Tag: Meaghan Cahill ’20
Undefeated Start For Women’s Ice Hockey
by The Cowl Editor on October 18, 2018
Friar Sports
Team Looks to Carry Success into the Rest of the Season
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Hockey season has arrived in Friartown and the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team is taking the right steps towards a successful season. They started off their season undefeated in their first three games and have provided a glimpse as to just how victorious their upcoming season can be.
Under the supervision of new Head Coach and former USA Hockey head scout, Matt Kelly, the team has been given a new perspective on the game and thus far it has made all the difference.
“Being at that level [Kelly] was given a different perspective…because he was looking at players and what they have and what they might be willing to offer…I think that his coaching ability will really show because he has been able to take that ability and apply it to the game and show how they can work that ability to the best [that they can],” commented assistant captain, Avery Fransoo ’20, on coach Kelly.
Along with a brand new coaching staff, the team welcomed three new freshmen: Ciara Barone ’22, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22, and Caroline Peterson ’22. Fransoo commented that the freshmen are a great addition to the team as they have proven their preparation for games. She added that the freshmen will be a “huge part in creating a winning environment for our team.”
The freshmen have certainly proven themselves as key players, as it was Hjalmarsson who stepped up to capture her first college career hat trick against College of the Holy Cross. Hjalmarsson helped lead the Friars to a 5-0 win. In just three games, Hjalmarsson has tallied an impressive five points overall with four goals and an assist.
“[Sara’s] really good. She’s got lots of speed and great hands,” Fransoo said of her new teammate. “And a wicked hard shot,” she adds. Her comment, of course, refers to the bullet Hjalmarsson sent sailing from just inside the blue line and right over Holy Cross goalie’s shoulder that would give Hjalmarsson not only her first Power Play goal, but also the team’s.
A native of Bankeryd, Sweden, Hjalmarsson’s first games as a Friar have earned her the name of Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week.
Barone is also making a statement on the ice. In her first game as a Friar, Barone had an impressive two-point game, notching both her first career assist and goal.
However, it is not just the freshmen that are standing out early in the season. Goaltender Maddie Myers ’19 has made her mark in the net, starting all five games this season. She has let in four goals so far, all against Bemidji State University.
“She’s been great back in net,” Fransoo stated. “Maddie has been a rock. I think all of the goalies continuously push each other to fight for that [starting] spot.” Myers is joined by two other goalies, Clare Minnerath ’20 and Sandra Abstreiter ’21.
Of course, it helps that Myers has a “solid D-group” and “strong forward group” aiding her both defensively and offensively.
Team veterans Kate Friesen ’19 and Maureen Murphy ’21 are two players who stand out among the forwards and defense. Friesen, who is the team captain, is coming off a season where she finished second best on the team in terms of +/- ratings (18+). A Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mention, Friesen has played in every game this season as well.
The same goes for Murphy. Beginning her second season with the Friars just after coming back from the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation camp, Murphy already has three goals and three assists.
With a makeup of 12 forwards and seven defensemen, the 19-player roster is really working on earning everything they get this season.
“Our perspective is going into each game thinking that you have to earn it. That is one of our major points that we’re following—earning each game and each shift,” Fransoo explains. “Determination, hard work, and everything you’ve prepared for in that moment: that will be the difference in not only our upcoming games but the games the rest of this season and going into playoffs.”
Aside from the “earning it” mentality that the team is focusing on this year, Fransoo nods to the team’s strengths, which she believes will set them up to go deep into the playoffs.
“I think our team has a lot of speed and I think that’s one of our attributes that really set the team apart. I think when we really use it we really dominate teams,” Fransoo acknowledged.
However, Fransoo points out that with their greatest strength comes a weakness that she admits needs to be worked on as a whole team: passing. With the overall high-intensity speed of the game, the team needs to focus on working on “keeping up” their passing with that speed.
“We have been preparing and working hard to get…wins,” says Fransoo on the team. “We have a lot of drive this year.”
The Lady Friars will look to continue their winning-streak this upcoming weekend at Pennsylvania State University in a two game series on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20.
Skating Her Way to Success
by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018
Friar Sports
Maureen Murphy ’21 Invited to National Team Evaluation Camp
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Providence College’s standout women’s hockey player, Maureen Murphy ’21, was one of the select few hockey players throughout the country to be invited to participate in the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation Camp.
“It was a lot of fun, but I think I was most excited to go and learn from everyone that was there,” Murphy commented on her most recent trip to Biddeford, Maine, where the elite camp was held.
The camp, which took place from Sept. 13-17, was set up to evaluate the top-tier talent in the current Women’s National Team player pool. The camp splits players into two teams and the teams participate in three intrasquad scrimmages along with going to practices.
“They were evaluating on three different standards,” Murphy explained. “There is a tournament in a month and a half in Saskatchewan, Canada and they will pick a roster from people at this camp. They were also evaluating for post-grads and the third was just your overall standing in the national player pool. They have all of these players…and they are ranking and restarting for this quad. It resets every four years for the Olympics.”
Murphy, who is still an eligible U-22 player, was one of the 37 players from around the country to be invited to attend the camp. Of the 37 players invited, 17 of them were members of the Olympic team that just won gold in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“I was most excited to go and learn from everyone that was there just because that was my first experience with the national team and obviously I was pretty nervous,” Murphy commented on playing with these elite players.
“I think everyone there understood…where we were coming from so [the players] were super helpful. It was also really intense because I’m not going to outwork or out-skill these Olympian players any time soon. You just had to really work hard and grind it out.”
Murphy said her favorite part of the camp was “getting to play with people that I had always looked up to as a kid…it was super cool for me.”
Murphy commented “maybe” with a laugh when asked about being picked to play with the team heading to Saskatchewan in the upcoming months, after having played with the USA U-22 Women’s Select Team in a three-game series against Canada in early August.
Her August trip to Canada was not the first time USA Hockey has called upon her to represent them. Prior to starting at PC, Murphy was invited to play for Team USA at the 2017 Under-18 World Championships in the Czech Republic. The team went on to bring home the gold medal.
Murphy, who is heading into her second season with the Lady Friars starting on Sept. 28 against Concordia University, finished her inaugural season with a team-leading 28 points, which consisted of 19 goals (the most on the team) and nine assists. Of her 19 goals, five were game-winners and four were short-handed; she tied first nationally in short-handed goals. Appearing in 36 games last season, Murphy also put up seven multi-point games.
Her success last season landed her the title of Hockey East Rookie of the Week three times, Hockey East Top Performer six times, and Hockey East Rookie of the Month in December. Murphy was also named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and was a Second Team All-Star. She was deemed a New England Hockey Writers All-Star and was awarded PC’s hockey team Seventh Player Award.
On her success last season, Murphy humbly commented, “Players can’t have success without the team. It’s a collective unit kind of thing.”
Looking at the upcoming season, Murphy believes the team will find success in the “amount of work that we put in as a team over the summer” and the “really good people” that were brought onto the team.
“I think we’re all really excited as a team,” Murphy added about newly assigned Head Coach Matt Kelly. Kelly was also asked to attend the Evaluation Camp as both a coach and an evaluator. While Murphy did not see him at the camp, she thinks his National Team experience, which she describes as the “highest level of women’s hockey” will be “helpful for the team on a variety of different levels.”
“We have pretty intense practices now,” Murphy comments on how the team is getting ready for their upcoming season. “I think just like bringing a whole new level of speed and [the] mentality that we’re gonna move forward and have a great year.”
And in terms of last year, which ended in a Hockey East first round knock-out by the number six ranked University of Connecticut, all Murphy had to say was, “We’re not looking back.”
Cross Country Off to a Great Start
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
On your mark, get set, go! The 2018 cross country season has officially begun for the Providence College men’s and women’s teams.
On Sept. 1, both teams traveled to Durham, New Hampshire to compete in the University of New Hampshire dual meet, which included both men’s and women’s teams from the College of the Holy Cross.
In a Northeast Regional poll taken just before the meet, PC’s men’s team was ranked No. 4 and the women’s team was ranked No. 1.
The meet was a success; the men’s and women’s teams both captured their first wins of the season. The men gained a total of 15 points and swept the top eight spots. The women came in positions one, two, and four in the top six—they would go on to win the meet with a total of 22 points.
Abbey Wheeler ’20 was the top runner for the Friars after gaining a lead early on and winning the entire race with a time of 17:21.37. Wheeler finished her previous cross country season in 10th place at the Big East Championship and earned All-Big East First Team Honors.
Finishing closely behind Wheeler, Maria Coffin ’21 finished strong with a time of 17:21.45 to secure second place overall. Last season, Coffin was a top-eight runner for PC all throughout the season and was a member of the Big East Runner-Up team.
In the fourth and sixth positions were graduate student Regan Rome (17:50.58) and Alex DeCicco ’20 (18:00.26). Much like Coffin, DeCicco was a consecutive top-eight runner last season for the Friars and she finished in the Top 50 at the Big East Championship.
The men’s team finished in the top spots as well. Michael Wyman ’19G finished his first race as a Friar in first place overall with a time of 15:05.63. Marcelo Rocha ’21 finished three seconds behind Wyman with a time of 15:08.23. This was Rocha’s first meet as a Friar. Less than a second after Rocha crossed the line, David Rosas ’21 finished third with a time of 15:08.71. Rosas’s time showed an impressive improvement, shaving off over 30 seconds from his time at last year’s dual meet.
The men’s team will be looking towards their seasoned runners to aid them the rest of the season. Austin Scola ’19 is coming into his senior year after being a repeated top eight finisher for the men’s team all throughout last year. He also finished 27th overall at the Big East Championships.
Along with Scola, Liam Harris ’20, who won the UNH dual meet last year, was also a solid top eight finisher and placed 18th overall at the Big East Championships. Harris’s cross country season concluded last year with him earning Big East Second Team honors.
While the men will be looking to their upperclassmen to guide them to a successful season, the women’s cross country team will be looking down to their underclassmen.
Hanna Johnston ’21, who redshirted last season, is expected to have a big inaugural season along with Hannah McReavy ’22.
Prior to joining the Friar Family, Johnston, a Thunder Bay, Ontario native, was a member of the 2017 Canadian Junior Cross Country Team that finished sixth at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Uganda.
McReavy, who is from Colorado, was the Tri-Peaks runner of the year for cross country two consecutive years in a row (2016 and 2017) and finished fourth overall in the Colorado State Cross Country Championships.
PC’s men’s and women’s Cross Country teams will be competing next on Sept. 21 at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown Meet, hosted by Boston College.
New Faces in Friartown
by The Cowl Editor on August 30, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Welcomes Coaches for Women’s Hockey and Softball
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
“We are excited to welcome Matt Kelly as head coach of our women’s ice hockey program,” Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced on June 18. Kelly, the sixth coach in the history of the program, was hired after the abrupt firing of former Head Coach Bob Deraney, who had been with the program for 19 years.
The decision to replace Deraney came after the team was ousted from the Hockey East Tournament in Game 3 of the quarterfinal round by the University of Connecticut.
Kelly’s “extensive experience as a coach” began in 2008 when he was hired as the assistant coach for Clarkson University’s women’s ice hockey team. During his six years with the program, he helped the Golden Knights qualify for the ECAC playoffs six years in a row, claim three league titles, reach the NCAA Tournament three times, and win a National Championship in 2014.
Following his time at Clarkson, Kelly went on to become the assistant coach for Quinnipiac University for the 2007-2008 season after volunteering as an assistant coach for Wayne State University from 2006-2007, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
The former goaltender for the Wayne State Warriors took a break from coaching when he became a Head Scout for USA Hockey and the women’s national teams, which was the role he was serving in at the time of his hire. With the primary responsibility of overseeing and maintaining the player pools for the U-18, U-22, and women’s national teams, Kelly was the one responsible for assembling the team that won gold in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics—a feat that has not been accomplished by the U.S. in 20 years.
“As a scout for USA Hockey, he has continued to refine his skills as one of the top evaluators of talent in the women’s game,” Driscoll stated. “We look forward to the future of our women’s hockey program under Matt’s direction, competing for Hockey East championships, and returning our storied program to the national stage.”
Upon his hiring, Kelly commented, “I want to thank Father Shanley, Athletic Director Bob Driscoll, and Associate Athletic Director Kyle Murphy for this tremendous opportunity. The vision, support, and rich women’s hockey history at Providence College are second to none and my family and I are excited to be a part of the Friar family.”
Since he joined the program, Kelly brought Jake Anderson, the former assistant coach at Merrimack College; Alison Domenico, the former assistant coach at Syracuse University; and Doug Ferry, the team’s graduate assistant for the past two years onto his staff.
Kelly and his staff will not be the only new faces in Friartown this year. PC’s Softball Team will be welcoming in an entirely new coaching staff this season. In early July it was announced that Jill Karwoski will be the new head coach of the team.
Karwoski, who previously served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Friars during the 2012-2013 season, was acting as the head coach of the Quinnipiac softball team when she was picked up by Providence.
In the announcement of her hire, Driscoll said, “We are excited to have Jill come back to Friartown and lead our softball program. She has 10 years of head coaching experience and she has recruited at the highest level in the ACC. We believe we have one of the top facilities in the conference and with Jill’s leadership we can become one of the top programs in the Northeast and compete for the Big East title.”
Along with her experience at both PC and Quinnipiac, Karwoski served as the head coach at both Merrimack (2011-2012) and Morehead State University (2004-2007), and as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Boston College (2007-2011).
“I could not be more excited and grateful for this opportunity to return to Friartown as the next head softball coach,” Karwoski said. “I strongly believe Bob and I share a similar vision that success is built around strong core values, talented athletes, and dynamic students. Providence softball is rich in tradition, resources, and Friar pride. It is my mission to instill a championship mindset, which will lead to a promising future in the Big East.”
In regards to her plans for her first season with the team, Karwoski claims she will “hit the ground running and make an immediate impact.”
Since her own hire, Karwoski has announced that she will be bringing in Bree Nasti to join her as the team’s assistant coach.
Holding the single season national high school record with a .774 batting average, Nasti previously coached at Adelphi University for the past six seasons. While at Adelphi, Nasti led her team to the Northeast-10 Tournament Championship three times, as well as five NE-10 regular season Southwest Division titles. She also coached her team into six-straight NCAA Division II regional appearances, four NCAA Division II super regional appearance, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Women’s College World Series twice. As a result, Nasti and her staff were honored as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association East Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2013, 2015, and 2016.
“I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to bring Bree to Friartown. Proven in her track record…I am confident she will be a positive influence and make an immediate impact on our program,” Karwoski stated on her hiring choice.
After a disappointing season last year that ended with a record of 13-32, all eyes will be on Karwoski and Nasti as they look to turn the program around.
With the extensive experience that each coach brings to the table, hopes are high for success in the 2018-2019 season for the women’s hockey and softball teams.
Volleyball Looks to Build From 2017
by The Cowl Editor on August 30, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Coming off their first winning season since 2007, which included a five match win improvement in Big East play, Providence College’s Volleyball Team is looking to improve those numbers this year.
Returning player Addison Root ’20 will be looked at as a key player for the upcoming season. The only Friar to be named to the All-Big East Second Team, Root concluded her rookie season by leading the team in kills (416), service aces (36), and points (416). She was third on the team in digs with 258. In overall Big East play, Root, who is an outside hitter, ranks third in service aces per set (.31), fifth in kills per set (3.59), and fifth in points per set (4.01). A big part of the team’s success last season, Root recorded 21 kills in a single match twice and recorded double digit digs and kills in the same match on nine different occasions.
Aside from Root, Allison Impellizeri ’19 is another key player to be on the lookout for. Starting in 17 of the 20 matches she played in last season, Impellizeri tallied 152 kills and 45 blocks. Her sophomore season consisted of her starting in 33 matches and leading the team in blocks (80), ranking third on the team in kills (246), and setting a season high for kills in a single match (16).
Allison Barber ’21 is a returning player that turned many heads during her freshman year alongside Root and Impellizeri, and will definitely be a player to watch this upcoming season.
As a freshman, Barber started in all 33 matches and played in all 116 sets. Her breakout season concluded with her leading the team in assists (1,162) and she recorded a season-high 54 assists against the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
The incoming freshman class consists of four new players; Katie McLellan ’22, Mackenzie Taylor ’22, Emma Fink ’22, and Nina Askew ’22, to join 11 returning players, including two sophomores, five juniors, and four seniors.
The season started for the Friars on Aug. 24, when they appeared in the Boston College Invitational. Coming out of the tournament, the team went 1-2, dropping matches 0-3 against both Sacred Heart University and Boston College. The tournament ended on a high note for the team as they swept Hartford University in all three matches.
Impellizeri started the match off strong as she collected 6 of her 10 kills in the first set and finished the match with a team-best 10 kills for PC and hit .471. Along with Impellizeri, Jenae Alderson ’20 and Root both notched nine kills in the win and Mackenzie Taylor ’21 recorded a season-best 24 digs.
The Friars will play next in their 14th Annual Friar Volleyball Classic, which kicks off on Friday, August 31 against University of Massachusetts, Lowell in Mullaney Gym.
A Year in PC Sports: Catarina Rocha Wins Cross Country Title
by The Cowl Editor on May 3, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Runner Caps Off College Career as a Champion
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Catarina Rocha ’17GS may not be the most well-known athlete on Providence College’s campus, but that does not diminish the outstanding performances she gave this year for the Providence College Women’s Cross Country Team. Her individual achievements as a runner are what makes her stand out as having one of the best sports moments of the 2017-2018 year.
The Big East Cross Country Championships were a success for the women’s cross country team, as they came in second place. However, Rocha was the star of the meet. She came in first place out of all of the female runners. Her placement earned her not only the title of the best runner in the Big East, but she was also awarded All-Big East First Team Honors. Rocha is the ninth Friar in history to win the individual Big East title.
Commenting on her success at the Big East Championships, Rocha claimed it was her “biggest sporting achievement to date.” Rocha also confessed her win came as a “surprise,” especially after being sidelined the year before due to an injury.
Head Coach Ray Treacy also commented on the four-time elected All-Northeast Regional Team member after her win saying, “I am especially proud of Catarina for winning the individual title. She has been a standout runner for us.”
Rocha is also a member of the track team at PC and, during the winter season, was the Big East Champion in the 5000-meter race.
In her final year at PC, Rocha went out on top as she wrapped up her athletic career as the winner of the Paul Connolly Memorial Award. This award is given to the female athlete who distinguished herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage, and honor.
Gil Santos ‘Voice of the Patriots’ Dies at 80
by The Cowl Editor on April 26, 2018
Professional Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Gil Santos, inductee of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame, radio play-by-play announcer for the New England Patriots, and member of the Patriots Hall of Fame passed away last weekend on April 19. It was his 80th birthday and 57th wedding anniversary.
Known as the “Voice of the Patriots,” Santos began his renowned career in 1966 as a color commentor for WBZ. He became the official play-by-play announcer in 1971 when the Patriots moved to Foxborough, Massachusetts. He called 744 games in 36 seasons before he announced his retirement in 2009.
In a 2009 interview, Santos recalled that it was Mel Allen announcing the Rose Bowl Game in 1950 that ignited his passion for sports broadcasting. “He said, ‘It’s 80 degrees and sunny here in Pasadena’ and I was thinking ‘Geez, it’s snowing here, it’s 80 degrees there, and this guy’s there to broadcast the game. What a great way to make a living.’”
Santos gave 63 years of his life to the broadcasting business, announcing most notably for the Patriots, but also for teams such as the Boston Celtics, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team, and the Boston College football team. He also announced at events such as the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Santos described his broadcasting career as “simple. I tell the people where this ball is, who has it, and then what they’re doing with it. Then I let my partner talk.”
His son, Mark Santos, recalled his father’s career as being anything but simple, reflecting on the countless hours of preparation and lack of sleep his father endured. Mark gave a nod to his father, saying, “For a guy who spoke nothing but Portuguese until he was five, he came a long way. [My father] never felt more comfortable than sitting in a press box. That was his calling. He loved calling games.”
Following Santos’ death, of which the cause remains unknown, Patriots owner Robert Kraft released the statement, “For generations of Patriots fans, Gil Santos was and forever will be known as the ‘Voice of the Patriots’. Gil was a legendary broadcaster, who for 36 years passionately described the play-by-play detail of every Patriots game during his career, including many of the most memorable moments in franchise history.”
Gino Cappelletti, the former star Patriots kicker and receiver, partnered with Santos in the booth until his own retirement in 2012; it was a partnership that lead to Santos referring to Cappelletti as “mon ami” (my friend in French) at the beginning of every one of his broadcasts.
Following the announcement of Santos’ death, Cappelletti interviewed with The Boston Globe on his former partner. In the interview, Cappelletti recalled Santos’ enthusiasm with the memory from the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII game at the Reliant Stadium, “I’ve got to watch Gil. He gets excited and tends to lean over. If he does that here, he’d better be wearing a parachute.”
In the same interview, Cappelletti stated that Santos was “truly a pro in every sense of the word, always prepared. Gil demands quality and excellence in everything he does in the radio broadcast business.”
Former coworkers of Santos took to remembering him following his death, reminiscing on memories they have of him and the type of man and worker that he was.
Gary LaPierre, Santos’ colleague from WBZ, commented, “There are none better at painting pictures on radio. He’s got a set of pipes and credibility. You never hear anyone bad-mouthing him. He is a straight shooter.”
Santos’ gave his last broadcast on January 20, 2013 at Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots lost the AFC title game to the Baltimore Ravens. Santos had to spend months determinedly completing rehab to make the game after suffering pneumonia and an obstructed pulmonary disease the year before, days after the Patriots loss in Super Bowl XLVI. Against all odds, Santos survived the illnesses, but was only left with movement in his right arm and was unable to feed himself.
In the final years of his life, Santos reflected, “Hey, I’m pretty lucky. I got to do what I wanted to do. Now all I’d like is to be remembered as someone who was good at what he did and was a good guy, too…It’s never been a job with the Patriots. It’s been an honor.”
Many people across New Engand will certainly remember Santos the way he wanted to be remembered and for so much more.
U.S. Female Runners Shock the World
by The Cowl Editor on April 19, 2018
Professional Sports
American Women Sweep Places 1-7 at the Boston Marathon
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
While the race may have seemed more like a swim meet than a running event, Desiree Linden shocked thousands—and herself— when she became the first American female runner in 33 years to win the historic Boston Marathon.
“It was such a miserable day…I was freezing and my muscles were tight, and I was like ‘This is not my day.’ So I did kind of toy around with the idea of stepping off,” Linden confessed after her win.
That notion of wanting to back out of the race propelled Linden’s unusual actions of following fan-favorite Shalane Flanagan off-course for a bathroom break. At that point, Linden confessed she was “happy to run through the wind for [Flanagan] and just kind of be a block [to the wind].”
It was during that break that Linden was re-inspired by Flanagan to go out and win the race. She commented, “There was just so much pride on the American side this year. We wanted it so bad. Thirty-three years since an American winner, and I felt like there was some team camaraderie out there.”
Near the end of the race, Linden pulled ahead of Flanagan and after 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 54 seconds of running, the two-time Olympian crossed the finish line on Boylston Street.
On her historic finish, Linden commented, “It’s the moment you dream of during the tough days when you don’t wanna go out and run, when you’re a little kid and you’re getting into the sport, and you turn [on] the TV, and you see the Boston Marathon. You dream about breaking that tape. It was the culmination of years of hard work, and years of dreaming, and years of never giving up.”
Linden was not the only American runner who surprised viewers on Patriot’s Day. After years of being beaten out by female runners from Kenya and Ethiopia, Americans placed first through seventh in the race as followed: Linden (1st), Sarah Sellers (2nd), Krista DuChene (3rd), Rachel Hyland (4th), Jessica Chichester (5th), Nicole Dimercurio (6th), and Flanagan (7th).
However, it was not the fact that the Americans swept the top spots that was the most surprising, but rather the fact that aside from Linden and Flanagan, these runners were mostly unknown. No one predicted them to win. While both Linden and Flanagan are Olympians and well-known for their running success, Sellers and DuChene are more commonly known as being a nurse anesthetist and a mother of three, respectively.
Sellers, much like Linden, surprised herself with her second place finish, stating after the race, “Some of the women I was passing, it was just complete disbelief. I look up to them extremely and in no way do I consider myself on their level at all.” She was in so much disbelief over her placing that she had to question officials to make sure they were positive they were looking at the right division. And while this year’s marathon has Sellers determined to “run another marathon…in better weather,” Flanagan has announced that she “thinks this was [her] last Boston Marathon,” admitting that “This course is really hard. The conditions are really hard. And I’m not averse to hard things, but I think I’m good with Boston. I think this was it.”
Regardless of the unfortunate weather conditions, the runners of the Boston Marathon never ceased in their fight to the finish. And the women running this year were able to make it more memorable due to their achievements rather than the horrendous rain and wind.
PC’s Jessica Looney’20 Looks to Compete in the Boston Marathon
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
After a mere 26.2 miles, Jessica Looney ’20 will become the youngest member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team to complete the world famous Boston Marathon.
Running for both of her grandfathers, who each passed away from cancer, Looney decided to apply for the Dana-Farber team because it was “a good charity to give back to.” The team consists of a little over 500 people, and this year 50-75 new applicants were accepted.
The application process was very extensive, and once she made the team, Looney was faced with the challenge of having to raise the required amount of money to be on the team.
“There is the expectation to raise $10,000,” Looney said, which is double the required amount of raised donations. With that $10,000 price in mind, Looney decided to set the goal of reaching the minimum $5,000 before Christmas.
“Anything after that is a bonus,” she said. Her goal was met and to date, Looney has raised well over $8,000.
“I am so happy to be raising…much more [than the required $5,000].” Looney relentlessly pursued fundraising opportunities, choosing to send fliers to neighbors, family friends, etc. However, the main source of her fundraising came from the blog that she decided to create to put her marathon experience into words.
The blog, entitled “Why I Run,” is a way for Looney to publicly reach out to as many people as she can to receive donations, but also to memorialize her “milestone moments” in word form and track her progress and training experience, which officially began Jan. 1 of this year.
When asked why she decided to start training for the Boston Marathon, Looney admitted that it was “always something I wanted to do and the [Providence] half marathon really pushed me to want to go to that next step.” Looney then continued to say, “It had been on my mind since I got to college.”
Come the start of the new year, Looney wasted no time getting into her training, setting apart long distance days and short distance days. Her runs range from 10 to 18 miles.
Her longest run to date was when she completed the first 22 miles of the Boston Marathon, stopping just after grinding up Heartbreak Hill, which Looney boldly claims is “not as hard as everyone makes it out to be.”
“Your body is moving and you aren’t even thinking about it after a while,” Looney commented on the long distance of the course and the amount of time it takes to finish it. “Plus, after a while everything just goes numb,” she jokingly added.
With no prior running training, Looney turned to Andrew “Drew” Harrod ’19 for tips and assistance in how to prepare.
“He’s really helped a lot,” Looney said of her running companion, who is not running the Boston Marathon, but is planning on competing in the Providence Marathon.
Being a “student in training,” Looney does admit to missing out on a lot of things such as “going out on the weekends with my friends,” but she does not regret her choice to run the marathon.
“I’m probably gonna cry when I finish,” she admitted.
Turning more towards the actual race, Looney claims she is “feeling pretty confident” and that she has “no need to prepare any more [then she already has].”
“It’s been in my mind for six months and I can’t believe that it’s finally here,” she stated. And if there is one thing that she definitely wants to highlight about the past six months, and the biggest race of her life, it’s that to Looney, “It is all about the experience, the experience is the most important part,” and that she will “be happy to finish no matter what [time she gets].”
In terms of her final time, Looney admitted, “I’d be excited to break four hours.”
Having run every day since sophomore year of high school, Looney believes she is “not going to know what to do with herself” once she finishes the Boston Marathon.
“I am going abroad next spring and I would like to run some half marathons in different countries,” she admitted. Due to her being away next time the Boston Marathon comes around, Looney will be unable to run it, but she is determined she will “definitely run it again,” in the future.
Donations are still being accepted for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team. Those who wish to donate can go to Looney’s personal blog why-irun.com to make a donation.
End Games in Overtime, Not Shootouts
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Professional Sports
No Need to End Big Games in a Shootout
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-editor
On the anniversary of the 1980 Olympics’ “Miracle on Ice,” the United States Women’s Hockey Team made history of their own by winning their first Gold Medal in 20 years. The team achieved victory in a dramatic shootout on Feb. 22, beating rival Canada 3-2. And while the women’s team played phenomenally in all of their games in PyeongChang, their win brings up the much debated argument on shootouts.
There is no denying that shootouts, especially in hockey, can be extremely entertaining to watch. However, despite the entertainment factor, shootouts should not be a determining factor on which team gets to win the game, especially in a game as big as a gold medal game.
During regular season games shootouts are not much of a problem because not much is at stake. Yet, for a gold medal game to be decided by what is essentially a coin flip, that is just not okay. In the National Hockey League, all playoff games are played out until there is a game-winning goal scored, no matter how many over-time periods it takes. That should not be any different for the Olympics.
That is not to take away from the Americans’ win, because it was a remarkable feat all around that was very exciting to watch. However, choosing to end the game with a shootout because it was getting to be too long was not fair to either team. They should have been allowed the opportunity to play until t
he very end because up until that point, those athletes had given everything to come that far in the games, and to let it end like that was not fair to them.
Three sports currently use shootouts as a final determination for who wins the game: soccer, ice hockey, and field hockey. The biggest problem with shootouts is that they do not fairly represent the 60+ minutes played by both teams. There is no denying that teams are giving everything they have in games that go over the standard 60 minutes of hockey and still be tied. Team effort and perseverance drives the entire game and for that game to be decided in a shootout diminishes those aspects of it.
Shootouts come down to a single player and a goalie and there can only be two outcomes: either the puck goes into the net or it is saved. There is really no play involved and it is nothing more than a trivial way to end a game, especially in games of high importance. It denies players the opportunity to contribute to their team win, because ultimately, it is a single player that gets to be the hero of the game.
In conclusion, shootouts should not be used to determine an outcome of a game that so heavily involves team effort. Shootouts ultimately rest on the luck of a single player and in the case of high stakes games such as the Olympics, it does not provide a satisfying ending worthy enough of the two teams fighting for the win.