Sports

Sports

Count Down: Top 10 Pro Wrestlers

December 13

This week's countdown list describes the best professional wrestlers of the past 25 years. The Eagle sports staff has based these rankings on ability, titles, criminal records and glamor. SOOOO, let's got ready to RUUUMBLE...

---

Sports

AU grapplers can't overcome three forfeits

By Eric Fantegrossi | December 9

Winning a dual meet in Division I while giving away a forfeit is a difficult task. Injuries have forced the AU wrestling team to give away forfeits in the first three weights this year. And Wednesday night, the Eagles traveled to Lock Haven where the 18-point deficit put AU's back against the mat.

---

Sports

Sports Brief: Volleyball, Men's Soccer end season with honors

By Ian Quillen | December 9

Two AU Men's Soccer players and two AU Volleyball players were selected for season-ending all-region honors this week. For soccer, seniors Shawn Kuykendall, a midfielder, and Charlie Koniver, a defender, were selected to the All-South Atlantic second and third teams, respectively.

---

Sports

Eagles roar past Towson Tigers, 75-64

By Ian Quillen | December 9

After senior forward Jason Thomas scored 23 points against Vermont Saturday, tying his career high, his teammates and coaches could only hope it was a sign of things to come. But even the most optimistic could not have predicted a repeat performance as soon as the one he gave Wednesday night in AU's 75-64 win at Towson.

---

Sports

Sports Brief: Thiel, Thomas both win PL weekly awards

By Ian Quillen | December 9

After outstanding performances this weekend, AU Women's swimmer Megan Thiel and AU Men's basketball player Jason Thomas were named Patriot League athletes of the week in their sports.

---

Sports

Sideline Scholars: Thomas to lead AU to '05 NCAAs

By Jesse Epstein | December 9

It's been a four-year struggle for recognition of unfulfilled potential and glimpses of stardom for AU forward Jason Thomas. But his 23-point, 11-rebound performance on Saturday as AU knocked off national power Vermont may be the late turning point in his career. Say what you will about honorable mention All-American Taylor Coppenrath's 22 points and 15 rebounds, or point guard T.J. Sorrentine's 27 points, or AU sophomore Andre Ingram's 19 points on four back-breaking three-pointers. But Jason Thomas was clearly the best player on the court Saturday.

---

Sports

Sports Brief: Men's Track out of the blocks for indoor season

By Ian Quillen | December 9

The AU Men's Track and Field team came out of the blocks flying in the Navy Invitational last Friday night at the Navy Lidlifter meet in Annapolis, Md., taking three individual titles back to D.C. after the first meet of the indoor season. AU dominated the middle-distance categories, picking up all its individual wins in that area. Senior Sean Duffy won the 3,000-meter run in 8:21.55, beating two pursuing Navy runners by about four seconds, while AU sophomore Rob Hoffman finished fifth. Meanwhile, sophomore Dustin Ermani took the 800-meter title, completing the four laps in 1:55.65, while his teammates finished fourth, seventh and 15th.

---

Sports

Eagles beat Vermont in thriller, 67-64

By Ian Quillen | December 6

AU forward Jason Thomas just missed a new career scoring high on Saturday, merely tying his previous mark of 23 points. And with two foul shots, two seconds left and a two-point lead over Vermont, he also failed to clinch the game, missing one shot, leaving the Catamounts with a chance to tie. But the senior did just about everything else for the Men's Basketball team, even intercepting Vermont's last-second Hail Mary inbounds pass, in an impressive 67-64 win at Bender Arena over the Catamonts, a team that has been drawing national attention.

---

Sports

Sideline Scholars: Eagles and fans brought 'A' game vs. UVM

By Phil Turner | December 6

Bender Arena felt like a real college basketball stadium and the men's hoops team looked like a real team on Saturday afternoon when it took down Vermont in arguably the most exciting home game since the Patriot League championship game in 2002. The normally reserved, offish, elitist, "I'm too tired to cheer because I've been studying cross-cultural communications" (or some similar waste-of-time homework) crowd that has come to typify AU school spirit took on a different tune for the 1:00 p.m. game.

---

Sports

Sports Brief: Women take third at tournament after win against Southern Miss.

By Jesse Epstein | December 6

The Women's Basketball team split its weekend, finishing third in the Southern Mississippi Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss. The Eagles won the consolation game, beating the University of Southern Mississippi, 66-56, on Saturday night. The Eagles started hot, jumping to a 9-4 lead in the first three minutes, and led 37-25 at the half.

---

Sports

Sports Brief: Women's Swimming takes 6th, Men take 8th at Princeton Invitational

By Elliot Smilowitz | December 6

AU Women's Swimming and Diving team put up a respectable performance in the 2004 Princeton Invitational, finishing in sixth place out of 11 teams with 120 points. The men's squad came in eighth place, scoring 153 points. Princeton won both the men's and women's competitions, putting up 1181 and 909 points, respectively.

---

Sports

Nittany Lions roar by AU

By Phil Turner | December 6

Facing Penn State, the nation's third ranked team, in Happy Valley, Pa., was too tall an order for the AU Volleyball team, as it fell in three straight games in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night. The loss in the first round is the fourth in four consecutive NCAA trips for the Eagles. After completing a fourth straight undefeated season in the PL, the Eagles were hoping for a better seed in their region, but ended up drawing Penn State, the Big Ten champions and a threat to win the national championship. And while they gave a tremendous effort, it was not enough to overcome the relentless Nittany Lions.

---

Sports

V-Ball takes third in pre-NCAA invitational

By Phil Turner | December 2

Back during pre-season two-a-day practices, AU volleyball coach Barry Goldberg and his team talked about continuing their dominance of the Patriot League and making an impact on the national scene in the latter part of the year. Having already won its fourth straight PL title in dominating undefeated fashion, the Eagles will now get their shot at national prominence when they take on fourth ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament this weekend in Happy Valley, PA.

---

Sports

Sports Brief: Swimmers sink to back of pack at George Mason Invitational

By Jesse Epstein | December 2

AU's Swimming and Diving teams placed eighth and 10th, respectively, in the George Mason Invitational this past weekend, in Fairfax, Va. The men's team placed eighth in the 11-team tournament, while the women finished 10th. The highlights for the teams were junior Valery Fomenko's seventh-place finish in the 200-meter backstroke, and Joe Eberhart's 12th-place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke.

---

Sports

Ladies take three straight

By Jesse Epstein | December 2

The AU Women's Basketball team had a lot to be thankful for this week, as it won all three games over Thanksgiving break to run its record to an impressive 4-1 in nonconference play. The Eagles defended their home court, beating Mount St. Mary's, 67-52, on Nov. 24 and winning a 74-63 overtime thriller over Loyola College of Maryland last Friday before Sunday's 48-46 victory in Asheville, N.C., against the University of North Carolina- Asheville.

---

Sports

B-Ball wins 2nd straight

By Jesse Epstein | December 2

After a heartbreaking start to the season, the Men's Basketball team evened its record to 2-2 after an impressive 71-65 victory over St. Francis at Bender Arena on Monday night. The win avenged the Eagles' loss last year at St. Francis. The Eagles were led by the scoring duo of Andre Ingram and Raimondas Petrauaskas, who combined for 35 points, while Patrick Okpwae and Jason Thomas chipped in with 12 and 10, respectively.

---

Sports

XC places 20th

By Ian Quillen | December 2

The AU Men's Cross-Country team finally returned to the national stage after a 33-year absence, placing 20th in the NCAA Championships on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind. The Eagles qualified to be part of the 30-team field by finishing second in the Mid-Atlantic regional meet on Nov. 13 in State College, Pa.

---