Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Football at 50

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SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Charlie Strong Women's Clinic review.


-Dream put out the Sparks


(We have a reader submitted article today from Sharon Meade. She and her niece recently took part in Coach Strong's camp and she shares her observations with us today. We've known Sharon for over twenty years and she was an integral part of one of the all-time best co-ed softball teams to ever grace the field at St. Martha. She is married to Mike Meade and they have one son, Charlie. They did not name him after the current UofL football coach. Here's her report...)

The 3rd annual Charlie Strong Women's Clinic on June 2nd was a real treat for female Cardinal fans. As a 50 year-old who was once athletic but doesn't work out regularly now, I have to admit I was a little nervous about the "drills". My 20 year-old niece was there with me to participate and for support. 

We quickly got caught up in the energy and enthusiasm of the participants, the presenters, coaches and staff. Stepping onto the football field was an awesome feeling -- one that helped me get through the running, passing, sit-ups and other drills. 

Samantha and Teddy Bridgewater. Sorry, but the chimps
can't figure out how to rotate the photos Sharon sent us.
We recommend you lay on your side while looking at today's
CARDINAL COUPLE pictures. 

During the clinic, I learned about football and the dedication and hard work that the players, coaches and staff put forth. Also, about the feeling of a "football family" that comes through. I think I learned enough to not have to ask my husband so many questions during the games. 

After the adrenaline wore off, I was tired and sore...but it was worth it. After a couple of days, I could actually cross my legs again without wincing in pain.

Sharon and Louie the Cardinal Bird. 

It was an awesome event and I'll be back for it again next year. 


( Great recap, Sharon! If coach Strong needs a emergency player, make sure he knows what section you're sitting in...)


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How about that Angel McCoughtry? Atlanta Dream head coach Marynell Meadors was looking to shake  things up a bit, having seen her team lose three out of the last four. So, she brought Ms. McCoughtry off the bench last night instead of starting #35.


The result? 

Angel, the second-leading scorer in the WNBA this season, went for 31 and the Dream demolished the L.A. Sparks 92-59 in Atlanta...snapping a five-game L.A. win streak. 


Lindsey Harding added 18 for Atlanta and Sancho Lyttle contributed 13 in the 33-point win.


Looks like you might have stumbled on something successful, Marynell. 
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Friday Cardinal Couple - Cards advance to BIG EAST Softball Semis.

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


CARDS DEFEAT DEPAUL 2-0


More tomorrow...but Louisville gets a two-hit shutout out of torrid Tori Collins and beats DePaul to advance to the Big East finals. Kayla Soles delivers a two run double for the runs. L1C4 !!


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-Softball downs UConn 8-0...DePaul next


-Cardinal Twilight in track and field today


-Cletus qualifies for State in Discus and Shotput


-Twilight racing at Churchill Friday

The University of Louisville softball team improved to 51-3 on the season with a first-round blanking of Connecticut 8-0 in BIG EAST Tournament play at Notre Dame yesterday. The Cards "run-ruled" the Huskies and the game was stopped after five complete innings. 


The win is a testament to the teamwork, motivation and never-say-die attitude this softball team has displayed all year along. Louisville, as they've done most of the season, jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. Kristin Austin and Katie Keller scored on hits from Alicja Wolny and Taner Fowler.

In the bottom of the third, Wolny made it 3-0 with a bomb to left-center that bounced off the scoreboard. Let's hope there was no damage and Jurich doesn't get a repair bill. NASA was able to track the moon-shot by the junior first-baseman briefly from Houston. She crushed it ! 


Caralisa Connell got the start and had no trouble with the Huskies through three innings. The top of the fourth, though...found her in a bit of a jam. With one out...a fielder's choice, single and hit batter filled the bases with Huskies. Sandy Pearsall and Courtney Scott decided to go to the bullpen and bring in super-reliever Chelsea Leonard. She donned the cape, stepped inside the circle and got the first batter she faced to weakly pop up to her. She struck the next Husky out to end the inning. Threat over, no runs and the skies over South Bend were safe again. 

Louisville was tired of toying with the Connecticut pups...so they decided to end it early. 


In the bottom of the fifth, the Cards started the game-ending assault with two outs in the inning. Katie Keller drilled a shot back at starting UConn pitcher Kiki Saveriano that was mis-handled and Keller was safe at first...foiling UConn's attempt to get out of the inning unscathed.  Wolny worked Kiki for a walk. UConn's coach had seen enough and went to his bullpen. 


Sometimes, you just shouldn't go there. 

Taner Fowler greeted UConn's new hurler Ali Adelman with a single...scoring Keller. Jordy Trimble singled to load the bases. Kayla Soles drew a walk, scoring Wolny to make it 5-0 Louisville. Maggie Ruckenbrod stepped to the plate and ripped a drive down the right field line that scored Wolny and Trimble. UConn tried to throw out Soles as she went to third on the hit, threw badly and Soles just kept going...getting home safely and ending the game with the Cards fifth run of the inning and eighth of the game. 


Bye-bye Huskies. Thanks for playing. Pick up your parting gifts at customer service. 

Today is DePaul for the Cards. They surprised South Florida by pounding USF ace hurler Sara Nevins for four runs yesterday in a 6-0 win. #5 seed beats #4. 


Another upset later in the day, too...as #3 seed Syracuse fell to #6 seed St. John's 2-1. It's single-elimination...Orange and Bulls. Be safe on the way home and bye-bye, farewell, adios Syracuse. No three-peat for you in the BIG EAST Tournament. Enjoy the ACC. You deserve each other. #2 seed Notre Dame handled #7 Rutgers without any trouble in the night-cap 5-0. 

Back to DePaul...they are the demons that dealt Louisville their only two conference losses of the regular season. It was a out-of-sync weekend for the Cards in Chicago in late March and April Fools Day. They dropped two out of three on that trip to the home of the Bears, Bulls and Cubbies and got pounded for seven runs in their first loss of the year. 

We're guessing the Blue Demons will have to deal with the wrath of Louisville's Tori Collins today...but we guessed wrong on the starting pitcher yesterday...so who knows? 


Collins would probably like to forget March 31st, 2012. 


DePaul rocked her for four runs and four hits in four innings. Blue Demon left fielder Katelyn Braget sent two over the fence against Tori. 


Time to settle old scores today, Cards. It's survive and advance time. 


Louisville plays at 4 p.m. and BIG EAST TV will show it free again today. No TV commercials...gotta love that. 


You can catch it at the link below:


Cards vs. DePaul 4 p.m.


We'll drop in with an update after the game. Be sure to check back tonight and...thank you for reading CARDINAL COUPLE. 


Go Tori
Go Taner
Go Maggie
Get that Banner! 


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Track and field hosts the Cardinal Twilight at Cardinal Park today. It's a last-chance meet for athletes to achieve national qualifying standards and try to get in the NCAA Championships. 


Louisville will have quite a few ladies trying to better their season marks today. The Cardinal throwers will be out in full-force...Amashi Kendall in the shot put, discus and hammer throws. She's going to need a shoulder massage after all that. Khadija Abdullah, Patrice Gates and Hannah Baker will also be out there tossing heavy and flat things around. 


Field events go at 10 a.m. Go CARDS! 


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Speaking of throwers...a big congratulations to our folk hero and all-around good guy Michael "Cletus" Stewart. He competed in the Kentucky Track and Field Class 3-A, Region Four Regionals at North Oldham High School Thursday and won the shot put. He also finished second in the discus (by two inches). 


That gets him into the State Championships in both events that will be held at Cardinal Park next Saturday. 


Michael's tosses were 44-10 in the shot put and 128-06 in the discus. He'll attend the University of Louisville in the fall and be a preferred walk-on with the football team. 

Sounds like UofL head track and field coach Ron Mann might also want to introduce himself to the 6'5", 280 Seneca strongman, too. Stewart has participated in discus and shot for just two years and was "self-taught" in both events. Some recent training, coaching and adjustment on his throwing styles has paid dividends and he's really just beginning to reach his full potential. 


Also, Fern Creek's Billy Reid (Monique's little brother) won the 110 and 300 hurdles at the North Oldham events. Well done, Billy! 


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Churchill Downs offers Twilight Racing today for you thoroughbred fans. First post is 2:45 p.m. Live music in the paddock area and 11 chances to pick winners. We love Henny's Hurricane in the featured 10th. race along with Street Storm for the exacta play of the day. 


We'll try and catch a couple races before heading home to watch Softball on-line. Great weather for today, skip out of work a couple of hours early (it's Friday!) and take advantage of the food and drink specials available during Happy Hour. Gates open at 1:30 p.m. and Happy Hour is actually three hours, starting at 4 p.m.


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Wednesday CARDINAL COUPLE. Congrats Baylor, Cletus and GO CARDS!

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Baylor "grinds" past Notre Dame 80-61


-Cards and Cats in Softball tonight


-Cletus (Michael Stewart) wins shot put

And so ends the 2011-12 NCAA Women's College Basketball season. A blowout in the championship game last night in the second half -- Baylor putting the clamps on the high octane Notre Dame offense, the Irish doing themselves no favors with Devereaux Peters and Skylar Diggins hampered with foul trouble and Natalie Novosel laying bricks all over the Pepsi Center court. 


It was a coronation, of sorts, for the first team to ever go 40-0 in college WBB and the crown goes directly on the head of Brittney Griner...who had 26 points and tons of rebounds and blocks in the dismantling of the Irish. The junior dominated play...Notre Dame had no answers to stop her and Odyssey Sims curtailed Diggins enough to ensure that Waco, TX. is where the championship trophy will reside for 12 months. 

(Photo by Charlie Springer - Card Game)

Diggins tried to rally her troops, down by just six at the half and within three early in the final twenty minutes. Her 20 points led UND. It was not nearly enough. 


The question has to come up. Should Griner skip her senior year and go the professional ranks? There's money out there in the WNBA (not a lot for first year players but the down the road potential is there). There's also the lucrative overseas leagues...where Griner could haul down $500,00 to $1 million a year in China, Russia or Turkey. Got to be some endorsement dinero floating out there as well...another $100,000-$200,000 a year?


Or, does she stay for her senior season and try to get her team to 80-0 and another NCAA title? Couldn't hurt the asking price for her services, could it? 

Candace Parker made the jump a few years back...so there is a precedent. Does one make hay while the sun shines? Grab the benjamins or risk a possible career-ending injury while balling for the Bears next year? 


Her recent statements are politically correct and indicate no dalliance planned with the pros. Check back in 10 days and see what tune she's dancing to...just in case.  


UCLA holds the college basketball record with 88 straight wins. Kim Mulkey would have to schedule nine more games for 2012-13 to beat it...something highly improbable and probably impossible under NCAA scheduling guidelines. 


Deep thoughts and ponderings ahead for the 6'8" powerhouse. Down the road...a probable invite to join the USA team in the Olympics. The WNBA Draft is April 16th.

So, the clock ticks. WE here at CARDINAL COUPLE think the "the Grinder" should continue academia and get her degree. 
And, a lot of women's basketball fans in the Lone Star state probably agree. 


Here's one more (hopefully the final) link about Kentucky fans and their rowdy celebration ways. 


Cats tip over west Virginia


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Skies permitting, the University of Louisville softball team will face Kentucky tonight at 6 p.m. at Ulmer Stadium. #12-13 Louisville comes into the game at 29-2, 4-2 BIG EAST after a less than enjoyable weekend in the Windy City...where they dropped two out of three to DePaul. 


The Cats (16-19) followed suit, failing in two out of three against #10 Tennessee in Knoxville. 

The game is a 'PACK THE PARK, RED OUT' promotion. Louisville is trying to break the single game softball attendance record of 1,134. All fans are encouraged to attend Ulmer Stadium tonight and wear red. Tickets are $5 for reserved seating, or you can go the outfield berm route and watch for free. Tickets may be purchased by calling 502.852.5151. 

The contest will be televised by WHAS and can be seen on 11.2 for those of you with the digital capabilities. It will also be on Insight 432 and Comcast 207. Affable Sean Moth will handle the play-by-play and Edward Norton  Patty Norton will provide excellent color commentary. 


Louisville defeated UK last week in Lexington 1-0. The all-time series is in favor of Louisville 15-13. 


GO YOU SOFTBALL CARDS! 


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Congratulations to Seneca senior Michael Stewart (aka Cletus Pancake) for winning the shot put yesterday in a meet at Fern Creek High School. Stewart's first toss of 43'8" was sufficient to beat the field of twelve by over three feet.


Competitors from Seneca, Fern Creek, Manual and Jeffersontown were also scheduled to battle in the discus but no one could find a tape measure long enough to accurately record the throws...so the event was cancelled.
Discus is Stewart's preferred and probably his best event and he was the prohibitive favorite in yesterday's scheduled contest.

"I was a little disappointed that we didn't throw discus today. I was warming up great for the discus and felt like I might have a 160 or 170 in me today. I'm happy with the shot put win, though and also proud of my teammate Ollie who finished fourth in the shot. I think I'll start carrying my own tape measure around with me to meets." Stewart told CARDINAL COUPLE after the event.

Stewart is still weighing several offers from colleges and universities, but a decision could come as early as next week. The football/track and field star is 6'6" and weighs 285. Hunting, watching television, working with grade school football programs and hanging with friends are some of his favorite activities. 


Congratulations to "Big Stu" for the first of what we're certain will be many top finishes in track events this spring and summer! 
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Michael Stewart Senior Highlights at Large

These are Seneca High School OL and LS Michael Stewart's Senior Highlights. Michael has interest from several schools and those will keep rolling in. A favorite of CARDINAL COUPLE..."Big Stew" gets it done, as you'll see in the highlight films.