Around Campus is a weekly feature keeping you current in the world of RedHawks athletics.
Track & Field: The RedHawks will send nine competitors to the NCAA Regionals in Bloomington, Indiana, hosted by the University of Indiana. The women's team will send five athletes for the second consecutive season, while the men will send four of their own. All of them ranked in the top 48 in their respective events for the East Regional, making them eligible for the qualifying round which runs May 26-28. Katie Lenahan, Samantha Gable, Rachel Patterson, Alexandra Roberts and Tori Paterra will represent the Lady 'Hawks, while Adam Ruiz, Nathan Hoch, Matt Rudin and Rob Stein will go for the men. Both the men and women will need to finish in the top 12 in order to advance to the NCAA Finals, to be held June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Softball: Jessica Simpson was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's (NFCA) All-Midwest Region Second Team. She posted incredible numbers this year en route to one the best seasons in program history. Boasting a 1.57 ERA, she set a new single-season mark for wins with a record of 27-15, and set a new all-time mark with her 70th career victory. She also fired a single-season record of 317 strikeouts and tossed 15 complete game shutouts (including one no-hitter), second-most in the nation. She is the first 'Hawk in program history to be named MAC Pitcher of the Year, was named to the All-MAC First Team, and was named MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week seven times this season, a conference record.
Golf: Nathan Sutherland competed for Miami at the NCAA Regionals in Zionsville, Indiana as an unattached individual and shot a 17-over par, finishing in a tie for 61st place, ending his season and his four-year career. He finishes the season with an average score of 72.61, the second-lowest single-season score in Miami history. His career average of 73.63 is also second-best in program history.
Field Hockey: The 2011-2012 schedule for Miami field hockey was released and can be viewed here. The non-conference portion of the slate includes several schools from the Big 10 conference and some of the nation's top-ranked programs. Last year, the 'Hawks tied with Kent State for the best conference record at 8-2 (14-7 overall), but fell to the top-seeded Golden Flashes in the conference championship game. This will be the first season for the 'Hawks under new head coach Iñako Puzo.
NHL Playoffs: Former RedHawk defenseman Dan Boyle's San Jose Sharks have run into a brick wall in the Western Conference Finals against the Vancouver Canucks. Through the first four games, Vancouver is outscoring San Jose 17-11, taking a 3 games to 1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Boyle has scored four points (3 assists, 1 goal) in the series so far, but saw his four-game points streak come to an end in Sunday's 4-2 loss in Game 4. Now facing elimination, Boyle and the Sharks will play a must-win Game 5 Tuesday on the road.
All Miami RedHawks: Miami University was named the recipient of the MAC's inaugural Institutional Sportsmanship Award, a distinction designed to emphasize the importance of good sportsmanship from the players, coaches and administrators and the institution that best embodies the conference's core values.
Also, the softball, golf and men's cross country teams were given perfect academic scores by the NCAA, and received Public Recognition Awards (PRA). The PRA distinctions examine eligibility and retention rates amongst student-athletes, and recognize the programs that score in the top 10% for their sport. This year (the sixth year the PRAs have existed), 909 Division I sports teams were recognized. The golf team has received the honor all six years, while the cross country team has earned it in five of six seasons. This was the first time the softball team received the award.
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