by Bub Parker
photos by Tim McKinney
The winter sports season featured six of eight Ithaca clubs represented in postseason play. Bomber winter squads combined for a 59-31-1 record, a 65 percent winning rate. Here's a sport-by-sport review of the winter campaign:
(16-10, 3-2 EAA)
Coming
off a disappointing 11-14 record in 1994-95, Coach Tom Baker guided the
1995-96 squad -- which included four freshmen and three other newcomers
-- back to a winning record and the postseason. The Bombers stumbled to
a 5-5 record but then won 11 of 13 games during a mid-year stretch to earn
a spot in the Eastern College Athletic Conference upstate New York play-offs.
The South Hill hoopers dropped their opening-round tilt, 75-63, to the
tournament's champion, Oneonta.
Junior forward Kevin Havens, a transfer from the U.S. Naval Academy, led the blue and gold attack this winter with an average 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds a contest. Senior guard Mark Metcalf, who became the 12th player in the history of the men's basketball program to reach the 1,000-point mark, knocked down 12.4 points a game and passed out a squad-best 3.5 assists per tilt. Metcalf also ended his tenure ranked 1st at Ithaca in all-time steals (178) and 7th in assists (266). Junior forward Rob Nadler, quite possibly the team's most improved player this season, added an average of 9.2 points a game.
Senior guard Vince Perrine leaves the Ithaca hardwood program ranked 1st in career three-pointers attempted (459) and 2nd in treys made (173).
Havens and Metcalf were both named to the Empire Athletic Association second team. In addition, Coach Baker won his 300th collegiate game this winter.
(Photo: Junior forward Kevin Havens led Ithaca in scoring (13-3) and rebounding (7-4) averages this past winter.)
(15-9, 3-2 EAA)
The Bombers
posted the program's ninth consecutive non-losing season in 1995-96. Ithaca
raced out to a 10-3 start, including nine consecutive triumphs from December
9 until a 66-44 setback at NCAA play-off participant Hartwick on January
25. After dropping 4 of 5 games in late January into early February, Coach
Christine Pritchard's club ran off 4 wins in its 5 final regular- season
tilts to secure a spot in the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic
Association play-offs.
Ithaca received the fifth seed in the eight-team state tourney but saw its season come to a close at 4th-rated Elmira, 68-53.
Sophomore forward Margo McGowan, who was a first-squad all-EAA pick, led the Bombers in scoring (11.5) and rebounding (8.7) averages, as well as in steals (91). She ended the year ranked 1st in the loop in steals, 5th in rebounds per game, and 6th in points a contest. Freshman center Jenn Colby chipped in with 10.7 markers per tilt and 7.8 caroms a game. Freshman guard Jen Cotton found the hoop for an average of 9.1 points each time out.
Senior guard Naomi Winakor ended her blue and gold tenure ranked 3rd in all-time steals (166).
(Photo: Margo McGowan, a sophomore forward, was a member of the all-EAA first team this year.)
(5-2-1)
For the
first time in the history of the sport at Ithaca College, the Bombers hosted
the National Collegiate Gymnastic Association Championship in Ben Light
Gymnasium. The blue and gold unfortunately finished last, but sophomore
Jen Nardone did earn all-American honors by tying for 10th in the all-around.
In addition, the South Hill squad won the eight-team Ithaca Invitational
and took 2nd at the ECAC meet. Ithaca's runner-up showing at the conference
event snapped a string of three consecutive ECAC titles.
Senior Lindsay-Leigh Bartyzel tied the school record in the floor exercise (9.6) at Springfield on January 21, and the blue and gold set a program standard on the uneven bars (44.65) during the Ithaca Invitational.
Senior Laurie Gilman, freshman Becky Davis, Nardone, and Bartyzel all earned all-ECAC honors. Gilman was 2nd on the uneven bars, Nardone was 3rd on the vault and 4th in the all-around, and Davis was 4th on the balance beam. Bartyzel took 2nd on the balance beam, tied for 4th in the floor exercise, and was 6th in the all-around.
Bartyzel was also a finalist for the 1996 National Student-Athlete Day Giant Steps Awards, sponsored by Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. She was recognized for her work with the College's Athletes for Healthy Choices, a group that talks to young people about alcohol and substance abuse.
(Photo: Sophomore Jen Nardone picked up all-American recognition in
the all-around competition at the NCGA meet.)
Seniors Colin Herlihy and Todd Poludniak qualified for the NCAA Division III championship for the second straight season and helped the Bombers to an 18th-place finish. This year Ithaca also posted its second undefeated dual-meet campaign in program annals. (The 1990-91 season had a 14-0 record.)
In addition, Coach Kevin Markwardt's tankers were 1st at the Rochester Harvest Relays, 3rd at the Golden Ram Classic at West Chester, and 4th at the Upper New York State College Swimming Association Championship.
Herlihy and Poludniak finished 1st (509.26 points) and 2nd (477.17) on the squad in scoring, respectively. Freshman Pat Kielty was 3rd with 344.17 markers and 33 1st-place finishes.
Herlihy, junior Michael Pietrak, and sophomore Brian Barber each garnered
all-academic laurels from the UNYSCSA.
Coach Paula Miller's club raced to an 11th-place showing at the NCAA Division III championships, held at Emory University. The Bombers were 3rd at the NYSWCAA meet and took 1st place at the Rochester Invitational and Rochester Relays.
A total of eight athletes represented the South Hill tankers at the national outing. Freshman Renee Helbok was the top Bomber performer during the three-day stretch: she tallied 33 points to tie for 20th among the field of individual competitors. She also captured seven all-American honors.
Helbok set a school record in the 200-yard freestyle while placing 2nd with a 1:53.25 clocking. She was 3rd in the 100-yard freestyle and was a member of five relay teams that earned national recognition. Sophomore Debby Werner was on the same five relay squads, while sophomore Leslie Greene and freshman Dara Porterfield picked up three all-American honors for relay action.
At the state event Helbok was tabbed swimmer of the meet. She was 1st in the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyle races and was a member of three winning relay units. Freshman Julie Steele took 1st in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke.
First-year head coach Kelli Bert guided a team that was over 40 percent freshmen to a 2nd-place showing at the Hamilton Invitational, a 7th at the NYSWCAA championship, and a tie for 16th out of 31 teams at the ECAC meet. In addition, in January the Bombers recorded meet triumphs over Binghamton and Cortland.
During the state outing, senior Heidi Crossman had a stellar performance in the pentathlon, finishing 1st. Freshman standout Leigh Gochenour tied for 2nd in the high jump, and junior Christie Dilcer took 3rd in the 400-meter dash. Junior Bridget O'Brien crossed the finish line 4th in the 55-meter hurdles. The 1,600-meter relay unit of Crossman, Dilcer, senior Melanie Blann, and junior Melanie Della Rocco placed 4th to round out the top-four finishers for Ithaca.
Gochenour registered the blue and gold's best performance at the ECACs
with a 3rd in the high jump. O'Brien was 6th in the 55-meter hurdles, and
the 1,600-meter relay squad of O'Brien, Della Rocco, Blann, and Dilcer
took 7th.
Ithaca highlighted its 1996 indoor season with victories over Binghamton and Cortland, a 1st-place finish at the Hamilton Invitational, and 5th place at the New York State Collegiate Track and Field Association and ECAC championships.
At the state meet sophomore Chris Waldron, one of this year's top performers for Coach Jim Nichols, took 1st in the 1,000 meters. NYSCT&FA results were as follows: junior Tom Lansley was 3rd in the 1,500 meters, sophomore Mark Bowles was 3rd in the long jump, senior sprint-specialist Scott Rowe was 4th in the 55-meter dash, and junior Jess Hafner took 5th in the pole vault.
At the ECAC event Rowe and sophomore Andy Weishaar turned in Ithaca's
best showings of the day, with 3rd-place results in the 55 meters and 3,000
meters, respectively. Senior Mike Lewek was 4th in the 500-meter race.
The 800-meter competition saw Waldron place 5th, while senior Jonathan
Mulholland was 5th in the 55-meter hurdles and Bowles was 5th in the long
jump. The 4x800-meter relay unit of sophomore Jarrod Cushing, freshman
Scott Williams, Waldron, and Lansley was 2nd.
Ithaca
struggled through its first campaign without a victory since the 1935-36
season, when the club posted an 0-1 record, but the blue and gold grapplers
did manage some fine performances this winter under first-year head coach
Dave Ruckman. He guided a team that was 50 percent freshmen.
The Bombers got a stellar performance from sophomore 118-pounder John Gemmell at the NCAA Division III championship, held at Cortland this season. Gemmell, who completed the year with a team-best 21-4 record, advanced to the finals at nationals before losing to an undefeated grappler from Wisconsin-La Crosse, 7-4. Heading into competition he was the 7th-seeded matman in his weight class.
Gemmell earned a trip to the NCAAs by claiming the 118-pound crown at the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference qualifier with a 2-0 mark. Freshman Dan Butler, in the 158-pound bracket, took 3rd, as did senior Brian Walch at heavyweight. Both Butler and Walch advanced to nationals as ECWC wild-card picks, but they lost both of their decisions on the first day at the NCAAs.
Butler turned in a 19-15 record this winter, while Walch was 18-16 during his final season on South Hill.
(Photo: This past March sophomore John Gemmell turned in a runner-up finish at the NCAA championship in the 118-pound bracket.)