??? I got an e-mail last night from Chrissy Lewis, a field hockey and rugby student-athlete from Vassar who represents the Liberty League on the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Chrissy brought to my attention the story of Lilly Jacobson, a sophomore who plays baseball at the college. Jacobson didn't play for the Brewers last season, but missed the sport she'd played her whole life and elected to tryout this fall. Her talented earned her a spot on the team and in limited action this season, is 1-for-4 at the plate. She hasn't logged any innings on the mound, but there's always next year.

??? If you saw your life flash before your eyes on the field of play, would you ever return? Iowa pitcher Brittany Weil hasn't given it a second thought. Just before the start of last season, Weil was drilled by a line drive during practice, and although she escaped with her life, she struggled to relearn basic communication skills. One year later, Weil is 25-12 with a 1.09 ERA while leading the Hawkeyes to the postseason.

??? This morning, I learned about Chris Culver's story while watching the news. A high school baseball player from Maryland, Culver was hit directly in the face by a fastball last week and stopped breathing immediately. The first person to reach him was opposing coach Dan Taylor, who performed life-saving CPR in the batter's box.

??? With stories like the ones above, can we ever accept competition taking place without someone trained in CPR on the premises?

??? Former Kansas track and field student-athlete Jen Widerstrom will join American Gladiators next season as "Phoenix." After a brief stint rowing for the Jayhawks, Widerstrom signed on with the track and field program and quickly excelled. During her senior season in 2005, she set the school record in the hammer throw.

??? The National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship begins this afternoon with four matches at the Avery Aquatic Center at Stanford. With a perfect 30-0 record, UCLA is the field's top-ranked team and opens against eighth-seeded Pomona-Pitzer, the lone Division III institution in the competition. No. 2 Stanford will play the tournament's only East Coast squad in No. 7 Marist.

??? When Stanford hosts Boston U. in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship today, freshman Hilary Barte will be looking for a big point at No. 1 singles. Barte, who had been ranked among the top 500 players in the world prior to enrollment, kept her amateur status and decided to go to college. Now ranked No. 3 in the country, Barte is hoping to lead Stanford to a national title.