Aug. 29, 2006 issue
Fall sports preview/summer athletics roundup

By Ron Podell

 

Fall sports preview

The fall sports season at Eastern Michigan University could be a strong one, if football can rise to the occasion and meet the recent success of the men's cross country and women's volleyball teams. The latter two are picked to be at or near the top in the Mid-American Conference. The football team will have to win early to make believers out of the naysayers who picked the Eagles to finish last in the MAC West this fall.

Despite that preseason prediction from the MAC Media Association, the football team has garnered some preseason national exposure.

CLUTCH KICKER: Senior placekicker Andrew Wellock is one of three Eagles picked to the All-MAC preseason team.

The Sporting News has selected three EMU football seniors to be preseason All-Mid-American Conference players for the 2006 season. Wide receiver Eric Deslauriers, defensive lineman Kevin Howe and placekicker Andrew Wellock were picked for the MAC preseason team. In addition, The Sporting News chose Wellock to the All-American checklist and the senior placekicker also is on the Lou Groza Award Watch List, which includes 30 placekickers nationwide. The Groza Award goes to the best kicker in the nation. Wellock was a finalist in 2004 and made the watch list in 2003 and 2005.

During his career, he has kicked a school-record 53 field goals and has tied the record for the longest field goal in EMU history with two 52-yarders.

Last year, Deslauriers caught 75 passes for 874 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranked in a tie for 15th in the NCAA with 6.82 catches per game and 39th in receiving yards with 79.45 per game.

Howe, an All-MAC second team selection last year, had 55 tackles, including 10.5 sacks for 69 yards in losses, which tied for sixth in Division I. His 16.5 tackles for a loss of 85 yards tied for 20th in the NCAA.

Despite the individual media attention, the Eagles, who finished 4-7 overall in 2005, were picked to finish last in the West Division by the MAC Media Association. Northern Illinois was chosen to win the West and Akron was selected to top the East Division.

The Eagles will receive a good chunk of television airtime this fall. Comcast Local has announced it will televise five EMU games this year. They are: home games against Central Michigan Sept. 23 and Northern Illinois Nov. 24, along with a home game against Navy at Ford Field Nov. 11. Road games that will air on Comcast include Ball State Aug. 31 and Western Michigan Oct. 28.

ESPN Plus Local will televise the Eagles game against Michigan State University Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m.

The men's cross country team was picked as the preseason favorite to defend its MAC title. Under the leadership of seniors Corey Nowitze and Wade Wines, the Eagles look to capture their 12th MAC championship since 1973. The harriers also have a good shot at improving on its 24rd place finish at nationals last year, as the top seven runners all return. On the women's side, the Eagles are projected to finish 11th out of 12 teams in the conference.

POISED TO POUNCE: The women's volleyball team has been picked to finish second in the MAC West this season, based on a preseason poll of the league's coaches. Photo by Randy Mascharka

The women's volleyball team, which finished 22-7 overall last year and 14-2 in the MAC West, is picked to finish second in the MAC's West Division preseason poll, as voted by the league's head coaches. Ball State was chosen to win the division.

Head Coach Kim Berrington will rely on nine letterwinners, including three starters from last year's squad. Seniors Ashley Cudney and Lindsay Piccolini, and junior Kate Sulewski will provide the nucleus for this year's team.

The EMU women's soccer team was picked to finish in a seventh-place tie with Ball State in the MAC preseason coaches poll released Aug. 14. The Eagles return 11 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's squad, which finished fifth in the 2005 MAC regular season with an 8-11-1 record. EMU lost to Miami (Ohio) in quarterfinal action of the MAC Tournament.

Senior co-captain Cyndi Mullins will lead the Eagles offensively. She enters the season with 34 career points, which ranks eighth all-time in EMU scoring history. Sophomores Katie Zundel and Ashley Upton, who both made the All-MAC Freshman Team, will provide offensive support. The defensive backfield will be anchored by senior co-captain Lauren Clyne, juniors Lindsey Hill and Jill Kehler, and redshirt freshman Renee Farrell.

Student-athletes excel in classroom

Eastern Michigan University athletes recorded the highest cumulative GPA in history at 3.094 for the 2006 winter semester. The previous best was 3.050 during the 2005 winter semester.

Gragg

"The academic report for the 2006 winter semester reflects the hard work and dedication that is put into the academic experience by our faculty, staff and student-athletes," said EMU Athletics Director Derrick Gragg. "Our success in athletic competition is in direct correlation to our success in the classroom. Our student-athletes, as well as student-athlete support services, devote a lot of time and effort to improving academic performance and they should all be congratulated on the success of the entire University."

For the second semester in a row, the women's tennis team (3.792) and the baseball team (3.146) earned the highest team GPA's for the men's and women's programs. During the winter semester, 78.9 percent of the athletic teams posted a 3.0 or higher in both cumulative and semester GPA.

"We obviously have a lot of confidence in our staff and student-athletes working closely to guarantee academic success," said Erin Burdis, assistant director for student athlete support services. "We are very happy with the results from this past semester and we expect that success to continue into the future."

During August, the MAC announced its Institutional Academic Achievement Award. Eastern Michigan's athletes finished second, by the slimmest of margins, with an overall GPA of 3.073. Central Michigan University won the Institutional Academic Achievement Award with an overall GPA of 3.075.

The Eagles host 411 student-athletes in 19 sports while CMU hosts 368 student-athletes in 16 sports.

In August, the women's volleyball team was one of just 54 NCAA Division I programs to receive the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2005-2006 school year. The Eagles posted a 3.342 GPA. The AVCA Team Award is given to college and high school teams that maintained at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.

"All decisions regarding the volleyball program center on the interests of the student-athletes and academics are a core belief of our volleyball program," said Head Coach Kim Berrington. "We believe the success of our program is based on the development of personal responsibility and the cooperation among teammates, staff and the University."

Track and Field

The men's and women's outdoor track and field teams continued their strong tradition, each finishing second at the MAC meet at the University of Toledo May 11-13. The men's team scored 159.5 points to finish runner-up to Central Michigan, which scored 175.5 points.

ONE LAPPER: Roy Shavers helped the Eagles' 4 x 400- meter relay team win the event at the MAC meet. Shavers also finished second in the 400 meters at the conference meet.

Dave Adamek and Corey Nowitzke were namd to the All-MAC First Team. Adamek captured the shot put title, throwing 58 feet, 8 1/2 inches, while Nowitzke took the 1,500-meter crown in a time of 3:53.68. The 4 x 400-relay team of Fred Blackwell, Adrian Simmons, Eric Alejandro and Roy Shavers ran a 3:14.12 clocking for the win.

Jake DuBois and Shavers made the All-MAC Second Team. DuBois finished second to Nowitze in the 1,500 with a time of 3:53.81 and Shavers took the runner-up spot in the 400 meters in 48.02.

The women, led by the meet's Most Valuable Performer, Patrice Beasley, scored 103 points to finish second to MAC champion Akron, which scored 141. Beasley, a senior, scorched to wins in the 100 meters (:11.68), 200 meters (:23.92) and helped the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relay teams to victories. The 4 x 100-meter relay team, which included Ashley McCullough, Bria Woods and Lintera Harvin, won in :45.45. The 4 x 400-meter relay team of Beasley, Chrystal Dooley, LaQuae Jones and Woods galloped to a winning time of 3:40.85. Both relay squads set track records.

In addition to Beasley, Dooley also made the All-MAC First Team by virtue of her win in the 400-meter hurdles. Her time of :58.51 was a track record. McCullough made the second team with her second-place finish in the long jump (20 feet, 10 1/2 inches).

The men's team had nine NCAA regional qualifiers. They were Nowitze (3,000-meter steeplechase and 1,500 meters), Adam Kring (high jump), Adamek (shot put), Eric Alejandro (400-meter hurdles) and Edouard Joliveau (long jump). Adamek also qualified in the hammer throw, but did not compete at regionals in this event. Bob Colville (100 meters) and the 4 x 400-meter relay team of Blackwell, Simmons, Alejandro and Shavers also qualified, but did not compete due to injuries.

SUPER WOMAN: Senior Patrice Beasley was named the Most Valuable Performer at the MAC meet. She won the 100- and 200-meter races, and helped the 4 x 100 and 4x 400-meter relay teams win.

The women produced seven regional qualifiers. Beasley led the charge, qualifying in four events (100 meters, 200 meters, 4 x 100-meter relay and 4 x 400-meter relay). Woods qualified in three events (400 meters and the two relays), as did Dooley (100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles and the 4 x 400-meter relay) and McCullough (long jump, triple jump and the 4 x 100-meter relay). Harvin (4 x 100-meter relay) and Jones (4 x 400-meter relay).

From those, three men and three women made nationals. At regionals, Adamek finished third in the shot put with a personal best 60 feet, 1 inch. Kring tied for third in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 11 inches and Nowitze was fourth (8:49.39) in the steeplechase. Dooley placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (:56.75) and McCullough placed fourth in the long jump (20 feet, 10 inches). Beasley advanced to nationals in the 100 meters by virtue of time earlier in the season.

The top five individuals in each event, along with the top three relay teams, qualify for nationals.

At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif., June 7-10, Nowitzke finished 11th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:45.90). He was the seventh American in the race and earned All-American honors. Adamek (15th in shot put) and Kring (28th in high jump) were eliminated in the preliminaries of their events and did not make the finals.

Nowitze and redshirt freshman David Brent both participated in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S.A. Outdoor Track and Field Championships June 21-25 in Indianapolis. Nowitze competed in the regular event (did not make the finals) while Brent placed fifth (9:24.50) in the junior steeplechase event.

Jordan Desilets, a former NCAA champion for EMU in the steeplechase, also competed. He advanced to the finals of the event with a time of 8:35.40, but did not start in the final due to an injury.

Nowitzke bounced back at the North American-Central American and Caribbean Under-23 Track and Field Championships in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. He won the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 9:08.63. He received some more good news when he was named to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's All-Academic Track and Field Team as selected by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Nowitzke is a math/education major with a 3.75 GPA.

For the women, McCullough just missed scoring a point, placing ninth in the long jump (20 feet, 6.75 inches). Beasley (28th in the 100 meters) and Dooley (disqualified in the 400-meter hurdles) did not make the finals of their events.

Team members also were recognized for their work in the classroom. Seniors Shamarie Giscombe, Lauren Snell and Woods were selected to the MAC's All-Academic Team. Giscombe has a 3.67 GPA as a management/political science major while Snell has a 3.89 GPA as a political science major. Woods, who has already earned her bachelor's degree, has a 3.85 GPA as a human resources major in graduate school.

Four members of the men's team also were voted to the MAC All-Academic squad. Sophomore Joel Kirsch, junior Kevin Naughton, Nowitzke and junior Alan Walker were named. Kirsch has a 3.80 in criminology; Naughton has a 3.21 GPA in math-teaching; Nowitzke has a 3.75 GPA in math-teaching; and Walker has a 3.47 GPA in accounting.

Softball

The women's softball team finished 28-28 overall, with a 14-9 mark in the MAC. It was their best season since 1999 and was the second year in a row the Eagles qualified for the MAC Tournament. It also was the first time the team has made back-to-back appearances since the 1983-84 seasons.

A MIGHTY WALLOP: Junior shortstop Lauren Clark was named to the MAC All- Tournament Team.

In the MAC Tournament, the team opened play with a 6-0 victory over Central Michigan University at Midland. The Eagles then dropped a 5-2 decision to Western Michigan University before rebounding with a 2-0 win over Northern Illinois. However, the Eagles were eliminated 2-0 by eventual MAC champion Kent State.

Senior utility player Nikki Denman and junior shortstop Lauren Clark were named to the MAC All-Tournament Team. Denman batted .304 in the tournament, with three home runs, seven RBIs and scored two runs. Clark batted .333 in the tournament, hitting a double and a home run while scoring five runs and driving in three.

Five members of the team received All-MAC accolades for the regular season. Clark was named the 2006 MAC Player of the Year and was named to the All-MAC First Team with senior catcher Katie Grens, who earned an at-large bid.

Clark broke the Eagles' single-season home run record, clobbering 12. For the season, she batted .370, with 61 hits, 39 RBIs, 14 doubles, scored 30 runs, drew 14 walks, stole eight bases and racked up 113 total bases.

Clark also was named to the 2006 Great Lakes All-Region First Team. She is the first to garner the honor since EMU Hall of Famer Sara Seegers in 1993.

Grens totaled 28 hits, four home runs and 17 RBIs.

Denman and sophomore first baseman Ashley Strauss made the second team. Denman recorded 87 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings while compiling a 10-8 record and 2.37 ERA in the regular season. Denman also had 24 hits, knocked in 14 runs and scored 12 times.

Strauss was one of only two Eagles to start every game this season. She had 14 multi-hit games, including six contests in which she had at least three hits.

Utility player Heather Han was the first Eagle ever named to the All-MAC Freshman Team. Han started multiple games at catcher, third base and right field. For the season, she totaled 21 hits, 14 RBIs, scored 11 runs and drew 13 walks.

Denman, a parks and recreation major (3.73), and sophomore Heather Giroux, a criminology major (3.98), were named to the All-MAC Academic Team. Denman is a three-time honoree and is just the 15th student-athlete to receive the honor three times in MAC history.

Baseball

Like the women's softball team, the men's baseball team also had a .500 season, finishing 27-27 and making the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2004. The team was ousted from the double-elimination tournament with a 2-1 loss to Kent State and an 11-2 thumping from Miami (Ohio).

DOUBLE PLAY: Second baseman Josh Ivan completes a double play. Ivan was one of three EMU baseball players named to the Academic All-MAC Team.

Sophomore pitcher Jeff Fischer garnered a few postseason honors. Fischer was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year by virtue of his 9-3 record, which   included four complete games, on the mound. He limited opposing hitters to a .223 average, led the league with a 1.95 ERA and was fifth in strikeouts with 98.

He was named to the 2006 ABCA and Rawlings NCAA All-Mideast Region First Team, which consists of 13 members. Fischer is the first EMU player to garner the award since Brian Bixler in 2004.

Fischer also was named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA (College of Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District IV baseball second team. Fischer has a 3.42 GPA in biology.

In addition, Fischer was one of three EMU players named to the Academic All-MAC team, which included 15 players. Shortstop Jeff Hehr (an accounting major with a 3.94 GPA) and second baseman Josh Ivan (an elementary education major with a 3.62 GPA), both sophomores, also made the team.

Men's Golf

Eastern Michigan University senior Korey Mahoney was named to the seven-person Academic All-Mid-American Conference men's golf team. This is the second consecutive season that Mahoney has garnered the honor. He had a 3.29 GPA in economics.

GOLF HONORS: Senior Korey Mahoney was the 2006 MAC Golfer of the Year, a member of the All-MAC First Team and named to the Academic All-MAC Team. He also won a couple of individual postseason honors.

Mahoney also was the 2006 MAC Golfer of the Year and a member of the All-MAC First Team. Mahoney had seven, top 10 finishes in the 11 tournaments he competed. He averaged 72.07 strokes per round, the lowest average in the conference.

For the second consecutive year, Mahoney was invited to the NCAA Regional Championships, which were played at Sand Ridge Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio. He received one of the 18 at-large invitations handed out at three NCAA Regional Championships.

Postseason honors continued in June for Mahoney, who was named to the PING All-Region Midwest Team released by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Each of the nine PING All-Region teams is comprised of 15 golfers and any player ranked in the top 775 nationally in either Golfstat or the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Members of the PING All-Region teams are eligible for PING All-America honors.

In July, the Golf Coaches Association of America (CGAA) All-America Scholars Committee named Mahoney a 2006 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar. Only juniors and seniors are eligible and must have at least a 3.20 GPA. In addition, golfers must have a stroke average fewer than 76 for nine holes.

Freshman Chris Ross was named the MAC Freshman of the Year. Ross played in all 11 of EMU's tournaments. In 36 rounds, he averaged 74.56 strokes per round, the third lowest scoring average on the team.

Sophomore Graham Hill was named to the All-MAC Second Team. In July, Hill qualified to play in the 2006 U.S. Amateur Championship Aug. 21-27 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. The U.S. Amatuer Championship is the most prestigious and oldest U.S. Golf Association amateur championship. More than 4,000 golfers attempted to qualify for the 312 tournament spots.

Women's Golf

EAGLE EYE: Sophomore Catherine Fortin was named First Team All- MAC.

The women's golf team finished sixth at the MAC Conference Championships. Four Eagles finished in the top 25 at the event. Freshman Stephany Fleet tied for 11th with a 306 while sophomore Catherine Fortin finished 15th with a score of 310. Junior Katie Strawser placed 17th (311); junior Kelly Boogaard finished tied for 24th (316); and sophomore Paola Sanchez finished in a tie for 31st (322).

Fortin earned First Team All-MAC honors. She became just the seventh Eagle to earn All-MAC accolades and the first since 2003.

Women's Tennis

Parfenyuk

The women's tennis team finished the regular season 9-10, with a 4-4 mark in the MAC. The fifth-seeded Eagles handled the University of Toledo, winning 4-1 in the first round of the MAC Tournament. The Eagles fell to top-seeded Western Michigan, 4-0, in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament.  

Yana Parfenyuk was named to the Academic All-MAC Team as voted on by league faculty athletic representatives. Parfenyuk, a finance major, has a GPA of 3.85. Parfenyuk finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 mark in the MAC and a 15-6 overall dual mark at the No. 4 singles positions. She also notched a 4-4 MAC record, with an 8-12 overall mark at the No. 1 doubles position, where she was paired with Vanessa Frankowski.

Wrestling

The EMU wrestling team received a coaching overhaul in the past few months.

DelPorto

Derek DelPorto, head wrestling coach at Slippery Rock State University the past two seasons, was named EMU's head wrestling coach March 23. DelPorto took over for John Lange, who served as interim head coach during 2005-06.

In its final season before Slippery Rock dropped its wrestling program, DelPorto led his alma mater to a 14-9 dual-meet record and the team championship at the NCAA Division I East Regional Tournament and advanced a tournament-record 10 wrestlers to weight-class championship final bouts. Four of those wrestlers won individual titles, tying a school record for regional competition.

In addition, Slippery Rock sent a school-record five wrestlers to the 2006 NCAA Division I National Championships. For his efforts, DelPorto was named NCAA Division I East Regional Coach of the Year.

His 2004-05 Slippery Rock squad was the NCAA East Regional runner-up, and had three NCAA Division I championship qualifiers and three Academic All-Americans.

He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock in 1999-2000, before moving to Oklahoma University, where he was an assistant coach from 2000-2002. From 2002-2004, he was an assistant wrestling coach at Cornell University before returning to his alma mater.

During his collegiate career, DelPorte had a 116-38 record, third-best in school history. He earned NCAA All-American honors in 1999 after finishing eighth in the heavyweight division at the NCAA Division I Championships. He was a three-time East Regional champion, winning heavyweight titles in 1998 and 1999, and capturing the 177-pound crown in 1996. He also won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference heavyweight title in 1998.

Cieleski

DelPorto was named the head coach of the 2006 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-American Summer Tour team that toured the Ukraine. The tour took place June 1-10, with stops in Odessa and Kiev as part of a goodwill wrestling tour of the Ukraine.

Brad Cieleski, an assistant wrestling coach at Brown University in 2005-06, was named an assistant wrestling coach. Cieleski was a four-time NCAA national wrestling championship qualifier while competing at Slippery Rock University for his first three years and at the University of Missouri as a graduate student during his fourth season. He recorded more than 100 wins during his intercollegiate wrestling career and was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic team in 2004-05. Cieleski received his bachelor's degree in sociology/criminology from Slipper Rock University.

Swimming

In May, two members of EMU's swimming and diving team were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV University Division Women's Team. Sarah Chrzanowski was named to the first team while sophomore Madeleine Pilchard was a second-team selection. During June, Chrzanowski was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America 2006 University Division Women's At-Large Second Team. Chrzanowski carries a perfect 4.0 GPA.

MAKING WAVES: Sophomore swimmer Madeleine Pilchard excelled both in the pool and the classroom.

In July, Pilchard and senior Katie Benedict added more academic honors when they were named to the 2006 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic All-American Honorable Mention Team. Pilchard has a 3.94 GPA as an elementary education major while Benedict carries a 3.90 GPA as a language and literature major.

To earn Academic All-American status, student-athletes must earn a minimum 3.5 GPA and qualify for the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA championships. Student-athletes with a 3.5 GPA who earn NCAA 'B' times are eligible for Academic All-American Honorable Mention status.

Men's basketball

Although the regular season in basketball is still months away, at least one EMU player earned some valuable experience this summer. Redshirt freshman Kyle Dodd was selected as one of 12 players on the Under-20 Men's National Team that represented Great Britain at the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) European Games, which took place July 21-29 in Lisbon, Portugal. Dodd averaged 5.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in five games.

Personnel Moves

Parks

During the summer months, it is standard for vacant coaching and athletic support positions to be filled at EMU. Perhaps the biggest coaching name coming to EMU is Sue Parks.

Parks, a former EMU track great and member of EMU's Athletic Hall of Fame, was named the head women's cross country and track and field coach July 27.

"We are very excited to have someone with the outstanding track background of Sue Parks join our staff," said EMU Athletic Director Derrick Gragg. "Sue has been a champion both as a collegiate runner and as a coach on the track and field, and cross country national level. She has developed top programs at every stage of her coaching career and we are confident that her coaching success will continue here at Eastern Michigan University.

Parks enjoyed tremendous success during her 12 years at Ball State University, winning eight Mid-American Conference titles and finishing as the runner-up 10 times in track and cross country. Parks was named MAC Women's Coach of the Year five times: in indoor track three times, 1996, 1998 and 2001; in outdoor track in 2000; and in cross country in 2003.

She was selected as an NCAA Regional Coach of the Year in indoor and outdoor track in 1998. Her 2002 cross country team became just the third MAC team to ever qualify for the NCAA Championship.

Parks' career includes stops as women's head cross country coach and assistant coach for women's track and field at the University of Michigan from 1984-87; head women's cross country coach and assistant women's track coach at Michigan State University; and an assistant cross country and track coach for both the women's and men's programs at the University of Arizona from 1990-94.

She is currently president of the Women's Cross Country Coaches Association. She is responsible for directing the regional representatives and presiding over the national meeting at the NCAA Championship.

Parks received both her master's and bachelor's degrees from EMU. While an undergraduate, Parks was a MAC cross country invitational champion from 1976-78. In 1978, she also was an Olympic Trials qualifier. Her father, Bob Parks, was head coach of the men's cross country and track and field teams from 1967-2000.

Brad Holdren, assistant coach of the women's rowing team the past two seasons, was named interim head coach Aug. 10. Holdren replaces Pam Besteman, who resigned this summer.

Holdren previously was the head coach of the men's and women's rowing teams at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., from its inception in 1998 to 2003-04. Holdren also has had coaching stints at Clemson University (1997-98), Armstrong Atlantic State University (1996-97), Savannah Country Day School (1995-96) and Grand Valley State University (1992-94).

As a rower, Holdren was the national champion in men's senior lightweight double sculls. In 1994, he finished third in the same event. Holdren received his bachelor's degree in physical education, with a coaching emphasis, from Grand Valley State University.

Young

Del Young was named assistant baseball coach July 20. Young, a second assistant coach the last two years, replaces former assistant coach Chris Hoiles, who resigned after the 2006 season. Young received his master's degree in sports management from Eastern Michigan University and his bachelor's degree in business administration from Northwood University.

Lisa Savoury, an assistant EMU women's basketball coach the past five seasons, was named the director of basketball operations July 12. She received her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University.

Wilde

Chip Wilde, former head men's basketball coach at Concordia University in Ann Arbor and an administrative assistant at Eastern Michigan University, was named a full-time assistant men's basketball coach at EMU July 5. He replaced Dusty May, who left to become an assistant basketball coach at Murray State University.

Wilde coached at Concordia from 1997-2003. His tenure was highlighted by being named 2001 NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year after leading Concordia to the NCCAA National Tournament. He most recently was coordinator of men's basketball operations at Rutgers University.

Wilde received his master's and bachelor's degrees in physical education, both from Western Illinois University.

Schultz

Scott Schultz was named coordinator of marketing and promotions for the athletic department. Schultz spent 2004-2005 as a marketing intern in EMU's athletic department and was responsible for group ticket sales.

Schultz received his bachelor's degree in management from Michigan State University.

Kelli Stein, an All-American swimmer at the University of Michigan in 2004, was named an assistant coach for the men's and women's swimming and diving team.

Stein received her bachelor's degree in sports management and communication from the University of Michigan.

After graduating, Stein worked as an assistant swimming coach with the Scioto (Ohio) Country Club during summer 2005. She also had been the office manager at Clintonville (Ohio) Servicenter since June 2005. She also served as an assistant swimming coach at Dublin Scioto High School in 2004-05, and as the master's swim coach at Sawmill Athletic Club in 2005.