Articles by: sports

 

• Gateway to Fame: Steroid Users in Jeopardy

  Sports February 2, 2010 at 6:13 pm Comments are Disabled

  Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer The past decade of baseball has been deemed the “Steroids Era” of the game. Over the past four years, the game’s writers have had a very difficult decision to make in regards to one of the faces of that era. Four years ago, Mark McGwire became eligible for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was unable to receive the required 75 percent, getting around 23 percent each year. This begs the question: should those who have taken steroids deserve to be elected into the Hall of Fame? I believe so, and numerous other respectable writers in the game believe so as well. For as long as I have followed baseball, steroids seemed to have been involved in the game. In the case of McGwire, he took steroids that were deemed “legal” and took them during a time in baseball in which drug testing was not mandatory. Steroids do not always make you hit the baseball better or help you play in the field. They do not enhance your hand-eye coordination, which many argue that the most important skill needed to be successful in the game. All they do is make you bigger and buffer. […]

   

• Wildcats Pounce on Patriots: Patriots Hold Their Own Against Experienced Teams During Basketball Games in Puerto Rico

  Sports December 1, 2009 at 4:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor Since the team’s run in the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four, the George Mason University men’s basketball team had not played an opponent ranked as high as the fifth-ranked Villanova Wildcats. While many were expecting them to put up a relatively weak showing with a young team against a strong, experienced team in Villanova, the Patriots came to Puerto Rico and appeared to be in complete control of the game until the final seconds, losing on a 3-point shot with 15 seconds left in regulation. Mason opened with a strong showing, maintaining ball control and time of possession throughout the first half. Showing his clock awareness, sophomore guard Andre Cornelius held the ball with great shot clock awareness, making shots as the clock ran out from the 2-point area to deep beyond the 3-point arch. Consistency in free throw shooting also led to a controlling lead. Led by junior guard Cam Long, who made all of his six free throws, Mason went 27-of-37 at the line in the game. Lack of ball control led to Villanova making runs in the second half. Mason’s aggressive game speed got the best of them as they […]

   

• The French Connection: Freshman Midfielder Achieving Soccer Dreams the Other Way

  Sports December 1, 2009 at 4:41 pm Comments are Disabled

  Donald O’Mahony, Staff Writer Skipping senior year of high school, being away from family, living in another country and speaking a different language for a chance to play soccer requires commitment and a strong passion for the game. For some, this decision would be difficult, but for freshman midfielder Derek Markheim, the choice could not have been easier. Markheim spent the last two years in France with the youth academy at Amiens FC, a professional soccer team currently in the third division. For him, this was an opportunity to work towards his childhood dream. “A manager saw me at a tournament I was playing in,” said Markheim. “He came up to me and said he thought I had what it takes to make it with his club and asked if I wanted to go to France.” Although the decision was easy for Markheim, his parents were not as immediately enthralled with the idea. “It was hard for them, but they knew how badly I wanted to be a [professional] player,” said Markheim. “They were willing to let me chase my dreams.” At first, the biggest struggle for Markheim was living in a country with no knowledge of the language. “The […]

   

• In My Own Words: Final Four: Setting Up for the Excitement and Looking for Closure

  Sports December 1, 2009 at 4:40 pm Comments are Disabled

  Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer We concluded our regular season schedule with a victory against our rival, the James Madison Dukes. We finished the regular season with a 21-8 record and qualified for the CAA Tournament as the third seed. Today, we look to prolong our season as we face the second-ranked Delaware Blue Hens at Virginia Commonwealth University. The winner in our match and the winner in the matchup between the top-seeded VCU Rams and the William & Mary Tribe will face off in the conference championship tomorrow. With our season reaching its end, we have been reflecting about our team and where we stand in the conference playoffs. I am proud to say that we are not the same team as we were in August; we are more confident and mindful of the game. These strengths were built with a lot of sweat, hours in the gym and time on the court. I am also proud to say that we have been playing our finest volleyball since I came to George Mason University. During the spring and all throughout the season, we had one goal in mind. Our goal was to make it to the tournament. This year, the […]

   

• Inside the Locker Room: A Closer Look at the Cleveland Cavaliers

  Sports December 1, 2009 at 4:38 pm Comments are Disabled

  Cody Norman, Staff Writer There is just something about multi-million dollar athletes that cause people to mistake them for superhuman beings with fat pockets and big heads. I was given the unique opportunity to explore the depths of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ locker room before and after the game on Saturday night Nov. 14 against the Utah Jazz. I discovered that the exact opposite was true of these professionals. They’re just people like you and me. 5:45 p.m. I arrived at the Quicken Loans Arena and took a walk down to the court. While standing courtside, Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished his warm-up, and prior to returning to the locker room, “Z” stopped to acknowledge each and every fan that called his name from the bottom row of the arena. He spent several minutes signing autographs and posing for pictures with Cavaliers fans and even a few Jazz fans along the way. I was impressed with Z’s willingness to laugh and joke with his fans after 11 years of being in the league. He was and still is a true class act. 6 p.m. Head Coach Mike Brown typically speaks to the media for about 90 minutes before the opening tip. The Cleveland […]

   

• Tough Turkeys: Giving Thanks to an Established Free Market

  Sports December 1, 2009 at 4:36 pm Comments are Disabled

  1. Compared to the other holidays, where does Thanksgiving rank in terms of your favorites? 2. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? 3. If there was one piece of turkey left, and you and another person wanted it badly, what would you do to get it? Kelsey Bohman 1. First 2. Mashed potatoes 3. Trade one of the bread rolls Tiana Kallenberger 1. First 2. Mashed potatoes and gravy 3. Push my sisters out of the way or have a dance off with them Ryan Pearson 1. Second 2. Fried chicken 3. I probably would pay him for it. Probably spot him a five for that

   

• Get to Know Your Opponent

  Sports December 1, 2009 at 12:50 am Comments are Disabled

  Going from a 9-18 season to reaching the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament to winning the championship the hard way, the George Mason University women’s volleyball team will face another tough opponent in the Iowa State Cyclones. Recently jumping two spots to fifth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll, the Cyclones have an impressive résumé to show for in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. While this season was a turnaround season for Mason, Iowa State successfully reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season with a school-best 25 wins in 2009. Last season, the team reached the regional final before falling to the Texas Longhorns. The Cyclones are competing at a high level with Big 12 Coach of the Year Christy Johnson-Lynch. The Cyclones are equipped with three All-Conference First Team players, including the two-time Big 12 Libero of the Year Ashley Mass, who led the conference with 537 digs. Junior outside hitter Victoria Henson finished third in the conference with 4.13 kills per set. Whereas Mason is comprised of dispersed talent, the Cyclones’ players are concentrated in the midwest region. Despite the difference in makeup of the team, both Mason and Iowa State share some similarities. As […]

   

• The Saga Continues

  Sports November 29, 2009 at 5:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  The women’s volleyball team will travel to Ames to take on the Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The match will start at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. Coming off a conference championship win over the VCU Rams, Mason faces a tough challenge in the seventh-seeded Cyclones, who finished second in the Big 12 conference. Mason, the only team in the Colonial Athletic Association to have qualified for the NCAA Tournament, will look to continue their journey into the midwest with the CAA Player of the Year Holly Goode and Coach of the Year Pat Kendrick.

   

• Rally Pats Win Eighth Conference Title

  Sports November 25, 2009 at 3:27 am Comments are Disabled

  The women’s volleyball team had a set point advantage in each of the first two sets, but the team was unable to put away the VCU Rams in either set. Despite being down 2-0 on Tuesday night, Mason rallied from behind for the second straight day to capture their eighth conference title in school history. Mason scored the first five points in the fifth set and held on to win the set, 15-9. Junior opposite hitter and middle blocker Holly Goode added the Most Oustanding Player award to her list of accomplishments for the 2009 season. Goode recorded 20 kills and 16 digs. Goode, senior outside hitter Rebecca Walter and sophomore outside hitter Noelle Fanella each recorded double-doubles in the championship match. Sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Bohman and junior setter Fernanda Bartels were named to the All-Tournament Team. Bartels posted 57 assists, and Bohman contributed 13 kills. Mason last won a conference title in 2003. Six years later, the team added their eighth title, placing them in a tie for most conference titles with the William & Mary Tribe. Tuesday night’s championship match was also historic in the sense that Mason became the first team to rally from a two-set deficit […]

   

• Third Try is a Charm

  Sports November 23, 2009 at 10:52 pm Comments are Disabled

  The women’s volleyball team defeated the Delaware Blue Hens when it mattered most. Down 2-1 in sets, Mason prolonged their successful season by taking the final two sets. The VCU Rams swept the William & Mary Tribe in three sets to set up a tantalizing matchup between Mason and the Rams. Junior opposite hitter and middle blocker Holly Goode, who was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year, led all players with 20 kills. With 14 digs, Goode notched her 10th double-double this season. In their two meetings this season, Mason dropped both matches in straight sets. This time around, Mason built a 20-15 lead, but the Blue Hens rallied to cut the lead to one, 24-23. Mason finally won their first set against the Blue Hens with a kill from Goode. Mason led 18-13 in the second set, but the team was unable to stave off the Blue Hens’ rally. Outside hitter Kelly Gibson served two aces to close the gap to 18-17, and by the time Head Coach Pat Kendrick, the CAA Coach of the Year, called timeout, Mason could not recover from the Blue Hens’ rally. After leading 18-13, Mason allowed the Blue Hens to […]