Kevin Fiorenzo & Amy Frizzell,
S 1 orts Editors
Softball warms up for seaso
by Ben Raymond
staff writer
The Lady Lions softball team
is looking to pick up some extra
bases and make some positive
changes for the spring season.
With a new coach in control
and what seems to be good team
chemistry, good things are ex
pected in the next couple
months.
Coming off of a losing season
last year with a record of 4-8 in
conference action, the softball
team had a different kind of men
tality when they headed down to
Florida over Spring Break for a
number of spring training games.
"The girls have been bonding
since before they went to
Florida," said head coach Stacy
Pondo. "One of the goals for this
year is to get them to be more
open and communicate better
amongst themselves and the coaches."
Although the final scores of the Florida games
were not in favor of the Lady Lions, it is not a fair
representation of the team's abilities. Half of the
games played resulted in a loss by only one run
and on one occasion went in to extra innings. With
closer scores and what would appear to be better
attitudes on and off of the fiel, Pondo and her team
say this should be a very positive season.
"We didn't get blown out of any game. We fought
with every team we went up against. Over all we
did have a good week. We went out and looked
better than we have in the past two years I've been
here. I see a big improvement in our team," said
junior shortstop Charity Marsh. "Fundamentally
we are strong and sound. And our team is sticking
together. We are all there for each other on and off
of the field."
Even though the girls did not post any marks in
Tennis hits halfway mark
ning streak on Saturday against Pitt-Greensburg in
its first conference match of the season.
by Amy Frizzell
sports editor
While many students took Spring Break as a
chance to relax the men's tennis team opted to travel
to Hilton Head, S.C. where it played nine matches
in six days. After going 4-5 for the week, the Li
ons passed their season midpoint along with re
turning a record of 6-6.
"At this point in the season I'm pretty happy with
6-6," said head coach Jeff Barger.
On Friday the Lions took on Green Mountain, a
2003 Division II nationally ranked team from Ver
mont. The men were given a break early on due to
Green Mountain not being able to field a complete
team. Despite only needing two wins to take the
match, the Lions were not able to pull it together,
losing 6-3.
Thursday proved to be just as hard as the team
dropped its third loss to Vassar, 9-0, and then its
fourth to St. Scholastica, 9-0, later that day.
Behrend picked up its fourth win of the week
Wednesday against Eastern Nazarene, 6-1. Junior
Ryan Deimel and sophomore John Marini teamed
up at first doubles for an 8-4 win.
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Athlete
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Catcher Jill Wooldridge throws a runner out on a bunt play during the team's game against
over Spring Break in Orlando, Fla. The team went 0-10, losing six games by just one run
their win column during their trip to Florida, they
did gain plenty of experience. With a very young
team consisting of seven freshmen, five sophomores
one junior and three seniors, communication and
teamwork are going to be the glue and nails holding
the team together through the season.
Upon their return to Erie, the ladies got right to
work improving on their mistakes and reinforcing
their strong points. Most of the team has been liter
ally wrapped up in practice this week.
With batting being one of its big issues, the team
has been spending most of its practice in the batting
cage this week.
Pondo stressed that hitters will be breaking down
their swings and working on the fundamentals.
At the first practice back from Florida, the Lions
picked up their gloves briefly to warm up. What
followed was nearly two hours of dry swings, hit
tin off a tee and live • itchin
Sophomore Jon Barber and freshman
Matt Meyer picked up a win at second
doubles, 8-3. Freshman Brian Espin and
senior Jeremiah Gutherie walked away
with a 8-0 win at third doubles.
Deimel also provided a 6-2, 6-0
win at first singles, followed by Barber
at third 6-1, 6-4. Sophomore Kevin
Fiorenzo won 6-2, 6-3 as Meyer finished
out the lineup with a 6-0, 6-1 win.
On Tuesday the Lions lost to Lake
Forest, 2-5, in a match that could have
gone either way.
Deimel and Marini took the only
doubles win at first doubles, 8-3. Deimel
provided another win at first singles 6-
2, 6-1. Barber had the only other win
for the Lions. After splitting sets (6-3,
0-6) Barber moved into a tie breaker,
winning 7-6.
Behrend played its second double-header of the
week on Monday against Upper lowa and Mount
Union. The Lions took a tough loss to Mount Union,
3-4 that morning.
Marini and Deimel once again provided a win at
first doubles, 8-2, along with Meyer and freshman
Garrett Grenek at third doubles, 8-6. Deimel and
Meyer tallied up wins at first and sixth singles.
The Lions quickly rebounded that afternoon
against Upper lowa, only dropping one match.
Marini and Deimel, Barber and Espin, and Meyer
and Grenek swept all three doubles positions.
Deimel took first singles 6-2, 6-0; Barber took
third 6-0, 6-1. Espin won at fourth 6-1, 6-0, Fiorenzo
continued the pattern at fifth 6-3, 6-1 while Meyer
rounded out the lineup 6-2, 6-2.
On its first day of play the team took home two
wins over Emory and Henry 5-2, and Hiram 6-1.
The Lions had previously beat both teams during
its 2003 season, also starting off a seven match win
ning streak.
"We had some tough matches, I don't think our
record shows how good we really are. We played
some tough teams in Hilton Head," said Grenek.
"There were some tou h matches that could have
SPO TS
Ready to begin AMCC play
TARA BRADEN
Friday, March 19, 2004
Marsh later added, "We are out to make a state
ment this season. We have had our problems in the
past, but that's where they are staying in the past.
Coaches can only get us so far, now it's our turn to
step up and show the conference what we can do."
The young squad will rely on the talented fresh
men class. Centerfielder Loriel Herist batted .379
during the training trip and started all 10 games.
Herist was named to the AMCC "Best of the Rest"
this week.
Pitcher Sandi Jaussi mastered the mound in her
first collegiate start and continued her dominance
of batters throughout the week. She will be looked
upon to continue her brilliance throughout the
AMCC season.
The Lady Lions square off at home against
Medaille on Tuesday.
gone either way. We just came up short."
"We started out strong during the week. Both
our mental and physical ability dropped below our
standards so it affected our game," said Barber.
After rounding out the week with three straight
losses, the team will have to look to rebound dur
ing practice before its next match.
"I think we've already rebounded," said Grenek.
"We're just going to continue to practice hard."
The blue and white will next host Pitt-Greensburg
to kick off conference play Saturday. The Lions
went 2-0 against Greensburg last season beating
them 9-0 both times. After losing its two top play
ers to Westminster College, Pitt-Greensburg's line
up will be hard to predict.
"We're all definitely pretty tight after Hilton
Head," said Meyer. "I think we have plenty of con
fidence."
Though most teams look for confidence, too
much confidence in this situation might end up hurt
ing the team.
"The team expects to win," said Marini. "Per
sonally I'm not going in over-confident. We have
to take it seriously cause it's a conference match.
We can't let being over confident get in the way."
Being over-confident isn't the only thing the team
has to watch for. Weather conditions play a big
part in the team's play. While playing outside all
week the team had a chance to get used to playing
through weather conditions. This week the team
will be forced the play indoors due to snow.
"It's different surfaces along with weather," said
Barger of the team's transition from outdoor to in
door play. "There will be no weather conditions to
play through."
"The transition will help our play," said Grenek.
"We don't have to deal with a lot of natural ele
ments. Also, as a team we play more indoors any-
As for the rest of the season the team sees Hilton
Head as the preparation they needed to begin its
race for the AMCC crown.
"I'd say the experience in Hilton Head was
good," said Marini. "We played teams that are bet
ter than in our conference. I think we're re . ared."
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The Behrend Beacon
Track opens
seasonal
Disney Relays
by Lauren Packer
editor in chief
After a week's worth of fun and sun,
the men and women's track teams
culminated their spring training trip at the
Disney Relays. Escaping the snowstorms
of Erie and taking advantage of Florida's
climate, the Lions attacked the outdoor
records. In all, 11 records fell in the first
meet of the outdoor season.
The Disney Relays gave Behrend a
chance to run events that the team does
not normally run.
Even though the teams arrived on
Sunday and did not race until the
following weekend, the Lions used the
time to get acclimated to the warmer
climate.
"We aren't used to running in such
heat," said runner Clayton Kirschner. "It
made it a little bit easier to practice for a
couple of days before going all out at the
meet."
On the women's side, five relay records
were shattered. The combination of
Nikki Mineweaser, Marlena McNutt,
Claire Manelick, Hollie Weinheimer,
Jessica Sarver. Leslie Gentile, Jessica
Knapp and Staci Banaszek produced the
record setting times in the five relays.
Sarver, Gentile, Manelick and Knapp
combined forces in the 4XBOOm relay and
the 4X1600m relay with times of
10:05.19 and 21:49.88.
Mineweaser, Weinheimer and McNutt
were three of the four runners in both the
sprint medley relay and the 4X200m
relay. Manelick completed the quad in
the sprint medley that crossed the finish
line at 4:29.52. Banaszek completed the
4X200m relay team that crossed in a time
of 1:54.39.
Cross-country stars Sarver and Knapp,
along with Mineweaser and Manelick, set
the new record for the distance medley
relay with a time of 13:01.27.
For the men, a handful of runners and
a pole vaulter set new records. Donnie
Hackworth vaulted 14' 5.25" to set a new
Behrend record. Tim Schultheis finished
the 3000 m in 9:39.38.
The remaining four records belong to
relay teams. Isiah Meek, Ben Nosko,
Clayton Kirschner and Mike Barlett set
a new sprint medley relay in 3:39.02.
The distance medley relay of Craig
Davis,Hackworth, Dan Alvis and
Schultheis crossed the finish line in
11:26.30. Hackworth, Ken Carpenter,
Greg Hackett and Dave Masilunas
finished the 4X200m relay in 1:38.96.
The last record the men set was the
4X1600m relay, with Brent
Beauseigneur, Davis, Barlett and
Kirschner finishing in 18:57.48.
The reason for both team's success can
be attributed to better conditioning and a
strong freshmen class, said Kirschner.
"We also have depth in each event,
which helps out a lot," Kirschner said.
"Everyone runs different events too. Our
runners are pretty versatile."
Up next for Behrend is Division II
Clarion. Kirschner believes both teams
will have a good shot at winning the meet.
"We always do really well against
them, even though they are in a higher
division."
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