Monday Musings

February 27, 2006

Note the date: March 2, 2006. Sixteen adventurous women will take the field next Thursday in the inaugural game of their inaugural season. Two seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores, and four freshmen comprise Georgetown's first softball team. The first recruited class won't arrive until next fall. This spring, it will be a team of walk-ons. The squad will play an abbreviated regional schedule in this first season. Eventually, the Hoya women will compete in the BIG EAST and will vie for national championships. But remember that date. That's when it all began. Hoya, Hoya Saxa!

Joe Lonardo `69 and his reflective admirer

Turns out that reports of the "Mask" retirement were greatly exaggerated. Pregame reports to the contrary, JoeLo(nardo) showed up last Saturday at MCI masquerading his trademark Syracuse gameface after all. Must have been just the right charm to ensure the Hoyas' 15-point victory.

Though the athletic year is just shy of 66% percent complete, special kudos is nonetheless due to the student spirit organization, Hoya Blue. Its members have worked steadfastly to-date, igniting Hoya sparks early last fall and fanning the flames ever since. In my short 38-year memory of the Hilltop, they are tracking to have the most active and inspiring year that I have ever witnessed -- of students building community, instilling passion and promoting esprit de Georgetown. Men and women for others perhaps? . . . hmmm, that has a familiar ring to it.

Hoya Blue activists prepare for the Orange invasion.

Alumni organizers and supporters Joe Callahan and Blake Jones.

A shout of kudos also goes to a quartet of Hoyas who last Saturday put together the latest installment of their annual fund raiser for Hoya sports. In each of the past ten years, class of '94 firestarters Joe Callahan, Blake Jones, Brian Cooley and Carlo Tamburro have organized a social gathering around a Hoya basketball game with the goal of fun, fellowship, and fund raising for athletics. Congrats on another successful outing and a job well done!

My picks for most interesting contests this coming week:

> Men's Basketball: One contest remains in the regular season against conference bottom-dweller South Florida (6-21, 0-14). What makes this game so interesting? The #20th-ranked Hoyas (19-7) need a win to have a shot at a bye in the Big East tournament. A victory over the hosting USF Bulls at the Sun Dome next Saturday, combined with a Marquette loss in one of their final two games, will give Georgetown the very desirable bye.

> Women's Basketball: The Hoyas (3-12) will close their season with a home contest against the USF Bulls (18-10). Stop by McDonough on Tuesday at 7:30 pm when Georgetown will honor its three seniors and then take the court to face the nation's leading scorer from South Florida.

> Track & Field: The ECAC's and IC4A's are not your father's or mother's indoor track championships anymore, but they both still continue a long and proud traditions of intercollegiate track and field. The women's and men's teams travel to Boston, MA for competition all day on Saturday and Sunday.

> Softball: On Thursday, Georgetown's first-year softball team will play its first official game against the GW Colonials (2-2). The Hoyas (0-0) will travel all the way to the ball field at GW's Mt. Vernon campus to play a doubleheader at 2:00 pm. Come to think of it, that's even closer to McDonough Gym than the Hoyas' home facility at Guy Mason Field.

Last week, the Hoya athletic teams posted an overall win-loss record of 6-7 and earned a 2nd, a 3rd, a 14th, a 15th, and a 12th place finishes in standings competition. Men's indoor track had several top finishes and qualifying times.

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