UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS 5821 San Amaro Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146 305-284-3244 www.HurricaneSports.com Facebook: MiamiHurricanes Twitter: @MiamiHurricanes EDITOR Tom Symonds EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE Camron Ghorbi, Teodor Handarov, Alex Schwartz, Carter Toole, David Villavicencio
PHOTOGRAPHY JC Ridley, Richard Lewis, Steven Murphy COVER Kyle Stopperan
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MISSION STATEMENT
The University of Miami’s mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world.
OCTOBER 2018 VOLUME VII, ISSUE 3
THE RUNDOWN
FEATURED With 13 letterwinners returning this fall, the Miami women’s volleyball team has its eyes set on returning to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in nine years.
16 // CANES VOLLEYBALL: ON A MISSION Family, football and the outdoors are just a few things that bring Kc McDermott and his family together. Check out what else makes the Miami offensive lineman tick both on and off the field and what motivates him, as his collegiate career comes to a close.
28 // ALL IN THE FAMILY The life of an athletic trainer is no small task. Being an athletic trainer requires long hours and hard work, but for Vinny Scavo and his determined staff, they would not have it any other way.
42 // KEEPING THE CANES HEALTHY 3
@MIAMIHURRICANES | #BUILDINGCHAMPIONS
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LETTER FROM THE AD RECAPPING THE RALLY IN TALLY BY THE NUMBERS FOOTBALL: RALLY IN TALLY PHOTO GALLERY HURRICANE ACES BERRIOS HONORED HURRICANE CLUB HOME EVENTS THIS MONTH WBB FANTASY CAMP RING OF HONOR INVITATION THE LONE ROOKIE: CAMERON DOBBS AROUND THE WEB BASEBALL LAND STRONG RECRUITING CLASS BEHIND THE MIC WITH JOE Z FOUR TO KNOW ROWING RELEASES SCHEDULE MIAMI-LSU KICKOFF SET CANES COMMUNITY CORNER WOMEN’S TENNIS SHINES AT BEDFORD CUP UM SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Hurricane Fans, After a hectic month of September, Miami’s student-athletes are back on campus and back to competition, and the results have been impressive across all sports. I’m sure all of you watched our football team rally to defeat Florida State 24-20 Saturday, in undoubtedly one of the most exciting finishes in the history of this historic rivalry. The fan support for The U in Tallahassee was incredible, and I know our student-athletes and coaches appreciated it! The Hurricanes are now 4-0 (2-0 in ACC play), ranked 10th in the Amway Coaches Poll, 11th in the Associated Press poll, and have won nine consecutive games dating back to last season. I encourage you to come out to Hard Rock Stadium this Saturday, October 14 – not just to cheer on the Hurricanes against Georgia Tech but also to see five Hurricanes legends inducted into our Ring of Honor. It’s an historic quintet that features Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Warren Sapp and the late Sean Taylor. The group features two Pro Football Hall of Famers and four All-America selections who between them can boast seven Super Bowl titles and three national championships. The day before the game we will be honoring Michael, Ray, Ed, Warren and Sean, at the Ring of Honor Inductee Luncheon at Turnberry Isle in Aventura from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you are interested in attending the luncheon please contact the Hurricane Club or visit https://2017ringofhonor.eventbrite.com/ for ticket information. Volleyball is off to a 9-3 start and looks strong as it eyes a return to the NCAA Tournament. Senior outside hitter Olga Strantzali continues to lead the ACC in kills and points per set. The Hurricanes are back in action this weekend with road games at Duke and Wake Forest. Our soccer team also has two ACC road games this week as they travel to Syracuse and Duke. Our golf team tied for eighth at the 2017 ANNIKA Intercollegiate last week. Junior Dewi Weber tied for seventh overall, posting 14 birdies en route to a three-round total of 213. This week the Hurricanes wrap up their fall schedule with an appearance in the Betsy Rawls Invitational in Austin, Texas. Cross country just competed at the Greater Louisville Classic, the same course that will host the upcoming ACC Championships. Nathan Kuck led the Hurricanes, running a personal best 24:49.97 in the 8K, which ranks fourth in UM history. Two of our tennis players captured individual titles last month as Sinead Lohan won the singles title at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic, becoming the first Hurricane to capture the singles crown in the 42-year history of the prestigious event. On the men’s side, freshman Adria Soriano won the singles title at the Rice Invitational -- his first-ever event as a Hurricane. We recently kicked off a new crowdfunding campaign that focuses on outfitting the interior of the Carol Soffer Football Indoor Practice Facility. This project will address three areas of the facility – our football history displays, installation of stateof-the-art technology and enhancement of recruiting services. In less than a year, more than 350 Hurricanes supporters have pledged over $32 million of the $34 million goal. Your donations will help us finish this project the right way, and elevate this facility to one of the best in the country. Visit Give2IPF.com to pledge your support and, for a limited time, receive exclusive gifts hand-selected by Coach Mark Richt. I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. For the latest information on each of our varsity teams, please be sure to visit HurricaneSports.com or follow us on Twitter @MiamiHurricanes. Go Canes!
Blake James 5
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A WIN FOR THE AGES! CANES DOWN FSU 24-20
By David Villavicencio
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It took 59 minutes and 54 seconds, but the Miami Hurricanes prevailed over the Florida State Seminoles, 24-20, to remain unbeaten in 2017. The annual rivalry matchup between the No. 13/12 Canes and Noles was full of excitement in the second half, as the two teams combined for 41 points and five lead changes before a loud crowd of 78,169 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium on Oct. 7. “We had a wonderful celebration in the locker room,” Miami head coach Mark Richt said. “It was a long time coming for our players, coaches, administration, but certainly a long time coming for our fans. I am probably most happy for them because they are a true orange and green fan base. The ones that were here today especially; got here early, were loud and proud the whole time, pregame warm-up, kicking butt. Their presence was felt by our team, and by me personally. It doesn’t matter how you win a game like this. Really, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter how you win any game if you just do it within the rules because wins are hard to get and especially in this series. I am just thankful. Praise the Lord.” But it was redshirt junior Darrell Langham, who was on his second offensive snap of the night, who dove at the goal line to score a 23-yard touchdown catch on Florida State’s star corner Tarvarus McFadden with six seconds remaining that snatched a victory from the Seminoles and sent the Hurricanes home victorious. “I didn’t know if I was in or not,” Langham said. “I was just happy I caught the ball and was just trying to get in the end zone. The whole way through that play just goes back to practice for me. Coach [Ron Dugans] is always telling me to be big, use my body, go for the ball. I’m just happy I came down wit the ball and happy I ended the streak.” The path to victory was a roller coaster ride for Miami (4-0, 2-0 ACC), who went into the locker room down, 3-0, at half time. The Hurricanes struggled to get much going offensively in the opening 30 minutes, tallying just 57 yards of total offense. But their attack began clicking after the break. After having three penalties for 40 yards in the first half, the flags continued to hamper the Hurricanes early in the second half. Braxton Berrios hauled in a pass that would have put Miami in the red zone, but was called for offensive pass interference that pushed the Canes back to third-and 20 from the Miami 43. The Canes bounced back one snap later, as Rosier connected with Ahmmon Richards for a 32-yard gain to the FSU 25 to extended the drive and the redshirt junior quarterback followed with an eight-yard run to get the Hurricanes in the red zone for the first time at the Florida State 17. But the Seminole defense answered the challenge and held the Hurricanes to a 31-yard field goal by Michael Badgley that evened the game at 3-3. Miami’s turnover chain made its second appearance of the game, when senior cornerback Dee Delaney picked off Blackman on the first play from scrimmage following the Badgley field goal. Delaney, who jumped in front of a ball thrown deep for receiver Nyquan Murray, gave Miami the ball at the FSU 47. Three snaps later, Rosier and Richards teamed up for another big play. The duo connected on a 15-yard strike on third-and-10 to extend
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Miami’s drive and move the Hurricanes to the Seminoles’ 32-yard line. But the Noles stopped Miami’s momentum when freshman defensive back Stanford Samuels intercepted Rosier in the end zone on an overthrown pass intended for Lawrence Cager. Miami’s defense responded to the sudden change and forced a punt that Berrios returned for a career-best 44 yards to the Florida State 21-yard line. One play later, Berrios hauled in a touchdown pass from Rosier that put the Canes up, 10-3. Berrios, who finished with eight catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns, became the first Hurricane since Reggie Wayne in 2000 to catch a touchdown in each of the first four games in a season. The senior wideout has tallied a receiving touchdown in five consecutive games dating back to the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl victory over West Virginia, becoming the first Hurricane to accomplish the feat since Leonard Hankerson in 2010.
“He’s great, man,” Rosier said of Berrios. “He’s so attention to detail and that’s what makes him so good. He just does his job, does it every play and I just know Braxton is a guy I can rely on.” The Seminoles (1-3, 1-2 ACC) tied the game with 12:17 remaining when Blackman hit tight end Ryan Izzo for a 15-yard touchdown, evening the score at 10. The six-play, 77-yard scoring drive was sparked by a 46-yard run on the opening snap by freshman Cam Akers that put the Noles on the Miami 31. Florida State took its second lead of the game, when kicker Ricky Aguayo converted a 38-yard field goal to put the Seminoles up three, 13-10, with 6:55 to go in the contest. But Miami charged back on their next possession, as Rosier hit Berrios for a 15-yard gain and tight end Christopher Herndon IV on back-toback passes for 37 and nine yards, respectively, to reach the FSU 14. Berrios found the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown, corralling a seven-yard pass from Rosier to put the Hurricanes up, 17-10, with 5:09 on the clock. “He was ready for his moment,” Berrios said of Rosier. “This was his moment. We’ve had a close game or two leading into this, but this was it. Are we going to turn the streak around? Are we going to do exactly what we need to do to win this ball game? That’s really all it was. It was composure. Doing what we’ve been doing all week and finally settling down and executing.” The Seminoles would answer on the ensuing drive, when freshman quarterback James Blackman found junior receiver Auden Tate for a 20-yard score that put Florida State back in the lead, 20-17, with 1:24 remaining in the game. Blackman finished his first game against the Hurricanes 17-for-28 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. “Complete confidence,” Berrios said of the team’s mindset entering its final possession. “We’ve been doing it the whole second half. Plays that worked time and time again. It was the moment for us. In years past, we’ve folded in those moments. All those last fourth quarter drives, we’ve folded. We kind of knew it was going to come down to this with either the defense can get a last stop or the offense can get a last touchdown and we executed.” Facing a high-pressure situation with less than 90 seconds remaining in the game, Rosier connected with Langham to complete a gamewinning nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive over 1:18 that snapped a
seven-game FSU winning streak and improved Miami’s lead in the all-time series to 32-30. “I just saw a 6-6 receiver out there in open space, so I just gave him a ball that he could catch and go make a play and he did his job,” Rosier said. “Congrats to Darrell.” “When we got them down and there was zero on the clock, I think that everybody just didn’t believe it for a second,” Berrios said. “We fought and they fought. We got up and thought it was over and they got up and thought it was over. Both teams fought and when we pulled it out, there is no better feeling.” While the second half was a barrage of scoring, the first half was a defensive battle, with each team holding their opponent to a 1-for-8 third down conversion rate over the opening 30 minutes. Miami picked up seven tackles for loss and three sacks in the first half. The Hurricanes’ defensive line was active, with ends Joe Jackson and Demetrius Jackson, as well as tackle Kendrick Norton, each picking up a sack. The Canes also had a pair of pass breakups and an interception, while holding the Seminoles to just three points. “We came here in 2014 and lost, 2015 and lost, and last year we lost,” Demetrius Jackson said. “Now we beat them. Got them out of the way. This wasn’t the ultimate goal. We know we could beat Florida State. We know we can line up against anybody on any given week and I like us. It’s time now. Take one game at a time. The ultimate goal is the ACC Championship.” A roughing the passer penalty on third-and-15 from the 50-yard line negated what was an incompletion by Blackman and gave the Seminoles a fresh set of downs from the Miami 35. Blackman followed with an 11-yard run on a zone read and Jacques Patrick rushed for 10 yards to put the Noles in the red zone at the Miami 14. But the Hurricane defense would hold the Seminoles to a 27-yard field goal by Aguayo that gave Florida State a 3-0 lead with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter. Jackson redeemed himself with 1:04 remaining in the first half, picking off Blackman at the Miami 32-yard line. The junior defensive back snared an overthrown pass intended for Izzo and became the seventh different Hurricane to don the turnover chain this season. The Seminoles finished the first half with three tackles for loss and a sack, allowing the Hurricanes to muster just 1.9 yards per play. Florida State held Miami to just four first downs in the first half, while the Noles managed 10 against Hurricanes’ defense. Their sustained drives gave them a 19:07 to 10:53 advantage in time of possession. The Hurricanes were shut out in the first half for the first time since their 2015 game at North Carolina. With the victory, the Hurricanes have won nine straight games dating back to October 2016. It’s the first such streak for the Hurricanes since winning nine games from 2012-2013. Miami’s nine-game winning streak is the third longest currently active at the FBS level, but that does not mean that the Hurricanes are getting complacent after their success. “We’ve got practice on Sunday,” senior defensive lineman Chad Thomas said. “We work out on Sunday. We get right back to it. There’s no day off. We get right back to it. Everybody is focused. That’s momentum and it gives us a boost to us paying attention to what we’ve got to do. Now we’ve got to get ready for Georgia Tech and do what we’ve got to do.”
BY THE NUMBERS A statistical look at the Miami Hurricanes
The University of Miami women’s volleyball team opened the year with a 9-0 record after it defeated Notre Dame 3-1 on the road on Sept. 30.
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The Hurricanes (4-0, 2-0 ACC) moved up two spots from No. 13 to No. 11 in the Associated Press rankings and two spots from No. 12 to No. 10 in the Amway Coaches Poll following their thrilling win over Florida State.
Wide receiver Darrell Langham hauled in a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Malik Rosier which proved to be the game-winning score in Miami’s thrilling 24-20 win over Florida State.
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SCENES FROM THE R
HURRICANES POST THRILLING 24-20 WIN OVER FLORIDA STATE
RALLY IN TALLY
HURRICANE ACES JUNIOR TENNIS CLUB
FREE MEMBERSHIP
OCTOBER 28, 2017 | 12PM-2PM Neil Schiff Tennis Center, University of Miami The Hurricane Aces Junior Tennis Club is a program aimed at growing the sport of tennis in the Coral Gables area, while also allowing for meaningful interaction between local kids and University of Miami Tennis student-athletes. The club is open to all kids 8th grade and younger and is completely FREE! No tennis experience is necessary. Kids are welcome to come to as many or as few events and activities as they’d like. As part of this program, club members will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities:
• FREE TENNIS CLINICS • Close knit relationships with University of Miami coaches and players
• Opportunities to serve as "Hurricane
Sweepers" ball kids for UM tennis matches
• Take part in supporting and cheering your mentors during home matches • Individual mentorship opportunities with University of Miami varsity tennis The membership to the club is open to all student- athletes on various topics, such as: interested kids eighth grade and under. School nutrition, tennis strategy, education, teams welcome. THE COST IS FREE. exercise, etc.
TO REGISTER VISIT: http://gocan.es/HurricaneAces 10
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: KEVIN BONDAR at K.BONDAR@MIAMI.EDU HURRICANE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2017
BERRIOS NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY Senior wide receiver Braxton Berrios was among those student-athletes recognized as semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments®, The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame announced Sept. 27. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. Berrios, who has posted a 3.959 GPA as a double major in finance and entrepreneurship, has been a force both on the field and in the classroom during his career at Miami. Berrios has started both games this season and leads Miami with 140 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He caught a career-long 55-yard pass last time out against Toledo on Sept. 23 and totaled a career-high 105 receiving yards against the Rockets. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. “These 181 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “It is important for us to showcase their success on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.” Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy® is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000, which is endowed by HealthSouth. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $11.3 million. Since 2013, the Campbell Trophy® has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club. “The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates.” Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators. ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include FootballMatters.org, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, PrimeSport, the Sports Business Journal, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org. ABOUT THE NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS ASSOCIATION The William V. Campbell Trophy® is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
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WBB FANTASY CAMP SET FOR OCT. 29 Head coach Katie Meier announced on Oct. 4 the eighth annual Miami Women’s Basketball Fantasy Camp will take place Oct. 29. The event will begin at 4 p.m., and run through 6:30 p.m., at the Fieldhouse on the UM campus, adjacent to the Watsco Center. Following the conclusion of camp, attendees are invited to join the team for refreshments while touring the Miami locker room. Individuals must be at least 21 of years of age to participate and Miami spirit squad members will be in attendance for childcare. It is free to attend and open to both men and women of all skill levels. A unique experience for both Miami fans and basketball fans alike, the 2017 Miami Women’s Basketball Fantasy Camp will include drills, games and team-building activities with Hurricane players and coaches. Registration to participate in camp is now open. Simply complete the form below to reserve a spot. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To keep up with the University of Miami women’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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HURRICANE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2017
You are cordially invited to join us for a special luncheon as we recognize our Tw o T h o u s a n d a n d S e v e n t e e n
R I N G
of
H O N O R
I N D U C T E E S
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Michael Irvin
52
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Ray Lewis
76
Ed Reed
Warren Sapp
Friday, October 13, 2017 11 a.m. Reception
12 Noon Luncheon
Turnberry Isle Miami 19999 West Country Club Drive, Aventura FL 33180 Presented by the University of Miami Hurricane Club
Premier VIP Tables: $3,500 (Limited Availability) Tables of ten: $2,500 | Tickets: $250 per person
RSVP by Monday, October 2 to the Hurricane Club at 305-284-6699 Complimentary Valet Parking Business Attire
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Sean Taylor
THE 2017 HURRICANES A
ON A M
FOLLOWING A 2016 SEASON WHERE THE MIAMI WOMEN’S VOLL AND THEIR SENIOR CLASS WILL LOOK TO GET BACK TO THE BIG By Tom Symonds
ARE...
MISSION
LEYBALL TEAM MISSED THE NCAA TOURNAMENT, THE HURRICANES DANCE FOR THE EIGHTH TIME IN NINE YEARS
If the University of Miami women’s volleyball team learned anything from its 2016 campaign, it learned that nothing is for certain. Although there are few certainties when it comes to collegiate volleyball, one thing that had become as close to a sure thing as the beautiful South Florida weather was the Miami women’s volleyball team competing the NCAA tournament. Prior to 2016, the Hurricanes had played in seven straight NCAA Tournaments. Under the direction of head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara, the Hurricanes had posted 40 league wins over a three-year period from 2013-2015. During this period, the Hurricanes established themselves as a consistent contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But the 2016 campaign was different. Way different. Miami missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008 and suffered its first losing campaign since 2007. “Last year, not making the tournament was a disappointment for our program and our players, even though we succeeded and had a productive season in so many other areas due to the circumstances,” Gandara said. The “circumstances” Miami had to deal with last year were not your average circumstances, as the Hurricanes lost All-ACC setter Haley Templeton to a foot injury. The injury forced the Georgia native to miss all but the first three matches of the 2016 season. “It was disappointing to see her go down last year because of what she had done to prepare,” Gandara said. “She is a setter of the year quality player and she was poised to have a really good year and she worked really hard in the spring.” Templeton remembers the injury like it was yesterday. The injury occurred in practice after Miami opened the year with a 2-1 record. Templeton was running to set the ball and after running forward quickly, she re-aggravated a foot injury she had suffered prior to the 2016 campaign. “It was a long day,” Templeton said. Templeton got the news that her season was over as the team was making a trip to play in a tournament at the Universty of Texas. “The news hit me really hard,” Templeton said. “I found out right when we landed.” Templeton’s loss proved to have an immediate impact on the Hurricanes' offensive attack, as Miami dropped 11 of its next 15 matches, heading into its final 11 contests of the year. Following the midseason stretch of 15 matches, the Hurricanes dropped to 8-13 on the year and were all but eliminated from earning a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008.
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HURRICANE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2017
“When we hit some roadblocks, we have to go back a little bit and that’s okay," Gandara said. "We just wanted our team to have a sense of urgency on our improvement.” Message received. Miami closed on a hot streak over the final 11 games of the year, winning seven of its final 11 games and posting wins over conference foes Notre Dame and Louisville on the road to finish the season 15-17. “We found success and joy and satisfaction in all these things that we didn’t think were worthy of our effort," Gandara said. "Little things had big value on our team, especially supporting each other, understanding our responsibilities, not pouting on things that we could not control. Winning or losing, I thought we really did a good job engaging in the things we had to do as a team in practice and saw the outcome and the result and the numbers showed that we got better. I thought in the second half of the season, we were a much better team with the same personnel that we had early on in the year." Despite missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, Gandara believes that the team's strong finish to the 2016 season made the team closer as a unit. “I felt bad for the team last year, but are all better for it in hindsight,” Gandara said. Prior to the 2017 season, Gandara approached the offseason differently as he had in year’s past. “We made sure that they understood what they had accomplished last year individually and we put a lot of value on the development of individuals and that they were accountable and responsible (for their development) as a team goal,” Gandara said. “We wanted them to know that they were responsible to improve and become the best version of themself. There’s no secret, if we have a bunch of good players, we’re going to have a good team and there’s nothing wrong with being selfish when it comes to your improvement and your development.” Gandara believes in his 2017 team and knows that the commitment is there to return the Hurricanes back to the NCAA, but understands that the road to get to the field of 64 will be a challenging route. “I think we can be pretty good at times,” Gandara said. “We have some big challenges ahead of us. The ACC is a tough conference and this year there a lot of teams beating each other, so we don’t take any opponent lightly. If we start getting too far ahead or hang on to your wins too long, those are traps that you don’t want to fall into. We just have to understand that we have done some things well. We have developed some identities, but we have to continue to grow.” Miami hopes that growth develops into a return trip to the NCAA Tournament - a destination where Hurricane outside hitter Olga Strantzali is determined to take the Canes this year. “Miami has always been one of the top programs in the NCAA, so I feel like it is our responsibility to make the tournament this year,” Strantzali said. “Last year was a tough year, we had a lot of injuries, a lot of players were missing, but we’re more experienced this year, so we’re ready to get back to the tournament this year.” 19
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Miami knows that nothing is for certain - especially after the 2016 campaign - and is working harder than ever to get back to its NCAA form. “Every practice we have a sense of urgency to improve individually on what we need to improve on, which will help the team as a whole,” Templeton said. “Every practice is very important. We never have a down practice because everything is so important. The next game is always the most important game. We’re not thinking about the past. We’re just thinking about the upcoming team and what we have to do to beat this upcoming team.” The 2017 team has shown a strong sense of urgency through the early portion of the year, opening with nine straight wins - Miami’s best start to a season in 10 years. “This team is so well connected,” Templeton said. “Everyone is friends with one another. We all enjoy being around each other, so it’s really fun to come to the gym every day and work with them.” Miami’s close-knit squad knows how special a tournament berth would be and it is an experience they have certainly not forgotten, which has fueled the team’s mission this year. “We’ve been there before, so we know how much fun it is to play in the NCAA tournament against the top 64 teams in the country,” Strantzali said. “We want to be there this year.”
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HURRICANE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER HURRICANE MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2017 2017
FOOTBALL CANE CHRONICLES - GINO TORRETTA
RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 8 BY BASEBALL AMERICA The University of Miami’s 2017 recruiting class was ranked the eighth-best nationwide by Baseball America, the publication announced Sept. 12. The group, ranked as the second-best in the ACC, continues a longstanding trend of top recruiting classes arriving on campus; Miami’s 2016 group was ranked No. 13, its 2014 group was ranked No. 20, its 2013 class was ranked No. 6 and its 2012 newcomers were ranked No. 9. Two members of the class were selected in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft; righthanded pitcher Chris McMahon was taken by Milwaukee in the 33rd round while infielder Ray Gil was picked in the 37th round by Oakland. Danny Reyes, an incoming transfer from Broward Junior College, was drafted in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox out of high school in 2015. McMahon (No. 76), first baseman Alex Toral (No. 199), outfielder Gabe Rivera (No. 329) and first baseman Connor Allen (No. 440) were all ranked among Baseball America’s top 500 draft-eligible prospects. See below for Baseball America’s full top-25 recruiting class rankings: 2017 Top 25 Recruiting Class Rankings 1. Vanderbilt 2. Florida 3. Arkansas 4. Arizona State 5. South Carolina 6. Auburn 7. Florida State 8. Miami 9. Kentucky 10. Michigan 11. Louisiana State 12. Virginia 13. Louisville 14. Texas Christian 15. Clemson 16. UCLA 17. Southern California 18. Texas A&M 19. East Carolina 20. Oklahoma 21. Florida International 22. UC Santa Barbara 23. Arizona 24. Mississippi State 25. Texas Tech
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Joe Zagacki, The Voice of the Miami Hurricanes, chimes in on the impact that former defensive lineman Lester Williams made on the Miami football program.
WITH JOE ZAGACKI
This past summer Lester Williams a former University of Miami defensive lineman, passed away. But he should be recognized for what he meant to Miami. He was one of the first guys back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, that played in Dade County, who was one of the top players in the nation, that said, “I’m going to the University of Miami.” And by him committing to the University of Miami, he validated that this was the place to come to. Without Williams leading the parade, all the guys behind him, Alonzo Highsmith, Melvin Bratton, Michael Irvin, all the players in Dade and Broward County would not have followed. Because during those days in the 60’s and 70’s, all the great players in Miami went to Oklahoma. They went to Florida State. They went every place, but Miami.
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the other power. They sold out the stadium and Williams dominated the game. He also was an undefeated state champion wrestler.
Williams, much like Mark Walton today, said I’m planting my flag. Miami is my school, Miami is my town, so he came here.
Williams set the tone for the Hurricanes being a great defensive team. Without Lester Williams, there isn’t a Miami Hurricane defense like it is today. He was a dominating defensive lineman and was the first. If you want to call Miami defensive linemen U, people need to know that he was the first one.
High school football in those days was big, but it was smaller than it is today, but the competition was still fierce.
After Williams came to Miami, it opened up the door for other guys to say, “okay, Miami is the place to go.”
Williams’ team at Carol City went 14-0 and won the state championship. One of the biggest games they played was against Hialeah Miami Lakes, who was
If you look at where we are today, we have Walton and Trayone Gray in the backfield from Booker T. Washington
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and Carol City. You have offensive linemen Trevor Darling and Navaughn Donaldson from Central. At wide receiver, you have Mike Harley from St. Thomas. In the secondary, we’ve got Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine from Killian. There have been great players that have come outside these local areas, but Miami’s bread and butter for recruiting has come from Dade and Broward County. It’s reflected in who is on the field today and it’s reflected in who Coach Mark Richt is recruiting right now and a lot of that has to do with Lester Williams’ decision to attend Miami back in the day.
PAT BETHEL FOOTBALL
FAVORITES Athlete: Michael Bennett Food: Whatever my mother cooks Movie: “Transformers” Professional sports team: Miami Dolphins Candy: Jolly Ranchers Sport other than football: Basketball
Part about living in Miami: The endless opportunities TV show: “Spongebob Squarepants” Vacation spot: Bahamas Clothes: Gym wear Color: Red and black
SARA DUQUE VOLLEYBALL
FAVORITES Athlete: Lionel Messi Professional sports team: Barcelona FC Meal: Sun-dried tomato pasta Candy: Snickers Movie: “The Wedding Ringer” TV show: “The 100”
Music artist: Coldplay Place on campus is: Starbucks by the lake Sport to watch on TV is: Beach Volleyball and Soccer Nickname: Dukie
RACHEL SORKENN SOCCER
FAVORITES Soccer player: Lionel Messi Food: Sushi Movie: “Bad Moms” Professional sports team: Miami Dolphins Place to eat on campus: Jamba Juice
Song to listen to before a match: “Show Me Love” by Sam Feldt Part about living in Miami: It is always hot Sport other than soccer: Basketball TV show: “Shameless” Vacation spot: Aruba Candy: Jelly beans
ANA MADCUR
WOMEN’S TENNIS FAVORITES Tennis player: Roger Federer Food: Meat Milanesa Movie: “Taken” Professional sports team: FC Barcelona Part about living in Miami: You always have something to do. 26
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Song to listen to before a match: Depends on what the hits are in that moment haha, but most likely I listen to reggaeton or electro music. Sport other than tennis: Field hockey TV show: “Grey’s Anatomy” Vacation spot: Australia
CANES ROWING RELEASES 2017-18 SCHEDULE The University of Miami women’s rowing team announced its upcoming schedule for the 2017-18 campaign under the direction of fifth-year head coach Dave Sanderson. The Hurricanes are set to compete in two fall and five spring events prior to the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in Clemson, S.C. “We have some tremendous racing opportunities this year that my staff and I feel will fully prepare our team to compete at the highest level at this year’s conference championships,” Sanderson said. ”I know our team will be very excited to compete and travel to each of these regattas. We have great group of student-athletes that are hungry for success. As a team, we could not be more excited about this upcoming year.” Miami opens the fall portion of the season on Oct. 15, as it plays host to the Head of the Indian Creek in Miami Beach, Fla. The Hurricanes will remain in the Sunshine state for their next regatta in Orlando for a matchup with UCF. The Hurricanes conclude their fall slate on Nov. 12 at the Rivana Romp. The University of Virginia will play host to the regatta in Rivana, Va. The spring session of racing begins with a two-day trip to Oak Ridge, Tenn., where Miami heads to the Cardinal Invitational beginning on March 17. Miami returns to action against UCF and Wisconsin on March 31 in Sarasota, Fla. The Hurricanes return to Sarasota, Fla., a week later to compete against some of the top teams in the area at the Sunshine State Invitational on April 6-7. One week later, the Hurricanes gear up for the prestigious Knecht Cup. The two-day event will take place in Mercer, N.J. Miami’s next regatta takes the Hurricanes down South to Austin, Texas where it will compete in the Longhorn Invitational on April 28. On May 13, Miami will take part in the ACC Championships where it will look to capture its first league championship. The NCAA Rowing Championships are slated for May 25-27. For official updates and information please visit our website at HurricaneSports.com or “Like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/canesrowing. You can also “Follow” Miami rowing on Twitter at http://twitter.com/canesrowing. The program is also on Instagram.
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ALL IN
THE FAMILY BY AMANDA ALVAREZ
You can usually find him in the end zone lifting up his teammates after a touchdown, but you have probably seen him on the offensive line for the last 25 Hurricane football games. Known for his six-foot-seven frame and his iconic touchdown celebration, Kc McDermott, is a staple to the Hurricanes. The senior has been an asset to the University of Miami football program since enrolling in January 2014. “When I got here in January of 2014 I had a full schedule and had to pick things up quickly,” McDermott said. “It gave me a head start academically and football-wise because I was learning the playbook and what college is actually like, so I got the best of both worlds.” The Wellington, Fla., native, is the youngest of his two brothers. Tyler McDermott and Shane McDermott also played football in college. In fact, he was not alone in his transition into college football, he played alongside Shane, a senior at the time. “Me and my older brother [Tyler McDermott] were usually the ones that got to play together, but when Kc came to Miami it finally allowed me to play with my little brother,” former Miami Hurricane Shane McDermott said, “There were a couple games where we literally played side-by-side on the offensive line.” While getting the opportunity to play with Shane, Kc often reached out to Tyler for insight. In fact, he credits much of his football success to having both brothers as mentors and role models. “Watching Tyler play was very intriguing; a lot of people considered him an undersized football player, but that didn’t stop him from accomplishing everything he did,” Kc said, “As for Shane, he was a very tough kid he played through several injuries while at Miami.” Kc confesses that his playing style resembles both of his brothers. He uses Tyler’s technique to keep his game safe and Shane’s toughness to go after his opponents. The McDermott family of five is an athletic family that all measure above six-feet. Kc, the youngest is ironically the biggest and tallest. “I think it is funny that I get to tell people that my little big brother is 6’7,” Shane said. “He has been blessed with the height for offensive tackle.” Randy McDermott, Kc’s dad, jokes that the topic often comes up amongst the boys, but in general Tyler and Shane are glad that Kc has the extra height. Kc revealed that he played almost every single sport you could possibly think of, ranging from baseball to soccer, even taking on a little street hockey at the age of 10. In addition to being a three-sport athlete in high school, Kc and his older brothers are avid outdoorsmen. When he isn’t playing sports or competing in one-on-one basketball tournaments with his brothers, there’s a safe bet that the McDermotts can be found in the woods or on a boat. “The boys are really close, they talk every day and when they are together they can spend hours outdoors hunting and fishing,” Randy said. Kc recalls his favorite fishing memory was when they took a family trip to 30
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Costa Rica. It was the last spring break trip he was able to take with his entire family, before starting college. “We spent five days there and fished for four of them and had a great time and caught some big yellowfin tuna and sailfish,” Kc said. McDermott has not always had the football career he imagined. While competing in his rookie season he suffered an injury that kept him out for most of the season. “It set me back physically and mentally because I started to second guess if I could move as well as you used to,” Kc said. He quickly gained his confidence back once he began his lifting program and noticed that he was going through the motions better than he was before his injury. “Having that injury his freshmen year enabled him to polish his technique and form and he really owned coming back to play his position,” said Shane. By the time his sophomore season came around Kc was 100 percent healthy and saw action in the final eight games of the season. Since then he has been a constant player on the offensive line. Kc has developed into a team leader, who is able to understand how to handle all of his teammates in different ways. “I have grown as a player by learning how to be what they would say a professional football player is by putting in the right amount of time into football and school,” Kc said. His individual growth derives from the growth of the football program. “The program as a whole has improved since my freshman year from communication all the way down to making sure everyone knows what’s going on,” said KC. In addition to being a family of athletes, the McDermotts are and have always been big Hurricane fans. Randy tells stories to the boys of the Orange Bowl in the 80’s and 90’s. Kc still remembers his first time watching a Miami game against Washington in 2001. Their passion for the Canes stems from the fact that it was Tyler’s favorite school but he did not get the opportunity to attend, instead attending Colorado State University where he too played football. “We kind of play on this team and we play in his spirit because he always wanted to play for the University of Miami. This is our school, we grew up here and this is where we wanted to be,” Shane said. Kc will graduate in December. He hopes to continue to follow in his brother Shane’s path who went on to play in the NFL for three years. But for now, the senior is focused on staying healthy for the rest of the football season and helping the Canes get to the ACC Championship.
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With the proliferation of social media, and the ease of access to prospective student-athletes and current student-athletes, the internet has provided the opportunity for Canes fans and supporters from all over the world to communicate with each other in ways not possible before. The following regulations regarding the internet are very important for all Canes to know in regards to prospective student-athletes: While we appreciate our fans support of our teams, fans are not permitted to use social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to contact or otherwise attempt to correspond with prospects. This includes, but is not limited to, posting on a wall, using the inbox/e-mail feature, instant messaging, "@replies", "mentions", or direct messaging. As electronic communication technology continues to advance, the opportunity for the supporters of an athletics program to have impermissible contact with a prospect or that prospect's family is greatly increased, however, the institution’s responsibility for that contact remains the same. As a reminder, off-campus and in-person recruiting may only be completed by our certified coaching staff members. Boosters should not be contacting any prospects or their family members in person in attempt to solicit their commitment to UM. If you are aware of a prospect that you feel would benefit our athletics program, please reach out to our department and notify us of such a prospect. From there, those coaches who are certified and permitted to contact such prospects will be aware. Please continue to leave the recruiting to our coaches. We ask that all Canes fans and supporters who have access to the type of social media sites described above assist us in following the guidelines that govern those sites. As always, your efforts to help the University of Miami maintain a culture of compliance are greatly appreciated. Please contact the University of Miami Athletics Compliance Department with any questions regarding NCAA, ACC or University of Miami rules or regulations at athleticscompliance@miami.edu or 305-284-2692. Also, please remember to always ASK BEFORE YOU ACT! Sincerely,
Craig Anderson Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Athletics Compliance Office | University of Miami Athletics Schwartz Athletic Center | 5821 San Amaro Drive | Coral Gables, FL 33146 Direct: (305) 284-2692 | Fax: (305) 284-2276
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KICKOFF TIME SET FOR LSU VS MIAMI The University of Miami’s 2018 football opener against LSU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas will be played on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018 at 7:30 PM ET, it was announced Sept. 26. Originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, the matchup will be broadcast on ABC as part of ESPN’s networks five-day college football kickoff weekend showcase. The game will mark the third consecutive year ABC has aired a prime time game on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The 2018 opener for the Hurricanes and Tigers will mark the first regular season meeting between the two schools since 1988 and just the third overall meeting since 1969. ABC’s Kickoff Weekend Sunday Night Presentation has Been Record Setting Notre Dame and Texas played in ABC’s first college football kickoff weekend Sunday night presentation in 2016, with the twoovertime thriller generating a total live audience of 11,093,000 viewers – at the time, a kickoff weekend viewership record across all networks. This season, West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech -- from Landover, Maryland -- played in the second annual ABC special presentation, generating a total live audience of 4,737,000 viewers, the third most-watched college football game on broadcast TV during the season’s kickoff weekend. AdvoCare Classic Celebrates 10th Anniversary The 2018 AdvoCare Classic will mark the 10th anniversary of the annual kickoff weekend game. The Tigers have played in the game twice, beating Oregon 40-27 in 2011 and TCU 37-27 in 2016. Next year’s game will be the first-time Miami has participated and the team’s first game at AT&T Stadium.
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LENDING A HAND
HURRICANE STAFF MEMBERS GIVE BACK TO THOSE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE IRMA
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WE’LL GET YOU BACK IN THE GAME.
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KEEPING THE CANES HEALTHY
For head athletic trainer Vinny Scavo and his staff, keeping the Canes Healthy is a total team effort By Tom Symonds HurricaneSports.com Enter the office of Vinny Scavo, the Hurricanes’ Associate Athletics Director of Athletic Training, and you’ll see plenty of pictures on the wall of legendary Hurricane student-athletes and coaches, including baseball Ron Fraser and football Howard Schnellenberger both of whom he worked with earlier in his career. You’ll also see an elaborate bobblehead collection, a large flat screen television mounted on the wall, some pictures of James Gadolfini, playing his famous role of Tony Soprano and a sprinkling of pictures in tribute to his beloved hometown New York Yankees. “When you look around the office and you see all these pictures on the wall, it just shows you that you are getting old,” Scavo said with a grin. Although some may think of his office as a mini museum, Scavo calls it something different. “This is my man cave,” Scavo said. His “man cave” as he describes it is where he feels most comfortable and for 30 years, Scavo has made a living of keeping other people comfortable. To be more specific, he has made a career of making student-athletes feel comfortable as their athletic trainer. “When someone comes into your office, you want them to feel comfortable, so I try to make it as comfortable as I can,” Scavo said. “You also spend a lot of time here and rightfully so because you need to be here. This is kind of like my second home. In some cases this is like my first home.” THE MAN BEHIND THE HURRICANE STUDENT-ATHLETES Since 2011, Scavo has served as the Miami football team’s head athletic trainer. In 2012 he became the head athletic trainer and director of sports medicine before moving into his current role in 2015. His arrival to the athletic department in 2011 was a homecoming of sorts, as he began his career working within the Miami Hurricanes athletics training office from 1983 until 1987. Prior to his return to The U in 2011, Scavo worked as an athletic trainer with area high schools and spent time in professional baseball, working with the then Florida Marlins.
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Along the way, Scavo worked with numerous head coaches, athletes and administrators while forming strong relationships with local doctors and physical therapists, who play a pivotal role in helping Miami provide the best health care to each of its student-athletes today. A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT Upon his return to the Hurricane athletics’ training staff, many things had changed since 1987, but one aspect never wavered: the importance of caring for the student-athlete. “The biggest thing for me is that we want to make sure that our kids get the best possible healthcare that they can get,” Scavo said. “That’s all I’m concerned about. I want every student-athlete that comes into our training room to get taken care of with the best possible healthcare.” However, to provide the best possible healthcare to more than 380 Miami student-athletes, it takes a total team effort. For football alone, the Hurricanes employee two full-time trainers, a full-time physical therapist and 10 student managers. “Those 10 student managers are the key,” Scavo said. “Those kids work really hard. They are here every morning at 5:30 am and they are ready to go.” Scavo and his staff also have partnered with Luis Feigenbaum and the University’s rehabilitation services unit to provide student-athletes with physical therapy. “They help us with our kids to get them to the point where they get skilled specific care and can get ready to play,” Scavo said. “They do a great job with helping our kids after surgery, so we don’t have to spend that time with them. We can just have the physical therapist work with them, so that we can take care of the rest of the athletes.” The University’s rehabilitation services are one of the many resources that are available to Scavo and his training staff. That was not always the case, however. “One of the things that I did when I got here was use the resources that we have at our University to work with on our university student-athletes,” Scavo said. “When I first got here,
we looked at all the resources that we had and we never really used the resources. We have our own health system, we have our own medical school, so let’s use those resources.” In addition to utilizing the plethora of medical services the University has to offer, Scavo and his staff also work hand-in-hand with Hurricanes’ strength staff. The athletics training staff meets with the strength staff every morning for 15 minutes where they go over every injury on the football team, so that the strength staff knows exactly how hard they can push a student-athlete during a workout. “My main role is to make sure that the coaches understand who can play and who can’t play,” Scavo said. “I want our coaches to understand the injury process so they know what is going on and so that the coaches can prepare for their practices and their games, so I have to make sure that I get that information to them right away.” Scavo and his staff believe that communication is the key to getting student-athletes back on the field of competition. “Everybody is involved in the health process with the student-athlete,” Scavo said. “I think that our student-athletes are very fortunate that we can provide them service that other schools simply can’t do. I think that gives us an advantage when we try to get our student-athletes healthy. I think it gives us an edge in recruiting because we can assure a parent that we are going to give their son or daughter the best health care possible and we’re not making it up, we really have this type of service.” BENCHMARK FACILITIES One thing that has also changed over the course of Scavo’s tenure is the enhancement of Miami’s athletic training facilities. When Scavo first arrived, Miami featured a facility that measured a mere 2,000 square feet. Now Miami features a 13,000-square-foot facility, which is the envy of most athletics training department, throughout the ACC. “It is a great facility to come into and we take a lot of pride in it,” Scavo said. “I’ve always loved coming to work here everyday and now it’s even better coming to work here every day, knowing that we have a facility like this.” There are few things that Scavo and his staff don’t have access to in order to get Miami student-athletes back on the field of competition to compete at the highest level. “We get great support from our administration to help us get the things that we need in our athletic training room,” Scavo said. “We have an x-ray machine in our facility, which most schools don’t even have. We have all the bells and whistles for our physical therapy. We have a great hydrotherapy area which a Jacuzzi and a cold tub. All of our equipment is being used. All of our training facilities get great use and they have really helped everyone.” In addition to the Hurricanes’ lavish training facilities, the Miami athletics training department also has access to the University’s newly constructed Lennar Foundation Medical Center. “The Lennar Center is unbelievable,” Scavo said. “It just eliminates all that travel that we had to do in order to get kids downtown. We do our surgeries right there at the Lennar Center. We have such great facilities over there. I can walk over there and do an MRI. We have all the resources over there to help us. It really has been great for us. It’s easy for my staff, it’s easy for the student-athlete and it’s easy for our physicians. It’s a win-win for everybody.” THE SATISFACTION With all the enhancements and emphasis placed on today’s student-athlete, it’s easy to see why the life of an athletic trainer is no nine-to-five job, but Scavo and his staff would not have it any other way. “The way the sport is today and the way the profession is today, the life of an athletic trainer really has become a 24/7 job and we understand that, but that’s why we do what we do,” Scavo said. “Sure it’s a lot of hours, but if you just enjoy what you do when you come to work every day, you’re not really concerned about how many hours you put in when you come to work.” Despite all the hours of hard work and dedication, the biggest satisfaction for Scavo and his staff stems from when a student-athletes gets back on the field. “You’re always worried that the kids are getting healthy and that the kids are being taken care of so that you’re getting everybody back on the field, so that you can put the team in a position to be a champion,” Scavo said.
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MIAMI WINS TWO TITLES AT BEDFORD CUP
The University of Miami women’s tennis team wrapped up play at the Bedford Cup in impressive fashion on Oct. 1.
The Hurricanes posted a 5-1 mark at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts for the second day in a row and picked up a pair of flight championships. “It was just really nice to have the team on the road together as a unit, bonding, getting to know each other and getting to know the expectations and understand, really, the culture of the program,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Things are moving in the right direction.” Originally scheduled to play each other the Flight 1 finale, senior Sinead Lohan and sophomore Estela Perez-Somarriba instead took on other opponents. Eighth-ranked Lohan topped North Florida’s Rafaela Gomez, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, and No. 11 Perez-Somarriba beat UCF’s Natalia Serrano, 6-1, 6-1. With the two Hurricanes both finishing the weekend 3-0, they were officially named Flight 1 co-champions, sharing the trophy. “Solid showing this weekend from Stela and Sinead,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “It was good for them to get in some matches before they leave for [Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships] on Tuesday.” Junior Ana Madcur won the Flight 2 title, as she too concluded the tournament with a 3-0 record by downing Monica Matias of UCF, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1). “Super happy with Ana Madcur and the level of tennis she is playing right now,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She is playing much more aggressive at the right moments, working really hard–which she’s always done–and just starting to play the big points really well and just winning the majority of the big points right now. So, she is just turning a huge corner right now. I’m so happy for her.” Both freshman Ulyana Shirokova and sophomore Sara Culbertson upped their weekend marks to 2-1 by winning the consolation draws of their respective flights. Shirokova defeated FGCU’s Laura Falceto Font, 6-3, 6-2, and Culbertson posted a 6-2, 6-2 triumph against Alejandra Vidal of Bethune-Cookman. Facing a player from outside her flight, junior Daniella Roldan dropped a 6-2, 2-6, 2-6 decision versus USF’s Nicole Dzenga. Overall, Miami went 17-7 at the Bedford Cup, including an outstanding 14-4 in singles action. Five singles players posted winning records, as did one of the two doubles pairs.
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UM SPORTS HALL OF FAME
UM SPORTS HALL OF FAME TO HOLD CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT The 25th Annual UM Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Tournament, to benefit the Hurricane Club, will be played on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 at the luxurious Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables. The event is scheduled for the day before the Miami-Notre Dame football game, and kicks off with registration and lunch at 11 a.m. followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start on the 18 holes of the historic Biltmore Golf Course. An awards dinner featuring live and silent auctions, will follow in one of the Biltmore Hotel’s ballrooms. Corporate teams of four golfers (includes tee sign and novelties in goody bag) are available for $1500, while regular teams of four golfers are $1200. Larger sponsorships are available. Call Executive Director John Routh at the UM Sports Hall of Fame at 305-284-2775 or go to CanesGolf.com to inquire about your company becoming a sponsor.
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UM SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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@MIAMIHURRICANES #BUILDINGCHAMPIONS HURRICANE MAGAZINE | |APRIL 2017