College Archers Prep for Opener

Published 01.23.2016

News
Athletics
Wildcat Weekly

The archery season is about to get underway while the basketball and wrestling seasons continue for Pennsylvania College of Technology athletes.



Archery
Pennsylvania College of Technology archers are set to begin their relatively short – they compete in just seven meets – but highly competitive season. The Wildcats open Jan. 29-31 at the Eastern Seaboard Indoor Championships at Mays Landing, New Jersey.

Penn College is coming off a year during which it finished third in the nation, marking the ninth time that it has finished among the elite in the country as it was second in 2010, 2011, and 2012; third in 2009, 2013 and 2015; and fourth in 2004, 2008 and 2014. But in order to maintain that pace, it will have to overcome the loss of four seniors from last year’s team who earned All-American status a combined 12 times and two other All-Americans from that squad who didn’t return.

“We knew we were going to be in desperate need of some talented archers coming into the school. It was hard to see a lot of those guys and girls go. … We’ve got a lot of freshmen this year and we’re going to have a building year for the next couple of years,” coach Chad Karstetter said.

Among the returning archers on whom the coach, in his 14th season, is counting are sophomore Tyler Schoonover, of Bradford, who won the men’s bowhunter outdoor national championship last May and was half of the mixed bowhunter national championship team; junior Andrew Rupp, of Dayton, a member of the second-place male bowhunter squad; and juniors Chelsea Douglass, of East Greenville, and Abigail Hricko, of Nicholson, who were members of the third-place female compound team.

“We definitely have some talent coming back,” Karstetter said, noting that he expects that Rupp, sophomore Justin Rinehimer, of Mountain Top, and freshman Adam Thomas, of Shade Gap, will make a strong male bowhunter team.

Schoonover is moving from the bowhunter discipline to male compound, where he will be joined by senior Markus Weber, of La Plata, Maryland, and freshmen Logan Booth, of New Kensington, and Tim Lamont, of Eldred.

Competing in men’s recurve will be sophomores Nicholas Daniels, of Levittown, and Sam Hamilton, of Genesee, and freshman Tanner Huff, of Altoona.

In women’s bowhunter will be freshmen Erica Gause, of Bloomsburg; Sabrina Toplovich, of Spring Creek; and Stephanie Plummer, of Port Matilda.

In women’s compound, the squad still is looking for another archer to join Douglass and Hricko.

Freshman Kaylee Burk, of Hermitage, brings some shooting experience to the women’s recurve team and she will be joined by senior Julia Gilchrist, of Hanover, and freshman Alisha Ortiz, of Brooklyn, New York.

“Being that it’s going to be such a young team, only a few of them have had any experience whatsoever in a tournament situation, we’re going to a very good event that Atlantic Cape Community College puts on. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and the judges aren’t going to be so hard core … they explain what is expected (of new archers),” Karstetter said.

“I don’t expect the scores to be national caliber yet, I’m just going to try to get everybody to understand the game. Once we get through this first event, I’ll see what our weaknesses are and work on that over the next few weeks,” he said.

“I hope that most of them get a grasp on form and technique. It’s going to take a good month for some of them to really understand the technique and everything that is involved with archery. It will take many, many arrows and a lot of dedication from them. Once they get through the first event they get a little bit more comfortable and can work to the next level,” Karstetter said.

“It is going to be a building year but I am hoping that some of the veterans coming back can lead the team to a successful year. The good thing about this year is I’m going to get a lot of them back next year and maybe the year after that, so definitely, in another year or two, we’re going to have a good strong team again,” the coach said.

Since 2001, 37 Penn College archers have been awarded All-American status 78 times. All-American honors are based on results from the indoor and outdoor nationals.

“We’ve been very successful in the past bringing freshmen in, some of whom have not had a lot of experience, and we’ve been successful with a young team. So I’m going to put a little bit of pressure on them because I expect a little bit out of them, too. We’ll see how it works out by the end of the season,” Karstetter said.

The Wildcats have one home event this season as they will host the Eastern Regional Intercollegiate Championships on April 23-24. The U.S. Outdoor Collegiate National Championships will be held May 19-22 in Lansing, Michigan.

Men’s Basketball
On Thursday at Bryn Athyn College, Penn College outscored the home team 48-32 in the second half to pull out an 87-77 victory and snap a four-game loss string. Kevin Laurence-El returned to form with a 22-point performance while Marquis Delgado, of Mansfield, scored 18 points and Thomas Ross, of Williamsport, scored 17 and hauled in 12 rebounds. Joe Mangiero, of Staten Island, New York, added 12 points.

Penn College again had four players scoring in double figures when it hosted SUNY Cobleskill on Saturday, but the visitors raced to a 44-29 halftime lead and went on for an 85-72 win. Laurence-El scored 19 points for the Wildcats while Landon Muller, of Ottsville, added 13 points and Ross and Laquinn Thompson, of York, each chipped in with 12 points as Penn College went to 3-6 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference and 3-12 overall.

Through Saturday in the NEAC South Division, Lancaster Bible was 8-0, Gallaudet 5-2, Penn State Berks 5-3, Penn State Abington 3-4, Penn College 3-6, Wilson College 2-6 and Bryn Athyn 1-6. SUNY Poly leads the North Division with a 5-1 record while Morrisville State is 6-2.

Women’s Basketball
Alicia Ross, of Williamsport, scored 32 points and Jamie Steer, of South Williamsport, tallied 13 points and hauled in 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough on Thursday as the Lady Wildcats dropped a 79-63 decision at Bryn Athyn College. The home team built a 48-20 halftime lead and for the game dominated the inside by scoring 32 points in the paint to 18 for Penn College.

At home on Saturday against SUNY Cobleskill, Penn College lost, 54-51, despite a furious fourth-quarter rally during which it outscored the visitors 20-8. Ross scored 22 points for the Lady Wildcats and Steer added 20 as she tied the Penn College women’s career scoring record held by her older sister, Kierstin, of 1,246 points. Penn College dropped to 3-7 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference and 3-9 overall.

Through Saturday in the NEAC South Division, Lancaster Bible College is 7-1; Bryn Athyn, 7-2; Penn State Abington, 6-2; Gallaudet, 6-3; St. Elizabeth, 5-4; Penn College, 3-7; Penn State Berks, 1-8; and Wilson College, 0-10. SUNY Poly tops the North Division with a 6-0 record.

Wrestling,
At home on Friday with York College, ranked No. 22 among NCAA Division III colleges, Penn College lost, 48-3. Connor Route, of Canton, won on a decision in the 184-pound weight class for all of the Wildcats points as they dropped to 5-8 overall.

SCHEDULES/RESULTS/RECORDS
Men’s Basketball
Overall record: 3-12
NEAC record: 3-6
Thursday, Jan. 21 –at Bryn Athyn (NEAC), W, 87-77
Saturday, Jan. 23 – host SUNY Cobleskill (NEAC), L, 85-72
Sunday, Jan. 24 – host SUNY Poly (NEAC), 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 27 – at Penn State Berks (NEAC), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 6 – at Morrisville State College (NEAC), 1 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 7 – at Cazenovia College (NEAC), 1 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
Overall record: 3-9
NEAC record: 3-7
Thursday, Jan. 21 – at Bryn Athyn (NEAC), L, 79-63
Saturday, Jan. 23 – host SUNY Cobleskill (NEAC), L, 54-51
Sunday, Jan. 24 – host SUNY Poly (NEAC), 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 27 – at Penn State Berks (NEAC), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 30 – host St. Elizabeth (NEAC), 1 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 6 – at Morrisville State (NEAC), 3 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 7 – at Cazenovia College (NEAC), 3 p.m.

Wrestling
Overall record: 5-8
Friday, Jan. 22 – host York College, L, 48-3
Saturday, Feb. 6 – host Southern Virginia University and Centenary (N.J.) College, noon
Sunday, Feb. 14 – at United States Collegiate Athletic Association Championships
Saturday, Feb. 20—host Muhlenberg College, 1 p.m.
End of season

Archery
Jan. 29-31 – Eastern Seaboard Championships at Mays Landing, N.J.
Feb. 26-28 – at Lancaster Indoor Nationals

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