Walz not slowing down

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE PRESENTS:

-Settlement in the Banker suit vs. UofL

-Angel never rests...

-Neither does Jeff Walz

Jeff Walz has saddled up Ol' Paint and is out on the recruiting trail again..days after landing Rockcastle County star Sara Hammond. Walz, pictured right, knows that you can't rest on your laurels and is wisely using this time to make those contacts with the future stars of women's college basketball...before scheduled practices start for his Lady Cards.

Walz recently was in Oregon, getting in face time with talent in the area and also had time to attend the Hermiston Roundup rodeo while visiting. Hmmm...seems to me there's another Schimmel up in those parts. Jude Schimmel, talented point guard and younger sister of Cardinal freshman Shoni Schimmel begins her senior season of hoops for Portland Franklin High School soon and it's rumored that the siblings wouldn't mind playing a few years of college ball together.

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Angel just goes and goes...along with several of the Seattle Storm players. After completing the WNBA finals...McCoughtry packed her bags and headed to the Czech Republic to participate in the World Championships for Team USA. She flew over with USA assistant coach and head coach of the Atlanta Dream...Marynell Meadows. The Americans begin play today against Greece. Swin Cash and Sue Bird were a couple of others who did the pack the bags and go routine as well...after their Seattle team defeated the Dream in the WNBA finals. Those three are joining fellow teammates Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Diana Taurasi, Asjha Jones, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles, Lindsay Whalen, Candace Dupree and Jayne Appel.

Geno Auriemma coaches...wonder if he can manage to get cooperation from the six former and current Connecticut Huskies on the squad? They picked the right jockey and horses for this race....Auriemma and the Huskies are winners and "Big Syl" is simply a beast on the boards. Angel isn't too shabby, either. Bring it back to the USA, girls.

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Former University assistant track and field coach Mary Banker has been awarded $371,875 by a Jefferson County (KY) jury...finding that she suffered retaliation after she alleged a hostile work environment. Banker claimed that she was treated differently because she was a woman and subsequently terminated from her job after complaining.

The University of Louisville is reviewing the civil-rights case's verdict and will make a decision on what to do next after the verdict is finalized. Banker was employed by UofL in September 2007 as a recruiting coordinator for both the men and women's track and field teams.

Banker had a meeting with senior associate athletic director/senior women's administrator Julie Hermann in February 2008 to discuss some issues and in April 2008 Hermann was informed by head track and field coach Ron Mann that he had decided not to renew Banker's contract. Mann told Banker in May 2008. She sued Cardinal athletic director Tom Jurich and the athletic department in August 2008. Jurich was dismissed as an individual defendant before the case went to jury...after a judge found insufficient evidence that he had personally retaliated against Banker.

Questions surfaced about her ability to do the job. Mann informed both Jurich and Banker that he was not satisfied with her job performance. Banker failed to sign a single scholarship athlete in her time on campus and Mann had to reassign most of the current athletes under her direction to other coaches.

It happens. Sometimes employees just don't work out. The sides differ on whether harassment and discrimination were a part of Banker's reason for poor job performance...but thanks to a jury of her peers...Banker won't have to worry about how well or poor she does anything for awhile. She has stated she'd like to get back into coaching eventually.

Good luck with that one...how many companies want to hire a sales person who can't sell and complains? Banker is currently employed as a waitress. She just got a huge tip, courtesy of the University of Louisville.