Delivering American University's news and views since 1925 | Thursday, March 23, 2023
AU swimmers get share of top finishes at Rutgers meet The AU men's and women's swim teams combined for eight top-five finishes in the first two days of the Rutgers Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Seniors Val Fomenko and Kevin Falkenstein led AU taking individual wins, Fomenko in a tie in the men's 100-yard fly and Falkenstein in the men's 100 backstroke Saturday.
Did anyone watch the bizarre two hours that was the AU men's basketball team's televised contest at Loyola in Baltimore Tuesday night? I doubt it, since this campus somehow gets three HBOs, but no Comcast SportsNet. But anyone who cares about the basketball program, the athletic department and the university should have watched - with disgust.
As AU and Princeton's last runners crossed the line in Saturday's NCAA Mideast Regional, the team race for second place - and a spot in the NCAA Championships - was too close to call. Princeton's top two runners finished fifth and sixth, both ahead of eighth-place AU sophomore Steve Hallinan on the course in Bethlehem, Pa.
For the second time in as many seasons, the AU men's soccer team will host the Patriot League Tournament, Friday and Sunday at Reeves Field. But this year has been hardly anything like the last. In 2004, led by seniors Thomas Myers in goal, Sean Albright, Charlie Koniver and Nick Zaron on defense, Shawn Kuykendall at midfield and Dave Marut up front, the Eagles entered the PL playoffs with a 9-1-1 mark in their last 11 games.
AU rowing finished its season with a gold medal and a fourth-place finish at the Head of the Occoquan race Sunday. The Eagles took first in the Men's Novice 4 division, a classification for 4-man boats for first-year rowers, finishing the 5,000-meter course in 20:17.
If you've watched the AU men's soccer team compete in the Patriot League over its five-year PL history, you know this much: AU does not play like a PL team. Under head coach Todd West, the Eagles play a technical style based on quick passing, spacing, and thoughtful runs, something more akin to the nation's elite squads than to the long-ball, mad-fray-in-the-box approach of most PL rivals.
Men's Soccer gets first '05 road win at Bucknell The AU men's soccer team will play for the right to host the Patriot League tournament this Saturday after winning at Bucknell last Saturday, 2-1. AU freshman midfielder Stephen Romeo's first career goal won it in the 71st minute, created by an assist from AU junior forward Larry Mark.
Field hockey players get PL, national honors AU field hockey freshman attacker Irene Schickhardt was named the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week for her play in last week's action. She netted a hat trick in AU's 3-2 overtime win at Holy Cross on Saturday.
How much does this Wednesday's clash against No. 3 Maryland mean to the No. 5 AU field hockey team? Ask Holy Cross. Saturday the Crusaders (7-9, 2-2 Patriot League), who on paper have little business being on the same artificial surface as the Eagles (15-0, 3-0 PL), were four minutes from stealing a victory and a the PL lead.
Before the season, the AU women's soccer team didn't plan on a Senior Day with dynamic senior forward Marcela Ricupero on crutches with a season-ending knee injury. And the Eagles probably weren't thrilled with the date set for mid October in just their fourth Patriot League match, with the final three PL contests scheduled for the road.
