Torn anterior cruciate ligaments are a regular occurrence in sports, especially women's sports. But to have three members of a team dealing with that injury at once can be considered a little ridiculous.
Yet that is exactly the situation which the Penn women's basketball team faces heading towards its season opener at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in 15 days, after sophomore forward Rachel Wilson suffered the injury this past Saturday.
Two junior guards, Amanda Kammes and Karen Habrukowich, were already recovering from torn ACLs coming into the season. Kammes had to miss a large portion of last season after being injured in Penn's fifth game of the season -- against Evansville -- last December. Habrukowich's injury occurred over the summer.
"For women's basketball, that's the sport that [a torn ACL] happens most in," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said. "It's one of those injuries that's a freak accident -- it's how you land and the angle of it and there's just no way to prevent it."
Greenberg also noted that there are "certainly a lot of studies going on around the country on a lot of university campuses" to try to find ways to prevent the injury.
Greenberg disagrees with what she perceives as a common notion that ACL tears result from a lack of adequate strength training.
"Karen and Amanda might be two of the strongest girls I've ever coached," she said.
As for the amount of time Wilson will miss, Greenberg said that "it really varies from person to person. Doctors would love to have a time frame on it, but I would really say anywhere from five to six months."
Habrukowich and Kammes' injuries, as well as the fact that Katie Kilker has been out with a case of mononucleosis for the last four weeks, have made picking a starting lineup rather difficult for Greenberg and her staff.
"We really haven't decided that yet in all honesty," Greenberg said. "Certainly Jewel Clark is going to be spearheading the group."
Greenberg expects Clark, who won first-team All-Ivy honors last season, to be joined by junior Cat Marakewich, senior Mik Austin and sophomore Jennifer Fleischer in the starting five, with Kammes playing point guard should she return to full health.
The 2003-04 Ivy League media poll came out yesterday, and two-time defending champion Harvard was unanimously picked to take a third straight Ancient Eight title. This came as no surprise to Greenberg, but she thinks that Penn -- who was picked for second -- can mount a strong challenge to the Crimson this season.
"They are the most talented team in the league... a scoring machine, really," Greenberg said of Harvard. "Does that mean we can't beat them? No way in heck --we know we can beat them."
