Late recruit to join Miller's squad
Better late than never. Larry Loughery probably agrees.
The Philadelphia Daily News reports that the 6-foot-6, 210-pound senior at the Academy of New Church - who previously played for St. Joseph's Prep - has gained admission to Penn and will play for men's basketball coach Glen Miller.
Other schools expressing interest in Loughery were Vermont, Davidson and Tulane. According to Loughery, Tulane and Davidson only recently began their efforts to recruit him.
Loughery is a Blue Bell, Pa., native, and has drawn comparisons to another famous Quakers player from St. Joseph's Prep and Blue Bell: Mark Zoller.
Like Zoller, Loughery has the potential to play inside as a power forward or out on the perimeter as a shooting threat.
- Brandon Moyse
Pinsky a unanimous All-Ivy first-teamer
For Jason Pinsky, being named to the all-Ivy tennis first team twice was nice, but the third time is even nicer.
Penn's senior captain carried the Quakers throughout a trying year and was rewarded for his efforts with a unanimous selection to the conference squad.
Pinsky has been a consensus pick in all three seasons at Penn since he transferred from Vanderbilt.
The Potomac, Md. native compiled a 5-2 record in the Ivy League in singles play, along with a 5-2 record as a part of Penn's top doubles team.
Pinsky was one of three unanimous selections to the first team and was narrowly edged by Princeton's Peter Capkovic for Player of the Year.
- David Bernstein
Lupardus named Ivy Pitcher of the Week
Talk about finishing strong.
Freshman softball pitcher Jessie Lupardus, who won 20 games for the Quakers this season, capped off her ridiculous season by earning the Pitcher of the Week award.
Lupardus won all three games she started in the last week of play, but this was hardly out of the ordinary for her.
The Birmingham, Ala., native's win total was higher than any Penn team from 1974 to 2006, and over the course of the season she got the nod for Pitcher of the Week on three occasions.
- D.B.
W. Hoops dishes out year-end awards
Despite a 7-22 season and sixth-place Ivy finish, there was plenty of hardware to go around at the women's basketball team banquet.
Junior Carrie Biemer took home top honors as the squad's Most Valuable Player after averaging 13.9 points per game, including two 28-point performances.
Kimberly Franklin - the team's only senior - received the Harschberger-Johnson-Brendel Prize for Sportsmanship, Loyalty and Leadership. Franklin averaged 6.4 points per game in her final stint in Red and Blue, but missed the Ivy season with a knee injury.
Curiously, a freshman - guard Kim Adams - earned the title of Most Improved Player. After impressing with a 14-point performance in the season's second game, Adams missed six weeks with an injury before returning for the Ivy slate. For the season, she finished second to Biemer in scoring, tallying 9.0 per contest.
Junior Anca Popovici racked up the most postseason honors, receiving the Epton-Tarr award as consummate team player, sharing the Hustle Award with teammate Sarah Bucar and earning the distinction for best defense. Popovici also received the All-Big 5 Academic Award at the Big 5 banquet held a week after Penn's.
- Matt Flegenheimer
From Columbia to Browns for Hormann
Former Columbia quarterback Craig Hormann didn't hear his name called at the NFL Draft last weekend, but he did receive a very welcome call shortly thereafter.
Roughly a half hour after the Draft proceedings drew to a close, Hormann was contacted by the Cleveland Browns, with whom he agreed to attend rookie mini-camp beginning this weekend.
Hormann earned honorable mention All-Ivy League in 2007, throwing for 2,505 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Heading into Draft Day, Brown receiver Paul Raymond was thought to be the only Ivy player with a chance to earn a roster spot.
The 5-foot-10 wideout - who tallied 978 yards and a stellar 17.8 yards per catch in 2007 - received some looks from NFL teams at scouting combines but could not persuade anyone to select him on Sunday.
He is still expected to sign on with someone for rookie mini-camp sessions in the coming days.
- M.F.
Egee's younger bro lands in Big Apple
Steven Egee - whose older brother Kevin is a Quakers starting guard - will not be joining his sibling in Red and Blue.
The younger Egee gave a verbal commitment to Columbia, choosing the Lions over Hartford and William & Mary.
Columbia coach Joe Jones hopes the 6-foot-2 guard - who averaged 16.3 points per game at Ridley High School in Folsom, Pa. - will help fill the void left by the Lions' departing backcourt tandem of Brett Loscalzo and Mack Montgomery.
- M.F.
