The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 30, 2003, Page 10, Image 10
THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, July 30, 2003
CONTACT ns ZWAfelTVYnmCl FIGURE OF THE WEEK
GiUIN I l\\i I UO I—JI I L/ I 30: bays left until the Gamecock football team kicks off the
E-mailusalgamecocksports@hotmail.com I \ f I 1 I L"} season against Lousiana-Lafeyette at Williams-Brice.
Offseason dedication
HOLLI ARMSTRONG
THE GAMECOCK
The typical college student
spends summer sitting through
an easy course, earning some
cash, vacationing, hanging out
with friends, and generally doing
as little as possible.
The average student-athlete’s
summer plays out a bit different
ly
Try waking up at the crack of
dawn to lift weights. Instead of
soaking up the rays, try spending
a day cheering up a family cop
ing with cancer. Instead of pack
ing for a trip, try getting ready to
race against some of the fastest
athletes in the world.
For the student-athlete, sum
mer marks a vacation of a differ
ent sort.
USC volleyball player Lynae
Vanden Hull’s summer began
well enough. The Omaha, Neb.,
native headed home and went on
Father’s Day with her dad to
Rosenblatt Stadium to^^^
cheer on the Gamecock
baseball team in the
College World
Series.
“I didn’t
home
be
cause I
had to come
back and
work out,”
rVanden Hull
said. “I also took a
class, and I’ve been
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Aleen Bailey has used
her summer for training
without the stress of
academics.
working on getting ready for the
season.”
Instead of sleeping in, the red
shirt freshman has been partici
pating in early morning work
outs, since getting in shape for
the season is top priority. The
summer months also provide ath
letes time to work on the little
things, and Vanden Hull has been
refining her serve and improving
her passing skills.
For some USC athletes, as
much as they would like a vaca
tion, it is just not possible.
“I would get away if I could,
but I’m stuck here working 40
hours a week to fulfill my
practicum, and I’m seeing a train
er every morning,” senior pitch
er, Stacey Johnson said. “I don’t
feel like I’ve had a summer.”
When not working at the
USC Sports Information Office,
the Newtown, Pa., native has
been trying to strengthen her
legs and back, while improving
her overall conditioning and
endurance.
At one point nine members of
USC’s softball team were in
Columbia, participating in morn
ing workouts. That kind of dedi
L cation will not only improve the
I Gamecock’s general fitness but
■ also serve to enhance team uni
H ty. an important competitive
■ component.
The summer months also
™ provide athletes a chance to
give back to the community.
As part of USC’s continuing
efforts with Team
Gamecocks...Athletes Who Care,
the USC men’s basketball team
spent a day at Camp Kemo, a
camp for children and their fam
ilies and friends dealing with
cancer. The team talked a little
basketball, signed autographs
and shot hoops with the
campers.
Members of the Gamecock
football team also helped their
neighbors by reading to children
at Richland County Public
Library’s sixth annual Pigskin
Poets Day. Over 200 chil- j,
dren were on hand to meet
and cheer for their fa- JK
vorite Gamecocks. The
real treat came when
wide receiver Taqiy A
Muhammad and de- J9
fensive end Fran
Person read to the
young fans in at- |
tendance.
Two members |:
on the Gamecock
track and field MS
squad notched im
pressive summer^^
performances.
USC senior Aleen
Bailey, who was re
cently named SEC *
Female Outdoor Athlete
of the Year, picked up a pair
of national titles competing in
the 100 and 200-meter events at
the NCAA Outdoor Track
Championships.
For Bailey, the summer
months lesson the stress of hav
ing to balance academics and ath
letics and allow her to work on
training and competing.
“In the summer I focus on stay
ing fit and not trying to get hurt.
and if I have a national meet I just
focus on that,” Bailey said.
Right now she is training with
help from USC head track coach
Curtis Frye for the World
Championships in August. After
the World Championships,
Bailey has her eye on the 2004
Olympic Games.
As a freshman, Kenneth
Ferguson has had a breakout
year for Carolina. Ferguson,
who was recently named SEC
Freshman Outdoor Athlete of
the Year, took the 400-meter
hurdle title at the SEC
Championships posting the
fastest time since 1979 in 48.79
seconds. Then at the USA
Junior Championships, the
Detroit native captured the 110
and 400-meter hurdle titles.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Stacey Johnson has spent
her summer In an office
and in morning workouts
to prepare for next season.
^ Ferguson re
■ cently posted a
■ record setting
■ time of 13.60 in
W the 110-meter
hurdles at the
I Junior Pan
American
k Games in.
L Bridgetown,
■ Bai'bados.
I Even with a
l nagging groin
I injury,
Ferguson
¥ walked away
f with three gold
medals.
* My
p goal go
ing into
the race
was just
to place be
cause of the
!
pain I was expe
riencing,”
I Ferguson said.
“My adrenaline went up and
with my teammates cheering me
on I forgot about the pain. It was
exciting to win my first gold
medal.”
He also captured the gold in
the 400-meter hurdles and as a
member for the 4x400-meter re
lay team.
Whether it’s hitting a baseball,
pounding the pavement, spend
ing time with others, or focusing
on the upcoming season, one
thing is for certain: Student-ath
letes may get a break from being
a student but being an athlete is
inescapable.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
Lots to
learn in
summer
sports
BRAD SENKTW
GAMECOCKSPORTS9HOTMAIL.COM
With summer school coming to
a close, I thought it would be fit
ting to write about what I’ve
learned over the heated season.
Unfortunately, my classes were
uneventful and useless. So, I guess
I can only talk about the thing I
know best: sports.
It came to be over the past sev
eral months that a few happenings
in the sports world added to my
overall knowledge. First, I figured
out that betting on college sports
is wrong, especially if you are a
head football coach. Rick
Neuheisel taught me this lesson
when he was fired for betting on
the Men’s NCAA Tournament. It
doesn’t make sense that a man
who bet in a neighborhood pool
the past two years, and was al
lowed to by his school, would lose
his job over something you and I
play every year. To us, an NCAA
pool is just a great way to keep up
with the latest bracket busters
come March. Then again, you and
I probably don’t drop $5,000 on a
number one seed.
I realized another very impor
tant lesson: Never, ever, ever be
lieve an athlete is above wrongdo
ings. Obviously I’m speaking of a
certain Los Angeles role model ac
cused of sexual assault. Instead of
spending time on the allegations
of this certain player, I’ll just say
♦ SUMMER, SEE PAGE 11