by Logan Butts | Jun 16, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Madi Talbert and Gemikal Prude took their talents to Eugene, Oregon, to compete in the NCAA Nationals for track and field. Talbert hit the track on Wednesday in the 3000-meter steeplechase. She finished with a time of 10:13.70, placing her seventh in her heat. Talbert was also named a Second Team All-American. Despite the success, Talbert’s time was not good enough to for the Finals. This was Talbert’s second consecutive appearance at Nationals. She improved on her 2013 time of 10:41.98. Prude, also competing at Nationals for the second straight year, ended his season on Friday attempting to clear a height of 2.05 meters. Despite leaping 2.14 meters in the Eastern Preliminaries, Prude was not able to clear the 2.05 meter bar. Even though Prude did not advance on Friday, he was named an honorable mention All-American. In March, Prude finished ninth overall in the high jump at NCAA Indoor Nationals with a mark of 2.15 meters. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Logan Butts | Jun 16, 2014 | Sports
Following a successful 2013-14 on-field campaign, Lipscomb has also come out on top in the classroom by being named the 2013-14 Atlantic Sun Academic Champions. During the 2013-14 school year, 78.83 percent of Lipscomb’s student-athletes finished with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, giving the Bisons the best percentage in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The percentage was not only the top in the conference, but it was the highest Lipscomb has posted during its time in the A-Sun. 211 Bisons were named academic honorees for the school year, which was also the best number in the Atlantic Sun. Not only was the mark good enough to lead the conference, it also raised Lipscomb’s all-time total to 1,285 honorees, the most of any school in the history of the A-Sun. In addition to the team awards, Lipscomb senior cross country runner Tessa Hoefle was named the 2013-14 Atlantic Sun Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She became the third Lady Bison to receive the distinguished honor. Hoefle also won her third consecutive A-Sun Women’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year. Hoefle, along with Joshua Kolbo and Claire Peterson, were named Presidential Scholars for finishing their careers with a GPA of 3.8 or higher. Fellow seniors Geoff Musick, Melissa Dowd and Caitlin Dotson received Commissioner Scholar awards for finishing with a GPA between 3.6 and 3.79. To view the full list of all 211 scholar athletes visit the Lipscomb Athletics website Photo courtesy of Lispcomb...
by Logan Butts | Jun 11, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
After four long years of waiting, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will finally be kicking off Thursday afternoon, and soccer fans everywhere are rejoicing. With the hopes of an entire nation on their back, 32 teams will be travelling to Brazil with their 23 best players in tow. All will be in pursuit of the most prestigious championship trophy in all of sports. I will be highlighting some key players and teams to watch whether you are a die-hard soccer fan or a relative newcomer to the sport. I will also be making my prediction for who will come out on top. Players to watch: Leo Messi, Argentina: The winner of four FIFA Ballon d’Or awards in a row from 2009-2012 (soccer’s equivalent to an MVP award) is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game, despite only being 26 years old. Although he has dominated for his professional team FC Barcelona, he has struggled in international competitions. This may be his best shot at the elusive World Cup trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal: The reigning FIFA player of the year, like his rival Messi, has seen success in international competitions fall just short of his grasp. Can the two-time Ballon d’Or winner put Portugal on his back and carry the team deep into the tournament or will we see a flame out in the group stage? Gianluigi Buffon, Italy: Heading into his fourth and likely final World Cup, many consider Buffon the greatest goalkeeper of his generation. Buffon and teammate Andrea Pirlo are the only two remaining members of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad. The two will...
by Logan Butts | Jun 5, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
After one of the greatest playoffs in recent memory, the NBA Finals are finally here. This year’s matchup is one almost every basketball fan wanted: a rematch of last year’s outstanding Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat won last year’s series in seven games, thanks to one of the greatest shots in NBA history (taken by Ray Allen, the greatest 3-point shooter of all time no less) in the waning moments of the now-legendary Game Six. That game also featured a superhuman performance from 4-time league MVP LeBron James and an unheralded collapse from the ever-steady, machine-like Spurs. The series had everything: last second shots, thunderous dunks, role players stepping up and future Hall-of-Famers playing brilliantly. Former Miami Heat player Mike Miller, now a Grizzly, even drained a shot while wearing one shoe. This year’s series provides the veteran Spurs a chance at revenge. They were as close as you can get to winning an NBA championship last year without actually winning it. It could be the last hurrah for the quartet of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich, but people have been saying that about them for almost a decade now. For the Heat, they have a chance to join the elite of the elite when it comes to great NBA teams. Only Bill Russell’s Celtics, Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics had made four straight Finals appearances before the Heat joined them this year. Only Russell’s Celtics, Michael Jordan’s Bulls and the Shaquille O’Neal/Kobe Bryant Lakers have ever won three championships in a row. A win...
by Cory Woodroof | Jun 1, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
To those only familiar with Don Meyer’s on-the-court accomplishments, the coaching titan will be remembered for his striking column of wins and his steadfast love of the game. But, to the members of the Lipscomb community and others who gathered to celebrate the coach’s life Sunday in Allen Arena, Meyer will be remembered for far, far more than his legacy of hoops. “[Meyer] used basketball as such a great ministry,” said Richard Taylor, a former Bison and member of the 1986 NAIA National Championship squad. “He changed the lives of thousands and thousands of people, and his life was such a great example for all of us.” Meyer died May 18 after a lengthy battle with cancer. To honor his legacy of excellence, Lipscomb hosted the Don Meyer Memorial Celebration Service, one of two major public services that celebrated the coach and his life. The first one was May 24 at the campus of Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. During Sunday’s service at Lipscomb, G. David England led two songs, “To God Be the Glory,” and “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.” Lady Bisons basketball head coach Greg Brown, also one of Meyer’s student assistant coaches, read Meyer’s obituary and led a prayer. A video was shown that featured an interview with Meyer . Tom Kelsey, a former player of Meyer’s from 1982 to 1986 and the director of basketball operations at Louisiana State University (LSU), read a letter from the coach’s family. Martha Ann Hawkins also sang two songs, “My God and I” and “Peace, Perfect, Peace,” at the opening and close of the service, respectively. She was accompanied by Phil...
by Logan Butts | Jun 1, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb track and field team continued an excellent season this past week with three Bisons competing at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Junior Gemikal Prude and sophomores Colin Dempster and Madi Talbert traveled to Jacksonville for a chance to earn a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Finals. On Thursday, junior Colin Dempster set a new school record in the 400 meters with a time of 47.23 seconds. Dempster broke his own school record of 47.29 which he set during the Atlantic Sun Championships. Although he broke the school record, Dempster did not qualify for the NCAA Finals. Friday saw Talbert finish fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:08.21, good enough to send her to her second straight NCAA Outdoor Finals. Her time set a new school record as well. Prude, no stranger to national competition, became the second Bison to qualify for the Outdoor Finals on Saturday with an eighth place finish in the high jump thanks to a 2.14 mark. Prude and Talbert will be heading to Eugene, Oregon for Nationals, which will take place from June...
