Bucknell University Athletics
From the ADs Desk
3/26/2007 8:00:00 AM | General
March 26, 2007
Previous installments of "From the AD's Desk"
-- August 15, 2005
-- September 26, 2005
-- December 1, 2005
-- April 6, 2006
-- August 3, 2006
-- August 28, 2006
-- October 22, 2006
Greetings Bison Fans!
Well you'd never know it by the foot of snow that surprised all of the "spring thinkers" earlier this month, but springtime is here, and that means another transition for Bison Athletics.
We have now officially closed the books on another extremely successful winter season - one that sees Bucknell again ahead of the pack in the Patriot League Presidents' Cup standings - and have already seen each of our spring teams in action.
When recapping the winter, it is difficult to find a place to begin, because all seven Bison winter teams enjoyed tremendous campaigns. However, since men's basketball has dominated the headlines over the last few years, let's start there.
Coming into the 2006-07 season, it is fair to say that everyone associated with the program knew there would be challenges. From losing two 1,000-point scorers in Kevin Bettencourt and Charles Lee, to the pressures associated with trying to "three-peat" as Patriot League champs, to wading through another challenging non-conference schedule, it was not going to be easy to maintain the level of excellence seen in the 2005 and 2006 championship seasons. But though hard work and determination, the team managed a third straight record-setting campaign.
Coach Pat Flannery and the Bison finished 22-9, making it three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history, and they earned a share of the Patriot League regular-season title with a gaudy 13-1 record. They didn't lose a game from early January through early March, setting a modern-day school record with a 14-game winning streak.
This season we had a very worthy compatriot in Holy Cross, which also finished 13-1 in the league (head-to-head, both teams won close games at home) and actually garnered the No. 1 seed based on the rarely used RPI tiebreaker. After both teams won twice in the Patriot League Tournament, Bucknell had to make the trek back to Worcester for the league championship game. While we certainly would have preferred another opportunity to play in front of a standing-room-only Sojka Pavilion crowd, looking back now on that championship game brings bittersweet memories.
It is painful to reflect on seniors Abe Badmus, Donald Brown and Chris McNaughton walking off the floor in defeat, even though ultimately our lasting memories of them will be from much happier times. Despite the loss, the team's rally from 19 points down to tie in the second half was truly inspiring. And so was the Bison crowd! More than 1,200 orange-clad fans, including six busloads from Lewisburg, traveled long distances to support the team. It was the best visiting team attendance showing in Patriot League Tournament history, and it lent further evidence that Bison fans are the best in the league!
Unfortunately, with a pared-down NIT format in place for 2007, Bucknell got caught in a numbers game in that selection process, and the season ended on that night at the Hart Center. Despite that disappointment, I am personally very proud of the manner in which the team performed this season, particularly the seniors, who will graduate as the winningest class in program history.
Of course, there were also plenty of thrills - and plenty of victories -- coming from the women's basketball program. Patriot League Coach of the Year Kathy Fedorjaka and her team won 20 games for the third time in school history and also won the PL regular-season title with a best-ever 12-2 record.
Like the men, the Patriot League Tournament didn't exactly go as planned for the women. The Bison got caught in a wave of first-round upsets and fell to Colgate, thus dashing the team's NCAA Tournament hopes. The WNIT was a nice consolation, however, and another very enthusiastic group of Bucknell fans made one more road trip to New England to see the game in Hartford.
When you think about exceeding expectations, how can you not marvel at what coach Dan Wirnsberger and the Bison wrestlers were able to accomplish in this, their first year as a re-established varsity program?!
Wrestling in one of the most competitive conferences (EIWA) in the nation, the all-freshman Bison team posted a winning overall record of 12-9-1 (3-3-1 EIWA), set the school's single-season dual-meet victory record, had three place-winners at the league championships, and sent a school-record three competitors - 133-pounder David Marble, 165-pounder Andy Rendos and 197-pounder Eric Lapotsky - to the NCAA Championships.
The program's immediate success brought national attention to Bucknell, with feature stories penned by USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, ESPN.com, the Associated Press, The Mat and others. The press was especially interested in the process behind the wrestling program's return, with a focus on the wonderful generosity of Bill Graham, whose support for wrestling and women's athletics at Bucknell made the entire season possible.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention here that the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) just named Bill Graham its national "Donor of the Year." Congratulations to Mr. Graham on this tremendous honor!!
Let's also give hearty congratulations to the men's and women's track and field teams on an outstanding indoor season. The women's team, led by what many close to the program feel is one of the top senior classes ever, captured the Patriot League indoor title for the sixth year in a row! The Bison won eight events, and coach Kevin Donner was named Patriot League Coach of the Year for the sixth time in six years. Senior Marjorie Grap won the Patriot League title in the weight throw for the third straight year, and she won that event in the ECAC Championships as well.
The men's team showed tremendous improvement this season, moving up to a third-place finish in the league behind Army and Navy. Matt Forys was named the Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet after winning both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, and he later won Bucknell's first IC4A indoor title in the 3,000.
The Patriot League Swimming & Diving Championships returned to the friendly confines of Kinney Natatorium, and despite a snowstorm that delayed the start, the event ran seamlessly in our wonderful aquatics facility. Led by first-year coach Dan Schinnerer, the Bucknell teams performed very well, with the women finishing second and the men third.
As we segue into the spring season, we have already hosted a handful of events at Graham Field, making use of the wonderful new support facility that is now in place as part of Phase III of the West Fields Project. The spectator seating area, press box, concessions areas and team support facilities have all been met with rave reviews. While there are still a few "punch list" items to take care of surrounding the facility, it is now 100 percent operational.
The women's lacrosse team has six more home games at Graham Field from March 28 through the end of the regular season, and I hope you will have the chance to check out the new facility while cheering on the Bison this spring.
Now that Phase III is nearing completion, we have turned our attention to Phase IV of the West Fields Project, which involves the construction of new baseball and softball facilities along with an adjoining plaza. We have already seen some exciting architectural designs, and let me assure you that when the project is completed, the Bison diamond teams will call home to some of the finest facilities in the Northeast.
Be sure to check BucknellBison.com for regular updates on all of our spring teams. Of special note thus far is the men's lacrosse team, which is off to a 7-2 start and has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation this season.
As the temperatures continue to rise and the snow finally melts away, it is hard to believe that graduation is already just around the corner. In the meantime, I sincerely hope to see you all around campus this spring.
Thank you for your continued support of Bison Athletics, and as always... GO BISON!
John P. Hardt
Director of Athletics & Recreation
