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2010 Lady Demon Tennis • 2010 Lady Demon Tennis • 2010 Lady Demon Tennis
Olga Bazhanova
Dragana Colic
Adna Curukovic
Kathrin Lange
Lauren Peters
Martina Rubesova
Bianca Schulz
Suncica Strkic
Patric DuBois Head Coach
Scott Smith Assistant Coach
Marie Scriba Student Assistant
Courtney Tegtman Athletic Trainer
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
Andrea Nedorostova
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Quick Fact • Table Of Contents • Quick Facts • Table of Contents • Quick Facts
Contents 1 2010 Lady Demon Tennis 2 Quick Facts • Table of Contents 3 Sports Information • Media 4 This is Northwestern State 7 2010 Season Outlook 8 Head Coach Patric DuBois 9 Scott Smith • Marie Scriba 10 2010 Roster • Roster Breakdown
Quick Facts University Name: . . . . . . . . . . . Northwestern State University Founded: . . . . 1884, as Louisiana Normal School Location: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natchitoches, LA President: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Randall J. Webb Vice President, External Affairs: . . . Jerry Pierce Enrollment: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,247 (Fall 2009) Affiliation: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAA Division I Conference: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southland Director of Athletics: . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Burke Associate AD/Development: Dr. William Broussard Asst. AD/Compliance: . . . . . . . . . Dustin Eubanks SWA/Academic Adivsor: . . . . . . . Jodie Heinicka Assistant Academic Advisor: . . . . Carrie Crowell Ticket Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adam Jonson Assistant Marketing Director . . . . . . . .Alex Cook Facility Director: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Pasch Event Manager: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Castle Faculty Athletic Representative: . . . Jody Biscoe
Tennis Staff Head Coach: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patric DuBois Alma Mater: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Bonaventure, 1987 Career Record: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312-201 SLC Record: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140-37 Assistant Coach: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Smith Alma Mater: . . . . . . . . . Univ. of the Ozarks, 2007 Student Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marie Scriba
Team Information 2009 Record: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-8 2009 SLC Record/Finish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3/3rd 2008 Postseason: . . . . . . . . 1-1 SLC Tournament Letterwinners Returning: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Top Returnees: . Kathrin Lange, Adna Curukovic, Dragana Colic, Bianca Schulz, Olga Bazhanova Newcomers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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11 Olga Bazhanova • Dragana Colic 12 Adna Curukovic 13 Kathrin Lange 14 Andrea Nedorostova • Lauren Peters 15 Martina Rubesova • Bianca Schulz 16 Suncica Strkic 17 2009 Final Stats and Results 18 Southland Conference
19 Harry Briggs, “The Paddlin’ Professor” 20 Dr. Randall Webb, President 21 Jerry Pierce, Vice President 22 Greg Burke, Director of Athletics 23 Athletic Administration
2009 Roster Name Olga Bazhanova Dragana Colic Adna Curukovic Kathrin Lange Andrea Nedorostova Lauren Peters Martina Rubesova Bianca Schulz Suncica Strkic
Ht. 5-8 5-6 5-6 5-11 5-7 5-3 5-6 5-7 5-7
Cl. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. So.
Exp. 1L 2L 2L 2L HS HS TR 1L 1L
Hometown (High School/Previous School) Nikolaev, Ukraine (Gymnasium) Busovaca, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Economic HS) Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Gymnasium) Emmigen, Germany (Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium) Brno, Czech Republic (Universal HS) Baton Rouge, La (Parkview Baptist HS) Usti nad Laben, Czech Republic (University of Economic in Prague) Balinger, Germany (Gymnasium Balinger) Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Agricultural School)
Head Coach: Patric DuBois (7th Season) Assistant Coach: Scott Smith (1st Season) Student Coach: Marie Scriba (2nd Season)
Sports Information Director: Doug Ireland Office Phone: 318-357-6467 Cell Phone: 318-288-6388 Fax: 318-357-4515 Email: ireland@nsula.edu Associate SID/Statistics: Matthew Bonnette Cell Phone: 318-663-5701 Email: bonnettem@nsula.edu Administrative Assistant: Ronnette Pellegrin Email: pellegrinr@nsula.edu Graduate Assistant: Fletcher Jonson Cell Phone: 318-729-7377 Email: fjonson002@yahoo.com Tennis Contact: Matthew Fowler Cell Phone: 318-225-2786 Email: mdfowler88@yahoo.com
NSUdemons.com Visit the official web site of Northwestern State athletics for the latest women’s tennis news, statistics and schedules. Also check out Gary’s Gallery featuring action pictures of all Lady Demon home tennis matches.
SID Mailing Address: NSU Sports Information Sports Information/Prather Coliseum Room 112 398 S. Jefferson Natchitoches LA 71497
Credits Editor: Matthew Fowler Editorial Assistance: Doug Ireland, Ronnette Pellegrin, Patric DuBois, Matthew Bonnette, Lady Demon tennis players Cover: Matthew Bonnette Layout & Design: Matthew Fowler & Matthew Bonnette Photography: Gary Hardamon Printing: Multi-Ad Media, Peoria, Ill. The 2010 NSU Women’s Tennis Media Guide was written by the NSU Sports Information Office and women’s tennis team. Design was by the NSU SID office on an Apple G5 using QuarkXpress 6.1 and Adobe Photoshop CS3.
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Sports Information • Media • Sports Infromation • Media • Sports Information Doug Ireland
They cover the Lady Demons: primary media outlets
Sports Information Director In charge of athletic media relations at his alma mater since January of 1989, Doug Ireland coordinates publicity efforts for Northwestern's 14 intercollegiate sports teams through local, regional and national media outlets in print, broadcast, television and the internet. He also serves in the volunteer role of chariman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, that was once housed in Prather Coliseum at NSU. Ireland assumed that post in April 1991. In 1981-82, while an undergraduate at Northwestern, Ireland worked as chief of the Shreveport Times Natchitoches Bureau, coordinating news coverage of an eight-parish region along the Red River. From 1982-85, he was assistant SID at Southwestern Louisiana, working with a men's basketball program that made three straight postseason tournament appearances. He won CoSIDA publications and writing awards while at USL. Ireland was the sports editor of the Natchitoches Times in 1985-86 and attended graduate school at Northeast Louisiana before joining the Alexandria Town Talk sports staff in 1987. In 18 months at the Town Talk, he covered both NSU and LSU sports and won 15 writing awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers' Association. In 2001, the LSWA presented its prestigious Mac Russo Award to Ireland for his contributions to the organization. In 1999, Ireland was awarded honorary membership in the Graduate N Club at NSU by the university's group of athletic lettermen for his service to Northwestern and its athletic program, and in 2003 he was given full membership. He was appointed by President Dr. Randall Webb to serve a two-year term on the inaugural University Planning Council in 1997-99.
Matthew Bonnette Associate Sports Information Director Matthew Bonnette is beginning his seventh season as a member of the NSU SID staff. Bonnette joined the staff in August 2003 after spending a year as sports information director at Henderson State (Ark.) and for former NSU legendary coach Sam Goodwin. Bonnette surpervises all layouts and design work for all media guides and game programs and is the primary media contact for the NSU baseball, women’s basketball and volleyball teams. A 2002 graduate of McNeese State University, Bonnette is no stranger to the SID field as he is the son of longtime McNeese SID Louis Bonnette, who was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Southland Conference Hall of Honor, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the McNeese State Athletic Hall of Fame. Matthew's older brother, Michael, is the sports information director at LSU. While at McNeese, Bonnette served two years as the sports editor of the school’s newspaper. He also worked as both a volunteer and student sports information director while being employed at KPLC-TV as the commercial production manager where he won several advertising awards for his work. He is a member of CoSIDA, Louisiana Sports Writers Association, NCBWA and USBWA. His 2008 football (3rd place) and 2009 soccer (3rd place) media guides, as well as his women’s basketball notes (2nd place) for the Southland Conference tournament, were recently awarded by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. He has won six awards by the LSWA in his career. He is married to the former Colene Lanier of Lake Charles and the couple has two daughters, 9-year-old Haley and Katelyn, who will turn seven next November. Colene is the Northwestern State men’s basketball and women’s soccer administrative assistant.
Daily Newspapers -Randy Benson, Sports, Alexandria Daily Town Talk, P.O. Box 7558, Alexandria, LA 71306 (318-487-6351, fax 487-6315) - Scott Ferrell, Kelly Morris, Sports, The Times, P.O. Box 30222, Shreveport, LA 71130 (318-459-3296, 800-462-6436, fax 459-3301) - Scott Rabalais, Butch Muir, Sports, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821 (225-383-1111, fax 388-0371) - Jerry Byrd, Sports, Bossier Press Tribune, P.O. Box 6267, Bossier City, LA 71171 (318-352-3618, fax 747-5298) - Sports Editor, Leesville, Daily Leader, P.O. Box 619, Leesville, LA 71446 (318-239-3444, fax 318-238-1552) - Sports, New Orleans Times Picayune, 3800 Howard Ave., New Orleans, LA 70140 (504-826-3405, fax 826-3401) - Chris Airhart, Natchitoches Times, 904 Hwy. 1 South, Natchitoches, LA 71457 (337-352-3618, fax 352-7842) Non-Daily Newspapers - NSU Current Sauce, Kyser Hall, Natchitoches, LA 71497 (318-357-5456, fax 357-6564) Television Stations - Mark Hamblen, Sharief Ishaq, KALB-TV, 605 Washington St., Alexandria, LA 71306 (318-445-6397 exts. 516, 523; fax 449-4594) - Mike Dirmann, KSLA-TV, 1812 Fairfield Ave., Shreveport, LA 71104 (318-677-6709, fax 334-956-0768) - Brandon Dunn, Gavin Moberg, KTAL-TV, 3150 N. Market St., Shreveport, LA 71107 (318-639-7162), 7133, fax 318-629-7171) - Tim Fletcher, Leslie Spoon, KTBS-TV, 312 E. Kings Hwy., Shreveport LA 71104 (318-861-5838, fax 318-219-4680) - David Antilley II, NSU-22, 104A Kyser Hall, P.O. Box 5273, Natchitoches, LA 71497 (318-357-4417) Campus Radio Station - KNWD, 109 Kyser Hall, P.O. Box 5273, Natchitoches, LA 71497 (318-357-5693) Wire Service - Bret Martel, Associated Press, 1001 Howard Ave. Suite 200A, New Orleans, LA 70113 (800-662-7717, 504-523-3931, fax 586-0531) Conference/NCAA Offices - Todd Lamb, Southland Conference, 2600 Network Blvd., Suite 150, Frisco, TX 75034 (972-422-9500, fax 422-9225) - Jim Wright, NCAA Statistics, P.O. Box 6222, Indianapolis, IN 46206 (317-917-6222, fax 917-6888) National Outlets - USA Today, 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22107 (703-276-3400) - Sports Illustrated, Time/Life Building, New York, NY 10020 (212-522-5782, 212-9774540/4541) - Sporting News, 120 W. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28202 (800-433-1886, 314-9937111) - CBS Sports, 51 W52nd St., 30th Floor, New York, NY 10019 (212-975-5162/3559) - ABC Sports, 1330 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10019 (212-456-7777) - ESPN, ESPN Plaza, Bristol, CT 06010 (203-585-2154/2125, 800-843-6416) - CNN, One CNN Plaza, 100 International Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30348 (404-822-1588) - SportsTicker, Harborside Financial Center, 600 Plaza Two, New Jersey City, NJ 07311 (800367-8935)
Fletcher Jonson
Matthew Fowler
SID Graduate Assistant
SID Student Assistant
Fletcher Jonson is beginning his fifth season as a member of the SID staff and first as a graduate assistant. Hecontributed as the Lady Demonsoccer SID this season and will be the liaison for all media. Jonson received his bachelor’s degree this past May in journalism and is working towards a master’s degree in sport administration. As a member of the SID department, Jonson has helped out with statistics for volleyball, soccer, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball and football games. He’s also the public address announcer for all home baseball games and has volunteered his time in the operation of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The son of Bill and Leigh Jonson, Fletch’s older brother, Adam, is NSU’s assistant marketing director in charge of ticket operations.
Matthew Fowler is beginning his second year working for the NSU Sports Information staff, holding duties during baseball, basketball, football, tennis, and volleyball events. Fowler is a graduate of Homer High School, and graduated as valedictorian with a 3.9 gpa. While at Homer, Fowler played baseball and marched in band. He was also a member of the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band for two years before choosing to take on more responsibility with the sports information office. A health and physical education major and a minor in journalism, he hopes to either become a sports information director or an athletic coach. The son of Dan and Dana Fowler, two brothers Cory and Josh, and two sisters Rebecca and Faith.
Sports Information Staff
Hunter Bower Student SID
Matthew English Student SID
Ronnette Pellegrin SID Admin. Asst.
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
Dr. Charles Pellegrin Statistician
David Antilley Statistician
Davey Antilley Statistician
Patrick Korn Statistician
Coach Black
Gameday Manager
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The oldest institution in the University of Louisiana System, Northwestern State University has a long tradition of academic excellence in a student-centered environment. Founded in 1884 as the State Normal School, Northwestern was originally dedicated to the education of teachers. Northwestern gradually added programs in nursing, business, liberal arts, the sciences and graduate programs. Today, NSU offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Northwestern has nationally-recognized programs in computer information systems, creative and performing arts, nursing, educational technology and industrial technology. The university has put an emphasis on incorporating technology in the classroom, working to provide students with cuttingedge technology that is applicable to the workplace. Northwestern is also home to the Louisiana Scholars' College, the state's designated honors program in the arts and sciences. The university is also preparing for changes in higher education by aggressively seeking new ways to deliver to courses to students. Northwestern has taken a leadership role in electronic delivery of classes as students are taking classes via the Internet, compressed video or desktop video. Eighteen degree programs are available completely online. Enrollment at Northwestern is more than 9,000 students. The university has more than 70,000 alumni in all 50 states and 12 countries. Students come primarily from Louisiana. Located in Natchitoches, the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, the university and community value history. Part of the university is entered in the National Register of Historic Places. The university is home to the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, a unit of the National Park Service dedicated to promoting and enhancing the preservation and conservation of prehistoric and historic resources in the United States. Northwestern seeks to provide a well-rounded education for its students, allowing them to take part in a variety of extracurricular activities. More than 100 chartered organizations are available to enhance what is learned in the classroom.
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2010 Season Outlook • 2010 Season Outlook • 2010 Season Outlook • 2010 Season Outlook In his fourth season back as Lady Demon head coach Patric DuBois believes that Northwestern State may have its best tennis team since he returned in 2006. “I would think talent-wise on paper this is probably our strongest team in the last four years,” DuBois said, “but we’ve proven nothing yet because we’ve yet to play a match.” With no seniors, Northwestern State will be returning several players from last season’s team with the only losses being Daniela Posada and Brooke Humphries. Kathrin Lange and Adna Curukovic, who combined for 22 wins last season, will return to the top spots this season. With Lange and Curukovic, who both were all-conference players, the Lady Demons will return all-conference players Bianca Schulz, Olga Bazhanova, and Dragana Colic. Rounding out the list of returning players of NSU is Suncica Strkic. Along with the returnees, NSU brings in a good crop of newcomers with the signing of Andrea Nedorostova, Martina Rubesova, and Lauren Peters. “They have come here with a pretty good background in tennis, and have gotten used to the college scene,” DuBois said. The newcomers had a solid fall tournament season in singles and doubles with Rubesova and Nedorostova who are doing well as a doubles team. These two will be a doubles team in the lineup for the season. For the second straight year NSU lost the to eventual champion of the Southland Conference in the semifinals with the loss to Lamar in 2008, and to TexasArlington in 2009, the team DuBois coached at between stints at Northwestern. NSU finished with a SLC record of 8-3 (15-8 overall). This season looks to be a little tougher than last season. “The Southland Conference has as much depth as I can remember. I think there are nine or ten teams competing for those eight spots, where in the past there has been a separation of the teams,” said the Lady Demon head coach, “there are four or five teams that could win the conference.” With the tough conference season ahead, the Lady Demons have a tough out of conference schedule as well. “The SLC is capable of having a few nationally ranked teams, and hopefully our non-conference schedule will help prepare us for a very tough conference schedule,” said DuBois. Junior Kathrin Lange Not only will the Lady Demons look to achieve high standards on the court, but they hope to keep their high mark of excellence in the classroom as well. The last two semesters the Lady Demons have achieved over a 3.5 grade point average in the classroom. “All nine of our girls work very hard in the classroom as well as the court,” said DuBois. Alongside coaching this team with DuBois is new assistant coach Scott Smith. “Scott has already done a great job Junior Adna Curukovic for us in terms of technical aspects on court, he has a great background in teaching tennis,” DuBois said. With an impressive fall season, the Lady Demons look to take on a tough schedule and return to the Southland Conference tournament for the third straight season.
The Lady Demons (L-R) Lauren Peters, Adna Curukovic, Suncica Strkic, Bianca Schulz, Kathrin Lange, Olga Bazhanova, Dragana Colic, Martina Rubesova, Andrea Nedorostova
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Lady Demon Coaching Staff • Lady Demon Coaching Staff • Lady Demon Coaching Staff
Patric DuBois Head Coach • 9th Season at NSU • 17th Season Overall 312-201 Overall Record • 139-36 SLC Record St. Bonaventure, 1987 Patric DuBois is one of the most successful tennis coaches in Southland Conference history, and has a track record of developing nationally-competitive teams and players who succeed on the court and in the classroom. He's in his fourth season of his second stint as the head women's tennis coach at Northwestern State, where he began his Division I coaching career. In 17 seasons of collegiate coaching, DuBois has led Northwestern State and TexasArlington to 12 Southland Conference titles. Early in his coaching career, DuBois guided the 1994 Lady Demons to the SLC Championship before he picked up 11 more SLC crowns and five NCAA Tournament appearances coaching at Texas-Arlington. DuBois coached five seaDubois coaching junior Bianca Shulz sons (1989-94) at Northwestern, then moved to UTA for nine seasons (1994-2003) before accepting the job managing the ultra-modern WRAC on the NSU campus in 2003. He began his additional duties as tennis coach in June of 2006. During his first stint at NSU, his teams won several Intercollegiate Tennis Association awards for their academic achievement. He recruited Lludmila Pavlov, who rose as high as No. 33 in the ITA singles rankings, and the doubles team of Karen Bacon and Emily Nichols, who rose as high as No. 20 in the ITA doubles rankings. That trio was the cornerstone of the Lady Demons'1994 SLC championship. Moving to UTA, he took over a men's program which had never won an SLC title, but went on to win six under his guidance before he was named director of tennis in 1997, taking on additional head coaching duties for the women's program. In his third season in that capacity, the
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
UTA women launched a 46-match winning streak in conference play, winning four SLC championships and making three NCAA appearances. He coached Andy Leber, who was the NCAA Division I Senior National Player of the Year in 2002. Leber had a singles record of 44-3, was an NCAA All-American, and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in singles. His overall coaching record is 312-201, including a 140-37 mark in conference matches. DuBois has been named SLC "Coach of the Year" eight times and his teams have won eight SLC Tournament championships to go with the 11 regular-season titles. He has coached more than 80 athletes who have earned first or second-team All-SLC honors, including 10 SLC Tennis "Athlete of the Year". DuBois has also seen ten of his teams honored by the ITA for their outstanding academic achievements, posting a cumulative team grade point average of 3.2 or better. A Kingston, N.Y. native, DuBois was an outstanding tennis player at St. Bonaventure University in the Atlantic 10 Conference where he received his bachelor's degree in health and physical education. DuBois then received his graduate degree in sports administration at Kent State in Ohio. DuBois' wife, Lise, is an instructor in the department of Family and Consumer Sciences. They have one daughter, 12-year-old Mazie Catherine, who attends St. Mary's Junior High School.
Coach DuBois with his wife Lise and daughter Mazie Catherine
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Lady Demon Coaching Staff • Lady Demon Coaching Staff • Lady Demon Coaching Staff
Scott Smith Assistant Coach 1st Season at NSU University of the Ozarks, 2007 First-year assistant tennis coach Scott Smith has experience as a teaching pro and a head college coach to bring to the NSU Lady Demon tennis program. From 2002-2004, Coach Smith was a tennis teaching professional at the Raveneaux Country Club in Spring, Texas, as well as the Woodlands Country Club in Houston. In the next two years, he was the assistant coach at the University of Ozarks from 2004-2006 and became the head coach at Ozarks from 2006-2008. He has been a tennis teaching professional at the Westside Tennis and Fitness Club in Houston since 2008 before joining coach Patric DuBois on the NSU coaching staff in August. Smith received his B.S. degree in business administration in 2007 from the University of the Ozarks. He received his associates degree in Recreational Leadership - Tennis Teaching from Tyler (Texas) Junior College in 2002. Smith is currently working on his master’s degree in Sport Administration at Northwestern.
Marie Scriba Student Assistant Coach Equeurdreville, France DuBois on Scriba: “Marie has played at a very high level internationally and on the collegiate level. Her knowledge and skills as a player will definitely transition as a big positive for our team in her role as an assistant coach.”
Student assistant coach Marie Scriba brings a knowledgeable and experienced role to the courts for a second year. Scriba was a player for Northwestern State, before suffering a career ending injury in spring of 2008, finishing her career with a combined record of 9-3 in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In doubles her career record was 14-8, playing in all three positions. Before coming the NSU she attended Clemson and was ranked in the top 10 juniors in France along with playing on the French Junior National Team. Scriba played in the Junior French Open in 2001. She is a psychology major with a concentration in substance abuse and sports with a 3.98 GPA. She plans to obtain at least a master’s degree after undergrad and hopes to be a clinical psychologist. Page 10 • 2010 Lady Demon Tennis
Scriba as a player for the Lady Demons
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2010 Roster • 2010 Roster Breakdown • 2010 Roster • 2010 Roster Breakdown
2010 Roster Name
Height
Olga Bazhanova Dragana Colic Adna Curukovic Kathrin Lange Andrea Nedorostova Lauren Peters MartinaRubesova Bianca Schulz Suncica Strkic
5-8 5-6 5-6 5-11 5-7 5-3 5-6 5-7 5-7
Class So.-1L Jr.-2L Jr.-2L Jr.-2L Fr.-HS Fr.-HS So.-Tr Jr.-2L So.-1L
Hometown Nikolaev, Ukraine Buisovaca, Bosnia-Herzegovina Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina Emmingen, Germany Brno, Czech Republic Baton Rouge, La Usti nad Labem Balinger, Germany Bosnia-Herzegovina
Pronunciations Bazhanova Colic Curukovic Lange Schulz Strkic
(baj-on-a-va) (CHO-litch) (Chew-ru-KO-vich) (Lon-GAY) (SHOE-lz) (Stree-kich)
Getting to Know the Lady Demons Olga Bazhanova Lauren Peters •Nickname: Lola •Nickname: LP •What do you like most about NSU: I like •What do you like most about NSU: The school spirit Natchitoches, the nice people, and the education. •Favorite type of music: Country. •Favorite food: Sushi, shrimp, fruits, and chocolate. •Favorite place to visit: New Orleans •Favorite thing to do when not playing tennis: Hanging out with my friends. Martina Rubesova •Nickname: Tina •What do you like most about NSU: My tennis team. Dragana Colic •Nickname: Gaga •Favorite food: Svickova with beef and dumplings. •What do you like most about NSU: We have a beau•Favorite type of music: Karel Gott. tiful campus that is not too big. •Favorite food: Anything spicy. Suncica Strkic •Favorite place to visit: Rome,Venice. I have been there •Nickname: Sunshine and it is beautiful. •What do you like most about NSU: Everything. •Favorite food: Pasta •Favorite place to visit: Maldives. Andrea Nedorostova •Nickname: Ajo •Favorite food: Pasta. •Favorite movie: Braveheart. •Favorite thing to do when not playing tennis: Snowboarding. In-line skating. Great Tradition - Brighter Future
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Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles
Coach DuBois on Colic: “Dragana had a breakout year in doubles last year. She has steadily improved her skills at the net as well as her consistency from the baseline. Dragana provides the Lady Demons with the depth needed to be a strong SLC contender.”
• 2009 All-SLC Second Team Doubles 2009 Season: Finished 10-9 in singles matches and 15-5 in doubles… played in the No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 spots in singles…played all doubles matches in the No. 1 spot and played all with Olga Bazhanova…finished conference season with a doubles record of 8-2 … finished conference tournament with a 2-0 record in doubles. 2008 Season: Went 4-5 in singles competition and a perfect 6-0 in doubles… played all but one match in the No. 6 singles spot with the other at the No. 5 position… teamed with Adna Curukovic in doubles and played at the No. 3 spot… played one match at the No. 2 doubles position… went 33 in conference singles matches. High School: Attended Economic High School in Busovaca where she graduated as Valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA… ranked 5th in Bosnia in the 18-under division. Personal: Born on March 28, 1989…only child of Lucija and Drago Colic… father Drago makes furniture…majoring in business administration.
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Coach DuBois on Curukovic: “Adna has steadily improved over the past two years and again will be one of our top players. Adna is willing to stay on court all day to win a match. As Adna improves her skills at finishing points at the net, she can be a force in the SLC.”
• 2009 All-SLC Second Team Doubles • 2009 SLC Player of the Week • 2009 All-SLC Academic Second Team 2009 Season: Played the No. 1 and No. 2 spots is singles with a 11-10 record… finished the season with a doubles record of 16-6… played in the No. 3 spot in all doubles matches teaming with Suncica Strikic and Daniela Posada…finished conference doubles with a 73 record. 2008 Season: Played at the No. 4 and No. 5 singles positions and compiled a 12-9 record… finished 14-6 in doubles action…she teamed with Daniela Posada, Dragana Colic, and Marie Scriba to win to win 11 of her final 13 doubles matches…finished 5-6 in the SLC in singles and 8-1 in doubles conference matches. High School: Attended Gymnasium in Zenica, Bosnia, and Herzegovina where she participated in math and democratic competitions as well as tennis… top ranked junior in Bosnia. Personal: Born August 16, 1989… only daughter of Semir and Sadika Curukovic and has only one brother Anad…mother Sadika is a nurse and father Semir is an entrepreneur… majoring in pre-medicine and has a 4.0 GPA…plans to attend medical school and become a surgeon.
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Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles
Coach DuBois on Lange: “Kathrin has made great strides in the past year. She is in very good shape and has improved her quickness. These are parts of her game which will enable Kathrin to improve even more. We need Kathrin to have a strong transition game to be successful for the Lady Demons this year.”
Coach DuBois on Schulz: “Bianca continues to be a very steady player from the baseline. She has very good hands and strong anticipation skills. Bianca has improved her serve and finishing points at the net which will take her game to a higher level this year.”
• 2009 All-SLC First Team Singles • 2009 All- SLC First Team Doubles • 2009 SLC Player of the Week • 2009 All-SLC Academic First Team • 2008 All-SLC Second Team Doubles
• 2009 All-SLC First Team Doubles • 2009 All-Louisiana First Team • 2009 ALL-SLC Academic First Team • 2008 All-SLC Second Team Singles • 2008 All-SLC Second Team Doubles
2009 Season: Finished the season 11-9 in singles playing in the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 spots…played primarily in the No. 3 spot finishing 10-4…compiled a 16-4 in doubles playing all matches in the No. 2 slot… played all doubles matches with Bianca Schulz…undefeated in doubles play during the conference season (11-0).
2009 Season: Led the Lady Demons in wins in singles with a 15-7 record playing the majority in the No. 4 spot where she achieved a 13-7 record… played her other matches in the No. 3 spot…in doubles compiled a 19-4 record playing all matches in the No. 2 spot… teamed with Kathrin Lange and Daniela Posada…finished the conference season with a 11-0 record in doubles.
2008 Season: All-SLC second team in doubles… posted a 12-10 record in singles competition and 17-5 mark in doubles…played at the No. 2 slot in singles and went 74 in conference play…compiled a 9-2 league record in doubles action at the No. 1 and 2 spots…Teamed with Bogusia Patzer and Bianca Schulz… she and Schulz teamed to defeat LouisianaLafayette 9-7, who at the time, was ranked No. 71 in the nation. High School: Attendee Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium Tuttlingen in Tuttlingen, Germany…held offices in several clubs as well as being very involved with the school’s athletic program…also coached a private tennis club in Germany. Personal: Born May 7, 1988…daughter of Sabine and Willy Lange…has two brothers, Nicholas who is a doctor, and Christian…majoring in business administration…plans on getting an MBA.
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
2008 Season: All-SLC second team in singles and doubles…Louisiana Division I Women’s Tennis Freshman of the Year… had the most wins of any Lady Demon…compiled an 18-4 record in singles competition and 15-7 mark in doubles… played mainly at the No. 4 slot in singles…finished 9-2 in the conference in singles matches and 92 in doubles competition…teamed with Kathrin Lange to defeat 71st ranked LouisianaLafayette 9-7. High School: Attended Gymnasium Balinger in Balinger, Germany…ranked in Germany’s Top 50 in the juniors 18-under division. Personal: Born June 10, 1987…daughter of Gabi and Gunther Schulz…one sister, Carmen…majoring in hospitality management and plan to work as part of a management staff in a hotel.
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Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles
Coach DuBois on Bazhanova: “Olga is a tremendous athlete who can take her game to a very high level. Olga has a solid all-court game and is able to adapt to many different styles. If Olga can be more consistent and patient, she will have a successful year.”
Coach DuBois on Rubesova: “Martina has extremely strong footwork which she bases the rest of her game around. She has a solid all-court game and likes to finish points at the net. Martina will make an immediate impact in our singles and doubles line-up.”
• 2009 All-SLC Second Team Doubles 2009 Season: Finished 11-11 in singles matches playing in the No. 2 and No. 3 position… went 17-6 in doubles play teaming up with Dragana Colic, Daniela Posada, and Suncica Strkic…played all doubles matches from the No. 1 position… finished 8-2 in SLC doubles play and went 2-0 in doubles in the conference tournament matches. High School: Ranked No. 6 in the Ukraine 16 and under division... graduated with a 3.7 GPA at Gymnasium.
High School: Ranked in the top 20 of Czech Republic in 18 and under division. Personal: Born April 26, 1988…daughter of Zdenek Rubes and Drahomira Rubesova…four siblings, brother Miroslav and sister Ivana, Sarka, and Lucie…majoring in business… has plans to start a business.
Personal: Born July 21, 1990... daughter of Jeyna Alexanda Bazhanova... mother is a nurse and father is a military officer...one sister, Anna... majoring in health and performance and wants to become a tennis coach.
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Lady Demon Profiles •Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles
Coach DuBois on Strkic: “Suncica has the skills to have a solid all-court game. She has a strong understanding and solid movement skills in doubles. Suncica can take her game to a higher level with more consistency.”
2009 Season: Went 4-2 in singles competition and 8-4 in doubles… played all matches in the No. 6 spot… teamed with Adna Curukovic and Olga Bazhanova and played the No. 3 position…went 2-0 in conference singles and 2-3 in doubles. High School: Was one of the top ranked players in the Banja Luka region of Bosnia and Herzegovina…graduated with a 3.8 gpa at the Agricultural School in Banja Luka.
Coach DuBois on Nedorostova: “Andrea comes to NSU with a solid background in junior tennis. Andrea has good footwork and very solid groundstrokes. Andrea has shown a strong court sense as a freshman. She has improved steadily and will be an immediate contributor in singles and doubles.”
High School: Her senior year, she won four international doubles tournaments in Europe…finished with high of 14th ranking in the Czech under- 18 division… ranked 70th in the European Tennis Association in 18under…graduated with a 3.7 GPA at Universal High School in Brno. Personal: Born August 2, 1990…daughter of Milan and Jana Nedorostova…father is a building entrepreneur… one sibling, Klara … majoring in journalism.
Personal: Born July 27, 1989…only daughter of Bozana and Zelijko Strkic…father is a furniture maker…majoring in health and exercise science and plans to earn a masters degree in that same field…would like to be a tennis and fitness coach.
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
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Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles • Lady Demon Profiles
2010 Lady Demon Tennis Schedule Date
Opponent
Time
Jan. 16-18
at Hilton Garden Inn Classic
All Day
(Fort Myers, Florida) Coach DuBois on Peters: “Lauren has a very good court sense and good anticipatory skills. She is adapting quickly from junior tennis to the Division I level and continues to improve. As Lauren continues to improve her consistency, so too will her results.”
High School: Lettered five years in tennis…team regional champions three of four years… high school team was state runner-up two of three which include her junior and senior year… regional singles champion four years… state champion in singles junior year finishing with a 16-0 record…regional and state doubles champion senior year…MVP junior and senior year… participated in National Honor Society, Beta Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Chaplain), yearbook editor…graduated with a 3.6 gpa. Personal: Born December 19, 1990… daughter of Warren and Barbara Peters… one sibling, Lewis… majoring in the department of Health and Human Performance…plans to attend graduate school for athletic training
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Jan. 30
at Louisiana Tech
1:30
Feb. 13
at Southern Mississippi
12:00
Feb. 17
TULANE
12:00
Feb. 19
UNO
1:30
Feb. 21
at Houston
10:00
Feb. 27
*LAMAR
11:00
Feb. 28
*MCNEESE STATE
11:00
Mar. 6
*STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
1:00
Mar. 7
*SAM HOUSTON STATE
11:00
Mar. 13
*at Central Arkansas
10:00
Mar. 14
at Arkansas-Little Rock
10:00
Mar. 20
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
1:00
Mar. 27
*A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI
11:00
Mar. 28
*TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO
11:00
Apr. 2
*at Southeastern Louisiana
11:00
Apr. 3
*at Nicholls
10:00
Apr. 8
*at Texas State
2:00
Apr. 10
*at Texas-Arlington
10:00
Apr. 14
at Louisiana-Monroe
2:30
Apr. 23-25
at SLC Tournaent
All Day
(Corpus Christi, Texas)
* - Southland Conference matches
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2009 Final Stats and Results • 2009 Final Stats and Results • 2009 Final Stats and Results
Overall Record: 15-8 SLC: 8-3 SINGLES Olga Bazhanova Dragana Colic Adna Curukovic Kathrin Lange Daniela Posada Bianca Schulz Suncica Strkic
Home: 7-2 OVERALL 11-11 10-9 11-10 11-9 13-7 15-7 4-2
DOUBLES Olga Bazhanova/Daniela Posada Kathrin Lange/ Bianca Schulz Adna Curukovic/Suncica Stkic Olga Bazhanova/Dragana Colic Daniela Posada/Bianca Schulz Adna Curukovic/Daniela Posada Olga Bazhanova/ Suncica Strkic
DUAL 11-11 10-9 13-9 11-9 13-7 15-7 4-2 OVERALL 1-0 16-4 7-4 15-5 3-0 9-2 1-1
SLC 6-5 4-4 5-6 9-2 9-2 8-3 2-0
Away: 7-6
1 ----10-8 0-3 -------
DUAL 1-0 16-4 7-4 15-5 3-0 9-2 1-1
2 8-8 --1-2 1-2 -------
SLC 0-0 11-0 1-3 8-2 0-0 6-0 1-0
3 3--3 ----10-4 --2-0 --1 1-0 ----15-5 ----1-1
4 --1-1 ------13-7 --2 --16-4 ----3-0 -----
5 --3-5 ----9-5 ----3 ----7-4 ----9-2 ---
Neutral: 1-0 6 --6-3 ----4-2 --4-2
NAT’L
NAT’L
STREAK
STREAK
LAST10
LAST10
2009 Final Results DATE Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb.14 Feb. 16 Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Feb. 23 Feb. 28 Mar. 1 Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar.17 Mar. 28 Mar. 29 Apr. 1 Apr. 4 Apr. 5 Apr. 8 Apr. 11 Apr. 15 Apr. 16 Apr. 24 Apr. 25
OPPONENT at Tulane at Universtiy of New Orleans HOUSTON SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI at Florida Gulf Coast vs. Bethune-Cookman at Florida Atlantic *TEXAS STATE *TEXAS-ARLINGTON at *Texas A&M Corpus Christi at Texas-San Antonio at Louisiana-Lafayette *SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA *NICHOLLS STATE LOUISIANA-MONROE at *Lamar at *McNeese *CENTRAL ARKASAS at Rice at *Stephen F. Austin at *Sam Houston State !vs. TEXAS STATE !at Texas-Arlington
W-L W L L W W W W W L W L L W W W L W W L W W W L
SCORE 4-3 2-5 1-6 6-1 5-2 7-0 6-1 6-1 1-6 5-2 2-5 1-6 5-2 7-0 5-2 3-4 7-0 7-0 0-7 6-1 5-2 4-0 0-4
RECORD 1-0 1-1 1-2 2-2 3-2 4-2 5-2 6-2 6-3 7-3 7-4 7-5 8-5 9-5 10-5 10-6 11-6 12-6 12-7 13-7 14-7 15-7 15-8
SLC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-1 2-1 2-2 2-2 3-2 4-2 4-2 4-3 5-3 6-3 6-3 7-3 8-3 8-3 8-3
* - Southland Conference matches ! - Southland Conference Tournament (Corpus Christi, Texas)
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Southland Conference • Southland Conference • Southland Confernce • Southland Conference 2009 All-SLC Women’s Tennis Teams FIRST TEAM SINGLES No. 1 Irina Sotnikova SHSU Riga, Lativa No. 2 Maria Gutierrez Lamar San Antonio, Venezuela No. 3 Kathrin Lange NSU Emmingen, Germany No. 4 Holly Phillips UTSA Rochester, New York No. 5 Kiki Kruse TSU Klingelbach, Germany No. 6 Nikola Matovivoa UTA Bratislava, Slovaka
In an era of considerable change in intercollegiate athletics, the Southland Conference continues to be a model of innovation, stability and consistent achievement as it celebrates the academic and athletic accomplishments of its member institutions. What began as a small gathering of college administrators more than 45 years ago, the Southland Conference has transformed itself into a dynamic and respected consortium of 12 member universities in three states. Beginning with a historic meeting of five institutions in Dallas on March 15, 1963, that included current members Lamar University (then Lamar State College of Technology) and the University of Texas at Arlington (then Arlington State College), the Southland Conference set on an extraordinary course that has proven successful well into its fifth decade of existence. On July 1, 2006, the Southland Conference commemorated another milestone as the league membership reached 12, marking the largest configuration ever for the organization. The addition of the University of Central Arkansas and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi expanded the Southland into the Little Rock metro area and into the eighth largest city in Texas. Central Arkansas and A&M-Corpus Christi enhanced the Southland Conference in innumerable ways, including athletic and academic successes, strong and principled leadership, and strong fan support and media coverage. In addition to its two newest members, the Southland Conference lineup also consists of Lamar University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Sam Houston State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Stephen F. Austin State University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas State University-San Marcos. All told, the revised membership of the Southland encompasses more than 180,000 current students and an alumni base of approximately 920,000. Famous alums from Southland Conference schools include former President Lyndon B. Johnson (Texas State), former CBS news anchor Dan Rather (Sam Houston State), retired U.S. Central Command General Tommy Franks (UT Arlington), NBA executive Joe Dumars (McNeese State), ABC news anchor Robin Roberts (Southeastern Louisiana), country music star George Strait (Texas State), Major League Baseball stars Hunter Pence (UT Arlington), Kevin Millar (Lamar) and Ben Broussard (McNeese State), NBA legend Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas) and actor Lou Diamond Phillips (UT Arlington). The cities of the Southland are diverse and progressive, ranging from international business and cultural centers such as the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, San Antonio and the New Orleans area, to the historical cities of Nacogdoches, Texas, and Natchitoches, La., to the home of the modern oil boom, Beaumont, Texas, to the unique Cajun French cultures found in the Louisiana cities of Thibodaux and Lake Charles. Southland Conference institutions also draw large numbers of students from the metropolitan areas of Houston, Little Rock, Baton Rouge, Austin, and Shreveport. The Southland sponsors 17 championship sports, all at the NCAA Division I level. The eight men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. The women compete for nine championships in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. The Conference earns automatic qualification to NCAA championships in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and volleyball.Southland Conference football ranks among the best Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) leagues in the nation, and enjoys an annual expectation of competing for the national championship with multiple teams advancing to the NCAA playoffs each year. In 2002 and 2003, McNeese State finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation, and advanced to the 2002 national championship contest, the sixth such title game appearance since the league joined FCS in 1982. All told, Southland teams have played in 89 Division I playoff games in 27 years, winning 42 of the contests.
Page 18 • 2010 Lady Demon Tennis
FIRST TEAM DOUBLES No. 1 Irina Sotnikova Peta Taylor No. 2 Kathrin Lange Bianca Schulz No. 3 Nathalie Wallin Holly Phillips
SHSU SHSU NSU NSU UTSA UTSA
Riga, Latvia Ardross, Australia Emmingen, Germany Balinger, Germany Stockholm, Sweden Rochester, New York
SECOND TEAM SINGLES No. 1 Iva Velkovska No. 2 Ashley Ellis No. 3 Peta Taylor No. 4 Katarina Micochova No. 5 Maria Martinez-Romer No. 6 Mackenzie Farmer
SLU TSU SHSU UTA UTA TSU
Skopje, Macedonia Amarillo, Texas Ardross, Austrailia Bratislava, Slovaka Nules, Spain Middletown, Ohio
SECOND TEAM DOUBLES No. 1 Olga Bazhanova Dragana Colic No. 2 Nikola Matovivoa Maria Martinez-Romer No. 3 Adna Curukovic Daniela Posada
NSU NSU UTA UTA NSU NSU
Nikolaev, Ukraine Busouvaca, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bratislava, Solvaka Nules, Spain Zenica,Bosnia and Herzegovina Cali, Colombia
2009 Tournament (Corpus Christi, Texas)
QUARTERFINALS No. 3 UTSA def. No. 6 Sam Houston State, 4-3 No. 2 Lamar def. No. 7 Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 4-1 No. 4 Northwestern State def. No. 5 Texas State, 4-0 No. 1 Texas-Arlington def. No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, 4-1 SEMIFINALS No. 3 UTSA def. No. 2 Lamar, 4-3 No. 1 Texas-Arlington def. No.4 Northwestern State, 4-0 CHAMPIONSHIP No. 1 Texas-Arlington def. No. 3 UTSA, 4-0
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Harry Briggs • “The Paddlin’ Professor” • Harry Briggs • “The Paddlin’ Professor” "The Paddlin' Professor," 89-year-old Northwestern State adjunct political science instructor Dr. Harry Briggs has used his favorite hobby to benefit the NSU Lady Demon tennis program for the past nine years. Briggs, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II battles in the Pacific Theatre at Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa, is an adjunct political science professor at NSU's Leesville-Fort Polk campus. His swims are designed to bring attention to the Northwestern Lady Demon tennis team and to raise funds for the Lydia Briggs Tennis Scholarship and the Harry Briggs Tennis Support Fund at NSU.
FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS, THE “PADDLIN’ PROFESSOR” HAS AIDED THE NSU WOMEN’S
TENNIS
PROGRAM
WITH
A
SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN MEMORY OF HIS WIFE, AN AVID TENNIS PLAYER.
"There are two reasons to do it, and the first is selfish," he said. "I want to see if I can still do it. People get older and too often, lose the desire to challenge themselves.” "Secondly, but more important, it's a chance to help Northwestern State and the Lady Demon tennis program. It's a great university, and I say that as a fellow who's been all over this country and all around the world. Getting involved with the tennis team has been an outstanding experience." Briggs, no novice swimmer, is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in recognition of his 43 long-distance swims.In 1998 on his 77th birthday he spent 14 hours crossing Tampa Bay, swimming seven miles against the current. His most notable swimming feat was becoming the first person to swim across Lake Erie in 1947. Briggs swam for 35 hours, 55 minutes and covered 32 miles from Sandusky, Ohio, to Point Pelee, Ontario. Acclaimed author Gay Talese, writing a profile of Briggs for the New York Times in the early 1950s, gave him the nickname "The Paddlin' Professor." He appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" after his swim and was featured in Sports Illustrated. Now, he's content knowing his annual outings don't get that kind of attention – although Shreveport, Alexandria and Lake Charles media outlets have covered his last two annual challenges -- but in any case, they have lasting impact by providing scholarship opportunities for NSU students. Eight years ago, as the centerpiece of a series of three swims, Briggs did eight miles on Cane River Lake. Since then, he's done two miles each year in Natchitoches. In 2006, Briggs completed three two-mile swims on the Red River in Shreveport, Alexandria, and Natchitoches. two summers ago, he covered two miles on Cross Lake in Shreveport in 3:16, appropriately beginning his swim at the American Legion outpost. “This was my toughest challenge yet,” said Briggs. “But the great thing was that I felt better after I finished than I did before I started.” Briggs made his swim in 2007 despite learning a few weeks earlier than he was suffering from prolonged carbon monoxide poisoning. “Harry is one of the most remarkable people anyone could meet,” said Lady Demon tennis coach Patric DuBois. “The experiences and accomplishments he has had in life could fill volumes. We are very fortunate to have a friend to our team in Harry Briggs. He is an inspiration to all of us.” Just recently Briggs was honored by Tufts University, where he attended school, when they retired his No. 9 hockey jersey. He later went on to coach at Tufts, he later went on to pursue a professional hockey career. To contribute to the Briggs Scholarship, in any amount, contact Dr. William Broussard in the NSU Athletic Association at 318-357-4295 or at broussardw@nsula.edu by e-mail.
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
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University Administration • University Administration • University Administration Dr. Randall J. Webb Northwestern State President Dr. Randall J. Webb never misses a chance to tell people about the good things happening at Northwestern State University. And Webb has been responsible to many of those accomplishments. Webb became NSU's 17th president in July 1996 and is the second-longest serving president in the university's 125-year history. During Webb's tenure, enrollment exceeded 10,000 students for the first time, peaking at 10,505 students in the fall of 2004. The university also set records for total graduates in an academic year. With the implementation of selective admissions in the fall of 2005, the academic preparation of freshmen students has increased considerably. Overall enrollment initially decreased after the implementation of selective admissions, but has begun to increase again. Northwestern has improved its academic programs while attracting better-prepared students. The average ACT score of students has risen under Webb's tenure, and student leaders are choosing NSU in large numbers. The university has dramatically increased the number of high school valedictorians and salutatorians among first-time freshmen. While Webb has been president, Northwestern has increased the level of active external grant and contract funding from federal, state and private sources to approximately $20,000,000 annually. The university raised more than $34 million from alumni, friends, supporters, and private industry in its first-ever capital campaign, which exceeded its $18.84 million goal by more than $15 million. A new capital campaign, in honor of Northwestern's 125th anniversary, is now underway. The university has received donations or pledges for its first three $1 million endowed chairs. Northwestern also has 34 endowed professorships worth $100,000 each. NSU has also moved boldly to deliver instruction to students wherever they are. Under Webb, the university has become a state and regional leader in bringing classes to students by compressed video and the Internet. The university offers over twenty degree programs via the Internet and is looking to add more programs in the future. More than half of the students at Northwestern take an electronic class. Under Webb, the university has modernized and improved its facilities. A $6.9 million Wellness, Recreation, and Activity Center was completed in the center of the campus on the site of the old Intramural Building. Projects to renovate Morrison Hall, the Family and Consumer Sciences Building and Williamson Hall were also completed. West Caspari Hall was demolished and funding has been received to reconstruct West Caspari as a three-story, one-stop center for student services. Plans call for renovating East Caspari Hall in the future. Northwestern has also built University Place Phases I and II, providing on-campus students with modern residence facilities that best meet their needs. Additional projects include replacement of the entire underground electrical distribution system and the steam distribution system and the improvement of drainage and replacement of the turf at Turpin Stadium. A one-time walk-on center for the Northwestern football team as an undergraduate, Webb has been one of the most avid supporters of the university's athletic programs. Since returning to the Northwestern campus in 1989, Webb has been active as a donor and volunteer. In 1994, he oversaw a successful Northwestern Athletic Association board of directors and served on the NSU Athletic Council. In 19951996, Webb was in charge of the Athletic Integrity Subcommittee for the university's NCAA Certification Self-Study. He served on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and the prestigious and powerful NCAA Executive Council, which oversees all major policy decisions by the governing body for major college sports. The Board of Directors enacted major academic reforms during his tenure. A 1965 graduate of Northwestern in mathematics and business education, Webb earned a master of science in mathematics from NSU in 1966. He received a doctorate in education from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1971 with a concentration in mathematics and research. Webb was a member of the faculty at Longwood College in Farmville, Va., from 1966 until 1974. From 1974 until 1976, he was the director of Higher Education and Teacher Certification in the Louisiana Department of Education. In 1976, Webb moved to Southeastern Louisiana University where he served
Page 20 • 2010 Lady Demon Tennis
as director of institutional research and EEO officer from 1976 until 1983 and as registrar and a part-time faculty member in mathematics from 1983 until 1989. Webb returned to NSU in 1989 as dean of Instruction and Graduate Studies and professor of mathematics. In that position, he exercised campus-wide responsibility for policy development, planning, advancement, and review of both graduate and undergraduate programs. While Webb was in that role, graduate enrollment increased by 35 percent and internal funding for faculty research increased by 200 percent. As dean, Webb proposed the concept for NSU's successful Freshman Connection Program. He also served as a member of the writing team for a grant proposal that resulted in a five year $1.7 million Title III grant to improve student retention. The University has been the beneficiary of additional Title III grants in the ensuing years. Webb chaired the Steering U N I V E R S I T Y A D M I N I S T R A T I O N Committee for Northwestern's President Self-Study for the Southern . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr. Randall J. Webb Association of Colleges and Provost and Vice President for Academic and Schools. Student Affairs Webb led the effort to locate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr. Lisa Abney both Boys and Girls State on the Vice President for External Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jerry D. Pierce, B.A. Natchitoches campus of Northwestern. These activities Vice President for Business Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carl Jones, MBA have benefited the University and the community and have Vice President for University Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marcus Jones generated increased interest in Northwestern among the stu- Vice President for Technology, Research and Economic Development dent leaders who participate. He has also been active in . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr. Darlene Williams the community as a member of Executive Assistant to the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Crew the board of directors of the Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce. Webb was a member of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, the Natchitoches Historic Foundation, and the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Society. Webb and his wife Brenda have two daughters, both honor graduates of Northwestern. Tamara and her husband, former Demon All-American pitcher Reggie Gatewood, are the parents of two children: Tyler and Ava. Lauren is married to former Demon baseball player Nick Simokatis, and they have two sons: Nicholas and Benjamin.
Randy and Brenda Webb
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University Administration • Universtiy Administration • University Administration
Jerry Pierce Vice President/External Affairs Jerry Pierce is the Cal Ripken of the Northwestern State athletic program. Day after day, year after year, Pierce is in the lineup, fielding his position with aplomb, and delivering at the plate, knocking a ball out of the park from time to time but always taking an understated profile, seeing himself as a role player. Beginning his 45th year on the university's staff, Pierce's impact on NSU and the city of Natchitoches can't be measured as easily as Ripkin's Baseball Hall of Fame statistics, but they are equally indelible. He begins his 20th year as vice president of external affairs at Northwestern. A significant aspect of his job is oversight of intercollegiate athletics. Pierce works closely with athletic director Greg Burke and all NSU coaches and staff members to keep Northwestern athletics competing at a championship level week after week, month after month and year after year. Pierce is an avid tennis player who has been a member of NSU Athletic Council USTA teams that have won more than a dozen state championships, five regional titles and one national championship. John Ackel Well before moving into the executive position, Pierce had Jody Biscoe (chair) already served his alma mater, adopted hometown and state with Don Barker Dusty Dischler (student) distinction. In his role as vice president, he oversees university Kelee Grimes (student) operations in athletics, alumni and development, public and media relations and assists President Dr. Randall J. Webb in govDr. Michael Land Mark Lipa ernmental affairs activities. Many of those duties were his since Dr. Jeff Matthews the 1970s as he worked under four previous presidents as Dr. Lisa Pollacia Northwestern advanced from NAIA to NCAA College Division to Kristi Simms NCAA Division I athletic status in 1977. Cathy Sutton A 1961 graduate of Northwestern, Pierce served as trainer for Dr. Sonia Tinsley the Demon football team during his college years, working closeKrist Swinburghe ly with legendary coach Jack Clayton. After earning his journalism Jennifer Videtto degree, Pierce went to work for the New Orleans Times Picayune, serving as a reporter and editor. He was named execEx-Officio M e m b e r s utive sports editor at the age of 24. Greg Burke In 1965, he chose to raise his two sons in Natchitoches and Donnie Cox returned to NSU as sports information director. He was promoted Dustin Eubanks to news bureau director two years later and assumed additional Jodie Heinicka responsibilities in athletics, alumni affairs and other areas through Dr. Patrice Moulton the years. Dr. Vicki Parrish He founded, in 1972, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame faciliJerry Pierce ty in Prather Coliseum on the NSU campus, providing a home for an entity created in 1958. He established annual induction activities that remain in place nearly four decades later, and served as director of the Hall for 19 years until his promotion to vice president forced him to step aside from the volunteer post. He helped guide Northwestern into three athletic conferences (Trans America, 1979; Gulf Star, 1983; Southland, 1987) and NCAA Division I status in 1977. He is a past president of the Southland and has served the conference through other offices and committee positions. In 1994, he was named one of Louisiana's 20 most influential sports figures by the TimesPicayune. Also on the list were New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, LSU athletic director Joe Dean and basketball coach Dale Brown, and Grambling football coaching legend Eddie Robinson. His salesmanship and managerial skills were instrumental in convincing Tri-Star Productions to film the 1989 smash hit movie Steel Magnolias, with an all-star cast including Julia Roberts, Sally Field and Dylan McDermott in Natchitoches and on the NSU campus. The movie's impact on tourism in Natchitoches continues to resonate more than a decade later. Pierce is regarded as one of the most effective legislative liaisons for Louisiana's higher education system. He is also a popular after dinner speaker and master of ceremonies who has spoken at hundreds of events since 1965. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Pierce is a member of the Journalism Department faculty. He is the author of one book and editor of two others and has written thousands of editorials, columns, features and other articles for newspapers and magazines. Pierce and his wife Regina, a teacher, live on Cane River Lake in Natchitoches. He has two sons, Randy and Rick, both NSU graduates; and three grandchildren, twins Evan and Amanda, 20, and Miranda, 9, and two stepchildren, Nicholas and Natalie.
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
DEMONS’ DECADE OF EXCELLENCE
Highlights of NSU athletics in the first 10 years under the leadership of Dr. Randall Webb, Vice President Jerry Pierce and Director of Athletics Greg Burke 22 Southland Conference Championships (7 sports) Football (1997, 1998, 2004), basketball (2005, 2006), women’s basketball (1999, 2004), baseball (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005), women’s soccer (2000), softball (1998, 1999, 2000), men’s track and field (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002).
All-Sports
(1997-98).
10 SLC Tournament Championships (4 sports) Basketball (2001, 2006), women’s soccer (1997, 2000, 2002, 2005), women’s basketball (2004) and softball (1998, 2000, 2002).
16 Postseason Appearances (6 sports) Football - FCS Division playoffs (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004); basketball (2001, 2006); women’s basketball (2004); baseball (2005); softball (1998, 2000, 2002); women’s soccer (2000, 2002, 2005). Women’s Basketball also played in the 1999 WNIT.
45 National Awards (5 sports) All-America awards - track and field (18), football (19), baseball (1). Academic All-America honors – softball (2), baseball (2).
National Football
Foundation Scholar-Athlete (1); NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship (1); basketball - 2006 Pontiac Game Changing Performance $100,000 Scholarship
3 Olympic Competitors (2 sports) Track and field alumni LaMark Carter (2000) Kenta Bell (2004 and 2008) represented the USA in the Olympic Games in the triple jump. Fomer Demon basketball player Dr. Gayle Hatch was the USA’s head men’s weightlifting coach in the 2004 Athens Games.
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Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration of pride for NSU supporters, Burke is equally proud of the tone which has been set within the NSU athletic program as it relates to academic success. In February, 2005, NSU led all state public universities in the NCAA's initial Director of Athletics Academic Progress Rates report, which measures the job Division I athletic programs are doing to help advance their student-athletes toward graduation. NSU In the midst of his 14th year as director of athlet- has continued to sparkle in subsequent APR reports, with the men's basketball ics at Northwestern State, Greg Burke sees emerg- team ranking in the top 10 percentile in the country in 2006 and women's soccer ing opportunities for unprecedented success for the sharing the national lead in 2007. In addition, NSU led all state public schools Demons and Lady Demons built partly from a foun- and was second in the Southland Conference in the most recently released dation of many landmark achievements during his NCAA Graduation Success Rate report. tenure as AD. In 2005, Burke was one of three recipients of the All-America Football Athletics director at Northwestern since speaking Foundation's Gen. Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award and at the annual NSU/Independence Bowl Kickoff that same year, was also tabbed as one of two Natchitoches Parish Cenla Luncheon on August 29, 1996, Burke is the longest- Newsmakers of 2005 by the Alexandria Town Talk newspaper's editorial staff. serving AD at any Louisiana institution. He received the 2006 “Outstanding Alumni Award” from his He has steered NSU athletics to many of its greatest alma mater, Marlington High School in Alliance, Ohio, recogaccomplishments while overseeing a program that has fielded The Burke File nizing his community service and professional achievechampionship caliber teams in nearly all of the school's NCAA AGE: 53 (Born Oct. 22, 1956) ments. Burke became one of only 21 alumni honored since Division I sports. HOMETOWN: Alliance, Ohio the award was instituted in 1982. There have been 22 Southland Conference championships; HIGH SCHOOL: Marlington ’74 In June 2006, he was a featured speaker and panelist at 16 teams in postseason play; 50 national award winners, most COLLEGE: Mt. Union ’78 (cum laude) the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors coneither All-America athletes or Academic All-America recipients; POSTGRADUATE: Kent State ’86 vention in New Orleans, addressing members of the College BEFORE HE WAS A.D.: Sports writer, and three Olympic competitors. Athletic Business Managers of America and also participatAlliance (Ohio) Review, 1972-78; director NSU in 2004-05 became the first (and remains the only) ing in a panel discussion of "Fundraising from an Athletic Southland Conference member in the league's five decades of of news and sports information, Hiram Director's Perspective" speaking to the National Association history to sweep football, men's basketball and baseball cham- (Ohio) College (1978-85); administrative of Athletic Development Directors. pionships in the same athletic year. It's been done only once in intern, NSU athletics, 1985-86; director, Since 2007, Burke has been a member of the prestigious Southeastern Conference history, by Alabama in 1933-34, and NSU Athletic Association, 1986-92; direc- NCAA Championships/Sports Management Cabinet, a 49tor of athletic development, University of only four times in Big Ten Conference history, the last time by Akron, 1992-96. person panel which makes recommendations to the NCAA Michigan State in 1979-80. BIG FAN OF: Cleveland Browns, Indians Board of Directors on key issues facing Division I athletics. Those accomplishments have come with one of the more and Cavaliers He previously served a four-year term on the NCAA modest athletic budgets in the state and conference. Burke's INTERESTS: Working out, watching Division I Football Issues Committee (1999-2002) and conmanagement skill and fundraising ability have been pivotal. ESPN and VH1 Classic, family outings. currently served a term on the eight-member NCAA FCS Facility enhancements have been a main focus over the Committee that administers the national playoffs. Since his past couple of years. Beginning with the installation of a $1.1 committee term expired, Burke has served as a site supervisor for Football million Mondo surface track in Spring 2007, NSU athletic facilities have recently Championship Subdivision playoff games across the nation and he is regarded undergone nearly $6 million worth of improvements. Burke generated a $2 mil- as one of the country's premiere advocates of FCS football. He currently is third lion series of sponsorships for new scoreboards installed for 2008-09 at all NSU vice-president of the FCS Athletic Director's Association. athletic venues and spearheaded the $700,000 Second Century Circle fencing In 2004, NSU received the highest possible rating, "fully certified," from the project for athletic venues. The installation of the new artificial turf playing field National Collegiate Athletic Association, affirming that Northwestern operates its this summer has helped create more than $1 million of additional renovations to athletic program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by Turpin Stadium. the NCAA Division I membership. Burke has displayed a remarkable ability to hire dynamic head coaches, Burke is a past president of the Natchitoches Kiwanis Club and remains including several whose success at Northwestern State has propelled them to active in that civic group. He has also been part of the steering committee for the national prominence in subsequent positions. Natchitoches Christmas Festival and is a former president of the Natchitoches Some of his best hires remain on staff at NSU. Area Jaycees. He is involved with the American Heart Association. Two Burke coaching hires had Northwestern in NCAA Tournament play in He and his wife, Susu, a Natchitoches native, NSU graduate and elementary their second seasons and have been back to postseason since. teacher, have a 15-year-old daughter, Catherine, who is a sophomore at St. Basketball coach Mike McConathy was hired in 1999 after 16 seasons as a Mary's High School. junior college head coach. In his 10 years, the Demons have reached the conference tournament championship game six times, winning twice to make the school's first two NCAA Tournament appearances. Most memorable was the stunning last second win over Big Ten champion Iowa in the first round of the 2006 tournament. That same year, Burke also broke new ground by generating private backing for the first long-term guaranteed coaching contract in school history for McConathy. Women's soccer coach Jimmy Mitchell has taken three teams to the NCAA playoffs, making NSU the only Louisiana university to have multiple appearances. Dramatic facility enhancements have occurred in his eight seasons and Mitchell has been rewarded with a multi-year contract. Burke also picked head coaches who have subsequently been hired by Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Wichita State. He recently landed LSU co-defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto to be the Demons' new football coach. Peveto and his staff promptly signed a 2009 recruiting class ranked No. 1 nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision by Rivals.com recruiting analysts. From his first day on the job, Burke has stressed the importance of having a balanced athletic program. To that end, tremendous competitive strides have been made in women's athletics under his guidance. The NSU soccer program was the first one in Louisiana ever to reach the NCAA Tournament. Softball has made three NCAA Tournament appearances. Volleyball has set attendance records and made its best-ever showings in conference play in each of the past four years. Greg Burke with wife Susu and daughter Catherine. While on-field success by Demon and Lady Demon teams has been a source
Greg Burke
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Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration Jody Biscoe Faculty Athletic Representative Faculty Athletic Representative Jody Biscoe is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Addiction Studies at Northwestern, where he is the Coordinator for the undergraduate Addiction Studies, and Substance Abuse / Prevention Concentrations. He is also the Director for the Louisiana Addiction Technology Transfer Center at Northwestern. He has served on the National Addiction Technology Transfer Center's (ATTC) - Practice Committee that was responsible for the development of The Change Book: A Blueprint for Technology Transfer. He has also coordinated five nationally recognized Leadership Institutes for Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico and a member of the National ATTC Leadership Directors Committee. He has recently been appointed to the NAADAC - National Addiction Studies & Standards Collaborative Committee. Biscoe has held clinical, program director, consultant, management, regional director and training positions in addiction and mental health treatment and education settings since the mid 1980's and is active with prevention and treatment issues. Since 2006 he has served as Faculty Athletic Representative for Northwestern. This role includes being the chairperson for the NSU Athletic Council. Jody's wife, Veronica (Roni), is an avid runner. Their 15-year-old daughter, Roxy, as a sophomore, is on the Varsity Danceline at St. Mary's High School this year. They are devoted Demon fans.
Dr. William Broussard Executive Director - NSU Athletic Association Associate AD for External Relations One of the most accomplished student-athletes ever at Northwestern State, two-time football All-America center William Broussard returned to his alma mater in February 2007 as the Director of External Relations, coordinating fundraising activities through the Athletic Association and Demon Victory Fund. Known for his avid and tireless promotion of NSU Athletics, Broussard has represented the department as Director of External Relations and planned or helped organize hundreds of events to promote Demon Athletics. After re-branding the annual fund campaign the Demon Victory Fund (DVF) in 2007, the DVF enjoyed its most successful year up to that point. The 2008-09 DVF, with the assistance of a newly re-organized Board of Directors, once again broke the annual record for total revenues, number of Athletic Association members, and Select 100 Members on the way to establishing a new benchmark for annual, unrestricted support of the NSU Athletic Department. Under Broussard’s guidance, the NSU Athletic Association has set three consecutive annual total attainment records, secured the largest scholarship endowment and largest planned gift in the history of NSU Athletics. In the 2007-08 year, the NSU Athletic Association established or tied several annual records under Broussard’s guidance, including annual records for total operating revenues, gift-in-kind donations, number of commitments to the Endowed Scholarship Program (8), and an annual record for corporate sales and corporate licensing revenues generated by Athletic Association colleague Ryan Holloway. The 2008-09 was a tremendous success as well, with the Endowed Scholarship Fund adding 6 commitments, the Second Century Campaign crossing the $100K plateau of private support, and the NSU Athletic Association Board of Directors generating over $186K of funding for NSU Athletics. Broussard represents Northwestern State as the Southland Conference representative of the National Association of Athletic Directors of Development (NAADD) and is also an Assistant Professor of Journalism and Public Relations at NSU. He is the author of several essays on the culture of college athletics, writes a bi-weekly sports editorial for local news magazine The Real Views, and is co-host of Talk Back Natchitoches PM on Mondays from 5-6 pm on KNOC AM 1450. Broussard is a 2000 graduate, with distinction, of the Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University and a 2007 graduate of the University of Arizona, with his Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition. A native of Crowley, he is married to the former Kendra Peters, a Lady Demon volleyball player during the couple’s days at Northwestern.
Lauren Castle Assistant Director of Special Facilities for Events Operations In her second year on the NSU athletic staff, Lauren Castle has been a big hit with her upbeat attitude, seemingly endless work ethic, and willingness to touch all the bases to make every facility and every event the best it can be. It's the same approach she used as a three-time All-America softball star at LSU from 2004-06. Under legendary coach Yvette Girouard, Castle compiled a long list of accolades, including being on the 2006 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List as she served as the Lady Tigers' team captain. She graduated from LSU in May 2007. She has worked in administrative roles with two insurance firms while also working at a drilling company near her hometown of Lafayette. Castle's winning personality and her strong organizational and time management skills have been showcased in her new position, along with her ability to adapt to the constant challenges in managing athletic facilities for a wide range of events. She has
Great Tradition - Brighter Future
assumed the title of assistant director of game operations for NSU athletics, using her ability to interact effectively with visiting coaches, game officials, fans, and NSU staff and coaches to great benefit to enhance the home game experience at Northwestern. Last April, Castle, an outfielder and designated player at LSU, was named to the 12woman All-Lady Tiger Park Team as LSU celebrated its final season playing in that facility. A three-year letterwinner after transferring from UL-Lafayette, Castle earned Easton All-America honors in 2004, 2005, and 2006. A two-time NFCA All-South Region selection, the Lafayette native led the Tigers in walks as a senior with the second most in school history and only one shy of the school record. She concluded her career ranked in the top 10 in LSU history in batting average, on base percentage, walks, hits, triples and run scored. She helped LSU reach the 2004 Women's College World Series. Castle was born Dec. 30, 1983 and is the daughter of Beth and Prent Castle. She has two brothers, Chip and Walter. She was twice the Louisiana Class 5A player of the year while starring at Comeaux High in Lafayette.
Alex Cook Assistant Marketing Director After making a strong local and regional impression as operations manager of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Lafayette native Alex Cook is in his first year as assistant marketing director for NSU athletics, joining the staff in late August. Cook handled sponsorship sales, administrative duties and promotional activities for the 2009 Hall of Fame Induction Celebration featuring NFL greats Will Roaf and Marshall Faulk, golfer Hal Sutton, and women’s basketball coaching legend Sonja Hogg. He arrived in Natchitoches in April after graduating in March from Eastern Oregon University, earning a business administration degree with a concentration in marketing and a minor in economics. He was three-year letterman as a wide receiver on the EOU football team. Cook became the first student invited to serve on the university’s marketing committee and also provided assistance to the director of athletics. While in school, Cook also worked as a sales representative for NXGEN Payment Services, a national e-commerce firm affiliated with many athletics departments, governmental agencies and other entities. He also was an account consultant for Next Step Consulting in his hometown of Boise, Idaho, and was a marketing intern for the 2007 Cascade Collegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by EOU in LaGrande. An Eagle Scout, Cook is a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America National Heroism Award for Lifesaving. He was a football, basketball and track letterman at Centennial High School in Boise. Born Nov. 15, 1984 in Lafayette, where his father was serving as head women’s basketball coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, Cook is the son of Ross and Sheila Cook of Boise. His mother served as the management consultant to NSU Athletics to establish the Scholarship Auction in 1989 before the family relocated to Boise. He has a sister, Megan, who is a recent graduate of Oregon State now employed in marine biological research and preservation activities based in Hawaii.
Carrie Crowell Assistant Academic Advisor Carrie Crowell, a two-year Academic All-Southland Conference soccer standout for Northwestern State in 2005-06, has been named an academic coordinator in the Johnnie Emmons Athletic Study Center at NSU. Crowell had served as an intern in the Academic Services and CHAMPS/Life Skills program since January while also completing her second season as a graduate assistant soccer coach and finishing work on her master's of science in sport administration. She was a magna cum laude graduate of NSU in August 2007 in business administration, and also was a key contributor on the Lady Demons' 2005 NCAA Tournament team that won the Southland Conference Tournament. Crowell joins academic coordinator and senior woman administrator Jodie Heinicka as the full-time staff serving almost 350 student-athletes at NSU. Her appointment has been approved by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana system, which governs Northwestern. She replaces Becca Schulze, who resigned in May. Crowell will coordinate academic support for several sports. She also heads the Enhanced Academic Program which provides additional help for student-athletes and aids in maintaining a healthy and successful balance between academics and athletics. During the past academic year, Crowell was an instructor in the department of Health and Human Performance. In her role as an intern working with the Academic Services department, she assisted with advising and scheduling classes for student-athletes in the Fall 2009 semester and oversaw day-to-day study hall operations. She assisted in staging and operation of CHAMPS/Life Skills and career workshops for student-athletes. On the Lady Demon soccer staff, she was the liaison for academic support and NCAA compliance, and managed the team travel budget and fundraising. She was also involved in scouting and recruiting and on-field coaching. Crowell served an internship in the summer of 2008 with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, helping stage events supporting a Nationwide Tour golf tournament co-sponsored by the Hall. She also assisted in daily operations of the museum in Springfield, Mo., and helped stage the Missouri High School Basketball All-Stars Game. Crowell was a member of Alpha Lambda Delta honors society from 2005-2007, graduating in three years with a 3.74 grade point average. She made the SLC Commissioners' Academic Honor Roll in the last three seasons she competed for NSU, capped by a 2006 season in which her defense helped the Lady Demons set a school record for least goals allowed per game. A native of Arlington, Texas, Crowell was born March 20, 1986.
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Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration • Athletic Administration Dustin Eubanks Assistant AD/NCAA Compliance Director Dustin Eubanks is in his 12th year in the NSU athletic department and his ninth year at the helm of the compliance duties, keeping all athletic personnel current and in accordance with NCAA and Southland Conference guidelines. A 1996 education graduate of Northwestern, the 35-year-old avid fan of all teams that hail from Pittsburgh seized an opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant in the sports information department at Northwestern while beginning the pursuit of his master’s degree in health and physical education (concentration in sports administration), which he obtained in May of 2003, and was impressive enough to earn a promotion to full-time status in November 1998. Eubanks is married to the former Dawn Hornsby of Branch and the couple has two daughters, Emilie (14) and Taylor Nicole (3). The sisters share the same birthdate. Dustin and Dawn, who is the Associate Director of Financial Aid at NSU, will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary this summer.
Roxanne Freeman Athletic Business Manager Roxanne Freeman began working at NSU in 1983 as an accounting clerk in business affairs. She transferred to the athletic department as football/baseball/track secretary and served under Sam Goodwin, Leon Johnson and several baseball coaches for eight seasons before graduating with a B.S. in accounting in May 1995. Freeman then became the compliance coordinator and academic advisor during a three-year span before leaving in 1998. She returned to NSU in the Fall of 2000 in her current position as Business Manager where she now serves as liaison between the athletic department and business affairs. She has one son, Aaron Pizani, who recently graduated from NSU.
Jodie Heinicka Senior Woman Administrator/Academic Coordinator Jodie Heinicka, a nationally-ranked gymnast at Missouri and an acclaimed scholar-athlete before beginning her career in academic support and athletic administration, is the Senior Woman's Administrator and Academic Advisor for Northwestern State athletics. Heinicka, the 2006 Big 12 Conference Female Sportsperson of the Year, came on board in mid-April 2008. Heinicka manages academic support activities for more than 300 Northwestern student-athletes, who utilize dozens of computer terminals and study carrels that are among the facilities available in the Johnnie Emmons Academic Support Center in the NSU Athletic Fieldhouse. During her first, Heinicka was able to make steady progress to increase the services offered to NSU student-athletes. With an additional academic coordinator position filled, the athletic academic services sport responsibilities were divided between two coordinators, allowing for more personalized attention to each sport. Additionally, the CHAMPS/Life Skills program was ramped up to provide a strong focus on personal and career development by offering career assessments, résumé-writing consultations, and mock interviews as well as monthly workshops covering areas such as personal finances, leadership, nutrition, and professional development. As a unique part of the CHAMPS program, Heinicka also introduced the first ever Etiquette Dinner; a four-course meal at which student-athletes were taught dining etiquette and given the opportunity to interact with fellow student-athletes and local business professionals in a formal setting. In spring 2009, Heinicka was honored as the NSU “Advisor of the Year” for her overall success with these programs. In her athletic career at Mizzou, Heinicka posted six of the top 12 uneven bars scores in program history. As a sophomore in 2004, she set the Mizzou bars record when she recorded a 9.950 at the Cat Classic to win the individual event title. In the best season of her career, Heinicka ended her senior campaign ranked fourth nationally on bars and stood as the South Central Region's top bars performer 11-of-12 weeks. Over the course of the year, she won 12 event titles. When she was named the 2006 Big 12 Female Sportsperson of the Year, it was the first time a Missouri student-athlete earned the honor. Heinicka was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first team selection and was named a National Association of Gymnastics Coaches/Women Scholar Athlete in 2006. She was named the 2007 Women's Intersport Network Collegiate Sportswoman of the Year. She was the recipient of the 2006 Prentice Gautt Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship Award and served as Mizzou's SAAC vice president in her senior year, 2005-06. For two straight years, the Mizzou athletic department featured her as its' spokesperson to the Jefferson Club Society, which is the highest level of donors at the university. She spoke to the society's annual gatherings in Florida and California. The Seminole, Fla., native earned a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in May 2006. She received a master's degree in Higher and Continuing Education from Missouri in May, 2008.
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Adam Jonson Assistant Marketing Director for Ticket Operations Adam Jonson, a former graduate assistant in the Northwestern State sports information office and assistant SID at the University of North Florida, is NSU’s newest addition to the athletic staff after being named assistant marketing director for tickets operations. Jonson, a summa cum laude graduate of Northwestern State, replaces Zach Williams who resigned last April to take a similar position at his alma mater, Louisiana Tech. The Winnsboro native earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2007 and will receive his master's degree is sport administration in December from NSU. While working in the NSU sports information office prior to his stint at North Florida, Jonson was the primary contact for the Lady Demon soccer, softball and tennis teams. He was awarded the prestigious Ace Higgins Award by the Louisiana Sports Writer's Association in 2007 as the state's top student SID and received a cash scholarship and his 2008 Lady Demon softball media guide earned second place honors by the LSWA as the best media guide in its division. At North Florida, Jonson was the primary contact for the Lady Osprey basketball team as well has promoting men's and women's tennis and baseball. The son of Bill and Leigh Jonson, Adam has a younger brother, Fletcher, who just received his bachelor's degree in journalism at NSU and will be a graduate assistant in the SID office beginning in the fall.
Alan Pasch Director of Athletic Facilities Alan Pasch joined the NSU athletic staff at the outset of 2008 although he’s been a prominent coach on campus since 2001. Pasch was head rowing coach for the club-level crew teams at NSU while also serving as assistant intramural director for the past two years. Pasch, a former Dean’s List student at Northwestern while obtaining his bachelor of arts degree in 2001, picked up his master’s degree in sport administration in 2006 from NSU. The NSU Crew Team was competitive on the national level throughout Pasch’s tenure as head coach. He was varsity team captain from 1997-2000 and was crew oarsman of the year in 1997, 1998 and 2000. Pasch also coordinated visits to Natchitoches by as many as 16 intercollegiate and club rowing teams each winter and spring, including nationally-ranked squads. He also served as director of the annual Natchitoches Marathon Rowing Championships which attracts up to 500 competitors each year. His wife Yonna works in the student life office at Northwestern State. Pasch is also an avid tennis player.
Courtney Tegtman Tennis Athletic Trainer Courtney Tegtman is in her first year as a graduate student trainer for the Northwestern State sports medicine team. Tegtman handles athletic training duties for the Lady Demon tennis team as well as helping out with the Demon football squad. A Fort Hays State graduate in May of 2009 in athletic training, Tegtman is a native of Stamford, Nebraska where she graduated from Alma Public High School. In high school, Tegtman lettered in volleyball and track while also job shadowing as an athletic trainer. The daughter of Dennis and Sheryl Tegtman, Courtney has an older brother, Justin Schriner.
Great Tradition - Brighter Future