March 7, 1857 – Baseball decides that their game will last nine innings. Before this, a full game was decided when the first team scored nine runs. Games have remained nine innings for the last 160 years.
March 8, 1971 – In their first boxing match against each other, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in 15 rounds for the heavyweight title. The two would fight twice more that became known as “The Rumble in the Jungle” and “The Thrilla in Manila.” Ali won both matches.
March 14, 1988 – Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was born. Curry has become a household name in the NBA and his style of play has changed the way the game is played and coached.
March 14, 2010 – Jacks softball pitcher Gracie Perez throws a no-hitter versus Chico State. Perez was one walk away from throwing a perfect game and had six strikeouts for the game.
March 14, 2017 – The world’s oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women to their club for the first time in the 273-year history of the rule that banned women.
“They should have the right to any freedom of expression. I understand where the players are coming from, and I respect what they’re doing. As far as his Presidency, it goes to show how a white man with power and money by instigating oppression and diminishing the value of our first amendment.”
“F*ck Donald Trump. F*ck the national anthem. I think the players need to be treated better in terms of equality. It comes down to the fact its not about football, it’s about politics and race. There’s other sh*t going on. I think the national anthem is overused, I don’t think it should be as big a deal as it is. There’s definitely a division and it’s creating more division between the population.”
Emily Lopez, Anthropology, Freshman
“Because it was a black person who went against him, Trump reacted. People didn’t care about that. It was a black man kneeling, if they were white, who knows? They felt like their people were being oppressed, they weren’t going against him.”
Angel Orellana, Criminology, Junior
“Trump is a piece of shit, first of all. At the same time, I don’t feel those people sitting down goes against patriots. When they sit down for the national anthem, I don’t see it as disrespect. I feel they’re trying to bring to light the issues in America right now.”
This weekend the Humboldt State Lumberjacks faced off against rival, Azusa Pacific Cougars, on the road for its first 2017 season game. The Jacks defeated the 8th ranked Cougars 30-19.
After losing to Azusa twice last season by a combined score of 83 – 40, the Jacks were ready to create a different narrative this year. The win also snapped the Cougars’ nine-game GNAC win streak and also ended their eight-game home winning streak.
Ereon Nash, a sophomore defensive back who played against Azusa Pacific last season, knew they had to come back and play better this year.
“We prepared all week,” Nash said, “we know we had to bring it and come out here ready.”
An offensive battle, the jacks outgained the Cougars in total offensive yards 456-405. Senior Running Back Ja’Quan Gardner had 168 yards on 31 carries, scoring three touchdowns. The preformarnce helped him claim the GNAC Football Offensive Player of the Week award.
Junior John Todd led the Jacks with 58 receiving yards, including a 14 yard catch that secured the school’s all-time passing record for Senior Quarterback Robert Webber.
“We stepped up when we needed to step up,” Todd said, “we want that ring, so we need to make things happen.”
With the win, Humboldt State finds itself top of the list among teams receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Lumberjacks trail No. 25 Slippery Rock by just four points.
Humboldt State continues its conference schedule next weekend, hosting Simon Fraser on Sat., Sept. 16 at the Redwood Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
“We just showed up, handled business, and shut it down,” Nash said.
The NFL draft results are in, which means it is time to start evaluating each pick in the draft before they have played a single down for their team.
It is impossible to know for sure how each team did in this year’s draft until a few years down the road, but that does not mean there cannot be an initial reaction to each team’s selections, based on team needs and how early or late a player was drafted.
Here is a look at some winners and losers of the 2017 NFL draft:
Winners:
San Francisco 49ers: New 49ers General Manager John Lynch absolutely fleeced the Chicago Bears in the first round of the draft, but more on that later. As for the players the 49ers actually selected in the draft, they were solid, and for the first time in a long time 49ers fans can be excited about their draft class. Defensive end Solomon Thomas out of Stanford will help sure up the defensive line, while linebacker out of Alabama Reuben Foster appears to be the best linebacking partner for Navorro Bowman since Patrick Willis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs have already made a splash this offseason by signing wide receiver DeSean Jackson to put alongside pro-bowler Mike Evans in the wide receiving corps. Through the draft they added tight end from Alabama O.J. Howard. Howard was the number one ranked tight end in college and rightfully so after a terrific performance in the national title game as one of Alabama’s best receivers. Quarterback Jameis Winston will now have a litter of elite offensive talent around him, so look for the Bucs to crash the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Houston Texans: The Texans have the defensive talent of a Super Bowl caliber team right now, and Pro Bowl level talent at the running back and wide receiver positions, but the only thing hindering their playoff success is the quarterback position. They may have solved that problem by drafting quarterback Deshaun Watson from Clemson, who has a chance to play in his third championship game in as many years.
Losers:
Chicago Bears: The Bears gave up two third round picks and a fourth to the 49ers to move up one space in the draft from number 3 to number 2, to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. This stunned everyone that watched the draft, because usually teams do not trade up one space; also, the Niners were probably not going to draft Trubisky.
Humboldt State University’s athletics department will face a budget deficit as the fiscal year comes to a close on June 30, 2017 for the second consecutive year. The athletic department is expected to come up $669,000 short, once again requiring HSU to divert $500,000 from its general fund to help curtail the deficit.
HSU students spend $4.3 million a year on athletics, resulting in the highest Instructionally Related Activities fee of any CSU, at $674 a year for full-time students. The next highest IRA fee at a CSU is $460 a year, at Sonoma State. 77 percent or $518 of HSU’s IRA fee goes towards athletics. In 2015, HSU students paid $4,221,825 toward athletics. The median of all other CCAA schools in the same year was $2,181,874, and a median of $16,737 for all of Division II.
HSU track and field. Photo by Iridian Casarez
It’s important to note, in respect to athletics, that along with an abnormally high student fee, athletics also generates far above the median when it comes to advertisements and donations. Athletics raised $345,775 in royalties, licensing, advertising and sponsorships in 2015. The CCAA median was $34,775 and the Division II median was $15,045. HSU also raised in-kind donations, such as goods and services, of $246,280 compared to $13,189 for other CCAA schools.
In November 2016, HSU President Lisa Rossbacher contracted Strategic Edge Consulting LLC to conduct a review of HSU’s various intercollegiate athletics programs and the athletic department as a whole. The 100-page report viewed the athletic deficit holisticly and highlighted areas HSU’s administration could improve.
The report reads, “It also became clear that there appears to be a “divide” between athletics and other parts of campus…One of the things that became obvious through the sessions with the Advancement Foundation Board, Athletics Department staff, the Philanthropy staff and others on campus was that the Athletics Department and the Advancement Office do not communicate well and have not historically worked with each other.”
Frank Whitlatch, associate vice president of Marketing and Communications at HSU, in partnership said that the athletic deficit issue isn’t due to an indifference to teamwork between departments. “HSU is essentially a very large organization,” Whitlatch said. “It’s easy for individuals in various departments to put their heads down and work at solving an issue to the point that communication suffers.”
President Rossbacher responded indirectly, through a mediary, to a couple of questions from The Lumberjack that were related to the Strategic Edge report.
“I requested that Athletics and Advancement meet regularly for the next six months, with very specific outcomes required. The first meeting has taken place and work is ongoing to improve coordination in the areas of fundraising and communication.”
When Rossbacher was asked if HSU athletics are “too big to fail,” she said, “General funds have already been used to offset the deficit in Athletics. We have to consider every option to ensure that all HSU programs are financially sustainable.”
The 2016-2017 year also saw a 3.5 percent reduction in enrollment at HSU. Additionally, HSU expects to see another dip in enrollment for the 2017-2018 year. On whether or not a public deficit issue might dissuade potential students from enrolling at HSU, Whitlatch said, “I don’t believe that a visible deficit will affect potential enrollment, the reality is most CSU’s have some level of a deficit issue.”
Strategic Edge suggested a few options for HSU athletics. Among these were HSU remaining a member of the NCAA and changing divisional affiliation to NCAA Division III, remaining a member of NCAA Division II and moving to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference for all sports, or transferring to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics .
In a memo sent in March to all administrators and coaches affiliated with Athletics, President Rossbacher indicated that HSU intends to remain within Division II and make no changes to its divisional affiliation.
In the memo, Rossbacher left potential cuts to athletic programs on the table. Sports such as baseball, women’s swimming, and wrestling have been cut in the past. Former and current HSU athletes are making their voices known with the potential upheaval of HSU Athletics.
“It makes me feel uncomfortable for the student athletes that are currently there and it saddens me every time I hear, ‘they might cut this,’ ‘the school is getting rid of this,’ ‘there isn’t enough money to do this,’” said former HSU soccer player Emily Huska. “It happened all throughout my four years of being a student athlete.”
HSU soccer player McCalla Madriago is also concerned about potential cuts.
“Honestly, it would hurt HSU and the community because HSU athletics are the closest thing to having live sporting events anywhere in Humboldt county,” said Madriago. “We’re isolated and sports bring the community together or makes it excited and a topic to be shared. Not only that, HSU athletes are a huge influence on the younger generations around here.”
In November 2017, HSU will review the deficit issue both within athletics and HSU in general. Any potential cuts, revenue hikes, or other changes will be left to speculation until then.
One of the greatest aspects of playing sports is the ability to play in front of a home crowd. Unfortunately, Humboldt State’s top rated softball team has not been able to play a single game this season on their own home field.
The team had to play their last home series in McKinleyville located about 5 miles north of Humboldt State University.
This did not prevent fans from coming out and showing their support for the softball team. Sydney Roberts, who plays second base for the Lumberjacks, said fans had
creative ways to come out and watch the team.
“In McKinleyville we had people ride up on horses to come watch our game,” Roberts said. “Locals love us, they support us, and we cannot have their support if we cannot play at home.”
Roberts spoke on whether the team will be able to even play a home game at Humboldt this season.
“We cannot if it rains two days in a row at Humboldt,” Roberts said. “We are hoping to play our first home game against Chico on April 10th…we have already had to reschedule twice already with them.”
Roberts went on to say how she would like to play at least a couple of home games at HSU in her senior year, and considering that the softball team is one of the winning teams on campus it would be great to play at home for the fans to see.
“We do not lose at home,” Roberts said. “But we do not get the opportunity everyone else gets playing on their home field…it is harder to keep yourself pumped up when you do not have that home field advantage.”
Breonna Bejaran, who plays catcher and 1st base for the lumberjacks, says that playing at home can really energize the squad.
“We really feed off of the home crowd energy,” Bejaran said. “Something should have been done along time ago with the success of our team, not just this team, but past teams also…there should be a field that is playable for us in Humboldt County…I would love to play here as senior at least once.”
Pitcher Madison Williams expresses her feelings about not being able to play at home.
“It is definitely frustrating having to play all of our games on the road,” Williams said. “But we cannot control the weather…Our home field is in bad condition and it would be dangerous to play on right now.”
‘The Humboldt Chainsaw Massacre’ is what new Humboldt State football defensive coordinator, Barry Sacks, calls the team’s new defensive system.
“There are 11 links on the chain, and you have to earn each link,” Sacks said. “ You have to play for one another and not for the individual.”
Sacks talked about how the defense has to pursue the ball so hard and so fast that it feels like there are 12 guys on the field, when there are actually only 11.
Spring practices are officially under way at HSU, which means it is time to train and evaluate players. It is also time for coaches to get settled into their new roles on the team.
Coach Sacks said the first week of practice was fun getting to know the players and work with head coach Rob Smith. Sacks said coach Smith is incredibly knowledgable, and it takes a special person to coach at this level, with the daily grind of football.
Sacks has been coaching for over 30 years, for several different programs, including Portland State, Boise State, Adams State, University of Nevada, and University of New Mexico. Sacks spent the 2016 season at San Jose State University as the defensive line coach.
Sacks has known about the HSU football program since his days as a coach at Portland State in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Sacks chose to come to Humboldt State mainly do the recent run of success, and winning culture that head coach Rob Smith has installed at HSU.
Humboldt State head football coach Rob Smith spoke about new defensive coordinator Barry Sacks now that week one of spring practices are in the books.
“I love the energy,” Smith said. “I do not know where Coach Sacks gets it…but again he has great energy and it is fun to see.”
After finding out about the HSU opening, Sacks called Coach Smith to inquire about the position. The two were both born in Washington, they are the same age, but they had never met until the American Football Coaches Convention in Nashville, Tennessee in January. From there Coach Smith invited Sacks to HSU for a formal interview and to take a look at the campus.
Sacks knew immediately that Humboldt State was a huge part of the community in Arcata. HSU really does not have to compete with other colleges in the area for football, so HSU gets a lot of local fans that did not necessarily go to the school, but enjoy rooting for this team.
“We are the show in town,” Sacks said. “We are in a community that is starved for this type of venue.”
Softball – After five consecutive weeks in the number one spot, Humboldt State softball dropped to No. 4 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The Lumberjacks are 21-4 overall and 14-4 in CCCAA play after dropping three out of four games at Cal State San Bernardino this past weekend.
HSU has a bye this week before it resumes play at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif., March 31 when they take on Hawaii Pacific. The Jacks have yet to play a home game at their softball field due to bad conditions.
Rowing – Humboldt State rowing had a very successful showing in Saturday’s Blue Heron Regatta. The Blue Heron Regatta featured HSU, Cal Maritime, Chico State and Mills College.
The Lumberjacks got off to a great start, when their A and B teams took home first and second place in the Women’s Varsity Eight. HSU’s A team finished with a time of 7:05, while the B team completed the race right behind them with a time of 07:11.7.
HSU saw the same results in the Novice Four when its A and B teams took home first and second place, respectively, with times of 7:39.5 and 7:58.8.
The Jacks are back in action next weekend when they travel south to participate in the San Diego Crew Classic.
Track and Field – Humboldt State senior Alyssabeth DeJerez was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Female Track Athlete of the Week two weeks in a row after record-breaking performances the last 3 weeks.
The senior earned an automatic qualifying mark when she finished first in the 400m hurdles on Saturday. Her performance resulted in a career best time of 58.84, strengthening her number one ranking in the all-time program record book.
DeJerez was named Athlete of the Week for the first time this season on March 7 after earning a provisional qualifying mark with a 54.96 finish in 400m dash at the Kim Duyst Invitational.
Earlier this season teammate Ariel Oliver was named Athlete of the Week Oliver snagged victories in the shot put and discus at the Chico State-hosted Wildcat Invitational earlier in the year.
Her distances of 14.17m (shot put) and 46.33m (discus) were both provisional qualifiers for the 2017 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Oliver leads the nation in the shot put and ranks third in the discus.
While school stopped for students over the past week, not everyone was given a break. A few of HSU women’s sports teams had a busy week.
Women’s track and field competed at the Hornet Invite in Sacramento. With multiple standout performances.
Most notable was track athlete, Alyssabeth DeJerez. DeJerez ran the 400m hurdles in 58.84 seconds. Her time automatically qualified her for nationals and improved on the Humboldt State record that she already held in the event. DeJerez was named CCAA student athlete of the week.
This was not Dejerez’s first great performance of the season. Earlier in the season DeJerez was also named the CCAA Female Track Athlete of the Week for her performance at the Kim Duyst Invitational at Stanislaus State.
“I got to Humboldt with this determination to make a name for myself,” DeJerez said. “I kinda sacrificed a lot. I don’t go out on the weekends, I build my diet around how I want to perform, I have to prep my body and roll out.”
Humboldt State Women’s track and field team is ranked number two in the country. Coach Scott Pesch believes it is his runner’s hard work and his fellow coaches that have helped the women’s program reach its number two ranking.
“I gotta thank my coaches,” Pesch said. “I can’t do this alone that’s for sure.”
Women’s track is not the only nationally ranked women’s team on Humboldt’s campus. The Humboldt women’s softball team has been ranked number one in the nation in recent weeks and the Humboldt Women’s Rowing team opened the season ranked fourth in their pre-season poll.
Women’s rowing had a very busy spring break competing in Sacramento, Davis, and then spending the rest of the break in Newport Beach training before racing in the Berg Cup this past Saturday. Overall, the women’s team spent nine days on the road a busier spring break then they are used too.
“We’ve never trained the entire week of spring break, so this was kinda a new adventure,” Coach Robin Meiggs said. “We raced some of our big division one rivals.”
Those rivals include UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Long Beach State and Sacramento state.
The break was an opportunity to get away from cold early morning practices. The team was able to enjoy practices that started at 9 a.m. and enjoyed weather about 15 degrees warmer than their used to.
On March 25. the women’s rowing team will be participating in the Blue Heron Redwood Sprints Regatta in Eureka. The meet will start at 7:45 a.m. and will end around 10:30 a.m.
Back to back doubleheaders against Cal State San Bernardino snaps Humboldt Softball’s seven game winning streak. The team had to play in high temperatures in San Bernardino, a harsh difference from Arcata weather. Humboldt Softball is ranked at the top of the CCAA conference. Out of four games this weekend, Humboldt took home one victory. The Lumberjacks are now 14-4 in conference play.
Senior pitcher Madison Williams, who is still currently leading the conference in batters struck out, added 12 strikeouts to her resume this past week. She now leads the CCAA in strikeouts with 100 in total, 27 more than the second highest.
“We can be beat by anyone. For me it’s all about improvement, when you go 11-0… you feel like no one can beat you,” Williams said.
The Jacks had been successful through their first 11 games of the season making them top ranked in the conference at the time.
With the losses aside, Humboldt ended Sunday on a high note earning their only win of the weekend.
Second baseman, Sydney Roberts, played a big role in the team’s win this weekend both at bat and on the field.
“Every ball that came to me just got stopped,” Roberts said. “I feel like I did well. A hit went between Bre [Bejaran] and I, and I dove on it, got up on my knees and threw it to first.”
Roberts was not the only player who played well in the game. As catcher, Breonna Bejaran hit two home runs in the last game of road trip. Those two home runs tied Bejaran for first in home runs in the CCAA with nine on the season. She is also first in slugging percentage with .800, slugging percentage being the amount of bases gained by one person divided by the number of times that person is at bat.
“I was just looking for a base run and it came to me,” Bejaran said.
Before Bejaran’s second home run, there was a controversy with an interference call that the umpire overturned.
“I knew the pitcher was coming for me and I had to swing,” Bejaran said.
Photo by | Andre Hascall
Even with the tough weekend considered, the Jacks must look forward as the championship tournament is no longer far off in the distance.
Yesterday at the weekly sports conference at HSU the team’s head coach, Shelli Sarchett, spoke on her team’s recent shortcoming against CSU San Bernardino.
“Half this team knows what it takes the get there, and we are not doing that. We are going to get refreshed and focused, obviously our focus is the national championship, but how are we going to get there, ride on what we’ve always done or strive to get better,” Sarchett said.
Humboldt State men’s basketball closed out the regular season with a home loss, 88-74, to San Francisco State. Freshman Tyler Green had a career-high 28-points. Green finished the game with eight treys, two shy of matching Issac Gildea’s single-game record of 10. Despite Saturday’s loss, the Lumberjacks clinched a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. HSU will travel to face No. 1 seed UC San Diego next Tuesday in RIMAC Arena.
Women’s Basketball
Humboldt State women’s basketball ended the 2016-17 season on a high note with a strong performance in Saturday’s 58-51 win over San Francisco State. Juniors Mikaela Shannon, Ashlynn Cox, and Kindall Murie all scored in double figures for the Jacks. Shannon scored 14 second half points to turn the tide in the Jacks’ favor. She finished with a career-high 17 points.
Softball
Humboldt State’s softball team is the number one team in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Humboldt took all four games against the San Francisco State Gators. The Lumberjacks dominated with a 18-4 advantage. Senior All-American Madison Williams recorded two wins. She went 16 innings and had 22 strikeouts over her two starts.
Men’s lacrosse player Shane Hayes played one of his best games so far, being awarded with Humboldt’s player of the game sledgehammer on Feb.25. Despite losing 13-3 to Sierra Nevada College at their home field, Humboldt State Men’s Lacrosse, otherwise known as the Humboldt Hogs, still has hope for the season.
“We’ll be in playoffs,”Hayes said.
The Hogs stand at a 2-3 record overall, but their record in league matches is 1-1. Head coach Tony Silvaggio was
Logan Salcuni walking off the field after defending a score from his opponents of Sierra Nevada. | Juan Herrera
looking forward to the season immediately after the game.
“If things work out, we’re going to see them again,” Silvaggio said.
With a loss, it is important to look at what you can improve on. Two of the Humboldt Hogs defenders, Logan Salcuni and Matt Lopez, know which part of their game they would like to work on prior to the next match.
“All day, everyday practice,” Salcuni said. “I feel like we have to communicate in a positive way, and no shitty shots.”
Salcuni wants to switch the focus over to lots of work with an emphasis on taking shots at the net at the right time.
“Work on the basics, passing and catching and definitely conditioning,” Lopez said.
The hogs look forward to a chance to play Sierra Nevada, who were last season’s champions, again as there are high tensions between the two teams. Sierra Nevada seemed to have talk more trash than the amount of goals they scored.
“These guys are wealthy and they recruit, they think they are D-1 [Division One] but they’re not,” Lopez said.
The Hogs will be getting the month off after the loss, giving them plenty of time to improve before going on to play University of the Pacific on April 1. in Stockton, Calif. This is followed by a match against UC Davis the day after on April 2., at Davis.
The Humboldt Hogs next home game will be on April 15., against San Jose State, on the College Creek Field at 1 p.m.
With All-Star weekend in the rearview mirror, NBA teams can now focus on the trade deadline. Unlike other sports, a decent amount of trades actually get made in the NBA.
There have already been several trades throughout the NBA. Starting at the beginning of the season with the Oklahoma City Thunder trading forward Ersan Ilyasova to the Philadelphia 76ers for forward Jerami Grant. This trade has benefited both teams providing the Thunder with a wing defender, and the 76ers with a solid stretch 4.
It was pretty dead on the trade front until the start of February when things began to heat up around the league. Milwaukee Bucks center, Miles Plumlee, was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets for center Roy Hibbert and forward Spencer Hawes.
Miles was not the only Plumlee to get traded, his brother Mason Plumlee, center for the Portland Trailblazers along with a 2nd round pick, were sent to the Denver Nuggets for center Jusuf Nurkic and a first round pick.
Plumlee will be a solid backup big for the Nuggets, while Nurkic showed promise as a starting center before being overshadowed by Nuggets teammate and rising star Nikola “The Joker” Jokic.
The first big splash of the season was the trade by the Toronto Raptors to land power forward Serge Ibaka from the Orlando Magic for small forward Terrence Ross and a first round pick. The Raptors who are currently sitting with fourth best record in the Eastern Conference made this deal to hopefully close the gap between them and the Eastern Conference favorite Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaking of the Cavaliers they traded center Chris “Birdman” Anderson to the Charlotte Hornets for a second round pick. The Cavs most likely made this move to open up a roster spot and possibly sign another playmaker.
The biggest trade of the season, at least biggest name, happened right after the all-star game. Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Omri Casspi were dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans for guard Buddy Hield, guard Tyreke Evans, and a first and second round draft pick. This deal will pair two of the league’s best big men together, Cousins and Anthony Davis.
There have been discussions between the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, possibly trading Pistons guard Reggie Jackson for Magic forward Jeff Green and guard D.J. Augustin.
So who are the trade targets going into the deadline?
Realistic Targets: Phoenix Suns small forward P.J. Tucker can help teams as a wing defender. Next up, guard Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Lakers, he can definitely help bolster a playoff contenders bench. Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut is a solid rim protector and can set screens like nobody else in the league, but do not ask him to score. Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad is similar to Williams as a bench scorer, but can also defend a little and he is a bit younger. Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafur is a talented scorer in the post, and has had suitors already, the Bulls and the Celtics.
Out of Reach: New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has been linked to the Cavaliers, Clippers, and even the Celtics. But he is out of reach mainly due to his massive salary. Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez, solid big man with skills in the post, but will likely have a huge price tag that no one will pay. Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler is a name that has been linked to the Boston Celtics, but unless the Bulls are thinking about a complete rebuild, it is unlikely Butler is moved.
Other names to look for at the trade deadline: PG Brandon Knight, SF Luol Deng, SF Danilo Gallinari, PF Kenneth Faried, SF Wilson Chandler, SF Bojan Bogdanovic, PF/C Nerlens Noel, PG Rajon Rondo, PF Nikola Mirotic, PG Derrick Rose, PG Ricky Rubio, PG Deron Williams.
KBLogging01: George Menges (left), Jayme Yee (middle), Robert Muma (right) during a double buck saw round. Photo by Sean Ihle.
by Kelly Bessem
All 10 members of the Humboldt State logging sports team scored first place in at least one event during this year’s Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference in Redding, Calif. Humboldt State, Cal Poly, Shasta College, and UC Berkeley all participated.
Team member Dana Grevenkamp scored first place, enough to get “Belle of the Woods”, a title given to the female competitor with the most points overall. Grevenkamp beat out both male and female competitors in some of the events.
Sean Ihle, a wildlife major and president of the HSU logging sports team, is impressed with how competitive the team has become.
“It’s rare that every single person on the team scores that highly,” Ihle said.
“We’ve started working out and practicing form with professionals this year.”
The HSU team gets access to the field, where they hold practice once a week. They compete against teams from schools that provide access five days a week, such as Cal Poly. Motivated team members sought out ways to improve while not on the field, such as 7 a.m. gym meetings.
HSU’s team has now held the Sierra-Cascade Conference trophy more years than any other logging sports team.
Logging sports vice president Jayme Yee, a fisheries major, acknowledges the current team’s talent.
“After a lot of our people graduated last year we lost a lot of good competition and we’ve luckily formed another team of great athletes,” Yee said.
George Menges is a geography major and the longest standing team member.
“We definitely put together the best team we’ve had in years,” Menges said.
The Sierra-Cascade competition consisted of one practice day and two days of timed rounds. At the end of Friday, the first timed day, HSU was tied with Cal Poly.
“Everyone went for it,” Yee said. “Many of the sudden death matches ended up being Humboldt versus Humboldt.”
HSU’s logging sports team broke the tie and won with 14 points. The second-place team had eight.
In addition to winning competitions, team members learn a lot of applicable skills.
“Not everyone is a forestry major but we all learn how to use forestry tools and techniques,” Menges said. “A large portion of our team has or is hoping to work for fire or timber crews.”
Menges said that many team members are interested in conservation.
Evelyn Murphy, an outdoor recreation major, described how being part of the logging sports team also comes with a lot of fun and traveling.
“It’s a lot of fun, and I’ve learned so much,” Murphy said. “I really liked this particular competition because there were a bunch of pros that came to help coach us through things afterwards. We got a lot of good tips.”
Team members also have fun naming all chainsaws and axes that they use. The team named the chainsaw they won at the conference Jefferson. This “State of Jefferson” reference is a running joke among the teammates. The State of Jefferson is a proposed new U.S. state consisting of southern Oregon and Northern California. It remains a frequent reference in the involved counties.
“It was a good day for everyone,” said Ihle about conference.
Ryanne Bailey, HSU pole vaulter, is doing her pre-jumps attempting to jump and get over the pole as she warms up for the real deal.
As we enter February, track and field athletes are getting ready for the season. Humboldt State University Track and Field will start it’s season with their annual Green and Gold meet.
The Green and Gold meet will be held at Redwood Bowl on Feb. 18th.
Caitlyn McCoy, a junior kinesiology major, competes in 100 meter and 400 meter hurdles. “Everyone is looking forward to the green and gold meet so we can size up where we are,” McCoy said.
HSU track and field has been preparing for the road ahead this season. They’ll have to travel around Northern California facing rivals Chico and San Francisco State. They will even making a trip to Austin, Texas in April. The end goal being the Division II national championship on May 25.
Jocelyn Barber, a junior environmental resources engineer major, runs the 1500 meter as well as the 5 kilometer races.
“I think HSU has a lot of good athletes this year and I sense success,” Barber said.
Staying healthy is a major component of success for a team with a schedule heavily impacted with travel. Attendance in the gym is a must for these athletes.
Daniel Toll, sophomore history major, runs the 1500 meter and hopes to run the 5000 meter this year.
“There’s been some minor setbacks and injuries but nothing too serious,” Toll said. ”Those things happen and you learn to work through them.”
The Lumberjacks track team has yet to compete, but confidence is building within the team. The ultimate goal is to win at the Division II championships.
“The seniors and returners set up a really motivating atmosphere which got us through excruciating workouts,” McCoy said. ”Overall it gave us a solid foundation to start season on.”
lMalik Morgan scored a season-high 22 points as Humboldt State men’s basketball beat to Cal Poly Pomona, 71-60 Saturday in Lumberjack Arena.
Morgan accounted for 11 of the his 22 points in the second half. Sophomore Nikhil Lizotte helped the Jacks following intermission. He scored 14 points in the final 20 minutes, including seven from the free throw line in the last minute. Redshirt Sophomore Calvin Young II led the Jacks with eight rebounds. HSU travels to face Cal State San Bernardino on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Humboldt State women’s basketball fell to Cal Poly Pomona, 68-44, Saturday in Lumberjack Arena.
HSU struggled to find an answer for Pomona and trailed 21-3 after 10 minutes of action. Junior Catherine Rees scored the Jacks only field goal of the 1st quarter. HSU fought back in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 31-22, at the break. Freshman Madeline Hatch led the Jacks with nine points at the half. Pomona went on an 11-0 run to start the second half. They took a commanding 32-point lead into the final period. Tyra Turner and Hatch led the Jacks with nine points apiece. Turner finished with six rebounds, three assists and five steals.The Jacks travel to face Cal State San Bernardino Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Softball
Humboldt State senior Tiffany Hollingsworth was named the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II National Player of the Week Wednesday. In the Desert Stinger Tournament. She batted .438, slugged 1.063 and drove in nine runs earning Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. The senior helped HSU open the season with a 5-0 record with four consecutive multi-hit games and three straight games with a home run. She went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run in the Jacks 12-1 win over Western New Mexico. Hollingsworth hit a two-run homer in game two. She went 3-for-4 at the dish, drew a walk and drove in two RBI to go with her third home run of the season. During the preseason, Hollingsworth was named a member of the 2017 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year Watch List.
Cross-Country
The Humboldt State cross country program collected U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors. Megan Alfi, Kori Gilley and Annie Roberts represented the Green and Gold as individual all-academic selections. The individual All-Academic honor was awarded to student-athletes who compiled a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 and finished among the top 30 percent of eligible runners at his or her regional championships and/or the top half of the field at the NCAA Championships. The men’s and women’s teams captured All-Academic honors with 3.02 and 3.40 GPAs, respectively. Teams must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and must have scored at an NCAA Division II regional meet to qualify for All-Academic awards.
Chants of “Cupcake!” were heard throughout the arena in Oklahoma city when Kevin Durant returned to his former arena. Durant had a bitter-sweet night in his first game back in Oklahoma, since signing with the Golden State Warriors this summer after leaving the Thunder. Durant scored 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Warriors past the Thunder 130-114.
The game began as you would expect, Thunder fans booed when the Warriors players were announced, a little extra when Durant’s name was announced.
The crowd was ready for this one, but not only with their noise level. A wide variety of fans showed up with homemade signs mocking Durant. There were many cupcake signs. Whether it was the actual word cupcake or just an image of one. The cupcake signs are supposed to indicate that Durant is ‘soft’ for leaving Oklahoma City.
The crowd kept this up throughout the 1st quarter whenever Durant would touch the ball. The crowd even took it a step further and gave Thunder guard Russell Westbrook roaring applause when had the ball.
Westbrook wound up with a solid stat line as usual this season, with 47 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Going into tonight Westbrook averaged a triple-double, with over 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game, and a league leading 30.9 points per game.
Tensions did mount in the game, by the third quarter Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant exchanged some words going into a time out. It did not stop there, Thunder forward Andre Roberson and Durant got face to face, after Roberson fouled Durant and appeared to say something to him after the foul which lead to the face to face.
ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen commented on why people in Oklahoma City might be upset with Durant.
“Durant was not just the face of the franchise, he was the face of the of the city, and maybe even the state,” Breen said.
Breen’s broadcasting partner, and former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson had some words on returning home, at the end of the 1st half when the Warriors held a 20 point lead.
“Whoever said you can’t go home again, didn’t have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on their team,” Jackson said.
Quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan, may have won the MVP of the regular season, but quarterback of the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, was the MVP of Super Bowl LI.
This is Brady’s fourth time winning the Super Bowl MVP and his seventh time making it to the Super Bowl. .
The Patriots were able to come back from a 28-3 deficit at halftime, scoring 31 unanswered points for a final score of 34-28, giving the Patriots their fifth NFL championship.
The game started out sluggish with both team’s first couple of possessions resulting in punts. The first quarter coming to an end with no scores either way.
The Patriots began the second quarter with what looked liked a promising drive, fumbled away by running back Legarrette Blount. The Falcons recovered the ball on their own 29 yard line. Matt Ryan then lead Atlanta down the field, assisted by wide receiver Julio Jones catching two passes for 42 yards, getting the Falcons to the New England 29 yard line. Running back Devonta Freeman took it from there, carrying the ball three times for 29 yards and on the 3rd carry, punched it into the endzone for the first score of the game.
A bad punt by Patriots punter Ryan Allen set Atlanta up with great field position at their own 38 yard line. Ryan had a couple of deep completions one to receiver Taylor Gabriel and the other to Julio Jones that brought Atlanta to the Patriots 20 yard line. A couple plays later Ryan hooked up with tight end Austin Hooper for a 19 yard touchdown pass, as the Falcons took a 14-0 lead.
The ensuing Patriots drive looked promising with the Patriots marching the ball all the way to the Atlanta 23 yard line only to again have the drive killed by a turnover. Brady tried hitting receiver Danny Amendola, but cornerback Robert Alford intercepted the pass and took it all the way to the end zone for an 82 yard pick 6.
So now the Patriots found themselves in a huge hole down three touchdowns with 2 minutes left in the half. With time running out, the Patriots had to settle for a 41 yard field goal from kicker Stephen Gostkowski putting the Patriots on the board going into the half.
After a punt from each team to start the second half, Atlanta had an 8 play 85 yard drive capped off by a Tevin Coleman 6 yard touchdown run, bringing the score to 28-3 Falcons. But the Patriots did not go away.
The Patriots came back with their own 75 yard touchdown drive (missed extra point). The 3rd quarter came to an end with the Falcons on top 28-9.
The fourth quarter began with a Falcons punt, after they failed to take advantage of great field position from the Patriots muffed onside kick attempt. The Patriots got the ball on their own 13 yard line. Brady hit rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell several times on the drive to help move the Patriots down the field. The drive stalled in the Atlanta red zone, and the Patriots had to settle for a field goal making the score 28-12 Falcons.
On the next Falcons drive Matt Ryan was strip sacked by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and recovered by Patriots defensive end Alan Branch giving the Patriots the ball at the Atlanta 36 yard line.
The Patriots went on to score a touchdown and a much needed two-point conversion, both courtesy of receiver Danny Amendola, making it just a one score game.
The Falcons managed to kill a bit more time on their next possession, and even appeared to have the game in hand when receiver Julio Jones caught a 27 yard pass from Ryan at the New England 22 yard line. But then a Matt Ryan sack, and a holding penalty on the Falcons pushed them all the way back to the New England 45, and out of field goal range, forcing them to punt.
The Patriots began the drive at their own 9 yard line with 3 minutes and 38 seconds left in the game. Brady managed to hit 5 different receivers on the drive including Chris Hogan, Mitchell, Edleman, Amendola, and finally James White. White then ran the ball in from the 1 yard line on second and goal. Needing a 2 point conversion to tie the game, Brady found Amendola once again to successfully complete the 2 point conversion, tying the game at 28 a piece with 57 seconds left on the clock.
Atlanta was unable to get anything going on their drive, forcing the teams to take the game to overtime, for the first time in Super Bowl history.
The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive the football, knowing that a touchdown ends the game in overtime. The Patriots started at their own 25 yard line, and again Brady hooked up with multiple receivers, to help drive the Patriots down the field with a chance to win the game. A defensive pass interference against Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell on Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett all but sealed the game, with the result of the penalty giving the Patriots the ball at the Falcons 2 yard line. James White then ran the ball in, just past the goal line and enough to give the Patriots a touchdown and a victory.
This Super Bowl win gives the Patriots their fifth Super Bowl win. This also gives Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady their fifth Super Bowl wins. Brady finished with 466 passing yards, the most in Super Bowl history, along with a pair of touchdown passes, and was awarded MVP of Super Bowl LI.
In her second season as the Humboldt State Softball head coach, Shelli Sarchett led her team to 54-8 record and came one win shy of winning a national championship. Sarchett herself was a key player in the 1999 Humboldt State national championship. She knows a thing or two about winning and instills that culture as head coach.
Q: What can you attribute most to the success of the past couple seasons?
A: It’s really just bringing in athletes who know how to work hard and that they want to win. These guys put in a lot of hours and know what their ultimate goal is.
Q: When you say ultimate goal, is that winning a national title?
A: Our ultimate goal, well obviously we want them all to get a degree, but our ultimate goal softball wise, is to win a national championship. That’s why we bring these girls here, and that is what they are expecting, so we work hard to reach that goal.
Q: What are your expectations going into this season?
A: It’s really the same thing that we’ve expected in the past. Last year, we finished number two in the nation and this year, we expect to get back to the national tournament and win that last game that results in a national championship. Our goals really don’t change from year to year.
Q: The goals do not change, but the players do, can you speak on if there are any major losses from last year to this?
A: We lost our number two pitcher, but we’ve brought in some pitchers, and have some returning pitchers that didn’t see a lot of time last year, so they’re stepping up in the circle. We lost our starting shortstop but we’ve made adjustments in our starting lineup to move some players around and help with that loss. Same thing at third base, we lost a fifth-year senior… we might be a little less experienced on the left side of the field, but we bring in athletes who are ready to play.
Q: What is the biggest strength of this team?
A: The comradery these guys have. They are a family, they want to work hard for themselves and their teammates. Their biggest strength is leadership… the seniors have been to the national tournament and know what it takes to get there again… they’re helping newcomers and lower classmen play Humboldt style softball.
Q: Do you have any preseason motivation for the team?
A: It’s the same thing we’ve said since our first meeting, you have to buy into this; because if you are not ready to buy into this, then we won’t be able to work toward a national championship… you can’t take a day off and expect to win a national championship. It’s really great to see these guys respond to the challenges we give them every day, knowing that if we meet these challenges, a national championship is within our reach.
The players want to win as much as the coaches do. It is one of the reasons they choose the Humboldt State softball program. Transfer student Lona Dengler hopes to earn a starting outfield position this season.
“I wanted to play for the best team in division II,” Dengler said.
Senior pitcher Kalyn Paque spoke on coach Shelli’s message of playing unselfish ball.
“Absolutely, do it for the person next to you,” Paque said. “Always pick up your teammates…no selfish behavior on this team.”
With this mentality, the HSU women’s softball team will look to get back to the national tournament, and possibly bring a championship trophy back with them.
A: I joined a college club at Beloit college in Wisconsin. I started it as a hobby; I had no intention of making a career out of it.
Q: Did you have a major at Beloit? Perhaps a different career plan?
A: I actually double majored in anthropology and classical Mediterranean civilization.
Q: Mediterranean?
A: Yeah, like classical Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt, places like that. I was interested in Greek archeology so both those majors kind of played into that area of study.
Q: Did you do any work with those degrees after college or was it straight into fencing?
A: I went on several site digs. After spending time around professors, I realized I wasn’t necessarily interested in all the extra work that goes into archeology.
Q: Site digs? Where?
A: I did one in Wisconsin and one amidst the high altitude planes in Northern Chile.
Q: How did you make your way to Humboldt State fencing?
A: I moved here in 2000. I started showing up to the club just to stay practiced. It turned out I was one of the most experienced fencers in the club so I became somewhat like the instructors TA and helped teach other students.
Q: When did you start instructing the class?
A: 2001.
Q: What is your favorite fencing weapon to use? Which do you use the most?
A: The foil is the most commonly used weapon. It’s the usual starting sword for a beginner. My personal favorite has to be the Spanish rapier.
Q: Tell us about the different fencing styles. Which is your go to?
A: Fencing schools nowadays teach a somewhat homogenized version of all the classical styles. There used to be more of a distinction throughout the methods. You had German, French, Italian and Spanish styles. For example, the Italian style is very direct and tends to be fairly aggressive. The Spanish style, on the other hand, is more reserved, and involves a lot of analytical thinking. It depends on using your space effectively. My preference is with the Spanish style of fencing, I work with it the most.
Q: Ever pretend to be a pirate?
A: No.
Q: Any competitions?
A: I’ve been in a lot of competitions throughout the years, sure.
Q: Can you live off of fencing competitions?
A: A century ago, the top fencers could tour their countries and make a living. Today it is rare but the top fencers can live off their earnings. Mostly however, you have to be an instructor of some sort to make a living off of fencing.
Q: Where did you do your fencing studies?
A: The Martinez Academy of Arms in New York. I started there a little after being hired at HSU. In 2006 I became an instructor, in 2009 I became a provost and last November I became a master.
Q: A master? How many master’s of fencing are walking around the world?
A: Five including myself. There were only two up until this last November.
Q: What does it take to become a master of fencing?
A: It takes thousands and thousands of hours along with an about 15-year apprenticeship at the school. The final test itself is a week long exam. It lasted about 10 hours a day for the whole seven day week. I had to do everything; from showcasing different fencing styles, to answering fencing questions regarding technique and history, to officiating fencing matches.
Q: Where do you go after achieving master?
A: There’s not much upward movement left. However, the hope is to train more people to become instructors and eventually masters. It’s all about keeping the tradition and history alive, and making sure fencing is passed along the generations. I want to ensure the things I’ve learned are passed on.
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