2004-05 Featured Athlete of the Week Archive

August 22, 2005 - Nicole Hercules - Women's Soccer

August 8, 2005 - Robbie Freeman - Men's Cross Country / Track

July 25, 2005 - Kate Fontana - Women's Lacrosse

July 18, 2005 - Ashlee Reed - Volleyball

July 12, 2005 - Kevin Rae - Men's Lacrosse

July 6, 2005 - Lisa Fund - Women's Tennis

June 27, 2005 - Danielle Hutcheson - Women's Basketball

June 20, 2005 - Sara Rickard - Women's Soccer

June 13, 2005 - Lucious Jordan - Men's Basketball

June 2, 2005 - Bouna Coundoul - Men's Soccer

May 23, 2005 - Alyssa Lotmore - Women's Track / Cross Country

May 16, 2005 - Joe Lamb - Baseball

May 9, 2005 - Amanda Morin - Softball

May 2, 2005 - Luke Daquino - Men's Lacrosse

April 25, 2005 - Jill Friedman - Women's Golf

April 18, 2005 - Nicole Susser - Women's Track / Cross Country

April 11, 2005 - Brandon Shaw - Football

April 4, 2005 - Alexis Johnson - Field Hockey

March 28, 2005 - Andy Allstadt - Men's Track / Cross Country

March 21, 2005 - Blair Buchanan - Volleyball

March 14, 2005 - Ashley Heilmann - Women's Lacrosse

August 22, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Nicole Hercules. A senior forward on the women's soccer team, Hercules finished the 2004 season as the team's third-leading scorer with nine points on three goals and three assists. Hercules, who is serving as co-captain this year, scored the game-winning goal against Wagner last season.

     Prior to her arrival at UAlbany, Hercules played at Monroe Community College where she was named to the all-region team as well as the All-Western New York Athletic Conference Second Team. Hercules was also voted the Region III Best Offensive Player while starring for the Lady Tribunes.

     A sociology major, Hercules was an all-county and all-regional standout at Rush-Henrietta High School.

August 8, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is senior Robbie Freeman, who enters his final season with the cross country and track and field teams. Freeman became UAlbany's first IC4A men's cross country champion last season, finishing in a time of 25:17 over the five-mile course at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y. Freeman's time ranks second in the school record book.

     Freeman finished sixth in a school-record time of 24:39.20 at the 2004 America East Cross Country Championship, and helped the Great Danes to a fourth-place team finish. During the 2004-05 indoor track season, Freeman captured the America East championship in the 5,000-meters. His time of 14:28.03 stands as the fourth fastest time in America East indoor history.

     Freeman captured second place in the 3,000-meter run at the Great Dane Classic. Freeman, who is majoring in human biology, placed seventh in the 3,000m at the America East Championship as the Great Danes finished second in the team standings.

July 25, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Kate Fontana. A sophomore midfielder on the women's lacrosse team, Fontana ranked among the America East Conference scoring leaders with 45 goals and four assists.

     A first-team all-conference selection, Fontana finished the season among the national leaders with 3.44 ground balls per game. Fontana added 2.00 caused turnovers per game. The native of East Syracuse, N.Y. helped the Great Danes to their second straight appearance in the America East Conference Tournament last season. Fontana was named to the America East second team and all-rookie squad in 2004.

     Fontana, a high school Academic All-American, is a member of the America East and UAlbany Athletic Honor Rolls. 

July 18, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Ashlee Reed. A junior middle hitter on the volleyball team, Reed helped the Great Danes to their first America East Conference championship and NCAA Division I Tournament berth.

     Reed finished third on the team with 315 kills and ranked among the America East leaders with a .319 hitting percentage. Reed, a two-time All-America East selection, added 2.20 digs and 0.65 blocks per game.

     "Ashlee is the most complete player in the conference," said UAlbany head coach Kelly Sheffield. "She is very confident and had put more work into this off-season than she has in previous years. There is no question that she is the glue to this team."

     Reed, a member of the America East and UAlbany Athletic Honor Rolls, is majoring in human biology with a minor in psychology. 

July 12, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Kevin Rae. A senior goalkeeper for the men's lacrosse team, Rae is a three-time America East Conference championship MVP. Rae helped the Great Danes to their third consecutive America East title and NCAA Tournament appearance. UAlbany finished the 2005 season ranked No. 13 in the final USILA poll.

     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. He made double-figure saves 48 times as a collegian, including 17 against Virginia in this year’s NCAA Tournament. He had a career-high 24 saves against nationally-ranked Massachusetts in March.

     Rae, who was chosen to play in the North-South Division I All-Star game, received the 2004 Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award. He is majoring in finance/management with a minor in business administration.

July 6, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Lisa Fund. A senior on the women's tennis team, Fund helped the Great Danes finish the 2004-05 season with a seven-win improvement over the previous year.
     Fund played in five singles and four doubles matches during the year. She finished her career with two doubles victories, with her first collegiate win coming against Manhattan in 2003.

     A native of Massapequa, N.Y., Fund was recently named to the America East Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll after recording a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the spring semester. Fund, who has a major in mathematics and a minor in business administration, is also a member of the UAlbany Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

June 27, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Danielle Hutcheson. A senior center on the women's basketball team, Hutcheson became the first player in the program's history to combine for 1,000 points and 900 rebounds.
     Hutcheson, a two-time America East All-Conference first-team selection, ranked fourth among conference scoring leaders at 14.9 points per game. Hutcheson, a 6-foot-4 native of Phoenix, Ariz., led the league in  rebounding with 9.9 boards per game.
     "Dani has contributed to our community and our athletic department, as well as our academic campus," said UAlbany basketball coach Trina Patterson, whose team set a program record with 14 victories at the Division I level. "She understands the game and has an incredible work ethic. There is no doubt that she will become an outstanding professional athlete."
     Hutcheson, who is majoring in communication with a minor in women's studies, also ranks third on the career blocks chart with 127. She has won or shared the team's MVP award three consecutive seasons.

June 20, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is Sara Rickard. A senior midfielder on the women's soccer team, Rickard finished as UAlbany's career leader in matches played and started with 76.

     Rickard is tied for first all-time with 16 goals scored and ranks second on the point list with 36. The Otisville, N.Y. native tallied four goals and two assists for 10 points as a senior to earn America East All-Conference honors for the fourth time in her career. Rickard was named to the second team twice and selected an honorable mention once. 

     "Sara stayed with the program through its ups and downs," said UAlbany coach Kalekeni Banda. "She was one of the team leaders last season. I'm happy she was able to finish her career at UAlbany as one of the top players in the conference."

     Rickard, a member of the America East and UAlbany Athletic Honor Rolls, majored in psychology with a minor in general education studies. She was voted team MVP three times and earned co-MVP honors in 2004.

June 13, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is junior guard Lucious Jordan. A Loyola, Md. transfer, Jordan ranked among the America East Conference scoring leaders in his first season with the Great Danes.

     Jordan averaged 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds a game en route to earning America East All-Conference Second Team accolades. He also chipped in 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals. Jordan scored in double figures in 24 of 28 games, including a career-high 30 against Sacred Heart. A 6-foot-2 native of Albany, Jordan scored his 1,000th point as a collegian this season.

     "He is a great player who works hard," said UAlbany head coach Will Brown, whose team finished fourth in the America East standings. "He is a young man that sets an example that other student-athletes can follow. Other players in our program respect him for how he carries himself both on and off the court."

     Jordan is majoring in communication with a minor in sociology.

June 2, 2005 - This week's Featured Athlete of the Week is senior goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul. Coundoul, the 2004 America East Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, ranked third among the NCAA Division I leaders in goals against average at 0.54 per game. He posted a .901 save percentage with 11 shutouts as a senior. Coundoul led UAlbany to a 12-4-2 record, the program’s highest win total since 1992, and a share of the America East regular-season title.

     A native of Dakar, Senegal, Coundoul was named first-team NSCAA/adidas All-New York Region in his final season. He also was chosen to the All-America East Conference team for the third consecutive year, including a pair of first-team selections.

     During his UAlbany career, Coundoul recorded a 0.93 goals against average and 17 shutouts, plus made 271 saves. He once posted a shutout streak that lasted 426 minutes over six matches.

     "He is a tremendous story that can inspire all young goalkeepers," UAlbany coach Johan Aarnio commented. "As a graduating senior and the first player to reach the MLS ranks from our program, Bouna will develop well as a professional. His demeanor with others and professionalism make him a true role model for other student-athletes to emulate."

     Coundoul signed a developmental contract with Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids. He recently earned his undergraduate degree in information science with a minor in French.

May 23, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is sophomore Alyssa Lotmore. A native of Albany, N.Y., Lotmore is a member of the women’s cross country and track and field teams.

     Lotmore finished fourth at the ECAC Cross Country Championships with a time of 18:31.27 to earn All-East honors. The Great Danes placed fourth overall in the team standings. Lotmore recorded a second-place showing in the mile and a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter run at the America East Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. She set a school record in the 3,000-meters at the ECAC indoor meet, finishing tenth in a time of 9:42.71.

     Lotmore, who was named the America East track performer of the week on April 12, shattered the school record in the 5,000-meter run by posting a time of 16:51.77 at the Duke Invitational. Lotmore paced the Great Danes at the America East outdoor championship, placing second in the 5,000 and fourth in the 1,500.   Lotmore will compete at the NCAA East Regional in Randalls Park, N.Y. on May 27-28.

     "Alyssa is one of the most dedicated student-athletes that I have worked with in my coaching career," said Roberto Vives, who is in his 20th season as UAlbany’s director of track and field. "She is a complete student-athlete who works hard on the track and had a 4.0 (grade point average) this spring."

May 16, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Joe Lamb. A native of Deptford, N.J., Lamb is a senior shortstop on the baseball team.

     An All-America East Conference first-team selection as a junior, Lamb has started all 188 games since his arrival at UAlbany. He is batting .252 with 14 RBI and 29 runs scored this season. He earned America East player of the week honors after hitting .647 from April 11-17. Lamb, who is serving as a tri-captain this season, ranks second all-time at UAlbany with 54 stolen bases and third with 202 career hits.

     "Joe is the best all-around player that I have seen in my seven years," said UAlbany coach Jon Mueller, whose team is vying for its second straight America East postseason tournament berth. "He is an irreplaceable component to the program. He is talented, experienced and fearless. Joe is the toughest kid I have ever coached."

     Lamb is majoring in psychology with a minor in education.

May 9, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Amanda Morin. A native of Gansevoort, N.Y., Morin is in her first year with the program as a starting pitcher.

     Morin, a junior right-hander, is having a spectacular season on the mound after transferring from Florida Atlantic University. She has a 14-2 record with two saves and 13 complete games. Morin leads the America East Conference in earned run average (0.65), shutouts (7) and opponents’ batting average (.126). In 107.1 innings and 19 appearances, she has 106 strikeouts with just 15 walks. Morin had six one-hit performances and has struck out 10 on four occasions.

     "She has been consistent and composed throughout the season," said UAlbany coach Chris Cannata, who has led the program to its second consecutive America East Conference regular-season title with a 32-12 record. "Amanda has pitched in a lot of big games during her career and that experience will help us in the postseason. She has to be admired for going out there whenever we need her despite the pain she deals with in her joints and arm."

     Morin played on two conference championship squads at Florida Atlantic, as she won a combined 43 games in her two seasons with the program. Morin is majoring in mathematics and has a dual minor in education and physics.

May 2, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Luke Daquino. A senior from Farmingville, N.Y., Daquino is a three-time All-America East Conference attackman in men’s lacrosse.

     Daquino is currently among the NCAA Division I scoring leaders with 25 goals and 31 assists. He established the school’s single-game assists record, when he handed out eight against Hartford on March 26. Daquino, who is on the Tewaaraton Award Players to Watch List, has twice earned America East player of the week recognition in 2005.

     Last Saturday, Daquino became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 220 points (95 goals, 125 assists). He broke a mark established by Cort Kim, who had 218 points from 1989-92. Daquino has been a model of consistency throughout his career with 50 or more points in four consecutive seasons.

     "Luke has been a leader since day one," said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, whose program has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. "He’s as good a player as I’ve coached. He has tremendous work ethic, dedication, plus he makes the players around him better."

     Daquino, who was voted the 2003 America East player of the year as a sophomore, has earned first-team all-conference honors the last two seasons. He is majoring in sociology with a minor in business administration.

April 25, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Jill Friedman. A senior from Liverpool, N.Y., Friedman has been one of the top athletes on the women’s golf team for four consecutive years.

     Friedman, who tied for 17th at last weekend’s Northeast Intercollegiate Championships, led the Great Danes in stroke average at 83.83 per round during the fall of 2004. She shot a season-low 78 in the opening round of the Rutgers Invitational en route to a top-20 finish. Friedman also tied for ninth at the Mount Holyoke Invitational.

     Friedman placed second at the 2004 America East Conference championships in leading the Great Danes to the league title. She has shared the program’s team MVP award twice, plus qualified for the championship flight of the 2002 New York State Women’s Amateur.

     "Jill is a good competitor and the best-conditioned athlete on the team," UAlbany coach Richard "Doc" Sauers commented. "She can survive a bad start, fight, and come back. She hits a long ball off the tee despite her small stature. Jill’s a dedicated student and a popular teammate."

     A 2004 Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, Friedman has been named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll on three occasions. Friedman, who has been a peer tutor for Student Athlete Support Services, is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. She recently obtained a position with a Wall Street firm.

April 18, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Nicole Susser. A senior from Albany, N.Y., Susser is a member of the school’s women’s cross country squad and track & field team.

     As a captain in the fall of 2004, Susser recorded four top-20 finishes as a cross country competitor. She placed 14th at the ECAC Division I championships and was 22nd at the America East Conference meet.

     Susser was a member of the 4x800-meter relay that qualified for the 2005 ECAC indoor championships. She finished eighth in the 1,000-meter run at the America East championships, and ran one leg on the winning distance medley relay at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games.

     Susser recently posted a 63.7-split on the third leg of the first-place 4x400 relay that won the 11th annual UAlbany Spring Classic with a time of 4:02.60. In addition, she placed fourth at the Duke Invitational in the 1,500 with a personal-best 4:42.92.

     "She’s one of the most committed student-athletes in our program," UAlbany track coach Roberto Vives commented. "Nicole has helped any way should could, and competed in the 400 up to the 5,000. She has had a great career and has turned the corner with her performances this spring."

     Susser is majoring in psychology with a minor in general education studies. She has been named to both the America East Conference Commissioner’s and UAlbany Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Rolls. Susser worked for two summers on the New York Giants training camp staff.

April 11, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Brandon Shaw. A senior captain from Auburn, N.Y., Shaw was a four-time All-Northeast Conference offensive lineman and a 2004 Football Gazette Division I-AA Mid-Major second-team All-American.

     In 2004, Shaw blocked for an offensive unit that ranked seventh nationally in rushing at 254.7 yards per game. Nicholas Bazan established the school’s single-season rushing record by a quarterback with 1,043 yards and 12 touchdowns.

     Shaw started 42 of 44 games played during his career as a guard and center on the offensive line. He played on two NEC championship squads, and was a member of the 2002 ECAC champions that knocked off previously unbeaten Duquesne.

     "Brandon is a leader by example," said UAlbany coach Bob Ford, who has coached the program from the club level to its current Division I-AA status. "He has a great work ethic; he’s a technician who is totally unselfish. He gives you everything he’s got and is a fierce warrior."

     Shaw graduated in the spring of 2004 with a B.S. in business administration with a concentration in finance and management. He is enrolled in UAlbany’s master’s accounting program. A four-time NEC Academic Honor Roll recipient, Shaw has been a student worker in the school’s department of athletics and a member of the New York Giants training camp staff.

April 4, 2005 – UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Alexis Johnson. A senior tri-captain from Andover, N.J., Johnson was a four-year letterwinner on the women’s field hockey team and finished her career as one of the top scorers in the program’s history.

     In 2004, Johnson was among the America East Conference’s top-10 scorers with nine goals and four assists for 22 points. She tied a career-high with three goals and one assist against St. Francis, Pa., and scored the game-winning goals against both Rhode Island and Columbia, a 1-0 victory on Oct. 17.

     Johnson finished her collegiate career ranked fourth in goals (31), fourth in points (75) and sixth in assists (13) among UAlbany’s all-time leaders. She was voted second-team all-conference as a junior.

     "Alexis was a pleasure to have on the team," UAlbany head coach Phil Sykes said. "Her hard work and dedication inspired the younger players every day. She will be very hard to replace."

     Johnson is majoring in psychology with a dual minor in criminal justice and education. She has been selected to both the America East and UAlbany Athletic Academic Honor Rolls.

March 28, 2005 -- UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Andy Allstadt. A senior from Endicott, N.Y., Allstadt is one of the top competitors on the cross country team and a distance runner on the track & field squad.

     Allstadt earned All-America East Conference recognition for the third consecutive year with a seventh-place finish at the conference championships. He placed in the top 10 for the second straight year at the IC4A championships by capturing seventh with a time of 25:46 over the Van Cortlandt Park course.

     An accomplished track athlete, Allstadt placed fifth in the 5,000-meter run and sixth in the 3,000 at the 2005 America East Conference Indoor Championships. He also qualified for the IC4A meet in the 3,000. Last week at North Carolina State’s Raleigh Relays, he ran a personal-best 14:43.27 in the 5,000. Allstadt won the 2002 America East outdoor 10,000m title, and was clocked in 31:54.57.

     "Andy was an America East champion as a freshman, and has put himself in a good position to do that again, "said UAlbany's Roberto Vives, who is in his 20th season as head track & field coach. "As a captain, he is a quiet leader, who leads by example and work ethic.  People take notice of that.  In the last four meets (indoor and outdoor), he has run personal bests."

     A Presidential Scholar, Allstadt is majoring in biology. He has been named to both the America East Conference Commissioner’s and UAlbany Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll, and was recently nominated for the Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award.

March 21, 2005 -- UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Blair Buchanan. A sophomore setter from Muncie, Ind., Buchanan became the first player in the volleyball program’s history to earn Division I All-America recognition. She was voted to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) team as an honorable mention selection.

     Buchanan became the first athlete in America East Conference history to be named both the player and setter of the year. In 2004, she led the Great Danes to their first-ever America East regular-season and tournament championships with a 27-7 record. Her team became the first women’s program in UAlbany history to earn a NCAA Division I Tournament berth.

     As a sophomore, Buchanan established a single-season record with 1,448 assists. She averaged a conference-best 12.59 assists per game to go with 2.39 digs and 1.28 kills and a .331 hitting percentage.

     "Blair is probably the best setter in the Northeast," offered Kelly Sheffield, the 2004 America East Coach of the Year.  "She has been working hard since the season ended, as she attempts to become a more complete player.  With her talent and willingness to work hard, she can become one of the top setters in the country by the time she graduates." 

     Buchanan, an AVCA All-Northeast Region choice, is majoring in accounting with a minor in business administration. Her high school teammate, Ashley DeNeal, also appeared in all 34 matches for the Great Danes.

March 14, 2005 -- UAlbany’s Featured Athlete of the Week is Ashley Heilmann. A senior midfielder on the women’s lacrosse team, Heilmann has started 29 of 44 career games player prior to the 2005 season. In 2004, she served as co-captain and collected 25 grounds balls and forcing eight turnovers.

     Heilmann, a native of Syracuse, N.Y. (Corcoran H.S.), has been chosen to the America East Conference Winter-Spring Academic Honor Roll in three consecutive years. She has a dual major in communication and linguistics.

     "Ashley is a tremendous leader," states UAlbany coach Dennis Short, whose team has qualified for the America East postseason tournament in two of the last three seasons. "She is a player that will do anything that is asked of her. She is hard-working and only cares about helping the team."

    An accomplished singer, Heilmann has sung the national anthem at UAlbany athletic events. She has served on the UAlbany Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.