(11/17/09 8:51pm)
It was another successful Saturday for the wrestling team at the Fall Brawl Tournament hosted by Ursinus College.
Ten wrestlers placed in the top three spots for their own weight classes. Graduate student Dan DiColo, senior Justin Bonitatis, sophomore Jim Somma, and freshman Brian Broderick won four matches to take the title in their weight classes. Bonitatis met fellow Lion and senior Al Wonesh in the finals while Somma wrestled freshman Anthony Damico.
“I love wrestling (Bonitatis),” Wonesh said. “Every time it’s always a close, tough match. We learn a lot from each other, and the competitiveness pushes us to unimaginable levels. We train so hard together, so we look forward to tearing through tournaments and beating each other up in the finals.”
Bonitatis is already 5-0 on the season. After suffering from an injury inbetween seasons, Bonitatis has showed full signs of recovery.
The same can be said for Wonesh, who had a case of mono during preseason training. He chose not to wrestle last season in order to be eligible during his fifth and final year of school next season. But that hasn’t derailed his focus in the slightest. Wonesh became an all-american in track and field this year, setting a school record in 400-meter hurdles.
Sophomore Dan Herr and junior Ed Broderick joined Wonesh and Damico at second place in their weight classes, winning three out of their four matches for the day. And after falling into the consolation brackets for their weight classes, juniors Mike Denver and Adam Koziol pressed forward to take third place. Koziol, who wrestled last year as a heavyweight, is quickly taking strides in the 197-pound weight class. Last week he pinned Norwich’s Michael Monica and this week has improved his record to 3-2.
“Tournaments are much different in my mind,” Koziol said. “There’s a lot less pressure on the individual matches compared to a dual meet. Everybody isn’t focused on you.”
But the wrestling team has been the source of a lot of pressure early this season. After their 600th win, which was also head coach David Icenhower’s 500th win, along with their impressive showing at Ursinus, the Lions now have to tackle back-to-back home meets this Wednesday and Thursday.
“Doing well at Fall Brawl is what’s going to carry us through these upcoming meets,” Koziol said. “Everyone finally got a chance to wrestle hard matches against new guys. We’ve been wrestling with each other for so long and now its time to compete with other teams.”
Wonesh added, “It was an amazing feeling being able to finally compete against other schools after a year and a half off the mat. As soon as I step foot into the locker room I feel the energy radiating from the team. I hope the school can come out and watch us do what we do best.”
The Lions take on Hunter College at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and New York University at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Both matches will take place in Packer Hall.
(10/06/09 2:34pm)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the bench as the court tried to hash out how long a suspect’s request for a lawyer should be considered valid by police and the courts.
The high court, listening to its first arguments of the session, seemed skeptical of defense lawyers’ arguments that police should be banned from talking to a suspect without a lawyer present because of the possibility that the suspect had asked for a lawyer in related — and even unrelated — cases years ago.
Michael Shatzer was imprisoned at the Maryland Correctional Institution in Hagerstown for child sexual abuse in 2003 when police questioned him about allegations that he sexually abused his 3-year-old young son. When Shatzer refused to talk to a police officer and asked for a lawyer, the questioning ended and the case was dropped.
In 2006, Shatzer’s son was old enough to offer details. When a different police officer approached Shatzer in prison about the allegations two years and seven months later, Shatzer waived his Miranda rights, made incriminating statements, failed a polygraph test and was eventually convicted.
Lower courts threw out his confession because he asked for an attorney when he was first questioned in 2003.
Justice Samuel Alito asked Shatzer’s lawyer, public defender Celia Davis, if her interpretation of the law meant police can’t talk to a suspect who asked for a lawyer when being questioned about joyriding in 1999, but is arrested for murder in 2009.
“Yes, it does,” she replied.
“You don’t think that’s a ridiculous application of the rule?” Alito said.
Davis said the request for a lawyer should apply even if 40 years later the person is a suspect in a civil rights violation that related to the murder.
“You’re saying for 40 years, he’s immunized from being approached by police?” said Sotomayor, who was sitting in on her first regular argument as a Supreme Court justice.
Sotomayor was confirmed for the high court this summer, replacing retired Justice David Souter. Although she’s the newest justice, Sotomayor peppered the arguing lawyers with as many questions as her eight more experienced colleagues, although a couple of times she forgot to turn her microphone on and had to repeat her questions.
Sotomayor even jockeyed to get in her questions at the same time as both Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — the court’s other female justice — although both times she deferred to the more experienced justice.
The justices seemed to have differing opinions on how to solve the problem, however.
Justice John Paul Stevens suggested setting a rule that prisoners do not have to talk to police, and if they do they are waiving their Miranda rights. Other justices suggesting setting a time limit on how long a request for a lawyer should be valid.
“Anything over two years and seven months,” she said, prompting laughter from the justices and the crowd in the packed courtroom.
(09/08/09 10:54pm)
For Week Three, Staff Writer Duncan Slobodzian will be breaking in three AtD newcomers. Correspondents Chris Rotolo, Mike McLoughlin and Drew Conn will be making their predictions about the most competitive division in the NFL, who deserves the Most Valuable Player crown in the American and National Leagues and whether or not the blue and gold can recreate the magic of the 2007 season.
1. The good old NFL season is just around the corner. There’s been a flurry of offseason activity, among the coaching ranks and the rosters. What division looks to be the most competitive, in your opinion?
MM: The most competitive division in the NFL will continue to be the NFC East. The Giants and Cowboys may be weaker this year since both teams’ quarterbacks lost a standout wide receiver. Couple that with the Redskins overhauling the defensive line with Brian Orakpo and Albert Haynesworth, and the Eagles bringing in playmakers like Jeremy Maclin and Michael Vick. I can envision all four teams competing very well with each other. While I would still rank the teams from first to last — Giants, Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins — the gap between the first and last team in the division is smaller than any other in the NFL.
CR: The NFC North is the only division in the NFL with three legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Vikings and Bears no longer have the same gaping offensive fissures as last season. Brett Favre is Minnesota’s starting quarterback, and pay no mind to the critics, the man is an upgrade to Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels. After 20 years, the Bears finally found a franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler. Green Bay has the most balanced offense in football with Ryan Grant in the backfield, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings on the wings and Aaron Rodgers, one of the best young field generals in the league, at the helm. In addition, all three of these franchises’ defenses frustrate opposing offenses well enough. Finally, Detroit will not be the joke of the league if Daunte Culpepper starts. You can have worse leaders than him, and his primary target, Calvin Johnson, reminds me of Culpepper’s former teammate Randy Moss. Culpepper has had a lot of practice tossing up jump balls to big wide outs.
DC: Without a doubt, the two most competitive divisions are going to be the NFC East and the NFC North because they are the only divisions where you can make a very legitimate case for three out of the four teams to finish first in the division. Brett Favre and Jay Cutler will be huge additions for their respective teams, and Aaron Rodgers will be seen as an elite quarterback after this season, but I have to give the edge to the NFC East simply because the Detroit Lions are going to be absolutely terrible again. In the East I am not only intrigued by the additions of Michael Vick and Albert Haynesworth, but I am also curious to see how the Giants and Cowboys play without Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens. Ultimately this division will be dictated by how well, or poorly, these two teams are able to adjust their passing games without these superstar wide receivers.
DS: I figured these would be the popular answers. Good arguments all around, but the 3 points go to Chris for his analysis of the major playmakers in the NFC north. Drew racks up 2 points for bringing up the point about the big name receivers. It should figure to be a major storyline this year. One point for Mike since he made more or less the same contention, but didn’t go as hard as my man Drew.
2) There’s only about a month left of regular season baseball to play. Who do you see as the frontrunners for the American League and National League MVP?
MM: The frontrunner for the NL MVP race right now is, of course, Albert Pujols. With a .333 batting average, .427 on-base percentage and .628 slugging percentage, he is not just having the best year in the National League, but in all of baseball. Couple this with his stellar defense at first base and you are looking at one of the best players of our generation. The AL MVP race has garnered more discussion, although it is not particularly close. While newspaper headlines would lead one to believe Mark Teixeira is the favorite for the MVP, he is not even the best candidate on his own team. Derek Jeter is having a renaissance year at shortstop, with improved defense and a ridiculous average. That aside, the AL MVP will be Joe Mauer. Even though he missed around 30 games, he still has 26 homeruns and 80 RBI’s on a Twins team that sometimes looks lost offensively. He is also leading the league with a .367 batting average. While these numbers might not look flashy, you must consider the position he plays. Mauer is putting up these numbers as a catcher, a position not known for its offensive ability. To lead the league in batting average and have respectable power numbers, while playing a position as demanding as catcher, makes Mauer a lock for MVP in the AL.
CR: While Alex Rodriguez was rehabbing during the first month of the season, the Yankee lineup was in shambles and not producing. Since Rodriguez’s return, the third baseman has provided a feared presence in the middle of the order. Critics cannot even call A-Rod’s lack of clutch performances into question, as he seems to have overcome his situational hitting anxieties. If you need more convincing, the Yankees opened the season 13-15. Since A-Rod’s return, the Bombers have gone 72-33, earning themselves the best record in baseball. A-Rod gets my vote for the AL. The emergence of Pablo Sandoval has alleviated all types of pressure from his team, the San Francisco Giants. Their pitchers know they do not have to throw shutouts every night, and the hitters do not have to swing for McCovey Cove every at-bat. Sandoval leads his team in every major offensive category with a .330 batting average, 21 home runs and 75 runs batted in. He is the Giants’ only real offensive threat. San Francisco trusts in Sandoval, and his offensive prowess has carried the Giants into the Wild Card race. He sounds like an MVP to me.
DC: I find it very difficult to argue against the NL MVP belonging to Albert Pujols because he has had another amazing year. There is a reason why this guy is called “The Machine.” He is about as consistent a hitter as there is, and the most clutch batter in baseball. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no need to talk about a number two or three guy in the NL because they simply do not matter. However, the AL race is much more interesting. I would have to say that Mauer is the current front-runner, and will ultimately win the MVP, but you must give Teixeira some credit as a number two guy since he has brought stability to the middle of the Yankees lineup, which is something they have needed for years. But I think the dark horse that no one really talks about right now is Derek Jeter. The guy has been great for the Yankees and should at least be mentioned in the MVP discussion. He has a .330 batting average, leads the team in hits and steals, and is a close second in runs scored and on-base percentage. And do I need to mention that he is also the captain and undisputed leader of the best team in baseball?
DS: This was an alley-oop of a question — or at least half of one. Pujols is undisputedly the frontrunner in the NL, but I see the AL as slightly more wide open. I like Mike for the 3 here, the stats cited just don’t lie. Two for Drew since he identified Mauer as the favorite but spent more time talking about Jeter. Chris gets the 1. Interesting take on Sandoval, but his numbers pale in comparison to Pujols’ numbers.
3) The College’s football team hit the new turf on Sept. 5 in their season opener. What’s your season prediction for the Lions?
MM: I will admit that my knowledge of the College’s football program is marginal at best, which is why I will predict an undefeated season for the Lions! Now that they are playing on a football field that is not covered with lead, the team will truly realize the potential they have always had.
CR: Currently, the Lions rank sixth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) pre-season coach’s poll. After reading head coach Eric Hamilton’s comments from the NJAC pre-season media conference call, I am not so sure the team is much better than that. “We may not have the most or the best talent in the conference coming back,” Hamilton said. “But we have a lot of players returning with a little bit of experience.” In addition, Hamilton said the team’s quarterback situation was not yet settled between seniors Chris James and Bill Picatagi in the preseason. A conference championship contender needs to have a clear-cut leader this close to the start of the season. As for the defense, Hamilton wants to get some bigger bodies on the defensive line and was not reassuring when he expounded on the matter. “I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that,” he said. If your trench fighters are not the biggest and strongest, then you have to have a solid line backing core, which, based on Hamilton’s comments, he and his coaches seem unsure about. Taking all of that into consideration, I would say the future of this season is not looking too bright.
DC: Regarding Lions football, I have one word for you — experience. There are alot of upperclassmen on this team who have been out there before, and I expect them to execute on both sides of the ball. And I hear that we were predicted to finish sixth in the NJAC this year? I smell déjà vu, as we were predicted sixth in 2007 and then went on to win the NJAC. I have a lot of faith in Chris James and the rest of the upperclassmen this year, and I’m going to predict that we at least tie our 2007 record of 9-3. I really believe that we can win the NJAC this year if we stay healthy and play smart, hard-nosed football.
DS: Hats off to Drew and Mike for their glass-more-than-half-full brand of optimism, but since I think Chris’ take is a little closer to reality, he gets the 3 points. The Lions should figure to be competitive in the perennially tough NJAC this year, but an undefeated season or repeat of ’07 seem far-fetched predictions for any program. Two for Drew, 1 for Mike.
Chris earns his first career win, 7 - 6 - 5