Women’s soccer team midfielder Anik Huffman’s performance throughout her career has been nothing short of prolific.

Huffman’s freshman season in high school set her on a path to realizing her potential as a Division I athlete at UM. In that year she earned the distinction of being the Rookie of the Year. She finished high school with 33 career goals and 17 assists at Winter Park High in Winter Park, Fla.

What kept the fire and enthusiasm alive for her were the relationships.

Huffman said that the building of friendships and her own self-esteem was a major factor in her continuation with the sport.

“It’s important to have something growing up that you can sort of gain self-esteem from. It helped me have something about myself to be proud of,” she said.

Along with the social and emotional contributions, Huffman attributes a large part of her academic success to soccer. She said soccer forced her to become more focused on how to juggle her commitments efficiently.

“I wanted to balance soccer and I wanted it to be a part of my life so much in high school. I wanted to carry that over in college,” she said.

Her involvement with the International Baccalaureate Program gave her “good practice to learn how to have to handle both aspects of my experience,” she said. The program requires rigorous study and numerous 10- to 15-page reports throughout each semester.

Her senior year has presented her with similar yet increasing challenges. The ACC schedules a higher number of weekday games than the Big East, which has created unwanted conflicts with her classes.

In the end, Huffman said the instructors respect the players for keeping their grades up despite missing a significant portion of the classes.

Huffman adjusted and readjusted her goals throughout a season that has been ravaged by everything from hurricanes, questionable officiating, bad breaks, bad injuries and disappointing defeats.

“I just wanted to enjoy my senior year to the maximum,” she said. “I know I’m going to miss playing so much.”

Larry Nolan can be contacted at

l.nolan@umiami.edu.

Junior Robert Hite played a role he is very familiar with this season.

While attending Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hite became the leader of his team and a player that teammates could look up to. This season was no different for 6’2″ guard.

“I probably have the most experience on this team, and so the players look up to me,” Hite said. “I’m ready to take the role head on.”

After having a vocal leader for his first two seasons in Darius Rice, Hite is the obvious choice when looking up and down the roster at who is capable of stepping into Rice’s big shoes. Hite proved last season that he can lead a team, averaging 15.2 points per game last season, and showed why his nickname is Flight, wowing the Convocation Center crowd with his 39-inch vertical leap.

Out of high school, Hite was looking at many schools, but Miami stuck out not just for the sights and sounds that draw so many students to South Florida, but for the coaching staff in particular. Hite passed up on hometown Xavier, Cincinnati, Georgetown and Dayton, primarily because he would be able to contribute right away.

The ‘Canes had been picked to be the doormat of the conference by many publications, but Hite and the rest of the Hurricanes knew that they are capable of competing with the best in the land.

“We just want to go out there and prove people wrong,” Hite said. “We want to compete every night, and do what we have to do to get wins.”

Douglas C. Kroll can be contacted at

d.kroll@umiami.edu.

Hurricane basketball became the surprise sports talk of campus after impressive victories at home over N.C. State and Florida State and a formidable showing in front of a nation of ESPN viewers against Duke on Jan. 19.

With this, the Convocation Center has become the “eye of the storm” for the student body as the Category 5-sponsored Hurricane Force grows with each game. The players have been embraced by Hurricane Force by not only attendance, but also by having their names spread through the student section on T-shirts, signage and even a tuba in the band. One sign explains the impact a sophomore has had so far on the ‘Canes this season: “Not in my KINGdom.”

Standing at 6’9″, Anthony King, in his first year as the starting center, has been the enforcer in the paint the ‘Canes needed to balance with their guard play. King is second in the ACC in blocked shots behind Duke’s Shelden Williams and fourth in total rebounds and had the University’s first triple-double against Florida Atlantic.

A native of Durham, N.C., King grew up in the middle of the Mecca of college basketball, Cameron Indoor Stadium, on the campus of Duke. The Tobacco Road address placed King near three college basketball powerhouses: Duke, Wake Forest and North Carolina.

King got his start in basketball in a recreational league in elementary school. While playing prep basketball at Southern Durham High, he averaged a double-double in every game, including five blocks as a dominating power forward, and led his team to three consecutive conference titles. A computer science major, the young center spends time at his Coral Gables address online speaking to family and friends on campus and back home via instant messenger. One online trend on campus that King does not participate in is TheFacebook.

“From what I heard about TheFacebook with all these different things like messaging random people, fan clubs and poking everybody, I didn’t want to mess with it,” King said. “I don’t mess with TheFacebook.”

A big fan of rap music, on the team’s road trips King likes to listen to songs that gets him ready to play like one of his current favorites from T.I. titled “Bring ‘Em Out,” the same song that plays on the P.A. of the Convocation Center to begin player introductions for the Hurricanes, a crowd favorite.

Some of King’s most anticipated games this year are against North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest. At the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, King got into foul trouble early, which disappointed him.

“I got two quick fouls and I had to sit most of the first half on the bench with family and friends watching me.” King said.

Now weighing in at 229 pounds, King is getting stronger. His work ethic is a combination of his love for the game and desire to win, which he shares with his head coach.

“Like Coach Haith always says, ‘the next game is the biggest game.'”

Rodolfo Tomarchio can be contacted at

r.tomarchio@umiami.edu

From the moment Miami sophomore catcher Eddy Rodriguez attended his first Hurricanes baseball game when he was 8 years old, he knew he wanted to play for the green and orange. After moving from Cuba when he was young, Rodriguez grew up in Coral Gables and is living a dream playing behind the plate as a Miami Hurricane.

A year ago as a freshman, Rodriguez was the understudy to one of the best catchers in the country, Erick San Pedro. San Pedro opted to leave after last season and was selected in the second round by the Washington Nationals. That meant it was Rodriguez’s turn to step up and move behind the plate.

San Pedro let Rodriguez know what to expect.

“He taught me a lot about the mental aspects of the game,” Rodriguez said. “He told me to be ready for the next level because the mental part of the game gets a lot tougher.”

After appearing in 23 games last season and hitting .241, Rodriguez began this season with a bit of competition for that starting job. Freshman Alex Garabedian came to Coral Gables after being drafted in the seventh round by the New York Yankees. With both catchers struggling at the plate through the first 20 games, Rodriguez snapped out of it.

“I was doing horrible the first couple weeks or so,” Rodriguez said. “I just kept working at it in the cages and going crazy wondering why I wasn’t hitting the ball, but I got a new mental approach and it’s worked out.”

Through the first 30 games, Rodriguez hit a .302 with four homeruns and 18 RBIs. Those numbers do not include the stellar defense he supplies while behind the plate, which is one of the main reasons why he’s in a Miami uniform today. Rodriguez has been a catcher now for the last 11 years and it’s been his defense that has caught the attention of a lot of people. At Coral Gables Senior High School, Rodriguez hit .250 his senior season yet still made second team All-Dade County. He loves being behind the plate.

“I always like to be in the action of the game,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t see myself playing any other position because I wouldn’t be in every play. Behind the plate I get to do that, and that’s what I like to do.”

Although the team had College World Series expectations, its season ended in June, when it lost to Nebraska in the Super Regionals. Prior to that, the Huricanes had won all three games of the Coral Gables Regional, where they played against Virginia Commonwealth and Mississippi State.

Douglas C. Kroll can be contacted at

d.kroll@umiami.edu.

At the start of the spring semester, a fresh face appeared on the ‘Canes’ women’s tennis team when Austria native Patricia Starzyk transferred to UM.

While she adjusts to an unfamiliar country, her tennis ransition was seamless. In Austria, Starzyk was the national champion from 1994 to 2000. Since the start of her first season as a ‘Cane, Starzyk has maintained an exemplary singles record at the fourth and fifth singles positions.

Starzyk became interested in tennis when she watched her father and brother play recreationally. She asked her father to teach her at the age of 10.

Starzyk initiated correspondence with the University of Miami’s tennis team in an attempt to come to America and play on a competitive team.

“I knew several girls in Austria that went to universities in the U.S. For me, it became a dream to play tennis on a team and get an American degree,” Starzyk said. “I had heard of the reputation Miami’s tennis team had so I contacted them.”

After seeing her r

UM divers Jenna Dreyer and Miguel Velazquez were named the women and men’s Atlantic Coast Conference Divers of the Year, respectively, this season.

These two student-athletes became the first-ever recipients selected for this coveted award at Miami in their ACC debut.

Then they prepared for the next step in a successful season: the national championships.

Dreyer, a freshman who also garnered All-American honorable mention honors for the three-meter and ten-meter platform boards, wento to South Africa to vie for a spot on her country’s national team.

The senior Velazquez, a native of Mexico City, competed in Mexico to secure a spot on its national team. As a member of the UM diving team, he earned the sixth All-American recognition of his career at the NCAA Championships.

“I was expecting him to have a meet like that,” Ableman said. “After all of the practice and repetitions, he was bound to break out at nationals.”

Larry Nolan can be contacted at l.nolan@umiami.edu.

Our Chris Hamilton sat down with former UM tennis player Megan Bradley, who ranked No. 1 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll.

First Impression: What was it like when you won the Indoor Championship last year?

Megan Bradley: To know that I won a National Championship is pretty amazing.

FI: Was there ever a time when you thought about quitting tennis?

MB: Oh yeah. Especially when I was little.

FI: Have you ever considered starting your own fashion line like Venus and Serena?

MB: I can’t even get my own clothes to match, let alone subjecting other people to wear it.

FI: You went to school and UCLA and now Miami. Which city has the better nightlife?

MB: L.A. Sunset Strip is much more accessible. South Beach is nice, but not quite the same.

FI: Do you think tennis has a steroid problem?

MB: No. You don’t need to be big and strong in tennis. Endurance is much more important.

FI: What would happen if the best pro women’s players played the worst men’s pro player?

MB: The man would win. They serve a lot faster, and the game is quicker.

FI: Do tennis shirts have a secret compartment to store extra balls or where do they come from?

MB: [Laughs] We have spandex under our skirts and we usually just stick them up there. It’s not like the balls appear like magic or anything.

FI: Which is a better feeling, serving an ace or acing a test?

MB: Serving an ace because you’re doing it to someone else. You can’t really go up to a teacher and be like, “Hey! I aced your test.”

FI: What’s the deal with the noises women make when they hit the ball?

MB: [Laughs] It’s an exhale. When you swing back and hit the ball you kind of make a grunting noise. Sometimes it gets pretty loud.

Chris Hamilton can be reached at

c.hamilton2@umiami.edu.

A new era of women’s basketball at Miami has arrived with the hiring of new Head Coach Katie Meier, who has proven before that she can turn a program around in a heartbeat.

After 17 seasons with Ferne Labati at the helm, no one remembers women’s basketball without her, which is part of the reason why so many people were taken aback by her firing.

I got to know Labati and her coaching staff throughout the season, especially while on road trips for WVUM and because of that, I found myself upset at the decision to let her go with one year left on her contract. But as the weeks have gone by and the search ended for a new head coach, I realize that perhaps this is the right way to go.

It’s tough to compare the firings of former men’s coach Perry Clark and Labati because the only similarity I see is that each had a losing season before being fired. Besides that, the similarities lay in the future of these two teams.

One of the main reasons why Frank Haith was hired was his experience with the ACC, since he had been an assistant at Wake Forest and grew up in North Carolina, surrounded by the basketball fever the ACC brings every year.

Athletic Director Paul Dee showed once again that having experience in the ACC will help a coach get hired by bringing in Meier. Meier was one of the best players in Duke history and catapulted the women’s basketball program to where it is today when she played there in the late ’80s.

Meier has what it takes to turn this team around and put it on top of the ACC. We have to remember that this was a team that was in the NCAA tournament a year ago. Meier had a much tougher task when she took over at Charlotte, a program that saw only one post-season berth in its history before she showed up. In her four years as a 49er, she took them to three post-season tournaments, which is not too shabby.

Taking Miami to the post-season may be a lot to ask in her first year, but if Haith did it with the men’s team, why not Meier with the women’s? The Hurricanes have the second leading scorer in the nation coming back in Tamara James and lost only two players to graduation. Not to mention a very impressive recruiting class coming in the Fall plus the return of red-shirt senior Melissa Knight, who missed all of last season with an injury.

This may be Miami’s year to make some noise in the ACC. Give Meier three or four years and we will see a dominant national powerhouse UM.

Douglas C. Kroll can be reached at

d.kroll@umiami.edu.

Terrell Walden has a busy schedule. He is a full-time student, football player, track star-and father.

Walden, who is from the projects of Liberty City in Miami, ran the 60 meters and set the Big East Indoor Championship and Carrier Dome record in February.

Change is nothing new for Walden. Recently, he switched from cornerback to wide receiver on the football team. He puts more time on the practice field but the challenge keeps him motivated.

Walden wants to set a positive example.

“As a kid, I used to play sports year around at GC Park,” Walden said. “I need track for football and visa versa. I love both sports equally.”

Yet, Walden still dreams of playing on Sundays.

“I want to play in the NFL,” he said. “I plan on improving and taking my game to the next level.”

Walden is a junior, so his chance to be selected in the 2006 NFL draft is about a year away. Walden was red shirted for the 2003 football season. During the 2004 season, Walden was sidelined by a torn ACL on his right knee. He must stay healthy to display his talent.

On the track, Walden has excelled in both the 100-meter and 60-meter races.

During the Hurricane Invitational in March, Walden placed 12th out of 29 runners in the 100-meter dash. On Feb. 18, at the ACC Indoor Championships in Chapel Hill, N.C., Walden placed 19th out of 37 in the 60-meter dash.

Walden cherishes time spent toddler son, Terrell Jr. He has garnered respect from his neighborhood peers because of his success.

“I want to show the kids that you can do positive things,” he said.

Being a student-athlete means having to juggle responsibilities of athletics and academics.

“I start assignments ASAP,” he said. “Good time management is critical to success.”

Paul Campbell can be contacted at

.campbell62@umiami.edu.

Intramural sports are immensely popular at the University of Miami. Groups of friends form teams to compete in varieties of sports and have fun. Some teams, like Boss Players, the three-time fall flag football regular season champions, play to win titles and leave a legacy.

Four buddies, all juniors, decided to collaborate with some freshmen on their floor to form an intramural squad. What began as a chance for former high school athletes to get some exercise turned into a football dynasty, thanks in part to a unique game plan.

Adam Donnelly, Evan Pike, Jeremy Rose and J.T. Thompson consider themselves to be the founders of Boss Players. They decided to attack the seven-on-seven, no contact sport with proper game planning and execution.

“We have a pretty intricate playbook,” Donnelly said. “We run two base plays and rely on improvisation from our quarterback, Brian O’Reilly, who is the only one who doesn’t know the plays.”

Although O’Reilly does not call the shots, he is vital to Boss Players’ success. After getting the snap, the former high school soccer player is supposed to scramble and find open receivers, who are running designed routes.

Donnelly said O’Reilly is the best player in the league and can be directly linked to the team’s fall flag football success.

“We focus on putting people in the right place,” Donnelly said. “Brian is great at that. That is why he’s better than anyone else. You can’t play zone against us because he will find an open receiver eventually.”

A personal highlight for Boss Players was participating in the Swamp Bowl, a flag football tournament in Gainesville where the winner of UM’s preseason tournament competes against many University of Florida teams and other in-state schools. The team did well, winning one game before dropping the next two by thin margins in the double elimination tournament.

Boss Players was off to a rough start this Spring, with a current record of 3-2. Yet, Donnelly said he was confident Boss Players would come through.

“Steve McClung, one of our best players, missed the last game,” he said. “Having him back will help us contain their pass rush, which did well against us last time.”

The team does not limit itself to flag football. Boss Players play co-rec softball, football, indoor football and volleyball and men’s softball and basketball. It has accumulated a couple of championships in those sports as well.

Eric Kalis can be contacted at

e.kalis@umiami.edu.

After six UM football players were taken in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, pundits labeled 2005 to be a down year for the Hurricanes because only one player, cornerback Antrel Rolle, was expected to be taken in the first round. The critics were right, but the school was still well represented on Day One of the draft.

The Tennessee Titans had the sixth pick of the first round and were debating between Rolle and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones of West Virginia, but they elected to go with the smaller, faster Jones. Rolle went to the Arizona Cardinals two picks later.

Rolle told the Miami Herald that he is a capable returner, but the presence of Roscoe Parrish on the team kept him from getting any reps, which left the Titans uncertain of his special teams abilities.

“I love punt returns,” Rolle said. “Unfortunately, we had Roscoe this year, so I didn’t get a chance to return punts. ”

Rolle said he was still thrilled to be chosen so early and has great potential in Arizona, who will likely make Rolle its top cornerback right away.

“It’s a dream come true,” Rolle told the Herald.

Parrish ended up being taken with the 55th pick by the Buffalo Bills. The Bills chose UM tight end Kevin Everett in the third round. Frank Gore was drafted with the first pick of the third round by the San Francisco 49ers. Offensive lineman Chris Myers was taken in the sixth round by the Denver Broncos.

Eric Kalis can be contacted at

e.kalis@umiami.edu.

No matter the sport, no matter the season, the Hurricanes are known for their unforgettable moments. Here is a look at the top ten memories of last year, but don’t worry, there’s more where they came from.

1. No. 5 Miami Beats No. 4 Florida State in ACC Opener

It seems like any Top 10 list we have usually is highlighted by a thrilling Miami v. Florida State showdown. This year was no exception, as the Hurricanes came back from a 10-0 second half deficit to stun the Seminoles in overtime 16-10. The game had to be postponed from a Monday night kickoff to Friday night because of Hurricane Frances. Frank Gore sealed the victory with an 18-yard touchdown run in overtime.

2. Bradley Ranked No. 1 in Country

A storied women’s tennis career at UM reached its peak when senior Megan Bradley received the top ranking in the country in the March 8 Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, becoming the first player to earn such an honor since 1988. Bradley went on to be named the ACC Player of the Year and led the Hurricanes to the finals of the ACC Championships.

3. James’ buzzer-beater leads Hurricanes past Georgia Tech

Looking to salvage a disappointing first season in the ACC, the women’s basketball team relied on its star player, Tamara James, to get the team a much-needed ACC Tournament victory over Georgia Tech. With the score tied at 58 with 1.6 seconds left, Yalonda McCormick launched a full-court pass to James, who nailed a turnaround jumper to give the ‘Canes the victory.

4. Football rallies to beat Louisville

Brock Berlin led the football team back from a 17-point deficit to beat upstart Louisville 41-38 at the Orange Bowl on Oct. 14. Berlin threw three touchdown passes and Frank Gore’s one-yard touchdown clinched the win for the Hurricanes. Devin Hester added a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown to put UM ahead 34-31 in the fourth quarter, but Brian Brohm led Louisville right back down the field for a touchdown, setting up the dramatic finish.

5. Women’s track wins ACC Championship

The eighth-ranked women’s track and field team took its first ACC Championship in Tallahassee, Fla., this season. The Hurricanes were sparked by junior All-American Charlette Greggs, who won both the 200-meter and 400-meter events. UM recorded six individual event victories in all to finish with 142 points, 20 more than second-place North Carolina.

6. Miami Defeats Maryland in OT

Will Frisby made a pair of free throws with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to lift Miami past No. 22 Maryland 75-73. Miami led nearly the entire game and after Guillermo Diaz almost won it in regulation on a half court shot at the buzzer that was waved off, the Hurricanes held on for their fifth ACC win of the year.

7. Carrillo Tosses Complete Game Shutout

Cesar Carrillo continued his dominance on the pitcher’s mound, and Miami only needed one run to get the best of Oral Roberts in a 1-0 victory. It was Carrillo’s first-ever shutout as he gave up only five hits and struck out nine batters.

8. Tina Miller Wins Ryder Cup

Tina Miller shot a final round 77 to secure the Ryder Cup Championship for the University of Miami. It was her third victory of the year, the most since 1987-1988. The victory helped seal Miami’s first state title since 1993.

9. Duke Basketball Comes to Coral Gables

Students were lined up for hours to make their way into what some called the biggest basketball game Miami had ever played. Even though No.4 Duke won the game, it showed the Hurricanes had the fans, as the Convocation Center was rocking all night long. Fans included Alex Rodriguez and Alonzo Mourning in the front row.

10. Hurricanes Rip Gators in the Peach Bowl

Playing in their first non-BCS bowl game in quite a while, the Hurricanes showed no signs of ill will as they defeated the Gators 27-10. In his final game as a ‘Cane, Brock Berlin threw for 171 yards as he led Miami to their third-straight “State Title.”

Compiled by Eric Kalis and Douglas C. Kroll