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Darien Lake Baseball Tourament Series expected to be big tourism event

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The second annual Darien Lake Baseball Tournament Series scheduled for June is expected to draw more than 160 teams from across the Northeast and Canada to Genesee County. Each of the first four weekends in June will feature competition between different school-age club baseball teams at a number of local facilities.

The 10 & 11 Under teams kick off the series on June 1-2, with the 14 & Under teams scheduled for June 8-10. The series wraps up with the 12, 13, & 15 Under teams on June 15-17 and the 16 & 18 Under teams on June 22-24.
 
Tournament coordinator Neal Turvey, of Pitch 'n' Hit Events, is excited to build on last year's momentum to create an ongoing "don't miss" event for each of the teams that attend.

"This series features a variety of teams with a high level of competition at quality facilities," Turvey said. "We want each team to have a great experience and walk away already planning to attend next year. We've worked very closely with the Town of Batavia, local school districts, and parks to secure enough facilities that we are able to keep the entire event in Genesee County."
 
Tom Lichtenthal of the Town of Batavia has been instrumental in the planning process through coordinating field locations and layouts as well as connecting the dots between the tourism department of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and Pitch 'n' Hit events to ensure that local hotels and attractions are prepared to welcome the influx of visitors.
 
"We're excited to see the economic impact of this event, especially as it's grown from last year," Lichtenthal said. "Events like this are instrumental in showcasing the Town of Batavia and Genesee County as a destination for sporting events and tournaments. The Batavia hotel base and number of sporting facilities across the county make us a great place to host an event."
 
Tournament attendees will arrive in Genesee County each Friday to register and check in at Darien Lake Theme & Water Park who has signed on to sponsor the event.

"We're happy to have Darien Lake back for a second year of sponsorship," Turvey said. "They're a great fit for the event and we appreciate their continued support."
 
For more information and a full tournament schedule visit:  http://www.pitchnhitevents.com

Preakness Stakes wagering handle at Batavia Downs was third best ever

By Billie Owens

 

Press release:

Officials at Western Regional Off-Track (WROTB), the owner of Batavia Downs Casino announced that wagering handle on the Preakness Stakes was the public benefit corporation's third best ever totaling $920,192. This represented a 3-percent increase over last year. WROTB saw a 16-percent increase on the Kentucky Derby.

It’s been 34 years since "Affirmed" won the Triple Crown in 1978, and not since "Big Brown" in 2008 has there been a horse that has had a chance to win thoroughbred racings elusive Triple Crown. KY Derby and Preakness winner, I’ll Have Another will attempt to become only the 12th Triple Crown Winner in history.

“I’ll Have Another” has been most impressive, said Todd Haight, OTB’s handicapper and the GM of Batavia Downs Racetrack.

“Not only was he the first horse to ever win from post position 19 in the Derby, but he followed that with gutsy effort in the Preakness when he ran down favored 'Bodemeister' in the final yards," Haight said. "He’s made a believer out of me.”

Western OTB expects big crowds for the 144th Belmont Stakes at its OTB branches, EZ- Bet locations and at America’s oldest lighted harness track, Batavia Downs Casino, on June 9. All OTB branches will open at 11 a.m. on Belmont Stakes Day. Advance wagering on the final jewel of the Triple Crown begins on June 8.

Details on giveaways and radio events at local OTBs and Batavia Downs Casino will be available on visit www.westernotb.com the week of the race.

Blue Devils repeat as Section V track champions

By Howard B. Owens

The Blue Devils are Class B Section V outdoor track champions for the second season in a row, crushing the competition Saturday in Marion with 131 points.

Second place Aquinas had 72 points.

Individual event winners were:

Eric Williams, pole vault with a 12-foot jump, and 400 hurdles with a new school record of 57.5 seconds.

The boys 4x100 relay was won by Brandon Stevenson, Andrew Budlong, Mitch Noble and Alex Egeli with a time of 45.18.

Damion Reeves won shot put with a throw of 45' 7".

Ty Demmer won the 3,200-meter run with time of 10:15.

T.T. Martinez won pentathlon with 2,611 points.

This is the team's 4th outdoor title, and with a title in indoor track this winter, the Blue Devils now have 18 total track championships in the program's history.

Photos and information submitted by Steve Ognibene.

Coach Nick Burk with Section V track officials.

Photos: Perfect baseball weather for annual Michael Napoleone baseball tournament

By Howard B. Owens

This weekend, young ball players from throughout the region are in Batavia for the annual Michael Napoleone baseball tournament.

The tournament acts as a fundraiser for the Michael Napoleone Foundation, which provides donations to cancer research, and as a memorial to Michael, who loved baseball.

Michael died in 2006 from Burkitt's lymphoma/leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

These pictures are from Saturday. The tournament runs through tomorrow.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Photos: New paintball park opens at fairgrounds

By Howard B. Owens

A Plattsburgh school teacher with a passion for troubled youth and for paintball has opened a game facility at the Genesee County Fairgrounds.

Jared Hogle said when there are competitions, teams will travel from all over the region -- from Syracuse, Binghamton and, of course, Rochester and Buffalo, which have a lot of tournament-level players.

"Batavia's centrally located and no more than two-and-a-half to three hours away from any of these places," Hogle said, explaining why he decided to open the facility in Batavia.

For about six years, Hogle has operated the Legacy Paintball Park at the Clinton County Fairgrounds in Plattsburgh.

"It's the third most popular sport in the world now," Hogle said. "Millions and millions of people play it. ESPN broadcasts tournaments, it's live streamed. It's the second biggest alternative sport in the United States."

But the new Batavia park isn't just for tournament players. It's open to any group -- church groups, scouts, bachelor parties, etc. -- they can all rent the facility.

Hogle also hopes the park will become a resource for local youths looking for positive activities.

"Ironically, Batavia isn't much different than Plattsburgh," Hogle said. "I drove around the streets last night and I saw kids walking around with nothing to do."

Kids with nothing to do, Hogle noted, get into trouble, but some of them also develop potentially destructive attitudes.

In Plattsburgh, Hogle has taken to bringing in bands with "positive" messages for the youth.

One band delivered a message about suicide and 150 kids at that show filled out counseling slips seeking follow-up phone calls.

"The kids are hurting, man," Hogle said. "The kids are hurting in school. We’ve had in the last month in Plattsburgh alone, we’ve had three or four people kill themselves. That’s where my passion is, to do the outreach, and if paintball can be a mediator to do that, and we can bring that positive music into the Batavia area, then that's where my passion is."

Hogle said in late summer, the paintball park will be moved to the west side of the fairgrounds, over by a wooded area, and another paintball playing area will be created in the woods.

His dream is that his business makes enough money that he can devote his full attention to it and provide more resources for youth, more positive venues for them to focus their attention on.

"I would love," he said, "if we ever make money, to put in a high ropes course up here and a rock climbing wall, get more people out and show there’s different ways to process troubled times rather just getting frustrated and getting to the point that you’re so depressed you take other matters into your hands."

Hogle anticipates the park being open during this summer's county fair and that there will be demonstrations and equipment rentals for people to try out the sport for themselves.

Contact information for Hogle can be found on his Web site.

Covel's 10 Ks pave way for Hornets slot in Section V title game

By Howard B. Owens

Alec Covel and the Oakfield-Alabama Hornets persevered through seven innings of playoff baseball Friday to secure berth in the Class CC finals Tuesday against #1 seed Lyons.

Covel gave up 11 hits against Perry, but more importantly, he struck out 10 and surrendered only two runs to lead the Hornets (17-4) to an 8-2 victory.

Covel said he just wanted to "win one for the team."

The Yellow Jackets got to him for a quick run in the first inning, but then Covel settled in and gained confidence as the game went on.

"In the beginning I had trouble spotting my curve ball," Covel said. "It started coming through. It was working and they weren’t hitting it so I kept throwing it."

The sophomore mixed his off-speed stuff with a dominating fastball to keep the Perry hitters off balance for most of the night.

His lone base on balls came in the final frame, when Perry scored its only other run of the night.

Co-head Coach Dan Gilbert, who shares the position with James Patrick, said the win was a team effort -- Covel was backed by solid defense, but praised Covel's attitude and work ethic.

"It's a combination of Alec's temperament -- he's a great pitcher, great work ethic, hard-nosed kid who doesn't get rattled, and he had great defense behind him," Gilbert said.

Gilbert said the Hornets knew they would have their hands full with Perry, but the team never gave up and the five-run sixth was just what the Hornets needed to put away the #11 seed.

"We knew coming in they were scrappy and they played scrappy," Gilbert said.  "We knew we would have to persevere through any kind of adversity or bumps in the road. We had a couple of mistakes along the way that we had to persevere through and we didn’t quit and we didn’t give up. And we got the big inning when we needed it."

The offense was led by Kurtis Dunlap, who reached base four times -- one hit, two walks and one hit by a pitch -- and scored three runs.

Tommy Manzella had a triple and a run scored.

Hunter Spiotta had his second 2-3 game of the playoffs and scored a run.

The Hornets go into the finals as the #2 seed and getting to the championship game is what O-A's seniors have had in mind all season, Gilbert said.

"The senior leadership has been phenomenal," Gilbert said. "They’ve had a desire to make a run the whole year. They’ve picked up everybody along the way. Our hats go off to the seniors every day because sometimes when you’re a senior, senioritis kicks in. These guys just want to play baseball, do the best they can for the team. That’s been the key to our success all year."

Even though they will be facing the #1 seed, Gilbert said the Hornets are ready for the challenge.

"We feel confident," Gilbert said. "We know we have a chance. We’re going to have to play quality baseball, but we have good quality kids who are going to work hard and leave it on the field."

The game will be played Tuesday at a location yet to be determined.

If you have trouble viewing the slide show, click here.  To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Two members of GCC's lacrosse team earn All-American honors

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Two members of the Genesee Community College Men's Lacrosse Team have been honored as 2012 All-Americans selections.

Sophomore attackman Connor Latimer (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) was named an NJCAA First Team All-American and sophomore midfielder Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) was named to the second team.

Latimer, a Second Team All-American selection last season and a preseason All-American coming into this season, was also named to the All-Region first team and All-Conference first team this year. He recorded 118 points in 19 games this season, including a school record 66 goals. He finishes his GCC career holding the records for most goals in a single game with nine, most points in a single game with 14 and most career points with 217.

"Connor is a true scorer. Getting a player with his talent really helped put our program on the map," said GCC Assistant Coach Derek Hoover. "He is a hard worker and is always looking to get better. He was a great leader for us this year as a captain and was always looking to get the best from his teammates."

Halliwell-Allen led the nation in assists by a midfielder with 47, the seventh highest total by any position player in all of the NJCAA. He scored 72 total points which was tied for the 13th most in the country.

"For me, Spencer was one of the best midfielders in the country this year. In two years, he became the total package. He is mature, a leader, has high character and developed his game with hard work every day," Hoover said.

Halliwell-Allen was also named to the All-Conference first team and the All-Region first team this year.

The Cougars finished the season with a 15-4 record. They were Western New York Athletic Conference Champions, reached the Region III Tournament Final Four and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament for the second consecutive season.

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 webpage, which is updated regularly with game results, team rosters, photographs and information about Genesee's overall athletic program. http://www.genesee.edu/athletics

Batavia notches first round win in Section V playoffs

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia's younger players are coming into their own just at the right time, said head baseball Coach Rick Saunders -- just as the Blue Devils enter sectional playoffs.

The team won a first-round playoff game Tuesday at Dwyer Stadium over Greece Olympia, 12-5.

"They struggled with the bats the first time they’d seen varsity pitching and now we’ve won five out of our last six," Saunders said.

The Blue Devils jumped to a quick 7-1 lead in the first two innings Tuesday, but then Greece Olympia made it look like they might make a game of it with four runs in the fifth.

But Saunders said his #5 seeded team responded well against the #12 seed, rallying for five runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

"(There were) two positive things," Saunders said. "When you play a team that’s a lower seed than you, you have to jump out to an early lead. Then you need to tack on runs to put them away, and when they made their come back to get back in the game, we tacked on five in the sixth to put them away. That’s how you win big games. That was the key."

Batavia (13-7) will face Greece Arcadia in a round two game at 4:30 p.m., Friday, in Greece Aracadia. The winner of that game will play a semi-final game next Tuesday against either Pittsford-Sutherland, the #1 seed, or Geneva.

In the game, Tommy Prospero was 2-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Ryan DiMartino was 2-4 with a double and two RBIs. Zach Hale, who was also the winning pitcher, going 4 1/3 innings, was 2-4.

Saunders likes his team's chances of advancing.

"We’ve played all these teams," Saunders said. "Our pitchers have got to throw strikes. It’s basic baseball, pitchers throw strikes and if we can play good defense we can play with anybody. When we've that this year, we've won. When we haven't, we've struggled."

In other Section V baseball today, Alexander plays Warsaw in Warsaw; #2 seed Pembroke plays Bishop Kearney in Pembroke; Pavilion plays Canisteo-Greenwood in Pavilion; #2 seed Oakfield-Alabama plays Cuba-Rushford in Oakfield; Le Roy plays Granada in Le Roy; and on Friday, Notre Dame plays Prattsburgh at Dwyer Stadium.

If you can't view the slide show, click here.  To purchase prints of these pictures, click here.

Results of Stafford Invitational

By Howard B. Owens

Below are the results of the Stafford Invitational held at the Stafford CC on May 18.

Rob Horak fires a 3-under par 69 to take first place in the individual event at Stafford CC. Michael O'Connor, Bill Lapple and Larry Peters tie with Eddie Suchora, Robert McIntosh and Joe Muscarella in the best 2 of 3 event with a 134.

Steve Bartkowski is WNYPGA Tournament Director.

RESULTS
Rob Horak, Ravenwood GC, 69
Dwayne Randall, Peek'N'Peak, 71
Tom Keenan, Dick's Sporting Goods, 72
Mark Kirk, Crag Burn GC, 72
Michael O'Connor, Kahkwa Club, 72
Kirk Stauffer, Pine Acres CC, 72

Michael O'Connor, Bill Lapple, Larry Peters, 134
Eddie Suchora, Robert McIntosh, Joe Muscarella, 134
Tom, Keenan, Robbie Sinclair, Ernest Truax, 138
Lon Nielsen, Don Gnann, Gregg Bryant, 138
Ryan Swanson, Alex Bianco, Jeff Pratt, 138
Jeff Urzetta, Matt Adonnino, John Lapple, 138
Jason Parker, Brian Sinclair, Bob Sinclair 138

New York-Penn League's charitable foundation invites college-bound seniors to apply for scholarships

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Class-A Short-Season New York-Penn League and its member clubs have announced that the league’s philanthropic arm, the NYPL Charitable Foundation, will once again award more than $10,000 in scholarships this summer to deserving high school graduates from the league’s 14 markets.

The 2012 NYPL Scholarship Program is open to any graduating senior from a public or private high school within the league’s footprint, who has been accepted at any two- or four-year college or university, vocational or technical education institution. Applicants will be judged based on academic performance, volunteer and extracurricular activities, and the impact their local NYPL club and Minor League Baseball has had on their lives.

The Scholarship Program will consist of two stages – a local round and a divisional round. In the local stage, students will apply directly with their local NYPL team, with one applicant chosen by each of the 14 teams to advance to the divisional round. The 14 finalists will be separated by the division of the team they represent. The winning application from each of the NYPL’s three divisions (McNamara, Pinckney and Stedler) will receive the top prize of a $2,500 scholarship. All other finalists will receive a $250 book award.

“The New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation initiated the scholarship program in 2009 as a way to assist high school seniors from within our league’s footprint who not only meet and exceed traditional scholarship criteria, but have also demonstrated the positive benefits their local NYPL club has had on their life,” said Ben J. Hayes, president of the New York-Penn League. “The Foundation is pleased to have this scholarship program in place and to support our 14 member clubs in their year-round community outreach efforts.”

Applications are available by contacting your local New-York Penn League club or by visiting the official NYPL Web site, www.newyork-pennleague.com

The deadline to submit the application to your local NYPL team is June 22 and each team’s winner, including the three $2,500 scholarship recipients, will be selected in late July and honored at a game in August.   
 
The New York-Penn League and its 14 member clubs created the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, in 2003. The mission of the foundation is to provide focus and support for the collective and individual charitable and community efforts of the New York-Penn League, its clubs, and their staff.

Oakfield GCC student named to Western New York All-Conference Second Team

By Billie Owens

Lindsay Chatt, of Oakfield, was one of three members of the Genesee Community College Softball Team named to the Western New York Athletic Conference All-Conference Team. She was named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Chatt was second on the team with a .433 batting average and delivered 42 base hits. She drove in a team high 20 runs and also scored 20 runs. She appeared in all 30 games and led the team with two homeruns this year.

The Lady Cougars finished the season with a 13-19 overall record. They finished third in the regular season Western New York Athletic Conference standings and qualified for the Region III playoffs.

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 the 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.genesee.edu/athletics

Time to start planning your 2012 season with the Batavia Muckdogs, tickets on sale starting Monday

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Dwyer Stadium Box Office will open for the 2012 season at 9 a.m. Monday, May 21. Tickets for Opening Day and ALL regular season games for the 2012 season will be on sale. The box office will be open until 5 p.m.

Normal box office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Season seat holders will be able to pick up their season tickets on Monday. Fans interested in season tickets can also stop by the stadium and pick out their seat for the 2012 season.

The Batavia Muckdogs, Genesee County’s only professional sports franchise, have also released their 2012 promotional schedule featuring fireworks, giveaways, special events, theme nights and daily promotions.

The fun will kick off three days prior to Opening Day with an exhibition game vs. the Newark Pilots of the Perfect Game League. The aim of this game is not only to get the players acquainted with the stadium but also to give fans the first opportunity to meet the team. Tickets for the exhibition game will be discounted off the already low box office prices and season tickets holders will receive a free ticket to that evening’s ball game.

The Muckdogs will again offer fans a daily menu of money-saving promotions available throughout the season.

Tuesday features a new addition to the lineup. This year, New York’s 529 College Savings Program presents Kids’ Tuesday Night Tickets. Every Tuesday home game, the first 50 kids accompanied by an adult will receive a free General Admission ticket.

The Family Four Pack will take place on every Wednesday during the 2012 season and is presented by M&T Bank. Fans can purchase four general admission tickets, four hot dogs, four 12 oz. sodas and a 2012 program for only $30, a savings of $14.

On Thursday nights, The Williams Law Firm will once again sponsor our Kids Eat Free promotion. At every Thursday home game, the first 100 kids 12 & under will receive a voucher for a free hot dog, soda and snack item.

Fireworks will again light up the sky after every Friday night game at Dwyer Stadium, as well as on the annual Independence Day celebration on July 4th.

Every Saturday will feature a pre-game concert in the concourse. These “Rock the Ballpark” events are presented by Tim Horton’s of Batavia and New Buffalo Impact with Papa and Mama Root, an oldies rock 'n' roll tribute band, and original music recording artists. All performances begin at 6 p.m. and are weather permitting.

At Sunday home games, kids can run the bases with Homer after the game courtesy of Denny’s of Batavia. Every child that runs the bases will receive a coupon for a free Kids Meal at Denny’s.

Other games of note on the 2012 promotional schedule include:

  • Opening Day/Magnet Schedule Giveaway                            Monday, June 18th
  • Muckdogs Car Decal Giveaway                                             Wednesday, June 27th
  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Day                                           Saturday, June 30th  
  • Independence Day Celebration Fireworks                            Wednesday, July 4th
  • Classic Rock band “The Strikeouts” pregame concert          Sunday, July 8th                      
  • Bark in the Park                                                                    Saturday, July 21st   
  • Synch Backpack Giveaway -- Friday, July 27th 
  • In Plain View pregame concert (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)      Friday, August 10th
  • Team Photo Giveaway                                                          Saturday, August 11th 
  • Genesee Valley Penny Saver Giveaway                               Tuesday, August 21st 
  • 15th Anniversary Poster Giveaway                                        Sunday, September 2nd

Fireworks Nights will be as follows: June 22nd, July 4th, July 6th, July 20th, July 27th, August 10th, and August 24th.

The Muckdogs open their 2012 home schedule on Monday, June 18th vs. the Auburn Doubledays at 7:05 p.m. For a complete 2012 promotional schedule, go to www.muckdogs.com or call the Muckdogs office at (585) 343-5454. Muckdogs season tickets, coupon books, ticket packages and individual tickets are all on sale.

Cougars fall in National Semifinals

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College men’s lacrosse team fell to Onondaga Community College in the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York.

Genesee, the at-large team in the Final Four, gave up the first goal of the game to the top team in the tournament just seven seconds into the first quarter. Onondaga scored six times in the opening frame and led 6-0 at the start of the second.

Genesee had the man advantage early on in the second period but could not break through. After returning to full strength, Onondaga found the back of the net twice in a span of five seconds to increase their lead to 8-0.

Steven Riamondi (Amherst, NY) got GCC on the board with a goal at the 4:22 mark of the second quarter, and then Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) scored short-handed less than a minute later to get Genesee back to within six at 8-2. Onondaga added a goal with about four minutes remaining in the first half and took a 9-2 lead into the break.

(Members of the GCC men's lacrosse team celebrate #23 Steven Riamondi's first half goal against Onondaga Community College on Saturday afternoon)

 

OCC started strong in the second half, scoring three goals in the first three minutes of the third quarter and opened up a ten-goal, 12-2 lead. Trailing 14-2, Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) assisted Printup on his second goal of the game to make it 14-3.

Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) answered an early fourth quarter OCC goal with his first goal of the game to make it 15-4 with just under eight minutes to play. He added another goal just two minutes later before Printup followed with his third goal of the game to make it 15-6. Both teams would play a scoreless three-minutes to end the game, and Onondaga advances with a 15-6 victory.

Genesee ends the season with a 15-4 overall record after advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament for the second straight season. They were Western New York Athletic Conference Champions and reached the Final Four of the Region III Tournament. Onondaga Community College will play for their fourth straight NJCAA National Title and sixth in the last seven years against the winner of Nassau Community College and the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex tomorrow at 1pm.

Annual event brings top soccer talent to Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

This weekend, nearly 100 spectators will be in at the Batavia Sports Park to watch an anticipated 800 boys and girls high-school soccer players -- the premier players in the region -- display their skills at the 6th Annual Empire Cup College Showcase.

From a press release:

Similar events are held annually in places like Ohio, Florida, Maryland and Nevada.

"It's not something that we invented obviously, but we've been sending teams all over for college showcases, and about five years ago we thought it was time to have one in Western New York," tournament Director Michael Henderson said.

The timing must have been right. Henderson, a high-school coach himself in Rochester, said the recruiter turnout was beyond what was originally expected.

"It's nice for the coaches, because for them, it's relatively local," said Henderson. "They don't have to travel as far either."

Due in part to the tournament's connection to college coaching circles, it has taken major steps in aiding the recruiters ability to see who they want, and when.

Prior to the start of the weekend, each participating player has the option of filling out an online profile. That, in turn, gives the recruiting coaches an idea of each player's personal feelings about school, including what they want to study and what their soccer ambitions are.

Also, the form allows for players to submit GPA numbers and other pertinent test scores such as the SAT or ACT, giving the coaches an advanced screening as to whether or not certain players have the grades to get in.

"It helps tremendously knowing that going into the tournament," Henderson said. "You may see some great players, but at the end of the day, they may not by able to get into your school. Obviously you are looking for good athletic ability and game understanding, but it has to be a fit with your college."

To go with that, tournament organizers were overly stringent on who was going to be playing. As youth soccer goes, this field ended up being extremely competitive and draws teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Vermont, as well as New York and Canada.

Forty-six premier teams will compete, and many were turned away.

"We didn't accept everybody,"  says Henderson. "This is somewhat an elite tournament. It's for the kids that are serious about going on and playing in college."

"We have the interest, we have the need and we have the facility," Henderson said. "I'm pretty sure we'll do this again next year, and hopefully for many years to come."

GCC's men's lacrosse team picked for NJCAA National Championship Tournament

By Billie Owens

Press release:

For the second straight year the Genesee Community College Men's Lacrosse Team has been selected to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament.

The Cougars, the number-four seed, will travel to Nassau Community College in Garden City and play Onondaga Community College, the tournament's number-one seed and the nation's top-ranked team, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 12.

Genesee finished the regular season with a 14-2 record, losing only at Onondaga Community College in their first game of the season and No. 3 Community College of Baltimore County-Essex on the road in April. The Cougars were 1-1 in the Region III playoffs, defeating Finger Lakes Community College 20-0 in the quarterfinals and falling to Monroe Community College 12-11 in the semifinals.

"We've had our best season in school history. We played everyone in the region and took games against some of the top teams in the country," said GCC Head Coach Dave Hoover. "We have a big challenge with Onondaga. They are undefeated but we are going to prepare as hard as we can to give them the best game we can."

Genesee will look to knock off the three-time defending National Champions with an attack that includes two preseason All-Americans and two of the top three scorers in the country.

Sophomores Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) and Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) are second and third respectively in total points. Latimer has scored 66 goals and added 49 assists and Printup has scored 62 goals and assisted on 52 this season.

In their season-opening meeting on March 10th, Onondaga defeated Genesee 24-9. The nine goals however, were the most scored on the Lazers this season.

"When we played them even strength, we played them well," Hoover said. "We need to play a smart, disciplined game and stay out of the penalty box. We are looking forward to the challenge."

Nassau Community College and the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex represent the other NJCAA Final Four matchup, with the winner advancing to take on the winner of Genesee vs. Onondaga for the National Championship on Sunday, May 13th.

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.genesee.edu/athletics.

More bets, more winnings at WROTB locations on Kentucky Derby Day

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Officials at Western Regional Off-Track (WROTB), owner of Batavia Downs Casino, announced today record handle on the 2012 Kentucky Derby and at the casino.

Through its 32 branches and 18 EZ-Bet locations, WROTB handled $1,913,108 on the Run for the Roses, a 16-percent increase over 2011, which was a record year. In addition, WROTB paid out $1.6 million in winning wagers, its most ever.

“We are very pleased with the results of the derby,” said William White, vice president of administration said. “We look forward to serving our customers' needs for the Preakness.”

“We are thrilled with the turnout for the derby,” said Todd Haight, OTB’s handicapper and the GM of Batavia Downs Racetrack. “It seems that the people of Western New York did their handicapping homework, too, as we paid out more winners than ever before.

"At the downs, people enjoyed meeting and greeting our Ambassador Thurman Thomas inside Grandstands Bar and Grille.”

Batavia Downs Casino recorded its biggest week ever with record revenues. New York State Lottery and the state education fund benefited by receiving over $520,000 when more than $12 Million in credits played were wagered through 640 slot machines.

Western OTB expects the excitement to continue with the Preakness Stakes on May 19 when "I’ll Have Another" tries to etch his name in the record books in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. All OTB branches will open at 10 a.m. on Preakness Day.

Batavia Downs in owned and operated by Western Regional Off-Track Betting, a public benefit corporation. Municipalities that own Batavia Downs Casino include: the cities of Buffalo, Batavia and Rochester, and these counties: Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Wyoming.

The track is also home to Batavia Downs Casino, featuring more than 600 video slot machines. Batavia Downs Casino is located less than one mile from Thruway Exit 48 and is open daily from 8 to 4 a.m.

Batavia HS grad places 2nd in state hammer throw competition

By Howard B. Owens

Submitted by Diana Anderson Radley:

Batavian, Max Radley, junior at SUNY Fredonia, a member of theSUNY Fredonia Mens track and Field since a freshmen and a former member of the Batavia HS Track and Field Team competed in State University of New York Athletic Competitions in Oneoneta this past weekend.  Max finished 2nd in the state competition  in Hammer throwing with a with a distance of 47.74 meters.

Max plans on studying and competing in the Netherlands next semester.  Max is the son of Diana Anderson Radley, a licensed Massage Therapist and Herbalist, owner of Massage by Diana and copartner in a new business called Scientific Edge, Health and Wellness trainings and education for the Professional Community and general community   Carl Radley, formerly of Batavia

Like other throwing events, the competition is decided by who can throw the ball the farthest. The men's hammer weighs 16 pounds (7.257 kg) and measures 3 feet 11 3⁄4 inches (121.5 cm) in length and the women's hammer weighs 8.82 lb (4 kg) and 3 feet 11 inches (119.5 cm) in length.[1] Competitors gain maximum distance by swinging the hammer above their head to set up the circular motion. Then they apply force and pick up speed by completing one to four turns in the circle. In competition, most throwers turn three or four times. The ball moves in a circular path, gradually increasing in velocity with each turn with the high point of the ball toward the sector and the low point at the back of the circle. The thrower releases the ball from the front of the circle. The two most important factors for a long throw are the angle of release (45° up from the ground) and the speed of the ball (the highest possible).

While the men's hammer throw has been in the Olympic Games since 1900, the IAAF did not start ratifying women's marks until 1995. Women's hammer throw was first included in the Olympics at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, after having been included in the World Championships a year earlier.

Yankees get stomped in Triple A match-up with Red Sox at Dwyer

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia baseball fans may have been denied a chance to see Andy Pettitte pitch in Dwyer Stadium, but on Saturday, two other pitchers with major league experience graced the mound.

Nelson Figueroa, 38 years old, with nine seasons of MLB experience and a career record of 20-35 to go along with his 4.55 ERA, was the Empire Yankees starter.

Figueroa, whose nine seasons were spent with seven different teams, surrendered seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings, which made the Red Sox fans at the game happy.

Boston's farm club from Pawtucket won the game 9-3 behind the pitching of Brandon Duckworth, a 34-year-old right-hander who has been out of the majors since 2008.

To Duckworth's credit, his 2012 record is now 4-0 to go with a 3.34 ERA.

Attendance for the game was 1,838.

Season ends for GCC Baseball

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College baseball season came to an end on Saturday afternoon after the Cougars fell to Mercyhurst North East 8-3 in the first elimination game of the Region III Playoffs.

Genesee took an early lead after Shakeel Newton (Christiansted, V.I.) singled to lead off the bottom of the first, stole second and then scored on a fielders choice to give GCC a 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Ruben Medina (Maracaibo, VEN) kept the lead safe until the fourth inning when the Saints broke through with a solo homerun by Tim Denman to tie the game at one.

Mercyhurst NE took the lead in the fifth, scoring three times on a walk, an error, a double and a sacrifice fly to take a 4-1 lead. The Cougars responded in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two runs on an RBI single from Fauchedre Celestijn (Willemstad, Curacao) and a sacrifice fly from Rafael Lozada (Santo Domingo, DR) to make it a 4-3 game, but GCC could not close the gap any further.

The Saints added two runs in the sixth, a run in the seventh and a run in the ninth and set GCC hitters down in order in three out of the final four innings to earn the victory.

(Tyler Koronas (white) slides in safely to third against Mercyhurst North East on Saturday afternoon)

 

Medina went six innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits while striking out one.

Newton finished the game 1-4 with a single and two runs scored, Tyler Koronas (Naples, FL) was 1-3 with a single, two walks and a run scored and Lozada was 1-3 with a single and a run batted in.

With the win, Mercyhurst North East advanced to the championship round and defeated Monroe Community College 9-5 in the 4pm game on Saturday. The two teams will play at noon on Sunday, with the winner being crowned Region III Champion.

Genesee finishes the season 28-15.

GCC Men's Lacrosse loses to Monroe

By Andrew Crofts

(Herkimer, NY) The Genesee Community College men's lacrosse team fell to Monroe Community College in the Region III Final Four on Saturday afternoon, 12-11.

Both teams played to a 2-2 tie after the first quarter before the Tribunes outscored the Cougars 5-2 in the second period to take a 7-4 lead into the half.

Genesee scored the first two goals of the second half to get to within one, and from then on it was a back-and-forth game. Trailing 12-9 in the fourth quarter, GCC scored two quick goals to draw within one once again, but could not get the equalizer on their final possession during the final thirty seconds of the game.

Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) scored four times on the afternoon, Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) scored two goals and also added three assists and Jon Gill (Cattaraugus Territory) chipped in a goal and an assist.

At midfield, Marcus Palvino (Spencerport, NY) had three goals and an assist, Tom Owen (Clarence, NY) added a goal and an assist and Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) had two assists.

With the loss, Genesee is eliminated from the Region III Playoffs and will now wait until the selections are made for the NJCAA National Tournament to see if their season continues.

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