athletics

Hornet “Senior” Mitch Wilson Tests His Mettle in National Golf Tourney

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Kalamazoo College men's golf coach Mitch Wilson
Hornet Men’s Golf Coach Mitch Wilson

Kalamazoo College Men’s Golf Coach Mitch Wilson had a good summer playing the sport. He was on the winning team in the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) vs. Golf Association of Ontario tournament. He won the club championship at The Moors golf club in Portage, Mich. He made it to the semifinals of the GAM Michigan Senior Match Play. And he finished third in the Michigan Senior Open.

Hard to top that! And yet the 57-year-old is having an even better fall.

In the recent U.S. Senior Amateur played at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif., Wilson shot a seven-over-par 151 (76-75) to miss by just two strokes making the top 64 and qualify for the match play portion of the tournament. It’s the first time he’s ever played in the event operated by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

“Was I happy with my scores? Well, no,” Wilson said with a smile. “I would like to have three shots and one putt over.

“I made three double bogeys, two on the first day and one on the second day, and all of them were preventable. The rest of the tournament was pretty good.”

The local veteran golfer, who has played national tournaments before, (including the USGA’s U.S. Mid-Amateur (for players 25 and older) in 1998 and 2000), still had that nervous feeling on the first tee at the Senior Amateur.

“As much experience as you have in events like this, you still have those first-tee nerves,” he said. “I had enough birdies, but I made a few bad mistakes and it cost me.”

What Wilson has found is that there are a lot of very good golfers in the 55-over set. However, it’s a different mindset.

“It’s not as intense as a senior and you understand it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “It’s a real pleasure to play in these events and become reacquainted with guys you haven’t seen in a while.”

He’s been able to work on his golf game a little more than usual this summer. He retired as the executive director of Pretty Lake Camp near Kalamazoo this past March.

“I’m going to take a year to see how things are going, possibly do some consulting,” Wilson said.

He keeps busy by being on the board of the First Tee of Battle Creek, a nonprofit organization that teaches life skills and leadership through the game of golf, and coaching the Hornet men who are having one of their better seasons of late.

Looking at his tournament results this summer, the extra work has paid off.

Story by Paul Morgan

Fish Tales: This Hornet Has Some Genuine Whoppers

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Tucker Rigney with a teammate at a bass fishing competition
Tucker Rigney (right) at a bass fishing competition

Ask any college graduate and they will tell you their time in school was the basis for countless tales of fun, adventure and, yes, late night study sessions.

Tucker Rigney ’17 is busy crafting some stories of his own – fish stories, to be exact. But he can back up his bluster with results, and in the process, is giving Kalamazoo College a good name in the world of competitive college fishing.

A rising sophomore at K, Tucker recently finished in third place in the Michigan College Bass Circuit (MCBC), a summer-long series of bass fishing contests between small colleges and large universities in Michigan at lakes throughout the state. He and his fishing partner Cameron Hasen, a Kellogg Community College student, finished third in the MCBC’s two-day, season-ending tournament.

Earlier in the season, the pair took first place in the individual boat competition at a tournament in Haslett. The pair barely eked out the top spot, besting a duo from Ferris State University by about a third of a pound. Seven Michigan schools participated in the event, where a team’s total haul was weighed to determine a winner.

Tucker grew up an outdoorsman, he says, raised in a rural home near Gobles, about 25 miles northwest of Kalamazoo. His father taught him and his brother to fish on a small lake about 15 minutes from their house. The siblings would also bike down to their grandparents’ home and fish for bluegills in a nearby creek.

His largest bass? A not-too-shabby 22-inch, five-pound largemouth.

“It can be how I get away from things and just relax, or a challenge where I am trying to get on some big fish and win a tournament,” he says of fishing. “It’s what I want it to be. It has been a blast, fishing in these tournaments is such a rush.”

He got involved in the collegiate competition after his dad walked past a MCBC booth at an outdoor show in Grand Rapids. Rigney jumped at the opportunity to get involved, he says. The avid hunter and former Hornet baseball player also hopes to organize a fishing club on campus.

He thinks the club will take off, but stresses that competitive fishing is not your lazy, drop-a-line-and-hope-for-the-best kind of day out.

“I know students at K that fish, but I do not know of anyone that fishes competitively. There is a big difference between the two,” he says.

That’s true. Rigney knows the fickleness of fishing. At an earlier tournament at Hardy Dam Pond, near Newaygo, he and Cameron took seventh place out of 18 teams, only weighing three fish.

“We were ‘slaying’ them the days before. So that was a little disappointing,” he says.

Rigney says he’s hunted and fished in several states and Canada, hauling in his largest ever fish (he thinks it was a halibut) on a family vacation in Alaska.

Maybe it’s no surprise that the passionate outdoorsman plans to study biology at K.

“Biology is challenging, but it is also very interesting to me,” he says. “I guess that interest, in a way, comes from my love for the outdoors.”

Center Court Dedicated to Kalamazoo College Legend

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Gigi Acker, Nancy Acker and Judy Acker-Smith at George Acker Court
Pictured on the George Acker Court are (l-r): Gigi Acker, Nancy Acker, and Judy Acker-Smith.

On Saturday, August 2, Kalamazoo College named center court of Stowe Stadium “George Acker Court,” dedicating it to the memory of the legendary coach and teacher who touched the lives of so many K students and Kalamazoo community members. President Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran delivered a moving address, which is published below.

“Tonight we are pleased to honor the late Coach George Acker, a teacher and mentor who believed in the potential of others, and had a profound influence on the lives of many.

“George was dedicated to Kalamazoo College for more than five decades (1958-2011). His legendary 35-year career ranks him as the most successful men’s tennis coach in NCAA Division III history. In the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), he is ranked first among coaches for all sports (men’s and women’s) with the most conference championships. Coach Acker’s tennis teams won seven national championships and 35 MIAA championships. He was twice named NCAA Division III Tennis Coach of the Year and was also named NCAA Division III Tennis Coach of the Decade for the 1980s. Coach Acker ranks fourth in the nation among all Division I, II, and III tennis coaches with the most NCAA titles.

“Coach Acker had a far-reaching presence on the campus of Kalamazoo College. Although tonight we are focusing on his tennis accomplishments, it is important to acknowledge that George also taught physical education classes and coached football, wrestling, and cross-country. He coached and mentored more than 600 student-athletes on 65 different teams during his storied career at K. He earned respect and admiration because he was hardworking, humble and honest, and, he valued everyone equally.

“It is fitting that we should honor Coach Acker at the opening night of the USTA Boy’s 18s and 16s National Tournament. Coach Acker played an integral role in this tournament, serving for more than fifty-one years (1959-2010) in a variety of roles including: referee, athletic trainer and umpire, tournament official, and tournament administrator. In 1983 his contributions were recognized when he was awarded a Green Jacket. In 1993, he was declared Honorary Referee. Always available to provide wise counsel and an historic perspective, Coach Acker was an active member of the Kalamazoo USTA Advisory Board from 1998-2011, a total of 13 years. Coaches, players and the tennis community all recognize that the NATS at the Zoo is the best junior tennis tournament there is. There are many reasons for this, and one of those reasons is the commitment of George Acker.

“Tonight we honor this coaching legend and say ’thank you’ for his many contributions to the sport of tennis. We are delighted to have several members of the Acker family with us tonight, including Nancy Acker, affectionately known as ’Mrs. Coach,’ and daughters Gigi Acker and Judy Acker-Smith. We also have more than 175 former players and friends of the family with us this evening. Your attendance tonight speaks volumes about the profound impact George had on the lives of so many.

“And now, it is my distinct honor to announce to all of you that from this day forward center court at Stowe Stadium will be known as the George Acker Court.”

Time is of the Essence

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baseball with seems missingProfessor Emerita of English Gail Griffin has been particularly prolific recently, publishing a number of essays in a variety of journals. A short list and description of those essays will appear in the Fall issue of LuxEsto, but we couldn’t wait that long to share one that will let you know that Gail is now a published baseball writer! Her essay “Night, Briggs Stadium, 1960” describes her 10th birthday present–a Tiger’s night game! It appears in the new book A DETROIT ANTHOLOGY, a collection of some 60 stories about what it was (and is) like to live in the city of Detroit. Gail gave an interview about the piece on WMUK radio station. Consider the following short excerpt a first-inning triple topped by a steal of home:

“A rectangle of night sky opens ahead. Brilliant banks of lights against the black. The low crowd hum, rising, like a sea sound. Then acres of green seats and then, below it all, the blazing diamond, emerald they should call it, nothing has ever been so green.

Left field, Maxwell. Right, Colavito, the outrageous Cleveland trade, who points his bat at pitchers like a gun.

Humidity haloes the lights. Men yelp HOTdogs, HOTdogs, PROgram. I am transfixed…”

So are we.

Growl Louder: Hornets Night Out at Homer Stryker Field

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Baseball playersKalamazoo College Head Football Coach Jaime Zorbo ’00 is known for making good pitches during football recruiting season. On July 18 he hopes to make a good pitch on the baseball diamond. Zorbo is slated to throw the ceremonial first pitch during “Kalamazoo College Night” with the Kalamazoo Growlers baseball team at Homer Stryker Field in downtown Kalamazoo.

“I am honored to be throwing out the first pitch at K Night Out. I just hope I can get it over the plate.  It will surely be a great evening with family and friends, and I am looking forward to it,” said Zorbo.

All students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the College are invited to the game that starts at 7 PM. K tickets cost $12 and come with either a Growlers hat or a hot dog, chips, and a drink. Wear pink because the event coincides with a breast cancer awareness event at the stadium called “Pink Out the Park Night.” To help raise funds, the team will auction off pink jerseys, and the first 1,000 fans to enter will get a pink baseball cap, courtesy of Borgess Health.

To get tickets stop by the Anderson Athletic Center or contact Athletics Office Coordinator Emily Wiegand at 337-7082 or ewiegand@kzoo.edu.

While K will be one of many groups present, staff and faculty will be recognized on the field. “It’s a good place to see and be seen,” said Jeanne Hess, head volleyball coach and chair of the physical education department, “and a great opportunity to bring families together.”

To reach out into the community and local businesses, the Growlers’ hired four Kalamazoo College students as their summer interns. Assistant General Manager John Bollinger said, “Being a small market team, our intern class gets a lot of hands-on work.” While there are interns from larger universities, Bollinger emphasized, “K students really take it to a different level. They are always following through, and are always thorough.”

The students work behind the scenes on promotions, media, and sponsorships. Ranjeet Ghorpade ’15 designed a season survey, and Carter Chandler ’17 and Nate Donovan ’17 helped develop a grassroots marketing campaign to reach into the community. Additionally, K’s Head Baseball Coach Mike Ott serves as associate coach and pitching coach for the Growlers, and K’s Assistant Baseball Coach Jake Van Alten runs the sound system at Homer Stryker Field.

Ghorpade said, “You can tell that the Growlers are moving in the right direction. From their original ’selfie’ jerseys to the Bell’s Bear Cave, they’ve really got it going on.”

Hess said these internship opportunities through the Athletics Department “let our students know there’s life beyond K.”

Though K won’t be the only group in attendance, Hess hopes “we’ll be the most vocal and fun group.” Other activities that evening will include Trino the Magician, a flat screen TV giveaway, and post-game fireworks. 

“There’s no better way to enjoy summer than with America’s favorite pastime,” said Hess. “The field is a wonderful place with co-workers, friends, and family.”

Celebration of Life for Late Hornet Football Coach Ed Baker

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Former Kalamazoo College football coach Ed BakerThe Ed Baker Family invites you to join them for a “Celebration of Life” service in remembrance of their husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who died on December 11, 2013. The service will be held in Stetson Chapel on Tuesday, July 29, at 11 AM. There will be a buffet reception immediately following the service in the Hornet Suite at the Kalamazoo College Athletic Field House. All are welcome to attend.

Ed Baker was a professor emeritus of physical education and former Hornet head football coach. Ed came to K in 1967 from the Haverford School in Philadelphia (Pa.), where he led the football team to a 50-20-2 record in nine seasons. He coached Hornet football from 1967 to 1983, when he left that position in order to direct the College’s career service center. He coached the football Hornets again in 1988 and 1989. Ed earned his bachelor’s degree at Denison University and his master’s from Ohio State University. His overall record at K was 62 wins, 89 losses, and 5 ties. His best season was 1978, when the Hornets posted a 6-2 record. On three occasions, Ed’s Hornet teams finished third in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. When he retired in 1990, then acting president Tim Light wrote of Ed Baker: “In his role of coach and teacher, he has manifested a wonderful sensitivity towards young people and an appreciation of their talents. Ed has been consistently one of our finest encouragers of young people, and his sure and proven sense of judgment of people’s character and their potential ability to succeed has been an inspiration to the rest of us.”

The George Acker Endowed Scholarship

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Teacher and coach George Acker
George Acker, teacher and coach

On the occasion of its annual Founders Day ceremony (celebrating 181 years of operation) Kalamazoo College announced the George Acker Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship will support juniors or seniors who best exemplify the qualities and character of Coach Acker, including an exceptional work ethic, leadership, a commitment to involvement in campus activities, and a high standard of integrity. Preference will be given to students who are (like Coach Acker was) the first in his family to attend college.

Acker served as a coach and professor at Kalamazoo College for 35 years (1958-93) and was inducted into the Kalamazoo College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. He coached men’s tennis teams to seven NCAA Division III championships while winning 35 consecutive MIAA championships. His tennis teams were 573-231 overall and an incredible 209-1 in conference play.

Acker was as true a “liberal arts coach” as they come. He served as head coach of the Hornet wrestling (1960-74) and cross-country (1985-88) teams. He also was line coach for the Hornet football team from 1959-69, helping guide Rolla Anderson’s squads to back-to-back MIAA championships in 1962 and 1963. He served as the College’s athletic trainer and director of the intramural sports program at different times during his career.

Most of all, he loved teaching. “Nothing has given me as much pleasure as teaching the students in my theory and activities classes,” said Acker in 1985, when he accepted the Florence J. Lucasse Award for Excellence in Teaching, the faculty’s highest honor. “Teaching and coaching are very similar, so that I feel that when I’m coaching a sport it is an extension of my teaching.” Many persons, including this author, knew “Coach” as “Teacher,” and as profoundly as the athletes he instructed, they, too, were touched by his compassion and his ability to bring out their best. Coach Acker died on July 20, 2011, of complications surrounding the stroke he suffered several days earlier.

Hornet Fall Student Athletes Arriving on Campus!

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Ronnie Russell puts on a tie while mom, Paulette, and younger sister, Kathleen, help arrange his Harmon Hall roomAre you ready for some Hornet football?! How about soccer, volleyball, golf, and cross country? Because student athletes from all these teams arrive on campus soon, led by football players like Ronnie Russell ′17 from Lansing moving in today. Ronnie, putting on a tie while mom, Paulette, and younger sister, Kathleen, help arrange his Harmon Hall room, joins his teammates for their first practice at Angell Field on Saturday, in preparation for their Sept. 7 home opener against Rose-Hulman. Hornet Men’s and Women’s Soccer players arrive tomorrow, followed by Volleyball players on Sunday, Men’s and Women’s Golf teams on Aug. 25, and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country arrive Sept. 6. Check out the Hornet Athletic webpages (http://hornets.kzoo.edu/) for full schedules, rosters and other info on fall athletics at K. Go Hornets!

From Chem Lab to Gridiron

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Student-athlete Jake Lennin
Jake Lenning ’15

Three student scientists/athletes transitioned from the laboratory to the gridiron on August 16, the first day for Hornet football practice. Jake Lenning ’15 (chemistry major, health studies concentration), Joe Widmer ’14 (chemistry major, biochemistry concentration), and Jake Hillenberg ’14 (chemistry and psychology major, neurosciences concentration) spent the summer doing chemistry research–Lenning in the lab of Professor of Chemistry Greg Slough; Widmer and Hillenberg in the lab of Associate Professor of Chemistry Jennifer Furchak. Lenning’s research involves testing for differences in two variations of a resin known as the Wang Resin. Widmer and Hillenberg were working outside the laboratory on the day I visited. Lenning plays wide receiver for the Hornets, Widmer and Hillenberg are defensive linemen. The 2013 season will be the team’s second on the new Angell Field, and Lenning is excited. “We had a good season last year,” he said, “and that success will be a good foundation to build a great season this year.”

Finland-Bound Football Force Features K’s Okey

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Cover of 2012 Chicago Force calendarCall it “Study Abroad, The Sequel.” Liz Okey ’07 is returning to Europe, this time to Vantaa, Finland, as a member of “Team USA.” She won’t be playing volleyball, her sport of choice at K. Instead, she’ll be playing on Team USA’s offensive line in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Women’s World Championship tournament. Okey plays on the offensive line for the Chicago Force, the Windy City’s women’s tackle football team. She and eight of her Force teammates were selected to play for Team USA, led by Force head coach John Konecki.

The first tournament for women’s American-style football was held in 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. Team USA returned with first-place honors, a championship Okey and teammates seek to defend. The tournament is held every three years.

Okey graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in Human Development and Social Relations. She studied abroad in Germany and was captain of the Hornet volleyball team. Shortly after graduation she moved to Chicago and joined the Force. She was one of 45 women to make the cut for Team USA. Training camp takes place in Chicago from June 23 through June 27.

Six countries will be participating in the 2013 tournament: Canada, the United States, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Finland. The tournament takes place from June 28 through July 6. Team USA plays Sweden on June 30 and Germany on July 4. Gold and Bronze medal games are scheduled for July 6.

If you need to fire up for this tournament, give a listen to the official song of the 2013 Women′s World Championship:”Straight Up Crazy Amazon“. Written and produced by the Finnish band “Embassy of Silence,”  think of the song as a K “Rikkety-Rak” with a heavy shot of metal and rock.