Features, summer 2021
Former baseball standouts continue professional careers in 2021
Former Binghamton baseball teammates and standouts Justin Yurchak and Ben Anderson have reported to their respective Class A affiliated teams and are ready to continue their professional careers after COVID wiped out their 2020 summers. The pair, also former high school teammates at state power Shenendehowa High in Clifton Park, N.Y., have endured a challenging year away from organized baseball.
“I’m excited to get back to baseball in a tough year on numerous fronts,” Yurchak said. “Although there are many new protocols and rules to follow, I feel very fortunate to once again take the field. I hope that our baseball can help restore some normalcy in many lives and that we can have a safe and healthy return of baseball.”
Senior Spotlight: Swimmer Cam DeGuzman
Over these past four years, veteran swimmer Cameron DeGuzman has made the absolute most of his time here. He has taken advantage of every opportunity Binghamton has to offer, whether that was joining the swim team, Harpur’s Ferry, SAAC, and Greek Life. DeGuzman was able to finish his swimming career with an America East Championship title and an undefeated season.
Senior Spotlight: Track thrower Evan Tuthill
As a freshman, Syracuse native Evan Tuthill walked on the Binghamton track & field team. He solidified his roster spot by setting the freshman record discus throw as he navigated being a student-athlete. Since then, he has been a consistent point scorer at the America East Championships, has been inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society and done multiple internships as he worked towards his degree in environmental science and his accelerated master’s degree in sustainable communities. Uncovering his passions academically—combined with the family dynamic of the track and field program—has aided in his personal growth and success as a student and athlete at Binghamton University.
During her time at Binghamton University, Erin Shultz (’19) grew both personally and professionally and developed a strong passion for mental health. Now, she is using those lessons to pursue a career that she hopes will change the conversation about the pressures that come with being an athlete.
Originally from Texas, coming to Binghamton was a big change for Shultz. It was a coach from her time playing volleyball when she was younger that was the motivating factor in
Catching up with ... volleyball alum Erin Shultz
her deciding to play for the Bearcats.
“An old coach of mine ended up getting a job as an assistant coach at Binghamton,” says Shultz. “She reached out to me and said she had seen my highlight reels and asked if I wanted to take a visit. It turned out to be a perfect fit academically and athletically.”
Catching up with ... women’s basketball alum Leala Wegwerth
Leala (Wegwerth) Johnson has always had a strong work ethic and her time as a Bearcat on the women’s basketball team was no exception to this. What she did not know then was how her collegiate career would help her form bonds, teach her lessons, and develop a drive and tenacity that would shape her personal and professional life.
Originally from Minnesota, Johnson took an official visit to Binghamton in the fall of 1999 and fell in love with the team and what the school had to offer. She felt like the university would be a great fit for her academically, socially, and athletically.
“It was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Johnson says.