Gene's Blog: Free throws, Fritz, and other fun facts

February 03, 2010

So much information. So little time. Here’s today’s installment of “Did You Know?”

--Did you know that Steve Fritz coached his 800th game of his 30-year MIAC career last Monday night?

The fifth-ranked Tommies’ 82-70 victory let them climb to 18-2 and pushed Fritz’ 30-year head coaching record to 559-241. That includes a Division III-best 118-18 record over the last five seasons.

--Did you know that Fritz has been associated with 19 MIAC basketball championships?

That includes 14 as head coach, three as an assistant, and two as a player.

--Did you know that Fritz has made it into the NCAA Hall of Champions?

The NCAA’s showcase museum in Indianapolis opened an exhibit in late November called “Streaks” that highlight unique streaks in college sports. Click here for information: http://www.ncaahallofchampions.org/Museum_7eb651773a3be75cfc8ae2c69.html

The exhibit was inspired by an NCAA Champions’ Magazine story from spring 2009 (click here then advance to page 44): http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/5b35b269#/5b35b269/2

Fritz is included for his remarkable tenure with St. Thomas basketball. In 43 seasons as a Tommie player, assistant coach and head coach, Fritz has been on the court or sideline for 1,159 consecutive games. He played on teams from 1967-1971 that compiled an 84-24 record, including a 30-2 MIAC mark as a junior and senior.

--Did you know that Tommie men's hoops are seeded third in the West Region in the first NCAA coaches' rankings of the season?

Three of the top six ranked teams in the nation are in the West. UW-Whitewater, UW-Stevens Point and UST are 1-2-3, with Gustavus sixth and Augsburg ninth.

Free Throw frenzy

--Did you know that the Tommie women’s basketball team is on school-record pace for free-throw percentage?

The Tommies made 17-of-19 free throws in Monday's win over St. Mary's and improved to 75.3% over 19 games. Three Tommies are converting at 88% or better -- sophomore Ali Johnson (pictured below) at 96% (22-of-23), junior Becky Theisen at 92% (33-of-36) and sophomore Sarah Smith is at 88% (30-of-34).

The MIAC started the week with five teams ranked in the top 25 nationally in free-throw shooting at 74% or better.

--Did you know that the Tommie junior guard Alex Healy has made 19 consecutive free throws in games?

--Did you know that Tommie men’s basketball team is 7-0 since Healy joined the starting lineup on Jan. 16?

--Did you know that the first-place Tommie women’s hockey team has allowed just 31 goals in its last 28 MIAC games over the last two seasons?

--Did you know that Tommie men’s and women’s swimming has a dozen freshmen who finished January within a second or two of lifetime-best times?

Coach Tom Hodgson’s roster depth has improved to the point that two men’s swimmers who scored in last year’s meet couldn’t make the team’s 18-man limit for this year’s Feb. 18-20 MIAC Championships.

Puck luck

--Did you know that UST senior All-American goalie Lauren Bradel won her MIAC-record 45th career victory last Saturday?

That moved Bradel into 11th on the Division III career win list. She is 45-19-5 with 17 shutouts, a 1.62 GAA, and a .932 save percentage on her career.

--Did you know that you can vote for Bradel on a national ballot to get her a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four Challenge?

Bradel has been announced as a West Region finalist to take part in the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge, which will be held April 9 at Ford Field in Detroit and will highlight the “Friday Night at the Frozen Four.” Six position players and two goaltenders in both genders from both the East and West Regions will be selected based on fan voting through the following website: http://www.ncaa.com/frozenfourskillschallenge/index.html. 

Voting began Monday and runs through noon on Monday, February 15.

--Did you know that Tommie men’s hockey has two big streaks on the line in the next 11 days as it closes its regular season with two games vs. St. Olaf and two against Bethel?

The Tommies, 8-9-4 overall, are looking to continue a streak of 27 consecutive winning seasons. They are also looking to reach the MIAC playoffs for the 25th time in the 25-year history of the format.

UST is 5-5-2 in conference play with four games to go. It appears that Gustavus and Hamline are near locks for the playoffs, with Bethel, St. Thomas, Concordia, St. Olaf, Augsburg and St. John’s likely battling for the last three spots. UST has its bye on the final weekend so it may be sitting and waiting during the Feb. 19-20 games. St. Thomas, St. John’s, Concordia and Bethel have only four games left to improve their standing.

--Did you know how rare it is for both the Tommies and Johnnies to miss the MIAC playoffs in a sport?

Out of 70 previous MIAC postseason men's events where teams qualified (basketball, hockey, baseball, tennis), only twice has a tournament not included the Tommies or the Johnnies –- the four-team 1998-99 men’s basketball playoffs, and the four-team 2004 men’s soccer playoffs.

The other Twins

--Did you know that Tommie sophomore Mike Hutton hit the finish line alongside his twin brother Nick in the 1000 meters at last Saturday’s Minnesota State Mankato Open?

Nick Hutton, a Minnesota Gophers redshirt this season, placed first in 2:30.15, just ahead of Mike Hutton’s 2:30.33. Mike’s time ranks No. 5 on the Tommie’ all-time indoor list -– Brian Sames broke the school record in 2009 with a 2:27.15.

PHOTO: Mike Hutton (Greg Smith photo)

--Did you know that Tommie senior men’s basketball player Joe Scott has played in 107 college games, including 79 with the Tommies?

UST is 71-8 since Scott joined the team as a starting guard.

--Did you know that Tommie senior women’s basketball player Andi Olson played in her 100th college game last Monday when the Tommies posted a 78-49 win over St. Mary’s.

Olson is the lone senior for the Tommie women, and St. Thomas is 68-32 in her era.

--Did you know that Tommie senior hockey players Alex Arnason, Rachel Zilles, Kristine Beese, Kara Ledel and Jamie Hollway are each on pace to reach 100 career games over the next month?

--Did you know that 10 Tommie sports teams will compete this Saturday, all off campus in six different cities, and two others will hold practices?

UST’s men’s and women’s tennis teams start their 2010 seasons on Saturday in Duluth at St. Scholastica. The Tommies also will compete with men’s and women’s teams in basketball, hockey, swimming and diving, and indoor track and field, and have practices in baseball and softball.

Chilly on the road

--Did you know that the talent-rich Minnesota Vikings lost their last four road games of the 2009 season?

The Vikings’ 4-5 road record included just one victory over a playoff team (Green Bay). They are the first NFL team in the last six seasons to go unbeaten at home (9-0) and have a losing record on the road (4-5).

--Do you know that the New England Patriots, who lost four of their last seven games, have a largo corporate-partner logo atop their website that reads, "Toyota: Moving Forward?"

New England and Toyota are great brands that had a bad year.

--Did you know that in nine days the Winter Olympics begin… in 68 days the Minnesota Twins’ new stadium will be unveiled on Opening Day… in six months UST’s Anderson Athletics and Recreation Building should be open… and seven months from tomorrow is the start of the 2010 Tommie football season?

--Did you know that some Tommie football players will be looking for your pocket change?

The players are organizing a “Pennies to Port-au-Prince” collection for students, staff, faculty, parents, alumni and fans to donate coins or dollars to go to the Haiti relief fund. Look for their collection jars on campus, at next weekend’s football banquet, and at some upcoming basketball games.

There’s some change we can believe in.