Santa’s Shoe Box

Sant a’s Shoe Box event is held on

December 15, 2009 at SIUC Head St art . The SIU st udent -at hlet es will be helping t o make shoeboxes full of small gif t it ems for 170 children.

The SAAC Reps are asking anyone t hat is able t o donat e $2.00 t o help f ill t he Sant a ’s Shoeboxes. All monet ary donat ions are due no lat er t han Friday , Dec. 4 . SAAC t hanks eve-ryone for t heir cont ribut ions.

For the seventh straight year, the Southern Illinois University Saluki Football

team is making an appearance in the playoffs, which is the second longest active streak in the nation. The Salukis (11-1) rolled through their first round opponent Eastern Illinois University Panthers (8-4) by a final score of 48-7. The Salukis will host at least one more game, a national quarterfinal match, at The Mac on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. CT against William & Mary (10-2) who shut out Weber State 38-0 in its first round contest.

The Salukis won the turnover battle turning the Panthers six times. Senior Lance Caldwell registered the lone pick for the Salukis while the Dawgs grabbed up five Eastern fumbles – the second most in a game in school history. SIU scored 28 points off of the Panther turnovers and racked up 48 unanswered following Eastern’s lone score on its first drive of the game.

The Salukis’ offensive attack was directed by redshirt freshman quarterback Paul MacIntosh who went 13-17 through the air for 66 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns and added 115 yards on the ground and one more touchdown. Senior running back Deji Karim carried the ball 23 times racking up 155 yards for 6.7 yards per carry on the game and two touchdowns.

Saturday’s 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Quarterfinal Game could be the final game at McAndrew Stadium. The only possible scenario for The Mac to see another home game would be if the Salukis beat William & Mary and CAA Champion and No. 2 seeded Villanova Wildcats fall to New Hampshire in this weekend’s quarterfinal matches. The No. 3 seeded Salukis are making its fifth national quarterfinal appearance in school history and its fourth since 2005.

Inside This Issue:

Official E-Newsletter of the SIU Athletic Department

The Headliner .................... 1a

Saluki Community ............... 1b

Behind the Scenes .............. 2a

Who’s Who in the

Athletic Department ............. 2b

Top Dawg Checklist ............ 2c

Student-Athlete

of the Month ........................ 2d

Student-Athlete

Spotlight ...................... 3a & 3b

Coach’s Corner ................... 3c

Saluki Way Update ............. 4-5

December Calendar ............ 6a

NCAA Rules

Compliance Corner ............. 6b

Saluki Athletics

Mission Statement ............... 6c

October, 2009

D AW G S R U N F O R T H E T I T L E

Issue 22

S A LU K I C O M M U N I T Y

Month by Month:

Aug: McAndrew Moment s

Sep: Lennon Luncheons

Oct : Ask t he A.D.

Nov: Dawg Tracker

Dawg Tracker Blog Twice each week through the end of

basketball season, the Director of Media

Services and Assistant Athletic Director for

Saluki Athletics Tom Weber updates his

Dawg Tracker Blog.

Weber’s blog contains the latest scoop

on Saluki athletics. His blog is loaded with

some of the most interesting facts and

observations that can’t be found in the

normal athletic releases.

Check out the Dawg Tracker Blog link

that can be found down the right hand side

of the Saluki athletic website home page or

at www.dawgtracker.com.

W H O ’S WH O I N T H E A T H L E T I C D E PA R T M E N T

TO P DAWG CH ECK L I ST

If you had been wondering how the Salukis always look so good in their clean uniforms game in and game out, meet the equipment room staff who holds the responsibilities of this duty. Head Equipment Manager Mike Valentine and Assistant Equipment Manager Grace Luder take on the responsibilities of making sure that the Salukis look their best on game day and are fully equipped any time that they take the field..

The Equipment Room Support Staff includes Evan Rheinecker, Taylor Sterk, Tori Beeler, Megan Habbe, Sara Lane, Levell Mables, Nicholas Bishop and volun-teer worker Jon Kincaid. Activities that take place in the equipment room include ordering of uni-forms, shoes, cleats, uniforms, gear and all other equipment for all 14 Saluki Athletic teams.

In addition, it is the responsibility

of the equipment room to maintain a good working relationship with each of the vendors that supplies the Saluki Athletic teams with their equipment and apparel and making sure the Salukis get their gear on time.

Odd jobs for the equipment room include fixing any broken equipment, the selection of new items, embroidering clothes and lots and lots of laundry.

Behind The Scenes: Student Ser vices

The Saluki Spectator Page 2

S T U D E N T - A T H L E T E O F T H E M O N T H

Mike

McElroy

Hometown:

Lowell, Mich

Year:

Junior

Sport:

Foot ball

Position:

Safet y

GPA:

3.73

In his second year starting in the SIU

secondary, junior Matt McElroy has led the

Salukis to the 2009 Missouri Valley Football

Conference Championship and the No. 1

ranking in the Sports Network poll with a 10-

1 record.

The native of Lowell, Mich. (Lowell

HS) is having a fine season both on and off

the field. McElroy sports a 3.73 GPA in

health education. The last time Southern

Illinois had a student-athlete named an aca-

demic all-American was in 1991, when Jon

Manley and Dwayne Summers both received

first team honors.

The Saluki junior free safety was

named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Aca-

demic All-America second team as selected

by the College Sports Information Directors

of America (CoSIDA). McElroy becomes the

first Saluki to receive Academic All-America

accolades since 1991 and just the sixth in

school history.

McElroy ranks second on the team

with 65 tackles and 7.0 for a loss.

Describe your position with the SIU Athletic Dept.

I’m the director of Athletic Facilities and Game

Operations. My responsibilities include anything

from day to day maintenance of all athletic facili-

ties from restroom facilities to grass growth at

baseball and softball. I’m also responsible for all

game day activities, and facility staffing and mak-

ing sure everything functions without a hitch. I’m

also administrative liaison for the sports of Men’s

& Women’s Tennis and Men’s Golf.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I mostly enjoy watching student athletes compete

and develop into men and women on the playing

surface and as young professionals. I’m fortunate

to be a part of winning programs that many peo-

ple would jump at the opportunity to join.

What is the most challenging part about your job?

The most challenging part of the job is the time

commitment away from my family. I have a wife

of almost four years with our first baby on the way

in January. I’m very lucky to have an exceptionally

understanding wife who is also an Alum and big

time Saluki fan supporting me in a job that I love.

It is always difficult when it comes to anyone that

works in athletics to juggle the demanding sched-

ule that it requires.

Andy

Pettit Direct or of Facilit ies

& Game Operat ion

What is your most memorable coaching moment?

Being here as many years as I have, you have many. It would be easy to highlight like Chrysanthos Papachry-santhou making the Olympic team or Marcelo Possato qualifying for the NCAAs. One is winning the women’s conference championship two years ago with a team that nobody had picked to win. We had a group of girls that probably shouldn’t have won, but they found a way to win and that was something else. Another one is having a kid by the name of Nathan Stooke, as a walk on he had a learning disability. He ended up graduating with honors and made the U.S. National team and was one of the top-10 world swimmers in open water. This was a kid that everybody had overlooked. He is just an incredi-ble young man. He’s doing very well now.

What is the most challenging part about coaching?

Everybody wants something. Not being able to give them everything that they want is challenging. Also getting them over the things that they want and maybe don’t need, and more helping them realize that they have what they need and just getting it done. The change in

times can be challenging as well. I’m a part of the times, but as I look back I can see that I do in fact change with them because they are different than they were before. There are a lot of good things to that, but there are also some drawbacks to that and I don’t view those things as challenges though. The more you place challenges in front of you as an obstacle, the more of a challenge they become. If you can view it as part of the game, then it becomes part of the game and you can get around it.

What do you like most about being a coach?

My team. I get to work with the most amazing young men and women who are going to be hell on wheels when they leave here. I get to put a little stamp on that. What’s even better is watching them after they’re gone when they get their first job, get married, have their first kid, and watching them grow and prosper. And, being able to a be a part of this department that helps foster a great starting block to a successful life. What would you say that your coaching style is? Internally I’m pretty intense. I think I’m fun. If they’re having fun then chances are that I’m going to be having

fun. I think that I’m fair and I don’t know if everyone would agree, but I feel that I’m very approachable as well. Sometimes they pick up on my intensity very strongly. I can wear my emotions on my sleeve most of the time. I’ve never been very good at hiding it, but I have to watch that. I can be very extreme at times. I try to curve that because I do know that they can pick up on that. I think I’ve done a fairly good job of that. One of the things that we’ve done in our program is commit-ting ourselves to do things the right way. Our adminis-trators, our coaches and our teams can all be proud of the way that we’ve done it, not because we’ve taken short cuts because they are easy to do. But, because the hard road is to do it the right way.

The Saluki Spectator Page 3

Sammy

Biggs Senior

Men’s Track & Field

Morrison, Ill.

Jessica

Anderson Freshman

Women ’s Swimming

Hart land, WI

Saluki Coach’s Corner

Rick

Walker

Swimming

& Diving

23rd year

Head Coach

Men’s StudentMen’s StudentMen’s Student---Athlete SpotlightAthlete SpotlightAthlete Spotlight

Women’s StudentWomen’s StudentWomen’s Student---Athlete SpotlightAthlete SpotlightAthlete Spotlight

What is your favorite athletic memory? My senior year of high school, my swim-ming team won state. We were the under-dogs and I was the only senior on the team. There were only two girls on the team that had ever been to state before including myself. It was a lot of fun with the underclassmen and how nervous they were and me being kind of the big dog. Being captain of that team was really cool for me. What was it like to be the leader? It was an entirely new aspect. On our team we had a big team of 52 girls and I had some big shoes to fill because we had won state

seven of the past eight years prior to that. I was the only senior and I had a lot of pressure on me. It was an honor and I really enjoyed it. The other girls looked up to me to lead. I was supposed to be the one with the answers and not the questions.

After that, what was it like coming to SIU as a freshman? It wasn’t really too much different from high school. Here at SIU, everyone looks at you as if you’re already part of the team and the same as the seniors even though you may not be the captain. You still have a part in contribut-ing and even as a freshman your team-

mates look to you for leadership and helping to keep your team motivated. It’s not much different than last year as a senior. Who in athletics would you like to meet? Being a Wisconsin girl and a big Green Bay Packer fan, Vince Lombardi. My dad was a big fan of Vince Lombardi and we have a lot of quotes and pictures of him all over our house and some big cheese heads. I felt that he was a very inspira-tional coach and he was very instrumental in motivating his players. I always looked at him and thought about how incredible it would be to meet him and talk to him about his philosophies about coaching and how he dealt with difficult issues and his players. Would you be a coach someday? Actually I would. In the summers I coach five and six year-olds for a country club and my club swim team. It’s a lot of fun to give back to facilitate the same experiences

that I had when I was younger in having someone else to look up to. It is a lot of fun and I like that leadership role. What motivates you most as an athlete? I’m just a competitive person. I look to my coaches and teammates to help keep me on track with my goals, but I always want to use the gift that God has given me and be the best that I can be with that gift. I just can’t give less than 110 per-cent. What do you like most about being here at SIU? The camaraderie with my team-mates. Being the only senior on my club team and my high school team last year, I felt like I was on my own for a lot of things. I didn’t have a lot of people my age to be around. Here, my teammates, the coaches, and even the guys are like a big family which I really like. I feel like I belong here. There are always people that I can talk to and they will always be there no matter what.

What are your feelings about this season? If everyone stays on task with their eligibility and keeps from getting injured, we should win both the indoor and outdoor conference titles. We have Bran-don Deloney and Stevie Warren back for a fifth year and Jeff Shirmer coming off an All-American performance in cross country. We have all of our jump-ers back, we didn’t lose anybody on the men’s side. If we can put everything together at the end of the year and everyone can stay healthy and grades stay up, we

should fly. We should win confer-ence and go to nationals, it could be a really good year. I’m so ex-cited for this year.

What drives you as an athlete? To make my coaches really happy. Our coaches put in hours of hard work. Coach Turner has family up in Chicago and he’s down here with us all of the time and he tries to coach us up year round. I feel that everything that he puts into it he wants us to put out there on the track. We all try to do that for our coaches. Also for my team-mates, everybody is out there and everybody is running. It is a team sport but at the same time it is about individual performance and everybody is working their tail off. You don’t want to be the one to slack. It is easy to see in track who

is pulling their weight. Coach Turner says you shouldn’t slack because it isn’t going to be me who is out there at the meet in last place. It is going to be you. If you’re out there and struggling everyone can see it. What is the best part about being here at SIU? All of the friends that I have made down here. I was on the football team for two years as well and I made a lot of great friends. My roommate Chris Dieker (SIU QB) is one of my best friends down here. I love all the coaches and I love the atmos-phere here including Saluki Way. It is so cool and exciting watching that go up. I’m just far enough from home to be fairly far away, but at the same time I’m close enough to go home if I want to pretty easily. I like getting away,

but Carbondale is way bigger than my area. I graduated with like 100 people. With all the activities and other sports going on around here, we’re all good across the board. For example going to watch the football team and being top ranked in the nation and watching the basketball team who is doing really well. I just like watching all of our sports. We’re all pretty dominant. I’m definitely going to the game on Saturday.

Who is a role model for you in your life? My grandmother is a pretty big role model for me. She is the nicest lady ever. She does as much as she can do for our family and anyone else. She has always been there every time that I have needed her so I look up to her a lot. I would do anything for her.

Saluki Way will provide top-quality facilities and resources to attract the nation’s premier student-athletes to Southern Illinois University. Saluki foot-

ball and basketball are sources of pride for our University. When completed, the quality of our facilities for these sports will match the championship–level performances we’ve witnessed on the playing field and court.

Saluki Way is essential to our efforts to continue recent success both in the Missouri Valley Conference and on a national scale. Our football and bas-ketball venues must be enhanced to reflect the caliber of education our student-athletes receive at SIU. While Saluki fans have enjoyed their share of memorable moments in both McAndrew Stadium and SIU Arena, upgrading our facilities is critical. In particular, our Saluki football and basketball venues are subpar in comparison to peer institutions and are the most outdated in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Saluki Spectator Page 4

SA L UKI WA Y UPDA TE

The month of November brought some of the fall weather

that Southern Illinois had missed out on in October. What that meant

for the Saluki Way construction workers was that there were several

days in November that some real progress could be made. For

anyone who attended the final regular season game at McAndrew

Stadium and took a peek down towards the site of the new football

stadium, you would have seen the shell structure of the new press

box.

Since then, the workers have gone to town on the structure

and filled in a lot of area with flooring surface. The athletic support

facility has added a roof. This has allowed workers to continue to

work on rainy days inside the new structure.

If you take a look at both of the new facilities at this point

you can begin to see the outline of what Saluki Way is supposed to

look like. If you have seen rendering pictures you can even visualize

in your head where different things are supposed to be such as the

new ticket office and entrance to the SIU Arena in the picture below

which shows the south side of the athletic support facility.

In the picture on the top right, you can see the north side of

the athletic support facility taking on walls.

Masons have begun to brick in the base of

the structure.

The middle picture shows the

outer view of the football stadium and the

backside view of the new football sta-

dium’s press box.

Remember, with these upgrades

to the SIU Arena, the current seat

configuration will change significantly and

bring the need for a complete reallocation

of seating for men’s basketball season

ticket holders for the 2010-11 season. For

information on this reseating process or

how to obtain seats in the new retrofitted

arena please contact the SASF at

618-453-3148.

The Saluki Spectator Page 5

SA L UKI WA Y UPDA TE

1

2

3

Saluki Way Photo Descriptions 1. Wide view of t he foot ball st adium const ruct ion f rom t he sout hwest alongside Illinois

Highway 51.

2. The view of t he nort hwest corner of t he At hlet ic Support Facilit y f rom t he nort h side in t he current Men ’s Basket ball Priorit y 1 Parking Lot

3. The view of t he new west ent rance t o t he ret rof it t ed SIU Arena.

December 2, 2009 Saluki Way Photos

3

December 2009 Event Schedule

DURATION OF BOOSTER STATUS

With the Saluki Way project continu-

ing to make great progress, it is good

to remember what it means to be a

booster!

According to NCAA rules, once an

individual is identified as a Southern

Illinois University booster, he or she

retains that status forever.

As a reminder, a booster is defined

by the NCAA as anyone who:

Is now, or previously has been, a

member of any organization pro-

moting the institution’s intercolle-

giate athletics program.

Has made a financial contribution

to the athletics program or an

athletics booster organization.

Has helped arrange any employ-

ment for a student-athlete.

Has been involved, in any way, in

the promotion of the athletics

program.

Please remember the importance of

your status as booster, and help us

make sure to keep our student-

athletes eligible!

REMEMBER!! ASK BEFORE YOU ACT!!

Please contact Dan Rohrer,

Assistant Athletics Director, at

(618) 453-5463 or dprohrer@siu.edu

with any compliance questions that

you may have.

Saluki Athletics Mission Statement Southern Illinois University is a contemporary, comprehensive student-responsive university committed to providing quality

teaching, research and service. In keeping with the University's mission, the primary purpose of intercollegiate athletics is to

sponsor a broad-based, fiscally and ethically responsible athlet-ics program designed to promote each student-athlete's aca-

demic, athletic and personal well-being and development. It is our goal to create a culture of excellence for our student-

athletes, staff and fans that values integrity, diversity, equity, sportsmanship and community service. A successful, well-run athletics program also helps build pride in and support for the University among the citizens of Southern Illinois and among

the thousands of SIU students, staff, and alumni. [Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee 1/24/2005]

The Saluki Spectator Page 6

I f you have quest ions or comments please contact : Br ian Crawford a t bcrawford@athlet ics.s iu.edu

Friday, Dec. 4

Track & Field

Fast Start Invitational Carbondale, Ill. 11:30 a.m.

Swimming & Diving Friday, Dec. 4 - Sunday, Dec. 6

Missouri Invitational Columbia, Mo. All Day

Saturday, Dec. 5

Women’s Basketball (Colliers International Classic)

vs. Texas A&M Berkeley, Calif. 4:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

vs. Saint Louis University St. Louis, Mo. 7:05 p.m.

Football Playoffs (if necessary)

TBA Carbondale, Ill. TBA

Sunday, Dec. 6

Women’s Basketball

TBD Berkeley, Calif. TBD

Wednesday, Dec. 9

Men’s Basketball

vs. SEMO Cape Girardeau, Mo. 7:05 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 11/Saturday, Dec. 12

Football Playoffs (If necessary)

TBA TBA TBA

Saturday, Dec. 12

Men’s Basketball

vs. Alabama State Carbondale, Ill. 3:05 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

vs. Tennessee Tech Cookeville, Tenn. 4:00 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 18

Football Playoffs (if necessary) National Championship

TBA Chattanooga, Tenn. 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 19

Men’s Basketball Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic

vs. San Diego Las Vegas, Nev. 6:15 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

vs. Murray State Carbondale, Ill. 8:05 p.m.

Sunday, Dec.. 20

Men’s Basketball Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic

vs. San Francisco Las Vegas, Nev. 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec.. 22

Women’s Basketball

vs. Arkansas State Jonesboro, Ark. 7:05 p.m.