DID YOU KNOW?
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Penn State won seven of the first 15 Big Ten Conference championships determined during the 2012-13 academic year.
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Inside this Issue
Seat selection for football, ice hockey.......3 Coaches make One Team a reality............4 Student-athletes earn jackets...................5 Anniversary for men’s lacrosse................5 Wild night for men’s basketball...............6 Coach builds team, members....................7 Student-athletes drive efforts................ 8-9 Pink Power....................................... 10-11 Baseball addition helps defense............. 12 Internal motivation for wrestlers............ 13 Gymnasts adapt to rule.......................... 14 Another positive report.......................... 17 Facilities boost programs, people........... 18
Penn State has won 23 NCAA crowns since 1993-94, its first Departments full year in the Big 3 NLC Notebook // 15 Compliance Corner // 16 Gift List Ten. That’s more than double every other Big Ten school. Iowa On the Cover Student-athletes lead Lift for Life, breast-cancer awareness at women’s is second with 10.
gymnastics, THON participation and much more. (Photos by Mark Selders)
About the Newsletter
Volume 33, No. 4 / Spring 2013 U.Ed. ICA-13-191
The Nittany Lion Club Newsletter is a quarterly publication sent to all Nittany Lion Club members. The newsletter is published by the Penn State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Nittany Lion Club Web Site www.nittanylionclub.com Athletics Web Site www.gopsusports.com Executive Editor Greg Myford Contributors Penn State Athletic Communications Nittany Lion Club Mission Statement The Nittany Lion Club, comprised of Penn State alumni and friends of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, was established in 1959 to create greater interest in and financial support of Penn State varsity athletics. Members of the Nittany Lion Club make possible grant-in-aid support for more than 800 student-athletes each academic year and provide operational support for the University’s entire 31-sport intercollegiate athletics program.
STARTING SHOT
Teamwork matters, even in the offseason. Members of the women’s soccer team work on a team-building exercise.
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NLC NOTEBOOK
REMINDER
Annual events offer access, fun
NLC Online Seat Selection Underway—Football TBA—Men’s Ice Hockey
Every season brings with it a high level of anticipation and excitement—and justifiably so as our intercollegiate athletics program crafts success year round, no matter what the sport.
State Successes Recent highlights of efforts by our coaches and student-athletes:
Entering the spring, though, a special focus turns to Penn State fans and Nittany Lion Club members. Several events offer opportunities for NLC members to interact with our coaches and studentathletes in special settings. Those events take place on campus and in the backyard of our fans throughout the Northeast.
l Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan was named Mid-Atlantic Region Men’s Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches’ Association. In addition, Coquese Washington was named Big Ten Coach of the Year as the Lady Lions grabbed the season’s top awards for women’s basketball. It was the second year in a row Washington was honored. And Cael Sanderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third year in a row as the wrestling team won its third straight conference championship.
The bus that carried coaches for 1,968 miles during the inaugural Coaches Caravan waits outside the Washington Hilton. (Photo by Mark Selders)
Things begin with the annual Blue-White Breakfast on Saturday, April 20, at the Bryce Jordan Center. During this event, coach Bill O’Brien shares details about the team’s spring practices and introduces this year’s seniors. Later in the spring, the popular Coaches Caravan—co-sponsored by the Nittany Lion Club and the Penn State Alumni Association—returns with a dozen stops over two weeks in late April and early May. Coaches Caravan schedule: April 30: Reading, Pa., and Philadelphia May 1: Baltimore and Washington, D.C. May 2: Lancaster, Pa., and Harrisburg, Pa. May 7: Williamsport, Pa., and Allentown, Pa. May 8: New York City and Scranton, Pa., May 9: Dubois, Pa., and Pittsburgh
Details and registration information have been distributed to members of the NLC and the Alumni Association.
l Lady Lions junior guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) was named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the coaches and media. Additionally, senior guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) took home her third career All-Big Ten first-team honor. The Lady Lions have 28 All-Big Ten first-team selections, the most of any team in the Big Ten since joining the conference.
Athletic department officials, coaches and NLC staff anticipate the event almost as much as those who attend at the Caravan stops. For everyone involved, the Caravan offers an opportunity to interact, share ideas and talk about a shared passion—Penn State. Traveling around the region and meeting fans energizes coaches and staff, just as the receptions, dinners and discussions provide a memorable experience for those who attend. Finally, what has grown into one of the most anticipated and successful events of the year will come in July, when the annual Lift for Life takes place on campus. Sponsored by Uplifting Athletes and now in its 10th year, Lift for Life (see story, Page 9) allows members of the football team to complete a variety of activities to test endurance and strength in order to raise funds to battle rare diseases. Each of the events offers fan-friendly access and fun.
l Bentley also earned the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is presented annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, to the nation’s outstanding female collegian 5-feet-8 inches and under who has excelled both athletically and academically. She is the third Lady Lion to win the honor, joining Suzie McConnell (1988) and Helen Darling (2000). l The men’s ice hockey team finished its inaugural season winning eight of its last nine games. The team played 10 times in front of crowds of 5,000 or more.
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Team first ... from golf course to gym and beyond One Team. They could be just words, another phrase, but they’re not. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Penn State coaches, One Team has become an everyday matter of business, how people act and what they expect.
At a spring break women’s lacrosse match with James Madison, the men’s coaching staff and studentathletes attended to support their fellow Penn Staters. Likewise, the night before the men’s basketball team played at Michigan in mid-February, Patrick Chambers and his team showed up at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor to support the Penn State women’s gymnastics team in its match.
“It’s always been that way here. When I got started as an assistant coach what jumped out to me was how everybody got along, and you could be asking some Of course, that came about a great, experienced and respected week before the Nittany Lions coaches about how they did their played at home against Michigan. jobs and what worked for them,” Before their upset of the then No. said men’s volleyball coach Mark 4 Wolverines they were visited by Pavlik (’82), who has progressed football coach Bill O’Brien, who nicely from his days as an delivered an emotional message of assistant. He has more than 430 support. Football coach Bill O’Brien (right), assistants Stan Hixon (left) and Larry career victories and a national Johnson (second from left) greet women’s basketball coach Coquese championship to his credit. He’s Washington during a tournament sendoff in 2012. (Photo by Mark Selders) Beyond the competition almost an elder statesmen among Such support stretches to all the varsity coaches. Still, he’s as aspects of the University. Women’s down-to-earth, and self-effacing as ever. soccer coach Erica Walsh, men’s soccer coach Bob Warming and women’s basketball coach Coquese Washington served as “To me, athletics and our coaches are truly a family. We all co-hosts for the Student-Athlete Talent Show during the Penn pull for each other,” Pavlik said. “It’s just like what I say about State Dance Marathon. all Penn Staters. They’re ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” It was a late Saturday night in the middle of February, but it was clear all three would rather be there—in front of 15,000 Penn In the past few months, those ordinary people who happen to State students, alumni and friends, watching student-athletes be coaches, have provided numerous everyday, but somewhat try their best to complete some synchronized dance effort— extraordinary examples of supporting each other and Penn than any other place in the world at that time. State. Here are just a few examples: Who they are, what they represent Lunch bunch, greeting and meeting From season to season and sport to sport, the coaches support Monthly “brown bag” lunches with coaches, usually hosted their fellow coaches and the student-athletes. From field by women’s golf coach Denise St. Pierre (’83) and men’s golf hockey coach Char Morett (’79) traveling to Atlantic City as part coach Greg Nye at the Tombros Varsity Golf Clubhouse, have of the Penn State contingent for the Maxwell Club ceremony become popular—with 15 or 16 coaches at some sessions to Pavlik checking out a men’s ice hockey game, the coaches when schedules allow. show up just about anywhere, at just about anytime, for each other and Penn State. “It’s just another way to get to know each other and share ideas,” said women’s gymnastics coach Jeff Thompson. “Also, “You just have this overall sense of team and us, even if it seems like everybody’s there at some point. I’ve coached at it’s not your specific team,” said women’s lacrosse coach places before where you never saw the football coach. Or, they Missy Doherty. “It’s just about Penn State, and the coaches had their own meetings and it was clear all the other teams have been a good model for that. They answer questions, were not football. That’s not the case here.” help, mentor, whatever’s needed. At the same time, you feel comfortable to contribute and share, too. That’s what a team’s Showing strong, steady support all about.” As a result, coaches’ actions filter down to their teams and to the student-athletes.
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Alumni, student-athletes enjoy first-ever jacket ceremony Penn State’s tradition-rich athletic program added another chapter with its first-ever Varsity Letter Jacket Ceremony this spring. In the past, coaches or individual teams distributed the iconic jackets during separate events, often with little fanfare. This year, though, the Varsity ‘S’ Club coordinated a group program that honored 60 student-athletes from seven fall teams on the same evening at the Bryce Jordan Center.
A total of 60 student-athletes from seven sports were presented with their jackets at the ceremony.
“It just feels like it tightens the bond between alumni and the current studentathletes,” said Michelle Tambroni, a former field hockey All-American who was one of the ambassadors for the event.
For some that network was especially personal. Kendall Pierce (Eden, N.Y.) from the women’s volleyball team joined her parents as a letterwinner at Penn State.
She and former football Academic All-America selection Justin Kurpeikis provided a link to the past that the current student-athletes appreciated as well.
“It’s really special because both my parents were student-athletes here,” Pierce said. “To be able to send them a picture of me in it is pretty cool, and I think it makes them proud in return.”
“For me, receiving the jacket means I’ve been added to a tradition of elite studentathletes who have represented Penn State to the best of their ability,” said freshman field hockey standout Haley Kerstetter (Selinsgrove, Pa.). “I feel as though I’ve been put into a new network of people who look to stand for courage, honor and success.”
Master of ceremonies Steve Jones capably guided the program, which included comments from athletic administrators, alumni and current student-athletes—with members of each group moved by what members of the other had to say about the occasion. “To hear our students share their feelings
... that was special,” Tambroni said. “Maddy (Evans) from the soccer team was just great.” By sport, there were six honorees from women’s cross country, four from men’s cross country, three from field hockey, 25 from football, nine from men’s soccer, 10 from women’s soccer and three from women’s volleyball. Still, what team any single studentathlete represented hardly mattered—as Pierce clearly pointed out. “What’s cool about the jacket is that it doesn’t have your specific sport or name on it. It’s just the big ‘S,’ and having almost every student-athlete have that matching ‘S’ on them really represents our One Team motto well.”
MEN’S LACROSSE CELEBRATES 100TH SEASON After a 2-0 start to the 100th season of men’s lacrosse at Penn State—including a victory against Denver before more than 5,400 people in Jacksonville, Fla.—a crowd of 1,249 people turned out at Holuba Hall as the Nittany Lions battled Notre Dame. As the team eyes postseason play, the regular season winds down with four home games in April. In addition, the team will welcome alumni for a celebration of the 100th season on April 6. Along with the game against Drexel, there will be tours of the All-Sports Museum, a pre-game tailgate for alumni, family and friends, halftime recognition of alumni and a post-game reception. (Photos by Steve Tressler)
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One Wild Night: Upset of No. 4 Michigan displays attitude Although he always says you have two choices in life when it comes to attitude, what coach Patrick Chambers really means to say is that you have one choice. Anything less than a positive attitude is simply unacceptable and not good enough for the Nittany Lion basketball program. From the day he arrived on campus, Chambers began laying the foundation for his expectations. The overriding theme from the start revolved around a positive attitude. What separates Chambers from just about everyone else in the sport isn’t the fact that he preaches confidence and positivity as the foundation for success. It’s the fact that regardless of the team’s record or what type of adversity it faces, the approach does not change. Guard D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia) celebrates after the Nittany Lions’ 84-78 victory over Michigan at the
Evidence of that approach came Feb. Bryce Jordan Center. Newbill contributed 17 points and five assists while Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.) 27, when the Nittany Lions rallied from scored 25 points. (Photos by Mark Selders) 15 down in the second half to upset He saw the game, and the team’s effort throughout the second fourth-ranked Michigan. Still, the team’s attitude was evident half of the season as a testament to the power of attitude. in the weeks and months leading up to the well-earned victory, too. Even as the team struggled, its positivity and the team-first “We were on a 14-game losing streak and they still came with a approach never wavered. National media members noticed, as great approach. They didn’t lose the fight or the fire, and I knew did opponents. we were going to win one down the line,” Chambers said. “They will never forget that for as long as they live. That is Penn State basketball. Get a good picture of that because that is what it is Maybe that’s why Michigan coach John Beilein did not seem going to be. It was very good to see.” shocked by the outcome. Chambers was not surprised, either.
Seniors Nick Colella (New Castle, Pa.) and Sasa Borovnjak (Belgrade, Serbia) were honored before the game. (Photo by Mark Selders)
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For Alford-Sullivan, building relays, setting specialists key part of success As the leader of six teams—women’s cross country, men’s cross country, women’s and men’s track and field (both indoor and out)—Beth Alford-Sullivan has dozens of student-athletes to worry about and numerous challenges and concerns on a daily basis. A committed group of assistants help make it happen. (Two of those coaches, Randy Bungard and John Gondak, were honored as regional assistant coach of the year for women and men, respectively). But sometimes coaching comes down to more than distances and times. Sometimes, it’s a matter of experimentation and gut feel. That’s especially true when putting together relay teams and specialists. They’re good at that, too. “First of all, we have good studentathletes, kids who are competitive and talented,” Alford-Sullivan said. “And, honestly, sometimes you never know what’s going to happen when you put them together.” Most recently, the program’s men’s distance medley relay team, which included two freshmen, advanced to nationals. Freshman Brannon Kidder (Lancaster, Ohio) ran the 1,200-meter lead leg. “You need someone with poise in that position because there are going to be 12 guys on the track,” Alford-Sullivan said. “You need somebody cool under pressure and someone who can bring the stick around in good position.” The indoor-only medley relay, which included junior Brandon Bennett-Green (Philadelphia), freshman Za’Von Watkins (Liverpool, N.Y.) and Robbie Creese (Mount Airy, Md.) at nationals, was typical of other relays for Penn State. Each of the runners earned a coveted position for a specific reason. “There’s a lot of personality to a relay team, too. It’s not just the best times,” Alford-Sullivan said. “Different legs of different races require different skills.
And, of course, the races themselves differ a lot.” In the 4x100, it’s a matter of speed and the runners’ ability to exchange the baton efficiently. One runner might be more comfortable running through the corners than down the straightaway—so that’s a factor, just as a bulldog mentality or some physicality might determine who runs which leg on a longer relay. While relays require more experimentation, finding certain specialists becomes more of a building process. Specifically, high school track programs across the country do not usually feature steeplechase competitors or hammer/weight throwers. So when student-athletes get to Penn State, the coaching staff must identify someone for those roles. Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan encourages a runner during an indoor
“I’m still trying to figure out the meet. (Photo by Mark Selders) typical steeplechase kids. There’s no one-size-fits-all model,” Alford-Sullivan said. “They need endurance, but also speed and they have to have a little bit of a build, some muscle, because it’s a grueling race. Some will self identify, A strong season and postseason because they enjoy a challenge, but produced several school records for mostly we start some kids on some baby the men’s swimming team. Those hurdles, build up and see what happens.” included:
Swimming Records
Hammer throwers follow a similar model as those who have proven their talent with the discus or shot put get a chance to add another skill set. While most runners who end up in the steeplechase have run before, making the transition a little easier, Alford-Sullivan said hammer throwers must be built and it’s not always an easy or simple transition. Parts of the base skill set transfer, but the spin and throw differs in significant manners from the discus and shot. “Some pick it up more quickly than others, and it’s nice to see those that move into it improve,” she said. “There’s a lot of technique that goes with it and it takes time, so when it comes together it’s special.”
45.17—100 back 46.00—100 butterfly Junior Sean Grier (Hummelstown, Pa.) 4:18.56—500 free Sophomore Nick Ankosko (East Brunswick, N.J.) 1:25.38—200 medley relay Sophomore Nate Savoy (Reading, Pa.), junior James Wilson (Nottingham, Pa.), Grier, and junior Shane Austin (Kennett Square, Pa.)
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Coach Patrick Chambers, with guard Tim Frazier, presents a check to the Penn State Dance Marathon. Chambers offered to donate $10 for every student who attended the men’s basketball game against Iowa and the result was a donation of $14,200—another part of the large presence of coaches and teams during THON. (Photo by Mark Selders)
Above and Beyond Student-athletes drive spirit of giving, service that permeates at Penn State It was much closer to midnight than midday at the Bryce Jordan Center, but the crowd Saturday night was so thick that a line of people waiting to get into the building stretched down University Drive.
They were there to be part of THON, to make a difference. It was just one of many examples of Penn State student-athletes taking an active role on campus and in the community, going above and beyond practices and games to care and support others or simply share their Penn State pride.
Those inside were the lucky ones. They were there to support the Penn State Dance Marathon and enjoy some of the most popular moments of THON on any Saturday night—the StudentAthlete Pep Rally and Talent Show.
During a typical academic year, such student-athlete driven efforts last from start to finish. Activities begin early in the fall semester with fundraising efforts by the Student-Athlete Advisory Board. Those include an annual cookout at the HUB-Robeson Center and a date auction later in the semester.
Representatives from almost every varsity sports team took the stage (or offered support in the form of a video if they were out of town) to either embarrass themselves or share some talent to encourage dancers and families and support THON. While there was a fine line between embarrassment and entertainment, it was clear all those student-athletes from all those teams were determined and united in their effort.
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Several individuals and teams also make regular visits to elementary schools near campus to participate in educational programs, everything from scheduled reading sessions to special events. During the current academic year, Lady Lions senior basketball player Gizelle Studevent (La Jolla, Calif.) served as one of the leaders for a program that educated elementary school students on bullying.
She and others shared their personal stories as bullying victims and helped students become more comfortable or understand their own problems. People of any age get touched by the charitable work of Penn State studentathletes. That’s especially true when teams annually participate in the Centre County United Way Day of Caring and, of course, disease-fighting efforts such as Coaches vs. Cancer, Pink Zone and Lift for Life/Uplifting Athletes. All of those efforts, even if they benefit from a coach’s urging or broad-based University support, ultimately thrive because of Penn State student-athletes. Their personal investment and their support—whether it’s painting or raking leaves during Day of Caring, muscling tires at Lift for Life, conducting a clinic or signing autographs at a cancer-related event or simply encouraging others to do whatever they can—matters. And that commitment transfers to success. It matters, and it makes an impact. That’s why Penn State’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer effort ranks among the top five in the nation. It’s also why Pink Zone sets records year after year and why Uplifting Athletes has grown far beyond Happy Valley. It’s why the Student-Athlete Pep Rally and Talent Show are so popular, too. In each instance, Penn State studentathletes provided leadership. Their work might seem like a little thing, but the consistent efforts made a big impact. For example, along with Studevent’s work with bullying this year, numerous studentathletes across a variety of sports have been nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The Senior CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, which focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in the community. During the 2012-13 academic year, two Penn State student-athletes were selected as Senior CLASS nominees—midfielder Nick Dolik (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) of
Uplifting Athletes sets sights on lofty goal As Lift for Life moves toward its 11th annual event on July 12, the current organizing force behind the charity effort has a big number in mind—$1 million. “If we double what we did last year, we can be at $1 million over the first 10 years. That’s big,” said Eric Shrive (West Scranton, Pa.), a senior offensive lineman on the football team and the latest in the line of leaders who have propelled Lift for Life during the past decade. Along with his goals for Lift for Life at Penn State, Shrive thinks Uplifting Athletes—the national non-profit organization that grew out of Lift for Life—can make an impact far beyond Happy Valley. “It can be for football what Coaches vs. Cancer is for basketball. It can be bigger. Just do the math,” Shrive said. “A basketball team has 15 people and plays in arenas that seat 10,000 or 15,000 people. A football team has as many as 100 guys, playing in stadiums from 50,000 to 112,000-plus. If we grow this and student-athletes put their mind to it, it can be really big.” Uplifting Athletes got its start at Penn State in 2003 when Scott Shirley (’03) and some football teammates spearheaded the first test of endurance and strength to raise money to battle the disease that had impacted Shirley’s father, kidney cancer. Subsequent generations of football players have consistently supported Lift for Life and Uplifting Athletes, which has grown to 14 chapters at colleges and universities across the country—with more on the way. the men’s lacrosse team and guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis) of the women’s basketball team. Across the board the actions of studentathletes encourage and inspire others. As members of the Penn State student body, they have a powerful forum and again this year that forum led others to take action. Perhaps most notably and publicly was
“It’s a message and opportunity that resonates,” said Shirley, executive director and chairman of the board for Uplifting Athletes. “Student-athletes determine the rare disease their chapter addresses and we offer a structure and support. As a result, each chapter has its own personality.” Under Shrive’s direction, that personality at Penn State has become a bit more outgoing. During his first meeting with coach Bill O’Brien last year, Shrive shared information about Lift for Life and the coach immediately pledged his support. O’Brien set a date for the event then and there. Last year’s event took place before a record crowd with updated challenges. With that $1 million goal in mind, Lift for Life added activities this year, including a 7,000 push-up challenge at a men’s basketball game.
In addition, Shrive hopes to more deeply engage members of the Nittany Lion Club and other Penn State supporters in the effort. As a tangible display of support, Shrive and the football coaching staff have made T-shirts with “Iron Lions” available for sale. During the push-up effort at the Bryce Jordan Center, the entire stock of the shirts—priced at $50 each—sold out in less than two hours. “It’s going to be an exciting year,” Shrive said. “We have a chance to really grow the event, and I think as we reach out to other people to help, they’re going to want to fully support it in every way possible.”
men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers and his wife, Courtney. For the Iowa game the night before THON, they pledged $10 for each student who attended the game. The result was a $14,200 donation, with the check presentation made at the Jordan Center during THON—just hours before all those student-athletes took the stage.
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Pink P Kyle VanThof, men’s lacrosse
Pink Zone draws fourth-large as team clinches share of crown
From start to finish—with Talia East and Ariel (at right), to Maggie Lucas and Nikki Greene (a points, to Alex Bentley celebrating with the Big T game before a crowd of 14,173 at the Bryce Jord final amount raised (more than $300,000 based will be announced soon. ( 10 31 SPORTS ... ONETEAM
Power
est crowd in Lady Lion history wn, raises more than $300,000
Edwards autographing shirts before the game above left and above right, respectively) scoring Ten championship trophy—the annual Pink Zone dan Center on Feb. 24 was a huge success. The on silent auction items and other contributions) (Photos by Mark Selders) NLC: THE TEAM BEHIND THE ONETEAM TEAMS 11
BASH BROTHERS Brothers Aaron (left) and Peter Russell, from Ellicott City, Md., have been steady contributors for the men’s volleyball team all season. They followed their father, Stewart (’86), to the men’s volleyball program. Penn State, a fixture in the Top 10 this season, begins postseason play in the EIVA semifinals April 25. If the team reaches the NCAA semifinals, play begins May 2 in Los Angeles. (Photos by Mark Selders)
Coaching focus helps baseball team improve its defense The baseball team made a strategic move in the offseason, adding volunteer assistant outfielders coach Adam White to the staff and increasing the emphasis on quality defense. Like many Penn State coaches and assistants, White has a strong grounding for his approach. “I want these guys to be competitive and have a lot of energy in everything that they do,” said White.
outfielders to grow complacent. These are the moments when crucial mistakes occur that can cost a team a game.
Adam White
He focuses on the details of each player’s game, beginning with their footwork, which acts as the foundation during any given play and White believes can help prevent errors. “Whether it’s just catching a routine fly ball or fielding a ground ball, they have to be very efficient because it will cut down on mistakes,” White said. “So, I hammer a lot with their footwork.” Discipline and being alert are two top priorities for White’s players as well. There are times when the ball seems stuck in the infield when a pitcher is getting a lot of ground ball outs, which can cause
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“It’s just being competitive, being ready, and anticipating the ball getting hit to you,” said White, “because in the outfield it can be very boring. You might only see one ball a game and that time that you’re not ready is the time it could cost [your team] a game.”
Players have embraced White’s style and are working hard to improve. “Coach White has helped a ton,” said junior outfielder Zach Ells. “He really delves into all aspects of the game and cuts into every part of it. He analyzes every little movement you make.” White is confident in the team’s outfielders because of their response to his methods and their work ethic. “They’re a great group of kids,” said White. “We still have some work to do, but they’re getting better every day.” — Scott Traweek, student writer
Camaraderie, competition drive wrestlers to success
There’s no secret of success for the dynastic performance of the wrestling team in recent seasons. During Penn State’s march to three consecutive national championships the approach has been rather simple. It’s just a straightforward matter of determination, hard work, talent and tenacity.
Coach Cael Sanderson—who was voted national Coach of the Year after the Nittany Lions’ third consecutive crown—recruits studentathletes who want national championships, not people likely to be satisfied with a stellar individual record Members of the wrestling team celebrate their third consecutive national championship. (Photo by Mark Selders) during the season or even a strong finish at the conference Along with Sanderson’s motivational “We feed off of each other, that energy,” tournament. (Although the squad was messages (posted on signs in the said Taylor. “It’s exciting to watch when quite happy to earn its third consecutive wrestling room with phrases such as someone can get a victory with bonus Big Ten championship, including four “trample the weak” and “hurdle the dead” points. Plus, those points are how teams individual champions.) depending on the coach’s mood), team win championships.” At nationals, Penn State crowned two champions—Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) at 184 pounds and Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) at 197. Wright’s victory clinched the team crown and capped his career as a four-time All-American—just the sixth in program history. The Penn State contingent also produced three other finalists and the team’s performance reflects Sanderson’s expectations, which permeate the team. Team members preach a one-matchat-a-time mantra that serves them well from the start of the season all the way through the national championships. As a result, few members of the team are satisfied with just edging out a victory. In the semifinal round at nationals, the Nittany Lions produced two falls and three major decisions to advance. That’s the type of performance they perfected during the regular season. Camaraderie and competitiveness fuels some important internal competition, too.
members are acutely aware of seasonlong statistics. They’re especially focused on things such as takedowns, bonus points, major decisions, stalls forced, technical falls and falls.
“We’re all competitive, so we all probably look at that at some point during the season,” said sophomore Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), who crafted a 49-2 takedown advantage during the regular season and finished second, earning All-America status at nationals. “My approach on the mat is to be relentless, to keep going and to take control. If you do that and win by a couple of points, that’s OK. But most of the time that you do that you’re going to end up winning by more than just a couple of points. And it seems like there are a lot of guys on the team who feel that way.” Three-time All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) personifies that approach. At nationals, he was honored for recording the most technical falls in Division I wrestling during the season.
Ruth calls the team’s exciting style of wrestling a “weird telekinetic chemistry.” Whatever it’s called, it means showtime for fans—with big moves and near falls regularly drawing “oohs” and “ahhs” as team members work hard not to be outdone by each other. “We just wrestle hard,” Ruth said simply. “We keep going and going.” Just as Sanderson would want—it’s that easy. Combine a relentless approach with the talented wrestlers placed throughout the lineup and the likelihood of one-sided results seems high. In addition, wrestlers avoid lethargic efforts by measuring themselves against the highest possible standard—themselves. Everyone works for bonus points and a place atop the list of standings that reflects such dominance. “It’s who we are,” Taylor said. “We just want to go hard, and be the best we can.” And at its best the team clearly ranks as the best in the nation.
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Top-ranked men’s gymnasts adapt, prepare for nationals A midseason rule change prompted a somewhat altered approach, but not much has slowed the success of the top-ranked men’s gymnastics team as it marches toward the end of the season and the NCAA Championships at Rec Hall. Starting in March, the NCAA implemented a different scoring system that required teams to have five gymnasts compete in each event instead of six, with all five scores counting. Without being able to have their lowest score in each event dropped, the Nittany Lions knew they would have to be especially sharp during the second half of the season. “We are going to have to rely more on consistency,” senior captain Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky.) said before the rule was implemented. “It definitely puts a lot more pressure on each routine.” In order to prepare themselves for the rule change, the team tailored its practices even more to model the style of the meets. That meant keeping the atmosphere in practice as competitive as possible and that even casual slip ups in the gym were not accepted. “It all starts in the gym and we like to assimilate our practices to our meets when we train,” said senior Felix Aronovich (Kiryat Bialik, Israel). “We like to have the entire team surround a guy before they practice each routine to create a meet-like environment.” Something that both Raque and Aronovich acknowledged is the fact that each gymnast will have to rely on themselves more and not count on a teammate to make up for their mistakes. With such a small margin for error, the Nittany Lions know that they can’t allow their focus and mindset to be affected too much by the scoring change. “We’ve had really good consistency all year, so it’s going to be really important
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for all the guys to just keep the same mindset,” said Raque. “We just need to go out and compete and not add extra pressure to ourselves.” The other key, according to Aronovich, is still being able to move forward if they do make a mistake, because it will be virtually impossible for any team to stay perfect. “You can’t go through 30 routines without someone messing up once, that’s just a fact,” said Aronovich. “You just have to make sure that if you do make a mistake that it doesn’t happen again and stay focused on each event.” One aspect of the scoring change that has caused disappointment for the Nittany Lions is the fact that fewer gymnasts get to compete in meets.
Felix Aronovich and his teammates have adapted to an NCAA rule change and anticipate the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Championships at Rec Hall. (Photo by Mark Selders)
For coach Randy Jepson, having to sit capable gymnasts has been frustrating, although he has accepted it. “The biggest thing is that you’ve just taken out competitive opportunities for guys,” said Jepson. “That’s what these guys live and breathe for and it’s tough to see that taken away.” Still, Jepson also sees the positives in the change. And the midseason move
provided a way to point toward the remainder of the season, especially what should be an exciting conclusion as Penn State chases another national championship. “Every day is a new day and every turn counts starting now,” said Jepson. “That’s not news to us and we’re prepared to look at it that way from here on out.” — Matt Allibone, student writer
COMPLIANCE CORNER
Travel challenges display rules of the road, timing matters When Penn State fans first get a season schedule, they probably start planning—matching the team’s games with their personal schedule and deciding which events to watch in person, listen to on the radio, follow online or watch on TV, if possible. If schedules allow, fans might even make plans to attend a road game, and that includes another set of details. It’s a process. It’s a process for the teams, too. For Penn State’s 31 varsity sports teams, that process comes with several sets of considerations, most notably NCAA, Big Ten Conference and University rules that shape things such as how many studentathletes can travel and how long they can be away from campus. Before any team leaves campus, it must submit a list of the student-athletes who will make the trip. That goes to sportspecific administrators 96 hours before the trip, allowing plenty of time to confirm eligibility. That’s a Penn State rule, which is more stringent than some in the Big Ten Conference as part of an NCAA rule that all institutions have a policy in place.
necessary to get to and from those airports. While a ticket might be cheaper, meeting the 75-hour rule might get more challenging if the trip includes travel time just to get to and from an airport.
An added level of budgetary concern comes when considering the cost of bags for two dozen or so people on a flight. Maybe the benefit of TOTALING TRAVEL the free-bag policy on Southwest Airlines Some numbers that shape how Penn State at another airport might make a difference teams travel. in the team’s budget. That might sway a decision about where the team begins its 96 Hours before any team leaves campus that trip. Teams with some budget flexibility— it must submit its travel list of student-athletes including those with strong support from to administrators. (Penn State rule) donors through the sport-specific giving program—could have more resources 75 Maximum hours of classroom time a stuto help weigh the decision in favor of a dent-athlete may miss because of travel during closer-to-home flight. But that’s not always an academic semester. (Penn State rule) the case.
70 Number of football student-athletes who may travel to a road game. (Big Ten rule) 48 Hours before a competition begins that a team may leave campus. (NCAA rule)
The options and rules keep coaches and team operations directors busy working to be as efficient as possible with finances and with their student-athletes’ time.
Some teams, such as men’s lacrosse, have a predominantly regional schedule must leave the competition site. (NCAA rule) that’s possible to complete mostly with bus rides within several hours of campus. There are limits beyond eligibility, though, Others, notably baseball and softball, must $25 Typical cost of a checked bag or an extra and those focus on the size of the travel travel thousands of miles from campus to checked bag on a flight. party. According to the Big Ten, the find good weather for competition. While roster size for football road games is 70, certain rules do not apply over semester and there are limits for most sports, such as 26 for women’s breaks (which provides some relief during spring break), travel is swimming and 24 for men’s swimming. Interestingly, divers count never easy, no matter the sport. Even if the planning goes well, in that total but they only count as half a person. So, a men’s there are always weather delays and other unexpected events. travel roster of 24 might include 22 swimmers and four divers, and it would still total 24. (And that’s a bit more respect for divers, Of course, there are rules for that, too. In cases of bad weather who used to count as a third of a person.) that could impact travel, the departure time before an event can increase from 48 to 72 hours if conditions are met. In another example, according to Big Ten rules, 12 cross country student-athletes may travel to a regular season meet but only Even on a normal basis, though, that 48-hour NCAA rule and the nine may travel to the conference championship. And each sport 75-hour Penn State rule can be at odds. For example, golfers has its own limits and variations. typically complete a full practice round before a competition. So if a round takes four hours to play, but they cannot leave until 48 Penn State rules also stipulate that student-athletes may not hours before a competition, they have a relatively small window miss more than 75 hours of class time during a semester. That of time to start their trip and feel prepared without losing time in constraint, along with budget matters, does the most to shape class. team travel. “It’s a balancing act in a lot of ways, and our coaches and their Although football and men’s and women’s basketball travel by staffs do a good job,” said Matt Stolberg, associate athletic charter, typically leaving from the University Park Airport and director for compliance and student-athlete services. “They care returning to campus immediately after a game, other sports about our student-athletes and they’re committed to following the balance the cost savings of tickets on flights from airports in rules.” Baltimore, Harrisburg or Pittsburgh against the travel time
36 Hours after a competition ends that a team
NLC: THE TEAM BEHIND THE ONETEAM TEAMS 15
We’re pleased to announce these gifts and pledges of $25,000 and above to our For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. We sincerely thank the donors who, through their generosity, made these important funds a reality. Opportunities exist to endow scholarships in specific sports, an area that meets your interest or support one of our facility projects. Of course, all such opportunities provide tax benefits. If you would like information on how to participate, please call us at (814) 863-GIFT (4438).
 Donors...................................................... Scholarship/Naming Opportunity
Anonymous............................................................................................................................. Baseball Scholarship Anonymous..............................................................................................Family Endowed Ice Hockey Scholarship Anonymous....................................................................................Harry Groves Track/Cross Country Scholarship Anonymous..............................................................................................................Endowed Athletics Scholarship Anonymous..............................................................................................................Endowed Athletics Scholarship Anonymous.........................................................................................................Scholarship for Men’s Gymnastics Scott and Melissa Armen................................................................... Armen Family Endowed Football Scholarship Robert and Barbara Armen............................................................... Armen Family Endowed Football Scholarship Dean and Barbara Arnold................................................ Arnold Family Women’s Volleyball Endowed Scholarship Mark and Lynn Bevevino................................ Mark A. Bevevino Family Endowed Scholarship for Men’s Lacrosse John Borgerding and Christine Fields...................................... John A. “Jack” and Christine F. “Christi” Borgerding Football Scholarship for Walk-Ons Friends and Family of Mack Brady......................................................... Mack Brady Memorial Soccer Scholarship Robert J. Breslin....................................................................Breslin Family Endowed Track and Field Scholarship T. Warren and Patricia C. Carmichael......................................Men’s Volleyball Locker Room Naming Opportunity Coates Car Care, Inc..................................................................... Velma P. Coates Memorial Football Scholarship Clifford Coldren........................................... Pegula Ice Arena Naming Opportunity—Athletic Administrator’s Office John and Kathleen Collins..................................... Maureen C. Collins Endowed Scholarship for Women’s Soccer Fred and Cathy DelGrosso............................................................................Men’s Basketball (Film Room Project) Marc and Amy DiNacci........................................................................................................................ Men’s Soccer Kenneth Fatur..................................................................................Fatur Family Scholarship for Men’s Ice Hockey John Fowler................................................ John and Betty (Vinson) Fowler Family Endowed Scholarship for Golf Richard L. Frerichs................................................ Marsha Gullo Frerichs Endowed Scholarship for Women’s Golf Michael and Lory Fullington.................................... Fullington Family Intercollegiate Athletics Trustee Scholarship Mary Gundel........................................................................Mary E. Gundel Scholarship for Lady Lions Basketball Gregory A. and Mary Sue Hanks.........................................................Hanks Family Endowed Athletic Scholarship Robert and Penny Holmes.............................................Holmes Family Endowed Scholarship for Men’s Lacrosse Deborah and Raymond Hoover.................Deborah and Raymond Hoover Family Endowed Baseball Scholarship Gary and Patricia Houck and Kara Houck McCaffrey........ Houck Family Memorial Men’s Ice Hockey Scholarship in Memory of Gary L. Houck Jr. Craig and Jill S. Huse........................................................................... Huse Family Endowed Athletic Scholarship Jeffrey and Sharon Hyde................................................................................. Terry D. Hyde Wrestling Scholarship Jeffrey and Cynthia King................................................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund LeRoy D. Kline, Jr................................................................. L.D. Kline Family Endowed Fund for Sports Medicine William and Marie Knecht.................................................................... William G. and Marie E. Knecht Scholarship in Memory of Anne Knecht Starner ’91 Alan and Judy Larson......................... Alan R. and Judith S. Larson Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics Scholarship
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Robert and Sylvia Little.............................................................................................Bob & Harry Little Scholarship in Honor of the 1950, 1954 and 1955 Championship Teams Dennis and Gail Lowe....................................................................... Lowe Family Endowed Wrestling Scholarship and the Dennis R. and Gail M. Lowe Family Endowed Football Scholarship Ira Lubert........................................................................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund Christopher Magent and April Detar............................ Men’s Basketball Office Naming Opportunity—Video Room Jeff and Sharon Mattern...............................................Jeff and Sharon Mattern Women’s Ice Hockey Scholarship Robert and Cathy Lowenbraun McKeon........................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund Scott and Carole McKeon..................................................Scott and Carole McKeon Men’s Lacrosse Scholarship Guy T. Murray..................................................................................... Men’s Basketball Office Naming Opportunity Art and Paige Nagle.......................................................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund Larry and Sue Nale.................................................................................. Nittany Lion Club Program Support Fund for the Morgan Academic Support Center Jon J. Peters...................................................................................................... Jon J. Peters Football Scholarship Thomas and Nancy Petrash..................................................................... Nittany Lion Club Program Support Fund for the Morgan Academic Support Center David and Deborah Reese............................................................................... Penn State Ice Hockey Endowment David and Victoria Schirm............................ David C. and Victoria Loncher Schirm Endowed Athletic Scholarship Phillip and Rosalind Sky.............. Star Football Scholarship Honoring Coach O’Brien and the 2012 Football Team Lindsay M. and Christopher D. Smith.......................................................Nittany Lion Club Program Support Fund for the Morgan Academic Support Center Richard and Susan Sokolov.............................................................................................. Above and Beyond Fund Len Stairs.............................................................................. Stairs Family Endowed Scholarship for Field Hockey Mark and Lucy Stitzer........................................................................................................ Above and Beyond Fund Ira and Kay Stolzer..................................................Men’s Gymnastics—Naming Gift Initiative for Gene Wettstone Richard and Sharon Struthers........................................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund Peter and Ann Tombros..................................................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund John and Frances Tsui...................................................................................................... Above and Beyond Fund Milton H. Weisman.................................................. Fullington Family Intercollegiate Athletics Trustee Scholarship Brenda and Timothy Witham....................................... Brenda and Timothy Witham Program Support Endowment for Men’s Swimming and Diving Quentin and Louise Wood..............................................Quentin and Louise Wood Endowed Football Scholarship William D. and Irene Ziegler......................................................................... Pegula Ice Arena Naming Opportunity
Monitor issues another positive report about Penn State Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, the independent third-party athletics integrity monitor for Penn State, issued his second quarterly report regarding the University’s performance under the Athletics Integrity Agreement on March 1. The agreement was entered into in August by the University, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference as part of the consent decree imposed by the NCAA. “This report continues to evidence Penn State’s ongoing commitment to integrity, responsibility and ethical conduct, as well as the significant progress that Penn State
has made and continues to make since July,” said University President Rodney Erickson. “We still have more to do, but we’re gratified that Sen. Mitchell and his team recognize all that we have done and that we are committed to continuing these efforts, in full compliance with the consent decree and the Athletics Integrity Agreement.” Mitchell’s position as athletics integrity monitor was established by the Athletics Integrity Agreement, a document that contains a number of prescriptive measures designed to ensure Penn State
continues to meet all applicable NCAA and Big Ten rules and standards of integrity. Sen. Mitchell’s team will continue its independent evaluation of Penn State’s activities and efforts under the Athletics Integrity Agreement and the NCAA consent decree. Mitchell’s five-year appointment as the University’s monitor began in August, and a report outlining actions taken is produced on a quarterly basis. Mitchell’s previous update was issued on Nov. 30. Complete text of the report and more is available at progress.psu.edu online.
ONETEAM NLC: THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAMS 17
Golf clubhouse among numerous facilities that boost people, programs Even the most casual sports fan knows about Beaver Stadium—the home to Penn State football with a seating capacity of 106,572 that swells well past that number on many Saturdays each fall. Those fans probably know about historic and raucous Rec Hall, the current home to gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball. They might even appreciate the importance of the Bryce Jordan Center, East Area Locker Room, Jeffrey Field, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Beard Field and White Building. All of those are among the many facilities that serve as competitive homes, office areas and practice sites for varsity teams at Penn State. Since its dedication in 2010, the Tombros Varsity Golf Clubhouse has been all of that, and more, for the women’s and men’s golf teams. The facility was named in honor of Peter and Ann Tombros whose generous donation helped propel the project in 2007. Alumni and friends of Penn State provided additional funding. The result of that support has been tangible for the coaches and student-athletes. “It gives us a home, a place to call our own, and it helps with recruiting,” said women’s coach Denise St. Pierre. “It meets so many of our needs, and it helps our student-athletes academically and athletically.” Located between the two Penn State Golf Courses, the clubhouse includes separate women’s and men’s locker rooms, coaches’ offices, meeting spaces, study areas and even indoor/outdoor practice facilities. “The building is unique to a lot of the other facilities because we have one that is centrally located because it is on our golf course,” said men’s coach Greg Nye. “It’s in between both of our golf courses and we are lucky that we have two. We have a really superb shortgame area and long-game area within 500 yards of this building. They say, ‘Location, location, location!’ and we have it.”
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The Tombros Varsity Golf Clubhouse serves as a home for both the women’s and men’s golf teams, and includes areas specifically for practice as well as areas to meet, relax and study.
Such donor-driven support has been integral in maintaining several Penn State athletic facilities and making others possible, such as the Pegula Ice Arena. While not all projects come with the brand-new appeal of the clubhouse, all such efforts are important for the teams to benefit from the generosity of our donors—no matter the amount of the support. “Our place feels like home for the team, and we make great use of it,” St. Pierre said. “Any time you can do that, even on a little level, it’s important and helpful. We appreciate the support and it helps us make the program better.”
BELL’S BACK After playing 32 of its first 36 games on the road— visiting eight different states and logging thousands of miles of travel—the softball team enjoys its longest homestand of the season in April. The Nittany Lions will play host to Purdue, Northwestern and Kent State at Beard Field during that eight-day period. Senior outfielder Cassidy Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) has been one of the team’s leading hitters during the first part of the 2013 season.
Contact Us
Phone: 1-800-NITTANY (648-8269) / Email: nittanylionclub@athletics.psu.edu Mail: 157 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA 16802 Ken Cutler
NLC Director of Development for Athletics kmc2@psu.edu
Nikki Potoczny NLC Associate Director nlw10@psu.edu
Bob White
NLC Director of Marketing/ Operations-Suites and Club Seats blw6@psu.edu
Casey Keiber
NLC Major Gifts Officer cmk184@psu.edu
Michelle Davidson NLC Stewardship/Events Coordinator oyd3@psu.edu
Diane Crebs
Carol Spangler
Jim Furlong
Sharon Ries
NLC Financial Assistant dmc33@psu.edu
Troy Miller
Varsity ‘S’ Club/NLC Intern jpf14@psu.edu
Clint Eury
Mike Smith
NLC Major Gifts Officer tmm39@psu.edu
Varsity ‘S’ Club and Sport Specific Giving Coordinator cee126@psu.edu
Janine Hawk
NLC Development Assistant jkh6@psu.edu
Support Staff cmh7@psu.edu
Support Staff sxr33@psu.edu
Lynne Rotan
Varsity ‘S’ Club/NLC Intern mds43@psu.edu
Jennifer Barnhart Support Staff jnb148@psu.edu
Support Staff lsr14@psu.edu
Barbara Marsden Support Staff blm18@psu.edu
Jennifer DeAngelo Support Staff jxk298@psu.edu
NLC: THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAMS 19
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www.nittanylionclub.com / 1-800-NITTANY (648-8269)