Features, spring 2021
Cat Couples: Adam Quinn and Caitlin Jelinek
The ice bath in the Events Center Sports Medicine Department does not sound like a common place for a married couple to meet for the first time. But that was how things started out for Adam Quinn and Caitlin Jelinik. It was August 2010 during the cross country teams’ preseason.
“I still tell people that my first memory of meeting Caitlin was when both team were waiting for the ice bath after practice her freshman year,” Adam says.
Cat Couples: Justin Leskow and Ali Castigle
In the fall of 2010, Justin Leskow was already a year out of college and working locally in the Binghamton area. Originally from nearby Endicott, New York, he played for the Bearcat men’s soccer team from 2005-08.
Binghamton University had already provided Justin with a degree, a successful playing career and teammates who would become lifelong friends. Little did he know that his association with the university would soon lead to him meeting the person he would eventually consider his best friend.
Ali Castigle, meanwhile, was in the middle of her senior year at Binghamton University in that same fall of 2010. She was gearing up for her final season on the women’s lacrosse team. Like Justin, she has enjoyed a successful career and had a strong support system on her team. But she too had little idea what was in store in the months ahead.
Swimmer Abigail McHugh helps her community
By her own admission, Abigail McHugh loves computer programming and using computer science to help solve problems. She is graduating this spring from Binghamton University with a degree in computer science, but is already starting to use her education to make an impact in her community.
Senior Spotlight: Kaylee Wasco
Kaylee Wasco arrived on campus in August 2017. Four years later, she is already working toward her master’s degree, has been extensively involved in the community and has developed into one of the leading scorers on the women’s basketball team. Academic honors have frequently come Wasco’s way as have citations for her volunteer efforts. Along the way, she has grown as both a player and a person during her years at Binghamton University.
Senior Spotlight: Shane Morris
The first time Shane Morris came to visit Binghamton he knew it was the place he was going to attend in the fall of 2017. Throughout his four years on campus, Morris has not only achieved success in the pool but in the classroom as well. He is thankful for all the close relationships he has built and is looking forward to working at RBC Capital Market after graduation.
Senior Spotlight: Ryan Pyszka
Virginia native Ryan Pyszka reflects on how Binghamton has become like a second-home as he finishes up his bachelor’s degree in financial economics and looks forward to another two years in the MBA program. Besides having an integral role on the team, the veteran honor roll student has also remained an active member in the community
Senior Spotlight: Erik Temple
Erik Temple reflects on his four years at Binghamton and all the amazing memories he has shared with his teammates. On top of being a member of the swimming and diving team and earning all-conference honors, Temple has also been very involved in community service. Looking forward to the future, Temple has accepted an offer to work with Teach For America after graduation.
Senior Spotlight: Matt Baker
Throughout his four years, Matt Baker has excelled on the track and in personal ventures. On top of being a school record breaker, he also found a passion for the fashion industry, which inspired him to create his own successful fashion blog in 2018 called Baker’s Rebellion. Baker is thankful for all the life long friends he has made in and out of the track and field team and he is excited to start his career in corporate fashion after graduation.
Senior Spotlight: Matt Catton
Senior golfer Matt Catton is looking forward to his final spring season with the Bearcat program. But his years at Binghamton extend far beyond the links. He interned in New York City last summer and has a job lined up after graduation. He has been a part of various mentorship programs in finance and has served on the Board of Directors for the Binghamton Investment Funds. He has a promising future but will always look back fondly on his years at Binghamton University.
Senior Spotlight: Hallie Buddendeck
Track and Field senior Hallie Buddendeck talks about the opportunities Binghamton University has given her as she has been able to successfully balance academics, leadership and various extracurricular activities.
Catching up with Shannon Kane ’13
Softball outfielder is now an attorney and has earned two post-grad degrees.
Catching up with Neil Case ’05
Team mentality is a key aspect of athletic success. When Neil Case joined the Binghamton Track & Field team as a freshman in the fall of 2001, he anticipated building a strong bond with his teammates. He did not know the way the mindset he would learn would become a defining characteristic of his future endeavors both professionally and personally.
Catching up with Lisa Cutrona ’14
For 2014 softball alum Lisa Cutrona, home has been in both upstate New York and in the New York City area. Originally from Staten Island, she followed a successful four-year career at Binghamton by two years of graduate school at nearby Syracuse. Now she is back with her family in the New York City area and working in the Department of Education. A big part of her, however, still cherishes her other family connections back in Binghamton.
Catching up with Griffin McIver ’16
Softball alum inspires students and athletes during COVID-19 pandemic