(Posted February 26, 2001)

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD: season complete.

The Eagles finished off their first-ever varsity season by competing at the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship hosted by Widener University on Saturday and in the process, the Eagles walked away with two individual titles on the day. Senior John Creuzbeger (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) earned the crown in the shot put with a toss of 45' 1 1/2", and sophomore Dusty Lehr (Bermudian Springs/New Oxford) grabbed top honors in the pole vault (14' 0"). In addition, Lehr was third in the 55-meter hurdles (8.00), third in the high jump (6' 2") and helped Juniata place sixth on the men's side with 46 team points. Widener won the men's title with 192 points, but the Eagles finished just one point out of fifth, five points out of fourth and 19 points out of third. Creuzberger is also the three-time defending MAC Outdoor Track and Field champion in the shot put. In addition to the performances turned in by Creuzberger and Lehr, junior Ashley Mort (Blue Mountain/Orwisburg) was fifth in the 55 meters (6.78), while sophomore Nick Wolfe (McConnellsburg/McConnellsburg) took fifth in the 400-meter run (53.94). Sophomore Noah Fredette (Weedsport/Weedsport, NY) claimed fourth in the 1,500 meters (4:13.87) and the fifth spot in the 800 meters (2:00.78). The 4x400-meter relay team of Wolfe, Fredette, Mort and junior John McNitt (Indian Valley/Reedsville) posted a top-five finish as well, taking fourth (3:40.04).

BASEBALL (1-0): Mar. 5 vs. Moravian (2) (start of Spring Break trip to Sarasota, FL).

The Eagles opened the 2001 baseball season under the direction of first-year head coach George Zanic '89 on Tuesday afternoon and posted a come-from-behind, 12-8, win at Shenandoah University. Juniata trailed, 5-0, after three inngs, and 7-4, when the fifth inning was complete. However, the blue and gold diamond unit scored four runs in the top of the sixth and did not look back during a game in which the two teams combined for 21 hits, 20 runs and seven errors. Sophomore pitcher Paul Evans (Huntingdon/Huntingdon) entered the game in the fifth, with Juniata down, 7-4. He tossed the final five frames and gave up just one hit and one unearned run, while earning the win. Evans struck out three and walked just one. Junior designated hitter Tim Keeley (Caledonia-Mumford/Caledonia, NY) went 3 for 4 with four runs batted in and two runs scored. Junior second baseman Jamie Campbell (Muncy/Muncy) was 2 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored.

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD: season complete.

Juniata completed its first-ever varsity season by competing at the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship hosted by Widener University on Saturday. Freshman Stefanie Rynkewitz (Lewistown/Lewistown) led the Eagles to a seventh-place showing with 23 points. Moravian College won the women's crown with 182 markers. DeSales University (formerly Allentown College) finished just one point ahead of Juniata for sixth place. Rynkewitz took second in the 200-meter dash (28.23), fourth in the 55-meter dash (7.81) and was part of the 4x400-meter relay unit that took second (4:29.41). Other members of the relay squad were sophomore Toni Yorks (Indian Valley/Burnham), junior Jessica Sprankle (Tyrone/Tyrone) and senior Kristy Wagner (Dover/Dover). Other top showings from the Juniata women came from Sprankle in the 55-meter hurdles where she placed sixth (9.65). Freshman Misty Heuston (Central/Martinsburg) claimed fifth place in the high jump (4' 7").

WOMEN'S SWIMMING (9-5, 6-3 MAC): Mar. 8-10 NCAA Division III Championship at Buffalo, NY.

Juniata was not in action this past week, but it did learn that freshman Kim Allen (Susquehanna Township/Harrisburg) will become the first-ever blue and gold performer to participate in the NCAA Division III swimming championship March 8 through 10 in Buffalo. The provisional (aka. "B" cut) times that she posted at the Middle Atlantic Conference championship were good enough to earn her spots in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events. Allen was the MAC individual champion in both events this winter.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (12-13, 7-7 Commonwealth): season complete.

Juniata had its season come to a close on Wednesday evening with a 66-52 loss at Messiah College in the Commonwealth Conference semifinal round. The Eagles were the fourth seed in the tournament, while the Falcons were the top seed after finishing at 14-0 in the loop during the regular season and ranked 11th in the latest Division III national poll. On Saturday, Elizabethtown College defeated Messiah for the Commonwealth championship and an automatic bid in the NCAA Division III championship. The Eagles, who never led in the game, got 25 points (ties a career best) and 10 rebounds from junior forward Brandy Preslovich (Bald Eagle Area/Moshannon). It was the ninth double-double for Preslovich this year. Junior guard Kelly Grove (Penns Valley/Spring Mills) had seven points, while junior point-guard Kelli Young (United/Vintondale) and sophomore center Kelly Steinbeiser (Altoona/Altoona) had six points each. Young also had seven assists and four steals.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (7-7, 4-4 EIVA Tait): Mar. 2 at George Mason.

Juniata, ranked fourth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Poll, recovered from its lethargic start to Friday's match against visiting Princeton University to post its fourth straight win in Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tait Division play with a 28-30, 30-26, 30-23, 30-25 decision over the Tigers. Eagle freshman outside hitter Javier Garcia (San Ignacio/Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) did a solid job of wearing out the Princeton defense with 24 kills on 44 swings and a .341 hitting percentage. In addition, he had nine digs and six blocks to pace the Eagle attack. Freshman opposite Ryan Genova (Antietam/Reading) had 13 kills, seven digs and five aces for Juniata. Sophomore outside hitter Neil Lukas (Fairport/Fairport, NY) had 11 kills and senior setter Kevin Moore (Webster/Webster, NY) ran a solid offense with 55 assists, while adding in nine digs and four blocks. Just four weeks ago, Juniata College was licking its wounds after a 30-27, 30-21, 30-22 pasting at the hands of Concordia College (NY). However, on Saturday afternoon in Memorial Gymnasium, the Eagles gave the Clippers, who are ranked 14th in the latest AVCA Division I Poll, everything that they wanted and more, despite the 30-20, 27-30, 30-27, 30-26 loss. The Eagles got 14 kills, nine digs and three blocks from Garcia, while Genova had nine kills and a game-best four aces. Moore dished out 40 assists to go with six kills on nine swings without an error, while sophomore libero Ryan Jackson (Cochranton/Cochranton) continued his sparkling defense with 18 digs. On Sunday, Juniata completed a very busy weekend of action by hosting the ninth-ranked team in Division III, D'Youville College. The Eagles needed just one hour and 17 minutes to get past the visiting Spartans, 30-26, 30-25, 31-29, in Memorial Gymnasium. The victory improved Juniata to 3-1 against Division III squads this year. The Eagles got 11 kills, three digs and two blocks from Garcia, while sophomore middle hitter Chris Jones (Lower Merion/Wayne) chipped in with nine kills on 13 attempts and just one error (.615). Jones also had three rejections. Lukas posted six kills on eight swings with no errors (.750), while Genova had seven kills, seven digs, four aces and one block and Moore handed out 40 assists, while going five for five on his hitting attempts and recording five digs and two blocks.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.