C-USA Staffers Get CPR Certified

Conference USA staffers recently participated in a certification class for CPR next to their Las Colinas headquarters in Irving, Texas. The hands-on training was taught by an instructor from the American Heart Association and served as a refresher course for some staff but provided life-saving techniques to the entire group. Participants learned how to recognize and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies. It also familiarized the participants with the use and safe operation of an AED/Automated External Defibrillator for victims of cardiac arrest. Of course, you hope it is something you hope you never need but C-USA staff members are prepared!

C-USA Searching for Musical Talent

Wanted: A high energy original song with inspiring and/or motivating lyrics for a Conference USA commercial. C-USA seeks an original tune for its image spot to air on national television and website networks. Whether you’re a garage band, semi-pro, soloist, guitar hero, wedding singer, weekend gig, up and comer, moonlighter – if your music just needs to be heard – we’re looking for a song that tells our story and we are searching the C-USA community to find it. Instrumental versions also accepted. If your music fits the bill, send us a digital sound clip (.wma or .mp3 preferred) to info@c-usa.org. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Abdul-Qaadir Dines at White House Iftar

University of Memphis freshman basketball player Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir dined with President Barack Obama and invited American Muslim guests for an iftar dinner Tuesday night. An iftar is a meal that occurs following sunset during the month of Ramadan on the Muslim calendar. Muslims fast from sunup to sundown during Ramadan and break their respective fasts with a meal called iftar (literally ‘break fast’). Ramadan began on August 22nd and continues through Sept. 19th.
The iftar meal took place in the State Dining Room and the Tiger freshman guard planned to present a special copy of the Qur’an to the President as part of the evening’s festivities. The evening’s feast was scheduled to “highlight the contributions of American Muslims” according to an announcement by the White House Press Office. Abdul-Qaadir was selected to receive the invitation as a female American Muslim who broke the Massachusetts state scoring record (male or female) last fall while a senior at New Leadership Charter School in her native Springfield. She broke the state scoring record previously held by Rebecca Lobo and finished her prep career with 3,070 points.

The iftar dinner follows a White House tradition that predates Obama’s time in office. President Bill Clinton hosted the first iftar meal at the White House, and President George Bush continued the tradition throughout both of his terms. To view the the President's remarks before hosting the dinner, click here.

First Knight in Space

Mission specialist and UCF graduate Nicole Stott is currently aboard the Space shuttle Discovery that launched Friday, Aug. 28, at 11:59 p.m. Stott and fellow specialist Danny Olivas completed the first spacewalk of the mission yesterday. The shuttle is carrying equipment, experiments and supplies for the International Space Station, including the COLBERT treadmill, named for comedian Stephen Colbert. The mission will last 13 days and is scheduled to return Sept. 10 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch has a special meaning to UCF students and alumni as Stott is the first Knight in space. A native of Clearwater, Fla., Stott earned a Master's degree in Engineering Managment from UCF in 1992. She joined NASA in 1988 as an operations engineer at the Kennedy Space Center. Selected as a mission specialist by NASA in July 2000, Stott reported for astronaut candidate training in August 2000 and following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, has performed technical and astronaut support duties, and worked with a crew on an underwater research habitat. She is currently assigned to a long duration space flight as a member of the ISS Expeditions 20 and 21 crews. She is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station with the crew of STS-128 and return with the crew of STS-129. For an in-depth pre-flight interview with Stott, click here. For blog updates from Stott and the crew during the mission, including a photo of Stott's spacewalk, click here.

SMU Garners Presidential Visit

Former President George W. Bush donned an SMU cap while visiting a Mustang football practice yesterday in Dallas. Head coach June Jones had given Mr. Bush a practice schedule and invited him to stop by practice and speak to the team when he could. Bush was joined by SMU President R. Gerald Turner and the former president briefly addressed the players after the practice session. He watched about an hour of drills and said he's an an SMU rookie, it's his first year. Jones later tweeted, "(The President) talked to the guys and told them he will be supporting SMU and Dallas for the years to come."

C-USA at the ESPY's

Last Sunday night ESPN presented its annual ESPY awards show in Los Angeles. One of the major award winners is a current student at a Conference USA school. Gymnast Nastia Luikin, a student at SMU, was named Female Athlete of the Year.

She was the 2008 Olympic individual all-around gold medalist, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars. With nine World Championships medals, seven of them individual, Liukin is tied with Shannon Miller as the American gymnast having won the most World Championship medals. Liukin has also tied Miller's record as the American gymnast having won the most medals in a single non-boycotted Olympic Games.

In addition to her ESPY award, she has been named the FIG Athlete of the Year, the Women’s Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year and the United States Sports Academies Female Athlete of the Year.

Luikin was born in Moscow, but moved to the United States when she was three years old. She resides in Parker, Texas and did her Olympic training in Plano, a north suburb of Dallas. She is an international business major at SMU.

C-USA Schools Show Strong in Excellence in Management Cup Standings

C-USA was one of two leagues to place five of its member schools in the Top 25 of the Excellence in Management Cup standings. Tulsa was the the league's top finisher at No. 8, followed by SMU (10), Rice (12), Tulane (13) and East Carolina (21). UCF landed in the Other Notables on the list. The Excellence in Management Cup was established by the Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (LSIA) at Texas A&M University in order to address the question of: Who is the most economically efficient athletic department in Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A)? The standings are based on a unique, yet simple, scoring system that awards more points to athletic departments that win conference and national championships while efficiently allocating money to win these events.

Donnan Part of 2009 College Football Hall of Fame Class

The 2009 class of the College Football Hall of Fame will be enshrined Saturday, July 18, in South Bend, Ind., and live coverage will be provided for the first time by CBS College Sports from 8:30-10:15 ET. The group of 21 that will headline the show at the Century Center include former Marshall coach Jim Donnan. As head coach of the Thundering Herd from 1990-95, Donnan rewrote the record books posting 64 wins and leading Marshall to the 1992 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship title. Donnan is featured here as part of the College Football Hall of Fame's Countdown to Enshrinement.

Pete Gillen Joins USO's Operation Hoop Talk

CBS College Sports analyst (and voice of numerous C-USA basketball telecasts) Pete Gillen recently participated in the USO's "Operation Hoop Talk: Talking Hoops with the Troops" initiative. Gillen and seven other prominent college basketball coaches and sports personalities traveled to the Persian Gulf to visit troops and in addition to sharing trade secrets and hosting free clinics, the group signed autographs, posed for photographs and interacted with troops. The league sent C-USA t-shirts with Gillen for the troops. The group also visited hospitals in the Virginia and D.C. areas before they left on the trip. For more about Gillen's his experience overseas, click here.

SMU Tennis Coach Named One of DFW's Most Notable

2009 Conference USA Women's Tennis Coach of the Year Lauren Longbotham-Meisner was recently named one of the most notable women in sports in Dallas-Fort Worth by the local NBC affiliate. Longbotham-Meisner, head coach at SMU, guided the Mustangs to the winningest women's tennis season in school history and their first conference title this season. A former high school state champion from Groesbeck, Texas, Longbotham-Meisner has her sights set even higher for the program. For an in depth look her interesting story, click here.

C-USA on the Links

Former UAB men's golfer Grame McDowell finished in a tie for seventh in the PGA St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx in Memphis last weekend. McDowell posted the best final round of the day at -7 to finish -11 in the tournament. After a distinguished Irish amateur career, Graeme took up a golf scholarship with the Blazers in 1998. He earned all-conference honors in 2001 and 2002 and helped UAB to a 12th place finish at the NCAA Championship in 2001. He turned pro in 2002 and has competed on both the U.S. and European tours, earning enough money to become fully exempt on the PGA Tour in 2006. He returned full-time to the European Tour in 2007 and experienced a breakout year in 2008, highlighted by his first appearance on the European Ryder Cup team. With a secure spot in the World Top 50, he plans a global 2009 schedule, playing Majors, WGC's, some PGA Tour events and the European Tour. To follow McDowell on the tour, click here.

C-USA Remembers Brenda Weare

Today the C-USA family remembers Brenda Weare, commissioner of the Northeastern Conference, who passed away on Saturday. A passionate champion for intercollegiate athletics, Brenda was an associate commissioner on the Conference USA staff from 1995 until she was named NEC Commissioner in August, 2006. A seasoned athletic administrator, Brenda served on numerous NCAA committees and national sports organizations during her career. In October 2008, she was named the inaugural recipient of the NACWAA Award of Distinction, honoring her unique professional contributions, extraordinary service and professional accomplishments and personal courage. Brenda waged a courageous battle with synovial cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. In the three years she directed the NEC, she took the league to new heights and just recently the NEC Commissioner's Cup was renamed in her honor. The newly established Brenda Weare NACWAA Leadership Scholarship fund also honors her legacy. Brenda's colleagues at the NEC said so eloquently, "Her dedication and commitment to making an impact on the lives of student-athletes was evident to all who knew her and will serve as one of her lasting legacies. She will be sorely missed by her family, friends, colleagues and all who had a chance to cross her path."

Southern Miss Baseball Heads to Omaha for the CWS

Southern Miss head baseball coach Corky Palmer has left his mark on the Golden Eagles - on the teams he has guided for the past 12 years, the student-athletes he has cultivated and the baseball program and facilities he has worked hard to improve and enhance. Palmer recently announced his retirement as head baseball coach, but hasn't hung up his coaching uniform just yet. While hosting the 2009 C-USA Baseball Championship, the Golden Eagles made a run for the league title, playing in the championship game. Their run put them in the NCAA Championship and continued with a regional title, a sweep over Florida in the Super Regional and their first appearance in the College World Series in Omaha. A mecca of college baseball tradition, Omaha hosts the CWS for the 59th time June 13-24 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. To follow the Golden Eagles on their storybook run and learn more about the CWS tradition in Omaha, click here. (Photo courtesy of Hattiesburg American)

Mendoza Shooting for Big Break

Former UTEP standout golfer Gerina Mendoza is taking part in the latest installment of The Big Break. In its 11th season, the Golf Channel’s hit series, Big Break, features 12 aspiring golfers competing in some of the toughest golf skills challenges. All the contestants share the passion and determination to turn Pro. Each week the pressure continues to build up as one bad shot could be the difference from making their dreams come true or going home. Every week one person is eliminated until the final two golfers left standing play against one another in 18 holes of match-play golf. This season, for the first time in Big Break history, the players are battling it out for a cash prize of $100,000. The winner will have enough cash to finance their dream of playing on tour for an entire year. Six men and six women compete against each other in Big Break: Prince Edward Island. New episodes are every Monday at 9 p.m. ET. Mendoza is currently among the final six contestants.

A two-time all-conference performer, she won medalist honors at the 2007 C-USA Championship. To follow Mendoza on The Big Break, tune in to the Golf Channel or click here.

Marshall Retires D'Antoni's Jersey

New York Kicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni was honored by his alma mater at the 2009 Big Green Banquet with the retirement of the #10 that he wore as a standout at Marshall from 1970 to 1973. He is is the seventh Marshall men's basketball player to have his jersey retired. In his three seasons at Marshall, D'Antoni led the Thundering Herd to a 59-21 overall record and berths in both the NCAA (1971-72 season) and NIT (1972-73 season) post-season tournaments. He helped the 1971-72 team to a 23-4 overall record and a national ranking of 12th in the final Associated Press Poll - the highest final ranking in school history at the Division I level.
The Mullens, W. Va., native is Marshall's only two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American (1972 and 1973) and holds the school record for career assists per game with 8.23 per contest. He ranks second all-time in total assists with 659 despite playing just three seasons of varsity basketball. D'Antoni set a school-record for single-season assists with 241 and assists per game in a single season with 8.9 during the 1971-72 season. All of those marks still stand. (courtesy of herdzone.com)

ECU Pair Flourishes in Winemaking

Meet Dusty Field and Jason Earnest, East Carolina alums with a shared interest in wine, that have found success in the grapes of their own winery, Tobacco Road Cellars. In the few short years since Field and Earnest started Tobacco Road Cellars, their wines have received numerous accolades from the industry and a fan following that includes the likes of ECU Head Football Coach Skip Holtz and his wife Jennifer. Tobacco Road Cellars is a boutique winery that bottles ultra premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris. For more on the duo and their journey into winemaking, click here.

Wedding Bells for Memphis Hoops Coach Josh Pastner

It's been a whirlwind for new Memphis head basketball coach Josh Pastner. In addition to taking over the reins of the Tiger men's basketball program, Pastner also took on the title of Groom on May 16th as he married Kerri Lamas in a small ceremony in Memphis. And that may have been the only time his cell phone has been on silent (or just vibrate). All the best to Mr. and Mrs. Pastner and for an in-depth look at the Tigers' new coach in his first head coaching stint, click here.

Ellen DeGeneres Speaks at 2009 Tulane Commencement

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres returned to her hometown of New Orleans to deliver the commencement speech to the Class of 2009, the "Katrina Class" — students displaced by Hurricane Katrina nearly four years ago. Tulane President Scott Cowen presented DeGeneres with the Tulane University President's Medal for her work to raise money and awareness for New Orleans after Katrina. DeGeneres made a surprise appearance in 2006 during the commencement address by George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. To watch her funny, poignant, insightful (and more funny) speech, click here.

Former ECU LB Jeff Kerr Earns NASCAR Honors

A former linebacker at East Carolina, Jeff Kerr was known for his tenacity and his ability to read opposing offenses. Now, instead of maneuvering around receivers, he is jacking up race cars on NASCAR’s pit row. Kerr, jackman for the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 1 team with driver Martin Truex Jr., won his second individual skills title May 14 during the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge with a time of 5.666 seconds. Kerr also won the individual title in 2006. For more on Kerr in NASCAR, click here.

C-USA at the Movies

Currently filming in Atlanta and scheduled for a November 2009 release, The Blind Side, is a movie about a wealthy couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Touhy, who take in a homeless African-American teenager and mentor him. It is based on the best-selling book, The Blind Side: Evolution Of The Game, written by Michael Lewis and based on the real-life story of Michael Oher. Oher, who inspired the book, was selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft. Set to play the role of Leigh Anne Touhy is Sandra Bullock, one of Hollywood's most popular actresses and former student at East Carolina University. Kathy Bates, an SMU alum, will star alongside Bullock, as a no-nonsense tutor hired by Bullock to knock the teen into shape.

SMU Alum and former First Lady Laura Bush on Life in Dallas

SMU alum and former First Lady Laura Bush recently sat down for her first local televsion interview since she and husband, former President George Bush, moved back to Texas. The couple now reside in Dallas and Mrs. Bush, one of the most popular first ladies, talked about life after the White House. One of her current projects is working on plans for the Bush presidential library. She will also deliver the address at SMU’s 94th Commencement ceremony on May 16. For the complete story and interview, click here.

Follow the C-USA Softball Championship Game on Twitter

On Saturday, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT, CBS College Sports Network will broadcast the Conference USA Softball Championship from Helen of Troy Softball Complex in El Paso, Texas. Play-by-play announcer Carter Blackburn teams with analyst Tammy Blackburn to call the action. As a special in-game feature, fans are invited to follow along and interact with Carter and Tammy on Twitter. Both announcers will be “Tweeting” on-site, providing insights and observations about the game. Fans can follow them via their Twitter feeds, CarterBlackburn and TBlackburn25.

For more on the C-USA Softball Championship, click here.

Fire Up The Grill

It's grillin' season and if you live in a C-USA city, chances are you are grilling all year long. Barbecue is a popular topic around the league and one of the experts is Houston women's basketball coach Joe Curl. The passion that Curl has for the game of basketball is evident for anyone who has the chance to see him in action on the floor, but the UH court-general has has also drawn praise from Cougar fans for his work not only as a coach but as a grill master.When named Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2004, Curl joked to USA Today that he is a better cook than coach. Cougar fans, as well as friends and family, have enjoyed the benefit of his skills on the grill. In addition to family gatherings, Curl is known to fire up his massive, mobile grill, which is pulled by his pick-up truck, on Saturday’s for tailgating Cougar football fans, as well as after practices and meetings with his team. Curl shared one of his recipes with C-USA Odds&Ends.

Grilled Onions from Joe Curl
-Chop up several onions
-Place chopped onions in a tin pan
-Add light olive oil, stir thoroughly
-Cover onions with paprika, stir again thoroughly
-Add salt and pepper to taste
-Cook hard for 60-90 minutes or until onions are nice and soft

Diary of an NFL Draftee

The Houston Texans selected tight end Rice TE James Casey in the fifth round (152nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft on Sunday. Casey joins the Texans after shattering the Owls’ single-season mark for receiving yards with 1,329 as a sophomore in 2008. He also set a Conference USA single-season record for catches with 111, registered 13 touchdown receptions and six rushing touchdowns, and threw two touchdown passes. A versatile athlete, the 24-year-old spent four years as a minor league baseball player in the Chicago White Sox organization before joining the Owls’ football program.

Watch Casey's introductory press conference with the Texans, click here.

Casey has been chronicling his path to the NFL Draft since January in a blog on NFLPlayers.com. Check out his final entry and earlier posts as he begins his professional football career three miles down the road from where he starred in college.

C-USA Cheering Section Part Two

Congratulations to Megan Dodge, director of marketing at Rice, and now officially a Houston Texans cheerleader! Megan's selection was announced live tonight on the Texans Internet TV. Follow Megan and the squad at http://www.houstontexans.com/cheerleaders/.

C-USA Cheering Section

Megan Dodge, marketing director at Rice, is a finalist for the Houston Texans cheerleaders. The Texans are calling on fans to vote for their favorites and the squad will be announced via live streaming on Thursday, April 30. Voting ends tomorrow at Noon. Check out the finalists and cast a vote for Megan D. (#38) at www.houstontexans.com/cheerleaders/.

Fathers and Sons

Following in the footsteps of their legendary fathers, Aaron Stewart and Marcus Jordan hope to make their own mark as student-athletes on C-USA campuses.

Stewart, son of golf's endearing Payne Stewart, just finished his first season on the golf team at SMU, also his father's alma mater. SMU recently finished second at the 2009 C-USA Men's Golf Championship in Orlando. A self-described late bloomer to the game, Stewart is dedicated to following his father's path and while he continues to develop his game, a short walk to Heritage Hall on campus featuring his father's likeness, pictures and stories, gives him the opportunity to reconnect with his dad. For an in-depth look at Aaron Stewart, visit this link:

http://smu.edu/newsinfo/excerpts/aaron-stewart-dmn-6oct2007.asp

Jordan, son of basketball's renowned Michael Jordan, recently committed to play men's basketball at UCF. Marcus, a 6-2, 180 lb. guard/forward, made his decision one week after visiting the Knights' campus. Marcus led his Chicago high school team to a state championship this spring and was also named MVP. His former teammate just finished his freshman year at UCF. Known for his defense, knowledge of the game and will to win "just like his dad," Marcus looks to make an immediate impact with the Knights next season. For more on Marcus Jordan: announcement and in-depth profile.

Photos courtesy of dallasnews.com and orlandosentinel.com

Rose named NBA Rookie of the Year

Derrick Rose, the 2007-08 C-USA Freshman of the Year and former standout at Memphis, was named NBA Rookie of the Year today. Selected by the Chicago Bulls as the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft last season, the point guard has made an impact on the league and emerged as a team leader for the Bulls. Rose, a Chicago native who grew up rooting for the Bulls and idolizing Michael Jordan, has led the Bulls back to the playoffs taking on the Boston Celtics in the first round.

http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/rose_roy_090422.html

photo courtesy of chicagobulls.com

Show your team spirit

If you are looking to show off your team colors closer to home or would like to tackle another home improvement project, check out the Conference USA collection of Team Colors by Glidden online at http://www.mostcolorfulfan.com/ or at your local Home Depot. The brochure provides lots of cool ideas for bringing your favorite team colors to any room in your house or even the outside if you are an ultimate fan. The virtual room creator tool lets you put all the colors together in a sample room. Find the perfect shade of UAB green, Memphis blue or any of the official colors of all 12 C-USA teams.

Send us photos of your finished room and we'll share them on our website.

East Carolina student crowned Miss USA 2009

Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton crowned Miss USA 2009

Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton, a senior psychology and Spanish major at East Carolina University,was crowned Miss USA 2009 on April 19 in Las Vegas.

http://www.reflector.com/news/east-carolina-student-crowned-miss-usa-555810.html

photo courtesy of missuniverse.com