Athletes you should get to know, and quickly

There’s a lot to know as a freshman starting college. Where to go, what to do, what to bring,… There’s a lot to know as a freshman starting college. Where to go, what to do, what to bring, what to leave at home, what classes to take, what classes to turn and run away from — the list goes on and on. Being a freshman at Pitt, though, requires you to know just a little something more.

In order to function as a well-rounded citizen of this university, students must be familiar with something Pitt is known for — its athletics. And while there is much to know about traditions, the teams, the coaches, the players and the facilities, there are a few individuals students should know about and keep an eye on during the next year.

Tyler Palko, quarterback, football — Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, Palko is no stranger to what football means in western Pennsylvania. In high school, Palko led West Allegheny’s football team to the state championship game where they captured the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association class AAA title for a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League team. He was one of the country’s most coveted high school prospects three years ago, earning Pennsylvania Player of the Year and USA Today All-American honors.

Upon graduating, he headed to Pitt to continue his success. Palko lettered his freshman year as the primary backup, playing in a total of six games and passing for a total of 13 yards. Since then, things have been quite different.

Last season, marking his first as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, Palko led Pitt all the way to the Bowl Championship Series Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., for the team’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance. He passed for a total of 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading Pitt to an 8-4 record for the season.

After a rocky start against Ohio University, Palko proved himself to be a team leader and a winning quarterback, becoming the first quarterback to ever throw five touchdown passes against the Fighting Irish, in an upset-win over Notre Dame. No. 21 West Virginia also fell victim to Palko on Thanksgiving as Pitt went on to win six of its last seven games and the Big East title.

The Panthers’ first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 3 at Heinz Field against rival Notre Dame.

Ronald Ramon, guard, basketball — From the Bronx emerged one of Pitt’s most influential players on the court last season. Ramon brought something Pitt basketball had craved for a long time — an outside shot.

Ramon has been described as unselfish, tough, smart and a distributor who makes players around him better. His high school coach described him as “a cross between former Pittsburgh guards Sean Miller and Brandin Knight.”

While at All Hallows High School, Ramon averaged 24.0 points and 8.0 assists per game and hit 97 three-pointers in 27 games as a senior. His No. 14 jersey was retired at the conclusion of his senior year.

Ramon continued to wow crowds when he graced the court at the Petersen Events Center last year as a freshman. He finished the season one 3-point field goal behind teammate Carl Krauser and led the team in free-throw percentage with an impressive .774 mark.

Ben Copeland, outfielder, baseball — Rarely do people think “baseball” when they think of western Pennsylvania, but this outfielder, should he make it at the next level, is trying to change all of that.

A graduate of nearby Bradford High School, Copeland has made quite an impact at Pitt on the baseball diamond. As a freshman, he started 49 games in the outfield for the Panthers and batted .303, finishing with a team-high 17 stolen bases.

In his next season, Copeland became Pitt’s starting center fielder and continued to improve. He emerged as one of the top defensive outfielders in the Big East, not recording a single error all season. Copeland more than doubled his number of stolen bases to lead the team and the Big East with a total of 37, which set a school record and also ranked among the best in the NCAA. He also found success at the plate, setting numerous Pitt and Big East records with 63 runs scored, 217 at bats, seven triples, 15 doubles and 19 multiple-hit games.

This past season as a junior, Copeland was named Big East Player of the Week for the third time in his career. He also earned 2004 All-Big East second-team honors and was named to the Watch List for the 2005 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

Megan McGrane, libero, volleyball — For three years, the Pitt volleyball team has had the advantage of having one of the best players in the Big East on its team.

In her junior season, Megan McGrane rewrote the Panther record books with a school- and Big East-record 713 digs in 2004. McGrane ranked among the top five liberos nationally and moved past former Panther Sara Mitchell into Pitt’s first place with 1,803 digs and still has one year of eligibility on the court.

During her sophomore season, McGrane was selected as the inaugural Big East Libero of the Year, and was one of the top players at her position in the nation, recording a school- and conference-record 595 digs in 111 games to rank among the top five in Division I and first in the Big East with 5.36 digs per game.

As a senior at Delta High School in Muncie, Ind., McGrane led her team to its first state title. There is no telling what she will do as a senior during her last season with the Panthers.