The University of Akron Athletics
athletics emails tom 2013 14 dec 12 2013
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IMPACT 2020
On Monday, we unveiled a
comprehensive seven-year strategic plan titled IMPACT 2020.
Nine months in the making, this document was developed with
feedback from more than 1,000 stakeholders of Zips Athletics
– including many of you. Thanks so much for caring so much
about the Zips to share your thoughts.
The plan features our new mission statement: To have a
positive and meaningful IMPACT on the people and communities we
serve. It also mirrors the university-wide strategic plan Vision
2020. Each of Vision 2020's five "Pathways to Success" is
paired with the five IMPACT 2020 Goals:
• Improve Our Academics and Enhance Our Culture
• Win Championships
• Develop Our Facilities and Resources
• Grow Our Funding
• Strengthen Our Identity and Position
Dozens of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans have
filmed video testimonials in which they individually describe
the impact of Zips Athletics on their lives and vice versa.
You can submit your testimonial in any of the following ways:
• A short video e-mailed to AkronAthletics@gmail.com as a .mov attachment
• A written testimonial in the body of an e-mail sent to AkronAthletics@gmail.com
• A post on the feedback form on the IMPACT 2020
feedback web page
• A post on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #ZipsIMPACT
We have heard from many of you and look forward to continued
feedback as we shape the future of Zips Athletics.
MEN'S BASKETBALL HOMESTAND
Men's Basketball tips off a three-game homestand at James A.
Rhodes Arena on Saturday versus Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. The team
hosts Oral Roberts on Monday and Detroit on Wednesday, both at 7
p.m.
Monday's game will feature our annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fans are encouraged to bring a new or
gently used teddy bear or stuffed animal to the game. During
halftime you will be asked to throw the stuffed animals onto the
court. Local police departments will donate the collected items to
victims of crime and trauma in Summit County.
Also at the Oral Roberts game on Monday, we will hand out the
first installment of our player trading cards and have a postgame
autograph session with select players.
Tickets are available on ZipsTickets.com or by calling our ticket office at
1-888-99-AKRON (25766). All three games will be video streamed and broadcast locally on SportsRadio1350.com (1350 AM) and nationally on iHeartRadio.
BASKETBALL HOLIDAY MINI PLAN
As you put the finishing touches on your holiday shopping, don't
forget about our Men's Basketball Holiday Mini Plan, which makes the
perfect gift for the special Zips Basketball fans in your life. For
$35 you can select a ticket to either the Ohio (Feb. 22) or Kent
State (March 7 or 8) game along with a ticket to two additional
games of your choice. You’ll also receive a Zips replica
basketball jersey while supplies last.
Tickets are available on ZipsTickets.com or by calling our ticket office at
1-888-99-AKRON (25766). Season and single-game tickets as well as
additional mini plans also are available.
MEN'S BASKETBALL ZIPS TRIP
Our Z-Fund is planning a fan bus trip to the Men's Basketball game
at Ohio on Jan. 12. Tip off at OU's Convocation Center is scheduled
for 6 p.m., and the bus will leave campus at 12:30 p.m. and return
immediately following the game.
You can reserve your spot by paying $35, which includes travel and
a game ticket. The bus will stop for dinner prior to the game at
Broney's Alumni Bar and Grill. Your meal at the restaurant and food
at the game is not included.
RSVP to Micklos Blake with the Z-Fund at (330) 972-7142 or by e-mail. The
deadline to register is Jan. 6.
FOOTBALL BANQUET
More than 300 people attended the Football Banquet on Sunday night at Quaker Station in
downtown Akron. Coach Terry Bowden and his staff celebrated the
season by handing out the annual team awards and recognizing this
year's letterwinners and senior class.
As I have written here before and said in my remarks to those in
attendance on Sunday, I couldn't be more proud of the strides the
program is making and can't wait for the 2014 season!
Our football video department produced a great highlight video as
well, click here to watch.
FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
We had the wonderful opportunity to host three high school
football playoff games at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field
last month. Those events combined to bring approximately 15,000
fans to campus as well as generated additional revenue for the
University.
In the future we look forward to hosting more of those type of
events, which help promote the University and its student
recruitment process. Our facilities and operations department is
continually on the lookout for rental and event hosting
opportunities.
2016 NCAA RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP
We learned yesterday that our Stile Athletics Field House will serve as the venue for the NCAA's 2016 Rifle
Championships, which will be the first NCAA sanctioned
championship held on the UA campus. It will take place on March
11-12, 2016. What an honor it is for us to be selected to host this
type of event!
Our Rifle team is consistently ranked among the top-25 programs
nationally, so it seems fitting that Coach Newt Engle and his team
will have an opportunity to act as host. In 2009, UA's Jenna
Compton was the NCAA air rifle champ.
We will share more information in the coming months.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UPDATE
Women's Basketball travels to Cincinnati on Tuesday for a 7 p.m.
matchup with the Bearcats. The game will be broadcast locally on SportsRadio1350.com (1350 AM) and nationally on iHeartRadio.
Coach Jodi Kest's team comes off an 88-70 win over George Mason at home last Saturday.
Carly Young had a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the
team to victory and was named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the
Week because of it.
The program starts a four-game homestand on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.
against Rochester College. Tickets are available on ZipsTickets.com or by calling
our ticket office at 1-888-99-AKRON (25766).
ZIPS CONGRATS TO ...
... Women's Swimming and Diving, placed second at last weekend's Zippy Invitational,
its highest finish in the annual event since 2009 ...
... Hannah Raspopovich from Women's Swimming, selected as MAC Swimmer of the Week ...
... Carly Young from Women's Basketball, named MAC East Division Player of the Week ...
ZIPS CLIPS …
... Read about the launch of IMPACT 2020 in the Akron Beacon Journal and Cleveland Plain Dealer ...
... Listen to my interview with WAKR's Ray Horner discussing IMPACT
2020 ...
... Elton Alexander of the Cleveland Plain Dealer summarized our Men's Basketball season to date
...
... The Zanesville Times-Recorder highlighted the recent play of Women's
Basketball's Carly Young and Hannah Luburgh ...
... Watch This Week in Akron Basketball with Men's head coach
Keith Dambrot ...
... Watch the latest edition of Zips
Swimming and Diving with Head Coach Brian Peresie ...
FINALS WEEK
This is the last week of classes on campus and our
student-athletes are focused on a strong finish to the
semester.
CONDOLENCES
Zips Athletics suffered a loss on Tuesday with the
passing of Greg Prusha in Cincinnati, Ohio. A 2001 UA graduate with
a degree in industrial management, he was a three-year starter at
defense for Men's Soccer. He is survived by his wife Anne, son
Marcus, parents Ronald and Linda Prusha, and sister Katie.
Friends and teammates may attend the visitation on Saturday, Dec.
14 at All Saints Church in Cincinnati (8939 Montgomery Road,
Cincinnati, OH 44236) from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. with a Mass and
burial following. You may view a full obituary here.
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
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