Penn State Update - 3/28/2009

I have been overlooking a few teams during my weekly Penn State update. Today they'll get their due.

• Fencing is a little recognized sport around the nation. However it has been quite successful at Penn State over the last 20 years. This year has been no different. The men's and women's teams combined for their 11th National Championship. Penn State's first NCAA Title came in 1990. Since then the fencing team has captured 10 more. Four Nittany Lion fencers earned individual honors, two men and two women. Aleksander Ochoki and Nick Chinman are the sabre and foil National Champions, respectively. For the women, Anastasia Ferdman (epee) and Doris Willette (foil) earned individual titles. When the last coaches poll was released, Notre Dame was favored to take home the overall title. They finished second with 182 total wins, 13 behind Penn State. Ohio State was third with 166. This is Penn State's 63rd NCAA National Championship in any sport. It is also the fourth won in the past 16 months. [Go PSU Sports, Nittany White Out, and Black Shoe Diaries]

Congratulations to the Penn State fencing team for winning their 11th National Championship in the last 20 years.

• The men's golf team participated in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate event in mid-March and finished in first place at the conclusion of the match. Up next for the men is the Kepler Invitational in Columbus, OH on April 11 and 12.
• The women's golf team finished 4th in the First Market Bank Intercollegiate last weekend. They'll be participating in the Canes and Cardinals classic next weekend.
• The men's lacrosse team fell to 3-4 on the season when they lost to Fairfield in OT, 5-4. They are currently playing at Massachussetts while I type this.
• After starting the season 4-0, the women's lacrosse team has dropped four straight evening their record at 4-4. They try to start a new winning streak today at William & Mary.
  
• The men's swimming and diving team are participating in the NCAA Championships this weekend in College Station, Texas. They were ranked 22nd as of 2/26 (the last update). The 200 freestyle relay finished 14th on Thursday. The individual and team competitions continue today.
• The women's swimming and diving team, ranked 15th as of 2/26, competed in the NCAA Championships last weekend. The women finished a disappointing 38th.
• The men's tennis team fell to 8-8 on the year when they lost to #28 Minnesota, 5-2, yesterday. They are off today but host Iowa tomorrow.
• The women's tennis team stands at 3-12 on the year. They lost yesterday to Minnesota, 5-2. They play at Iowa tomorrow.
• The men's and women's track teams are in the Jim Thorpe Invitational today at the Nittany Lion Track. The men aren't ranked but the women's indoor team was ranked 5th as of 2/18.
• The baseball team sits at 13-9 on the season and was very active the last week. They swept the three game series versus New York Tech (4-2, 13-2, 9-2) last weekend and beat Kent Staet (9-2) and Temple (7-4) on the road. They opened up a three game series with rival Ohio State last night. The Nittany Lions lost the first game 8-3. The teams are playing right now and will also meet tomorrow afternoon.
  
• The softball team fell to 9-14 this year after losses to Nebraska, Illinois (twice), and Pittsburgh. They take on Northwestern today and tomorrow as the heart of Big Ten play starts.
  
• The wrestling team's season ended last weekend but here is one last recap. Penn State had two All-Americans (Quentin Wright and Frank Molinaro). The team finished 17th overall. It was another strong year for the Big Ten Conference as a whole. Iowa (surprised?) won another National Championship, their 2nd straight and 22nd overall. Three other Big Ten schools finished in the Top 10 (Ohio State - 2nd, Illinois - 8th, Wisconsin - 9th). All 11 Big Ten school finished in the Top 25. Galen has the lowdown. Check it out. [The Nittany Line]
• The men's gymnastics team vaulted up to 4th place in the national rankings (as of 3/23) thanks to a competitive showing against #2 Oklahoma. Penn State fell to the Sooners, 366.850 to 356.300. The regular season has concluded and the Big Ten Championships begin next weekend. It will most likely come down to Illinois, Michigan, and Penn State.
• The women competed in the Big Ten Championships last weekend and finished 3rd, catapulting them to 12th in the national rankings. Michigan took the title - their 17th - and Illinois finished 2nd. Oddly enough those two teams are ranked 16th and 14th, respectively, in the nation. However, the individual honors rolled in for the Nittany Lions. Brandi Personett was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and head coach Steve Shephard took home his third Coach of the Year title. The team has been selected to compete in the Southeast Regionals in order to earn a place in the NCAA Championships. The matches will take place April 4th in Raleigh, N.C. at North Carolina State's Reynolds Coliseum. The top two teams from each regional advance to the national championships to be held April 16th-18th in Nebraska. Penn State and #1 Georgia are favored to emerge from the field of six, which also includes #13 Nebraska, #21 West Virginia, #29 N.C. State, and #30 North Carolina. This isn't the best draw for the Nittany Lions. They have to compete against the #1 team in the nation, two teams from in-state, and the team hoping to win a national championship on their home turf. Good luck ladies!
• The men's volleyball team, ranked 12th as of 3/23, has won four straight matches after failing to win one at the Active Ankle Classic at Long Beach State. They beat IPFW, Loyola Chicago, Juniata, and Princeton 3-0 over the last eight days. The team hosts Mount Olive tonight.
• Last, but certainly not least, the men's basketball team. The Nittany Lions upset the favored Florida Gators in the NIT quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four in New York. They will face Notre Dame on Tuesday. No matter how this season ends it has been quite a run for the Penn State seniors and head coach Ed DeChellis. [Nittany White Out]
• OK this is really last. Who did BSD name the Nittany Lion of the Week? How about two of our new national champions? That's right, this week Anastasia Ferdman and Doris Willette take the honor. [Black Shoe Diaries]
  

Congratulations again to the fencing team on their 11th National Championship! Don't forget to tune in for the NIT Final Four match versus Notre Dame on Tuesday!