After several successful seasons and with graduation steadily approaching, two Penn athletes will be honored this Ivy Day by Penn's athletic department for their achievement in their respective sports, academics and for their leadership abilities.
College senior Jodie Antypas and Engineering senior Rick Springman have made names for themselves -- not only as outstanding athletes, but as leaders and academics at Penn as well.
Antypas won this year's Alumnae Association Father's Award trophy, while Springman will receive the Class of 1915 Award. The awards honor a female and male athlete, respectively, for exemplary leadership and academic accomplishments.
Penn Volleyball Coach Kerry Major said she was impressed by Antypas as a prospective player five years ago.
Major watched as Antypas ran into a pole during a high school volleyball tournament, causing the athlete to go to the hospital for stitches. But Antypas returned to the tournament, leading her team to a victory.
"I just watched her play once and I just thought that's the type of kid that's going to go all out for me," Major said of her then-prospective player.
Antypas served as captain of the volleyball team her junior and senior years and was the team's setter all four years. Her senior year she acted as president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, a group of athletes organizing events related to Penn's varsity sports teams, and as vice president her junior year. She also maintains a 3.5 GPA as a History major.
As a Mechanical Engineering major, Springman boasts the same GPA and claims two NCAA All-American titles for wrestling and an NCAA All American Academic title, awarded to All-American athletes excelling in academics. This year Springman received the prestigious Fletcher Award given to the team member who contributed the most points in the EIWA during a four-year span.
Springman attributes his success to the skills Penn Wrestling Coach Roger Reina has taught him over the years, from time management to "helping me open up and be myself and... not care what other people think."
Springman said he is particularly grateful for his coach's understanding concerning academic commitments, citing the fact that Reina is a Penn alumnus himself.
"Coach Reina always challenges me to be the best... to work on strengths and weaknesses," Springman said.
Reina helped Springman improve his abilities as a leader, in addition to helping him with other personal weaknesses.
"I'm not comfortable with being a teacher or role model... [but] I guess I've improved a lot and that's all you can really ask and a lot of that is due to Coach Reina," Springman said.
Aside from Reina, Springman also acknowledges that many other members of the wrestling coaching staff have positively influenced him during his years at Penn.
Reina himself noted that Springman has always been "right at the center of team success during his entire career" and cites that as a primary reason for the nomination.
Major, however, chose to nominate Antypas for exactly the opposite reason.
"She's just someone who doesn't get a lot of individual awards because she's one of the players behind the scenes," Major said of Antypas.
"That's my role," Antypas said. "I don't have the glory position, but I've always really liked my position," she said.
"She's just been such a big part of my life here at Penn," Antypas added of Major. "I really learned a lot from her, on and off the court."
