Friday, May 2, 2014

First Pitch

Exams are upon us, meaning that foot traffic to Summerall Chapel has probably increased.

Our first salute goes to soccer/track and field standout Nicole Levermann and wrestler Turtogtokh Luvsandorj were named the Female and Male Athletes of the Year during the Athletics Department's 3^rd Annual Awards Banquet on Monday night.  We also honored each sports most valuable player and top academic performer (except baseball, which continues until the end of the month).

Speaking of the baseball team, action continues this weekend by hosting rival Wofford at 4 pm Friday, 3 pm Saturday (changed from 2 pm) and 1 pm Sunday.  We hope to see you at beautiful Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park as the Bulldogs make a run to improve their seeding in the Southern Conference Tournament. 

Speaking of the tournament (which is at Riley Park May 20-25), we encourage you to be a patron and will ask you to check it out at http://www.soconsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4000&ATCLID=208851861.

We also salute rifleman Richard Hunton as he participated in the 2014 USA Shooting National Junior Olympic Championships that were held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

And finally, we acknowledge those track and field athletes that earned All-Southern Conference recognition at last week's outdoor championships in addition to those that noted school records and/or personal bests.

As you've come to expect, we have another solid issue full of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!

Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, Nicole Levermann Named Citadel Athletes of the Year

Turtogtokh Luvsandorj and Nicole Levermann were named the Male and Female Athletes of the Year at The Citadel's annual awards banquet held on Monday evening at the Holliday Alumni Center. 

Luvsandorj is not only one of the top wrestlers in Citadel history, he is also among the best to compete in the Southern Conference. He became the fourth wrestler in school history to earn All-America honors, defeating three top-seeded opponents en route to a sixth-place finish at 165 pounds at the NCAA championships in March.

The native of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, set a school record with 134 career wins, including 39 his senior season when he went 14-0 in dual matches and won nine matches against nationally-ranked opponents.

He qualified for the NCAA meet all four years, captured two SoCon titles and was twice selected the league's wrestler of the year, becoming the first Citadel athlete to receive that award on two occasions.

Levermann starred in both track and field and soccer for the Bulldogs. This past weekend she capped off a memorable track and field career by taking second in the heptathlon and sixth in the javelin at the SoCon outdoor meet in Spartanburg.

At this year's indoor meet, the New Braunfels, Texas, native was third in the pentathlon, and she holds the school record in that event as well as the indoor high jump and 55 hurdles. She scored in a total of 12 events at SoCon indoor and outdoor meets over the past four years, including three times each in the pentathlon and heptathlon.

On the soccer field, she played in 70 games in her career with 55 starts and ranks fifth in school history with 17 goals, sixth with 39 points and tied for 10th with five assists. She was named to the All-SoCon team as a freshman in 2010.

Also presented on Monday were a team MVP and academic award for each of The Citadel's 14 sports and three special awards selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Baseball
MVP: TBD at conclusion of season
Academic: Drew DeKerlegand 

Basketball
MVP: Ashton Moore
Academic: P.J. Horgan 

Men's Cross Country
MVP: Raeven Lantz
Academic: Paul Fleckenstein 

Women's Cross Country
MVP: Danielle McKee
Academic: Kristen Kessinger 

Football
MVP: Brandon McCladdie
Academic: Eric Goins 

Golf
MVP: Eraina Manor
Academic: Kellie Anderson 

Men's Rifle
MVP: Richard Hunton and Robert Jackson
Academic: Michael Chen 

Women's Rifle
MVP: Teddi Haliscak
Academic: Jennifer Burch 

Soccer
MVP: Lea Raedle
Academic: Karina Schneider 

Tennis
MVP and Academic: Elliott Speer 

Men's Track and Field
MVP: Jamaal Brantley
Academic: Walker Mook 

Women's Track and Field
MVP: Nicole Levermann
Academic: Savannah Emmrich 

Volleyball
MVP: Lauren Hurt
Academic: Amanda Rudnik 

Wrestling
MVP: Aaron Walker
Academic: Michael Nelems 

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Awards
Courage Award: Joaquin Marquez (Wrestling)
Hero Award: Geno Porter (Track and Field)
Professor of the Year: Maryann Borysowicz (Psychology)

Hunton Cards Impressive Scores at 2014 National Junior Olympic Championships

Junior marksmen Richard Hunton fired impressive marks in both the 10m air rifle and 50m three-position events at the 2014 USA Shooting National Junior Olympic Championships held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hunton, who led the Bulldog rifle team with an air rifle average of 574.8 during 2013-14, carded a two-day 10m air rifle score of 1183.5 to take 67^th place out of 105 of the nation's top competitors.

The Columbia native fired a 595.9 on the first day before finishing up with 587.6 on the second day of air rifle competition.

In the 50m three-position event, Hunton took 46^th place out of 67 shooters with a total score of 2,207. He scored a 1,097 on the first day before improving his mark on day two with a 1,110.

Hunton was also recently named to the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association's Academic All-American team for the third time in his career.

Diamond Dogs Take Furman Series; Host Wofford in Weekend Series

On Sunday Furman scored four times in the sixth to snap a 4-4 tie, and the Paladins held on for an 8-6 victory over The Citadel in the final game of a Southern Conference series at Riley Park. The Bulldogs had chances to pull out the win and complete a weekend sweep. In the seventh, Bo Thompson's deep drive to left center was caught at the wall, and Hughston Armstrong was caught in a rundown between third and home on a double by Tyler Griffin.

The Citadel cut its deficit in half in the eighth. A walk to Drew DeKerlegand and singles by Johnathan Stokes and Calvin Orth loaded the bases with nobody out against reliever Alex Abrams, but the Bulldogs had to settle for two runs on a pair of ground outs. Abrams then set down The Citadel in order in the ninth.

Austin Livingston took the loss as he surrendered 11 hits and all eight Furman runs while fanning six in 5.1 innings. The Citadel bullpen kept the Bulldogs in the game with 3.2 shutout innings including a pair of scoreless frames by Zach Lavery, who struck out two. Johnathan Stokes led a 13-hit Citadel attack with three hits, and five Bulldogs had two

On Saturday, Armstrong capped a seesaw game with a two-run homer in the eighth and propelled The Citadel a 10-9 victory over Furman and its first Southern Conference series win of the year. The Bulldogs won their third in a row but had to overcome deficits of 4-1, 6-5 and 9-8 in their final four times at bat. The game saw five lead changes between the fifth and eighth innings before Skylar Hunter slammed the door shut in the ninth to secure the victory.

The Paladins scored three times in the seventh and took a 9-8 lead on a two-run single. Still trailing by one in the eighth, Ryan Kilgallen drew a leadoff walk and was at second with two outs when Armstrong launched his second career home run over the wall in right. The Armstrong homer, his first since going deep against East Tennessee State on April 17, 2013, made a winner of David Rivera, the seventh of eight Bulldog pitchers. Rivera earned his first win of the year with a scoreless eighth.

Mason Davis had three hits including two doubles and drove in three runs for The Citadel while Bo Thompson joined Armstrong with two RBI. Thompson knocked in a pair with a double that capped a four-run fifth which erased a 4-1 Furman lead. Singles by Kilgallen and Davis drove in runs in the bottom of the sixth that helped put The Citadel back ahead, 8-6, before Furman took its final lead of the afternoon an inning later.

On Friday, Orth scored on a single down the first base line by Davis with two outs in the eighth, giving The Citadel a 5-4 victory over Furman in the opening game. Orth led off the winning rally with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice by Kilgallen. Bret Hines launched a fly ball to center, and Orth just beat the throw to third, putting him in position to score when Davis' smash bounced away from the Furman first baseman.

The run made a winner of Zach Lavery, the second time in as many games that the redshirt freshman picked up a victory out of the bullpen. He came in with two Paladins on and one out in the top of eighth and escaped the jam, keeping the game tied at 4. After the Bulldogs took the lead, closer Hunter worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his ninth save of the year. The sophomore increased his career save total to 22, tying Tom Martin for fifth place in school history.

Logan Cribb started for The Citadel and worked six solid innings, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out three. He left with a 4-2 lead before Furman scored twice in the seventh including a game-tying single by off Rivera. The Citadel jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when Hines doubled to bring in Orth and then scored on a two-out bunt single by Armstrong.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Track and Field Completes Action at SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The track and field teams wrapped up a successful weekend at the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Spartanburg. On the men's side, the Bulldogs scored the second-most points in Citadel history, finishing fourth overall with 91 points. The women's team finished in eighth place with 23 points, falling just five points shy of sixth place and three points out of fifth.

Jamaal Brantley flew past his competitors in the 200 meters to bring home the crown with a personal-best time of 21.59 and moved into No. 5 in school history. Brantley came in second in the 100m, clocking in at 10.51 to match his personal-best time.

Brantley, Kevin Poland, Tevin Williams and Eddie Jones ran their season-best time of 41.66 in the 4x100m to finish fourth while the 4x400m relay team of Brantley, Poland, Williams and Darrell Hayden finished fourth with a 3:18. Williams also placed eighth in the 400m, crossing the finish line at 49.46.

Nicole Levermann paced The Citadel women, finishing the heptathlon in second place with 4,675 points to earn all-conference accolades. Levermann shattered The Citadel heptathlon javelin record by more than 10 feet with a throw of 125'05".

In men's field events, Dylan Gidado threw a career-best mark of 51'1.75" in the shot put to finish third and moved into eighth place in program history. In the discus, The Citadel had all four athletes score points. Geno Porter placed fourth with a career-best heave of 142'6" while Ian VanderGulik finished right behind him in fifth place with a toss of 141'6". Gidado recorded another personal-best mark of 139'10" to finish sixth and Richard Bertrand posted his career-best toss of 134'5" to place eighth. 

Ian Aikman scored 5,307 to take fifth overall in the decathlon and moved into sixth place in program history. Mick Noel placed sixth in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6'4", while Jackson Nosbisch also jumped 6'4" to earn his season-best mark and finish ninth. Valian Brown finished in seventh in the triple jump with a leap of 44'4".

The women's 4x100m team of Sarah Johnson, Emani Little, Alex Moss and Tanisha Bethel set a new Citadel record with a mark of 48.01 to finish fifth while the same relay team took seventh in the 4x400m with a 3:54.4 to move into second place all-time. 

On the championships' first day, Clay Allen and Capers Williamson placed first and second in the javelin, respectively, as Allen heaved it 210'03" to win his first conference championship while Williamson threw the javelin 209'04" to move himself into second place in program history. In his first two years throwing the javelin, Williamson has now placed twice earning SoCon accolades. Allen and Williamson both earned all-conference honors for their finishes. 

Eddie Jones nabbed second place in the long jump with a leap of 23'10" and earned all-conference honors while David Melton finished in fourth place in the pole vault and posted his season best, clearing the bar at 15'07". Geno Porter and Dylan Gidado finished in sixth and eighth place in the hammer throw, heaving the hammer 153'4" which moves him into eighth all-time and 144'08", respectively. 

Andi Love threw her personal best in the hammer with a 141'05", moving into No. 5 all-time and finished in fourth in the javelin with a mark of 128'06" to improve her own Citadel record. Levermann placed sixth in the javelin with a toss of 113'08". Sarah Johnson and Emani Little both recorded personal-best times and clocked in at 57.5 and 57.71 in the 400m while Tanisha Bethel crossed the finish line at 12.31 in the 100m.

Bethel also posted a time of 24.94 in the 200m. Jess DeWitte recorded her personal best and improved her No. 2 time in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 11:45.46.

The Samford men and women's teams claimed both the men's and women's titles. The Bulldog men finished with a total of 207 points while the women scored a total of 166.5 points. 

Men's Team Results 

1. Samford                  207

2. Western Carolina    204

3. Appalachian State   165.5

4. The Citadel                         91

5. Furman                    55

6. Chattanooga            52

7. Davidson                 31.5

T-8. UNCG                 5

T-8. Wofford              5

Women's Team Results

1. Samford                  166.5

2. Western Carolina    155

3. Elon                         131

4. Appalachian State   126

5. Georgia Southern    117.5

6. Davidson                 28

7. Chattanooga            26

8. The Citadel                         23

9. UNCG                    20

10. Wofford                15

11. Furman                  10

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Summer Sports Camps at The Citadel

Are you looking for something for your children/grandchildren to do this summer?  Consider attending a sports camp that is offered by our coaches:

Baseball                      

June 20-22                   Father/Son                  

June 23-26                   Day Camp                  

June 25                        Prospect Camp           

June 26-29                   Team Camp                

Basketball                  

June 16-20                   Individual Camp                    

June 20-21                   Team Camp                

August 4-8                  Individual Camp                    

Football                      

June 7                          Evening Camp

June 8                          Day Camp                  

July 19                         Evening Camp

July 20                         Day Camp      

Soccer

June 9-12                     Day Camp 1               

June 16-19                   Day Camp 2               

June 23-26                   Day Camp 3                           

Tennis

June 8-13                     Day Camp

Wrestling                    

July 5-12                     Multiple             

Captain Paluso named as new Commandant for the S. C. Corps of Cadets

U.S. Navy Captain Eugene F. Paluso will be the new commandant for the S.C. Corps of Cadets. Paluso graduated from The Citadel in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He is currently a U.S. Navy SEAL officer on active duty as the commander of the Naval Special Warfare Group Three at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  The group consists of 700 specialized SEAL and fleet personnel. Paluso will retire from the Navy after serving for approximately 25 years, before taking his post as commandant.

During his career, Paluso has held leadership roles commanding special operations forces in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan.  He has led men and women in combat at all levels. His service awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (2), Joint Commendation Medal (2), Navy Commendation Medal (5), Joint Achievement Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.

Bulldog Business Partners

The Citadel Brigadier Foundation has once again begun the "Bulldog Business Partners" for the 2013-14 academic year this is the list of those participating:

• All-American Awards
• Allstate - Kevin Shealy Agency
• Tommy Condon's Irish Pub & Seafood Restaurant
• East Bay Deli
• Kickin' Chicken
• Moe's Crosstown Tavern
• Moe's Southwest Grill
• Palmetto Brewery
• Radiate Technologies
• Sleep Inn – Mt. Pleasant
• Triangle Char & Bar
• Wilson & Quirk, CPA

We encourage you to please stop by and thank our supporters.  If you want more information on how your business can partner with The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, please call us at 843/953-5277.

Upcoming Birthdays

May 7              Andy Solomon                        Administration

May 8              Robby Bennett                        Administration

May 23            Al Buddin                               Administration

May 31            Tripp Weaver                          Football

Keep Up With Citadel Athletics

For the latest on all athletic events and giveaways, visit the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of The Citadel Athletics at www.facebook.com/citadelbulldogs and at www.twitter.com/citadelsports.  Also, the baseball and football teams now have their own Twitter accounts at www.twitter.com/citadelbaseball and www.twitter.com/citadelfootball.  Follow them today!

Upcoming Events

May 7              St. Matthews/Orangeburg/Holly Hill Citadel Club outing

May 12            Columbia/Lexington/Chapin/Camden Citadel Club outing

May 13            Charlotte Citadel Club (lunch); Rock Hill Citadel Club outing

May 15            Greenwood Citadel Club outing

May 16            Greenville/Anderson/Spartanburg/Greer Citadel Club outing

May 20-25       Southern Conference Baseball Tournament @Riley Park

May 22            Florence/Darlington/Lake City/Kingstree Citadel Club outing

May 29            Chester/Winnsboro Citadel Club outing

June 3              Beaufort Citadel Club outing

June 5              Savannah Citadel Club outing

Have a Friend Who Might Be Interested?

Today's Blue & White is the sister publication of the The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation that is printed monthly.  In order to receive the printed version, one has to be a member of TCBF.  However, we've opened Today's Blue & White to anyone and everyone who has a computer and who is interested in activities of TCBF and, of course, The Citadel's Department of Athletics.  Today's Blue & White is free.  All one has to do is sign up is to click on this link:  http://www.citadelsports.com/list-signup

Today's Blue & White is the official electronic publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, Inc. with its office located at The Citadel, McAlister Field House, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC  29409 (office 843/953-5277).

Publishers……………...Jerry Baker & Larry Leckonby

Editor…………………Andy Solomon

Layout/Distribution…...Brian Gargone