GCC

Press release:

Seven members of the Genesee Community College staff team have been recognized by State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher for outstanding contributions to their profession, the campus and the community. The Chancellor's Award for Excellence is given in recognition of consistently superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

The following faculty and staff members earned the 2015 award and were honored at a reception last month on the Batavia Campus.

Award for Excellence in Teaching

Christopher D. Caputi, Ph.D, assistant professor, Physical Therapist Assistant Program – Caputi earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Physical Therapy from D'Youville College and a post-professional doctorate of Physical Therapy from SUNY Upstate Medical University. He spent time at Wyoming County Community Hospital and Kenmore Mercy Hospital as a staff physical therapist and worked as a physical therapist for Guthrie Healthcare System in Sayre, Pa., and Crystal City Physical Therapy in Corning. He currently provides outpatient physical therapy evaluations and treatment for Sports Plus Physical Therapy in Batavia. Caputi joined the College in 2007 as an adjunct professor and quickly became a full-time faculty member in 2008. He is actively involved with students on campus as the academic coordinator of Clinical Education and advisor of the Physical Therapy Club. Caputi also currently serves as a member of the Academic Innovation Committee, Academic Senate and Global Education Committee at GCC. He is an Equity and Diversity representative and a College Foundation captain. He resides in Tonawanda.

Charles Scruggs, assistant professor of History – Scruggs came to GCC in 2007 after spending time as a tutor and substitute teacher for the Geneseo School District. He also held teaching assistant positions at SUNY Albany and the University of Notre Dame after earning his bachelor's degree in Politics from Princeton University and his master's degree in Political Science from SUNY Albany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs. Scruggs continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a master's of science in Education Degree in History Education in 2003. He has taught a dozen different courses at the College, both traditional and online. Scruggs serves on a number of committees at Genesee, including the Academic Senate, the Innovation Committee, the Global Education Committee, the Sustainability Committee, the Early Intervention Committee and the Online Faculty Advisory Committee. He has participated in professional programs at Cornell University, received a travel grant to participate in a NATO Advanced Studies Institute in Scotland and a PIER Institute at Yale University on the culture and politics of revolution in Latin America. He resides in Rochester.

Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities

Heather Jones, associate professor of Fine Arts – Jones was appointed to Genesee Community College as a full-time instructor of Fine Arts in 2008 and was promoted to associate professor in 2014. She participated in the development and programming of the Roz Steiner Art Gallery, working with architects in the gallery design and the Gallery Advisory Board to develop the gallery vision. Heather holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Alfred University and a master's degree in Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She serves on the GCC Sustainability Committee, Fine Arts Committee and acts as the chair for the Curriculum subcommittee. Heather has also developed new course curriculum for the College, including a 2D hybrid art course, an arts topic course and an international study abroad program. She is a working artist creating social commentaries on environmental issues and is the owner of two active small businesses. GlassFeather Studio offers arts workshops to the local community and Good Nature Press offers book packaging, writing, graphic design and illustration services. Prior to GCC, Heather taught as an arts adjunct professor for seven years at a variety of colleges and served as the director of Camp Stella Maris in Livonia until 2002. She resides in Conesus.

Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

Rebecca Dziekan, director of Health and Physical Education – Dziekan began her career at GCC as the College's athletic trainer and instructor of Health and Physical Education (HPE) in 1996. She took advantage of many professional development opportunities and became director of Health and Physical Education in 2007 and earned rank of full professor in 2011. Rebecca has created new courses for HPE programs and created two concentrations to the Fitness and Recreation Sport Management Program (Personal Training and Golf Management). Her service to the College is extensive as she is an acting member of the Academic Senate, CAST (Campus Area Safety Team), Assessment Committee, Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee, GCCA Faculty Rep and Secretary, Creativity Committee, General Education Committee and more. Her relationship with the community includes the development of the Genesee Sport and Wellness Camp in an effort to improve student skills in sports and the Play to Get Fit Challenge, which challenges third-, fourth- and fifth-graders in the GLOW area to record the most minutes spent physically active outside regular school hours in an effort to battle childhood obesity. Dziekan is a graduate of The (SUNY) College at Brockport, earning a bachelor's degree in Science, and Indiana State University with a master's degree in Science. She is a member of the Pavilion School Board of Education and head coach for Pavilion youth baseball, basketball and soccer.

Award for Excellence in Professional Service

Lyndsey J. Oliver-Farewell, technical specialist, Records Management – Oliver-Farewell joined the College in 2004 as a peer tutor at the Albion Campus Center. She held the position of technical assistant and associate at Albion and Medina campus centers before being hired as a technical specialist in Records Management in Batavia in 2010. In her current capacity, Oliver-Farewell is regularly relied upon to manage large projects with a high degree of accuracy. Of her many responsibilities, one is the management of the credit course schedule of approximately 1,500 sections each semester. Lyndsey earned an associate degree from GCC before continuing her education at The (SUNY) College at Brockport where she completed her bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She then went on to the University at Buffalo where she earned a master's degree in Education in Higher Education Administration. Lyndsey serves on a number of committees at GCC, including Academic Senate, Genesee Strategic Intelligence Committee, Challenge Scholarship Committee, New Employee Orientation Committee and GCC Strategic Plan Committee. Outside of the College, Oliver-Farewell is the owner of Sweet Pea's Cupcakery Café in Batavia and a Turbo Kick instructor in Albion. She resides in Medina.

Kathy L. Palumbo, director of Nursing – Palumbo has been the director of Genesee's Nursing Program since January of 2009 and prior to that, she taught in the program for 18 years. She is the only director of a program which prepares students for professional licensure. The Nursing Program admits and regularly graduates students twice a year, making it the second largest program of study at GCC. Palumbo supervises and evaluates 13 full-time faculty and staff, and depending on the semester, 25-30 part-time faculty, more than all other healthcare programs combined. A graduate of the University at Buffalo, Palumbo earned both her bachelor's and master's degree of Science in Nursing. Recognizing the importance of communication and connection to the surrounding community, she actively participates in a number of community organizations and activities. Most recently, she was invited to become a member of the Genesee County Health Department Quality Assurance Committee. She is also on several nursing advisory committees, including the University of Rochester, The (SUNY) College at Brockport, Daemen College and Roberts Wesleyan University. In collaboration with the Genesee County Health Department, Palumbo was responsible for organizing flu clinics and supervising student administration of the H1N1 vaccine to the community, including children, when there was an urgent need to immunize against the flu strain. She is also on the board of the Genesee Valley Nurses Association, which has been the recipient of grant funds to assist nursing students in the Rochester area with emergency funding, allowing them to continue their education. Palumbo resides in Darien.

Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching

Joyce A. Chizick, adjunct instructor of Art and Business – Since she began teaching at GCC in the fall of 2000, Chizick has taught a total of 12 different courses in a variety of disciplines including Art, Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising Management and Tourism and Hospitality Management. Her classes are dynamic and lively, using humor, singing, dancing, acting out different works of art, in addition to traditional group work, discussions and presentations. Chizick serves as a member of the Global Education Committee at the College where she has presented several programs and assisted in more than 20 others. She is also a member of the Fine Arts Committee, an advisor for the Western Art History Club, and has served as a mentor in the Honors Program. Numerous GCC campus events benefitted from Chizick's creative touch as she dedicates her time to activities such as the annual fashion show and Encore and other scholarship fundraising events. Chizick earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Education from The State University of New York at Buffalo and also obtained a bachelor's degree in International Business from SUNY Empire State College. She resides in Lyndonville.

Timothy M. Palmer, adjunct instructor of History – Palmer has taught as an adjunct instructor for the College since 1992. He has held classes in traditional classroom settings, developed and taught online classes, traveled extensively to satellite facilities to teach, and has taken his enthusiasm and dedication into the New York State Corrections System, most notably Attica Correctional Facility. Palmer earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in History from The (SUNY) College at Brockport and taught as an adjunct professor at his alma mater from 1999 to 2011. A voracious reader, Palmer keeps up with current developments in his discipline spending three to four hours a day reading monographs and journals. He has authored several published articles that reflect his research interests and desire to keep in tune with the latest scholarship, which he brings to the classroom to the benefit of his students. His passion for teaching is obvious to the most casual of observers and in 1996, he was awarded the Genesee Community College Phi Theta Kappa Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition, Palmer earned the Art Lee History Award and Robert Griswold History Award at The (SUNY) College at Brockport and the Teaching Excellence Award, presented by the GCC Student Government. He resides in Greece.

Award for Excellence in Classified Service

Patricia Hume, executive secretary, Development and External Affairs – Hume, who joined the Genesee Community College staff in 2006, serves as the secretary to the College Foundation Board. She oversees the records and work flow of the office, and schedules all meetings and activities for the Board, which has nine committees and 31 members. Among its many functions, the Foundation Board organizes "Encore," an annual holiday tradition which is the major fundraising event for student scholarships and involves many of the College's departments as well as an extraordinary number of citizens from the region. Hume serves as the central liaison for "Encore" and is crucial to its long-running success. Hume is also responsible for the important and voluminous digital records held in the office's custody, which includes data entries on some 35,000 constituents, often appended with tightly secured personal information. She maintains an active presence at virtually all major College events and is willing to go beyond the scope of her position to help her colleagues. As an alumnus of Genesee Community College herself, Hume, class of 1988, is a strong supporter and booster of all things GCC. She resides in Pavilion with her husband, Ted, and son, Aiden.

Press release:

The annual Discover the Stars celebration which brings together Genesee Community College scholarship recipients, donors and notable alumni, is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14,  from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Stuart Steiner Theatre of GCC's Batavia campus. Members of the College Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, College administrators, staff members, current students and community guests are all welcome.

As in year's past, two notable members of GCC's alumni base, now numbering more than 24,000 strong, will be the keynote speakers of the event. This year, Renee Cain Garrett, superintendent of Forestville Central School District, and Attica native Marcie Lyons, currently a surgical nurse at Strong Memorial Hospital, will share a bit about their background and how their experiences at GCC helped launch their successful careers.

Garrett graduated from GCC's teacher education program in 1993. She went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees from SUNY Geneseo and an administrative degree from the College at Brockport. Starting her career in the Attica Central School District first as a teacher and then elementary school principal, she became the superintendent of schools in Mount Morris and then Wayne Central school districts, and in January 2015 became superintendent of the Forestville Central School District in Chautauqua County. She was inducted into GCC's Alumni Hall of Fame this past March.

As superintendent, Garrett is known as an innovator and top-level communicator and is committed to the value of lifelong learning for students, staff and stakeholders. She has been active in community organizations, including Rotary and Kiwanis, and is a member of a number of professional organizations. She lives in Forestville with her husband, Mike, and their rescue dog, Tess.

Lyons earned two degrees from GCC, Travel and Tourism, AAS in 2000 and she returned to the College to earn a Nursing AAS Degree in 2012. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges, and she recalls former instructors Roxanne Holthaus and Eleanor Nixon of Nursing, and Dr. Jane Westin of Anatomy and Physiology as some of her favorite professors during her time at the College.

Lyons has lived in various places along the east coast over the last 15 years. She earned a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales in 2002, which took her to Orlando, Fla., where she worked for Disney and then for Darden Restaurants for eight years in the hospitality industry. Deciding to switch careers, Lyons felt it was important to be near family while heading back to school for nursing. GCC was the leading program when deciding where to attend nursing school. After earning her AAS degree from GCC, she went on to earn her BS in Nursing from SUNY Brockport.

Press release:

Jason Perry Murray recently signed a Letter of Intent to join the Fisk University (TN) men's basketball program beginning this fall.

The 6'9" center from Harlem set the school record for career blocks with 117, topping the previous mark by eight. Perry Murray started in 36 out of the 49 career games he played at GCC and averaged 7.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Fisk is a Division I member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Bulldogs are coached by Larry Glover.

Genesee Community College athletics program endeavors to provide a quality and competitive intercollegiate athletics program consistent with the National Junior Collegiate Athletics Association (NJCAA) philosophy and the overall educational mission of Genesee Community College. Participation in collegiate athletics should be an extension of the total educational experience for the student athlete. The inherent philosophy emphasizes the athletic setting as a classroom used to teach character, commitment, work ethic, respect for differences, and the importance of sacrifice, teamwork, and cooperation.

For further information and pictures go to Genesee's Athletic Web page, which is updated regularly with game results, team rosters, photographs and information about Genesee's overall athletic program. http://www.geneseeathletics.com

View Online: http://readme.readmedia.com/Perry-Murray-Signs-With-Fisk-University/11304242

The 2015 fall schedule for the Genesee Community College men’s soccer team features five home contests including four in the month of September.

The 16-game regular season schedule begins on the road on Aug. 27 when the Cougars travel to North East, PA to take on Mercyhurst North East. Genesee will play in the Herkimer tournament on Aug. 29-30 and after a stop at Monroe Community College on Sep. 2, GCC will host Mohawk Valley CC in its home opener on the 5^th. The Cougars will have a quick turnaround and take the pitch the following day at home against Fulton-Montgomery CC before they head out on a three game road trip with stops at Corning CC (Sep. 9), Tompkins Cortland CC (Sep. 12) and Niagara County CC (Sep. 19).

GCC will host back-to-back home games on Sep. 23 (Cayuga CC) and 26 (Erie CC) before beginning the month of October on the road at SUNY Adirondack on the 5^th. The Cougars’ regular season home finale will take place on the 7^th against Jamestown CC and three consecutive road games will end the regular season with the final date at Herkimer College on Oct. 17.  

The Region III playoffs will begin on Oct. 24 with a sub-regional matchup and the semifinals will follow on the 27^th. Herkimer College will be the site of the regional finals, which will take place on Oct. 31. Herkimer will also host the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament, which will run Nov. 12-15.

Genesee is coming off of an 11-6 season in 2014 which included a Western New York Athletic Conference (WNYAC) regular season title and a fourth consecutive trip to the regional finals. GCC will try for its first NJCAA tournament appearance since 2011, when the Cougars advanced to the national title game.

For further information including start times, matchups and game coverage, visit geneseeathletics.com.

Science projects took center stage for a select group of GLOW region middle school students who were honored by Genesee Community College's Accelerated Enrollment (ACE) Programs during an awards ceremony on June 4, 2015. This winter, ACE Partner school districts across the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming County region recommended more than 100 students for the fourth annual cohort of the Math Science Preparatory Program at GCC.

Embedded within the competitive application process was an opportunity for two students to earn a full scholarship to participate in their first year of the Math Science Preparatory (MSP) program. Two students were selected from among ten Scholar of the Year finalists to win the annual award, and all the finalists were recognized at the science fair competition and awards event on June 4 at GCC. The scholarship winners and 2015 Math Science Scholars of the Year are Ariana deSa-Frias, of St. Joseph's School, and Kellen Bell, of Perry Central School (See photo).

Ariana Frias earned the highest mark in the competition by performing exceptionally well on the competitive placement examination - scoring well above the entrance criteria for the program. Her score was combined with her exceptional science fair project demonstrating the use of electronics and software to measure and resolve a common problem in dance – precise timing! Outside of the classroom Ariana is a competitive dancer and avid musician, and sings with the Eastman Children's choir.

Kellen Bell's experiment in atmosphere creation astonished the judges. His creative application of biochemistry to generate CO2 inside of a biodome may likely be applied in the future as he pursues his plans to explore the universe. With a strong desire to become an agent of change, Kellen dreams of contributing to a world where knowledge is free to everyone, and he sees science as a means to achieve ambitious goals.

ACE program specialist Karlyn M. Finucane says she and other members of the GCC ACE team are looking forward to working with all of the students who were nominated for the Math Science Preparatory award throughout the next several years. "The application process this year required students to demonstrate their individual interest in learning math and performing science. The results were impressive and the entire Math Science Preparatory Team is looking forward to working with these exceptionally bright and ambitious students," reports Ms. Finucane.

In alphabetical order, students accepted to participate in the 2015 cohort of the MSP Program include:

Isabella Asmus    ~ Akron Central School

Amelia    Beckman ~ Batavia City Schools

Sophie    Beckman    ~ Batavia City Schools

Kellen    Bell *    §    ~ Perry Central School

Jason    Berry    ~ Batavia City Schools

Julianna Bizub    ~ Alden Central Schools

Caleb Carr    ~ Perry Central Schools

Alwyn Cayea ~    Medina Central Schools

Emily Chaback    ~ Byron-Bergen Central Schools

Anthony Cometto *    ~ Alden Central Schools

Ricky    Denson    ~ Byron-Bergen Central Schools

Zachary Dimick    ~ Attica Central Schools

Eden Dodge    ~ Alexander Central Schools

Ava Flores    ~ Oakfield Central Schools

Tate Fonda    ~ Batavia City Schools

Ariana    deSa - Frias *    §    St. Joseph's Schools Batavia

Katy Geiger *    ~ Akron Central Schools

Sara Goodman *    ~    Byron-Bergen Central Schools

Jared Graham    ~ Oakfield – Alabama Central Schools

Carter    Green    ~ Medina Central Schools

Zachary Hall    ~ Oakfield - Alabama Central Schools

Ashley    Harmon    ~ Attica Central Schools

Autumn Harris    ~ Letchworth Central Schools

Mikayla Hickey    ~    Alexander Central Schools

Paige Jegierski    ~ Alden Central Schools

Natalie    Karmazyn    ~ Akron Central Schools

Ian Kemp    ~ LeRoy Central Schools

Colby Leggo    ~ Byron-Bergen Central Schools

Pierce    McPherson    ~    Letchworth Central Schools

Connor Mooney*    ~ Caledonia Mumford Central Schools

Rowan Nothnagle    ~ Caledonia Mumford Central Schools

Danica    Porter *    ~ Oakfield – Alabama Central Schools

Derek    Pruski    ~ Oakfield – Alabama Central Schools

Abigail    Richter    ~ Caledonia Mumford Central Schools

Andrew Ricupito    ~ St. Joseph's School Batavia

Ethan    Riggs    ~ LeRoy Central Schools

Victoria Russell    ~ Warsaw Central Schools

Shawn    Searls *    ~ St. Joseph's School Batavia

Bernard Skalny    ~ Batavia City Schools

Ethan Tillotson    ~ Pavilion Central Schools

Elissa Uveino    ~ Perry Central Schools

FaithAnn Vanderwalker *    ~ Medina Central Schools

Zachary Wagner    ~ Batavia City Schools

Lucas    Wicks *    ~    Akron Central Schools

Key:

* Scholar of the Year Finalist

§ 2015 Math Science Scholar of the Year

ACE Programs offer area high school students a variety of opportunities to pursue college credit concurrently with their high school education. MSP is an enrichment opportunity leading to an accelerated degree completion opportunity through which participating students will be able to make significant progress toward an associate degree in Math and Science or Engineering, and a few very determined students can earn their high school diploma with an associate degree later the same year!

The BEST Center at Genesee Community College is offering a series of "Brush up Your Skills" courses for students who plan to begin their college studies this fall. These non-academic credit classes in Math, Writing and Reading cost no more than $15 and are designed to help students increase their placement test scores and enable registration into higher-level courses. This not only potentially saves students tuition dollars, but also improves the likelihood of timely graduation.

The courses are geared toward incoming freshmen who may not have performed as well as expected on the COMPASS Placement Test, and also for high school graduates of all ages who may be beginning college after being out of school for some time. Current GCC students continuing their studies are also eligible. After completing the Brush Up courses, students retake the placement tests to potentially improve their scores and also eliminate the need to take developmental courses in these subject areas.

The three courses being offered include:

Math Pre-Algebra Placement Test Review, $15, July 21 – Aug. 12, Wednesdays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Brush up on the seven pre-algebra topics assessed by the COMPASS placement test so you can place directly into basic algebra or a credit-bearing college math course. Students may retake the COMPASS exam at the end of the course.

Writing Placement Test Review, $10, Monday – Thursday, Aug.10-13, 9 a.m. – noon
Review basic writing skills so you're prepared for college-level academic writing. The course will cover basic concepts including essay structure, sentence mechanics and test-taking strategies. Students may retake the COMPASS exam at the end of the course.

Reading Placement Test Review, $10, Monday – Thursday, Aug. 10-13, 1 – 4 p.m.
This course is designed to help those students who are close to meeting the college level reading requirement enhance the effective and efficient reading skills they need for academic work on the college level. These students have tested into the developmental class Gaining Power in College Reading (REA 101), but will be able to retest at the end of the course.

"We understand that placement testing is often the hardest and most intimidating part of starting a college program," said Reid Smalley, the executive director of GCC's BEST Center. "In a collaborative effort with our BEST Center, we specifically designed the Brush Up Your Skills Series to help students over this hurdle. For anyone who wants to start college in September, or those who hope to graduate through an associate degree program within two years, this is an excellent investment of their time."

Students interested in these classes may register in the GCC Records office, at The BEST Center in the Conable Technology Building on the Batavia campus, or online at www.bestcenter.org. For more information, contact The BEST Center at (585) 345-6868.

Genesee Community College celebrates its "women of the arts," three of whom recently have been recognized for their exemplary work. The College named Fine and Performing Arts secretary Jeanie Thompson was Employee of the Month for April; Fine Arts Associate Professor Heather Jones has been selected to receive a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities; and Director of the Fine and Performing Arts program Maryanne Arena has been selected to receive the YWCA Women of Distinction Racial Justice Award. Arena will be recognized at the Awards Gala on Saturday, June 13, at GCC.

Thompson, of Attica, is a GCC alumna who earned her Administrative Assistant AAS in 2007. She also has a bachelor's degree in English from SUNY Geneseo and previously worked as a newspaper reporter and copy editor before pursuing a career in the secretarial arts. "My primary job is keeping everyone in my department organized!" she said. Jeanie handles everything from supply orders to payroll authorizations, facility usage to budget maintenance. Her colleagues compliment her excellent record-keeping and editing skills and her skill as a liaison to the college community for the Fine Arts Department, where she has worked for five years.

Jones began teaching as an adjunct instructor at GCC's Dansville Campus Center in 2002. A Livingston County resident, she has also taught at Livonia High School and Dansville Primary School as well as RIT, Empire State College and SUNY Geneseo. She joined GCC full time in 2008 and was named Associate Professor in 2014. Heather is active with numerous college committees including the Sustainability, Arts Event Planning and Gallery Management Committees.

In addition to her teaching work, Heather owns GlassFeather Studio in Conesus where she creates her own artwork, teaches community workshops, takes on commissioned projects and volunteers as a juror for local art shows. She is also a co-founder of Good Nature Press, which develops original writing and illustration for educational and professional publishing companies. Heather has travelled extensively to study art and leads a study abroad program to The Netherlands through SUNY Brockport.

Arena came to GCC in 2004. A native of Brooklyn, Maryanne at one time worked as a New York City police officer. Her theatre career has taken her to colleges in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. In every role Maryanne has taken on, she has brought a dedication and commitment to community and a willingness and desire to work with all people.

In nominating her for the YWCA's 2015 Women of Distinction Racial Justice Award, GCC Audience Services Manager Cathy DeBellis noted that Maryanne is a champion of equal rights for all students. She is also not afraid to pursue less popular and socially uncomfortable topics instead of more light-hearted entertainment. Among the topics addressed in her shows: racial inequality, domestic violence, schizophrenia and suicide. "Maryanne believes that it is her social responsibility to encourage her students to grow, not just as students and performers, but as responsible individuals in our society," DeBellis said.

Arena will be honored June 13th along with the other Women of Distinction award winners who include Eve Hens for Economic Empowerment, Kathy Panepento for Peace, Heather Cummings for Military/Veteran, Theresa Asmus-Roth for Advocacy/Civic Engagement and Lawley Genesee for Corporate/Social Responsibility. The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Stuart Steiner Theatre, followed by a reception in the William W. Stuart Forum.

The Genesee Community College softball team lost the third and final game of the Region III Division III Group B Finals series to Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 16-5.

The Cougars forced a game three after a comeback win on Friday night but fell behind after the Vikings scored two in the top of the first on Saturday.

Genesee responded in the home-half of the inning after Karissa Schuster led off with a single and came around to score on a Shannon Baker hit. The Cougars added two more runs in the inning and took a 3-2 lead into the second.

Baker retired HVCC in order in the second but surrendered five runs on two hits and two walks in the third, which put the Vikings in the lead for good.

Hudson Valley added two more in the fourth before GCC scored twice in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 9-5, but the Cougars send just two batters over the minimun to the plate the rest of the way and did not cross the plate again.

Schuster finished the game 3-4 with two runs scored. Dani Wilshire and Chelsey Ruzewski each collected two hits and Georgie Miller went 1-4 with a run scored and a run batted in.

Shuster and Baker were both named to the Region III Group B All-Tournament team for Genesee, which finishes the season 25-11