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THE DIAMONDBACK | SPORTS | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
SMITH PUZO from page 12
When compared against the recent sanctions levied against the Penn State football program, the 2-10 record Randy Edsall and the Terps earned last season may not seem so horrible. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK
VITALE from page 12 his demands for high character from his players and he’s shown no fear of discipline — he suspended three players for violating team rules last season, and likely wouldn’t hesitate to suspend one of his players again. There may be some financial troubles, and there may be some disciplinary issues. But it’s clear that Anderson and the Terps’ coaches are holding themselves and the student-athletes accountable. They’re being transparent about what’s going on inside the athletics department. Compared to what’s happening 200 miles north in State College, Pa., it’s a welcome change. Fourteen years ago, Jerry Sandusky admitted to
showering with an 11-yearold boy. Twelve years ago, a janitor caught him sexually abusing a boy in Penn State’s locker room bathroom. For the duration, legendary coach Joe Paterno and the athletics department’s top officials were involved in covering up these events. But, now that the child abuse sex scandal has finally been unearthed, the NCAA announced on Tuesday the most severe punishment imposed on a program since Southern Methodist University got the “death penalty” in 1987. The Nittany Lions football program will be fined $60 million and receive a four-year postseason ban. It must cut 20 total scholarships per year over the next four years, and all current players and incoming freshman will able to
immediately transfer to other schools without penalty. The NCAA also stripped Penn State of all of its wins from 1998-2011, dropping Paterno — who died of lung cancer in January — from first to seventh in the alltime wins list. In fact, unlike the Nittany Lions — who had their name dragged through the mud for eight months before the NCAA finally bludgeoned them to neardeath this week — the Terps have a program that is trending up. Although men’s track and field faced elimination, it raised enough money to keep its program alive for at least another year. The football team has replenished its roster with talent and character, landing one of the state’s top wide receivers in Stefon Diggs
and 18 more 2013 commits. The men’s basketball team replaced its departed star with the No. 18-ranked incoming class. So maybe the athletics department’s culture change hasn’t quite taken effect the way Anderson and coaches hoped it would. There’s still a lot of work to be done in College Park. But even though the athletics department still has issues it must recover from, it’s nothing compared to the giant black mark that will accompany the Penn State logo every time it is seen in the foreseeable future. The Terps athletics program is far from perfect. But when something goes wrong, at least they’re telling us about it when it happens. vitale@umdbk.com
she kept her pregnancy a secret from her teammates until the competition was over, Smith Puzo clued in Team USA coach Lee Bodimeade. He told her to compete in South America before going on maternity leave, and then decide whether she was ready for a comeback. That’s what she did. After helping the United States to a second-place finish in Argentina, she returned home to get ready for a late-summer birth. She was three months’ pregnant at the time. “She’s a tough athlete, and her body’s very athletic,” Puzo said. “So I think being in a very healthy situation helped her to be able to play even when she was two or three months’ pregnant.” Smith Puzo was patient with herself during the latter stages of the pregnancy. She never put too much pressure on herself, trained when possible and kept an open mind about a possible return to field hockey. And even after she gave birth to Ian on Aug. 31, 2011, Smith Puzo took her time. The Selinsgrove, Pa., native avoided the gym for the first six weeks of post-pregnancy to let her body heal and regain its equilibrium. She eventually started hitting the gym and returned to the team in December. And when she finally felt her legs back underneath her, she decided to play competitively again in mid-January. “I don’t necessarily see it as a comeback,” Bodimeade said. “I think [her taking the time between Beijing and London to create a better life balance] has provided her a much better perspective on her life and where she wants to go, and her performances are showing she is comfortable where she is.” In her first international game back from maternity leave Jan. 14, Smith Puzo scored both of the United States’ goals in a 2-2 tie against Australia. Realizing she had a solid chance of securing one of the 16 spots on this summer’s Olympic, Smith Puzo made a full-time commitment to the team.
Still, she wasn’t about to let her field hockey responsibilities distract her from her obligations as a mom. “For her, her kids just being there and having that force,” Terps coach Missy Meharg said, “I think she should be able to separate the hockey from her life with so much more ease.” Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. In late January, Smith Puzo moved into a San Diego-area apartment with her two sons while she trained with the national team. Her husband stayed behind in Oxford, Ohio, where he transitioned into his new job as the women’s field hockey coach at Miami (Ohio). For the next four months, Smith Puzo lived something of a double life. On a typical day, she’d wake up at about 5 a.m., make breakfast, get Ian and Xavi ready and drop them off at a former Terps field hockey player’s house. She would then go to a sevenhour practice, have maybe an hour to herself and play with the kids for a couple hours before they all fell asleep at about 7 or 8 p.m. But one day, the schedule didn’t go according to plan. Just three days before Smith Puzo returned to the East Coast, Ian contracted hand, foot and mouth disease. His babysitter was sick with the stomach flu, and Smith Puzo had no friends or family in the area able to look after her two sons. She had no choice. She would have to miss practice. “That was a big situation, where she’s there by herself, [and] she has to make a decision,” Puzo said. “And it was very hard for her. She didn’t want to have any special treatment from the coaching staff or from anyone. She wanted to be one more player.” In that moment, Smith Puzo had a pivotal realization: Nothing, not even her commitment to Team USA, is more important than being a mother to Ian and Xavi. It’s why she gets up each day, why she is content retiring after competing in London. It’s what makes this whole journey worth it. “Knowing that they’re on this journey with me, as hard as it may be some days, is extra special,” Smith Puzo said. “I thought if I can do it, ‘Wow, how amazing.’” walker@umdbk.com
Terps alums (left to right) Ekene Ibekwe, Keli Smith Puzo, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Katie O’Donnell and Nataly Arias will be at the Olympics’ opening ceremonies Friday. FILE PHOTOS/THE DIAMONDBACK
OLYMPICS
Five former Terps, two coaches involved in 2012 Summer Olympics BY CONNOR LETOURNEAU Senior staff writer
Five former Terrapins athletes and two current coaches will be participating in the London Olympics, which open on Friday. Catch every event live, online, at NBCOlympics.com. Live and taped events will also be seen on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, the NBC Sports Network and Bravo. Nataly Arias, Colombia From: Alexandria, Va. Sport: Women’s soccer With Terps: Arias played four years at midfield for the Terps. She made the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2004, and finished her collegiate career with 13 goals and 7 assists. Olympic experience: This will be Arias’ first Olympics appearance. What to expect: Arias will play right-side defender for Colombia, a team that with little chance of securing a quarterfinal berth. Quotable: “We know what we’re up against and we welcome the challenge,” Arias said in an interview with The Washington Post. “The Olympics are another step in our growth.” Ekene Ibekwe, Nigeria Age: 27
From: Carson, Calif. Sport: Men’s basketball With Terps: Ibekwe played forward for the Terps for four years (2003-2007). He averaged 10.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks his senior season. Olympic experience: This is Ibekwe’s first experience in the Olympics. He played for Nigeria in the 2006 FIBA World Championship. What to expect: Ibekwe should start at forward for a Nigeria squad that has little chance of medalling in London. Quotable: “Representing my Nigerian heritage playing basketball is a great thing for me,” Ibekwe said in an interview with Ridiculous Upside. “I’m using what I love to do to represent my family and the people that I stand for.” Sarunas Jasikevicius, Lithuania Age: 36 From: Kaunas, Lithuania Sport: Men’s basketball With Terps: Jasikevicius played wing for the Terps from 1994-1998. After playing limited minutes his first two years, he averaged 11.5 points and 3.4 assists over his junior and senior seasons. Olympic experience: Jasikevicius has participated in the past three Summer Games. He averaged 14 points and 5.1
assists as Lithuania captured bronze in 2000. What to expect: Jasikevicius will be a key component of a Lithuania squad that has an outside chance of reaching the medal podium. Quotable: “Thank God there will be a fourth,” Jasikevicius said in an interview with the Lithuania Tribune. “Our game is getting better, but we need to get much better between now and then. We must protect our health and stay in shape.” Missy Meharg (announcer) Age: 49 From: Severna Park Sport: Women’s field hockey With Terps: Meharg has coached the Terps the past 25 seasons. She has been named National Coach of the Year an unprecedented nine times, and claimed eight national titles. Olympic experience: Meharg has no experience either playing or coaching in the Olympics. What to expect: Meharg will be the lone color commentator for NBC’s Olympic field hockey coverage. She will call games out of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, and will work alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Corey. Quotable: “I don’t know exactly how I got selected,”
Meharg said. “But I’m pleased about that decision, and I look forward to sharing the sport with many people in this country that don’t know much about it, unfortunately.” Katie O’Donnell, United States Age: 23 From: Blue Bell, Pa. Sport: Women’s field hockey With Terps: A four-time All American, O’Donnell led the Terps to national titles in 2008 and 2010. She will return to College Park this fall as a studentassistant coach. Olympic experience: O’Donnell is making her Olympic debut in London. She has started at center forward on the national team since 2009, and has already earned 112 international caps. What to expect: O’Donnell has emerged as the face of a U.S. field hockey team that figures to have its best chance of medalling since claiming bronze in Los Angeles in 1984. The U.S. won the Pan American Games last October, and should benefit from a field that features no clear favorite. Quotable: “To me, unity is such a big piece,” O’Donnell said. “And right now, we’re working towards having a lot of
unity. I think that’ll take us very far into the Olympic games, and we have a very good possibility of medalling.” Keli Smith Puzo, United States Age: 33 From: Selinsgrove, Pa. Sport: Women’s field hockey With Terps: Smith Puzo was a three-time All American, and helped the Terps to a national title in 1999. Olympic experience: This is Smith Puzo’s second Olympic appearance. She was a part of a U.S. team that finished eighth among the 12 that competed in Beijing in 2008. What to expect: Smith Puzo should start on the forward line alongside O’Donnell in London. She should have a chance at medalling in what will likely be her last Olympics. Quotable: “I think that our biggest goal going into 2008 was first to qualify,” Smith Puzo said. “And four years later in 2012, we expected to qualify. So the goal wasn’t to qualify, the expectation was to qualify. Now our expectation is to hit the podium.” Andrew Valmon, United States (coach) Age: 47 From: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sport: Men’s outdoor track and field With Terps: Valmon has coached Terrapins track and field the past nine seasons, including seven as the cross country coach. He has helped the Terps earn nine All-America honors. Olympic experience: This is Valmon’s first time coaching the U.S. men’s track and field team in the Olympics. A twotime Olympic gold medalist, Valmon served as a Team USA assistant at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin. He was also the head coach for the 2010 World Indoor Championships team in Doha, Qatar. What to expect: Valmon, whose Terps men’s indoor track and field and cross country teams were recently cut, hopes to help a U.S. men’s team rebound from a disappointing 2008 Olympics. The U.S. track program has a decent chance to achieve its goal of 30 medals — seven more than it claimed in Beijing. Quotable: “Any time you get the opportunity to coach Team USA, you’re not going to turn it down,” Valmon said. “There’s really no better reward for someone in my position.” letourneau@umdbk.com