Facilities: Chatham College dedicated its $18 million Athletic and Fitness Center October 22. The four-level facility features an eight-lane competition swimming pool, a basketball/volleyball court seating 600 spectators, an athletic training facility with a hydrotherapy room and rehabilitation equipment, and offices for coaches and staff. It also offers a variety of features for the campus community, including a classroom with adjoining human performance laboratory, fitness and cardiovascular rooms, a rock-climbing wall, a dance and aerobics studio, a three-lane walking track, and a "smoothie bar" and lounge and game areas. The center replaces Chatham's 52-year-old gymnasium, which is being converted into an Art and Design Center. "This facility will enable our young undergraduate women in particular to not only excel on the court, but better compete in the classroom, as women who participate in sports are more likely to experience academic success," said Chatham President Esther L. Barazzone during dedication ceremonies that featured Pittsburgh city officials and Olympic soccer player Shannon Boxx as guests ... Former baseball Coach Pat Ricci was among guests of honor when Western New England College dedicated its new George E. Trelease Memorial Baseball Park September 19. Several members of the family of the late George Trelease also were present for the ceremony at the facility, where the field was named for Ricci, the school's most victorious coach with 188 wins ... The University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, has named its soccer field for former coach Bob Fiskum, who coached three sports (including soccer) and also served in athletics administration at the school. Fiskum, who also coached men's cross country from 1967 to 1975 and men's and women's swimming and diving from 1973-74 to 1986-87, took the reins of the men's soccer program in 1988 and served for 11 years, compiling a school-best 102 victories and .625 winning percentage in the sport. Fiskum also taught in the school's health, physical education, recreation and coaching department.

Milestones: Elizabethtown College became only the third men's soccer program in Division III to total 700 victories when the Blue Jays defeated Juniata College, 10-0, October 27 ... Aurora University football Coach Jim Scott recorded his 100th victory at the school when the Spartans defeated Concordia University (Illinois), 62-8, October 16. Scott, who also is associate professor of mathematics at the school, has coached the Spartans since 1985 ... Rob Russo collected his 300th victory in men's soccer when his Denison University team defeated Hiram College, 2-1, October 30. Russo has compiled 73 of those wins at Denison, where he has coached for six years ... Rick Burns recorded his 250th career victory when the Central College (Iowa) women's soccer team defeated Cornell College, 2-0, October 27. Burns, who is in his first season at Central, has coached for 23 years, guiding teams to .500 or better records in 20 of those seasons ... Leanne Ulmer collected her 100th victory in women's volleyball at Carthage College November 5 during the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament. She has coached at the school for four seasons.

Miscellaneous: The football squads from Trinity College (Connecticut) and Amherst College clashed for the 100th time in football November 6, and Trinity celebrated its homecoming with a 31-7 victory over the Lord Jeffs. The teams first played in 1882, with Amherst winning, 16-8. Amherst leads the series, 54-37-9, but Trinity has won the last three games, and this year's victory also extended the nation's longest football winning streak, which now stands at 22 games after Trinity's season-ending victory November 13 over Wesleyan University (Connecticut) ... Senior Katie Pettigrew of Luther College overcame illness and the pressure of playing her last regular-season match to tie the Division III record for career goals in women's soccer -- then overcame a diagnosis of pneumonia to break the record November 6 in the Iowa Conference tournament and also establish the division record for career points. Pettigrew, who led the nation in points per game (4.32) and goals per game (1.79) during 2003, entered the regular-season season finale against Buena Vista University on a cold, blustery day needing three scores to tie the record of 121 career goals established by Meredith College's Jessica Brooks in 1998 -- and she wasn't feeling well entering the match. Held scoreless in the first half and feeling worse as the game continued, assistant coach Julie Shockey advised Pettigrew not to put pressure herself by worrying about the record, and to enjoy what she already had accomplished. "That was all I needed," Pettigrew said later. "I decided to forget how sick I felt and just play as hard as I could and something good would happen." That's exactly what happened as Pettigrew found the net three times in Luther's 5-0 victory. Two days later, Pettigrew was diagnosed with pneumonia and did not practice before Luther began play in the conference tournament November 5. But she managed three more goals, finishing with 124 (as well as 297 career points), before the Norse lost, 3-2, to Loras College in the tournament final. Pettigrew now turns her attention to her senior season in indoor track and field, where she will seek to become a four-time all-American in the triple jump ... New Jersey City University launched its new Web site -- www.njcugothicknights.com -- November 1. The site features a Flash scoreboard and schedule of upcoming events, search capabilities, and expanded sports news and statistical archives, among other features ... Cabrini College hosted a team from Gakushuin University of Japan in an exhibition women's lacrosse match October 24, winning, 16-8, in a contest that featured three 30-minute periods. After the playing of the Japanese and United States national anthems, the Gakushuin team won the first period, but Cabrini took the second and third periods, racking up a 10-1 margin in the final period. Afterward, the teams exchanged gifts and posed for photos, then shared a meal in the college's Dixon Center. "I have always believed that participation in college athletics is a four-year course in life skills," said Cabrini Athletics Director Leslie Danehy. "After the game, when both teams came together for an informal reception, I watched two groups of women, two very different countries come together and share food, laughs and perspectives. It was one of my greatest moments as an athletics administrator."

-- Compiled by Jack Copeland