Swim Season Comes to an End

by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019

Friar Sports

Men’s and Women’s Teams Break Many School Records

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

Last weekend, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams competed in the 2019 Big East Swimming and Diving Championships held in East Meadow, New York. The four-day event provided the Friars with the opportunity to set over 12 new program records.

providence college swimming and diving team big east championships — Photo Courtesy of PC Swim and Dive

Beginning on the first day, four students raced in the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay, which held a previous record time of 6:49.12 set in 2014. Justin Viotto ’22, John Freeman ’21, Andrew Ferrell ’21, and Liam Straker ’19 finished the race with a time of 6:46.69, putting the Providence men in fifth with 28 points.

For the women, the top finishers came from two events of the day—the 800-yard and 200-yard freestyle relays. In the 800-yard relay, the Friars placed fifth at 7:41.17, led by Jennifer Bankes ’22, Lauren Zawacki ’21, Margie Keenan ’21, and Madeline Snow ’19. For the 200-yard relay, however, the Friars were able to beat their time from 2017, 1:47.12, by nearly two seconds, coming in at 1:45.63 and ending in fifth place. The event was raced by by Juliet McGlaughlin ’19, Abigail Czernieki ’19, Katie Thornton ’21, and Zawacki. This tied the Friars for fourth with Butler at 56 points after day one.

On the second day of the championships, Zawacki set another program record in the 50-yard freestyle when she touched the wall at 23.88 seconds. Ferrell also set a new program record with a time of 1:51.28 in the 200-yard IM. Additionally, the team of Bankes, Thornton, Keenan, and Zawacki set a school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:35.92. At the end of the second day, the men were still in fifth place at 88 points, and the women dropped to fifth at 93 points.

On the third day of the championship, the Friars were able to set four more program records, beginning with Zawacki’s improved time of 57.20 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. Viotto bested the program’s 400-yard IM record with a 3:58.09 mark. The team of McGlaughlin, Czerniecki, Thornton, and Bankes was also able to set a new record in the 400-yard medley relay at 3:53.16. Lastly, Ferrell was able to touch the wall in his race at 50.25, which was not only allowed for a fourth-place finish, but also a new school record.

In the fourth and final day of the championships, the Friars set three new program bests. The first record was set by Amanda Gaccione ’20 by finishing the 200-yard breaststroke with a time 2:22.78. Viotto set a best time of 1:50.12 in the 200-yard fly, and senior Ryan Trammell ’19 bested his own mark in the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing at 2:03.17.

Despite breaking 12 records, the men and women were unable to place due to stiff competition. The men came in last with 227 points and the women placed last with 220 points. Xavier University won the men’s competition with 779.5 points, while Villanova University won the women’s side with 1007.5 points.

After a back and forth season with most Big East competitors, the Friars were happy to set these 12 new program records and improve on their times. They are looking forward to what the future has in store for them.

Friars Fall to Villanova

by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019

Friar Sports

Friars Go Into “Do or Die” Mode as They Get Ready for Playoffs

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

The last week has been difficult and disappointing for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team, but nevertheless an improvement from what the season has provided, helping fans and students keep a positive mindset moving forward as the season progresses towards its finale at Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament.

The week began with the Friars headlining a home game against the 15-9 Georgetown University Hoyas. After a stunning defeat in overtime at Georgetown, the Friars looked to bounce back and secure a win. Unfortunately, while keeping a close game throughout the first half, the second half of the game belonged to Georgetown as they went on a scoring tear, defeating the Friars 76-67.

This put the Hoyas in fourth place in the Big East standings; while the Friars have jumped back and forth in the standings, currently they are in ninth place.

After the game, Head Coach Ed Cooley stated, “It has just been one of those years. You just have to hang in there and get onto the next game…I never want to get used to losing…and we have to get our team into a good space.”

providence college men's basketball georgetown villanova big east — Nora Johnson ’20/The Cowl

On a side note, during the game forward/guard Alpha Diallo ’20 became one of only 50 Friars to join the 1,000-point club.

Later that week, the Friars traveled down to the city that never sleeps and took on St. John’s University with a record of 18-7. This was the first matchup of the two teams this season, and all eyes have been on St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds, who led his team to victory against Marquette University.

However, the Friars managed to turn things around and handed St. John’s a loss at their home court—Madison Square Garden—with a final score of 70-56. The game was led by center Nate Watson ’21 who scored 18 points and had five rebounds. There was also a notable double-double from Diallo, who had 10 points and 15 rebounds.

This spark was needed as the Friars traveled down to play against the always red-hot Villanova University. While the Friars bounced back and forth for the lead against the Wildcats, the last few minutes of the second half belonged to the Villanova as they went on a scoring tear to end the game at 85-67. Watson lead in scoring again with another 18 point game and six rebounds, however, it was not enough to stop Eric Paschall and Phil Booth’s 25 and 22 point game, respectively.

This now puts Providence at one of their lowest records at 14-11 overall, and 4-8 in the entire conference. The Friars now need to figure out a gameplay strategy that works for them for the remaining six games of the season.

The next game brings the team back home to the Dunk against Xavier University for the two teams’ second matchup of the season. The last time these two met up in Cincinnati, the Friars found themselves a 64-62 victory, and will look to reignite that spark to avoid another losing streak.

While so far the road has seemed tough, the road ahead does show some light. It may look as if the Friars are knocked out right now with no chance of a March Madness appearance this season, but fans and critics will continue to show support for their hometown Friars.

Who Should Win the Naismith College Player of the Year?

by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019

PCI

Zion Williamson will Win Naismith Award

by Sullivan Burgess ’20

Photo courtesy of Kyle Koster/ The Big Lead

This year’s Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year will go to none other than Duke University freshman Zion Williamson. If you are unfamiliar with Williamson, then prepare for what the sports media calls the next LeBron James, a title he has held since his junior year of high school.

Williamson, from Salisbury, North Carolina, is 6’6” and 285 lbs, making him one of the biggest college basketball players in history, even out-weighting a current batch of NBA players.

The freshman came into Duke as number two in the ESPN Top 100 players, right behind his current teammate, R.J. Barrett. He has never looked back and has proven his status as a legendary force to be reckoned with when being guarded.

Not only is the freshman forward currently averaging 22.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, but he has also brought the team to the number two spot in the entire country of division one basketball. However, the team has constantly been battling back and forth between the second and first spot throughout the season.

Williamson leads the country in player efficiency with 42.5 which is 5.6 higher than the next highest player. This high number reflects Williamson being able to find success in multiple facets of the game.

Williamson saw success early this season by earning the ACC Player of the week honors in his first week. Williamson helped the team to be unstoppable, raising the question of whether he and the entire Duke team were able to beat a current roster in the NBA. However, these conversations were put to rest when the team lost the Maui Invitational Tournament to Gonzaga University.

Last month, Williamson set the single-game freshman scoring record with 35 points, surpassing former Duke players Marvin Bagley III and J.J. Redick. He also received his third ACC Freshman of the Week award for the season.

In his first two games of February, Williamson recorded 29 points against St. John’s University, and 16 points and 17 rebounds against Boston College.

From the start of the season, Williamson has been a high contender for the first overall pick of the NBA Draft. Some professionals and members of the sport media even think Williamson should sit out the rest of the season and focus on the draft. However, Williamson wants to focus on his only goal right now, winning the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament and being a championship caliber player to whichever team drafts in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Cheerleading Team Takes Nationals

by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019

Friar Sports

Team Competes in Nationals For the First Time

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

providence college cheerleading nationals — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

On Jan. 17, the Providence College Cheerleading Team traded in their snow boots for sandals and sunscreen as they headed down to the magical world of Disney for the school’s first appearance at the UCA College Cheering National Championship in Orlando, Florida. While the overall experience was amazing, the journey to the competition was something unlike anyone on the team has ever experienced.

The team was able to practice all throughout winter break and utilize the extra sessions to finalize and perfect its routine for the competition. On days off, they were able to mentally prepare for what was in store in Florida and manage the pressure to be positive throughout the performance.

When it came to preparing for the trip, Assistant Coach Dan Weaver knew the challenges the team faced, and helped them prepare for something the team has never seen before in the school’s history. Yet, he had ultimate confidence. “As a first-year team, our mindset was unlike some of the other teams that have been competing for years,” Weaver stated. “They perform in the Dunk and Madison Square Garden in front of thousands of people. They can handle anything. And when we opened up the routine by hitting our elite hand-in-hand stunt sequence, I knew Providence Cheerleading had arrived.”

One of the biggest challenges when going into a competition like this, is facing the big name schools who have been in the competition before. Going into the event, Coach Melissa Scungio was excited for the team to enjoy this experience, while at the same time become comfortable with the idea of one day being on that stage as national champions. She stated, “It is amazing to be able to compete at the same level as some of the high profile teams in our Division such as University of Memphis, Purdue University, University of Delaware, Bowling Green State University, and University of Alabama-Birmingham. These teams have been competing at this level for years (some over 15-20 years). With that being said, and this being our first year, we were unbelievably proud and excited to be representing Providence College on this prestigious level. Our expectations were different than theirs, those top schools are competing for a National Championship. We are not there yet. As we grow, our expectations will continue to rise, and one day Providence College Cheerleaders will be competing for a National Championship.”

At Disney World, the team stayed for four days at the Disney All Star Resort. They were able to explore the resort and meet other teams from around the country. Between practice times and competition, the resort provided shuttles to the parks so the teams could enjoy a true Disney experience, go on all the rides, and see iconic locations.

As a team, they were able to watch the partner stunt competition and Division 1A finals. While the cheerleading team itself was on the mat for roughly two minutes and 30 seconds and did not to advance to the final, they succeeded in their own way by managing the life of a student-athlete, preparing for the basketball games, and getting ready for the team’s overall first competition.

The advice given by Taylor Dimond ’19 was simple when it comes to preparing for next year, “Going into next year, and future competitions, we definitely want to step our difficulty up…Yet this was a great place to start and we are only going to get even stronger from this point.”

Overall, this is a big step for the improvement for the cheerleading team that anticipates a bright future.

Providence College Investigates

by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019

PCI

The Los Angeles Rams Will Win Super Bowl LIII

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

los angeles rams super bowl LIII — Photo Courtesy of Mark Wallheiser/UPI

After defeating the New Orleans Saints and a controversial missed pass interference call late in the fourth quarter, the Los Angeles Rams will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. This will be the first Rams appearance in the Super Bowl since 2002, when they also played the Patriots.

While the New England Patriots have been on a hot streak since entering the playoffs, the game will ultimately go to the Rams.

Two key aspects that will help lead the Rams to victory are their consistent offense and defense—aspects that 33-year-old head coach Sean McVay knows how to control within any game.

On the offensive side, third-year quarterback Jared Goff is looking to make a name for himself after being drafted first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

This season Goff has career-high stats throughout all categories, with 32 touchdowns, a 64.9 percnt completion rate, and a total of 4,688 passing yards, putting him fourth for highest passing yards during the regular season behind Ben Roethlisberger, Patrick Mahomes, and Matt Ryan.

Rams running back Todd Gurley has also been having a good season with 1,251 yards, putting him third in rushing yards. He proves to be the difference-maker when he is healthy and on the field for the Rams. For example, in a game against the Denver Broncos, Gurley completed the game with 208 yards, two touchdowns, and 28 carries which resulted in a win. Against the Chicago Bears, he only completed 11 carries and 28 yards with no touchdowns, which resulted in a loss for the Rams.

On the defensive side, starters such as Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcus Peters must put on the games of their career in order to stop Tom Brady and his offensive weapons.

Aaron Donald has proven to be a defensive nightmare against any quarterback that steps in his way. He led the league at 20.5 sacks this season and is still hungry for anyone that comes in front of him.

Overall, the game will be tough, being against the veteran team that is the New England Patriots. Hopefully, the Rams will bring the consistent game play they have used throughout the season. They will be the dominant team in the NFC and will be holding the Lombardi Trophy in Atlanta at the end of the night.

Coach Cooley to Lead Team USA

by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019

Friar Sports

Team Will Consist of Players From Big East

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

It has been quite an exciting few weeks for Providence College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley. Not only has he been gifted with one of the highest honors in the state of Rhode Island, but also has been given an incredible opportunity for himself and PC basketball.

ed cooley providence college team usa basketballl — Photo Courtesy of WPRI.COM

On December 18, 2018, media and faculty gathered inside the Ruane Friar Development Center to announce that Coach Cooley will be the head coach for Team USA and lead the men’s basketball team at the Pan American Games in Peru this summer. The team itself will consist entirely of players from the Big East Conference.

While this is Cooley’s first time as head coach for Team USA, this is not his first time working with the United States Basketball Team. In the summers of 2013-2015, Cooley served as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball teams. He had won gold at the World Under-19 Championships in 2015.

Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman stated at the press conference, “I think in many ways this is a tribute to what the Big East has accomplished over the last five years. They were looking for a conference with a solid basketball resume. We see this as a great responsibility as well as a great honor.” The U.S. has not represented themselves in the Pan-Am Games in quite a while, in fact the U.S. has not won gold in basketball since 1983. That team consisted of future hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Chris Mullin.

This year U.S. Basketball decided not to allow professional players of any sort to represent the USA. The team will consist of college players in the Big East. College players who plan to enter into the NBA draft this June are also excluded from participating.

Coach Cooley did not hesitate to take the job as head coach for the team. He stated at the press conference, “I’ve been fortunate to be an assistant coach with Billy Donovan and Sean Miller on a couple of teams but to try to do it as a head coach is an incredible honor and something I’ve always wanted to do.”

A few weeks later, it was announced that golocalprov.com named Ed Cooley as their Rhode Island Man of the Year. When giving the award to him, the website had stated, “Maybe no one epitomizes the spirit of Rhode Island better than this man.”

Throughout all the work he has done on the PC campus, Cooley has become an icon for all the students and teachers to bring a positive attitude towards everyday life.

When accepting the award, he stated how he does not want coaching to define his character, rather “being a better dad, husband, leader and mentor” are the important things that make up what he stands for and how he carries himself through life.

Coach Cooley has captured the spirit of the College, and deserves all the recognition he has been given, including the opportunity to coach Team USA and being named Rhode Island Man of the Year.

Providence College Investigates

by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018

PCI

The Clemson University Tigers will win the College Football Championship

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

travis etienne clemson university tigers football college championships — Photo Courtesy of Mike McCarn

This year in the 2019 College Football Playoffs, the no. 2 Clemson University Tigers (13-0) will win the National Championship in Santa Clara, California. While the road ahead may be tough, the Tigers have the tools and skills to be victorious at the end of the season.

In their first matchup of the playoffs at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, the Tigers will face the University of Notre Dame, who is the no. 3 seed at 12-0 this season. Meanwhile, on the other side at the Orange Bowl, the No. 1 seed University of Alabama will face the no. 4 seed University of Oklahoma.

While the game against the Fighting Irish will be tough, the Tigers will ultimately succeed. Clemson’s offense and defense have been unstoppable this season, with six potential NFL first round picks next year.

Though they were off to a slow start, the now-starting quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, has proven to be a threat one game at a time, adjusting quickly to any situation at hand, ultimately increasing their confidence. This season, Clemson has scored at least 27 points or more in all 13 of their games.

On the defensive side of the field, the Tigers are allowing the least amounts of yards per games in the country, at 2.40 yards. Their defensive backs have been nothing but quick in their strategy which allows them to beat their opponents. Clemson has managed to force nine interceptions this season.

The Tigers’ defensive line has been the best in all of college football. Clemson as a team is third in the country in sacks with 45.

Against a team like Notre Dame, who has no down field threats, Clemson’s front seven will be looking for them to run, which only plays into the Tigers’ strength. Teams have averaged 93 rushing yards per game against Clemson, which is third lowest in college football.

Notre Dame’s offensive line will need help against the strong pass rush, which will cause their tight ends to come in to block, freeing up the Tigers’ linebackers to make plays.

After defeating Notre Dame, the Tigers would look to take on Alabama for the third time in the last four years. In 2016, Alabama defeated Clemson 45-40 in the championship game, then one year later Clemson came back and won 35-31.

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, hurt his ankle against the University of Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Championship, allowing Jalen Hurts to return to the starting lineup and rally back from a 21-point Georgia lead.

Overall, these are two well-coached teams with good quarterbacks and defensive threats that can pressure offense. They both will prove to be extraordinary football teams, but Clemson will win for the second time in the last four years.