Sports

Record Freshman Class Sustains Scholar-Athlete Tradition

Last fall's record freshman class is having a huge influence in athletics. In all, more than 200 first-year students were on Gator sports rosters at the start of the year. If they have the same impact for all four years that they've had in their first season, Allegheny could be celebrating numerous conference titles in the near future.

The early success stories include Eric Sloan from the men's soccer team. Starting all 22 games in 2004, Sloan earned NCAC Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-Conference. He tallied one goal and one assist, while helping a defense record nine shutouts in 21 total games as the Gators captured their first NCAC title in school history and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Along with his individual and team's success on the soccer field, Sloan also enjoyed a stellar first semester in the classroom, earning better than a 3.3 GPA.

"Eric really started to impress me from day one in preseason," says coach Angelo Panzetta, who earned NCAC Coach of the Year. "He showed great composure early on and showed he was able to take charge as the sweeper and organize players in the back, which is not easy as a freshman. I knew he wouldn't have a problem with the workload here academically."

Two more freshmen are enjoying their first year both in the classroom and on the swimming and diving teams. The women's team has reaped the benefits of Carolyn Nairn's success in the sprint events, while Jayson Loeffert is in position to qualify for the 2005 NCAA Championships.

Nairn has stepped up as one of the Gators' most consistent swimmers. She's tallied three first-place finishes in the 200 Freestyle and has also touched first in the 50 Free and 50 Back once.

In his first year on the diving boards for the Gators, Loeffert posted a score of 275.18 in the one-meter event at the October 30 meet at Case Western Reserve. His mark of 289.95 on the three-meter board was also the top score recorded in the NCAC prior to the conference meet.

Both Nairn and Loeffert are off to good starts academically as well, as they recorded nearly 3.2 GPAs during the fall semester.

"Both Caroline and Jayson are having a great impact on the program," says head swimming and diving coach Tom Erdos. "They are hard-working, well-rounded individuals who have tremendous talent and are really fun to work with. I really think both are just a year away from being impact competitors in the country in their events."

While some freshmen started making their influence felt during the first semester, others had the first semester to work on their grades before getting a chance to compete. One freshman who has already made an impact off the field and will get her chance this spring to make a difference on the diamond is softball player Lauren Weichel.

Weichel joins a softball squad that won the NCAC title last year, and she is expected to be a big contributor if this year's team is going to repeat that success. If the team can duplicate on the field Weichel's success in the classroom, where she registered better than a 3.8 GPA, then Allegheny will be adding yet another championship trophy to its case.

"Lauren is a great addition to our pitching staff," says AC head softball coach Sandra Sanford. "She has a very bright future as a member of the softball program and we expect that she will have an immediate impact on the success of our upcoming season. Overall, she is a class act and truly the epitome of the student athlete."

It is rare in this day to see a student athlete compete in two sports and even more rare to see one excel at both sports and in the classroom. But Gator women's soccer and lacrosse player Ashley Hughes is an exception. On the soccer field in the fall, Hughes was the leading scorer, with seven goals and 14 points for the 9-7-2 Gators. Now in the spring, Hughes is expected to be in the starting line-up when the lacrosse team opens its season.

Matching that on-field success, Hughes earned a GPA over 3.0 in the fall semester. "Ashley is not a typical freshman," says head women's soccer and lacrosse coach Paul Bonus. "She was our leading scorer in soccer and has really impressed me in lacrosse so far. With the way she plays on the field and the way she stays focused in the classroom, she seems more like a junior than a freshman."

There are innumerable additional success stories among this year's record freshman class—and who knows what new athletics records are around the corner. One thing is certain: The tradition of student-centered athletic success at Allegheny College continues to thrive.

Three Big Events... One Even Bigger Weekend

Have you ever wanted to attend a reunion weekend at Allegheny but also wanted to make it to the Hall of Fame inductions or Golden Gator Golf Outing? Has the fact that these great events have been spread throughout the year made it difficult to come back for everything? Well, we have some good news for you.

Three of the biggest Allegheny alumni events have now been placed into one exciting weekend in early June. Starting this year, Allegheny will induct new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame and hold its annual Golden Gator Golf Outing on the same weekend as Reunion Weekend. The Hall of Fame induction will take place on Sunday, June 5, with the golf outing at the Country Club scheduled to tee off on Monday, June 6.

Hall of Fame inductions have traditionally taken place during Homecoming weekend in the fall, with scholar-athletes from all eras coming back to celebrate the induction of a new class. Highlighting this year's class are a pair of former football players, Stanley Drayton '93 and Michael Mates '88; the first women's tennis player to be inducted, Victoria "Tory" Thomas '87; and two two-sport female athletes, Veronica "Ronnie" Bohm '91 and Laura Moeller '95.

At Monday's annual golf outing, current Allegheny athletes and coaches, along with alumni and members of the Meadville community, will team up for a four-person scramble to begin the day. Other events that day include a silent auction, hole-in-one contests, which include the chance to win a car, a combo-putt contest, and a raffle.

There are also prizes for the winning foursomes. Last year the group of Louis Stack, Charles Swick, Frank Fuhrer, and Norm Sundstrom were the winners of the Gross Scramble. The quartet of Donald Clawson, Robert Clark, Charles Hileman, and Jim Beers won the Pro-Quota Scramble.

Once the golfing is done, including a combo-putt for $20,000, everyone moves into the dining room for dinner and announcement of the Robert Garbark Memorial Alumni Award and the Norm Sundstrom Friend of Athletics Award.

At last year's outing, Dick Stewart '56 won the Garbark Award, which is presented annually by the Golden Gator Club to a graduate whose love for Allegheny Athletics best embodies the competitive spirit of former coach and athlete Robert Garbark. The Sundstrom Award, which is given to an individual whose support of Allegheny athletics best symbolizes the same community spirit of the former Allegheny coach and athletic director, was presented to Steve Cappellino, representing National City Bank of Pennsylvania.

Former Coaches Earn Hall of Fame Inductions

A pair of long-time Allegheny coaches who enjoyed great success leading Gator sports teams were recently inducted into Halls of Fame recognizing their outstanding careers on the sidelines.

Former Allegheny men's basketball and golf coach Norm Sundstrom was inducted into the Pennsylvania Basketball Hall of Fame and the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in January.

On February 5, former Gator women's soccer coach John Wilcher earned a spot in the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame, recognizing his outstanding career at Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon High School.

Allegheny Celebrates Girls and Women in Sports Day

Allegheny College helped celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 12 by hosting a variety of clinics and activities at the David V. Wise Sports and Fitness Center.

In all, 163 children, with more than 150 coming from the Girl Scouts of the Penn Lakes Chapter, participated in sports and activities throughout the day. The day began with an hour-long session for track and field, run by the varsity members of the Gator women's track and field team.

Following lunch, the groups were split into two. While one group went to the swimming pool, the other group stayed to do stations with women's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball, as well as the women's club rugby program. After an hour, the two groups switched, giving everyone the chance to work with the different sport programs.

Following the clinics, the children sang the national anthem prior to Allegheny's women's basketball game with Kenyon College. National Girls and Women in Sports Day began in 1987 as an event to help promote girls' interest in sports and to advocate an active lifestyle. It is celebrated in all 50 states with community-based events, award ceremonies, and activities honoring the achievements and encouraging the participation of girls and women in sports.