Get to know the best of the rest of Pitt athletics

While major sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer draw the biggest crowds and garner the most media attention at the University level, the realm of Pitt athletics extends beyond these sports to encompass a wide variety of competition. While major sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer draw the biggest crowds and garner the most media attention at the University level, the realm of Pitt athletics extends beyond these sports to encompass a wide variety of competition.

Like the big-name athletes on campus who consistently fill Heinz Field, the Petersen Events Center and the Petersen Sports Complex, the student athletes involved in more less-followed sports also dedicate a significant chunk of time and effort to their teams.

Here’s a breakdown of the lesser-known — but sometimes more successful — Panthers sports.

Cross Country

Alonzo Webb has coached both the men’s and the women’s cross country squads since 2002. The teams compete in meets beginning in September and ending with regional and national championships in late November.

Although Pitt does not have a home course, it does participate annually in two local meets hosted by Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon at Schenley Park.

This past season, current juniors Ben Kisley and Rich Addison led the Panthers on the men’s side. Kisley and Addison finished second and first, respectively, for Pitt at the NCAA regional competition. Sophomore Morgan Perry paced the women’s side at the meet.

Addison and Kisley also led the men at the Big East Championships, while Perry and junior Stephanie Powers were the top-finishing female Panthers.

With young talent returning to the squad next season, Webb anticipates a successful 2012 campaign.

“We strive to get a little better each day, and that will carry over,” Webb said. “We will aim to improve and come back strong next fall.”

Track and Field

Webb is also the head coach for both track and field teams, which begin competing in the spring in meets that continue through early June.

The men’s and women’s squads do not have home meets, so they travel throughout the season to attend both open meets and invitationals.

The current season has been a record-setting one for Pitt junior Brycen Spratling, who recently broke the school record for the 400-meter dash and hopes to make this year’s Olympic team.

Spratling, who transferred to Pitt this year from Central Michigan, attributes his accomplishments to hard work and commitment.

“I have been working harder this year than I ever have,” Spratling said. “I have been really fortunate to break records for Pitt.”

The women’s squad boasts several sophomores looking to continue their contributions for the Panthers in the coming years.

Sophomores Casey Meier and Brooke Shasteen both qualified for the Big East Championships in the javelin competition, while classmate Brittany Lightfoot did likewise in the shot put event.

Swimming and Diving

The swimming and diving seasons for both the men and the women typically begin in early October with an intrasqaud Blue-Gold meet and conclude with the Big East Championships in February.

Under the direction of Chuck Knoles — six-time Big East Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year — the teams host meets on campus at Trees Pool, across from the Fitzgerald Field House.

The men’s and women’s teams both had strong finishes to the 2011 regular season with three consecutive meet victories. In the Big East Championships, held at Trees, the women’s squad placed fourth overall, and the men finished third.

Knoles said he was impressed with his teams’ performances this year.

“We had a great year on both the men’s and women’s sides,” Knoles said after the Big East Championships. “We set many school records and had finalists in just about every event.”

Knoles has been the coach of the Panthers squads for 22 years and will return in 2012 with two talented teams.

Women’s Volleyball

With a nationally recognized incoming freshman class, women’s volleyball head coach Toby Rens is excited for the upcoming volleyball season.

PrepVolleyball.com gave Pitt’s recruiting class an honorable mention distinction in its annual reports, and Rens believes that the team’s young talent will also mesh well with the returning Panthers.

“This class has a winning mentality and competitive attitude,” Rens said. “We are excited to have them join the Pitt family, and our returning players are excited for the entire group to start working together in August.”

The 2011 squad finished with a winning 18-15 record and, after competing in the challenging Big East, earned a bid in the conference tournament.

Despite an early exit in the first round, the experience should prove beneficial in 2012, as the Panthers return five of six starters and lose only two seniors.

The Panthers play their matches at the Fitzgerald Field House during the fall.

Women’s Gymnastics

Keeping up with Pitt’s recent stellar performances by underclassmen, current sophomore Haley Bodenheimer had an impressive 2011-2012 season that culminated in an NCAA Regional Championship appearance.

Bodenheimer was named Rookie of the Year in Pitt’s conference — the East Atlantic Gymnastics League — and has three more years to compete for the blue and gold at the Fitzgerald Field House.

For Bodenheimer, the accolade was unexpected but appreciated.

“Coming into this year, I never thought I would be Rookie of the Year, but I did my best and was rewarded,” Bodenheimer said. “It is one of the best feelings I have ever had.”

After the squad’s fifth-place finish at the conference championships in March, Pitt’s head coach Debbie Yohman, who has 25 years of coaching experience at Pitt under her belt, knows that her team will strive to perform at an even higher level next season.

“We ended the 2011-2012 year with a season-high team score, and you can’t end better than that,” Yohman said. “Next year, we can work hard and move our way up that podium.”

Women’s Tennis

The tennis team plays year-round, competing in tournaments in the fall and taking part in Big East conference play from February to April.

While they do not host competitions, the Panthers usually schedule a match against local rival Carnegie Mellon.

This past year, Pitt finished the regular season 10-8 overall and 5-5 in the Big East. Current junior Taylor Washington earned 21 singles victories in her second season and led the Panthers with her 21-7 personal record.

With the majority of the squad returning next year, head coach George Dieffenbach is confident that his team will be ready to compete and improve.

“The Panthers battle until the last ball is hit,” Dieffenbach said. “We will learn from our successes this season and we look forward to competing at our best in the future.”