Secretariat - Belmont Stakes 1973...Hughes wins semifinal...Softball today...Belmont PP's and picks

("He is moving like a tremendous machine." ). One of the best race calls in history to go with the best race in the history of the sport. Chick Anderson was the race caller on CBS at Belmont Park that day. He also was track announcer at Churchill Downs for 17 years.


THURSDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Hughes, Okoro in NCAA Championships

-Ky. State Girls Softball Championships begin today

-2011 Belmont Post Positions and Predictions

-Cierra Warren undergoes knee surgery.

Okoro is a senior on
the women's track
and field team at UofL.

Two University of Louisville track and field athletes participated in the NCAA Championships yesterday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA. Men's distance runner Matt Hughes won his semi-final heat in the 3,000 meters and will run in the finals Friday night. Hughes won the event last year. Thrower Chinwe Okoro placed ninth in the discus throw after a sixth place finish in the qualifying round.

Today's action includes Cardinal high-jumper Rachel Gehret. Gehret won the high jump in the BIG EAST Championship earlier this year. The women's throwing team will also compete in the shot put and hammer tosses during the championships.

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Sixteen teams from across the state will vie for the title in the 2011 Kentucky State Softball Tournament beginning today at Jack C. Fisher Park in Owensboro, KY. Locally, Louisville Ballard and PRP will take part in the action. The tournament runs three days...with the championship game scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. The first round pairings:

Three Ballard Bruins,...Walker, Wise and Fairley

PRP vs. Montgomery County

Allen County-Scottsville vs. East Jessamine

North Laurel vs. Central Hardin

Walton-Verona vs. Hopkins County Central

Lexington Lafayette vs. Owensboro Catholic

Calloway County vs. Ashland Blazer

Ballard vs. Letcher County Central

Ryle vs. Magoffin County

Ballard is ranked #1 in the state and went 35-4 during the regular season. They are led in the pitching circle by senior Kayla Fairley. Fairley is a dominating pitcher who went 26-3 on the season with a 1.11 ERA. She's also not too bat at the plate...hitting .308 for the season with four home runs. Fairley was the Seventh Region Player of the Year. She has yet to commit to a college...but Louisville is her first choice.

Never can have enough good arms, Sandy....go after this girl and put her in the Cardinal red...

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The post positions and odds for the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes have been assigned and ANIMAL KINGDOM has been made the favorite at 3-1. The Kentucky Derby winner narrowly missed in the Preakness...running second to SHACKLEFORD who will also try the Belmont and is listed at 5-1. The post positions, jockeys and odds below:

Post 1:  Master of Hounds.  Garrett Gomez on board.  10-1
Post 2:  Stay Thirsty.  Javier Castellano rides.  22-1
Post 3:  Ruler On Ice.  Jose Valdivia, Jr. gets the assignment.  25-1
Post 4:  Santiva.  Shaun Bridgmohan in the saddle.  15-1
Post 5:  Brilliant Speed.  Joel Rosario is the jockey.  20-1
Post 6:  Nehro.  Corey Nakatani has the reigns.  9-2
Post 7:  Monzon.  Jose Lezcano in the stirrups.  35-1
Post 8:  Prime Cut.  Edgar Prado guides.  25-1
Post 9:  Animal Kingdom.  John Velazquez returns.  3-1
Post 10:  Mucho Macho Man.  Ramon Dominguez has the mount.  15-1
Post 11:  Isn't He Perfect.  Rajiv Maragh takes the call.  45-1
Post 12:  Shackleford.  Jesus Castanon goes for two straight.  5-1

Paul's Predictions:

I'm picking NEHRO here. He ran second in the Derby, sat out the Preakness and will love the added distance. He'll have to contend with ANIMAL KINGDOM, a threat in the long Belmont stretch. The question is how tired is ANIMAL KINGDOM after the Derby and Preakness? Look for MUCHO MACHO MAN to be gobbling up the speed at the end and just behind these two. I don't see SHACKLEFORD liking this extra distance and he'll fade late...Longshot special is PRIME CUT, with Edgar Prado on board. Prado knows Belmont and this horse has had six straight third place or better finishes in a row.

Sonja Says:

ANIMAL KINGDOM is my selection to win the Belmont Stakes. This horse can run forever and would have won the Preakness if Velazquez had moved him earlier. I can see NEHRO putting in a huge effort here but couldn't catch Velazquez in the Derby and won't here. I'll take SHACKLEFORD and SANTIVA battling for third. BRILLIANT SPEED is a live longshot to respect.

(David Watson is on vacation and has no selections for the Belmont Stakes.) We did ask CARDINAL COUPLE handicapper Tommy Boy about his picks but he hasn't finished his research and studies on the race as of this column posting. Respected charter Alan Patterson is trying to narrow it down between five horses as of yesterday and has MASTER OF HOUNDS, ANIMAL KINGDOM, NEHRO, SHACKLEFORD and MUCHO MACHO MAN on his short list...

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Lady Cards post Cierra Warren recently underwent knee surgery but is already up and around on crutches. We aren't sure what procedure was performed or her status for fall ball...but have some feelers out to try and find out. Up and around already is a good sign...

We absolutely love this collage that Charlie Springer
created last year of Cierra Warren! (Photo from UofL Card Game)
You can read Charlie's site daily at http://www.uoflcardgame.com/

Warren transferred to the University of Louisville last year after her freshman season at North Carolina. The bright and bubbly 6'5" center is expected to make a significant contribution to the Lady Cards in the 2011-12 season...after sitting out the mandatory year required for transfers from one D1 program to another. We had reports all last season that she was a force on the court during practice and look forward to her Lady Cards debut.

Warren was the "greeter" at the end of the huddle during UofL Cardinal pre-game introductions and...along with Shawnta Dyer, who returns after a red-shirt season...should give the Cards some pretty spectacular front line power.

GOOD NEWS! We have received confirmation from UofL that the surgery was minor, all things are GOOD on Cierra and she'll be ready to go for fall ball!

LOOK OUT, BIG EAST and LADY CARDINAL OPPONENTS...

FRONT LINE COMING TO GET YA...
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The final word on WBB Big East 2012 Tourney...Yelin to Buffs...Scholarships...

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE PRESENTS:

Julie Hermann attends
 a lot of women's sports
events at UofL each year.

-We hear from Julie Hermann

-Leonid Yelin to Colorado

-Would Pitino's 'walk-on' move been duplicated by Walz?

Julie Hermann is the Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Louisville. She's also a pretty friendly and interesting person to talk to if you run into to her at a UofL women's athletic event. Chances are you will, she attends 100's of them every year. Her recognition by Cardinal fans is nearly
100%...we asked 12 random Cardinal fans a few months ago..."Have you heard of Julie Hermann" and 11 of them were correctly able to identify her. The
lone 'unable to identify' guessed she was a UofL women's basketball recruit. Yep, we're all ate up with this UofL women's basketball team...for sure.

We posed a question to Julie last night about the confusion over the 2012 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Tournament...via e-mail...and had our answer within two hours. Pretty impressive stuff, Ms.Hermann...It takes Paul longer than that to spell check and re-write a three paragraph article.

Here is the final and definitive response to the question. We'll let nature take its course from here and see what the BIG EAST decides on. Julie writes:

"Paul...the associate commissioner misrepresented the process that started the confusion. She has since corrected it on the original blog. Believe me, if Tom (Jurich) could host it or was given that opportunity, we would ABSOLUTELY be "ready" thanks to our fans and the KFC YUM!"

So, there you go. We're still going to prognosticate that it'll be held in Hartford...but we're hoping to be pleasantly surprised by different news on the subject. We'll update your here at CARDINAL COUPLE on further developments and we thank Julie for her timely, informative and clear response.

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Looks like retirement didn't set too well with former UofL Volleyball head coach Leonid Yelin. Word comes out of Boulder, Colorado  that Yelin has been named an assistant coach for the Colorado Buffaloes volleyball program. Liz Kritza, head volleyball coach at Colorado, comments:

Gwen Rucker is a stand-out
volleyball player at UofL and
will be coached by Anne Kordes
this year.

"Adding a coach of Leonid's caliber and experience is a significant step for this program. The success he has had at every stop and the wealth of experience he has in building programs into national contenders will be integral to the future success here at CU."

Yelin, who was the head coach at Louisville for 15 years, recorded a 366-112 record at Louisville. The Cards made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances during his stay here. He had this to say about his new job:

"I am very happy to be a part of the University of Colorado athletics family. Coming to a great school with a strong academic reputation as well as a very respectable athletic tradition is something I am very excited about. With the move to the Pac-12, the best conference in the nation, I feel a new era is dawning for all the athletic programs here, especially for women's volleyball."

We wish Yelin all the success in his new job with the Buffs and thank him for his years of hard work and contributions to the Cardinal volleyball program. Although we're not quite sure that the Pac-10 is "the best conference" in Volleyball..especially considering the successes that Penn State has had in the Big 10...we're certain that Yelin will attempt to help the Buffs improve upon the 13-42 record they've complied in the past two years.

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Rick Pitino announced yesterday that three Cardinal men's basketball players would give up their scholarships and take the role of "walk-on" players to help the men's basketball team meet the requirements of only 13 scholarship players on a squad. Kyle Kuric, Chris Smith and Elijah Justice...all key contributors for the Cards last year...assume the new classifications.

It led us to start thinking about the situation with the women's basketball program at UofL. Jeff Walz has assembled a large and quality group of Lady Cards for the 2011-12 season. 15 players and 15 schollys available. We have to think, though...what if there hadn't been transfers out of the program this spring?



Would Shelby Harper been a candidate for walk-on status or a red shirt?



WE see it as Walz having several options. He could have followed Pitino's suit and ask a couple of the ladies to be walk-ons. He could have a couple of them take a red-shirt year.  We don't envision any more transfers out of the program this year....three of those have occurred already (Rachel Story, Polly Harrington and Nikki Burton).

An interesting situation ahead for the Lady Cards and a far cry from just a couple of seasons ago when Walz's team was vastly depleted in the ranks of healthy players and had to accept former player Brandie Radde's offer to come back onto the roster and delay Gwen Rucker's full-time status as a volleyball player for a year.

15 for 40. We like the ratio.  

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UofL not interested in WBB Big east tournament?...Mercedes Russell to visit Louisville?

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CARDINAL COUPLE: Tuesday Report

-BIG East says Cards not interested in 2012 Big East WBB Tournament...
OR ARE THEY?

-Class of 2013 Oregon hoopster Mercedes Russell to visit UofL?

-Unsportsmanlike conduct?

AND NOW....LADIES AND GENTLEMEN....PLEASE IGNORE THE EARLIER ARTICLE ABOUT
THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT TODAY...BECAUSE THAT WASN'T WHAT THE BIG EAST MEANT TO SAY AND YOU DIDN'T READ ANYTHING, ANYWAY.

WE NOW RETURN YOUR TO YOUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING...  

****THIS UPDATE @ 7 P.M. Tuesday concerning the 2012 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT*****

OK, It isn't like it is breaking news or anything...but it looks like...BIG EAST associate commissioner for women's basketball Danielle Donehaw may have had to do a little tight-rope walking about her statements yesterday about the tourney. Or the Hartford Courant writer who reported the story was busy texting or doing mushrooms while she spoke. Here is the BIG EAST'S
LATEST, new and improved..with more nutrients and vitamins..approved by local moms and dads

BIG EAST associate women's basketball
commissioner Danielle poses with Hartford
 Johnnie? Some backpedalling and
serious monkey-business going on here..

version of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK...as Danielle fires a laser blast back in the direction of

Hartford:

"I didn't mean to send the message that a formal proposal is necessary from institutional venues that are interested in hosting our Women's Basketball Championship. The Louisville administration has consistently expressed interest in hosting the Conference Tournament. With the completion of the YUM CENTER  and Louisville's outstanding attendance, it is obviously a first-class women's basketball setting. The upcoming decisions for 2012 and beyond will be made by our member schools."

Alrighty, then! Looks like the Cards haven't been on double secret probation since the semester began and that UofL's administration has not fumbled on 4th and short (in this case). In fact, UofL's Julie Hermann..who knows a thing or two about administration and UofL women's sports...fired this missive off via Blackberry:

"Danielle has made an error in this (Monday's) communication. It's not true that we have not communicated our interest. Thx u for caring! Believe me if all we had to do to get this is put a BID in we'd had it. We r working on this opportunity! But it is a Herculean project conference wide right now."

After the Blackberry, she gave the raspberry to the dingleberry standing by the smoothie stand..who went bananas...

(We've also got an e-mail out to Julie requesting a explanation on UofL's position and stance on this issue. Let's hope they don't send Rocco, Rico, Brawner or Bronger out to deliver it personally...unless they intend on helping Paul cut the CARDINAL COUPLE lawn tomorrow...)

Here's how we see it...

This thing has been already decided and the teams are headed back to the XL for 2012. The BIG EAST is using all the right weasel words and glittering generalities to make it appear that it's going to be a "Herculean
project" but I'm guessing the XL has already been booked, bagged and reserved for the dates. This does not surprise us. We're guessing. also, that "Johnnie from Hartford" released something that wasn't meant for release. Let's "google" Danielle Donehew this time next year (just for fun) and see where she's working. This thing has about as much chance of ending up in Louisville as the next Space Shuttle.

Why all the fuzz about something so far away? It goes to show the rapidly growing fervor, interest and excitement about women's basketball at the University of Louisville. Jeff Walz and crew have a tiger by the tail right now and are riding the lightning bolt acros the vast women's college baskeball stratsophere. Hang on tight, passengers...

(see you in Hartford for the post season tourney, folks)

And now...back to the show...Bailiff, bring in the next defendant!

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(FROM EARLIER TODAY)

Reports are that Hartford has emerged as the leading contender for the 2012 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Tournament. The event has been held at the XL Center in Hartford since 2004. The BIG EAST has also officially ruled out two other potential sites...Mohegan Sun and the KFC YUM Center.

Associate BIG EAST commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference Women's Basketball released the following statement:

The XL Center has hosted the
BIG EAST Women's basketball
tournament since 2004.

"We've had some really good discussions with the XL Center and we're getting closer to making a decision. We're deep into the process and expect a decision in the next few weeks. The XL Center has been tremendous to us over the years and we can't thank them enough for what's happened in the past. Our presidents have talked to Mohegan Sun and there is not support at this time. I'm getting flooded with emails from Louisville's fans telling me how much they would love the tournament to be there but the administration (of the university) hasn't contacted us with a formal proposal."   

Really?

WE would like to hear some reasons why UofL isn't interested in the event. Strictly off the record, we're hearing that it might interfere with final regular season home game(s) for the men's team. We've also heard that there may be concerns on how well the event would draw in Louisville in the games that Lady Cards weren't playing in. 

WE realize that Hartford is a lot closer to some of women's basketball programs in the BIG EAST than Louisville is. WE also understand that UConn fans support the event well up there. WE just can't understand why Louisville isn't willing to make an offer and see how it goes. A pretty large basketball arena is still located over at the Fairgrounds...maybe a game or two of the WBB Tournament could be moved over there if a conflict were to arise. The KFC YUM! Center is hosting second and third round men's NCAA Tournament games...but these are scheduled for at least a week after the BIG EAST women's championship game.

It needs to be pursued. Certainly Louisville, Cincinnati, TCU, DePaul, Notre Dame, Marquette, Pittsburgh, WVU and South Florida wouldn't object to a shorter trip, would they? Once again, the east coast clique rules...let's not upset Villanova, Seton Hall, Providence, Rutgers, St. John's, Georgetown  Syracuse or the mighty UConn...shall we?

Give it a shot, Mr.Jurich. If not this upcoming year, then maybe for 2013. After all, the rear view mirror may be cleaner than the windshield...but the view is strictly limited to the past. IS there an official response coming from UofL's administration?

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Mercedes Russell is 6'5" and may not be
finished growing yet...

Is sophomore sensation Mercedes Russell headed to Louisville for a look-see? Considered one of the best players in the girls 2013 class, the 6'5" post from Springfield, Oregon has been drawing considerable attention for the last couple of years. Rumors out on the vast world of the Internet that claim she'll may be on campus June 20-21st. This would be a dead period for college coaches recruiting players off campus but the NCAA Rules are a bit vague on whether a coach can talk or visit to a player who comes onto campus. We know the coaches can't officially comment on her or any other recruit until a

letter of intent is received.

We expect she'd have a lot to see here even if Walz and crew weren't allowed to have any direct or phone contact with her. We're guessing maybe some sort of host system is in place for this and she and her parents or whoever accompanies her on this rumored visit could check out Cardinal Arena, the KFC YUM Center and other campus and local attractions. Maybe she go one-on-one in a game of hoops against Cierra Warren or try and block a rapid-fire Becky Burke three.

We've had no official word on whether the amazon Oregonian is officially coming or not...but if anyone sees a 6'5" girl getting out of a car with Oregon plates at McDonald's or White Castle near campus...let us know. Is it just Internet chatter or another possible intrigue factor for the 2013 class?

(THANKS to CARDINAL COUPLE READER JENNY..whose e-mails prompted the ideas for today's top two articles.)
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Ulmer Stadium is where the Louisville softball team plays
their home games. High school softball uses the place, too.

WE like J-Bone (Jared Stillman) over at the University of Louisville. He does a lot of good things for Cardinal Women's Sports...including public address announcer duties for Cardinal softball. He's also the

"man in the stands" at UofL women's and men's games doing interviews and contests.

WE can't understand the recent slams and pounding he's been getting at another Cardinal Sports site.

The esteemed and knowledgeable Howie Lindsey of Cardinal Sports comments on the critical treatment of J-Bone's "in the stands' segments:

"He is a good kid. Unless it was somebody famous already, people would hate whoever handles that microphone."

And Lindsey would know...having handled numerous Cardinal Athletic function public address duties. Our CARDINAL COUPLE'S Paul was friends with a couple of deceased but great P.A. announcers at UofL....John Tong and Jack Tennant. One thing Jack told Paul years ago still rings true. "Be yourself when you're relaying information." We're pretty sure that's what Jared is trying to do and that takes a lot of courage and guts to do.

Cut the J-Bone some slack, readers and commenters over at Rutherford's site.  (As if you could do any better?)

We'll admit it, we like to do parodies and have fun here at CARDINAL COUPLE and will always continue to do so. These attacks over at CARD CHRONICLE on the "J-Bone" in the comments section seem a little too mean-spirited, to us...though.
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NY Liberty beat "Angel-less" Dream...WE look back at...

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

The Atlanta Dream leading scorer from last season
did not play because of a knee sprain. She is day-to-day.

-Liberty down Dream 94-88 in overtime

-We look back at...Lady Cards 57-47 over WVU

The Atlanta Dream opened their season yesterday before a sold out crowd but one of the people in attendance watching probably would have preferred to been in uniform. Angel McCoughtry watched the game in street clothes, victim of a sprained knee suffered in practice a couple of weeks ago.

The Angel-less Dream made a fight of it, getting 19 points from shooting guard Iziane Castro Marquez and 18 from front line force Sancho Lyttle. They could not stop New York's Plenette Pierson, though...who tallied 25 points against the Dream.

It was Liberty reserve Sidney Spencer who had a major impact on the game, though...with her only shot of the game finding the bottom of the nylon with less than a second to go to send the contest to overtime.

Lindsey Harding showed that the off-season trade for her could reap big rewards for Atlanta...the point guard had nine assists for the Dream. Missed free throws late in the contest by Atlanta could have prevented the Liberty from tying the contest. The Dream compensated for Angel's unavailability by going with a three guard attack led by Harding, Marquez and Coco Miller for much of the game.

WE hope the head coach Marynell Meadows will be prudent in the return of Angel...better to lose a few early ones with her on the bench than risk bringing her back too early and set up a possible re-injury.

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During these next few months...CARDINAL COUPLE will be looking back at some of this past season's UofL women's basketball games. We know, there's nothing like "the real thing"...but WE hope this helps fill the gap until the 2011-12  hoopsters get started. Today, we remember the Feb.,13th. 57-47 win over WVU.

Defense was the headline for this one...as Louisville shut down WVU point prolific guard Liz Repella for the afternoon and held the Mountaineers to just 26% shooting. It was the lowest percentage for WVU since 1993 and the 47 points were the fewest scored by Mike Carey's team for the season.

Shoni's eight point burst to start
the second half was key to
Louisville's win over WVU

Early on, this one was a grinder. The Cards and Mountaineers battled back and forth for the first ten minutes with neither team able to take a clear advantage. It was 15-11 Cards when the WVU squad bullied their way to a 9-0 run that gave them a 20-15 lead with four minutes until halftime.

Louisville dug in, though and got to the charity stripe....sinking 6 straight free throws to regain control of the game and lead. It was 23-22 Cards at halftime and it looked like this one could go down to a final possession thriller in the second half. The Cards needed someone to step up and take over in the final twenty minutes...especially since Cardinal leading scorer Monique Reid was on the bench with a twisted ankle.That someone turned out to be freshman guard Shoni Schimmel.

Louisville roared out of the locker room with an exciting 12-2 run to begin second half action...led by Schimmel knocking down two baskets from three point range and a contested jumper from the baseline. Suddenly, the Cards were up 35-24 and the KFC YUM! Center was alive and cheering on the efforts of the Portland, OR. playmaker.

WVU would not go away quietly, though and managed to claw back to within three points several times in the second half. A 9-0 run made it 39-36...but the Cards overcame the flagrant foul attempts by WVU with clutch free throw shooting at the end of the game...getting nine points from the stripe in the final four minutes to secure the ten point victory. Schimmel led Louisville with 17 points and Tia Gibbs added 11 for win.

Coach Jeff Walz credited defense and team play for the win over the #17 Mountaineers..especially the stifling of Repella from the field. The senior finished with only three points and fouled out late in the contest. He was pleased that the Cardinals played 40 minutes of solid basketball and team play...compared to the second half collapse during the game 12 days earlier against Georgetown in the YUM center. The Cards also were buoyed by clutch free-throw shooting during crunch time...an area that had been a hit-or-miss proposition previously during the season.

The win was huge in terms of Louisville's season. Despite a next game loss on the road to Syracuse, the Cards went on to win the follwing three games after that before narrowly losing the season ending game at Providence.
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Women's Football Clinic....Meet Margaret Richards

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SUNDAY @ THE COUPLE

-Second annual Charlie Strong women's football camp

-Meet Louisville's Margaret Richards..part of Weber State's coaching staff 

(Janet Williams took part in the Saturday camp drills. She shares her observations with us)

Charlie Strong is a
different guy when he gets
on the football field

It was hot yesterday. And, yes, Charlie we were tired. Doing sit ups, running, putting on the pads, discussing plays and formations. Hustling. Nearly six hours of alternating fun and exhaustion. I had no idea of what all a football player has to go through to just be ready to play the game. I understand it now.

We started the day over at the indoor Trager Center. A lecture, then going through pregame warm ups, weights and push ups. I used to be in pretty good shape but after that I realize that I'm not anymore. I was getting dusted by several of the younger girls out there and the coaches weren't shy about telling me about it.

We took to the field and there was more in store for us. Drills that had us exploring the worlds of passing, receiving, tackling and learning the names and the plays that the offense and defense have to learn and master. Mike Sanford, the offensive coordinator for the Cards, was great. Interjecting humor with terminology - he received a big round of laughter when he asked us if we knew what the term "hot receiver" meant and then commented that it didn't mean the guy was good looking. 

I now understand why the guys on defense are so fired up about defensive coordinator Vance Bedford. Talk about a motivator! And, slacking is definitely not allowed on Charlie Strong's football field. Charlie is a great guy when you meet him in public and off the field. When he's on the field, though, he's demanding, loud and persistant. You listen, to try to perform and you hear about it if you don't do it to his satisfaction. I used to think my old sotball coach was the most demanding person I ever met. She's in second place now.

Rule #1: You don't walk anywhere. Period. You run. Walking is for little old ladies in the parking on the way to church. Cardinals run. They run with a purpose and if you don't - you do it again. And again. 

I emerged at the end of the day tired but proud. I think that I can now discuss football with "the guys" and not embarrass myself. I have a great respect for what these athletes go through to get ready for games and what they are expected to be able to do. I have a 8 yr. old son and if he decides he wants to be a football player (right now basketball is his major sport) and gets good enough to play in college-I'd send him to play for Charlie Strong and his guys with no hesitation.
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There's a lot more involved in a running play than Janet
ever imagined. You blow your assignment...you hear about it.

We were there with questions and expectations. Both were satisfied. And, as I type this out to send over to Paul and Sonja, my calves are sore, my arms are aching and I'm still queasy, I think, from a pass that I was supposed to catch but ended up directly in my stomach. Thud, ugh.  

I never thought I'd say this:

I'm looking forward to football season.

(Janet Williams was a pretty fair softball and track star back in high school. We thank her for her report and we agree...Janet. We can't wait for football to start.)

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Margaret Richards played
for Nebraska after gathering
All-State honors at Central.

Margaret Richards is the latest coach with a Louisville connection to join Bethann Ord at Weber State. Richards was an all-state hoops star at Louisville Central before going to Nebraska to play her college ball. Richards has a great deal of coaching experience...she was a graduate assistant at UofL for a year, an assistant at Kentucky State and head coach at St. Augustine College in Raleigh, NC. Her most recent job was at North Texas...where she was the team's recruiting coordinator and special situations coach.

"I'm very excited to have Margaret join our staff. I have a great deal of respect for her ability from our time together at UofL. Ord commented. "Her head coaching experience will be vital to our staff. She gives us instant credibility and will have a huge impact on recruiting."

We like this move by Ord and can see Richards being of great service to Ord as she begins her first year as the head coach at Weber State.

Sparks spank Lynx...Ballard, PRP advance in girls softball...Ky. All-Stars to scrimmage twice

SLEEP IN...IT'S SATURDAY AT CARDINAL COUPLE!

Maya Moore's debut in the
WNBA a losing one...but she
led all scorers with 21 points.

-Parker leads Sparks past Lynx in WNBA season opener

-Ballard, PRP headed to the Sweet Sixteen

-Ky. Girls All-Stars will scrimmage twice

The WNBA season kicked off last night with the LA Sparks vs.
Minnesota Lynx. Candace Parker vs. Maya Moore. For awhile, it looked like the Maya Moore show, with the Lynx leading by 10 in the third quarter.

Then, the queen of the league took the throne and the promising princess learned that UConn success doesn't always translate into WNBA wins.
Spurred by three straight Noelle Quinn three's and a Parker layup, the Sparks used a 11 point run late in the third to take a 59-57 lead and never looked back. The 82-74 win was largely led by the hot-shooting Quinn and Parker's 19 points.

Candace Parker, sidelined last year with a shoulder injury and subsequent operation, is back. The WNBA should be plenty worried....

The Atlanta Dream gets their season underway Sunday at 3 p.m..hosting the New York Liberty. Kia Vaughn vs. Angel McCoughtry. All we need is C Viv. Stringer on the sidelines scowling and Jeff Walz in his black sweater vest....OOPS, check that...Angel is day-to-day with the knee sprain and probably won't play.

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Sara Hammond will lead the
Kentucky All-Stars against
the Indiana All-Stars.

The Kentucky All-Star Girls will have a couple of scrimmages next week before taking on the Hoosiers. They'll face two talented groups of Kentucky junior all-stars....Tuesday at Eastern High School and Wednesday at Mercer County. The Tuesday face-off will feature juniors from around the Louisville area and standouts April Wilson, Christine Roush and Sydney Moss will lead the juniors against the seniors. The Wednesday scrimmage will pit talented juniors Bre Elder, Sydney Brown and Megan Pittman on the junior squad against the All-Star team. The 12 who will represent Kentucky in the annual clash against Indiana are listed below with college choices beside their names.

#1 Sara Hammond (UofL)

#2 Carla Booth (Eastern Kentucky)

#3 Averee Fields (West Virginia)

#4 Danay Fothergill (Western Kentucky)

#5 Chastity Gooch (Western Kentucky)

#6 Natallie Greenwell (Morehead State)

#7 Mechael Guess (Pittsburgh-volleyball)

#8 Juliann Miller (Evansville)

#9 Maddie Peabody (Lafayette)

#10 Caprisha Rogers (Wallters State)

#11 Kristen Stanback (Austin Peay)

#12 Lauren Tibbs (Marquette)

WE think this group has an excellent chance to sweep the Hoosier in the two contests next weekend. Hammond, Fields, Tibbs and Greenwell are all quality DI prospects who will  have a major impact at their future colleges. Mecheal Guess is a leaper who will play volleyball at Pitt...but don't be surprised if Pitt women's basketball coach Agnus Berenato isn't hanging around the locker room with a basketball practice jersey in hand for Guess....

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Louisville PRP and Louisville Ballard have emerged victorious from the softball regionals and will be two of the sixteen teams to compete in the state Girls softball tournament in Owensboro beginning next Thursday.
Ballard punched their ticket with a 9-1 rout of Eastern to win the 7th region...but their biggest win might have been the day before when the upended perennial softball power Mercy Academy to reach the finals.

PRP won a 7-6 thriller to earn the 6th region title and trip to state over Butler. The Butler Bears had the bases loaded, no outs in the bottom of the seventh but relief pitcher Savannah Mercer pitched her way out of the jam...which ended with a spectacular double play when Baleigh Bell flied out to left with one out and pinch runner Destinei Hollis was thrown out at the plate after tagging for the final out.

Softball enthusiast Ken Richards was at the game and told CARDINAL COUPLE:

"(Left fielder) Rachel Fox fired a perfect throw from left to nail Hollis at the plate. I feel bad for the Butler girls...but it seemed to me that Hollis got a jump on the attempt to score...leaving the bag before the ball to Fox was caught."

The Panthers will face Montgomery County in the first round of the Sweet Sixteen at 5 p.m. Thursday. Ballard gets Letcher County Central at 7 p.m.
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WNBA kicks it off tonight...We read your mail...Lacrosse lands safely in England

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FRIDAY AT CARDINAL COUPLE:

-WNBA tips off tonight. Can the Atlanta Dream win it all?

Sonja celebrates the opening of the WNBA
season.

-Selections from your e-mails

-Lacrosse in England.

The WNBA kicks off tonight. Before you run around the room shrieking and doing high-fives with the wall hangings, remember that it's a long season and you'll want to save some energy for the playoffs.

Who will be in these playoffs down the road? We're going out on a limb here...and predict the same two teams that played in the finals last season...Seattle and Atlanta.

This off-season the Dream have only improved themselves by getting point guard Lindsey Harding in a trade. Add the return of Angel McCoughtry, Erika deSouza, Sancho Lyttle and Iziane Castro Marquez and you've got a starting lineup that looks pretty invincible. Key here is the status of Angel's knee. She passed on a trip to England to rest it...sprains take a while to heal.

The Dream also have a deep and veteran bench, too. Coco Miller, Alison Bales, Sandora Irvin, Yelena Leuchanka, Shalee Lehning, Brittany Raven and Armintite Price are experienced role players and the Dream don't lose anything at all if any or all seven of these players are called into action.

Would Bobby Knight consider
coaching a WNBA team in
Louisville?

Seattle is the team to beat. Lauren Jackson, Swin Cash, Sue Bird all return. Even though they swept the Dream 3-0 in the finals...keep in mind that none of the wins were greater than three points.

Could the WNBA prosper in Louisville? WE'RE under the impression that it could. The summer months are pretty much devoid of sports here locally besides the minor league Bats. Would 10,000 or so pack the KFC YUM! or (shudder) Freedom Hall to watch the best in women's hoops? WE can see it. Given the transitional nature of teams in the WNBA...it's high time to move a struggling franchise to Louisville, re-stock it with talented players and give Louisville at least one professional franchise. Make it happen, Louisville Sports Commission.

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Some e-mails we've received:

Cardinal Couple:

How do you see Jeff Walz dealing with all this talent he has now on the Lady Cards roster? Will he start both Schimmels? Your thoughts on this are appreciated.

Cassie (Muldraugh, KY)

Thanks for reading and contacting us, Cassie! No doubt, Walz has a lot of good players at his disposal this 2011-12 season. WE think you'll see a lot of different combinations on the court early before he narrows it down to a regular rotation of 9-10 players. We can see times where he may start both Shoni and Jude...but it's all going to depend on who plays good defense and shows court awareness...two Walz mandatory requirements. We can't wait to see Shawnta Dyer and Cierra Warren on the court...

PAUL,

Thanks for keeping CARDINAL COUPLE lively and informative. What do you think about the proposed changes in women's basketball?

Keith L.
(Louisville)

Hiya, Keith! How's the golf game this summer? I like the moving of the three point line back to men's depth. It won't affect the Schimmels, Becky Burke, Antonita Slaughter, Tay or Gibbs one bit. Hard to say yet about Bria Smith or Esther Monney Niamke. I like the "box" under the basket, also. Gotta give a offensive player some room to negotiate without having to worry about a charging call. It could add 6-8 points a game to Asia Taylor's efforts. The terminology of flagrant fouls and such...whatever...I don't like the ten second clock, though. Gonna slow the game down with fouls, out of bounds plays and timeouts. The committee can lose that idea, in my opinion.

Hi CARDINAL  COUPLE!

Peasall returns plenty of
players for next year.

Just wanted to give a shout-out to the Louisville softball team and their great season that just ended. Sandy Pearsall has some great young talent coming back for next year. The girls really put it on the line this year. Thanks for your coverage and can you sneak me in the press box next year? Ha-Ha..

Ruth\
(Fairdale, KY) 

We really enjoyed the Softball Cards this year and their performance. Make no mistake, they're going to miss Wherry and Bemis on the left side of the infield and their hitting but we're confident Sandy's got a plan in mind for their replacements. Gotta agree with you, the freshmen and sophomores were a very pleasant surprise this season and Pearsall promises more like that are on the way. As far as the press box goes, Ruth...I'm not sure if you could handle the nonsense and zany behavior that goes on up there. It's better than a sitcom. I'm working on getting Bill the Goat up there first, then sneaking in Co-Co to help Al Greener play the organ. If that works, I'll see about smuggling you in. (Provided I get invited back up there next season...)

Cardinal Couple:

Will you consider the idea of adding a message boards like Rivals and Scout have?

Thanks,
Larry
(Shelbyville, KY)

Larry,

NO. They're a hassle, expensive and need constant monitoring. You get idiots on them and flamers. Not gonna happen here. End of discussion and thanks for writing.  

You can e-mail Cardinal Couple at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

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The Louisville lacrosse team has landed in England and already played a match against the English National team. They're keeping a blog of their journey and it can be read over at UofL Sports. www.uoflsports.com

Pretty entertaining stuff. WE recommend you go over and check it out.
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Barnette leaving UK...Lacrosse heads overseas

THURSDAY @ C.C.

Will they let her keep the
chair is the big question?

-Sarah Beth Barnette transferring from Kentucky

-Lacrosse team heads to Europe

2010 Kentucky Miss Basketball Sara Beth Barnette had decided to transfer from UK. Barnette, who attended high school at Lexington Christian, has not decided on where she is headed yet. She played a reserve role on UK head coach Matthew Mitchell's 2010-11 UK squad, averaging 1.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 6.7 minutes of play. She is the second former Miss Basketball to leave the program over the past two years...Rebecca Gray left the Cats to play hoops and golf at Union College after transferring to UK from North Carolina
.
We'll give Gray "thumbs up" for the writing she has done for ESPN Hoop Gurlz over the last couple of years. She's interesting and innovative...skills that didn't translate over to the basketball court for her.

Cartman was originally lined up to anounce the
Barnette transfer but wiser heads prevailed...

WE felt that Louisivlle signee Antonita Slaughter was the best player in the state in 2010 and were surprised when Barnette received the award for Miss Basketball. We also figured that Barnette's role at UK would be limited for the first couple of years.

Barnette released a statement about her decision:

"I've been a UK fan my whole life and I'll always cheer for the Cats. It wasn't a good fit for me personally. I look forward with excitement about my future and have peace about my decision. I wish UK hoops the best on and off the court and I'm grateful for the opportunity Coach Mitchell gave me."

Maybe this will quell the comments we've been receiving from UK fans about the frequency of transfers out of the UofL women's basketball program. It happens everywhere, Big Blue is NOT immune to the actions and...at least Louisville hasn't lost TWO Miss Basketballs...

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Cardinal lacrosse takes the bluegrass
to Merry ol' England.

The Louisville Lacrosse team has safely landed in England and will spend 10 days in England and Europe...their first international trip in the program's history. The Cards will play in several exhibitions while overseas, including matches against the English National team and the U-19 English National team. Louisville will also visit Portugal and Spain during the trip.

The NCAA allows one international tour every four years in each sport. Hmmm, wonder if the Lady Cards hoops team could squeeze in one of these? And, if they need a COUPLE of "special correspondents" to cover the action?

Italy and France sound good to us...

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We think that documentaries are a great idea for all
the Lady Cards basketball players.

WE'VE had several inquires about the next viewing of OFF THE REZ but...as of now...there are no future plans set for a rebroadcast of the documentary or a DVD release date. The documentary...which was about the Schimmel family move to Portland, OR. from the Umatilla Indian Reservation...was shown on TLC. The folks at TLC did respond to an e-mail we sent them...but it was one of those standard "thanks for your interest...blah, blah,blah"...form responses and made no mention of any future showing.

This is a shame. Tons of people missed the initial viewing and would like to see it. Get on the ball, TLC.

We also thought that, if TLC is interested, we could suggest documentaries on a few other Lady Cards. Even have gone as far as to suggest a few titles. Here we go...

-"Give me Mo, Mo, Mo"  (Documentary of UofL fans waiting to see Monique Reid play in her final season at UofL)

Will Jude create a revolution
on the court for the
Lady Cards?

-"Hey Jude."  ( A documentary of Shoni's younger sister and her path to UofL) Maybe they could include some Beatles songs in the film...always a plus.

-"Show me the Monny"  (Documentary on UofL signee Esther Monny Niamke from France) We definitely DON'T want Tom Cruise or Cuba Gooding in this, though.

-"Exploring Asia"  (Documentary on Cardinal forward Asia Taylor. Maybe they could film in the continent and use the Steely Dan song "Aja" in it...a song that I thought was titled "Asia" for years...

-"Inside the Slaughterhouse " (Documentary about home life for Cardinal Antonita Slaughter and maybe they could include her sister Toni, a former Lady Card and her brother A.J. who played at WKU.)

OK...maybe not...and WE'LL stop here..
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To those who took the "presidents challenge in today's header, here are the U.S. Presidents who have been in office since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned:

Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Jr, and Obama.

Foley named to All-American team...Watson weighs in on Epps and Goodin-Rogers

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Is Bergan Foley UofL's best lacrosse player
of all time?

-Lacrosse's Bergan Foley makes IWLCA All-American team

-David Watson on the verbal from Epps and Goodin-Rogers.

-Epps and Goodin-Rogers talk about the verbal.
.

285 goals scored....the fourth most all time in NCAA Women's Lacrosse history. The third-best goals per game mark nationally. First team All-BIG EAST, first team IWLCA All-Midwest. And, now 3rd team All-American honors. 

WE may never see the likes of the scoring machine that is Bergan Foley again in the young history of the Louisville lacrosse program. She'll take to the field one more time in the 2011 IWLCA/Under Armour Division I North-South Senior All-Star game on June 11th. at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown, PA. With her will be senior teammates Liz Lovejoy and Emily Dashiell. The three have set the bar quite high for future Louisville lacrosse athletes. Louisville lacrosse is nearing the level of the top flight women's lacrosse programs nationwide...the Maryland's, Duke's, Virginia's and Notre Dame's of the game.

Someone needs to put up a plaque, statue or some kind of recognition at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium for Foley. Better yet, for all three girls...who have helped get a novice program off the ground and competing with the best that the nation and the BIG EAST has to offer. Get it done, Mr. Jurich...

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David Watson weighs in on the Makayla Epps/Kyvin Goodin-Rogers verbals to Louisville:

The mighty fortress by the banks of the Ohio River
serves as a staging ground for the Lady Cards.  

Just what kind of monster is Jeff Walz creating deep in the laboratories of Cardinal Arena? The mighty fortress walls already reverberate from the sounds of Monique the Mighty, Shoni the Superb, Tia the Terrific, Asia the Atomic, Becky the Bomb and the other indestrutables clad in Red and Black. The ominous threats of Cierra the Conqueror and Shawnta the Storm loom menacingly. They are rebuilt, geared for missions and hungry for battle. The newest additions to the elite are Bria the Blitzkrieg, Jude the Juggernaut, Sara the Stupendous and Monney the Marauder. They ride in on sturdy steeds. Ready to compete, collide and clash with fearful foes in the fall.

Walz has been scouring the countryside still lining up additions. Who knows what the man has planned for 2012? And, 2013 already looks unstoppable with the procurement of the Marion County Monsters. Kyvin Goodin-Rogers the Great and Makayla Epps the Expert will dominate Kentucky high school girls hoops for two more years yet. Two state titles in the future? Don't bet against them.

In the streets, the villagers are vocal and swarming. They're waiting to see the force unleashed. They're hungry for the season still months away. That isn't thunder you hear in the distance - it's the University of Louisville women's basketball team rumbling toward the KFC YUM! Center at Category 5 hurricane force.

Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers have played high school basketball together for four years already. They've still got two years to go. I'm still following up on rumors that they won national championships as pre-schoolers at a Lebanon daycare facility. Their AAU participation has more miles on it than my sturdy 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck. It's safe to say that the two know a bit about basketball and were probably tossing each other no-look passes and assists in the third grade. 

In an era where UofL men's basketball has been steady but still leaves questions about the long-awaited titles that all thought Rick Pitino would produce, there are hopeful and exciting times ahead for the 15 or so that will take the court in the downtown arena to compete in women's college basketball in the BIG EAST. We've been through the NCAA Final Four / Angel McCoughtry era. What's next for this team? Can't see them bowing out in the first round of the Big Dance to Morehead. Ask Xavier about the Lady Cardinals. They're still cleaning up the wreckage Shoni and crew dumped on the Cintas Center.

I suspect that it's going to be a fun journey. That UofL will pass the Lady Vols, UConn and the others in regular season attendance. That this is only a preview of thing still yet to come. That the tradition, dynasty and indisputable recognition of Louisville women's basketball will continue to grow and rival that of the programs that Geno and Pat have built. Room at the top? Oh, yeah.

In the meantime, what's up your sleeve next, Jeff? The villagers are waiting.

(We've got this feeling that David watched way too many war movies over the Memorial Day weekend...but we like his enthusiasm and hopes for the Lady Cards. Hit the bunkers and send out the flares...the troops are ready.)

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WE like the reports that Courier-Journal writer Jody Demling provides on recruiting. He talked with Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers about their verbals to UofL. We thought his story needed to be included here at CARDINAL COUPLE...in case you missed it. Here's Jody!  

I spoke with both Marion County High School sophomore stars Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers this afternoon on their commitments to Louisville.

Epps confirmed she wanted to commit more than a year ago but the mother told her to "wait and make the right decision."

Goodin-Rogers said she "knew for a while" but decided on Saturday night that she wanted to go ahead and make a commitment.

"It's been two or three months, but I never said anything to anyone. Eventually people kept asking me and telling me where I should go and I just decided that I wanted to tell them I already knew." Goodin-Rogers said. "I love the coaches. Coach (Jeff) Walz is just like my high school coach (Trent Milby). They do the same things we do. They know when it comes times for business but also outside of basketball they're real people."

Epps said, "I love Walz. I have the same connnection with him as I do with Milby. I love the assistant coaches, the facilities and everything. And I've always liked wearing the red and black."

(Jody Demling covers recruiting and golf for The Courier-Journal. He also knows a thing or two about horse racing.)

Link to this story:
http://blogs.courier-journal.com/jodydemling/2011/05/31/epps-and-rogers-talk-about-comm...