Benson Readies for New Season

This story was originally published online on August 4.

For most Cornell students, a European tour epitomizes the ideal summer getaway. For senior point guard Lauren Benson, it’s just another day at the office. Point guard training camps have become a sort of habit for the second-year captain, who once again devoted a significant portion of her vacation to readying for the upcoming season. This time, however, Benson’s preseason preparation took her across the Atlantic to Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy, with USA Athletes International –– an organization that provides amateur athletes with the opportunity to compete on an international stage.

W. Cagers’ Benson Readies for 2009-10 Season With European Tour

For most Cornell students, a European tour epitomizes the ideal summer getaway. For rising senior point guard Lauren Benson, it’s just another day at the office. Point guard training camps have become a sort of habit for the second-year captain, who once again devoted a significant portion of her vacation to readying for the upcoming season. This time, however, Benson’s preseason preparation took her across the Atlantic to Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy, with USA Athletes International –– an organization that provides amateur athletes with the opportunity to compete on an international stage.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

The e-mail was short: “Josh, me and you need to have a little chat. No problems, just want to talk.”
So, one night in Nov. 2005, I took a phone call. The voice on the other end was Chris Mascaro ’06, and he was offering me the opportunity of a lifetime.
What if you had the opportunity to go to every Cornell athletics event for free, home and away; receive an all-access pass and the best seats in the house to every event; meet and talk with all the players and coaches; befriend the staff and administration in and out of Athletics, at Cornell and other schools; chat with famous media personalities, coaches and athletes from around the country, in college, professional sports and beyond?
Would you take it?

W. Cagers Hit Stride Heading into Ivy Play

After the first game of Ivy League play, the women’s basketball team is the proud owner of a 9-5 record, representing a complete turnaround from where the team stood at this point last season. Only a year ago, the Red was 5-9 and still reeling from a seven-game losing streak during non-conference play.
This year’s squad, ranked second in the Ivy League pre-season media poll, is expected to finish with a better record than last year’s team, which finished the season 12-15. According to head coach Dayna Smith, the difference between last year’s squad and this year’s can be summed up in one word.

W. Hoops Has Strong Break

While most Cornellians used the winter break to catch up on sleep, catch up with old friends and catch Drew Carry on “The Price is Right,” the women’s basketball team was busy finishing up its non-conference schedule in historic fashion.
Cornell’s 75-60 victory over NJIT to finish out-of-league play was head coach Dayna Smith’s 50th win with the Red and the 300th win in the program’s history. The win also brought the Red to 8-5, its best non-conference finish since the team went 8-4 through the 1999-00 non-conference schedule.