News University of Northern Colorado

UNC Baseball: Bears Take Conference Regular-Season Crown

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

UNC's baseball team ended Great West Conference regular-season play Saturday with an eight-game winning streak that earned them the conference crown. The Bears will face eighth-seeded Chicago State in their first game of the GWC Tournament tomorrow, May 21, at 12:15 pm (ET) at Riverfront Stadium in Newark, N.J. Continue Reading.

Bears Best Cowgirls in WNIT First Round; Host St. Mary's Sunday

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Bears Best Cowgirls in WNIT First Round; Host St. Mary's Sunday

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The women's basketball team won its first-ever Division I non-conference postseason tournament game last night, defeating Wyoming 71-63 (Game Recap) in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Bears will host St. Mary's in second-round action Sunday at 2 p.m. in Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Tickets go on sale today at 11 a.m. through the UNC Ticket Office. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for UNC students and youth 13 and younger. Go Bears!

Bears Best Cowgirls in WNIT First Round; Host St. Mary's Sunday!

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The women's basketball team won its first-ever Division I non-conference postseason tournament game last night (Thursday), defeating Wyoming 71-63 in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament!

The Bears will host St. Mary's in second-round action Sunday at 2 p.m. in Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Tickets for UNC students are $5 and go on sale at 11 a.m. today (Friday) at the info desk in the UC or they can be purchased at the gate on a space-available basis.

General admission tickets for adults are $10.

Get ready to help the Bears extend their season and go for a school record 22nd win. Go Bears!

Information on the Bears Hosting Second Round of WNIT

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Information on the Bears' second-round game of the WNIT against St. Mary's at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

Tickets

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 13 and under. Visit www.unco.edu/tickets or call (970) 351-4849.
Students: Banner Health/North Colorado Medical Center will sponsor free student tickets. The first 500 students will be admitted free of charge by showing their valid student ID at the student entrance in the NW corner of Butler Hancock (regular student entry).

Pre-game party

The UNC Alumni Association will host a pre-game party Sunday prior to UNC's 2 p.m. WNIT game against St. Mary's College of California. Join fellow Bears fans from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Old Chicago, 2349 W. 29th St., to celebrate the team's first-round win against Wyoming and get ready to help them extend their season at least one more game. Ticketholders will receive 15 percent off on food and beverages during the party.

More Coverage

Follow the Bears at: http://www.uncbears.com

UNC Women's Basketball to Take on Lumberjacks, Hornets

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Lady Bears prepare for a weekend at home starting tomorrow, Jan. 24, against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. The action continues Saturday when the Bears host the Sacramento State Hornets. Check out the "Sports" link in the "Upcoming Events" section at the top of the page for more information. Be sure to bring your school spirit and help the Bears to victory! Don't forget your student ID to get in free.

UNC Homecoming Event to Offer Family-Friendly Activities

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Learn how to create fun childhood items from chemistry students, test different musical instruments from the performing arts, and create crayon imprints of leaves all in a family-friendly setting during the University of Northern Colorado's first annual Community Fest on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Nearly 50 hands-on learning activities and interactive demonstrations will be presented by academic departments, students, and local businesses and organizations near Michener Library, south of 14th Avenue and 20th Street.

The event, from 10 a.m. up until kickoff of the Bears' Homecoming football game against Montana, is open to the public free of charge. Free parking will be available in lots west of Michener.

Community Fest also will feature live performances, music, giveaways and children's activities with inflatable games, face painting and balloon artists. Food will be available to purchase from UNC's award-winning Dining Services.

"This is the university's marquee community event, with something for everyone, to showcase learning and connect the university with its neighbors through education," said Chuck Leonhardt, vice president of University Relations.

Community Fest is part of UNC's Homecoming Weekend. The weekend kicks off Friday, Oct. 5, with the Class of 1962's 50-year reunion at 9 a.m., followed by the Honored Alumni Awards at 6:30 p.m. at the University Center and a pep rally, bonfire and fireworks display at 8:30 p.m. at Bishop-Lehr Field, south of the intersection of 13th Avenue and 20th Street.

Saturday's events include the Homecoming Parade at 9 a.m. near Frasier Hall, intersection of 10th Avenue and 18th Street. The Bears' football team will face Montana at 1:35 p.m. at Nottingham Field. Tickets can be purchased at www.unco.edu/tickets.

For the full Homecoming schedule, visit www.unco.edu/homecoming.

Going for Gold

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Former University of Northern Colorado quarterback Dominic Breazeale never dreamed when he was throwing passes at Nottingham Field that he'd someday be going for gold in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

However, that's exactly where he's headed — as a boxer.

Breazeale, who played football for UNC from 2006-07, qualified for a spot as a super-heavyweight on the U.S. National Boxing Team with his runner-up finish at the Americas Qualifier tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this May.

It comes only four short years after leaving UNC with his bachelor's degree to become a member of the All-American Heavyweights, a boxing program out of The Rock gym in Carson, Calif.

The program is run by Michael King, who's best known as the president and CEO of King World Productions, which syndicated such television hits as the "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Breazeale got the call from a recruiter with the boxing program, which was trying to create the next generation of great heavyweight champions, while he was still at UNC. He said no at first because he wanted to pursue a career in the NFL, but when he realized that was not going to be a possibility he took up the offer to box.

Still, his football career at UNC served him well and helped him transition into the sport of boxing.

"The mental aspects of playing are similar in the sport of boxing," Breazeale said. "To know what my opponent is going to throw before he threw it just kind of helps out. It is kind of like playing chess. I know my opponents move before he makes it. It is definitely beneficial in the ring."

At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, his trainer, Manny Robles. called him "the perfect poster boy" as a super-heavyweight because of his size, strength and athletic ability. However, Breazeale still had a lot to learn as he made the transition from football to boxing. He started from scratch, learning everything from conditioning for a fight to how to hit the speed bag.

"I have never had to run any kind of long-distance in my life before," Breazeale said. "Back in football I never had to do three miles to five miles in a morning run, so that was something that was brand-new."

Robles saw how much potential Breazeale had from the start. Still, Robles admitted that it's rare to see someone like Breazeale who's never boxed before have so much success in such a short time.

"He is not like the majority of boxers who started out when they're young or for that matter in any other sport whether it be football, baseball, basketball or boxing," Robles said. "Typically you start out when you're in your early teens and whatnot. This kid is just one of these boys that is really strong and has unlimited potential and the rest is history."

Breazeale hopes that potential will help him bring home the gold from London. If it does, he knows his time at UNC helped pave the way.

"Football builds great character in guys and you are always instilled with the edge to never give up and never quit," Breazeale said. "So that is definitely something I can take from football that can serve me in the ring."

Read more about Dominic Breazeale's quest for gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in Northern Vision, UNC's magazine for alumni and friends of the university, due out this fall.

Contributing writer Matt Schuman is a 1986 UNC graduate and a journalist for the Greeley Tribune covering UNC athletics.

UNC's Other London Olympics Connection
Lisa Elson helps make a lot of athletes' Olympic dreams come true.

Whether it's the Olympic or Paralympic Games, Elson is working behind the scenes to make sure that every athlete's experience at the games are enjoyable and memorable.

Elson, a master's student at UNC from 2009-10, is a coordinator with the United States Olympic Committee that handles the 2012 Paralympic Games, which will be held in London beginning Aug. 29, just after London Olympic Games conclude.

Prior to her current role with the USOC, she worked as an executive assistant to the managing director in international games doing all the preparation for the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, Paralympic Pan-American and Youth Olympic Games.

In her current role, she works on getting the U.S. Paralympic team entered for all the events and working with the organizing committee at the games to make sure all the information is correct in the system and matches up with all the other international federations.

She also worked in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver where she worked in the Olympic village processing center where all the athletes get their clothes for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the uniforms for the medal ceremonies.

Part of her responsibilities also included handing out the commemorative items the athletes receive like their Olympic rings and watches.

"It is kind of the very first stop for the athletes to get their first experience if they have never been to the games before," Elson said. "It is the first point in their journey, so it is really neat to see all the athletes react and how excited they were seeing someone like Apollo Ono walk in and get his outfit for the games is kind of surreal."

Of course, watching the Paralympic athletes succeed gives her just as big a thrill.

"Especially the Winter Games and like seeing the blind athletes skiing because I can't even ski and here they are going down a hill at a very high speed and relying entirely on a guide," Elson said. "So it is pretty impressive to see how they perform and hear their stories as well."

- Matt Schuman

UNC's Other Olympic Connections from the Past

The late Tony Rossi was head coach of the men's gymnastics team, an athletic trainer and a faculty member at UNC from 1949-83. He was on the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1956-60 and was named USOC Trainer of the Year in 1954. (http://uncbears.com/information/halloffame/1995Class)
Patrick Burris (BA-72) wrestled at UNC and went to the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in judo and wrestling. He was also coach of the 1996 USA Judo Olympic Team. (http://burrisusastars.org/id21.html)
Scott Hasson, (EdD-82) served as assistant wrestling coach at UNC and is now part of China's Sports Training & Rehabilitation Committee for the London Olympics. (http://www.angelo.edu/news/PTOlympic.php)
William H. White III (BA-82) ran track at UNC and went to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in the bobsled.(http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wh/bill-white-1.html)
David Stotlar, Sport and Exercise Science professor, was selected by the USOC as a delegate to the International Olympic Academy in Greece and the World University Games Forum in Italy. He also served as a venue media center supervisor for the 2002 Olympic Games. (http://www.unco.edu/nhs/ses/staff/stotlar.htm)
Kenny Hashimoto (BA-2010), was an alternate in judo for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Dorna Schroeter (MA ‘81) served as range communicator at the biathlon venue for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and was also chosen to represent the venue's officials in the opening ceremony.

- Compiled by Department of Athletics and UNC News Service. Did we miss someone? Let us know and we'll include them in an update to this list that will appear in the fall/winter edition of Northern Vision, UNC's magazine for alumni and friends of the university. UNCNews.Service@unco.edu

Bears Picked to Finish Third in GWC Baseball Preseason Poll

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Northern Colorado baseball will begin its third season Friday as a member of the Great West Conference when it welcomes North Dakota State to Jackson Field for a Friday-Sunday home series in Greeley. And the Bears will bring with them to their home opener the No. 3 pick in this year's Great West Conference ... CONTINUE

Volleyball Headed to Hawaii for NCAA First Round

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado volleyball team is in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons, but this year's appearance will feature much more of an "aloha" flair.

The NCAA Sunday announced the 64-team field for the 2011 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, and the Bears (22-8) are set to travel to Honolulu, Hawai'i, to take on No. 10 overall seed Hawai'i (29-1) in the first round at 10 p.m. (MT) on Thursday, Dec. 1.

The Rainbow Wahine are ranked third in the latest AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll and enter this year's tournament with three national championships to their name (1982, 1983, 1987).

The Bears, winners of this year's Big Sky Conference regular-season and postseason championships, have never faced Hawai'i, but they are 1-5 all-time against teams from the Aloha State. Northern Colorado has a win in its history against Hawai'i-Hilo (1-2) but is winless against Hawai'i Pacific (0-1) and BYU-Hawai'i (0-2).

Thursday's match will be Northern Colorado's first in Hawai'i since August 2003.

In an interesting twist, Oregon (21-9) and Colorado State (23-5), the Bears rival from just up I-25, will be the other first-round match in Honolulu. The winners from both matches will play Friday, Dec. 2, at 10 p.m. (MT) for the right to advance to the Honolulu Regional from Friday to Sunday Dec. 9 to 11.

Northern Colorado advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and got to play just up the road at Moby Arena in Fort Collins. The Bears lost 3-1 to sixth-ranked Washington in their only NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, but this will be their 16th overall appearance in an NCAA Tournament, with 15 NCAA Division II Tournaments on their résumé.

Thirty-one conferences were awarded automatic qualification Sunday, and the remaining 33 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket.

The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. The teams tabbed as the top four seeds were No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Illinois and No. 4 Iowa State. Per the established bracketing principles, the top 16 seeds were provided the opportunity to host. In addition, first- and second-round conference matchups were avoided, and team pairings were determined by geographical proximity.

The Big Ten Conference led all conferences with eight teams selected. The Big 12 Conference and the Pacific-12 Conference both earned seven tournament teams.

Two teams, Penn State and Stanford, have earned bids to all 31 championships, while five teams are making their initial NCAA Tournament appearances in this year's field: Central Michigan, Jackson State, Marquette, Maryland-Eastern Shore and Samford, where Northern Colorado coach Lyndsey Benson spent the 2002 season as an assistant coach.

Ten programs have been crowned the champion in the 30-year history of the championship, and nine of those are on this year's bracket, including four-time defending champion Penn State. Additional past winners making this year's field are Stanford (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004), Hawaii, Long Beach State (1989, 1993, 1998), UCLA (1984, 1990,1991), Nebraska (1995, 2000, 2006), USC (1981, 2002, 2003), Texas (1988) and Washington (2005).

First- and second-round matches will be played at 16 campus sites. A list of the first-round match-ups follows is below.

Teams winning both matches next weekend will move on to regional play December 9 and 10. The pre-determined regional sites are Gainesville, Fla.; Honolulu; Lexington, Ky.; and Minneapolis, Minn. All regional semifinal games will be shown on ESPN3.com, while regional final games will air on ESPNU.

The regional winners will advance to the semifinals and final on Dec. 15 and 17 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Both national semifinal games as well as the championship game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

All regional and championship site game times can be found on the attached championship bracket or online at www.ncaa.com/wvb.

For more information about the championship, log on to www.ncaa.com/wvb.

UNC Earns First Big Sky Soccer Title, Hosts Championship Nov. 4

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The campus at the University of Northern Colorado is looking more and more like "Title Town."

The Bears soccer program jumped in on the Big Sky championship action Sunday afternoon with a 2-0 home win against Montana.

The shutout against the Grizzlies gave Northern Colorado Soccer its first Big Sky Conference regular-season championship. The Bears (7-7-4, 4-1-2 Big Sky) will share the title with Portland State, which earned a 1-0 victory against Idaho State on Sunday and also finished with a 4-1-2 conference mark.

But because of Northern Colorado's 1-0 victory against the Viks earlier this season, the Bears hold the tiebreaker with Portland State and will host this year's Big Sky Women's Soccer Championship, beginning Friday, Nov. 4.

Northern Colorado will play fourth-seed Montana at 6 p.m. in the second semifinal match, while Weber State will lock horns with second-seed Portland State at 3 p.m. Both games will be at Jackson Stadium.
The Big Sky Women's Soccer Championship title match will take place at Jackson Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6.

"(Winning the Big Sky) has really been the team's goal all year," Northern Colorado coach Tim Barrera said. "We played a little bit of a tougher schedule this year to get ready for Big Sky play, and it paid off.

"One of the biggest advantages of winning the conference, besides being a champion, is the fact that you get to host the tournament. We play really well at home, and the crowd is always going to be good. Today's crowd was fantastic, especially all the (Northern Colorado) football players, and we're really excited for the opportunity to play in front of them again."

The excitement coming into the beautiful afternoon Sunday was palpable at Jackson Stadium. A crowd of almost 500 came out for a chance to see another Bears championship.

Northern Colorado didn't waste any time giving them something to cheer about, as Ariel Cook, a senior, let go a well-placed shot from almost 30 yards out in just the fourth minute. The shot seemed to have eyes as it floated out of the reach of Grizzlies goalkeeper Kristen Hoon and into the net.

"Having so many experienced players out there today made the difference," Barrera said. "We were really expecting one of our older players to step up, and Ariel was great. She's had a really good year for us, even if it hasn't translated into a ton of goals. She's become more of a playmaker for us."

The action was tense for the rest of the half, but despite the teams having 17 shots between them, both had just one shot on goal.

In the second half, Northern Colorado controlled more of the play, as the Bears outshot Montana 9-4. Still, both teams managed just two more shots on goal in the second 45 minutes.

As time continued to tick down, Cook put an exclamation mark on the game with her second goal in the 76th minute when junior Alexsis Tamayo let go a pass that opened up freshman Juliana Grover, who sent a cross into the box that was touched toward the goal by Cook before being kicked in by a Montana defender trying to clear.

The goal was Cook's fourth of the season.

After the second goal, the minutes continued to count down until, officially, the Bears were Big Sky Conference co-champions and joined Northern Colorado Volleyball, Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball as current Big Sky Champions.

Before Bears soccer can begin 2011 Big Sky Championship play, though, they will celebrate Senior Night Friday, Oct. 28, with a home match against Nebraska-Omaha in a nonconference season finale at Jackson Stadium.

2011 Big Sky Conference Women's Soccer Championship ticket information
Tickets for the 2011 Big Sky Women's Soccer Championship will be sold as a package hat includes access to all three matches.

Adult tickets will cost $15 (for all three matches), while tickets for children 13 and under will cost $5 (for all three matches). Students of any of the four participating universities will be admitted free of charge with a university-issued ID.

To purchase tickets, please call the University of Northern Colorado ticket office at 970-351-4849, or visit www.uncbears.com.

Fifteen Years Later: A Retrospective on UNC’s 1996 National Championship Team

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

By Jordan Freemyer (BA-11)

I was 7 when the 1995 Northern Colorado football team ended its season with a 36-17 loss at Pittsburg State in the Division II Playoffs. It meant the end of the careers of two of my favorite players: running back Gaynor Blackmon and defensive back Tim Bowie.

Little did I know what 1996 would have in store.

The season started with a pair of big wins over in-state foes. First was a 43-0 home victory against Western State and then a 59-14 triumph followed in Grand Junction over Mesa State. Blackmon's replacement, Billy Holmes, ran for a total of 264 yards in those games and was great to watch.

The Bears followed with a dominant defensive performance in their North Central Conference opener against No. 5 North Dakota, allowing the Fighting Sioux just 157 yards of total offense in a 21-6 win. It was the team's eighth consecutive win at Nottingham Field.

Northern Colorado's first loss came against an undefeated South Dakota squad, 27-24, in overtime at the DakotaDome, but the Bears bounced back with back-to-back wins at Nottingham Field against Mankato State and North Dakota State, thanks in large part to the steady hand of senior quarterback Tom Beck, who threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score against the Bison.

"He ran the show; everybody listened to him; he was always talking in the huddle; just a great leader," said Keith Grable, Northern Colorado's current wide receivers coach who was a freshman for the Bears in 1996.

Two losses followed, though, in consecutive road games at Nebraska-Omaha and St. Cloud State and

Northern Colorado found itself in peril of missing the playoffs.

Sitting at 5-3, the Bears faced No. 11 South Dakota State at Nottingham Field in a game that would make or break their 1996 season. If they could get past the Jackrabbits, NCC bottom-feeders Morningside and Augustana awaited in their final two regular-season games.

It was senior cornerback Tony Roberson who came up big for the Bears against SDSU, blocking a punt and intercepting a pass on the Jackrabbits' first two possessions, which set up touchdown runs from Holmes and fullback Mark Chicarelli, giving the Bears an early 14-0 lead. Holmes and Chicarelli combined for 175 yards rushing on the day, while the UNC defense held SDSU to 32 yards on the ground and sacked the Jackrabbits' quarterbacks six times en route to a 21-6 win.

That's one thing I remember about the 1996 team—even as an 8-year-old—the number of different players who popped up throughout the season and made big contributions. Sure, the team had its stars (Holmes, Beck, Aaron Smith), but it was the unheralded guys like Roberson and Chicarelli that made Northern Colorado so fun to watch that season.

After the big win against SDSU, the Bears then cruised past Morningside and Augustana, thanks to a pair of 200-yard rushing days from Holmes, and grabbed the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Division II Playoffs, earning themselves a rematch with the Pittsburg State squad that had eliminated them a year earlier.

The Pitt State Gorillas played at Brandenburg Field, which was better known as The Jungle, and had a lethal Veer option attack that averaged 36.5 points per game under head coach Chuck Broyles.
Beating the Gorillas would not be easy, and after Beck's only interception of the playoffs was returned for a touchdown just three minutes into the game, giving Pitt State a 14-7 lead after the first quarter, I'm sure I wasn't the only Bears fan with a feeling of "Here we go again …"

But, the motto of the season for the Bears was "believe," coined on the sidelines during a game by defensive back Jesse Tann.

"If we didn't believe like we did, we shouldn't have won," Grable said.

In fact, it was Grable who got the Bears back even when he hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Beck late in the second quarter, sending the game into halftime tied at 14.

After a scoreless third quarter, the teams traded touchdowns in the fourth, and the game was tied at 21 when the Bears took over at the Pitt State 44-yard line with a minute and a half left.

Northern Colorado moved the ball to the 10 with four seconds to play, setting up freshman kicker Mike Schauer with a 27-yard field-goal attempt. After two Pitt State timeouts, Schauer converted, giving Northern Colorado its first ever playoff win.

Then, in a stroke of luck for the Bears, their next playoff game against Northwest Missouri State was moved to Nottingham Field because of an unplayable field in Maryville, Mo.

The Bears were about to play the week of Thanksgiving, something that would become a goal for UNC head coach Joe Glenn.

"Coach Glenn was amazing; I'll never forget him," Grable said. "He believed in the players, was always positive, upbeat. He never had a bad day."

The game against Northwest Missouri was especially memorable for me. My sister had just been born earlier in the week, but, for some reason, my mom let my dad take my brother and me to the game on that cold, windy day.

And it was a classic.

It was also a memorable game for current Northern Colorado head coach Earnest Collins Jr., who in 1996 was a first-year secondary coach at Northwest Missouri State.

"It wasn't fun because we didn't win," Collins said of his Bearcats. "I still think we got robbed."

Yet another unsung hero came through for the Bears, as freshman wide receiver Omar Zuniga caught a touchdown pass with just 12 seconds to play, giving UNC a 27-26 win.

"It was fun coming back, up to the point where we lost in the last minute," Collins said.

But it wasn't the day for Collins' Bearcats—who would later go on to beat UNC in the playoffs in 1998 and 1999—it was a day for the Bears, who headed to the national semifinals to face Clarion (Pa.).

The field in Clarion was a mess (just dead grass and mud), but the Bears and Golden Eagles combined to score six touchdowns. They converted just one extra point, though, and it was that extra point, converted by Schauer, that made the difference in the game.

The Bears held a 19-18 lead late, but Clarion drove 61 yards in eight plays and in just more than a minute to set up a game-winning field-goal attempt. It was a 27-yarder, just like Schauer had kicked two weeks earlier.
But, unlike Schauer, Clarion kicker Tyler Palisin did not write a storybook ending for his team. UNC cornerback Delano Washington blocked Palisin's kick as time expired, sending the Bears to Florence, Ala., and the national championship game.

The championship game against Carson-Newman was shown on ESPN2, which we didn't have at my house, so, we went to my aunt and uncle's to watch the game with them. I remember being not all that confident in the Bears winning, seeing as they had just barely won each of the last three games, and Carson-Newman was supposed to be better than any of the ones we had beaten in the playoffs so far.

But, for one time in the playoffs, the Bears actually had a fairly easy win. They led the Eagles 17-14 at halftime after Beck threw a touchdown pass to tight end Andy Haase and Holmes ran one in.

And then Schauer kicked two second-half field goals to seal the 23-14 win and the national championship.
"That was such a special moment for me, my teammates, this university, this football program, and it's something I'll never forget," Grable said.

There are a lot of UNC fans out there, including this one, that won't forget it, either.

UNC Bears Sports Weekend

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

UNC Athletics has a full weekend with soccer, football and volleyball games Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9. At 7 p.m. Friday, UNC soccer will play against Weber State and again at noon Sunday against Idaho State. Both games will be played at Jackson Field. Bears football begins at 1:35 p.m. Saturday against Sacramento State at Nottingham Stadium (the Bears 1996 national championship team will be recognized during the game). Volleyball will compete at 7 p.m. Saturday against Northern Arizona University at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion in the gym. Don't forget your student ID to get in free and bring your Bear pride.

Men’s Basketball Releases 2011-12 Schedule

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

There was a multitude of "big wins" for Northern Colorado Basketball last season during the Bears' historic run to their first Big Sky Conference championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance.

There might not have been a bigger victory for the program, though, than its 82-80 road win at New Mexico State in mid-February.

In the big picture, that particular game and subsequent result meant little -- coach B.J. Hill's program still needed to take care of business the rest of the way in order to earn an invite to the Big Dance -- but the Bears' mood in the locker room after their Aggie takedown was dripping with confidence.

It was a benchmark victory for a group of veteran players that was nearing the finale of truly memorable Northern Colorado careers.

Now many of the key figures from that nail-biting win are gone -- replaced in the Bears' locker room with a group that's as young, exciting and promising as it is inexperienced.

But New Mexico State is back this season on Northern Colorado's schedule, which was officially released today. And the Aggies are the very first team on the Bears' docket (Saturday, Nov. 12), right after they open their Big Sky-title defense with a home exhibition game against Chadron State (Tuesday, Nov. 1).

Hill will have little time this year to ease his squad into the rigors of NCAA Division I basketball.

But that's all by design, of course.

"For the first game of the year, it's going to be a huge challenge, playing a program like New Mexico State," Hill said Wednesday. "But I know the kind of guys we have and the guys we've brought in, and I know they are ready for it.

"What sticks out about New Mexico State is when you see them walk on the floor. They look like a dang NBA team. So, by that point, if any of our guys don't have the respect factor for where we've taken this program to this point, their eyes are going to open to it right away. If they haven't figured it out by that point about what kind of program this is, their mindset's going to change real quick."

If it doesn't, a quick trip north to regional-rival Wyoming (Tuesday, Nov. 15) and a weeklong road trip to 2010 NCAA Tournament-darling Northern Iowa (Sunday, Nov. 20), Iowa State (Tuesday, Nov. 22) and South Padre Island, Texas, for the 2011 South Padre Island Invitational will probably finish off the indoctrination.

The games against the Panthers and the Cyclones will offer Hill a chance to return to his old stomping grounds. He hails from Cedar Falls, Iowa -- Northern Iowa's home.

"We've played in those (on-campus then neutral-site) tournaments every year since I've been here, except maybe for one," Hill said. "So when the opportunity came up, and when we were researching it and found that those were the teams in it, that was definitely the tournament I wanted to play in.

"The opportunity to get home and play in front of my family for two games is going to be great. I'm really looking forward to it. Those are two head coaches I really respect, and I've got friends on both of those staffs. It's just going to be fun for a lot of different reasons."

A five-of-six span away from Greeley to start the season is probably less than ideal, but it figures to have Hill's squad a bonded bunch before its opens a friendlier stretch of eight of 10 at home between the end of November and the middle of January, including always anticipated contests at home against Denver (Wednesday, Dec. 14) and Colorado State (Thursday, Dec. 22).

Sandwiched between those rivalry games will be a road contest at Marquette of the Big East (Saturday, Dec. 17).

"To get DU and Colorado State here will be great for our fans," Hill said. "They, obviously, enjoy it, and our players enjoy playing in front of crowds like that. So it's a win-win. Hopefully we can play well in and show that this program is ready to continue to compete at the level we've established the last few seasons."

The Bears will play four of their first five Big Sky games this season at Butler-Hancock before traveling for four straight to Montana (Thursday, Jan. 19) and Montana State (Saturday, Jan. 21) and then Idaho State (Thursday, Jan. 26) and Northern Arizona (Monday, Jan. 30).

Then, it's back home for five of six in Greeley, including Montana's first trip to Butler-Hancock (Thursday, Feb. 9) since succumbing to the Bears and a raucous crowd in last year's nationally televised Big Sky Conference Championship game.

"Having 14 home games and two neutral-site games this year was key in our planning with how young we are," Hill said. "We need to take advantage of every chance we can of playing in front of the home crowd or on neutral sites, to give these young guys as much confidence as possible while they learn what it's all about and learn our system."

Of Northern Colorado's final two home games, one will be a guaranteed home game in the ESPN BracketBuster series (Saturday, Feb. 18) and a home-schedule finale against perennial Big Sky-power Weber State (Saturday, Feb. 25).

"The more of those (ESPN) events you can play in, it gives your team more notoriety," Hill said. "It just helps carry on the positive press for this university and community and gives a sense of legitimacy to our program and our university on the Division I basketball scene."

There's a lot to like about the schedule Hill has authored for his Bears in the upcoming season, but, as Hill is quick to point out, if you get too involved in the "who are we playing where?" scenarios you'll end up treading water instead of making a splash.

"I'm happy about (the big home portions) because I think it will help our program to a certain point," he said, sitting in front of pictures and posters commemorating last year's remarkable run. "But, regardless of where we play or who we play, we've just got to go out and keep doing the things that we've done here that have led us to success."

Women's Basketball Schedule Announced

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Northern Colorado head women's basketball coach Jaime White announced the release of the 2011-12 schedule today.

The non-conference schedule is highlighted by a stretch where the Bears play three out of four games inside the friendly confines of Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Included in that stretch are home games against instate-rivals Denver and Colorado State on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, respectively.

"I think we have a nice stretch of home games early on," White said. "The two games against our instate-rivals will be fun for everyone."

Northern Colorado opens up the season with three straight on the road, including the season-opener Nov. 12 against Bradley.

Other non-conference road games of interest are battles at South Dakota and New Mexico on Dec. 10 and 15, respectively.

"It should be fun to rematch with both New Mexico and South Dakota," White said. "We faced New Mexico in the Preseason NIT a few years ago, while we fell to South Dakota in overtime at home last year."

The defending-co-Big Sky champions kick off their conference schedule New Year's Eve with a home game against Northern Arizona. Perhaps the highlight of the Bears' home Big Sky schedule is Senior Night, when Portland State, the other team that captured a share of the Big Sky title, comes to Greeley for a game that could hold huge postseason implications.

"We think this is a competitive schedule," White said. "But one that, with the experience we have coming back, we should be successful with."

The Bears, led by White, finished last season with a 17-14 record. The team bloomed late and finished with a 12-4 Big Sky mark. The team returns three starters off that squad, including first-team all-conference selection Lauren Oosdyke and the league's Freshman of the Year, D'shara Strange.

RELATED CLICKS:
2011-12 schedule | 2010-11 results

Bears Volleyball Team Picked to Win Big Sky Conference

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A certain championship expectation has begun to manifest itself within the Northern Colorado Volleyball program.

And it appears that same feeling has spread to the Bears' Big Sky Conference counterparts, who have tabbed Northern Colorado as this year's preseason favorite to win the league crown and represent it in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

The Bears, which finished 24-7 in 2011 and ranked a Big Sky-best No. 84 in the NCAA's final RPI report, received 63 points and seven first-place votes in the league's annual survey of its nine coaches, released today by the conference office.

Coaches weren't allowed to vote for their own teams.

In the five previous seasons Northern Colorado Athletics has competed in the Big Sky Conference, none of its teams have entered a season with the championship bull's-eye. And Bears Volleyball has never been picked higher than third in the league's preseason poll.

"We've always overachieved what the preseason rankings have said, so this year will be a little different going in as No. 1," Northern Colorado coach Lyndsey Benson said. "We've always been able to play the underdog role, but I think our girls will embrace this new challenge.

"We have a mature group going in that will definitely be able to handle that -- there's not going to be pressure for us. We'll just take each match for what it is."

The expectations surrounding the Bears in 2011 are largely because of the talent returning in Greeley.

Junior outside hitter Kelley Arnold, senior libero Amanda Arterburn and junior setter Marissa Hughes are all back for Benson's squad, and they all bring with them tremendous accolades.

Arnold, a unanimous All-Big Sky selection last year, has the look of a potential league MVP in 2011. Arterburn, last year's Big Sky Libero of the Year, and Hughes, a two-time All-Big Sky second-team pick, are two of the Big Sky's best players.

Add in Benson, who's just a year removed from the 2009 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year award, and a team featuring nine returning letterwinners from a program that tied Portland State for the Big Sky regular-season title last year and won the Big Sky Championship tournament two years ago, and today's preseason poll features little surprise.

Now, it's just up to Benson's program to back up the hype.

"It's an honor to be No. 1," Benson said. "The coaches in our conference are recognizing we're going in the right direction, and that we have a lot of talent going into the season. That's about all a preseason poll means. It won't matter once you play that first match of the season, and, of course, a lot can happen even between now and then.

"We're excited to get going on Monday and begin living up to that No. 1 spot."

2011 Big Sky Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Northern Colorado, 63 points (7 first-place votes)
2. Portland State, 55 (2)
3. Montana, 44
4. Sacramento State, 40
5. Idaho State, 36
6. Eastern Washington, 34
7. Northern Arizona, 26
8. Montana State, 15
9. Weber State, 11

Women's Basketball Team Makes National Academic Honor Roll Again

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

For the third time in four seasons, the Northern Colorado women's basketball team has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

30 UNC Student-Athletes Named to Spring All-Academic Teams

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Big Sky and Great West Conferences recently announced their spring All-Academic teams and UNC had 30 student-athletes named to the teams for baseball, women's golf, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's outdoor track and field. Continue Reading.

$50 Discount Available for Blue and Gold Golf Tournament

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Athletics Department is offering UNC faculty and staff $50 off the normal $150 entry fee to join UNC coaches and Athletics staff at the annual Blue and Gold Golf Tournament at Pelican Lakes Golf Course Friday, July 29, to raise funds for student-athlete scholarships. You must register no later than Wednesday, July 27.

The $100 entry fee includes cart, hole prizes, tournament memento, pre-event sandwich buffet and post-event heavy hors d'oeuvres. $60 per player is tax deductible.

The tournament format is a four-person scramble with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.

A flyer with additional information and an entry form is available here.

For more information, contact Jenny Henderson, 351-1900.

UNC’s Summer Lineup Features Classes, Community Events, Sports Camps

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

More than 4,000 University of Northern Colorado students attending classes this summer will be joined by more than 15,000 people attending more than 90 sports camps, professional workshops and conferences, musical and theatrical performances, and a variety of private functions being held on campus.

UNC-sponsored summer activities include:

- More than 300 summer classes over six-, eight- and 10-week sessions (registration is still open)

- New Student Orientation for incoming freshman and transfer students: Sessions begin in June and run through the summer.

- Hands-On Art Classes: Non-credit classes begin in June.

- Little Theatre of the Rockies (77th season begins June 9).

- Frontiers of Science Institute for high school seniors: June 19-July 29.

- Concerts Under the Stars, weekly performances in July.

- UNC Jazz Camp, for middle school through college-aged students, July 17-22.

- Camps for football, basketball (girls and boys), volleyball, baseball and tennis (boys, girls and adult) that feature UNC coaches and players, with some sports offering both team and individual sessions.

Non-UNC camps and events on campus this summer include the Colorado Special Olympics Summer Games, National Cheerleading Association Camp, Universal Dance Association Camp, Colorado Karate Camp and Pathways American Indian Conference.

UNC facilities this summer also will host a growing number of private gatherings such as family reunions, weddings and wedding anniversary parties as the campus grows in popularity as an affordable option for family gatherings.

Indoor conference facilities and meeting rooms, beautiful outdoor wedding or party venues, catering services, dining rooms, convenience food outlets and a recreation center are among the amenities available.

The university also offers nightly hotel-style accommodations during the summer in South Hall, a residence hall featuring suites accommodating up to four persons. Built in 2009, the spacious, air-conditioned suites include two bedrooms, a bathroom and a living area.

A complete listing of camps and conferences is available here. Please note that registration may be limited or closed for some.