Sports
Bergquist gets another shot in British Columbia
Story by Colter Nuanez
Montana Kaimin
In the high-stakes poker game that is professional football, former University of Montana quarterback Cole Bergquist went all in … and lost. But unlike many a gambler, Bergquist earned a second chance.
A few months ago, the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League began to covet the 6-foot-2, 220-pound native of San Clemente, Calif. Until two weeks ago, Bergquist’s agent Mike Bernstein and the B.C. Lions had a contract on the table awaiting the quarterback’s signature. But an outside shot at earning an invite to a NFL mini-camp caused Bergquist to bet the house. The fourth-leading passer in Montana history left the contract unsigned.
Infamous Maggotfest captures Missoula once again
Story by Roman Stubbs
Thirty-three years ago, a small group of young rugby players conceived Maggotfest.
Little did they know they were creating the blueprint for a local spring staple, not to mention one of the nation’s most popular rugby tournaments.
“I really don’t think that back when the Maggot founders started this that they had any sense that it would become this big,” said Maggots assistant coach Jake Kreilick, who has had a hand in the tournament for almost three decades. “It’s a big deal, and the town of Missoula knows it’s a big deal.”
Opinion: March Madness can’t hold a candle to 40 Games in 40 Nights
Story by Colter Nuanez | April 30, 2009
In reality, a column arguing that the NBA playoffs are better than the NCAA tournament should have to be only two words long: LeBron James.
But since the last column of my college career can’t simply be the real name of the greatest athlete in the history of humanity (damn right I just went there), education and justification are necessary.
Since the time when Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans faced off against Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA final 30 years ago, the U.S. has been obsessed with March Madness. Year in and year out, it is billed as the greatest sporting series in the country. But at the end of the day, the NCAA tournament is popular for one reason above all else: gambling.
UM professor holds court on the benefits of squash
Story by Tyson Alger | April 30, 2009
On campus, it is common to find professors taking part in activities outside of the classroom. For biology professor Erick Greene, one of those activities for a period of time involved him hitting a ball against a wall, alone.
Greene, who has taught at Montana for 19 years, is an avid squash player. Squash is a game similar to racquetball, but with different court dimensions and a smaller, harder ball.
Greene grew up in Canada, where squash is much more popular than in the U.S., especially Montana. When he moved to Montana 20 years ago, he couldn’t find anywhere to play the game he loved.
Hockey team relays for teammate
Story by Colter Nuanez | April 29
One would be hard-pressed to find someone today whose life has not been affected by cancer in one way or another. When The University of Montana club hockey players participate in UM Relay For Life on Friday, one of their brothers won’t be far from their hearts and minds.
“Cancer hits home for everybody,” said Eric Kessler, the team’s president. “Many people have family members with cancer. The hockey team is like a family. One of our family members has cancer now, so we are even more motivated to get out there and do something.”
The hockey team started participating in the UM Relay For Life last spring in an effort to both raise cancer awareness and promote its name in the community. This year, however, the team continued with the fundraiser for a different reason.
Sexist intramural softball rule should take a walk
Story by Whitney Bermes | April 29
Editor’s note: Thanks to Mother Nature, Team Kaimin’s softball game was rendered a forfeit. But luckily for them, the umpire gave us the win. TK will take what it can get. TK is now 3–1 on the season and is looking forward to the playoffs.
Since this semester is my last college hoorah, I have taken advantage of one of the best activities this campus has to offer: co-rec intramural softball.
We are lucky here at UM. The Intramural Program has many different sports — softball, basketball, flag football, soccer, racquetball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee — and they all give everyone more than adequate opportunities to participate.
But playing in our co-rec game last week, I discovered one rule that really irked me.
After our pitcher threw four balls to the male batter at the plate, the boy was given a walk and trotted down the first-base line to take his base. Because of co-rec rules, the next batter up was a girl. But instead of going to the batter’s box, she headed straight for first base, allowing the next boy in their lineup to step up to the plate.
Griz Notebook: UM tennis ends season, two qualify for NCAA track regional
Story by Roman Stubbs | April 28, 2009
Tennis teams’ seasons come to end in California
After a come from behind quarterfinal win over third-seeded Northern Arizona Thursday, the Montana men’s tennis team fell short of an upset bid Friday against eventual tournament champion Sacramento State.
The Hornets (19-6, 8-0 Big Sky) swept their way to their seventh Big Sky Championship in school history. With a pair of 4-0 wins over Montana in the semifinal and second-seeded Eastern Washington in Saturday’s night league championship match.
Two former Grizzlies sign with NFL teams
Story by Colter Nuanez | April 28, 2008
For Colin Dow, the second day of the NFL Draft was like an episode of Flavor of Love. He didn’t want to watch it. He had been advised against watching it. Yet there he was Sunday, engulfed in each and every pick, anxiously waiting for his name to be called.
“I couldn’t help myself,” said the 6-foot-5, 305-pound guard, who was an All-Big Sky selection on the offensive line each of the last three seasons. “I plopped down in the recliner and started watching about round six. Every pick was pretty excruciating to watch, to see guys who you feel like you are as good or better than go before you.”
After the announcement of “Mr. Irrelevant” signaled the end of the draft, Dow found himself in the same position as four other former Grizzlies with NFL aspirations. Fellow offensive linemen J.D. Quinn and Brent Russum, safety Colt Anderson and quarterback Cole Bergquist went un-drafted as well.
No. 6 UM men’s tennis team to face No. 3 Northern Arizona in first round of BSC tournament
Story by Tyson Alger | April 24, 2009
The University of Montana men’s tennis team will travel to Gold River, Calif. this weekend to compete in the Big Sky Conference Championships held at the Gold River Racquet Club.
The Griz enter the championships as the sixth and last seed in the tournament. They will face Northern Arizona, who defeated Montana State Thursday to earn the tournament’s No. 3 seed.
Northern Arizona enters the tournament as a bit of a question mark. Nord said that NAU was one of the most improved teams in the BSC this season, but they are currently riding a two-game losing streak heading into tournament play. This includes a 2–5 loss to the Griz on April 10.
Sac State comes into the tournament as the top seed after going undefeated in conference play this season.
Betterside rugby team puts on oil-wrestling fundraiser
Story by Colter Nuanez | April 24, 2009
Female athletes oil wrestling at an establishment that serves alcohol. This event alone would rank among the greatest fundraisers of all time. Add a match between two superheroes with bloodlines tied to the National Wrestling Alliance and the result might just be heaven on earth.
Thursday marked the second edition of what will almost certainly become a blueprint for club team fundraising as the University of Montana women’s Betterside rugby team oil wrestled to the delight of more than 100 raucous rabble rousers at The Other Side.
The event was conceived by the Betterside rugby players last spring in an effort to do something different and fun in hopes of it being lucrative. What was once thought of as an experiment now looks to be on the fast track to becoming a tradition.
Griz lacrosse hosts final games of regular season
Story by Whitney Bermes | April 24, 2009
The Montana club lacrosse team will round out its season this weekend with two tough conference opponents.
The Griz host Simon Fraser and the University of Washington this weekend in their final two games of the regular season. Montana faces Simon Fraser on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Washington on Sunday at noon. Both games are at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
But Montana first-year head coach Ryan Hanavan is hoping home-field advantage will give them a leg up on this weekend’s stiff competition.
UM rodeo team hobbled heading to Glendive
Story by Roman Stubbs | April 23, 2009
The hobbling University of Montana rodeo program is welcoming a grueling 570-mile trip to Glendive this weekend, hoping that heading eight hours due east can reverse its fortunes.
Two weeks is all it has taken. In that window, the men’s team has taken three casualties in the pit. Two torn ACLs and a broken leg have reduced coach Kevin Nordahl’s cowboy roster. Couple that with a women’s barrel racing bronc that broke a leg last week, and the program is searching for a clean slate, if you will.
Women’s golf fourth in Big Sky Championship
Story by Colter Nuanez | April 23, 2009
Northern Arizona’s golf team took advantage of playing close to home, capturing the 2009 Big Sky Conference Championship at the Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz., Wednesday. It was the Lumberjacks’ record sixth conference championship after finishing second each of the last three seasons. The University of Montana women finished fourth.
Never did the NAU women relinquish the lead. Northern shot a three-round score of 914 (298, 309, 307) to finish six strokes ahead of runner-up Sacramento State (308, 312, 300), 10 ahead of third-place Weber State (315, 305, 304) and 20 ahead of Montana (312, 317, 305).
The Grizzlies had a 12-stroke advantage over fifth-place and defending champion Portland State (312, 319, 315).
Women’s tennis team hopes to ride hot streak into Big Sky Championships in California this weekend
Story by Tyson Alger | April 23, 2009
As the winds whipped through Missoula Wednesday afternoon, The University of Montana women’s tennis team practiced through the gusts in preparation for this weekend’s Big Sky Conference Championship, held in Gold River, Calif. While the wind didn’t provide the most opportune environment for the team to practice on the last day before traveling to the tournament, head coach Steve Ascher was optimistic about the practice.
“You adjust,” he said. “It could be windy down there. Northern California is typically windy.”
The wind isn’t the only factor that could come into play at the BSC tournament. California has been experiencing high temperatures over the past week, with averages in the upper 90s.
Sports in 140: Twitter craze reaches realm of college athletics
Story by Colter Nuanez | April 22, 2009
It’s nothing new for athletes to receive fines for misbehavior. Being late for meetings, arguing with teammates, criticizing officiating — all these are straight shots to $10,000 slaps on the wrists for professional athletes.
But text messaging?
The technological craze of social interaction has swept the globe, and the sporting world is no exception. Last month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Milwaukee Bucks power forward Charlie Villanueva was fined for posting a message on his page on the social networking site Twitter during halftime of a game against the Boston Celtics. Villanueva sent the message from his cell phone while in the locker room.
Deaths help to prove the significance of sports
Story by Whitney Bermes | April 23, 2009
Editor’s note: Despite a catastrophic hamstring tear to slugger Colter Nuanez, Team Kaimin was able to post a win in consecutive weeks for the first time since anyone can remember. Behind stellar defense highlighted by leftfielder Tyson Alger’s web gem catch, a Schilling-like effort on the mound by Nuanez, and timely hitting by Bill Oram (game-winning run) and Alger (1 homerun, 4 RBI), the Kaiminites were able to pull out a 7–6 victory to move to 2–1 at the season’s midpoint.
Browsing through the last couple weeks’ sports headlines, I couldn’t help but notice a common theme: death.
