The University of Akron Athletics
athletics emails tom 2012 13 february 22 2013
|
|
|
|
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SHINING ON AKRON
We’re honored to have been selected to host a nationally televised Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters game tonight at James A. Rhodes Arena, as North Dakota State comes to town to face our Men’s Basketball program at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
As you know, this game was not announced until three weeks ago, as ESPN waits until then to create the most compelling BracketBusters matchups for television. We’re one of just eight Division I men’s basketball games tonight and the only one on either ESPN or ESPN2, so the eyes of the college basketball world will be focused on Akron, Ohio, this evening.
NDSU is a very, very good team that already has 20 wins, so we need your support tonight to keep the nation’s longest winning streak (17 games and counting) rolling along!
Don’t forget to wear your craziest socks tonight, as the AK-Rowdies and our students are planning to do in a tribute to Demetrius “Tree” Treadwell. You’ll even get a chance during a timeout to vote on whose socks are craziest.
Tickets for tonight are available here – however, the best bang for your buck if you don’t already have a ticket for our three remaining home games is to buy a 3-game mini plan, including a free Zips winter hat and tickets to the March 5 game vs. Miami and the Kent State game on March 8 (which is closing in on a sellout).
With our winning streak and our undefeated record (12-0) in Mid-American Conference play to date, you don’t want to miss out on history in the making!
A CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
Please join me in rooting on a few squads who are pursuing conference titles this weekend. Our Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field teams compete today and tomorrow for the MAC title in Ypsilanti, Mich., and our Rifle squad contends for its two league titles (the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference and the Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference) tomorrow in Columbus.
Swimming and Diving is on deck for the MAC Championship next weekend at Buffalo, starting Thursday.
Let’s go Zips!
SPEAKING OF CONFERENCE POSTSEASON COMPETITION …
The MAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will be here before we know it!
Action could start as early as Saturday, March 9, with a potential home game for our Women, who are in a battle for a bye. And of course we’ll be at the “Q” in Cleveland for a potential Women’s game on Wednesday, March 13, and for sure for the Men’s semifinal game on Friday, March 15.
Click here for an order form, which is also attached, or call 888-99-AKRON to place your order.
And while we’re getting you in the mood for the “Big Dance” … if you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you check out our Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams with our own version of the latest YouTube craze, the “Harlem Shake”. You have to look really closely to find Coach Dambrot in there!
CONGRATS TO OUR LATEST HALL-OF-FAMERS
One of the most special events we host each year is our annual Varsity “A” Association Hall of Fame Banquet, and last Friday’s event was no exception. With a record-setting crowd and a dynamic class, it was a night to remember.
Congratulations again to Michael Andy (football), LeShaunte Edwards (track), Russ Klaus (football), Ken MacDonald (administration), Julie (Bias) Pratt (softball), Ken Pryor (soccer) and Michelle (Rizzo) Wardle (cross country, track).

Also recognized were Kenneth "Red" Cochrane Meritorious Service Award recipient Ted Curtis, and Mike Krino Varsity "A" Achievement Award honoree Karl Schwarzinger. George Van Horne, our Associate Athletics Director for Development and a former Zips baseball letterwinner, was the recipient of the Varsity "A" Member of the Year Award.
Finally, as part of our celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, we presented Varsity letters to females who competed in club sports at UA prior to the existence of a varsity women’s athletics program in 1972. Thanks to Anna Arvay,Karen Frey, Karen Herbert, JoAnn Pifer, Lynda Smole, Marilyn Stern (Pallage), Mary Anne Svetlik, Sally Tenney and Karen Trifinoff for joining us so we could recognize them.
QUICK REMINDERS …
Today is the final day to renew your football season tickets in order to be eligible to receive two complimentary tickets to the Men’s Basketball game vs. Miami on March 5. Coach Bowden will host a pizza party that night from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for those football season ticketholders who have renewed for the 2013 season.
Please call 888-99-AKRON (25766) or log on to your Ticketmaster account to renew today!
Also, we’re hosting a Watch Party at Johnny J’s Pub and Grille in the Valley on Wednesday night for our 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball game at Ohio. If you’re not making the trip to Athens, join us there to cheer on the Zips!
“DRIVE FOR 5” MEMBERS OF THE WEEK
Thanks to Alan and Janet Teran for becoming a part of the “Drive for 5”! You can join them by signing up here as we seek to elevate Zips Athletics by having 5,000 donors and raising $5 million annually by 2015.
ZIPS CONGRATS TO …
... forward Rachel Tecca, who was named the first Women’s Basketball Academic All-American in program history, which followed her also earning her second straight MAC East Player of the Week honors …
… Volleyball junior libero Jill Paluch, who will try out for a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team starting today at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado …
… freshman Louis Birchall, who was named MAC Men’s Golfer of the Week after posting career-bests for a three-round score and single round at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate earlier this week …
… senior Angelina Jogasuria, who was named MAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week after posting a 4-0 record to lead us to victories over East Tennessee State and No. 69 Oregon …
… Andrew Hoggarth, who joined our Women’s Soccer staff as an Assistant Coach …
ZIPS CLIPS …
… watch junior Carla McNamara discuss why she became a Zip, and her favorite memory as an Akron diver …
… also watch Head Coach Jodi Kest talk about the importance of Saturday’s Women’s Basketball game at Kent State, which has implications both on the MAC standings and PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge points …
… George Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal profiled Rachel Tecca’s return from a torn right ACL to once again become one of the MAC’s best players …
… national college basketball writers, including Andy Glockner of SI.com and Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News, continue to mention the Zips as a team to watch as March Madness approaches …
… and one Men’s Basketball student-athlete receiving a lot of media recognition (and deservingly so) is Zeke Marshall, with Zac Jackson of Fox Sports Ohio the latest to check in with our senior center …
… Marla Ridenour of the Beacon Journal looks at former Men’s Soccer fan favorite Anthony Ampaipitakwong and how his career is evolving in Thailand …
… Ridenour also wrote a
front-page story on how we continue seeking new and creative
ways to include student attendance at our basketball games, and the
growth we’ve had there this year …
ASK THE AD
As always, if you have a question or want to comment about Zips Athletics, click here now or at any time on the “Ask the AD” button on the home page of GoZips.com.
Go Zips!
Tom Wistrcill
Director of Athletics
