The Ithacan Online

NBA draft legend spreads wisdom of professional sports business

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:00:58 PST

Marty Blake, the “Godfather of the NBA Draft,” is widely recognized for being responsible for changing the landscape of professional basketball. He received the 2005 Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame and is credited with discovering such players as Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Tim Hardaway, Ben Wallace, Devean George and Karl Malone.

Commitment to tradition

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:53:21 PST

The Hill Center had just opened the previous spring, and the State Championships for wrestling were being held in the gymnasium. The surrounding grass was a muddy mess, which people kept tracking in and out of the gym.

Enter the BombSquad

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:03:48 PST

Two men circle around each other in a steel cage. With sweat dripping down their chiseled bodies, they rear back and take swings at each other. Bobbing and weaving like a buoy in water, they evade each other until one takes an ill-fated kick and finds himself on the ground getting pummeled in the face with a flurry of fists. The bell sounds and the referee walks over with a shiny gold belt to give to the victor. Think this is the WWE? No. This is the real thing.

Ahead of the Curve

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:15:19 PST

It’s a common stereotype at the Division I level for student athletes to be far behind their peers in the classroom. According to the College Sports Project released out of Northwestern University, the same is true at the Division III level. The report says, in general, Division III student athletes have lower grade point averages than nonathletes. However, at Ithaca College, student athletes are performing just as strongly in the classroom as in their sports.

Opening a dialogue

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:56:22 PST

As a female athlete, junior Regina Douglas has seen her share of gender discrimination. The varsity softball player said in high school, a few of her teammates were mistaken for lesbians whenever they hung out with other girls.

Against the grain

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:58:28 PST

Imagine entering a walk-in closet nearly the size of a dorm room, filled to the ceiling with more than 40 pairs of sneakers, vintage shirts, lacrosse gloves, neon-colored hats, an oversized jersey and fashionable accessories. It would be difficult to figure out who lives there.

Finding a balance

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:41:00 PST

Coming off another intense practice at SUNY-Albany in 2005, 6-foot-7-inch then freshman Sean Leahy was less than satisfied. He knew deep inside he was not happy. He needed a change of scenery.

Hanging with the girls

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:39:25 PST

Ben Light Gymnasium was full of female athletes of all ages running through obstacle courses, throwing lacrosse balls and smacking volleyballs over the net Sunday afternoon. Ithaca College hosted the National Girls and Women in Sports Day with female athletes and coaches showing young girls the basic skills of volleyball, track and field, lacrosse and gymnastics.

Olympic medalist speaks for Black History Month

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:40:47 PST

More than 40 years ago, Dr. John Carlos stood on a podium with a bronze medal around his neck, black socks covering his feet, and a black glove on his left hand, which was raised in the air as a symbol of solidarity for human rights.

Beat the freeze

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:05:17 PST

A tight squeeze

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:58:20 PST

Head Gymnastics Coach Rick Suddaby no longer shows his recruits the gym that his team uses to practice and compete. Instead, he shows them a photograph of the facility with all of the gymnastics equipment set up. He said the end result has been more recruits choosing the college.

Road to the Ironman

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:37:53 PST

Combined, he has biked, swum and run about 5,000 miles in eight months of training, but Adam Peruta, assistant professor of strategic communication, still “freaks out” when he arrives at his latest triathlon undertaking and sees the 2,300 participants he’ll compete with.

Jug stays in Ithaca as Bombers beat Cortland

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:01:22 PST

The visiting Bombers won the 50th Cortaca Jug football game between Ithaca College and SUNY-Cortland today by a score of 35–13 in Cortland, N.Y.

Searching for success

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:44:16 PST

The club ice hockey team has several obstacles to overcome, including inexperience and conflicting ideas to turn its 2–8 season around. Despite these roadblocks, the South Hill squad is developing young talent and maintaining a positive outlook.

Behind the scenes

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:07:32 PST

Senior Lizzie Bronson has been part of the field hockey team since mid-August without ever picking up a stick. Early morning practices at 6 a.m. are a requirement, and usually she makes her way to the training room even earlier than that. When you add in football practice, senior Leah Dior spends 11 hours a day on campus. Senior Seth Magnani is taking 17 and a half credits, is on the men’s tennis team and spends about 25 hours with the soccer team weekly.

That's how they roll

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:10:28 PST

Knees bent, her nerves ignite. Flipping one pigtail over her right shoulder, she can feel her stomach turn. No matter how many times Danine Dibble has placed one skate-clad foot in front of the other, she still gets nervous before a jam. So she waits, knowing well that the initial jitters will disintegrate as soon as she hears her cue.

Built on determination

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:58:58 PST

The bones in his knuckles feel like they are being ripped out of his fingers. The joints in his wrists feel like they were in shackles the night before. The painful sting in his elbows sends chills up his arms. The throbbing bones in his knees and legs are constantly telling him to lie down, making every step more painful than the one before. Senior Jared Azuma does not listen — he has to clear five tables in a minute at the Sunset Grill.

From the snow to the streets

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:17:37 PST

The upstate New York area is relatively well-known for skiing because of its combination of snow and an average altitude of 1,000 feet. Both downhill and cross-country skiing are common, but members of the Nordic ski club have taken their sport to the streets.

Eight enter Hall of Fame

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:48:32 PST

Ten different sports were represented under one roof Saturday, with seven athletes and even an inductee who never wore Bomber blue being admitted to the college’s Hall of Fame.

Reliving glory

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:36:15 PST

Quarterback Todd Wilkowski ’91 was on the 30-yard line Friday at Butterfield Stadium. He took the ball, dropped back and surveyed the field. He spotted one of his favorite targets, wide receiver Nick Ismailoff ’91, in the corner of the end zone. He fired off a bullet of a pass toward the open man. Ismailoff reeled the ball in, made sure both of his feet were in-bounds and then celebrated the touchdown with his quarterback.