Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
A P R I L 2 0 2 2 15 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M PENN STATE'S TOP PERFORMERS Toby Ezeonu — Men's Volleyball Ezeonu has been a revelation for the second-ranked Nit- tany Lions this season. Through 18 matches, the sophomore middle blocker was third on the team in kills with 122 and had compiled a scorching-hot .518 hitting percentage to rank second in the nation in that category. On March 14, he was named Defensive Player of the Week in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Penn State earned back-to-back victories over 13th-ranked Ohio State that week, and Ezeonu totaled seven blocks. The North Brunswick, N.J., native also shined on offense, finishing the two matches with 18 kills and a .640 hitting percentage with just two hit- ting errors. Mallory Kauffman — Women's Track and Field The junior from Millerstown, Pa., was named Mid-At- lantic Region Field Athlete of the Year in March by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Kauffman enjoyed an outstanding indoor season in which she earned second-team All-America honors, finishing 10th in the shot put at the NCAA Championships with a throw of 16.95 meters March 12 in Birmingham, Ala. Prior to that event, at the Penn State Tune Up on Feb. 18 at the Multi- Sport Facility, she recorded a throw of 17.19 meters, third-best in school his- tory. Kauffman came to Penn State in 2019 after winning state championships in both the discus and shot put at Greenwood High as a senior. Bailey Parshall — So ball Parshall already had hurled a perfect game this season, but it wasn't until she put together a 4-0 stretch in mid- March that she was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. During a five-day span beginning March 16, the senior from Belle Vernon, Pa., earned wins against Pitt, Cornell and Rider. In 27 innings of work in those four games (she pitched twice against Rider), Parshall allowed only seven hits and no runs, and she struck out 27 batters. Through Penn State's first 27 games this season, she had compiled a 10-3 record with a 1.44 era in 97 1 ⁄3 innings. Her Pitcher of the Week award marked the first time in two years that a PSU player received one of the league's weekly honors. That previous award-winning player was also Bailey Parshall. The last time a Penn State player other than Parshall was honored was 2016. Clayton Phillips — Men's Ice Hockey After three seasons with the Nittany Lions, Phillips signed an amateur tryout agreement in March with the Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Penguins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Phillips, a 6-foot, 195-pound defenseman from Edina, Minn., had been cho- sen by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2017 draft but ended up enrolling at Minnesota and later transferring to Penn State. He went on to appear in 79 games for the Nittany Lions, totaling 10 goals in his career, the sixth-highest total by a defenseman in the program's history. Five of those goals and 12 of his 18 career assists came during his recently con- cluded super senior season. Coach Guy Gadowsky called Phillips "an amazing asset to our program these past three seasons." — Matt Herb Betancourt Set To Join Penn State Wrestling Team The Penn State wrestling team made a trans- fer portal splash just days after winning the NCAA championship. Former Pennsylvania state champion Will Be- tancourt announced on social media March 22 that he plans to continue his career at Penn State after previous stops at Lock Haven and Ohio State. While 133 pounds was his weight class with the Buckeyes, Betancourt will fight for a spot at 125 for head coach Cael Sanderson's team. He is expected to be immediately eligible to compete during the 2022-2023 season. "I loved the environment and the people [at Ohio State], but in order for me to reach my goals, I felt like I needed to be somewhere else and at a better weight class for me to compete, which was at 125," Betancourt said. A three-time Class AAA place-winner and gold medalist as a senior, Betancourt signed with Lock Haven out of Manheim Central High in Novem- ber 2019. However, he never wrestled for the school and transferred to Ohio State before the 2021 season started. As a Buckeye, he partici- pated mostly in tournaments and compiled a 15-6 record in 2021, per WrestleStat. He dropped his two dual meet opportunities of the year, losing by major decision to Dylan Ragusin of Michigan and by technical fall to Ravon Foley of Michigan State. Betancourt told BWI that he enjoyed his time in Columbus. But, after a conversation with his family, he realized 125 was his best weight class. He said it's where he feels best and is also closer to the 57 kilograms (125.6 pounds) at which he competes for the Puerto Rico national team. A Pennsylvania native, Betancourt said he al- ways dreamed about competing in a blue and white singlet. "I look at it as a great blessing and great op- portunity," he said. "Some of the best wrestlers in the world are training there. I've always been close with [133-pounder] Roman Bravo-Young, [125-pounder] Gary Steen, [184-pounder] Aaron Brooks — guys that I've looked up to since I was younger. "Then, just like the environment and the cul- ture, I feel like just getting there, and possibly having an impact right away on the team and setting the tone right away at 125, that's my goal. I want to go in there and make an impact at 125 and be that guy." Betancourt plans to enroll at Penn State for the first summer semester. — Greg Pickel