behrco!ls @ aol.com
senior athletic profile
This
Searching for
AMCC title and the perfect life
Kate Costanzo:
PHOTO BY MIKE BELLO / BEHREND BEACON
Kate Costanzo hopes to someday be as hard-working as her parents and as
much of a success as her brother.
by Kate Levdansky Petrikis
assistant sports editor
The Lions’ women basketball team is 7-
9 overall and 3-1 in the AMCC, with se
nior Kate Costanzo leading the way.
Costanzo is the co-captain along with the
three other seniors - Katie Weigold, Erin
Phillips, and Christine Charnock.
Costanzo started playing basketbal I at the
YMCA in third grade. Her parents placed
her in several programs when she was little:
baseball, soccer, dancing, and basketball.
“It didn’t take long for me to decide I
didn’t enjoy dancing,” said Costanzo. “I
ended up playing soccer for a couple of
years, and I continued to play softball
through high school. But, 1 really grew to
love the game of basketball.”
After graduating from Kittanning High
School, she continued her education and
basketball career as a guard at Behrend.
The words education and basketball go
hand-in-hand for Costanzo.
“My coaches have been a big influence
on me. They have helped instill a level of
confidence in me and have showed me what
it takes to be dedicated and successful at
something. They have taughtjne count-
PHILLIPS
record chasing may generate on the team, the
players are still keeping a level head about it all.
“Erin has had an excellent career here and
deserves to get that record,” said Costanzo. “Our
focus as a team, though, remains the same. Take
each game as they come and leave it all on the
floor. Scorers get their points; she’ll get them.
And when she does, we’ll celebrate.”
Phillips has to average less than 13 points per
game over the next three games in order for her to
break the record at home against Pitt-Bradford on
Jan. 30. One would think her teammates are more
excited than she is.
“Erin is an excellent player and knows the game
of basketball extremely well, she deserves to go
down in the record books,” said Chamock. “I just
hope she breaks it at home in front of a lot of fans.”
“It is obviously a very exciting thing for her as
COOPER
“We can only take about half the team to each
indoor meet and most of the meets do not keep a
team score so we keep a low key approach to in
doors. We do look forward to breaking school
records for indoors,” said Cooper.
The women’s team this year includes Lyndsey
Boor, Tara Burgess, Heather Efaw, Lynn Hermann,
Jessica Knapp, Clairessa Manelick, Marlena
McNutt, Melissa Mong, Brandi Napenas, Andrea
Sanko, Jessica Sarver, Lindsay Schulte, Jen
Smialck, Suzanne Szafran, and Amanda Van Tas
sel. Efaw, Manelick, McNutt, Sarver, Schulte,
Smialek, Szafran, and Van Tassel will attend the
Fredonia meet on Saturday.
less lessons, and have taught me so much
about life,” said Costanzo. “1 prepare myself
mentally for each game by thinking about
what [ need to do, what the team needs to do,
and reading over the scouting reports.”
There are also several pre-game supersti
tions that Costanzo has to “take care of’ be
fore she can play. For instance, her “pre-game
meal" has to be from Wendy’s, she always
wears the same socks, and she has to hit five
shots in a row right before the game.
Off the court, Costanzo's parents have
taught her what it takes to be successful
through all of their hard work, and in the pro
cess, they raised a very loving family.
“They have enjoyed my basketball career
just as much as I have,” said Costanzo. “They
have never missed a game, and they are al
ways driving at least two hours to get to them.”
Her parents make the time, even though her
mother is a busy teacher and her father some
times works double shifts.
“If I can become the people they are, I’ll
know I was a success,” said Costanzo.
Since Costanzo grew up playing basketball
during Michael Jordan’s peak years, he is of
course her basketball role model.
“I have always looked up to him as a player,
and I now admire his comeback for the love
| FROM PAGE 10 \
well as the team,” added Weigold “and we are
going to do everything we can for her to break it.
... I just hope I get the assist that helps her break
the record!!”
On Saturday, Behrend hosted Frostburg in a
game that the Lions used cruise control to win.
Behrend, up by 17 at the half, never looked back
in winning 80-50. The win improved the Lions’
record to 3-1 in the AMCC, and coincidentally all
three of those wins have been by 30 points or more.
Costanzo was a force on the court, sinking 6-
of-8 floor shots and all six of her foul shots for 19
points. Phillips, 96 points from the record coming
in, added 16 in only 16 minutes of play. Mozdy
sank 14 points and seven rebounds, and Carly
Cochran added 10 points. The Lions shot 42.9
percent from the floor, just above their average of
42.4 percent on the year. Frostburg (1 -2,3-10) shot
The men’s squad this year includes Carl
Alberico, Dan Alvis, lan Ashcraft, Mike Barlett,
Nick Benkovich, Joshua Carmichael, Keith
Cerroni, Frank Croft, Ryan Dabrowski, Jay Davids,
Chris Deeb, Stephen Feder, Jason Ferrier, Brian
Gaines, Matt Grimmke, Donald Hackworth, Matt
Heidecker, Matt Hurray, Clayton Kirschner, and
Chris Laugelli.
Also making the roster are; Chad Lausberg,
Chad Lindell, Tim Linden, Dave Masilunas, Nick
McGrady, William McKinney, Isiah Meek, Chris
Ober, David Ober, Nick Peth, Russ Phillips, Brian
Pratt, Kevin Ritzert, Jason Saeger, Rafael Scamati,
Tim Schultheis, Steve Werner, Brian Wheeler, and
SPORTS
Friday, January 18, 2002
of the game.”
Away from the game, Costanzo’s brother
is her role model.
“1 have always wanted to be just like him,”
said Costanzo. “I wish 1 had my life figured
out like 1 think he does. He just got mar
ried, has two master’s degrees, and will be a
college professor soon. I look up to him for
the person he is - goal oriented, intelligent,
and a very caring individual.”
Costanzo said she thinks it is easier to
manage time during the basketball season
than the offseason.
“I have classes all day, and then the eve
nings are for practice and homework. When
you know you only have a certain time to
get something done, it always gets done,”
said Costanzo. “In my spare time, I hang
out with my friends, watch movies, drink
mocha choca latte, and eat out.” Although,
she is kept busy with practices, which are
usually held from 4 to 6 p.m. or 6:30 to 8:30
p.m., the team also lifts twice a week.
During some of her other spare time,
Costanzo grades homework assignments for
a math professor and tutors a student in trigo
nometry. She is majoring in mathematics
and minoring in statistics.
“I chose to go into math for one reason,"
said Costanzo. “Math is POWER!”
When Costanzo graduates from Behrend,
she wants to become certified in secondary
education. Her future plans include getting
a good teaching job in the Pittsburgh area,
coaching, and beginning a family.
In five years, what does Costanzo have
hoped to accomplish?
“I want to get a job that l enjoy,” said
Costanzo. “I also want to raise my family
close to my parents, and live in a sub-divi
sion where my best friends are my neigh
bors. That way our families will be friends
and our kids will grow up together. Wouldn’t
that be the perfect world?”
With the season winding down, Costanzo
has a few more goals she would like to see
the team accomplish before her career at
Behrend is over.
“Down this final stretch of the season, I
have three things in mind; helping my team
get to the conference tournament, winning
the title, and having fun all along the way,”
said Costanzo. “We won the title my fresh
man year, and I think the rest of my team
mates deserve to feel the way the four re
maining seniors did then. Cutting down the
net in Erie Hall in something I will never
forget.
“Then, last year, we got an NCAA tour
nament bid. Every college athlete dreams
of making it to NCAAs, and we had that op
portunity. It was incredible. My basketball
experience at Behrend has been absolutely
amazing, and I would not trade it for any
thing.”
33.9 percent, but more importantly the Lions sank
25-of-32 foul shots (78.1 percent) compared to
Frostbuig’s 39.1 percent (9-of-23).
The Lions play five of their next six games -
all against the AMCC - on the road, but that does
not worry the players.
“Playing away games is always challenging,
especially against AMCC opponents because
many of them have rubber courts,” said Chamock.
“When you’re on a run though, it’s hard for any
team to beat you.”
“The hoops are the same size, the team is the
same, so really everything else shouldn’t matter,”
said Weigold. “It’s kinda fun playing away. It’s
always a great feeling to beat a team on their home
floor!”
Dave Young.
The Lions hope that with a little luck, and a lot
of hard work, the team will be successful during
the indoor meets and EC AC Indoor Champion
ships, set for March 2 and 3. The players’ commit
ment is, according to Cooper, the most important
part of the team.
“The team has a solid work ethic which is cru
cial from the start.”
The way the Lions are preparing, that work ethic
may just last from start to finish, taking them to
the outdoor ECAC championships and quite pos
sibly some top finishes. All the pieces are now in
place.
r »f, A
Casey Doody swims the backstroke portion of the 400 medley relay on Saturday at
the iunker Center against Alfred. The men lost 150-77 and the wtjmen lost 123-64
to drop their records to 1 -2 and 0-3, respectively. The Lions, however, did not have
time to rest after the match, as they prepared this week for meets at Grove City/Mt.
Union today at 6 p.m. and Edinboro on Saturday atl p.m.
‘Out of Bounds' is out
Three and one-half years ago, I walked from
the Academic Building to Reed with the then
editor-in-chief of The Beacon.! was probably
about three inches smaller than I am now, a
little more shy, and a lot less involved. It was
the day that 1 found out I would be the paper’s
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So I said to the then editor-in-chief, “Are
we allowed to write about national sports in
the paper?” She said yes. So I did. I named it
‘Out of Bounds’ and gave it a headline that
read, “It ended on Cal’s terms.” The first col
umn read, “As quickly and unceremoniously
as Cal Ripken, Jr.’s consecutive games streak
started, it ended.”
That was my first sports editorial that ran
in The Beacon. This is my last.
I’ve had the privilege to share my thoughts
on the home run race of ’9B, Michael Jordan’s
retirement (the second one) and his return
(yeah, his second one), Walter Payton’s
struggle with cancer, the end of Wayne
Gretzky and John Elway’s careers, Joe
DiMaggio's death, Dale Earnhardt’s final turn
at Daytona and the shock waves that shut
down sports after planes wrecked into build
ings last September.
We’ve had some big stories these past few
years - some fascinating, some sad and some
that were memorable for their own reasons.
Amongst those things lies one overriding
Freshman Allison Skiff maneuvers around two Frostburg opponents on Saturday at
the Junker Center. Freshman Crystal McGarvey trails on the play. The Lions play
three road games before returning home on Jan. 30 against Pitt-Bradford at 6 p.m
hit of Bounds
fason Snyder
new sports editor
and was one day
after Cal
Ripken, Jr.
ended his con
secu t i v e
games played
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PHOTO BY JEFF HANKEY / BEHREND BEACON
theme that explains the road sports has trav
eled. Simply put, sports aren’t what they used
to be. The road was so much more intriguing
when sports heroes were role models and con
tracts weren’t so complicated.
I mentioned Ripken earlier for a reason. Re
member these next names as well, because
there’s a reason for them: Gretzky and
Lemieux; McGwire and Sosa; Magic, Larry,
, Michael, and Isaiah; Stockton and Malone;
Robinson and Olajuwon; Montana and
Rice. This isn’t a lesson on sports history. It’s
simply a reminder of a time when athletes
could be looked up to and sporting events were
entertaining based on their principles rather
than on oveipaid athletes who play more to
the fans than for sake of the game.
The 1990 s seemed to be a painfully slow
transition in sports from a time of innocence
to a current state of greed and ridiculous an
tics. No, sports weren’t perfect prior to the
last decade. They were just more respectable.
I’ve shared a lot of opinions since my first
story on Ripken. I’ll conclude with a recap of
the top 10 most meaningful events in sports
that I’ve had the pleasure to write about. You’ll
see that sports truly lie in the eyes of the be
holder.
10. NASCAR popularity rises.
9. Yankees win again and again.
8. 1998 was greatest year in sports, ever.
7. Wayne Gretzky retires
6. Sept. 11 halts play
5. Joe DiMaggio, a link to the days of base
ball greatness, dies.
4. Dale Earnhardt, racing’s biggest icon, dies.
3. McGwire, Sosa home run race of 1998.
2. Michael Jordan retires from the game he
loves...then returns because he loves it.
1. Ripken, the man who saved baseball in the
mid-’9os, takes a seat after 2,632 consecutive
games.
So, as quickly and unceremoniously as ‘Out
of Bounds’ started, it ends.
PHOTO BY MIKE BELLO / BEHREND BEACON
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