Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Completes Solid Fall Season
12/17/2003 7:00:00 AM | General
Dec. 17, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- With top-four finishes in six of the seven Patriot League-sponsored sports, Bucknell has completed a very successful fall campaign and has positioned itself for a run at a seventh straight Patriot League Presidents' Cup.
The Bison, who have captured 10 of the 13 Presidents' Cups, awarded to the league's annual overall sports champion, are a close second to American in the Cup standings released after the fall season. American won four fall championships and accrued 40.25 points, but the consistent Bison are right on the Eagles' heels with 37.75 points.
By contrast, Bucknell last year came out of the fall season in a tie for fourth place, but stormed back to retain the Cup thanks to championships in men's and women's swimming and diving, women's indoor track & field, baseball and men's lacrosse.
In 2003, each of Bucknell's fall teams had noteworthy seasons.
The Bison football squad, picked eighth out of eight teams in the preseason coaches' poll after a tough 2-9 campaign in 2002, went 4-3 in the league, 6-6 overall and finished in third place in a very competitive conference. Under first-year head coach Tim Landis, the Bison tied the Patriot League record for best one-year turnaround in league play. Bucknell's 31-10 win over defending PL champion Fordham in the Bronx on Oct. 4 was the team's landmark victory, and it was followed by conference home wins over Towson, Holy Cross and Georgetown. Out of league, three road losses by a combined six points to Ivy League foes Cornell, Columbia and Penn were all that separated Bucknell from an even better overall record. As it was, the Bison finished at .500 or better for the eighth time in nine seasons.
 Daris Wilson and the Bison football team exceeded outsiders' expectations with a 6-6 record.  |
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In Davis Gym, the Bucknell volleyball team won a record 11 Patriot League matches during the regular season and advanced to the Patriot League championship tilt against powerful American, which remained unbeaten in conference play -- regular and postseason. The Bison finished 16-13 overall, including a seven-match winning streak, and head coach Cindy Opalski was named the league's coach of the year for the third time. Seniors Brandi Trapasso and Breean Trapasso capped record-setting careers and joined junior Jackie Leahy and sophomore Chelsea Anderson on the All-Patriot League Team.
The Bison men's soccer team also enjoyed a record-setting campaign. For the first time ever, the team posted an unbeaten league record, finishing 5-0-2 in Patriot League play and earning the No. 1 seed and the right to host the league's postseason tournament. Unfortunately, Bucknell was upset by Lehigh in the first round. Headlining a season of wonderful accomplishments was the Herd's 1-0 upset victory over second-ranked Maryland in College Park on Nov. 4. The Bison were rewarded with a host of postseason honors, including a record seven players on the All-Patriot League Team. Among them were defensive player of the year Michael Lookingland II and offensive player of the year Scott Visnic. Brendan Nash was named the coach of the year in both the Patriot League and Mid-Atlantic Region, while Lookingland, Visnic and goalie Adam Edwards were also named to the all-region team. Jonathan Hemmert became Bucknell's 107th Academic All-American.
 Scott Visnic was the top scorer for the Patriot League's regular season champs. |
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The Bison field hockey team debuted on its new artificial playing surface at Graham Field and won nine contests, its most in three years. The Bison, 9-8 overall and 3-3 in Patriot League play, qualified for the Patriot League Tournament as the No. 3 seed but dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime decision to Holy Cross in the tourney semifinals. Sophomore goalie Liz Jordan, a second-team all-region selection, was one of four All-Patriot League picks, joining senior defender Lindsey Gentel, sophomore forward Kelly O'Brien and senior defender Kate Ruda.
Led by sophomore All-Patriot Leaguer Meaghan Ferris, the Bison women's soccer team finished with a winning record at 7-6-3, but they missed the Patriot League Tournament by just a single point with a 2-3-2 PL record.
Bucknell's men's and women's cross country teams took fourth place at the Patriot League Championships at Lafayette on Nov. 1. Greg Costello and Katie Pfeiffer both finished ninth overall to lead their respective teams and earn First Team All-Patriot League honors. Bucknell later hosted the Mid-Atlantic Region Championships at Lock Haven, and the Bison men and women placed eighth and 13th, respectively. The men finished fourth and the women eighth at the IC4A/ECAC Championships at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Costello placed fourth at IC4As.
Also competing this fall was the men's water polo squad, which had a fine postseason as well. The Bison hosted the Southern Division Championships in Kinney Natatorium and defeated George Washington 10-6 in its final contest to claim third place and secure a berth in the Eastern Championships. The Bison, seeded sixth at the Southern Division event, upset third-seeded Johns Hopkins and fourth-seeded GW en route to the third-place finish. Bucknell posted another win over the Colonials at Easterns and finished seventh to wrap up the campaign at 10-20. Jay Danforth, Bradley Roslyn and Aaron Platshon were All-Southern Division selections at season's end.
Bucknell's golf and tennis teams also competed this fall, although their official conference championships will take place this spring. Nonetheless, there were some outstanding team and individual performances.
Senior Samantha Berthod shattered the school record for career singles victories. Her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Hofstra's Jill Spiritus in the second round of the ECAC Championships at West Point, N.Y., was her 51st career win, passing Kristina Lutter '94 on Bucknell's all-time list.
In women's golf, newcomer Celine Herbin broke BU marks for low 18 holes and season scoring average this fall. Buoyed by a record 73 in the first round of the Yale Invitational on Oct. 4 and seven other rounds in the 70s, Herbin finished with a 79.5 average. Bucknell's team total of 319 in its final round of the season tied a school mark and helped the Bison to a fifth-place finish at the Rutgers Invitational.
The men's golf team won its first tournament title since 1987 when it captured the Bucknell Invitational on Sept. 11-12. The Bison finished with a record 304.6 scoring average, while senior Abbie Valentine's 74.9 average was third-best all-time.
2003-04 Presidents' Cup Standings
(Through 7 Fall Sports)
OVERALL STANDINGS
Institution Points
1. American (6) 40.25
2. Bucknell (7) 37.75
3. Lehigh (7) 30.75
4. Navy (5) 28.25
5. Colgate (7) 27.75
6. Army (5) 24.75
7. Lafayette (7) 22.00
8. Holy Cross (7) 19.00
MEN'S STANDINGS
1. Bucknell (3) 17.25
(tie) Lehigh (3) 17.25
3. Colgate (3) 14.00
4. Lafayette (3) 11.50
5. Navy (2) 11.00
6. American (2) 10.00
7. Holy Cross (3) 9.00
8. Army (2) 7.00
WOMEN'S STANDINGS
1. American (4) 30.25
2. Bucknell (4) 20.50
3. Army (3) 17.75
4. Navy (4) 17.25
5. Colgate (4) 13.75
6. Lehigh (4) 13.50
7. Lafayette (4) 10.50
8. Holy Cross (4) 10.00
(#)-number of Patriot League sports
