ATHELETICSPREVIEW

Wide receiver Jon Thomas catches the pass and runs for a few extra yards for a Pitts-burg State first down against Truman State. The Gorillas best the Bulldogs 17-14.

Aaron Anders

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ATHLETICS

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Yuyang Xiao Aaron Anders

Aaron Anders

Jodi Heflin

Aaron Anders Aaron Anders

Gorilla Fans Go Bananas

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Yuyang Xiao

Aaron Anders

Aaron Anders

Aaron Anders

Yuyang Xiao

Yuyang Xiao

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L.J. Hamalton, two, eats a cookie during Gorilla Fest.

Below: Families select their favorite foods during the Family Day Gorilla Fest at the Go-rilla Village.Far Below: Gene Alex-ander, Sodexo cook, grills 300 hotdogs for the meet & greet with the president lunch on Family Day.

Photos by Aaron Anders

Andrew Dodson

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story by Sara Liming

At Pittsburg State, tailgating in Gorilla Village is about making friends, having fun, intimidating the other team and having a sense of school pride. Just ask Big Red.

Big Red is not well known around campus, but his antics are becoming familiar at sporting events. Big Red is a senior member of the band who wears an old marching band hat that has black feathers protruding from the back of it. He often has a painted chest and carries a set of drumsticks with him. Big Red wishes to remain anonymous, much like the school’s mascot, Gus.

“I always felt that people become more energized when they have a tangible figure to relate their spirit to,” Big Red said. “It’s sort of a guilt by association, just like with Gus the Gorilla. If a mascot goes off the wall or tries to stand out, the people around him or her feel justified in their actions of excitement of school spirit, that they feel in the right place or that it’s not odd.”

Another student, Taylor Ritthaler, freshman in fashion merchandising, said she enjoys tailgating a little differently than most students. She invited her parents to come tailgating with her for family weekend.

“My parents played the older Phi Sigma Kappa boys in a game of flippy cup and won,” Ritthaler said. “It was fun and really laid-back. My parents spoiled the Phi Sig boys.”

A member of the band, Tyler Aufranc, freshman in con-struction management, participated in tailgating after he was done with band for the day.

“Tailgating means fun and friends,” Aufranc said. “I would get done with drum line, then be able to go hang out with Big Red and the gang and be merry.”

Some tailgaters said they enjoyed tailgating more than the football game.

“I love tailgating,” said Micah Bell, freshman in biology. “I get to be around friends and family and have fun. You never know who you’re going to meet or what will happen.”

TailgatingThe tried and true of psu

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1. Brooke Fay reaches for a save against Northwest Missouri on Friday, Sept. 24. The Gorillas lost at home 2-3.2. Corrinne Stringer reaches back for a spike on Wednesday, Oct. 27, against Missouri Western.3. Molly Bergkamp spikes the ball against Northwest Missouri State on Friday, Sept. 24.4. Pitt State’s Kelsey Sullivan spikes the ball over a Fort Hays State player on Friday, Nov. 12. The Gorillas beat Fort Hays State 3-0.5. Pitt State player Molly Bergkamp spikes the ball over the net during the first home volleyball game on Friday, Sept. 17. The Gorillas beat Nebraska-Omaha 3-1.6. Brooke Fey, left, and Kelsey Sullivan, right, block a spike from Missouri Western’s Kelli Sicner on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

Hunter Peterson

Hunter Peterson

Hunter Peterson

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Volleyball

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4.Yuyang Xiao

Hunter Peterson

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The 2010 Pittsburg State University volleyball team had a rocky season, but managed to finish on a high note.

“We made a lot of improvement as the season progressed but the early losses were too much for us to overcome,” coach Ibraheem said. “The progression of our team certainly led to a better finish in the second half of the season.”

The Gorillas finished with a record 14-18 overall and 7-13 in MIAA play. According to red-shirt freshman Becca Pearson, the record was not what the team had originally planned, but improvements were made.

Pearson says that one of the team’s goals was to get into the post-season tournament. This didn’t happen.

“Overall, the season did not go as well as we intended,” Pearson said. “We did not make it to the post season tournament which is (…) a tradition for the program.”

Suberu said he was not satisfied, and that he wanted the team to continue its tradition of “winning seasons, competing for the top position in the MIAA and representing Pittsburg State in the NCAA post-season tournament.”

Despite the disappointment, the season taught the team members to appreciate the work that they put into the program and also gave them the opportunity to travel to Florida to compete in the Saint Leo Lions tournament.

“Our first tournament of the year was special, not because

story by Alex Mott

Pittsburg State

Below: Molly Bergkamp hits the volleyball to set up a spike against the No. 12 Emporia volleyball team. The Gorillas beat Emporia at home 3-2.Far below: Kelsey Sullivan, freshman, looks into the No. 12 Emporia State Volleyball team before the next set at home on Friday, Nov. 3.

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we were able to play in Florida, but because we had to really work for it in order to go,” Pearson said. “Our team had to raise money to go all summer long. We were able to go to the Shriners Hospital, which made each person grateful for the opportunities we are blessed with.”

Suberu attributes much of the success to the team’s graduating seniors, Cassie Wilson, Molly Bergkamp and Riann Deer.

“The team was anchored by three quality seniors who provided strong leadership especially when the winnings were not there,” Suberu said. “Their resolve to improve the little things led to the team becoming stronger and providing a catalyst to the eventual winnings that we accomplished to finish the season.”

Pearson said that the willing attitude of the freshmen and new team members this year will carry over to next year.

“We had many new people on our team this year, but bonding was not one of our issues,” Pearson said. “Each freshman was more than willing to learn and easily picked up the team system throughout the season.”

The team will lose three seniors but six returning members have had plenty of game time and will help lead the members through the upcoming season.

“Although the season did not go as planned, each person learned a lot and we are even more fired up for next season,” Pearson said.

Pittsburg State VolleyballBump, set, spike

Below: The Gorillas take a time-out to regroup against Nebraska-Omaha in the first home volleyball game in John Lance Arena on Friday, Sept. 17. The Gorillas beat Nebraska-Omaha 3-1.Far Below: Pitt State’s Kirsten Erikson spikes the ball in John Lance Arena on Friday, Nov. 12. The Gorillas beat Fort Hays State 3-0.

Yuyang Xiao

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Yuyang Xiao

Aaron Anders

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The volleyball team huddles around Head Coach Ibraheem Suberu as he gives his pep talk in the first home volleyball game in John Lance Arena on Friday, Sept. 17.

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While students of the United States prefer to play and watch sports such as football, baseball and basketball, Pitt State offers a variety of other sports for their choosing. Known for having a diverse body of international students, the university encourages students to play the sports from their native areas and countries.

Cricket, a sport commonly found in Europe, Asia and Australia, is played with a bat and a ball and is similar in many respects to baseball.

Shalin Patel, senior in plastic engineering technology and president of the Indian Student Association, manages and hosts a cricket tournament once or twice every semester.

“We basically make this a small event and invite everyone to play with us,” he said. “We love this game and want others to enjoy it, too.”

These tournaments aren’t only for international students, though.

“We have always had American students playing with us,” Patel said. “They find it quite amazing to learn a new sport.”

Ian Harrell, freshman in wood technology, said that he plays cricket whenever it’s being played at Pitt State.

“I know this sport because I’ve visited Australia,” Harrell said, “but I started enjoying it after I came to Pitt State and found that it is played over here, too. I have never followed cricket internationally, but I always consider it to be a really fun and intense game.”

Abhishek Aloori, senior in automotive technology, says that when he plays cricket here, he feels like Pitt State is a home away from home.

“Cricket is like a religion in my country,” he said. “Playing it over here shows how much diversity the university has.”

Sudarshan Gajendran, graduate student in

international business, bowls a medium fast

ball to get a wicket on Sunday, Nov. 21, at the

soccer field.

Prithvi Raj David Mekala,graduate student in International business, balls to a batsman at the Indian Student Association organized Cricket tournament.

story by Shantanu Gavai

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CricketInternational Athletics

Ankur Miglani, grad-uate student in hu-man resources, plays a straight shot in cricket on Sunday, Nov. 21.

Photos by Shalin Patel

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One person runs off the field with blood streaming down his face. Another sits on the sidelines with a broken ankle, and still another complains of a torn back muscle. This isn’t an emergency room; it’s Gorillahead Rugby.

“I didn’t know how to play before I came to Pitt State,” said Caleb Childers, senior in construction management. “I got called out at a party by a player and was told that I would make a good rugby player, so I went to a practice and have been playing ever since.”

After watching just one game, it is not hard to see why. The game begins with both teams screaming their own chants to get them pumped up and to intimidate the other team. Once the ball is in play, it is non-stop physical action during two 40-minute halves. The players wear hardly any kind of protection and no pads.

“So far this year we have had players suffer a broken ankle, collarbone, hand, fingers, torn back muscle, concus-sions, jammed joints, and dislocated shoulders,” Childers said.

As Childers lists the injuries, his own is visible in the form of a scar above his nose. Earlier in the year he had received a gash there from an opposing player and simply glued it with help from his father before returning to the game. Most players share this same attitude; they want a

RugbyFor the love of tbut oh, those injuriesstory by Rebecca Kelly

quick fix so can get back to the action.

At their last home game of the fall season, the Goril-laheads faced John Brown University from Arkansas. Childers’ brother Cody, also in construction management, had to watch from the sidelines because of a broken ankle he received the last time the two teams had met.

Cody wasn’t the only player missing in action, though. Because of injuries or players being out of town for the weekend, the Gorillaheads didn’t have their full roster.

“We can usually sub at stoppages but not today. Today we don’t have any subs,” Childers said.

After 20 minutes of hard play, however, the Gorilla-heads were on the board 7-0. The Gorillaheads would score one more time before the half, making the score going into the break 12-0. Throughout the final half the Gorillaheads held John Brown University scoreless with a final score of 17-0.

The Gorillaheads had a strong fall season and hope it results in an increase of interest in their program. Childers, though, is looking beyond this year.

“I hope it continues on after me and after I leave next May,” said Childers.

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For the love of the game

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Far Left: Isaac Cooke barrels his way through the opposing team in an attempt to gain some yards.Left: Kevin Mulloy, ball keeper, struggles to re-main on his feet despite the pressure from the opposing team.Above: PSU Gorillaheads work together to snag the ball.

Photos by Shalin Patel

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