PSU freshman named Wrestler of the Week

Penn State Nittany Lion freshman Dan Vallimont has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. The honor is the first for Vallimont and the first for Penn State this season.

Vallimont captured his first two career Big Ten dual wins this past weekend, both over ranked opponents. He was unranked at No. 149 at the time and downed No. 16 Lance Palmer of Ohio State, 10-6, to help the Lions beat the Buckeyes, 26-12, on Friday night. Two days later, Vallimont defeated No. 10 Troy Tirapelle of Illinois, 9-3, in the Lions near-upset of No. 11 Illinois, an 18-16 loss. Vallimont outscored the duo by a combined total of 19-9 and improved his overall record to 14-7. The conference award is the first for Penn State since last January.

No. 12 Penn State, under the direction of head coach Troy Sunderland, will host two top-ten teams this weekend as the Lions welcome No. 10 Northwestern to Rec Hall at 7 tonight. Penn State then hosts No. 6 Iowa at noon on Sunday.

Former Lions' coach earns Pa. HOF honors

Former Penn State field hockey and women's lacrosse head coach Gillian Rattray will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of tomorrow by the Philadelphia Lacrosse Association (PLA) at its celebration dinner at the Desmond Hotel in Malvern, Pa.

Presenting Rattray will be current Penn State field hockey head coach Char Morett, a former field hockey and lacrosse student-athlete under Rattray from 1975-79.

The head coach of the women's lacrosse team from 1974-85, Rattray compiled a 143-19-3 career record in her 12 years as coach. The Nittany Lions won three straight USWLA National Championships from 1978-1980 under Rattray, compiling a combined 45-1-3 record over those three seasons. She also led Penn State to two AIAW national tournaments and three NCAA tournaments, including a pair of final fours in 1983 and 1985. She coached a total of 20 U.S. Lacrosse All-Americans and 11 Brine/IWLCA All-Americans during her tenure.

Lacrosse team ranked No. 14 in preaseason

The Penn State women's lacrosse team will begin the 2007 season ranked No. 14 in the nation, according to both the Inside Lacrosse preseason media poll and Lacrosse magazine's annual preseason rankings. The Nittany Lions, under seven-year head coach Suzanne Isidor, return 23 letterwinners and seven starters from a team that finished second in the American Lacrosse Conference last year.

The Lions will be lead by coach Suzanne Isidor, along with All-American junior midfielder Jessi Lieb and two-time First Team All-ALC senior Renee Cipro. Lieb is Penn State's returning leader in goals, points, ground balls, caused turnovers, and draw controls. Cipro, a tri-captain for the season, is a defender who is counted on to shut down opposing teams' top offensive weapon each week.