Inside this March 2011 edition of the L Club Newsletter:

L Club Welcome

Dear L-Club Members,

We had a successful Hall of Fame banquet and inducted some outstanding people. It was so good to see former players in attendance who competed so well when they were student athletes.

Our ULM spring sports (baseball, softball, tennis and track) have been doing really well. As a matter of fact, the tennis team is 13-1 thus far this season. Congratulations to Terrence DeJongh!

We are also proud of softball Coach Rosemary Holloway-Hill, baseball Coach Jeff Schexnider and Coach J.D. Malone and all their players.
We wish them continued success.

Please do not forget to join our L-Club and support our Warhawks. We look forward to seeing you at the field.

E. J. Lee Ok

E. J. Lee Ok
L-Club President
(318) 342-5409
ok@ulm.edu





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All About YOU

Bob Andersonby Bob Anderson

Good Turnout for Hall of Fame, Saulters

There was a great turnout of former ULM tennis players for the Hall of Fame induction of Mary Arnie and Dr. Dwight Vines on Feb. 26 as well as ex-basketball players for the retirement of Glynn Saulters' jersey number 12.

Among the former women players and coaches who were back for the Hall of Fame induction were all-American Sherry Dunkin (1976-78), who came all the way from Maine, Ann Bolton McIntyre (1974), Merri Bradford Jones (1976-80), Debbie Sanders Dahl (1974-76), Colleen Scanlon (1977-80), Nancy Sloan (1976-77), Mary Swanson (1978-80), Karen Zimmerman Trahan (1974-76) and Coach Martha Hawthorne.

Former men players and coaches who attended were all-Americans Terry Moor (1973-75) and Ville Jansson (1985-88), Padge Bolton (1968-71), Wilson Campbell (1974-76), Rob Cloud (1974), Raymond Pascale (1975-77), Bill Shepherd (1972-75), Richard Stuart (1972-74), Phil Trahan (1971-74) and Coach Johnny Robinson (1976-79).

Ex-basketball players who came to see Glynn Saulters' number retired included Rich Baily (1966-67), James "Polk" Brian (1965-66), Robert Cook (1960-63), Irby Gamble (1961-64--Irby also played tennis for at least one season), Malcolm George (1961-63), Milton Linder (1960-63), Ricky Peel (1967-69), Larry Saulters (1967-70), Walter Snelling (1964), Roger Stockton (1967-71), Paul Thompson (1965-67), and Stuart Toms (1960-63).

Stuart, by the way, recently announced his retirement from the Baptist ministry. The former all-American also is a former coach.

Chris Harris (FB, 2001-04), made the USA Today "All-Joe" team supposedly made up of "unsung" heroes of the NFL early this past winter but he's not eligible for that honor any more because he soon after was named to the Associated Press All-Pro second team. He led the Chicago Bears with five interceptions for 69 yards last fall in his sixth year in the NFL.

It was good to see Andrew Harris (BB, 1968-72), a member of the 1,000-point club, at the ULM-Arkansas State game in Fant-Ewing. He is retired and living in Monroe. It was also good to run into Jody Norman (FB, 1978-81) at a local eatery recently. He had visited with Coach Todd Berry and Assistant Coach Leon Lett, who recruits the Fort Worth area where Jody owns and runs a fitness center.

Former ULM linebacker Mack Dellafosse (FB, 1989-91) is serving his second term as a member of the Calcasieu Parish School Board. He and another former Indian, DB Curtis Harrison (FB, 1989-93) work for State Farm in Lake Charles. Another Calcasieu Parish resident, former ULM Athletic Academic Counselor Ron LeLeux was on the campus recently to see daughter Abby receive her MBA degree.

Two former prominent ULM sports figures died recently. One was Tommy Enloe (BB, 1962-66), one of ULM's greatest guards, and a former coach in his hometown of Saline. He passed away too soon at age 66. Ex-teammate Glynn Saulters was one of his pallbearers. Also passing away this past fall was Elbert Southall, a member of John David Crow's original coaching staff in 1976.

Many ex-Indians will remember Dr. Harry Hale, professor of Sociology, long-time member of the Faculty Athletic Committee and loyal fan. Dr. Hale died the same weekend as Coach Benny Hollis at the age of 77.






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Super Warhawk WeekendSuper Warhawk Weekend set for April 8-10

Plan to come back to campus April 8-10 as ULM hosts its annual Super Warhawk Weekend.

Super Warhawk Weekend will include ULM's National Champions Water Ski team's Bayou Classic, Warhawk baseball and softball, the Maroon and Gold Spring football game, the Alumni Association's La' Louisianne Crawfish Boil and much more!

Visit www.ulm.edu/super for a complete schedule of events.





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Track & Field Reunion Set – it’s all about the 70’s!

All track and field athletes should make plans to join us at our annual reunion set for Saturday, April 30, 2011!  While we will highlight the 70’s, we want everyone in attendance!

The reunion begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday with a check-in at ULM's Anna Gray Noe Alumni Center.  The day includes lunch ($10.00 per person), the Warhawk Classic track meet at 1:30 p.m., an alumni recognition, and Warhawk baseball vs Sun Belt rival Western Kentucky, starting at 6:00 p.m. (tickets are $6.00 per person.)

A letter with complete details will be mailed soon!  If you have any questions before the letter arrives, please contact:

Andy Snelling – worldbk@bellsouth.net
Dennis Groll – dgroll@comcast.net
Robert Williamson – rwilliamson@ulm.edu
Jimmy Edwards – theuslaw_jme@live.com
Kurt Riva – kurtisriva@yahoo.com
Paul Davis – dpdavis@spectraenergy.com
Laurie Young Mondschein – lauri.mondschein@yahoo.com





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3rd Annual Caddo/Bossier Alumni Golf Tournament tees off May 13

Help endow ULM scholarships and have a great time doing it!

Make your plans today to play in the 3rd Annual Caddo/Bossier Alumni Golf Tournament Friday, May 13, 2011.

This year’s 4 person scramble will be played at Stonebridge Golf Club and it will be hosted by ULM’s own Tim Brando. 

The winning team of this tournament qualifies for the Acura National Alumni Golf Tournament at the fabled Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina!

For registration and sponsorship information, please visit:  www.ulm.edu/alumni or call Andy Snelling at 318-797-9556.





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Arnie, Booker, Tande Bruscato, Vines join Hall of Fame; Saulters honored Feb. 26

The ULM Sports Hall of Fame has four new members and another Hall of Famer received an additional honor in events on campus Feb. 26.

2011 ULM Athletic Hall of Fame InducteesGoing into the Hall of Fame in noon ceremonies at the ULM Conference Center were tennis star Mary Arnie, standout pass receiver Marty Booker, softball great Lori Tande Bruscato and former university President Dwight "Del" Vines.

Glynn SaultersLater that day, at halftime of the ULM-Louisiana Lafayette men's basketball game, all-American and Olympian Glynn Saulters had his No. 12 jersey retired.

Saulters, who came to ULM from Lisbon High School and has lived much of his life in Jonesboro, is the university's second leading all-time scorer with 2,134 points. He was a star on the ULM teams of the late 1960's and helped lead what was then Northeast Louisiana State College to its second Gulf States Conference championship as a freshman in the 1964-65 season.

He led ULM in scoring four years in a row, sharing the points lead with teammate Tommy Enloe as a sophomore and finishing in 1967-68 with an average of 31.3 points—still the school record 43 years later.

Saulters won numerous honors. He was named to the all-GSC second team as a freshman and the first team his final three seasons plus "Player of the Year" as a junior and senior. He was named to the Associated Press college division all-America third team as a junior and to the UPI first team as a senior.

After his senior season in 1968, he was named to the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Mexico City. He was the first basketball player from a Louisiana university to be named to the Olympic team.

In 1981 Saulters was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and a year later was selected to the ULM Golden Anniversary All-Star team.

Arnie was a key figure in the greatest era in ULM women's tennis—the late 1970's and early 1980's when what was then Northeast Louisiana University finished in the national top 20 for four consecutive years.

Arnie was a star on three of those nationally-ranked teams , 1978-79-80,and ended her career with more career doubles victories than any player in our history. She and her partners won 146 matches while losing only 52, a winning percentage of .737.

Arnie also ranks No. 2 in all-time singles victories with 140. She is one of only four players in ULM history to amass at least 100 victories in both singles and doubles. She was also a good student, being chosen as ULM's Outstanding Physical Education Educator as a senior.

Booker, a former star athlete at Jonesboro-Hodge High School, played at ULM from 1995-98 and is the university's No. 2 all-time receiver in career yards with 2,784. He is third in career receptions with 178 and second in touchdown catches with 23.

His best season was as a senior in 1998 when he set what were then school records for most catches (75) and most yards (1,168). Those figures earned him invitations to the East-West and Blue-Gray games and selection in the third round of the National Football League draft by the Chicago Bears.

Booker had one of the longest pro football careers of any ULM alumnus, spending 11 years in the NFL. He was with the Bears for six years, played four with the Miami Dolphins and his final season, 2009, with the Atlanta Falcons.

Booker was unable to be present for the Hall of Fame event with his mother, Mrs. Vera Booker of Jonesboro, representing him at the ceremonies.

Lori Tande Bruscato came to ULM in 1999 from Simi Valley, Calif., and was an immediate star, being named Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and the all-SLC shortstop. She went on to make the all-Southland first team four consecutive years and was the league's Player of the Year in 2001.

Bruscato set school records for most season runs scored with 45 in 2000 and most home runs with 14 in 2002. She claimed career records for most at-bats (706), most runs (158), most hits (242), most runs batted in (132), most doubles (49), most home runs and most total bases (501).

Her career batting average of .342 is the third highest in school history. In addition to conference MVP and Newcomer of the Year honors, she was named the Southland's Utility Player of the Year in 2002. Tande's career home run, RBI, doubles and total bases totals were Southland Conference records as well as ULM marks.

Dr. Vines had a distinguished record as a professor, dean of the College of Business and president of the university during his long career (1958-91) at ULM. He also was a power behind the scenes in tennis. A college player himself at Northwestern State, he actually was head tennis head coach for the men in 1970 and co-coach of the women's team during his inaugural season of 1974.

Dr. Vines had a 7-4 record in his year as men's coach and a perfect 6-0 as women's coach. He helped both the men's and women's tennis programs become the most successful of all ULM sports with the men winning 19 titles in three conferences and the women seven championships. Both were nationally ranked numerous times. His influence went beyond tennis, however. His years as president from 1976 to 1991 were the university's greatest era in all sports.

During Dr. Vines' years as president, ULM won six men's and four women's Southland Conference All-Sports Trophies. The 1987 football team won the national 1-AA football championship while the men's basketball team went to three NCAA Tournaments and twice to the NIT.

The women's basketball team had its greatest years during this time, competing in four NCAA Tournaments and reaching the Final Four in 1985. Men's track finished in the NCAA top 20 six times and women's track one time. The baseball team made the NCAA Tournament once and the waterski team won 10 national championships.





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Bob AndersonEDITOR'S NOTEBOOK: Banner Year Ahead In Football???

By Bob Anderson

Banner year ahead in football???

In 2010, after being picked to finish to finish seventh in the Sun Belt Conference, ULM's football team . . .

Now, in 2011, what's the prognosis for the Warhawks?

The ULM team that is now engaged in spring practice radiates a lot of good vibes besides the success it enjoyed last year—it has the most returning starters of any BCS squad in the country and also the most returning letter winners of any team.

Despite all the Warhawks have going for them this fall, ULM fans, don't expect your team to be picked to win the SBC championship. The 2010 leaders will probably lead all the pre-season polls and they should. Troy has become the conference's perennial football power and FIU, which sits in the middle of the nation's richest recruiting area, is everybody's rising star.

Todd Berry
Berry

ULM, on the other hand, has been the Sun Belt's most disappointing and most disappointed team in the SBC's opening decade. The 2005 club had the conference's Player of the Year in QB Stephen Jyles and 2-0 and then 4-1 leads in the league race but blew two home games and wound up in a three-way tie for first place and didn't qualify for a bowl game.

The 2007 squad was good enough to beat Nick Saban's Alabama team at Tuscaloosa but gave up a kickoff return touchdown in the final minute against Middle Tennessee in a home game that would have given the Warhawks a 7-5 record and a bowl bid. The 2009 squad had six victories with two games to go but lost both to squander another good shot at a bowl berth.

With those seasons in mind, few pollsters will pick the Warhawks No. 1. That doesn't erase the fact that ULM has the chance to have one of the best teams of its BCS era in 2011.

In addition to its 20 returning starters and 50 returning lettermen, Coach Todd Berry's team has other arguments for anticipating success this fall. They include:

1—The entire offensive line returns;

2—Kolton Browning, the Sporting News Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and LSWA Louisiana Freshman of the Year, is back at quarterback;

3—Luther Ambrose, the third fastest college student in the country, is back to catch Browning's passes along with four other dangerous receivers;

4— Troy Reffett, whose defense has ranked in the SBC's top two for the past two years, passed up more money and job offers from bigger name colleges to return as coordinator of a defensive unit that welcomes back eight starters led by second team all-SBC DE Ken Dorsey and S Darius Prelow;

5—Berry returns as head coach after turning in one of the best coaching jobs in the SBC last fall.

ULM's main improvement must come on offense. Despite Browning, Ambrose and other stars, the Warhawks were a lowly eighth in the SBC in scoring offense (20.8 points per game) last fall and seventh in total offense (347.0 yards).

In my mind, the best reason to expect even better results in the future from the offense is QB Kolton Browning. The young man from Mabank, TX, was rated one of the top 100 quarterback prospects in the country as a high school senior and he didn't disappoint in his redshirt freshman season of2010. He led ULM in both passing and rushing and was No. 38 in the nation in total offense and third among freshmen. And he's got three more years to go and a chance to smash most of ULM's passing records.

ULM's offensive line doesn't have that much time left in college—three members are seniors—but they should give Browning and his backfield mates plenty of protection and holes this fall. Seniors Anthony Montgomery (T), Justin Roberts (G) and Ryan McCaul (C) and juniors Patrick Dvoacek (T) and Jonathan Gill (G) give the Warhawks their most experienced line in years and sophomore Josh Allen is also back after starting eight games last fall.

Despite losing TB Frank Goodin, the school's No. 3 all-time rusher, the Warhawks hope to improve on a rushing attack that was a disappointing seventh among SBC teams. Sophomore Jyruss Edwards, who had the best rush average of 4.5 among the ULM running backs, and Arkansas transfer Mitch Bailey, who has the build to be the kind of big, between-the-tackles runner ULM needs at 6-1, 218, should be able to make up for the loss of Goodin and give ULM a consistent ground offense.

The team is loaded with excellent wide receivers. The leader is Ambrose, who was third in the 2010 NCAA 100 meters and led the football team with 65 catches, 752 yards and six TDs. Another senior is Anthony McCall (33 catches and a 14.5-yard average) but most of the catching corps is young. Soph Tavarese Maye had 43 receptions including the squad's longest of 82 yards and also had ULM's longest run (43 yards). Another soph, Je'Ron Hamm, started 2010's last two games and averaged 13.9 yards—a catch, second best on the team. Junior Brent Leonard had 33 catches and an 11.4-yard average.

Big Keavon Milton (6-4, 260) moves back to his original position of tight end after spending most of 2010 on defense.

Win or lose, this should be one of the most interesting Warhawk teams in a long, long time. I can't wait for fall.





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ULM loses Coach Benny Hollis

ULM has lost one of its greatest athletic figures.

Benny HollisBenny Hollis was a fixture on the university's sports scene for 24 years, a winning coach and the most successful athletics director ULM ever had.

He died March 12 in his home at the age of 71.

Benny HollisA native of Bernice, Hollis came to what was then Northeast Louisiana State College in the late 1950's and graduated in 1961. Although he worked at other institutions for short periods, he never lost his love for his alma mater.

Hollis worked at ULM in four capacities—basketball team manager, assistant basketball coach, head coach and director of athletics. In all four positions, he was bigger than his job. As the student manager of the basketball team, he also served as head coach of the junior varsity team and acting assistant coach of the varsity under legendary Coach Lenny Fant, who had no official assistant.

After receiving his bachelor's degree, Hollis began work on his master's and was head coach at St. Matthew's High School, now St. Frederick, and then was the Neville High coach for five years. His six prep teams had an .851 winning percentage, never finished lower than second in their districts, twice went to the state finals, winning one state championship, and never lost more than five games and never won less than 22.

After a three-year stint at Louisiana Tech as assistant coach to Scotty Robertson, he returned to ULM in 1970 as Fant's official assistant, serving in that post for nine years. During those nine years as assistant and his two years as head coach, ULM never had a losing season.

In 1976, Hollis became assistant athletics director to John David Crow, then acting AD, while continuing to serve in his basketball capacities. He was the first, and perhaps only, assistant coach to serve as president of the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches, and helped organize the Trans-America Conference and serve as its vice president.

In 1980, he became the official athletics director. One of his first major achievements was to engineer Northeast's acceptance into the Southland Conference, giving the school's football team a conference home.

Hollis would serve as athletics director for 14 years and those 14 years were the most successful in ULM's sports history. During this time, the university won seven Southland Conference All-Sports Trophies in men's sports and five in women's sports; four football conference titles and the national 1-AA championship in 1987; the men's basketball team won five conference championships and went to as many NCAA Tournaments; the women's basketball team won four league crowns and went to the NCAA Final Four in 1985; the baseball team went to one NCAA tournament and in track, the men's team finished in the NCAA top 20 three times and the women once.

While ULM was in 1-AA football, Coach Hollis served on the NCAA 1-AA Committee and was its chairman for many years. One of his last major accomplishments was coordinating the school's drive to achieve 1-A football status, which it did in 1994.

Coach Hollis was a member of the ULM Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his devoted wife De'Lane, son Jay and wife Jennifer, and daughter Bonnie Texada and husband Dr. Richard Texada.






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Dear L-Club Members,

As the days get longer and the sun a little warmer, I hope we can have a chance to slow down, look back and think how we have been blessed and influenced by those who have crossed our path during our journey to our current location in life.

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions for those of us in the L-Club and ULM Athletics.

On February 26, we inducted the four newest Hall of Fame members to date. Dr. Del Vines, Mary Arnie, Lori Tande Bruscato and Marty Booker are our newest members.

We had a super turnout for our inductions and that turn out continued over to the basketball games that evening as our ladies' and men's teams took on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. We had a great crowd to send our senior cagers off and to see the first ULM basketball jersey to be retired.

Glynn Saulters was the first recipient of this great honor. This was the highlight of the evening seeing his teammates come out and support him at this time. Congratulations.

Our University family was saddened this week with the loss of Coach Benny Hollis. He fought a long and courageous battle against Alzheimer's and is now at rest. Our heartfelt condolences go out to DeLane, Bonnie, Jay and their families at this time of loss. Coach Hollis is home now and I will bet he and Coach Fant are trying to get St. Peter to "get that leg up and get over that screen!"

Please make plans to attend Super Warhawk Weekend on April 8, 9 & 10 and support our Warhawks in their athletic efforts. The Warhawks will play their annual Maroon and Gold Spring football game at 11:30 am, followed at 1:30 p.m. with the La' Louisianne Crawfish Boil. Contact Nancy Davis at 318-342-5421 or ndavis@ulm.edu for tickets. A complete schedule of Super Warhawk Weekend events can be found at www.ulm.edu/super.

The Warhawk softball team will be taking on FIU at 3:00 and 5:00 on Saturday as well as the Warhawk baseball team taking on Arkansas State at 6:00 pm.

I would like to take this opportunity to that our L-Club Board of Directors for their continued support of our projects and their forward thinking about our future endeavors.

I would be remiss in not thanking our President for this year, EJ Ok for her hard work and efforts for our group. She is a hard worker and a great ambassador for our group.

Please be on the lookout for further communications in the near future in regards to our future projects and how you can assist us in these efforts.

Thanks for your continued support and I look forward to your return to the campus.

Go Warhawks!

Robert Williamson

Robert Williamson
L Club Executive Director
(318) 342-5428 /822-927-4295
rwilliamson@ulm.edu



Don’t forget to check out the “Lost Members” link located at the top of this newsletter – help us locate these lost teammates. Send any information to me at rwilliamson@ulm.edu.