Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/847744
WOMEN'S LACROSSE Nittany Lions third in final coaches poll On the heels of its second consecutive run to the NCAA semi9nals, Penn State 9nished the season ranked third in the 9nal IWLCA Division I coaches poll. Eventual national champion Maryland defeated the Nittany Lions, 20-10, May 26 in Foxborough, Mass. Penn State 9n- ished its season with a 17-4 overall record. Its 17 victories were tied for the second-most in the program's history and were the most wins in a single sea- son since it went 19-1 in 1989. Penn State received 334 points from the 20-member voting panel, eight points more than Stony Brook, which 9nished the season ranked fourth. The Terrapins were a unanimous No. 1 selec- tion a:er 9nishing the season 23-0 and winning their 14th national title, while Boston College concluded the season ranked No. 2 a:er entering the tourna- ment unranked. The Eagles dropped a 16-13 decision to the Terps in the title game and 9nished the season at 17-7. Defending national champion North Carolina rounded out the top 9ve a:er a 17-3 season. Led by a trio of IWLCA All-Americans and 9ve All-Big Ten selections, Penn State set single-season records for points (427) and goals (303) in 2017. Sen- ior Steph Lazo led the Big Ten in points (89) and assists (43) and was named Penn State's 9rst 9rst-team All-Ameri- can in 13 years. Sophomore Madison Carter, a second- team All-American, 9nished second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation with 70 goals. She became only the fourth Nittany Lion to register 70 or more goals in a season and the 9rst since Tami Wor- ley in 1989. MEN'S GOLF PSU finishes 24th at NCAA tournament Penn State advanced four more posi- tions during the last day of the NCAA championships, shooting an 8-over 296 on May 28 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. The Nittany Lions were the lowest- seeded squad in the 30-team NCAA 9eld, and the No. 48 overall seed head- ing into NCAA regionals, and tied Lip- scomb for 24th place to 9nish ahead of 9ve higher-seeded teams. The Nittany Lions 9nished with a 27-over 891 over the three rounds. All 9ve of Penn State's NCAA champi- onship participants are slated to return for the 2017-18 season (one junior, two sophomores, two freshmen). Freshman Ryan Davis led the Nittany Lions on the 9nal day of the tournament with his second consecutive 1-under 71. Davis, who posted four birdies on day three, led the team with a three-round score of 2-over 218 (76-71-71). ■ N O T E B O O K the 800, Korir and his UTEP teammate Michael Saruni were battling for first place, and then suddenly Korir acciden- tally tripped Saruni. Saruni then stum- bled onto the track and went from first to last place. "The position [Harris] was in when the UTEP guys tripped each other was the right place at the right time," Gondak said. "It kind of cleared an open path for him to move to the front and to be able to challenge for the win." Said Harris, "I saw an opening, and I thought this must be opening for a rea- son." Harris, who generally starts races to- ward the middle of the pack and gets stronger as he goes on, made a push for first place, but it was too late. Korir had already established enough of a lead down the homestretch. "I'm confident in my speed," Harris said. "But he's also super-fast. I did be- lieve in myself, but I just didn't have it." Korir won in 1:45.03, with Harris just behind in 1:45.40. "I really wanted that win," Harris said. "But I'm happy with second." He maintained his momentum at the USATF championships two weeks later in Sacramento, Calif., turning in a personal- best time of 1:44.53 to finish second be- hind Nike-affiliated runner Donavan Brazier. Harris's reward: a trip to London for the world championships. The prelim- inaries in the 800 are set for Aug. 5. ■