Sports News

Fall 2003 Sports Recap

Men's Basketball
Coach Kurt Kanaskie announced his resignation in April, and former University of Iowa Coach Tom Davis was named head men's basketball coach. Davis is the winningest coach in Iowa basketball history and, entering the 2002-2003 season, was ranked 41st among NCAA Division I coaches with 543 victories.

Drake ended the season with a 10-20 overall record, and finished eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 5-13 mark. The Bulldogs lost five games by a total of six points, and dropped two nonconference games on the road, to Central Michigan and Utah State, which both advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

In the opening round of the MVC Tournament against Illinois State, Drake missed two shots in the waning seconds, resulting in the Bulldogs' elimination with a 63-62 loss. Senior center Greg Danielson missed a 6-foot hook shot with less than five seconds left. Then, Luke McDonald's three-point shot, with two tenths of a second left, fell short. The last five Drake-Illinois State tournament games have been determined by a total of nine points.

Danielson tied a Drake career record by appearing in 116 games. He moved into 12th place on the school career scoring list with 1,085 points. He also rose to No. 3 on the career rebounding charts with 735.

Women's Basketball
Coach Lisa Stone resigned in late March to return to her home state, where she accepted the top job at the University of Wisconsin.

In her three years as Drake's women's basketball coach Stone garnered a 64-27 record, guiding the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2002, and the 2001 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.
Amy Stephens, assistant coach at the University of Nebraska, was named Stone's replacement.

Drake finished the season 16-12 and tied for fourth in the MVC with an 11-7 mark. The season ended with a 61-59 loss to Southwest Missouri State in the first round of the conference tournament, which was played at the Drake Knapp Center.

The team MVP, senior Carla Bennett, led the Bulldogs in scoring (16.3 points per game), rebounding (8/3), blocked shots (2.3) and field goal percentage (.551). The 6-foot-3 center was a first-team All-Conference selection, only the third player in league history to earn first-team honors in four straight seasons. Bennett also finished her career at Drake fifth in scoring (1,930 points), fifth in rebounding (974) and second in blocked shots (175). Her point total ranks sixth in MVC history, while her rebounding total is third, and blocked shots, fourth.

Bennett was selected in the third round of the WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx, the 29th player selected overall.

Senior guard Ja'Nae Mosley, the team steals leader with 2.7 per game, received Drake's Defensive Specialist Award. Mosley, who was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team, finished her career with 164 steals, ninth in school history.

Women's Tennis
The team saw its season come to a close in the semifinal round of the conference tournament with a 4-0 loss to eventual champion Illinois State. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 6-13 record, including a 5-4 mark in the MVC.

After posting consecutive wins in league play over Southern Illinois, Evansville and Bradley, Drake's fortunes began to turn. The squad lost three straight matches to close out the regular season.

Senior Cindy Skogerboe finished her career ranked third at Drake in career doubles victories with 63, and fifth in singles victories with 70. She posted a 17-21 singles mark in her final year. Playing mostly at No. 2, Skogerboe teamed with sophomore Cheen Alkhatib to amass a team-best 10-5 doubles record.

The Bulldogs placed four players, the most of any MVC school, on the league's Scholar-Athlete team: Skogerboe, Alkhatib and juniors Annali de Bruyn and Marie Mainil. De Bruyn was named to the MVC all-select team at No. 1 singles.

Men's Tennis
Despite a first-round exit in the MVC Tournament, the team had a season of many accomplishments.

Playing another tough nonconference schedule, which included several nationally ranked opponents, the Bulldogs were 9-13, including 5-3 in the MVC. Drake was bounced from tourney play with a 4-2 loss to Southwest Missouri State.

Playing at No. 1 singles, junior Anthony Perkins had a successful spring season, achieving a team-best mark of 18-7. Perkins was named to the MVC all-select team. One of his biggest wins came against then-No. 85 Vernon Vidovic of Indiana State. Perkins downed Vidovic 7-6 (4), 6-3, the Hoosier's first individual loss in conference play in his four years with the Sycamores.

In doubles action, Perkins and senior Kirk Schuler collected a team-best 14-9 mark playing at No. 1 and No. 2. Drake's other doubles teams also reached the 10-win plateau. Sophomore Jack Frankowicz and junior Felipe Montenegro, playing at No. 1 and No. 2, were 11-8. Sophomore Matt McClure and freshman Jonathan Tishler were 10-7 at No. 3.

Schuler repeated as a first-team selection to the MVC Scholar-Athlete squad. Montenegro earned honorable mention.

Women's Crew
The team finished fifth in the Varsity 8 petite final at the Dad Vail Regatta, including third in a semifinal heat. Drake advanced to the women's Varsity 8 repechage, placing second in its heat.

Coach Charlie DiSilvestro noted: "We had great senior leadership; our underclassmen stepped up and worked harder than ever. Our JV finished rowing to their potential."

Softball
The Bulldogs made great strides in 2003. First-year Coach Rich Calvert guided Drake to a 23-27 finish - more than doubling last season's win total and garnering the most victories since 1997.

"We made some good progress in some areas," Calvert said. "I think this will motivate us throughout the summer and fall to get us ready for next year."

Junior pitcher/designated player Katie Shimon led Drake with a .405 batting average, 36th in the NCAA. The first-team all-Midwest Region selection also led the Bulldogs with 51 hits and 25 RBIs, and tied Drake's single-season record of nine home runs, formerly held by Olympian Dani Tyler.

Four players topped 2002 team totals in five categories. Freshman second baseman Jamie Desjarlais and junior outfielder Kara DeShaw beat the 2002 team total of 11 stolen bases. Desjarlais had 17 steals; DeShaw, 12. With her 12 pitching victories, Shimon alone exceeded the 2002 team total of 10. Shimon had four shutouts, doubling last season's total of two, and had two saves. There were none last season.

Freshman pitcher Jessica Hicks, who added 10 victories, struck out 148, fourth-best in school history.
Shimon and senior first baseman Brook Buchanan led Drake with 23 runs scored, and Buchanan had a team-high 12 doubles. Each was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.

Men's Track & Field
Sophomore Bobby Anderson placed second in the 10,000-meter run at the MVC Championships. Junior Josh Maxwell was fifth in a personal-best 31 minutes, 21.26 seconds. Junior Ben Kaufman advanced to the finals of the 200- and 400-meter dashes. He ran a personal-best 21.68 in the 200.

Senior John Chmielewski finished seventh in the 3,000 steeplechase. Freshman Nick Cooper was eighth.
In the conference championships, junior Brent Wilberts finished second in the 1,500 (3:49.29) and 5,000 (14:28.19). Kaufman tied for fifth in the 400 (48.56). Junior Joel Lelacheur was third in the pole vault, tying his season-best 16 feet, 6 3/4 inches.

Wilberts advanced to the finals of the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Midwest Regional Men's Outdoor Track Championships. After finishing fourth in his heat at 3:49, he ran the second-fastest time in school history, a personal-best 3:43.61. Wilberts was named to the Verizon Academic All-District VII Men's Cross-Country/Track and Field University Division team.

Seven student-athletes from Drake were selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Team. Heading the list was Wilberts, who was recently named to the GTE CoSIDA District VII Men's Cross-Country/Track and Field Academic All-American Team.

Others named to the conference Scholar-Athlete team were Joel Bourque, 1,500; John Chmielewski, 3,000 steeplechase; sophomore Bryan Hoge, high jump; Kaufman, 200, 400; Lelacheur, pole vault; and Maxwell, 10,000.

Women's Track & Field
Sophomores Regina Hill and Dolly Butz posted the fastest qualifying times in the 100-meter dash and 800-meter run, respectively, at the MVC Championships. Sophomore Kelly Allen set a school record in the women's steeplechase en route to a sixth-place finish (11:37:33). Senior Melissa Orzehoskie placed fifth in the heptathlon (3,733 points).

Hill won her qualifying heat in a personal-best 11.86 seconds. Butz ran the fastest qualifying time in the 800. Her personal-best 2 minutes, 11.82 seconds was nearly four seconds better than her closest pursuer.

Hill also advanced to the finals in the 200 with a 24.25. Freshman redshirt Damaris Parchment had the third-fastest time in qualifying, 24.17.

In the MVC Outdoor Championships, Hill won the 100-meter dash and anchored Drake to victory in the 4x100 relay. The first Drake athlete to win the 100 at the league outdoor meet since 1988, she was clocked in 11.86 seconds.
Drake won the 4x100 in 45.88, ending Southwest Missouri State's string of seven straight league titles.

The Bulldogs' youthful 4x100 relay team of Hill, Tiffany Kennedy, Shannon Patterson and Parchment ran a school record 45.16 in winning its preliminary heat at the NCAA Midwest Regionals.

The women finished fifth in the finals of the 4x100 relay at the NCAA Midwest Outdoor Championships (45.32).
Several Drake student-athletes were named to the MVC Conference Women's Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Team. Heading the list was postgraduate student Tracey Bearden, selected for the fourth time. Bearden also was named to the GTE CoSIDA District VII Women's Cross-Country/ Track and Field Academic All-America team.

Bearden also was selected for to the 2003 CoSIDA Verizon Academic All-American Women's Cross Country/Track and Field first team, university division. A 13-time All-MVC performer, she excelled in the classroom as well as on the track, earning a master's degree in public administration with a top grade-point average.

Golf
Drake golfer Derek Butts received the Cleveland Golf/Golf Coaches Association of America Scholastic All-American Award for 2002-2003, the fifth time a Drake golfer has been so recognized. Butts, who received a degree in finance/insurance in May, led the Bulldogs with a 74.2 stroke average, and finished seventh in the 2003 MVC Tournament.

When Drake Women's Basketball Coach Lisa Stone decided to return to her home state of Wisconsin and accept a position at the University of Wisconsin, Drake went in search of a replacement for the "rolling" Stone.

The school needed a rock-solid coach who would continue to provide a good foundation for the women's basketball program. Drake found that coach in Amy Stephens.

Last season, Stephens was assistant coach at the University of Nebraska. Prior to that, she spent eight seasons as the head coach at Nebraska-Kearney, building a highly successful Division II program and becoming the school's all-time winningest coach at 197-43.

"We're fortunate to hire Amy," says Drake Athletic Director Dave Blank. "Her background, ability and outstanding credentials make Amy the right person to lead Drake women's basketball. We were extremely successful in finding the right fit for our student athletes."

Q&A with the coach
What do you like about Drake so far?
The people and the support have been terrific. It's exciting to be part of a new basketball era at Drake.

Who is the Drake player from the past that you know best?
Three come to mind: Wanda Ford, Jan Jensen and Carla Bennett. I played against Wanda at a U.S. Sports Festival tryout. I competed against Jan when she was here and I was at Nebraska. Being from Nebraska, I got to see Carla flourish throughout her career.

What is the best part of coaching?
Working with young ladies who love basketball, trying to be their best every day. Teaching the game to kids who share my passion.

What is the worst part of coaching?
Right now I can't think of anything! It's been such an exciting transition with so many positives, I haven't had time to think of the negatives.

Who is the best player you've ever coached?
One of the neatest, most dynamic, hardworking kids I ever coached was a player from Nebraska-Kearney, Jodi Dubs. She wasn't one of the most decorated players, but in terms of the total package, a great kid - a great young woman.

Who is the best player you've never coached?
Maybe one of the kids off the Texas team. Or Texas Tech. Tara Borjkland at Colorado might be the best in the post.

How will we know this is an Amy Stephens team?
Our stamp will be a team that's extremely scrappy, hard-nosed. A team that will play great man defense. A disciplined offensive team, yet one that plays great defense and is a good rebounding team.

This first year, we'll adjust our philosophies to fit the kids in the program. We will accentuate the positives and hopefully cover weaknesses as best we can, and put our players in a situation to be successful.

What challenges do Drake's higher academic standards present a coach?
You have to be aware of the types of students you recruit. That's not foreign to me or any of the staffs I've been on. I have a history of being committed to recruiting young women who excel in the classroom and take a lot of pride in being the best student they can be. I embrace that challenge. We'll recruit young ladies Drake can be proud to have in its classrooms.

Is the Drake Knapp Center large enough for what you have planned for your Drake basketball team?
We'll let coach Davis build the new arena! We would love to sell out the Knapp Center, but I really believe it's the perfect size for women's basketball. How neat would that be to have sellout crowds? That would be a dream come true for the program!

In your opinion, is it necessary to have been a player in order to be a coach?
Not necessarily. Obviously it helps if you've played the game or been associated with a college program. There are a lot of great coaches who didn't play at a really high level. You see a lot of coaches' kids who become great coaches.

If you weren't coaching, what would you be doing?
I'd probably be an elementary physical education teacher. I was the principal's daughter and somewhat of a gym rat. I would "borrow" my dad's keys to the gym!

Have players changed since you began your coaching career?
I've noticed a change from when I played. One quality that allows coaches to stay in the profession - and I think coach Davis has this quality - is the ability to adapt to the kids, versus having the mindset that the kids will adapt to you.

What are your non-basketball hobbies?
I like to do anything outdoors when the weather's nice: golf, travel. I like reading, from mysteries to novels to coaching books.

When your doctor isn't looking, what's your favorite "junk" food?
If it were up to me, I'd eat pizza every single day.

The Drake men's basketball program hasn't elicited national "wows" since the late 1960s, when it came within seconds of dethroning UCLA in the NCAA tourney. But this spring Drake put the "wow" back into the program by naming former University of Iowa coach Tom Davis as Kurt Kanaskie's successor.

Entering the 2002-03 season Davis was ranked 41st among the all-time winningest NCAA Division I coaches by victories with 543. He has constructed a 543-290 record (.652 winning percentage) in 28 years as a college head coach, enjoying 15 seasons of 20-plus victories. Prior to his arrival at Iowa in 1986, Davis led successful programs at Lafayette, Boston College and Stanford.

"Tom Davis brings a wealth of experience to Drake," said Drake Athletic Director Dave Blank. "He has one of the most renowned basketball minds around. He has a proven track record in rebuilding several college basketball programs. He is a tremendous teacher. That, coupled with his background in Iowa, convinced us that Tom Davis is the right fit for Drake University."

Q&A with the coach
What do you like about Drake so far?
One thing that appealed to me when I first considered Drake was Drake's academic reputation.

Who is the Drake player from the past that you know best?
Rick Wannamaker, because he sold me my house! Also, Dolph Pulliam, Willie McCarter and a few others. Justin Ohl works in the office.

What is the best part of coaching?
Working with players to get a game plan. Helping individuals improve. Helping the team improve. To practice and then see it come to reality.

What is the worst part of coaching?
Losing. When you do everything that you can possibly do and it isn't quite good enough.

Who is the best player you've ever coached?
The best little man? John Bagley or Michael Adams at Boston College. The best big man might have been Brad Lohaus. I'm proud of Ryan Bowen, currently with the Denver Nuggets, for what he was able to accomplish through hard work and the way he applied himself.

Who is the best player you've never coached?
Bill Russell. To watch him lead the Celtics to all those NBA championships - he was so unselfish; he did it primarily with his defense and shot blocking.

How will we know we're watching a Tom Davis team?
We're going to try to run and press. Use the fast break first and last. Keep the pressure on the opponent.
We're not going to slow down just because we don't have enough players to run and press. We're going to be aggressive and try and build the talent into that game. It's a style players like, therefore it's easy to teach.

What challenges do Drake's higher academic standards present a coach?
It can be a great asset. Experiences can be even greater because of the student/teacher relationships and the ratio of faculty to students.

On the other hand, you're competing against really good people. If you can't hold your own as a student/athlete, it becomes a troublesome environment. I look at it as a positive in our recruiting of young men who want to be challenged academically and who want that close scrutiny in a small school like Drake.

Is the Drake Knapp Center large enough for what you have planned for your Drake basketball team?
I think it's a terrific size for us. You want standing-room-only because that drives the whole engine. That would be great, demand-wise, within the athletic department. We've got to show on the court that we're worth watching.

In your opinion, is it necessary to have been a player in order to be a coach?
You don't have to, but there are advantages. Especially in being a guard, where you've had to learn how to get the ball to the big man. That's why you see a lot of coaches who have been guards.

If you weren't coaching, what would you be doing?
I always thought I would write. I've got a short story sitting in a folder somewhere. I've written some basketball technical workbooks and done a lot of instructional videos.

Have players changed since you began coaching?
I don't think they've changed much. I know that's contrary to what people might believe. In terms of their relationships with their coach, I don't see a lot of difference. Young people are pretty serious today. When you're teaching a sport, they're motivated to get better.

What are your non-basketball hobbies?
Reading. Also walking and golf. I've had my handicap down to as low as five. But it's up around 10 since taking the Drake job!

When your doctor isn't looking, what's your favorite "junk" food?
I haven't met a junk food I didn't like!

Former Drake athletes Laurie (Bowden) Mardis, Ezra Sillas, Floyd Miller, Don Neumann and Paul Morrison with Drake Athletic Director Dave Blank as they receive the Double D Award during halftime of the men’s basketball game between Drake and Evansville.

index