Emory Tennis Players Win NCAA Championships

Emory University senior Michael Goodwin and sophomore Lorne McManigle captured the men's and women's singles crowns at their respective NCAA Division III Championships over the weekend.

Goodwin defeated Ben Stein of Bates College, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to win the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Singles Championship on Sunday in Claremont, Calif. Goodwin, who was seeded fifth in the 32-player field bracket, became the first player in the history of the Emory men’s tennis program to win an individual national championship. Goodwin rattled off five victories en route to the crown including three three-set matches in his final three outings. His efforts closed out an outstanding four-year with Eagles that saw him earn All-America honors on nine occasions while ranking among the school's all-time top 10 performers with 75 singles victories.

McManigle became the second individual champion in the history of the Emory University women’s tennis program, as she defeated Ploy Suthijindawong of Saint Scholastica, 6-2, 6-1 at the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships.

McManigle, who entered the tournament as the fifth seed, was pitted against the unseeded Suthhijindawong of the College of St. Scholastica.

McManigle becomes the second individual in Emory history to win the NCAA Division III Women’s Championship, joining former Eagle Mary Ellen Gordon, who won the singles championship in both 2003 and 2004. McManigle had the opportunity to earn the championship in front of a large number of Emory supporters, who made the trip up I-85 to Lawrenceville, Georgia, to see the title match.

Goodwin's and McManigle's championships mark the third time in NCAA Division III history that the men’s and women’s individual champion has come from the same school. Principia’s Toby Clark and Courtney Allen accomplished the feat in both 1985 and 1987.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Isakson, Chambliss Praise Passage of Resolution Honoring UGA’s Gym Dogs

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today praised the Senate’s passage of a resolution they introduced commending the University of Georgia’s gymnastics team for winning the 2009 NCAA national championship.

“These talented and determined women have accomplished a remarkable feat. Their achievements, not only in women’s gymnastics but in all of college athletics, are extraordinary and should be commended,” Isakson said. “It’s also a privilege to recognize the accomplishments of Suzanne Yoculan, who will retire as the most successful collegiate gymnastics coach in NCAA history.”

“It takes a great deal of dedication and sportsmanship to become a powerhouse, especially in college sports,” said Chambliss. “I’m proud of all the Gym Dogs, Suzanne Yoculan and the entire coaching staff, who have played an integral role in the journey to the national championships. I know all Georgians join me in congratulating the team on this tremendous accomplishment.” On April 17, 2009, the University of Georgia gymnastics team, also known as the Gym Dogs, won the program's 10th national title overall and fifth consecutive national championship.

The Senate resolution recognizes the Gym Dogs as the most successful gymnastics program in the nation and congratulates Suzanne Yoculan for her spectacular career as the University of Georgia’s gymnastics coach.

Coke Zero Gives NCAA(R) Basketball Fans the Chance to 'Taste' Thirty Seconds of Fame During National Championship Broadcast

/PRNewswire/ -- Are you as mad as a drink with Real Coke Taste and Zero Calories? Think you can bounce up and down faster than Duke University's Cameron Crazies? Convinced you can recite your school's fight song more passionately and intensely than thousands of University of Kansas fans chanting "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk?" If so, now's the time to prove it by putting your school passion on display for the entire NCAA basketball world to see.

Coke Zero, the Official Fan Refreshment of the NCAA, is celebrating NCAA March Madness(R) by calling on college basketball fans to demonstrate their passion for their favorite team for a chance to be featured in a Coke Zero "Taste the Madness" television vignette. A special vignette featuring the best fan entries will air nationally during the CBS broadcast of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship immediately prior to tipoff. Between now and the NCAA Men's Final Four(R), fans can log onto the Coke Zero "March Madabase" -- a database of NCAA basketball fan rituals -- at www.tastethemadness.com to upload their most animated and fanatical videos and photos supporting their favorite NCAA college basketball team.

As determined by a Coke Zero panel of judges, the best entries submitted to the Coke Zero March Madabase, which will be hosted on ncaa.com, will be incorporated into the 30-second vignette that debuts on April 6. Judges will be looking for creativity, intensity, unpredictability, passion and authenticity, and those that rewrite the rulebook, just like Coke Zero did with its Real Coke Taste and Zero Calories.

The new Coke Zero vignette will be the third in a series that has featured Duke's Cameron Crazies and Kansas' "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk."

"NCAA basketball fans have loyalty and enthusiasm for their favorite teams that's unmatched in any other sport," said Bill Kelly, senior vice president, Coca-Cola Trademark Brands, Coca-Cola North America. "Just like Coke Zero set itself apart from other beverages with its combination of Real Coke Taste and Zero calories, the NCAA basketball fanatics we select for the 'Taste the Madness' vignette will stand out through their distinct displays of school spirit and unparalleled fan madness."

To launch Taste the Madness, Coke Zero has assembled a venerable group of NCAA basketball fans who will be featured prominently on the website. From Arkansas to North Carolina to UCLA, these students represent some of the top NCAA basketball programs and traditions in the country and are widely known on their campuses as leaders when it comes to demonstrating school spirit. These "Mad Majors" will submit their own videos and photos at www.tastethemadness.com and inspire other fans on their campuses and across the country to do the same for the chance to be featured in the Coke Zero vignette. In March, Coke Zero will select four of the Mad Majors to represent the brand at the 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four in Detroit and task them with documenting fan activities and uploading content to the March Madabase.

Coke Zero has also partnered with CBS college basketball studio analyst Seth Davis to help promote the Taste the Madness program. Davis is no stranger to the great lengths that fans will go to in order to support their favorite teams, as he was a distinguished member of the Cameron Crazies while a student at Duke University. Additionally, former University of Notre Dame player Bill Laimbeer, who led the school to its only NCAA Men's Final Four trip in 1979, will represent the program in Detroit during this year's national semifinals and championship game.

Coca-Cola is an Official NCAA Corporate Champion, the Official Fan Refreshment of the NCAA and a partner with the NCAA in a 12-year association which includes beverage marketing and media rights to 88 NCAA championships.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Watch Top NCAA Head Coaches and Celebrities Meet Their Rivals on the Links

/PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen top NCAA head coaches including Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Frank Beamer and Rick Neuheisel will team up with celebrity alumni and hit the links to battle for $350,000 in scholarship money in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater at Reynolds Plantation Christmas Day. Fans across the country can tune in to see how their favorite university team fares in the tournament Dec. 25 at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on CBS.

Top CBS Sports personalities Bill Macatee and Bill Raftery make up the broadcast team that will call the action.

"This is one of those unique and wonderful events where the personalities of the coaches and celebrities really come out," said Bill Macatee of CBS Sports. "It's so rare to be able to see a new side of them. You can tell they're having fun out there and it's fun for us to be a part of it."

The Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater at Reynolds Plantation is the premier head coach-celebrity golf event in the nation pitting rivals against each other in a spirited, but light-hearted competition. The event features pairings that include a university head coach and a celebrity alumnus from the same school competing in a scramble format against other university teams from around the country. The event will award $350,000 in scholarship winnings among the 13 university teams and will donate another $115,000 to charity.

"The Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater is a fantastic event," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban. "They did an outstanding job of making it a first-class event and we really enjoyed being a part of the tournament."

Players and teams for the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater include:

Team Alabama
Coach: Nick Saban
Celebrity: Ken Stabler

Team Arizona State
Coach: Frank Kush
Celebrity: Michael Haynes

Team Auburn
Coach: Tommy Tuberville
Celebrity: Pat Sullivan

Team Boston College
Coach: Jeff Jagodzinski
Celebrity: Chris O'Donnell

Team Colorado
Coach: Bill McCartney
Celebrity: Kordell Stewart

Team Georgia Tech
Coach: Paul Johnson
Celebrity: Jon Barry

Team Maryland
Coach: Ralph Friedgen
Celebrity: Neil O'Donnell

Team Michigan
Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Celebrity: Brian Griese

Team Minnesota
Coach: Tubby Smith
Celebrity: Jim Petersen

Team South Carolina
Coach: Steve Spurrier
Celebrity: Sterling Sharpe

Team UCLA
Coach: Rick Neuheisel
Celebrity: Sinjin Smith

Team Virginia Tech (defending champions)
Coach: Frank Beamer
Celebrity: Dell Curry

Team Wake Forest
Coach: Jim Grobe
Celebrity: Billy Packer



"This field of coaches and celebrities is simply awesome," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. "One thing is for sure, this year's match will be even more toughly contested than last year's. These guys are here to win."

In addition to seeing competitive golf on a championship-caliber golf course in a beautiful, lakeside setting, viewers will be treated to personal interviews with all the participating coaches that give viewers an inside look at the personalities that drive the men that roam the sidelines of these top national programs.

"The Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater was a first-class, well-organized event played on an outstanding golf course," Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez said. "Brian Griese and I really enjoyed the competition against coaches and distinguished alumni from other institutions."

"We are thrilled to, once again, host the Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater," said Mercer Reynolds, chairman/CEO of Linger Longer Companies. "The coaches and celebrities always make this a fun event and this year, we had a hard- fought competition on our Oconee Course. We are excited to share the beauty of Reynolds Plantation with the nation on Christmas Day."

The Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater at Reynolds Plantation is produced by veteran golf producer Jim Walton Jr. in conjunction with Pithey Communications for CBS Sports. Walton has also produced other golf specials including the ADT Cliffs Challenge, the Palmer Cup, The Pressure Challenge, the Doyle Brunson & Dewey Tomko Invitational and the Kiwi Challenge. The event's executive producer is Scott Savlov of Savlov Consulting, Inc. who also executive produced such events as The Par 3 Challenge on Fox, the Under Pressure Challenge on CBS and Rock the Rock from Alcatraz on VH1.

The tournament was played April 29 at the beautiful Oconee Course at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia and was taped for the national broadcast by CBS from 2:30 - 4 p.m. (ET) on Christmas Day.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page