SPORTS UPDATE STEVENS EXCELS IN WINTER SPORTS
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tevens’ winter sports programs had an excellent 2012-13 season, as the University celebrated its first national champion in men’s swimming. Simas Jarasunas, a junior from Vilnius, Lithuania, became men’s swimming’s first-ever National Champion, winning the title in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2013 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships in Shenandoah, Texas, in March. The men’s squad finished sixth in the country at the NCAAs, its best showing ever. Women’s swimming, meanwhile, placed seventh in the country at the NCAAs for the third year in a row. Other stand-out swimmers included senior John Hu, who was named the Empire 8 Conference’s Swimmer of the Year, and freshman Elizabeth Heinbach, who was the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. The men’s basketball team turned in one of the finest seasons in its 97-year history, earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and finishing with an overall record of 22-6. The Ducks won the Empire 8 regular-season title and advanced to the title game of the conference tournament. Senior guard Sheldon Jones was named Empire 8 Player of the Year, and Bobby Hurley was named the Coach of the Year for the second time. It was the third consecutive 20-plus win season for Stevens, with Jones and fellow senior Russ Thompson graduating as the all-time leaders in wins, finishing their careers with a record of 82-30. The wrestling program finished seventh in the NCAA East Regional and sent a pair to the NCAA Championships: sophomore Mike Polizzi and senior Joey Favia. Favia placed fifth in the nation in the 165-pound weight class and earned All-America honors. He finished the year with an overall record of 32-3, as the Ducks were ranked 32nd nationally. Meanwhile, senior Alina Duran became the first All-American in the history of the women’s indoor track Stevens senior guard & field program, taking eighth place in the Sheldon Jones was weight throw. Duran was the first individual named the Empire 8 from her program to earn a trip to the nationPlayer of the Year. al meet, as she was also named the Empire 8 Photo: Peter Marney Field Athlete of the Year. And the women’s fencing team had yet another successful season, winning the D3 crown at the National Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association Championships for the third time in four years. The Ducks were led by senior Juliet Turalski and junior Briana Nieradka at the event. Turalski was also named the EWFC Woman of the Year.❖ —By Robert Kulish, Stevens’ Director of Sports Information and Events
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