by Dan Teliski ’97, Gannon Sports Information Director
Sixteen all-conference selections, six academic all-district honorees and six all-region players highlighted Gannon’s fall season. The awards and accolades continued Gannon’s fine showing in the classroom and in competition.
Football The Gannon football team struggled through a 1-10 campaign in 2006, but the season did not conclude without some fabulous individual accomplishments. Dan Tomko led a group of seven Golden Knights who received AllGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) accolades, being named to the All-GLIAC second Brendan McNicholas team. Dave Conway, Sam Culberth, Donald Germany, Sean Hoffman, Brandon Jones, and Rich Lee were named to the All-GLIAC honorable mention squad. Tomko ranked second among GLIAC players and fifth nationally in tackles per game (10.5).The Sharon, Pennsylvania, native concluded his career fifth all-time at Gannon with 262 career tackles. Brendan McNicholas and Rich Lee were rewarded for their combined effort in the classroom and on the field.The two were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II football teams.
Volleyball The Gannon volleyball team finished 9-14 overall and 5-12 in conference play. It was a season of growth for the Lady Knights, who improved their victory total from last year by four both overall and within conference play. Marcie Soltesz and Katie Flower were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II volleyball teams. Soltesz, who was also named to the All-GLIAC honorable mention team, was selected to the All-District II first team.The Venango, Pennsylvania, native concluded her career seventh all-time at Gannon with 1,164 career digs. In the classroom, the English/secondary education major owns a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average.
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Flower was named to the All-District II second team for the second time in her career. As a physician assistant major, Flower has produced a 3.93 cumulative grade-point average.
Men’s Soccer The men’s soccer team continued its steady play, remaining ranked regionally throughout the entire season. Gannon caught fire down the stretch as usual, producing its second unbeaten streak of at least six matches in the last two seasons. The Golden Knights finished the season 11-6-1, posting 11 victories for the first time since 2003. The squad reached double digits in victories for the fourth time in the last five seasons. One of the season’s highlights was head coach Rob van Rheenen recording his 100th career victory, a thrilling 3-2 win at conference rival Findlay. Jonathan Whiley scored the game-winning goal with nine seconds remaining in regulation. The victory set off a celebration for the 10th-year head coach, who became the second coach in school history to record 100 career victories. Gareth Kolkenbeck-Ruh and Rudi Costa were named to the Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region men’s soccer teams. Kolkenbeck-Ruh was one of four defenders named to the all-region first team. Costa was one of three forwards named to the all-region second team.
Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer program continued to improve under seventh-year head coach Colin Petersen. The Lady Knights improved their record for the third consecutive season, finishing 9-10-1 overall. It was a two-game improvement from a 7-11-1 record in 2005. A loss in the regular-season finale prevented the Lady Knights from posting their first winning season since 1999. Gannon landed four players on the Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region women’s soccer teams. Jamie Shadd, who was earlier named to the All-GLIAC second team, was selected to the first team after leading the team in goals (12) and points (26). Colleen Schwarz, Laura Piazza, and Chantelle Both were selected to the all-region second team. Courtney Rowan was named to the All-GLIAC second team for the second consecutive season. In addition, two women’s soccer players were honored for excellence as true student-athletes. Schwarz and Megan Coe were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II first team. In the classroom, Schwarz, a physician assistant major, has a 3.98 cumulative gradepoint average. Coe, a biology major, has been perfect in the classroom with a 4.0 grade-point average.
Colleen Schwarz