Senate members, including faculty, students and support staff, debated the proposed sports upgrade from the current Division II level for about an hour before a show-of-hands vote passed the recommendation.

The President has until June 1 to make a decision that affects the 1999-2000 season. “There is still input coming in,” she said following the meeting. She added that she has conferred recently with, among others, Interim SUNY Chancellor John Ryan, local business leaders and Albany alumni on the matter.

Under the plan, Albany intercollegiate teams could move to the higher-profile Division I level in the Fall of 1999.

If approved, all of Albany’s sports teams would compete at the Division I level except football, which would play at the lower Division I-AA category, where much less scholarship money is required.

Debate at the Senate meeting centered on the cost of going to Division I. David Shub of the Department of Biology said the move would eventually require new facilities. Helmut Hirsch of the same department expressed concern about the “human resources” required, such as additional athletic and support staff. “I wonder whether we can afford to direct revenues to make this Division I (move) a success,” he said.

But John Delano, chair of the Department of Earth and Geological Sciences, said he felt assured that the funds were available to support the move, now that students, by referendum, have approved an increase in their Intercollegiate Athletics Fees (IAF). “Students have spoken in a near 10-1 margin that Division I is about our future,” said Michael Castrilli, president of the Student Senate.

One student, junior Robert Rothenberg, voiced objection to the move, however, saying “There are people currently on this campus that are not receiving the financial aid they need. Now you want to increase fees to benefit only 75 student athletes.”

His reference was to the fact that, to move to Division I, the University must fund 75 full athletic scholarships for male and female athletes at a cost of $750,000 — money raised by the $45 raise in IAF by 1999. Albany would spend $2.9 million on athletics in 1999-2000 if it moves to Div. 1, according to preliminary estimates, $500,000 hike from this year.

Milt Richards, athletic director, said that those numbers are “conservative,” and do not reflect potential revenue from ticket sales.

“No one knows what the impact will be,” said Judith Baskin of the Department of Judaic Studies. “There’s a very good chance that the impact would be positive.”

Sophomore Ellakisha Williamson won three events and set two meet records as Albany defended its women’s title at the seventh annual Albany Invitational on Saturday afternoon at University Field. The Great Danes also captured their fourth consecutive men’s championship.

Williamson provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II championships, and eclipsed a meet record which had stood for 12 years with a time of 24.65 seconds in the 200-meter dash. She also won the 100-hurdles in a meet-record 14.25, and the 100-dash in 12.06. In addition, Williamson anchored Albany’s 400-meter relay, which was clocked in 48.10 to qualify for NCAAs and break another meet standard.

The Great Danes were first in the team standings with 282 points, while Binghamton was second with 149.

Xiomara Davila Diaz, who also competed on the 400-relay, turned in an NCAA-qualifying performance at 400 meters. She ran a provisional mark of 56.50, which established another Albany Invitational record.

Other women to capture individual titles on Saturday include Janna Johnston in the heptathlon, Erica Viger in the 400-hurdles, and Andrea Viger in the 1,500, Flavia Cass in the discus and Renee Martin in the high jump.

Albany scored 302 points in the men’s competition to outdistance runner-up Ithaca (164) for its fourth straight crown. Dennis King from Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School, who won at 5,000 meters on Friday evening, was first in the 800 in 1:55.14. Other Great Dane athletes who garnered two events were Rich O’Riley (long jump, triple jump) and Tom Marshall (discus, shot put).

Sophomore Jayson Vasquez was a winner in the 400-hurdles and a member of the first-place 400-relay team. Rob Naughter took the 1,500 in 4:04.34.

On the first day of competition, Tonya Dodge, an All-America runner in cross country and track, shattered a 14-year-old school record in winning the women’s 10,000-meter run, and provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships. Dodge, a senior, battled the cold and wind to finish first in 36:55.94, and broke a mark set by Kathy McCarthy who ran 37:26 in 1983.

Albany’s Samantha Cohen won the 3,000-meter race walk for the second consecutive year, and eclipsed her own meet record in 14:23.54.

Senior pitcher Bill Jarvela posted his third victory of the season with a complete-game effort in the nightcap, as the Great Danes split a New England Collegiate Conference double-header at New Haven last Sunday. Albany (9-8, NECC 2-4) won the second game, 5-2, while the Chargers took the opener, 4-2.

Jarvela improved to 3-1 on the mound with four strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. Heath Mullen, who went 4-for-8 at the plate in the twinbill, had an RBI single in a three-run third inning. Chris Jones drove in another run with a single in the fifth.

Shortstop Josh Finn batted .500 in last week’s action with five runs scored, while freshman outfielder Michael Oliva hit .315 in the leadoff spot. The Great Danes are 5-5 on the road this season as opposed to a 4-9 away record in 1996.

Tina Anello scored the go-ahead goal with 5:48 remaining to lift Philadelphia Textile to a 12-11 victory over visiting Albany on April 13.

Ashley Bottomley led the Lady Rams with two goals and two assists, while goalkeeper Steph Sarin made 14 saves. Karen Karpus had four goals for Albany, which dropped a 16-11 decision at Shippensburg last Saturday. Freshman Kim Martini stopped 19 shots in her first collegiate start at goalkeeper.

Karpus, a sophomore from New Hyde Park, N.Y., leads Albany in scoring with 13 goals, while junior midfielder Rafaela Nikas has seven goals and three assists.

Freshman attackman Sean McConaghy and Mike McCarthy, a junior midfielder, had a hand in victories over Skidmore and Keuka last week. Albany (3-3) faces the Division II’s top-ranked team in C.W. Post at Varsity Field on April 16.

McConaghy had three goals and one assist and McCarthy scored three times as the Danes rallied in the fourth quarter for a 10-9 triumph at Keuka. Albany trailed 7-4 heading into the final period, but reeled off six unanswered goals.

In the home opener on April 9, McConaghy had three goals and McCarthy added two goals and two assists in a 12-3 win over Skidmore.

Kelly Poynton, a sophomore pitcher, recorded 10 strikeouts in a complete-game decision in the second game, as Albany split a non-conference twinbill with Rensselaer on April 11. The Great Danes are 10-9 overall, and 1-5 in New England Collegiate Conference play.

Poynton improved to 3-3 on the mound, and has a 3.02 earned run average after the 6-4 victory over Rensselaer. Senior catcher Ellen Braun slammed a two-run triple to left field as Albany scored five times in second inning.

Amy McGroty leads the regulars with a .386 batting average, and has 16 RBIs. Jackie Knapp is first on the team in home runs (3) and RBIs (19).

Freshman Kara Faraone has worked her way into the lineup as both an outfielder and pitcher. She has a .348 batting average on the season, and has driven in 11 runs. Faraone of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., has a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched.