The University of Akron Athletics
athletics emails tom 2012 13 january 31 2013
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12 IN A ROW AND BEATING BG FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2001!
What a great time to be a Zips Basketball fan! And the number 12 seems to be the theme … as I write you today, on the first day of the second month, our Men’s team won its 12th in a row Wednesday night, and last night our Women’s team defeated perennial Mid-American Conference power Bowling Green for the first time in 12 years!
So, what better way to see both of them in action than a doubleheader tomorrow at James A. Rhodes Arena for a thrilling day of basketball! Coach Jodi Kest and our Women tip-off at 2 p.m. vs. Buffalo, followed at 5 p.m. by Coach Keith Dambrot and our Men facing rival Ohio at 5 p.m. in a game televised nationally on ESPNU.
Season ticketholders for both programs can use their tickets to see both games, and any ticket for the Men’s game will allow you admittance for the Women’s game, so please come early to cheer on both programs. I hope you already purchased your tickets, because we just announced that the Men’s game has officially sold out!
Our Women will wear pink uniforms as part of the annual Play 4Kay event, and we will sell special pink t-shirts and have a prize drawing to raise money for that wonderful foundation. We even turned GoZips.com pink for the week as we help raise money.
Meanwhile, you may have heard about what our Men will be wearing …
WE WANT EVERYONE TO #ThinkBigger
ABOUT ZIPS BASKEBALL …
... if you have listened to Coach Dambrot speak, then surely you have heard his two-word mantra imploring everyone associated with Zips Basketball what to do: Think Bigger. This year, we have used that phrase as a Twitter hashtag, #ThinkBigger, leading us to decide to host a “Social Media Night” this year at a Men’s game -- tomorrow’s contest vs. Ohio.
As part of Social Media Night, we wanted to try something unique with our basketball jerseys and see how much chatter about it we could generate on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Well, despite finding out from the NCAA that our original idea of putting our Men’s Basketball Twitter handle, @ZipsMBB, on the backs of our jerseys is not permissible, we still made quite the splash by publicly sharing that cutting-edge idea. In the last week we have generated more national media attention – including ESPN, CBS, Yahoo!, Fox Sports and more – for our basketball program at a time when our play on the court is especially deserving of it. Special thanks to our marketing and communications staff, who, in conjunction with our coaches, put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes on this concept.
With 12 wins in a row, 10 straight at home and a perfect 7-0 record in the MAC, there’s a lot to be excited about. And with a sold-out crowd, please arrive early and be ready to get loud! We have six home games remaining, and mini plans are available in 3- or 5-game packages. Our McDonald’s All-Access 10-Pack also allows you to redeem vouchers for the games of your choice immediately, and that provides an instant savings over the single-game prices.
Plus, thanks to the level of social media interaction we experienced, we will sell replica and authentic jerseys and black t-shirts at the Ohio game, so you can wear the brand that has the nation buzzing about the Zips!
JOIN US ON SIGNING DAY!
On Wednesday, please join us at our annual press conference at which Head Coach Terry Bowden will unveil those who earlier that day committed to attend The University of Akron and play football for the Zips. The press conference, at 6 p.m. on the TowPath Credit Union Press Level (seventh floor) of InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field, is open to the public. It also leads nicely into our Women’s Basketball game at 7 p.m. at the JAR that night vs. Eastern Michigan.
Of course, football season tickets are on sale with a variety of all-inclusive packages available at every price point imaginable.
SOME MORE ACTION ON CAMPUS THIS WEEKEND
Swimming and Diving hosted its final dual meet of the season today at Ocasek Natatorium, as we faced Bowling Green. It was Senior Day and we recognized eight -- Jessica Breymier, Kelsea Cross, Becca Emerich, Courtney Fischbach, Rachel Hunsinger, Molly Rapopovich, Rachel Szymkowiak and Becca Zimmer – for their contributions to our program. Thanks for all that you have done, and Go Zips!
Tennis hosts two nationally ranked opponents this weekend at LaTuchie Tennis Center in Stow, dropping a 4-3 decision earlier today to No. 52 Missouri and facing 73rd-ranked Princeton at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Finally, Track and Field hosts the ninth-annual Akron Invitational, featuring a host of competitors ranked in the Top Ten in their respective disciplines, tonight and tomorrow at Stile Athletic Field House. Click here for the full schedules of events.
Finally, Rifle shoots off against Ohio State and Rose-Hulman in its final home match this season. The action starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Pinn Shooting Range in Schrank Hall South.
Good luck to all Zips in action!
AKRON SELLS THE RUBBER BOWL
UA’s Board of Trustees approved at its meeting yesterday the sale of the Rubber Bowl, which served as the home of Zips Football for nearly 70 years. I know many of you reading this have some fond memories of spending fall Saturdays in the venue. If you’d like, share your favorite moments on the University’s Facebook page.
DRIVE FOR 5 DONOR OF THE WEEK …
Thanks to Robert and Christine Higham, who recently joined the team as members of the “Drive for 5” campaign, our Athletics fundraising initiative to raise $5 million and have 5,000 donors annually by 2015. Welcome aboard!
VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
In this week’s student-athlete feature, we hope you enjoy meeting Catherine Carr of our Women’s Swimming and Diving team. Please watch this video to hear in her own words why she chose Akron and what she loves most about being a Zip – not to mention her answers to a few lighthearted questions, including what unique pre-game team meal she would pick if it were up to her!
Jodi Kest and Keith Dambrot also provided their weekly video updates …
ZIPS CLIPS …
… The Akron Beacon-Journal covers the sale of the Rubber Bowl, including a historical look at that venue …
… We set our basketball game times for Saturday, Feb. 16. There will be a doubleheader for Akron General Health and Wellness Day at the JAR, with our Women tipping off vs. Ball State at 5 p.m. and our Men facing Bowling Green at 7:30 p.m. It’s Youth Day at the Women’s game, and 1,500 Keith Dambrot bobbleheads will be distributed prior to the Men’s contest. A Men’s ticket provides admission for the Women’s contest and can be purchased here.
… Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com previews the Akron-Ohio Men’s Basketball game as a top mid-major contest (video) …
… The Canton Repository and Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune with coverage of Women’s Basketball’s 68-63 victory over Bowling Green …
… George Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal and Kevin Kleps of Crain’s Cleveland Business look at the national media splash made by our Social Media campaign …
… Zac Jackson of Fox Sports Ohio checks in on the coverage we received for our LeBron James bobblehead giveaway last weekend …
ZIPS CONGRATS TO …
…freshman kicker Robert Stein for being named to the 2012 Academic All-MAC Football Team. Micklos Blake, Nico Caponi, Bryce Cheek, Jerrod Dillard, Sean Graves, Micah Loh, Joe Petrides, Kyle Pohl, Nick Rossi, Connor Seeman and Travis Switzer were named to the Honorable Mention list …
…junior Gabriel Genovesi, who was named MAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after breaking the school record in the 800 meters …
… senior center Zeke Marshall, who was named MAC East Player of the Week for the third time this season after swatting 15 shots in two games …
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
