Sports - The McKendree Review

30Apr

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Between Books and the Pool

By Magdalena Knapp, Editor Do you ever wake up naturally from one of those restorative sleeps? Where you can feel the sun's rays on your face, hear the birds sing, and feel the warm air coming through your slightly opened window? Well, I do not. I usually wake up when the birds are still sleeping, the sun is still hidden behind the endless cornfields and the outside temperatures are around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. My alarm clock starts yelling at me every morning at 5 and I crawl out of bed with my eyes barely open, take my backpack, and walk with the rest of my team to the cars. Our destination is the same every morning: the swimming pool. This is part of my life as a student athlete. I usually share a lane with one other person, and we swim next to each other. Practice starts every day wi...

23Mar

By The McKendree Review5 Comments

Campus News, Personality, Profiles, Sports

One Leg, No Limits

By Alexis Porter, Contributing Writer I was walking back from the cafeteria at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center in the summer of 2017, carrying a to-go box of leftovers to enjoy later, when I first met Jacob Waters. He sped past me on his bike like a NASCAR driver and popped the longest wheelie I have ever witnessed in my life. My mouth dropped open in disbelief. I was instantly impressed and intrigued. “Hey, wait!” I called out after him. He circled back around and pulled up next to me. I glanced over his face quickly and then took a long look at his bike. It was bright green, rugged, with large treaded tires. I figured it had to be special if this kid could ride it on one wheel for so long. “Sorry didn’t mean to fly past you like that,” he said hopping off his bike...

26Feb

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Campus News, Entertainment, Personality, Profiles, Sports

For the Love of the Game

By Kaylee Fann “What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere” – Bill Russell Charismatic. Outgoing. Loving. Talented. Inspiring. Resilient. These are all words that can be used to describe 19 year old Winslow Martin, a basketball player for Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Illinois. Born and raised by a single mother in Centralia, Illinois, Martin fell in love with the game of basketball from a young age. His older brother and grandfather served as positive role models for a young Martin, teaching him everything he knows about the game. Once he started playing, he practiced with his brother nearly every day. His grandfather was actually a professional player overseas until an injury abruptly ended h...

27Nov

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Profiles, Sports

A Series of Fortunate Events

By Andrew Gardewine, Contributing Writer Michael Mendez, head coach and former member of the McKendree Cross Country and Track and Field programs, is quite possibly the most hard working person on campus. If he is not coaching a practice he is in a meeting, if he is not in a meeting, he is in his office working late at night and in some cases into the early morning. On top of it all, he still manages to find room to maintain his physical shape with bike rides and runs as well as manage his own running club, The Lebanon Project. He has a full plate and a bright future as a coach, however this article is not about his future, rather it is about his past. Coach Mendez has overcome countless obstacles in his life, obstacles that he considers “a series of fortunate events,” but what he would ca...

10Nov

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Sports

Water Polo.. in the Midwest?

by Gabrielle Madewell, Contributing Writer McKendree University’s men’s and women’s water polo programs have turned 1 as of this 2017-2018 school year. The person responsible for making the program’s first year successful is Colleen Lischwe, head women’s water polo coach and assistant men’s water polo coach. Like many Universities nation-wide, McKendree heavily prides itself on having very successful and well known athletic teams in the Midwest region. While the school has a variety of different teams offered, a total of 34 men’s and women’s teams, this school year marks the one year anniversary of a unique addition to the athletic department: Men and Women’s Water Polo. Most U.S. water polo teams in the United States are located in California. To put that into perspective, out o...

The Arnold Classic: The Greatest Fitness Convention in the World

9May

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Sports

The Arnold Classic: The Greatest Fitness Convention in the World

By Dakota Meyers, Contributing Writer The Arnold Classic is a fitness convention held in Columbus, Ohio every year during the first week of March by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Athletes from all around the world come to compete and present their skills during this three-day event. Each year, this convention hosts one of the largest powerlifting meets of the year, with many of the words best powerlifters competing. Not only are there countless numbers of competitions throughout the event including bodybuilding shows, powerlifting meets and MMA meets, but fitness companies also set up booths to display their products or services. Companies with products varying from clothing and accessories to supplement and food distributors set up booths with their athletes and models on hand to persuade custo...

4May

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Sports

A Cubs Fan in a Cardinals World

By Allison Donofrio, Staff Writer Before November 2, 2016, when the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year World Series drought, it was difficult to be a Cubs fan in a St. Louis Cardinals world. If I wore anything Cubs related in Carrier Mills, Ill., I would get stares and scuffs. People would ask “why are you a Cubs fan when we are 2 hours from Busch Stadium?” To them, it’s only logical to support the closest team. Therefore, the majority of baseball fans in Southern Illinois root for the Cardinals. However, I was born and raised in Downers Grove, a Chicago suburb. Even in Downers Grove, not everyone was overly supportive of the Chicago Cubs. When the Cubs were champions of the National League Central Division in 2008 after defeating the Cardinals 5-4, Chicago White Sox fans were cruel when I...

24Mar

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Sports

More Than a Game

By Grant Riggs, Editor-in-Chief Lebanon, Ill. - To many people, basketball is just a game, and a silly one at that. Players run up and down the court, repeatedly banging away at each other in hopes of putting a small ball into a slightly bigger hoop. To some extent, these people are correct. At the end of the day, it is just a game, with a winner and loser. However, on countless occasions, basketball has touched people in a way that transcends winning and losing. Sports, particularly basketball, have been a crucial part of my family for as long as I can remember. It began with my great-grandpa Otto, who had a passion for following sports in his hometown of Highland, Ill. He became known for being a part of the “chain gang” who operated the first-down markers at every home Highland High Sc...

8Mar

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Sports

Behind the Success: Andrew Best

By Zach Breeding, Co-Editor of Sports LEBANON, Ill. - Anyone who has followed the McKendree men's hockey team as of late is well aware of their success. And anyone who pays attention to the stats or watches the games is also aware that much of this success falls on the shoulders of starting goalie Andrew Best. This previous season, Best was a standout performer. He limited opponents to just a 2.06 goals against average prior to entering the team's last tournament of the season. Considering that the Bearcats regularly scored more than seven goals in each game makes this statistic even more impressive. However, looking back on the path that brought Best to Mckendree, it's clear that he faced many trials and tribulations along the way. From a young age, it was clear what sport Best would pl...

2016-17 Top Ten GLVC Men’s Basketball Players

23Feb

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Sports

2016-17 Top Ten GLVC Men’s Basketball Players

By Grant Riggs, Editor-in-Chief The Great Lakes Valley Conference is annually one of the best Division II basketball conferences in America, with this season being no exception. As postseason play looms, take a look at how the elite players within the conference stack up against one another. Honorable Mention Al Davis. G, Bellarmine Patrick Whelan, G William Jewell Jake Velky, G, Truman State Miles Simelton, G, Lewis Top Ten Kindred Williams, F, St. Joseph’s 2016-17 Conference Per-Game Stats: 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.1 blocks, 1.2 steals, FGs: 52.3% FT: 65% Williams, a 6’6” junior, gets the nod over other borderline players such as Whelan, Velky and Simelton because he impacts the game in more ways. His long arms allow him to wreak havoc on the defensive side o...