• I spent most of my first full day in Houston taking in softball action yesterday, and as was noted in today's top post, the enthusiasm was remarkable.

• During the 10-inning game between Humboldt State and Lock Haven, I couldn't help wondering if softball pitchers ever get tired. There I was, sweating through my shirt in the stands, and these women are tossing inning after inning without any change in velocity or effectiveness. I never thought the game was going to end and if it had gone 20 innings, my guess is both hurlers would have still been tossing well. How is that possible?

• I wasn't able to decipher much of what was happening on the golf course - it's a difficult sport to watch unless you hop in someone's bag and do 18 with one group. What I can say is that all of the players seem to be able to hit the ball where they want, which is something that has never worked for me.

• After shooting 7-under par to finish second at the South regional, Florida Southern's Jude Eustaquio is doing his best to come in first at the national championship. Eustaquio shot 7-under par in the first round yesterday and is leading Josh Order (Grand Valley State) and Will Wilcox (Clayton State) by three strokes. Wilcox and Clayton State shot 7-under par as a team and leads Belmont Abbey by five strokes.

• Nova Southeastern is still leading the women's golf tournament after two rounds, extending its lead over four-time champ Rollins to seven strokes. Ferris State is 17 strokes off the pace.

• Over on the tennis courts, BYU-Hawaii cruised to its 87th consecutive victory with a 5-0 win over Drury. Elwen Li and Maggie Deng swept past Mouna Sabri and Khrystsina Tryboi, 8-0. In singles play, top-ranked Li clinched the match for the Seasiders by knocking off Laure Piquemal.

• I'm not sure, but Abilene Christian senior Aina Rafolomanatsiatosika may have the longest last name in the Festival. Twenty letters is hard to beat, but unfortunately for Rafolomanatsiatosika, ACU lost to Francis Marion, 5-4.

• By the way, that Abilene Christian-Francis Marion match lasted four hours and eight minutes. That's a long time when it's 157 degrees outside and the humidity level is 412 percent.

• West Florida's Patrick Bateman won a three-set thriller last night over Henning Ruenz (Concordia) to lead the Argonauts to a 5-4 victory. All of the other matches had finished before Bateman-Ruenz, so all eyes were turned on the No. 5 singles match. Who says tennis isn't a team sport?

• The Ferris State softball team didn't feel the need to rest after its 2-0 victory over Francis Marion yesterday. The Bulldogs came back to Memorial Park last night, where student-athlete events are being hosted following competition. While half the team played volleyball, others competed in ping pong, cornhole and switched off between XBOX 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The festivities will continue tonight, as all of the games will still be available during a screening of Bob Barker's favorite move - Happy Gilmore.

• Head coach Keri Becker was thrilled to see her team having fun and says the Bulldogs will continue to soak up all that they can during their time in Houston.

• An impassioned game of ping pong took place yesterday, as some of Division II's leadership took a break from watching to try their hands at competition. Division II Vice President Mike Racy and Pfeiffer University President Charles Ambrose took on Metropolitan State President Stephen Jordan and Director of Athletics Joan McDermott in a best-of-three bonanza. Jordan, who chairs the Division II Presidents Council, teamed with McDermott to beat Racy and Ambrose, the former chair of the Presidents Council, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9. A rematch is slated for the 2009 Winter Festival. No word on whether the DII higher-ups will be playing Madden on the XBOX tonight - Racy sounded tired.

• Women's lacrosse action begins today, and Limestone senior captain Marissa Pesce shared a wonderful post with us last night to discuss her excitement about being here. The smallest school in the national semifinals, Limestone has an overall enrollment of 750 students. When compared to the other semifinalists - Adelphi (4,201), C.W. Post (8,472) and West Chester (12,800) - the Lady Saints are out in the suburbs.

• Finally, the NCAA News is publishing a daily newspaper from Houston. To read yesterday's content, click here to see the online copy.

"If we're up cheering and we're loud, that just shows how much we want the game," said St. Edward's outfielder Kristen Lozano. "We want it all and we don't want to stay quiet for one second."

Softball cheers can range in length, volume and pop influence, but the most original seem to be the ones that you walk away whistling.

For instance, led by sophomore Sara Hipson, the Barry team changed the lyrics of the popular Spice Girls song "Wannabe" to encourage junior Ashley Likens when she came to the plate.

If you wanna be my Likens/you got to hit that ball/run around the bases/and touch 'em all. If you wanna be my Likens/you have got to rip/rip it over center/cause that's the way it is. You gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta/slam, slam, slam/if you wanna be my Likens! (listen to the cheer).

In the third game Wednesday, two distinct cheering styles were employed by Lock Haven and Humboldt State. While the Lady Eagles focused their cheers on the jersey number and last name of the batter, Humboldt State's players brought a jazzier, Aretha Franklin-style to their cheers.

After a dramatic, 10-inning win, Humboldt State gathered outside the field and gave a sample of one of their favorite cheers.

Although the majority of softball student-athletes seem destined for superstardom with their creative and musical skills, it turns out that cheers rarely break out in the classrooms back on campus.

"Softball is really the only place we cheer," said St. Edward's junior Jaime Zilverberg. "Sometimes we get excited and cheer outside the dugout, but nowhere else really."

After finishing its round on the links yesterday, the St. Edward's men's golf team headed over to the softball diamond to take in some of the game between Lock Haven and Humboldt State.

Junior Andrew Workman enjoyed the singsong atmosphere, and remarked about the different approaches he's seen while frequenting softball games.

"I've seen a couple different styles. Some get real quiet before they hit and some of them just keep it rolling," Workman said. "I think it's really good that the girls do that for each other."

Although he enjoys the cheering from the stands, Workman isn't sure it would translate well to the golf course.

"We were actually talking about it. I think it would be kind of crazy and we might lose our focus," Workman said. "But I think it works great in this sport."

There has been no research to prove that there is a correlation between cheer volume and victories on the field, but apparently nobody told the players. When Barry faces elimination in its game against Francis Marion this morning, Hipson says the team's cheers will be louder than they've been all season.

"We'll be our loudest and our strongest," Hipson said.

Right now I can't function. I can't concentrate. I can't sleep and I can't eat. Okay maybe I can still eat but not as comfortably as I'd like to. The butterflies in my stomach have a tendency to swish together what I had for lunch and I don't like it one bit. I'm currently in the worst waiting zone that will ever exist in my quarter-life years. As much as we don't like to dwell on the past, there is a familiarity that touches us in a sentimental way. Nostalgia isn't always a bad thing. To know where we're going, we have to know where we've been.

It feels like just yesterday that we pulled up to Limestone, shaking in our cleats and wondering where the next four years would take us. We came from all over - New York, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, and even recruited outside our own country; all with one goal in mind: to win a national championship. It's impossible not to admire the compelling story of a national champion. Now, that time is finally here for us to declare our victory, I have to sit back and wonder. Where did all the time go?

I was reading through my brain earlier today, which of course took me for a merry little stroll down memory lacrosse lane. We have imbedded our footprints on the field. Our scoreboard has never seen another team as a threat. The goal harks along with us as we chant our poem with the common notion that we all yearn for a happy ending. Countless sleepovers and late nights that turned into early mornings...(sorry about that one coach!). And most importantly the friendships that will continue on forever. So before we take the field for the most important game(s) of our career, I say congratulations to you, Lady Saints. You deserve it.

There is no way you can explain the significance of a lacrosse match to someone, but when you are in the midst of morning practices and games, there is a ritualistic bonding that happens surrounded by the things you learn, the mysteries you solve, the confessions you witness, and the grating teeth of being together 24-7. It's a celebration of the simple pleasures of life; friendships, athletics and good discussion, all in the environment on a lacrosse field. Our coaches are our very own directors and screenwriters in most of our games. They undercut their own existential concern either with absurd humor that provides a comic relief, or a harsh attitude of sprinting until the sun comes up. Although it contains a usual blend of comedy and seriousness, the game is played.

Like a puzzle, each individual player brings a sense of unity to the team. "Attacks got your back" is the motto that our attack players cheer. Kelly Lickert comes to the field ready to dance around her opponents. With her lean back shot and quick feet, her defenders are left under the disco in a Saturday night fever. Melissa Howard shoots with a drum roll that permits her stick to be the lead singer on its own stage. She lets her stick do all the talking. Our goalie Erin Cavanaugh however, allows her mouth to do all the talking. Just like our moms used to say, they have eyes behind their head... so does Erin. She see's everything on the field and makes sure that what she screams echoes and sticks hard to us like superglue.

The draw circle is Summer Ferraro's own steel trap. Near or far, her stick has a magnetic charge that any air ball cannot deny. Lauren Askerberg has the perfect psyche of knowing what else cannot be denied, and that is the recipe of a good laugh. She pitches a notable sense of comedy in situations needed when we need that encore of support. Terri Anne George is the "state of the art" marine, who goes to war with the groundballs on that grassy field. After escalating the battle, Lauryn Wise steps up to the plate as our pacer. As much as her skills are dominating, your eyes initially slow it down like in you're in the middle of a "re-united scene" in a movie to capture the perfection "in the moment" on an eight meter shot.

Shea Farrell is one of the coolest players to watch. She plays very different than the average lacrosse player. In an instant .02 seconds, the ball has already left her stick and is sinking in the back of the net and only with little movement. Katie Illiot strives on always giving 110%, even if she has to get her head covered and wrapped like a mummy. She is rewarded for her means to prevail and no means of quitting. Erin Growney, as a freshman came in fully prepared to help us to a successful season and has carried us in keeping a deadlock on our draw circle. For me, wearing the Limestone jersey is a gift. A gift I love to flaunt and sport, in highlight to the girls who wear it alongside me.

When I was an underclassman I remember being really sad when the seniors left. It was difficult to start the new season without them but as the season progresses things always sway together naturally. One thing I want to leave the team with is a smiling face telling you this: I enjoyed being able to watch girls grow into amazing players, and learn so many new things, whether it be on the field or off. One thing I take with me is new dance moves and funny accents. I'm sure the seniors agree with me when I express my deep satisfaction with our season. I'm ready to play a national championship game, and brag about my team for decades after it.

• In case you missed it, today's top post shares some highlights from last night's opening ceremonies at Houston's Downtown Aquarium. Included in the post are interviews with Ferris State Director of Athletics Tom Kirinovic, St. Edward's softball coach Amy Coulter, West Florida golfer Federico Damus, Valdosta State tennis player Otto Lenhart and Metropolitan State President Stephen Jordan, who chairs the Division II Presidents Council.

• There was some outstanding dancing last night, but most interesting was that student-athletes from different teams got their boogey on together. You have to love that.

• The only Division II player on the U.S. Women's Developmental Team, C.W. Post senior Mallory Poole took time out of her night to share some thoughts in a guest blog about the trip to Houston and the opening ceremonies at the Downtown Aquarium. C.W. Post is seeking its second straight national championship in women's lacrosse.

• While the opening ceremonies were held last night, competition actually began yesterday morning, as the Division II Women's Golf Championship got underway. First-time participant Nova Southeastern shot 4-over par and currently holds a one-stroke advantage over four-time champion Rollins. Fredrika Hakansson (Nova Southeastern) and Heather Burgner (Florida Southern) are tied atop the individual leaderboard at 1-under par.

• Yesterday afternoon, NCAA President Myles Brand and Stephen Jordan were on hand at Houston's City Hall to join Mayor Bill White, who proclaimed this week "Division II National Championships Festival Week."

• I guess nobody asked this white tiger how he felt about Division II. It seems like he just wanted an invite to the buffet line upstairs.

• For each of the next three days, more than 1,500 elementary and junior high school students will take part in youth clinics aimed at educating kids about the importance of fitness, education, teamwork and healthy habits. Each participant will have a chance to be part of "Team Awesome" - a life-skills curriculum that will inspire and educate youth on how to be awesome and confident in all facets of life. To learn more about the event, listen to this podcast with NCAA intern Kat Krtnick, who planned the clinics.

• The DII Festival gets going in full force this morning as the remaining five championships begin play. The first round of the men's golf championship started at 7:30 and the women's tennis round of 16 began at 8. Softball action begins at 10 and the second round of the women's golf tournament resumes at the same time. Men's tennis action will begin at 1:30.

• In 1996, Methodist won the first-ever Division II Women's Golf Championship. The Monarchs went on to win again in 1998 and 1999 before Division III got its own championship in 2000. Methodist has won each DIII crown since and when play began at Centennial Oaks Golf Club in Waverly, Iowa yesterday, the Monarchs were going after their 11th consecutive national championship. Last year, Methodist finished an all-divisions record 88 strokes ahead of second-place DePauw, but it looks like 2008 may prove to be more of a challenge. After 18 holes, Methodist leads Southwestern by just two strokes.

Our trip was overall successful; we made it, however, we had a few causalities along the way. Our driver managed to leave several sticks aboard the bus in New York. Our equipment manager sprinted through the terminal and caught the plane with seconds to spare, and the vehicle rental service thought we were "coming tomorrow," leaving us stranded at the airport. However, after all was said and done, we were able to get everyone to the Hyatt in one piece. The hotel accommodations are incredible. The décor is all about the NCAA championships, it's amazing how highly promoted it is! Being a part of this event with all of the other teams is a unique experience. It is especially exciting for C.W. Post because we have two teams (softball, women's lacrosse) competing for the title!

The opening ceremony was a good time. Our lacrosse team and softball team started the party off on the dance floor. We had our own "dance off" and took over the show. Luckily we don't play as bad as we dance, because our moves were rather pathetic but it was fun to say the least. Afterwards, we went on a train tour of the aquarium to see the sharks and participated in some of the carnival rides and games. It was a fun time mingling with some of the other teams and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the week's events!

Our team has the first practice slot, so I'm off to bed to rest up! LET'S GO POST!

The opening ceremonies were held tonight at Houston's Downtown Aquarium, and hundreds of student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators mixed and mingled for hours. Unfortunately, we couldn't get all of you into the event, so here are the highlights. I hope it feels like you were there.

• St. Edward's softball coach Amy Coulter described her excitement for the event. The only Texas institution at the festival, St. Edward's is competing for its first national title in softball.

• I ran into Ferris State Director of Athletics Tom Kirinovic in the Hyatt gym this afternoon and his excitement was second to none. One of the best guys in the business, Tom has spent 26 years at Ferris State and is attending his first National Championships Festival. Ferris State's softball and women's golf teams are both in Houston and Tom shared some thoughts about the experience in our conversation.

• There were bands and DJs rocking at the opening ceremonies all night. It only took about a half-hour before the ice was broken and the student-athletes put on their Fred Astaire's and hit the dance floor.

• The Double-A Zone Dance Award goes to the C.W. Post softball team, which danced for two hours straight.

• The men's and women's tennis teams from Valdosta State are both in Houston and the squads interacted during much of tonight's festivities. I caught up with Otto Lenhart, who describes what it means to share the experience with the women's program.

• I also chatted with West Florida golfer Federico Damus, who was clearly having a blast during his first few hours in Houston.

• Finally, it was a pleasure to sit down with Metropolitan State President Stephen Jordan, who chairs the Division II Presidents Council. Dr. Jordan shared some thoughts about what makes the National Championships Festival an important event for Division II.

On Thursday, the Cardinals were playing for a postseason berth against Oswego State and the Lakers led 9-5 in the ninth inning. With Oswego State hitting in the top half of the inning, head coach Frank Paino was hit in the head by a line drive while coaching third base and instantly lost consciousness.

Pepicelli was the first person to reach Paino, who was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital and was thankfully released the following day. At the time, however, nobody knew if Paino would live or die - and if that sounds overly traumatic, just refer back to the tragic story of Mike Coolbaugh from last summer.

After Paino had been taken to the hospital, there was still baseball left to play, but Pepicelli and the Cardinals would have none of it. St. John Fisher conceded the game to Oswego State, refusing to take final at-bat in the bottom of the inning. "At that point, nobody was feeling like playing a game anymore," said Pepicelli. "What we were trying to get done, advancing in the tournament, seemed very, very distant."

The Cardinals saw their season come to a close on Thursday, but all of the players on the field learned a tremendous lesson in sportsmanship. The game is never bigger than life, and we shouldn't treat it as such. The decision to concede the game was an easy one for Pepicelli.

While Paino will make a full recovery, don't we once again have to wonder why coaches aren't wearing helmets when they stand on the field? We've seen death, we've seen people get knocked out - what are we waiting for? Professional baseball has changed the rule, and it's time for colleges and high schools to follow suit.

• My excitement this morning is likely to be surpassed only by my excitement this evening. I am currently en route to Houston, site of the Division II National Championships Festival. Tonight, I will attend the opening ceremonies before spending the rest of the week watching six national championships decided in one location. We will be sharing all of the action from NASAville, and will offer photos, podcasts, videos and student-athlete guest posts throughout the week.

• In case you missed yesterday's Monday With Myles podcast, NCAA President Myles Brand discusses his own excitement about the DII Festival.

• Did you catch the coast-to-coast performance form Ohio State goalie Stefan Schroder on Saturday? Schroder made a save, cradled the ball and took it all the way down the field to beat his Cornell counterpart and put the Buckeyes ahead, 1-0. You have to watch the video to believe it.

• Syracuse junior Katie Rowan set a school and NCAA tournament record with eight assists and 13 points in a 21-9 victory over Towson in the first round of the women's lacrosse tourney on Sunday.

• Is there anything better than a well-played baseball game? Last night, I watched Toronto and Cleveland play nine scoreless innings and couldn't have enjoyed it more. What's the fascination with the homerun?

• Maybe that's why I'm so jazzed about watching some college softball this week. I love when pitchers dominate and each of the eight teams competing for the Division II title this week is going to have an ace that shuts down opposing offenses. For instance, Humboldt State's Lizzy Prescott is 44-11, has nearly 400 strikeouts and tossed two shutouts on Sunday to get her team to Houston. Barry's Amber Jack is 30-2 with a 0.56 ERA this spring and C.W. Post's Samantha Yodowitz is 30-6 with a 1.59 ERA.

• Florida State all-American catcher Buster Posey got out from behind the plate yesterday and played all nine positions on the field in a 10-0 victory over Savannah State. Posey was also solid at the plate, blasting a grand slam, his 16th homer of the season.

That's right - it seems that fans were happy when their favorite teams performed well in the classroom. On a popular Boston College blog, an Eagles fan wrote: "What does it mean for BC? For the most part the news is excellent. The danger score is 925 and all of the BC teams are well above that number. Hats off to the athletics department for keeping our athletes in school and on the path to graduation."

When teams didn't perform well in the classroom, fans noted some disappointment. For example, on this North Carolina Tar Heels blog, a UNC Greensboro graduate wrote: "On a personal note, my alma mater, UNC Greensboro was penalized for poor ratings in men's basketball and baseball. I am willing to bet AD Nelson Bobb is not a happy man since I cannot count the number of times the student in student-athlete was emphasized during my three years of running cross country there."

Still others seemed to turn it into a competition, taking pride when their teams were at the top of the conference. On "The California Golden Blogs," the author wrote that: "Cal is way up at the top. USC was the only team to receive penalties (as noted above). As a minor note, the score for "private schools" is higher than the score for "public schools" pretty much across the board. Ammo for the Stanford complaintniks????? Only time will tell! Go Bears!"

The most important part of all this is that people are paying attention to APR, and are taking notice of how teams are performing in the classroom. Whether or not you agree with academic reform, there is little rationale for arguing its merit as a means of bringing academic success to the forefront of intercollegiate athletics.

Wins and losses on the fields of play matter, and fans will always smile after wins and pout after losses. But doesn't it signal a move in the right direction when those same fans are cheering and jeering the academic performance of those same student-athletes? To me, that signifies that APR and academic reform truly matter.

The Division II National Championships Festival begins tomorrow in Houston and will continue through the weekend. One of the NCAA's premier events, the festival will hold six national championships- men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, women's lacrosse and softball.

An Olympic-style event with opening and closing ceremonies, nightly entertainment activities and all competition at one site, the DII Festival is a fan's dream. On today's podcast, NCAA President Myles Brand shares his enthusiasm for the festival and explains what makes it so unique.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

It is a strange feeling to be finished with college and still competing in track. I turned in my last paper on Tuesday, but the season doesn't end until the NCAA Championships at the end of May. It is hard to think that I only have two more meets before I turn in my uniform for good. But before I do so, I want to set the record straight about the team aspect of track and field, at least as I have seen it in DIII.

When most people think of track and field, they think about individual athletes. They think about times and heights and personal bests. In my experience, however, track has been all about the team. It has been about the team breakdowns, the bus rides, the collective workouts. It has been about the e-mails over winter break to push each other to keep training and the senior thrower who shaved a "W" into his head for the conference championships. Sure, at the NCAA meet, the team attendance shrinks to only a few athletes, but all I have to do is check my e-mail or pick up my phone to remember the massive group of people supporting us.

I understand how spectators could miss this aspect of the sport. When the athletes stand in the blocks or at the end of the runway, they appear to stand alone. What is easy to overlook is the motivation going into each performance and the work behind it. It is a lot harder to give up when you know you are not just letting yourself down. And it is a lot easier to finish a workout when there is someone running next to you, pushing you to keep going.

One of the most memorable examples of team triumph I have witnessed on the track was Illinois Wesleyan's victory during the women's indoor national meet this year. With the outcome of the meet resting on the mile relay, IWU's Rachel Anderson passed four runners in the last leg to win the team title. Anyone watching the race could tell she was not just running for herself. Our team was thrilled to get third place in the meet, the program's highest finish.

As I get ready to turn in my uniform, it is the moments with my teammates that I will remember the clearest and miss the most.