-SPORTS
Older athletes prove that age is merely a number
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
BY ALLISON DEBUSK
Staff Writer
"I asked the coach when I first came out, 'Is there an AARP
discount?' He told me 'Shut up. You're not that old.'"
That is how Matthew McKeown describes the beginning
of his cross country career at Guilford College as a Center for
Continuing Education student. And he's not the only athlete
who is older than his other teammates; several CCE students
participate in athletics.
These athletes chose to pursue sports for different reasons.
For McKeown, it was about returning to an activity he had
once loved.
"I hadn't run in 12 years," said McKeown. "I ran a 5k in
March and finished fourth."
After that, he began looking for a college with an adult
program that would allow him to participate in cross country.
Greg Camovale, a CCE student and a captain of the soccer
team, joined with several other older students.
"We've had plenty of CCE students over the last couple
years," said Jeff Bateson, head coach of men's soccer.
Bateson explained that several CCE students, specifically
Jordan Alexander '11, Sean Dwyer and Carnovale all joined
the team together.
Although these athletes love what they do, juggling
practices, academics, and personal lives is not always easy.
"My first couple of weeks here I didn't think I was going
to ever sleep again," said McKeown. "I work 14 hours (on)
Sunday. I come home and stay up studying until 5 a.m. and
have practice at 6:15.... I sleep in the library before class."
Danny Cash, head coach of the cross country team, also
sees the difficulties that McKeown faces, such as running late
to a practice because his son was sick.
Despite facing many hurdles, these athletes appreciate the
opportunity to compete and be part of a team.
"I am so grateful to Coach Cash and his wife for allowing
me to experience my dream of attending a four-year college
and being able to run at the same time," said McKeown.
Having CCE student benefits not only other CCE students,
but their teammates as well.
"I can remember the first race of the season and I was
not running my best, but Matthew was right there with the
coach, cheering me on like a teammate, brother, and friend,"
said junior Jodie Geddes, a member of the cross country
team.
"Matt treats me like his little brother," said first-year
Yashua Clemmons. "Being that I am the only freshman on
Matthew McKeown, center, is a CCE student who runs for Guilford's cross-country team. His coach appreciates his dedication,
while his teammates appreciate his constant encouragement. As a student, parent and athlete, he excels both on and off the track.
the team, he made sure I was ok during training and well-
adjusted with school."
The coaches also appreciate the presence of CCE students
on their teams.
"One thing CCE students do is they not only provide
leadership and maturity on the team, but also there's a
reason they're back at college, and they can relate their stories
to the other team members," said Bateson.
There are not many CCE students who participate in
athletics, but any who are interested are encouraged to do so.
"I think the more any student is engaged on campus, the
better their overall educational experience, so I would like to
see more CCE participation all around, not just in sports,"
said Martee Holt, assistant dean of the Center for Continuing
Education, in an email interview.
"I'd love to have more CCE students if they have the same
dedication (as McKeown)," said Kimberly Cash, assistant
coach of the cross country team.
For CCE student athletes, balancing academics,
sports, and a private life is not easy, but there is a
secret to success. When asked if he would encourage
other CCE students to participate in sports he said,
"Yes with a caution.
Be aware of how much time you're going to invest. You
have to have a lot of support from your family to make it
possible."
Football loam usos Innor light to shino to victory
BY EMILY CURRIE
Staff Writer
Guilford's football team is disciplined,
tenacious, and unified. They are one team — a
family really — with one common goal: to win
football games and go to playoffs. The team
won three games in a row, which is the longest
winning streak since 2007. They are more
focused and determined than ever to continue
winning.
On Oct. 11, during a rare Thursday night
game — the first since 1966 — Guilford's
football team rose from the ashes and beat
Bridgewater College 23-20 to secure an Old
Dominion Athletic Conference win.
"(Bridgewater) was a team that had
embarrassed us as a program last year, so we
had to come into that game ready to make a
statement that we're not the same team as last
year," said first-year offensive lineman Estavio
Jones.
This was a tough win for the Quakers, who
worked hard to correct deficits during the
game.
Two key players in the game were first-
year quarterback Matt Pawlowski and junior
running back Nick Mearite. Pawlowski had
a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mearite with
only a little over seven minutes on the clock.
Mearite took the pass and carried it to victory,
scoring the winning touchdown of the game.
Pawlowski assisted in all three of Guilford's
touchdowns and passed for 258 yards without
being intercepted. Mearite also made five
amazing catches during the game.
This was the first home win for second-
year head football coach Chris Rusiewicz, and
the first triumph over their conference rival
since 2006."! believe the winning streak has
something to do with the loss to Washington
and Lee University (Sept. 29). They were a big
loss to us, (which) I believe sort of woke us up
and made us realize if we wanted to win, we
had to want it more than any other team in the
conference," said Jones.
"I think the best part about (that) game is
that we never (gave) up as a program," said
Rusiewicz. 'The kids just kept fighting and
pushing through, and one of the big examples
of that is (that) we got down late in that game,
and we came back to win the game."
"When we beat Shenandoah University
the week before Bridgewater, we realized that
this is how we need to play every game," said
junior defensive lineman Kyle Ennis. "We are
not satisfied with 3-1 in the conference. We are
going for 6-1, and to be conference champs."
"When you bring a hundred young men
together from all wdks of life, one of the most
important things is to get them to become
unified," said Rusiewicz. "I think they started
to do that a year ago, and it happened really
quickly. Any time you bring unification and
build love and trust, it goes a long way."
Unfortunately, Guilford lost to ODAC rival
Hampden-Sydney College Oct. 27, with a final
tally of 68-24. The Quakers still have two more
games scheduled to play before their season
closes, with their final home game on Nov.
3 against Catholic University. Although the
winning streak may have come to an end, the
team knows they have the potential to bounce
back and come out on top.