Conferences: New Jersey City University will rejoin the New Jersey Athletic Conference in 2005-06, after withdrawing from the league in 2004-05. The school's readmission is effective July 1, 2005, and will bring the conference back to 10 full members. New Jersey City will participate in all conference sports and will maintain a long-term commitment to the league, according to a news release from the institution. "We appreciate the NJAC membership's unanimous support for our readmission to the conference and look forward to resuming competition in the 2005-06 season," said Larry Schiner, director of athletics at the school. New Jersey City is a charter member of both the NJAC and its predecessor, the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, which was established in 1957. "The return of New Jersey City University to the New Jersey Athletic Conference represents an extremely positive development for our conference," said NJAC Commissioner Terry Small. "The contributions NJCU has made to the NJAC over the years are numerous, and our membership is excited about NJCU's decision to return."

Milestones: Only one active women's volleyball coach had collected 800 career victories in Division III before this season, but two coaches joined that exclusive club within a week of each other in early October. First, State University College at Cortland's Joan Sitterly collected win No. 800 when her Red Dragons swept Nazareth College October 9 at the Cortland Invitational. The milestone came in Sitterly's 22nd season at the school and gave Cortland State a 22-1 record for the season. Then, Kris Russell of the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, achieved the 800-victory plateau when the Warhawks defeated Calvin College October 15 in the Elmhurst Invitational. Russell, who is in her 24th season at Wisconsin-Whitewater, coached the Warhawks to a Division III title in 2002. The only other coach with 800 victories is Juniata College's Larry Bock, who collected his 1,000th victory earlier this season ... Two members of the Salisbury University coaching staff reached the same career milestone against the same conference opponent, less than a week apart. Dawn Chamberlin notched her 250th coaching victory in field hockey as the defending Division III champion Sea Gulls defeated Goucher College, 8-0, September 30. On October 6, Gerry DiBartolo also collected victory No. 250 when the Salisbury men's soccer team defeated Goucher, 3-2. DiBartolo is the school's longest-tenured coach, currently in his 23rd season, while Chamberlin is in her 18th season ... Luther College's Doug Mello earned his 250th coaching victory in women's soccer when his team defeated Simpson College, 3-0, September 25. Mello, who also has collected more than 350 victories as coach of Luther's men's soccer team, becomes the first soccer coach at any collegiate level to collect 250 wins in both men's and women's soccer ... Jennifer Walker became the most victorious coach in Wartburg College women's volleyball history when the Knights grabbed a pair of victories in the Sugar Loaf Classic September 10 and gave the coach a record-setting 162nd career win ... New Jersey City University's women's volleyball team, coached by Christopher Feliciano, collected the 250th victory of the program's history with a September 16 win over State University College at Old Westbury.

Miscellaneous: City College of New York has retired its "Benny" the Beaver mascot after 70 years and introduced what school representatives are calling a "more hip, wily and attitude-spouting symbol" for the school's athletics programs. A more ferocious, tenacious image of the Beaver was introduced to students September 2, concluding a design project that included input from CCNY President Gregory H. Williams, various other college administrators, and student-athletes and other undergraduate students. "It's a very hip, very 21st Century and, we feel, the nicest looking logo in the (City University of New York Athletic Conference)," said Robert Coleman, CCNY athletics director. "We were looking for an athletic-type logo and managed to create a smart, witty and yet cocky image without losing the identity of City College's traditional symbol." The new mascot replaces the mascot named during the 1930s for then-football coach Benny Friedman.

"Benny had gone through several facelifts over the years but we wanted something 21st Century, something that would capture the school's spirit and connect with the students," Coleman said ... Edgewood College unveiled a new logo for its Eagles athletics teams October 12 during homecoming week festivities. "This new logo expresses strength and pride, two characteristics of the Eagle mascot," said G. Steven Larson, Edgewood athletics director. "In designing a new athletics logo, we wanted to maintain the tradition of our school as a whole, while enhancing our overall look. We are very pleased the new logo includes the Dominican shield, which symbolizes the values of the college and the athletics department." The college also is designing a new Web site -- www.EdgewoodCollege
Eagles.com -- which is scheduled to be launched November 1 ... Rhode Island College is embarking on a year-long celebration of 75 years of athletics at the institution. The first athletics events involving college students occurred in 1929.

-- Compiled by Jack Copeland