Hello Monarch Nation, and welcome to The Monarch Premier. The Monarch Premier is a student run publication, and is dedicated to Old Dominion University Athletics.
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On this site, fans of ODU Athletics will have the opportunity to connect with some of their favorite athletes through various articles.
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At The Monarch Premier our aim isn’t just to give you the same old sports stories you can get everywhere else, but instead to give our readers that in-depth/behind the scenes look at some of the most popular athletes that campus has to offer.
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The Monarch Premier has a responsibility to provide readers with a fresh and diverse look at ODU athletics. The Monarch Premier isn’t a publication strictly for basketball or football, instead it will feature stories about athletes from every sport campus has to offer.
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The Monarch Premier will familiarize Monarch Nation with some of the more unfamiliar, yet equally amazing athletes,sports, and stories on campus.
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So, come back every Tuesday and check out our new story postings for the week. We are sure we have the prefect article to satisfy your sweet craving for ODU athletics.
The Monarch Premier is a class assignment for Communication 495, Advanced Sports Communication. This publication is being maintained by the seven students enrolled in the course.
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Students involved:
Tre' Hargrave
Kelly Loftus
Yolanda Beamon
Jalen Fuller
Markel Smith
Yousef Hattar
Jamal Davis
Welcome To The Monarch Premier
By Kelly Loftus
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ODU women’s basketball alumni is strong in German professional basketball. Two players from last year’s Lady Monarch basketball team are now living their dream jobs only 15 minutes apart from each other in that European country.
From former roommates and college teammates to professional rivals, Annika Holopainen and Destinee Young, continue their on-court success overseas in Munich, Germany. Everything comes full circle and in this case Young and Holopainen are just relieved to see a familiar face in such an unfamiliar country.
Not knowing where they would end up after college, but having the same hoop dreams, the two basketball stars always thought it was possible that maybe they could both play professionally. "Me and Destinee both had conversations about going overseas, it never crossed my mind that we would end up in the same city,” said Holopainen, a native of Finland.
When they both arrived to ODU a little over four years ago, from two completely different backgrounds, countries, and beliefs they could agree on one thing, their love for the game. That is something that never changed over their years as Lady Monarchs.
They will always have a special bond with their college teammates, a bond that goes beyond the court. College athletes spend more time with their team than their own families, through all the ups and downs of a student athlete at least they have each other.
An All Conference USA second team and All Conference USA defense selection, Young signed to 2x INC sports agency a little after her senior season ended here at ODU. The Illinois native did not have a preference on where she wanted to play after college, but she knew she wanted to make money doing something she loved.
"I'm happy both of us get to live out our dream jobs and be in the same city while doing it,” Young said.
Having your teammate being so close and used to that type of lifestyle helped her transition. "It was a struggle at first, getting adjusted and all of that. I salute Annika for doing it for four years.”
Living in another country, away from family and everything they once knew can be tough. Young is just appreciative of the opportunity she has been given. “It's amazing how far basketball has taken me, I get to see all these cool places, learn about different cultures and get paid for doing it,” she said.
Holopainen Averaged 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in the last 14 games of the season, which allowed her to sign to Scorers 1st sports management shortly after her senior season. She wanted to go somewhere with decent salaries, but wanted to make sure she would get playing time as well.
With Holopainen being from Europe it was an easier adjustment for her. The European lifestyle, the culture and even the basketball rules are all something she was familiar with being from Finland. "It's kind of funny because now Destinee understands what I went through when I first got to ODU with all the cultural differences,” Holopained said.
The two former teammates now play in the same league. "We actually played each other in the first game of the season, it was weird at first because we went from guarding each other in practice to being on two different teams in a foreign country,” Holopainen said. “All the way on the other side of the country and my first professional game is against my college teammate, so weird,” Young added.
Although Young’s team lost handily to Holopainen’s, the experience was the best part. Holopainen now gets the bragging rights, but her friend and Lady Monarch teammate would not have it any other way.
They both are having successful seasons at the professional level. Young plays for Bad Aibling and is averaging 12.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Holopainen plays for 1880 Wassenburg and is averaging 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds a contest.
The two teammates turned rivals plan on hanging out and exploring the city together on an off day, they are both thankful of how everything worked out.
"Destinee is a good player on the court, but a great friend off it. So, I'm thankful to have her here," said Holopainen.
“Annika will always be a little piece of ODU, all the way in Germany, its great really.” said Young. They would not have it any other way.
By Markel Smith
One of Old Dominion’s most historic landmarks lies in the heart of campus. The landmark dates back to the Great Depression as a building has been put to use for 81 years and counting.
Foreman Field is one of the oldest structures that still remains on the campus of Old Dominion University. A true staple of the community, S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field – as it is now known - has represented Old Dominion and the Hampton Roads area tremendously throughout its existence.
With the university expanding at a continuous rate, Foreman Field will undergo much needed renovations. A wrecking ball is set to take down the east and west side bleachers, as the university embarks on a $55-million renovation project. Although the original structure will change, S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field still maintains its deep, rich history.
Most members of the Norfolk community recognize the name of the facility, but not many know the origin behind the name. A lifetime educator, Alvan Herbert Foreman is the man behind the name. Although Foreman passed away over 59 years ago, his legacy to Old Dominion will be embedded in the history of the university forever. Additionally, the university could not have grown to what it has become today without Foreman.
Foreman graduated from the University of Virginia in 1907, before becoming the superintendent of Norfolk County schools. In 1930, Foreman worked as the Chairman of the Norfolk school board. During this time, he was informed that the city of Norfolk was scheduled to build a new elementary school in Larchmont, leaving the old facility vacant.
A small group of educators which included Foreman, persuaded William & Mary President, Julian Chandler to come take a tour of Norfolk and the newly vacant facility. At the time the only thing connecting Williamsburg to the Peninsula were muddy roadways and a ferry trip across the bay.
After a tour of the facility and the Norfolk area, a group of businessmen and educators which included Foreman, persuaded President Chandler to open a Norfolk division of the College of William & Mary. During one of his visits, Chandler looked across from the facility and noticed about 10 acres of corn and vegetables. After agreeing to open the Norfolk division in 1930, Chandler said to Foreman, “See all of that property out there? Get an option on that.” After obtaining rights to the land, the university planned to open a gym and classrooms in the area, leaving a massive amount of the land vacant.
Foreman was adamant about using that land to build a new football facility. Although they received the rights for the land, and enough currency to purchase new facilities, the budget was slim for a new stadium. The Norfolk division opened its doors roughly a year into the Great Depression. With that being said, Foreman Field could have not been possible if it were not for economic programs such as the “New Deal” created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the United States government.
Persisting with the idea of building a stadium in Norfolk, Foreman contacted a former classmate, Adm. Cary Grayson. At the time, Grayson was employed as the chairman of the Red Cross foundation. Along with being chairman of the Red Cross, Grayson was also employed as Woodrow Wilson’s personal physician. Through his connections, Grayson presented Foreman’s idea directly to President Roosevelt. After their discussion, the project was funded through the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program enacted by President Roosevelt. The remaining budget needed to build the facility was collected from the City of Norfolk.
Construction on the new facility began in 1934, only four years after the birth of the Norfolk Division. Roughly two years later, in 1936, the stadium was complete and ready for occupants to fill the new, 17,500 seat facility.
On October 3, 1936, 15,000 spectators filed into Foreman field to watch the University of Virginia take on William & Mary in the stadium’s inaugural football game. Foreman was in attendance to watch his alma mater defeat William & Mary by a final score of 7-0.
From 1936-1941, the university used the facility as the home stadium for the Norfolk Division football team. After the 1941 season, the university disbanded the football program, leaving the facility vacant of a primary user.
In 1946, a Foreman Field tradition was born. The inaugural Oyster Bowl took place on December 7, 1946 marking the five-year anniversary of Pearl Harbor. This had a significant impact as the game was played roughly a year after the conclusion of World War II. The matchup was between Granby & Clifton high school.
The idea behind the oyster bowl was to raise money and awareness for the Shriners Children’s Hospital. Granby went on to win the game 6-0, in front of a sellout crowd of 21,000 spectators. The game’s success sparked a tradition as ODU has scheduled an Oyster Bowl matchup annually since 1946. On Nov. 18, Old Dominion defeated Rice University, 24-21 in the 68th annual Oyster Bowl.
Some of the most historic events embedded in Foreman Field’s history took place due to the Oyster Bowl matchups. In 1958, 32,169 spectators piled into Foreman Field to watch winless Tulane University take on Navy in the 12th annual Oyster Bowl. Tulane went on to upset the Midshipmen in front of the record-setting crowd. During the 1958-59 season, Heisman winner Ernie Davis and Syracuse University traveled to Norfolk to take on the Navy Midshipmen. Davis and the Orange would go on to defeat Navy in route to a national championship in 1959. Additionally, Cowboy’s Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach played on Foreman Field during the 1962 and 1963 seasons.
After the disbanding of the Norfolk Division football team in 1941, the university used the facility for a plethora of events. The oyster bowl, along with local high school football, remained the main attraction at Foreman Field until the mid-1960s.
In 1966, the Norfolk Neptunes joined the Continental Football League and played the duration of their home games at Foreman field. They remained the primary tenant of Foreman until the Atlantic Coast Football League disbanded following the 1971 season. The Neptunes were greatly appreciated around the community, drawing crowds as large as 15,000 spectators.
During this time period, Foreman hosted more than a dozen NFL exhibition games, hosting Hall of Fame players such as Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Sonny Jurgensen and Harold “Red” Grange.
Foreman Field has been the host to a variety of events including presidential speeches, graduations, boxing matches, holiday celebrations, roller derby matches and rock concerts.
On August 17, 1974 Foreman Field was the host to a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert. This drew a record attendance of more than 33,000 spectators as fans without a ticket began entering the facility by climbing over fences and climbing light poles to sneak in.
During the 1970’s, Old Dominion began using the facility for men’s and women’s soccer matches along with hosting the field hockey team. The field hockey program saw great success at Foreman Field, winning multiple national championships.
After years of debate and discussion Old Dominion seized the opportunity of reigniting its football program in 2009. To do so, the university embarked on a $24.8 million renovation of the facility. This renovation included luxury suites, a new parking deck, along with new locker rooms for both the home and away teams. Since then, the stadium with a capacity of 20,118 spectators has sold out 60 consecutive home games.
Since the rebirth of the football program in 2009, the program has grown at an exponential rate. Correspondingly, the university and its football program noticed a necessity to upgrade the current facility.
In accordance to the necessity of a modern facility the university plans to endure a renovation project with current costs around $55 million. Overall, the university plans to upgrade its seating arrangements, concession areas and restrooms, among other amenities.
The university is undertaking the renovation project by sectioning off selected areas to be renovated during phases. Phase I, which is set to take place following the conclusion of the 2017 season, will entail upgrading the east and west side seating areas while also upgrading restroom and concourse areas..
Additionally, the current bleacher seating will be replaced by 15,500 individual chair-back seats, while also adding 176 new loge seating areas. This will increase the capacity of seating by more than 2,000 while also allowing the facilities capacity to rise to 30,000 seats in future phases. For now, the north and south end zones will remain intact while an enhanced press box is built above the west side seating area.
As the university sets out to add modern architectural amenities to improve the quality of Foreman Field, it’s with the history of the facility in mind. Although the stadium holds an immense amount of historical value the need for an upgrade is long overdue.
Supporters of Old Dominion should have no fear in losing the integrity set in stone by Foreman as the university refuses to lose the landmark he established for us all. After 81 years, due to his work, Foreman Field remains standing and has solidified itself into Hampton Roads sports history.
By: Jalen Fuller
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Pacing back and forth with earphones in his ears, he warms up five matches before his own. He is listening to tunes from the late Notorious B.I.G, the latest Kendrick Lamar or the newest Asap Rocky. His expression is stoic and his interaction towards his teammates and coaches are equal. Shane Jones, redshirt-sophomore, wrestler of Old Dominion University, focuses before his match against a Gardner-Webb opponent on Nov. 12 2017. The Monarch Classic at the Jim Jarrett Athletic Gymnasium at ODU is the first tournament host of 2017.
Jones wears Nike shoes with Nike mid socks rolled up to his shins, he steps on the mat and paces back and forth, focusing his stare on his opponent. His opponent has a similar build. The only difference between the two, is that Jones is taller. He loses his match by decision 5-0.
Still, his expression doesn’t waver, and Jones jogs off the mat into the locker room with the same pace and enthusiasm as he did when he first entered. He returns to the gymnasium five minutes later and receives advice from coaches.
He stands at 5”11 and weighs 157 pounds. His frame is as lean as his sport requires him to be but is athletic to if you saw him on campus, you would think he played multiple sports. It is, until you pay closer attention, that you realize he is a proud member of the Old Dominion Wrestling Team by the giveaway of the gear he wears on a regular basis.
Jones sits across from me at the table, wearing a royal blue ODU Under Armor jumpsuit. His demeanor is straightforward, and calm the same way it is as if he is preparing for his match. Jones sat with me to conduct this interview in the Perry Library.
Born and raised in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Jones’ influence in attending ODU stemmed from his family. His dad wrestled collegiately at East Stroudsburg University and his sister played field hockey at ODU from 2013-2016. “I didn’t want to stay at home and wrestle,” Jones said, when referring to East Stroudsburg University.
“I wanted to get away, it’s a different environment down here at Old Dominion University, I love the beach,” Jones said. His dad largely gave him that influence to wrestle. The redshirt-sophomore values his freedom away from home. Even though, that same freedom comes with a huge deal of commitment and sacrifice with being a member of the wrestling squad. The routine of an ODU wrestler is as hectic as only other student-athletes can relate to and a student can imagine.
“The time management aspect is the most challenging part,” Jones said. His daily routine includes a morning 7 a.m. weightlift workout, classes depending on the person followed by a 3:15 p.m. practice every day of the week, tutoring appointments and study hall sessions that are mandatory. Maintaining the weight and being fit in his weight class, sometimes warrants a third or fourth workout throughout the day.
Jones’ routine routine includes - 7 a.m. weightlift on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays followed by a morning run, afterwards he replenishes his body with a strict diet of food. The breakfast diet consists of eggs, oatmeal and water just before his classes start at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. After classes, he eats lunch that will consist lean meats of grilled chicken, fruit or yogurt. “I try to have about a gallon of water each day,” Jones said.
He tries to enjoy his down time after lunch which gives him about an hour before practice at 3:15 p.m. After practice, which lasts for about an hour and a half, he takes a cold bath. To end the day he attends tutoring sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he attends study hall in which he is fortunate to not have mandatory hours. “Sometimes I don’t get home until 6 p.m. in the evening,” he says.
Wrestling since the age of eight, Jones recollects his father as his greatest influence amongst all, but likens that, watching the sport at this age is what motivated him to wrestle throughout college. “My dad didn’t care if I wrestled or played basketball,” he said. His father was a wrestling coach in High school when Jones was a young boy.
The physical demands of preparation that lead up to the tournament is the grind of a wrestling season that lasts from November to May. The mental preparation of a match is, if not equal, more of a challenge than the physical aspect. Maintaining the weight is a challenge.
What is it that he enjoys most about wrestling?
“How hard it can be” Jones answers with a dry smile. “I enjoy pushing myself, I love going to that pain zone.”
That pain zone, he refers to, is what focuses and motivates him to continue the rigorous routine of being a student-athlete. His transition from high school to collegiate wrestling is distinguished by the talent and academic focus, and time management.
On his off days, which are rare, he loves to watch television shows, movies, relax and spend time with his girlfriend, which he says makes him feel like a college student.
He is reluctant to list accolades of what he has accomplished. Most of his peers would love to cite records and awards. But for Jones, it’s the grind and discipline it takes to be a student-athlete wrestler. He realizes that his commitment to be a collegiate wrestler, requires sacrifice and will.
He didn’t accomplish being crowned a state champion in high school and he insists he has never reached any of his wrestling goals for that matter.
“I’m proud that I have always kept looking forward, and just constantly working to getting one percent better each day,” Jones said
Shane Jones hopes to call himself a national champion sometime soon, but if he never gets to that point, he’ll be proud with his driven attitude and motivation to never give up.
By: Jamal Davis
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Alan Dawson, ODU’s men’s soccer coach, was born in 1962 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The conditions he grew up in were much different than those for kids in the United States. Dawson lived in a place where law and order was an afterthought. However, even while being surrounded with opportunities to get into some type of trouble, Dawson turned to soccer to keep him on the straight and narrow.
“Soccer kept me out of trouble. Kicking the ball down the street, ruining my shoes, and my mom getting on me for it. Even in our trying times, I’d leave the house at 9 and not be back until 11 at night. Sometimes I’d play in a group, and sometimes it was just me, kicking a ball against a wall,” Dawson recalled.
That early love for soccer would carry Dawson into the next big phase of his life – coming to America.
He got his opportunity to leave Belfast for a trip to New Jersey when he was 12 years old. After his first initial trip, Dawson knew he wanted to move to America if he could. So, every year following the first trip, two of his host families brought him back to enjoy the summer on the Jersey Shore. He was even the first kid in Belfast with a skateboard because of it.
As Dawson grew older, it became increasingly obvious to him that moving to the U.S. would be the best move for his future. He was accepted into Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, where he would continue his soccer career. Although Dawson was not the most athletic player on the team, he had a gifted mind for the game that allowed him to play with just about anyone. His soccer prowess is perhaps only matched by his love for the game. He believes soccer is the most beautiful game there is, and that playing soccer is about touching the ball, feeling comfortable, and having fun while doing it. His players embody that thought process.
“What I look for in a player is a kid who wants the ball, who loves the game, who will take chances and who will not give up on his teammates. I can tell that within five minutes,” Dawson said.
It’s clear that Dawson has a good eye for soccer talent; he is in the top 15 all-time for winning percentage in college soccer. But, before he got to these major achievements, he started as a head coach at a small Division III school – Methodist College in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
During his time at Methodist College, he compiled a dominant 129-30-10 record, for a staggering .793 winning percentage, including three straight undefeated regular seasons, from 1991-1993. Dawson led Methodist to six consecutive NCAA DIII tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in 1995.
Under Dawson’s tutelage, Methodist won the conference championship and finished ranked in the top 10 of the ISAA national polls seven times in only nine seasons. In addition, Dawson won coach of the year for the Dixie Conference five times and won South Region Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1995. He would ultimately be inducted in to the Methodist College Hall of Fame in 2002.
Dawson has been just as impressive during his time as head coach of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Currently, Dawson is the winningest coach in program history, with a record of 220-125-37 for a winning percentage of .624. In the past 15 years, the Monarchs have been to the NCAA tournament a whopping 11 times, nearly three out of every four seasons. In two of those 11 seasons, ODU went to the Sweet 16, back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
Due to his high rate of success, Dawson has also been named conference coach of the year four times since joining the Monarchs in 1997. During his 21 years with the team, Dawson has led the Monarchs to two conference tournament championships, and three conference regular season titles.
For further emphasis on how good of a coach Dawson truly is, look no further than his track record for producing high quality players. In his 21 years at ODU, Dawson has coached nine All-Americans, five conference players of the year, and has had 11 of his players be drafted by the MLS.
Dawson continued his success story this season. The Monarchs followed up a 12-5-2 regular season by winning the Conference USA Tournament on their home field for the second time since 2014. This came in a season when Dawson’s Monarchs were an afterthought and projected to finish seventh in their respective league.
The Monarchs followed up their Conference USA title with a win over North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament, before falling to Indiana, the nation’s second-ranked team, in Round 2.
“The first time was obviously special, it was the first (Conference USA) one for the university but this one is even more special. We came into this season, we were picked seventh in the league, we finished second and won the trophy so I’m very happy,” Coach Dawson said.
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By: Yousef Hattar
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From one country to another, Sofie Sjoberg’s dream of swimming at an elite level never wavered. She went from skiing, participating in gymnastics and swimming with her older brother while she was very young in Sweden, to now swimming at an elite level at Old Dominion University.
Something Sjoberg did all throughout her childhood, that many other Swedish families did and still do, is go skiing during something they call a “sport break.” Different regions of the country had different sport breaks. Once she and her brother became good enough to go to advanced slopes, the Sjoberg family traveled around to great ski destinations all around Europe.
Choosing Old Dominion to further her education and swimming career was no easy task. However, choosing to go to a school in the States was a relatively easy choice given the fact that Sweden does not offer swimming at an elite level as well as earning an undergraduate bachelor’s degree.
“When it came down to it, a lot of factors came into play,” Sjoberg said. “Virginia, Norfolk, coach [Carol] Withus, academics, internationals on the team, and scholarship opportunities combined made me choose ODU, which I have not regretted.”
Adapting to a new country is an extraordinarily difficult task to some people, but not for Sjoberg. Having many older Swedish friends, that have been to the U.S. before her, helped her know what to expect. When she first got here, her teammates made her adjustment even easier.
“I’d say I started adjusting as soon as I started hanging out with all my new friends here,” Sjoberg explained.
In her freshman year, she built bonds with teammates that she says ‘can never be replaced’. Her roommate at the time, Hannah Kristan, was Sjoberg’s “grammar police” while she adjusted to the English language. Sjoberg asked Kristan to correct anything that she said that was wrong and she explained how that benefitted her over the last four year.
Having other Swedish teammates on the team has been a huge positive for Sjoberg, too. She naturally connected with them considering that they are from the same country and are all away from home, friends and family.
“Having Swedes on the team is really nice because we try to celebrate Swedish smaller traditions together when we get the chance,” Sjoberg said.
The hardest thing Sjoberg had to adjust to when she first moved to the States was not an obvious choice like the language, but the food. “Back home nothing is fried, besides the fries we rarely eat,” she explained.
To think that the food was the hardest thing she had to adjust to just shows how easy it was for her to transition from Sweden to the United States.
The one thing that Sjoberg described about the U.S. that she liked the most was the people. Sweden is “famous” for being fairly quiet in the sense that strangers don’t socialize with each other often. Being in the States has helped her step out of her comfort zone and helped her socialize with whoever she met.
“I have definitely grown as a person in this area during my four years here and plan on bringing that back to Sweden,” she explained.
Speaking of sharing cultures back and forth between the U.S. and Sweden, Sjoberg has shared a lot of her Swedish culture with her friends and teammates here at ODU.
There have been a couple of nights of her four years here at ODU where Sjoberg has cooked up a traditional Swedish meal for her and her teammates. “I don’t know the name of the dish, but it was really good,” friend and teammate Ashley Teller said. “It was cool to have her introduce us to something she grew up eating.”
As well as bringing the Swedish culture to the States, she also took some of her teammates with her back to Sweden during the summer. “It was great showing my teammates where I come from,” she said.
The most common thing that Sjoberg’s teammates say is her leadership skills have skyrocketed since her freshman year. It’s been noticed enough that she was named captain of the team starting her senior season by her coach, Carol Withus.
As Sjoberg’s season comes to a close, she reflects back on her favorite memories of her four years here: “I have so many great memories but one of my favorites is definitely breaking relay school records with my teammates during the years,” she stated.
As interesting her life has been before and during her time here at ODU, Sjoberg has big plans for the future. “I plan on going back to Sweden for graduate school and then start my career there,” she said.
“I hope to one day have a job where the U.S. will be a part of my work because I am not ready to completely give it up.”
Specifically, Sjoberg plans to use her Finance degree to one day be a financial controller. Her dream is to one day work her way up the ranks and be a CFO.
Everyone tends to have more than one dream that they wish to accomplish in their lifetime and another one of hers is opening her own coffee shop somewhere in the U.S. so that she can introduce the Swedish tradition “Fika” to the people of America.
“Fika is sitting down at a cozy coffee house or at home having a cup of coffee and eating a delicious pastry chatting with friends in a stress-free environment,” Sjoberg explained. “That is definitely one of the things I miss the most about home, other than family and friends.”
The exuberant swimmer is an inspiration to people who have dreams that they might think are nearly impossible to achieve. Leaving her home country to attend a school in a whole new country that she has never been to before did not seem like the easiest thing to do. By following her heart and finding a motivation, she is living her dream.
By: Tre Hargrave
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Dave Twardzik is a former Old Dominion University men’s basketball player that let his game assist him throughout his entire life. Now a career that has included an NBA title and time in league front offices has brought him back to Norfolk, doing radio commentary for ODU men’s games.
Twardzik wasn’t the biggest guy on the court standing at 6’1, but he worked just as hard as anybody he played against. This work ethic propelled him to do great things in life during his time at Old Dominion University and far beyond.
Besides ODU, Twardzik played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing days were over he was an assistant coach in the NBA and did front office work as well.
Over a three year period from 1969-1972 Twardzik was the face of ODU men’s basketball, and based on the numbers it’s easy to see he showed up for every game.
Twardzik was a star at ODU. He was a first team All-American as he led the monarchs to 56 wins over a three year span. Twardzik dished out 880 assists and scored 1,660 points. His career free throw numbers were impressive as well as he made 548 out of 686 attempts.
During the 1970-1971 season Twardzik came into his own as that was one of his more impressive years statistically as a monarch.
Some of his season records that year include dishing out 332 assists, making 222 free throws while shooting 84.5 percent of his free throws and during a game against Mount St. Mary’s college he dropped 20 dimes. Another game he really showed up in was against Norfolk state when he made 24 of 26 free throws.
Due to the fact that Twardzik was such a good player at ODU he received a lot of recognition. Twardzik’s game earned himself a spot on the Associated Press, United Press International, Basketball news and National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America teams after the 1971-72 season
Twardzik was also chosen as All-Virginia for three years and he was chosen as captain of the squad during his senior campaign.
Although Twardzik put up these amazing stats year in and year out according to his coach that wasn’t even the best part of his game.
"Dave's accomplishments and individual statistics are very obvious but his greatest assets were his leadership and unselfish team play," said Sonny Allen, his ODU coach. "He brought out the best in his teammates."
Twardzik may be the most decorated athlete in ODU athletics history. He has a ton of accomplishments, records and honors.
Twardzik has been inducted in to ODU sports hall of fame, Virginia sports hall of fame, and the Hampton Roads hall of fame. When doing commentary for ODU men’s basketball games, he looks up at his No. 14 jersey, retired by the basketball program.
Twardzik was drafted by the Portland Trail blazers in 1972, but his ties to Virginia were so strong that he decided to play for the ABA’s Virginia Squares.
He was with the Virginia Squares for four years until the team (and the ABA) came to an end, folding just prior to the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976. After the ABA-NBA merger Twardzik signed with the Blazers who held his NBA rights because they drafted him.
While playing in the NBA Twardzik was most known for his role as the starting point guard on the Portland Trail Blazers when the team won the National Basketball Association championship in 1977.
Unfortunately, Twardzik was able to play only four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers due to an injury that would force him to retire at the end of the 1979-80 season. Twardzik’s No. 13 jersey was eventually retired by the Trail Blazers.
Even though Twardzik had to get off the court, he just couldn’t stay away from the game of basketball. After his playing career concluded he began his career on the sidelines and in the front office.
He served in Portland's front office through 1985, and worked as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers from 1986 through 1989. He has also worked for the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and the Denver Nuggets. In 2003, he became Director of Player Personnel for the Orlando Magic, and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2005. He held that position until 2012.
On November 4, 2013 Twardzik finally returned to his alma mater ODU. This time he wasn’t working as a guy in the front officer. He wasn’t working as a coach for the team and he sure wasn’t going to be on the hardwood himself, but he was going to join the broadcast team and participate in the "Monarch Courtside" pregame show at home games and provide the color commentary for all road games.
"I am excited about coming back to the Hampton Roads area, where it all started for me some 45 years ago, and being involved with ODU again," Twardzik said at the time. "I am looking forward to joining the Monarch broadcast team. I guess you could say things have come full circle."
Twardzik is the assist master and he will go down in the history of ODU as arguably the school’s greatest team player. In his current radio commentary role, he has the best seat in the house for the ODU men’s basketball program that helped make him a star. And he loves every minute of it.
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The Comeback Journey: John Wilson
By: Yolanda Beamon
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Overcoming injuries is part of the game for an athlete.
ODU baseball pitcher John Wilson has overcome more than most.
Born in Pittstown, New Jersey, Wilson was an all-state recruit out of high school, finishing his senior season 7-2 with a 1.12 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.
He carried that success over to Old Dominion, going 6-1 with a 3.41 ERA in 12 starts in his freshman season. He struck out 35 players in 58 innings, while walking only 14 opponents. He led his team in clinching the series by throwing six shutout innings in the 15-4 win over Rutgers.
Unfortunately, Wilson missed his final months on the season due to an injury in his throwing arm. The Conference USA All-Freshman team player was stuck cheering his team on from the bench. Diagnose with a grade 2 ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in his left elbow.
This was the first time Wilson had ever had to miss a baseball game due to injury and watching the final month of the season from the sidelines was very difficult for him.to do. “I had a million things running through my head at the time of diagnosis,” he said. “Would I need surgery? When will I be able to pitch again? I didn't know what to think or what to do next because it was all new to me.”
Since the injury was a new experience for him, Wilson said the mental side of the situation was difficult to deal with after the injury. “I was upset because I wasn't able to help my team when they needed me most during the last month of the season, especially in the conference tournament. To come up just short of making an appearance in the NCAA tournament hurt a lot.”
Wilson’s road to recovery looked long, but he had plenty of help and support to help him get through the process.
After the injury on April 30, Wilson said he didn't pick up a baseball again until mid-August. He underwent physical therapy all summer, to make sure his body was completely healthy when he returned to throwing. In September, he started a six-week long-toss throwing program to build his arm strength back up.
Wilson’s physical therapist focused primarily on strengthening the muscles around the elbow, including his forearm, shoulder and scapula. The ride to recovery was a long process but he got through it by putting 100 percent into each recovery session, pushing himself to come back better than before.
Asked if he was more careful with his throwing now, post-injury, Wilson said: “Careful isn't the word I would use. I'd say conservative. We were as conservative as we could be during my rehab and as I got back into throwing, we made sure not to rush into it too fast.”
Athletes that have overcome injuries are grateful for the support of friends and family, and Wilson is no different. “I have an unbelievable support system made up of my parents, coaches, teammates and training staff that has helped push me throughout the recovery process.”
Wilson said the experience has showed him that when you get knocked down you need to get back up. He is motivated to come back stronger and better for this season.
He’s put in a tremendous amount of work for the upcoming season and when the time comes for him to take the field, Wilson has no doubt in his mind he’ll be ready to go.