Spring Break
Gabriela Marginean: Two-sport phenom
By: Shawn Gauby
Issue date: 5/11/07 Section: Sports
Originally published: 5/11/07 at 1:38 AM EST
Last update: 5/11/07 at 1:38 AM EST
Originally published: 5/11/07 at 1:38 AM EST
Last update: 5/11/07 at 1:38 AM EST
It is not often an athlete comes along who dominates in multiple sports. Such gifted competitors are usually reserved for the elite athletic programs in the nation. However, Gabriela Marginean has wreaked havoc on CAA teams in tennis and basketball, and best of all, she is only a freshman.
Marginean had a monster year, as she was the best player on both the basketball and tennis courts for the Dragons. For her achievements, she was rewarded with a Third Team All-Conference selection in both sports, and she was CAA Rookie of the Year in basketball. Along the way, she won numerous Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards.
Marginean's exploits translated well on the stat sheets. She led the basketball team with 16.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition, she contributed more than one steal and one assist per game. The CAA Rookie of the Year was always on the floor to grab the key board or take a tough shot when the game was on the line, and for that, she was named MVP of the team. Marginean and Narissa Suber were the only two to start all 31 games for the Dragons this season.
The highlight of her athletic season was a game that will not soon be forgotten. Marginean shattered the school-record with 47 points and tied another Drexel-record with 22 rebounds in a 98-90 win over Northeastern back on Feb. 22. Her exploits on the basketball court are hopefully a sign of things to come.
"It was nice to see Gabby step in immediately as a freshman and filling in some of those key situations that we asked of Catherine [Scanlon] last year," Drexel head basketball coach Denise Dillon said.
When it was time to make the transition from basketball to tennis season, it was a tough process. "Gabby" missed most of the non-conference tennis matches, but the All-CAA tennis star was up for the challenge.
"She came off a season where she played 38 minutes a game, a longer season than she is used to playing, and she didn't really take any time off," Dillon said. "She played her first match a week and a half after we were finished in the CAA Tournament. So, I would think physically, her body took a little bit of a toll, but she just keeps going. She just loves playing."
Marginean had a monster year, as she was the best player on both the basketball and tennis courts for the Dragons. For her achievements, she was rewarded with a Third Team All-Conference selection in both sports, and she was CAA Rookie of the Year in basketball. Along the way, she won numerous Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards.
Marginean's exploits translated well on the stat sheets. She led the basketball team with 16.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition, she contributed more than one steal and one assist per game. The CAA Rookie of the Year was always on the floor to grab the key board or take a tough shot when the game was on the line, and for that, she was named MVP of the team. Marginean and Narissa Suber were the only two to start all 31 games for the Dragons this season.
The highlight of her athletic season was a game that will not soon be forgotten. Marginean shattered the school-record with 47 points and tied another Drexel-record with 22 rebounds in a 98-90 win over Northeastern back on Feb. 22. Her exploits on the basketball court are hopefully a sign of things to come.
"It was nice to see Gabby step in immediately as a freshman and filling in some of those key situations that we asked of Catherine [Scanlon] last year," Drexel head basketball coach Denise Dillon said.
When it was time to make the transition from basketball to tennis season, it was a tough process. "Gabby" missed most of the non-conference tennis matches, but the All-CAA tennis star was up for the challenge.
"She came off a season where she played 38 minutes a game, a longer season than she is used to playing, and she didn't really take any time off," Dillon said. "She played her first match a week and a half after we were finished in the CAA Tournament. So, I would think physically, her body took a little bit of a toll, but she just keeps going. She just loves playing."
