Matthew Bodner

Staff Reporter

The men and women of the track and field squad opened up their season in Virginia at the Battleground Relays on March 20. On the men’s side, the young talent was on full display as freshman Chuck Kronmiller and sophomore Jake Nichols led the way. Kronmiller finished fourth in the javelin and sixth in the discus. Nichols ran a personal best and hit a qualifying standard in the preliminaries of the 110 hurdles. He then went on to finish fifth in the finals.

Seniors Roxanne Fleischer and Emily Hajjar were the only female competitors from McDaniel in the event. They both performed well, with Fleischer posting a personal best and conference qualifying mark while finishing sixth in the 1,500 meter. Hajjar placed 24th in the same event.

Seniors Kevin Bowman and Rob Kelvey, both mid-distance runners, will provide the leadership and example on the men’s squad this year. Look for these two to end their careers on the Hill with a strong season while providing the necessary leadership for the program to succeed years from now.

The women are paced by seniors Roxanne Fleischer, Emily Peoples, Emily Hajjar, Heidi Davidhizar, and Lisa Katchen. Look for these ladies to lead the charge, with the underclassmen stepping up and showcasing their talents.

Matthew Bodnar

Staff Reporter

Spearing blazing fast line drives, picking short hops, and knocking down bad hops all while standing a mere 90 feet from the batter.

Such is the life of McDaniel Baseball’s third baseman, Matthew Pace. Matt is a junior and three year starter from Baltimore, Maryland. During his three years on the Hill, Pace has become a constant force in the McDaniel’s lineup. Known for his imposing stance in the box, and his cat-like reflexes in the field, Pace is an all-around baseball player whose game has no glaring weakness.

As a freshman, Pace appeared in 15 games while hitting .280 with a home run. In his sophomore year, his first full year as the starter, he really broke out hitting .353 with 3 home runs and 25 RBI’s. When asked what his personal goals are for this year, Pace responds, “Keep the offense up and play better defense.” When evaluating himself so far, Pace continued, “I feel I’ve played better defense, but my hitting has been slow to come around.”

In terms of team goals, Pace notes this is a young team. Personnel losses from last year have hurt, but Pace believes this year’s squad needs to play better fundamental baseball, “We need to pitch better, play better defense, and execute situational hitting. The fundamentals are essential to our team’s success.” Players who have impressed Pace so far have been junior Brandon Kline and freshmen Zach Jones and Giovanni Fricchione. In closing, Pace stated, “I’ve seen a lot of improvement from the fall. I see the potential in our young guys and I think the future is bright. Wins and losses will not ultimately determine the success of McDaniel Baseball in 2010.”

Tim Mclister

Staff Reporter

On Friday March 12, the McDaniel College Baseball team took a trip down to Winter Haven, Florida. The team gave up much of their spring break time to compete in the respected RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Terror had a great opportunity to compete against teams outside of the Centennial Athletic Conference. McDaniel Baseball competed against many well-respected teams such as Farleigh-Dickinson University, Hamilton College, Fitchburg State College, and University of Massachusetts at Boston.

The trip not only provided challenging competition, but it also proved to bring a greater sense of camaraderie among the players on the team. Freshman Pat Quinn said, “It was a great quality bonding experience with the team throughout the trip.” In fact, the Saturday following arrival in Winter Haven, the team’s games were cancelled giving them the day off. Turns out that the unscheduled day off proved to be one of the best in terms of team bonding, not to mention a chance to catch some Florida sun rays, as the team decided to spend the day together around the pool.

When it came to playing baseball games, the team held their own and represented McDaniel well. The Green Terror came home on the positive side with four wins and three losses. Even though the teams’ Saturday games were cancelled, they competed in several double headers and at least a game every other day. Throughout their trip the team competed at a high-level and came together as a family.

The Terror must now carry this confidence and all the lessons they learned into Centennial Conference play. If they do, anything is possible for this group of McDaniel athletes.

Matthew Bodnar

Staff Reporter

Yet another women’s basketball championship has made its way to the Hill. This year’s version came after a resounding 72-56 win over #22 Muhlenberg on their home court.

Seniors Ashley Lyles, Ali Moreland, and Sally Grace led the way for the Green Terror who claimed their fourth Centennial Conference Championship in school history. Lyles finished with 15 points, Moreland with 13 points, and Grace with 12 points, as the women essentially controlled this game from start to finish.

McDaniel held a 32-20 halftime advantage and withstood a furious rally from the Mules in the second half to claim the Centennial Conference crown. Senior guard Sally Grace reflected, “We came back after those two consecutive losses and rededicated ourselves to defense and rebounding.”

The two losses Grace referred to came against Ursinus and Johns Hopkins. At the time, the team looked out of synch, but it is clear Coach Martin went back to the drawing board and made the necessary changes to make this team a champion.

Credit is due of course to the efforts of the women on the squad who didn’t back down from the challenge and reasserted themselves as championship caliber players. Junior forward Whitney Snoops, who added a double-double in the championship game, commented, “The effort from the whole team was one of the main reasons we were able to win and come home with the trophy.”

The team is now reaping the benefits of their year long dedication to achieving one goal, the Centennial Conference championship. The dream doesn’t end here though, as the Lady Green Terror have earned an automatic bid to the Division III NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.

McDaniel has been placed in the Christopher Newport part of the bracket, where the first and second round games will be held. In the first round, McDaniel will take on Roanoke College, which has a record of 23-3 and is an at-large bid in the tournament after losing in their conference playoffs. The winner of the McDaniel-Roanoke game will take on the winner of the Christopher Newport (28-0) – Washington and Lee (18-9) game in the second round.

College athletes dream of the opportunity to take part in a national championship. The women’s basketball team is now presented with this opportunity. One dream and one heart beat will carry McDaniel into the tournament. While relying on one another, the women will lay it all on the line. Be sure to show your support and appreciation of this team that has represented the College with honor and excellence on the court.

As seniors prepare to leave, we look to new talent

Caitlyn Flynn

Co-Sports Editor

For most of us, spring holds warm weather, spring fling, and saying goodbye to our graduating seniors. But for our new freshman athletes, spring is only the beginning. Although we take the time at the end of the sport’s seasons to recognize the seniors for all of their achievements, there are plenty of new freshman that are hoping to carry on the traditions of their seniors.

The women’s softball team recognizes seven new freshmen this season. Ashley Crawford, who plays middle infield and outfield for the Green Terror, went to Linganore High School in Fredrick County where she played soccer and volleyball and led her team to the state semi-finals for two seasons. When it comes to contributing to her team this upcoming season, Crawford says, “I just want to do anything I can to help the team, even if it means getting to play in the field, pitch, or just be there in case someone gets hurt or sick.”

This season, Crawford is most looking forward to making new friends and ultimately seeing the difference between high school and collegiate level softball.

Terror baseball also has some talented freshman that will add to the team’s success this spring. Pat Christopher, who plays rightfield for the Green Terror, attended St. John Vianney in Holmdel, New Jersey, says his best memory from playing high school baseball was being able to play for a state title his senior year in memory of his grandfather, who passed away only a year earlier. His strengths include speed and energy on the field, as well as an overall confidence in the success of his team.

His main goal for this season is to make it to the conference tournament, and he is looking forward to having the chance to play baseball at the collegiate level.

Skippy Clary is only one of the 14 freshmen on the men’s lacrosse team this year. A graduate of Catonsville High School in Baltimore, Clary is a talented midfielder whose strengths include getting up and down the field well. This season, he hopes to use his strengths to help the team get to the conference championships. His personal goal, however, is to score some goals and to help the team in any way possible. He adds that he is excited to play with a new team, new players, and start winning games.

The McDaniel women’s golf team only has one freshman addition to their team this year. Morgan Koopman, who went to McDonogh School in Owings Mills, will definitely prove herself as a strong asset to the team this season. Aside from golf, Koopman also played basketball and soccer, but quit both sports in order to focus all of her time and energy on golf. In high school, she was recognized as the Baltimore Sun player of the year in 2008 for golf, won the girl’s golf IAAM (Interscholastic Athletic Association of MD) championship in both 2007 and 2008, and won every single match during her golf season her senior year.

If this doesn’t say enough about her overall golf talent, she adds that the strength she will be able to contribute the most is her consistency, and the fact that she is always putting forth the best effort because she is a very competitive player. Her personal goal for this season is to shoot lower rounds, and she hopes her team can win conferences.

“I think what I am most excited for this season is our spring break trip to Myrtle Beach,” adds Koopman. “It will be fun to just travel around, experience new and different courses and meeting new people.”

McDaniel’s Track and Field team is proud to have freshman Kelsey Dickman as one of their newest additions. From Bel Air, Maryland, Dickman just recently earned a bronze medal by finishing third in the shot put. Her toss of 11.62 meter helped lead Terror track and field in the 2010 Centennial Conference women’s indoor track and field championship hosted this past Saturday at Haverford. Certainly this will be only the beginning of Dickman’s achievements here on the hill.

So while McDaniel may have a hard time saying goodbye to the seniors who have dedicated the past four years to our athletic program, there is plenty to look forward to. These are only a few of the many freshmen that will continue our senior’s traditions, so we can get used to hearing their names and achievements in the future.