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SPORTS NEWS FOR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2002
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Wildcat Coaches Bring Excitement to Bethel |
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By Matt Floyd
Bethel College Sports Information Director |
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The Bethel College 2002-2003 athletic season will begin
with eight coaches on staff. The new year not only will
see seven new coaches, but the addition of three more
athletic programs: women's golf, men's cross country and
women's cross country. The Wildcats have two quality
individuals to head those programs.
Catherine Benson Hester of Smith's Grove, KY will coach
women's golf. Catherine, a 2002 graduate of Transylvania
University in Lexington, KY, was the runner-up in the
Women's NAIA National Tournament. She competed in the NAIA
National Tournament all four years as a golfer for
Transylvania. In addition, she was a two-time recipient of
the NAIA All-American Award.
Rusty Thompson of Savannah will head the men's and
women's cross country teams. Rusty was a 2000 graduate of
Bethel College and will receive his Masters in Education
Administration in December. He was a four-year member of
the Bethel baseball team and has been a graduate assistant
for the past two seasons.
Malissa Vaughn of Milan, a professor in the physical
education department, will be the new coach of the
volleyball program.
Matt Floyd was named as the men's and women's tennis
coach, as well as the new Sports Information Director of
the College.
Back in the winter, Bethel announced the hiring of Brad
Senter as the new football coach at Bethel. Senter brings
with him two new assistant coaches: Dino Kaklis and Steve
Hookfin. Hookfin will also coach Men's and Women's Track
this spring. Matt Aird will also be on staff as an
assistant football coach.
The athletic department has high hopes for this season.
Last season saw two Conference Championships, one Regional
Tournament Championship, two Regional Tournament
Runners-up, five regional tournament berths and one
National Tournament appearance.
For information about Bethel College athletics, please
visit http://www.bethel-college.edu/athletics/. |
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Fans Turn Out To See Carroll Academy Gym, Floor |
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Jim Steele
steele@mckenziebanner.com |
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Carroll County General Sessions Judge Larry Logan used
to take his youngest son to basketball games at the
Memphis Pyramid.
Danielle Holcer, Jerome Brown and George Easley each
watched games from the Pyramid on TV.
This fall, Judge Logan will watch Holcer, Brown and
Easley play games on that same Pyramid floor in
Huntingdon.
Carroll Academy held an open house, featuring the new
gymnasium and an added attraction: the old Memphis
Pyramid floor. The new floor, complete with Conference
USA, Pyramid and University of Memphis logos, drew the
interest of the throngs who visited the facility last
Wednesday.
"You know, this is really great. I'm really amazed every
time I come in here," Logan said. "I have a lot of
memories of this old floor. I used to take my youngest
son to watch games and I can show you places on the
floor where some big shots were taken and big plays were
made."
Logan's not the only one who is awed by the new
adornment.
"It's awesome," said Carroll Academy junior Danielle
Holcer through a bubbly grin. "This is great because
it's our gym now."
Prior to this season, the Jaguars played all their games
on the road.
"We'll be the first ones to play here," she said. "I'm
ready."
Here anticipation is at a fever's pitch primarily
because she missed much of last season with a knee
injury. Her knee has since been surgically repaired and
she anxiously awaits to play on the same floor from
which famed UT coach Pat Summitt once coached. Summitt
isn't the only one who to cross those tiles. Shaquille
O'Neal, John Stark, Allan Houston, Michael Jordan and
the Harlem Globetrotters also delighted fans on that
floor.
"I want to be like them," said Easley, a senior who is
nearing the 1,000-point mark for his career. "It makes
me think about being like those guys and it's going to
be great playing at home for a change."
Brown made no bones about his feelings.
"I feel privileged to be able to play here," he said.
"When you think of all those famous people in the NBA -
people I look up to - and it's the same floor they
played on, I want to try harder to get to that next
level and play with them."
Brown, a junior, made positive steps in that direction a
year ago. He finished his sophomore season 32 points shy
of the 1000-point club and earned All-State honorable
mention honors.
"I've dreamed on playing on something like this right
here," he said. "You dream about that as a little kid."
Randy Hatch, the school's coach and chief administrator,
said he was pleased with the open house turnout.
"I'm tickled to death with the turnout," said Hatch.
"You know, when you see the building, you sort of wonder
if it's a barn or something. Then you come inside and
see this floor. It's really something."
Playing at home will offer the Jaguar teams extra
incentive this year.
"The kids are going to love it," he said. "Maybe people
will want to come out and see what it's all about."
Logan said that the purpose of the school is to promote
life's lessons.
"So far, it's been a successful program," said the
jurist. "It's much more than winning and losing; it's
about learning teamwork and discipline. I'm real proud
of them." |
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Bethel College Football Joins Mid-South Conference |
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By Matt Floyd
Bethel College Sports Information Director |
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The Bethel College Wildcat football team has received an
invitation from the Mid-South Athletic Conference to
become an associate member beginning in August of 2003.
Bethel rejoins the Mid-South Conference after being
an Independent for the past five seasons. Football was
reinstated at Bethel in 1993, with the 'Cats having
membership in the Mid-South Conference during the 1997
season. "We are excited that the Mid-South Conference
has given us the opportunity to compete at a high
level," stated Associate Athletic Director Larry Eddings.
"Our football program has made many strides in a
positive direction over the past few years, and we look
forward to making even bigger strides."
Bethel will join the premier NAIA football conference
starting next season. Other teams in the Mid-South
include: NAIA defending National Champion Georgetown
College, Campbellsville University, Cumberland
University (TN), Belhaven College, Lambuth University,
Union College (KY), Pikeville College, Cumberland
College (KY) and University of Virginia at Wise. "The
level of competition in the conference is tremendous and
it will force us to recruit and work harder to reach our
program's goals," stated Eddings. This season the 'Cats
have three future conference foes on the schedule,
highlighted by the Lambuth game on Sept. 14 in Savannah,
the site of the NAIA National Championship. The Wildcats
will travel to Pikeville to open the season on August
31st and will travel to Jackson, MS to take on Belhaven
on October 5.
The football program is coming off its first winning
season (5-4) in the sport's history at Bethel. There is
much enthusiasm and excitement surrounding the team this
season. "I look forward to what the future holds for our
football program, and I can assure you that Bethel will
do what it takes to reach a championship level," stated
Larry Eddings.
All other athletic programs at Bethel will continue
to compete in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (KIAC). For more information on the football
program or Bethel College Athletics, please visit our
website at http://www.bethel-college.edu/athletics/. |
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or
Fax (731) 352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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