UofL Sports Banquet, D'Ana McCarty and Cardinal Caravan dates

Monique Reid was named junior class
athlete of the year along with Carlos Almedia 

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Welcome to Wet Wednesday @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

-UofL Sports Banquet

-We look at D'Ana McCarty

-CARDINAL CARAVAN dates announced

The soggy Louisville weather couldn't dampen the spirits last night at the All-Sport Banquet held in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center last night. Keynote speakers were seniors Bergan Foley (lacrosse), Simone Attles (field hockey) and Doug Beaumont (football). Nineteen awards were presented to student/athletes by Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich. The recipients:

-SPRING SPORT ATHLETE AWARDS
-D'Ana McCarty (Track and Field)
-Matt Hughes (Track and Cross County)

-CARDSCARE AWARDS (Commitment to community service)
-Michael Eaton (Track and Cross County)

Shoni Schimmel received Freshman of the Year honors

-Sarah Fiske (Rowing)

-The Rowing team

-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR

-Shoni Schimmel (Basketball)

-Hakeem Smith (Football)

-SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR
-Hannah Gadd (Diving)
-Peyton Siva (Basketball)

-JUNIOR OF THE YEAR
-Monique Reid (Basketball)
-Carlos Almeida (Swimming)

-THE ED KALLAY SENIOR OF THE YEAR
-Austen Chiles (Tennis)

Amanda Simmons was selected for the
Central Cardinal Club leadership award 

-Therese Bergstrom (Swimming)

-Bergan Foley (Lacrosse)

-THE CENTRAL CARDINAL CLUB LEADERSHIP AWARD

-Amanda Simmons (Volleyball)

-THE CUNNINGHAM FAMILY AWARD (Male athlete leadership)

-Drew Haynes (Baseball)

-Michael Eaton (Track/Cross Country)

-THE ADIDAS HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
-D'Ana McCarty (Track and Field)
-Colin Rolfe (soccer)

-INSPIRATION AWARD
-Bilal Powell (Football)

A sincere CARDINAL COUPLE congratulations to these...and all...the student/athletes at UofL!

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D'Ana McCarty is the best women's
college weight thrower in the nation 

D'Ana McCarty has had an impact on Louisville field events since she arrived on campus back in the fall of 2007. The daughter of Indianapolis Pike High School track and field coach Terry McCarty, she was one of the first Cardinal athletes to advance to the IAAF Junior World Championships. Her freshman year at UofL, D'Ana qualified for the BIG EAST League Championships in the hammer, shot put and weight throws. The Cardinal women's throwers are recognized as one of the best groups in college track and field and D'Ana helped build that reputation her sophomore year with winning the BIG EAST and NCAA Indoor Championships Weight throw titles. She finished second in the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships in the hammer and discus. No one defeated her all season in the weight throw.

D'Ana continued her spectacular performances as a junior, winning the NCAA Championships again in the weight throw and winning 7 of 8 of her regular season competitions in the event. She also competed in the discus, shot put and hammer throws...winning at each event at least once during the season. As a senior this year, she's the odds on favorite to take the NCAA Championships weight throw title again and has won the event several times this year in meet competition. The Big East and NCAA Outdoor Championships await this talented group over the next several weeks. WE feel confident they'll put a few more trophies in the showcase.

When looking at D'Ana McCarty's accomplishments, one's first thought is that such dominance in a event is rare. Especially for four years. Along with teammates Khadija Abdullah and Patrice Gates...D'Ana and the Cards weight, discus, shot put and hammer teams are the best combined unit in the BIG EAST and perhaps the nation. Our hats are off to these high-achieving women "outstanding in their field" .

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CARDINAL CARAVAN dates have been announced. The annual "reach out" to UofL fans from the coaches, staff and players from the University of Louisville has been scheduled for Elizabethtown, KY., Shelbyville, KY., and Jeffersonville, IN.

Wednesday, May 19th. @ Three Putt Willie's at Pine Valley. 850 Pine Valley Drive, Elizabethtown.
Thursday, June 9th, @ Shelby County Fairgrounds Pavilion. 1513 Midland Trail, Shelbyville
Thursday, June 16th, @ Parking lot between Rocky's Sub Pub and Buckhead Mountain Grill, 711 West Riverside Drive, Jeffersonville, IN.

Apperances by the 2011 national champion LadyBirds and Louie the Cardinal Bird will occur at each location and prizes to the first 100 fans at each site will be distributed as well. Having attended the event for quite a few years now, with the exception of last year...when the BIG EAST Softball Tournament was taking place at Ulmer Stadium...I can tell you that's it's a great chance to interact and get photo opportunities with Cardinal coaches, players and meet Cardinal fans.

It was at this event several years ago that Angel McCoughtry assured me that the Lady Cards basketball squad would be a Final Four team and might win the national title. They made it through a couple of rounds in the NCAA Tournament that year and finished as national runner-ups to UConn the year after that. I also talked to a very pleasant and friendly young lady one year who hoped to get the chance to show Lady Card basketball fans her skills on the court. Chauntise Wright got that opportunity and thrilled the Cardinal faithful for several years on Denny Crum court. 

"This annual tour is a terrific opportunity for our coaches and staff to interact with our loyal fan base." Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich comments about the event. Shelbyville resident and long time Cardinal fan Sam Johnson looks forward to the annual caravan stop in his hometown and comments:

"I like the accessability of the players and coaches at this event. We've got a strong UofL fan base here in Shelbyville and one of our highlights each year is the caravan event."

No Louisville date has been listed yet. The event has taken place at Captain's Quarters off River Road in eastern Jefferson County in previous years. How about those loyal fans in Louisville, Tom? A little interaction with them too, perhaps? If not at Captain's Quarters...maybe at the brand new Louisville rowing facility near downtown?

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RAIN, RAIN...GO AWAY!!!

All this wet Louisville weather recently has made it the wettest April on record. The old adage..."April showers bring May flowers" should produce a bumper crop of floral delights this year. Ran across this insprirtional quote..."When it rains on your parade..look up instead of down. Remember that after the rain there's always the promise of a rainbow."

How much has it rained? I saw a duck in a Sporting Goods store being fitted for a raincoat and water resistant boots..

Legendary baseball coach Casey Stengel hits the nail on the head with this one:
"There are three things that can happen in a baseball game. Someone's going to win, someone's going to lose or it gets rained out."

Cardinal Sports Report dignitary Howie Lindsey quips : "They're thinking of renaming Fern Creek to Fern River. "

Local meterologists are getting more airtime lately than Viagra commercials. That might be a good thing.

Finally, this from an unknown source....
"When the rains subsided, we decided to drain part of the swamp. We went about this very methodically and scientifically. We had a plan and had thought it out carefully. Sometimes, though...it's tough to remember what your original intention was when you're up to your ass in alligators."
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