The Penn State Sports Newswire is brought to you twice a month as a service of Intercollegiate Athletics' Sports Information Department. Please send comments and questions to .

(TRIVIA TEASER: Can you name the student-athlete whose father was the quarterback of the last Ohio State football team to win a National Championship (in 1968) and later in the NFL with both the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills? Answer at the end of this Sports Newswire.)

ANOTHER REASON TO BE PENN STATE PROUD: Former women's swimming coach Bob Krimmel recently was inducted into the Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame. Now an assistant athletic director, Krimmel guided the women's program for 17 years, posting a dual meet record of 162-38-1. His swimmers captured seven individual conference titles and in 1996-97 were ranked first in the nation academically among Division 1 swimming programs.

LION SIGHTING: Former All-America quarterback Todd Blackledge, now a color commentator for CBS Television Sports, is scheduled to make an appearance at the United Sports Training Center in Downington, Pa., on Saturday, April 22, at 6 p.m. Blackledge's visit will benefit the START Foundation, a Chester County-based organization designed to target local athletes and help them achieve their sports goals and dreams. For information, go to http:www.go2ustc.com.

 

1. LADY LIONS ADVANCE TO KANSAS CITY AND NCAA SWEET 16:

Coach Rene Portland's Lady Lion basketball team disposed of Auburn 75-69 in an NCAA Second Round game Sunday and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the women's basketball tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The Lady Lions will play Iowa State, which defeated Illinois 79-68 in the Midwest Regional. Behind by seven points in the second half, the Lady Lions rallied to pulled out the victory, their 28th of the season in 32 outings. Lisa Shepard showed the way with 19 points. Maren Walseth added 17 and Andrea Garner pitched in with a double-double of 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. The Penn State-Iowa State game will tip-off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern and will be televised by EPSN2. For more on this story go to: http://www.psu.edu/sports.

2. NITTANY LIONS ADVANCE IN NIT WITH THRILLING WIN OVER SIENA:

In what will go down as one of the most thrilling games in Penn State basketball history, the Nittany Lions outgunned Siena 105-103 to advance to the third round of the National Invitation Tournament. Penn State will entertain Kent State (23-7) Wednesday night in the Bryce Jordan Center for the right to advance to the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. The game will be telecast by ESPN and will tip-off at 7 p.m.

Monday's Siena game was the first time in Penn State history that two teams eclipsed 100 points in the same contest. Penn State shot 49 free throws in the fast-paced game and made 42. Joe Crispin had 28 points to lead the Lions while Jarrett Stephens pitched in 22 and Jon Crispin 17. For more on this story, go to: http://www.psu.edu.

3. JEREMY HUNTER WINS NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP: After losing in the NCAA Final a year ago and the Big Ten Final this year, Jeremy Hunter chased all of his past demons by defeating Steve Garland of Virginia 7-3 for the NCAA 125-pound title in the National Finals at St. Louis Saturday night. "Oh, it feels great," Hunter said. "I was so close last year. Losing at home wasn't very nice, but this is really great. It pretty much motivated me all year, losing last year. You get that feeling that you're that close. You work all those years to win this tournament." Ross Thatcher of the Nittany Lions placed sixth at 197 pounds to earn All-America honors. The Nittany Lions wound up in a 16th place tie with Arizona State in the team standings. For more on this story, go to: http://www.psu.edu/sports.

4. NIKKI SMITH POSTS 10.0 ON BEAM IN BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: Penn State senior Nikki Smith scored a perfect 10.0 on the balance beam as Penn State finished second to Michigan in the 2000 Big Ten Women's Gymnastics this past weekend in Rec Hall. The perfect score was the first of Smith's Penn State career and the first on the balance beam in the Big Ten Tournament since the event started in 1982. "I was trying not to be as nervous. It's the perfect event to screw up," Smith said. "I had a horrible warmup. I was falling all over the place."

5. LADY LION GYMNASTS ARE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: As for most freshmen, it is a big adjustment to be on your own in a new place, but these three women are in a whole different country. This year, the women's Penn State gymnastics team has three new athletes who are former members of the Canadian team. They all came here for the first time in August to live for their next four years of college. They all said in unison, "I love Penn State." For more on this story, go to http://www.psu.edu/sports

6. NACDA SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDENT ATHLETIC TRAINER: One of the little-known benefits of an NCAA Championship is the academic scholarship such an accomplishment creates for a non-student who works in a support capacity. Lauren Haynie, a student athletic trainer from Washington, D.C., recently received $1,000 toward her postgraduate degree in athletic training. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics supports the scholarship program in recognition of NCAA Championship teams, in this case the 1999 Penn State men's and women's fencing squad.

(TRIVIA TEASER ANSWER: Junior lacrosse standout Mike Kern is the son of Rex Kern, the Buckeyes All-America quarterback and field general of the 1968 OSU National Champions. Mike, a junior, scored three times in the Nittany Lions' loss to Georgetown in their home opener.)

L. Budd Thalman

Associate Athletic Director

Penn State University

814-865-1757