With five Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Fall Championships under its belt, Penn State Behrend Athletics is on top in the President’s Cup standings. Behrend won titles in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.
Women’s Soccer
Senior forward Jordan Oberlander garnered national attention for the women’s soccer team this fall. She finished the season ranked third in the nation in goals (30) and points (66), setting program records for the most goals and points in a season. In October, Oberlander scored her twenty-second goal of the season to break a twenty-two-year old record! As a team, the Lions won their seventh straight Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship. Oberlander was named a two-time Scholar All-American, along with earning AMCC and ECAC Player of the Year honors.
Women’s Volleyball
The Lions won their fourth AMCC Championship with a five-set win over fourth-seed La Roche College. Behrend was the third seed for the conference tournament, having won fifteen of their last sixteen matches to get to the title game. Senior setter Hannah Saunders was named the AMCC Player of the Year and head coach Phil Pisano earned Coach of the Year accolades.
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team posted the lowest AMCC score of 588 to capture the two-day championship, marking the Lions seventh straight and ninth overall. Behrend shot a conference-low 293 on day two thanks to Jack Perfett, the individual champion of the tournament. The freshman shot a three-under par for a low score of 69 to pair with a 72 from day one for a 141 total to claim individual medalist honors. Perfett was also voted AMCC Newcomer of the Year.
Cross Country
The men’s cross country team had nine runners finish in the top fifteen at the AMCC Championships to help the Lions capture their seventh straight title and eleventh overall. Dylan Buffington crossed the finish line in 26:42 for second place overall. All nine of Behrend’s runners were named to the All-Conference team, while Zach Wortman garnered AMCC Newcomer of the Year honors and head coach Greg Cooper earned Coach of the Year.
Women’s Cross Country
Freshman Savanna Carr finished in seventh place at the NCAA Mideast Regional to advance to the National Championships. Carr was the AMCC Runner of the Year for winning individual medalist at the conference championships, helping Behrend capture its third straight AMCC title. The Lions had eight runners named All-Conference.
Wrestling and Women’s Bowling
Two new varsity programs—wrestling and women’s bowling—had their first matches this fall. In bowling, the Lions got their first win of the season against Thiel College. Wrestling picked up its first dual-match victory with a 27-20 decision over Lourdes University. Freshman Jake Paulson leads the team with a 15-4 overall record and 10-1 in dual matches at the 184-weight class.
In other news…
- The Swimming and Diving team raised more than $4,000 for Special Olympics by doing the Polar Plunge.
- The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) raised more than $500 for the Second Harvest Food Bank with their annual Bowl-A-Thon, which drew more than sixty student-athletes, coaches, and staff to the lanes.
- Members of the baseball team raised $3,000 by shaving their heads to benefit Grady’s Decision, an organization that helps premature babies and their families.