Friday, February 20, 2009
Jon Bacon named to the 2008
Division 111 All-American team
Sophomore Jon Bacon was
named to the 2008 Division 111
All-American team at the two
meter position, which was
released by the Men's Association
of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches
(ACWPC).
"I was surprised when Coach
Tristan told me that I had maci
the All-American Honorable
Mention Team. I'll admit it
caught me off guard because there
are a lot of good players through
out Division III," said Bacon.
"Getting the honor makes all the
work you put into the sport
worth the practices and tourna
ments we attend every weekend in
the fall."
Bacon being named as an All-
American was the fourth time in
the history of Behrend that a play
er of head coach Joe Tristan men's
to team received the
Athlete Spotlight:
A&ording to the Behrend web
site, Bacon was named to the
Division 111 Eastern
Championships second team after
a 12 goal performance in the tour
nament.
In the 2008 season, Bacon took
83 shots and scored 32 times
while contributing nine assists.
Bacon also had 26 drawn kickouts
and one drawn penalty.
In his career at Behrend, Bacon
has played in 46 games and scored
46 times on 146 shots from the
two meter position. While play
ing for Behrend in the past two
years, Bacon has a total of 24
steals and 16 assists.
The overall record for the men's
water polo team was 5-14 this
past season.
- The season went well," said
Bacon. "We started a bit slow and
Sophomore Jon Bacon way named to the 2008 All-Americrot tean for Division 111
Katie Van Epps
By Christine Newby
sports . alitor
censos6(apstLedu
bumpy towards the beginning,
but that's because we are such a
young team. Once out chemistry
clicked towards the middle of the
season, we were able to finish the
season strong and accomplish our
goal of getting third at Eastems."
During the offseason, Bacon
and the team will be focusing on
staying in shape in order to come
back ready and prepared to play.
"The most important thing the
team has to work on during the
offseason is staying in shape,"
said Bacon. "With our sport in the
fall, there is a long break until we
start up again. But by at least
getting in the water during the
break, the transition back into the
season will be smoother."
In hopes of improving his
skills, Bacon will continue to
play water polo in the offseason
in his hometown of Glendale,
Born and raised in Titusville,
Pennsylvania, Behrend sopho
more Katie Van Epps has been
focusing on one sport, swim
ming, since the age of ten.
She continued the sport at
Pleasantville High School where
she earned four varsity letters.
During her senior year, she won
the J. Martin Award, which was
awarded to the senior who had
progressed the most throughout
the four years.
Van Epps, who went to dis
tricts for her second consecutive
year, had a strong performance at
the 2009 AMCC swimming and
diving championships on Feb.
12-14 at Grove City.
She won the 200 yard butterfly
with a time of 2:24.02 and placed
second in the 200 and 400 IM
with times of 2:24.31 and
5:03.81 respectively.
The Behrend Lions women's
swimming and diving team won
its third AMCC championship in
three consecutive years.
"We did awesome this year,"
said Van Epps. "We did really
good and stayed together. We
accomplished all the goals we
wanted to do."
The events that Van Epps races
in are the 200 and 400 IM and
200 yard butterfly along with the
200 and 400 medley relay and the
200 and 400 freestyle relay.
The head coach for the men's
SPORTS
California, which is 25 minutes
from Los Angeles.
- Individually I'm really going
to try and step up my training,
specifically playing for my club
team back home and getting some
swimming training as well," said
Bacon.
Bacon has three important team
goals for next season along with
personal goals in which he is
determined to accomplish.
"Our team goals are to increase
our wins the next season, as well
as place third or better at
Eastems," said Bacon. "We'd also
like to beat Gannon and
Mercyhurst. Personally, I would
hope to continue improving my
game as a captain and player and
specifically improve my shot to
goal ratio."
By Christine Newby
spoils editor
ce n 5056 psu .edu
and women's swimming and div
ing team, Jen Wallace, is in her
sixth year at the position.
"Coach has helped me to under
stand that if I don't do well in a
race, there is always the next
one," said Van Epps. "She has
also helped me with different
techniques and different ways to
swim the races I do because they
are longer races."
Like many athletes, Van Epps
has a specific ritual that she must
do before she competes.
"Before they say 'Take your
mark,' I always have to push my
goggles to make sure they are
suctioned to my face," said Van
Epps. "I need to hear that pop
noise for both of my eyes."
Van Epps, a psychology major,
has set one main goal for herself
along with team goals for next
season.
"Personally, I would like to
make it to ECAC's in individual
events," said Van Epps. "The
team goals are the same as this
year: to stick together, get along,
and make goals."
The men's and women's swim
team travel to the ECAC champi
onships held in Boston,
Massachusetts on Feb. 28
through March 1. The NCAA
tournament follows the ECAC
championships which is on
March 12-14 for the women and
March 19-20 for the men.
NFL offseason
preview
SHAWN ANNARELLI TAKES A
CLOSER LOOK AT THE BROWNS,
BILLS, AND STEELERS
Bills comerba-k Jabati G►rer inteir•epts a pass
In an NFL offseason that has
already seen a record 11 new head
coaches hired, Brett Favre retire
again, and Steelers kicker Jeff
Reed attack a towel dispenser, I
promise you more twists, turns,
and truths than you can handle.
Storylines galore have already
surfaced to keep us on our toes as
the offseason progresses.
Will Brett Favre unretire,
again? Will Roger Goodell rein
state Mike Vick into the NFL
once he is a free man? Will
Giants' wide receiver Plaxico
Burress be sentenced to wear an
orange jumpsuit for three and a
half to 15 years? No, it's not
what you're thinking. He's most
likely going to jail, not to the
Browns or Bengals. But, serious
ly, you tell me, which is more
,pstisbisiont? And, finally, the
most important question of all, is
it really as sweet as you think it
is to be a fan of the 6-time Super
Bowl Champion Pittsburgh
Steelers? No, it's sweeter.
All joking aside, it is only
right, due to our region, that we
discuss the three NFL franchises
nearest to us: the Browns, Bills,
and Steelers.
The Browns enter the offseason
with new head coach Eric
Mangini and a bounty of issues
to address in the offseason. Only
a meager $8 million under the
NFL salary cap, the Browns are
not likely to be big players in
this year's free agent market
unless they cut or trade current
players on their roster. The play
ers they may cut are ones who
have under-produced for what they
are being paid. They include WR
Joe Jerevicious, running back
Jamal Lewis, and defensive end
Robaire Smith.
Cleveland also has to analyze
their actions in regards to their 11
unrestricted free agents. Of the
three starters in that group, the
Browns are most likely to resign
safety Sean Jones, even it means
franchise tagging him. The other
two starters, outside linebacker
Willie McGinest and inside line
backer Andra Davis, may not be
resigned as they are not prototyp
ical 3-4 defensive players.
McGinest is slowing with age
and cannot pass rush off the edge
effectively, while Davis would be
better fit to play as a weak OLB
in a 4-3 defense.
Coach Mangini's biggest deci
sion will revolve around quarter
back Derek Anderson, who played
poorly last season and was
replaced by the promising Brady
Quinn. Anderson may be traded
for draft picks or kept to compete
with Quinn to start at QB. The
next concern for the Browns brass
will be to revamp the weakest 3-
4 LB core in the NFL. Mangini
has remained silent about what
the Browns' plans are.
According to Yahoo.com
Mangini stated, "I don't really
have it defined in terms of which
way it has to go. I think I'm open
to all different possibilities, and
not just at that
The Behrend Beacon 19
By Shawn Annarelli
contributing writer
smaslB9ovpsu.edu
position, [quarterback]."
In Buffalo, the Bills are already
making noise. Two starters, free
saftey Ko Simpson and RB
Marshawn Lynch, have had seri
ous run-ins with the law that will
likely result in multiple game
suspensions handed down from
Commissioner Goodell.
The Bills have 13 free agents to
address, including four starters.
Buffalo's highest priority will be
to resign cornerback Jabari Greer
to a multi-year deal, and then to
resign their other young core
players OLB Keith Ellison. cen
ter Duke Preston, and RB Fred
Jackson. The Bills may also
look to the future by extending
the contracts of right guard Brad
Butler and CB Terrence McGee, as
each has only a year remaining on
their current deals.
In Pittsburgh. the Steelek
appear to be comfortable with
only two truly significant play
ers, CB Bryant McFadden and
offensive tackle Max Starks, up
for free agency. Three other
Steelers starters, OT Willie
Colon, offensive guard Chris
Kemoeatu, and OT Marvel
Smith, are also up for free
agency. Though, of those three,
none of them fit well into the
Steelers now two-year-old zone
blocking offense. Colon and
Kemoeatu will likely be resigned
to compete for starting roles in
2009.
The Steelers major concerns are
bringing in young OL and extend
ing the contracts of several
prominent players due to hit free
agency in 2010. NFL Defensive
MVP James Harrison, WR Hines
Ward, RB Willie Parker, nose
tackle Casey Hampton, tight end
Heath Miller, and free saftey Ryan
Clark are among those players.
The Steelers immediately began
negotiations with James
Harrison, making him their first
priority.
According to ESPN.com
Harrison's agent confimied the
negotiations saying, "Certainly
the Steelers didn't win six Super
Bowls by not knowing what
they're thing. I'm sure they under
stand exactly where they're going
with James' situation."
In other news, around the NFL,
several teams have used their
right to franchise tag a player.
including kicker Shayne Graham
of the Bengals and punter Michael
Koenen of the Falcons. It is the
first time a punter and a kicker
have been tagged during the same
offseason. Other tai •ed players
are the Ravens LB Terrell
Suggs, the Patriot., QB Matt
Cassell, the Bucc leers Antonio
Bryant, the Chu . 'rs RB Dan
Sproles, the C .nals OLB
Karlos Dansby, .‘ the Giants
RB Brandon Jacobs.
Feb. 27 marks the start of the
NFL's free agency period, as well
as the day that the landscape of
the NFL begins its annual shift.
There will be winners and losers
before the 2009 NFL season even
kicks off.