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DRAGON TALES Vol 7, No. 3 Official Newsletter of Oneonta State Athletics Spring/Summer 2006 Musu Jackson-Buckner wins national title in leading track & field team The menʼs and womenʼs track & field teams completed another spring season Junior Chris Salamida Drafted that concluded at the NCAA Div. III national meet with the women finishing tied for third place in the country. The highlight for the Red Dragons was the by Houston Astros first national champion for the program and the collegeʼs first individual national champion in nearly thirty years. In all, Oneonta came back from Benedictine Junior Chris Salamida (Watervliet, NY) got some great news on University with nine All-Americans including five individual and one relay. Senior Musu Jackson-Buckner (Buffalo, NY) led the honorees overall Tuesday, June 6 when he got a phone call from the Houston Astros of winning the 200-meter dash in a time of 23.75, which was the fourth fastest time Major League Baseball informing him ever in the event at the Div. III championship meet. For the championships, that they had drafted him in the 13th Jackson-Buckner qualified in three round of the first-year player draft. individual events and one relay and came Salamida, who completed his second home as an All-American in three of the season with Oneonta, was the 399th four. In addition to her accomplishment in the 200, she was second in the 100 meters pick overall. Salamida learned of his and ran a leg on the 400-meter relay that selection via cell phone while he was at finished third. a summer league game. Jackson-Buckner was honored “When I found out, I was previous to the championship meet with her psyched,” said Salamida. “The scout selection as the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Female Track Athlete of the Year. She also called me to let me know. He said I won the same honor in the SUNYAC after would have to quit the team.” winning three individual events and one After conversations with the relay at the conference championship meet. Astros, Salamida made the decision “This whole experience has been to forgo his senior year at Oneonta unreal,” said Jackson-Buckner. “Before the to begin his career in professional race I told myself that I was not leaving this place without winning. It was the last race baseball. Salamidaʼs first assignment of the day, possibly the last race of my life... in the organization will be in the New York-Penn League playing for the what better time to be the best than right now?” Tri-City Valley Cats, which plays its home games in the same stadium Jackson-Buckner continued, “Winning the national championship was where Salamida pitched for Hudson Valley Community College prior to the realization that if I put my whole heart into something, anything, I could be transferring to Oneonta State. the best at it.” Salamida becomes only the second player in the history of the Junior Kaitlin OʼSullivan (Syracuse, NY) was next in line equaling Jackson-Buckner with her two individual All-American finishes. OʼSullivan set baseball program to be drafted by a major league ball club and the first school records in both the 800 and 1500 meter runs in placing second and third in 30 years. The distinction of being first went to Roger Weaver ʼ76, respectively. who was drafted in the 16th round by the Detroit Tigers organization. Graduate student Ashlee Robertson (Mechanicville, NY) completed Weaver actually pitched in the big leagues in 1980 for Detroit and went her decorated career with two more All-American honors in the 400 meters and 3-4 with a 4.10 earned run average. the 400 relay. Robertson leaves the program as its all-time leader with seven All- American honors along with holding the school records in the 400, 400 relay and Salamida will be in the starting rotation for the Valley Cats 1600-meter relay. this summer and actually made his debut in a home game against the Rounding out the group of All-Americans for Oneonta was junior Oneonta Tigers on June 22. Despite taking the loss in a 4-3 game, Maureen Verdier (Baldwin, NY) and freshman Melissa Kanterman (Poughquag, he pitched a couple of innings allowing two hits and two runs, both NY). Verdier was a qualifier in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles while both unearned, while striking out two batters and walking two. were part of the 400-relay foursome. “Itʼs something Iʼve always dreamed about and worked The women also won its second straight ECAC outdoor championship this spring and third straight overall including the indoor championship this past towards.” Iʼm going to keep working hard everyday to get better and (continued pg. 2, column 1) (continued pg. 2, column 2) In This Issue... -- CHAMPS/SAAC recap, pg. 4 -- 2005-2006 Athletic Awards, pg. 5 -- SUNYAC Spring Commissioner’s List and -- Spring Honor Roll, pg. 6 -- Spring Season Recap, pgs. 1 - 3 All-Academic Team, pg. 4 -- 2006 Spring Scoreboard, pg. 7 -- Junior Chris Salamida Drafted by the -- 2006 Chi Alpha Sigma Inductees, pg. 5 -- 2006 Fall Schedules, pg. 8 Houston Astros, pg. 1-2 -- Spring Academic All-Americans, pg. 5 -- Spring Athletes of the Week, pg. 3 Dragon 1 Tales March. Jackson-Buckner, who was selected as the Outstanding Female Athlete hope to make the big leagues.” of the Meet, and OʼSullivan, led the way with one individual title each. While playing at Oneonta, Salamida was the teamʼs top starter Though not as deep as last year, the menʼs program was certainly while also playing outfield and being a designated hitter. He compiled not short on talent and awards this spring. Senior Scott Pollard (Spring Valley, NY) and freshman Joe Reed (Rome, NY) led the squad all spring long and each a two-year record of 15-3 in 21 appearances that included 18 starts. He brought home SUNYAC championships. threw six complete games including two shutouts in his last two starts in Reed continued his success from the indoor season to outdoors and a Red Dragon uniform. In 127-2/3 innings he allowed just 70 hits while took home the “double” at the conference championship meet. In taking home a striking out 137 batters. He had a 1.55 earned run average and held double by winning the 100 and 200-meter dashes he defeated two-time defending opponents to a .164 batting average against. SUNYAC champion, Nick Wetherby of Cortland in both events. Pollard defended his 400-meter indoor championship by winning the At the plate Salamida hit .336, collecting 102 hits including outdoor 400 for the first time. He was also a medalist in the 200 meters and the eight home runs. He scored 68 runs, drove in 57 runs and collected 159 1600 relay finishing third and second respectively. total bases. The two-time All-Region and All-SUNYAC selection also stole 34 bases. BASEBALL (31-11) Heʼs ready to be at the next level,” said Oneonta baseball coach Rick Ferchen. “Heʼs the best pitcher Iʼve ever had in my 10 years The baseball team didnʼt suffer any let down in 2006 trying to follow their record-setting season of 2005. This yearʼs squad had to rely on its here. Heʼs got a good fastball thatʼs consistently around 89-90 mph pitching to lead the way to 31 wins and a berth in the ECAC Upstate New York along with a slider, a changeup and an occasional knuckleball. He has championship game. The staff combined to record a 2.73 earned-run average command over all his pitches and he developed the mental toughness while holding opponents to a .223 batting average. this spring to get to the next level.” The leaders of the staff were juniors Chris Salamida (Watervliet, NY) and Erik Weber (Bainbridge, NY). The two combined to win 14 games while striking out 132 batters in 147.2 innings. Salamida led the team in wins (8), strikeouts (75) and ERA (1.70). and many young players and managed to exceed expectations en route to a 10-7 The 2005 season began with a nine-game schedule in Cocoa Beach, record and a third straight ECAC tournament berth. The Red Dragons played in Fla. The Red Dragons played well and returned home with a 7-2 record that many tight games that came down to the final minutes and came out 4-1 in games included a 5-4 win against perennial NCAA decided by one goal. contender Bridgewater State. Senior Mike Oneonta came out of the gate Kuratnick (Apalachin, NY) led the offense strong winning its first three games of the with a 4-for-4 effort including a triple and a season including the first two by a combined run batted in. Salamida pitched six strong four goals. The third win came in the first innings striking out 10 and allowing three road game of the season at Alfred by the hits and one earned run. score of 10-3. After returning north the Red After dropping a pair of games, Dragons traveled west for back-to-back one against nationally ranked Ithaca 9-3 doubleheaders against St. John Fisher and and the second to Eastern Connecticut 5-4, RIT. Oneonta came home 1-3 including Oneonta won back-to-back games to raise its two, one-run losses to RIT in which Oneonta overall record to 5-2. collected only six hits and scoring three A 10-5 loss to Hamilton at home runs. led to three straight wins including a 2-0 Oneonta then got rolling and mark in the SUNYAC as thee end of the ran off eight straight wins all of which regular season approached.