Only a few months removed from the 2012 Summer Olympics, the U.S gymnastics team that dominated in London is still fresh on everyone’s mind. “The Fab Five,” as they were dubbed from spectators and commentators alike, took the world by storm with their all-around team gold medal. The whole world was watching, including the NAU Gymnastics Club.

The NAU Gymnastics Club, established in the spring of 2008, was created by a few students with the intention to continue gymnastics, but who did not want to just take a class at one of the local gyms.

While the gymnastics club may not be on the same level as the Olympians, they are no stranger to competition. The club competes in the NAIGC, the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs.

The NAIGC was established in 1988. They are a non-profit corporation whose primary purpose is to support collegiate gymnastics clubs in the United States.

While competition is important to all of the athletes at NAU, having fun always comes first.

Yaeren Hernandez, a junior from Rio Rico, Ariz., explained how she has improved from competing.

“My confidence has improved and I have gained unforgettable memories from these competitions,” Hernandez said. I also have learned a lot of new skills that I would have never had before if it was not for the club.”

Most of the girls on different club teams know each other from their high school club teams, so competitions are a chance for them to reconnect while doing something that they still love.

In 2011, they traveled to two competitions, one at the University of California-Davis and the other at the University of California-Berkeley. They placed third and fifth overall at the two events. At UC-Davis, sophomore Ruby Harrison from San Diego placed third on vault and junior Danielle McWilliams from Patterson, Calif., earned fifth on floor.

At UC-Berkeley, Harrison placed third on vault and second on floor, and McWilliams placed third on floor and third on the uneven bars.

There are currently no other club teams in Arizona, so the club mostly competes in California. Competitions are held around the entire U.S., and the club looks to compete in more this year compared to the previous year.

The NAIGC Nationals will be held in Minneapolis from April 11-13, 2013, and the club hopes to send a few standout athletes there.

Being in the club can be a life-changing experience for those involved. Hernandez agreed and said her life would not be the same without gymnastics.

“I would not have made such good friends. Friends change over the years, but the friends I have made in gymnastics have been there since I began,” Hernandez said. “We are like a family, even though we have such different lives, we are always there for each other.”

Club president Michelle Norris, a senior from Sunnyvale, Calif. said there are a lot of mental barriers that you have to get over to perform certain moves or obtain new skills.

“I think for every skill I ever learned in gymnastics I had a mental block before I did it,” Norris said. “What we learn how to do is scary, flipping through the air and having the confidence in ourselves that we will land with our feet on the floor instead of on our face or our back is daunting.”

The club is open to all skill levels, whether you only know how to do a cartwheel or you have competed your entire life. The goal of the club is to learn new skills while at the same time having fun in a relaxed atmosphere.

Norris also agreed a relaxed atmosphere is the ideal situation to practice in.

“For most of us who did gymnastics in high school, practice used to be a stressful situation where you were yelled at by coaches to do skills, conditioning and be flexible. We do not want to be a club like that; we want to have fun doing the sport that we love.”

At the moment the club currently has a lot of people new to the sport of gymnastics, and a lot of girls and guys who have been competing since they were small children.

They encourage anyone who wants to try the sport to come out for at least one practice. If you are interested, they practice at Summit Gymnastics Academy on Fourth Street on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm.

The post NAU Gymnastics Club bounds to new heights appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

Freshmen volleyball players Trianna Henry, Payton Bock and Janae Vander Ploeg (Photo by Sean Ryan)

College freshmen have many obstacles to deal with, like leaving home and settling into a new school with a new group of people, but freshmen athletes have even more on their plate. Adjusting to constant travel and missing massive amounts of school can be tough, but the ease of playing a sport can help.

There are many differences between high school and college-level sports, but the main difference is the level of play. The competition in college measures at a different standard than high school sports because each team recruits good players and every game can be a challenge.

“The pace of the game is definitely a lot faster, and I definitely think it’s more fun to play in college,” freshman volleyball defensive specialist Trianna Henry said. “You have a lot more competition, so everyone you play is really good and you know that it’s going to be a challenge every time.”

The NAU women’s volleyball team added three freshmen to its roster in August and these girls have impacted the team in a positive way. Middle blocker Payton Bock and Henry are both Arizona natives, while outside hitter Janae Vander Ploeg hails from Colorado.

“Their impact has been off the charts this season,” head coach Craig Choate said. “There is no way you can deny what they have done this season; it’s been amazing.”

Through the season, the freshmen all received ample playing time on the court and contributed to the team in their successful season. Vander Ploeg recorded the most kills on the team, totaling 370. Vander Ploeg was named Big Sky Honorable Mention for the season, and has become a dominant force in the outside hitting position. She helped the Jacks finish with an impressive record of 24–7 overall, and 15–5 in the Big Sky Conference (BSC).

Bock is one of the starting middle blockers for the Jacks and led the team with the most blocks at 143. She was named Big Sky Outstanding Freshman, as well as a member of the All-Big Sky First Team, while Henry made a sizable contribution in the back row, totaling 197 digs on the season.

“Trianna is digging as well as anyone on the court,” Choate said.

Most freshmen deal with the anxiety of leaving home for the first time and having to be accountable for themselves without their parents helping them along the way. For some freshmen, it can affect them enough to go back home, but most stick it out and adjust to the college lifestyle.

“I miss my family and friends, because you’re used to seeing the same people every day, like some of my friends since kindergarten,” Vander Ploeg said. “I think that’s the biggest change because you’re used to always seeing them and talking to them but you kind of get used to it after a while.”

With such a successful season, the Jacks have had their fair share of being on the road, which means a large amount of flying.

“Flying was an adjustment, and I do not like it at all,” Henry said. “It doesn’t bother me, but it feels like because of our schedule that we’re always out of town, and I would rather drive. It takes a lot out of you and when you get back you’re just really drained.”

With flying comes missing school, which for most students seems like an exciting topic but for most student athletes, missing school can lead to missing important projects and tests.

“Skipping a lot of school is tough too because I just had an exam over the stuff we learned in class and since I’m never there it’s kind of hard,” Bock said. “But my mom is a flight attendant so I’m used to always being at the airport, but always flying is hard.”

Adjusting to a new environment can be challenging, and for all freshmen they had to get comfortable with living in a new room, sleeping in a new bed, eating food not made by their parents and staying with someone other than a family member.

“My dad would always make me breakfast in the morning and now I have to eat the food here, plus the beds here are super tiny and my feet hang off,” Bock said.

For the volleyball girls, they had to adjust to getting to practices on time and playing in front of larger crowds during home games.

“Yes, I was nervous for my first home game,” Vander Ploeg said. “I think it’s just because everyone is watching you and with the start that we had to the season everyone was expecting the team to be really good. So, I know I was nervous, but I was excited too.”

Aside from all the nervousness home games bring and the constant traveling, these freshmen have shown it is possible to balance while still managing school. They excelled on the court, helping the Jacks go to the Big Sky tournament, and finished with a winning record. Overall, these true freshmen have displayed playing a sport in college can be difficult, but rewarding too.

The post Volleyball freshmen adjust to being student-athletes while helping team suceed appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

Lindsay King runs with the ball during a rugby match.
(Photo by Andrea Sanchez)

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is home to one of the most original mascots in collegiate sports: the Lumberjack.

However, not all athletic teams and clubs at NAU use the school’s nickname. The men’s rugby team, for instance, goes by the Landsharks; the hockey club is called the Ice Jacks; and even the quidditch club bears a unique name: the Narwhals.

Perhaps the most original and interesting nickname of any club of campus belongs to the women’s rugby club, which calls themselves the Timberdoodles.

For those who do not know, a timberdoodle is another name for the American Woodcock.

“The name is a dumb story, but it’s true,” as told by club founder “Boo Boo” on the Timberdoodles’ website. “I was writing a paper, looking up a word in the dictionary and came across the word Timberdoodle. When I found it is the American Woodcock, I thought about how cool that was, especially with the hidden name. The girls voted with some other names, but Timberdoodles was selected.”

Legend has it, the origin of the Timberdoodle name was the result of a losing bet with a Landshark player. According to the club’s website, the team originally selected the name Timberdoodle, but subsequently went through a series of name changes like the Lady Sharks and the Piranhas. In 2002, the fateful bet was made, which gave the club back its original name, which has not changed since.

The Timberdoodles have been a club at NAU since 1991, and were founded by a player from the men’s rugby club. Because of the club status, they finance their season by holding fundraisers and having everyone pay dues so they can travel to play.

“We started talking, and [Nancy Purdin] asked why we didn’t have a women’s club,” Boo Boo said.“It just so happened that a couple of girls had approached me that month who had played but . . . [had] no team . . . and I was busy. I told Nancy I’d put together 10 girls to have an exhibition match the following 10s. [I] did some school advertising in the fall and ended up with about a dozen freshman.”

Club president, sophomore Jenna Rodriguez, says there are benefits to running things by themselves.

“We set everything up — the refs, fields, team travel and everything, so if anything I think it helps us stay organized,” Rodriguez said.

Like most club sports teams, the Timberdoodles face a multitude of challenges, ranging from a weekly lack of continuity in team size to the overwhelming number of injuries they have faced due to their lack of experience.

Head coach Wally Nolan acknowledged these problems, but went on to say his team is off to a good start.

“For the experience that most of the players have, they’re doing very well,” Nolan said. “When they play teams of similar experience and similar capabilities, they win. Then they’ll go play in other tournaments against teams with a lot more experience and they’ll get beat up a little bit, but they’re doing very well.”

Rodriguez added having to re-teach new players every year also presents problems.

“With new freshman, we have to learn and teach again,” Rodriquez said. “It’s great to have people out and play and love the game as much as [they] do, but it’s also great to have people out there who have been playing for a few years.”

Coach Nolan added, “Most people don’t play rugby until they get into college.”

The 2012 squad is off to a great start this semester, winning all three of their Tens Tournament matches for the first time since 2002. The Timberdoodles also fared well at the High Dirt Tournament in New Mexico a few weekends ago, albeit with only 11 players.

Sophomore international affairs major and second-year rugby player Madison Ashley Santana said this team is one of the better teams they have had in a few years.

“Considering the fact that we only had about half a team, we did really well,” Santana said. “We had roughly eleven, so because of injuries and stuff we had to ask more players to play with us.”

She went on to add having to ask around for replacement players or subs is a normal thing in rugby, especially with the number of injuries that occur all the time. Also, because of the number of college students on the team, practice and conditioning usually take a backseat to schoolwork due to how busy they are.

In addition to the first few tournaments, the Timberdoodles have a number of upcoming matches and tournaments for the rest of the semester, including a round robin tournament in New Mexico and several other away matches, until their union season starts.

They are a part of the Arizona Rugby Union, and play clubs from not only from Arizona, but also from New Mexico, Nevada and Utah; and they occasionally play collegiate teams like ASU or UA.

The post Flagstaff rugby: the origin of the Timberdoodles appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

Lumberjacks swims against New Mexico State in WAC. NAU won 176-116. (Photo by Xiozhen Wang)

Despite losing the past two meets against Idaho and Washington State at the beginning of November, the Northern Arizona University (NAU) Lumberjacks came back fighting to beat the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Aggies on Dec. 1.

The Lumberjacks dominated the meet from the start with the help of freshman Kendall Brown, who placed first in the 800m freestyle. The Jacks ended the day with a final team score of 176–116.

“We just wanted to come out strong and win a relay and win a distance event and I think we did a pretty good job of that,” said head coach Andy Johns. “[NMSU] have two really good swimmers in Tricia Kiss and Jess Legge, so we were concerned about those two and what event they were going to swim in, but we felt pretty good about the rest of our line-up.”

Lumberjack diving player divis off the 3-meters board against New Mexico State. (Photo by Xiaozhen Wang)

Brown also helped NAU sweep the top three spots in the 200m butterfly by taking second behind junior Rachel Palmer and finishing just ahead of junior Andrea Derflinger. Brown admitted to feeling some pressure competing, but overcame those thoughts, knowing she was prepared.

“After hearing what everyone else was saying, I was a little bit worried,” Brown said. “But I just practiced really hard up til this weekend. New Mexico is really good and I am really excited that we did well against them.”

Junior Stirling Smith, who shined in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:40.39, also commented on the rivalry the Lumberjacks share with the Aggies.

“Based on last year, they were our biggest competition throughout the dual meets,” Smith said. “We have kind of been going back and forth with them. We know the girls on the [NMSU] team and some of us are friends, so it is really a fun rivalry.”

Both Brown and Smith, along with their coach, agreed their number one goal this season is to win the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

“We are all really focused on the WAC championship,” said Smith. “We are all really motivated and want to do well.”

Brown also stated some individual goals she’s working hard to accomplish.

“I want to make NCAAs,” Brown said. “I’ve had that dream since last year. I want to be the freshman that makes it and I think I’m capable of doing it. I just hope that conference goes well first.”

Other first-place accomplishments from Saturday included senior Fi Connell in the 100m and 200m backstroke, freshman Ellie Morrissey for the 50m and 100m freestyle, junior Emma Lowther in the 200m freestyle and sophomore Caitlin Wright for the 400m freestyle.

The Lumberjacks were in command of the diving boards at the Wall Aquatic Center as well. Senior Kristy Ardavanis placed first in the 3-meter diving event with a score of 301.80 and teammate junior Gwen Smithberg came in second with a total of 285.08 points.

NAU had another sweep of the top three spots in the 1 meter diving competition with Ardavanis’ score of 305.33, freshman Chelsea Jackson’s score of 279.08 and Smithberg rounding out third place with a total of 271.13.

The Lumberjacks next competition will be against Florida Atlantic, Northwestern and Denver in Florida on Dec. 21.

The post Swim and dive return to winning ways against New Mexico State appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

Sophomore Vinny Eck rushes for the puck to score a goal during the NAU IceJacks vs. ASU at Jay Lively Activity Center on Dec. 1. IceJacks tie the game 4-4 and 1-2 in a shootout. (Photo by Amanda Ray)

NAU vs. ASU.

Nothing more needs to be said for hockey fans to know the intensity of the in-state rivalry, but to add some more drama, coming into the two-game series this past weekend, the NAU Division II Ice Jacks were ranked No. 2 and ASU ranked No. 3. The series was split, giving each of these bitter foes a game apiece. On Nov. 30, ASU took advantage of some late NAU penalties to win by a score of 5-3 while Dec. 1’s contest had to be decided by a eight-round shoot-out which ended in a 5-4 victory for the Ice Jacks.

The sold-out crowd in attendance for the Dec. 1 game definitely got their money’s worth. The game was fast-paced and body checks were thrown all over the ice. ASU went 2–1 after the first period, but the Ice Jacks regained control of their focus to battle back and head into the final stanza tied 3–3. The Ice Jacks scored their forth goal with a little bit of luck: a shot was taken from the blue line and was deflected by an ASU defenseman past his own net minder. ASU, though, capitalized on a power-play ending regulation with the scoreboard showing both teams at four tallies each. After overtime ended scoreless, the game had to be decided in a shoot-out. Sophomore forward Vinny Eck burried a goal in the second round after an ASU shooter equalized the contest; there were no more goals until the eighth round when senior forward James Terry faked the ASU goalie and slid the puck into the back of the net to seal the win for the Ice Jacks and ignite the crowd.

“Everyone was trying to go high,” Terry commented. “I figured if I could just get the goalie to move I could slide it past him.”

Junior goalie James Korte got the start in between the pipes for NAU and ended the game with 30 saves. Senior forward captain Carter Achilles, freshman forward Corey Briody and senior Rocky DeAngelo all had goals during regulation time. Eck scored his team-leading 13th goal of the season on a short-handed play.

Nov. 30 did not have the best of outcomes for NAU. After junior defenseman Dillon Butenhoff tied the game at three midway through the third period, the Ice Jacks let the game slip away by taking too many costly penalties and giving ASU’s power-play unit the opportunity to break the tie and add an insurance goal to end NAU‘s 10-game win streak. Senior forwards Johnathan Isbell and Taylor Dustin took care of the other two goals for NAU. Senior goalie Quinn Mason started in net for the Ice Jacks and recorded 29 saves as he did all he could to keep his team in it.

“We just have to sleep on that and learn from it,” said head coach Travis Johanson. “We shot ourselves in the foot with those penalties.”

NAU had some roster moves for the series. Sophomore forward Dedrick Wiese was activated from the injured list, but NAU also suffered an injury to a key player. Junior forward Ryan Greenspan had an early exit in Nov. 30’s game due to a knee injury and was unable to skate in Dec. 1’s game. It was later discovered Greenspan suffered a torn ACL and other ligaments in his knee and is expected to be out at least eight-10 weeks. Also, seniors Justin Frechione and Rob Brown played their last home game in an NAU jersey. The two defenseman will graduate later this month and finish their NAU hockey careers this weekend when the Ice Jacks travel to Tucson to battle the Divison I UA Ice Cats.

The post Hockey splits games against rival ASU appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

Gabe Rogers attempts to shoot the ball while playing against Sam Houston on Dec. 1. NAU won 77-60. (Photo by Jenni Solberg)

After winning only three games against NCAA Division I schools in their previous season, the Lumberjacks have already equaled that total this season. Head coach Jack Murphy’s home debut win against the Sam Houston State University Bearkats broke an eight-game losing streak dating back to Dec. 29, 2011 and moved NAU’s record to 3-4. The crowd of 1,807 was the highest home attendance since at least the 2010 season, hopefully a sign of things to come for the program and its new direction under Murphy and his staff.

OFFENSIVE BOARD ISSUES

Despite the relatively easy 77-60 win against Sam Houston State in which NAU did not trail over the final 33 minutes, it did lose the offensive rebound battle 18-7.

“We came out, we knew they would be aggressive on the offensive glass,” Murphy said. “First half, I thought that we kind of let them stay in the game because we didn’t do as good of a job on the offensive glass. Second half, the floodgates opened and we did even worse.”

The Bearkats also outscored the Lumberjacks 22–8 in second-chance points, but shooting 32 percent from the field rendered the difference irrelevant. While this win came somewhat easily, the Lumberjacks cannot afford to allow such a significant rebounding deficit going forward.

ROGER’S SLOW START

Senior Gabe Rogers opened the game with a horrible first half, shooting 2-of-13, including 2-of-9 from behind the arc. After the game, Rogers revealed he had been battling the flu.

“I was basically working up on fumes,” Rogers said. “If you guys saw me at practice, it was bad. I couldn’t run up the floor one time.”

While he struggled early, Rogers closed the game out by going 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3. He finished with 19 points in 34 minutes of playing time.

“Hopefully next week I am fully back to health and I can shoulder some of that load,” Rogers said.

Through the team’s first seven games, Rogers ranks third in the Big Sky Conference with 15.6 points per game to help create the most potent scoring backcourt currently in the conference.

RUSSELL’S ROLE

The other half of the high scoring back court comes from freshman DeWayne Russell, who has begun his Lumberjack career better than anyone could have imagined.

Currently, Russell ranks second in the conference in scoring with 16.3 points per game, fifth in assists with 3.6, fourth in free throw percentage with 93 percent and fourth in steals with 1.7.

“I don’t think anybody could have expected this, not from a freshman. I mean, he has got to be one of the best freshmen in the country,” Murphy said. “I watch other high-level teams and more ballyhooed about freshman and they don’t perform like he performs on a night-in night-out basis.”

For his part, Russell is just happy to help the team in any way possible. Despite his current status in the starting lineup with senior Stallon Saldivar now coming off the bench, Russell doesn’t stake a claim to being a starter.

“Stall is hurt right now; I am just filling in my role. Whatever coach wants me to do; I am there to do it,” Russell said. “If I got to start this game, I’ll start. If not, I’ll come off the bench. He is the starter; I am just playing my role as best as I can.”

Murphy said he is just happy to have Russell producing as he has been.

“Did I think he was good? Yes. Did I believe in him? Yes,” Murphy said. “I didn’t know he was this good; I didn’t know he would be this consistent this early on. It’s been a pleasant surprise, but one we’re excited about.”

The post Rebounding issues, backcourt scoring highlight Lumberjacks’ home opener appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

The crowds were back and the excitement pulsed through the air on Dec. 1 when the Lumberjacks made their home debut. With a 77–60 win over the Sam Houston State Bearkats, Northern Arizona University (NAU) ended its eight-game home losing streak, dating back to the previous season, and got a victory for head coach Jack Murphy in his first game at the Skydome.

Surprise star DeWayne Russell, who is a freshman, led all scorers with 22 points. Despite his small stature and being new to the college game, Russell played much bigger than his generous 5’11″ height listing with slashing drives into the paint and a sweet pull-up jumper.

“The seniors on the team are great,” Russell said. “They’re helping me out so much, preparing me before the season and telling me certain things aren’t going to work, so all the credit goes to them.”

Senior guard Gabe Rogers spoke highly of his new teammate.

“That’s the one thing about him, he’s selfless,” Rogers said. “This kid has a very, very bright future.”

Rogers added 19 points with two assists, despite playing with the flu.

“I was basically working on fumes, but the fans here give you that boost,” Rogers said. “I do not know how Michael Jordan did it. That’s probably why he’s the greatest.”

The Lumberjacks were slow to start in the first half, shooting just 34.5 percent from the field, but used an 8–0 run at the end of the half, and 13 points off turnovers, to pull ahead 34–25.

“I think to start off the game, there was a little bit of butterflies for the guys,” Murphy said. “It’s their first home game and first game in the Dome in over two years. I think the legs weren’t all there in the first half.”

NAU turned it on in the second half by attacking the paint, moving the ball and finding wide-open shooters, and posted a 61.5 field goal percentage as a result. Every time the Bearkats started a run, the Lumberjacks would answer with one of their own. They led by as much as 21 points twice.

“In the second half, we didn’t take nearly as many threes. We got in the paint, we took better shots and we made a majority of them,” Murphy said. “I was really proud of how we came out in the second half and played aggressive in the paint and at the rim.”

Sophomore Gaellan Bewernick led the Lumberjacks on the boards with 12 rebounds while senior Stallon Saldivar scored 11 points and had five assists.

The team dished out 19 assists to Sam Houston State’s nine, a key stat that the team will look to continue to post high numbers in as the season goes on.

Also, the advantage of playing at home at high altitude helped the team wear down the Bearkats.

“There’s no question; I thought that we wore them out,” Murphy said. “We want to play up and down and really fast. When we’re aggressive offensively and defensively we’re a better team.”

The Lumberjacks play at home again Dec. 5 against Loyola Marymount (4-4). Tip-off is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at the Skydome.

The post Murphy wins home debut as Lumberjacks reopen Skydome appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

Photo by Sean Ryan
NAU’s Cary Grossart goes to roll out to throw the ball during the football game against Arizona State University in Tempe Thursday Aug. 30.

By Brian Gosset

After a fantastic career at Folsom High School, in which he set records for passing yards in a season, career passing yards and career total yards, Flagstaff was on the list of possible destinations to attend college for senior quarterback Cary Grossart. Other options for Grossart were Idaho State, Montana State and Utah. Of course, Grossart finally set his sights on Northern Arizona University (NAU).

“When I visited the campus, I really enjoyed it. I liked the area and I had a chance to play and compete for one or two years here. I liked Coach [Jerome] Souers and the staff; I was impressed,” Grossart said.

The transition was tough for Grossart. At Folsom, Grossart ran more of a spread offense and once at NAU, he had to learn to play a pro-style offense.

It took a while for Grossart to see any game action, but once he set foot on campus, his amiable nature was noticeable.

“Cary is great guy; if you had a flat tire, he’ll come help you. He’s cool with everybody, he’s a likeable guy and nobody has any problems with him,” said senior wide receiver Austin Shanks.

The Folsom native redshirted his freshman year in 2008 and only played in one game the two seasons while backing up Walter Payton Award finalist Michael Herrick.

After Herrick left, Grossart had his chance. His first start was in Tucson against UA; Grossart led NAU into halftime only down four to the Wildcats, highlighted by a 91-yard drive and a 12-yard touchdown to end the second quarter. He also completed 16 consecutive passes, two shy of the school record, and finished the night 20-of-26 for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

“I wasn’t sure what type of player I was. I wanted to come out and trust my instincts,” Grossart said. “God, I was nervous. I just wanted to go out and complete passes. There was a moment, a moment where I have arrived.”

NAU would lose in a blowout, but Grossart showed things to come for the Lumberjacks program.

“It was really encouraging to do that against a PAC-12 team,” said Grossart on the second-quarter drive. “It was really exciting coming into halftime and having a sense that we can hang with these guys. We are a great team and we are going to have a great season.”’

The Lumberjacks finished the season 4–7, but Grossart finished well in his first season as starter. He finished third in the Big Sky Conference (BSC) with 2,745 passing yards and first with a 156.0 pass efficiency and 65.9 completion percentage.

This year, the Lumberjacks finished 8–3 and 6–2 in conference. Grossart still completed his season with a high percentage as he finished second in the conference in the category. He threw for 17 touchdowns versus nine interceptions, similar statistics from the 2011 season when he threw 16 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He finished the year 180-of-270 for 1,997 passing yards.

Grossart finishes his Lumberjack career with 4,814 passing yards on 382-of-576, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He completed 66 percent of his passes, averaged 241 ypg, and NAU was 10–10 in his 20 starts.

In 2011, Grossart finished 10th in passing yards all-time, while also finishing 10th in total yards. His 66.7 and 65.9 completion percentage in 2012 and 2011, respectively, ranks second and fourth all-time behind wide receivers coach Jeff Lewis’ 66.8 in 1995. Grossart ranks ninth all-time in career passing yards, his 33 touchdowns ranks him seventh all-time and he ranks first all-time in career completion percentage.

“Cary has good team chemistry; he’s an excellent leader and an excellent example for the other players,” Souers said about Grossart’s arrival. “He’s been waiting his turn a couple of years, but it’s been fun to watch him develop as a quarterback.”

The passing game may not have been as successful for Grossart if it were not for star running back Zach Bauman. The junior has rushed for over 1,000 yards all three years at the school, which opens up the passing game down field.

Grossart was instrumental and helped the Lumberjacks in their historic win in Montana on Sept. 22. It was NAU and Souers’ first win against the Grizzlies in 15 years.

The biggest improvement from the 2011 season is Grossart’s command of the offense, according to offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello.

“His first year, he was trying to figure it out and the game was going really fast. This year has slowed down and he has great command of the offense,” Scangarello said.

His control of the offense has keyed NAU’s best season since 2003. Grossart, playing in the Lumberjacks’ pro-style offense, has made a lot of positive plays and has kept plays alive even when the opposing defense looks to stop the play for a loss of yards.

In NAU’s win over Northern Colorado, the offense was struggling for the entire game. The Lumberjacks found themselves down 10–9 with fewer than five minutes to play. Grossart stepped up and drove NAU down the field to Northern Colorado’s one-yard line to set up the game-winning field goal with 15 seconds left.

For whatever the reason this year, at times, it looked as if the Lumberjacks could not get into a rhythm on offense, especially to start the game. They always seemed to find themselves down at halftime, but whether it was Souers or Grossart talking to the team in the locker rooms, getting the team hyped up, Grossart always leads NAU into the second half. The Lumberjacks seemed to play their best in the third and fourth quarters.

During the Lumberjacks’ win this year versus North Dakota on Oct. 13, Grossart threw for a career high 363 yards. In the third quarter, he led the team on the game-winning drive, a 12 play, 99-yard drive.

Experience is another key issue, not only on Grossart’s play, but also for the entire team.

“The biggest improvement was [the] experience of last year and we had some tough games. Also figuring out what kind of player I was,” Grossart said. “I was a different player from high school and three years of not playing, I just had to figure out the kind of player I was.”

Once his NAU career comes to an end, Grossart hopes to pass on some of his knowledge of the game to his teammates. Backup quarterbacks Chase Cartwright and Jordan Perry have seen some action this year and hope to use what Grossart taught them to keep the program successful for the next couple years.

“Cary’s taught me a lot, both on and off the field; the way he interacts with teammates and a lot in preparation. It’s not really about the talent, but more on how you prepare,” Perry said.

Grossart is majoring in strategic communication and minoring in electronic media and film. His sister Kelly graduated in the same field and has been successful, which made Grossart decide to take the same path, though he hasn’t quite decided what to do after graduation. He hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps: his dad was a quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets.

“Communication fits into my strengths,” Grossart said. “I’m a good public speaker and I would like to go into public relations or advertising, but after NAU, I would like to play in Europe for a little bit to take a break and think about my career.”

Grossart knows it will be an uphill battle to get to the next level, but believes he could make it in Europe, and is also hoping to play in Canada as well. The National Football League (NFL) is also a long-shot possibility, but he thinks he could make it if he continues to compete at a high level.

Cary’s father, Kyle, played quarterback at Oregon State University before playing in the NFL in 1980 and 1981 for the Raiders and Jets. Being around a father who also was a college quarterback and played professional football had a lasting effect for the younger Grossart.

“It’s the reason why I play quarterback. I had a football in my hands since I was four,” Grossart said. “I’d like to follow in his footsteps, and it’s the reason [for] who I am.”

One thing the team likes about Grossart, especially Souers, is his competitiveness.

“In terms of his style of play, he’s a great competitor; he’s a never-say-die quarterback and when he’s got the ball in his hands, he can always make something positive happen,” Souers said.

Grossart led the Lumberjacks this season to their best year since 2003. NAU had an eight-game winning streak, its longest since 1958. The Lumberjacks also had a six-game conference winning streak, their longest since 1978. They were first in the conference standings entering Nov. 10, and were one win away from reaching the FCS playoffs.

The post Senior quarterback wraps up NAU career appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

So far in the young 2012-2013 season one thing is clear for the NAU women’s basketball team: Isolation is not the way.

The Jacks have fallen an 0-6 record after consecutive home losses to Western Michigan and Bradley, where they surrendered 95 points and 46 free throws. Now I’m not here to question the hiring of Sue Darling… yet. Her career record, coupled with her lack of a true rotation, has led to questions about her effectiveness on the team so far.

As everyone knows, the Jacks have a very potent tandem of scorers in seniors Amy Patton and Tyler Stephens-Jenkins. I would liken this tandem to being reminiscent of Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith, but not their recent performances. I would compare them to the Denver Nuggets versions of those players. This isn’t saying they are doing anything wrong in how they play, it all points back to Darling.

Playing Melo-ball never worked for the Denver Nuggets, who only saw past the first round of the playoffs once in the Carmelo Anthony era. The Lumberjack women’s basketball team at times falls into the Melo-ball isolation no pass offense. Amy Patton can score the ball like few others in the Big Sky Conference, but scoring 41 of a team total 83 points isn’t going to translate to a playoff berth. Patton cannot be asked to bear the entire offensive burden. Patton is leading the Big Sky in scoring at 25 points per game, the next closest scorer is eight points behind in average.

There is little spacing on the floor and the play of the point guards so far this season has been close to inept. Not to say they aren’t talented, but the backcourt of Paige Haynes and Jasmine Sneed haven’t created offensively like they should be expected to. Sneed plays with the most intensity of all the Jacks on defense but seems to disappear offensively. The lineups Darling puts on the floor just have not gotten it done.

Maybe it’s the absence of junior guard Amanda Frost, the team’s resident sharpshooter. Maybe not having her available has taken away a dynamic of the offense that Darling can’t seem to recapture. Or maybe, just maybe, Darling needs to open the doors she has closed to some of her role players. Sophomores Shayla Baston, Chanel Smith, Sarah Tarver and Raven Anderson are going to be the key to the Jacks success.

It is apparent that Patton and Stephens-Jenkins can score the ball at will. But to have the game slow down and become a two on five contest is exactly what continues to happen. The shot distribution for the Jacks has been Denver-esque. It’s concentrated around two players, when only eight players play solid minutes.

One thing Darling should consider is inserting Baston in a ball handling role. Her size and strength can transform the offense. Not playing her at all can do nothing but hurt the team and the chemistry that can develop. Chanel Smith brings energy and a defensive presence that isn’t present in the starting lineup. Raven Anderson is by far the best interior presence the Lumberjacks have at their disposal and Sarah Tarver, in only two games, has shown that she is willing and capable of doing the little things that make the big difference.

But maybe the whole discussion of the lack of chemistry and flow offensively can be attributed to the defensive struggles, or perhaps the absence of Amanda Frost truly is larger than anyone has realized this early on.

Darling has got to find the depth on her bench and use the other 10 players on the active roster to win ball games. If not, she may be staring down the 100 loss mark far sooner than anyone in Lumberjack nation may be hoping. The key to success is to maximize Patton and Stephens-Jenkins’ offensive skill, while building around the two but not simply relying on them to do it all. It’s not a lack of talent for the Jacks; they have far more talent than their record indicates. Darling just has to think outside the box.

Baston, Smith, Tarver and Anderson are the wild cards on the team. Until Darling puts these cards in play and allows the team to truly blend and grow as a unit, not as two versus a team, the losses will continue.

Melo-ball needs to stay far away from the Rolle Activity Center. The key to solidifying the defense is making the offense more dynamic and using the two offensive creators to open up chances for other weapons to fire.

The post Commentary: Women’s basketball game plan leading to losses appeared first on Northern Arizona News.

After a $26 million renovation, the Lumberjacks men’s basketball team is finally coming home to the Skydome.

NAU kicks off its home schedule against the Sam Houston State Bearkats (3–4) at 4:35 p.m.  After six hard-fought games on the road in which the team went 2–4, the Lumberjacks are excited to play in front of their fans.

“This is a game that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time and circling on our calendar being the home opener,” said head coach Jack Murphy.  “It feels great to be back home; we’ve gotten to bond and get together on the road.  Six games in a number of different cities has been stressful, but it’s brought us closer together, and we’ve been successful on the road. Now we’ve got to get back home and win some home games and let the home fans see how hard we’ve been working.”

Fans can expect a high-octane, fast-paced game from the Lumberjacks. Senior guard Gabe Rogers returns to lead the team, averaging 15 points per game this season. Murphy has the guys working hard in practice, emphasizing hustle at both ends of the court.

“Fast, up and down, up-tempo, the fans are probably going to need inhalers for how fast we’re gonna be going,” said senior guard Michael Dunn. “We’re looking forward to putting on a show for our home fans.”

New to the Lumberjacks this year is freshman guard DeWayne Russell from Peoria. Like Rogers, Russell has been a big scoring contributor, shooting a team-high 44.8 percent from the field and averaging 15.3 points per game.

Also returning for the Lumberjacks are sophomore Gaellan Bewernick and senior Ephraim Ekanem to anchor the backcourt.  Senior Stallon Saldivar and junior Max Jacobson are often in the mix as well.

With an 18-game home losing streak dating back to the past season still on its shoulders, NAU is ready to start fresh and establish a new reputation.

“We want to get off to a good start and let people know that it’s going to be hard to come here and beat us,” Murphy said.

Renovations to the Walkup Skydome include lower level chair back seating and a classy new basketball court.  The first 150 fans will receive an “I Back Jack” t-shirt in honor of Murphy’s debut home game, and the first 500 students will get free foam noodles to use through the season.

Also new for this year, the student section has been expanded to the areas behind both baskets for students to cheer at either end of the court.

“They give you energy, and if you perform well for them, they’ll continue to come out,” Dunn said. “That’s something that we’re looking forward to doing, putting on a show for our home fans.”

The post Home sweet Skydome appeared first on Northern Arizona News.