A note from athletics director Phill Talavinia, talaviniap@bluffton.edu
Welcome to another installment of the athletics e-newsletter. The weather has turned beautiful and our athletics teams have been playing and performing at their best. Our softball team is at the top of the standings. We hope that they can bring home another HCAC Championship. The baseball team has been playing some competitive baseball that has resulted in a number of one or two run games. The track and field and men’s tennis teams have also enjoyed seeing these warmer days as they prepare for their respective championships.
The basketball season finished with the men making the conference semi-finals for the first time. Scott Bergman was voted the MVP of the Heartland Conference. The women’s team had two players voted to the honorable mention team, and we have just received word that Scott Bergman has been named All-American. Congratulations to Scott and all of the athletes selected for their achievements this past winter.
The football team has been participating in spring practice. We are allowed ten practices as we prepare for our cross-cultural trip (and game) in
The end of the semester and another school year are rapidly drawing to a close. I hope to see many of you at May Day or commencement. If I do not get to see you on graduation weekend, thank you for your support of Bluffton athletics past, present and future.
Baseball: Head Coach James Grandey, grandeyj@bluffton.edu
The Bluffton baseball team has dropped several closed contests this year in heartbreaking fashion. To date, we have lost ten games by two runs or less, including three extra inning games. The coaching staff feels that the close games show how much we have improved since last year. Once we learn how to finish the close games, we will have a pretty good team.
The highlight of the season to date is Jason Moore’s (
Recruiting continues to go well, although it is a bit more difficult now that we are in full swing of our season. We are still hitting the phones hard and trying to get out to see as many high school games as we can. As alumni, if you know of any great baseball players in your area, please pass their name(s) along to me so that we can share our program with them!
Men’s Basketball: Head Coach Guy Neal, nealg@bluffton.edu
The 2004-05 basketball season at Bluffton ended up being a very positive season in a number of ways. Below I have listed some of the highlights and accomplishments our team and players earned this season.
We capped off the 2004-2005 season with our annual basketball banquet on March 20th. At the banquet, the following players were recognized with special awards.
Top GPA on the Team – sophomore David Patch
Bluffton Ironman Award (for not missing a single practice all year) – Nathan Chivington, Scott Bergman, Darren Clark, Joe Duzan, Mike Anthony, David Patch, Ricky Reucher, Sam Seggerson and P.J. Juenger.
Most Charges Taken – Darren Clark
Most Improved Player – Eric Sweet
Most Consistent Player – Scott Bergman
The banquet also brought an end to the college basketball careers of two special young men, Nathan Chivington and Bryce Beilharz. Nathan and Bryce have served as two of our captains the last two years along with being very good players on the court. In the time I have been at Bluffton, I have been blessed with some outstanding leaders. Nathan and Bryce will go down as two of our best leaders ever! We will truly miss them next year and for years to come.
Now that the 2004-05 season is officially complete, were have turned our attention to preparation for next season. We believe that within a quality basketball PROGRAM everyone is always striving to be better and to improve. A single season is a short period of time within the big picture of a total program. Therefore, our players are working hard to finish up this semester on a positive note with their classes as-well-as being involved with our five week spring strength and conditioning program we call “Five Weeks of Commitment”. They are also playing open gym games each week along with working on their individual skills.
I enjoyed working with this group of young men. We have a group of guys put together who are good students, good players and who are really good people. We have great chemistry within our program at this time and we are all looking forward to next season. Thank you for your continued interest in our program and for your support.
Women’s Bball: Asst. Coach Jess Grandey, grandeyjg@bluffton.edu
The women’s basketball team is currently in their off-season, working hard in the weight room and on the court. The team’s off-season workouts find them preparing diligently for the upcoming 2005-06 season. We are excited to see the results from all of the hard work they are putting in now for next year.
The team volunteered at the Mennonite Memorial Home in March where they visited with the residents. The team also helped in activities with the Mennonite residents. The team plans on visiting the home once a month.
Cross Country/Track: Head Coach Janey Meeks, meeksj@bluffton.edu
The men’s and women’s track and field teams have now started the outdoor season. We have had two meets and both have gone well despite the cold, rainy and snowy conditions we faced at both these meets. However, the teams look on the bright side of things. Competing in these adverse conditions makes them mentally tough and gives them the confidence that they can perform well regardless of the conditions. Of course we would welcome some spring like weather and hope to see some in the near future!
Already the women’s 4x100m relay team has set a new school record. The team of Cindy Allan, Jana Hammer, Rita Muether and Amanda Habegger bettered the record they set in 2004. They have gotten off to a blistering start and it’s our hope they will continue to run fast times throughout the rest of the season. We have also had strong performances by several of the men. Sophomore Shandon North has had solid times in the 400m dash and Kevin Davis and Troy Baumer have posted very good times in the 400m hurdles. Davis and Baumer currently stand at first and second in the conference standings.
Both teams are continuing to work hard and are enthusiastic about the rest of the season. They have been competing well and have high expectations for the upcoming conference championships to be held on April 30, at
Football: Head Coach Greg Brooks, brooksg@bluffton.edu
Our April focus turns toward on-field football practices, continued weight lifting and
Helmets and shoulder pads will be the dress for each field practice with emphasis on teaching fundamental techniques and gaining a better knowledge conceptually of what we want done offensively and defensively.
Thirty eight (of our 60 upperclassmen) will then gain the cross-cultural credit while touring
Freshmen recruiting continues throughout April and May to field a team of approximately 100 players this fall. Hopes are high and the work continues along all fronts to ensure success in 2005!
Soccer: Head Coach Steve Smucker, smuckers@bluffton.edu
As the weather continues to improve, so do our skills! Both soccer teams have been training in their non-traditional seasons for the past three weeks. This is an excellent time for our athletes to test their skills that they have been working at while playing indoor soccer over the past several months in a “real outdoor context”. There is a great sense of anticipation as both teams prepare for their upcoming tournaments. The women will be playing at
While our athletes continue to prepare for the fall seasons, the coaches are also busy at work. Our staff will also be taking soccer courses offered by the United States Soccer Federation and the National Soccer
Softball: Head Coach Holly Spann, spannh@bluffton.edu
There is nothing more rewarding than enjoy the fruits of your labor! After a month and a half of
Since our return from
Men’s Tennis: Head Coach Blake Kindle, kindleb@bluffton.edu
The 2004-05 men’s tennis team is in the middle of their spring season. We have currently played four matches. Our 1st match we played Mout St. Joseph and won all three doubles matches and were up a set in No. 1 thru No. 4 singles when the rain set in. We are currently trying to reschedule to finish the match. Match number two was against
The men’s tennis team, although very youthful, is showing daily improvement. With hard work this team will be one to reckon with in the near future.
Wom. Tennis: Head Coach Jessica Grandey, grandeyjg@bluffton.edu
The women’s tennis team is still preparing for the upcoming season. We are very excited for the approaching season and eager to see the results in our matches next fall.
Volleyball: Head Coach Sara Wakefield, wakefields@bluffton.edu
The volleyball team has just completed their non-traditional season by competing in a tournament at
With the school year coming to a close, the team will be taking a few weeks off before diving into a summer workout schedule which will include cross-training along with regular lifting and short and middle-distance running. During this time off, however, they are making their mark on intramural sand volleyball and building team camaraderie as well.
Several key recruits have committed to joining the team next fall, while many more are still making their decisions and even scheduling late spring visits. Everyone is looking forward to the occasional summer open gym so that they can meet one another and see what the team will look like for the fall. The regular season schedule is posted on our Web site, and we invite you to come to Bluffton this fall and watch the Beavers in action!
