Bear Sports
Blue & Golden Opportunity
UNC Blue & Gold Club Gets Off the Mat Thanks to Longtime Wrestling Coach
University of Northern Colorado Head Wrestling Coach Jack Maughan has been named Director of Development for Athletics of the University of Northern Colorado Foundation. Maughan assumed his new role with the Foundation on April 1, but will continue as head wrestling coach at UNC. One of Maughan’s first priorities is to re-establish the UNC Blue & Gold Club, a booster program that provides scholarships for UNC’s student-athletes. “UNC has some of the best and brightest student-athletes in the country,” says Maughan. “They consistently allow us to provide a great product for our fans. We owe it to them to not only get the Blue and Gold Club back to where it used to be, but also build on past success . . . it’s job number one.”
As head coach of the wrestling team and former head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams, Maughan has had to rely on fund- and friend-raising for program support. Under his leadership the wrestling program has established five separate endowment funds with a balance of $4.1 million. In addition, the wrestling program was able to build a $1 million practice facility through private funding. Maughan says he is thrilled to be able to extend his long-term connection with UNC through the UNC Foundation.
“I’m excited about joining another great team,” says Maughan. “The work of the Foundation is crucial as we increase funding to help student-athletes reach their educational and athletic goals and dreams.”
UNC Foundation President Virgil Scott said, “Jack brings so much energy to the Foundation team. He has a wealth of knowledge, passion for UNC and dedication to helping our students. We’re truly fortunate to have him as we continue to build private support for UNC throughout Colorado and beyond.”
Over the course of 21 years at UNC, Maughan, in addition to coaching wrestling, has taught courses for the School of Sport and Exercise Science, directed wrestling camps and coached men’s and women’s golf. He received a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Physical Education—Sport Administration. Maughan is past president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, has been recognized by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame—Colorado State Chapter and was named Colorado Intercollegiate Coach of the Year in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2006.
“Coach Maughan is not only a great coach, but has a great vision for success for Northern Colorado,” said UNC Athletic Director Jay Hinrichs. “He is the right person to direct the wrestling program and our partnership with the UNC Foundation.”
In addition to his new duties, Maughan will continue to fulfill his role as UNC’s head wrestling coach. He looks forward to the challenge.
“It’s all about celebrating the accomplishments of our past student-athletes as we help secure scholarships for future UNC student-athletes who compete in the Big Sky, Western Wrestling, America Sky and Pacific Coast Conferences. Blue and Gold is the key.”
Men’s golfBidne Is Co-Newcomer Of The Year
University of Northern Colorado freshman Stephen Bidne was honored April 28 as the America Sky Golf Conference Co-Newcomer of the Year for the 2007-2008 season. Keaton Woodland of Weber State was the other recipient of the conference’s inaugural award. Bidne (St. Paul, Minn.) consistently led the Bears in tournament action this year by tying a school record for lowest round, placing first at the Colorado School of Mines Invitational and posted the team’s best individual score at the US Intercollegiate tournament. In fall 2007, Bidne tied for 23rd at the inaugural America Sky Conference Golf Championship after shooting a 152 (+8) two-day total. He also sunk a hole-in-one at the Pacific Invitational. This is the first year of NCAA affiliation for the America Sky Golf Conference, which includes Binghamton, Hartford, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State, Texas-Pan American, Utah Valley and Weber State.
UNC Women’s Basketball Achieves Academic Top 10
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced the 2007-08 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll this past summer and the University of Northern Colorado had the 10th highest grade-point average among Division I women’s basketball teams with a 3.414. The top 10 teams included South Dakota State University, 3.669; Kansas State University, 3.652; Indiana State University, 3.591; Eastern Washington University, 3.584; Western Carolina University, 3.543; University of Northern Iowa, 3.535; Eastern Illinois University, 3.475; Manhattan College, 3.430; Utah Valley, 3.419; University of Northern Colorado, 3.414; For additional information, visit http://uncbears.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/071508aaa.html.
volleyball
China Earthquake Doesn’t Rattle Volleyball Team (a team member’s journal)
Unforgettable. Amazing. Shocking. Motivating. Incredible. Moving.
All of these words accurately describe our ten-day adventure in China, but, honestly, I think only one truly encompasses the journey we’ve taken: indescribable. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard for me to sit and journal to you all back home tonight. Because even after talking together in a group for our last night here just a moment ago, we are all still having trouble trying to sum up everything we’ve done or felt.
There is no way we can let you all know what it is like to be in the same place where emperors once walked and where history was made. It’s impossible to describe exactly how accomplished one feels after reaching the top of the Great Wall, or how inconceivable it is to look out on Shanghai’s horizon from the tallest building in town and not be able to see where the city ends. Even when trying to describe something simple, like the scenery around me (the buildings, trees, and millions of people), I still find myself feeling like a failure when trying to express how cool and bizarre it really is.
This place, and this trip, can’t be summed up in words or even in pictures (though we have certainly all tried with our overworked cameras). China is too amazing, too overwhelming, too emotional, and too memorable.
For the 26 of us who were blessed enough to go on this trip, our adventure technically comes to an end tomorrow. And for the most part, our lives will go back to normal. We’ll go home, re-involve ourselves in our daily routines, and get back to normal life in the United States. But I know I am speaking for all of us when I say that we will be different. We aren’t exactly the same people we were before we came here. From this trip, we’ll take away with us a more eye-opened view of the world. We’ll not only be more knowledgeable about the Chinese people, but humanity as a whole.
We’ve also come closer as a team, learning more about each other and the sport we play as we have experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity together. (An earthquake rocked China shortly after their arrival.) I think that’s what’s touched me the most about this trip. Most people get the chance to come to China only once, and we got to do it together—as a team. We are proud to represent Northern Colorado on an international level and are thankful for the support the administration and the community has given us as we’ve planned for and taken this trip. And, of course, we’d be nowhere without the donations and assistance of the generous friends, fans, and families around us. We are very fortunate people to have been here to learn all we did, and we hope we got the most out of it that we could have.
So, tomorrow, when we land in Denver, forgive us for not being able to stop talking about our trip or for not describing it well enough. Because, like I said in the beginning, it’s been too indescribable to even come close to measuring it. We’ll show you our pictures, and tell you our stories, but, in the end, China is China.
It’s an experience all its own.