SAAC hosts One Love Foundation event

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The Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted the first “Yards for Yeardley” event as a means to spread awareness for relationship violence. Students, faculty and community members participated and successfully exceeded the 1 million yard goal. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Geneseo hosted the event, “One Million Yards for Yeardley” on the college green on Wednesday April 26. Community members were encouraged to walk, run or even roll laps around the green to reach 1 million yards total in an attempt to raise awareness for relationship violence. 

In 2010, senior lacrosse player Yeardley Love was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend, senior lacrosse player George Wesley Huguely. The two student athletes attended the University of Virginia and they were both just three weeks away from their graduation. 

To raise awareness for relationship violence, Love’s mother, Sharon Love, began the One Love Foundation. This foundation is introduced to universities all over the nation; it educates students on what comprises relationship violence, how to raise awareness for it and what its consequences are. 

SUNY schools are no stranger to relationship violence and its costs, with some of the most detrimental cases taking place at both Geneseo in 2016 and SUNY Brockport in 2012. 

The goal of this event was to increase awareness in the community—there was no money raised. 

“It’s all about just raising awareness. There aren’t that many people who are perpetuating this violence, it just keeps happening over and over again,” biology and psychology double major sophomore Jenn Buckhout said. Buckhout is a member of the Geneseo tennis team and a future member of SAAC. 

“We just want to make bystanders more aware so that they will help,” Buckhout said.

The event has been taking place throughout 10 of the SUNY campuses in order to reach a combined total of 10 million yards. SUNY Fredonia and Brockport held their events on Wednesday April 26, as well. SUNYAC commissioner Tom DiCamillo travelled between the three campuses so that he could participate in each of the events. 

“Brockport had 400,000 yards only two hours into the event. This group [Geneseo] had about 300,000, and Fredonia was well on its way, too,” DiCamillo said.

The campuses fully embraced the event and have so far been successful in spreading awareness. It was initially intended to be a one-time event; SAAC representatives, however, are planning otherwise. 

“The way this started was trying to build up the SUNYAC SAAC and having a rally around it,” DiCamillo said. “So they used the dating violence, the Yeardley Love story and their own experiences to do this. They would like to do this annually.” 

Geneseo reached the 1-million-yard mark with approximately two hours left in the event. The campus really grasped the idea and either made it a point to go and walk or to just simply contribute one lap between their walks to class. Students, faculty members, coaches and community members all partook in the event. 

“I think from a Geneseo specific perspective, this is just a way for us to raise awareness regarding relationship and domestic violence,” associate athletic director Liam Welsh said. “It is a passive way for the community to rally against that type of behavior, especially after our experiences.” 

Throughout the day, Geneseo athletes could be seen running their warm up laps around the green to gain yards. While all the teams participated in the event, the women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey teams were perhaps the most supportive. 

“It’s a big deal for our team, women’s basketball, because it hits close to home,” sophomore guard Kelsey Poplawski said. “We’re trying to get as many people as we can to walk this.”

This walk is an attempt to not only raise awareness, but to also encourage students to participate in other One Love programs, such as their “Escalation” workshop. 

“During this 90-minute workshop, students will watch a 45-minute film about relationship violence and use the remaining 45 minutes to discuss it and how they can prevent such violence,” Buckhout said. 

Though the Geneseo One Love Foundation consists mainly of athletes, they are looking to change that, as it is open for all students to join. SAAC hopes to make this foundation more popular around campus, and this walk is just the beginning.

Knight of the Week: Hannah Millich

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Junior forward Hannah Millich brings both skill and positivity to the Geneseo women’s lacrosse program. After she graduates, Millich hopes to bring her positive attitude into the classroom as a special education teacher. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

Every team has that player who is not only loved by everyone for their personality, but is also a key part of the teams’ success. For the Geneseo women’s lacrosse team, that player is junior forward Hannah Millich. 

Millich hails from Black River, New York, which is located near Syracuse. She is currently a childhood with special education major with a concentration in Spanish.  

Prior to her attendance at Geneseo, Millich attended Carthage High School, where she played three sports and took a few college level courses; there, she was also a member of the National Honor Society. When she was not busy with sports or schoolwork, Millich volunteered her spare time to work in a special education classroom. It was this volunteer opportunity that made Millich realize that being a special education teacher was the path that she wanted to take with her life. 

Millich’s lacrosse career began in the sixth grade when, after seeing her friends pick up the sport, she decided to try it for herself. She immediately fell in love with the game and has been playing lacrosse ever since. 

Her passion for the sport is contagious, as she brings a positive attitude to every team that she has played for. The Knights are fortunate enough to be able to experience this positivity now, as Millich comes into every practice and game with the motivation to get better and be successful. 

Selflessness is a vital quality for an athlete to have, especially when playing a team sport. Millich has this quality, which she made clear when talking about her own achievements. 

“I honestly give all my teammates the credit. We all help each other be successful and set each other up for success,” Millich said in an email interview. “I wouldn’t [score] goals if it weren’t for them making plays happen or getting the pass off for me to be able to score. We all have an amazing chemistry and it has truly shown.” 

Despite all of her accomplishments, Millich maintains this noble attitude, which is something that not all athletes possess.  

Some of Millich’s fondest memories from her experience as a Knight come from the team’s spring break trips to Florida. She loves having the opportunity to switch things up after playing in the cold Geneseo weather. 

“Spring break trips have always been one of the best memories with the team, as everyone gets really close and it is your 26 best friends in a warm place playing the game you love,” she said. 

Outside of her busy lacrosse schedule, Millich has made time to tutor for the Learning Independence, Vocational and Educational Skills program here on campus. She loves to help others, and this experience will certainly help her in her future with teaching. 

Millich chose Geneseo because of its academic reputation and lacrosse program. Geneseo allows her to pursue her dreams of becoming a special education teacher while also letting her to play on a renowned lacrosse team. 

“I feel confident in getting a job right out of school with a degree from Geneseo,” Millich said. “I have had the best years of my life with a school that gave me a great education and allowed me to play on the women’s lacrosse team.”

Knight of the Week: Devin Brink

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Originally from the South, first-year forward Devin Brink often found himself traveling to pursue his hockey career. Years of traveling around for hockey have paid off for Brink, as he has become a key factor behind the Ice Knights’ success. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

They may all wear the same uniform, but the personal journeys of the Geneseo Ice Knights vary quite a bit, each adding a certain amount of personality to the team. First-year forward Devin Brink has been a significant addition to the Ice Knight’s family this year, as his hockey journey may not be as traditional as his teammates’. 

Brink’s fascination with ice hockey began when he was five years old after having watched his first National Hockey League game. Young Brink watched the Washington Capitals take on the Detroit Red Wings and he has had a passion for the sport ever since. 

“Ever since then it sparked an interest,” Brink said. “After that, I went to a local rink in Maryland and it just shot off from there”

Unlike most hockey players, Brink was brought up in an area where hockey was not exactly the most accessible sport. Born in Washington D.C., Brink lived in Maryland until he reached the sixth grade. 

Though the particular Maryland area where the Brink family resided may not have been known for hockey, they made sure to get their son to practice, traveling approximately an hour to and from the rink. 

When Brink moved to Virginia in the seventh grade, his hockey career became a little easier to maintain because there were more playing opportunities presented. During this time, Brink fluctuated between AA and AAA travel hockey teams, ultimately deciding to play AA as he claimed it to “be a better fit.” 

While hockey may have been his favorite sport, Brink did not limit himself athletically—he played lacrosse for his public high school, as well. 

Knowing that he wanted to take the next step in his hockey career, Brink considered attending and playing for a prep high school. Playing for a prep school is not an opportunity that many young hockey players have, for it allows the athletes to not only develop athletically, but academically as well. 

After looking at five prep schools in two days with his mother, Brink chose to attend Trinity Pawling, an all-boys boarding school. Trinity Pawling has a renowned hockey program in the New England Founders league and has a reputation for sending players off to Division I and III teams.

As a result of attending prep school, Brink had to go through five years of high school—three years at his public school in Virginia and two years at Trinity Pawling. From there, Brink expanded his hockey career to Philadelphia, where he played in the United States Premier Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Brink played for the Flyers for two years, where he met current Geneseo teammate sophomore forward Zach Lynes. The two men played for the Flyers before becoming Ice Knights together.  

Upon his first visit to Geneseo, Brink knew that it was where he wanted to play collegiate hockey. 

“Geneseo is actually the only school that I visited,” Brink said. “I just had really good vibes while I was here.” 

Everything about the campus seemed to fit what Brink had wanted—it was the right size, navigating the campus was simple and it was close enough to his home in Virginia. 

Though he is still rather new to the Ice Knights, Brink has certainly proved that he has what it takes to play hockey for Geneseo. During a 5-2 victory over SUNYAC rival SUNY Brockport, Brink contributed to the win with his first collegiate hat trick. 

While this has the potential to be an ego booster for any athlete, Brink remains modest, saying that he has contributed to the Ice Knights more than he expected. 

“I really didn’t see myself coming in and making a difference that much,” Brink said. “But I have and I’m pretty happy with it. Happy, but not satisfied … because you can never be fully satisfied.”

  For now, Brink is majoring in business, but he plans on changing to economics. He is unsure of what he wants to do after Geneseo—he doesn’t like to think that far ahead. For Brink, it is more important to live in the moment rather than plan his future; so in the meantime, he is focusing on his schoolwork and how he can contribute to his fellow Ice Knights.

Knight Time provides incentives for attending games

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The Geneseo “Blue Crew” makes sure to attend every hockey game at the Ira S. Wilson arena, generating energy so that they can get the student section hyped up. This level of attendance is desirable for other Geneseo athletic events, and the launching of application Knight Time is anticipated to encourage students to attend more games. (Jake Wade/Staff Photographer)

Geneseo students will be able to download Knight Time—a smartphone app that students can use to earn points from attending events on campus—starting on Feb. 17. Many of these opportunities will be for varsity athletic games or Geneseo Late Knight events.

Knight Time can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. The application uses the phone’s GPS coordinates to determine what event the student is attending to obtain points. Any student who is physically sitting in the Ira S. Wilson arena, the college stadium or a GLK event will be eligible to sign on to the application to earn points. 

Associate Athletic Director Liam Welsh has had a significant role in bringing this idea to Geneseo. It is an idea that Welsh expects to be rather successful in the Geneseo community. 

“Students can go to those events, check in, receive a point that is allocated to their profile, and they accumulate points,” Welsh said. “The more points, the better the prize.”

Once a student earns a certain number of points, they will receive a prize. The amount of points will increase with every event that is attended. Being that this is a new system for Geneseo, there are only four levels so far. Each level of the program has a special prize that the students can earn. 

After the student reaches a certain level, they can go to the college bookstore in the MacVittie College Union to redeem a prize. The prizes are not limited to a certain amount of students. After reaching the first level, students will continue to add on to the amount of points that they already have, allowing them to strive to reach higher levels. 

Super Fan U creates this point system application, and it is becoming more popular nationally as high schools, colleges and other institutions are beginning to incorporate it into their events. This system creates an incentive for more students to attend campus events.

The application has more features to it, however, than simply collecting points. It creates a way for students to connect and to communicate at campus events. 

One feature within the application—known as the “fan cam”—will allow for students to post pictures at certain events to show their peers where they are and how the events look. Students will also be able to connect to their social media network of choice, where they can share the event online, which will also add to the total number of points earned. 

While this application may be providing entertainment and prizes for the students, it will also be helping the school collect data on student life. 

“When you download the app, you will be asked several questions about yourself,” Welsh said. “We are able to then pull analytics that can drive more marketing strategies.” 

By using this data, Geneseo can initiate a stronger connection with its student life.

Once the application is launched, students will be able to earn points until the end of the semester. When the spring 2017 semester comes to an end, every user’s points will be erased, so that they can start up the following semester with zero points. 

Further information regarding Knight Time will be available on the Geneseo athletics website. 

Geneseo mourns loss of student athlete

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Freshman guard Savannah Williams lost her life in a fatal car accident on Dec. 20. Williams’ positive energy and dedicated team work will live on through the Geneseo basketball program.

Eighteen-year-old Savannah Williams passed away on Dec. 20 in a fatal car accident on the corner of Court Street and Route 63. Despite having only completed her first semester at Geneseo, Williams had made herself at home, and she excelled both in the classroom and on the basketball court. 

As both a biochemistry major and varsity athlete, Williams displayed an inspiring work ethic for her fellow teammates to follow. 

“In my opinion, it takes a special person to be willing to take on such a challenging field,” head coach Scott Hemer said. “She was very focused as a student and always placed her classes at the top of her priorities. As much as she loved basketball, her studies always came first.” 

Though she had just begun her college career, Hemer noted that Williams had expressed an interest in traveling the world, particularly to third world countries where she could aid in the medical field. 

Williams demonstrated these generous and selfless qualities wherever she went. Senior guard Kara Houppert said that she immediately recognized Williams as a leader and a hard worker. 

“Savannah was a team player and this quality is reflective of who she was as a person,” Houppert said. 

Regardless of what it was, Williams showed enthusiasm and determination. Williams made sure to be heard and to show how much she cared about everything that she was a part of. 

“She put the team first and this showed in her attitude on and off the court,” Houppert said. 

Williams’ positive mentality was beneficial to her teammates, and the women certainly appreciate her contribution to the team both athletically and mentally. 

Hemer expressed similar views as he spoke of how much of an impact Williams had on the program. 

“Every so often, we are blessed to have young women join our program who embrace being on the team despite not having a significant role on the court,” he said. “With that said, she loved being a part of the group and made the most out of her opportunity every day, either by improving her own skills or helping to make others around her better. It’s something that is easier said than done and yet she made a point to make a difference each day on her teammates.” 

Williams’ positivity is what any coach and team member looks for in a player. She was someone that the Knights were proud to have within their community. 

While Williams possessed these unique and positive qualities, there was also something else that made her a special member of the women’s basketball team: her smile. 

“She was never afraid to ask questions and was one of the first people to share her thoughts on practice or a game, of course with a smile on her face,” Houppert said.  

Not only did Williams’ teammates notice and appreciate her smile, but her coaches did, as well. Hemer said how this was one of the first characteristics that he noticed about her and that it is a quality that is still present with the team. 

“I’ve been coaching basketball at the collegiate level for over 15 years and I have never had a walk-on player who was more excited just to be selected for our team,” Hemer said. “Her smile when I told her she made the team could have lit up a room. That smile became contagious for everyone around her and is still what fuels our team’s success this season—her smile has been what our players focus on every time they come into the gym and it’s what they rally around for each game.”

Though her time as a Knight may have been short, Williams and her beautiful smile will forever remain with the Geneseo women’s basketball program.

Policy requires tickets for home hockey games

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The Knights take a face-0ff against the SUNY Oswego Lakers on Saturday Jan. 21. This was the first home game where students were required to bring a ticket, resulting in the attendance of 1,100 students.

The Geneseo Athletics Department began the New Year by introducing a new policy for the Ice Knights program. Geneseo students are now required to pick up a ticket in order to attend an Ice Knights game at the Ira S. Wilson arena, which started on Saturday Jan. 21. 

The new ticket policy is a progressive step for the athletics department. With one of the highest attendance rates for a Division III hockey program, this policy allows for the athletics department to keep track of how many students attend for both statistical and safety reasons. Liam Welsh, associate director of athletics, expressed enthusiasm while explaining this policy.

“For the first couple games of the year, particularly the first game when Geneseo played Cortland, we were close to being over capacity in the arena,” he said. “For the safety of our fans, the students, athletes and coaches, we needed to figure out a way to track attendance.”

By determining the maximum capacity of the Ira S. Wilson arena, the athletic department will have a set number of tickets to print for each game going forward, according to Welsh. 

While this seems like it may negatively impact the number of students and local fans from attending games, it will likely do just the opposite. The goal is to make sure that no student is ever turned away from an Ice Knights game, Welsh said, and the ultimate goal behind this new policy is safety. 

“We want to make it as easy as possible for students to pick up a ticket,” Welsh said. 

Tickets will be available at the ticket window in the basement of the MacVittie College Union a week before the game. If a student is unable to pick up a ticket during the week but would like to pick one up when they arrive at the game, they can do so at the door of the rink. It is highly encouraged to pick up a ticket during the week, however, as it guarantees a seat at the game. 

“We’re trying to create a safe and conducive game environment for everyone who is in attendance,” Welsh said.

For example, there are often students who end up sitting in the aisle, which creates fire hazards and other safety hazards for all the fans. 

The athletics department determined that a total of 1,100 students attended the Ice Knights’ home game against the SUNY Oswego Lakers on Saturday Jan. 21. As the first game requiring tickets, this number gives the athletics department a baseline number of students, to which they will continuously compare their data throughout the season. 

This ticket policy will not be used for other Geneseo sports, as they do not have a high enough attendance rate for this to be required. 

Tickets are available now for the upcoming Ice Knights home game on Saturday Jan. 28 against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs.

Men’s soccer faces injuries early in season

The Geneseo men’s soccer team has been experiencing both victories and losses, leaving them at an interesting place in their conference. They have the opportunity to change this in a positive or negative way. Starting the season off with a couple of wins was advantageous for the men because they now have the positive energy to carry them through the season—regardless of their recent losses. One of the biggest fears for any team is to lose a player to an injury. After only a few games, the Knights have already lost two of their starting upperclassmen players for the rest of the season. This loss has caused head coach Dominic Oliveri to make some adjustments to the starting lineup, but they are adjustments that he feels confident with.

Due to the fact that the majority of the team is made up of freshmen and sophomores, Oliveri has to start giving the younger players more minutes. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, since these young players have already proven to have the skills to keep up with their older competitors.

“We have been struggling a bit substitution wise, so some of the younger guys are going to be playing a little more than I expected,” Oliveri said. “We aren’t starting over completely, but it’s close.”

Despite his foreboding words, this is not something that Oliveri showed any concern for. He is self-assured that the younger players will be just fine once they fully adjust.

While the men may appear to be comfortable and prepared to continue on in the season, they have some weaknesses that need to be worked on. One of the main weaknesses that Oliveri addressedwas how the men play under pressure.

“I think just holding onto the ball when we are under pressure is our biggest weakness,” Oliveri said. “A lot of the top teams we play against really pressure us, and we sort of struggle holding onto the ball and making good decisions while under pressure.”

Being that this is a weakness that Oliveri is able to notice so early on, he feels as though it can be fixed soon and that it will no longer be an issue throughout the remainder of the season. Another weakness that Oliveri acknowledged was the team’s ability to mark up in the midfield. Midfield is a crucial part of the game and if the wrong people are left unmarked due to a careless error, it could potentially cost the team a goal. But again, this is a weakness that Oliveri has full confidence in fixing over time.

“These improvements will come with time. We are relatively young, and we have to learn how to communicate and go from there,” Oliveri said. “I see improvements every day, but we are not fully there yet.”

One of the most important things a coach can do for his team is express his confidence in their skills. With Oliveri in charge of the Knights, they are likely to be successful soon, just in time to be prepared for the more difficult challenges that they will face as the season continues.

Underclassmen have positive impact on men’s soccer team

Geneseo men’s soccer team is fired up with enthusiasm and determination for the 2016 season. Even though their last two games were losses, their first two wins of the season were enough to fill them with the confidence that they need to go far in the season. Head coach Dominic Oliveri is working on improving the team on a daily basis through their training. Oliveri hopes to ensure that the Knights are skilled enough to qualify for the SUNYAC playoffs. It seems as though this may be a possible and promising feat, as the men are looking to go all the way this season.

This year’s freshmen are already making an impact on the team, too. There is definite talent amongst them and the Knights are already benefitting from their new teammates.

“Several [freshmen] are already giving us quality minutes,” Oliveri said.

This year will be slightly different from years past, since the team now has a larger base of underclassmen than they do upperclassmen. The team consists of six seniors and nine juniors—otherwise it is primarily made up of freshmen and sophomores. While the team is full of both old and new talent, that does not guarantee the Knights the success they are expecting, especially if they do not have the team chemistry required to move forward together.

Team bonding is a crucial part of the overall success that they are looking for, so it is in their best interest to fix this issue quickly, as it could deem their talent to be almost useless. Oliveri said that they will get there soon and that it will no longer be a problem for them moving forward.

For some teams, two losses can really bring down the mood and motivation that they have for the remainder of the season. For the Knights, however, they are making sure to not let it get in their way. According to Oliveri, these losses will not have an impact on their level of play. “We need to forget about them right away and look ahead to our next game. Never focus on the past,” Oliveri said.

With this mindset, the men are going to be led to success, as Oliveri is making sure not to let the mood drop. If the Knights continue through the season with this mentality, then they will be sure to overcome much more detrimental obstacles.

No matter how good a team may be, everyone is going to have their weaknesses. For the Knights, they need to work on marking up in their midfield. This is one of the main problems that Oliveri acknowledges, and with the midfield being such a challenging position, it may not be the quickest fix.

Oliveri said that he may also change some personnel, but he will be waiting another week or so before making this decision. In regard to the team’s strengths, their back five are putting up a strong fight. Since it is so early in the season, they can only get stronger.

The men hope to battle for a top three seed in the conference, which looks promising considering how evenly matched the teams are this season.

Men’s soccer with back-to-back wins, promises strong season

The Geneseo men’s soccer team is off to a great start so far for the upcoming 2016 fall season. The men’s opening tournament started Saturday Sept. 3, which took place in Philadelphia at Swarthmore College. The Knights won both of the games that they played in. The first of the two games concluded with a 5-0 win over Rosemont College, while the second game was a 2-0 victory over Swarthmore. Senior captains forward Ethan Gunty and midfielder Matt D’Amico each had two goals in the tournament—one in each game—contributing to the team’s success.

The men have boosted their confidence with a strong start to the season, and they are looking for more wins in the rest of their upcoming games. These victories have given them the perfect attitude to start off the season, and they will hopefully be able to maintain both the success and the confident mindset.

After enduring a difficult preseason schedule, the men experienced both negative and positive results. There have been several injuries amongst the team due to the intensity of their workouts and their overall rigorous schedule.

Before preseason even began, the athletes were instructed to follow a three-month workout packet throughout the summer to guarantee that they came back to Geneseo in top shape. Fitness testing was one of the first tasks of preseason in order to show the coaches which players really prepared for this season.

Additionally, a new season comes with a new set of players. While the Knights may have lost 10 seniors at the end of last season, they came into the season with a solid group of freshmen and transfer students. These new players have already proven to be useful, showing plenty of potential for the rest of the season.

“We believe we have enough talent to win the SUNYAC Tournament this year. Being an upperclassmen this season, many of the younger players begin to look up to you for advice. Having been here for two years, I am able to help the newcomers adjust to being a member of the Geneseo soccer family,” junior back Nick Keneally said. “We have a very young team this year, but it’s also a very talented team. As a junior, I am now looked at to be a leader, and without upperclassmen leadership and experience our team would not be successful.”

Even though there may be an abundance of new players, the team has not made too many big changes overall from last year. The biggest change, however, may be their two new assistant coaches. The new coaches consist of 2016 Geneseo soccer graduate, Chris Kanaval, and 2014 Geneseo soccer graduate, Alex Stephan. With this new leadership, the team can be exposed to different ideas and methods, making them even better than they currently appear to be.

Last season, the team was ranked in the national top 25 early on, during the non-conference portion of the season. They lost this advantage during their conference play.

The men are prepared to carry their excitement and energy from this past tournament throughout the rest of their upcoming season. This level of confidence should be what they need to take them all the way to the SUNYAC title.

Knight of the Week: Davina "Dream" Ward

For many athletes who are cut from a team in college, it marks the end of their career. For sophomore Davina Ward, however, it marked the beginning of her career as the team manager.

After being cut from the women’s basketball team, Ward was asked by head coach Scott Hemer to stay and be the team manager. Ward would prove to be a valuable addition as manager to the team, acting as an integral part of the Geneseo basketball program’s family.

Ward was born in Yonkers and eventually moved to Buffalo. She attended Global Concepts Charter High School, where she was part of the first graduating class. Ward describes herself as a “lazy, but good student,” which is surprising for someone who was the salutatorian of her class.

Ward explained that she kept busy with schoolwork, basketball and volleyball practice in high school and also worked on the weekends. Ward’s start to basketball was rather unexpected for someone who tried out for their college team: she only started in high school because everyone around her encouraged her to do it and because she was tall.

“I really didn’t like it at first. When I was a kid, I was really tall so everyone used to ask me why I didn’t play basketball,” Ward said. “And my response was always, ‘I don’t want to.’ In high school, I started playing because I went to such a small school that there was really no choice but for me to play.”

She added that she began watching videos of Larry Bird in her junior year, which inspired her to work as hard as she could to become a better player.

The Geneseo women’s basketball team is extremely lucky to have a tenacious young woman such as Ward helping them out. She has an outgoing, happy personality that is hard to come by. It is clear that she is very driven with whatever it is she does.

Reinforcing her extroverted persona, Ward explained that one of her favorite activities to do is to approach random people walking around on campus and challenge them to a surprise “dance-off.” She said her most memorable experience was with a student who challenged her to a beat boxing contest instead of a dance-off.

“A friend of mine from the team was there and suggested that he beat boxed while I danced,” Ward said. “So that’s what we did. And for about 30 seconds, we had the best dancing, beat boxing situation ever. I haven’t seen that guy since, but it is my favorite story at Geneseo.”

While she may not be playing for the women’s basketball team here at Geneseo, Ward is still a part of the family and has learned many valuable lessons.

“You have to take pride in whatever you do,” Ward said. “Even though I really only fill water bottles … I am proud to be the manager.”

Ward described her role as manager as “humbling.” Coming from a small town team, she wasn’t prepared for the harsh reality of college varsity sports. Still, she managed to make the most of the situation and explained that she hopes to become a coach one day.

Blue Wave men, women capture another SUNYAC title

After an impressive season, the Blue Wave men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams proved that they are the best and brought home another SUNYAC title.

Both sides of the team have become rather familiar with the SUNYAC podium—this particular title is the women’s 24th championship and the men’s 23rd championship. The two teams have continuously shown that with all of the hard work they put in throughout the season, they are the worthiest of earning the title. Head coach Paul Dotterweich noted that the win was well-deserved.

“Winning a championship is a great feeling,” he said. “There is a lot of work and dedication that goes into our season by the athletes and staff. Bringing home the title is the reward for the hard work.”

This season was particularly significant for the Blue Wave. Not only was the team dynamic very strong, but many pool records were broken as well. Due to the team having such positive bonds and an overall desire to win, they were able to come together to dominate. They showed that while skill is important, having a supportive team structure is just as necessary.

“We were able to do some things this year that we have not done in the past. Our dual meet season was exceptional form—start to finish—with beating [Division I] Canisius College to break several pool records in our last few meets,” Dotterweich said. “Winning two championships, breaking several team and conference records, we won 23 of 40 events at the championships—that's pretty awesome.”

After having such a great year, the team has to unfortunately say goodbye to some key teammates—13 seniors, to be exact. With this being the case, next year’s athletes must make sure to make their own mark.

“We graduate a lot of talent and leadership in our senior class. It will be important for the younger athletes to step up and work hard in the off season to get ready for next season if we want to win a couple more next year,” Dotterweich said. “If the younger athletes have learned anything from their senior class, it should be hard work and dedication. If this is to be true, then they should have no problem continuing the team’s high success rate.”

  With all of the success they have had this year, the Blue Wave has a lot to live up to next season. With their current repertoire of countless victories and solid leadership provided by Dotterweich, the Blue Wave should come back on top for seasons to come.

It is an emotional end to a great season with the team saying goodbye to major leadership figures. Dotterweich explained that he does his best to recognize everyone’s devotion and hard work on the team and makes sure to thank them for all that they have done.

They have been exceptional all year and words can't express the pride I feel when I think about all they have given to the program this year,” Dotterweich said. “A special shout out to the seniors who have worked diligently in the pool and the classroom over the past four years and have created a model program.”

Knight of Week: Tim Wright

Most collegiate varsity athletes remain on one team throughout their entire college careers, giving them four years to prove themselves and to earn their starting positions. Geneseo men’s lacrosse junior attacker Tim Wright, however, earned his spot when he transferred to Geneseo his sophomore year.

Wright immediately proved that he was a good addition to the team—Wright fit in with the players right away, demonstrating the leadership qualities that have helped the team as a whole ever since. Being the only returning starter on attack this year, Wright has to help out his fellow teammates so that they can have a successful season.

Wright hails from Waterloo, New York, where he started playing lacrosse at a very young age. Lacrosse is a big part of the Wright family, hence the reason that Wright began playing so early on. He explained that with his father helping out the community’s youth lacrosse program, lacrosse became something his whole family participated in.

When the Wright family is not playing lacrosse, though, they are tending to their family-owned Christmas tree farm. With this experience, Wright has had an intriguing home life—one that has influenced Wright to become not only the player, but also the person whom he is today.

Wright’s collegiate lacrosse career began at Post University in Waterbury, Conneticut—a Division II team.

“I was a freshman starter and led the team in assists and was third in points,” Wright said. “It was not a great fit for me. I believe coming to Geneseo was one of the best decisions I have made.”

Wright has become a key player on the Geneseo lacrosse team. After playing Division II, he was the new, skilled player the Knights desperately needed in addition to his immense knowledge of the game.

Having lacrosse experience and skills is not enough to help bring a team success, however. A player also needs a good personality, which Wright certainly has. Wright explained that he tries to use his energy and positive attitude to lift the team’s spirits when necessary. Wright’s ability to determine the right times to joke around and to be serious is a quality that all teams need in a player. He knows when to lift the mood to put his teammates in a better mindset and when to step up and be a leader.

Wright is majoring in communication on the journalism and media track. He noted that he aspires to find a job in the advertising or marketing fields for a professional sports team. With one year left at Geneseo, he still has time to prepare for the real world while also reaching his goal of leading the team to a SUNYAC title.

Knight of the week: Jack Ceglarski

Playing ice hockey in college is a dream for many young hockey players and for most, it remains an unattainable wish due to the amount of work and commitment that is required to even be considered by colleges. Enter junior forward Jack Ceglarski, a player who was fortunate enough to be able to continue his hockey career right here in Geneseo as a member of the Ice Knights.

Unlike a majority of Geneseo students, Ceglarski is not from the state of New York. Rather, he was born in Beverly, Massachusetts and grew up in Byfield, Massachusetts where his family still lives today. Ice hockey is to Massachusetts as lacrosse is to Long Island—practically everyone plays or has played at some point in their life.

Not only did Ceglarski grow up in an atmosphere that supports hockey, but his own family had strong ties to the sport. His grandfather and father both played, as did his two older brothers. Ceglarski started his ice hockey career young, stepping onto the ice for the first time as a 2-year-old.

Ceglarski explained that his original goal was to play for a Division I college, but when he realized that he would not be able to do so, he chose Geneseo for its welcoming environment.

“The campus and the atmosphere when I came on my visit here—I loved everything about it and honestly when I was leaving, I knew that I would come here and so it was an easy choice for me,” he said. “It was my goal to go Division I but at the end of the day when I realized that I wasn’t going Division I, I was totally OK with coming here and I do not regret one thing.”

Ceglarski has had a successful career as an Ice Knight thus far, tallying up four points this season and showing that he deserves to be playing at the collegiate level.

“My role on the team is to play an all-around complete game in all three zones, use my speed to beat other teams and find open teammates,” Ceglarski said. “I feel I've helped the Ice Knights the last few seasons by bringing hard work on and off the ice to keep the Geneseo hockey tradition going in the right direction.” Ceglarski’s dedication to his teammates exemplifies the strong bond that helps to make the Ice Knights so successful.

When he’s not on the ice, Ceglarski noted that he enjoys hanging out with his friends, listening to music and playing golf when the weather is nice. Ceglarski also noted that he cannot whistle.

Even though he may not be completely sure as to what he wants to do after Geneseo, Ceglarski noted that he is optimistic about seeing where his geography major and history minor may take him. Having one year left as an an Ice Knight and Geneseo student, he still has time to figure out his future while also helping his team move forward into the NCAA Tournament.

Swim remains consistent through start of season

The Geneseo swim teams proved themselves yet again by having the men take second place and the women take third place out of a total 11 teams at the Ithaca Winter Invitational on Friday Dec. 4–Sunday Dec. 6. Not only did both sides of the team place well as a whole, but they also had outstanding individual performances from multiple swimmers.

Freshman distance swimmer Nancy Nasky took second place overall while breaking the Geneseo record for the 1,650 freestyle. Nasky’s performance helped put the team in third place, while also boosting morale with her impressive achievement.

Senior backstroke and individual medley swimmer Kristian Tialios helped bring the Blue Wave into second place by taking three top eight finishes, including fourth place in the 200 individual medley, sixth in the 100 backstroke and seventh in the 200 backstroke.

These types of performances not only enhance the placement of the team in the overall competition, but also help strengthen their confidence and enthusiasm as a team. Head coach Paul Dotterweich expressed his belief that a fair portion of the team’s success can be attributed to the strong team camaraderie.

Due to Blue Wave’s consistent achievement over these past few seasons, Dotterweich keeps the training and work out regiments relatively the same each year. His reasoning behind this method is that it obviously continues to work for them.

“It’s kind of like a pause, rewind, replay. The program is pretty much the same,” he said. “The athletes are doing a good job. But if anything, I would say that we definitely have better chemistry this year than we did last year.”

By keeping the same schedule every year, it is easy for Dotterweich to get a sense of how successful the Blue Wave will be throughout the season. At their current position, Dotterweich explained that the team should do well in the SUNYAC Tournament again and may even have some swimmers qualify for nationals.

The Blue Wave has competed against very talented teams this season and has shown that the team belongs amongst the best. They fell only to Cornell University and La Salle University—two Division I teams. At the same time, however, other Division III teams—such as SUNY New Paltz—are showing that they, too, are just as worthy of taking on more difficult competition. Dotterweich noted that he believes the tough competition will inspire the Blue Wave to push themselves to perform at the highest level.

“It’s good to see that other teams in our conference are swimming fast,” he said. “That makes us better; it challenges our team to be at our best, which is good for us.”

With final exams and winter break coming up, the Blue Wave’s season will be slightly interrupted. The swimmers are guaranteed to be home between Dec. 22–28, but they have a meet on Jan. 3. This time is a personal challenge for all the swimmers and it allows Dotterweich to see who really wants to end their season strong.

“I always call this the ‘you time,’” he said. “I tell them that this is the time that you decide how you want the season to go.”