Top Story
Kathleen Henry has played tennis for Armstrong’s for four years. The Anderson, S.C.-native came to Armstrong in fall of 2008, and as a freshman, she was a part of the championship team. She finished her freshman season with the record of 19-2 and earned a No. 13 national ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. In her sophomore year, Henry was named the 2010 Peach Belt Conference Tournament MVP and also earned recognition for her hard work off the court, winning the All-PBC Academic Team honors. The team also went on the win the National Championship that year. “I have two favorite memories on the tennis court, winning the National Championships in 2009 and 2010,” Henry said. But Henry also has fond memories off the court.
Full story
No. 17 Armstrong faced No. 3-ranked USC Aiken in the Peach Belt Conference April 7 and 8 and swept the series 3-0. Senior Chandler Hall led the Pirates in his strong effort on the mound.
Hall controlled play April 7 as he pitched a complete game — his third of the season.
“I helped my team out with my performance and had a great defensive effort behind me,” Hall said.
Hall pitched a four-hitter against the PBC top-hitting team USC Aiken, limiting the Aiken offense to two runs — one earned — during the first game of the series.
Armstrong collected the first win of the series 5-2 with the help of Mike Barnhill’s RBI double in the bottom of the second. Alex Frederick sealed the win for the Pirates with his RBI single in the seventh.
Armstrong and USC Aiken completed the series April 8 in double-header play.
The Pirates excelled at the plate, taking charge over the Pacers 7-1 at the end of the second with the help of R.J Dennard’s cleanup triple. Drew Walker contributed a three-run RBI double to break open the tie in the sixth, followed by Roberts’ RBI single bulking up the Pirates’ runs 11-7.
Full story
The women’s tennis team had their last home match April 6 against Clayton State. The Lady Pirates swept the doubles and singles to win the overall match 9-0 with two of the wins coming from defaults due to two unhealthy Lakers.
This match made the Lady Pirates 17-0 in overall play and 11-0 in conference play. With the win, the No. 3-ranked team was knotted the top of the Peach Belt Conference. On April 7, the team broke the tie for the title, with a win against Flagler.
The team started out winning both doubles matches. The No. 2-ranked pair of Aleksandra Filipovska and Barbora Krtickova defeated Clayton State’s Jessica Budd and Martina Dedaj 8-1.
The No. 10-ranked team, Marlen Hacke and Olga Kalodzitsa came back from an early 2-1 deficit to make easy work of Marie Cecelletti and Charlotte Fabricius, 8-2, at the No. 2 doubles slot.
The singles matches also went without a hitch. All the girls defeated their opponents in two sets, with the No. 6 single being defaulted because of the Lakers’ five-player lineup.
Full story
Armstrong took the beginning of spring play seriously as Zach Taylor cleaned the base paths with his second grand slam of the season to propel the Pirates to an easy 5-1 victory over Newberry College March 27.
The Pirates (21-8) and Wolves (13-20) pitchers Travis Morris and Wesley Camp bantered back and forth with no runs until the Pirates went to work in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Senior infielder, Alex Frederick commented on the game.
“We had a hard time hitting the soft throw lefty,” Frederick said. “Changing up our swing at the end of the game, a couple guys came through in clutch situation. That’s all we really needed, our pitching was very good today.”
A slow - rolling game start was soon busted wide open as John Roberts, Clayton Miller and Casey Maloney position themselves for Taylor’s grand slam putting the Pirates at a 4-0 lead.
An insurance run came plated in the seventh to cap off the scoring with a 5-0 lead for the Pirates. Newberry collected their only run of the game in the eighth sealing an Armstrong win 5-1.
Full story
April 2 marked the last home match of the season for the Pirates tennis teams. The team has only four more regular season match, which will be played on the road. With the last home match of the season, the team celebrated Senior Day, and the teams did not disappoint, continuing their undefeated season with victories over Francis Marion, winning 9-0.
Each senior was recognized before match play began, but after the prematch celebration, both teams got out to an early start, sweeping the doubles and putting each team up 3-0. The No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams for the women made quick work of their opponents while the No. 1 doubles team,Aleksandra Filipovski and Barbora Krtickova, pulled out an 8-6 win.
However, the men’s tennis doubles teams did not allow their opponents to win more than four games. With this being the senior’s last home match, they looked to continue their success going into the postseason.
Full story
The No. 10-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University softball squad celebrated Senior Day in a big way April 1, stretching its current win streak to nine with a 6-1, 7-1 Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of Georgia Southwestern at the Armstrong softball field.
The Pirates (11-1) maintained its grip atop the Peach Belt standings with their fourth straight league sweep, while the Hurricanes (1-11) saw a modest three-game win streak come to a halt.
Prior to the doubleheader, Armstrong honored its five seniors as they played in their final regular season home contests: senior second baseman April Jowers, senior third baseman Baillie Temples, senior designated player Heather Walker, senior catcher Ashley Buckett and senior first baseman Whitney Galloway.
Armstrong would strike first in game one with three first-inning runs on a sacrifice bunt by Walker that would score Shelby Duff, a wild pitch that would plate Jowers and then an RBI single by Brittany Cooley to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
A sacrifice fly by Celia Blome and an RBI single by Lauren Wilcox made the lead 5-0 after the third inning, and Armstrong would plate a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Buckett. Georgia Southwestern’s only run came in the sixth on a Mason Moreland RBI single.
Full story
Tuesday nights at the AMF bowling lanes on Tibet Avenue means friends, fun and hundreds of tumbling pins crashing down every lane. Bowling can be challenging when you are worried about classes, impressing someone with your skills or making that perfect shot in the very last frame.
Dozens of students gather at AMF Savannah Lanes with their Pirate Cards for free college bowling night and a good time.
Feb. 28 was sophomore Christopher Wilkins' first time attending college bowling night.
"There's a lot of Armstrong students," Christopher said. "It's really good that they get the college kids down, you know. The students can come and bowl for however long they want."
Freshman Sebastian Wright reflected on the weekly event.
"Bowling is generally one of the more fun activities that they have in Savannah."
"I think it's really important for students to unwind every now and then — between their tedious studying and all — and I think bowling is a really great way to do just that," said freshman Cory Young.
Full story
Tuesday nights at the AMF bowling lanes on Tibet Avenue means friends, fun and hundreds of tumbling pins crashing down every lane. Bowling can be challenging when you are worried about classes, impressing someone with your skills or making that perfect shot in the very last frame.
Dozens of students gather at AMF Savannah Lanes with their Pirate Cards for free college bowling night and a good time.
Feb. 28 was sophomore Christopher Wilkins' first time attending college bowling night.
"There's a lot of Armstrong students," Christopher said. "It's really good that they get the college kids down, you know. The students can come and bowl for however long they want."
Freshman Sebastian Wright reflected on the weekly event.
"Bowling is generally one of the more fun activities that they have in Savannah."
"I think it's really important for students to unwind every now and then — between their tedious studying and all — and I think bowling is a really great way to do just that," said freshman Cory Young.
Full story
The Armstrong baseball faced rival Patriots in a doubleheader March 25. The Pirates (8-6 PBC) had to wait an extra day to face Peach Belt Conference competitor Francis Marion (9-7 PBC) due to rainy forecast. March 25’s baseball games ended with a split between the Pirates and Patriots.
Armstrong started slow, scoring one run in each the first two innings. Zach Taylor reached on balls and plated off freshman RJ Dennard’s single in the first inning. While Drew Walker’s lead- off double in the second put him in scoring position for Clayton Miller’s RBI double.
“Honestly, the highlight of my day was the fact that we won against one of my best friends, Jeffrey Stoner, who pitched the first game,” Miller said. “We hit well and gave him his second career collegiate loss.”
In the fifth inning, the Pirates sent out eight batters and produced five runs. A double by Alex Frederick followed by a walk by Dennard open the chance for Walker to plate his fellow Pirates. Walker came up big with a double, collecting two RBIs. Senior catcher, John Roberts added two more runs with his hard-hit triple, bringing in Cody Powell and Walker to score.
“I feel like in the first game the team molded very well, and we played in unison together.” Roberts said. “Highlight of the day for me was my triple in the first game — a big hit we needed to pull ahead and put the final nail in the coffin.”
Armstrong continued their batting rally through to the sixth inning. Four more runs crossed the plate for the Pirates. Walker added another double to his game record collecting two more RBIs.
“The highlight of my day was finally feeling like I made a contribution to the team at the plate,” Walker said. “The guys have shown so much confidence in me through my struggles at the plate the last month, so it’s a good feeling to finally come through for them in key situations.”
The Pirates would coast to an easy victory over the Patriots, winning the first game 12-4. Walker finished the day going three for five — three doubles and three RBIs. Roberts and Miller both collected two hits and two RBIs on the game.
Senior Chandler Hall (4-2) collected the win for the Pirates pitching the complete game.
Full story
Tuesday nights at the AMF bowling lanes on Tibet Avenue means friends, fun and hundreds of tumbling pins crashing down every lane. Bowling can be challenging when you are worried about classes, impressing someone with your skills or making that perfect shot in the very last frame.
Dozens of students gather at AMF Savannah Lanes with their Pirate Cards for free college bowling night and a good time.
Feb. 28 was sophomore Christopher Wilkins' first time attending college bowling night.
"There's a lot of Armstrong students," Christopher said. "It's really good that they get the college kids down, you know. The students can come and bowl for however long they want."
Freshman Sebastian Wright reflected on the weekly event.
"Bowling is generally one of the more fun activities that they have in Savannah."
"I think it's really important for students to unwind every now and then — between their tedious studying and all — and I think bowling is a really great way to do just that," said freshman Cory Young.
Full story
The Lady Pirates' basketball team faced Augusta State Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Arena. The team needed the win to gain entrance into the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. However, after 40 minutes of play, the Lady Pirates fell short by two points, losing the game 55-53.
When the game got underway, Augusta State scored the first points. The game had a steady pace, with each team matching the other shot for shot. With just over five minutes left in the first half, Augusta State led 26-19.
But the lead wouldn't last for long, as the Lady Pirates mounted a comeback to tie the game at 29 going into halftime.
"We wanted to play together, play as a team and give a great effort for the entire 40 minutes," said Lady Pirate No. 42 D.D. Gipson.
Just like in the first half, Augusta State was the first to score. After the Lady Pirates scored a basket to tie the game, Augusta built a nine-point lead and was up 40-31 with 15:25 to go in the second half. The Lady Pirates fought hard to get back within reach of Augusta State and pulled within two points of them with 11 minutes to go, making the game 43-41.
Down the stretch, the Lady Pirates started to find their rhythm and mounted another comeback from being down nine points. With under a minute left, Augusta State was up seven. The score was 54-47.
Armstrong's No. 15 Karolina Rykowska made a three-point shot with 38 seconds left on the clock to bring the Lady Pirates within four points of Augusta State at 54-50. Rykowska committed a foul against Augusta State's Becky Newhouse, giving them a chance to shoot two free-throw shots.
Newhouse made the first one but missed the second, making the score 55-50. As the clock ticked down, the Lady Pirates continued to play hard. With 17 seconds remaining in the game, Mauri Wells drained a three-point shot, bringing the Lady Pirates within two points of Augusta State and making the score 55-53.
Full story
Last week’s college football highlights, fumbles
#20 Auburn-7 #15 Georgia-45
The Georgia Bulldogs have reeled off eight straight wins with the defeat of the Auburn Tigers.
The Bulldogs started this season with disappointing losses to Boise State and South Carolina but have since rallied to be arguably one of the top teams in the nation.
Aaron Murray threw for 224 yards, while freshmen Isaiah Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell added a touchdown each.
The Bulldogs defense held Tiger — or War Eagle, depending on what mascot you want to choose — offense to just 195 total yards.
While the Bulldogs have a shot at playing in a relevant bowl game, the Tigers will likely play in one of the empty seat bowl games at the beginning of December.
The Lady Pirates basketball team rode to an 84-65 win over Bluefield on Nov. 11 in the team's first home game of the season.
The tension between the two opposing teams was obvious as they warmed up. As the seats in the stadium filled, the competitive spirit between the home team and the visiting team continued to swell, with spectators cheering loudly for their respective compatriots.
The Lady Pirates started off strong, earning the first six points of the game within the first two minutes. As the game continued, Bluefield quickly began to catch up, matching the Lady Pirates plays toe to toe. By the end of the first five minutes of the game, the home team had a small lead of 10 points to Bluefield's quickly obtained nine points.
By the time the 10 minute mark hit, Bluefield held a small lead over the Lady Pirates, scoring a total of 19 points to the Pirates 16. This lead was only kept for a short time, as the Lady Pirates brought themselves up to 27 points to Bluefield's 25 with five minutes left in the first half of the game.
By the time the first half was over, Bluefield held a very small lead of 34 points to the Lady Pirate's 33 points.
Lady Pirates tennis player Alida Muller-Wehlau received the NCAA Woman of the Year award as a top-30 finalist. She is the first nominee from Armstrong, as well as from the Peach Belt Conference.
Originally from Hamburg, Germany, Muller-Wehlau first attended Armstrong in 2008 on an athletic scholarship.
"Alida came to Armstrong at a time we were very positive about the future of the program. She was recommended to me strongly by former player Caroline Grage," said head tennis coach Simon Earnshaw. "Therefore I was confident about her ability to contribute immediately."
Quick in getting her feet wet, Muller-Wehlau attended the NCAA DII Championship in 2008. She left with the PBC Freshman of the Year award.
Muller-Wehlau's momentum, on and off the court, carried until she graduated with an economics degree in May.
Sophomore year, she became nationally top-ranked in DII doubles, leading Armstrong's Lady Pirates to a second year of NCAA DII championship glory and to the team's third consecutive triumph at the NCAA DII 2010 Championship.
The Armstrong tennis teams looked to continue their successful and undefeated season March 25 against USC Aiken. The teams have been formidable against their opponents all season long, and March 25’s match proved no different. Both teams swept the doubles and singles to win against USC Aiken.
The Lady Pirates got out to an early start with their doubles, finishing before the men. The No. 1 doubles team, Aleksndra Filpovski and Barbora Krtickova, won 8-0. The No. 2 doubles team, Marlene Hacke and Olga Kalodzitsa, won 8-2. The No. 3 doubles team, Kathleen Henry and Clara Perez, came out victorious as well, winning 8-5.
Men’s doubles finished shortly afterward. The men’s No. 2 team, Sven Lalic and Pedro Scocuglia, won in a tough match. The pair pulled out an 8-6 victory over USC Akien’s Guilherme Destefanti and Lucas Gobbi.
“The doubles were good, consistent and tough,” Scocuglia said. “It was a very tough match, but it was a good experience to get in the regular season, so we can have a good rhythm for in May when we have post season play. It’s good to get used to playing tough matches and we are glad we can help the team.”
Despite it being a tough match, the team pulled out the win.
“The most important thing for us to do to close out that match was to focus,” Scocuglia said. “We also wanted to get in a lot of first serves which we did.”
The singles went smoother than the doubles, and both teams were able to close out all of their matches, winning the overall match against USC Aiken 9-0.
Full story
Acid reflux disease or formally gastroesophageal reflux disease is affecting millions of Americans. I have personally lived with acid reflux for 10 years. There are also stories that I hear from time to time about a close family friend who is currently suffering life -threatening esophageal cancer caused by his history of acid reflux.
Most of us know acid reflux as a burning feeling under the chest and throat, and if we take a simple calcium tablet, the heartburn symptoms will hopefully subside. The truth is acid reflux is more than just heartburn.
Acid reflux is one of the fastest growing diseases in the United States today and can lead to very serious complications such as throat and esophageal cancer.
According to the American Gastroenterological Association, it is estimated that 33 percent of people in the United States have acid reflux disease. That is over 102 million people.
A rather easy solution for all of us would be to pop a Prilosec, Nexium or Prevacid. Sure, now that bacon burger supreme that you would normally never touch is now able to be consumed with little to no punishing symptoms. These miracle drugs are known as proton pump inhibitors. In essence, they block the acid secreting pump within the digestive track.
Until now, these drugs have been sworn by physicians to have minimal negative side effects such as headaches, nausea and cramping. However, the Food and Drug Administration recently released a series of reports that have finally outlined the true identity of these proton pump inhibitors and the potentially deadly long-term side effects they can have.
Full story
The No. 12-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University softball team completed a perfect weekend at the Invitational with a pair of wins Feb. 25, knocking off West Florida, 4-2, and Lincoln Memorial, 7-6, in Columbus, Ga.
The Pirates (17-2) ran their current win streak to nine with the pair of wins and finished the CSU Invitational with a 4-0 weekend.
In the first game, the Pirates were tied with West Florida, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning when junior Shelby Duff connected on a two-RBI single to give Armstrong the contest.
Junior Megan Barnwell (10-1) hurled seven innings of five-hit, two-run ball, walking two while striking out 10 to notch the victory for the Pirates. Senior April Jowers went three-for-four while Duff finished the game two-for-four with two-RBIs.
Full story
Think of one department on campus that would foster a growing environment for our student's physical, mental and spiritual health. The first department that comes to my mind is the Armstrong Student Recreation Center.
Whether your interests are health and fitness, competing in intramural sports or participating in special events, this is the place to make yourself at home. First of all, if you are unaware of where the Student Recreation Center is located, it's right across from the Science Center and next to the mailroom on campus.
Plato once said, "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it."
That is the essence that the Student Recreation Center captures. It is truly a place to let all your stress out, all while having fun and burning boat-loads of calories.
One option would be to pencil in one of over 45 weekly group exercise classes including: yoga, modern dance, abs, spinning, zumba, kickboxing, total body blast and pilates. Students also have access to some of Savannah's top personal trainers, which have the highest national qualifications and certification experience.
Full story
On Nov. 5, Savannah welcomed thousands of runners, spectators and volunteers to the city as a host of this year's Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon. Both races started at the corner of Bull and Bay Streets in front of City Hall at 7:30 a.m.
Officials allotted half-marathon runners four hours to complete the race, while those running the full marathon had seven hours. Designed around many sights, the course led runners through a scenic route around Savannah, including Daffin Park, Grayson Stadium and Savannah State University.
Valeria Lee from Atlanta traveled to Savannah with her friend for her first marathon race. She trained for three months by dieting and exercise to prepare herself for the task.
"I felt really good, but also a little nervous at the same time," Lee said. "My main goal was just to finish the race. I believe my estimated time was three hours and 20 minutes."
"My expectation was to finish about 10 minutes earlier than did, but I'm just glad I finished. Now that the race is over, I feel pretty good and a little tired. I plan on resting, going out for a few drinks, lunch, dinner and then rest some more."
Armstrong's men's basketball team faced rival Savannah State Tigers who claimed a narrow 70-64 victory Nov. 3 at Tiger Arena.
As the game began, junior Aric Miller received the tip and led the Pirates to 7-0 lead. The Tigers' offense came alive, and the teams battled back and forth. The Tigers took a 37-30 lead into halftime.
As the cross-town rivals took to the floor for the second half, more than 4,000 spectators filled the arena with cheers and jeers. The Tigers struck first in the second half, scoring the first five points. The Pirates answered and kept the deficit within reach. Armstrong went on a 12-6 run with 6:30 left in the game but came up short in the end.
Miller led the Pirates with 19 points and seven rebounds. Senior Mychal Horn followed with 14 points, and Chris Vanlandingham added 12 points.
The Pirates finished the game 23-54 from the field, 3-17 from three point range and 15-25 from the free-throw line. The Tigers ended the night 24-69 from the field, 4-17 from three-point range and 18-27 from the free-throw line. Savannah State pulled down 57 rebounds to Armstrong's 30.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The day most Penn Staters hoped would never come arrived with a tragic twist they could never have imagined.
On a sparkling autumn Saturday that temporarily pierced Happy Valley's ongoing darkness, the post-Joe Paterno era dawned with a 17-14 loss to Nebraska before a surprisingly calm and upbeat sellout crowd at Beaver Stadium Nov. 12.
The bizarre, difficult day highlighted this beleaguered program's glorious past, gloomy present and uncertain future. It was tinged with nostalgia, emotion and the same mix of disillusion and disbelief that has beset Penn State nation since news of the child sexual abuse scandal landed like a meteor on Central Pennsylvania a week ago.
"It's really strange here today," Dan Smarsh, a 20-year season-ticket holder from Elmira, N.Y., said before the game. "We all knew Joe was going to leave one day. But who would ever have thought it would be like this? It's shocking."
Without an opportunity to say goodbye to Paterno, who hours after announcing he'd resign following this season was fired late Wednesday via a phone call, the big crowd still found several opportunities to cheer him.
Seemingly unconcerned with the ambiguities that remain about the coach's role in an alleged cover-up, the 107,903 fans erupted into occasional chants of "JOE PA-TER-NO" and "JOE-PA", and whenever a halftime video display showed a glimpse of him, they cheered wildly.