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<title>Tommie Sports - Latest Women's Swimming and Diving News</title>

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<webMaster>webmaster@stthomas.edu</webMaster>
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	<title>University of St. Thomas</title>
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	<title><![CDATA[Janesville newspaper story on Sam Simon]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Simon-Janesville_8-2.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Here's another feature story on Tommie marathon swimming phenom Samantha Simon, written by her hometown newspaper in Janesville, Wis.:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2010/aug/17/simon-home-water/">http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2010/aug/17/simon-home-water/</a></p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Mon, 23 August 2010 8:44:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Gene's Blog: Sam Simon goes 3-for-3, Schuld now 2-0]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Blog-8-5.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal">Samantha Simon has pulled it off. The 20-year-old Tommie swimmer has become the youngest athlete to complete the triple crown of open-water marathon swimming.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Simon is also the 13<sup>th</sup> American woman to successfully swim the English Channel, the Manhattan Island, and the Catalina Channel. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She&rsquo;s also just the fourth athlete to complete the triple in a 12-month span.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Tommie swimmer, who grew up in Janesville, Wis., took her traveling endurance show to California last week and conquered the 22-mile trek from Long Beach to Catalina Island Channel. Simon swam through the night, and her time of 9 hours, 22 minutes ranks among the best 15 women&rsquo;s times in an ocean test first attempted in 1927.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;It was a fun swim,&rdquo; Simon said. &ldquo;There were a lot of jellyfish, some dolphins, and a seal or two but no sharks.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The California course has an interesting history. The Long Beach harbor where the swim began is the home of the RMS Queen Mary, a famed luxury liner of the 1930s. Catalina Island itself was once owed by William Wrigley, Jr., the chewing gum magnate. Wrigley built a spring training center in 1921 on Catalina to get his family-owned baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, in shape for the season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very proud of her," said St. Thomas coach Tom Hodgson. &ldquo;Sam has worked hard for this. It&rsquo;s a remarkable feat. What an inspiration to our team.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In August 2009, Simon swam the 21 miles from England to France, battling especially choppy conditions, in a time of 13 hours, 10 minutes and 45 seconds. Less than 1,500 people have completed that grueling swim, and nearly 90 percent who attempt it are unable to finish.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In June 2010, Simon placed sixth overall -- and third among women -- in the 28.5-mile Manhattan Island<img vspace="7" border="0" hspace="7" width="243" alt="Action pic" src="Simon-cover.jpg" height="220" align="right"> Marathon swim. Her time was eight hours, 10&nbsp; minutes and 54 seconds.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At last February's MIAC Championships, Simon placed fifth in the 1,650 free, fifth in the 400 IM and eighth in the 500 free and helped the Tommie women place third in the team race. Simon broke the 400 IM school record in the process.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><EM  >PHOTO: Sam Simon (Mike Ekern photo)</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Click here to see Simon&rsquo;s endurance feat mentioned by the Daily News of Open Swimming website: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a target="_blank" href="https://mail.stthomas.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=6ff8882eaf214f33ae3b0f44e1804d92&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com%2f2010%2f08%2fsamantha-simon-joins-triple-crown-club.html">http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/2010/08/samantha-simon-joins-triple-crown-club.html</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Click here to read a May 2010 page-one feature story on Simon in the Star Tribune:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/95692049.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU">http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/95692049.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU</a></p>
<H3  >&nbsp;</h3>
<H3  >Schuld sharp again</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wednesday was a fun day for former Tommie Matt Schuld. He worked three scoreless innings and picked up his second victory for the Gulf Coast Twins as they topped the Orioles 6-4 in 1<img vspace="7" border="0" hspace="7" width="100" alt="Player pic" src="../../bsbl/roster/archives/2009/MSchuld-09-Base-web.jpg" height="147" align="right">1 innings.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Following their day game, Schuld and his teammates traveled to Tampa as guests of the major-league Twins and watched Minnesota&rsquo;s 2-1 win over the first-place Rays in 13 innings.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In his afternoon game, Schuld struck out four with no walks. He came in with the score knotted 4-4 and worked the eighth, ninth and 10<sup>th</sup> innings. He allowed just two singles and no runs. The Twins pushed across two runs in the top of the 11<sup>th</sup>, and Nicholas Alloway pitched the last inning for the save.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Schuld is now 2-0 with one save and a 2.92 ERA in 10 appearances. He has recorded 15 strikeouts and only two walks in 18.1 innings.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<H3  >Big Ten?</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">The recent addition of Nebraska into the Big Ten Conference has led to speculation of a new name and logo and the likelihood of other changes, such as divisions for football. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Big Ten has roots as far back as 1895. When it calls and asks my opinion for possible new names (sarcasm), here's my top 10 list (actually a <EM  >top 12</em> list). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >12. A Little Elvis (Grbac), and a Lot of Magic (Johnson) Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >11. The Plains, Trains and Automobiles Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, a good reason to use the Purdue logo... besides, it's&nbsp;1,130 miles from Lincoln to State College</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >10. The &ldquo;Big Tent&rdquo; </strong>Conference</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Major political parties aren&rsquo;t using the slogan anymore</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >9. The Big Deal Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Can easily change to "The <i>Really</i> Big Deal Conference" if Notre Dame finally gets on board</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >8. The Casey Kasem Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The upside: Every team will be ranked nationally each week in the American top 40</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >7. The Bakers&rsquo; Dozen Conference </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This looks like the place for a joke about all the <i>cupcakes</i> on early-season schedules</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >6. The &ldquo;Our Baseball Champion Almost Lost Again to St. Thomas!&rdquo; Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sorry, Gophers, we couldn&rsquo;t resist</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >5. The &ldquo;I See <i>Red</i> People&rdquo; Conference </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana&hellip; and now Nebraska</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >4. Everything But the &lsquo;Dame Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Inspired by the band &ldquo;Everything But the Girl&rdquo;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >3. The Toy Story Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There&rsquo;s a Woody (Hayes), Jesse (Owens) and Rex (Kern)&hellip; and that&rsquo;s just from Ohio State</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >2. The &ldquo;Bar" Has Been Raised Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether your beverage of choice is Champaign, a Boilermaker or that nasty stuff served at Badgers&rsquo; tailgate parties, raise a toast -- unless you&rsquo;re inside TCF Bank Stadium --&nbsp;to your favorite BCS conference</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><STRONG  >1. The &ldquo;Biding Our Time Until We Join the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference&rdquo; Conference</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hey, not everyone can be an Ole, a Gustie, a Tommie, an Auggie, a&nbsp;Johnnie, or a Cobber...</p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Thu, 05 August 2010 13:37:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Simon soars again: Swimmer sixth in NY distance race]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Simon_6-18.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Tommie distance swimmer Sam Simon placed sixth overall -- and third among women -- in last weekend's Manhattan Island Marathon swim.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a target="_blank" href="redir.aspx?C=1c69348645214b289837888605b41d7e&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.nycswim.org%2fEvent%2fEvent.aspx%3fevent_id%3d2002%26from%3dresults">http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.aspx?event_id=2002&amp;from=results</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a target="_blank" href="redir.aspx?C=1c69348645214b289837888605b41d7e&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fgazettextra.com%2fnews%2f2010%2fjun%2f14%2fsimon-finishes-sixth-swim-marathon%2f">http://gazettextra.com/news/2010/jun/14/simon-finishes-sixth-swim-marathon/</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"When you check out the finish times of the fifth, sixth, and&nbsp;seventh places, you see that Sam was in a sprint to the finish after eight hours," said UST coach Tom Hodgson. " This is her second leg of the Triple Crown, with the Catalina Channel swim coming up."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Click here to see a recent feature story on Simon written by the Star Tribune:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/95692049.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU">http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/95692049.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU</a></p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Thu, 17 June 2010 14:48:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Sunday Star Tribune feature story on WSD's Sam Simon]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Simon_6-6.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Tommie women's swimmer Samantha Simon, who swam the English Channel in the summer of 2009, was profiled on page one of Sunday's Star Tribune newspaper. </p>
<p>Simon plans two more endurance swims in summer 2010 including&nbsp;next weekend&nbsp;in Manhattan.</p>
<p>Click here to view online version of the Star Tribune story:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/95692049.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU">http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/95692049.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU</a></p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Sun, 06 June 2010 14:24:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Women's Swimming ace Becca Ney gets academic honor]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Ney_6-7.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Tommie swimming&nbsp;standout Becca Ney was a second-team honoree on the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Women's Academic All-District&nbsp;V At-Large College Division honors, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).<br><br>A junior from Wayzata High, Ney is a Biochemistry major with a&nbsp;3.83 grade-point average. She was an <img alt="Player pic" border="0" vspace="7" align="right" height="173" src="../roster/archives/2008-09/WSD-Ney-0809-web.jpg" hspace="7" width="110">honorable mention All-American as a sophomo0re in 2008-09, and a three-event NCAA qualifier last winter. She's also a member of the college's Literature Club and is a volunteer tutor for refugee/immigrant students at Wellstone International High School.</p>
<p>Ney helped the Tommies post back-to-back third-place conference team finishes in the 2009 and 2010 MIAC Championships. That was an impressive step for a program that took ninth in the conference just five years ago.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ney was named the MIAC meet's Most Outstanding Swimmer last February as she had a hand in four victories and two runner-up placings. She cruised to individual victories in the 50, 100 and 200 free. Ney won the 100 free in an NCAA automatic time of 51.01. She also anchored the 400 free relay to second place in 3:32.62.</p>
<p>Ney has her name on eight school records in individual and relay events. Ney broke Maureen Olson's 18-year-old record in the 200 free at the February MIAC meet as she clocked 1:52.44. Olson's record was 1:55.64. Ney also lowered her own records in the 50 free with a 23.61 (23.77 previous best) and 100 free with a 51.01 (51.74 previous best).</p>
<p>The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team is part of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program, administered by CoSIDA, &nbsp;a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.&nbsp;The Academic All-America program annually honors&nbsp;more than&nbsp;1,600 student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Eligible sports for men's at-large consideration include fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.</p>
<p>Top student-athletes from non-Division I programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ontario and Manitoba are eligible for inclusion on the District V team. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his current institution and be nominated by his sports information director.</p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Sat, 05 June 2010 15:12:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<item>
	<title><![CDATA[OSH Remembered: Submit your stories here]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Memories_12-13.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal">Updated May 2</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tommies of all persuasions -- alumni, parents, fans, faculty, staff and students -- are invited to submit any favorite memories of O&rsquo;Shaughnessy Hall, which closed in early Janaury after a 70-year lifespan. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fans are also welcome to submit memories of Schoenecker Arena, which closed last summer after a 29-year run.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maybe it was a Tommie-Johnnie basketball game from the 1960s... or memories of the bowling alley, weight training, or the long wrestling room... or perhaps it brings to mind fellow students who you hung out with in the building. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Your responses will be posted&nbsp;here &ldquo;OSH Remembered&rdquo; blog on Tommiesports.com. Send short notes, titled &ldquo;OSH,&rdquo; &nbsp;with your name and class if you choose, to <a href="mailto:ejmcgivern@stthomas.edu">ejmcgivern@stthomas.edu</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here are the submissions with latest to first:</p>

<H3  >"I grew up in that building..."</h3>
"Some of my first memories of osh were in august of l971 reporting to St. Thomas for preseason football practice.... before our practices Coach DuWayne Dietz would have all of us head to the top floor of&nbsp;OSH to an old room which overlooked the racquetball courts where we did our exergenie exercises before practice....which was a form of (what I now know as) isometric and isokinetic resistance training which got our muscles warmed up before we'd dress and go out to practice....looking back on it now, I realize that Coach Dietz was ahead of his time in having us do this before practice....at times it wasn't very pleasant on those hot august days...with sweat pouring and body odor coming from all of us on those days....wasn't as bad once the season started.....sure my teamates from that era have never forgotten doing the "genies".....grateful, in that it got me into strength training,..which played a huge role in my future career......
&nbsp;
"OSH had an old (universal machine) weight room on the second floor (facing the football field)...which I'd spend hours during the offseason trying to strengthen myself...with my old college roommate Bob Immen, who has since then passed away (l995)....that room and countless hours I spent in there helped me tremendously and I sure appreciated the encouragement and motivation&nbsp;from my football and track coaches at the time....(Dietz and Larry Russ....).....a teammate who was&nbsp;two years older than me Billy Palmer (who was drafted my the Miami Dolphins)....often stopped by and motivated me to keep pushing myself in the old&nbsp;OSH weight room.....the smells....the excitement of a workout almost ending.....grateful for the encouragement they gave me.....feeling invigorated after showering and onto dinner at Murray Hall......grateful for the encouragement they gave me....I grew up in that building......lots of work...but there's something special about knowing you did your best...
&nbsp;
"Across from the "genie" room...was an old room which had mats on the floor.......heard that that used to be the wrestling room .....in that room I spend many, many hours learning from Bill Fergeson how to correctly throw a discus...he was also the captain of the '7l football team.......really appreciated it, as I never learned how to correctly throw in high school, and Bill took a lot of time patiently&nbsp;working with me.....thank you Bill!!!!......I remember leaving a number of places on the side walls where I threw the discus into the side wall leaving holes.....after awhile, with Bill's and Coach Larry Russ help....I started throwing straight&nbsp;into the tarp which was hanging from the wall.....!!!
&nbsp;
"I will never forget the first floor...the locker rooms, the "training room"....the feelings of anticipation, excitement, and&nbsp;anxiety&nbsp;as well.&nbsp;of putting your football uniform on before a big game...the anticipation....just kneeling on one knee before game listening to Coach Dietz giving us final&nbsp; words....and going over the plays with my linemate george huss, who played guard, next to me....(george, you saved my life....I could never get all those assignments straight....thank you!!!!)......halftimes in OSH, sucking on oranges, and sipping on Mountain Dew listening to instructions........the "thrill's of victory"......which was very common for us during&nbsp;that very special &nbsp;'73 football season.......(meeting's with coach John Kavanagh..(.probably my best position coach).....and the agonies of defeat....a lot of &nbsp;"blood, sweat, and tears".......in that building......my major was physical education, so a lot of my classes were taught in that building as well.....kinesiology/athletic training..., with larry russ, health with joe flood, techniques with Frank Mach.....etc......a huge part of my St. Thomas experience was centered around OSH......literally, and figuratively..........wish I could have had a final walk through of the building, but maybe it's better I didn't....as now I can remember it the way it was.....
&nbsp;
"My memories in&nbsp;OSH played a huge role in shaping my future as I went on to have a career in the health/fitness field....the positive experience at St. Thomas...and the fact that a HUGE amount of my memories centered around OSH ...played a big role in that....I'm sure&nbsp;with the new building there will be other memories with young Tommies that will be as special as mine were......Thanks for the memories....
&nbsp;
Tom Schumate, Class of '75
<FONT face=Calibri ></font>&nbsp;
---&nbsp;
<H3  >The juggler?</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">In February, 1970, the College was celebrating Tommie Heart Week. One of the events was a visit by&nbsp;two WWF wrestling stars. (I wish I could remember their names). They did their presentation in the old gym on the 3rd floor of O'Shaughnessy Hall. They demonstrated a few holds, told a few stories, and then one of them decided to demonstrate his strength. With three 16-pound shot puts from the track and field office, he began to juggle. He's doing a pretty awesome job keeping the three heavy orbs in the air. Little by little the task becomes a struggle. He needs to reach a little further to keep the shot puts under what little control remains. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We all realize what is coming. He misses one and it crashes to the gym floor. It breaks through the maple hardwood and sits buried about&nbsp;three inches into the basketball court. There is an audible gasp and then silence. A College official walks over to escort the wrestlers out of the gym. Workers are brought in to fix the floor as a basketball game was scheduled for that evening. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And another dead spot in that gym floor was created that victimized opposing teams and helped propel so many Tommie B-Ball teams to victory. </p>
<p>Tom Cloutier, Class of 1970&nbsp; &nbsp; </p>
<p>--- </p>
<H3  >Lucky strikes?</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">Read your fond reflections on the oddity of a basketball court on the third floor and yes indeed, that was strange placement.&nbsp;Worked well for us, though. I graduated from the Academy in 1959.&nbsp;We used <br>O'Shaughnessy for mixers, assemblies, basketball games (of course), swim meets, just hanging out, you name it.&nbsp;I'll&nbsp; probably be struck dead for saying this, but Academy seniors could SMOKE in the second floor 'smoker'.<br><br>Something most people may not be aware of is the presence of a bowling alley.&nbsp;Just down the hall north of the second floor ballroom was a little bowling center.&nbsp;Four lanes, as I recall, and dirt cheap.&nbsp;I picked up pin money (good metaphor) setting pins there while at the Academy. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I recall, bowling cost 25 cents a line of which the pinboy got half.&nbsp;One pinboy could cover two lanes so if you got two foursomes going, you could make some pretty good 'pin' money. At the time, I was a major bowling fan, though, so it was like being paid to play.&nbsp;A highlight of my tenure was one afternoon when a guy from the college (might have been Mike Dorle -- you can check it out) bowled a 300 game!&nbsp;The Holy Grail of bowling! I felt like I'd been part of a major event!&nbsp;It was evident to me, of course, since I was working hard clearing nothing but strikes, and I think I was more excited than he was!&nbsp;Got a nice tip after that one.&nbsp;Probably a few bucks, but remember the times.<br><br>I'm sad to see the place go away.&nbsp;Wish they'd just get going and tear it down, though.&nbsp;With all the destruction going on, and the amount of time it's taking, it's sad to see it sitting there, windowless with holes punched in the side.<br><br>A really wonderful place.<br><br><br>Tom Summers/St. Paul</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---<br></p>
<H3  >A dip (in the pool)... and a dunk</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two unforgettable memories of O'Shaughnessy Hall and Schoenecker Arena:<br><br>O'Shaughnessy, spring of 1977: Enduring a seemingly endless Sunday of crawling around the building, blindfolded, during Tiger Club initiation, dining on stockyard delicacies, singing silly songs, taking cold showers and being tossed into the swimming pool.<br><br>Schoenecker, March 2009: Savoring the last basketball game in the arena, a tense 53-50 NCAA playoff win over UW-Stevens Point to boost the No. 1 Tommies' record to 29-0. In three decades of watching games in Schoenecker, I never heard the arena as loud as it was when Joe Scott broke away and<br>dunked the ball with 7 seconds left to seal the win.<br><br>Doug Hennes '77</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >The little white box</h3>
<p>During my years at St. Thomas, the Lacrosse Club had many homes, from the south campus fields to the field house, McCarthy gymnasium, and all the way to St. Kate's. But certainly, the third floor gym was our home during many winter months. &nbsp; </p>
<p>Despite the cold outside, it could get pretty warm up there; and with 20-30 guys practicing in such a tight space, it was quite loud, too. Our voices bounced off the walls nearly as hard as the rubber lacrosse balls (which often scooted out the doors and down the stairwell.) &nbsp; </p>
<p>Third-floor gym wasn't exactly the best place to practice and open field sport, but it was one of the few places on campus that we could reserve with any consistency. I will always remember the good times my teammates and I shared in that little white box.<br><br><br>Anthony (A.C.) Gardin/Class of 1999<br>-- </p>
<H3  >Fond memories of OSH</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Early 80's:</u> </p>
<p>--The old football film room. I believe it&nbsp;was actually the&nbsp;copy/coffee room for the Athletic Department staff. There was maybe room for 4-5 guys and we were thrilled to&nbsp;be watching ourselves on the old 8mm&nbsp;black and white film. </p>
<p>--Coach Mark Dienhart's office and all of the&nbsp;enlarged All-American photos that hung on the walls. Very inspirational! </p>
<p>--The old training room. It was very small, maybe 1-2 rooms. I remember watching an SJU quarterback get his chin stitched up at halftime of the 1982 Tommie/Johnnie game. Ouch! </p>
<p>--Climbing up a rope to the 2nd floor window and sneaking into the school dance in the 3rd floor gym. Either the Metro All-stars or Johnny Holm was playing on the stage in the south side of the gym. It was jam packed and the floor was bouncing up and down. It was much more than just a gym!&nbsp; </p>
<p>--The new and enlarged&nbsp;training room (1985) with the brand new hot tub&nbsp;and the benches with the special sinks for icing our shin splints after our track workouts. It was heaven! </p>
<p>--Playing water polo in the pool. The best workouts I ever had in four years of football and track and field.</p>
<p>Neal Guggemos/Class of&nbsp;'86 </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >"They played HERE?"</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I had been on the Tommie campus several times before I was hired in June 1994 as sports information director. I was used to watching basketball games in the spacious Schoenecker Arena. When I first walked up to see the old gym on third floor OSH, I was amazed. Did they really play basketball in here? The space seemed so small. With the bleachers gone, it was hard to imagine how there was room&nbsp;for 500, let alone 1,000 spectators.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I'll also remember coming in late at night, on weekends or on holiday break and bringing my daughter and sons up to the old wrestling room. We played wiffle ball, kick ball and volleyball and burned off some energy. Maybe in 25 years when UST celebrates its 150th anniversary, those will be memories my children will share."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gene McGivern/Sports Information Director</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >"Hooked on handball"</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">The OSH was a second home during my four years at St.Thomas, especially during my freshman and sophomore years. I was introduced to handball by Joe Flood as part of my phy-ed course first semester freshman year.Several of my friends took handball too. We were all immmediately hooked. From<br>November through March, we would play 2-3 times per week. One of us would show up early and reserve a court, otherwise, you were out of luck as the courts were in demand.<br><br>"My very first experience with the OSH, however, came much earlier. It was the summer after first grade. At that time, our next door neighbor was Jim O'Brien, former equipment manager at St.Thomas. Every morning, for&nbsp;two weeks I believe, I and two other neighbor kids (Phil Kachelmeyer '72 and his<br>brother Mark) would ride with Mr. O'Brien to take swimming lessons in the OSH pool.<br><br>"It is difficult for me to see it go."<br><br>Lee Javorski, College of St Thomas, '73</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >The "Second Home" for UST Dance</h3>
<p>"The UST dance team is considered young compared to the history of St. Thomas as a university and college, but never have I or anyone on the UST dance team spent so much time in one area, exerting all the passion we had for our team and our school. Three days a week throughout the year, and everyday during J-term, the UST dance team spent countless hours perfecting competition routines, growing as teammates and as leaders right there in the O'Shaughnessy Hall gymnasium. &nbsp; </p>
<p>"The "third floor gym" has always been our second home in the winter, fighting the cold floors and chilled air,&nbsp;and in the summer, hydrating to fight the heat. Although the atmosphere doesn't sound ideal on paper, it was always a comfortable place for our team to perform in, no matter what the weather. It was because all of the 'magic' happened there. This gym has hosted numerous occasions where our team has triumphed, whether in front of an audience or amongst ourselves. &nbsp;</p>
<p>"Each and every Tommie dancer has grown in multiple ways during practice, all taking place at our home away from home. Every one of the girls who has participated on the team has left a piece of themselves on that floor, and in one way or another, that practice space has molded the dancers, students, and women into what they are today. &nbsp; </p>
<p>"So many memories&nbsp;have taken place&nbsp;there for so many teams, but as a part of the St. Thomas Dance Team, it is safe to say we know it was our home, and our comfortable stage to perform in. Our program will forever remember our second home,&nbsp;the "third floor gym." </p>Kristin Seifert, Class of 2010 
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >"Good days and fun times"</h3>
<p>"I think it was basketball season '67-'68.&nbsp; It was our home game against St John's and the stands were packed.&nbsp;Before the game started, Cliff Knippel walked down the court towards the St John's&nbsp;fans holding a St John's sign with the arrow pointing down.&nbsp;Needless to say, St Thomas fans were really in a frenzy and the Johnnies were boiling!&nbsp; Those games were intense.&nbsp; &nbsp; </p>
<p>"Korba, Lapentti, Skelly, Fritz,&nbsp;Kudrle and Blum all helped bring an excitement to the old gym.&nbsp;Those&nbsp; were good days and fun times."<br><br>Bob Kolnik/Class of '70 </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >A home "spark"</h3>
<p>I remember my junior year of basketball&nbsp;(2008) in early December we have just had a horrible game against Simpson in Iowa. We came back practiced a little bit, then it was Christmas break, and then after&nbsp;we came back to practice. </p>
<p>That first January game at Schoenecker Arena something must have just clicked, because we just played so well against Carleton. They didn't know what hit them. Looking back at the box score we had them 32-16 at halftime. It was 15-5 four minutes into the game. We ended up winning 65-42, and its just something that playing at home at a place like Schoenecker can give that spark." &nbsp; </p>
<p>DeJurnett Prioleau/Class of 2009 </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >'Like NBA stars to us kids in the neighborhood"</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">I grew up in the area a St. Mark's kid who at an early age went to a swimming camp led by Mr. (Joe) Flood. Swimming in the pool was always fun, except that first time up the ladder to the high diving board. Well, I was a bit nervous and the kid behind me knew it. As a joke he jumped on the base of the board when I got out to the end (yes I was shaking like a leaf) and I lost balance and fell awkwardly off the board. Not a great memory but I survived and hopefully toughened up a bit.<br><br>The best memories were going to the basketball games -- Coach Feely, Fritz, Fitz, Rozier, Piper, McKee. The good old days. Those guys were like NBA stars to us little kids in the neighborhood.&nbsp; <br><br>Jim Blake/UST '83</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<H3  >"It brought us all together"</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">"As a swimmer my most fond memories surround &ldquo;The Palace Clubhouse&rdquo; our beloved pool.&nbsp;From freshmen year on the first day of practice in the fall of 2000, until my last practice before MIAC Championships in the winter of 2004, I loved swimming in that pool.&nbsp;There was something to the style of the pool that drew you in, no matter the facilities you had ever been a competitor in. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"The high walls of the pool (which proved to be a challenge to those outside of our family) and glass block windows that let in the most amazing light in the morning and enchanting darkness in the winter evenings.&nbsp; </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Tommie swimmers have been blessed by the facility that brought us all together."&nbsp; </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Melissa (Jackson) Scalia/UST Class of 2004</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">--</p>
<H3  >A tight fit</h3>
<p>"I recall many exciting Saturday night basketball games at OSH when I was 11-14 years old.&nbsp; I was a huge Tommie fan and my Dad and uncle (St. Thomas President Msgr. Terrence Murphy) would bring us to watch Steve Fritz, Bobby Rosier, Dennis Fitzpatrick, Paige Piper and all the "stars" of the early 70's.&nbsp; ( I hope&nbsp;I have recalled the names correctly). &nbsp; &nbsp; </p>
<p>"I remember being squeezed by hundreds of fans trying to get up the narrow stairs to the gym and back down after another Tommie victory.&nbsp; I first became aware of the intense Tommie/Johnnie rivalry in those days when the chant "Flush the Johns" came up.&nbsp; It was great fun -- especially after the game when I could go up to and congratulate the players on another great game. &nbsp; </p>
<p>"I also recall that St Thomas sponsored a youth sports day camp primarly at OSH that&nbsp;I attended.&nbsp; We used all of the buildings facilites -- including the bowling alley.&nbsp; The most amazing thing that I remember was when Bobby Rosier -- I think he was 7-foot-3 -- walked across the deep end of the pool -- and his head was visible the whole time! &nbsp; As a student at St Thomas in the early 80's, I had a couple of Phy Ed classes in OSH. &nbsp; </p>
<p>"It was a grand old building that served St. Thomas well.&nbsp;Thanks for asking for the memories."</p>
<p>Tim Murphy/UST Class of '81 &nbsp;</p>
<p>---</p>
<H3  >UST fans protect court</h3>
<p>"I remember the Tommie/Johnnie basketball game my senior year (2007). Both of us had two losses in the conference and it was the final game of the regular season to determine the MIAC champ. The rumor was that&nbsp; St Johns had filled a bunch of fan buses and that they wanted to "steal" homecourt advantage from us by filling our gym with their fans. Once word got to our campus about this, our students took advantage. &nbsp; </p>
<p>"I remember walking into the gym to catch the second half of the JV game which was being played before the varsity one, and I couldn't believe me eyes. The gym was packed full of UST fans who were determined to keep the Johnnies from having any type of fan base at the game. The level of excitement from the fans and intensity they brought was something I will never forget. That day is by far my most memorable from Schoenecker.&nbsp;By the way, we won the game, 74-59. "<br><br>Isaac Rosefelt/Class of 2007 &nbsp; </p>
<p>-- &nbsp; </p>
<H3  >Bethel barn burner</h3>
<p>"My favorite memory from Schoenecker was the men's basketball game against Bethel during the 2008-2009 season. St. Thomas rallied from 14 points back in the final 8:00 and won in a barn burner to keep the perfect season alive. It was one of the best college basketball games I've ever seen." <FONT size=2 face=Tahoma ></font>&nbsp; </p>
<p>Jordan Osterman/Tommie Media sports editor</p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Mon, 03 May 2010 7:04:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Women's Swimmers Ney, Root set for NCAAs]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/NCAA-Pre-W.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Click here to view live video of all events:</p>
<p><a href="http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=ncaa&amp;media=110134">http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=ncaa&amp;media=110134</a></p>
<p>--</p>
<p>It's mid-March and Tommie women's swimmers Jena Root and Becca Ney are back at their favorite swimming venue -- the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.</p>
<p>The pair will compete in this week's NCAA Division III Championships, which begins a four-day run Wednesday. Prelims will start each day at 10 a.m. with finals beginning at 6 p.m.</p>
<p>It will be their eighth competition at this pool over the last two seasons and second NCAA championship appearance.</p>
<p>Root, a senior from Roseville, is making her third career NCAA meet appearance. She earned All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA meet at the U of M with a seventh-place finish in 57.01 in the 100 backstroke finals. Her prelim time of 55.89 earlier in the day broke her own school and MIAC all-time best&nbsp;of 56.66. She also qualified for nationals in 2008 and traveled to Oxford, Ohio, where she placed 15th in the 100 back.</p>
<p>Ney, a junior from Wayzata, is in her second NCAA meet. She placed 14th in the 100 free at nationals in 2009.</p>
<p>Ney is seeded fifth in Wednesday's 50 free; seeded sixth in Saturday's 100 free; and 12th in Thursday's 200 free.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Root is seeded third out of 35 entrants in&nbsp;Friday's 100 back and 24th in Saturday's 200 back.</p>
<p>Root and Ney have helped the Tommies post back-to-back third-place conference team finishes in the 11-school competition. Last month, Ney was named the MIAC meet's Most Outstanding Swimmer as she had a hand in four victories<img vspace="7" border="0" hspace="7" width="265" alt="Action pic" src="ustsw09_mac_096.jpg" height="362" align="right"> and two runner-up placings. She cruised to individual victories in the 50, 100 and 200 free.</p>
<p>Ney has her name on eight school records in individual and relay events. At last month's MIAC meet, Ney broke Maureen Olson's 18-year-old record in the 200 free as she clocked 1:52.44. Olson's record was 1:55.64. Ney also lowered her own records in the 50 free with a 23.61 (23.77 previous best) and 100 free with a 51.01 (51.74 previous best).</p>
<p>Root won the 100 back at the MIAC meet in 56.88. At the 2009 MIAC Championships, Root also won the 100 back and swam on two first-place relays. She broke a 17-year-old school record in the 200 back prelims as she clocked 2:07.03 and also set the 100 back school that she later broke at nationals. </p>
<p>Root has been named MIAC Swimmer of the Week twice on her career.</p>
<p><EM  >PHOTO: Jena Root (Greg Smith photo)</em></p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Wed, 17 March 2010 7:40:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Women's Swimming 3rd at MIACs; Ney gets honor]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Women3rd.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Led by the meet's Most Outstanding women's swimmer, Becca Ney, the UST women held off St. Olaf by a mere 24 points and took third place out of 11 teams in the MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships. The three-day meet ended Saturday night at the U of M Aquatic Center.</p>
<p>It was the second consecutive third-place team finish for a Tommie program that just five years ago placed ninth at the conference meet.</p>
<p>Ney had a hand in four victories and two seconds as the Tommies rolled up 497 points. Gustavus (744), Carleton (588.5), UST and St. Olaf (473) took the top four spots.</p>
<p>Ney won the 100 free in an NCAA automatic time of 51.01. She also anchored the 400 free relay to second place in 3:32.62 with Jena Root, Anna Kramer and Ali Krieger.</p>
<p>Freshman Katie Bromback took third in the 200 fly in 2:11.07.</p>
<p>Sam Simon (17:57.20) and Layla Clauss (17:58.47) took fifth and sixth in the 1650 free .</p>
<p>Krieger (2:06.59) and Root (2:07.63) placed 3-4 in the 200 back.</p>
<p>Karly Harrod was eighth in the 200 breaststroke (2:31.55).</p>
<p>Click here for complete results:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.miac-online.org/custompages/2010SD/index.htm">http://www.miac-online.org/custompages/2010SD/index.htm</a></p>
<p><img border="0" width="309" alt="Action photo" src="100220mde217_008.JPG" class="" height="500"></p>
<p>Coach Tom Hodgson celebrates with his women on the awards stand. (Mike Ekern photo)</p>
<p><img border="0" width="500" alt="Action photo" src="100220mde217_009.JPG" class="" height="333"></p>
<p>Becca Ney gets announced as the meet Most Outstanding female swimmer. (MIke Ekern photo)</p>
<H3  >Saturday afternoon</h3>
<p>The Tommie men had another strong qualifying round on Saturday as the prepare to battle Gustavus to the wire in tonight's final session at the three-day MIAC Championships at the U of M Aquatic Center.</p>
<p>Tonight's finals start at 6:30 p.m. and has a live videocast that can be accessed here:</p>
<p><a href="http://webcast51.com/site/pages/ec/event.php?id=1540&amp;schoolID=270&amp;catID=32">http://webcast51.com/site/pages/ec/event.php?id=1540&amp;schoolID=270&amp;catID=32</a></p>
<p>UST holds a nine point lead on the Gusties and a 65.5-point advantage on third-place St. Olaf through two days. The Tommies are looking to win the school's first MIAC swimming title since 1954 and end&nbsp;a 30-year run of either St. Olaf or Gustavus as MIAC men's champions.</p>
<p>Gustavus is expected to score big points in the 1,650 free and also looks good in the 200 butterfly. The Tommies will look to score well in the 400 free relay, the 200 back, the 100 free and three-meter diving.</p>
<p>In Saturday's morning prelim session, Peter Mullee and Ethan Nimes qualified second and seventh, while four other Toms qualified for the consolation finals.</p>
<p>In the 100 free, UST qualified 1-2-5 with Michael Hoelterhoff, Sam Rauchwarter and Erik Huls while the Gusties were shutout.</p>
<p>In the 200 breaststroke, UST qualified 4-5-6-10-11 led by Grant Frost, John Stark and Jamie Byrnes.</p>
<p>In the 200 fly, Ben Ruhme qualified fifth.</p>
<p>In three-meter dving, Ryan Panure and Jeff Isaacson qualified fourth and sixth.</p>
<p>The UST are battling St. Olaf for third place. Becca Ney qualified first today in the 100 free in an NCAA automatic time of 51.43. In the 200 fly, Katie Bromback qualified first in 2:12.28.</p>
<p>In the 200 back, UST qualified third and fourth with Ali Krieger and Jena Root.</p>
<p>In the 200 breaststroke, Karly Harrod qualified eighth.</p>
<p>Click here for complete results:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.miac-online.org/custompages/2010SD/index.htm">http://www.miac-online.org/custompages/2010SD/index.htm</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Sat, 20 February 2010 21:03:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Women's Swimming seeded first in MIAC in three events]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/MIAC_2-14.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>Heading into Feb. 18-20 conference championship meet, the St. Thomas women's swimming and diving team has a top-two MIAC seed in six individual events and&nbsp;two of five relays.</p>
<p>Coach Tom Hodgson's Tommies have the MIAC's second-ranked relay times in the 400 free (3:40.43) with Jena Root, Layla Clauss, Jenny Bruno and Becca Ney, and second in the 400 medley (4:06.40) with Root, Karly Harrod, Katie Bromback and Ney.</p>
<p>UST's 800 free relay is seeded&nbsp;third in&nbsp;8:06.93 with Ney, Clauss, Root and Bruno, and seeded third in the 200 medley relay in 1:51.70 with Root, Bromback, Krieger and Ney.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ney is seeded first in the 50 free (24.63), first in the 100 free (53.72), third in the 200 free (1:57.95) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:15.50).&nbsp;</p>
<p>Root is seeded first in the 100 back (59.50) and third in the 200 back (2:10.75).</p>
<p>Bromback is seeded first in the 200 fly (2:12.10), second in the 100 fly (1:00.55), second in the 200 and ninth in the 400 IM (IM (2:15.14), ninth in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.47) and 10th in the 200 breaststroke (2:35.16).&nbsp;</p>
<p>Bruno is seeded fifth in the 200 back (2:13.07), sixth in the 100 back (1:01.77) and eighth in the 200 IM (2:17.70).</p>
<p>Sam Simon is seeded fourth in the 1000 free (11:05.07), fifth in the 1650 free (18:27.10) and seventh in the 400 IM (4:53.96).</p>
<p>Clauss is seeded fifth in the 1000 free (11:05.16), seventh in the 1,650 free (18:35)&nbsp;and ninth in the 400 IM (4:56.69).</p>
<p>Harrod is seeded sixth in the 200 breaststroke (2:33.43) and eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.10).</p>
<p>Ali Krieger is seeded seventh in the 100 fly (1:02.62) and 11th in the 100 back (1:03.72).</p>
<p>Click here to access 2009-2010 Women's Swimming and Diving top performances:</p><a href="http://www.miac-online.org/sports/2009/8/4/sidebar_538.aspx?path=wswim">http://www.miac-online.org/sports/2009/8/4/sidebar_538.aspx?path=wswim</a>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Sun, 14 February 2010 19:07:00 CST</pubDate>
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	<title><![CDATA[Women's Swimming makes D-III Scholar team list]]></title>
	<link>http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/Scholar_2-10.html</link>
	<description><![CDATA[<p>St. Thomas had a 3.31 grade-point and is among eight MIAC women's swimming and diving teams named fall 2009 Scholar All-American teams by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). </p>
<p>Coach Tom Hodgson's Tommies are among 45 Division III teams above 3.30. </p>
<p>Click here for complete list:</p>
<p><a href="http://collegecoaches.org/rank/aadivisionIIIF09.shtml">http://collegecoaches.org/rank/aadivisionIIIF09.shtml</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
	<pubDate> Tue, 09 February 2010 23:06:00 CST</pubDate>
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