Special events and announcements
Athletics welcomes back student-athletes with BBQ
Student-athletes from all 19 Binghamton athletic teams gathered in the Events Center for the annual Welcome Back BBQ on Sunday afternoon. The event is held as a way to welcome all of the student-athletes back to school and to get the year started on the right foot.
As everyone shuffled back and forth across the bleachers and flashed their best smiles, the group picture was taken, symbolizing the official start of the 2015-16 academic and athletic year.
President Harvey Stenger spoke to the student athletes, expressing his utmost pride in the athletic program. He thanked the student-athletes for the hard work and dedication they put into the University.
“I always like to tell you you’re the luckiest people on earth,” Stenger said. “The fact that you get to play your sport at this level and be a student at such a great university is pretty special- and what you’re going to do this year on the court, on the field and in the classroom is become a person that has success greater than a person who doesn’t.”
Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott spoke next and began by recognizing the numerous achievements made last year by various teams, including softball, men’s cross country, wrestling, and track & field.
“I think this is going to be another great year for Binghamton,” he said. “We’re going to have more championships, we’re going to be able to celebrate more excellence and it’s truly about everybody in this room working together to do it.”
Following the traditional barbeque, the student athletes talked about their appreciation for the event and excitement to start the new year.
“It’s really great to be back with everyone again,” sophomore women’s basketball player Jasmine Sina said. “I think it’s going to be a great year, and I hope to see everyone showing their support for each other in an effort to win the Code Green Challenge (a contest that was talked about during the event).”
“As always, it was really good,” junior soccer player Charlie Novoth said. “The speeches were great, the food, of course, was amazing and it’s great to see everyone back and all together again. I’m just hoping for a good year.”
Three teams have already began their fall seasons and settled back into their routines, including volleyball as well as men’s and women’s soccer.
Student-athletes achieve 3.1 GPA in spring
Binghamton student-athletes surpassed the 3.0 GPA plateau for the 19th consecutive semester, recording a 3.1 mark in the spring. It also was the sixth straight term that the Bearcats met the 3.1 threshold.
More than 61 percent of student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher and more than one-third delivered a 3.5 or higher. Seventeen individuals spanning 10 different sports achived a perfect 4.0 GPA.
The women’s cross country team captured its third straight Team Academic Cup with a 3.66 GPA. Eighteen teams surpassed the 3.0 mark. The men’s tennis team (3.30) posted the highest team GPA among men’s teams.
Student-Athlete Semester GPAs since 2009:
Fall 2009: 3.07
Spring 2010: 3.15
Fall 2010: 3.07
Spring 2011: 3.17
Fall 2011: 3.11
Spring 2012: 3.09
Fall 2012: 3.12
Spring 2013: 3.10
Fall 2013: 3.15
Spring 2014: 3.11
Fall 2014: 3.10
Spring 2015: 3.10
Three individuals, one team selected for Hall of Fame
The 20th Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame induction class has been announced and features a 20-year staff member, two elite Division I athletes and an NCAA soccer team. Set to be enshrined on November 21 are former men’s basketball coach and administrator Jim Norris, volleyball player Jacki Kane ‘08, baseball pitcher Zach Groh ‘08 and the 1980 men’s soccer team.
The group of three individuals and one team will bring the induction count to 100 in the department’s 20th year celebrating its past.
A lifelong Binghamton native who came to the University in 1991, Norris served in multiple prominent capacities until retiring in 2011. He was head men’s basketball coach for four years, leading Binghamton into its historic NCAA divisional upgrade. Norris’ 1997-98 team won 17 games and advanced to the ECAC Championship game. After transitioning to administration in 2000, Norris served nine years as associate director of athletics with direct oversight of 19 Binghamton teams. During that time, the sports teams enjoyed notable success and Norris also played a key role in several major facility projects, including the Events Center and Bearcats Sports Complex. He was promoted to Director of Athletics in 2009 and served in that leadership role for the final two-and-a-half years of his tenure.
Kane was one of the most formidable volleyball players in school history. A four-time all-conference middle blocker, she led the program to its inaugural NCAA tournament berth in 2005. She was No. 1 in the America East in blocks in each of her final three collegiate seasons, earning first team all-conference honors each year. Kane was the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2005 America East Championship after steering Binghamton to the team title. That team won 20 matches and advanced to face No. 2 Penn State in the NCAAs. She ranked eighth in the nation in blocks as a senior and graduated as the all-time blocks leader at Binghamton with 609. Kane also ranks sixth in career kills with 1,032. She was a scholar-athlete and six-time Dean’s List student.
Groh is Binghamton University’s all-time strikeout leader and the heart of a pitching staff that helped produce two straight America East regular season championships. A three-time first team all-conference selection, he was named the America East Pitcher of the Year in 2006 and was the University’s Athlete of the Year that same year. Groh led the entire nation in ERA for most of 2006 and finished ranked 11th with a 1.85 average. One year later, he ranked 17th in the country in strikeouts, fanning nearly 11 per game. Groh owns two record streaks: 42 straight innings without allowing an earned run and 24 consecutive scoreless frames. He was a finalist for the 2006 Roger Clemens Award. He holds the single-season strikeout mark (86) and ranks second in career wins (22) and ERA (3.36).
Coached by Hall of Fame member Tim Schum, the 1980 men’s soccer team is the second team selected for entry, joining the 1983-84 wrestling team, which was enshrined last year. The 1980 squad went 12-4-2, captured the SUNYAC Championship and then won two NCAA tournament games to reach the quarterfinals. It remains the furthest advancement of any team in school history. Both NCAA wins came in sudden death of the second overtime. The team feature five all-conference selections.
The inductees were selected by a panel of 12 voters that included alumni, current Hall of Fame members, local media and athletics staff. The 20th Annual Induction Ceremony is slated for 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Events Center. Beforehand, the inductees will be honored at halftime during the women’s basketball game.
Downey named director of sports medicine
Binghamton athletics has named Chris Downey as its new Director of Sports Medicine, the department announced on Thursday. Downey will oversee BU’s entire athletic training program, which includes eight full-time staff members and more than a dozen student-trainers. His appointment begins on August 3.
A native of Binghamton, Downey comes directly from Onondaga Community College, where he served as head athletic trainer for four years. At Onondaga, he oversaw the medical care for 15 teams and implemented all policies and procedures. Prior to that, he served as an athletic trainer intern at Binghamton for five months. Downey also held positions at Midwestern State University (Texas) and back in town as a volunteer with the Binghamton Senators AHL hockey team.
“As part of an established and collaborative team, the sports medicine area will continue to serve an integral role in meeting the health care needs of all Binghamton student-athletes,” Downey said. “I look forward to being a member of the Binghamton University community and upholding the exceptional reputation of the institution.”
He graduated from Alfred University with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training in 2009 and then earned his master’s degree in kinesiology from Midwestern State University in 2011.
Downey is a certified and licensed athletic trainer and member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA) and New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA). He is fully certified as a Kinesio Taping Practitioner and is a First Aid, CPR, AED instructor with the American Heart Association.
Binghamton’s athletic training staff provides medical care for more than 400 student-athletes across 19 sports. The staff includes five full-time trainers, an administrative assistant, three athletic trainer interns and a core of student-trainers.
Downey succeeds Dan King, who departed after 10 years at the University.