 October 2002 Articles & Features: A Message From the Chairman | Angela Rho - Women's Golf | Amanda Billmyer - Field Hockey | Casey Moore - Football | Roger Levesque - Athlete of the Month | Cardinal Coaches' Corner Luncheon Series | Buck/Cardinal Chronicle Goes Online
Strengths
of the Game
After completing her freshman and sophomore seasons as one of the top players on the womens golf team, junior Angela Rho needed a vacation. Rho, an English major, spent her summer taking classes at Harvard University and didnt touch a golf club. After taking three months off from the game of golf Ive become very motivated and focused once again, and as a result, I truly enjoy practicing and playing, said Rho. That break was much needed for Rho, who was ranked as high as No. 31 nationally during her freshman year and had four top-25 finishes during her sophomore campaign and completed the season with a 75.9 stroke average. Last season she continued her success as she tied a career-low when she shot a 70 on the second day of the Stanford/Pepsi Intercollegiate Tournament. Rho hopes to continue improving her performance as her team looks to build upon its 11th place finish at last seasons NCAA Championships. Playing well is a matter of personal pride, really, said the 57 golfer. Working hard in my sport is a matter of respecting myself. I always put in my full effort with all things, and all I can say is that once again, this year, I will put my best effort into my game. In her pre-game routine, Rho stretches, relaxes and prays but once she steps onto the course she is focused and determined. In an analysis well suited to a psychology class, Rho says both nature and nurture produced her mental toughness, an attribute she calls her greatest strength. I find most of my mental toughness is genetic, and the remainder has been a result of the environment I was raised in, said Rho. I admit that staying mentally tough is difficult, however, keeping my focus on the objective helps. Adding to those good genes, Rho says her parents are the main contributors to her success. She cites their hard work,sacrifice and love as some of the reasons she has thrived at Stanford. Truthfully, without them, I would not be here, said Rho. My parents have made me who I am and have unselfishly provided me with my every need. Even while Im here at Stanford, they encourage me, and help me keep my confidence high. They remind me of who I am, and they have been the two most important people in my life; encouraging me and supporting me at all times. Despite the individual nature of the game, Rho understands the importance of teamwork and tries to lend her encouragement and support to her teammates. The most important thing on a team is having a sense of camaraderie, friendship, and a common goal, said Rho. As a result of having close relationships with each individual person on the team, you become more than a team, you become a family, which naturally creates unity. To increase that unity, the team capped the summer by participating in a team bonding retreat in Santa Cruz, Ca. After spending their summers apart, the team is energetic and enthused about the challenges ahead of them. The whole team is really excited about the upcoming year, said Rho. We all get along so well and are looking forward to a great season. The
Desire To Win
It took Stanford field hockey star Amanda Billmyer all of 15 minutes to demonstrate why teammates have dubbed her the squads most competitive player. The senior forward left the field during the first half of the Cardinals season opening victory against Ohio State with a four-inch gash above her eye. I have a desire to win at any cost, said Billmyer, one of three tri-captains on the team. I am on the ground diving all the time. Its the way I have always been. I definitely have a different mentality when I am on the field. That vibrant energy on the field has helped Billmyer become one of the Cardinals top offensive weapons over the past three-plus seasons. Through the first two weeks of the 2002 season, she had tallied 36 points in her career at Stanford, the most by any current active player. She had also played in all but two games, missing one because of the earlier mentioned eye injury. This year, Billmyer expects to increase her offensive output even more with the loss of last years top two scorers, Melissa Stai and Erica Swesey, to graduation. She currently ranks fourth on the team with five points. One of our focuses this year is to go to goal, and I am hoping to do a lot of scoring, said Billmyer, an All-NorPac performer as a sophomore. We have three very strong forwards and our midfield has already picked up the scoring mentality. With the return of five senior starters from a team that recorded nine shutouts and allowed less than a goal per game, Billmyers ability to put the ball in the back of the net could be crucial to the teams success. The squad was the co-NorPac West Division champions last year along with California but has set its sights a little higher this season, head coach Sheryl Johnsons final campaign at Stanford. Our goal this year is the Final Four, said Billmyer. We are taking every game individually and building on our previous mistakes. Its a huge incentive to give (Johnson) an NCAA title to add to her accolades before she retires. Billmyer considers herself very lucky to have played for Johnson throughout her career and credits her coach as one of the major reasons that she came to Stanford. The Pennsylvania native passed up the opportunity to play lacrosse at either Yale or Cornell after a visit to Palo Alto during her senior year in high school. I came to Stanford on a recruiting trip and just absolutely loved the team, Billmyer said. I liked the coaching staff and their views on field hockey, and I really couldnt pass up the opportunity to play here. Nearly four years later, Billmyer believes that the camaraderie amongst the players is the aspect of the Stanford program that stands out the most. Coach Johnson does a good job of not just picking top players but top people, said Billmyer. I talk to girls that play for other programs, and they just have all these undercurrents working against them. Our team is so close. We have a friendship that cannot be matched. That solidarity coupled with a star-studded roster gives the Cardinal legitimate Final Four aspirations in 2002. Excellence
on the Field
Almost nothing about Buddy Teevens Fun and Gun offense will be predictable this season. Nothing perhaps, except the Cardinals starting fullback. Heading into the season, Stanfords Casey Moore had started 33 consecutive games at the position dating back to the third game of his freshman year. He could tie former center Mike McCaughlins record-setting 45-game streak if the Cardinal were to earn a bowl bid in 2002. I definitely want to add twelve more games, said Moore. I think it just shows that I am a durable player. Even if I am a little bit banged up, I can still go out there and perform. Perhaps the top fullback in the Pac-10, Moore averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season. With the Cardinal moving towards a more-pass oriented offense this year, Moore is expecting to play a more prominent role as a receiver. I am looking forward to catching the ball a little bit more, said Moore, who hauled in a career high 15 passes in 2001. I always like going out and being a receiver. It is one of the things I think I can do pretty well. Hopefully I will be able to get in the mix a little bit, and get a couple carries too. If the season opener at Boston College is any indication, it looks like Moore will get plenty of opportunities on the ground. He ran the ball 10 times against the Eagles, racking up 58 yards against a swarming defensive front. With the majority of the season left to play, Moore envisions Teevens new scheme creating opportunities not just for him, but the entire offensive unit as a whole. The type of system he is bringing in will allow our players to showcase their talents, said Moore, who expects to be featured in a one-back set more often this season. We definitely have high expectations for ourselves on this side of the ball. Hopefully we will put up big numbers and keep our defense off the field as much as possible. Moore could be the next in a long lineage of Stanford fullbacks who made their mark in the NFL. Throughout the last 15 years, Brad Muster, Tommy Vardell, Greg Comella, and Jon Ritchie have each manned the position for the Cardinal before developing into starters on the professional level. Nonetheless, despite the impressive pedigree, Moore feels no obligation to live up to anyone elses expectations. I dont feel any pressure to be the next Jon Ritchie, he said. I just try to live up to my own goals and perform the best I can on the field. Having been at Stanford for three full years, Moore actually sees playing in the shadow of such big names as an advantage. I talked to Tommy Vardell a couple of times at different functions, and Ritchie is usually around during spring football, said Moore. They are all really good guys, and they have always been there to encourage me. All indications point towards Moore being a high draft pick in next years NFL draft, but the 6-2, 250-pound fullback has all of his attention focused on a successful senior season. In the past our offense has been pretty impressive, said Moore. With veterans at every position and somebody like Chris Lewis at quarterback, we have definitely have high expectations for ourselves.
Athlete
of the Month Mens Soccer Roger Levesque After the first seven games of the season, Roger Levesque led the Stanford mens soccer team to a 7-0 start and a No. 1 ranking. He scored 18 points ( 4 goals, 10 assists) and was named the tournament offensive MVP at the Dartmouth Invitational on Sept. 22. Levesque is a junior from Portland, Maine majoring in Economics. Cardinal Coaches Corner Luncheon Series Join us for the Cardinal Coaches Corner lunches in San Francisco on two Thursdays during the Football Season. You will have a chance to get up-close and personal with Head Coach Buddy Teevens or a member of his coaching staff. This is a time for all of those armchair quarterbacks to get quality information on the success of the team and an in-depth report on the upcoming opponent. Date: October 17 and November 7 Time: 12:00 noon to 1:15 p.m. Place: The Park Hyatt Hotel 333 Battery Street (at Clay) Cost: $30 per luncheon *Also join us at the Cardinal Coaches Corner Luncheon on Monday, December 9, 2002 that will feature Mike Montgomery. He will give a Stanford Basketball Preview for the upcoming 2002-03 season. Make checks
payable to Stanford Athletics and mail to: A
message From the Chairman The final numbers are in, and thanks to the generosity of 6,047 Chronicle readers, the Buck/Cardinal Club raised over $2.8 million in the past fiscal year that ended August 31. All of the support that is received for Buck/Cardinal Club scholarships goes toward scholarships for our student-athletes here at Stanford. On behalf of these student-athletes, the coaches and the staff of the Stanford Athletic Department, I want to express my thanks for your generosity in making this another fantastic year for scholarship support. The past thirteen months have been a turbulent time for everyone across the country but the commitment you have continued to show to the Buck/Cardinal Club and Stanford Athletics has been tremendous. With the help of the Buck/Cardinal Club, Stanford athletes and coaches went on to win four NCAA titles and capture an eighth Sears Directors Cup. With the new academic year getting underway, Stanford student-athletes are back on the fields trying to match or surpass last years achievements. Stanford student-athletes are back on the fields trying to match or surpass last years achievements. Again, thank you for your past support of the Buck/Cardinal Club. Duker Dapper Buck/Cardinal Chronicle Goes Online!! The Buck/Cardinal Club Chronicle will now be offered for viewing online in October. Buck/Cardinal Club members will have access online to the most recent Chronicle along with previous Chronicles. To receive the Chronicles online, you will need a username, pass-word and a link. An email will be sent by October 15, 2002 containing your personal username and password along with a link to the Buck/Cardinal Club Chronicle site. Only those Buck/Cardinal Club members who have valid email addresses in the Stanford University Address Database will receive this information. This means that not everyone who is a Buck/Cardinal Club member will receive a username, password and link. If you do not receive your information via email by October 15, please send your correct preferred email address to the address listed below. We will forward your personal username and password with our link. Garin Veris
(650) 723-3075 gveris@stanford.edu **Very Important** Buck/Cardinal Club Chronicles October 2002 Issue (regular mail & online) November 2002 Issue (online only) December 2002 Issue (regular mail & online) January 2003 Issue (online only) February 2003 Issue (regular mail & online) March 2003 Issue (regular mail & online) April 2003 Issue (regular mail & online) May 2003 Issue (regular mail & online) June 2003 Issue (online only) July August SUMMER BREAK |
