April 8, 2016 Cal Times

APRIL 8, 2016

VOL 43, NO.9

Composer Dominic Carrola and writer Anthony Carrola debut their original production Yet Another Funeral at Steele Hall on April 7-9 (Pages 10-11) Photo: Cal U Theatre Department

NEWS

OPINION

S P O RT S

A major in Prevention Awareness Mortuary Science Recovery Center 3

Cal Times Asks: Was it Right to Fire Wendy Bell?

14

Athlete of the Week: Alex Sagl

18

NEWS

Page 2 April 8, 2016

what’s

INSIDE:

NEWS Mortuary Science Major’s Inspiration....... 3 Professor Carol Bocetti’s Conservation.... 5

CAL U weather Friday

S aturday

27-41

27-38

Sunday

Monday

35-52

46-64

Album Reviews......................................... 7 Juggler Adam Kario . . ................................ 9 Yet Another Funeral.......................... 10,11 Ran D’ Shine........................................... 12 Fishing Festival....................................... 16

OPINION Ted Cruz.................................................. 14

SPORTS Men’s Track /Alex Sagl. . ........................... 17 Girl’s Track/Lindsay Reicoff . . .................... 18 AOTW: Alex Sagl..................................... 20

STAFF C AL T IME S . O RG CALTIMES@CALU.EDU 724.938.4321

JOSÉ NEGRON EDITOR IN CHIEF

RACHAEL MCKRIGER SPORTS EDITOR

LAUREN GRIFFITH NEWS EDITOR

JOSÉ NEGRON LIFESTYLES EDITOR

KATIE DELVERNE OPINION EDITOR

CONNOR MARSHMAN GRAPHIC DESIGNER

KATIE DELVERNE WEBSITE COORDINATOR

CAL TIMES CONTRIBUTORS: DAN CARMICHAEL, zach fehl, JESS CROSSON, danny beeck, Cal u public relations, sports information, Cal u department of theatre and dance

JEFF HELSEL DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

POLICY: The California TIMES is a publication of the Student Association, Inc. and is distributed throughout the university campus and the Monongahela Valley area most Fridays of the academic year with the exception of holiday breaks. Any member of the university community may submit articles, editorials, cartoons, photographs or drawings for consideration. Deadlines are as follows: All written copy, announcements , e-mail (caltimes@calu.edu) and advertising submissions are due at Noon on the Monday before publication. Exceptions to these deadlines must be arranged with the editor.

All submissions are the opinions of their creator(s). The California TIMES reserves the right to edit or refuse a submission as it sees fit without offering justification for content or advertising sections.

NEWS

Page 3 April 8, 2016

Mortuary Science Major Inspired by Mother ’s Passing

BY RACHAEL MCKRIGER Walking into room 233 of Smith Hall on the campus of California University of Pennsylvania is like walking into a room of opposites. On one side of the room, there are colorful Disney posters, vibrant pillows, and stuffed animals. On the other side, there are posters of skulls, Star Wars memorabilia, and gothic designs. That side of the room is Cheyenne Probst’s.

Probst’s room might giveaway her darker persona.

She is a self-proclaimed morbid adult. That morbid

persona is a reason why Probst, 20, decided to attend Cal U for mortuary science. According to Probst, the career idea was always something in the back of her mind.

“I was always a very morbid kid and I thought about maybe being a psychologist or going into history, but then I finally decided that I was going to go into funeral service,” she said.

Probst went to her first funeral service when she was seven years old. Her mother Nancy unexpectedly passed away. Her cause of death was viral pneumonia.

At the time, Probst was very sick, as well as her mother. Her mother had a dry cough. She was taking care of Probst and the one day she just wasn’t feeling well. Nancy’s sister Lori came over and picked her up to take her to the hospital. “On the drive there, she just went completely downhill. The next day, she was dead,” Probst said.

That was her first experience in being in a funeral home and going through the entire funeral service.

“My mother’s death has definitely been a major influence in my life and I’ve always kind of played around with the idea of being a funeral director since then,” she said.

When Probst was 17-years old, she got her first opportunity to work in a funeral home. A close friend of the family is the local funeral director Charles O. Diamond, the owner of the Charles O. Diamond Funeral Home Inc. Probst said he was, and still is, very well respected in the community, so she called him and asked if she could job shadow.

“I even asked to wash his windows” she said. “I just wanted something to get my foot in the door.

I ended up job shadowing with him for a few days the summer after my tenth grade year and then they brought me back a paid intern/funeral assistant.”

Probst still works at the funeral home in the same position she started. For her job, she does paperwork, helps in the preparations room, does the makeup, and even drives the hearse. Or basically “I do everything,” she said.

After finishing up high school, she knew that mortuary science was definitely the road she wanted to go down. She made the decision to attend Cal U over Point Park University and Gannon University, which are the only other two schools in the state that offer the program. However, she won’t be finishing her schooling up at Cal U. Beginning in the

fall of 2017 semester, she will attend the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where she will still graduate in the spring of 2018.

Probst is ecstatic to get started at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. “I’m excited about doing the reconstruction, which is reconstructing people’s faces that need it,” she said. “Like say if someone got in a car accident or had jaw cancer and half of their face is missing. You pretty much have a picture of the person and then you have to recreate their face.”

Even with her absence from Cal U and home, which is Sidman, Pennsylvania, Probst’s family and friends are excited for her opportunity. “I will miss her but I know she’s doing something she loves, so I’m happy,” says roommate Kelley Milavec. “I’m going to miss her a lot, for sure, but this is her career, and I’m happy for her.”

Probst is excited about her future in the mortuary science industry. She said in the next ten years she’d like to be settled in Pittsburgh, hopefully married to her boyfriend, whom she met at Cal U, Josh Kovel, and working at the Green Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

Also something she wants to see happen in the next couple of years is her relationship with her dad to improve.

Even before Probst’s mother died, her father was distant. According to her, he has always been quiet and reserved. “I’d like him to be more open with me,” she said. “I’ve tried. We would be at the dinner table and I’d try to start conversations and it would be like I was talking to a brick wall.”

However, Probst isn’t giving up on working on her relationship with her dad. “Each time I go home, I try to communicate with him better,” she said. “It’s a work in progress, but I think it will come to fruition.”

Although she said it’s hard for the two to be close to each other due to his anti-social persona, Probst’s hopes her career could help.

“I want to show him I’m independent. I want him to be proud of me,” she said. Through the good and the bad, Probst is proud of how far she has come and is excited for what the future will hold for her both personally and career wise. “I want to be independent and successful. More importantly, I want to be happy. I always think, ‘I wonder if my mom would be proud.’ I want ot make my mom proud, even if she’s not here.”

Page 4 April 8, 2016

NEWS

NEWS

Page 5 April 8, 2016

Cal U Professor Honored for Conservation Efforts The U.S. Forest Service has honored California University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. Carol Bocetti and her team with the 2016 Wings Across the Americas Bird Conservation Partnership Award.

The award was presented to the Kirtland’s warbler recovery team, a partnership of public agencies and private organizations that has worked to save the endangered songbird species.

This is the second time that Bocetti has received a national award for her efforts on behalf of the Kirtland’s warbler. In 2011 she was honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for her work as recovery team leader, a role she has held since 2006.

She also received the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2013 Recovery Champion award for her work with the Delmarva Fox Squirrel Recovery Team.

“It is very gratifying to be recognized as a team,” said Bocetti, who teaches in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Cal U. “It has always been a collaborative effort.”

The Kirtland’s warbler, which breeds only in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio, was one of the first species protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In 2015, the population was estimated at 2,366 pairs, the largest ever recorded for the species and 10 times larger than when the species first was protected.

The songbird was soon may be considered for “delisting” as an endangered species, which means the emphasis would shift from recovery to sustainability.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Above: Carol Bocetti is pictured with the Kirtland’s warbler.

Inset: Bocetti leads the Kirtland’s warbler recovery team to save the endangered songbird.

Page 6 April 8, 2016

LIFE

APRIL 8-14

LIFE

Albums of the

Week

By Dan Carmichael Cal Times Contributor

Page 7 April 8, 2016

Weezer (White Album) - Weezer Weezer, the popular alternative rock band that formed 23 years ago has just released their tenth studio album. The “White Album” is the fourth self titled album. The first, “Blue Album,” was one of the most popular put out by the band that featured their hit song “Buddy Holly.” This Los Angeles native band put together this brand new album to have a very “beach party” type of vibe. The songs are upbeat, positive, and make you feel like you are living life under the California sun. Even the album artwork is a picture of the band posing in front of a lifeguard tower on the beach.

The album features ten tracks with an eleventh bonus track running just under 35 minutes in length. “Weezer (White Album)” had three songs released as singles prior to the April 1st release. Two of the songs were put out to the public in 2015, before the band even announced that they would be making a new album. Their third single, “King of the World,” was released as a promotional single to announce the album. Fans and critics alike have generally happy with the album. This is not their best work, but it is a nice blend of music. The short length makes the album into a casual listening experience.

After two years since the last album, Weezer’s ability to make fresh instrumentals under positive lyrics will always be considered a breath of fresh air to the music industry. At best, the album is average with some upsides. Nothing on the album is fully negative, but it lacks the creativity that some of their past albums have had.

Weezer announced that they will be touring with Panic! At the Disco this Summer. The tour will be stopping in Scranton and Pittsburgh, PA. TWeezer has also been seen atop some popular festival lineups for the Summer. They continue to be one of the top bands in their genre and it is my guess that they will remain that way for a while to come.

Average Critic Rating: 72/100

My Rating: 75/100

Slime Season 3 - Young Thug

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia comes the 24 year old rapper, Young Thug. Thug has yet to officially release a full studio album but does have five largely known mixtapes. More specifically, Young Thug has a mixtape series titled “Slime Series” with his most recent being released last month.

Young Thug has an album scheduled to come out at some point in the Summer of 2016. This southern rapper has been made most popular by his work with other rappers like T.I., Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Migos and many more.

“Slime Series 3” is just a short lead up to what is to come, but there are still some high points to the mixtape. First though, I will focus on the downsides. The mixtape is only 28 minutes long. It is not often that a rap album hits the one hour mark, but they are also generally over 30 minutes long. The mixtape does only offer eight tracks so the short length is expected. Another minor problem with the mixtape is that its lyrical content is pretty shallow and meaningless.

With rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Drake and Kanye West still making the music they do, it is hard to expect every rapper to hit that caliber of lyrical content. Plus, this music is meant for the club scene. I could see every one of these songs playing in a bar or club type of atmosphere. That brings me to the positives of the mixtape. The beats will get your blood pumping. They are easy to rap along with. Young Thug also has an interestingly unique voice that sets him out from a crowd. On this mixtape, Young Thug seems to show that he is still growing as an artist while also staying on the same track that has helped gain him popularity in the hip hop world.

If you enjoy this mixtape, stay tuned for his first full length studio album to come out in the next couple months. With the new album will come a tour that does not make a stop in Pittsburgh, though it will be in New York, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.

Average Critic Rating: 76/100

My Rating: 70/100

Page 8 April 8, 2016

LIFE S how: The Celestial P izz a Part y

F RI D AY: 4 -6P. m .

Angel Name ‘Punkster’ Here Funk

DJ Punkster otherwise known as Angel Hart Funk is a freshman here at California University of Pennsylvania, coming to us from California, PA. She hopes to major in public relations with a minor in marketing. Angel joined the station after DJ Sofro convinced her to come down and hang out, the rest is history. Her favorite WCAL memory can’t really be picked but one that sticks up to her is the time she rigged the Homecoming parade and somehow it worked. DJ Punkster can be spotted at the occasional remote, in the station, or next semester DJ Punkster will be the new imaging director for WCAL. DJ Punkster’s music style ranges from punk to pop punk on any given day. Her favorite concert was the Knuckle Puck, Seaway, and Sorority Noise concert that she saw with DJ Long Island Iced Steve, DJ Rotunda, and DJ Just Ed. That’s whenever she discovered Sorority Noise which quickly became her favorite band, crowd surfed while almost falling into a mosh pit, and had a great night with good friends. Outside of the station DJ Punkster is a member of Alpha Sigma Tau, plays with her cat Francis, and hanging out with friends.

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LIFE

Page 9 April 8, 2016

A Man of Many Talents: Adam Kario

BY JESS CROSSON, CAL TIMES CONTRIBUTOR Two time world champion juggler, Adam Kario, performed a flawless show in the Vulcan Theater last Friday night for the Student Activities Board’s ‘Funny Freaking Friday’. He has been seen on the Bravo Network and he has recently returned from the Dubai Comedy Festival. His juggling career started way before he was performing at colleges and on TV. “I started juggling when I was nine years old.

My dad taught me how,” stated Kario. “A few weeks later my school had their first talent show and since I could juggle now I entered the talent show and then I got my picture in the paper with my name and everything. So there was a local juggling club where a bunch of jugglers got together and they contacted me because they found my name in the newspaper and I joined. Then me and my brother started working and we would perform street shows. I was nine years old doing something I really like, I could not stop juggling, and I was getting paid.”

Throughout the show Kario performed

numerous tricks that continued to captivate the audience. One of those captivating tricks included taking a member from the audience, having him lay on the floor with his eyes closed, and then proceed to juggle machetes over top him. However, there was a trick to this, once the audience member’s eyes were covered Kario sneakily switched the machetes out with plastic pins. Once Kario began juggling he got closer and closer to the audience member’s stomach and purposely dropped one of the pins on his stomach causing a hysterical reaction from the audience member.

“I thought I was going to die,” exclaimed sophomore Jon Hershey. “I was really nervous when I first got up there. I didn’t know what was going to happen. When the pin hit me in the chest I freaked out and went to sit down. I was shaking for the rest of the show.”

To finish off an exciting night of laughter and sheer awe Kario had something special planned for the audience at Cal U. The lights went down in the Vulcan Theater and as the

music began to get louder. Suddenly the stage became very bright as Kario’s pins became illuminated and he began to juggle them. Many students saw this finale as the most impressive act.

When asked about the difficulty of his final trick, Kario responded “It’s actually a lot easier than performing with the lights on because everything besides the pins are dark and I don’t have to worry about the lights reflecting off of the pins, rings, or balls.”

As students began to clear out of the theater many of them stopped to shake hands with Kario and tell him how great of a job he did.

Kario could not have been happier that he was able to perform at Cal U and receive that reaction that he did from the audience. He was very pleased to hear the comments from freshman, Tierney Iden, and believes that she summed up the show pretty well.

“I literally started to cry instantly,” confessed Iden. “It was that funny.”

Page 10 April 8, 2016

Not many young adults can say they have developed a musical production in their spare time. Dominic and Anthony Carrola are not like most young adults.

Debuting on April 7, the musical Yet Another Funeral is a collaboration between the Carrola brothers that has been a long time in the making. The two brothers have complementary skills that led to success in this venture. Dominic is the composer in the duo, and Anthony is the writer.

Speaking of the creative process that led to this finished musical, Dominic Carrola had this to say, “The theatre department and I toyed with the idea of writing and producing an original musical back in December of 2014. Before a concept was even decided upon,

Page 11 April 8, 2016

Funeral Family (Left to Right): Sidney Popielarcheck from Washington, PA; Katherine Hoffman from Derry, PA; Nicholas Franczak from Jefferson Hills, PA; Kayla Grimm from Masontown, PA; Saleem Carpenter from Media, PA; Amelia Wisinski from Erie, PA

Photos: Cal U Theatre Department

I started drafting songs with emotions and concepts I wanted to convey. At some point, I realized that I would have to get someone to write the book and my brother Anthony graciously agreed. There was an adjustment period where the vision that had been forming in my head, had to conform with the direction in which he was taking it. 21 songs and 22,000 words later, Yet Another Funeral was born. Then it was up to Dr. Michele Pagen and the artistic staff, cast and crew to breathe life into it. As they did, the refinement process began and it hasn’t stopped. Yet Another Funeral is still a work in progress. I don’t think it can be overemphasized what a huge undertaking this has been and it is a credit to everyone involved that they are willing to pour so much into something so new and young.” Anthony Carrola was also able to comment on his experiences in writing this musical: “When my brother first came to me with the request to write a musical, I was very hesitant. I was never really a fan of musicals, but he soon persuaded me and thus began a long journey. Yet Another Funeral has developed significantly since the beginning, as the plot itself grew and changed. As Dom said, I think it will be developing for some time to come, but the plot itself has come to center squarely on not just funerals, but what funerals represent: The end of a journey, or perhaps just the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one.”

Performances of Yet Another Funeral will be held at 8 p.m. April 7-8, and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 9 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre, on the Cal U campus in California, Pa.

Page 12 April 8, 2016

OPINION

Philadelphia Native Ran’D Shine Brings Magic to Cal U

BY JESS CROSSON, CAL TIMES CONTRIBUTOR On March 30, Philadelphia native Ran’D Shine performed a comedic magic show in the Vulcan Theater. Before being brought to Cal U, Shine has had plenty of other performances. Some events Shine performed at were the "Salute to Heroes" at the 44th Presidential Inauguration Banquet and Ball in 2009, a one-man show in South Africa titled "Mysterious Ways", and 20 other performances at The South African National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa.

Shine’s involvement in magic began when he was in graduate school at Penn State University.

“I was in the school cafeteria and I saw some students doing card tricks and I joined them. That started my initial interest in magic,” shared Shine. “I didn’t become a full time magician until maybe ten years later.”

Shine moved to South Africa after he finished grad school to do research at the University of Western Cape. He moved back to the United States and began working for the University of Pennsylvania in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics doing HIV research. While working there he was also in a PhD program at Drexel University studying public health. It was after a year and a half that Shine decided to pursue his passion instead.

“I decided to give myself one year to do magic. If it doesn’t work out I’d come back.

Well, I never came back”. Shine stated.

Little did many Cal U students know, but Shine was going to be trying out a new trick during his show that night. Before the show, some of the audience members were handed a pencil and a bright green note card. On that piece of notecard the member could write anything from a person, place, number, object, or anything really. The cards were then collected and redistributed to different audience members of whom Shine proceeded to read the minds of and guess what was written on the notecard they received.

Varying things from the name of a former president to a random month and day were

Photo provided by Ran’d Shine publicity team

Ran’D Shine, who got his start in magic when he was in graduate school at Penn State University, wowed the crowd with card tricks and mind reading. guessed leaving the audience stunned at the very thought of that being possible.

“I’m really glad I tried that trick tonight. It was my first time,” Shine confessed. “It went so well”.

Many students picked that moment to be the highlight of the night. One of the students whose mind was read by Shine commented on her experience and even requoted a joke about him being “black Jesus” which he mentioned earlier in the show.

“My mind was literally blown,” freshman Katie Wankel stated. “He was truly black Jesus”.

His magical comedy wooed the audience at Cal U making many of them wish the show never had to end. Shine wanted to leave a piece of advice for any students that want to

pursue a career in magic.

“Number one, do not waste any or most of your time trying to learn magic off of YouTube, video, or any social media sites. Try to find someone who is already performing and you can learn much more from that person than anything you can learn off video. They can explain the psychological principles and the meaning behind that sleight of hand and you should read books,” Shine insisted.

“Have patience. Crawl before you walk, walk before you run, run before you fly.

There’s a process. If you jump into that [career] before you’re ready for it that will do more damage to your career and could end your career. Take your time and be patient.

Learn the fundamentals and that’s the best advice I can give to anyone.”

Page 13 April 8, 2016

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Page 14 April 8, 2016

O I NRI TOSN S PP O Should Wendy Bell have been fired?

Opinion Editor, Katie DelVerne asks students on Twitter

Former WTAE-TV anchor Wendy Bell was fired last week after making a controversial, racially driven comment on her Facebook wall about the Wilkinsburg shooter.

Photo: Google

Page 15 April 8, 2016

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Page 16 April 8, 2016

SPORTS

PRYFF Fishing Festival Set for April 23 CALIFORNIA, Pa. (March 31, 2016) …Cal U and the California community again will collaborate to present the 21st annual Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival, set for 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 23 at Rotary Park, off Route 88 (Third Street) in California.

The free event is open to boys and girls ages 15 and younger. A parent, guardian or other responsible adult must accompany children younger than 13.

Registration begins at 7 a.m.

Participants may bring their own fishing gear, or they can borrow equipment from a Cal U student volunteer as part of the state Fish and Boat Commission’s Borrow-A-Rod-and-Reel program.

Expert fishing guides will be on hand to answer questions or help young anglers learn how to catch trout.

The Pike Run Fishing Festival Committee will stock the stream with nearly 600 rainbow, brook, brown and golden trout, some as long as 24 inches. As it has done in the past, the committee will provide entertainment such as games, activities, face painting, a bounce house, Happy the Clown with balloon animals, fishing contests and many other activities.

Vendors will sell bait, tackle, food and beverages at the park.

The festival closes with a weigh-in, prizes and the awarding of trophies.

Youngsters are encouraged to help stock the stream at 2 p.m. on Earth Day, April 22.

Dr. John Confer, faculty adviser for the event, said this successful collaboration between the University and the community has attracted 160 to 200 young participants in each of the past nine years.

The festival is organized and programmed by the University’s Parks and Recreation Management program, the Parks and Recreation Student Society, the Recreation Program Planning class, and the Cal U Eco-Learning Community, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, California Rotary, the Borough of California and the California Borough Recreation Authority.

For more information, contact Confer at 724-938-4211, confer@calu.edu; visit the Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival website at http://workforce.calu.edu/confer/PRYFF/; or search for “Annual Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival” on Facebook.com.

SPORTS

Page 17 April 8, 2016

Cal U competes at William & Mary, Bethany

By Matthew Kifer, Sports Information

The Vulcans competed at both the Bethany Invitational and the 51st-annual Colonial Relays hosted by William & Mary over the weekend, reaching a combined eight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-qualifying marks.

At William & Mary, the California University of Pennsylvania men’s track & field team qualified three new entries for the league championships and three additional entries improved their PSACqualifying marks. Junior Francis Jajua (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) qualified for the league event in the 100-meter dash after posting a time of 11.00 seconds, while also crossing the finish line in 22.25 seconds in the 200-meter dash, which improved his season-best time by over three-tenths of a second.

Classmate Joe Vedilago (Lebanon, Pa./Northern Lebanon) also set a season-best time in the 200 meters while in Virginia, registering a time of 22.30 seconds.

Senior Morgan Huegel (Cranberry, Pa./ Cranberry) reached the league-qualifying standard in the 800-meter run while posting a time of 1 minute, 56.42 seconds in his outdoor debut. Junior Gabe Rees (Shinglehouse, Pa./Oswayo Valley) qualified for the PSAC Championships over the weekend after registering a time of 9:55.68 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Junior Anderson Novalin (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/William Penn (Pa.)) improved his league-

Gabe Rees has qualified for the PSAC Championships with his 3,000-meter steeplecase run of 9:55:.68. (Photo: David Bracetty Photograpy)

qualifying mark in the shot put and placed ninth overall (championship university flight) with a heave of 15.55 meters (51-0.25 feet), while also finishing in fourth place in the discus throw (university flight) with a distance of 39.81 meters (130-7.00 feet).

At Bethany, senior Andy Tuzikow (Butler, Pa./Knoch) won the hammer throw with a heave

of 41.75 meters (137-0.0 feet) and also recorded a pair of runner-up finishes. He placed second overall in the discus throw with a distance of 40.17 meters (131-9.0 feet) and also finished second in the shot put with a mark of 13.36 meters (43-10.0 feet).

The Vulcans return to action at the Western Pennsylvania Challenge hosted by IUP on April 10.

Sagl earns weekly league honor

By Davey Fitzpatrick, Sports Information

After helping the Vulcans extend their winning streak to 21 games, California University of Pennsylvania senior Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/ Oakville Trafalgar) was selected the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Pitcher of the Week on Monday afternoon.

Sagl posted a 2-0 record and one save while recording a 0.57 ERA in three appearances last week. She allowed one run in 12.1 innings on only three hits and tallied 21 strikeouts, as the Vulcans swept a pair of home doubleheaders in divisional play.

Sagl tossed a two-hit, complete-game

shutout while setting a season high with 13 strikeouts on Friday in an 8-0 run-rule victory against Edinboro. In Game 1 on Saturday, she yielded one run and one hit (solo homer) and recorded eight strikeouts in a 9-1 run-rule victory versus Gannon. The Ontario native returned to the circle in Game 2 with runners on first and second in the top of the seventh before recording the final out of the game to earn the save preserving a 1-0 victory.

Sagl holds a 10-1 record this season and ranks fourth in the PSAC this spring with both a 1.36 ERA and 93 strikeouts. She has logged 67.0

innings this year behind eight complete games, including four shutouts, while limiting opponents to a .178 batting average, which ranks second in the league.

A two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, Sagl has notw received PSAC West Pitcher of the Week twice this season and 13 times overall in her career.

The Vulcans return to action on Friday, April 8, when they travel to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, for a doubleheader against Seton Hill starting at 2:30 p.m.

Page 18 April 8, 2016

SPORTS

Vulcans win title at Bethany, compete at W&M

By Matthew Kifer, Sports Information

The California University of Pennsylvania women’s track & field team captured the team title at the Bethany Invitational on Saturday, while also qualifying four new entries for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships at the 51st-annual Colonial Relays hosted by William & Mary over the weekend.

At William & Mary, the trio of junior Julie Friend (Markleysburg, Pa./Uniontown), redshirt sophomore Summer Hill (Honesdale, Pa. Honesdale) and senior Alex Zanella (Everett, Pa./ Everett) each reached the league-qualifying mark in the 1,500-meter run while making their outdoor debuts in a field of over 50 runners. Hill and Zanella recorded back-to-back finishes with Hill placing 23rd overall with a time of 4 minutes, 36.93 seconds and Zanella posting a time of 4:37.39, while Friend crossed the finish line in a personal-best time of 4:40.39.

Freshman Jaclyn Reinbold (Macungie, Pa./ Emmaus) qualified for the league championships in the 800-meter run after registering a time of 2:20.29 to finish in 22nd place in a field of 75-plus runners.

Junior Ieisha Jackson placed sixth overall in the triple jump (university flight) with a mark of 10.79 meters (35-5.00 feet).

Summer Hill (Photo: David Bracetty Photograpy)

At Bethany, Cal U captured the invitational title with 130 points after winning six events and setting two meet records. Freshman Kaila Cannon (Yeadon, Pa./Haverford) earned a pair of victories with league-qualifying marks at the event, winning the triple jump and breaking the meet record with a mark of 11.09 meters (36-4.75 feet). Cannon also won the long jump with a distance of 5.25 meters

(17-2.75 feet).

The Vulcans boasted the top-three finishers in the 5,000-meter run with freshman Alyson Pierce (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) winning the race and setting a new meet record with a time of 18:45.09. Classmates Maddie Thrasher (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) and Maura Glennon (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) placed second and third, respectively, with times of 18:54.18 and 19:07.32.

Junior Emilia Ricciuti (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) placed first overall in the 400-meter dash after rounding the track in 1:00.55 and finished in second place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.90 seconds.

Ricciuti was also the leadoff leg on the 4x400-meter relay that won the event by over 12 seconds with a time of 4:22.24. Sophomore Kailah Holmes (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn), who was the second leg of the relay, placed second in the triple jump and reached the league-qualifying standard with a distance of 10.89 meters (35-8.75 feet).

Junior Shannon Bridges (Saint Marys, Pa./ Saint Marys) won the 800-meter run at Bethany with a time of 2:29.72.

Cal U returns to action at the Western Pennsylvania Challenge hosted by IUP on April 10.

Reicoff focused on season, not HR record

by Rachael McKriger, Sports Editor

Lindsey Reicoff might have set the new home run record for the California University of Pennsylvania softball team, but her main focus stays with the team.

Reicoff, a senior from Chartiers Valley, set Cal U’s home run record against Mercyhurst Univeristy on March 26. Reicoff was formerly tied with Jillian Russell, who attended the school from 2009-2012, with 47 home runs, but broke the record with her 48 home run. However Reicoff doesn’t really have a number set for what she wants to finish the season with, or extend her record with.

“I don’t really have a specific number,” Reicoff said. “Whatever happens, happens. I don’t really think of that stuff. I just go out there and play my game.”

For Reicoff, she didn’t even realize it at first that she broke the record. She said that it was something in the back of her mind whenever she came into the season, but not something she dwelled on week in and week out.

“I keep things kind of quiet, so only my close teammates really knew,” Reicoff said. “My parents were there and my parents were both really quiet.”

What’s most important to Reicoff is the team’s success and the ultimate team goal, which is getting to the playoffs. However, going further, Reicoff said the team, who didn’t lose any players after last season, wants to win a national championship.

Reicoff, who got started in softball through her family, especially her father, is a first base player

whenever she isn’t batting. She said her experience has given her plenty of confidence in the position, but it wasn’t the position she came to Cal U to play.

“I came here to be a pitcher, but I got injured and coach Bertagnolli switched me over to first base,” Reicoff said. “I actually like it better than pitching.”

Reicoff and the softball team have a busy month of April ahead. The team, who are 21-1 and captained by seniors Reicoff, Alex Sagl, Meghan Uher, Erica Vallecorsa, and Natalysa Smarra, have matches coming up against Seton Hill (4/8), Slippery Rock (4/9), Edinboro (4/15), Mercyhurst (4/16), Seton Hill (4/22), and Gannon (4/23) to finish out the seaosn. As for their ranking, the Vulcans are the number one team in the PSAC West.

SPORTS

Page 19 April 8, 2016

Reicoff focused on season, not HR record

By Danny Beeck, Staff Writer

A season in which is going all the Vulcans way, California looks to continue their recent success until playoffs come around near the end of the month. When looking at this team, much like last season, they don’t have a lot of older players to help develop the newer additions. As this might be a negative sign on other teams, the Vulcans use this to their advantage by pushing each person around them to achieve the most they can. With a 21-1 record on the season thus far, California holds a 21 game winning streak, along with a perfect record in conference play.

Winning is one thing with this team, but shutouts are why they have the confidence stepping into the box. The Vulcans have registered nine shutouts this season and their leading pitcher, Alex Sagl, has produced at a high level with an ERA of 1.36. The most impressive stat of them all is Lindsay Reicoff’s ability to skyrocket the ball out of the field. The senior second-basemen for the Vulcans tallied seven HR’s this season, and controls the number one spot in California’s history for most home runs in a career. The Vulcans last few opponents in the 2016 season will look to knock them off, however, if they keep this level of play and intensity up, nobody can stop them.

Switching over to yet another sport bearing California’s name, the Vulcans Baseball team is also in the homestretch of their season, and they hope to finish out strong. With all of the pivotal pieces on this team meshing together yet again, all there is

Lindsay Reicoff, senior, broke Cal U softball’s home run record against Mercyhurst University. (Photo: Matthew Kifer, Sports Information)

left to do is put the bat on the ball. Danny McGrath and Chris Wastchak continue to impress this season, along with Mick Fennel and Kristian Webb on both sides of the game. A record of 9-3 at home stands out being that 10 of their remaining games will be played at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington.

In a three-way tie for first place in the PSAC West, the Vulcans hope to continue their level of play until the end of the season. Coach Mike Conte pushes his players to achieve everything they deserve, and

the seniors on this team deserve nothing less than a shot at the playoffs. GJ Senchak and Jack Dennis are solid contributors in the pitching department and are aiding in their team’s success during this run. The Vulcans look on to their next opponent in Slippery Rock with heavy bats and strong arms, anticipate a great showing by not only the seniors on this team, but also the younger players as they finish off their freshmen campaigns.

Cal U finishes third at event at Oglebay

By Matthew Kifer, Sports Information

Sophomore Kirby Manown (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) and junior Tyler Robinson (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) both tied for ninth place and helped the Vulcans finish third in the team standings at the Oglebay Resort Intercollegiate on Monday.

The California University of Pennsylvania men’s golf team posted a 16-over 300 in the second round to finish the tournament with a 31-over 599 (299-300). IUP vaulted up four places in the team standings on Monday to claim the invitational title by three strokes with a 25-over 593 (300-293).

Charleston (W.Va.) climbed five spots in the final round to finish the event in second place with a 28over 596 (302-294).

Manown and Robinson each shot a sevenover 149 at the event played on the Palmer Course at Oglebay. Manown finished with a two-over 73 in the opening round before carding a five-over 76 on Monday, while Robinson posted a four-over 75 yesterday before tallying a three-over 74 in the final round.

Senior Grant Newton (Finleyville, Pa./ Thomas Jefferson) and junior Alex Patricio (Ruffs

Dale, Pa./Yough) tied for 15th place with a nine-over 151. Newton posted a three-over 74 in the second round after shooting a six-over 77 on Sunday and Patricio carded a six-over 77 in the final round after finishing with a three-over 74 in first round.

Junior Matt Cioffi (New Castle, Pa./ Neshannock) rounded out the team with a 12-over 154 (78-76) to tie for 28th overall in a field of 90-plus golfers.

The Vulcans return to action at the 53rdannual Spadafora Invtational hosted by IUP on April 17-18.

Page 20 April 8, 2016

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Cal Times

At h l e t e S p ot l i g h t Alex Sagl Class: Senior Major: Criminology Hometown: Oakville, Ontario High School: Oakville Trafalgar

Alex Sagl, one of the senior captains on the Vulcans softball team

received the honor of being named the PSAC West Pitcher of hte

Week on Monday. Sagl, who has helped the softball team to a 21-

game winning streak, only allowed one run in 12.1 innings and had 21 strikeouts last week. Sagl and the team return to action against Seton Hill and Slippery Rock this weekend.

Photo: Sports Information

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