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april 2008 Sports BriefsFor complete, up-to-date information on TCNJ's athletics teams, visit www.tcnjathletics.com.
The athletics department recognized a record 157 student-athletes on Sunday at the 21st Annual Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. The event was held in the Brower Student Center on campus, and 157 student-athletes were honored who achieved a 3.3 grade point average or better while competing as a member of a varsity team at TCNJ. Since the first luncheon was held in May of 1988, where 34 student-athletes were recognized, the list of honorees has continued to grow each year. In addition to this year’s 157 honorees, another 105 student-athletes attained a 3.0–3.29 grade point average this past year. TCNJ professors and coaches take great pride in the achievements of their scholar-athletes. In the 21-year history of the athletics department’s honors program, over 1,500 student-athletes have been honored for their impressive academic performances. A fine blend of study and athletics has set a standard, which many other colleges and universities strive to achieve. This year’s recipients of the Dr. Harold W. Eickhoff Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards were senior men’s soccer player Liam Dillaway and senior track and field performer Carolyn Gray. Dillaway was a member of TCNJ’s men’s soccer team, where he earned three letters and, despite injuries, was able to contribute to the program’s success. As a member of the 2005 team, he helped the Lions capture the NJAC Championship and advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals. As a senior, he helped the 2007 team earn a national ranking over the course of the year, while also garnering a spot in the league’s championship tournament. Dillaway has been a Dean’s List Student every semester and a member of TCNJ’s Scholar-Athlete Team. He majors in English, with a minor in music, and has attained a 3.96 grade point average. Gray has excelled for the Lions on the track and has helped TCNJ capture a pair of NCAA Division III Track Championships as a member of the Lions’ indoor 4 x 400 relay team in 2005 and the outdoor 4 x 400 relay team that spring. The following year, she helped the Lions finish in second place at the 2006 Indoor Championships in the 4 x 400 relay and a fifth place showing in the relay at the Outdoor Championships. A four-time All-American and a two-time National Champion, Gray has helped the women’s track and field team dominate the NJAC, capturing the indoor and outdoor championship titles every season. She earned a spot on the First Team All-Conference Team in the distance medley relay at the 2008 Indoor Championships. She majors in biology, with a minor in chemistry, and is a four-time TCNJ Scholar-Athlete who has achieved a 3.984 grade point average.
In addition to the student-athletes who were recognized at the luncheon, TCNJ presented the annual Distinguished Alumni Award to Regina Peter ’88. A former four-year letter-winner and a team captain with the women’s basketball team, Peter still ranks among the program’s career leaders, having handed out 309 assists, third best in school history, while her 209 career steals is also third best among Lion women basketball players. Peter has distinguished herself since graduation from the College as she is the co-founder and director of The Newmark School and Newmark High School, which are state-approved private schools for children with learning and behavioral difficulties. Students that attend Newmark may be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and/or autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Peter has extensive experience in educational administration and staff development and supervision. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has released the final winter standings for the United States Sports Academy Directors’ Cup race for Division III for the 2007-2008 academic year. TCNJ is currently in fourth place with 516.0 points, 177.5 points behind first-place Washington University.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
TCNJ’s men’s and women’s tennis Head Coach Scott Dicheck was honored by the United State Tennis Association (USTA) as the Coach of the Year for USTA New Jersey for 2007. Dicheck directed the women’s tennis team to the NCAA Division III Team Championship competition last May, while this past fall, sophomore Jackie Shtemberg captured the 2007 ITA Small College National Singles Championship, a program first for the College. Dicheck is in his eighth season with the College and directs both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. He is closing in on his 100th career win as mentor of the women’s program and currently boasts a record of 96- 28, while the Lions are currently ranked 27th in Division III. TCNJ’s men’s team is also enjoy a successful spring and is ranked 20th in the most recent ITA Division III poll.
Men’s Swimming and DivingAt the 2008 NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, TCNJ finished in seventh place with 157 points, the program’s highest-ever finish. TCNJ’s Head Coach Brian Bishop, now in his 19th season with the Lions, has produced over 100 All-Americans as he entered the 2008 NCAA’s having 91 to his credit. After Saturday’s competition, Bishop has 116. Diver Greg Lloyd wrapped action in the three-meter diving competition. Lloyd stood in sixth place after the first round of dives with a score of 441.60. By the meet’s end, Lloyd had picked up third place with a score of 487.65. He also finished in 11th place to be All-American honorable mention in the one-meter diving with his score of 401.50. He is now a four-time All-American in diving. A newcomer to the sport of diving when he entered TCNJ, he has earned All-American status in each event and made three straight appearances at the NCAA Championships. On his career, Lloyd earned sixth place in the one-meter event a year ago and 11th place this season, and took home sixth in the three-meter event in 2006. The Lions were seeded eighth after the morning trials where they posted a time of 3:04.17. Competing for TCNJ on the relay were senior Josh Forsman, senior Liam Gallagher, junior Tom Nawrot, and freshman Shawn Kircher. Sophomore Myles O’Connor earned All-American honors as well for the Lions after a strong showing in the 100 breaststroke. In the finals, he posted a time of 55.60 to take home third place and break TCNJ’s school record in the process. He bettered the mark set in 2006 by Steve Swenson that had stood at 56.25. He was seeded seventh after the trials where he posted a time of 56.67. The citation was the first individual honor for the Lion who has excelled as a member of TCNJ’s relay teams earning two citations last season and has already picked up two citations this year on Lion relays. Forsman had a banner second day at the championship event as he finished in sixth place in the 100 butterfly with his time of 49.25 to earn All-American honors. He was seeded sixth after the morning trials, where he posted a time of 49.17, breaking his own school record time of 49.90, which he set last month at the 2008 Metropolitan Conference Championships. In the 800 free relay, the Lions picked up 10th after posting a time of 6:52.30. Swimming the event for the Lions were Forsman, Kircher, Gallagher and freshman Tom Medvecky. They had been seeded 12th with a qualifying time of 6:51.30. TCNJ posted a sixth-place finish in the 400 medley relay after standing in sixth place from the morning trials where they posted a time of 3:24.01. Nawrot, O’Connor, Forsman and Gallagher swam on the relay for the Lions and posted a time of 3:23.81 in the finals, earning All-American honors for their efforts. TCNJ also competed in the 200 free relay and posted a 12th place finish in 1:24.05 to earn All-American honorable mention status. The Lions foursome of Nawrot, Gallagher, Forsman and Kircher stood in 11th place after posting a time of 1:23.69 in the trials. Gallagher competed in the 200 individual medley with the fifth best time (1:52.78) leading up to the meet. Gallagher posted a time of 1:53.25 in the morning trials and was seeded 16th entering the finals. He posted a time of 1:55.57 to earn 15th place and became All-American Honorable Mention. Women’s Swimming and Diving
TCNJ’s women’s swimming and diving program had tremendous success as well in 2007–08. The Lions won the Metropolitan Conference Championship and sent two competitors to the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships. At the NCAA’s, senior Ava Kiss became the College’s first women’s swimmer to garner a National Championship. Kiss competed for the Lions in the 100-butterfly event and posted the second fastest time in the morning trials as she had a time of 56.05, standing second behind Denison University’s Olivia Zaleski who had a 55.50 in the trials. In the finals, Kiss exceeded her trial effort as she not only won the 2008 NCAA Division III Championship in the race, but set both a TCNJ and a national Division III record in the process with her time of 55.08. She surpassed the old mark held by Mollie Parrish of Denison University set in 2002 that had stood at 55.16. Kiss is now a four-time All-American having previously finished ninth in this event in 2005 and 2007 and fourth in 2006. She becomes TCNJ’s first NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming National titlist. Kiss said of her national championship title, "I am feeling pretty numb at this point. It really has not sunk in for me." Kiss added, "I am so very proud to be the first TCNJ women's swimmer to win a national championship. I have worked for this my entire career at TCNJ and to have this happen is just a dream come true." Senior Lauren Pfeifer competed in the 100 breaststroke and finished in 21st place with her time of 1:07.25, but did not advance to the evening finals of the event. Pfeifer opened competition as she swam in the 50 freestyle event. She would record a personal best time of 24.97, but finished in 40th place and did not advance to the evening finals of the event. On the final day of competition, Kiss and Pfeifer closed their stellar athletic careers as they competed for the Lions in the 100 freestyle race. In the morning trials of the event, Pfeifer posted a time of 54.51 to finish in 39th place and did not qualify for the finals. Kiss posted a time of 52.29 to advance to the consolation finals where she was seeded 12th. In the finals, Kiss posted a time of 51.92 to earn 10th place and collect All-America Honorable Mention Honors. Kiss wraps her career as a five-time All-American. Pfeifer wraps her career having competed at the NCAA championships for the first time during her career and has helped the Lions as she is part of the school’s 200 medley relay record foursome and also holds the school mark in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.81). Baseball
TCNJ and the baseball program honored the late Sgt. Eric Snell on Saturday, April 5, in conjunction with the team’s home baseball doubleheader against New Jersey City University. In a brief ceremony before the games, TCNJ’s baseball coaching staff, team members, alumni, and friends gathered to join the Snell family to honor their late teammate and a fallen hero with a dedication of a monument in his honor at George Ackerman Park. Sgt. Eric Lamar Snell, 35, died June 18, 2007, in Baghdad, shortly after a gun battle with insurgents. He had been an outstanding baseball player, but skipped a professional career to focus on college. He also worked as a model—appearing in publications like Modern Bride and Vibe Magazine—and traveled the world living in Italy and South Africa. He also worked and lived in Italy and South Africa. While on tour in South Africa, Eric auditioned for the role of Mohammad Ali for the Mohammad Ali movie. He was called back twice, but lost the role to actor Will Smith.
Member’s of TCNJ’s community gathered on April 12 to honor TCNJ’s former baseball and men’s soccer coach Rick Dell in conjunction with Rick Dell Day. Dell left the College last summer after 27 years of service to take the position of director of baseball operations in Asia for Major League Baseball.
TCNJ’s baseball team is ranked seventh in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III poll and is closing in a 20+ win season as interim Head Coach Dean Glus has guided the Lions to an impressive start. TCNJ had 28 consecutive scoreless innings to open the month of April and had an 11-game streak as well.
Individual honors have come to several players as Rich Gawlak and Jeff Toth have both earned Player of the Week honors from the NJAC and the NJCBA, while rookie Matt Giermanski was cited this past week for his play having earned Rookie Player of the Week honors from both the NJAC and the NJCBA. Softball
A fundraising initiative has been launched to honor the memory and accomplishments of former softball coach June Walker. An event is planned to take place in conjunction with the Lions’ home softball doubleheader on Saturday, April 26, when TCNJ hosts William Paterson University at 1 p.m. in Lions’ Park. Walker, the architect of a varsity softball program that drew national attention for more than two decades, passed away in 2001, but not before establishing a legacy of excellence that has carried over through the lives and accomplishments of a legion of student-athletes who attended TCNJ. In Coach Walker’s 22 seasons, the Lions posted a win-loss record of 721-154, highlighted by five NCAA (Division III) championships, plus the attainment of 65 All-American and 14 Academic All-American individual honors. To honor her, TCNJ alumni have joined together with friends and colleagues to establish an endowment fund that will live on in perpetuity in June Walker’s name and provide annual financial support for the program and the student-athletes she cared about so deeply. Upon receipt of $100,000 in gifts and pledges (more than $25,000 has already been committed), the softball field at TCNJ’s new softball complex will be named Dr. June Walker Field. To contribute (via check to The College of New Jersey Foundation) or make a pledge, call or write:
Lacrosse TCNJ’s women’s lacrosse team, ranked No. 2 in Division III, fell to top-ranked Salisbury University in overtime on April 12. The loss was the Lions first this season, as the team now stands at 9-1. In its first nine games, the team has dominated opponents, outscoring them 151-38 prior to Saturday's loss.
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