The Carrier

Alex FarrerStaff WriterBerry College announced April 9 that Mika Robinson has been hired as the new women’s volleyball coach. She comes to Berry after serving as an assistant and also associate head coach at Idaho State in Pocatello, Idaho for the last three years. Before her time there, she was a high school coach at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Fla., where she led the team to four straight district championships and an elite eight appearance in the state tournament.She is a graduate of Harvard where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She played four years for the Crimson and served as team captain her senior year. During her time at Idaho State she earned a master’s degree in physical education and sports administration. These are a few questions that Robinson was kind enough to answer about her new job.Q: How did you find out about the job opening at Berry? Did you contact Berry, or vice-versa? A: I found the opening at Berry on the NCAA’s online job listings.  I contacted Berry, as one of the former coaches, Nicole McCray, is a friend of mine, and I knew that she had a great experience at Berry.  Q: What was the deciding factor that made you accept the job at Berry? A: There were several deciding factors.  First and foremost, it was the people.  Coach Brooks, the volleyball athletes and everyone else that I met during my time on campus were so genuine and had such obvious pride in Berry College and Berry Athletics.  Second, Berry and the Rome community are a perfect fit for my family.  Third, all of the pieces are there to make it a very successful program: a great academic institution, incredible facilities, an existing winning tradition and administrative support. Q: How long have you been involved in volleyball?  A: I started playing volleyball 20 years ago as a freshman in high school, and I still love to play the game, although my body appreciates playing outdoor sand volleyball more now versus on the hardwood.  I actually started coaching while I was still in college, but have been doing it more seriously for the last ten years. Q: What should your new players here at Berry know about your style of coaching and how you do things? A:  I view the sport of volleyball as a method of teaching life lessons.  Excellence on the court is no different from excellence off the court.  It requires a well-designed plan, discipline, perseverance, faith and hard work.  I am a very positive coach, but I also have very high expectations.  Above all, my goal is for each of my athletes to know how much I believe in their ability to make a difference on our team. Q: Do you have family that will be moving here with you? A: I am very blessed to be married to my high school sweetheart and biggest supporter, Clint, and we have a daughter, Bryce, who is six, and a son, Clay, who is three. Robinson said she hopes to continue the success to which the volleyball team has become accustomed. She succeeds Brianne Smedley, who left to pursue another job opportunity. The team has had a steady incline in success since the volleyball program reformed in 2002. The overall record in those five years is 115-79. A high point of the program came in 2006 when the team received its first ever national ranking. The team was ranked as high as No. 18 in the country. Robinson hopes to build on the success before her and take the team to the next level.

Kyler PostSports EditorContinuing our five-part series on Berry’s athletic affiliation, the Carrier will examine the positive and negative aspects of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II.Moving to Division II would require the least amount of change of all NCAA affiliations. Athletes would still be given scholarships, cost of participation would rise only mildly compared to other NCAA affiliations and the average travel mileage would increase from an average of 143 miles to just 207 miles (Gulf South Conference, Eastern Division).Also, moving to Division II would significantly increase the athletic reputation of the school.  Though Division II is not as strong in reputation as Division I, there is significant name recognition associated with this affiliation. Schools affiliated with the Gulf South Conference, the most likely conference in which Berry would participate should they move to Division II, include Valdosta State University, University of West Florida, University of Alabama Huntsville and University of West Georgia.Division II is also the NCAA option preferred by coaches and student-athletes.  Women’s Head Basketball Coach Jonathan Norton, who coached at the Division II level, said he would be comfortable with a move from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to Division II.“D-II is the most like what we are currently with NAIA,” he said. “Our travel would be similar, and our costs and scholarships would be about the same.” Norton also said he believes athletic teams would be able to compete at a high level right away.One of the arguments against affiliation with NCAA Division II is an issue of academic reputation. Unlike Division III, none of Berry’s peer or aspirant institutions currently compete at the Division II level. One of the main goals of the committee on athletic affiliation, as stated in the athletic affiliation report, was to “compete in a conference that includes colleges or universities of at least the academic caliber of Berry.” Moving into a conference void of peer or aspirant institutions would not be consistent with that goal.Division II also contains a much larger number of state institutions than other options. The NAIA is comprised of 80 percent private institutions, while only 40 percent of the institutions competing at the Division II level are private. Again, the committee is concerned with placing Berry in an athletic affiliation that is made up of schools comparable to Berry.Division II also has the lowest eligibility requirements of all four divisions being considered. This includes a lower minimum overall GPA and lower number of required courses per academic year than the current NAIA standard and the standards of the other two possible NCAA divisions. Berry’s student-athletes are currently ranked highly, in terms of average GPA, among student-athletes at other NAIA institutions, with an average GPA of 3.41. A drop in the academic eligibility standards of the institution could affect the academic reputation of Berry’s student-athletes, which has been a crown jewel of the athletic department.Next week’s issue will conclude the Carrier’s series on athletic affiliation with an examination of the pros and cons of NCAA Division I affiliation.

Kyler Post

Sports Editor

Continuing our series on Berry’s athletic affiliation, the Carrier will examine arguments for and against affiliation with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III. The moratorium on schools entering the division will be lifted in June, presenting the college with an opportunity to join the league.The athletic affiliation report outlines several positive aspects of Division III affiliation. First, the report claims the role of the student-athlete in Division III is “the most consistent with Berry’s educational philosophy of putting academics first and athletics second.” According to the NCAA’s Web site, Division III student-athletes have maintained the highest combined GPA (3.41) of all three NCAA divisions.Another positive aspect of Division-III affiliation is the low cost of operation. Because D-III student-athletes are non-scholarship, the school would save approximately $2 million in athletic scholarships, which could then be reallocated to the college’s overall financial aid program. The money saved on scholarships, combined with the lower cost of game day expenses presents a substantial argument for Division-III affiliation.Additionally, there are eight of Berry’s peer or aspirant institutions in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference of Division III. Affiliation with this conference and division would put Berry in elite company, increasing the school’s nationwide reputation.While the coaching staff is in favor of remaining in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the faculty supports a move to Division III. Newly hired Provost Katherine Whatley said she thinks the reallocation of athletic scholarships will attract scholarly athletes to our institution.  “I think with the new scholarships, we would bring in academically gifted students who just happen to be gifted athletes, as well,” she said.  “The type of student-athlete we currently have would not be much different than that, which would mean we could still compete at a high level.” Associate Professor of Physics, Astrology and Geology Todd Timberlake said many faculty members believe a move to Division-III will enhance the school’s academic image. “If we got into the right conference in Division-III, we would gain better academic visibility because we would compete in athletics against academically similar, or even superior, schools,” he said.  “In contrast, in our current NAIA conference we compete against academically inferior schools.  The sense is that this brings our academic image down a notch.”Eligibility requirements would also be left to the interpretation of the faculty of the institution.  In Division III, as long as the student-athlete is in good academic standing, he or she can participate in athletics for as long as he or she would like.  There is no limit on eligibility, as in other athletic divisions.However, unlimited eligibility also presents a problem, according to the report. The report claims that institutionally established eligibility standards would “result in unevenness of academic standards for athletes.”While the money saved in athletic scholarships would benefit the overall financial aid available to students at the college, it would also result in the loss of aid to those student-athletes who receive significant athletic scholarships. Though the report describes Berry as having “generous” academic financial aid, many student-athletes rely on their athletic scholarships to attend.The aspect of non-scholarship student-athletes would also affect recruiting. Not providing potential student-athletes with the opportunity to receive an athletic scholarship would discourage regional, national and international athletes from signing with Berry. This disincentive could hurt the college’s athletic program in the long run.  In the recent video poll conducted by Viking Vision, the overwhelming majority of students polled cited the absence of scholarships as their reason against affiliating with Division-III.The report also states “Division III institutions in the south have a less favorable reputation by and large than those in other parts of the country.” Again, the aspect of building a national reputation must be taken into account.In addition, Division-III affiliation has the least support from coaches and student-athletes.While Division-III affiliation would be consistent with the college’s academic and financial concerns, recruiting difficulties and a national reputation are also factors weighing in the decision on athletic affiliation.Next week’s issue  will examine the positive and negative aspects of NCAA Division-II affiliation.

Alex Farrer

Staff Writer

The No. 6 ranked Berry men’s golf team beat No. 7 Lindenwood in a playoff hole to win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Classic Tournament Tuesday.The two teams were tied at the end of the second day of the tournament, shooting a combined 606 score. As a team, Berry then shot a one under par on the playoff hole while Lindenwood shot a one-over. This was the same Lindenwood team that beat Berry in the Rome News-Tribune Invitational in mid-March. Berry faced some tough competition in the tournament ; many of the teams in the field were ranked in the top 25 in the NAIA. The tournament was held at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Club in Indianapolis, Ind. Berry shot a 298 as a team Monday, the first day of the Classic. They followed that up with a 308 on the second day. Lindenwood was 17 strokes behind after the first day but shot a tournament team low 291 on the second day to force the playoff.Individually, Senior All-American Jarod Trammell led Berry with a combined 149 over the two days of the tournament to finish tied for second overall. Junior Samuel Del Val also had a great tournament, shooting a 150 and finishing tied for sixth overall. Rounding out the top three for Berry was freshman Will Lewallen, who finished tied for 14th overall with a 152.The win at the NAIA Classic continues a good run of success that the team has been on this season. Recently, the team finished second at the Marine Corps Invitational in Camp Lejeune, N.C. March 30. The team that finished ahead of Berry at the tournament was Methodist University, who is currently the No. 2 team in NCAA Division III.According to Trammell, the tournament was a truly unique experiment for the team.“We play the first two rounds of the tournament with a currently-serving or a retired Marine,” said Trammell. “It is truly a special tournament getting to interact with these people because they have sacrificed so much for our country. They treat us like royalty and really enjoy all the players and teams coming to see their base and interacting with them.”Del Val was also pleased with how the team played at the tournament.“Although I always expect to win, I think we did a great job finishing 2nd as opposed to 14th at the tournament last year,” Del Val said. “My expectations are always finishing at the top, because I believe we have the potential to do it.”The team was originally supposed to play the SSAC Tournament April 7-8, but it was rescheduled due to travel expenses and redundancy of play, according to Coach Brian Farrer. That tournament will now be combined with the Region XIII Championship April 20-22 in Fort Gaines, Ga. As the season begins to wind down, members of the team say they know what they have to do to consider this season a success.“We need to win Conference/Regionals and be able to have an opportunity to win the national championship,” said Farrer. “Don’t get me wrong, this has been a very successful season already, but we want to finish strong.”Del Val said he has a good feeling about the team’s chances in the final few tournaments.“I believe we have a great chance to win conference at Fort Gaines,” said Del Val. “With respect to nationals, I hope we finish in the top three. It is very hard to win nationals because there are great teams we are competing with. However, I believe in my team and in our game.”Trammell said the goal for the team is to be the best in the NAIA.“Our goal for the year was to finish the season as national champions,” said Trammell. “We set this as our goal, and we have worked hard to try to accomplish it.  We finished fifth last year and feel that we are stronger and more prepared this year than any previous year I have been a part of the team. We have high expectations, but not unachievable.”The team is the defending SSAC Tournament and Region XIII champions, and they hope to repeat the feat in their next tournament.

Alex FarrerStaff WriterThis season has been full of ups and downs for the Viking baseball team.The team started the season well, winning their first seven games. Since then, their play has been inconsistent. Their record is 28-14 overall, but 10-11 in conference play. Most recently in conference, they lost two of three games to Southern Wesleyan last weekend.In their last two games on Tuesday, Berry swept a double-header from non-conference opponent Bryan College, winning the first game 10-4 and the second 7-6.They are now coming up on the stretch run with only two series of conference games remaining. Brewton-Parker comes to town this weekend for a three- game series. The first game is at 7 p.m. on Friday followed by a double-header at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The final series of the year will be on the road at Reinhardt College in Waleska, Ga. The first game of that series will be  April 18, followed by a double-header on April 19.With the season winding down, the team says they know that the way they finish will go a long way in deciding how successful the season really was. The Vikings are currently tied for fifth with Faulkner in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) standings. Only the top eight will qualify for the conference tournament, and Berry does not want to be one of the two teams left out.Also, if Berry finishes high enough in the region standings, they could qualify for an at-large bid to the NAIA regional tournament.Most players say they know that baseball is a weird sport. Some days you are on your game, and some days you are not. Some days you get all the breaks, and some days you cannot buy one. This has been the story of Berry’s season. Junior catcher Randall Stallings knows the importance of being ready to play every game.“Baseball is a game where anybody has a chance to beat anybody any day,” said Stallings. “You have to be on top of your game every time you play.”Stallings said that the team has been inconsistent in this regard.“Some games we have been (on top of our game) and some we have not,” he said. “We just need to make sure we take care of business for the rest of the year.”“Each player knows they have to do their own part for the team to be successful,” said junior infielder Kyle Alvarez.“As a player, I just try to do my part to help the team win, just like all the other guys try and do,” he said.The Vikings know that they control their own destiny when it comes to the postseason. Stallings has high expectations for the next two weeks.“We look to sweep the next two weekends,” said Stallings. “If we finish fourth, we still have a chance to get an at-large bid into the regional tournament, but to make sure we make it to regionals, we need to win the conference tournament.”The team must be sharp in all areas to be successful in the next two weeks.  Head Coach David Beasley declined to comment after repeated attempts of contact from the Carrier.“We need to focus on all aspects of the game to make a run,” said Stallings. “Pitching, hitting, fielding, running, hustling and playing all out are all essential.”Berry hosts Brewton-Parker in their final home series of the year starting Friday. This will be the last chance for the home crowd to come out and show their support for the team.

Kyler PostSports EditorTo continue the Carrier’s series on athletic affiliation, we will examine both the positive and negative aspects of Berry’s current athletic league, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.One positive factor of remaining in the NAIA, according to the athletic affiliation report submitted at the February board of trustees meeting, is Berry’s “history of success in recruiting athletes and being competitive in our conference.”  During the 2005-06 academic year, 16 student-athletes were selected as All-Americans, and 13 were named Academic All-Americans.Viking student-athletes have performed well on the field and in the classroom.  Of nearly 200 student-athletes in 2005-06, 42 made the Dean’s List, and, as a whole, the athletes maintained a 3.05 cumulative GPA. Berry also finished in the top 10 of the United States Sports Academy Director’s Cup standings in four consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. Given its past success in the NAIA, Berry has established itself as a respected member of the league.Another plus side to the NAIA argument is the limited travel required due to the geographically accommodating conference in which Berry participates.  The farthest Berry athletic teams currently travel to participate in conference play is 286 miles (Columbia College, S.C.).The average distance traveled during conference play is 143 miles, compared to 324 miles (Atlantic Sun Conference, Division I), 385 miles (Big South Conference, Division I), 296 miles (Southern Conference, Division I), 284 miles (South Atlantic Conference, Division II) and 541 miles (Southern Collegiate Athletics Conference, Division III).  The only conference comparable to the Southern States Athletic Conference, Berry’s current affiliation, is Division III’s Great South Conference, with an average travel mileage of 142 miles.The NAIA’s Champions of Character program is also “a good fit for Berry,” according to the report.  Since the program began in 2006, four Berry athletic teams have won the award, including, most recently, the men’s basketball and women’s tennis teams. Men’s Head Basketball Coach Jeff Haarlow said, “[T]he character of our athletes is a great source of pride for everyone at Berry College.”The athletes and coaches would also prefer to remain in the NAIA. “We let Todd [Brooks] and everybody know that we would prefer to stay in the NAIA,” said Women’s Head Basketball Coach Jonathan Norton.  “But we want to do what’s best for the players, students and the college.” Along with the arguments supporting Berry remaining in the NAIA, there are also several compelling reasons for leaving.Beyond softball, which Berry hopes to add in the fall of 2009, the college is limited in the sports that they could offer in the SSAC.  Currently, softball is the only sport offered by the SSAC in which Berry does not compete.  Athletic Director Todd Brooks said the college hopes to add lacrosse and men’s and women’s swimming in the near future, which may be difficult to do in the NAIA.  Only 22 NAIA schools compete in men’s swimming and diving, while only 28 compete in women’s swimming and diving.The report also states that “the schools in our conference and in the NAIA generally are not of the academic caliber of Berry College.”  According to the report, the NAIA schools and association itself have the weakest national reputation of all the options available.  Changing affiliations would also positively impact the visibility of the school.Student-athlete class attendance is also an issue affecting the discussion.  The 24-week practice schedule coupled with the length of the seasons affected classroom attendance and the ability of many student-athletes to participate in the student work program, according to the report. NCAA affiliation would offer shorter season practice schedules to lessen the effect on class attendance.In next week’s issue, we will examine both sides of the argument regarding moving to NCAA Division III.  For student opinions on athletic affiliation, check out “The Voice” at www.youtube.com/vikingvision1.

Alex FarrerStaff Writer So far the name has definitely lived up to its billing.March Madness has left college basketball fans in awe. The NCAA Tournament has produced drama in the form of upsets, “Cinderellas,” buzzer-beaters and blowouts. After all of that, four teams have been left standing. The Final Four in San Antonio should be one to remember with each team having a legitimate shot at taking home a national championship. It is the first time all four number one seeds have made the Final Four since the tournament expanded to its current format of 64 teams in 1979.The action kicks off on Saturday at 6:07 p.m. EST when the Bruins of UCLA tangle with the Memphis Tigers.  The next game, which will start approximately 30 minutes after the first ends, will match the number one overall seed North Carolina Tar Heels against the Kansas Jayhawks. The winners of those two games will then square off Monday for the right to call themselves national champions.Coach Ben Howland’s Bruins won the Pac-Ten regular season and tournament titles while having a very impressive season. The Bruins will be making their third straight appearance in the Final Four. They lost to the eventual national champion Florida Gators in both previous appearances, last year in the semi-final and in 2006 in the title game. UCLA adds to its record of 17 Final Four appearances with this year’s trip to the Lone Star State.The team is led by its freshman phenom center Kevin Love, who most scouts project as a top pick in the NBA Draft if he makes himself eligible after the season. Another strong asset to  the team is its talented and experienced backcourt, which consists of junior guards Darren Collison and Josh Shipp, as well as sophomore guard Russell Westbrook. Junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will help Love down low. The Bruins also boast a deep bench with forwards Lorenzo Mata-Real, Alfred Aboya and James Keefe making big contributions.UCLA’s counterparts in the first game are coach John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers, who had a relatively easy time sweeping the Conference USA regular season and tournament championships while maintaining an undefeated conference record. Their only loss on the season came to their cross-state rival Tennessee Volunteers. The Tigers will be making their third Final Four appearance. The Tigers, much like the Bruins, are led by a freshman in point guard Derrick Rose. He has had one of the best seasons for a freshman in recent memory.  He is joined in the backcourt by two athletic guards, juniors Chris Douglas-Roberts and Antonio Anderson. Memphis also has some beef down low to complement their strong perimeter play with forwards Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier clogging up the paint. In the other game, North Carolina will be looking to advance to their second national championship game in four years after winning it all in 2005. Coach Roy Williams’ team won the ACC regular season and tournament championships in impressive fashion. This will be the Tar Heels’ 17th trip to the Final Four all-time which is second to UCLA.The Tar Heels’ leader is All-American and player of the year candidate junior forward Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough has been praised throughout his career for his amazing passion and the effort that he brings to the court every single game. Joining Hansbrough in the post is sophomore forward Deon Thompson. The engine that makes the Heel’s attack run is sophomore point guard Ty Lawson who missed a good chunk of the season with an ankle injury. Joining Lawson in the backcourt is sharpshooting sophomore guard Wayne Ellington. North Carolina might also be the deepest team in the Final Four with a bench led by junior forward Danny Green and sophomore forward Alex Stepheson.The final team of the four is the Kansas Jayhawks led by coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks shared the Big 12 regular season championship with Texas, and then defeated Texas in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game. The Jayhawks are making their 13th appearance in the Final Four and most Kansas fans are excited about getting a shot at former Jayhawks coach Roy Williams.Some people believe that Kansas boasts the nation’s best starting five, led by junior guard Brandon Rush, who would probably have been in the NBA this year if it was not for an injury toward the end of his sophomore year. The other two guards in the starting lineup for the Jayhawks are senior Russell Robinson and junior Mario Chalmers. Down low, Kansas is anchored by senior forward Darnell Jackson and sophomore forward Darrell Arthur. Coming off the bench for the Jayhawks are senior center Sasha Kaun and sophomore guard Sherron Collins.Both games should be highly competitive, but I see UCLA taking down Memphis while North Carolina takes care of business against Kansas. And when it is all said and done, I see the Tar Heels cutting down the nets in San Antonio as they win their second national championship in four years and their fifth in their storied history.

Kyler PostSports EditorThe board of trustees is moving closer to a decision regarding Berry’s athletic affiliation.  The proposal, originally discussed in 2003, involves a potential move to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). In May 2007, the board formed a committee comprised of students, faculty, coaches, board members and staff.Athletic affiliation was a major point of discussion at the February board of trustee’s meeting, and the decision could be made at the next meeting in May. If Berry is to decide joining the NCAA is the best course of action for the athletic department, they must do so before the June application deadline.Several factors contributed to the discussion about athletic affiliation.  One major dynamic of the discussion, according to the athletic affiliation report submitted at the meeting, was the “significant decline in the number and academic quality of the institutions making up the NAIA.” The lifting of the moratorium on joining NCAA Division III last summer is also expected to lead to additional colleges leaving the NAIA. The association’s membership has dropped from more than 500 colleges and universities to under 300.Athletic Director Todd Brooks said the recent decline of the NAIA, coupled with the mass exodus from NAIA to NCAA Division III, gives Berry limited time to make a decision.“The shift from NAIA to Division III led to the moratorium in D-III,” Brooks said.  “We anticipate more schools from our association moving to Division III, which means another moratorium may be close, and our window of opportunity is very small.”Another aspect of the affiliation decision lies in expanding the number of sports available to students. Currently, softball is the only sport available under the Southern States Athletic Conference in which Berry does not compete.The new marketing and branding study conducted last year also factors into the athletic affiliation decision. The new marketing plan focuses on increasing the national appeal of the school. As stated in the report, “it is possible that athletics could assist in raising the visibility of the college.”The report also states that “the strength of the athletic program and its reputation will be determined in part by ‘the company we keep’.” The college wants to compete in an athletic conference that includes colleges and universities of at least on par with the academic standard of Berry.  College President Stephen R. Briggs said this decision is not just about athletics. He said that every aspect of the student-athlete experience must be taken into account.Along with the talk of changing athletic affiliation comes the talk of adding a football program.  Though it is rumored Martha Berry made arrangements for Berry never to have a football program, there is no legal documentation of the sort. Brooks said football has been discussed over the past few years.“We don’t look at a football program as an unrealistic goal for this institution,” he said. “And whether or not we want to add a football team affects the choice we will make regarding athletic affiliation.”Immediate challenges will be set before the athletic program if a decision is made to move to the NCAA.  The challenges will vary depending on which division and conference the college joins. Regardless of which division or conference is chosen, Berry athletic teams will be placed on at least a four-year probationary period in which they will be ineligible to compete for national championships.Another challenge facing the athletic program should they choose to move to the NCAA is the historic rivalry with Shorter College. Shorter currently competes in the same conference and league as Berry and recently added football to their list of varsity sports.  Brooks said he has no knowledge of Shorter’s desire to change affiliation.“Shorter hasn’t really expressed any initiative to move in another direction,” Brooks said.  “They’re hosting the NAIA Football National Championship right here in Rome in 2009, and I don’t know of any talk of them leaving the NAIA.”Should Shorter remain in the NAIA, Brooks said it would be difficult to maintain the tradition of the Berry-Shorter rivalry.“If we move up to Division I, II or III, neither school would really benefit from playing the other,” he said.  “We’d be expected to beat them because of our higher classification, and they would probably not look too kindly on losing most every game to us, either.”Recruiting would also suffer for a few years after the move.  Women’s Head Basketball Coach Jonathan Norton, a former Division II coach, said it will be very difficult to compete for a three to four-year period at the NCAA level.  “We would have to change the type of student-athlete we recruit in order to compete with the schools in our conference,” Norton said. “But it all depends on the division and conference we’re put in.”The athletic department and coaches were given a voice in the decision, according to Brooks and Briggs.  Norton said the coaches are affected by the change, possibly more than anyone else on campus.“Coaches have chosen a profession in which you want to compete at a very high level, and anything that affects that can result in a negative change,” he said. “If a coach’s salary, job description or travel habits changes, it directly affects our families.”Briggs said even if a definite decision is not made in time for the June application deadline, the move can be postponed until next year. However, the decision now rests with Briggs and the board members after the committee presented the results of their investigation.In the weeks leading to the final board of trustees meeting next month, the Carrier will examine both the positives and negatives of every possible affiliation option. The information presented to the board will be presented in detail.“This decision is a very important one that affects everyone on campus,” Brooks said. “It is important that we make a decision that coincides with Berry’s philosophical mission, and that is our biggest concern.”

Kyler Post
Sports Editor

The Berry women’s basketball team is preparing for their upcoming appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship Tournament.
The seventh-seed Lady Vikings will take on second-seed Langston University (Okla.) Thursday, March 20 at 3:15 p.m. in Jackson, Tenn.
Berry secured a spot in the tournament by finishing as runner-up in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament last Saturday.  Head Coach Jonathan Norton said he believes the week-and-a-half layoff will help his team get healthy.
“The time between games will allow us to rest our girls who are hurt,” Norton said.  “In fact, by Thursday, we may be healthier than we have been all year.”
Senior forward Mickey Duncan and junior guard Nikki Jackson are among the Lady Vikes’ walking wounded.  Duncan has battled a back injury all season, and Jackson is nursing an injured hamstring she acquired in the semifinals of the SSAC tournament.
However, Norton said the team’s athletic trainers should have Jackson’s hamstring at 100 percent by game time, and Duncan said she is not about to let her injury keep her off the court.
“I definitely expect to play next week, without a doubt,” Duncan said.  “This time of year, you have to lay it all out there; this is what it’s all about.”
As has been the case all season, Norton said he will look to Duncan and Jackson to lead the team on the court. “Despite their injuries, Nikki and Mickey are still the older leaders of this team,” Norton said.  “We look for those two to have big games.”
Norton said  finishing off the opponent would be a major point of discussion in the next week of practice. Berry let a 17-point lead dwindle in the semifinals of the SSAC tournament against Emmanuel, winning by a final score of 52-48.
“Finishing has been a big problem for us all year,” Norton said.  “The good thing is, we’ve been on the winning side of almost all those games.”
Norton said he has implemented situational practice strategies to prepare for big-lead situations.
“I’ll put the girls in situations where they’re up by 15 and then say, ‘OK, you just gave up 10 straight points,” he said.  “After that, I leave it up to the leaders on the court to settle everyone down and stick to the game plan.”
As for Thursday’s game, Langston will present the Lady Vikings with interesting challenges.  Langston is 30-1 on the year, including two wins against NCAA Division I opponents.
The Lady Lions are fifth in the nation in rebounding margin, an aspect of the game Berry has struggled with all season.  However, the Lady Vikings may hold a bit of a height advantage.
Langston’s tallest player stands at only six feet tall.  Duncan and freshman forward Kayla Carlisle stand in at 6-foot-2. The height discrepancy should work in Berry’s favor on the glass.
Because the brackets were released Wednesday, Norton was only able to comment on Langston in limited terms.
“All I know is they play six players and played in a traditionally weak conference,” he said.  “Beyond that, we’ve got our work cut out for us in the scouting department.”
The winner of Thursday’s matchup will face the winner of Southern Nazarene (25-6) and Trevecca Nazarene (19-11).  The second round contest will take place March 20 at 9 a.m.
The other SSAC representative in the tournament, conference champion Lee University, drew Brescia University (18-12) in the first round.  Norton said it is critical that both Lee and Berry perform well in the tournament.
“We both need to advance to at least the ‘Sweet 16’,” he said.  “That kind of success would bring our teams and our conference a lot of positive recognition.” A Berry-Lee rematch could potentially take place on a grand stage.  Should both teams win out, they would face off in the national semifinals.
Aside from conference recognition, Norton said he acknowledges the importance of building upon this year’s success.  He said winning a few games in the tournament would make next year’s team, a “possible preseason top 20 team.”
With only one player leaving the team next season (Duncan), Norton’s hopes could come to fruition.
“With most of our team returning, success in the tournament would be a huge stepping stone to greater heights for this program,” Norton said.
Given the Lady Vikings’ track record historically in the national tournament (4-8), a win would be a step in the positive direction.

Alex Farrer
Staff Writer

The Berry men’s golf team hosted the Rome News-Tribune Invitational at Stonebridge Golf Course Monday and Tuesday and had a successful showing.
The team took second overall, falling short of champion Lindenwood University by only three strokes. Berry is currently ranked eighth overall in the NAIA with Lindenwood ranked ninth.
Northwood University of Florida finished third, two strokes back of Berry. Campellsville University and Shorter College tied for fourth.
Berry was named the tournament host, even though both Berry and Shorter claim Stonebridge as their home course. Berry has bested Shorter twice this season at the course.
Individually, Samuel Del Val performed well, finishing the second round tied for the overall lead. He eventually lost in the third playoff hole to Jeff Gumm of Campellsville University.
Senior All-American Jarod Trammell had a good tournament, bouncing back from a difficult first day due to illness, in which he shot a 77. He finished the second day of the tournament shooting a 69. He ended up 12th out of a field of more than 100 golfers. Teammate Grey Haddon shot a 72 and 74 to finish tied with Trammell at 12th.
Coach Brian Farrer said he was impressed with the team’s effort in the tournament, as well as the tournament as a whole.
“The weather was great. The tournament rounds were a little longer than we had hoped for,” Farrer said. “Overall, I am happy with the performance of our team this week.”
Trammell said he had mixed feelings about the team’s performance in the tournament.
“I felt like we didn’t perform our absolute best, but we really didn’t play too badly either,” Trammell said. “We set high standards for ourselves, so we are always disappointed when we don’t come away with a win. On the other hand, finishing second doesn’t hurt us that much as far as rankings and such.”
Trammell said the team should be more consistent every round.
“We just have to play our first rounds like we play our final rounds,” Trammell said. “We have a good history of playing good rounds on the second day of a tournament.  We just have to figure out how to do it every single round.”
Farrer and Trammell both said they believe that there are pros and cons of playing on your home course.
“It’s tough playing at home. There is a lot of added pressure to win,” Farrer said. “Though it is nice having the homecourse advantage.”
“Obviously on your home course you’re going to have some advantages,” Trammell said. “However, there is always the added pressure of playing at home and wanting to perform well.”
The team hopes to build on the success from this tournament when they get back into action on March 28 and 29. The team will play in the Marine Corps Invitational in Camp Lejune, North Carolina.