Talk Time With Ellen

HIRAM, OHIO - Hiram College Athletic Director, Ellen Dempsey, took time out of her busy schedule to give students of the sports journalism class an end of the year press conference. Dempsey had a lot of information for them, which included some never heard before announcements.

Right from the start, Dempsey focused on some new additions to Hiram's Program including the NCAA Women and Minorities Grant, an exercise science major, and men's volleyball as a varsity sport. The grant's goal is to create more opportunities for women and minorities during a 10 month paid internship. This intern will assist Hiram's current Director of Sports Information, Andrew Korba. Being that there are only nine of these grants given out to division III schools per year, it is an honor for Hiram to receive it two times within the last five years.

Hiram will look to open up its marketability and ability to recruit more student-athletes with its new integrative exercise science major. "It's huge," stated Dempsey. "Hiram staff are really excited about it."

Students majoring in integrative exercise science will complete a strong core of exercise science coursework incorporated with biology and bio-medical humanities courses. These tracks will include sports health, human performance, or sport and fitness management, accomplished through elective coursework and their chosen minor. They will prepare students with an interest in sports for future opportunities in the medical field or management as well. 

Three and a half years ago, Ellen submitted a proposal that included added men's volleyball as a varsity sport at Hiram College. Thanks to a special donor, this vision is finally being met. Not only is the anonymous donor funding the new sport, but he has also volunteered to sponsor the new coach and pay his or her salary for the first year.

Demspsey ended her press conference with highlighting all of Hiram's accomplishments throughout the year. One of the most humbling awards that Hiram received was the Musial Award for sportsmanship. Hiram was honored with this award because of their involvement in the Lauren Hill game. "It was a very special moment," Ellen recalled. "Lauren's parents made the trip to Hiram so that they could present it to the college themselves."

On another positive note, Hiram hired nine new athletic staff members this year. In turn, both fall and spring sports have accomplished many achievements within their own sport.

"Hiram is improving every year and I believe we are a meaningfully competitive institution," Dempsey concluded.

Terriers Face The Tigers

HIRAM, OHIO - Despite the brisk weather, the Terriers look to take down the DePauw Tigers. The starters for the Terriers were Sierra Ray (Tallmadge, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls), Katelyn Slomovitz (Kent, Ohio / Roosevelt), Erica Dulka (Bristolville, Ohio / Bristol), Melissa Schilling (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg), Christina Belleza (Peninsula, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), Autumn Osgood (Hyde Park, Vt. / Lamoille Union), Kayla Jenkins (Solon, Ohio / Solon), Erin Smith (Youngstown, Ohio / Cardinal Mooney), Kayla Cornett (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville), Michaela Edmond (Sherman, Conn. / New Milford), Alyse Gillentine (Hartville, Ohio / Lake), Paige McLain (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk), and Rachel Metcalf (Stow, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls).

The Terriers struggled offensively during the first half, but they showed some fight as they scored with eight seconds left in the first half leaving them down 11-4.

For the Tigers, Emma Flynn led the team with 5 goals. Autumn Osgood and Sierra Ray both had two goals each for the Terriers.

The Tigers move to 2-7 overall and 1-1 in the conference while the Terriers drop to 3-6 overall while going 0-2 in the conference.

The Terriers' next game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 at Franciscan College. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.

Taking Down The Tigers

HIRAM, OHIO - The Hiram College Women's Lacrosse team looks to overcome their two-game losing streak tomorrow against the DePauw Tigers.

The Tigers are currently 1-7 overall while 0-1 in the conference. After Last week's game, Hiram dropped to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in the conference. If the Terriers walk away with a victory, it will be their first conference win of the season.

There are no reported injuries going into the game. The Terriers are set to take on the Tigers at 11:00 a.m. on Henry Field.

Women's Lacrosse Looks To Bounce Back

HIRAM, OHIO - The Hiram College Women's Lacrosse team looks to bounce back from their tough loss on Saturday against Wooster College as they face Notre Dame College tonight.

The Falcons are currently 3-2 overall while the Terriers are 3-4. Winning tonight will advance the Lady Terriers to 4-4 overall while boosting their record at home to 3-1.

There are no reported injurires going into tonight's game. The Terriers are scheduled to take on the Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Henry Field.

ACL IQ

           Being an athlete is hard work sometimes and your body suffers from it. Sure, soreness or even minor injuries like a rolled ankle come with the job description, but tearing a main ligament such as your Anterior Cruciate Ligament is something that might not be as expected. The rate of ACL tears, regardless of mechanism of injury, has increased within both male and female collegiate athletes. “The number of ACL tears we see varies from year to year, but is still prevalent every year,” said Hiram College Athletic Trainer, Renee Myers. “One year we may see three and then 10 the next year.” Whether it is Division I, Division II, or Division III, these athletes are still highly impacted with ACL injuries.

            At Hiram College, ACL injuries seem to be a pretty common injury among athletes. “This year alone five people that I know have torn their ACL,” stated junior Kayla Yost. “I feel like that is a lot for our small campus.” Yost plays basketball at Hiram College and has torn her ACL twice. Her first injury happened when she was a sophomore in high school and she just recently reinjured the same knee as a junior in college. Both tears occurred while she was playing basketball. Although there has been about five years between her injuries, Yost feels that it is harder now that she is in college. “When I tore it in high school, I wasn’t thinking about college yet. Now, I realize that I have limited years in college until I am done playing at this level.” It is this mental problem that Yost, along with many other athletes struggle with while recovering.

 

            The pressure to get healthy and return to your sport as fast as you are able to can impact an athlete’s recovery process and make them more susceptible to reinjuring themselves. "I rushed my rehab to get back on the court," said senior men's basketball player, RaiTwann Gaston. "I had just decided to come to Hiram to play after I graduated from high school. I didn't want to have to miss any of my college career." Gaston was ready to start when he arrived at Hiram's campus, but retore his ACL during his freshman basketball season.

             These are just a couple of examples, on Hiram's campus, of how ACL injuries are affecting college athletes. Once you tear your ACL, you run the risk of reinjuring it in the future. Doing all of the rehabilitation therappy and continuing to do certain exercises even after you are healthy can help decrease this common theme among college athletes.

All Offense

Hiram, OHIO - The starters in today's women's lacrosse game were Sierra Ray (Tallmadge, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls), Katelyn Slomovitz (Kent, Ohio / Roosevelt), Erica Dulka (Bristolville, Ohio / Bristol), Melissa Schilling (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg), Christina Belleza (Peninsula, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), Autumn Osgood (Hyde Park, Vt. / Lamoille Union), Kayla Jenkins (Solon, Ohio / Solon), Erin Smith (Youngstown, Ohio / Cardinal Mooney), Kayla Cornett (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville), Michaela Edmond (Sherman, Conn. / New Milford), Alyse Gillentine (Hartville, Ohio / Lake), Paige McLain (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk), and Rachel Metcalf (Stow, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls).

The Terriers had a strong offensive first half to put them ahead 13-3. The Terriers leading scorers were Autumn Osgood (Hyde Park, Vt. / Lamoille Union), Kayla Jenkins (Solon, Ohio / Solon), and Sierra Ray (Tallmadge, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls) with three goals a piece. Terriers' goal-keeper, Rachel Metcalf, finished the half with four saves.

The Terriers continued their unstoppable offense in the second half to oull off the victory 19-5. Autumn Osgood  (Hyde Park, Vt. / Lamoille Union) and Sierra Ray (Tallmadge, Ohio / Stow-Munroe Falls) both finished with five goals each, leading the Terriers.

This was the Terriers first win of the season for their new head coach Brianne Dishong.

Women's lacrosse is scheduled to play Willmington College this Sunday at Henry Field.

Revenge TIme

Hiram, OHIO - The Hiram College Women's Lacrosse team looks to stop their losing streak tonight as they take on the Olivet Comets. The Terriers are currently 0-3 overall and they have not started conference play yet.

The Olivet Comets are 0-0 on the season so far as they look to play their first game of the season tonight. Last season, the Comets went 9-7 overall while going 5-3 in the conference. During the 2015 season, the Terriers faced the Comets and lost 14-5. The Terriers will look to gain some revenge as they go into tonight's game.

There are no injuries for the Terriers and the game is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Henry Field.

Friday Night Lights

Hiram, OHIO - In high school, Friday nights are meant for football games. It was no different for Euclid High School. At 58 degrees, it was a beautiful night for football. Junior, Chris Treadwell and his Euclid teammates were ready to take on their rival at Bedford. Treadwell had on his navy blue and snow white jersey with his flashy gold pants.

"Go out and just have fun," said Treadwell. "It was the last game of the season and I was feeling good."

Treadwell wasn't lying about feeling good. As a defensive end, he had three and a half sacks, eight tackles, and two forced fumbles.

"I was tired, but turnt," stated Treadwell. "Everyone was pumped and going crazy."

Like a kid in a candy store, Chris's face lit up every time he heard his name come through the speakers and echo through the stands.

"Great game," coach Mike Rozzella screamed. "That's how you do it!"

Treadwell provided a spark for his team that lead them to a 34-20 victory over Bedford. Even though the game was at Bedford, Euclid fans traveled very well and filled the stands.

Overall, Euclid finished 4-6 during Treadwell's Junior season and he was looking forward to his Senior season.

Exceed Expectations

Hiram, OHIO - The Hiram Men's Basketball Team wore shirts that read "Exceed Expectations." This season, they followed through with this expectation. The 2015-2016 season was by far the best one yet for the Hiram Men's Basketball team. As a team, the Terriers were picked to finish last in the conference. Proving everybody wrong, they ended up finishing third in the conference allowing them to host their first tournament game in Hiram History.

Some highlights from the season include Sophomore Kelvin Jone's outstanding home court performance against Oberlin. He had a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds. As a whole, the Terriers' best games, offensively and defensively, were against Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster. Their strong defense and aggressive offense helped them knock off the Ohio Wesleyan, who was ranked fourth in the nation at the time, and beat Wooster for the first time in 20 years.

The Hiram men posted an impressive home record of 9-1, while going 8-6 on the road leaving them with a 19-8 overall record. Throughout the season, the Terriers' only went on a three-game losing streak and had a strong winning streak with eight games. Although the men had many high points this season, they suffered some tough losses. One of the most heartbreaking games, for the Terriers, was their game against Denison. The Big Red did what every other team this season could not do, which was give the Hiram Terriers their first loss on their home court.

Helping the Terriers exceed their expectations this season was Sophomore Trey Sanders. Due to an injury, Sanders was given more of an opportunity to take on a larger role this season. He took this chance and did not disappoint. The scrappy and passionate play of Trey provided a much-needed spark off the bench.

Even though the Terriers made it past the first round in the NCAC tournament, their season did not end how they would have liked. Unfortunately, they lost to Wooster in the second round 92-79. Despite the loss, the Hiram men had a lot to be proud of.

The Terriers are graduating two seniors, Austen Rekolt and RaiTwann Gaston. Rekolt and Gaston provided great leadership to their team, while helping the team accomplish their goals. The loss of these two will cause other key players to step including Trey Sanders and Kelvin Jones.

Senior J.J. Woodson has another year of eligibility that he will be using next year as he returns for the Hiram Terriers. Having four years of experience, Woodson will be expected to provide leadership and set an example for his teammates.

Also returning from an injury, is Kyle Deckerd. He will be a Senior next year and will look to help his team improve as a whole.

And One?

Just like Michael Jordan, a young David Strukel was the last one cut on his basketball team during his sophomore season. Instead of giving up the sport, he joined an intramural team by the name of Toxic Waste and played at the Massillon Boys Club. In honor of his basketball idol, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David wore number 33 across the chest of his royal blue and Michigan yellow jersey. Although Strukel was a baller and the leading scorer, the team was not impressive with a record of 2-10. 

One game, in particular, where Strukel stood out was when they played The Skinny Boys. "I knew we were going to lose," Strukel said. "It was just about how many points I was going to get." 

Toxic Waste dug themselves a hole early with a 20 point deficit. Despite the huge gap on the scoreboard, David was having an all star night. "I was killing it," Strukel stated. "I was nailing shots left and right." With three minutes left in the first half Strukel led a two on one fast break. At this point in the game, he had 22 points and was on fire. Instead of giving up the rock, he jump stopped at the top of the free throw line and decided to make something happen by himself. The next play, changed the dynamic of the game and David's career. His defender reached for the ball, but missed and collided heads with him. Thinking it was clearly a foul, Strukel threw the ball up hoping for the best. He banked it in, but to his surprise there was no whistle from the referee. 

Blood starting gushing down David's face like a waterfall. "All I remember was a bunch of girls screaming 'ew, how gross!". 

David rushed home to tend to his wound instead of going to the hospital. After this game, he never played intramural basketball again. 

Terriers Take on the Big Red

Hiram, Ohio - The Hiram men are looking to improve to 18-6, and beat Denison, a conference team they lost to in the first stretch of the season. The Terriers have won the last four games that they have played. The Terriers have a winning record on the road of 8-5, as they look capable of bringing home another win to make it 9-5. 

"We are out for blood, and we would love to beat them because they beat us."- Austen Rekolt commented when asked about their upcoming game against Denison.

Tomorrow's opponent outscored the Terriers 77-61 earlier in the season. Sophomore Paul Ortiz (Ohio/McKinley) led the Terriers with 16 points and 5 steals while Kelvin Jones (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Brookside) added eight points and twelve rebounds.

"Denison is playing some good basketball right now, they aren't a team we can take lightly and we are preparing for this game with hard work" Rekolt said.

The win against Denison will improve the Terriers' record to 18-6, which is the best record in Hiram history. This would also secure a home game for the conference tournament.

Hiram is traveling in full force with no injuries going into tomorrows game. Tipoff is at Livingston Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m.

Hiram Men Seeking Revenge

Hiram, Ohio- The Hiram Men's Basketball Team is looking to continue their strong play at home during tonight's game. They are currently 6-1 at home, while 8-5 on the road.

Tonight's opponent, Wooster, is 16-5 on the season. The Scots dominated the Terriers a couple weeks ago on their court, 100-69. For Hiram, Sophomore Kelvin Jones (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Brookside) led with 14 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Paul Ortiz (Canton, Ohio/McKinley Senior) added 12 points and sophomore Trey Sanders (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Beachwood) finished with six points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

Hiram is looking at holding their spot in the conference standing at third, but it will not come easy in tonight's game. With a win, Hiram will move to 7-1 at home and 16-6 overall. 

There are no significant injuries going into tonight's game. Tip off is set for 8 tonight in Price Gymnasium. 

Terrier Men Looking to Take Over on the Road

Hiram, Ohio- The Hiram men's basketball team is looking to bounce back from last week's game against Ohio Wesleyan by taking over on the road. The Terriers are currently 6-4 on the road, while going 7-1 at home.

Tonight's opponent, Wabash, is 10-9 on the season. Hiram ran over Wabash earlier in the season at home, 80-64. Senior J.J. Woodson (Oakwood Village, Ohio/Bedford) had a career high 30 points to lead the team. Sophomore Paul Ortiz (Canton, Ohio/McKinley Senior) added 15 points and Sophomore Trey Sanders (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Beachwood) tied his season high with 11 points, while dishing out a career high five assists.

Tonight's game might not be as easy for the Terriers as Wabash is fighting to move up in the conference standings. For the Little Giants, Freshman Evan Frank (Indianapolis, Indiana/Park Tudor) posted a career high 19 points and 15 rebounds during the game.

With a win, Hiram will advance to 14-6, while holding their number three spot in the conference standings.

Sophomore Kelvin Jones (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Brookside) was out with a minor foot injury, but has been practicing this week and is expected to play in tonight's game. Sophomore Joe Caspio (Willowick, Ohio/Eastlake North) filled in for the injured Jones in the last weeks' game.

It is unknown if Jones will take back his starting spot tonight, but Seniors J.J. Woodson (Oakwood Village, Ohio/Bedford) and Austen Rekolt (Salem, Ohio/West Branch), and Sophomores Isaiah Matthews (Orlando, Florida/Eastridge) and Paul Ortiz (Canton, Ohio/McKinley Senior) are projected to start. Tipoff is set for 7 tonight in Allen Center.

A Balanced Attack

Hiram, OH- The Terriers break their 3 game losing streak! With their strong defensive effort, the Terriers cruised past Kenyon with a 92-74 final.

Hiram had a balanced attack with Sophomore Paul Ortiz and Junior Jeremiah Thomas scoring 16 points each. Following them was Senior J.J. Woodson with 15 points and Sophomore Kelvin Jones with 12. Two other players added 8 points to the dominating win.

Thomas realizes how important playing as a team is. "The last three games we have been off a little bit. We came back together and played as one unit," he said.

Kenyon's strong second half effort was a little too late. Tim Connolly scored 19 points and Matt Shifrin followed with 17 points.

Hiram is now 12-5 and will play home against Allegheny  on Wednesday.

Terriors Dominate the Lords

Hiram, OH- It's halftime at the Colemen Center where the Hiram Terriers had an explosive first half, leaving them with a demanding 52-25 lead over the Lords.

Leading the Terriors with 10 points is senior J.J. Woodson. Close behind is junior Jeremiah Thomas with 9 points. Also, Gaston and Sanders both have 8 a piece.

For the Lords, Matt Shifrin is leading with 11 points.

The Terriors are defensively dominating the game and will try to stretch their lead even further in the second half.