Longhorn Life Spring Sports 2015

January 30, 2015

BASKETBALL

A special edition of The Daily Texan

BASEBALL

TEXAS 4000

Get the latest updates on Longhorn Men and Women’s Basketball for the 2014-15 season.

Read up on our baseball predictions before the Longhorns’ awaited season opener.

Explore Texas students’ journey to Alaska on a mission to raise funds for cancer research.

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorn Life

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Longhorns, Allow me to welcome you all back to a new semester, which I can only hope is off to a good start!

For some, this is your last semester. To those of you I encourage you to embrace these last few months in an educational safety blanket fondly. I fully understand, since I have been wrapped up in the same one. Sadly, the time to let go is upon us.

For many, you still have a few more semesters to get through. It’s OK—they will pass by before you know it. To those in their second semester, I hope you had the opportunity to get the lay of the land and adjust to college life, new cultures, the weird city of Austin and Texas’ unpredictable weather.

However, that last one may take a few more years.

CONTENTS Sports Schedule

pg.5

Plan your upcoming, home spring sports games to catch your Longhorns in action.

Longhorn Basketball

STAFF

Most importantly, it’s not only a new semester, but also a new year! The time we make resolutions we know we will break but insist on making anyhow. It just so happens that Longhorn Life has a few resolutions we challenge you to put on a trial run this semester as well.

Understandably, we all get caught up in our hustling assignments and extra curricular obligations, but make time to do some out-of-comfort exploring this year. Stray away from your pigeonholed routine and go bowling at The Union, take a study break away from the PCL or take the East Campus bus to

UFCU Disch-Falk Field and play ball.

The same concept applies to venture Austin.

Four years is hardly enough to fully experience every aspect this unique metropolitan has to offer, but it is surely a good start. Try that restaurant you always hear people talk about, participate in one of the many outdoor activities or attend a local musician’s show just because.

Essentially, don’t take missed opportunities too lightly here, because chances are they won’t come around as often.

Luckily, Longhorn Life’s got you covered on all you need to know, which is not just our resolution,

but also our job!

Here at Longhorn Life we are following our own advice. We are stepping away from our comfort zone by covering University sports for the first time. I would like to thank the sports team at The Daily Texan for helping us venture out with this edition. I am a firm believer in the beauty of collaboration, and it was more than a pleasure to combine talents with The Texan’s writers and photographers this round.

Enjoy your 2015!

Gayle Bustamante Special Editions Editor

SEE WHAT’S ON DECK ONLINE

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Learn what Track and Field Coach Buford-Bailey learned while coaching at UT Austin.

Texas 4000

pg.19

Take a journey with the Texas bikers, as they share their experience biking to Alaska to support cancer research.

Writers Jasmine Barnes, Lana Baumgartner, Evan Berkowitz, Nick Castillo, Kelly Coles, Priyanka Deshpande, Victoria Garabedian, Nancy Huang, Emma Ledford, Jacob Martella, Jenna Million, Hayden Pigott, Peter Sblendorio, Anshuman Singhal, Jeremy Thomas Photographers Taylor Harton, Pu Ying Huang, Victoria Garabedian, Chansey Liu, Ethan Oblak, Sam Ortega, Lac Hong Pham, Shelby Tauber

TSM ADVERTISING & CREATIVE SERVICES Director Gerald Johnson Operations Manager Frank Serpas Advertising Manager Denise Twellmann Broadcast & Events Manager Carter Goss Advertising Sales Rep Robert Meute

Special Editions & Production Coordinator Stephen Salisbury Senior Graphic Designer Daniel Hublein Cover Designer Jannice Truong

Study up on all the new styles and trends to look out for in the new year.

5 Things

Designers Daniel Hublein, Jannice Truong

Student Account Executives Andrea Avalos, Keegan Bradley, Danielle Lotz, Destanie Nieto, Xiaowen Zhang

Meet the catcher with an impressive batting average continue to take college baseball by grand slam.

New Styles

Associate Editor Jennifer Townzen

Advertising Assistant Shukree Shabazz Student Manager Rohan Needel

pg.6

Get up to speed on Longhorn Basketball, as the team continues its 2014-15 season.

Baseball Spotlight

Special Editions Editor Gayle Bustamante

Subscribe for updates, photos and more.

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Longhorn Life is an advertising special edition of The Daily Texan produced by students in Texas Student Media’s special editions office. Reach us at txlonghornlife@gmail.com. Copyright 2014 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

CONTACT TSM: We are located in the Hearst Student Media building (HSM).

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Longhorn Life

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

EVENT CALENDAR

FILM SCREENINGS

WHAT’S HAPPENING TEXAS UNION THEATRE All free film screenings are shown in the Texas Union Theatre, UNB 2.228, unless otherwise specified.

02/05 02/11 02/12 02/19 02/25 03/05 03/11

Nightcrawler @ 6 & 9 p.m.

The Lego Movie @ 9 p.m.

The Book of Life @ 6 and 9 p.m.

John Wick @ 6 & 9 p.m.

Hot Fuzz @ 9 p.m.

Horns @ 6 & 9 p.m.

The Grand Budapest Hotel @ 9 p.m.

Sun.

Mon.

Tue.

CAMPUS EVENTS 02/06

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, 8 p.m., Texas Performing Arts

02/12

Refugia, 7:30 p.m.(Feb. 12-14), 2 p.m.(Feb. 14-15), B. Iden Payne Theatre

02/16

Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Bates Recital Hall, Music Building (MRH)

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS 02/10

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Harry Ransom Center

02/15

Austin Marathon & Half Marathon, 7 a.m., Downtown Austin

02/28

Carnaval Brasileiro, 7:30 p.m., Palmer Events Center

STUDENT ORGANIZATION EVENTS 02/09

Masqerade in the Park, 6 p.m., SAC 2.41NS

Wed.

Thur.

Fri.

Sat. 1/30 Pat Green

FEBRUARY

8 p.m. @ ACL Live, Moody Theater

2/1

2/2

2/3

2/4

2/5

2/6

2/7

DJ Roger Wilson

Rakim

Zola Jesus

Boyfrndz

Guster

Wale

Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull

8 p.m. @ Spider House Ballroom

7 p.m. @ The Mohawk

6:30 p.m. @ The Mohawk

9 p.m. @ Red 7

8 p.m. @ Stubb’s

8:30 p.m. @ Emo’s

7:30 p.m. @ Frank Erwin Center

2/8

2/9

2/10

2/11

2/12

2/13

2/14

Sonny Wolf

Chelsea Barbo

Lloyd Cole

Kat Edmonson

Alice Cooper

Brian Wolfe

Shinyribs

2/15

2/16

2/17

2/18

2/19

2/20

2/21

Echosmith

John Waters

Paul Walker Trio

Marcus Rios Duo

Clint Manning Trio

Taking Back Sunday

Jagged Luck

9 p.m. @ Dizzy Rooster

8 p.m. @ Emo’s

7 p.m. @ Bungalow

6:30 p.m. @ ACL Live, Moody Theater

8:30 p.m. @ Cactus Cafe

9 p.m. @ The Thirsty Nickel

6:30 p.m. @ ACL Live, Moody Theater

7 p.m. @ Bat Bar

6:30 p.m. @ ACL Live, Moody Theater

8:30 p.m. @ The Nook

4 p.m. @ The Thirsty Nickel

6:30 p.m. @ Emo’s

10:30 p.m. @ Grune Hall

8 p.m. @ Amped Austin

2/22

2/23

2/24

2/25

2/26

2/27

2/28

Mike Valliere

The Nightowls

Stanley Smith

Treble Soul

Desert Noises

Glen Collins

Fred Spence Duo

5 p.m. @ Chuggin’ Monkey

9 p.m. @ The Highball

6 p.m. @ Elephant Room

9 p.m. @ Amped Austin

8 p.m. @ Stubb’s

8 p.m. @ Buddy’s Place

10 p.m. @ CU-29

Longhorn Life

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

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SPRING SPORTS CALENDAR: HOME GAMES

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BASEBALL 01/31

Alumni Game 1 p.m., Disch Stadium

02/17

UT San Antonio 6 p.m., Disch Stadium

02/20

Minnesota 6 p.m., Disch Stadium

SOFTBALL 02/13

IPFW 7 p.m., McCombs Field

02/13

Wichita State 11 a.m., McCombs Field

02/14

Colorado State 1 p.m., McCombs Field

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 02/08

Baylor 1 p.m., Frank Erwin Center

02/18

Kansas State 7 p.m., Frank Erwin Center

MEN’S BASKETBALL 02/04

Oklahoma State 7 p.m., Frank Erwin Center

02/11

TCU 7 p.m., Frank Erwin Center

MEN & WOMEN’S SWIMMING 01/30

Arizona & SMU 5 p.m., Texas Swimming Center

01/31

Arizona & SMU 10 a.m., Texas Swimming Center

02/06

TCU 4 p.m., Texas Swimming Center

WOMEN’S TENNIS 01/31

Rice 1 p.m., Weller Indoor Tennis Center

MEN’S TENNIS 02/06

Washington 6 p.m., Weller Indoor Tennis Center

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FEATURE

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorn Life

Longhorns ready to make a run after challenging start to the season

By Peter Sblendorio THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

S

o far the 201415 season hasn’t gone as smoothly as Texas may have hoped.

The Longhorns have already faced their fair share of adversity through the first two months of the season.

Starting point guard Isaiah Taylor missed six weeks after breaking his left wrist in the third game of the season, while junior guard Javan Felix was banged up for much of the season, too.

The team then struggled to play cohesively at the start of conference play, dropping two of its first three games in which it was favored. All of these challenges added up to account for four losses the first 16 games of the year for a team that entered the season ranked No. 10 in the nation.

“I think every team goes through [adversity],” said head coach Rick Barnes. “I know that we had to deal with some situations – the Isaiah situation, and Javan being hurt.

That doesn’t excuse the fact that we didn’t compete like we had to.

There’s no excuse for that and that was our message to them. We

Photo by Ethan Oblak Sophomore point guard Isaiah Taylor goes up against Alcorn State with a spotlight dunk, leading to an 85-53 victory over the Braves.

don’t have to be really complicated in what we are going to do, but we have to compete.”

The Longhorns are eager to make these early season challenges a thing of the past and go back to playing the way they did at the beginning of the year.

Texas started the season 10-1, with its only loss coming on the road to No. 1 Kentucky, before dropping three of its next five games.

Texas appeared to make its first step towards returning to form on Jan. 17 with its convincing 77-50 home victory over No.

16 West Virginia. The Longhorns used their considerable size to bully the Mountaineers in the paint, the same formula they used to beat their much smaller non-conference opponents at the beginning of the year.

“Coming into this game [against West Virginia], we knew we had to play with that team [from the beginning of the year],” said senior forward Johnathan Holmes.

“The team we had been playing with the last couple of months ago, if we would have come out like that, it would

have embarrassed us, because they played really hard and they are a really good team.

So we knew we had a week to prepare, get our minds right and pick ourselves back

up.”

Holmes was one of three Texas big men to score at least 16 points in the victory, along with freshman forward Myles Turner and junior center Cam

Ridley. Ridley, who has had a down year after a breakout sophomore campaign in 2013-14, was especially key, as he set a physical tone down low for the Longhorns, and ended the game 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

“We talk about what our roles are and up to this point, I haven’t been playing my role and doing the things that I should do,” Ridley said. “I changed my mind and wanted to do right and get better for the team.”

For the Longhorns, the reemergence of Ridley and the dynamic Texas frontcourt figures to be vital for a team still very much focused on winning a Big 12 title this season.

They’ve battled adversity all season long, and now the Longhorns are hopeful to put all of the challenges behind them.

Photo by Shelby Tauber Senior forward Jonathan Holmes concentrates at the free-throw line against California.

r .

Longhorn Life

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

INTO THE VALLEY: TEXAS BASKETBALL RANKINGS SO FAR Preseason Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12

0

5

10

15

20

Women's AP Ranking

Women's Coaches Poll

Men's AP Ranking

Men's Coaches Poll

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FEATURE

Longhorn Life

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Painful postseason loss fuels 2015 Longhorns

By Nick Castillo THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

Photo by Shelby Tauber Catcher Tres Barrera focuses while up to bat against Oklahoma State in the 2014 regular season. The Longhorns hope to prevail in the 2015 season after a devastating loss in the College World Series.

A

fter falling a game short of playing for a national championship last season, Texas is looking to redeem itself and make a return trip to Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series.

In an elimination game against Vanderbilt, junior shortstop C.J. Hinojosa smashed a ball into deep right-center field in the top of the 10th inning.

Instead of falling on the turf for an extra-base hit,

the ball was snagged by Vanderbilt’s Rhett Wiseman, who slid to catch it for an out.

“Probably the best swing I had all day,” Hinojosa said. “And off the bat I did think it was over his head. He’s a good outfielder, he tracked it well and made a great play on it.”

In the bottom frame, Louisville had the bases loaded and was able to squeak out an infield single to walk-off.

Although the loss stung,

the Longhorns plan to use the painful exit from the College World Series as motivation for the 2015 season.

“I’m not over [the World Series loss] yet,” head coach Augie Garrido said during fall practice. “I don’t want to get over it.

I want to be motivated by it. I’m excited to get us started.”

During fall practice, senior pitcher Parker French said that while the loss hurt, he thinks the team will be able to

rebound with ease.

“I don’t think there’s much of a hangover effect,” French said. “I think it’s more guys are just hungry. We all have a common goal, we know what that is. We got a little bit of taste of success last year, but we’re not done, and we want more, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

French and junior right-hand pitcher Chad Hollingsworth will lead a pitching staff that will anchor Texas’ team.

The Longhorns have a multitude of players returning this year. Headlining that group is Hinojosa, sophomore catcher Tres Barrera, sophomore infielder Zane Gurwitz, junior outfielder Ben Johnson, junior infielder Brooks Marlow and senior right fielder Collin Shaw.

But the path back to Omaha won’t be easy.

Alongside Texas, the Big 12 has three other schools in D1baseball.com’s top 25 – TCU, Oklahoma

State and Texas Tech. The Longhorns also play two top-25 teams in nonconference play – Nebraska and Rice.

While the road to a national championship is full of challenges, Texas’ experience last year will be its motivation.

“Like anything — whether it’s a failure or a success — you can use that for the future,” French said. “You can learn from anything … so, we’ll use those experiences moving forward.”

Longhorn Life

5 Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Page 9

TEXAS’ 2014 SEASON RECORD Overall

Home

Away

Neutral

All Games

46-21-0

23-10-0

13-6-0

10-5-0

Conference

13-11-0

5-7-0

8-4-0

0-0-0

Non-conference

33-10-0

18-3-0

5-2-0

10-5-0

Post-season

3-2-0

--

--

3-2-0

5-14-0

--

8-9-0

2-6-0

TEXAS’ 2013 SEASON RECORD All Games

27-24-0

22-10-0

TEXAS’ 2012 SEASON RECORD All Games

30-22-0

20-7-0

Texas’ recrds have been trending upwards, and the team hpes that the 2015 season will bring them back to the playoffs, poised to win another title.

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Longhorn Life

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorn Life

STILL YOUNG, BARRERA WILL BE A STAR

By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

Ignore his shaky start.

Ignore that .128 batting average with one walk through his first 15 games, because since then, sophomore catcher Tres Barrera has been a stud.

Barrera hit .325 the rest of the way since his struggling start. On top of that, he threw out a ridiculous 42 percent of base stealers.

If he keeps up those numbers for a full season, he could be one of the best catchers in college, and he is just a sophomore with a few years still ahead of him. But I don’t think he’ll put up those numbers for a full season. I think they’ll be even better.

His defense is a given. He has a laser of an arm, to the point where opposing runners shouldn’t even think about going. He calls a beautiful game, calling pitches for the fourth best pitching staff in college last year.

However, it’s his offense that can elevate him into the next echelon of players and can take him from his 2014 second-team freshman status, to one of the All-American teams. And he has the tools. He proved he could hit average. And after his season ended, he proved he could hit for power, something that UFCU Disch-Falk Field, a pitcher’s park, hid. When you look at his five homers on the year, you may not be impressed, but Barrera can boom it.

At the 2014 College Home Run Derby at TD Ameritrade park in Omaha, Nebraska, which is home of the College World Series, Barrera spanked 41 homers to claim the title while still a true freshman.

But that performance at the Home Run Derby gets even more impressive than the 41 total. In the final round, where most players are usually tired out, he hit a record 25 long balls, including the first ever homeruns hit to center field at that park.

Homeruns. Plural. Impressive.

Now give him a full season to get even stronger and refine that swing, and Barrera could be a 20-homer guy, something that’s not easy at The Disch.

He does have a few weaknesses still. He still strikes out way too often, something he needs to improve on. He isn’t a speedster by any stretch of the imagination. But Tres Barrera will be a star.

Mark it down.

Photo by Pu Ying Huang Star player Tres Barrera shows his potential as he swings across the plate against Oklahoma State.

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Longhorn Life

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FEATURE

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorns keep focus through recent challenges

By Jeremy Thomas THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

C

losing Red River Street south of MLK Jr. Boulevard hasn’t slowed down Texas Longhorn basketball.

The season is in full swing for the women’s basketball team and they have faced their fair share of peaks and valleys.

Third-year head coach Karen Aston helped bring the team back to the forefront on the 40 Acres. Last season she coached the team to its first postseason win since 2008.

The Longhorns entered the season as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 Conference and opened their campaign ranked No. 9 nationally.

Aston said she thinks the team has a good blend of players for the first time in three years.

“Our team is going to be exciting,” she said. “It’s going to be one of those teams where the word is going to get out that we’re a fun team to watch.”

The quality mixture of players on this year’s roster gives the team tons of potential.

The incoming freshmen class was one of the most talked about in the program’s history.

The coaching staff signed a top freshman recruiting class with forward Diani Akigbogun (Gatorade Colorado Girls Basketball Player of the Year) and guards Ariel Atkins (national high school player of the year), Tasia Forman (a top-25 guard in the class of 2014

by ESPN) and Brooke McCarty (a top 15 overall

Photo by Joshua Guerra Freshman guard Brook McCarty is one of several new recruits who have exceeded expectations for the Longhorns this season.

recruit by ESPN).

“It’s exciting—the potential of this team—and I’m cautious with the ‘potential’ word because that’s what it is right now,” said Aston. “You’re asking [the sophomores] to step forward … and the freshmen not to be freshmen and contribute heavily to our team.”

Outside of the incoming class, Texas brings back experience to this season’s squad led by senior forward Nneka Enemkpali and guard Krystle Henderson. Junior guards Brady Sanders, Empress Davenport and Celina Rodrigo lead the team in assists per game, respectively.

The underclassmen and veterans combined add-

ed depth for the team.

This depth was utilized this season when the Longhorn coaching staff called upon sophomore

“

Lang said rebounding was one aspect of her game she focused this offseason.

“With Imani out, Nneka

We are still our team and we still have great players...

Our goals are still the same and everything that we want to do is still achievable.”

- Ariel Atkins, Freshman Guard

center Kelsey Lang to fill the void of injured junior center Imani McGeeStafford.

Lang stepped into the role and is the second leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 10.6 points per game and 6.2 boards per game.

[Enemkpali] obviously can rebound, but she can’t do it by herself, so I really focused on that in the offseason,” Lang said.

“I just try to go pursue every ball I can.”

The Longhorns started the season without McGee-Stafford and

freshman Diani Akigbogun due to injuries, and more players have been injured since.

Enemkpali is out for the remainder of the season after she tore her ACL in an earlier January game. Enemkpali had a streak of seven consecutive double-doubles. She ends her career at Texas as the 37th player in UT Austin history to score 1,000 career points and ninth on the all-time UT Austin rebounding list.

Before her injury, she led the team in points and the conference in total rebounds and rebounds per game.

Despite such high hopes for this season, Enemkpali said earlier this season that the expecta-

tions for a team would never change.

“You always want to be playing in April and that’s our goal,” Enemkpali said. “We want to use our preseason to field us through our regular season and Big 12 [Tournament] to get us playing in April.”

The Horns started the season 13-0. This is the first time since the 1986 championship team the Longhorns went undefeated (11-0) with their non-conference regular season schedule, which included wins against three top-five nationally ranked opponents (Stanford, Tennessee and Texas A&M).

But just like Austin traffic, the closer it gets to 5 p.m. the heavier and more difficult the ride becomes.

Near the end of January, the Longhorns have lost four of its last five games.

The Longhorns were outscored 143–108 in the second halves of those four losses.

The team must now rely upon each other even more in the face of adversity.

But freshman Ariel Akins said the team’s focus remains the same.

“We are still our team and we still have great coaches and great players,” Atkins said. “Things happen and you have to go through things in order to get to where you want to be. I feel like it gives us more motivation to do what we wanted to do at the beginning of the season. Our goals are still the same and everything that we want to do is still achievable.”

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorn Life

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EDITORIAL

Longhorn Life

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorns must survive stretch in Big 12 schedule

By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

When it comes to arguing which conference is the best in basketball, the clear consensus is that the Big 12 is at or near the top, along with the ACC. Through a couple of weeks of conference play, the teams in the conference have proven that point with the majority of the games being fights to the very end.

The Longhorns already figured out that there will be no “gimme-games” in the conference this year.

They survived a tough battle in Lubbock and then suffered tough back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, which stymied the early season momentum the team had built.

Now the Longhorns are in a difficult stretch of games. They faced off against Kansas at home and traveled to play Iowa State, and now face Baylor, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. The Longhorns are going to have to find a way to survive this stretch. After a loss in Kansas and another against Oklahoma State, their shot at wrestling away the Big 12 regular season title from the Jayhawks has passed, and now their shot at a high seed for the NCAA tournament hangs in the balance.

Prior to the losses, the Longhorns sat in the identical situation they

Photos by (from left to right) Shelby Tauber, Ethan Oblak Left: Sophomore Kendal Yancy guards the ball against California on Nov. 21, Right: Junior Demarcus Holland looks to pass the ball for a 85-53 win against Alcorn State on Nov.16.

were in a year ago, with a 2-2 record and facing a rough stretch of games. Texas managed to pull off four straight wins over ranked opponents to become a virtual lock for the NCAA tournament and announce itself to the rest of the conference.

But while the situation may look the same for this year’s squad, there are a few key differences. First, the Longhorns are no longer unknowns in the conference. Last year,

no one expected Texas to really compete as well as they did.

This year there’s more of a target on the team’s back. No one is overlooking the Longhorns, especially after returning nearly every player from last year’s team, adding freshman Myles Turner and putting up a strong showing in Lexington back in early December.

Also, scoring has been much more of an issue for the team in the early going of conference play. Through

four conference games prior to this stretch, the Longhorns have averaged 64 points per game. In the game against Oklahoma on Jan. 5, Texas only mustered 14 points in the first half en route to a 70-49 loss. Some of this likely has to do with sophomore guard Isaiah Taylor trying to re-find his spot on the

“

team after returning from a broken wrist, but a large part of it has to do with the fact that Texas has no threat on the perimeter. In order for the offense to turn it around, and with it the fortune of the team, the guards, like Taylor, junior Javan Felix and sophomore Demarcus Holland, are going to have to step up and

This tough stretch of the conference schedule will show if the Longhorns are going to be contenders in the Big 12 and NCAA tournament.”

keep opponents from packing it in the paint.

This tough stretch of the conference schedule will show if the Longhorns are going to be contenders in the Big 12 and NCAA tournament, like most experts thought before the season began, or fall away like many teams before them.

There’s a saying around tournament time that it’s all about “survive and advance.”

But in order for the Longhorns to get to that spot, they must survive and advance through this stretch of Big 12.

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Longhorn Life

Page 15

STYLE

New Year, New Trends

N

ew year, new you? Of course!

You will look like you just hopped off the catwalk in Paris, Milan or London if you try out a few of these 2015 trends.

Tassels Channel your inner flapper and bring back the tassels. They were all over London Fashion Week and street-style photos feature them across the globe. Preen went extremely colorful, while Whistles was all black. You can get some tassel jewelry for much cheaper than the runway

at Bauble Bar: the trend has touched every accessory from earrings to bracelets.

Polos Polos are a mainstay of preppy fashion culture, but this year’s runways have seen them in all different colors and patterns. From J. Crew to Hugo Boss, models sported them everywhere.

Some included another 2015 trend—transparency, specifically along the bottom. Others were two-toned, but some were the classic polos you think of a Ralph Lauren model wearing.

Suede Channel your inner

cowboy and grab some suede boots, jackets and pants. Jason Wu tackled the difficult fabric and most fashion editors loved the results. Colors like forest green and mustard yellow were big on the runways.

Denim No, this trend is not just about blue jeans. Denim made it to the catwalk in basically every kind of clothing imaginable.

Coats, jumpsuits, dresses—you name it—they made it out of denim.

Some of the very popular denim looks came emblazoned with jewels and broaches. Burberry Prorsum featured denim jackets with white tassels

hanging from hip-level, and Bottega Veneta had deep-v dresses splashed with black leather. Denim was huge for basically every designer, and it is an easy fabric to incorporate into your spring wardrobe as well.

Bright Floral Yes, floral is always big in the spring, but never has it been this bright.

Miu Miu took over the runway with bold blue flowers and Celine was a hit with maxi dresses adorned in bright pink roses. Louis Vuitton went in a completely different direction and threw flowers on tracksuits, while Carolina Herrera took the Hawaiian shirt idea

Graphic by Janice Truong

By Hayden Pigott LONGHORN LIFE STAFF

to a new level with maxi skirts.

Head-to-Toe-White Wearing white after Labor Day is a big no-no, but white after the first of the year? Yes please! This year’s men and women

fashion were all over the white on white featuring Oxford shirts with offwhite pants and off-white sweaters with bright white shorts. Complete the outfit with a pair of suede thong sandals and you are good to go.

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5 Things I Learned: Coaching at UT Austin Compiled by Gayle Bustamante LONGHORN LIFE EDITOR

Tonja Buford-Bailey is the men and women’s sprint and relay coach and an Olympic Bronze medal winner. She has been here at the University of Texas at Austin since 2013, but was previously the head women’s track and field coach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

1

What happens at UT Austin changes the world.

2

Academic excellence is a requirement at UT Austin.

Tonja BufordBailey

3

Athletic excellence can be achieved with all the resources here at UT Austin.

Track and Field Associate Head Coach, Sprints/Hurdles/Relays

4

The athletic department at UT Austin prepares student athletes for success in life.

Olympic Bronze Medal Winner

5

Coaching at UT Austin is fun!!

At UT: 2 years

Photo by Shelby Tauber Senior Ashley Spencer competing on Buford-Bailey’s relay team in Kentucky this year.

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

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IMPACT

Page 19

getting involved on campus

Students Bike 4000 Miles to Fight Cancer

By Samantha Meyers LONGHORN LIFE STAFF

M

ore than 80 UT Austin students biked on the Texas 4000 team from Austin to Anchorage, AL in support of cancer research this summer.

“We are a cancerfighting organization; basically the whole point is that we cultivate the next generation of leaders and activists in the fight against cancer,” said Anjali Sethi, who plans to bike to Alaska next summer. “What a lot of people think we do is just raise money, but it’s so much more than that.”

Texas 4000 has three pillars that the members aim to embody: hope, knowledge and charity.

Along with raising at least $ 4,500, or approximately one dollar for every mile that each rider bikes, Texas 4000 team members volunteer with local cancer fighting charities, give presentations at community and research centers and visit cancer patients in hospitals around the country.

Texas 4000 applicants begin their journey 18 months before they complete the ride. During this time they train, volunteer and get to know their teammates at meetings on Monday evenings.

“Every Monday night we start off with ride dedications,” Sethi said.

“We have ‘Why I Ride’ presentations- so that’s when you really get to know your teammates, and they give you even

Photo coutesy of Texas 4000 Members of the 2014 team celebrate as they enter Alaska during the last legs of their trip.

more of a reason to fight.

You fight for each other, you hear their stories of what initially attracted them to Texas 4000 and then why they’re here now, today. Their stories have changed, but that initial reason is still there.

Every week we have more people to ride for. “ While Texas 4000 is an immensely athletic challenge, members of the organization do not come from exclusively athletic backgrounds. In fact, some members of the 2014 team did not know how to ride a bike when then joined the organization. What the members of Texas 4000 do have in common is a motivation to make a tangible difference in the fight against cancer.

“As cliché as it sounds,

Texas 4000 attracts people who truly do want to change the world,” Kevin Helgren, who completed his ride this past summer, said. “One of the alumni has told me-and this has stuck with me for so long- ‘It’s awesome to be proud of Texas 4000 and everything that it represents, but don’t ever let Texas 4000 be the biggest or best thing that you do.’

We have different stories, we want to do different things with our lives, but at the same time we’ve all been effected by cancer.”

Riders undergo a rigorous training program during the 18 months leading up to their ride.

Despite having to log more than 1,500 training miles before their summer journey, Helgren insists that it’s impossible

to fully prepare for the ride itself.

“You apply 18 months in advance with the idea of preparing yourself physically, mentally and emotionally for the ride, but at the end of the day, those 18 months don’t mean a thing once you get on that bike,” Helgren said. “Every single turn was unpredictable. We didn’t know if we were going to turn down a road that had construction covering the entire road or that we would make a right turn in the middle of British Columbia and see a pack of bison covering the highway. At the end of the day nothing can quite prepare you for a 70-day bike ride, which for me, made for a very exciting summer.”

Texas 4000 alumni de-

scribe the ride as a truly life changing experience.

Now, in the months following the ride, Helgren reflects on the lasting impact of his Texas 4000 experience.

“My two big take-aways from Texas 4000 would be just how important vulnerability is, and how important it is to let others experience your pain, and to let others relish in your successes,” Helgren said. “And just how important it is to live every single second you’re given with complete purpose and absolute intentionality.”

Well before the ride begins, Texas 4000 members contemplate the impact this experience will have on the rest of their lives.

“When I come back I

don’t want to just be like, ‘Oh, I did my part, I’m done,’” Sethi said. “I want to have that purpose to bike 100 miles every day to carry through every day in my life. I want to live every day with that resilience and that passion and that constant fight for something.”

For the team members of Texas 4000, the ride is a testament to what any person can accomplish with hard work and motivation.

“You apply thinking ‘this isn’t possible,’” Helgren said. “You start to experience Texas 4000 leading up to the ride and you think ‘this is totally possible.’ You finish the ride thinking anything is possible.”

Get involved at Texas4000.org

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