8 I The Behrend Beacon
By Christine Newby
spoils editor
cx-nfiOfili" psu.edu
Nov. 7, 2008
The men and women's cross
country team raced their way
to victory last weekend at the
AMCC Championships held at
Penn State Altoona.
The men's team repeated as
champions as they claimed
their second consecutive
AMCC title.
"I am really pleased with
how everyone ran," said junior
.Andy lams. "We accomplished
our goal which was to return
as AMCC champs. Mentally
and physically the guys were
idv id thr
DANIEL SMITH ' The Behrend Beacon
Justin DiPenti and Steven Monnie run to the finish line.
By Nick Blake
s ports editor
npbso4l" psu.edu
I eh. 13, 2009
If you happen to turn on
ESPN, or look at ESPN The
Magazine, you would probably
see the airtime, or writing, not
only dominated by A-Rod talk,
but bv college basketball as
well. '
It is very rare; in fact, there is
never tiny talk about Behrend
sports or its athletes. However,
;t Behrend athlete has received
recognition from ESPN The
Magazine, one of the nation’s
largest sports magazines.
Bonn State Behrend’s
Natalie Engel has been named
to the magazine's All-District
Academic First-Team by the
college Sports Information
Directors of America
((.OS I DA).
Engel. a team captain, is a
senior on the women's basket-
Kovach perfroms her routine as she dives during an event.
Behrend runners take AMCC title
Junior Kevin Gomy finished
first for Behrend and second
overall out of 71 runners. lams
followed closely behind as he
came in second for the Lions
and third overall.
Sophomore Matt Alto was
also thrilled with the men’s
performance at the champi
onship in which nine total
teams competed.
“Our goal from the begin
ning was to win the AMCC,”
said Alto. “Going into it, we
knew that we were the best
team, so we really were not
surprised. We are all glad as a
team to win.”
The AMCC Men’s All-
Conference team this year con
sists Gorny, lams, junior Rob
Behrend's Natalie
national recognition from ESPN
SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE COURT LEADS TO RECOGNITION
ball team and has been a
standout her entire career with
the Lions.
Engel is averaging 13.9
points per game and is averag
ing 29.9 minutes of playing
time per game.
She also has 53 rebounds, 35
steals and 23 assists this sea
son, and has started all 19
games for the Blue and White.
She ranks in the top ten at
Behrend all-time in free throw
percentage, and she is among
the top 15 all-time in assists,
steals, 3-pointers made and
free throws made.
Not only is Engel a standout
on the basketball court, she is
a standout off the court as well.
Engel is a Biology major and
is currently carrying a 3.95
GPA and has been named aca
demic all-conference the past
three years. It is this success
that has gotten her the recogni
tion from ESPN.
“Coach told me at practice,”
Sports
Shrawder, sophomore Bob
Cizek, and freshman Carl
Kallgren.
The women’s team placed
third out of the eight this year.
Last season the women won
the AMCC.
“Going into it [AMCC
Championships], we had a lot
of goals, but we fell short,” said
sophomore Jenna Fatica. “We
gave it our all so that’s all you
can ask for.”
Sophomore Emily Berry was
first for the Lions and fifth
overall out of the 73 runners.
Fatica placed second for
Behrend and eight overall.
The AMCC Women’s All-
Conference team includes
sophomore Emily Berry,
Fatica, and sophomore Mallory
Souleret.
“The men’s team was expect
ed to win and they did,” said
head coach Greg Cooper. “The
women’s team had probably
one of the best races of the sea
son. They performed the best
they could and there is nothing
more that we could have
done.”
Not including the AMCC
Championships, Fatica and
lams have been the top finish
er for the Behrend Lions in all
five races this season.
FROM NATIONAL MAGAZINE
Engel said. “I didn’t really
expect it, so when I heard I was
really surprised.”
Engel credits being a perfec
tionist to her incredible suc
cess on and off the cpprt.
“I have always been a perfec
tionist, so 1 have to have every
thing right. I’ve always been
like that,” Engel said. She also
says that basketball has helped
her off the court.
“Basketball has definitely
helped me,” Engel said. “It has
been a big motivator because I
have to get all of my work done
to be able to play.”
Engel also had a good high
school career, which helped
her on the court in college.
“I had a really good high
school coach and a good senior
year,” Engel said. “I just
worked really hard to get
here.”
Engel won’t be done with
school when she is done here
at Behrend. She is going to
Kovach competes at the NCAA
FIRST SWIMMER OR DIVER IN BEHREND HISTORY TO GO TO NCAA
By Christine Newby
sports editor
censos6(a psu.edu
March 20, 2009
Sophomore diver Krystal
Kovach has accomplished
something that no swimmer or
diver in Behrend’s history has
ever done, compete at the
NCAA championships.
Kovach finished seventeenth
in both the women’s three
meter and one meter events
with scores of 381.75 and
351.70 respectively.
The championships were
hosted by Macalester College
at the University of Minnesota
Aquatics Center in
Minneapolis on March 18-21.
“I think that I did well for my
first year at nationals,” said
Kovach. “I would have liked to
place better but competition
was tight. There were a lot of
good girls there.”
Kovach had to prepare phys
ically by practicing every day.
She was dedicated and
determined throughout spring
break as she practiced when
most students returned home
or headed to the beach.
“By working hard in practice
and my teammates pushing
me,” said Fatica when asked
how she has accomplished
placing first. “I don’t consider
it an individual sport at all, it is
a team sport. I’ve fortunately
been able to lead the team.”
lams attributed his success
this year to becoming a more
steady and constant runner.
“Personally, I’ve been work
ing on being a more consistent
runner,” said lams. “I’ve been
fortunate with no injuries.
Coach Cooper’s training has
been great and has contributed
a lot.”
The cross country team’s
next challenge is the NCAA
Mideast Regional at
Waynesburg University on
Nov. 15.
“We will be working hard
this week to maintain aerobic
capacity and then tapering off
next week to rest the legs,”
explained Cooper.
Fatica also realizes that hard
work in practice will lead to
better results at regionals.
“The next two weeks we will
continue to work hard,” Fatica
said. “Obviously it is the last
race so we want to do well,
place well as a team, and set
personal records.”
graduate school for Genetic
Counseling, which is within
her major.
Engel has had a long career
and has a few favorite
moments. “There have
been a lot of good times. When
we beat Medallie my sopho
more year really stands out,”
Engel said. “Other than that,
everything.”
Sometimes it gets tough, but
Engel says that you have to just
push through.
“It’s hard and stressful at
times, but you just have to
make time for it.”
For any young athletes who
are looking to be successful in
sports and in the classroom,
Engel has some advice.
“I would say that school is
first for sure,” Engel said. “If
you put the time into it, and
you really want to be good at it,
anything is possible.”
diving championships
“Physically, I stayed on cam
pus during break and practiced
every day,” said Kovach. “I
didn't try to do anything drasti
cally different, just keep myself
healthy and rested.”
Not only physically, but men
tal preparation was needed
going into the NCAA champi
onships.
“Mentally was a little more
difficult,” said Kovach. “It was
hard to keep focused on prac
tice because I was constantly
psyching myself out about the
competition. It was frustrating
messing up dives in practice
because I felt like I needed
them all to be perfect and my
coach was tight on correc
tions.”
Head coach Jen Wallace was
thrilled of Kovach’s accom
plishment and performances.
“I am very excited about
Krystal's performances,” said
Wallace. “Even with a few set
backs, she kept her composure
underpressure. We now know
what it takes to compete at the
higher level and can make
improvements to place higher
in the next two years.”
The swimming and diving
Engel receives
Not only physically, but men
tally the cross country team is
preparing for the next race.
“For the AMCC we adjusted
the mileage so our bodies
would be well rested,” lams
said. “With any long distance,
mental preparation is huge and
we are trying to be positive.”
The AMCC Championships
helped prepare the cross coun
try team for regionals.
“It is always good to be in a
championship situation,”
Cooper said. “The men and
women faced good competi
tion which should prepare us
for upcoming meets.”
After regionals, the Behrend
Lions are hoping to send run
ners to nationals.
According to Cooper, the
automatic bids to go to nation
als are the top two teams who
finish in regionals and the first
seven individuals who are not
on a qualifying team.
“We have one of the best
teams that we’ve had in a
while,” Alto said. “We want to
perform well at regionals and
hopefully send people to
nationals.”
lams is determined to contin
ue the success achieved at
regionals into nationals.
“Regionals will be some of
Natalie Engel prepares to take an open shot.
coaches kept pushing Kovach
during practices to improve.
“Your height is nice but you
can never be high enough
[coach] will always tell me,”
said Kovach. “When you're
preparing for a big competition
like national championships,
there is always something else
you can improve and every
dive can be better.”
Before the NCAA champi
onships, Kovach competed in
the ECAC championships.
In the one meter event she
placed fourth and in the three
meter event Kovach finished
seventh with a score of 405.35
and 422.8 respectively.
“Krystal consistently scored
crucial points for the Lady
Lions,” said Wallace. “She
even scored in some swimming
events. But it is the teamwork
on this year’s team that led to
the team successes.”
Kovach has been very suc
cessful in her two year diving
career at Behrend.
She holds all four school div
ing records, captured the
AMCC Women’s Diver of the
Year in her freshman and
sophomore years, and seized
Friday, May 1, 2009
the best competition we will
see all year,” explained lams.
“With the victory this weekend
[AMCC], hopefully we can ride
the wave of success into
regionals.”
OANIEL SMITH / The Behrend Beacon
Sophomore Emily Berry placed first for
the women's team.
the Junker Center pool record
in the three meter event
According to the Penn State
Behrend website, Wallace said,
"Krystal has proven to be a
great addition to our Behrend
Lions squad. This is a wonder
ful accomplishment for Krystal
and sets the tone for seasons to
come.”
Kovach plans to continue to
improve for the next diving
season.
“I'm always setting higher
goals for myself,” said Kovach.
“Last year’s goal was to have
all the team records. This year
was to make it to nationals.
Next year my goal is not only
to be invited to NCAA but to
compete and place in the top
eight to be All American.”
Wallace believes that
Kovach’s success will bring
more divers to Behrend.
“Put plainly, it [Kovach com
peting in the NCAA champi
onships] is very cool,” said
Wallace. “And will hopefully
give us a bit of an edge when
recruiting. Success breeds
success. With Krystal's accom
plishments we hope to interest
other quality divers.”