Tag: Bucknellian sports awards

Female rookie of the year

Post author By cdm016
Post date April 21, 2012

By Ajan Caneda

Staff Writer

In her first game, against No. 5 Duke, first-year lacrosse player Arriana Sajjad ’15 proved that she could compete against the country’s elite. The game was only the first indication of Sajjad’s ability to be a force for the Bison.

Her offensive savvy and dedication in practice are admired by her teammates and head coach, Randall Goldsborough.

“She is constantly pushing her teammates to improve and perform which in turn helps her learn how to lead both on and off the field. She works extremely hard in each drill every day which has helped her become a very consistent player,” Goldsborough said. “I expect that she will be one of the top players in the nation before she graduates in three years.”

Sajjad certainly showed that she is ready to live up to that challenge when she faced Duke in her first collegiate game, scoring two of her team’s three goals against one of the formidable defenses in the country. In the Bison’s next game, she posted another two goals in a loss against No. 17 Penn State. Despite the losses, she gained valuable experience against two of the best teams in the country and solidified her spot in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

“Arriana is not easily intimidated and lives for a challenge, even though she is one of the youngest accomplished players in our league,” Goldsborough said. “We played Duke, and she scored two goals against an All-American goalie and one of the top ranked defenses in the country. Since then, she has continued to gain confidence in her abilities and is one of the top players in the league.”

At this point in the season, Sajjad is the leading scorer on her team with 38 goals, along with 51 points, in 17 games. Her most impressive performance was against Liberty on March 21, where she posted a career-high six goals, including the game-winner in overtime. This, followed by a five-goal showing against conference rival American, led to her being named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week.

“Liberty was just an amazing upset and, most importantly, it showed us that we are truly incredible and strong when we play together as a team,” she said. “To come back from being down by nine and winning in overtime was a huge confidence boost for us, and that really showed how capable we are.”

Despite her individual accolades, she remains humble and remembers the guidance her coaches have provided, along with the bond she has with her teammates.

“My coaches and teammates, especially the upperclassmen, have been extremely patient with me when I made mistakes and unbelievably supportive of all my accomplishments, as they are with everyone on the team,” she said. “They have taught me a lot and made me into a more mature, team player. Also, I am incredibly close with my freshman class, and I could not be more fortunate and thankful to have come into a team with this group of girls. They are my support net and best friends and our friendship made all the difference in my transition.”

Teammate Katelyn Miller ’14 has recognized Sajjad’s emergence as a player and leader, which includes adding new dimensions to her already solid repertoire.

“In the beginning of the season, Arriana was playing only attack and was put in mainly a cutting position. Throughout the season she has been diversified by playing some midfield and being a double threat on attack by being a great cutter and driver,” Miller said. “I think she matured a lot through the first couple months and has been able to come up big in tight situations by helping in transition, winning the draw or taking it to goal when we are down.”

In the Orange and Blue’s game against Binghamton on April 14, she scored three times in her ninth multi-goal game of the season. Her efficient scoring stems from her consistent accuracy; she has a 77.2 shot-on-goal percentage. The effort she puts in practice is mirrored on the field, as she has also recovered 58 draw controls.

As the regular season concludes, Sajjad is looking towards the postseason and focused on continuing to improve. She remains optimistic about the direction the team is going in, while her motivation to compete in the Patriot League tournament fuels her sensational play.

“Our juniors and sophomores have really stepped up this season to fulfill this leadership role and they’ve done a great job so far handling all of us freshman. We also have a large incoming class to look forward to that will push us to become better, so it’s only up from here,” she said. “Personally, for the rest of the season and next year, I am looking to stay mentally strong and make smarter decisions with the ball on the offensive end. For next season I would definitely want to see us competing in the Patriot League Championships. That may seem like a little bit of a jump, but I know we’ll get there. That’s definitely my ultimate goal. We’ve improved so much this season and only continue to get stronger.”

Her work ethic and perseverance embody the prestigious Bison athletic tradition. Sajjad looks to accomplish a lot during her next three years, and she is on her way to becoming one of the best players, not only in the Patriot League, but in the nation.

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, rookie of the year, women's lacrosse

Men Sports Wrestling

Male Rookie of the Year

Post author By cdm016
Post date April 21, 2012

By Scott Padula
Staff Writer

Throughout the year, Austin Miller ’15 has proven he is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the wrestling team. In his first year of collegiate competition, Miller captured a team-best 22 victories, placed third at the EIWA Championships and became the first rookie wrestler for the Orange and Blue to qualify for NCAA Championships since 2009. On the year, Miller posted a record of 22-14 and separated himself as a top-of-the-line competitor for the Bison.

“Wrestling is a unique sport where there are numerous different aspects: mental, physical and emotional. Austin has done a tremendous job in figuring these areas of the sport out, and is an extremely confident individual. He has a bright future here at Bucknell, and will accomplish his goals of becoming an All-American and NCAA champion if he continues to build on the successes and failures he has had this past year,” team co-captain Joe McMullan ’13 said.

Time and time again, Miller proved to be a tremendous competitor, elevating his game to unparalleled levels when it mattered most. Notably, Miller won a pivotal match against ranked opponent Garrett Frey of Princeton by a score of 10-9. Miller’s win marked his first win over a ranked opponent and jump-started a 27-9 Bison victory.

Later in the season, Miller went 3-1 versus four seeded opponents at the EIWA Championships. His only loss came in the semifinal round at the hands of Frank Perrelli of Cornell, the eventual EIWA champion of the 125-pound weight class.

One way in which Miller was able to achieve his tremendous success was through an unwavering determination to improve and develop into a more balanced wrestler. Every day, Miller entered the wrestling room with a commitment that was second to none.

“I put in a lot of extra hours in the wrestling room individually to prepare for competition just as most people put in many extra hours studying for a big test. In the end it was just the belief in what my coaches were telling me to do and the belief in myself to improve and get better every day,” Miller said.

Still, Miller attributes a large portion of the success he has experienced this season to the faith he put in his coaches. Through their tutelage, Miller was able to make a smooth transition from high school to collegiate wrestling and has improved his technique significantly since stepping on campus.

“I think most of my success was due to the transition that I made. I was able to make this transition by working a lot individually with my coaches. I tried my best to listen to everything they said and improve upon my lesser strengths which they pointed out. One thing my coach always says is to be a ‘student of the sport’ and I really did my best to accomplish that,” Miller said.

Although Miller achieved phenomenal success that any collegiate wrestler would be proud of, Miller is not satisfied. He claims that he has not reached his full potential in his young collegiate wrestling career. Miller’s unrelenting attitude matches that of a champion and his drive certainly serves as a primary reason why Miller was so successful in his first season.

If Miller continues to approach the sport with his unwavering confidence and strong work ethic, it is likely that he will add to his already impressive list of accomplishments. Already eyeing next season, the Orange and Blue faithful should expect nothing less than great things from Austin Miller as he looks to improve on a fantastic rookie season.

” I am very proud of Austin and all that he has accomplished during his freshman campaign,” said head coach Dan Wirnsberger. “His best wrestling is ahead of him because of his commitment and dedication for the sport he loves. Austin is well deserving of this honor.”

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, rookie of the year, wrestling

Sports Swimming & Diving Women

Female Athlete of the Year

Post author By cdm016
Post date April 21, 2012

By Katherine Harris

Staff Writer

Women’s diver Katie Hetherington ’15 could have never anticipated the immediate success she would have when she first stepped into Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium this fall.

“I think I had a really great season and I accomplished a lot more than I expected to,” Hetherington said. “My only real expectation was to make it to Patriots.”

Because Hetherington was already a successful diver in high school before she arrived on campus, especially in the three-meter board, coaches knew that she was going to make a big impact on the diving program. Even they didn’t anticipate exactly how much of a splash she was going to make in the competitive waters.

“I knew she was going to be good, but I had no idea she was as good as she is,” diving coach Errol Carter said. “I knew she would be our next team record holder but had no idea it would all happen in her first semester.”

While it is often difficult for first-years to come into a program and succeed right away, standing out was not an issue for Hetherington, whose success in the pool was immediate. In fact, she was already breaking records in her first-ever collegiate meet this fall.

In the meet on Oct. 1, Hetherington outperformed not only the divers from opposing UMBC, but also a very talented group of teammates, diving her way into the school record books. Her score of 264.68 broke the one-meter board record for the Bison, and also created what she cites as one of her most memorable performances of the season.

“I was very nervous at the beginning of the meet because I expected a lot of myself, as I do every meet. Honestly, the possibility of breaking a record never crossed my mind. I was just hoping to not mess up too badly,” Hetherington said. “When I was told I broke the one-meter record, I was ecstatic. I would not have been more excited.”

And the success didn’t stop there by a long shot as Hetherington continued her first collegiate season. On Nov. 18, she broke the three-meter board school record at the Bucknell Invitational with a score of 285.05.

“[Hetherington] was in second or third place after the prelims and her score was within a couple of points of the record. I recall her saying, ‘I want to break that record.’ That night during finals, she shattered the record and qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Meet, the second [Bison] to do so in my time [13 seasons] as coach here,” Carter said.

By the end of the season, Hetherington had won both boards on five different occasions for a total of 13 overall wins. At the Patriot League Championships, a third-place finish in the 1m and a second in the 3m rounded out her impressive in-conference season.

Part of what has made Hetherington so successful in her career already is her willingness to learn and listen to what her coaches have to say to her. She has also supported her teammates in a sport where individual competition is very intense to say the least.

“She is not only a great athlete, but a great teammate as well. She is so humble, and she brings an energy to practice that is completely unique from everyone else on the team,” teammate Tara Boyle ’15 said. “It is way too hard to pick a best performance of hers from this season because she was so consistently successful all year.”

Hetherington’s scores also qualified her for the NCAA Zone “A” Diving Meet, a competition where the top four divers qualify for seeds in the NCAA Championships. The first-year represented the Bison as their solo competitor at the event, placing 41st on the 1m board and 36th on the 3m board with scores of 192.75 and 204.85 in the respective preliminaries.

“Katie’s such a strong competitor because she never lets herself get psyched out mentally. She always keeps it positive and has so much fun in practice and at meets, making her not only a better diver but also an influential contributor to the team dynamic,” teammate Liz Porcellio ’13 said.

Even with all of this success as a first-year, Hetherington is far from satisfied. She has already set her sights on her goals for next year and hopes to take her impressive performances to new heights in her sophomore season.

“Next year my goal would be to qualify to Zones again and hopefully perform better there. I would also like to learn some harder dives to increase the difficulty of my list,” Hetherington said.

The first-year’s coaches are also excited at the prospect of her improving even more in the years to come. In the off-season, she will be working with them constantly to keep herself ahead of the competition, especially many of her own teammates who are working very hard to reach her level of success as well.

“I feel that if Katie gets over her hangups that many divers have, and starts to believe how good she can be, the sky is the limit,” Carter said. “She already has the dives and skill; we need to fine-tune some of those skills and get her tough dives consistently good. If her next few years are anything like this one, I see the records getting higher and higher and her doing better and better at the NCAA Zone meet and potentially getting close to Nationals.”

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, diving, women's swimming

Football Men Sports

Male Athlete of the Year

Post author By cdm016
Post date April 21, 2012

By Alex Wagner
Assistant Sports Editor

To put it plainly, Bryce Robertson ’12 embodies what college football coaches look for in their players. The cornerback and punt returner is an exceptional athlete with a strong drive to succeed, as well as a great teammate and leader on and off the field. These qualities have made him a standout student-athlete over his four years, which has culminated in an outstanding senior campaign.

In his hometown of Reserve, La., Robertson was a football and basketball star at East St. John High School. Although he was certainly an accomplished player from an area with quality high school programs, it was not easy to tell what a huge role he would play during his time in Lewisburg.

Even for a casual fan, Robertson’s impact on the Orange and Blue’s football program is clear. His numerous accolades and statistics speak for themselves. He was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Elite Defensive Back for 2011. He was an All-American selection by the Associate Press, The Sports Network, Walter Camp and Phil Steele. He was a First Team All-Patriot League selection, Academic All-Patriot League Football selection and a C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award recipient, given to the most inspirational player on the team.

Robertson’s 13 interceptions in 2011 shattered the previous 24-year-old Patriot League record of nine. In fact, it is not uncommon for a whole team to have less than 13 interceptions during a season. His 184 interception return yards were a program record, which also helped him add up a career high 346 all-purpose yards in 2011. He was also tied for a team-high with six pass breakups.

These numbers are the work of a player who led the Bison defense that forced 39 turnovers, contributing to a +2.45 turnover margin per game, which led the nation.

But in reality, the awards and statistics don’t tell the whole story. Head coach Joe Susan paints a better picture of what makes Robertson such a special player.

“Bryce is confident in his ability, [which] is critical to being a cornerback at any level in football. He anticipates well. He is an explosive athlete and has very good strength for someone at his position. He has very good quickness, and good speed. He has very good hands [which] make catching interceptions a lot easier. He is fearless, a critical factor for a corner,” Susan said.

When speaking about what makes him successful, Robertson is quick to highlight three main factors.

“Firstly, the new coaching staff implemented a new defensive scheme upon their arrival. I embraced the challenge and did what I had to on and off the field in order to become the most productive player I could for the team. Secondly, the full support of my coaches also was monumental in my success on the field. Lastly, but definitely not least, the outstanding pressure that was produced by our defensive line and blitz schemes also added to what I was able to accomplish on the field,” Robertson said.

Any great player must learn to work well with and learn from their coaching staff, and Robertson certainly embraced the lessons of cornerbacks coach Chip Taylor, who Robertson says has been the most influential figure for him at the University.

“He was a good friend to me and some of the other guys on the team. He has taught me many things that I have assimilated into my game in order to become a more complete player, as well as many life lessons that I will keep with me throughout my life long after my tenure at Bucknell has ended,” Robertson said.

Although his play at cornerback has garnered him much attention, Robertson is also extremely valuable to the Bison as a punt returner. In 2011, he returned 18 punts for 140 yards.

“He was consistent as a punt returner and saved our team many hidden yards just by catching punts,” Susan said.

Despite the huge success he enjoyed during his final season, the going was not always easy for Robertson. He was hampered by a hamstring injury during his junior year, which meant that he had to commit to making changes so that he would be healthy for the 2011 season.

“He was an example for others in the weight room and in our running program. He was always willing to do extra work be it physical or mental, ‘student of the game’ work,” Susan said.

The extra work in the off season obviously paid off for Robertson and the Bison in 2011, when they saw an impressive five-win turnaround from the previous year.

Robertson’s favorite moments during the season were every time the team gathered after a win to sing their fight song. It is certainly gratifying when all of the work put in during practice and weight room sessions produces the desired goal.

Due to the confidence gained during this past season, Robertson plans to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

“My plan after graduation is to chase the dream. It is not often that people get to actually make a living participating in a sport that they aspired to be a part of since they were a toddler. So it is truly a blessing that I have the opportunity to do so, and … I [intend] to take full advantage of it,” Robertson said.

Everyone in the Bison community certainly wishes him the best of luck in his journey to take his game to the highest level. But if that doesn’t work out for him, he has a promising backup plan as well.

“I would be more than happy to obtain a finance career and become a productive member of society, building off the foundation of a Bucknell education,” Robertson said.

Susan agrees that Robertson is prepared for life after college, wherever that may lead him.

“As a coaching staff we feel fortunate to have the privilege of coaching young men like Bryce. He is a very charismatic young man who has a great sense of people,” Susan said.

No matter what comes for Robertson in the coming years, the Orange and Blue will always be grateful for his huge contributions to the football program.

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, football

Featured Football Men Sports

Coach of the Year

By Eric Brod
Senior Writer

Great leaders often define themselves in times of controversy or crisis. For head football coach Joseph Susan, the defining moment of his early career as coach of the Orange and Blue could have come this season.

After the team finished 1-10 in his first season, Susan knew he had a tough task ahead of him in revitalizing the football program. Just one year later, the Bison, propelled by a newfound tenacity and team unity under Susan, improved to 6-5 overall (2-3 in league play) and set the tone going into the 2012 season as a contender in the Patriot League.

“Each team is buying into the system that Coach Susan is trying implement with the Bucknell Football program,” said tight end Terna Ityokumbul ’13. “I think it’s also another year running the same plays and not just running the plays to run them, but knowing what each person’s role in the play is and seeing the overall picture.”

To improve by five wins in one season with just an 11-game schedule is no small feat for any team, and takes a strong and supportive leader to get players to buy into a system after producing just one win in the prior season.

“I believe the biggest difference in our team this year was the way our players bought into how we approach the game. It is not an overnight process,” Susan said. “The impact of how we strength train, how we condition, how we study the game is one that takes time to build.”

Susan said trust among the players and coaches is essential to building a successful football program.

“There was a lot more trust in one another [this year]. [Players] also developed a lot more self-confidence. That is crucial to being able to play together,” Susan said. “Trust is a word that has depth of meaning when it comes to tying 95 players, nine coaches, five trainers, six managers and other support personnel into one vision.”

Quite possibly the greatest change in the team was seen on defense, where the Bison held the FCS’s highest turnover differential in the regular season at +27. The Bison also recorded their first shutout since 2001 with their 21-0 win over Fordham.

“One of the biggest changes was how we did with the ball,” Susan said. “We led the nation in turnover margin. It is something we teach, and something we practice every day. Our players have to trust the system for it to work.”

Bryce Robertson ’12, who led the nation in interceptions with 13, said Susan worked with the players to build trust and change the overall mindset of the team through his SAM concept. SAM stands for “Selfless, Accountable and Mentally tough,” and everything that Susan has implemented into the program revolves around these three ideas.

For Robertson personally, Susan’s teachings were a major factor for him having one of the top seasons for a defender in the entire history of the Orange and Blue football program.

“A good amount of the success I had this season can be attributed to Coach Susan’s teaching this past year because much of it was a direct result of buying in to his way of doing things,” Robertson said. “I was always selfless in the way I approached each game, and did what I could do to be the best at my position in order to be accountable to my team every time I was called to perform.”

For Robertson and his teammates, Susan’s effectiveness can be attributed to his unwavering toughness in all situations.

“In choosing one memory I would say that the time when he suffered a wipeout one game on our sideline would be the winner,” Robertson said. “The play was heading towards our sideline directly at Coach Susan. Right before the ball carrier reached the sideline he was undercut by a defensive player who then undercut Coach Susan. After the play he calmly rose to his feet, looked around and smiled. From that day on I had a new outlook on the difference between pain and injury.”

It is clear that Susan has the Bison heading in a positive direction as they look towards building upon the improvements made throughout the 2011 season. With a strong defense and a rising offense led by running back Tyler Smith ’13, Susan expects the Orange and Blue to achieve new levels of success in 2012.

“There is one goal for our program: for every player to work to be the very best they can be. The human element comes into play and we cannot allow distractions to change our course,” Susan said. “There are no awards for second place. We are working to win championships. We will win the right way. Our players will be leaders on and off the field. They will be leaders beyond their time at this special place.”

Without a doubt, the Orange and Blue football team has a tremendous leader in place to guide it for many years to come.

Tags Bucknellian sports awards, coach of the year, football

Sports

Female Rookie of the Year: Shelby Romine ’14

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

Playing in orange and blue was not even on first-year basketball star Shelby Romine’s radar in high school. Before she was recruited, she had never even heard of the University. What she has found since then is a place where she can immediately take control of a program, providing the most explosive force on her team, even as a first-year.

In her first year for the Orange and Blue, Romine, point guard of the women’s basketball team, started all 28 games, leading her team in scoring with 13.5 points per game, a full six points above the next-highest scorer on the team.

“Shelby had a tremendous freshmen year, making an immediate impact not only on our program, but on Patriot League women’s basketball,” women’s basketball head coach Kathy Fedorjaka said.

From her very first collegiate game, Romine made her presence clear. Against Rider in the opener, she was the highest scorer for her team with 17, leading the Bison to a 53-48 win.

This was not a rare occurrence. In the 28 games played this season, Romine led the team in scoring an astonishing 16 times, going for more than 20 five times. On Jan. 22, she led her team to a huge league win on the road at Colgate in overtime, dropping a dazzling 28 points. No other member of her team would eclipse that single-game mark in the 2010-2011 season.

“I was impressed immediately with her work ethic, skill level and level of conditioning, and she showed tremendous poise and confidence as a freshman,” Fedorjaka said. “She was a tremendous addition to our team in terms of giving us another strong ball-handler and lead guard, as well as a great scorer and creator on the offensive end of the floor.”

Offensively, one of Romine’s strongest aspects this year was her shooting. From beyond the arc, she was by far the most potent Bison shooter, hitting more than 40 percent of her shots. With 47 threes on the season, Romine finished more than 31 ahead of the next player on her team.

From the free throw line, she also posted team bests in percentage and shooting. Her percentage of .734 edged out that of her teammate Rachel Voss ’13 at .733. She outscored the second-place member of her team in free-throw points Joyce Novacek ’11 80-47.

Romine is more than just a scorer. As a point guard, she also led the team in assists with 101 and steals with 37.

Despite her incendiary individual statistics, Romine remains focused on the team as a whole.

“The most exciting moment of freshman year was being picked last as a team in the preseason polls but getting the fourth seed in the tournament,” she said. “It was so great to win the first round game and move on to the second round of the tournament. This experience will definitely help the team to get better next year.”

It was this kind of attitude that garnered Romine respect beyond the court, winning over both her teammates and her coaches.

“Outside of her production, Shelby is extremely coachable and was very well-liked by her teammates,” Fedorjaka said. “They had a great deal of respect for her and confidence in her on the floor.”

Romine navigated her first year of college basketball so well both on the court and in the locker room that it should come as no surprise that her most challenging obstacle this year came from outside the realm of athletics. At heart, this budding basketball superstar found the most difficulty in being away from home.

Holding family values close to heart, she found it difficult to be away from her family, especially during basketball season. According to Romine, her family has been a key component in all the success she has found.

“I think a huge factor that played into being successful during the season was the preparation I did in the summer months with my dad,” she said. “He was always willing to help me. Countless times I remember him leaving work early to go to the gym and shoot with me, and he’d even time my sprints. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today.”

Clearly, Shelby’s hard work with her father has paid off. With only one year of college under her belt, she has already cemented herself not only as one of the most dangerous players on the Bison, but also one of the most explosive in the entire league. And with a strong work ethic and a generally positive attitude, she seems poised to achieve much more.

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, women's basketball

Sports

Male Rookie of the Year: Mike Nicholson ’14

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Chris McCree

Writer

Just one year into his collegiate career, Mike Nicholson ’14 has already achieved more for the Bison swim program than few individuals, let alone a first-year, can ever hope to.

“Mike had a tremendous impact on the team this year right from the start,” Head Coach Dan Schinnerer said. “He was a great meet performer throughout the season, but also showed the ability to raise his level in the big meets.”

This season, Nicholson amassed 24 first-place finishes and, with his consistently stellar performance, distinguished himself as a top-tier competitor among his teammates and the rest of the league.

“He scored the most points for us over the course of the season and also scored the most points for us at Patriot League Championships. It’s not common that you see a freshman join the team and right away have a huge impact like that,” team captain Mike Volpe ’11 said.

Most notably, Nicholson always seemed to perform best when the stakes were the highest. Starting with the first meet of the season against UMBC, Nicholson gave his teammates a glimpse of what was to come during the season. In the meet, he followed a second-place finish in the 100 IM with two first place finishes in the 200 IM and 400 IM.

“In that meet, we saw for the first time what he was capable of. He won his events and set the bar for everyone else on the team,” Volpe said.

Later, in arguably the most important meet of the regular season against Patriot League rival Army, Nicholson carried the team with first-place finishes in all three of his events. Then, at the Patriot League Championships, he claimed a third-place finish in the 200 IM and later went on to take the title in the 400 IM by breaking his career-best time by an unprecedented 7.17 seconds. Despite the impressive performances put forth by Nicholson, the Bison were not able to defeat the Black Knights during their two attempts this year. However, Nicholson has turned his full attention to making sure it doesn’t happen again next season.

“My goal for next year is to beat Army,” he said. “Any individual goal I have is trumped by my desire to beat them. They disrespected us twice this year in our home pool, and I know for a fact we are going to bite back. Every guy on our team cannot wait for our date with them at West Point next year. It was our motivation this spring, and will be our motivation all fall as well.”

Ultimately, it was through this competitive attitude that Nicholson had his greatest impact.

“As an athlete and a person, Mike is pretty ‘low-key.’ You wouldn’t guess him to be a tenacious competitor. That being said, he really raised the team’s intensity this year,” Schinnerer said.

His ability to bring the same intensity to practice that he does to meets is uncanny for such a young athlete, and his teammates undoubtedly noticed.

“Mike is one of the hardest working kids I’ve seen in our pool,” Volpe said. “His attitude during practice is that nothing can stop him. He does the most difficult sets and does them to the best of his ability every time he swims.”

Certainly, all his hard work has paid off. As a first-year, Nicholson already holds two school records in the 200 and 400 IM, and will be the reigning 400 IM Patriot League champion going into next season.

“He definitely had an outstanding first year, but we believe he is capable of even more in the years to come,” Schinnerer said.

Although he is proud of his accomplishments this season, Nicholson has set even loftier goals for the upcoming years.

“For the rest of my career here, my ultimate goal is to make the NCAA championship,” he said. “I was able to make some progress this year by making a ‘B’ cut for the meet in my 400 IM, but I have to drop some serious time in order to be invited to the meet.”

Tags Bucknellian sports awards

Sports

Female Athlete of the Year: Lauren Lucido ’11

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Lindsay Regruto

Staff Writer

Leaving the pool in favor of the court, The Bucknellian’s Female Athlete of the Year, women’s tennis co-captain Lauren Lucido ’11 played in her first competitive tennis tournament at 10 years old. Lucido’s decision to play on land rather than in water paid off: she leaves the University with more wins than any female Bison tennis player before her.

When Lucido first stepped on the court for the Orange and Blue, it was the power behind her hits and her strong background as a USTA junior player that made the biggest initial impact on the team. Starting off strong, Lucido was also a Second Team All-Patriot League selection her first and second years. After going a perfect 11-0 her sophomore year, Lucido was selected as the Patriot League Player of the Month for September 2008.

Lucido’s dedication to the game and her team stems from a true love of the sport and the feeling of just being on the court.

“When I’m on the tennis court, it’s as if nothing else matters. For that bit of time, it’s just me and the ball,” Lucido said. “It’s therapeutic and a rush all at the same time.”

During her junior campaign, Lucido was named First Team All-Patriot League, finishing second on the team in overall wins in singles and leading the team in doubles victories. She ended her junior season with 14 straight singles wins for the sixth-longest single-season winning streak in program history.

“It’s very exciting and well-deserved that Lauren has been chosen for Athlete of the Year. After being her teammate for the past four years, it has been great to see her top the charts before completing our senior season,” teammate Dara Dwojewski ’11 said. “Her immense success as an athlete at Bucknell is certainly something to be proud of.”

Over Lucido’s four years, Head Coach Rebecca Helt said Lucido is one of her “most coachable players” and has watched Lucido not only improve but also demonstrate the drive and determination to develop into a totally new player. Her athletic ability has allowed her to internalize feedback over the years and pick up new skills quickly.

“She would be happy about a win, but never satisfied with her performance. She wanted to become a better player every single day,” Helt said. “She not only learned new skills, but as a junior and senior, Lauren took all her skills and became a brilliant competitor.”

Lucido’s competitive nature has driven her to win other awards and recognition along the way. After breaking the tennis all-time record for total wins this year, Lucido was granted her second Bison Athlete of the Week award. In March of this year, Lucido was named Patriot League Women’s Tennis Player of the Month for the fourth time in her career.

Her ability to self-motivate has proven invaluable throughout her career.

“You’re on the court by yourself, so if there’s anyone who’s going to motivate you and get you through the match, it’s you,” Lucido said. “I hate to lose, so when I’m out there on the tennis court, I’m going to try to do whatever it takes to win that match.”

Lucido has worked hard to earn the title of all-time leader in singles and doubles victories with 83 wins at doubles and 87 singles victories. She will finish her career as the winningest player in program history with 170 all time victories.

“One of my biggest goals for all players who come through my program is to help them learn to play ‘fearless’ tennis,” Helt said. “Over the years, Lauren became one of the most fearless competitors I’ve ever coached. It was an amazing experience to watch Lauren mature into an all-court, solid player who never held back.”

Her accomplishments are a testament to her great talent on the court, but her commitment to her teammates is a testament to the type of player Lucido has become.

“The girls on my team aren’t just my teammates, they’re my friends. It’s not just you out there on the court. You have your teammates, and I think that’s a huge part of what made the whole college tennis experience so awesome for me,” Lucido said.

Her drive on the court has only been matched by her desire to push her teammates to be the best they can.

“Lauren has been an amazing co-captain, teammate and friend the past four years,” teammate Lauren Rottkamp ’11 said. “On the court, Lauren has always had great focus. Off the court, Lauren exudes a fun and energetic energy for the team and brings it to everything she does. Lauren is truly a wonderful teammate and friend.”

Tags Bucknellian sports awards

Sports

Male Athlete of the Year: Mike Muscala ’13

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

To his opponents, both non-conference and in the Patriot League, he is a dominant man who won just about every award the conference had to offer in 2011. To the rest of the country, he is a YouTube sensation with a flair for the dramatic. To those closer to home, including the Sojka Psychos and all the fans who pack Sojka Pavilion for every men’s basketball home game, he is “Moose.”

But, to those who know him best, like senior point guard and floor general Darryl Shazier ’11 and the rest of his teammates, Mike Muscala ’13 is a great player both on and off the court. After arguably one of the most impressive individual seasons in program history, it’s hard for anyone around the country to make a case otherwise.

Coming to the team last year from Saint Paul, Minn., Muscala, just a sophomore, started right away in his first season in a Bison uniform, struggling at times and not always playing up to his fullest potential. His rookie year ended with a loss to Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament, a game in which he scored just nine points. For Muscala, those shortcomings were just more fuel to get better in the off season.

“Every player has weaknesses, but I try to improve my game and get better every day,” Muscala said. “I think my best attribute is my work ethic. I may not always score a ton of points, but I’ve gotten better at contributing to the team and being a presence on the court whenever I’m out there. I’m a very competitive person and hate losing, even in practice. I try to use that and turn it into motivation to get better.”

Before the season started, there were a lot of questions surrounding his role on the team. But it didn’t take long for those who followed the Orange and Blue to notice a difference in Muscala’s game. Inside the paint, Muscala had become a dominating force. In 2009-2010, bigger and stronger defenders would outwork him for points and rebounds, but this season, Muscala began to win those battles and assert himself down low. In the Bison’s 15 contests before the start of 2011, Muscala had five 20-point performances and another double-digit rebounding game.

One night a few days after New Year’s in Richmond, Va., the 2011 season would change for Muscala and the Bison. In the Bison’s final road game before the start of their conference schedule, the Richmond Spiders had pinned them to the brink with two seconds left and trailing by one after a costly Orange and Blue turnover in the final moments of the game. With a chance to ice the game, the Spiders inexplicably missed two free throws, opening the door for a miracle.

With the trust of his team and the coaching staff behind him, the Bison drew up one last play to go to Muscala. Executing the sequence perfectly, Muscala caught a full-court pass and buried a fadeaway jumper to beat Richmond by one.

“Hitting that shot was a surreal experience,” Muscala said. ”We battled hard the whole game and the circumstances towards the end of it that even made it possible were crazy. Joe [Willman ’13] had a great pass to me that shouldn’t be forgotten. Since that was our last non-conference game before we headed into league play, it definitely gave us a huge boost moving forward.”

In that moment, Muscala had taken his game and the rest of his team to the next level.

With the video of the Richmond shot plastered all over YouTube, Muscala had become famous beyond the inner circles of the Bison basketball community, and his performance failed to disappoint. In his second game after the shot, Muscala scored a career-high 33 points to go along with 10 rebounds in a blowout of second-place American.

Muscala’s encore performance to the Richmond shot came in the following game when, on national television, he drained another buzzer beater, this time against rival Holy Cross, which was enough to get him on ESPN later that night.

“It was really cool for us to see that SportsCenter put it on its highlights,” Muscala said. “But what was great about our team is that it didn’t make us complacent. We kept working hard in practice and guys really stepped up in some crucial games.”

With Muscala playing at his peak and the team continuing to work hard, the Bison tore through its Patriot League schedule, losing just once in 14 tries against conference foes. He scored in double digits in all but two games. In just a few weeks, he had become the most dominant player in the Patriot League.

His impressive play and continual focus on improving was not lost on his teammates or coaches.

“Mike puts his teammates over himself, which is very important in gaining the trust of your leader,” Shazier said. “He makes the people around him better because of his lead by example mentality. When Mike is going hard at whatever it is the team is doing, it forces everyone else to match his energy and work ethic.”

It wasn’t just his own team that had taken notice. Over the course of the season, Muscala not only garnered the respect of opposing players and coaches, his play also earned him the Patriot League Player of the Year award and First Team All-Patriot League honors to cap off an impressive 2010-2011 campaign.

“Winning Player of the Year was definitely a big honor that was a goal of mine heading into the season,” Muscala said. “However, it’s really reflective of the team and all the hard work we put in every day.”

Together, Muscala and the rest of the men’s basketball team showed off their hard work with three consecutive victories in the Patriot League Tournament, none of them easy, to claim a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In the semifinal contest against Lehigh, Muscala saved his team’s season with two free throws and a key defensive stop in the final seconds to preserve the victory. Against Lafayette in the title game, Muscala led all scorers with 18 points, helping bring the title home to Lewisburg. With his performance in the three tournament games, Muscala took home another piece of hardware—Patriot League Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

“Winning that game against Lafayette, on ESPN2, in front of a crowded Sojka, nothing can beat that,” Muscala said. “It was the most memorable moment of my life and something I will certainly always cherish.”

The season had been an unforgettable one for Muscala, and the win against Lafayette gave him one more opportunity to lead the Bison—this time to the NCAA Tournament versus the Connecticut Huskies. Even though the Orange and Blue struggled against the eventual-champion Huskies, the experience of the Big Dance was a memorable one.

“Playing in the NCAA Tournament has always been a dream of mine, and it was awesome,” Muscala said.

The experience, though, is not what will linger for Muscala. Like any true champion, what he will never forget is the stinging defeat that ended his season.

“The loss gave me a lot more motivation to continue improving my game in the off season and get us back there next year,” he said.

It should come as no surprise to Bison fans that Muscala is never satisfied, even when leading his team to the NCAA Tournament. He’s the player who never quits, the player whose energy is unmatched, the player who keeps working hard.

That’s the motivation that took him to new heights in 2011. And, surely, that will be the same drive that will bring out a whole new Muscala come 2012.

Tags athlete of the year, Bucknellian sports awards, men's basketball

Sports

Coach of the Year: Dave Paulsen

Post author By Cooper Sutton
Post date April 22, 2011

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

The story of Dave Paulsen’s road to the Bison men’s basketball program is one that few outside of the team’s inner circles have heard.

After former head coach Pat Flannery, whose monumental upset over Kansas in the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and victory over Arkansas the next season put the Bison on the map nationally, retired abruptly in the summer of 2008, Paulsen took over a team needing some direction. Coming to an established Division I program from the Division III level, the stakes and the pressure facing Paulsen were enormously high.

Despite the pressure, his commitment to the program was obvious right from his first moments as head coach of the Bison.

“Paulsen eased the transition of the coaching change by simply saying that he chose us,” Darryl Shazier ’11 said. “This was really important to myself and the others who were recruited by Coach Flannery. We had no choice as to if he was our coach, but he made the decision to choose us.”

Struggling mightily to just seven wins in his first season at the helm of the Orange and Blue, Paulsen rebounded last year in 2010, leading the Bison to a second-place finish in the Patriot League standings. The season, though, would end with a stinging first-round loss at home in the conference tournament to Holy Cross, a tough way to end an promising season for Paulsen’s up-and-coming team.

Picked to finish second in conference this season, expectations were high for the Bison heading into 2011. But Paulsen was there to keep his team grounded and concentrated like he had been throughout his first two seasons.

“We really always tried to focus on getting better every single day, whether in practice or in games,” Paulsen said. “We just wanted to be the best team in the nation in terms of our practice effort, our focus-level and our consistency.”

Through eight games in the 2011 season, that effort, especially in tough losses late to Villanova, Marquette and St. Francis on the road, was not translating in victories, as the Bison stumbled out to a 2-6 record. Yet, Paulsen did not change his philosophy, sticking to what he knew best.

“We really challenged our players to find a way to dig down deep to make the extra-effort plays, the toughness plays, the 50-50 plays that distinguish the good teams from the mediocre teams,” Paulsen said.

His players noticed his commitment to working hard and to keeping their efforts at a high level, and responded positively in turn.

“Coach Paulsen did a great job throughout the season of challenging us and re-evaluating goals throughout the course of the year so we continue to improve and try to get better,” Bryson Johnson ’13 said. “Practices were always intense and that has taught us that no matter the circumstances, we must continue to work hard.”

Despite their slow start, the effort started to pay off. The victories started coming with Paulsen helping each player develop and find their role.

“Coach Paulsen has helped me develop my game in every aspect, especially on the defense end,” Bryan Cohen ’12 said. “People don’t realize how great of a defense Coach Paulsen is. He has high expectations for each player and, in my case, he expects me to never let my man score one field goal in an entire game. Overall, it may seem a little far-fetched, but having that expectation put on you makes you determined as a player to reach your fullest potential, both individually and collectively as a team.”

Paulsen’s focus on consistent play helped spark a run of 23 victories in the final 25 regular season games for the Orange and Blue. During that stretch, Paulsen always had the upper hand, outcoaching his opponent, including two separate occasions versus Richmond and Holy Cross, drawing up plays in the final seconds that would lead to game-winning baskets.

In Patriot League play, Paulsen lead his Bison to a 13-1 record and the regular season title, defeating American, the only team picked ahead of the Orange and Blue in the preseason polls, along the way. The second victory over American was Paulsen’s 300th career win in his NCAA career, which included his record coaching at Division III Williams College.

Amidst the streak, Paulsen’s demeanor on and off the court was just the same as it had been throughout his first three years in Lewisburg.

“Coach Paulsen is a players’ coach,” Cohen said. “My teammates and I love playing for him and love being around him. Not many basketball players can say that they like their coach both on and off the court. Sure, everyone gets yelled at for making a mistake but everyone one the team understands that he is only trying to bring the best out of you and to make our team achieve excellence.”

“When I’m not playing well, we’ll watch film together and talk about what I need to improve on,” Mike Muscala ’13 said. “And when I am playing well, we’ll do the same thing–which is what makes him such a great coach, always finding ways to improve and being relentless about consistency. It’s had such a profound effect on me and I’m lucky to have him as a coach.”

With such an impressive finish to the regular season, Paulsen also was named the Patriot League’s Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the 2011 Hugh Durham Award, given to the best coach of any mid-major school in nation.

In the Patriot League Tournament, Paulsen once again stepped up to the challenge, leading his Bison through three tough tests against Army, Lehigh and Lafayette to win the conference championship and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“It was a tremendous thrill,” Paulsen said. “The whole experience was kind of surreal. I was so happy for our seniors. I told them the day I was hired that I knew they didn’t choose me, but I had chosen them. I was so glad to see them rewarded for their faith and hard work through the dark days of that first season. And I was happy to be able to reward everyone for giving me this opportunity and for the faith and support they showed me and my coaching staff.”

Even though the NCAA Tournament contest against Connecticut did not pan out in the ways that the team had hoped after their run through the Patriot League in 2011, Paulsen sees the journey there and the UConn game as a teachable moment.

“The NCAA experience was great all the way until they tipped the ball up against UConn. Then, we ran into a juggernaut clicking on all cylinders. The actual game was not much fun but, to some degree, I think you have to go through that type of experience so that, if we’re fortunate enough to advance to the NCAA Tournament again next year, we won’t be awed or intimidated by the experience. I think everyone in our program is proud of the year we had but the NCAA game left a bitter taste in all of our mouths and we want to get back and perform better in the future,” Paulsen said.

That toughness and desire to coach and get better pushed Paulsen through all of the growing pains of his first two seasons in Lewisburg and brought him and the Bison contingent home another conference championship. When next year comes, Bison fans can be sure that he will still be roaming the sidelines, getting after his players for effort, focus and consistency.

But, for right now, he will be satisfied with all he accomplished in 2011.

“This is a tremendous honor, given what an outstanding group of coaches we have here within the athletic department at Bucknell,” Paulsen said. “It really is special to work within a department that values excellence and I have benefitted greatly from the input and support of many of my colleagues here at Bucknell. Most importantly, I have been so fortunate to have the best group of assistant coaches that I could ask for. Every member of my staff has had a tremendous impact in teaching our players, coaching in practice in games, preparing scouting reports and helping to recruit our student-athletes. They share equally in this honor.”

Tags Bucknellian sports awards