Winter 2008

Page 21

AthleteFocus scores. Brandon Thomas finished his career second all-time in saves (448).

Men’s Golf

Men’s Water Polo Team

The men’s golf team started and ended the fall season with great finishes. Gannon opened the campaign by winning the Penn State Erie Invitational. The Golden Knights then concluded the campaign by winning the Mercyhurst Invitational and placing second at the Gannon Invitational. Freshman Matt Barnes won the individual title at the Penn State Behrend Invitational while senior Pat Kloecker earned the individual title at the Mercyhurst Invitational. Gannon finished eighth at the 2007 GLIAC Championships with a three-round score of 919. The Golden Knights were tied for eighth after the first two rounds, posting a pair of 306 scores. The squad completed the championships with a 307 during the final round. Drew Deimel was Gannon’s top golfer, tying for 22nd place with a three-round total of 227. The true freshman shot rounds of 76, 77, and 74.

Women & Men’s Cross Country The Gannon cross country teams had the honor of hosting the 2007 GLIAC Championships for the first time in school history. The two programs recorded a pair of 12th place finishes while hosting the event at Pleasant Ridge Park in Girard, Pa. Senior Shayna Weir was Gannon’s top female runner, placing 32nd with a time of 24 minutes and 4.07 seconds. The women’s season was highlighted by the appearance of two Gannon runners at the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional. Weir finished 47th with a time of 23 minutes and 20.39 seconds. Sophomore Brittany Zaborowski placed 75th with a time of 23 minutes and 54.23 seconds. Dan Shephard was Gannon’s top male runner, placing 97th with a time of 29 minutes and 10.7 seconds.

by Erin Gaydos ’08 “Every so often, a coach works with someone who stands out in their mind and, therefore, will always be remembered. Shayna is one of those athletes; I’m going to miss her,” said John Carrig, head coach for women’s cross country, of Shayna Weir, a senior enrolled in the five-year master of science in occupational therapy and also captain of the cross country team. “Whatever good attributes there are in a person, she has them,” Carrig said. Shayna chose Gannon for its athletics, academics, and the distance from her hometown of Chambersburg, Pa. She held many cross country records in high school, and her accomplishments have increased since then. “I could always count on her to be first or in the top two of every race,” Carrig said. She came in 47th at the regional competition this year, placing her in the top third. Shayna is a prime example of a student-athlete. She was named an Academic All-American this year and has been on the Dean’s List every semester thus far, with a GPA of 3.967. As a runner, Shayna learned how to manage her time well by studying on bus rides, getting enough sleep, and never skipping breakfast. Shayna is also involved in many other extracurricular activities. She is a member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), Pi Theta Epsilon, and the Honors Program. She also works two jobs at the Nash Library and for Hertel and Brown Physical and Aquatic Therapy. Shayna has benefited from traveling around the country for various races and enjoys seeing new cities and running on different courses, citing the trips as good bonding opportunities for the team. The biggest challenge Shayna faced as a student-athlete was not having her parents at every race to support her. “You have to race because you love it and want to do well. College sports may not be for everyone because it takes continuous dedication, but it was a great decision for me,” she said. Upon receiving her degree in May 2009, Shayna plans to work with the pediatric or adolescent population in a school setting.

19


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.