Bouncer: Former Tulane player acted in self-defense
June 21, 2008
An Orleans Parish jury will likely render a verdict Sunday in the attempted murder trial of a former Tulane football player accused of stabbing five people outside a Bourbon Street nightclub in September.
http://www.topix.com/ncaa/tulane-football/…
Tulane Women’s Track and Field Inks Six Athletes for 2008-09 Season
June 20, 2008
Tulane University women’s track and field head coach Heather Van Norman announced the signing of six high school seniors - Raquelle Collins, Kelly Curtis, Annette Glaz, Johanna Gretschel, Kasey Rodgers and Ana …
http://www.topix.com/ncaa/tulane-womens-ba…
Tulane hires Guarriello as swimming coach
June 20, 2008
Tulane hires Guarriello as swimming coach- NOLA.com
She was assistant before Green Wave suspended program
Friday, June 20, 2008
By Nakia HoganTulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson didn’t have to search long or hard for the new coach of the Green Wave women’s swimming and diving team, which was eliminated after Hurricane Katrina.
He already was familiar with his top choice.
Former Green Wave assistant Lena Guarriello was hired Thursday to lead a program that will return to competition for the 2009-10 school term.
“I am very excited to be a part of the rebuilding process at both the university and athletic department levels at Tulane,” said Guarriello, who since 2006 has served as the boys and girls swimming coach at Keller (Texas) High School. “I have a personal attachment with the Tulane swimming and diving program because of Hurricane Katrina, so it is an honor to come back and restart the program.”
Swimming and diving was one of eight varsity sport programs suspended by the university in the aftermath of Katrina. But it’s the latest in a string of hires made as the university continues to bring its athletic department back to full strength.
Guarriello, 29, joins women’s golf coach John Thomas Horton and women’s tennis coach Terri Sisk, who were hired last summer.
Tulane also will add three more coaches, including a men’s tennis coach this summer and a women’s soccer and women’s bowling coach next year, giving the Green Wave 16 varsity programs and returning the athletic department to full strength for the first time since 2006, according to athletic department officials.
“We’re pleased with the selection of Lena to lead the reinstatement effort for our swimming and diving program,” Dickson said. “She was an integral part of our Conference USA championship success and brings proven qualities in recruiting and student-athlete development with a great blend of enthusiasm, familiarity and love for Tulane. We welcome her and her entire family.”
Guarriello, who was the top assistant coach for Tulane from 2004 to 2006, helped the Green Wave to the C-USA title in 2004-05. Before coming to Tulane in 2004, Guarriello, a former standout swimmer at Fresno State, served as a graduate assistant at Texas Christian for two years.
Tulane’s Gomez Named to All-Louisiana First Team
June 20, 2008
Tulane senior forward David Gomez added one more accolade to his already extensive season resume with his selection to the All-Louisiana first team by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association . via NOLA.com
http://www.topix.com/ncaa/tulane-basketbal…
Texas Bowl loses Big East tie; C-USA fills vacancy
June 19, 2008
The Big East Conference has parted ways with the Texas Bowl and will be replaced by Conference USA the next two years, a college football official said Wednesday.
http://www.topix.com/ncaa/tulane-football/…
Former Soccer Player Megan Weinlein Awarded C-USA Postgraduate Scholarship
June 17, 2008
Green Wave graduate is one of 11 C-USA student-athletes to receive award in 2008June 16, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Former Tulane soccer player Megan Weinlein has been awarded a Postgraduate Scholarship Award from Conference USA, as announced today by commissioner Britton Banowsky.
Weinlein, who attended Plano West High School in Dallas, Texas, is one of 11 C-USA student-athlete graduates who were nominated by Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Board of Directors to receive the $4,000 award. She stayed on at Tulane for her remaining two years and earned her bachelor of arts degree in communications in May and has been accepted to law school at Emory, as well as Washington and Lee.
Weinlein, a defender, was named Tulane Women’s Soccer Newcomer of the Year after her freshman season and earned two letters before the sport was suspended after Hurricane Katrina. In her two seasons, Weinlein played in 31 games, started 29 and accumulated three points on three assists. She also was a member of the Tulane 3.0 Club and was selected to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Women’s Track and Field Inks Six Athletes for 2008-09 Season
June 17, 2008
an Norman adds an array of talented athletesJune 14, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane University women’s track and field head coach Heather Van Norman announced the signing of six high school seniors - Raquelle Collins, Kelly Curtis, Annette Glaz, Johanna Gretschel, Kasey Rodgers and Ana Ruzevic - to her squad for the 2008-09 season.
Van Norman nabbed a variety of athletes to add depth to her team, covering the areas of sprints, middle distance, long distance, throws, jumps and multi-events. The six signees join a young and talented Green Wave roster that sent five athletes to the outdoor NCAA Mideast Regional, one to the NCAA Indoor Championships and placed ninth at the cross country NCAA South Central Regional Championship during the 2007-08 academic year.
“When we looked at what we needed to recruit, we looked at where can we score points in the conference, number one, and where can we get people to put us on the national level, and where are our weaknesses - where we need to gain ground and score points at the conference level,” said Van Norman on how she and her staff established the diverse signing class. “In other words, if we don’t have any entries in the middle distance, or dominant sprinter or jumper, then we’re losing points. So, when we sat down at this time last year, we made a chart and we said, `OK, where are we missing (athlete in events) and where do we need to go?’ Throws, jumps and middle distance were our huge things. We really focused this year on jumps, distance and throwing - and we got them. These are people who are going to come in and help us out right away. We achieved our goals.”
Collins will add depth to the jumps and hurdle events for the Wave. A native of nearby New Iberia, La., and New Iberia High School, Collins won the Class 5A state championship in the 100-meter hurdles as a senior, and also claimed several top-three finishes at the Louisiana high school state championships in the jumps in her career. She sports a personal-best long jump of 19 feet, 1.5 inches.
“Raquel Collins is somebody who is from the state of Louisiana, and when I watched her at the state meet, I was really, really impressed by her,” Van Norman said. “She has a lot of heart and a lot of integrity when she competes, and she’s definitely a competitor at heart. She comes from a great family. New Iberia is well-known for having fantastic athletes in that area. She’s going to be a great addition for our team in the jumps and the hurdles.”
Curtis, who hails from Princeton, N.J., and Lawrenceville High School, will provide much-needed depth in the multi-events for the Green Wave - the indoor pentathlon, outdoor heptathlon and various field events. Her personal bests include a 5 foot, 4 inch high jump, 106-06 javelin throw, a 17-08 long jump, 36-06 triple jump, and a 100m hurdle time of 15.6 seconds.
“Kelly is a basketball player also, and this year she really started concentrating on track and field,” Van Norman said. “She is really developing as a heptathlete. She is somebody who is going to do a lot for us in that multi’s area, and as well I think she could really do well in the jumps.”
Glaz comes to Tulane from Palos Hills, Ill., and Stagg High School, where she won the Nike Midwest Region Cross Country meet, setting a course record in the process. She led her team to its first ever appearance in the Illinois state cross country meet, where she placed fourth individually. Glaz also twice qualified for the state championships in the 3,200-meter run, and figures to add depth to the cross country team and run the long distance races on the track.
“Annette, when you look on a piece of paper is a very sought-after high school athlete,” Van Norman said. “She’s done a fantastic job. Her primary is the 3,200m run, so she can do many things as far as the distance area. I think that she is extremely talented. She is going to be very impressive. Every year I’ve been here (at Tulane), with the exception of the Hurricane season, we’ve had a freshman of the year, and that is something I really take pride in. We will be looking to Annette to fill those shoes. She’s going to be really, really good. We’re looking at her to make a direct impact.”
Gretschel is a middle distance runner from Silver Spring, Md., and attended Montgomery Blair High School, where she twice qualified for the state championships in the 1,600-meter run. At Tulane she will run cross country and compete on the track in the 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m, providing important depth in the middle distances and run with the indoor distance medley relay team.
“Johanna is going to add critical depth (to the middle distances),” Van Norman said. “We need to start filling the field between the 800m and the 1,500m runs. Johanna is the one that will come in here and is going to help fill that middle-distance gap that we’re missing. That is crucial, especially for the indoor season where you have the distance medley and some areas that we could do very well in on a conference level.” -more- Tulane Track and Field Signing Class
Rodgers, a native of Elk Grove, Calif., and Franklin High School, is a sprinter who placed third in the prestigious California state championship meet in the 100m as a senior. She has personal records of 11.86 in the 100m and 24.53 in the 200m.
“Kasey is our freshman sprinter, and is doing a heck of a job,” Van Norman said. “She was at what is called the Masters level with track and field out in California, and she ended up winning the Masters. Kasey has gone 11.7 (seconds in the 100m) before. She is definitely a 100-meter sprinter. When you talk about the loss of (Gloria) Asumnu, and you need someone that can come in and help out - that’s Kasey. Her dad is Dell Rodgers who used to be a San Francisco 49er, her mom was a pretty prestigious swimmer, her brother played football at Utah - she comes from a very athletic family, and a family that understands what commitment, determination and perseverance truly means. I’m looking forward to working with her.”
Ruzevic hails from Split, Croatia, and will compete in the throws for the Green Wave. She was a 2007 silver medalist at the Croatian Championships, and in the same year was the No. 1 ranked junior javelin thrower in Croatia. She is a member of the Croatian Junior National team and has a personal record javelin throw of 48.45 meters (158 feet, 11.50 inches).
“Ana was our first signee this year. If you look at her throws, she is already throwing national qualifying throws. She really pops out at you on a piece of paper. She is one of the top javelin throwers and I think she is going to come in here and really make an impact on this team in the throws area. I think she and Kat (Katarina Busljeta) together are really going to help get Tulane’s name back on the (conference scoring) boards as far as the throws. I am really excited about Ana.”
Tulane’s 2008-09 season begins on Aug. 29 with its home cross country meet - the Green Wave Invitational - held at City Park in New Orleans. For all Green Wave track and field news, notes and stories, visit www.TulaneGreenWave.com.
Name Cl. Exp. Hometown High School/Previous School
Raquelle Collins Fr. HS New Iberia, La. New Iberia HS
Kelly Curtis Fr. HS Princeton, N.J. Lawrenceville HS
Annette Glaz Fr. HS Palos Hills, Ill. Stagg HS
Johanna Gretschel Fr. HS Silver Spring, Md. Montgomery Blair HS
Kasey Rodgers Fr. HS Elk Grove, Calif. Franklin HS
Ana Ruzevic Fr. HS Split, Croatia Secondary School in Economics and Clerical Trades*based on their classification for the 2008-09 academic year
Toledo, Tulane Football Staff to Barnstorm State of Louisiana with Satellite Camps
June 17, 2008
The Green Wave staff will make stops in six cities during a six-day tourJune 13, 2008
New Orleans - For the second straight year, Tulane University head football coach Bob Toledo and the Green Wave football staff will embark on a football satellite camp barnstorming tour throughout the state of Louisiana with six total stops during a six-day stretch.
“The satellite camps give us the opportunity to reach out to players throughout the state of Louisiana and evaluate their talents, while they have the chance to get to know our staff,” Toledo said. “They will showcase their talents and receive skill lessons and instruction from college coaches.”
The Tulane coaching staff begins their six-day trek on Monday, June 16 at Neville High School, the prep playing field of current TU redshirt freshman Dominique Dade, in Monroe, and will then make the short trip west to Independence Stadium in Shreveport for Tuesday’s (June 17) camp.
On Wednesday, June 18, the group will reach the halfway point of the tour with a stop at Barbe High School in Lake Charles. The Green Wave will have two incoming freshman on the 2008 squad that are recent BHS graduates (Nathan Austin, Troy Wainwright).
The following day (June 19), the caravan stops at St. Thomas Moore High School in Lafayette, La. Tulane has one incoming freshman from the high school in fullback Kasey Stelly. The barnstorming tour winds its way into Baton Rouge’s Memorial Stadium on Friday, June 20, and returns the following day to New Orleans with the final leg of the trip on June 21. The six-day venture concludes at the Westfeldt Practice Facility on the Tulane campus.
“The camps are a convenient and very affordable way for players in the state to learn from collegiate coaches without traveling long distances. Several players that we saw in these camps last year are now members of our team because they took advantage of this opportunity in their own back yards. The camps really give our program a presence throughout the state,” Toledo said.
Tulane High School Football Camp
(For kids entering grades 9-12 for the 2008-09 school year)
$20 per day - Camps begin at 8 a.m. each dayMonday, June 16 (Neville HS, Monroe, La.) Tuesday, June 17 (Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.) Wednesday, June 18 (Barbe HS, Lake Charles, La.) Thursday, June 19 (St. Thomas Moore HS, Lafayette, La.) Friday, June 20 (Memorial HS, Baton Rouge, La.) Saturday, June 21 (Tulane University, New Orleans, La.)
For more information, contact Thomas Woods at (504) 865-5008.
Baseball’s Shooter Hunt Named To 4 More All-America Teams
June 17, 2008
Junior right-hander garners honors from Baseball America, Ping! Baseball, the NCBWA and Rivals.comJune 12, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, La. - One week after becoming the sixth first-round draft pick in the history of the Green Wave baseball program, Tulane University standout Shooter Hunt claimed All-America honors from Baseball America, Ping! Baseball, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Rivals.com.
A native of Wyckoff, N.J., Hunt claimed first-team recognition on the Pro-Line Athletic/NCBWA All-America Team and the All-Ping! Team, second-team honors from Rivals.com, and earned a spot on Baseball America’s third team. The four All-America teams are the latest round of honors for Hunt, who was named NCBWA Region VII Player of the Year last Friday, claimed second-team Louisville Slugger All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball Magazine on May 29 and was named 2008 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year and claimed a spot on the All C-USA first-team on May 20.
As a junior with the Green Wave, Hunt led the team and the league in opponent batting average (.175), total strikeouts (126), strikeouts looking (48) and innings pitched (100.2). He also led the team and is tied for second in C-USA in wins (nine) and ERA (2.68) ERA.
He was also named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball, The Dick Howser Trophy by the NCBWA, the Brooks Wallace Award by the College Baseball Foundation, and the Roger Clemens Award by the Greater Houston Baseball Association in 2008. Hunt ranks fourth in the NCAA in hits allowed per nine innings (5.54) and total strikeouts, 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.26), 30th in wins and 43rd in ERA.
He tallied eight or more strikeouts on 10 occasions this season, including four double-digit K totals and a season-high 12 strikeouts against Southern Miss on April 18 and at Memphis on April 25. Hunt held opponents to three or fewer hits nine times, including a one-hit, no-walk, 11-strikeout performance in 7.0 innings against UC Irvine on March 7. He did not allow an earned run on four occasions and held opponents to one earned run two other times.
Hunt was named C-USA Pitcher of the Week three times as a junior (March 10, March 17 and May 12), Louisiana Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week twice (April 21 and May 12) and CollegeBaseballInsider.com Central Region Pitcher of the Week once (March 10).
Following a stellar prep career at Ramapo High, Hunt originally enrolled as a pitcher/catcher at the University of Virginia before transferring to Tulane in the summer of 2006. In two seasons with the Green Wave, he posted a combined 15-10 record, a 2.65 ERA and a .204 opponent batting average. He started 31 of the 32 games he appeared in during his Tulane career, during which time he posted a 10.33 strikeout-per-nine-inning average and a 2.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio after fanning 230 batters and walking just 86 in 200.1 innings of work.
His .175 opponent batting average in 2008 is a Tulane single-season record, surpassing the former mark of .203 set by Jason Navarro in 1997, and is fifth in strikeout-per-nine-inning average (11.26). Hunt’s .204 career opponent batting average also tops Navarro’s former school record of .224 (1995-97) and also ranks fifth in Tulane career history in K/9 and is seventh in career ERA.
Baseball’s Segedin Earns Freshman All-America Honors From NCBWA
June 17, 2008
Rookie earns honor after hitting .322 with 59 RBI at the plate while posting five saves from the moundJune 9, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Tulane University baseball season may have ended, but the honors continue rolling in for Green Wave two-way standout Rob Segedin as the native of Old Tappan, N.J., was named first-team Freshman All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Monday.
The honor is the fourth of the postseason for Segedin as he was named second-team All-Conference USA, claimed a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman Team as well and earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball. The 2008 NCBWA Freshman All-America Team is the first ever published by the organization.
Segedin played in all 62 games for the Green Wave in 2008, including 61 starts at the hot corner where he hit .322 with 18 doubels, a triple and six home runs while driving in 59. He also appeared in 14 games on the mound as a reliever where he posted five saves, a win and 21 strikeouts in 19.1 innings of work.
He shares the team’s batting average title with junior Anthony Scelfo - becoming the first Tulane rookie to lead the team in hitting since Barry Butera hit .360 in 1975 - and his RBI total is the most by a freshman since Michael Aubrey had 69 in 2001. Segedin’s five saves, meanwhile, are the most by a Green Wave freshman since Sean Morgan posted five in 2005.
At the plate, Segedin also led the team in hits (75) and RBI (59), while ranking second in on-base percentage (.414), third in slugging percentage (.485), fifth in runs scored (37) and tied for fifth in home runs. Segedin led the team with 21 multiple-hit games and 19 multiple-RBI contests. He tied a Tulane single-game record by going 6-for-6 against Northwestern State on March 12, and had both a five- and six-RBI contest to his credit as well.
He had an 11-game hitting streak from April 13-May 3 when he hit .545 (24-for-44) with 3 doubles, 3 homers and 16 RBI. Segedin was also named C-USA Co-Hitter of the Week and earned a spot on the College Baseball Foundation National All-Star Lineup on April 21 after hitting .600 (9-for-15) with two home runs and seven RBI during his time at the plate while also posting a pair of saves, a .071 opponent batting average (1-for-14) and a flawless 0.00 ERA in two appearances and 4.0 innings of work on the mound.
From the mound, Segein did not allow a hit four times and held opponents without an earned run on nine occasions. He posted seven multiple-strikeout performances, including a career-best four Ks in 2.1 innings at UNO (April 9), and his longest outing of the year came against LSU (April 22) when he tossed 3.0 innings of relief.
Segedin helped the Green Wave post a 39-22-1 overall record in 2008, finish third in the regular-season C-USA standings with a 13-9-1 league mark, and advance to the finals of the 2008 NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
He is the lone player from the state of Louisiana named to the NCBWA Freshman All-Amcerica squad and is one of four C-USA student-athletes to do so, joining first-teamers Seth Maness (SP) of East Carolina, Chase Dempsay (RP) of Houston and second-teamer Rick Hague (SS) of Rice.