More Cardinal Favorites - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Happy Mother's Day

Paulie's sis Christy is a great Mom! 

First off, a Happy Mother's Day to all this fine spring Sunday morning.  I'm blessed still still have a vital and active mother (and vacation travel partner!) in my life, still being a provider to myself, my father, and my brother and his family.  Life wouldn't be the same without her and I wanted to take a moment and thank her for being her.

If you are a Mom, top of the day to you! Make sure and let your Mom know she is appreciated and loved today (and every day!) .

Moms make the world go around.

More Cardinal Favorites

Now I'd like to pick up on a theme that Jared posted on Thursday.  We talked about this in the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour yesterday some, but I wanted to take a moment to dive in a bit more to it.

Cardinal Favorites.  Jared shared some across sports and I'll try to do the same.  I will be a bit volleyball heavy, as anyone who's a Cardinal Couple regular reader will not be surprised to hear.

Aiko

On CCRH, I mentioned, I believe, Justine Landi, Emily Juhl, and current player Aiko Jones as favorite players in Volleyball, and if you know me, I do sometimes "latch on" to some players that don't get as much attention and aren't in the spotlight.  You can see some of that in my selections above, Kala Faulkner, for examply, was with the Cards for only one season, her freshman year, but I always loved seeing her get out on the court, which admittedly wasn't terribly frequently.  A 5'6" guard out of Ashland, KY, she was the first player that I would now identify as being part of the Attack Yorkie squad, though that moniker wasn't coined until some time later.

 For WBB I mentioned Katie Olsen, Kala Faulkner, and more recently Kylee Shook.  I do want to mention that I have strongly approached this from the perspective of who are my favorites. 

I should certainly mention Gwen Rucker, who we've mentioned some recently as having been a dual-sport athlete in Basketball and Volleyball for a couple of years.  You could probably throw every Attack Yorkie in here, certainly including Shelby Harper that Jared mentioned the other day.

I'll include Jude Schimmel, and in my mind, she ranks far higher in favorites than her older sister.  And, of course, in that vein, Jess Laemmle gets a nod, here.  The last I'll mention is Sam Fuehring.

In Volleyball, in addition to the above, add Lecia Brown, a middle blocker that could jump through the roof.  Also Renee Tomko, another player that was only with us for one year before she transferred to Delaware.  She was a fantastic setter that was poised to have a great career with the Cardinals but I think soured on some coaching decisions her freshman year (decisions that I think I can reasonably say, this many years later, that I too thought were not great).  Another short timer, this time due to injury ending her high level volleyball playing career, is Javoni Faucette.  And my final entry, I promise, is a joint one.  Think it's reasonable to include Tess Clark, Eleni Georgiafandis, and Maggie Dejong as a single entry because they are such an iconic trio together.  All three are wonderful individuals, but when you see the friendship bond between the three of them, you can't help but smile.

Inger Katrine Bjerke

OK, let's pick up a few from some other sports.  Gabrielle Vincent and Inger Katrine Bjerke from Soccer.  Lotta Kahlert (who's name I can't believe I blanked on yesterday...sorry!) from Field Hockey.

 From Softball, another trio of good friends, Chelsi Beamis, Katelyn Mann (now Donnelly), and the Big Wol', Alicja Wolny.  (Yeah, OK, their trio of pups probably help their entry, "Princess Nova Jean", "Reggie", and "Kona May", respectively).  Add Maggie Ruckenbrod - don't try to steal 2nd when Maggie is behind the plate, and finally Alison "Mike" Szydlowski.

OK, it's a long list, but it's so hard to pare down.  I'd love to hear your faves in the comments.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Another Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is in the can.   As mentioned above, we touched on the favorite players topic, we talked about volleyball and basketball verbal commit Sydni Schetnan.  We also brought up a few other news and notes items.

Check it out.

-- 

JMcA

Changes for Spring Seniors -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Says Goodbye to Ferguson

Spring sports in 2020 saw their seasons cut short. This isn't news to anyone. Something that also isn't new is how this has already impacted the 2021 season, as spring sports seniors were granted an additional year of eligibility. This week, however, we got a couple of bits of news that impact Louisville's 2021 season even more. First, MLB announced that this season's amateur draft would be only five rounds, with teams allowed to sign an unlimited number of undrafted players for a maximum of $20,000 each. This has direct implications for college baseball, and for UofL specifically as they commonly have players that need to decide whether to go pro or stay. 

The second bit of news is a bit more direct. Standout infielder, Caitlin Ferguson, confirmed that she would be forgoing her second senior season after being accepted to pharmacy school. Ferguson, from Versailles, KY, was a four-year starter for the Cards, being named to the All-ACC Freshman team in 2017. She was All-Southeast Region 2nd Team as a sophomore and started every game as a junior. In the young 2020 season, Ferguson was hitting .215 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.

Ferguson was a favorite here at Cardinal Couple, so we are sad to see her go. However, we hope you'll join us in wishing her the best in her future endeavors. Given that many of the sports we cover here at Cardinal Couple do not necessarily have the same post-college aspirations as other sports, it would not be surprising to see more seniors make this same decision and move on to the next phase of their lives and careers. As with Ferguson, we would support whatever decision was made.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Another week has come and gone, and we're getting closer to what would officially be the summer slump in a normal year. We're still hosting the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast every week, though, and we hope you'll join us. This week, Paulie sat down with a couple of current a future Cardinal personalities, so we'll chat about those interviews as well as other goings-on. Tune in to the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel at 11 AM for this week's episode.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Sydni Schetnan Interview -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

SYDNI SCHETNAN INTERVIEW

A chance and a wonderful opportunity to speak with Sydni Schetnan yesterday for an interview.

She's a 6'5", class of 2021 Volleyball and Women's Basketball student-athlete from Sioux Falls, SD (Washington H.S.) Syd is also the first student-athlete I've had the opportunity to interview who plans on pursuing two DI sports since the days of Emmonnie Henderson.

"E", of course played WBB and also participated as a thrower on the Louisville Women's Track and Field squads from 2013-15. 

We discussed a great many things in the chat. She's from a very athletic family, has a love of Mexican cuisine...as I do...and she provides details of her journey in two sports (volleyball and basketball) and the decision to come to Louisville. 

I really think you'll enjoy "Big Syd's" words and the thought behind them. You can hear the conversation at the link below: 


LINK:  SYDNI SCHETNAN INTERVIEW


A huge "Thank You!" to Sydni for spending the time with me yesterday via phone to give Cardinal athletic fans and all listeners an insight into the who, what,where,when and why of her journey, her thoughts and her opinions. 

In this time where we don't know exactly when the organized competition of athletics for student-athletes will commence again, the future for a lot of sports participants is "in a holding pattern" while our nation and world deals with more important issues. 

These student-athletes are staying in shape, though, doing the best they can in mostly solitary situations and await their chance to perform on the courts, in the classrooms and for themselves, their squads and the fans again. Much love and respect to them for still doing the work, defining the skills and believing in the future. 





Stay safe and keep the faith,

paulie
xxxxx

Jared's Favorite UofL Athletes -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Favorite UofL Athletes

We all share our love for UofL Athletics, especially the women's sports here at Cardinal Couple, but writers and readers alike always have our favorite athletes.  Some of our favorites may go way back to the Conference USA or Big East days while other favorites may be currently enrolled at Louisville.

I added some requirements for myself but you are open for your own rules and requirements.  For myself, I am limiting my favorites to those who are no longer students at Louisville and they had to have played during my time at UofL (starting fall 2012) or later.

Katie George is a fan favorite among many Louisville fans.  The former Miss Kentucky spent four years with Louisville volleyball and helped lead them to their first ACC Championship.  George spent some time with WDRD before joining ACC Network, where she is currently employed.  The volleyball star was born and raised in town and was known for her humor about food and her leadership on the court.

Nicole Pufahl was with the softball program for five seasons.  Pufahl held the team captain and center fielder role before Celene Funke.  Her parents were often seen on the berm in right center.  Hailing from California, Pufahl had one of the most outgoing personalities you will ever find at Louisville.  She was the person who got our cheering section to come to some softball games, which first introduced me to the Cardinal Couple crew and played a part in kick-starting my sports photography career.

Jazmine Jones recently finished her time at Louisville.  Her senior season got cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Tallahassee native is preparing to play in the WNBA.  Jones was no stranger to the camera and quickly showed off her dance moves and smile.  Jones was often seen leading cheers at other sporting events.

Gabrielle "Gaby" Vincent was one of the biggest supporters of my euphonium playing.  The soccer center back joined a couple of my soccer buddies at a concert one time.  Vincent was a hard worker and spent a lot of time focusing on school but was one of the kindest athletes UofL has had, a trait she learned from her parents, who often sat right behind our cheering section.  The Maryland native is now with the Utah Royals FC as wells as the U23 Team USA squad.

Sidney Melton has been one of the biggest supporters of my photography and she and Celene Funke once shot with me in my earlier days.  The Ohio native spent five seasons with softball and was widely known for her speed and ability to steal bases.  Her encouragement and support of my photography helped motivate me to start going to more games as a photographer instead of a fan.  Paulie recently caught up with Melton about her grad school endeavors.

Shelby Harper was in my early years as a student.  Her senior season was my freshman year.  I was one of those crazy guys adjusting to college, Harper was a college crush.  She played a supporting role on the NCAA Finalist season with basketball.  The Kentucky native joined the Cards as a walk-on but quickly earned a scholarship and was a fan favorite her senior year.


Who are some of your favorite athletes?  You can set your own guidelines for who qualifies.  Hopefully, the CC folks will add their favorites too, or perhaps talk about them on the podcast Saturday.

I want to point out that my favorites are just that, my favorites -- and don't necessarily speak for the entire Cardinal Couple staff.

I did consult a bit with Paulie on some of his favorites. He mentioned Louisville Softball's Jordan McNary and Alicja Wolny as two he really enjoyed watching play and interviewing. He also enjoys talking with McNary "The Governor" as he refers to her, and she's stull in Louisville, working with a promotions company and coaching softball at Asbury College.

He also had current player Celene Funke on his list. He's has some fun interviews with her and we look forward to those continuing.

Worldwide at a UofL baseball game!

In basketball, Arica Carter, was the first he mentioned. He also mentioned some of the great interviews he's had with Yacine Diop and, going back to high school  days, interviews he did with Lindsey Duvall and Seygan Robins. If pressed for a favorite, he was unwilling to specify one, but mentioned he had always had a lot of fun with Jess Laemmle. 

Hannah Boyle (Field Hockey) and Gabby Kouzelos (women's soccer) came to mind in other sports Hannah Koloski (Lacrosse), Emmonnie Henderson (track and field, WBB) came to mind and Lauen Hartlage (Women's golf) also stood out.

He's spoken to so many in the 13 years of Cardinal Couple, I'm sure there are a multitude of other

Remember to stay healthy and stay safe.  Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Interview with Karen Ferguson Dayes -- Field Hockey Signees -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

KAREN FERGUSON DAYES INTERVIEW

The chance on Tuesday to interview Louisville women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson Dayes was a great opportunity to catch up with her and the team. In these COVID-19 days, we are all going through changes from what we used to consider the "normal" and Coach had been adjusting as well. 

We discussed the past season, the future and quite a few individual players...in addition to quite a few other relevant subjects. I really think you'll enjoy her words and thoughts on Louisville women's soccer and, like many of us, "Coach KFD" is ready to transition from the Zoom and other type meeting with student-athletes and return to "the pitch". 

As we all wait to see how and when we can accomplish this safely, we all must put the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans as our prime objective...and Coach puts that as "Job #1" in what she sees her responsibilities entailing. 

Louisville WSOC had a 13-5-2 season in 2019, was 5-3 in the ACC and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Enjoy the discussion. LINK below: 

LINK:   KAREN FERGUSON DAYES INTERVIEW

I appreciate Karen spending the time with me and thanks to Nick Evans, Louisville women's soccer S.I.D., for setting the interview up. 

In coach's final words, she summed up our situation these days perfectly. Make adjustments, not excuses. Great words to live by as we continue to chart our course in the uncertainty of today's world. 

Our writer Jared Anderson suggested Coach Karen and I do the interview after a couple of Margaritas, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We didn't do that, but Coach probably could have used a few after being on the phone with me...


FIELD HOCKEY ANNOUNCES EIGHT

Louisville Field Hockey head coach Justine Sowry has announced the addition of eight prospective student-athletes to the 2020 squad. 

In the group are five midfielders, two forwards and a back. Three of the players are from England or Europe and one is a Louisville (Sacred Heart Academy) product.

The Louisville Field Hockey team was 16-6 in 2019, 3-3 in the ACC and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 


The new Field Hockey players: 

Maitland Demand -- midfielder -- Waretown, N.J. 

Mia Duchars -- midfielder -- St. Louis, MO

Embry Jane Imorde -- forward -- Louisville, KY

Brigid Lowry -- midfielder -- Wayne, PA

Paulina Mayer -- back -- Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany 

Sofia Pendolino -- midfielder --  Hummelstown, PA

Aimee Plumb -- midfielder -- Canterbury, Kent, England 

Charlotte Van Dirschot -- midfielder -- Haarlem, The Netherlands

We welcome these eight to the "Ville" and can't wait to see them in action at Trager Stadium! 


Have a wonderful Wednesday! 


paulie
xxxxx

Giving Tuesday -- Fall Sports Season Happening? -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Karen Ferguson-Dayes Interview

Paulie will be sitting down with women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes later this afternoon.  Well, they will be sitting down in their respective homes and talk over the phone.  We will hear plenty about how she is handling these tough times, staying in touch with her team, and what she expects this fall.

Perhaps, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, they will sip on margaritas throughout the interview?  I'm sure that would make things more interesting as it goes on.


Tune in ( or click on) tomorrow to hear the full interview between Paulie and Coach KFD.


Fall Sports Season Hopeful

The MLB continues talks of its shortened season, which they hope to start late summer.  The NFL
said they will play their regularly scheduled season without a preseason.  Places are starting to reopen either May 25 or June 1.  UofL is planning on having their normal fall semester on campus.

All of these are promising signs for college sports fans hoping to have a fall sports season.

Fall collegiate sports typically do not start competitive play until late August or early September, well after the slow reopening of places.  The trick will be finding out how soon teams are allowed to get together for workouts and practices.

We may see a shortened or delayed season and these seasons may be held without fans in the stands but signs are pointing to having a fall sports season.  For us at Cardinal Couple it means field hockey, volleyball, and women's soccer.

Add on men's soccer and football for myself.  And Paulie is an avid UofL football fan and loves to go to the games with Sonya.

NCAA Notice of Allegations

Coming to no surprise was the NCAA Notice of Allegations to Louisville's men's basketball program.  The NOA goes back to the Pay For Play issue with Brian Bowen and several coaches who are no longer employed at Louisville.

We also learned that Vince Tyra and Dr. Neeli Bendapudi were not going to back down and will fully fight the NCAA on this.  They also stated that they will not self-impose a postseason ban.

These occurred under a now-gone basketball coach and have nothing to do with the current roster of student-athletes or coaching staff.

It seems a bit retro-active to punish the current players with any NCAA Penalties. That being said, it is the NCAA, and we know there is no love lost between them and Cardinal Basketball.

We'll see.


Giving Tuesday

May 5th is "Giving Tuesday" at UofL.

This #GivingTuesdayNow, we’ve made it our mission to further our first Cardinal Principle: to unite as a community of care. Whether it's supporting our most vulnerable students, empowering ground-breaking COVID-19 research, or 3-D printing and supplying Personal Protective Equipment, you’re helping us make a lasting impact for years to come. This all starts with you

The link to give is: 

http://give.louisville.edu/s/1157/19/fdn/interior.aspx?sid=1157&gid=1&pgid=6429


Although we operate on a shoestring budget here at Cardinal Couple, Paulie and Sonya have checked the books and made a $100 donation out of the Cardinal Couple account to this very worthy cause.

He challenges you to do the same, or give what you can. Show you care.



To conclude today I wish everyone a Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Make sure to celebrate Taco Tuesday the right way and add a margarita or four with it!

Happy Tuesday, stay safe, and Go Cards!

Jared

Scott Teeter Louisville Lacrosse Interview -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

SCOTT TEETER INTERVIEW

In the Monday version of Cardinal Couple, I bring you the recent interview with Louisville Lacrosse head coach Scott Teeter. I caught up with how Coach, his wife and family -- plus the student-athletes and coaching staff and personnel are doing these days. 

May is the month where Scott and the rest of the ACC would have found out who would have been selected for the NCAA Tournament. The Lax Cards were 5-4 before college athletics were ended and showing promise -- with wins over Cincinnati, Marquette and Vanderbilt. The Cards were a "bubble team" to make the "Big Dance" -- the ACC looked to possibly have five or six schools that could have been selected for the NCAA Championships in Lacrosse. 

Coach and I discussed the recent Louie's and the two team awards that the Lacrosse squad picked up. I also asked him if he could come up with a player of the year in each of the classes (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior). 

The future looks bright for the 2020 Louisville Lacrosse squad. with plenty of returning talent, experience and capabilities. We hope you enjoy the interview, it is linked up below: 


LINK:  SCOTT TEETER INTERVIEW -- LOUISVILLE LACROSSE


HANNAH BOYLE

One of my favorite student-athlete alumnae from the Louisville Field Hockey squad is Hannah Boyle. I've been able to stay in touch with her from time to time after her playing days ended at UofL (2011-14).

She has had a long-time love for horses. She is able to continue that today, as you'll see in the Go Cards article I have linked up below. 

I happened to meet up with her after the Louisville Field Hockey vs. Alumnae game last fall. I was on the field, catching interviews and she came right up to me and asked if I remembered her. I started chuckling and told her she was unforgettable and we did an impromptu interview on the Trager Stadium pitch.  

She and I had some fun times at Churchill Downs, she introduced me to spectacular horse trainer Ron Moquett and she is a great example of how following your dreams and passions can work out for you. We've stayed in touch via social media and she's in Lexington now --  working as the Experience Coordinator for Mill Ridge Farms. 

Hannah has had a very interesting journey since graduation from UofL and I think you'll enjoy the read on her below. The hard work, dedication and principals that were augmented during her time as a UofL student-athlete under Field Hockey Head Coach Justine Sowry and her staff have paid off. 

The process of the student-athlete to the world after college is a process that can take one in many directions.

Hannah's journey is a remarkable one. 




LINK:   HANNAH HAS HOPES




AHEAD: 


I've secured an interview with Louisville women's soccer head coach Karen Ferguson Dayes for my Wednesday article.

On Tuesday, our Jared Anderson has the write -- it's Cinco de Mayo -- so expect a bit about that.

Tomorrow is also UofL's "Giving Tuesday" --an event I know you'll want to take part in. I would expect Jared will go into the details of this annual fund-raising event also. 


Have a marvelous Monday, and, remember -- we're all in this together! 


paulie
xxxxx

Sunday Cardinal Couple - Derby Recap Social Distancing Edition

The Day After

The day after the first Saturday in May is usually a day for Louisville and Louisvillians to recover from a day of over-indulgence.  That may be a bit less of a problem this year, though I do know many took the opportunity of some of the best Derby Day weather in about a decade to enjoy the day, including with some "adult beverages."

The day wasn't without some racing, however.  Oaklawn in Arkansas is having real racing, albeit without fans in the stands.  You can see how you might have done if you had followed Paulie's guidance over at Paulie's Picks. He gave out some nice winners, according to his latest report.

"Virtual" Kentucky Derby

There were two other Derby Day homages.  The first, and the one that got the most attention, was a "virtual Kentucky Derby".  Hosted by NBC Sports, much like they would've shown the real Kentucky Derby, this race was a computer graphics version of a Kentucky Derby as it might have been run by a field of historic Derby greats.  Including Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Whirlaway, Affirmed, Citation, and more. A great call by long-standing Kentucky Derby track announcer Larry Colmus, who was seeing it for the first time, along with the nationwide TV audience.

The race was a close one, with Seattle Slew leading much of the race, but with Secretariat edging out Citation and Seattle Slew in the final lengths for the win.  The video can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgP1I6VChg8

Kentucky Turtle Derby

OK, this one is basically an advertisement for Old Forester bourbon, but it's still a fun shell-ebration.

There's a little bit of a history lesson in this one, as this is only the second running of the Kentucky Turtle Derby.  The last running was in 1945.  Why 1945?  That was the only year, since the creation of the Kentucky Derby in 1875 that the race had been postponed from it's originally scheduled date due to a World War II ban on horse racing.  The 1945 edition of the Kentucky Derby was run on June 9th, 1945, a month and a day after V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, the day Germany surrendered to the Allies.

On a side note, early Kentucky Derbies were run in mid-May, before the current "first Saturday in May" timing was established in 1932.

The field for the Kentucky Turtle Derby consisted of eight Turtles:  Seattle Slow, Green Mamba, Sir-Hides-A-Bunch, Galapa-Go, the longshot What the Turtleneck (that went off at 86-1 odds), Rocket to Nowhere, Steve, and American Tortuga.

In a neck-stretching finish, the longshot What the Turtleneck took the victory in a ponderous 1/4 mile per hour pace, with Galapa-Go (8-1) placing, and Rocket to Nowhere (15-1) for the show. Larry Colmus called this one also and we even got Churchill Downs bugler Steve Buttleman for the call to post! 

You can check out the racing at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1cFQpl_qkw

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

And once again, the CCRH quartet was "on the air" with the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour.  We got started without Paulie, who's system crashed right before air time, but he battled through and came in clutch down the stretch.  Case, Jared, and myself also joined in the fun.

The Louie Awards and WBB transfers were the material for most of the show, and we also played the audio of the virtual mass marching band, that our very own Jared Anderson was a part of, playing "My Old Kentucky Home" for the Derby Day that wasn't.  Apologies for some confusion around the start of the "My Old Kentucky Home" recording as due to the audio settings on my computers Case, Paulie, and Jared could not hear the audio as it was playing.  Including this was a bit of a spur of the moment decision, so I couldn't get the audio setup correctly for them to hear it.

-- 

JMcA

The First Saturday in May -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Would be Derby Day

For the first time since 1945, it is the first Saturday in May without a Kentucky Derby. We've discussed the lack of sporting events at length here on the site recently, but news this week is about some sporting events returning. We already know that the Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for September. It would be wonderful for there to be fans, but we're still a long way from determining that. The new developments are that Churchill Downs has announced a reopening date. The track will open for racing on May 16th, closed to the public of course. If there is any industry that can handle opening without fans, it would have to be horse racing. The amount of money Churchill Downs can make by being completely open is surely more than they make by being partially opened, but with the increase in online gambling, the amount of money lost by not racing at all is significant. 

All that is to say that opening Churchill Downs does not give us a lot of insight into what the future for sports looks like. Plenty of international leagues have already decided to cancel the remainder of their seasons. Other sporting industries can't benefit directly from gambling so opening without fans is not quite as profitable. 

On the flip side of that, another league announced it's return this week as well. After news that Charlotte, North Carolina had opened up the path for NASCAR's Charlotte race to occur, the series took advantage. Using similar setups in Darlington, NASCAR announced the return to the track on two race weekends. Starting May 17th, there will be 7 races over the next ten days, with four of those being Cup Series races. Both sites, Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, will be closed to fans, but NASCAR will take all of the television and advertising revenue they can get. 

This is the one that is more interesting to the future prospect of college and professional sports. Sure, NASCAR has a greater advertising potential with all of the car and team sponsors, but utilizing just advertising and television revenue is something that professional leagues and high revenue college sports can work with. There is still the issue with sorting out how to play contact sports in the age of a pandemic, if it can be done at all, but this opens the door to seeing just how much people have missed live sporting events. 

Unfortunately, this gives us no information on the low/non-revenue sports on college campuses. The sports that aren't bringing in lucrative TV deals will struggle to balance opening with no concessions and no ticket sales while traveling halfway across the country. That's not even to mention the issues we may have with travel in the fall. 

Long story short, we know a little bit more today than we did last week about how things may look going forward, but we're far from having a clear picture. We'll stick with our mantra of taking one day at a time.

Speaking of the Derby, by the way, there is a Derby tradition that couldn't be set aside quite so easily. The band playing "My Old Kentucky Home" is something we always look forward to, and anyone who has been to a Derby Party with Paulie has heard him belt it loudly and proudly. Someone came up with a creative way to scratch that itch this year, with a virtual band playing the tune. Our own Jared Anderson was a part of it, so tune into the video here to see the magic.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

It'll be a full virtual house again today, as the normal Derby rigors that used to keep us out of the studio are obviously not an issue this year. Tune in to the Cardinal Couple YouTube at 11AM as we bring you the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics as best we can. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

The Louies -- FH Announces Signees -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

The Louies

Last night, Louisville Athletics held their annual Louie Awards.  Vince Tyra kicked off the night and was preceded by Sean Moth.  Then, Celene Funke (Cards Softball), Jazmine Jones (Cards WBB) and "Fresh" Kimble (Cards MBB) took over.

Tyra provided us with some positive updates.

 UofL had the highest GPA in the ACC.  Of course, with how often we talk about academic accomplishments, this comes as no surprise, but still a good reason to be proud of our student-athletes.  Also, UofL was on pace for the highest finish in school history in the College Cup standings.

Here is a list of the awards and their recipients:

Female Freshman of the Year: Aiko Jones, volleyball

Male Freshman of the Year: Alex Binelas, baseball

Male Sophomore of the Year: Matthias Schmid, golf

Female Sophomore of the Year: Makenli Forrest, track and field

Record Breaking Performance: Nicolas Albiero, swimming and diving

Breakthrough Athlete: Tutu Atwell, football

Comeback Athlete of the Year: Andrej Barna, swimming and diving

CardsCare Community Service Team: Lacrosse (women) / Baseball (men)

CardsCare Community Service Individual: McKenzie Kelley, ladybirds

Humble and Hungry: Sarah Hernandez, soccer

Pep Band Member of the Year: Allison Doimer

Cheerleader of the Year: Kristen Wells

Ladybird of the Year: Sarah Parker

Men's Cardinal Cup: Baseball

Women's Cardinal Cup: Lacrosse

Male Junior of the Year: Jordan Nwora, basketball

Female Junior of the Year: Mercedes "Mechi" Pastor, field hockey

Female Senior of the Year: Jazmine Jones, basketball

Male Senior of the Year: Dwayne Sutton, basketball

Male Leadership Award: Cody Cochran, soccer

Female Leadership Award: Meghan Nay, golf

Moment of the Year: Volleyball Upsets #2 Texas to Advance to Elite Eight

Inspiration Award: Football

Female Adidas High Performance Athlete of the Year: Dana Evans, basketball

Male Adidas High Performance Athlete of the Year: Reid Detmers, baseball

L1C4 Louie Award: Blanton Creque, football

A huge round of "well done" and congratulations to these recipients. And, to all the hard-working student athletes at UofL, for setting the bar, achieving it and making a difference.


Field Hockey Announces Three Signees

A bright spot to the week was field hockey announcing three new players to join the Cards for the 2021 season.  All three join us from across the Atlantic Ocean.

Paulina Mayer joins the Cards from Manheim, Germany.

Charlie Van Oirschot hails from Haarlem, The Netherlands.

Aimee Plumb, comes to Louisville from Canterbury, England.

Cardinal Couple will reach out to see if we can hear from Justine Sowry in the next few days regarding the three commits.

Field Hockey posted a 16-6 record in 2019 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.


Maybe, maybe not.

On a side note, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu had a discussion on who would have won the NCAA Championship this year.  Both agreed it would have been Oregon.  My thoughts?  Not so much.

More like a team that wears Red and Black.

Let's not forget that UofL WBB defeated Oregon, on a neutral court, 72-62 to win the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Louisville won the regular season ACC Title and Kylee Shook went for 18 points and 15 rebounds against the Ducks. Dana Evans delivered two huge, three-point daggers against the Oregon defense and had 17 points and six assists.

What's your thoughts?



Welcome to May

It is the first day of May, in case social quarantining has you a bit nebulous and confused as to the who, what, where, when and why's of daily life.

A Friday, and a huge day here in the city of Louisville, as the Kentucky Oaks would have been run at Churchill Downs. The first Friday in May is the second most attended day of the year at Churchill Downs...in normal times...and features the best three-year-old fillies in the world "running for the lilies".

It's also Breast Cancer Survivor Day and those brave individuals/survivors of this terrible disease would normally be honored at the track with a walk down the stretch -- as a predominately pink-dress crowd gives them some love and encouragement as they parade in front of the gtandstands and clubhouse. 

Happy Friday, Happy Original Oaks Day, stay safe, and Go Cards!

Jared