DAVE CASALE RECEIVES CAPITAL DISTRICT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP AT GIANTS MEDIA DAY

     Albany, N.Y. – Dave Casale is the recipient of the Capital District Student Scholarship, sponsored by New York Giants Football, Inc. and the University at Albany, as Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on July 26. Casale, a Troy, N.Y. native, will be recognized as part of a welcome program at Giants Media Day on Thursday, July 28.

     The Giants Media Day program is scheduled for 12 noon under a tent on the UAlbany campus’ Dutch Quad Field. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and City of Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings are expected to speak at the program.

     "I congratulate and welcome Dave Casale to the University, and commend the Giants organization for recognizing and enhancing the academic experience of our student-athletes," said UAlbany President Kermit L. Hall.

     Casale, who will play football for UAlbany in the fall, was a consensus All-Area defensive back at Troy High School. He was named to the Albany Times Union and Troy Record all-area first team. Casale, who totaled 76 tackles and eight interceptions as a senior, was a two-time All-Big Ten League selection and played in the Section II Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Casale also caught 27 passes for 408 yards and four touchdowns as a wide receiver.

     Casale, who plans to study business administration with a possible emphasis in marketing or finance, was a member of his school’s National Honor Society. He was one of ten Section II athletes to receive the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. His parents are Salvatore and Kathy Casale. Dave has two brothers, Anthony and Joe, and two sisters, Alyssa and Natalia.

     The Capital District Student Scholarship provides Casale with a monetary award equivalent to the tuition costs of four years at the University at Albany. The Giants are training on the UAlbany campus for the tenth consecutive summer. The first practice sessions will be held on Saturday, July 30 and continue through Wednesday, August 24.

Giants Camp Notes: Giants training camp parking passes and Giants-Jets combined practice tickets are currently on sale at UAlbany’s Athletic Merchandise Store, located in the Recreation and Convocation Center Lobby … the office hours are Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. … cash only will be accepted on all transactions … the ticket information phone is 518-442-4522 … the Giants-Jets practice is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9:30-11:20 a.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. … the cost is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children (12 & under) … the daily parking fee is $5.00, while a parking pass for all training camp practice sessions is $15.00 … Dutch Quad Lot is the primary parking facility for the public … the Giants Fan Information Line (518-442-7369) provides general and ticket information, an updated daily schedule, and directions to the University at Albany campus …

TWENTY-FIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES COMMIT TO UALBANY TRACK AND FIELD

     Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany Director of Track and Field Roberto Vives announced on Monday, July 25, that twenty-five student-athletes have committed to the Great Danes' program for the 2005-06 academic year. Six newcomers hail from the Capital Region, with 24 of the recruits coming from the state of New York.
     Natasha Chance finished third in the 400-meter hurdles at the New York State Championships with a time of 1:02.49. Chance, who won three events at the sectional meet, was named Class A MVP and set a school record in the 300-meter dash. Melissa Lee, who captured the 400m hurdles at the Mayor's Cup 400, is another newcomer to the UAlbany sprinters. Lee won the 600-meter dash at the Manhattan Borough Indoor Championships in a time of 1:39.99 in addition to being part of the winning 4x400-meter relay.
     An All-Section I honoree out of Ramapo High School, Kamilah McShine placed third in the pentathlon at the state championship meet. McShine was named to the All-Journal News First Team All-Stars. Isabella Katsarelis captured the javelin at the New York Relays and Eastern States, with a mark of 119-feet, 1-inch. Katsarelis finished 11th at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. Ashley Vives, a transfer from Northeastern, was a former Section II and Suburban Council Champion as a sprinter and jumper.
     Joseph Belokopitsky and Jared Jupin raced on Shaker High School's 4x800 Indoor national champion relay, which set a Section II and school record. Belokopitsky captured the 800-meter run at the Eastern States meet in 1:54.30.
     Joe Greene won the New York state championship in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.93 seconds. Greene also recorded the best long jump in the state this spring with a mark of 23-feet, 8.75 inches. Robert Register, who joins Greene in the sprinting corps, was part of the New York state record-setting 4x100 championship relay. Register finished second in the 200-meter dash at the state meet, posting a time of 21.91 seconds.
     Six additional student-athletes signed letters of intent in December to join the Great Danes for 2005-06. Twin sisters Jenna and Jessica Ortman, Jennifer Gurrant and Ritshell Verdier committed to the women's program. Freddie Wills and Pat Weider will compete for the men's team. Jessica Ortman won the 800-meter championship at the New York state meet with a time of 2:09.47. Jenna Ortman finished fifth in the 800m, while scoring in two relays. Gurrant was the New York State Federation Champion in the triple jump with a mark of 39-feet, 6-inches. Verdier placed third at the state meet with a 126-foot discus throw and also finished fourth in the shot put. Wills registered a decathlon score of 6,550 points which ranks him in the top ten in the nation for juniors and set a state record in New Hampshire. Weider placed second in the 300-meter dash at the indoor state meet and finished fifth in the 200m at the national outdoor event.

2004-05 University at Albany Women's Track & Field Commitments
Name                       Events                               Hometown (High School/Previous School)
Alex Brown               Mid-Distance                      Williamsville, N.Y. (Clarence)
Natasha Chance       Mid-Distance                      Rochester, N.Y. (East Rochester)
Jennifer Gurrant        Jumps                                Batavia, N.Y. (Batavia)
Isabella Katsarelis    Throws                               Whitestone, N.Y. (Archbishop Molloy)
Melissa Lee             Sprints                               Brooklyn, N.Y. (Fiorello LaGuardia HS of Arts)
Candice Mann          Throws                               Bloomingburg, N.Y. (Pine Bush)
Kamilah McShine     Sprints                               Spring Valley, N.Y. (Ramapo)
Jenna Ortman          Mid-Distance                      Williamsville, N.Y. (Williamsville South)
Jessica Ortman       Mid-Distance                       Williamsville, N.Y. (Williamsville South)
Ritshell Verdier        Throws                               Baldwin, N.Y. (Baldwin)
Ashley Vives           Sprints/Jumps                     Clifton Park, N.Y. (Shenendehowa/Northeastern)

2004-05 University at Albany Men's Track & Field Commitments
Name                         Events                                 Hometown (High School/Previous School)
Justin Appel                Distance                             Merrick, N.Y. (Calhoun)
Nick Assini                 Sprints/Hurdles                    Rochester, N.Y. (Gates-Chili)
Joseph Belokopitsky   Mid-Distance                        Latham, N.Y. (Shaker)
Joe Greene                 Sprints/Hurdles                    Rochester, N.Y. (Edison Tech)
Rachaud Hill               Sprints/Hurdles                    Glens Falls, N.Y. (Glens Falls)
Jared Jupin                 Mid-Distance                       Cohoes, N.Y. (Shaker)
Jamel King                 Sprints/Hurdles                    Rensselaer, N.Y. (La Salle Institute)
Chris Mercaldi            Pole Vault                           Somers, N.Y. (Somers)
Andrew Overbaugh      Hurdles                               Catskill, N.Y. (Catskill)
Robert Register          Sprints/Hurdles                    Rome, N.Y. (Rome Free Academy)
Charles Ross             Hurdles/Jumps                     Farmingdale, N.Y. (Farmingdale)
Pat Weider                Sprints                                Fairport, N.Y. (Fairport)
Kyle White                Sprints/Hurdles                    Troy, N.Y. (Lansingburgh)
Freddie Wills             Sprints/Jumps                      Londonderry, N.H. (Londonderry)

UALBANY & NEW YORK GIANTS ANNOUNCE 2005 TRAINING CAMP TICKET INFORMATION

     Albany, N.Y. – Ticket sales for 2005 New York Giants training camp events begin on Monday, July 25 through the University at Albany Athletic Ticket Office, as Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on July 21. The Giants start their tenth training camp on the UAlbany campus next week.

     The Giants’ first two practices are slated for Saturday, July 30, with a morning and afternoon workout. The team is scheduled to hold 30 practices, including seven evening sessions, before camp ends on Wednesday, August 24.

     Normal practice times are 8:40-10:40 a.m., 3:20-5:20 p.m. and 6:10-8:10 p.m. Please visit www.albany.edu/sports/giants or www.giants.com for the team’s daily practice schedule, which is subject to change.

     Training camp practices at the University at Albany are free and open to the public. The charge for parking is $5.00 for a one-day parking pass and $15.00 for an all-session pass that is good throughout camp. Parking passes are available at the UAlbany Athletic Merchandise Store in the Recreation and Convocation Center (RACC) Lobby and at the Dutch Quad Parking Lot each day throughout camp.

     For the second consecutive year, the Giants will host the New York Jets for two practice sessions. On Saturday, August 6, the first combined workout is from 9:30-11:20 a.m. and the second is from 3:30-5:30 p.m. The cost for those sessions is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children (12 and under). Those tickets are also available at the RACC Merchandise Store. Cash only will be accepted. The office hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. UAlbany has also set up a ticket information line, at 518-442-4522. No phone orders or reservations will be accepted.

     There will be no parking fee on the day of the joint practices with the Jets. Tickets will also be sold on the day of the event. A combination of lawn and bleacher seating will be available at both UAlbany’s University Field (football stadium) and the Western Avenue practice fields, with bleacher seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

Giants Camp Notes: UAlbany is the Giants training camp site for the tenth consecutive summer … UAlbany has played host to the second-longest stint of any Giants’ training camp behind Pace University (1975-87) … the Giants Fan Information Line (518-442-7369) provides general and ticket information, an updated daily schedule, and directions to the UAlbany campus … Dutch Quad Lot is the primary parking facility for the public … the camp attendance record was shattered in 2004, when 45,040 fans attended … the Giants-Jets practice day produced a crowd of 9,210 …

FIVE UALBANY ATHLETES EARN AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
     Boston, Mass. - University at Albany's Andy Allstadt, Jill Friedman, Stephan Hall, Kevin Rae and Susan Spierre have been recognized as America East Conference Scholar-Athletes for their respective sports on Tuesday, July 19. Allstadt (men's cross country/men's outdoor track) and Friedman (women's golf) are both repeat selections. Hall (men's soccer), Rae (men's lacrosse) and Spierre (volleyball) are first-time recipients.
    Allstadt, a 2005 ECAC Merit Medal recipient, earned All-America East honors for the third time after finishing seventh at the cross country championships. Allstadt, who tied for the scholar-athlete honor for men's outdoor track and field, captured the 10,000-meter run at the conference championships. Allstadt was named to the CoSIDA All-Academic District I team and is a Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award winner. Allstadt, who has been accepted into the school's biology graduate program, graduated with a 3.67 cumulative grade point average.
     Friedman shared medallist honors at the 2005 America East championship with a two-day total of 165. A two-time Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award honoree, Friedman graduated with a 3.66 GPA as a business administration major. Friedman, a 2005 ECAC Merit Medal recipient, was voted the team's MVP three times.
     Hall, a sophomore midfielder, who carries a 3.96 GPA in urban planning, was named to the All-America East second team last fall. He scored three goals, including two game-winning tallies, to go along with five assists. Hall was voted to the CoSIDA All-Academic District I Second Team.
     Rae, a senior goalkeeper, is a three-time America East championship MVP and helped the Great Danes to their third consecutive conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Rae, who carried a 3.23 GPA as a finance and management major, received the 2004 Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award. An All-America East first-team selection as a senior, Rae ranked 17th nationally with a .576 save percentage to go with a 10.18 goals against average. Rae finished his career as UAlbany's all-time saves leader with 835.
     Spierre, a senior middle blocker, helped lead Albany to its first America East championship and NCAA Division I Tournament berth. She graduated with a 3.61 GPA in atmospheric sciences. Spierre finished her career ranked third on the program's career list with 252 blocks.
     A committee of athletics administrators and NCAA Faculty Athletics Representatives chose an honoree in each of the conference's 22 championship sports. The scholar-athletes were selected from the more than 3,500 student-athletes who competed at America East institutions in 2004-05. Each honoree was a starter or prominent reserve and carries a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.20.

LINDSEY HART NAMED UALBANY WOMEN'S LACROSSE INTERIM HEAD COACH

     Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Monday, July 18 the hiring of Lindsey Hart as women's lacrosse interim head coach. Hart was an assistant coach on the women's lacrosse staff this spring. Additionally, Jen Fluck has been promoted to assistant coach for the Great Danes' program.

     "Lindsey brings extensive playing and coaching experience to our women's lacrosse program," said McElroy. "She has had success as both a player and coach and will allow us to maintain the quality and development of the program as we look to the future."

     Hart spent the 2003 season as an assistant at Ohio University where she handled scouting and recruiting duties in addition to her on the field responsibilities. She has also coached lacrosse at Ohio University's camps along with the East West Sports and Next Level Lacrosse camps.
     Hart, a four-year member of Ohio's women's lacrosse team, earned first-team All-American Lacrosse Conference honors twice and was named to the regional All-America squad in 2001 and 2002. The most prolific offensive player in school history, Hart amassed 180 goals and 236 points during her career with the Bobcats.
     Hart played on the Canadian National U-19 Women's Lacrosse Team that won a bronze medal at the World Cup in 1999. Additionally, she was a member of the Canadian National Women's Lacrosse team that is preparing for the 2005 World Championships. A native of Vineland, Ontario, Hart received a bachelor's degree in biology from Ohio in 2003.

     Fluck, a standout women's lacrosse and field hockey player at East Stroudsburg University, was a two-time first-team All-American and All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honoree. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1998. Fluck has previously coached at Conestoga Valley High School in Lancaster, Pa., where she compiled a 54-15-2 record in five seasons as head coach.

UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY ANNOUNCES ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION REORGANIZATION

     Albany, N.Y. – University at Albany Vice President for Athletic Administration and Director of Athletics Dr. Lee McElroy announced on Monday, July 11 campus title changes within the department of athletics administration. Rick Coe will serve as deputy director of athletics, while Charlie Voelker is now associate director of athletics for external affairs.

     Megan Buchanan, assistant director of athletics for facilities, scheduling, game management and community outreach, Kevin Galuski, assistant director of athletics for equipment and operations, Maria Moon, assistant director of athletics for recreation, intramural and campus affairs, and Cathy Probst, assistant to director of athletics, were also given new titles as senior staff members.

     "The reorganization of the athletics model will allow our department to function more efficiently and offer improved services to both our external and internal constituencies," McElroy said. "Each of these staff members have been instrumental in UAlbany’s recent success as a Division I and America East Conference program."

     Coe, who recently added the role of University liaison with regard to the New York Giants training camp, has managed athletic business operations since 2002. He also has administrative oversight for various sports programs and has been a key figure in the planning of the current athletic turf fields project.

     Voelker came to the UAlbany athletic department in the summer of 2003. He will continue to direct the department’s marketing and corporate sales division, plus will oversee media relations and ticket operations.

     Buchanan and Galuski have added additional duties to their respective positions as directors of facilities and equipment operations, respectively. Buchanan, a former UAlbany basketball standout, was the school’s female athlete of the year in 1999-2000. Galuski has managed Giants training camp operations since 2001. He has also worked as an equipment manager for the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds and Carolina Cobras.

     Moon has been on the UAlbany staff since September 2000, when she was appointed director of recreation and intramurals. She has worked in the recreation and fitness field for more than 20 years. Probst has been with the athletic department as an administrative assistant for four years. She previously coordinated athletic facilities scheduling for The Sages Colleges.

COLIN DISCH ON THE SPORTS NETWORK PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA FOOTBALL TEAM

     Philadelphia, Pa. – University at Albany’s Colin Disch has been selected to The Sports Network’s 2005 Preseason I-AA Mid-Major All-America Football Team as announced on Thursday, July 7. Disch, a sophomore inside linebacker, was last year’s Northeast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year.

     Disch enjoyed a spectacular first year with the UAlbany program as a redshirt freshman in 2004. He ranked eighth among the NCAA Division I-AA leaders at 11.91 tackles per game. Disch tied the third-highest total in school history with 131 tackles and in the process established a freshman single-season record.

     A native of North Plainfield, N.J., Disch was named first-team I-AA Mid-Major All-America by Football Gazette and CollegeSportsReport.com, plus earned first-team All-NEC and honorable mention All-ECAC recognition. He recorded double-figure tackles in all 11 games, including a career-high 16 against Robert Morris.

     UAlbany begins its 2005 schedule at home against Hofstra on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6:00 p.m. The Great Danes will play three Atlantic 10 Conference teams, including Massachusetts and Maine, as part of an upgraded non-league slate.

UALBANY PLACES 100 ATHLETES ON AMERICA EAST WINTER-SPRING ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

     Boston, Mass. – University at Albany has placed 100 student-athletes on the America East Conference Winter-Spring Academic Honor Roll for earning grade point averages of 3.0 or higher, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday, July 5.

     The athletes were members of teams in the 16 championship sports which America East offered in the winter and spring seasons, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, softball and baseball.

     UAlbany also had 44 student-athletes on the Commissioner’s Honor Roll who posted a 3.50 GPA or above during the 2005 spring semester. Six athletes earned a 4.0 GPA during the spring, including track standout Alyssa Lotmore, basketball player Kelly Martinson and tennis competitors Amanda Hall and Lisa Fund.

     The Great Danes captured three conference championships in men’s track, men’s lacrosse and softball during the spring season. Men’s Track & Field had 18 athletes on the academic honor roll, while men’s lacrosse and softball totaled 16 and 13, respectively.

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UAlbany Athletes on America East Conference Winter-Spring Academic Honor Roll

Baseball: Roman Dubiel, Craig Farley, Chris Ott, Ethan Vaiana.

Men’s Basketball: Courtney Johnson, Jon Iati, Brian Lillis.

Women’s Basketball: Alicia Learn, Kelly Martinson, Sherri Mikus, Jen Schumacher.

Women’s Golf: Lauren Bruce, Jill Friedman, Diane Onofry, Samantha Williams.

Men’s Lacrosse: Mike Ammann, A.J. Babnik, Greg Beach, Eric Dunne, John Eleby, Paul Guzzone, Rick Malan, Patrick McSweeney, Garrett Pedley, Mark Phelan, Kevin Rae, Marc Smith, Jim Stankard, Caleb Stratton, Tom Trapani, Merrick Thomson.

Women’s Lacrosse: Jane Bush, Stacey Brown, Barbara Czaplinski, Jen Daly, Katie DeJoseph, Kate Fontana, Ashley Heilmann, Domenica LoRe, Brittany Scott, Sarah Spillett, Teresa Strano.

Softball: Brittany Burnham, Leslie Busch, Danielle Buyea, Katrina Dunning, Julie Gannon, Casey Halloran, Maegan Larsen, Amber Maisonet, Ali Meacham, Lisa Meck, Kelly Ogden, Lauren Perk, Katie Trott.

Women’s Tennis: Lisa Fund, Amanda Hall, Aimee Kern, Priyanka Patel.

Men’s Track & Field: Andy Allstadt, Teiko Aryee, Aleksey Bakharev, Anthony Basile, Jesse Bennett, Peter Chesser, Kamar Elliott, Ricardo Estremera, Brandon Howlett, Jeanpierre Jeanbaptiste, Christopher Jimenez, Jason Kruger, Tim O’Riley, Chris Pierson, Mike Reynolds, Anthony Robibero, Matthew Roche, Andres Vives.

Women’s Track & Field: Adanna Andrews, Anisha Andrews, Heather Angel, Natasha Bermudez, Jenny Boshco, Maureen Brown, Anna-Kay Campbell, Sarah Charles, Tequirra Cox, Patty Deidrich, Eliana Durko, LaTrice Ewing, Arina Gerasimova, Theresa Juva, Alyssa Lotmore, Amy Morrison, Trista Neinast, Jennifer Russell, Rachel Selkregg, Jillian Sherman, Karrie Spagnola, Nicole Susser, Rebecca Vannoy.