Editor gives extra awards
Commentary
Blake Toppmeyer
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports
Worst play of the season: Sophomore Vanness Emokpae's punt against Fort Hays (Sept. 29). Head coach Shannon Currier had been splitting the punting duties between Emokpae, a wide receiver, and sophomore kicker Mickey Masucci when Emokpae shanked a negative four-yard punt against the Tigers.
Needless to say, that was the end of Emokpae's punting days. Currier pulled the plug on the experiment, and Emokpae went back to just catching passes. Not that this was a bad thing. Emokpae made two diving touchdown catches in the Bulldogs' season-ending victory against Missouri Western to propel Truman to its second consecutive winning season.
Best team leader: The volleyball team entered 2007 minus three all-conference players who graduated from the 2006 team that went 36-2. But junior outside hitter Eli Medina stepped up and helped lead the 2007 team to an MIAA title and back to the national tournament. Although Medina's numbers didn't always stand out on the stat sheet, she was constantly hustling and diving for balls and led the team huddles after each point.
Most surprising team: The women's swim team deserves attention for this award for winning the national title despite being the underdog to Drury University, the 2006-07 national champions. The women's soccer team also makes a strong case for winning the MIAA after it was ranked fifth in preseason polls.
But I will select the women's basketball team for this award. The women had their first winning season - at 16-13 - since 2001-02 and won their first MIAA tournament game since 1999 when the seventh-seeded Bulldogs beat second-seeded and nationally-ranked Emporia State University 77-70 on March 6. It still wasn't enough to save Sloop from being shown the door, but the Bulldogs exceeded the expectations of conference coaches, who picked Truman to finish last in the MIAA this season.
Biggest idiot: This goes, hands down, to Jake Long, former freshman quarterback of the football team. Long was arrested in January for drug possession - after he was arrested in August for assault on a law enforcement officer, burglary, property damage and minor in possession, according to the Jan. 24 and Aug. 30 issues of the Index. Long never played a down for the football team. I guess he was off doing more important things.
Most improved player: Junior forward Patrick Fandja evolved from a player who averaged about two points and two rebounds per game in 2006-07 to the men's basketball team's best low-post defender this year. He ranked fourth in the conference this season in defensive rebounds.
Most underrated coach: Men's and women's tennis coach Pete Kendall doesn't always get a lot of recognition, but he has guided the women to their first 20-win season ever and put both teams in the NCAA regionals.
The 2008-09 athletic season is not far away, and with the women's swim team and volleyball team seemingly poised for national title runs and the arrival of field turf at Stokes Stadium, next year could prove to be just as entertaining as this year was for the Bulldogs.
Needless to say, that was the end of Emokpae's punting days. Currier pulled the plug on the experiment, and Emokpae went back to just catching passes. Not that this was a bad thing. Emokpae made two diving touchdown catches in the Bulldogs' season-ending victory against Missouri Western to propel Truman to its second consecutive winning season.
Best team leader: The volleyball team entered 2007 minus three all-conference players who graduated from the 2006 team that went 36-2. But junior outside hitter Eli Medina stepped up and helped lead the 2007 team to an MIAA title and back to the national tournament. Although Medina's numbers didn't always stand out on the stat sheet, she was constantly hustling and diving for balls and led the team huddles after each point.
Most surprising team: The women's swim team deserves attention for this award for winning the national title despite being the underdog to Drury University, the 2006-07 national champions. The women's soccer team also makes a strong case for winning the MIAA after it was ranked fifth in preseason polls.
But I will select the women's basketball team for this award. The women had their first winning season - at 16-13 - since 2001-02 and won their first MIAA tournament game since 1999 when the seventh-seeded Bulldogs beat second-seeded and nationally-ranked Emporia State University 77-70 on March 6. It still wasn't enough to save Sloop from being shown the door, but the Bulldogs exceeded the expectations of conference coaches, who picked Truman to finish last in the MIAA this season.
Biggest idiot: This goes, hands down, to Jake Long, former freshman quarterback of the football team. Long was arrested in January for drug possession - after he was arrested in August for assault on a law enforcement officer, burglary, property damage and minor in possession, according to the Jan. 24 and Aug. 30 issues of the Index. Long never played a down for the football team. I guess he was off doing more important things.
Most improved player: Junior forward Patrick Fandja evolved from a player who averaged about two points and two rebounds per game in 2006-07 to the men's basketball team's best low-post defender this year. He ranked fourth in the conference this season in defensive rebounds.
Most underrated coach: Men's and women's tennis coach Pete Kendall doesn't always get a lot of recognition, but he has guided the women to their first 20-win season ever and put both teams in the NCAA regionals.
The 2008-09 athletic season is not far away, and with the women's swim team and volleyball team seemingly poised for national title runs and the arrival of field turf at Stokes Stadium, next year could prove to be just as entertaining as this year was for the Bulldogs.
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