Category: Sports

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Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track improves

Katherine Harris ’15

Staff Writer

The women’s track and field team once again put together an impressive performance last weekend at the Youngstown State Invitational. With a new school record, along with numerous other top finishes and entrances into the record books, the squad remains consistent in its preparation for the Patriot League Championships, now just two weekends away.

“I thought this weekend was great for our program,” Alex Romanelli ’13 said. “I’m super excited about Leagues in two weeks. Our team has really come a long way since the season has started, and I really believe we’re peaking at the right time.”

The first day of the meet was highlighted by Hana Casalnova ’14 breaking the school record in the 1,000 meters with a time of 1:52.96. With her performance, Casalnova ousted the record time set by teammate Beth Braunegg ’14 just last week by less than one second.

“We continue to get better as a team each and every week, and the Youngstown meet was our best of the season.  School records are very hard to get in an established program like ours, however we do have some very good talent and a critical mass of depth to help push each other in workouts which is part of the process when getting a school record,” head coach Kevin Donner said.

Many other Orange and Blue athletes had strong showings on Friday. With performances that led them both to seventh place in the record books, Jennifer Zymet ’14 finished first in the 500 meters with a career best 1:15.69, and Abby Monaghan ’13 came in second in the weight throw with a distance of 53’ 0’’.

As the meet continued on Saturday, the Bison continued to shine. Caroline Tolli ’13 and Emily Liggett ’12 took first and second in the mile, while Braunegg and Sasha Hornock ’13 won the 800 meters and 60 meters, respectively. Emily Ando ’14 had an impressive pole vault of 11’ 3.75’’, which placed her third in the meet and tied for sixth in the school record books, and Romanelli’s triple jump of 37’ 8.5’’, her personal best, won her second in the meet, as well as putting her ninth in school history.

“I was really happy with how well I jumped, and I’m hoping to keep the momentum going into Patriot League Championships,” Romanelli said. “Every weekend we continue to excel and put up better marks. As a result, we’ve been having great success, and I know we all can’t wait to compete in two weeks.”

On Friday, a small portion of the team also headed down the road to the Susquehanna Crusader Classic. There, Eden Wondra ’15 shined in the pole vault, winning the event with a vault of 9’ 6.25’’. Other noteworthy performers included Zoe Gaston ’15 and Stefanie Spanfeller ’14, who took second and fifth respectively in the mile.

The team will compete Saturday in the Bison Winter Classic, the final meet before the Patriot League Indoor Championships.

Categories
Men Sports Track & Field

Men’s track sets record

Colin Fields

Writer

Tom Barr ’12 put on a huge performance in the shot put, breaking the old school record held by Tim Medlock ’10 by nearly a foot, as the men’s track team picked up  a combined nine victories and set 19 top-10 school marks at Youngstown State last weekend.

Barr’s toss of 54 feet, 11.5 inches was good for second place in the shot put. Barr’s fellow teammates Stephen Koullias ’13 and Quinten Marcott ’13 also finished fourth and fifth respectively in the shot put.

“This current group of throwers has made phenomenal improvements this year. The sheer amount of work put into practice time for all of these men has more than paid off,” Marcott said.

Barr picked up a victory in the weight throw, finishing with a throw of 63-5 and just missing out on another personal best.

“I am happy to beat Tim’s record. Records are meant to be broken, and as a former Bison Tim left his record as a challenge for someone to beat, and I am glad that I rose to the occasion,” Barr said.

On the track, Jason Brown ’13 set personal bests in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles. Brown’s mark in the high jump was good enough for first place while his 60-meter time was good for sixth place.

“It’s really satisfying to see the hard work and specialized coaching come together to pay off like it did when I won the high jump,” Brown said.

Alex Prieto ’14 also set a personal best in the triple jump, launching himself into the top ten in the record books and giving him the victory.

“It felt great to finally set a PR in triple jump. I had been struggling in the beginning of the season and was glad to see my hard work pay off,” Prieto said.

The Bison cleaned house in the 5,000 meters, taking four of the top five spots. D.J. Krystek ’13 took first with a time of 14:56.48 and Jon Dugan ’15, Robert Yamnicky ’13 and Mike McGowan ’15 took third, fourth and fifth respectively.

“It felt pretty awesome to finish with so much orange and blue up front. It is great to know you have so many guys running at similar levels because we can all help each other out on the track and during training,” McGowan said. “The upperclassmen have really been great role models for me by showing me how to excel in the sport. They are teaching me that training does not start and end at the official practice time, but starts from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed.”

The Bison resume action at the Bucknell Winter Classic on Saturday at Gerhard Fieldhouse. The Winter Classic marks the final meet before the Patriot League Indoor Championships.

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Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: Eli(te)…Elite?

By Julian Dorey

Columnist

I hate the Giants.

I don’t like anything about them. I don’t like their stupid, plain blue uniforms. I don’t like their stadium. I don’t like their fans, and I most certainly don’t like their players.

But I’m a realist. That’s why even I can say the New York Giants deserve all the credit in the world. They played best when they needed to and fully earned another Super Bowl title. Simple as that.

Above all, though, Eli Manning proved that he is good. No, he proved that he’s great. It pains me deeply to give the third Manning any credit—let alone this kind—but we’ll see him in Canton when it’s all said and done. Eli put a team of unheard-ofs on his back and carried them all season.

Somehow, they ended up 9-7 in the regular season. Somehow, he really got them going in December. Somehow, they beat the Patriots for all the marbles—again.

It makes me feel sick, but the guy is officially one of the greats. He might not necessarily have staggering career numbers, but he has made some of the biggest plays in the biggest games he’s played in. His accuracy down the field has even developed into one of the most enviable weapons in the game.

It doesn’t feel right. I just never have thought of Eli as elite. But he is.

I’m not going to sit here and say that he’s as good as his brother. (In football, measuring QBs by their number of championships can be a little misleading.) He’s not. But who knows? If he can continue to deliver in the biggest of spotlights for the next several years, maybe we will have that conversation.

Maybe the quiet kid from the South who had to live in the long and dark shadows of his family for so long always had a fire in him. Maybe he was just quiet to hide the beast that he wanted to unleash. It’s hard for me to believe, but he has done it twice now.

Two times, he has culminated an unexpected run—both times after making the playoffs after the last game of the respective season—going toe-to-toe with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

And both times, he won.

Eli, I will never look at your empty face with as much as a smile. But, for the moment, my hat is begrudgingly off. You’ve played with the best. And you’ve won.

 

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Bison Athlete of the Week: Corey Lear ’13

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

 

Profile:

Corey Lear

Junior

Hometown: Orangeville, Pa.

Weight class: 165 lbs.

Major: Computer Science

 

2011-12 Statistics:

Overall: 12-6

Dual: 9-4

EIWA: 5-0

vs. ranked opp: 1-3

Fall: 4-1  

Despite the team’s disappointing 23-13 home loss to rival American on Sunday, Corey Lear ’13 pulled off the upset of the year for the wrestling team, defeating Ganbayar Sanjaa in an 8-5 decision. Sanjaa is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the 157 lb. weight class, although he was wrestling up a class against the Bison. In the hotly contested bout, Lear trailed 4-3 late in the third period, but rallied behind a tie-breaking takedown and subsequent two-point near fall to pull off an impressive comeback in the match’s final seconds.

After watching his Bison teammates drop their first four matches to American opponents, Lear recorded his decision amidst an Orange and Blue comeback attempt. The team reeled off four consecutive victories in the 149, 157, 165 and 174 lb. weight classes, but failed to capitalize on this momentum during the match’s last two bouts.

Since joining the Orange and Blue in 2009, Lear has played a valuable role in the team’s success, recording 56 total wins over his three years. Much improved from his rookie season, Lear participated in all 37 of the team’s matches as a sophomore and finished the year second among his teammates with 24 wins. At the EIWA Championships, Lear claimed seventh place in the 165-lb. weight class.

After doubling his career win total over ranked opponents this past Sunday, Lear looks to build some late-season momentum as the EIWA Championships loom less than a month away.

Categories
Club/Intramural Men's Squash Sports

New era for club squash

Alex Wagner

Assistant Sports Editor

The men’s squash team, led by Chris Santoro ’14, is one of the most successful club programs on campus.

After being ranked No. 54 in the country at the end of the 2009-10 season, the Orange and Blue made a huge leap and are now No. 36, going 6-4 this season.  In fact, the team won the Serues Cup F Division at the Men’s National Team Championships last spring.

Santoro has undoubtedly been a huge part of this rise in play.  His accomplishments include Patriot League honors and an invitation to the men’s individual national tournament.  Despite his personal achievements, Santoro stresses the strength of the team as a whole.

“It started out rough when I first got here, but we really came together as a team towards the second semester of my freshman year,” Santoro said.  “This year I feel as though we have only gotten better.  I have never been on a team I believe in more than the team we currently have now.”

This strong belief in their team has clearly been beneficial, as the Bison have already made important strides this season.  One of the biggest highlights thus far has been beating No. 28 Johns Hopkins, 6-3.

“[The win] really solidified our team as a team to watch out for in the CSA [College Squash Association],” Santoro said.

Other players have also been earning individual recognition, including Rod Maier ’14 who earned Harrow Sports College Squash Player of the Week for his performance at the important Navy Round Robin Tournament in November.  He went 3-1, with victories over Virginia, Swarthmore and Fordham.  His only loss was a close one to Navy at the number six spot.

As a whole, the team is looking to finish the season ranked in the top 40, a goal they are well on their way to achieving.

The team ultimately seeks to repeat as division champs in the Men’s National Team Championships, which will take place at Princeton University the weekend of Feb. 17.

Categories
Football Men Sports

Former Bison Greg Schiano named Buccaneers head coach

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

Former Orange and Blue linebacker and head football coach at Rutgers University Greg Schiano ’88 was hired last Thursday to fill the head coaching vacancy for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Schiano is the first University graduate to attain this honor in the NFL.

During his three-year playing career at the University, Schiano was a standout at the linebacker position. In addition to leading the Bison in tackles during his junior campaign, he was named all-conference that season. The following year, Schiano was named team captain and was elected to The Sporting News pre-season All-American squad.

Perhaps Schiano’s biggest accomplishment in coaching upon graduation from the University was his transformation of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football program from the perennial doormat in the Big East, to a team that competed for conference championships on a yearly basis.

After four seasons from 2001 to 2004 in which the Scarlet Knights won a combined twelve games and just three in conference, Schiano finally broke through in 2005 with a seven-win campaign and a berth in the school’s first bowl game in more than two decades.

The following season put Rutgers football back on the map, when the Schiano-led Scarlet Knights started the season with nine consecutive victories, springing them to their highest-ever ranking (No. 6 in the BCS standings) in school history. In arguably their biggest win in school history, Schiano led Rutgers to a victory over then-third-ranked Louisville at home to give them a 9-0 record.

Schiano earned five different coach of the year honors for his team’s success that season, including the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award.

After reaching just one bowl game in its over 100-year history before his arrival, Rutgers made six postseason contests, winning five of them, in Schiano’s 11 seasons. Overall, the Scarlet Knights finished 68-67 during that timeframe.

Before his stop at Rutgers, Schiano coached defense for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team at the height of their dynasty in the late 1990s. In addition to leading the 12th- and fifth-ranked defenses in 1999 and 2000, respectively, Schiano was defensive coordinator for current NFL stars Ed Reed and Jonathan Vilma.

Between his playing days as a Bison and coaching at Miami, Schiano also served different coaching positions at both Penn State and for the Chicago Bears.

Schiano will take over a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ squad that finished 4-12 in 2011, last place in the NFC South. The Buccaneers’ former head coach, Raheem Morris, was fired the day after the 2011 season ended after just three seasons with the team.

Categories
Basketball Sports Women

Fedorjaka resignation sparks controversy

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

In a sudden and surprising turn of events, Kathy Fedorjaka officially announced her resignation as head coach of the women’s basketball team late on Jan. 13, sparking a flurry of speculations surrounding the move.

“Her resignation came as a big surprise,” starting guard Christina Chukwuedo ’12 said. “It was very unexpected, but we are coping as best we can by being positive and trusting in our coaching staff.”

Two weeks since the announcement, specific details concerning the motives behind the change still remain uncertain. Amid the swirl of rumors, all parties involved have been hesitant to comment.

“Because this is a personnel matter, the University is unable legally or ethically to comment about this announcement,” said Athletic Director John Hardt. “What I am able to share is that the coach resigned, as indicated in our announcement that day.”

Coach Fedorjaka could not be reached for comment.

Although Fedorjaka did issue a formal letter of resignation, speculation exists that she may have been pressured into the move. During the 14 full seasons with Fedorjaka in charge, the women’s basketball staff cycled through 25 different assistant coaches, with 12 of those coaches deciding to leave after one season with the Bison. On top of this, the program has seen numerous recruited players transfer to other schools over the past couple years, including one former Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

No formal remarks have been released to confirm these rumors, but the abruptness of the move has created some confusion, even among the players.

“Honestly, there’s not much any of us know at this point,” said a player who chose to remain anonymous. “We did not hear anything about it until that same night that the press release was sent out to the media.”

Leaving in the middle of her 15th season with the Bison, Fedorjaka was the longest tenured coach in program history and is credited with 209 career wins, as well as leading the Orange and Blue to their first NCAA tournament appearance ever back in 2002.

“I am very thankful to Kathy Fedorjaka for her 18 years of loyal service to Bison Athletics,” Hardt said in the press release issued on the night of Fedorjaka’s resignation. “Kathy was extremely passionate about coaching, and she was able to elevate the program to competitive heights never before seen in the Bison women’s basketball program.”

Despite the many accolades to her name, Fedorjaka was not able to achieve the same level of success in recent years as she had earlier in her career and her departure came amid a 2-15 start to this season.

Stepping in as the interim head coach is second-year assistant Bill Broderick who has 13 years of collegiate coaching experience to date.

“Coach B has a very different coaching style,” Chukwuedo said. “He allows us players to operate more of the ball and we all like it and trust it. ”

The future of Bison women’s basketball remains unclear for the time being, and it is unlikely that any major decisions will be made before the offseason.

“We will start a national search at the end of the season,” Hardt said. “Meanwhile, we are doing everything we can as an athletics department to support the interim coach and the team as they complete this season.”

The Orange and Blue have eight games remaining in the season, all against Patriot League opponents. Although winless, the team is by no means out of title contention and Broderick will be faced with the challenge to make the struggling team a contender once again.

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Featured Football Men Sports

Super Bowl XLVI: the ultimate grudge match

By Alex Wagner

Assistant Sports Editor

When the New York Giants and the New England Patriots meet on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, the nation will look on as the familiar foes seek to settle an old score.

For the NFC champion Giants, a trip back to the big game brings back fond memories from only four years ago when they stunned the unbeaten Patriots by beating them 17-14 in Glendale, Arizona.

Despite their ultimate success, the G-Men didn’t have an easy road to the championship in 2007–and, as any Giants fan knows, the road was not any easier this year.  It all began well, with a 6-2 record after the first nine weeks of play, including a close win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.  But from there things went downhill and eventually hit rock bottom.  Only a month ago, the Giants seemed destined for an early end to their season after they lost five of six games, culminating in a loss of 23-10 at home to the subpar Washington Redskins.

But they turned things around for good the next week by beating the confident New York Jets and Rex Ryan to reclaim their status as kings of the Big Apple.  A win in their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys allowed them to clinch the NFC East and gave them their first spot in the playoffs since 2008.

The opening playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons did not prove to be much of a challenge, as the Giants rolled to an easy 22-point victory.  The next game against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers was not nearly as easy, but New York managed to come out on top 37-20.  Finally, the Giants won 20-17 in overtime against a San Francisco 49ers team that had a lot of momentum going into the NFC title game.

The Patriots’ return to the Super Bowl is their first time back since their defeat four years ago, which feels like a long time for a team that lifted the Lombardi trophy three times between 2001 and 2004.

On their road to the big game, the Patriots once again proved that they are one of the elite teams to beat in the NFL.  They began the season 5-1, winning three of those games by double digits.  The regular season ended on a similarly high note with an eight-game win streak.  The most significant game during that stretch was arguably the win against the Denver Broncos, which game them a good preview for later in the year.

After a bye in the wildcard round, the Pats were very convincing when they ended Tebow-mania by defeating the Broncos 45-10 in the divisional playoffs.  A botched field goal late in the next game by the Ravens’ Billy Cundiff gave them a 23-20 win and a ticket to the Super Bowl.

Perhaps the most notable feature of this matchup is that it has the same quarterbacks and coaches as four years ago.  Patriots coach Bill Belichick will undoubtedly be looking to rely on the consistent play of quarterback Tom Brady, while Giants coach Tom Coughlin will hope that Eli Manning can seal his status as an elite quarterback with a second championship ring in his young career.

Besides the two quarterbacks, Rob Gronkowksi and Victor Cruz will be the players to watch come Sunday.  At tight end, Gronkowski has become one of New England’s biggest offensive threats.  He had 10 catches for 145 yards and three impressive touchdowns against the Broncos.   Cruz has similarly helped the Giants in the postseason.  He had 10 catches for 142 yards against the 49ers.  Whichever player sees the most touches this Sunday will bring his team closer to victory.

Super Bowl XLVI is sure to be a great game, no matter who you are rooting for.

 

Categories
Basketball Men Sports

The Bison’s deep threat

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

If you ever find yourself at Sojka Pavilion before a men’s basketball game, there is one thing you are guaranteed to see—guard Bryson Johnson ’13 crack one of his ear-to-ear grins.

“I have always had fun playing basketball and it has been something that I have enjoyed my whole life,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to be anything but happy when playing, to be honest. I am very fortunate to be able to play at a school like this and if I didn’t enjoy it, I think I would be taking my situation for granted. I don’t want that to be the case.”

By tip-off, though, his demeanor changes, and his game face, one that exudes focus, comes out. Behind that pre-game smile and mid-game concentration on details is one of the Patriot League’s deadliest shooters from outside.

During the Orange and Blue’s run to the NCAA tournament last season, Johnson was an integral member of the Bison starting five, on the floor to drain important three-pointers down the stretch of games. His teammates and coaches had a lot of trust in him, and the statistics back it up.

Johnson had the highest shooting percentage from outside the arc in the Patriot League during the 2010-2011 season by over five percent while also attempting the most shots. Starting all 34 of the Orange and Blue’s contests last year, Johnson finished second on the team in points per game with 11.7.

“I don’t know if there is anything that makes me good at this role other than just trying to do it as best I can and help our team win games,” Johnson said when asked about his role as the outside shooter for the Bison.

This season, though, has gone a little differently. Opponents have started to key in on him defensively, and the shooting lanes that were open last season have been completely clogged up this year. His scoring average has dipped below 10 points per game and he is not hitting three-pointers at quite the same efficiency as last season.

“This season, teams have been a little more prepared for me and have been doing a good job running me off the three-point line and trying to make me do other things,” Johnson said. “I just have to do a better job adjusting and the shots will go down.”

But Johnson has managed to shoot nearly 40 percent, good enough for 13th in the conference.

In last week’s victory over Holy Cross, Johnson knocked in a three-pointer as time ran out in the first half to give the Orange and Blue a double-digit lead. It was all the momentum the Bison needed, and they ended up running away from the Crusaders by a 34-point margin. Ten times this season, Johnson has scored in double-figures, including back-to-back 20 point games in the Legends Classic back in November.

Johnson, now in his third season, found the transition to college life to be smooth since his hometown, Pictou, Nova Scotia, had the same small-town feel as his home as Lewisburg. It was his teammates and the coaching staff, though, that really made him feel welcome and at home at the University.

“I came to Bucknell because I had a great relationship with the coaches while they were recruiting me,” Johnson said. “On my visit I really liked the players and the whole atmosphere of the school. I really like the small school feel of this place and really getting to know people on campus.  The small town feel also reminds me a lot of home which is good because I always miss being home when I’m away. And I love playing basketball here because of my teammates. We are a pretty close team and it’s always fun to play basketball with those you consider as family.”

Even though Johnson did not take the traditional route to the University, coming from a small town in Canada, this sharpshooter has hit his stride and found a role that suits him. With the team headed towards another Patriot League Championship and berth in the NCAA tournament, there’s plenty of reason for Johnson and the rest of the Bison to smile.

 

Categories
Basketball Featured Men Sports

Cohen joins 1,000 point club

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

Bryan Cohen ’12 is the man who the Bison men’s basketball team relies on on a nightly basis to shut down the opposing team’s top player. Whether it’s Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum or the UConn Huskies’ all-purpose guard Kemba Walker, Cohen has always responded with tenacity that has earned him back-to-back Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year awards. During last week’s 67-61 victory over American, it was Cohen’s offensive game that was celebrated when he nailed a three-pointer in the opening minutes for his 1,000th career point. Cohen became the 35th player in program history to reach the milestone, sending the boisterous student section into a frenzy as fans held up signs to celebrate the moment.

“It is a great accomplishment for me because it put me in the company of some of the greatest players to come through this basketball program,” Cohen said. “It is also a great accomplishment for me because this is an achievement on the offensive end of the floor which can be difficult for me at times, having to chase around opponents all over the court throughout the game.”

While Cohen has maintained his defensive prowess this season, most notably holding McCollum, the nation’s fifth leading scorer as of Wednesday night, to 14 points on 5-15 shooting, his offensive game has been solid. So far this season, Cohen is shooting 32 percent from three point range while averaging 6.6 points per game, good for fifth-highest on the team. Most importantly, Cohen has had a knack this season for scoring buckets when the team needs it, whether it’s a big three or timely layup to end the opposing team’s run, as was the case against Lehigh. 

“Honestly, it is extremely tough to have the assignment of guarding the best offensive player, as well as being aggressive on the offensive end of the floor,” Cohen said. “Coming into college my freshmen year I was more of a scorer; however, throughout the rest of my career my coach had given the role of focusing more on the defensive end by becoming the defensive stopper to help the overall success of the team. It is a role that most players do not tend enjoy the most but it was the role I was given and took it in stride.”

As the veteran leader of the team, Cohen knows the importance of his role as his team looks to defend its Patriot League title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

“The main focus of the team is that we must understand that we have a bull’s eye on our back, being the defending champions, which means that we are getting every team’s best shot every game,” Cohen said. “We must attack every practice and make sure that we are focused for every single game because every team plays their best game against the champs.”

Without a doubt, the will of Cohen and his defense will play a huge factor in the Orange and Blue’s effort to defend their league title.