2010-11 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDEE
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KEY CONTACTS
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT PHONE ..................................................................................... 478-301-2994 ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT FAX .......................................................................................... 478-301-2061 DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JIM COLE ............................................................................................................. 478-301-2994 COLE_JM@MERCER.EDU
SENIOR ASSOCIATE A.D.
SYBIL BLALOCK .................................................................................................... 478-301-2301 BLALOCK_SA@MERCER.EDU
ATHLETICS COORDINATOR
MYRA CAMERON ................................................................................................. 478-301-2733 CAMERON_M@MERCER.EDU
ASSOCIATE A.D. FOR COMPLIANCE
KAREN DONALDSON ............................................................................................ 478-301-2729 DONALDSON_KE@MERCER.EDU
DIRECTOR OF SPORTS MEDICINE
ROB MURPHY ...................................................................................................... 478-301-2453 MURPHY_R@MERCER.EDU
ASSISTANT DIR. OF SPORTS MEDICINE (WBB CONTACT)
LAURA SHELTON ................................................................................................... 478-301-2135 SHELTON_LC@MERCER.EDU
MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS
JARRAD TURNER ................................................................................................... 478-301-2702 TURNER_JW@MERCER.EDU
SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR
DAVE BEYER ........................................................................................................ 478-301-2735 BEYER_WD@MERCER.EDU
ASSISTANT SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR (WBB CONTACT)
ANDY STABELL .................................................................................................... 478-301-5219 STABELL_AL@MERCER.EDU
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2010-11WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDE
KEY CONTACTS - WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH SUSIE GARDNER .............................................................................................................. 478-301-2739 GARDNER_SL@MERCER.EDU
ASSISTANT COACH RHET WIERZBA ............................................................................................................... 478-301-2545 WIERZBA_RM@MERCER.EDU
ASSISTANT COACH TIFFANY SWOFFARD ............................................................................................................. 478-301-5354 SWOFFARD_TB@MERCER.EDU
ASSISTANT COACH AMY JONES .................................................................................................................... 478-301-5212 JONES_AJ@MERCER.EDU
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS KENETTA KELLY............................................................................................................... 478-301-2059 KELLY_KN@MERCER.EDU
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2010-11 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDEE
MACON, GEORGIA
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2010-11WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDE
You Are Here! Godsey Administration Building Knight Hall Willingham Hall Newton Hall President’s Home McCorkle Music Building Hardman Fine Arts Building Ryals Hall Langdale Hall Roberts Hall Groover Hall Ware Hall Wiggs Hall Computer Science Building Connell Student Center Penfield Hall (Bookstore) University Commons Mercer Hall Shorter Hall Soccer Field Sherwood Hall Jesse Mercer Plaza Sikes Softball Field Mercer Police University Center Stetson Building Tarver Library Willett Science Center Environmental Science Building Peddy Tennis Center Intramural Field Batting Cages Claude Smith Baseball Field Science & Engineering Building Engineering School Medical School Patterson Building Religious Life Center Plunkett Hall Plunkett Pool Admissions Welcome House Mary Erin Porter Hall Dowell Hall Linden House Boone Hall W.G. Lee Alumni House Tift College Alumnae House Corporate Services Benefits/Payroll Human Resources/CTA Physical Plant/Central Receiving Auxiliary Services Building Technology Support Services Mercer Village Georgia Public Broadcasting Educational Opportunity Center Lambda Chi Alpha ΛΧΑ Alpha Phi Alpha ΑΦΑ Kappa Sigma ΚΣ Alpha Gamma Delta ΑΓΔ Alpha Tau Omega ΑΤΩ Zeta Phi Beta ΖΦΒ Panhellenic House Sigma Alpha Epsilon ΣΑΕ Delta Sigma Theta ΔΣΘ Alpha Delta Pi ΑΔΠ Kappa Alpha ΚΑ Phi Delta Theta ΦΔΘ Phi Mu ΦΜ Sigma Nu ΣΝ IFC House Pi Kappa Phi ΠΚΦ Kappa Alpha Psi ΚΑΨ Chi Omega ΧΩ Mercer Garden One Mercer Garden Two Mercer Garden Three 1974 Winship 1810 Winship Macon Townhouse One 1884 Winship 1892 Winship 1934 Winship 1962 Winship 1975 Adams 1923 Adams Macon Townhouse Three 1821 Adams Macon Townhouse Two 1711 Adams
1711 Adams ................................................. 89 1810 Winship............................................... 78 1821 Adams ................................................. 87 1884 Winship............................................... 80 1892 Winship............................................... 81 1923 Adams ................................................. 85 1934 Winship............................................... 82 1962 Winship............................................... 83 1974 Winship............................................... 77 1975 Adams ................................................. 84 Admissions Welcome House ................. 40 Alpha Delta Pi ΑΔΠ ................................... 65 Alpha Gamma Delta ΑΓΔ ........................ 59 Alpha Phi Alpha ΑΦΑ ............................... 57 Alpha Tau Omega ΑΤΩ............................. 60 Auxiliary Services Building ..................... 51 Batting Cages .............................................. 31 Benefits/Payroll .......................................... 48 Boone Hall .................................................... 44 Chi Omega ΧΩ ............................................ 73 Claude Smith Baseball Field .................. 32 Computer Science Building ................... 14 Connell Student Center........................... 15 Corporate Services .................................... 47 Delta Sigma Theta ΔΣΘ ........................... 64 Dowell Hall ................................................... 42 Educational Opportunity Center ......... 55 Engineering School .................................. 34 Environmental Science Building .......... 28 Godsey Administration Building.......... 1 Groover Hall................................................. 11 Hardman Fine Arts Building .................. 7 Human Resources/CTA ............................ 49 IFC House ..................................................... 70 Intramural Field .......................................... 30 Jesse Mercer Plaza..................................... 21 Kappa Alpha ΚΑ ......................................... 66 Kappa Alpha Psi ΚΑΨ ............................... 72 Kappa Sigma ΚΣ ......................................... 58 Knight Hall ................................................... 2 Lambda Chi Alpha ΛΧΑ ........................... 56 Langdale Hall .............................................. 9 Linden House .............................................. 43 Macon Townhouse One .......................... 79 Macon Townhouse Three........................ 86 Macon Townhouse Two........................... 88 Mary Erin Porter Hall ................................ 41 McCorkle Music Building ........................ 6 Medical School ........................................... 35 Mercer Garden One .................................. 74 Mercer Garden Three ............................... 76 Mercer Garden Two................................... 75 Mercer Hall ................................................... 17 Mercer Police............................................... 23 Mercer Village ............................................. 53 Georgia Public Broadcasting ................. 54 Newton Hall ................................................. 4 Panhellenic House..................................... 62 Patterson Building..................................... 36 Peddy Tennis Center ................................. 29 Penfield Hall (Bookstore) ........................ 16 Phi Delta Theta ΦΔΘ................................. 67 Phi Mu ΦΜ ................................................... 68 Physical Plant/Central Receiving ......... 50 Pi Kappa Phi ΠΚΦ....................................... 71 Plunkett Hall ................................................ 38 Plunkett Pool ............................................... 39 President’s Home ....................................... 5 Religious Life Center................................. 37 Roberts Hall ................................................. 10 Ryals Hall ...................................................... 8 Science & Engineering Building ........... 33 Sherwood Hall ............................................ 20 Shorter Hall .................................................. 18 Sigma Alpha Epsilon ΣΑΕ ....................... 63 Sigma Nu ΣΝ ............................................... 69 Sikes Softball Field .................................... 22 Soccer Field.................................................. 19 Stetson Building......................................... 25 Tarver Library .............................................. 26 Technology Support Services ............... 52 Tift College Alumnae House .................. 46 University Center ....................................... 24 University Commons................................ 16A W.G. Lee Alumni House ........................... 45 Ware Hall....................................................... 12 Wiggs Hall .................................................... 13 Willett Science Center.............................. 27 Willingham Hall .......................................... 3 Zeta Phi Beta ΖΦΒ ..................................... 61
Alphabetical Listing
Numerical Listing
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 16A. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89.
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2010-11 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDEE
DIRECTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY CENTER
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To coordinate practice times, please contact: Kenetta Kelly, Director of Operations (516) 209-1685 From I-75 Heading North (from Florida) Take I-75 North to the Mercer University Drive exit (Exit #163). Take a right at the top of the exit ramp onto Mercer University Drive. Turn left at the first traffic light onto Stadium Drive. At the stop sign, turn left to continue on Stadium Drive (the Hilton Garden Inn will be on your left). Proceed to the first street on the right, University Center Drive. Turn right onto University Center Drive. Continue on University Center Drive until it ends at the parking lots of the University Center (Claude Smith Baseball Field will be on the right as you approach the University Center). Go straight and turn right into the top parking lot if you are a spectator. Turn right at the baseball field and park in the middle lot if you are a visiting team. From I-75 Heading South (from Atlanta) Take I-75 South to the Mercer University Drive exit (Exit #163). Take a left at the top of the exit ramp onto Mercer University Drive and cross over I-75. Turn left at the first traffic light onto Stadium Drive. At the stop sign, turn left to continue on Stadium Drive (the Hilton Garden Inn will be on your left). Proceed to the first street on the right, University Center Drive. Turn right onto University Center Drive. Continue on University Center Drive until it ends at the parking lots of the University Center (Claude Smith Baseball Field will be on the right as you approach the University Center). Go straight and turn right into the top parking lot if you are a spectator. Turn right at the baseball field and park in the middle lot if you are a visiting team. From I-16 Heading West (from Savannah) Take I-16 West until it merges with I-75 South. Follow directions above. From I-80 Heading East Stay on Hwy. 80 until it meets Interstate 475. Take Interstate 475 North and take the Thomaston/Macon exit (there will be a sign that says exit for Mercer University Drive). Stay on Mercer University Drive for about four miles until crossing over Interstate 75. Once across I-75, turn left at the first traffic light onto Stadium Drive. At the stop sign, turn left to continue on Stadium Drive (the Hilton Garden Inn will be on your left). Proceed to the first street on the right, University Center Drive. Turn right onto University Center Drive. Continue on University Center Drive until it ends at the parking lots of the University Center (Claude Smith Baseball Field will be on the right as you approach the University Center). Go straight and turn right into the top parking lot if you are a spectator. Turn right at the baseball field and park in the middle lot if you are a visiting team.
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2010-11WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDE
ACCOMODATIONS
Comfort Suites 120 Plantation Inn Dr. (478) 314-5130
Ramada Plaza Hotel 108 First St. (478) 746-1461
Hilton Garden Inn 1220 Stadium Dr. (478) 741-5527
Red Roof Inn 3950 River Place Dr. (478) 477-7477
Holiday Inn Express 2720 Riverside Dr. (478) 745-3967
Wingate Inn 100 North Crest Dr. (478) 476-8100
LaQuinta Inn and Suites 3944 River Place Dr. (478) 475-0206
RESTAURANTS
Bear’s Den 1991 Oglethorpe St. (478) 745-9909
J. Christopher’s 220 Starcadia Cir. (478) 476-0220
Outback Steakhouse 3899 Arkwright Rd. (478) 477-1934
Bonefish Grill 5080 Riverside Dr. (478) 477-5256
Jim Shaw’s Seafood Grill 3040 Vineville Ave. (478) 746-3697
Panera Bread 181 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd. (478) 474-5451
Carrabba’s Italian Grill 3913 River Place Dr. (478) 474-5115
Jittery Joe’s Coffee 1635 Montpelier Ave. (478) 621-5400
Chili’s Grill and Bar 5080 Riverside Drive (478) 757-0169
Jocks and Jill Sports Grill 4680 Sheraton Dr. (478) 405-9232
Steak ‘n Shake 155 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd. (478) 471-6811 3420 Mercer University Dr. (478) 743-3700
El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant 610 North Ave. (478) 750-8159 3555 Mercer University Dr. (478) 471-6040 4646 Forsyth Rd. (478) 471-6990
McAlister’s Deli 6255 Zebulon Rd. (478) 405-6825 4641 Presidential Pkwy (478) 474-7783
Francar’s Buffalo Wings 1365 Linden Ave (478) 741-3338
Zaxby’s 910 Riverside Dr. (478) 750-1199 3960 Northside Dr. (478) 474-1141
Moe’s Southwest Grill 3111 Vineville Ave. (478) 742-8226
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2010-11 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDEE
AREA ATTRACTIONS
MOVIE THEATERS Amstar Cinema 16 5996 Zebulon Road (478) 474-4443 (478) 477-8077 TOURISM The Georgia Music Hall of Fame 200 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard Macon, GA 31201-3490 (478) 751-3334 Located in historic downtown Macon, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame is home to memorabilia and information on all the recording artists from the state of Georgia, including R.E.M., The Black Crowes, James Brown, Travis Tritt and many more. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame 301 Cherry Street Macon, GA 31201-3398 (478) 752-1585 The state’s official sports museum, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in downtown Macon and features exhibits and information about exceptional professional and amateur Georgia athletes such as Hank Aaron and Ty Cobb.
Macon Mall 3661 Eisenhower Parkway Macon, GA 31206 (478) 477-8840
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The Grand Opera House 651 Mulberry St Macon, GA 31201 (478) 301-5470 A historic landmark theatre operated by Mercer University, the Grand Opera House presents a wide variety of national touring Broadway shows, plays and concerts. Mercer University’s Theatre and Music departments also hold many of their productions in this beautiful theatre. The Hay House 934 Georgia Avenue Macon, GA 31201-6708 (478) 742-8155 A national historic landmark, this grand Italian Renaissance Revival mansion features grained wood work, exquisite plasterwork, stained glass windows, gold leafing and some of the countries finest examples of marbleized trompe l’oeil finishes. Tubman African-American Museum 340 Walnut Street Macon, GA 31201-0515 (478) 743-8544 This unique museum houses 14 galleries of AfricanAmerican art, artifacts and historical information.
LOCAL MALLS
The Shoppes at River Crossing 5080 Riverside Drive Macon, Georgia 31210 (478) 254-2940
EMERGENCY CONTACTS Fire Macon/Bibb County Fire Department 478-751-7370 Police Mercer Police Department 478-301-2911 Macon/Bibb County Police Department 478-7517500 Georgia State Patrol (Bibb County) 478-993-3000
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Hospital Medical Center of Central Georgia 478-633-1000 777 Hemlock Street Emergency Center 478-633-1146
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2010-11WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VISITORS GUIDE
MERCER 2010-11 SCHEDULE
Date Nov. 4 Nov. 12 Nov. 16 Nov. 19
Opponent +^GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY at Auburn at Georgia Southern $FURMAN
Location Macon, Ga. Auburn, Ala. Statesboro, Ga. Macon, Ga.
Nov. 27 Nov. 28
Georgia State Tournament Rice Atlanta, Ga. at Georgia State or Alabama A&M Atlanta, Ga.
Dec. 2 Dec. 4 Dec. 7 Dec. 20 Dec. 22 Dec.28
*at Belmont *at Lipscomb at Georgia CHARLESTON SOUTHERN UNC ASHEVILLE at Georgia Tech
Nashville, Tenn. Nashville, Tenn. Athens, Ga. Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
Jan. 3 Jan. 5 Jan. 10 Jan. 15 Jan. 17 Jan. 22 Jan. 24 Jan. 26 Jan. 29 Jan. 31
^*EAST TENNESSEE STATE ^*USC UPSTATE ^*at Campbell *at Stetson *at Florida Gulf Coast ^*NORTH FLORIDA *JACKSONVILLE *at Kennesaw State ^*at USC Upstate ^*at East Tennessee State
Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga. Buies Creek, N.C. Deland, Fla. Fort Myers, Fla. Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga. Kennesaw, Ga. Spartanburg, S.C. Johnson City, Tenn.
Feb. 5 Feb. 10 Feb. 12 Feb. 14 Feb. 18 Feb. 20 Feb. 24 Feb. 26
^*CAMPBELL ^*KENNESAW STATE ^*FLORIDA GULF COAST *STETSON *at North Florida *at Jacksonville ^*BELMONT ^*LIPSCOMB
Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga. Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga.
March 2-5
Atlantic Sun Tournament
Macon, Ga.
Time 5 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 4 p.m. 2/4 p.m. 6 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 1 p.m. 7 p.m. 5 p.m. 5 p.m. 11:45 a.m. 1 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 2 p.m. 5 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. TBA TBA 5 p.m. 2 p.m. TBA
All times are Eastern Home games in BOLD ^ Doubleheader $ Homecoming + Exhibition * Atlantic Sun conference game
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MERCER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT WILLIAM D. UNDERWOOD
Mercer during a period of dynamic growth and development for the University. Since his arrival as Mercer’s 18th President in 2006, enrollment has increased by 18 percent to more than 8,200 students. Mercer has launched a second medical school campus (in Savannah), initiated a master’slevel physician assistant program and a doctoral-level program in physical therapy and added Ph.D. programs in Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, and Nursing. Reflecting an increased emphasis on research, Mercer in 2009-10 met the criteria established by the Carnegie Foundation for reclassification as a research-doctoral university. Over the past three years, the number of Ph.D. students has increased from fewer than 25 to approximately 200, while the amount of externally funded research expenditures has grown to nearly $25 million. In addition to increased levels of funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, Mercer scientists have for the first time been funded as eminent cancer scientists by the Georgia Cancer Coalition, while other Mercer scientists are now receiving funding to support their research through the Georgia Research Alliance. The University has intensified its longstanding commitment to service-learning and community engagement under President Underwood’s leadership. During the spring of 2009, Mercer announced a $5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support continued revitalization of the College Hill Corridor between campus and downtown Macon. The groundbreaking Mercer On Mission pro-
gram, launched in 2007, has been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative as “an exemplary approach to addressing a specific global challenge.” Mercer earned the highest federal recognition for community engagement by the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2009, and in 2008 became the only university in Georgia to receive the Carnegie Foundation’s designation for “Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships.” Prior to joining Mercer, President Underwood served at Baylor University as Interim President and held the prestigious Leon Jaworski Chair at the Baylor School of Law. President Underwood is an accomplished educator and scholar. He was designated a Master Teacher at Baylor in recognition of extraordinary classroom teaching over an extended period. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation. President Underwood was awarded the J.D. degree summa cum laude by the University of Illinois College of Law in 1985, where he graduated as class salutatorian and was an editor of the University of Illinois Law Review. Following graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Sam D. Johnson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, prior to practicing law for several years with a large law firm in Dallas. He also holds an undergraduate degree from Oklahoma Baptist University, where he met his spouse, Lesli. They have two children, Jessica and William
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JIM COLE Jim Cole assumed the duties of Director of Athletics for Mercer University on July 1, 2010. Prior to that, he served as MU’s Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs, heading up the Mercer Athletics Foundation (the fund-raising arm for Bears’ athletics) concurrent with his time as a State Representative in Georgia. A native of Augusta, Cole entered Mercer on an academic scholarship in 1990 and lettered in baseball from 1990 to 1993. He was recipient of the Charles C. Morgan Outstanding Student-Athlete Award and graduated with honors from the University in 1993. Cole was drafted as a pitcher by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 and was named the franchise’s “Organizational Player of the Year” and a finalist for the TOPPS Minor League “Player of the Year Award” in 1994. After an injury ended his professional baseball career, he returned to Mercer in 1997 to earn his MBA while serving as a graduate assistant and pitching coach for the baseball team. In 1998 he served as pitching coach for the Madison Black Wolves minor league team in Madison, Wis. Cole then entered private business before being elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2004 (and serving in that capacity until 2010). Cole served as the legislative voice under the Gold Dome for the constituents of House District 125 - which includes Jasper County and parts of Monroe, Jones and Lamar Counties. His legislative duties included membership on the Appropriations Economic Development Sub-Committee (to oversees
important areas of the budget that deal with agriculture, community affairs, economic development and transportation). In addition, Cole served on the Rules, Judiciary Non-Civil and State Planning and Community Affairs Committees. Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Cole to serve as senior administration floor leader in early 2009, having served formerly as assistant floor leader from 2007-2008. Cole is an active community leader throughout the state. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Leadership Georgia, he is a member of Forsyth United Methodist Church. Cole is married to the former Gaylyn Lawson of Forsyth, where they live with their two children, Caroline and Lawson..
STAFF & COACHES
Sybil Blalock Sr. Assoc. A.D./ Senior Women Admin.
Karen Donaldson Assistant A.D. Compliance
Jim Tessmer Operations Manager
Paul Bohr Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
Penny Davis Spirit Coordinator
Nikki Bruno Cheerleading Coach
Bob Hoffman Head Coach Men’s Basketball
Jason Childs Head Coach Men’s Lacrosse
Rob Murphy Assistant A.D. Sports Medicine
Dr. Jeffrey Hugdahl Faculty Athletics Representative
Myra Cameron Athletics Coordinator
Andy Stabell Assistant Sports Information Director
Jarrad Turner Marketing & Promotions
Tim Pietrofere Pep Band Director
Erica Sullivan Staff Assistant
Craig Gibson Head Coach Baseball
Susie Gardner Head Coach Women’s Basketball
Ryan Bailey Head Coach Cross Country (M & W)
Andrew Tredway Head Coach Men’s Golf
Gary Guyer Head Coach Women’s Golf
Mickey Pearce Head Coach Rifle (M & W)
Brad Ruzzo Head Coach Men’s Soccer
Grant Serafy Head Coach Women’s Soccer
Mike Raynor Head Coach Softball
Dave Beyer Athletics Media Relations/SID
STAFF & COACHES / MERCER ATHLETIC FOUNDATION
Warren Woolfolk Head Coach Tennis (M & W)
Noelle Rooke Head Coach Volleyball
Jason Farhadi Graduate Assistant Sports Information
Jeff Graham Graduate Assistant Sports Information
Adam Bailey Graduate Assistant Marketing & Promotions
The Mercer Athletics Foundation was created in 2007 as the fundraising arm for Mercer University Athletics. Members of the Foundation annually set goals to raise funds which have been used to undertake such projects as hiring a full-time strength and conditioning coach, enhancing recruiting budgets, providing additional scholarships and to help increase salaries to attract and retain outstanding coaches. The MAF has many ways by which individuals and businesses alike can become involved and help keep the Bears’ athletics program at the forefront.
A Message from the Atletic Foundation President “As a former student-athlete and now as a Mercer alumna, I am excited about the future of the Mercer Athletics program. We are bringing to our campus some of the brightest and most talented student-athletes in the country. “As you can see, Mercer has had outstanding recent success, both in competition and in the classroom. In order to provide student-athletes with the best possible resources for maximum success in the future, we need your help. “Would you consider joining the Athletics Foundation today and encourage our studentathletes with your financial support and attendance when the Bears compete on the playing fields and courts?” --Diane Owens
Sports Medicine Department
Rob Murphy
The Mission of the Sports Medicine Department is to provide quality comprehensive healthcare to student-athletes. The health and well-being of student-athletes is the number one priority. Student-athletes have access to therapeutic services such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy, rehabilitation, nutritional counseling and preventative physical medicine.
Assistant Athletic Director /Director of Sports Medicine Men’s Basketball
The Mercer Sports Medicine department utilizes a state-of-the-art athletic training facility in the university center. The athletic training room consists of a treatment, taping and rehabilitation area. The rehabilitation area is equipped with a treadmill, exercise bikes in addition to a variety of weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, and other rehabilitation equipment which can be used to facilitate injury rehabilitations. The athletic training area also has an enclosed hydrotherapy room with an eightperson cold whirlpool and smaller extremity whirlpools. There are also offices for the staff and a physician exam room. The athletic training room also has easy access to the weight room and the University Center pool. The facility is staffed by two full-time certified athletic trainers and six graduate assistant certified athletic trainers, a family practice physician and an orthopedic surgeon. The staff works with other group of health-care providers to bring a comprehensive care to the student-athletes and acts as a liaison with nutritionists, dentist, cardiologists, and many other specialists.
Assistants Laura Nelsen -Baseball -Cross Country
Shawn Wolf -Softball -Cross Country
Hannah Smith -Volleyball -Tennis
Jesse Kolodziejski -Women’s Soccer -Men’s Golf
Sean Robb -Men’s Soccer -Women’s Golf
Tyler Fredlund -Lacrosse -Rifle
Strength and Conditioning The strength and conditioning program at Mercer has three primary goals. These goals are to maximize athleticism, minimize injuries and increase mental/physical toughness. The way this is accomplished is by primarily utilizing ground based, multi-joint, triple extension, explosive exercises. Athletes will perform exercises of all types but focus is put on three main exercise styles: Olympic lifting, power lifting and plyometrics. The goal is to try and replicate the movements, velocities and forces that are experienced during competition of the athlete's sport. Served by a professional full-time strength and conditioning coach as well as an assistant coach, Mercer Athletics provides a full range of weight training and exercise equipment to assist Mercer’s approximately 226 student-athletes in reaching their athletic potential through strength training and conditioning. Easily accessible from anywhere in the University Center, the equipment includes the following: • three top of the line power lift full racks • over 3,000 pounds of plates • a line of variable resistant machines • three sets of Iron Grip dumbbells • five free standing adjustable benches
Paul Bohr
Eric Pohl
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Strength and Conditioning Graduate Asssitant
ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE BUILDING Continuing a tradition of academic achievement, a record 60 percent of all student-athletes earned All-Academic status during the 2009-10 academic year. Lipscomb edged out Belmont, the seven-time winner of the All-Academic Trophy, to win its first such trophy with close to 72 percent of its the student-athletes achieving All-Academic status with grade point nt averages of a 3.00, or better. Several Bisons teams received national recognition for their success in the classroom. Both the men’s and women’s track & field teams posted team GPAs among the top five in the nation - the only school in the country to boast that distinction. n. Jacksonville’s women’s track team received their ninth straight USTFCCCA All-Academic honor. Lipscomb’s women’s basketball etball team posted the ninth best GPA in the country and the conference champion volleyball team led five A-Sun schools in receiving ceiving an AVCA Team Academic Award. The Stetson men’s tennis team led the nation with nine student-athletes earning the honor of Scholar Athlete from the Intercollegiate ntercollegiate Tennis Association. A total of five A-Sun schools and 24 student-athletes received recogntion from the ITA. Stetson and Belmontt joined only 16 other Division I schools considered an All-Academic squad in both men’s and women’s tennis. For the first time the NCAA released single-year APR for Division I head coaches in six sports dating back to 2003-04, the beginning of the program. All 11 A-Sun schools produced a coach who had a year of a perfect score of 1000 and the league produced a total of 25 seasons with scores of 1000. Seven of the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball recorded at least one score of 1000 and five teams had a score of 1000 in 2008-09, the most recent year recorded by the NCAA. WINNERS Four A-Sun teams received Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association All-Sports Trophies in recognition of their performances in NCAA postseason play. Lipscomb’s softball team, ETSU’s men’s tennis squad plus UNF’s men’s golf team and women’s tennis carried the conference to the third-highest total by any one conference. Golf continued to boom in the conference as three league members on the women’s side advanced to NCAA play for the first time in conference play. Women’s golf became the first sport in the conference to produce three NCAA participants since baseball in 2003. At the NCAA Regionals, ETSU’s Nina Muehl opened with an 8-under 64, the single lowest round carded in all of Division I golf and became just the second golfer from the A-Sun to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships The Ospreys’ men’s golf team spent the year ranked among the top programs in the country alongside ETSU. Both advanced to NCAA postseason play and the Ospreys made the nationals for the first time as a conference member. Sophomore Sean Dale earned AllAmerica honors and qualified for the US Amateur, as did his teammates Kevin Alywin and Kevin Phelan. Phelan opened his summer by qualifying for the US Open at Pebble Beach. ETSU’s Rhys Enoch tied for the individual title at the NCAA East Regional and his play carried into summer as he made his second Palmer Cup team and advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the British Amateur. Individual performances stood out on the diamond as FGCU’s Chris Sale became a consensus All-America en route to becoming the conference’s fourth first-round pick in the last two years. ETSU’s Paul Hoilman contended for the national triple crown and burst onto the national scene by winning the first-ever home run derby competition - contested at historic Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. Mercer’s Jacob Tanis finished one RBI shy of the national lead in pacing the Bears back to the top of the A-Sun for the first time in more than 25 years. In softball, two hurlers established themselves among the best in the nation. Lipscomb’s Whitney Kiihnl and USC Upstate’s Morgan Childers each topped the 30-win mark - a first for the conference. The two traded the national lead in ERA throughout the season and when the year came to a close, Kiihnl finished with the best mark in the nation with Childers taking a close second. Kiihnl and Childers ranked second and third in the country in fewest hits allowed per seven innings. For the first time in league history, the conference’s last remaining charter member, Mercer, hosted the General Shale Brick Basketball Championships. The hosts advanced to the final of the men’s event setting up a standing-room-only event at the University Center against ETSU. In the end the Buccaneers won back-to-back titles. Jacksonville advanced to the NIT for the straight second year and provided the league’s first win in the event since 1996 when Ben Smith connected on a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds to stun top-seeded Arizona State.
THIS IS THE ATLANTIC SUN
For more than 30 years the Atlantic Sun Conference has stood for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas with a focus on the balance between the two for its studentathletes. The A-Sun boasts a blend of the most dynamic and prestigious private and public institutions in the region, with all committed to the conference goal of Building Winners for Life.
On the women’s side ETSU became the third A-Sun school to win three straight titles, FGCU advanced to the WNIT for a third consecutive year and USC Upstate registered its first 20-win season as a Divisioon I program. FOR LIFE Alums from the Atlantic Sun, both recent and historic continued to excel at the highest levels. Within the span of three days, FGCU produced its first two major league baseball players. Two pitchers of the Eagles’ 2008 A-Sun Championship squad, Casey Coleman and Sale, took their talents to Chicago as Coleman broke in with the Cubs and Sale soared through the White Sox system after spending less than two months in the minors. In late June, former Stetson All-American Chris Johnson returned to the Astros lineup and hit over .380 his first two months as a regular.