Basketball alumni to return for ‘tradition’

RYAN KIRBY STAFF WRITER REK722@CABRINI EDU

The Dixon Center will again host the annual Cabrini men’s basketball alumni game on Saturday, Feb. 2 starting at 10 a.m. Regaining the support for the alumni has been the main priority for the new head coach Greg Herenda as he has done his best to turn the Cavalier program around in many aspects.

“I think it is very important to connect to our alumni with our current team and coaching staff. Cabrini has a great basketball tradition and we should always bring everybody back at least once a year,” Coach Greg Herenda said

“It did cost a lot of money but at the same time it was definitely worth all of the fundraising,” sophomore Anne Konicki, an exercise science and health promotion major, said.

Since 2003, the Cabrini swim team has doubled its win total each year. From one win in 2004 to its first-ever winning season last season featuring a 7-2 mark. Not only has the women’s team improved each year but last season a men’s team was introduced.

But with all the success there is a price to pay. Thus, welcome to Puerto Rico.

The team trained twice daily from 6 a.m.-8:00 a.m and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Caparra Country Club of San Juan working on their fastest times, long yardage and extreme intensity.

“I actually enjoyed our long practices because I saw a difference in my swimming abilities. I came back from the trip stronger, more explosive and excited for the rest of the season,” freshmen Kyle Teliszewski, a history and education major, said.

After a long day of training, the team came closer together each night at the dinner table, in the hotel or out sight seeing Puerto Rico.

“We are a young program. A trip like this brings a team together. By the end of our time in Puerto Rico it was clear the team was more enthusiastic in their training along with their overall morale,” Kernicky said.

The team not only gained vital strength in the pool but also made large cultural strides or rather strokes during their time in Puerto Rico.

“It was cool seeing a different part of the world and being exposed to something we do not see everyday,” Teliszewski said. “Puerto Rico was basically America but more people speak Spanish.”

Following their hard months of training, a taper period of 10 days to two weeks begins with fewer yards, attention to details and concentration on the mental aspect of swimming.

Then, prior to a meet against Swarthmore College on Jan. 26, swimmers shaved their entire bodies to give themselves a slippery advantage over the competition.

“Our meet with Swarthmore is a huge step for this program. It is a sign that bigger programs are willing to compete against us,” Kernicky said.

Cabrini swimmers hope to do their very best in relays, distance events, sprints and prime events against Swarthmore so they can qualify for the ECAC tournament, which could lead to the NCAA Championships.

“This has been our best season yet. We have more kids that get it. This season has been especially rewarding as a coach,” Kernicky said.

The day will start with a warm up for the alumni players followed by their game with the odd graduating years against the evens. After the game their will be food for the alumni and their families. Everyone is welcome to attend both the alumni game and to stick around and watch the Cabrini women at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3 p.m., both teams taking on Immaculata University.

“We really want this to be a family event and we also hope that our players have a chance to connect with the alumni. We hope for great fan support this Saturday so that the alumni have a chance to connect with the Cabrini community,” Herenda said.

Coach Herenda is only the fourth to take the helm of the cavaliers since 1974, a program rich with tradition. From 1993 through 2002 the Cabrini College men’s basketball team won eight PAC Championships and went to the NCAA Division III Tournament eight times.

The day will feature up to and possibly over 40 of Cabrini’s alumni basketball players, who are all encouraged to bring their families for the food and for the games later in the day.

The 2008 version of the Cavaliers has a 7-9 overall record with a 4-3 record in the PAC. They are coming off two straight wins over Gwynedd Mercy and Marywood.

“The alumni game should be a time of great enthusiasm and support for the program and we have a lot of positive things happening this year. Randy Reid has scored his 1000th career point and Glen Washington is having a great freshman season. Most importantly though, our team is playing very hard and we are improving on a daily basis,” Herenda said.

“I think it’s important that we prove to the alumni there that we are a good team and really have a great chance this year in the PAC, were much improved from the past couple seasons. It is always great to see the players that you played with in the past,” senior captain Bruce MacLelland said.

MacLelland and the Cavs are looking to improve their fourth place standing in the PAC and take a stranglehold on one of the six playoff spots.