Bear Sports

Swimming to Greeley
A young swimmer from China breaks UNC records

University of Northern Colorado’s swimming sensation sophomore Nan Liu began swimming 14 years ago in Dalian— a harbor city in northern China— and she’s made swimming a part of her life ever since. The first Chinese woman to be a member of the UNC team, Liu currently holds all-time UNC records with a time of 55:91 in the 100-meter butterfly and 2:01.96 in the 200-meter butterfly.

When the UNC swimming and diving team competed in the Colorado State University Early Bird Invitational with 10 other schools, Liu competed in several medleys. With three individual victories, she helped lead the team to fourth place at the meet. “Nan stands out because she is so fast and her underwater technique is so powerful,” says teammate Chesney Randolf, a junior journalism major.

Liu, 20, grew up in China with her mother, Wenqiang Liu, an engineer at a boat manufacturing company, and her father, Shumei Liu, a craftsman of fishing products. When Liu’s mother saw her daughter’s interest in playing in the ocean near their home, she sent her daughter to swimming lessons. That simple move led to a life of swimming competitions.

While in high school, Liu represented her school in the National Game and Chinese Championships, and was ranked among the top three finishers in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly events. She was commended as an Outstanding Junior Swimmer by the Chinese Swimming Association and named Most Outstanding Athlete by the Liao Ning Province. After accomplishing so much during high school, Liu says she chose to come to UNC because of its notable Sports and Exercise Science program. “Sports and exercise science education is better here than in China,” she explains. “Swimming for UNC is great because here we cheer for each other and that’s the best feeling ever,” says Liu, describing the differences between swimming competitions in China and the United States.

Liu says the biggest challenge moving to Colorado was coping with language differences. Chinese things she misses most include TV actor Ming Nao, the ocean by her hometown of Dalian and the food; however, she says Chipotle burritos are becoming a favorite U.S.food. While Liu is not sure where life will take her after graduation, if she were to stay in the United States, she says she would probably have to move to California or “somewhere near the ocean.” After all, that’s where it all began.

 

UNC Men’s Basketball is on the Rise
The UNC men’s basketball team gained a lot of attention around campus after its impressive win against Denver University, and hope rose even higher after the club managed an upset win against rival Colorado State. In a tense game, the Bears outlasted the Rams, and with a few clutch free throws, they sealed the deal in front of a capacity crowd of 2,759 fans at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. “The win against CSU was definitely a watershed moment for our program,” says Coach Tad Boyle, who is in his second season with UNC. “It really showed that we belong in Division I, and that we have the ability to compete with anyone at this level.” The Bears proved themselves worthy early in the season with a number of wins in Greeley. With key players like junior forward Jabril Banks (.641 from the field) and sophomore guard Will Figures (10-15 from three-point range) stepping up, any player could have a big night. “I like our balance,” Boyle says. “We don’t have a star system and anyone can step up and contribute any given night.” As the season progresses, this balanced attack will be tested as the Bears head out for a four-game road trip that features a challenging match against perennial college basketball powerhouse Gonzaga. “As a coach, you don’t prep any differently for Gonzaga than you do for Johnson and Wales. Y ou just go out there and implement your game plan,” Boyle says. “But the fact that teams like that are on our schedule is very exciting. Being a Division I team allows us to go out and compete with storied programs like that.” After two big wins and a successful homestand, the Bears are looking toward the upcoming Big Sky Conference games, but are careful not to get too ahead of themselves. “In December, you learn a lot about your team, but January is when you get it done,” says Boyle. “Right now we just want to get better everyday.” With this much potential, the Bears have a great chance to do just that.

 

Women’s Soccer Completes High-Caliber Season
No one could have predicted a championship-caliber season for the UNC women’s soccer team when it began by losing the first four games. But by the end of the season, the team was riding high as it beat Northern Arizona in the final home game to clinch a trip to the Big Sky Tournament for the first time in school history. “We started out 0-4, and I was proud of how our players kept working at it and stuck with it,” says Coach Tim Barrera. “I think our players learned that they could do well in this league as long as they played hard every game.” The turnaround came for the Bears in late October when they won three games in a row, including wins over conference rivals Eastern Washington and Montana. From there, the Bears posted a 3-2-2 record in conference play and became an undeniable force in the league, eventually earning a berth in the Big Sky Tournament. The trip to the tournament proved a fruitful one, as the team knocked out Weber State in the first round, avenging a one-goal loss from earlier in the year. But the fairy-tale season came to a close as the Bears fell just short of winning it all, losing to Sacramento State in the championship game. “It was fun getting back at Weber State,” says Junior Patricia Wong, a key player off the bench during the regular season. “But hopefully, we will win the Big Sky Championship next year and get to the NCAA tournament.” The team looks to do just that next season as it returns a few key players, including freshman goal keeper Heidi Owen, who had an 8-5 record and a save percentage of .821 on the season, and junior forward Teresa Prais, who had 5 goals and 3 assists. Both will look to have breakout seasons next fall. With key players in place and invaluable tournament experience, the team is now one of the biggest contenders in the Big Sky Conference.