September 3, 2008 - Derrick Williams (football), Allison Scola (field hockey) September 10, 2008 - Evan Royster (football), Arielle Wilson (women's volleyball) September 17, 2008 - Deon Butler (football), Christa Harmotto (women's volleyball) September 23, 2008- Navorro Bowman (football), Nicole Fawcett (women's volleyball) September 30, 2008- Derrick Williams (football) and Daneen Zug (field hockey) October 7, 2008- Evan Royster (football) and Bridget Franek (women's cross country) October 14, 2008- Corey Hertzog (men's Soccer) and Jen Beaumont (field hockey) October 21, 2008- Kevin Kelly (football) and Katie Schoepfer (women's soccer) October 28, 2008- Mark Rubin (football) and Jen Beaumont (field hockey) November 4, 2008- David Kraft (men's swimming & diving) and Nina Westman (women's fencing) November 11, 2008- Frank Molinaro (wrestling) and Dani Toney (women's soccer) November 18, 2008- Quentin Wright (wrestling) and Alisha Glass (women's volleyball) November 25, 2008- Darryl Clark (football) and Christa Harmotto (women's volleyball) December 2, 2008- Talor Battle (men's basketball) and Megan Hodge (women's volleyball) December 9, 2008- Jake Strayer (wrestling) and Kelly Nelson (women's swimming & diving) January 6, 2009- Quentin Wright (wrestling) and Tyra Grant (women's basketball) January 13, 2009- Talor Battle (men's basketball) and Whitney Benscko (women's gymnastics) January 20, 2009- Pat Schirk (men's swimming & diving) and Shavon Greaves (women's track & field) January 27, 2009- Jamelle Cornley (men's basketball) and Brandi Personett (women's gymnastics) February 3, 2009- Talor Battle (men's basketball) and Karie Haglund (women's swimming & diving) February 10, 2009- Josh Bonner (men's swimming and diving) and Bridget Franek (women's track and field) February 17, 2009- Lisa Akamine (softball.), John Vellenoweth (men's track and field) February 27, 2009- Mike Deese (baseball) and Kelly Nelson (women's swimming and diving) March 3, 2009- Casey Sandy (men's gymnastics), Shavon Greaves (women's track and field) March 10, 2009- Blake Lynd (baseball), Stephanie Ellis (women's lacrosse.) March 17, 2009- Gayle Hunter (women's track and field), Cory Wine (baseball) March 24, 2009- Nick Chinman (men's fencing), Aleksander Ochocki (men's fencing), Doris Willette (women's fencing), Anastasia Ferdman (women's fencing) March 31, 2009- Jamelle Cornley (men's basketball), Marisa Lozano (women's lacrosse) April 7, 2009- Jamelle Cornely (men's basketball), Jackie Hill (softball) April 14, 2009- Jordan Steranka (baseball), Danielle Kinley (softball) April 21, 2009- Kevin Foley (men's golf) Theresa Zichelli (women's lacrosse) April 28, 2009- Tanner Evak (men's track & field), Erica Mihm (women's lacrosse)
Men's track and field Tanner Evak (State College, Pa.) and women's lacrosse Erica Mihm (Annapolis, Md.) were named this week's Student-Athletes of the Week. Senior Evak closed out his Penn Relays career in style on Saturday, capturing gold-medal honors in the men's championship javelin at Franklin Field. Evak posted a throw of 225-6 (68.74) to claim his first-career Penn Relays victory, bettering the rest of the field by nearly six feet. Evak, who now becomes Penn State's 57th Men Penn Relay's champion, is the first Nittany Lion to win javelin since 1965. Erica Mihm paced the Penn State women's lacrosse attack in the Nittany Lion's 12-11 won over Johns Hopkins on Saturday, scoring a game high four goals. Mihm contributed a team best three draw controls as well. This season, Mihm leads the team in draw controls and is second in goals, assists and points. With the victory, Penn State clinches the No. 2 seed in this weekend's ALC Championship.
Kevin Foley
Theresa Zichelli
April 21, 2009- Kevin Foley (men's golf) Theresa Zichelli (women's lacrosse)
Junior Kevin Foley (Sommerville, N.J.) of the men's golf team and freshmen Theresa Zichelli (Severna Park, Md.) of the women's lacrosse team were named this week's Student Athletes of the Week. Foley finished tied for first place at the Boilermaker Invitational this past weekend, after playing exceptional golf and leading the Nittany Lions to a second place finish. Foley carded rounds of 69-66-72 to finish at nine-under par. Foley beat out No. 2 in the country Jorge Campillo by five strokes. Foley's efforts make for his fourth first-place finish in his Lion career and his second of the year. The 2008 All-American set up Penn State to beat topped ranked teams like No. 9 Indiana and No. 14 Illinois, readying them for the 2009 Big Ten Championships. Freshman midfielder Theresa Zichelli fueled the Penn State attack in the Nittany Lions 13-9 upset of No. 13 Ohio State in a pivotal American Lacrosse Conference showdown on Sunday. She netted a team best and career high three goals, including a key score late in the second half that halted a Buckeye comeback attempt. In just her second start as a Nittany Lion, Zichelli also added one draw control and one caused turnover. Seeing playing time in all 14 games this season, she ranks fifth of the team with 15 goals.
Jordan Steranka
Danielle Kinley
April 14, 2009- Jordan Steranka (baseball), Danielle Kinley (softball)
Baseball's Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and softball's Danielle Kinley (Carlsbad, Calif.) showed up to the plate with hot bats this past week aiding their teams to victory. Steranka continued his torrent display of hitting this past weekend, batting nine for 17 (.523). The freshman's exceptional display at the plate extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Against Bucknell on Wednesday, Steranka reached base all six times that he was at bat, recording three RBIs, two runs, a triple and his second consecutive four-hit game. Steranka, the third baseman for the Nittany Lions notched a walk-off single as the Nittany Lions rallied in the ninth inning to defeat Bison. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native tabbed three hits and three runs and was instrumental in igniting the offense during several key innings in an explosive 11-9 victory for Penn State over Purdue. In his first year, Steranka is hitting at a .395 clip with 32 RBIs and a team-high .985 OPS rating. During his 16-game hitting streak, he has raised his average 73 points and has nine multi-hit and eight multi-RBI games. Softball's Danielle Kinley had a hot bat this past week as well aiding the Nittany Lions. The senior hit three doubles in two games to help Penn State sweep Big Ten rivals, Wisconsin, and extend its winning streak to four games. Kinley stands at third all-time in career doubles with 42 and is only two doubles shy of former teammate Ashley Esparza who holds the record at 44. Kinley hit .429 on the weekend, going 3-7 with three runs scored.
April 7, 2009- Jamelle Cornley (men's basketball), Jackie Hill (softball)
Jamelle Cornley
Jackie Hill
Senior forward Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio) guided the Nittany Lion men's basketball team to an NIT championship title to earn him Penn State's Student-Athlete of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. Junior Pitcher Jackie Hill (San Jose, Calif.) also earned Student-Athlete of the Week honors as she made a miraculous comeback for the softball team as she stepped into the circle for the first time in three weeks. Cornley, who led Penn State with 18 points and seven rebounds, was named the 2009 NIT MVP despite playing the last three games of the tournament with his partially separated left shoulder tightly wrapped for the duration of the games. He was one of the four seniors who left the floor for the final time with a win and helped Penn State to log victories in 10 of its last 13 games. Cornley will leave an indelible mark on the Nittany Lion program for his production on the court and his emotional leadership on and off it. The 6-5, 245-pound forward who was told he was undersized by most major programs, ends his career as the Penn State's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,579) and rebounder (756). Junior pitcher Jackie Hill stepped into the circle for the first time in three weeks after suffering an injury. Hill had a triumphant return helping Penn State snap an eight game losing streak, throwing two complete games. She guided the Lions to a pair of wins over Iowa where she struck out 12 Hawkeyes, never giving up a walk. Her ERA for the weekend was a slim 0.50 after allowing only one run in 14 innings.
With an MVP title and a leading scorer, Jamelle Cornley and Marisa Lozano have been named Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Senior Forward Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio) led the Nittany Lions to an impressive victory over the No. 1 seeded Florida Gators on Tuesday, March 24 in the NIT. Cornley scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds after returning from a shoulder injury suffered in the first round against George Mason. With his 23 points, Cornley passed Geary Claxton for fifth on Penn State's all-time scoring list. He also moved
in to sixth place on the all-time rebounding list. Before Tuesday night, the Gators had just one home loss all season. His performance throughout the NIT tournament was impeccable despite playing with a partially separated left shoulder. With a win over Notre Dame, Cornley and the Nittany Lions headed to the NIT championships. Cornley, who led Penn State with 18 points and seven rebounds, was named the NIT MVP. Cornley will leave an indelible mark on the Nittany Lion program for his production on the court and his emotional leadership on and off it. The 6-5, 245-pound forward who was told he was undersized by most major programs, ends his career as the Penn State's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,579) and rebounder (756). Senior forward Marisa Lozano (Pittsburgh, Pa.) lead the women's lacrosse teal in their tough match up against William & Mary. Lozano scored a team-high three goals and tallied an assist, leading Penn State to a 14-12 road victory over the tribe. In a tight game, Lozano scored all three of her goals in the final 14:24 to help Penn State seal its fifth victory of the year. Establishing herself as the Nittany Lions top offensive force this season, she leads the Nittany Lions in goals (16), assists (10), and points (26).
March 24, 2009- Nick Chinman (men's fencing), Aleksander Ochocki (men's fencing), Doris Willette (women's fencing), Anastasia Ferdman (women's fencing)
Junior Nick Chinman
Freshman Aleksander Ochocki
Junior Anastasia Ferdman
Sophomore Doris Willette
On the final day of the men's fencing NCAA competition Penn State emerged with two National Champions. Aleksander Ochocki (Clark, N.J.) took first in sabre, while Nick Chinman (Boulder, Colo.) took first in foil. Ochocki had 19 victories before reaching the final four. After a close bout between Ochocki and Daniel Bak, it was Ochocki who would continue to the Championship bout. In the Championship bout, Ochocki faced fellow freshman Daryl Homer from St. John's (New York). A tough bout that seemed to go touch for touch, ended in a close 15-14 win for Ochocki and Penn State. Chinman, who had 17 victories, was handed the challenge of facing freshman and Olympian, Gerek Meinhardt of Notre Dame. In the Championship bout, Chinman was down 7-12, when Chinman, pumped up by his Penn State supporters, took the lead. His determination from there was seen when he defeated Meinhardt 15-14.
Doris Willette`s (Lafayette, Calif.) semifinal bout went touch for touch. With less than five seconds left, Willette was down one touch. Somehow, she was able to tie Cross 7-7 with only a second left in the round. They went into the one minute final round with the coin toss going in Cross's favor. Again they were down to five seconds and knowing that if the bout were over she would not advance to the Championships, Willette lunged forward to get one final touch and won the bout 8-7. She went on to defeat Notre Dame's Hayley Reese 15-5. This is Willette's second National Champion title. Anastasia Ferdman (Maalot, Israel) won the epee finals after beating Harard's Noam Mills. She beat out 17 competitors to take her first national title, helping to guide the Nittany Lions to their 11th national team title. Ferdman had a fantastic season with a 31-4 record in all duals this season. Fredman also finished in first place at Epee in the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals this year, to qualify her for the NCAA championship.
Gayle Hunter
Cory Wine
March 17, 2009- Gayle Hunter (women's track and field), Cory Wine (baseball)
Seniors Cory Wine (Stillwater, Okla.) of the men's baseball team and Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) of the women's track and field team have been selected as this weeks Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Cory Wine collected 14 hits and 14 RBIs to steer Penn State to series splits with Florida Gulf Coast and Rutgers this week. The Stillwater, Okla. native went 6-for-10 (.600) against the Eagles. Wine supplied a key two-run homerun in a wild 18-16 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday. Two days later, the senior first baseman supplied a career day, reaching base six times by going 5-for-5 with five
RBIs to lead the Nittany Lions to a 12-8 over Rutgers in Boca Raton, Fla. Wine got on four times and his go-ahead single late in the seventh inning
lifted Penn State to a 7-3 win to close out the series with the Nittany Lions. Over the span of the six games, Wine posted a .636 batting average,
an on-base percentage of .692 and a OPS rating of 1.554. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Gayle Hunter finished second in the
pentathlon, set school records in the pentathlon and the long jump, and also finished third in the 4x400 relay. She is now a seven-time All-American for
the Nittany Lions.
Blake Lynd
Stephanie Ellis
March 10, 2009- Blake Lynd (baseball), Stephanie Ellis (women's lacrosse)
After an exceptional weekend in Penn State sports, baseball outfielder Blake Lynd (Deer Park, Texas) and women's lacrosse goalkeeper Stephanie Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) were selected as the Student-Athletes of the Week. Junior Lynd batted 5-for-7 (.714) and scored five runs as Penn State posted 32 runs en route to three victories in Lantana, Fla. In three games, he had an on-base percentage of .777 and led off with a 2-for-3 performance against Akron, in which he reached base safely four times, doubled and scored two runs. The Deer Park, Texas native provided a spark in a 15-5 victory over Lehigh with three hits, two runs and two stolen bases off Mountain Hawk pitching. The junior centerfielder stole his third base of the weekend to put what would be the winning run into scoring position. Junior goalkeeper Ellis was brilliant between the pipes in Penn State¹s near upset of the nation¹s No. 2-ranked team, ACC powerhouse
Virginia on Sunday. She recorded a career-high 14 savesin the face of a bombardment of 36 shots in the 12-11 overtime loss. Ellis made several clutch stops, none bigger than the one she collected with just five seconds remaining in the game to preserve the tie and send the game to extra periods. Through five games, Ellis has registered 27 saves and compiled a 7.32 goals against average.
Casey Sandy
Shavon Greaves
March 3, 2009- Casey Sandy (men's gymnastics), Shavon Greaves (women's track and field)
Penn State men's gymnastics' Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) and women's track and field Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) have been selected as this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Less than 48 hours after winning the all-around at the Elite Canada 2009 and qualifying for the Canadian National Team and following a grueling cross-continent flight from British Columbia to University Park, senior Sandy was superb in leading No. 7 Penn State to a 347.600-346.500 victory over No. 8 Ohio State. Inserted into the line-up for just three events due to his rigorous travel and competitive schedule, the NCAA's No. 1-ranked all-around proceeded to win all three, placing first in the pommel horse (14.800), parallel bars (15.050), and high bar (14.500). The seven-time All-American was particularly dominant in the pommel horse, scoring .7 of a point higher than the second place finisher. Sandy's parallel bars score was also a personal season high and team best for 2009. For the season, the reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Year has posted 29 top three finishes, a remarkable 25 of which have been title wins. He was named Big Ten gymnast of the week for a conference-record 10th time. Sophomore Shavon Greaves continued to excel in conference competition, clocking 7.44 o win the 60, and 23.96 to take the 200. The 2008 Big Ten Freshmen of the Year is now one of only four Nittany Lion women to win two individual events during the Big Ten indoor meet. ). Greaves
was also part of the winning 4x400 relay team, making her a three-time Big Ten champion this past weekend and helping the Nittany Lions to a second place finish, just four points shy of bringing home the Big Ten title.
Mike Deese
Kelly Nelson
February 27, 2009- Mike Deese (baseball) and Kelly Nelson (women's swimming and diving)
Leading Penn State to two wins and earning second-team All-Big Ten honors, baseball's Mike Deese (Roswell, Ga.) and women's swimming and diving's Kelly Nelson (West Chester, Pa.) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Deese, a senior infielder/outfielder batted a .583 with seven hits to lead the Penn State baseball team to two wins in the inaugural Big Ten/Big East Challenge this weekend. Deese posted on-base and slugging percentages of .667 in three games. In the Nittany Lion's loss to St. John's on Friday, Deese reached base in all five at-bats, scored two runs and had an RBI. The Roswell native scored two runs in the 9-1 victory over Northwestern on Saturday before providing the Nittany Lions with a crucial two-run single as Penn State rallied to score six in the top of the ninth inning for a 6-1 victory over Seton Hall. Women's swimming and diving standout, Kelly Nelson, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors at the Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich. For the tournament, Nelson finished in the top-eight in seven events to lead the Nittany Lions to a third-place standing in the conference. The West Chester native tabbed second in the 200-yard butterfly and notched in NCAA time of 1:56.77. The senior standout finished third in the 400 free relay, placed fourth in the 200 medley relay, touching the wall in 1:38.74, 400 medley relay, fifth in the 800 free relay, seventh in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 500 free.
Lisa Akamine
John Vellenoweth
February 17, 2009- Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.), John Vellenoweth (Wheeling, W.Va.)
Women's softball pitcher Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) and men's track and field pole vaulter John Vellenoweth (Wheeling, W.Va.) have been selected as this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. After helping the Nttany Lions softball team to a 2-2 record against a tough field, freshmen Akamine held a .40 batting average (6-15) for the second consecutive week. Her impressive slugging percentage of .733 aided her in accumulating three RBI's, two doubles and a homerun. Akamine also had another great performance in the circle at the Carolina Classic, picking up her first career shutout and holding a low ERA of .57 on the weekend. In 11.1 innings she sat 15 batters and only allowed one run. Senior Vellenoweth had a solid afternoon at the Tyson Invitational. The Nittany Lion led the way with a PR and NCAA provisional clearance of 17-0.75 (5.20) - a foot higher than his previous best- bettering the Tyson field and Mason Tarnay's Penn State standard of 17-0 (5.18) from 1992. Vellenoweth is now one of just two competitors to break the 17-foot barrier in indoors in Nittany Lion program history.
Josh Bonner
Bridget Franek
February 10, 2009- Josh Bonner (men's swimming and diving) and Bridget Franek(women's track and field)
With a 290.25 score in the 1-meter and a 4:38.63 mile, men's swimming and diving's Josh Bonner (Ridley Park, Pa.) and women's track and field's Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) earned this week's Penn State Student-Athlete's of the Week. Senior diver Josh Bonner continued to dominate off the diving board with his top performances of the year in both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard. With a score of 290.25 he improved his season best score by 20 points in the 1-meter. His 3-meter score of 337.42 is a new season high, 35 points higher than his previous best, set in the Maryland Quad meet. In just her second appearance of the indoor season, junior Bridget Franek claimed her second school record of 2009, clocking a 4:38.63 mile, which bettered Kim McGreevy's 4:40.76, set in 1997. The incredible time earned her first place in the women's mille, Saturday at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. Franek now owns a total of five Penn State school records and stands among the top five performances in the NCAA this season both in the mile and the 3,000-meters.
Talor Battle
Karie Haglund
February 3, 2009- Talor Battle (men's basketball) and Karie Haglund (women's swimming & diving)
After an electrifying upset of No. 9 Michigan State in Ann Arbor and a five-event sweep vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes in the pool, men's basketball's Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) and women's swimming & diving's Karie Haglund have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Battle, the CollegeHoops.net National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week, was sensational as he led Penn State from a 13-point first half deficit to a the 72-68 upset of the No. 9 Spartans. Battle scored a career-high 29 points shooting 11-of-19 from the floor (6-of-12 from three) and added five rebounds and three assists while guiding the Penn State offense for all 40 minutes. With the Nittany Lion offense struggling against an aggressive Spartan defense and a roaring Breslin Center, Battle took charge scoring 13-straight points, many on NBA range threes, to cut a 13-point MSU lead. Battle's 25-foot three to end the first half gave Penn State its first lead since the 16-minute mark and a 38-37 halftime lead. The 5-11 point-guard 18 first half points. Battle's assist, jumper and lay-up on successive possession in the second gave PSU a 6-0 run and a 12-point leadwith 6:58 to play. Karie Haglund won all five events she competed in at a dual meet this weekend against Ohio State as Penn State upended the Buckeyes, 196-132. The Marietta, Ga. native was fractions off of an NCAA `B' qualifying time in the 200 breaststroke, taking first at 2:15.95. A senior, Haglund won three individual and two relay events. The Nittany Lion senior was victorious in the 500-yard freestyle, touching the wall at 4:52.70, and in the 100 breaststroke, coming two seconds faster than second-place Caitlin Meehan at 1:03.14. Haglund teamed up with Michelle Myers, Sarah Baker and Lindsey DeForrest to claim the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:43.16. During Friday's slate of competition, Kelly Nelson, Haglund, Myers and DeForrest placed first in the 400 medley relay at 3:46.28.
Jamelle Cornley
Brandi Personett
January 27, 2009- Jamelle Cornley (men's basketball) and Brandi Personett (women's gymnastics)
Men's basketball standout Jamelle Cornley and women's gymnastics star Brandi Personett have been named this week's Penn State Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Week. Senior forward Cornley was phenomenal for Penn State on the week posting his 11th career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-10 shooting to lead a 73-58 victory over Michigan and then going for 24 points and six boards while playing all 40 minutes to lead Penn State from 13 down with eight minutes to play to a 63-59 victory over Iowa. Cornley was dominating in the paint in both games shooting a combined 19-of-27 (70%) on an array of post moves. He scored 10 straight points, including a crowd electrifying three, in the final five minutes of the victory over Iowa to bring Penn State to within two. Cornley recorded his 75th career double-figure game and jumped into 8th all-time in career scoring at Penn State with 1,369 points. Junior all-arounder Personett captured all four event titles, the all-around crown and the Ann Carr Award as the most inspirational gymnast of the meet in Penn State's win over Michigan State Saturday night. Personett recorded a career-high 39.575, the seventh-highest individual all-around score in Penn State history. She also posted a season-high 9.925 on vault, a career-high-tying 9.875 on bars, a season-high 9.850 on beam and a season-high 9.925 on floor.
Pat Schirk
Shavon Greaves
January 20, 2009- Pat Schirk (men's swimming & diving) and Shavon Greaves (women's track & field)
After outstanding performances over the weekend, men's swimmier Pat Schirk and sophomore runner Shavon Greaves have been named Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Schirk placed first in every race he swam over the weekend, including two individual events and two relays. Schirk posted a 50.55 in his first-place effort in the 100 back, had a 1:48.49 in the 200 back and then went on to help the 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay to victory as well in times of 1:31.79 and 3:21.88, respectively. Greaves clocked an NCAA provisional-qualifying, meet record, and personal-best 23.77 to win the 200-meters at last Saturday's Penn State Open. Greaves would also finish second in the 60-meters, running a season best 7.47. Greaves 200 mark leads the Big Ten Conference this season, while her 60 performance is ranked second. Her time is also ranked third in the country.
Talor Battle
Whitney Benscko
January 13, 2009- Talor Battle (men's basketball) and Whitney Benscko (women's gymnastics)
Sophomore Guard Talor Battle and freshman women's gymnast Whitney Benscko have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Battle averaged 20 points and nine assists over two games as he helped lead the Lions to an upset of No. 14 Purdue and a loss at No. 19 Minnesota. He posted his eighth 20-point game of the season and tied a career high with nine assists in the victory over Purdue. Battle led Penn State with 19 points and again tied a career high with nine assists in the loss at Minnesota. Freshman all-arounder Benscko finished second in the all-around in her collegiate opener with a 39.125 and placed in the top three in three out of four events. The Ann Carr Award winner as the most inspirational gymnast of the meet, Benscko posted no less than a 9.750 in any event and finished behind only Nittany Lion All-American Brandi Personett. She finished third in the vault, on the bars and on the floor and tied for fourth on the beam.
Quentin Wright
Tyra Grant
January 6, 2009- Quentin Wright (wrestling) and Tyra Grant (women's basketball)
Wright improved to 16-5 on the year with two key wins in Penn State's double dual meet last Sunday. The true freshman from nearby Bald Eagle Area High School downed #14 Alex Caruso of Lehigh, 7-5, in Sudden Victory to get Penn State off to a strong start in its dual against #9 Lehigh (the dual began at 174). The talented youngster then started PSU off in a good way in its dual win against Lock Haven, posting an 18-5 major over former high school teammate Travis Stem. Grant averaged 18.0 points 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in a 1-1 week for the Lady Lions. In a dominating win over Michigan last Sunday, Grant was 8-for-16 from the field, including a 4-for-5 effort from three-point range, en route to a game-best 24 points. She also pulled down eight rebounds and had two steals. In a New Year's Day loss at Minnesota, Grant shared team scoring honors with 12 points and added five rebounds and a blocked shot.
Jake Strayer
Kelly Nelson
December 9, 2008- Jake Strayer (wrestling) and Kelly Nelson (women's swimming)
Wrestler Jake Strayer and women's swimmer Kelly Nelson have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Strayer made his 133-pound debut by storming his way to the 2008 Nittany
Lion Open title. The senior All-American went 6-0 with three majors and three pins, including a first-round major over teammate #20 Tim Haas (10-2). Strayer improved to 6-1 on the year and will assume the 133-pound starting spot for the Nittany Lions. Senior Kelly Nelson
Kelly Nelson set NCAA 'B' times in all seven events she competed in at the Ohio State Invitational. Nelson, who set a meet record in the 200 butterfly and a school record in the 400 medley relay, inked her way to the NCAA Championships in three individual and four relay events. The West Chester, Pa. native won the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:56.54 and had three second-place marks during the three-day competition. She also took third place twice.
Talor Battle
Megan Hodge
December 2, 2008- Talor Battle (men's basketball) and Megan Hodge (women's volleyball)
Sophomore guard Talor Battle and junior outside hitter Megan Hodge have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Battle posted double-figure scoring outings in three games over Thanksgiving week as the men's basketball team went 2-1 and improved to 6-1 on the season. For the week he averaged 18 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game while draining three treys in each game. Hodge was the driving force behind No. 1 Penn State's two wins this weekend to finish out the Big Ten women's volleyball season undefeated for the second consecutive season and also cap a historic regular-season in which the squad remained undefeated in individual games - a feat that has never before been done in any division in NCAA collegiate women's volleyball.
Daryll Clark
Christa Harmotto
November 25, 2008- Darryl Clark (football) and Christa Harmotto (women's volleyball)
A pair of Big Ten champions has garnered this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Football's Darryl Clark and women's volleyball's Christa Harmotto both helped their teams to conference championships last week. The Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, Clark threw for a career-high 341 yards, the sixth-highest total in school history, and a career-high four touchdowns to lead Penn State to 49-18 win over No. 15 Michigan State to clinch Big Ten title and BCS berth. Behind Harmotto's play, the top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team captured its sixth consecutive outright Big Ten title with three more sweeps. Harmotto was also named the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year.
Quentin Wright
Alisha Glass
November 18, 2008- Quentin Wright (wrestling) and Alisha Glass (women's volleyball)
Freshman wrestler Quentin Wright and women's volleyball junior Alisha Glass have both been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. On Sunday, Wright, a true freshman making his dual meet debut, gave notice to the nation with a thrilling last second takedown of No. 6 Alton Lucas of Hofstra, a returning All-American. Wright gave up just one takedown a mere eight seconds into the bout and then dominated the remainder of the action to keep Lucas on the defensive and finally notch the winning takedown as time expired (sending over 3,200 Penn State fans into a frenzy). Behind Glass' play the top-ranked women's volleyball team set a new NCAA record for consecutive matches won and also clinched at least a share of its sixth consecutive Big Ten title. At No. 17 Illinois, Glass directed a Penn State offense that hitting .400 for the match as two of her hitters reached double-digit kills. She also tied for the match lead in digs with nine while adding in three blocks. Glass earned National Player of the Week recognition for her weekend.
Frank Molinaro
Dani Toney
November 11, 2008- Frank Molinaro (wrestling) and Dani Toney (women's soccer)
Women's soccer's Dani Toney (Northville, Mich.) and wrestling's Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Toney scored three consecutive gamewinners to help boost Penn State to a Big Ten Tournament championship, PSU's fifth overall. Toney scored three goals in three games en route to the women's soccer fifth Big Ten Tournament Championship over the weekend. Toney scored all three game-winners, starting with a goal vs. Iowa to lift the Nittany Lions 2-1 past the home-standing Hawkeyes. Toney's scoring tear continued when she deposited the lone goal of the game for either team in PSU's 1-0 victory over Michigan State in the semifinals. That win set up a clash of the two Big Ten regular season co-champions, Penn State and Minnesota. Toney made the difference again, scoring the Nittany Lions' second and deciding goal of the day to help PSU to a 2-1 win. Toney was named Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Big Ten Tournament after scoring three of the Nittany Lions' five goals on the weekend. Only a freshman, Molinaro posted a 5-1 record en route to a third place finish at the MSU Open. At 141, Molinaro notched a pin and a major in his five wins.
David Kraft
Nina Westman
November 4, 2008- David Kraft (men's swimming) and Nina Westman (women's fencing)
After exceptional weekends, a fencer and a men's swimmer have earned this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. David won all four of his events this weekend against No. 17 Texas A&M and No. 21 Southern Methodist. In College Station he won the 1000 freestyle in 9:27.65 and the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:37.86. The next day in Dallas, he won the 1000-yard freestyle in 9:27.40 and improved his time in the 500 free by three seconds with 4:34.45. The No. 16 Nittany Lions defeated Texas A&M by a score of 140-102 and lost by a slim margin to SMU 134.5-106.5. Freshman Nina Westman beat the World Champion and Notre Dame fencer, Courtney Hurley, in a major upset to take first in epee. This was her first official collegiate bout and she seemed to surprise many.
Mark Rubin
Jen Beaumont
October 28, 2008- Mark Rubin (football) and Jen Beaumont (field hockey)
Safety Mark Rubin and goalkeeper Jen Beaumont have been selected as this week's this Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. The huge forced fumble by Penn State safety Mark Rubin in the Nittany Lions' 13-6 win over No. 10 Ohio State on Saturday is among the nominees for this week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance, while Jen Beaumont's two shutouts against Big Ten competition last weekend helped grab Penn State the regular season title. On the strength of his forced fumble, Rubin was selected the Walter Camp Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts vs. the Buckeyes as well as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. He made a career-high 11 tackles (nine solo) and led a defensive effort that limited Ohio State to its lowest point total in Ohio Stadium since a 6-0 loss to Wisconsin in 1982. Penn State held OSU to 61 rushing yards on 31 carries, 121 yards below its season average. OSU's Chris Wells entered the game averaging 123.8 ypg (10th in nation), but was held to 55 yards on 22 carries. With the Buckeyes leading, 6-3, in the fourth quarter, Rubin hit Ohio State quarterback Terrell Pryor and knocked the ball loose. Jen Beaumont recorded two shutouts against Big Ten competition this weekend as Penn State won the regular season title. Beaumont made nine saves against a feisty Michigan offense Sunday, including one glove save off a penalty shot. She also made three consecutive saves in 12 seconds for the Nittany Lions. The senior goalkeeper made one save to preserve a 1-0 shutout over Indiana Friday. In conference play, Beaumont has a 0.21 goals against average and saved 95.7 percent of shots faced.
Kevin Kelly
Katie Schoepfer
October 21, 2008- Kevin Kelly (football) and Katie Schoepfer (women's soccer)
Football's Kevin Kelly and women's soccer Katie Schoepfer have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Kevin Kelly became the Big Ten Conference's all-time kick scoring leader in Saturday's 46-17 thumping of Michigan and has been honored with Big Ten Specialist of the Week Accolades for his efforts. Kelly connected on three of four field goal attempts and all five of his PAT kicks to earn Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week accolades. The conference honor is the first for Kelly, who becomes the sixth Nittany Lion to be recognized by the Big Ten this season. During the momentum changing third quarter against the Wolverines, Kelly connected on a 32-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-17. Following Jared Odrick's tie-breaking sack in the end zone for a safety, Kelly's PAT after Daryll Clark's one-yard touchdown run lifted him into the lead in Big Ten kick scoring with 368 points. Kelly made two more field goals and two more PAT kicks to finish the game with 376 career kicking points, breaking the conference mark of 367 by Minnesota's Dan Nystrom and Iowa's Nate Kaeding. Katie Schoepfer had another great week for the Nittany Lions piloting the offensive attack to two more Big Ten victories as the team settled into first place. In the 2-0 win over Minnesota she assisted both goals, and scored the lone goal 30 seconds into overtime for the 1-0 decision over Iowa.
Corey Hertzog
Jen Beaumont
October 14, 2008- Corey Hertzog (men's Soccer) and Jen Beaumont (field hockey)
Freshman forward Corey Hertzog scored the first two goals of his collegiate career, lifting Penn State to a 3-2 come-from-behind upset of 2007 College Cup finalists and No. 17-ranked Ohio State. The Reading, Pa. native tied the game at 2-2 in the 38th minute when he flicked in a header from 10 yards out. Hertzog notched the would-be game winner just two minutes later when he found space near the top of the box and fired a one-timer that slipped through the arms of the OSU goalkeeper. He nearly tallied a hat trick but his looping shot on an open goal with 13 minutes remaining in the game glanced off the post. He earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for his standout performance versus the Buckeyes. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Jen Beaumont held off two of the nation's premier offenses in three days, earning victories over No. 6 Iowa and No. 10 Virginia. Beaumont, who currently leads the Big Ten in goals against average and save percentage, allowed just one goal against the Hawkeyes - the fourth-best scoring offense in Division I. She made seven saves, including several game-preserving stops, for the win against the Cavaliers, who rank seventh in goals per game.
Evan Royster
Bridget Franek
October 7, 2008- Evan Royster (football) and Bridget Franek (women's cross country)
Sophomore tailback Evan Royster posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and fifth of his career. He tied his career high with (141 yards) on 18 carries (7.8). Royster scored his eighth rushing touchdown of the season on a four-yard run in the third quarter to give Penn State a 17-0 lead and set career-highs with four catches and 53 yards for a career-best 194 all-purpose yards. Franek opened her 2008 campaign last Saturday with an impressive fifth-place finish at the Oregon Bill Dellinger Invitational at Springfield Country Club. Despite wet and muddy conditions, Franek finished in 20:43.96 over the 6,000-meter course - more than holding her own in an NCAA caliber field. Franek led the Nittany Lion women to a third-place finish in an outstanding field, finishing third to only No. 1 Oregon and 11th-ranked Arkansas; and upending No. 17 Colorado State, No. 23 BYU, as well as solid squads from Wake Forest and Portland.
Derrick Williams
Daneen Zug
September 30, 2008- Derrick Wiliams (football) and Daneen Zug (field hockey)
Football's Derrick Williams (Greenbelt, Md.) and field hockey's Daneen Zug (Manheim, Pa.) have been named this week's Penn State Student- Athletes of the Week. Williams earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week recognition after accumulating a career-high 241 all-purpose yards and scoring three touchdowns against Illinois. Zug netted two goals off penalty corners against Princeton. Williams was one of the primary catalysts in Penn State's 38-24 victory over No. 22 Illinois on Saturday. Senior wide receiver Williams became the first player since Joe Paterno became head coach in 1966 to score a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a kick return touchdown in the same game. Sophomore back-midfielder, Daneen Zug, netted two goals in a 3-2 loss to Princeton Wednesday. Both of her goals were off penalty corners in which she wailed the ball into the back of the net from 13- and 15-yards out. In Sunday's 1-0 win over No. 15 Ohio State, Allison Scola initiated a corner pass to Zug who took a hard shot blocked by Ohio State, the ball trickled off the Buckeye allowing Penn State's Jessica Longstreth to complete the goal.
Navorro Bowman
Nicole Fawcett
September 23, 2008- Navorro Bowman (football), Nicole Fawcett (women's volleyball)
Sophomore linebacker Navorro Bowman (District Heights, Md.) and senior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Both earned Big Ten Player of the Week accolades as well after leading their teams to weekend victories. Bowman made his first career start and recorded career highs with 11 tackles (8 solo), three sacks (minus-13), five tackles for minus-17, a forced fumble and his first career interception. He returned the interception 29 yards to inside the Temple 20. Bowman leads Penn State with 35 tackles (20 solo) this season. - Penn State allowed Temple only 16 rushing yards on 28 attempts (0.6), as the Owls became the fourth consecutive team to fail to crack 100 yards on the ground. Fawcett was named Big Ten Player of the Week as well as the Most Valuable Player of the Hampton Inn Penn State Classic after leading the squad to three more three-game sweeps to remain undefeated in both matches and games this season, at 12-0 and 36-0, respectively. For the weekend, Fawcett averaged 4.00 kills per game on an astounding .689 hitting percentage with four aces, 15 digs and five blocks for a team-high 38.5 total points.
Football's Deon Butler (Woodbridge, Va.) and women's volleyball's Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. In the first half of play, Butler led the Nittany Lion offense with seven receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns in Penn State's 55-13 thumping of Syracuse. His two touchdowns were No. 16 and 17 in his career passing O.J. McDuffie for third place on the Penn State career list. The seven catches were tied for second-highest in his career. ABC named him Butler the Chevrolet Player of the Game. Harmotto increased her conference-leading hitting percentage by .043 percent over the weekend en route to helping the top-ranked Nittany Lions remain unbeaten in matches and individual games at the Chicago Classic at Mother McAuley High School. For the weekend, she averaged 3.00 kills per game on an astounding .615 hitting percentage with one ace, four digs and a team-high seven blocks.
Evan Royster
Arielle Wilson
September 10, 2008 - Evan Royster (football), Arielle Wilson (women's volleyball)
Football's Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va.) and women's volleyball's Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Royster broke his career high for rushing yardage with 141 yards on 17 carries, and scored three touchdowns in Saturday's 45-14 victory against Oregon State. This marks his second career 100-yard rushing game after his previous high of 126 rushing yards last season against Purdue. The sophomore tailback scored all three touchdowns in the first half, helping Penn State to a 35-7 lead, and left the game mid-third quarter. Wilson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Nittany Lion Invitational after leading the top-ranked Penn State team to three more sweeps to remain undefeated at 6-0. For the weekend, the sophomore middle hitter tallied 21 kills on .341 hitting with a team high 17 blocks, good for 1.89 blocks per game.
Derrick Williams
Allison Scola
September 3, 2008 - Derrick Williams (football), Allison Scola (field hockey)
Football's Derrick Williams (Greenbelt, Md.) and field hockey's Allison Scola (Hummelstown, Pa.) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week. Williams recorded a career-high 165 all-purpose yards in just three quarters and with a goal and an assist, Scola led the Nittany Lions in a 2-0 victory. A senior wide receiver, Williams started out the 2008 season as a force to be reckoned with. Coastal Carolina drew within 14-7 early in the second quarter, but Williams took the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to swing the momentum back to Penn State. This is the third time Williams has returned a kick for a touchdown in his career (2 punts, 1 kickoff). After losing four of its top five scorers from last season, Scola led the No. 6 Penn State offense with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory over No. 8 Old Dominion last week. The senior midfielder broke open a scoreless tie late in the game when she fired a pass off into the circle that allowed a teammate Jessica Longstreth (Richboro, Pa.) to score. Minutes later, Scola assured the Nittany Lions a victory when she tallied a goal off a penalty shot.
