Men’s golf

Akron’s top golfer has transferred to Ohio State, according to Amanda Aller, UA’s sports information director for men’s golf.

Vaughn Snyder has been central to the Zips’ rise in the MAC. He will now play at the same school as Jack Nicklaus.

Miscellaneous

It’s hard to characterize 2007.

Looking back on the year, you might call it an utter disappointment. The basketball team failed to reach the postseason. The football team won four games. The soccer team got upset in the first round.

On the other hand, you could call it a success with Keith Dambrot winning 26 games and having the best men’s basketball team ever to play at Akron. The athletic department revealed its gem of a stadium. The soccer team returned to national rankings and got great play from two freshmen.

Here is the list of most notable moments from the year. Please add your memories for each one.

1) Penno’s Prayer — You won’t see many heartbreaks like this in sports. Cedrick Middleton’s free throw went off the front rim. Then 6.6 seconds seemed like an eternity as the ball found Doug Penno, who found backboard and twine. If you want to torture yourself, watch the Youtube video. I don’t think I have ever written with such anger.
What I wrote

2) Miracle at Kalamazoo — You won’t see many finishes like this game, either. Andre Jones took a pitch and cut out Western Michigan’s heart. “Everything but a band on the field,” ESPN’s commentator said about its top play of the week. If you want a reason to drop the noose from Penno’s Prayer, watch this video. Unfortunately, the rest of the season was a huge downer. In the MAC, however, you never can say next season won’t be better.
What I wrote

3) Zips flush Flashes four times — Is there anything sweeter than beating the Golden Flashes THREE times in one basketball season, including eliminating them in the MAC Tournament? Naa. Top it off with a victory in the teams’ final meeting in the Rubber Bowl. That should silence the Kent State fans for at least 12 months. Winning at the MAC Center will prove to be essential to the team’s confidence during this conference season. Here’s a video of the KSU band solemnly playing at The Q. I assume it was after the fate of its team was known.
What I wrote

4) Stadium revealed — Since 2004, we have heard promises of a new stadium. A concrete announcement came in July. It seemed like a great day for everyone involved. Well, except for the property owners who are losing their homes and businesses. This stadium will be the MAC’s finest. If it does open in 2009, the Zips will have no excuse for not competing at the highest level of any mid-major team. I had to threaten legal action in order to receive the rendering before the announcement, and that was fun.
What I wrote

5) Soccer success — The Zips returned to the level of success under Ken Lolla. Akron should sustain it too, because two of the key players Anthony Ampaipitakwong and Steve Zakuani were freshmen. The team lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but Caleb Porter will have the Zips contending for the foreseeable future.

Honorable mentions

Zippy made an improbable run for the Capital One Mascot Challenge championship. We will learn tomorrow if the marsupial beat Goldy Gopher. I say “improbable” because I assumed Akron would have no chance to beat several BCS schools in a fan voting contest. I know for a fact a handful of dedicated Zips fans were carrying the load.

The women’s track team won another MAC Championship. The men finished second, which is their highest place ever.

Golf coach Tom Porten smacked his tee-ball out of bounds by bolting to Kent State to be an assistant.

Akron suffered through severe incompetance at quarterback. Chris Jacquemain turned into Rex Grossman after the first quarter of most games. Carlton Jackson ran well, but was a turnover machine. Both guys were suspended.

The university did not renew volleyball coach Mike Sweitzer’s contract. He had held the job for 17 seasons.

The university added women’s golf. Jenny King comes from Kentucky to lead the Zips, who will begin play in 2008-09.

Men’s golf

Akron hired a new golf coach today with an impressive resume.

Nick Goetze comes to the Zips by way of Mississippi State, where he led the Bulldogs to new heights. He also coached at UTEP, which also is the former institution of Mack Rhoades.

Earlier this summer, Rhoades lost a coach in Tom Porten who nearly led the team to the MAC Championship. Porten went to Kent State to be an assistant coach.

My only criticism of Goetze is his 254.8 driving distance while on the PGA Tour. Come on, man. That’s a 5-wood for anyone else.

Women’s golf

As if that wasn’t enough golf news today, Rhoades announced the university’s first-ever women’s golf coach.

Jenny King comes from Kentucky, where she was an assistant. Before that, she led the Vampires of Translyvania University. (The school’s mascot is just a guess.)

I give Rhoades an “A” grade on both hires. Both seem like good teachers with solid track records.

Baseball

The university announced plans to re-grade the infield and install a new irrigation system on Lee Jackson Field — the baseball one.

Men’s golf

The departure of coach Tom Porten to Kent State is still a mystery, even to some of his closest friends.

I spoke with a few people in the know, and nobody knows anything. They could only speculate why the man who turned around Akron’s program would bolt to be the assistant of a cross-town rival.

A similar thing happened last season when Donnie Darr went to be an assistant at Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys are a national powerhouse. Akron actually finished higher than the Golden Flashes in the MAC Tournament.

Porten, from what I hear, is an introvert. He enjoys teaching the game, but some of the tasks that go along with being a head coach are cumbersome. But that wouldn’t make sense as being the reason, considering he led Cleveland State’s program for 14 years and even successfully lobbied for the Vikings’ home course to host an NCAA Regional tournament.

Another line of thought is that Porten really wanted to work with Kent State’s coach Herb Page, and perhaps he even has inside information Page is nearing retirement. From what I hear, the retirement talk also is false. And if it were true, current KSU women’s coach Mike Morrow probably has the leg-up on Porten.

Now that the mystery is swirling in golf circles, rumors are popping up that possibly Akron is not adequately funding its golf team. Take one look at the golf facilities (including the Stile Field House and Firestone Country Club) and tell me that isn’t adequate.

The guessing will end on Monday when Porten addresses his players and future recruits. From what I understand, the recruits are all staying but not very pleased. The players have to feel betrayed.

Knowing Mack Rhoades, I’m sure he’s diligently finding a replacement. From what I hear, Rhoades is just as perplexed as you and me. One name that has surfaced is Darr, who might be coaxed to return.

It’s a real shame the program will take a step back after progressing in one season under Porten. If they can bring back Darr, however, it could be a good thing. I hope to have more about this in the coming week.

Men’s golf

Zips golfers must feel betrayed.

Their coach, who spoke of turning around the program and actually appeared to be doing so, took an associate coaching job at rival Kent State.

Tom Porten understandably has great respect for KSU’s Herb Page, but enough to make a downward career move? That’s bizarre.

Some positive golf news: UA recruit Drew Davidson from Central Catholic won the Ohio Junior Golf Championship this week.

Football

There must be a funny Dick Cheney joke somewhere.

Paul Simkovich, a top Zips recruit from Pennsylvania, had to get stitches in his shoulder after his friend accidentally tripped and yanked the trigger while hunting. He is fine.

Men’s golf

As the Zips cruised through the most successful season in the program’s history, one name was absent: Vaughn Snyder.

And he was initially the reason for hope.

Snyder’s inconsistent play knocked him out of coach Tom Porten’s rotation. The ABJ’s Tom Gaffney writes, however, that the sophomore has changed his approach and found success.

Football

I can’t remember the last time Akron went after a player in Michigan.

First, the talent isn’t all that great up there, compared to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. Second, there’s about a bajillion colleges that will fight the Zips on each one.

Anyhow, here are three new scholarship offers, including one from Michigan.

Caulton Ray, running back, Birmingham, Mich.
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 195
Speed: 4.49
Offers: Akron, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan
Notes: Ray tested very well at a combine in Columbus. There are several decent running backs in Michigan this year, so he’s not getting a ton of attention. Ray has designs on playing under the spotlight as a Miami Hurricane. The ‘Canes are talking to him, but it will take a few rejections from better running backs for Miami to have a scholarship open up. He also likes Michigan State and Nebraska.
Likelihood: Of course, Ray has offers from none of these schools. It may come down to a battle of the mid-majors.

Dalonte Wallace, defensive end, Greenbelt, Md.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 206
Speed: 4.8
Offers: Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and James Madison
Notes: Wallace is looking for a school that has a good academic support system, a decent business school and outstanding football facilities. Sounds like Akron to me.
Likelihood: Despite that, Wallace did not mention Akron when Rivals.com interviewed him, except saying the Zips offered a scholie. It’s possible Akron’s coaching staff is arriving late in Wallace’s recruitment, so that could improve. Wallace said he thinks Syracuse and N.C. State could offer soon.

Ausar Walcott, safety, Hackensack, N.J.
Height: 6-5
Weight: 200
Speed: 4.5
Offers: Akron, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Notes: A 6-5, 200-pound safety who runs a 4.5??? Yeah. Pretty bizarre. Scout.com gives conflicting stats (6-1, 175), but Rivals.com is a much better and more complete information source, so I’m not sure what’s right.
Likelihood: Walcott grew up watching Rutgers and Maryland, so those schools have an advantage. Virginia is his leader, however. That puts Akron way down on the list. (No matter where Walcott winds up, I’d love to watch him play. A safety who is that tall and skinny is the equivalent to me of having a 7-foot point guard.)

Golf

It looks like Tom Porten reeled in a superb recruiting class this year.

That class includes Doug Underwood, who took Stow golf by storm the year after I graduated from the team. The Bulldogs reached the state tournament last fall.

I really don’t think the Zips’ success this year will be an anomaly. Akron’s roster is deeply stacked with talent and a competitve rivalry with Kent State has formed.

Track

In a regional meet that saw near misses, weird rulings and injuries, one bright point is that high jumper Natalie Sako earned an at-large invitation to nationals.

With Stevi Large (hammer throw) and Auston Papay (shot put and discus), that makes three athletes representing Akron in four events in the NCAA Championships — the team’s smallest group of national qualifiers since 2002.

“Even though we had our largest contingency ever and one of the larger groups in the region, unfortunately we came away with our worse showings ever at this meet,” head coach Dennis Mitchell said.

There were some odd happenings that prevented Akron from having more national qualifiers. Crystal Goldsmith, for example, sat in a three-way tie for fourth after the pole vault finals. She injured herself, however, and the Zips coaches tried to stall a little to let her recouperate. No one complained — not the official or the other coaches. A meet referee, however, stepped in an disqualified Goldsmith.

“That event was crazy,” said Mitchell, who protested the call and tried to have it overturned.

The Zips performed well in the 4×400 relay, but were disqualified for a lane violation. It was a violation that officials announced along with the event’s results, so the coaching staff had no chance to protest.

Further, Cadeau Kelley had a great leap in the long jump, but it was called a fault, despite video evidence to the contrary.

“That was a tough one to swallow,” Mitchell said. “It was one of those types of meets.”

Mitchell said he still is confident Akron will have a strong performance at nationals, despite the smaller contingency.

“The three we have going to nationals should do a great job,” he said. “They are all veterans of the meet.”

Golf

Tom Gaffney wrote a season synopsis of the Zips’ rise to prominence.

If you haven’t kept up on the team, you should read it.

Golf

Akron is suffering from a late-tournament collapse.

The Zips are now two strokes behind Eastern Michigan. Kent State might even catch up. The Flashes are two behind Akron.

Golf

The Zips are only ahead one stroke heading into the final holes at the MAC Tournament.

You can follow it live at Golfstat.com.