Recent Contributions from Lance Williams

Sports Section Convert Reflects on the Journey

Lance Williams — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I never intended to become a sports writer. I didn’t write for my high school paper or any other legitimate publication for that matter. I didn’t arrive in Ithaca with grandiose aspirations of sitting courtside at Cameron Indoor Stadium or interviewing Cornell’s elite athletes on a weekly basis. Hell, as a freshman, I barely even read The Sun, let alone considered joining it. But now that I think about it, I didn’t do much of anything freshman year besides drink SoCo, so that isn’t really a knock on The Sun.

Wrestling Takes Ninth at NCAAs

Lance Williams — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When inopportune injuries to key starters and inconsistent performances at the EIWA tournament seemingly crippled the wrestling team’s chances of competing amongst the elite at the NCAA tournament, the Red refused to bow out quietly. Despite only qualifying six out of 10 starters for the event – two fewer than Cornell sent the past two seasons and three fewer than it sent in 2004-05 – the Red’s determination and lofty expectations allowed the team to crown four All-Americans and a national champion en route to a stunning ninth-place finish last weekend in St. Louis, Mo.

No. 8 Leen Wins National Title

Lance Williams — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The wrestling team completed yet another impressive season under head coach Rob Koll as it earned 67 team points to capture a ninth-place finish at the NCAA tournament in St. Louis, Mo., last weekend. This is the third top-10 national finish for the team in the last four years and marks the fourth straight season in which four Red grapplers qualified as individual All-Americans, an EIWA record.

Red’s NCAA Hopes Pinned on Six Wrestlers

Lance Williams — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Following a slim and bittersweet win at the EIWA championships last weekend, six grapplers on the No. 16 wrestling team will represent the team’s only hope of achieving its third top-5 national finish in the last four years at next week’s NCAA championships in St. Louis, Mo.

“[The EIWA tournament] was a disappointing performance for us as a team, although some individuals like [senior] Mike [Rodriguez] and [freshman Mack] Lewnes really stepped up,” said junior Steve Anceravage. “I’m feeling pretty lucky that we came away with a victory.”

Though the Red dominated the first day of EIWA compeitition last weekend in Lancaster, Pa., only three grapplers made it to the finals of their respective weight classes while only one, Lewnes, earned an individual title.

Williams Probes for Glynn's Hidden Talents

Lance Williams — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Following a thrilling 9-8 victory over No. 16 Army last Saturday, men’s lacrosse senior midfielder and co-captain John Glynn took a face-off with Sun senior writer Lance Williams. Williams is still wondering what hit him.

1. As you know I like to start out on a serious note, the lacrosse team reached the Final Four last year and generated a lot of buzz around campus. What did it feel like to score the game-winner over Albany in the NCAA quarterfinals with four seconds left in overtime?

Grapplers Go Hunting for Second Straight EIWA Title

Lance Williams — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Boasting a fully healthy starting lineup and riding eight-straight dual match victories, the No. 16 wrestling team will look to capture its second straight EIWA tournament title this weekend in Lancaster, Pa. In order to accomplish the feat, the Red grapplers must dominate one of the toughest wrestling conferences in the nation headlined by No. 25 Penn and traditional powerhouses such as Navy, Army and Lehigh. The 15-team field also includes six other Ivy League schools, Bucknell, Franklin and Marshall, American, East Stoudsberg and Rutgers.

Despite the deep and talented field, the grapplers are confident they can back up the hype that comes with being the top-ranked team in the tournament.

10 Questions with Jeff Foote

Lance Williams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Before the basketball team attempts to close out its first-ever undefeated Ivy League season this weekend at Penn and Princeton, junior 7-0 center and Cornell basketball cult hero Jeff Foote played a little one-on-one at Newman Arena with Sun senior writer Lance Williams. Foote could not stop and only hope to contain Williams’ shots from behind the arc.

1. I have a very easy first question for you, what does it feel like to be the Ivy League champions for the first time in 20 years?

It feels really good, when we were down on the court and people stormed it, it was just an awesome feeling. I didn’t really expect to get picked up on the court either, but I did, even though I only rose about five inches …

10 Questions With Brittany Forgues

Lance Williams — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Before the women’s hockey team battles No. 1-ranked Harvard in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals this weekend, senior co-captain Brittany Forgues joined Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams for a leisurely skate around the ice. Williams is still trying to recover from Forgues’ blindside body check.

1. I always start out on a serious note; so the women’s hockey team has made the playoffs for the first time in your career. How does that feel?

It’s great, we’re really excited. It’s obviously different because I’ve never gone to the playoffs, it’s a new feeling for all of the seniors.

What about the team this year has made it so successful?

The True Warriors of College Athletics

Lance Williams — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As an athlete, I was the very definition of average. I was always good enough to make the annual all-star team as an aspiring baseball player, but never seemed to hit higher than No. 5 in the batting order. As a basketball player, I was the Steve Kerr (and that’s a good thing by the way) of the JV squad, but watched from the sidelines anytime our varsity team (led by protein-addicted postgraduates) battled another highly-touted prep team.

Wrestling Earns Sixth-Straight Title

Lance Williams — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Just minutes after the No. 15 wrestling team dropped its fifth dual meet in six chances on Jan. 27, a 21-13 loss to Missouri, head coach Rob Koll’s rhetoric was drenched with optimism. Instead of giving excuses for why his team failed to win, he lauded his squad’s effort, cautioned against writing the Red off after facing such stiff competition, and confidently predicted a win over No. 12 Hofstra the following weekend. Almost one month later, the team has made Koll look like a soothsayer by winning eight straight dual meets, including a 28-14 thumping of Hofstra, and its sixth-straight Ivy League title with wins over Brown and Columbia this past weekend. [img_assist|nid=28164|title=Whats that smell|desc=Freshman No. 2 Mike Grey (top) beat Bucknell’s No.

Grapplers Can Clinch Sixth-Straight Ivy Title

Lance Williams — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The No. 15 wrestling team will attempt to secure its sixth-straight Ivy League championship this weekend when it hosts Brown, Harvard and Bucknell at the Friedman Wrestling Center. Cornell (6-5, 3-0 Ivy), is fresh off a thrilling 19-15 victory over rival Penn and a 48-0 sweep of the hapless Princeton Tigers last weekend. Cornell will need a win over Brown (7-7, 2-1) tonight to wrap up a share of the title and a victory over Harvard (2-8, 1-2) tomorrow afternoon to complete an undefeated in-conference season and become the sole Ivy League champions.

10 Questions with Joshua Goldstein

Lance Williams — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Before the men’s tennis team traveled to Michigan for a big weekend against two ranked foes, Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams took some shots at junior Josh Goldstein.

1. What’s it like to be on the team without last year’s senior co-captains Nick Brunner and Josh Raff?

It is definitely very different.

Would you say they are the real-life version of the ambiguously gay duo?

No comment. But I would say that Raff’s mom is convinced that the two of them kissed on the cheek after a huge comeback victory against Princeton my freshman year.

Tell me a story.

Grapplers Set to Take on Toughest Ivy Opponent

Lance Williams — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The No. 15 wrestling team will attempt to all but lock up its sixth straight Ivy League championship this weekend when it travels to take on No. 25 Penn and Princeton tomorrow afternoon. Although the Red has only competed against one other Ivy foe so far this season, a sweep of its two opponents this weekend would put Cornell in charge of its own destiny against relatively weak Ivy League competition later this year. Either Penn or Cornell has captured the Ivy title for each of the past seven seasons.

“The Penn versus Cornell match pretty much decides the Ivy title every year,” said junior Steve Anceravage. “The other teams [in the Ivy League] just don’t have the firepower to compete with us talent-wise.”

Cornell Sweeps Dual Matches

Lance Williams — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While the basketball team completed a thrilling sweep of the killer P’s (Penn and Princeton) at Newman this weekend, the wrestling team did not want to be outdone and cruised past Ivy rival Columbia, 30-5, and Wagner, 48-6, to complete a sweep of its own at the Friedman Wresting Center.

With the wins, the Red’s record in dual matches now improves to 4-5 (2-0 EIWA) for the year and its confidence continues to rise as the clock in the Friedman Center counts down the days to the NCAA tournament on March 20.

“Both of the matches went pretty much as we expected,” said junior Steve Anceravage. “We nearly swept Columbia and won every match against Wagner except for a forfeit.”

Red Rides Momentum Into Ivy League Opener

Lance Williams — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The wrestling team will finally catch a break from top-10 competition this weekend, as it takes on Wagner and Ivy rival Columbia tomorrow afternoon at Friedman Wrestling Center. The Red (2-5) is fresh off a convincing 28-14 defeat of then-No. 12 Hofstra last weekend and appears primed to continue its winning ways.

“It was a huge moral boost to beat Hofstra after coming out on the short end of the stick in past matches due to injuries,” said junior Steve Anceravage. “To come back to our home gym and win against a good team even after forfeiting one weight class was huge.”

Wrestling Returns Home

Lance Williams — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The No. 18 wrestling team will look to right the ship this weekend as it battles No. 12 Hofstra on Saturday evening at the Friedman Wrestling Center. Despite losing four of its last five dual meets (all to ranked opponents), the team (1-5) is as confident as ever considering that Cornell is at full strength for the first time all season, and the squad is wrestling at home for the first time since its victory in the Body Bar Invitational on Nov. 11, 2007.

“I am really confident in our team right now, we’ve really come together,” said junior Steve Anceravage. “We have [sophomore Adam] Frey back in the lineup, we have [sophomore Josh] Arnone back in the lineup, I do think that we’ll come out on top.”

10 Questions With Colleen Davis

Lance Williams — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Before the gymnastics team opens their Ivy schedule with a home meet against rival Penn this weekend, senior Colleen Davis taught Sun Assistant Sport Editor Lance Williams how she dismounts her horse.

1. I’ve never interviewed a gymnast before and apparently it hasn’t happened since you’ve been here, so I’m sorry I have to start this on a somber note. But I’m very sorry for your recent injury, how did it happen?

Trying to Hold Back Emotions in Cameron Indoor Stadium

Lance Williams — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Watching a Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor Arena is just one of those things that every true sports fan should do before they die. Much like watching the antics of Papi and Manny at Fenway, observing the Knicks’ futility at Madison Square Garden or marveling at Brett Favre’s seemingly endless career at Lambeau Field, the excitement and ambiance that accompanies sports’ greatest venues is almost indescribable. No one’s account can really do the experience justice; you just have to see it for yourself.

Strong Missouri Team Overpowers Cornell

Lance Williams — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The No. 16 wrestling team put up a valiant fight against No. 11 Missouri yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Cornell, though, the team’s relative inexperience coupled with Missouri’s overwhelming talent and home court advantage eventually proved to be too much. The Red fell 21-13 in Columbia, Mo. Although Cornell secured a 13-10 advantage through 174 pounds, Missouri’s No. 4 ranked wrestlers at 184 and 197 pounds each earned major decisions over their Red opponents to lock up the victory for the Tigers.

“We had some great performances today and I am very pleased with our overall team effort,” said head coach Rob Koll. “But at the end of the day, we just didn’t pull out enough of the close matches to get the win.”

10 Questions With Brian Kreefer

Lance Williams — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Before the men's basketball team takes on Columbia in New York City this weekend, junior forward Brian Kreefer launched half-court shots at Newman Arena with Sun assistant sports editor Lance Williams.

1. Because I'm so excited about the team this year, I wanted to start out a little serious this week before we move into some more interesting stuff. The team is 9-5 right now, you guys won the Ivy opener against Columbia last weekend and in my opinion are stocked with talent. What is your prediction for the rematch with Columbia this weekend?

I know we're going to win for sure, but I'm not positive by how much. Hopefully it will be the same or a little more.

Double digits?

Yeah that would be nice.

Cornell Puts Forth Solid Effort but Falls to Duke

Lance Williams — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Durham N.C. — The men’s basketball team gave the Duke Blue Devils all they could handle on Jan. 10, leading by as many as three points with 6:25 left in the first half and never allowing the No. 8 team in the nation to pull away until the closing minutes of the contest. Duke eventually won, 81-67, in front of a raucous crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“We played one of our better games tonight,” said Cornell head coach Steve Donahue. “We were very hyped up for this game, and I think we went out there and competed.”

Donahue’s celebrtiy coaching counterpart agreed with his assessment of the Red’s performance.

Wrestling Travels for Nittany Lion Open

Lance Williams — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Fresh off its third consecutive Body Bar Invitational victory, the wrestling team will travel to State College, Pa., to compete in the 2007 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday morning. The event will feature 60 teams from all over the East Coast, including the host, No. 6 Penn State, as well as Michigan State, Navy, Lehigh, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Penn, among many others.

“This is a great tournament because of the sheer number of wrestlers,” said head coach Rob Koll. “Each team has atleast two or three great wrestlers so our guys will certainly be challenged.”

Football Crushed in Finale

Lance Williams — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

PHILADELPHIA — The football team ended its season on a sour note Saturday, losing to Penn, 45-9, on a frigid afternoon at Franklin Field. From the very first snap, the Quakers (4-6, 3-4 Ivy) utilized a dominant offensive line, a stingy defense and impassioned special teams play to route the Red (5-5, 2-5) in the 2007 Ivy League finale.

“Hats off to Penn, they played great today,” said head coach Jim Knowles ’87. “They whipped us in all three facets of the game.”

The Quakers outgained the Red, 449-216, in total offense, including a 329-78 differential in rushing yards.

Wrestlers Begin Hunt for NCAA Title Tonight

Lance Williams — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The wrestling team will have its first chance to defend its No. 4 ranking this weekend as it faces the No. 13 Wisconsin at Newman Arena tonight before competing in the Body Bar Invitational tomorrow morning.

The Wisconsin matchup is the first of 11 dual meets for the Red this season and poses an extra challenge for the grapplers, who have never beaten the Badgers before.

“The match means a lot,” said junior Jordan Leen. “Especially to all of our coaches who have never beaten Wisconsin before. And for a lot of us too; it is time for us to start competing again.”

The match will raise money for Hospice, through the Big Red’s Hospicare Challenge, with $3 from every person in attendance going to support the cause.

10 Questions

Lance Williams — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Before the men’s squash team’s pivotal three-match series this weekend against highly ranked foes UPenn, Princeton and Western Ontario, Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams volleyed with senior Omar Mangalji. Sadly, Omar’s Blackberry did not survive the ensuing scuffle.

1. I’ve heard conflicting reports about where you are from, so give me a straight answer; where are you from?

I am from London, England.

And that’s your final answer?

Final answer. What else have you heard?

Well let me ask it this way, how many passports do you have?

Only two, an American passport and a Canadian passport. My mother is Canadian and technically so is my dad.

So why are you from London then?

Winter Teams Have Chance for Special Seasons

Lance Williams — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

As someone who spends a vast amount of my time writing and reading about Cornell’s athletic teams, I have a vested interest in their success. So it starts to get really depressing when every article I write or edit is about a loss. There are only so many ways you can frame a 39-point blowout or a four-goal loss in a positive manner. Just ask Assistant Sports Editor Cory Bennett, who was berated by a coach who will remain anonymous after writing what this coach perceived to be an egregiously negative article. But the way I see it, the fact of the matter is that a blowout loss is a blowout loss.

Wrestling Sets Sights on Championship

Lance Williams — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

After a slightly disappointing 12th-place finish at last year’s NCAA championship, the wrestling team — picked No. 4 in W.I.N. Magazine’s preseason Division I rankings — appears poised to regain the form that helped the Red capture consecutive top-5 finishes in the NCAA tournament the previous two years.

“I don’t think we’ve ever returned three All-Americans to the team in the history of Cornell wrestling,” said head coach Rob Koll. “We have the basis for one of the best teams we’ve ever had, as long as we stay healthy.”

10 Questions with Mariye Wick

Lance Williams — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Before the women’s soccer team’s final game of the season this weekend, Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams juggled around with senior Mariye Wick. Williams has yet to recover from the blow to the head.

1. You teased me about saying your name wrong before, so how do you actually pronounce it? For the record, I thought it was Maria. But you said that was wrong so what is it?

That is what a lot of people say. It’s actually Mahr-e-yay.

Wow. I was way off.

You weren’t so bad. I go by Mari though, M-A-R-I.

But this begs the question, where does a name like that come from?

10 Questions With Jimmy Wyner

Lance Williams — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After earning second team All-Ivy honors at Heps this past weekend, senior co-captain Jimmy Wyner wrapped up his final cross country season. Before preparing for the track season, Wyner took some time to feel the pain with Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams.

1. I must say that in my history of being a 10 Questions writer, I have never received the flood of emails that I got on Jimmy Wyner’s behalf.

[Laughing]

So this is going to be very interesting. My first question is do you have any nicknames on the team?

Yeah, I have a few nicknames.

What’s your favorite one.

I would have to say ‘T.O.’ from one of the women’s coaches.

Why is that?

Williams Deems Yanks' Recent Failures as End of Empire

Lance Williams — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

I never thought I would say this, but as of this week, the Evil Empire is officially in disarray. Not so long ago, in fact only seven years ago, the New York Yankees had won three straight World Series’ and four out of the last five. Led by immortals such as Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, and the postseason heroics of Paul O’Neill and Scott Brosius, the Bronx Bombers were seemingly unbeatable. They were invincible. They were the Damn Yankees.

10 Questions: Ray Sawada

Lance Williams — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Before the men’s hockey team kicks off its 2007-08 season this Saturday against Rochester Institute of Technology, senior co-captain Ray Sawada went blow-for-blow with Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams.

1. You have a very unusual name, Ramond Masao Sawada. Where does a name like that come from?

Well I’m half Japanese and half Italian so Masao is actually my Japanese grandfather’s name and Sawada is obviously my father’s name, who is also Japanese.

That’s crazy.

Yeah it’s a good combination.

Great combination, the name flows off the tongue. I couldn’t resist with this one, does everybody love Raymond?

You know, I think it takes time to get to know me, but I think that everybody does.

10 Questions with Kara Zaragoza

Lance Williams — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Coming off an impressive week in which the volleyball team earned victories over rivals Harvard and previously Ivy-undefeated Dartmouth, Kara Zaragoza dug up a few spikes from Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams.

1. I like to start out with questions about the team before I get into more ridiculous stuff, just so I maintain some sort of legitimacy in doing these interviews. So that being said, the last three years your team has won an Ivy League championship. But this year is a little bit of a struggle with a 6-9 (3-2 Ivy) record, what’s the deal with the team?

10 Questions with Nathan Ford

Lance Williams — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Before the football team renewed its annual Homecoming game rivalry with Colgate this Saturday at Schoellkopf Field, Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams tossed the rock around with junior quarterback and two-sport star Nathan Ford. Williams is still trying to recover his fumble.

1. So I talked to you a while ago and you said that the football team would win the Ivy championship, but then you guys lost to Yale and Harvard by pretty wide margins. What happened?

10 Questions With Golf's Chad Bernstein

Lance Williams — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Before playing his first match of the season at the Delaware Invitational, senior tri-captain Chad Bernstein hit the range with Sun Assistant Sports Editor Lance Williams. Williams was quickly removed after hitting a five-year-old with a shank.

1. I like to start off a little easy, so why do you play golf? Why would you want to pursue golf of all the other sports in the world?

Chicks dig the long ball

[Laughing] Chicks dig the long ball!

And it’s a lot easier. I mean it’s a walk in the park compared to football. We see those guys in the weight room and they’re grinding it out; we’re just enjoying life.

So you’re saying you have the pleasure of being a Division I athlete without necessarily…

Around the Ivies: W. Soccer

Lance Williams — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After one week of Ivy League play, Penn and Columbia — who are two of the four teams off to a 1-0 start — are on top of the women’s soccer standings. Here is a recap of all of the games played by Ancient Eight teams this past week.

Penn

The Quakers opened up their Ivy League schedule with a 1-0 win over Cornell on Friday night. Penn — who improved to 6-2-1 overall with the win — dominated Cornell in virtually all aspects of the game, outshooting the Red 11-1 and taking 10 cornerkicks to Cornell’s 0. The lone goal was scored by a Cornell defenseman who was attempting to head the ball out of the box but directed it into the back of the net instead.

Ranking Sports' Biggest Villains

Lance Williams — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In case any of you have been wondering why my name has been relatively absent from paper for the past couple of weeks (and by the way if you actually have, that’s embarrassing and you should begin to rethink your life a little) it is because I sacrificed fulfilling many of my beloved duties at The Sun in order to prepare for the Law School Admission Test (a.k.a. The LSAT). Now that may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but I think I speak for many future law students (and for that matter future medical students like Scott Zuckerman and Michael “Texas Belt Buckle” Schechter) in saying that I would rather take a Tyson punch to the kidney than go through that experience again.

Ford Looks to Build on Success, Lead Offense