This year the women’s crew team has something to brag about: a second place victory at the Big East Rowing Challenge on the waters of Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., and two first-place finishes and one fifth place finish at the Lexus Central/Southern Sprints.

On April 25, the University of Miami Women’s Crew team took to the road and prepared for their competitions at the 2004 Big East Rowing Challenge. Knowing Miami had finished sixth in each of the three Big East regatta’s dating back to 2001, the women knew they had to bring it.

At the end of the regatta, the women’s rowing team had two second-place finishes by its varsity four and novice eight boats. The varsity boat consisting of Laura Comeau (Cox), Karen Wiley, Jenny Krawec, Jacqui Julie, Sarah Conlon, Rachel Clausing, Caroline Stuart, Ananda Chou, and Jordanna Heywood finished third in their regatta. The varsity eight trailed shortly after second place Syracuse (7:00.43) and first place Notre Dame (6:54.89) with a time of 7:01.95.

“We had a phenomenal day with some really good racing,” Head Coach Debra Morgan said. “We haven’t beaten teams like Rutgers and Boston College in the three seasons I’ve been here, and even a couple of years prior to that so for us to come out and finish second overall today was a major accomplishment.”

Following their great accomplishment at the Big East Regatta, the Miami women traveled to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the 2004 Lexus Central/Southern Sprints with intent for success.

The women’s team was extremely successful, leading with the varsity eight’s trail of open water to take first in their regatta. They finished at a time of 6:56.8, more than five seconds in front on second-place Indiana.

The Junior-Varsity crew took first place in their “C” finals with a time of 7:14.4, almost two seconds ahead of second-place University of Central Florida.

“They really pulled themselves together today and had a great performance,” remarked Morgan.

The Hurricanes’ Novice Eight crew finished their race with a time of 7:16.0 taking fifth place, marking the highest finish for a Miami Novice Eight crew since the inception of the regatta in 1997.

“I was quite pleased with the Novice Eight. I really think they were able to step up to the challenge and really elevated their performance a whole other level this weekend,” Morgan stated.

The Lexus/Central Sprints concluded with University of Miami ranking 13th overall and fifth in the South Region. I

The women’s rowing team will hold an informational meeting for 2004 tryouts, Thursday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Hecht Athletic Center.

The meeting is open to all students, no experience necessary.

For more information please contact assistant rowing coach Andrea Saathoff at 305-284-3811 or email at asaathoff@miami.edu.

Despite a 9-9-1 overall record, there were many positives that can be taken from the women’s soccer team’s season.

The Hurricanes defeated a Top 10 team for the first time in school history when they upset the Connecticut Huskies at Cobb Stadium on Sept. 26. The team also played the top teams in the Big East in close matches, losing in overtime to a Notre Dame team that was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Notre Dame’s win over Miami made it 19-1-1 on the season, so for the ‘Canes to take a team that good to overtime says something about the direction in which the program is headed.

It is true that the Hurricanes still lost, but a loss in not always a bad thing. When you lose to an elite team in a tight game, it is hard to be completely negative. This program has been lingering around mediocrity now for the last few years. This year, the women’s soccer team will make a jump into the thick of the Atlantic Coast Conference race.

The reason for being optimistic starts with the emergence of leading goal scorer Lindsey Yach. Yach’s nine goals and three assists gave her a team-high 21 points on the season. She also showed a flare for the dramatic, scoring four game-winning goals, the only Hurricane to register more than one game-winner. The ‘Canes’ scoring threat will not end with Yach, however. Junior Britney Butcher had a disappointing season, scoring just three goals and five assists in 19 games. The slow year from Butcher may actually be a blessing in disguise. Butcher will be returning for her senior season and will have extra motivation to prove that the 2003 season was a fluke. With Butcher and Yach, the Hurricanes should have a formidable offense next season.

The most encouraging sign from the 2003 season came between the goal posts. Alex Alford, a freshman goaltender, played very well throughout the entire season. Going into the year, goaltending was one of the biggest question marks on the ‘Canes. Alford put that to rest by allowing just 1.60 goals per game and totaling five shutouts on the season. Alford still has three seasons left in her Hurricanes career, so Miami has a starting goaltender for years to come.

The heart of the matter is that this season did not accomplish what the ‘Canes were hoping for. The 9-9-1 record is a little deceiving, however. The Hurricanes outplayed their opponents in several games, and really only got beat in one category: the scoreboard. If you judged the team based on their performance, they would have been far above .500. The offense never came around the way the team had hoped, causing the Hurricanes to struggle scoring goals, losing a bunch of one-goal games. As a matter of fact, five of the ‘Canes’ losses were decided by one goal or less, and three of those five losses came in overtime. The Hurricanes were 1-3-1 in overtime this season, which shows how easily this could have been a productive season.

Overall, 9-9-1 was definitely not where the Hurricanes wanted to be. In the pre-season, the ‘Canes’ aspirations were to compete for a Big East Championship and to make the NCAA Tournament. They fell short of all of those goals, but that does not necessarily mean that this program took a step backward. Rather, this program is still moving in the right direction and has young, impressive talent for next season.

This year may finally be the season that the women’s soccer team emerges from the rest of the pack. They may finally make the jump from an average to an elite team. With a solid goaltender and two legitimate scoring threats returning for next season, there are reasons to be excited about the women’s soccer team. I

Coaching is an integral aspect of every sport. When people talk about the top University of Miami coaches, Larry Coker and Jim Morris are usually the first names mentioned. There is no doubt that they are great coaches, but there is another name that deserves recognition: Nicole Lantagne Welch of the women’s volleyball program.

Lantagne Welch was brought to Miami two years ago to revitalize volleyball as a top UM sport. In her first two seasons, Lantagne Welch has accumulated a record of 44-12. Last season, Lantagne Welch led the ‘Canes to their first ever NCAA Tournament berth and a Sweet 16 appearance. The ‘Canes finished last season No. 23 in the nation.

Lantagne Welch has also recruited brilliantly. Marcela Gamarra, who graduated last season, was a key contributor for the ‘Canes and helped UM get their program going. Last season the ‘Canes also had their first ever Big East Player of the Year in Valeria Tipiana and their first Setter of the Year in Mallorey James. Both of these girls still have two years of eligibility left, which will make the ‘Canes an even better team this season. Overall, the Hurricanes had three first team All-Big East players last season, and they return a very talented cast for this season.

The volleyball team was very young every season under Lantagne Welch. The team boasts just one senior again this season, after having just one senior last season in Gamarra. It is hard to win in any college sport, let alone with mostly freshmen and sophomores, but that is exactly what Lantagne Welch has done the past two seasons.

Lantagne Welch was selected as the American Volleyball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year last season, which shows how much respect she has earned nationally.

Lantagne Welch is a successful coach because she knows the game of volleyball so well. She played four years at the University of Maryland as a setter, and left the school as their All-Time leader in assists, digs, and matches played. These records show that not only was Lantagne Welch a great player, but she has also successfully translated her success to coaching.

Her first coaching job was in 1994 as an assistant coach for Maryland, before becoming a graduate assistant coach at Ohio University in 1995. At Ohio University, she earned a master’s degree in Athletic Administration, until she moved on to Texas A&M where she served as an assistant coach for three seasons. Texas A&M finished in the top twenty every year while she was there, including a No. 9 finish in 1999.

Finally, Lantagne Welch has gotten the opportunity to run the show at the University of Miami. The ‘Canes couldn’t have made a better choice, either. Not only has she had success on the court, but she also recruits players with character as well as talent. Every player on Lantagne Welch’s team is friendly, approachable, and hard working. I guess they learned that from their coach, who has been the epitome of class her entire life.

So when people talk about the best coaches at the University of Miami, it is obvious to mention Coker and Morris. However, let’s not forget about Lantagne Welch, who has done a brilliant job with the volleyball program so far. I

Senior Matt Mulvaney has emerged from an injury-stricken cross-country season and is enjoying success.

He placed first in the 3000-meter race at the Hurricane Invitational on March 20, with a time of 8:38.04, and shattered the school record in the 10,000-meter event by more than 22 seconds at the Raleigh Relays on March 26.

In his own modest way, however, Mulvaney never revels in personal glory for too long.

“By the time I got to four miles, I knew I had it. Afterward I jumped around for a while, but my legs [were tired],” he said.

Like everyone else on the team, Mulvaney has had to deal with the many obstacles caused by the lack of funding for the men’s track program. For him, it has oddly enough been both a curse and a blessing, as he insists that his ability level may not have allowed him to compete at a fully funded university track program.

“A lot of coaches wouldn’t have let me run coming out of high school,” Mulvaney said. “I was what you call slightly above average. But Coach Ward didn’t have a problem with it so he let me on the team, and I’m thankful he gave me the chance to run because it opened a lot of doors for me.”

Currently, the men only have two scholarships available, despite the NCAA maximum allotment being 12 and a half. The scholarship money that is available is usually spread out among runners to try to alleviate expenses, but it is not enough to lure the finest track stars in the country to Coral Gables.

“It’s just hard to compete and get the athletes,” Mulvaney said. “If you’re asking every student-athlete to come up with 30,000 dollars out of their pocket, it’s just not going to happen.

Still, Hurricane runners are largely a strong bunch, which doesn’t go unnoticed.

“You can’t be disappointed because you might go there with 10 guys and score 50 points…you look at these other teams and they’re beating you, but they’re not outscoring you per person,” he said.

Running 75 to 80 miles per week for training, Mulvaney admits that running cross-country and/or track is not for the faint of heart. However, even with the struggles he has endured running at UM, he encourages those who have an interest in pursuing the sport at any level.

“Running is a sport that you definitely can improve in,” he said. “If you work hard at it and you’re consistent, you’re going to get better. To anyone who’s in high school: if you are willing to work hard, then you can accomplish a lot…I came in pretty average and I’m pretty happy where I am right now relative to where I was.” I

When Todd Widom decided to leave Miami to join the professional ranks, the men’s tennis team was left with a giant void at the top singles spot. Sophomore Josh Cohen has filled that role admirably.

The 5’11” sophomore from Weston, Fla., has a lot of similarities to Widom. He entered college as a No. 1 singles player and has huge expectations. He had to adjust to a higher level of tennis and the pressures of being a student athlete.

“I have played tennis since I was a little kid, so it really was not a huge adjustment,” Cohen said. “The only difference is that college tennis is a team sport and when you play when you are younger, it is more of an individual thing.”

On the court, Cohen is very demanding of himself. He prides himself on being intense, hard working, and serious. He doesn’t fool around on the court and wants to win and improve his tennis skills.

“I am a hard worker and a serious player. I work hard on my game, and I am very aggressive and confident on the court,” Cohen said.

While Widom had the opportunity to turn pro, Cohen does not expect the same thing to happen to him. He wants to stay at the University of Miami and graduate with a degree in sports administration.

“I’ve actually talked to Todd, and I think he made a good decision to turn pro,” Cohen said. “I don’t have any plans to do that. I want to be here for four years and get my degree.”

Cohen’s talent may run in his family. His parents have been influential in his success by supporting him and being there for him throughout his career. His 14-year-old sister is one of the best young players in her region. Cohen is close with his family and very complimentary of his sister.

“My sister is a great player,” Cohen said. “She is in the top five in her age group.”

Cohen has finished his first year and already established himself as one of the better players in the nation. He has several important milestones he would like to reach this year.

“My goals are to get my team in the Top 25, win the Big East title, and I would like to get myself into the top tier of players around the country,” Cohen said. “Some of those goals may be high but I think they are all realistic.”

The good news for ‘Canes fans is that Cohen is has three more years of eligibility. He has said he has no intention of leaving, and if that turns out to be true, UM will have a great player at the top singles spot for the next four years. With the move to the ACC looming next year, having a top player like Cohen will keep the men’s tennis team in championship contention.I

Head Coach Jim Morris found himself more than just a pitcher when J.D. Cockroft came to a pitcher/catcher camp a few years back. Cockroft has become Miami’s most consistent pitcher, whether it is out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation.

From Foster City, Calif., Cockroft attended Bellarmine College Prep, the same high school that produced former Hurricane great Pat Burrell.

Although Cockroft, a graduated senior, has won the Ron Fraser Award the past two seasons for being the ‘Canes’ top pitcher, he was demoted from the No. 1 starting job at the beginning of the season. After a tough 3-0 loss to Florida on opening night, things went downhill in a hurry and Morris put him in the bullpen. Cockroft took the switch hard.

“It really hurt,” Cockroft said. “Being the number one [starter] had been my goal ever since I got here and it seemed like everything I worked for was going down the drain.”

After five appearances out of the bullpen, a spot in the rotation opened up when Morris felt that starter Dan Touchet needed a couple weeks of rest due to a dead arm. Cockroft took full advantage of his opportunity.

“I think I pitched my way back into the role,” Cockroft said. “I’m pitching the best I’ve really pitched in a really long time. It really feels great to be back out there to set the tone for the series.”

His first start back in the rotation was against Florida State, where he went seven innings and only allowed three hits, as Miami shutout the Seminoles 10-0.

When watching Cockroft out on the mound, one immediately realizes that he isn’t a typical lefty pitcher. He doesn’t come after hitters with overpowering fastballs. Instead, he throws slow curveballs that drop out of the zone and changeups that are able to baffle even the best hitters in the country. Cockroft had always heard that he didn’t have what it takes to be a great pitcher, but he has proved skeptics wrong time and time again.

“I’ve been hearing that I wasn’t going to make it ever since I was a little kid,” Cockroft said. “But I took everything they said and made it fuel my desire to prove them wrong.”

Cockroft feels that there are benefits to not throwing as hard as some other pitchers. These help him when he’s out there on the mound starting, where he prefers to be.

“I’m the kind of pitcher that has good endurance,” Cockroft said. “I don’t throw as hard as the other guys do, but I feel it is an asset to me because I can go longer in games.”

Morris feels that Cockroft has been a special part of his ball club during the past four years.

“He’s done a great job for us. No matter what role we’ve asked him to do, he has gotten it done,” Morris said. “He’s a captain for us, which makes him a leader on the field and off the field. He’s really a great kid.”

After four years of hard work and endless practices, J.D. Cockroft will be hanging up his University of Miami baseball cap and putting on his Texas Rangers uniform. On the second day of the MLB draft, the Rangers drafted Cockroft in the 26th round.

Michael Johnston contributed to this article.

A new breed of superhero can be found on the University of Miami track. Thanks to a combination of speed, agility, strength, and teamwork, the men and women’s track teams excelled in their indoor season, ending the campaign with a Big East Championship.

The men’s track team blew the competition away at the Big East Indoor Track and Field Championship in Syracuse, N.Y. In the 60-meter event, junior Tanard Davis finished with a time of 6.78 seconds to win his first Big East Indoor Championship. Sophomore Terell Walden, last year’s Big East 60-meter winner, finished in a close second with a time of 6.78 seconds, Walden was passed by Davis in the final hundredth of a second.

“Walden and Davis are both football guys and they work very hard. It takes a special person to fit two sports into their schedule and still be able to perform well,” Head Coach Mike Ward said.

Freshman Devin Hester finished just behind his teammates at third with a time of 6.82 seconds. Hester emerged victorious in the long jump competition. Walden established a Big East Championship record with a time of 6.76 seconds in the 60-meter preliminary round. Walden’s time beat former Hurricane Santana Moss’ record of 6.77 seconds, which was tied by Hester, who finished second behind Walden in the preliminaries.

“Though we don’t put much emphasis on the indoor season because we primarily focus on the outdoor season, the men still did a good job,” Ward said. “Our win at the Big East Championship was preparation for the rest of the season. For the men to score 43 points between seven guys is significant. We hope in our outdoor events to qualify 14 guys and earn 100 points.”

The women’s track and field team won its second consecutive Big East Indoor Championship and jumped to No.10 in the Trackwire rankings for the first time this season. Junior All-American Lauryn Williams captured the 60-meter and 200-meter titles. Williams is the top 60-meter runner in the nation (7.21 seconds) and is No.4 in the 200-meter (23.24 seconds).I

From C-A-N-E-S to P-I-K-E-S. Chris Myers, Eric Winston, and Joel Rodriguez have opted to widen their horizons and add another element to their college experience: Greek life in the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

Between the times spent together for games, practices, meetings, and workouts, an everlasting unspoken bond is formed within a football team. However, football player or not, the curiosity of a typical college student prevails sometimes.

“Pledging Pike is an opportunity for us to try something new,” Rodriguez said. “Chris and I been here for four years, and have been occupied with football. Even though we go out and mingle with others in The Grove, it’ll be nice to see what the other side of college life has to offer.”

“For football, the silent agreement is that anyone has anyone’s back,” Myers said. “We’ll do anything for each other, like brothers. Pike is the same way.”

In each of the last four seasons, the Hurricanes’ offensive line has produced one or more first-team All-Americans. Myers, a senior, is a returning starter for the ‘Canes at right guard. Rodriguez, also a senior, will be starting at center this season. Winston, a junior, moved up to 290 lbs. to start on the offensive line.

As important parts of the offense, one must wonder if they have time for anything but football. With regulation under the appropriate supervision, they are able to balance their schedule.

“There are the athletes, the regular students, and Greek life,” Myers said. “Everyone interacts when they go out, but for the most part each group stays to themselves. I just thought this would be something new to try while I’m still in college, something I won’t be able to experience when I leave.”

The mission statement of Pi Kappa Alpha states, “We believe in the importance of virtue and commit to living the values of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. We recognize that truth is the foundation of all lasting association, and we will seek wisdom and knowledge while serving others in modesty and dignity.”

In some ways, there are many similarities between the camaraderie of a football team and the bonds of brotherhood. In different forms, both organizations push the members to be strong in mind and body. Some students, when beginning at a university, are tempted to explore Greek life. Winston, Rodriguez, and Myers chose another path at first, but were not close-minded to the option when it surfaced.

“Eric is two years younger than Joel and I,” Myers said. “So he’s still trying out new things. We are probably the closest with him on the team, and he told us he was thinking about pledging. One of the equipment managers is actually the president of Pike, so he approached us with the offer. We talked about it, and met with some of the guys in the fraternity. They just seemed pretty cool so we thought, why not?”

“Pledging is normally very time consuming,” Rodriguez said, “but it helped that the president is involved with our team, as well as understands the fact that football comes first. We don’t have as much time as the typical student has to pledge, so they took that into consideration.”

The guys seem to be getting the best of both worlds. They do not need to sacrifice what they love – football – yet are offered the chance to meet new people and balance a new social experience into their schedules.

“I never thought I’d have the time,” Myers said. “Then I realized I can work it into my schedule. Basically we’ve already experienced a lot in college. My sister is in a sorority, and Greek life is just something I haven’t experienced. Maybe we will meet people that we will know for the rest of our lives, or people that can help us down the road.”

“Some of the guys on the team were shocked that we decided to do this,” Myers said. “Hopefully we are opening new doors for the team at the same time. We get a few wise cracks because it’s just out of the ordinary. It is something new and exciting for all three of us that we are all looking forward to.” I

When Brian Stubits accepted a dare from his friends to dress up as a hot dog for the men’s basketball season opener, he had no idea that his outfit would become a fixture at the Convocation Center.

Stubits, otherwise known as Hurricane Frank, purchased the costume for Halloween. What irked the junior from Tacoma, Wash., was how much money he paid for one day’s use of the hot dog. After being egged on by a group of friends, Stubits decided to give the costume a second chance at the basketball game.

“The first game [I wore the costume to], one of the guys from Hurricane Force asked me if I minded if they used me in certain things, like marketing, and if I had a name,” Stubits said. “I told them that I didn’t have a name. All I said to them was that I think Frank would be a good name because I am a hot dog and it’s a personal name. They decided to go with Hurricane Frank.”

Stubits has been a passionate sports fan his entire life, and he attended the high school featured in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. At his school’s basketball games, Stubits and a group of friends would lead the students’ cheers.

“During basketball games in high school we had a ‘Pit Crew’,” Stubits said. “That’s kind of where my excitement for basketball came from and going to games and being loud, obnoxious, and rowdy.”

Stubits is majoring in broadcast journalism and works on the staff at WVUM, UM’s student-run radio station. He has done play-by-play on several of the ‘Canes’ basketball and baseball games.

Stubits tries to attend every men’s and women’s basketball games, but sometimes his responsibilities with WVUM prevent that from happening.

“I go to all of the men’s games and I try to go to all of the women’s, but sometimes I get bogged down with radio stuff, like producing and announcing,” he said. “But I just try to get the crowd involved [when I am at the games]. It’s really tough here at school but I have developed a little bit of a following and I lead some of the cheers.”

Stubits joked that the females in attendance at the games have had a mixed response to Hurricane Frank.

“I actually had one of the female cheerleaders wink at me the other day, but I must say that was after I made a witty comment to her,” he said. “At the games, walking around, I usually get a lot of weird looks. Most of the girls laugh; I think they are getting used to it now.”

Hurricane Frank can be found in the front of the student section during most of the ‘Canes’ basketball games. Listen for Stubits’ broadcasts on WVUM, 90.5 FM. I

Vince Wilfork has been through so much over the last couple of years that he was compelled to share the biggest moment of his football career with family, friends and fans at the Big Daddy Draft Day Party at GameWorks during the NFL draft.

Wilfork, who lost both of his parents in a six-month span in 2002, invited media members and Hurricane fanatics to watch him get drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round [No. 21 overall] of the N.F.L. Draft. Wilfork lost his parents tragically in 2002: his mother to a stroke, and his father to diabetes. During the event, donations were collected for the Diabetes Research Institute and Wilfork matched all the money raised in a silent auction and raffle to make his own contribution. Several of Wilfork’s teammates were on hand, including Antrel Rolle, Quadtrine Hill, Baraka Atkins and Santonio Thomas, and Head Coach Larry Coker also stopped by to wish him well.

“The Patriots know a lot about winning, and I know a lot about winning, so hopefully we can win a championship this season.” -Vince Wilfork Football player

Kim Neubecker, the Southeast Region marketing director for GameWorks, said Wilfork’s choice to share the experience of being drafted with loyal fans shows a great deal about his character.

“[The Wilfork family] are absolutely wonderful people,” Neubecker said. “They have been through so much, and to watch him come out and share this with all of his family and fans [is great]. He could have gone to New York but he decided to stay.”

Wilfork was originally projected to be drafted by either the Houston Texans with the 10th pick or the Chicago Bears with the 14th pick, so when he was still unclaimed while the Patriots were on the clock, there was a bit of anxiety within his family.

Wilfork was expecting to be chosen earlier but was pleased with how everything worked out.

” I am not disappointed [about sliding to No. 21], but I am a little disappointed about Atlanta and Chicago for not picking me up,” he said. “But I am happy about where I am at right now. The Patriots know a lot about winning, and I know a lot about winning, so hopefully we can win a championship this season.”

Wilfork may have been chosen a bit lower than he would have liked, but the defensive tackle was all smiles while signing autographs minutes after being taken by the Patriots. When asked about the drastic change in climate between South Florida and New England, the Boynton Beach, Fla., native said he wouldn’t mind having to wear a few more layers of clothing.

“I have never been to Massachusetts, but I love cold weather.” I