PING

Shang Ping was born in Haerbin, China, where both of his parents played professional basketball.

“My parents got me started playing basketball when I was eight years old,” Ping said. “They were professional basketball players in China so everyone in my family plays basketball.”

The difference in cultures and languages between China and the U.S. proved to be a challenge for Ping.

“It was tough at first,” Ping said. “I was struggling to speak English and I did not know anyone but after about three months I started to adjust to the culture.”

The playing style of basketball is different in China compared to the fast paced style of the United States.

“We do not play basketball the same way in China,” Ping said. “We relied more on teamwork like the European basketball style.”

Ping has used basketball as a means to fund his U.S. education.

“I have been playing basketball in the U.S. to get a scholarship,” Ping said. “I have also learned a lot about the culture here and I have made a lot of friends.”

Ping feels that there is a lot of pressure on him to perform well because his parents are professional athletes.

“We play different style in China but I feel more pressure to play here,” Ping said. “My parents are watching me and they want me to do well.”

Ping attended Avondale high school in New Zealand, which was ranked fourth in the nation in basketball during his senior year. He averaged 20 points and nine rebounds at the high school level.

After graduating high school, Ping attended Illinois Central Community College. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Midwest Junior College Showcase as well as a preseason All American during his freshman year, in which he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds.

In his sophomore year, Ping was plagued with injuries and only averaged seven points and four rebounds.

Following his two seasons at ICCC, Ping transferred to the University of Nebraska where he played in 21 games. He averaged three points and one rebound at Nebraska.

After one year at Nebraska, Ping transferred to Emporia State.

“I thought I would have more playing time here,” Ping said. “My teammates here are like my brothers and they have helped me adjust.”

Ping is 24 years old and is a senior economics major.

“I want to be like Michael Jordan,” Ping said. “He was a successful basketball player but after he retired he has been a successful business man.”

Despite only playing with Ping for one season, his teammates feel that they have helped him succeed.

“He came into the MIAA shoving and pushing people,” said senior guard Alex Pyle. “We had to tell him that he could not do that in this league and we had to help him adjust.”

His teammates also benefit from knowing Ping as a friend.

“He is a great guy,” Pyle said. “He is one of the friendliest guys I have every met and he is real supportive.”

Ping takes a lot of pride in playing basketball.

“I do not play basketball just for myself, I play for my country,” Ping said. “It just feels great to be able to play this game.”

And for Ping, basketball is more than a hobby.

“I am just a tall Chinese guy who is living his dream,” Ping said. “I love this game.”

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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Senior Lucas Fornelli pitches against a Butler Community College hitter during a JV game Wednesday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex. ESU will host Northwest Missouri at 1 p.m. for a double header this Saturday./PHOTO BY KELLEN JENKINS

The Emporia state baseball team played their first home game of the season last Tuesday against the Newman Jets. The Hornets won 20-9.

“It is good to be home,” said Sophmore infielder Kevin Wempe. “We had been on the road for a couple of weeks.”

Before Tuesday’s game, the team had yet to experience the new turf in the infield section of Glennan Field.

“This was the first time we played a game on the turf,” said senior infielder Connor Crumbliss. “The turf is going to play well for us.”

The Hornets started the bottom of the first inning with a homerun by Crumbliss.

“It was a fastball over the plate and I just hit it,” Crumbliss said. “We hit well tonight but our team is going to rely on singles and doubles.”

The Hornets had 21 hits compared to the Jets’ 17.

“We swung the bat well tonight and we just played well,” said junior infielder Kenny Burkhead. “The guys that threw for them seemed like they were not throwing very hard and we adjusted pretty well.”

The Hornets’ defense shutout the Jets in three innings before giving up a run. The Jets scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning to pull within four runs of the Hornets’ lead. The Hornets responded by adding 11 more runs in five innings and holding the Jets to just four runs over that span.

Both teams hit five homeruns in the game and combined for 29 runs.

“Our offense performed really well tonight,” Wempe said. “We hit the ball all over the field.”

Throughout the game, there were nine pitching changes made between both teams.

“We have to throw more strikes, change speeds and work ahead in the count,” said Head Coach Bob Fornelli. “Every pitcher who went out on the mound tonight has an opportunity to help us but right now they’re not pitching like it.”

Freshman Dominic King was the winning pitcher for the Hornets. He went two innings and had eight hits and four runs against him.

The Hornets improve to 8-2 on the season and will play four games at home before heading out on the road again.

The Hornets will play against Northwest Missouri in a double header at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Glennen Field.

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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In a time when the economy dictates the decisions of virtually every person and organization, the Emporia State Student Recreation Center is no exception.

The Recreation Center receives its funds through student fees, which are included in tuition. “Our student body pays a student campus privilege fee and that is where we get our operating funds,” said JoLanna Kord, Director of Recreation Services. “The students have access to the recreation center and the swimming pool in HPER because they paid the fees.”

They also receive their funds through intramural leagues that they offer.

“We offer intramural leagues in the fall and spring,” Kord said. “We offer flag football and volleyball in the fall and basketball and slow pitch softball in the spring and they cost $30 to participate in.”

There are three other fitness facilities located in Emporia, which include the Emporia Recreation Center, Walburns and Emporia Fitness.

“I think we have some advantages as well as some disadvantages,” Kord said. “We offer a lot of great services and we open pretty early, however Walburn’s and Emporia fitness do have newer machines.”

The new treadmills at Walburn’s have television screens and the facility has just been remodeled to include a Salon and tanning beds.

“We do plan to replace some of the older machines in the future but due to the current economic situation we have to put that on hold,” Kord said. “We have to pay our workers first and the equipment is still in good condition it is just not as high tech as some of the newer machines available.”

Despite the lack of newer equipment, many students feel that the Recreation Center is sufficient as is.

“I like the equipment they have here and there is always people I know around here,” said sophomore Ben Adams. “I have been to Walburns and Emporia Fitness and I like the equipment here better.”

However some students feel that the Recreation Center gets crowded at times.

“I work out here around four days a week and I like how organized the facility is,” said freshman Nicholas Donovan. “It does seem a little cramped at times but once you get past some minor space issues it is really nice.”

The student recreation center is only open to students and faculty.

“We do not plan to compete against Walburns or Emporia Fitness,” Kord said. “We serve the students and if we were to open to the public that would defeat our purpose.”

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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Josh Thosmen of the Topeka Jr. Blues, looks to pass Saturday afternoon in the HPER building during Special Olympics Winter Basketball. Teams of the West, KC Metro and Northeast region met in Emporia for the Regional Tournament. The Sate Tournament will be held in Hays, Kan. March 19-21./PHOTO BY KELLEN JENKINS

Michael stepped onto the red X, bounced the basketball once and concentrated on the rim. He threw the ball up and watched in amazement as it swished through the net.

Michael was just one of roughly 500 special Olympians who participated in the Special Olympics last Saturday in the HPER building.

The event started with all of the athletes and the volunteers meeting in the men’s and women’s practice basketball gym for the pledge of allegiance.

Immediately following the pledge, the competition began with a cheer contest. Four teams competed for the gold medal in a showdown of chants.

The volunteers voted on the winners and chose two teams to receive gold medals. One team received the silver and the other team received the bronze.

After the cheer competition, the athletes were split into two smaller groups and they participated in individual skill drills.

The first drill was a basketball passing drill in which the athlete had to stand in a three meter by three meter square marked by red tape and throw the basketball into a gray square on the wall.

Each athlete was given five shots and could earn up to 20 points total from this drill. Three points were awarded for getting the ball inside the square and an extra point was awarded if the athlete caught the ball when it bounced back.

Next was a dribbling drill where the goal was to dribble the basketball in a meter of space as fast as possible.

Athletes then competed in a shooting contest. There were eight spots around the goal that each participant had to shoot from. They were allowed two shots from each spot and could earn two points for each basket or a point if the basketball just hit the rim and did not score.

The final drill was a speed dribble, in which each athlete was given one minute to dribble the basketball as many times as possible.

A boy named Joshua seemed nervous about this drill as he dribbled away and counted each bounce of the ball. Joshua won a gold medal in this drill with 200 dribbles in one minute.

The basketball tournament followed the individual drills.

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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Jeremiah Box is not just a basketball player, he is also a songwriter. He wrote a song for a small record company in Chicago became one of their top songs.

“I love to write music and it is one of my favorite things to do,” Box said. “If I was not playing basketball I would be writing songs.”

Box is a 21-year-old junior recreation major.

“I want to eventually coach or open up a recreation facility,” Box said. “I love working with kids and I want to help kids get involved in sports.”

He grew up in Rockford, Ill. which is approximately an hour and a half away from Chicago.

“It was really nice growing up close to a big city,” Box said. “The people were pretty friendly.”

Box started developing his love for basketball at a very young age.

“My dad used to throw little bouncy balls in the crib and I would hold them and throw them around,” Box said. “Ever since I could crawl I was always chasing a basketball and I would try to grab it and play with it.”

Box said that the basketball court has been a therapeutic place for him.

“I have just always loved basketball and I feel at home on the court,” Box said. “Whenever I need to get away and clear my mind I go and play basketball.”

Box graduated from Christian Life High School where he has had his share of embarrassing moments.

“It was during a championship game my junior year and I forgot my jersey but luckily they had another jersey with the same number that I wore,” Box said. “I drove through the lane and I dunked it over a guy, but as he fell he pulled down my pants and I hung on the rim with my pants down and my boxers showing, which happened to be sponge bob boxers, so the fans were laughing at me.”

There were also some good moments that offset the bad.

“It was my senior year during a championship game,” he said. “In double overtime with two seconds left my teammate threw the ball to half court and I shot a fade away three to win the game.”

Before coming to Emporia State, Box attended Sauk Valley Community College where he averaged 18 points, nine rebounds and five steals per game. For Box, ESU was a natural choice.

“When I came on my visit everybody was nice to me,” Box said. “When I was watching the senior night basketball game I just feel in love with the school and the program.”

Box has been impressed by the coaching staff at ESU.

“I really like the coaches here and I am glad that Moe is my coach,” Box said. “They really care about us as players and people.”

Box is third on the team in scoring, averaging 15 points per game. He is ranked third in the MIAA in three pointers made per game and fourth in the league in three point percentage shooting a .500 from behind the three point line.

“He is a pretty good player,” said junior guard Lamar Wilbern. “It definitely helps having him on the team.”

The fans are encouraging and have had a positive impact on Box.

“We have a lot of fans who travel with us and a lot of those fans are parents,” Box said. “It really does help when you’re three hours away and there is someone in the other team’s stadium cheering for you.”

Box said that through his devotion to God and church, he has become a better person.

“I live my life for God and I want to help people,” Box said. “I feel that I care about others more than I do about myself.”

Wilbern feels that Box is the type of person who works hard and appreciates everything he has.

“Jeremiah Box is a reserved and disciplined individual,” Wilbern said. “He does his best to treat others as he would want to be treated.”

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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Junior guard Robert Moores shoots for two points Sunday evening at White Auditorium. The Hornets finished the game with an 87-63 win over Truman State. ANDREW DORPINGHAUS/THE BULLETIN

In 2005, Andrea Leiker was a freshman who had just committed to attending Emporia State. She received one of only seven Virginia Endly Scholarships a full ride scholarship offered to incoming freshmen.

Leiker is now a 21-year-old senior health promotion major. She is a native Kansan who has attended ESU for four years.

“I was a physical education major for a semester and I decided I did not want something that specific because I was not sure what I wanted to do,” Leiker said. “I wanted to do something in the health field so I chose health promotion.”

Leiker was born in Hays and moved to Lacrosse where her parents grew up. She moved again to Lyons when she was in the second grade.

“I had cousins, aunts and uncles who lived in Lyons,” Leiker said. “It made moving a lot easier knowing people who lived there.”

Leiker started playing basketball when she was in the second grade, and continued to play year round.

“I played basketball at the YMCA in second grade,” Leiker said. “Then when I was in the fifth grade I started playing Mid America Youth Basketball and we played every weekend all year round.”

Leiker graduated from Lyons High School and chose to attend ESU for many reasons.

“I had the opportunity to play for a good team and it was close to home,” Leiker said. “It was close enough that my parents could come and watch me play and I could go home whenever I wanted to.”

Head Coach Brandon Schneider feels that Andrea Leiker is a valuable addition to the team.

“She can set up a lot of things because of her three-point shooting,” Schneider said. “She has been really consistent especially these last two years.”

Schneider also said that Leiker and her teammates are close.

“She has left things in airports and restaurants before and her teammates love to joke around with her about it,” Schneider said. “She is really a terrific person who cares a lot about her teammates and the team and she invested a lot in this program.”

Leiker feels that Schneider is one of the most accomplished coaches in Division II women’s basketball.

“He is very knowledgeable about the game,” Leiker said. “He has done a lot for me.”

One of Leiker’s most memorable moments at ESU was beating Washburn.

“There have been so many great moments but I would say during my freshman year when we beat Washburn to go to the elite eight or when we beat Washburn here when it was televised,” Leiker said.

Leiker has also had her share of embarrassing moments.

“I remember during our televised game against Washburn I was going to check in and I kicked a water bottle out onto the court,” Leiker said. “They had to stop the game and everything.”

Sports programs and fans at ESU have influenced Leiker’s performance on the court.

“Our fans are amazing every game you go to you can expect a good crowd,” Leiker said. “They are a part of the reason we do so well.”

Leiker is the kind of person who enjoys the great outdoors.

“I started riding horses two summers ago,” Leiker said. “I like fishing, camping and I like to travel I just love being outdoors.”

Leiker’s parents have been supportive of her choices throughout her life.

“I have always looked up to my parents,” Leiker said. “They have done so much for me.”

Leiker feels that she is the type of person who works hard for what she has.

“I am a very easy going, down to earth person and a small town girl who works hard,” Leiker said.

Leiker has earned the respect of her coaches and teammates because she has stayed true to herself.

“I am open and honest with people,” Leiker said. “I do not care if I say something stupid and somebody laughs at me I do not let anybody else define who I am and I stick to my roots and my family.”

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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