Jan. 21, 2003
Colonials Round Up
Gymnasts Looks to Repeat Conference Dominance
The Colonials gymnastics team continued its dominance of the Atlantic
10 in 2002 by winning its fifth consecutive conference title and posting
a 22–10 record. Three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Margie
Foster-Cunningham (323–196 in 18 years at GW), will be looking
for the same thing out of her squad in 2003. This year’s team is
different, though, due to the loss of four seniors and two other letterwinners
who played a crucial role in the team’s success.
Some of the pressure will fall on the lone senior and co-captain, Melissa
Suter. She returns to the team after a successful junior year and must
continue her excellence on bars while filling the leadership void.
Suter will be joined by fellow captains, juniors Rachel Mann and Lindsay
Parks. Both of these returnees will perform in at least three events.
Mann will continue to focus on floor and bars and may be asked to become
an All-Around performer.
Basketball Recap
The men’s and women’s basketball teams played a full schedule
of games over the holiday break. The men tallied a 2–3 record,
with wins over Towson and Binghamton. The Colonials began Atlantic 10
conference play on the road Jan. 5 at Temple and fell short, 68–65,
despite 21 points from senior Chris Monroe. The men have four consecutive
home games on the horizon: Massachusetts on Jan. 25; Saint Joseph’s
on Jan. 29; Duquesne on Feb. 1; and Xavier on Feb. 4.
The women’s team posted a 3–4 record during the break, with
wins against Fairfield and the A-10’s Richmond and St. Bonaventure.
The Colonials will host three more home games in January: Xavier on
Jan. 19; Florida on Jan. 26; and La Salle on Jan. 30.
McKeown Hits 300
A second half comeback by the women’s basketball team against conference
foe St. Bonaventure on Jan. 9 was a milestone victory for head coach
Joe McKeown. The 65–49 triumph gave McKeown his 300th win at GW,
raising his record to 300–115 (.723) in 14 seasons at the school
and a 368–135 (.732) record for his career. He already was GW and
the A-10’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach, and
has never posted a losing season since arriving at GW in 1989.
Colonials Sign Local High School Star
Ricky Lucas, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from nearby Herndon (VA) High
School, has signed a national letter-of-intent to attend GW. Lucas averaged
14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal per-game as
a junior last year at Montrose Christian School in Rockville. “GW
got a steal in Ricky,” Herndon coach Gary Hall says. “Most
would consider him one of the top five seniors in the Washington area,
and I think he is the best senior.”
Autumn Accolades
GW sports teams completed one of the best fall seasons in school history,
due in part to the hard work and dedication of student-athletes, coaches,
and support staff. George Lidster and his men’s soccer team won
its first Atlantic 10 Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
for the first time since 1989. Matt Osbourne earned national acclaim
by winning the CoSIDA/Verizon 2002 Academic All-America Men’s Soccer
Player of the Year award. In addition to leading GW in scoring with
19 goals and 11 assists, the senior from England also holds a 3.73 GPA
in exercise science. His teammate, Arnar Johannsson, was named Outstanding
Player in the A-10 Tournament.
The women’s soccer team clinched a spot in the conference tournament
for the first time in five years. Junior Kim Warner was named A-10 Offensive
Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, the volleyball team posted a 19–13 record, advancing
all the way to the Atlantic 10 championship game. The Colonials, who
have no seniors on their squad, were infused by A-10 Rookie of the Year
Lindsey Vernand.
In cross country, junior Darrell Andruski was tapped as an Academic
All-Conference performer, finishing sixth out of 108 runners in the
A-10 Championships. His time of 25:35 was the fastest finish by a GW
runner in tournament history.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
