COLUMN: Quakers sports summer

Because today's issue of The Summer Pennsylvanian is the sixth one of the summer, and because my math skills -- dilapidated as they are -- still allow me to figure out that six is half of twelve, I thought it would be a good time to look back and hand out some hearty slaps on the back to the Quakers who have won, achieved a personal best, or otherwise done well this summer.

Essentially, we're taking a trip down short-term memory lane because, frankly, there ain't a whole lot going on right now.

1. Brandon Slay -- What a story. The former Quakers wrestling stud defeats, Brian Dolph, one of his old Penn coaches in the finals of Olympic Trials in Dallas in front of his hometown, his friends and family and Quakers head coach Roger Reina who couldn't decide which of his students to pull for.

Slay never asked me for my advice, but I say don't sell the movie rights for anything less than seven figures.

2. Brian Dolph -- The other side of the coin. He has to work his way through three of the country's best wrestlers just to get to the finals. All the while, he knows that, Slay, his friend and former student who, as the reigning national champ got a bye to the finals, is waiting at the top.

And then, after Slay defeats Dolph, a heartfelt embrace and the classy "If not me, then I'm glad it was him," quote.

Good show, Coach Dolph.

3. Matt Pagliasotti -- The Quakers senior thrower finished strong in his final campaign. In addition to practically shattering the Quakers record in the hammer throw with a 211'7' toss at Princeton, Pagliasotti's throw of 199'7" in the NCAA Championships made him an All-American.

Pagliasotti also won Heps and was named first team All-Ivy for the third straight year. He topped all that off with the Class of 1915 Scholar-Athlete Award, given annually to Penn's best all-around student-athlete.

4. Julie Siebert-Johnson -- After bursting on to the Ivy League track scene by winning Heps and setting a new Penn record all on the same throw, Siebert-Johnson took fourth and was the best collegiate finisher at the Junior Nationals in Denton, Tx. in June.

5. Jermaine Dye and Mike Sweeney -- No, they're not Quakers, they've probably never been to Penn, but, along with these other stories, having two Royals make the All-Star team for the first time in over a decade sure made my summer.

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