Chaput is 'Eastern Track's Athlete of the Year
Senior Brian Chaput's 258'2" throw at the NCAA Championships last June not only broke an Ivy League record, but was enough to hand him the Eastern Track magazine's Athlete of the Year award. Chaput became the first Penn athlete to win a national championship in the javelin.
Chaput faced stiff competition for the award from former teammate Sam Burley. Both claimed NCAA outdoor titles, sixth-place finishes at the U.S. Championships and both were ranked fourth nationally by Track and Field News.
The East Haven, Conn., native took top javelin honors at the Penn Relays, IC4A, Heptagonal and East Region Championships in his junior season.
The Ivy League swept the magazine's awards with Yale's Kate O'Neill being named female Athlete of the Year.
-- Jeff Shafer
F. Hockey's Lorelli named third-team All-American
Penn's Liz Lorelli has been honored with a third-team All-America selection by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. The junior forward is joined by four fellow Ivy Leaguers: Natalie Martirosian and Claire Miller of Ancient Eight champ Princeton, as well as Jen Ahn and Shelly Maasdorp from Harvard.
Lorelli shattered two Penn records, and led the Ivy League this season in both goals and points, with 20 and 43, respectively. The Greenwich, Conn., native was also named Academic All-Ivy and Most Valuable Player of the Philly City 6.
The NFHCA had named Lorelli a second-team Mid-Atlantic Region selection in 2002.
The Quakers finished 3-4 in league play and 10-8 on the season behind Lorelli.
-- J.S.
Holy Cross picks Penn grad as new head coach
Tom Gilmore, a 1986 Penn graduate, has been named head football coach at Holy Cross.
"Absolutely everyone who spoke to Tom in the interview process was very impressed and we are all extremely excited that he has decided to join us," Holy Cross athletic director Richard Regan said in a release.
As a senior defensive tackle, Gilmore was named Ivy League Player of the Year. He led the Quakers to four consecutive Ivy League titles from 1983 to 1986.
Gilmore goes to Holy Cross after serving four seasons as defensive coordinator at Lehigh. The American Football Coaches Association named Gilmore Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001. Previously, Gilmore spent eight years in various coaching roles at Dartmouth.
Holy Cross finished the 2003 campaign at 1-11 under coach Dan Allen, who was relieved shortly after the season ended. Allen completed eight seasons at the Crusaders' helm, notching a 26-63 record.
-- J.S.
Quakers honored in Lambert Football Poll
After an undefeated season, the Penn football team came in third in Division I-AA voting in the Lambert Football Poll. The Quakers finished behind Delaware, the I-AA national champion, and Colgate, the runner-up.
The poll, conducted by the Eastern College Athletic Conference to "recognize supremacy in eastern college football," placed Penn third among 44 schools in I-AA. Harvard was the only other Ivy League school in the top 10, ranking ninth.
Miami received top honors in Division I-A, along with Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Division II and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Division III.
-- J.S.
Football Network cancels I-AA All-Star Classic
Penn senior offensive lineman Chris Clark will miss an opportunity to showcase his skills on national television. The Football Network, citing financial concerns, has decided not to proceed with its I-AA All-Star game.
Clark, who was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection, was scheduled to start in the exhibition game.
-- J.S.
