The Wake

The Vikings 2005 season was filled with accusations and key injuries that led to some of the personnel moves made this spring. Mike Tice is gone and Brad Childress is in at Head Coach. Daunte cleared his name of any boat scandal charges and then was asked to clear his locker. The Vikings had an enormous amount of cap room to spend on free agents and they seized the opportunity accordingly. The Wake will break down the implications of key player acquisitions and give a preview of what the Vikings will be looking for in the NFL draft to be held April 29 and 30. Chester Taylor (Running Back): The former Raven was brought in to take over for Michael Bennett. Taylor, a four-year veteran out of Toledo, had success rushing last year when Jamal …

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After a convincing three-game sweep to begin its 2006 home schedule, Minnesota looks like a baseball team that’s finally found some power in its bats…By Minnesota, I mean the Twins. The Gophers? Not so much.Coming off a sub-par 2005 season, the Twins began its new season with 13 homeruns in its first nine games. The Gophers baseball team, on the other hand, knocked out five homeruns through its first 27 games. This had the beloved campus club ranking second to last in homers among its Big Ten competitors.Then came the 28th game, an April 12 non-conference game at South Dakota State. Four homers and 16 runs highlighted a Gophers victory that kept the team above the .500 mark. Could this be the start of a Big Ten surge? Or, might this just have been a …

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With the annual spring football game approaching for the current Gopher football team, a few former Gophers are looking to continue their football careers in the professional ranks. In preparation for the draft, The Wake takes a look at three Gopher alumni with a good chance to find themselves in a NFL uniform next year and talks with their former coaches, Guards and Centers Coach Gordon Shaw and Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mitch Browning, to learn more about the former players and what their futures may hold.Greg EslingerA four-year starter from 2002-2005 who started 49 straight games, Eslinger is predicted to go in the third or fourth round. This Bismarck, N.D. native racked up awards throughout his collegiate career. He was a two-time All-American (2003, 2005) and a three-time, first-team All-Big Ten performer in 2003, …

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The Men’s TeamThe 2006 U of M men’s track and field team, coached for the eleventh year by Phil Lundin, looks to recapture its Big Ten outdoor championship form of three years ago. Leading this year’s Gopher men’s unit has been senior thrower, Karl Erickson.A 23-year-old from Zumbro Falls, Minn., Erickson has accomplished a lot during his four-plus years with the Gophers. Recently, the four-time All-American earned himself Big Ten Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors in both of the team’s first two weeks outdoor competitions.The Gopher men begin outdoors after an indoor season in which they finished second (behind Wisconsin) in the Big Ten and featured three runners at nationals., senior runner Trent Riter and All-American high jumper Kevin Netzer will set the pace through the remainder of the Gophers’ spring schedule.While …

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As I walked into the St. Paul Gymnasium, I was second-guessing my choice to do this story. The only experiences I’ve had with heights is with ladders, bungee jumping and a ropes course. I had never really climbed anything of significant height before. But I decided to give it a whirl. Here is what to expect the first time taking on the St. Paul climbing wall. After checking in at the front desk and paying $4 for the climbing wall, day pass, I started my walk to the course. Upon arrival, I introduced myself to the college-aged girl whom would eventually be my wall climbing assistant. I asked her what seemed like logical questions: “Has there been any kind of equipment failure in the past?” She laughed a little and replied no. Then she had …

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As some university students traveled to hot spots around the globe over spring break, many stayed in Minneapolis, confined indoors, as 2 feet of snow fell and temperatures hovered near 30 degrees. And while I watched nearly 25 hours of March Madness, I thought to myself, “Where’s spring?” I turned up the thermostat and threw another Pasta Roni in the microwave and dreamt of the day when I could remain outside for more than a half hour. Well, that time has come. The snow has finally melted and the winter coats have been packed away for good. The Minnesota spring is upon us and it’s time to get outside and enjoy it, because we all know next winter is only seven-short months away. So I implore readers to get outside, but many of you may …

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College students and 65-year-old men, in a closed off room, slap around balls. There’s no foul play here, this is the University of Minnesota Squash Club. The squash club is a group of roughly 50 athletes who meet three times per week to compete in a game that few people neither play nor know much about.Brief Overview of the Game Squash is a combination of tennis and badminton. The racquet used in the sport is about as long as a badminton racquet, but it’s as strong as a tennis racquet. There are two types of balls used in squash, the hardball and softball. The hardball is traditional and not widely used anymore. The U squash club uses softballs. The court for squash is odd. Like racquetball, the game is played in an enclosed, four …

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Laura Johnson is, well, kind of a big deal when it comes to gymnastics. Johnson, a journalism senior from Albuquerque, N.M., has been an All-Big Ten honoree four years in a row, making her the fourth Gopher in history to accomplish such a feat. This year Johnson was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and is currently ranked 25th in GymInfo National Rankings in the all around. The Wake: How did it feel to win the Big Ten for the first time since 1998?Johnson: It was so exhilarating. It is almost surreal. When you go in you’re not really expecting to win, especially against a team like Michigan who has won the last eight years, and who is ranked a good 15 to 20 spots ahead of us. It really was just an amazing …

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Several members of the U’s Cycling Club stepped into the St. Paul Gym for practice with sun-scorched arms and legs, a look even Hank Hill would be jealous of. Their newly acquired farmer’s tans were the result of a spring break expedition to Tucson, Ariz. which included 60-70 miles of cycling per day, and a 25-mile climb up rock-infested Mt. Lemmon. Despite the rigorous routine in Arizona, the cycling club is very accepting of riders with little cycling experience. On the trip some riders had never been on a group ride before, and about half the people who join the club have never raced competitively. “It is a club that develops riders,” says Bill O’Reilly, fifth year coach. But it is also a club that is serious about cycling, particularly road racing. The U’s Cycling …

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It was a cold February night when a group of nine amateurs took the ice for the first time as a team. These athletes, known collectively as the Fortknighters, were unskilled, uncoordinated and undersized. Only one of these “athletes” knew that there were special shoes meant for playing broomball. Some teams wore hockey helmets, while certain members of this team opted for bicycle helmets. For their first game, the Fortknighters’ lineup consisted of LT in the net, KrS-1 and Heart ‘n Soule playing defense with Michael Myers and the Notorious BRIE playing forwards. This group took the ice like wolves on the prowl. Line changes were infrequent, but effective. Hell ‘N Brand and Bagger Vance each netted goals within minutes of shuffling on the ice. At halftime the Fortknighters wanted to change their team name …

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In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, chances are, most people have done some canoeing. If not canoeing, maybe they’ve stroked the oars of a rowboat while going fishing on one of our great state’s fine lakes.While Minnesota may not be a state known for rowing, its biggest (and perhaps best) rowing program is right here—near the banks of the Mississippi River, on this college campus.Building a program out of nothing, University of Minnesota, head rowing coach, Wendy Davis has built a rowing team consisting of 59 female-student athletes. Coming here from a well-established program back East, Davis knew building a successful rowing program in Minnesota would have its share of difficulties.“It was really tough because we’re in a tent,” says Davis about her early years recruiting rowers here. “But, I like the challenge of building …

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When people hear the words baseball and Hunter, the next word that usually pops in their heads is Torii. But there’s another Minnesota player named Hunter and he’s been a mainstay for Gopher baseball for the past four seasons.Andy Hunter, a preseason All-Big Ten pick and current .349 hitter, is a fifth-year senior on this year’s Gopher team and a St. Paul native. He also excels in academics at the U and was named an Academic All-American the past two seasons. The Wake: What are your thoughts about playing such a tough non-conference schedule year in and year out?Hunter: It’s something that our program prides itself on. It’s what Coach Anderson has always done. We try to get a sense right away of where we’re at and really the only way to do that is …

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The Minnesota Twins have oiled up the leather, stretched out the lumber and limbered up their arms in anticipation of beginning the 2006 regular season with the hope to reclaim the American League Central title. To do so, however, the Twins will undoubtedly have to hit better—especially when it comes to power. In an era known for power hitting, the Twins have not had a 30-homerun hitter since 1987 (Gary Gaetti with 31, Tom Brunansky with 32 and Kent Hrbek with 34).So, where are these extra-base hits and long balls going to come from? This year’s Like many other Twins teams in recent years, this years Twins have many players who should be considered 30-homer worthy. But, who are the top power-hitting contenders for the 2006 Twins?Tony Batista – The 32-year-old veteran third baseman hasn’t …

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Ninjas, Hawaiians and Gothics. No, it’s not Halloween. This is the different attire worn by a team in my intramural volleyball league from week to week. Since there isn’t a dress code for intramurals, they decided to make their own. Many students, like myself, play intramurals at the U to have fun and stay active during their time at the U. Since most students at the U can’t compete competitively at the varsity level, like the Gopher Men’s Basketball team, a variety of intramural sports are available. These sports range from broomball, to bowling, to hockey. Many people play intramural sports. U Intermural director, Vinh Chung, said the goal of intramurasl is, “To provide leagues and tournaments to all different skill levels and encourage social interaction.”The beautiful thing about intramurals is that when some leagues …

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Student-athletes across campus are being punished for their great academic work. Sound confusing? It is. And it’s giving coaches headaches.The NCAA, which has set the aid standards, split all athletics at the Division-I level into two categories. Sports are either labeled as “headcount” or “equivalency” sports. Headcount sports on campus include football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball. In headcount sports, athletes are either offered a full scholarship or they must try to make the team as a walk-on, receiving no aid. The football team has the ability to give out 85 full scholarships. So, 85 players on the team are on campus receiving full rides. Anyone else on the roster must pay their own way through school as a walk-on.The dilemma of accepting either athletic or academic aid comes into play when …

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