Football
Spiders of the week: The newest football players
By Abby Kloppenburg | February 9, 2012The following 14 men are the newest recruits to the University of Richmond football team.
The following 14 men are the newest recruits to the University of Richmond football team.
Equipment manager Ken Hart has seen many changes in University of Richmond athletics over the past 31 years, but one thing has remained constant: Hart's job managing Spider equipment. Hart took his position in 1981 and quickly made an impression on alumni prominently involved in the department, such as John Averett, RC '60.
First, I'd like to apologize to my fellow Giant fans. As much as I'd love to ramble for days about how they won the Super Bowl and what an amazing journey this season has been, there is a more pressing issue we need to deal with. When his last second Hail Mary attempt hit the end zone turf of Lucas Oil Stadium, Tom Brady watched his last chance at winning Super Bowl XLVI disappear.
It's 10 p.m. on Tuesday night in the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness, and the undefeated Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers, clad in bright red jerseys, are seconds away from beating a team of Heilman Dining Center staff members in intramural basketball. Nearby, a group of Delta Gamma sorority members cluster against the gym wall waiting for their intramural game to start.
The University of Richmond women's basketball team won its fourth consecutive home game Saturday, defeating Atlantic 10 rival St.
Senior Chris Rigoli's immediate reaction when he saw Baltimore Raven Billy Cundiff's field goal attempt sail wide was one of overwhelming joy.
Three University of Richmond swimmers will compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Trials, one for Great Britain during spring break and two for the United States. Senior Charlotte Brackett, sophomore Amalia "Mali" Kobelja and junior Lauren Hines will contend for spots in the Olympics, Brackett for one on the British team and Kobelja and Hines for ones on the American team. Brackett, an English native, said she would compete on March 3 when she returned to England with Matt Barany, head women's swim coach. Although Brackett must begin preparing for her chance at being on her country's Olympic team, Kobelja and Hines will not have to compete for their spots until this summer when the United States conducts its trials in Omaha, Neb. "I definitely have wanted to go to the Olympics since I was a little girl," Kobelja said.
Q: What is the biggest reason for your improvement this season? A: I knew my time was coming to step up and impact this team.
On Sunday, Jan. 29, complete with brooms, handmade hoops, slightly deflated volleyballs and some extra layers of clothing, the fictional sport in the Harry Potter world was brought to life by the Acromantulas, the quidditch team on campus. "It is about as close to the book as you can get without magic," said senior president, Jessie Kelley, with one major change: the snitch. In the books and movies, the Golden Snitch, a small gold ball with wings, darts around the field until it is caught, which ends the game.
The University of Richmond was unable to overcome Saint Joseph's University's post play Wednesday night at the Robins Center. The Hawks outrebounded the Spiders, 47-27, and finished with a 38-24 advantage in points in the paint, leading to Richmond's fourth loss in five games, 70-60. "Part of the rebounding number of course is we missed so many shots, and that kind of inflates their defensive rebounding numbers," Richmond coach Chris Mooney said.
The University of Richmond women's basketball team took care of business Tuesday, taking down a University of Rhode Island team that came into the game having lost 18 games in a row. In a game that started at noon, the Spiders took the lead two minutes into the game and led the rest of the way, finishing with a 68-49 victory in the Robins Center. "The positive is we didn't have a letdown, and I think a lot of it is we have players who actually like to play," Richmond coach Michael Shafer said.
The University Dancers has been preparing for its annual February concert, now just four weeks away, since the beginning of last semester.
This is not cheerleading. This is not University Dancers. This is SpinnURs. SpinnURs is a student-run club of nine enthusiastic dancers who make it their mission to entertain the crowds of the men and women's basketball games, pep rallies and some football games. At a typical basketball game, two timeouts a game are reserved for the SpinnURs.
After longtime friend and colleague Bobby Bowden retired from coaching in 2009 after 46 years, Joe Paterno was often asked why he didn't retire as well.
When the Richmond Spiders men's basketball team played against conference foe Temple on Jan. 14, the story of the night shocked many fans in attendance.
With the impending transition of the Men's Club Lacrosse team to the varsity level, some players have begun to wonder if the change is right for them. Over the past year, a new coaching staff has been hired, new gear has been ordered and there has been an increase in the amount of weekly practices and training sessions, said Mike Soriano, a sophomore defender. Junior Jon Poole, a former member of the team, said at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, the team had been structured a lot like most other club teams at the University of Richmond: There were no real tryouts, the team was run primarily by seniors and practices and games were essentially optional. "It was really laid back and relaxed," Poole said.
The past 11 days have been a challenge for the University of Richmond. Following an impressive home victory over Temple University, the Spiders had lost their past two games, including an 18-point loss to George Washington University, a bottom team in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Spiders made sure there was no duplicate of that performance in Washington D.C., though, routing Fordham University, 102-58, Wednesday night at the Robins Center. Showing an improved defensive play and better offensive flow, Richmond (12-9, 3-3 A-10) built upon an 18-point halftime lead and led by 45 with just over a minute left in the game.
Contact photographer Andrew Prezioso at andrew.prezioso@richmond.edu
University of Richmond faced an uphill battle for most its game against the University of Massachusetts Saturday evening; every time it seemed the Spiders were making a run, the Minutemen answered. Richmond held two short one-point leads early in the game, but was forced to fight from behind for the rest of the game.
Coming off a tough loss to St. Bonaventure University, the Spiders bounced back, winning an Atlantic 10 Conference game, 74-70, against La Salle University. "It's a confidence booster," Richmond forward Genevieve Okoro said.