Q&A with Deputy Athletic Director Robert Ceplikas on the Northwestern Unionization Case and its Impact on Dartmouth

After football players at Northwestern University, with assistance from the National College Players Association advocacy group, moved in January to unionize, the university’s administration fought their efforts with legal action. I sat down last week with Dartmouth's Deputy Athletics Director Robert Ceplikas ’78 to discuss the Northwestern unionization case and its relation to Dartmouth athletics.

JS: How do you think the Northwestern Unionization case, which has received national attention, will impact Dartmouth?

RC: It won't have any direct impact because it only applies to athletic scholarships so the Ivies are immune from that since we don't offer athletic scholarships. Now this is my opinion, but I don't think it will hold up in the long run.

JS: There was an interview with the President Emeritus of Northwestern where he said the school could drop its sports programs. Do you think that would happen?

RC: I think that's a little extreme. I think it's a lot more likely Northwestern would maintain its programs and drop its scholarships.

JS: Could the right to unionize be extended to non-scholarship athletes?

RC: I have not seen any interpretation that would lead non-scholarship athletes to be affected by this anyway. The very basis of the ruling was that it's the scholarship that makes the student an employee.

JS: What if the case does make it's way to the Supreme Court and stands?

RC: Let's just say, hypothetically, that the ruling does get upheld all the way to the Supreme Court, then the main impact on the Ivies will be that the really selective, private institutions that are most affected, the Northwesterns, the Dukes, the Stanfords, they'll suddenly be looking for a very different type of athletic conference to compete in. They'll drop their athletic scholarships and they'll look for a conference like the Ivy League. It's not inconceivable, even though again I don't think this will actually happen to begin with, but if it did, it wouldn't be inconceivable that some of those schools would come knocking on the Ivy League's door and express some kind of interest, if not joining the Ivy League itself, in making some scheduling agreements because they'll be looking for competition from other non-scholarship schools that have similar academic philosophies. That could be a pretty major change if it ever came to that.

Dartmouth Softball Sweeps Yale Bulldogs, Improves Conference Record to 12-0

(via The Dartmouth)

Dartmouth softball continues to roll through its competition, extending its win streak to 13 and maintaining a perfect 12-0 Ivy League record.

One week after sweeping all for of its Ivy League South competitors, Dartmouth swept its first Ivy League North foe, establishing itself as the team to beat in the Ivy League.

Several Dartmouth players turned in big performances this weekend – Maddie Damore ’17, Kristen Rumley ’15 and Morgan McCalmon ’16.

Saturday was essentially Damore’s coming out party as she led Dartmouth with seven RBIs batted in on three home runs. Damore became the 63rd player in NCAA history to homer three times in a game and the first since April.

“[Damore’s] capable of it and we’ve known that,” head coach Rachel Hanson said. “She’s been having a little bit of a down time so this was kind of a good confidence booster for her. That’s the kind of hitter we know she can be.”

Damore is the first Ivy League freshman to homer three times since April 13, 2001, when Cornell’s Kate Varde registered three against Dartmouth.

Rumley hit the game-winning walk-off single that scored Damore in Saturday’s Game One. Rumley earned five hits on the day and pitched eight innings on Saturday before picking up wins in both of Sunday’s games.

"She's a great all-around player,” Hanson said. “She can hit, she can pitch, she can play defense. She's a great kid and very composed."

McCalmon picked up both wins Saturday and increased her hitting streak to 13 games, and provided crucial run support in Sunday’s Game Two. 

Dartmouth needed nine innings to pull off a 3-2 victory in Saturday’s Game One in what rapidly turned into a pitcher’s duel.

Rumley and senior Kristen Leung both turned in eight innings of work on the mound before being relieved. Although Rumley outperformed Leung, striking out more batters and allowing fewer hits, the score remained tied 2-2 entering the ninth. Rumley also pitched fewer times, 103, than Leung’s 118.

Normally, Dartmouth has been able to score early in the first or second inning, but Leung kept Dartmouth’s batting order shut down until the fourth. At that point, Karen Chaw ‘17’s double scored Katie McEachern ’16 before Chaw herself raced home on Kelsey Miller ‘16’s double to give Dartmouth a 2-0 advantage.

"We've got good athletes but approach is key,” Hanson said. “We're taking big cuts and swinging hard and they're looking for the right pitch to hit and swinging hard at it."

Rumley continued to shut down Yale’s batters until the seventh when sophomore Lauren Delgadillo belted a two-run humer to tie the score and send the game into extra innings.

After the game-tying homer, Hanson said she told her players to just come right back.

“After the game it was a message of 'we let them hang around a little too long,” Hanson said. “We gave them the opportunity to take it back. So we need to be a little more aggressive early in the game."

Rumley stayed in the game until the ninth when Hanson pulled Rumley, who was tired after throwing 103 pitched, for McCalmon, who retired the side.

McCalmon, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Week, then earned the win when Rumley continued to leave her mark on the game when she scored Damore for the walk-off run and win.

McCalmon continued to play from the mound for Game Two, throwing a complete game as Dartmouth dominated Yale 10-1, winning in six innings. McCalmon surrendered just one run all game in her winning effort – a second inning score off a wild pitch that tied the game at one.

Dartmouth’s batting order, led by Damore, controlled the rest of the game, starting with scoring on a walk in the first.

The fireworks really started in the fourth when Damore sent the ball over the left field wall for three. Damore homered a second time in the fifth for two more runs to make the score 8-1. She ended the game with one final home run to left-center to increase Dartmouth’s lead to nine.

"I was pretty calm,” Damore said. “I wasn't expecting to see any good pitches after the first two at bats but I was ready to go up there swinging and she gave me a nice one."

Moving on to Sunday’s Game One, Dartmouth defeated Yale 5-1, scoring all five runs in the third inning.

Yale actually led 1-0 after the first but that would be the only offense Rumley allowed as she pitched all seven innings, giving up just five runs and two walks.

In the third, Yale surrendered five runs on seven hits to Dartmouth. Dartmouth loaded the bases and scored with regularity as four different batters scored runners. 

Yale would shut out Dartmouth’s batting order for the final three innings but Yale’s batters were unable to mount a comeback. 

The sun finally started coming out for the final game of the weekend.

McCalmon started the game and pitched a clean first inning before surrendering a two-shot home run and a run off a single in the second to put Dartmouth in a 3-0 hole, Yale’s largest lead all weekend.

Hanson said she and the team don’t worry too much about the scoreboard.

“For us it’s just about playing at a high level every inning,” Hanson said. “When you have the ability to score runs, you’re not putting extra pressure on yourself and just focusing on the game.”

McCalmon would then cut the deficit to two when she scored on a double by Damore, just beating the throw to the plate. McCalmon almost missed out on the scoring chance when she barely reached first as the ball arrived. 

“First thing I did when I got to the dugout was tell my teammates, ‘and you said I was slow,’” McCalmon said. “It was a big moment and I trusted Coach and she made the good call. Anything could have happened and I got in there.”

The first-base umpire ruled McCalmon safe as Delgadillo’s foot was not on the bag, but from the home-plate umpire’s perspective, McCalmon was out. Both umpires met for a brief conference before ruling McCalmon safe, setting her up for the score.

McCalmon felt confident that the umpires were going to rule in her favor since the first-base umpire had the best vantage point.

Karen Chaw ’17 then scored Damore to cut Yale’s lead to one before Yale successfully retired the side.

In the fifth, Yale nearly expanded on its lead by loading the bases with two outs. Hanson pulled McCalmon for the final batter of the inning and replaced her with Rumley, who retired the side.

Momentum quickly swung Dartmouth’s way. In response, Dartmouth loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with just one out as McEachern went to the plate. Unfortunately, McEachern never reached first by popping out, but right before McEachern’s pop-out, Megan Averitt ‘15 scored on a wild pitch, just beating freshman pitcher Lindsey Efflandt to the plate to tie the game.

McCalmon followed McEachern, and with two runners on base and two outs, McEachern singled, but more importantly scored both runners, to put Dartmouth up 5-3.

For the final two innings, Rumley was perfect, allowing not a single hit, walk or error to blemish her relief effort as she picked up her 13th win of the season.

Dartmouth Softball Squeaks Out Close Win Over Boston University

In preparation for a four-game series this weekend against Yale, Dartmouth squeaked out a close 5-4 non-conference win over Boston University Wednesday.

Three pitchers pitched from the mound with Ashley Sissel ’17 starting before ceding control to Alex Jarvis ’16, who picked up her second win this season. Sissel allowed six hits and two runs to go with four strikeouts, while Jarvis allowed just two runs on two hits. However, the two runs allowed BU to climb back into the game, and was what prompted the switch to Morgan McCalmon ’16.

McCalmon, the Ivy League Player of the Week for the past two weeks, earned the save by holding BU scoreless the final two innings. She finished having allowed one hit after facing seven batters.

Sophomore Lauren Hynes pitched an uneven, albeit complete, game in a losing effort to go 12-11 on the season. Hynes finished with 10 hits, five runs, six walks, three errors and two strikeouts.

As has been Dartmouth’s modus operandi since its conference schedule started, the Big Green started the scoring in the first with a Katie McEachern ’16 single down the right field line. Kristen Rumley ’15 beat the throw home to score and put Dartmouth in an early 1-0 lead.

Neither team scored until the fourth inning when BU took its first and only lead of the game.

BU manufactured its equalizing score by slowing working around the bases following a bunt by freshman Brittany Younan. Younan eventually scored before when freshman Gabi Martinez singled to left field. BU scored once more when senior Amy Ekart reached home after senior Brittany Clendenny hit into a double play.

Dartmouth responded almost right away when Alex St. Romain ’14 homered to center field to tie the game. Dartmouth slowly built a two run lead over the course of the inning as McCalmon and Alyssa Jorgensen ’17 scored an unearned run on a muffed throw.

After three quick BU outs, Dartmouth returned to the plate to score what would turn out to be the game-winning run. Rumley’s single to right field scored Jorgensen to make the score 5-2.

In a valiant effort by BU’s batting order, BU cut the deficit to one with scores by Ekart and Martinez. Ekart scored on a fielder’s choice while Martinez reached home on a fielding error by Karen Chaw ‘17. BU ultimately ended its attempt to tie the game in the sixth when senior Jayme Mask was called out at third for leaving the base early.

In the final frame, with the pressure cranked up high, McCalmon coolly struck out the first two BU batters before a ground out closed the game.

Dartmouth Defeats RPI in First Round Series; Advances to ECAC Quarterfinals Against Union

Courtesy of Big League Pics

The men’s hockey team advanced to the ECAC quarterfinals in dramatic fashion Sunday night, stunning Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 5-4 with three unanswered goals in the third period. Brad Schierhorn ’16 shot the game-winner with 3:14 remaining.

The 5-4 win was Dartmouth’s first win despite trailing after the first two periods in two years.

The overarching theme of the intense three-game series, and Dartmouth’s season overall, was resiliency. Dartmouth, who started 2-11-1 due to a rash of injuries, was the series underdog and at first it showed in Game 1.

RPI dominated Dartmouth 4-1 Friday in Game 1, bombarding February’s ECAC Goaltender of the Month Charles Grant ’16 with 33 shots. Senior Ryan Haggerty, RPI’s leading scorer, netted two goals.

Dartmouth rebounded in Saturday’s Game 2, as Eric Neiley ’15, the Big Green's leading scorer, netted two goals in a 3-2 win to force Sunday’s game. Jesse Beamish ’15 scored the equalizer before Neiley won the game.

Neiley was on fire, netting two goals and having a third called off. Neiley’s two-goal effort was his third of the season. 

The stage was set for an epic winner-take-all Game 3 and both teams exceeded expectations.

RPI led at the end of the first period 2-1 and the second period 4-2. All RPI needed to do to advance was maintain its lead for 20 minutes.

But Neiley disagreed, cutting the lead to one 2:10 into the final period before Brandon McNally ’15 nailed the equalizer with 11:12 remaining. 

Schierhorn completed the comeback with a wrist shot into the top right corner, sending Dartmouth's bench into celebration. 

The key matchup heading into this weekend was between Grant and Haggerty. In the end, Haggerty may have won the head-to-head match-up, scoring four goals on Grant, but Dartmouth won the series.

If there had to be a most valuable player, though, it would probably be Neiley. Without him, Dartmouth would remain home next weekend. Even more important was the outstanding first line play of Neiley, McNally and Grant Opperman ’17, who combined helped lead Dartmouth to victory. 

Clarkson University defeated Princeton University on Sunday, making Dartmouth the lowest remaining seed in the ECAC tournament. Dartmouth will play No. 3 Union College next weekend in another best-of-three series for the chance to participate in the semifinals in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Dartmouth Travels to RPI for ECAC Playoff Showdown

The postseason fates of Dartmouth and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute depend on the performances of Charles Grant ’16 and junior Ryan Haggerty, making the showdown between both players the key match-up of the series.

“The team’s been playing really well over the last few weeks so we’re confident that we can pull out a couple wins,” Grant said.

After earning the 10th seed entering the ECAC Hockey First Round, Dartmouth (8-17-4, 7-13-2 ECAC) will be on the road squaring off against RPI (14-14-6, 8-9-5 ECAC). The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals.

Dartmouth heads to RPI who swept the season series against the Big Green, winning both matches 7-1 and 4-2. Dartmouth, however, has gone unbeaten in six of its past eight games and is a completely different team than it was when playing RPI earlier in the year.

By comparison, RPI has gone an improbable 4-4-2 over the past 10 games, oftentimes falling flat at inopportune moments. Last weekend, with the sixth seed on the line, RPI was annihilated 5-0 by Yale.

Dartmouth’s recent string of performances has given the players the confidence and the momentum to believe they can advance to the Quarterfinals with a couple good outings.

“ECAC Championship play is what we look forward to all year,” Tyler Sikura ’15 said.

This weekend will be the fifth time both teams have played each other in the playoffs. All-time, RPI is 7-5 against Dartmouth in playoff encounters, but split the series record 2-2.

“RPI is going to see a different team this weekend than they did earlier in the season,” Sikura said.

Dartmouth will try to take Haggerty, RPI’s biggest scoring threat, out of the game by keeping him away from the net, Grant said.

Haggerty leads RPI in goals, 24, and points, 14, with five game-winning shots while Grant has been one of the nation’s hottest goaltenders in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, Grant was named ECAC hockey men’s goaltender of the month for February, posting a 4-0-1 record, which included a historic shut-out of Cornell. Grant’s shut-out was the third shut-out all-time by a Dartmouth goaltender at Cornell in 54 years. The first ever shut-out occurred in 1927.

This weekend will also be the first time Grant will face RPI’s offensive lines this season as he was not in the net during both previous outings against RPI.

If Haggerty is effectively taken out of the game, senior Brock Higgs and junior Matt Neal, who have combined for 24 goals and 52 points, can fill in nicely for Haggerty, but they won’t be able to match his superior production.

Grant will need to maintain his stellar play to keep RPI from netting too many goals that could sink Dartmouth’s hopes. If Grant can keep RPI from scoring more than two goals in each game, Dartmouth can counter with its first and second lines.

For its first line, Dartmouth will likely keep Eric Neiley ’15, Brandon McNally ’15 and Grant Opperman ’17 together.

Together, the three forwards have been much more productive as a unit than when they’ve been split up. Unfortunately, although they combined for 26 goals and 55 points on the season, including 10 on the power play, their aggressiveness has limited their effectiveness at times.

McNally leads the team in penalties with 27 in 27 games while Neiley is third with 11 penalties.

For Dartmouth to upset RPI, the first line will need to avoid penalties yet somehow maintain the aggression that allows them to be effective.

Sikura serves as the nucleus of the second line and delivers a significant change-up. Although he was out for a large chunk of the season, Sikura has rebounded and provided much-needed depth for Dartmouth’s short-handed, injury-reduced squad.

Since returning, Sikura has notched two game-winning goals, including a dramatic overtime shot in the win over Brown two weeks ago.

Puck drop will occur both Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., and if a third game is necessary, Sunday’s winner-take-all showdown will also be at 7:00 p.m.

Dartmouth Softball Goes 2-2 in James Madison Tournament

Cold weather in the mid-Atlantic gave softball a day off on Friday. Although temperatures remained relatively cool through the weekend, Dartmouth started heating up as the team competed in the James Madison Tournament in Harrisonburg, Virg., splitting consecutive double-headers on Saturday and Sunday.

“We made a little fire under ourselves to really get us going and get us playing as a team,” Kelsey Miller ’16 said.

Dartmouth bounced back from a rough weekend last week in the Florida International Tournament but, due to cold weather, had to wait until Saturday to play as both of Friday’s games were cancelled.

If anything, Dartmouth was more prepared to play in the cold than its opponents because of Hanover’s cold weather, Karen Chaw ’17 said.

Dartmouth went on to defeat Penn State 6-3 for its first win of the season before caving to Fairfield 7-3.

“It was really exciting to see the team improve from the changes we made since we last played in Florida,” Chaw said.

Chaw won the Ivy League’s first 2014 Rookie of the Week after hitting .333, with a two-run homer and three RBIs, last weekend in the Florida International Tournament. She continued to stand out in Dartmouth’s batting order this weekend, hitting a pair of home runs on Saturday for five RBIs.

Kristen Rumley ’15 and Miller also contributed with three hits each, and Rumley went on to earn her first win of the season, allowing three runs on 10 hits.

Chaw’s first homer couldn’t have come at a better against Penn State. Down 2-0 in the fifth, Chaw homered for three, putting Dartmouth into the lead. A solo shot to left-center allowed Penn State to tie the game, but Dartmouth seized the lead for good with an RBI double by Brianna Lohmann ’16.

In the top of the seventh, Dartmouth added another two runs to seal the game off Chloe Madill ‘17’s double.

The second half of Saturday’s double-header started badly for Dartmouth, as Fairfield jumped to a quick 3-0 lead with a three-run homer in the first. Dartmouth responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer by Chaw, her second of the day.

Fairfield added another run in the fifth for a 4-2 lead before exploding for another three-run inning in the sixth.

With the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh, Kara Curosh ’14 crushed a solo home run to left field.

Whereas Chaw was the offensive star for Dartmouth on Saturday, Miller took on the role Sunday, generating five hits on the day, including a lead-off home run against Fairfield. Chaw also performed strongly, notching two hits and two RBIs against James Madison University.

In the first game of its Sunday double-header, a rematch against Fairfield, Dartmouth avenged its loss the previous day with a 4-1 outing.

Rumley was the girl on fire in earning her second win, throwing yet another complete game with nine strikeouts, four hits and just the one run. Rumley’s afternoon was made much easier with excellent run support. She herself notched an RBI, scoring McCalmon on a double in the seventh to seal the game.

Fairfield responded to Miller’s lead-off homer in the bottom of the first with a triple that brought home Fairfield’s leadoff hitter.

Neither team could generate hits over the next five innings as Rumley and her Fairfield counterpart, senior Rebecca Trott, shut down the opposing offense until the sixth inning when Katie McEachern ‘16’s home run to deep center broke the tie, making it 3-1.

Dartmouth nearly eked out a victory over JMU, but a walk-off double stole Dartmouth’s moment and handed JMU a dramatic 3-2 win.

“We did a lot of the little things right such as stringing hits together,” Miller said. “Even though we ended up losing, it was definitely one of our best games.”

Rumley’s pitching services were once again called into action, and she held JMU scoreless for the first five innings. Unfortunately, Dartmouth’s batting lineup was also held in check.

Dartmouth finally scored in the fifth as Chaw’s hit to center field scored runners on first and second, putting Dartmouth on top 2-0 with two innings left.

Needing just six outs for another victory, Rumley tried to close the game but JMU finally scored on a single and a sacrifice fly, tying the game heading into the final inning. McCalmon then relieved Rumley, who ended her day after pitching almost 13 straight innings.

Dartmouth loomed with runners in scoring position but Chaw, who had been batting strong all weekend and was the reason Dartmouth was tied, popped out. After a sacrifice bunt to put a runner in scoring position, JMU would win the game with a double to center field that scored the winning run.

Dartmouth won’t play again until Mar. 14 when the Big Green heads west to compete in the University of California-Santa Barbara Tournament and the LMU Tournament.

“As a team we’re working in practice to get better and I don’t think this is the end of our improvements,” Chaw said. “The team will continue to progressively improve.”

Dartmouth Figure Skating Places Second at Liberty University

Sporting fluffy green stick-on mustaches off the ice, the club figure skating team placed second at the 2014 Liberty University Intercollegiate Competition in Lynchburg, Va. this weekend, behind only the University of Delaware. The team finished with 105 points, three points ahead of Boston University, but 36 short of the Blue Hens’ 141.

Dartmouth sent 18 skaters to the competition, earning a total of 18 medals in 16 events.

“Nearly all of our competitors scored points for Dartmouth, which was amazing,” team member Clara Guo ’17 said.

Early on Saturday, Dartmouth led in team points, which are awarded to skaters who place in the top five. Maddy Thornton ’17, Jojo Miller ’14, Caroline Knoop ’15, Alyssa Mahatme ’17 earned silver medals in their respective programs.

Katie Bates ’16 also finished third in the senior ladies long program.

Armin Mahbanoozadeh ’17 dominated the senior men’s short program, sweeping ordinals, while Thornton won the novice ladies long program, landing a double lutz-double toe combination to the music of Santana.

In the dance events, Kelsey Anspach ’15 placed third in the junior solo dance and first in the novice solo dance. Pinar Gurel, a Ph.D. candidate at the Geisel School of Medicine, placed second in the intermediate solo dance, and Victoria Rackohn ’14 and Iris Yu ’14 placed second and third, respectively, in the juvenile solo dance.

Despite leading for most of Saturday, Dartmouth fell behind at the end of the day, trailing Delaware 76-93 after the high team maneuver event, in which Dartmouth’s team of Mahatme, Mahbanoozadeh, Knoop, Kirsten Seagers ’15 and Gurel placed second.

On Sunday, Thornton, Guo and Miller competed in the intermediate team maneuvers, earning gold. Seagers and Knoop placed second and third, respectively, in the junior ladies’ championship long program.

“This competition showed us the depth of talent on our team, and it was inspiring for us to watch each other skate,” Miller, a co-captain, said.

The team has placed in the top three for the past two competitions and has a good chance to qualify for the national championships, Knoop, the other co-captain said.

“We are a team that improves throughout the season, and this weekend set us up nicely for the rest of the season,” she said.

Each season, the three colleges with the most points in each conference are invited to compete at the U.S. Intercollegiate Team Figure Skating Championships. This year, the national competition will be hosted by Adrian College in Adrian, Mich., from April 11-13.

In November, the team placed third at the Cornell University Intercollegiate Competition, 10 points behind Boston University and 35 points behind Delaware.

The team has improved since the fall competition, Miller said.

“We’re starting to find our footing on the ice,” Miller said. “There were a lot of breakthrough performances from our younger skaters who are becoming more and more confident on the ice.”

Later this month, the team will compete again, this time at the University of Delaware.

Dartmouth is developing a small rivalry with Delaware. Last season, Dartmouth defeated Delaware in fall 2012 by 14 points. Delaware would go on to avenge its loss with wins over Dartmouth in March 2013, 125-117, and in the national championships, 98-93. Prior to that, Dartmouth won nationals in 2012 and was the runner-up in 2010, behind BU and came in second place behind Delaware in 2011.

To qualify for the national championships, Dartmouth must remain in the top three schools in the Eastern conference. If Dartmouth places third or better at the Delaware competition, the team will qualify and return to nationals.

“I don’t want to jinx anything,” Yu said. “But I think we are pretty hopeful.”

This weekend’s competition provided Yu with plenty of fun, but also some bittersweet, memories, she said. She will cherish the moments of massage trains, eating dinner as a team and winning “Who want to be a millionaire?” while traveling. 

For Miller, his Dartmouth career has come full circle. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m feeling all of the feels right now,” Miller said. “Liberty was my first competition ever with the team my freshman fall.” 

Since his first competition, he has won gold and silver at nationals, competed in every competition over the last 3.5 years and helped organize nationals last year when it was held at Dartmouth with people he considers his family. 

“This weekend was a blast, full of nostalgia of past experiences with the team and getting to watch the team continue to grow,” Miller said. “The skaters are a riot, and it's always great to hang out and befriend skaters from other colleges. Layer the experience with lots of traveling and no sleep, and it provides for unforgettable times.”

Written by the same author, this story was originally published by The Dartmouth on March 4, 2014. 

Dartmouth's Representation at 2014 Sochi Winter Games

Starting as early as the Opening Ceremony, Dartmouth athletes have been representing their countries, and their school, with extremely solid efforts as the 22nd Winter Olympics in Sochi hits its midway point.

If Fox Sports could declare a winner of the Opening Ceremony, Tucker Murphy ’04 would receive a gold. In temperatures below 40 degrees, Murphy, Bermuda’s sole representative, wore Bermuda’s iconic red shorts and blazer while carrying the nation’s flag, even temporarily trending on Twitter.

Once the actual events started, many Dartmouth athletes have experienced success as well as heartbreak.

Murphy competed in the 15-kilometer classic race and finished 84th, an improvement on his 88th place result in Vancouver.

Hannah Kearney ’15 was the favorite to win the gold in the freestyle moguls, and seemed prepare to defend her gold after earning the highest score during the qualification round. Had Kearney, considered the top-ranked and most consistent skier in the world since Vancouver, earned gold, she would have been the first back-to-back winner of an Olympic freestyle event.

Kearney, however, earned bronze after losing her footing temporarily at the start of her run. Sisters Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe earned gold and silver ahead of Kearney.

Kearney, the next day, announced her retirement on NBC Sports in an interview with Lester Holt. However, after the interview, she clarified that she will compete in more World Cup events but her Olympic career is over, forgoing the 2018 Games in Pyeongyang, South Korea.

Representing Dartmouth on the Canadian women’s hockey team, Gillian Apps ’06 looks to earn a third goal medal. Apps, a three-time Olympian, considers Turin, Vancouver and Sochi as being incredible and unique in their own way.

“It's an incredible honor to have had the opportunity to represent my country at three different Winter Olympic Games,” Apps said.

Canada is the presumptive favorite and has won gold the last three Winter Games.

So far the Canadians have defeated Switzerland 5-0 and Finland 3-0 before clashing against an equally powerful American team that defeated Switzerland and Finland by a combined 12-1. Canada triumphed over America in a physical 3-2 win that featured the Americans outplaying the Canadians for most of the first two periods before a dominant third period performance that put Canada on top.

“Our team is still working on improving little parts of our game as we go through the tournament,” Apps said. “We're looking to be able to play a full 60 minutes as a group. If we can get to that point, that is where you will see us play our best hockey.”

In the Semifinal, Canada, and Apps, will face Switzerland on Monday in a rematch.

Apps has contributed seven shots on and 32 minutes on the ice in the three wins. Right now, Apps hasn’t made a decision about whether Sochi will be her final Olympic Games.

“I’m just focusing on the task at hand right now and enjoying my Olympic experience,” Apps said.

Sophie Caldwell ’12 surprised the world with a sixth-place overall finish despite falling during the final sprint when her ski tangled with another skier’s pole. Caldwell’s finish is the best ever for a U.S. female cross-country skier.

“I went into the Olympics without many expectations,” Caldwell said. “I know I ski the fastest when I'm happy and enjoying myself, so the best I could do to prepare was to soak up the experience. I definitely wasn't expecting that result going into the day, but I felt great and was so excited about everything.”

Caldwell finished second in her semifinal heat to claim the sixth spot in the six-person final, and was the only American to advance past the quarterfinals. Gold medal contender Kikkan Randall, who previously held the best Olympic mark before the race, Ida Sargent '11 and Jessie Diggins all missed out on advancing.

Sargent finished 19th in the event.

Caldwell, who came just short of becoming the second-ever American medalist in cross-country skiing since Bill Koch’s silver medal and the first in 38 years, has been enjoying every minute of her Olympic experience and doesn’t want it to end.

“I've received so many supportive messages from people back home and I think that's been one of the coolest things,” Caldwell said. “It's awesome to see people getting excited about the sport of cross-country skiing and I'm extremely grateful to have such a strong support crew!”

Caldwell and her teammates have also had a chance to enjoy the weather, which has been extremely warm for a Winter Games.

During some events, such the halfpipe, the snow has turned into slush, forcing the snow to be chemically treated until its hardened for snowboarders. And some skiers have been seen racing in topless or in t-shirts.

“We raced in tank tops yesterday because it was in the 50s,” Caldwell said. “It’s been so hot, but really beautiful weather.”

Susan Dunklee ’08 finished 14th in the 7.5km sprint to post the top Olympic sprint finish ever by a U.S. woman. Dunklee also ties Joan Smith, who finished 14th in the 1994 15km, for the best Olympic finish by a woman.

“I have never been so nervous before a race as I was yesterday morning,” Dunklee said. “However, once I started warming up and zeroing my rifle, everything felt very routine, which is exactly what you try to create on race day.”

Dunklee was 41.5 seconds behind first place biathlete Anastasiya Kuzima, and might have earned the bronze medal if Dunklee had not missed her final shot. Dunklee’s miss cost her 20 seconds as she completed a penalty lap.

“Missing my last shot was a little heartbreaking, but I was able to laugh it off, ski hard, and turn in one of my strongest performances of the season,” Dunklee said.

Sara Studebaker ’07 and Hannah Dreissigacker ’09 finished 44th and 65th in the sprint.

Studebaker had previously competed at the Vancouver Olympics, but for Dreissigacker, the sprint was her first ever-Olympic competition.

Understandably, Dreissigacker was nervous but not as much as she was during her trials races. In fact, she felt more excited and happy than apprehensive.

“I was thinking about my various goals and focuses for the race as well, and I definitely thought about how I wanted to do well, since so many people at home were watching and following me,” Dreissigacker said.

During the race, all Dreissigacker thought about was what she was doing at the moment and what she needed to do next. But after the race, she was mad and frustrated about how poorly she shot and, as a result, missed the cutoff for the 10-km pursuit. Dreissigacker had missed one shot prone and three standing.

“I haven't been competing in high-level biathlon races for that long, but I've been shooting well in practice, and I really expect better of myself than missing 3 in standing,” Dressigacker said. “I was really frustrated about that, and feeling a bit down, to be honest. But then I had to remind myself that I was at the Olympics, racing against the best biathletes in the world, and I was in a beautiful place having lots of amazing experiences, and so I had a lot to be happy about and couldn't give myself too hard of a time.”

All three biathletes agree that the biathlon course is challenging but the organizing committee has made the course safer after their test event by improving the banking downhill turns.

“Our course is hard, but really everything is great up here,” Dressigacker said. “Its not harder than other hard world cup courses. The stadium is big and really nice, and it’ss so beautiful up here! There's lots of snow, and it’s all very professional.”

Officials have been dealing with the warm conditions by salting the uphills to maintain firmness and prevent deterioration during the race. Competitors are then forced to ski in snow conditions, but conditions they consider normal for warmer weather.

The venue itself, according to Dunklee, suits her strengths as it’s loaded with hills.

Dunklee and Studebaker’s finish qualified them for the 10km pursuit two days later.

“I've felt very relaxed during these Games,” Studebaker said. “I feel well-prepared and confident and am really just enjoying the atmosphere of being at the Olympics. It's so exciting to see our team performing well and some of my teammates being so close to medals! I'm enjoying it and am trying to transfer that excitement and relaxed energy into my races.”

Dunklee continued to perform strong, moving up to the top-5 before she missed three shots, dropping her to 18th in the spring. Studebaker missed five of 10 shots as she finished 51st.

After the sprint, Studebaker was excited to have shot well and qualified for the pursuit, and was happy with her effort as it was her best result all season. But following the pursuit, she was disappointed because she had skied well and registered three solid rounds of shooting, but her first attempt went badly.

Dreissigacker had the best result of U.S. women in the 15-km Biathlon women’s individual, finishing 23rd with two penalties. Dunklee finished 34th with five penalties and Studebaker was 55th with four penalties.

Then on Sunday morning, Andrew Weibrecht ’09 stunned the world with a silver-medal finish in the men’s super-G, coming just fractions of a second ahead of more-heralded teammate Bode Miller who tied for the bronze.

Weibrecht’s top finish this season was 20th place at Beaver Creek, and he was never considered a medal favorite in Sochi. Weibrecht won a surprise bronze medal in Vancouver in the super-G but had been beset by injuries in the interim and was even dropped from U.S. Skiing’s “A” roster.

After a fast start that had him ahead of the gold-medal pace by over three-tenths of a second, Weibrecht faded over the last split, slipping into second place with a time of 1:18.44.

Weibrecht told NBC that he knew he had skied well but was surprised by his result. “I took a couple seconds and looked at the time,” he said in an interview with NBC. “I saw ‘2.’ I looked away. I looked again. I thought, ‘You have got to be kidding.’”

Preview: Dartmouth Women's Hockey Prepares for Friday Night Conference Tilt with Harvard

Dartmouth women's hockey gets to enjoy a relatively light week with just one match-up. However, before Dartmouth can rest, the Big Green must square off against No. 5 Harvard (17-2-3, 13-2-2 ECAC) on Friday night.

For the past four weeks, Dartmouth (7-15-1, 6-10-1 ECAC) has played two games every weekend, which means a one-game weekend is a welcome relief so that players may use the extra day to nurse any injuries.

Last weekend, Dartmouth lost both its games against Quinnipiac and Princeton. Harvard fared much better, defeating Princeton and tying Quinnipiac. However, Harvard is coming off a very short week as it played Northeastern on Tuesday night and lost 4-3. Once the final buzzer sounds on Friday, Harvard will have played four teams over the course of a week.

In the first match-up between both teams, Harvard shut-out Dartmouth 5-0.

As with the first game, Dartmouth's top line of Laura Stacey '16 (12 points), Lindsey Allen '16 (13 goals) and Catherine Berghuis '16 (nine points) will be hard pressed to score on Harvard's goaltending, which has an impressive 95.3 percent save percentage.

Harvard's offense can be just as intimidating as its goaltending, averaging 2.8 goals per game, as well as succeeding on 15 percent of its power-play opportunities. The Crimson also have three skaters with double-digit goals and seven with double-digit points.

Harvard currently maintains the #1 seed in the ECAC while Dartmouth is tied for #8 seed with RPI.

A win for Harvard would keep Harvard at least two points ahead of No. 3 Clarkson for first in the ECAC, whereas a Harvard loss and Clarkson win would cause a first-place tie. Dartmouth arguably needs the win more to keep pace with RPI, or to start distancing itself from RPI in an effort to seal the final playoff spot.

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm at Thompson Arena.

Preview: Dartmouth Men's Hockey Looks for Big Friday Night Conference Win Over Harvard

Dartmouth men's hockey travels to Harvard Friday night for a conference clash between two teams experiencing rough seasons.

A win over Harvard would cause a 10th place tie in the ECAC, though a Dartmouth win and a St. Lawrence loss would create a three-way traffic jam for ninth. Otherwise, a Harvard win and St. Lawrence win wouldn't have any major effect on the standings, while a Harvard win and St. Lawrence loss would simply break their current tie at ninth.

“We’re looking forward to them,” Eric Neiley ’15 said. “Harvard’s a fun team to play and a fun place to play. They’re a good team that’s playing well right now.”

Last weekend, Dartmouth (4-15-3, 3-11-1 ECAC) rebounded from a manhandling by Quinnipiac on Friday to explode offensively for a 5-3 win over Princeton that propelled the Big Green out of last place in the ECAC. Harvard (6-11-3, 3-9-3 ECAC) had a short week, defeating Princeton 3-2 on Friday before being shut-out 6-0 by No. 11 Northeastern in the opening game of the 62nd Annual Beanpot Tournament.

“These Ivy League games are important in and of themselves just because of what they represent, but I think these ones are really fun for the guys,” head coach Bob Gaudet said. “I know the team is really going to be energized going in Harvard.”

In the win over Princeton, Dartmouth played with a lot of energy and emotion that had been lacking for most of the season. As a result, Dartmouth jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and a plus-20 shot advantage in the second period and never looked back as it held off a Princeton rally with a fifth goal that sealed the game.

In order to win its second consecutive game, Dartmouth needs to maintain the high level of play and avoid an emotional letdown from the big win.

“When our feet are moving and when we’re moving the puck and doing the right things, we’re having a lot of fun,“ Grant Opperman ’17 said. “When you’re having a lot of fun, you’re going to have a lot of emotion.”

Offensively, Harvard is a very middle-of-the-pack team, averaging 2.38 goals and 26.9 shots per game. Harvard also has an average penalty kill (86.2 percent) and power-play success rate (13.5 percent). 21 of the team's 50 goals comes from sophomores Jimmy Vesey and Kyle Criscuolo, which means Dartmouth's key to shutting down the Harvard attack is to stop Vesey and Criscuolo cold. 

Dartmouth was once considered the third best team in the ECAC during the preseason before injuries decimated the line-up. A win over Harvard, according to Opperman, would send a statement to the rest of the ECAC that Dartmouth is still very much alive and dangerous enough to mount a deep run in the playoffs.

All that's needed is some consistency.

“We got to put a string together and be more consistent than we have been but if you look at the standings of the Ivy League, we’re still in the race,” Opperman said. “In the ECAC, all the teams are pretty good and anyone can beat anyone in the playoffs and we hope to do that.”

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

Draft Predictions: Top Nine Quarterbacks of the NFL 2014 Draft

We've all heard it before. In this day and age, you can't reach a Super Bowl, let alone win one, without a franchise quarterback. The few teams that have reached the Super Bowl with subpar quarterback play did so with an outstanding defense and a solid ground game (i.e. 2000 Ravens).

Over the last few years, numerous coaches lost their jobs due to issues surrounding the quarterback position leading to losing seasons, including four this year (Cleveland, Houston, Minnesota and Tennessee). For those coaches newly hired, this may be their first and only chance to pick the correct player. Few coaches who make a bad pick live to draft again like Rex Ryan.

Other teams like Oakland and Tampa Bay are considering whether they want to draft a signal caller because the current one isn't guaranteed to be a success.

This is a ranking of the top quarterbacks in the draft and where I think they'll land. Unfortunately, not all of them will be drafted nor signed as a rookie free agent.

1. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M - Cleveland Browns (1st Rd)
   
   Manziel is the top quarterback of the draft, which long-time analyst and personnel man Gil Brandt agrees with, but Manziel figures to drop to the Browns for various reasons.
   
   Manziel is probably the quarterback in this year's draft that epitomizes high-risk, high-reward. His reputation varies depending on who you talk to and some coaches are sure he has the maturity or the work ethic to develop into an NFL quarterback. In some ways, Manziel is most similar to Vince Young in 2005 but with more potential as a passer.
   
   Cleveland, after uninspiring, unexciting picks like Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden, could use a shot of excitement and swagger that Manziel would provide. Supported by a strong defense and Josh Gordon, Greg Little and Jordan Cameron in the aerial attack, Manziel could start right away and succeed. Cleveland also has a second first-round pick which it could use to add depth to the offensive line or deal for a lower pick and take a running back to provide run support.
   
   Cleveland will likely keep Brian Hoyer, who led the Browns to wins over Cincinnati and Minnesota. Hoyer should enter next season as the presumptive starter but if Manziel jumps him on the depth chart, no one should be surprised.


2. Blake Bortles, UCF - Houston Texans (1st Rd)
   
   Few would have thought that by the end of 2013, two of the top three signal-callers would be coming out of the AAC, which has taken a nose dive in terms of reputation regarding quality of competition. Even less would say that UCF's Bortles would be the top QB from the AAC. Some are even wondering if he might be the next Andrew Luck with similar size and deceptively quick speed.
   
   But his performance this year catapulted him to the top of draft boards just like Teddy Bridgewater last year. Bortles is considered to have the so-called "it" factor that can't be coached, as evidenced by the 52-42 win over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl and the 38-35 win over Louisville that UCF trailed 28-7 in the fourth quarter.
   
   According to Russ Lande, new Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is initially leaning towards either Manziel or Bortles. Although owner Bob McNair prefers Manziel, O'Brien isn't yet sold on Manziel's work ethic, which could cause Houston to pick Bortles. Bortles would probably be just fine with that. Houston has the weapons and the defense to succeed and compete with the Colts for AFC South supremacy so long as there's quality quarterback play. Bortles would represent a significant upgrade over the slumping Matt Schaub and inexperienced Case Keenum.


3. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville - Oakland Raiders (1st Rd)
   
   Bridgewater's greatest strengths are his accuracy, poise and reputation as a low-risk signal-caller than can start immediately. He doesn't have the athletic potential most of the other top prospects have, but he's able to throw on the run and extend plays. Some have compared the hype to Sam Bradford while others think of him as more of a taller version of Russell Wilson. Considering Oakland's recent string of underwhelming quarterbacks, having a solid QB under center would be a major upgrade.
   
   I think Oakland would prefer either Manziel or Bortles but both of them will be gone by the time the Raiders pick and QB is a spot that desperately needs an upgrade. The other three quarterbacks under center in the AFC West (Peyton Manning, Alex Smith and Phillip Rivers) can elevate a team's play for varying lengths of time. Oakland's current duo of Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor is a steep drop-off in comparison. Bridgewater, if he can play like Bradford or Wilson, would help Oakland a lot in this department.


4. Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois - Jacksonville Jaguars (2nd Rd)
   
   When A.J. McCarron pulled out of the Senior Bowl, the Jacksonville staff requested that Garoppolo be invited for the final roster spot. With Blaine Gabbert figuring to be released, that leaves Chad Henne as Garoppolo's competition for a roster spot.
   
   I figure Jacksonville uses its first-round pick for a premier defensive talent, potentially Jadeveon Clown if St. Louis doesn't select him, Gus Bradley should use his second-rounder for Garoppolo.
   
   The Eastern Illinois product had an outstanding performance during the East-West Shrine Game before turning in arguably the best QB performance for the Senior Bowl. He's got a decent arm, good mechanics with a quick release and an excellent football mind. One of his biggest criticisms is his lack of experience under center, but considering the increasingly aerial nature of today's game, this is becoming less and less an issue for spread quarterbacks.


5. Derek Carr, Fresno State - Minnesota (2nd Rd)
   
   I'm of the opinion that Carr is an overhyped quarterback after his performance against USC. Yes, he demonstrated the strongest arm on his team at the Senior Bowl but he looked lost and overwhelmed against an inconsistent USC defense. While he has the physical tools to make the jump to the NFL, he hasn't displayed the judgment or capability of running a pro-style offense.
   
   However, Minnesota needs a quarterback because Christian Ponder isn't cutting it and Matt Cassel will reportedly void his contract and test free agency. Minnesota will likely sign another veteran quarterback but whoever Minnesota ultimately drafts will likely be the starting quarterback entering next season.
   
   Unfortunately for Carr's development, the Fresno State product will be thrown into the fray just like his older brother against some of the best defensive lines like Detroit's and Buffalo's. His best chances for success will be for new offensive coordinator Norv Turner to run an offense similar to Carr's at Fresno State. 


6. Zach Mettenberger, LSU - Chicago (4th Rd)
   
   I wouldn't be surprised if Mettenberger was selected in the 3rd round but he shouldn't fall any lower than the 4th. He's currently recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in a comeback win over Arkansas in the season finale. Otherwise, Mettenberger would be a second-rounder.
   
   Mettenberger would be a great fit for Chicago because he's fits a similar mold compared to Jay Cutler with prototypical size and a strong arm. Current back-up Josh McCown is no solid lock for the Bears despite his stated intention to return.
   
   The dangers of drafting Mettenberger include the torn ACL and its rehab, and Mettenberger has a reputation for becoming painfully inconsistent, sometimes managing an LSU offense that completely disappears. He won't be an immediate starter and is better suited as a backup in the short-term, but he could win a few games if managed correctly by head coach Marc Trestman.


7. A.J. McCarron, Alabama - Tampa Bay (4th Rd)
   
   McCarron's problem stems from the general perception he's a game manager that succeeded only because of Alabama's superior defense and stellar running game. His final two games, both losses, seemingly legitimize the thought that McCarron can't elevate his team's level of play. While it's true Alabama is a superior team compared to much of its competition, it still doesn't change McCarron's career 77-to-15 TD-INT ratio.
   
   If Kansas City didn't have Alex Smith or Chase Daniels, McCarron would probably be an excellent choice for Andy Reid's system. Minnesota would be another candidate but I have them taking Carr and I don't think they'll repeat Washington's RGIII-Cousins draft combination.
   
   Hence, I have Tampa Bay choosing McCarron. The Buccaneers have a solid defense that will be coached by defensive mastermind Lovie Smith and an excellent running tandem with Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey and even Mike James. The passing game could use an upgrade behind Vincent Jackson but Smith could upgrade it in the earlier rounds and take McCarron to compete with incumbent Mike Glennon. Whoever won out would then start under center for one of the league's more conservative offenses.


8. Aaron Murray, Georgia - Houston Texans (6th Rd)
   
   Murray's in a similar boat to Mettenberger as he tore an ACL in the middle of the season during a win over Kentucky. Prior to the injury, Murray would have been considered a second or third round pick at best. Instead, this injury drops him significantly down draft boards.
   
   I don't understand why there's so many lukewarm feelings toward Murray regarding his pro potential. His only true downside has been Georgia annually underperforming, but players can't be expected to play flawlessly every down. The moment that seems to come to mind most was the end of the 2012 SEC Championship game when Georgia came yards shy from upsetting Alabama.
   
   But his injury combined with his underwhelming reputation leaves him to a team that might take him as a medium to long-term project, similar to how Denver drafted Brock Osweiler. As a result, Houston could draft Murray in a move similar to Washington two years ago. Taking Murray would be O'Brien's way of hedging his bets. By the time Houston learns whether Keenum or Bortles is the answer, if neither pan out, Murray could then step in.


9. Connor Shaw, South Carolina - Cincinnati Bengals (6th Rd)
   
   Cincinnati probably won't select a quarterback but if the Bengals did, Shaw would be an interesting selection. He's a very underrated quarterback and is the career leader in wins at South Carolina, going 26-5 and a perfect 17-0 at home.
   
   He's also tough, coming off the bench this year with a sprained knee to lead South Carolina in mounting a 17-point comeback and win 27-24 over then-No. 5 Missouri. Shaw then went on to complete 22 of 25 for 312 yards and three touchdowns in a Capital One Bowl win over Wisconsin last month for his final collegiate game.
   
   Shaw's known to take chances and run with the ball when he needs to, as demonstrated by his 1,500 yards at South Carolina. Although starter Andy Dalton has been blooming statistically, he has a habit of disappearing in playoff games. Adding Shaw as a developmental project would be a signal to Dalton that he needs to keep performing better or else risk being pulled in favor of a quarterback who can win a postseason game.

Honorable Mention:

1. Garrett Gilbert, SMU
   
   Gilbert is an underrated player that suffers from what occurred at the University of Texas. He showed potential when he was thrust into the lineup during the National Championship Game against Alabama, but he unceremoniously disappeared after replacing Colt McCoy the following season. After languishing on the Texas depth chart, he moved over to Southern Methodist where he experienced a resurgent season before being injured.
   
   Gilbert will likely never be anything more than a back-up quarterback, but his resilience and physical tools should make him irresistible to some teams that are looking to develop him. Unfortunately, considering his recent history, Gilbert will likely be an undrafted rookie free agent.

Notable quarterbacks left off the list: James Franklin, Missouri; Taylor Martinez, Nebraska; Brendon Kay, Cincinnati; Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois; Casey Pachall, TCU; Tom Savage, Pitt; Brett Smith, Wyoming; Jeff Mathews, Cornell; Stephen Morris, Miami; Logan Thomas, Virginia; Tajh Boyd, Clemson; Keith Price, Washington; David Fales, San Jose State

NCAA Helps SMU Basketball Player to Visit Mother Before Her Military Deployment

Markus Kennedy

Southern Methodist's Markus Kennedy couldn't have had a more perfect day. He followed up a career performance with a heart-touching moment where he was allowed to say good-bye to his mother one last time before she deployed overseas.

As FOX Sports Southwest's Keith Whitmire writes, the sophomore led SMU in a surprising 87-72 upset of then-No. 22 Memphis that featured 21 points and 15 rebounds. Kennedy then got on a place to Philadelphia to say good-bye to his mom.

Kennedy's mother, Barbara, is an Air Force sergeant and on Monday, she was leaving for an eight-

month deployment in Kuwait for her third tour of duty. Her first two tours were in Germany and Korea when Kennedy was younger.

Kennedy didn't know he would be going to Philadelphia to say his goodbyes until after the game. NBC Sports' Rob Dauster reports Kennedy said, “They surprised me after the game. They told me I had a ticket to go home. That’s all I needed to know. Rushed in the shower, got my clothes, and I was on the way to the airport. I didn’t ask any questions, I just said thank you to who I had to say thank you to.”

Kennedy quickly contacted his aunt while getting ready to fly. Together, they coordinated just how they would surprise his mother.

During a going-away party for his mom, Kennedy's aunt organized a game where his mom was blind-folded and she needed to feel each family member's face and guess who he or she was. Barbara was blindfolded when Kennedy snuck in the room and kneeled down to make himself seem shorter.

What next occurred was a touching and tearful reunion between mother and son while family members looked on around them.

The entire reunion wouldn't have been possible if not for the efforts of the SMU staff and the good graces of the NCAA, which for once demonstrated leniency for all the right reasons.

Kennedy didn't have the funds to pay for a place ticket and would have been relegated to saying good-bye over the phone. Head coach Larry Brown called Kyle Conder, SMU's Senior Associate AD for Compliance who started the process of applying for a legislative relief waiver.

Normally such waivers are granted to students with financial difficulties in the event of a family death or serious illness. Conder admits that Kennedy's application was the first time he's handled a request due to military deployment. Included in the application were statements from Kennedy and his aunt as well as a copy of Barbara's Air Force orders.

The rest is history. The NCAA granted the waiver, SMU arranged the flight and Kennedy wished his mom farewell. In the past few years, the NCAA has been criticized for all the times its been difficult to work with but this time, the NCAA deserves considerable credit for giving mother and son one last happy memory together in person until they see one another again.

Gracemont, Oklahoma Survives by Starting High School Football Program

I've been slowly compiling a large number of inspirational stories, some that are so heart-warming they almost make me tear up. It's my goal to share them in the hopes that people don't forget just how much sports helps, and changes, and inspires people for the better.

When facing a budget crisis, few schools would ever choose to take the calculated gamble of starting a football team to raise money. It's an incredibly high-risk, high-reward strategy, and if it failed, not only would the school close, but jobs would be lost and, in the case of Gracemont, a place with a population of 336, a town would die.

As Melissa Segura first reported, Gracemont, a small, rural town in Oklahoma, did just that. To summarize her article (please read her article for greater detail):

In May 2010, Jeremy Scott was a new arrival in Gracemont, Okla. Scott was born and raised in Texas, and Texas was where he coached high school football, leading Gainesville High to the 2003 state title. After the championship win, Scott moved with his wife to her home state of Oklahoma.

He thought he would be finished with football but after sitting through numerous staff meetings about declining attendance and a $200,000 budget shortfall, he proposed starting a football program as an act of desperation.

At the height of the Great Recession, a football program was probably the last thing on peoples' minds. Larger districts in cities such as Los Angeles slashed their athletics' budgets by 25 percent while smaller counties considered eliminating athletic programs completely. But for the town of Gracemont, a football program was its only hope.

Gracemont, a 100-year old town, had never had a football program because of its small class sizes of 10 students. It had none of the typical infrastructure other programs enjoyed, such as a booster club, practice facilities, let alone a field.

But the town banded together and raised money for local Native American tribes, local businesses and even some corporate donations such as free practice shorts and tees from Under Armour. Nearby high schools donated old shoulder pads, practice uniforms and even an old scoreboard. Volunteers started transforming the school's baseball field into a football field, planting grass, painting lines.

With less than two weeks remaining before the team's first scheduled home game, the community worked practically overnight, pooling personal resources to construct bleachers, erect the scoreboard and even made a small press box.

Scott worked overtime, doubling as a bus driver in addition to teaching health, science and mechanics classes. Then after school, he organized the team's practice sessions before cutting pipe to use for the football field.

Scott's job was even harder then it sounds because he needed to teach his players everything from scratch. During Gracemont's first practice, Scott asked one player to "hit" another, only to have the boy reach out and slap the other. But the bright side was that players had no bad habits to break.

And then the field was ready, and on September 8th, the night of Gracemont's game, Gracemont experienced what reporters called "Gracemont's first traffic jam."

The Gracemont Lions were annihilated in its home-opener 48-0, but the school made over $2,200 that night. Shirts and seats quickly sold out and judging by the cheers that night, you never would have known Gracemont lost.

After its first two seasons, Gracemont was 0-13 and was outscored 693-94. Things have since started changing slowly.

In its third season of existence, almost won its first game in the season finale but ultimately fell short against Duke 48-44. The difference in the game had been the fourth quarter when Gracemont was outscored 22-14.

But more important than its near win was the school's growth. Attendance rates and academic performance started climbing because students now had a reason to attend class. And despite the losing, players and family members found a way to have fun.

On October 17th, 2013, Gracemont finally won its first game when the Lions routed Ryan High School 54-6. Gracemont made a concerted effort to win its second game ever but lost 62-34 for the second straight season finale to Duke. Still, the win meant improvement, event if Gracemont was blown out in the other seven games.

What's inspirational about this story? The dedication and concerted effort of the community to keep its school, and ultimately its home, alive and well. By taking such a gamble, Gracemont weathered the storm and survived. And although Gracemont will likely never come close to winning a state title in the next 10-15 years, the citizens of the small Oklahoma town discovered a new way to enjoy their Friday nights.

Problems with Fox's Super Bowl Coverage - The Omission of WNBA’s Seattle Storm

2010 Seattle Storm Championship Ring

During its coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII, Fox claimed that Seattle's manhandling of Denver brought the first championship title to the Emerald City since the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics NBA Title. Furthermore, Fox claimed that the '79 NBA Title was Seattle's only professional sports championship.

Both of Fox's claims were far from the truth as Seattle holds four major sports titles:

1. 1917 Stanley Cup (won by the Seattle Metropolitans)
2. 1979 NBA Title (won by the Sonics)
3. 2004 WNBA Title (won by the Seattle Storm)
4. 2010 WNBA Title (won by the Storm)

While I can somewhat understand the omission of the Stanley Cup because the NHL as we know it didn't exist, omitting the Storm's two titles is indicative of a problem in the male-dominated world of sports. To me, the biggest transgressor in the world of sports is the former Lingerie Football League, which has recently been rebranded as the Legends Football League.

Players in the LFL are forced to wear little protective gear even though they're hitting one another at full speed. Considering some parts of players' bodies are completely uncovered, the risks of bruises, cuts, scrapes and worse are much higher. The players' safety concerns have barely been addressed.

But I digress. Back to the omission of the Seattle Storm.

In an article by Forbes writer Kurt Badenhausen, Badenhausen wrote, "The city of Seattle has not celebrated a championship in a major pro sport (we’re not counting the two titles by the WNBA’s Seattle Storm) since the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979."

Although Badenhausen elaborated that he would have also excluded the Seattle Sounders, the problem still exists that professional women's leagues are far behind that of men's leagues, and that women's leagues aren't receiving the support and respect they need or deserve.

Per SI.com's Chris Mascaro:

“It’s time to look at this quantifier for what it is — sexist,” [Jayda] Evans wrote. “The WNBA is the only successful women’s professional league in America. That makes it major. And that has to be recognized. Period. Finding a way to not mention it when simply throwing out a list of titles attached to a city is blatantly disregarding women’s pro sports and a city’s pride in its teams’ accomplishments.”

For Evans' original article, which contains a large number of tweets from Storm CEO Karen Bryant and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, click here.

Women's sports deserve much more respect and support from the media and the greater community. My family lives just an hour away from Seattle and I never get to hear very much about the Storm. I think such an occurrence deprives every from watching and reading about quality sports.

FC Kansas City Player Lost Husband in Car Crash; Begins Road to Recovery Playing Soccer

Jaime French

I've been slowly compiling a large number of inspirational stories, some that are so heart-warming they almost make me tear up. It's my goal to share them in the hopes that people don't forget just how much sports helps, and changes, and inspires people for the better.

In the past several months, usage the word resilient has skyrocketed. The over-usage has led to a dilution of the word's meaning and now we no longer have a concrete sense of the word.

But we do.

In late June 2013, The Kansas City Star published a profile on Jaime French who had just played her first professional game for the first-year club FC Kansas City during the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League.

Normally, papers profile an athlete after a memorable performance, but in Jaime's case, it was her circumstances and resilience that inspired the article.

She played her first professional game in her hometown of Chicago in front of childhood friends, a high school mentor and a college soccer coach. The only thing missing? Her husband, who had perished in a car accident three months earlier.

Josh French lost control of his car and hit a guard rail while talking with his parents on speakerphone. He would be pronounced dead at the scene in what the Missouri Highway Patrol deemed a weather-related accident. Josh and Jaime had been married only nine months.

Just a week before Josh's death, Jaime had been one of three players selected from an open tryout to become a member of FC Kansas City's inaugural team.

Jaime attended Wheaton College in Illinois where she played all four years, finishing her career with 48 goals and 31 assists. Her 127 career points rank sixth in school history.

Jaime started Wheaton's first 21 games until a torn ACL ended her freshman season. Josh was Wheaton's student athletic trainer and instantly fell in love with her while helping her rehab.

She would play another 21 games her sophomore season before exploding her junior year, starting all 24 games and doubling her scoring proficiency to earn a Capital One Academic All-American distinction.

Expectations increased for her senior year and she met them all to be named NSCAA Division II National Player of the Year, First Team All-American and First Team All-Region. She started all 27 games, registering 15 goals and 16 assists.

Before Josh's death, Jaime was granted an amateur contract with FC Kansas City, meaning she wouldn't be paid. That didn't matter as Josh insisted on quitting his job and permanently moving to KC to support his wife's soccer career.

After Josh's death, Jaime left KC unsure whether she wanted to live there on her own, but a picture on Facebook persuaded her to return. On Josh's Facebook profile page was a picture of the FC Kansas City Logo advertising training camp.

Jaime returned and learned FC Kansas City saved her a reserve spot. She trained daily and would be the first among reserve played to receive playing time. The team's general manager, coach and her teammates all praise her dedication, strength and work ethic.

On July 31st, 2013, French was signed by FC Kansas City to a contract that runs through season's end. The signing meant she would be moved from her reserve role to a full-time roster spot.

Following the signing, The Kansas City Star quoted French as saying, "I'm really excited to sign my first contract and have the opportunity to be a part of the team for the last month of the season and the playoffs. It's really gratifying to have all your hard work pay off, and this is an amazing reward.

FC Kansas City finished its inaugural season with a 11-6-5 record, good for second-best in the League, and a berth in the playoffs. However, the team would ultimately lose in the Semi-Finals. According to the team's statistics page, Jaime only appeared in one game for 11 minutes. But based on what her teammates and coaches say, Jaime's contribution off the field and in practice outweigh her performance on the field.

As of February 3rd, French remains on the roster as training camp starts. For FC Kansas City's 2014 schedule and a chance to see French in action, assuming all continues to go well, click here. 

Arsenal Signs Kim Kallstrom from Spartak Moscow Only to Learn He's Injured

Arsenal F.C., currently the top team in the English Premier League after a win over Crystal Palace, signed Kim Kallstrom from Spartak Moscow to bolster an injury-depleted midfield. However, it has been revealed Kallstrom has a microfracture on his back and will be out for six weeks, defeating the reason for Arsenal's signing him.

With Aaron Ramsey out for six weeks, Jack Wilshere nursing an ankle strain and Mathieu Flamini banned for four games, Kallstrom was supposed to step in immediately to help preserve Arsenal's slim lead at the top of the table, as well as contribute towards Arsenal's upcoming Champions League last-16 clash with Bayern Munich.

Arsenal is now trying to return Kallstrom, Arsenal's only transfer signing, to Spartak but there's no guarantee it will occur, especially since it has been revealed Arsenal knew of an injury. The deal becomes even more embarrassing as Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger, has acknowledged that the Swedish midfielder will likely never play for the English club.

On the bright side, Wilshere will hopefully return to the line-up on February 8th, but Arsenal will still be without Ramsey and Flamini, nor does it remove the stench of this deal.

Arsenal has only itself to blame as it should have been more on top of negotiations and left itself some time to maneuver. Instead, the club left itself in a position where it had just two options: to sign or not to sign, and unfortunately, the team picked the wrong one.

One Year After Tragedy: The Many Stories Coming Out of Newtown

I've been slowly compiling a large number of inspirational stories, some that are so heart-warming they almost make me tear up. It's my goal to share them in the hopes that people don't forget just how much sports can help, and change, and inspire people for the better.

People around the nation are familiar with the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on December 20th, 2012. That was the day when Adam Lanza killed his mother at home, then drove to nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School where he shot and killed 20 children and six adults.

I remember when I first learned about it while I was in Washington State on my winter vacation from Dartmouth College. For me, it was a horrible atrocity that I couldn't fathom but when I logged onto Facebook, I read the shock that was permeating my entire social sphere. A few of my friends lived near Newtown and knew of the area, while several others worked in Boston or New York City, and they were even more shocked then I was because of the greater personal connection.

Coping with such tragedy, especially that of an intensely personal nature, is a tragedy in and of itself. Which is why I've found it so heart-warming to read about the different tributes people and players have done for the victims of Newtown.

Such as Victor Cruz writing "RIP Jack Pinto" on his shoes for a game against Atlanta, or George Mason wrestlers writing Jack Pinto's name on their head gear.

ESPN aired a truly heart-warming tribute to Josephine Gay, who was an autistic child that couldn't speak. She was looking forward to her birthday party with her fellow classmates before she was killed. Her parents have since started a charity that helps autistic children called "Joey's Fund" which, by December 17th, 2013, has raised $200,000.

I was at the gym running on a treadmill when I saw the debut of the segment, and heart-warming doesn't do enough to describe all the emotion the tribute contains.

There's also the Newtown High School football team. Nicknamed the Nighthawks, the team embarked on a memorable season that finished with a perfect 12-0 record in the regular season. Players wore a decal with the number "26" all season, and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team would lose 35-33 in the quarterfinals when a two-point conversion attempt failed.

Even the basketball team is having a magical season of sorts. With some nail-biting wins and eight victories in its last nine games, the Nighthawks have qualified for state tournament play.

I know the community of Newtown would rather have its children and teachers back alive, safe and sound instead of the magical seasons, but I for one am personally glad that some smiles and happiness are slowly returning to the small town. I can only hope it continues.

Zenit St. Petersburg purchases services of Jose Salomon Rondon for $18 million

On January 31st, Zenit St. Petersburg announced it spent $18 million to purchase the services of Jose Salomon Rondon, a 24-year old striker from Venezuela. Rondon has spent the last year on Russian Premier League rival Rubin Kazan where, in 56 appearances, Rondon totaled 25 goals. This season, Rondon has tallied 12 goals in 19 appearances.

Rondon has previously spent time with Malaga where 25 goals in 67 appearances, and has 12 goals in 35 games for his native Venezuela, helping take his country to the semifinals of the 2011 Copa America. 

Rondon's signing improves Zenit's depth and provides some added flexibility as the club prepares for it's next Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on February 25th. Up front, Zenit already has Brazilian striker Hulk and long-time frontman Alexander Kerzhakov.

Hulk's performance since joining Zenit has largely pushed aside Kerzhakov, but if either Kerzhakov or Hulk leave by the end of the season, Rondon's new five-year deal means Rondon will be the likely successor.

Rondon also has the distinction of being the club's first signing of a black player since a group of Zenit fans infamously called for non-white players to be excluded. The outcry was sparked by Zenit's signing of Hulk and Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel for £64m. Hulk and Witsel have since been major assets in Zenit's current bid for a Champions Cup.

Zenit's director of sports Dietmar Beiersdorfer said players would continue to be selected "without any limitation regarding origin, religion or skin color," and Rondon's signing proves that Zenit is standing by its word.

Rondon's departure from Rubin signals that the club has written off this season as a lost year, which means the team will likely rebuild and restock for next year while trying to avoid relegation. Rondon has been by far Rubin's best player, scoring most of the team's goals. With him now at Zenit, Rubin has just Alexander Prudnikov, who has one goal in the last two seasons, and Serdar Azmun.

Rondon joins his former Rubin teammate Alexander Ryazantsev, who was also sold to Zenit after Rubin fired its long-time coach Kurban Berdyev after Rubin fell to 11th place. 

Dartmouth Survives Princeton Rally to Win 5-3

Photo courtesy of The Dartmouth

Dartmouth (4-15-3, 3-11-1 ECAC) rebounded from last night's embarrassing loss to Quinnipiac with a big 5-3 win over Princeton (4-17-0, 3-11-0 ECAC). Princeton also lost its Friday night game, a 3-2 affair that Harvard had led 3-0 late in the third. Dartmouth’s win lifted the Big Green out of last place in the ECAC.

Dartmouth exploded in the first period, racing out to a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. In the first six minutes, Dartmouth took numerous close shots, keeping the sell-out crowd in Thompson Arena on the edge of its seat.

The Big Green looked like a completely different team compared to Friday night, and played how the preseason polls predicted.

In his first home match against Princeton, Grant Opperman ’17 netted a well-placed shot 5:57 into the game over senior Sean Bonar’s shoulder, igniting the crowd and causing a rain of tennis balls onto the ice.

“It was awesome,” Opperman said. “It was a good play on the power play. There was a great screen. I was lucky enough to be the guy on the spot and pick up the puck and get it in the back of the net. But it was awesome seeing all the tennis balls coming down.”

Opperman’s power play goal was Dartmouth’s first of the calendar year and first in its last 24 opportunities. Dartmouth would go on to add another power play goal in each successive period.

It also turned out to be Eric Neiley ’15’s first time on the ice for the tennis ball toss. Saturday night was Neiley’s first action since the 1-1 Cornell draw as he served a two-game suspension.

“It feels good,” Neiley said. “You never want to sit out. You just want to help the team in any way you can. It’s good to be back and I’m glad I could help out. Tonight was a fun game to be back for.”

There was a momentary scare when Neiley was crosschecked from behind which knocked him down into the net. The goalpost struck his neck, stinging it and sending him to the bench for the rest of the first period. He would later return after the period break and play a big part.

Dartmouth finished the first period with a major 22-5 shot advantage.

45 seconds into the second period, Brandon McNally ’16 redirected a shot from Neiley, netting Dartmouth’s second power play of the night. McNally’s goal would prove to be the game winner.

From there, the second period proved to be Princeton’s.

“Princeton took advantage of some of our turnovers in the second period,” Gaudet said. “We made a few of them in the offensive zone while trying to make a play.”

Princeton refused to give up, battling back with three goals from senior Alec Rush, junior Tyler Magueri and senior Andrew Calof before the second period ended. Several other shots threatened to enter Dartmouth’s net but didn’t.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous, because it’s funny how the game ebbs away a little bit and it’s not from a lack of effort,” Gaudet said. “But to regroup going into the third period was really important. We just kept the play in front of us. I thought Princeton played a good game but they weren’t a threat in the third period.”

Jesse Beamish ’15 proved to be the hero of the night, netting his second goal of the night on the power play during the third period. Beamish’s shot from the left circle bounced off Bonar’s leg pads and rolled slowly into the net, sealing the win.

“In a one-goal game, they’re a power play or a shot off a bad angle that hits somebody and it doesn’t have to be a pretty goal,” Gaudet said. “That was just a huge play to get a puck into the net.”

Princeton would pull Bonar from the net to add an extra skater with 2:22 left but never managed to score. Unfortunately, Dartmouth was unable to get a good shot off at the empty net but successfully prevented Princeton from getting multiple shots with the extra skater.

Dartmouth would finish the third period with a 19-3 shot advantage, finishing with a 48-20 advantage.

Dartmouth’s penalty kill also rebounded from the previous night’s Quinnipiac game, thwarting all four of Princeton’s chances.

Kruger allowed three goals in 20 shots but was able to pick up his first career win with Dartmouth’s offensive outburst. Kruger’s Princeton counterpart, Bonar, matched his career high with 43 saves as Dartmouth attacked the goal all game long.

Dartmouth’s 48 shots set a new season high. Its previous high this year came in the season opener when Dartmouth managed 40 shots against Princeton.

Both sides played aggressive all night long, and it showed in the combined 10 penalties both teams took.

Dartmouth travels to Harvard next Friday for its only game of the week. A win over Harvard and a St. Lawrence loss will create a three-team logjam for ninth place in the ECAC.

As for Princeton, the Tigers will prepare for two home games against St. Lawrence and Clarkson.