WVU gets the BIG 12 slot...WBB Tipoff Luncheon today...Swimming and Diving fall to Tennessee...19 in a row

.
FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-BIG 12 says...WVU, not Louisville

-Sold out luncheon today for Lady Cards

-Tennessee defeats Cards in swimming

-RAPID REDUX wins 19th. in a row

Make room, guys. The Mountaineer
is joining you...

The BIG 12 has chosen, and it not Louisville. The Mountaineers. Knowing how these kinds of things work, there will probably be more to this than we currently know. Conference re-alignment is like sitting through your niece's piano recital...it never seems to end.

Surprising that they chose to announce it at 7 a.m. Must have been a sleepless night for the decision makers.

Next step? In Jurich we trust.

******************************************************************

Congratulations if you got a seat at today's University of Louisville women's basketball tip off luncheon today. The event is sold out. CARDINAL COUPLE will have two of our writers in attendance, though, if you can't go...and we'll look forward to their reports and observations. 

The Lady Cards will open their season Sunday with an exhibition game against Lindsey Wilson. Most preseason polls we're seeing have Jeff Walz's team ranked in the top ten nationally.

The Cards return their top two scorers from last year in Monique Reid and Shoni Schimmel. Four starters from the team that upset Xavier in the NCAA tournament are back on campus, and three very talented freshmen join the mix.

The schedule looks to be a tough one, with pre-conference tilts against powerhouse Texas A&M, ACC member Florida State, in-state rival Kentucky and a trip to the Pacific northwest for two games. The roster is deep, though and competition has been spirited in the pre-season practices. Toss the ball in the air and let's get it started!

******************************************************************

The University of Louisville lost a dual meet in swimming and diving yesterday to nationally ranked Tennessee. The women fell 183-117 to the Vols in the Ralph Wright Natatorium on campus.

Hannah Gadd placed second in the 1 meter diving event. Fanny Lillestrom won in the 200 meter breaststroke for the Cards. The women failed to win any other events but had a lot of close second and third place finished against UT.

******************************************************************

5 year old RAPID REDUX won his 19th. straight horse race yesterday...splashing past four foes in the sixth race at Laurel Race Course in Maryland. The streak began on October 13, 2010 and has taken him to seven different race tracks and he's had nine different jockeys on board for the wins.

Talk about playing well on the road...

None of his wins have come at any Kentucky tracks...his owner prefers to keep him close to the Maryland and Pennsylvania racing circuits...but an attempt to get him to ship into  Churchill for a fall race this year is picking up steam.

He isn't racing against the best competition out there and he's definitely not Breeder's Cup quality...but nineteen in a row is nothing to sneeze about.

Yesterday's win was a typical effort for the gelding. Took the early lead, was well rated and relaxed through the first quarter by jockey J.D. Acosta (who's been on board for four of the wins) kept to the rail as the horses hit the stretch and gradually pulled away from the field.

The nineteen in a row ties him with Peppers Pride and Zenyatta for most consecutive wins on North American race tracks. He paid $2.60 on a $2.00 win ticket yesterday.

**********************************************************************************





nochoiceisachoice