Who Goes to the Dance?

Can Ursinus register an unprecedented third CC men's title in four years? Will Johns Hopkins win its second Centennial championship and first since 1999? Will the Muhlenberg-Johns Hopkins women's final be as memorable as their five straight title game matchups from 1996-2000? Those are the questions to be answered today as the Centennial basketball champions are crowned.

We expect packed houses at Helfferich Hall and Memorial Hall as the Bears and the Mules welcome the visitors from Baltimore. Who will make the big plays today? Mike McGarvey ... Danny Nawrocki ... Kristen Piscadlo ... Katie Kimball ... or will a less-heralded player step up and make the play of the day? The Centennial Conference Basketball Network will carry both games with Pat Cummings in Collegeville and Gordon Mann in Allentown. Our friends at WMUH-FM, the Muhlenberg student station, will also air the women's game. Want live stats to enhance your listening pleasure? Thanks to Jill Yamma at Ursinus and Mike Falk at Muhlenberg, you can see how many points, rebounds, and assists your favorite player has during the course of the game.

We're ready to go ... the players are ready to go ... enjoy the best day of the Centennial basketball season as the 2006 championship trophies and the accompanying NCAA bids are on the line.

Track Championships - Sunday

After a first day of events which saw five records go by the wayside at Ursinus' Floy Lewis Bakes Field House, Sunday should be an exciting day of track and field action. The Haverford men and Dickinson women have put themselves in position to repeat as champions, but anything can happen on the final day. With action beginning at 10:30, we hope to be able to provide some results prior to the start of the basketball championship games which tip off at 2 p.m. We appreciate your patience as the two-person CC office staff covers events at three different venues today.

Men's Basketball Final Four

Ursinus looks to achieve what only one other Centennial school has done in the Conference's 13-year basketball history this weekend as the Bears host the CC final four at Helfferich Hall. Gettysburg is the only team to win back-to-back Centennial championships, winning on the road in 2001 at Muhlenberg and 2002 at Franklin & Marshall. Ursinus' road will not be easy, as semifinal opponent Washington holds one of the three victories CC teams had over the Bears this season, winning 88-83 in overtime in Chestertown, while the 82-73 loss in Collegeville was not decided until the final minute. The other semifinal finds Gettysburg looking for a season sweep against Johns Hopkins. This is the Bullets' fifth semifinal appearance in the last six years, while the Jays shoot for another even-numbered year championship appearance (1994, 1998, 2000, 2004). Of course, Hopkins won its only title in 1999. Follow the action on our Championships page for live stats and live audio.

Women's Basketball Final Four

It promises to be one of the best women's "final fours" in the country this weekend, as the CC women's basketball championship tournament continues at Muhlenberg's Memorial Hall. Of all the conferences the comprise Division III, only seven have a final four in which all competing teams have at least 18 or more wins - Centennial, Minnesota, NESCAC, North Coast, Ohio, Southern Collegiate and Wisconsin. The top-seeded Mules are ranked 15th nationally and go for their first Centennial title since going back-to-back in 1997 and 1998. They face their chief nemesis in McDaniel, the two-time defending champs who are 10-1 at CC tournament time in the last five seasons. The other semifinal pits Dickinson, a 2005 CC finalist, against Johns Hopkins, the winningest program in Centennial play and holder of four Conference titles (1996, 1999, 2000, 2003). Follow all the action at our Championship page where you can find links to live stats and live audio.

Track Championships - Saturday

The 13th annual Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships begin today at Ursinus College's Floy Lewis Bakes Field House. The Haverford men are the team everyone is shooting for, as the Fords have won 11 of the previous 12 CC titles with only a 1999 victory by Franklin & Marshall spoiling the perfect run. The Dickinson women have taken six of the last seven Centennial championships. Keep an eye on Muhlenberg's men's and women's teams, while the host's men's squad could also make some noise. Competition begins at noon. We'll keep you posted with regular updates during the day. Championships page

The Road to the NCAAs Starts Tonight

The 2006 Centennial Conference Basketball Championships begin tonight in Westminster and Chestertown with a pair of first-round games. On the women's side, No. 5 seed Gettysburg (15-10) makes the short trip down Route 97 to the Gill Center to take on two-time defending CC champion McDaniel (18-7) beginning at 7 p.m. The Green Terror swept the Bullets in the regular season to extend their win streak over the Orange and Blue to seven games. The Bullets' last win was a 78-70 decision at home in 2003, while their last win in Westminster came in 1997 - a stretch of 11 games. You can hear the game on WTTR-AM 1470 or follow the live text play-by-play and statistics on the web.

The men's game pits fifth-seeded Muhlenberg (14-11) making the long trek to the Cain Center to square off with No. 4 seed Washington (12-13). The teams split their regular season meetings with each winning on their home floor. The Mules have lost 10 of their last 12 games with the Shoremen in Chestertown, winning by a point in 2002 and two points in OT in 2004. You can hear the game courtesy of Washington College or follow live stats.

CC Swimming Championships - Saturday Finals

A busy Saturday concludes tonight in the pool with finals in seven events. The crowd is primed for a record-setting night ... so we'll bring you the results as best we can.

"Refuse to Lose"

That's the motto for Saturday's regular-season finales in the Conference basketball races, as playoff berths and seedings could be finalized today. On the women's side, a Muhlenberg win over Ursinus locks up the top seed for the Mules. A loss opens the door for Johns Hopkins to gain the No. 1 seed with a win Sunday vs. F&M. The winner of the Dickinson-Gettysburg game is the #3 seed. A Bullet loss opens the door for McDaniel to gain the #4 seed with a win over Washington. A Green Terror loss gives Ursinus a shot at the #5 seed with a win at Muhlenberg.

In men's play, it's down to the final berth among F&M, Haverford and Muhlenberg. The Mules clinch the spot if they can defeat Ursinus. A loss means Haverford can secure the berth with a win at Swarthmore. Losses by 'Berg and Haverford open the door for F&M to seize the spot with a Diplomat win over Johns Hopkins. Losses by all three contenders give the #5 position to Haverford.

The Centennial Conference Basketball Network is pulling double duty today, covering the Haverford-Swarthmore and Franklin & Marshall-Johns Hopkins contests. Follow all the action via our Gameday site and here on the "Score Blog."

CC Wrestling Championships

The mats are out ... the weigh-ins are complete ... and it's time to wrestle. The 2006 Centennial Conference Wrestling Championships begin at 10 a.m. at Johns Hopkins with Ursinus favored to win an unprecedented fourth title in a row. Story lines include: 133: can 2006 CC Wrestler of the Year Eddie Murray of Ursinus (23-0) win a fourth Centennial title; 157: a deep weight class promises excellent competition among Muhlenberg's Dale Mills, Stevens' Ryan Bennick and Ursinus' Mark Barber; 165: McDaniel's Tony Howard, ranked 5th nationally, could meet Stevens' Brandon MacWhinnie in the final. MacWhinnie defeated Howard during the regular season; 174: another deep class features Johns Hopkins' David Kraus, McDaniel's Andrew Winfield, and Kings Point's Nate Van de Venter; 184: can Ursinus' Mike Troutman win his fourth CC title; 197: can Muhlenberg's Matt Loesch make it three titles in three season? Keep up with all the action here on our blog.

CC Swimming Championships - Saturday Trials

The pool is fast ... records are falling ... it promises to be an exciting "day two" of the 2006 Centennial Conference Swimming championships at F&M's Kunkel Aquatic Center. The host Diplomats have a four-point lead on Gettysburg in the women's competition and a 58-point advantage on the Bullets on the men's side. Who to Watch This Morning: F&M's Kelly Landman is the CC record-holder and top seed in the women's 400 IM; Swarthmore's Jennie Lewis, F&M's Brittany McCabe and Washington's Ally Simons will take aim at the CC 100 butterfly meet record (58.08) which has stood since 1997; the Diplomats' Jenna Walters begins her quest for a second gold in the 200 free; the Bullets' Michael Hughes and Dickinson's Everett Kimball are the top two seeds in the men's 200 free; McDaniel's best shots at gold come in the 100 breaststrokes behind top seeds Cassie Allen and Chris Reed; and Swarthmore first-year Douglas Gilchrest-Scott will battle F&M's Phil Rehders in the 100 back. It's a full day of competition in the Conference ... we'll keep you up-to-date.

CC Swimming Championships - Friday Finals

The morning swim had a Conference record ... could the evening finals bring more? Franklin & Marshall sophomore Derek Nowak set a Centennial record with a "B" cut time of 4:37.11 in the 500 freestyle in trials. He bettered his old mark set last season by .31 seconds. Could the 50 freestyle records fall? The women's mark has stood for 10 years, while the men's mark has lasted nine. Tonight, we'll have the results from the finals as soon as they are complete so join us here on the blog for all the action. Complete results are available on our Championships website.

CC Swimming Championships - Friday Trials

Welcome to our "real-time" results blog for the 2006 Centennial Conference swimming championships at the Kunkel Aquatic Center at Franklin & Marshall College. Today's trials in the 500 freestyle, 200 IM and 50 freestyle begin at 11:30 a.m. We will post the times for the 16 swimmers in each event who qualify for tonight's swims here on the blog. The complete results can be found on our Championship website. We hope you find this service helpful.

Showdown in Allentown

The Nor'easter has passed ... in fact, the snow is beginning to disappear ... so it's time for McDaniel (17-6, 11-5 CC) to make the trip north to the Lehigh Valley to take on Muhlenberg (21-2, 14-2). The two-time defending women's champions from Westminster are looking to rebound from a 65-64 loss at the Gill Center back on Jan. 12. A Green Terror victory locks up a playoff berth for McDaniel and keeps its hopes for a first-round bye alive. A Mule victory keeps 'Berg's dreams of the top seed and home court advantage for next weekend's final four intact. You can listen to the game on WMUH-FM 91.7 or get game updates here on our blog.

Hoops Tonight 2/15

It's the next-to-last night of Centennial regular-season men's basketball action and only two of the five playoff spots have been secured. Ursinus and Johns Hopkins have locked up spots and the Bears can clinch the top seed and home court advantage with a win at home against Haverford. The Blue Jays need a win at home against Gettysburg ... a win on the road at Franklin & Marshall ... and two Ursinus losses to get the No. 1 seed.

The Bullets can wrap up the No. 3 seed with a win in Baltimore ... while Washington can sew up a berth with a win over Swarthmore, combined with Muhlenberg and Haverford losses. A Mule win at Dickinson or a Ford win at Ursinus knocks Franklin & Marshall out of the playoffs for the first time since 1997. The Diplomats need wins over McDaniel and Johns Hopkins at the Mayser Center, combined with two losses apiece by Muhlenberg and Haverford, to keep their streak alive.

Nothing to it ... right? All the up-to-date scores can be found here on our blog ... while live stats and live audio is available via our Gameday site.

A Valentine's Hoop Treat

The ladies take center stage on Valentine's Day in the Centennial Conference with three key games that will impact playoff seedings. First-place Johns Hopkins (18-5, 14-2 CC) looks to hold onto its slim lead in the Conference when it visits Gettysburg (15-8, 12-4). The Blue Jays have won 20 of the last 21 meetings with the Bullets. But Hopkins will have to slow down Jennifer Bengel who leads the Centennial in scoring at 19.4 ppg. Muhlenberg (20-2, 13-2), ranked 17th nationally by D3hoops.com, is on the road at the Kline Center taking on Dickinson (17-5, 13-3). Two of the CC's best centers meet in the Mules' Meghan Courtney and the Red Devils' Ally Teatom. If the Mules win their final three games, they will clinch the top seed and have home court advantage for next weekend's CC tournament. McDaniel (16-6, 10-5) needs two wins in its final three games to lock up the fifth and final playoff berth. The Terror begins its quest with a trip to Franklin & Marshall (9-14, 6-10). Keep up with the play-by-play action with our Gameday site ... or just refresh every few minutes to get score updates here on our blog.

Big Monday

It's "Big Monday" in the Centennial Conference tonight as Saturday's snowstorm caused McDaniel and Muhlenberg to postpone their tilt for two days. The Mules (12-10, 7-8 CC) need a win to pull into a tie for the final playoff berth with Haverford. The Green Terror (8-14, 6-9 CC) need a victory to keep their dream of reaching the Centennial playoffs for the first time since 1995 alive. To do that will mean a win at Memorial Hall for the first time since 1987 - a stretch of 14 games. There is no radio coverage nor live stats capability at Memorial Hall, so get the up-to-date scores here on our blog.

A Saturday Showcase

Today showcases some of the best the Centennial Conference has to offer during the winter season with key contests in men's basketball, women's basketball and wrestling. All eyes in men's hoops will be focused on Collegeville as Johns Hopkins and Ursinus battle for first place and possible home court for the CC final four. Listen to the game on the Centennial Conference Basketball Network. Links for all the day's basketball action can be found on our Gameday site. The wrestling dual-meet title is on the line when Ursinus and McDaniel visit Muhlenberg. The Bears have won 20 consecutive Centennial matches and three straight Conference dual-meet crowns. It looks like the anticipated snowstorm along the East Coast will hold off until the afternoon's action is done (McDaniel-Muhlenberg doubleheader scheduled for tonight has been postponed until Sunday) ... so we hope you can make it to a Conference venue for action today. If not, keep up-to-date with the latest scores here on our blog.

Hoops Tonight 2/8

If it were a horse race ... we'd be entering the home turn. Instead, this is basketball and we have just four games remaining in the Centennial regular season. The big game tonight features Ursinus (16-5, 12-2 CC), tied for first place with Johns Hopkins (16-4, 12-2), traveling to the Battlefield to meet third-place Gettysburg (13-8, 9-5). Unfortunately, the game will not have radio coverage ... so keep it here for updates throughout the night.

Johns Hopkins (16-4, 12-2) travels to Carroll County to take on McDaniel (8-13, 6-8). The Blue Jays cannot be caught looking ahead to Ursinus on Saturday, as the Green Terror is in a three-way tie for the fifth and final playoff berth. Listen to the action on WTTR-AM. Washington (10-11, 8-6) crosses the Mason-Dixon line to take on Haverford (8-12, 6-8). The Shoremen also chasing Gettysburg for third place and a bye in the first round of the CC playoffs, while the Fords are part of that three-way deadlock for fifth place. WHRCradio.com will bring you all the action tonight from Gooding Arena. Can you name the last time Dickinson swept Franklin & Marshall in a season series? I'll give you a moment ... time's up ... 1997. The Red Devils are not officially out of the CC race ... but they can play spoiler by knocking off the Diplomats (10-11, 5-9) for the second time this season. Listen to the action on WDCV-FM. The other team in the three-way tie at 6-8 is Muhlenberg, who travels to Swarthmore to take on the Garnet tonight. You can also get live stats at our Gameday site.

Hoops Tonight 2/7

It's a big night in women's basketball in the Centennial Conference, as four of the top six teams meet in head-to-head matchups that could clear up the playoff picture. First-place Johns Hopkins (16-4, 13-1 CC) goes on the road to McDaniel (16-5, 10-4 CC) in the 59th renewal of one of the Conference's hottest rivalries. The Blue Jays won the year's first meeting by a 65-57 count in December in Baltimore. Hopkins has not won the two-game regular-season set from the Green Terror since 2000 ... over the last four seasons, JHU and McDaniel have met three times a year including playoff games. Listen to all the action on WTTR-AM 1470.

The other big game features a pair of teams battling McDaniel for the final two playoff spots - Ursinus (12-9, 9-6 CC) and Gettysburg (13-8, 10-4 CC). The Bears have won three of the last four meetings, including a 58-56 decision in Collegeville in November. The Bullets look for their first win in the series at Bream Gym since 2002.

You can listen to the Dickinson-Franklin & Marshall game on the web courtesy of WDCV-FM 88.3 ... follow live text play-by-play and stats via our Gameday site ... and keep up-to-date around the CC with our score blog.

Showdown Saturday

It doesn't get much better than the first Saturday of February when it comes to Centennial swimming dual meets. Why? It's the annual Franklin & Marshall-Gettysburg meet which usually has determined the dual-meet champion ... and 2006 is no exception. This year's Diplomat-Bullet battle takes place at Gettysburg's CUB Pool beginning at 1 p.m.

In men's basketball, Gettysburg visits Washington in a showdown between the two teams tied for third place in the CC. You can listen to the action courtesy of the Centennial Conference Basketball Network beginning at 1:50 p.m. On the women's side, Ursinus visits Dickinson in a key game between teams battling for playoff position.

Follow all today's action with our Gameday links on our basketball pages ... add updated scores on our "score blog" ... and enjoy a full day of Centennial action.

Centennial Pride on the Line

It's a night off from the Conference wars for CC women's basketball teams ... but Centennial pride is on the line in four non-conference games. Muhlenberg (17-2) faces the toughest test as it travels across the Lehigh Valley to take on #19 ranked Moravian. Two other MAC Commonwealth foes visit Centennial gyms, as Lebanon Valley is at Dickinson and Elizabethtown comes to Franklin & Marshall. Bryn Mawr wraps up the evening's slate of games with a trip to Lincoln. The Centennial is 32-30 against non-conference foes this season.

The First Day of Spring

Considering we had just a trace of snow during the entire month of January ... and the temperatures have been well above normal for the 31-day period ...yeah, it seems like spring, doesn't it? But today - February 1 - is the official first day of spring for Centennial Conference athletes.

You see ... February 1 is the first day of practice for spring teams in the CC. So today, look for baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis and golf teams to be outside practicing for the first time (officially) since October.

Inside, however, it's a big night on the hardwood around the Conference. The feature game takes place in Allentown, as Muhlenberg welcomes Haverford to Memorial Hall. The Fords have a one-game lead over the Mules in the race for the fifth and final playoff berth and look for their first season sweep of 'Berg since 1996. You can follow all the action on WMUH ... or listen to the Swarthmore-Johns Hopkins game on WJHUradio.com. Text stats are available for the Dickinson-McDaniel and Ursinus-Washington games on our Gameday site.