National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2007
« back to 2007 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index
Division II Notes
|
By Gary T. Brown
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
Milestones: Two California University of Pennsylvania coaches achieved meaningful benchmarks recently. Fourteen-year softball coach Rick Bertagnolli picked up his 500th career victory with a doubleheader sweep at Indiana University of Pennsylvania April 20. Bertagnolli, who guided the Vulcans to their 19th straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoff berth, has more coaching victories at California (Pennsylvania) than any other coach in school history (all sports). He ended the season with a 504-155 record, a 575-167 NCAA collegiate coaching record (including two years at the University South Carolina Upstate), and a 767-203 lifetime record (including eight seasons on the scholastic and junior college levels). Meanwhile, 11th-year baseball coach Mike Conte recorded his 300th coaching victory May 4 by sweeping PSAC playoff wins over No. 1-ranked Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (4-3) and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (7-2) to advance to the league championship game. Conte, who was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the fifth time and guided the 2007 Vulcans to their first NCAA tournament bid since 1983, finished the season with a 300-219-4 career record (all at California) ... Mount Olive College head men’s basketball coach Bill Clingan recorded his 300th career victory this year in the quarterfinal round of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference tournament. Clingan concluded his 17th season at Mount Olive. Two nights later, seniors Chris Bartley, Elton Coffield and Elijah Rouse became the first Mount Olive men’s basketball players to reach the career 100-win mark with a 93-86 overtime victory in the tournament semifinal. This spring, Mount Olive head softball coach Jaime Kylis-Higginbotham recorded her 100th career victory in a 3-0 victory over Queens College (North Carolina). The win — a combined no-hitter by Jenny Jackson, Krystal Bourne and Shauna Cowdrey — clinched a share of the conference regular season title, Mount Olive’s first since 1997. The win also was the Trojans’ 36th of the season, breaking the previous school record of 35.
Miscellaneous: Mercy College selected “Mavericks” as the new mascot/nickname to represent the school’s 15 Division II programs and student-athletes. Mercy had gone by “Flyers” previously. “A maverick is someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action — a maverick is a leader,” said Athletics Director Kevin T. McGinniss. “The nickname Mavericks truly embodies the spirit of Mercy College and Mercy College athletics. It’s a nickname that the entire Mercy community can be proud of and rally around.” Mavericks was chosen from finalists Mustangs, River Hawks, Cougars and Wildcats.
Miscellaneous: Mercy College selected “Mavericks” as the new mascot/nickname to represent the school’s 15 Division II programs and student-athletes. Mercy had gone by “Flyers” previously. “A maverick is someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action — a maverick is a leader,” said Athletics Director Kevin T. McGinniss. “The nickname Mavericks truly embodies the spirit of Mercy College and Mercy College athletics. It’s a nickname that the entire Mercy community can be proud of and rally around.” Mavericks was chosen from finalists Mustangs, River Hawks, Cougars and Wildcats.
© 2010 The National Collegiate Athletic Association
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy