Word: balestraccis
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Captain Mike Clare and senior defensive tackle R.D. Kern were unanimously recognized for their outstanding achievements on the field this season, and freshman defensive linebacker Dante Balestracci added another notch to his belt yesterday by becoming the first freshman in Ivy League history to be named to the First Team...
...Balestracci, who had 14 tackles during The Game last weekend, was also the unanimous choice for Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Even though comparisons have been made between the freshman and Isaiah Kacyvenski '00, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks, Balestracci broke Kacyvenksi's freshman tackle record. Balestracci also broke the team record for tackles by a freshman this season...
...defense, Dante Balestracci, who set a Harvard record for tackles in a season as a freshman with 94 tackles, will be back for three more years. Right cornerback Andy Fried, who had a 15-yard interception and a 34-yard fumble recovery yesterday, is a junior, as is fellow corner Andy Fried. In fact, of Harvard's 22 starters, a whopping 17 are underclassmen. This is excellent news for a team that likely will be favored to win the Ivy League...
...from the lauded leader, it shouldn't have ended this way for the unsung heroes of this young team. At the start of this season, many wouldn't have recognized the names of Nick Palazzo, Matt Leiszler or Dante Balestracci. Now, after their enormous contributions to the team and their competitive drive, it's hard to imagine we could soon forget those names. It is unjust for such a good group of talented and dedicated players to go without the laurels of victory...
...tough times, though, there are usually glimmers of hope. Don't forget that Neil Rose is only a junior, Carl Morris, Leiszler, and Palazzo are sophomores and Balestracci is a freshman. In fact, 30 of the team's 36 core players will return for the 2001 campaign. Most of yesterday's warriors will go on to fight another day and will perhaps have a shot at redemption...