Not many people would recognize junior Matt Mulvaney, a member of UM’s track and cross country team, if they saw him on campus. Yet this normal-looking guy of small statue has shown a lot of talent and an outstanding surplus of energy.
Mulvaney grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, and has his sights set on playing baseball or running track. Early on in his high school career though, it became clear that he was a talented runner and destined to star in the sport of track and field. Mulvaney became a Daily Hampshire Gazette All Star for cross-country and track while taking part in initiating the school’s All-Western Massachusetts Cross Country Team.
Mulvaney said running wasn’t the only thing that led him to the University of Miami.
“I love playing music,” Mulvaney said. “Coming to UM would give me the opportunity to do both.”
Mulvaney, who majors in Music Business and Business Law, plays the saxophone in the school’s “Wind Ensemble” and for several saxophone quartets. However, Mulvaney’s focus has been primarily on track, where he runs the five and 10-kilometer events, while also competing in the eight and 10-kilometer events in cross-country. That may seem like a lot work, but Mulvaney looks at it differently.
“It is very rewarding to work out every day,” Mulvaney said. “The more you put in, the more you get out of it.”
Mulvaney’s latest accomplishments as a Hurricane came in the recent Big East Championships. Mulvaney qualified for the 5000 meters with a time of 14:54.20 and ended up finishing 11th in the event
When the outdoor season starts in March, Mulvaney doesn’t plan on running for the Hurricanes. Instead, Mulavaney looks to set his sights on preparing and applying to law school. However, he still plans on competing individually during the spring.
“School has to be my first priority,” Mulvaney said. “I’d like to continue running in law school, but only if I have the time.”
Mulvaney seems to always be busy, engaging in some kind of activity. Yet even he gets worn out sometimes, but knows his hard work will pay off down the road.
“When I leave Miami I will have a lot of options open,” Mulvaney said.

Katharina Guderian can be reached at KathaGuderian@gmx.net

The Miami Hurricanes have been fortunate to have one FIU transfer on their side of the court for the last two seasons.
Junior Mari Toro, who enters this weekend as the nation’s No. 94 ranked player in singles, brings Miami more than just sheer talent. Toro relies on an admirable work ethic and an intense desire to win.
“I think I have a very strong work ethic,” Toro said. “I think I lead the team to work harder because I’m always giving 100 percent no matter what. At times you’re tired. You’ve got to give it that extra push.”
The Hurricanes play has improved as well this season, as the squad carries a No. 21 ranking. That number, however, isn’t good enough for Toro.
“I want to make it to the NCAA tournament,” Toro said. “I want to be top 15 or even a top 10 in the nation.”
Much of the team’s success can be attributed to Toro’s ability to win with younger double’s partners. Toro has been victorious with sophomores Staci Stevens and Megan Bradley. Toro experienced real success teaming up with Stevens, as the pair recorded victories against Illinois, Texas, and Harvard.
“I can motivate (Stevens) more so than anyone else on the team,” Toro said. “I can push her to work harder, to be out there a little longer. It just worked.”
When teamed up with Bradley, Toro has won both of her doubles matches. The junior feels that there is less of an adjustment to be made while playing with Bradley.
“It wasn’t difficult to adjust,” Toro said. “With Megan, we both do our own thing, we’re both very focused and we have a lot of discipline. You have to just adjust to the personalities.”
Perhaps the biggest improvement Toro has been forced to make is in leading the team on and off the courts. Since the ‘Canes only feature one senior on their roster, Toro has accepted the role of the veteran and has helped guide the less experienced players. With Toro’s help, freshman Melissa Applebaum soared up to No. 77 in the national rankings.
“I’ve taken a good role with Melissa,” Toro said. “I’ve kind of helped her a little bit. It’s nice having that chance to actually give back because when I was a freshman, when I was at FIU, I kind of had it rough.
“There was no one looking out for me and that’s the type of role I try to play.”
As the season progresses, the goal is clear for Toro, and she remains confident that the team can meet the high standards she expects.
“I’m not even worried about the rankings, just to do well, just to play within myself and take one match at a time. If I do that, things will happen.
“Everyone’s confidence is pretty high right now. We want to maintain that. We have some good opportunities. We feel good right now, and we want to continue to feel good.”

Adam Aizer can be reached at Aizersgotflava@hotmail.com

Intramural Reminders

Intramural Softball, Indoor Soccer, and Team Billiards deadline will be the Wednesday after Spring Break! Be sure to stop by the Wellness Center with your $20 to sign up a team. Also, if you don’t have enough people to form a team, be sure to sign up as a free agent.

Basketball Playoffs are well underway and the brackets are filling up! Here are the final teams still alive in each of their respective brackets:
Co-Rec: The Team vs. And 1 Ballers for the Championship
Women: Wahine vs. UBS Girls for the Independent Championship
Panhellenic: Delta Phi Epsilon vs. Kappa Kappa Gamma for the Championship
Greek: The Elite 8 are Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Mu, Alpha Sigma Phi, Zeta Beta Tau, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, and Sigma Phi Epsilon
Men: The Elite 8 are Team Cubano, Relentless, Surs Flow, Walsh 7, Diaper Dandies, Complete, Get Money, Midwest Connex

Basketball Playoffs
Below the Rim – 38
We Suck – 33

The Team – 46
Below the Rim – 38

And 1 Ballers – 47
Monster Balls – 21

Wahine – 38
Women Gunners – 7

UBS Girls – 33
Big Daddy Abraham – 31

Kappa Kappa Gamma – 53
Zeta Tau Alpha – 29

Sigma Alpha Mu – 50
Sigma Alpha Epsilon – 25

Lambda Chi Alpha – 49
Kappa Sigma – 39

Phi Delta Theta – 38
Sigma Chi – 24

Team Cubano – 63
12 Angry Men – 45

Relentless – 39
OJU Top Shottas – 30

Surs Flow – 61
Shooting Stars – 43

Walsh 7 – 48
Got It Locked – 44

Diaper Dandies – 55
Benevento All-Stars – 41

Complete – 59
Chokers – 49

Get Money – 67
Above the Rim – 54

Midwest Connex – 76
2L Scrubs – 41

Volleyball

The Dirty Kneepads – 2
Biohazards – 0

Cremasteria – 2
Penetrators – 1

Commandos – 2
Free Agentz – 0

Law – 2
Micro-orchidism – 0

Latin Kids – 2
Wahine – 1

Kane – 2
GBSA – 0

Horse Pen 15 – 2
Liquid Courage – 0

Bump Set Spike – 2
Invincible – 0

Free Ballin’ – 2
Da Kine – 1

Delta Phi Epsilon – 2
Kappa Kappa Gamma – 1

Phi Delta Theta – 2
Lambda Chi Alpha – 0

Kappa Sigma – 2
Sigma Alpha Epsilon – 0

Pi Kappa Alpha – 2
Sigma Alpha Mu – 0

The Miami Hurricanes baseball squad lost more than just a baseball game this weekend.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) placed the program on two years probation, after investigating some of the team’s recruiting process.
According to NCAA rules, the team committed infractions through a sports club and conditioning program that was co-owned by Hurricanes pitching Coach Lazaro Collazo. It was determined that the club had allowed prospective student-athletes to train and show off their abilities to Miami baseball.
In addition to the two years of probation, the team will lose 4.66 scholarships over the next three years at a rate of 1.55 scholarships per season.
The reported violations have been under investigation since 1999 and have also reported findings of further infractions by the staff.
The NCAA found that financial aid limits imposed upon the Hurricanes by the organization in 1995 were exceeded. Other luxuries, which included boat rides on Biscayne Bay for student athletes and families, were provided and accompanied by department staff in breach of NCAA regulations.
These developments come in light of other recent sports infringements to the University of Miami athletic program. Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee commented on the department’s recent actions.
“The athletic department takes full responsibility for the actions of its staff members,” Dee said. “We accept the penalties and are committed to the enforcement of NCAA rules.”
In addition to the sanctions, Miami also lost Collazo due to the infringements. The former Hurricanes’ reliever, who entered his 18th season as UM’s pitching coach, resigned effective last Friday.
Before the season, head coach Jim Morris made a statement about the importance of having Collazo as a part of the team.
“University of Miami baseball has been built around pitching for many years,” Morris said. “Lazer brings a philosophy of sound mechanics and a focus on the mental side of pitching to our staff. He has proven over the years that pitching equals wins and thus our program is built on this philosophy.”
Throughout his time as coach, Collazo has produced and developed many major league prospects. In 2001, his entire rotation was drafted when Brian Walker (NY Mets), Tom Farmer (Detroit Tigers) and Kiki Bengochea (Texas Rangers) left the team as national champions to begin their respective pro careers.
A new pitching coach has not yet been appointed for the ‘Canes. Until somebody takes the job, Morris and assistant coach Greg Lovelady will share the duties.
The players hanged Callazo’s jersey on the back wall of the Hurricane’s dugout this weekend.
“It isn’t really my decision whether the jersey stays up all season long right now,” Morris said. “As long as the guys want to play with it there, it will stay there. Obviously emotions are high right now. Lazer will be missed.”

-Ryan Ellis can be reached at msgnyc@yahoo.com

The Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball team has not been able to figure out a way to close out games, and it hurt them again Saturday.
Six turnovers in the final three minutes allowed the host Boston College Eagles to close out the game on a 13-0 run en route to an 84-77 victory. The ‘Canes led by six points after a Tamara James jumper with three minutes left on the clock, but had trouble against the Eagles full court press — throwing the ball away on inbound passes several times.
“On inbound plays, the girls knew where they were supposed to be,” head coach Ferne Labati said. “They just were not coming to the ball. Those turnovers really hurt us.”
Saturday’s contest continued a troubling trend for the ‘Canes. In its last two games, Miami blew an eight-point halftime lead against Seton Hall, eventually losing in overtime. Again Saturday, the ‘Canes lead for much of the contest, but could not close the deal.
“I don’t really know why we struggle when we have the lead late in games,” senior guard Meghan Saake said. “It could be a combination of overexcitement and miscommunication down the stretch. We get comfortable with a lead and allow teams to come back on us, rather than putting them away.”
In her last regular season road game, Saake recorded a team high 23 points on 10-17 shooting while collecting four rebounds and five assists. Saake, the 2001 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, showed why she won that award by also recording a block shot and five steals.
“Meghan Saake would be a great asset to any championship team,” Labati said. “She is fully dedicated to the game and it is great to coach a player like her. She gave us four years of dedication and hard work.”
Freshman guard Tamara James, who leads the Big East in scoring, contributed with 22 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Yolanda McCormick had 13 points and eight assists, but that was not enough to overcome the Eagles attack.
Boston College, second in the Big East conference in shooting percentage, kept hitting shots all day, shooting 65.4 percent in the first half and 56.9 percent for the game.
“Boston College is a very balanced team,” Labati said. “They are a good shooting team both inside and from the perimeter. (Becky) Gottstein and (Amber) Jacobs really hurt us today.”
Jacobs, a guard, scored a game high 28 points for the Eagles. She was 12-18 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range on the day. Gottstein, a power forward, took care of the work in the paint, scoring 24 points while pulling down a game high, nine rebounds.
“We needed to get a hand in Jacobs face because she wouldn’t miss,” Saake said. “Gottstein is just really strong inside and we needed to put a body on her.”
The loss dropped the ‘Canes to 15-11 on the season and put their NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy. However, they do have one regular season game left against Georgetown at the Convocation Center and the Big East Tournament in New Jersey to show the selection committee what they can do. The winner of the Big East Tournament gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
“The season is not over yet,” Labati said. “If we have to win the Big East Tournament to make the NCAA’s, then that is what we will try to do,” Labati said.

Darren Grossman can be reached at drg215@aol.com

Intramural Reminders
Intramural Basketball Playoffs are underway and will finish after Spring Break. For the 8th year, the University of Miami’s Intramural epartment will challenge the Florida International University’s in the Crosstown Challenge Basketball Tournament! This is one women’s, greek, and men’s game and the winner of 2 out of 3 games is the champion. UM is on a 2-year winning streak and the tournament will be held at the Wellness Center this year on Thursday, April 10. With all of this said, our teams will be made up of All-Stars from the Intramural leagues. The Intramural staff will select players for the 3 teams and it will be posted here in the Hurricane 2 weeks from now on March 21. The selections will be made and practices will be held so if you are not selected as one of the players, come out on April 10 to root on UM against FIU!

Basketball Playoffs
Women Gunners – 25
!Robbed! – 20

Team Cubano – 50
Pimps & Gigolos – 47

12 Angry Men – 57
GBSA – 37

Relentless – 50
Up In Smoke – 44

OJU Top Shottas – 43
Casador de Pajaro – 38

Surs Flow – 68
Elbows – 37

Shooting Stars – 49
Primetime – 22

Walsh 7 – 44
Team Highlight – 37

Got It Locked – 41
Rythym Method – 37

Diaper Dandies – 45
Club Med – 29

Benevento All-Stars – 46
Wagon Mound 3 – 38

Complete – 41
The Squad – 23

Chokers – 33 (OT)
Booty Jackers – 27

Get Money – 47
All-Stars – 39

Above the Rim – 64
Fuzzy Furze – 60

Midwest Connex – 63
Cleveland Steam – 41

2L Scrubs – 53
Penthouse All-Stars – 42

Volleyball
Alpha Q – 2
Intimidators – 1

The Dirty Kneepads – 2
Captain Country – 0

Law – 2
Commandos – 0

Wahine – 2
Free Agentz – 0

Horse Pen 15 – 2
GBSA – 0

Killing You Softly – 2
PT Playaz – 0

Free Ballin’ – 2
Wild Sets – 0

Da Kine – 2
So Money – 0

Delta Phi Epsilon – 2
Sigma Delta Tau – 0

Sigma Alpha Epsilon – 2
Phi Delta Theta – 0

Lambda Chi Alpha – 2
Pi Kappa Alpha – 0

Sigma Phi Epsilon – 2
Kappa Sigma – 0