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Student-athletes from all six fall teams earn all-academic honors

Complete listing.pdf

Eastern's honorees.pdf

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- A total of  32 Eastern Connecticut State University student-athletes representing all six fall sports earned spots on the Fall, 2011 Little East Conference All-Academic Team.

Seniors who were attaining spots on the fall academic honor roll for the maximum third time were Ryan Hughes (Cheshire) and Bryan Jorge (Bristol) of the men's cross country program, Sam Konopka (Hebron) and Jo-Ann Merheb (Bethel) of the women's soccer program and Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) of the men's soccer program.

Among the eight full-fledged LEC member institutions, Eastern recorded the second-highest total of all-academic team qualifiers in the fall.

Additional academic honor roll repeaters from last fall were junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury) from men's cross country, junior Denica Gagnon (Colchester) and senior Amanda Quinones (Trumbull) from women's cross country, senior Lyndsey Zavisza (Suffield) and junior Rochelle Normandin (South Windsor) from field hockey, juniors Jordan Munsell (Waterford) and Cory Tobler (Portland) from men's soccer, juniors Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield) and Daniela Marchitto (Orange) from women's soccer, senior Gianna Trombino (East Moriches, NY) and junior Danielle Bourne (Branford) from women's volleyball. Senior women's volleyball player Kristianna Ibsen (Shelton) returned to the team after qualifying as a sophomore in 2009.

To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic status with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30.

In addition to their athletic accomplishments, five of the student-athletes were recognized by the conference for their on-field successes this past fall: Quinones ran to All-New England Alliance honors for the third time with an 11th-place finish in the conference championships Oct. 29; Marchitto was named LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year and to the all-conference first team; Appel was the first-team All-LEC goalkeeper, and Tobler was named to the second team.

Eastern's total of 335 all-academic selections since the program's inception in the fall of 2007 ranks it second among the eight conference institutions - the second most in the conference - 44 more than the third-place institution.

In 2010/11, Eastern featured the most academic honor roll achievers in all three playing seasons, totaling 89; in 2009/10, Eastern won the inaugural Presidents' Cup for having the highest cumulative GPA of all conference institutions.

Junior Tim Callahan (Portland) (above) improved his performance 29 places from a year ago, finishing 174th overall as the top Eastern Connecticut State University runner at the 2011 NCAA Division III New England Regional Men's Cross Country Championships Saturday at Bowdoin College. Callahan, who has been plagued by asthma all season long, led seven Warriors over the 8.000 meter course in a champion won by one point by Williams College in a field of  48 teams. Last year, Callahan was third among Eastern finishers, 203rd overall.  Behind Callahan, six remaining Eastern runners placed within 50 spots of each other, with four finishing as a pack within 15 places of one another. Freshmen David Klein (New Milford) and Austin Baldour (Newtown) were 2-3 for Eastern at 213th and 232nd, respectively. Junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury), freshman Lee Cattanach (New London),  senior Bryan Jorge (Bristol) and freshman Kyle Shaw (Lebanon) followed at 236th, 241st, 247th and 263rd, respectively. The meet was the final one of the season for Eastern.

NCAA Division III
New England Regional Cross Country Championships
at Brunswick, ME

Run over 8,000 meters     

    Team Results  

                                          1. Williams 88; 2. Middlebury 89; 3. Bowdoin 160; 4. Bates 161; 5. Tufts U. 175; 6. MIT 195; 7. Brandeis U. 202; 8. Amherst 205; 9. Springfield 211; 10. Wesleyan U. 236; 11. Keene State 303; 12. U. of Southern Maine 326; 13. Connecticut College 354; 14. Colby 442; 15. U.S. Coast Guard Academy 446; 16. Bridgewater State U. 551; 17. Roger Williams U. 581; 18. Westfield State  U. 583; 19. Johnson & Wales U. 585; 20. Babson 648; 21. WPI 656; 22. Lyndon State 672; 23. New England College 701; 24. U. of New England 769; 25. Fitchburg State U. 835; 26. Western New England U. 878; 27. Rhode Island College 882; 28. UMass Dartmouth 889; 29. Norwich U. 903; 30. Trinity (CT) 917; 31. Lesley 925; 32. Salem State U. 946; 33. Mitchell 998; 34. Gordon 1,027; 35. Worcester State U. 1,032; 36. Clark U. 1,046; 37. EASTERN CONN. 1,087; 38. Colby-Sawyer 1,116; 39. Castleton State 1,119; 40. Wheaton (MA) 1,134; 41. Mass College 1,178; 42. Mass. Maritime Academy 1,236; 43. Framingham State U. 1,255; 44. U. of Maine-Farmington 1,278; 45. Lasell 1,299; 46. St. Joseph's (ME) 1,370; 47. Maine Maritime Academy 1,410; 48. Southern Vermont 1,486.

EASTERN FINISHERS
(322 runners)

 174. Tim Callahan 28:04; 213. David Klein 28:59; 232. Austin Baldour 29:15; 236. Ryan Franklin 29:21; 241. Lee Cattanach 29:33; 247. Bryan Jorge 29:48; 263. Kyle Shaw 30:10.

View Photos

Freshmen were at the front of the pack for the Eastern Connecticut State University men's cross country team Saturday at the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Cross Country Championships at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Freshmen David Klein (above), Lee Cattanach and Austin Baldour finished 1-2-3 for the Warriors, with freshman Kyle Shaw rounding out Eastern's five scoring runners behind junior Bryan Jorge. Klein became the first freshman to lead Eastern in the face since Kristopher Sortwell in 2000. Klein  was 47th overall in the alliance tabulation and  28th overall in LEC scoring with a time of 27:43 over 8,000 meters.

Run over 8.000 meters

New England Alliance Championships

1. U. of Southern Maine  50 ; 2. Keene State College 54 ; 3. Bridgewater State U. 103; 4. Westfield State U. 105;  5. Fitchburg State U. 153; 6. Rhode Island College 156; 7. UMass Dartmouth 182; 8. Salem State  U. 270; 9. EASTERN CONN.  277;  10. UMass Boston  284; 11. Worcester State U.  311; 12. Mass Maritime  312; 13. Framingham State U.  370; 14. Mass. College Liberal Arts 375.

Little East Conference Championships

1. U. of Southern Maine 13; Keene State College 36; 3. Rhode Island College 88; 4. UMass Dartmouth 106; 5. EASTERN CONN. 144; 6. UMass Boston 145.

EASTERN MEN'S FINISHERS
Listed is scoring place in NE Alliance (153 finishers)/Little East (64 finishers)

37/21. David Klein 27:43; 45/25 Lee Cattanach 28:12; 55/29. 55.29. Austin Baldour 28:45; 66/33. Ryan Franklin;  74/36. Kyle Shaw 29:39; 77/37. Ryan Franklin 30:02; 82/39. Tim Callahan 30:35.

Quinones wins women's race; freshmen pace men's team at finish line

Complete Results.pdf

MANSFIELD, Conn. --  Senior Amanda Quinones (Trumbull) won the individual title for the Eastern Connecticut State University women's cross country team but Rhode Island College captured the top three places in the men's competition Saturday morning at Mansfield Hollow State Park.

At left: Amanda Quinones

The Rhode Island men and women both defeated Eastern for the third straight year. The Eastern women were edged for the second straight year by a score of 27-28. A five-point winner over Eastern in 2009 and 2010, the RIC men's team recorded a  13-point, 21-34 decision this year.

In the only dual meet race for either team this year, Quinones (20:04) eased to the  individual title  in a field of  16 in the women's competition over the 5,000 meter layout. Quinones, who had finished second in this race in each of her two previous tries the last two years, outran RIC freshman Alyssa O'Connor.

For the women, the score was tied after each squad had put its No. 4 runners across the finish line, and was determined when RIC senior Brittany Richer outran Eastern first-year sophomore Kelly Labanara (Chaplin) for ninth place.

At right: Lee Cattanach

Running her first race of the season, Eastern freshman Ashley Westman (Newington) finished a solid fifth - third among Warriors behind Quinones and junior Cora Gingras (East Hampton).  Also placing among Eastern top five scoring women was sophomore Alexa Palasky (Griswold). Eastern  was without sophomore No. 3 runner Katie France (Portland).

Coming off an eighth-place finish last Saturday at the James Earley Invitational at Westfield, MA, RIC was powered Saturday by the 1-2-3 finish of junior Conor McCloskey and freshmen Shawn Stadnick and Ian LaPlume.

McCloskey (24:03), second to teammate Mike Macedo last year and third to Eastern's Dave Hunt and Macedo in 2009 in this race,  won by 48 seconds over Stadnick (24:51) and more than a minute over LaPlume (25:07).

Eastern featured three freshmen leading the way for the team in  Lee Cattanach (New London), David Klein (New Milford) and Austin Baldour (Newtown). Cattanach (25:18) was fourth overall, Klein (25:19) fifth and Baldour (25:22) seventh. Also figuring in the scoring for the Warriors were junior Tim Callahan (Portland)  and junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury). Callahan (25:29) was eighth overall, Franklin (25:57) tenth.

The Eastern men and women compete in the Little East Conference/New England Alliance Championships at North Dartmouth, MA.

Klein and Baldour are the Warriors' top finishers at Earley Invitational

Klein (far left) and Baldour

WESTFIELD, Mass. - For the fourth time in as many meets this year, freshman David Klein (New Milford) led the Eastern Connecticut State University men's cross country team at the finish line. Saturday at the James Earley Cross Country Invitational, he placed among the top third of a 300-plus field in pacing the Warriors to 19th place in a field of 31 teams.

For the third time this year, freshmen were ahead of the field for Eastern. Saturday, for the second straight week, Klein was followed by freshman Austin Baldour (Newtown) over the 8.000 meter layout. In the season-opener a month ago at Fitchburg State, Klein and freshman Lee Cattanach (New London) were the first Eastern runners through the tape.

Saturday, Eastern's five scoring runners finished within a span of 49 seconds. Klein was 95th overall in a time of 29:05 among 306 finishers in a field which included competitors from all three divisions, community colleges, alumni teams and local running clubs. Baldour followed closely in a time of 29:27, good for 106th place overall, with junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury), senior Bryan Jorge (Bristol) and Cattanach.  Franklin was 120th overall (29:45), Jorge 127th (29:51) and Cattanach 130th (29:54).

Eastern hosts Rhode Island College Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mansfield Hollow State Park.

TEAM RESULTS
(31 teams)
Top Ten

1. U.S. Coast Guard Academy 67; 2. Greater Boston TC 102; 3. Westfield State U. 140; 4. Bridgewater State U. 142; 5. Westfield State U. Alumni 215; 6. U. of New England 218; 7. Le Moyne College 278; 8. Rhode Island College 299; 9. Saint Anselm College 329; 10. Massachusetts Dartmouth 342.
19. EASTERN CONN. 481.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
(306 Finishers)

EASTERN'S FINISHERS

95. (80) David Klein 29:05; 106. (89) Austin Baldour 29:27;  120. (100) Ryan Franklin 29:45; 127. (105) Bryan Jorge 29:51; 130. (107) Lee Cattanach 29:54; 144. (116) Kyle Shaw 30:11; 151. (121) Tim Callahan 30:18; 179. (--) 30:56; 179. (--) Ryan Hughes 30:56; 227. (--) Stephen Spranzo 32:39; 232. (--) Casey McGarvey 33:05;

In field of 354, senior records highest finish ever by an Eastern female

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Senior Amanda Quinones (Trumbull) ran the fastest time and recorded the highest finish ever by an Eastern Connecticut State University female  at the 16th Annual James Earley Cross Country Invitational Saturday at Stanley Park.

At right: Amanda Quinones

Competing against runners from all three divisions, community colleges, alumni teams and local running clubs, Quinones was timed in 19:13 to place sixth among 354 competitors over the 5,000 meter layout. Due to sickness, only six runners competed for Eastern, which placed 12th in a record field of 38 teams. The Warriors finished among the top 32 percent of the competing teams, their best finish ever. Eastern has competed in the race every season.

For the second straight year in this race, Quinones broke 20 minutes. As a junior, she was timed in 19:41 in placing 20th. Until Saturday, that time and finish ever the best by an Eastern runner in the race. Quinones became the first Eastern female to lead the team in this race as many as three times. Only one other individual - former All-New England Alliance runner Erin Nolan in 2004 and 2005 - has led all Eastern runner in this race more than once.

Junior Cora Gingras (East Hampton) and sophomore Katie France (Portland) also finshed among the Top 20 percent of the runners. Gingras was 57thoverall in a time of 20:15 and France was 71st overall in a time of 20:53.

Eastern hosts Rhode Island College Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mansfield Hollow State Park.

TEAM RESULTS
(38 teams)
Top Ten

1. U.S. Coast Guard Academy 68; 2. Westfield State U. 85; 3. Le Moyne College 127; 4. U. of New England 134; 5. Saint anselm College 154; 6. Salve Regina U.  177; 7. Trinity College 201; 8. Massachusetts Dartmouth 205; 9. Clark U. 266; 10. Bridgewater State U. 292.
12. EASTERN CONN. 383

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
(354 Finishers)

EASTERN'S FINISHERS

6. (6) Amanda Quinones 19:13; 57. (54) Cora Gingras 20:35; 71. (66) Katie France 20:53; 149. (122) Melissa Zablonski 22:18; 168. (135) Denica Gagnon 22:42; 179. (142) Kelly Labanara 22:58.

Despite difficult conditions, Warriors show improvement over 2010

BOSTON --  Despite slogging through unfavorable running conditions, three members of the Eastern Connecticut State University men's cross country team showed significant improvements over a year ago Saturday at the 44th Codfish Bowl at Franklin Park.

At right: Ryan Hughes

In a field which included one more team than a year ago, Eastern improved two spots to  place 14th overall in a field of 26 teams. With their No. 1 runner finishing 44 spots lower than the top runner of a year ago, the Warriors totaled  29 more points from last year, recording 474 points.

The meet was run over 8,000 meters in extremely humid conditions and on a slow course with high, soggy grass.

Seniors Bryan Jorge (Bristol) and  Ryan Hughes (Cheshire) and junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury)  all showed significant improvement over a year ago. Running third, Franklin improved by 1:14 over a year ago with a time of 30:17; running sixth, Jorge's time of 30:45 was 23 seconds faster than a year ago, while Hughes checked in  2:31 faster as the team's No. 7 finisher.

Ledy by David Klein (New Milford), Eastern freshmen took the top two and four of the five scoring spots for Eastern. Klein scored 77 points with a time of 28:56, Austin Baldour (Newtown) 90 points (29:32), Kyle Shaw (Lebanon) 104 points (30:35) and Lee Cattanach (New London) 106 points (30:37).

The 26-team field was a mix of Division I, II and III programs, local running clubs, community colleges, along with several unaffiliated runners.

Eastern competes in the James Early Invitational Oct. 8 at Stanley Park in Westfield, MA.

Top Ten

1. Bates College 49; 2. Boston U. 77; 3. Stonehill College 86; 4. Adelphi U. 154; 5. U.S. Coast Guard Academy 176; 6. Greater Boston Track Club 177; 7.  Tufts U. 219; 8. Bentley U. 234; 9. Molloy College 262;  10. Bridgewater State U. 278.
14. EASTERN CONN. 474 (26 teams scored points)

Eastern's Finishers
 (286 runners finished race)

110 (77) David Klein 28:56; 135 (90) Austin Baldour 29:32; 161 (97) Ryan Franklin 30:17; 170 (104) Kyle Shaw 30:35;  172 (106) Lee Cattanach 30:37; 175 (108) Bryan Jorge 30:45; 206 (124) Ryan Hughes 31:45; 234 (--) Tim Callahan 32:56;253 (--) Casey McGarvey 34:45;        255 (--) Stephen Spranzo  34:54.

He leads the team at the finish line for first time in three-year career

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. --  Eastern Connecticut State University's top three men's finishers crossed the finish line within 23 seconds of each other as the Warriors placed 24th in a 34-team field at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Shriners' Cross Country Invitational Saturday.

At left: Tim Callahan at UMD (Frank Poulin photo)

In a field of  255 runners, junior Tim Callahan (Portland) placed within the top 42 percent over the 8,000 meter campus layout, leading all Eastern runners for the first time in his three-year career. Callahan was timed in 27:33for a 107th-place finish and was followed at the stripe by freshmen David Klein (New Milford) and Kyle Shaw (Lebanon). Last week's Little East Conference Rookie-of-the-Week, Klein checked in at 27:53 in 129th place and and Shaw at 27:56 in 133rd place.

Eastern totaled 641 points for a solid 24th-place finish in the 34-team field won easily by defending regional champion MIT (31 points). which corralled five of the top 11 places in a 48-point triumph over  Brandeis University.

Rounding out Eastern's scorers were  junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury) and senior Bryan Jorge (Bristol), with  seniors Ryan Hughes (Cheshire) and Casey McGarvey (Bozrah) completing Eastern's contingent. Franklin was timed in 28:53 in 166th place, Jorge at 29:22 at 177th, Hughest at 30:11 at 205th and McGarvey at 33:08 in 235th place.

Eastern competes in the Codfish Bowl at historic Franklin Park in Boston Saturday at 11 a.m.

                                                       Top Ten Teams

1.MIT 31; 2. Brandeis U. 79; 3. Bentley U. 134; 4. Salisbury U.143; 5. Springfield College 151; 6. UMass Lowell 180; 7. U.S. Coast Guard Academy 192; 8. WPI 254; 9. Babson College 281; 10. Assumption College 283.
  24. EASTERN CONN.641.

Eastern's Finishers

107. Tim Callahan 27:33; 129. David Klein 27:53; 133. Kyle Shaw 27:56; 166. Ryan Franklin 28:53; 177. Bryan Jorge 29:22; 205. Ryan Hughes 30:11; 235 Casey McGarvey 33:08. 

Men's soccer snares offensive, defensive player and goalkeeper honors

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Five Eastern Connecticut State University athletes have received honors by the Little East Conference in the first weekly report of 2011.

Freshman David Klein (New Milford) was named male cross country Rookie-of-the-Week and junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange) copped honors as women's soccer Offensive Player-of-the-Week. Members of the men's soccer team earned three of the four weekly awards: junior forward Cory Tobler (Portland) was named Offensive Player-of-the-Week, senior back Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) Defensive Player-of-the-Week and senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) Goalkeeper-of the-Week.

Klein excels in first race

In his first collegiate race, Klein led the Warriors at the finish line with an overall finish of eighth in a field of 43 this past Friday at the Jim Sheehan Memorial at Coggshall Park at Fitchburg, MA. Klein was timed in 27:37 over the 4.75 mile course. As a team, Eastern finished second in a field of four.

Trio leads men's soccer to 3-1 mark

Tobler contributed to five of Eastern's 12 goals in a 3-1 start with three goals (two game-winners) and two assists. He  scored twice in a season-opening 3-0 win over Clarkson University, added two assists in a 4-0 win over Fitchburg State in the home-opener and the first goal in a 5-0 home win over Ramapo College.

Appel posted two full shutouts, combined on another and gave up only one goal in 350 minutes (0.26) in the team's 3-1 start. The All-New England Region keeper and NSCAA Scholar-All-America recorded full shutouts over Clarkson in the season-opener and Ramapo College and played all but the final 12 minutes of a 4-0 home-opening victory over Fitchburg State. The full shutout against Ramapo was the 22nd of his career, one shy of the program career record. Thus far, he has made 15 saves for a .930 save percentage.

A 2010 All-New England Region defender Smiles played all but 30 minutes of the team's first four matches. He anchored the defense which gave up only one goal, with only 17 of the opponents' shots ending up on goal. He also added assists in the team's two home shutout wins over Fitchburg State and Ramapo College.

The weekly LEC honor is the sixth in the career of Appel and second for Tobler. Appel was named top goalkeeper twice in 2010 and once in 2009 and top rookie twice in 2008. Tobler was Rookie-of-the-Week once in 2009.

Marchitto bright light for women's soccer

A two-time all-conference player and former LEC Rookie-of-the-year, Marchitto contributed to nearly half of the team's  13 goals in a 2-2 start with four goals and two assists. She had three goals and two assists when No. 10 nationally-ranked Eastern opened its season with home wins over Fitchburg State and Saint Joseph (CT) College at the Warrior Classic and scored the first goal of the match in a 5-2 loss to SUNY Geneseo in the second match of the Manhattanville College Valiant Classic.

The weekly LEC honor is the third in the career of Marchitto, who was selected top offensive player once last year and No. 1 rookie once in 2009.