For the first time, the Race for the Cure was held at Bicentennial
Capitol Mall State Park in downtown Nashville, just west of the grounds of
the state Capitol building. By the sun began to rise over the city,
the team had already arrived.
The grassy mall was the staging area for the race. The Vanderbilt
volunteers were responsible for handing the pink cards saying "In
celebration of . . ." and "In memory of . . ." for participants to wear during
the race.
Vendors, including Panera, set up booths and kiosks around the mall,
which turned out to be a blessing for young athletes aroused early from
their beds, including Merideth Marsh and Tina Wirth.
By coincidence, Saturday was the first real frost in Nashville this
fall. The players were bundled up against the morning chill, posing a
problem for how to wear the "Race for the Cure" volunteer t-shirts.
Tina Writh (above photo) wore hers as a scarf. Liz Sherwood (right)
wore hers over her warmup suit; Ashlee Bridge (left) wore hers under the
jacket, and Jessica Mooney and Amber Norton decided to wait for a warmer
day.
As race time approached, Lauren Lueders, Jen Risper, Dee Davis, and
Caroline Williams had plenty to do at their table.
Lauren Leuders pins an "In Celebration of . . . " card on Wendy Adams'
pink t-shirt, which identifies her as a breast cancer survivor. Wendy
is a 5-year survivor, and on the front of her shirt, she's wearing a
photo of her mother Hazel, who is a 2-1/2 year survivor.
The Vanderbilt players, including Ashlee Bridge, also handed out
schedules for the season and a promotional flyer for "Pink Out" to be held on
December 3 when the 'Dores host Clemson.
The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, and all fans are
encouraged to wear pink. A portion of the ticket proceeds will go directly to
the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and a FREE post-game clinic will
be held for all youth basketball players. Mark your calendars now!
Head Coach Melanie Balcomb was out of town on a recruiting trip, but
the assistant coaches, including Vicky Picott (center) were there. Coach
Picott coaches the post players, including Amy Malo (left) and Carla Thomas (right.
Carla wore a pink card in memory of her cousin Samanatha "Sammy"
Thomas, who passed away when Carla was a freshman at Vanderbilt, right after
the SEC tournament.
Jessica Mooney
Merideth Marsh and Tina Wirth
Merideth Marsh
As race time approached, music blared from the stage for a jazzercise
warmup before the race. Assistant Coach Lisa Cermignano, who loves to
dance, couldn't resist the opportunity, and Jen Risper, Caroline
Williams, and Tina Wirth joined in.
The girls basketball team from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood had
come to Nashville for the race and were excited when they met basketball
players from Vanderbilt. Merideth Marsh is on the left of the front
row, and Tina Wirth on the right. Amy Malo, Liz Sherwood, and Carla Thomas
are in the back. (Click on photo to view a larger image.)
When the race began, the players posed for a photo before heading back
to campus. Next on their agenda? A nap? Or a football tailgate? Or just
some time to chill?
No such luck. With the team's second exhibition game on Monday at 7
p.m. and the first regular season game next weekend in Colorado, the next
item on the agenda was . . . practice! (Click on photo to view a
larger image.)
* * * * *
Photos copyright 2006 by Whitney D for VandyMania.com.
|