Commodore Nation, April 2013

April 2013

CATCHING CONNOR Harrell forgoes pro deal for senior season

ALSO INSIDE: Hawkins Field’s all-purpose surface Black and Gold Awards Linthicum leads lax

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CONTENTS

JOE HOWELL

P.12 Q&A with Larry Day Baseball’s volunteer assistant coach discusses the new artificial surface that was installed last summer at Hawkins Field.

P.9 Connor Harrell Centerfielder passed on pro deal to return to the Hawk this season.

P.14

P.2 Compliance Corner

P.3 National Commodore Club

Black and Gold Awards

P.7

Vanderbilt celebrates the victories of the 2012-13 school year at annual banquet.

Inside McGugin

P.23 It’s my turn Rod Williamson’s monthly column.

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P.19 Carly Linthicum Commodores’ top attacker has grown into leadership role.

P.24 My game Lacrosse’s Paige Cahill earns Community Service Award.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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COMPLIANCE

CORNER The Vanderbilt Athletic Compliance Office would like to thank everyone who reads Compliance Corner. We’re glad to be a resource for you.

In order to better serve you, we’d like to extend the opportunity for you to submit topics to be covered in this section.

Please contact us by email at ncaacompliance@vanderbilt.edu or on our Twitter or Facebook pages. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you again for your time, and GO ’DORES! Follow Vanderbilt Compliance @VandyCompliance Like Vanderbilt Compliance facebook.com/VandyCompliance

Compliance questions? Please contact: Candice Lee George Midgett Director of Compliance Compliance Coordinator 615/322-7992 615/322-2083 candice.lee@vanderbilt.edu george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu John Peach Andrew Turner Compliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator 615/343-1060 615/322-4543 john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu andrew.turner@vanderbilt.edu

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APRIL 2013

VU Photography:

Daniel Dubois Steve Green Lauren Holland Joe Howell Anne Rayner John Russell Susan Urmy

Contributors: Brandon Barca Andy Boggs Larry Leathers George Midgett Kyle Parkinson Weston Pletcher Emily Sane Michael Scholl Ryan Schulz

Administrative

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune

Vanderbilt University Student Athletics’ Mission Statement We prepare student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship and victory.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university.

ON THE COVER: Senior Connor Harrell leads by example on the field and through his community service efforts.

Photo by John Russell, VU Photography.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212.

SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe, contact Chris Weinman by e-mail at commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt IMG Sports & Entertainment Properties.

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Anchor Down

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Vanderbilt Football home games at NCC tailgates Come early and soak up the game day atmosphere at the National Commodore Club tailgate. Located on the lawn between the Star Walk and Gate 2, the NCC tailgate opens approximately three hours before each home game for NCC members and their guests. A registration email will be sent before each home game with event details. Anchor Down!

BE A GAME CHANGER! Change the game by renewing your National Commodore Club membership and supporting our 325 student-athletes.

How can you be a game changer? Renew your National Commodore Club membership by May 31. Annual gifts to the NCC are needed for Vanderbilt to continue offering competitive scholarships, recruiting talented student-athletes, and providing them with the education and environment to win. A single scholarship costs $62,470, so we encourage every supporter to make a gift to the NCC unrestricted annual fund first. Thank you for your support of Vanderbilt Athletics and our Commodore student-athletes.

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Inside McGugin

By The Numbers

Notes from the athletic department

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iebelei Lawrence (’08) has been selected for the cast of Golf Channel’s Big Break reality competition, which features 12 professional golfers eager to pursue their dreams of playing on either the LPGA or the PGA Tour. “Big Break Mexico,” filmed at Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf and Spa Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, premieres May 13 at 8 p.m. CT. After earning her degree in human and organizational development, Lawrence became the first female from Luxembourg to compete on the Ladies European Tour (2011 and 2012). l Football player Richard Kent and women’s basketball player Gabby Smith were among 28 Southeastern Conference student-athletes nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter ScholarAthlete Award. In conjunction with AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion, the league provides the male and female McWhorter recipients with $15,000 post-graduate scholarships. The 26 remaining finalists for the award also receive $7,500 post-graduate scholarships.

Commodores among the five candidates for the Nashville Sports Council’s Middle Tennessee Sports Person of the Year Award: football coach James Franklin, pitcher David Price and golfer Brandt Snedeker.

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strikeouts by pitcher Kevin Ziomek in back-to-back complete game shutout wins over Illinois-Chicago and Oregon.

Liebelei Lawrence

l Five former Commodores opened the 2013 Major League Baseball season on MLB rosters.

David Price started on Opening Day for Tampa Bay against Baltimore and former VU teammate Ryan Flaherty. Pedro Alvarez starts his fourth season in Pittsburgh, coming off a 30 HR year in 2012. Mike Minor begins his fourth season with the Atlanta Braves, while Mike Baxter opens the season with the New York Mets for the second straight year. n

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strokes by Jenny Hahn at the Insperity Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate, good for a score of 2-over and a third-place finish that earned her SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

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victories for Kevin Stallings in his coaching career following VU’s March 15 win over Kentucky that sent the ‘Dores to their fourth-straight SEC Tournament semifinal.

Calendar

Upcoming events May 10

May 2 Lacrosse at ALC Tournament The American Lacrosse Conference Tournament will return to historic Homewood Field in Baltimore, Md., this May. Johns Hopkins last played host to the event in 2007. Vanderbilt had reached the ALC semifinals in three straight seasons before suffering one-goal defeats in the opening round the past two years.

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May 9 Track & Field at SEC Outdoors The University of Missouri will be the site of a Southeastern Conference championship event for the first time in school history this May, playing host to the league’s outdoor track & field championships.

The Commodores are looking to cap a strong spring season at the four-day event.

Tennis in NCAA Regionals The NCAA men’s and women’s tennis championships will open play on the second weekend of May at 16 campus sites, and the VU men and women both could be in the mix to host opening round matches.

Both tournaments will move to the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Illinois (Urbana) for the round of 16.

May 16 Baseball vs. Alabama Vanderbilt closes out the 2013 regular season with a Thursdayto-Saturday home series against Alabama, the Commodores’ fourth straight Southeastern Conference opponent that was ranked in Collegiate Baseball’s Top 25 as of April 1. The 2013 SEC Tournament begins May 21 in Hoover, Ala.

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Centerfielder’s finale

By Chris Weinman

Connor Harrell became the sixth Commodore junior called on in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft when the Detroit Tigers selected the hard-hitting right-hander in the 31st round. Four of the six players chose to sign pro contracts and forgo their senior seasons, but Head Coach Tim Corbin’s squad received a major boost when Harrell and fellow outfielder Mike Yastrzemski decided to return to Nashville for the 2013 season.

B

eing selected in the MLB draft is a dream come true for any young baseball player, the realization of a goal that has countless hours invested into it. But instead of joining pitchers Drew VerHagen and Will Clinard in signing with Detroit’s organization, Connor Harrell instead opted to return to Music City to complete his eligibility and realize another hard-earned dream— a Vanderbilt degree.

It should not be surprising given that Harrell’s reputation off the field is equal to his record on it. He is on pace to earn a degree in financial strategy this May and already has two Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll credits on his resumé. Harrell was Commodore baseball’s nominee for the 2012 SEC Community Service team. He appreciates

the opportunity to give back to others, something he learned from years as a member of Young Life. In Nashville, Harrell also is a mentor with Preston Taylor Ministries and has served as a team representative on Vanderbilt’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

“It comes from what I was brought up doing,” Harrell said. “I was brought up doing Young Life. I worked at a place called ‘Search,’ a food shelter in Houston. Then I came here and tried to get plugged in. It’s just something that I was taught by my parents and became something I enjoyed doing.”

After deciding not to accompany his Commodore compatriots into Detroit’s farm system (both VerHagen and Clinard currently play for the Advanced-A Lakeland Flying

JOHN RUSSELL

JOE HOWELL

Connor Harrell turned down the Detroit Tigers last summer to return to Vanderbilt for his senior season.

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Tigers), Harrell also chose not to join 21 of his other Vanderbilt teammates who played summer ball in 2012, a decision that he partially equates to timing.

“After I was drafted in June I had a decision to make,” Harrell said. “It took longer than I anticipated. I got to spend some time here working camps and just kind of enjoy my time.

I hadn’t had a summer off in years. I thought about going to the Cape [Cod League], but it was a little bit too late for me once I decided to come back to school. I really enjoyed it. I had a lot of time to work on my swing and stuff like that. It was good decision in hindsight”

At home in Texas, Harrell kept his game sharp with the assistance of a former Baseball America Major League Coach of the Year. A mutual contact gave Harrell the phone number of professional hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who mentored batters for the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs during a 22-year MLB career. Harrell would make the 240-mile drive from Houston to Dallas once a week to meet with Jaramillo, who helped the young slugger simplify his approach to hitting.

Back on campus this fall, Harrell was introduced to Vanderbilt’s new hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, Travis Jewett, who

JOHN RUSSELL

“Connor has been a mainstay in center field since his freshman year. He is completely unselfish and team oriented. During his career, he has come up with more clutch and game-winning plays than anyone I can remember. Vanderbilt baseball is very fortunate to get him back for his senior year.” —Tim Corbin

Harrell ranks among Southeastern Conference leaders in RBI this season.

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joined the staff on August 1. The transition was made easier by the parallels between Jaramillo’s tenants and those embraced

by Jewett. “[Coach Jewett] has been a huge part of it,” Harrell said. “[Coach Jaramillo] and Coach Jewett have a pretty similar hitting philosophy, so it was a nice overlap coming back in the fall.

I work a lot with Coach Jewett and we have a good relationship. It’s been really nice.”

The results have been quite favorable, as well. Harrell had 30 RBI in Vanderbilt’s first 19 games—a stretch that included only two Commodore defeats. He ranks among league leaders in slugging percentage, runs scored, RBI and home runs.

Harrell had earned postseason accolades in every season with the Commodores, starting as an SEC All-Freshman honoree in 2010. He was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team the following year, and earned recognition on the SEC All-Tournament last season. Fans can expect to see even higher praise follow the Houstonian’s senior campaign.

Harrell attributes some of his success this year to work in the film room, watching and re-watching clips of his swing to breakdown the mechanics. He concentrates on preparation in the batter’s box.

“Making sure your foot is down before the pitcher’s going, being ready,” Harrell said.

“Getting in the same position every time before the pitch is thrown. It’s pretty simple, but you’d be surprised at how many guys don’t do it.

I didn’t do it last year.”

Along with changing his mechanics, Harrell has also dedicated himself to changing his mental approach.

“Coming back, the thing I wanted to do this year was just have as much fun as I can and then let everything else fall into place,” Harrell said. “It comes down to slowing the game down and having better at-bats. Understanding that I don’t have to do it all. And I’m trying to enjoy the last 40 or so games that I have here.”

Harrell recognizes that the prospects for the Commodores’ season are strong as his senior class mentors another top-rated group of freshmen, and he’s excited for the opportunity to continue to grow with his teammates.

“We have a great group of guys. A group of seniors that I came in with that are really close.

The young kids are close and they respect the seniors, but they’re also really talented so they get to play a lot. It’s a good mix of guys, so I’m really having a good time.” n

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Larry Day mentors catchers and assists with hitters while maintaining the playing surface at Hawkins Field.

PHOTOS BY JOE HOWELL

Day at the park: A Q&A with VU’s volunteer assistant

A

s Vanderbilt baseball’s volunteer assistant coach, one of Larry Day’s responsibilities is the majority of the day-to-day maintenance of Hawkins Field. In some ways, Day’s job changed dramatically this summer when the athletic department installed Astroturf at the Hawk. But Day still has more than enough to do with the synthetic surface on a daily and weekly basis.

A four-year starter at catcher for the University of Connecticut, Day also works with Vanderbilt’s catchers and assists with hitters. Two of his Commodore backstops, Andrew Giobbi and Curt Casali, have been selected in the MLB draft. Now in his fifth season at Vanderbilt, Day sat down with Commodore Nation to discuss the new field at the Hawk.

CN: What are the positives and negatives about the new field?

Day: It’s different. I miss the smell of the grass. I’m not on a mower anymore making patterns. I miss that the most. Putting in different designs would take some time, but there’s some peace of mind that would come with creating a new field. It got to the point mentally where if we had a bad weekend, I couldn’t wait to mow the field with a different pattern because I felt like it would get rid of all those bad vibes. So I would do a completely different field the next day.

I don’t miss the dirt. Not at all. I don’t miss trying to maintain the proper moisture level within the infield to have a ball play true. I don’t

Commodore Nation: How much has the maintenance of Hawkins Field changed with the switch to artificial turf?

Larry Day: It’s changed. When we used to have the natural field, obviously there was grass to be cut, there was dirt to be groomed; and from those two basic standpoints, that’s no longer there. People think there’s nothing you need to do now that you have the turf field. That’s not true.

It still needs to be groomed to make sure that the in-field mix—the sand and rubber mix that is in the ground—is evenly distributed across the whole field.

Then you still have the clay bullpens and the game mound, which are the same as on a natural field. And now instead of just fixing the mound all the time, you also have to maintain the cleanliness of the turf area around the mounds and around the bullpens. So I’m brushing the dirt out of that lip about a foot wide in front of the mound. When I do that, it pushes some crumb rubber onto the dirt, and because of that I take all the old dirt off and put new dirt on almost every weekend.

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Day drives a four-wheeler pulling fixed brushes across the outfield.

miss looking at the weather report and fretting about whether we should put the tarp on. That’s the biggest thing with this artificial field is that you don’t have to worry about the tarp.

But I used to really love doing the designs on the field. Now I’m driving that four-wheel Toro, dragging the brush behind it. You can’t get it as fine.

At least I haven’t been able to yet.

CN: Was there a learning curve with figuring out the turf?

Day: I talked to different grounds crews at [places like] Wichita State, Wake Forest. And I obviously had the people from Astroturf who installed the field give me some guidelines. It was a much easier learning curve for the artificial field than it was for the natural surface. When I came here in the summer of 2008, I had no experience maintaining a field. I owe a ton of credit to the Vanderbilt Plant Operations people: Bill Randles, Patrick Walk and Lee Langley, specifically. Patrick and Lee are two guys that work under Plant Ops, but they have a personal investment in Vanderbilt baseball that has nothing to do with their jobs. The learning curve would have been tough without those guys.

CN: How has turf been from a baseball standpoint?

Day: You think about competitive advantages and disadvantages. We play more than half of our games at home, so they’ll be some competitive advantages. But then you look at the SEC schedule, and you’re going to play half of your competition on natural fields. It comes down to the fact that everyone is playing on the same field. The kids on our roster have all grown up playing on natural fields, but it’s not a hard transition. The ball stays true. From an infielder’s standpoint, you can really trust the field. In terms of their form when they’re fielding ground balls, they can always get their face down, get their butt down and get their hands out. Now on a hot day you don’t have, “bad hop, bad hop, bad hop” in the back of their mind. And when we’ve been back on a natural field like at Auburn, we played great ground ball defense because they’re so used to getting in that great form.

Then the practicality of it, in terms of weather in this area. Coach Corbin calculated that the weekend that we played Illinois-Chicago, we would have put the tarp on like 15 times—putting it on and taking it off— and that just messes with the rhythm of the game. It takes the players’ energy from the game to the weather. In terms of the flow of the game, it’s just been great.

The mounds at Hawkins Field are the same clay and dirt as before the field was turfed.

CN: Does the turf give you extra time for your coaching duties?

Day: I’m still busy with the maintenance of it, but I feel like I have had more time to put toward trying to coach. I’ve had more of a chance this year to take part in the coaching meetings, whether it’s discussing that night’s opponent or what we’re going to do for practice on a daily basis.

Being able to be more involved with practice planning and with preparation for games, with coaching the catchers and hitters, it has been good from that standpoint, for sure.

CN: As a baseball guy, is that your favorite part of the job?

Day: My favorite part about my job is the people that I get to interact with. From Coach Corbin, sharing an office with Travis [Jewett], our whole staff, it’s like a family. They are my family down here. And the players, not just being able to work with great baseball players in terms of the skill set, but having intelligent, caring baseball players. It’s one thing to have a player that can hit a ball 400 feet or can throw a ball 93 miles per hour, but it’s another thing to have the type of players that are also invested in each other, in the team, in the program, and not just in themselves. n

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BLACK & GOLD AWARDS DANIEL DUBOIS

The Vanderbilt Student-Athlete Advisory Council holds an annual banquet near the end of the spring semester to highlight Commodore achievements from throughout the season. Although spring teams are still in full swing, the event brings the entire athletic department together for an evening of celebration.

Here are this year’s honorees:

Female Comeback Player of the Year

Hannah Jumper

A

fter missing her first cross country season at Vanderbilt, Hannah Jumper got back on the course in style, winning the Belmont Opener and leading the Commodores to the team title.

She picked up another top-10 finish at the Commodore Classic, again helping Vanderbilt win the team title. Hannah was among the team’s top-four finishers in every race this season as the team advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year. She also was the top freshman finisher at the SEC Championships, earning SEC Women’s Cross Country Freshman of the Year honors.

Male Comeback Player of the Year

Ryan Lipman

DANIEL DUBOIS

N Dr. Jerry Reves Award

James A. Robins Award

Alyson Hasty

Kim Carper

A

lyson Hasty will earn a degree in Child Development this May with a current cumulative GPA of 3.925. She has achieved the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times and Vanderbilt’s Dean’s List seven times. Alyson plans to go to graduate school for marriage and family therapy and licensed professional counseling.

Dr. Reves played tennis at Vanderbilt and graduated in 1965. He went on to a long and very successful career in medicine and recently retired from his position as Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine at the University of South Carolina.

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ashville native Ryan Lipman missed all of his junior campaign with a hip injury, but he returned to the tennis court in 2012-13 to lead Vanderbilt to an impressive record. He leads the team in victories and is ranked in the nation’s top 20 in singles. He was named SEC Player of the Week and was a key figure in helping Vanderbilt notch back-to-back road victories at No. 13 Mississippi State and No. 4 Ole Miss earlier this season.

APRIL 2013

K

im Carper has been a valuable member of a nationally rated bowling team for four years while achieving a 3.3 grade point average and earning SEC Academic honor roll distinction. With all of her accomplishments, the areas of leadership and service are where she truly has shone the brightest.

Kim earned a post-graduate scholarship from the SEC for her many community service projects and has been admitted into Peabody’s five-year graduate program.

The James A. Robins Award has been given annually for 51 years to perpetuate the memory of Jim Robins, class of 1892, whose life and teaching exemplified selfless devotion to learning, honor, participation in sport and service to youth and Vanderbilt.

BLACK & GOLD AWARDS Female Newcomer of the Year

Jenny Hahn

J JOHN RUSSELL

enny Hahn has had an immediate impact on the women’s golf team. She has played in all 24 rounds, and posted a stroke average of 75.00 in her first season as a Commodore. Her best finish of the season came at the Insperity Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate in Augusta, Ga., when she finished in a tie for third out of 99 golfers.

Male Newcomer of the Year

Kris Yee

K

JOE HOWELL

ris Yee won a team-high 16 straight matches during a stretch of the season in helping the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team to a No. 14 ranking with wins over two top 10 teams. Yee ranks near the top of the SEC in overall wins, dual wins and SEC wins. The Las Vegas, Nev., native has been a key contributor since the first day he set foot on campus.

Male Play of the Year

Chris Boyd

T JOHN RUSSELL

wice in the 2012 football season, receptions by Chris Boyd were featured among ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day. Yet it was another effort by this redshirt sophomore that was recognized as Play of the Year. In the closing minutes at Ole Miss, Boyd caught a sideline pass from Jordan Rodgers and scampered into the end zone from 26 yards to provide the winning touchdown in VU’s 27-26 victory.

The play helped extend the Commodores’ winning streak to four games and paved the way for back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in school history.

Female Play of the Year

Brionne Williams

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BRUCE BARRON

E

ntering the 2013 indoor track season, high jumper Brionne Williams had the ambitious goal of qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Vanderbilt had not sent an athlete to the indoor championships since 2005, when Josie Hahn earned AllAmerica honors in the pentathlon. On a winter day in Indiana, Williams achieved her goal by clearing six feet for the first time in her career, putting herself in position to qualify for the NCAA meet and earn AllAmerica honors.

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BLACK & GOLD AWARDS Mr. Commodore

Johnell Thomas

J

ohnell Thomas had made a habit of overcoming obstacles even before he arrived on campus. He made the most of tough circumstances growing up in central Florida to become one of the most highly-regarded students at his high school. As an athlete, the undersized but determined Thomas has been forced to prove himself at every level. This year, he was a co-captain, starter and one of the leading tacklers on the Commodore football team. His leadership in the locker room and on the gridiron have paved the way for back-to-back bowl appearances and the most successful season in nearly 100 years of Commodore football.

Away from football, he’s become a leader on campus, a strong advocate for Vanderbilt student-athletes, an honors student and a graduate of our great university.

JOHN RUSSELL

The Mr. and Miss Commodore awards go to graduating seniors who best represent their sport, all student-athletes and the entire campus community.

Miss Commodore

Tiffany Clarke

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“

JOE HOWELL

he was the best leader I’ve ever played with on the court.”

That is what Jasmine Lister had to say about teammate Tiffany Clarke. The 2013 Miss Commodore recipient, Clarke averaged 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game to lead the women’s basketball team in both categories, but Lister’s comments speak to more than Clarke’s on-court statistics. Clarke helped keep a team that battled injuries together, leading them to a 14th consecutive 20-win season and NCAA Tournament berth. When the Commodores needed wins to solidify their postseason resume, Clarke put the team on her back. The forward scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a win at Florida before pouring in a career-high 30 points to lead Vanderbilt to an upset win over No. 10 Texas A&M, earning National Player of the Week honors from ESPNW. She was one of just two players in the SEC to finish in the top-six of the league in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks, earning First Team AllSEC honors and All-Region recognition from the WBCA. Clarke also was a nominee for the Senior CLASS Award, thanks to her balance of success on the court, in the classroom and in the community.

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APRIL 2013

2/8/12 5:14 PM

After graduating nine players a year ago, the Commodore lacrosse team looked to this year’s senior class of (L-R) Paige Cahill, Courtney Kirk, Olivia Goodman, Chelsea Pasfield and Carly Linthicum for leadership, and Linthicum has paced the squad’s attack all season.

PHOTO BY JOE HOWELL

Lacrosse consultant: Linthicum leads young squad

By Chris Weinman

T

he preseason leading up to Carly Linthicum’s senior campaign for the Vanderbilt lacrosse team was filled with hard work and capped off with a piece of welcome news. That confluence of events has helped propel the Salisbury, Md., native to her finest season wearing the black and gold.

With only two of the team’s top 10 scorers returning from last season, the Vanderbilt lacrosse team was looking for new players to step up on attack this season. The 2012 Commodores scored 179 goals, but only 44 of those tallies can be accounted for on the 2013 roster.

Enter Carly Linthicum. The hard-shooting attacker was fourth on the team in points scored last season, contributing 17 goals and 10 assists to Vanderbilt’s offense as a junior. But Linthicum spent extra time preparing for the 2013 slate in the offseason and was ready to go from day one, when she scored a career-high five goals at Jacksonville. She credits the preparation that began almost as soon as the 2012 season came to a close.

“I definitely came in this year much more in shape than I ever have before,” Linthicum said.

“I actually worked out here all summer long with one of our trainers, and that helped me

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big-time. So I came into the fall more ready than I’ve ever been, which really translated to the season.”

After the ‘Dores graduated nine seniors a year ago and signed another talented freshmen class, Linthicum knew that she would be relied upon to step up as one of the most experienced member of Vanderbilt’s attack. Instead of shying away from the spotlight, Linthicum saw that as an opportunity to provide direction to a young squad.

“Coming into this season I’ve had a lot more confidence,” Linthicum said. “Just knowing that we have a lot of freshmen on the field this year, I’m trying to be a good role model and leader for them.”

Vanderbilt entered the 2013 season with its three team captains all on the defensive side of the ball in senior goalkeeper Chelsea Pasfield and junior defenders Alyssa Dunlap and Brandi Byner. Linthicum’s leadership on the field was the driving force in Head Coach Cathy Swezey naming her as the squad’s offensive captain in February.

“We have three awesome captains back on defense, but I think Cathy was just looking for somebody to really take a leadership role on

the attack,” Linthicum said. “It meant a lot to me, being trusted with that role.”

It took just seven games this season—less than half of the Commodores’ regular season schedule—for Linthicum to more than double her career scoring numbers. She scored five goals in each of Vanderbilt’s first three games and had netted 31 goals by a mid-March matchup against conference rival Penn State.

Those totals were good enough to rank her in the nation’s top five for scoring.

Senior goalkeeper Chelsea Pasfield, who has ranked among national leaders in saves all season, enjoys going up against Linthicum every day in practice.

“It’s always a competition,” Pasfield said.

“She loves to score on me and I love to save her shots. She’s got one of the hardest shots on our team, so I love to have her taking shots before games where I know there are big shooters, like in the Hopkins game.”

Linthicum’s 31 goals at the midway point of the season accounted for more than one-third of Vanderbilt’s offense. At that same point, the freshman class that she was working so hard to mentor had combined for 40 goals. Linthicum is duly impressed with the work ethic of her

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JOE HOWELL

young teammates, and cited attacker Mallory Schonk as one first-year player who clearly has stood out on the field.

“Mallory has been one of our starters all year,” Linthicum said. “Coming in as a freshman and earning that starting spot, she’s just really adapted to how Courtney [Kirk] and I play, and she’s really found her own niche in there which is impressive as a freshman.”

Linthicum’s maturity has not gone unnoticed by teammates like Pasfield who get an up-close look at VU’s attack every day.

“She was put into a huge leadership role this year, being one of two seniors on attack that had a lot of experience,” Pasfield said. “Some people in that position, it would be tough for them, but she’s done an incredible job and embraced the role of being the quarterback of the attack.”

For her part, Linthicum believes that a piece of good news this fall helped clear the way for her outstanding senior campaign. This fall she accepted a job at Deloitte in Washington, D.C., working in federal human capital consulting.

Linthicum celebrates a goal with teammate Olivia Goodman.

She will start this summer and work with former Commodore teammate Catherine Carr (’12).

Already having a career path locked up before the start of the spring semester lifted a big burden off Linthicum’s shoulders, allowing the senior to zero in on lacrosse without the pres-

sure of job-hunting.

“It’s one of the biggest stress relievers,” Linthicum said. “I got my job in November, so coming into season I only had lacrosse to focus on, and that’s been huge. I’ve gotten much more sleep this year and it’s been nice.” n

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APRIL 2013

It’s My Turn

By Rod Williamson

I

t’s graduation season and on this campus, there is no grander day than Commencement Friday.

For many graduates and their families, there is no greater thrill than walking across the stage to be awarded a coveted Vanderbilt diploma.

It’s also a big moment for the Department of Athletics. We see the culmination of a long journey that began with recruitment and continued on through the ups and downs of daily practice, study halls, high-profile competition, injury rehabilitation, personal growth, tutoring sessions and service projects. We have a reception for our graduating seniors and their families on the eve of commencement and say congratulations.

The university even hosts a special Alternate Graduation for the dozen or so spring sport student-athletes who miss commencement because they are competing on behalf of the university. This tradition has gone on for about a decade and includes an address from the Chancellor and well wishes from the Director of Athletics.

At Vanderbilt, we take graduations seriously. It’s a commitment, not a sales pitch. As a result, we are among the nation’s leaders in studentathlete graduation percentage and always lead the Southeastern Conference.

However, as our coaches have continued to recruit elite student-athletes, some Commodores depart campus prior to completing graduation requirements for the unique opportunity to play professionally. Even an economics professor would approve of pursuing this dream.

This has been especially true with our powerful baseball program, where we recently set a Southeastern Conference record when 12 Commodores were chosen in the Major League Draft. The pros cannot draft a college baseball player for three years after entering college, which means most of these young men are somewhere from one to two semesters shy of necessary graduation credits.

There may be places where this is met with a so-what shrug, but not at Vanderbilt. Graduation means something to the young men and women attracted here in the first place and getting a chance to play-for-pay doesn’t alter that. Graduation is important to our coaches, who see their players as adopted sons and daughters. Graduation is important to our faculty, administrators and staff.

It should not be surprising, then, to learn that a high percentage of our early departures have either worked out ways to come back and earn remaining credits during the off-seasons or are in the process of figuring out how to do just that. When you play or train year-round, it’s not always easy to figure out the timing.

But professional athletes such as Jeff Taylor and John Jenkins are making it happen, as are an all-star collection of baseball alumni such as Ryan Flaherty, Sonny Gray, Sam Selman and others too numerous to list.

Graduation is big to Green Bay Packer Casey Hayward and his family and that will happen in his near future.

Vanderbilt Athletics is proud of its Degree Completion program and credits the Academic Support staff that works with the faculty and colleges to coordinate this important process. We do not forget about our commitment simply because one can no longer score points for us. For Vanderbilt University, there is no bigger victory than putting students on a pathway to lifelong learning and success. n

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BLACK & GOLD AWARDS

My Game

Paige Cahill

P

aige Cahill is a three-year starter for the lacrosse team and one of the squad’s most consistent defenders. A vocal leader on the field, she uses her free time to help give a voice to those in need.

She was recognized with Vanderbilt Athletics’ Community Service Award for her work throughout Middle Tennessee.

Paige helped her team connect with Friends of Jaclyn, which sponsors children with pediatric brain tumors, and has worked with local women in the community to start new lives through “Renu.” She also was the driving force behind the recent “Commodores Compete for a Cause,” which raised more than $12,000 for local charities.

She discussed her game with Commodore Nation last month.

Commodore Nation: The rules of lacrosse can be confusing to an outsider. What’s one rule you might like to see changed?

Paige Cahill: It’s really funny because when you’re an observer and you don’t understand the sport, my brother always said that it can look like organized freeze tag. “Oh, the whistle blew, you can’t move. Don’t step.”

I would say that refs could let us play a little more, a little more contact.

If you bump a girl, she’s going to be fine. I wish they would loosen up on the pushing sometimes.

Nation: Have you noticed the growth of the sport in Nashville?

Cahill: It’s amazing. I see kids walking around with lacrosse sticks now, where no one even knew what it was when I was in second grade. Now I see first graders with sticks. It’s the fastest growing sport in the country, which is so exciting to see. And now I’m getting calls from my middle school asking me to coach next year.

Nation: Are you interested in coaching?

Cahill: I definitely think I’ll go into coaching. I want to be a teacher, so I think they can go hand-in-hand.

Nation: Have you enjoyed going to college in your hometown?

Cahill: It’s really great. It’s as close or as far as you want it to be from home. I can go home when I need to. I’ve got a little brother who is nine years younger than me, and I wanted to watch him grow up. Those are a big four years that I wanted to see. He’s starting to play lacrosse now. n

Nation: You moved a few times before coming to Nashville.

Did you pick up lacrosse before coming here?

Cahill: I knew about it. When I moved here, my brother and I brought our sticks to school and they thought it was a weapon. We didn’t have a team to play on. My mom helped start three or four boys’ middle school teams so my brother could play; then when I got to be that age she started some girls’ teams so I could play. If it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t have had a chance to play in middle school.

THE SHINING STAR AWARD

Baseball Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Bowling Men’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country Football Men’s Golf Women’s Golf Lacrosse Swimming Soccer Men’s Tennis Women’s Tennis Track and Field

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APRIL 2013

D.J. Luna James Siakam Nadine Ndip Liz Saffold Alan Ash Kara Slavoski Warren Norman Carson Jacobs Morgan Ransom Courtney Kirk Erika Deardorf Taylor Elliott Eric Maertin Megan Gornet Brionne Williams

JOE HOWELL

New this year, the Shining Star Award is voted on by each team, and given to a team member who is an unsung hero and who embodies the spirit of Vanderbilt Athletics. Below are the winners from each varsity team:

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