Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/797655
erence. Whatever I can do to make the team better." Having graduated fifth-year senior Brian Gaia, the only Nittany Lion of- fensive lineman to start all 14 games at the same position last season, Penn State has one definite vacancy to fill on its offensive front. Bates said he expects there to be a heated battle for the spot this spring. Competitors for the starting nod could include Connor McGovern, who played in 13 games and started nine at right guard as a true fresh- man, and Michal Menet, a former four-star prospect who spent the year redshirting. Whether or not the staff would want to uproot Bates re- mains to be seen. Early enrollee Mike Miranda also figures to make a push at the position. Asked about Miranda's acclimation process, Bates said he was impressed with the freshman's performance in strength and conditioning drills. The early enrollees "come in dur- ing a hard time in winter workouts," he said. "Winter workouts aren't ex- actly an easy thing for us, and they jump right into winter workouts. At my position group, we have Mike Miranda. He's doing a good job right now hanging in there. Coming in here, [he's having to adapt to a] new system, and it's hard to learn when you first get here. But he's getting the hang of things and he's going to be a good player." Regardless of who eventually ends up filling the starting center role, Bates said that player will have a lot of responsibility in PSU's offense. "Those are some big shoes. Brian was a hard-nosed, tough guy, and you don't see a lot of people like him come around often," Bates said. "It's going to be a hard position to fill. You have to make all the calls on the line, you have to make it known who the Mike [linebacker] is, who everybody is, what the front is. It's a tough po- sition, but whoever plays that posi- tion next year, I'm sure they're going to do a really good job." ■ Pop music blared in the Lasch Building auditorium as some of the year's most special guests filtered in through a side door. With more than 50 players and dozens of additional staff and support person- nel on hand to play host, the Nittany Lion football program welcomed ap- proximately 20 THON Explorers and their families Feb. 18 for a wish-fulfilling afternoon. On this day, with winter workouts well under way and the start of spring practice rapidly approaching, the business of football took a backseat to Candy Land-themed hallways, human bowling, putt-putt and ball pits. And, not least of all, in the Lions' sparkling new locker room, arguably the day's biggest attraction: an ice cream social. Nittany Lion players paired up to serve as tour guides for children and their families who have been affected by can- cer. And as often proves to be the case in this annual tradition, the players them- selves left the afternoon feeling re- warded. "It's awesome," said redshirt sopho- more offensive lineman Ryan Bates. "Just seeing smiles on their face, seeing the struggles they go through, you don't know how lucky you have it sometimes. "It's so much fun, watching them run around in the weight room lifting weights, running around and having a good time, it's awesome." Encouraged by support personnel to participate in Penn State's university- wide, student-run philanthropic effort benefiting area children and their fami- lies battling pediatric cancer, nearly everyone associated with the program volunteered in some capacity. Offensive lineman Charlie Shuman P H I L A N T H R O P Y Student-athlete community plays big role in THON's success HIGH FIVE Saquon Barkley greets Leila Testa during her visit to the Lasch Building as part of the THON Explorers program. Photo by Antonella Crescimbeni