Saints Travel to Utah

Here is a little inside view of what some of the things the Saints go through when we travel. It is kind of hard to understand, but on the flight home, the plane couldn't land and as we were just a few feet off the ground, we had to try and land again. This meant passing the runway and flying in a circle to try "one more time" as the captain said. Luckily we all came out alive, however, some didn't enjoy it as much as others. Enjoy the video!

20 Questions with a Saint

Senior Gina Cardenas (Auburn, Washington) is in her final campaign in a Saints uniform. The elementary education major currently leads the team in saves (42), starts (10) and shutouts. Cardenas ranks seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in goals against (1.58 per game) and save percentage (.726), while also ranking fourth in saves per game with 4.09. The Saints are currently 3-9 on the season after falling 3-1 to nationally ranked Western Washington University on Thursday. SMU will take the field again Saturday at 1 pm when they face Simon Fraser University. The last time the two squads met, the Saints were able to snag a road win, defeating the Clan 2-0 in Canada.

1.      If you could change one rule in your sport, what would it be?

-          More defined and consistent reasons for why a player is being charged with a foul

2.      What is one item you always take with you on the road?

-          My headphones so I can listen to music before the game

3.      What is one song on your iPod that would surprise people?

-          I have a lot of alternative and screamo music that I listen to before the game

4.      Name one fear that people might not know about you.

-          I’m afraid of the dark. I hate not knowing what’s there

5.      Who is the biggest jokester/prankster on the team?

-          Nikki Roberts

6.      What is one thing you wish you knew how to do?

-          I wish I could sing or dance

7.      What is your most prized possession of no value?

-          I have a tape recording of my dad’s voice on a cassette that someone gave to me

8.      If you could eat at any fast food restaurant right now, where would it be?

-          Taco Bell

9.      When not at practice, where can you most likely to be found?

-          At home in bed watching Netflix

10.  What one TV show do you watch that would surprise others?

-          I love SpongeBob Squarepants

11.  What was your first job?

-          I worked at Sears in Lacey as seasonal help

12.  Would you rather explore outer space, or the depths of the ocean?

-          Outer space

13.  What is your favorite cereal to eat?

-          Cinnamon Toast Crunch

14.  Most embarrassing athletic moment.

-          This year against Central Washington University I went to go take a goal kick and slipped and fell right on my butt in front of their students

15.  What one major sporting event would you like to attend?

-          The World Cup

16.  What is one of your pregame rituals or routines?

-          Just recently a girl on my high school team passed away and I put her initials on my gloves that let me know she’s looking down on me

17.  Who is your favorite professor you have had at SMU?

-          Dr. Mark Haddock (Professor in Education)

18.  What is your favorite road trip to take?

-          Going up north on the Western Washington and Simon Fraser trip because we get to stop at the outlet stores for 15 minutes and everyone is running around trying to go to as many stores as they can.  It’s also cool to be in Canada because we get to play in another country.

19.  Is there any significance to your jersey number?

-          I chose 18 because that was Hope Solo’s number when she started playing.

20.  What is the reason you decided to come to SMU?

-          I like the size of the classes and getting to know people in my class was a better fit for me.

 

 

 

It's All About the Mindset

It happens in every sport, every season; to almost every player, and sometimes it’s inevitable. Sometimes there’s no escaping it; everything that happens seems to not be going your way. Lady Luck just isn’t calling your number. 


This is what it felt like last season for the Saint Martin’s University men’s soccer team when they went 3-15 overall and 2-12 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. “Last year our games were close, we just ended up on the wrong side of it,” senior forward Dylan Gaydosh noted. The Saints struggled to put points on the scoreboard last season, only scoring 19 goals in 18 games. This season alone the team has 11, with nine of those goals coming over the last six games. During this span, SMU is 3-2-1 with one of their losses coming to nationally ranked Simon Fraser in a 2-1 loss.

However, the Saints started out of the gates slow this season, falling in their first four games while being outscored 12-2. But something started clicking for the squad in mid-September.

“The biggest change is our mindset,” said senior midfielder CJ Chu. “We had some mental laps’ that hurt, but after we won a few games, we got the mindset we can win every game when we step on the field.”

Gaydosh added that one of the biggest differences is “Being opportunistic and taking advantage of situations we had been in before.”  

Both Gaydosh and Chu agreed on the same time frame of the team’s shift. “Our first conference win against the University of Mary in overtime was definitely our team’s turning point because it was our first win of the season and conference,” Chu said. “Being able to grind out an overtime win was huge for us,” Gaydosh added.

That match in particular was indeed a grind out match like Gaydosh stated, with both teams unable to score in the first 90 minutes. The game went into overtime with SMU down to only 10 players due to an ejection.  However, with only 2:39 on the clock, UM was issued a red card that resulted in a Saints penalty kick. On the kick, it was the senior co-captain Chu who found the back of the net to secure the victory for the Saints.

Since that game, the team has been playing its best ball of the year and riding high, “The feeling after getting that first win was so great, that we go in (to every game) with the mindset now that we can win,” Chu said.

“We’re just trying to take advantage of the situations we have had this year,” claimed the other co-captain Gaydosh.

With eight conference games remaining, the two seniors are looking to finish out their collegiate campaigns on a high note. “If we keep on playing the way we have been and keep the same mindset every time we have practice or a game, I feel like we can compete with every team in the conference and hopefully have a chance to sit at the top of the table at the end of the season,” Chu said. “We can definitely get as good as results as did we in the first half of the season,” Gaydosh added.

By looking at the recent trend of the Saints, it’s scary to think of what kind of run they could go on and how that could impact the team and the program. A couple different plays and the Saints could have upset the nation’s number one seed in Simon Fraser a few weeks ago.

Whatever happens, throughout the course of the year, both players are looking to leave the program as individuals who have had an impact and contributed to creating consistency. Either way, the program’s mindset is in a different direction that looks to be sticking around for quite a while.

Volleyball 101

Hey Saints fans, hope everyone is enjoying fall sports so far. With conference play now upon us, competition will be at an all-time high for the teams to earn a Great Northwest Athletic Conference title and make it to the post season.

As for Kyle's Korner, I decided to do something completely different for this post. Rather than writing a story or doing a 20 questions post, it was time to go digital. Yes, that's right; Kyle's Korner is now using video. This is something that I have never done, or tried before, but it was time to spice things up a bit.

This particular video segment is titled "Volleyball 101." What I plan on doing is clearing up some possible confusion, or concepts within the sport. For this video, I choose to have the volleyball team explain and demonstrate some calls that a referee can make during a match.

First of all, let me just explain to you how interesting it was to create this video with these girls. They had a million ideas and they all wanted to be involved. They were so excited to be a part of the video; which also meant they were very enthusiastic (or should I say wound up). Either way, it was a great experience and the video turned out great. Thanks for all the help girls, and look for more videos in the near future.

#halosup

20 Questions with a Saint

Today, I am going to do something a little different with the interview questions; rather than asking a current Saint Martin's University student-athlete, I chose to interview new head volleyballl coach Kara Peterson. Peterson is in her first year at the helm of the volleyball program and makes her Great Northwest Athletic Conference coaching debut this Thursday when the SMU hosts Northwest Nazarene University at 7 pm in the Pavilion. So far, the Saints have battled hard in their matches, but have had a few rallies fall short, leading to their current 2-8 record. However, with key home matches this week against NNU and 24th ranked Central Washington University (Saturday), SMU looks to regroup and earn a couple of victories.

1.      What was one thing that interested you the most when you applied for this job a little less than a year ago?

•  The ability to step up to a new level of coaching and being a part of college community close to where I've invested my family was incredibly appealing. It was also the right time and things just fell into place when the opportunity arose.

2.      What was your greatest experience as a player?

•  Winning a preseason tournament at Montana State University. Our team ended up being mentioned in the (sports section) of the USA Today and my name was in there.   

3.      Where do you see your program in 3 years?

•  We want to have the chance to be able to play for a spot in the playoffs.  

4.      What one thing about SMU has surprised you the most?

•  Nothing has really surprised me. I like how easy it is to get along with everyone here and I really like how people are proud of their school and having an affiliation with Saint Martin's.

5.      What is your favorite aspect of SMU so far?

•  The welcoming nature of the people and the pride they have for this school, along with the direction the university is going.  

6.      As a player, what was your most embarrassing athletic moment?

•  We were in Hawaii playing a series of matches when I was a freshman and I pulled a serious freshman move by forgetting my knee pads and my socks. I still played, but it was emabarrassing that I forgot them.  

7.      If you could change one rule in your sport, what would it be?

•  The back-row attack rule is ridiculous. I would change that.

8.      What is one item you always take with you on the road?

•  I always take a little, lucky pig that my daughter gave me that only has three legs.

9.  What is one song on your iPod that would surprise people?

•  I have some French Christmas songs that I got from my French foreign-exchange students.

10.  Name one fear that people might not know about you.

•  I have a fear of heights.

11.  Who is the biggest jokester/prankster on the team?

•  Probably Julia (Wabinga).

12.  What is one thing you wish you knew how to do?

•  I wish I could play the piano.

13.  What is your most prized possession of no value?

• My books; I love books.  

14.  What is the hardest class you have ever taken?

•  Economics in college, I hated it.

15.  If you could eat at any fast food restaurant right now, where would it be?

•  Taco Del Mar, I really like that place.

16.  What is one of your biggest pet peeves?

•  Rudeness for no reason.

17. What one TV show do you watch that would surprise others?

•  I love Top Chef.

18. What was your first car?

•  A 1972 silver Toyota Celica.

19. What was your first job?

•  I worked at Arby's when I was 16 and I had to wear the ugliest brown uniform.

20. Would you rather explore outer space, or the depths of the ocean?

•  Probably space becasue I have a fear of drowning.
   

 

Welcome back Saint Martin's!

It's that time of year again Saints fans! With classes now in session as of Monday and fall practices that began last week, we are now in full swing here on campus. Men's and women's soccer has had a couple scrimmages so far this fall and volleyball opens up competition tonight with a scrimmage at Pacific Lutheran University. Cross country has been working hard as well around campus.

One thing to look forward to this fall sports season is the addition to two of the new head coaches within the athletic department. Recently hired cross country head coach Jason McConnell will lead both the men's and women's teams and Kara Peterson will take over the helm of the volleyball squad.

For those of you who are new to my blog, my name is Kyle Karnofski and I am a senior English major at SMU. I am working this school year as an intern in the athletics office and I will be covering the student-athlete side that is rare for some outsiders to see. Along with working to complete my degree, I am also a member of the SMU men's basketball team and an avid Saints sports fan. So if anyone has a good idea for a story or know of something interesting worthy of a blog post, don't hesitate to send me an email or stop me and share the idea.

Good luck to all the Saints this year, both academically and athletically and look for more insights surrounding Saints athletics in the posts to follow.

Follow me on twitter for more Saints updates at @fonski15

#Saintsalive

Winning Ways

Let me pose a couple questions to you. What makes a last place team in a conference into a contender for a conference title? The simple answer is to earn wins; the more wins a team has, the higher in the standings they will be. Next question then. How does a team take one successful season and begin to start building a tradition? Again, the answer to this question is simple as well, you continue to win; which is exactly what the 2013 Saints softball team has continued to do.

After posting the best season in school history by a landslide, the team did what any perennial winning program does; they win more. Going into this weekend’s final two double-headers in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference against Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington, the Saints sit one win below their total of 33 from last season. However, the teams winning percentage has raised once again, going from .644 last season to an astounding .711 so far this year. To put this into perspective, the Major League Baseball World Series champion hasn’t had a winner with this high of a winning percentage in the last 10 season. Take a moment to think about that one.

But there is one significant difference from those 10 World Series Champions to this year’s softball team. They all won a championship. 

“We want to win this conference title,” senior starting pitcher Taylor Bakos said. “We also want to qualify for regionals,” added senior catcher Aubree Pocklington.

However a humble senior Madi Davis noted that “Unless we as a team make it happen, none of that will happen.”

And she is definitely right. The Saints are without a doubt different than any other team. For instance, take the game at defending conference champion Montana State Billings a couple weeks ago. The Saints jumped out to a huge lead early before the weather and some timely Yellowjacket hitting completely changed the game. Before you know it, MSUB is right back in the game down 10-9. After earning two more runs in the top half of the next inning, the Yellowjackets rallied to take the lead. But these Saints aren’t the type players to give up.

“The best way to describe our team is that we have perseverance,” Pocklington said. “We feed off of each other; and that’s very contagious,” stated Bakos.

By creating this atmosphere within the team, the Saints have collected a number of come from behind wins this season, including the 18-15 thriller they pulled out at MSUB.

“We really don’t get nervous if we’re down runs,” senior Joslyn Eugenio said. “We just keep playing.”

Having this mindset of just playing the game is something these four seniors want to leave here for this program. “This program has come to the point where each year we are building something and trying to push it to new levels. Although we might not view it like that because we are just out here playing,” stated Davis who will graduate this spring with a degree in psychology.

This type of building that Davis referred to might have actually started a few years ago. In 2010 the Saints won 20 games. As Eugenio put it, “some players were just here to be here and have a softball team. Comparing that team to this year’s team it seems like this is more of a family.”

The following year, Pocklington and Davis arrived on campus as transfers. In that season the Saints dropped to only nine total wins. Much like the year prior, Pocklington added that some people on the team were here for different reasons. “This year’s team has a common goal as far as what we want to accomplish,” Davis noted.

As far as what have been the biggest changes from last year to this year, Bakos said the team has been focusing a lot on the small things. “It’s the little things that count. The little things are what help to build a team and a program.” 

One of the best parts about these girls is how humble and positive they are as a group. They could walk around campus like the “big dogs” if they wanted since they are the first team to be ranked at SMU since the 2008-09 men’s basketball team. They’ll also be the program with the best win percentage in school history most likely as well. But the reality is, these girls are more content with just having fun and being good people. All four of these girls will graduate this spring with degrees and move on to new parts of their lives.

For now, they are just living in the moment. “We just come out and we just play. It’s truly just a good atmosphere to be around,” Davis said. With this mindset, the team goes into undoubtedly the biggest four game series in program history. With four games remaining, the team currently sits atop in the conference. If things go as planned, the team could earn its first ever conference title, and second overall in school history.

How do these girls plan to stay on top and finish out this magical ride? It’s simple really. Just show up and do what they do best; play. Although it’s so basic, it’s just that style that has taken this program from the bottom, straight to the 5^th ranked team in the West Region.

“It’s one of those things where you just show up and do your job,” said Eugenio.

In all honesty, there’s really no other way to look at it, especially for these girls.

“We just have to take it one game at a time,” remarked Davis with a smile.

    

Teammates for Life

Most coaches consider it a luxury to have brothers on the same team for a year, but being able to have them for multiple years is the type of thing most coaches dream about. For the second year in a row, the Saint Martin’s University men’s golf team has had that bonus because of two individuals on their roster; the Whealdon brothers. Jack and Patrick Whealdon hail from a small fishing community on the coast of Washington from a town called Ilwaco. Although this isn’t the ideal hot spot for golf fans with its normally cold, rainy weather; it is however the home to one of the most successful boy’s golf traditions in the state.



 

Ilwaco High School is known for its golf team because of the time and dedication these two individuals have put into the program. Between the two of them, their teams at state combined to finish 1st four times, 2nd twice, and 4th twice. Individually at state, Jack placed 15^th as a freshman and second three straight years as a sophomore, junior, and senior. Patrick finished his career with a fifth, a fourth, and a 10^th place finish respectfully. Both Whealdon brothers also competed within the Washington State Juniors Golfing Association, which both Jack and Patrick noted was “better competition, which prepared them to play in college.”


After completing two years of college golf, Jack talked Patrick into continuing their golf careers together at SMU. Even with other offers from different universities on the table, Patrick decided that SMU was the best fit for him.

“I was definitely excited to team up with Jack again because there is a level of comfort knowing that your older brother is here,” Patrick said.

Jack agreed, “I was pretty happy that Patrick chose to come to Saint Martin’s.”

But this journey has been anything but a walk in the park for these two; I mean walk down the course. The brothers have some of the most competitive attitudes and mentalities around.

“In high school, we were pretty competitive. We went at each other pretty hard for that number one spot,” noted Patrick.

Although older Brother Jack jokingly added “Let’s make one thing clear, I was number one a majority of the time in high school.”

Even when the brothers were younger than high school they claimed to have some pretty intense drive-way basketball games with some friends. On one occasion, it even resulted in a broken toe for Jack (which Patrick chuckled about). One of the games they played was what they called “tackle basketball.” When Jack brought this up, you could tell that they had enjoyed some fun times together by the look they gave one another. 

When asked how much they root for one another to succeed, Jack said that he loves seeing Patrick do well. “I just wish we would do well more often than we already are.”

Golf for the most part is an individual sport; however, the two still would root for one another to do well.  A golfer’s main strategy on the course is to stay focused and do the best they can, while beating everyone else out there.

“You’re out there as an individual, but if the team does well, that’s even better too,” the eldest Whealdon went on to say. “If one of those guys on the team is your younger brother, well then that’s just a bonus.”

“Even though we are competing for the same spots, I don’t get upset if he gets it over me,” Patrick added

The clock is ticking however for the two teammates in Saint’s polo’s going into this week’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Idaho, as Jack will be graduating in May with a degree in business. Who knows, a couple good rounds between the two could ultimately result in them qualifying for the West/Central Regional Championships two weeks later.

Regardless of if the two don’t qualify for either of these two tournaments, it won’t be the end of their golfing journey together.

“Even if we don’t make it, I know we will get the opportunity to play together a bunch more times in tournaments down the road,” Jack said. “But just knowing that no matter happens this won’t be the last one we’re together is reassuring.”

Whatever the outcome is within these last few rounds together, the two will still have plenty of opportunities to compete against and with one another on the links. I guess you could say they will be teammates for life.  

Offseason for Athletes

            It’s one of the biggest misconceptions in all of sports and it happens to every athlete, every year.  When the season ends, it’s always good to take some time off and let your body rest after the strenuous grind of the deadly combination of travel, practices, homework, games, and workouts. But, that only lasts for a short while, especially in the college ranks. One of the biggest clichés in sports is the phrase “hang ‘em up til next year!” This saying is the farthest thing from the truth if you ask any athlete.

            On most occasions, it is the athlete who returns to the game to compete before the coach requires the players to comeback to start their off-season workouts. The reason for this is the players drive from within that ultimately brings them back to compete. Inside every athlete there is always a will to strive and improve, and what better time than in the offseason. Like the old saying goes, “great player are made in the offseason.” And just like any other school in the nation, teams at Saint Martin’s are beginning some of their offseason workouts in preparation for the upcoming season. 

            Most notably might be the fall sports, which include men’s and women’s soccer, along with volleyball. These three squads will be reporting to campus almost a month prior to the start of school to prepare for their 2013 season.

            “Right now we are doing 6am conditioning three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which consists of lifting for half of the time and cardio for the other half,” said Saints sophomore midfielder Sasha Dini.

            But the soccer teams aren’t done for the day after they complete their morning workouts, because later in the afternoon, they head out to the field to get some skill work in.

            “The same days that we have we do morning workouts, we have a regular team practice from 3:30 to 5:30. So it’s basically two-a-days,” noted Saints junior midfielder CJ Chu.

            To an onlooker, this may seem like a lot of work already with morning workouts and practices in the afternoon. But, that also doesn’t include the class load, or outside work that student-athletes are doing as well. What most people don’t realize is that in the offseason, student-athletes tend to take more credits because they aren’t travelling or playing games. But what some might not recognize is that even without those two factors, it doesn’t make going through the rigors of the offseason any easier.

            For example, Chu, who is majoring in criminal justice and taking 15 credits currently, also has a work study job with his coach twice a week for two hours as an office assistant. Add this to his already strenuous workouts and practice and that can make for a really long day.

            But Chu isn’t the only soccer player with an outside job. Dini, who is majoring in biology and taking 17 credits, also works as a coach for Black Hills Soccer Club in Olympia, along with her work-study job on campus in the Office of Institutional Advancement.     

             “I don’t get a lot of time to study, but I keep my grades up, even though it’s  tough,” as Dini put it.

            Along with both soccer teams working hard this offseason on the field and in the classroom, so is the volleyball program which is under the new leadership of recently hired head coach Kara Peterson. The Saints volleyball team is going through their first offseason together with Coach Peterson at the helm.

            “We are currently practicing five days a week, along with weights and intervals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, as well as an agility program that we do on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” said Saints sophomore defensive specialist Halee Hernandez. 

            Hernandez is a math major working towards her degree in education as well, is required to do 50 hours of practicum observation for one of her classes. Along with the 18 credits she is taking, Hernandez has mysteriously found time to work as a head coach for the Puget Sound Volleyball Academy who practices two times a week and plays in tournaments nearly every weekend.

            But she isn’t the only Saint on the roster who is coaching either. Freshman Shea-Linn White and sophomore Kristyn Ross do as well. White is the head coach of another squad in the youth program, while Ross works as an assistant with Hernandez.

            With the addition of the new coach, Hernandez calls this offseason the toughest. “This spring is definitely taking some getting used to since we didn’t do this much work in the past to prepare for the fall.”

            For the freshmen who are going through their first offseason at the collegiate level, they have been surprised to see how much work goes into getting ready for the upcoming season.

            Freshman Kirby Neale, who is currently injured with a stress fracture in her foot, was amazed at the amount of “time spent coming into a new season.”

            However, the fall sports aren’t the only teams preparing for next year. Men’s and women’s basketball are off and running as well.  Women’s basketball is currently having open gym three days a week for an hour and following that up with either lifting or cardio.

            “We are also doing individual workouts. Depending on what position you play, you and the other girls in your position will have a practice together,” stated Saints freshman guard Brooke Rickard. Rickard, who is in her first offseason training in college, said that “It is a little more challenging than I thought it would be.” As well as being a full time student-athlete, who is taking 17 credits, Rickard is very involved in the Hawaiian Club and intramurals.

            On the men’s side, things are currently a little different because the team is in the process of hiring a new coach.

            “Currently we are having open gym three times a week, but since we don’t have a coach, we are on our own for lifting. Most of us are working out as a small group or with partners,” noted Saints freshman post Lucas Shannon who is taking 16 credits. 

            As the offseason grind continues through April, so does the rest of the requirements that we as student-athletes continue to go through. Once finals week rolls around in early May, teams are required by NCAA rules to scale back the amount of time doing athletics. But once the school year is over and summer comes, athletes still continue with their workout plans in preparation for their preseason workouts. Once the team’s seasons are in full swing, the student-athletes will be thankful for the amount of hard work and dedication they put in during the so called “offseason.”  

#Saintsalive

20 Questions with a Saint’s Athlete: Sam Hull

 (Photo courtesy of eddybreezy photography)

The senior from Belfair, Washington is set to graduate this spring with a degree in biology. In 2011, she competed in the National Outdoor Championships and placed 15^th in the javelin. This season, her top mark in the javelin is 37.38 meters and in the pole vault it is 3.03 meters. This weekend, the Saints track and field team will compete at the Lewis and Clark Invite in Portland.

Most embarrassing athletic moment?
One time I grabbed and used the wrong pole vault pole that was way too big for me at practice.

If you could compete in another sport, what would it be? 
Gymnastics because I like to tumble.

If you could change one rule in your sport what would it be?
I wish that there were weight classes for track.

What is the one item you always take with you on the road?
Knitting supplies

What is your first memory you have playing your sport?
Being the only pole vault athlete at a big track meet from my high school. 

What one major sporting event would you like to attend?
The Olympics

What is one of your pregame rituals or routines?
I listen to a certain playlist before I throw the javelin and I always do hand stands before I pole vault.

What one word best describes you in your opinion?
Ambitious 

Who is your favorite professor you have had at SMU?
Dr. Parker, physics professor 

What is one fear you have that people might not know about you?
I don’t like caterpillars.  

What is your favorite road trip to take?
Western Oregon because the weather is always nice.

Who is the best prankster on the team?
Joey Keeton

What is the reason you decided to come to SMU?
The school is close to home.

What is your most prized possession with no value?
My track bib from nationals. 

What is your best non-athletic talent?
Knitting 

What is one thing you wish you knew how to do?
Play the guitar 

How do you want people at SMU to remember you?
A spontaneous and hardworking student.

Other than your own, what is your favorite Saints team to watch play?
Both men’s and women’s soccer.

What is the hardest class you have taken at SMU
Organic Chemistry II 

What is your nickname?
Sam Bam
Fans if you have ideas for Kyle's blog let us know. Post your comments here or email, tweet or Facebook!