Drastic Weight Loss Practices Present Danger To Wrestlers

Posted on January 26, 2015 Updated on January 26, 2015

By Douglas J Miller

Jeff Reese died on the locker room floor of Crisler Arena at the University of Michigan in 1997 after dropping 17 pounds before a wrestling match. What did the wrestling community learn from this tragedy?

A third of high school wrestlers lose between four to five pounds in a week more than ten times a season, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

For former University of Maryland wrestler Jimmy Sheptock, second-place finisher at the 2014 NCAA Wrestling Championships in the 184-pound weight class, cutting weight may be part of the sport, but it isn’t worth the price.

“I stopped cutting weight during my junior year of college,” Sheptock said. “I’m not going to hate life for a whole seven months just because the coaches want me in a lower weight class.”

The tragedy at Crisler Arena is example of when shedding weight to gain a competitive advantage went terribly wrong. Reese suffered kidney failure and heart malfunction while wearing a rubber suit and riding an exercise bike during a 2-hour workout in a 92-degree room. The University of Michigan wrestler needed to lose 12 pounds in the final day before a match to compete in the 150-pound weight class, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Excessive exercising is one of the main ways wrestlers lose those vital pounds leading up to the weigh-in. This evaluation determines if they are eligible to wrestle in a certain weight class.

“The most I’ve lost in one night is 15 pounds,” Sheptock said. “I worked out for about 12 hours. I would do 30 minutes on the treadmill, then take a ten-minute break and repeat. But your body after you do that hates you.”

According to the ACSM, High school students generally contain 15 percent body fat. However, wrestlers of this age only have 8-11 percent body fat during the offseason and drop down 6-7 percent body fat during competition season.

“The biggest health issue for wrestling is kids, who are already in fit condition, are trying to lose 20 pounds,” Sheptock said. “Their body is not wanting them to, but they are still going after it.

Over-exercising is a key component in the weight-loss process, but it is usually accompanied by “binge dieting” for most wrestlers. When trying to lose weight in a short-time frame, every calorie consumed matters. The wrestler has to burn off everything he eats or drinks.

“The worst part about cutting weight isn’t even exercising, but not eating and hydrating,” Sheptock said. “No eating. No drinking for a few days. When you go to weigh in, water still weighs something so you can’t go drink a gallon of water the night before weigh-ins. Then you go to workout and you have nothing to sweat out. It feels hopeless cause you can’t lose weight because you have no water in your body.”

Wrestling weigh-ins, usually the day before the actual match, establish a time gap in between the moment of truth and the actual match. After the wrestler passes his weigh-in, he is able to eat and drink as much as he wants. This means some wrestlers go immediately from starving themselves to chugging water and eating whatever they can find, Sheptock said.

With her family deeply involved in the sport, Cassie Salvo, a kinesiology major at Maryland, has been surrounded by the wrestling community her entire life. Her father wrestled collegiately at Brown University and now trains her brother, who recently committed to follow in his father’s footsteps and compete at the Ivy League school.

Salvo, one of the managers who help out with Maryland’s wrestling team, is constantly around the players at workouts, practice and matches. She attributes this established tradition of rapid weight reduction to wrestlers not only recognizing the competitive advantage of weighing less, but also having the mentality to overlook the downsides of the process.

“It’s a mentally tough sport so denying yourself food is looked at like an obstacle and not a health concern,” Salvo said. “None of the athletes are going to be walking around bitching about how they are hungry or how they are in pain.”

The idea of losing weight in order to compete at a lower weight class is all based on gaining a competitive advantage. The wrestler who cuts weight will have a higher natural weight and also be stronger than the wrestler who doesn’t cut weight. If the wrestler is able to cut down to the lower weight class then they will be stronger than the kid who didn’t cut weight and have a better chance of winning.

On the other hand, constantly being dehydrated and malnourished saps a wrestler’s energy and strength. Sheptock says this counteracts the actual logic behind dropping weight immediately before a match.

Trying to lose weight to be in a lower weight class isn’t always associated with the practice of rapid weight reduction. Starting the process to lower body fat percentage early means the body has the ability to adapt properly, compared to trying to shock the body into losing a lot of weight in only a few days or even hours.

“Some people do cut weight the right way. They see a nutritionist, mark their calories and make sure they eat correctly,” Sheptock said. “The problem is trying to make the majority of wrestlers do that rather than it being the exception.”

Salvo says her brother benefits from being from a wrestling family where there is both an emphasis on competing at a high level and living a healthy lifestyle.

“My mom tries to get my brother to cut weight in healthy ways,” Salvo said. “She tries to get him to eat low calorie food. She doesn’t want him to cut weight too late and be forced to starve himself. If you deprive yourself of cake now and eat fruit instead then you don’t have to take drastic measures later.”

A lot of kids begin wrestling in elementary school and continue through high school. The top-caliber athletes then progress to the collegiate level. Constantly trying to maintain a low body fat percentage and using drastic and harmful ways to remain at the diminished weight takes a toll on wrestlers’ development through their youth, Salvo said.

“When you look at a wrestler you imagine a short stocky person and that’s not a coincidence,” Salvo said. “That is not who randomly chose to join the sport. If you’re cutting weight starting at such a young age, you’re not going to allow yourself the correct nutrients in order to grow.”

The NCAA Wrestling Committee tried to implement safeguards and regulations to limit unhealthy weight loss and ensure wrestlers compete at a manageable weight by introducing the Minimum Weight Certification Program in response to the deaths in 1997. The program subjects wrestlers to hydration assessments and skin fold measurements to ensure the wrester’s body fat doesn’t fall below five percent. The hydration assessment measures the specific gravity of the athlete’s urine as an indication of proper hydration.

“We have body fat checks where they pinch our stomachs, backs and triceps for fat,” Sheptock said. They test our hydration with urine in a cup and we have to be hydrated at the time of the test.”

The NCAA also banned the use of rubber suits, hot boxes, and steam rooms or saunas when used in a manner specifically for dehydration, but these regulations are hard to monitor when wrestlers are away from the team-affiliated facilities.

Although the NCAA implemented a set of checks and balances to limit drastic weight loss, wrestlers still find ways to surpass the tests and lose the weight necessary to gain the competitive advantage. The temptation to bypass the tests and remain eligible to compete is apparent when typing in “wrestling hydration test” into Google, and the third suggestion in the search bar adds “cheat” onto the inquiry.

“Officials have tried to do something, but a lot of people cheat the system,” Sheptock said. “Guys will take a water pill. Trainers aren’t looking, and then guys put water in their cup.”

The new rules don’t change the mentality of the wrestling community as a whole and athletes will always be working to wrestle people that may be weaker than them.

“There’s only so much you can regulate,” Salvo said. “You’re not going to be able to convince kids to stop cutting weight. Cutting weight will give you a competitive advantage over the person who doesn’t cut weight. It’s just the nature of the sport.”

Wrestling has many other issues than just drastic weight loss, such as cauliflower ear, skin infections, and physical breakdowns of the body. However, the sport can’t progress without first addressing the unhealthy weight shifts that put the sports youth at risk.

Maryland Men’s Soccer Wins National Title in 1968

Posted on May 12, 2014 Updated on May 25, 2014

Maryland Men’s Soccer Wins National Title in 1968

By Samantha Medney

After two minutes passed in the second overtime, Rocco Morelli took the ball, made a move around the defender, and booted it into the goal. It was his fourth tally of the match against San Jose State and the one that brought the Maryland Terrapins into their first NCAA championship game.

The 1968 Maryland booters – the Terrapin soccer team – became co-national champions with the Michigan State Spartans after a difficult journey and undefeated season (14-0-1). They were the only major college team to go undefeated, and their only tie came in the finals against the Spartans.

Maryland was led by head coach Doyle Royal and two assistant coaches Ron Hoch and Ray Buckley. The Terps Co-captains for the 1968 season were Giancarlo Brandoni and Alvaro Bittencourt.

Maryland’s biggest soccer rivals at the time were the Navy Midshipmen. The Terps had not won against the Middies since 1962, so they were dedicated to training hard.

Hoch conditioned the team by assigning extra wind sprints. The team also competed in practices as if they were games, battling to be ready for their October 24th match up.

In front of a 1,000 fans, the Terps beat the Middies 2-1 with a game-winning goal by Frank Schoon. Celebrating with his teammates, Schoon said, “That has to be the worst game I’ve ever played. I’m sure glad I put that shot in.”

Regardless of the way they accomplished it, the Terps had a winning trend, especially in the ACC.

From 1953 until 1968, Maryland never lost an ACC game under Royal.

The Booters solidified this ACC dominance — and a bid to the NCAA tournament — in 1968 when they beat Duke and North Carolina back-to-back at home. Playing the Blue Devils was a warm up for the Tar Heels, as the Terps beat the Blue Devils 4-0.

Duke goalkeeper David Lewis was impressed by Maryland’s performance.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had so many shots come at me so hard,” Lewis said. “The Maryland players kept the pressure on all time – the ball was always in our territory. Maryland is by far the toughest team I’ve ever played against.” (1968 Diamondback)

The Terps earned their title as the number one team in the South following their 3-1 victory over North Carolina, while also giving Royal his best record. His 1957 team went undefeated as well, but they only had 10 games in their schedule.

Maryland continued to lead the ACC and displayed this when they won the ACC Championship three out of their last four years in the conference.

“Each ACC title is special in its own way but this year’s championship certainly will hold a special place in my heart,” said Sasho Cirovski, the Maryland men’s soccer coach since 1993. “To beat Virginia in the championship game in front of a  raucous Maryland crowd and bring home the ACC trophy one last time to College Park is something I, along with our players and staff, will treasure forever.”

Cirovski will continue t0 coach the Terps in 2014 as Maryland joins the Big Ten.

The Big Ten move was making B1G headlines, just as the 1968 Maryland men’s soccer beat reporter wrote about for the team and their games for the Diamondback. Stan Squillace, the reporter, also wrote about what happened off the pitch. This was especially notable when Squillace reported on Morelli’s lack of love after the Terps’ 10-1 win over George Washington.

“I’ve been down here a month from New York and haven’t been out on a date,” Morelli said. “The girls don’t know what a great guy I am.”

This was a little gem from the Italian native. (Booters top GW, October 14, 1968)

When the team went into the NCAA tournament, the Diamondback’s focus returned to the action on the pitch

As the 1968 number one team in the South, Maryland had a first round bye. Their first game would be home against the St. Louis Billikens, the other co-champions of the 1967 season along with Michigan State. While they were playing at home, they were not playing on their normal soccer pitch.

Their usual location for play was muddy, so they used Byrd stadium. This was the first time soccer was played in the football stadium.

The move to Byrd brought record-breaking numbers for the Terps, as 8,500 people watched Maryland top the St. Louis 3-1, November 22. The Billikens were undefeated leading up to this game.

The 2013 season brought record breaking numbers as well, as 8,397 fans came out to cheer on the Maryland as they defeated Duke 3-1, September 6. This night also brought the breaking of two rows of bleachers underneath the Crew’s feet, denoting that the night the Maryland Crew broke multiple things at Ludwig Field.

The Crew was created September 5, 2003 by Mike “Stro” Mastrantuono and friends before their home-opener against UCLA. The Crew attends all Maryland men’s soccer games, including the 2012 and 2013 College Cups in Alabama and Pennsylvania, respectively.

Former Terp Taylor Kemp expressed his gratitude for the Crew’s dedication and passion for the team before Maryland played UCLA in 2012. “They’re unbelievable,” Kemp said. “They’re the best fans in the country, and they help us in every way during the games. They give us energy. They give us spirit. They’re unbelievable, and we’re so lucky to have them.”

Following the Booters’ victory over the Billikens, the Terps played the Hartwick Warriors. With their 2-1 win over the Warriors, the Terps were off to Atlanta, G.A.

Just like it is played today in the College Cup, the two semifinal games are played on a neutral site. The 1968 tournament was held in Atlanta, GA, and was the first time no consolation game would be played for third place. This was due to previous injuries created by teams being upset and not playing proper soccer. They found it more beneficial to have the two semifinals and one championship game.

When Morelli scored his fourth goal of the game against San Jose State, he prevented the game from being awarded to his opponents, but not for the reason current soccer fans would assume. In 1968, when a tied game needs to given a victor, and overtimes have already been played, the team with the most corner kicks wins.

Corner kicks. It does not go into penalty kicks, or continue with another overtime, which does not have any true representation of a teams’ playing ability.

In the 1968 NCAA semifinals, the California team was leading the Maryland one 10 corner kicks to one, so they would have won without Morelli’s goal.

Following this exciting win for the Terrapins, they were off to the finals to meet the Spartans. This game was more anti-climactic as the two teams battled into overtime tied at 2-2, and the game finished with that same result. Unlike current rules, there were no penalty kick shoot outs to determine the victor. They also did not use the corner kick strategy for the finals, so Maryland and Michigan State became co-champions.

While this was Maryland’s first NCAA championship trophy, this was not their first national title. In 1947, just one year after their varsity soccer program was created, the Terps were ranked number one on the national stage, but as the NCAA tournament was created in 1959, they did not have the opportunity to compete for the NCAA Championship. It is believed they would have earned the NCAA Championship title if it had existed. (Maryland men’s soccer media guide, 1969)

Maryland would go on to win two more NCAA championships under Cirovski. He won his first NCAA title in 2005 and again three years later in 2008.

When asked about both of these championships, Cirovski said, “It’s like comparing my children. They are both wonderful and magical in their own ways. We have established a program that battles for national championships each and every season and that is the thing I am most proud of.”

U.S. Men’s National Team members Omar Gonzalez and Graham Zusi were both on the 2008 National Championship team. Zusi already had a championship ring as he was also on the 2005 roster.

“It means the world to me to see players move on from the program and have success on the national level. It’s a great source of pride. I’m excited to follow the World Cup this summer with the potential of four Terps making the US roster.”

The 1968 team produced two first team All-Americans: Brandoni at center halfback and Mario Jelencovich in the net. In addition to being an All-American, Jelencovich won the tournament’s most outstanding defensive player.

The Terps had honors beyond these two players, as Morelli was on the second team All-American. Six Terps made the All-ACC first team: Bittencourt, Brandoni, Jelencovich, Morelli, Larry Ruhs, and Melih Sensoy.

Morelli lead the team with 15 goals. Behind him Jerry Chareczko and Ruhs, the second and third top scorers, respectively. Ruhs led the team in assists.

http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=208125696

With the B1G move, the Terps look to add a fourth national title to their collection.

Maryland Students Make Slam DUNK for Fifth & Sixth Graders

Posted on May 11, 2014 Updated on May 11, 2014

Maryland Students Make Slam DUNK for Fifth & Sixth Graders

By Samantha Medney

In blue jeans and glasses, with a royal blue pinny over a black shirt, sixth-grader Jua McNeill jumped up during the opening tip and hit it backwards into his teammate’s hands.

The twelve-year-old would go on to score the winning basket for the University Park Bulldogs in the Armory, Sunday afternoon.

The University of Maryland welcomed fifth and sixth graders and their families on Mother’s Day to participate in DUNK — Dedicated Undergrads Nurturing Kids.

DUNK was a year-long co-ed basketball program created by Hanania Falik in 2013, where Maryland students volunteered weekly in local elementary schools to teach the kids how to play basketball as well as how to work together and build friendships.

“People always say, ‘you can help the area that’s closest to you, you don’t need to go that far,” Falik said. “We were fortunate enough to find local elementary schools that were willing and accepting to let have us come in and help them out.”

The three elementary schools the 15 Maryland student volunteered at were: Bladensburg, University park, and Paint Branch.

Falik said his favorite part of the program was “playing basketball with the kids and finding a volunteering activity that I care about and really enjoy doing.” He said going every week was a great way to make a positive impact on the kids.

Students built strong friendships out of this program. One of the Paint Branch coaches: Chris Pellegrino said two of the players never met each other in class, but after playing together they find time during the week to practice together.

Many of the students practiced beyond the hour sessions the DUNK program offered. Jua enjoyed learning how to improve his basketball skills, especially 3-pointers, so he would spend time after practice working on that shot.

“I always like to practice 3-pointers because it’s the hardest shot, so you need to be good at those,” Jua said.

Jua made two 3-pointers during the tournament, each time to a rousing applause and looks of pride from the coaches and relatives.

The families appreciated the program and saw success stemming from the kids involvement.

“I think it’s a really good way to meet to people and experience how to play basketball in a more structured way,” Jua’s older sister Trinity said. “To be able to learn how to play with other people, learn what he needs to work on by himself, or when me and him are playing together.”

They kept track of the score during the game, but after the final buzzer rang, they erased them from the scoreboard and all numbers were forgotten. They wanted it to be competitive without being discouraging.

Each participating student received a certificate of completion and a DUNK trophy.

“I feel like we’re encouraging them to get out, get active, and work together,” Pellegrino

When asked what he would like to say to the students he responded, “don’t give up on your dreams, teamwork is key. That’s what we try to stress here, and reach for the stars.”

Proud Past — Fearless Future?

Posted on April 30, 2014

Proud Past — Fearless Future?

By Samantha Medney

When the Maryland Athletics program launched their, “Proud Past — Fearless Future” campaign in the Fall of 2013, they could not anticipate one of their poster childs would be leaving the program after his junior year.

Nick Faust is leaving Maryland. The guy that everyone complained took too many unnecessary shots, but also made some key plays on defense. Will his absence be an issue for the Terrapins?

Most likely, yes. He is still growing as a player and has put up some significant numbers in his last season at Maryland.

The 6’6’’ junior averaged 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. His assist to turnover ratio was at  1.11, so he was creating more opportunities than losing them.

Joining Faust in transferring are Roddy Peters and Shaq Cleare.  Their transfers continue the streak of having a very fluid team, as John Auslander was the solo senior in the class of 2014, which should have included other seniors: Hawk Paulson, Pe’Shon Howard, Terrell Stoglin, Mychal Parker, and Ashton Panky, who have all left the team in the past three years.

Terrapins Men’s Lacrosse Podcast 5th Edition

Posted on April 29, 2014 Updated on April 29, 2014

The Diamondback’s Daniel Popper and WMUC’s Dan Aburn discuss the Terps’ ACC semifinal loss to Notre Dame in Chester, Pa.

Solomon, Holliday, Driesell Inducted Into DC Sports Hall of Fame

Posted on April 21, 2014 Updated on April 27, 2014

Solomon, Holliday, Driesell Inducted Into DC Sports Hall of Fame

By Dan Servodidio

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — George Solomon, the director of the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, headlines a list of seven new members to be inducted into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Solomon, a Merrill College teacher since 2003, will be joined by Charles “Lefty” Driesell, Johnny Holliday, Chris Weller, Olaf “Olie” Kolzig, Theodore N. Lerner and Michael Weiss during an induction ceremony that will take place on-field prior to this Sunday’s Washington Nationals-San Diego Padres baseball game at Nationals Park.

George Solomon is being honored for his many contributions and accomplishments at the Washington Post, where he spent 29 years as the assistant managing editor for sports. Under Solomon’s directorship in 2011, the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism was established as a platform for UMD journalism students to participate in and develop the skills they need to succeed in the current sports media world.

Charles “Lefty” Driesell, the former Maryland men’s basketball coach from 1969 to 1986, had a .686 winning percentage with the Terps – the highest among all eight coaches to ever come through College Park. Under his guidance, Driesell helped the Terps reach five Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights while coaching three first team All-Americans during his tenure (John Lucas, 1975 and 1976; Albert King, 1980; Len Bias, 1986). The 82-year-old is responsible for starting the now nationwide tradition of Midnight Madness when he sent his team out on a one-mile run at 12:03 a.m. on October 15, 1971 – the first day teams were allowed to practice under NCAA rules.

Johnny Holliday has been the voice of Maryland football and basketball since 1979 – a position he still holds today as the play-by-play radio broadcaster for both teams. The 76-year-old has broadcasted over 1,200 Terrapin games, including Maryland’s 2002 National Championship victory over Indiana. He also has been hosting MASN’s pre- and post game shows for the Washington Nationals since 2008.

Chris Weller led the Lady Terps for 27 seasons as Maryland’s women’s basketball coach from 1975 to 2002. During her tenure, the Lady Terps won 499 games with a .636 winning percentage, including appearances in three Final Fours, eight Elite Eights and 10 Sweet 16s. As a 1966 Maryland graduate, Weller was also four-year varsity letter-winner in basketball.

Olaf “Olie” Kolzig, a former Washington Capitals goalie, played his entire 14-year career with the Caps except for eight games in 2009 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kolzig, whose career ran from 1989 to 2009, holds a number of Capitals records for goaltenders, most notably most career games played (711), most career wins (303), most career shutouts (35), highest save percentage in a season (.920 in 1998), and most career playoffs wins (20).

Theodore N. Lerner is the managing principal owner of the Washington Nationals, a team the Lerner family bought from Major League Baseball in 2006. Lerner, the founder of the real estate company Lerner Enterprises, and his family are also partners in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Capitals, Washington Mystics, Washington Wizards, and Verizon Center. Lerner, 88, received a law degree from the George Washington University Law School in 1949 and currently resides in Chevy Chase, Md.

Michael Weiss, a Washington, DC native, is a former professional and competitive figure skater who is a three-time national champion (1999, 2000, 2003), a two-time World bronze medalist (1999, 2000) and a two-time Olympic team member (1998, 2002). Weiss is the only skater to perform the Tornado, a backflip with a full twist, and is believed to be the first American to land a quadruple toe loop in competition.

The seven-member Hall of Fame class will join a prestigious group of previous inductees, including Walter Johnson, Sammy Baugh, Shirley Povich, James Brown, Sonny Jurgensen, Harmon Killebrew, Sugar Ray Leonard, Vince Lombardi, Michael Wilbon and Wes Unseld.

The co-chairs of the Hall of Fame are Charlie Brotman, founder/CEO of Brotman-Winter-Fried, and Comcast SportsNEt’s Andy Ockershausen. They will honor the above inductees by adding their names to large Hall of Fame display at Nationals Park as well as a Hall plaque commemorating their induction.

“As a native Washingtonian, and a huge sports fan, it is a thrill to induct this new class of honorees into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame,” said Brotman, a Hall member himself. “We now have more than 100 members in this exclusive club, all of whom have helped further the high standards of athletics in the greater Washington community.”

Terrapin Profiles

Posted on April 21, 2014 Updated on April 28, 2014

Click the pictures below to read profiles of current and former Maryland athletes, from a variety of sports.

For junior Maxine Fluharty field hockey is more than just a sport. Uniquely, the game has been a vehicle to travel the world and expand her horizons. The midfielder has traveled to seven different countries over her career including Holland, Uruguay, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Mexico and Great Britain to participate in a number of tournaments with both American and foreign competitors. “It just opens you up to a different side of the game that I can adapt into my own and create my own style,” Fluharty told me of her experience playing abroad. Before she ventured overseas, Fluharty started in her mother’s backpack as a young girl as she paced the field coaching youth field hockey players allowing the Millsboro, Del., native to gain an affinity for the sport from the get-go. “I started playing when I was about four years old,” Fluharty said. “I picked up a stick as soon as I could walk and was always around my mom while she was coaching.” An established overseas career before the age of 15 led Fluharty to become a standout during her time at Sussex Technical High School. Along with becoming the leader in assists during her junior year of high school with 61 total assists, Fluharty racked up 270 goals for the school’s lacrosse team. Freshman year of college presented a challenge for Fluharty, as it does for most 18-year-olds who are transitioning to a new lifestyle away from the comfortable confines of parents, siblings and familiar faces, which temporarily impaired her ability to keep things light-hearted. “As soon as I was able to say ‘well this is field hockey time and this is school time, then I could have that positive attitude every time I step on the field,” she said. A blend of optimism and passion seen within Fluharty’s field hockey game has transferred smoothly into her second love: psychology. Interested in pursuing a career in addiction therapy, the above assets have helped the midfielder harness a new set of skills in a seemingly vastly different field. In the mean time with a bright future to look forward to, Fluharty is currently focusing more on short term goals, applying all of her energy to prepare for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. “My class in particular, I think we work extremely well together even though we have completely different styles,” Fluharty explained. “Being the senior class now I think we’re all good role models for the rest of the team.” Knowing as a leader she has girls to guide and steer in the right direction, Fluharty says she reminds herself why she loves to play the game day in and day out. “I play for the little girl in me to always remind me to have fun and keep smiling.” By Allie Kessel

Five years at Maryland. Four straight trips to the National Championship Game. Three national titles, two of them in back-to-back seasons as a starter. One player, standing between the goalposts, making sure nobody could score on her team. As the goalkeeper for the Maryland Women’s Field Hockey team, Melissa Vassalotti was on the field for two dominant seasons, and two thrilling championship games, with the Terrapins. Yet Vassalotti wasn’t always thrilled about her role as the last line of defense on the team. “I did not want to be goalkeeper, I did not want to put on all that equipment’” Vassoletti said laughing as she thought back to her first days on a hockey field in her first year of high school. “They asked all the freshman at the practice to play goalie, and nobody was interested.” She reluctantly agreed to try it out–even with all the extra equipment- and hasn’t played a different position since. Melissa was born and raised in Philadelphia and attended Saint Basil Academy, an all-girls Catholic school just north of the city. Her freshman year, she tried out for field hockey, and quickly grew enthralled by the sport. Within a couple years she was attracting the eyes of Division 1 field hockey programs from across the country. “I wanted to win a national championship, and Maryland was the best team,” she explained. At that point the Maryland was coming off two straight national titles, the team’s first since 1999. A field hockey roster typically has three goalkeepers. Coming in as a freshman, a players hopes to be in the starting lineup for two or three seasons. Vassalotti started every ACC and playoff game her junior and senior years, racking up 37 career starts in total. During those two seasons the Terrpains would go 40-6 en route to two straight national titles. Both title games were dramatic, overtime wins over North Carolina. In 2010 it took two overtime periods for Maryland to put away the Tarheels. Playing sudden death hockey meant the Vassalotti had to be perfect to keep her team alive. In 2011 Vassalotti matched her career high of 8 saves in the finals against North Carolina, her last game for Maryland. She had previously set the mark in a double-overtime win against Virginia during her junior season. “My Junior year I was still learning all the ropes, but by [2011] I was more confident in my play. I had faced all of the teams we were playing before. Being out there as a major contributor in such an exciting game was awesome.” After ending her 32-4 collegiate career as a starter on a triumphant note, Vassalotti was invited to train with the U.S. National team in California. By Nicholas Duchesne

The five-year-old was lying limp in the street, tears rushing down his face as his horrified cousin looked on. A friendly race home from the bus stop had gone terribly wrong, and the car that smashed Kerry McCoy had driven away from the scene. “It looked like my cousin jumped over the street,” McCoy said. “And they were like ‘No, that was you getting thrown through the air.’ I was upside down.” McCoy spent the next eight weeks in the hospital, healing a multitude of broken bones. But he didn’t dwell on spending his summer cooped up in a hospital room, unable to play in the warm weather. Rather, he savored the chance to lie in bed all day, watching television and drinking ginger ale. He said he was “in heaven.” “I remember thinking it was the coolest thing,” McCoy said. “I had this little buzzer, and at any time I could buzz it and a nurse would come.” Throughout his life, the Terrapins wrestling coach has made a habit of spinning negatives into positives. Never one to engage in self-pity, he has regularly redefined seemingly impossible tasks as challenges, opportunities for growth. He didn’t begin wrestling until the seventh-grade, much later than some of his peers. Inexperienced and clumsy, McCoy’s coach enlisted him to wrestle teammates that were having bad days. Unbeknownst to McCoy, he was known as the “confidence builder.” When he graduated from Longwood High School in Middle Island, New York five years later, McCoy had more then shed that reputation. A 1992 state wrestling championship later, he was headed to Penn State on a wrestling scholarship. He won two NCAA Championships with the Nittany Lions, and later was a two-time Olympian. When he finally stepped onto the mat in Sydney, Australia for the 2000 Olympic Games, McCoy was achieving a dream that seamed nearly impossible when he first entered a wrestling room. “No one can ever take that away that I was there,” McCoy said. But on Feb. 12, 2013, the International Olympic Committee squashed that dream for future wrestlers, eliminating the sport from the Olympics. McCoy spent the next seven months working with The Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling. For the first time in his life, McCoy was faced with a task that might have been too daunting to overcome. “I think it would have really destroyed wrestling as a whole,” McCoy said. By Joshua Needelman

If you see junior Trey Sherman in the classroom at the University of Maryland, you’ll find him intently listening to his professor, jotting down notes in a calm manner. But if you see him outside of the classroom and at the track, he is everything but calm. Sherman is a sprinter for the University of Maryland, sprinting in the 100 and the 400, and, if needed, the 4 by 4 relay. Sherman is originally from Cincinnati, but runs for Maryland because his parents recently moved to the area. Sherman attended St. Xavier High School, where he played football and ran track. His high school wasn’t really that great at track when he first started, but in his junior year, he and a small nucleus of guys began to form a respectable relay in his junior year. But that junior year, Sherman didn’t make it to the State Finals because of one critical mistake. “We had a really good seed, a really fast time,” Sherman said. “But the baton got dropped. Right before I even got to run. I went home, just really pissed off.” Sherman’s senior year was a little bit different. Sherman didn’t place individually, but his relay team finished third in the State Finals, and he was named runner of the year for the Greater Catholic league. He applied to the University of Maryland, and sent his times to Head Coach Andrew Valmon. Valmon allowed him to walk on, but didn’t give Sherman a scholarship. Sherman joined the team, and by the next year had a partial scholarship. Sherman is a journalism major, and while he would love to continue his track career beyond college, it may be pretty hard to do. “I’ve looked at some of the statistics and some of the times,” Sherman said with a laugh. “Based on the times I’m running compared to what pros are running, it’s not that likely.” So instead, Sherman is considering a job in production within a TV station. Sherman says it is hard to balance both school and sports, but feels that this year, he is doing the best he’s done with both track and journalism. For Sherman personally, he’s looking to improve on his best times. In the 200, Sherman’s best time is 22 seconds, and his best 100 time is 10.9 seconds. “That’s one of my goals, to score in the ACC (a score is a point when you finish in the top eight in a race),” Sherman said. “Before we leave the ACC, that’s definitely one of my goals.” While Sherman’s time, and Maryland’s time, in the ACC is dwindling down, Sherman and the rest of the Terrapins Track Team are working hard to go out strong. By Tommy Chalk

Gallery by Nicholas Duchesne