Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Sun., April 20, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Weekend roundup

Hopson, women's lacrosse set records

FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State track and field coach Nolan Swanson called the performance Saturday by junior thrower Julia Hopson (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) "the best meet of her career." Women's lacrosse coach Chris Case might be able to say the same thing about his team's 2008 season.

Hopson set a SUNYAC women's hammerthrow record Saturday of 54.24 meters -- which converts to 177 feet, 11.5 inches -- while competing at the University at Buffalo Invitational. She won the event and was also second in the shot put (12.83 meters; 42' 1") and third in the discus (personal-best 33.56 meters; 110' 1.25"). The hammerthrow record is her second SUNYAC record. She also holds the indoor 20-pound weight throw mark set this past winter.

Other top track and field performances by Fredonia State women at the U.B. meet included a third-place finish by freshman Kate Brett (Webster/Webster-Schroeder) in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 15.83 seconds is the sixth fastest time by a Fredonia State woman. It is also the second fastest time this season on the SUNYAC and New York State Collegiate Track Conference seeding lists.

Also, junior Trisha Ippolito (Angola/Lake Shore) finished second in the 800 meters in 2:29; and sophomore Jackie Majka (Depew) was among the top three finishers in three field events: the triple jump (10.09 meters; 33' 1.25"), the long jump (5.05 meters; 16' 6.75"), and the high jump (1.55 meters; 5' 1").

On the men's side, junior Geoff Lesch-Wragge (Fredonia) won the 800 meters in 1:55.44 while freshman Nick Guarino (Bergen/Byron-Bergen) was second in a personal-best 1:56.41, senior Justin Schwab (Killbuck/Salamanca) had a season-best clearance in the high jump of 1.95 meters (6' 4.75") to finished second in the event; freshmen Josh Guarino (Bergen/Byron-Bergen) and Matt Kepler (Valley Cottage/Nyack) ran 4:09 and 4:13, respectively, in the 1,500-meter race; junior Aaron Borowczyk (Fredonia/Forestville) ran a SUNYAC-qualifying :52.15 in the 400 meters; sophomore Jim Lappin (Fairport/McQuaid) improved on his 400-meter hurdles time by clocking :59.43; and junior Tazio Dragani (Restof/York) threw the javelin 42.90 meters (140' 9") in just his second collegiate track meet, just short of the SUNYAC standard but good enough to earn one of his coach's five wild cards into the conference championship meet next Saturday at SUNY Cortland.

Here's a capsule look at the rest of the Fredonia State weekend action:

WOMEN'S LACROSSE -- One day after recording the program's first shutout in 13 seasons, the Blue Devils (9-4, 3-3 SUNYAC) set the single-season record for wins with a 19-8 victory Saturday over Morrisville State. The nine wins surpasses eight-win seasons by the 2006 and 2007 teams. The record-setting win came at the expense of former Blue Devil player and assistant coach Erynn Anderson, now the head coach at Morrisville State. The 38 Blue Devil goals in two consecutive games -- the Blue Devils defeated Tri-State, 19-0, on Friday -- fell one short of a team record for most goals in consecutive games. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper Sarah Wright (Rochester/Irondequoit) added to her school-record career win total, now at 29 over four seasons. The Blue Devils have three regular-season games remaining, all at home, starting 6 p.m. Tuesday vs. Rochester Institute of Technology.

SOFTBALL -- The struggles continued for the Blue Devils (8-20, 3-15 SUNYAC) with 6-0 and 4-3 losses Sunday at Oswego. They managed four hits in Game 1, including two singles by losing pitcher Andrea Devon (Elmira/Notre Dame). Game 2 saw the Blue Devils hold a 2-1 lead after the first inning before the Lakers tied the game with one run in the third and took the lead for good with two in the fifth off Cristina Reale (Geneva). Maria Siderakis (Webster/Webster-Schroeder) had two hits and two RBI in the second game and had three hits in the doubleheader. Devon and Kristy Sheridan (Buffalo/Mount Mercy) also had a three hits in the two Sunday games. On Saturday, the Blue Devils split a doubleheader with Potsdam, a 17-3 win followed by a 3-1 loss. Devon had three hits and six RBI in the first game. Brittany Connell (Geneva) had two hits and three RBI while Reale, Samantha Voncina (Angola/Lake Shore), Jessica Thompson (Falconer), and Bree Crossett (Wayland/Wayland-Cohocton) each had two hits. Reale was the winning pitcher. Three hits, including an RBI double by Reale, were all the Blue Devils could muster in the second game at Potsdam. Devon took the loss. The three-day roadtrip began with a pair of shutout losses Friday at Plattsburgh. The Blue Devils are scheduled to make it eight games in four days when the travel to Alfred for a non-conference doubleheader Monday.

Athletics Home | Fredonia Home