Assistant coaches appointed in several fall sports

Alumna Julia Williamson has joined the cross country and track and field programs. Recently married, Williamson is the former Julia Hopson, a 2009 graduate of Fredonia State. She was a five-time All-American with the Blue Devils and a 2009 NCAA Division III national champion in the women's 20-pound weight throw. She was also a finalist for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year, an award that encompasses all three divisions.

Since graduating, Williamson has worked as an assistant track coach at Erie Community College. She has also worked as a personal trainer, a spinning instructor, and a boot camp instructor at the Buffalo Athletic Club.

Stephen Ahern and John Grabowski will serve as assistants in men's soccer. Both were Blue Devil teammates for four seasons through the 2010 season and were members of the 2007 team that won the SUNYAC championship and participated in the NCAA Tournament.  

• Ahern is a native of Nottingham, England, and attained his Level 2 coaching license in his homeland. He has coached the Derby County Football Club. He was a three-year captain at Fredonia State and earned all-academic and All-SUNYAC honors.
• Grabowski is a native of Middleport, N.Y., and is back at Fredonia State in pursuit of a Masters of Arts and Teaching degree. Also an All-SUNYAC selection, he is a member of the Football Club of Buffalo. He has also coached with the Black Watch Soccer Club and the Empire United Soccer Academy.

Maria Dembrow, a resident of Lockport, N.Y., has joined the women's soccer coaching staff. A four-year starter at Edinboro, Dembrow graduated as the fourth-best assist maker in program history. She also earned scholar-athlete awards. Since her graduation in May 2010, she has served as the girls' junior varsity coach at Fort LeBoeuf High School in Waterford, Pa.

In women's volleyball, newly appointed Emalee Danner of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Jerry Olmeda of Henrietta, N.Y., will serve as student assistants.

Also, in addition to Williamson, head coach Tom Wilson has added two former Blue Devil athletes to his track and field coaching staff –Mike Kelley of Geneseo, N.Y., and Greg Craft of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Both were team members as recently as the 2011 outdoor season. Kelley specializes in the jumps, Craft in the pole vault.