Photo: Courtesy University of Denver. This rendering shows DU hockey’s Miller Complex locker room when complete
The University of Denver is undergoing an athletic transformation that many fans may not see but are, nonetheless, critical to DU’s success now and in the future.
Of course, fans want to see the glitzy, visible additions like the new Denver Tennis Park and the upgraded Hamilton Gym with a new synthetic playing surface for volleyball that an anonymous donor purchased this past season.
But, there are a number of ‘behind the scenes’ improvements that are keys to recruiting and sustaining athletic excellence. And many of these are being supported by donors who have become an ever more critical part of DU athletics capital campaigns now and in the future. Continue reading Behind the scenes upgrades keep DU in Division I arms race→
Photo: DU Women’s Lacrosse defeated San Diego State University 17-12 on a chilly Friday afternoon game at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
One team’s season is winding down and the other team’s season has just begun.
DU Women’s basketball is 16-13 (7-7 Summit League) and having a solid season following 8-23, 5-25 and 6-24 seasons under former head coach Kerry Cremeans who posted a 24-112 overall record in her five seasons at DU. Head Coach Jim Turgeon has guided the team above .500 in just one season. According to one parent, Coach Turgeon employs a system that involves all the players instead of funneling the ball to the same one or two stars. The result is an impressive winning season in Turgeon’s first season. Continue reading Women’s Basketball & Lacrosse thrive in Relative Anonymity→
The University of Denver homecoming weekend will be held Friday, October 20th and Saturday, October 21st.
Homecoming events are being held on the north end of campus between the Ritchie Center & Buchtel Boulevard to leverage an increased focus on DU athletics, especially the defending national champion hockey team. Locals can also use light rail to gain easy access to the weekend’s events. Continue reading University of Denver Homecoming details announced→
Photo:The DU grounds crew spent long hours preparing for the opening of fall sports. (L to R) Landscape Manager Doug Rightmire, Horticulture Technician Todd Mickelson, Irrigation Technician Paul Rightmire, Groundskeeper John Maes and seasonal support Jacob Hartman.
As DU fall sports began several weeks ago, one DU team was in mid-season form. The DU grounds crew was working overtime to deliver some of the best practice and game venues in Division I Athletics. If you attend soccer games at CIBER Field, lacrosse games at Peter Barton Stadium, or play intramural athletics on Diana Wendt Sports Field, you know that the Pioneer facilities and grounds are impeccably maintained. Continue reading DU’s grounds crew delivers for Pioneer teams & fans→
LetsGoDU friend CD Dunks reminds us that there is no need to use the term ‘mid-major’. And the same goes for ‘secondary sport’ – i.e. any sport that is not called football or Power-Five conference basketball. The big question is: Has Peg Bradley-Doppes simply built one of the finest athletic department in the land? Continue reading Crimson & Gold touch propels Denver to national powerhouse status→
Men’s college lacrosse needs to move into the modern age if it wants to gain even more universal appeal. To this writer, that means adding a shot clock.
How many times this season did we see Denver or its opponents take the air out of the ball to protect a lead at the end of tight games? Then, watch smart coaches on both sides call time-outs when the 30-second shot clock was about to be called and get a fresh start to stall even more.
Both announcements came with suspense. Would DU women’s lacrosse (14-4, 7-2), squarely on the bubble, make it into the NCAA playoffs after losing to #2 Florida, 18-12 in the BIG EAST Tournament finals? Would DU men’s lacrosse (11-3, 5-0) earn a first round NCAA playoff game at home at Peter Barton Stadium after a disappointing semifinal BIG EAST exit (Final 11-8) to Marquette for the second year in a row?
The #2 University of Denver Men’s Lacrosse and #16 University of Denver Women’s Lacrosse teams face Marquette and Georgetown respectively in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals today. The men will be at Chapey Field in Providence, the one in Rhode Island and the women will play at Villanova Stadium in Philadelphia.
The Changing the Game organization has it right. Their slogan? “Return youth sports to children, and put the ‘play’ back in ‘play ball.’” One of the big issues facing young athletes is ‘early recruiting’ – in every NCAA sport.
Lacrosse has been one of the primary culprits. Over the last decade, the college recruiting process has been trending earlier and earlier on an annual basis with 13 and 14-year-old players getting coaching visits and offers. A recently approved proposal applies exclusively to the sport of lacrosse and not other NCAA sports. Continue reading NCAA nixes early lacrosse recruiting to the benefit of all→
Photo:DU added more All-Americans this week following last week’s NCAA hockey national championship. DU athletics keeps turning the numbers at the Magness entry like an odometer.
What an incredible week it has been for Denver sports.
The DU women’s gymnastics team finished 9th at the NCAA’s and garnered two All-Americans – star freshman Maddie Karr was named first team all-around and second team for vault and bars. Senior Julia Ross was named second team for the bars. To top it off, seniorLeah Lomonte was named the 2017 Big 12 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The future looks great with most of the team returning next season. Continue reading Rare Unassisted Double-Double Caps Week→
