Behrend Athletics Earn Individual, Team, Conference Accolades;
Awarded with AMCC 2005-06 Presidents’ Cup
After posting individual or team accomplishments in nearly every sport during the 2005-06 academic year, the Behrend Lions of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, claimed their fifth Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Presidents’ Cup in six years. Penn State Behrend’s total of 90 points outpaced second-place Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Md., by six.
The AMCC began the Presidents’ Cup competition during the 2000-01 academic year. Each of the conference’s 10 schools compete for points in 12 men’s and women’s sports, including baseball, softball, men’s golf, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, soccer and tennis, with points accumulated for each team’s finish during the AMCC regular season. Penn State Behrend has won the title every year except for the 2003-04 season, when Frostburg State claimed the cup.
The Behrend Lions’ fight to retain this year’s cup was led by three AMCC regular season champions, including women’s tennis, women’s volleyball and women’s softball, each of whom went on to capture the AMCC Championship in their conference tournaments. In addition, Jeff Barger, women’s tennis coach, Phil Pisano, women’s volleyball coach, and Stacy Pondo, women’s softball coach, were named the AMCC Coach of the Year for their sports.
Penn State Behrend also fielded runners’ up in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s soccer, where Coach Patrick O’Driscoll was AMCC Co-Coach of the Year. The Penn State Behrend athletics summary is as follows.
Baseball: Penn State Behrend led the AMCC with 28 wins, which the third highest in the college’s history, advancing to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship for fourth time in five years. Shane Elzer (Washington/Trinity) and Shane Scott (Stoneboro/Lakeview) were named to the AMCC All-Conference team, while freshman David Koerbel (Pittsburgh/Central Catholic) earned the league’s 2006 co-newcomer award. Elzer also was selected to the ESPN Academic All-District Team.
Basketball: The Behrend Lions’ men’s basketball team advanced to the second round of the ECAC tournament. Sophomore Kevin Buczynski (Erie/Villa Maria) was named AMCC Player of the Year and All-AMCC First Team, and senior J.J. Ferguson earned All-AMCC second-team. Buczynski was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District Team. Men’s basketball Head Coach Dave Niland earned his 200th career victory. The women’s basketball team reached the AMCC semifinals. Juniors Brittany Mays (Knox/Keystone) and Rachel Slomski (Erie/McDowell) were named All-AMCC second team.
Cross Country: Penn State Behrend’s men’s and women’s cross country teams each were named the AMCC runners-up. Senior Brad Ruffo (West Middlesex/West Middlesex) was named AMCC Runner of the Year and advanced to the NCAA national championships. Ruffo and Jason Bem (Union City/Union City) made the All-AMCC team. AMCC Newcomer of the Year, freshman Jenny Bailey (Corry/Corry), and sophomore Leisl Soergel (Evans City/Butler) made the All-AMCC team.
Golf: Finishing the season as runners-up in the AMCC, the Behrend Lions’ Dave Kostanich (Jefferson Hills/Thomas Jefferson), sophomore, was named AMCC Player of the Year while juniors Josh Loaney (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) and Gary Dillaman (Meadville/Meadville) were named to the All-AMCC Second-Team.
Soccer: The men’s soccer team at Penn State Behrend advanced to the ECAC tournament while the women’s team earned second at the AMCC Championships. Seniors Dan Bash (Pittsburgh/Thomas Jefferson) and Brian Blaszczyk (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep) were named to the Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team. Bash, Blaszczyk and senior Justin Reese (Pittsburgh/Thomas Jefferson) were named to the All-AMCC first-team. The women boasted seven all-conference players with three named to the All-AMCC first team, including senior Stephanie Bowen (McMurray/Peters Township), who also was named to All-Region, senior Michelle Newland (Glenshaw/Fox Chapel) and junior Dara Nielson (Cranberry/Seneca Valley).
Softball: The Penn State Behrend softball team won the AMCC Championship and its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Five players were named all-conference and four were named to the All-AMCC first team, including three freshmen—Julie Koman (McKees Rocks/Montour), who also secured the Player and Newcomer of the Year nods, Nikki Kaschauer (South Park/South Park), who also made the NCAA Northeast Region All-Tournament Team, and Katie Whitby (Tyrone/Tyrone)—along with junior Kristen Macha (Export/Franklin). Kelly Houghton (Jamestown/Jamestown) was named second team.
Swimming & Diving: Sophomore Missy Pilewski (Cranesville/Villa Maria) became the second Penn State Behrend swimmer ever to compete in the ECAC Championships, where she finished 12th. Pilewski set two new college records, including swimming the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:09.21, qualifying her for the championships.
Tennis: The Penn State Behrend men’s tennis team finished as the AMCC runners-up, with six players named to the All-AMCC team, including Miles Boyea (St. Vincent, WI/Upper Canada), who was also named Player of the Year, Trevor Dougherty (Meadville/Meadville), Todd Guarnieri (New Castle/Neshannock), Jim Palmer (Sharon/Sharon), Garrett Grenek (Butler/Butler) and Brian Kaleta (Harborcreek/Harborcreek). The women also posted six players to the All-AMCC Team: Alison Mudrey (Hermitage/Hickory), who also was named AMCC Player of the Year, Mindy Calvert (Warren/Warren), Jenna Yankowski (Bethel Park/Bethel Park), Shelley Goodpastor (Sharon/Sharon), Susan Cooper (Pittsburgh/Mount Lebanon) and Amy Frizzell (Grove City/Grove City).
Track & Field: During the indoor season, the Behrend Lions set nine new school records. Fourteen members qualified for the Indoor ECAC Championships; 13 of whom were named All-ECAC. During the outdoor season, 13 members competed in the ECAC Outdoor Championship Events. Senior Staci Banaszek (Erie/Harborcreek), junior Jon McKinney (Summerville/Union), senior Shane Rock (McKean/General McLane) and senior Dennis Scheuer (McKean/General McLane) were named All-ECAC. Banaszek, who won the high jump event at the ECAC Championships, and junior Dan Mitchell (Bloomsburg/Bloomsburg) competed each placed ninth in the high jump and javelin throw, respectively, at the NCAA National Championships.
Volleyball: The women’s volleyball team won the AMCC Championship and earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Four players were named all-conference and three to the All-AMCC first team, including AMCC Player of the Year junior Elaine Voltz (Saxonburg/Knoch), junior Lisa Wagner (New Castle/Laurel) and senior Amanda Evans (Upper St. Clair/Upper St. Clair). Freshman Brittany Hennessy (Hopewell/Hopewell) was named AMCC Newcomer of the Year and All-AMCC second team.
Water Polo: Andre Pranckevicius (Miami, Fla./Miami Beach) of the men’s team was named to Eastern All-Tournament first-team while Anthony Spoto (Birmingham, Mich./Birmingham) and Leandro Azevedo (Miami, Fla./Miami Beach) were named to all-tournament second-team. Spoto finished 23rd in the country in scoring with 56 goals, while Azevedo finished 21st with 152 saves. The men’s team ranked 14th nationally among All-Academic Teams.
The AMCC includes Penn State Behrend, Frostburg State, Hilbert College in Hamburg, N.Y., Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Medaille College in Buffalo, N.Y., Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pa., Penn State Altoona, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers 31 baccalaureate, five associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 20 minors to more than 3,700 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 90 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 intramural sports and modern facilities.