Commodore Nation - Nov. 2007 by Vanderbilt Commodores

November 2007

LIZ SHERWOOD AND SHAN FOSTER LEAD THE COMMODORES 2 0 0 7 - 0 8 B A S K ET B A L L P R E V I E W

table of contents 4 6

National Commodore Club In My Words

Commodores Cubed

Point of View

Coaches’ Corner

Meredith Kohn Know your Commodores Marcus Buggs Steve Keith

11 Commodore Tidbits By the Numbers

12 My First Job - with Tim Corbin The Final 4 with Chris Williams

15 Men’s Basketball Preview VU aims for second straight Sweet 16

17 Women’s Basketball Preview Commodores count on youthful team

20 Quick Hits A look at Vanderbilt sports

21 Commodores In The Pros 22 Jimmy Holt Supporting Vanderbilt athletics

23 It’s My Turn - Rod Williamson Plans for VU Hall of Fame revealed

24 Sports Calendar

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

Connect with

VUCOMMODORES.COM Editorial Publisher: Vanderbilt University Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Schulz Director of Media Relations: Rod Williamson Designers: Ryan Schulz Jeremy Teaford

Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner Photographers: Neil Brake

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Vanderbilt Merchandise The latest Vanderbilt merchandise is available for purchase on VUCommodores.com. The online store features more than 20 pages of official Vanderbilt merchandise.

Daniel Dubois Steve Green Paul J. Levy Josh Spaulding

Contributors: Andy Boggs Marcus Buggs Chad Crunk John Erck Larry Leathers Nick Petrone Thomas Samuel Chris Weinman

Administrative Interim Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II

Gameday Central

Podcasts

Everything you want to know about an upcoming Vanderbilt basketball or football game is located in Gameday Central. In addition to the information regarding Vanderbilt and its opponent, the page also includes valuable links such as parking, driving directions, ticket information, live stats and audio.

Download archived audio files to your computer or media device. Audio files available for download include postgame interviews, weekly press conferences, Joe Fisher’s daily updates and weekly radio interviews.

Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Michael J. Schoenfeld Exec. Director National Commodore Club: Jeff Ulmer

Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and Values Vanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry; and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212.

Purchase Tickets Interested in attending an upcoming Vanderbilt athletic event? Fans can purchase tickets and view seating charts on VUCommodores.com.

NOVEMBER 2007

Joe Fisher’s Daily Update Listen to what the Voice of the Commodores has to say about Vanderbilt on a daily basis. Fisher’s daily Vanderbilt updates on Nashville’s 104.5 The Zone are archived for your listening pleasure.

SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe to Commodore Nation, please contact the National Commodore Club at 615/322-4114. ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt ISP Sports. Stacy Hall General Manager 615/322-4468 shall@ispsports.com

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

C O M M O D O R E C LU B

C OR N ER

PHONE: 615/322-4114 vucommodores.com

NCC Versus Endowment

OLE MISS GAME Dr. Winston Caine made a lead gift toward an endowed scholarship.

By Jeff Ulmer NCC Executive Director I am often asked to explain the difference between gifts to the National Commodore Club and gifts to support the athletics endowment campaign. Gifts to the National Commodore Club are spent in the year they are received to offset the annual costs of providing scholarships for our student-athletes. The NCC is really the lifeblood of our athletic programs and crucial to Vanderbilt’s ability to cover the rising cost of student financial aid. Endowment gifts are, in the simplest terms, invested by the University for long-term growth. A portion of the endowment’s annual interest earnings are spent for scholarships while the corpus, or the endowment’s principal, remains invested. Because endowments are long-term investments, donors who make an endowment gift to athletics ($300,000 minimum) can name a partial scholarship endowment for themselves or for a loved one, and that endowed scholarship will remain in perpetuity. Both NCC gifts and endowment gifts help to fund scholarships and both are extremely important to the long term financial health of Vanderbilt athletics. This is why we ask our donors to support both. For further information about establishing a named scholarship or making a gift to the National Commodore Club, contact us at 615/322-4114 or go to www.vucommodores.com. You can also email us at ncc.supportdores@vanderbilt.edu.

JOIN THE NCC OR RENEW TODAY! Call (615/322-4114), click http://vucommodores. com or stop by the office in the McGugin Center to make your gift to the National Commodore Club. Every gift is allocated toward the goal of funding student-athlete scholarships. Your Membership Matters!

NOVEMBER 2007

Dr. Winston Caine is honored by Jeff Ulmer of the NCC for making a lead gift toward an endowed scholarship. Caine is joined by his wife, Priscilla, and sons Stephen and Matthew. Caine played football at Vanderbilt, and his son, Matthew, is also a graduate.

The 2020 Society has one tailgate remaining this year.

Paul Steele, Cal Cook, Matt Hancock, Hi Lewis and Lisa Uiberall-Noble pose under the 2020 Society’s Vandyville tent before the win over Ole Miss. The 2020 Society has one tailgate remaining this year – before the Kentucky game on Nov. 10.

UPCOMING EVENTS Letter Winners Day and National Commodore Club Day will be celebrated on Nov. 10 during the Kentucky football game. Mark your calendar and check vucommodores.com for more details.

JOIN THE BLACK AND GOLD ENDOWMENT SOCIETY Vanderbilt Athletics and the National Commodore Club endeavor to endow all athletics scholarships. To help in that task, the NCC has created a new endowment level called the Black and Gold Society. Black and Gold Society members create an opportunity for a student-athlete while receiving full benefits of the Dudley Society with a five-year, $100,000 commitment.

EASTERN MICHIGAN GAME Mrs. Dudley White (center) is honored during the Eastern Michigan game for her continued support of Vanderbilt Athletics.

For more information on the Black and Gold Society and Athletic Scholarship Endowments, please contact John Erck at john.erck@vanderbilt.edu or 615/322-7922.

ROAD GAME TAILGATES Tailgate parties for away games are in the planning process, so check vucommodores. com for updates on times and locations. Tailgate parties are scheduled for games at Florida (Nov. 3) and Tennessee (Nov. 17).

Mrs. Dudley White is joined by son William Morgan, grandson Carver Morgan, son Dr. Walter Morgan, and Interim Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. Mrs. White and both of her sons have degrees from Vanderbilt, and Carver is a current student.

National Commodore Club members gear up for victory over Eastern Michigan.

Jeff and Sarah Moats

Caroline and Billy Hamburg

2020 SOCIETY The 2020 Society comprises members of the National Commodore Club, age 40 and younger, who contribute at least $100 annually. If you have been giving to the NCC at this level and are younger than 41, you are automatically in the 2020 Society. The Society is a creation of the 2020 Advisory Committee, a group of young alumni committed to increas-

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ing young membership in the National Commodore Club and promoting VU Athletics. If you are a non-alumni member of the NCC and qualify for the 2020 Society but have not been notified, please contact Cal Cook at cal.cook@vanderbilt.edu or 615/343-4878.

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

In My Words

Meredith Kohn

nown as the team comedian, senior midfielder Meredith Kohn has a knack for keeping the Commodores loose during the season. In addition to having an upbeat and colorful personality, the Alpharetta, Ga., native has provided the Commodores with much more than just a laugh in her career. After recording six points in 2006, Kohn is well on her way to surpassing that mark this season. A staple of Vanderbilt’s starting lineup, she will graduate in May, 2008 with a degree in psychology.

On being known as the comedian on the team It is fun. When things are going bad, I try to stay upbeat and crack a joke when everyone is tense. For me, I’d rather be laughing even when things are hard because it is so much easier if you are at least having fun. On describing her personality I’d say I am pretty outgoing and easygoing. I just don’t let a lot bother me.

NOVEMBER 2007

On how she came to be known as the comedian on the team The more comfortable I got with the team, the more I opened up. That is just the way my personality is. On her favorite comedy “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” is my favorite comedy. It is pretty cheesy, but I think it is hilarious.

On her favorite comedian I love Will Ferrell. I probably quote “Anchorman” more than any other movie. It is the movie our team quotes all the time, and I feel like we quote the entire movie. On the importance of keeping an upbeat personality I think it is extremely important because a lot of times when games are tough and practices are tough, there’s really not much else that is going to get you through except trying to stay positive and upbeat. Sometimes you have to laugh about it or make jokes about it to kind of keep things in perspective. On being a leader on the team I love it. I feel like our team is so close and there is no difference between the freshmen and the seniors. We all hang out together and there is really no division in age, so it makes it

really easy because I look up to everyone on our team for different reasons.

Commodores Cubed

On playing for coach Coveleskie It has been good. She is very intense and she wants the team to do well, and I think we all work very hard because we all want to ultimately achieve the same goal. On her career aspirations after soccer I’d really like to work in the pro sports world either doing public relations or broadcasting. I’m not exactly sure what, but I love sports, so I’d definitely really love to work for a sports team.

ryan FLAHERTY

curtis GATEWOOD

amanda TAYLOR

anjarae WASHINGTON

Baseball

Football

Tennis

Track & Field

Favorite Sports Movie

Rocky

Remember the Titans

The Program

Remember the Titans

Childhood Sports Idol

Derek Jeter

Michael Jordan

People that were nice and still won

Dominique Dawes

Rather Drive a Car, Truck or SUV

Car

SUV — I’m a big guy

Black Truck

SUV

Favorite Food

Mexican

Fish and Rice

Chips and Salsa

Mac and Cheese

Dream Vacation Destination

Bahamas

Paris

Italy

Greece

Chris Farley

Rob Brown

Tina Fey

Halle Berry

On going to school at Vanderbilt I love Vanderbilt and having a smaller campus. It is tough being an athlete at Vanderbilt because of our workload. The courses are difficult and we still have to balance playing, practice and traveling. It is tough, but I think it is definitely worth it.

Actor/ Actress Who Would Play Me in a Movie

I Know I Shouldn’t, But I Still Eat

Wendy’s

Chips

Blizzards

Lots and lots of cheese

On going to school in a big city like Nashville If I had to do it over again, I would definitely pick a school in a big city because there is just so much to do. There is always something going on. ■

Freezing Cold or Burning Hot

Freezing Cold

In a warm bed when it’s freezing outside

Burning Hot

On her favorite off day activity I love to go shopping and I like to go out to eat and hang out with my friends. On how she got into playing soccer I joined a local recreational league when I was young and just really liked it. I liked working on it and going out and practicing and working hard, so it kind of evolved from there. On living with fellow senior teammates Amy Baumann and Sarah Dennis for the past three years It is awesome. After living with each other for so long, we just know each other’s little quirks and funny things that no one else would know unless you live with somebody for so long. We all have such different personalities, but for some reason everything works for us. We balance each other out. On the hardest part about living with roommates It is funny because even sometimes when we are like, ‘I just want to be alone,’ we will go somewhere together. There are very few people that I feel like I can spend that much time with and they are definitely two of the top ones. On growing up in Alpharetta, Ga. I love it, and I love living in the South. Everyone is a lot nicer, and I just love the Southern culture. I’d definitely like to stay in the South once I graduate.

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Burning Hot

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

Point of View

By Marcus Buggs Editor’s Note: Each month “Commodore Nation” will ask a varsity athlete to sound off on a point of personal interest. A native of Madison, Tenn., Buggs is a senior linebacker on the Vanderbilt football team. He led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss in 2006. uring the Spring of 2007, I worked at the Campus for Human Development for my internship class. This is an organization aimed at aiding the homeless of Nashville and its surrounding areas. On a daily basis, I would help individuals gain access to such necessities as food, clothing and transportation, amongst other things. I also helped with the alcohol and drug education courses at the Campus.

While working at the Campus, I learned many life lessons. I would say the most important thing I learned there was that homelessness and hardships can happen to anyone regardless of race, culture, or background. While there, I crossed countless The Campus for Human Development individuals who had provides services to the homeless such as food, shelter and water. college degrees and came from good family backgrounds, but a few bad situations turned their worlds upside down. After working there, I have a whole new respect for those who face these types of challenges each day. Some people stereotype this population and make references to them just getting up and getting a job, but life is not that easy. My experience at the Campus has created a greater appreciation for the things I may look over in my life. Many of the individuals I worked with had no family to turn to either because they were dead or they had disassociated themselves from their family. I now take bigger pride in little things like telling my sister, “I love you.” Also, most of us with roofs over our heads and clothes on our backs don’t really think about what it would be like to not have those things. I feel that it is important to give back to the community because both sides gain something from it. Dedicating your time and effort can mean a world of difference to those who receive it. People would be amazed at the effect that is caused by something as simple as talking with someone. Being a shoulder to lean on costs nothing and is very effortless. Volunteering gave me a sense of pride and appreciation. I feel I learned a lot from those I worked with even though they may not feel that they taught me anything. ■

Recreation room at the Campus.

NOVEMBER 2007

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Frame by Frame

COACHES’

CO RN E R Steve Keith Head Cross Country Coach A member of the Vanderbilt cross country and track and field teams from 1977-81, Steve Keith returned to his alma mater in 2006. You went to school at Vanderbilt, how did you get into running cross country and track while in school? When I came down to school at Vanderbilt, I saw a sign walking down to the post office in Sarratt (Student Center) that said, “Come out and run track,” and I did. I ran track and a couple of years of cross country here, and that kind of got my interest going in that specific area of athletics. What type of student-athletes usually compete in cross country? I think the sport is kind of like swimming where the sport is so repetitive. It is not for everyone, but it seems to attract a certain kind of personality and fortunately for me, that personality usually includes kids that do well in school and manage their time well. How did you get into coaching? When I graduated, while all my friends went on to business school and law school, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Teaching was something that I wanted to look into, so I went to grad school at Emory University with that in mind. I inquired with the track coach at Emory whether they needed any help. The coach told me that they needed some graduate students to coach, so I started coaching.

COMPLIANCE

COR NER Q: A:

Double Dribble is a basketball student-athlete at Vanderbilt. He is on a full athletic scholarship and lives at home with his parents. Can Vanderbilt provide Double the “room” portion of his scholarship since he lives at home with his parents?

By Candice Storey

Yes, as long as the amount provided is in accordance with institutional policy. NCAA Official Interpretation- [8/2/07]- Room Stipend for Student-Athlete Residing with Parents (I)- states that the committee confirmed that when a student-athlete resides with his or her parents or legal guardians the institution may only award the room figure specifically established for a student-athlete residing with his or her parents or legal guardians as mandated by federal financial aid guidelines or institutional policy. [References: NCAA Bylaws 15.2.2 (room and board) and 15.2.2.1 (off-campus room and board stipend)]

Compliance Questions? Please contact: Candice Storey Director of Compliance 615/322-7992 candice.storey@vanderbilt.edu

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George Midgett Compliance Coordinator 615/322-2083 george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu

What is the best advice a coach ever gave you? “What you do in practice is what you will do in a game.”—former soccer coach Ray Beckman, who is in the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame and St. Louis Fire Fighters Hall of Fame. What is one of the challenges with coaching cross country? One of my main concerns is holding back. I don’t have to motivate these kids because they are driven in the classroom, and they are driven in running. I just have to know when to hold back in order to get them rested and make sure that their legs are good for the big competition. If I asked them to run through a wall, they would do it. My punishment to them is to not let them run. ■

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

NOVEMBER 2007

COM MODOR E

TIDBITS • Vanderbilt’s bowling team received its national championship rings on Sept. 29. The following day, the team was honored on the field during the Eastern Michigan game. • Vanderbilt’s football team collected three home wins in the month of September, the fastest the Commodores have ever earned three home wins in a season. The three wins in September also marked the first time VU had three home wins in the same month since winning all three home games in November of 1982. • Freshman forward Molly Kinsella was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Oct. 8. Kinsella scored the game-winning goal for VU in the second overtime at South Carolina on Oct. 6. • Junior wide receiver George Smith was featured during the Auburn game on Oct. 6 as the SEC Community Service Team Player of the Week. A native of Pembroke Hills, Fla., Smith nearly died three years ago from spinal cord inflammation resulting from acute transverse myelitis. Smith frequently shares his experiences with young patients suffering from the illness at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Smith also mentors to students at St. Bernard’s School and has volunteered as a camp counselor with the Backfield in Motion effort that aids Nashville inner-city children. • Vanderbilt’s seven sacks against Ole Miss on Sept. 15 matched a school record. Since becoming an official statistic in 1984, Vanderbilt had previously only registered seven sacks on two occasions. The other two came against Alabama on Sept. 10, 1994, and Virginia Tech on Nov. 4, 1989.

By The

NUMBERS $50,894

Amount raised for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital through the Vanderbilt-Ole Miss ticket promotion.

Ranking Vanderbilt received from U.S. News & World Report in its 2008 list of top national universities.

$49,834

Estimated total cost to attend Vanderbilt in 2007-08.

2,400

The number of corporate tailgaters the Vanderbilt Athletic Group Sales Department can host on a football game day.

1993

The last year Vanderbilt had three home wins in a single season until this year. The Commodores defeated Eastern Michigan on Sept. 29 for their third home win in 2007.

$2,803,000

Amount raised by the National Commodore Club during the 2006-07 school year.

200

The previous school record for career receptions that Earl Bennett broke on Oct. 6. The record had been held since 1983 by Keith Edwards.

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

My First Job - with Tim Corbin

CHRIS WILLIAMS

ftentimes a first job can be very memorable. For many, it was their first sniff of what the real world was like. The job usually paid very little, was very labor intensive and had very little reward. With every day on the job growing longer and longer, the anticipation that was built up for the first paycheck grew by the day until it was boiling over. Although the money wasn’t much in reality, it seemed like a lot as a kid.

When did you start playing football, and how did you get into it? I started playing in seventh grade and continued playing in eighth grade, but I sat out in ninth grade because I didn’t like it. I went to all of our high school games my freshman year and I just had to get back into it, so I started playing again my 10th-grade year.

Corbin began working at the restaurant, which was a local favorite, when he was in seventh grade and worked his way up from bus boy to dishwasher and ultimately to the grill.

“I think they wanted me to work, and they wanted me to understand the value of a dollar,” Corbin said. “I didn’t really consider it work. Back then — yard work was more work than working at Bailey’s Restaurant.” A town of about 7,000 residents on the eastern side of the state, Wolfeboro had additional places for a kid to work, but Bailey’s Restaurant was the place that caught Corbin’s eye. “I worked there because there were a lot of athletes that worked there, and it was just kind of a fun place to work,” Corbin said.

Like most first jobs, Corbin wasn’t going to break the bank when he cashed his paycheck for working 30-hour weeks. “The pay wasn’t enough to pay off my student loans,” Corbin said with a laugh. “I don’t know what the child labor laws were back then, but they used them pretty well.” Corbin eventually moved his way up to working the grill. Working the grill also introduced Corbin to what turned out to be his least favorite part about working at Bailey’s. “The worst part was scraping the grill at the end of the night,” Corbin said. “It was just such a hassle every night.” Despite there being a few negatives, Corbin also remembers the perks of working there. “One of the perks was that we got to eat free food,” Corbin said. “The other good part about working there was that it was just a fun atmosphere.” ■

Formerly known as Bailey’s Restaurant, the establishment is now under new ownership and is called Morrissey’s Front Porch.

NOVEMBER 2007

#74

Chris Williams is a senior from Glynn, La., who is majoring in human organizational development.

Growing up in Wolfeboro, N.H., Corbin’s first job was as a bus boy at Bailey’s Restaurant, now known as Morrissey’s Front Porch.

Although his family didn’t make him get a job, Corbin knew his family wanted him to gain the experience of having a real job.

• Football • Senior • Offensive Tackle

Vanderbilt Baseball Coach Tim Corbin remembers to this day what his first job was like.

“It was a good job, and I actually worked there until my 12th-grade year,” Corbin said. “The owners were sports fans, and they allowed me to play summer ball while I was working, so it was very convenient.”

The Final

What is the hardest part of playing offensive line? It is a consistency thing. It is one of those positions where you have to be extremely consistent and nobody notices how well you play, they just notice how terrible you do. If you gave up two sacks, everyone is going to know. What is the biggest difference between run blocking and pass blocking? Pass blocking is what I feel requires the most skill. Run blocking comes down to mainly effort, especially in our system. It is one of those things where you have to give the effort and do what you are taught and you will be where you need to be. Pass blocking is a little trickier. Once you finish playing football at Vanderbilt, what do you want to do next? I want to play in the NFL for as long as I can and then I want to open up a small business. I am not into much corporate stuff. My fiancée (Marissa) wants to open a pet resort, but personally, I haven’t really decided what kind of business. I will field opportunities when they come to me and see how the market is.

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

NOVEMBER 2007

Commodores Look For Repeat Trip To Sweet 16 oming off a season where Vanderbilt was just 2.5 seconds from advancing to the Elite 8 for the second time in the history of the program and first since 1965, Head Coach Kevin Stallings and the Commodores enter the 2007-08 season with two Sweet 16 appearances in the past four seasons.

The Commodores’ recent success places them among the elite programs in the SEC. In addition to Vanderbilt, two-time defending national champion Florida is the only other school in the league to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s round of 16 twice in the past four years. “It makes a statement that we are certainly in the mix as a program that has to be reckoned with,” said Stallings, who is entering his ninth season in Nashville. “Success can be very fleeting, however, if you don’t follow that up with more success and continued work.” With the return of three starters from last year’s team that compiled a 22-12 overall record and finished second in the SEC Eastern Division at 10-6, the Commodores are primed for consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons. Starting guards Shan Foster and Alex “Red” Gordon return in the backcourt, while forward Ross Neltner is the lone returning starter in VU’s frontcourt. A senior from Kenner, La., Foster enters the season as the league’s third-leading returning scorer after averaging 15.6 points per game as a junior. One of four seniors on the Commodores’ roster, Foster prepared for the upcoming season by competing on the 12-member USA Basketball team that competed at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this past summer. “Shan’s productivity over the course of his career necessitates that people give him a lot of respect,” Stallings said. “There’s no question that early on Shan will be our go-to guy. But he’s also a great scorer who is willing to give his very best effort on the defensive end day-in and day-out and do whatever it takes to help his team win. That’s what separates him at times from other guys who score a lot of points.“ FRONTCOURT Joining Neltner in the frontcourt will be fellow senior Alan Metcalfe and freshmen Darshawn McClellan, Andrew Ogilvy and Andre Walker. Fellow true freshman Festus Ezeli will redshirt after signing in August. After transferring from LSU following the 2004-05 season, the 6-foot-9 Neltner provided consistent interior play last season by averaging 9.2 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per contest. “A guy that can step out and make shots and can pass the ball like Ross has always made teams that I coach a lot better,” Stallings said. “His

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emergence last year was critical to the team, and he should have a similar impact this season.” S H A N

Metcalfe started the first two games of last season before a foot injury sidelined him for much of the non-conference slate. The native of St. Helens, England, averaged 7.5 minutes, 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds a year ago. Ogilvy heads the eight-member freshman class having established himself in international competition this past summer for Australia at the FIBA U19 World Championships. BACKCOURT Playing in the backcourt with Foster and Gordon will be sophomore Jermaine Beal, redshirt sophomore George Drake and freshmen Keegan Bell and Charles Hinkle. Gordon proved himself as one of the league’s top point guards last season after finishing fourth in the conference with a 2.22-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Gordon averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 assists last year, while leading all starting SEC point guards with just 51 turnovers. “Alex’s willingness to sacrifice some parts of his game last year was a very key component to our success,” Stallings said. “He understood where the ball needed to be and at some times that meant somewhere other than his hands. Maybe you’ll see him be more of a scoring option for us this season.” Beal averaged 3.8 points in 16.8 minutes a game in 2006-07. He also ranked fourth among SEC freshmen in steals with an average of 1.08. Drake averaged 2.7 points and 10.3 minutes while playing in 33 games last season. ■

F O S T E R

Date

Opponent

Time

11.5 Tusculum (Exhibition) 8pm 11.10 Austin Peay TBA 11.13 at Toledo 6pm 11.20 Valparaiso 7pm 11.23 vs. Utah State (South Padre Island) 9pm 11.24 vs. Iowa or Bradley (South Padre Island) TBA 11.29 South Alabama 7pm 12.1 Georgia Tech 12pm 12.5 Wake Forest 7pm 12.8 Lipscomb 7pm 12.12 at DePaul 7:30pm 12.22 Tennessee State 8pm 12.29 Tennessee-Martin 12pm 12.31 Iona 7pm 1.3 Rice 7pm 1.5 UMASS 3pm 1.9 South Carolina 7pm 1.12 at Kentucky 12:30pm 1.17 at Tennessee 6pm 1.19 LSU 12pm 1.27 at Florida 12pm 1.30 at Ole Miss 7pm 2.2 Auburn 4pm 2.6 at Georgia 6:30pm 2.9 at South Carolina 4pm 2.12 Kentucky 8pm 2.16 Florida 2pm 2.23 Georgia 3pm 2.26 Tennessee 8pm 3.1 at Arkansas 3pm 3.5 Mississippi State 7pm 3.8 at Alabama 6pm 3.13-16 at SEC Tournament (Atlanta) TBA

ROSTER No. Player

Cl.

Pos.

Ht./Wt.

Hometown

MPG

PPG

RPG

APG

FG%

FT%

0 34 32 3 11 41

So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr.

G G G/F G F F

6-3/210 6-4/210 6-6/205 6-0/170 6-9/265 6-9/238

DeSoto, Texas Calera, Ala. Kenner, La. Pensacola, Fla. St. Helens, England Fort Thomas, Ky.

34 33 34 34 21 34

16.8 10.3 32.4 24.0 7.5 25.0

3.8 2.7 15.6 7.8 2.6 9.2

1.8 1.4 4.6 2.4 1.9 5.7

1.8 0.6 2.3 3.3 0.1 2.2

33.7 42.4 44.9 39.6 44.2 52.9

80.0 34.8 84.3 73.6 78.9 70.4

No. Player

Cl.

Pos.

Ht./Wt.

Hometown/Previous Schools

13 15 50 1 2 21 4 24

Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.

G G F C G/F F C F

6-1/180 5-11/175 6-8/225 6-11/245 6-5/200 6-7/220 6-11/250 6-8/214

Hazel Green, Ala./Hazel Green HS Memphis, Tenn./Memphis U. School Charlotte, N.C./Phillips Exter Academy (N.H.)/Charlotte Catholic Benin City, Nigeria/Igbinedion Education Center Los Alamitos, Calif./Hebron Academy (Maine)/Los Alamitos HS Fresno, Calif./Edison HS Canberra, Australia/Australian Institute of Sports Flossmoor, Ill./Brewster Academy (N.H.)/Homewood-Flossmoor HS

Jermaine Beal George Drake Shan Foster Alex Gordon Alan Metcalfe Ross Neltner

NEWCOMERS Keegan Bell Elliot Cole Joe Duffy Festus Ezeli Charles Hinkle Darshawn McClellan Andrew Ogilvy Andre Walker

COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Kevin Stallings Assistant Coaches: Dan Muller, King Rice, Tom Richardson Director of Operations: Brad Frederick

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

NOVEMBER 2007

Young Team Aims For Ninth Straight NCAA Tournament Bid osing three senior starters, including two that were drafted into the WNBA is a challenge for any program. But when you throw in the fact that Vanderbilt’s 2007-08 roster is comprised of just one senior and a total of three upperclassmen, the task of returning to the NCAA Tournament for a ninth straight season becomes even more difficult.

As one of just 11 programs in the country to have advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of the last eight seasons, the Commodores will look to continue their success by getting big seasons from senior center Liz Sherwood, junior guard Jennifer Risper and junior forward/guard Christina Wirth. Vanderbilt’s top three returnees and only upperclassmen, Sherwood, Risper and Wirth, each finished in the top six on the team in scoring and rebounding in 2006-07. With such a young team, Head Coach Melanie Balcomb believes that the Commodores will have to rely on their defense while the offense develops. “With a young, athletic team, I expect our defense to be one of our strengths,” Balcomb said. “Offensive philosophies can take time to install and understand, but defense is based on desire and physical ability. We’re going to be more aggressive this year and will look to spark our offense through defensive pressure and causing turnovers that become points.” Helping to fill the void left by departed seniors Dee Davis, Carla Thomas and Caroline Williams will be a sophomore class that had four players average at least eight minutes per game as freshmen last season. The Commodores also welcome a four-member freshman class into the mix. In preparation for this season, Vanderbilt embarked on an eight-day, seven-night trip to Spain in August. With such a young team, the trip to Spain, where the Commodores finished 3-0, may have been just what the Commodores needed to develop chemistry heading into the season. FRONTCOURT Along with Sherwood and Wirth, Vanderbilt’s frontcourt will be comprised of sophomores Ashlee Bridge, Amy Malo and Amber Norton, and freshmen Rebecca Silinski and Hannah Tuomi. A 6-foot-4 center from Castle Rock, Colo., Sherwood is Vanderbilt’s second-leading returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds last season. “We have a well-established five in Liz Sherwood,” Balcomb said. “The chemistry she’s developed with (Christina Wirth) is going to give us another dangerous high-low duo.”

Wirth returns as Vanderbilt’s leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago after averaging 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds. An extremely versatile player who can play guard and forward, Wirth is the only returning player to have started all 34 games last season.

L I Z

After Sherwood and Wirth, Vanderbilt’s frontline is thin on experience with Norton and Malo averaging just 8.3 and 4.3 minutes, respectively, as freshmen.

S H E R W O O D

Along with Norton, who averaged 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds last year, Balcomb expects a good season from Tuomi. “I see both Amber Norton and Hannah Tuomi as important contributors in the post as small forwards,” Balcomb said. “They both have the physical presence to bang around on the inside.” BACKCOURT Joining Risper in the backcourt will be sophomores Ashlee Bridge, Lauren Lueders, Merideth Marsh and Jessica Mooney, and freshmen Chanel Chisholm and Jence Rhoads. Risper is a 5-foot-9 guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., who made 17 starts and averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds last season. “At the two guard, Jenn Risper is as healthy as she’s ever been for us after injuring her knee prior to her freshman year and suffering a minor setback last season,” Balcomb said. Marsh and Mooney will battle for the point guard slot that Davis held. “We’re replacing the school’s all-time assists leader, so there’s obviously a challenge there, but I have liked what I’ve seen from Merideth (Marsh) and Jess (Mooney),” Balcomb said. ■

Date

Opponent

10.31 11.5 11.9 11.11 11.14 11.20 11.23

Cumberland (Exhibition) Anderson College (Exhibition) UAB Furman at Indiana State at Clemson Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tourn. (Belmont, Iowa State, Michigan) Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tourn. Consolation Game Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tourn. Championship Game Duke vs. St. Mary’s (Berkeley, Calif.) at California Western Kentucky Colorado Lipscomb Old Dominion South Florida at Princeton Mississippi State at LSU Georgia at Tennessee Ole Miss at Florida at Georgia South Carolina at Alabama Kentucky Tennessee at Arkansas at Auburn Alabama at SEC Tournament (Nashville)

11.25 11.25 11.28 12.1 12.2 12.6 12.9 12.22 12.30 1.2 1.5 1.10 1.13 1.17 1.20 1.27 1.31 2.3 2.7 2.10 2.14 2.17 2.21 2.28 3.2 3.6-9

Time 7pm 5:30pm 7pm 2pm 6pm 6pm 2pm

12pm 2pm 7pm 6pm 4pm 7pm 2pm 5:30pm 2pm 7pm 1pm 7pm 4pm 7pm 2pm 2pm 6pm 1:30pm 7pm 2pm 7pm 3:30pm 7pm 8pm 2pm TBA

ROSTER No. Player

Cl.

Pos.

Ht.

Hometown

MPG

PPG

RPG

APG

FG%

FT%

11 5 43 23 20 25 2 32 34

So. So. So. So. So. So. Jr. Sr. Jr.

G/F G F G G F G C G/F

5-11 5-8 6-3 5-9 5-8 6-1 5-9 6-4 6-1

Cincinnati, Ohio Jackson, Mo. Fairmont, Minn. Louisville, Ky. Nashville, Tenn. Louisville, Ky. Moreno Valley, Calif. Castle Rock, Colo. Mesa, Ariz.

18 29 18 31 34 32 32 34 34

4.3 10.8 5.1 12.7 12.5 8.3 19.6 15.0 29.1

1.8 3.2 1.7 4.5 3.9 2.6 5.4 8.8 11.4

0.6 1.5 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.9 3.3 3.6 4.4

0.4 0.7 0.1 2.0 0.9 0.2 1.9 0.6 2.3

70.0 45.8 61.9 46.8 42.7 44.4 46.0 66.2 50.2

60.0 81.8 71.4 83.9 58.8 45.5 79.2 58.0 87.1

No. Player

Cl.

Pos.

Ht.

Hometown/Previous Schools

3 22 33 15

Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.

G G F F

5-11 5-11 6-3 6-0

Long Island, N.Y./North Babylon HS Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock HS Birmingham, Ala./Shades Mountain Christian HS Thornton, Colo./Horizon HS

Ashlee Bridge Lauren Lueders Amy Malo Merideth Marsh Jessica Mooney Amber Norton Jennifer Risper Liz Sherwood Christina Wirth

NEWCOMERS Chanel Chisholm Jence Rhoads Rebecca Silinski Hannah Tuomi

COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Melanie Balcomb Assistant Coaches: Lisa Cermignano, Vicky Picott, Kim Rosamond Director of Operations: Justin VanOrman

vucommodores.com

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

NOVEMBER 2007

vucommodores.com

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

Quick Hits MEN’S SPORTS Baseball • The 2007-2008 baseball recruiting class was ranked No. 12 by Baseball America and No. 15 by Collegiate Baseball. • Former Commodore hurler JenTim sen Lewis participated in the Corbin MLB playoffs with the Cleveland Indians. • Former Commodore All-American David Price will receive the Dick Howser Trophy in a presentation at the Kentucky football game on Nov. 10. • Tim Corbin was named the American Baseball Coaches Association South Region Coach of the Year. • The Commodores concluded their fall practice season with the Black and Gold Series Oct. 25-26, 27. • Pedro Alvarez topped the list of Rivals.com Positional Power Rankings at third base. Shortstop Ryan Flaherty and outfielder Dominic de la Osa ranked No. 2 at their positions respectively.

Basketball • Practice started on October 12th in preparation for the 2007-08 season. The team’s first exhibition game is at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Memorial Gym Kevin against Tusculum. Stallings • The Commodores, who finished 22-12 last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in four years, return three starters and six letterwinners. Two-time All-SEC performer Shan Foster leads the way for Vanderbilt in 2007-08. The senior guard/forward averaged 15.6 points per game in 2006-07 and finished eighth in the league in scoring. • The Commodores are slated to appear on CBS one time and on the ESPN family of networks three times. Both games of the Tennessee series in 2007-08 will appear on either ESPN or ESPN2. • 2007 SEC Coach of the Year Kevin Stallings returns for his ninth season with the Commodores. Stallings, with a career record of 267-171 in 14 seasons as a head coach and a 144-108 record as the Vanderbilt mentor, became only the second Vanderbilt coach in school history to have three 20-win seasons (Roy Skinner) after the 2006-07 season.

Men’s Cross Country • Austin Williamson led VU at the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 13 by finishing 35th out of 259 runners. • Thomas Davis improved his Steve time by 39 seconds compared Keith with 2006 at the Greater Louisville Classic. • Like Davis, Michael Nordlund bettered his 2006 time by 39 seconds. Nordlund, who finished fourth for the Commodores with a time of 26:43.63, beat his 2006 time of 27:22.

NOVEMBER 2007

• Chris Noel, who finished second for the men’s team in a time of 26:09.23, beat his 2006 time of 26:18 by nine seconds. • Rick Semones has finished as the third runner in all races this season.

Football • Wide receiver Earl Bennett set a school record with his 201st career reception against Auburn on Oct. 6. The previous school record was 200 by Bobby Keith Edwards, who lettered at Johnson VU in the ‘80s. • With the win over Eastern Michigan, the Commodores earned their third win at home for the first time since 1993. The third win also marked the first time since 1984 that VU has won three of its first four home games. • The three wins in the month of September are the quickest Vanderbilt has reached three home wins in school history. The three wins in September also mark the first time VU has had three home wins in the same month since winning all three home games in the month of November in 1982. The ‘Dores won all four games played during that month. • Among those in attendance at the homecoming game against Georgia were Jay Cutler, Shelton Quarles and Brandt Snedeker.

Men’s Golf • The Commodores concluded the fall by hosting the Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. • Jon Curran has been invited Tom to take part in the 2007 WestShaw ern Refining All-America Golf Classic at the El Paso Country Club. • Former Commodore Luke List won the prestigious event in 2005, which features approximately 30 of the nation’s premier golfers.

Tennis • Freshman Alex Zotov finished second in his draw at the Southern Intercollegiates in Athens, Ga., on Sept. 23. • Zotov followed his play at the Ian Southern Intercollegiates by Duvenhage advancing to the semifinals of the Georgia Tech Invitational on Oct. 6. • Junior Nick Cromydas returned to the court Oct. 1 for the ITA All-American Championships after being sidelined by injury since the summer.

WOMEN’S SPORTS Basketball • Melanie Balcomb’s Commodores opened preseason practice on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m. on the main floor of Memorial Gymnasium. Melanie • The three-hour workout was Balcomb the team’s first opportunity to blend nine returning players with four freshmen newcomers. • After playing two exhibition games at Memo-

rial Gym, including one on Halloween, the Commodores open the 2007-08 season with home games against UAB (Nov. 9) and Furman (Nov. 11).

Bowling • The bowling team received its NCAA championship rings and was introduced during the Eastern Michigan football game. • The bowlers open their season Nov. 9-11 at Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Cheeseland Classic.

John Williamson

The bowling team was recognized on the field at the Eastern Michigan football game.

Women’s Cross Country • Rita Jorgensen finished 35th to earn Vanderbilt’s top finish at the Chile Peper Festival. • The women’s team (split squad) finished fifth at the Colonial InSteve ter-Regional Challenge. Keith • Diana Sher earned her first varsity letter and ran a personal-best time of 19:56.75 at the Greater Louisville Classic. • In Val Kazmer’s first race, she finished as the team’s fourth runner. Carmen Mims beat her 6k best time from last fall of 22:24 by 7 seconds with a 22:17.1 at the Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge.

Women’s Golf • In the month of October, the Commodores had back-toback top five finishes at the Margaret Branch NCAA Fall Preview (5th) at the University Greg of New Mexico and the Tar Heel Allen Invitational (T-5th) at the University of North Carolina. • Senior Liebelei Lawrence placed fourth at the Margaret Branch Fall Preview after firing a nine-under par 210 (71-70-69). It was the best finish of her collegiate career and tied for the fourth-best tournament total in Vanderbilt history. • Lawrence’s nine-under-par score was the second-lowest total in comparison to par in Commodores history. Only fellow teammate Jacqui Concolino’s 12-under-par 204 at the 2006 Arizona Wildcat Invitational is better. • Jacqui Concolino had her best finish of the 2007-08 season at the Tar Heel Invitational, finishing in third place with a two-under-par 214 (70-73-71). • Freshman Megan Grehan also had her best finish at the Tar Heel Invitational when she shot a four-over-par 220 (79-71-70), which put her in 15th position for the tournament.

Soccer

Tennis

• Freshman forward Molly Kinsella was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Oct. 8 after scoring Ronnie the game-winning Coveleskie goal at South Carolina on Oct. 6. • The Commodores game against the Lady Vols on Oct. 14 concluded a three-game stretch against Top 25 teams. • Molly Kinsella leads Vanderbilt with five goals. She is fifth in the SEC in points per game at 1.40 in league play. • Vanderbilt leads the SEC in shots per game at 18.08 and is fifth in the league in shots on goal at 7.92.

• Senior Amanda Taylor defeated Megan Falcon, the preseason No. 1 singles player, at the Riviera/ITA Women’s Geoff All-American Championships. Taylor won in Macdonald straight sets 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the second round before falling to Laura Vallverdu of Miami 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. • Vanderbilt opened the fall portion of its schedule at the Furman Fall Classic in Greenville, S.C. The Commodores enjoyed a successful weekend with Taka Bertrand and Courtney Ulery claiming singles titles, while the doubles team of Bertrand and Catherine Newman won the championship of their flight. • The Commodores continued their success at their second tournament of the fall, the Hoosier Classic in Bloomington, Ind. Courtney Ulery again captured the championship of her flight in singles. • Vanderbilt played host to the June Stewart Invitational Oct. 19-21 at the Currey Tennis Center. Teams competing included Arizona State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee Martin, Middle Tennessee State University, Kentucky and Indiana.

Swimming • Vanderbilt began its second season of competition on Oct. 13 at Southern Illinois. • Leigh-Ann Axt made Jeremy history at the dual Organ meet by earning the program’s first-ever event title in dual competition. Axt won the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:06.42.

Commodores In The Pros

Baseball Name Mike Baxter Matt Buschmann Cody Crowell Ty Davis Brian Hernandez Matt Kata Ryan Klosterman Jensen Lewis Tony Mansolino Greg Moviel Ryan Mullins Cesar Nicolas Josh Paul David Price Robert Ransom Tyler Rhoden Antoan Richardson Ryan Rote Jeremy Sowers Jeff Sues Casey Weathers

Pos. OF P P P C 2B 3B P DH P P 3B C P P P OF P P P P

Level A A A R A MLB AA MLB A R AA AA MLB A A R A A MLB A A

Team (Parent Club) Lake Elsinore (SD) Lake Elsinore (SD) Auburn (TOR) Missoula (AZ) Fort Wayne (SD) Pittsburgh Pirates New Hampshire (TOR) Cleveland Indians Lynchburg (PIT) Arizona (SEA) New Britain (MIN) Mobile (AZ) Tampa Bay Devil Rays Columbus (TB) Palm Beach (STL) Billings (CIN) San Jose (SF) Kannapolis (CHW) Cleveland Indians Hickory (PIT) Modesto (COL)

Pos. C G/F F

League WNBA WNBA WNBA

Team San Antonio Silver Stars Indiana Fever Chicago Sky

Pos. SS QB OG DT LB LB LB TE

League NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL

Team St. Louis Rams Denver Broncos Washington Redskins Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Washington Redskins

Women’s Basketball Name Chantelle Anderson Sheri Sam Carla Thomas

Football Name Corey Chavous Jay Cutler Justin Geisinger Jovan Haye Hunter Hillenmeyer Matt Stewart Jamie Winborn Todd Yoder

Men’s Golf Name Brandt Snedeker Luke List

Tour PGA Professional Golfer

Women’s Golf Name Sarah Jacobs Graham Meredith Ward May Wood

Tour Futures LPGA Futures

Men’s Tennis Name

Tour

Bobby Reynolds

ATP

Women’s Tennis Name Julie Ditty

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Tour WTA

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

Holt Maintains Strong Vanderbilt Ties immy Holt has been supporting Vanderbilt athletics for his entire life. From attending games as a child with his father to helping build the original McGugin Center, and now as a donor and season ticket holder. A World War II Veteran and a third-generation resident of Nashville who attended Hillsboro High School, Holt has supported Vanderbilt all of his life despite not attending the university. “I wasn’t fortunate enough to go to Vanderbilt,” Holt said. “I’ve lived in Nashville my entire life and have supported Vanderbilt. I was fortunate enough to serve in World War II when I was 17 years old, so I didn’t have an opporJimmy Holt tunity to go to college at the age when most others do.” After his tour of duty, Holt returned to Nashville to work as a contractor at his family’s business, Holt-Southeast Corp., which has been a staple in the Nashville community since 1894. In addition to constructing a landmark like the Grand Ole Opry House, Holt-Southeast has done numerous projects on the Vanderbilt campus, including the building of the original McGugin Center. In 1962, he became the chief executive officer. Since then, Holt has continued to be at the forefront of the company’s ongoing support of Vanderbilt athletics. A steadfast supporter of Vanderbilt athletics and an active tennis player, Holt enjoys the two so much so that he has left $1 million in scholarship money for the tennis programs in his will. “I saw what the tennis program did for young people,” Holt said. “The way tennis, like other Vanderbilt programs, opens up doors allowing young people to go to school because of scholarships was very visible to me. How the program affects people’s lives and what it has to offer is just tremendous.” Head women’s tennis coach Geoff Macdonald appreciates what Holt has done and will continue to do for the tennis program. “Jimmy has been an incredibly loyal supporter of Vanderbilt tennis,” Macdonald said. “He is a tennis player himself, and he is a wonderful supporter of our program. It makes me feel grateful that we have someone like Jimmy who cares at such a high level. His support of the program really means a lot to me.” Unlike his love for Vanderbilt, which he developed as a youth, Holt did not pick up the game of tennis until he was 50 years old. A self-proclaimed “pee-wee,” who said he was too small to play other sports, Holt grew up playing golf. But now you can’t keep him off the tennis court. Holt now plays tennis three days a week and enjoys the game so much that he began playing in tournaments throughout the ninestate, Southern region. The opportunity to learn a new sport and have the chance to play with people of similar age was one of the reasons Holt became interested in the sport. “I think (tennis) is like anything else that you’d like to take up,” Holt said. “If you are good at something you want to keep doing it. One thing that really appealed to me about the sport is how it is divided into age groups.” Having lived in Nashville and supported Vanderbilt, Holt also understands how far supporting the Commodores can go toward improving the athletic programs. “Seeing the sports programs (at Vanderbilt) struggle for so many years was tough,” Holt said. “Not that it is struggling now because it is head and shoulders above where it used to be, but I’ve seen how important continued support is and I want to see Vanderbilt succeed.” With that said, Holt wants to see people continue to support the Commodores and help Vanderbilt become even more successful, giving an endorsement to the Nashville community. “Anyone that’s got any money, come on and support Vanderbilt.” ■

NOVEMBER 2007

It’s My Turn By Rod Williamson

Plans for Hall of Fame Unveiled he great ones have dazzled us with their artistry. They have brought us to our feet; they have taken our breath away. We have wished we could perform as they do. We’ve worn their replica jerseys and requested their autographs.

Since Vanderbilt sponsored a field day back in 1886, the fleet and the mighty have thrilled us with their athletic prowess. There were the gritty ones and the clutch; field generals and buzzer beaters, the tall and the agile, the cunning and the dominating. We have watched these special student-athletes for a century with wonder as they showcased their finely honed skills and natural gifts against the best competition college athletics could offer. And now it is time for the Commodores to more formally recognize the best of our best with the creation of the Vanderbilt Athletic Hall of Fame. Vice Chancellor David Williams, who has led our athletic program the past four years, soon will be announcing the establishment of our new honor society. The charter class will be inducted next fall. The criteria for induction will fall into three categories: Commodore Great: Former student-athletes having displayed exceptional talent and experiencing extraordinary athletic success. Distinguished Letterwinner: Former Commodores with exceptional post-Vanderbilt careers or who have contributed longtime service to the athletic program. Lifetime Achievement: Coaches, staff members and others that could include faculty, donors and board members who have rendered outstanding service to intercollegiate athletics through many years of dedicated service. Persons meeting any of the above requirements can be inducted posthumously. To be eligible for nomination, nominees must be at least six years removed from their collegiate participation. The inaugural class is expected to be somewhat larger than subsequent classes. Can you imagine how difficult it will be to determine these first few classes? We can! That is why the entire 13-member Athletic Administrative team, headed by Williams, will comprise the selection committee for the first year. In the future, it is expected that a Hall of Fame selection board will be established. The general timeline for this exciting endeavor is scheduled to begin in January with the solicitation of nominees. The process culminates with the induction banquet Friday, September 5, 2008, the night after the Commodores’ first home football game against South Carolina (which is a Thursday night contest). Sometime, just for fun, try picking your own Hall of Famers. Where would you begin? Who would be included in your Commodore Greats, Distinguished Letterwinners and Lifetime Achievement selections? That’s a pretty tough chore, but lots of fun and, oh, what memories! Keep in mind that not every deserving Commodore can be included in that first class. Be watching for more information in a variety of places, especially our official web site, vucommodores.com, for more information. ■

vucommodores.com

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

Vanderbilt Fall/Winter Sports Calendar MEN’S SPORTS Basketball Date

Opponent

11.5 11.10 11.13 11.20 11.23 11.24 11.29 12.1 12.5 12.8 12.12 12.22 12.29 12.31 1.3 1.5 1.9 1.12 1.17 1.19 1.27 1.30 2.2 2.6 2.9 2.12 2.16 2.23 2.26 3.1 3.5 3.8 3.13-16

Tusculum (Exhibition) W, 80-79 Austin Peay W, 81-67 at Toledo 6pm Valparaiso 7pm vs. Utah State (South Padre Island) 9pm vs. Iowa or Bradley (South Padre Island) TBA South Alabama 7pm Georgia Tech 12pm Wake Forest 7pm Lipscomb 7pm at DePaul 7:30pm Tennessee State 8pm Tennessee-Martin 12pm Iona 7pm Rice 7pm UMASS 3pm South Carolina 7pm at Kentucky 12:30pm at Tennessee 6pm LSU 12pm at Florida 12pm at Ole Miss 7pm Auburn 4pm at Georgia 6:30pm at South Carolina 4pm Kentucky 8pm Florida 2pm Georgia 3pm Tennessee 8pm at Arkansas 3pm Mississippi State 7pm at Alabama 6pm at SEC Tournament (Atlanta) TBA

Result

Cross Country Date

Opponent

8.31 9.15 9.29 10.13 10.27 11.10

Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener Commodore Classic at Louisville Invitational at Arkansas Chile Pepper Inv. at SEC Championships at NCAA Regionals

Result 3rd (99) 4th (123) 22nd (671) 16th (452) 10th (302) 14th (384)

Football Date

Opponent

9.1 9.8 9.15 9.29 10.6 10.13 10.20 10.27 11.3 11.10 11.17 11.24

Richmond Alabama Ole Miss Eastern Michigan at Auburn Georgia (Homecoming) at South Carolina Miami (Ohio) at Florida Kentucky at Tennessee Wake Forest

Result W, 41-17 L, 10-24 W, 31-17 W, 30-7 L, 7-35 L, 17-20 W, 17-6 W, 24-13 L, 22-49 L, 20-27 1pm 1pm

Golf Date

Opponent

9.14-16 9.24-25 10.14-16 10.21-23 11.5-6 2.17-19 3.2-4 3.16-17 3.28-30 4.6-8 4.18-20

at Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic at Shoal Creek Invitational at The Ridges Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate at Western Carolina Intercollegiate at Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Champ. at Seminole Intercollegiate Kauai Collegiate Cup at Furman Intercollegiate at The Reunion at SEC Championships (Sea Island, Ga.)

Result 17th (901) 12th (905) 15th (882) T4th (287) 2nd (582) Al Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day

Tennis Date

Opponent

Result

9.14-15 9.21-24 10.1-7 10.5-7 10.12 10.19-22 11.1-4 1.27 2.2 2.3

Vanderbilt Invitational at Southern Collegiates at ITA All-American Championships at Georgia Tech Invitational Alumni Reunion at ITA Regional at ITA Indoors Michigan State Belmont Memphis

All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day 11am 9am 1pm

NOVEMBER 2007

2.7 2.9 2.10 2.16 2.17 2.23 2.29 3.2 3.7 3.9 3.14 3.21 3.23 3.28 3.30 4.4 4.6 4.12 4.17-20

New Mexico vs. North Carolina State (Ann Arbor, Mich.) at Michigan Samford Wisconsin Middle Tennessee State Florida South Carolina at Arkansas at LSU at Northwestern at Auburn Alabama Ole Miss Mississippi State at Tennessee at Georgia at Kentucky at SEC Tournament

2pm 2pm 12pm 1pm 1pm 1pm 2pm 1pm TBA TBA 7pm TBA 1pm 2pm 1pm TBA TBA 1pm TBA

WOMEN’S SPORTS Basketball Date

Opponent

10.31 11.5 11.9 11.11 11.14 11.20 11.23

11.25 11.25 11.28 12.1 12.2 12.6 12.9 12.22 12.30 1.2 1.5 1.10 1.13 1.17 1.20 1.27 1.31 2.3 2.7 2.10 2.14 2.17 2.21 2.28 3.2 3.6-9

Result W, 104-43 W, 76-41 W, 92-51 W, 68-51 6pm 6pm 2pm

12pm 2pm 7pm 6pm 4pm 7pm 2pm 5:30pm 2pm 7pm 1pm 7pm 4pm 7pm 2pm 2pm 6pm 1:30pm 7pm 2pm 7pm 3:30pm 7pm 8pm 2pm TBA

Bowling Date

Opponent

Result

11.9-11 11.17-18 1.18 1.19-20 2.1-3 2.9-10 2.16-17 3.1-2 3.15-16

at Wisconsin-Whitewater at UMES Hawk Classic at Central Region Duals at Greater Ozark Invitational at Lady Indian Invitational at Capital Classic at Morgan State Invitational at Holiday Classic Columbia 300 Music City Classic

All Day 2nd All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day

Cross Country Date

Opponent

8.31 9.15 9.29

Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener Commodore Classic at Louisville Invitational at Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge at Arkansas Chile Pepper Inv. Southeastern Classic (B squad) at SEC Championships at NCAA Regionals

10.13 10.20 10.27 11.10

Result 2nd (61) 3rd (59) 26th (720) 5th (115) 16th (429) 10th (235) 8th (217) 11th (295)

Golf Date

Opponent

9-14-16 9.24-26 10.5-7 10.19-21 11.4-6 2.25-27 3.9-11 3.21-23 4.4-6 4.18-20

Mason Rudolph Championship 13th (901) at NCAA Fall Preview 5th (881) at Lady Tar Heel Invitational T5th (886) at Stanford Fall Intercollegiate 10th (920) at Collegiate Match Play Champ. All Day at Arizona Wildcat Invitational All Day at UCF Challenge All Day at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic All Day at Ping ASU Invitational All Day at SEC Championships (Loudon, Tenn.) All Day

Result

Soccer Date

Opponent

8.31 9.2 9.7 9.9 9.14 9.16 9.21 9.23 9.28 9.30 10.7 10.12 10.14 10.19 10.21 10.25 10.28 11.2 11.4

vs. Wisconsin (Georgia Bulldog Tourn.) T, 0-0 vs. Texas Tech (Georgia Bulldog Tourn.) W, 1-0 at UAB L, 1-2 Tennessee Tech W, 6-0 Gonzaga (Vanderbilt Tournament) L, 0-2 Saint Mary’s (Vanderbilt Tournament) L, 2-3 (OT) vs. Davidson (College of Charleston Tourn.) L, 1-2 (OT) at College of Charleston (Col. of Charles. Tourn.) W, 3-0 at Alabama T, 1-1 at Auburn L, 1-2 at South Carolina W, 1-0 (2OT) Georgia L, 2-3 (OT) Tennessee L, 1-3 LSU L, 0-2 Arkansas W, 2-0 at Ole Miss T, 2-2 Mississippi State W, 3-2 (2OT) Kentucky L, 0-1 at Florida L, 0-3

Result

Swimming Date

Opponent

10.13 10.19 10.20 11.2 11.10 11.16-18 1.11 1.19 1.26 2.20-23 3.1

at Southern Illinois L, 75-151 at North Florida L, 69-162 at Georgia Southern L, 89-120 at Alabama/LSU L, 49-240/L, 48-245 at Marshall L, 59-179 at Western Kentucky Inv. All Day Miami (Fla.) All Day at Arkansas All Day at Georgia Tech/Emory All Day at SEC Championships (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) All Day at Last Chance Meet All Day

Result

Tennis Date

Opponent

9.28-30 10.4-6 10.19-21 11.1-4 1.16 1.18 1.20 1.25 1.26 2.16 2.20 2.29 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.11 3.13 3.21 3.23 3.28 3.30 4.4 4.6 4.12 4.17-20

at Furman Fall Classic at ITA All-American Championships June Stewart Invitational at Fall SEC Championships Tennessee-Martin at New Mexico vs. Colorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) Michigan Notre Dame East Tennessee State Middle Tennessee State at Florida at South Carolina at Georgia Tech Arkansas LSU Florida International Furman Auburn at Alabama at Ole Miss at Mississippi State Tennessee Georgia Kentucky at SEC Tournament (Auburn, Ala.)

Result All Day All Day All Day All Day 2:30pm 6pm 11am 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 12pm TBA 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 1pm TBA 1pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm All Day