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(03/26/13 4:00pm)
Nothin’ But Net
There are two ways to make a successful team in the NBA. You can either load up on superstars and play off of their strengths, or build around several solid, borderline-All Star types, and go with strong coaching and team synergy.
Both methods have their positives and negatives. A star-studded team will get the calls down the stretch (as much as NBA fans are loathe to admit it), and will have that player or players to fall back on if they really need a basket. On the downside, a team built around superstars will do poorly if those players have an off night, and can be pretty predictable.
The team-based approach is strongest in its versatility. Since there isn’t a designated end-of-the-game dominator, teams won’t know what to expect, making the team harder to stop. Sadly, teams like this won’t get help from the refs, and will definitely miss that savior-type in close games.
Why do I bring up the two types of successful teams right now? Simple — both types are on full display right now. There’s the superstar-driven Miami Heat, and the everyone’s-pretty-equal Denver Nuggets. As of right now, both are on huge winning streaks (if either one loses Monday night, this page is officially cursed), and are seriously looking like the teams to beat heading into the postseason.
Everyone knows about the Heat. LeBron, and Wade and Bosh to lesser extents, are the only players who really matter on that team. They go as those three go. Sure, Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers come in handy, but if they don’t play, it’s no big deal.
Not everyone knows too much about the Nuggets though. Go ahead, name three guys on that team. Even if you manage that (by, say, naming Andre Iguodala, Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried), try to pick the best player. You probably won’t be able to, and that’s the point of the team. They don’t have a superstar, they didn’t have any All-Stars this season, and they just play solid team basketball.
The reason we all know so much about one and nothing about the other is easy to figure out — We, as sports fans, care about the stars. So what if the team that lacks them might just be the most exciting to watch over the next few weeks? They just don’t have the drama and intrigue that comes with superstar talent.
OK, I should probably get to my point now, the column’s almost out of space.
Here’s what I’m saying: pay more attention to the other teams, the ones that aren’t named the Heat, Lakers, Knicks and Thunder. Those teams might just be the most fascinating ones to watch these next few weeks, and come playoff time, let me tell you, no one wants to play these Nuggets.
And if they meet the Heat in the Finals, then hold on to your hats, that series may just be the best we’ve had in years.
I May Be Wrong, But...
Here are the moves I would make in Fantasy Basketball this week:
Add: Players who are in action that night. At this point, there likely aren’t many decent players left to grab (except maybe Kosta Koufos, who may still be under everyone’s radar), so just focus on those players suiting up. More games played equals more points for you, no reason not to take every advantage you can.
Drop: Players who aren’t playing that night. We’re in the stretch run for real now, so no need to be picky. Obviously hang on to your top tier guys, but really start shifting around to maximize playing time, every little bit at this point in the season helps. Oh, and Marc Gasol just went down with an injury, you might want to drop him at this point, he might not play again in the regular season.
Look Out For: Last week, I said in this spot to look out for the MVP candidates. You don’t have to do that anymore, since LeBron James has that title all wrapped up. Now, I’m not a James fan, but even I’m excited to see how he’ll finish the season. If he goes for a quadruple-double, entire leagues could change.
Be Cautious Of: The tanking teams. Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix and New Orleans have already been eliminated from playoff contention, with more to follow soon. If a team can’t make the playoffs, they’ll be looking for the top lottery picks, and therefore might make injuries seem a bit more serious than they really are.
(03/26/13 4:00pm)
The toughest losses are always the nailbiters. The Lions’ lacrosse team faced one of those most difficult of defeats last week, falling 11-10 to fifth ranked Gettysburg College in a matchup of powerhouse teams.
The College (5-2, ranked seventh nationally) gave the undefeated Bullets their biggest challenge of the season thus far, outplaying their opposition in the game’s second half before ultimately falling just short at the end.
“Gettysburg capitalized on our mistakes, and our shot selection was not as strong as it could have been,” said sophomore attack Erin Waller, who had two goals and an assist in the effort.
The game started poorly for the Lions, as Gettysburg scored within 15 seconds of the game’s start, and again less than two minutes later. Facing an uphill climb, the Lions managed to halt the onslaught and slow the game down, matching the Bullets for the rest of the half. They outscored Gettysburg 6-5 in the game’s second half, even taking the lead briefly at 9-8 with just over eight minutes to play, but three quick goals by Gettysburg in the following five minutes proved to be just too much for the Lions to overcome.
“I think the hardest lesson we learned was how important it is to play both halves of the game equally well,” said junior attack Jen Garavente. “Sometimes, you just can’t make up for all of the mistakes that were made at the beginning of the game even if you play a really great second half.”
The College was led by senior attack Alex Spark, who had four goals, and junior attacker Jen Garavente, who had two goals and two assists. Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Zinck had a career-high 12 saves in an impressive performance despite the end result.
“We learned a lot from that game,” Waller said. “Which is just going to make us a stronger team and if we are to play them again we will be ready and more prepared.”
The College ended the week on a more positive note, triumphing over Eastern University 19-2, continuing their domination of unranked teams.
The Lions got off to an impressive start in the victory, scoring on 10 of their first 11 shots and building up a 14-1 lead at the end of the first half. The team finished with an incredibly efficient 19 goals on just 23 shots, and turned the ball over only two times over the course of the game. The defense was perhaps just as impressive, allowing only six shots in total, only four of which were on goal.
“When the ball was in our defensive end, we were successful in holding them out,” Waller said. “Our unit had strong chemistry as a whole, which led to team success.”
The Lions were led in the victory by senior attack Jillian Nealon, who had three goals and four assists, sophomore midfielder Marissa Pennypacker, who had four goals and an assist, along with Spark, who also finished with four goals and an assist, and Waller, who scored the game’s opening point and also tallied four assists.
The Lions now look forward to two games this coming week, away at Ursinus College on Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. and at home against Manhattanville College on Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. The College will look to build off their impressive victory, and hopefully not be dragged down by a difficult defeat.
(03/26/13 5:03am)
When people think of living at college — the actual living part, not campus life or adventures — they generally come up with tiny little rooms which seem more fitting for mental patients or prisoners than they do the generation poised to take control of the world in a few short years.
College dorms are notorious for a lot of things, like whatever shut down Cromwell. They are, by many accounts, the worst part about going to this glorious four year joy ride we call higher education (except for maybe those annoying classes).
But what if there was another way? A way of living that was, for lack of a better phrase, just as glorious a joy ride as the rest of college?
Well, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I’m here today to tell you that there is. It’s called living off campus, and I am now going to speak on its behalf. And by that, I clearly mean wax poetically about everything that’s great about the way I’ve chosen to live while quietly mocking those who have not made the same choice. Here we go.
The biggest advantage to off campus living is in the freedom of it. In my house, we don’t need to worry about RA’s or CA’s or Campus Police or the people on the floors above and below. We come and go as we please, without having to sign in or remember our ID cards (if we forget our keys, we knock, which is much easier than waiting around for someone else to show up and much quicker than calling a friend upstairs).
If we also want to stay out until three in the morning, we do so without fear of being judged or having to manage our evening stupors long enough to successfully communicate who we are to the door guard.
The next advantage is also a biggie: money. Off campus is generally cheaper than the alternative, or so people a lot better than me at math have told me (That is, anyone who can do math and does not believe that geometry is the root of all evil).
You’re not convinced yet, I can tell. OK, next point: we’ve got cooler stuff. Not many on-campus living spaces I know have a giant flat screen, a foosball table, incredibly comfy couches and a Christmas tree that stays up year-round. Not to mention our full kitchen, including dishwasher, or our “only-four-people-ever-use-this-and-we’re-all-friends-and-nice-to-each-other” washer and dryer.
Plus, I know that there was very recently a contest for best dorm on campus, and let me tell you, my one roommate’s room (he, like all of them, shall remain nameless) would have KILLED it. Why? Because we have the freedom to do whatever we want with our rooms, unlike you on-campus livers.
Now, I know the biggest knocks of off-campus life: travel time and not having insta-bonds with our dorm floor. As to travel time, I’ll admit, there’s a bit more of it for us. But it’s maybe a minute or two for those of us within two blocks of campus, since we travel mostly by car. And as far as friends are concerned, I’ve grown much closer with my roommates than I’ve heard any of my on-campus friends have done with theirs. I’m talking worlds of difference here.
So, now convinced reader who still has the burden of being an on-campuser, I offer you this: move off campus. We’d be happy to have you, and there’s plenty of room. So long as you agree with me and admit it’s better.
(03/19/13 4:45pm)
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. For those six people still watching “The Office,” it might also be known as one of the greatest human weaknesses, ranking just below the neck.
Nostalgia brings back memories of happier times, which make us ache for those times to return.
So what happens when something wonderful from the past actually does come back?
That’s what we’re all going to discover this summer, when one of the shows from our childhood (assuming we’re all college-aged) returns for a second try.
That’s right, “Whose Line is it Anyway?” improvisational comedy show extraordinaire, is making its return to the small screen this summer on the CW network. Naturally, people in the world of improv are excited about the return.
“I’m really excited to see the new show,” said Morgan Teller, a sophomore women’s and gender studies major and a member of the College’s own improv comedy troupe, the Mixed Signals.
“When I was younger, I would always watch it with my family, and we all loved it,” she said.
In fact, the entire group is thrilled with the show’s return (when initially asked, the Mixed Signals reacted with a sound best written as “YEAHHAHOO!”), as the program’s initial run back in the late 1990s and early 2000s gave young performers inspiration and something to aspire to.
“In fifth grade, my band teacher told me very up front that I would never become a world class trumpeter, but that one day I could be like the weird funny people on that show,” said junior history and secondary education double major Jonathan Dowler, of the Mixed Signals.
“‘Whose Line’ is an amazing show, and they do very short form comedy, with props, and so I do watch it for inspiration, even though it’s a different style from what we do,” said junior computer science major Lindsey Nice, a mixed signals performer. “I’m definitely excited to see what they do with the show now.”
The main headline for the program’s return is the inclusion of the original’s main three cast members: Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles.
The trio will come back without original host Drew Carey (which the Mixed Signals agreed was not the biggest loss), who has been replaced by Aisha Tyler, perhaps best known for her brief stint on “Friends.”
The change, however, had nothing to do with Carey’s lacking improvisational skills.
“Drew Carey is contractually obligated to ‘The Price is Right.’ That’s why they couldn’t get (Brady, Mochrie and Stiles) for the other improv shows that have been popping up — the others were contractually obligated to other shows,” Dowler said.
The return of the big three, however, is what’s really getting fans excited to see the series back on the air.
“Everyone loves Wayne Brady and all of the music things. If you ask the average person, they love that so much,” Teller said, adding that “Colin Mochrie is becoming one of my favorites improv-wise, he’s so quick.”
So prepare yourselves, fans of laughter and wit.
“Whose Line” is coming back, and it looks to be even better than it was before. Of course, that could just be the nostalgia talking.
(03/19/13 4:00pm)
Nothin’ But Net
Every week, hidden in the depths of my computer, sits a list. It’s a very short list, usually no longer than a single bullet point. What that list contains is the idea for this column. All it usually says is Fantasy League, which means I’ll actually write about what’s happening in The Signal's fantasy league.
You may have noticed that I never end up writing about that.
The reason for this is simple — something interesting always pops up. So every week that little list of mine grows by one bullet point, and the column ends up being about that.
This week there weren’t any other bullet points. Nothing particularly interesting or absurd had caught my eye. So I was all set to actually, finally, write something about this fantasy league.
But that’s the thing about sports — if you wait long enough, something interesting or absurd always pops up.
What sprang forth this week is the news that Tiger Woods (you may have heard of him, he’s kind of famous) is officially dating Lindsey Vonn (she’s a skier, also somewhat famous).
That in and of itself isn’t very interesting. Not even absurd. You can’t possibly think of a link between that and fantasy basketball, or fantasy sports in general. (Is there a fantasy golf league? Or fantasy Winter Olympics? How would the points systems work? I’m assuming there would be yelling bonuses for both.)
Allow me to explain.
See, we care about who our sports figures are romantically linked to. Sports fans (or at least the fanatics) are consciously aware of who our favorite athletes are, to put it delicately, coming home to at night. We know Tom Brady is with Giselle. We know Andy Roddick married Brooklyn Decker. We know Melo is married to LaLa.
We know all this because sports players’ careers are often linked to their significant others. Who can forget how bad Tony Romo was when he was vacationing with Jessica Simpson? Who else remembers the monstrous streak Kobe Bryant went on when his wife was filing for divorce (even though they stayed together — we know that too)? And isn’t Anthony only on the Knicks because LaLa wanted to live in NYC?
And that’s the connection between Tiger Woods dating Lindsey Vonn and fantasy sports. When an athlete changes relationship status, something interesting always happens on the field, court or sprawling hills he plays on.
So be mindful of your fantasy players and who they’re dating. Pay attention to if that changes, because something interesting — could be good, could be bad, but definitely a change from the usual — is about to happen with that player.
You just never know whether to start them or drop them.
Maybe next week I can write about this league. My list is down to a single bullet again.
I May Be Wrong, But...
Here are the moves I would make in Fantasy Basketball this week:
Add: Well, Spencer Hawes certainly comes to mind. He’s been phenomenal lately, and a lot of leagues could still have him available. Other than that, I’d say add rookies on lousy teams, as the regular season wears down and the lottery tanking begins, they’ll start to see big minutes and therefore big numbers.
Drop: The most obvious one is Kyrie Irving, who is out for the season with an injury. That’s also the saddest drop, since Irving sure looks to be the kind of superstar Cleveland hasn’t had since … well, that other guy. You might also want to let Carmelo Anthony fall, he’s missed several games with injury and played poorly in those games he didn’t miss.
Look Out For: The MVP candidates. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant are running out of time to really distinguish themselves from the rest (there are arguments to be made for each), so they’ll use the final month of the season to put on the best shows they possibly can. I’m excited.
Be Cautious Of: Anyone on a frontrunning team. Once the Heat streak ends, there won’t be much reason for Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to play big minutes, so they might start resting. Anyone on the Spurs might sit on any given night, and no one except Durant is a sure thing to play all too much for the Thunder.
(03/05/13 5:50pm)
The following are actual quotes from students at the College:
“I enjoyed throwing up way too much,” said junior nursing major Nina Shulgach.
“I liked befriending the tree, it broke my heart when it got chopped down,” said junior computer science major Lindsey Nice.
“I was the tree,” said freshman history and secondary education double major Rachel Friedman.
No, these students did not hit their heads recently, nor is anything else wrong with them. They are simply members of the College’s improvisational comedy troupe, the Mixed Signals, who performed this past Sunday, March 3 in the Library Auditorium before a full audience.
In a performance which had members of the crowd laughing in what could only be described as a raucous manner (this reporter had his seat kicked by enthusiastic audience members who could not contain their amusement), the group can certainly lay claim to having their viewers rolling on the floor with laughter.
Of course, during the course of the show, that phrase was taken literally by performer Jonathan Dowler, a junior history and secondary education double major who was required by the game to always keep at least three of his body parts on the ground at any given time.
Rolling about, fake-vomiting and sentient trees are par for the course for the improv comics, who participated in such games as Party Quirks, Three Line Scene, Moving People and L’Swipe, which incorporated the entire cast and closed the show. Working with larger groups is not the norm in improv, so the performers were especially pleased with their results in that forum.
“One part of tonight’s show that I really enjoyed was that the games that incorporated a lot of us were the ones that went the best,” said sophomore psychology major Garrett Verdone. “Which is how it should be, since the more we get to feed off each other, the more energy we can put into the scenes and give to the audience.”
Energy and audience are important parts of the performance, according to the cast.
“We tried to come in with a lot of energy, and we had a great audience, which really helped out,” said senior biology major and Mixed Signals president, Dan Loverro.
“I think the audience was very receptive tonight,” Dowler said. “We’re only half the show, the audience is the other half, so having a great audience really made the show move along and just made everyone feel more comfortable.” Overall, the cast was pleased with their performance.
“I would be watching scenes and be so proud of what was going on, and I’d look into the audience and everyone would be laughing,” said sophomore women’s and gender studies major Morgan Teller. “It’s so great seeing that people like it so much, and then after the show they confirm it and tell us about their favorite scenes — it’s what we work for.”
Other members of the Mixed Signals cast include sophomore music education major Shannon McGovern, junior computer science major Graham Mazie and freshman English and secondary education double major Steve Munoz.
The Mixed Signals’ next show will be their Rock event with special guests the United Citizens Brigade Theater on March 23 in Kendall Hall at 7 p.m.
(03/05/13 5:00pm)
Nothin’ But Net
So last week Dennis Rodman met Kim Jong Un, and apparently now they are BFFs.
That’s right, Dennis Rodman, whom you might remember as that guy on the Bulls back in the day who had differently colored hair every game, is now the first United States citizen to have met the leader of North Korea.
I’ll give you a minute to absorb that one.
I know I took a few minutes to get over it. I remember distinctly, since I first read about it right before a class and kind of zoned out for a while as I took in the information. Really not good, I think I missed something important.
But come on, how could I not be just a little distracted by this? Here, let me lay it out for you, just in case you’re stumped:
Point one: The United States hasn’t exactly been friends with North Korea since that whole war thing happened.
Point two: Kim Jong Un is the dictator of North Korea, a position he fairly recently inherited from his father.
Point three: North Korea has been testing nukes recently. We aren’t exactly fans of them doing that.
Point four: DENNIS FREAKING RODMAN IS THE FIRST AMERICAN TO MEET WITH KIM JONG UN.
I mean, this is the guy who is in a two-man race with Ron-Ron World Peace as “The Mike Tyson of the NBA!” He’s probably even winning since Ron-Ron got all charitable! He’s known for being way, WAY out there!
Here’s my question (well, one of 45,690 questions, but they’re all related): How did this just happen?
I know the actual story, that Rodman went with the Globetrotters and chatted with Kim Jong Un (I’m not sure how best to shorten that, he’s a dictator with nukes so I’ll give him the respect of using his full name every time) because Kim Jong Un is apparently a big basketball fan.
What I mean is HOW this was allowed to happen. The State Department has already “distanced” itself from Rodman’s visit (how does that work? Are there rulers involved?), but how did no one, during the process of letting Rodman go meet with Kim Jong Un, not stop and say “Wait a second, this may not be the best idea” and do something about it?
…I’m supposed to be talking about fantasy basketball here, aren’t I? Forgot about that for a second. Hold on, I’ll come up with a connection between the two.
Got it!
If, in the next few seasons, you see anyone who looks like Dennis Rodman, or who is a short Korean man, join an NBA team, immediately get him on your team.
He’ll be putting up big numbers. Possibly nuclear.
I May Be Wrong, But...
Here are the moves I would make in Fantasy Basketball this week:
Add: See, I was going to lead this one off with Derrick Williams, since he’s been looking great recently. If only a player in the league hadn’t picked him up and made it look like I was copying him. Oh well, I’ll just suggest grabbing Danny Green and Gary Neal, as they’re the Spurs who are most likely to benefit from Parker’s injury.
Drop: Tony Parker. He just went down with an ankle sprain Popovich called bad, which means he definitely won’t be playing until the playoffs. Why? Because Pop is Pop, and he doesn’t want another dominant season ruined by an untimely injury. Parker’s not playing again until the playoffs, I’d put money on it. Seriously. I could use the cash. Any takers?
Look Out For: Well, Al Horford has been playing like a beast recently. Looks like after all the trade rumors surrounding the Hawks (especially those ones concerning a certain center from Atlanta who shall not be named here), Big Al’s showing that he’s the only man in the middle the Hawks should be looking at.
Be Cautious Of: The Knicks just fell out of second place in the East and have a losing record in their last ten games. This means they’ll be getting frustrated, which means Carmelo Anthony will probably go back to his old ways. As a result, I’d be careful with anyone else on that team, if Melo starts gunning they’re all going to suffer.
(02/27/13 7:53pm)
It has come to my attention in recent weeks (mostly via the various TCNJ-related Facebook pages) that many people in the TCNJ community are not entirely happy. I’m not sure if this is because they’re bummed out about that recent holiday with the naked cherub, or maybe because midterms are coming soon, or perhaps they’re just upset about the weather.
For whatever reason, many people here at our school are not currently happy, so I’m here to help. Not that I’m qualified in any way — my only references would be the many people who’ve told me “Be less happy, it’s annoying” during times of duress — but I do have some advice which may help.
My advice is simple, and in two parts: If there is something in your life that is making you unhappy, change it. If there’s a specific event or predicament you aren’t happy about, then find the most ridiculous aspect of that trouble, and laugh about it.
Radical concepts, I know.
And I’m well aware of the cries which must be echoing through the halls right now. “I can’t just change this problem or that, you don’t understand!” is intermixing with “Yeah, yeah, find the silver linings, haven’t heard that one before. How stupid is this guy?” Only here’s what I’ve learned in my journey through this strange, frustrating and wonderful thing we call life: Nothing is out of our reach as individuals.
And absolutely everything can be funny if you look at it the right way.
The keys to happiness, as it turns out, are in your hands, sad person reading along right now. The idea is that most people in this world know what makes them happy. It’s just that most of us don’treally focus on it too much.
This is where the “change” part of my advice kicks in.
If there is something in your life which makes you unhappy on a regular basis, then do whatever you can to change it. Unhappy in a relationship? End it, or at least tell the person they’re making you feel unhappy. Don’t like your courses? Ask yourself if you’re in the right major, and change it if you aren’t. Not sure you belong at TCNJ at all? Then look into transferring, or dropping out and pursuing whatever it is you love to do (aslong as it’s, you know, legal).
I know, there are alarm bells ringing in your head right now. “I can’t just change big stuff like that, it’s crazy!” I’m going to tell you something right now, so you may want to hold onto something because it’s a biggie.
You are in COLLEGE. For heaven’s sake, this is the time of our lives when we’re SUPPOSED to be crazy! College is all about finding what you want to get out of life, so don’t be so concerned with what other people may think. So long as you’re doing what makes you happy, forget about them, they aren’t as important as you.
Now for the second part of my advice — namely making the bad seem ridiculous and funny instead. That’s definitely an individualized solution, as every problem is unique. But trust me when I say that everything, and by that I mean everything, has a funny side somewhere. You just have to find it and focus on it. You know what makes you laugh far better than I do, clearly, so just take a second and think about something that’s troublingyou. Now blow one part of it way out of proportion (I’m talking Mt. Everest out of an anthill here), and focus on that now-absurd part. It’s funnynow, that problem, isn’t it?
Now the only problem you’re having with buying my pitch is that I haven’t “Been there” so I “Don’t know” what you’re going through. Allow me to reassure you: I’ve gone through just about every problem. Being alone, losing a loved one, having bad luck in general, having your life changed by an injury that won’t ever go away, feeling like you just don’t belong where you are, wishing that you could just go back and change things. I’ve done it all, and came out smiling on the other side. How? By focusing on what makes me happy.
I’m not special, everyone can do it. It’s a choice you have to make, to forget about the world and do what’s right for you.
Trust me, as someone who’s been there — the decision is totally worth it.
(02/26/13 5:00pm)
What is it that compels athletes to come back, time after time, to continue to play the sport that they’ve chosen despite injuries, setbacks and even (for student athletes) difficulties in finding the time to play? Is it, as the story often goes, their “love of the game,” or does sheer stubbornness play more of a role?
“I think it’s both,” said Jack August, a freshman-sophomore player on the men’s tennis team at the College (as a third-semester student in his first year of athletic eligibility, defining his year is one of the difficulties August faces). “It’s just that I’ve put so much time into it, I don’t want to stop, and I really do enjoy it when I can play, so it’s frustrating when I can’t.”
August is returning to play for the Lions after a year away from the team, the result of a painful injury and the complications to life that injury caused. Despite the setbacks, August comes back as a starter in both singles and doubles matches, proof that he has more going for his game than stubbornness alone.
Primary among August’s playing woes is his left ankle, which, as one can probably imagine, is somewhat important when playing a sport requiring quick turns and hard stops. August’s ankle has not been the best at taking on the wear and tear of its owner’s sport.
“(I’ve had) three stress fractures in that ankle,” August said.
A stress factor is described as a small sliver or crack in a bone, brought about by continuous and unusual pressure, or “stress,” and is a common sports injury. August is unfortunately no stranger to this injury.
“I’ve had six (stress fractures) in the past six years,” August said. “No doctor can really figure out what the problem is, they just say tennis isn’t really great for your body. It puts pressure on your joints and bones.”
The most recent of these fractures has been the cause of August’s playing difficulty at the College, starting in the fall of 2011.
“I played my first semester,” August said. “I ended up in-season developing a stress fracture, which they didn’t find until after the season. They decided I needed surgery, and as it turned out I had a bone graft in my ankle that kept me out for the spring semester.”
The resulting aftereffects of the injury could be described as a stress fracture in August’s life, where unusual pressure causes tiny cracks that lead to bigger issues.
“I was still having some physical issues,” August said. “So I didn’t end up coming back to the school at all in the fall. I took the whole semester off to earn some money and let my body recover.”
After a year like that, it would be easy for most college students to stay away from their sport. August, as it turns out, is not like most college students, as he’s back at both the school (as a math major) and on the tennis team.
“It feels really good (to be back),” August said. “I’m just hoping my body holds up.”
According to August, he’s not the only one who hopes it either.
“Coach wants to take it slow, because I’m somewhat injury prone,” August said. “But I’m playing in both singles and doubles in our opening match. I’m excited to get back into it. I haven’t competed in over a year.”
Coming back to school after his time away, August said he has been busy.
“I’m still working about 30 hours a week and I commute from an hour away, so this semester is pretty full,” August said.
Busy or not, August clearly thinks he made the right call in coming back.
“Being back has been better than I expected, it’s been really fun,” August said. “I worked full time last semester, and that really can’t compare to being here, being in college and playing tennis.”
Maybe a love of the game is as great of a factor as the cliché implies after all.
(02/26/13 5:00pm)
There’s a funny thing about domination in sports. Most of the time, it’s obvious, and everyone watching the game can see it unfolding clear as day. But sometimes, rarely, complete domination on the fields (or courts) of play is more sublime, almost as if those doing the dominating are simply allowing it to happen through them, rather than forcing it down the throats of their opposition.
It was that second type of domination, the sublime and quiet kind, which the College’s men’s tennis team displayed this past weekend against Dickinson College and Virginia Wesleyan College. The Lions (2-0) triumphed over the visiting Red Devils (0-1) 9-0 on Saturday Feb. 23, and followed up that performance by beating the Marlins (0-3) 8-1 on Sunday morning, Feb. 24.
“We’ve had a great month of practice, so I even said to the guys during warm-ups that I expected us to play really well,” said head coach Scott Dicheck. “(The team) played tremendously, just everyone did.”
His players agree with his assessment.
“I felt really good today,” senior captain Marc Nichols said. “I played really well, stuck with my game plan and just really hit big forehands and big serves.”
The women were dominant as well, picking up wins by the scores of 9-0 and 7-2 against the same schools, respectively. Senior Karisse Bendijo won both her singles matches, as did freshman Emma Allen and sophomores Alex Bologno and Sarah Lippincott.
The doubles play was solid, as the teams of Bendijo and senior Allison Tierney, Allen and freshman Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette, and Bologno and Lippincott dominated Dickinson, while the Bendijo-Bologno and Allen Muniz Cadorette combinations were victorious against Virginia Wesleyan.
This kind of play is nothing new for the Lions, who were undefeated in the fall portion of the schedule and look to continue that streak.
For the men, Nichols was one of five players on the Lions who had wins in both singles and doubles matches on Saturday, alongside junior Howard Telson, sophomore Jack August and freshmen Billy Buchbinder and Pierce Cooper. Seniors Jordan Cruz and TJ Riley walked away with wins in doubles and singles, respectively.
Nearly the same results occurred on Sunday, with Cruz replacing August in singles play due to August’s injury concerns, and with the only blight on their otherwise flawless record being a 9-8 (7-4) loss for Nichols and Telson in doubles.
“I played pretty well, but I let him off a bit in the second set,” Riley said on Saturday, after winning his match 6-0, 6-4 (Riley won his singles match 6-0, 6-0 on Sunday).
Nichols also saw some room for improvement overall, as he too had more difficulties in his second sets (which he won 6-3 and 7-5 in singles) compared to his first (both 6-1).
“The biggest thing is to stay focused and make sure you finish the match,” Nichols said.
Finishing out the match wasn’t much of a struggle for the Lions, but blowing away the competition in the opening matches of the season is a good start and nothing more.
“We just have to build off of this, obviously part of it is staying healthy,” Dicheck said.
That staying healthy part has been a concern for some Lions.
“I usually start doubles, but due to injury, I’m not doing that right now,” Riley said. “I’m hoping to get back into doubles and keep playing solid tennis.”
Injury concerns or no, the future of this year’s team can easily be described as bright.
“I hope to keep winning and help the team, and as a team I hope we make nationals and do some damage there,” Nichols said.
Now that sounds like the kind of domination that’s the very opposite of sublime.
(02/26/13 5:00pm)
Take a minute to imagine something for me. Picture yourself getting tickets to your favorite sporting event. Getting all excited about going, glancing at the clock every few minutes in the days leading up to it, wishing time would speed up so you could go sooner. Then imagine that you have great seats, close enough that you can almost taste — heck, you CAN taste it.
Then imagine a hunk of burning metal hurtling towards you at high speed, with no hope of escaping injury.
This is what happened to quite a few people this past weekend at NASCAR’s opening event.
Now, this isn’t a news story about what happened. You’ve probably seen or heard plenty of those recently, and I’m not about to add to them. So this is more of a question.
How the flying freak did that just happen?
Seriously, we live in an age of technology where the driver of the car that wrecked walked away with barely a scratch, yet 28 people were hit by the wreckage? Do NASCAR officials think that a lousy little chain-link fence is going to stop cars going upwards of 100 mph from hitting the fans sitting right stinking there?
There are a lot of arguments to be had about NASCAR. There are issues of driver safety, whether it should be considered a sport at all, and, of course, whatever the heck is up with Danica Patrick.
But this? Fans getting injured (two were in critical condition for a while, they’re stable now) because no one figured out “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t have fans sitting right next to these racecars with nothing but a little fence in between” and decided to maybe do something about it?
That’s just so incredibly stupid that I can’t think of a proper insult to say.
So I’ll give them an idea on how to make sure this terrible event never happens again. Really really simple here: PUT SOME SPACE IN BETWEEN THE FANS AND THE TRACK.
Or, you know, at least a second fence for protection.
(02/19/13 5:00pm)
Remember when we used to have inspirational sports stories of great accomplishments against all the odds, when there would be movies based on true sports stories that always made people cry, when people would watch athletes do incredible things and never utter a sound except for a possible “wow” in hushed and amazed tones?
That was a nicer time, wasn’t it?
Sadly, that world no longer seems to exist. Today’s inspirational sports stories are one of two things: riddled by questions of what’s going on behind the scenes (basically anything with steroids) or just waiting for that other pin to drop, for the horrible aftershock to come ripping through and destroy whatever inspirations existed before.
We’ve had quite a few of these aftershocks in recent years. The first (and still possibly the biggest) domino to fall was Tiger Woods, he of the perfect swing and even better life. Until, you know, the world learned he was doing all sorts of Charlie Sheen-esque things behind closed doors.
Since Tiger’s fall from grace, we’ve had some strange ones, the most relevant being the double whammy of Manti Te’o and Lance Armstrong. We all know the stories: two inspirational tales torn apart by lies and manipulations and now lacking almost all of what made them shine to begin with.
And now we have the saddest of all. Oscar Pistorious, famed for being the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympics, was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend this past week. Whether he is found guilty of the crime or not is irrelevant to the story at this point — already the inspiration is gone. The man the world cheered on is now being torn apart, and could spend his life in prison for committing a terrible crime.
These stories are merely the biggest of the inspirational tales lacking in staying power, and set a terrible trend for the future. What if we never see something again in sports which can truly inspire us? We certainly seem to be heading that way.
So to any athletes who might inspire us soon, hear my plea. Don’t do anything to lose your luster.
In the meantime, I’m going to go watch “Remember the Titans,” recall a more pleasant time, and have a good cry.
(02/12/13 5:11pm)
Some of the greatest minds of the 21st century congregated this Monday, Feb. 11 at the College. These incredible brains gathered in one meeting place for the noblest of purposes — to compete against each other for a shiny trophy.
In the College’s first annual Battle of the Brains competition, hosted by Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors society, and also known as the Interdepartmental Professor Bowl, teams representing six different honors societies — history, women’s and gender studies, chemistry, English, Spanish and a joint political science/international studies squad — battled it out in order to win the grand prizes of pride, money toward the charity of their choosing and, of course, the trophy.
The initial idea for the Jeopardy-style competition came from the history honor society’s semesterly Professor Bowl, which MJ Dempsey, a senior history and international studies double major and one of the event’s two primary organizers, expanded to include competition from other schools of study.
“Every semester, we had this day where students would gather with professors and have fun,” Dempsey said. “And it was always our most successful event, so I figured we might as well make it bigger and better.”
“We wanted to hold a trivia competition between all of the honors societies, less history-related than our usual Bowl in the interest of fairness, and we managed to pull it off,” said Matt Ritsko, a junior history and secondary education double major who was the other primary show runner.
The event did not draw an overwhelming crowd, but certain important on-campus figures, such as Dean Rifkin of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, were in attendance.
“I was very excited about this event,” Rifkin said. “This is the kind of event that I’m so happy to see on campus, bringing faculty and students together in academic engagement.”
In the competition itself, teams were quizzed on their knowledge in a variety of subjects, including world languages, potent potables (mixed drinks for the uninformed, which Dean Rifkin was pleased to discover students lacked knowledge of) and, of course, Batman villains.
Students who attended earned additional points for their respective teams by showing up wearing their teams’ colors, in an effort to foster team spirit and unity.
After a spirited competition, the eventual champions were the members of the history honors society. As a result, the proceeds from the event, $150 in total from donations from the honors societies and members of the audience, went to kiva.org, an organization which gives money to developing small businesses around the world.
“It was great fun,” said Robert McGreevey, the winning team’s resident professor. “The best part is the faculty and students working together.” McGreevey was joined in the victory by freshman history and philosophy double major Sam Fogelgaren, freshman history and secondary education double major Andrew Seeber, sophomore history major Caitlin Diesner, senior elementary education and history double major Erica Csimbok, and senior history major Meghan Brennan in the victory.
Event organizers were certainly happy with the final result.
“I’m very pleased with the turnout,” said Kyle Romero, senior history major and president of the history honors society, who served as Emcee for the competition. “I think it went great, and I’m very happy that we pulled this thing off.”
“We’re hoping to turn this into at least a yearly event,” Ritsko said. “Possibly every semester, but we want this to be special, so we’ll probably stick with the annual format.”
(02/12/13 5:00pm)
Early forecasts, it seems, are not always surefire predictions of what is yet to come. The College’s men’s basketball team learned this lesson the hard way this past week, as they fell to Rowan University by a final score of 74-52 after a hotly contested first half, and had their second game postponed in fear of a snowstorm that left a much smaller impact than originally anticipated.
The Lions (5-18, 3-13) battled back and forth with the playoff-bound Profs in the opening half of the game, despite some less-than-ideal circumstances.
“(The game) was a tough one, especially knowing our playoff hopes had already been eliminated,” said junior guard Matthew Rista, who led the team with 16 points, the only Lion to score in double figures. “We played a tough first half.”
That they did, as the Lions managed to put up 11 unanswered points to close out the half in order to take a 37-36 lead heading into the break. The team managed to stay ahead of the Profs by living from beyond the arc, hitting six of their nine three-pointers in the half, and by taking full advantage of opportunities at the free-throw line, where the team shot a blistering 11 of 12.
Unfortunately, just as sometimes storms are not quite so strong as they appear, the Lions could not maintain their lead in the second half.
“(We) just struggled shooting the ball in the second half,” Rista said.
Those struggles were what ultimately hurt the Lions, who were outscored 38-15 in the second half, after hitting only five of their 29 second half attempts. The College’s magic touches in the first half from three and the charity stripe faded, as they went two for 12 from three-point land and missed four of their seven free throws.
The Lions’ struggles in the painted area continued, as they were outrebounded 46-32, and outscored in the paint by a sum total of 38-6. Yet it was again a tale of two halves, as the College kept the rebounding numbers close, 18-15 in favor of Rowan, in the first half before faltering in the second.
Sophomore guard Emmanuel Matlock led the team with three assists to go along with seven points, while junior forward Joe Kane attacked the glass most often for the Lions, finishing with six rebounds.
With their playoff dreams for this season over, the Lions are already looking forward to what is yet to come.
“We are just trying to improve and get better every day in preparation for next season,” Rista said.
The College’s second game of the week was postponed due to the reports of a massive blizzard, moving the Lions’ home finale to Monday, Feb. 11. The team fell short to New Jersey City University by a score of 65-53.
The game was on senior night, and lone senior guard William Lester was able to knock down a contested three-pointer, a feel-good moment for his last home game.
“Billy’s been the heart and soul of the team this year,” freshman forward Mitch Miller said. “He may not have been the guy who got significant minutes, but he’s our hardest worker and he’s going to be missed next year.”
The team will play its final game of the season on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. on the road at Montclair State University.
Despite no longer being in the playoff picture, the players have something important to play for.
“We’re looking to come out strong and win this last game,” Rista said.
Now that’s a prediction the Lions will surely do their best to meet dead-on.
(01/29/13 5:00pm)
Nothin' But Net
Luck has always played a role in sports. Balls fall just out of bounds, shots bounce in or out, golf balls crash into birds (OK, maybe that doesn’t happen too much). But in most cases, luck doesn’t play a large role, as skill plays a much more prominant part.
In fantasy sports, though, luck can absolutely crush you.
Take, for example, the most devastating/important/league-altering event from this past weekend. Rajon Rondo, point guard extroardinaire for the Boston Celtics, went down for the rest of the season with an ACL tear, basically ruining the Celtics’ season.
This, as you might expect, changes a few things in fantasy leagues, too.
See, Rondo most likely was a first or second round draft pick in just about every league. Unlike most of the big injuries this season (Kevin Love, Andrew Bynum, even Anderson Varejao), Rondo is not a player who is prone to injuries or who had one going into the season.
That’s not even going into the fact that he’d recorded triple-doubles in his last two games, with another Nationally Televised Game (NTG Rondo is now a thing, if you didn’t know) happening on Sunday. Against the Heat, the first time Ray Allen came back to Boston ... yeah, Rondo was going to explode.
Instead, he’s out for the year.
Luck plays a larger role in fantasy sports because fantasy is all about numbers. Team chemistry or success, defense (at least in basketball), leadership roles, even All-Star game appearances or recognition — none of that matters. It’s all about the numbers.
And Rajon Rondo is a man who puts up numbers.
The thing that makes it luck is this: Fantasy owners have absolutely no effect on their players. Teams, coaches, teammates, management — they all do have at least some impact on the performance of players. But Fantasy owners do nothing. None of their players’ accomplishments are ones that they can control.
So when things like James Harden getting traded (and therefore see a HUGE upswing in numbers) happen, some fantasy owners who drafted them in later rounds are very happy, while others are very upset.
Or when formerly headcase players like DeMarcus Cousins start putting up crazy numbers (despite not helping their teams at all), some fantasy owners can shoot straight into first place based on the outlier stats of a player no one else wanted.
Injuries, though, are by far the worst. Losing a player on a real team means you need to build new chemistry with whoever comes in as a replacement, and eventually you can recover to almost where you were.
In fantasy, losing a player to injury means you just get a lousy replacement. The higher the pick that gets injured, the lousier that replacement makes your team.
A fantasy team can go from first to, well, not having a chance with just one key injury. And if you’re unlucky enough to have two of your best picks go down for the year (like, say, Varejao and Rondo), then you’re pretty much doomed, through no fault of your own.
Yes, all of this did happen in my fantasy league.
Yes, all the bad things happened to my team, and the good ones to the guy who had been in second place.
Luck Sucks.
I May Be Wrong, But...
Add: Greivis Vazquez, Kemba Walker, Kyle Korver ... basically anyone who can spell Rondo without looking completely stupid. Also look out for point guards playing against the Celtics, with a defender like Rondo gone, they might give up some big numbers at the one for a while. Additionally, Courtney Lee and Avery Bradley should be seeing more playing time, so their numbers should improve a bit.
Drop: Rajon Rondo is the obvious one. I feel like I’ve talked about this too much already, but this injury is the biggest so far in fantasy terms. Rondo going down could swing entire leagues, he’s a fantasy machine (those triple doubles...), and any owner who grabbed him is now very sad.
Look Out For: Kobe Bean Bryant. Seriously, he’s on an absolute tear right now, and I believe he no longer completely human. You might also want to pay attention to LeBron James, he’s been putting up some crazy numbers even for him recently, and Ersan Ilyasova has shown signs of a return to last season’s surprising upswing in statistical production.
Be Cautious Of: Anyone on the Celtics. Losing a franchise point guard can drastically alter everyone’s numbers, and while some C’s may see an upswing, the rest might see a steady decline. It’s all up in the air right now.
(12/05/12 5:00pm)
Ladies and Gentleman of the NBA world, I have gathered you here today to speak of our great and undying leader, Master — I mean Mister, slip of the tongue there — David Stern. You see, there have been some rumblings out there recently that he isn’t all-wonderful and all-knowing, and I would like to tell you that they are all wrong.
Clearly, I am here mostly to address the recent acts of insubordination — I mean, the recent controversy regarding the San Antonio Spurs. Now, I know that the Spurs’ players are older and prone to injury and that resting their stars for the final game of a grueling road trip may sound like a reasonable course of action.
I also know that there are no set rules against this type of obscene and unacceptable behavior, but Master — Mister — Stern has assured me that there are precedents for the $250,000 fine he punished those scoundrels with. I mean, he righteously reprimanded the Spurs organization. I was not able to find any specifics examples, but I didn’t look into the secret “How to Fine Mark Cuban 365 Different Ways a Year” folder that Master — Mister — Stern keeps under his desk. That’s probably where they are.
Personally, I think this issue should now be laid to rest. The wicked have received their just reward, and the Emperor — I mean Commissioner — was kind and generous enough to not directly punish the Spurs’ head coach, Gregg Popovich, or the players who dared to cross the Almighty Stern.
Is it hot in here? Is anyone else feeling warm? Maybe we could turn up the AC a little, really get some air circulating in this room.
Well, moving along here, there have also been some other blatant acts of blasphemy recently. I mean, silly rumors, obviously. For example, Rajon Rondo and the Celtics have been complaining about his two-game suspension for getting into a push-fight with the Nets’ Kris Humphries. Rondo should feel grateful that the Merciful Emperor — commissioner — gave him so lenient a slap on the wrist for daring to engage Attention Grabber No. 6. Oops, sorry, another slip of the tongue there, I obviously mean Hump.
Listen, people, here’s my point. Our Majestic Ruler — I mean commissioner — Stern is never wrong. He never makes mistakes, overreacts for publicity or does anything else that could possibly be anything but perfect.
He is also not a dictator, I have no idea where those rumors came from. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go take a long vacation now. Please remark in your press releases that I have been loyal to Master — mister — Stern for many years.
In conclusion, the NBA stands by David Stern’s decision to fine the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for legally resting their players during a road trip. Thank you.
(11/13/12 11:00pm)
Sometimes things don’t end as well as you’d hoped. That’s certainly what happened with the Lions’ season this year, as they lost their final game 26-0 to Rowan University in a disheartening finish to what was an up-and-down season.
The Lions (4-6, 3-5) entered the game hoping to play spoiler for the Profs, who were fighting for a playoff spot. Those hopes quickly faded, as Rowan’s punishing run game kept them in the driver’s seat for most of the game, while the College struggled to put anything together on the offensive end.
For the seniors playing in their final game, however, the end result wasn’t as important as the journey they took to get there.
“Great season,” senior quarterback Dan Dugan said. “It was amazing, playing with a team like this. Good coaches, great friendships, that’s really all I can take from this.”
The final game for the seniors was the highlight of the night, as before the game every member of the team’s senior class headed to the center of the field for the opening coin toss, the friendship among the group apparent as they grasped hands to form a solid line facing down the opposition.
The seniors were also announced and honored during halftime, and when the game had already fallen beyond the Lions’ reach, the seniors who typically backed up the starters got their chances to play one last time.
During the game itself, there wasn’t much chance for positive emotion, as Rowan controlled play from the opening kick. The Profs dominated the stat sheet, holding possession of the ball for 39:51, nearly double the Lions’ 20:09. The scoring began with 11:45 left in the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown thrown by senior quarterback Louie Bianchini to senior wide receiver Dan Reed, and continued in the first half with an 86-yard touchdown thrown by Bianchini to junior wide receiver Warren Oliver with 2:32 remaining.
The Lions’ best efforts of the first half came from the play of their special teams, who blocked both extra points in that half (one each by senior Thomas Hoppe and junior Jeffrey Adubato), as well as a punt. The College also saw strong play from senior punter/kicker Derick Hughes (despite a missed field goal from 38 yards, the Lions’ only scoring opportunity).
The Lions couldn’t get into an offensive rhythm, however, finishing with just 167 yards of total offense to Rowan’s 451.
Rowan put the game away in the second half, scoring on running plays of six and 47 yards by freshman running back Withler Marcelin and Bianchini, respectively.
Once the fourth quarter began, it became clear that the College would not be able to come back, so the players began playing more for pride than outright victory. Senior wide receiver Glenn Grainger had the biggest play of game during the fourth, a 23-yard catch from Dugan.
“By that point, I think we were down by three possessions, so it was just about going out there and playing, try to finish it on a high note” Grainger said.
The seniors looked back on the season after the game, and had nothing but praise for their teammates.
“I had a good time,” Grainger said. “It was a good group of guys here. It’s a good team.”
The Lions also finished the year entering the record books, with senior running back Justin Doniloski tying the record for most receptions during a season with 64 in all. Dugan ended his career at the college with records in most completions in a game (34), most attempts in a game (50), completions in a season (260), attempts in a season (419) and yards in a season (2,392).
Overall though, the players were not as concerned with the record books as they were with the team.
“Yeah, I broke some records, but I’d rather win.” Dugan said.
In the end, it all came back to the team.
“I’d just like to thank all my teammates for making me stick through it all these years,” Dugan said.
Those words are an ending the Lions can certainly be proud of.
(10/24/12 5:33pm)
Being a fan of any team is sure to have drawbacks. For some, it’s that you lose all the time — fans of the Clippers, Cubs and Cleveland in general, you understand this. For others, the (strange, but real) concern is that you win too often — fans of the Yankees, Red Wings and Lakers, you realize that this makes most other fans hate you.
For some teams, it’s that you find the most interesting ways to lose — Mets fans understand this problem. It isn’t just losing, but losing because players do goofy things like miss easy pop-ups that somehow make runs score. Still other teams can complain about management always messing everything up — fans of the Trail Blazers, Warriors and recently the Red Sox, you’re nodding along.
But as a fan of the New York Giants, I have perhaps the strangest complaint of all.
We play exactly like our opponent on any given night.
Think about that for a second. Look at our games so far this season—we stunk it up for most of the game against the Bucs and the Browns (two lousy teams we should have trounced), and had to rely on huge comebacks to pull off wins. Against our not-looking-great division foes so far, we’ve looked terrible in two and needed a last-second drive to salvage the third.
Put us against a hot Panthers team with half our guys injured? We blow them away. We play the looking-like-Super-Bowl-favorites 49ers? Another easy game.
Why, you ask, is this a problem?
Because just like any other fans, we Giants fans love our team. We sit on the edge of our seats in tricky situations, forget to breathe during intense plays, our hearts pound madly with every game-changing pass.
And frankly, it’s exhausting. We don’t have any games where we have even an inkling of who’s going to win. None. Every week is a potential trap game, or a potential upset. We’re never quite sure.
Sure, we’ve won two Super Bowls in the past five years playing this sort of crazy, “We’ll play to the level of our opposition and be a super-dangerous dark horse team” style. But I can guarantee that every die-hard Giants fan has had at least six mini-heart-attacks during that stretch.
I guess what I’m asking the Giants to do is decide whether they’re really good or not already. Seriously, this flip-flopping is getting old.
Plus, defibrillators aren’t cheap.
(10/16/12 6:33pm)
Sometimes the most important thing in sports isn’t bringing home the hardware, feeling like part of a team in a way that no other activity can quite make you feel, or even being a part of something that’s greater than yourself.
Sure, all of those things are vital, but sometimes there’s just something that is, for moments, just a little more important. It was that rare and powerful motivation which the swimming teams of the College set their sights on this past Wednesday, Oct. 10 in an intra-squad meet which served as something of a warm-up for the season to come.
“This is Blue vs. Gold,” men’s head coach Brian Bishop said. “For bragging rights!”
In a light-hearted yet competitive meet, both the women’s and men’s squads prepared for their seasons by competing against one another in various races, both individual and relay. While no school records were set in the meet and none of the swimmers had the appearance of life-or-death competitiveness they would in an actual meet, they still gave great efforts in order to claim those vaunted bragging rights.
Women’s head coach Jennifer Harnett, defending New Jersey Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, summed up the day’s events rather succinctly before the races began.
“This is just a fun meet, to really help us see where we are before the season starts,” she said.
For the women’s squad, expectations are certainly high, as they have been selected in a preseason coaches’ poll as the favorites to win their fifth consecutive NJAC championship. Led by their four co-captains, seniors Kristyn Wikoff, Elena Ferranti, Kayleigh Shangle and Sam Parlow — the Lions were selected by all coaches polled to finish first yet again. They are also looking to build on last season’s seventh place finish overall at the national championships.
The men’s squad has almost identical aspirations, having been selected by a coaches’ poll to also win the NJAC championship for the fifth consecutive season. Led by their trio of co-captain seniors Adam Schneider, Mike Caputo and Andrew Smith, the men are looking to build on their strong 12th place overall finish at nationals last season.
But Wednesday’s meet wasn’t really about meeting the expectations of the season. Rather, it was about the athletes showing what they could do and laying claim to the team’s bragging rights for the season, with maybe just a hint of demonstrating how much of a force they could be.
“(This meet is) a great early season test,” Bishop said, who kept the meet light-hearted with running commentary of the races.
The swimmers themselves are looking forward to what lies ahead.
“We’re really excited about this season,” Ferranti said.
Her fellow co-captain Wikoff agreed, adding, “(And we’re) excited for the new freshmen to show what they can do.”
Freshmen were put to the test at the meet’s start, where they sang "The National Anthem" to the amusement of their elder athletes — and were impressive in doing so.
In the end, the Blue squads for both the men and the women prevailed (with the Blue men winning 64-58 and the women 73-47), claiming their valuable prize and starting a new season with what promises to be a very bright outlook.
Let the bragging begin.