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Senior perfect

By Rick Hobler

[OCT. 17, 2001]   Tina Cook, Kelli Gleason and Darcy White said their regular season goodbyes at their home gym last night. And what a statement they made!

The senior core of this excellent Lady Railer volleyball team accounted for 11 service points in Game 1 and six more in Game 2, including six aces. Add to that the tireless setting skills of Gleason and the passing, blocking and hitting skills of Cook and White, and no one has any doubt what these seniors mean to this team. Last night, just like many other nights this season, these fine senior women led their team to a dominating 15-0, 15-6 victory over the Southeast Spartans in CS8 conference play.

As with all great performances, an encore is desired and one is assured. The seniors will return home for their encore performance in the regional final on Saturday, Oct. 27. They will face the winner of the Rantoul-Charleston Regional semifinal contest. Railer fans would love to see a repeat of last night’s match.

Coach Charissa Howe pulled out her "secret" serving weapon last night to help win Game 1. That weapon was none other than Tina Cook. Tina, who is generally known for her lethal left-handed kills and her blocking ability, usually rotates out when it comes her turn to serve. But not on Senior Night. Much to the surprise and delight of many Railer fans, Tina walked to the service line with volleyball in hand. When she was finished, she had knocked down four points for the Lady Railers. Three of them were aces. The Railers held a 7-0 lead and never let up. Fellow senior Kelli Gleason added three more service points along the way. Senior Darcy White finished off the Spartans, serving the last four points, one of which was an ace. The Lady Railer shutout was complete.

But the senior trio was not alone, as usual. Teammates Michelle and Kari McFadden did some powerful hitting to finish points off for the team. Christina Xamis, Samantha Conrady and Kari McFadden provided the other service points as the Railers dominated all aspects of Game 1.

In Game 2 of the match, the Railers were having too much fun to get another shutout, but the end result was the still the same. After the intermission, the Spartans came out firing, determined not to be embarrassed a second time. The Railers found themselves down 1-4 as the match began. Then came Tina Cook. Tina, once again, stayed in the lineup and did her newfound service magic. Her first serve was an ace, and the two that followed needed only the hand of Kari McFadden to bring the Railers into a tie with Southeast. It was no contest after that. Southeast managed to get the next point and led 5-4, but that would be about it. The Lady Railers scored the next nine unanswered points to all but finish the match.

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The most dominating force in that 9-point run was the beautifully placed serving of Missy Aper. With Missy serving and her team doing the rest at the net, the Railers moved from a 4-5 deficit to a commanding 11-5 lead. Kari McFadden added two more service points after that, and then the seniors finished matters. A kill by Darcy White brought the Spartan scoring to an end. Kelli Gleason got service point 14 with an ace and Darcy White got the 15^th point with some blocking help from Missy Aper. Match over.

The Lady Railer JV team and the freshman team also won their matches last night. The JV team won in a three-game match by scores of 15-7, 7-15 and 15-3. The freshman team finished off Southeast in two games, 15-4, 15-6.

All in all it was a dominating performance by the Lady Railers on Senior Night. But a perfect Senior Night will not suffice for these seniors or this team. The post-match talk I heard was mostly about their final conference match on Thursday against Springfield and the state playoffs. The road to Redbird Arena begins on this same floor in a little over a week.

If this team continues to play as a team and plays as it did last night, I’m confident it can beat anyone it may meet. I see some travels in their future.

To be successful in Lincoln, Charleston, East Peoria and Normal, the Lady Railers will need to fine-tune their game skills and their will to win. Without either of those, no one wins in the postseason. Every point will have to be played as if it is match point. No opponent can be overlooked. None can be overrated. Fans must be present all along the way to spur them on. Mix in a good dose of laughter from time to time, and the Lady Railers should be set.

Will the Lady Railers will themselves back to Redbird Arena? I already have my tickets secured. Stay tuned! GO, RAILERS!

[Rick Hobler]

[OCT. 15, 2001]   

[OCT. 15, 2001]   

Results

IVC def. Lincoln College 30-12, 29-31, 15-12

Morton Community def. Lincoln College 33-31, 30-27

Lincoln College stats

Janine Buettner — nine points, 15 kills, five blocks

Amy Cox — six points, three aces, nine kills, five blocks

Erica Miller — seven kills, three digs

Molly Owens — 13 kills

LC season record — 13-14

Coach Tippett:

"Mentally we never got going. We were competitive but couldn’t get over the hump. We had a lot of unforced errors and missed several serves."

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[OCT. 18, 2001]   

•  I say, tip the hat to Railer football coach John Oaks. While they haven’t had the success that everyone would like to see, good programs are not produced overnight. How long did it take the LCHS volleyball team to become an annual power? And do you realize that the Railer hoops squad has been a dominant team for several decades? Take away a few breakdowns and a few bad bounces, and you’re not only looking at a couple of wins but you’re looking at a competitive team. Here’s hoping that coach Oaks and his staff will stay around a few years and build the program to a competitive level. If Taylorville can do it, so can Lincoln!

•  If you missed the fifth volleyball scuffle between LC and LCC Tuesday night, you missed a fan’s smorgasbord. The match went the full five games and looked like it was headed for several additional minutes of play. While I’m sure coach Crawford was not exactly thrilled with the performance of his team, some credit must go to coach Tippett and the Lady Lynx. They seemed to out-hustle the Angels all night and seemed to want the game a little more. It could be passed off by saying that LCC was looking ahead to this weekend’s regional matches in Chicago. Whatever the case, the LDN is going on record now as saying that both of these clubs have the potential to be very dangerous during the playoffs. Look for both to pull off their share of surprises.

•  We’re also wishing good luck to the before-mentioned Lady Railer volleyball squad. Coach Howe seems to have them primed for another long postseason run. Wouldn’t you like to see that really BIG trophy-plaque sitting in the glass case in good ol’ Roy S. Anderson gym?…

[Jeff Mayfield]

[OCT. 2, 2001]   

[Click here for Part 2]

Q. What do you miss about living in Lincoln?

A. I miss seeing my family and friends on a regular basis. I have made some really good friends at school, but the people in Lincoln are the people who have known me since I was in diapers. Those are the people who accept me for who I really am, even with all my flaws.

Q. Do you ever get homesick?

A. I got a little homesick my freshman year. It was the first time I was away from home for an extended period of time, and I had a girlfriend back home, as well as the fact that life as a freshman is not very enjoyable. Since freshman year though, being homesick has not been an issue. I like getting home, but I am used to the fact that I do not [get] home very often.

Q. What do you like about living in New York or out East?

A. The thing I like the most about living out East is the fact there is so much to do within driving distance. I can drive to the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area one weekend and drive to Boston the next. Being in New York also gives me a perspective on how people and lifestyles are different in other parts of the country. All in all, it has been a good experience for me.

Q. It appears that you’ve made an excellent choice going to West Point? How so?

A. I am not sure how "excellent" it looked a few years ago, but I think I made the right decision for myself by coming here. I have been able to get a great education for no monetary cost to my family or myself. Since I get the opportunity to serve in the best Army in the world after I graduate, I do not even have to worry about finding a job. More importantly, West Point is a very unique experience, and I feel privileged to have been a part of the tradition here at the academy. Also, if anyone has any question about the academy, Lincoln Daily News has my e-mail address.

[to top of second column in this section]

Q. What advice would you give the kids of Lincoln today?

A. My advice to the kids of Lincoln would be to never limit yourselves, and enjoy being a young person in Lincoln. There is a whole world of opportunity waiting for people that are willing to take risks and go after their goals. Lincoln is a great place to live and grow up in, but do not get tunnel vision. There actually is a huge world that exists outside the Lincoln city limits. Do not be afraid to go into that world. Maybe Lincoln is the right place for you, but you will never truly know unless you see other places.

Whether you believe it or not, growing up in Lincoln is great. Lincoln is a safe place full of people who really care for you. Lincoln is a caring community all the way from its churches to its tee ball fields. Take advantage of the wisdom and love of all those people.

Q. Anything else that you’d like to say to the people of Lincoln?

The list is too long for me to thank everyone I know in Lincoln that helped me out along the way. But those people know who they are, and I am forever indebted to them. My outlook and attitude toward life was molded by a number of people from Lincoln. Anything that I ever do or accomplish in life has their imprints on it.

Finally, I would like to say to the people of Lincoln to never forget the important things in life. It is very easy to get caught up in paying the bills, going to practice and things of that nature. In light of the recent events in our country, I hope we never lose focus on things like family, friends, faith and community. Those things are always there when you come home at night. That is what matters in the long run. Also, all my love to my mom, dad, brother and stepdad. I am really lucky.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 28, 2001]   

Q. Is it hard to get fired up for an Army football game or is it easier?

A. We haven’t had a home game since the attack, but I think it will be easier. Now more than ever, the team represents something bigger than the academy. The team represents our country and all the ideals we hold true.

Q. Tell us a little about your experience in playing 150-pound football for the academy.

A. Well, I spent most of my time playing "left out." It was a challenging experience. The practices were more intense than any practices I had in any sport in high school. They were longer, tougher and just drained your energy.

Q. Are you just too busy to play now and are you playing any other sports like IMs?

A. I left the team because I wanted to improve my grades and because I wanted more time for myself. I would leave for practice a little before 3 p.m. and not get back to my room until 7 or 7:30 p.m. That is a big chunk of my day that I could be using for other things.

Everyone here has to do an IM if they are not involved in a varsity sport. I have done basketball and some other sports. Doing an IM is fun, competitive and takes up less time than a varsity sport.

Q. Reflect on your days of being a Lincoln Railer...

A. Being a Railer. I know I have only been out of high school four years but it seems like so long ago. Being a Railer was great. The fans are great. They are always there to support you. My best friends from high school are people from the Railer teams I was fortunate enough to be a part of. High school was a lot of fun. I have some great memories from things like student council, homecoming, prom and just running around like an idiot with my buddies. But, I realize already that high school is just a short part of your life, and if the most meaningful things you ever did were in high school, then you have missed the boat on life.

[to top of second column in this section]

Q. What did you like most about it? Least?

A. The thing I liked most about being a Railer was the whole atmosphere of high school. LCHS is not so small that you know everyone by first names but not so big that on your last day of your senior year you meet another senior for the first time.

Also, I enjoyed the laid-back environment. I feel strongly that high school should be as pressure-free as possible. Set accomplishable goals and achieve them. Everyone has a skill they excel at. High school is a time to search for those things. If you weigh yourself down with the pressure of doing everything, you will not find the skill you are the best at. I think I was able to find out what I was good at, thanks to the people and environment at LCHS.

The thing I liked least was changing the beginning of school from 8:50 to 7:30 after my sophomore year. That really threw my schedule off !

Seriously, the thing I liked least, in retrospect, is the overall lack of diversity in the LCHS student body. That is not the fault of anyone in particular, but you meet people of different colors, faiths, and backgrounds in the real world. There is no real exposure to that at LCHS, and that is a real disadvantage for its students.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here for Part 3]

[SEPT. 27, 2001]   

Q. Jon, where were you when you heard of last week’s tragic events?

A. I was in between classes, and I heard another student say that the WTC was on fire. So, when I got to my next classroom I told my teacher what I had heard, and he turned on CNN. At that point the second plane had just crashed into the second tower and another plane had struck the Pentagon. All I could think was, "My God, we’re at war."

Jon Barton

Q. Did life as an Army cadet change for you immediately?

A. I think my life changed in the sense that my mission here at the academy became very real. I am here to become an officer in the Army and it is easy to lose sight of that when you have tests and papers and all the other distractions of college life. The current status of our nation’s military agenda has made me focus more on what I will be doing in 18 months.

Q. Will life for you be different for a long time coming?

A. Life will be different for me, but I think life is going to be different for every U.S. citizen. Many people are concerned about the safety of our country. No one knows if the attacks are over, so many people are reluctant to live their lives the way they did prior to the attacks.

On a positive note, the attack has brought our nation together in a way we have not seen since World War II. The way the country is going to retaliate is unclear, but the resolve and courage of our people is not. The citizens of this country will not be intimidated by the acts of a fanatical few bent on the destruction of our way of life.

[to top of second column in this section]

Q. What is your attitude and how is the mood in your dorm and on campus?

A. My attitude has taken on a more serious tone. I know now that I am not thinking as much about where my friends and I are going this weekend and more on the things I need to do to better myself as a leader before I graduate.

The attitude on campus is somber but focused. The academy is only 50 miles from New York City, so the attack really hit home. Many of us have visited the WTC. I even have friends that stayed at the Marriott at the base of the tower just a few weeks before the attacks. Another cadet who lives on my floor had a brother working in the WTC at the time of the attack. As of right now his brother is missing and presumed dead. The attacks are very real for most people at the academy.

Q. I imagine that you young men may have more purpose and more resolve than ever?

A. That’s true. I have never seen so much concern or resolve from myself and other cadets since I have been here. We realize now just how important the job of the military is going to be over the next decade, and there is not a more noble cause than protecting the people and the country you love.

Q. Is it hard to go to class, or did the events make your studies more real?

A. It has been very hard to go to class. There is all this horror and suffering going on 50 miles away, and I am sitting in a finance class learning the present value of a corporate bond. Class just seems very trivial right now. There has been an outcry from cadets to go to the city and help out, but there are enough volunteers right now. All we can do is sit and wait for our turn.

(To be continued)

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here for Part 2]

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