RIT Athletic Association - Winter 2006 Preview

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Winter Preview

Men’s Basketball:
The 2006-07 RIT men’s basketball squad will look to record their 15th straight season with at least a .500 record and continue to make strides in the increasingly competitive Empire 8 conference.

With 13 players returning, and a strong nucleus of newcomers, the Tigers are poised to make another run towards an Empire 8 championship and a possible NCAA Division III Tournament bid.

Senior center Tim Bacon, a two-year captain, is expected to lead the way this season. Bacon averaged 10 points and seven rebounds last season, while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. Guards Barrett Zeinfeld and Colin Roy, starters a year ago, have continued to improve and both will play a major role in the 2006-07 season.

Seniors Rob Hampton, Brian Hill, Cameron Youngblood, along with sophomores Rick Whitwood, Mark Carson and Bob Bevilacqua will see plenty of action.

As always, the Tigers will have plenty of new faces, including Kenny Gethers, Phil Leslie, Jim Torto and Scott Young.

Women’s Hockey:
The 2006-07 RIT women’s hockey team will attempt to win its first ECAC East Championship and qualify for the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the first time in school history. The Tigers look to blend a strong mix of experience and youth toward attaining their 12th-straight winning season.

Senior defenseman Stacey McConnell, along with fellow co-captains Lindsay Latour and Isabelle Richard, will be counted on to lead the squad both on and off the ice.

Sophomores Maegan Geypens, along with transfer Danielle Nagymarosi, will be counted on to add offense as well. On defense, Courtenay Cooper is back to help McConnell anchor the blue line. In goal, both senior Nicki Werner and junior Breanna Dobbe are back and have had success for the Tigers.

Women’s Basketball:
The 2006-07 RIT women’s basketball team will look to break the school record for wins in a season and try to qualify for the Empire 8 Tournament for the first time in school history. With all but one starter returning from last season’s squad, the Tigers are primed for their best season yet.

Seniors Ramata Diallo and Margot Sandy are back for their final season in a Tiger uniform. Diallo currently ranks seventh in all-time scoring at RIT and was named to the Empire 8 All-Conference second team three straight times. She currently is in the top 10 in nearly every major career category.

Sandy currently ranks eighth in all-time scoring and holds three career records for the Tigers. She has earned All-Empire 8 Honorable Mention accolades in each of her first three years as a Tiger.

In addition, seniors Jenna Newberry, Jackie Sergi and Meghan Walsh, along with junior Joanna Dobeck, sophomore Kelly Votolato and redshirt freshman Jackie Hammond, will see plenty of time on the court.

Men’s Swimming/Diving:
The 2006-07 RIT men’s swimming and diving squad is looking to continue their run as a powerhouse in New York. The Tigersharks will look to duplicate the success they enjoyed in 2005-06 when they finished 7-3 in dual matches. Two-time All-American diver Quinn Donahoe returns, as do a host of athletes who were all-conference selections.

Donahoe, a junior, earned All-American honors for the second straight season, this time on the one-meter board. In 2005, he finished 8th on the three-meter board to earn an All-American honor. Donahoe was selected as the outstanding diver of the meet for the second time at the 2006 NYSCAA Championships. He won 16-of-20 events during the season and now holds all RIT one- and three-meter regular season and championship diving records.

While the men’s team will miss Erik Zelbacher, who earned All-American honors and was one of RIT’s Senior Athletes of the Year in 2006, several swimmers return who will make a major impact.

Last year Adam Luptak earned second team All-Empire 8 honors in the 200-yard (meter?) butterfly. Luptak just missed qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Coach Cahill believes Luptak will have a big season. Chris Walczyk, Phil Baudoin, Eric Stevens and Brian Duffy return will be counted on to make strong strides in the 2006-2007 season.

Women’s Swimming/Diving:
The 2006-07 RIT Women’s Swimming and Diving squad will look to continue to the top of the New York State swimming ranks after showing impressive growth in 2005-06. The Tigersharks won four dual matches and had a host of athletes enjoy excellent campaigns.

Leading the way for the Tigersharks will be senior Teresa Burr. Last season Burr won nine races and was a member of several record setting relay teams. Sophomore Kristin Curtze is back after enjoying a tremendous first season for RIT, winning 13 races and earning Empire 8 first and second team honors.

Junior Stephanie Owczarczak will be back in the winter, after she completes a quarter of cooperative education, to lend leadership and experience.

Swimmers Jenn Whigham, Jacqueline McClatchy, Amanda Williams, Jessica Schaefer and Missy Wilbert each contributed race wins during the 2005-06 season and will return this year to gave the Tigers valuable depth.

In addition to the returning swimmers, Coach Cahill is extremely excited about his group of newcomers, as he brings in several swimmers who could emerge right away, including Renee Rechlmayr and Caitlin Burr.

Wrestling:
Celebrating its 80th season, the 2006-07 RIT Wrestling team has high hopes for the upcoming year. With 18 veterans returning from last year’s squad, in addition to a dozen highly touted newcomers, the Tigers will look to improve on last season’s performances, which were some of the best for RIT over the last decade.

Sophomore Luke Baum returns after an outstanding freshman season that saw him break the RIT single-season record for wins in a season with 38. He just missed qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

In addition, juniors Nate Bachmann and Julian Nicholas return after recording 28 and 25 wins respectively. Head Coach Scott Stever says that all three men are not only great wrestlers, but great leaders as well.

“We look for all three men to continue and improve and possibly qualify for nationals and earn All-American honors,” said Stever.

Stever will count on senior heavyweight Micah Vore, junior Justin Betz and sophomore Ted Furutani to play major roles this season. Furutani is back at 125 lbs. after a leg injury derailed what was a promising freshman season. In addition, Stever has brought in a very talented class of newcomers, led by junior transfer Nick Ryan. Ryan was fifth in New York state at 149 lbs., while wrestling at SUNY Oneonta in 2005-06. He will replace Mike Pietrowski who graduated last year.

Mike McInally, Bryan Eisenmann and Tyrone King will all compete at 125 lbs. In addition, Jason Wake comes in to compete at 165 lbs., while Jonathan Brownell and Scott Morrison will vie for spots at the heavyweight class.