FIU ends 23-game losing streak

FIU finished the football season by putting an end to major college football's longest current losing streak at 23 games when it won over North Texas, 38-19, at the last college football game played at the Orange Bowl on Dec. 1.

Golden Panther Paul McCall threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, Lionell Singleton had an 84-yard kickoff return for a score, Julian Reams added a 22-yard rushing TD and Audric Adger tied a school record with four sacks for FIU (1-11, 1-6 Sun Belt), which last won on Dec. 3, 2005, against Middle Tennessee State.

“We’re not 1-11,” McCall said. “We're on a one-game winning streak.”

FIU will take that winning feeling into the off season – a huge boost toward Head Coach Mario Cristobal's rebuilding plan.

“These kids have been through a lot,” Cristobal, FIU's first-year head coach who got the requisite water-cooler bath with 1:21 left in the game. “It’s been a long, long time.”

Men’s soccer trio earns All-Conference honors

Three Golden Panthers have been recognized with All-Tournament Team selections – senior Ainsley Deer, sophomore Juan Guerra and freshman Steven Jair Cabas.

After an incredible run that saw the Golden Panthers reach the Conference USA Championship Tournament finals, the FIU men’s soccer team fell nine minutes short of reaching the NCAA National Championship Tournament as they lost to No.9 and top-seeded Tulsa 3-2, on Nov. 18 in Birmingham, Ala.

FIU defeated No.5 SMU 3-1 in the opening round of the tournament before beating Marshall 3-2 in overtime to reach the finals.

The FIU offense came alive during the Golden Panther’s three tournament matches. The Golden Panthers netted eight goals in three matches after producing just 15 in 18 regular season matchers.

The team finished the season with a disappointing 5-14-2 record, but the incredible run in the championship tournament gave everyone a glimpse of a bright future.

Golden Panthers excel at Hoosierland Invitational

Junior Sara Giovannoni placed in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke races to lead the way for Golden Panthers at the Hoosierland Invitational, held at Indiana University’s Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center Nov. 15-17.

Giovannoni swam a season-best and NCAA “B” Standard time of 2:15.99 in the 200-yard breaststroke to take second place. She also placed sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.20 and posted a season-best 1:05.17 in the preliminaries. The marks rank fourth and fifth on FIU’s all-time list.

Several Golden Panthers posted team-best individual performances and contributed some of FIU’s best relay work of the season.

Freshman Adrian Omans swam to a team season-best 25.58 in the 50-yard free and sophomore Nicola MacKenzie posted team season bests in the 200-yard free (1:57.17), 100 backstroke (1:01.96) and 200 backstroke (2:13.51).

Senior Lindsey Overman also set a team season bests in the 400-yard individual medley (4:45.54) and the 200-yard IM (2:15.72).

To read more about FIU’s performance at the tournament, click here.

The Golden Panthers will not compete against until next year when FIU hosts the 2008 FIU Invitational in January at Miami Shores Pool.

FIU takes second at Pat Bradley Championship

FIU, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, finished second with 908 scores, after South Florida’s 896, at 30th annual Pat Bradley Women’s Golf Championship played at the Pelican Preserve G.C. in Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 29-30.

Golden Panther Maria Hernandez (223) carded a 3-over 75 good for an eighth-place tie and teammate Susan Nam (224) fired a 1-over 73 to help move FIU from fourth place after two rounds into the second-place tie.

Freshman Cristina Marin (234) ended in a tie for 24th, Monica Arreaza (235) finished tied for 31st and Roberta Neves (236) was tied for 36th among the 60 players in the competition.

The Golden Panthers will break for the semester and return to action on Feb. 9-10, in Kinder, La., at the McNeese State Kosati Pines Collegiate.

Kevin Fricke joins men’s basketball staff

Longtime Division I assistant coach Kevin Fricke has been added to the basketball staff at FIU.

Fricke is no stranger to FIU’s current conference affiliation having spent the past 11 seasons with Sun Belt Conference member Arkansas-Little Rock. FIU is Fricke’s fourth stop at the Division I level, having previously coached at TCU and Nebraska.

“Kevin is a great addition to our staff and we are extremely lucky to have him,” said Sergio Rouco, the Golden Panthers’ head coach. “With his experience in the Sun Belt, he knows every characteristic of this league and he knows every coach in the league. He is as excited being here as we are of having him.”

He replaces former FIU assistant Beau Archibald, who left to take an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, UConn.

For more information about Fricke, click here.