Varsity Sports: Brenner Named Athlete of the Week
March 09, 2009 06:59 PM | General
Varsity Sports Release (3/9/09)
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| Kurt Brenner |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Fifth-year senior Kurt Brenner, ranked No. 11 at 174 pounds, of the West Virginia University wrestling team has been named West Virginia University’s Athlete of the Week for his performance at the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championships this past weekend in Lock Haven, Pa.
The Freedom, Pa., native, who was the No. 1-seed, earned a first-round bye. Brenner defeated Clarion’s Scott Joseph in the semifinals, 9-3. Brenner earned a takedown and a two-point near fall in the first period and tacked on the final five points in the third period. In the title bout, Brenner flexed his muscle, recording a 21-6 tech fall over Pitt’s Karl DeCiantis. In the first session alone, Brenner racked up three takedowns and a three-point near fall. In the next two periods, he recorded five more takedowns en route to the victory.
The win gave Brenner his third career EWL title, second at 174 pounds. He becomes only the fifth wrestler in school history to win at least three EWL titles since the Mountaineers joined the league in 1978.
Special Notes of the Week:
* The No. 3 ranked WVU rifle team will compete at the NCAA Championships, at TCU, on March 14-15.
* The WVU baseball team will play its final home game against Siena on March 15 before spending nearly two weeks competing on the road.
* The women’s tennis team begins a three-match homestand, starting with Idaho on Friday, March 13. Action will begin at 5 p.m. at the Ridgeview Racquet Club.
This Week in Baseball
The West Virginia University baseball team has six home games this week, starting with a Monday afternoon matchup against Canisius at 3 p.m. … WVU follows with a game against Duquesne at 3 p.m. on Wednesday … the Mountaineers finish the week against Siena in a four-game series starting on Friday at 3 p.m.
Last Week in Baseball
The Mountaineers (7-3) finished the week with a four-game sweep of New Jersey Tech last weekend … WVU defeated the Highlanders by scores of 19-0, 13-3, 5-2 and 30-3 … Vince Belnome led the Mountaineers by finishing the series 12-for-15 with 12 RBIs, eight runs and seven doubles … pitchers Jarryd Summers and Jonathan Jones are off to 2-0 starts after earning victories over the weekend … Marcus Broadwater and Justin Ellis got their first career victories from the mound as members of the Old Gold and Blue.
Notes
WVU is batting an astounding .413 through 10 games … junior Chris Enourato is now tied with former Mountaineer pitcher Billy Biggs for second on the school’s career saves list with 13 … WVU’s 30 runs scored in game two on Sunday were its most since scoring 34 in a victory over Coppin State on April 21, 1998 … Jarryd Summers’ victory included a compete game four-hitter in seven innings … Summers also struck out 10 batters … Vince Belnome leads WVU with a .553 average … Jedd Gyorko trails with a .525 mark … the Mountaineers recorded only one strikeout in four games against NJIT.
This Week in Women’s Basketball
The Mountaineers finished play at the BIG EAST Women’s Championship and is awaiting to hear on whether it will move on to compete in a postseason tournament.
Last Week in Women’s Basketball
A poor night from the free-throw line proved to be costly as the No. 11 seed West Virginia women’s basketball team fell to No. 6 seed DePaul, 75-72, in overtime Saturday night in the second round of the BIG EAST Women’s Championship ... West Virginia shot 43.5 percent overall for the game, but only 12-of-22 from the free throw line including three missed free throws by Ashley Powell in the last 11 seconds of the second half ... In overtime, West Virginia was not able to get into the scoring column until there was only 2:19 remaining when Sarah Miles hit two free throws. DePaul proved to be too much however, after jumping out to an early overtime lead.
Women’s Basketball Notes and Quotes
The team is awaiting its fate for postseason play.
This Week in Gymnastics
The No. 20 Mountaineers travel to No. 21 Iowa State on Friday, March 13, for an 8 p.m. EST meet … the contest is the last of the regular season for WVU … the Mountaineers and the Cyclones have only met once before, with ISU winning in 2002.
Last Week in Gymnastics
WVU (8-7 overall, 4-1 EAGL) narrowly fell to then-No. 19 Penn State, 196.225-195.925, on March 8 at the WVU Coliseum … senior Mehgan Morris set a career-high in the all-around in consecutive weeks, earning 39.500 points for first place … Morris placed in each event, including a win on the bars with a season-high 9.925, and a third-place finish on the vault with a career-best 9.850 … additionally, Morris finished tied for second on the beam (9.800) and the floor (9.925) … sophomore Amy Bieski finished third overall with 38.900 points … WVU put together one of its best meets of the season, scoring 49.000-plus points on three of the four apparatuses … the Mountaineers defeated the Nittany Lions on the vault (49.200-49.125) and the bars (49.100-49.025), while PSU earned the wins on the beam (48.875-48.500) and the floor (49.200-49.125) … junior Chelsi Tabor anchored WVU’s vault lineup and scored her first 9.90 of the season, finishing second overall … senior Heather Izer opened the Mountaineers’ rotation matching a season high 9.750 … sophomore Naja Johnson and Bieski preceded Morris’ winning bars routine with matching 9.825s, and finished tied for fourth place … Morris and junior Kiersten Spoerke tied for the team’s best beam score for the second-straight week, each earning 9.800 points … Izer opened the Mountaineers’ third rotation strong, scoring 9.700 points … Watson opened WVU’s fourth rotation with an outstanding floor performance, scoring 9.800 points … it was the Levittown, Pa., native’s first appearance on the floor since dislocating her elbow at George Washington on Feb. 9 … junior Shelly Purkat finished fourth overall with a season high 9.825 points.
Notes
WVU’s point total matches the 24th-best point total in program history … the mark caps off a month of 195.000-plus scores for the Mountaineers … the squad previously scored a season best 195.650 points in its victory over Temple on Feb. 15 … with the win, the Nittany Lions increased their series advantage to 31-6 …Sunday’s meet was the Mountaineers’ last home contest of the season … the team’s three seniors – Izer, Morris and Watson – were honored at the conclusion of competition … Morris’ all-around score topped her previous career-high mark of 39.475, set March 1 in WVU’s win over Kentucky … Morris has earned a career best vault score in three consecutive meets … additionally, her bars season-high mark is 0.025 points short of her career-high … the Mountaineers’ bars score is a season-high … it is the second-straight meet the team has achieved a season-best score on the apparatus … WVU’s loss is only its second at home this season; the Mountaineers finished 5-2 at the WVU Coliseum this year … with Sunday’s point total, the Mountaineers improve their RQS to 195.105, but remain ranked No. 20.
This Week in Rifle
The No. 3 Mountaineers compete at the NCAA Rifle Championships, March 13-14, at TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas … competition is set to last all day, each day.
Last Week in Rifle
WVU did not compete last week.
News and Notes
WVU enters the national championships after finishing second at the GARC Conference Championships March 8 … the team is ranked No. 3 based on its tournament qualifying score … GARC champion Kentucky is ranked No. 1, while Jacksonville State is No. 2 … WVU finished in sixth place at last year’s championships with a score of 4616 ... it was the team’s first tournament appearance since the 2002 season ... WVU is the winningest program in NCAA history, finishing first in 13 championships ... the squad won its first title in 1983, and its last in 1998 ... the Mountaineers won six-straight titles from 1988-93 ... Alaska-Fairbanks is the only other team to have won at least 10 titles … the Nanooks return to this year’s tournament as the defending champions, and have won nine of the last 10 titles … GARC foe Army took the title in 2005.
This Week in Tennis
The West Virginia University tennis team is set to return to home play, as it plays host to Idaho in a 5 p.m. match on Friday, March 13, Villanova at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March, 14, and Army at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 15 ... all matches are scheduled to take place at the Ridgeview Racquet Club.
Last week in Tennis
The Mountaineers (5-9, 1-2 BIG EAST) went 0-2 this past weekend as they fell to Maryland 0-7 on Friday, March 6, and Brown 1-6, on Saturday, March 7.
Notes
Freshman Veronica Cardenas captured the lone win in singles play for the Mountaineers over the weekend, as she defeated Brown’s Julie Flanzer, 6-4, 6-4, in the No. 4 singles spot ... the win gives Cardenas an 8-5 record on the season ... also playing well against Brown was junior Olga Elkin, who fell in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 match to Cassandra Herxberg in the No. 1 spot, while freshman Kathryn Haught posted a good match, but fell 7-6 (2), 7-6 (0) in the No. 2 spot ... in doubles play, junior Stephanie LaFortune and freshman Milica Pantovic posted an 8-7 (2) victory over Brown’s Emily Ellis and Kathrin Sorokko in the No. 3 spot to earn the Mountaineers’ only doubles victory ... the Terrapins swept the Mountaineers, taking all six singles and all three doubles matches on the evening ... at the No. 1 spot, junior Elkin saw a tough match as she fell to Eleanor Peters 6-4, 6-3 ... Haught also put up a valiant effort as she fell to Maggie MacKeever 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 in the No. 4 spot, while Cardenas fell in a third-set tie breaker, 2-6, 6-2, 11-9, to Lisa Miller, in the No. 6 spot.
This Week in Track and Field
The Mountaineers compete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship on March 13-14, in College Station, Texas.
Last Week in Track and Field
WVU traveled to Notre Dame’s Alex Wilson Invitational, held at the Loftus Sport Center in Notre Dame, Ind., held on March 6-7 this past weekend … the DMR team of Rotilio, Kaylyn Christopher, Hamric and Bland ran a WVU record time of 11:05.12 … the time is also an NCAA qualifier, which now ranks the Mountaineer’s 5th on the NCAA descending list in the event … Chelsea Carrier placed third in the long jump with a career-best 5.82-meter leap … April Rotilio set a new school record in the 400-meter event with a time of 54.64 in day two of competition … Carrier took second place in the 60-meter hurdles (8.27) … Kaylyn Christopher won her section in the mile race and took 10th overall with a time of 4:48.14 … both results were NCAA provisional times and personal-bests … pole vaulter Alexandra Acker took fifth place after clearing 3.87-meters.
Notes & Quotes
The DMR team has now qualified for the NCAA Championships nine times out of the last 11 years … Acker’s pole vault mark is the second-best in indoor school history, topping 3.86-meters she recorded at the BIG EAST Indoor Championship … Rotilio broke her previous school record of 54.64 which she set on Jan. 31 at the Penn State National Invitational.
“It has been a successful weekend,” commented Coach Sean Cleary. “To bring six girls who competed in 10 events and to leave with 10 personal-bests is proof that the weekend was very successful."
This Week in Swimming & Diving
The West Virginia University swimming and diving teams wait to hear from the NCAA on how many men have made the NCAA Men’s Championships ... junior diver Brandon Robinson will be traveling to Buffalo, N.Y., this weekend to take part in the NCAA Zone “A” Diving Championships.
Last Week in Swimming & Diving
The Mountaineers had three women that were invited to the NCAA Women’s Championships ... senior Lindsey Largo and juniors Kayla Andrews and Morgan Callaway will all be participating.
Notes
West Virginia finished in fourth place on the men’s side and fifth place on the women’s side in the 2009 BIG EAST Championships this past February.
This Week in Wrestling
At least five Mountaineers (David Jauregui at 149; Ryan Goodman at 157; Donnie Jones at 165; Kurt Brenner at 174; Dustin Rogers at 285) from the West Virginia University wrestling team will compete at the 2009 NCAA Tournament on March 19-21 … the three-day event will take place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. … the first session on March 19 is slated to begin at 11 a.m. CST.
Last Week in Wrestling
WVU finished in second place with 95.50 points at the 34th annual Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championships in Lock Haven, Pa. … the Mountaineers had one wrestler win a league title, two take runner-up and three take third place in their respective weight classes.
Notes
Fifth-year senior Brenner (174) won his third career EWL crown when he registered a 21-6 tech fall over Pitt’s Karl DeCiantis in the title match … Brenner becomes only the fifth wrestler in WVU history to win at least three league titles … Brenner had earned a first-round bye and then took a 9-3 decision against Clarion’s Scott Joseph … freshman Johnston (141) and redshirt junior Jones (165) both finished second at their respective weights … Johnston, who also had a first-round bye, defeated Steve Waite, 6-2, for the second time this season, but lost to Pitt’s Tyler Nauman, ranked No. 13 nationally, 4-3 … Jones defeated Cleveland State’s Rob Michaels, 7-3, but lost to Edinboro’s Jarrod King, ranked 13th nationally, in the title bout … fifth-year senior Jauregui (149) won his opening bout against Pitt’s Mark Powell, 3-2, but lost his next match against this year’s EWL Champion, Matt Fittery … Jauregui then won his next two matches (a 12-11 decision in the second tiebreaker over Edinboro’s Torsten Gillespie and a 7-4 decision over Cleveland State’s Antonio Nicholson) … redshirt freshman Goodman (157) and fifth-year senior Rogers (HWT) both earned third-place showings at the league tournament … Rogers earned his place by pinning Pitt’s Zach Sheaffer, ranked 13th nationally, at the 1:16 mark.
