Spring 2012 Officer Class

Texas Iron Spikes would like to introduce and congratulate the officer class of Spring 2012:

President: Adiel Escobedo

Vice President: Chris Davila

Risk Management Officer: Tyler Joseph

Financial Officer: Galen Blumenthal

Rookie Coordinator: Cameron Lawrence

Rookie Coordinator: Tommy Jehli

Service Officer: Jie Yong

Spirit Officer: Brad Caproni

Social Officer: Ryan Betori

Social Officer: Mason Hooper

Athletic Officer: Ben Shoemaker

Public Relations/Alumni Officer: Jake Lawrence

Administrative Officer: Marcus Miller

Third Tier Rookie Coordinator: John Hague

Pulling Our Weight

Iron Spikes and members of Texas Spirits teamed up and volunteered at the Special Olympics Texas Fire Truck Pull, hosted by Austin Firefighters, Austin Police Department and Travis County Sheriff's Office, on Saturday, November 12th.

The fundraising event featured a challenge of strength and stamina, in which teams of 12 people competed to see how fast they could pull a 55,000 pound fire truck a distance of 50 feet! Our team was comprised of the following people:

Matt Bowman

Nishant Jayant

Blake Barber

Chase Cobb

Tyler Joseph

Neven Simpson (Texas Spirits)

Ethan Thomson

Ryan Wilhelms

Rich Miller

Jon Lugo

Jackson Gould

Will Lenoir

Our team was able to pull the fire truck 50 feet in 17.46 seconds! Other members of Spikes and Spirits also helped out by cooking and serving chicken fajitas for all of the teams and SOTX volunteers. It was an exciting and rewarding experience for all involved!

Check out some more pictures below:

Over the Edge for SOTX

Iron Spikes members Tommy Jehli and Cameron Lawrence went "Over the Edge" on Tuesday, November 8th, repelling 15 stories down the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Austin as part of a fund raising event for Special Olympics Texas.

The event was presented by Fox 7 Austin, and participants were required to raise $1000 each in order to repel down the building. As winners of the Wes Johnson Award, bestowed upon the most outstanding Active member of the semester, Tommy and Cameron were chosen to represent our organization as participants.

Over the past few months, we worked hard to raise the $2000 to send Tommy and Cameron "Over the Edge." In addition to the donation, Iron Spikes members also volunteered at the event from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They helped with registration, cleaned up trash and, most importantly, cheered on all of the repellers as they came down the building.

It was an exciting way for our organization to continue its support of SOTX. A special thanks goes out to Tommy and Cameron for participating and representing Iron Spikes so well!

Fall 2011 Parents' Weekend

On Saturday and Sunday, November 5th and 6th, Iron Spikes continued an annual tradition by hosting its Fall 2011 Parents' Weekend. The weekend featured a tailgate before the UT vs. Texas Tech game, a luncheon, and a presentation.

On Saturday, parents and relatives gathered with Iron Spike members in the parking lot outside the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum for an early morning tailgate. From 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., attendees met other parents and Iron Spikes and enjoyed brisket breakfast tacos. It was a great way for parents to see the way Iron Spikes are committed to promoting spirit for UT athletics.

The next day, parents and members made their way to Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa near Bastrop, TX for a special luncheon and presentation. The event was designed to not only reward guests with a fantastic meal at a great venue, but also give them an in-depth understanding of what our organization is really all about.

The luncheon meal included beef short ribs, mac-n-cheese, tortilla soup and many other delicious dishes, which received many great reviews. After eating, attendees were shown a short video (posted above) and several of our officers gave a presentation about our commitment to the fraternal, service and spirit pillars highlighted in our Vision. It was a very fun and informative event!

A special thanks goes out to the staff at Hyatt Lost Pines, as well as to our officers who helped make the weekend so successful. And most importantly, we would like to the thank all of the parents who made the trip to Austin to support their kids and find out a little bit more about Texas Iron Spikes!

On the Field for Gameday

On Saturday, October 29th, Brad Caproni and Galen Blumenthal were chosen to be on the field during the Texas vs. Kansas football game alongside the Texas Longhorn mascot, Bevo.

Brad and Galen are members of both Iron Spikes and Silver Spurs, which is an honorary service organization at The University of Texas at Austin responsible for taking care of Bevo.

Congratulations goes out to Brad and Galen for this great honor. We are proud to have such great representations of Iron Spikes!

Spikes of the Week

Congratulations to Kyle Seward and Chris Davila for being named Spikes of the Week due to their exceptional effort panhandling to raise money for Special Olympics Texas.

Kyle Seward

Chris Davila

Helping Out for Halloween

On Monday, October 24th, Iron Spikes participated in the annual Kappa Delta/Pi Beta Phi Halloween Carnival benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Austin.

Children who visited the carnival had the opportunity to eat free food and play games at booths set up by various student organization and fraternities. Iron Spikes volunteered by running the "Pin the Stem on the Jack-O-Lantern" booth, where kids had a great time winning Halloween candy.

Volunteering at Buddy Walk

On Sunday, October 23rd, Iron Spikes teamed up with members of the Texas Lonestars and volunteered at the 12th Annual Buddy Walk in Georgetown, Texas, an event organized by the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas.

The Buddy Walk was established to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October, promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome, and raise money to benefit local programs and services. In addition to live music, a silent auction, zip lines, and other fun activities, the event included a one-mile walk intended to celebrate the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome.

From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., volunteers helped hand out food, run the petting zoo and various game booths, and coordinate many other activities. All in all, Iron Spikes and Lonestars worked hard throughout the day to show their support for such a great cause.

Grilling Out at Night Out

On Tuesday, October 4th, Iron Spikes spent the day volunteering for National Night Out, part of UT's annual Campus Safety Week. Hosted by Student Government and the University of Texas Police Department, Night Out featured fun programs, activities and giveaways all aimed to promote security and crime prevention awareness.

After setting up tents and supplies, Iron Spikes helped out by grilling sausages and hot dogs and serving ice cold root beer to students outside Gregory Plaza. Night Out has become an annual tradition for Iron Spikes and we are already looking forward to helping out again next year!

Fall 2011 Recruitment

The new semester is here and fall recruitment is right around the corner! To all those interested in joining Iron Spikes, here is a schedule of our upcoming recruitment events:

Info Sessions

ART Building, Room TBA

Tuesday & Wednesday September 6th & 7th, 7p-8p

Wings Night @ Dirty Martins

2808 Guadalupe Street Austin, TX 78705

Thursday, September 8th, 5p-7p

Poker Night

3306 Liberty St.

Friday, September 9th, 9p-12a

Athletic Combine

Intramural Fields located off Guadalupe and 51st

Saturday, September 10th, 9a-11a

Street Clean Up

Meeting at the LBJ Library parking lot located off Dean Keeton and Red River

Sunday, September 11th, 10a-11a

Mixer BBQ with the Texas Lassos

Location TBA

Sunday, September 11th 6p-8p

Check the "Texas Iron Spikes Fall 2011 Recruitment" Facebook page for any updates to the schedule. Come meet some Iron Spikes and find out what this organization has to offer!

Congratulations to Kendal Carrillo!

Texas Iron Spikes would like to congratulate Kendal Carrillo on an outstanding career pitching for the University of Texas baseball team! Kendal, a senior from Sweetwater, Texas, joined Iron Spikes during the Fall 2008 semester and has been pitching for the Horns since the 2009 season.

Over the past three years, Kendal has served as a prime example of excellence in both athletics and academics. As a junior in 2010, Kendal posted a win-loss record of 3-0 and an Earned Run Average of 1.45. During his senior season, he went 6-1 with an ERA of 2.33, the 5th best ERA on the team. In addition, he had 31 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched and only allowed 1 home run during the entire season. Kendal's contributions helped the Horns earn their 34th College World Series berth.

From Fall 2008 to Spring 2010, Kendal was on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. He was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team in 2010 and the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2011. All of his accomplishments came while pursuing a Master in Professional Accounting degree from the McCombs School of Business.

It is safe to say that Kendal has represented both his Rookie Class of Fall 2008 and Texas Iron Spikes as a whole admirably. He is an exemplar of the success that emerges from the University of Texas at Austin. We wish Kendal the best of luck in all his future endeavors. Hook'em!

Let The Games Begin

Iron Spikes in Omaha during UT's 2009 CWS trip

The Texas Longhorn baseball team kicks off its 34th College World Series run with a Big 12-SEC showdown.

After beating Arizona State in the Super Regionals in Austin, TX, the Horns took their talents to Omaha, NE in hopes of winning their seventh College World Series title. 

Opening Weekend puts No. 5 Texas against No. 1 Florida. The two teams have faced off only twice before, and Texas leads the series 2-0. Both games came during the 2005 College World Series, when Texas won its last national championship.

Watch the game tonight at 6 pm central time on ESPN, or listen on KVET AM 1300 The Zone. Iron Spikes members have already made their way to Omaha, so don’t forget to look for them in the crowd!

Fall 2011 Officer Class

 Texas Iron Spikes would like to introduce and congratulate the officer class for Fall 2011:

PRESIDENT: JAKE THOMPSON

VICE PRESIDENT: JACKSON GOULD

RISK MANAGEMENT: MATT BELTRAN

FINANCIAL: BRAD CAPRONI

ROOKIE COORDINATOR: RANDY LIM

ROOKIE COORDINATOR: MASON HOOPER

SERVICE: BLAKE  BARBER

SOCIAL: KYLE SEWARD

SOCIAL: TREVOR LEESON

SPIRIT: RYAN WILHELMS

ATHLETIC: JEREMY TRAYLOR

ADMIN: BEN SHOEMAKER

PR/ALUMNI: EVAN HARDEE

ROOKIE COORDINATOR THIRD TIER: MIKE MELLER

Congratulations guys! Also, Spikes would like to thank the Spring 2011 officer board for all of the hard work that they put in this past semester. The leadership they displayed set a truly great example for the coming semester's officers.

Spring Classic Softball Tournament

On April 30, 2011 the Texas Iron Spikes will be hosting our Tenth Annual Spring Classic Softball Tournament benefiting Special Olympics Texas (SOTX).  

     When: Saturday April 30th, 2011 10:00 am 
     Where: Havin's Fields, 12138 North Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX, 78753  
     Entry Fee: $150 per team (up to 12 people) 
     All players receive: T-shirt, BBQ, and beverages 

     Through various sponsorships and donations, we have raised nearly $100,000 for our philanthropy.  With your participation, together we can help Special Olympics Texas continue to provide those with intellectual and physical disabilities opportunities to achieve.  If you are interested in submitting a team, or would like to make a donation, please visit our website at springclassicsoftball.com. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jake Thompson at (832) 385-9877 or txspikesvp@gmail.com.

Texas Iron Spikes Basketball Championship

Back Row (L to R): Chris "Coach Cook" Davila, Ryan Betori, Matt Horgan, J Traylor, Andrew Frosch, Zach Shirley;

Front Row (L to R): 

Ben Shoemaker, Jon Sterling, Steven Kilbride, Craig Borque

 

Texas Iron Spikes is proud to announce that our basketball team recently won the Intramural B-League Championship to cap off their undefeated season. The outcome of the game was hardly ever in question, as the Spikes team pulled ahead early and never looked back, which resulted in a 67-48 victory. Ben Shoemaker led all scorers with 29 points on 10 out of 12 shots, while Senior Andrew Frosch had a game high 5 three-pointers. The play of the game however was a gym shaking block by Senior Center Steven Kilbride. We are extremely proud of our basketball team for bringing us our second championship this semester, and we hope many more are to come.

Betori at the line

Zach with the 3

Final Score

Player	2pts	3pts	Rebs	Steals	Blks	Total Pts
J	0	0/1	2	2	0	0
Frosch	0/2	5/7	2	2	0	15
Jon	2/2	0/1	2	0	1	4
Craig	0	0	1	0	0	0
Kill	4/6	0	11	0	1	8
Zach	1/1	1/2	1	0	0	6
Betori	1/1	0	1	0	0	3
Horgan	0	0/1	2	1	0	0
Ben	7/9	3/3	6	1	1	29

ALUMNI WEEKEND

 ATTENTION IRON SPIKES ALUMNI: 

Gentlemen, this year's Alumni Weekend will take place on the weekend of April 15-17. If possible, please join the Facebook group "Texas Iron Spikes Alumni Weekend" and RSVP if you are able to attend. If not, please confirm via email. The following is a general itinerary and description of the weekend's events.

2011 Alumni Weekend Itinerary:

Friday (4/15):
- 6PM: Baseball game - UT vs. Texas Tech @ Disch-Faulk Field
- 7-9PM: Special Olympics of Texas: Victory Dance & Award Ceremony 2011*

Saturday (4/16):
- 11AM: Tailgate @ Disch-Faulk
- Food, Drinks, Friends & Family
- 2PM: Baseball Game – UT vs. Texas Tech
- All-Day: Lone Star Jam @ Waterloo Park (Not our event but a good time, and several actives will be in attendance. For more info: www.lonestarjam.com)
- 9pm: Downtown**
 
Sunday (4/17):
- 9AM: Golf Tournament @ Riverside Golf Course***
- 1PM: Baseball Game – UT vs. Texas Tech


*Special Olympics Victory Dance – Texas Iron Spikes has rented out Phillips Event Center for SOTX and are sponsoring the event. The Victory Dance is SOTX’s big finale to the year and an awesome event where everyone dances and celebrates the athletes' accomplishments. This is a great opportunity to see the direction of community service has taken, and we would greatly appreciate the support. Spouses and children are encouraged to come. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

Phillips Event Center
8140 Exchange Drive
Austin, TX 78754-5236

**Downtown Saturday Night – We are currently hoping to have a bar tab (funded by the alumni) at one of the following locations: Sholz Garten, The Blind Pig, The Ranch, or Qua. If you are interested in donating for the tab, please contact Neil.

***Golf Tournament Sunday - The Golf Tournament will take place at Riverside Golf Course         (1020 Grove Blvd). 9 AM is an approximate start time. We will set up tee times after we know who will be participating. We will have prizes for the top finishers, and possibly one for the bottom finisher. The rates are: $39 to share a cart, $22 to walk. If you plan on participating, please RSVP via the Facebook Group (2011 Iron Spikes Alumni Golf Tournament) or email, and please email both Neil and myself with your foursome.

We sincerely hope to see you all in Austin to celebrate 17 years of Texas Iron Spikes. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions you may contact myself or Neil Going.


Neil Going, Fa ‘07
neilsgoing@gmail.com
281-773-2111


Tyler Joseph, Sp '10
tyn022mite@yahoo.com
713-409-7760

Best Buddies Festival 3/6/2011

The Texas Iron Spikes recently hosted a booth for the Best Buddies Festival of Friendship. Best Buddies is an organization on campus that places college students in mutually enriching friendships with “Buddies” from the Austin community who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. During the week of February 28 - March 6, Best Buddies UT-Austin in collaboration with Longhorn Volunteers for Special Olympics hosted Spread the Word to End the Word 2011: Real Texans Don’t Use the “R”-Word (visit http://www.r-word.org to learn more about the national campaign), an event dedicated to raising awareness of the fight to end the use of the “R”-word. The week culminated in a “Festival of Friendship”. At the festival, Spikes held a softball toss booth, and cooked hot dogs for the patrons as well. This was a great opportunity to help out the Austin community, UT, and our philanthropy, the Special Olympics of Texas.

Mason Hooper and Patrick Noe

Patrick looking for a strike