June 2014 Commodore Nation

June 2014

OMAHA HIGH

Time drives change.

People drive success.

U.S. Bank was established on July 13, 1863. Since that time we’ve been establishing ourselves in cities and communities all over America. Focused on serving you... with good, honest, old-fashioned trust backed by the innovation and progress that moves us ahead, together. Old and new combine. Values rooted in history.

Advancements untethered by possibility. We were established to lend. To volunteer. To lead. To serve. All 63,000 U.S. Bankers are committed to establishing relationships with people, not numbers or SIC codes. Relationships that will help establish the course of the next great chapter in our continuing story.

Proud sponsor of the Vanderbilt Athletics

Member FDIC Š2013 U.S. Bank

CONTENTS P.8

P.24

P.15

Hot-hitting freshman

My Game

Golden Age scribes

Left fielder Bryan Reynolds out of Brentwood blasted his way into the starting lineup and to All-SEC Freshman honors.

It didn’t take freshman Sarah Bell long to spring her way into the pole vault record books.

Vanderbilt’s Central Library is paying tribute to two legendary sports writers and Vanderbilt alums with a new exhibit.

P.9 How sweet it is Ryan Lipman and Gonzales Austin reached the Sweet 16 in both singles and doubles in men’s tennis, making program history.

P.11 Playing with the pros Rising senior Hunter Stewart recently lived out one of his golfing dreams by playing in a PGA Tour event.

P.14 The Wright way For the past 15 years, Director of Academic Support Elizabeth Wright, pictured with former football player Johnell Thomas, has been mentoring Vanderbilt student-athletes.

P.2 Compliance Corner

P.3 National Commodore Club

P.7 Inside McGugin

P.21 Coach’s Handbook Women’s assistant soccer coach Christine Husni

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

vucommodores.com

P.16 Setting new family marks Freshman two-sport athlete Simone Charley recently set the school record in triple jump — and gained family bragging rights in the process.

P.18 Ending a coaching era After 15 years, associate head coach Susan Ellis is retiring from college coaching.

P.19 Top of her field Michele Loftis was recently named the SEC’s Athletic Trainer of the Year.

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

1

Connect with vucommodores.com facebook.com/vanderbiltathletics plus.google.com/+vucommodores Editorial

Publisher: Vanderbilt University

instagram.com/vucommodores

pinterest.com/vandyathletics

Designer: Jeremy Teaford Director of Communications: Rod Williamson

vucommodores.tumblr.com twitter.com/vucommodores vucommodores youtube.com/vucommodores

COMPLIANCE

CORNER 1) C ompensation may be paid to a student-athlete, provided which of the following criteria are met?

A) Compensation is provided only for work actually performed

B) Compensation is provided at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the area for similar services

C) Such compensation does not include any remuneration for value or utility that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame, or personal following that he or she has obtained because of athletics ability

D) All of the above 2) Which of the following would constitute an extra benefit?

A) An employee at Qdoba gives student-athletes free queso due to their status as athletes

B) A representative of athletics interests gives tickets to a Titans game to the family of a student-athlete

C) A restaurant allows student-athletes to use an entrance not available for use by non-student-athletes

D) All of the above (Answers below)

Follow Vanderbilt Compliance @VandyCompliance

Like Vanderbilt Compliance facebook.com/VandyCompliance

Editor-in-Chief: Jerome Boettcher

Digital Image Specialists: Julie Turner

Keith Wood

VU Photography:

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

Contributors: Brandon Barca

Andy Boggs Larry Leathers David Dawson George Midgett Kyle Parkinson Emily Sane Ryan Schulz Tim Cowie Frederick Breedon

Administrative

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos

Director of Athletics: 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: Photo by Joe Howell POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212.

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

Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; jeff.miller@imgworld.com

Compliance questions? Please contact:

John Peach Andrew Turner Compliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator 615/343-1060 615/322-4543 john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu andrew.turner@vanderbilt.edu

2

June 2014

Commodore Nation is printed using 10% post-consumer recycled paper.

Answers : 1) D, 12.4.1, 12.4.1.1 2) D, 16.02.3

Candice Lee George Midgett Director of Compliance Compliance Coordinator 615/322-7992 615/322-2083 candice.lee@vanderbilt.edu george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu

Thank you

for your scholarship support through the National Commodore Club.

On May 9, our Commodore student-athletes in the Class of 2014 graduated.

Your gifts to the NCC helped them to become leaders and champions.

Your membership truly matters.

Thank you!

Thanks for filling campus

Thanks to the NCC Gridiron Club members at the Dore level and above who attended the NCC Gridiron Club breakfast with Coach Mason before the Black and Gold Spring Game. To learn more about the NCC Gridiron Club, contact the National Commodore Club office.

Thanks to the Commodore fans who cheered on our Vanderbilt football team at the Black and Gold Spring Game. We look forward to seeing you at Vanderbilt Stadium for the 2014 season. To learn more about priority football seating, contact the National Commodore Club office.

CALL: (615) 322-4114

EMAIL: ncc@vanderbilt.edu

with

black and gold

Thanks to the National Commodore Club members who tailgated with us after the Black and Gold Spring Game. Join us before home football games in the fall, and soak up the game day atmosphere. To learn more about NCC tailgates, contact the National Commodore Club office.

VISIT: NationalCommodoreClub.com

Thanks to the Jr. NCC members who ran the bases for Mr. C’s Sunday Run Day after the baseball game against Texas A&M. Jr. NCC membership is a great start to a lifetime of support.

To learn more about signing up your youngest Vanderbilt fan, contact the National Commodore Club office.

See the people you love in a whole new

light

It’s your home.

When you re-imagine your space, it’s your life that gets a redesign. Transform yours with all the details that make home a happy place.

Our showroom product experts share your passion for getting it right, helping you select the perfect bath, kitchen and lighting products for your building or remodeling project.

FERGUSON.COM

Murfreesboro 540 New Salem Rd (615) 890-5599

Lebanon 713 E Main St (615) 444-2111

Nashville 3201-B Powell Ave (615) 385-3054

Clarksville 1369 Ashland City Rd (931) 647-0276

©2014 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.

6

June 2014

Inside McGugin

By The Numbers

Notes from the athletic department

4

F

l Former Vanderbilt slugger Conrad Gregor provided his father with a one-of-a-kind Father’s Day gift last month. Playing for the Houston Astros’ Single-A team, the Quad Cities River Bandits (Davenport, Iowa), Gregor belted his first home run of the season to center field.

And who caught it right before sailed into the Mississippi River? His father, Marty, who had made the drive down with his family from their hometown of Carmel, Ind. Less than a week

Southeastern Conference schools, including Vanderbilt, with both the men’s and women’s golf teams to the NCAA Golf Championships this year. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas A&M join the Commodores as teams doubling up. Only 11 schools in the country had both teams advance to the NCAA Championships.

TIM COWIE

resh off winning an SEC Championship, the Vanderbilt women’s golf team rolled to the NCAA East Regional Championship, winning by 14 strokes. The Commodores set a school record for three rounds with a score of 840 over 54 holes. Sophomore Jenny Hahn won her first career individual championship and the Commodores captured their second regional title in program history. At the NCAA Championships, Vanderbilt finished in a tie for 10th. Freshman Simin Feng tied for 13th, earning second team All-American honors from the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.

Simin Feng earned second team All-American honors.

later, Gregor was promoted to the Astros’ Class A advanced affiliate in Lancaster, Calif. l In May, Vanderbilt had three players taken in the NFL Draft for the first time since 2008. AllAmerican wide receiver Jordan Matthews, the SEC’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, was taken in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles. All-SEC offensive lineman Wesley Johnson, a Nashville native, was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round.

All-SEC cornerback Andre Hal became the first Commodore taken by the Houston Texans, who nabbed him in the seventh round. n

840

Three-round school record by the Vanderbilt women’s golf team at the NCAA East Regional Championship in May. Jenny Hahn won her first individual title and four Commodores finished in the top 11 to capture the program’s second regional title.

1,000

Perfect score for the NCAA’s annual Academic Progress Rates (APR). Seven Vanderbilt teams notched a perfect 1,000—both men’s and women’s cross country teams, both men’s and women’s golf teams, the indoor and outdoor track teams and the women’s bowling team.

Calendar

June Events June 11-14

June 16-18

NCAA Track Championships The Vanderbilt women’s track team will be represented in Eugene, Ore., by triple jumper Simone Charley. The freshman is the first Commodore in four years to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Commodore Caravan The Commodore Caravan, presented by the National Commodore Club, will be traveling around the state to meet with fans, alumni and donors in Memphis (June 16) and Chattanooga (June 17). Athletics director David Williams, first-year football coach Derek Mason, women’s basketball coach Melanie Balcomb and other VU coaches will be at both stops. Men’s basketball coach Kevin Stallings will join in Chattanooga.

June 14-25 College World Series The Commodores are headed to their second College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Vanderbilt opens the double-elimination, eight-team tournament on June 14 against rival Louisville. The ‘Dores opened TD Ameritrade Park in 2011—their first appearance in the CWS.

vucommodores.com

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

7

Nothing fishy about Reynolds’ freshman season Avid fisherman from Brentwood impresses Commodores at the plate

JOHN RUSSELL

by Jerome Boettcher

Vanderbilt outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who went to Brentwood High School, has exceeded expectations as a freshman. Among the team leaders in batting average, hits, doubles, RBIs and home runs, Reynolds helped the Commodores sweep through the NCAA Regional and was an unanimous selection to the All-Tournament Team.

R

anking his favorite outdoor pastimes comes easily for Vanderbilt freshman Bryan Reynolds.

“You’ve got baseball up top,” he said. “I’d say I’d like to be a fisherman right after that.”

As a child, plenty of his summer days were spent at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreational Area just north of the Tennessee border in Kentucky. Throwing in a line off the family boat, Reynolds hoped to hook a largemouth bass out of Lake Barkley.

His enthusiasm for fishing comes from his father, Greg, an aspiring professional bass fisherman.

“He has always been a big fisherman,” Bryan said. “He’s pretty good. He loves it.”

When the father-son pair didn’t have rod and reel in hand, most likely a glove and bat took their place.

His earliest memories of playing baseball go back to when he was four years old, “hitting in the front yard across the street with my dad.”

Those early batting practice sessions with his father seem to have gone a long way for the 19-year-old Brentwood resident, who was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Reynolds burst onto the scene the very first weekend, earning SEC

8

June 2014

Freshman of the Week honors after ripping six hits and driving in five runs in the seasonopening series at Long Beach State.

Coach Tim Corbin inserted him into the starting lineup the second game of the season. He stayed there the rest of the season, starting 58 of 59 games heading into the NCAA Regional.

Going into the postseason, Reynolds, a switch-hitter who has played all three outfield positions and first base, led the team in RBIs (44), tied for first in doubles (21) and was second in batting average (.323), home runs (4), hits (73) and runs (43). He continued on his torrid pace as Vanderbilt swept through its NCAA Regional.

Reynolds was named to the All-Tournament Team after going 5-for-13 with five RBIs. “I knew that I could play some but I didn’t know if I’d be an everyday guy,” said Reynolds, an SEC All-Freshman selection. “I just hoped if I got a chance I’d make the most of it and hopefully get a spot. I guess I’m surprised (by the freshman success). Not that I doubted myself but you just don’t expect to come in and do that.”

Reynolds, who lived in Nolensville until the fourth grade before moving to Brentwood, arrived on campus last fall and immediately noticed a gigantic difference in the pitching from high school to college.

And that was just on his own team as he grew

accustomed to Tyler Beede, Carson Fulmer, Brian Miller and the rest of the Commodore pitching staff during fall ball.

“The curveballs are harder and sharper and the changeups are… I mean the pitching is crazy here,” Reynolds said. “The fall was rough because our pitchers are the best in the country. I had a rough fall but it definitely helped.”

With the help of hitting coach Travis Jewett and thanks to some pointers from teammates Dansby Swanson and Xavier Turner, Reynolds tweaked his swing. He credits going home over winter break and “clearing his mind.”

He returned refreshed and better adjusted for his first season in the SEC. One of 14 freshmen in a highly decorated signing class, the first team All-State selection and 2013 District Player of the Year flew under the radar heading into the season opener, perhaps due to the modest fall. But he quickly won over his teammates and coaches and worked his way up the batting order.

“He is a talented kid. Maybe one of the more unheralded kids that came into our program,” Corbin said. “He is one of those kids that has high expectations of himself. He works hard for what he has. The kids have certainly taken to him. He is a kid who has a quiet personality but his personality plays a little bigger on the baseball field.” n

All-American duo: Lipman, Austin make history

V

advancing to the Sweet 16. The duo became the first Vanderbilt singles players to reach the Sweet 16 in 10 years.

Austin, a junior from Miami, became the school’s fifth All-American. For Lipman, a Nashville native who graduated in May, he garnered his second and third All-American honors.

He was also named an All-American in 2013.

Lipman set the school record for combined

wins with 174—96 singles wins and 78 wins in doubles—to pass Scott Brown.

Austin and Lipman are the second and third Vanderbilt players with multiple All-American honors, joining Bobby Reynolds (2000-03).

As a team, the men’s tennis squad reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament while the women advanced to the Sweet 16. n

Senior Ryan Lipman garnered ITA All-American honors for the second and third time when he reached the Sweet 16 in singles and doubles play in May. Lipman also set the school record for combined wins with 174.

vucommodores.com

JOE HOWELL

FREDERICK BREEDON

anderbilt duo Ryan Lipman and Gonzales Austin made school history in May when they became the first doubles team to garner ITA All-American honors.

Lipman and Austin reached the NCAA Quarterfinals, making more history as the first Vanderbilt doubles team to advance to the final eight and past the first round. Each player also earned All-American honors in singles play for

Gonzales Austin reached the Sweet 16 in singles and doubles play in May.

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

9

10

June 2014

Stewart tastes childhood dream with PGA Tour debut

by Jerome Boettcher

vucommodores.com

STEVEN COLQUIT T

A

s he boarded a plane to Hilton Head Island, S.C., the realization began to hit Hunter Stewart.

But if he hadn’t already experienced surreal feelings heading to his first PGA Tour event, the company on the driving range before the opening round of the RBC Heritage in April certainly changed that.

“Just seeing Tom Watson…sitting there, hitting balls next to him on the range,” Stewart said, still bewildered weeks later. “Just going up and shaking his hand and introducing myself to him in the dining area was pretty cool. Just someone I look to as one of the great competitors in our game. One of my favorites. That part was really cool.”

Meeting and striking up a conversation with the 64-year-old Watson, an eight-time major championship winner, was just a small piece of Stewart’s memorable weekend.

The junior became the first Vanderbilt golfer to play in a PGA Tour event while still enrolled at school since Luke List played in the 2005 U.S. Open. Stewart shot a 147, five-over par over two rounds, missing the cut by just one stroke.

He started off well on the first day, shooting one-under on the front nine before bogeying four holes on the back nine.

While Stewart conceded disappointment he also acknowledged that, despite not playing his best, he wasn’t far removed from some of the world’s best golfers.

“It is definitely encouraging,” he said. “It showed me the gap between the PGA Tour players and us as good collegiate players is really not as great as the general public would see it to be. I definitely have areas to improve and I have a long way to go to be there but it was encouraging to see the gap really isn’t huge.

“Those guys are good but that’s the thing I walked away with the most—it can be done. It was surreal but it was also really encouraging.”

Just over a month later, adding to his growing PGA Tour resume, Stewart qualified for the U.S. Open in dramatic fashion.

In the qualifying tournament, he shot a six-under par 137 and survived a five-man playoff in which only two U.S. Open spots were up for grabs.

Stewart made a 15-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to claim the last spot. He’ll join former Vanderbilt standout Brandt Snedeker at the U.S. Open from June 12-15 in Pinehurst, N.C. At the RBC Heritage, Stewart was one of just two amateurs in the field, earning an exemption after winning the Players Amateur the previous summer. Playing on the PGA Tour has been a goal since Stewart was 11 years old. At that time, he was living in Somerset, Ky., and was introduced to golf by his best friend Daniel Snyder, who is a junior golfer at the University of Kentucky.

“That’s really where I started loving it,” said Stewart, who moved back to his hometown of Lexington, Ky., a couple years later. “(Reaching the PGA Tour) was definitely a dream of mine when I was younger,” Stewart said. “I started playing competitive golf right away and knew playing golf on the PGA Tour was kind of the pinnacle of competitive golf. That is the highest level of competition. Me being a competitive guy I really wanted to get there some day.”

Stewart could be back.

His college years have been promising after a heralded high school career at Lexington Christian Academy, where he was named Kentucky’s Mr. Golf in 2010 and twice finished as the state champion runner-up.

He heads into his senior season with 15 top 10 finishes in his career, eight top five finishes and a medalist honor (at the Samford Intercollegiate in 2013).

Rising senior Hunter Stewart made his PGA Tour debut at the RBC Heritage Classic in April in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Stewart just missed making the cut by one stroke.

In May, he helped lead the Commodores to their first NCAA Championship since 2007 by shooting five-under par to finish in fourth place at the San Antonio Regional.

In 2013-14, Stewart finished in the top 10 in seven tournaments, placing in the top five four times.

Tasting the PGA Tour just stoked the fire for Stewart. But he also learned he must be patient and focus on the tournaments in front of him.

“That is in the back of mind,” he said. “That’s where I want to play.

That’s what I want to do for a living. I don’t necessarily let that take up a huge portion of my thoughts on the game. Coach (Scott) Limbaugh has been a huge part of keeping me focused on what I’m doing today. Really just keep everything right in front of me and trying to get better each and every day so that one day I will be good enough to play out there.

“Instead of having a dream and, ‘Oh, it’s just going to happen some day.’ Not really. I need to be getting better each and every day so that really can become a reality.” n

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

11

JOE HOWELL

Onward to Omaha

In 12 years, Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin has taken the baseball program to unprecedented heights. Fittingly then, when the Commodores clinched their second College World Series berth in front of a soldout crowd at Hawkins Field on June 8, Corbin was hoisted into the air by his players to receive just acknowledgement.

JOE HOWELL

C

Center fielder John Norwood leaps onto his teammates to top off a celebratory dogpile. All 27 players on the postseason roster will be making their first trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

JOE HOWELL

STEVE GREEN

apacity at 3,626-seat Hawkins Field reached its limit. The 11-floor parking garage across the street oozed with more than 300 Vanderbilt fans trying to sneak a peek.

June 8, 2014 certainly won’t be a day forgotten by the Commodore faithful. The ‘Dores punched their ticket to Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series for the second time in four years with a 12-5 win over Stanford.

A team with 24 freshmen and sophomores and only two players remaining from the 2011 CWS squad, put together a memorable twoweek run. Despite an up-and-down regular season, this bunch built on pitching and bright young talent fulfilled a preseason goal and added another chapter for a program with national championship dreams.

“There’s a lot of emotions,” coach Tim Corbin said, “but I’m just happy for this group and for Vanderbilt University.” n

Pitcher Carson Fulmer gets doused with a Gatorade shower by fellow pitcher Adam Ravenelle.

12

June 2014

Designated hitter Ro Coleman, center, is congratuled by his teammates after he hit a walk-off single to lift the Commodores past Oregon in an NCAA Regional final on June 1.

JOE HOWELL

STEVE GREEN

Center fielder John Norwood, right, embraces pitcher Carson Fulmer after he was drenched with a Gatorade shower following the Commodores’ win.

JOE HOWELL

Shortstop Vince Conde rejoices after catching the final out against Stanford, sending the Commodores to the College World Series.

Second baseman Dansby Swanson lets out a joyous scream as his teammates take a victory lap and high-five the Commodore fans.

vucommodores.com

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

13

Head of academic support instills belief, offers support

by Jerome Boettcher

14

June 2014

JOHN RUSSELL

J

ovan Haye arrived at Vanderbilt in the fall of 2002 on a football scholarship.

By the end of his first semester, he

was on academic probation. Diagnosed with dyslexia, Haye struggled with piecing together research papers.

He could have felt lost and alone. He wasn’t.

Elizabeth Wright, the director of academic support for Vanderbilt student-athletes, wouldn’t let him fail. Wright, an author and former writing tutor for more than 25 subjects, worked with Haye on his grammar, his writing style and properly citing sources, which if improperly cited constitutes a violation of the honor code.

“Vanderbilt is extremely hard,” Haye said.

“To actually play in the SEC and try to get your grades (up) is that much harder. I knew what I signed up for. It rocked me at first and then I had to find a way to buckle down. But, Mrs. Elizabeth, she always knew I wanted to play pro ball. She knew where I wanted to go and she wasn’t going to let me fail.

“She was there. She never gave up on me.

She helped me push through.”

Haye, after a seven-year career in the NFL, recently published his autobiography, “Bigger Than Me: How a Boy Conquered Dyslexia to Play in the NFL.” His framed No. 75 Tennessee Titans jersey hangs on the wall in Wright’s office in the Stratton Foster Academic Center.

Haye is just one of the many student-athletes Wright has impacted over 15 years at Vanderbilt.

“Every year we have a lot of success stories.

That is the most rewarding thing about the whole job,” she said. “Everybody is smart. But some haven’t had the same educational advantages that a lot of the other Vanderbilt students have had… but they can do this. Because they’re smart, they can do it. The first year I would say is the most difficult in trying to get up to speed. It is just the belief that they can.”

Wright oversees the entire 11-person academic support staff. Wright and her team are in frequent communication with Vanderbilt professors. They work with the student-athletes’ faculty adviser to ensure they’re progressing toward their degree and maintaining eligibility.

She monitors textbook purchases to make sure they’re in compliance with NCAA legislation.

On a weekly basis, Wright and her staff— each member is assigned a sport—meet with their respective coaches and keep them abreast about any academic concerns.

When incoming freshmen arrive at Vanderbilt, the academic support staff awaits them.

Director of Academic Support Elizabeth Wright has worked at Vanderbilt since 1999. Wright leads an 11-member staff and also serves as an academic counselor for 15 football players every year.

For 30 freshman student-athletes who arrived in June for summer school, Wright and her staff offer a Summer Bridge program. The intensive freshman orientation offers workshops and speakers. Shan Foster, Vanderbilt’s all-time leading scorer in men’s basketball, spoke to the freshmen last year. This year, Haye will offer advice to the class of 2018.

“Elizabeth and her staff do a great job (with Summer Bridge), and in general are so vital to the overall experience” said director of compliance and VU grad Candice Lee, who was an academic counselor for two years following her student-athlete days. “They’re attacking societal issues, college issues, things you’ll face as a student-athlete.”

Wright’s resume features a strong academic and writing background. She has two degrees from the University of Virginia, including her master of fine arts in creative writing. She has written numerous short stories and poems and has published two books. In addition, she has been a grant writer for the medical centers at Virginia and Vanderbilt. She also worked in the neurology department at Virginia. After living in New York for six years, Wright, her husband, Paul Moots, and their two children, Hannah and Skyler, moved to Nashville in 1991 for her husband’s job. Paul is currently the chief of the division of neuro-oncology.

Wright stayed writing from home until 1999 until her children began to get older. At that point, she started thinking about a second career.

“I said, ‘What’s my favorite job I ever had?’” she said. “I had been a tutor at the University of

Virginia for the football and men’s basketball teams. I thought that was the favorite thing I ever did.”

Fifteen years ago she began as a tutor and writing specialist at Vanderbilt. By December 1999, she was the director of tutoring. She then became an academic counselor for football and in 2004 athletic director David Williams promoted her to director of the Stratton Foster Academic Center.

Not only did she have the higher institution experience, but Hannah and Skyler both ran track at the collegiate level and at two academically prestigious schools—the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis. “(Both schools) have very strong academic standards as we have and so I think that is very helpful for her to have been on the side as a parent,” Williams said. “She has a very good demeanor. While she is strict with the kids she also has a lot of patience.”

Every Mother’s Day, Wright receives numerous text messages. She has been invited to weddings, and former student-athletes frequently pop into her office to say hi. And, for her, one of her most rewarding days comes every May in the form of commencement.

“Mrs. Elizabeth worked wonders,” said former football player Darlron Spead. “You go through this university, it is very tough, you need someone to help you out, guide you the right way.

The coaches did that. (But) then there is also a comfort zone. You need that motherly figure and I feel like she provided that for me.” n

‘Golden Age of Sports Journalism’ comes to VU library

by Jerome Boettcher

W

“The Golden Age of Sports Journalism: Grantland Rice and Fred Russell” runs through April 20, 2015 on the second floor of Vanderbilt’s Central Library. Included in the collections is Grantland Rice’s typewriter in which he wrote a story on Willie Mays and the 1954 All-Star Game right before Rice died.

vucommodores.com

PHOTOS BY JOHN RUSSELL

ith one exhibit, Vanderbilt Libraries have brought two legendary sports writers—and Vanderbilt alums— together.

From now through April 20, 2015, “The Golden Age of Sports Journalism: Grantland Rice and Fred Russell” is free and open to the public on the second floor of Central Library.

Rice, a 1901 grad, and Russell, who attend Vanderbilt for his undergrad and law school, were friends, Middle Tennessee natives and two renowned sports writers in the Golden Era of Sports in the 20th Century.

“We tend to choose things that are really very popular to the community and still academically important,” dean of libraries Connie Dowell said. “I’m quite excited about this exhibit. It also shows Vanderbilt in a very special light. We’re certainly very proud of these alums.”

The collection features numerous mementos from both scribes. The last typewriter used by Rice is on display. He finished his story on Willie Mays and the 1954 All-Star Game on this typewriter moments before he died. The silent film from the Rice Collection highlights the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where Jesse Owens won four gold medals. The exhibit also includes coverage of the 1972 Olympics, where Russell reported on the Munich Massacre—11 Israeli athletes being taken hostage and murdered by Palestinian gunmen. Olympic history is a reoccurring theme in the exhibit as both writers covered 60 years of the Olympics from 1924 to 1984.

Special collections also uncovered a baseball inscribed to Russell from former Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and a baseball signed by Larry Schmittou, former president of the Nashville Sounds.

They dug into collections of Sen. Lamar Alexander, also a Vanderbilt alum, for those memorabilia.

The Central Library underwent renovations two years ago and allows for a unique experience for visitors. Touchscreens, media, such as audio files and films, enhance the exhibit.

“I’m very proud of the staff in special collections, throughout the library and the director of special projects who worked so hard to pull out and select because these collections of these two writers are enormous,” Dowell said. “We just tried to pull a sample that would represent the collections. The exhibit program was designed to showcase our rare and unique items.”

Rice was a renowned columnist and poet who is estimated to have written more than 22,000 columns and 67 million words. His column, “The Sportlight,” was one of the more influential of his day.

Russell worked for the Nashville Banner from 1929 until the newspaper closed in 1998 and wrote more than 12,000 columns.

The careers of these two beloved writers crossed paths and have aided future aspiring journalists. The Fred Russell-Grantland Rice Scholarship provides a partial tuition scholarship to Vanderbilt students interested in pursuing a career in sports journalism.

“The connections between these two, and also the connections to those who have started their careers based upon the scholarships honoring these two—it’s really fun to see the connections materialize,” Dowell said. “We’re thrilled to have the collections to begin with but it is so much more exciting to share with folks through exhibits like these.” n

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

15

Leaps and bounds: Charley breaks family, school records

by David Dawson

16

June 2014

JOE HOWELL

I

n one of the first outdoor track meets of her college career, freshman Simone Charley jumped into the school record books, setting a new Vanderbilt standard in the triple jump.

It was an accomplishment that brought immediate recognition to the two-sport standout, and established her as one of the up-and-coming stars of the Commodore track program.

Perhaps equally significant, it enabled her to lock down bragging rights at the Charley family gatherings.

You see, Charley didn’t just break a mark that was held by some faceless figure from long ago. Rather, she surpassed a record that was previously held by someone that Simone might just run into at Thanksgiving dinner— and who shares her last name: Christina (Penn) Charley.

Christina—who is married to Simone’s cousin, Damien Charley, a former Commodore football player—was a member of the Vanderbilt track team in the mid-1990s. She punctuated her career with the Commodores in 1996 when she posted a distance of 40-6.75 in the triple jump, which stood as the school record for 18 years.

Then Simone came along—and shattered it.

Competing at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 12, Simone posted a distance of 41-10.75, which ranked as the ninth-best showing on the SEC Outdoor Performance list for the season and ranked fourth nationally among US Juniors (ages 19 and under).

The jump officially moved Simone to the top of the all-time list at Vanderbilt—and among her relatives, too.

“That was definitely very cool,” Simone said. “I’d known ahead of time (about the possibility of breaking her cousin-in-law’s record); we had discussed it beforehand. … But at the time when I broke the record, I didn’t even know that I had gotten (it) until after the competition.”

Long before she broke the record, Simone already had a connection to Christina. At age five, Simone was part of the ceremony when Christina married Damien.

“Little did they know that their flower girl from the wedding would go on to break the bride’s record,” Simone said with a laugh.

True enough, no one could have foreseen that little twist. But on the other hand, Simone’s success at Vanderbilt—where she stars in soccer in addition to track—has come as no surprise. The smiling freshman from Hoover, Ala., has always seemed destined for stardom, thanks to a combination of immense inner drive and athletic skills.

“She’s an absolute gamer,” Vanderbilt assistant track coach Clark Humphreys said. “She rises to the level of competition, whatever that may be, every time. She does not falter when it comes to that. And that is something that is very difficult to teach. A lot of times, that’s an innate ability; to just bring it up and come with it. Some people thrive under those conditions … and she’s one of them.”

After breaking Christina’s record in April, Simone took things a step further in mid-May at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky., where she broke her own record with a jump of 42-1.75 to qualify for the finals, and then set yet another record with a leap of 42-8 in the championships round.

She wasn’t finished there.

At the NCAA East Preliminary, she once again broke the school record, this time a mark of 43-1. The leap held up for 10th place to send Simone to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. Humphreys said the impressive performances by Simone are a product of the long hours she puts in on the track, fine-tuning her mechanics. “(I have) nothing but the highest regard for her when it comes to work-

Simone Charley just finished a phenomenal freshman season. On the soccer field, she scored five goals and was named SEC All-Freshman. On the track, she broke the school record in the triple jump.

ing,” Humphreys said. “Very diligent.”

It also helps that Simone has athletic success in her bloodlines.

Her older brother and sister both triple jump at the college level. Her sister, Nicole, was a member of the track team at Auburn, where she graduated in three years, and is now finishing her career at Samford. Her brother, Myles, is a member of the track team at Troy University. Both Nicole and Myles also advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Fla. And then there’s Damien—Simone’s first cousin—who played for the Commodore football team from 1995-98. Playing defensive back and serving as a return specialist, he ranked ninth on the team in total tackles (35) his senior season, and averaged 21.6 yards per kickoff return in his career.

Now, almost two decades later, the family tradition of success has continued with Simone and her siblings.

“I chuckle and sometimes pinch myself to think that I had a small part in inspiring my cousins to believe they could use their talents to compete

SUBMIT TED BY DAMIEN CHARLEY

Simone Charley, left, at age five was the flower girl at the wedding of her cousin, Damien, who played football at Vanderbilt, and Christina Penn, who set the school triple jump record until Simone broke it this year four times.

vucommodores.com

JOHN RUSSELL

in college athletics,” said Damien, who works as a loan officer for Peoples Home Equity in Brentwood, “(and) it’s a little extra special to have Simone follow me up here to (Vanderbilt). And now it’s really cool for me to see my own kids looking to them and getting inspired to work and follow in their footsteps.”

Damien joked that he’s hoping to see “a little Charley dynasty” develop at Vanderbilt.

But what about Simone breaking his wife’s record? Did that cause any mixed emotions for him and Christina? Absolutely not, Damien said, noting he and Christina were “equally elated” about Simone’s achievement.

“She has worked hard and … it shows in her performances,” Damien said.

“She may be quiet and reserved in many ways but you can see that passion, drive and desire to win whenever you see her compete.”

Damien played a key role in mapping out Simone’s path to Vanderbilt.

During Simone’s senior year in high school, Damien dropped by the McGugin Center and had a conversation with the Vanderbilt soccer coaches about a certain player who was turning heads in Hoover, Ala. “I specifically came up to the soccer offices and knocked on the door and ended up talking to (assistant) coach Sebastian (Vecchio) about her,” Damien said. “He went on to talk to (head) coach (Derek) Greene and they were able to check (Simone) out in a tournament in Orlando. And the rest is history.”

Simone, naturally, acquired a love for sports a young age. She started competing in soccer in kindergarten and track in first grade. She has excelled at both throughout her life, including being a multi-sport star at Spain Park High, where she earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in soccer and was a three-time state champion in the triple jump.

Humphreys said Simone was “on the radar” of the Vanderbilt track coaching staff during her high school career. But soccer got to her first.

“The way the recruiting cycles work, she was basically committed to Vanderbilt (for soccer) a full year prior, or maybe six months prior, to (the time when) we would even initiate contact with her because of the way the timeline works between the two sports,” said Humphreys. “Fortunately enough, before we even had to get full-bore into recruiting her, she was already coming here. … Once I realized that was the case, I sat down with Coach Greene to work out the logistics on how to share her and not run her into the ground.”

Although Simone grew up in Crimson Tide country in Hoover, Ala.—she

Freshman Simone Charley broke the school record in the triple jump four times this season. The mark stood for 18 years and was set by Christina Penn, who is married to Simone’s cousin, Damien, a former VU football player.

moved from Boston to Alabama when she was two years old—she has had Commodore connections throughout her life, thanks in large part to her relationship to Damien and Christina.

When Simone arrived at Vanderbilt last year, Damien and Christina came to campus to get her settled in.

“They helped me move into my new dorm and they were telling me about how (Vanderbilt) was when they were here and kind of telling me their stories,” Simone said. “They were telling me about how things were different 20 years ago or so.”

Now Simone has her own stories to tell. She’s had an eventful—and memorable—freshman year at Vanderbilt that has included honors, accolades and an injury.

Playing forward for the Vanderbilt soccer team in the fall, she earned SEC All-Freshman honors after sharing the team lead in assists (five) and ranking second on the team in goals (five). She then quickly transitioned into track mode for the winter and spring, and has helped the Commodores enjoy one of their best seasons in recent memory.

Along the way, she also dealt with a sprained MCL that caused her to miss the final three games of the soccer season. Aside from that, there’s also been the stress of keeping up her with her academic responsibilities and adjusting to the college life as a whole.

Still, Simone has somehow managed to keep all the balls in the air at once. Relying heavily on her faith, she has succeeded in all areas.

“It’s definitely challenging academically because this is Vanderbilt,” said Simone. “So trying to balance (school) and two sports is difficult. But, as you know, with God all things are possible. He definitely gets all the credit for my (accomplishments). I always read my Bible during stressful times, and that helps me a lot.”

Often quick with a laugh or a smile, Simone has an infectious personality.

But when it comes to track or soccer, she’s all business.

“I can’t say enough about (her work ethic),” Humphreys said. “She’s been going since August. The only thing that has slowed her down has been the injury to her knee. She’s been going hard, hard, hard since she’s been here.

And I certainly think it’s been an exciting road for her.”

Chances are, the next three years will be equally exciting for Simone.

With a school record in her possession, she certainly has something to build on—and something to talk about when she gathers with her relatives at Thanksgiving. n

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

17

Long and successful chapter ends for lacrosse coach

by Jerome Boettcher

R

eaching the 2004 Final Four was the highlight of Susan Ellis’ coaching career.

But it wasn’t the defining moment.

The players she coached and mentored and the relationships she forged over her 15 years as an assistant lacrosse coach at Vanderbilt mean more than the wins she helped the Commodores accumulate.

“Going to the Final Four with that group of girls was a wonderful experience—but each year has its own wonderful things,” said Ellis, who was promoted to associate head coach last summer. “Every group of seniors, every team was different. It is something you cherish. You can’t always go to a Final Four. You can’t always make the playoffs. But it doesn’t mean your season wasn’t a success. We had a lot of fun, funny, crazy moments along the way with so many different teams.”

Ellis concluded her collegiate coaching career in May. She is leaving Vanderbilt to move to San Francisco, where her husband, James, has accepted a director position with Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Ellis and the couple’s three children, Lily (8), Radford (7) and Abby (5) will move out West this summer.

“There is no replacing her. It is not a doable thing,” head coach Cathy Swezey said. “We built this thing together. I know I had two years at Vanderbilt prior to her being here but it’s our program. Sue loves coaching and she enjoys

making a difference in these girls’ lives. That’s all that has ever really mattered to her. Any success we’ve had has been as much hers as mine.”

Named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division I Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009, Ellis took upon a myriad of responsibilities for the Commodores.

In addition to coaching the defenders, she helped with recruiting, ordering equipment, securing game film and building Vanderbilt’s CHAMPS/Life Skills program. A majority of her off-the-field duties consisted of coordinating all travel arrangements—from working with travel coordinator Jeannie Stotts to set up flights and book hotels to organizing bus shuttles to making restaurant reservations.

“We joke about it because I never know where we’re going to be and what time we need to be at a given place,” Swezey said. “I don’t need to. Sue worries about that and she lets me focus on the game. It has been an amazing experience.

“There is going to be a hole in this program and my heart for years to come. Sue has left her mark. I hope and believe that mark will be strong enough to propel us forward.”

Swezey, who came to Vanderbilt prior to the 1998 season, hired Ellis in 1999. The pair had known each other since Swezey was 16 when they met at a field hockey camp. They both played field hockey and lacrosse at Trenton State in New Jersey, where they won five national championships.

Associate head coach Susan Ellis, center, talks to former Vanderbilt assistant Amber Falcone, left, and former volunteer assistant Allie Martindale, far right. Ellis retired in May after 15 years at Vanderbilt. She helped the Commodores build a national reputation alongside head coach and former college teammate Cathy Swezey.

18

June 2014

Prior to arriving at Vanderbilt, Ellis coached high school field hockey and lacrosse for years in New Jersey. She came to Nashville with a nine-month contract and the idea she would help her best friend, Swezey, build a program that was only four years old.

Two years after Swezey took over as Vanderbilt’s coach in 1998, she was cleared to hire on another assistant. Swezey didn’t have to look far.

“Not many people have the opportunity to work every day with their best friend nor could many people do that,” Swezey said. “We really are yin and yang. We can complete each others’ thoughts and sentences. She is the best listener I’ve ever known in my life. When you need a true friend that’s what you need. You need somebody who listens, understands you and truly cares about you. That’s what our relationship has been.”

She stayed for the long haul, meeting her husband, raising her three children and teaming with Swezey to accumulate 125 wins, reach six NCAA Tournaments, including the 2004 Final Four, and win two American Lacrosse Conference championships.

“Coming from New Jersey, I didn’t know what this had to offer,” Ellis said. “Working at the college level and being around 18- to 22-year-olds, working in a department you want to succeed and watching other sports grow, adding sports and seeing other sports develop—college athletics is a fabulous thing.”

She coached and molded five All-Americans—Sasha Cielak, Megan Lewis, Bridget Morris, Alex Mundy and Megan Shuey—and gave the Commodores a reputation of having a stingy defense.

When the Commodores reached the Final Four in 2004 for the first time, the defense held No. 5 Loyola and No. 4 James Madison to just four goals apiece in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament.

But Ellis vividly recalls memories off the field, too.

She bonded with her team and saw the world with three foreign trips—England, Ireland and Wales in 2003, Germany, Austria and Czech Republic in 2009 and Italy in 2013. She beams with pride in helping develop studentathletes grow into mature young adults.

“I’m very fortunate this was the track I ended up taking into the coaching world and working at such a wonderful university,” she said. “It will never be replaced.” n

Athletic trainer garners respect from SEC colleagues

STEVE GREEN

by Jerome Boettcher

Athletic trainer Michele Loftis, left, tends to an injured Vanderbilt women’s basketball player as head coach Melanie Balcomb, right, looks on. Loftis was recently named the SEC Athletic Trainer of the Year.

L

ess than two hours after Tom Bossung received the email, his phone rang.

On the other line was Jim Madaleno, the head athletic trainer at Kentucky and the president of the Southeastern Conference athletic trainers committee. He had just sent out an email to head athletic trainers in the SEC asking for their nominations for the inaugural Chris Patrick SEC Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.

He had a suggestion for the Vanderbilt nominee—women’s basketball athletic trainer Michele Loftis.

“He said, ‘Hey, Tom, the first person who came to my mind was Michele,’” said Bossung, the head athletic trainer at Vanderbilt. “He said, ‘I don’t know if you were going to nominate her but if you weren’t, I would like to nominate her.’

And I said, ‘Yeah, that’d be exactly who I would nominate.’ She is very well liked and appreciated by, not only those of us here at Vanderbilt, but around the conference as well.”

That sentiment was apparent in April when Loftis won the award at the SEC Sports Medicine’s Annual Symposium. The award is voted upon by the athletic training staffs of the SEC’s 14 member institutions. The honor is bestowed to the person who bests exemplifies, among

vucommodores.com

other criteria, going above and beyond for his or her team, exhibits a tireless work ethic and has a passion for the profession of athletic training and the service of the student-athlete.

Loftis admits she was caught off guard. As the treasurer of the SEC’s athletic trainers committee, she was taking notes and became stunned when Madaleno announced her as the winner.

“I was pretty flabbergasted. Dumbfounded is a good word. Shocked is another great word,” she said. “It means a lot. There are some pretty important people in the Southeastern Conference as far as sports medicine goes. For me to get nominated and actually win it is pretty cool. Then to actually have (former Florida head athletic trainer) Chris Patrick himself there to present it—I mean the guy is in the hall of fame for athletic training for crying out loud.

“She is a very caring individual. She cares about her athletes not only as athletes but as people.”

—Athletic trainer Tom Bossung

“So to be the first recipient of an award that was established in his name is pretty cool.”

For the past 17 years—10 at Vanderbilt and seven at the University of Idaho—Loftis has earned a reputation as a caring and passionate athletic trainer.

In addition to working with the women’s basketball team, she also serves as the athletic training staff’s clinical coordinator and representative for the Career Advancement Program for Vanderbilt Medical Center employees. She is also an examiner for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Board of Certification.

“Michelle brings a wealth of experience,” Bossung said. “She is a very caring individual.

She cares about her athletes not only as athletes but as people as well. That is how she approaches their care. She is an outstanding athletic trainer and an even better person.”

For Loftis, athletic training wasn’t even on her radar until late in college.

The native of Hamilton, Montana, went to the University of Nebraska at Omaha for her undergraduate degree and applied to get into an entry level master’s program for physical therapy. She was placed on the alternate list and was encouraged to check out athletic training in case she didn’t get into the master’s program.

She headed down to the school’s athletic training room, and immediately her career path changed.

“I did some volunteer hours and completely forgot about physical therapy,” she said.

“Athletic training you never know what is going to come down the road and you have to be prepared for anything. That is one of the things I love about it. It is so different every day that it is always a challenge. You don’t know if you’re going to have a broken arm, broken back, dislocated knee. I like to say we’re a jack of all trades and a master of none.”

The interaction and opportunity to help young student-athletes grow as individuals also appeals to Loftis.

The people she works with—the athletic training staff, the coaching staff, the studentathletes—is just as rewarding as the unpredictability of her profession.

“I never had kids of my own but I like to think that I have 15, 16 almost every year,” she said.

“They help keep me young, except for when they make me want to pull my hair out.

“Overall, we get great kids here at Vanderbilt across the board and women’s basketball is no exception.” n

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

19

BLACK KEYS 518-7

BLACK KEYS 518-7

Colors Inspired

by Nashville

ASTER BLOOM 212-4

ASTER BLOOM 212-4

ROCKEY TOP 7195-1

ROCKEY TOP 7195-1

www.ppgporterpaints.com

Visit your neighborhood location to learn more about the Nashville Color Collection

800.336.3335 | LOEWSHOTELS.coM

20

June 2014

Coach’s Handbook: Women’s soccer assistant coach Christine Husni

Your brother (Pete) and cousins played soccer — so there was that draw to the sport?

When I was young, I was lugged around to every one of my brother’s soccer tournaments, so I always saw the aggressive nature of the way guys played. My brother is 5 ½ years older than I am, but when we were home, my brother and I were always playing outside. Many times, my cousins and my brother’s friends would come over to play and they would always include me. That’s why I always played soccer a little bit different than other girls. I was very physical, hard on the tackle, and big in the air. Those were my defining qualities as a player. I always had that in all sports that I played growing up, I was super competitive, and tried my hardest in everything, but I found through soccer I was able to really excel because of those certain qualities that I picked up from playing with my older brother.

Were you thinking about high school teaching and then coaching? Was that the plan?

Those are the two professions I have always had in mind. My mom is a teacher and has been teaching for 36 years. Growing up, the aspect that I loved the most about her teaching was that she was always off in the summers. She drove me to every practice and was able to travel to every tournament, I don’t think that she has missed any of my games that I have every played in. I have always been so impressed by her dedication to my brother and I, especially in the summertime. That is one of the reasons why I always thought about being a teacher, especially when I become a parent. But, my aunt (D-D Breaux) is the LSU gymnastics coach and has been for 37 years. She is labeled the “Dean of Coaches” at LSU because she has been there for so long. This season she received the title of National Coach of the Year, and I have grown up seeing how passionate she is about the sport that she loves. So, this is why I have always thought about both professions, teaching and coaching. Looking back on it, I definitely enjoyed my two years as a teacher, but now that I am coaching, I love it. It is so fun to be around a sport that I have grown up with and I am so passionate about.

You’ve almost had a full class since you’ve been here.

Is it neat to see them grow?

It is neat to see them grow. I was nervous when I first started, being so close in age to the team. My senior year at Ole Miss was the freshman

vucommodores.com

JOHN RUSSELL

Christine Husni begins her fourth season with the women’s soccer team this fall. Husni, a native of Gonzales, La., was recruited by and played for Vanderbilt head coach Derek Greene at Ole Miss. The former Freshman All-American taught high school English for two years through Mississippi Teacher Corps, a program which recruits recent college grads to teach in underprivileged areas, and started a boys soccer program at Byhalia (Miss.) High School. When she isn’t coaching, she is working out and biking with her husband, Dr. Afeef Husni, and relaxing with their two bullmastiffs, Max and Tina.

Assistant women’s soccer soach Christine Husni taught English at a high school in Mississippi for two years before rejoining her former college coach, Derek Greene, on the staff at Vanderbilt. She enters her fourth season with the Commodores.

year of the senior class of my first season at Vanderbilt. So, I actually played against some of the girls that I was coaching. I didn’t know if they would view me as a coach or as a peer and what my role would be on the coaching staff. I shouldn’t have been nervous at all though, the girls respected me as a coach, and I think that it helped that I was close to their age. I quickly settled in, and now I can’t believe that I am about to start my fourth season with Vanderbilt. It feels like yesterday that I was introducing myself to the team. Now, those freshmen are seniors. It blows my mind how quickly the time has passed and how much that group has matured, both on and off of the field.

What do you enjoy most about coaching?

Yes, I definitely love that aspect and, honestly, I love just being around the game. In the spring, when our seniors aren’t with us, I’m able to get out there and play with the team during practice. Being a young coach sometimes it is hard for me to be on the sideline and figure out how to say what I want to say to the girls. Whenever I’m practicing and scrimmaging with the team, it is much easier for me to talk to them and coach them.

Derek recruited you to Ole Miss and recruited you to coach with him here. So he has been a pretty big influence for you?

He has been a huge influence. I have looked up to him from day one when I played for him at Ole Miss, and I still look up to him. I couldn’t imagine working for anyone else. He has been a great mentor for me, not only with coaching, but with my life. We had a really good player/ coach relationship at Ole Miss and it has transitioned to a great relationship as co-workers. When I was a player, I think that he respected me because every day, whenever I went out and trained, I trained as hard as I could. That’s who I was as a player and that is who he is as a coach. We had a general respect and bond for each other because of both of our work ethics. n

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

21

THE VU From Here

Tony Pack

A grilling connoisseur, about eight years ago Tony was asked to help out Nate Mayberry, who also grills for the Champion’s Circle—a branch of the Bullpen Club. Tony’s menu includes chicken wings, chicken pies, bacon cheeseburgers and hot Italian sausage.

But Tony and his brother, Jeff, also like to veer away from the norm.

They’ve concocted their own specialty—a sausage wrap. The brothers take a smoked sausage or hot sausage, wrap it in a tortilla shell and slap on Texas pepper jelly.

It is a big hit among Bullpen Club members and is high in demand at the annual cookout with the baseball team.

“That is one of our own things that is pretty popular,” he said. “The players absolutely love it. When we feed them (at the cookout), they may get three or four of them at a time.”

Longtime Vanderbilt fans and brothers, Tony, left, and Jeff Pack, are the resident grill masters of the Bullpen Club before Vanderbilt baseball games.

by Jerome Boettcher Four hours before first pitch, Tony Pack sets up shop outside.

Not long after, Vanderbilt fans walking down Jess Neely Drive can smell what Pack is cooking.

Smoked sausage. Chicken wings. Hamburgers. Bacon.

As resident grill master, Tony, along with his brother Jeff, might be the most popular man outside the gates of Hawkins Field. For nearly 10 years, Tony has been running the tailgate before baseball games for Bullpen Club members, who support the baseball student-athletes and coaches.

“We spend quite a bit of time out there. We have a good time,” Tony said. “Especially if we win, we’re probably eating again afterwards.”

Tony, 66, has been a strong supporter of Vanderbilt athletics for more than 50 years. He is a season ticket holder at football games, men’s and women’s basketball games and baseball games.

At Hawkins Field, he sits in Section G, Row 11 with his wife, Brenda, his brother, Jeff, and his sister-in-law, Karen. And they’re hard to ignore.

“We’re the loudmouth group,” Tony said, laughing. “We do all the black and gold (chants). We’re right at home plate. If you’re there, you hear us. We are the biggest loudmouths that are there.”

Tony rarely misses a home game. For five years straight, he and his wife, made every game—home and away. The couple has been married for 46 years and often their anniversary is celebrated at a baseball game. On most May 25ths, the Packs are in Hoover, Ala., for the SEC Tournament, cheering on the ’Dores.

“We’re always in Hoover for our anniversary,” said Tony, who was born and raised in Nashville and now lives in Smyrna. “I tell her every year I give her the biggest diamond in the world.”

But Tony might be better known for his cooking.

22

June 2014

He tailgates at football games but really became a mainstay before baseball games shortly after coach Tim Corbin’s arrival in 2003.

“He wanted us to have a big tailgate,” said Tony, who used to own Allen Printing Company before he retired a few years ago. “He wanted the atmosphere over at the Hawk like it is at other big-time college baseball schools. He wants that atmosphere out front. So that’s what we try to create.”

It’s My Turn

By Rod Williamson

A

few years ago I was in the gallery at an NCAA golf regional, following a threesome in which one member was struggling.

Midway through the round she belted her tee shot deep into the boondocks. She disappeared after it and minutes later her ball trickled out into sunlight. She emerged to matter of factly tell the others—who had no idea what happened in the woods—that she had illegally grounded her club and was calling a penalty on herself.

And that right there is why golf is special. It often seems to be the last bastion of integrity in an otherwise murky world of sportsmanship and civility. Last month our own Brandt Snedeker penalized himself.

Fans applaud the other team’s good shots. Caps are removed and hands shaken at the end of matches.

In golf, it is better to be known as an inferior golfer than a cheat or poor sport.

It’s a novel concept, huh? Aside from golf, I can’t think of a sport in which I haven’t heard of hanky panky with the rulebook or witnessed

What do we teach our kids with these stunts? That it’s better to be sneaky than talented? actors wanting to fake out the officials. There are some coaches—at every level of play—that have fared well living on the boundary of ethics.

What do we teach our kids with these stunts? That it’s better to be sneaky than talented? How to find tax loopholes? Sadly, I fear kids learn it’s better to win by any means than compete with honor.

Can you imagine a basketball coach overruling a referee on a call that originally went in his favor? Or the outfielder saying “No, I actually trapped the ball, I didn’t catch it.”

We live in a competitive world and the rationale for shady conduct has become “everyone else does it and we need to do the same thing.” That’s not what good parents tell their kindergartners but the lesson gets lost about the time sandlot sports begin.

I happen to enjoy winning and am admittedly no model of graciousness when my team comes up short. That’s why I so admire those who are. Sports are not an island. We have lost civility in politics, perhaps explaining Congress’ single digit approval rating. The interstate can seem ruthless during rush hour.

Back to golf, where they want to win every bit as much as any other sportsman.

Roberto De Vicinzo lost the 1967 Masters when his playing partner recorded a 4 instead of the proper 3 for his score on No. 17. De Vicinzo signed the card, thereby missing a playoff for first. History records him as officially second.

Roberto is now remembered for his line “What a stupid I am” but his longer comment spoke profoundly to the point that you can always win more money and fame but you can’t always buy your personal honor.

When Roberto, now 92 years old, passes on to that great golf course in the sky, he won’t be memorialized as a Masters Champion but will be remembered as much, much more—an honest man. We should wish all sportsmen would have the same legacy. n

vucommodores.com

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

23

My Game

Sarah Bell

S

arah Bell just wrapped up her freshman year at Vanderbilt.

The three-time high school state champion and six-time high school All-American leapt into the Commodore record books. In May, at the SEC Championships, the Bloomington, Ill., native earned All-SEC Freshman honors when she took fifth place in the pole vault. In the process, she set a school record with a mark of 13-1.5. She was one of nine VU athletes to reach the NCAA East Regional.

CN: Your major is medicine, health and society.

What are your plans with that major?

Sarah Bell: Just being an athlete, the body just fascinates me—how it works, how everything moves. I’m not exactly sure what I want to do but I know that some kind of health science is definitely what I’m interested in and what I want to pursue later in life. I’m working on a minor in business just in case I want to do health administration or pharmaceutical sales.

CN: On the track, have you surprised yourself this year?

Bell: I have surprised myself. I know my goal this year was to just come into the SEC and let everybody know I’m here and I’m hungry for the competition. I want to compete; placing fifth (at the SEC Championships) I felt like I put myself in that position. Just place myself in a spot where I can compete in the SEC and I can score points for our team, especially as a freshman.

CN: What does it mean to have a school record already, just one year into it?

Bell: It means a lot just to know I jumped the highest mark in this school’s history. It is definitely something I honor and cherish and something I will not take for granted, because that is a very big deal for me. I’m very thankful and grateful to have been able to accomplish that.

CN: What is the trick to the pole vault?

CN: What do you enjoy the most about the sport?

Bell: It is an escape from everything else. Once I’m on the runway and I’m pole vaulting everything else doesn’t matter no matter what’s happening. It’s just me and the pole once you’re in the air; that is all that matters at that point in time.

The whole sport has been my life for the last couple years and definitely helped me to become the person I am.

24

June 2014

CN: To have both your parents coach you in high school was a benefit? (Bell’s mother, Mary Jo, coached her in track and golf at Central Catholic High and her father, Michael, was her pole vault coach.)

Bell: They both have had an impact and influence on me. It is something I can share with them outside of just them being my parents. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them. They have been everything. They’ve supported me through my ups and my downs. This sport can definitely be a roller coaster ride. Just mentally and physically it can really get to you. They’ve been there. They’ve been my support system. n

JOHN RUSSELL

Bell: To be a good pole vaulter, you need to have speed on the runway and you need to have upper body strength to be able to handle yourself and control the whole movement in the air and over the bar. Gaining muscle and working on speed definitely helps throughout the year.

Technology that keeps you

CONNECTED TO THE COMMODORES. Share your Commodore baseball pride, in more places, with the latest devices and accessories powered by Verizon 4G LTE. America’s Largest 4G LTE Network.

Technology that takes the game further. That’s Powerful.

See verizonwireless.com/bestnetwork for details. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. © 2014 Verizon.

Proud partner of the Vanderbilt Commodores