Some random observations while sending get well wishes to Penn State Lady Lion Megan Quinn. The junior guard is in good spirits in spite of suffering the second ACL tear of her college basketball career, knowing her summer will be spent in the rehab room. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a healthy senior season.
n Congratulations to Mark Moschella and the Lady Marauders on another PIAA basketball championship. Few coaches can match the exceptional character and caring nature of Moschella, and it's nice to see a good guy finish first, again. And BG just does it right: the Dog Pound is one of the best student sections in the state and is just as crazy for the girls team as the boys. Bravo!
n What a great place to win a state basketball title: Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. The atmosphere created when the lights go down for pre-game introductions is an exciting backdrop for championship basketball, and it must be a thrill to play on the court shared by the college programs. With the end of the PIAA's three-year contract with Penn State, here's hoping the relationship continues.
n Speaking of champions, Penn State has a few more to celebrate after this weekend's NCAA fencing tournament. Not only did the Nittany Lions win the team title - their 11th combined (men's/women's) national championship in the last 20 years - two Penn-Staters also took home individual crowns. Anastasia Ferdman of Maalot, Israel, won the epee championship, while Doris Willette of Lafayette, Calif., took the title in the women's foil. The Nittany Lion program is led by fencing master Emmanuil G. Kaidanov, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1979 from the Soviet Union and has been coaching at Penn State for nearly three decades. While they don't often find themselves in the headlines, the Nittany Lions are known around the nation and the world as one of the best fencing programs on the planet.
Penn State University has won a total of 63 national titles, and there may be more on the horizon.
n The defending NCAA champion men's volleyball team is ranked No. 7 in the nation. Tonight, it will make the quick trip to Huntingdon for a backyard brawl with Juniata.
n The Penn State men's gymnastics team hopes to be in the hunt for another Big Ten and National title after wrapping up the regular season at No. 1 Oklahoma over the weekend. The Nittany Lions boast one of the best all-arounders in the country in Casey Sandy, who has been named a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, the highest honor in college gymnastics. Sandy is one of the best ever to wear a Penn State uniform, and last season became the first athlete ever to win both the Big Ten and NCAA all-around championships in the same year. He's also building his international career, earning a spot on the Canadian National Team.
It's already been a year to celebrate in Happy Valley, and spring sports are just hitting their stride.
Kellie Goodman can be reached at kgoodman@amcvb.com.
