Tommy Bell monthly newsletter — February edition
02/28/2018 | 4:06:00 | General, Women's Soccer
Greetings, Saluki Nation!
An important day for our University is fast approaching and I would like to encourage your participation in the annual SIU Day of Giving on Wednesday, March 7. All SIU alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends are challenged to show their support for our beloved institution. On the Day of Giving website, you will have the option to choose which areas you would like to support. Please consider making a gift to Intercollegiate Athletics. All donations made to Athletics on the Day of Giving will go directly to the Saluki Athletic Scholarship Fund. Spread the word about #SIUDAY of Giving. Post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to share why you give back to SIU.
Have you ever wondered how you can gain access to a VIP experience on gameday for Saluki Athletics? I'm referring to the exclusive Cook Club at SIU Arena and the Stadium Club at home football games. Previously, access to these areas was tied to the Saluki Way project, but those benefits expire at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Going forward, you can gain access to the Cook Club simply through membership in the SASF at $5,000 and above. Stadium Club access is $3,500 and above. Both giving levels entitle you to priority parking access as well. We will continue to keep track of all donors' lifetime giving totals, which are used to determine access to postseason tickets and invitations to special events. For more information, contact Jason Fairfield, our Associate AD for Operations.
Just an update on the addition of Women's Soccer to Saluki Athletics - our search committee is narrowing the field to a group of finalists, as the search for the program's first head coach begins in earnest. I am impressed by the depth and quality of candidates interested in our job.
Several of our winter sports recently competed at their MVC Championship events and had great success. Women's Swimming and Diving placed second at the MVC meet and won several individual titles. Sophomore divers Beibei and Baobao Ji helped Southern to a sweep of the diving events. Beibei Ji took first in the one-meter dive and Baobao Ji won the three-meter. Baobao's success at the conference meet earned her the MVC Diver of the Year award and coach Joy Zhao won Diving Coach of the Year award. The Ji twins and senior diver Rachel Williams will continue their season at the NCAA Zone Diving meet March 8-10, when they will attempt to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. Several of SIU's swimmers will compete at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship in Annapolis, Md. One more note on the women's team - 21 of the 41 team members were selected for the MVC's Scholar-Athlete Team, which led the conference. We listed these individuals on our website, along with their GPAs, as we are so proud of their accomplishments.
Our Track and Field teams won five individual titles and totaled 19 All-Conference performances at the 2018 MVC Indoor Championships. There were many highlights from the two-day meet, including the performances of Shafiqua Maloney and our Saluki throwers. Maloney won SIU's first MVC indoor 400 meter dash title in 22 years and anchored SIU's 4x400 team to a comeback win to help capture Southern's first MVC indoor mile relay title since 2005. The Saluki men's shot putters, ranked No. 1 in the nation according to USTFCCCA's Event Rankings, took the top-3 spots on the podium and scored a remarkable 26 out of 39 possible points - the most points scored in the event since the MVC began scoring eight in 2008. Despite being hindered by injuries throughout the season, SIU's men finished third and Southern's women took fourth at the annual indoor conference meet. A pair of Saluki throwers, Jared Kern and Isaac Ingram, will represent SIU at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships during the second week of March.
From the Ask the AD files, Patrick wrote in to ask why the lights at Saluki Stadium are lit up during men's basketball games at the Arena? They are to provide additional lighting in the parking lots for our patrons entering and exiting the arena. This provides additional safety, especially in the winter months when weather is unpredictable and the conditions may lend to slipping.
L.E. wrote in to ask why junior forward Austin Weiher does not receive more playing time? Playing time, of course, is determined by the coaching staff and must be earned on the practice floor. I would point out that Austin was ready when called upon last Saturday at Evansville. He came in during the second half and scored four points off the bench.
Nick from Chicago wrote to say he feels there is a lack of cohesion with our men's basketball jerseys (cursive 'Salukis', words above and below the number, a gray colored away jersey) and requests that we go back to the primary Salukis word mark that was the defining logo for our brand for many years. I acknowledge your point, Nick, and this is something we will address going forward. I would like to find a good balance between consistency, aesthetics and the program's desire to put its own stamp on its look.
I'm headed to St. Louis tomorrow and look forward to seeing many of you there for what promises to be an exciting Arch Madness tournament. Go Dawgs.
With Saluki Pride,
