Football
Seniors: Ray Bateman, Michael Sykes, James Smith, Steve Vogt, Nick Tranchina, Justin Mannick, Brian Mulholland, Joe Ward Mike Burlew, Tony Sorrentino, Joe Bergondo, Erik Sendel, Rob McCurley, Jim Dabrowski, Steve Andrews
Due to changes in NCAA eligibility rules, the College's football team will lose an unusually large group of 16 seniors this off-season.
"Having (that many) seniors leaving when it's all said and done, for a football team, that's a big hit," head coach Eric Hamilton said.
The graduating class led the Lions to a 7-2 mark this fall and has compiled a 25-15 four-year record, highlighted by the 2003 squad that reached the semifinals of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament.
"We probably won't see anything again like this group," Hamilton said. "They're a tight-knit group that we're proud of," Hamilton said. "But the plus of (losing so many seniors) is that we get a good group that will continue to support our program as alumni."
Men's Basketball
Seniors: Derick Grant, Bobby Henning, Mike Snyder, Kyle Burke, Jody Crowley, Derek Brown
The Lions' men's basketball team will bid farewell to a group of seniors who were instrumental in the program's turn around from a 24-26 record over the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons to a 35-18 mark in the last two years.
"Our seniors have been very important," head coach John Castaldo said. "Their dedication and commitment to our college and athletic program has been outstanding."
The group led the Lions to a 17-9 record this winter before being knocked out of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament by Rowan University in a heartbreaking 63-59 contest.
The graduating class is headlined in particular by Grant, who exits as the Lions' second all-time leading scorer with 1,543 points. Additionally, Burke, who converted an astounding 91 of 196 three point attempts his senior season, departs as one of the College's all-time best long-range shooters.
Women's Basketball
Seniors: Theresa DiMedio, Caitlin Dearing, Sofia Ojeda
The College's women's basketball team is only losing three seniors, but they were all key components of this season's top-ranked conference team.
The biggest loss is DiMedio, the NJAC Player of the Year, who averaged 11.3 points per game.
"Theresa is somebody who we have depended on for lots of different things," head coach Dawn Henderson said. "She works extremely hard off the court. She is a leader by example."
Henderson also emphasized the importance of Ojeda, a defensive specialist who was often matched up against the opposition's top offensive players. Henderson recognized Dearing as a player who "always came to practice ready to go" and "gave everything all the time."
"(The seniors) are not just good players but good people," she said. "They were a fun group to be around."
Baseball
Seniors: Mark Pienciack, Brad Downs, Vincent Petrillo, Justin Gorski
The College's baseball team will graduate the four remaining members of its 2002 NJAC championship and Division III World Series qualifying squad.
Those seniors are currently playing key roles in the College's campaign to return to the depths of the postseason this year.
"Seniors are always important, especially this year," head coach Rick Dell said. "We don't have a lot of guys who have been there before. If you don't have anyone on your team who has been where you're trying to go, it makes that vision difficult."
Petrillo leads the Lions with a 6-2 record and 3.20 ERA.
Softball
Seniors: Kristen Zimmerman, Cristina Venetucci, Siobhan Scullio, Jess Donohue
Zimmerman, a co-captain, was an offensive power source for two years, leading the team in virtually all offensive categories.
"Not being able to play competitively anymore is going to be really hard on me," she said. "I know I'll always be involved with the game in some form, but never again will I be able to step on the field and represent my school and that's what's going to hurt the most at the end of this season."
Venetucci was a consistent slap-hitter in here four years at the College and her speed on the base paths made her a vital offensive weapon.
Donohue a co-captain, has been a dominant starting pitcher for the past three years.
Scullin was been a reliable infield presence with solid all-around play.
Golf
Seniors: Dan Pickering, Jeffrey Pillar
The Lions' senior golfers enjoyed considerable success in their last season representing the College.
Quite appropriately, in the College's only team victory of the season at the Susquehanna University Invitational on April 7, the senior duo led the way, recording the top two individual performances. Pickering shot a one-under-par 70 to finish first and Pillar followed with a 71.
Men's Soccer
Seniors: Blayne Adams, Mike Savas, Rich Adams, Shawn Mecchi, Rich Bettenhausen, Adam Cooper, Brett Hockenjos, Jim Cooney
The College's men's soccer team will bid farewell to eight seniors, including two of its goalkeepers.
Mecchi led the goalie corps with a 1.14 goals against average this season, while Adams posted a career-best 0.79 goals against average in the 2002 season. Freshman goalkeeper Michael Cladek will be called upon to pick up the slack next season.
The team is losing a key defender in Cooney, who earned a spot on the NJAC second team this season. Cooney and Cooper were the only seniors to make the All-Conference team this season.
Women's Soccer
Seniors: Amy Swiatecki-McCabe, Katie Egan, Linda O'Leary, Lauren DiStefano, Stephanie Peters, Lynda Schuster, Marina Capacasa, Jamie Acheson, Shannon Scott, Erin Pivovarnick
The College's women's soccer team is losing 10 seniors to graduation.
The list includes All-Region selections DiStefano and Schuster, as well as Egan, an ESPN Academic All-American. DiStefano, Schuster, Pivovarnick and Peters made the NJAC All-Conference team.
The team's seniors propelled the team to an 18-2-2 record, a second-place conference finish and a berth in the NCAA Division III Sectionals.
Women's Tennis
Seniors: Katie D'Amato
Women's tennis graduates only one senior this year, four-year starter D'Amato. In her career she has compiled a 44-23 singles record and a 50-18 mark in doubles play.
D'Amato has also received NJAC All-Star Honors her junior and senior year in doubles as well as her senior year in singles.
"I'm going to miss being part of a team so much," D'Amato said. "Its going to be tough to see their results in the paper next year or come to the matches and not be a part of the team anymore."
Men's Tennis
Seniors: Ken Tsui, Victor Lai
Men's tennis will lose two graduating seniors this year, Ken Tsui and Victor Lai.
Tsui was a transfer to the College and has only been with the program for three years. During his campaign, he has gone 26-25 in singles play and 29-30 in doubles.
"It's obvious that I'll miss my teammates and I wish I could have played one more year," Tsui said. "We all get along so well and its going to be tough moving on and going to the real world without this great group of guys to be around almost everyday."
Lai also contributed to the Lions' success during his senior year. He went 7-3 in third doubles with his partner, Tsui, and has also boasted a 9-8 overall record on the year.
"Vic is someone I've dealt with over the last four years who I've always liked because he is a good kid," Dicheck said. "Its tough because he is one of my first recruits as a coach here and its surprising that they are already gone."
Lacrosse
Seniors: Lauren Gossner, Heather Rainey
According to head coach Sharon Pfluger, the seniors are the backbone of the lacrosse team this year, having embraced their leadership roles.
"Lauren Gossner and Heather Rainey have done a great job leading this team," she said. "They were prepared for the leadership role and before the season even started they came to me and asked what they could do. You can't assume kids know how to lead, but these girls can do it. They put a lot into it. They are very receptive of constructive criticism and they can relate very well with the rest of the team. They have the ability to be tough on their teammates if they need to. I am very proud of them."
Field Hockey
Seniors: Kristin Shields, Kim Feeley, Sarah Moretti, Colleen Stamler
The College's field hockey team is a young and developing team, but they will still lose key leadership with the graduation of four seniors.
Feeley and Stamler All-Americans and All-Region as well as All-Conference selections. Stamler led the team with 16 goals and 39 points.
Moretti was a National Academic Squad selection for her achievements on the field and in the classroom.
The Lions finished the season at 14-6, winning the NJAC Championship, but lost to No. 1 Salisbury University in the Division III Regional Championship.
Wrestling
Seniors: Jason Chacon, Pat Lavin, Matt Hunter, Carmine Sarno, Sean Flynn, Nick Vinciguerra
The College's wrestling team will lose six seniors this year, including two conference champions and an award-winning scholar athlete.
Flynn and Vinciguerra, the team captains this past season, were both two-time conference champions. Flynn had 104 wins as a three-year starter, while Vinciguerra amassed 125 wins in his college career and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.
The duo also offered important intangibles to the team. "Nick and Sean provided great leadership," head coach David Icenhower said.
He said that both graduates may stay with the team as coaches next season.
"We appreciated having (the seniors)," he said. "It was great."
Swimming
and Diving
Men's team seniors: Jack O'Donnell, Bryan Rahter, Jeff Sundberg, Chris Levin, Nick Steffanci
The College's men's swimming team will lose five seniors this year, including two captains and three All-Americans.
"We're losing a tremendous amount of leadership," head coach Brian Bishop said. "Losing that is immeasurable."
This group was part of the first team to ever break the top 10 in the national championships. Levin, Steffanci and O'Donnell were All-Americans, while Steffanci and Levin hold school records.
"(These seniors) were committed to the program for four years," he said. "Each brings something different to the table."
Women's team seniors: Lauren Smith, Jackie Whitty
The College's women's swimming and diving team will only lose two seniors this year, although both were captains and leaders of the team.
"They brought a lot to the team, both with their personalities and contributions in their events," head coach Jennifer Harnett said.
This season, Whitty took eighth in the 200-meter backstroke at the Metropolitan (MET) Conference Championships in 2:15.66.
Cross Country
Men's team seniors: Rob Barger, Brian Donovan, Eric Gross, Joe Lacovara-Switzer, Sean Lesniak, Matt Molski
Women's team seniors: Meghan O'Halloran
Indoor Track
Men's team seniors: Barger, Sean Begley, Adrian Cline, Donovan, Gross, Lesniak, Ed Marion, Molski, Bill Vogel, Brian Wanner, Tim Wilson
Women's team seniors: O'Halloran, Sarah Spillman, Jennifer Zucaro
Outdoor Track
Men's team seniors: Barger, Cline, Donovan, Gross, Lesniak, Marion, Molski, Vogel, Wanner, Wilson
Women's team seniors: O'Halloran, Spillman, Zucaro
