Sports Briefs Fall 2020
Stats
Two
twins born in May to Ƶ lacrosse head coach Ann Elliot Whidden
3.491
average Spring 2020 GPA for all 338 student-athletes, a new single-semester high
Four
returning senior men's golfers for 2020-21 who had their original final season cut short last year
500+
Ƶ student-athletes, staff and community participants in June's Buffs March to protest racial injustice
909
days from when Andre Roberson (Comm ex'14) ruptured his left patellar tendon and returned to play for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder this July
Buffs Bits
Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Ceal Barry retired July 1 after 43 years in college athletics. At Ƶ, she coached women’s basketball for 22 years before serving in administration the last 15 years. ... Richard Rokos, head ski coach for the past 30 seasons, announced 2021 will be his last year. Since his hiring, the Buffs have qualified for every NCAA championship and won eight of them. ... Track stars Dani Jones (Psych, SLHSci’20), Joe Klecker (BioChem’20) and Makena Morley (Anth, Engl’20) announced they are forgoing remaining seasons of eligibility to pursue pro careers. ... With the departure of John Graves (Ѳ’09), Taylor Stratton (EBio, EnvSt, Geog’13) was named manager of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program. She served as assistant coach for the last four years. ... Senior women’s golfer Kirsty Hodgkins (MechEngr’21) reached the Round of 64 at the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur in August. ... Ƶ men’s basketball star point guard McKinley Wright IV (Ethn’21) will return to play with the Buffs for the 2021 season. ... The Pac-12 announced Aug. 11 that no fall sports would be played in 2020. In late September, however, the conference released a shortened football schedule with games beginning Nov. 7. ... On Sept. 16, the NCAA granted a Nov. 25 start date for men’s and women’s basketball.
Betty Hoover of the "Ƶ Twins" dies at 95
The Buffs lost legendary fan Betty Fitzgerald Hoover (A&S’46), twin sister to Peggy Fitzgerald Coppom (A&S’46), to pancreatic cancer Aug. 5, 2020. As Ƶ athletic director Rick George said, “If you know Ƶ Athletics you know Betty and Peggy.” Hoover held season tickets for football since 1958 and basketball since 1979 when the Ƶ Events Center opened. The “Ƶ Twins” grew up on Colorado’s eastern plains before moving to Longmont in 1939 and then to Boulder a year later. Attendance at Boulder High and Ƶ followed, as did husbands and seven children between their two families. For the last 30 years, Betty and Peggy were inseparable. They garnered national attention and local affection for their matching outfits, pompoms and enthusiasm. Women’s basketball head coach JR Payne said, “Betty and Peggy have blessed so many with their unwavering spirit and love for everyone.” Hoover connected with numerous student-athletes as well: Men’s basketball’s Evan Battey (Jour’22) wrote of Hoover, “Thank you for giving me a shoulder to lean on.”
Photo courtesy Ƶ Althetics