2007-08 Annual Report Dear Friends of Iona Athletics
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Iona College Athletics 2007-08 Annual Report Dear Friends of Iona Athletics, On behalf of the Iona College Athletics Department, I want to thank you for your continued support of the Gaels. Our school motto, “Certa Bonum Certamen” (fight the good fight), guides our student-athletes on the fields of competition and in the classroom to give it their best. With the continued philanthropy of many, the Iona Athletics Department is able to give these student-athletes the means to fight and achieve excellence. In the following Annual Report, we take a look back at the numerous triumphs that were the 2007-08 athletic seasons here at Iona College. The men’s cross-country team achieved something that has never been done in the history of Iona College, a second place finish at the NCAA Championships. The team also won its 17th straight MAAC Cross Country title. The women’s cross country team won its third consecutive MAAC Championship. The women’s basketball team reached the MAAC title game for the second consecutive year. The team participated in and won its opening round game in the postseason WNIT for the just the second time in school history. The women’s lacrosse team, in only its fourth season, earned the program’s first ever bid into the MAAC Championship. Numerous upgrades were made to our facilities this year including the completion of the Rice Oval Softball Field and expansion of the Sports Medicine Training Facility. The Rice Oval Softball Field, which features state- of-the art field turf, gives our softball team a competitive edge and a home facility to call their own. The Sports Medicine Training Facility now includes a fully functioning hyrdro room with ice baths and ice machines for use by student-athletes, expanded tape and rehabilitation room and newer office space for our trainers. These improvements were made possible through the Capital Improvement Fund. Please join me as we look back at the accomplishments of the 2007-08 year, made possible by your support. Thank you once again for helping our student-athletes fight the good fight and write new chapters in the history of Iona College Athletics! GO GAELS! Patrick Lyons Director of Athletics - 2007-08 Iona College Athletics Annual Report Baseball • The Gaels’ pitching staff boasted one of the top pitchers in the MAAC in 2008. Senior RHP Shane Sveda led the team in earned run average, innings pitched, strike outs, and games started. • Sveda held opposing batters to a .239 average and ranked second in the MAAC in the category. He was also runner-up in the league in innings pitched (84.2), batters struck out (79), and batters struck out looking (28). The right-hander’s 2.76 ERA was good for third place. Coaching Staff Head Coach: • Junior SS Joe Lorenzo finished the season with a .301 Pat Carey batting average to lead the team. He had 44 hits with a team-high 13 doubles and a .438 SLG. Assistant Coaches: Brandon Mann, Mark Stevens, • Seven Gaels were named to the 2008 MAAC All- Chuck Todd Academic Team. Senior George Bassolino earned a Merit Award from Iona for earning a 3.50 GPA for his four-year tenure at the college. • Thirteen incoming freshmen look to give the Gaels a boost for the upcoming 2009 season. 2008 Results Overall: 4-44 MAAC: 4-20 Honors and Awards Place: 9th Shane Sveda William Dorsa Andrew Passerelle All-MAAC Second Team MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC All-Academic Team John Kassebaum Bobby DiNuzzo MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC Pitcher of the Week (4/28) Ping! Baseball Spotlight Chris Leahy Performance of the Week (4/28) MAAC All-Academic Team George Bassolino Kevin Mollema MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC All-Academic Team 2 - 2007-08 Iona College Athletics Annual Report Men’s Basketball • Earned 12 wins under first-year head coach Kevin Willard, a 10-win improvement from the 2006-07 season. • Senior Dexter Gray and juniors Gary Springer and Devon Clarke each averaged 10 or more points per game led by Gray’s 11.3 per game clip. • Springer had a breakout season with a career-best 10.7 ppg average and team-high 7.7 rebounds per Coaching Staff game. Head Coach: Kevin Willard • The Gaels returned to Madison Square Garden Assistant Coaches: for the first time since the 2002-03 season, defeating Shaheen Holloway, Dan Manhattan in a conference tilt on Jan. 30. McHale, Vin Parise • Eight new faces will make their Iona debut in 2008- Team Moderator: 09 including six freshmen and two transfers. The Gaels Br. Kevin Devlin also welcome Stephen Sauers and Casey Stanley to the men’s basketball staff. 2007-08 Results Overall: 12-20 MAAC: 8-10 Honors and Awards Place: 7th Kevin Hassett Postseason: MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC - Opening Round Jason McPherson MAAC All-Academic Team Milan Prodanovic MAAC All-Academic Team - 2007-08 Iona College Athletics Annual Report Women’s Basketball • Advanced to the MAAC Championship game for the second year in a row and second time in school history. • Earned second postseason appearance in program history advancing to the second round of the Women’s NIT. The Gaels topped Quinnipiac in the first round. • Iona also earned its first ever in-season tournament championship, finishing first at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational in Honolulu, HI. Coaching Staff Head Coach: • Senior Tiara Headen and junior Anna McLean were Anthony Bozzella both Second Team All-MAAC performers. The duo was joined by senior Lauren DeFalco on the conference’s Assistant Coaches: All-Tournament team. Christi Abbate, Mandy Myers, Jessica DePalo • Seniors Headen and DeFalco reached the 1,000 Director of Operations: point plateau becoming the 17th and 18th players Toni Horvath in school history to reach the mark. Headen finished Team Moderator: her career as the No. 10 scorer in school history while Sr. Marie Thornton DeFalco set the all-time school mark with 167 three- point field goals. 2007-08 Results Overall: 20-14 MAAC: 11-7 Honors and Awards Place: 2nd Tiara Headen Lauren DeFalco Naeemah Ricketts Postseason: All-MAAC Second Team MAAC All-Tournament Team MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC Championship Runner-up MAAC All-Tournament Team 1,000 Point Scorer WNIT Second Round 2008 O’Connell Award Winner MAAC All-Academic Team Jen Ritz 1,000 point Scorer MAAC All-Academic Team MAAC Co-Player of the Week (2/25) Lauren Huber MAAC All-Academic Team Jessica Smith Anna McLean MAAC All-Academic Team All-MAAC Second Team Anda Ivkovic MAAC All-Tournament Team MAAC Rookie of the Week (12/17, 12/24) MAAC Player of the Week (12/31, 1/14) - 2007-08 Iona College Athletics Annual Report Men’s Cross Country • The cross country team finished the finest season of • Iona hosted and also finished first at the 13th any athletic program in the history of Iona College with a annual Br. Doyle Meet of Champions. Khadraoui was second-place finish at the NCAA Championship in Terre the individual race winner as the team held off regional Haute, IN. Senior Abraham Ng’etich and junior Mohamed rival Brown for the meet title. Khadraoui earned All-American honors in leading the Gaels to the championship podium • The Gaels also earned their third straight NCAA Northeast Regional Championship and fifth in the last six years. Ng’etich, senior Harbert Okuti Coaching Staff and junior Andrew Ledwith were Head Coach: Iona’s top three performers finishing Mick Byrne third, fourth and fifth. Assistant Coaches: • Iona earned its 17th straight MAAC Sam Burroughs, Jake Stewart, Championship at Van Cortlandt Park Richard Kiplagat in October. With a team score of 17 and the top four finishers, the Gaels fell Team Moderator: just shy of a clean sweep. Khadraoui Dr. William O’Neill was the Individual MAAC Champion and was followed by teammates Mathew Kiplagat, Chase Pizzonia and Joe Parks. 2007 Results MAAC Champion North East Regional Champion Honors and Awards Runner Up NCAA Championship Mick Byrne Josh Hibbs Abraham Ng’etich TEAM MAAC Coach of the Year MAAC All-Academic All-American; All-Northeast USTFCCCA All-Academic Team of the Year Northeast Region Coach of the Year MAAC Runner of the Week (10/15) Mohamed Khadraoui Anthony Vernaci Tim Clark All-American; All-Northeast Harbert Okuti All-MAAC MAAC All-Academic Most Oustanding Performer All-Northeast MAAC All-Academic Patrick Fullerton Mathew Kiplagat Joe Parks Chris Vizcaino All-MAAC All-MAAC All-MAAC MAAC All-Academic All-Northeast MAAC Runner of the Week (9/4) Evan Garber Chase Pizzonia All-MAAC Andrew Ledwith All-MAAC All-Northeast David Grange MAAC All-Academic Aaron Snyder All-MAAC MAAC Runner of the Week (10/1) MAAC All-Academic - 2007-08 Iona College Athletics Annual Report Women’s Cross Country • On Oct. 26, the women’s team earned its third straight MAAC Championship and third in program history. Juniors McKayla Plank, Tracey Williams and Ashling Baker finished 1-2-3 as the Gaels dominated the event at Van Cortlandt Park. Freshman Jenni Eiremo, graduate Erin Linehan, and sophomore Mary Kate Quinn also earned All-MAAC honors by finishing in the Top 15 in the race. • Plank earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Coaching Staff Championship with a second-place finish at the Head Coach: Northeast Regionals in Boston. The team finished 11th Mick Byrne overall at the event. Baker was the Gaels’ No. 2 finisher, Assistant Coaches: placing 23rd overall. Sam Burroughs, Jake Stewart, • Iona was second overall at the 2008 Metropolitan Richard Kiplagat Championship. Plank, Baker and Williams finished first, Team Moderator: fourth and eighth to lead the charge.