by Travis Byrd | May 2, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Atlantic Sun conference has taken the college basketball world by storm over the last couple of years. In 2013, A-Sun member Florida Gulf Coast went on a magical run to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament, and in March, the Mercer Bears upset heavily favored Duke in the first round of the tourney. To Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson, the success of fellow A-Sun teams provides a good reputation to the other members of the conference. “A rising tide lifts all boats,” Hutcheson said. “When teams from this conference win, it makes everybody look good.” The good news for Lipscomb fans is that the Bisons have been very competitive with the conference’s top teams. “This year, we were right there,” Hutcheson said. “We split with FGCU and swept or split with most of the teams in the conference. We aren’t far from the top.” One of the problems that face teams from the A-Sun is that it is considered a non-power conference. The A-Sun is not in the same conversation as the ACC, SEC or Big Ten, but Hutcheson said he believes that with the recent success, the conference will not go unnoticed for long. “The thing about our conference is that only the conference tournament champion gets in the NCAA tournament,” Hutcheson said. “If teams from this conference continue to get in the tournament and advance, that could open the door for other teams that have good years in this conference to get an at-large bid.” This past season in men’s basketball was the first for Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander. He led the Bisons to a fifth...
by Erika Thornsberry | Apr 28, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Senior night is always a special time for a team, but for Lipscomb’s softball team it was that much sweeter. Having a senior-led team, the women celebrated seven of their 20 players. Pitchers Ashley Anderson and Heather Parker, catcher Rena’ Cothron, shortstop Bridgette Begle, first basemen Kristen Sturdivant, right fielder Kelsey Cartwright and designated hitter Haley Elliot make up the senior class. “The standards are high, and the bar was raised for this team this year,” head coach Kristin Ryman said. “We have played so well this year.” The Lady Bisons took the sweep against Northern Kentucky this past weekend. They won the first game in a run-rule fashion 10-0, the second game 6-0 and on senior night won 6-3. This series may have been the seniors’ last, but it had a lot of firsts for them. Anderson was the winning pitcher in game one pitching her first no- hitter in her college career. “I wasn’t even paying attention; I didn’t even know until after the game because I was just thinking about how well we were hitting,” Anderson said. Begle hit her first grand-slam in her career with two outs in the fourth inning. Also in game one Heather Parker got her first hit of the season. “The seniors are a really special group. There’s not too many classes that are that big that you can say every single one of them are a key contributor to the team,” Ryman said. “They are a very unique group, five of them have been together for the long haul, and then we added Kelsey Cartwright and Heather Parker who transferred...
by Cory Woodroof | Apr 25, 2014 | News Slider
Metro Police Officer Andrew Nash, a former Yellow Ribbon scholar, was remembered as “a hero” during a memorial service Thursday in the Ezell Center’s Swang Chapel. “Andy was, by all measures, a hero,” said Jim Thomas, the executive assistant to university president Randy Lowry, during the memorial. “One who has given his or her life to something bigger than self – that was Andrew David Nash. A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities – that was Andrew David Nash.” Nash, 30, who graduated from Lipscomb in December 2013, died April 14 of apparent natural causes. “This is a person who had a strong adherence through his faith and through his daily practice of life, of adhering to character and sacrifice,” said Thomas, a professor in the communications department and a veteran himself. Nash had been a member of the Metro Police Department since 2007. He also served the Andrew Jackson Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police as a board member. “Officer Nash was an extremely well-liked and respected officer who was carrying on his father’s fine tradition of service to Nashville and its citizens,” said Chief Steve Anderson in a press release.“The Nashville Police Department is a family. Our hearts are deeply saddened by Andy’s untimely passing.” Nash’s father, Bob Nash, is a retired East Precinct Commander. Nash served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 and served two tours in Iraq. A Yellow Ribbon student, he completed his bachelor’s degree in law, justice and society in December. Randy Spivey, academic director of the institute for law, justice and society, met...
by Logan Butts | Apr 25, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s golf team capped a successful season with a fifth place finish in the 2014 Atlantic Sun Men’s Golf Championship. The Bisons overcame a 12 stroke deficit in the final round of action on Tuesday to leap Jacksonville for fifth place, the highest finish in the A-Sun tournament in school history. “We work processing things that we do on the golf course, and we’ve been working on those stringently for the last four months,” head coach Will Brewer said. “I think our team rose to the occasion. We all kind of sold out and believed in what we were trying to do, and it came together that last day. “We talked about moving up to the fifth spot potentially. 12 shots is a lot, but we felt like if we played well and they didn’t play quite as well then we could do it. Fortunately it worked out,” Brewer said. Finishing in the top five of a conference with six of the nation’s top 100 teams took a great overall team performance from Lipscomb. Head Coach Will Brewer was proud of how the team performed in the tournament. “We set some goals this year, and we accomplished most of them,” Brewer said. “We wanted to finish in the top three to five in the conference, and with six teams ranked in the top 100, we knew that would be a challenge. Fortunately we kept getting better and better as the season went on. “I’m very pleased with our program, and where we are right now. We’ve got great momentum and we’re ready to keep moving,” Brewer said. During the...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Apr 25, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Student athletes and coaches filled the court of Allen Arena on Thursday night, but this time, it was not for a game. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted the inaugural Lippy Awards in Allen Arena to honor various members of Lipscomb University’s sports teams. The awards show was hosted by student TJ Ojehomon and women’s soccer assistant coach Chris Klotz. Both female and male athletes of the year were competitive categories, but for the female award, sophomore cross country/track and field runner Dani Walker and junior volleyball player Jewell Dobson tied. On the men’s side, track and field high-jumper Gemikal Prude, who broke the high jump record earlier in the year, won as well. Prude said that winning the award was a blessing. “Winning this is quite the blessing,” Prude said. “It’s a feeling that can’t really be described, especially when you feel as if you’re undeserving.” The biggest award of the night, the Best Team Award, went to the women’s track and field/cross country. Senior runner Lacey Printz said that the team worked hard and credited the coaches and team captains for keeping the team focused. “This is the most incredible team we’ve had, and we just love running together and just having fun and doing it for God’s glory,” Printz said. To open the night, the James R. Byers Award was presented to senior track and field sprinter Tucker Peabody, senior volleyball player Caitlin Dotson and junior cross country/track and field runner Tessa Hoefle. The award is given to a top senior athlete who displays outstanding Christian leadership and excels academically and athletically. The honors had...
by Jesica Parsley | Apr 23, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb baseball team lost the second game of the Battle of the Boulevard 13-3 Tuesday night at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville. The Bruins scored eight runs in the first two innings, and Lipscomb did not get on the board until the third inning. Lipscomb head coach Jeff Forehand told athletics that the Bisons struggled to come back after the rough start. “When you get down early in the game, it’s deflating for the whole team,” Forehead said. “We got off to a bad start and nobody is trying to figure it out any quicker than the players and the coaching staff.” Redshirt sophomore infielder Adam Lee got an infield single in the third to start things. Junior infielder Mike Kote hit a triple to score Lee. Redshirt junior outfielder Josh Lee hit a sacrifice fly to score Korte. Lipscomb would score one more run in the fifth off an RBI single from freshman infielder Hunter Hanks. Hanks went 2-for-4 at the plate. Adam Lee went 2-for-3. Belmont’s junior infielder Matt Beaty earned six RBIs with a triple that plated two runs as well as a three run homerun. Junior Chase Cunningham got the win for the Bruins giving up two earned runs and two hits. Redshirt freshman Dalton Curtis took the loss for the Bisons giving up five earned runs and three hits. Curtis’ record falls to 0-3. The Bisons struggled scoring runners in scoring position leaving nine runners on base throughout the game. “We got the two runs in the third and had the chance to have a really big inning there but we didn’t,” Forehand...
