August 22, 2005

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ROLLINS ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

*** CHANGES/NEW FACES IN ROLLINS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

*** TARS NEAR THE TOP IN VOLLEYBALL, MEN'S SOCCER AND WOMEN'S SOCCER SSC POLLS

***MEN'S GOLFER DAN WALTERS COMPETES IN U.S. AMATEUR

***WOMEN'S GOLF RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST BY GOLF DIGEST

***LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2005-06 SPORTS SEASON

WEEKLY ATHLETIC SCHEDULE Fri. August 26 – Volleyball hosts Rollins/Champions Sports Invitational – Alfond S.C. – All Day Game 1 - 11: 00 - Valdosta St. vs. Edinboro Game 2 – 1:15 – Wisconsin-Parkside vs. West Alabama Game 3 – 3:30 – Rollins vs. Valdosta St . Game 4 – 5:45 – West Alabama vs. Edinboro Game 5 – 8:00 – Rollins vs. Wisconsin-Parkside Fri. August 26 – Men's Soccer vs. Fla. Tech – Cahall-Sandspur Field at Barker Family Stadium – 7 p.m. Sat. August 27 – Volleyball hosts Rollins/Champions Sports Invitational – Alfond S.C. – All Day Game 6 – 10:00 - West Alabama vs. Valdosta St . Game 7 – 12:15 - Wisconsin-Parkside vs. Edinboro Game 8 – 2:30 - Rollins vs. West Alabama Game 9 – 4:45 – Wisconsin-Parkside vs. Valdosta St . Game 10 – 7:00 – Rollins vs. Edinboro Sat. August 27 – Men's Soccer vs. Thomas – Cahall-Sandspur Field at Barker Family Stadium – 7 p.m. Sat. August 27 – Women's Soccer at Flagler – St. Augustine , Fla. – 7 p.m.

ROLLINS COLLEGE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Coming August 29 th

 

CHANGES/NEW FACES IN ROLLINS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

 

ROLLINS NAMES PENNIE PARKER INTERIM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

 

Rollins College has appointed current Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator Pennie Parker as the interim Athletic Director effective July 1. She takes over for Phil Roach, Director of Physical Education & Athletics, who is retiring after 13 years at the College.

 

“I'm very excited for the opportunity to lead the department while we search for a new Athletic Director,” said Parker. “Phil has built one of the strongest departments in the nation and I look forward to maintaining the current level of excellence in this time of transition.”

 

Parker has been with Rollins since May 2002, serving as Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator. She handles compliance for the Tars 21 varsity sports as well as assisting with the day to day operations of the department. Prior to coming to Rollins, Parker worked as the Director of Compliance at Florida State and Assistant Director of Compliance at her alma mater, the University of Georgia

 

ROLLINS COLLEGE TAPS JON SJOGREN AS HEAD BASEBALL COACH

Rollins College interim Athletic Director Pennie Parker has announced the hiring of Jon Sjogren, PhD., as the new head coach of the Rollins baseball team. He will take the helm of the Tars program August 1, replacing Bob Rikeman who resigned last month.

 

“We are very excited to have Jon join the Rollins athletic staff,” Parker said. “He is committed to the development of student-athletes both academically and athletically, which mirrors the philosophy of Rollins Athletics. The Rollins College baseball program is one of the best in Division II and we are confident that Jon will continue this strong tradition.”

 

Sjogren has served as the head baseball coach at Bryant University in Smithfield , Rhode Island for the past 15 years, building the Bulldogs into one of the premier teams in New England . He compiled a career record of 360-305-1 with Bryant, including a victory over Rollins in the opening game of the 2004 Division II World Series. Sjogren was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year four times and has coached five players who earned All-America honors. His teams have won three Northeast-10 Conference championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1998, 2002 and 2004.

 

“I am very thrilled about coming to Rollins,” said Sjogren. “Rollins is one of the best academic schools in the South and has accomplished a great deal of success in athletics. There is a great group of players coming back and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to lead them as they achieve their goals both on and off the field. The baseball team has made huge strides in recent years and I look forward to continuing in those efforts.”   

 

Sjogren played for Florida Southern in 1985 before transferring to Bryant for the remainder of his career. With the Bulldogs from 1986-88, he established himself as one of the best players in the history of the program, garnering All-New England and all-conference honors, while posting a career batting average of .370.

 

After graduation, Sjogren spent two years as an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island before returning to take over the Bryant program in 1990. He earned a master's degree from Rhode Island College in 1993 and a doctorate in education from Boston University in 1998.

 

Rollins has advanced to the NCAA Tournament three out of the last four years and won the Sunshine State Conference title in 2004. Last season, the Tars posted a record of 37-18 and were bounced out of the NCAA South Region Tournament by Tampa and eventual national champion Florida Southern.

 

JOHN PORTLAND HIRED AS TARS OPERATIONS MANAGER

John Portland joins the Rollins Athletics staff as the department's new Operations Manager. A native of State College , Pennsylvania , Portland previously served as the Events Intern with Florida Citrus Sports in Orlando . He assisted with all aspects of FCS's seven major events, including the Champs Sports Bowl and Capital One Bowl college football games.

Portland graduated from Penn State in 2001 with a B.S. in Business before earning his Masters in Higher Education from PSU in 2004. He also served as the graduate assistant for the Nittnay Lions football team while pursuing his master's degree.   

Portland oversees operations at each of Rollins' athletic facilities, including the Alfond Sports Center , while also handling promotions and sponsorship.

 

ROLLINS HIRES PAIR OF SPORTS INFORMATION ASSISTANTS  

Rollins College has added two new faces to their athletic department.   Allyson Hunt and Chris Cornell have been hired as Assistant Sports Information Directors for the upcoming sports year, announced Sports Information Director Nate Weyant. Hunt will be the primary contact for men's and women's soccer in the fall, women's basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring.   Cornell will be the SID for volleyball this fall, men's basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring.   

Cornell is a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida .   While completing his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from UCF, Chris worked as a campus broadcaster for radio and television covering volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball for the Golden Knights.   Chris also interned with WKMG, with Todd Lewis and Scott Engels in the sports department as their first ever sports intern.   He originally hails from Illinois but has been a Central Florida resident for the past three years.

 

Hunt is fresh out of finishing her MBA degree with specialty in sports management at Florida Atlantic University .   While studying at FAU, she also worked at the University of Miami 's Sports Information Office.   In addition, Allyson interned with the Florida Panthers hockey franchise for their media relations department.   She originally hails from Washington D.C. , but has been a Florida resident for two years.   Allyson finished her undergraduate work at Vanderbilt University where she studied Economics and minored in Business.

 

 

 

TARS VOLLEYBALL PICKED FOURTH IN SSC PRESEASON POLL

 

The Rollins College volleyball team was picked fourth in the 2005 Sunshine State Conference preseason poll, announced Commissioner Michael J. Marcil on Tuesday. The poll is conducted by each school's coach and sports information director. Rollins compiled 80 points and finished behind defending national champion Barry, Tampa and Florida Southern, who occupied the top three spots respectively.

 

Rollins ended 2004 with a fourth place finish in the conference, going 8-8 in their SSC tilt and 20-14 overall. Looking to lead the way for Rollins this season are All-SSC performers Julia Caner and Allison North. Caner led the Tars with 500 kills last season, the second best total in the conference. North was sixth in the SSC with a team high 0.95 blocks per game. Amy Barlow had a solid first season with the Tars, recording 3.02 kills per game and earning a spot on the SSC All-Freshman team.

 

Rollins opens the 2005 season with the Rollins College/Champion's Invitational August 26 and 27 in Winter Park . They then host a pair of matches Friday, September 2 before heading to the Florida Southern Invitational.

 

TARS TABBED SECOND IN SSC PRESEASON MEN'S SOCCER POLL

 

The defending Sunshine State Conference Champion Rollins men's soccer team received three first place votes and was picked second in the 2005 SSC preseason poll, announced Commissioner Michael J. Marcil on Tuesday. The poll is conducted by each school's coach and sports information director.

 

Lynn gathered 25 points and 13 first place votes to edge out Rollins, who came in with 50 points and three first place nods. Nova Southeastern came in third with 51 points followed by Barry with 60 points. Both schools each received one first place vote.

 

Rollins captured their first SSC regular season title in school history last year, going 6-1-1 in the SSC and 12-4-3 overall. The Tars finished the year ranked 13 th in the nation and first in the region. Rollins also hosted the conference tournament and the NCAA Division II South Region Championships last year, the first such feat in program history.

 

A group of talented scorers and a stingy defense make up the 2005 edition of Rollins soccer. Forward Chris Cerroni rolled up 10 goals and eight assists last year to lead Rollins with 28 points. Ryan Dodds was second on the team with five goals and two assists while Juan Kusnir tallied five goals and four assists.

 

Rollins' also returns first team All-American and SSC Defensive Player of the Year Daniell Robertson who anchors one of the best defenses in the nation. Robertson, along with defender David Dwyer and goalkeeper Jeffrey Rogers, allowed just 17 goals all of last year while pitching nine shutouts.

 

Rollins kicks off the season on Friday, August 26 at home against Florida Tech. Play is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in Winter Park .

 

ROLLINS WOMEN'S SOCCER SELECTED THIRD IN SSC PRESEASON POLL

 

The Rollins women's soccer team was tabbed third in the 2005 Sunshine State Conference preseason poll, announced Commissioner Michael J. Marcil on Tuesday. The poll is conducted by each school's coach and sports information director. Rollins picked up 72 points and finished behind perennial powerhouses Barry and Tampa , who took first and second respectively.

 

Rollins recorded their fourth straight double-digit win season in 2004, going 10-7-1 overall and 5-3 in the SSC. They advanced to the finals of the SSC Tournament a year ago, downing Barry in penalty kicks on their home turf before falling to Tampa 1-0.

 

Four of coach Tony Amato's top five scorers from last year return, headlined by first-team All-SSC forward Laura Guild. The senior had nine goals and two assists in 2004 and was 3-4 in penalty kicks. Junior Jacquelyn Parsons put up four goals and five assists while newcomer Jeri Ostuw recorded two goals and five assists last season. Goalkeeper Fran Nicoloso will once again look to have a stellar year as she allowed just 1.70 goals per game last season and posted four shutouts.

 

Rollins opens the season at Flagler College on Saturday, August 27 before traveling to Alabama-Huntsville and Montevallo on September 2 and September 4. The Tars first home game will be a Friday, September 9 tilt against West Florida .

 

 

MEN'S GOLFER DAN WALTERS QUALIFIES FOR U.S. AMATEUR

 

Dan Walters ( Lititz , Pa. ) will have to ask for someone save him a seat when classes begin August 22. The senior earned an extended summer vacation by qualifying for the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore , Pa. August 22-28. Walters earned a spot in the tournament by firing a 139 and taking third at his qualifier in Altoona , Pa. earlier in the summer.

 

Walters tees off at 1:36 Monday, August 22; his round can be followed live at http://www.usamateur.org/ . Following two days of stroke play, the top 64 scores of the 312 man field move on to a single elimination match-play tournament with round one beginning Wednesday, August 24. The first four rounds are 18-hole competitions with finals being decided over 36 holes.

 

NBC will carry the semi-final matches Saturday, August 27 from 4-6 p.m. and the final match on Sunday, August 28 from 4-6 p.m.

 

The prestigious tournament boasts such past champions as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

 

WOMEN'S GOLF RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST BY GOLF DIGEST

http://www.golfdigest.com/features/index.ssf?/features/gd200509collegegolf9.html

 

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2005-06

 

The 2005-06 Rollins College sports season promises to be another banner year as the Tars look to add another chapter to their storied athletic tradition.

 

The season kicks off late August with the volleyball and soccer seasons. The Tars men's soccer team will look to make it back-to-back Sunshine State Conference titles and advance to the NCAA South Region Tournament for the third straight year. Keith Buckley's squad returns the core of one of the stingiest defenses in the nation as they will look to defend home turf at the Barker Family Stadium at Cahall-Sandspur Field. A high-powered lineup returns for a women's soccer team that has recorded 10 or more wins in each of the past four seasons. A very potent offense and tough defense could send the Tars to the SSC Tournament finals for the second consecutive year. The volleyball team has high hopes in 2005 as they return every player from last season's 20-14 squad. The SSC is wide open this year and the Tars will look to continue their climb into the upper echelon of the conference. The water-ski team will be cutting up the waters of Lake Virginia as they will look to get back to championship form after a tough 2004 season due to the hurricanes. The Tars scored back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003 and established themselves as one of the best programs in the nation. The men's and women's tennis teams compete in the C.L. Varner Invitational during the fall season while the men's and women's golf teams, sailing and rowing teams each participate in Fall competitions to prepare for the spring season.

 

The winter sports season begins in late November with the swimming and basketball teams beginning their campaigns. The women's basketball squad has lofty expectations for the season as they return the heart of their 2004-05 SSC Tournament championship team. Head Coach Glenn Wilkes, Jr. has put together one of the best squads in his 20 year tenure and will look to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. The men's basketball team returns their top scorers from last season and will bring a fast paced, high flying game to Warden Arena this year. After a difficult 2004-05, the Tars are primed to reclaim the top spot in the SSC. The Rollins' swim teams are coming off their best seasons ever as they celebrate their 10 th year as a varsity sport in 2005. Both men's and women's squads were ranked in the top 20 nationally and had multiple swimmers reach NCAA qualifying standards.

 

A very busy spring season begins January with tennis, golf, sailing, rowing, softball and baseball all in action. The men's and women's tennis teams each reached the NCAA Tournament last season with the women advancing to the Southeast Region finals. Bev Buckley's women return their top players and are a contender to grab their first SSC championship. The men's team reloads for 2006 and will look to keep their streak of 39 straight NCAA appearances alive while winning their record 19 th SSC crown. The men's crew team dominated the varsity 4+ last season returns and many experienced, talented oarsman in 2006. The Tars established themselves as one of the best boats in the nation with a win at the SIRA Championships and third place at the Dad Vail Regattas last season. The sailing squadron had a very successful 2005, downing Division I schools on a regular basis to give them momentum going into 2006 as they will look to once again defend the home waters of Lake Virginia. The softball team has made Lake Island Park one of the toughest places to visit the past two years as they have enjoyed back to back 30+ win seasons. Stifling pitching and big bats on the Tars 2006 roster should once again make Rollins a contender for the SSC title. New baseball head coach Jon Sjogren inherits a young Tars squad with maybe the best all-around pitching staff in the South. Rollins will look to make their third straight trip to the NCAA post season as they advanced to the World Series in 2004 and South Region Tournament a year ago. The Rollins golf programs have enjoyed unprecedented success in recent years as the men took sixth at last season's NCAA Championships with the women bringing home the crown. Kyle Frakes returns all five players from last year's team that ran away with the South Region title, making the Tars an early contender for the national title. Dominate is the only word to describe the women's team as Rollins has won the last three NCAA Division II National titles by an average of 47 stokes. They reload for 2006 having lost only one player from a year ago while returning four All-Americans.

 

To follow the 2005-06 Tars and for the latest information on Rollins Athletics, visit www.rollins.edu/athletics .