Martina Gavier Places 18th in the U.S. Women's Amateur Publinx

Kent State Golfer U.S. Martina Gavier finished one under in the second round bringing her to Par and placing her in the top 20 at the 33rd annual event.

To be eligible for the tournament Golfers must follow the USGA's guidelines for amateur status. The Public Links, like the U.S. Women's Amateur, has no age restrictions. The golfers with a USGA handicap index of 18.4 or lower, not be a member of any golf clubs not open to the general public (outside of memberships gained via their educational instution, status as a veteren, or emplyment by the club).

This is the same event in which 13 year old Michelle Wie jumped onto the scene which her unexpected victory in 2003. Won the 2007 South American Amateur Championship and placed strongly in the South American Junior Championship (3rd), Copa Friocol (5th), The Argentina Golf Association Ranking Tournament (6th), and the Chilean Amateur Championship (9th).

During her sophomore year she posted a perfect 3-0 record to help KSU to the consolation bracket title at the NGCA Match Play Championship and tied for sixth at the Mary Fossum Invitational, helping the Flashes to the tournament title

For her part Gavier Represented Argentina at the 2008 World Amateur Team Championships finishing 19th

Five MAC Halfbacks on the Doak Walker watch list

MiQuale Lewis	James Starks	Brandon West	Eugene Jarvis	DaJuane Collins

Five Mid American Conference running backs are on the list of 33, in the 19 years this award has been given no MAC player has ever won. While it will be a tall order for MiQuale Lewis and James Starks to match their level of play play from 2008 now that they missing their Davis and Willy not to mention significant portions of their offensive lines. Both finished in the top 20 for the nation last year and could be in the running when the season is over. Jarvis and West lost much of to injury and it will be interesting to see what he can do with 12 games....

Which MAC Running back has the best chance of winning the Doak Walker Award

because I missed DaJuane Collins I will have a runoff when this expires

The Doak Walker Award, named after the SMU legend, is presented ever year to the best college running back in the nation. The Doak Walker award is the only in college football that requires its recipient be in good academic standing and on target to graduate within a year of his current class.

Four Mid American Conference running backs are on the list of 33, in the 19 years this award has been given no MAC player has ever won. While it will be a tall order for MiQuale Lewis and James Starks to match their level of play play from 2008 now that they missing their Davis and Willy not to mention significant portions of their offensive lines. Both finished in the top 20 for the nation last year and could be in the running when the season is over. Jarvis and West lost much of to injury and it will be interesting to see what he can do with 12 games.

Last year MiQuale Lewis rushed for 1,701 yards (3rd in the nation) and scored 22 touchdowns (Tied for first). He also caught more than 30 passes for three hundred yards making him one of the most potent threats in all of College football.

James Starks put up monster numbers despite missing nearly three games last year (11 quarters). Before the loss to UConn he was among the best in the league in yards per game. His 1333 yards per game was 17th in the nation and his 16 touchdowns ranks him tied for 13th.

In his Junior year Brandon West cracked a thousand yards (1026) ranking him in 48th nationally. Like Starks West missed significant playing time last year sitting against CMU and playing seeing only limited carries against Ball State. This year with WMU losing some key wideout he may have quite a few more touches.

Eugene Jarvis missed three games last year and never really got back on track after leaving the Delaware game with a 'minor' injury that ended up putting him on the sideline for three games. Even with that he managed more than a thousand total years (801 on the ground, and 273 receiving) and ten total touchdown. If he can stay healthy this year he will almost certainly improve those numbers.

DaJuane Collins (sorry for missing him the first time around) also pent time on the sidelines and never seemed quite the same after the game against Fresno, still with two missed games and some injuries putting up 700 years rushing paired with five touchdowns was good enough to get him on the list. With an experienced and offensive line returning and new leadership over one thousand yards seems very realistic.

The recipient of the 2009 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday, December 10. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, February 19, 2010.

2009 Doak Walker Award Watch List

Armando Allen (Jr.), Notre Dame
André Anderson (Sr.), Tulane
Reggie Arnold (Sr.), Arkansas State
Baron Batch (Jr.), Texas Tech
Jahvid Best (Jr.), California, Berkeley
LeGarrette Blount (Sr.), Oregon
Chris Brown (Sr.), Oklahoma
Donald Buckram (Jr.), UTEP
John Clay (So.), Wisconsin
DaJuane Collins (Sr.), Toledo
Jeff Demps (So.), Florida
Noel Devine (Jr.), West Virginia
Andre Dixon (Sr.), Connecticut
Shaun Draughn (Jr.), North Carolina
Jonathan Dwyer (Jr.), Georgia Tech
Jamelle Eugene (Sr.), North Carolina State
Darren Evans (So.), Virginia Tech
Damion Fletcher (Sr.), Southern Mississippi
Toby Gerhart (Sr.), Stanford
Cyrus Gray (So.), Texas A&M
Nicolas (Nic) Grigsby (Jr.), Arizona
DuJuan Harris (Jr.), Troy
Roy Helu, Jr. (Jr.), Nebraska
Dan Herron (So.), Ohio State
Kendall Hunter (Jr.), Oklahoma State
Mark Ingram (So.), Alabama
Eugene Jarvis (Sr.), Kent State
MiQuale Lewis (Sr.), Ball State
Darius Marshall (Jr.), Marshall
Brandon Minor (Sr.), Michigan
DeMarco Murray (Jr.), Oklahoma
Daniel Porter (Sr.), Louisiana Tech
Jacquizz Rodgers (So.), Oregon State
Charles Scott (Sr.), LSU
Da’Rel Scott (Jr.), Maryland
Jake Sharp (Sr.), Kansas
Michael Smith (Sr.), Arkansas
C.J. Spiller (Sr.), Clemson
James Starks (Sr.), Buffalo
Curtis Steele (Sr.), Memphis
Phillip Tanner (Sr.), Middle Tennessee State
Vai Taua (Jr.), Nevada
Jordan Todman (So.), Connecticut
Joseph Turner (Sr.), TCU
Brandon West (Sr.), Western Michigan

30 Games in 30 Days: #28 Miami at Kent State

Miami	@ Kent

For two teams being picked to finish towards the Bottom of the east division this could be *THE* game that defines their season. Kent had a nice pair of close upsets last year against Temple and Buffalo but their victory over Miami Was the high point of 2008. Miami upset Bowling Green last season before dropping every other conference game when one week later Kent dropped more than fifty points on them.

When: September 26, 2009
Where: Kent, Ohio

All Time: Miami 37-10

Last 20 games

Date	Miami	Kent
10/25/2008	21	54
10/6/2007	20	13
9/16/2006	14	16
9/17/2005	27	10
10/9/2004	47	27
10/25/2003	38	30
9/21/2002	27	20
11/24/2001	20	24
9/23/2000	45	14
10/16/1999	17	10
11/14/1998	56	0
10/11/1997	62	26
8/31/1996	64	6
9/9/1995	39	0
11/12/1994	24	14
11/13/1993	23	14
11/14/1992	31	14
11/16/1991	20	9
11/10/1990	31	10

For a first year coach in a program that's not used to losing this is a must have game. For a 5th year head coach who's team is going the wrong way this game is a potential Job saver. Kent - Miami might not seem like an important game but in so far as it may hint at the the direction these programs are going it deserved to be in the top 30 for the year.

Miami, as per usual, has one of the MAC's most respectable out of conference schedules with North Western, Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Boise State (Three of the four made Bowl Games last year). Add to their OOC drawing Western Michigan and Northern Illinois the Red Hawks will face six of 2008's Bowl Teams (Buffalo makes six). There is not a harder schedule to be found in the MAC East if not the entire MAC. Wins are going to be very hard for Mike Haywood to come by in 2009. Short of another MAC program under performing Kent and Toledo look like the only games Miami might be expected to compete in.

On paper this game may look less important to Kent, they have a much more forgiving schedule than the RedHawks including FCS Coastal Carolina and an EMU team that has not been to a bowl game in the lifetime of many College students but in reality its probably even more critical for the program. Even if they pull off an upset or two versus a MAC East rivals like they did last year against Buffalo and Temple if they fail to beat Miami the Flashes are looking at back to back 4-12 seasons (at best). If You're Doug Martin does another 3-5, 4-12 season keep you on the sideline?

Kent does have Eugene Jarvis coming back after a full off seasons worth of rest, for a defense that gave up 147 on the ground last year to a Kent team without their Doak Walker candidate this does not bode well.



If Jarvis stays healthy Kent may be a whole new team this year, all they lacked last year was consistency and a EJ on the field every down may provide that. Doug Martin has to keep his team, and himself, focused and relaxed for this game if things well for Kent (1-2 with a respectable showing for BC) it may be easy to overlook a Miami team that could be coming in on the back of three muggings.

The Talent level of the Red Hawks has not seriously declined so the fall off in performance is going is related to the discipline (on and off the filed), Maturity, and Focus of the players. If Haywood can turn all of that around this game *might* have implications beyond a feel good victory for Haywood or Martin keeping his job.

It's a five hour drive from corner to corner of Ohio but its a Saturday evening game so that should present no problems for RedHawk fans to make the trek. This game gets no coverage on ESPN, CBS, or other networks so chances are if you want to follow it you will either have to listen onthe Radio or drop the eight dollars to mac-sports.com to watch the stream.

#30: Temple at Navy
#29: Morgan State at Akron

Mace Named Great Lakes Pitcher of the Week

Ryan Mace was named the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) Pitcher of the Week on the back of six shutout Innings, yielding only three hits, for the Canton Terriers as they defeated Southern Ohio.

Mace is absolutely owning GLSCL opposition but the win ofver Southern Ohio was his first decision. In 16 innings of work this season Mace has allowed just six hits in and a .111 opponent batting average.

Mid American Conference Athletic Department Rankings

Some compare and contrast moments for the Mid American Conference

The Learfield Sports Directors Cup is an given each year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the division I school with the most success in collegiate athletics. Points for the NACDA Directors' Cup are based on order of finish in various NCAA sponsored championships or in the case of Division I Football media base polls.

Rank	School	Points
83	Kent State	239.5
97	Akron	184.5
107	Miami (Ohio)	165
115	Central Michigan	143.25
141	Western Michigan	114
173	Ball State	75
199	Buffalo	50.5
231	Northern Illinois	30.5
235	Ohio	25
235	Toledo	25
265	Eastern Michigan	20.5
DNQ	Bowling Green

Predictably no MAC institution finished anywhere near the top tier universities but given the differences in funding between the top five (Stanford, North Carolina, Florida, USC, Michigan) and the average Mid American Athletic Department budget a more proper measure of success would be one which accounted for the NACDA Directors Cup score and the budget spent by that institution.

Fortunately the folks over at LSIA (Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics) have already provided the numbers for the 25 most efficent schools. Here the MAC does rather well; placing three schools in the top ten. Kent Finished second nationally, Akron placed fourth, and Miami scored the ninth best mark.

Kent should be commended for showing so well in the LSIA rankings right after finishing second in the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators annual awards.

Kent Wins NACMA Award

I can't find the original advertisement (kind of odd that an award winning ad is hard to find) but I am assuming that this is the picture Kent used to win second place among the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators annual awards.

Kent State’s award winning ad was titled “Playing Fair” and featured football wide receiver Shawn Bayes leaping above a defender to catch a touchdown pass.

About NACMA: NACMA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics marketing administrators. For more information about NACMA, please visit www.nacma.com. NACMA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 44th year. For more information on NACDA and the 11 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.