Off and Running: Registration Under Way for 2010 Berry Half-Marathon

The calendar may say October, but Dr. John Azar-Dickens and other runners and walkers in the area are already looking ahead to third edition of the Berry Half-Marathon, scheduled for March 6, 2010.

“In any endurance event such as a half-marathon or marathon, it is important to begin preparing early,” said Dr. Azar-Dickens, a Berry College faculty member and avid runner who recently completed his first Ironman Triathlon. “Proper training allows for a slow progression in mileage each week, prepares the body efficiently for the exertion level and reduces the risk of injury.”

For the second consecutive year, Dr. Azar-Dickens is overseeing the training regime for Team Berry, a support group for Berry students, faculty and staff members who are planning to compete in third-annual event.

“Team Berry begins training in mid October and continues weekly until the race in March,” Dr. Azar-Dickens explained. “Last year, there were roughly 40 people who trained together and finished the race successfully.

“We focus on gently increasing our mileage each week as we approach the 13-mile goal,” he continued. “This helps ensure that participants are well prepared and less vulnerable to injuries. Careful and well planned preparation/training also increases the chances of a more enjoyable race, not just physically but psychologically as well.”

Registration for the half-marathon is under way and will continue through the winter months. More than 1,500 competitors flocked to the world’s largest college campus for the 2009 event, and organizers expect an even greater turnout in 2010. Once again, participants will have their choice of three different races: the signature half-marathon, the Viking Classic 10K and a 5K. There is also a one-mile fun run for children.

All three races feature electronic timing on courses that are certified by USA Track & Field. Both the half-marathon and the 10K are official qualifiers for Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race. Walkers are welcome in all races.

Registration for the half-marathon is $55 through Dec. 1, $65 from Dec. 2 to Feb. 15, and $75 through March 4 (no race-day registration available). Registration for the 10K and 5K is $20 through Feb. 1, $25 from Feb. 2 to March 4, $35 at the pre-race pasta dinner on March 5, and $40 on race day. Registration for the one-mile fun run is $5 (either mail-in or on race day).

Half-marathon finishers will receive technical shirts and finishing medals. Participants in the other races will receive t-shirts. Go to www.berryhalfmarathon.com to register online. Proceeds will benefit Berry College Elementary and Middle School. Call 706-346-6223 or e-mail berryhalf@gmail.com for more details.

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Potential Partnership Could Lead to Championship-Caliber Tennis Facility

A proposed partnership between Berry College and the local community could result in the development of a championship-caliber tennis facility near Mount Berry Square Mall.

College administrators met Wednesday morning with government officials, leaders of the Rome tennis community and the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau to discuss details of the proposed complex, which would be constructed on a 23-acre tract of Berry’s river farm property. This land is part of an 80-acre parcel adjacent to Mount Berry Square that will be separated from Berry’s other property by the new Armuchee Connector.

According to Berry President Stephen R. Briggs, college officials are considering various options for the property. The tennis facility is potentially attractive for a number of reasons.

“Berry’s future is inseparable from that of Rome and Floyd County,” Dr. Briggs said. “We care deeply about the prosperity of our community and the quality of life. A facility of this type has the potential to be a great success for all involved. Potential benefits for Greater Rome would include economic development, increased tourism and visibility, higher-caliber tournaments, and, of course, a first-class facility for use by recreational players. Potential benefits for Berry include increased opportunities for students participating in our work experience program and increased visibility for the college and our athletics program.”

Berry has engaged its planning consultants to develop a conceptual layout for the proposed facility. Initial design options feature 49 outer courts configured around a central core of six “championship” courts with seating for a minimum of 360 spectators. Local tennis leaders and national organizations have suggested that a facility of this size would help make Rome an ideal location for regional and possibly even national tournaments. Only one facility in the Southeast would offer more courts, according to information provided by the United States Tennis Association Southern Section.

Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimates that the economic impact of such a facility could be as much as $20 million annually.

“The possibility of a public/private relationship with Berry College would provide an outstanding opportunity for cooperative marketing of Rome and Floyd County,” Smith said. “Building on Rome’s already considerable reputation in tennis circles, the proposed facility could make Greater Rome a major tennis destination for players throughout the Southeast.”

The viability of the project is aided considerably by its location, Smith noted. The parcel is just two miles north of Turner-McCall Boulevard with direct access to downtown thanks to Riverside Parkway and the new connector (due for completion in 2011). The Armuchee Connector also would provide a direct connection to the existing trail system that runs from downtown Rome northward through Ridge Ferry Park to Ga. Loop 1 and beyond. Other major attractions in close proximity to the site include Mount Berry Square Mall and State Mutual Stadium as well as Berry’s 26,000-acre campus, Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum.

Under the proposal, Berry would commit the land to local governments through a long-term agreement but would retain ownership. In addition, the college would help to operate and manage the facility through its student work program, thereby providing valuable experiences for business and sports-related majors while defraying operational costs for the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority, which would have oversight of the complex.

Richard Garland, executive director of the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority, sees great potential in the proposed partnership and the facility that could result.

“In terms of both the design work that has already been done and the future potential of student assistance with operations and maintenance, this plan represents the most viable option we have seen for making a tennis complex of this type a reality in Rome and Floyd County,” he stated.

Berry officials share Garland’s enthusiasm.

“We are delighted to work with the city and county to explore this project’s feasibility,” Dr. Briggs said. “Berry is committed to being an active partner in fostering the future prosperity of Rome and Floyd County and enhancing the attractiveness and distinctiveness of the Greater Rome community.”

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Lady Hawks take home SSAC Softball Championship, beat Lee 6-2

It took five games and four days to do it, but the Shorter College Lady Hawks softball team can now call themselves the conference champions. On Saturday night, following a three-hour rain delay, the Lady Hawks beat the Lee University Lady Flames, 6-2, to be crowned champs and receive the automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship beginning May 14.

This is the second straight year that the Lady Hawks have won the conference championship. Shorter entered into the tournament as the No. 3 seed, and beat No. 1 Brenau in the winner's bracket championship, and had to face No. 2 seed Lee three times.

"Just like any other tournament, you have to stay in the winner's bracket to have the best chance in the championship," said head coach Melanie Carter. "We really hit when we needed to, and our bats were the difference for us."

"It was do or die this weekend for us," said four-year senior Kali Milford, who played third base for the Lady Hawks in all five tournament games. "We knew our two choices were to win and make it to Nationals, or to go home in tears - and I'm glad to get the win."

The Lady Hawks wasted no time in proving their strength in the championship game, scoring two runs to open the first inning. Dandi Ammons hit an RBI single to shallow right-center field to score Amanda Albertson, and Amanda Rogers was walked to score Libby Munson.

Shorter doubled their lead in the third inning. Hannah Strength hit a fielder's choice to score Munson, an Elisabeth Barber scored the fourth run of the game on a error from Lee.

After Lee scored their only run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run from Caitlin Haley, the Lady Hawks added two insurance runs in the sixth inning. Ammons doubled to score Tiffany Adams, and an RBI single from Barber finished the game in Shorter's favor 6-1.

Munson (21-5), who was also named the Tournament MVP, was the winning pitcher in the game, pitched seven innings for six hits, two earned runs, and three walks while striking out six. Lee's Brittany Rowe (3-2) got the loss.

"After the rain delay, coach told me to make sure I was ready to end it," said Munson. "My adrenaline was going and I knew we weren't going to let them win."

Shorter now waits for the official word from the NAIA to see the championship field for the National Championship, and the eventual pool placement in their third straight trip to Decatur, Ala.

"If we keep playing the way we did this weekend, I know we will be a contender at Nationals," added Munson.

"We look to prove that we belong there," added head coach Carter. "This is the first time in three years that we haven't been waiting for an at-large spot. We played as a team and really came together these past few days, and we're looking forward to doing it again at Nationals."

Ammons was the hitting leader for Shorter in the championship game, going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs, while Barber was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI.

In the first game, Lee forced the final, if-needed game with a 5-4 victory over the Lady Hawks.

The Lady Flames got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning with a one-run sacrifice fly to left field.

In the fourth inning, Shorter tied it up with an Amanda Rogers solo home run, and took the lead in the next inning with an RBI single from Libby Munson scoring Tiffany Adams to make it 2-1.

Lee then scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which proved too much for the Lady Hawks to recover from. Two runs from Shorter in the top of the sixth inning ended the game 5-4.

Amanda Albertson was 2-for-4 in the game and Adams was 2-for-2 with a triple and a run.

Munson picked up the loss in relief, going two inning for five hits, three earned runs and a strikeout, while Lee's Caitlin Beshears (6-2) got the win.

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Student Groups to Host “Battle on the Mountain” Bull Riding

Berry will host the first “Battle on the Mountain Berry Bull Riding” event Friday, April 24, at the Gunby Equine Center on the Mountain Campus. Gates open at 6 p.m.; the rodeo gets under way at 8. Admission is $10 for the general public, $7 for non-Berry College students and free for children 5 and under.

The bull-riding event will consist of two action-packed rounds of competition featuring professional riders, including one representative of the World’s Toughest Cowboy Tour. Scores from the two rounds will be added together to determine the overall winner.

In addition to bull riding, many other activities also are planned. These include an opportunity to test your mettle on the mechanical Buck n’ Bull (a fundraiser for Berry’s Block and Bridle student organization) and pony rides for children. Concessions will be available on site, and souvenir t-shirts will be sold.

Sponsors include the Krannert Center Activities Board and Block and Bridle. Also helping to coordinate this event are Kevin Ellis, a professional bull rider and manager of the Gunby Equine Center, and Charlie Lowry, owner of 4LRodeo, the contractor for this event.

For more information concerning tickets or sponsorships, please contact the Krannert Center Activities Board at 706-236-2293, ext. 2429, or kcab@berry.edu.

Prepared by student writer Rachel Miller

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Shorter football announces 2009 schedule

The Shorter College Hawks football team has released their schedule for the 2009 season, playing six games at Barron Stadium in Rome, with five games away.

Shorter will travel first to NCAA Div. II Lenoir-Rhyne University on Sat., Aug. 29, in Hickory, N.C., for a 7 p.m. kick-off. This is the third time the Hawks have faced a Div. II opponent, having last faced North Greenville University last season in a 37-21 win, and previously Stillman College in 2007 in a close 24-27 loss. The Bears were 3-8 last season with wins over Concord University, West Virginia Tech, and Brevard College.

Following a two-week break, Shorter will continue play against another NCAA team in the first home game of the season at Barron Stadium. They will repeat the annual Battle for the Governor's Cup as they take on the Div. III LaGrange College Panthers on Sept. 12 tentatively scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers are the defending St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions after producing a 9-1 regular season record (the only loss coming in their 28-23 game against Shorter) that earned the team a bid to the NCAA Division III Football national playoffs.

The Hawks' first Mid-South Conference match-up follows as Pikeville College comes to Rome for Shorter's second home game, which kicks off at Barron Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Last season, the Hawks held Pikeville to a scoreless second half, winning 52-17 in Pikeville, Ky.

On Sept. 26, Shorter will face the Faulkner University Eagles in Montgomery, Ala., in their first conference divisional game of the season. The Hawks opened their home football season in style last year against Faulkner, breaking then-three team records and one individual record, in a 42-0 victory.

Shorter returns home the following week for a non-divisional conference game against Campbellsville University on Oct. 3 at 1:30 p.m. The Hawks had 370 yards rushing yards against the Bulldogs last season, highlighted by a 98-yard run from A.J. Cooley, winning 24-14.

One of the toughest tests for the Hawks comes on Oct. 10 on the road against Lambuth University - a competition the Hawks lost last year on a last-second touchdown from the Eagles, 42-38. On Oct. 17, Shorter will face the newest member of the Mid-South Conference, Kentucky Christian University, at 1:30 p.m. for their fourth home game at Barron Stadium.

The Hawks will face Union College (Ky.) in Barboursville, Ky., on Oct. 24, in what is sure to be a tough rematch following last season's close 33-27 win over the nationally-ranked Bulldogs.

Three divisional conference games mark the end of the regular season. Shorter will face Cumberland (Tenn.) on Oct. 31 at Barron Stadium, before traveling to Belhaven on Nov. 7. Last season, Shorter won both games, beating Cumberland 27-24, and shutting out Belhaven in the final home game at Barron Stadium, 35-0.

The Hawks will conclude the regular season at home on Nov. 14 against Bethel College. Last year's contest between the two proved to be the deciding match-up for the Mid-South Conference Western Division Championship - as the Hawks won 7-0.

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Early Registration Deadline Approaches for Berry Half-Marathon

Time is running out to take advantage of early registration for the Berry Half-Marathon. Those who register by Feb. 7 will save $10 on the half-marathon and $5 each on the 5K and 10K. All three races will be held Saturday morning, March 7, on the campus of Berry College. Online registration is available at www.active.com. A printable, mail-in version can be downloaded at www.berryhalfmarathon.com.

As many as 1,500 competitors are expected for this year’s races, all of which will be run on courses that are USATF certified. Both the half-marathon and the 10K are official qualifiers for Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race. Race-day registration will be available for all distances except the half-marathon. The registration deadline for that event is Feb. 28.

Festivities get under way Friday, March 6, with a health & wellness expo and pre-race pasta dinner at Ford Dining Hall. The dinner will feature live entertainment and food catered by Bella Roma. Admission to the health & wellness expo is free. The dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12 (children under 3 eat free).

“It’s a great time to get psyched up for the race with the other runners and talk to sponsors and vendors,” said Allison Hunter, event director.

The race schedule kicks off March 7 with the half-marathon at 8 a.m. A cash prize will be awarded to the top three finishers in the half-marathon, and gift certificates will be given to the top masters and grandmasters in each race. In addition, all half-marathon finishers will receive a medal and a technical shirt. Participants in the other races will receive a cotton t-shirt.

Adding to the festive nature of the day will be Family Fun & Kite Day, which will be held in the Clara Bowl adjacent to the Ford Buildings.

Proceeds from the half-marathon and other races will benefit facilities, curriculum development and student aid at Berry College Elementary and Middle School. For more information or to inquire about race sponsorships, call 706-346-6223 or go to www.berryhalfmarathon.com. The Web site also features course maps and photos, training resources, 2008 race results and other useful information.

Prepared by student writer Leah Ryan

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Shorter Lady Hawks Basketball Enter NAIA Top 25 Poll

Fueled by the 70-63 win over conference foe and nationally-ranked Lee University, Shorter College broke into the NAIA Women's Basketball Top 25 Coaches' Poll at No. 24, the NAIA announced Monday.

This is the fifth regular-season edition of the Coaches' Poll, and the first time Shorter has been ranked after receiving votes in last week's poll.

Shorter (12-5, 7-1) beat the nationally-ranked then-#5 Lee University Lady Flames on the road, 70-63, to gain sole possession of first place in the tough Southern States Athletic Conference.

Nicole Frechette had 18 points (and a team-leading 10 rebounds) in the win was awarded SSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week earlier in the day.

The road game was the fourth straight for the Lady Hawks as they head into their game next Thursday at cross-town rival Berry College. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. at Berry's Cage Center.

From the NAIA:

For the second straight week Union (Tenn.) received all first place votes to stay No. 1 the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The Lady Bulldogs earned 312 total points and were a unanimous pick for the fourth time this season.

The next three spots also remained the same for second consecutive week. No. 2 Vanguard (Calif.) held its spot with 300 points while Oklahoma City remained at No. 3 with 294 points and Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) stayed at No. 4 with 283 points.

No. 6 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) remained in its spot with 256 points. Saint Xavier (Ill.) moved up two spots from last week to No. 7 with 250 points and Oklahoma Baptist jumped to No. 9 from No. 13 with 235 points. Columbia (Mo.) rounded out the top-10 after moving up a spot with 220 points.

No. 24 Shorter (Ga.) and No. 25 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) both made their debut in the top-25 this week.

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Shorter College Has Played Instrumental Role In NAIA Football Championship

In the past few years, teamwork and the relationships it nurtures have become a common trait and blessing for Shorter College’s athletic program.

But when the 53rd annual Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship kicks off Saturday at Barron Stadium, the event culminates a total team effort by the entire faculty, staff and student body at Shorter – from the Sheffield-Thompson Administration Building to the Winthrop-King Athletic Centre.

“It’s meant a lot to Shorter to participate in an event of this magnitude and to work with the great representatives from Rome and Floyd County,” Shorter President Dr. Harold E. Newman said about the game that will pit Carroll College from Helena, Mont., the defending national champion, against the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) in a rematch of last year’s championship game.

“I’m really proud of the hundreds of hours our staff has invested into this game,” he added. “It makes you appreciate the amount talent the college has.”

Shorter’s involvement in the national championship is one that started nearly two years ago when Shorter Athletic Director Bill Peterson and Head Football Coach Phil Jones planted the seed for the game, eventually coming up with a proposal that involved Shorter, Rome and Floyd County.

By the summer of 2007, a bid to host the game in 2008 and 2009 was finally submitted to the NAIA, which sent a delegation that made a site visit and evaluate what the hosts – Shorter, Rome and Floyd County – had to offer. Following a long and patient wait, the NAIA made its decision and last January the announcement was made by Shorter.

“I don’t think anyone knew how intense and comprehensive it would be,” Peterson said about the challenges the Rome Host Committee, which was established to tackle the logistics, has faced. “It was more than we anticipated. But everyone had a solid heart and enthusiasm. Now we’re so close to the finish line we know we can make it a great event.”

Peterson wound up becoming the co-chair of the event with Rome attorney Bob Berry and was joined by his peers at Shorter on being a part of the host committee that represented an entire spectrum of the entire community.

Naturally, Jones took an active part and will be handling Football Operations for the game, one that the Hawks came close to playing in when Jones’ football team earned its first-ever postseason berth in the NAIA Football Championship Series.

Two other staff members in Shorter’s athletic department, Director of Operations/Athletics Ricci Lattanzi and Sports Information Director Grant Kersey, joined the Host Committee with Lattanzi in charge of Game Day Operations and Kersey being named the NAIA’s Media Coordinator.

The host committee, however, benefited from the services provided by Shorter’s wealth of individual assets to round out the team.

Melissa Hickman and Gina McDaniel, professors in Shorter’s School of Business Administration, serve as Co-Chair for Ticket Sales; Dawn Tolbert, the college’s Director of Public Relations, fills the same role for the committee; Shorter’s Web manager Dana Thompson created and updates the championship game Web site; Ken Fincher, Shorter’s Vice-President for Institutional Development, plays a key role in the sponsorship plans for the game; and Rachel Rogers, who recently became Shorter’s Director of Athletic Development, has become a member of the host committee helping with the events planned.

“It’s been a good opportunity to show the community and others Shorter College’s strengths and the things we are capable of doing,” Fincher said, “and we want to be a good neighbor and support the community.

“This game shines a light on what we do and on all of Shorter’s teams, the athletes and the coaches we have. And we’ve had a lot of members of the Alumni Association asking how they can help, and the rank and file at Shorter College is really excited about this game.”

“It has helped us get to know the people who we’ve respected here even better,” Peterson pointed out, “and respect them even more.

“It’s been a great effort by Shorter and from everyone in the community. I know everyone who has been a part of it are glad they were involved with it. It’s a good feeling.”

The game itself caps what will be a busy week of events that begins with the arrival of the two teams Wednesday and includes two banquets to be held at The Forum in downtown Rome.

On Thursday morning the Fellowship of Christian Athletics Champions of Character breakfast, sponsored by Chick-Fil-A, will be held with Dr. Nelson Price, chairman of the Shorter Board of Trustees, delivering the invocation, and former Air Force Academy Fisher DeBerry serving as the guest speaker.

And on Friday the NAIA Banquet of Champions will take place with the two teams and this year’s top players being honored.

“There are so many firsts going on,” said Fincher. “It’s been somewhat thrilling to be a part of it. But the one thing we always come back to is that the game is for the young men and the teams who are playing for a championship.”

Jim O'Hara

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Five from Shorter's Hawks and Lady Hawks Soccer Named NAIA Scholar-Athletes

The 2008 Daktronics-NAIA Men's and Women's Soccer Scholar-Athletes have been announced with over 200 student-athletes receiving the honor from each sport. Over 100 schools are represented on each of prestigious lists, with Shorter College having five total athletes: Kyle Timberlake from the men's side, and Mallory Barnes, Renee Glenfield, Jessica Hoskinson and Sarah Locklear from the women's side.

In order to be a recipient of the NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athlete award, one must fulfill these requirements: the recipient must be a junior or above in academic standing; has been in attendance at the nominating institution a minimum of one full year of attendance; has a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of nomination at the nominating institution; has been certified as eligible.

These student-athletes were officially submitted from individual schools to the NAIA-MSCA Scholar-Athlete Coordinator.

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Shorter College Hawks Football Secures Playoff Spot Nov. 22

All along, the odds were against them. But today, the Shorter College Hawks football team has been given a reason to celebrate, as their season will continue on to next week with a berth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' (NAIA) National Football Championship playoffs.

When the national poll was released on Sunday morning, Shorter had jumped seven spots to No. 12 - the highest ranked team in the Mid-South Western Division and good for the conference's automatic playoff berth. The Hawks will travel to another Mid-South school for their first playoff game in history on Sat. Nov. 22 at 12 p.m. - the No. 8-ranked and Mid-South Eastern Division champions, the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky.

"It's hard to know where to start," said Shorter head coach Phil Jones. " It's extremely exciting for us. The initial response is gratefulness to the Lord, as we seek to glorify him in everything we do. We're grateful for Shorter College, President [Harold] Newman, the staff, the students, the faculty - everyone.

"These coaches have meshed their lives with this program and given so much," he added. "We're excited to go from this moment into these national playoffs."

On Saturday, the Hawks also received a share of the Mid-South Conference Western Division title with a win over Bethel College, 7-0.

The match-up with the University of the Cumberlands will be the third meeting between the two teams, having last played on Sept. 23, 2006 - a game the Hawks won 27-7.

The Mid-South Conference has four member schools making the playoffs: Shorter, Union College, University of the Cumberlands (Ky.), and Lambuth University.

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