(Posted January 28, 2002)

MEN'S BASKETBALL (9-8, 2-6 Commonwealth): Jan. 28 at Dickinson; Jan. 30, Messiah; Feb 2 at Elizabethtown.
Lebanon Valley used a strong inside attack to get to the free throw line on Tuesday night at Juniata and, as a result, attempted 18 more tosses from the charity stripe against the Eagles during a 67-58 Dutchmen win in Commonwealth Conference play. After connecting on just 13 of 21 free-throw tries in the first half, Lebanon Valley (12-5, 5-2 Commonwealth), the Dutchmen came out in the second stanza and nailed 17 of 21 (30 of 42 for the game), including their final six attempts, to take the nine-point conference decision. Juniata got 11 points and four rebounds from sophomore forward Josh Tyler (Bellwood-Antis/Altoona), while senior forward Dave Reddick (North Hills/Pittsburgh) finished with 10 points, a game-best 16 rebounds and three steals. Sophomore forward Travis Martin (Huntingdon/Huntingdon) and sophomore guard Craig Biller (Penn Cambria/Loretto) each had nine points for the Eagles. On Saturday, the effort was there once again, but for the third straight game, the Eagles came out on the short end of a scoreboard, suffering a 64-54 loss at Widener on Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth action. The Eagles owned a 32-25 lead at intermission, thanks in part to shooting 61 percent from the field in the first half. But in the second stanza, Juniata's shooting cooled off both from the field and from the foul line and that enabled the hosts to come back from a 10-point deficit, 46-36, to post the 10-point triumph. Sophomore forward Ben Gallagher (Butler/Butler) led Juniata with 19 points, including 11 in the first half. He also had five rebounds and two assists. Sophomore guard Jeff Lau (York Catholic/Glen Rock) tallied 12 points, while Reddick registered 13 rebounds, four points, three assists and two steals and Martin had eight points and two steals.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (9-10, 5-3 Commonwealth): Jan. 29, Messiah; Feb. at Elizabethtown.
On Wednesday evening, Lebanon Valley knocked off host Juniata, 67-57, in Commonwealth Conference play. After winning five consecutive games to get back to .500 for the first time all year, the Eagles lost their second straight. Senior forward Brandy Preslovich (Bald Eagle Area/Moshannon) led the squad with 19 points and eight rebounds. She has now scored in double figures in 16 straight contests. Senior guard Kelly Grove (Penns Valley/Spring Mills) had 11 points, five steals and two rebounds for the Eagles. Senior guard Kelli Young (United/Vintondale) recorded six points, six assists and five steals. Juniata snapped its brief two-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon with a convincing, 65-39, Commonwealth victory on the road at Widener. It was the first time that Juniata has held an opponent under 40 points since a 65-36 triumph over visiting Waynesburg on January 13, 2000. In addition, the last time the blue and gold hoopers held a foe under 40 points in its home gym was when Juniata handed Franklin & Marshall a 46-36 setback in Lancaster on December 10, 1983. Young and Preslovich each had 10 points for Juniata to lead the blue and gold. Preslovich, who also had six rebounds and two steals, has now scored in double figures in 17 straight contests. Young had three steals. Junior center Kelly Steinbeiser (Altoona/Altoona) tied Preslovich for team-high rebounding honors with six. Freshmen post players Piere Ondrasik (Brookville/Brookville) and Katie Charles (Manheim Township/Lancaster) each had eight points, while Ondrasik had four rebounds and two blocked shots and Charles added in five rebounds and two steals.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING (3-6, 1-4 MAC Commonwealth): Feb. 2 at Millersville.
Juniata and Susquehanna got together in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania on Wednesday evening for a closely-contested women's swimming meet in the Middle Atlantic Conference. Despite winning six events, including the final two of the night, the Eagles came out on the short end of a 103-100 loss. Freshman Heidi Blasenak (Central Dauphin/Harrisburg) took first in the 1,000-yard freestyle (12:08.75) to record the initial "gold-medal" showing for the Eagles on the night. To close the evening, Blasenak was a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay unit. In addition to Blasenak, freshman Kathy Trainor (Upper Merion/King of Prussia), sophomore Melanie Cegelski (Moon/Moon Township) and freshman Beth Ann Bono (Hempfield Central/Greensburg) were also on the 200-yard freestyle squad. Bono was victorious in the 50-yard freestyle (27.34), finishing just ahead of teammate and senior Jenn Dorsch (Gov. Thomas Johnson/Frederick, MD), who posted a time of 27.67. Sophomore sensation Kim Allen (Susquehanna Township/Harrisburg) hit the wall first in the 200-yard individual medley (2:21.13) and later took top honors in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.88). Trainor won the 100-yard freestyle to complete the six first-place showing for the Eagles and she completed the race in 57.83. To start the meet, Allen, Dorsch, senior Erinn Soule (Manheim Township/Lititz) and freshman Amy Fletcher (Ephrata/Ephrata) took second in the 200-yard medley relay (2:01.94). In what turned out to be a crucial result, the Eagles just missed taking first in the event by just 0.79 of a second. Juniata lost its third straight meet on Saturday with a 119-85 setback on the road at Elizabethtown in MAC action. Allen placed first in two events on the day. She won the 200-yard individual medley (2:20.21) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.14). Trainor touched first in the 200-yard freestyle (2:04.68) and was the runner-up in the 100-yard freestyle (57.56) after getting beat by just .06 of a second, while Dorsch earned top honors in the 100-yard butterfly (1:07.34) and was second in the 50-yard freestyle (27.33). Blasenak placed second in both the 500-yard freestyle (5:54.86) and the 1,000-yard freestyle (11:59.97). Fletcher took second in the 100-yard butterfly (1:09.46). To start the meet, Allen, Dorsch, Fletcher and Soule took second in the 200-yard medley relay (2:00.20). The Eagles just missed taking first in the event by 0.18 of a second and could have gotten the blue and gold off to a great start in what was a tight meet during the middle stages. Juniata was down by just six points, 59-53, six events into the afternoon. Blasenak, Trainor, Cegelski and Bono placed second in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:48.16) to close out the meet.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (1-1): Feb. 1, Springfield; Feb. 2, Concordia (NY).
Juniata opened the 2002 season on Tuesday evening with a convincing 3-0 win (30-19, 31-29, 30-20) victory on the road at Division II Mercyhurst College. The Eagles, who are ranked third in the first American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III poll released on Tuesday, hit .421 as a team and recorded their first-ever 3-0 win against the Lakers in the all-time series between the two programs. Sophomore outside hitter Ryan Genova (Antietam/Reading) accounted for 15 1/2 points for Juniata. He had 12 kills, two aces and three block assists on the night. Sophomore opposite Javier Garcia (San Ignacio/Guaynabo, PR) finished with 13 points (10 kills, two solo blocks and two assisted rejections). He also had five assists and three digs. Junior outside hitter Neil Lukas (Fairport/Fairport, NY) tallied 10 points on nine kills and one solo block to go with four digs, while sophomore middle hitter Kenny Eiser (Central Bucks West/Doylestown) recorded 10 points on six kills and eight assisted blocks. Eiser was six of seven on hitting attempts without an error, while Genova was 12 of 19 with just one error and Garcia put away 10 of 17 chances and committed three errors. Junior setter Scott Kofmehl (North Allegheny/Pittsburgh) tossed out 27 assists, and registered four kills on five swings without an error, one ace and four assisted blocks. On Friday, Ohio State downed host Juniata, 30-15, 30-28, 30-25 in the home opener for the Eagles. The Buckeyes are ranked 13th in the most recent Division I poll. Lukas and Genova each had 12 1/2 points to lead the way. Lukas posted 10 kills, one ace and three assisted blocks. In addition, he had four assists and two digs. Genova had 10 kills, one ace, a solo block and an assisted rejection. Kofmehl tossed out 31 assists, had five kills on six swings, an ace, four digs and two block assists. Garcia had eight kills, a team-best seven digs and two assisted blocks.

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD: Feb. 2 at Slippery Rock.
On Thursday, junior Dusty Lehr (Bermudian Springs/New Oxford) represented Juniata at the Albright Pentathlon and placed first with 3,266 points. The Juniata men traveled to the 25-team Bucknell Invitational on Saturday for a non-team scoring meet. Lehr took second in the 55-meter hurdles (7.83), but posted an NCAA Division III championship provisional qualifying time in the trials of the event (7.78). In addition, Lehr placed seventh in the pole vault (13' 9"). Junior Nick Wolfe (McConnellsburg/McConellsburg) took seventh in the 400-meter dash (52.46), while freshman Jeremy Weber (Garden Spot/Mohnton) was ninth in the long jump (21' 1 1/2") and 12th in the triple jump (41' 3 1/4"). Senior Ashley Mort (Blue Mountain/Orwigsburg) was 12th in the 200-meter run (23.26) and junior Noah Fredette (Weedsport/Weedsport, NY) was 13th in the 800 meters (2:01.65).

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