How hard is it to start an expansion team? To find out, just ask Bob McNair and Bob Johnson, the Houston Texans’ and Charlotte Bobcats’ respective owners. If you need an even better example, shoot an e-mail to two-year owner Stuart Sternberg of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, whose team still hasn’t come close to even a glimpse of the Yankees’ living room from their nine-year crawlspace in the American League East.

Now, obviously the creation of a college club team is less difficult than that of a professional franchise, but the basics of starting a new team — finding players, facilities and financial means — are the same.

For the second-year Marquette water polo team, the transition has not only included accomplishing these three tasks, but also accomplishments where they count most: the pool.

Although the team was officially started last year, 2007 is considered the inaugural year of Marquette’s participation in the Great Plains Division of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). The Golden Eagles finished with a more-than-respectable 10-6 fall season record in the division, which consists of Marquette, the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, Kansas University and Minnesota State University at Mankato.

Success didn’t just accompany the approximately 20-member team in the regular season, however, as it reached the division championship in its first ever try, eventually falling to Minnesota 16-9. The great season was hopefully one of many to come, said club President, Founder and Treasurer Peter Mohan.

“We have a large recruiting hot-bed in Chicago, and once we tap into that potential, our team can be one of the top in the nation,” Mohan said. “I expect the team to grow every year in regards to popularity and skill, and hopefully next year with a good returning team we can make it to nationals.”

A win in next year’s division championship will give them that opportunity, which, if not for Mohan, would never have been a reality two years ago.

After gathering interest on www.Facebook.com and O-Fest, Mohan then had to ask the Recreational Sports Department for pool time, fill out paperwork to apply for club status and finally go in front of the club sports presidents for a majority vote.

“There was some dissent by some clubs because they felt we would be cutting into their money, but the majority was in our favor,” said Mohan.

Needless to say, he was glad it was.

“I really enjoy the sport and the opportunity was not offered here at Marquette,” said Mohan. “Plus, I knew there were a lot of people here that played water polo in high school.”

One such player is Davor Mitrovic, a four-year starter and All-State selection at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago and the 2006 Great Plains Division MVP.

“I think I was lucky to get selected,” Mitrovic said about his award. “The team was very balanced and everyone contributed; the other teams could not double team anyone because some one else would step up. Guys like Pete [Mohan] and Bob [Conrath] and Billy [Doerr] in the goal were a wall so we saved a lot of energy on defense because we knew if the other team got a shot off Billy could stop it.”

While the fall season is where most of the fierce competition takes place, the team is still active in the spring, and went 2-2 in a tournament at Iowa State the weekend of March 23, defeating St. John’s College of Minnesota as well as the host.

Like all new organizations, however, Marquette has faced some problems dealing with all of the facets that running a club entails. So far this spring the team had to cancel participation in tournaments two times; one for lack of members and the other for lack of transportation.

Nonetheless, Mohan has worked diligently in order to find quality and consistent competition for the team and his efforts have paid off. Marquette, despite not having adequate facilities on campus, will be hosting the 2007 Great Plains Division CWPA Championship at Schroeder YMCA in Brown Deer, a distance advantage the team surely will relish.

“Every other school in our division is at least a five-hour drive, so it will be easier for us to get in a rhythm before our games,” Mohan said. “Also, we should have the entire roster present; a benefit we don’t usually have.”

Popularity: 14% [?]

Usually, basketball, football and baseball come to mind immediately when asked to think about sports. When asked to think about cheerleading, the first thought to come to mind again would most likely be basketball or football. Cheerleading is almost always associated with bigger, more popular male sports and is rarely considered a sport in its own right. The trouble with that, however, is that cheerleading is in fact a sport capable of standing on its own; it is not only a sport, but a rather difficult sport at that.

People associate cheerleading with catchy slogans shouted out by a group of girls on the sideline of a football field or basketball court. A cartwheel here and a wave of a pom pon there is basically what makes up the fundamentals of cheerleading right? Wrong. Cheerleading is one of the most underrated sports today. Although it is sometimes thought of as mindless shouting, it incorporates difficult dance routines, extensive gymnastic tumbling and intricate stunts. Serious cheerleaders practice for hours each day: working on choreography, practicing dangerous stunts and spending time in the weight room building their muscles. Cheerleading is not just a sport to these athletes but a lifestyle. When they are not at practice, they continue to stay fit and remain on a healthy diet so they can perform at a top level.

Cheerleading has been stereotyped over the years as a safe, simple sport with no real risk involved when compared to other sports. The truth of the matter is that cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sports around, and the risk factor has been growing significantly over the past few years. According to a research study done at the Columbus Children’s Hospital in Ohio, there were 22,900 cheerleading related injuries in emergency rooms across the country in 2002 which was a significant increase from 10,900 in 1990. These figures also do not include private consultations for similar injuries, so the actual cheerleading injuries could be much higher. Another study performed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program found that in 2005, 25 percent of money spent on claims for student athletes since 1998 resulted from cheerleading accidents. Clearly there is more risk to cheerleading than it is given credit for.

A recent article posted online by the New York Times featured a story about a young woman who was a member of the cheerleading squad at Sacramento City College and was asked to perform a difficult stunt, a stunt that almost cost her her life. In the article, journalist Bill Pennington told of how this young woman was thrown into the air to do a particular flip, but was not caught by her teammates and ended up breaking her neck. Although incidents such as this are not common, they are more prevalent than they may seem and are another illustration of just how dangerous the sport truly is.

Alongside the obvious danger of breaking bones through challenging gymnastic stunts, cheerleading also comes with a great risk for eating disorders which can lead to even more serious problems. Since cheerleaders must remain relatively small to successfully do certain dance moves or become “fliers” (a cheerleader who is thrown into the air), and also to look attractive in the barely there uniforms provided, it is not uncommon for them to be concerned with weight and body image. Along with gymnasts and dancers, cheerleaders are at high risk for developing eating disorders in order to maintain a certain image. The Boston Globe featured a story in 1991 about a young woman at the University of Connecticut who had been kicked off the cheerleading squad for being overweight. She turned to a restrictive diet of water and lettuce for five weeks, and also abuse of diuretics to drop her weight from 147 to 123. She was let back on the team after her massive weight loss, but soon after had to leave the squad for a second time due to severe illness caused by her eating disorder.

Cheerleading continues to be overlooked as a real sport by many and is typically seen as a safe alternative to real sports. When examined closely however, cheerleading comes out on top as one of the most challenging and dangerous sports available today. Think twice before you dismiss cheerleading as a sport for the weak, because chances are that cheerleaders are tougher than they appear.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Although most of Milwaukee has probably never heard of Boston’s Head of the Charles regatta, crew teams throughout the country had anticipated the event for months. With 7,500 athletes in attendance, it is North America’s largest regatta and the largest fall regatta in the world. Each year, 300,000 spectators travel to Boston to attend the event. Crew teams come from the United States, Canada, Europe and even Asia to compete in 26 different races, ranging in size from one-man to eight-man boats. Of the 7,500 competitors, 24 came from the Marquette club crew team: 12 women rowers, eight male rowers and four coxswains. After 18 hours of bus travel and one day of practice, Marquette shined in competition. Marquette entered boats in four events and was incredibly successful throughout the entire regatta. On Oct. 20, Marquette entered two boats in the competition, one in the Men’s Collegiate four and one in the Women’s Collegiate four. The men’s team took fifth place with an overall time only 3.14 percent behind the leader. The women’s team took seventh, with a time only 4.05 percent behind the winning team. Because both boats had a finishing time within five percent of the winning time, they automatically received a bid to return to the event next year.

On Oct. 21, Marquette had a Lightweight Men’s four and a Collegiate Women’s eight. The lightweight men finished within 10.29 percent of the top boat’s time, and the women finished within 10.53 percent.

Unlike much of its competition, the Marquette crew team is a club sport. Most of its members did not begin rowing until their freshmen year. With that said, Marquette’s high finish is incredibly significant. Many of the competitors are Division 1 teams that recruit students to row. Some of the schools Marquette competed against at the Head of the Charles were: Boston College, Colgate, Northwestern, Bucknell, Penn State, Yale, Brown University and Princeton. There were also international crews among the competition including Ottawa Rowing Club, Undine Barge Club and King’s Crown Rowing Association.

The results and lineups from the event can be found at the Charles’ Web site: www.hocr-timing.org/results/results_schedule.shtml.

Popularity: 9% [?]

The men’s lacrosse team is ready to get down to business, and this time they’re serious. After a misfortunate incident involving Public Safety and after the suspension of their season last year, the guys are back and stronger than ever, making a conscious effort to promote the team in a positive light, and help others through service work in the process.Last year, the lacrosse team developed a bad reputation as a party-affiliated club after a hazing scandal in the program swept the campus. The remainder of their season was terminated after a few meetings that were held last fall. Word got out about the less than flattering situation, and other news sources, such as The Journal Sentinel and WTMJ4, decided to pick up the story, too. With all the poor publicity for the club, one would think the men would be discouraged, but instead they turned the negative into a positive and are now stronger than ever.

“We became organized,” said Andy Hunt, vice president of the club, who has been an important figure in getting the club back on its feet and changing the way it operated. After the scandal in fall 2005, the club got together and decided to elect new officers and start working toward a better goal for the 2006-2007 season.

“It was hard initially to step into those roles,” explained senior captain and president Ben White, “but the work ethic and character [of the team] is phenomenal.” Both White and Hunt believe it was the hard work of the team that helped put the shattered pieces back together and brought the team up to where it is now. “Everyone was willing to do anything for the team,” White said.

It shows. Just this fall, the club has already played in tournaments and even hosted home games. Although the current record is 2-5, the team’s new attitude proves that a team is about more than statistics.

An example of the hard work and genuine desire to improve is the community service the team does together. There was no community service requirement included in the club’s probation, but the men get together and do it anyway, giving to the less fortunate because they are passionate about helping others and bonding as a team simultaneously. This weekend, the team will be playing in a tournament in which all tournament fees will be donated to the American Cancer Society. This is just one way the club has given back however.

The newly elected officers also held an anti-hazing workshop at the beginning of this season. They organized the event and were able to get nationally recognized speakers to attend. It lasted five hours, and it was open to any club that wanted to attend. When asked why they wllowed other clubs to join the workshop, Hunt said, “We wanted to make sure this kind of thing wouldn’t happen to anyone else.”

Another new aspect of the team is that whenever they have group outings, no member is allowed to consume alcohol. “We are a completely dry team,” explained Hunt. “Even the guys of legal age don’t drink while we’re out as a team.”

They thought it might be difficult to promote the team this season and to recruit new freshmen initially. However, the worry soon subsided. Most new players were somewhat aware of what happened the previous year due to the anti-hazing workshop, and team officers, who were happy to meet with new freshmen and their parents during campus preview. The situation from last season did not stifle their desire to join the club.

“It didn’t factor into my decision,” said freshman midfielder Michael Condon. The overall attitude of the team is positive and they are looking ahead with high aspirations. “The team is building good chemistry,” he further explained, and there are no signs of slowing down.

Currently, the men are looking forward to the rest of the fall season and the upcoming spring season. The team will begin again in late February or early March, and they have high expectations.

“We are excited to be Marquette Lacrosse again,” commented White, who explained that last spring they played on a team called the Trombones, which was not affiliated with the school. “It’s nice to put on a jersey that means something.”

They also expressed gratitude toward the loyal fans of the team. Earlier this fall, the club hosted a parents’ weekend, which included two home games. They gave away 100 free t-shirts that sported a Marquette Lacrosse logo. “We are appreciative of the fans,” said Hunt. “It’s been a long, hard road, and we’re proud of the team.”

The Marquette men’s lacrosse team has been inspiring so far this season, and can be expected to continue improving. Coming back from a devastating controversy, they managed to turn around the entire club with the support of fans and the hard work of each player in a single year. It’s only fair to say that they have earned back the trust of the parents, faculty and the fans. We can all look forward to an amazing spring season.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Less than a year after being stripped of club sport status, the Marquette lacrosse team has impressively turned the wheel of fortune back in their favor. Thanks to back-to-back exciting home wins in September, the club managed to waste no time regaining the respect of the university community.After beating St. Norbert College and Loyola University-Chicago at Valley Fields, the excitement among players and fans alike finally began to return. According to the lacrosse club’s president, Ben White, “the fan turnout [that] weekend shows that Marquette isn’t focusing on any past negative actions this club has experienced.”

Promising freshmen, including Mike Condon, responsible for the game-winning score in overtime against Loyola, have also helped the image of the once-beleaguered club. White agreed, saying that “the returning guys are incredibly excited for our large freshman class; they have a lot of potential.”

The club’s determination off the field has been equally admirable to their success upon it. Practices, usually three days of on-field, fully-padded scrimmages and drill sets, keep the team in competitive form while their once-weekly classroom sessions hone various technical skills. Perhaps even more impressive was the team’s decision to organize a hazing-prevention meeting. On Sept. 20th, the team hosted such a conference to inform and steer Marquette’s other club sports teams – from baseball to ultimate frisbee – clear of the consequences of hazing.

Popularity: 10% [?]

The Warrior sat down for a one-on-one interview with Jessica Kieser, a sophomore majoring in Exercise Science and Physical Therapy and defensive specialist on the women’s volleyball team.

What does the job of a defensive specialist entail? Basically, I spend a lot of time on the back row passing and digging. Digging means I pass the ball from the spike.

What is the best thing about volleyball? The best thing about volleyball is the teammates and the friendships you make with them throughout the season.

What are kills? Kills are when the hitter spikes the ball and it can’t be returned.

What’s your favorite team to play? Louisville. They’re a real big rival. Sunday we played them on ESPNU.

What’s the toughest thing about practice? Running boards. It’s like suicides but we push a board across the floor to the ten foot line and back.

What is the one thing you do before a game? The team sings before a game. It’s a special team song.

Who’s the funniest person on the team? Terri Angst because of her vocabulary and the quotes she has.

What’s the best way to psych out your opponent? You really can’t do a lot of trash talk during the game, but you can stare down a person from across the net and give that person a nasty glare or look.

What are your thoughts on spandex? It’s actually comfortable except wearing them for a long time. But it brings fans. Some guys come to the game just to watch the girls, but once they are there they really get into the game and start cheering.

What’s your worst team moment? Personally, I had to do a lot of “freshmen jobs” last year. I had to carry a case two times the size of my body when traveling. Otherwise my worst embarrassing moment has to be whenever I get hit in the face with a ball.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Sophomore Michael Van Sickle’s resume already includes the second-best scoring average for a freshman in school history. Junior Ted Gray holds sole-possession of the school’s single season stroke average record. In order to achieve a successful follow-up of one of the most successful seasons in team history in which they finished third in the Big East Conference tournament, the Marquette men’s golf team needs these two players at top form, as they are the only returnees from that squad.

Just as important as the two leaders of the team, however, is the play of the less experienced golfers such as red-shirt junior Michael Bielawski and sophomore returnees Dustin Schwab and Chris Streff. If these players are ready to contribute, it will bolster a squad looking for the depth that is so vital in a team-style format.

The team got a chance to see this depth in action Sept. 9 and 10, when they participated in the 2006 Central Regional Preview at The Plantation at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. The tournament was hosted by Northern Illinois University and included 12 teams from all over the Midwest including Indiana University, Kansas University, the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri, of which the 2006 U.S. Amateur Champion, John Kelly, is a member.

Although Marquette was in fourth place after two rounds at the tournament, they fell two spots after the final day to finish right in the middle of the pack in sixth place. A definite bright spot for the Golden Eagles was Mike Van Sickle, who placed 10th with a 10-over 226, only five strokes behind tournament winners Derek Fathauer of Louisville and Colt Knost of Southern Methodist University. Marquette’s Gray also performed well, shooting a 14-over 230, good for a 19th place finish.

Another great effort was put in by freshman Mike McDonald and junior Mike Bielawski, who tied for 34th place each at 21-over. McDonald made a huge charge in the last half of the tournament, chewing up 18 places over his final two rounds. Overall, Bielawski thought the team could have performed a little better in the opening tournament of the year.

“The team performance fell a bit short of what we wanted. A top 2 or 3 there would have been a good finish. Instead, we finished 6th,” Bielawski said.

However, Bielawski offered some praise for the Van Sickle’s 10th place effort in a loaded field.

“Van Sickle played very well, taking 10th. Anytime one of us finishes in the top 10, it’s a good showing.” Bielawski said. The Marquette squad improved when they participated in the McLaughlin Tournament on Sept. 22 and 23 in Farmingdale, N.Y.

During the tournament, Bielawski shot a final round 68 to take second place in the tournament. Bielawski finished two back of the winner who shot a 6 under (204). Sophomore Dustin Schwab also shot a 68 in the final round. He and Van Sickle tied for 12th place overall and helped the Marquette team finish third behind Akron and St. Johns.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Cincinnati
Jessica Elley, sophomore, earned BIG EAST player of the week honors on September 4. Elley leads the team in both kills and digs. The Bearcats travel to Marquette on Sept. 22 after losing 3-0 to the Golden Eagles last season.

Connecticut
The Huskies beat up on Gonzaga, Portland State and Gardner-Webb to win the Gonzaga Volleyball Classic on Sept. 2. Connecticut is the last remaining undefeated team in the BIG EAST. Sarah Singer, Waukesha, Wis., native, leads all returning players with 246 kills last season.

DePaul
The Blue Demons lost to five teams in-state (Loyala-Chicago, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois) and are picked to finish last in conference by BIG EAST coaches. On the bright side, DePaul can boast a team grade-point average of better than 3.30 last season.

Georgetown
The Hoyas already accomplished something they failed to do all of last season: win at home. Georgetown was 0-11 at home in 2005-06. On a Midwest note: Caitlin Boland, Naperville, Ill., native, recorded a career-high 56 assists against UW-Milwaukee last year.

Louisville
The Cardinals went 31-3 last season but lost to Jacksonville State to start this season. Ana Stewart, outside hitter, was this year’s preseason conference player of the year. Jana Matiasovska, the tallest player in the BIG EAST at 6’6”, hopes to complete a 16,300-piece puzzle some day, according to the team Web site.

Marquette
The Golden Eagles enter the year with two preseason all-conference selections in Jamie Mueller and Kimberley Todd. Mueller broke the Marquette record for digs with 41 on Sept. 8. The team is predicted to finish sixth in the BIG EAST, according to preseason polls.

Notre Dame
The Irish own an 8-0 lifetime record against Marquette. If you do not like Notre Dame, take solace in their four early season losses. Either way, Old Notre Dame was the preseason favorite to “win over all” and repeat as conference champions.

Pittsburgh
The Panthers started the season 8-0 before losing to No. 12 Tennessee on Sept. 8. Head coach Chris Beerman leads the nation with the most appropriate college surname. Outside hitter Diana Andreyko leads the team as a unanimous preseason all-conference selection.

Providence
The Friars are independent from the BIG EAST in women’s volleyball.

Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights have but one NCAA Tournament appearance in 1982. Rutgers can claim one thing that no other team can…sophomore Roxy Calder. Where else would a woman with that name really live but in Oceanside, Calif.?

St. John’s
Hui Ping Huang, from The People’s Republic of China, leads the Red Storm after a tremendous freshman season. Not so fun fact: The plane carrying the Marquette women’s volleyball team nearly crashed while landing in New York last season.

Seton Hall
What can we say about Seton Hall that has not already been said? The Pirates are picked to finish 14th in conference, and are also the home of Dick Vitale’s undergraduate degree.

South Florida
The Bulls had one conference win last year, and it was against Georgetown. Juliana Bittar Ripper Nogueira is the full name of USF’s senior setter. Freshman Alli Arbogast is from Marquette High School in Missouri.

Syracuse
Head coach Jing Pu has successfully led the Orange for eleven seasons. Syracuse won a school record of eleven conference games in 2005-06, but lost their program’s first All-American, Kelly Duan, to graduation. Duan joined the Orange coaching staff as graduate assistant this season.

Villanova
The Wildcats feature senior middle blocker Adrian Semrau. She is 6’4” and an economics major. Last year, Villanova had a 6-1 record in Sunday games and 15-10 on any other day. The Vatican should wonder how a Catholic university excels on the day of rest.

West Virginia
Head coach Veronica Hammersmith enters her 32nd season leading the Mountaineers. Kailee Goold, junior setter, controls the offense after starting every match last season. Nicole Jones, freshman setter, is native to Racine, Wis.

Popularity: 6% [?]

In the school year of 2003-2004, the Marquette University club rugby team had 35 members and not a single coach.

In the fall of this academic school year, Marquette University’s club rugby team celebrated its 30 year anniversary. The now 35 player team is anxious to continue its growth and progress. The highlight of this season was the team’s third place finish at the Mardi Gras Tournament in St. Louis. Next year they will have four coaches as well as eight returning seniors to lead the team.

“Hopefully for next season (next fall) we will have solid numbers at practice every day and we can make a run in the Wisconsin playoffs,” commented Tom Collins, a co-captain and junior in the College of Business Administration.

The team will have its work cut out for them due to the fact that they compete in one of the more competitive conferences in the Midwest.

“There are no easy games in the state of Wisconsin. We are a young team and need our younger guys to step up in the fall”, commented Ryan Hunter, co-captain and junior in the College of Communications.
With these goals in mind, the Marquette Rugby team has just purchased a new scrum set, similar to the equipment that football teams use to practice hitting. They owe the ability to invest in such equipment to the fundraising they did earlier this year. They’re working on similar opportunities that will insure future development.

“The improvement of our rookies this semester along with the new equipment we’ve purchased has raised the bar for the fall season,” said Drew McMillin, president of the Marquette rugby team and junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The team plays six to eight games each fall and spring season with roughly three home games hosted at King Field, located half a block north of 17th and Highland. In order to maintain high intensity during these games the team practices for a total of seven hours a week. This rigorous practice schedule is essential for such a complex game that many associate it with discipline, a strong work ethic and a tendency to be violent.

McMillin added, “with the talent of our players and the expertise of our coaches, we have the ability to win state next semester.”

New players are always welcome and are encouraged to show up at any of their practices. Mandatory practices are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The next home game for the Marquette Rugby squad will be August 26th, 2006 at 1:00pm at King Field. They always appreciative of their fan base, and welcome any new spectators.

After all the hard work the current members have invested, they hope to see it pay off in the fall. As stated by Collins, “this will be the last year for a lot of guys and I know I want to go out on top and bring a good name to the club and school.”

Popularity: 16% [?]

The Warrior recently sat down with Pat Winters, first year starting right guard of the Marquette club football team. The team will take on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers, its Milwaukee rivals, in the Brew City Classic October 14. Did any players on Marquette’s team not play in high school?
Most of the kids that play on the team played in high school and haven’t lost their love of the game. There are some first timers that are coming along very well.

How is playing at the club level?
We play more or less for fun, but we are still very serious. We want to win. The coach’s name is Mike “Red” Maloney, but players also do a lot of running the team.

What are practices like?
Practices are Wednesday through Friday and some on Saturday. A lot of it is individual work by position.

As a right guard, do you worry about holding or ever catch yourself holding?
There is holding on every play. You have to do anything to outsmart or out-maneuver your opponent. It’s a great sport where you can assault someone. There is combat on every play. It’s one-on-one so the best man wins.

What do you say to people who say “it’s just club football?”
It’s not “just club football.” We play against programs that have players on scholarships. This is serious football and we want to win.

What is your favorite thing to do before a game?
In high school I had a whole routine. Now I listen to a lot of Metallica and Eminem. Right before the game begins, I listen to Al Paccino’s Any Given Sunday speech.

If someone is interested in playing, but needs some encouragement, what do you say?
Come out for the team! We are always looking for new people. Every game we are out numbered. If you have played before that’s great, but players that are new to the game are also great.

Popularity: 11% [?]