The University of Akron Athletics
Read the Latest Edition of Zips Line – March 20, 2015
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VOTE FOR SHAWN!
Shawn has been named one of six finalists for the prestigious 85th annual AAU James E. Sullivan Award, and you can vote for him to help him win this award.
We launched a web page, GoZips.com/RaisingTheBarber, that highlights all of Shawn’s accomplishments with videos, articles and even a Fan Participation section in which we encourage you to use a provided cut-out graphic of Shawn to PhotoShop him pole vaulting over famous people (he can just about clear LeBron James stacked on top of himself three times) or places (the Chihuly Sculpture on campus). We want you participating in social media by using the hashtag #RaisingTheBARber, and please include any photos of signage you see on campus and around town with that hashtag.
Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal wrote a front-page cover story on Shawn that you can read here.
Of course, all of this is on the heels of Shawn winning his second consecutive NCAA indoor pole vault title last week in Fayetteville, Ark. Also at the NCAA Indoor Championship, Clayton Murphy finished third in the men’s 800-meter run, setting a school record with his time of 1:47.06.
CONGRATS TO OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAMS
Thanks to 22 regular-season wins, our Women’s Basketball team earned a trip to the postseason for the third consecutive year and fourth time in six seasons. We played a hard-fought game last night at Kansas State in the WNIT, dropping a 86-68 decision. It was the final game of Sina King’s outstanding Zips career, as she finished with her 16th double-double of the season by posting 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sina, the MAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, finished fourth and third on our career totals for points and rebounds, respectively. Congratulations to her, Head Coach Jodi Kest and their teammates on a terrific season. Postseason banquet will be set soon.
Our Men made a run to the MAC Tournament semifinals, winning three games in four days over Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Kent State before bowing out to eventual champion Buffalo. We reached 21 wins for the 10th consecutive season, but Head Coach Keith Dambrot felt that because of the number of injuries we suffered and games we played that postseason competition was not in the best interest of our student-athletes or our program for this year. Special thanks to seniors Deji Ibitayo and Nyles Evans for their contributions to our program, and you can help congratulate them and their teammates at our annual Celebration Banquet on Friday, April 17.
BASKETBALL SURVEY
Many of you provided valuable feedback through our Football Survey that we will incorporate into next season, so we decided to ask your opinions about the recently completed basketball season as well. Please click here to share your thoughts on our basketball home game experience.
SPRING SPORTS UPDATE
… Softball continued its strong start, winning the Cherry Blossom Classic by sweeping four games from Wagner, Georgetown and George Mason. We are off this weekend before beginning MAC play at Western Michigan next Friday, and our first home games on Tuesday, March 31 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) starting at 3 p.m. at Lee R. Jackson Field …
… Baseball begins MAC play this weekend at Eastern Michigan, and our first home game is 3 p.m. Tuesday vs. Youngstown State at Lee R. Jackson Field.
… Tennis opens MAC play as well, hosting Eastern Michigan today at LaTuchie Tennis Center in Stow, and then travels to Toledo for a match at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Women’s Golf earned a top-10 finish in the Rio Verde Invitational, and tees off Sunday in Ocala, Fla., for the MSU Spring Invitational …
Men’s Golf finished in 14th place at the Talis Park Challenge in Naples, Fla., and next week hits the links in the Furman Intercollegiate …
Outdoor Track and Field starts up next weekend at the Texas Relays and the Raleigh Relays …
Men’s Soccer has two spring matches today, this afternoon in Columbus vs. the Crew and at 7 p.m. tonight vs. Walsh at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field on campus, following a successful doubleheader in Pittsburgh last weekend …
Football spring practice started this week, and our coaches and student-athletes are excited to get in 15 sessions together in advance of the 2015 season. Our 18 graduating seniors plus three former Zips participated in Pro Timing Day last week as well.
Our annual Spring Game will be open to the public at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field on Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. ET.
TIMEOUT WITH … KERRI BUTLER
Assistant women’s soccer coach Kerri Butler, along with the rest of the women’s soccer staff, is one of the newest members of Akron Athletics. Butler comes to Northeast Ohio after a successful collegiate and professional career as a goalkeeper as well as a graduate assistant and goalkeeper coach under head coach Noreen Herlihy.
What drove you to make the transition from playing into coaching?
After I finished playing at West Virginia, I went to Atlanta to play in the women’s pro league, and I got injured. I have actually had five surgeries. It’s a back and hip problem, so it was one of those things where the doctor said you may want to back off or step aside because he was concerned that in the future something was going to happen. I decided that I wanted to still be really involved in the game, and I started off training goalkeepers, and it was something that I loved to do. I didn’t want to let it take me away from the game completely.
In addition to coaching, you’re also pursuing a master’s degree. What are you studying?
I am in the process of getting my master’s in student affairs and higher education from Slippery Rock. They didn’t have a program in the exercise component that I was that interested in, and I’ve always been a people person. I like working with people and thought that if I got into the student affairs realm of it, I could stay in athletics by being an athletic academic advisor or something along those lines.
How has the adjustment to Akron been so far?
The transition here has been great. Noreen is a great boss and a great person to work under. When she asked me if I wanted to join her here, I was very excited, because I knew what type of person I was going to be with so it has been seamless and smooth. Everyone here has just been very helpful and wonderful, so it has been very easy to transition.
Read the full feature story on Kerri Butler visit the Zips Insider blog.
… Softball junior Erin Seiler, named MAC co-Pitcher of the Week …
… Six Zips earned USTFCCCA All-America honors, as Shawn Barber, Brittany Funk, Claudia Garcia Jou and Clayton Murphy were recognized on the first team, while Alexis Cooks and Jordan Latimer earned second-team citations …
… Matt Chezem, who finished 25th in the air rifle competition at the NCAA Rifle Championship last weekend …
… Softball Head Coach Julie Jones for earning her 200th win at Akron …
… our Athletics Department and University, especially Director of Student-Athlete Support Services Chuck Lewis and Lee Gill, our Associate Vice President for Inclusion & Equity/Chief Diversity Officer, and the dozens of alumni volunteers who deserve the credit for our Diversity Mentoring Program that was recently honored with the Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award …
… Baseball senior Pat Dyer, named MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week …
… the 14 former Zips on active MLS rosters as its season opened last weekend …
… Luisa Fernanda Echeverry Rodriguez, who signed a National Letter of Intent to join our Tennis program next fall …
WHAT TO WATCH
Z:360 features Football’s Pro Day, the fan experience at the MAC Tournament, and a profile of Shawn Barber …
Zips Weekly highlights the recent week, including a conversation with Head Coach Jodi Kest …
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
