The Behrend Beacon
Men's tennis team ready for
by Mike Bello
sports editor
Sunny weather. Tennis on outdoor
courts. No school. First win.
The men’s tennis team had one
exciting week during its trip at Hilton
Head, S.C. With the conference
schedule starting up on Saturday, the
Lions know they are well prepared to
face any team that comes their way.
“We have a strong team,” said Steve
Broussard. “We saw a couple of
excellent teams in Hilton Head, and
one that was our caliber. We had no
trouble beating them (Hiram). Since
that is more of the caliber team we will
play, it gave us a lot of confidence
coming home to play some conference
matches.”
“Playing against Division II
schools, we know where we stand and
the fact that the teams in our
conference are gonna be easier than
those schools is definitely a boost to
the confidence,” said Sundeep Bhatia.
On March 8, in its last game of the
trip, Behrend defeated Hiram College
Offense struggles as softball goes winless in Florida
by Zoe Rose and Mike Bello
staff writer and sports editor
Relaxing during spring break was
not on the schedule for Penn State
Behrend’s softball team, even though
it went to Florida for spring training.
Several rough patches became appar
ent as a fairly young team got to see
action while learning to trust each
other on the field. Playing several
single games against an array of teams
such as Clark University and St.
Mary’s College, the Lions pulled out
with a struggling 0-9 preseason mark.
Sophomore Brandy Polinick be
lieves the record doesn’t measure how
much experience the team gained
from playing nine games in six days.
“The team came together by the end
of the week in Florida. We just needed
to get out on the field and play with
one another and that’s what we did,”
said Polinick.
Behrend began its season with
Clark and Waynesburg on March 3.
Becky Corbin gave up three earned
Track and field sends 8 to ECACs
By Scott Soltis
staff writer
The indoor track and field
ECAC championships were
held atTXifts University over
spring break, and Behrend
sent eight athletes to
compete. The team
performed well, but had to
contend with some very
skilled athletes.
Coach Dave Cooper was
glad that the team made it
to the event.
“There were over 70
teams represented at the
meet,” said Cooper. “While
no Behrend athletes scored
points, it was a good
learning experience, and
will prepare us for the outdoor
championships.”
- Isiah Meek set a new Behrend
record in the 55 hurdles when he ran
an 8.05. Still, Meek finished 22nd
With his effort, which illustrates just
NCAA playoffs are far
superior to NBA ones
Those big contracts carry a lot of
weight in the NBA, and they allow
the players to do what they please.
Maybe someday the NBA will learn
from the NCAA.
Another big reason the NCAA is
better than the NBA? The talent pool
is spread out in college sports. In
professional sports, a few teams have
the chance to buy the best players.
This throws everything out of whack.
On the college level, there are so
many talented players distributed on
so many teams that it’s hard for one
school to completely dominate the
7-2. The Lions (1-5) dominated in
singles play, winning all four of the
day’s matches, but dropped their two
doubles matches.
Dave Cooper began play with 6-3
wins over Hiram’s top player, Neil
Donovan. Mike Oey followed that up
with 6-2 and 6-0 wins. Brent Carlson
won the first match against Nick
Swetye 6-3, before losing 6-2. Carlson
rebounded to soundly defeat Swetye
6-1 in the third match. Jacob Hillman
completed the singles sweep with 6-3
and 6-4 wins.
Bhatia and Oey started things off in
doubles play with an 8-3 loss to
Hiram’s top two players. Jacob
Cornwell and Broussard gave the
Terriers a run for their money in the
second game. Hiram (1-2) had to go
an extra set before winning 9-8. Hiram
forfeited two singles matches and one
doubles match, as well.
The Lions didn’t fare as well in the
other two games at Hilton Head, losing
by identical 9-0 scores to Belmont
Abbey and Winona State, both
Division II schools. But playing those
runs in six innings and scored her
team’s only run in a 5-1 loss to Clark.
Behrend had only three hits in the
Stephanie Covert pitched well
against Waynesburg, giving up three
earned runs in six innings of work.
Behrend’s offense, though, faltered
again in a 4-0 loss. The Lions could
only produce three hits.
The Lions’ offense struggled the
next day against St. John Fisher, as
Behrend smacked two hits in a 14-2
loss. Cheryl Peterson and Covert each
had one RBI.
After enjoying an off-day, Behrend
played two more games on March 6.
Behrend’s offense had trouble find
ing a pulse in both games.
Corbin produced the team’s only hit
in a 10-0 loss to Wartburg. Corbin had
two of the team’s four hits in a 8-0
loss to Dominican later in the day.
Softball, like most physically and
emotionally demanding sports, can
not be played if a player does not trust
one’s abilities first. After feeling self-
PHOTO BY JEFF HANKEY / BEHREND BEACON
Chris Ober practices the tong jump at the
Junker Center as Undsay Schulte
watches from the background.
how good the competition was. The
other Behrend athletes ran into the
same level of opposition in all of the
races.
The 4x400 relay team comprised of
Keith Cerroni, Billy McKinney, Mike
FROM PAGE IB
courts like the Bulls used to and the
Lakers do now. Sure, you have
schools like Duke, Cincinnati, and
Kentucky that are near the top year
after year.
But looking back at the end of the
NCAA season and division playoffs,
nothing is ever certain, except that
you won’t find gaudy players trying
to hog your TV. Who’s going to be
the Cinderella? Who’s gonna fall
when no one expected it? No one
knows, and that’s why March
Madness doesn’t make me so mad.
SPORTS
Friday, March 15, 2002
two schools, and following it up with
a win against a Division 111 school,
gave Behrend the chance to observe
its weaknesses.
“Certain weaknesses were that the
games we lost were due to impatience
and trying to go for the win rather than
playing with strategy,” said Bhatia. “So
if the players can work on that aspect,
the team can definitely have a great
chance against all the conference
teams.”
Behrend will host Pitt-Greensburg
11 a.m. on Saturday at the Pennbriar
Athletic Club in its first of eight
conference matches. Behrend defeated
Greensburg 5-4 and 7-2 last season.
Since Behrend was the only AMCC
team to compete over spring break, the
Lions are counting on their first few
games to give them an advantage. Just
as important, the Hilton Head trip gave
the players a chance to gauge where
they stand as a team.
“Our three doubles teams are solid
as a rock, and our top three singles will
be real tough to beat,” said Broussard.
“With that core to the team, we are
Freshman Erika Mack and coach Kellie Diehl head into the weekend
ready for Pitt-Greensburg after a difficult learning experience in Florida.
confident, the next step would be to
unite as a team by trusting your team
mates. This is exactly what coach
Kellie Diehl was looking for.
“We a very young team with only
one starter from last year’s team,” said
Barlett, and Dave Ober finished with
the 25th best time of 3:32.25.
McKinney also competed in the
500 and ran his second best time in
that event with a 1:08.49. This was
good for a 16th place.
The highest placer on the men’s
side was Jay Davids. He high-jumped
a height of 6-1.25 to claim 14th
overall.
On the women's side, Jessica
Sarver ran a 4:58.37 in the 1,500
against some stiff competition.
Amanda Van Tassel competed in the
500 and ran a time of 1:24.86. Both
Sarver and Van Tassel took >22nd
place in each of theirevents.
With the outdoor season just around
the comer, the team has built some
momentum. The team got a taste of a
championship setting at the indoor
ECACs and is hungry for more. The
Lions are anxious to begin competing
outdoors and to start qualifying
athletes for the next round of
championship competition.
Baseball finishes spring trip with 6-3 mark
in three runs. Boyle drove in three
runs, and Jason Karas added two hits
and two RBIs. Shearer and Canzano
both added two RBIs. Boyle,
Canzano, and Azzato each sent one
over the fence against E & H. Kevin
Dubyak picked up the win, giving up
four runs in eight innings.
The Lions then won both games on
March 8 in which the outcomes
weren’t decided until the last inning.
Behrend gave up one run in the
bottom of the seventh inning but
survived to win 7-6 over Maryville.
Later in the day, the Lions scored one
run in the top of the seventh to win 4-
3 over Wesley (1-4).
confident that we [can] beat anyone in
our conference.”
Behrend found out how difficult
Division II schools can be at Hilton
Head, as they won only five sets
against Belmont Abbey out of more
than 90 on March 5. Belmont Abbey
(7-5), though, defeated both Hiram and
Winona State (6-6) 9-0 in South
Carolina.
The Lions fared better against
Winona State on March 4 despite
dropping all nine matches. Carlson, in
the No. 3 singles match, forced his
opponent into an extra set in the first
match before losing 7-5 and 6-2.
Carlson and Hillman lost the team’s
second doubles match 8-5.
Still, the trip did give the players a
lot of memories, including an early
taste of summer.
“The 80 degree weather was
definitely a highlight, especially after
coming back to Erie and seeing snow
on the ground,” said Broussard. “But
on the court, our first win of the season
felt great.”
Diehl, “so we need to get to know
each other on the field better and we
did that in Florida. So now I’m hope
ful that we’re more comfortable with
each other.
“That’s what spring training in
Ledwin hired as AMCC commissioner'
by Mike Bello
sports editor
Donna Ledwin was hired as the
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate
Conference (AMCC) commissioner
and sports information director. She
is the league’s first commissioner
Ledwin, who will take her position
in late spring, currently serves as the
commissioner and sports information
director for the New Jersey Athletic
Conference.
“Since my family relocated to the
Pittsburgh area in late August, it just
made sense to pursue opportunities
closer to home,” said Ledwin in a
Lepionka cracked three hits, while
Boyle scored two runs. Four other
players each had two of the team’s 13
hits. Seyler won his second game of
the trip, pitching five innings and
giving up one earned run.
Boyle scored two runs and had two
hits, including a home run, against
Wesley. Ottaviani cracked two hits,
but the star of the game was Aldrich.
The junior right hander pitched all
seven innings, giving up three runs
while striking out six to improve to
2-0 on the mound.
The Lions ran into a wall that was
called Beloit on March 9. Bundy had
three hits, but Behrend could only
AMCC season
Junior Doug Smith and the Behrend Lions are set for their opening
conference game against Altoona after fun in the sun at Hilton Head
Florida is all about. It’s not about win
ning games, it’s about getting to know
your teammates and what skills we
need to improve on.”
On March 7, the Lions’ offense
found the spark it had been misssing
the day before. Behrend pounded out
seven hits in a 13-5 loss to St. Mary’s
and 11 hits in an 11 -10 loss to Worces-
Kelly Woods scored two runs and
had two hits against St. Mary’s, while
Charity Marsh added two RBIs.
Emily Allen added two hits, one run,
and an RBI.
Against Worcester, Allen pounded
out three hits and Woods contributed
foiir’Rßls. Marsh arid Polinick each
drove in two runs, and Erika Mack
scored three runs. Cheryl Peterson
and Marsh scored two runs each as
the Lions had as many hits (13) as
their first five games combined.
The offense lost all momentum in
its last two games of the break on
March 8. Peterson and Roberta Baker
smacked two hits each, but the Lions
press release. “The AMCC is a young
conference with tremendous
potential, and I am excited to be part
of their organization.”
Besides her positions with the
NJAC, Ledwin is a member of the
NCAA Division 111 Membership and
Nominating Committees and the
Executive Committee of the NCAA
Division 111 Conference
Commissioners Association.
She has also served as an athletics
administrator at the Notre Dame of
Maryland, New Rochelle, and Yale.
Ledwin received her B.A. from
Fordham University and her M.B.A.
from Boston University.
egia,
produce six total in a 7-0 loss. The
Lions didn’t fare much better in the
second game of the doubleheader,
dropping a 20-6 decision to Beloit (3-
7-1).
Boyle had two hits and scored two
runs in game two. Bundy and
Lepionka also added two hits to the
effort.
Despite the last two losses, the
Lions are primed for any opponent
that comes their way.
“The thing we learned is that our
team is very strong and that we can
play with anyone we go against,” said
Seyler. “We have a lot of confidence,
we feel that we can win every game.”
behrcolls @ aol.com
couldn’t push a run across the plate
in an 8-0 loss to Ursinus.
Nicole Miller gave up three runs in
seven innings, but Behrend still
dropped a 3-0 decision to Kenyon
later in the day.
This Saturday, the Blue and White
head into conference play by hosting
Pitt-Greensburg in a doubleheader.
Polinick knows what it will take to
defeat Greensburg.
“For us to get a win against Pitt-
Greensburg, the team is going to have
to be focused on playing the best that
we can and putting good defense with
our great offense,” said Polinick.
Housing
and
Food Service
Athlete
of the Week
pennState
j®pErie
‘Ryan
Seyfer
Seyler, a junior from
Franklin, led the
Behrend Lions to a 6-3
record at Fort Myers,
Fla. last week during
spring training. In 10
innings, Syler allowed
only two earned runs
for a 1.80 ERA. Bolster
ing his pitching perfor
mance, he struck out
seven for an overall 2-
0 record.
The Behrend Lions
travel to John Carroll
University Saturday
with the junior varsity
team beginning at 1 p.m.
in their first game since
the Florida trip.
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