March 31, 2005

 BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SET FOR HOME CONFERENCE OPENERS 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Both the Kutztown University baseball and softball teams will host their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division home openers this weekend…if Mother Nature cooperates.

             On Friday, the West Chester baseball team visits Kutztown for a doubleheader at 1:00 PM.  It will be the first division games of the season for the diamond men.  On Saturday, Golden Bear softball plays host to Mansfield for a twinbill beginning at 1:00 PM.  It will be the team’s first PSAC East doubleheader at North Campus field this season after three-straight road dates to start the division slate. 

            With rain forecasted for the weekend, any changes to the schedule will be posted on the Golden Bear Hotline (610-683-1515, option 3) and the KU Athletics Website at kubears.com.

             The KU baseball team enters the weekend at 19-8 overall.  KU is ranked 23rd in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and 22nd in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II polls. 

            For the season, the Golden Bears rank second in the PSAC in pitching with a 3.06 earned run average.  Mike McCardell (so. West Chester/Henderson) has not allowed an earned run in 20 innings and sports a 1.35 ERA.  He has struck out 29 in 26.2 innings, while walking just five.  Matt Maradeo (jr. Nesquehoning/Panther Valley), Kyle Sadlowski (jr. Reading/Central Catholic), Ryan Loper (so. Boiling Springs/Cumberland Valley) and Matt Keller (jr. Fleetwood/Fleetwood) also anchor the staff.  Maradeo has a 2.06 ERA and leads the conference with 44 strikeouts.  Sadlowski’s 32 punchouts are third in the PSAC, and the junior has a 4-1 record and a 3.53 ERA.  Keller leads the team with five wins, while Loper has a 3.00 ERA and struck out 15 batters in a complete game earlier this season. 

            Loper is one of the team’s top hitters, as well.  The centerfielder/pitcher leads the PSAC with 26 runs batted in and is third with five home runs.  His .371 batting average ranks third at Kutztown and he has a team-high five steals.  Jeff Craig (so. Wilkes-Barre/Bishop Hoban) leads the team with a .396 batting average, 10 doubles and 23 runs scored.  The leftfielder also has two homers and 17 RBI.  Third baseman Kyle Costello (jr. Plains/Coughlin) is second on the team with 24 RBI, and also has three home runs and a .324 average.   

            The softball team has a 2-2 conference record and play a pair vs. Millersville on Friday, with all six games being played on the road.  KU is 14-10 overall.  On Wednesday, the Golden Bears swept a doubleheader against West Chester with Rachel Weidensaul (fr. Ashland/Cardinal Brennan) picking up a pair of wins in relief.   

            Stacy Bricker (sr. Kutztown/Kutztown) leads the team in hitting with a .419 average, 12 doubles and 25 RBI.  The shortstop is third on the club with 25 runs scored.  Adriane Willmer (so. Kitchener, ONT/ Resurrection) is batting .398 with 27 runs scored and eight steals.  Erin Livingston (sr. Philadelphia/ Archbishop Carroll) is second on the team with 23 RBI.  Jackie Messina (fr. Allentown/Parkland) leads the club with 28 runs and four triples and is tied with Willmer for the team lead with eight steals.  Tarin Horonzy (fr. Fleetwood/Fleetwood) is batting .361.   

            Inside the circle, Cheryl Griffith (sr. Bethlehem/Freedom) and Weidensaul have five wins apiece.  Griffith leads the team with a 1.60 earned run average and six complete games, and is second with 38 strikeouts.  Weidensaul has a 1.99 ERA.  Stacey Denlinger (jr. Harleysville/Souderton) has a 2.06 ERA, four complete games and a team-best 46 strikeouts. 

March 30, 2005 

WOMEN’S TENNIS ENTERS NATIONAL RANKINGS

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University women’s tennis squad is ranked No. 37 in the nation in the latest poll by collegetennisonline.com.             

            The women are currently 6-1, and have won all five of their matches this spring.  Three Golden Bears are undefeated on the season.  Kerstin Kloeffer (so. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY), Jharna Nansi (so. Mumbai, INDIA), and Lauren Losoncy (jr. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) each have 5-0 marks in singles play.  Kristen Bodalski (jr. Media/Cardinal O’Hara) leads the squad with six singles victories on the year.   

            Kutztown is the third highest ranked team from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.  Bloomsburg checks in at No. 29 and Millersville is 35th.  Brigham Young-Hawaii is the top ranked team in the poll.   

            In the men’s individual rankings, KU’s Harsh Sharma (jr. Calcutta, INDIA) is rated 44th.  He carries a record of 8-2 on the season.  The men’s squad is a perfect 8-0 on the year, but are not in the team rankings.

March 29, 2005 

NANDAKUMAR, KLOEFFER WIN PSAC TENNIS HONORS 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Mukundan Nandakumar (sr. Chennai, INDIA) and Kerstin Kloeffer (so. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY) have been honored by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). 

            Nandakumar was named PSAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week, while Kleoffer earned the PSAC East Women’s Tennis Player of the Week award. 

          Nandakumar has registered a 6-1 record in singles, including a 4-1 mark at No. 1 singles over seven matches this spring. He has also registered a 7-0 record in No. 1 doubles to help lead Kutztown to a perfect 8-0 in dual meets this year. 

          Kloeffer has remained undefeated in both singles and doubles matches leading Kutztown to a 5-0 record this spring. She has earned a 5-0 mark playing No. 1 singles and a 5-0 mark while playing No. 1 doubles.  KU is 6-1 in dual meets this year.

March 28, 2005 

KUTZTOWN’S MIKE McCARDELL NAMED PSAC EAST PITCHER OF THE WEEK 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Mike McCardell (so. West Chester/Henderson), of the baseball team, has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week. 

            McCardell went eight innings and gave up just one unearned run in a 4-1 Kutztown win over Adelphi.  McCardell surrendered only five hits and one walk while fanning nine batters.  During the win, he ran his consecutive innings streak without allowing an earned run to 20.  

            For the season, McCardell is 3-1 with a 1.35 earned-run average in 26.2 innings pitched.  He has appeared in six games, and has 29 strikeouts and just five walks.  McCardell, who is KU’s first baseman when he’s not pitching, is batting .237 with nine RBI and a home run at the plate.

             Kutztown is 18-8 on the season.  The Golden Bears’ game at Elizabethtown on Monday was rained out.  KU is scheduled to play Philadelphia University, weather permitting, on Tuesday at 2:30 PM at North Campus Field. 

March 24, 2005

KU THIRD IN DIXON TROPHY AFTER WINTER SEASONS

 KUTZTOWN, PA – At the conclusion of the winter sports season, Kutztown University sits in third place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s (PSAC) Dixon Trophy standings. 

            The Dixon Trophy is awarded annually to the PSAC member institution that accumulates the most points based on the results of conference playoffs and/or regular season records.  Each institution’s finish is calculated by the top six men’s and top six women’s finishes in 22 conference sports.

            The winter season included results for seven sports:  wrestling, men’s swimming, men’s indoor track & field, men’s basketball, women’s swimming, women’s indoor track & field and women’s basketball. 

            Kutztown increased its point total from 52 after the fall, to 94 after the winter season.  That total places the Golden Bears third, behind Indiana (PA) and Shippensburg.  IUP has 107.5 points, one point more than Shippensburg.

            The indoor track & field teams highlighted the winter teams for KU.  The women won their second straight PSAC crown, good for 13 points.  The men placed fourth, earning nine.  Women’s basketball was credited with 7.5 points and men’s basketball and women’s swimming tallied seven points each.

            Including the fall seasons, the six men’s teams earning points for KU are indoor track & field, cross country (nine points), basketball, football (5.5), swimming, and soccer (three).  On the women’s side, indoor track & field, soccer (12), cross country (12), basketball, swimming, and field hockey (five) have garnered points. 

            The top three spots in the standings remained the same from the fall.  IUP remained in first, ahead of the Red Raiders and the Golden Bears.  KU will look to improve upon its standing this spring.

Last year, Kutztown finished second in the final Dixon Trophy standings, the best finish in school history.  The Golden Bears also posted the third highest point total in the trophy’s history, but Shippensburg set a record with 128.5 points to win the Dixon Trophy.   After last winter, KU was in first place.

Dixon Trophy Standings
1.  Indiana (PA), 107.5; 2. Shippensburg, 106.5; 3. KUTZTOWN, 94; t-4. Edinboro, 91; t-4. West Chester, 91; t-6. Bloomsburg, 88; t-6. Lock Haven, 88; 8. East Stroudsburg, 84; t-9. Millersville, 80.5; t-9. Slippery Rock, 80.5; 11. Clarion, 79.5; 12. California (PA), 64; 13. Mansfield, 40.5; 14. Cheyney, 11.

March 24, 2005 

KU TRACK & FIELD COACHES EARN PSAC AWARD 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s track & field coaches have been named the 2005 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Women’s Coaches of the Year, in voting conducted by the league’s coaches. 

Mondschein

Hoffman

           Head coach Brian Mondschein and assistant coach Ray Hoffman were selected as the recipients of the award, after leading the Golden Bear women to the PSAC Indoor Track & Field championship.   

            Mondschein won the award last year after coaching his women's team to their first-ever indoor PSAC title.  However, the 13th-year mentor battled through health concerns this season and turned over the bulk of the coaching duties to Hoffman.  Together, the pair guided the women to this year's championship triumph.  Despite only claiming three first-place finishes at the 2005 championship, The Golden Bears carried out a convincing 25-point win over second-place Lock Haven by showcasing a great deal of depth.  They scored points in 12 different events, with multiple top-six finishes in five of those events.  

            Additionally, Hoffman was named US Track Coaches Association Division II East Region Women’s Coach of the Year for his efforts with KU’s women’s team this winter.  Hoffman is in his seventh season as assistant track & field coach and head cross country coach at KU. 

            The title is the 16th conference championship in Mondschein’s head coaching tenure.

March 22, 2005 

LOPER NAMED PSAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Ryan Loper (so. Boiling Springs/Cumberland Valley), of the baseball team, has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Week. 

            Loper was a force on offense and on the mound as the Golden Bears won four of five contests.  He was 4-for-9 with two RBI, two runs and a home run at the plate.  Most notably, he struck out 15 and carried a no-hitter 6.2 innings while picking up the pitching win over Millersville.  He completed the game, giving up just three hits and one walk.     

            Through 18 games, Loper is hitting .407 (24-59) with 22 RBI, 13 runs scored, five doubles, two triples and five home runs.  On the mound, Loper is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 17.0 innings pitched.  He has struck out 20 batters in four appearances. 

            The Golden Bears host Adelphi University in a single non-conference game at North Campus Field today at 3:00 PM.

March 15, 2005 

KELLER NAMED PSAC EAST PITCHER OF THE WEEK 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Matt Keller (jr. Fleetwood/Fleetwood) has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week. 

            Keller earns this season’s first pitcher of the week award after starting the year 4-0 in six appearances, including two starts.  He has accumulated 15 strikeouts against seven walks in 21 innings of work.  The highlight of Keller’s season is a complete-game victory over California (PA).

            Through 18 games, Kutztown is 12-6.  The Golden Bears, ranked #25 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II poll, return to action on Wednesday at Lebanon Valley College.

March 9, 2005 

KU FIELD HOCKEY EARNS NFHCA ACADEMIC HONORS 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Nine members of the Kutztown University field hockey team were selected to the National Academic Squad by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). 

            The Golden Bears were also honored with a National Academic Team Award, posting team grade point average (GPA) of 3.30. 

            Amanda Behney (jr. Lyons/Kutztown), Laura Belfatti (so. Hatfield/Lansdale Catholic), Colleen Healey (jr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River North), Trista Hershey (jr. Fredericksburg/Tulpehocken), Jamie Kennally (jr. Lansdale/Lansdale Catholic), Laura Kline (jr. Reading/Reading), Erin Livingston (sr. Philadelphia/Archbishop Carroll), Lauren McCabe (jr. Shohola/Delaware Valley) and Laura Wieder (fr. Emmaus/Emmaus) were individually selected to the National Academic Squad. 

            Behney, a midfielder, is a secondary education – Spanish/mathematics major with a 3.92 GPA.  She finished tied for second on the team with six goals and was third on the squad with 14 points.  She played in all 20 games, starting 19.  Behney was also named to the All-Academic Squad in 2003 and was a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar-Athlete.  For her career, she has 10 goals, three assists and 23 points in 53 games. 

            Belfatti boasts a 3.87 GPA in elementary education.  The midfielder was also named to the All-Academic Squad in 2003.  In 2004, she had six goals, tied for second on KU, and 12 points, fourth on the team.  She started all 20 of Kutztown’s games.  Last year, Belfatti was selected as a PSAC Scholar-Athlete.

             Healey, a back, is making her third appearance on the All-Academic Squad.  She carries a 3.68 GPA in elementary education.  After the season, Healey was named a second team All-American.  She scored three goals and assisted on three others for nine points, while starting all 20 games. For her career, she has six goals and four assists for 16 points.  Last year, she was named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete.

             The Golden Bears starting goaltender, Hershey is a criminal justice major with a 3.56 GPA.  She started all 20 games for Kutztown, allowing 1.30 goals against with a .810 save percentage and 102 saves.  She also recorded six shutouts.  During her three years, Hershey has made 412 saves with 10.5 shutouts, while starting 55 of the 58 games in which she played.  She was picked as a PSAC Scholar-Athlete in 2003. 

            Kennally, a midfielder, started all 20 games for the Golden Bears.  She has a 3.59 GPA in elementary education and was also selected to the 2003 All-Academic Squad.  Kennally was a PSAC Scholar-Athlete last year. 

            Kline boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA in special education.  She started all 19 games in which she played in the midfield for KU and was named to the All-PSAC second team.  Kline tallied a pair of goals and was second on Kutztown with four assists.  In 2003, she was selected to the All-Academic Squad in 2003 and was named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete.  This fall, Kline was picked as a member of the PSAC Academic Top Ten.  She is also a member of the KU track & field team. 

            A back, Livingston has a 3.54 GPA in secondary education – mathematics.  She started all 20 games this season, with one assist and a team-high three defensive saves to earn first team All-PSAC and All-America honors.  She was also named to the All-Academic Squad last season, as well as a spot on the All-American second team.  Livingston, a three-year starter, is the Kutztown career leader in defensive saves with 23 and is also a member of the Golden Bears’ softball team.  She was a 2003 PSAC Scholar-Athlete. 

            McCabe is a forward with a 3.35 GPA in secondary education-biology.  She tallied four goals and three assists in 19 starts for KU.  For her career, she has 10 goals and four assists for 24 points.  She has started 41 of her 42 career games played.  McCabe was picked as a Scholar-Athlete by the PSAC in 2003.           

Wieder is a reserve forward with a 3.40 GPA in elementary education.  She appeared in 12 games for the Golden Bears this season. 

            Kutztown was also one of five teams to receive a National Academic Team Award.  The Golden Bears finished third in Division II with a 3.30 team GPA. 

            KU, under head coach Betty Wesner, completed its 2004 campaign with a 14-6 overall mark, including 9-5 in the PSAC, and advanced to the PSAC semifinals.

March 9, 2005 

THREE GOLDEN BEARS HEAD TO NATIONALS 

KUTZTOWN, PA – Three Kutztown University athletes will be heading to their respective NCAA Championships this weekend.             

            Brandon Clemmer (fr. Upper Perkiomen/Upper Perkiomen) and Ryan Wasser (jr. Northampton/Northampton) qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Nebraska-Omaha, while Alison Maurer (jr. Lewisberry/Northern York) will head to Boston for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. 

            Clemmer qualified for the NCAA Championships by finishing second at 125 at the NCAA East Regional two weeks ago.  For the season, Clemmer has a record of 21-8 and was the champion at 125 at the KU Invitational.  Six of his wins came by fall.  His first-round opponent in Friday’s opener will be Dan Keller of Truman State (Mo.) 

            Wasser also got to the NCAAs with a top-four performance at the East Regional.  He finished third at 174.  Wasser has a 25-12 mark on the season, with a 24-12 mark at 174.  Wasser was the champion at 174 at the KU Invitational, as well.   He had five falls and five major decisions.  Wasser’s first opponent on Friday will be Southern Illinois-Edwardsville’s Eric Scholle. 

            The first session for the wrestling championship begins at 11:00 AM (CT) on Friday, and continues Friday night and all day Saturday at UNO’s Sapp Fieldhouse. 

            Maurer qualified for the NCAAs with a throw of 55-4 in the 20-lb. weight throw at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.  Not only did that throw send her to nationals, but it was the longest in the PSAC all season and earned her the conference championship in the event.  Maurer will have her work cut out for her at the championship, as she is seeded 15th in the field. 

            The NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston on March 11-12.  Maurer’s event will begin on Friday at 1:15 PM. 

March 8, 2005

THREE KU BASKETBALL PLAYERS HONORED BY PSAC

KUTZTOWN, PA – Bilal Salaam (sr. Wilmington, DE/Howard) of the Kutztown University men’s basketball team and Mercedes Van Wagner (fr. Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) won postseason awards from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), and Bobby Eberhart (sr. Lancaster/McCaskey) joined Salaam as an All-PSAC East pick.

Salaaam

Eberhart

Van Wagner

           Salaam was selected as the PSAC East Athlete of the Year and was selected to the All-PSAC East first team.  Salaam is the first men's basketball player at KU to earn the Player of the Year award.  It was the first time the forward gained selection to the first team, after being named to the All-PSAC East second team in each of his first three seasons.  The senior finished in a tie for second all-time in NCAA Division II with 408 blocked shots and is the school and conference career leader in the category.  He set career highs in scoring (14.3 ppg), rebounding (10.0 rpg) and field goal percentage (.570) this season.  Salaam led KU in rebounding and placed second in the conference and 15th in the nation.  His 270 rebounds this season were the third-highest single season total ever at KU and propelled him to the school-record of 980 career rebounds.  The Delaware native also joined the 1,000 career point club against Wilmington (DE) on November 23 and finished sixth all-time at KU with 1,342 points.  He recorded 35 career double-doubles and notched the only two triple-doubles in Kutztown history, one each in his freshman and sophomore seasons.  Salaam ranks second in the KU record books with 313 career made free throws.

            Eberhart earned a place on the All-PSAC East second team, the first time the guard/forward has been selected to the all-conference squad.  He led the Golden Bears in scoring at 14.6 ppg and steals with 37.  The senior topped the 1,000-career point mark this season at Slippery Rock on January 16 and ended his career with 1,177 points, 11th all-time at Kutztown.  With 53 three-pointers in 2004-05, Eberhart had 155 for his career and rates fifth all-time at Kutztown. 

            Salaam and Eberhart formed part of a senior class that helped the Golden Bears reach the PSAC playoff in each of the past three seasons, the most consecutive appearances in school history.  This season, the team finished 15-12 and advanced to the PSAC quarterfinals, falling 95-90 at Mansfield.  Kutztown was 6-6 in the PSAC East.

            Van Wagner was named the women’s PSAC East Rookie of the Year, after an impressive first season.  The forward led KU in scoring (10.8 ppg), blocks (41) and field goal percentage (.527) and was second in rebounding (7.8 rpg).  She finished third in the conference in both blocks and field goal percentage.  The New Jersey native had seven double-doubles as a freshman and had a KU season-high with 26 points against West Chester on January 26.