11.15.2012sports

Winter Sports Preview A special section of

The Ithacan

Tick tick ... Boom

The Bombers’ eight winter teams are ready to burst onto the national stage.

The Ithacan has you covered all season long.

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Winter Sports Preview

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Men’s Basketball vs. Hartwick College

The Hartwick College Hawks, who were regular season Empire 8 Conference champions, will travel to face the 2012 postseason Empire 8 champion Bombers in the first of two critical meetings to determine who will be the favorites for the conference crown.

The Bombers and Hawks split two tight games in the regular season, with each teams beating the other on the road. After the Blue and Gold beat the Hawks 73-71 at Lambros Arena in Oneonta, N.Y., the Hawks struck back with an incredible three-pointer at the buzzer by then-sophomore guard Anthony Keane to beat the Bombers 78-75 in Ben Light Gymnasium.

While Keane’s shot was featured on Sportcenter’s top-10 highlights, the Bombers got the last laugh when they knocked out the Hawks in the semifinals of the Empire 8 tournament.

The Bombers went on to win last year’s conference tournament, but the Hawks enter this season as the favorites in the conference. DIII News ranked the Hawks at 24th overall in its preseason poll while listing the Bombers second in its “Others to Watch” category.

DIII News also lists Hawks junior forward Jared Suderley as one of the players to watch in the East Region. Suderley was a d3hoops.com All-American last season and led the team in points and rebounds. In the three games against the Bombers last season, Suderley averaged more than 21 points and 12 rebounds per game.

The Bombers will be relying on junior forward Frank Mitchell to stop Suderley. To do that, Mitchell will have to stay out of foul trouble. If Mitchell gets in foul trouble, then the Bombers will likely have to turn to 6 foot 6 inch freshman Brad Johanson, and having a true freshman go up against a second team All-American is definitely not what Bombers Head Coach Jim Mullins wants.

Because the consensus is that these two teams will be the contenders in the Empire 8, having such an advantage will be vital in determining who will host the conference tournament. A sweep would also look great on either team’s NCAA tournament resume.

Then-sophomore forward Frank Mitchell goes up for a layup against Hartwick College in the Bombers’ 78-75 loss Jan. 28 in Ben Light Gymnasium.

WINTER TOP 5 File photo/the ithacan

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Swimming & Diving Wrestling vs. Hartwick College vs. Wilkes University

Jodi Costello ’12 dives off the 3-meter diving board in a meet against Cortland last year.

File photo/the ithacan

The swimming and diving teams have dominated the competition, but Hartwick College has given the Blue and Gold some problems in recent years. The Hawks were the only team to defeat the men’s team last year with a score of 165-135 and beat the women’s team in 2008-09. These account for two of the four losses in the past four years for the Blue and Gold.

The Hartwick men’s team went 16–1 last year and finished third in the state meet behind Ithaca College and Union College. The Hawks finished with four state and Empire 8 titles and return two of the three individual champions. The women finished with a 14–3 record last year and finished fourth in the state meet behind Ithaca College, Stevens Institute of Technology and Nazareth College. The Hawks did not field a state champion on the women’s side, but they return all but one swimmer in the events they placed in.

This is a matchup between two elite teams in the Empire 8 Conference that are poised for another strong performance this season. The meet may very well determine where each team stands in the conference.

The wrestling team’s Senior Day festivities Feb. 15 will mark the last matchup on South Hill for several of the Bombers’ best wrestlers. Though it will be a celebration for the seniors, it will also be a tough matchup against nationally ranked Wilkes University, a team the Bombers were just able to edge with a 20-16 victory last season.

This year’s matchup against Wilkes is scheduled after the Eastern Collegiate Wrestling Conference championships and will serve as the second-to-last tune-up for both squads before the NCAA Regional Championships in March.

Wilkes graduated national runner-up Anthony Dattolo from the 149-pound weight class, but the Colonels will return a pair of lower weight All-Americans in sophomore 125-pounder Michael Fleck and junior 133-pounder Myzar Mendoza.

The Colonels also present a tough challenge in the upper weights with junior David Oberrender and junior 285-pounder William Fletcher.

This will be one of the Bombers’ only opportunities during the regular season to square off against another nationally ranked opponent, so expect both squads to be fired up when they hit the mats this February.

From left, then-freshman Marvin Amazan wrestles then-sophomore Tyler Rauenzahn from Army at the 2012 New York state championship meet Jan. 22 at Cornell University. file photo/the ithacan

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Gymnastics

vs. SUNY-Cortland

Graduate student Kay Gordon competes on balance beam against SUNY-Cortland on March 3 last season.

Gordon finished with a final score of 8.475 in the event in the gymnastics team’s 188.075-187.900 win.

File photo/the ithacan

Just one week before the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III Championship on Feb. 2, the Ithaca College gymnastics team will travel to Cortland to take on the Red Dragons. During a similar matchup in the 2011-12 season, the competition came down to the final events for each team — the floor exercise for the South Hill squad and the beam for Red Dragons. After the judges completed the scoring, the Bombers just edged past the Cortland Red Dragons 188.075-187.90, defeating them by less than two-tenths of a point.

In the upcoming season, this competition will be a true test for the Blue and Gold. The Cortland Red Dragons only lost three seniors coming into this upcoming season: Ashley Fleming ’11, Marissa Goodstein ’11 and Cady Tinney ’11. While these seniors played a big role on their team, the team relied predominantly on underclassmen, who placed in at least one of the top-three spots in each event in last year’s matchup. As a result, the team is still equipped with a great deal of talent, including now-senior Sarah Nadrowski and current junior Courtney Mangini.

The Bombers are coming into this season without six seniors that helped carry the team far in competition last year, especially in their battles against the Red Dragons. For this year’s matchup, the Bombers will now depend on the talents of the current juniors and seniors as well as their two returning fifth-year seniors.

Graduate students Christine Niles and Tiffany Grube will also be returning to this year’s lineup.

This matchup will determine if the Bombers’ development over the offseason has pushed them up to last year’s level.

MATCHUPS

A look at the best games on South Hill this winter season

Women’s Basketball

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vs. Hartwick College

The women’s basketball team believes it has the talent to win a national title, but the Bombers must first focus on the Empire 8 Conference. After finishing with a 13-1 record in conference play last season, the South Hill squad is determined to remain unbeaten this time around.

The only blemish in the Blue and Gold’s conference record was against Hartwick College last January. The Bombers hosted the Hawks in Ben Light Gymnasium and lost 56-53. The South Hill squad rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half, taking their only lead in the game after then-sophomore forward Jenn Escobido made a three-pointer. The Hawks took back the lead with 2:33 remaining for the final time of the game.

The Bombers got their revenge last February when the two teams faced off in the E8 Conference Tournament Final. The South Hill squad rallied in the last two minutes of the game to come out on top with a 43-38 victory. The Blue and Gold earned their fourth conference tournament title and clinched the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament — the program’s ninth national tournament appearance.

This season’s matchup could determine who will win the Empire 8 title as well as who hosts the conference tournament. In the 2011-12 campaign, Hartwick finished second with a 12–2 record. The Hawks will also field a veteran squad this year, making the battle for the conference crown that much harder. The Bombers will face off against Hartwick on Jan. 26 at home and will have a rematch Feb. 8 in Oneonta, N.Y.

From left, Hartwick College sophomore guard Kate Purcell attempts to take a charge against Ithaca guard Jessica Farley ’12 during a game Jan. 28.

File photo/the ithacan

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or Best bust

From left, freshman Zack Conner attempts to bring down Norwich College junior Chris Schenk in an upper weight matchup during the Ithaca Invitational on Nov. 3.

Shawn Steiner/The Ithacan

Bombers wrestlers aim to capture team’s fourth NCAA championship

Winter Sports Preview

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The wrestling team, pictured above in the team’s training room in Hill Center, hopes to make another run at an NCAA title after finishing fifth at the 2012 national championship meet.

BY steve derderian

Even without two national champions from the previous season, the wrestling team is hungry for more success in the 2012-13 season.

Bolstered by the NCAA championships won by Seth Ecker ‘12 and graduate student Jeremy Stierly last spring, the Blue and Gold know they can contend on the national stage. Though the efforts of those two former wrestlers helped lead the Bombers to a 14–2 dual meet record and a fifth-place finish at the national tournament, an experienced class remains on the South Hill.

The Bombers return three wrestlers who are currently ranked in the top 10 in Division III. Sophomore Alex Gomez, who won 16 matches in his first season, is ranked 6th nationally in the 133-pound weight class.

Senior Derek Brenon is 4th on the list in the 157-pound weight class and senior Jules Doliscar has the Bombers’ highest national ranking — 3rd in the nation at 174 pounds.

Doliscar collected an overall record of 33–2 in his first year as a Bomber.

The senior is no stranger to expectations — he was the top-ranked national wrestler at 174 pounds during the regular season, before the Division III National Championships. Doliscar said it was frustrating to lose in the NCAA’s after being ranked 1st all season.

“I still have another year to be the best and prove why I deserve to be there,” Doliscar said. “It was a great experience being on that stage, and if I get there again, I’ll definitely know what to expect.”

With a group of veterans setting their sights on returning to the national championships, Head Coach Marty Nichols said his top performers took notice of how Ecker and Stierly trained last season and have stepped into the leadership roles of the team.

“The [wrestling team] has gotten together and been working real hard in the weight room and in the other things they need to do to get ready,” Nichols said. “These are things we

need to be doing as a team, because at the end of the season, you know that they’ve been working at it for months at a time.”

The Blue and Gold have added five freshman wrestlers, who were all two-time place winners in their respective states. The team will need freshman Dan Glinko to fill a void left among the upper weights in the 184-pound weight class. Junior Shane Bartrum, who is returning from season-ending ACL surgery, will also help with the upper weights at 197 pounds.

Nichols said Bartrum has taken all the precautions in his recovery and brings back valuable experience to the South Hill squad this season.

“He’s done everything he was supposed to do, and he looks real comfortable out there and ready to get back into the ring again,” Nichols said.

The depth of the squad will also play to the Bombers’ advantage this season. Nichols said the team’s seven dual meets and six competitions on the schedule are helpful, because they allow him to put as many wrestlers in competition as possible.

“We want to get these other guys some match experience during the season and get some rest for our top guys,” he said.

Glinko, a two-time New Jersey place winner in high school, said he was excited to join a program that will give him a chance to compete but ultimately work toward the goal of getting to the national stage in the coming years.

“When you have guys who you see just won a national championship, it gives you something to look up to and hope to get to that stage one day,” Glinko said. “I want to go out there and learn from the upperclassmen who have been through the program the past few years.”

Because of the experience the upperclassmen have, Nichols said he believes the one extra year of experience will go a long way especially in the championship part of the season.

“If we get the chance to compete where we were last year, they’ll be ready,” Nichols said.

I still have another year to be the best and prove why I deserve to be there.

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staff writer

Rachel woolf/the ithacan

Sophomore Alex Gomez, 6th-ranked wrestler in 133-pound weight class

Senior Derek Brenon, 4th-ranked wrestler in 157-pound weight class

— senior jules doliscar

Senior Jules Doliscar, 3rd-ranked wrestler in 174-pound weight class

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Getting acquainted Men’s Indoor Track

The men’s indoor track and field team is already practicing with hopes of grabbing another Empire 8 Championship this winter season.

In addition to its success in the Empire 8 last year, the team placed second at the New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships, just 5.5 points shy of the first-place team, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Senior middle distance runner David Geary said he has a lot of confidence in the team this year. He said he believes the experience of veteran athletes will set the team apart.

The Ithacan’s beat writers give you the inside scoop on the other seven sports teams competing this season.

The team will miss the leadership and talent of last year’s graduating seniors, distance runner Dan Craighead ’12, decathlete Doug Koury ’12 and thrower Spencer Barry ’12.

Key returners this season will be Geary in the mile and fifth-year senior Jusan Hamilton in the weight throws. The Bombers will also look to build on the success of sophomores Mason Mann and Dennis Ryan last season. Mann won the 500-meter race, while Ryan won the 800-meter race at the state meet as freshmen last year.

The team’s first home meet will be the Ithaca Tri Meet on Dec. 8 in Glazer Arena in the Athletics and Events Center.

— Emily Hull

The women’s basketball team aims to reach the NCAA Division III final and claim the national crown this season. The Bombers won a school-record 24 games, finished first in the Empire 8 Conference regular season standings and won the conference tournament. The Blue and Gold advanced to the second round of the “Big Dance” in the 2011-12 campaign.

The Bombers will look to start their season at a high intensity, as 11 players return to represent the Blue and Gold once again. The team’s first challenge will be filling in the holes left by guards Jessica Farley ’12 and Jacqueline Shinall ’12. Head Coach Dan Raymond said both players were incredible leaders on and off the court and will be hard to replace. Farley in particular was often called upon to guard the opposing team’s best offensive player.

Women’s Basketball The Bombers’ offensive game, however, will only get stronger as their top three scorers return to the court. Junior forward Jenn Escobido, junior guard Kathryn Campbell and Shea combined for 983 points last season — more than half of the team’s total points scored.

The Bombers begin their season Nov. 16 against Hamilton College when they compete in the Skidmore Invitational in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — Danielle D’Avanzo

Women’s Swimming & Diving The women’s swimming and diving team are poised for a great season after repeating as New York State champions last year.

The Bombers finished 12–0–1 during the 2011-12 regular season, with the only blemish being a 150-150 draw against the University of Rochester last January.

The South Hill squad will face challenges against Hartwick College and Stevens Institute of Technology — as they do every year —

but this year’s veteran roster is more equipped for the task. Senior Carly Jones won the 2012 Empire 8 Conference and New York State championships in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Junior Korie Fackler is returning after earning All-American honors in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, while sophomore Kylie Bangs is coming back after an impressive freshman season.

The Blue and Gold won each of their first three meets at the Athletics and Events Center by an average of 91 points on their way to a perfect 4–0 start. The squad’s next home meet is the Bomber Invitational on Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.

— Doug Geller

The men’s basketball team will return four of the five starters who led the Bombers to a surprising Empire 8 Conference championship last season.

Guard Jordan Marcus ’12 left after he graduated. The Bombers also lost sophomore Connor Rogers, who transferred to SUNY-Geneseo and senior Chris Young. Senior guard Eli Maravich returns to the team after not playing in each of the past two seasons, and senior guard Travis Warech joins the team after transferring from Division II St. Michael’s College.

Senior guard Sean Rossi leads the returning starters and has topped the nation in assists in each of the past three seasons. Juniors Tom Sweeney and Frank Mitchell will anchor the Bombers’ frontcourt at center and power forward, respectively. In his first season with the Bombers, Mitchell recorded five

Gymnastics After a season of excellence for the gymnastics program, the team looks to pick up right where it left off with its combination of experienced returning gymnasts and new additions.

The Bombers finished 9–4 in the 2011-12 competition season, including a perfect 6–0 home record. At the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association National Championships, the team finished in sixth place and sent three gymnasts into the individual

Men’s Basketball

double-doubles in 25 starts.

The Blue and Gold finished the season with a 98-73 loss at the College of Staten Island in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament to finish the season at 14–14 overall. They have made the national tournament for the past two years.

The South Hill squad will play its first home game Nov. 30 against Wells College in Ben Light Gymnasium.

— Christian Araos

event championships. Head Coach Rick Suddaby will lead the Bombers again this season, along with the help of Assistant Coach Emily Graber ’10.

The team will have a new look this season after losing six seniors, including key losses of former captain Kim Callahan ’12 and the college’s most decorated gymnast, Jessica Bolduc ’12. Graduate students Tiffany Grube and Christine Niles will be able to return to the lineup because of each athlete’s extra year of eligibility.

Veteran gymnasts such as senior Chelsea Robie and junior Shilanna Gallo also return, along the addition of seven new freshmen.

— Haley Costello

The women’s indoor track and field team looks to build on a successful 2012 campaign.

Last year the team brought nine women to nationals, and they were the champions of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, New York State Collegiate Track Conference and Empire 8.

This season, the Bombers’ squad will definitely feel the loss of all 12 members of last season’s dynamic and powerful senior class. Graduate student Emma Dewart, a two-time national champion in the pentathlon, along with two school record holders, graduate student Ashley Dlubac in the javelin and Heidi Baumbach ’12 in the steeplechase, all left big shoes for the upcoming seniors to fill.

Men’s Swimming & Diving The men’s swimming and diving team is seeking a third straight New York State title in 2012-13.

The Blue and Gold will miss the leadership of graduate students Antoine Connors, Tyler Kenton and Derek Rand, along with Jeff Rapp ’12 and James Sica ’12, who have all left the team. Four of those five swimmers represented the Bombers at both the Empire 8 Conference and New York State championship meets last season.

Women’s Indoor Track Key returners for this season include senior Jennifer Randall, a middle distance runner, who was the school record holder and national championship qualifier last year in the 800-meters and 1500-meters. Amanda Rissmeyer will also be essential as a national qualifier in the heptathlon and high jump.

The team’s first home meet will be the Ithaca Quad Meet at 11 a.m. Dec. 8 in Glazer Arena in the Athletics and Events Center.

— Emily Hull

The South Hill squad returns to the pool with a wealth of talent. Senior diver Martin Brown earned All-American honors in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives at the NCAA Division III diving championships. Senior captains Jake Robbins and Jake Lichter each garnered multiple all-state honors at the 2012 NYS championship meet, and sophomores Matthew Morrison and Clement Towner should bolster the depth of both the swimming and diving squads.

The team’s next home meet is the Bomber Invitational on Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.

— Doug Geller

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SIZING UP THE BLUE AND GOLD

9.24 out of 10

AVERAGE VAULT SCORE FOR SOPHOMORE GYMNAST VALERIE COHEN IN 2011-12

The Ithacan crunches the numbers on the Bombers’ top athletes

THE AVERAGE BOMBERS MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER IS 7 INCHES TALLER THAN THE AVERAGE U.S. MALE

6 FT. 3 IN.

5 FT. 8 IN.

THE TOTAL DISTANCE JUNIOR DIVER KORIE FACKLER DOVE LAST SEASON WAS 4.7 TIMES THE HEIGHT OF THE A&E CENTER

823 F T.

The Ithacan

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SOPHOMORE CLEMENT TOWNER SWAM A DISTANCE EQUIVALENT TO CAYUGA LAKE 3 TIMES OVER LAST SEASON

online

For full-length previews of all the teams featured in this insert, visit the ithacan.org/sports.

file photo/the ithacan

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Bombs away Don’t miss your favorite Bombers athletes this winter season

WRESTLING Ben Light Gymnasium Date

Time

Opponent

Dec. 5

7 p.m.

Rochester Institute of Technology*

Jan. 18

4 p.m.

7 p.m.

Waynesburg

Feb. 7

SUNY-Oneonta*

Feb. 15

7 p.m.

Wilkes College

* Eastern Collegiate Wrestling Conference

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK Athletics & Events Center Date

Time

Event

Dec. 8

11 a.m.

Ithaca Quad Meet

Jan. 26

10 a.m.

10 a.m.

10 a.m.

Empire 8 Indoor Championships Bomber Invitational NYSCTC Indoor Championships

Feb. 2-3 Feb. 22-23

Men’s Indoor Track Athletics & Events Center Date Dec. 8

Opponent

Time

Ithaca Tri Meet

Jan. 26

1 p.m.

10:30 a.m. Empire 8 Indoor Championships

Feb. 2-3

10 a.m.

Feb. 8 Feb. 22 Feb. 23

6 p.m.

4 p.m.

10 p.m.

Ithaca Invitational/Multi Ithaca Quad Meet NYSCTC Indoor Championships NYSCTC Indoor Championships

Gymnastics Ben Light Gymnasium

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Ben Light Gymnasium Date

Time

Opponent

Dec. 4 Dec. 10 Jan. 4

6 p.m.

7 p.m.

Jan. 5 Jan. 12 Jan. 25 Jan. 26

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

6 p.m.

2 p.m.

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

2 p.m.

Elmira College* Medaille College Alfred University* St. John Fisher College* William Smith College Stevens Institute of Technology* Hartwick College* Houghton College Utica College*

Feb. 12 Feb. 15 Feb. 16

6 p.m.

Nazareth College*

* Empire 8

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING Athletics & Events Center Date

Time

Opponent

Nov. 30-Dec. 2 Jan. 19 Jan. 27

TBA 1 p.m.

Feb. 16 Feb. 20-23 Mar. 1-2

1 p.m.

10 a.m.

TBA

Bomber Invitational University of Rochester Dick Comanzo Memorial Diving Invitational Ithaca Invitational Empire 8 Championship Tournament NCAA Division III Diving Regional

10 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Ben Light Gymnasium

Opponent

Date

Time

Opponent

Brockport

Nov. 30 Dec. 4 Dec. 8 Dec. 15 Jan. 4 Jan. 5 Jan. 12 Jan. 25 Jan. 26 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 15 Feb. 16

8 p.m.

8 p.m.

4 p.m.

1 p.m.

8 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

8 p.m.

4 p.m.

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

8 p.m.

4 p.m.

Wells College Elmira College* SUNY-Oswego La Roche College Alfred University* St. John Fisher College* Hobart College Stevens Institute of Technology* Hartwick College* Scranton University Houghton College Utica College* Nazareth College*

Date

Time

Jan. 12

1 p.m.

Feb. 2

3:30 p.m. SUNY-Cortland and Springfield College

Feb. 16

4 p.m.

Harriet Marranca Memorial Invitational

From Page One: Top Left: Sophomore Matt Morrison; Durst Breneiser/The Ithacan Top Center: Junior Shilanna Gallo; Sabrina Knight/The Ithacan Top right: Sophomore Geena Brady and Senior Elizabeth Conti; Durst Breneiser/The Ithacan

* Empire 8

Middle Right: Sophomore Josh Bray; Sabrina Knight/The Ithacan Bottom Right: Sophomore Ashley Panowicz; Durst Breneiser/The Ithacan Middle: Senior Jules Doliscar; Rachel Woolf/The Ithacan Bottom LefT: Senior Sean Rossi; Durst Breneiser/The Ithacan Middle Left: Junior Ebonie Howard; Sabrina Knight/The Ithacan

file photo/the ithacan