Monthly Archives: April 2012

Athletes of the Week

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for contests between April 23 and April 29

Female Athlete of the Week – Kelsey Jones, Softball

Jones went 2-0 with a save in a 4-0 week for the Mules. She allowed only two earned runs in 16 1/3 innings for a 0.86 ERA while striking out 15, walking none and holding opponents to a .194 batting average. In Muhlenberg’s final Centennial Conference doubleheader, she pitched a five-hit shutout in the first game and earned a save in the second. The15 strikeouts gave her 91 for the season, a school record for freshmen.

Male Athlete of the Week – Nick Rispoli, Lacrosse

Rispoli finished his career with an incredible performance in the Mules’ 14-11 loss to Haverford. He was 21-for-26 on faceoffs, breaking the school records for faceoffs won and ground balls (19) in a game, and assisted on two goals. Rispoli also became Muhlenberg’s all-time career leader with 240 career faceoffs won. He finished fourth on the all-time list for ground balls (156).

We’re Honored

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Muhlenberg held its annual Honors Convocation on Sunday, and the honorees included a good number of student-athletes, who won awards in a wide array of fields.

Here’s a list of the Mules and their impressive honors:

Michael Baer, Track & Field

The Leslie R. Anders Memorial Prize – Awarded to the senior chemistry or biochemistry major who has the highest academic average in chemistry or biochemistry after seven semesters.

The Class of 1969 Graduate Study Award – Awarded to a regularly matriculated senior who is entering a graduate or professional school in any area.

Devon Barber, Field Hockey, Softball

The Carol Emhardt Kuntzleman Memorial Award – Awarded to a sophomore or junior young woman who exhibits zeal for excellence and a high level of participation that characterized the academic work and extracurricular activities of Carol Emhardt Kuntzleman.

Alexandra Chili, Basketball 

Phi Beta Kappa

The Senior Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award – Awarded to an outstanding senior female athlete who has achieved high athletic as well as academic standards.

Nate Crossette, Cross Country, Track & Field

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship – Awarded through national competition to outstanding sophomores or juniors intending to pursue graduate education in science or mathematics.

The Robert W. and Edythe M. Mull Award for Excellence in Mathematics – Awarded to a junior most outstanding in mathematics.

The Novartis Endowed Science Scholars Program Award – Awarded to a junior or senior science major who has achieved a 3.5 or higher grade point average in the major field of study and who has clearly indicated the intention to pursue post-baccalaureate work in the sciences leading to an advanced degree.

Phi Beta Kappa

Jon Flint, Track & Field

The Harry A. Benfer Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to a rising senior in good academic standing who promotes goodwill and who has an appreciation for all phases of college life, those being the characteristics most evident in the life of Harry A. Benfer

Amanda Heiberger, Golf

The Greek Leader of the Year Award – Awarded to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership within both the College community and the Greek system.

Andrew Henry, Cross Country, Track & Field

The Ralph A. and Mary A. Lichtenwalner Memorial Prize – Awarded to a senior with the highest major average in biology.

Tara Keegan, Track & Field

The Russell Fulford Award – Awarded to a junior with the highest average in economics.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and Promise for Postgraduate Work by a Junior – Awarded to juniors who have written excellent proposals and interviewed successfully, the first steps toward competition for nationally and internationally prestigious postgraduate awards such as the National Science Foundation or Fulbright.

Spencer Liddic, Basketball

The Senior Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Award – Awarded to an outstanding senior female athlete who has achieved high athletic as well as academic standards.

Mark Mounayar, Football

The Wesley S. Mitman Mathematical Prize – Awarded to a senior most outstanding in mathematics.

Shelby Smith, Softball

The Caroline Willis Richardson Award – Awarded in memory of Caroline Willis Richardson to the senior softball player with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Nate Squire, Soccer

The Todd L. Romig Memorial Prize – Awarded to a junior who most exemplifies the true characteristics of the scholar-athlete.

Abigail Stryker, Track & Field

The Student Advisor of the Year Award – Awarded to the student advisor who best exemplifies and demonstrates leadership, commitment and academic initiative in the advising program for first-year students.

Jamie Weiss, Soccer

Phi Beta Kappa

Kimberlee Yalango, Cross Country, Track & Field 

Phi Beta Kappa

Basketball Special Teams

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NCAA Division III is engaged in a partnership with Special Olympics this year. According to the NCAA Website, the purpose of the partnership is to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes.

Last month, we had an article on four Muhlenberg athletes participating in a Special Olympics bowling event. Recently, the Mule basketball teams got to help out at a Special Olympics practice session. Junior Kate Clawson (who also participated in the bowling event) and sophomore Leeann Lanza wrote the following reports:

Kate Clawson

I was so excited to go to the Special Olympics basketball practice because I knew there would be many familiar faces, having just gone to a bowling event a few weeks prior. But I was just as excited to meet new athletes.

Just as I had expected, one of the friends I made there, Tarre, was super excited to see me and catch up. All of the other athletes were so happy to have us there, and you could tell on all of our faces that we were more than happy to be there too. We started off by stretching with them, then split the group into four lines and had relay races with dribbling. This was really fun for everyone because some of the Muhlenberg athletes also got to participate.

Next we split up into stations, for dribbling, passing, shooting and games. My group, which included junior Hunter Forsman and freshman AJ Dean, did passing. It was funny because some of the athletes thought passing was too easy, because some are very skilled, but we explained to them that even college athletes warm up and practice our passing.

Each group had so much fun, and the shooting group with the enthusiastic Austin Curry and Ryan Lagomarsino was definitely the loudest. It was great seeing all the athletes and teammates having fun together.

We continued this by playing 3v3 games. This was my favorite part because I got to see the athletes really in their element. Their effort, teamwork and enthusiasm were so tremendous to see. Each time one of the athletes scored, the biggest smile came across their face, and high fives were a must. I loved watching my teammate Caitlyn excel. It seemed like she couldn’t miss!

At the end we huddled together in the middle, and just like after a practice at Muhlenberg, said MULES! on the count of 3. I think it was important to bring everyone together and have that sense of community, because not only did the Special Olympics athlete learn things from us that night, but we also learned about the heart, joy and courage that the Special Olympics athletes take pride in.

Hopefully we will be a part of this experience a few more times before the semester ends!

Leeann Lanza

Our trip to help out with the Lehigh Valley Special Olympics team at Trexler Elementary School was one I will never forget. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with excitement and enthusiasm by a few players who just could not wait to start playing. Both the men’s and women’s Muhlenberg basketball teams were there and ready to share everything we know about the game with players of all ages.

When we split into different stations, a few of my teammates and I, along with some of the men, taught the players some tricks about defense. Getting to help different groups of the players with defense and rebounding was so much fun because it turned into a one-on-one competition between all of us!

After our first practice with players of all ages, I had the opportunity to stay with our men’s team and scrimmage with the Special Olympics competitive men’s team (who will play in a tournament at Kutztown for the regional championship in May). This was a really fun experience for me getting to hang out with our men’s team and also getting to make some new friends. The Special Olympics organization allows these players to participate in high levels of competition while still conveying the importance of having FUN with the game!

I know that I speak for all of the Mules who got the opportunity to take part in this practice when I say that we really enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot from this experience. I think a new appreciation for basketball can be gained when playing with or even just watching some of these players. Their spirit and positive attitudes are just the motivation we need to get excited for our own season next winter. Hopefully we will all be able to get together again soon so we can cheer each other on!

 

Athletes of the Week

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for contests between April 16 and April 22

Female Athlete of the Week – Kelsey Elmer, Lacrosse

Elmer ended her career with a blast, scoring a career-high four goals at Dickinson on Wednesday and topping that with five vs. Ursinus on Saturday. She scored two go-ahead goals in overtime at Dickinson and netted two in a 6-0 run vs. Ursinus that turned a 12-6 deficit into a tie. Elmer scored her nine goals on only 11 shots.

Male Athlete of the Week – Brian Beck, Baseball

Beck hit .455 with five runs scored and four RBI in a pair of games against Dickinson. He was 3-for-6 with a two-run single and a double in the first game, and he belted a two-run homer, his third of the season, in the second. Beck had an .818 slugging percentage during the week and raised his season average from .326 to .351.

Athletes of the Week

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for contests between April 9 and April 14

Female Athlete of the Week – Samantha Mayden, Track & Field

Mayden ran the 5,000 meters in 17:13.55 at the Bucknell Distance Night, breaking the previous school record by seven seconds. She finished ninth in a field of 81, trailing only a non-collegiate runner and competitors from Division I and Division II. Her time is the ninth-fastest in Division III this season

 

Male Athlete of the Week – Christopher Lucarelli, Golf

Lucarelli shot a 74-74–148 to finish second at the Penn State Harrisburg Spring Classic, leading the Mules to a second-place finish. It was only the second time in the last 20 years that a Muhlenberg golfer shot below 75 in both rounds of a two-day tournament.

Weekend Preview

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It’s the middle of April – taxes are due, the Titanic has been down for 100 years, and even though softball and men’s lacrosse have the weekend off, there’s plenty of Muhlenberg sports action.

Women’s Tennis vs. Washington (Friday, 3:30)

Two teams that made the Centennial Conference playoffs last year are in a scramble to get back. Washington (5-3) and Muhlenberg (3-3) are in the middle of a five-team pack that includes Haverford (6-2), Dickinson (5-2) and Gettysburg (4-3). Those five teams are likely competing for three playoff spots, with Johns Hopkins and Swarthmore setting the pace at 6-0.

The Shorewomen are ranked eighth in the Atlantic South Region but have struggled since losing two of their top four players to injuries. Muhlenberg is coming off its most decisive win of the season, 8-1 against Ursinus.

Washington has won the last four meetings, including one in the 2009 CC playoffs. Last year’s 7-2 match featured many close sets.

Tennis vs. Johns Hopkins (Saturday, 1:00); at McDaniel (Sunday, 12:00)

A busy weekend of tennis for the Mules includes teams at opposite ends of the CC standings. For the women, Johns Hopkins is 6-0 in the CC and ranked eighth in Division III; McDaniel is 0-8 in the CC. For the men, 16th-ranked Hopkins is 6-0 and McDaniel is 0-5. The Muhlenberg men have not lost to McDaniel since 1982.

Baseball vs. Swarthmore (Friday, 3:30); at Gettysburg (Saturday, 12:30 doubleheader)

The Mules will try to halt their five-game skid at home against Swarthmore. Muhlenberg has not lost at home to the Garnet since 1995, extending the streak last year on a walkoff home run. The Mules then travel to Gettysburg, whom they swept last year.

Live stats (Swarthmore): http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/baselive/xlive.htm

Live video (Swarthmore): http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Live stats/audio (Gettysburg): http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/gettysburg.portal#

Women’s Lacrosse vs. Bryn Mawr (Saturday, 1:00)

After three straight one-goal losses, the Mules are looking to take out their frustrations against a Bryn Mawr team that has not won a CC game since 2000.

Live stats: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/wlaxlive/xlive.htm

Live video: http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Track & Field at Kutztown Multi (Friday); at Coach P Open (Saturday); at Bucknell Distance Night (Saturday)

The Mules are sending three athletes to Kutztown, six to Bucknell and the rest of the team to Moravian in a busy weekend.

Live results (Coach P): http://moraviansports.com/sports/mtrack/coachP/index

Live results (Bucknell): http://www.bucknellbison.com/livestats/c-track/12results/

Men’s Golf at Penn State Harrisburg Spring Classic (Friday-Saturday); at Lafayette Invitational (Sunday-Monday)

In preparation for the three-day CC Championships coming up in two weeks, the Mules will test their stamina by playing on four straight days.

 

Division III Week: Student-Athlete Perspective

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In celebration of the NCAA’s inaugural Division III week, we’ve had perspectives on the unique Division III experience from a faculty member and a coach in The MuhlBox this week.

But it wouldn’t be Division III without the student-athletes. So we asked a few Muhlenberg athletes what Division III meant to them.

Brian Beck, Baseball

What playing in Division III means to me is the ability for experiences and opportunities off the field. Although throughout the year, dedication and focus for the upcoming season is key in my mind, Division III allows me the opportunity for other focuses as well. Whether it is from an engaging academic environment or the ability to pursue things such as internships during the year, Division III allows for opportunities both on and off the field, which is what you want as a student athlete.

Alyssa Meola, Women’s Soccer

Being a Division III athlete means being able to excel in academics and athletics. The great thing about playing at Muhlenberg is that I can be fully invested in soccer, as well as academics, clubs and other organizations on campus. Besides being able to participate in a variety of different activities, I love that as a Division III athlete, I’m playing with other athletes who still play because they love the game. None of us have athletic scholarships, and most of us will never get drafted to play professionally. But, we continue to play for our love of the game, which I find to be humbling. It’s exciting to look around the field, and see that you’re playing a game with all your best friends, who are working hard for each other.

We play Division III because we have flexibility to pursue other activities, and because we love the game, and need it in our lives because it is such a strong part of who we are, and most of us could not live without it.

Danny Way, Men’s Soccer

I chose to play DIII after seeing what my sister went through playing at the DI level. I wanted to go to a small school that had good education, but was also very competitive with athletics. DI programs make playing a sport your job, and I wanted to have a life outside of sports. What made DIII appealing to me is that I could do other things and still have time to focus on school.

Division III Week: Coach Perspective

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In celebration of the NCAA’s inaugural Division III Week, we’re looking at the Division III experience from several different perspectives.

Yesterday, mathematics/computer science professor Michael Huber gave a faculty perspective.

Today’s guest writer is Marisa DeStasio, head coach of the Muhlenberg softball team. DeStasio is in her second season with the Mules; in her first, she coached the team to the Centennial Conference championship. Like Dr. Huber, who taught at Army before coming to Muhlenberg, DeStasio has a Division I background.

It is August and finally sunny in the southern tier of New York. Although it is a warm day, the sweat dripping down my forehead is not because of the sun. I am standing on the starting line of the track with my teammates, most of whom I barely know yet. “Go!” screamed my new coach, so I ran and I ran and I ran. I ran for an entire mile! Yes, all 5,280 feet!

I was freshman at Binghamton University and a new member of the softball team. It was the point in my life when my biggest stressor was running the timed mile. I can still feel the nervousness flowing through my body on that day. In hindsight, I realize running a mile is not a big deal and really not all that challenging, but give me a break… I was a naïve freshman.  The month and a half of our fall season had just begun and so had a new school year.

During the fall, we had practice every day with tournaments on the weekends until the end of October. Three times a week we were also required to lift with our strength coach. However, the end of the fall marked the beginning of our offseason training regimen. Monday through Friday we had either 7 a.m. conditioning or lifting sessions and then individual skill workouts with our coaches in the afternoon. We had a countdown in the locker room of when our next dreaded conditioning day was, so we could mentally prepare ourselves for sprint torture.

Over winter break we were given a lifting and conditioning workout packet. Upon our return, we would “max out” with the strength coach and once again run the dreaded mile with the goal of beating our previous time from the fall. (Thankfully, I always did.) It was comforting when spring practice finally started because all our hard work would pay off soon.

In Division I, you get the chance to travel all over the country, albeit mostly on a smelly, bumpy charter bus. Sometimes you drive sixteen hours in one weekend and live in a hotel room just to get beat up on by nationally ranked teams. Our goal every year was the same, make the America East Conference Tournament. We may have come up shy, but it did not make my experience at Binghamton any less rewarding. It was certainly not glamorous and you often ask yourself why you do it. The answer is always the same, because you love to play the sport.

After working with student-athletes at Muhlenberg for the last three years, I realize some of the similarities and differences between divisions have nothing to do with skill. This campus has shown me the true meaning of “student-athlete.”

Being a Division I athlete is like having a job, with little time for anything else other than classes and your sport. At the time, I was not interested in expanding my horizons beyond softball and certainly could not fathom life after Binghamton. I should have been more focused on my future.

This cannot be said for the student-athletes at Muhlenberg. Everyone here is committed to success both in academics and athletics. And from what I can tell, it comes from pure self-motivation. They work extremely hard in the classroom and then on the field, while also striving to make a difference in the community. They wake up early for practice, they sprint just as hard, they are just as competitive, and they hate running the mile just as much as I did. The bottom line is they want to win.

In the end, it does not matter what division you play because the ultimate goal is an education. A mile is still 5,280 feet, and we all play for love of the sport.

Division III Week: Faculty Perspective

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The NCAA has designated April 9-15 the inaugural Division III week. The week celebrates the unique Division III student-athlete experience, which offers a highly competitive athletics environment, a commitment to academic excellence and time to pursue other interests.

We will look at the Division III experience from three different perspectives this week in The MuhlBox. The first comes from Michael Huber, an associate professor in Muhlenberg’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

It’s time to come clean. I like sports. Not specifically one sport, but just about all sports. I am also a member of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. 

Sometimes it appears that the two groups (sports fan and faculty member) are not compatible, but in reality, the intersection of the two groups is the set of students we have.

Before I arrived at Muhlenberg, I taught for nine years at the United States Military Academy. I was also an Officer Representative to the Army baseball team. An “OR” is a fancy term for a faculty member who was part of the administrative group supporting a specific team. Our mission was to be at every game in the dugout, to support the team as a role model, but never to coach. To root for the guys on the squad but also to assist them academically (and it seemed that some Army baseball players always needed help with mathematics). I got to know the players really well, as I was usually in the dugout or in the stands for most of those games, including spring break trips to Florida and away trips to other Patriot League schools.

Now, at Muhlenberg, I am the faculty liaison for our volleyball team. We created the faculty liaison program a few years ago to connect faculty members with specific sports programs. Some of my math colleagues are faculty liaisons to our women’s basketball team. Again, my role is to be a fan. I attend many home games, but I have also traveled to away trips, including a five-day trip to Texas, but usually to Centennial Conference opponents. I have given exams to students in the hotel conference room when the players missed a biology or calculus exam back in Allentown. Academics is a priority for our sports programs.

The Division III athletes we have at Muhlenberg are just as competitive as the D-I athletes at West Point, in that they are passionate about their sports, practice hard, try to successfully balance academics with intercollegiate sports, and have an unwavering loyalty to their coach and teammates. 

The level of competition might be different between the two divisions, but the drive to succeed is just as fierce. 

I was fortunate to get to know several Army players who were selected in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft each June. These young men were able to play professional baseball before serving our country as leaders in the U.S. Army.

At Muhlenberg, I have also been fortunate to know several young women who, as the NCAA commercial tells us, “will go pro in something other than sports.” These ladies are leaders on and off the court. They are peer tutors for the Academic Resource Center, earning secondary education certificates in addition to their majors, studying abroad to enrich their lifelong learning, and receiving accolades for being on the Dean’s List. I see them around campus all the time. Although they will probably not be professional or Olympic volleyball stars, they will still be successful after graduation.   

Students want us to get involved. I honestly believe that they appreciate seeing us in the stands or mentioning their names in connection with being on the ‘Berg webpage when they come to class. I like to take copies of our school newspaper and give it to my students who adorn the back page of the Sports section. I usually tell them to “send it home to Grandma,” but it means a great deal to them to be recognized, not only by the school, but by a teacher in class. Further, the Athletic Department at Muhlenberg tracks each student-athlete and is in communication with the faculty, to ensure that academics remains a priority for all students.

As a parent, I tried to attend as many of my daughter’s high school lacrosse or volleyball games as possible; most parents do as well. As students go away to colleges that are not close to home, their folks are not always able to be in the stands. That’s where faculty members can play crucial roles. Go to a game or match to cheer for students in your class. Yell out a player’s name when she blocks a shot or hits a winner down the line.  Wear your “Go Berg” spirit gear to class before Homecoming. 

At Muhlenberg, we have a Guest Coach program, where players ask coaches to invite their teachers to be on the bench during a match or game. I was the guest coach for a softball game three years ago when our pitcher no-hit Gettysburg College’s softball team. I was as excited as the Mule players, and my enthusiasm for their performance showed my genuine support for them. 

I try to attend as many athletic events as possible, and I encourage other members of the faculty to support our players. Go Mules!

 

Kline Drives

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In the third inning of the Muhlenberg softball team’s game at McDaniel, a Mule fan looked toward the on-deck circle and said, “Oh, Kelly’s up next, I need to get my front row seat,” before hurrying to the first row of the bleachers.

That’s because when the sophomore first baseman steps to the plate, it is more than just an at-bat, it’s a chance to witness history.

Moments after the fan got to his seat, Kline sent a towering shot over the right-center fence for her third straight home run. It was just the latest in what has been a sizzling season for Kline. And her onslaught at McDaniel helped her leave some impressive marks on the school record book.

The three straight blasts, one in the opener and two in game two, not only kept her school-record hitting streak intact at 23 games, but they moved her season home run total to nine, breaking the Mule single-season record of seven set last season by two-time CC player of the year Ashley Brewer.

They also moved her within one of Brewer’s career home run mark of 13 less than two seasons into her career, which Kline could hardly believe.

“I had no idea,” Kline said when told about the season record. “Ashley was a great player; I really looked up to her. She helped me a lot as a freshman. To be mentioned with her is incredible. It means a lot.”

Through games of last Sunday, Kline led the CC and ranked in top five in Division III in batting average (.519) and slugging percentage (1.013). Her 23-game hit streak is five more than the previous Mule record. She’s also two home runs shy of the CC single-season mark.

But wait, there’s more!

Kline needs only one more extra-base hit to tie the program season record of 20, and she currently sits third on the single-season lists for total bases (78, 11 shy of second and 15 away from first) and RBI (34, 2 away from second and 17 shy of first).

There’s more than enough numbers and records to make heads spin. But it’s nothing compared to head spinning that comes from trying to figure out how to get Kline out.

That’s why McDaniel gave Kline the “Barry Bonds” treatment in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, walking her intentionally to start the sixth inning despite having a six-run lead.

Kline can hit for both power and average, and she can make things happen when she gets on base, witnessed by her team-high 26 runs scored.

Much of her success comes from the time and effort she puts in every day at practice. Senior Shelby Smith said Kline is the hardest worker on the team, and makes everybody better just by being in the lineup.

“She’s amazing,” Smith said of Kline. “She hits the ball so hard, and you think she’s going to get a hit every time. She’s just a great player and a great teammate.” 

But for all the astronomical numbers and tape measure shots she’s been putting up this season, Kline said she just tries to keep things simple when it comes to hitting.

She tries to hit the ball as hard as she can every time up, and if it goes out of the park, all the better, she added.

So while she said the records and accomplishments are nice, she’s far more concerned with team goals. And after winning the conference title as a freshman, she has her sights set high again.

“I didn’t even know how many home runs I have hit, so I don’t think about it. I just wait for a good pitch and try to hit it,” she said. “It’s cool to have records, but it’s just really fun to win. We’ve been playing well, and hopefully we can keep on winning.”