KEVIN RICE NAMED TO CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT I FIRST TEAM

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Orange sophomore attackman Kevin Rice (Skaneateles, N.Y.) was named to the Capital One Academic All-District I Men’s At-Large First Team on Friday, May 17. By virtue of his placement on the district's first team, Rice's name will be forwarded to the national Academic All-America ballot to be voted upon by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Rice has started all 17 games for the Orange this season. He is second on squad in points (49) and assists (28). Two weeks ago, Rice was named the BIG EAST Championship’s Most Outstanding Player after recording seven points (four goals, three assists) in wins against Notre Dame and Villanova to lead Syracuse to the conference title.

Off the field, Rice is pursuing a degree in history. He's been named to the SU Athletic Director's Honor Roll (min. 3.0 GPA) every semester he's been on campus and he was a member of the 2012 BIG EAST All-Academic Team.

The Capital One All-America program is administered by CoSIDA. To be eligible student-athletes must be a starter or key reserve, achieve sophomore standing at their current school, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.3 and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Participants in fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling are eligible for the men’s at-large program.

Scott Bloomquist Knows What Makes Firecracker 100 by GottaRace.com At Lernerville Speedway A Can’t-Miss Event

Advance-Sale Ticket Packages With Free Fan Pit Passes Going Fast For This Year’s Seventh Annual Spectacular June 27-29

SARVER, PA – May 16, 2013 – After Scott Bloomquist won the Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com for the second time last year at Lernerville Speedway, he spent about 15 minutes meeting with press members in the facility’s media room.

During that press conference the Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer explained, of course, how he won the marquee World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. But he also became an unsolicited promoter of both the well-known four-tenths-mile oval and this year’s seventh annual Firecracker 100 extravaganza, which is scheduled for June 27-29.

Bloomquist, 49, of Mooresburg, Tenn., made it clear that the Firecracker 100 – a three-day festival of speed that includes 30-lap, $6,000-to-win preliminary WoO LMS A-Mains on Thurs., June 27, and Fri., June 28, leading into the 100-lap finale offering a $30,000 first-place prize on Sat., June 29 – ranks as one of his favorite races on the modern-day dirt Late Model schedule.

“We’ve been coming to this race every year that they’ve run it,” said Bloomquist, who also won the inaugural Firecracker 100 in 2007 and owns preliminary feature victories in 2011 and ’12, “and we’ll keep coming as long as they have it.”

Bloomquist’s descriptions of Lernerville Speedway and the Firecracker 100 following his 2012 conquest read like a list of reasons why fans and racers alike should make plans to usher in the summer with a visit to the western Pennsylvania facility. Consider the positives that the 2004 WoO LMS champion hit on during his post-race comments:

* The magnitude of an event that he has watched grow: “There’s really not any race any better within 300 miles of here. I don’t even know if there’s one better within 400 miles of here. You look at the grandstands and you see how many people come to this event, and you look out in the campground – you just look around here, and it’s all so impressive.”

* The competitiveness of the speedway: “And again, the racetrack – where are you gonna see three-wide racing for a hundred laps? The racetrack is almost a stand-alone. There’s very few places left in America where you can race like you can at this place. You can race three-wide, and definitely two-wide, around this thing the majority of the evening, and that’s all any racer wants – to be able to have more than one lane. Here there are so many options, it’s a joy to come here.

“This place has so many possibilities. I love this racetrack because you can drive it so many different ways. If your car’s not handling, there’s a place on that racetrack where it should handle. You just gotta find it.”

* The driver-friendly track conditions that are a Lernerville trademark: “We didn’t touch anyone (during last year’s race), but even if we did, the track’s so slippery that there’s not enough traction out there to bend anything on your race car. So (with) a little bit of contact, all you do is...everybody just slides a little more or the cars will just break traction a little more. Usually you’ll never damage anything when it’s that slick. That’s one of the reasons we (are not) too concerned about making it three-wide.”

* The laser-focus a driver must maintain to win the Firecracker 100: “You had to be so intense out there to not slide the tires at all and to just be sure you were picking the right groove around the racetrack. I love being in the lead, don’t get me wrong, but leading the race can be taxing on you.”

* The unmistakable buzz in the air that comes from dirt Late Model racing’s superstars placing so much emphasis on winning a mega-money event like the Firecracker 100: “It’s huge. It’s such a big thing. The difference between having a good year, and a great year, is if you can knock off three or four major events...anything 20- to 25-thousand (dollars) and up (to win), those are the races where you make money. This is your true profit in this sport. The rest you survive.

“(Winning the Firecracker 100 is) something that moves you way forward in your personal life. If your racing world needs attention, it’s huge there too. If you’re sitting there on the cusp where you really need another engine or two, or you don’t have the sponsors you really need – then to knock this one off is really huge.”

Bloomquist even loves the off-track activities that are such a big part of the Firecracker 100 weekend. He’s an annual participant in Saturday afternoon’s Firecracker Driver/Fan Horseshoes Tournament, which he proudly won for the first time last year alongside partner Ross Miner of Mill Run, Pa.

“I always enjoy playing (horseshoes) here during the Firecracker,” Bloomquist said after winning last year’s tournament. “This is one of the things that makes the weekend special.”

Advance-sale tickets for the Firecracker 100 weekend are on sale on-line at www.lernerville.com or www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets. Fans can also call the Lernerville office during normal business hours at 724-353-1511.

Three-day reserved-seat packages are value-priced at $69 for adults and $19 for children 10-and-under – with a free fan pit pass for Thursday and Friday included if purchased by midnight Eastern Time on Wed., June 26. Single-day tickets will go on sale on Mon., June 3, at 10 a.m. ET.

Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:50 p.m. each day of the Firecracker 100 weekend. Time trials will commence at 7:15 p.m. on Thurs., June 27, and Fri., June 28, with heat racing to begin at 8:05 p.m. The Sat., June 29, program, which includes heat races aligned by drivers’ best finishes during the preliminary nights, B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win ‘Uncle Sam 30’ Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com, will get the green flag at 7:35 p.m.

The huge weekend boasts more than just racing. Entertainment includes fireworks throughout the weekend; the inaugural ‘Kick It’ Kickball game featuring WoO LMS and Lernerville drivers on Friday afternoon; a parking-lot concert by the group NoMAD following Friday’s racing card; a Saturday afternoon filled with a driver/fan horseshoes and cornhole tournaments, on-stage driver interviews, the Ms. Firecracker contest and a wienie roast; and a driver autograph session underneath the grandstands prior to Saturday night’s program.

Additional info on the Firecracker 100 Presented by GottaRace.com can be obtained by logging on to www.lernerville.com or calling 724-353-1511.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

MacFawn Named AE Pitcher of the Year; Highlights Seven All-Conference Selections

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – University at Albany softball pitcher Brittany MacFawn was named America East Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday, May 8. MacFawn, a junior, was also named to the all-conference first team squad. It was her third consecutive season to receive the accolade. Joining MacFawn, reigning America East Rookie of the Year, Vicky McFarland was also named to the all-conference first team. Reigning America East Player of the Year, junior Charlise Castro, sophomore Alexa Toole and freshman Annie Johnson were named to the all-conference second team. Johnson joined freshman Kelly Costello and Maggie Cocks on the all-conference rookie team. MacFawn has had one of the most dominant years in the circle of any pitcher in league history. The righthander is on pace to win the league’s pitching triple crown as she leads the league in wins (26), earned run average (2.04) and strikeouts (269). She’s set a new single-season program record for strikeouts and inning’s pitched (229.1). A four-time America East Pitcher of the Week, MacFawn was even better in league play, going 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA and 123 punchouts. McFarland leads UAlbany in RBIs (37), runs (37), and is tied with Castro with a team-high seven homers. Johnson currently ranks second in the country in stolen bases (.88 per game) and holds a team-high .357 batting average. Cocks has connected for 12 doubles, just four shy of a team single-season record. Toole has started nearly every game at second base, pulling in a .340 on-base percentage, while Costello played center field, collecting 21 hits and 32 total bases. UAlbany will play Stony Brook tomorrow, Thursday, May 9, in the opening round of the 2013 America East Tournament. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at the BU Sports Complex.

UAlbany To Break Ground On New Track And Field Venue Wednesday

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany athletic department will break ground on a brand new track and field venue at University Field Wednesday. The ceremony will begin at 1:00 p.m. Head Coach Roberto Vives, Director of Athletics Dr. Lee McElroy, and other University officials will be in attendance and officially break ground. All are welcome to attend. There will also be a live video stream of the ceremony on DaneZone. Click here to watch. The new track and field venue will have a 9-lane IAAF certified track. The surface will be the Olympic-caliber Beynon BSS 2000 that features a force reduction layer of butyl rubber and full-depth color Polyurethane. Other top track and field venues that have this surface include the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field and multiple national track and field champion Texas A & M. There will be a natural turf infield that will include a throws area as well as an irrigation system. The project also includes a separate hammer throw area adjacent to the venue. The facility will be home to the University at Albany men’s and women’s track and field programs that swept the America East Outdoor Championship hardware for the fifth straight season Sunday afternoon at Binghamton University. The first-place men accrued 230.5 points, which was 54 points better than second-place UMBC. The women were also dominant, besting their nearest opponent by 109 points with a conference-record total of 245 points in the title meet. In 2012-13, UAlbany took home all four America East track and field titles, sweeping the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor championships. 31 America East Championships, 3 IC4A Championships ▪ Men’s Cross Country: 2011 ▪ Men's Indoor: 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09*, 2009-10*, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 ▪ Women's Indoor: 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13 ▪ Men's Outdoor: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009*, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 ▪ Women's Outdoor: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 *won both AEast and IC4A titles

Montero Falters Late, Offense Fizzles, 5-1

TRENTON, NJ – Binghamton Mets starter Rafael Montero cruised through six innings, but faltered late as the Trenton Thunder scored four runs in the seventh to beat the B-Mets, 5-1, in comeback fashion on Tuesday night at Arm & Hammer Park. The B-Mets collected three hits in the first two innings, but were held hitless for the final seven frames in their second straight loss.



The B-Mets packed all their offense into the first two innings against Trenton starter Jose Ramirez. Cesar Puello emphatically got the B-Mets on the board in the second inning by blasting an 0-2 pitch to left field for his second homer of the season. Puello’s blast extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest active hitting streak throughout Double-A.



It proved to be Binghamton’s only run of the game. Ramirez settled down to retire the final seven batters he faced before exiting after four innings of work. The righty allowed one run on three hits, walked two and hit a batter in his second start of the season.



Montero dominated the Thunder through his first six innings. The righty matched a season-high with eight strikeouts and allowed just two base runners on a walk and single.



His fortunes changed in the seventh. Jose Pirela started the inning by walking on nine pitches. J.R. Murphy followed by lining a single to left. With runners on second and third, Slade Heathcott bounced a two-run, go-ahead single up the middle and ended Montero’s night.



Josh Edgin came out of the bullpen and issued a two-out walk to Neil Medchill. The southpaw paid for prolonging the inning when Ali Castillo pulled a two-run triple down the first base line. Trenton added another run off Edgin on an RBI single from Heathcott in the eighth.



The Thunder bullpen picked up where Ramirez left off and silenced the B-Mets offense. Josh Romanski (2-0) struck out four over three perfect innings and Danny Burawa allowed only one runner in two scoreless frames to collect his first save. At one point, the three Trenton pitchers combined to retire 20 consecutive B-Mets.



Montero (3-3) allowed three runs on three hits in his third straight loss. He struck out eight and walked two.



The B-Mets (16-16) conclude their series against the Thunder Tuesday night at 7:05 PM. RHP Logan Verrett gets the ball for Binghamton against LHP Nik Turley. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show begins at 6:50 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.



POSTGAME NOTES: Puello’s 14-game hitting streak is one shy of his career high, a 15-game stretch he compiled with the Savannah Sand Gnats in 2010…It was the third time in six games the B-Mets have been limited to three hits or fewer



Individual tickets for all Binghamton Mets 2013 home games are on sale now. Visit the NYSEG Stadium box office during regular operating hours, purchase them online at www.bmets.com or call the office at (607) 723-METS.

Be sure to follow the B-Mets on Facebook, Twitter and at the team’s official website (www.bmets.com) for more team information. Fans can also stay up to date with all the action on the field by visiting “B-Mets Buzz with Tim Heiman” at bmets.mlblogs.com.

Patriot Sprint Tour Wings into Woodhull this Weekend

Rich Vleck, ROCHESTER, NY, (May 7, 2013)- The traditional early-season events for the Patriot Sprint Tour continue this weekend with a popular return to most banked track on the circuit.

The Woodhull Raceway will play host to the Patriot Sprint Tour America series for the 10^th time this Saturday, the third PST-sanctioned event of this 10^th Anniversary season.

Since the first appearance of the series at the Steuben County oval in 2007, each event has been met with wild popularity; and in five of the six seasons the PST was at Woodhull, a certain driver went to Victory Lane .

Chuck Hebing, has won over half of the PST events at Woodhull, including four of the five races in May in his No. 45. Hebing will certainly be a contender again this weekend, but there are some other top names that will not make it easy for him.

Justin Barger is the most recent winner on the PST Tour after his dominating performance last Friday Night at Black Rock Speedway. Barger, the defending PST Canada Champion, also is the most-recent winner at Woodhull after he rim-rode his way to the win last July after starting in eighth.

Defending PST America Champion Scott Kreutter has been strong at Woodhull dating back to his micro sprint days, but has yet to score a win on the highbanks in his 360 sprint. Kreutter was runner-up to Hebing in the spring event last year.

Four-time champion Bryan Howland scored a win at Woodhull in 2011, while 2004 champ George Suprick won there twice in the 90’s. Conversely, 2011 PST Champion Jared Zimbardi has struggled at Woodhull, despite recording three top-five finishes in 11 starts.

A host of drivers with more limited experience at Woodhull include Tommy Wickham, Kevin Ward Jr,. Brad Knab, Derek Jonathan, Clint Ide, Steve Collins, Bruce DeWick, Geoff Quackenbush, Scott Just and Brandan Warner, all of whom look to chase the PST America Championship.

Weekend invaders might include Mitch Brown, Jamie Collard, Shawn Donath, Joe Trenca, Cory Sparks, Tracy Potter, Bob Howard Jr., Jamie Bodo, Tyler Graves and Parker Evans

Racing action gets underway at 6:30 on Saturday Night. For more information, visit www.PatriotSprintTour.com and follow the series all night on Facebook and Twitter.

Patriot History at Woodhull

Races: 9

9/1/2007 Chuck Hebing

5/24/2008 Chuck Hebing

5/30/2009 Bobby Breen

7/31/2010 Chuck Hebing

7/31/2010 Dan Shetler

5/21/2011 Chuck Hebing

7/30/2011 Bryan Howland

5/19/2012 Chuck Hebing

7/21/2012 Justin Barger

358-Modified Series Jump-Starts with Back-to-Back Shows in Ontario

358-Modified Series Jump-Starts with Back-to-Back Shows in Ontario

Small Block Series Racers Set out to Conquer Premier Merrittville Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway in Opening Races

WEEDSPORT, N. Y. - May 8, 2013 - The DIRTcar 358-Modified Series revs up north of the border with back-to-back races at Ontario tracks. The series opens Sunday, May 19, at Cornwall Motor Speedway in Cornwall, Ontario, and heads west to take on the 3/8-mile clay oval at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario, Monday, May 20.

"Feel the Excitement": 358-Modifieds Open at Cornwall

The first of the two races promises a night of excitement for the fans as the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series competitors present opening night for the series and for Cornwall Motor Speedway's 2013 season. The Minute Auto Wash Canadian Nationals presented by Gaetan's Chip Stand on Sunday, May 19, features a 100-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series feature, a 40-lap Mohawk Racing Parts Pro Stock Series feature, plus Sportsman, Semi Pro and Mini Stock weekly divisions.

Many weekly competitors in the 358-Modified division at Cornwall Motor Speedway agree that their home track's high-banked quarter-mile clay oval is a thrilling place to race.

"It's a real fast, small, high-banked track with multiple groves of racing even when it's dried out, you can run the top, the bottom, the middle," said driver of the No. 151kb Brian McDonald, who ranked seventh in track points at Cornwall in 2012 and 10th in points for the series."It's definitely a very exciting place to watch racing - it's very fast-paced even when the track is slowed down or a little slick."

McDonald aims to continue running Cornwall Motor Speedway on a weekly basis in 2013, while also running at Brockville Ontario Speedway as a home track and following the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series.

"We didn't do the whole thing last year, just hit or miss," McDonald said of the series, "but we had a few decent finishes so if we do the whole thing we may do well in points."

Adult general admission tickets are just $25 for the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series opener at Cornwall Motor Speedway, located just across the Seaway International Bridge. Racing starts at 7 p.m. and gates open at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the track website at www.cornwallspeedway.com or call (613) 938-3945. Follow Cornwall Speedway on Twitter, @cornwalspeedway, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CornwallMotorSpeedway.



D-Track Debut: Round 2 at Merrittville

The excitement won't end Sunday, with 358-Modified Series racers wheeling southwest from Cornwall to take on the challenging Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario, the very next day. The Monday, May 20, race night, presented by Zavitz Financial Strategies & Employee Benefits, features a 100-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event plus a Hoosier Stock duel and the first Enduro Qualifier.

Track owner and 23-time 358-Modified Merrittville track champion Pete Bicknell said that even the series' best have their work cut out for them on the D-shaped 3/8-mile banked clay track.

"It's probably one of the hardest tracks to figure out because turn 4 is so tricky," said Bicknell, whose experience at Merrittville and in the 358-Modified division has earned him the nickname "Mr. Small Block." "It just takes experience. It takes lots of laps to figure out. It's something that very few people can come and adapt to right away."

"They say if you can race well at Merrittivllle, you can race well anywhere," Bicknell contended.

On his way to proving that mantra is Merrittville's own Mat Williamson. The 6m pilot collected six top-five finishes out of 12 starts in last year's DIRTcar 358-Modified Series to finish second in points. In track points at Merrittville, Williamson fell just 14 points of the top spot - held, of course, by Pete Bicknell. This year the 23-year-old Williamson is at it again, already first in track points and ready to take on the series.

"I'm pretty excited to have a 358 race start off the year at my home track," Williamson said. "Hopefully we can get in a good run at home and start campaigning on the series in the points battle."

After a successful 2012 season at Merrittville plus success last year at Cornwall making two top-five finishes out of two starts, Williamson hopes these first series races at a couple of his strongest tracks will fuel some momentum going into the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series.

"We run good at Cornwall," Williamson said. "I don't think that we can go there and go to Merrittville and not have a good couple nights on the series. We're still looking for our first series win, so hopefully between those two races we can get it."

Williamson, of St. Catharines, Ontario, said he is also looking forward to some Big-Block Modified shows, and is preparing several Super DIRTcar Series events. Last year, he racked up one top-five finish and two top-tens out of his two starts in the Big-Block Modified tour. Nonetheless, he said the small block still takes precedence in 2013.

"We're going to kind of see where we're sitting in points," Williamson said. "We were going to see if we could solve both series, but there are some conflicting dates so that's where we're going to focus on the 358 tour."

For the second race of the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series, pit gates open at 4 p.m., front gates at 5:30 p.m., and racing begins at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the track website at www.merrittvillespeedway.com or call (905) 829-8266. For the latest news about Merrittville Speedway, follow the track's Twitter updates, @Merrittville, and "like" the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/groups/merrittvillespeedway.

For the latest news and updates about the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series and the other DIRTcar Northeast traveling tours, including the Super DIRTcar Series, follow @DIRTcarNE on Twitter, "like" the DIRTcar Racing Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/DIRTcar-Racing/286953054655394. The full DIRTcar 358-Modified Series is available by visiting www.dirtcarump.com/schedule/10844-2.

AT A GLANCE

What:	DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Round 1 Minute Auto Wash Canadian Nations presented by Gaetan's Chip Stand
Divisions:	DIRTcar 358-Modified Series (100 laps) Mohawk Racing Parts Pro Stock Series (40 laps) Sportsman Semi Pro Mini Stock
When:	7 p.m. Sunday, May 19
Where:	Cornwall Motor Speedway, Civic #16981, Cornwall Centre Road, Long Sault, Ontario
About the Track:	High-banked quarter-mile clay oval
For more information:	www.cornwallspeedway.com or (613) 938-3945

What:	DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Round 2 Zavitz Financial Strategies & Employee Benefits presents a 100-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event plus Hoosier Stock Duel and Enduro Qualifier No. 1 accelerated by Niagara College
Divisions:	DIRTcar 358-Modified Series (100 laps) Hoosier Stock Duel Enduro qualifier
When:	7 p.m. Monday, May 20
Where:	Merrittville Speedway, 2371 Merrittville Highway, Thorold, Ontario
About the Track:	3/8-mile banked clay track, unique D-shape
For more information:	www.merrittvillespeedway.com or (905) 829-8266