Briefs: Softball players win tournament

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Posted: 7/3/08

Eastern's softball players Angela Danca, Denee' Menzione, and Melinda Jackson were all starters on the Aurora Raiders summer league.

The Raiders won the 18-and-Over Northern Illinois State Tournament championship during the last week in June.

The Raiders went 7-1 at the USSSA-sponsored event to earn a berth in the 18-and-Over Fast Pitch World Series (East), which is to be held the weekend of July 25-27 in Rockford.

Danca played center field, Jackson played first base, and Menzione played left field along with third base.

The Raiders outscored their opponents 45-10 during the eight-game tournament.

Football earns ranking

The Eastern football team earned another preseason Top 25 ranking in The Sporting News publication.

The Panthers earned the No. 16 spot this season.

Eastern also had two players earn preseason All-American awards by the publication.

Junior guard Chaz Millard was named a first team selection on the offensive line, and sophomore punter Kevin Cook was named the first team punter.

Both of these players earned honorable mention All-American honors last year.

Eastern was also named the preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite with the November 8 game at Tennessee State named as the game to watch in the OVC.

The Panthers finished their 2007 season with an 8-4 record, and were ranked nationally as they made their third straight appearance at the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Championship Series playoffs.

Earl suits up

Former Eastern player Brad Earl has signed a short-term contract with the Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.

Earl is currently in the middle of making a transition from player to volunteer assistant coach at Eastern.

He is also serving as an intern with Real Salt Lake this summer.

The contract will put him on Salt Lake's reserve division roster for the July 4 game against the Houston Dynamo's reserve team.

The Real Salt Lake will take on the Dynamo in a televised MLS match the night before.

The reserve division is an equivalent to an NFL franchise's practice squad.

Earl helped lead the Panthers to a 23-13-5 record while earning Honorable Mention All-MVC during his last two seasons at Eastern.

Earl will return to campus this fall for graduate school, and will serve as a graduate assistant in the Lantz academic center.

Search for a swim coach

According to Director of Sports information Rich Moser, Eastern is in the process of finding a new men and women's swimming coach.

The search began June 1 when new Athletic Director Barbara Burke formally commenced her duties.

When asked who the candidates were, how many applied and when a decision could be made regarding the vacant position, Moser and Burke declined comment.

The new swimming coach would replace former Panther coach Ray Padovan, who retired last season after serving as coach for 42 years.

Padovan said that his contract ran out two weeks ago. However, he finished the recruiting for the 2008-2009 academic year and hired a graduate assistant coach.

Padovan said that there is no interim coach signed right now. He hopes the college will hire a new swim coach soon.

"It becomes important to have (a coach) by mid-July because it will affect recruiting for next year," Padovan said.

Complied by Sports Editor Molly Clutter and Sports Reporter Bob Bajek