Athletics

DIY-IAP: MIT Basketball Doubleheader, Saturday, January 21

by Jay London on January 20, 2012

in Alumni Life,Athletics,Campus Culture,Events,IAP

Billy Johnson, '09, '10

In 2010, the most popular jobs for new MIT graduates were in consulting and finance, and the most popular locations included Boston and New York City. Nowhere to be found on that list: professional basketball player…in Costa Rica…or Iceland.

But that road was traveled by Willard “Billy” Johnson ’09, ’10, assistant coach for the Engineers Men’s Basketball Team, who play WPI tomorrow in a Men’s/Women’s home doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. (the women take on Smith). AT MIT, he earned a B.S. in management science with a finance concentration in 2009, and a B.S. in political science with an international studies concentration and minors in economics and theater in 2010. He then spent a year-plus odyssey that included professional stops in Reykjavik and San Ramon. He’s chronicled these adventures on his blog, Ballin’ on a Budget.

“When I graduated, I wanted to keep playing basketball but wasn’t sure if I could play professionally,” he said. “But I learned at MIT to never let unknown variables hold you back. If you have a goal, attack it with tenacity.”

Johnson was tri-captain of the celebrated 2009 team that–despite dressing only nine players–won the school’s first NEWMAC Tournament Championship and first NCAA Division III Tournament victory, and received national media attention from ESPN. Johnson returned as a fifth-year senior in 2010, leading the team to the NEWMAC Conference Championship. He left MIT as the team’s all-time win leader, and finished in the top 10 in three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, and blocked shots.

After graduation, Johnson spent a few months in India performing market research and forecasting, and working in a Leprosy/HIV clinic. He briefly assisted MIT basketball coach Larry Anderson before travelling to Costa Rica and helping lead ARBA-San Ramon to the playoff semifinals. While in Costa Rica, Johnson also worked at Beyond Study Abroad, a non-profit that connects NCAA athletes with children in impoverished parts of the world.

Following the season, he moved to Reykjavik, joining former teammate Jimmy Bartolotta on Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur (Reykjavik Athletic). He played only six games before sustaining a gruesome finger injury (photos available on his blog). The cut-short season allowed Johnson to rejoin Anderson’s staff shortly before this season.

“The people in Costa Rica and Iceland were amazing but I missed MIT basketball,” he said. “It was tough being away. You learn so much at MIT that isn’t in the classroom, and I realized that when I was gone.”

The undefeated Engineers (15-0) are off to their best start in Engineers history and ranked number three nationally in Division III. The women’s team is 7-5 and poised for NEWMAC tournament run. Johnson says any fans attending Saturday’s doubleheader will not be disappointed.

“There’s a saying in MIT Athletics: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” he said. “When you go to these games, you see the MIT spirit of pushing yourself to the limit, then pushing yourself more, making yourself uncomfortable by working so hard. It’s the embodiment of MIT.”

For more information on Saturday’s doubleheader, visit the MIT Engineers athletics site.

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MIT: The Source of Innovation in…Sports

by Jay London on December 15, 2011

in Alumni Life,Athletics,Campus Culture,Events,In the News,Media

Guest blogger: Larry Lataif, Conference co-lead, Sloan ‘12

From the transistor radio to the Human Genome Project, MIT can lay claim to a number of innovations. But until recently, the Institute has rarely been associated with advancement in professional sports.

The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference not only solidified the relationship between MIT and athletics, it changed the way research and statistics are applied in professional and college sports. Organized by students from the Sloan School of Management, the conference is open to anyone interested in sports, with a special reduced rate for MIT alumni.

Daryl Morey '00, general manager of the NBA's Houston Rockets

Now in its sixth year, the conference will be held March 2-3 at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center. The event is co-chaired by Daryl Morey ’00, general manager of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, and Jessica Gelman, vice president for Kraft Sports Group. This year’s conference will also include Jeff Ma ’94. A co-founder and vice president for Synergy Sports and a consultant for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, Ma is also a former member of the famed MIT Blackjack Team.

The 2012 event features a varied group of the sports world’s leading decision makers, including Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s defending champion Dallas Mavericks; Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League; Scott Boras, Major League Baseball super-agent; Bill James, founder of the sports analytics movement; and Michael Wilbon and Bill Simmons, two of ESPN’s most prominent personalities.

2012 sessions include “The Art & Analytics of Negotiation,” “Fanalytics,” and “The Commish: The Role of the Modern Commissioner in Sports,” and topics on all major sports.

Past MIT-related highlights have included a golf-putting statistic co-created by MIT Professor Stephen Graves that measures a player’s putting performance and has since been adopted by the PGA Tour, and a baseball analytics section hosted by Chicago Cubs Scouting Director Joe Bohringer ’93.

Find out more about this year’s conference, view videos from past conferences, or secure the reduced rate for MIT alumni.

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En Garde! MIT Fencers Receive State-of-the-Art Facility

by Amy Marcott on November 14, 2011

in Athletics,Student Life

MIT fencers have a newly renovated home, thanks to the generous donations of alumni and friends.

Fencing room dedication ceremony

The improved salle d’armes, dedicated last month at the annual alumni meet, was expanded by 30 percent, which will allow for junior varsity competition and safer practices. Additionally, a new sprung athletic floor was installed as well as 12 full-length strips and ceiling-mounted electronic scoring equipment. Located in the duPont Athletic Center, the room had not been renovated since 1959.

The newly renovated salle d’armes

“It was, without a doubt, a historic moment for the entire MIT fencing family,” said head coach Jarek Koniusz. “Our students received a place where they can be productive in practice, wind down from academic stress, and then go back to their classes full of energy and creativity.”

How is the fencing team doing this year? MIT women posted three top 10 finishes in its 2011-12 debut at The Big One hosted by Smith College on Nov. 5. At the same event, members of the men’s team recorded two top 10 finishes.

View more photos from the dedication ceremony.

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At 100, Bill Milliken Officially a Legend

by Jay London on November 9, 2011

in Alumni Life,Athletics,Engineering,In the News

Photo: Bentley Publishing

With all the success Bill Milliken ’34 has had in his life, it’s funny that he’s immortalized for his most well known mistake. To many auto racing fans, the 100-year-old Milliken is known only as the namesake behind “Milliken’s Corner,” the iconic turn in the Village of Watkins Glen, New York, that earned its name when Milliken flipped his Bugatti during the Village’s first road race in 1948.

In reality, Milliken’s contributions to auto racing and Watkins Glen stretch far beyond that corner. He was honored as such last month when, alongside racing legend Mario Andretti, he was named a “Legend of the Glen” by Watkins Glen International Raceway. As part of the induction, Multimatic Engineering unveiled an interpretation of the MX-1 Camber Car—a historic car raced by a 91-year-old Milliken in 2002—during the Raceway’s Vintage Racing weekend.

From the Watkins Glen International website:

Milliken’s largest impact on The Glen, however, might have come off of the track as he was instrumental in the planning and designing of both the temporary and permanent tracks.  His use of sweeping turns and long straightaways throughout the course that allow for high speeds has resulted in Watkins Glen International becoming known as the super speedway of road courses.

“Bill Milliken was a hero to me as a kid and is one of the giants of Watkins Glen legacy,” said Michael Argetsinger, son of Watkins Glen icons Cameron and Jean Argetsinger and accomplished motorsports history author.

The induction capped a yearlong celebration for Milliken, whose 100th birthday was celebrated by the International Motor Racing Research Center in April. And while much of the focus was his impact on auto racing, which includes racing for more than seven decades, it’s only a small portion of his lifetime accomplishments.

Review of Equations of Motion from Vanity Fair, March 2008

After graduating from MIT with a degree in mathematics, Milliken helped develop the Boeing B-17 heavy bomber, which was used in World War II, and participated in the Boeing B-29’s first test flight. He established the Vehicle Dynamics Department at the Cornell Aeronautics Laboratory in 1956 and later started Milliken Research Associates, which is now run by his son, Douglas Milliken ’77.

An accomplished author, his book Race Car Vehicle Dynamics was published to wide acclaim in 1994, and his 2006 autobiography, Equations of Motion, was championed by Jay Leno in the March 2008 issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

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World Games: MIT Sport Taekwondo Club Earns High Marks

by Nancy DuVergne Smith on October 26, 2011

in Athletics

Guest Blogger: Katie Congdon, DAPER

This summer, senior Erika Lee and Rene Chen ’07 of the MIT Sport Taekwondo Club represented the United States at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China, as a part of the national collegiate Taekwondo team.

Rene Chen '07 performing Taebaek at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China.

Rene Chen '07 performing Taebaek at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. Photo: Dan Chuang

Chen competed in the female individual poomsae division and posted an impressive overall finish of eighth place, the best result ever for a U.S. female individual poomsae competitor at a world collegiate event. Chen also competed with partner Brandon DeSouza in the mixed pairs division, where they performed the poosmae Keumgang and Taebaek. The pair finished 13th overall, falling just shy of the finals round.

Chen began learning Taekwondo in the MIT Sport Taekwondo physical education class and, in just eight years, has skyrocketed to her current rank of eighth in the world. She continues to live in the Boston area and train with the MIT club.

“It was my great honor to be an ambassador for Sport Taekwondo, my school and my country. It wouldn’t have been possible without the mental, physical and financial support of many people and organizations. These kinds of events really bring out the best of humanity,” Chen says.

Chen and Lee represented the United States in the women’s team poomsae division along with Carissa Fu, where they performed the poosmae Taeguek Pal Jang and Koryo. After a strong performance in the semifinals, they finished ninth, one place shy of the finals by a margin of just 0.08 points.

Lee was co-captain of the Sport Taekwondo Club team at MIT last year and, as of April 2011, was ranked second in the country for sparring at the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships. She helped lead the team to a national second-place ranking and looks to continue that leadership as she begins her senior year at MIT.

 

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Student Shares 3 Lessons Learned While Hiking

by Liv on August 5, 2011

in Athletics,Travel

At the peak of Mt. Katahdin in Maine, Gabe Blanchet neared the end of his four-month hike.

Slice readers may recall some months back when we posted a story about Gabe Blanchet, the MIT student who endeavored to thru-hike all 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trial to raise money for juvenile diabetes research. We’ve got good news: He made it!

In just 124 days, Blanchet walked from Georgia to Maine and raised more than $11,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. His three main takeaways, originally published on his blog http://gabehikestheat.tumblr.com/, are posted below:

1) Materials and money do not equal happiness

So long as you have a certain amount of each, you don’t need more. Give it away. Living out of a 38-liter backpack taught me exactly what I need and what I don’t.

2) Experiences are best shared

Except for certain reflective outings, I want the people in my life who I care about to share future experiences and adventures with me. Enough is enough with time alone, and hiking all of June void of companionship showed me that.

3) Hike your own hike, and enjoy it

That’s what Hot Rock (the shuttler who whisked me to the AT in Georgia) told me. And he was right. Perhaps this is part of any young man’s coming of age, but I started to trust my own judgment while making decisions on the Trail.

Read more about Blanchet’s hike on his blog, and view additional photos on his Facebook page.

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Quick Update on the Hungry Hiker

by Liv on April 12, 2011

in Athletics,Public Service,Travel

Remember a couple weeks ago when we told you about Gabe Blanchet, the MIT student who is hiking the Appalachian Trail to raise money for juvenile diabetes research?

Blanchet is now more than 760 miles from Springer Mountain and doing well, hiking a lot and logging between 20 and 25 miles per day. He recently contacted us to share some photos, and he mentioned (in response to our inquiry) that he’d love to receive notes of encouragement–and food–from any alumni who are interested in supporting him. For breakfast alone, he tries to down at least six packets of oatmeal and two poptarts–and he’s still lost 20 pounds since he began.

Because picking up packages from specified post office locations can be tricky timing-wise, Blanchet has requested that folks send everything to his parents, who will then forward items on to him. Their address is:

Holley Allen (Mother of 3Stove)
39 Shattuck Rd.
Hadley, MA 01035

Scroll down to see images that Blanchet sent. View more and read frequent updates from the trail on his tumblr blog: http://gabehikestheat.tumblr.com/

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MIT Student Hiking from Georgia to Maine

by Liv on March 23, 2011

in Athletics,Student Life

For the next few months, MIT sophomore Gabe Blanchet will be living a life much different from his fellow students: He’s through-hiking the Appalachian Trail–all 2,179 miles of it–by himself. And then he’s going to write a book about it.

Blanchet isn’t actually alone. In one of his first blog entries from the trail–made seven days after his late-February start–he said he had already met more than 100 other hikers who, like him, intended to walk from Georgia to Maine. Blanchet had befriended several and was already well-acquainted with some of the ups and downs of trail life. On three consecutive mornings he had awakened to unexpected snow, icy boots, a frozen camera, and searing pain in his heels. He had also experienced some of the best parts of the trail, showing up at his first trail hostel to find it stocked with food, laundry, a warm bed, and hot showers–plus an owner who accepted payment on the honor code.

Why Hike?

In some of his pre-hike blog posts, Blanchet described his reasons for wanting to undertake such a lengthy and strenuous adventure. For one thing, Blanchet is an athlete: At MIT he plays hockey and lacrosse, and from the looks of his blog, he does a fair amount of camping, skiing, and backpacking on the side.

He also likes to write. At a young age, his mother made him keep a journal that he was required to write in daily. He maintained that practice until he was in sixth grade, lapsed for a few years, and then resumed in ninth grade. Blanchet says he has also been inspired by adventure writers, including Bill Bryson.

I first read Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods about his journey along the Appalachian Trail (AT) three summers ago after graduating from high school, and immediately knew that I would someday have to hike the AT. I pulled out my journal and added the hike to my ever expanding bucket list.

Later this summer, after Blanchet completes the AT, he plans to meet with Bryson to discuss the author’s hiking and writing experiences. Blanchet also intends to enroll in a few writing workshops and will be seeking guidance from Andrea Walsh, a lecturer in MIT’s Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies.

Yet another component of Blanchet’s interest in the AT is altruistic. His mother practices medicine in western Massachusetts, and on several occasions she talked to Blanchet about the need for increased support of juvenile diabetes research. So Blanchet is asking people to donate one cent per mile (or more) to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Half of what he raises will go to JDRF, and the other half will go to his most generous donor’s choice of charity.

Keeping Current

Even though Blanchet spends most of his time putting one foot in front of the other, news from the outside world eventually reaches the trail. In fact, Blanchet says that conversations about current events have made for some of the most interesting experiences so far.

Instead of reading news on Google about the earthquakes and tsunamis terrorizing Japan, someone will mention current events around a campfire as we all rest our sore feet after dinner. Non-rushed meaningful discussion ensues comparing and contrasting this disaster to Katrina and Haiti, examining efforts to aid Japan, discussing the safety of nuclear power plants etc. Fellow hikers have diverse backgrounds and bring fresh perspectives to each discussion. Although my friends and professors at MIT have a much deeper understanding of the science behind the disasters, I find Trail discussions to be refreshingly interdisciplinary and enlightening. Often other hikers turn to me for answers to the technical questions. It’s really fun to try to explain the basics by patching together information from the core science classes at MIT.

Want to Get Involved?

Read his blog: http://gabehikestheat.tumblr.com/

Donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: http://gabehikestheat.tumblr.com/DONATIONPAGE

Send him snacks! Blanchet picked up his first mail drop at the Fontana Post Office in North Carolina. Sent by his mom, it contained brownies, dehydrated dinners, jelly beans, beef jerky and oatmeal–enough food to last him six days. You too can send Blanchet snacks. We at Slice will post the proper address and deadline as soon as the information is available. Stay tuned!!

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Oh Yeah—MIT Teams Come Up Big in Championships

by Amy Marcott on March 1, 2011

in Athletics,Student Life

Senior Eric Zuk in the game against WPI.

Senior Eric Zuk in the game against WPI. MIT won 63–52

MIT varsity athletic teams have had a big February, including men’s basketball, which won the NEWMAC tournament on Sunday against WPI, assuring themselves a spot in their third consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament (the “little dance”). This was the second NEWMAC victory in the last three years for MIT, who ended the regular season at 19-8. Read about the championship game, in which MIT shot 72.7% from the floor to upset the top seed 63–52.

NCAA Division III Tournament selections were announced yesterday. MIT will play Ithaca College in upstate New York on Friday, March 4. Alumni and friends, near and far, are encouraged to come—fan support played a big role in MIT’s first NCAA victory two years ago against Rhode Island College.

Other winter 2011 champs

Men’s track and field—took first in the NCAA New England Division III Championship for the 12th time in program history.

Men’s swimming and diving—captured their third straight NEWMAC title in stunning fashion, sweeping all six swimming events. With their sixth conference team championship, the Engineers tied the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s record for league titles.

Women’s swimming and diving— MIT took top honors at the NEWMAC Championships for the first time in school history.

Also of note

Women’s track and field—came in second at the NCAA New England Division III Championship.

Men’s and women’s fencing—placed third overall in the combined results at the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Championships (NEIFC).

Related

2010: MIT Basketball Season Headed for Grand Finale

2009: MIT Men’s Basketball Team Heads to NCAA Tourney

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Got a Revolutionary Sports Idea?

by Amy Marcott on December 22, 2010

in Athletics,Management,Modern Geekhood

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference logo

If you love to think about sports and all the statistics associated with them, the fifth annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference—held March 4-5, 2011—wants to hear from you. This year, the conference is hosting the new Evolution of Sport (EOS) Address, a contest to discover the ideas that could someday change the face of sports.

Anyone can participate. Submit your idea that could later be presented in a 10-15 minute speech to the conference by January 20. Ten finalists will receive free conference tickets and record their presentation at the event—working with the EOS team to craft their speeches. Video presentations will be distributed via the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference webpage; select presentations will appear on larger media outlets.

Daryl Morey MBA '00, general manager of the Houston Rockets, initiated with Sloan one of the first MBA programs with a sports analytics business class. He also cofounded the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

Daryl Morey MBA '00, general manager of the Houston Rockets, initiated with Sloan one of the first MBA programs with a sports analytics business class. He also cofounded the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

Check the rules page for more details.

The purpose of the conference is “to provide a forum for industry professionals (executives and leading researchers) and students to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry.” Since it began in 2007, the conference has been growing like crazy, doubling in size twice and moving from campus to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to accommodate more attendees—and even then there was a waitlist of 400 people last year.

Which means: if you’re interested in registering, cross your fingers and hope it hasn’t sold out yet. There’s a special price for alumni.

Featured speakers for 2011 include ESPN Columnist Bill Simmons, Author Malcolm Gladwell, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, ESPN Commentator Michael Wilbon, and many more. Check out topics for panels as well.

New this year: the conference has expanded to two days, a trade show will showcase innovations related to the sports industry and offer a way for entrepreneurs to connect with businesses, and a poster session has been added to the expanded research paper track to accommodate more participants. Last year, research paper topics included omission bias in officiating, the value of blocked shots in the NBA, and a novel approach to fantasy basketball management.

Learn more about the history of the conference, including topics addressed each year.

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