12 BEHREND BEACON
February 5, 2010
www.thebehrendbeacon.com Sp
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Jon Klein/The Behrend Beacon
Junior Ben Strunk from Cogan Station, Pa. (Williamsport) competed in the men's 400-yard event during the last meet in the Junker Center.
Seniors shine in last home meet
AMANDA STETZ
senior reporter
In the last home meet of the
season, the Lions swim team
finished with a split win against
Mount Union College.
The swimming and diving
team competed against the
Mount Union Purple Raiders
Saturday. The Behrend men
came out on top (122-108)
while the Behrend women fell
to Mount Union (84-136).
After coming off the road
with a few loses on both sides
though the men did win the
meet at Pitt-Bradford-the Lions
returned home for their last
home meet of the season.
Though the women lost, few
would call it a disappointing
meet.
"I think they did very well,"
said senior Danielle Wilson.
"Mount Union is a tough team,
and our lack of depth on the
women's side makes it hard."
Though the women fell to
Mount Union, it did not go
without impressive swims. Wil
son made an impression on
Senior Day with a first place
finish in the 500 freestyle
(5:45.25). Also coming together
on the women's side, junior
Katie Van Epps, Danielle Wil
son, freshman Maryellen
Spooner and sophomore
Lawrence secured the 400
freestyle relays with a first
place finish (4:00.93).
Saying the crowd at the
Junker Center pool went crazy
during the last event of the
meet is an understatement.
The men's 800 freestyle relay
was one of the most exciting
events in this meet for both the
fans and the swimmers. The
Lions relay team consisting of
Hunter Backentose, Brian
Mong, Dane Dombrosky, and
Josh Weaver, were fought
throughout the entire race with
Mount Union for first, with only
a second between.
The leads changed through
out the race, but in the end, the
Behrend men came out on top
with a record-breaking time of
7:16.52, beating Mount Union
by about a second.
"It was the greatest race I had
here at college," Weaver said.
Divers Krystal Kovach and
Stephen Graves also had suc
cess at the meet. Kovach set a
NCAA qualifying score in the 3-
m diving with a score of 263.85
while also placing first in the 1-
m diving event with a score of
248.40.
Repeating success from the
last home meet, Stephen
Graves also set a NCAA quali
fying score of 287.15 in the 3m
diving event, which he has been
working toward his entire col
lege diving career.
As it was the last home meet
of the season, seven seniors
were recognized: Alyssa Baran,
Jenny LaFuria, Danielle Wilson,
Hamillee Cousin, Stephen
Graves, Josh Reish, and Robert
Westhelle.
While this meet was without
a doubt memorable to those
who were there, the seniors will
miss the swimmers they will
leave behind, the meets, and
the practices.
On Saturday, the Lions will
travel to Grove City for the last
meet before the AMCC Cham
pionships. Now, with a great
season under their belts, the
focus lies in the post-season
tournaments.
"The most important thing
right now is to come together
and shoot for our best personal
times," said Van Epps.
:i )1 N ii 'la 404 4 Ni 4 * i toil
Junker spotlight
A myraid of events from basketball games to
award ceremonies took place Saturday
ALEC ITALIANO
sports editor
The Junker Center was
bustling with activity last Satur
day as both the men's and
women's basketball teams
squared off against Frostburg
State. Also, the golf team was
honored for winning the AMCC
tournament, the soccer team
was honored for winning the
ECAC tournament, a swim
meet against Mt. Union and it
was the 2nd annual Military
Appreciation Day.
Cotton candy and snow
cones were plentiful during the
daylong celebration, as the
Behrend athletes battled hard
in key sectional games.
The women started the day
battling the Frostburg St. Bob
cats in a pivotal AMCC match
up. Behrend came out hot,
going on a 9-4 run, but the Bob
cats battled it back and eventu
ally took the lead at the half
33-31.
Junior guard Amy Oldach
stole the show for the Lions in
the first half, accumulating 14
points and eight rebounds. She
was well on her way to a dou
ble-double for the night.
The Bobcats pulled away in
the second half and made free
throw after free throw coming
down the stretch to take the
eventual 75-61 win. Oldach fin
ished the game with 18 points
and 11 rebounds to earn the
double-double for the night.
Not soon after the women left
the court, the men took over
and came out overwhelming
the visiting 11-6 Bobcats. Soon
the scoreboard read 22-5 in
favor of the Lions and built up
the largest lead of the night at
the 7:18 mark with a 29-9 lead.
Frostburg St. responded heav
ily, going on a 12-2 run to close
the half. Behrend players were
shooting well, amassing 12
orts
points from beyond the arc
compared to Frostburg's zero
points.
The Bobcats brought it to
within seven at one point, but
the Lions held them off to take
the overall win 77-58.
Chris Saltzman was the story
during this game with a double
double in an 18 point, 14 re
bound effort and coasted the
Lions to a key AMCC win over
Frostburg.
During halftime of the men's
game, after the dance team ar..l
the cheerleaders did their re
spective performances, the golf
and soccer team were honored
for their accomplishments.
The golf team, captained by
senior Joe Nelson, will travel to
Hershey, Pa. to participate in
the local NCAA tournament in
May. This is the second time
the golf team won the AMCC
tournament and is the first time
they will play in the NCAA
tournament.
"We are going there with no
high expectations," said golf
coach James Bowen in light of
his team's success.
"I am not going there expect
ing to win the national title. My
goal is for us to make the cut to
compete on Thursday and Fri
day though. It is our first trip to
the national tournament, and
we are glad to have this oppor-
tunity."
The soccer team, led by head
coach Dan Perritano, and his
team finished the soccer season
with a 18-5-2 overall record and
won the ECAC championships
The team came in second in the
AMCC tournament that was
held in late November.
Goalkeeper Dustin Walker
was named most valuable
player for the season and walks
away from Behrend with the
all-time goals against average
and total shutouts records both
in his pocket.