Sunday Cardinal Couple - Sunday with Sonja

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


KYVIN GOODIN ROGERS DECOMMITS FROM LOUISVILLE


-Some UofL WBB notes


-Night racing at Churchill kicks into gear


- Cardinal Baseball 


CARDINAL COUPLE has learned that 2013 verbal Kyvin Goodin-Rogers from Marion County has de-committed from Louisville and re-opened her recruiting. A good, reliable source has confirmed the ASGR reports of this move. 


Although we have no firm basis to say why she has de-committed, the logical assumption is that she's paid attention to the recruits that UofL is pursuing, the strong nucleus of current Cards on campus and felt her playing time may not be significant upon arriving at UofL. 


Goodin-Rogers will play her senior season with Cardinal commit Makayla Epps at Marion County.


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Welcome to the start of our two-month Writers Days at Cardinal Couple! Starting today, and running through July...our writers will have a weekly column for you on whatever they want to write about. I get to kick it off, followed by David Watson tomorrow, Sandy Walker Tuesday, Jenny O'Bryan Wednesday, Mark "The Commish" Schneider Thursday, Reader Submitted Articles Friday and Paulie on Saturday. 

Me and Poobah. 

I've seen a couple of these writer's ideas for their inaugural articles and I do believe you'll enjoy their writings. 


We'll break in, of course, with any headline news about UofL Women's Athletics as needed. 


So, get out the tent, grill and bean bag boards....we're on Summer Break here at Cardinal Couple and got the khaki's and tank tops on! Volleyball, anyone? 


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A glance at the current roster listing for Jeff Walz's basketball team shows 13 girls listed. We now know that freshmen Cortnee Walton will wear #13 and Megan Deines will wear #15. 

Walton inherits a jersey that has some great history to it. #13 was "C.B.'s" number and Candyce put up some great numbers in it. Toni Slaughter (Antonita's older sister) wore it as well. Jill Morton shone in it from 1997-2000 and Jenny Pearson had it back in 1992.

Deines dons a number last worn by Tiera Stephen in the 2009-10 season. Before that, Tatjana Boston, Sabrina Minter and Jenny Knight checked in with it. One of my favorite Lady Cards of all-time, Jody Martin had it on her back from 1991-94. Megan wore #33 in high school. Monique Reid probably wasn't ready to turn it over to her.

So...returning star Monique Reid will be back in her #33 for her senior year. Tia Gibbs will put on #25 again. You'll see those two numbers out on Denny Crum Court a lot in 2012-13. 

Shoni indicating that the Cards have two BIG EAST
titles in the future? 

The official roster makes no mention of Monny Niamke yet. We're told that she'll be a Cardinal, though...so we'll have to wait before we can give you her number. 


The roster has three seniors (Harper, Taylor and Reid), four juniors (Vails, Slaughter, Shoni and Gibbs), four sophomores (Hammond, Smith, Jude and Dyer) and two freshmen (Walton and Deines).


Only 150 or so days until the KFC YUM! Center starts rocking again to the sound of UofL WBB cheers. 


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Downs after Dark! 

Churchill Downs kicked off June Night Racing on Saturdays with a better than average card for the historic oval. Three stakes races were featured and favorites won two of them. Rothko had no trouble in the Aristides Stakes and Bizzy Caroline enjoyed her return to the turf by winning the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap. The upset special was Island Bound in the Winning Colors Stakes...a flying outside, from far back finish with Leandro Goncalves on board to best the field at 9-1 odds.  


If you are a fan of jockeys Corey Lanerie or Manny Cruz, you were probably pretty happy during the final four races of the evening. They split the wins equally and each had three winners for the night.


Night racing is a whole different scene than days at Churchill. The crowd is larger, younger, more active and the atmosphere of the track is more "party" than racing. I enjoy it. 


One "twenty-something" patron last night expressed it pretty well as we were getting ready to leave and turn the rest of the night over to the younger ones:


" When I was younger, my dad and uncle would bring me out here for day racing sometimes and it was boring as h--l for me. This is completely opposite. The crowd is big, everybody is having a great time and the music is fantastic. I haven't bet a race yet. My dad and uncle tried night racing once last year, didn't enjoy it. I'd come every Saturday night, though, if they offered it. Babes, beer, buddies and tunes. Pretty sweet. Imagine if they'd add like slots and poker."  


(Hopefully someday, young man...someday)


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Tough loss for the guys last night in baseball. 16-4. Ouch. Arizona advances in the winners bracket.


Drops Dan McDonnell's squad to the losers bracket in the Tucson Regional. One more loss and season over. They play Missouri tonight at 7 p.m.

South Florida and Tennessee, two Louisville softball opponents, are headed home. They dropped out of the WCWS yesterday with losses. 


The FINAL FOUR are California, Alabama, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Cal needs to beat 'Bama twice today to get to the finals. ASU needs two wins over Oklahoma on Monday to do the same. Ex-Cardinal nemesis Jolene Henderson in the circle for the Bears who eliminated Oregon. 


Thanks for spending a portion of your Sunday with Sonja! See you next week!