Winter, 2006
BOARD MEMBERS 2005-2006
President: Don Rather Football 58-59 Vice President: John Sylvester Football 63 Treasurer: Bob Willard Baseball 45-49 Secretary: Wanna Hadnott Tennis 89-94 _________________
TODD GRAHAM NAMED RICE'S NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
Tapped for Rice University's 17th head football coach. raham, 41, had been the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and secondary coach at the University of Tulsa the past three seasons, helping the Hurricane to the 2005 Conference USA championship and a 31-24 win over Fresno State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Tulsa finished with a 9-4 record in 2005. In his previous coaching stops, Graham has played major roles in reversing the fortunes of struggling programs. As head coach and athletic director at Allen High School north of Dallas, Graham led a program that had no district wins in the year prior to his arrival, to five playoff berths in six seasons. His first college coaching job was at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. East Central won the NAIA national championship in 1993. At West Virginia University he helped the Mountaineers improve from a 3-8 mark to a 9-3 record in his second season. At Tulsa the Hurricane jumped from 1-11 in 2002 prior to his arrival, to an 8-4 record in '03. A native of the Dallas-Forth Worth area, Graham was an allstate defensive back at North Mesquite High. He later was a two-year NAIA all-American defensive back at East Central and three-time allconference performer. He signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals. Graham earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in education at East Central University. He and his wife, Penni, have six children: Bo, Hank, Natalie, Haylee, Dakota, and Michael Todd Jr.
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J. Fred Duckett Track 55 Andy Gilchrist Basketball 85-89 Gene Walker Football 62-66 Mike Appelbaum Football 89-92 Gus Speary Football 69 John Coles Basketball 68 Mike Ecklund Football 91-93 Jane Jordan Cheerleader 85
The "R" Association Board meets the second Tuesday of every month at 5:30 in the "R" room. All letterwinners are invited to attend any meeting.
Todd Graham
Letter from Todd Graham
t is an honor to lead the Rice Owls football program and it's vision to restore the program's great tradition. We will approach each day with tremendous work ethic and passion to build a winner. We will embrace the Academic Prestige and Integrity of this great University. We have assembled a championship staff and are confident in the existing players' abilities as well as our ability to recruit quality student-athletes. There is no doubt in my mind we will build a winner here at Rice and put a product on the field that you will be proud of. Sincerely,
OWL LEGEND
B BB F G S T TR V = BASEBALL = BASKETBALL = FOOTBALL = GOLF = SWIMMING = TENNIS = TRACK = VOLLEYBALL
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See page 3 for complete football coaching hirings
Todd Graham
A MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
A New Beginning For Rice Football
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he excitement surrounding the football leadership transition has been nearly overwhelming. We have been caught up in a whirlwind of activities since the end of November. What a remarkable change of pace and direction. Everyone who cares about Rice football is excited and eagerly anticipating the announcements concerning new recruits, the start of spring training, and the 2006 football season. It seems like everyone is pulling together, eagerly anticipating what this incredibly talented group of coaches is about to do. The outpouring of support
has been unbelievable. Thank you all for your willingness to step up and be counted. The spring will be filled with opportunities to fuel the momentum. Our studentathletes are hard at work and positively motivated like never before. Let's work together to maximize every facet of this football program from fund-raising and community outreach to putting a winner on the field. See you at spring training.
Bobby May Director of Athletics
FROM THE DIRECTOR
2006 HEAD COACH LINE-UP
as of February 1, 2006
Jim Bevan .............Women's Track & Field/CC Todd Graham .......Football Wayne Graham ....Baseball Chris Huston ........Women's Soccer Seth Huston..........Women's Swimming Drew Scott ............Men's Golf
Ron Smarr.............Men's Tennis Genny Volpe .........Volleyball Jon Warren............Men's Track & Field/CC Roger White..........Women's Tennis Greg Williams ......Women's Basketball Willis Wilson ........Men's Basketball
Message from the “R” President
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ur new football staff has really injected new life into Rice Athletics. I hope this will awaken many of our former athletes to become active members in their organization. We need more exathletes to step up and begin supporting the “R” Association, so, when you meet teammates, encourage them to become involved. Remember, our only financial support comes from the 'Active' memberships, and I'm confident those who haven't joined will answer the bell. Go Owls! Don Knodel
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ne of the questions we often hear about our organization is:“What benefits do I get through my membership in the R-Association?” Among the tangible benefits you receive are: admittance to the R-Room during home football games; periodic copies of this newsletter; access to our web page; and, access to our executive director. Through these mediums you are able to remain connected with old teammates and current athletic programs. I encourage you to take full advantage of your benefits! However, in addition to the question stated above, I encourage you to also ask the following: “How do my dues benefit current athletes?” Without your financial support, we Don Rather would be unable to underwrite, for example, the upcoming Scholar-Athlete Banquet, the All-Sports Banquet, and the Graduation Breakfast. Your association also sponsors the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. I hope you will never forget that as an active member of the R-Association you are both a Beneficiary and a Benefactor. Two titles for the price of one! ther
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Don Ra
2006 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Houston UCLA Texas Florida State Army Tulane UAB UCF UTEP Tulsa East Carolina SMU Rice Stadium (C-USA) Pasadena, Calif. Reliant Stadium Tallahassee, Fla. West Point, N.Y. New Orleans, La. (C-USA) Rice Stadium (C-USA) Orlando, Fla. (C-USA) El Paso (C-USA) Tulsa, Okla. (C-USA) Rice Stadium (C-USA) Rice Stadium (C-USA)
Graham’s First Recruiting Class
18 Prep Stars Become Owls oach Todd Graham has announced the signing of 18 high school stars to national letters-ofintent to play for the Owls. Graham's first Owl class includes two quarterbacks, four wide receivers, two tight ends, six defensive backs, two linebackers, one running back/linebacker, and one deep snapper. Fifteen of the players are from Texas high schools.
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excerpted from www.riceowls.com
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A MESSAGE FROM Chris Huston, Senior Women's Administrator
he 2005/2006 school year is proving to be a successful one for women's athletics at Rice. In the first year of the newly aligned Conference USA, our woman's athletic programs have flourished in the more competitive environment. Our cross country team was the first Rice team to win a Conference USA Championship. Because of their performance in the South Central Regional, they received an at large bid into the NCAA meet. Rice is ranked 27th in the Nation in the latest Division I poll. This fall our women's soccer team won their Conference USA tournament. This was the first Conference Championship for the young program who went on to make their second NCAA tournament appearance in so many years. The volleyball team finished it's second winning season under head coach Genny Volpe.
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Our swim team has been preparing all fall for the Conference USA swim meet which will be held at UH at the end of February. The Owls have a winning record in dual meets and have posted some of the top times in the Conference USA this season. Women's Tennis began the 2006 season ranked 51st Nationally. The Owls next home match is March 3rd against Texas State. Women's Basketball is currently in the middle of the Conference USA season. They were picked to finish 1st in Conference USA coaches poll. The Conference USA Tournament will be held at SMU the first week of March. Women's track is preparing a run for their 1st Conference USA Indoor title. The meet will be held at the University of Houston at the end of February. We are so proud of all of our women's teams, and wish much success for the remainder of the spring! Go Owls!
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Rice Names Five To Athletic Hall of Fame
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ice added four of its all-time great athletes and a legendary coach to its athletic hall of fame during induction ceremonies on Oct. 14, 2005. Entering the hall as Rice athletes was Lance Berkman (baseball, '98), Andrea Blackett (women's track, '97), Marla Brumfield (women's basketball, '00), and Larry Izzo (football, '95). The coach that was honored is Owls baseball skipper Wayne Graham. In addition, Bill Tom Closs (men's basketball, '43) received the Distinguished "R" and Karen George ('77) was named the recipient of an Honorary "R." Berkman, currently a National League all-star with the Houston Astros, led the Owls to their first three NCAA playoff appearances in 1995-97, including the school's first College World Series berth in '97. Blackett was a six-time all-America selection for the Owls in the Mike Wilson and Lance Berkman intermediate hurdles and as a member of stellar 4x400-meter relay Lance Berkman at Hall of Fame Banquet teams. Brumfield led the Owls to its first Western Athletic Conference championship and the school's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2000. Izzo was a two-time all-Southwest Conference linebacker for the Owls, helping Rice to a share of the SWC championship in 1994. Larry was voted to this year’s Hall of Fame although his induction has been deferred to a later date. Graham, who is a recent inductee to the Texas Baseball and Texas Sports halls of fame, has led Andrea Blackett the Owls to national prominence in his 14 seasons on South Main. Under his tutelage, Rice won the Marla Brumfield NCAA championship in 2003, taken 10 consecutive conference championships, and has made 11 straight NCAA tournament appearances. Closs, an all-America selection on Rice teams which dominated the SWC in the early 1940s. George, who, with her family, has been one of Rice's most visible fans at all athletic events, is currently a member of the University's board of trustees repreWayne Graham senting the Association of Rice Alumni.
Bill Tom Closs Karen George
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ANNUAL FULL MOON GROUP
illiam A. Goforth (FB-71,2,3) and Randy Lee (FB-69,70,71) sent the following description of the Full Moon group. Editor's note: (The Annual Full Moon is a fraternity of football teammates who meet annually to conduct important business in, what we would assume, a very dignified proceeding. Membership in this group was originally restricted to fatlegged offensive linemen, but was later expanded to include all who participated in football during the early 70”s.) The Annual Full Moon Invitational requires annual attendance by Full Mooners in good standing. Failure of Mooners to attend is considered a violation of established Full Moon by-laws. Singular violations are reviewed annually with strict observance. Martial Law, as titled in the bylaws is exercised. Invitation to the Annual Full Moon was originally restricted to offensive linemen, but generosity and largesse by Full Moon management was shown when players of other positions were invited to join. This potential “watering down” of the group proved to be a positive move by Full Moon management. The gene pool was not negatively affected as once feared. Full Mooners are a close group and they care for one another. One can't find better people anywhere than Full Mooners. William A. Goforth and Randy Lee This is a tight group of longstanding friends who have paid their dues to be a Mooner. The annual Full Moon is a very good template for similar groups from Rice to reproduce. Call us if-yawanna-know how to get it done.
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Roger Roitsch
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Back Row: left to right: John Paul Hershey (not shown), Dan Lee, John Swords, Mark Williams, Roger Roitsch, Mike Phillips, Mike Goode, Steve Pruitt, Randy Lee, Phillip Wood, Allen Arnold Front Row: kneeling: Hap Feurabacher, Wade Bode, John Kelly, Joe Buck, Bart Goforth
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Left to right: Don Knodel Paul Sutera and Bobby May at board meeting Don Knodel and Joe Durrenberger BB 56 At Loyola of Marymount for women's Basketball game
Left to right: Frank Smith, Trevor Cobb, John Skaggs, Austin Davis, Steven Herce and Paul Sutera at board meeting Mark Lee FB 00, Chad Richardson FB 00, Ryan Mcmillan FB 00 and Jason McDonald B 99 with future Rice Owls Joe Buck FB 73 (left) and Mark Williams FB 73 at the annual Full Moon get-together.
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John Swords FB 72 attended the Full Moon gathering Please keep us informed of any changes in your contact information. We are dependent on current addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
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Russia Used Rice Football For Cold War Propaganda
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h i s p h o t o wa s featured in the Parade magazine in August of 1951. The story with the photo told about how football could be made safer. Innocent enough! But when a Soviet magazine reprinted the photo, they made-up an altogether different story to go with it. According to a follow-up stor y in Parade magazine in November of 1952, here is what they translated from the Russian publication... The Soviets had dreamed up a phony quotation from General Eisenhower. l “The real task of American sports consists in training youth for war.” Some other translated quotes went on... l “With bitterness and spite, this 100% American is charging ahead. Here it is easier for him than in Korea. And clutching in his hand an egg-shaped ball that resembles a bomb, he strides fiercely over the heads of his less fortunate countrymen.” l “The face of the fallen player is distorted by pain and bestial fear, the familiar look of a rapist and murderer. Where have you seen this face, Comrade?” l “Fascism is rearing its head and we recognize its monstrous features.” The reality of the photo is much different. It is actually a photo of two Rice Owls, and good friends, Vince Buckly holding “the bomb” and Bill Wyman “being trounced.” The photo is from a RiceTennessee game where the two were running an off-tackle play where Wyman is actually protecting the running Buckly.
s we enter into another year in Conference USA, many may wonder how strong the competition may be and how the conference has done in the past. Here are a few competitive highlights for C-USA. v 104 Bowl appearances (30 since 1994) v 108 NCAA Appearances in Men's Basketball (23 since 1994) v 8 Men's Basketball Final Four Appearances and One National Championship v 2002 NIT Champions (Memphis) and 2001 NIT Champions (Tulsa) v 42 NCAA appearances in Women's Basketball (30 since 1994) v 82 NCAA Appearances in Baseball (43 since 1994) v 7 College World Series Appearances (2003 National Champions - Rice) v 16 NCAA appearances in Volleyball in the last 10 years v Two Softball College World Series Appearances v 17 Men's Golf National Championships v 2 Women's Golf National Championships v 22 National Championships in Track and Field and Cross Country As you can see, the C-USA is no slouch conference. Rice teams are faced with stiff competition but we are confident that our Owls will not only keep up but will indeed become the record setters for the Conference USA in the future.
CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR NEWSLETTER
LET US HEAR FROM YOU!! SEND US YOUR OLD STORIES ABOUT TEAMMATES, COACHES, AND EXPERIENCES AT RICE. WE WOULD ALSO LOVE TO HAVE NEWS OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS AND YOUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES. PHOTOS ARE GOOD TOO! Just send us a letter, in your own words, and we will make an effort to edit it for use in the newsletter. PLEASE, DO IT NOW! Send it to Don Knodel at the address on the back of newsletter or email to knodel@r-assoc.com.
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ow nice to receive a hand written note from Bob Willard, one of my old Rice baseball teammates, almost exactly 55 years after I left Rice for the last time. No one had contacted me in any personal way in all those years, and I didn't contact anyone there. And no, I'm no longer covering the infield! I finally gave that up about 50 years ago then worked with young players for another 10 years. When I left Rice for the summer of 1950 I had no idea of what I was going to do the following fall, I was tired of spending my summers away from Tulsa playing ball and was deciding whether or not to return to Rice since I was three classes behind and was therefore going to have to spend two more hard years at Rice to graduate. Last, but not least I fell in love. The result was that I transferred to what was then Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) where I could graduate in two easy years and in December of that year married my love. We married but she died in childbirth. I have since been remarried and our children helped us celebrate our 50th anniversary this past November. I spent many action filled years with Douglas, McDonnell Douglas and finally Boeing. All-in-all I had a very challenging and rewarding career before my full retirement in 1999. Tell any of our teammates you run into hello for me and thank them for being great to play with. Unfortunately, we didn't have the facilities or support to be really good but I have always felt we did pretty well with what we had. The recent Rice NCAA championship made me very proud and clearly showed what strong support can lead to. My best wishes to you. Bob, thanks again for your personal note. Without it I would not have submitted my RAssociation membership payment for the first time in many years. John Churchwell Tulsa, OK 74133
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erry English (FB 71) is known as
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he following note was passed on to Don Knodel by Brett Wagner (FB 80,81.82). Tom Adams was a captain and starting defensive tackle. Tom was and is the consummate leader, both on and off the field. He was a driving force behind our 5-6 campaign in 1980, the best season at Rice up to that point in a long time. It is difficult to express the depth of respect and admiration my teammates and I feel for Tom. I promise that even as old and sedate as I am today, if Tom told me to run through a wall, I would bust a gut doing it! Tom is fighting a tough battle against cancer. He has it in his pancreas and in the brain. He has had one tumor removed, but more surgery well may be in store for him. Tom continues to coach the defensive line at Baylor, even though his struggles with cancer are obviously very physically debilitating. Tom is the very definition of a strong man. We have set up a trust fund for Tom's wife and kids. Bryan Hill, another teammate, has taken the lead in this endeavor. He can be reached by those interested in contributing to this trust fund at…Hill Law Office, P.C.; 112 Bedford Rd., Ste. 1165; Bedford, TX 76022.
“Coach” at the rehabilitation center that has become an integral part of his life since that horrific Thursday night at Alamo Stadium in 2004. English, an assistant football coach at Brackenridge High School from 1992 until retiring recently, has relied heavily on his experience in athletics to improve steadily from a life-threatening brain injury he sustained in a freak sideline accident during a game. “The work ethic from athletics is instilled in him and he's applied that to improve himself,” said his wife, Lucy. Bucky Allshouse, who played football with English at Randolph High School and Rice, said he would have been surprised if his longtime friend had responded any differently. “It's just so tragic,” said Allshouse. “I was devastated and heartbroken when Terry got hurt, but if anyone can come back from this, he can do it. I hated to work out with him when we were playing because he could go on forever.” Lucy was listening to the football game at home on the radio when there was a long delay in the action. “I remember the radio guys saying an official was down,” she said. The Linesman, an experienced official, accidentally crashed into English while running down the sideline during a play. One player said the collision was so loud that it sounded like “someone with pads on.” English lay unconscious on the artificial turf before being transported to Brooke Army Medical Center. English, 56, approaches his daily therapy at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Institute with the same intensity and discipline that were so central to his life when he played quarterback . Although he's walking on his own and talking, English continues to battle the lingering effects of a Grade 3 traumatic brain injury and complications that developed after the accident. English moves a little more slowly these days, but he gets around relatively well. “Make sure that everyone knows that I'm still competitive,” English said at a recent physical therapy session. “I'm not like I used to be, but I still miss sports and the kids I coached.” Excerpted from an article written by David Flores of the San Antonio Express-News
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TRACK & FIELD Roberts Inducted Into Pole Vault Hall of Fame lympic bronze medalist Dave Roberts, who won three straight NCAA pole vault titles for Rice from 1971-73, was inducted into the USA Pole Vault Hall of Fame Jan. 26 in Reno, Nev., as part of the 2006 Pole Vault Summit. Roberts, who won bronze at the '76 Games in Montreal, was the first man to win three straight NCAA titles outright in the vault. He cleared 17-6.5 in 1971, and followed with winning heights of 17-3 and 17-4. He still holds the Rice school record at 18-0.25. The Conroe High School product set his first world record on March 28, 1975 in Gainesville, Fla., soaring over 5.65m/186.5, and he added another world record on June 22, 1976 in Eugene, Ore., when he cleared 5.70m/18-8.25. Roberts won U.S. national championships in 1972 and 1974, and was the Pan American Games silver medalist in 1971 at Cali, Colombia.
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VOLLEYBALL ice finished the 2005 season with a 17-12 record. The young Owls, lost just two seniors from the 2005 squad and will return eight letterwinners. Joining the returning players will be three rookies. Houston's Jessica Boulavsky, Mansfield's Leah Duncan and Natalie Bogan of Berkeley, Calif., have all signed national letters of intent for fall 2006. “I think this is probably one of the most versatile and athletic classes in the country,” observed Coach Genny Volpe. “This is by far one of the strongest classes we could have put together. Not only are they going to be great players for us, they are going to be great ambassadors for Rice volleyball. I think they are really going to help us right away.”
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TENNIS he Rice tennis season is underway with positive national rankings and a great promise of a successful 2006 season. Women: The 51st-ranked Owls closed the 2005 season with one of their best seasons in recent years with a 16-9 mark. For 2006, returning senior Blair DiSesa, ranking 31st nationally in singles, leads the Owls as she returns to her spot at the top of the lineup. DiSesa and freshman Alanna Rodgers ranked 30th in doubles after a successful fall that saw the pair advance to the semifinals of the ITA Southwest Region Championships. Men: The Owls ended 2005 ranked 38th with a 15-10 record. Rice has advanced to the NCAA championships in four of the last five seasons. The men's tennis team opens the 2006 spring season ranked 35th nationally with senior Robert Searle coming in at 36th in singles.
excerpted (in part) from www.riceowls.com
WOMEN’S SOCCER ice head soccer coach Chris Huston announced the signing of six players from the high school and club levels. The signees join a young Owl squad that won the 2005 Conference USA championship its first year in the league and advanced to a second-consecutive NCAA Tournament last season. Coach Huston had high praise for the program's newest members. "As the program is building our signing classes are getting better and better each year and I definitely think this is our best class yet." Huston said. "This is a group of hard workers. Not only are they great players, but the intensity and competitiveness of our training sessions is going to go up on a daily basis and help us get better in the process. "I truly believe every one of these signees could challenge for a starting position right away. Last year we proved that we are recruiting players who can start in their first year. Five came in and started for us and we won the conference championship. This class is a good fit for our program and will help the team reach the next level. I want to thank my assistant coaches, Nicky Adams and Justin Zoslow, who did a great job all year. We are looking forward to the season next fall."
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Soccer Team Volunteers fter raising more than $1000 to help the Houston Food Bank's efforts to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, members of the Rice soccer team volunteered their time to work at the city's food distribution facility during their Labor Day holiday from classes. All 25 members of the Owls' soccer team pooled and donated its game-day per diem from its two matches that week, then arranged a special matching donation from the squad's booster organization. The donation, collected in just three days, amounted to $1,016 but the team thought it could still do a little more. They then volunteered their free time at the Houston Bank. The Owls assisted that organization's efforts to collect and distribute food to the hurricane victims. “I am more proud of the team for this community service than any game we've played,” said Rice head coach Chris Huston. “They raised some money on their own and that was great, but then they took time out of their off-day, and a school holiday at that, and spent it volunteering at the Food Bank. There's a lot more going on than the soccer season. I'm proud of these girls, on and off the field.”
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BASEBALL
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ice Owl’s Baseball is underway but only a few games into the season. There’s still plenty of time to get out and see the Owls take on a tough schedule on their way back to the College World Series.
Oklahoma Long Beach State Lamar Sam Houston State St. John's Nebraska Texas State Texas A&M Corpus Christi Cal. St. Fullerton Cal. St. Fullerton Cal. St. Fullerton Texas TCU Arizona State Texas A&M Corpus Christi San Diego Sam Houston State Texas A&M Corpus Christi Texas A&M Corpus Christi Texas East Carolina East Carolina East Carolina Texas State Tulane Tulane Tulane Texas A&M Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Corpus Christi Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Reckling Park Huntsville Reckling Park Reckling Park Austin Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park San Marcos New Orleans, La. New Orleans, La. New Orleans, La. College Station 04/07/06 04/08/06 04/09/06 04/11/06 04/14/06 04/15/06 04/16/06 04/18/06 04/21/06 04/22/06 04/23/06 04/25/06 04/28/06 04/29/06 04/30/06 05/10/06 05/12/06 05/13/06 05/14/06 05/16/06 05/18/06 05/19/06 05/20/06 05/24/06 06/02/06 06/09/06 06/16/06 UAB UAB UAB Baylor Memphis Memphis Memphis Oklahoma Southern Miss Southern Miss Southern Miss Texas State UCF UCF UCF Lamar Houston Houston Houston LSU Marshall Marshall Marshall C-USA Tournament NCAA Regionals NCAA Super Regionals College World Series Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Waco Memphis, Tenn. Memphis, Tenn. Memphis, Tenn. Norman, Okla. Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Orlando, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Reckling Park Metairie, La. Charleston, WV Charleston, WV Charleston, WV Reckling Park tba tba Omaha, Neb.
02/17/06 02/18/06 02/19/06 02/21/06 02/24/06 02/25/06 02/26/06 02/28/06 03/03/06 03/04/06 03/05/06 03/07/06 03/10/06 03/11/06 03/12/06 03/14/06 03/15/06 03/18/06 03/19/06 03/22/06 03/24/06 03/25/06 03/26/06 03/28/06 03/31/06 04/01/06 04/02/06 04/04/06
Men’s Golf Rice University golf is underway with head golf coach Drew Scott. This year’s schedule features 11 regular season tournaments, five in the fall and six in the spring, as well as the Conference USA Championship in Gulfport, Miss. Scott's first Rice team features eight underclassmen and only one senior (Parker LaBarge) “The tournaments are spread out evenly and with a young team, this will be beneficial,” says the first-year mentor. “In the spring, our first four events are in the district
and then we play in tournaments at North Carolina State and at Stanford, which leads us into the Conference USA championship.” The Owls hosted the Rice Intercollegiate on Feb. 6-7, 2006, again at Wildcat Golf Club before competing at the Roadrunner Intercollegiate (Feb. 20-21), Louisiana Classics (March 6-7). Coming up next are the Border Olympics (March 17-18). Rice will close the regular season with action at the Courtyard by Marriott Intercollegiate hosted by North Carolina State and at the US Intercollegiate hosted by Stanford.
excerpted (in part) from www.riceowls.com
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Billboard
NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS
Jerry W. Bailey Tom Carlson Ron Fisher Doug McKendrick Jerry Sadler Bennett Watson Joe Wylie FB 70 G 97 T 61 BB 66 T 66 B 41 B 54
SCHEDULE OF "R" ASSOCIATION SPONSORED EVENTS
Scholar Athlete Banquet Spring Training Football Game All Sports Banquet Early 60’s Huddle Up Graduate Breakfast Hall of Fame February 19 April 8 April 10 April 21-23 Graduation Day
IN MEMORIAM
Vernon Glass (FB 51) December 4, 2005 Raymond E. Simpson III (FB 73) August 17, 2005 James Douglas Tipton (FB 41) November 21, 2005 Fred Hand (BB 68) 2003 ice mourns the passing of Vincent Buckley, 1947 Quin Award Winner. Buckley, 83, passed away on Jan. 13. A Rice letterman in football, baseball and track, Buckley helped the Owls to a share of the 1946 Southwest Conference championship and a win over Tennessee in the 1947 Orange Bowl. Buckley was later an SWC football game official for 25 years, officiating in every major bowl game of the period. After receiving his Rice degree in 1947, he earned his law degree from the University of Texas. His professional resume included oil and gas management and legal positions with Dow Chemical, Apache Corporation, Cockburn Oil, Adams Resources, and Liddel, Sapp, Zively, Hill and LaBoon. Among his civic affiliations was service as chairman of the Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year Award, and president and director of the excerpted from www.riceowls.com Bluebonnet Bowl.
Fall, every other year hese are the events YOUR dues help support. All members and guests are invited to all events.
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The Letterwinner is produced by Dan Tidwell of Genesis Graphic Design.
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RICE UNIVERSITY
LETTERWINNER
Rice Early 60's Era HUDDLE-UP
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ohn Nichols and Billy Hale have announced the dates of the annual Rice Early 60's Era Huddle-Up. This year's gathering will be held April 21-23, 2006 at Billy's ranch near Uvalde. Go to www.rassoc.com for more details.
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