In ‘Student-Athlete,’ student comes first

Marcus Dyson

Contributor

He wakes up at 5:30 every morning for either a weight-lifting session or a run with his football teammates. After a meal, he comes back to his room and attempts to get an extra half hour of sleep before his first class at 9:10 a.m.

After classes, he starts his homework. Next, he might have a captains’ meeting for the football team. Throw in another meal or two and an afternoon workout, and there is a typical day for Bill Gerdes at McDaniel College.

In the off-season.

Gerdes, however, doesn’t mind his schedule, which other college students might consider exhausting. Originally from Old Bridge, New Jersey, Gerdes attended Colts Neck High School and was very involved. Not only did he play lacrosse and run track, but he committed himself to dozens of hours of community service annually. He was also the company commander of the naval ROTC program.

Gerdes understood in high school that his first priority in school was academics. Being involved in extracurricular activities was considered a privilege in his household. “My parents made it clear that being the best student I can be was more important than trying to make it to the NFL” says Gerdes.

Gerdes plans to graduate with a degree in business administration. His professor of accounting, Susan Milstein, suggests that Gerdes’ hard work has earned the respect of his teachers and his classmates.

“Billy is always paying attention, unless a pretty girl walks into the classroom,” jokes Milstein. She notes that he rarely, if ever, misses class for a football-related activity and that football never seems to distract him from his work.

While his professors may not see him sweat, Gerdes does feel the pressure of performing in the classroom and on the field at times. “There will be days when I have two practices, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and in between that I’ll have two quizzes or a presentation. It can get a little crazy at times, but that’s when I know I have to come through in the clutch for my teammates, my parents, my teachers, and myself.”

To make things easier for himself and other college athletes, Gerdes says he would like to see the scheduling of classes changed. Early classes would leave more time in the afternoon and evening for things other than sports, such as homework, food, and leisure time.

McDaniel finished with a 5-5 record this season, its most wins since 2006. Gerdes says a conference championship would cement a successful career as a defensive lineman for the Terror. He lists three things as his essentials to accomplish his goal: “commitment, hard work and perseverance… both on and off the field.” Junior Michael Ford, a fellow defensive lineman, notes that Gerdes’ work ethic makes up for his lack of natural abilities.

“He may not be the tallest or fastest defensive lineman we have, but he is the hardest working. Eventually, that dedication is going to pay off.” It already has paid in the classroom, as demonstrated by Gerdes’ 3.1 GPA.

Does Gerdes take pride in the notion that he has earned the respect of his teammates, coaches, teachers and friends? “Not exactly,” says Gerdes. “I appreciate how other people view my work ethic, but if I get too complacent with where I am now I will stop progressing.” Gerdes recognizes that since high school, his mother would give him academic goals for each marking period. If he got anything lower than a B for two consecutive periods in the same class, he would have to stop playing sports.

“I think it really stuck with me, to be a student before an athlete. It’s just become a habit.” Just as habitual as waking up at 5:30 every morning.

Kelly Toms

Contributor

Though Sarah Byron only stands five feet two, she is looked up to by many of her peers, teammates, and even her elders because of her successful involvement on the McDaniel College campus and in the Westminster community.

Byron is a 2007 graduate of Winters Mill High School in Westminster. When deciding where she was going to attend college, McDaniel was one of her top choices. Unlike most eighteen year olds, Byron chose McDaniel because it was close to home and a school where she would have the opportunity to continue her volleyball career. These two reasons, as well as academics, were high on Byron’s priority list because family and sports are two things she holds close to her heart. Byron is the second oldest of four in her family. Having two younger siblings is what stimulates Byron’s efforts to be a role model for her younger brother and sister.

Though Byron is looked up to by many she owes a lot of her success to her parents. Her mom is her biggest fan and supporter. A diligent work ethic was instilled in Byron at a young age by her parents. She carried this hardworking attitude throughout her junior and high school years as she won many academic and athletic awards which included second team all conference for volleyball, county champs for cheerleading and she was always on the honor roll.

As Byron entered college she was ready to take on anything this new transition threw at her. With confidence, she entered the McDaniel College volleyball tryouts with high hopes of making the team, but she did not make it her freshman year. After this minor setback, Byron was “heartbroken,” she explained, but didn’t let it stop her from getting involved on campus. Because of her size and experience, as soon as the cheerleading squad heard that Byron was not playing volleyball they asked her to be on the team, which she accepted and was a cheerleader for both the fall and spring semesters of her freshman year.

In Byron’s eyes, while she missed playing volleyball it gave her more free time to branch out and meet new people, many of whom were involved in Greek life. In spring of 2008 Byron joined the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority which has become a huge part of her life. Most of the girls who persuaded Byron to consider joining a sorority were already Greek and were also part of her cheerleading squad. Byron explained that she decided to join a sorority because, “I joined Greek life because I saw how much fun the ladies already actively involved in sororities were having. Greek life holds a strong presence on our campus and it always stood out to me,” she said with a sparkle in her eye.

Byron’s love for her sorority shines through her leadership roles in the chapter which include, Scribe and Chapter Excellence Chairman and her biggest achievement was when she was elected Archon (President) for the 2010- 2011 school year. Making this one decision to join a Greek organization has led to good things for Byron, including intramural softball, Student Alumni Council, Order of Omega and Alpha Kappa Delta.

As well as on campus, Byron has a part- time job in Westminster at Bj’s Company, where she works thirty to forty hours a week. Also, Byron’s determination led her to try out for the McDaniel volleyball team again, which she made and currently holds a starting position on.

Maggie Fennelly, a freshman on the volleyball was “amazed” when she heard about Byron’s college volleyball experience. Fennelly describes Byron’s decision to try out for the volleyball team for the second time as, “triumphant and gutsy,” and she feels the reason why Byron is so successful in life is because she never gives up.

Many may wonder how Byron makes being involved in so much and achieving academic success look so easy. But, that is not always the case, she explains “I think this really shows how being involved can enhance your academic performance as well as how much Phi Sigma Sigma encourages academic success. So, while stress does exist due to my involvement I would say that is always manageable,” she said. Byron believes that “organization is key” when being involved in so much.

Some strategies she uses to keep herself organized include making a lot of to-do lists, daily plans and she uses her agenda effectively and keeps all of her due dates and events in one location as an easy reference.

Byron’s involvement and time management skills are seen by many who she spends time with, one person in particular is her sorority chapter key advisor, Rachelle Seeds. Seeds describes Byron as, “Enthusiastic, energized and a leader” and is impressed with all she does. Seeds also feels that Byron’s ability to be a team player on the volleyball court carries on to her success in the sorority, in her academics and will help her in the future,

“Being involved in so many different activities on campus will help Sarah in the future to balance the responsibilities of life,” Seeds explains. Though Byron is small in size, she does big things here on the McDaniel campus.

Ben Grant

Staff Reporter

As the sun rises over McDaniel campus, weary students stir. Still bleary-eyed after a late night of studying or partying, they emerge from their covers to face the day. Many are thinking of the next class or social event, but some students are preparing for a day with an extra responsibility: they are a part of the work-study force.

Freshman Zack Rickman does not work in a peaceful library or an office answering telephones. When he reports for duty, Rickman will be facing bouncing balls, flying pucks, flailing bodies and possibly hot tempers. Rickman is an intramural sports referee.

“The funniest thing that ever happened to me was also the scariest, when a hockey puck was deflected right at my face during a game,” Rickman recalls.

Rickman went to high school in Towson, Maryland where he played in the outfield for his baseball team. He enjoys watching baseball as much as playing it.

Rickman didn’t feel he was good enough to play baseball in college, but wanted to continue to have sports as part of his daily life. When he searched the list of available jobs to meet his financial aid requirement of work-study, he was intrigued by the opening for intramural ref.

“Once I saw intramural sports ref, I knew the job was for me,” he says. “I applied and got the job without even knowing what sports I would have to ref. I assumed just softball, because it is similar to baseball, and maybe basketball, because I have played that.”

As it turned out, Rickman found himself refereeing intramural football and outdoor soccer in the fall, basketball and hockey in the winter, and softball, volleyball and indoor soccer in the spring.

Rickman also participates in intramural basketball. This year his team made it into the second round of the playoffs before losing.

“He is a decent player, has a nice all-around game and clearly understands the game of basketball. But if he would stop playing and just ref, then I wouldn’t have to ref his games,” laughs Jimmy Gibbons, a fellow freshman referee.

“I worked soccer, basketball and football games with Zack so far, “Gibbons says. “Some refs figure that because it is only intramurals the games don’t really matter, but Zack always paid attention and got the call right.”

Asked if he ever missed a call, Rickman says, “I have never missed a call that would have affected the outcome of a game. I may miss a small foul or something, but no one is perfect. I can only call what I see.”

Freshman Dan Lamond, a soccer player, recalls an instance where “I went in for a loose ball and I got elbowed pretty hard in the nose… It turned out my nose was broken. I feel if my nose was broken, then I was probably fouled. I realize it wasn’t his fault and every other game I think Zack did a fine job. But my nose was broken. Calling a foul was the least he could do.”

When asked about this event, Rickman answers, “The ball was kicked downfield and so I followed the ball. I did not see Dan get elbowed. It is unfortunate it happened that way, but that’s part of refereeing. You can’t see everything.”

“He handled the situation as best as can be expected; he stopped the game and got Dan to the sidelines, which is why we have referees for soccer and football,” says Scott Singleton, head of intramural sports.

“The other sports aren’t really contact, so the refs don’t do much besides set up the equipment and make sure the right teams play each other. But in this situation it was good we had referees who could step in and handle the situation. I have seen Zack ref a few football games and he did a fine job. I expect to see him again next year.”

When Rickman was asked if he would do the job next year, he responds, “In a second!” He continues, “I get to work a lot of games and make a lot of money, which is very nice. It is also a great way to meet other students who like sports. It is just a great job and I am shocked more people don’t do it.”

Matt Bodnar

Staff Reporter

Baseball

With two weeks remaining in their season, the baseball squad has a record of 3-9 in Centennial Conference play and is 7-13 overall. Despite the lack of wins, there have been several success stories thus far. Freshman pitcher Zack Jones was named Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 22-28. In that week, Jones recorded a win against Dickinson throwing seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts. For the season, the freshman is 2-1 with a 3.03 ERA and 30 strikeouts. Offensively, senior Russell Coover reached a milestone in McDaniel’s victory over Washington on April 9. In that game, Coover tied the program’s career hit leader and ultimately claimed the record with a game-winning hit. For his career, Coover has 135 hits with 10 games left to play. For the year, he his hitting .329 with 14 runs scored and a team-high 28 RBIs.

Women’s Lacrosse

With three games remaining on the schedule, the women’s lacrosse team has a 2-4 record in Conference play and an 8-5 record overall. Senior Brittany Baer has been the story throughout the year, and broke into the record books once more in the victory over Washington on April 13. Having already claimed the program record for draws won, Baer scored 6 goals against the Shorewomen to claim the record for career goals scored. On the season, Baer has 44 goals and 8 assists. Fellow senior Sarah Mintz has been distributing the ball nicely throughout the year and has a team-high 21 assists to go along with 9 goals.

Men’s Lacrosse

With three games remaining on the year, the men’s lacrosse team finds themselves in third place in the Centennial Conference with a 3-2 (6-5 overall) record. On April 10, the men claimed an important victory over Muhlenberg 11-6. Sophomore D.J. Rickels led the way with 5 goals. Senior Gibbs Preston added 2 goals to the tally. Rickels was named Conference Player of the Week for the week of March 29-April 4. During that week, Rickels led the team to victory over Swarthmore with 6 goals and 2 assists. For the season, he has a team-high 33 goals to go with 8 assists. In addition, he has four of McDaniel’s five game-winning goals.

Softball

On the year, the softball squad has an overall record of 11-17. For the week of March 22-28, sophomore Erinne Warrenfeltz was named Conference Player of the Week. This marked the second week in a row the sophomore was player of the week. For the second week, Warrenfeltz hit .700 with 1 home run. She had a .833 OBP and slugging percentage of 1.300. For the year, Warrenfeltz is hitting .418 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs. On the mound, she sports 2 wins and 25 strikeouts. Fellow sophomore Hope Battista is hitting .384 with 28 hits and 19 RBIs. Freshman pitcher Ashley Meister leads the club with 6 wins on the year, boasting a 3.53 ERA.

Tennis

Senior Jaime Latham has stood out so far this year with 3 single match wins and 5 doubles match wins. Fellow senior Kristen Shavirov has added 5 wins in singles and doubles matches. The men’s squad has posted a 4-7 overall record with senior Dan Hovorka leading the way. On the season, he has four wins. Joining Hovorka with 4 wins are juniors Ben Faber and Justin Ward.

Gregory Nolen

Staff Reporter

“That’s a win for the family.” CBS commentator Jim Nantz told the television audience as Phil Mickelson birdied the 72nd and final hole to secure his win at the 74th Masters Tournament at Augusta National on April 11.

Overshadowed earlier in the week by Tiger Woods’ return to the game, Mickelson’s win ended an arduous 11-month personal journey that began in May with devastating news and ended Sunday with the ultimate triumph.

Last May, Mickelson’s wife, Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer. The stunning diagnosis put Phil’s golf future in question. Driven by emotion, Phil finished second at the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black in New York.

That wasn’t the worst of it. In July, Phil’s mother Mary was also diagnosed with breast cancer. After this diagnosis, Phil skipped the 2009 Open Championship to be with his mother while she underwent surgery. After returning in August, Phil wasted no time when he won the Tour Championship in September to finish the season 2nd behind Tiger Woods.

At Augusta, Phil trailed Lee Westwood by 5 strokes after 12 holes in the third round and seemed on his way to yet another runner-up finish in a major. After closing to within one stroke by the end of Saturday thanks to the help of two consecutive eagles and four birdies, Phil shot a 67 on Sunday without a single bogey, securing his third green jacket and the most memorable victory of his career.

After his winning birdie, Phil and Amy engaged in a tearful, memorable embrace that won the hearts of everyone who watched the tournament in person or on television, and will not soon be forgotten.

While Tiger’s return was one of the stories of the weekend, Phil Mickelson’s win, and embrace of his wife, will be why most fans remember the 2010 Masters.