Elite Eight 2010
// March 27th, 2010 // Uncategorized
NCAA Elite Eight 2010 Blog
by
Kathleen M. Trigg
Lecturer in Communication Studies
Department of Communications and Professional Writing
Augusta State University
and
Loyal ASU Sports Fan
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
MASS-A-CHU-SETTS! MASS-A-CHU-SETTS! MASS-A-CHU-SETTS! That’s what we were chanting close to the end of the game against Montevallo. The NCAA Division II Elite Eight for Men’s Basketball is held in Springfield, Massachusetts, and we were ready to go. Coach Dip Metress thought the fans were a bit premature in their cheer, but our Jaguars hung on to win 79 – 71.
This marks the third year in a row that the Augusta State University Jaguars have won the Southeast Regional Championship and qualified for the trip to Springfield. In 2008 we made it all the way to the final game before we lost to Winona State, a school from Minnesota. In 2009 we made it to the Final Four before we were eliminated by Cal-Poly Pomona. I was an eyewitness to both tournaments.
This year we are planning for the third time to be a charm. We want to return from Springfield the 2010 National Champions. Of course, that’s what all the teams headed to Springfield want, and we aren’t counting our championships before they are won. We know we have a team that can win it all if our guys are playing their best, but on any given day, almost any team can be victorious. I am sure Dip, the rest of the coaching staff, and the players are working hard to do everything within their power to secure three wins up north.
It’s an exciting time to be a Jaguar fan.
GO JAGS!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! May the luck of the Irish be with the ASU Jaguars as they begin traveling the road to a national championship.
Jason Killeen, one of last year’s ASU basketball players (who is from Limerick, Ireland) told me how to properly spell this: Éire go Brách!
I received my Elite Eight travel opportunity email today from Wes Zamzow, Director of Alumni Relations, Cruise Director for bus trips to Springfield, and Host of the ASU hospitality suite during the tournament. He wears many hats very fashionably. This year’s trip is more than twice as expensive as last year’s trip, but it is still quite a bargain for the 36 total hours on the bus (round trip) and several nights at the Marriott.
I wasn’t at home when the email arrived, but I had my daughter, Maggie, watching for it so she could reply instantly that I wanted to go. I had permission from my department chair, I had plans for how my classes would be covered in my absence, I had yarn to crochet on the bus ride, I had three books to read, I had my husband’s blessing to leave him at home with the three kids and his Mom, and I had all my ASU blue and jaguar print laundry clean. I am doing the Irish jig in anticipation of the trip!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I have my congratulatory confirmation email reporting that I have obtained a seat on the bus. YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!
Friday, March 19, 2010
After much misbehavior from the online payment system, I was able to officially reserve my spot on the bus today. When you first begin the process, it has a pull down menu for your title. I chose “Ambassador”. I thought it was appropriate since all of the fans traveling to Massachusetts are ambassadors for Augusta State, right? I laughed out loud when my electronic confirmation came back addressed to “Ambassador Kathleen Trigg”. Sometimes I am just ridiculous. I hope anyone else who reads the electronic printouts gets a kick out of it. I’ll be disappointed if no one says anything. A waste of good humor.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Basketball took a backseat today. At 9:00 am, I got on the ASU Softball bus to Dahlonega. I am the Huddle Up partner for the Softball team. It is a program where a member of the faculty is matched up with one of our sports teams to encourage the players academically and support their athletic efforts. The Softball players are scholars and athletes. They have a great team GPA. My job is easy from that stand point. The team is having a great year, too. It is ranked 10th in the nation in Division II.
Our team played North Georgia, which is ranked #1 in the nation. Both teams were undefeated in conference play when they met each other today.
Before the game started, the field/ballpark was dedicated. The Hill family, of whom Haines and Carolyn Hill are the grandparents, financed the field. It is really nice. Coach Melissa Mullins invited me to be in the dugout. I enjoyed that, and the dugout actually had a bathroom. I told you it was a nice field.
The stadium was dedicated and then it was time to play ball. Softball always plays a double header. ASU started the first game strong. We outhit the Saints, but they hit two homeruns and took the lead away from us twice. We lost the first game 4 to 2. We lost the second game 8 to 0. It was a hard loss. I got home around 10:30 pm. I hate that we lost, but I was glad to travel with the team and watch them play.
Go swinging Jags!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Today is dedicated to Bible study and worship. Between morning and evening worship, I graded papers for my Advanced Public Speaking class so that I can hand those back to the students before I leave for Springfield.
I’ll need to focus on packing tomorrow.
GO JAGS!
Monday, March 22, 2010
I spent the morning on campus, and in the afternoon, I watched the ASU Softball team beat USC-Aiken in the first game of the double header. Then I headed home to pack. There was no way I could get everything I planned to take with me in one bag for under the bus and one carry on for in the bus. Sorry Wes. I am rebellious.
I packed my clothes in the jaguar print small rolling suitcase that was a gift from my friend, Pam, for just this occasion. I had my laptop. I packed three books, two reading lights and extra batteries for them, my yarn, a jaguar jigsaw puzzle for the hospitality suite at the hotel, my medications, my reading glasses, my phone and charger, my wallet, three large sheets of stiffened felt for making A-S-U letters, and breath mints In my jaguar print purse. In my large jaguar print canvas bag, I packed ASU blue glow sticks, blowing bubbles, six blue and white pompons, my blue music rhythm shakers of the plain and skull varieties, my jaguar pin that says, “OUR TEAM OUR TIME” with the athletic white “A” outlined in red, my jaguar stuffed animal that I bought on my first trip to Springfield in 2008, my black rubber jaguar print trimmed evening gloves, my wrist pompons, my jaguar jewelry, and last but not least, my jaguar tail. I also had the bag for my camera and charger. I opted out of taking a bag of snacks: 1. because I knew there would be snacks and drinks on the bus, and 2. because I was already three bags past my two-bag limit.
My husband, John, drove my over the limit luggage and me to Christenberry field house to meet the bus which was scheduled to take off at 7:30 pm. Thank you, John, for letting me run away to Springfield again this year.
The passengers on our bus (Blue #1) are faculty, staff, and alumni. The bus behind us carries some staff, the cheerleaders, Al E. Cat, the pep band, and a few students who are able to get out of class this week. We all filled out our emergency contact information that we hope we will have no need for, and we are on the road again.
Tuesday, March 22, 2010
It is 4:20 in the morning, and it is us and the truckers on the road. We are taking a different route than we have taken in the past, and we are making good time. I’ve crocheted a foot on my afghan, drawn and cut out 20 inch jaguar print A-S-U letters, and read five chapters of my book. I’ve rested my eyes a little, but I haven’t been able to sleep. I don’t rest well in moving vehicles. Everyone around me is asleep. Some are snoring, but not annoying.
At 7:00 am, the buses stopped in front of a McDonalds for breakfast. My traveling buddy, Vice President Dan Whitfield, and I had just been talking about how much we love Perkins and Friendly’s restaurants and wish we had them in Augusta. He and I spied a Friendly’s across the road from McDonald’s and we took off for it. About ten more people followed our lead. Even though you can get a scoop of ice cream with any breakfast menu item, I refrained. I had already eaten too many cupcakes and brownies on the bus.
We arrived in Springfield at the Marriott at 12:12 pm. It was a long bus ride, but an enjoyable one. My roommate is Paula from Public Safety. We are on the twelfth floor. All but two or three rooms on the floor are filled with our bus riders. The other bus is staying at another hotel. The team and coaching staff are here at the Marriott on a different floor. Paula and I chatted and got to know one another. Then it was wonderful to shower and brush my teeth.
So far on this trip, I have left my phone at a restaurant (It was retrieved by my traveling buddy.), locked myself out of my hotel room, and misplaced my camera for about an hour. I need sleep. I am getting flightier by the minute.
At 4:30 pm, the hospitality suite opened and we had some more sweets. Last year at the Holiday in our hospitality suite was huge. This year the Marriott took a regular room and stood the bed up on end. We are crammed into the room like sardines. Good thing we jag fans like each other.
We also received blue long-sleeved ASU Basketball shirts while we were being hospitable. I love them!
At 6:30 pm we walked to our tournament headquarters for the pretournament celebration at JT’s Sports Bar and Grill. The servers were wearing ASU T-shirts and our banners were hanging all over the establishment. Thanks go to Scott Argo from the Office of Admissions and the Alumni Association who planned all that support.
While at JT’s, the cheerleaders taught me the cheer to the ASU fight song. I am ready for tomorrow.
Chris Gay, (ASU alumnus) and sports reporter for the Augusta Chronicle and Mike Hollohan a photographer from the Chronicle (whose photos of our players are plastered on my office door in Allgood Hall) arrived in Springfield this afternoon. They were at JT’s tonight, doing their work. Make sure you check out their articles and photos and Chris’s blog this week in the Augusta Chronicle.
I don’t know how regularly I can send my blog since it costs $12.99 per day to use the wireless internet connection in the rooms. I am not paying, but waiting for the couple of computers in the business room downstairs.
Wednesday, March 23, 2010
This morning I went to an elementary school with the cheerleaders and Al E. Cat. Our cheerleaders performed for the fourth and fifth grade classes. Different local schools adopt a team in the Elite Eight and they take a field trip to the game so that all the schools in the tournament have fans.
Joe Blay from Finish Line Signs & Graphics in Springfield made a huge sign for us. Across the top it says, Augusta State University Basketball. It’s a photo of a kitten dunking the basketball and the caption says, “And He’s just a freshman!” He gave it to us to take to the game with us. I can’t wait for the team to see it.
Joe Blay asked Al E. Cat if he wanted to meet his dog, so we followed Joe outside. He whistled for Sheba and the dog came running. She stopped abruptly and went berserk growling at Al E. Cat. Al stooped to pet her and eventually Sheba calmed down enough to pose for photos.
I had a great time with the cheerleaders and their Coach, Jennifer Martin and their assistant coach, Leza Witherington. And I had fun with our Public Relations staff, Kathy Schofe, Director and Heather Hopkins, I don’t know what her title is but she takes great photos, and Twitters her heart out!
Below is a photo of our cheerleading squad and Al E. Cat. Yes, that is Tom Brady in the background. Springfield is in New England. I guess Tom knew the Jags were in town so he tried to meet them. Unfortunately the team couldn’t be with us because it was their turn to practice at the Mass Mutual Center. They did, however, visit a Shriners hospital yesterday.
When we left the school, Kathy and Heather and I ate breakfast at Friendly’s. This time I was not able to resist having a scoop of ice cream with my eggs, bacon, and French toast!
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To watch the Jaguars play Bentley tonight at 8:30 visit: www.aug.edu/athletics/sports/mbasketball/2010elite-eight/
Go Jags!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Well, it was a tough loss. Our Jags just weren’t clicking like they normally do. Originally they told us if we lost in the first game that we would have to board the bus a 5:00 am the next day. Tonight though, we were told we will board at 9:00 am. That’s easier.
But there is nothing easy about this ride home or the loss tonight. Bless those guys’ hearts. They gave us another great year. It’s hard to imagine ASU without Ben and Daniel, and we are really attached to Fred and Greg, too. And even though we only had Alex with us for one year, he brought great talent, intelligence, and character to Augusta and we will miss him, also. I saw him downstairs just a few minutes ago and I hugged his neck and thanked him for a great year. I wish it could have ended on a winning note.
I know the guys are disappointed, but I am consoled by the fact that they are good men who have promise of great futures ahead of them.
THANKS JAGS!
