Saturday Cardinal Couple -- B.B. headed to Poland

.
SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Becky Burke headed to Poland for Eurohoops


-Theophille, Okoro lead Cards in NCAA Track/Field


-Ky. High School Girls thump Ind. 75-47


-Angel movie?


-Belmont Stakes picks


Louisville womens basketball player Becky Burke has signed a contract to play for ROW Rybnik Poland in the highly competitive EuroBasketball leagues. 

Burke joins a team that went 15-11 in competition in the 2011-12 season. A scan of the roster from last year shows several former USA college stars were on the squad last season. Alexis Rack (Miss. St./San Antonio), Mekia Valentine (UCSB/N.Y. Liberty), Sybil Dotsy (Ariz. St.) and Rebecca Harris (Illinois) played for Rybnik last season.

Given the transient nature of players and rosters in Euro basketball, it's hard to say whether they'll be there in the upcoming season to help Becky learn the important phrases in Polish like pizza, cereal, remote control and Justin Bieber...but it's a great opportunity for the Clarks Summit, PA star who was UofL's long range specialist in her four years at the Ville. We'll always remember the "Beckster" for that big smile, too. 


Going from the red and black to the green and orange. Load up on the Cocoa Puffs, B.B. Just in case. We hear the Polish cereal brands aren't that great. 


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


Results from Friday NCAA Outdoor Championships:

Four UofL womens track and field stars were in action yesterday in Des Moines, Iowa for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Michelle Theophille tied for 6th in the high jump and Maggie Gilbertson tied for 17th. Theophille cleared six feet (or 1.83m...for
you metric fans) in her best attempt. 


In the shot put, Chinwe Okoro finished seventh with a toss of 56-5.75 and Khadila Abdullah grabbed eleventh place...hurling the ball 54-4.75. 


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

The Kentucky All-Star girls basketball team took it to Indiana last night in Freedom Hall, pounding the Hoosiers 75-47. Kentucky Miss Basketball Sydney Moss led the way for the winners with 14 points and 11 grabs. She was proud of the feat:


" Been a lot of good Kentucky teams to come through here and to beat them by the second-biggest margin is saying a lot."


Moss is headed to Florida this fall to be a student-athlete and is the daughter of NFL great Randy Moss. 


Took the Kentucky squad a bit to get started, going scoreless in the first five minutes of the contest, played in front of a sparse crowd in Freedom Hall. Marion County's Bre Elder (Dayton) finally connected for KY and it was 39-27 at the half for the home team. Indiana was 0 for game from the three-point arc. 


The two squads will battle again today in Indy.


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


Film in the works for #35? Charlie Springer spills the beans (hopefully not the popcorn) over at the very fine UofL Card Game. Give "The Observer" a read at the link below. 


Angel documentary


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


OK, here they are. The CARDINAL COUPLE Belmont Stakes picks. A revised forecast, since the "scratch" of I'll Have Another. 

Not gonna happen...

Disappointment? Sure. Everyone wanted to see the California hero try for the Triple Crown. Tendinitis in the left front leg will make that something that isn't going to happen. We're guessing no amount of Aleve could have taken care of the pain (that's what Paul takes for his tendinitis) and it's a shame that the three-year old can't go...but the care, well-being and safety of the horse is the main thing here and Doug O'Neill made the right call. There are plans to walk him around
in the paddock area today. Previous plans to lead the post parade in the BELMONT STAKES have been scratched.


PAUL

Dullahan, you da man!

One of my favorite bartenders at Churchill gave me a DULLAHAN pin to wear earlier this week for Saturday. Didn't think too much of it at the time, but now I believe it is manifest destiny and the horse is my top pick here. His late-closing style is ideal for the lengthy Belmont stretch. I'll go with ATIGUN for second. Was impressed with his win on the undercard at Churchill on Derby Day and he's another who flies by them from the back. D.Wayne Lukas keeps bringing OPTIMIZER back for punishment in Triple Crown races and maybe he'll appreciate the added distance today...so we'll peg him for third. UNION RAGS should be good enough to pick up the pieces for fourth. 


I'll play exacta and trifecta wheels with these four and make sure they're included in a pick three that I'll start in the ninth race with my best pick of the day...Hierro. 


SONYA

"Hello, Sonja? I think we have
a live one Saturday. How's Co-Co?"

Bob Baffert is up to something. I figured he wouldn't toss BODEMEISTER in the Belmont, too far for the mile specialist, but he has entered PAYNTER. Ol' white-hair was puffing the goods on this one early in the Derby trail and he was impressive in winning a big allowance race at Pimilco on Preakness day. PAYNTER, at a price, is my top pick. I think DULLAHAN will be gobbling up ground at the end, and it wouldn't surprise me if he wins...but I'm picking him second today. ATIGUN comes out of Kenny McPeek's barn and is a closer who will like Belmont's surface. He only knows one speed and it is flying late. He'll get third. UNION RAGS will contest it for awhile before fading to fourth. 
It would not surprise me if "Ragsie" wins, though. 


I'll box these four in an exacta and put win, place and show money on Paynter, Dullahan and Atigun. By the time the Belmont Stakes, the 11th race on the Belmont card today, I'll also probably come up with a few "hunch bets"...paying particular attention to how speed is holding up on the rock-hard, lighting fast track. 


DAVID

I've chased OPTIMIZER in the first two legs of the Triple Crown so far. Not backing off now and that's my top selection. Trainer D.Wayne Lukas got a noggin thump from one of his horses earlier in the week. It would be fitting if they played Dean Martin's "Ain't that a kick in the head" during the post parade. Give me DULLAHAN for second and I don't care who comes in third or fourth.


Paul still hasn't paid me for my I'll Have Another score in the Derby. Something about the increased cost of UofL Football tickets. I'll call him later Saturday morning and tell him to invest my Derby winnings on any horse that nods and winks at the TV cameras during the post parade. These horses -- they're smarter than you think. 


Paulie, cue up a little Dino for me...


(Ask and you shall receive. Click the link below for classic Dean Martin) 


Ain't That A Kick In The Head?


NBC has the coverage again. Post time around 6:30 p.m. Good luck and remember that our selections are for entertainment purposes only. 
.
..
...

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Six UofL Womens Track & Field Athletes qualify for NCAA Championships

.
SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Abdullah, Okoro headline list of UofL women headed to NCAA Championships


-Softball: Elite Eight almost set


Six UofL womens track and field athletes have qualified for the NCAA Championships that will be held June 6-9 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA. 


Here's the list:


Khadija Abdullah - Shot Put
Chinwe Okoro - Shot Put
Holly Knight - 10,000 meter run
Michelle Theophille - High Jump
Maggie Gilbertson - High Jump
Charachesicia Lockhart - Long Jump, Triple Jump

Lockhart will participate in two
events in the NCAA Championships

The Cards won the BIG EAST Championships earlier this month and almost had another athlete qualify yesterday for the NCAA Championship...Amashi Kendall just falling short of a qualifying throw in the hammer. 


The athletes who participate in track and field events at UofL, as well as other Universities, rarely get the recognition and coverage that players in football and basketball do. Their efforts, though, are just as dedicated and the practice hours they spend equal those of the hardwood and gridiron performers. 


Best of luck to the UofL participants in the NCAA. Six entries! Keep up the great work, Ron Mann! 


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


Now that Louisville's softball season has ended, interest in the sport on the college level has dropped off somewhat locally...but 16 teams advanced to the Super Regionals and have made or are making their bid to be one of the eight that get to the Womens College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK. 

Bulls advance to Okla. City

From the BIG EAST, South Florida has punched their ticket to the "elite eight"...eliminating Hofstra in the Super Regionals two games to one. All three games had the same score...2-1. Sara Nevins, who had trouble against the Cards in the regular season and in the BIG EAST Tournament, back to her old form inside the circle.


Other schools who have made reservations for rooms so far in Oklahoma City:


Alabama (knocked off Michigan, who beat Louisville)
Arizona State
Oklahoma
Oregon


Three more could qualify today. Cal needs to beat Washington to advance. Same for LSU, who plays Missouri and Tennessee could secure a slot by beating Georgia today. If LSU, Cal and UT lose, it goes to game three in the best-of-three format. 

Haylie Wagner's pitching stymied Louisville
but couldn't get Michigan past Alabama.

Three PAC 12 schools, a possible three SEC schools, one from the BIG 12 and one from the BIG EAST. Those who clamor for a Cardinal move to the BIG 12 can't help but believe that the overall competition would be stronger, year in and year out...but for this season...each school has a representative in the final dance. 
.
..
...

MONDAY Cardinal Couple: Softball the BIG EAST CHAMPS!

.
MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball defeats St. John's 3-1 to sweep series


-Women's track wins 5th straight BIG EAST outdoor title


-Some final Derby Week comments


-Marinatto steps down as BIG EAST COMMISH. 

Whitney Arion's two run blast was the key for UofL.

Whitney Arion's two run blast in the fifth inning was the difference maker in Louisville Softball's 3-1 win over St. John's Sunday in Queens, NY. With the victory, Louisville sweeps the regular season-ending series against the Red Storm, finishes 50-3 on the season an 20-2 in the BIG EAST and will get the #1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. Louisville will open up tournament play on Thursday, May 11th against #8 seed Connecticut at 12:30 p.m. The BIG EAST tournament will take place in South Bend, IN.

CARALISA Connell
started for UofL

Sunday's game was a scoreless affair for four innings matching Cards pitcher Caralisa Connell (18-1) and St. John's thrower Ashley Beza. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Arion took a Beza pitch over the left field fence to score her and Kayla Sloes, who had reached base on a Red Storm fielding error.


St. John's got a run in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Chelsea Leonard but Louisville pushed the margin to 3-1 in the top of the seventh when sophomore Jordan Trimble doubled and scored on a Maggie Ruckenbrod single.

Chelsea Leonard
picked up the save.

Leonard pitched her way out of trouble in the bottom of the seventh.  A single, walk and Leonard's second wild pitch of the game gave St. John's runners on second and third with two outs...but Leonard got Erin Burner to strike out and end the threat and the game.


It was Leonard's 10th save of the year, tops in the nation. 


A great regular season for the softball team and the road now leads to the BIG EAST Tournament and NCAA Regionals. 


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

Abdullah won the
discus today

Louisville women's track and field won their fifth straight BIG EAST Championship Sunday in Tampa, FL...getting a big boost from field events for the second day in a row. Khadija Abdullah won the discus and Amashi Kendall finished third.


Michelle Theophille won her first BIG EAST high jump title and teammate Megan Schubert grabbed fourth place. Charachesicia Lockhart finished fifth in the triple jump and Ahlivia Spencer set a school record and ran sixth in the 800m. 


Final point totals:


Louisville  -  104
Notre Dame  - 99.50
South Florida - 84
Cincinnati - 81
West Virginia - 72


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


The 138th Kentucky Derby is in the books now and it did answer a few questions for us but also left a few remaining questions. 

-- No doubt, the West Coast horses made a strong showing this year. Santa Anita Derby I'll Have Another won the race and Creative Cause wasn't too far back. Bob Baffert's Bodemeister set a wicked pace...maybe too fast...but was there until the final few steps. 


-- Will this be the last Derby where horses can run on Lasix? Racing commissions in Kentucky, New York and many other states are looking at a ban on the diuretic and bleeding-prevention medication. 


-- Who will come back for the Preakness? We'll know that soon enough...but unless there's injury or an owner looking to rest a horse, we expect the top five finishers from the Derby to contest the 1 3/16th event at Pimilco in two weeks. 

-- Will Hansen's owner's finally "get it" and let "Big Whitey" run in races he has a chance in...namely  anything a mile and eight or shorter? The horse looked washed out and just plain wore out after the Derby distance. 


-- Will the increases in attendance on Wednesday and Thursday during Derby week convince Churchill to offer a few stakes or Graded races those days? Honestly, the card on Thursday was just awful when it
came to feature and quality races. 


-- Does the lack of casino gambling in Kentucky kill the thoroughbred horse tracks at Churchill, Ellis Park, Turfway? Name trainers, owner and jockeys are splitting right after Derby Week and headed to higher paydays in New York and California. Wake up, Kentucky state Senate. Give the people the right to vote on it.

-- Could next year's Derby Week get any more exciting or embarrassing for media events and sensational journalism? You had Robby Albarado resurrecting his boxing career, Cyndi Lauper dropping
nasty words in front of little girls, Richie Farmer getting more print that he wanted (and not basketball-related) and a death in the barns the day after Derby. 


In all fairness, you also had one of the most exciting Derby's in the past few years...a female jockey winning the Oaks for the first time ever and a first-time jockey to Kentucky and Churchill winning the Derby. Record crowds and (mostly) great weather. 


-- The owner, trainer and jockey of I'll Have Another discuss the win at the link below


We'll have a few words about I'll Have Another 

-- Finally, we will continue our quest to be granted official media credentials to Churchill. A formal letter of request has been mailed to Darren Rogers at Churchill (per his verbal suggestion) now that Derby 138 is in the books. 


As we pointed out, we've provided 11 straight days of horse-racing articles to you...the readers. We'll go the Andy DuFresne route from the movie Shawshank Redemption. We'll mail a letter a week if we have to. 


We thank you for your e-mails and calls of support on this issue. Rogers seems to think we don't get enough "play" in our comments section. We can't control that.
No one is forcing a single reader here to make comments. We get plenty of e-mails, though...and that is proof enough to us that you're reading, have opinions and care. 


A noted writer here locally told me, in reference to his website:


"Paul, I'd do away with a message board and comments section if I could. It's the haven of flamers, idiots and mal-contents." 


They can't ignore us forever. We're not going anywhere. The gorilla in the corner is not staying quiet. Hand the ball to the girl out of bounds and drop back into the zone coverage. Game far from over. 


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


John Marinatto has resigned as BIG EAST Commish. There is a God, after all. How many teams left the BIG EAST during his watch? And who came in? Bye, bye...now. See ya later. Don't let the door slam you in the back as you leave. 

A league that sorely needs direction, guidance and "out of the box thinking" was being run by a lost hippo in the rain-forest looking for a place to take a nap and a dump. Not necessarily in that order, either. 


It's nothing personal, John. I'm sure you're a great guy, super dad, wonderful hubby and a lot of fun to be around on poker night or a day at the races. 


You're just not a very good commish. 

Louisville, here's your sign for the umpteenth time. Get out. Run while you can. Go independent, BIG 12 or Bill and Ted's Excellent Conference (dude) but break the chains and run away from the small, non-football playing Catholic Universities that control the landscape of the BIG EAST. Let Providence, Villanova, St John's and Seton Hall wallow in their own self-importance. Replace your divot and drive on down the fairway, Cards. 


And, we're not religion-bashing here either. It's a matter of recent relativity relevance. And the four schools above haven't been relevant in a long time in athletics. 


Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, West Virginia...uh...we're beginning to see a trend here. Get us in the truck, Tom Jurich...and let's go.
.
..
...

.
WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


SPECIAL REPORT


CARDS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST SOUTH FLORIDA.


-Cards run rule South Florida in Game two 9-0


Louisville exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth and four runs in the fifth to run-rule South Florida 9-0 in game two. The big shots were Jordan Trimble with a grand slam home run to right center in the fourth and Taner Fowler three run left field fence clearer in the fifth to end the game. Chelsea Leonard gets the win with three innings of relief, allowing just three Bulls hits and striking out three in relief of starter Caralisa Connell. 


With the two wins today, #9 Louisville is alone in first place in the BIG EAST with a conference record of 
11-2. 


-Louisville wins Game one against the Bulls 4-1


Louisville gets a complete game win out of Tori Collins and beats the Bulls 4-1 in the first of two today here at Ulmer Stadium. The Cards got all the runs they needed in the bottom of second inning when Maggie Ruckenbrod hit a 2 RBI single to left with two on and two outs. The Cards added runs in the 3rd and 6th.


Collins struck out eight and allowed six hits against USF. The Bulls got an unearned run in the top of the fifth when Janine Richardson reached on a fielding error and scored on Jessica Mouse's single.


We'll have full recaps of both games in Thursday's Cardinal Couple. 


We're also hearing that Pat Summit will announce her retirement Thursday in a press conference. 


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




-Cards, Bulls set to do battle in Ulmer Stadium today


-Okoro throwing it all away


The University of Louisville softball team (38-2, 9-2) heads into their most important double-header of the season so far this season...a 4 p.m. match against BIG EAST leading South Florida. A rare treat for out-of-town Cardinal Softball fans...both games will be televised on ESPNU with Adam Amin and Jennie Finch calling the contest.


The Bulls come into Ulmer at 40-6 and 13-1 in BIG EAST action. They suffered their first defeat of the season last weekend at Connecticut 7-3 but won the other two games against the Huskies. 

Nevins is 0-1 lifetime against the Cards

When you scout the USF squad, Sara Nevins is the first player that stands out. The sophomore pitcher is 23-2 and has a chilling 0.74 ERA. That earned run average is good enough to lead the entire nation. She has 237 strikeouts on the year in 180.2 innings pitched. Opponents bat a minuscule .171 against the lefty and the Bulls defense. 


According to her coach and teammates, Nevins is the main practical joker and stand-up comedian on the squad as well. Easy to be when you leave them dead in the aisles every time you take the mound. 


She'll face the top hitting squad in the BIG EAST today in Louisville, though. The Cards are batting .324 as a unit and have seven players hitting over .300 in the starting lineup.

Stephanie Medina

When USF comes to the plate, the main threats would appear to be Stephanie Medina and Janine Richardson. Both are batting an identical .339 on the season and have seven home runs each. 


Bulls head softball coach Ken Erikson sees the games today like this:


" It's a great time to be here. It's also just another couple of games. We're playing against another bunch of girls. We're not doing anything different. We've been on TV before and that's not going to change how we do things."

USF's Janine Richardson

The Cards and Bulls have a long history of playing each other...the series began back in 2000...Louisville's inaugural season for softball. Louisville coach Sandy Pearsall and Erikson have been on hand for each game. 


Last time the two faced was in the BIG EAST Tournament last year in the quarterfinals at Ulmer. Louisville won 2-0, getting a huge home run off then-freshman Nevins from Colby Wherry. Tori Collins pitched the shutout for the Cards.


First pitch is at 4 p.m. Weather looks great for today's action, so head out to Ulmer and cheer the Cards on! 


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


BIG EAST STANDINGS (as of 4/16/12)


USF             13-1  40-6                 Pitt             6-8  23-19
Louisville      9-2   38-2                Providence  5-8  14-26
Syracuse       7-2   30-10              St. John       3-8  15-28
DePaul          7-2   25-13              Seton Hall    2-9  20-22
Notre Dame  5-3   21-13              Georgetown  2-9  17-26
Connecticut  7-5   18-17             Villanova      1-10  27-18
Rutgers         8-8   21-22


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


For the second straight week, University of Louisville track and field's CHINWE OKORO has been named the BIG EAST Women's Field Athlete of the week. 

Okoro swept the discus and shot put in the Texas Roadhouse Border Battle last Saturday at Cardinal Park against Kentucky, Indiana and Notre Dame. Her discus toss of 56.24m/184-6 was a personal best for her and ranks fourth nationally this season. It is also the fifth-best throw in school history. Her shot put toss of 16.85m/55-3 ranks eighth nationally and another personal best. It's the third best toss in UofL history, too. 


Both throws top the BIG EAST this year. 


The red-shirt senior from Nigeria is also the holder of the 2011 Nigerian Championship title for shot put. 

Chinwe is one of several field specialist that make up what might be considered the best women's "throwers" in NCAA women's competition. Khadija Abdullah, Jenna Wargo, Amashi Kendall, Patrice Gates and Hannah Baker give coach Ron Mann a deep and veteran group of participants in the discus, shot put, hammer and javelin events.  


Okoro and Abdullah are a odds-on bet to finish 1-2 in any field tossing events they take part in. Wargo is a javelin expert and won the event in the Border Battle. 


Louisville, it seems, is quite adept at "throwing it away".  
.
..
...

Cards fare well in Kentucky Invitational

.
MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Lockhart wins triple jump, Abdullah gets second in shot put.

-Sunday BIG EAST WBB results and standings.

Theophille placed
second in the
high jump.

Charachesicia Lockhart won the triple jump competition in Saturday night's Kentucky Invitational at the Nutter Field House in Lexington...leaping 12.22 meters and setting a qualifying mark for the BIG EAST Indoor Championships. Teammate Michelle Theophille finished second in the high jump and was one of three Lady Cards who qualified for the BIG EAST in the event...along with Megan Schubert and Kim Carderio.

Also qualifying for the ladies was Holly Knight, who finished 11th. in the mile and 10th. in the 3,000 meters. Madie Davidson got her ticket for the indoor championships with an eighth-place finish in the 3,000.

Ahlivia Spencer qualified in the 800 meters and Margret Harris punched her ticket with a third-place finish in the 60m prelims.

Khadija Abdullah took second place in the shot put and Amashi Kendall finished fourth. 

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

In Sunday BIG EAST women's basketball...

-Marquette travelled to Madison Square Gardens and knocked off St. John's 63-55 behind Katherine Plouffe's double-double of 18 points and 11 boards. The Golden Eagles trailed 32-28 at the half but went on a 14-4 run to begin the final twenty minues and never trailed after that.

-Georgetown handled Syracuse with surprising ease in D.C. with a 69-42 dismantling of the Orange. Sugar Rodgers led the way for the Hoyas with 23 points. Georgetown led 41-13 at halftime.

Only one game involving a BIG EAST school today on Martin Luther King Day...UNC and UConn face off on ESPN2.

Standings thru Sunday...

Notre Dame                    5-0  17-1
Rutgers                           4-0  15-2
UConn                            4-1  14-2
DePaul                           3-1  15-3
Georgetown                   3-2  14-4
LOUISVILLE                  3-2  14-4
West Virginia                 3-2  12-5
Marquette                      3-2  12-6
St. John's                        3-2  11-7
South Florida                 2-2  10-8
Villanova                       2-3  11-6
Providence                    2-3  10-8
Syracuse                        1-4  12-7
Cincy                             0-4  9-8
Pittsburgh                      0-5  8-10
Seton Hall                      0-5  7-12


.
..
...

How do you do...TCU... & Schimmel named First Team Freshman All-American

- A look at what TCU will bring to BIG EAST women's sports...
.
-Shoni Schimmel named to Freshman All-American First Team !!!
.
-Khadija Abdullah wins discus toss
.
Texas Christian University (TCU) is slated to become the newest member of the BIG EAST. The Horned Frogs, currently members of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) will compete with BIG EAST schools beginning in the 2012-13 season. Although that's over a year away, WE thought WE'D take a look at what women's sports TCU participates in and how they are doing. They currently have 10 women's sports programs.
.
Basketball. The Horned Frogs went 22-11 in the 2010-11 season. They accepted a bid to the WNIT and lost to Oral Roberts. They're entering the best conference in women's basketball with their admission to the BIG EAST. WE can't see them making much of an impact against the Connecticut's, Norte Dame's, DePaul's and Louisville's of the conference and they'll most likely be down in the cellar of BIG EAST standings...with teams such as South Florida and Villanova.
.
Volleyball. They finished the current season 15-16 and went 5-11 in conference play. No postseason play. MWC isn't considered a conference powerhouse in  Volleyball and TCU's seventh place MWC finish indicates to us that they won't be one of the teams challenging Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Louisville for conference superiority.
.
Golf. They are currently ranked 33rd in the country. Their finishes in several tournaments and invitational has been impressive, although they haven't won any of the events. They are led by junior Brooke Beeler and freshman Sanna Nuutinen, from Sweden. There isn't much organization to the BIG EAST when it comes to golf..so it's hard to say how they'll matchup with Louisville, South Florida and Notre Dame in regional and BIG EAST Tournament events...
.
Soccer. They finished the past season with a 7-10-2 record and had an eighth place finish in the MWC with a 1-5-1 record. They probably won't fare much better than that in the BIG EAST.
.
Swimming/Diving. They were 4-4 in dual meets in the 2010-11 season. TCU recorded a fifth place regular season finish in the MWC and sixth in the MWC Championship Tournament. That won't hold much water against Notre Dame, Louisville and the other BIG EAST teams...
.
Tennis. They are 6-6 so far this season. They are competing in the MWC against powerhouse BYU and the Horned Frogs are ranked 75th. in the nation. Not much there in term of competition against the BIG EAST schools.
.
Track and Field. They recently competed in the MWC Championships and Jessica Young won the 60 and 200 meter dashes. Kristal Juarez took the 400m title. The BIG EAST isn't a very strong conference i track and field...TCU could be a contender when they make the move eastward.
.
Cross Country. They have participated in six events this year, winning the UT-Arlington Invitational and gathering second in the Baylor Bear Run Invitational. Hard to say, really, how they'll fare in the BIG EAST Championships down the road..as the times of the runners are the only comparison...but their good finishes in the above mentioned events indicate that their program isn't too bad...
.
TCU also competes in Equestrian and Rifle on the women's side of the sports ledger. Louisville doesn't...although you would think the Cards probably should...given we are in horse country and the thoroughbred capital of the world. Better get to work on that one, Mr. Jurich. Jump that fence...As far as rifle goes...we don't know how many BIG EAST school participate in this sport. We know WVU is pretty good. It figures....
.
What stands out here the most to us is that they don't play softball, field hockey or lacrosse...three of the more popular sports in the BIG EAST...after basketball. Softball is surprising, but it may have to do with the size of the school..8799 students. Given the probable, close to 50/50 split of male/female...a student base of 4400 or so females is comparable to some of the smaller schools in the BIG EAST, but nowhere near the large campus populations of schools such as WVU, USF, or UofL. Then again, WVU doesn't play softball either...so who really knows? The state of Texas produces a wealth of good high school talent each year and the University of Texas seems to be consistently ranked it the top 10 each year. Whether the Horned Frogs will add sports when they join the BIG EAST is unclear and unknown at the time of this article.
.
They are affiliated, but not governed by the Christian church (Disciples of Christ). That will be an interesting contrast to the BIG EAST's Catholic dominated member makeup. DePaul, Marquette, Villanova, Providence, St John's, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, and Georgetown  ...8 of the 16 current members of the BIG EAST are Catholic affiliated.
.
Obviously, the move to the BIG EAST is totally centered around football. The impact of the move on BIG EAST women's sports is negligible at best and with their being the westernmost school in the BIG EAST...a traveling headache for the east coast schools in non revenue sports like tennis, soccer and swimming.
.
***********************************************************************************
.

Louisiville women's basketball freshman guard Shoni Schimmel has been selected to the All-American Freshman First team by Full Court Press. She joins Bria Hartley (Connecticut), Odyssey Sims (Baylor) Meighan Simmons (Tennessee) and Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford).  Schimmel was the Lady Cards second leading scorer on the season with 15.1 ppg. In NCAA Tournament play, she led the Cards with 23.3 ppg in three contests. She was also named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week four times. Schimmel was also selected for the BIG EAST Freshman First team.
Her 33 point performance against Xavier in NCAA Second Round action led the Cards to an upset win  and the NCAA Regionals.
.
Schimmel's jersey will hang from the rafters in the KFC YUM Center someday...most likely immediately after she finishes her four years at Louisville. The debate is already beginning on who will be the best Cardinal women's basketball player of all-time...Schimmel or Angel McCoughtry? WE think it's way too early to get into such conjecture and comparision yet....but Schimmel's impact on the Louisville team, Louisville fans and the national media has been huge and rightly justified. WE can't wait for "the Sho" to begin this fall...
.
CONGRATS, SHOTIME!!! Just a preview of what's to come from  "The Judge".
.
**********************************************************************************
.
Khadija Abdullah took first in the Florida Relays with a discus toss of 157-10. Then, D'Ana McCarty took fifth in the invitational discus toss with a hurl of 166-5. WE know...D'Ana threw better but finished fifth. The events were different, though and congratulations to both Cardinals...
.

Lady Cards on road vs.Villanova today

SUNDAY SUPER @ CARDINAL COUPLE:
.


-David Watson: Cards chase elusive road win.

-Women's track & field at Virginia Tech Elite Meet.


-Tennis falls to Akron

-OUR SUPER BOWL picks

(CARDINAL COUPLE Special Correspondent David Watson looks at the Lady Cards tilt this afternoon at Villanova. Pass the chicken wings and when do the halftime commercials begin?)


The University of Louisville has safely arrived in Rocky's home town to enter the ring against the Villanova Wildcats. They'll do battle on Super Bowl Sunday in front of maybe 400-500 fans against a woeful..but still dangerous Wildcat team. 'Nova is 8-13 on the year and 0-8 in the BIG EAST. So...why are they dangerous? Because it is a road game for Louisville. The Cards haven't exactly been Mel Gibson road warriors in the 2010-11 season. A more suitable description would be Steve Martin and John Candy in 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles.'.

The Cards are 5-4 in BIG EAST action. They're 1-3 on the road. They won against a Cincinnati team that would have a hard time beating the 'over 40 'bunch of guys I occasionally play hoops with. Even full court..which we avoid like the plague...we win. Granted, the road losses have come against three top 25 teams (Connecticut, Notre Dame and Marquette) but Louisville's trips out of town are as dicey as Lindsay Lohan's chances of redemption.

Look at Louisville's propensity for going on runs. The Cards have 18 runs this season of 12-0 or better. None have been on the road and only two against anyone of importance (17-0 against Rutgers and 12-0 versus Kentucky). Don't look for 'a case of the runs' today against Villanova. Do look for Villanova to play a patient, ball control offense. They'll try to pound the ball inside against the Cards and won't hesitate to fire the three pointers if Louisville packs it into the paint..

If I seem overly concerned about this '0 for BIG EAST' opponent, it is because this is a game LOUISVILLE simply has to win if they want to participate in the NCAA Tournament this year. A loss to a cellar dweller, even if it is in the BIG EAST, won't set well with the NCAA Selection Committee when it comes time to knocking schools off the bubble. It would also strike a major blow to the Cardinals' confidence to drop this one.

Most of the nation will be fixated on the Super Bowl today. The LADY CARDS, though, are faced with a super battle of their own today. Let's hope they can produce a knockout punch in the city of brotherly love this afternoon...

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


Khadija Abdullah took shot put honors and Ahlvia Spencer dusted the competition in the 400 meters yesterday in the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, Va. For Abdullah, it was her fourth straight win of the season. Also faring well in the shot were D'Ana McCarty (4th) and Cinwe Okoro (5th). Spencer, a freshman, posted a season best of 56.13 in the 400.


Louisville returns to action next week in the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, AR.

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

Julie Fellerhoff took wins in singles and doubles competition against Akron, but the Cards fell 4-3 to the Zips at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center. Mandy Brown teamed with Fellerhoff in the doubles win. Becca Shine and Sarah Miller also won in doubles competition. Sarah Miller took her singles match in three sets. The Cards lost the match, though, when Shine fell to Akron's Angelina Jogasuria 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the final game of the day. Louisville is 5-1 on the season.


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


The CARDINAL COUPLE staff has crunched the numbers, stats and Doritos and offers our SUPER BOWL selections. (We don't recommend that you use them has a wagering guide).



.
PAUL likes the Steelers 27-24. He still feels remorse over booing William Gay while he was a Cardinal and wants to hear Gay make another crazy celebration scream like he did the last time the Steelers took the trophy. He still hasn't forgiven him for jumping offsides against Rutgers.
.


SONJA thinks Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers is cuter than Big Ben Rothliesberger...so she's going with the "Pack" 17-14. She also likes ex-Card Jason Spitz better than Gay. She's watching for just the commercials... .



TOMMY BOY refuses to believe that the Bears lost to the Packers in the playoffs and thinks Big Ben will lead the Steelers to a Super romp....33-13. He also thinks the Detroit Tigers still have Al Kaline on the roster and that the world is flat.



.



We put two sheets of paper on the ground in front of BILL THE GOAT and he ate the one that had Pittsburgh written on it first. He also head butted Tom seven times, so we're guessing he thinks Pitt wins by seven. We think he may have also head butted William Gay a few years ago.
.


The CARDINAL CHIMPS played a simulation game out in the Parrish House parking lot a few days ago and the Chimps dressed in the Steelers jerseys were leading 24-14 before CoCo stole the football and tossed it on the roof. Works for us...anyone got a ladder?
.
DAVID WATSON doesn't care who wins and probably won't watch the game because Indianapolis isn't playing. WE pressed him for a pick, though...and he muttered "Here we go Steelers, here we go." Hooisers, go figure...
.
CARDINAL DOMINANCE managing editor SHANNON RUFFRA failed to respond with a pick. WE believe he's still at Mulligan's celebrating the UofL men's basketball win last night and UK's loss to Florida. WE can't blame him....
.



.

Basketball heads up busy womens sports weekend

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

.

-LADY CARDS face UConn

.

-Swimming & Diving host Cincy

.

Cards in Kentucky Invitational track meet.

.

Barack Obama, pictured right, decides to forego the rest of his presidency and play basketball for Geno at UConn. Although there are plenty of U.S. American citizens that would wholeheartedly approve the move, the picture is actually from when the Hustlin' Huskies visited the White House after winning the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Unconfirmed rumors that Obama put on the Air Jordans, shot around with Geno's gals on his private court and got schooled by former Husky great Tina Charles could not be verified. Maya Moore did go off for 33 against Hillary Clinton, though.

.

The "from the fire to the frying pan" road trip continues for Jeff Walz's University of Louisville Lady Cards Saturday with a noon tip off against #2 UConn. Maybe the coach can summons the late, great John Belushi's pep talk from Animal House to motivate his 12-6 tribe. The Huskies are 15-1, 5-0 so far this season...losing to Stanford at Stanford and are coming off a 84-52 dismantling of St. John's in their last court appearance.

.

UConn is led by All-American Maya Moore and although she could probably play with two waitresses, Bill the Goat and my aunt Sarah and still be 15-1, the Huskies have several other players that can light opponents up. It's Geno, after all...what else would you expect?

.

The Huskies have starters Kelly Faris, Stephanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes and Loren Dixon to call on if Moore decides to take a night off. Faris, Hayes and Dixon were all key contributors during last year's title grab and freshman Dolson is an impressive rebounder that is learning quickly as she goes for Geno. The second five that sees action for UConn could probably start for most of the other schools in Division I...Samarie Walker, Lauren Engeln, Bria Hartley, Heather Buck and Michala Johnson were all top class recruits coming out off high school and the Huskies' production doesn't suffer too badly when they enter the game. Carolyn Doty is also listed...but not playing due to injury.

.

How do the Cards compete against such a worthy opponent? Rhetoric and theory are great things and we could lay out a ton of situational scenario for you to digest, but for Louisville to win...they must play their best game of the year...and then some. A Kentucky type effort might keep Louisville within 12-15 points. In short, no defensive lapses, tentative rebounding, mediocre 3-point shooting or points off turnover squandering. Is it in you, Louisville? We'll know early Saturday afternoon..

.

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

.

The University of Louisville swimming and diving teams hosts Cincinnati for a dual meet on Saturday in the Ralph Wright Natatorium. Both the men's and women's squads are 2-0 on the year in the BIG EAST after downing WVU and Pitt. Splash away, aquatic heroes!

.

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

.

Track and Field heads to Lexington this afternoon for a 2 day meet in the Kentucky Invitational in UK's Nutter Field House. On the women's side...14 squads will compete. D'Ana McCarty tries to top her NCAA #2 throw in the Weight Throw and Khadija Abdullah goes for a NCAA best in the shot put. The Cards will also compete in the Pole Vault, Triple Jump, High Jump and Long Jump in the field and seven track events over the 2 day meet. You can follow the results on http://www.ukathletics.com/ or just check back here for the outcomes.

.