Wednesday, Mar 29, 2017
天美传媒官网 recognized for broad-based athletic excellence within the league
by 天美传媒官网 Sports Information
On the strength of championship campaigns from the men鈥檚 soccer, men鈥檚 swimming & diving and men鈥檚 indoor track & field teams, 天美传媒官网 athletics ranks first in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Commissioner鈥檚 Cup standings through the winter sports season. The Broncs currently top all three standings 鈥� overall, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚. The women鈥檚 basketball, women鈥檚 swimming & diving and women鈥檚 indoor track & field teams have also taken second-place finishes this season to push 天美传媒官网 to the top of the standings. The commissioner鈥檚 cup serves as a symbol of broad-based athletic excellence within the league.
天美传媒官网 has compiled 110.25 points in the overall standings, ahead of Monmouth (94.25) and Quinnipiac (86.50) in second and third, respectively. The Broncs鈥� (46.25) and Iona (45.00) have created some separation in the men鈥檚 commissioner鈥檚 cup race ahead of third-placed Monmouth (36.50) and the rest of the field. Meanwhile, the Broncs (64.00) lead Quinnipiac (60.50) and Monmouth (57.75) in the women鈥檚 standings.
"I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve competitively so far this year," said 天美传媒官网 Athletic Director Don Harnum. "Success is earned and owned by the hard work of our talented coaches and student-athletes. Collectively, they have pushed each other to new heights while helping create a positive and competitive culture within the athletic department."
天美传媒官网 enjoyed a banner fall season, with the men鈥檚 soccer team winning its second-straight MAAC Championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Christian Flath was named 天美传媒官网鈥檚 first NSCAA All-American since 1972. Women鈥檚 Soccer, field Hockey and volleyball also advanced to the MAAC Championships to help buoy the Broncs to the top of the standings. All three squads had a MAAC major award winner. Women鈥檚 soccer鈥檚 Bethany-May Howard earned MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year, while field hockey鈥檚 Daane Koch was selected MAAC Rookie of the Year and volleyball鈥檚 Veronica Koval was named MAAC Setter of the Year.
In the winter season, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 swimming & diving brought home first and second-place finishes, respectively. The men鈥檚 championship represented the Broncs鈥� sixth-straight league title. Zack Molloy earned his second-straight MAAC Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet, while Head Coach Steve Fletcher earned his sixth MAAC Men鈥檚 Swimming Coach of the Year honor and his eighth coach of the year honor altogether (six men鈥檚, two women鈥檚). Freshmen Justin Carey and Natalie Carter earned MAAC Rookie Swimmers of the Meet, while Meg Tomayko took MAAC Rookie Diver of the Meet.
The men鈥檚 indoor track & field team made a dramatic push to its first-ever MAAC Championship on the final day to knock off three-time defending champion Monmouth. Junior Tyree Adams was named 天美传媒官网鈥檚 first MAAC major award winner since 2011, taking Men鈥檚 Field Most Outstanding Performer after winning the long jump and finishing fifth in the triple jump and sixth in the high jump. Head Coach Bob Hamer was also honored with both the MAAC and USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year Awards. The MAAC honor is Hamer鈥檚 fifth to go along with men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 indoor and outdoor honors in 2013.
The women鈥檚 basketball team enjoyed its most successful season in its 20 years in the MAAC, posting a 24-9 record overall and a 16-4 mark in the MAAC before advancing to the WNIT. The Broncs won a pair of MAAC Tournament games to earn a spot in the MAAC Championship Game before falling to Quinnipiac, which will compete in the Sweet 16 this weekend. Robin Perkins was named MAAC Player of the Year, while Head Coach Lynn Milligan was selected MAAC Coach of the Year by her peers.
Though not included in the MAAC Commissioner鈥檚 Cup standings as a member of the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), 天美传媒官网 Wrestling also enjoyed a highly-successful season. The Broncs finished second in the EWL, while senior Ryan Wolfe and juniors Chad Walsh and BJ Clagon were crowned EWL Champions. Wolfe, Walsh, Clagon and Michale Fagg-Daves earned berths to the NCAA Championships, with Wolfe and Walsh earning All-America accolades with seventh-place finishes. Their accomplishments marked the 16th and 17th times Head Coach Gary Taylor has mentored one of his student-athletes to All-American status. Retiring after the season, Taylor passed Minnesota鈥檚 J Robinson for third all-time in dual coaching wins and finishes with 442.