BIG RED ATHLETICS
The student-athlete ideal challenges the Ivy League
In the arms race that is college athletics, Cornell continues to put out far more four-star generals than foot soldiers, while holding dear the ideals that helped form the Ivy League more than 50 years ago.
For rising senior Nathan Ford, it was just another typical day this past spring as he joined his baseball teammates for a doubleheader against LeMoyne. The first-team All-Ivy League catcher hit safely in both games, going a combined 3-for-7 in the two contests en route to hitting .410 for the season.
By the time the doubleheader finished, Ford had just enough time to grab a bite before joining his other teammates -- those going through spring football practice.
Yes, Ford is pulling double duty. The tri-captain and starting quarterback of the football team also moonlights on the baseball diamond. But once practice ends, Ford starts his full-time job -- as a student majoring in operations research and information engineering.
Jeomi Maduka in action on the court.
When it comes to having the full student-athlete experience at Cornell, Jeomi Maduka '09 might be the best example. Unlike most two-sport athletes, she competes in her two sports simultaneously.
Maduka, arguably the greatest female athlete ever to attend Cornell, is a four-time All-American, earning the distinction twice in outdoor track, once in indoor track and once in women's basketball.
"I've been told that I can compete on the professional level in both track and basketball, but my ultimate goal is to become a doctor," explains Maduka. "There are no guarantees when it comes to sports, but academics and pursuing my goals of becoming a doctor is something that no one can ever take away from me."
Cornell, as well as its Ivy League brethren, has set the high standard of competing nationally in athletics while never forgetting that those competing are students first. Big Red athletics is, in many ways, in the midst of a renaissance, both on and off the field. Cornell has captured a school record 45 Ivy titles in the last six years, while 16 players have been named to the prestigious Academic All-America team. Big Red student-athletes have earned national titles in wrestling, track and field and lightweight rowing over that span and have lifted Cornell from sixth to third on the list of schools with the most Ivy League titles since the formation of the conference.
Jeomi Maduka
The 2007-08 Ivy League Women's Basketball Player of the Year and the 2005-06 Ivy League Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year, Maduka became just the fifth player in Cornell history to register at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 steals during her career, and she helped Cornell earn a share of its first-ever Ivy League championship this past season.
Jeomi Maduka '09
In track, Maduka performs in the 60-meter dash, the 100-meter dash, the long jump and the triple jump. Last spring, she earned the 13th Ivy League Heptagonal Championship title of her career and was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet at the 2008 Ivy League Outdoor Heps Championships -- winning the award for the fourth time in a row. In the past year, Maduka also finished eighth at the 2007 NCAA indoor championships, 10th at the 2008 NCAA outdoor championships and 12th overall at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
As if that weren't enough, she also maintains a 3.0 grade-point average as a human biology, health and society major on a pre-med track.
When looking at colleges, Maduka sought out schools that had outstanding academic reputations but also would allow her to participate in both basketball and track. In the end, only Cornell was willing to allow her to pursue her passion for both sports, which made her decision easy. While her decision may have been easy, many around campus marvel at how hard Maduka works to balance her daily routine.
"I know how much work it takes to play just one sport at the Division I level," says fellow basketball teammate Lauren Benson '10. "Seeing Jeomi excel in both basketball and track while being pre-med is inspiring."
Nathan Ford
Ford is not only a first-team All-Ivy baseball player, but he plays arguably the most visible position of any Cornell athlete: QB1, starting quarterback. This is a position that on almost any college campus carries the aura of celebrity. But with his quiet and poised demeanor, you'd never know it.
Nathan Ford on the field.
"He's a great leader and an intelligent young man who works hard," says head coach Jim Knowles '87. "Nate is the type of player and person you'd want leading you anywhere."
Nathan Ford '09
Ford enters the 2008 football season as one of the most productive starters in school history. He ranks third on the school's career passing yards list (3,451), while his career completion percentage of .599 is second in Big Red history. Ford threw for at least 200 yards in each of the team's first seven games in 2007 before playing in only three quarters in the final three contests due to injuries. His exceptional passing skills and creativity allow him to direct Cornell's complicated offense.
Those attributes help him in and out of the classroom, where he has posted a grade-point average of better than 3.0 and has earned a spot on the Academic All-Ivy League team, honoring his dual-sport commitment.
Not bad for a guy whose primary sport coming out of high school was baseball, for which he was heavily recruited from Palo Alto High School in California.
Ford has started for the Big Red baseball team in each of his first three seasons as a catcher and third baseman. He was a first-team All-Ivy pick as a junior and a second-team selection as a sophomore. Ford batted .410 in 2008 with a school record of 17 doubles, three home runs and 28 RBIs while starting all 39 games. He is a .358 hitter in 101 games on the diamond, ranking second all time for the Big Red in career batting average.
No roots in this grass: Schoellkopf Field has a new surface
Historic Schoellkopf Field, home to many of Cornell football's greatest moments, has a new look this fall. This summer, FieldTurf, a brand of synthetic grass safer than artificial turf and easier to maintain than a natural surface, was installed.
This summer, FieldTurf, a brand of synthetic grass safer than artificial turf and easier to maintain than a natural surface, was installed on Schoellkopf Field.
Opened in 1915, Schoellkopf Field is the home of Cornell's football, sprint football and men's and women's lacrosse teams. The first NCAA football game to be played on the new FieldTurf will take place Sept. 27, when the Big Red plays host to Yale on Homecoming Weekend. Schoellkopf Field is the second Big Red athletic facility to install FieldTurf, joining the Hoy Field baseball diamond, where turf was installed last summer.
"I am thrilled that our athletes will have a state-of-the-art practice and competitive surface like FieldTurf when activities begin in late August," said Andy Noel, the Meakem*Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education. "I am indebted to our loyal alumni who stepped forward to provide a needed upgrade to our facility, ensuring a safe surface on which to compete."
More than 50 major NCAA universities have FieldTurf in their stadiums, including Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Washington, Oregon, Rutgers, Kansas State, Louisville, Missouri and Boston College. Twenty-one of the National Football League's 32 teams use FieldTurf at their stadium and/or practice facilities. In addition, Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays have FieldTurf at their respective stadiums.
"The installation of the new FieldTurf will mean that Schoellkopf Field will have the most up-to-date, safest surface that is available today," said Jim Knowles '87, the Roger J. Weiss '61 Head Coach of Football. "This will benefit our current players immediately and also be an advantage for us in recruiting. The FieldTurf will also look sharp with a bright red 'C' and stunning red end zones. Everyone in the program is excited for this upgrade."