December 2011

WINTER WARMS UP

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 1vucommodores.com

table of contents9 2 Compliance Corner

Good luck advertisements

4 National Commodore Club December renewals/Admiral’s Room

7 More from McGugin By the numbers

8 My Game Senior Steve Tchiengang

9 My Game Sophomore Jasmine Lister

10 Tim Fugger Senior DE has best season at VU

13 Kristen Smith XC champion of two conferences

15 My Turn Rod Williamson’s monthly column

17 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships come to TN in 2012

21 Early Signing Period Sports secure next season’s freshmen

23 Winter Break Basketball tickets available

24 Last Shots Zac Stacy vs. Kentucky10

VUCOMMODORES.COMTo submit a letter to Commodore Nation, you can e-mail: commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu or write to Commodore Nation, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. Letters should include the writer’s name and address and may be edited for clarity and space.

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Editorial

Publisher: Vanderbilt University

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Weinman

Director of Communications: Rod Williamson

Designers: Jeremy Teaford

Chris Weinman

Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner

VU Photography: Daniel Dubois

Steve Green

Joe Howell

Jenny Mandeville

Anne Rayner

John Russell

Susan Urmy

Contributors: Brandon Barca

Andy Boggs

Ashley Crosby Sterling Frierson Larry Leathers George Midgett

Kyle Parkinson

Ryan Schulz Jennifer Stevens

Administrative

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos

Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II

Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune

Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and ValuesVanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry, and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university.

ON THE COVER: Jasmine Lister and Steve Tchiengang. Photos by John Russell, VU Photography

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212.

SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe, contact Chris Weinman by by e-mail at commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu

ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt IMG Sports & Entertainment Properties.Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; jeff.miller@imgworld.com

Commodore Nation is printed using recycled paper.

Compliance questions? Please contact:Candice Lee George MidgettDirector of Compliance Compliance Coordinator615/322-7992 615/322-2083candice.lee@vanderbilt.edu george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu

John Peach Andrew TurnerCompliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator615/343-1060 615/322-4543john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu andrew.turner@vanderbilt.edu

CORNERC O M P L I A N C E

Q:

A:

Back Board is a star prospective student-athlete who attends a local high school and some members of the university’s booster club want to take out an ad wish-ing him well in his upcoming season. Is this permissible?

NCAA Bylaw 13.4.3.1 (recruiting advertisements) states that the publication of ad-vertising or promotional material, by or on behalf of a member institution, designed to solicit the enrollment of a prospective student-athlete is not permitted, except as provided in Bylaw 13.4.3.1.1. Accordingly, a member institution may not buy or arrange to have space in game programs or other printed materials published to provide information concerning the athletics participation or evaluation of prospec-tive student-athletes (e.g., recruiting publications) for any purpose whatsoever, in-cluding advertisements, a listing of prospective or enrolled student-athletes who will attend the institution and informative materials related to the institution. [D] (Revised: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 3vucommodores.com

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CORNERCOMMODORE CLUB

PHONE: 615/322-4114 • ONLINE: NationalCommodoreClub.com

Why should I renew my NCC membership in December instead of May like I usually do?

To receive ticketing and parking benefits, the deadline for NCC renewals is May 31, 2012. However, there are some significant advantages to renewing your member-ship in December instead. Contributions made by Dec. 31 can be claimed as a charitable contribution on your tax return. In addition, making a gift in December allows you to pay for your NCC membership and tickets sev-eral months apart, making it more affordable to obtain tickets, priority seating and parking privileges. You can also set up an easy monthly payment plan or recurring bank draft for your NCC membership. Renew online at NationalCommodoreClub.com or call the NCC Office at 615/322-4114 for more information.

NCC 101

NCC members Micheal Ainsle (’65), Dr. Jerry Reves (’65) and Spence Wilson (’64)

NCC members John and Eileen Thornton, parents of men’s golfer Ryan Thornton (’13)

Nov. 12 — Football vs. KeNtucKy

The Admiral’s Room is a special halftime hospitality area for those NCC members at the $6,000 level and up with men’s basketball season tickets. The first game the Admiral’s Room will be open is at halftime of the Auburn game on Saturday, Jan. 7. Once again, the food and beverages will be catered by our friends at Chik-Fil-A of Rivergate. Please note that the Admi-ral’s Room will NOT be open at halftime of the MTSU game on Saturday, Jan. 28. To increase your mem-bership so that you can enter the Admiral’s Room at halftime of every SEC men’s basketball game, call Member Services Coordinator Robin Langlois at 615/322-4114.

tHe admiral’s room

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NCC members Carrie (’05) and Mark (’05, golf) Donnell withRichard and Lauren Jacques (’08)

NCC members Allie Helmstetter (’99), Burch Wood (’98) and Christian Panneck (’02)

Nov. 15 — youNg alumNi Happy Hour

The NCC sponsored a happy hour for young alums and professionals before the men’s basketball game vs. Bucknell. Be on the lookout for more young alum functions in the coming months.

NCC members Alex (’00) and Polly (’02) Ryerson NCC members Susan and Gene (’69) Shanks

Nov. 19 & 21 — legeNds classic

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More from McGugin

Missouri becomes SEC’s 14th member

Greene officially hired to lead women’s soccer

Dynamic recruiter, tactician and teacher Derek Greene officially has been named the head coach of the

Vanderbilt women’s soccer program after serving as the team’s interim head coach since July.

A 16-year veteran of collegiate women’s soccer, Greene’s coaching career has been

highlighted by suc-cess at a number of schools in the south-east. Greene’s most notable stop was at Ole Miss.

Hired as an assis-tant coach before being promoted to associate head coach, Greene helped lead the Rebels to their

first three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a second-round appearance in

2003 following a victory over Texas. Greene helped guide Ole Miss to seven consecu-tive Southeastern Conference Tournament berths—including an SEC Western Divi-sion title and second-place overall finish in 2005—and recruited four Freshman All-America selections to Oxford.

“We were impressed by the energy and enthusiasm we’ve seen from Derek, and we believe he and his staff will move our pro-gram forward,” Vice Chancellor for Univer-sity Affairs and Athletics David Williams II said. “Coach Greene was well received by the Vanderbilt soccer family while he was our interim head coach, and we are on the same page in that we both want our pro-gram to become a competitive force in the Southeastern Conference.”

Greene and wife, Gail, reside in Nashville with their 16-month-old son, Max.

4.5 seconds remaining when senior Brad Tinsley sank the game-winning shot as the men’s basketball team won defeated Oregon State for the 2011 TicketCity Legends Classic championship.

14 seasons as “the Voice of the Commodores” for Director of Broadcasting and Community Relations Joe Fisher.

30 point margin of victory in football against Kentucky (38-8), marking the biggest win over the Wildcats since 1969.

31 points separating first-place Vanderbilt from second-place Arkansas at the SEC Women’s Cross Country Championships.

89.7 point-per-game average for women’s basketball in its first three games of the 2011-12 season, all decisive victories.

175 volunteers needed, at a minimum, for the 2012 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships this June at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin.

1,005 career points for junior John Jenkins after a 17-point night against Cleveland State. Jenkins is the 42nd ’Dore to eclipse 1,000 points.

NUMBERSBy The

Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, acting unanimously, announced on Nov. 6 that the Univer-

sity of Missouri will join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2012, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year.

The addition of Missouri will increase SEC membership to 14 institutions. The additions of Texas A&M, announced on Sept. 25, 2011, and Missouri, are the first expansions for the SEC since September of 1991 when the University of South Carolina joined the league. The University of Arkan-sas joined the SEC in August of 1991. With the addition of Arkansas and South Caro-lina, the SEC was the first conference to split into divisions and add a conference championship game in 1992.

“The Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference are pleased to welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC,” said Dr. Bernie Machen, president of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors and president of the University of Florida. “The University of Missouri is a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions.”

Missouri, located in Columbia, also will be the fourth institution in the Southeast-ern Conference to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Uni-versities, joining Florida, Texas A&M and

Vanderbilt. Missouri has an enrollment of 33,800 students, which would be the fourth-largest institution in the SEC, with Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M having larger student bodies. There are more than 260,000 “Mizzou” alumni around the world. The state of Missouri borders three SEC states: Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkan-sas, and Mizzou brings an existing rivalry with former conference foe Texas A&M.

The Tigers sponsor 20 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming and diving, wres-tling, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Women’s sports include basketball, golf, gymnastics, soccer, soft-ball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and volleyball.

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My Game

SteveTchiengang

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A native of Douala, Cameroon, Steve Leandre Noubissie Tchiengang grew up playing soccer before being turned on to basketball as a teen-ager. While he has plans of pursuing a career in international business, he hopes to make bas-ketball his profession after graduating this May.

On trading soccer for basketball: “Soccer is the sport in my country, just like football or basketball might be the sport for kids here. That’s the ball that I first had as a kid. I played for a little while, and all of a sudden I realized that I was obviously taller than most of the guys. The first time I played [basketball] was 2004. It was kind of differ-ent sport; totally different from anything that we’d seen, rarely played around the coun-try. So I gave it a try and ended up going to South Africa with a group of kids represent-

ing my country in a program that the NBA carries all around third-world

countries to help kids and pro-mote basketball. After that, I

decided to come [to the U.S.] and further my education and… here I am now.”

On his philanthropic work: “My freshman year, I was lucky enough to meet a stu-dent that’s currently a sopho-more here, but he was in high school [then]. He introduced me to a group of refugees from the struggle in the civil war countries in Africa. I felt like it was a call for me to keep in touch with these

kids and convey some of the lessons I have learned throughout my time here. Number one was learn the language so you can tran-sition better, understand and get to know the people better than speaking your own language around your countrymen. So I had a good talk with those kids about the impor-tance of learning English.

“I like to go speak to kids that are struggling making good decisions or following class and stuff like that. If I can impact a kid’s life or give them advice based on my struggle, I love to do that.”

On his major in economics:“Econ is a back-up plan. I would love to play basketball, overseas or wherever it takes me. Because I have fallen in love with the game, and I’ve invested and put a lot into the game. I’m already getting a free education because of basketball, but I also would like to play professionally someday. Economics is a good degree coming out of Vanderbilt, and that’s the reason I chose it. Initially, I wanted to be an engineer. My second thought was international business; econ is the closest thing here to international business.”

On his use of social media:“A couple years ago, one of my close friends, Hasheem Thabeet, introduced me to [Twit-ter]. Mostly I use my Twitter either to retweet inspirational quotes to those who follow me or maybe give inspiration through things that I’m doing. I’ll tell them when I’m going to work out and just to keep a positive atti-tude. Inspiring people that follow me, that’s the whole thing behind Twitter. And I like to blog on Facebook.”

On his offseason work: “Given that I had surgery there was not much to do. I just worked on thinking positively, because it was hard to see the guys work-ing and I couldn’t do anything. I could work on my form a little bit, my jumper, but that was about the only thing I could do. I was just thinking things through, having a positive attitude in everything I do. That was the main focus that I had this offseason.” n

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Jasmine Lister was a Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team selection last year after lead-ing Head Coach Melanie Balcomb’s Vanderbilt squad in scoring average and minutes played. The Corona, Calif., native was one of two Com-modores to start every game. Lister discussed her favorite things about basketball and dealing with life away from her twin sister.

On playing with her twin sister, Cinnamon: “She’d play the one, I’d play the two. Or I’d play the one, she’d play the two. We’d just mix it up in the game. It was just real fun.”

On being separated from her twin, who attends Boise State:

“We’ve always both had our own personality on the court. We kind of play different, but we still kind of play the same. This gave us a chance to be more independent and not rely on each other to make a play. We knew where each other were on the court, but now it’s like we kind of get to have our own identity.”

On her earliest basketball memories: “I always played at my church league with my sister. And we would play at the park at middle school all day. I remember during spring break we would go there every day and just stay all day playing basketball with the boys. It was a lot of fun.”

On wearing No. 11: “My sister and I both like double numbers. I was No. 22 in high school, she was 33. But those both were taken at one of the colleges—22 was taken here, 33 was taken there. We decided to be No. 11 so we could both match numbers, and we got our fingers tattooed [with #11].”

On prefering point or shooting guard: “I’ve always thought of myself as a scoring point guard. I can dish it out, but I can still score at the same time. I wouldn’t want to choose—I think I can do both.”

On Coach Balcomb’s offense:“There’s a structure, but you still get your free-dom—you can shoot, you can drive, but it all works with the structure. That’s what I like about it most.”

On moving to Tennessee:“It was a real blessing to have this opportunity. I knew what Vanderbilt was and how good they are, but I had no idea they would have ever been interested in me. I’d always wanted to get outside of California for college just for cultural reasons and different experiences. It’s really different than California, but I like it. My par-ents came out here last year for the SEC Tour-nament and they [were] here for the Thanksgiv-ing Tournament this year.” n

JasmineLister

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Tim Fugger: The EndSenior saves best season for last

B efore the 2011 football season, few people probably knew the name Tim Fugger. That has been changing rapidly as the Com-modores’ most consistent defensive end has continued to

make a name for himself.Still, earlier this season ESPN Blogger Chris Low called Fugger

one of the most underrated players in the Southeastern Conference. As Fugger’s Vanderbilt career comes to a close, people are finally noticing the VU senior who, according to Low, is “one of those guys who never takes a play off.”

After coming to Vanderbilt a year ago, it did not take Head Coach James Franklin long to notice Fugger.

“He’s everything you want in a kid,” Franklin said. “He’s tough. He’s got a great motor, tremendous work ethic. He comes to prac-tice every single day with an unbelievable attitude—just whatever he can do to get better individually to help our team. He’s been a great example and mentor to our young players of how to practice. I wish we had him for another four years.”

Tim Fugger took a circuitous route to Vanderbilt, traveling all the way across the United States during his formative years, but all the while building ties to the Commodore football program. The young-est of three boys, he grew up in the San Diego area where oldest brother Brian played center at St. Augustine High School with future Vanderbilt quarterback Richard Kovalcheck (MBA, ’08).

In 2003, the Fugger family moved to Florida, where Tim would enroll at Bishop Kenny High School for his freshman year. In Jack-sonville, Fugger became close friends with fullback Ryan van Rens-burg (’10), a future Commodore teammate who also was a part of Vanderbilt’s 2007 signing class.

During his sophomore season, tragedy struck when Tim’s father, Peter Fugger, passed away. According to his eldest sibling, Tim showed immeasurable strength in the face of that loss.

By Chris Weinman

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“He’s everything you want in a kid. He’s tough. He’s got a great motor, tremendous work ethic. He comes to practice every single day with

an unbelievable attitude.”

— Head Coach James Franklin

Tim Fugger (above with Vice Chancellor David Williams, mother, Karen Fugger, brother Brian Fugger and wife Courtney, brother Mark Fugger and cousin Michael Marshall, kneeling) has had an outstanding senior campaign for Coach James Franklin’s Commodores.

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“He didn’t miss any class, didn’t miss any practices,” Brian said. “It would have been an easy thing for him to do. I can’t explain how strong he is. He’s just always worked hard and done what’s right. Always.”

The Fugger family moved from Florida to the west Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Ill., where Tim enrolled at Montini Catholic High School before his junior season. Fugger was a multi-talented athlete, using his combination of strength and speed to excel in basketball and track and field while playing both tight end and defensive end for the Broncos. The Commodores offered him a scholarship on the offensive side of the ball.

In the weight room, Fugger established a school record for reps in the 225-pound bench press, while out on the track he was a confer-ence champion and placed third in the prestigious city 100 meters. At 6’4” and 215 pounds, Fugger notes that he was usually the largest man in the starting blocks by a good 40 or 50 pounds.

After arriving on campus in the summer of 2007, Fugger made friends quickly with VU’s other true freshman tight end, Brandon Barden. The duo has remained great friends despite no longer playing the same position. Barden believes he can pinpoint the day Fugger’s career as a tight end was no more.

“One day in practice, we both went in motion and hit each other in the middle,” Barden said. “We say we made our own play. Ever since then, I always pick on him about going in motion, because I was the one that was supposed to do it…. A couple weeks later, we were at Dore Jam and he came up to me and he was like, ‘Man, I’m leaving for defensive end.’”

Four years later, few could argue with the decision to put Fugger on defense. After redshirting in 2007 and being slowed by injury in 2008, Fugger earned eight starts as a sophomore in 2009. Last season he was among SEC leaders in forced fumbles.

But the 2011 campaign has been a breakout year for Fugger, who has ranked among conference leaders in both sacks and tackles for loss all season. He had surpassed his previous career high for tackles with three weeks remaining in the regular season while starting every game at defensive end for the Commodores.

According to Fugger, his excellent season can be attributed to assis-tant coach Sean Spencer bringing a new attitude to the defensive line.

“We just have a whole new energy about us,” Fugger said. “I think that’s pretty evident when you watch us play. We’re all running to the ball. Some of the plays aren’t spectacular plays, they might just be effort plays. Someone beats a block and forces a running back to change field, and I’ll be hustling after him and be able to make the play on the other side.

“Coach Spence has put a big emphasis on us just getting off the ball, really exploding and trying to beat the tackle to his spot and beat the blocks before they can get to you. I feel like we’ve been doing that and have all become more productive.”

Fugger also appreciates the reps he gets in practice against another fifth-year senior, offensive tackle Kyle Fischer.

“I credit Kyle for a lot of my success this year,” Fugger said. “He’s been a great tackle, and watching him progress from freshman year, we’ve both just made each other so much better. Every time I get to go against him in practice I have to take full advantage of it because he gives me a full game look as well as any SEC tackle. He’s one of the premier tackles in this league.”

While the hard-working Fugger’s public persona is unassuming, teammates and coaches know other sides of him. Barden sees a lighter side of Fugger, while Coach Franklin appreciates his ability to lead.

“A lot of people think he’s quiet,” Barden said. “But he’s really not. He runs his mouth a lot. And he’s always trying to pick jokes with me and all of our other buddies.”

“He’s not afraid to speak up when he needs to,” Franklin said. “He’s just a real solid guy. Because of his actions, and because of his work ethic, and because of the example he sets, I think he has everybody’s respect, the coaches’ as well as the players’.” n

Follow the Vanderbilt football team @vandyFootball

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Making a change halfway through your college career is a big decision. But for cross country runner Kristen Smith, it was a move back in a sense.

“My senior year of high school, I actually had verbally committed to Vanderbilt after my visit, but decided I wanted to stay close to home and retracted to sign at Michigan State,” Smith said. “Thank-fully Coach Keith and Coach Riley were just as receptive and wel-coming to the possibility of me joining their team as they had been the first time around.”

Fresh off a Big 10 Championship, she joined the Vanderbilt team this past year as a transfer from Michigan State, becoming a key part of a close team as they worked their way from a barely-talked-about program to an SEC Champion, and a sixth place finish at the NCAA Championships.

“(At Michigan State), the program had such a long history behind it that winning the conference or making nationals wasn’t that big of a deal. Here, it was a first, and because everyone felt so excited, I felt more excited,” she said.

Smith finished fifth for the Commodores at the SEC meet (ninth overall), helping cement the Commodores’ first place finish in impressive fashion. With all five runners finishing in the Top 10, Vanderbilt’s score of 30 points was less than half of second-place Arkansas (61). A perfect score would total 15 points.

“After I crossed the line I said, ‘I’ve never finished so hard in my life,’” Smith said. “I think most of us gave a little more in that race than we thought we had because everyone wanted us to win so badly.”

Smith got her first taste of competing as a Commodore at the Roy Griak Invitational, where she ran against her old teammates for the first time.

“Honestly, it was extremely strange,” she said. “Michigan State also was in that race, so my former teammates were now my com-petitors. But I got over it. We still have a good rapport and have kept up with each others’ progress throughout the season. After big races like Nationals we sought each other out and congratulated each other at the finish.”

She would meet them again at the Wisconsin-adidas Invitational two weeks later—where Vanderbilt first broke into the national con-versation by beating 19 Top-30 ranked teams—and again at the Nationals.

Her new team, however, made her feel right at home and made the adjustment to wearing black and gold easier.

“I had worried I would have a hard time fitting in on the team; the South is a bit of a culture shock coming down from the Midwest,” Smith said. But her worries were unfounded. “After I became accus-tomed to the constant influx of hugs, it wasn’t so bad. This group of girls is amazing, and I couldn’t have had an easier time adjusting.”

Smith, now an ingrained part of this history-making team, has high hopes for the future.

“Most people don’t realize how much time, hard work and con-centration it takes,” she said, pointing to her teammates’ many accomplishments. “Next year I’m hoping we will have a few more of those, and also find a Top-4 team finish (at Nationals), which earns a place on the podium.” n

Junior Kristen Smith holds the distinction of being a part of cross country championships in two conferences. After winning the Big Ten champion-ship with Michigan State in 2010, Smith transferred to Vanderbilt and helped the Commodores capture the SEC crown this year.

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Smith’s cross country trip: Michigan to Tennessee By Ashley Crosby

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It’s My Turn

by Rod Williamson

Analyze this

The football team has advanced the pigskin to within 15 yards of the goal. Tie game, clock ticking down the

final seconds. The field goal team comes on for the winning points, and from the opposite sideline, a time out is called.

There will be no strategy discussed during this break as the crowd buzzes. The defense is down to its last hope: that the kicker is an over-thinker. If so, extra time increases his chances of mess-ing up.

It happens every day in sports. your partner in the club best-shot yanks a two-foot putt that would have won the match. The dead-eye shooter misses the free throw after a time out. This is usually referred to as succumbing to pressure, but the root cause is an overactive mind.

It’s a scourge found at every level of competition from peewees to pros, a competitive cancer that keeps sports psychologists employed. And it is one of the most frustrating elements in sport, especially to the over-thinkers themselves, who afterward retreat to the quiet of their home bases and over-analyze their miscues. Have you ever heard a coach say the team “under-thought”?

There are virtues to academically bright student-athletes. They tend not to do stupid things off the field, and they are probably capable of implementing complex schemes in a game plan. We say probably because research has shown there are different types of intelligence; one is athletic IQ.

There are tremendous athletes that, though barely read on a middle school level, still have an instinctive sense about what to do in the heat of battle. Likewise, we’ve had student-athletes with perfect 1600 scores on the college boards who seemingly couldn’t do calisthenics without a diagram. In academics, over-thinking a multiple choice exam turns a potential B into a C. The truly bright students breeze through a test, exit the classroom first and get their A.

Don’t over-think this opinion; it is not a defense of “dumb jocks.” But it is the truth. If you could visit with a coach in any sport on any campus in America, sooner or later they would mention their over-thinkers. The bright student-athlete that competes instinctively is recruited more heavily than the Homecoming queen at the prom.

A few years ago there was a member of our powerful bowling team with Dean’s List grades and a winner in every important way. This bowler was coming off a good game and began the next with a string of strikes. She was in the zone. Suddenly her wheels came off—an open frame here and a shaky spare there. The coach notices that the bowler was no longer throwing the ball on the pre-vious line and, perplexed, asked her, “Why?”

“Well, I thought…” The coach looks for the nearest wall to bang his head.It’s our observation that more games are lost than won. For

every time an athlete sinks a remarkable putt on the 18th green for victory there are a dozen cases when somebody three-putts to give it away. James Franklin has noted that he wants his team to reach a point where it allows an opponent to beat itself.

At Vanderbilt we pride ourselves in winning “both ways”—on the field of play and in the classroom. We always will. But if brain-power alone was a virtue, the NFL would be the nation’s think tank, Stanford would not have lost its football game with Southern Cal and Harvard would be the dominant power in college athletics.

Over-thinking is just another fascinating aspect of the games we play. That’s what I think. I think… n

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March 18 and 20, 2012MeMorial GyMnasiuM

nashville, Tenn.

For tickets, visit vucommodores.com

or call 615/322-Gold

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Hole 1Par 4

384 YdsThe first hole requires thought and confidence, and it can make or break your momentum to open a round. There isn’t a lot of obvious trouble, but if you’re not careful you can put your-self in some rather troublesome situations. On the drive, going right blocks you out by trees, and left gives you a downhill lie in the rough, so it is imperative you hit the fairway. The most notable feature on this hole is the swale on the right side of the green. If you hit it slightly short or just too far right, you can kiss an easy par goodbye.”

— Junior Anna Leigh Keith

NCAA Golf Championship:Welcome to Franklin, Tenn.

Head Coach Greg Allen (third from left with Williamson County Mayor Rog-ers Anderson, Franklin Mayor Dr. Ken Moore and Brentwood Vice Mayor Rod Freeman) introduced the 2012 NCAA Women’s Golf National Championship to the town of Franklin last month dur-ing a news conference at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.

As many as 175 volunteers are needed per day (May 22-25) for a variety of tasks that most golf enthusiasts would enjoy. More information is available at vucom-mmodores.com, and anyone interested in helping out can call Lisa Webb at 615/343-6494.

Members of the women’s golf team are giving Commodore Nation their insight into Legends’ North Course. Holes 1-3 are available here, with the remaining holes to be posted online.

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Hole 3Par 3

169 Yds

Hole 2Par 4

324 Yds“Don’t take this hole lightly when looking at its short yardage, because it can definitely leave an unwanted mark on your scorecard. A lake that covers the entire left side of the hole and a slippery green make this a tough hole. Off the tee, anything in the fairway leaves a reasonable shot into the green. The approach should be played to the right side, as the green slopes from right to left toward the water, and landed short on the firm surface. My tip for the hole is to not get too greedy.”

— Junior Lauren Stratton

“Considering No. 3 is longest par three on the course, it makes for a challenging hole. Two bunkers are strategically placed guarding the left and right of this extremely wide green. The green, however, is not extremely deep, which makes it difficult to hold with a longer club like 4-iron or hybrid. The green has an interesting shape and can almost be split into two different greens. When the pin is tucked on the left side, the water and bunker come into play, and I have seen several shots missed left into the water.”

— Senior Marina Alex

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Seven Vanderbilt programs announced the signing of pro-spective student-athletes to the National Letter of Intent last month during the early signing period. The list includes:

Women’s Basketball

Morgan Batey (Atlanta, Ga.)

Heather Bowe (Eau Claire, Wis.)

Kristen Gaffney (Cary, N.C.)

Jasmine Jenkins (Gainesville, Ga.)

Rayte’a Long (Dayton, Ohio)

Kendall Shaw (Mont Belvieu, Texas)

Men’s Golf

Spencer Ciesla (Naples, Fla.)

Carson Jacobs (Hendersonville, Tenn.)

Zach Jaworski (Alpharetta, Ga.)

John Voetsch (New Vernon, N.J.)

Women’s Golf

Frances Altick (Monroe, La.)

Courtney Colton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Georgina Sellyn (Glasgow, Scotland)

Lacrosse

Kelly Chandler (Salisbury, Md.)

Emma Dagres (Weston, Mass.)

Ashlin Dolan (Morristown, N.J.)

Alexa Kunowsky (Severna Park, Md.)

Amanda Lockwood (Alpharetta, Ga.)

Mallory Schonk (Perry Hall, Md.)

Mackenzie Smith (Vero Beach, Fla.)

Annie Vreeland (Short Hill, N.J.)

Sarah Wilcox (Alexandria, Va.)

Swimming and Diving

Hannah Martin (Greensboro, N.C.)

Jennifer Mann (Victoria, B.C.)

Men’s Tennis

Kris yee (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Women’s Tennis

Frances Altick (Monroe, La.)

Courtney Colton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Georgina Sellyn (Glasgow, Scotland)

This year, the spring signing period kicks off on Feb. 1, 2012. Teams expected to announce signees on that day include football, soccer and track and field.

NATiONAL LeTTer Of iNTeNT: eArLy SiGNiNG PeriOD

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#Tickets

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Vanderbilt athletic officials have announced that a limited number of single-game men’s basketball tickets are available for sale for four games that fall during Vanderbilt’s winter break. Vanderbilt

students have donated a portion of their floor-level seats to be sold to fans during those dates. All tickets start at just $20 for the four dates and can be purchased online at vucommodores.com.

For those interested in purchasing season tickets, there remains a lim-ited number available with a donation to the National Commodore Club (please call Robin Langlois at 615/343-7145 for information).

individual Ticket AvailabilitySaturday, Dec. 17 vs. Indiana State 4:30 p.m.Monday, Dec. 19 vs. Longwood 7 p.m.Wednesday, Dec. 21 vs. Lafayette 7 p.m.Monday, Jan. 2 vs. Miami (Ohio) 7 p.m.

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JOe HOWeLL / VU PHOTOGrAPHy

F irst and 10 from the Kentucky 18-yard line, and the handoff from Jordan Rodgers to Zac Stacy looked harmless enough. The junior tail-back found a hole on the left side of the offensive line, but was met by

two Wildcat defenders at the 10-yard line. Stacy, however, would not go down. The Centreville, Ala., native contin-

ued to churn his legs—moving amid a pile that at one point included nine Kentucky defenders—and emerged in the end zone.

“I just saw a lot of white jerseys,” Stacy said of the UK’s road uniforms.The 18-yard run spanned 11 seconds and capped a 135-yard, three-

touchdown performance that helped the ’Dores to a 38-8 Senior Day victory.

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