The 1999-2000 Daily Pennsylvanian Sports Awards

It was a banner year for athletics at Penn, a year of champions and unparalleled success. The DP now honors the best of Penn sports. For many, it was a year that will not be soon forgotten. The men's basketball team ran through its Ivy League season unscathed. The women's soccer team earned its first-ever invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The gymnastics team took home its fourth straight Ivy Classic title, while the wrestling team won its fifth consecutive Ancient Eight championship. Coaches came and went. Records were broken and goals were achieved. Numerous Quakers worked their way onto the All-Ivy squads, and a select few were even recognized as among the best in the nation. But three individuals and one team stood out above the rest. For their respective achievements, the sports editors of the DP's 115th and 116th editorial boards have chosen to honor them with the 1999-2000 DP Sports Awards. She will not, however, be the only member of the women's basketball program honored. After leading the Quakers to the best record in the program's history, first-year women's basketball coach Kelly Greenberg is our choice as Coach of the Year. And our Team of the Year? It wasn't even close. After years of finishing third in the nation behind Harvard and Princeton, the Penn women's squash team finally had a breakthrough year. After winning the Howe Cup and finishing the season atop the national rankings, the Quakers have been named Penn Team of the Year. The DP will present each of its award winners with a plaque to commemorate this honor. · Prior to the 1999-2000 season, Brett Matter was accustomed to success. But Matter, a 1999 All-American at 149 pounds, had never tasted it like he would this year. Not since Richard DiBatista in 1942 had a Quakers wrestler won an individual national championship. By defeating Larry Quisel of Boise State in the national finals at 157 pounds, however, Matter brought that honor back to the University of Pennsylvania. This season, though, was about more than being the best in the nation for Matter. It also solidified his standing as one of the best grapplers in Penn history. Matter entered the season with 94 career wins, third-best in Quakers history. On January 22, however, he defeated West Virginia's Joe Carr for his 111th victory, making him the all-time winningest wrestler ever at Penn. That, however, was just the beginning for Matter this season. Finishing with a record of 34-1, he became an EIWA champion for the fourth straight year and earned his third straight selection to the All-Ivy first team. And by winning the national title, he and his father, Andrew, became the fourth father-son combination to win national titles. Andrew Matter was a two-time national champion for Penn State in 1971 and '72. The DP's Male Athlete of the Year award may be the last honor Matter receives as a Penn student, but he will surely be remembered as one of the best athletes Penn has ever seen. · And when anybody talks about the best athletes Penn has ever seen, it is impossible to leave out Diana Caramanico. With one year remaining in her Penn career, she has already established herself as the best women's player to ever don the Red and Blue. Scoring a Penn record 624 points this season, Caramanico finished her junior season with 1,808 career points -- shattering Kirsten Brendel's former women's record of 1,656 and finishing her junior campaign a mere 19 points short of Ernie Beck's all-time Penn record. "I wouldn't say I was actively chasing those records," Caramanico said. "I don't think about numbers when I play." But she certainly did pile them up. She finished second in the nation with a 24.9 scoring average and was the seventh best rebounder in Division I, pulling down 11.9 boards per game. Most importantly, though, she led the Quakers to 18 wins -- the highest total in school history -- and helped to keep them in the Ivy title hunt until the final weekend of the season. When the season finally ended, the awards came rolling in. A unanimous first team All-Ivy selection, she was named Player of the Year by both the Ivy League and the Big 5 for the second straight season. She capped it off by being named an honorable mention All-American. "It's an honor that people pick me for those awards," Caramanico said. "But it is really a credit to my teammates. We're all about team, and I wouldn't be able to do anything without them." And she still has another year to add even more accolades, records and honors to her collection. · While Caramanico's skill and leadership kept the Quakers competitive, it is doubtful they would have finished with the most wins in school history without Kelly Greenberg. Taking over for Julie Soriero, who left the Quakers after 10 years at the helm, Greenberg instilled a new energy into the Quakers. And it certainly showed on the court. "She not only worked on developing us as players, but also as people," Caramanico said. "She obviously wanted to win, but she made everything fun." Creating a fun atmosphere apparently led to success on the court. Led by Caramanico and All-Ivy guard Mandy West, the Quakers remained in the Ivy title hunt until the very end of the season. Finishing with a league record of 9-5, the Red and Blue placed third in the Ivy standings. "It was certainly disappointing to lose those games, but I never felt total disappointment," said Greenberg, who was named Big 5 Coach of the Year. Heading into next season, expectations will be high. In addition to having Caramanico for one more season, Greenberg will welcome back talented players like Julie Epton, Jennifer Jones, Erin Ladley and Tara Twomey. Greenberg's sophomore season definitely has potential to be even better than her rookie campaign. "Probably the best thing when I look back at this year is, from the first day of practice to the end of the season, how we had fun and came together as a team," Greenberg said. · One Penn team that certainly came together during the 1999-2000 season was the women's squash team. After wallowing in the shadows of Harvard and Princeton for the entire existence of the program, the Quakers finally finished on top this season. Starting the season with the No. 1 ranking in the nation, the Quakers never fell from that perch. On January 26, the Red and Blue defeated Princeton, 5-4. The Tigers would be the Quakers' toughest opponent, but Penn would prevail in both meetings. On February 20, the Quakers again got by Princeton by a 5-4 margin. This time, however, it was in the finals of the Howe Cup. Penn finally had its national title. Individual honors would follow. Senior Katie Patrick earned first team All-America honors for the fourth straight year and was joined by freshman Runa Reta on the first team. Helen Bamber, Rina Borromeo and Lauren Patrizio were all named second team All-Americans. But this season was not about individuals. It was about team. A national championship team. A Team of the Year. · Honorable Mention Male Athlete: Michael Jordan, men's basketball; Tim Ortman, sprint football; Kris Ryan, football. Female Athlete: Lauren Hittner, gymnastics; Jen Moore, softball; Katie Patrick, women's squash. Coach: Fran Dunphy, men's basketball; Gordie Ernst, men's tennis; Demer Holleran, women's squash. Team: Men's Basketball; Gymnastics; Wrestling.