Temperatures in Ithaca may be pushing into the subzero range, but for
senior midfielder Ian Pilarski things are just starting to heat up.
After a successful soccer career on the East Hill,
Pilarski became the first player in Cornell history to be picked in the
MLS SuperDraft, held on January 16 in Charlotte. Pilarski was selected
in the fifth round by the Chicago Fire with the 49th overall pick. He
will join a Fire squad coached by Dave Sarachan '76, who is also the
assistant coach of the U.S. World Cup team. Sarachan also served as the
head coach of Cornell men's soccer from 1989-1997.
"I'm extremely excited about being drafted by Chicago.
It's been my dream since I was younger to play professional soccer, and
this opportunity will allow me to get started on a career," said
Pilarski.
At the beginning of January, Pilarski participated in
the 2004 Infosport Pro Soccer combine held in Florida. The combine staff
included current and former MLS coaches. Over 150 players attended the
combine, and Pilarski was the only player from an Ivy League school.
Denis Hamlett, the assistant coach of the Chicago Fire, was Pilarski's
coach at the combine, and was very impressed with his soccer skills.
"Chicago had been interested in him for a while and
was tracking him during the fall season," said Cornell head coach Bryan
Scales. "His performance in January just confirmed to them that he was a
player that they wanted to draft. As a program, we are all very proud
of him. He is a great representative of Cornell Soccer. He has always
had a goal of becoming a pro and this is a outstanding opportunity for
him."
Pilarski now faces the challenge of training for the
MLS and completing his final semester at Cornell. After an intense
training schedule during the break, he is now working out with the
Cornell men's team.
"This opportunity is going to require being away from
school at different times during the semester, but I'm excited for the
challenge," said Pilarski. "Also, being surrounded with some of the best
soccer players in America will be an experience in itself. It's going
to be a different second semester senior year than I expected, but I'm
fortunate for this opportunity."
Sarachan went through a similar situation when he was a
student at Cornell, and Pilarski is looking forward to training under a
Cornell alumnus.
"It's awesome that Cornell has an alumnus in a high
rank in professional sports. Dave has done wonderful things for the
Chicago Fire, and I hope I can contribute to their success as well,"
said Pilarski.
A first team All-Ivy and second team All-Region
selection this season, Pilarski served as one of the team's tri-captains
in 2003. His 15 assists ranks him fourth all-time in program history.
In his sophomore year, Pilarski racked up a team-high seven assists, and
was named an All-Ivy Honorable Mention. In 2002, he was named to the
All-Ivy second team.
For the past two summers, Pilarski has been a member
of the Premier Development League's Cape Cod Crusaders, and helped the
team capture back-to-back national titles.
14-year old Freddy Adu was taken with the first
overall pick by the D.C. United, and four other players were taken from
Ivy League schools. Kevin Ara of Harvard, the first Ivy player selected,
was taken in the third round. Brown's Adom Crew, the reigning Ivy
League Player of the Year, was taken with the first pick of the fifth
round.
"The Ivy League was the only league in the country to
have over half of its schools represented with selections in the 2004
MLS SuperDraft. This speaks to the quality of the players in our league
and again confirms the fact that the Ivy League can be a vehicle for
players who aspire to become professional soccer players and get a great
education," said Scales.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Millrose's Race Heats up Winter
Picture this: a screaming fan in the front row cheering on his team. The other fans behind him don't appreciate his blocking their view and ask him to sit down. He says no, and turns around to continue cheering. Further pleas are ignored, until a shouting match ensues, and the whole section becomes engulfed in turmoil.
Is this a scene from a past Super Bowl?
Nope.
A heated NBA game?
No.
It's the Millrose Games, America's premier indoor track meet, held at Madison Square Garden. As an attendee of the games since 1986 (I was 2 and a half at the time), I witnessed the above scene in person, and it ranks as the funniest occurrence I have witnessed at a sporting event.
The games have been held since 1908, and annually since 1914 at the Garden, making it the longest running sporting event in the venue's history. In the past, track stars such as Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee have all competed at the Millrose Games.
While track and field remains in the corner of the eye of the sports world, there was no sporting event I looked forward to more than the Games each February. My grandfather, a runner in high school and college, first started attending the games in the 1940's, and it eventually became a yearly family tradition.
Entering the concourse of the Garden with the games in full swing was a scene to behold. The Garden's steeply banked track circled the large infield, where pole vaulters and high jumpers raced toward their respective bars. The night started out with a slew of long-distance races, before the banks were lowered to get ready for the sprints.
Stopwatches in hand, the entire arena waited in anticipation for the start of the 60-meter dash and hurdles, and everyone thought they could better time the race than the official timekeeper (including my grandfather). The arena grew silent as the runners readied in their starting blocks. The crack of the pistol sounded, and the runners were off -- and then they were done.
In less than 10 seconds.
There were many characters attending the games. There was the occasional celebrity sighting (Bill Cosby was a regular attendee), along with a fair share of drunken 30-year olds who would try to steal your seat if you should get up for even a second. Then there were the track buffs who maybe took everything a little too seriously. In the story above, the fan in question was rooting for his alma mater in the boys' catholic high school 4X400m relay.
The belligerent fan is the exception at the games, as the entire crowd will rally around a runner who is on the verge of shattering records. In 1980, Millrose great Mary Decker-Slaney was midway through the mile on world record pace, and when that announcement came on over the PA, the Garden crowd came to its feet to cheer her on. After setting the record, Decker-Slaney credited the crowd as helping her maintain her record pace.
As the evening progressed, the marquee event of the night approached: the famed Wanamaker Mile. The Mile started at 10 p.m. on the dot year after year. Why so late? Well, back in the 1930's, sports announcer Ted Husing broadcasted the Mile live on his show, and the tradition continues today.
While normally the National Anthem is played at the start of a sporting event, at the Millrose Games, it isn't played until the Wanamaker Mile. With the runners poised to start the 11-lap race, the Garden crowd rises to its feet. In recent times, runners from Ireland have dominated this event. Two of the greatest athletes in Millrose Games history, Eamonn Coghlan and Marcus O'Sullivan, combined to win the event 12 times.
In 1998, O'Sullivan came into the Millrose Games having run 99 sub-four minute miles in his career. One more, and he would become only the third and probably the last runner to run 100 sub-four minute miles. Needless to say, the excitement in the Garden was even more than usual for this event. As the runners came around the final turn, everyone held his collective breath.
When O'Sullivan crossed the finish line, the Garden erupted as the scoreboard showed O'Sullivan's time at 3:58.10. It was that rare instance in sports where no one really cared who won (O'Sullivan came in third).
With the Summer Olympics coming up later this year, there will be plenty of Olympic hopefuls at the games, including Marion Jones, in her first Millrose appearance, and 18-year old phenom Allyson Felix, the 2003 Gatorade High School Athlete of the year. While I haven't been able to attend the Millrose Games for several years, I hope to resume the family tradition in the near future.
Is this a scene from a past Super Bowl?
Nope.
A heated NBA game?
No.
It's the Millrose Games, America's premier indoor track meet, held at Madison Square Garden. As an attendee of the games since 1986 (I was 2 and a half at the time), I witnessed the above scene in person, and it ranks as the funniest occurrence I have witnessed at a sporting event.
The games have been held since 1908, and annually since 1914 at the Garden, making it the longest running sporting event in the venue's history. In the past, track stars such as Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee have all competed at the Millrose Games.
While track and field remains in the corner of the eye of the sports world, there was no sporting event I looked forward to more than the Games each February. My grandfather, a runner in high school and college, first started attending the games in the 1940's, and it eventually became a yearly family tradition.
Entering the concourse of the Garden with the games in full swing was a scene to behold. The Garden's steeply banked track circled the large infield, where pole vaulters and high jumpers raced toward their respective bars. The night started out with a slew of long-distance races, before the banks were lowered to get ready for the sprints.
Stopwatches in hand, the entire arena waited in anticipation for the start of the 60-meter dash and hurdles, and everyone thought they could better time the race than the official timekeeper (including my grandfather). The arena grew silent as the runners readied in their starting blocks. The crack of the pistol sounded, and the runners were off -- and then they were done.
In less than 10 seconds.
There were many characters attending the games. There was the occasional celebrity sighting (Bill Cosby was a regular attendee), along with a fair share of drunken 30-year olds who would try to steal your seat if you should get up for even a second. Then there were the track buffs who maybe took everything a little too seriously. In the story above, the fan in question was rooting for his alma mater in the boys' catholic high school 4X400m relay.
The belligerent fan is the exception at the games, as the entire crowd will rally around a runner who is on the verge of shattering records. In 1980, Millrose great Mary Decker-Slaney was midway through the mile on world record pace, and when that announcement came on over the PA, the Garden crowd came to its feet to cheer her on. After setting the record, Decker-Slaney credited the crowd as helping her maintain her record pace.
As the evening progressed, the marquee event of the night approached: the famed Wanamaker Mile. The Mile started at 10 p.m. on the dot year after year. Why so late? Well, back in the 1930's, sports announcer Ted Husing broadcasted the Mile live on his show, and the tradition continues today.
While normally the National Anthem is played at the start of a sporting event, at the Millrose Games, it isn't played until the Wanamaker Mile. With the runners poised to start the 11-lap race, the Garden crowd rises to its feet. In recent times, runners from Ireland have dominated this event. Two of the greatest athletes in Millrose Games history, Eamonn Coghlan and Marcus O'Sullivan, combined to win the event 12 times.
In 1998, O'Sullivan came into the Millrose Games having run 99 sub-four minute miles in his career. One more, and he would become only the third and probably the last runner to run 100 sub-four minute miles. Needless to say, the excitement in the Garden was even more than usual for this event. As the runners came around the final turn, everyone held his collective breath.
When O'Sullivan crossed the finish line, the Garden erupted as the scoreboard showed O'Sullivan's time at 3:58.10. It was that rare instance in sports where no one really cared who won (O'Sullivan came in third).
With the Summer Olympics coming up later this year, there will be plenty of Olympic hopefuls at the games, including Marion Jones, in her first Millrose appearance, and 18-year old phenom Allyson Felix, the 2003 Gatorade High School Athlete of the year. While I haven't been able to attend the Millrose Games for several years, I hope to resume the family tradition in the near future.
Friday, January 23, 2004
W. Hoops Host Lions
After facing a challenging non-conference schedule, the women's
basketball team (6-8, 1-0 Ivy) heads into its Ivy portion of the season
when it welcomes Columbia (6-7, 0-1 Ivy) to Newman Arena tomorrow
afternoon at 2 p.m. The Red faced the Lions last weekend in New York
City, and came away with a 61-50 win. Cornell looks to sweep its travel
partner for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
"We know what Columbia's like, they're very physical and we learned that in the first game. We came out and were aggressive in the first half, and it worked to our advantage," said head coach Dayna Smith. "They didn't shoot the ball particularly well, I think part of it was our defense and part of it was they had a bad night, so we're looking for them to really come out playing more physical and that's something we're going to have to adjust to."
Against the Lions last week, four of the Red's starters reached double figures. Seniors Tanya Karcic and Dani Aretino each posted a double-double and Karcic led all scorers with 22 points. Both players also grabbed 10 rebounds.
After starting 0-4, the Red compiled a 6-4 record over the break, including a 20-point victory over Syracuse, the team's first since 1974.
"We played very well [against Syracuse]. I think it gave us a bit of confidence and showed that if we show up every night, we can compete with whoever it is," said Smith.
In the team's final non-conference game of the season against Duquesne on Tuesday, the cagers faced a very talented squad led by guard Candace Futrell, and the Dukes came away with a 77-62 win. Futrell had the hot shooting hand on the evening, shooting 50 percent from the field, including six 3-pointers, and finished with 30 points. Senior Katie Romey had 17 points, while Aretino recorded her second straight double-double.
The Red's defense will be tested against Columbia, as senior guard Sue Altman is a dangerous threat on the perimeter. On the other end, the cagers will have to contend with Columbia's physical defense.
"On the offensive end, we can't slow down what we're trying to do just because they're being a little physical with us, bumping cutters and really pushing in the post, and being really physical out on the perimeter. They're just a scrappy team, and that's something that we're going to have to adjust to," said Smith.
The Red's perimeter play will be important, as Columbia looks to shut down Karcic and Aretino in the post.
"I think they might focus a little bit on Tanya, and that's going to open things up for some other people, and they're going to need to step up and hit some open shots out on the perimeter," Smith said.
"We know what Columbia's like, they're very physical and we learned that in the first game. We came out and were aggressive in the first half, and it worked to our advantage," said head coach Dayna Smith. "They didn't shoot the ball particularly well, I think part of it was our defense and part of it was they had a bad night, so we're looking for them to really come out playing more physical and that's something we're going to have to adjust to."
Against the Lions last week, four of the Red's starters reached double figures. Seniors Tanya Karcic and Dani Aretino each posted a double-double and Karcic led all scorers with 22 points. Both players also grabbed 10 rebounds.
After starting 0-4, the Red compiled a 6-4 record over the break, including a 20-point victory over Syracuse, the team's first since 1974.
"We played very well [against Syracuse]. I think it gave us a bit of confidence and showed that if we show up every night, we can compete with whoever it is," said Smith.
In the team's final non-conference game of the season against Duquesne on Tuesday, the cagers faced a very talented squad led by guard Candace Futrell, and the Dukes came away with a 77-62 win. Futrell had the hot shooting hand on the evening, shooting 50 percent from the field, including six 3-pointers, and finished with 30 points. Senior Katie Romey had 17 points, while Aretino recorded her second straight double-double.
The Red's defense will be tested against Columbia, as senior guard Sue Altman is a dangerous threat on the perimeter. On the other end, the cagers will have to contend with Columbia's physical defense.
"On the offensive end, we can't slow down what we're trying to do just because they're being a little physical with us, bumping cutters and really pushing in the post, and being really physical out on the perimeter. They're just a scrappy team, and that's something that we're going to have to adjust to," said Smith.
The Red's perimeter play will be important, as Columbia looks to shut down Karcic and Aretino in the post.
"I think they might focus a little bit on Tanya, and that's going to open things up for some other people, and they're going to need to step up and hit some open shots out on the perimeter," Smith said.
Friday, January 9, 2004
W. Hoops Takes on Ivy Powers
After trading games with travel partner
Columbia, the women's basketball team welcomes two-time defending league
champion Harvard (7-7, 0-1 Ivy) and Dartmouth (8-6, 1-0 Ivy) to Newman Arena
tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Red (6-9, 1-1 Ivy) bested Columbia by 11
points two weeks ago in New York City, but the Lions got revenge last weekend
in Ithaca, coming away with a nine-point win.
"As far as Harvard and Dartmouth are concerned, they're two very talented teams with many scoring options on both sides," said head coach Dayna Smith. "They both are very post-oriented teams, so we are going to focus more on post defense. They are two similar teams, and we can't really focus in on one particular player because they have so much talent."
Last Saturday, the Lions jumped out to the early lead, were ahead by 10 at halftime, and never trailed. Down by 16 with two and a half minutes to play, the Red closed the gap to eight with under a minute to play but could not complete the comeback.
Senior tri-captain Karen Force led all scorers with 25 points, and her four assists pushed her over 400 for her career. She is the only player in program history to score 1000 points and tally 400 assists.
With two excellent teams in town for the weekend, the Red needs to step up its level of play from last weekend, and that started with a productive week of practice.
"I think this week we focused a lot on ourselves; we had to get back to some basics. I think we have been preparing for the two top teams, but more importantly we need to work on our intensity level, our offensive execution and our competing on both ends of the floor. I think we've had a very good week of practice," said Smith.
Harvard saw its 26-game league winning streak snapped three weeks ago at Dartmouth. The Green's Angelo Soriaga nailed a 30-foot buzzer beater to send the game into overtime, and Dartmouth came away with the five-point win.
"Teams in this league beat up on each other, and it just hadn't happened to Harvard in a while. That game could have gone either way, it was a great game," commented Smith. "Harvard, even though they have one loss, [are] obviously the defending champions. They're as good as ever, and we're going to have to come out ready to play."
In order for the Red to be victorious this weekend, it needs to defend well in its own end, and get all of its starters involved in the point production.
"Both teams like to play some zone, so we have to have some of our players hit some open shots. We've worked on the competitiveness at practice, and pushing our starting forwards a little bit more," said Smith. "Our non-starters have done a great job this week challenging the starting core."
With its first two-game weekend in a month, the Red's bench will play a crucial factor as well.
"This week we need some of our guards to hit some open shots when they come in off the bench," said Smith. "I think they understand that there's more opportunity to play this weekend, and hopefully they'll be ready."
Harvard and Dartmouth have a lot of offensive weapons, as the Crimson's Hana Peljto and Reka Cserny are first and third in the league in scoring. The Green's Jeannie Cullen and Elise Morrison are tied for fourth, while the Red's Tanya Karcic is seventh, averaging 15.7 points per game.
Past Cornell-Harvard games at Newman Arena have offered a lot of excitement. Two years ago, the Red and the Crimson were battling for sole possession of first place in the Ivy League. Harvard came away with a two-point win in double overtime after Cornell rallied from a 12-point deficit with under three minutes to play in regulation. Last year, the Red came back from a 17-point halftime deficit to tie the game with a minute left, but again, Harvard came away with the win.
If the past two years are any indication, tonight's contest should also be one to remember. Dartmouth is also a tough opponent, and Saturday's game should be a hard fought one as well.
"As far as Harvard and Dartmouth are concerned, they're two very talented teams with many scoring options on both sides," said head coach Dayna Smith. "They both are very post-oriented teams, so we are going to focus more on post defense. They are two similar teams, and we can't really focus in on one particular player because they have so much talent."
Last Saturday, the Lions jumped out to the early lead, were ahead by 10 at halftime, and never trailed. Down by 16 with two and a half minutes to play, the Red closed the gap to eight with under a minute to play but could not complete the comeback.
Senior tri-captain Karen Force led all scorers with 25 points, and her four assists pushed her over 400 for her career. She is the only player in program history to score 1000 points and tally 400 assists.
With two excellent teams in town for the weekend, the Red needs to step up its level of play from last weekend, and that started with a productive week of practice.
"I think this week we focused a lot on ourselves; we had to get back to some basics. I think we have been preparing for the two top teams, but more importantly we need to work on our intensity level, our offensive execution and our competing on both ends of the floor. I think we've had a very good week of practice," said Smith.
Harvard saw its 26-game league winning streak snapped three weeks ago at Dartmouth. The Green's Angelo Soriaga nailed a 30-foot buzzer beater to send the game into overtime, and Dartmouth came away with the five-point win.
"Teams in this league beat up on each other, and it just hadn't happened to Harvard in a while. That game could have gone either way, it was a great game," commented Smith. "Harvard, even though they have one loss, [are] obviously the defending champions. They're as good as ever, and we're going to have to come out ready to play."
In order for the Red to be victorious this weekend, it needs to defend well in its own end, and get all of its starters involved in the point production.
"Both teams like to play some zone, so we have to have some of our players hit some open shots. We've worked on the competitiveness at practice, and pushing our starting forwards a little bit more," said Smith. "Our non-starters have done a great job this week challenging the starting core."
With its first two-game weekend in a month, the Red's bench will play a crucial factor as well.
"This week we need some of our guards to hit some open shots when they come in off the bench," said Smith. "I think they understand that there's more opportunity to play this weekend, and hopefully they'll be ready."
Harvard and Dartmouth have a lot of offensive weapons, as the Crimson's Hana Peljto and Reka Cserny are first and third in the league in scoring. The Green's Jeannie Cullen and Elise Morrison are tied for fourth, while the Red's Tanya Karcic is seventh, averaging 15.7 points per game.
Past Cornell-Harvard games at Newman Arena have offered a lot of excitement. Two years ago, the Red and the Crimson were battling for sole possession of first place in the Ivy League. Harvard came away with a two-point win in double overtime after Cornell rallied from a 12-point deficit with under three minutes to play in regulation. Last year, the Red came back from a 17-point halftime deficit to tie the game with a minute left, but again, Harvard came away with the win.
If the past two years are any indication, tonight's contest should also be one to remember. Dartmouth is also a tough opponent, and Saturday's game should be a hard fought one as well.