5-3-04 | Entire Men's Tennis Team
The Bearcats captured their second consecutive America East Championship over the weekend, and will advance to the NCAA tournament for the sixth time in the last nine years under head coach Michael Starke. As the No. 3 seed, BU upended No. 2 UMBC, 4-1, in the semifinals and then defeated top-seeded Stony Brook, 4-3, in a five-hour championship match. Number one singles player Dan Hanegby was named Most Outstanding Player and Starke was honored by his peers as Coach of the Year for the second straight spring.

4-26-04 | Kevin McKeown (Brewster, N.Y.)

McKeown made seven of his 12 saves in the fourth quarter against Vermont as the Bearcats clinched no lower than a #2 seed in next month's America East Championship. The Bearcats were picked to finish sixth in the seven-team conference, but enter the final week of the regular season with a 5-0 conference record and will host a semifinal game on Wednesday, May 5. In two games last week, McKeown had 19 saves and allowed 14 goals for a .576 save percentage.

4-19-04 | Jay Balback (Millsboro, Del.)

Balback had an enormous week for the streaking Bearcats, who have now won six in a row and 11 of their last 13. He hit .667, clubbed five home runs and drove in 14 runs in four games, and had a slugging percentage of 1.52 for the week. Balback now has strings of three or more hits and two or more RBI in five straight games. His home run Sunday against UMBC was his ninth of the season and 22nd in two seasons at Binghamton. That total establishes a new school record for career round-trippers. Now owning a 10-game hit streak, Balback is hitting .633 during Binghamton's six-game win streak and is hitting .571 against conference opponents with 11 RBI in six games.

4-12-04 | Brian Chaapel (Penn Yan, N.Y.)

Chaapel helped the men's lacrosse team extend its winning streak to four games in a pair of pivotal wins last week. In a 5-4 upset win over #19 UMBC, Chaapel scored the game-tying goal with 1:30 left and then the game-winner with just four seconds remaining. He added two more goals and a pair of assists in a 13-5 win at Hartford that moved the team's conference mark to 3-0. With its four-game winning streak Binghamton has moved over .500 for the first time ever and is in position to clinch a spot in the America East Championship with a win in its next game. Chaapel ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 12 points (9 goals, 3 assists).

4-5-04 | Michelle Weeks (Bunnell, Fla.)

Weeks fired Binghamton's first no-hitter in four years, as Binghamton defeated Hartford 11-0 in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday. She allowed just three walks and struck out a season-high 11 batters. Before Saturday, the last time a Binghamton pitcher threw a no hitter was on April 8, 2000, when Margaret Yerdon shut out Bridgeport 9-0.

3-29-04 | Rory Quiller (West Point, N.Y.)

Freshman pole vaulter Rory Quiller (West Point, N.Y.) shined in his hometown on Saturday, clearing a school-record 16-feet-4 3/4 to win the Army Dick Shea Open. But more importantly, his mark was good enough to qualify for the NCAA East Regional at University of Florida on May 28-29. Quiller becomes the first BU track and field athlete to reach the national stage.

Quiller topped the field by more than seven inches, breaking the school record of 16-2 3/4, set by Jason Gianotti in 2000. The NCAA standard was 16-feet-1. Quiller also placed second in the 110 hurdles (14.96).


3-15-04 | Dan Hanegby (Herzeliya, Israel)

Hanegby, ranked No. 19 in the Northeast region, steamrolled the No. 4 player, Josef Novotny, 6-2, 6-2, in BU's dual match loss to UMBC on Saturday. Hanegby, who has now beaten two players in the top-10, raised his record to 20-5 overall, 9-2 in dual matches.

"Dan came to play, and was exceptionally sharp," head coach Michael Starke said. "There is no question this is the best singles win our program has ever had. We're blessed to have a player at his level."

3-9-04 | Josh Ruff (Bainbridge, N.Y./Bainbridge-Guilford)

Ruff won the 141 weight class title as Binghamton at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Wrestling Championships on Saturday. In the process, Ruff became the first Binghamton wrestler to win a title at the CAA Championships and will advance to the NCAA Championships (which will be held in St. Louis in two weeks) for the second year in a row. Ruff defeated second-seeded Joey Rivera in the semifinals 7-2 and followed up with a 5-3 win over John Menardi of Hofstra in the finals.

2-16-04 | Alex Adediran (Covington, Ga./Seward County CC)

Adediran led the men's basketball team to a pair of victories during the week. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14.0 poitns and 7.0 rebounds in just 25.5 minutes of action per game. Twenty-six of his 28 points came in the second half of wins over Albany and New Hampshire, and he shot 73% from the floor and 86% from the free throw line during the week.

2-9-04 | Robert Kaczynski (Tychy, Poland)

Kaczynski won the 200 IM (1:57.20) and the 200 breast (2:14.01) as the men's swimming & diving team scored a 127-111 road win against Stony Brook in its final dual meet of the regular season. Kaczynski is the defending America East Conference champion in the 200 breaststroke. He will attempt to defend his title in two weeks when the Bearcats head to the 2004 conference meet.

2-2-04 | Brandon Carter (McPherson, Kan./McPherson)

Carter averaged 19.5 points in two BU conference wins during the week, including a 27-point performance in the team's successful debut in the Events Center. In that game, he poured in 24 second-half points as the Bearcats defeated Hartford. Earlier in the week, Carter's turnaround jumper with 40 seconds left broke a 54-54 tie and propelled BU to a road win at UMBC. Defensively, he has recorded at least one steal in 13 consecutive games.

1-26-04 | Josh Ruff (Bainbridge, N.Y./Bainbridge-Guilford)

Ruff was perfect at the Colonial Athletic Association Duals, going 5-0 to remain unbeaten in dual matches this season (11-0). The 141-pound junior outscored his opponents 23-1 with a pin, major decision (up a weight class) and two shutout decisions. Ruff, the No. 2 wrestler in the CAA, improved to 17-4 on the season. He is 31-3 in career dual matches - the third-highest percentage in program history(.912). Ruff is also five wins away from tying his own school record for dual wins in a season (16 last season), and has six duals still remaining.

1-19-04 | Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa./ Cheltenham)

Laws was instrumental in Binghamton going 2-0 this past week. She drained a career-high 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds in Binghamton's 63-56 overtime win at New Hampshire this past Saturday and added 13 points in the Bearcats' 70-60 win over Albany last Wednesday. Laws has now reached double figures in scoring nine games in a row. During than span, she has averaged 16.0 points per game. She is also averaging 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds against conference opponents.

1-12-2004 | Leala Wegwerth (Maplewood, Minn./ Roseville)

Senior forward Leala Wegwerth netted 15 points against Maine and 13 points against Boston as the Bearcats gained a split against two of the top teams in the conference. Wegwerth is now averaging a career-high 10.0 points per game and has reached double figures six times. In conference action, Wegwerth is averaging a team-best 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

12-15-2003 | Jen Blues (Overland Park, Kan./ Blue Valley North)

Sophomore guard Jen Blues poured in a career-high 23 points in the women's basketball team's game against Army on Dec. 10. She also had a career-high six assists as well as two steals. Blues' 23 points tied the highest total scored by a player in the America East Conference for the week. Unfotunately, Binghamton would lose the game 74-62, but its record still stands at 4-3.

12-8-2003 | Beau Bruno (Mineola, N.Y./ Mineola), Wrestling

Senior 149-pound Beau Bruno went undefeated on the week, raising his overall record to 9-2 this season. Bruno posted an 18-7 major decision against Bridgewater State and followed that with a 13-9 decision over the third-ranked wrestler in the conference from Boston University. With the win, Bruno moved up from fifth to fourth in the latest poll.

12-1-2003 | Kate Townley (St. Paul, Minn./ Cretin-Derham Hall), Women's Basketball

Senior point guard Kate Townley was named the MVP of the Binghamton/Time Warner Classic this past weekend, as she averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in Binghamton’s two wins. It marked the first time in her career that Townley has been named the MVP of an in-season tournament.

11-24-2003 | Joey Neilson (Boothwyn, Pa./Strath Haven), Men's Soccer

Freshman midfielder Joey Neilson became BU's latest hero with his game-winning goal in the NCAA first-round victory over FDU. With eight minutes left in regulation, Neilson beat several defenders before chipping a shot over the head of the keeper for the lone goal in the Bearcats' 1-0 win. It was his fifth goal of the season.

11-17-2003 | Stefan Gonet (Renfrewshire, Scotland), Men's Soccer

Sophomore soccer goalie Stefan Gonet led the Bearcats to the America East Championship, stopping a penalty kick in the deciding shootout. After seeing his shutout streak end at at amazing 893 minutes, Gonet preserved the 1-1 deadlock and his stop on Northeastern's fourth kick helped the Bearcats win the shootout and the conference crown. Gonet was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

11-10-2003 | Graham Munro (Inverness, Scotland), Men's Soccer

Sophomore defender Graham Munro scored on a penalty kick with 10:04 remaining in regulation, giving the men's soccer team a 1-0 win over Hartford in the America East semifinals on Saturday. With the win, Binghamton advances to the America East finals for the first time and will host defending champion Northeastern on Saturday at 1 p.m. Earlier in the week, Munro was named the America East Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as first-team all-conference for the second year in a row.

11-03-2003 | Men's Soccer Team

The Binghamton men's soccer team concluded a record-breaking regular season with a 2-0 win over New Hampshire on Saturday. With the victory, the Bearcats (10-2-6, 4-1-4 AE) earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming America East Tournament and will host either Maine or Boston in a semifinal game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Binghamton has broken the school records this season for the most shutouts (14) and the most consecutive shutouts (7). The Bearcats rank among the top five teams in the nation defensively and are the only team in the nation not to have allowed a first half goal this season.

10-27-2003 | Graham Munro (Inverness, Scotland), Men's Soccer

Sophomore defender Graham Munro scored a goal and had an assist in Binghamton’s 2-0 win over Stony Brook last Wednesday. In addition, he led the Bearcat defense to a pair of shutouts this past week. After being the only freshman named first-team America East All-Conference last season, Munro has three goals and two assists so far this season.

10-20-2003 | Dan Hanegby (Herzeliya, Israel), Men's Tennis

Hanegby, a freshman tennis player, had a strong showing at the ITA Northeast Regional over the weekend. In a strong field of 96 players, he won three matches to reach the round of 16. Along the way, he upset seeded players from Penn State and Princeton, and also posted a victory over an opponent from Georgetown. Hanegby finished his fall season with a 12-2 singles record, and also went 8-2 in doubles.

10-13-2003 | Michele Heck (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection), Volleyball

Heck, a junior outside hitter, led the Bearcats to wins in two of their first three conference matches. She totaled career highs of 24 kills and five service aces to go along with 14 digs against UMBC, and added 14 kills and 11 digs against Stony Brook. Against the Seawolves, Heck helped Binghamton end a 15-year hex by beating Stony Brook for the first time since 1988. In all, Heck had double-doubles of kills and digs in all three matches, averaging 4.00 kills and 3.00 digs per game. She has recorded a double-double in each of her last seven matches, and has turned the trick 25 times in her career. With 48 kills during the week, she moved into fifth place on the school's career list with 858 kills. She needs 31 more to tie Leigh Houghton for fourth place.

10-06-2003 | Keith Hendrickson (Syosset, N.Y.), Golf

Hendrickson, a senior golfer, earned his second Athlete of the Week honors in a three-week span with an outstanding performance at the ECAC Championship. Hendrickson fired a 2-under 70 at Colgate's Seven Oaks GC to outshine 69 other golfers and capture medalist honors for the second time this fall. Hendrickson used four birdies in a seven-hole span to shoot 33 on the front side. He led the Bearcats to their second consecutive tournament victory of the fall and Binghamton's second straight ECAC title.

9-29-2003 | Anne Crocus (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom), Volleyball

Crocus, a junior middle blocker, led the Bearcats to the team title and captured individual MVP honors at the Columbia Classic over the weekend. She started off the tournament with a career-high 21 kills against the host Lions, and then added 29 more kills and 16 blocks in wins over Winthrop and Rider. Crocus, who leads the Bearcats in kills per game (3.64), attack percentage (.363) and blocks per game (1.17) this season, boosted each of those marks over the weekend, recording 4.54 kills and 1.64 blocks per game with a .378 attack percentage.

"Anne was dominant at the net this weekend," head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. "No one really had an answer for her."

Crocus, who is one of the top blockers in the nation, became the school's all-time leader in career block assists with 219 over the weekend, surpassing Leigh Houghton (211). She also ranks fifth in school history with 100 career solo blocks. This is the second time she has been the BUAthlete of the Week.

9-22-2003 | Keith Hendrickson (Syosset, N.Y.), Golf

Hendrickson, a senior golfer, captured his first tournament title with an outstanding performance at the Dartmouth Invitational over the weekend. He shot 71-72 to share medalist honors among a field of 114 golfers at the Hanover Country Club. Hendrickson carded four birdies during his opening-round par-71, and added four more birdies in Sunday's 1-over 72. He leads the golf team with a sparkling scoring average of 73.0.

9-15-2003 | Stefan Gonet (Refrewshire, Scotland/Trinity) Men's Soccer

Gonet, the starting goal, turned in a pair of solo shutouts this week, blanking Robert Morris 1-0 on Friday and holding St. Francis to a 0-0 tie on Saturday. In three games this week, he surrendered just two goals and made 12 saves. He now has four solo shutouts this season and has a microscopic 0.38 goals against average.

9-8-2003 | Kristie Bowers (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia) Women's Soccer

Bowers, a first-year keeper, is quickly gaining confidence in the net, as evidenced by her shutout string. Bowers made a spectacular diving stop in the second half against St. John's, and recorded 15 saves. She added four stops against St. Bonaventure.

"We've been very impressed with Kristie so far," head coach Jeff Leightman said. "A freshman taking over and bouncing back from a bit of a shelling in her first game -- though it wasn't her fault -- and giving us three straight shutouts against quality teams makes a statement. We look for her to keep it going."