Gymnastics pair earns WAC honors
For the second time this season, the Pioneers swept the Western Athletic Conference weekly Honors. Sophomores Melodie Pulgarin Linero and Moriah Martin were named Verizon WAC Gymnast of the Week and Specialist of the Week, respectively.
“Both Mel and Moriah are highly deserving of this honor and are great representations of our program,” said head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. “They both had great meets last weekend, each setting career-highs in the All-Around.”
At the Ohio State meet on Feb. 18, Pulgarin Linero set a career-high in the All Around with a WAC-high 39.425. She set a career-high on bars with a 9.850 and tied her previous career-highs on beam and floor with a 9.85 and a 9.90, respectively. Her score against Ohio State was her third All-Around score of 39.0 or higher in 2012 and her fourth in her career. This is her second WAC honor of the season. Her first came after scoring a 9.90 on vault.
Martin earned her third consecutive WAC Specialist of the Week honor on vault. In the Ohio State meet, she scored a 9.925. This was her seventh career score of 9.90 or better on vault. She is ranked No. 20 in the nation on vault.
Stafford named to Academic All-American Third Team
Men’s basketball senior Brian Stafford was named to the Academic All-American Third Team on Thursday, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Stafford, a co-captain and guard for the Pioneers, is a finance major and has maintained a 3.7 cumulative grade point average during his four years at DU. Stafford has been named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List for the past three years, signifying a GPA of 3.5 or better each year.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Brian,” said head coach Joe Scott. “He has worked hard and shown great dedication in the classroom and on the court throughout his four years at the University of Denver.”
Stafford finishes his final regular season with the Pioneers as Denver’s all-time leader in games played in his career, 121, all of which he started. He is also 4th on DU’s all-time scoring list with 1,538 career points.
“I am honored to be receiving this recognition,” said Stafford. “Everyone on our team values the educational opportunities here at the University of Denver. It’s an outstanding school, and this honor is a tribute to all the professors, coaches and everyone else who has helped me during my four years.”
Stafford is only the fifth Pioneer in the men’s basketball program to earn Academic All-American honors, joining Joe Fisher (first team in 1987), Brett Starkey (first team in 2003 and second team in 2004), Erik Benzel (second team in 2005) and Patrick Boyle (third team in 1993).
Two added to volleyball coaching staff
Former USA Volleyball National Team coach Tom Hogan and Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Katelin Batten will join the DU volleyball coaching staff for the 2012 season, as announced Wednesday by first-year head coach Jesse Mahoney.
Prior to his recent hire to the DU staff, Hogan spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado. Before, he was a member of the USA Women’s National team coaching staff for four years. He helped to lead the team to the silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and is responsible for the success Team USA found in 2005 when they won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships and a silver medal at the World Grand Champions Cup.
Hogan also served as the head coach for Team USA at the 2008 World Pan American Cup in Mexico, where he led the team to a 5th-place finish and a berth in the 2009 FIVB World Grand Prix. In addition, he was the head coach of Miami University (Ohio) women’s club volleyball team was a National Championship finalist in 2001 and won it in 2002. He also served as the student assistant to the Miami University women’s varsity team.
“Tom is a great teacher of the game and has tremendous experience coaching at the highest levels,” said Mahoney. “Our players and our staff will benefit greatly from his knowledge and unique skill set.”
Batten brings her experiences both from playing and from being mentored by many top coaches. She assisted legendary Nebraska volleyball head coach Terry Petit while she was a club coach. She was also a member of the Front Range Volleyball Club coaching staff under Jim Miret, a top junior level coach.
Batten represented Colorado State University on their volleyball team from 2006-2009 and played in the NCAA Post-Season Tournament all four years of her career. She leads the MWC and CSU in all-time career digs and was the All-West Region Libero of the year. She was also a member of the All-MWC Team in 2009. Batten was the MWC Libero of the Year and earned All-American Honorable Mention her senior year.
“Batty is a passionate young coach who will bring a high level of enthusiasm and energy to the gym,” said Mahoney. “She has been mentored by some great volleyball minds and will bring a great competitive edge to the program.”
