Ohio State with a wealth of national and international experience. Reburn, a graduate from St. Johns College High School in Washington, D.C., recently placed sixth in the Junior 1 age division (18-22) of the 2009 USA Shooting Junior Olympic Championships April 19 with a final tally of 578.2 in the 50m free pistol in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Men’s Soccer
Head coach: John Bluem
Ohio State head coach John Bluem announced the hiring of Taly Goode to the position of assistant coach June 1. Goode joins the staff of Bluem and associate head coach Frank Speth after three years in a similar role at Ohio Dominican.
Softball
Head coach: Linda Kalafatis
The Ohio State softball team held its annual team reception June 5 at the Huntington Club in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes celebrated their historical and record-breaking 2009 season that saw them reach the NCAA Super Regional for the first time in program history and honored the two seniors – Cortney Cannon and Kim Reeder.
Reeder led the list of team award winners, taking home the Most Valuable Player award, as well as the Pitcher of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Sam Marder was named the Offensive Player of the Year after breaking the season and career homerun records, while rookie shortstop Alicia Herron earned Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. A complete list of award winners is available on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Synchronized Swimming
Head coach: Linda Lichter-Witter
The Ohio State synchronized swimming team held its annual team banquet Thursday at the Ohio State University Golf Course Restaurant. Among family and friends, the Buckeyes celebrated their historical 2009 season as U.S. Collegiate and U.S. Senior National Champions and honored the four seniors – Jayme DeLancy, Becky Kim, Carmen Moraes and Kendra Sollars.
Headlining the award winners was Barbara Nesbitt who earned the Most Outstanding Swimmer Award for the second-consecutive year.
Men’s Track and Field
Head coach: Robert Gary
Ohio State qualified three athletes for the 2009 NCAA Track and Field Championships at the NCAA Regional May 29-30. The 2009 NCAA Championships are held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Ohio State will send five athletes total.
Up Next: at NCAA Championships, June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Women’s Track and Field
Head coach: Karen Dennis
The Buckeyes competed at the NCAA Mideast Regionals May 29-30 and qualified a total of five athletes in two events for the NCAA Championships in two weeks in Fayetteville, Ark. Ohio State will be back in action in two weeks at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville June 10-13.
Up Next: at NCAA Championships, June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Wrestling
Head coach: Tom Ryan
Corey Morrison, a member of the Ohio State wrestling team, and J Jaggers, the newly appointed volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes, were named to the 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Division I Team, the NWCA announced June 4.
Athletics Weekly Calendar (June 10-28)
June 10-13
MTRK at NCAA Championships, TBA in Fayetteville, Ark.
WTRK at NCAA Championships, TBA in Fayetteville, Ark.
June 25-28
MTRK at USATF Track and Field Championships, TBA in Eugene, Ore.
