Kudos
By Mike Warwick
The Bombers
closed out the winter season in seventh place in the Sears Directors'
Cup standings, which measure the overall success of  an
athletic department through NCAA postseason accomplishments. Some
highlights:
Senior John
Lyons became the 13th men’s basketball player at Ithaca to
score 1,000 career points.
 The
women’s basketball team won the Empire Eight title, successfully
defended its state championship, and made the NCAA playoffs. In
the program’s first-ever home NCAA playoff game (vs. the University
of New England), sophomore point guard Kerri Brown scored 21 points,
with six rebounds and five assists. Freshman Jennie Swatling was
the league’s rookie of the year.
 The
gymnastics team hosted the ECAC championships and won the
team title for the eighth time since 1990. Senior Stacey Coleman
placed 12th in the all-around competition at the NCGA meet.
The men’s
indoor track and field team won the NYS Collegiate Track Conference
championship meet --- Ithaca’s first. Then it took sixth at the
ECAC championships, with freshman Jim Ravener winning the 500-meter
run in school-record time.
The women’s
indoor track and field team took home its fourth straight state
title. Freshman Amanda Laytham earned all-America honors, placing
third in the 1,500-meter run.
 The
men’s swimming and diving team earned its first state title
after posting a 13-1 dual-meet record. Junior Dave Balta won two
state titles (500-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly). Sophomore
Mike Thurk (100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke) and
freshman Sean Kavanaugh (400-yard individual medley) also won state
championships.
The women’s
swimming and diving team finished 10-0 (its third unbeaten season
in four years) and won the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic
Association championship for the 11th time since 1986. Freshman
Megan Hughes earned all-American honors in three events at the NCAA
championships.
The wrestling
team placed 12th at the NCAA championships. Ryan Ciotoli (second
at 157 pounds) and Carlos Restrepo (fourth at 125 pounds) earned
all-American honors. Ciotoli set a school record by posting a 17-0
dual-meet record. Restrepo became Ithaca’s first state champion
in four years and the first Bomber to earn state "most outstanding
wrestler" honors.
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Four
Coaches of the Year!
Men’s swimming
and diving team coach Kevin Markwardt was named coach of
the year by the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association.
In 14 seasons as head coach, he has a 157-34 record (.822 winning
percentage).
Ithaca is the
first school ever to have swept the men’s and women’s indoor track
and field championships at the NYSCTC meet in Fredonia. That sweep
helped coaches Matt Belfield (in his 1st year as women’s
head coach) and Jim Nichols (in his 16th year with the men)
share coach of the year accolades.
First-year women’s
basketball coach Dan Raymond shared Empire Eight coach of
the year honors. He led the Bombers to a 20-8 record, the conference
championship, and the second round of the NCAA tournament.
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