Club sports pull to top of competition

Club sports at Kennesaw State University have reached the top of their games‚ with hockey‚ lacrosse and wrestling clubs outscoring and outlasting their opponents.The club teams have enjoyed much success over the past few months‚ winning championships and helping to foster a stronger sense of community among the students‚ staff and faculty.The ice hockey team recently won the national championship in Division III of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The lacrosse team continues to evolve and even played on the KSU soccer field this year. And a brand−new wrestling club team is taking its competition to the mat‚ bringing home trophies from several tournaments. (For the complete story‚ please click on the headline above.)

Georgia (Apr 6, 2007) — Club sports at Kennesaw State University have reached the top of their games‚ with hockey‚ lacrosse and wrestling clubs outscoring and outlasting their opponents.

The club teams have enjoyed much success over the past few months‚ winning championships and helping to foster a stronger sense of community among the students‚ staff and faculty.

The ice hockey team recently won the national championship in Division III of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The lacrosse team continues to evolve and even played on the KSU soccer field this year. And a brand−new wrestling club team is taking its competition to the mat‚ bringing home trophies from several tournaments.

The five−year−old ice hockey team finished its recent season 22−7‚ taking home the trophy and attracting thousands of KSU students decked out in black and gold to its games‚ said Ryan Falvai‚ the club team’s president.

He said student support helped bolster the team and keep that winning momentum through the season. The team is scheduled to present the championship trophy to President Daniel S. Papp and Nancy King‚ vice president for student success‚ in a public celebration on the Campus Green April 10.

The two−year−old lacrosse team is also doing well‚ with a record‚ as of April 6‚ of 8−4‚ competing against teams from all over the Southeast‚ said coach Ken Byers.

With the support of faculty advisers and Papp‚ the lacrosse team received permission to play on the KSU soccer field in March‚ where KSU defeated Carleton College (Minnesota) 13−8‚ Byers said.

“That’s pretty big‚” he added.

One of the newest club sports‚ KSU’s burgeoning wrestling club is only a few months old‚ but it’s pulled quickly to the head of its competition.

The team’s Douglas Studenic earned the 2007 National Championship spot in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association in the 174−pound bracket. Two other KSU wrestlers did very well in the NCWA Nationals‚ with Ben Eriks placing eighth in the 184−pound bracket and Derryl Cloer placing fourth in the 235−pound bracket.

The wrestling team brought home at least four trophies in four tournaments by mid−winter‚ said coach Alex Tucker. KSU wrestlers won first place in the Georgia State Duals Jan. 20 and also placed in matches at the University of Georgia‚ Darton College and Mercer University.

Club sports help attract students to KSU‚ as the clubs and their coaches use the rich base of sporting to recruit athletes to their teams.

“We’ve been playing for two years as a team‚ and the word is getting out to metro high schools‚” Byers said. “That will really be our recruiting base.”

A Cobb County native and former collegiate wrestler at UGA and Cumberland University‚ Tucker is using the county’s rich winning tradition in wrestling to build the club — allowing high school athletes to wrestle at the college level while staying close to home.

Beyond athleticism‚ the sports provide a way for the KSU community to come together to cheer on a home team‚ building camaraderie that athletic events bring.

Papp mentioned this very important aspect of club‚ as well as varsity sports‚ during his Inaugural State of the University Address in March.

Addressing the 2007−2012 Strategic Plan and a goal to enhance student life and leadership‚ Papp said intramurals‚ club sports and intercollegiate athletics help achieve this goal.

Intramurals and club sports “aid in retention and graduation by keeping students engaged in campus life‚” the president said. “As other intramural and club sports become more firmly established‚ they too will attract both participants and fans.”

For more about the individual club sports teams‚ visit the ice hockey team’s Web site at www.ksuicehockey.com‚ the lacrosse team’s site at www.ksulax.com and the wrestling team’s site at www.ksuwrestling.com.

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.