Making waves
The women’s swimming and diving team placed third at the 2010 Patriot League Championships at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Md. During the three-day event, the Raiders claimed three individual titles. Erica Derlath ’12 swam a 4:18.11, and Caren Guyett ’11 won the title in the 400 IM. Erin McGraw ’11 claimed her fifth individual crown by winning the 200 fly with a 1:59.82. Lia Kunnapas ’13 touched with a 1:59.58 to claim the 200 back.
    Colgate placed nine women and two men on all-league teams as the Patriot League announced its first and second teams a few days later. The Raiders had five first-team performers: Derlath, Kunnapas, McGraw, Guyett, and Emma Santoro ’13. Four others — Kim Pilka ’13, Courtney Callahan ’12, Kate Murphy ’10, and Caitie Curran ’10 — were named second-team honorees. The men’s team, which finished fifth overall, had a pair of second-team performers: Tucker Gniewek ’11 and Dan Sweeney ’13.


The women’s swimming and diving squad wrapped up its regular season with victories over Army and Lafayette at Lineberry Natatorium. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

Forward firsts
In February, Katie Stewart ’10 became the first forward to be named to the ECAC Hockey all-league first-team. During the regular season, she broke several Colgate records, including most goals in a single season and most goals by a forward. Her 39 points tied three previous players for most points scored in a single season. Stewart scored her 50th career goal, against Princeton on Feb. 5. A week later, she became one of just three Colgate players to ever score four goals in a single game. Over her career, Stewart has amassed 99 points (56 goals–43 assists) to put her in sixth place on the Colgate career scoring list; her record of 56 career goals places her third on Colgate’s career goals list.

Athletics gives back
The women’s basketball team, in association with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), held its annual Pink Zone Day on Feb. 20. The Pink Zone initiative, which began as Think Pink in 2007, is a global breast cancer awareness effort on campuses, in communities, and beyond. Although the WBCA’s main charity is the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, Colgate women’s basketball partners with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to ensure that all the money raised at the game stays within the greater Hamilton community. The women raised $1,500 for the cause, with Head Coach Pam Bass donating $1 for every fan in attendance. The Raiders also won the day’s game, defeating Bucknell 62–58.
    Also lending a helping hand to the Hamilton community is Ethan Cox ’10, who was named a finalist for the BNY Mellon Hockey Humanitarian Award for the third consecutive season. At press time, the award winner had not been announced. The senior co-captain’s philanthropic events have been beneficial to the village of Hamilton, Madison County, and the American Cancer Society. One of Cox’s successful endeavors was a canned food and toy drive in November to supplement the holiday inventory at the Hamilton Food Cupboard and Holiday Interfaith Council. He also organized a “Face-off Against Cancer” for the final regular-season weekend games versus RPI and Union, and it carried into the first round of the ECAC Hockey tournament. All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society.

Second time for McIntyre
For the second consecutive season, David McIntyre ’10 received post-season ECAC Hockey honors. McIntyre, a 2008–09 first-team honoree, was chosen as a second-team selection this time around by ECAC Hockey head coaches.

Two track titles for DeRoo
Elise DeRoo ’12 won a pair of titles to lead the Raiders to a sixth-place finish at the Patriot League Indoor Championship at Army’s Gillis Field House at the end of February.
    DeRoo posted a personal-record and ECAC-qualifying time of 17:24.85 to claim the 5,000-meter title during day two of the competition. She then followed with the 3,000-meter title on the final day, with a personal-record time of 10:00.27, earning all-Patriot League first-team honors.
    DeRoo’s time in the 5K is the third best in the Colgate record book, while her 3K time sits second.


Francois Brisebois ’11 (#13) posted two assists in the Feb. 16 game against rival Cornell, but Big Red defeated the Raiders 6–2 in Starr Rink. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

Men’s soccer standouts sign with pros
Two seniors on the men’s soccer squad signed with professional league teams this year. In January, Chris Ross was drafted by Chivas USA in the fourth round of the MLS SuperDraft, which took place in Philadelphia. Ross is the first Colgate player to be selected in the SuperDraft. He was the fifth pick for Chivas and one of three mid-fielders drafted by the organization. Having graduated early to pursue an opportunity with professional soccer, he played in 67 games for the Raiders, collecting eight goals and nine assists over his career. Ross finished his senior season with eight points off of two goals and four assists and was chosen for the first team All-Patriot League.
     Then, in March, Alex Weekes signed a professional contract to play with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL second division after taking part in the USL Showcase. Weekes led the Raiders in scoring during both the 2008 and 2009 seasons, tallying a total of 39 points off of 15 goals and nine assists. The senior captain was a two-time All-League selection, earning first-team honors this season. Weekes was also the first Raider to be named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, prior to the 2009 season. Despite beginning the Riverhounds season before graduation, Weekes noted that he still plans on graduating and walking with the rest of the senior class this May.

U.S. Naval Academy Leadership Conference
Soccer players Calista Victor ’11 and Steven Miller ’11 attended the 2010 United States Naval Academy Leadership Conference in Annapolis, Md., Jan. 24 through 27. They were chosen by Director of Athletics David Roach and the athletic department to represent Colgate. The theme of this year’s event was Leadership under Stress.
    The conference provided an opportunity for military and civilian undergraduate student leaders to interact with their peers and exchange ideas, experiences, and methodologies on leadership.
    Victor and Miller learned from military, business, diplomatic, and community leaders who have overcome obstacles and transformed crises into extraordinary opportunities. They took part in interactive sessions that challenged them to practice what they have learned and apply those lessons to their futures, and attended a lecture by Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special Correspondent.
    “Being an athlete, the discussion I found most interesting was one that covered the psychology of leading in trying times,” said Miller. “Some of the best advice I took was that even in a stressful situation, you are still capable of performing at your highest level and bringing your teammates along with you. The biggest part of being a leader is leading by example, and that includes having a positive mentality.”
    Victor said that she also gained much insight: “The conference was both a learning experience and an opportunity to rethink my priorities and values. In doing so, I grew as an individual and a leader.”
    Each year, nearly 250 military and civilian students and faculty advisers from more than 30 colleges and universities attend the conference. The unique mix of military and civilian schools facilitates the conference objective to encourage substantive interaction between undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for leadership.

Colgate buses become rolling library
Each season, Colgate Raiders spend dozens of hours traveling to and from different competition venues. Almost all of that traveling is done on a bus — but these are not your standard buses; they are now known as a rolling library.
    Since 2008, several Colgate buses have included Autonet, a mobile Internet router that enables student-athletes to use the Internet to stay ahead on various projects, research papers, and classroom assignments.
    This forward-thinking project, initiated by the parents of current student-athletes, has allowed players to successfully continue their academic studies.


Elise DeRoo ’12 earned the Katie Almeter Most Valuable Player award after winning the mile at the Class of ’32 Invitational at Sanford Field House. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

Honor rolls
More than 190 student-athletes were honored at the Raider Academic Honor Roll Luncheon held at the Hall of Presidents. The athletics department honored all student-athletes who achieved a 3.25 GPA or higher in the 2009 fall semester; seven received special recognition for having a 4.0 GPA.
    Marc Cassone ’10 and Katie Garman ’10 were the student-athlete speakers, while Professor Padma Kaimal, associate professor of art and art history and Asian studies, was the keynote speaker.
    Dawn LaFrance, associate director of counseling and psychological services, handed out the 4.0 awards to David Ake ’10, Sarah Chabal ’10, Victoria Hulit ’10, Jonathan Knowlton ’11, Colin Prather ’12, David Pudalov ’13, and Sarah Sciarrino ’10.
    A total of 62 Colgate student-athletes were named to the 2009 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, as announced by the Patriot League’s executive director, Carolyn Schile Femovich.
    To be eligible for the Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must earn a 3.20 GPA in the fall semester and be awarded a varsity letter in one of the Patriot League’s fall championship sports. The criteria for awarding varsity letters are different for each team.

New fitness center to open January 2011
In the spring, construction began on a new Colgate fitness center, slated to open in January 2011 adjacent to Huntington Gymnasium, in front of Lineberry Natatorium.
    This $7.8 million project is fully funded by generous gifts from a small group of Colgate parents and alumni who wish to make an impact on current students and are focused on fitness and wellness as their way to do so.
    One floor of the new 15,000-square- foot fitness center will be dedicated to cardiovascular machines, and the other will be filled with weight-training equipment. The construction will solve significant space issues within Huntington Gymnasium. The varsity weight training facility will be enhanced and moved from the third floor to the first floor of Huntington Gym in the vacated Little Fitness Center space, increasing its size and making it more accessible to athletes and recruits. That vacated room will be modified to provide significantly enhanced space for dance and aerobic training.
    This new building will also carry the distinction of being the first for which the university will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the building industry standard for sustainable design, construction, and facility operation.
    Considered to be state-of-the-art when it opened in 1994, the Wm. Brian Little Fitness Center no longer meets the demands of an ever-more fitness- and wellness-oriented campus community. Remedying the limited size and features of the fitness center has been a priority for students in recent years, because long waiting lines for machines have become common during peak times.
    The fitness center will also foster Colgate’s Wellness Initiative, which encourages healthy, purposeful, and balanced lifestyles within the community.
    For more information, renderings, and project updates, go to www.colgate.edu/fitnesscenter.

Groh ’46 inducted into Shrine HOF
Former Colgate football great James Groh ’46 was inducted into the East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame during the Player Awards Banquet at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 22.
    Groh was one of four inductees this year. He joined an elite group of East-West Shrine Game alumni, including former President Gerald Ford, Dick Butkus, Pat Tillman, and Jerry Kramer. Additional 2010 inductees included: former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow, former NFL fullback Larry Csonka, and 1960 East-West Shrine Game player Jim Walden. Criteria for being considered includes that the inductee must have played in the game at least 25 years ago.
    Groh played in the 19th East-West Shrine Game, held in 1946, and was a highly recruited NFL offensive guard. Teams that recruited him included the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers. Groh declined all offers and pursued his passion for medicine, becoming an orthopedic surgeon in Milwaukee, Wis. 
    “It is with great humility that I accept this recognition,” Groh said. “I am honored to be a part of the philosophies and mission of the Shriners community. It was a lifetime ago that I left the field of green where I got muddy playing with the boys and entered the field of medicine — both great, rewarding experiences.”
    Colgate was represented at this year’s East-West Shrine Game by wide receiver Pat Simonds ’10.


Colgate overcame a 12-point first-half deficit to defeat Holy Cross 69–68 at Cotterell Court on Jan. 27. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)

More than peanuts and Cracker Jack
The 2010 Major League Baseball season is underway, but fans who want to relive last season’s memorable moments can check out an MLB.com video produced by Russell Sherman ’91 and featuring a song written and performed by his sister, Suzanne Sherman Propp ’85.   
    Propp’s song “Running Home” takes viewers through touching clips from 2009, like when the 3-year-old threw back the foul ball that her dad caught at the Phillies game and, surprised, he just embraced her. Other unforgettable events include the Mets’ Gary Sheffield hitting his 500th career home run, Derek Jeter passing Lou Gehrig on the Yankees’ all-time hits list, and a recap of the World Series.  
    Bob Bowman, CEO of MLB.com, was co-coach of Propp’s son’s Little League team. Bowman asked her to write a song about baseball, so the music teacher wrote “Running Home” about her feelings as a mom watching her child play. “Initially, that’s what it was about, but when I started singing it, people started saying to me, ‘That’s a song about life, not just about baseball,’” she told an MLB.com sportscaster.
    Then, Propp’s brother Russell Sherman approached Bowman about creating a 2009 Season in Review with her song as the background music. Sherman, a strategic communications consultant, worked with an editor at MLB.com to create the video. 
    “I had no idea this was happening,” Propp said. “One day my brother invited me over and sat me down in front of the computer. I couldn’t really tell what was going on — I thought he had made a casual video of his son playing baseball. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that these were professional players and that it was my song.” 
    “Running Home” is part of Propp’s second CD, Play, and the video produced by Sherman can be seen on www.SuzanneShermanPropp.com as well as on iTunes.

Club sports highlights
In true giant-killer style, after shifting its emphasis to collegiate competition only two years ago, the Colgate Figure Skating Club skated to third place out of 15 teams at the Cornell competition in November 2009. Originally founded to keep former figure skaters active while also giving back to the community through the Skate at the ’Gate learn-to-skate program, the club recently began participating in U.S. Figure Skating Eastern Intercollegiate Competitions, coached by Anne-Marie Lemal Brown, wife of Dean of Students Scott Brown. The club’s members still enjoy teaching local children to skate at Starr Rink, as well as presenting a showcase each semester.
    In other club sports news, the men’s squash team completed an excellent season. After beating Georgetown early on, the team was ranked 29th in the country. At nationals, Colgate lost a close match (4–5) to Northwestern and scraped out a nail-biting 5–4 win against Northeastern, only to lose to Georgetown in the final round. Their year-end ranking of 30th in the nation is the highest Colgate has achieved in the past four years. Rob McCary ’10, Colgate’s number one player at the College Squash Association Individuals tournament for the past three years, achieved a national ranking of 122 out of 735 ranked players this year.
    Eleven members of the alpine ski team went to the regional tournament at Bristol Mountain in Canandaigua. The women’s team ended up third in the New York region overall, and on the men’s team, Pat Hughes ’10 was selected Second Men’s Overall Individual.


Check out www.gocolgateraiders.com for game schedules, rosters, statistics, online ticket ordering, and news and video features. For scores, call the Raider Sportsline: 315-228-7900. Ticket office: 315-228-7600.


Raider Nation
Fan spotlights with Vicky Chun ’91, senior associate athletic director

Joe Leo ’01 (husband of Amy Hargrave ’03) and son Joshua Leo, Class of 2028
Game: Men’s Basketball vs. Holy Cross, 1/27/2010.
Colgate won 69–68.

Why did you attend this game? I wanted to visit my alma mater and bring my son to a basketball game.

What is your favorite sports memory at Colgate? The midnight ESPN men’s basketball game during my first year. We were defending Patriot League champions, and the place was packed. I wore a maroon wig with a basketball on top of it.

While at Colgate, did you have a favorite sport to watch? Golf [Joe was a member of the varsity golf team] … no, seriously, every sport was my favorite to watch. I have been to at least one home game/meet for every varsity team.

What was one of the craziest things you did at a sporting event? My brother, Ralph Leo ’99, and I drove six hours to watch our men’s basketball team play New Hampshire. We were the only Colgate students there and we were heckled throughout the game. That only made us cheer louder for the team!

Evelyn Koh ’11
Hometown: Seattle, Wash.
Game: Women’s Basketball vs. Bucknell (A Patriot League game), 2/20/2010. Colgate won 62–58.

Do you have a favorite Colgate sports team? I am on the Cheer Team, so I get to go to a lot of different home and away games. I like supporting all of them. 

What is your favorite Colgate sports moment? Our Men’s Basketball Patriot League semifinal game against Bucknell a couple of years ago. It was a “white out,” stands were filled up everywhere, everyone was screaming the whole two hours, and we won!

What do Colgate games mean to you? It is a way to connect with other people, represent your school, and show your school spirit. I love how everyone embraces each other in our love for this school.

What do you think about today’s game? I was jumping up and down so hard that my knees were hurting. The team stayed focused and worked so hard for that win.

Mclain Roth ’13
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Game: Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Cornell (sold-out rival game), 2/16/2010. Cornell defeated Colgate 6–2.

Are you cold? I’m not at all … not yet.

Why are you at this game? This is the big ice hockey event! We came really early and we’re waiting for the teams to get on the ice.

Are you a big hockey fan? Of course — I go to Colgate.

What other sport do you enjoy watching? Volleyball! [no hesitation]

Favorite varsity player? I’ll go with #26 David McIntyre ’10 for men’s ice hockey, and I like all of the volleyball players.

Why did you choose to attend Colgate? It’s the best school in the world! I’m loving Colgate. I like the small-size classes, the professors… I have no complaints.