2008 Woodie Awards
Slashes cause emotional week for coaches and players alike
By Travis Pickens
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 2/3/06 Section: Sports
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Sports that made their mark since the beginning
Wrestling - 1958-59
Men's Swimming - 1933-34
Women's Swimming - 1975-76
Field Hockey - 1979
Men's Water Polo - 1991
Women's Water Polo - 1992
Field Hockey - 1993
Golf
This story may touch your emotions even if you're the most cold-hearted individual in the world.
When Slippery Rock University announced it was trimming its varsity sports from 23 to 15 teams, SRU men's water polo was one to go. Unfortunately, the bad news hit coach Jim Yeamans and his team less than three months after a memorable season.
The Rock compiled a 24-7 record, was nationally ranked as a Division I sport and qualified for the Eastern Championships in Boston. SRU also won the Division II Eastern Championship and finished fourth in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's Southern Division tournament.
But when the pink slips were handed out, men's water polo, which hosted only six matches in 2005, was on the chopping block.
But it wasn't just men's water polo. All aquatic programs were cut. SRU wrestling also felt the sting of losing its varsity program, which dates back to 1958.
The wrestling team was feeling good about itself Saturday night after finishing fourth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament, hosted at Morrow Field House. But less than 48 hours later, second-year coach Derek DelPorto was informed that his team, which took three freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors and one senior to the tournament, wouldn't be competing at varsity status next year.
What a nice reward for a coach who took the team from a last-place finish in 2005 to its impressive outing on Saturday. Speaking of rewards, what about those upperclassmen who stuck with Rock wrestling despite a coaching change, and those freshmen and sophomores who didn't shy away when the rumblings of possible elimination cropped up? What a nice way to say "Thank you."
It would have been interesting to see how this team performed in two or three years. It may have been a force. But we'll never know.
I understand why the programs were cut. It isn't rocket science to know that if you do not have money, it becomes difficult to fund a collegiate sports team. At a Division II school that had nine more varsity programs than the normal D-II school, there isn't much that can be done.
But when it comes down to it, to know the people the decision affects and the sacrifices they've given to SRU athletics, you have to feel at least a bit of sadness. How many hours does a guy like Yeamans, who also coaches women's water polo and both swimming teams, put in during the typical week? How does a guy like DelPorto, who was an All-American in his heyday at the Rock, deal with knowing the potential that is left to waste after this year?
This isn't to take anything away from golf coach Marty Rinker, tennis coach Matt Meredith, who will continue to oversee the women's program, or field hockey coach Sergio Gonzalez, who is an assistant on the women's soccer team, but Yeamans lost four of his programs and DelPorto lost what could have turned out to be an excellent wrestling team.
You can't help but feel sorry for those guys.
