by Madeline Smith | Sep 2, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
A new year means a new squad to cheer on Lipscomb’s men and women’s basketball teams. Last week, cheer hopefuls went through a weeklong process in order to become a Lipscomb cheerleader. “For tryouts, I am definitely looking for someone who can represent Lipscomb in the best form as far as school spirit is concerned,” head coach Shawn Despot said. “We want them to have a good game day appearance and vibe to get the crowd pumped. Also we want someone with strong skills and a back ground in cheerleading.” The process began with a general meeting for cheerleading hopefuls on Monday. Tuesday, the students trying out had a chance to learn two of Lipscomb’s cheers and time to practice stunting and tumbling. Wednesday, the men and women trying out headed to Premiere Athletics in Cool Springs to work on tumbling and stunting techniques. The final round of tryouts took place Thursday night, where cheers were performed and stunting and tumbling were showcased to the coaches. “It’s pretty intimidating,” transfer student Megan Gillon said. “You’re trying to pull out your best stuff so that they like you.” Each year, whether someone is a Lipscomb cheer alum or a first-timer they must participate in the tryout process. Senior Anna Claire Temple says the process has been daunting each year, even though this will be her fourth time on the squad and fourth time trying out. “It’s still as nerve wracking,” said Temple. “No spots are guaranteed since you have to try out every year, no matter how many times you’ve done it. It’s scary because you don’t know who exactly...
by Cory Woodroof | Sep 2, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
Hello, football fans! Lumination Senior Editor and self-described NFL nut Cory Woodroof here. We’re just around the corner from the start of the 2014 NFL season – a season that is sure to be filled with all the patented drama, excitement and intrigue that always accompanies another installment of professional football. Will this be the year Broncos QB Peyton Manning finally gets his second Super Bowl ring? Will Aaron Rodgers take his Packers back to the top after being sidelined for most of 2013? Will the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, become the first team to win two top titles in a row since the heyday of the Belichick-Brady Patriots? All these questions and more lay ahead in what is shaping up to be a stellar year in the NFL. Below, I’ve broken down each division, picked a winner and have provided even more speculation into some of the league’s top awards. So, without further ado, down, set, hut, hut, hike! AFC PREDICTIONS AFC NORTH With the AFC North, it’s all about who can stop the Bengals. With one of 2013’s most potent offenses in the NFL remaining largely intact, Andy Dalton and company should be able to produce the same results as last season. Their defense is also one of the more feared in the NFL. But, the Ravens, with added weapon Steve Smith on offense and Alabama great C.J. Mosley now at linebacker, could cause some noise. The Steelers need a little more help on offense before returning to the postseason, and the Browns are still in the middle of an identity crisis at the...
by Jesica Parsley | Aug 30, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The fall sports teams are off to a great start this semester. Here is a recap on the games that have already been completed so far. Volleyball The Lipscomb volleyball team opened up the 2014 season with a 2-1 record at the Kansas Invitational. Friday Aug. 29 started with a disappointing season opener, losing 3-1 to No. 23 Creighton. Junior Brittany Estes recored her first career triple double in the match with 12 kills, 12 digs and 10 assists. Junior Bri McCombs led Lipscomb with 19 digs. Senior Lauren Ford added 18 digs. The big win came later that night against No. 22 Kansas. The Lady Bisons were down 2-0, but rallied back winning three sets in a row to get the 3-2 victory. The win was the first for the program over a ranked opponent. Lipscomb took set three 25-14, set four 26-24 and set five 15-12. Senior Jewell Dobson had a match-high 20 kills. Estes notched a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. McCombs recorded a match-high 20 digs. Coach Brandon Rosenthal earned his 200th win after the Lady Bisons defeated Utah Valley 3-1 on Aug. 30. Lipscomb won the first set 25-23, third set 25-17 and fourth set 25-15. Estes had 10 kills in the match, and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for the invitational. Ford recorded a match high 15 kills. McCombs led the team with 14 digs. Junior Molly Spitznagle’s hitting percentage was .562 in the match with 10 kills. The Lady Bisons will travel to Missouri Sept. 5 for a weekend tournament in the Tiger Classic. Men’s soccer Men’s soccer...
by Joe Sanderson | Aug 30, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
300 cars lined Highway 100 at Vaughn’s Gap where the 2014 Belmont Opener took place. The sunshine was reflecting off of the bright green grass, however the striking visuals were not enough to mask the 94 degree heat that weighed heavily upon the contestants. “It was hot. Tough conditions, tough course,” said head coach Bill Taylor. After the women’s race a girl could be seen being lifted into an ambulance. Luckily, most of the contestants were able to recover quickly. Lipscomb freshman Paige Stoner enjoyed her time at her first ever college meet. “The whole thing was really exhilarating to be with so many girls, that’s so different from high school,” Stoner said. “It helped a lot to know that I have teammates that I need to push myself for.” Lipscomb sophomore Barbara Ball was excited for the team to get out and race for the first time of the new season, and to be able to put all their hard work to the test. Lipscomb held back a number of girls from racing in the meet and Kaitlyn Llewellyn, a senior at Lipscomb, mentioned that working with less people was something to get used to. “It will be nicer next week when we have more depth,” Llewellyn said, “It was pretty hot so times weren’t great, but it was a good way to start the season. It was a lot of fun.” Coach Bill Taylor said that the girls ran well, and that their effort was there. As for times, errors and protests delayed the results for the Belmont Opener. The women’s race was being reviewed due to...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Aug 29, 2014 | Sports
Lipscomb Volleyball is set to begin a highly anticipated season, and the Lady Bisons, despite a high preseason ranking, are looking beyond the honor to focus on the bigger task at hand, as coach Brandon Rosenthal said. “For us, the end goal is a championship,” said Rosenthal, who is entering his twelfth season as head coach of the Lady Bisons. He mentioned that while being voted as the top team in the Atlantic Sun conference is quite the honor, it is simply an honor. Lipscomb is returning six of seven starters from last year, and of those players, Bri McCombs, Jewell Dobson and Lauren Ford all won preseason awards. McCombs earned preseason Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year, Dobson was voted Atlantic Sun preseason Player of the Year and Ford received a place on the All-Conference team. The Lady Bisons will get an opportunity to cash in on the predictions, as they face four top 25 ranked teams during the season. Their schedule kicks off with back-to-back ranked opponents, Creighton and Kansas ranked 23 and 22 respectively, on the first day of the season. Matchups with no. 15 ranked Missouri and no. 19 ranked Kentucky will be happening on Sept. 5 and 19. When scheduling these matchups, Rosenthal is only thinking about one thing: winning. He has great confidence in the team and thinks highly of its capability. “We’re [playing top schools] because I feel like that’s the group that we’re in,” said Rosenthal. He also talked about the team being historically a “slower-starting team, so we’re always looking to buck the trend.” Slow start or no, Rosenthal...
by Janice Ng | Aug 29, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
In the first installment of Lumination News for the 2014-2015 school year, Madeline Smith and Aaron Schmelzer are behind the news desk to update you about what is happening on campus and in the local community. Erika Thornsberry fills you in on the week’s top politics news headlines, Brianne Welch gives the scoop on all things entertainment, Cory Woodroof gives you the weather forecast and Travis Byrd brings you up to speed with sports. This week’s newscast features an update of the Green Hills Tower construction, a look at the Swang building’s summer renovations on campus and another take on President Randy Lowry’s ice-bucket challenge. We also give you a look at Cowboy Jack Clement’s former home just minutes from campus, a preview of different club events on campus, such as Rush Fair and the annual kickball tournament, and we provide a guide to surviving college for Freshmen. Be sure to stay tuned for future newscasts published every Friday here on Lumination! LUmination Newscast 8-28-2014-H.264 for Apple TV from lumination Network on Vimeo. Do you have story ideas? An event you want us to cover? Email our News Director at...
