2010-11 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Quick Facts / Directory Track the Lady Cats all season at www.upj.pitt.edu/athletics LADY CAT BASKETBALL QUICK FACTS LOCATION: Johnstown, Pa. HEAD COACH: Sasha Palmer (4th year) ENROLLMENT: 3,100 ALMA MATER: Northern Michigan University (2000) PRESIDENT: Dr. Jem Spectar RECORD AT PITT-JOHNSTOWN: 43-43 (.500) ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Pat Pecora OVERALL RECORD: 43-43 (.500) 2010-2011: 36th Lady Cat Season ASSISTANT COACH: Meredith Alexis (1st year) OVERALL RECORD: 729-224 (.765) ALMA MATER: James Madison (VA) University (2007) ARENA: Sports Center STARTERS RETURNING/LOST: 3/2 COLORS: Navy Blue and Vegas Gold LETTERMEN RETURNING / LOST: 9/2 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 Tim Rigby, Matt Maisel Eric Knopsnyder, Mike Mastovich, Athletics Fax.. …………………………..(814) 269-2026 (814) 255-7651 Cory Isenberg Athletics Director………….…………………Pat Pecora Fax: (814) 255-7658 (814) 532-5080 Fax: (814) 539-1409 Assistant Athletics Director…………….… Nikki Babik Sports Information Director……………..Chris Caputo SOMERSET DAILY AMERICAN ALTOONA MIRROR Sports Department Neil Rudel S.I.D. Office Phone……………………..(814) 269-2031 (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 Nick Foley Ryan Spring (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 Phil Axelrod Dave Mackall Intramural Dir…..Elissa Till…..……….(814) 269-2024 (412) 263-1621 (888) 748-8742 Fax: (412) 263-1926 Fax: (412) 320-7964 Aquatics Dir……..Jamie Hedrick……... (814) 269-2006 Pool Hotline……………………………..(814) 269-2002 GREENSBURG TRIBUNE-REVIEW THE ADVOCATE Dave Mackall (Pitt-Johnstown Student Paper) Athletics Website…... www.upj.pitt.edu/athletics (800) 690-8040 (814) 269-7470 Fax: (724) 830-6285 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Chris Caputo, Sports Info. Director and Nick Gueguen COVER LAYOUT, DESIGN AND PHOTOS: Alice Single CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Sasha Palmer, Meredith Alexis PHOTOGRAPHY: Alice Single (Covers and Action Photos), Rick Povich, Pitt-Johnstown User Services, The Tribune-Democrat, The Advocate PRINTING: Cover: Solutionist Marketing and Print Communications Interior: Pitt-Johnstown Print Shop 1 2010-11 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Head Coach Sasha Palmer CAREER RECORD AT PITT-JOHNSTOWN YEAR RECORD WVIAC OVERALL PCT. 07-08 10-18 9-11 10-18 .357 08-09 18-12 14-6 28-30 .483 09-10 15-13 12-10 43-43 .500 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, 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 second straight winning season under Palmer, ending the 2009-10 campaign 15-13 and 12-10 in the WVIAC. Prior to her arrival at Pitt-Johnstown, 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. 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, 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., 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, 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, 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, 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. 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 Palmer earned All-WEBA first-team honors. In 2006 and 2007, Palmer took home WEBA Most Valuable Player honors after leading the league in scoring and rebounding in 2006 and scoring in 2007. 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. 2 2010-11 Pitt-Johnstown Lady Cat Basketball Asst. Coach Meredith Alexis Former Wilkes University women’s basketball assistant coach and former James Madison (VA) University Honorable Mention All-American Meredith Alexis joins the Lady Cats for the 2010-11 season. Alexis spent the 2009-10 season at Wilkes, serving as the volleyball and women’s basketball graduate assistant. She earned a double major in finance and communications with a concentration in public relations at James Madison in 2007. At NCAA Division I James Madison, Alexis, a native of Hanover Township, Pa. and a graduate of Bishop Hoban High School, was a four-time Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) All-Conference selection, including back-to-back first-team honors in 2006 and 2007 on her way to being named an A ssociated Press Honorable Mention All-American. As a freshman in 2003-04, Alexis received All-CAA third-team honors and was on the CAA All-Rookie Team. She averaged a double-double for the season and broke the school’s season records for rebounds and double-figure rebounding games. As a sophomore, she was an All-CAA second-team performer and was 40th in the nation in rebounding. The following season, she was tabbed First-Team All-CAA and finished the year ranked ninth in the nation in rebounding. In 2006-07, her senior season, Alexis was the CAA Player of the Year and an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American. She was also the Virginia Player of the Year, the Richmond Times Dispatch Player of the Year, and a First- Team All-CAA choice. Alexis, named to the CAA’s 25th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team, holds James Madison’s school record for career points (1,760) and the conference record for career rebounds (1,313). She currently ranks seventh in the NCAA record books in career rebounds, 37th in points scored, and 41st in field goal percentage (52.5%). Assistant Coach After graduating from James Madison, Alexis participated in WNBA training Meredith Alexis camps with the Washington Mystics and the Connecticut Sun in 2007 and 2008. She also played professionally in Europe for Energa Torun in Poland, USSO Mondeville in France and Extrugasa de Arosa in Spain. 3 2010-11 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 began his career at Pitt-Johnstown 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.