Friday, February 15, 2008 Riders conquer “Railjam” and “Showdown” By Walter Taylor PSB Ski and Board, Pres. wmtlls@psu.edu Feb. 15-Feb. 17 Conditions for Peek ‘n’ Peak Resort Days Skiing:77 Base Depth: 20-48 inches Slopes Open Day: 27 Slopes Open Night: 27 Weekend Forecast Shredability: Epic CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Surburban Blend team rider doing a frontside boardslide. Past Events: “JSBIA Railjam” Feb. 8, 2008 Forty competitors braved the single digit temper atures Friday night to attend the first annual Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena Rail Jam. This was a snowboard only event with a course consist ing of a 10-foot drop-in to dual 16-foot flat-down rails which were followed by a 10-foot flat box. The course was built over a base containing 10-tons of snow from Jamestown Ice Arena and neighbor ing parking areas. Overall it took the Peek’n Peak Park Crew and Ice Arena Crew 24 hours to con struct this entire venue. Dozens of spectators made their way to the hour long event in hopes of catching a glimpse of riders challenging not only themselves but each other. Behrend riders Drew Smith and Rick Osborne pushed one another into top 5 Finishes with Smith taking second and Osborne taking fifth. Shop Showdown Halfpipe Competition Feb. 9, 2008 11 a.m. came fairly earlier Saturday for competi tors as team managers rallied around their riders some of whom were still suffering from the previ- ous night's rail jam. Once again rider Brian Kiss for Little Mountain Behrend bandits bring energy to the stands By Lenny Smith news editor lrs.So46@ psu.edu What started as a small group of friends going to cheer on the Penn State Behrend mens and women’s basketball teams has started, what they hope, will be a new tradition with Behrend athlet ics. Sophomore Mark Ferguson first started the 'Behrend Bandits’ group before a bas ketball game earlier this month. "We’ve been going to the games and supporting the guys, but it just kind of sucked to be some of the only people that cheer,” Ferguson said. “We thought we could get more people involved.” But Ferguson wanted to do more than just get people involved, he wanted to make it a party. He thought that the best was to get more people involved, especially students, was to make each basketball game a different theme. The “Behrend Bandits” debuted on Feb. 2 at the games against Pitt Greensburg with the self-titled theme - bandits. Ferguson created a Facebook.com event to help get the word out about the game. The group thought the turnout was good for the first time, but knew it could get better. The “Bandits” had another chance to get the Behrend community excited about the basketball teams on Feb. 13 for the games against Medaille. The theme this time was Dress to Impress. Just before tip-off the bleachers behind the basketball hoop, next to the pep band, filled with student sup porters, all sporting their best. "It's a lot of fun to just go and have fun, maybe do some ridiculous things,” said Frank Nagy, co founder of the Bandits, “[and] not feel so self-con scious about it, because there are other kids there doing it with you." Game Themes: Saturday, Feb. 16 is Breast Cancer Awareness Game: Wear Pink Wednesday, Feb. 20 is “White-Out”Game: •weiy^ti 8/ » > ; ; took the overall win after handing in two top runs. There was some controversy over Kiss’s second overall win due to his lack of variation between his two final runs. Judges explained that Kiss success fully landed six hits (six tricks) per run while most in the field were only able to attempt four-five hits. They also said that he had landed all spin variations from 360’s, 540’s to a final 720 rotation on his final hit of the competition. Although Kiss has won the first two of the three “Showdown” competitions Erie Sports Store still has a commanding lead of 13 overall team points which currently puts them in first place. Next round of the “Showdown” Feb. 23, night time event. Upcoming Events at Peek’n Peak Resort: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008 USASA Halfpipe Competition Register at the Retreat - 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Event begins at 11 a.m. (helmets required) FINAL SHOP SHOWDOWN Slopestyle Night time event at Retreat Lodge Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008 USASA Snowboard Slopestyle Register at the Retreat - 9 a.m. - 10 a.m, Event begins at 11 a.m. (helmets required) Drew Smith receiving his second place prize from Suburban Blend owner and Penn State Behrend sponsor Pete Scheira. The Behrend Bandits made their presence known. Members of the Athletic Department and the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) approached Ferguson and Nagy to team up and increase student attendance. "Even though we're a small school, we can still cheer on the athletes,” Ferguson said. “I mean, most schools you go to at least have some sort of student section, and we'd like to start something like that up ______________ here at Behrend.” Thursday afternoon already had 44 confirmed guests by press time Thursday night. "Now that more people have seen it, maybe they'll join," he said. The Bandits are already preparing for the next game as well - a battle for first place in the AMCC between the men of Behrend and Lake Erie College. The Bandits and SAC are calling for a student section White Out on Feb. 20. The group asks that you wear as much white as possible for that game that will be televised on the Image Sports Network. "I really like cheering for the guys, I like getting loud,” Ferguson said. “I'm sure some of the adults are taken aback by the things we do, but hey, you only live once.” To stay informed on all the plans for the games on Feb. 16 and 20, join the Facebook.com events. POET The Bandits, in conjunc tion with SAC, have declared Wednesday, Feb. 16’s contest against La Roche, Breast Cancer Awareness Night. The Bandits are asking that all students wear “as much pink as humanly possible” to help raise awareness for the cause. The group will also being taking donations to help fund breast cancer research. Nagy hopes the ideas catch on and it appears as if it already has. The Facebook.com event that races By Jessica Carlson sports editor jlcsolB(s' psu.edu The Penn State Behrend track and field team raced their way towards the ECAC Championship on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Mount Union College Invitational. A total of five runners broke records at Saturdays meet and a handful qualified for the ECAC Championship. New record holders for Behrend track and field are freshmen high jumper Bryson Hartzler when he leapt a height of 6-4 and placed second in the event. Ronson Mazany set a new record for the long jump at a length of 21-9 'A In the men’s weight throw event, freshman John Bowman through a record breaking 33. Bowman broke his own record from the previous meet at Case Western when he threw 27-2 'A. A new relay record time was set in the men’s 4x160 meter event with a time of 1:14.73. Mike Ferraro qualified for ECACs in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.64 seconds. In the season opener at the Case Western Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 26, Ferraro broke the 55-meter record with a time of 6.51 seconds. He also broke the 200-meter dash record with a time of 23.22 seconds. Ferraro was not the only one to break a record at the Case Western Invite. Sophomore sprinter Doug Stevenson ran the 55-meter dash in 6.64 seconds, a time better than the previous record time. On the women’s side, Cassie Manelick also broke the weight throw record with a distance of 29-5. Manelick, like Bowman broke her own weight throw record that she set at the Case Western meet when she threw for a distance of 28- 11 'A. The Behrend men competed against a total of 10 teams and placed fifth overall while the women placed eighth against 11 other teams. The track and field team is entering the 2008 sea son with high standards after a solid 2007 season. Last year the team had 17 athletes qualify for ECACs and one champion and NCAA qualifier. Behrend track and field are led by head coach 716.355.4141 lUnday-Thursday night including ir way to new school reco Greg Cooper who was appointed the position a lit tle over a year ago on Jan. 27, 2007. Cooper was the assistant coach alongside his father, Dave Cooper, for the past five years and cross-country for the last two seasons, as well as a specialized coach in the 400 meter dash, 800 meter dash and hurdles. Accompanying Coach Cooper is a handful of coaches who have received specialty trainings in areas like jumping technique, hurdles, sprinting, pole vaulting, high jump and how to improve from the starting blocks. Although the men lost three time NCAA qualifi er, Dan Mitchell, the number of recent broken records proves that Behrend track and field has plenty of depth to succeed in the 2008 season. The women are coming into the 2008 season off of the 2007 Mason Dixon Championship which was the greates success in Behrend history. All women returning to the team received All-Mason Dixon honors. The men also finished off their 2007 season with their best finish in ECAC Championship history at Behrend. The next meet for Behrend track and field is Saturday, Feb. 23 when they travel to the Kent State Invitational to begin at 10 a.m. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Sophomore sprinter Doug Stevenson run ning in the 55-meter dash in 6.64 seconds The Behrend Beacon I ets! night! ID
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