2008 Woodie Awards
Mocs athletics fills semester with good, bad, ugly
Commentary
Jacob Vannucci
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
In many respects, it has been business as usual for UTC athletics this semester, though a few surprises have crept up to both the delight and disgust of Mocs fans.
We might as well start out recounting the good. UTC's golf programs have sprung up as national contenders.
The men's golf teams, led by junior Jonathan Hodge and sophomore Derek Rende, currently sport an 11th ranking from Golfweek Magazine.
The women's golf team currently sits at 58th after winning their first three tournaments in their inaugural season.
Obviously, both teams are looking forward to the spring when their schedule will resume and they will start looking towards the NCAA championships.
Wrestling also continues to be a strong point for UTC athletics. Currently sitting with a 5-0 record, the Mocs dispatched national powerhouse Ohio State early in the season.
The wrestling Mocs, who are now ranked 13th, are an oddity on the leaderboard. No other Southern Conference or ever Southeastern Conference team is present.
Club sports also seem to be on the rise at UTC. Most notably, sophomore Alex Craw has been able to bring back America's pastime to campus. Craw founded the club baseball team, which plays at Historic Engel Stadium and has its own uniforms.
They have been able to arrange games against local teams like Chattanooga State and Tennessee Temple while also facing other school's club teams like UT-Knoxville and Vanderbilt.
But then, there have been some not-so-great moments for UTC athletics this semester.
Followers of UTC football were not surprised by the team's losing record, but the 2-9 record Chattanooga put up is not what many would call a season to build on.
However, the Mocs have decided to keep Rodney Allison around for another year, puzzling many fans who are tired of following a losing football team.
Senior quarterback Antonio Miller ended his career with the Mocs with a subpar season. A highly touted recruit out of Charlotte, N.C., Miller showed flashes of brilliance through his career, but only ended up with one winning season.
In a season where conference-mate Appalachian State was able to pull off one of the biggest upsets in college football history when they upstaged then second-ranked Michigan at Ann Arbor, the Mocs were never able to get their offense together.
Of course, the football season did have some high points. The Mocs performed well against SEC team Arkansas, who just outplayed LSU last weekend.
With both basketball teams looking competitive in the SoCon this season, both should be exciting to watch as Mocs fans at least have the spring to look forward to.
We might as well start out recounting the good. UTC's golf programs have sprung up as national contenders.
The men's golf teams, led by junior Jonathan Hodge and sophomore Derek Rende, currently sport an 11th ranking from Golfweek Magazine.
The women's golf team currently sits at 58th after winning their first three tournaments in their inaugural season.
Obviously, both teams are looking forward to the spring when their schedule will resume and they will start looking towards the NCAA championships.
Wrestling also continues to be a strong point for UTC athletics. Currently sitting with a 5-0 record, the Mocs dispatched national powerhouse Ohio State early in the season.
The wrestling Mocs, who are now ranked 13th, are an oddity on the leaderboard. No other Southern Conference or ever Southeastern Conference team is present.
Club sports also seem to be on the rise at UTC. Most notably, sophomore Alex Craw has been able to bring back America's pastime to campus. Craw founded the club baseball team, which plays at Historic Engel Stadium and has its own uniforms.
They have been able to arrange games against local teams like Chattanooga State and Tennessee Temple while also facing other school's club teams like UT-Knoxville and Vanderbilt.
But then, there have been some not-so-great moments for UTC athletics this semester.
Followers of UTC football were not surprised by the team's losing record, but the 2-9 record Chattanooga put up is not what many would call a season to build on.
However, the Mocs have decided to keep Rodney Allison around for another year, puzzling many fans who are tired of following a losing football team.
Senior quarterback Antonio Miller ended his career with the Mocs with a subpar season. A highly touted recruit out of Charlotte, N.C., Miller showed flashes of brilliance through his career, but only ended up with one winning season.
In a season where conference-mate Appalachian State was able to pull off one of the biggest upsets in college football history when they upstaged then second-ranked Michigan at Ann Arbor, the Mocs were never able to get their offense together.
Of course, the football season did have some high points. The Mocs performed well against SEC team Arkansas, who just outplayed LSU last weekend.
With both basketball teams looking competitive in the SoCon this season, both should be exciting to watch as Mocs fans at least have the spring to look forward to.
