2012-13 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Quick Facts / Directory LADY CAT BASKETBALL QUICK FACTS LOCATION: Johnstown, Pa. HEAD COACH: Sasha Palmer (6th year) ENROLLMENT: 3,100 ALMA MATER: Northern Michigan University (2000) PRESIDENT: Dr. Jem Spectar RECORD AT PITT-JOHNSTOWN: 73-68 (.518) ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Pat Pecora OVERALL RECORD: 73-68 (.518) 2012-2013: 38th Lady Cat Season ASSISTANT COACH: Cameron Sealey (1st year) OVERALL RECORD: 759-249 (.753) ALMA MATER: Lenoir-Rhyne (NC) University (2012) ARENA: Sports Center STARTERS RETURNING/LOST: 3/2 COLORS: Navy Blue and Vegas Gold LETTERMEN RETURNING / LOST: 7/4 CONFERENCE: West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) LAST NCAA TOURNEY APPEARANCE: 2007 PITT-JOHNSTOWN PITT-JOHNSTOWN ATHLETIC STAFF DIRECTORY PRIMARY MEDIA OUTLETS Athletics Office Phone….. ……………..(814) 269-2000 WJAC-TV 6 SPORTS THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT Matt Maisel, Mike Tressa Mike Kovak, Mike Mastovich Athletics Fax.. …………………………..(814) 269-2026 (814) 255-7651 Cory Isenberg Athletics Director………….…………………Pat Pecora Fax: (814) 255-7658 (814) 532-5080 Assistant Athletics Director… Abby Gearhart-Hoffman Fax: (814) 539-1409 Sports Information Director……………..Chris Caputo SOMERSET DAILY AMERICAN ALTOONA MIRROR S.I.D. Office Phone……………………..(814) 269-2031 Sports Department Sports Department (800) 452-0823 (800) 222-1962 NCAA Faculty Rep……………...…… Dr. Ray Wrabley Fax: (814) 445-2935 Fax: (814) 946-7540 Athletics Secretary…………………..… Judy Blackburn WTAJ-TV 10 SPORTS BEDFORD GAZETTE Athletics Trainers……………….... Scott Mamula, Elissa Till (800) 762-6053 (814) 623-1151 Trainer’s Office Phone…...…... (814) 269-1935 or 2024 Fax: (814) 946-4763 Fax: (814) 623-5055 Equipment Mgr….Todd Williams…….. (814) 269-7170 PGH. POST-GAZETTE PGH. TRIBUNE-REVIEW Equipment Room Phone……………….(814) 269-7167 Sports Department Sports Department (412) 263-1621 (888) 748-8742 Intramural Dir…..Elissa Till…..……….(814) 269-2024 Fax: (412) 263-1926 Fax: (412) 320-7964 Aquatics Dir……..Jamie Hedrick……... (814) 269-2006 GREENSBURG TRIBUNE-REVIEW THE ADVOCATE Pool Hotline……………………………..(814) 269-2002 Sports Department (Pitt-Johnstown Student Paper) (800) 690-8040 (814) 269-7470 Athletics Website…... www.upj.pitt.edu/athletics Fax: (724) 830-6285 Track the Lady Cats all ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Chris Caputo, Sports Information season at Director COVER LAYOUT, DESIGN AND PHOTOS: Ali Single www.upj.pitt.edu/athletics CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Sasha Palmer, Cameron Sealey, and Brandy Harris and on Facebook at PHOTOGRAPHY: Ali Single, Pitt-Johnstown User Services, The Tribune-Democrat, The Advocate facebook.com/pages/Pitt- PRINTING: Cover: Solutionist Marketing and Print Communications Johnstown-Athletics Interior: Pitt-Johnstown Print Shop 1 2012-13 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Head Coach Sasha Palmer CAREER RECORD AT PITT-JOHNSTOWN YEAR RECORD WVIAC OVERALL PCT. 2007-08 10-18 9-11 10-18 .357 2008-09 18-12 14-6 28-30 .483 2009-10 15-13 12-10 43-43 .500 2010-11 16-12 13-9 59-55 .518 2011-12 14-13 12-10 73-68 .518 Head Coach Sasha Palmer On Aug. 1, 2007, Sasha Palmer took over the duties as Lady Cat basketball head coach. After struggling through a difficult first season, Coach Palmer led the Lady Cats to an 18-12 overall record in 2008-09 and the program’s first appearance in the WVIAC Tournament Semifinals since becoming eligible to compete for conference championships in 2007-08. Last season, the Lady Cats finished with their fourth straight winning season under Coach Palmer, ending the 2011-12 campaign 14-13 overall and 12-10 in the WVIAC. In addition, Kaitlynn Fratz was named First-Team All-WVIAC and was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year. Prior to her arrival at Pitt-Johnstown, Coach Palmer spent four seasons as the top assistant coach of the women’s basketball team at Shippensburg University, where her duties included recruiting, working with the post players and monitoring the team’s academic progress. Coach Palmer also spent six weeks of the 2005-06 regular season as Shippensburg’s acting head coach when Kristy Trn was on maternity leave. During her tenure at Shippensburg, Coach Palmer worked with 2004 PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Year and two-time All-PSAC Western Division selection Shanna Oaddams, as well as Kim Strickland, who ranked second in career blocks and sixth in career rebounds for the Lady Raiders. Palmer also coached 2007 PSAC Rookie of the Year Lauren Beckley, who led the conference in scoring as a freshman. A native of Watertown, Wis., Coach Palmer is a 2000 graduate of Northern Michigan University where she had an outstanding playing career for the Wildcats. In 1998, she led Northern Michigan to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship, the first of three-straight regional championship game appearances. As a senior in 1999-00, Coach Palmer ranked fourth in the nation in scoring at 22.7 points per game and led Division II in total points with 703. She garnered All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division first-team honors, GLIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, and Second-Team Daktronics All-America honors and Honorable Mention Women’s Division II Bulletin All-American accolades. Following her career at Northern Michigan, Coach Palmer competed professionally in Europe for two years, playing for Lausanne Olympic in Switzerland (2002) and Basket Club Racing in Luxembourg (2003). While in Switzerland, she averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds per game and was selected as a European All-Star. In Luxembourg, Coach Palmer averaged 34 points and 13 rebounds per game, leading her team to the Luxembourg championship with only one loss. That year, she was selected the league’s Most Valuable Player. Coach Palmer also spent four years as a member of the four-time Women’s Eastern Basketball Alliance (WEBA) champion Harrisburg (Pa.) Horizon. In 2005, the Lady Horizon recorded the first perfect season in WEBA history, finishing the year 9-0. Four times Coach Palmer earned All-WEBA first-team honors. In 2006 and 2007, she took home WEBA Most Valuable Player honors after leading the league in scoring and rebounding in 2006 and scoring in 2007. Coach Palmer earned her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education/health at Northern Michigan University in 2001 and her Master of Science degree in organizational development and leadership at Shippensburg University in 2007. Coach Palmer is married to Jamal Palmer, a Mountain Cat men’s basketball assistant coach. The Palmers and their daughter Payton reside in Johnstown. 2 2012-13 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Assistant Coach Cameron Sealey Cameron Sealey joins Head Coach Sasha Palmer’s staff for the 2012-13 season after finishing a stellar college career at Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) University. Sealey, a 2011-12 NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region selection and a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference choice, including consecutive first-team honors in 2011 and 2012, ended her college career as Lenoir-Rhynes’ sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,473 career points. Sealey, a four-year starting guard and two-year team captain, is also second on the school’s all-time free-throw percentage list (.796) and 10th in assists (267). The Mount Holly, N.C. native garnered NCCSIA Second-Team All-State honors as a junior and a senior. She guided Lenoir-Rhyne to South Atlantic Region Conference titles in 2009 and 2010, and back- to-back Division II Southeast Regional Tournament berths in those same years. At East Gaston High School, Sealey was a four-year starter and four-year all-conference selection where she holds the school’s all- time scoring record with over 1,500 points. Sealey also led the team to pair of conference championships. Assistant Coach Sealey, who graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne with a degree in sports management in 2012, is the daughter of Lee and Kim Sealey. Cameron Sealey 3 2012-13 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Pitt-Johnstown Administration Dr. Jem Spectar was named the fifth president of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in March 2007. President Spectar, an award-winning professor, previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Western Oregon University. He received a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from the University of La Verne; a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; a Jurist Doctorate in from the University of Maryland Law School, and a Master of Arts in politics and a doctorate in political science from Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, Calif. President Spectar recognizes and enthusiastically celebrates our student scholar-athlete accomplishments that add value to the university and enhance campus and community pride. He has published numerous scholarly articles on international law and has made presentations on issues involving human rights, the global commons and international health. With extensive university experience, he holds membership in a number of professional organizations. Dr. Jem Spectar Pitt-Johnstown President In July 2008, Pat Pecora was named Pitt-Johnstown Athletic Director. Pecora also continues in his position as the Mountain Cats’ head wrestling coach, a duty he has held since graduating from West Liberty State (W.Va.) College in 1976. Pecora, who became the first NCAA Division II coach to reach the 500-win plateau on Feb. 14, 2012, began his career as the school’s head soccer and wrestling coach and a physical education instructor. His work has created a legacy that has brought national attention to the Pitt-Johnstown athletics program. In his 36 years at Pitt-Johnstown, his teams have captured a pair of NCAA Division II National Championships and 20 NCAA Regional Championships. Pecora has coached 10 individual national champions and a total of 134 All-Americans. Academically, he has tutored 90 NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team selections.