As this year comes to a close, athletes performances are being recognized and preparations for next season are beginning.
Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams had athletes named to the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Team. Senior Brett Seger represented the men’s team while sophomore Brooke Meyer represented the women’s team. The 21 player team is composed of basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member schools that have a GPA of at least 3.20. The player must also be a starter or influential reserve for the team. Both Meyer and Seger are students in the Daniels College of Business, Meyer studying finance/real estate, and Seger studying accounting. Meyer started 26 of 28 games at guard this season while Seger played in all 31 games and started in 11 at guard. Both players also hold a GPA over 3.90.
Among the many awards and distinctions Brian Flaherty has been awarded this season, for both athletics and academics, his latest honor was being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII men’s at large team. He is also on the ballot for Academic All American at large honors.
After last week’s awards banquet Matt Carle was recognized as being the MVP for the Pioneer hockey team. While Carle was only a junior he will not return next season, opting rather to join the San Jose Sharks in their playoff quest after this year’s season ended. Coach Gwozdecky will therefore look to senior defensemen Adrian Veideman to lead the Pioneers for the 2006-2007 season. Veideman was named captain while senior J.D. Corbin and juniors Paul Stastny and Andrew Thomas were named alternate captains. The captains were decided on by a team vote.
There have been many coaching departures this season for the Pioneer athletics department as a whole. Recently there was also an addition. Head volley ball coach Beth Kuwata announced that Todd Nelson, former assistant coach at Marquette University, will fill the gap left by former Pioneer assistant coach Amy Kleyweg. Nelson brings to the Pioneers 12 years of coaching experience and will join four year assistant Billy Hardison to round out the coaching staff of the women’s volleyball team.
While the assistant coaching hole on the volleyball team has been filled, there are still several coaching positions that have yet to be accounted for. Most pressing would be the swim team head coach position left vacant Coach Jim Henry. The other teams that have assistant coach positions that need to be filled still have head coaches that can spear head the search for their new assistant. In the case of the swim team the administrative staff of the Denver Athletics Department has to be far more involved in selecting the right person for the job since there is no head coach to conduct the search themselves. While the job has not yet been assigned, it is clear that Athletic Director Peg Bradley-Doppes considers the search for a new head swim coach a top priority and is determined to make the right choice in picking the new coach, whoever that may be.
Thus this year comes to a close, with some teams unsure of their leadership for next season and others conducting business as usual; only time will tell how next year will play out.
