Golf, Women’s Lax to Play for Conference Championships This Weekend,
Men’s and Women’s Track, Men’s Tennis to Prep for Theirs Next Week
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — The Susquehanna University golf team will be seeking its fifth-straight Middle Atlantic Conference title this weekend, while the Crusader women’s lacrosse team will be seeking its first regular-season championship. The men’s tennis team needs wins in its final two league matches Thursday and Friday to possibly still make the conference playoffs, while both the track and field teams will have their final tune-ups before their conference meet next weekend.
Under 10th-year head coach Don Harnum, the Crusader golfers have either won or shared the team title at the last four MAC Championship Tournaments and will be favored to repeat in this year’s event back at the Shawnee Country Club in Shawnee-on-the-Delaware. The Crusaders won the title there last year by five shots over King’s. This year’s event could also be tight with Moravian beating Susquehanna by a stroke at the Moravian Invitational on April 8, and King’s finishing a relatively close second to the Crusaders at last Thursday’s Susquehanna Invitational. Susquehanna is ranked 22nd in the NCAA Division III poll and was favored to repeat as MAC champions according to the preseason coaches’ poll.
The Crusaders had their final tune-up for the championships by winning their own 15-team invitational with a season-low 306, and then finished fourth out of 15 teams at the prestigious District II Invitational Sunday and Monday.
The Susquehanna women’s lacrosse team has a school record 10-game winning streak and has broken last year’s school record for wins in a season (9-7) with its 11-1 record prior to Thursday’s Dickinson game. Second-year head coach Gina Lucido has directed the team to a 20-8 record (.714) and the only two winning seasons in its 10-year history, turning around a program which went 11-59 (.157) during the eight seasons prior to her arrival. Susquehanna rolled to wins over Messiah (18-11), Muhlenberg (14-9), Philadelphia Textile (12-7) and Lycoming (14-6) last week, clinching a berth in the MAC Championship Game for the second-straight year with the win over Lycoming.
Now 5-0 in the conference, the Crusaders can win the regular-season title and the right to host the championship game on Saturday, May 1, with a win over five-time defending MAC champion Drew (7-4, 3-0 MAC) in Saturday’s 1 p.m. home game. That won’t come easy as Susquehanna has lost all six of its previous meetings with Drew. The Crusaders dropped two games to the Rangers last year, including an 18-1 rout at Drew in the inaugural MAC Championship Game. The Rangers are presently ranked fifth in the latest NCAA Division III Metro Region rankings, and 18th nationally.
The men’s tennis team evened its record to 5-5 overall with Monday’s win over Dickinson. At 2-2 in the MAC Commonwealth League for 19th-year head coach Gary Fincke, the Crusaders need to beat Lebanon Valley (12-5, 3-1 MAC CL) in Thursday’s 3:45 home match, win at Messiah (4-7, 2-3 MAC CL) in Friday’s 4 p.m. contest, and then get some help to make the MAC playoffs. The top two teams in each league make the playoffs, which begin Saturday. The championship match is Monday, April 26.
Under 21st-year coach Jim Taylor, the Crusaders men’s track and field teams remains undefeated in all four scored meets this outdoor season as it won at the Mason-Dixon Invitational last Saturday at Gettysburg. The Crusaders scored 115 points to outdistance second-place West Virginia Wesleyan. Rookie head coach Karen Brandt guided the depleted women’s squad to an eighth-place finish at Gettysburg Saturday, and then went on to run the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Both teams will send some select athletes to the Penn Relays Friday, with the bulk of their performers competing at the Dickinson Invitational Saturday. These events will be their final tune-ups before the MAC Outdoor Championships next Friday and Saturday at Messiah College. The men are the two-time defending outdoor champs.
THE GOLF REPORT
Freshman Ryan Franks (Huntingdon/Huntingdon H.S.) led the team at the District II event, shooting a 79 and an 80 for a two-day total of 159. Despite a recent slump, sophomore Hugh Leahy, III (Wilmington, Del./Archmore Academy) is tied with Franks for the lead among the varsity golfers in spring stroke average (79.9). Leahy is the defending MAC individual champion. Seniors Corey Troxell (Clearfield/Clearfield Area H.S.) and Joe Rossi (Horsham/Hatboro-Horsham H.S.) have both been All-MAC golfers in past years and are averaging 80.2 and 82.1 this spring respectively. Rossi had his best round of the spring last Thursday as he shared medalist honors at the Susquehanna Invitational with a five-over 75. Sophomore Chris Sgaliotti (Allentown/Emmaus H.S.) rounds out the lineup for this weekend and is averaging 80.3 this spring.
THE MEN’S TENNIS REPORT
Sophomores Tim Peters (Ipswitch, Mass./Millbrook School) and Ben DeBell (Concord, N.H./Londonderry H.S.) are now 8-0 at number-two doubles, with Peters also at 5-5 as the team’s top-seeded singles player. Freshman Rob Logan (Mountain Top/Crestwood Area H.S.) has the team’s top singles record this season, now 7-3 at number-six.
THE MEN’S TRACK & FIELD REPORT
Junior Matt Fenstermacher (Watsontown/Warrior Run H.S.) won the 100-meter dash at the Mason-Dixon Invitational and nearly provisionally qualified for Division III Outdoor Championships with his time of :10.95. He also took first in the 200-meter dash (:22.47). Freshman Corey Green (Roselle, N.J./Roselle Catholic H.S.) was second in the high jump for the second-straight week, clearing 6-4. Senior Frank Arenella (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia H.S.) also finished second in the javelin at Gettysburg with his second best throw of the season (182-10), staying just ahead of junior teammate Erik Benson (West Reading/Wyomissing H.S.) who was third (170-6).
THE WOMEN’S LACROSSE REPORT
Junior attack wing Dana Makowski (Cinnamnson, N.J./Cinnaminson H.S.) is the MAC Player of the Week as she scored 16 points on six goals and 10 assists in the team’s 3-0 week. She added two goals and two assists Tuesday vs. Lycoming and broke her own school record for assists in a season, now with 17 to rank fifth in the MAC (1.42 per game). She also has regained her school record for career assists with 34. Makowski is third on the team in scoring, also with 21 goals for 38 points (3.17 per game). Junior center Janelle Reed (Shamokin/Line Mountain H.S.) led the team offensively Tuesday with a career high four goals while adding two assists. The team leader in ground balls with 76, Reed is fourth offensively with 23 goals and 11 assists for 34 points (2.83 per game). Senior third home Sandy Jenkin (Millersville, Md./Severna Park H.S.) and freshman second home Krista O’Brien (Sykesville, Md./Liberty H.S.) lead the team in scoring. Jenkin has 34 goals and 11 assists for 45 points and is sixth in the MAC in goals per game (now 2.83), seventh in assists per game (now 0.92) and eighth in scoring (now 3.75 ppg). O’Brien has 29 goals and 10 assists for 39 points and is ninth in conference scoring (now 3.25 ppg), ranking 10th in both goals (now 2.42 per game) and assists (now 0.83 per game). Senior Jen Swope (Perkasie/Pennridge H.S.) continues to be second in MAC goals-against average (now 7.83) and is now fifth in save percentage (now .505).
THE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD REPORT
Crusader sophomore and defending NCAA Division III javelin champion Janee Shaner (Hughesville/Hughesville H.S.) won the event last Saturday at Gettysburg with a throw of 123-7. Senior tri-captain Tonya Wolfe (Turbotville/Warrior Run H.S.) set a new school record while finishing second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:24.55. Sophomore hurdler Emily Dugan (Athens/Athens H.S.) also was second in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.26).
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