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N e w s l e t t e r A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e A l u m n i W - C l u b Western Kentucky University’s Of cial Alumni Athletic Letterwinners Organization Vol. 8, No. 2 / March, 2011 2011 WKU Football Schedule Features Six Games in BG & Match Up with UK in Nashville The Hilltoppers open the 2011 foot- wkusports.com. The season-ticket pack- ball season Thursday, Sept. 1 against Ken- age includes WKU’s 6 games in Bowling tucky in Nashville and will have an ad- Green. The season opener with Kentucky ditional 6 home games in Bowling Green, in Nashville is not part of the season- including a ! rst-ever home meeting with ticket package. Tickets for the Kentucky Navy in its Houchens Industries - L.T. game range from $28-$63 and can be pur- Smith Stadium opener (Sept. 10). The six chased through the WKU Ticket Of! ce. home games also feature match ups with All game times and additional television 3 teams that earned bowl bids last fall. details will be announced later. Head Coach WILLIE TAGGART “We have an ambitious schedule, but WKU began spring practice March that is the best way to measure yourself,” The Hilltoppers will then travel to 21 and the annual Red-White game is set said WKU Head Coach Willie Taggart. Murfreesboro 5 days later for a Thursday, for April 16 at 4:00 p.m. (CDT). Each of “We have an exciting start, opening with Oct. 6 meeting with Middle Tennessee Kentucky in Nashville, and following that (nationally televised on ESPNU). MTSU up with our next three games in Bowling dropped a 35-21 decision to Miami (Ohio) 2011 Hilltopper Football Schedule Green. The Sun Belt Conference sent an in the GoDaddy.com Bowl last season, a (all times tba) all-time-high three teams to bowl games game in which current WKU defensive September last season and picked up two wins. It is coordinator Lance Guidry served as Mi- 1 Kentucky (LP Field, Nashville) obvious that our league is now a player ami’s head coach. 10 Navy on the post-season scene.” The annual Homecoming Game is 17 Indiana State (Parents/Family Weekend) The Hilltopper season opener against set for Oct. 22, as WKU hosts Louisiana- 24 open date Kentucky marks the second meeting in Lafayette. On Nov. 5, WKU hosts Florida October the school’s unprecedented four-year International, who shared the Sun Belt 1 Arkansas State * football series. WKU and UK met in Lex- Conference title with Troy last season. 6 at Middle Tennessee (ESPNU) * ington last season, where they will play a FIU then earned the program’s ! rst-ever 15 at Florida Atlantic * return game in 2012, followed by a second bowl appearance and defeated Toledo in 22 Louisiana-Lafayette (Homecoming) * meeting at LP Field in Nashville in 2013. the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl. 29 at Louisiana-Monroe * The games in Nashville are designated as WKU closes the 2011 regular season November Hilltopper home games. Kentucky has at home against Troy Nov. 26. The Tro- 5 Florida International * appeared in a post-season bowl game a jans have won at least a share of 5 consec- 12 at LSU school-record 5 consecutive seasons. utive Sun Belt Conference titles and been 19 at North Texas * The Sept. 10 matchup with Navy at to a bowl game in 5 of the last 7 seasons. 26 TROY * Houchens–Smith Stadium is the second Season tickets for the 2011 season, December meeting between the 2 programs. Navy beginning at $36, are now available by tba R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl has been to a school-record 8 consecu- calling 1-800-5-BIG-RED or logging on to * Sun Belt Conference game tive bowl games, the 15th longest current streak in the nation. Navy will also play at WKU during the 2013 season. WKU hosts Indiana State Sept. 17 on “Parents & Family Weekend” and will travel to play traditional Southeastern Conference power LSU on Nov. 12 in Baton Rouge. The game, played in 92,400-seat Tiger Stadium, marks the ! rst-ever meeting between the 2 schools. LSU ranks 9th in NCAA history with 41 all-time post-sea- son bowl appearances. WKU will also play the other 8 foot- ball members of the Sun Belt Conference Hilltopper Athletics in the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame with the league champion receiving an Are automatic berth to the annual R&L Car- WKU recognized the 19 individuals in the KAHF with WKU ties in Diddle Arena Feb. 5. Seven riers New Orleans Bowl. Following an of those Hall of Famers were on hand for the short ceremony. They were (left-right) : Lillie Mason (WB), Class of 2010; Jimmy Feix (FB), 2004; John Oldham (MB), 1986; Clem Haskins (MB), 1990; Jim open date on Sept. 24, WKU opens con- McDaniels (MB), 2004; Wes Strader (broadcaster), 2002; and Van Vance (broadcaster), 2003. And, ference play with an Oct. 1 home contest President Gary Ransdell; AD Ross Bjork; W-Club President-Elect Matt Idlett; and alum John Asher, with Arkansas State. a member of the KAHF Selection Committee. Topper Tidbits • Five WKU softball athletes were named scholar-athletes for the 2009-10 academic year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in November. The NFCA announced 2010 WKU seniors Rachel Boucher and Shannon Smith , along with current Lady Toppers Mallorie Sulaski, Amanda Walden and Shelby Taylor earned the scholar-athlete designation for DAVIS DONAHUE KANDIE KIPCHIRCHIR academic excellence in the classroom. A student-athlete must have acquired a 3.5 Topper Signees GPA for the year participating to qualify for the individual honor. Baseball • Junior relief pitcher Rye Davis was Matt Spalding / 6-0, 180, Fr., RHP-INF-OF / Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier HS) been named to the preseason watch list Ian Tompkins / 6-1, 175, Fr., LHP / Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier HS) for the 2011 Stopper of the Year Award, Ryan Fucci / 6-2, 185, Fr., OF / Lexington, Ky. (Tates Creek HS) an honor given annually to college base- Jerad Eickhoff / 6-2, 190, Jr., RHP / Evansville, Ind. (Olney Central, Ill., CC) ball’s best relief pitcher by the National Steve Hodgins / 5-11, 170, Jr., SS / Keego Harbor, Mich. Wabash Valley, Ind., CC) Collegiate Baseball Writers Association ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ ¤ § ¡ ¨ © ¦ (NCBWA). Davis is one of 44 relievers on ¡ ¦ ¢ ¨ ¥ ¢ ¡ ¡ ¢ ¦ ¡ ¢ ¡ ¢ ¨ ¦ ! the midseason watch list. At the conclu- ¡ ¡ # § $ ¢ % & ' ( ) ¦ ¢ * ¡ $ + , ¨ ) ¦ ¨ # § - . ¦ © ¡ ¨ / + , ! sion of the regular season, the Division " ¡ ¢ 0 ¡ ¡ § & & % ¡ ¡ ¢ ¤ © + 1 ¡ ¨ ¦ ¤ 2 ¨ ¤ 3 # ¦ $ ¡ 4 I national saves leader and 4 other relief " ¡ ¢ 2 ¡ ¤ ( & ' ( ¦ ¡ ¨ ¨ ¦ ¦ ) ¦ $ ¡ ¦ standouts will be selected as ! nalists for + ¢ ¢ 5 ' % ¢ # / ¡ ¤ ¨ ¡ ¡ ¡ 6 ¡ ¤ ¦ § the award. The recipient of the 2011 award 1 8 9 : ; 9 : < = > ? < > : @ 9 A B C B B : D B E B F ; B < ; > G E 9 H I : ; @ B 9 : : J 9 E K B : ; J F L H M B ? C H 8 B D ; I A 9 E N 9 D L B ; C 9 E E will be announced on the opening day of 7 E 9 D D I F 9 ; ; @ B K 8 J Q R B : ; B ? S G ? I E T T I : U > J ID A I E E B V O P O the College World Series on June 18. Flor- O > ; B X 9 E E Y A B ? 9 ; B < ; @ ? B B Z D ; 9 ? ? B F ? J I ;D C H ? I A 9 ED V F > Q ida Atlantic’s Andy Mee is the only other W representative on the preseason watch list from the Sun Belt Conference. Women’s Basketball • Shadrack Kipchirchir ’s 27th place ! n- Summer Fife / 5-11, Fr., G / Fort Worth, Texas (Liberty Christian School) ish at the NCAA Cross Country Champi- Danay Fothergill / 5-7, Fr., G / Somerset, Ky. (Southwestern HS) onships earned him All-America honors. Chasity Gooch / 6-0, Fr., F / Franklin, Ky. (Franklin-Simpson HS) He was the top freshman ! nisher in the Alexis Govan / 5-8, Fr., G / San Antonio, Texas (Stevens HS) men’s championship, and became the ! rst WKU cross country athlete to earn cross country All-America recognition in his Recruiting Class — No. 1 in Sun Belt for 2nd Straight Year rookie campaign. He was the 24th WKU athlete to earn All-America cross country WKU’s 2011 football recruiting class is rated the number one class in the Sun Belt Con- honors, while his award is the 74th in the ference by Rivals.com for the second consecutive year, with an all-time program high track program’s storied history. The last 11 (of the 26 total) signees rated as a 3-star player. WKU signed players from 8 states Hilltopper cross country All-American (12 from Florida, most of any state) and 8 position groups, including 6 offensive and was Eddie O’Carroll in 1992. Senior Mar- defensive lineman, 3 running backs and tight ends, and 2 quarterbacks, wide receivers, ion Kandie ’s appearance in the women’s defensive backs and linebackers. NCAA meet marked the 4th-straight year That 2011 class does not include defensive back Jonathan Dowling of Bradenton, Fla., a Lady Topper ran in the race. After pac- who recently transferred to WKU in January. Dowling was a consensus four-star player ing their respective squads in each meet by multiple recruiting services in 2010, and Rivals.com rated him the 16th best athlete in this season and winning individual Sun the country. He originally signed with Florida. He becomes the ! rst player in program Belt titles, Kandie and Kipchirchir (both history that has received a 4-star rating from Rivals.com.