Student fees may increase next year

The Undergraduate Student Government will not vote on proposed student fee increases until the group has more time to discuss the figures, said USG Vice President Spencer Tribble.

Auxiliary members – representatives from departments such as the Student Center, Student Health Center and athletic department – requested a 3.1 percent total student fee increase at the USG’s first meeting of the semester Jan. 31. The fee increase would be a…

Scheduling a mess for men’s basketball

The travel schedule for the men’s basketball team has started to wear on the players, said coach Chris Lowery.

“It’s not always about the game,” Lowery said. “It’s about being able to come back that night and the next day being able to practice and being able to be in your own bed.”

The Missouri Valley Conference picks the conference schedule, so SIU had almost no say in how its schedule…

Moccia discusses potential pairings

ESPN’s BracketBusters, played during three days in February each year, adds a wrinkle to the scheduling process for hundreds of college basketball programs.

“BracketBusters is a pain,” Athletic Director Mario Moccia said.

The BracketBusters pairings will be announced today, and since SIU hosted a BracketBusters game last year, the Salukis will have to go on the road this time around. Moccia said he has a general idea…

Winkeler returns to Saluki Athletics in new role

Brenda Winkeler returned to work with Saluki Athletics after she was reassigned from her old job as head volleyball coach.

Athletic director Mario Moccia said Winkeler’s new role is to help senior associate Athletic Director Kathy Jones with special projects.

“Typically, when situations like (Winkeler’s reassignment) occur, you find other duties that the coach will be able to perform that would overall help the athletic program,” Moccia said. “Kathy is in…

Strike’s effect on Saluki Athletics minimal

Amidst the changing environment throughout campus between faculty and administrators, sports can provide a sanctuary for those who want to get away from the rhetoric and propaganda.

Even though it is uncertain if a strike will happen, Executive Associate Athletic Director Mark Scally said only five or six office staff members in Saluki Athletics are represented by the Association of Civil Service Employees. All other employees will continue to work…

Release of basketball schedule shows easy layups

Maybe if I worked a little harder on my jump shot back in high school, I could be on my way to Hawaii for Christmas with the SIU men’s basketball team.

On second thought, playing the three toughest opponents in four days might ruin the fun.

The team announced its full schedule Sept. 8 and its non-conference opponents are,…

Mihelich named as new golf coach

When Diane Daugherty retired in April, Saluki Athletics knew it was going to have a hard time replacing the women’s golf coach of the last 25 years, said Chet Savage, senior associate athletic director.

Savage said what he didn’t know was that the best candidate was right in his own basement.

New women’s golf coach Alexis Mihelich is the female model for the Golden Tee Live golf arcade game. While Savage…

Salukis fight cancer on the field

After he spent a majority of the 2010 football season on the sidelines because of an ankle injury, SIU senior safety Mike McElroy realized he wanted to bring more than a game to the football field.

“A couple years down the road people might forget what you’ve done, how many tackles you’ve had, how many interceptions you’ve had,” McElroy said. “That thought process was, ‘what can we do as a…

Salukis move forward with Henderson

Ken Henderson was 30 years old when he first came to SIU as an assistant coach. Twenty years and some gray hairs later, he became the Salukis’ head baseball coach.

Henderson was named the interim head coach after former head coach Dan Callahan died Nov. 15. Despite finishing 23-34 last season, Henderson had his team in a position to succeed both on and off the field.

“We are very proud of…

National event to put cap on season

The USA Track and Field Nationals gives athletes the opportunity to compete for world-level competitions, and SIU sent two of its own as the final stop of the 2011 season.

The event held in Eugene, Ore. will host the top athletes in the nation, and among them will be senior…

Saluki career over for Berry, professional life begins

Gwen Berry”s time as a Saluki runner is over, but she says her career has just begun.

She hopes to compete in the Olympics.

Berry finished her career as the No. 3 ranked hammer thrower in the U.S. and one of only five women college athletes to throw over 70 meters.

Berry began as a freshman in the triple jump and converted to hammer throw and shot put in the middle of…

Track goes the Saluki way

The Saluki Way was designed to upgrade and create championship-caliber facilities for the university’s student athletes and staff, and it has continued its promise with a new track and field complex.

The new, state-of-the-art complex will feature NCAA regulation event fields and will serve as the home of the men’s and women’s track and field teams. Construction on the $3.96 million facility began May 22 and is expected to be…