Men’s Indoor Takes Second At Great Dane Classic

NEW YORK – Against a talented field Friday, the University at Albany men’s indoor track and field team represented outstandingly at the 11^th Annual Great Dane Classic, placing second out of 24 competing teams with a total of 82 points.

The Danes captured three titles en route to the runner-up finish, including an IC4A qualifying 4x400m relay performance. The team consisting of Taariq Jones, Alex Petit-Frere, Ebube Abara, and Jonathan Santana crossed the finish line first with their 3:15.45 time.

In addition, Alexander Bowen took first in the high jump with a leap of 7-00.50, while Alfonso Scannapieco earned 10 points for UAlbany with his pole vault mark of 16-10.75.

Ethan Clary’s 14:44.61 time, good for third in the 5000m, also qualified the senior for the IC4A Championships. Other IC4A qualifiers included Kareem Morris (6.88 – 60m), Alex Petit-Frere (1:05.11 – 500m), Jonathan Santana (48.96 – 400m), and John DeLallo. DeLallo earned eight points for the Great Danes with his second-place mile finish, running a time of 4:10.93.

The Great Danes are back in action next Friday and Saturday at the Boston University Terrier Classic.

LEA JOINS SYRACUSE FOOTBALL STAFF AS LINEBACKERS COACH

Syracuse linebacker coach Clark Lea boasts coaching experience from coast-to-coast. The Vanderbilt University graduate and letterwinner has mentored linebackers at Bowling Green, UCLA and South Dakota State and served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. During his three-year stint at UCLA, Lea worked with Syracuse defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough. He joins the Orange after coaching the linebackers at Bowling Green in 2012. "As a family we are so excited to have the opportunity to work for Coach Shafer and help to build on the foundation that Coach Marrone started," Lea said. "There is a lot of football tradition at Syracuse, and I look forward to being a part of it. As a coach you have to determine what your legacy will be. If all I have contributed is X's and O's, then I have failed. I pride myself on the time I spend focusing on the development of the person. Once we hit the field, we will have a linebacker corps that is fundamentally sound, that knows where to line up, and attacks the football."

Lea replaces Steve Morrison, who left Syracuse University for personal reasons after mentoring the Orange linebackers in 2012.

"With bittersweet emotions, I announce my resignation from the Syracuse Football program," Morrison said. "While I'm excited to pursue opportunities outside of football and, most importantly, to spend more quality time with my family, I'm sad to say goodbye to all the wonderful people associated with the University with whom I've had the pleasure of being around over the last year. I look forward to watching the program continue to grow and flourish under the leadership of my great friend, Scott Shafer."

At Bowling Green, Lea (pronounced Lee) was a finalist for the FootballScoop.com Linebacker Coach of the Year after guiding the unit that contributed to the nation's seventh-best defense. The Falcons defense, which included All-Mid American Conference linebackers Gabe Martin (first team) and Dwayne Woods (third team), was nationally-ranked in scoring defense (ninth), third down defense (sixth) and pass defense (seventh) and led the MAC in nine statistical categories. Lea also assisted with the BGSU special teams. BGSU played in the 2012 Military Bowl.

"Clark Lea has comes highly recommended by many well-respected college coaches," Shafer said. "Coach Lea has worked closely with Coach Bullough in the past, which will help make a smooth transition on the defensive side of the ball. I am looking forward to having one of the best and brightest defensive coaches in the country join the Syracuse football staff.

"Steve Morrison did a great job here for the Orange and will be missed dearly," Shafer said. "We wish Steve and his great family nothing but the best in the future."

Prior to his appointment at BGSU, Lea coached the linebackers at UCLA where he was part of two bowl teams (2009 and 2011) and coached linebacker Akeem Ayers, who was a Dick Butkus Award Finalist in 2010 and went on to be selected by the Tennessee Titans in the 2011 draft (39th selection). In 2009, the Bruins' defense ranked third in the PAC-10 in total defense and scoring defense and was first in turnovers forced. Lea also served as a Bruins graduate assistant in 2006 and a defensive intern in 2005.

In between his pair of stints as a Bruins coach, he spent two seasons (2007 and 2008) as the linebackers coach at South Dakota State University and was recruiting coordinator during the second year. He also coached the kickoff coverage unit and assisted with other special teams units. In 2008, the Jackrabbits finished 7-5, playing six teams ranked in the Top 25.

In 2007, his three starting linebackers ranked among the top four tacklers in the league and South Dakota State won the Great West Football Conference championship. He mentored two first-team all-league selections and one second-team choice.

Lea began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, serving as an offensive graduate assistant (running backs) at Vanderbilt in the Spring of 2005. Lea was a three-year letter-winner at Vanderbilt from 2002-2004, the final year as a graduate student. He began his collegiate career at Birmingham Southern College, where he was a member of the 2001 NAIA National Championship team and then transferred to Belmont University, where he lettered in baseball in 2002.

During his collegiate career, Lea was a member of the SEC Honor Roll and an All-Academic SEC honoree. He was also a John Wooden Cup finalist, a trophy awarded by Athletes for a Better World, and a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame honoree. He earned an undergraduate degree in political science in 2005 and a master's in political science from Vanderbilt in 2007. Lea and his wife, Allison, have a son, Clark III.

Indoor Track And Field To Host 11th Annual UAlbany Great Dane Classic

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany indoor track and field program is back in action Friday, hosting the 11th Annual UAlbany Great Dane Classic. The meet will be held at the NYC Armory Track And Field Center beginning at 12:30 p.m. A record 47 schools/clubs will be represented, including a number of Olympians competing in various events.   CATCH THE ACTION ▪ Paint NYC purple! Tickets can be purchased for $10.00 per person at the door. ▪ A full recap of the day’s events will be posted on UAlbanySports.com following the meet.   LAST TIME OUT ▪ The UAlbany men’s and women’s squads combined to boast five individual champions last Saturday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Challenge, marking the most ever victories at that meet for the program. Kareem Morris (60m-IC4A), Alfonso Scannipieco (PV-IC4A), Patricia McNish (LJ-ECAC), Kathryn Fanning (Mile-ECAC) and Jillian Haynes (60m-#4 All-time) all earned triumphs. ▪ As a whole, 13 athletes qualified for the ECAC/IC4A Championship in Boston, Mass. later this season with their performances. ▪ The Great Danes had 12 UAlbany athletes put up top-10 program performances. MEN AT PENN STATE The men’s indoor track and field program featured seven IC4A qualifying performances last Saturday afternoon at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Challenge. Junior Alfonso Scannapieco highlighted the field with his first-place 16-04.75 pole vault leap. Classmate Kareem Morris also finished first with a 60m dash time of 6.92, which qualified him for the IC4A Championship later in the season. Donald Williams Jr. earned second in the event, also with an IC4A proficient time of 6.94. Other IC4A qualifiers included sophomore John DeLallo (mile), Donald Williams (60m), Alex Petit-Frere (400m), Stephen Crouse (triple jump), and the 4x400m relay squad. Alexander Bowen Jr. also shone bright, placing second in the high jump with a program-record 7-01.00 mark. WOMEN AT PENN STATE Junior Kathryn Fanning was the highlight of the women’s performance last Saturday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Challenge. Fanning shattered her own program record in the mile and set a new meet standard with a 4:45.88 time. The outstanding run ranked second in the nation and also qualified the Manlius, N.Y. native for the ECAC Championship. Senior Pat McNish, sophomore Michelle Anthony, senior Ali Rogers, junior Brianne Bellon and classmate Rochelle Reid also had ECAC qualifying performances at the meet. McNish placed first with her 19-07.50 leap in the long jump. Anthony posted a personal-best 8.77 mark in the 60m hurdles, while Rogers placed fourth with a 56.16 time in the 400m. Bellon earned a trip to Boston with a 2:55.39 1,000m time, good for fifth, while Reid placed sixth with a personal-best 5-07.00 high jump performance. In addition, junior Jillian Haynes earned the first-place victory against a very talented field of athletes, running a 7.71 time in the 60m dash.   LAST YEAR AT THE GREAT DANE CLASSIC In 2012’s UAlbany Great Dane Classic, the men's squad finished third overall, while the women placed sixth out of 26 and 24 scoring team fields, respectively. The event featured over 50 teams. Kathryn Fanning ran the 1,000 meter in 2:49.33 to place first with a meet record, while also exceeding a UAlbany record set in 2007 (2:50.74). Fanning will look to defend that record Friday. Pat McNish soared to a then program-record 19-4.00 in the long jump, placing third. The leap also qualified her for the ECAC Championships. On the men’s side, Alfonso Scannapieco leapt 16-8.75, placing first in the pole vault.   AROUND THE AMERICA EAST The Great Danes have posted 11 number one marks in the America East this season (seven men, four women)… 400m - Alex Petit-Frere (49.10) 500m - Jonanthan Santana (1:04.97) 1,000m - Ryan Florkiewicz (2:30.74) Mile - John DeLallo (4:13.50) 4x400m Relay - 3:17.36 High Jump - Alexander Bowen (7-1) Pole Vault - Alfonso Scannapieco (16-4.75) women’s 400m - Ali Rogers (56.16) Mile - Kathryn Fanning (4:45.88) 60m - Michelle Anthony (8.77) Long Jump - Pat McNish (19-7.5)   HISTORY OF SUCCESS: UAlbany Track & Field's 26 AEast Championships ▪ Men's Indoor: 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 ▪ Women's Indoor: 2009-10, 2010-11 ▪ Men's Outdoor: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 ▪ Women's Outdoor: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012   UP NEXT UAlbany continues the 2013 indoor season in Boston, Mass, competing at the Boston University Terrier Classic Jan. 25-26th.

 

UAlbany’s All-Around Team Effort Takes Down UNH, 68-62

DURHAM, N.H. - For the first time in the past six trips at Lundholm Gym, the University at Albany takes care of business against New Hampshire, 68-62, on Wednesday, Jan 16. The Great Danes improve to 4-1 in league play, while the Wildcats fall to 0-4. "We have players who are buying into their roles, whether they are made to take shots or grab the rebounds, we are finding ways to win as a team," said Coach Brown on a strong team win on the road. "A lot of people question why we are 15-4, we may not be the most flashy team but players are understanding what they are capable to do on the floor and not try to go outside their realm." Mike Black led the Great Danes for the second consecutive game with a 20-plus point performance, scoring 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting along with six rebounds and four assists. Sam Rowley records his third consecutive game with a double-double, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds. New Hampshire (4-12, 0-4 America East) came out with a vengeance, scoring 18 points in the first five minutes of the second half to cut the deficit to just one, 35-34, with 14:31 left. The Wildcats hit five-of-six from behind, two coming from Ferg Myrick. UAlbany (15-4, 4-1 America East) came back on a 14-5 run to extend the lead to 10, 49-39, with 9:31 remaining in the contest. Jayson Guerrier came off the bench and scored all four of his points to help spark the run. The Great Danes extended their lead to as much as 13, 60-47, with 3:58 left. The Wildcats cut the lead down to six, 61-55, with an 11-4 run that was paced by a Patrick Konan and Scott Morris three-pointer. UAlbany held the lead for the final 1:14 and shot a perfect 4-of-4 to hold on to a six-point lead to finish the game. Great Danes brought a lock-down defense in the first half, holding the Wildcats to 16 points on 24 percent (7-29) shooting from the floor. The 16 points allowed was the lowest points given up in a half in program's Division I history. UAlbany finished the half on a 9-3 run with Metcalf scoring four of his seven first-half points during the stretch. The Great Danes were able to hold the Wildcats to no points from 11:15 mark down to the 3:30 mark, going seven minutes and 45 seconds without allowing a point. The Great Danes take their three-game winning streak to West Hartford, Conn. to play Hartford at the Chase Family Arena. Tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Binghamton Mets Announce 2013 Field Staff

Binghamton Mets Announce 2013 Field Staff

BINGHAMTON, NY – The New York Mets announced today that all five members of the Binghamton Mets field staff from last season, led by manager Pedro Lopez, will return to guide the club in 2013.

Lopez, 43, will be joined by hitting coach Luis Natera and pitching coach Glenn Abbott. Athletic trainer Matt Hunter and strength & conditioning coach Dustin Clarke round out the staff.

Managing at the Double-A level for the first time, Lopez steered the 2012 Binghamton Mets to a 68-74 record. The Puerto Rico native also celebrated his 500^th managerial win on September 2 when the B-Mets defeated the Trenton Thunder at NYSEG Stadium.

Lopez has steadily climbed the Mets’ minor league managerial ladder; compiling winning records at each stop leading to Binghamton. His journey began with the Kingsport Mets (Rookie) in 2008, where he guided the club to a 34-32 mark. Under his watch in 2009, the Brooklyn Cyclones (Short Season-A) finished second in the McNamara Division and punched their ticket to the New York-Penn League postseason with a 45-30 record. Lopez kept the success rolling at his next managerial stop with the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low-A) in 2010. They went 75-64, but missed a playoff berth by two games.

As skipper of the St. Lucie Mets (High-A) in 2011, his squad charged out of the gate, going 18-3 to start the season en route to the First Half South Division crown. In the postseason, the Mets defeated the Bradenton Marauders to take the South Division Championship before falling in the FSL Championship Series.

The former catcher logged 13 seasons in the minor leagues as a player after being drafted in the 21^st round by the San Diego Padres in 1988. He reached as high as Triple-A with the Las Vegas Stars before joining the Milwaukee Brewers organization in 1995. Lopez finished his playing career with the Houston Astos’ system in 2000. In 909 career games, he hit .247, clocked 49 home runs and drove in 338 runs.

Pedro and his wife, Gladys, have twin daughters, Leslian Marie and Lainey Marie and reside in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

Entering his third season in the New York Mets’ organization, Abbott returns to the Southern Tier for his second year as pitching coach. Prior to his time with the Mets, Abbott was a pitching coach for five years in the San Diego Padres’ system, spent four seasons with the Texas Rangers’ organization and logged 13 years at various levels with the Oakland Athletics. The Arkansas native began his coaching career with the Little Falls Mets in 1985.

After getting drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 8^th round in 1969, Abbott spent 11 seasons in the Major Leagues as a starting pitcher for the A’s (1973-76), Seattle Mariners (1977-83) and Detroit Tigers (1983-84). In 248 career games, the righty made 206 starts, went 62-83, amassed a 4.39 ERA, struck out 484 batters and hurled five shutouts.

As a member of the Athletics in 1975, Abbott was part of the first four-pitcher no-hitter in MLB history. On September 28, he combined with Vida Blue, Paul Linblad, and Rollie Fingers to baffle the Angels on the final day of the regular season.

Abbott resides with his wife, Patti, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The couple has three children, Todd, Jeff and Amy.

Luis Natera will serve as the B-Mets hitting coach for the sixth straight season and seventh overall. This year marks Natera’s 22^nd in the Mets’ organization. He has served as a hitting coach at five different levels during that timeframe, including stints with Buffalo (AAA, 2009), St. Lucie (High-A, 2007), Hagerstown (Low-A, 2005-06), Kingsport (Rookie, 2003-04), and Capital City (Low-A, 1999).

Natera served in his native country as coordinator of the Mets’ Dominican Academy in 2001 and 2002. He managed the Dominican Mets (Rookie) in 2002 and skippered the DSL Mets from 1992-1997.

The 47-year-old played shortstop in the Mets’ system from 1984 to 1988 and reached as high as Low-A Savannah Sand Gnats. He lives with wife Maria Elena and their sons Luis Alberto, Jose Luis, and David Luis.

The B-Mets also welcome back athletic trainer Matt Hunter for his third season and strength & conditioning coach Dustin Clarke for his second campaign. Hunter entered the ranks of fatherhood this offseason when he and wife, Kendra welcomed son Nicolas Marco to the world on October 16.

The B-Mets kick off their 22^nd season on Thursday, April 4 on the road against the Akron Aeros. Fans can get their first glimpse of the boys of summer at the home opener at NYSEG Stadium on April 11 when they host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at 6:35 PM.

Season tickets and minipacks for the 2013 season are on sale now. Visit the B-Mets Box Office during regular business hours or call (607)723-METS to order yours today.

Vote Your Favorite Driver into ‘Six Pack Challenge’ at UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment

Cast ballots for your favorite Sprint Car, Late Model, Big-Block Modified and UMP Modified drivers

BARBERVILLE, Fla. - Jan. 11, 2013 - See your favorite driver take on five others in a six-lap, winner-takes-all showdown at the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment. Now is your chance to vote! The top six Sprint Car, Late Model, UMP Modified, and Big-Block Modified vote-getters will square off in the Six Pack Challenge - four separate six-car, six-lap dashes for cash at Volusia Speedway Park.

Fans will fill the field with drivers who earn the most votes at http://www.DIRTcarNationals.com. The drivers with the most votes at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 2 will be eligible to compete in the events, which pay $500-to-win and $100 to the other five finishers.

The Sprint Car Six Pack will be Saturday, Feb. 16; the UMP Modified Six Pack will be Tuesday, Feb. 19; the Late Model Six Pack will be Thursday, Feb. 21; and the Big-Block Modified Six Pack will be Friday, Feb. 22.

Vote once a day for your favorite driver and you might just see him in a special Six Pack Challenge. For tickets to the Feb. 12-23 UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment, click http://www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call 877-395-8606.

World-Ranked Spanish Standout to Join UAlbany Tennis for Spring Season

Albany, N.Y. -- The University at Albany women's tennis program has announced the signing of Irene Santos-Bravo for their upcoming spring season. Santos-Bravo, a globally-recognized singles player, has ranked as high as No. 18 in Spain and No. 443 in the world by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

A Madrid native, Santos-Bravo competed at the world-stage on the WTA Tour in 2010. She garnered wins over other WTA-ranked athletes including Sally Peers (No. 145), Arina Rodinova (No. 157) and Ganna Piven (No. 334).

"[Santos-Bravo] brings a level of expertise, experience and success, that will help take us to another level," said head coach Gordon Graham. "She is going to be a real team player who will help make us an even tighter, more competitive unit. She's a tremendous addition to our team."

The 23-year-old will start her UAlbany tennis career playing at the National Collegiate Tennis Classic, Jan. 18-20, in Palm Springs, Calif. This 32-player draw includes competitors from collegiate tennis powers such as Stanford, UCLA, USC, North Carolina and Alabama.

Santos-Bravo joins UAlbany with one semester of eligibility remaining at the NCAA level. She plans to enroll in the communication's graduate program, pursuing a master's degree.

UAlbany opens their dual match schedule at home against Marist on Feb. 2. Match time is set for 2 p.m. at City Tennis and Fitness in Latham, N.Y.