The Wake

The lights come up on the players as they skate around in circles. The pep band launches into the rouser. Not the regular pep band, but the women’s athletics pep band. Their version is equally awe-inspiring.I look up at the roof of Ridder Arena and banners fall like beacons of dominance: back-to-back national championships, 2004-2005. WCHA Champions, both regular season and tournament. Champions of the world, really. I hear a guy behind me brag about how five former and current members of the team were selected to represent the U.S. in the 2006 Winter Olympics.“M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A,” the crowd chants in unison. The players line up for the face-off. Minnesota takes quick control of the puck and passes into its opponent’s end. A shot on goal. Miss. Andrea Nichols shoots a one-timer off the rebound. Goal!Damn, this …

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Autumn comes in cycles: cold, warm, windy, cold, hot, cool, cold. This cyclical nature strikes me as I hop off my bike, sweat running down my forehead. Wasn’t yesterday chilly? This sucks.I lock my bike up and walk into Taraccino Coffee off Hennepin and University. I’m supposed to meet John Gaede here and interview him about the Twin Cities marathon. I walk to the front counter; two attractive women are waiting for my order.“What can I get you?” a tall, twenty-something with long-brown hair asks.“Actually,” I say softly, “I’m here to meet John for an interview.”“Oh, he’s in a meeting. He’ll be up in a second. I’ll let him know you’re here.”I take a seat in the middle of the room and go over my notes. A marathon is 26.2 miles. The world record for …

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This fall season the Minnesota sports world has seen a dismal end to the Twins recent playoff streak, a disconcerting start to the Vikings’ season and the annual encouraging start and eventual falter of the Gophers’ football season. However, one program that’s been consistently strong⎯but not nearly as recognized⎯is Minnesota Gophers’ volleyball.Led by Head Coach Mike Hebert, the Minnesota volleyball program has becomea national power in recent years. Entering his 10th season here, Hebert brought the Gophers out of obscurity and into the national spotlight, leading the team to its first Big Ten Championship, Final Four and national championship appearances.Hebert says there’s no magical secret to his success, but listed the following criteria for building a national power.First, you have to hire a great coaching and recruiting staff. Second, you have to find good players. …

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Ultimate frisbee began in 1968 and has been growing ever since. It took off on the West and East coasts, but over the years colleges have been adding ultimate to their list of club sports. The sport, originally laid-back, has become more competitive. At the University of Minnesota, ultimate is a club sport that has become a passion for its 30-plus team members. The ultimate team at the U of M has enjoyed success over the past few years. Last year, the team finished with an impressive 24-8 record. They went on to win the sectional tournament for the first time in 15 years, defeating Carleton College, whose team is known for having consistently strong squads. At the regional tournament, the U of M finished third, an impressive feat considering the two teams that finished …

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The car door slams shut and I walk toward the first hole. I make big circles with my right arm, roll my neck from side to side and clear my throat with a cough. Hole one: 320 feet. There are sturdy oak trees to the left and right, only a narrow window for my disc to travel through. I line up my shot and focus on making the perfect throw. I take two steps, and with a flick of my wrist and a slight grunt, the disc flies off my hand and hits the tree 30 feet in front of me.“Nice shot, Lane,” my friend, Alex, says. He laughs, “Curse of the ages.” He takes his shot, and his disc lands 10 feet from the pin. I walk to my disc, shaking off the effects …

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Neyland Stadium
University of Tennessee Arguably the best college football stadium in the nation is in Knoxville, Tenn. Built in 1921, Neyland Stadium hosts more than 100,000 screaming fans. Located next to the Tennessee River, the stadium hosts tailgaters who arrive via boat hours before game time to “prepare” for chaos inside the massive structure. The checkered end zones and passionate fans who form a sea of orange create an atmosphere rivaled by only a handful of top programs across the country. Tennessee fans sing “Rocky Top” repeatedly during the two-and-a-half-hour spectacle.Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium has been a staple of college football since its creation in 1930. Even after major renovations, the stadium has not lost its historical feel. Notre Dame is home to the Four Horsemen and 11 national championship …

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The “ohs” used to cascade down the bleachers like a wave. Arms flailed in unison. And the traditional war chant of Native American tribes was heard on a television in front of millions of people. “We are the Fighting Sioux,” one man shouts, beer in hand. There is an emptiness to his statement, like someone had taken the plug out of a drain.“You were the Fighting Sioux,” another man corrects him. “Times have changed, buckaroo.” The two men sit down to reminisce over their past. “It just sucks,” the beer-holding man says. “That name was ours just as much as it was theirs. For god’s sake, I graduated as a Fighting Sioux, not some fairy Orchid.”“Now Randy,” the other man says. “There’re nothing wrong with orchids. They happen to be quite a beautiful and powerful …

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I’m not sure how many times I’ve been awake before five o’clock in the morning during the summer, but once was enough when a solar-car driver put me to work by ripping off the sheets and leaping on my hotel bed. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this project. I came away from a 2,500-mile race with the strength and confidence to build race cars; I’m a different person than I was when I first decided to work on this project, and I can only attribute that rift in my personality to the people I came to know through the building, testing and racing of our car. I’ll come to any project I face with determination and the expertise to win.My racing team, consisting of about …

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“Could you please collect these files for an FQA audit?” asks my supervisor.“No problem,” I say, sipping my coffee and staring blankly at my computer screen. “I’ll get them to you by three.” I collect the files and go through the compliance checklist, making sure all the necessary documents are in the file and were printed within the appropriate time-frame. It’s a fine art. It really is. But the whole time I’m thinking about basketball. Not the NBA playoffs or the potential of next year’s Gopher teams. I’m thinking about pick-up basketball.I drink another cup of coffee and check out the view from my cubicle on the seventh floor. Just four blocks south is a playground with basketball hoops. I see people who look like little ants moving back and forth on the pavement and …

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You may see them from the Washington Avenue bridge as you walk to class in the morning. You may see them from the river flats as you play Frisbee. You may see them as you sit next to the river smoking a joint. They are the crew team. And you have to admit, they look pretty cool when they row by.Senior rower Cheryl Wick, who was recently named to the All-Central Region first team, talks about her rise in crew, the upcoming season, and lots more.The Wake: First of all, congratulations on being named to the all-region team.Cheryl Wick: Thanks!The Wake: Was that kind of a surprise for you?Wick: Yea, I really wasn’t expecting it. The two weeks before that were Big Tens, and Beth Ratterman from our team was Big Ten second team. Vilma …

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‘I’m Rich, Bitch’ Award: Marion Barber III Minnesota’s own star running back decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility and throw his head into the NFL draft. Barber and Lawerence Maroney were a wicked one-two punch at halfback (the only two in NCAA history to rush for 1000 yards on the same team two years in a row). So why is he skipping out on one last chance to prove the Gophers can be as good as everyone wants them to be? The draft pool for running backs wasn’t too deep this year. Did someone hear a cha-ching?Master of Thievery: Torii Hunter, Minnesota TwinsFor several years now, Torii Hunter has been patrolling centerfield pastures with the swiftness of an eagle: Gliding inward and swooping down to snag wannabe Texas-leaguers; racing deep into outfield gaps …

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The Minnesota Vikings 2004 season ended with a defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the NFL playoffs. The defense was the Achilles heel for the 2004 Vikings squad, which put the focus on defensive improvements for next season. The Vikings have had a very active offeseason, in which they have added five defensive starters. The 2005 Vikings squad is in position to win the NFC North Division barring any major setbacks due to injury.4 D’s for 20051) Discipline. The Vikings must have a disciplined team because they have all the pieces of the puzzle to win the North Division this year. The Vikings won’t have any excuses for midseason blunders this year as their defense is vastly improved. 2) Daunte. Doctor Culpepper must have another big year …

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The University of Minnesota announced a $35 million corporate sponsorship with TCF Financial Corporation in an effort to jump-start a campaign for a campus football stadium. An on-campus stadium? Are you serious? I didn’t think this day would ever come, but now it looks like it finally will … in four years. My parents aren’t going to like my new seven-year graduation plan.This year I had the opportunity to travel the Midwest, watching our beloved Gophers get their asses kicked at various Big Ten venues. And as disappointing as these games were, the trips were always worthwhile because of that special feeling, the shivers and the goose bumps as I walked into these stadiums. Maybe it was the 12 beers I drank beforehand.And now it looks like the University is trying its damnedest to inspire …

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As April nears its end and May soon begins, the baseball season is heating up and getting into full swing. Minnesota baseball fans all over campus are excited to see if their hometown team will play well enough to win its fourth consecutive conference championship. You might think I’m writing about the Minnesota Twins … But wait, this time it’s our Golden Gophers. Yup, that’s right, the Minnesota Gophers baseball program is gunning for its fourth-straight Big Ten championship. This remarkable goal seemed impossible to reach after the team struggled to a 7-11 start. However, the Gophers opened conference play with a four-game sweep of the then 19th-ranked Michigan Wolverines (April 1-3 at the Metrodome) and suddenly looked like a contender once again.Led by head coach John Anderson, the 2005 Gophers will look to a …

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The snow is melting, the sun is staying out longer, a guy playing Jesus pretends to be crucified then rises from the dead minutes later as a pastor reads passion scripture. It must be spring, which means it’s time to get a few things off my chest.Well, really just one thing, but it gets me so mad that it feels like a few things. I’m talking about Tony Oliva and the hall of fame veterans committee’s inability to dislodge their collective heads from their asses. Once again, Tony O was snubbed from baseball’s hall of fame.How does one get selected to the hall of fame, you ask. Well, it’s pretty simple. First, the baseball writers of America vote for who they think is deserving of the honor. This year, they chose Wade Boggs and Ryne …

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