The Observer, April 18, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 25
Senior Profiles: Class of 2008
The 2007-2008 school year is quickly nearing its end, and along with it, so are the careers of a handful of senior athletes who have dedicated large amounts of money, time, and effort to be able to compete in Spartan athletics. While some have been finished with fall sports for months now, some have graduated a semester ahead of schedule, and others are still in mid-season form, it is time we acknowledge everything they've done during their Case careers.
From football all the way to tennis, there are senior athletes in nearly every varsity sport on campus. This article profiles only a few of them, due to space constraints.
In the fall of 2004, the group of five footballers that would make up the class of 2008 walked onto the field at Brush High School for a Case "home game." It was a transition year, as some would say, from the old football facility at Finnegan Field to the new one, which stands within the boundaries of the Village at 115. No locker rooms, a losing team, and not even a home field that could be reached without busing. "This place helps build your character," said Tom Zagorski of the tough times the program faced early in his career. Each of them could have given up on a Division III football career full of hassle, ignoring the things promised for the future. But it was Zagorski, along with Tom Brew, Mike Tuertscher, John Tiemeier, and Brandon Jeffries who stuck it out for a wild ride that would take them all the way to an 11-1 senior season, finishing just a spot away from a top-10 national ranking. "I would have never imagined this as a freshman," said Zagorski. "My career here has been such an amazing journey, and being able to finish it with those four guys makes it that much more special."
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It was only a year ago that the men's soccer team took a trip to Division III's sweet 16. A year later, they spent most of the season ranked somewhere in the top-ten, at one point being ranked in the top five. A lot of the credit can go to goalkeeper Chad Skidmore, who along with earning UAA honorable mention, posted 20 wins and 10 shutouts in his four-year career and will pursue a future in medicine once school lets out next month.
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There were four seniors who hit the hardwood in Horsburgh Gymnasium this winter for their final season of basketball. For the men it was Brandon Bradford, a guard from Detroit, and Mason Conrad, a 6'8" replica of the Russian, Ivan Drago, from Rocky IV. Bradford finished his outstanding career as the school's second all-time leader in assists with 339. "There is nothing better than getting a big guy an easy layup and then him tell you 'good pass' coming up the court," he said. "I don't really get caught up in scoring or feeling like I have to do it all myself." As far as Conrad goes, besides being the eigth all-time leading scorer, and fourth rebounder, he has a 3.72 GPA in mechanical engineering and was named first team All-District as an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American. In his final game as a Spartan, he notched 26 points and nine boards, in a win over high school teammate Spiros Federigos and Emory University.
On the women's team, Mary Herendeen wrapped up her career without ever missing a game in four years. And, in their final game, she watched fellow senior Ashley Horton score her 1000th career point with less than four seconds to go at home against Emory. When asked to recall her best basketball moment, Herendeen actually had two of them. A win over NYU this season at home was her first win over the Violets since she arrived here. But it was in New York City when the Spartans beat them for the second time in a week that really put the icing on the cake. "The excitement of beating them at their place in front of all their fans was one of the best feelings," said Herendeen. "But playing with this team and my close friends, and playing competitive basketball is something I'm really going to miss." In her senior season Herendeen averaged 12.7 ppg and was a second-team UAA selection. She is starting work as a nurse in the ICU unit at University Hospitals at the end of summer.
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After a junior year that ended one win shy of becoming Case's first All-American wrestler since 2004, to say Dave Manoogian was determined to get on the podium this season would be an understatement. After a regular season that included only two losses, one to a Division II wrestler, and the other to an All-American, Manoogian had high hopes going into nationals. However, a shoulder injury in midseason slowed him down a bit, and eventually he would separate his other shoulder, leaving an overwhelming task in front of him. But it was Manoogian's determination and perseverance that guided him to an eigth- place finish and All-American status in what may be his final season; he still has a year of eligibility left after transferring from Findlay his sophomore year. Says Manoogian of his possible return, "I don't really know if I'll be able to handle another year of wrestling. Right now I'm not sure my body can take it." We can only wait and see if he'll make one more run at a national championship.
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Lauren Seeds plays center field once again after spending last season on the infield at second base for the Spartan softball team. It was after we spoke last year that the junior captain guided the Spartans on a seven-game winning streak near the end of the season. When talking about leadership, Seeds directs others by example, batting .353 her junior year and making second team all-UAA. This season she is right back on top of her game, leading the team in batting average through this point in the season. The two-year captain and four-year starter for the Spartans hopes to finish off her career with a winning season, as the Spartans have 12 games left on the schedule.
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In all my years of sports, running was always a punishment for wrongdoing. Few people take pleasure and excel in it as much as Esther Erb. The three sport standout is among the best in the country when it comes to distance running, and has garnered All-American honors a total of four times in her three areas-cross country, indoor, and outdoor track-making her one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the school. Along with leading the cross country team to a sixth-place finish at Nationals this past fall, she will compete at the Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000-meter run after posting a career best time at Walt Disney World in March.
So there you have it- just a few of the outstanding senior athletes who will officially call it quits May 18, or whenever they happen to be handed their diplomas. While they (and many other seniors whose careers were nothing short of brilliant) will leave college and enter the next stage of the game-the one known as "Real Life"- the friends they have made, the memories they've shared, and the records they've set will stick with them long after their college graduation.
