Ripon athletics provide excitement for fall

A year of spectacular sports at Ripon has almost made the coming of summer a disappointment to sports fans. Red Hawks everywhere have been made proud throughout the season. Whether it was thanks to the soldiers of the gridiron who came within two dramatic losses of finishing the 2008 season undefeated, or due to the inspirational run of the Lady Hawks of the hardwood, who shot their way to a Midwest Conference Championship, it has been a great year to be a Red Hawk.

Collegiate sports may be winding down before the summer, but fall sports are not far around the corner. Along with colorful leaves and crisp winds, the sounds of crashing helmets, thudding kicks, and whipping rackets will be ready to greet the students of Ripon College back to campus come August.

For the Ripon football team, anything less than a Midwest Conference Championship is a disappointment.

"Our number one goal every year is to win the conference championship," explained Head Coach Ron Ernst.

That objective was as far as Ernst would go in explaining his aspirations for the 2009 campaign.

"I never make decisions until we're out there playing. Everything is going to be wide open, whoever plays best will start," said Ernst.

Regardless of who will be stepping into starting roles under the lights of Ingalls Field, this much is certain, the cleats to fill will be large. The Red Hawks lost five senior starters from their vaunted defense after the 2008 season.

"There's no question we have some shoes to be filled within our defense, losing five starters," admitted junior linebacker Ryan Andersen. "All five of them were All-Conference at one point or another."

After finishing the season at 8-2, losing one game by one point and the other by three, the Red Hawks are certainly eager to return to action.

"We came up four points short of an undefeated season and three points short of a conference title," explained Andersen. "So without a doubt we are all hungry to get a little redemption and build off what we did last year."

Shifting from the football field to the soccer pitch, the expectations may dwindle, but the Ripon soccer teams will both be brimming with excitement.

For the Ripon women's soccer team, head coach Chris Trudell is looking forward to opportunities for improvement.

After a sub-par campaign in 2008, Trudell established finishing in the top four of the Midwest Conference as the primary team goal for 2009.

"I think we have a great core group of girls willing to accept responsibility who are coming back," said Trudell.

Trudell's optimism is most certainly warranted, as the team loses only one significantly played senior to graduation after the season.

The Ripon men's team has a different reason for anticipation. New head coach Lance Gordon will step onto the sidelines for the first time with a new attitude and a new system that he hopes his players will catch onto sooner rather than later.

"My main goal for next season is to get my players to buy into my system. Coach Parker used a 3-4-3 system which is very aggressive offensively, while my system is more defensive," explained Gordon.

Gordon emphasized looking ahead, noting that his goals were not going to be too lofty.

"I just want to see us get better, individually and as a team," he explained. "It's going to be about how fast they can buy into the system."

Just north of Prairie Field lie Larson Courts, home to a steadily improving and certainly promising Ripon women's tennis team.

After finally landing a prized recruit to be a solid #1 singles player for last season in Josie Ullsperger, head coach John Dinegan is now more focused on re-tooling the middle of his lineup after the departure of five senior players including #3 singles player Arielle Denis.

Despite these losses, Dinegan is confident in his team's depth and the personnel he has waiting in the wings.

"I think we have some people who haven't been able to crack the top six lineup who will step in," said Dinegan.

Dinegan hopes that the gradual improvement of the program will continue in the 2009 campaign, hoping to improve the team's 8th place finish at conference.

"We've got some unknowns, but the encouraging thing is that four years ago we were trying to build numbers and now we are able to work fully on improving the quality of tennis," explained Dinegan.

Whether it be on Ingalls' or Prairie Fields, or Larson Courts, autumn will bring plenty of excitement and show plenty of potential for Ripon athletics.