Ripon athletics provide excitement for fall
Geoff Bruce
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Sports
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."
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."
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