Kyle Nanton — The Navigator

New Fall Commencement

November 30, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

The semester is wrapping up faster than Christmas presents on Dec. 24, and Jacksonville University Seniors are preparing for the 2011 fall commencement. The annual graduation celebration will be held Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in the Swisher Gymnasium. The event itself is expected to be successful, boasting nearly 300 students expecting to receive degrees at the ceremony. Graduating seniors are anxious for the special day to finally arrive.

“I have been here for four plus years now and I can’t believe I walk in less than two weeks,” said senior Jill Carmody. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a while now. It’s nerve wrecking, but I can’t wait.”

The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Carolyn Munro Wilson, the president of the George M. Cohen Foundation and a member of the JU Board of Trustees. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and two master’s degrees. Through her work in the foundation she has funded both academic and athletic scholarships for JU. She received JU’s Distinguished Alumna Award in 1996 and was honored with the Community Woman of the Year Award in 2009. Munro Wilson bodes to be a very strong fit for the roll of keynote speaker that morning.

The commencement itself will be the culmination of a strong 2011 class at JU. After all of the highs and lows experienced within Jacksonville University’s borders, that december morning will be the last official time these students will walk the campus – right along the banks of the St. Johns River – as “students.”

“It’s going to be great just to see all the students and parents come together and celebrate such a great accomplishment like graduation,” said Director of Student-Athlete Services Chris Johnson.

The fall commencement should prove to be a great day of celebration and success. Students should feel free to come out and support those soon to be the newest wave of JU Alumni.

Filed Under: News

New Soccer Stadium

November 30, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Coming to a school near you, next fall will mark the opening of Southern Oak Stadium. This will be the brand new soccer stadium right here on Jacksonville University’s campus. The new stadium will be located right where the current one is now at the Ashley Sports Complex.

This new and improved addition to the athletic program at JU will add another fresh structure for athletes, students, alumni and others to pride themselves in. The new stadium will offer 500 permanent seats, professional style dugouts for the players, a new press box and a luxury VIP suite. The suite itself is expected to hold 40 people comfortably. This all will be available to both men and women’s soccer team come next season. The stadium will not only look gorgeous but will also benefit the soccer players.

“I think the new stadium will motivate players when they play at home,” said senior defenseman Casey Tafuri. “It will also attract more fans and recruits to the games which is always good.”

Donations from the likes of lead donor Tony Loughman, Vulcan Materials and a bulk of other JU soccer alumni helped the dream of a stadium to come true. Freshman Kaitlyn Bassett, who was not informed about the new stadium on her recruiting trip, is surprised and excited for the new addition.

“I’m looking forward to having an upgrade, especially the seating and bleachers that are going in because it will give people a better view of the action,” said Bassett.

In addition to this great new structure going up, a push for a new fence around the soccer stadium is taking place. Even greater news is that there is an opportunity for anyone to get involved. People have the ability to purchase a brick for the new walkway to the stadium or even a permanent chair back at the new stadium. The name and/or message of the donor will be engraved in either the brick or chair back. Interested persons may contact the athletic department. All these new features bode well for the future of JU soccer.

“All this will help increase the prestige associated with the soccer program at JU,” said Tafuri. “Throughout the years I have seen the program become more competitive through scheduling and results against nationally ranked teams. This will only help.”

The newest addition to the JU family will no doubt cause quite the buzz for everyone involved with the university. Once Southern Oak Stadium is finished, go enjoy a game and support your Jacksonville soccer teams.

Filed Under: Soccer, Sports

Senior Night Victory Precedes Loss to FGCU

November 15, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Photo by Brett Durda

Senior Night was the setting this Friday night when the JU women’s volleyball team squared off against Stetson University. Senior Night is always full of built up emotions and passion, and that night JU had no problem unleashing those feelings on the Hatters.

“Senior Night was terrifying,” senior Ashley August said. “I didn’t want it to happen simply because I didn’t want it to be over.”

The Lady Fins jumped out fast in the first set to a 10-4 advantage and didn’t look back. Thanks to strong play in that set by seniors Alliya Drzewiecki and Kathryn Kane, JU was able to take the first set (25-20).

In the second set the two teams actually battled each other pretty close early on. The Dolphins took the lead 11-7, and then Stetson brought it an 11-10 deficit. JU had enough, and went on a 7-2 run, riding the strong play of Drzewiecki who iced the set on back to back kills (25-18).

In the third and potentially final set, the Lady Fins wanted to leave no doubt. They attacked Stetson early, fighting to a 9-1 advantage, but the Hatters showed life when they closed the margin to 15-13 deficit. JU once again turned on the jets and finished strong, as the senior Kane secured the match with a kill (25-22).

“The last game definitely snuck up on me,” Kane said. “I’ve been so used to doing other peoples senior night that it was weird for me to be the senior, it still hasn’t hit me yet that I won’t be back next year.”

The victory over Stetson kept hope alive, but a loss to FGCU (3-2) the following night ended the ladies season abruptly.

JU, with three seniors, Kathryn Kane, Alliya Drzewiecki, and Ashley August playing in thier last games as Fins, showed fight all season. They finished seventh in the A-sun with a (14-17, 5-8) record. JU volleyball will be back in action for its indoor spring season and their inaugural sand volleyball season in March. JU will also host the A-Sun Sand Volleyball Championships in its first year.

Filed Under: Front Page, Sports, Volleyball

Penn State Scandal

November 15, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

One of the most storied universities in America’s History has been turned upside down within the last two weeks. The eyes of the nation have been glued to State College, Pennsylvania and Penn State University, waiting for the next unsettling story or allegation to come to light.

Former Defensive Coordinator for the PSU football team, Jerry Sandusky, was arrested and released on $100,000 bail on Nov. 5 after being arraigned on 40 criminal counts. The former right-hand man to legendary head football coach Joe Paterno was accused of having multiple sexual encounters with at least eight young boys ranging from ages of 7 to 13 years old.

Sandusky earned the faith of the community and parents early in 1977 when he founded The Second Mile, meant to be a charitable organization to help “at-risk” youths in the state of Pennsylvania. Well over 100,000 children participated in this foundation annually. This gave Sandusky access to his alleged victims. He was also upgraded to the defensive coordinator position that same year, presumingly “validating” his credibility to be safe around kids.

One of the most disturbing things to turn up in this entire revelation is that the first encounter happened nearly 17 years ago in 1994. According to the grand jury testimony to of the alleged victims, Sandusky began taking showers in the locker rooms with the boys. In 1999 Sandusky finally retired from PSU but still had access to all Penn State facilities and his own private office.

A few years later in 2002, the story that is currently sweeping the nation, took place in the PSU showers. Graduate assistant Mike McQueary witnessed Sandusky sexually abuse a young boy. He proceeded to tell his father and then was instructed to tell coach Paterno. According to the grand jury report Paterno then echoed the issue to PSU athletic director Tim Curley and both he and senior VP of business Gary Schultz did not report the incident to authorities.

Fast Forward to November 7 2011, after the arrest of Sandusky, both Curley and Schultz were charged with perjury and a failure to report allegations of sexual abuse involving a minor. Curley went on administrative leave and Schultz retired from his position.

A few days later on November 9, 2011, this whirlwind story turned into a full F5 tornado after the PSU board of trustees made their decision to fire president Graham Spanier, and more importantly, beloved coach “Joe Pa”. A place once known for its moniker “Happy Valley”, faced community and nationwide uproar, riots and serious danger for the safety of those involved.

McQueary was placed on administrative leave right before the Nittany Lions first game after the scandal broke. To sum up the universities week in a nutshell, they lost a football game 17-14 to Nebraska, falling just short of a comeback.

PSU is still facing the media and the eye of the nation and, as recently as Nov. 14, Jerry Sandusky finally spoke. Sandusky claimed innocence. He admitted to NBC’s Bob Costas to showering with the kids after workouts and to having touched their legs but without intent of sexual contact on NBC News’ “Rock Center.”

This scandal is just beginning to take off and there are still stones left unturned. This uproar demonstrates that the safety for our nations youth and taking a stand against despicable wrong doings are bigger than any one person, game or university.

Filed Under: Football, News, Sports

JU Sailing to Host Major Event

November 9, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

The JU Sailing Team is set to host the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Regatta right here in our own back yard. The Dolphins, and up to 12 other teams, will come together and compete in this tourney on the St. Johns River November 12 and 13. This is the first time an event like this has everbeen witnessed by the city of Jacksonville. The JU sailing team will team up with the Florida Yacht Club to host the event on those days.

The competition is expected to play host to multiple colleges and universities up the Atlantic coast racing in 420 class dinghies; a racing sailboat requiring a crew of two. This will prove to be a major step in the sailing program at JU.

“Hosting the ACC Tournament represents a significant accomplishment for JU Sailing, which is currently a club sport but has big plans for the future,” said Dr. Steven Davis, JU Sailing Club advisor.

Jacksonville University Sailing is a coed club sport and is a member of the Southeastern Atlantic Sailing Association. They are also the only competitive collegiate sailing program in Northeast Florida. Year after year the sailing team continues to expand and improve. Hosting events like this one next week will only help.

Over the last three years the team has come so far that they qualified for the regional championships. This is all on the path to the ultimate goal of winning a national championship for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association.

The Fins are joined by the College of Charleston, University of South Florida and Eckerd College in their respective region. All of these schools except JU have sent a team to the finals, so this has inspired the Dolphins and that is the ultimate goal. Not only holding major events like this ACC tournament regatta, but also making a strong showing on large stages like this is a major step in the right direction.

Filed Under: News, Sports

Women’s Soccer

November 2, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of JU Athletics

The post-season was finally underway in the Atlantic Sun conference this past Friday, Oct. 28 for the Women’s Soccer team. The Lady Fins, who came into the tournament scorching, played their way into a three way victory for the regular season A-sun championship. They split these honors with East Tennessee State and Florida Gulf Coast University all boasting a (7-1-1) conference record.

The Dolphins opened up their A-sun tourney play against a familiar foe, Mercer University, in the quarterfinals right here at JU’s Ashley Sports Complex.

JU spent very little time igniting the action in this game, getting on the board in the fourth minute. Freshman Kaitlyn Basset who led the team this season eight goals, found the back of the net on a Liz Fink corner kick. After that goal the game remained in cruise control for both teams, the action went back and forth but JU remained on top.

This all changed in the 58th minute when the Bear’s scored off the foot of Casey Barrett. This knotted the game at one goal apiece and it stayed that way. Both teams fought each other so ferociously that the game stayed even through the end of regulation and two overtimes. Due to the fact that this was a postseason game, the score required a shootout. The Dolphins who out shot the Bears 20-9 during the game could not transfer that edge into the shootout. Mercer led with strong goalkeeper play, beating the Dolphins 4-2 on the kicks. This gave the Bears the victory and abruptly ended the season for JU. The Fins Head Coach Brian Copham could do nothing but appreciate the fight and heart showed by his team.

“I am extremely proud of the girls and their efforts tonight, I want to thank the seniors and all the contributions they have given to the program over these past several years,” said Copham.

On the bright side of things for JU, they had five players represented on the A-Sun All-Conference and All-Academic teams. Redshirt senior midfielder Liz Fink and junior defender Emily Culbreth received first team honors. They were joined by senior midfielder Jessica Hurtado and Bassett on the second team. Junior midfielder Becca Massip was the lone selection to the all-academic team for JU.

These accolades reflect how successful and hard working the Lady Fins were on and off the field this year. Even though JU’s season ended sooner then expected. The women’s efforts will not be forgotten and the team hopes to be back on top of the A-sun once again, come next season.

Filed Under: Soccer, Sports

Florida Georgia

November 2, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Every year late in October the nation’s eyes become glued in on the city of Jacksonville and its festivities. What is usually known as one of the largest contrasts to an AA meeting in the region is also home to the great rivalry known locally as simply “Florida/Georgia”. October 29 Everbank Field, home to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, roared to life as UF and UGA squared off for their 90th meeting. Coming into the weekend this heated rivalry lacked the luster and glamor that usually surrounds the meeting of the two schools. The diminished anticipation, however minute, was due to the fact that both teams were struggling, compared to their success in recent years. Still, tradition never graduates and bad blood always boils over; this game was a dog fight from the opening quarter. The crowd too, assembled days in advance and increasingly energy-and-alcohol infused, was in the peak of frenzy.

The gators took their first chomp in the first quarter when quarterback John Brantley found Jordan Reed for a 31 yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0. This was Brantley’s first game back since suffering an ankle injury a few weeks earlier against Alabama.

Georgia answered early in the second quarter with a 32 yard field goal by Blair Walsh, to cut the deficit to four. Both teams battled each other all day, but the real story of the game was the Georgia pass rush defense and their power running game. The game remained close well into the fourth quarter when the gators were up 20-17, but UGA was relentless. They continued to come after the Gators QB, and were led by senior Jarvis Jones who had four of the teams six sacks on the day. It’s unclear whether it was the gators offensive line missing assignments, Brantley being hampered by a bum ankle, or the bulldogs pinning their ear back, or a combination of them all that were the deciding factors. After Richard Samuel and that power running game scored to put UGA up 24-20, the defense shut down UF to secure the Bulldog victory.

This loss was the gators fourth consecutive defeat; the first time that has happened since 1988. Meanwhile the Bulldogs are on a tear, logging their sixth straight victory, and are in the drivers seat to win the SEC east. With the Gators eyes on just trying to clinch a bowl game bid, and UGA focused on making it to the conference championship game, both teams have some important games ahead of them.

Filed Under: Football, Front Page, Sports

Volleyball Weekend Roller Coaster

November 2, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Photo by Grace Singer

The women’s volleyball team rode upon the tracks of an unsteady, athletic roller coaster this past weekend. For three straight days from Oct. 21-23, they confronted their competitors, experiencing a different result each day.

The Lady Fins stepped aboard this wild ride on Friday Oct. 21 when they faced cross-town and conference rival, University of North Florida. JU started out on fire against UNF. From early on in the match, they struck as efficient and aggressive.

The Fins jumped out on the Ospreys by winning the first two sets by a score of 25-23 in each set.

Even though both sets were close as the teams battled, JU was in control and in the driver’s seat to close out this match.

In the potential final set, UNF and JU went back and forth, tying twice at nine apiece and fifteen all. The Ospreys then separated themselves with a 10-1 run, closing the third set with a 16-25 victory.

In the fourth set things nudged even closer thanks to JU seniors Alliya Drzewiecki and Kathryn Kane. JU fell behind early, but those ladies were able to swim back to a 22-21 deficit. This effort fell short in the closing moments, losing the set to UNF (22-25).

In the final set, which would decide the outcome between these rivals, both teams rallied back and forth and went on mini runs. They finally knotted up at 14 all, then exchanging match-point opportunities multiple times. UNF finally climbed the hill though, with back-to-back kills to put them past JU 19-21 in the fifth and final set to win 3-2 overall.

Back at home, JU tried to bounce back from the tough loss the next day against Bethune Cookman.

Seniors Kane and Drzewiecki stole the show once again with 13 and 11 kills respectively. The major difference being that their effort this match was enough to lead JU to a victory over BCU (3-1) in a notably one-sided match.

The following day on Oct. 23, JU was involved in another battle against Florida A&M that did not bring much success. The Lady Fins lost the first two sets 25-27 and 18-25, but the ladies showed off their fighting spirit and their strong conditioning as they battled back.

JU was able to take the next two sets in commanding fashion, winning by a score of 25-18 in the third and fourth sets. The athletic roller coaster came to a screeching halt in the fifth and final set as JU fought hard, the scoreboard resembling a seesaw until they eventually fell short with a final score of 13-15, losing the overall match against FAMU 3-2.

“We just fell a little short. We dug ourselves a huge hole but did a good job of battling back,” said JU Head Coach Shaun Kupferberg.

The Dolphins plan to right their wrongs on their next road trip, this time to Macon, Georgia this Saturday Oct. 29 to compete against Mercer University.

Filed Under: Sports, Volleyball

Women Remain Undefeated

October 19, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Photo by Grace Singer

The recipe was simple for the Lady Fins on Friday, Oct. 14. Strike early and often, then play suffocating defense. All of this in the mix stirred together to create a tasty dish of victory for JU over Atlantic Sun opponent, Lipscomb University.

The Women’s soccer team darted in swift motion across the field, offensively taking the first half. This aggressive attack led to two goals for the dolphins in the first 17 minutes. Senior Liz Fink took the first score with her fourth goal of the season at the 5:55 mark.

The Fins continued to control the flow of the game and 11:04 later they struck again off the foot of junior Emily Culbreth. JU goalkeeper Sarah Sierra logged her seventh shutout of the season with two saves. This was a great overall effort by JU as they had a 25-6 shot advantage against LU.

Two days later, facing another conference foe from the state of Tennessee, Belmont University, the offense did not shy away from the back of the net. A 26-11 shot advantage in this match boded extremely well for JU.

“We held the ball well, all over the field we connected well and held good possession,” said Fink.

Sophomore Raquel Weckhurst, who leads the team in goals, added two to that total Sunday afternoon. Her first goal was scored in the twenty-third minute off of a penalty kick when BU goalkeeper ran into Weckhurst as she was in pursuit of the ball. Her second goal came directly after halftime when Fink blasted a ball that was blocked but was followed up by the sophomore to put in the rebound goal.

An early goal by freshman Kaitlyn Basset gave JU a 3-0 lead over the Bruins. Belmont’s lone goal came in the sixty-sixth minute to break the shutout bid for both goalies Sierra and Susanne Kluntveit.

The shutout was out of the picture but the victory was clearly in the portrait as JU took a 3-1 victory. This win locked up a spot in the six-team A-Sun tournament for JU as the regular season is nearing the end.

The Lady Fins will be back on the field come Friday Oct. 21 when they confront Jacksonville rival UNF. It will also be senior night, marking the last home appearance for the senior Lady Dolphins.

Filed Under: Soccer, Sports

Volleyball Tanks VS Tennessee

October 19, 2011 By Kyle Nanton Leave a Comment

Photo by Grace Singer

The Lady Fins played host to two Atlantic Sun Conference opponents this past weekend. Both volleyball teams hailed from the state of Tennessee in Belmont University and Lipscomb University. On Friday, Oct. 14 Lipscomb came to town and faced off against JU at Swisher Gymnasium. The Lady Bisons, number one in the conference, spent little time jumping out on the Dolphins.

In the first set JU was up 11-9, and then the Lady Bisons went on a tear. After going up 14-12, the set ended on an 11-1 run to clinch the first set at 13-25.

In the second set JU remained close early when they were down 9-6. Then Lipscomb began separating themselves once again after Lady Bison Lauren Ford contributed three straight kills. They went up 14-6 and didn’t look back; LU took the second set from the Dolphins 15-25.

The third set did not bode well for the Lady Fins either. The closest it was in this set is when the two teams knotted at 11-apiece. However, this glimmer of hope washed away quickly as the Dolphins went on a 11-1 run to ice the set and match to win 3-0.

“This wasn’t our night. All we can do is regroup and get back after it tomorrow,” said JU Head Coach Shaun Kupferberg.

The Dolphins aimed to do just that when they were right back on the court against Belmont the next day, October 15. Belmont, number two in the A-Sun, spent little time adjusting to road play as they jumped out on JU taking the first two sets (19-25, 17-25).

With JU’s back up against the ropes in the deciding set, they fought hard. Senior Alliya Drzewiecki, who had three early service aces, led this surge. This allowed the Lady Fins to jump out 8-1. That was just the spark they needed because they were able to hold off some runs by the Bruins and took set number three 25-22.

The fire that JU caught in the third set though was quickly extinguished in the fourth. Belmont went up fast 17-6 and refused to look back, earning the win 13-25 and a 3-1 victory over JU.

The Women’s Volleyball team had a very rough weekend overall against the Volunteer State but hope to bounce back this Friday. The Lady Fins plan to spike crosstown rival UNF in the first installment of the annual SunTrust River City Rumble.

Filed Under: Sports, Volleyball