Clark and Veldman All-American for Penn football

While opening day for the Penn football team against Duquesne is over two months away, the Quakers are already winning awards. Two rising seniors -- Chris Clark and Peter Veldman -- have been named honorable mention to the Sports Network's 2003 Division I-AA Preseason All-America team. The two were both first team All-Ivy performers last seasons.

Veldman, Penn's field goal and PAT kicker, was crucial to Penn's 2002 Ivy League championship season. Of the 12 field goals he hit last season, perhaps the most memorable was his career-high 42-yard field goal in the Quakers' September 28 home opener against then-fourth ranked Lehigh. These points eventually provided the winning margin in Penn's 24-21 victory. The rising senior would miss only three field goals in 2002 -- his first as a full-time starter -- part of the second-highest scoring offense in Division I-AA.

The kicker is no stranger to the Sports Network's list. Veldman was a unanimous third-team All-American selection in 2002. His impressive 2002 campaign also merited him honorable mention All-East Coast Athletic Conference, Academic All-Ivy, and the Penn Football Club Award for special teams. His all-Ivy selection was a unanimous one as well.

Veldman has never missed an extra point in his career with the Quakers, nailing all 48 attempts over the past two years, including a 43-for-43 effort in 2002.

Clark, like Veldman, became a full-time starter just last season. However, in this short time, the rising senior offensive lineman has become accustomed to honors, receiving the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2002 as the Quakers' best offensive lineman. As the Red and Blue's leader on the line, Clark made major contributions to an offense that led the Ancient Eight in scoring, was second in passing, and finished third in total offense.

Despite Penn's dominance of the Ivy League a year ago, two of its Ancient Eight rivals placed players higher on the Sports Network All-America team.

Dartmouth tight end Casey Cramer was the lone Ivy Leaguer to be named to the first team. The rising senior tallied 72 catches for 1,017 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2002 -- good for a first-team selection to the Sports Network All-America team after last season.

Harvard's linebacker, Dante Balestracci, was named a second team All-American.

The inspiration behind Harvard's "Dante's inferno" fan group has been named first team All-Ivy in each of his three seasons so far in the Ancient Eight. He has lead Harvard in tackles in each of his three seasons and is fourth in the program's history with 247.

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