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(09/04/98 9:00am)
Gordie Ernst is a graduate of Brown, but this fall he will be making his mark on a different Ivy League school -- Penn. Over the summer, the Penn Athletic Department announced that Ernst, formerly an assistant coach at Northwestern, will fill the men's tennis coaching spot vacated by Gene Miller after last season. "We are very pleased that Gordie Ernst will be joining our staff," Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. "His enthusiasm, playing experience and Ivy League background made him an extremely attractive candidate. We look forward to a very bright future under his direction." Last season, Ernst helped coach Northwestern to an 18-4 record and second place in the Big 10. At one point last year, the Wildcats ranked 13th nationally. Ernst hopes to translate some of the success he had at Northwestern to his current job with the Red and Blue, who finished 9-13 with a 3-6 record in the EITA last season. "Being selected as the head coach at Penn is just a great feeling," Ernst said. "I feel Penn is the best combination of athletics and academics in the Ivy League and I am very excited to be a part of it." Ernst will bring much experience, both as a player and a coach, to the Quakers. A 1990 graduate, Ernst was two-sport star at Brown. In addition to earning three letters in tennis, Ernst was four-time letter winner in hockey and the MVP of the hockey team during his senior year. Ernst also enjoyed extended success in both sports prior to enrolling at Brown. As a high school student, he was ranked 38th nationally and second in New England in the boys 18-and-under division in tennis. He was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the 10th round of the 1985 National Hockey League draft. These accomplishments earned him Athlete of the Year awards from the Rhode Island Press Association and the Providence Journal Bulletin. After graduating from Brown, Ernst concentrated on his tennis. He played tennis on the ATP International Circuit for three years and still competes in professional tournaments. Before his stint at Northwestern, Ernst coached at the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy at The Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla., where he worked with current pro players Jennifer Capriati and Sarg Sargisian.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
Fran Murray passed away just weeks after being inducted as a Penn Hall of Fame athlete last spring. Last May 16, just one week after Penn's student body left campus, Francis "Franny" Murray was inducted into the Penn Athletic Hall of Fame -- it would be the last athletic honor Murray would receive. On June 28, the 82-year old former Penn football star died at his home in Boca Raton, Fla., of complications from a stroke suffered four years ago. From 1934 to 1936, Murray was a cornerstone of the Penn football team, taking snaps as the team's quarterback. Along with Lew Elverson, Bill Kurlish and Ed Warwick, Murray was part of the legendary "Destiny Backfield." In addition to signal-calling, however, Murray was also a member of the defensive secondary, a kicker and a punter. He enjoyed success at all positions. During the 1936 season, when Penn was a national football power, Murray had one of the best games of his career in a 27-7 victory over Michigan. Against the Wolverines, Murray passed for one touchdown, rushed for two more scores and kicked three extra points. On the other side of the ball, he intercepted four passes. His punting in that game, however, may have been the most impressive and important part of the performance. Murray, who perfected the coffin-corner punt, placed the ball inside Michigan's 12-yard line six times. But the Michigan game was not the only highlight for Murray in 1936. Against Penn State, Murray averaged 67 yards a punt, including one that travelled 80 yards. "He loved football, and he loved Penn," said Elizabeth Murray, Franny's wife of 57 years. Football may have been the sport in which Murray made his mark, but it was not the only one in which he excelled. During his junior and senior years, Murray also captained the Penn basketball team. After graduating from Penn, Murray went on to host his own nightly sports radio show. He then returned to the gridiron when the National Football League was created. Murray spent the 1939 and 1940 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, punting and playing halfback in the city where he went to college. But his NFL career was short-lived. In 1944, Murray was named executive director of the Philadelphia Inquirer Charities by another man who had great influence on Penn, publisher Walter Annenberg. He served in this capacity for several years before returning to his alma mater. From 1950 through 1953, Murray served as Penn's athletic director. After leaving Penn, he performed in numerous public relations positions until his retirement. He also was involved in many community and charity activities. The final surviving member of the "Destiny Backfield," Murray will be remembered as a great man, as well as a great athlete. "He was the greatest guy I ever knew," friend Walter Daly said. In addition to his wife, Murray is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren. Funeral services were held at St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church in Boca Raton.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
With United States Track and Field struggling to find sponsorship for stateside meets, the prize-laden European track circuit is home to the best U.S. track and field athletes. The Europeans may have fan support and sponsorship on their side, but unfortunately for them, the summer meets showed that their continent's collegiate talent is still not on par with their American counterparts. Penn got its own taste of European track over the summer during a two-week trip in June with fellow Ivy League tracksters from Cornell. Penn and Cornell joined forces to go undefeated in four meets in Europe from June 15 through July 1. The first stop on the tour was Dublin, where Penn and Cornell faced Irish club teams. "We annihilated the Irish teams," Penn women's track coach Betty Costanza said. Costanza's annihilation, however, did not stop when the Americans crossed the Irish Sea. The Quakers and Big Red competed in three more meets and dominated the competition in each of them. When not competing, the team was usually traveling to its next competition, so there was little time for lounging around. The traveling time also cut into practice sessions -- just three were held over the entire trip. By the time the team arrived at its third meet on the island of Guernsey, near France, Costanza said most of the athletes were tired due to all the traveling. But even in a sleep-deprived state, Penn totally dominated the competition in the all-comers meet in Guernsey. At this particular meet, records were broken one after another. When the damage was done, 16 meet records had come crashing down -- all by American athletes. It was the Penn athletes, however, who were the most dominating performers. "The strength of the Penn/Cornell team was the Penn men and women," Costanza said. This superiority became even more apparent in the final meet of the tour, the face-off against Oxford/Cambridge. On the women's side, the Penn/Cornell 4x100 meter relay team not only blew away the Oxford/Cambridge squad, but it also blew away the meet record. The four runners on the squad -- Renata Clay, Jen Roy, Richelle Clements and Shana McDonald-Black -- were all Quakers. When all the points were tallied, the Penn/Cornell women's team had beaten Oxford/Cambridge by a score of 111-68. By finishing the tour with a 4-0 record, the tandem of Penn and Cornell remains the only combined Ivy League team to go undefeated in the meets in the 103 year history of the athlete exchange program. In past seasons, Harvard/Yale and Dartmouth/Brown fell to Oxford/Cambridge.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
Brown agrees to strict standards for women's athletic programs. Ending a six-year legal battle, Brown recently settled with the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, a Washington, D.C. law firm, on a case regarding federal Title IX statutes. Title IX, which has generated significant debate since its inception in 1972, is a law which prohibits sex discrimination in college athletics. TLPJ sued Brown in 1993, saying the university was in violation of Title IX when it cut funding from its women's gymnastics and volleyball teams. In 1995, a district judge ruled in favor of TLPJ. Brown appealed the ruling, and a lengthy appeals process nearly brought the case before the Supreme Court. The two sides then decided to start negotiations. The agreement, which was reached over the last year, stipulates that Brown must keep the percentage of its women athletes within 3.5 percentage points of the percentage of women students enrolled at the university. However, under the terms of the agreement, if Brown cuts funding for a women's program or adds a men's team without adding a women's team, the percentage will shrink to 2.25 percent. "The 3.5 percent at least gives the athletic director and coaches a clear indication of what is acceptable to courts and both sides in this case," Mark Nickel, director of the Brown News Bureau, said . By keeping the number of women athletes "substantially proportionate" to the number of women in the student body, Brown meets one of the requirements of Title IX. It could have, however, met Title IX requirements in two other ways. According to guidelines issued by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights in 1979, schools may also meet Title IX by offering all sports that women want to play or by continually expanding women athletics. Despite these two other options, Brown chose to fulfill the "substantially proportionate" rule. "That was the crucial philosophical point in the university's case, that schools need to be in charge of their own programs," Nickel said. While Brown University is in charge of its own programs, women athletes must be as well-represented as their male counterparts -- a stipulation that becomes ensured by the recent settlement.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
College athletics is a year-round process. When school resumes, nearly every team -- not just the fall sports teams -- will meet and begin practice. The players who have worked out during the summer will have an advantage. Baseball, even though the competitive season is in the spring, is one of the programs that uses the fall to gauge progress. Fortunately for Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon, most of his players spent the summer on the diamond. "A lot of guys are playing a lot of baseball," Seddon said this summer. "The biggest thing is that they need to be ready in September." Being ready in September requires preparation in June, July and August. The Quakers put in hard work in various summer leagues throughout the country. Each year, premiere summer leagues -- including the Cape Cod, Alaskan, Jayhawk and Valley Leagues -- invite top college players to compete. In the past, Penn players have performed well in these leagues. 1992 grad Doug Glanville believes his Cape Cod League performance was a factor in the Cubs selecting him in the first round of the draft. Despite the fact that Penn was well represented at these leagues in the past, no current Red and Blue sluggers were accepted into these top wooden bat leagues this summer. Instead, Penn baseball players spent time in less acclaimed leagues, such as the Atlantic Coast Baseball League. "These leagues aren't at the same level as the Cape or the Alaskan League," Seddon explained. Leagues like the ACBL, however, still provide competition and a chance for improvement. Junior pitcher Sean McDonald, whose goal is to be accepted into the Cape Cod League next year, is hoping to improve his worth on the mound this season. A second-team All-Ivy League selection last season, McDonald's four victories led all Penn hurlers. He was also second on the team with 33 strikeouts and a 4.38 ERA. The highlight of McDonald's season came on April 18 when he tossed the first no-hitter by a Penn pitcher since 1992, a 4-0 win over Cornell. McDonald spent the summer in the ACBL, pitching for the West Deptford (N.J.) Storm. "I'm enjoying playing in a wooden bat league for the first time in my life," said McDonald, who also played in a few national amateur tournaments. McDonald is not the only Quaker in the ACBL. Junior catcher Ralph Vasami also gained summer experience as a member of the New York Generals. McDonlad's Storm split a doubleheader with Vasami's Generals this summer. McDonald earned a save in the Storm's win, getting Vasami to ground out. Last season, Vasami saw limited time as a backup to Dave Corleto, batting .276 in only 29 at-bats. With Corleto's graduation, Vasami will be expected to take on a larger role this season. His experience in the ACBL should help acclimate him to frequent action. Like Vasami, many Quakers will need to take on larger roles, as the Red and Blue lost several top performers to graduation. Without the services of first team All-Ivy League players Drew Corradini and Mark Nagata, as well as leaders Armen Simonian and Joe Carlon, Seddon's team will need underclassmen to make significant contributions. "We'll be a very young team next year," Seddon said. The young players, however, will not be rusty when they come to Bower Field. All members of the recruiting class of 2002 played summer ball. Many were with their American Legion teams. While the ACBL and the American Legion teams are the choice for many Quakers, members of the Penn team are represented in other leagues throughout the country. Jim Mullen, who finished last season with a .327 batting average, played for a Penndel League team in Narberth, Pa., as well as for the Delaware Gulls in the ACBL. Travis Putnam, who is expected to take over for Carlon at second base, played in a wooden bat league in Los Angeles. Randy Ferrell played in Maryland with a Baltimore Orioles-sponsored program. Right fielder Kevin McCabe played for the Fort Washington Generals in the Delco League, and pitcher Matt Hepler was on a team near his home in Illinois. Wherever they may be this summer, the Quakers will soon be together in University City. When they meet as a team, the importance of the summer leagues will be clear. "The best aspect of the summer league is that you are playing with players from all different schools," McDonald noted. "We converse, and I've picked up a few things that I think will be beneficial to our program at Penn." Like McDonald, many Penn baseball players hope to return to Bower Field improved from last season.
(08/06/98 9:00am)
The 1997-98 school year came to a close in May, and by that time, most Penn sports teams had finished their respective seasons. For Penn athletes, the summer was a chance to work on their skills and to improve before the next season. That, however, is not all the summer represented. For a season in which no organized collegiate athletics are scheduled, the summer months of 1998 are a busy time for Penn athletes. From the close of the spring season to summer basketball leagues and overseas tours, there was always something going on for the Quakers. As The Summer Pennsylvanian publishes its final issue, here is a look back at the highlights of the past few months in Penn athletics. · While most spring sports teams finished their seasons by the time finals rolled around, that was not the case for the Penn track teams. The tracksters remained on campus a few extra weeks, competing in the Heptagonal Championships, as well as the IC4A and ECAC Championships. On the weekend of May 9-10, all eyes in Ivy League track turned to Brown for Heps. The Penn men were looking to defend their outdoor title and to defeat Princeton, the team that edged them for the indoor title. Once again, the Quakers came up short, barely losing to Princeton by a score of 149-147. Robin Martin, however, did bring another title back to Penn. The winner of the 800, the second place finisher in the 400 and the anchor of the winning 4x400, Martin was named the meet's Most Outstanding Athlete. Martin repeated his 800 victory the following week at IC4As when Penn earned its highest point total since 1972 and placed second behind Georgetown. Martin's season, however, was not over. He went on to the NCAA Championships two weeks later and placed third in the 800, earning All-American honors. While not as successful as the men, the Penn women's track team also had some top performers at the season-ending meets. Although her team finished a disappointing fifth at Heps, junior Lisa El earned ten points with a first place finish in the triple jump. A week later, the Penn women tied William & Mary and UMass for 34th place at ECACs, scoring six points. · While some spring athletes were racing around the track, others were on the river in May. Both crew teams continued their seasons past the end of school. The Penn men's crew team became the winningest team at Eastern Sprints in the 1990s when it edged Harvard to take first place at the crew equivalent of the Ivy League championship. The Quakers could not repeat this performance two weeks later, however, as they finished fourth at the IRA Championship. Princeton won the race, and Penn also finished behind West Coast powers Washington and California. The Penn women's crew team also had representatives at the national championship. Although the Red and Blue did not qualify as a team, the varsity four did make the cut. Despite entering NCAAs as one of only four seeded boats, Penn could not get past the semifinal round and finished third in the Petite Final behind Michigan and Iowa. · Cliff Bayer proved once again that he is one of the best fencers in the nation. Bayer, who will be a junior in the fall, earned his third U.S. Division I Senior National Fencing title in the foil when he defeated his rival, recent Columbia grad Dan Kellner. Bayer, a 1996 Olympian, also spent a week in Portugal with some of the top fencers in the world. In a tournament at the training session, Bayer was the only American to advance to the round of 32 before losing to the eventual third place finisher. The captain of the U.S. fencing team, Bayer will be back in action at the World Fencing Championships in Switzerland in October. · Mina Pizzini may not be one of the most well-known athletes on campus, but she was Penn's lone representative at one of Philadelphia's largest sporting events this summer. Competing in the First Union Liberty Classic, Pizzini, a member of the Penn cycling team, raced with the best female cyclists in the world. She received an invitation to the prestigious Liberty Classic, which was recently named a World Cup Event. · Like Pizzini, two other Penn cyclists competed this summer. Detective Commander Tom King and Sergeant John Washington represented the Penn Police Department at the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Olympics. Washington and King both raced in the mountain bike race and the 5K run and brought home several awards to Penn. Although King is a former college athlete and works out several times each week, Washington is the more experienced athlete in police competitions. A former college cross country runner, Washington competed in the International Police Olympics in Salt Lake City in 1996 and hopes to compete at the 2000 Games in Stockholm, Sweden. · Mitch Marrow left his disappointing 1997 season and his eligibility scandal behind him when he inked a three year, $1.8 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Marrow, who was selected by the Panthers with the 73rd pick in the NFL Draft, is currently in Spartansburg, S.C., for Panthers training camp. He will compete will several others, including former All-Pro Sean Gilbert, for time on the line in Carolina's 3-4 defense. · Going to Europe was popular with Penn sports teams this summer. At the end of May, the field hockey team toured England and faced several club teams, teams who are much better than squads Penn faces during the season. The track teams were right behind the field hockey players, as they made their journey to the United Kingdom several weeks later. Teamed with athletes from Cornell, the Quakers annihilated the European competition. In fact, at one meet on the island of Guernsey, the Americans broke 16 meet records. Finally, the crew team headed to Great Britain for the Henley Royal Regatta. Earning a bye in the first round, Penn beat a German crew before losing to Harvard in the semifinals of the Ladie's Plate. · While most activity on the Penn sports scene was limited to the current college athletes, one alum stood out on a larger stage. Playing in his second full Major League season, 1992 Engineering grad Doug Glanville has been a steady performer as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies. After an impressive season with the Cubs in 1997, Glanville was traded to the Phillies for second baseman Mickey Morandini in the off-season. The trade has worked wonderfully for the Phillies, who are dramatically improved over last year's squad. Glanville is currently second in the National League with 147 hits and fifth in the NL with 85 runs. He has had hitting streaks of 18 and 17 games, as well as two that lasted 14 games. · Penn said goodbye to one of its legends this summer. Franny Murray, who was inducted into the Penn Hall of Fame in May, died in July at age 82. A star for the Penn football team in the 1930s, Murray was a large part of the legendary "Destiny Backfield." He also captained the Penn basketball team, and he served as Penn's Athletic Director in the 1950s. · Gordie Ernst became the newest member of the Penn coaching staff. Replacing the departed Gene Miller, Ernst was named men's tennis coach. A former tennis and hockey player at Brown, Ernst was most recently an assistant coach at Northwestern. He hopes to improve on the 9-13 record the Quakers had last year under Miller. While college athletics are quiet during the summer months, the sports page was never blank. There might not be any intercollegiate competition, but that does not mean nothing is happening.By Rick Haggerty The Summer Pennsylvanian The 1997-98 school year came to a close in May, and by that time, most Penn sports teams had finished their respective seasons. For Penn athletes, the summer was a chance to work on their skills and to improve before the next season. That, however, is not all the summer represented. For a season in which no organized collegiate athletics are scheduled, the summer months of 1998 are a busy time for Penn athletes. From the close of the spring season to summer basketball leagues and overseas tours, there was always something going on for the Quakers. As The Summer Pennsylvanian publishes its final issue, here is a look back at the highlights of the past few months in Penn athletics. · While most spring sports teams finished their seasons by the time finals rolled around, that was not the case for the Penn track teams. The tracksters remained on campus a few extra weeks, competing in the Heptagonal Championships, as well as the IC4A and ECAC Championships. On the weekend of May 9-10, all eyes in Ivy League track turned to Brown for Heps. The Penn men were looking to defend their outdoor title and to defeat Princeton, the team that edged them for the indoor title. Once again, the Quakers came up short, barely losing to Princeton by a score of 149-147. Robin Martin, however, did bring another title back to Penn. The winner of the 800, the second place finisher in the 400 and the anchor of the winning 4x400, Martin was named the meet's Most Outstanding Athlete. Martin repeated his 800 victory the following week at IC4As when Penn earned its highest point total since 1972 and placed second behind Georgetown. Martin's season, however, was not over. He went on to the NCAA Championships two weeks later and placed third in the 800, earning All-American honors. While not as successful as the men, the Penn women's track team also had some top performers at the season-ending meets. Although her team finished a disappointing fifth at Heps, junior Lisa El earned ten points with a first place finish in the triple jump. A week later, the Penn women tied William & Mary and UMass for 34th place at ECACs, scoring six points. · While some spring athletes were racing around the track, others were on the river in May. Both crew teams continued their seasons past the end of school. The Penn men's crew team became the winningest team at Eastern Sprints in the 1990s when it edged Harvard to take first place at the crew equivalent of the Ivy League championship. The Quakers could not repeat this performance two weeks later, however, as they finished fourth at the IRA Championship. Princeton won the race, and Penn also finished behind West Coast powers Washington and California. The Penn women's crew team also had representatives at the national championship. Although the Red and Blue did not qualify as a team, the varsity four did make the cut. Despite entering NCAAs as one of only four seeded boats, Penn could not get past the semifinal round and finished third in the Petite Final behind Michigan and Iowa. · Cliff Bayer proved once again that he is one of the best fencers in the nation. Bayer, who will be a junior in the fall, earned his third U.S. Division I Senior National Fencing title in the foil when he defeated his rival, recent Columbia grad Dan Kellner. Bayer, a 1996 Olympian, also spent a week in Portugal with some of the top fencers in the world. In a tournament at the training session, Bayer was the only American to advance to the round of 32 before losing to the eventual third place finisher. The captain of the U.S. fencing team, Bayer will be back in action at the World Fencing Championships in Switzerland in October. · Mina Pizzini may not be one of the most well-known athletes on campus, but she was Penn's lone representative at one of Philadelphia's largest sporting events this summer. Competing in the First Union Liberty Classic, Pizzini, a member of the Penn cycling team, raced with the best female cyclists in the world. She received an invitation to the prestigious Liberty Classic, which was recently named a World Cup Event. · Like Pizzini, two other Penn cyclists competed this summer. Detective Commander Tom King and Sergeant John Washington represented the Penn Police Department at the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Olympics. Washington and King both raced in the mountain bike race and the 5K run and brought home several awards to Penn. Although King is a former college athlete and works out several times each week, Washington is the more experienced athlete in police competitions. A former college cross country runner, Washington competed in the International Police Olympics in Salt Lake City in 1996 and hopes to compete at the 2000 Games in Stockholm, Sweden. · Mitch Marrow left his disappointing 1997 season and his eligibility scandal behind him when he inked a three year, $1.8 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Marrow, who was selected by the Panthers with the 73rd pick in the NFL Draft, is currently in Spartansburg, S.C., for Panthers training camp. He will compete will several others, including former All-Pro Sean Gilbert, for time on the line in Carolina's 3-4 defense. · Going to Europe was popular with Penn sports teams this summer. At the end of May, the field hockey team toured England and faced several club teams, teams who are much better than squads Penn faces during the season. The track teams were right behind the field hockey players, as they made their journey to the United Kingdom several weeks later. Teamed with athletes from Cornell, the Quakers annihilated the European competition. In fact, at one meet on the island of Guernsey, the Americans broke 16 meet records. Finally, the crew team headed to Great Britain for the Henley Royal Regatta. Earning a bye in the first round, Penn beat a German crew before losing to Harvard in the semifinals of the Ladie's Plate. · While most activity on the Penn sports scene was limited to the current college athletes, one alum stood out on a larger stage. Playing in his second full Major League season, 1992 Engineering grad Doug Glanville has been a steady performer as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies. After an impressive season with the Cubs in 1997, Glanville was traded to the Phillies for second baseman Mickey Morandini in the off-season. The trade has worked wonderfully for the Phillies, who are dramatically improved over last year's squad. Glanville is currently second in the National League with 147 hits and fifth in the NL with 85 runs. He has had hitting streaks of 18 and 17 games, as well as two that lasted 14 games. · Penn said goodbye to one of its legends this summer. Franny Murray, who was inducted into the Penn Hall of Fame in May, died in July at age 82. A star for the Penn football team in the 1930s, Murray was a large part of the legendary "Destiny Backfield." He also captained the Penn basketball team, and he served as Penn's Athletic Director in the 1950s. · Gordie Ernst became the newest member of the Penn coaching staff. Replacing the departed Gene Miller, Ernst was named men's tennis coach. A former tennis and hockey player at Brown, Ernst was most recently an assistant coach at Northwestern. He hopes to improve on the 9-13 record the Quakers had last year under Miller. While college athletics are quiet during the summer months, the sports page was never blank. There might not be any intercollegiate competition, but that does not mean nothing is happening.
(08/06/98 9:00am)
Last February, Penn basketball fans packed the Palestra to watch their beloved Quakers take nationally-ranked Princeton to overtime. Princeton prevailed in overtime, completing a sweep of the Red and Blue for the 1997-98 season. Next year, the result may be a bit different. While Princeton lost several top players to graduation, the only significant loss for Penn was Garrett Kreitz. Penn will welcome back the core of last year's squad, as well as center Geoff Owens -- who sat out last season with a heart condition. "Obviously, the biggest issue for us is Geoff Owens' health," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "He seems to be progressing nicely, and we're grateful for that." Owens has had plenty of time to work on his inside game to make up for last year's missed season. In addition to playing for Doug Overton in the Hank Gathers Division of the Sonny Hill League, Owens has been participating in daily workouts, posting up the likes of Jason Lawson and Rasheed Wallace. During these workouts, Owens has shown no signs of any health problems. "Geoff has improved immensely," junior Michael Jordan said. "He runs the floor better than some of the NBA guys." While Owens has been running the floor in these workouts, two of his teammates have also been on the court with him. Jordan and Matt Langel have been participating in the sessions as well. Although the players have not taken part in every workout -- they missed several workouts while attending camps, and the Palestra is closed this week for repairs -- they have played with the pros for the majority of the summer. "I think it's the best thing you can do anywhere," Langel said. "It forces you to play at a higher level." The threesome have been taking the skills learned at this higher level and have been applying them in games in the Sonny Hill League. Sonny Hill, which is one of the premier summer basketball leagues in the nation, begins its playoffs on Saturday following several months of games. On Saturday, Langel's Pittman/Scott team will face off against Aaron McKie, a team that features Penn forward George Mboya. The winner of this contest will play Jordan's Camille Cosby team on Tuesday. Camille Cosby finished second in the standings, and thus earned a bye in the first round. First place finisher Jurin Distributing, Jed Ryan's team, also earned a bye. Since college teammates are not permitted to play together in the Sonny Hill League, each of the ten Quakers in the league plays for a different team. Langel has played against every one of his Penn teammates, except Jordan. Forwards Frank Brown and Josh Sanger are currently the only Quakers not participating in the Sonny Hill League. Brown and Sanger have returned to their respective homes in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Charlotte, N.C. However, they are expected to return before August 19, when the Penn basketball team will travel to Italy to take on professional Italian teams. They will play seven games as part of three tournaments. "I don't know a lot about the teams," Dunphy said. "You don't expect to win games. It's a learning experience." Eleven members of the Penn team will go to Italy, because NCAA rules prohibit incoming freshmen from making the trip. Before leaving, however, the Red and Blue will meet for five team practices. Although most of the team has been on campus this summer and the players have played many pick-up games, this will be the first chance the entire team will have to practice together officially. No one looks forward to start practicing with his teammates more than Owens. "I can't wait to get on the floor," he said. "It's been almost two years since I played with the team during my freshman year." "I think our expectations for the team are very high," Langel said. "We could be an exceptional team, but we have to go out and do it."
(07/30/98 9:00am)
Penn women's crew coach Barb Kirch heads to Austria with the U.S. Junior National team. Residents of High Rise North may have noticed a different group of students in the apartment building this summer. Instead of waking every morning and heading to class or summer jobs like most residents, these female students would get in a van and travel to the Schuylkill River for an intense workout. These athletes were working hard to become part of the United States Junior National women's rowing team, which, for the third straight year, is being coached by Penn women's crew coach Barb Kirch. A group of 40 girls under the age of 19 originally reported to Penn in hopes of making the national team. After weeks of training, the team competed at the U.S. Junior National Trials on Carnegie Lake in Princeton, N.J., on July 12. Among the athletes who had been training under Kirch, 14 will be the American representatives at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim, Austria next week. The team qualified two boats, an eight and a four, and will be sending two alternate rowers. Although Kirch worked with 40 of the best young rowers in the nations, only these two boats were able to qualify for the World Championships. "They had to meet a time standard," said Penn assistant women's crew coach Susan Hermann, who was also an assistant with the U.S. Junior team. "They couldn't just win the race." Although only a few rowers qualified to go to Austria, the other athletes who competed at the U.S. trials also had their season extended. Most of the other rowers competed at the CanAmMex Regatta in Cincinnati. The CanAmMex is a competition which features top rowers from Canada, the United States and Mexico. Despite not qualifying for the World team, most members of the original 40-member group gained valuable experience. The rowers were the best rowers in their age group in the nation, and a large percentage of them will be rowing for college teams in the fall. Two of them -- Catherine Magee and Lauren Plackter -- will be right back on the Schuylkill this season, as they will join Kirch -- who will begin her second year at Penn -- on the Quakers rowing team. While training took up a large portion of the summer, the athletes were able to step away from the boat for some fun once in while. "They went to the shore on a few of their days off. They went to the mall," Hermann said. "They would do anything they could to get away from the river." The rowers may not have spent all their time on the river, but it is on the river where they can do the most damage. And it is on the water in Austria where they hope to show this to the rest of the world.
(07/23/98 9:00am)
Penn players are gaining valuable experience by playing in summer leagues such as the Atlantic Coast Baseball League. College athletics is a year-round process and when school resumes in September, nearly every team -- not just the fall sports teams -- will meet and begin some serious practice. When this time comes, the players who have worked out during the summer will have an advantage. Fortunately for Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon, most of his players are spending their summers on the diamond. "A lot of guys are playing a lot of baseball," Seddon said. "The biggest thing is that they need to be ready in September." Being ready in September requires hard work in June, July and August. The Quakers are putting in this hard work in various summer leagues throughout the country. Each year, premiere summer leagues -- including the Cape Cod, Alaskan, Jayhawk and Valley Leagues -- invite top college players to compete. In the past, Penn players have performed well in these top leagues. In fact, 1992 grad Doug Glanville believes his showing at the Cape Cod League was a huge factor in his first round Major League draft status in 1991. Despite the fact that Penn has had representatives at these leagues in the past, no current members of the Red and Blue were accepted into these top wooden bat leagues this summer. Instead, the Quakers will be getting playing time in other quality leagues, such as the Atlantic Coast Baseball League. "These leagues aren't at the same level as the Cape or the Alaskan League," Seddon said. Leagues like the ACBL may not be on par with the nation's top leagues, but they still offer good competition and a chance to improve. Junior pitcher Sean McDonald, whose goal is to be accepted into the Cape Cod League next year, is using that chance, as he will be looked to lead the Quakers on the mound in 1999. A second-team All-Ivy League selection last season, McDonald's four victories led all Penn hurlers. He was also second on the team with 33 strikeouts and a 4.38 ERA. The highlight of McDonald's season came on April 18 when he tossed the first no-hitter by a Penn pitcher since 1992 in a 4-0 win over Cornell. McDonald is currently putting in the innings in the ACBL, pitching for the West Deptford (N.J.) Storm. "I'm enjoying playing in a wooden bat league for the first time in my life," McDonald, who will also play in a few national amateur tournaments next month, said. McDonald is not the only Quaker in the ACBL. Junior catcher Ralph Vasami is also gaining needed experience as a member of the New York Generals. McDonlad's Storm split a doubleheader with Vasami's Generals earlier this summer. McDonald earned a save in the Storm's win, getting Vasami to ground out. Last season, Vasami saw limited time as a backup to Dave Corleto, batting .276 in only 29 at-bats. He will be expected to take on a larger role next season, and his experience in the ACBL should help him in that process. Like Vasami, many Quakers will need to take on larger roles next season, as the Red and Blue lost several top performers to graduation. Without the services of first team All-Ivy Leaguers Drew Corradini and Mark Nagata, as well as team leaders Armen Simonian and Joe Carlon, Seddon's squad will need underclassmen to make significant contributions. "We'll be a very young team next year," Seddon said. The young players, however, will not be rusty when they come to Bower Field. All members of the recruiting class of 2002 are playing. Many are still playing with their American Legion teams. While the ACBL and the American Legion teams are the choice for many Quakers, members of the Penn team are represented in leagues throughout the country. Jim Mullin, who finished last season with a .327 batting average, plays for a team in Narberth, Pa., in the Penndel League, as well as for the Delaware Gulls in the ACBL. Travis Putnam, who will take over for Carlon at second base, is playing in a wooden bat league in Los Angeles. Randy Ferrell is playing for a team in Maryland which is sponsored by the Baltimore Orioles. Right fielder Kevin McCabe is playing for the Fort Washington Generals in the Delco League, and pitcher Matt Hepler is on a team near his home in Illinois. Wherever they may be this summer, the Quakers will soon be together in University City. When they meet as a team, the importance of the summer leagues will be clear. "The best aspect of the summer league is that you are playing with players from all different schools," McDonald said. "We converse, and I've picked up a few things that I think will be beneficial to our program at Penn." Like McDonald, many Penn baseball players may be bringing beneficial experiences back to campus this year.
(07/23/98 9:00am)
After defeating a crew from Germany, the Penn heavyweight eight lost to Harvard on the Thames. The Penn men's heavyweight crew team recently rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. Well, they rowed on the other side of the Atlantic, that is. Ending a nearly 11-month season, the Penn heavyweight eight boat lost to Harvard in the semifinals of the Ladie's Challenge Plate at the Henley Royal Regatta on England's Thames River on July 4. Getting to Henley, however, was an accomplishment. Although there are no qualifying races for Henley, the Penn team earned a trip to England with its first place finish at Eastern Sprints. "We like to reward the team when they win a big race like Eastern Sprints or IRAs," Penn coach Stan Bergman said. "The trip was completely funded by crew alumni and fund-raising. It didn't cost the University a cent." By competing well against the best crews America has to offer, the Quakers were rewarded with a chance to compete with the best the rest of the world has. Founded in 1839 and held annually except during the two World Wars, Henley is the oldest regatta in the world. It is also one of the largest, attracting a record 552 crews in its various races in 1998. These crews represented 19 different countries, including first time entrants from Guatemala, Chile and Turkey. While crews came from all parts of the world for different races, the Red and Blue prepared themselves for the Ladie's Plate. "The Ladie's Plate is the second fastest of all the eights behind only the Grand Challenge," Bergman said. Penn found itself in a field that also included crews from Great Britain and Germany, as well as American rivals Harvard, Dartmouth and Syracuse and the first-ever boat from Turkey. Unlike American crew races, races at Henley feature only two boats per race. Earning a bye in the first round, Penn beat R-C Favorite Hammonia from Hamburg, Germany, by 1 1/4 boat lengths in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Quakers finished nearly three boat lengths behind Harvard on the one mile, 550 yard-long course, which is slightly longer than the standard 2,000 meters. "We led until the final two minutes," Bergman said. "We would have liked to beat Harvard, but it just didn't work out that way." Harvard, the team Penn edged out to win Eastern Sprints, beat Cambridge in the finals to win the Ladie's Plate. Although the Henley Royal Regatta only lasted from July 1 through July 5, the Quakers spent two weeks overseas, not just preparing for the races -- but also as a reward for their fine season. "They're really a good group of athletes," Bergman said. "They did a good job during the year." The year for these athletes ended on the Thames in the wake of Harvard's boat, but it began over ten months ago -- last September on the Schuylkill River. The Quakers will be back on that same river in September, allowing them only a little more than a month without scheduled training and competition. Many miles of rowing will follow during the 1998-99 season. After these miles are logged, the Quakers may find themselves back on the Thames next July.
(07/16/98 9:00am)
Recent Penn grad Mitch Marrow will report to rraining camp for the Carolina Panthers next week. He may have been one of the most dominating players in the Ivy League for the past few seasons, but Mitch Marrow may find his next assignment a bit more difficult. On July 23, Marrow, a 1998 College graduate, will report to training camp for the NFL's Carolina Panthers. With the 12th pick in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft and the 73rd overall selection, the Panthers drafted Marrow, hoping that he would help in rebuilding their defensive line. Marrow's road to success on the Carolina d-line, however, is not completely clear. Marrow was not only the third player drafted by the Panthers this year, but he was also their third defensive lineman. Carolina selected former Nebraska lineman Jason Peter with the 14th pick in the first round and took Chuck Wiley of Louisiana State with the first selection in the third round. A week after the draft, Carolina improved the line even more by signing free agent Sean Gilbert. The 6'5", 315-pound former All-Pro -- who sat out last season for the Washington Redskins -- inked the richest deal for a defensive lineman in NFL history when he signed with Carolina for $46.5 million over seven years. Despite the presence of Peter, Wiley and Gilbert, the 6'5", 280-pound Marrow still has a chance to make an impact on the Carolina line. "[The Carolina coaches] probably want to see everyone in pads before they make any determination," Marrow's agent, Jim Ulrich, said. "It's still too early to tell." Ulrich believes, however, that Marrow, a defensive end at Penn, may see more time at tackle in Carolina. Carolina, who plays a 3-4 defense, will most likely start Gilbert at one of the end positions. Playing time at the other spots on the line will probably be split among Marrow and several other linemen. Before playing time is discussed, however, Marrow must sign a contract with the Panthers. As of last week, only four third round draft picks had signed. Although Ulrich declined to comment on the specifics of the contract negotiations, Marrow is not expected to make outrageous demands because of the rookie salary cap. "We're still negotiating," Ulrich said. "We hope to have a deal signed soon." Once he does ink a deal, Marrow will look to have a healthier and more successful season for the Panthers than he had for the Quakers in 1997. In 1996, Marrow -- a first-team All-Ivy selection -- recorded 16.5 sacks and 60 total tackles in ten games for the Red and Blue. Returning for a fifth year in 1997, Marrow looked to continue his dominance from the preceding year. However, everything, did not go as planned. Early in the season, Marrow contracted a mono-like virus which severely limited his playing time and forced him to drop two classes. After returning from the virus, Marrow recorded 30 total tackles and three sacks for the season. He also developed a case of turf toe late in the season. The most devastating part of Marrow's 1997 campaign, however, came after the season ended. While Marrow was on winter break with the rest of campus, The Philadelphia Inquirer broke a story about his classes and his lack of academic eligibility. When Marrow dropped his two courses, he became ineligible to play football. Late in the season, however, Marrow and Legal Studies Professor Kenneth Shropshire developed an independent study course, so that Marrow could remain eligible. This unconventional addition came weeks after the end of the drop/add period. When the University learned of Marrow's situation, an investigations committee looked into it. As a result of their findings, Penn forfeited every win in which Marrow played, dropping its record from 6-4 to 1-9. With his disappointing '97 season over, Marrow concentrated on improving for the NFL Draft. His performance at the Senior Bowl and several other workouts impressed various people and football publications, including Pro Football Weekly, who believes Marrow's performance improved his status from a late-round to an early-round pick. At the camps, Marrow officially ran a 4.83 40-yard dash, bench-pressed 225 pounds 35 times and vertical jumped 38.5 inches. With these tests of speed and strength behind him, Marrow must now prepare for a much harder test -- his first NFL season.
(07/16/98 9:00am)
Brown University ended a long legal battle by agreeing to terms with a law firm on the requirements of Title IX. Women's athletics is just as important as men's athletics, and Brown University is currently making sure its programs reflect this idea. Ending a six-year legal battle, Brown recently settled with the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, a Washington, D.C. law firm, on a case regarding federal Title IX statutes. Title IX, which has generated significant debate since its inception in 1972, is a law which prohibits sex discrimination in college athletics. TLPJ sued Brown in 1993, saying the university was in violation of Title IX when it cut funding from its women's gymnastics and volleyball teams. In 1995, a district judge ruled in favor of TLPJ. Brown appealed the ruling, and a lengthy appeals process nearly brought the case before the Supreme Court. The two sides then decided to start negotiations. The agreement, which was reached over the last year, stipulates that Brown must keep the percentage of its women athletes within 3.5 percentage points of the percentage of women students enrolled at the university. However, under the terms of the agreement, if Brown cuts funding for a women's program or adds a men's team without adding a women's team, the percentage will shrink to 2.25 percent. "The 3.5 percent at least gives the athletic director and coaches a clear indication of what is acceptable to courts and both sides in this case," Mark Nickel, director of the Brown News Bureau, said . By keeping the number of women athletes "substantially proportionate" to the number of women in the student body, Brown meets one of the requirements of Title IX. It could have, however, met Title IX requirements in two other ways. According to guidelines issued by the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education in 1979, schools may also meet Title IX by offering all sports that women want to play or by continually expanding women athletics. Despite these two other options, Brown chose to fulfill the "substantially proportionate" rule. "That was the crucial philosophical point in the university's case, that schools need to be in charge of their own programs," Nickel said. While Brown University is in charge of its own programs, women athletes must be as well-represented as their male counterparts. The new agreement will make sure of it.
(07/09/98 9:00am)
Penn gymnastics coach Tom Kovic hosts his seventh children's gymnastics camp this summer. Not all summer sports camps are created equal. This observation can be easily made with a stroll through Hutchinson Gymnasium. While the Quaker Basketball Camp trains youngsters in roundball from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. everyday, other children are getting a different type of instruction in Hutch. For the seventh consecutive year, Penn gymnastics coach Tom Kovic is organizing a children's gymnastics camp, which is held daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The camp, which is open to youngsters aged five to 12 years old, is much more than a basic gymnastics camp. "I would consider it more of an activities camp with an emphasis on gymnastics," Kovic said. "Instead of it being a specialized camp, it's more of a generalized camp." The camp may have many aspects, but gymnastics is still the focus. Through five workout sessions -- three in the morning and two in the afternoon -- boys and girls receive instruction from Kovic and his staff in events like the balance beam, uneven bars, trampoline and floor exercise. While these gymnastics sessions take up a significant portion of the children's time, there is much more to do at Kovic's camp. Unlike other gymnastics camps, which run workout sessions for five hours a day, Kovic plans various activities for the children at his camp. Other activities include going to Franklin Field to play capture-the-flag, taking a field trip to the University Museum for arts and crafts, eating lunch everyday as a group at the Food Court in the 3401 Walnut Street complex and taking a daily swim in the Hutchinson pool. "I like it, because other camps that I go to don't let you choose what you want to do," 12-year old camper Lucy Buchanan-Parker said. "They let you work on whatever here." Working on gymnastics and watching the children improve is important to Kovic, but he realizes that having fun is equally important for the young kids. "These are children who are, for the most part, beginners or intermediates in gymnastics," Kovic said. "[The camp] has an emphasis on a variety of activities." The camp runs for seven weeks during the summer. Children may opt to attend as many of the week-long sessions as they want. Currently, Kovic is averaging 25 campers per week with a low of eight in the first week and a high of 35 in the second week. "It's a lot of fun. I do it every year," nine-year-old Ariana Parenti said. "I don't learn as much as I would if I did gymnastics all year long, but I do learn a lot." Helping children learn is something that Kovic has been doing for a long time. A former elementary school physical education teacher at Germantown Friends School, Kovic started the camp at Penn in 1992. "I've always had a desire to work with youngsters, and, as far as gymnastics is concerned, provide that foundational skill level," Kovic said. "I love working with my team during the year, but the change to working with youngsters is refreshing." Kovic is not the only one who enjoys working with the kids at camp. The other instructors feel the same way. "The kids are really enjoyable," said instructor Brittany Dickey, whose sister Tiffany is a Penn gymnastics assistant coach. "It's a full day, so you really get to know the kids and their personalities." The Penn gymnastics team won the 1998 ECAC championship, and although gymnastics is not the total focus of his camp, Kovic may currently be training a whole new generation of Penn gymnastics stars.
(07/09/98 9:00am)
The Penn/Cornell squad finished the two-week overseas tour with an undefeated record by defeating Oxford/Cambridge. Each year at the Penn Relays, professional track athletes comment that the size and enthusiasm of the crowd is something they usually only see on the European circuit. Track is huge in Europe, with Continental track fans constantly crowding into huge stadiums to see the stars in the world of track and field -- to the extent of which is rarely seen in the United States. The Europeans may have enthusiasm on their side, but, unfortunately for them, as shown last month, their talent level is still not on par with their American counterparts. This is a point the Penn track teams helped prove when they teamed with Cornell to go undefeated in four meets in the United Kingdom from June 15 through July 1. After departing for London on June 15, the combined team of Penn and Cornell -- which makes the trip once every four years -- travelled to Dublin where they faced Irish club teams in their first competition of the tour. "We annihilated the Irish teams," Penn women's track coach Betty Costanza said. The annihilation, however, did not stop when the Americans crossed the Irish Sea. The Quakers and Big Red competed in three more meets and dominated the competition in each of them. After the Dublin meet, Penn/Cornell faced the University of Birmingham team -- who Costanza acknowledged as Penn/Cornell's toughest opponent -- at their home track. While the team only competed in four meets over the entire two-week span, there was not much time to rest. When not competing, the team was usually traveling to its next competition. In fact, because there was so little time, they only had three days of practice over the entire trip. Practice, however, was not the only thing in short supply. By the time the team arrived at its third meet on the island of Guernsey near France, most of the athletes were somewhat tired. "We were sleepless," Costanza said. "We were literally without sleep." Had the Penn/Cornell team been well rested, it may have performed better, but that may have been difficult to do. In its sleepless state, the Penn/Cornell team totally dominated the competition in the all-comers meet in Guernsey. At this particular meet, records were broken one after the other. When all the damage was done, 16 meet records had come crashing down -- all by American athletes. The American dominance was evident in most athletes on the Penn/Cornell squad. It was the Penn athletes, however, who were the most dominating performers. "The strength of the Penn/Cornell team was the Penn men and women," Costanza said. This superiority became even more apparent in the final meet of the tour, the face-off against Oxford/Cambridge. On the women's side, the Penn/Cornell 4x100 meter relay team not only blew away the Oxford/Cambridge squad, but it also blew away the meet record. The four runners on the squad -- Renata Clay, Jen Roy, Richelle Clements and Shana McDonald-Black -- were all Penn runners. When all the points were tallied, the Penn/Cornell women's team had beaten Oxford/Cambridge by a score of 111-68, and the men had outpaced their British counterparts 124-75. The Oxford/Cambridge team offered better competition than Penn/Cornell saw in earlier meets -- including several top men steeplechasers and women middle distance runners. The strength in these events, however, was not enough to overcome the Americans. By finishing the tour with a 4-0 record, Penn/Cornell remains the only combined Ivy League team to never lose a meet in the 103 year history of the athlete exchange. Harvard/Yale and Dartmouth/Brown, the other two participating squads, have both lost to Oxford/Cambridge in the past. With its perfect record intact, the Penn and Cornell teams returned to the United States last week. "Overall, it was a very tiring trip," Costanza said. The experience of competing against international athletes, however, will help Penn in next year's track season. And with the remainder of the summer to rest from the trip, they should be fully recovered by then.
(07/02/98 9:00am)
An offseason trade for Glanville has been a success for the Phillies In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a common saying in Philadelphia: "Water covers two-thirds of the Earth. Garry Maddox covers the rest." Former Phillies center fielder Maddox, who was affectionately known to Phillies fans as the "Minister of Defense," has been out of action for several years. His territory, however, has not gone uncovered. Currently, the job of patrolling Maddox's former turf belongs to Penn alumnus Doug Glanville. Glanville, who graduated with a systems engineering degree in 1992, has not only patrolled center field for the Phillies this year, but has become one of the key players on the young, upcoming squad. Coming to the Phillies in an offseason trade for popular second baseman Mickey Morandini, Glanville has provided a needed spark from the leadoff spot and a reliable glove in the outfield. A star outfielder for Penn in the early nineties, Glanville entered the amateur draft after his junior year, when he was named to several All-Star teams, including the All-American second team by Baseball America. His road to Major League success, however, was not easy. Drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 12th pick in the draft, he endured five minor league seasons before reaching the bigs in 1996. Last season, though, was the season in which Glanville established himself as a true Major Leaguer. Inserted into the lineup early in the 1997 season, Glanville hit over .300 and looked to be a staple of the Cubs outfield for many seasons to come. That all changed on December 23, 1997, however, when the Cubs sent him back to his old college town for the Phillies' second baseman. "It was tough to leave [Chicago]," Glanville said. "I knew it was a better situation [in Philadelphia]. I was just emotionally attached to all the people and all the things I've been through. It made it hard to leave." Despite his emotional ties to Chicago, Glanville is happy to be back in Philadelphia. Not only is Philadelphia closer to his family in Teaneck, N.J., but the Phillies are giving him a chance he never had in the Windy City. "[The Cubs] never really said, 'O.K., you're our starting center fielder,'" Glanville said. "I knew the trade would be good, because I'd have a chance to play in my natural position." Not everyone, however, thought Glanville would have that chance, especially one Mr. Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra was a star for the Phillies for several years. He was a leader of the 1993 National League champs, having an MVP-type season. Back injuries, however, have sidelined Dykstra for the past few seasons, but 1998, Dykstra thought, would be the year for him to return to the Phillies' outfield. Unfortunately for Dykstra, things did not work out his way as Glanville proved during spring training that he, not Dykstra, deserved the starting nod in center. "People tried to make it into a controversy, but I really didn't see it that way," Glanville said. "[Dykstra] had been away from the game for a while, and he was trying to make his comeback. I didn't have any control over what he was going to do. I just did my job and let the rest take care of itself." Glanville has done his job -- and has done it exceedingly well. For the first time since Dykstra went down, the Phils have a reliable center fielder and top-notch leadoff hitter. Last year, the Phillies relied on inexperienced players like Wendell Magee to fill the hole in center. Glanville has not only filled the hole, but has also sucked in almost every ball within his grasp. Boasting a .995 fielding average, Glanville has only one error this season. His presence has also propped up the rest of the Phillies' outfield, as left fielder Gregg Jefferies has not made a single miscue all year. While he has performed excellently in the field, Glanville has also been dangerous at the plate. His 36 multi-hit games lead the Major Leagues. He is currently second in the National League with 108 hits and also ranks among the league leaders in runs, at-bats and triples. He is currently on pace to become the first Phillie with 200 hits in a season since all-time hit king Pete Rose accomplished the feat in 1979. Glanville has had three hitting streaks of double-digit games. In fact, at one point, he had hit safely in 53 of 57 games. If not for four games, he could have challenged one of the most revered records in sports, Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak. One aspect of Glanville's game that is not typical of a leadoff hitter, however, is his inability to draw walks. He has only drawn 20 free passes through 80 games. The walk situation, however, is just a smudge on what has been a stellar season. Doug Glanville is enjoying a success that he has not seen before. "Even when I was in Chicago, I was still in the background," Glanville said. "All of a sudden, I was thrust into the limelight." Glanville notes that the attention may have been caused more by his return to the town where he played his college ball than his performance. His play on the field, though, has earned him much more attention this year. His solid defense and clutch hitting -- as well as his cooperation with the media and his friendliness with the fans -- has gained him not only the attention of Philadelphians, but also of the rest of the nation. In fact, many thought his play may have earned him a trip to Colorado for next week's All-Star Game. "I guess I have a chance [to make the team]," Glanville said before the team was announced. "I won't know until they tell me." The All-Star reserves were announced yesterday, and pitcher Curt Schilling will be the Phillies' lone representative. The All-Star Game, however, may be regular stop for Glanville in the future as he continues to get more exposure. "It's pretty overwhelming," Glanville said. "I don't have a lot of free time all of a sudden." He may have been overwhelmed at first, but the attention is something Doug Glanville will become accustomed to. If the 27-year old star continues to play the way he has in 1998, he may not have much free time for a very long time.
(07/02/98 9:00am)
Gordie Ernst is a graduate of Brown University, but he will be making his mark on another Ivy League school very soon. On Monday, the Penn Athletic Department announced that Ernst, an assistant coach at Northwestern, will fill the men's tennis coaching spot vacated by Gene Miller after last season. "We are very pleased that Gordie Ernst will be joining our staff," Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. "His enthusiasm, playing experience and Ivy League background made him an extremely attractive candidate. We look forward to a very bright future under his direction." Ernst will bring much experience, both as a player and a coach, to the Quakers. A 1990 graduate, Ernst was two-sport star at Brown. In addition to earning three letters in tennis, Ernst was four-time letter winner in hockey and the MVP of the hockey team during his senior year. Ernst has enjoyed tremendous success in both tennis and hockey. As a high school student, he was ranked 38th nationally and second in New England in the boys 18-and-under division in tennis. He was also selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the 10th round of the 1985 National Hockey League draft. These accomplishments earned him Athlete of the Year awards from the Rhode Island Press Association and The Providence Journal Bulletin. After graduating from Brown, Ernst played tennis on the ATP International Circuit for three years and still competes in professional tournaments. Before coaching at Northwestern, Ernst also coached at the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy at The Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla., where he worked with current pro players Jennifer Capriati and Sarg Sargisian. Last season, Ernst helped coach Northwestern to an 18-4 record and second place in the Big Ten. At one point last year, Northwestern ranked 13th nationally. Ernst hopes to translate some of the success he had at Northwestern to his current job with the Red and Blue, who finished 9-13 with a 3-6 record in the EITA last season. "Being selected as the head coach at Penn is just a great feeling," Ernst said. "I feel Penn is the best combination of athletics and academics in the Ivy League and I am very excited to be a part of it."
(07/02/98 9:00am)
Franny Murray, a member fo the famed "Destiny Backfield," passed away Sunday at 82. On May 16, Francis "Franny" Murray was inducted into the Penn Athletic Hall of Fame -- and it would be the last athletic honor Murray would receive. On Sunday, the 82-year old former Penn football star died at his home in Boca Raton, Fla., of complications from a stroke suffered four years ago. From 1934 to 1936, quarterback Murray was a cornerstone of the Penn football team. Along with Lew Elverson, Bill Kurlish and Ed Warwick, Murray was part of the legendary "Destiny Backfield." In addition to signal-calling, however, Murray was also a member of the defensive secondary, a kicker and a punter. He enjoyed success at all positions. During the 1936 season, when Penn was a national football power, Murray had one of the best games of his career in a 27-7 victory over Michigan. In that game, Murray passed for one touchdown, rushed for two more scores and kicked three extra points. On the other side of the ball, he intercepted four passes. His punting in that game, however, may have been the most impressive performance. Murray, who perfected the coffin-corner punt, placed the ball inside Michigan's 12-yard line six times. The Michigan game, though, was not the only highlight for Murray in 1936. Against Penn State, he averaged 67 yards a punt, including one that travelled 80 yards. "He loved football, and he loved Penn," said Elizabeth Murray, Franny Murray's wife of 57 years. Football may have been the sport in which Murray made his mark, but it was not the only one in which he excelled. During his junior and senior years, Murray also captained the Penn basketball team. After graduating from Penn, Murray went on to host his own nightly sports radio show before returning to the gridiron during the first few years of the National Football League. Murray spent the 1939 and 1940 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, punting and playing halfback in the city where he went to college. But his NFL career would be short-lived. In 1944, Murray was named executive director of the Philadelphia Inquirer Charities by publisher Walter Annenberg. He served in this capacity for several years before returning to his alma mater. From 1950 through 1953, Murray served as Penn's athletic director. After leaving Penn, he performed in numerous public relations positions until his retirement. He also was involved in many community and charity activities. The last member of the "Destiny Backfield" to die, Murray will be remembered as a great man, as well as a great athlete. "He was the greatest guy I ever knew," friend Walter Daly said. In addition to his wife, Murray is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren. Funeral services were held at St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church in Boca Raton.
(06/25/98 9:00am)
The week-long campu allows children to learn basketball fundamentals from the Penn coaches and a few top players. Duncan Lloyd and Justin Goldman know their basketball camps. For these 14-year old students at Germantown Friends School, working on their hoops skills takes up a large portion of the summer -- so much so that each will attend five basketball camps this summer in preparation for the new season this winter. Although the University of Pennsylvania Quaker Basketball Camp is only one stop on their tour of camps, it represents a special opportunity for these young players. "[Penn men's basketball coach] Fran Dunphy comes in everyday," Lloyd, who will enter the ninth grade in the fall, said. "That makes people want to play better." "Every camp helps you, but this camp is unique, because you learn a lot from the Penn varsity players," eighth-grader Goldman said. Dunphy, his assistant coaches and several Penn players are currently taking part in the Quaker Basketball Camp, which will end its first week-long session tomorrow. A second four-day session will follow next week. The camp, which is organized mostly by the Penn men's basketball assistant coaches, runs each day from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. During that time, campers learn the fundamentals of the game in the morning before testing their skills in afternoon games and shooting contests. The camp, which is open to hoopsters between the ages of seven and 18 years old, is split into three divisions based on age. The oldest group plays at the Palestra, while the younger children compete in Hutchinson Gym and Weightman Hall. "Probably the biggest thing to get accomplished in this camp setting is to try to get some of those who are real focused on their own individual game to learn to play team basketball," Penn assistant coach David Hooks said. Like most athletes, the campers compete fiercely in the afternoon games, but emphasis is still placed on basketball fundamentals. One reason for this is the instruction the players receive not only from the coaches, but also from the Penn athletes who are helping with the camp. Penn players Michael Jordan, Matt Langel and Geoff Owens -- as well as incoming freshman Dan Solomito and Penn women's basketball standout Diana Caramanico -- help with the supervision and teaching of the young players. Jordan, Langel and Owens are taking a week off from their intense workouts with top college and professional players. "I have fun working with the kids who want to listen and want to learn," said Jordan, who ironically coaches the Pacers in the oldest age group. "Most of the kids I deal with are well-behaved and want to learn." In addition to helping young players hone their skills, the camp serves several other purposes. According to Hooks, the camp also serves as a child-sitting service for many University employees, an excellent way to promote Penn and a chance for Dunphy's assistants to make some extra money. Despite these added benefits, however, instruction is still the main goal of the camp. "For the quality of instruction, this is probably one of the best buys going in terms of basketball camps on the East Coast," Hooks said. The campers seem to agree with Hooks, as many return to the Quaker Basketball Camp year after year. Lloyd, who is currently playing in the oldest age group, is returning for his fourth summer this year. Although these campers may not become superstar basketball players, the skills learned this week should help their games. This improvement should, in turn, lead many of these players back to the Palestra next summer.
(06/25/98 9:00am)
Det. Commander Tom King and Sgt. John Washington took high honors at the Police Olympics in Lancaster, Pa. They may not be the most celebrated athletes at Penn, but two men brought several awards back to the University from a state-wide competition at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., on June 12 and 13. These men, University Police Detective Commander Tom King and Sergeant John Washington, competed in the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Olympics, which featured events that ranged from cycling and running to darts and bowling. In the pouring rain, Washington, the bike patrol supervisor for the Penn Police, ran away with first place in the 5K race and finished second in the 8.5 mile mountain bike race. Although he finished second overall, he did take first place in his age group. "Some young whippersnapper from out-of-state won the mountain bike race," 37-year old Washington said. "It tells me I'm in pretty good shape if I can hang with a kid that young." King, who is completing his first year as detective commander, also performed well, finishing fifth overall and second in his age group in the 5K race, as well as third in his age group in the mountain bike race. Competition is nothing new for members of the Penn Police Department. Washington has competed in several national competitions. Last year, he teamed with Sergeant Mike Fink to win five trophies at a competition of over 300 riders in Baltimore that he described as "the most competitive on the East Coast." "To walk away with trophies at Baltimore is the optimum," Washington said. In addition to these competitions, however, Washington has also ridden in the International Police Olympics, an event which features thousands of officers from many countries. In 1996, Washington won a silver medal in the five mile race at the Olympics in Salt Lake City. He is not competing in this year's Olympics in the United Arab Emirates, but hopes to compete at the 2000 Games in Stockholm, Sweden. King, although not as experienced in competition as Washington, is no stranger to athletic success. A boxer in college, King now describes himself as "more of a weekend warrior," noting that he is unable to work out as much as he would like because of his schedule. Despite this, King still logs many miles on his bike every weekend and often arrives at Penn at 6 a.m. to get a workout in before work. "I don't like to go more than two days without working out," King said. "It is a stress reliever and it helps my overall fitness, but it also allows me to eat and drink pretty much whatever I want." These workouts may have helped King and Washington several weeks ago when they competed in the First Annual Philadelphia Police Olympics. "There is a big rivalry between us and the city," said King, a member of the Philadelphia Police Department for 20 years before he came to Penn. "Sometimes a friendly rivalry," Washington jokingly added. At this particular competition, it was the Penn officers who came out on top. In a race of 65 riders, Washington placed second with King right behind him in third place. The finishes earned the two-man Penn team a first place award in the team competition. While the purpose of the various events is competition, both officers quickly recognize the other benefits of the Police Olympics. The events allow the Penn officers to meet officers from police departments across the country and to develop friendships. The training also assists them in their daily work as police officers. "There have been a number of times when I've surprised a suspect by riding him down or catching him on foot," Washington said. Although King and Washington are happy to represent the department, they wish more would join them. "It's disappointing that we can only send two from a department of 100 officers," Washington said. The Penn police department may only be able to send two officers to these athletic events, but these two officers seem to be doing a pretty good job by themselves -- at work and at play.
(06/25/98 9:00am)
With no clear-cut superstars, the new recruiting class of 33 members is being described as solid. The 1998 Penn football recruiting class will not set any records. It probably will not even win many starting positions, but it should get the job done. The class does not feature any superstars, but it is a class which should be able to help the Quakers for the next few years. "It's a solid class," said Jerome James, Penn's coordinator of football operations. "It will fill the holes we have in the lineup." One large hole may be filled by Boston University transfer Mike Germino. The 6'1", 255-pound Germino should compete with tackles Jason Maehr and Dave Townsend for playing time on a defensive line that loses the services of Mitch Marrow, Doug Zinser and Roger Beckwith. An All-Western Massachusetts selection and team MVP in high school, the Longmeadow, Mass., native played every game on the d-line for BU last fall. For the second straight year, the Quakers will receive a transfer student at the quarterback position. Unlike highly-touted Duke transfer Matt Rader, however, this year's transfer QB, Edward Mebs from the University of Miami, is not expected to make an immediate impact. Rader has the starting position and time for other quarterbacks should be limited. Rader, however, only has one year of eligibility remaining, while Mebs -- who redshirted at Miami this year -- has four years remaining and may figure into Penn's future plans at quarterback. The Red and Blue will also gain the services of defensive back Matt Dawson, who is transferring from the Naval Academy this year. The rest of the Class of 1998 is composed of 30 incoming freshmen. While no first-year men are expected to make an immediate impact, several will definitely fit into Penn coach Al Bagnoli's plan for the future. Colin Smith, a 6'2", 185-pound wide receiver from Yuba City, Calif., is one such recruit. Smith chose Penn over several interested Division I-A teams, including the Air Force Academy. The class is also composed of some local talent. Dan Bonner, a 6'1", 225 pound linebacker, is a recent graduate of Malvern Prep. Mount Laurel, N.J., native and Lenape High School graduate Matt Repsher will also bring his skills at the linebacker position to Franklin Field. Punter Ryan Lazzeri will not have very far to travel either, as he is a recent graduate of Salesianum High School and a native of Kennett Square, Pa. Finally, one recruit's mere presence may impact the team in morale, if not in performance. Although this particular offensive lineman from Lewisville, Texas, may not step into the starting lineup, his name suggests that a league championship may be on its way to Franklin Field. His name? Lucky Ivy.