Spirit Magazine
Red Zone 12
LACROSSE
Grace Under Pressure
Summer 2009
Departments
4 10 23
Good Sports
25
Tips from Tom
Scoreboard Strength and Conditioning
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SOFTBALL
Ivy League Champs
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FOOTBALL
Gridiron Preview
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TRACK
Jump Start
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GOLF
Long Ball Hitters
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Louis Dale became the 23rd player in Cornell history to record 1,000 career points.
Spirit! is published regularly by the Cornell University, Department of Athletics and Physical Education. | Publisher: J. Andrew Noel, Jr., Director of Athletics | Editor: Kathleen Bolton | Designer: Julie Manners | Photographers: Tim McKinney, Patrick Shanahan, Athletic Communications, Carlisle Stockton, Maple Leaf Photo, Lindsey Mechalik, Bob Harley, Mike Bahniuk, Tewaarton Award Foundation | Editorial Advisory Board: Jeremy Hartigan, Julie Greco, Lindsey Mechalik, Dave Wohlhueter and Kevin Zeise | Address: Teagle Hall, Campus Road, Ithaca, NY 148536501 | Phone: 607 254-8706 | Fax: 607 255-9791 | E-mail: spirit-news@cornell.edu | Web: www.CornellBigRed.com Spirit Magazine 3
Good Sports Men’s Lacrosse Championship Run by J. ANDREW NOEL, JR. The Meakem � Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education
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ould any program epitomize this column’s title more than the Cornell University men’s lacrosse program? Could a head coach and a team captain epitomize the concepts of athletics excellence, teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship more than Cornell’s head coach, Jeff Tambroni, and his lone captain, Max Seibald? I think not. Head coach Jeff Tambroni and captain Max Seibald provide uncommon leadership to the Cornell lacrosse program. Both of these men inspired perseverance through a few narrow victories and three losses in the 2009 regular season. Ultimately, they guided the Big Red to the championship game of the NCAA tournament. Jeff and his terrific assistant coaches, Ben DeLuca and Kyle Georgalas, worked tirelessly to prepare for an NCAA tournament run that required an initial victory at Schoellkopf over an excellent Hofstra team, and in the quarterfinals a win over Princeton. In the semifinals of the Final Four, Virginia, the top seed and winner vs. both Villanova and Johns Hopkins, stood in Cornell’s path. What percentage of national lacrosse pundits believed that Cornell would defeat Hofstra and Princeton for a berth in the Final Four? After all, Princeton was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA when Cornell “upset” them 10-7 earlier in the season in Ithaca. My educated guess is less than 25 percent of the experts expected to see the Big Red earn a rematch with the Cavaliers. As for the percentage of lacrosse pundits who picked Cornell to advance to the finals, it was certainly a fraction of 1 percent. Virginia seemed to score at will in the Villanova game and defeated perennial power John Hopkins handily to advance to the semis. Virginia, picked to win the NCAA’s by many, was thought to be a given as a NCAA finalist. However, Jeff and his staff and Max and our players had other ideas. They had dedicated themselves a full year earlier after 4 Spirit Magazine
a disappointing first round NCAA loss to Ohio State. Having earned hard-fought victories over Hofstra and Princeton, the Big Red exploded in the final with an aweinspiring 15-6 dismantling of Virginia, one of the offensive powerhouses in collegiate lacrosse. Our staff devised and introduced a gameplan that was described by ESPN analysts as “perfection.” The performance and overall execution of the gameplan by Cornell players was heralded by all who had the pleasure of watching — yes, in awe. Cornell’s stifling defense held the All-America attack and midfielders from Virginia to six goals. This defensive performance included outstanding play from Jake Myers in goal, but the first-team All-America defenseman performance by Matt Moyer was the talk of the crowd. Matt held the Cavaliers firstteam All-American, Danny Glading, to two goals. The coaching staff remained cool and collected throughout the game, while the athletes performed like disciplined warriors. The Big Red squad earned a berth in the NCAA finals. It was a rematch with Syracuse, ranked No. 1 in the semis. Virginia, picked to win the NCAA’s by many, was thought to be a given as a NCAA finalist. However, Jeff and his staff and Max and our players had other ideas. They had dedicated themselves a full year earlier after a disappointing first round NCAA loss to Ohio State. Having earned hard-fought victories over Hofstra and Princeton, the Big Red exploded in the final with an aweinspiring 15-6 dismantling of Virginia, one of the offensive powerhouses in collegiate lacrosse. Our staff devised and introduced a gameplan that was described by ESPN analysts as “perfection.” The performance and overall execution of the gameplan by Cornell players was heralded by all who had the pleasure of watching — yes, in awe. Cornell’s stifling defense held the All-America attack and midfielders from Virginia to six goals. This defensive performance included outstanding play fro Jake
Myers in goal, but the first-team All-America defenseman performance by Matt Moyer was the talk of the crowd. Matt held the Cavaliers first-team All- American, Danny Glading, to two goals. The coaching staff remained cool and collected throughout the game, while the athletes performed like disciplined warriors. The Big Red squad earned a berth in the NCAA finals. It was a rematch with Syracuse, ranked No. 1 in both national polls. Syracuse had defeated Cornell 15-10during the regular season and exhibited athleticism and skillthat was difficult to imagine. The buzz among the throng atGillette Stadium and among the many pregame tailgate gatherings was the question of whether or not Cornell could make the game respectable or, like the powerful Duke team in the other semifinal game, get crushed by 10 or more goals. The answer to that question came early by the Big Red, that followed its game plan to a T, playing nearly flawless lacrosse. The second half began the same way with Cornell methodically holding the dangerous Syracuse offense at bay while continuing to put points on the board. With just over five minutes remaining, Cornell seemingly sealed the deal with an exciting goal by freshman Roy Lang. The score was Cornell 9 – Syracuse 6. Over the final minutes, Syracuse fought back with excellent defensive play, tying the game with just 4.5 seconds remaining in regulation. The unimaginable goal came when a Syracuse player picked up a ground ball and, with his back to the cage, flung the ball toward the net hoping that a teammate would catch the ball and make one last shot. The ball glanced off of a Cornell stick and into the stick of a Syracuse player who scored from point-blank range on our goal. The Big Red lost the heartbreaking game in overtime, 10-9. However, our devastated head coach and staff, and our crestfallen players led by Max, displayed uncommon dignity. They represented themselves and Cornell University with class in spite of suffering the most difficult of circumstances. Coach Tambroni’s thoughts and comments were of his senior class that had worked so diligently and competed as Cornellians for the final time. He congratulated his opponents and recognized their experience and athleticism.
Winter and Spring Scoreboard BASEBALL
(17-23; 10-10 Ivy, Ivy League Gehrig Div. title)
MEN’S BASKETBALL
LIGHTWEIGHT VARSITY ROWING (4-3, sixth at Eastern Sprints)
WOMEN’S VARSITY ROWING
(21-10; 11-3 Ivy League Champions)
(2-8, Crump named first-team All-Mid-Atlantic)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SOFTBALL
(10-16; 6-8 Ivy, T-4th, Three All-Ivy honorees)
WOMEN’S EQUESTRIAN (Winner of Ivy League show)
WOMEN’S FENCING (7-6; 1-5 Ivy, 6th, Four quaify to NCCAs)
GOLF (7th in Ivies) WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS (USAG National Champions)
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (22-10-4; 13-6-3 ECAC Hockey, 2nd; 5-5 Ivy, T-3rd, advanced to NCAA quarterfinals)
(42-11; 17-3 Ivy, 1st, South Div., Ivy Champs)
MEN’S SQUASH (13-5; 4-2 Ivy, T-2nd, No. 6 national ranking)
WOMEN’S SQUASH (10-6; 2-4 Ivy, 5th, ended season ranked 6th nationally)
MEN’S SWIMMING
(6-4; 4-3 Ivy, T-3rd, set 15 team records at Ivies)
WOMEN’S SWIMMING (1-9; 0-7 Ivy, 8th, Spinazzola sets school record in 100 back) MEN’S TENNIS (14-5; 5-2 Ivy, 2nd in Ivies)
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY (12-14-5; 8-9-5
WOMEN’S TENNIS
ECAC Hockey, 8th; 3-5-2 Ivy, 4th, Rebecca Johnston ’11 earns All-America)
(6-14; 2-5 Ivy, T-5th, double teams dominated)
MEN’S LACROSSE (11-3; 5-1 Ivy,
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK
T-1st; NCAA, 2nd, Ivy League Champs)
(1st at HEPS, 5th straight HEPS title)
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (9-7; 3-4 Ivy, T-4th,
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK
four All-Ivy, one All-American)
(1st at HEPS)
MEN’S POLO (16-5, edged out in
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK
national semifinal)
WOMEN’S POLO (22-1, National finalists)
HEAVYWEIGHT VARSITY ROWING
(Undefeated dual meet season, 4th at Eastern Sprints)
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(1st at HEPS, 7th straight HEPS title)
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK (2nd at HEPS)
WRESTLING
(12-2; 5-0 Ivy, 1st; NCAA 5th; Ivy champs; EIWA title)
Lacrosse
Grace Under Pressure No. 7/8 Big Red men’s lacrosse program stunned prognosticators and advanced to the finals in the NCAA finals for an epic matchup against longtime rivals No. 1/1 Syracuse for the national championship title. The Orange rallied for a 10-9 overtime victory over the Big Red on May 25 in the Division I national championship game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
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ll-Americans John Glynn ’09 (three goals, two assists) and Max Seibald ’09 (two goals) led the way for the Big Red, while classmate Jake Myers ’09 had a fantastic day in goal with 10 saves in the loss. Glynn added 10 face-off wins and nine ground balls to the cause, while both Ryan Hurley ’10 (one goal, two assists) and Rob Pannell ’12 (one goal, one assist) had multi-goal days.
All-American defenseman Matt Moyer ’09 posted a pair of caused turnovers. The Big Red held advantages in shots (39-33) and ground balls (30-28). Cornell advanced to the final by upsetting No. 4/5 Virginia 15-6 to earn a spot in the championship game. Cornell’s 26th NCAA tournament victories tied the Big Red for sixth all-time with North Carolina, while its 22 appearances ranks seventh. Only six teams have more national titles than the Big Red. Cornell defeated Princeton 6-4 in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament at Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y. With the win, the Big Red improved to 12-3 on the season and advanced to the national semifinal round for the second time in the last three years. Virginia defeated Johns Hopkins, 19-8, at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., to improve to 15-2 on the year. Cornell defeated Princeton 10-7 during the regular season to earn a share of its seventh straight Ivy League title. The Big Red earned the Ivy League’s NCAA automatic bid by virtue of its head-to-head victory against the Tigers.
This season marked the seventh time that Cornel has made it to the NCAA tournament during Coach Tambroni’s tenure, making it to the quarterfinal round five times and the semifinals twice. Max Seibald ’09 (left) has been honored with four national awards — the 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy (pictured right), the premier award in collegiate lacrosse, the USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award, for the Outstanding DI Player of the Year, the USILA Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award for the Outstanding Midfielder of the Year and the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Seibald also became the first player in the history of the Ivy League to earn first-team honors four times during their lacrosse career.
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Ivy League Champs
Softball
Softball Made Fourth NCAA Appearance Cornell softball played the University of Massachusetts in the first round of the 2009 NCAA tournament on May 15 at Amherst, Mass. The Big Red softball team started off well, but No. 24 Massachusetts proved to be too much for Cornell and picked up an 8-0 six-inning win. Cornell totaled four hits, while the Minutewomen had 10. The Big Red was edged in their first consolation game against Sacred Heart by a score of 3-1.
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ornell captured its first conference title since the implementation of the Ivy Playoffs in 2007.
During the first round game, Alyson Intihar ’09, Elise Menaker ’10, Meg Risica ’09 and Devon March ’10 notched hits for the Big Red. Elizabeth Dalrymple ’11 pitched five innings and notched four strikeouts in the loss. Classmate Ali Tomlinson ’11 had two strikeouts in the last inning. Cornell won the Ivy South title with a 17-3 league mark, and won a best-of-three games in the Ivy playoff over the North Division winner, Dartmouth. The Big Red won the crown in 1999, 2001 and 2004. At its previous NCAA tournament appearance, the Big Red upset Long Beach State, 2-1, to help head coach Dick Blood win his 300th career game. With its record of 42-11, the Big Red matched its school record for wins set during its 2004 campaign when it became the last Ivy school to win a first round game at the NCAA tournament.
Spirit Magazine 15
Football
Gridiron Preview Head coach Jim Knowles ‘87 and his coaching staff have assembled a 31-person recruiting class for the upcoming 2009 season that will join the Cornell football program to continue both their academic and football careers at Cornell University. The group will help the Big Red as it prepares to claim its first Ivy League title on the gridiron since 1990.
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ifteen players in this year’s class went Early Decision, which is a record for our program and a definite advantage,” Knowles said. “We focused on increasing our size and depth in the offensive line, tight end, defensive line and linebacker positions with this class and as a coaching staff, we believe that our past two recruiting classes have been our best.” The Class of 2013 hails from 14 states and the District of Columbia, and features nine all-state selections. A class-high four recruits will attend Cornell from California and Ohio, while three hail from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and the home state of New York. Texas, Connecticut, Illinois and Tennessee each will provide two student-athletes, while five other states will send one player each to Cornell. In all, 13 of the players will join the defense and 18 will aid the offense. On the defensive side of the ball, the Big Red brings in two defensive backs, three safeties and four linebackers. Cornell will also add four defensive linemen averaging a sizable 6-3 and 245 pounds. Cornell went for plenty of skill players on the offense, bringing in five wide receivers, two running backs and three quarterbacks along with four tight ends. The offensive line will also be bolstered with the addition of four players who average 6-4 and 278 pounds. This is the fifth recruiting class for Knowles, who brought in 40 players prior to the 2005 campaign, 24 in 2006 and 30 in both 2007 and 2008. The 2009 Big Red returns 26 letter winners and 11 total starters (five offense, three defense, three special teams) from last year’s 4-6 squad. Included are returning All-Ivy selections Bryan Walters (wide receiver) and Quentin Bernhard (left tackle) on the offensive side of the ball, as well as preseason All-America linebacker Chris Costello. Cornell will put the Class of 2013 to the test when Fall practice begins in mid-August. The Big Red opens the 2009 season on Saturday, Sept. 19 against Bucknell at Schoellkopf Field.
Spirit Magazine 17
Track
Jump Start Graduation, to a coach, is a bittersweet experience. On one hand you cherish the accomplishments and achievements of those with whom you have had the pleasure to work with for four years. You have watched them mature, watched them lead, watched them leave their mark in the annals of Cornell track.
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t the same time, you hate to see them leave for those very reasons, and you hope those who succeed them will lead, inspire and motivate in the same fashion; that the legacy of what we do and how we do it will endure. Graduation, which marks the final step in a process, is also a commencement — a beginning of a new process. As a result, I have always insisted that no current team can repeat what a previous team accomplished. This year’s team cannot be, and should not try to be, last year’s team. Its focus needs to be on being the best team it can be, writing its own page in the history of Cornell track. The success of any team is dependent to a great extent on the quality of the senior leadership. We are fortunate this year to have a terrific group of seniors, with four capable, involved and enthusiastic captains: Aeriel Emig ’09, Maria Matos ’09, Tameka Royal ’09 and Amanda Wheat ’09. Success in any year is also dependent on returners and newcomers seizing the opportunities presented to them and making the most of those opportunities. It would seem that the ingredients are here to have another successful and exciting year. Thus far, Jeomi Maduka ’09 has led the way with two Ivy League records, three school records, an automatic NCAA qualifying mark in the long jump (21-9) and a NCAA provisional mark in the triple jump (43-6). She established a new Ivy League record in the 60m dash at 7.48, only to watch a freshman, Melissa Hewitt ’12, better that mark with a 7.46 in winning the Penn State Open. Hewitt has also established freshman school records in the 60m and 200m dashes. The enthusiasm and hard work throughout the fall and winter break by both the veterans and the frosh has certainly paid dividends, as many personalbest performances and ECAC qualifying marks have already been achieved. Previous national qualifiers Matos and Natalie Gengel ’10 have started well, and the team shows excellent depth in many events, especially the sprints, middle and long distances. We will need all of that depth to contend with last year’s indoor champions and outdoor runner-up Princeton. Close on their heels are improved teams from Harvard and Columbia, as well as indoor runnerup Brown. The league continues to improve and become more competitive, and I’m proud to report that Cornell continues to lead the way in driving that improvement by setting a high standard of hard work and dedication. Our past success has come not because we have been more talented than others, but because we have worked harder to achieve that success. That is the legacy of previous teams and previous graduating seniors. It certainly appears that this year’s team, led by our seniors, is demonstrating those same attributes. And that is very sweet, indeed!
Spirit Magazine 19
Golf
Long Ball Hitters The Cornell golf team finished day one of the 2009 Ivy League championships in seventh place after 18 holes in the 54-hole event. The tournament, being played at Atlantic City Country Club, is a three-day format. Cornell carded a first round total of 297 and sits 12 shots behind lead Penn, which finished with a three-under 285. Cornell sits a manageable six shots out of second place.
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eading the way on day one was freshman Alex Simson, who sits in seventh place after shooting a 1-under-par 71. Simson had an uneventful first nine after starting out on the 10th, but once he hit the turn all that changed. He lost a stroke on the third, but answered with three straight birdies to move to 2-under through 15 (sixth hole). He then answered consecutive bogeys with a birdie on his final hole to finish the day -1. Junior Robert Cronheim and sophomore Dan Bosse weren’t far behind, eaching shooting a +2 total of 74 on the day to tie for 17th. Bosse was consistent with 14 pars on the afternoon and birdied the 17 to offset three bogeys. Cronheim, meanwhile, dug himself out of an early hole when he doubled his second hole (the 11th) and shot bogey on the 13th to open up +3 through four holes. The junior settled down and picked up two shots before giving one back on his 16th hole to finish the day 2-under-par. Sophomores Ben Myer (+6, 78) and Tim Murphy (+11, 83) rounded out the Big Red scoring on day one.
Spirit Magazine 21
Strength and Conditioning
Friedman Staff Strives to Keep Athletes in Top Shape by TOM HOWLEY Director of Athletic Performance, Friedman Strength and Conditioning Center
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ur teams have had an excellent conditioning season at the Friedman Strength and Conditioning Center, and we are excited about what they’ve accomplished. We are hoping for great results during their respective competitive seasons. The changes we experienced this year continue to impact our program. Assistant strength coach Leslie Johnson resigned from our staff to attend physical therapy school at Central Michigan University. We wish Leslie the best of luck! Maghan Lunsford replaces Leslie. Lunsford was the captain of the softball team at Ohio University, where she received her master’s degree this past spring in Sports Science. She is excited to join our program at Cornell. In addition to her team training responsibilities, Lunsford has undertaken our nutrition education program which will enhance our overall mission to improve the health and performance of our athletes. Under Lunsford’s direction, we hope to expand the scope and depth of our nutrition counseling program in the coming months. A significant element in performance training is the recovery segment. Proper nutrition and sleep habits are crucial to allowing the body to adequately recover from the stresses of training/practice/competition (see my tips in the sidebar for those of you hoping to keep your fitness level up). This presents a particular challenge in the collegiate setting, where many students make poor decisions regarding their daily intake and, as a result, may not experience maximal gains. We encourage our student-athletes through team presentations, handouts and individual counseling to think about and practice proper nutrition habits to allow them to achieve their goals. We have also teamed with Chris Wlosinski, the Andrew ’78 and Margaret Paul Director of Student-Athlete Support Services, on a number of projects ranging from alcohol awareness seminars to identifying and engaging those suffering from eating disorders. This is an ongoing priority with our staff and we hope to provide strong support in this area. Our Wall of Honor continues to be a major source of motivation for the athletes in our department. Mark Longo ’10 22 Spirit Magazine
(football) broke the record with a jump of 39”, while Max Seibald ’09 (lacrosse) broke his own 40-yard dash record. The list is constantly updated on our website (www.CornellBigRed.com). If you are interested in seeing the names of the athletes in your former sport who have made the list during the past test cycle, please go to the website and click on “Strength and Conditioning” to get the results. Our staff tries to create an atmosphere of success in designing and conducting workouts to make them as productive as possible and prepare them for the demands of intercollegiate competition. We appreciate the sacrifices that were made on their part to make this commitment to their programs and to Cornell. So too, do we appreciate your gifts which help support our efforts. Our facility would only be a dream if it weren’t for the generous gifts the department receives from the friends of Cornell Athletics & Physical Education. We could not do it without you! Your gifts make it possible to maintain and enhance a quality training experience for our student-athletes.
Strength and Conditioning Tipsfrom Tom Eat breakfast. It has been scientifically demonstrated that those who eat breakfast tend to have lower body fat than those who skip breakfast. Even a moderate meal will help to jump start your metabolism in the morning and will provide necessary energy for morning activities. Learn to make healthy choices and lifestyle adjustments The key to preparation lies in answering the following questions prior to the sounding of the “hunger alarm”: 1) What will I eat? 2) When will I eat? 3) How much should I consume to meet my reasonable caloric needs? If you leave your house in the morning (after a healthy breakfast, of course) and cannot answer those questions regarding subsequent meals, you are unprepared. Bringing your lunch to your place of employment rather than eating out is a great way to control your caloric intake and help to avoid making poor decisions when looking at the restaurant menu on an empty stomach.
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Select carbohydrates from whole grain sources, fresh fruits and vegetables. Processed, refined carbs are quickly burned and may contribute to premature fatigue and hunger if they are a large part of your food choices. Select whole grain breads, pastas and rice which are healthier and will allow for more prolonged energy levels.
Eat a sufficient amount of protein. As an athlete, it is crucial to consume adequate protein from lean sources in order to rebuild and repair muscle tissue that is damaged as a result of intense activity. In our everyday lives, protein is used for regulating our immune system, helping with digestion and allowing for a healthy muscular system. Lean cuts of beef, chicken, fish, legumes and dairy products are ideal. On average, approximately 20% of the calories in your diet should come from protein.
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Stay hydrated. Drinking an adequate amount of water is crucial for maintaining overall health and being able to perform basic bodily functions. In addition, maintaining sufficient hydration is critical in weight management and will help to regulate the “hunger mechanism.” For an active adult, 9-13 cups of fluid per day is suggested.