March 2008 Sports Briefs

For complete, up-to-date information on TCNJ's athletics teams, visit www.tcnjathletics.com.

Women’s Basketball

TCNJ’s women’s basketball program received a pair of honors as junior Hillary Klimowicz was named as a finalist for All-America honors, while Head Coach Dawn Henderson was tabbed as the regional Coach of the Year.

Klimowicz was one of five players from Region 3 named to the ballot for the 2008 State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for Division III. There are eight different regions and the 40 finalists, who are voted upon by WBCA member coaches in each of the eight WBCA award regions, are now in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.

Klimowicz has reeled in numerous conference honors as she was selected as the 2008 NJAC Player of the Year and a First Team All-NJAC honoree. The center had a banner season, leading the team in a host of categories. She was the team’s top scorer and rebounder, averaging 16.9 points and 11.0 boards. Those numbers rank her second and third, respectively, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. She also leads the conference in field goal percentage hitting on 64.4 percent of her shots (206-for-320) and blocked shots per game at 4.10 per contest. Those numbers rank second and fourth nationally.

The State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team will be announced at the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Banquet on Thursday, March 20, at Hope College in Holland, MI.

Henderson was tabbed as 2008 Russell Athletic/WBCA Region 3 Coach of the Year after guiding the Lions to a 22–7 season. TCNJ won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) South Division with an 11-2 conference mark and advanced to the conference championship game. The team then earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship and moved into the second round of the tournament.

The veteran coach was previously tabbed as the 2008 NJAC Coach of the Year and boasts a career record of 334–164.

Freshman Kelsey Kutch was honored as the 2008 NJAC Rookie of the Year and sophomore Alexandra Gregorek garnered All-NJAC Honorable Mention.

Wrestling

Junior Greg Osgoodby (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) was honored for his success both on the wrestling mat and in the classroom as he was selected to the 2007–08 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team.

Osgoodby placed seventh to earn All-American honors this past weekend at the NCAA Division III Championships at 174 pounds. He finished the season with a 36–7 record.

The Lion boasts a grade-point-average of 3.23 and is majoring in health and exercise science. He is the16th student-athlete from TCNJ’s program to receive the honor.

Former Lions standout Ron Bussey was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Championships held in Iowa. Bussey garnered both individual and team success on the mat for the Lions capping his career as a four-time All-American in addition to being a part of two teams that captured the NCAA Division III National Championship (1981 and 1984) and two more that finished as the national runner-up. Individually, he placed third at the 1981 championship event before finishing second in each of the next three years.

Bussey competed at 142 pounds during his first three seasons at the College and then moved up to 150 pounds in his final season. He finished his career with a record of 118-18 and served a team captain his junior and senior campaigns.

The list of tournament Bussey won is an impressive one as he was a four-time East Regional Champion along with being a three-time Metropolitan Conference champ. His accomplishments weren’t limited to Division III as he placed third at the East Stroudsburg Open on three occasions and in his senior season took fifth at the prestigious Midlands Tournament.

In dual meet competition during Bussey’s tenure with the Lions, the team went an impressive 61-6 during those four years.

Indoor Track and Field

TCNJ swept to its 11th consecutive NJAC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Conference as the Lions captured the men’s competition with 157 points and won the women’s meet with 184 points.

TCNJ’s men and women have won every indoor championship since the conference began conducting the meet in 1998. The meet featured a conference record 376 student-athletes in competition from nine different NJAC institutions.

TCNJ’s duo of junior Stephanie Herrick and senior Brian Donatelli were named the Gerrity Award winners as the Most Outstanding Female and Male Athletes respectively. Herrick was also named the USFCCCA Division III Indoor Track Women's Athlete of the Year. She won both the mile run (5:00.87) with an NJAC record and an NCAA provisional qualifying time and the 800 meters (2:23.34). Donatelli won the weight throw (16.14) and was second in the shot put (15.63).

women's Swimming and Diving

Senior Ava Kiss competed for the Lions in the 100 butterfly event at the 2008 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. She 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 as the only other Lion to have won an NCAA crown at the Division III Swimming and Diving Championship was Diane Maiese won the one meter diving championship in 1997.

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.” The College of New Jersey’s women’s swimming team, the 2008 Metropolitan Conference Champions, earned a number of individual invitations for the upcoming 2008 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships.

Senior Lauren Pfeifer also competed at the national event for the Lions.

The Lions had previously won the Metropolitan Conference Championships as freshman Margaret Molloy was honored for her outstanding meet as she was named MET Rookie of the Year, while women's Head Coach Jen Harnett was named MET Women's Coach of the Year.

Men’s Swimming and diving

The Lions claimed the 2008 Metropolitan Conference Championship and freshman Tom Medvecky was tabbed as the 2008 MET Rookie of the Year, while Brian Bishop, head men's coach was named MET Men's Coach of the Year.

Men’s Basketball

TCNJ had one of its players named to the 2007–08 NJAC All-Star Team on Thursday as senior co-captain Mark Aziz earned his second straight posting on the Honorable Mention Team.

Aziz helped the Lions as the team’s top scorer with a 14.2 ppg average in 25 games played. He finished the campaign ranking seventh in the NJAC in scoring. He is ranked in the top 10 in rebounding, grabbing 5.8 boards a contest. Those aren’t the only categories he ranks in, as he is sixth in blocked shots (1.08 bpg), sixth in free-throw percentage (76.6%) and 13th in field-goal percentage (47.1%).

Softball

TCNJ opened the season with its spring trip to Florida and finished strong thanks to solid pitching. The Lions got off to a slow start on their southern swing before winning seven of their final nine games on the trip to finish with a record of 7-5.

The highlight of the trip was a 10-0 five-inning no-hitter as freshmen Alex Sietsma and Danielle Bertcsha teamed up to hold Daniel Webster College hitless.

For her effort, Seitsma was named the NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week, while sophomore Danielle Hagel provided a spark offensively reeling in NJAC Player of the Week honors.

Sophomore Ellen Seavers also finished the trip strong at the plate as she is riding a nine-game hitting streak.

Baseball

The Lions had an impressive start to the 2008 season winning their first eight games of the season with three of them coming over ranked opponents. TCNJ scored a pair of wins over SUNY Cortland (8-3 and 7-5) and another over Wheaton (MA) College (8-1). SUNY Cortland was ranked in the top five each time the Lions played the Red Dragons, while Wheaton was 13th. Those key wins moved the Lions into the top 10 nationally as they are ranked eighth. TCNJ finished its spring trip with an impressive 9-2 record as junior Vince Mazzaccaro paced the team at the plate starting all 11 games and batting .477 with three home runs.

lacrosse

The Lions are ranked fourth in the latest Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association Division III poll after getting out to a 2-0 start. TCNJ faces a tough test in its next outing heading to 15th-ranked SUNY Cortland on March 22. Junior Rachel Gordon is off to a fast start as she has collected eight goals in the first two games.