CASE ATHLETICS IN THE NEWS...
November 21, 2009
SIMPSON AND JEROSKI EARN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS AT CROSS COUNTRY NATIONALS...
CLEVELAND, OH - Senior Elaine Simpson (Arlington Heights, IL) and junior Justine Jeroski (Murrysville, PA) earned All-America honors as Case Western Reserve University finished 15th as a team at the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships hosted by Baldwin-Wallace College in Cleveland, OH. 
The Spartans finish matched their No. 15 rank by the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Association entering the race.
Simpson finished 14th overall in a time of 22:30.5 on the 6K course. Her finish marks an incredible improvement over her 167th place at Nationals last year after not racing on the national team her freshman or sophomore season. This was the highest finish by a women’s runner for Case Western Reserve in school history.
“When I came in my goal was to be 16th and then when I got here I said ‘forget it, I just want to be an All-American’,”said Simpson. “I kept saying, ‘I can do this, I’ve worked so hard for it,’ so it’s great.”
Jeroski placed 30th with a time 22:44.1. She earned All-American honors with just nine seconds to spare. After battling injuries for much of the year, Jeroski repeated as an All-American after finishing 28th at the Championships last season.
“It’s awesome, being in the top 35 is what matters,” said Jeroski. “I knew going into the race Elaine was going to be an All-American and I wanted to be there with her.” 
Other members of the Spartans who ran include junior Andrea Fischione (Export, PA) in 163rd at 24:10.7, sophomore Natalia Cabrera (Shaker Heights, OH) in 176th at 24:17.2, senior Colleen Hefferman (Columbus, OH) in 184th at 24:22.5, junior Kristen Hederstrom (Chardon, OH) in 210th at 24:41.8 and junior Cindy Spahn (Wildwood, MO) in 236th with a time of 25:11.4.
“You can’t ask any more than this, having two All-Americans,” said Head Coach Kathy Lanese. “Elaine got a little bit of the fever as she saw herself improving last track season and over the summer and came back really hungry for an All-America performance. Justine has said to me, ‘coach, I’m going to do whatever I need out there and I really want to be an All-American. If it doesn’t happen, you know I’ve given it everything I had.’”
ABOUT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY … Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
November 21, 2009
FOOTBALL FALLS IN ROUND ONE OF NCAA PLAYOFFS...
CLEVELAND, OH - The most successful senior class in Spartan history saw its run come to an end today as the Case Western Reserve University football team was defeated by Trine University by a score of 51-38 at Case Field in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.
"They [senior class] changed a culture here of losing," said Head Coach Greg Debeljak. "Football really meant a lot to them and they wanted to accomplish a lot of things and they did. It is unbelievable what they accomplished – unfortunately we did not reach our final goal. It's unfortunate, but you don't reach every goal. I couldn't be any prouder of them."
The Spartans scored on their first drive, on an 11-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Dan Whalen (Willoughby, OH) to senior receiver Zach Homyk (Chicago, IL-pictured below). The Thunder appeared to be gaining steam on their first drive of the game, but a fumble near midfield gave Case the ball back. The Spartans would capitalize, culminating in a 5-yard TD pass to senior tight end DJ Suitca (Homeworth, OH), giving the Spartans a 14-0 lead. The Thunder struck at the end of the first quarter, with a 42-yard TD pass to Devin Leas to get within 14-7.
The Thunder and Spartans would trade scores several times in the second quarter. Leas caught another TD pass near the beginning of the quarter to tie the game, but a 60-yard pass to senior receiver Tim Cowdrick (Mentor, OH) set up a 1-yard touchdown run by senior running back Corey Checkan (Georgetown, PA) at 10:46 of the second quarter to give the Spartans the lead again. Trine responded quickly with a 15-yard TD pass to Paul Curtis with 5:55 left in the half. Whalen scored on a 5-yard rush with 2:49 left, but a Thunder 8-yard TD pass with 33 seconds left would tie the score at 28-28 at the half.
An 85-yard kickoff return by Trine running back Kent Biller to begin the second half set up a 20-yard field goal by Jeremy Howard with 13:52 left in the third quarter to give the Thunder their first lead of the game. A Whalen fumble two possessions later led to a Leas 6-yard TD run with 3:44 left in the third quarter to give Trine a 38-28 lead.
Senior Sam Coffey (Middletown, OH) kicked a 22-yard field goal to begin the fourth quarter to cut the Trine lead to 38-31. The Thunder would score two straight touchdowns in quick succession, with Biller getting both of them, a 37-yard pass and a 4-yard run. Homyk caught a 40-yard touchdown with 3:47 to go to narrow the deficit to 13. The Spartans got the ball back with 2:04 left, but Whalen threw an interception.
Whalen (pictured to right) completed 29-of-48 passes for 330 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Checkan led the rushing attack with 71 yards, while junior Billy Deitmen (Mentor, OH) had 40. Homyk led the receivers with 118 yards and two touchdowns, and Cowdrick had 85 yards.
Senior Linebacker Lee Sasala (Kittanning, PA-pictured on page one) led the defense with 14 tackles. Junior defensive back Zachary Hass (Peru, IN) and senior defensive back Brad Paramore (Garfield Heights, OH) each had 13 tackles. Hass also recovered a fumble and made an interception.
Whalen set several Case single-season records in the game, for passing completions, attempts, and yards (247-361, 3,340), and for punting average (40.7). Homyk tied the single-season record for receiving touchdowns (12). The team set single-season offensive records with 5,179 total yards and 269 first downs.
The Spartan seniors finished their career 36-8, the most wins for any senior class at Case Western Reserve.
ABOUT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY … Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
November 21, 2009
PELYAK READY FOR NCAA POSTSEASON...
CLEVELAND, OH - When senior defensive back Mike Pelyak walks off Case Field after this Saturday’s NCAA Division III first-round playoff game, he will either begin preparing for round two or the biology (Pre-Med) major will begin preparing for life after football. He would prefer the former.
“I will definitely be trying harder for this win because it is win or go home forever,” Pelyak said.
The Spartans host Trine University at 12:00 p.m. this Saturday in the NCAA postseason. The winner will face the winner of the Wittenberg University and College of Mount St. Joseph game played at noon Saturday in Springfield, Ohio.
Ticket prices for Saturday’s game at Case Field are $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. Case Western Reserve students will receive free admission, with their University ID, courtesy of the Office of Student Affairs.
Pelyak hopes to continue what has been a break-out season for the three-year starter. He currently leads the team in interceptions and is ranked third in tackles with 58.
“I put in a lot of work, and I think I know the defense a little better this year,” Pelyak said. “I feel a little more comfortable with it so everything is a little easier.”
The Spartan offense this season has made it look easy as they are currently fourth in the country (Div. III) in scoring (42.8) and seventh in total offense (468.8). The Case defense should also be applauded as they have held their opponents to under 20 points a game for four straight years (2009: 15.6, 2008: 13.9, 2007: 16.6, 2006: 16.6).
“The offense really takes a lot of pressure off of us because they score a lot of points,” Pelyak said. “We just go out there and have fun. We are able to put pressure on the other team’s offense because we have a pretty good point advantage.”
Case Western Reserve has only made the NCAA postseason three times in school history, and Pelyak has been a starter on each of those teams. In 2007, the Spartans defeated Widener University 21-20 and then lost to Wabash, 38-23, in the second round. Last year, they fell again to Wabash in round one, 20-17.
“Our goal is to be regional champions this year,” Pelyak explained. “The thing with the playoffs is that every team we play is going to be the best team we’ve played so far. We have to make sure we prepare a little bit tougher for these next few games.”
Despite the outcome of this Saturday’s playoff game, Pelyak and the rest of his senior class have certainly had a nice run. They have won 31 consecutive regular season games dating back to November of 2006 and have posted three straight perfect regular seasons [10-0], won three straight UAA titles and made three straight trips to the NCAA postseason.
After football, Pelyak will begin to think about his future. He has already taken the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and has applied to many medical schools throughout the country. His plans are to be a doctor, but he has not determined what field he will pursue.
“It’s not really important to me at this moment,” said Pelyak. “I’ll worry about it during the spring, but I am looking to remain in Ohio though, maybe even at Case Western Reserve. As far as the field, I have heard once you go to med school you end up changing three or four times anyways, so I will leave that open.”
TRINE TAKE … Trine University (9-1, 6-0 MIAA) enters this weekend’s game as winners of seven straight. The Thunder has outscored its opponents 347-190 on the season. Trine does the bulk of its damage on the ground while rushing for 234.2 yards per game. The Thunder is found in the also receiving votes section of both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D3Football polls and would be ranked 30th and 26th, respectively. Trine reached the playoffs last season after going a perfect 10-0 and lost to the eventual regional champion, Wheaton College, 14-0, in the first round.
ABOUT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY … Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
November 19, 2009
LOCAL COACH LEADS CASE INTO CLEVELAND NATIONALS...
CLEVELAND, OH - When moving up the ranks of college athletics, more often than not coaches are forced to leave their hometown. Case Western Reserve University’s Kathy Lanese has never been forced to do that as part of three college head cross country coaching positions over the last 15 years.
After spending two years as head coach at Cleveland State and four years heading John Carroll’s program, the Lakewood High graduate (’81) came to Case, where she had been an assistant for four years under longtime Head Coach Bill Sudeck. Lanese has turned the Spartans from afterthoughts to contenders.
“When I came here, the women’s program had about seven or eight girls, and they weren’t at any competitive level,” said Lanese, about taking over a program which was at the bottom of the University Athletic Association. “I had to create a winning attitude and make them believe that we could move onto the nation level.”
This upcoming weekend (November 21st) is the NCAA Division III National Championships. Lanese’s teams have made this weekend an annual stop on their schedule as the Spartans have sent a team each of the past four seasons. This year, Lanese and Case’s No. 15 nationally-ranked women’s team won’t be traveling far, as NCAAs are being hosted by Baldwin-Wallace College at Highland Golf Course in Cleveland, OH, a mere six miles from the Case Western Reserve campus.
This is the first time since the mid 1970’s that Nationals have been hosted in the Cleveland area. The previous meet was hosted by Case Western Reserve University.
There are several advantages to having such a big meet in your own backyard. The team has been able to go and check out the course ahead of time and doesn’t have to deal with buses, planes or hotels. There is also the added luxury of having a large fan base to cheer for the Spartans.
“It’s special any time a race is at home and just knowing that we are going to have hundreds of fans is great,” said Lanese. “The leverage they are going to give us as a team can get us to the podium (top four), I really believe that. Just having that spirit along the sidelines will be a great advantage for the girls.”
Finishing in that top four has been the goal of the women’s team all season, and while the No. 15 ranking suggests that might be a lofty objective, Lanese and her runners are hoping they have saved their best for last.
“Our goal has always been to get on the podium,” said Lanese. “Anything can happen at Nationals. The girls have a great race planned and they are just believers. As long as they run their best that day and put out everything they’ve got on that course, that is really the biggest goal of all.”
Lanese is an accomplished runner in her own right, having attended Ohio University on an athletics scholarship. She was a state qualifier in high school, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing in those days, as women’s sports weren’t as prominent as they are today.
“My freshman year of high school there was no Cross Country team for girls, so I ran with the boys,” said Lanese “I got spit on in races and it was a challenging experience. By my sophomore year we had formed a cross country team and I had made it the State Championships in track so it was kind of the beginning of the end for me in a sense.”
Lanese still has a picture of her first race in 1975 for the CYO Cross Country Queens hanging up in her office. Her father coached in CYO for many years and it peek her interest in running and coaching. However, it wasn’t until few years after college, as Lanese was working in the field of nutrition and still running with a club team, when she decided to pursue coaching.
“During (the running club) I thought ‘I really need to get my hand into the coaching side of things,’” said Lanese. “So I actually knocked on the door of Beaumont High School and went to the athletic office and said ‘are you guys looking for anyone to coach or volunteer, I really want to get into it again.’”
Lanese still runs 20 to 30 miles a week but now for recreation and the physical fitness benefits.
In her nearly 35 years of racing and coaching in the area, Lanese has seen the landscape of cross country in Cleveland change over the years.
“As I think back to when I was running, there were just a few coaches and running gurus,” said Lanese. “Now there’s road race organizations that are putting on a lot more races in the area, there are running stores, there’s coaches, and there are club running teams in the area. So I think running has definitely picked up in the Cleveland area. In the high school network there are so many teams that have gotten a lot better.”
Her runners see Lanese as one of the “running gurus.” Junior Kristen Hederstrom (Chardon, OH) had never run cross-country until her sophomore year of college and now just a year later will be competing for the Spartans on the Nationals squad.
“I had talked to (Coach Lanese) and she got me interested in running,” said Hederstrom. “She definitely helped me get a lot better as I had never run before. Each week she just pushes me harder and harder and I then get better and better.”
“She’s very interactive with all of us,” Hederstrom continued. “In the races we run, coach is usually screaming at us to run faster which definitely helps. I think Coach Lanese really brings out the best in everyone.”
ABOUT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY … Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.