Championships boost confidence

The men’s cross-country team finished fifth at the Atlantic Ten Championships. Junior Mike May placed eighth overall individually.

The men’s and women’s cross-country teams competed in the Atlantic Ten Championships at Saint Louis Oct. 31, and both came away with treats on Halloween.

On the men’s side, junior Mike May finished eighth overall and became the first male cross-country athlete at Temple to achieve that honor.

“It’s a big honor, but I’m just glad the whole team finished well,” May said.

May said he has been improving with every tournament this season, which could be thanks to a new strategy.

“I’ve realized how important it is to stay up front, and it has helped me become more aggressive,” May said.

After his Top 10 finish, May said he is looking forward to the Mid-Atlantic Regional.

“This performance gave us a lot of confidence that should really help us heading into the Mid-Atlantic Regional,” May said.

The team itself finished fifth overall, the best finish the Owls have ever had in these Championships. Temple finished ninth last year, and second-year coach Eric Mobley said the goal entering this season was to finish better than that.

“This is huge for our program,” Mobley said. “Hopefully, this will help us as a better recruiting tool.”
Three other runners on the men’s squad recorded Top 25 finishes. Junior Eddie Penetar finished 21st, sophomore Travis Mahoney 23rd and senior Adin Mickle 24th.

The men next compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships in Princess Ann, Md., Nov. 14.
“This tournament gives us a huge boost of confidence going in there,” Mobley said. “We now know that we have a shot, and we also have an outside shot at the NCAA Championships.”

If the men’s squad does qualify for the NCAA Championships, they will be held Nov. 23 at Indiana State University.

The women’s team finished 13th overall at the A-10 Championships, the same as last year.

“We did a great job,” second-year assistant coach Matt Jelley said. “We had a few girls banged up, but overall, our individual performances were much better than last year. The whole team improved from last year.”

Junior Rebecca Mims was once again the team’s best finisher, as she ended up in 42nd place after finishing 75th in the Championships last year.

“We did really well,” Mims said. “We had lots of improvement from last year. We just need to keep getting better and get people healthy for the Mid-Atlantic Regional.”

Freshman Dierdre MacFarlane finished right behind Mims to give the Owls two women in the Top 50 overall.

“It was really big for us to have two women in the Top 50,” Jelley said. “That will really help us down the road.”

Coach Mobley said he was pleased with the women’s performance as well.

“We are closing the gap to becoming very competitive in the A-10,” Mobley said. “I just want the women’s team to keep improving, keep working hard and just keep doing what they are doing.”

Ryan Rosengrant can be reached at ryan.rosengrant@temple.edu.

Cross-country makes strides early in season

The men’s and women’s cross-country teams, coached by second-year coach Eric Mobley, each recorded individual Top 10 performances early in the season but have since drifted off the pace.

“We are making strides, staying focused and moving forward,” Mobley said.

Men

Despite having just one senior, Adin Mickle, and no freshmen, in three meets this year, the men’s team posted one individual second-place finish.

“It’s an advantage and a disadvantage,” Mobley said. “It gives us a solid core of upperclassmen [just juniors instead of seniors].”

In the opening meet, the Sept. 1 Haverford Duals, junior Eric Conklin finished second with a time of 15 minutes, 21:50 seconds in the three-mile race. Sophomore Ben Thomas crossed the finish line right behind him with a time of 15 minutes, 26:20 seconds.

The men did not fare as well at the Iona Meet of Champions in New Rochelle, N.Y., on Sept. 19, with junior Eddie Pennatar leading the men with a 22nd-place finish.

This past weekend the team competed in the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa. Junior Mike May paced the team this time, placing 59th overall individually, though leading the team to a 23rd-place finish in the Gold Division.

Women

Like the men’s team, the women’s team lacks upperclassmen – it has no seniors. Eight of the squad’s 16 members are freshmen.

“All we can expect is great effort, hard work and them trying to help the team the best they can,” Mobley said. He added that summer training helped the team, especially junior Rebecca Mims.

Just as the men recorded a Top-10 finish in the opening meet of the season, so too did the women. Mims finished in third place with a time of 19 minutes, 19 seconds. Freshman Katherine Frank placed fourth with a time of 19 minutes, 26.60 seconds, and sophomore Katie Finn rounded out the Top 10 at 19 minutes, 33.60 seconds.

Mims led the way in both the Iona Meet of Champions and the Paul Short Invitational. In New Rochelle, N.Y., she placed 83rd, while freshmen Rayna Cratchman and Frank finished second and third on the team at 93rd and 133rd overall.

At the Paul Short Invitational, Mims helped the team to a 29th-place finish with a time of 23 minutes, 6 seconds. Freshman Diedre MacFarland posted her best time of the season at 131st overall with a time of 23:50. Frank crossed the line seven seconds later.

Both teams have two more meets this fall season, the Blue and Gold Invitational on Oct. 17 in Newark, Del., and the Atlantic Ten Championships on Oct. 31 in St. Louis.

Mobley said he would like to see the men and women’s teams finish better in the A-10 Championships than they did last year, ninth and 13th, respectively.

“We need to continue to improve and just keep getting stronger,” Mobley said.

Ryan Rosengrant can be reached at ryan.rosengrant@temple.edu.

Playoff push begins for fall squads

Expectations were high to start the season. Now, halfway through the fall schedule, reality has set in.
So, does that mean it’s time for an imminent playoff push or an extended winter break for your favorite teams? Let’s take a look:

Cross Country
The cross-country program continues to get its footing in the A-10. Urban cross country programs have historically had a difficult time finding success, but the Owls look to change that. The men’s team has made strides, finishing a program-best 11th in the A-10 Championship last year. The women’s team finished 13th, but looks to build on that foundation in 2008.
Prediction: Everyone gets to run in the A-10 Championship, but the Owls will remain toward the back for quite some time.

Field Hockey
It’s been a turbulent season for coach Amanda Janney. Early on, it was all too perfect, as the Owls went 3-0 and knocked off No. 14 Boston University. Since then, it has been a series of beatings from some of the country’s best. Ohio State and No. 11 Penn State posted back-to-back shutouts, and rivals Drexel and Delaware stole two games at Geasey Field. On Sunday, No. 8 Michigan State thumped Temple 9-0. It appears that the Owls’ non-conference schedule was overly ambitious. The good news is that A-10 play begins this week. Last year, the team went 6-1 in conference. Do the Owls have the firepower to get past No. 17 Massachusetts? Four years of playoff debauchery may continue.
Prediction: Another playoff bust: A-10 semifinals loss.

Men’s Soccer
It’s like The Little Engine That Could. The men’s soccer team continues to scrap and claw its way into the win column. Finally, there is some progress after two painful seasons at the Ambler Sports Complex. In 2006 and 2007, the team amounted to an overall record of 7-25-3 and plenty of frustration. The Cherry and White are currently 4-3-2 and about to embark on their A-10 schedule. Fortunately, heavyweights Saint Louis and Charlotte are off that schedule. The Owls have five straight home games to close the season, so the postseason isn’t out of consideration. In 2004, the team made it to the A-10 finals, but ultimately lost to George Washington.
Prediction: Only six teams get to dance, and 14 are jockeying for position. Another year of growth and this squad gets in.

Women’s Soccer
Much like its male counterparts, the women’s soccer team is kicking it up a notch. The Owls (2-6-3) look to improve upon their 5-10-4 season of a year ago, and it starts with their young guns. Freshman goalkeeper Courtney Douglas has assumed duties from sophomore Kara Williams. In her two starts, the Owls earned two ties, including a 0-0 shutout against Massachusetts. Freshman Niki Conn has been able to spark a notoriously anemic offense with four goals through 11 games. Playoffs might be too much for this squad right now. A step in the right direction would be a handful of conference wins on the road. Last season, the Owls went 0-5-1 in that department.
Prediction: No go on the postseason, but improved record from 2007.

Women’s Volleyball
Coach Bob Bertucci has done a remarkable job with this squad. The team is comprised mostly of underclassmen, but you wouldn’t know it. With an 11-7 record, they are a legitimate threat in the postseason. So far, they have dominated the Atlantic Ten Conference, posting a 4-1 record. Finding a replacement for outside hitter Yue Liu hasn’t been a problem, as junior Yun Yi Zhang has more than adequately fit the role. Zhang leads the conference in kills with 261 and total points with 291.5. If the Owls want the respect they deserve, they’ll need to cut down the conference’s traditional powerhouses. The West Division has a stranglehold on the crown, with Saint Louis winning in 2006 and Dayton from 2003-2005 and in 2007.
Prediction: The beasts of the east, but runners-up to the rest. Owls fall in a late-round game in the A-10 Championship.

Summary
Some Owls will get to taste the postseason, while others are far from it. Hey, there’s always next year.

Anthony Stipa can be reached at anthonystipa@temple.edu.