LISTEN LIVE!

Listen Live to Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio's Broadcast of Ohio State Athletics

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Big Ten Basketball Making Statement

Fellow Buckeye fans, it's been way too long. Figured I'd chime in during this special time of year where families come together and celebrate the holidays. Except this lovey dovey business doesn’t suit all of us so let’s get to something more important: our annual Arizona Fiesta draws closer each day. Wait that’s not it. O yea: all I can think about is how jacked up I am for the upcoming Big Ten basketball season.

The conference may have failed to defeat the ACC yet again in the challenge but the depth is the best in years. Already this year three teams outside of the top 25 in the preseason poll have knocked off top 10 teams. Michigan (for the record I still root against them during nonconference) knocked off both UCLA and Duke, Minnesota defeated Lousiville today and of course are Buckeyes outplayed Notre Dame. Throw in Michigan State's "neutral site" win in Houston today over Texas and you have some impressive wins prior to Christmas.

Adding to the excitement is that OSU already has a perfect 8-0 record and another cupcake in UNC-Asheville coming. Without David Lighty (broken foot, out 2-3 months) the scarlet and gray will be challenged but will need a real collapse to avoid the tourney. At worst this team will be 9-1 before conference play kicks off at home against Iowa, 4 p.m. online @ OhioStateSports.net. Bob Huggins and West Virginia pose a threat on the 27th (Saturday also at 4 and online @OhioStateSports.net) but this Lightyless group could use another toughy before the Big Ten season.

All in all it should be a fun winter in Columbus. Heck the Jackets even managed an overtime triumph against the record setting San Jose Sharks. Is Gabe Norris the spark the organization needs to end the playoff drought? Clearly this is another subject for a person who fervently follows hockey (hint hint) but you get what I'm saying. Get hyped, get ready and enjoy the break everybody! Perhaps Thad Mattas crew has a few presents in the stockings (or driedel bags if you're apart of the tribe) for Buckeyes near and far.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Ohio State Football Award Winners

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells was voted 2008 team Most Valuable Player as announced at the Football Appreciation Banquet this afternoon.

Wells also received the Archie Griffin Award as outstanding offensive player, the W.W. Hayes Award as outstanding player in the Michigan game and the Rex Kern Award as the outstanding offensive back. Linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins shared the Bill Willis Award as the outstanding defensive player.

Other award winners: Ryan Lukens (John Galbreath, academics); Terrelle Pryor (first-year offensive player); Nathan Williams first-year defensive player); Shaun Lane (Ike Kelley, special teams standout); James Laurinaitis (Randy Gradishar, linebacker); Brian Robiskie (Paul Warfield, receiver); Malcolm Jenkins and Kurt Coleman (Arnie Chonko, defensive back);

Tyson Gentry (Bo Rein, most inspirational); Alex Boone (Jim Parker, offensive lineman); Kurt Coleman (SAE, Homecoming game standout); Thaddeus Gibson (Agonis Rick Meyer, Penn State game standout); Rory Nicol (Jim Marshall Warrior); Nader Abdallah (Jack Stephenson, defensive lineman).

Courtesy Shelly Poe
Ohio State Athletic Communications
www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Men's Swimming: Ohio State Wins First OSU Invite Title

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The nationally-ranked Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team captured its first Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invite title Sunday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion with a score of 1382.5 points. The No. 11 Buckeyes topped the three-time reigning champion Minnesota by over 500 points.

“I am extremely please with this group of guys,” Bill Wadley, head men’s swimming coach, said. “It was a dynamite effort by the whole team, from the freshmen to the seniors. It was a fun weekend and fun to see all of their hard work being paid off.

“We’re very thrilled to win big over such a tough field of competitors.”

Rounding out the top five behind Ohio State was Minnesota with 873.5 points, Penn State (649), Notre Dame (398) and Cleveland State (194).

A major highlight of the day’s events was the 200 breaststroke that saw the Buckeyes go 1-2-3-4-5, led by 2007 team Most Outstanding Swimmer Sam Pelkey. Despite injuries that have plagued his fall training, the junior took first in a meet-record time of 1:58.60.

“Sam Pelkey has an uncanny ability to take his game to the next level and is a champion both in the pool and in spirit,” Wadley said. “Sam has been injured all fall and really shined tonight. It is hard to imagine anyone with a unique ability to pull everything all together like he has.”

Also standing out was the performance by junior Niksa Roki in the 200 butterfly. The 2008 Croatian Olympian took third with an NCAA “B” time of 1:46.07, breaking a 24-year school record in the process.

“To have a swimmer break records like Niksa has this weekend at this time of the year is fantastic,” Wadley said. “He had an outstanding swim today.”

Reigning national champion Sean Moore had a dominating performance on the platform diving event for the Buckeyes. The sophomore took the title in a McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion record of 434.60 points.

Juniors Stefan Sigrist and Mark Neiman opened up the final session of the Invite with a 1-2 finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Sigrist won in a meet-record time and NCAA “B” cut time of 15:15.09, just edging out Neiman’s “B” time of 15:15.69.

Ohio State’s depth shone through in the evening’s next event as the Buckeyes had six out of eight swimmers in the 200 backstroke championship final. Penn State’s Patrick Schirk took the top spot, with Ohio State sophomore Phil Seleskie taking second in 1:46.55.

Sophomore Itai Chammah captured third in the event (1:46.82) and was followed by Justin Farra in fourth (1:47.13) and Tyler King in fifth (1:47.96). Freshman Austin Mudd and sophomore Michael Hulme rounded out the field, finishing seventh (1:49.17) and eighth (1:49.19), respectively.

In the 100 freestyle, Buckeye co-captain Joel Elber swam a career-best time of 44.13 to finish second just behind Minnesota’s Curt Carlson.

Closing out the weekend was the 400 freestyle relay. The team of junior Andrew Olson, Elber and freshmen Markus Sievers and Lincoln Fahrbach finished second in a “B” time of 2:58.00.

The Buckeyes will take a break from competition to focus on finals. The team returns to the pool on January 9 to face off with Wright State at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The co-ed meet begins at 5 p.m.

Courtesy Jerry Emig
Ohio State Athletic Communications
www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Men's Hockey: Buckeyes Top Robert Morris, 7-4, in Cleveland

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Buckeyes received goals from six players and points from 14 total as the Ohio State men’s hockey team defeated Robert Morris, 7-4, Saturday in Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Sophomore C.J. Severyn led the Buckeyes with a career-high two goals, with classmate Peter Boyd adding a career-high three points on a goal and two assists. Cleveland native John Albert added two assists in the win, which extended the Buckeyes’ winning streak to four.

The Buckeyes led 2-0 after the first period. Severyn put the Buckeyes on the board just 34 seconds into the game, intercepting a Colonial clearing attempt inside the blue line and scoring from the high slot for his second goal of the year. At 16:17 Sergio Somma tallied, from Boyd and freshman Sean Duddy. The Buckeyes held the Colonials scoreless on four power-play chances in the period, with 2:49 of 5-on-3 action. The first two-man chance for the Colonials spanned 1:07, with Ohio State not allowing a shot on goal. A second opportunity for 1:42 came at 11:29 and Buckeye sophomore goalie Dustin Carlson stopped all five shots on the 5-on-3. The Buckeyes outshot Robert Morris in the period, 13-9, and were 0-for-1 on the power play.

The teams combined for five goals in the second period, with the Buckeyes leading, 5-2, after two. Severyn added his second goal of the game at 7:33, assisted by freshman Cory Schneider, marking his first career assist, and Kyle Reed, to give the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead. The Colonials tallied twice in 2:08, with Chris Margott scoring at 11:00 and Nathan Longpre scoring on the power play at 13:08, cutting the Buckeye lead to one (3-2). The Buckeyes scored twice in the final 3:06. Sophomore Shane Sims scored his first goal of the season on the power play at 16:54, assisted by Boyd and Albert. Freshman Zac Dalpe scored on a breakaway at 17:31, assisted by Albert. The Buckeyes outshot Robert Morris, 16-6, in the period. Robert Morris scored on its one power-play chance and Ohio State was 1-for-2.

The teams added four goals in the third period, with all coming in the final 5:49. Boyd scored at 14:11, assisted by Cleveland (Solon) native Chris Reed and Patrick Schafer, who played juniors in Cleveland. RMU responded 20 seconds later on a goal from Dave Cowan. Hunter Bishop added the seventh Buckeye goal 29 seconds later, with assists coming from Ian Boots and Corey Elkins. The Colonials closed out the scoring with a 5-on-3 goal at 17:25. The Colonials outshot Ohio State in the period, 16-11. The Colonials were 1-for-3 on the power play, with Ohio State 0-for-1.

For the game, Ohio State outshot the Colonials, 40-31. Carlson had 27 saves in 59:48. RMU’s Wes Russell started and took the loss, allowing five goals and making 21 saves in the 37:31. Brooks Osgergard closed out the game, with 12 saves and two goals allowed in 22:29.

Ohio State was 1-for-4 on the power play in the game, with Robert Morris 2-for-8.

Postgame Notes
The Buckeyes will close out first-half play with a home series with Bentley next weekend. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and 8:05 p.m. Saturday in Value City Arena in Columbus.

The Buckeyes scored the most goals since a 9-3 victory over Bowling Green Nov. 18, 2006.

Severyn has three goals in his last three games combined.

Bishop has a goal in four-consecutive games.

Albert is on a four-game scoring streak, with 2-4-6 totals and two points in each of his last two games.

Boots has at least one point in each of the last four games, with a 2-3-5 line.

Boyd tied the team’s season high with three points. It was the fourth two-assist game of his career.

Courtesy Leann Parker
Ohio State Athletics
www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Friday, December 5, 2008

Men's Swimming: Buckeyes Excel on Day One of OSU Invite

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 11 Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team shined on day one of the 2008 Ohio State Invitational, winning four out of six events. The Buckeyes lead the field of 13 teams with 379.5 points.

“I am really pleased with the way our team competed tonight,” Bill Wadley, head men’s swimming coach, said. “There are some excellent swimmers and teams in the meet and I’m proud how the guys took on the challenge and stepped up.”

The team top-five standings after day one look like this: Ohio State is followed by Minnesota (276.5), Penn State (200), Notre Dame (132) and Cleveland State (87).

The evening opened up with a terrific first event in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Ohio State finished just .62 behind the winning Minnesota squad. The Gophers finished in an NCAA “B” time of 1:19.00, while the Buckeye quad of junior Joel Elber, junior Andrew Bretscher, freshman Lincoln Fahrbach and senior Felipe Travesso took second in a “B” time of 1:19.62.

The night kept getting better as the 500 freestyle saw another exciting neck-and-neck finish. Junior George Markovic bested Minnesota’s Ray Betuzzi by .02, setting a new meet record in an NCAA “B” time of 4:22.62. Classmates Stefan Sigrist (4:23.97) and Mark Neiman (4:24.53) also earned “B” times and finished third and fourth. Senior Jacob Busch took eighth (4:30.25).

Adding to the Buckeye win column was Niksa Roki in the 200 individual medley. The junior captured first in a meet record and an NCAA “B” time of 1:45.87, while breaking the school record set by Nate King (1:46.29) in the spring of 2007.

“I didn’t expect to break the record,” Roki, from Zagreb, Croatia, said. “I just wanted to concentrate on my turns. I saw the others behind me and I knew I was on the right track.”

Also representing Ohio State in the 200 IM final were sophomore Justin Farra, freshman Markus Sievers, junior Andrew Olson and freshman Austin Mudd. Farra finished fourth, Sievers took fifth, Olson swam in at sixth and Mudd finished seventh.

In the 50 freestyle, Elber and Minnesota’s Colin Lee-To swam to a first-place tie in 20.15. Fahrbach took fifth in 20.40.

Taking a break from the competition pool, the Buckeye one-meter diving trio was led by junior Burkley Showe, who finished second with 395.05 points. Sophomore Sean Moore took fourth (349.75) and junior Ryan Jefferson finished eighth (307.95).

Capping off the night was another tight finish in the 400-medley relay. The team of freshman Andrew Elliott, Travesso, Bretscher and Elber outlasted Penn State to take first in a “B” time of 3:12.99.

The Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invite continues Saturday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. and finals are at 5 p.m. There is no admission charge to watch the action.

Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invite
Friday, Dec. 5, 2008
McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion; Columbus, Ohio

Team Scores: 1. Ohio State 379.5; 2. Minnesota 285.5; 3. Penn State 200; 4. Notre Dame 132; 5. Cleveland State 87; 6. Purdue 44; 7. Miami (Fla.) 16; 8. Duke 7; 9. Indiana 5.

Friday Event Winners: 200 freestyle relay – 1. Minnesota (1:19.00); 2. Elber, Bretscher, Fahrbach, Travesso – Ohio State (1:19.62); 500 freestyle – 1. Markovic, Ohio State (4:27.48); 200 individual medley – 1. Roki, Ohio State (1:45.87); 50 freestyle – T1. Elber, Ohio State (20.15); T1. Lee-To, Minnesota (20.15) One-meter diving – 1. Boudia, Purdue (419.85); 2. Showe, Ohio State (395.05); 400 medley relay – 1. Elliott, Travesso, Bretscher, Elber – Ohio State (3:12.99).

Women's Swimming: Day One Done at Ohio State Invite

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State sits in fourth-place out of 15 teams after the first day of competition at the 2009 Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invite. The Buckeyes have 106 points while Minnesota, the defending Big Ten Conference champion, leads with 406 points.

Second-place Penn State (231), third-place Notre Dame (149) and fifth-place Miami-Fla. (80) points round out the top five teams.

While the Golden Gophers won all five swimming events, Ohio State swimmers bettered the team’s season bests in four of the five swimming events.

“We are looking at this invite as a gauge to see where we are right now,” Ohio State coach Bill Dorenkott said. “I was pleased with our morning swims in the prelims because we were the only team to not wear racing suits and we still had season-best times in about 80 percent of our swims. I really felt our 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley swimmers performed very well.”

In the 500 freestyle, Ohio State had two swimmers score points: sophomore Sam Cheverton and junior Haley Mitchell placed 11th and 14th, respectively. Cheverton’s time of 4:49.39 bettered the team season best by 10 seconds and it was under the NCAA “B” qualifying standard. The sophomore has now made “B” cuts in two events this year: the 200 IM and the 200 backstroke. Mitchell’s time was 4:55.01.

And in the 200 individual medley, Ohio State freshman Lisa Narum was a finalist and produced Ohio State’s highest event finish of the evening with a sixth-place effort in a team-best time of 2:03.71. Also scoring for the Buckeyes in this event was junior Jill Lockhart, who was 13th in 2:06.46.

The Buckeyes 200 freestyle relay team of Narum, Cheverton, Mitchell and Meg Noble took seventh in an OSU season’s best time of 1:36.21. And the 400 medley relay of Lockhart, Catherine Eitel, Cheverton and Narum posted another season’s best time of 3:48.69, good for seventh place.

Sophomore divers Kristen Asman and Katie Bell produced top eight finishes on the three-meter springboard for Ohio State. Asman placed fifth with 296.65 points and Bell was seventh with 269.70 points.

The Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invite continues Saturday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. and finals are at 5 p.m. There is no admission charge to watch the action.

Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invite
Friday, Dec. 5, 2008
McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion; Columbus, Ohio

Team Scores: 1. Minnesota 406 2. Penn State 231 3. Notre Dame 149 4. Ohio State 106 5. Miami 80 6. Bowling Green 73 7. Indiana 47 8. Duke 30 9. Purdue 27 10. South Carolina 1.

Friday Event Winners: 200 freestyle relay – 1. Minnesota (1:29.49); 7. Narum, Cheverton, Mitchell, Noble, Ohio State (1:36.21); 500 freestyle – 1. Kobayashi, Minnesota (4:40.42); 11. Cheverton, Ohio State (4:49.39); 200 individual medley – 1. Tyler, Minnesota (1:58.67); 6. Narum, Ohio State (2:03.71); 50 freestyle – 1. Busack, Minnesota, (22.37); Three-meter diving – 1. Loukas, Indiana (363.90); 5. Asman, Ohio State (58.43); 400 medley relay – 1. Minnesota (3:35.69); 7. Lockhart, Eitel, Cheverton, Narum, Ohio State (3:48.69).

Courtesy Jerry Emig
Ohio State Athletics

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Athletics: Ohio State Leads Conference with 80 Fall Academic All-Big Ten Selections

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State ranked first in the Big Ten with 80 student-athletes named to the Big Ten Fall Academic All-Conference team, the conference announced Wednesday. Ohio State had academic honorees in all seven eligible fall sports.

To be eligible for an Academic All-Big Ten selection, a student-athlete must be a letterwinner in at least their second academic year and carry a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. In all, 682 conference student-athletes were honored.

The Buckeye football program led the way with 26 honorees, followed by the men’s soccer team with 13 selections. Field hockey sophomore Alicia Anzivine maintained a 4.0 grade point average. Senior Brian Robiskie was one of eight football student-athletes to capture ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors. Robiskie was again a first-team recipient after earning first-team laurels in 2007.

Courtesy Leann Parker
Assistant Director
Ohio State Athletics Communications

SB: Buckeyes Sign Three to NCAA National Letters of Intent

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team has signed three high school seniors to NCAA National Letters of Intent to compete for the Buckeyes, head coach Linda Kalafatis announced. Megan Coletta, Melanie Nichols and Julia Pecina will join the team for the 2009-10 campaign.

All three players hail from southern California. Coletta and Pecina compete for rival high schools, but have been teammates on their SoCal Wicked club team for six years, while Nichols is a member of SoCal Explosion Gold.

“This is a small, but very talented class,” Kalafatis said. “We are confident that they will add continued depth to our team and to the bright future of Ohio State Softball.”

Coletta is a four-year letterwinner with Sonora High School in La Habra, Calif., and a six-year member of the SoCal Wicked travel club team under head coach Dave Limon. A shortstop and third baseman, Coletta holds a .393 batting average and .975 fielding percentage through three seasons of high school softball. She is a three-time captain and second team all-league player. Coletta also lettered in basketball, winning defensive player of the year honors in 2007.

Kalafatis on Coletta: “Megan was our first commitment in the class and we are very excited to have her. She loves the game – you can tell by her style of play and the way that she carries herself on the field. She is a terrific defensive player and has developed into an offensive threat with good speed.”

Nichols, a four-year starting pitcher at San Jacinto High School, signs with the Buckeyes after finishing her junior season with a .682 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 144 innings. She helped her team to three-consecutive Mountain Pass League championships and earned league MVP honors each of the last two seasons. As a member of SoCal Explosion Gold, Nichols and the team finished fourth at the ASA 18U Gold Nationals.

Kalafatis on Nichols: “Melanie has good size and fields her position well. She also throws in the mid-60s with a good array of pitches. We will need her to step in and pitch right away, and her experience at the 18U Gold level against top competition has prepared Mel for that. I believe that she is one of the best pitchers in this 2009 recruiting class.”

Pecina is a four-year starter with the La Habra High School softball team and seven-year member of SoCal Wicked, along with Coletta. She is a two-time All-Freeway League player with La Habra and the 2007 Offensive Player of the Year. Pecina also lettered in water polo for three seasons and earned all-league and All-CIF honors.

Kalafatis on Pecina: “Julia is a terrific athlete. She is highly-motivated and loves to work hard and train hard. She can play at either second base or in the outfield and her athleticism will be an asset at each position.”

Courtesy Alissa Clendenen
Assistant Director │Ohio State Athletics Communications

Women’s Hockey: Natalie Spooner Picks Up Second WCHA Rookie of the Week Award

Freshman forward scored three of Ohio State’s five goals last weekend at No. 5/6 St. Lawrence

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Natalie Spooner, a freshman forward on the Ohio State women’s hockey team, was selected WCHA Rookie of the Week, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Wednesday. It is her second weekly award of the season and the fourth player of the week honor for a Buckeye this season.

Spooner scored three of Ohio State’s five goals against No. 5/6 St. Lawrence in a nonconference series last weekend in Canton, N.Y. The Scarborough, Ontario, native had a goal in the first game and added two in the second to extend her goal streak to three games and increase her team-leading goal total to 12.

Spooner has recorded a point in six of her last seven games and ranks second on the Buckeyes in scoring with 15 points. She has four multiple-goal games this season. In the NCAA, Spooner is tied for third with 1.00 goals per game and sixth in freshman scoring with 1.31 points per game.

The Buckeyes will be off this weekend while preparing for finals. Ohio State concludes 2008 with a WCHA series at Minnesota State, Dec. 12-13 in Mankato. While in Minnesota, the Buckeyes also will play the U.S. Women’s Select Team in an exhibition game, Dec. 14 in Blaine.

Courtesy Courtney Walerius
Assistant Director, Ohio State Athletics Communications

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Best Damn Band In the Land Gets Better


On any given Fall Saturday in Columbus 105,000 Buckeye faithful can be heard from miles around; their cheers echoing off the friendly confines of the Horseshoe. Even before the kick off fans are on their feet, filling the stadium with a rousing ovation for one of the greatest Ohio State traditions, The Ohio State Marching Band.

At a university so steeped in tradition and excellence the band has become the “Pride of the Buckeyes”. It has gained national and international acclaim through traditions like the Skull Session, Script Ohio, Dotting the ‘I’ and its continued innovation. These traditions have become synonymous with Ohio State but traditions do not become traditions with out being innovations first. “We walk a very fine line with innovation. We can’t go too far away from our traditional roots.” said Assistant Director Jonathan Waters, who is entering his seventh year with the band.

The band has focused on developing new ideas while not losing so much of what has made it such an important tradition. Can The Best Damn Band in the Land get any better? The Ohio State Marching Band has refocused much of its time and effort into the recruitment of new members, improving the tradition of performances through innovation, and using technology to enhance the quality of its members.

Coach Woody Hayes, who represents the essence of Ohio State Football, once said “you win with people.” This guiding principle has become the central philosophy of the marching band. “We have taken that Woody Hayes strategy and used it to get the best people that we can” said Waters. The band’s main recruiting tool has been the Buckeye Invitational, where 30 High School bands come together in a competition and at the end The Ohio State Marching Band performs for them live. Waters believes that the competition is what has really sparked more interest from prospective students. “Seeing the band in person at the Buckeye Invitational is our best way to bring in new students.” The band has tried a few other strategies as well to raise interest of incoming freshman. They have mailed out pamphlets and called prospective students recruiting them to participate in the band. Over the last 5 years the number of students trying out for the band has increased dramatically. “With the success of the recruitment strategies, (the tryout) is more competitive with better prepared and high quality students coming in,” said Waters.
The rise of the competition level has improved the quality of their performances on and off the field. The recent philosophy with the staff has improved their shows with tradition through innovation. Traditions like Hang on Sloopy and the Ramp Entrance, which has been used for 80 years, have gained the band much commendation. The band has brought back older traditions as well like “floating Ohio” from the 1940’s; A marching formation where “Ohio” seems to float right out of the end zone. Each performance is attended by a diverse audience and the band faces the significant challenge of appealing to a wide demographic. They have emphasized having balance between their compositions and marches, showcasing tradition with a touch of innovation.

Their Hollywood show that debuted at halftime during “The Game”, the 2006 edition of Ohio State vs. Michigan, was a break through performance incorporating special effects. The Hollywood show depicted the Titanic smoking and sinking into the ocean. On October 25th of this year during the Penn State Game they added fireworks to the performance. Mike Vasil, a third year trumpet player, has experienced many of these new techniques and the Penn State performance was an interesting show for him. “With the fireworks it was a surprise for all of us, we had not practice with them and we were not sure how bright or how loud or how many of them there were going to be so we just had to stick to the plan. It shocked us all.” The pyrotechnics, the incorporation of props and the use of new technology have all been major priorities in the bands attempt to improve its quality.

With a substantial donation from Joan Zieg Steinbrenner, wife of the infamous Owner of the Yankees George Steinbrenner, the OSU Marching Band has been able to make some significant improvements in its facilities and operations. They have added high definition cameras for the practice and game fields. As well as flat screen televisions inside the band room to help band members. “There has been a new focus on video recordings and it has given band members the opportunity to watch themselves and be able to make improvements” said Steve Cory, who in past years did Audio and Visual recordings for the band. Waters compares this new audio visual system to a “John Madden X’s and O’s system.” It gives the ability to freeze the shots and draw on the screen allowing the directors to focus in on formation mistakes and missed marching steps. “It helps tremendously when you are on the field you can only see so much from eye level but it gives you a better perspective on the larger scheme of things” said Vasil.

Another way the band has added new technology to improve the quality of the band is giving the members the ability to learn and practice music outside of the band room. “As soon as we get new music we make a recording of it, upload it online as an mp3 file, and band members can log on download it to their iPod” said Corey. Waters has really been impressed with this new technology. “Kids can walk to class and memorize music; it allows them to get more done with out spending late hours in the band room.” This new technology has allowed The Best Damn Band in the Land to get even better. Memorization and exposure to upcoming performances has become more accessible because of these new techniques. The band has been able to use these tools to eliminate inconsistencies, problem areas and put their best band out on the field.

The Best Damn Band in the Land, one of the most prestigious and traditions rich bands in the country has not allowed success to slow down their innovation and improvements. In the marching bands 130 year existence it has established a foothold in the modern marching band arena as the leader in innovation and tradition. Each year the band develops and utilizes new technology to recruit high quality members and improve the excellence of their performances. When asked what has been the most important change in the band, Waters said “It was taking that Woody Hayes motto of you win with people and we have used that keep making improvements in the band.”

Wrestling: No. 3 Buckeyes Compete in Las Vegas Invitational

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 3 Ohio State wrestling team will travel to Las Vegas for the 27th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational Friday and Saturday. The event, featuring participants from 48 teams, will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

BUCKEYE SNAPSHOT
Ohio State is 2-0 during this early part of the 2008-09 season. The Buckeyes hosted the Buckeye Duals Nov. 16 in St. John Arena and defeated Notre Dame College, 34-6, and Cleveland State, 35-13.

The Buckeyes dropped only two matches for seven points the entire afternoon. Ohio State surrendered a total of 19 points on the day, with 12 given up because of OSU forfeits.

PERFECTION
Four Buckeyes in Reece Humphrey (133), Jason Johnstone (157), Colt Sponseller (165) and Cody Gardner (197) remain undefeated on the season. Humphrey, Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week Nov. 4, owns an 11-0 record. The junior from Indianapolis won titles at the Buffalo and Wolfpack Opens before going 2-0 at the Buckeye Duals.

Johnstone, a senior from Massillon, Ohio, is 12-0. Like Humphrey, Johnstone collected tournament wins in Buffalo and Raleigh, N.C., in addition to gathering two wins in the Buckeye Duals.

Glenmont, Ohio, native, Sponseller is 11-0 following crowns at the two early-season open tournaments. The sophomore then went 2-0 at the Buckeye Duals.

The freshman Gardner is off to a fast start with an 11-0 mark. He too won titles at the Buffalo and Wolfpack Opens before securing two wins in St. John Arena Nov. 16.
Note – Results from the 43rd Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Nov. 24 do not count toward overall records.

Courtesy Danielle Warner Ohio State Athletics Communications

Ohio State Knocks Off No. 21/22 Miami, 73-68, in Big Ten/ACC Challenge

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -Ohio State erased a 14-point second-half deficit Tuesday night, mounting the comeback after the ejection of Miami scoring leader Jack McClinton to beat the 21st-ranked Hurricanes 73-68.

Jon Diebler scored 20 points and Evan Turner had 19 for the Buckeyes (4-0), who won for only the second time in seven games in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Miami (4-2) fell to 0-3 in the series.

Miami led 36-21 late in the first half and 38-24 early in the second but sorely missed McClinton. The senior guard was ejected for a flagrant foul midway through the first half after he took a swipe with the palm of his hand at Ohio State's Anthony Crater, brushing his face.

The contact came almost immediately after Crater hit McClinton in the face while guarding him.

Crater fell briefly to his knees in pain but remained in the game. The officials consulted a TV replay, then ejected McClinton.

The Hurricanes were already without reserve guard Eddie Rios, suspended indefinitely Tuesday for a violation of team rules. With their backcourt depleted, Ohio State's full-court pressure began to take a toll in the second half.

Miami committed turnovers on five consecutive possessions, allowing the Buckeyes to run off 13 straight points - six by Evan Turner - to cut the deficit to 38-37.

The Hurricanes rebuilt the margin to eight points before Ohio State made another charge. Turner's layup with 7:28 left tied the game at 54, and the Buckeyes took their first lead on their next possession when Jeremie Simmons hit a 3-pointer, his first points of the night.

The Buckeyes stayed ahead the rest of the way. Diebler's sixth and final 3-pointer made it 66-61, and the Hurricanes committed their 18th and final turnover in their backcourt trailing 70-67 with 25 seconds left.

Simmons made both ends of a 1-and-1 with six seconds left to seal the victory.

Lance Hurdle scored 14 points to lead Miami, which shot only 39 percent. McClinton had 12, and Cyrus McGowan added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

McClinton made three early 3-pointers, while the Buckeyes missed seven of their first eight shots and committed five turnovers to fall behind 16-4 after 8 1/2 minutes. Ohio State shot 28 percent in the first half and trailed 36-22 at halftime.

Courtesy www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Carlson Nets CCHA Player of the Month Accolades

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dustin Carlson, a sophomore goalie for the Ohio State men’s hockey team, has been named the RBC Financial CCHA Player of the Month for November, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced Tuesday. During November, Carlson, from Forest Lake, Minn., posted a 6-1 record, with a 1.47 goals-against average, .954 save percentage and three shutouts.

In games Carlson started during November, Carlson was 6-1-0 with a 1.29 goals-against average and .961 save percentage. Overall on the month, he had a 1.47 gaa and .954 save percentage. After playing in relief in the team’s first game of the month, he started the remaining seven games. Carlson allowed 11 goals in the month, making 229 saves, with six goals coming on the power play.

Carlson’s three shutouts come over the span of five games. He made 21 saves to blank Michigan State Nov. 7, stopped all 32 shots he faced to top Robert Morris Nov. 14 and made 29 saves in a 2-0 win at Northern Michigan Nov. 22.

Carlson had four games with more than 30 saves, including a career-best 44 saves in a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Nebraska-Omaha Nov. 29, when he stopped the last 34 he faced (20 in the third period). He had 36 at Northern Michigan Nov. 21 in a 3-1 loss and 36 in a 4-3 victory over Nebraska-Omaha Nov. 28.

He was named the league goalie of the week after holding Michigan State to just one goal in a two-game series sweep Nov. 7-8 and he had his first-career assist vs. Michigan State Nov. 8.

Carlson’s goals-against average and save percentage were third in the league in the month although he played nearly twice the number of minutes of the Top 2 goalies. Nationally, his save percentage was third in November (behind the same CCHA goalies) and his goals-against average was seventh. Carlson’s season goals-against average dropped from 3.80 in his first game of the month to 2.23 to end the month. His save percentage improved from .863 to .928.

Courtesy Leann Parker
Associate Director
Ohio State Athletics Communications