Women's basketball signs three recruits
Penn State head women's basketball coach Rene Portland announced today that the team has signed three post players for the 2007-08 season. Evelyn Lewis, Julia Trogele, and Janessa Wolff all signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) Wednesday, the first day that high school seniors are allowed to sign. The recruiting class is ranked 21st nationally by Blue Star Basketball.
Lewis, the 34th-ranked player by Blue Star Basketball and 29th-ranked forward by scout.com, joins the Lady Lions out of Hampton High School, where she led the Crabbers to the Peninsula District Championship each of the last three years. The 6-3 forward/center was an honorable mention All-State choice a year ago after averaging 16.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Lewis also competed for one of the top AAU teams in the country, Boo Williams Summer League, where she averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
Trogele, a 6-2 forward, will be the first player to sign at Penn State from Portland's high school alma mater, Villa Maria Academy. Trogele was a third team All-State selection last season in leading Villa Maria to the league and district titles, as well as a quarterfinal berth in the state tournament.
Trogele averaged 16.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game with a .474 field goal percentage.
Wolff is a 6-3 forward out of Park Rapids High School in Minnesota where she is a three-time All-Conference selection and was the 2005-06 Conference MVP. Wolff, the 44th-ranked recruit by scout.com, was also the 3A Player of the Year and a second-team Associated Press All-State choice last season.
Posluszny a finalist for the Butkus award
Penn State All-American Paul Posluszny, winner of the 2005 Butkus Award, has been selected a finalist for the 2006 honor, which is presented to the nation's top linebacker.
The 6-2, 238-pound Posluszny is one of three finalists for the prestigious honor, which is presented by The Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO). The award is named in honor of former Chicago Bears Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Dick Butkus.
Posluszny is joined as a finalist by Ohio State sophomore James Laurinaitis and Mississippi senior Patrick Willis. The winner of the 22nd Butkus Award will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show in Orlando, Fla. on Thursday, Dec. 7 on ESPN.
Last year, Posluszny captured the second Butkus Award for "Linebacker U," joining former All-American LaVar Arrington in 1999. The Aliquippa, Pa. native has an opportunity to join Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth (1985-86) as the only repeat winner in the history of the Butkus Award. Posluszny is the first Nittany Lion to be a two-time Butkus Award finalist.
Krieger recognized for defensive ability
Senior captain Ali Krieger, 2006 Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year, has been named to Soccer America's Team of the Week for her performance during the Big Ten Tournament. Krieger helped lead the Penn State women's soccer team defensively to a 3-1 win over Illinois in the final on Nov. 5 after results the previous two rounds of 3-2 over Northwestern and 2-0 vs. Michigan.
The nomination is just the latest of many accolades Krieger has earned this season as well as throughout her career. In addition to her conference player of the year award, Krieger was also named the Defensive MVP of the Big Ten Tournament. A member of the all-tournament team with senior Sarah Dwyer and junior Aubrey Aden-Buie she was also awarded first team All-Big Ten after boosting the Lions to their ninth-straight Big Ten title.
Women's club team takes National title
In it's fourth year of existence, and first year in the Club Sports Program, the Penn State Cross Country Club teams placed at the 2006 National Intercollegiate Running Club Championships held this past weekend in Lock Haven, Pa. The women's team captured the national title while the men placed fourth in the country.
Penn State Club, serving as the host school for this years nationals, held the awards ceremony Saturday afternoon in the HUB Auditorium where former Penn State cross country and track and field coach Harry Groves was a guest speaker and distributed the awards.
