Penn College Men Fourth in Basketball Tournament at Scranton
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Playing in the PNC Bank Invitational at the University of Scranton's Long Center, Pennsylvania College of Technology's men's basketball team dropped to 3-7 overall after losses to Keene (N.H.) State, 106-82, on Saturday and to host Scranton, 86-65, in Sunday's consolation game. Greg Solyak (Lititz) led the Wildcats against Keene with 16 points and Leroy Joiner (Williamsport) added 15 points. In the game against Scranton, Joiner finished with 21 points and Solyak added 14. Joiner was 5 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line and also was named to the all-tournament team.
Much to Do In addition to 15 varsity sports, Penn College offers students club sports in men's lacrosse, power lifting and martial arts (Olympic weightlifting and jujitsu), and looks to expand into wrestling. Also, it offers 30 intramural sports, with more than 1,000 students, faculty and staff participating.
The men's lacrosse team competes as a member of the National Collegiate Lacrosse League's Keystone Conference, which includes club teams from Bucknell University, Bloomsburg University, Dickinson College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Lock Haven University, The Pennsylvania State University, Pitt-Johnstown and Shippensburg University. Matches are held in March and April.
As a member of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association, Penn College grapplers will compete in the Northeast Conference with more than 30 colleges, among them Hofstra University, Hudson Valley Community College, Lehigh University, Northampton Community College, Rutgers University, Syracuse University, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Valley Forge Military Academy and West Chester University.
Among the intramural sports offered are archery, badminton, basketball, dodgeball, powder puff and flag football, Frisbee, golf, hockey, indoor horseshoes, kickball, pool, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball.
"Our athletic assistant, Lisa Worth, and the intramural director, Jeremy Bottorf, do a great job of organizing leagues and a number of events that are very popular with the general student body," said Douglas Byerly, athletic director. "Our main goal is to provide a diversified and interesting slate of programs that appeal to the current students."
"Intramurals are offered in the evenings and on the weekends for recreational and a somewhat competitive basis," Worth said. "It gives the students extra activities to do when they are not in class."
"I just oversee if there are any issues or problems but (Jeremy) schedules and organizes, officiates and supervises the (intramural) activities," she continued. "We want students or potential students to know we offer a variety of activities."
"The program is very successful. In the fall, we had more than 3,000 student participations (some compete in more than one sport)," Bottorf said.
All of the intramural activities take place on campus, mainly at the Field House, athletic fields, outdoor basketball courts and Bardo Gymnasium.
"I come at 1:30 in the afternoon and spend half of my day in the office and the other half running around referring during the activities," Bottorf added. "And we're always looking at new sports. We listen to what the students want."
Recent Resules/Upcoming Games Men's Basketball Overall record: 3-7 PSUAC record: 1-0 Saturday, Jan. 2 PNC Bank Invitational at Scranton University vs. Keene (N.H.) State, L, 106-82 Sunday, Jan. 3 PNC Bank Invitational consolation at Scranton University, L, 86-65 Thursday, Jan. 14 at Penn State Hazleton,8 p.m.
Women's Basketball Overall record: 2-5 PSUAC record: 1-0 Thursday, Jan. 14 at Penn State Hazleton, 6 p.m.
Coed Bowling Thursday, Jan. 21 at Johnson College (Green Ridge Lanes), 3 p.m.
(Complete rosters and season schedules are available on the college's Athletics Web site. For more information on the PSUAC, visit on the Web; more about the USCAA also is available online).