Gettysburg College Bullets

Going Out With a Bang: Esposito Reflects on Record-Setting 5K

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:02:00 GMT

By all accounts, Christine Esposito ’13 had already accomplished more in the spring of 2013 than she or anyone close to the Gettysburg College track & field program could have imagined just months earlier.

Despite missing the entire indoor season and the start of the outdoor campaign recovering from a debilitating hamstring injury, she turned in two outstanding performances at the Centennial Conference Championships. On the opening day of the meet on May 3, she set a personal record (PR) in the 10,000-meter run, earning the silver medal with a time of 37:30.57. Her time placed her third on the school’s all-time performers list in the event.

She followed up two days later on the final day of the meet with an eighth-place showing in the 5,000-meter run, missing an additional PR by just 14 seconds.

She could have walked away at that point and been well-satisfied with a successful career. After all, she had earned All-Conference and All-Region honors in cross country the previous fall, and she would have graduated with the indoor school record in the 3,000 while being ranked No. 2 all-time at Gettysburg outdoors in the 5,000 and No. 3 in the 10,000.

But one meet loomed – the Swarthmore Last Qualifier Meet, held at Widener University on May 13. After some initial hesitation, she decided to run in the 5,000 at the suggestion of Head Coach Aubrey Shenk.

All she did was run a PR by 17 seconds and, in the process, take down the school record of 17:42.61 set by Jaimie Bagatti ’04 in 2004. With a time of 17:37.63, she placed fifth out of 23 competitors.

Shenk deemed it the best race of Esposito’s career.

“She put it all together,” said Shenk. “Smart racing, trusting her fitness, using the competition to her advantage, positive mental attitude, and going for it, leaving it all on the track.

“It was an incredible performance to cap an exceptional 30-day season. She came all the way back and more from what could have been and probably should have been a career-ending injury.”

Esposito recently shared her mindset heading into the meet, her road to recovery, and her record-setting 12 1/2 laps.

Q: Coach Shenk mentioned that you were undecided on whether or not you wanted to compete at this final meet. What made you decide you wanted to race one last time?
A: I was going back and forth all week because it had been such a long season fighting through injuries and I was having trouble recovering after the conference meet. But a week after the meet it hit me that it was going to be the only opportunity to ever race in a Gettysburg uniform again. After four years I knew that I would regret it if I didn’t even try.

Q: What was your goal heading into the meet?
A: I was originally planning on running the 10K, but no one was entered in it, so at the last minute I had to switch gears and prepare myself for the 5K. I didn’t have as much confidence tackling a 5K since I hadn’t done much speed work, so my plan was to just go out there and have fun and try to come as close as I could to my PR. Coach thought I had a shot at the record though, so he encouraged me to aim for 85’s each lap. I didn’t really have anything to lose so I just decided to go out there and see what I could do.

Q: The race was held under the lights after the temperature had dropped – how did the weather affect your performance?
A: We were the last event, so we were literally shivering in the cold all night, but once we got going, we barely noticed it. In fact, I think the colder temperature helped, and running under the lights is my favorite, so I was really excited to race.

Q: Can you talk about the opening mile of the race?
A: The leaders took the race out pretty fast, but I tend to go out slower and work my way up through the middle part of the race. I had a hard time getting into position so my first lap was a little slow and I had to pick it up a little in the first mile. I ended up going through in 5:36, which made me nervous because I felt a little more tired than I had hoped to during the first few laps. But then I got into a groove and felt better throughout the middle parts of the race. I think the fast early pace was good because once I was halfway through and still feeling really strong, I knew I wasn’t going to let myself mess it up.

Q: As you made your way through the second and third miles, did you realize you were on pace for a school record? How was your pace during this portion of the race?
A: My teammates were giving me splits every lap, so I knew I was on pace during the middle part of the race. I was going through in about 84 or 85 seconds every lap and I remember being surprised and thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t blown up yet!”

Q: How did the competition around you affect the way you ran?
A: The fast field helped so much. I tend to go out slower than most people, so I was in the middle of the pack for the first mile. I race best when I have people to chase, so I was able to pick runners off one by one during the middle parts of the race, which helped me stay on pace and keep focused. My teammates were also screaming their heads off at the 200 and 400, and they kept me going. It was such an adrenaline rush.

Q: How soon after you finished did you know you broke the school record? What were your emotions?
A: There was a clock at the finish line, so heading into the final lap, I knew where I stood. I just gave it everything I had the last 400 meters and knew during the final straightaway that I was going to get the record. It was the best feeling in the world – I was exhausted but I wanted it to last forever.

For a while it didn’t even look like I was going to race this season, let alone get a PR, so it meant the world to me. It was so exciting too because Anna [Schneider ’13] also ran an amazing race. After four years of workouts and meets with her, it was really special for us to be able to run our last race together and both run our best times.

Q: How were you able to rebound so well this spring after missing so much time recovering from your injury?
A: I tore my hamstring in cross country and pushed through it to finish up the season. After regionals, I found out that I was going to have to take a few months off from running. I knew that even competing in outdoor was up in the air. It was my last season though, and as a captain, I knew that I still needed to set an example for the team and if there was a chance at competing, I needed to do everything I could do make that possible.

I did a lot of cross training over the winter, including swimming, spin class, and the elliptical. I started to do some easy running at the end of February and by the end of March worked up to doing some pickups and short tempo-paced intervals. I did all of my quality workouts on the elliptical though. Right before the Messiah meet [on April 13], I was able to do three cruise miles at about 6:30 pace, which was really encouraging, so I told coach to throw me into a 5K in the meet. Each week I would do the 5K and just give myself a target pace to see if my hamstring could handle it and luckily, I was able to.

I stayed away from speed work to make sure I didn’t reinjure myself. Once conferences came, it was go time. I think most of it, though, was mental and just for the love of the sport. I stopped caring about what kind of shape I was in compared to everyone else. It was my last season and I wanted to make up for lost time, so I just pushed myself as hard as I could those last few races.

Q: Can you reflect on your Gettysburg athletic experience – what are some of the things that you are the most proud of?
A: Being a member of the cross country and track programs truly made my Gettysburg experience and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Over the past four years, this team has become my family. We’ve all worked so hard and always pushed each other to improve, and it has really been a blast. I’m most proud of some of my track races in 2011 (Princeton, The Armory), this past conference meet, the last-chance meet at Widener, and my senior cross country season. I felt like those races were really when I saw results from hard work.

I’m also proud of how we have grown as a team. There were some amazing performances this past year, which was especially evident at the conference meet. So many of the girls and guys have improved drastically since their freshman year, and that has been so exciting to watch. The team has really grown in the past few years.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: I'm going to miss competing for Gettysburg so much, but it has been the best experience. Coach Shenk was such a positive influence and always saw more potential in me and my teammates than we ever saw in ourselves.

Editor’s Note: At Spring Honors Day on May 18, Esposito won the Noerr Award, given to a female senior on the basis of proficiency in athletics, scholarship, and character. She graduated from Gettysburg on May 19 with a degree in health sciences.

Four Baseball Players Named All-Region

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:33:00 GMT

ABCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team | D3baseball.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College baseball team added another highlight to its banner season, as a program-record four Bullets captured All-Region honors, it was announced Monday.

Senior Pat Cody (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) and junior Al Posch (Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale) were named to both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings and D3baseball.com All-Region teams while junior Tommy LeNoir (Bear, Del./Red Lion Christian Academy) and sophomore Eric Hungerford (New Preston, Conn./Shepaug Valley) were also recognized by the ABCA.

All four players are first-time all-region selections.

Posch attained first-team status by the ABCA and is now eligible for All-America consideration. Also a second-team selection by D3baseball.com, the rightfielder finished the year on a tear, putting together a season-ending 28-game hitting streak. Posch, a second-team All-Centennial Conference (CC) pick, finished second on the team and fourth in the conference in batting (.383), and he also hit .429 in CC games. He set three different single-season school records and shattered the Gettysburg mark for doubles with 24 – nine more than the previous record – while finishing third in Division III and second in the conference. In addition, he made just one error and registered four outfield assists.

Posch also reset his own single-season school records for hits (72, 10th in Division III) and at-bats (188) that he established a year ago. He led the Bullets with 46 runs – just three shy of the school record – and was second on the team with 36 RBIs. He also tied the school record for hits in a game when he went 5-for-6 in a win over Dickinson.

Cody was a second-team all-region selection by both the ABCA and D3baseball.com. Also a First Team All-Centennial Conference honoree, the leftfielder led the team and finished third in the conference in batting at .395, and though he finished second on the team with 66 hits, that number would have exceeded the previous school record set last season.

Cody reached base in the final 32 games of his career, and he also batted safely in 30 of his final 31 outings while putting together a 23-game hitting streak during the stretch. After batting .222 over the first 12 games of the season, he hit .459 the rest of the way, including .419 over the team’s 18 Centennial Conference games.

For his career, Cody finished third in school history in career hits (184). He also finished with the school record for career walks (62), and ended up 10th in RBIs (83). In addition, he finished sixth in school history in batting average (.384) among players with at least 100 career at-bats.

LeNoir was named second team all-region by the ABCA. Also an All-Centennial Conference honorable mention, he turned in a strong season after missing all of the 2012 campaign with an injury. As the team’s primary shortstop down the stretch, he finished as the team’s third-leading hitter at .351. He also led the Bullets with two home runs while finishing second in doubles (13) and third in both runs (34) and RBIs (30). LeNoir also hit the go-ahead home run in the fourth inning during Gettysburg’s 8-7 at win at Johns Hopkins, ranked second in Division III at the time by D3baseball.com, in which the Bullets erased a 6-0 deficit.

Hungerford captured ABCA Third-Team All-Region honors. Also named to the All-Centennial Conference Second Team, he is coming off a breakthrough season, finishing 7-1 while recording the most victories by a Gettysburg pitcher since Chris Liegel ’09 tied the school record with nine in 2007. He tied for fourth in the conference in wins, posted an ERA of 2.52, struck out 55 batters, and issued just 14 walks over 71 1/3 innings, 10 appearances, and nine starts. A three-time Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Week, he also tossed five complete games and three shutouts.

In one of his top games of the year, Hungerford fired a six-hit complete game in Gettysburg’s 8-1 victory over No. 2 Johns Hopkins. He also made a career-high 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings in a 4-2 win over Rockford, and he strung together a 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless inning streak early in the season.

The Bullets recorded the winningest season in program history, finishing 30-13 while setting a school record for victories in a season. Gettysburg also went 13-5 in the Centennial Conference to finish second in the conference standings and earn a spot in the conference playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Jaeger Center Recognized by Keystone Edge Magazine

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:32:00 GMT

Keystone Edge "Five Coolest Green Buildings" in Pennsylvania

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Keystone Edge magazine has recognized Gettysburg’s John F. Jaeger Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness as one of the “Five Coolest Green Buildings” in Pennsylvania.

The facility was recognized for its sustainability features, including the structure of its 85-foot-tall Jaeger Tower.

The Jaeger Center opened in 2009, and the 55,000 square-foot facility also includes The Robert ’79 and Angela Ortenzio Fitness Center, a 35-foot freestanding climbing wall, a bouldering wall, the Gettysburg College Bullets Pool, multipurpose rooms, and a student lounge known as “The Dive.”

In 2010, the facility earned Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Ten Bullets Named to Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:14:00 GMT

LANCACASTER, Pa. – The Centennial Conference announced its Sportsmanship Team from the spring and 10 Gettysburg College student-athletes were on the list.

Each member institution was permitted to nominate one student-athlete from each spring program who exemplifies the best in sportsmanship. This is the sixth year of the All-Centennial Sportsmanship Team, which was proposed by the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The following student-athletes were named to the All-Sportsmanship Team:

Baseball
Junior #Nate Simon# (Gwynedd Valley, Pa./Abington Friends School)

Men’s Golf
Sophomore #Ben Kaestner# (Glyndon, Md./Franklin)

Women’s Golf
Senior #Kara McNulty# (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central)

Men’s Lacrosse
Senior #Evan Thomas# (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca)

Women’s Lacrosse
Senior #Lindsay Menton# (Ellicott City, Md./Glenelg Country School)

Softball
Senior #Joy Hallfors# (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore)

Men’s Tennis
Senior #Johnny Nelson# (Big Prarie, Ohio/West Holmes)

Women’s Tennis
Senior #Kelsey Boyce# (Arrowsic, Maine/Morse)

Men’s Track & Field
Senior #Will Demakis# (South Hadley, Mass./South Hadley)

Women’s Track & Field
Senior #Christine Esposito# (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy)

Cassidy Inducted into MAC Hall of Fame

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:51:00 GMT

2013 MAC Hall of Fame Class

ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its second Hall of Fame class, and former women’s swimming standout Lynne Cassidy ’92 represented Gettysburg among the 18 student-athletes, coaches, administration, faculty, or staff from current and past MAC institutions who were selected.

The MAC Hall of Fame started in 2012 as part of the conference’s “MAC 100,” a celebration of its 100th anniversary. The 2013 class of the MAC Hall of Fame was announced May 7 at the conference’s annual awards lunch on the campus of Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa.

Gettysburg competed in the MAC starting in 1914 before joining the Centennial Conference when it became an all-sports conference in 1993.

Gettysburg has now had three inductees into the MAC Hall of Fame. Last year, former track & field standout Arif Husain ’93 and long-time Sports Information Director Bob Kenworthy ’59 were part of the conference’s inaugural Hall of Fame Class.

Cassidy distinguished herself as one of the top student-athletes in Gettysburg College history. She captured some 25 All-America certificates and held an NCAA Division III record for nine years. A freestyle specialist, she led the Bullets to four straight MAC titles and four straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships. A three-time MAC Most Outstanding Swimmer, she won a total of 83 collegiate races.

At the NCAA Championships, Cassidy won back-to-back national titles in the 500-freestyle in 1990 and 1991. She broke the NCAA Division III record in the 500-free in 1991 with a time of 4:55.85, which was not bettered until 2000.

In 1991, Cassidy lost only one race while leading the Bullets to a 12-0 record and a program-best seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships. She won the Clair B. Noerr Award, given to the College’s top senior female student-athlete, and she still holds school records in the 200-freestyle (1:53.67), 500-freestyle (4:55.85), and 200-backstroke (2:07.21).
She was inducted into the Gettysburg College Hall of Athletic Honor in 2002.

Cassidy graduated from Gettysburg with a degree in Art and has worked in sustainability since 2007. In 2008, she became the Coordinator/Director of Sustainability at Colorado Mountain College, where she continues to hold the position. She earned her Master of Education degree in Education for Sustainability from Antioch University New England in 2009.

In addition, Cassidy has been a board member of Garfield Clean Energy since 2011. Also, she has become involved in coaching and was named the Colorado Western Slope Swim Coach of the Year.

Thirty-Five Bullets Named to CC Spring Academic Honor Roll

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:26:00 GMT

Complete Academic Honor Roll

LANCASTER, Pa. – Thirty-five Gettysburg College student-athletes have been named to the 2013 Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll, it was announced Tuesday.

To be nominated for the honor roll, a student-athlete must be a sophomore or higher in class standing, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.40 or higher, and be a starter or key reserve on his or her team. A key reserve is defined as a player that has having participated in at least 50 percent of his or her team’s varsity competitions (e.g., contests, matches, meets) or participated in the Conference championship in the following sports: cross country, golf, swimming, track & field, wrestling.

Baseball
Junior #Al Posch# (Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale)

Men’s Golf
Sophomore #Ben Kaestner# (Glyndon, Md./Franklin)
Sophomore #Zak Kennedy# (Florena, Mass./Northampton)

Women’s Golf
Junior #Kara McNulty# (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central)

Men’s Lacrosse
Senior #Matt Canter# (Potomac, Md./Thomas S. Wootton)
Junior #Jon Maddalone# (Newtown, Pa./Choate Rosemary Hall [Conn.])
Sophomore #Jimmy Morris# (Waccabuc, N.Y./John Jay)
Junior #Charlie Whiteley# (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s)

Women’s Lacrosse
Sophomore #Liz Cocchiola# (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon)
Sophomore #Kate Higgins# (Oreland, Pa./William Penn Charter School)
Junior #Kelsey Markiewicz# (Taconic, Conn./Bershire School [Mass.])
Senior #Lindsay Menton# (Ellicott City, Md./Glenelg Country School)
Senior #Hayward Sawers# (Timonium, Md./St. Paul’s School for Girls)

Softball
Junior #Brooke Kalman# (Edgemont, Pa./Penncrest)
Sophomore #Alexa Katz# (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside)
Senior #Katie Lang# (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk)
Senior #Lindsey Peragallo# (Metuchen, N.J./Metuchen)
Sophomore #Melissa Tighe# (Little Falls, N.J./Mt. St. Dominic Academy)

Men’s Tennis
Senior #Chris Curran# (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe)
Senior #Johnny Nelson# (Big Prairie, Ohio/West Holmes)

Women’s Tennis
Senior #Kelsey Boyce# (Arrowsic, Maine/Morse)
Senior #Meg Kelly# (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional)
Senior #Bev Keyes# (East Hampton, N.Y./East Hampton)
Senior #Kelly Webster# (South Hadley, Mass./Burr and Burton Academy [Vt.])

Men’s Track & Field
Senior #Andrew Ewing# (Wynantskill, N.Y./Columbia)
Sophomore #Jeff Horvath# (Meshoppen, Pa./Elk Lake)
Sophomore #Ryan Matzke# (Penndel, Pa./Neshaminy)
Senior #Joe Sharp# (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge)
Senior #Brad Wiseman# (Newtown Square, Pa./Radnor)

Women’s Track & Field
Senior #Christine Esposito# (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy)
Sophomore #Bridget Golato# (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast)
Junior #Celia Hartz# (York Haven, Pa./Red Land)
Sophomore #Jackie Marotto# (Somerset, N.J. /Rutgers Prep)
Senior #Anna Schneider# (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton)
Sophomore #Madison Senseney# (Littlestown, Pa./Littlestown)

All-CC Track Teams Named; Kaiser Tabbed Most Outstanding Rookie

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:33:00 GMT

Men's All-Conference Team | Women's All-Conference Team

LANCASTER, Pa. – The Centennial Conference has announced its Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams, and nine Bullets were honored.

The Centennial Conference recognizes all gold medalists with first-team status while runners up are named to the second team. Third-place finishers receive honorable mention.

In addition, freshman #David Kaiser# (Highland, Md./River Hill) was named the conference’s inaugural Men’s Most Outstanding Rookie after winning the long jump and finishing seventh in the triple jump. He also was named First Team All-Centennial Conference

Capturing second-team recognition for the men’s team in honor of their silver medal performances were senior #Andrew Bay# (Darien, Conn./Darien) in the 100-meter dash, freshman #Andrew Morris# (Hampton Bays, N.Y./Hampton Bays) in the discus, and senior #Joe Sharp# (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) in the 800-meter run.

Freshman #Andre Hinds# (Hopkins, Minn./Blake School) and senior #Tom Senseney# (Littlestown, Pa./Littlestown) each garnered honorable mention after capturing the bronze in the discus and decathlon, respectively.

For the women’s team, freshman #Katie McCoubrie# (Malvern, Pa./Conestoga) earned first-team status after winning the long jump. Also, senior #Christine Esposito# (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) was named to the second team after taking the silver in the 10,000-meter run while freshman #Katie Cavanaugh# (East Rockaway, N.Y./Kellenberg) received honorable mention for her third-place showing in the 100-hurdles.

Gettysburg’s men’s team placed sixth at the Centennial Conference Outdoor Championships while the women’s team took eighth.

Esposito Breaks School Record to Lead Track

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:15:00 GMT

Complete Results

CHESTER, Pa. – Senior #Christine Esposito# (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) closed out her collegiate career in impressive fashion, breaking the outdoor school record in the 5,000-meter run to lead the Gettysburg College track & field teams at the Swarthmore Final Qualifying Meet held at Widener University on Monday.

With a time of 17:37.63, Esposito placed fifth among 23 competitors while eclipsing the former mark of 17:42.61 set by Jaimie Bagatti ’04 in 2004. Esposito, who bounced back after missing the entire indoor season with a injury, entered the night ranked second in school history in the event with a time of 17:54.97 set in 2011. She also finishes her outdoor career ranked third in the 10,000-meter run (37:30.57) and second in the mile (5:24.86); indoors, she walks away with the school record in the 3,000 (10:26.11) and is fourth in the 5,000 (18:20.56) and sixth in the mile (5:28.81).

No team scoring was kept at the meet, which featured primarily Division III competition but also Division I and unattached athletes.

Also in the women’s 5,000, senior #Anna Schneider# (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton) clocked a personal record (PR) in her final race as a Bullet, taking eight seconds from her previous best with a time of 18:39.17. She came in 17th while falling just three seconds outside the school’s all-time top-10. Schneider finished her career ranked second in school history in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:40.16) and eighth in the 10,000 (39:08.67).

Freshman #Katie Cavanaugh# (East Rockaway, N.Y./Kellenberg) was also in action for the women’s team, placing ninth in a field of 20 in the 100-meter hurdles (15.11).

On the men’s side, two seniors also performed well in their final meet. #Tyler Keith# (Florence, Mass./Northampton) took 59th among 76 harriers in the 5,000 while clocking a PR of 15:34.60. He chipped three seconds from his previous career-best to move up one spot to eighth on Gettysburg’s all-time top-10 list in the event. Keith also concludes his career with the outdoor school record in the 3,000-meter run (9:06.93).

In addition, senior #Joe Sharp# (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) placed 16th among 61 competitors in the 800-meter run, clocking a 1:54.19, less than a second shy of his PR that ranks him fifth in school history. Sharp also closes out his career ranked 10th all-time at Gettysburg in the 1,500-meter run (4:01.87) and as a member of the 4x800-meter relay team that holds the school record (7:43.32). Indoors, he finished third in school history in the 800 (1:56.74).

Three other Bullets were also in action for the men’s team. Freshman #Travis Andrews# (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) placed fifth out of seven competitors in the long jump (19-10 1/4) while taking 18th out of 26 athletes in the 100-meter dash (11.68). Classmate #Brendan Nash# (Groton, Mass./Groton Dunstable Regional) competed in the same two events and was sixth in the long jump (18-2 1/2) and 23rd in the 100 (12.07). Also, junior #Cole Rossiter# (New Milford, Conn./New Milford) finished 76th in the 5,000 (16:53.35).

Donolli Retires after Four Decades at Gettysburg

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:16:00 GMT

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Long-time athletic trainer and former head men’s lacrosse coach Joe Donolli put the final touches on a Hall of Fame career by announcing his official retirement following 42 years of service at Gettysburg College.

Donolli’s career and accomplishments were put on display in a gathering inside The John F. Jaeger Center for Athletics, Recreation and Fitness on Friday, May 10. Many of Donolli’s former and current colleagues were in attendance, including College President Janet Riggs ’77 and Athletics Director David Wright.

“Joe has served in so many roles and capacities,” said Wright. “He’s been a faculty member and taught classes here. He’s been a head coach in lacrosse. He’s been an assistant athletic trainer and head athletic trainer. It’s an incredible array of duties, responsibilities, and capacities that he’s served in throughout his entire tenure. It’s remarkable to think of all the things he’s done.”

The University of Delaware grad arrived at Gettysburg in 1971. He signed on as an assistant athletic trainer alongside Lefty Biser ’57, while also taking duties as head men’s lacrosse coach with the Bullets.

Donolli balanced those and many other duties over the course of his four-decade run at the College. He became the first head men’s lacrosse coach to win 100 games, finishing with 108, and he guided the Bullets to Middle Atlantic Conference titles in both 1976 and 1983.

In 1987, Donolli relinquished his lacrosse duties to take over as head athletic trainer and he remained in that position for 21 years, watching the Department of Athletics grow to 24 sports and nearly 600 student-athletes. He stepped down as head athletic trainer in 2008, handing over the reins to former pupil Mike Cantele ’88. Donolli continued to work with the athletic training staff as a part-time employee.

In addition to his athletic training duties, Donolli served as an associate professor in the Health and Physical Education Department teaching a number of courses, including kinesiology and sports medicine.

“When this job opened up I was glad to get it,” said Donolli. “I think I was a tough coach that players could talk to. Students in my classes were the same way. I wanted them to learn and I would go overboard to help them learn.”

Donolli was the longest-tenured member of the athletics staff. Now that honor goes to head football coach Barry Streeter, who arrived four years after Donolli.

“Joe’s a real positive guy,” said Streeter, who rented an apartment from Donolli when he first arrived at Gettyburg in 1975. “He’s been really supportive of me and my program. He’s done a lot of work and he works hard. I’m sure he’s going to miss working here.”

Prior to his arrival at Gettysburg, Donolli played football at Delaware, helping the squad win the 1963 national championship. After graduating from Delaware with a degree in health, physical education and recreation in 1966, he earned his master’s in therapeutic physical education from Temple University in 1967. Donolli served in the Army Signal Corps for two years in Vietnam before returning to the states for a job as the athletic trainer at Millersville University. Donolli was at Millersville for one year before joining the staff at Gettysburg.

Donolli, 70, recently celebrated his 43rd wedding anniversary with wife Olive. The couple has three daughters and one granddaughter.

“He’s been the ultimate professional,” said Wright. “He’s enabled students that he’s worked with and the staff that has worked with him to grow and develop and that’s what a true educator is all about.”

Bullets Punched Out by RPI

Sat, 11 May 2013 17:30:00 GMT

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Fifth-ranked Gettysburg College saw its season come to a close with a 9-8 loss to No. 14 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship Saturday at Middlebury College.

Gettysburg closes the year with an overall record of 19-2. RPI (16-3) advances to face host and third-ranked Middlebury (17-2), which defeated Endicott College 13-4 earlier on Saturday, in Sunday’s regional championship at 1 p.m.

RPI erased a 6-3 deficit by scoring five consecutive goals at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. The Engineers took the lead on a goal by Shannon McGuire with 20:04 left to play and made it a two-goal advantage on a score by Rachel Scofield just 58 seconds later.

Freshman Lindsay Clinton (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) came up with three big saves over the next eight minutes, but the Bullets were unable to capitalize on the stops with three failed clear attempts. After an RPI turnover, Gettysburg finally stopped a 26-minute scoring drought as freshman Maggie Connolly (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) sliced the deficit to 8-7 with 8:42 to play.

The Bullets overcame another failed clear to tie the game with just under six minutes to go. Senior Lindsey Robinson (Potomac, Md./Holton-Arms) provided the equalizer, scoring in front of the net off a pass by sophomore Bridget Kenny (Gladstone, N.J./Bernards).

Gettysburg won the ensuing draw control, but lost possession on a turnover. RPI came right back with Alissa Peterson scoring on a free-position attempt to give the Engineers a 9-8 lead with 2:48 left on the clock.

RPI handed possession back to the Bullets twice in the final two minutes of play, the second following a save by Clinton on a shot by Marissa Page with 55 seconds left. The Bullets were successful on the clear, but a pass behind the cage skirted away from the attacker and out-of-bounds. The Engineers cleared the ball up the field and evaded the Bullet defenders in the final seconds.

Gettysburg was in control early, scoring just 50 seconds in and taking a 5-2 lead on Kenny’s second goal at 6:54. Kenny tossed in her third goal of the opening stanza to make it a 6-3 lead at 4:20.

RPI won 6-of-8 draw controls in the final period and finished with a 13-6 advantage in the game. The Engineers also out-shot the Bullets 10-5 in the second half en route to a 26-19 lead. Both teams committed 17 turnovers, while RPI held a 14-11 edge in ground balls.

The loss was Gettysburg’s first to a team ranked outside the top 10 in more than eight years. The Bullets had won 135-straight games against teams ranked outside the top 10 since an 8-7 loss to No. 17 Franklin & Marshall College on March 30, 2005.

Kenny, who eclipsed 100 career points in the contest, led Gettysburg with three goals and one assist. Robinson tallied one goal and two assists in her final collegiate contest. The senior finished her career second in program history in assists with 145 and tied for second in total points with 284. Junior Kelsey Markiewicz (Taconic, Conn./Berkshire School (Mass.)) added one goal and one assist.

Clinton finished with nine saves and senior Hayward Sawers (Timonium, Md./St. Paul’s School for Girls) posted two ground balls, two draw controls, and two caused turnovers.

Peterson and Maguire each tallied three goals for the Engineers. Maguire also added an assist and five draw controls, while Scofield tacked on two caused turnovers. Allie Arnal logged six saves in the cage.