Thunder News and Headlines
4/23 - Football coach promoted to athletic director
ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine University head football coach Matt Land is now the university’s athletic director, officials announced today. In his new role, he will continue to serve as head football coach.
“Coach Land has had an exceptional record of success since he started at Trine in 2006, completely turning around our football program,” said Trine University president Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D. “In addition, he has a solid understanding of NCAA and MIAA rules. He has elevated our program to national recognition while exhibiting outstanding organizational, managerial and leadership skills, while representing Trine University well in the community.”
Land has coached the Thunder for six seasons, leading the team to three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships. In 2010, he was named d3football.com’s North Region Football Coach of the Year. Eric Watt, a 2010 graduate, won the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy under Land’s leadership. Land believes his success as a coach has come through hard work, attention to detail and work ethic, and he plans to implement the same in his role as athletic director.
Land has been coaching football since 1998, leading the United Indoor Football League’s Fort Wayne Freedom from 2003-2005 and 2008-2009. In Fort Wayne, as South Side High School teacher and coach, he took the Archers to three football sectional finals, one regional final and one appearance in the final four in four years. He came to Trine in 2007 with one goal: “To win, and I expected nothing less.”
At Trine, Land has endeavored to cultivate 150 football players, athletic trainers, staff and student coaches. He has experienced tremendous success as a coach, but his first priority has always been academics, and he doesn’t expect that to change.
In addition to administrative and supervisory experience, Land has overseen and approved schedules and contracts for NCAA events, taken active roles in fundraising efforts, and administered fiscal operations, including budget development and approval.
“In this role, I can now work to instill my philosophy that performance on the field is directly proportionate to behavior off the field,” Land said. “I hope to come alongside other coaches, offer support and guidance. In addition, and this will be the bulk of my workload, I plan to continue to improve Trine athletics from an administrative standpoint.”
A graduate of Fort Wayne Northrop High School, he earned his undergraduate degree at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and his master’s degree from Walden University. He lives in Fremont with his wife, Julie, daughter Emily, 10, and son Jake, 7. He enjoys his kids′ athletic endeavors, and coaches softball for Emily and basketball and baseball for Jake.
“With all that having been said, I view this opportunity as being a representative of and for the university, as a role model for young student-athletes and as a leader of the athletic department, in that order,” Land said. “I am excited about the opportunity to continue my career at Trine and to further demonstrate my leadership abilities to continue to improve Trine’s athletic programs.”
4/16 - Ohanesian and Senf Named Greim and Coons Honorees
ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine University will honor two student-athletes, Andy Ohanesian and Danielle Senf, with the Cheryl L. Coons Award and Robert L. Greim Award during ceremonies April 29.
Ohanesian is the Robert Greim Award recipient. This award is given to a senior male athlete who demonstrates leadership ability. Ohanesian was a three-year team captain and four-year starter on the soccer team. On the field, Ohanesian was twice named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week and earned All-MIAA First Team honors in 2011. In addition, he was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region Second Team.
Ohanesian will graduate in May with a degree in electrical engineering. He has maintained a 3.5 grade-point average. His outstanding academic success garnered honors as an NSCAA All-Regional Scholar in 2010 and 2011 in addition to being named an NSCAA All-American Scholar Honorable Mention in the same years. Ohanesian was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll in 2009 and is a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Outside of the university, Ohanesian has spent the last four years volunteering as a coach for the Angola Youth Soccer League.
“Andy has not only be one of our most talented players, but one our hardest working players [on the team],” head coach Trevor Ferrell says. “He has been a defensive leader for us since his freshmen year. Every game he sacrifices his body and constantly makes outstanding plays.”
Senf is the recipient of the Cheryl L. Coons Award, which is given to a senior female athlete who embodies the spirit of true competition. Senf has dealt with a heart condition that had to be constantly checked during games, but she never let that stop her. She overcame adversity and became the best defensive player in the conference. She was named one of the four finalists for the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Courageous Player Award, which was eventually given to Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt. Senf doesn’t let her condition phase her though as she spends time each week with Boston and Brooklyn McNamara, both of whom have special needs.
A four-year starter on the basketball team, Senf was a team captain during her senior season and set a single game record for steals. Senf became one of the best defensive players in the country during her time at Trine as she ranked 13th, 27th and again 13th in the country in steals per game from 2009-2012. Senf closed out her career at Trine with 335 steals, the second most steals in school history while adding 901 points, 429 rebounds and 267 assists. She was a two-time All-MIAA Second Team honoree during her sophomore and junior seasons.
Senf will graduate in May and has kept a 3.66 grade-point average while double majoring in psychology and criminal justice with a minor in communication. After graduation, Senf plans to attend graduate school to pursue a career in child psychology. A three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree, Senf was named to the Trine President’s List three times and the Dean’s List three times. She is a founding member of the National Society of Leadership and Success while earning multiple scholarships including the Distinguished Student Scholarship and MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Scholarship.
“Danielle embodies everything we hope for in our student-athletes at Trine,” interim athletic director Rob Harmon says. “She has worked hard her entire career both on and off the court and has the determination to succeed in anything she does. Danielle doesn’t let anything or anyone off or on the court stop her.”
The Cheryl L. Coons and Robert L. Greim Awards were established during the 1989-90 season by the then Tri-State University Athletic Department and were awarded for the first time in May 1990. The recipients of these awards are chosen by the Trine University coaching staff to recognize the outstanding male and female senior athlete each year. Nominations are based on athletic accomplishment, leadership, character, citizenship and scholarship. Each honoree will be recognized at Honors Day on April 29 from 2-4 p.m. in Hershey Hall.
4/2 - Retired NBA player Picked to Lead women’s basketball
ANGOLA, Ind. - A retired NBA sports legend, successful entrepreneur, and television and radio commentator will take the helm as Trine University’s head women’s basketball coach.
Steve Mix will head to Trine after more than 25 years of coaching, scouting and broadcasting experience and 13 years of professional basketball experience. Mix was a forward with a 13-year career from 1969-1972 and from 1973-1983. He played for the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers all of the NBA and the Denver Rockets of the ABA. Mix represented the 76ers in the 1975 NBA All-Star Game. He made it to the NBA Finals four times during his illustrious career.
“We are pleased and excited to welcome Coach Mix to Trine University,” said Trine University president Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D. “He brings a wealth of knowledge of the sport, as a player, coach and scout. He has a keen ability to hone in on players’ strengths and take them to the next level.”
Most recently, Mix has served as the assistant director of the Toledo Elite Women’s AAU Program, where he helped numerous players reach their goals of playing college basketball. He is the owner and president of Steve Mix Basketball Academy and Camps and the president of Find a Way, a nonprofit organization that helps Toledo Public School athletes.
Mix will cultivate high school coach relationships to maximize recruiting efforts and ensure the Lady Thunder continue to improve their game. This year the team started the season 6-0, their best start since 1996-97, when they also started the year 6-0. Senior Danielle Senf broke her own school record for steals, picking up 11. Although the team didn’t qualify for the MIAA tournament, they secured a double-digit winning season for the third time in the last four seasons.
“I am excited to be a part of the Trine University athletic community. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to build my own program and reaching championship level at Trine,” Mix said. “It’s a thriving campus with serious student-athletes. I have no doubt that with my experience in the sport and their hard work and determination, the Lady Thunder can meet with success.”
1/23 - Volleyball Team to Host high school Clinic
Trine University is hosting a Volleyball Clinic Saturday, January 28th. The clinic will begin at 8:30 a.m. and complete at 11:00 a.m. The cost is $25 and YOU MUST pre-register through email by Friday, January 27th. The clinic will provide position specific instruction along with general skills and combined play. It is limited to the first 30 participants (grades 9-12). Check-in begins at 8:15 a.m. in Hershey Hall on the campus of Trine University. Please reserve your spot by emailing Coach Wozniak at wozniakj@trine.edu with your athlete’s name, grade, and position.
1/10 - Ravellette Named Offensive Line Coach
Abbs Promoted to Full-Time Position
ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine University head football coach Matt Land has announced the appointment of Eric Ravellette as an assistant coach and that current assistant coach Troy Abbs has been promoted to a full-time position.
Ravellette, who will serve as the offensive line coach for the Thunder, previously spent four seasons at Division II Ferris State where oversaw the Bulldogs’ offensive line and strength and conditioning. Prior to Ferris, Ravellette spent two seasons as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Division I Southeast Missouri State University.
Ravellette, a Vincennes, Ind. Native, graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2003 where he was a starter for the 2002 team that won the Division I-AA national championship. Ravellette also spent two seasons at WKU where he worked the 2003 and 2005 seasons coaching the tight ends. Between stints, Ravellette served as a graduate assistant at New Mexico State.
Coach Ravellette earned his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Western Kentucky.
Abbs has been a part Thunder football since he arrived at Trine in 2006 and currently serves as the defensive coordinator. Under Abbs, the Thunder defense has set several team records and been near the top in Division III in several defensive categories including turnover margin and total defense.
Before joining the Thunder, coach Abbs worked with the Fort Wayne Freedom as the defensive line coach. Prior to his time with the Freedom, Abbs coached for eight years at Fort Wayne Carroll High School and one year at East Noble High School.
Prior to coaching, Abbs was a member of both the baseball and football teams while working on his bachelor degree at Hanover College where he was a member of two ICAC Football Championships. Abbs was also an All-Conference baseball player. In 2006, Abbs earned his Masters of Science in educational leadership from Indiana University.
12/19 - Trine no longer sponsoring field hockey
ANGOLA, Ind. - After a review of its athletic programs, Trine University no longer will field its intercollegiate field hockey program, effective at the end of the 2011 season.
Trine, a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) at the NCAA Division III level, started its field hockey program in 2009 with high hopes. Although the MIAA does not sponsor field hockey as a conference sport, Trine University officials were hoping it would gain interest throughout the region.
“After two full seasons and evaluating the program, we made the difficult decision to discontinue field hockey,” said athletic director Jeff Posendek.
Head field hockey coach, Kylie Burghardt, will continue to serve as assistant women’s lacrosse coach in the Trine athletic department.
Trine has an enrollment of a 2,345 students and maintains 21 sponsored varsity athletic programs - nine for women and ten for men. The women’s programs include: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. The men’s programs include: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field and wrestling.
11/16 - Trevor Ferrell Named Men’s Soccer Head Coach
ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine University Athletic Director Jeff Posendek announced that head men’s soccer coach Mike Ferrell has stepped down from his position and assistant coach Trevor Ferrell will take over as head coach effective immediately. Mike will continue to work with the team as an assistant coach while continuing his work with the Thunder Club.
“Trevor has been a part of the program here for eight years and we are excited for him to take over for his father,” Posendek said. “We are eager to see what Trevor can do and look forward to the continued success our program has had recently.”
Trevor, a 2006 graduate of Trine (then Tri-State), played soccer for the Thunder from 2003-2006. Trevor began serving as an assistant coach in 2008 when Mike took over the program. During his time as an assistant, Trevor coordinated practices along with implemented game philosophies. Trevor will now take over the day-to-day decisions of the team along with added recruiting decisions.
“I appreciate the opportunity Jeff and the university have given me,” Trevor said. “The team is excited about the change and I think I can bring a sense of youth and excitement to our current and incoming players. I look forward to ensuring stability for our program and continue the success of this season.”
The Thunder are coming off one of their best seasons in the past decade as they finished third in the MIAA with an overall record of 13-5-2. The team was ranked as high as third in the NSCAA regional rankings as well as being national ranked in several statistical categories. The program is losing nine seniors but Trevor knows that the legacy they are leaving behind will help built for a better future.
Mike spent 19 seasons leading the men's soccer program. In 2008 he returned to lead the Thunder after being away for four years. Ferrell moved to the Office of Alumni & Development in 2004 after serving as head coach since 1988
9/6 - MIAA To Add Men’s, Women’s Lacrosse in 2012-13
ROYAL OAK, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced today (Tuesday, Sept. 6) that it will add men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse as varsity conference sports, effective with the 2012-13 season, the 125th anniversary season for America’s oldest collegiate athletic conference.
Competition in men’s and women’s lacrosse will begin with the fall non-traditional season in 2012 and conclude with conference regular season and tournament play in the spring of 2013, Commissioner David Neilson said.
The addition of these sports brings to 20 the number of varsity sports the MIAA will sponsor in 2012-13, and marks the first new sports to be added to the conference’s lineup since it added women’s golf in 1991.
Seven MIAA member schools will sponsor men’s and women’s lacrosse in the 2012-13 season – Adrian, Albion, Alma, Calvin, Hope, Olivet and Trine, Neilson said.
With the minimum of seven participating conference schools, the MIAA will receive an automatic qualification to NCAA Division III postseason competition immediately.
Founded in 1888, the MIAA is the nation’s oldest collegiate athletic conference. Member institutions are Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Calvin College, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Olivet College, Saint Mary’s College and Trine University.
9/1-Thunder Defense Dominates In 24-13 Opening Win
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The defense for Trine University showed what it can do despite returning just four starters from last season, as the Thunder rolled 24-13 over Manchester College. It is the fifth season-opener in a row that Trine has won and improves their regular season unbeaten streak to 19 games.
Just three plays into Manchester’s opening drive, sophomore Jordan Hamilton (Churubusco, Ind./Churubusco) intercepted Justin Minnichs’ pass and returned it 47 yards for the touchdown. Manchester got the ball back after the kickoff and just four plays in, it was sophomore Myron Puryear (Plymouth, Mich./Canton) intercepting the Spartan pass after it was tipped by senior Brock Reinig (Leo, Ind./Leo) and returned it to the Manchester 10 yard line. From there junior quarterback Ryan Hargraves (Taylor, Mich./Truman) found fellow junior tight end Sean Collins (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) wide-open in the end zone with a jump pass as Trine led 14-0 just four minutes into the game.
Manchester would pull within a score Corey Nelson ran in from five yards out with 4:48 left in the first quarter.
The second quarter started in a similar fashion as the first for the defense. This time is was senior Aaron Shoemaker (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) who recovered the Spartan fumble and returned it 27 yards for the score.
Sophomore Tyler Keck (Elkhart, Ind./Memorial) rounded out the scored in the first half as he nailed his first career field goal from 37 yards out giving the Thunder a 24-7 lead at halftime.
The second half saw both teams offense run five or fewer plays through the first several series to open the quarter. The third quarter was the only period where neither team could find the end zone.
After Trine opened the final quarter missing on a 4th and 4, Manchester also turned the ball over after an incomplete pass on 4th and 5.
On the first play of the next series, Hargraves was hit hard by Spartan defender Dylin Kennedy who knocked the ball loose allowing Manchester to recover deep in Thunder territory. After a 31-yard play, the Spartans scored two plays later to cut the Trine lead to 11, after a missed extra point.
Trine followed with their longest possession of the game totaling 13 plays for 7:11. However, the end result was a Keck field goal attempt that missed wide left from 35 yards. The Thunder wrapped up the game as Reinig sacked the Spartan quarterback on a 4th and 8 to turn the ball over on downs.
In his first career start, Hargraves earned the victory while going 14-for-21 for 126 yards and a touchdown. Hargraves also ran the ball nine times for 15 yards. On the ground, junior Devin Leas (Poneto, Ind./Southern Wells) led the Thunder with 41 yards on 11 rushes while senior Kent Biller (Nappanee, Ind./Northwood) tallied 37 yards on a game-high 15 attempts. Collins along with fellow juniors Ja Vontae Hence (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) and Will Chrystal (Portage, Mich./Northern) each pulled in three catches. Hence also racked up a game-high 60 yards receiving.
The Thunder held a slim margin in total offense at 242-to-203. Trine ran the ball 46 times for 116 yards compared to 102 yards for the Spartans. Trine also held a 126-to-101 yards in passing. Both sides had double-digit first downs, Trine with 14 and the Spartans with 10. The biggest difference in the game came on turnovers and third downs. Trine forced four turnovers, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. On third down, the Thunder defense held Manchester to 0-for-12 on conversions while Trine was 7-for-17. Manchester was also 0-for-4 on fourth down.
Trine will look to continue their winning ways as they host Bluffton on September 10 for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
6/25 - Trine to Host 2012 Championship
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For the first-time in school history, Trine University will host an NCAA national championship event.
The NCAA announced today that Trine will host the 2012 Women’s Golf National Championship. The championship is tentatively scheduled for May 8-11 or May 9-12.
This will mark the sixth time overall the Thunder have hosted a national championship event. As an NAIA program, the Thunder hosted the 1987, 1990 and 1992 Men’s golf National Championships. Hershey Hall was the venue for the 1996 and 1997 Women’s Basketball Division II National Championships. Trine also hosted the Division III Midwest Wrestling Regional in 2009.
