November
29, 2006
KELTY NAMED TO
ALL-REGION FIRST TEAM
KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University soccer player Kim Kelty (jr.
Levittown/Neshaminy) has been selected to the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America (NSCCA) All-Northeast Regional First
Team.
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KELTY |
Kelty, a forward,
started 20 games this season and was tied for the team lead in goals
with five and led the team in assists with four and points with 14.
In her three year career she has played in 63 games, scoring 14
goals and assisting on 17 others. This season, Kelty was named
to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) first-team
for the third consecutive season. Previously, she had been
PSAC East and KU Female Rookie of the Year. This is her second
all-region honor, having been named to the second team last year.
The Golden Bears
finished the season second in the PSAC East with a record of 10-8-3
overall, 7-3-2 in the PSAC. In the playoffs, they made it to
the conference semifinals for the third consecutive season after
defeating Shippensburg, 1-0, in the quarterfinals.
November 29, 2006
HENLEY AND BINGNEAR
NAMED TO ALL-REGION TEAM
COMPLETE ALL-REGION TEAM (PDF)
BINGNEAR |
HENLEY |
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Kutztown University football teammates, tight end Jason Henley
(sr. Gilbertsville/Boyertown) and safety Brian Bingnear (jr.
Boothwyn/Chichester), have been named to the 2006 Daktronics
Division II Football All-Northeast Region Second Team, in voting by
the region's Sports Information Directors.
In 10 games this
season, Henley recorded a career high 27 receptions for 416 yards
and three touchdowns, which ranked second among KU receivers.
During his four year career, the pass catcher played in 41 games and
caught 84 passes for 941 yards and 10 touchdowns. Also this
season, Henley had been named to the All- Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) East first team for the third time.
In his second
season as a starter in the KU defensive backfield, Bingnear tallied
90 tackles, which led the Golden Bears and ranked second in the PSAC.
He also recorded a team high four interceptions to go along with
four pass breakups and a forced fumble. He was rewarded with
his first-career All-PSAC East honor. In three seasons at KU,
Bingnear has recorded 158 tackles.
The Golden Bear
football team finished the season with a record of 4-6 overall and
2-4 in the PSAC East, which placed them fifth in the seven team
division.
November 28, 2006
DENNIS NAMED ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Stephen Dennis (fr. West
Chester/Henderson) has been named the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Rookie of the Week.
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DENNIS |
Dennis averaged 16.8 points and 4.8 rebounds as KU started the
season 3-1. He scored 19 points in his collegiate debut in a
103-55 victory over Penn State-Hazleton. Dennis notched 25
points in a 90-84 win over Wilmington College. He led the team
with 16 points in a 78-66 loss to the District of Columbia.
The
Golden Bears will return to action on Thursday when they travel to
the University of the Sciences. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM
November 28, 2006
SARAH BRANDON EARNS
AVCA HONORS
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Kutztown University (KU) volleyball player Sarah Brandon (sr.
Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) had been named to the 2006 American
Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-Region team as
well as being named an honorable mention on the 2006 AVCA
All-America team. The All-America selections are made by
the AVCA Division II All-America Committee.
Previously, Brandon
had been named to the 2006 Daktronics Division II All-America and
All-Region team, been selected the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Athlete of the Year and earned
first team All-PSAC East and 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic
All-District II honors.
This
season, Brandon finished as the all-time leader in KU volleyball
history in kills with 1,840. She led the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) in kills per game with 4.33. In 107
games, the right-side hitter recorded 463 kills, 120 digs and 138
blocks.
The
Golden Bears finished the 2006 season with a record of 24-8 overall
and 9-1 in the PSAC East. KU won its fourth overall and second
consecutive division title in the last five years. In addition
to reaching the semifinals in the conference playoffs, KU advanced
to the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinals for the first time in
school history.
November 20, 2006
TWO GOLDEN BEARS NAMED NFHCA ALL-AMERICA
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BELFATTI |
|
HEALEY |
KUTZTOWN, PA
– The Kutztown University field hockey team had two players selected
to the
National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II
All-America team.
Midfielder Laura Belfatti (Hatfield/Lansdale Catholic) was
named to the first team and forward Kelley Healey (so.
Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) was named to the second team.
Belfatti played in all 20 contests this season. She scored
six goals and notched three assists for 15 points, good for third on
the team.
Healey
was the scoring leader for the Golden Bears with 18 goals and four
assists for 40 points. She had three game winning goals in 20 games.
Healey was named to the NFHCA second team last year as well.
The Golden Bears finished the season 10-10, 5-9 in the Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
November 17, 2006
WOMEN’S CROSS
COUNTRY HEADS TO NATIONALS
Ray Hoffman Named East Region Coach of the Year
KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University (KU) women’s cross country
team will travel to Pensacola, FL to participate in the NCAA
Championships on Saturday November, 18.
The Golden Bears
are coming off of their first ever East Regional Championship.
Two weeks prior, they matched their best ever finish at the PSAC
Championships, finishing second and, therefore, are ranked 12th in
the most recent release of the national standings. In
addition, ninth year head coach, Ray Hoffman, was named East
Region Women’s Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and
Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This year’s squad
is led by junior Stephanie Williams (Harrisburg/Riverside).
She is having her best season to date. Williams finished
second in the season opening Lehigh Valley Championships and
followed that with her first place finish at the KU Invitational.
She finished ninth at PSAC’s and earned All-Conference honors.
She followed that with All-Region honors resulting from her fifth
place finish at regionals. She looks to improve on a 155th
place finish at last year’s national meet.
Joanna Horstmann
(so. Downingtown/Downingtown West)
began with back-to-back third place finishes. Overall,
she had four top-10 finishes. At PSAC’s, she finished seventh
and earned All-PSAC honors. She improved one spot at
regionals, finishing sixth, and earned All-Region honors. At
last year’s nationals, Horstmann finished 60th, which was second on
the team.
Desiree Bower (sr.
Bethel/Tulpehocken)
earned All-PSAC
honors with her 14th place finish at PSAC’s and earned All-Region
honors with her ninth place finish at regionals. She has two
top-10 finishes and ran her best time of 22:00.8 at the Paul Short
Invitational. She will look to improve on her 90th place
finish at last season’s nationals.
Maureen Watson (fr.
Walnutport/Allentown Central Catholic)
is in her first season with the team. She has posted
steady times all year, which has translated into three top-20
finishes. She placed 21st at the PSAC Championships and earned
All-Region honors with her 13th place finish at regionals.
Chelsea Thomas (sr.
Sellersville/Pennridge) has four top-20 finishes this season, including her season best 11th
place finish at the season opening Lehigh Valley Championships.
She finished 18th at regionals and 17th at PSAC’s, which earned her
All-Conference honors. She finished 124th at last year’s
national meet.
Cheryl Dingman (so.
Lansdale/North Penn)
began the season
with consecutive sixth place finishes. After running her
season best time of 21:33.3 at the Lafayette Invitational, Dingman
placed 29th at PSAC’s, 30th at regionals and looks to improve on
last year’s 100th place finish at nationals.
Lauren Ayers (fr.
Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township)
will be competing
at nationals for the first time. In her inaugural season,
Ayers has two top-20 finishes, including her 19th and 15th place
finishes at the first two meets, respectively. She finished
51st at the PSAC Championships and 61st at regionals.
This season, the
Golden Bears have compiled seven top-10 finishes and five top-five
finishes, including two titles and two runner-up finishes. At
last year’s nationals, KU recorded its best ever finish placing 15th
out of 24 teams and will look to improve upon that at this year’s
meet.
November 16, 2006
SARAH BRANDON
NAMED TO ALL-AMERICA TEAM
KUTZTOWN, PA -
Kutztown University (KU) volleyball player Sarah Brandon (sr.
Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) has been named to the 2006 Daktronics
Division II All-America Volleyball second team by the sports
information directors of NCAA Division II institutions. Brandon
becomes Kutztown’s first-ever All-America selection.
Also this season,
the right side hitter has earned Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) first-team and Daktronics All-Region honors along
with being named PSAC East Player of the Year for the third
consecutive year.
Brandon is the
all-time leader in KU volleyball history in kills, finishing her
career with 1,840. She led the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) in kills per game with 4.33. In 107 games
this season, Brandon tallied 463 kills, 120 digs and 138 blocks.
The
Golden Bears finished the 2006 season with a record of 24-8 overall
and 9-1 in the PSAC East and won its fourth division title in the
last five years. In addition to reaching the semifinals in the
conference playoffs,
they advanced to
the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinals this season for the first time
in school history.
Nov.
15, 2006
NINE GOLDEN BEARS NAMED TO ALL-PSAC EAST FOOTBALL SQUAD
KUTZTOWN, PA – Nine members of the Kutztown University football team
were selected to the 2006 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Eastern Division teams, in voting conducted by the league’s
coaches.
BINGNEAR |
GROSSO |
HENLEY |
ADAMS |
CHOMINSKI |
CRESTA |
HARBACH |
NYE |
QUILES |
Safety Brian Bingnear (jr. Boothwyn/Chichester), defensive
end Mike Grosso (sr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John)
and tight end Jason Henley (sr. Gilbertsville/Boyertown) were
named to the first team. Running back/return specialist
Maurice Adams (jr. West Chester/Henderson), linebacker Dan
Chominski (sr. Boothwyn/Chichester), offensive guard Nick
Cresta (so. Wallingford/Strath Haven), wide receiver Brett
Harbach (sr. Sinking Spring/Wilson), punter Ryan Nye (so.
Bernville/Holy Name) and wide receiver Elfren Quiles (jr. New
Britain, CT/New Britain) were all named to the second team.
Bingnear led Kutztown and ranked second in the PSAC in tackles
with 90. He had 58 solo tackles. Bingnear tallied four
interceptions and four breakups, with a forced fumble. This is
the junior’s first career All-PSAC East honor in his second year as
a starter. He has 158 tackles in his three years at KU.
Grosso earns his second-straight appearance on the first team.
The defensive end had 70 tackles, the most by a KU lineman since
1990. He added 14 tackles for loss (-44 yards) and 3.5 sacks
(-26), along with an interception, two breakups and two fumble
recoveries. In his career at Kutztown, Grosso had 179 tackles,
32 for loss and 11.5 sacks.
Henley garnered his third career first-team All-PSAC East honor,
after being named to the same award in 2003 and 2004. The
tight end shared this year’s first-team status with Luke Kuklick
(Bloomsburg). Henley established career highs in 2006 with 27
receptions for 416 yards. He added three scores. In his
career, Henley recorded 84 receptions for 941 yards and 10
touchdowns.
Adams returns to All-PSAC status, after earning second team
honors in 2004. This year, he is a double honoree, as both a
second-team running back and return specialist. Despite
missing the final three games of the season due to injury, Adams
rushed for 432 yards and two touchdowns on 131 carries. He
added seven receptions for 65 yards and a TD. As a kick
returner, Adams gained 455 yards on 21 returns (21.7 yards/return),
including an 85 yard touchdown return vs. Clarion.
Chominski is a first time all-star as he completes his first
year at starting middle linebacker. He tallied 68 tackles,
including 26 solos and three tackles for loss. He added an
interception and a pass breakup.
Cresta earns his first All-PSAC East award in his first year as
a starting offensive lineman. Cresta, who started on the
defensive line last year, helped pave the way for KU’s offense that
averaged 367.2 yards per game, including 142.3 yards rushing.
Harbach is a first-time All-PSAC selection in his final season.
The wideout set career highs with 45 catches for 541 yards and three
touchdowns in 2006. He also averaged 12.8 yards on nine punt
returns. Harbach finished his career with 92 catches for 946
yards and four TDs.
Nye ranked third in the PSAC in punting average, netting 39.5
yards per punt. He totaled 1,343 yards on 34 punts, with a
long of 56. He also placed five kicks inside the opponent’s 20
yardline. In two seasons, Nye is averaging 37.9 yards on 101
punts. This is his first All-PSAC East award.
Quiles had a breakout season in his first year at KU after
transferring from Merrimack. The wide receiver led Kutztown
with 54 receptions for 816 yards and 12 touchdowns. The
touchdowns set a single-season school record, while the receiving
yards ranked third on Kutztown’s single-season chart. He set a
school record with a TD catch in seven straight games.
Kutztown was 4-6 overall, 2-4 in the PSAC East under first-year head
coach Raymond Monica.
November 14, 2006
FIVE GOLDEN BEARS NAMED TO ALL-PSAC EAST VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Brandon named PSAC East Athlete of the Year
Gump named PSAC East Coach of the Year
KUTZTOWN, PA
– Sarah Brandon (sr. Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) was named the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division
Volleyball Athlete of the Year, in voting conducted by the league
coaches, for the third consecutive year. Tenth-year head coach
John Gump was named the PSAC East Coach of the Year.
Brandon,
a right-side hitter, was also named to first team All-PSAC East
honors. Defensive specialist Nicole Biuso (jr.
Centereach, NY/Ward Melville), setter Austin Kinney (so.
Landisville/Hempfield),
middle hitter Erin Waters (jr. Waymart/Western Wayne)
and outside hitter Dani Witherite (sr. PA
Furnace/State College)
were all named to the second team.
Gump
was named the PSAC East Coach of the Year. He was also named
Coach of the Year in 2003. He had win number 400 in his
coaching career and number 200 at Kutztown this season. He has
an overall record of 413-223 and a 202-110 record in 10 seasons at
Kutztown.
Brandon
has been named to the All-PSAC East first team all four years of her
career. She earns her third-straight Athlete of the Year
award. She is the all-time leader in the program’s history in kills,
finishing her career with 1,840. She led the PSAC in kills per
game with 4.33. She finished this season with 120 digs and
added 138 blocks.
Biuso
earns her first career All-PSAC East honor. She led the team with
486 digs and 52 service aces. She is second on the career digs
list with 1,398 and third all-time with 128 service aces.
Kinney
has been named to the All-PSAC East second team for the second time.
She led the team in assists with 1,058. She is third on the
all-time list for career assists with 2,287. She was third in
the PSAC in assists per game (10.69). Kinney also was second
on the team with 49 service aces and third in digs with 355 this
season.
Waters
earns her first All-PSAC East honor. She led the team with 142
blocks, 32 solo, this season. She was third on the team with
210 kills. She was second in the PSAC, averaging 1.46 blocks
per game.
Witherite
has
been named to the All-PSAC East second team for the second
consecutive year. She was second on the team in digs with 452. She
is first on the career list with 1,479 digs. She is also the
leader in service aces, finishing her career with 151. She was
second on the team with 322 kills.
The
Golden Bears completed the 2006 season with a record of 24-8 overall
and 9-1 in the PSAC East. KU won its fourth PSAC East title in the
last five years under head coach John Gump.
Nov. 13, 2006
KUTZTOWN’S BRANDON,
CRESSMAN NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Two Kutztown University student-athletes,
one from the football team and one from the women’s volleyball team,
have been named to the 2006 ESPN the magazine Academic All-District
II team by the College Sports Information Directors of America
(CoSIDA).
Linebacker Tom Cressman (jr. Sellersville/Pennridge) was
named to the college division second team for football, while
opposite hitter Sarah Brandon (sr. Gibsonia/Pine-Richland)
was named to the college division second team for volleyball.
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CRESSMAN |
BRANDON |
Cressman earns his first career Academic All-District honor.
The junior tallied 38 tackles, including three for loss and a sack
for KU this season. He played in eight games, missing the
final two due to injury. A business administration-accounting
major, Cressman has a 3.85 grade-point average. He is a
two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
scholar-athlete and a four-time dean’s list honoree. KU was
4-6 overall, 2-4 in the PSAC East in 2006.
Brandon receives her second Academic All-District honor, after
earning first-team status in 2005. The senior led Kutztown
with 463 kills (4.33/game) and a .337 hitting percentage. She
also chipped in 1.29 blocks and 1.12 digs per game. Brandon is
the school’s career record holder for kills (1,840). A
psychology major with a minor in criminal justice, Brandon has a
3.69 GPA. She is a three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a
four-time dean’s list honoree. KU finished 24-8 overall, 9-1
in the PSAC East. The Golden Bears advanced to the PSAC
semifinals and to the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinals this
season.
The District II College Division consists of all NCAA
Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA colleges and universities
in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. To be eligible, a student-athlete
must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 cumulative grade-point
average and a starter or significant reserve on her team.
KU BASKETBALL:
WOMEN 4TH, MEN 5TH IN PRESEASON POLL
Dave
Ben and Jess Brady selected to pre-season All-PSAC East
KUTZTOWN, PA – The
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) released its preseason
basketball polls, and the Kutztown University women are picked to
finish fourth in the Eastern Division, while the men are picked to
place fifth in the East in voting conducted by the league’s
coaches.
In men’s basketball, West Chester was picked to win the division,
followed by East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Cheyney.
Kutztown was selected fifth and rounding out the division is
Mansfield and Bloomsburg.
The preseason favorite for the women is East Stroudsburg.
Behind them are West Chester and Millersville. Kutztown is picked
fourth and Mansfield, Bloomsburg and Cheyney round out the poll.
The top four spots in each division qualify for the PSAC post-season
playoffs. KU’s women have been in the playoffs for 11 straight
years, while the men have qualified in four straight. Both of
Kutztown’s teams were 16-12 overall, 7-5 in the PSAC East a year
ago.
Also voted upon were the preseason All-PSAC East teams. KU men’s
basketball’s Dave Ben (so. Coatesville/Coatesville) and
women’s basketball’s Jess Brady (sr. Emmaus/Emmaus) were
selected to the preseason All-PSAC East teams.
Ben, a guard, played in 27 games last season, starting 26 of them.
He was second on the team averaging 13.8 pts per game and pulling
down 7.1 rebounds per game. Ben was named the 2005 PSAC East
and KU Male Rookie of the Year.
Guard/forward Brady played in all 28 games last season, starting 25.
She led the team with 9.6 points per game. She was second on
the team in minutes (24.5 mpg), rebounds (5.9 rpg), assists (2.4
apg) and third in steals (0.9 spg).
The KU women start their season hosting Columbia Union on Wednesday,
November 15. Tip off is at 6:00 PM. The men’s begin their
season on Monday, November 20 with their home opener against Penn
State-Hazleton. Tip off is set for 7:00 PM
KU FIELD HOCKEY COACHES,
PLAYERS TO PARTICIPATE IN YES
CLINIC
KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University field hockey
head coach Betty Wesner has accepted to serve as an
advisor for the NCAA Youth Education through Sports Clinics at the
University of West Florida on November 11, 2006.
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TURNER |
|
HEALEY |
|
HEALEY |
|
CLINIC GROUP |
Wesner is taking
student coach Colleen Healey and senior captains Laura
Belfatti and Mandi Turner with her to help at the
clinics.
“This is a unique
opportunity for KU and its field hockey team to promote the sport of
field hockey to youth in a geographical location that has very
limited exposure to this sport while also promoting the University”,
said coach Wesner. “I have selected the 2006 captains, Laura
Belfatti & Amanda Turner as well as student-assistant and field
hockey standout Colleen Healey. These young women are
excellent role models both on and off the field.”
Wesner completed her
27th year as head coach at Kutztown this past season.
This marked Healey’s first season as student assistant coach.
During her playing time at KU, she
was a two-year captain. Belfatti and Turner completed their
senior seasons this year. Belfatti played in 20 contests,
scoring five goals. Turner also played in all 20 contests and
scored seven goals.
The clinics, part of the 2006 NCAA Division II Sports Festival, is
to teach boys and girls the “fun” in fundamentals in sports and in
life. Having the collegiate coaches and student-athletes as a
part of the program helps with mentoring the youth involved.
The targeted recruits for the clinic are minorities and those who
are underserved in the areas of sports participation.
Nov. 9, 2006
SARAH BRANDON EARNS
ALL-REGION HONOR
KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Sarah Brandon (sr.
Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) has been named to the 2006 Women’s
Volleyball Daktronics All-Atlantic Region first team, in voting
conducted by the region’s sports information directors.
|
BRANDON |
Brandon, a right-side hitter, earns her second-straight first-team
Daktronics All-Region honor. She is now eligible for the All-America
ballot, which will be announced later this month.
In 100 games played, Brandon leads Kutztown with 435 kills
(4.35/game), a .338 hitting percentage and 124 blocks (1.24/game).
The kills per game average leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference, while she ranks first among PSAC East players in hitting
percentage, and is tied for fourth in the league in blocks/game.
Brandon is the school’s career-record holder in kills (1,812) and
holds the single-season and single-match records as well. She
is the two-time defending PSAC East Player of the Year and has
earned first-team honors in each of her first three seasons.
This season’s All-PSAC honors are expected to be announced next
week.
Kutztown, 23-7 overall, won its second-straight PSAC East title,
finishing 9-1. The Golden Bears advanced to the semifinals of
the conference playoffs. At 5:00 PM tonight (11/9), KU makes
its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional
when it takes on Clarion at Lock Haven University. With a win,
Kutztown advances to Friday’s semifinals vs. the Winner of the Lock
Haven/NC Central quarterfinal.
Nov. 8, 2006
THREE GOLDEN BEARS
NAMED ALL-PSAC IN FIELD HOCKEY
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Three Kutztown University (KU) field hockey players were named to
the 2006 All Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Field
Hockey Teams.
|
BELFATTI |
GEIBEL |
HEALEY |
Midfielder Laura Belfatti (sr. Hatfield/Lansdale Catholic)
was named to the first team for the second consecutive season.
On the year, Belfatti started all 20 games and scored six goals,
while dishing out three assists.
Forward
Kelley Healey (so. Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) was
named to the second team for the second season in a row.
Healey started all 20 games and led the team in goals (18),
game-winning goals (3) and points (40). She also had four
assists.
Defender Courtney Geibel (so. Mifflintown/Juniata) earned
second team honors. For the season, Geibel started in all 20
games and led the team with four defensive saves.
The field hockey team finished the season with a 10-10 overall, 5-9
PSAC record.
Nov. 6, 2006
KU
VOLLEYBALL TEAM RECEIVES BID TO NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Kutztown University’s women’s volleyball team will travel to Lock
Haven University to take part in the 2006 NCAA Division II Atlantic
Regional Tournament, Nov 9-11.
Kutztown, the #4 seed, will face Clarion, #5, in the third
quarterfinal of the eight-team regional on Thursday at 5:00 PM at
Lock Haven’s Thomas Fieldhouse. Sixth-seeded Indiana (PA) will
face #3 seed Slippery Rock at noon, followed by #2 California (PA)
vs. Lees-McRae (NC) at 2:30. KU and Clarion play next, with
the top seeded Lady Eagles of Lock Haven taking on #8 North Carolina
Central at 7:30 PM.
Action continues with the semifinals at 5:00 and 7:30 PM Friday and
the final at 5:00 PM Saturday. Tickets for each day are $10
for adults, $5 for students and $3 for children under 12.
This is the first appearance for Kutztown (23-7) in
the Atlantic Regionals. The Golden Bears, who won the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East regular season
title, lost in the semifinals of the PSAC playoffs this past
weekend. The Golden Bears are led by head coach John Gump,
who is in his tenth season and earned his 400th career coaching
victory as well as his 200th at KU this season. The Golden
Bears are led by the school’s career record holder in kills,
right-side hitter Sarah Brandon (sr. Gibsonia/Pine-Richland),
who has 1,812 career kills. She leads this year’s squad with
435 kills, averaging 4.39 per game – best in the PSAC. She
also recorded 117 digs and 129 blocks. Outside hitter Dani
Witherite (sr. PA Furnace/State College) is the school’s career
leader in digs, with 1,469, and service aces, with 148. Her
434 digs this season are second on the team. She also is
second on the team in kills (291). Setter
Austin Kinney (so. Landisville/Hempfield) has 970 assists and
moved into third all-time with 2,199 career assists. She is second
on the team with 46 aces, to go along with 332 digs. Libero
Nicole Biuso (jr. S. Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) leads the team
in digs (464) and service aces (50). Middle hitter Shelby
Bunting (sr. Green Lane/Pennridge) has notched 115 kills, 46
digs and 92 blocks. Middle hitter Erin Waters (jr.
Waymart/Western Wayne) has contributed 187 kills and 133 blocks.
Clarion (20-11)
is coached by Jodi Burns. The Golden Eagles are led by
Christina Steiner with 363 kills (3.27 kills/game) and 412 digs.
Sarah
Fries has 306 kill and 41 service aces this season.
Lauren Carter leads the team with 61 aces and 124 blocks,
including 78 solo. Kristi Fiorillo averages 11.42
assists per game and has 1,245 this year. Vicky Gentile has
559 digs.
Kutztown defeated Clarion in three games earlier this season, 30-23,
30-24, 30-19. Brandon led KU with 16 kills.
Witherite
notched 11 kills and 13 digs. Kinney dished out 34
assists.
Steiner and Carter each had eight kills for Clarion.
Gentile notched 17 digs and Fiorillo dished out 28
assists.
The winner of the regional will advance to the NCAA finals, November
16-18, on the campus of the University of West Florida.
Nov. 6, 2006
GROSSO NAMED PSAC
EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Kutztown University defensive end Mike Grosso (sr. Hackettstown,
NJ/Pope John), of the football team, has been named the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division
Defensive Player of the Week.
Returning to the site where he suffered a season-ending injury in
2004, Grosso tallied six tackles, including three for loss (-18
yards) and a sack (-12). He also picked off his first-career
interception, which set up Kutztown’s second touchdown.
Through nine games, Grosso ranks second on the team with 63 tackles,
including 33 solos. He leads the Golden Bears with 14 tackles
for loss (-44 yards) and 3.5 sacks (-26). He has recovered two
fumbles, broken up two passes and has one interception.
Kutztown is 4-5 overall, 2-3 in the PSAC East. The Golden
Bears conclude the 2006 season at East Stroudsburg this Saturday,
Nov. 11, at 1:05 PM.
November 2, 2006
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY WRESTLING ENTERS THE 2006-07 SEASON RANKED
KUTZTOWN, PA
– The Kutztown University wrestling team will begin the 2006-07
season ranked #20 according to the October 31st, NCAA
Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association poll.
The Golden Bears have two wrestlers ranked individually, in voting
conducted by the region’s coaches.
Chris Chambers (so.
Pottstown/Upper
Perkiomen)
is ranked sixth at 149. Last season, Chambers finished with a
19-17 record and received a national bid after finishing second at
the NCAA East Regionals.
Kevin Kalbach (sr. Downingtown/Downingtown) is ranked seventh at
157. Kalbach ended 18-7 last year and earned his first
national bid after placing second at the NCAA East Regionals.
Kutztown starts the season on November 18 at the East Stroudsburg
Invitational.
November 1, 2006
GOLDEN BEAR
VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO COMPETE AT PSAC PLAYOFFS
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Kutztown University’s (KU) women’s volleyball team will travel to
Lock Haven University to take part in the 2006 Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships this Friday and Saturday,
Nov. 3-4.
Kutztown, which won the PSAC East regular season title, is the
number one seed in the PSAC East. Joining the Golden Bears
from the East are East Stroudsburg (#2) and West Chester (#3).
In the west, Lock Haven is the number one seed by way of its PSAC
West division title. California (PA) (#2) and Slippery Rock
(#3) complete the field from the PSAC West.
As Division champions, KU and Lock Haven both receive first-round
byes. Action will begin with the quarterfinals on Friday, when
California (PA) takes on West Chester at 10:00 a.m. That will
be followed by the second quarterfinal at 12:30 p.m., between East
Stroudsburg and Slippery Rock. The winner of California
(PA)/West Chester will take on Kutztown at 5:00 p.m. in the first
semifinal and the winner of East Stroudsburg/Slippery Rock will take
on Lock Haven at 7:30 p.m.
The two semifinal winners will compete for the PSAC Championship on
Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. All games will be played at
LHU’s Thomas Fieldhouse. Tickets are $7 for adults and $2 for
students per day. Students from PSAC schools will be admitted
free with ID.
Kutztown (23-6, 9-1 PSAC East)
makes its seventh appearance in the PSAC Playoffs after winning its
second-straight and fourth PSAC East title in five years.
KU moved up to #4 in the Atlantic Region in the latest poll,
released on Wednesday. The Golden Bears’ 269 service aces
set a new team record and their nine PSAC victories ranks second
all-time. They also ranked second in the PSAC in digs per
game. The Golden Bears are led by head coach John Gump,
who’s in his tenth season and earned his 400th career coaching
victory and 200th at KU this season. KU is led by the school’s
career record holder in kills Sarah Brandon (sr.
Gibsonia/Pine-Richland). The right-side hitter led the
team in kills with 415, bringing her career total to a PSAC East
record 1,792, and her 4.32 kills per game ranked first in the PSAC.
She also recorded 113 digs and 125 blocks in 2006. Outside
hitter
Dani Witherite (sr. PA Furnace/State College) became the
school’s career leader in digs with 1,456 and service aces with 146.
Her 429 digs this season are second on the team, while her 29 aces
ranks third. She also is second on the team in kills (278).
Setter Austin Kinney (so. Landisville/Hempfield) has 925
assists and moved into third all-time with 2,154 career assists.
She is second on the team with 45 aces, to go along with 327 digs.
Libero Nicole Biuso (jr. S. Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) leads
the team in digs (444) and service aces (49). Middle hitter
Shelby Bunting (sr. Green Lane/Pennridge) has notched 112 kills,
46 digs and 88 blocks. Middle hitter Erin Waters (jr.
Waymart/Western Wayne) has contributed 173 kills and 129 blocks,
including her team leading 29 solo blocks.
Kutztown’s semifinal opponent will be either California (PA) or Lock
Haven. The Golden Bears lost in five games to California on
Oct. 14, the team’s only meeting in 2006. KU swept West
Chester in a pair of 3-0 decisions on Sept. 19 and Oct. 21.
Against the other playoff teams this season, KU was 1-1 vs. East
Stroudsburg (W, 3-1; L, 2-3), 0-1 vs. Lock Haven (L, 0-3) and 0-1
vs. Slippery Rock (L, 1-3).
California is the defending PSAC champion, having won last year’s
title at KU. The Lady Vulcans have three total championships
(1991, 1992, 2005). Lock Haven has five crowns (1996, 1999,
2000, 2003, 2004). East Stroudsburg has won for PSAC titles,
but none since 1987 (1979, 1985-87). Slippery Rock has two
titles (1984, 1993). Kutztown and West Chester have never won
the PSAC championship.
November 1, 2006
FOUR GOLDEN BEARS
NAMED TO ALL-PSAC EAST WOMEN’S SOCCER HONORS
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Four members of the Kutztown University women’s soccer team have
been named to the 2006 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
teams in voting conducted by the league’s coaches.
Forward
Kim Kelty (jr. Levittown/Neshaminy) and back Shelby Varone
(sr. Bernville/Tulpehocken) were named to the first team.
Back
Alex Butler (so. Montoursville/Montoursville) and midfielder
Cheyenne Brunner (so. Sunbury/Shikellamy) were named to the
second team.
Kelty earns first-team All-PSAC East honors for the
third-straight season. The junior led Kutztown with 14 points,
scoring five goals and dishing out four assists. She started
20 games for KU this year. She was the PSAC East Rookie of the
Year in 2004 and was an all-region selection in 2005.
Varone earns her first career All-PSAC East award. The
senior defender started all 21 games, anchoring KU’s defense as a
sweeper. KU’s defense allowed an average of 8.3 shots per
game. She also chipped in with two assists.
Butler is also a first-time all-conference performer. The
sophomore defender started 16 of 21 games played. She
contributed to a defense that had seven shutouts and averaged 1.35
goals against per game.
Brunner notches her first All-PSAC East award in her second
season. Brunner ranked fourth on the team with nine
points, scoring four goals and dishing out one assist. The
highlight of her season came in the PSAC quarterfinals, when she
scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Shippensburg.
Kutztown was 10-8-3 overall, 7-3-2 in the PSAC East. KU
advanced to the PSAC semifinals for the third straight season.
November 1, 2006
BRANDON EARNS PSAC EAST PLAYER OF
THE WEEK HONORS
KUTZTOWN, PA - Kutztown University volleyball player Sarah Brandon
(sr. Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) was named Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Week.
Brandon led the
Golden Bears to a 2-0 week. The opposite hitter recorded a
season high 28 kills in a PSAC East title clinching victory over
East Stroudsburg last Wednesday. She followed that up with a
14 kill performance in a victory over Philadelphia on Thursday.
For the week, Brandon tallied 42 kills, nine digs and six blocks.
On the season,
Brandon has played in 96 games and leads the team in kills with 415.
She has also contributed 113 digs and 125 blocks.
The Golden Bears
finished the regular season with a 23-6, 9-1 PSAC East record and
were crowned Eastern Division champions. Next, they travel to
Lock Haven to take part in the PSAC Championships and will take on
either California (PA) or West Chester on Friday at 5:00 PM.
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