Spirit Weekend Info

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The 2016 Skidmore College Athletics Hall of Fame class will be honored at the 13th Annual Friends of Skidmore College Athletics Benefit and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 1 at the Williamson Sports Center.

The event is part of Thoroughbred Spirit Weekend. The weekend features a full weekend of activities across campus, including athletic alumni games and home women's soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and women's tennis contests.
 
The Friends of Skidmore Athletics annually recognize former student athletes, teams, and faculty and staff who have made a significant contribution to College's athletics program.
 
This year's inductees are:

Student-Athletes: Nick Coppola '09 (lacrosse), Lauren Dinsdale '10 (volleyball, softball), Charlotte Riggs '94 (lacrosse), Roger Stein '85 (tennis), Tracey Watson '86 (basketball)
Administration/Staff: Paul Dion
Special Recognition: Robert Spellman  '86
Team: 1995 Equestrian Team
Teams of Distinction: 1999 Baseball Team
 
Profiles
 
Nick Coppola '09 (lacrosse)
One of the most prolific scorers in Skidmore men's lacrosse history, Nick Coppola scored a point in all 57 games he played in a Thoroughbred uniform. He led the team in scoring twice and holds the program career assist record with 135. He ranks third in overall in scoring with 196 points. A three-time Liberty League All-Star, he led NCAA III in assists in 2009 with a school-record 50 (3.33 per game).  He received the 2009 Dr. P. Timothy Brown Scholar Athlete Award and was a three-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree.
 
Lauren Dinsdale '10 (volleyball, softball)
The top defensive player in Skidmore volleyball's history, Dinsdale "is recognized nationally as one of the best liberos to have played the game," observes Head Coach Hilda Arrechea. She holds the NCAA III record for digs in a season (1,118 in 2007) and second all-time for career digs (3,717). A four-time All-American, she was the 2006 Liberty League Rookie of the Year in 2006 and named to Liberty League First Team and Championship All-Tournament Team for all four years. Dinsdale was the 2007 NYSWCAA Defensive Player of the Year.
 
In softball, she led the team to its first Liberty League tournament, while earning all-conference honors each year. She holds the Skidmore season record for HR and hitting streak and co-owns single game records for triples, HR and total bases. She remains the career leader in hits, HR and total bases and is second in career RBI and runs scored. She was the 2010 Skidmore Senior Athlete Award winner.
 
Charlotte Riggs '94 (lacrosse)
Riggs set multiple program records during her career. A skillful attacker and passionate team leader, she transformed a struggling program into a respected regional and national competitor. A three-year captain, Riggs remains first on the program's all-time list in career points per game (3.41), second in goals per game (2.70), third in points (191) and goals (151); and fourth in assists per season (20). Riggs' commitment to the sport has never diminished. A
Long time lacrosse coach, she was instrumental in developing club teams in the San Francisco Bay area that she grew into thriving high school programs. She also built the lacrosse program at the Woodlynde School, in Strafford, Pa., where she coached for four years.
 
Roger Stein '85 (tennis)
Stein '85 was a premiere player whose ground breaking achievements laid the foundation for today's nationally competitive program. As a freshman, he assumed the #1 singles and #1 doubles position. Together with doubles partner Jim Coleman '85, Stein captured seven division and conference titles. As a sophomore, Stein and his team became the first Thoroughbreds to qualify for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championships. He remained Skidmore's #1 singles and #1 doubles player throughout his career. The first Thoroughbred to qualify individually for the Rolex Invitational (1984), he bested numerous All-American Division III players, losing in the quarterfinals to Princeton's top seeded player in a tight match.
 
Tracey Watson '86 (basketball)
Watson was instrumental in helping the nascent varsity women's basketball team transition to NCAA Division III competition in 1984. She continues to rank among all-time career
scoring leaders with 1029 points (10th). As a junior, Watson was first in steals (72), points scored in a single game (27), and total points (286), and second in assists (58). She earned Team MVP and Mental Attitude awards at the Skidmore Invitational. As a senior, she led in points (290) and single game assists (9) and was second in steals (46). She set the season free throw record at 76.2%. Selected All- Tournament Team at the Skidmore Invitational, she
captured Best Defensive Player and Team MVP honors at the Seven Sisters Tournament. She was presented with Skidmore's Thoroughbred Athlete of the Year Award by President Joseph Palamountain.
 
Paul Dion (administrator/staff)
Dion is the winningest coach in Skidmore Ice Hockey and Women's Soccer history with a combined 376 wins. As head coach from 1982 to 2005, he grew the program from a club sport to a top contender in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Association South and then ECAA East—winning 213 games overall. His teams played in 15 ECAC postseason tournaments, won four consecutive ECAC South regular season titles, and produced five league MVP winners. Dion was named 2003 ECAC East Coach of the Year. As head women's soccer coach for 18 seasons, he compiled a 163-127-24 record, guiding the Thoroughbreds to 11 postseason tournaments, including the program's first two NCAA Division III appearances in 1994 and 1996. His 1994 team finished 14-2-3 and was ranked third nationally.
 
Robert Spellman (special recognition)
One of the pioneering standouts in Skidmore Golf, Robert Spellman '86 was the first Thoroughbred in any sport to participate in NCAA III competition (1986). Spellman was a four-year letter winner in golf (as well as a two-year letter winner in basketball). Golf team MVP and captain for three consecutive seasons (1983 to 1986), he earned the prestigious Talbot Award and the Senior Athlete Award in 1986. He went on to become a successful golf pro before launching a distinguished career in the finance industry. A devoted alumnus, Spellman has been a longtime supporter of the golf program and a staunch advocate for
Skidmore Athletics. As golf representative on the Friends of Skidmore Athletics Committee from 2006 to 2010, he played a key role in promoting the Thoroughbred Cup Golf Tournament.
 
 
1995 Equestrian Team
The team won the IHSA National Championship at Colorado State University. It was the third Championship for the Thoroughbreds since 1990. The victory was particularly challenging due to the unique variety of horses used. The Thoroughbreds prevailed in the end. Riders who competed on the 1995 Championship Team were Heather Sharp '95, Megan Moshontz '97, Nicolas P. Balatsos '98, Allison Luyten '96, Sarah Schelble '99, and Emma Gregory '98. Competing as an individual was Shoshana Menu '95. Heather Sharp '95 was Reserve Champion in the AHSA Cacchione Cup for the third consecutive year.
 
TEAM MEMBERS
Shoshana Menu Altschuler '95
Allison Luyten Aston '96
Nicolas P. Balatsos '98
Megan Moshontz Bash '97
Courtney Phibbs Boyd '97
Emily V. Brigham '95
Julie Goldbourn Drake '96
Jaralyn Gibson Finn '95
Jeyran Abtahi Ghiassi '98
Heather Sharp Lambo '95
Cindy Ford, Coach
Allison Luyten '96
Vanessa Mann '97
Corrina Snook Parsons '95
Kathryn Brush Rethman '95
Abigail J. Rubenstein '97
Sarah Schelble '99
Emma Gregory Shiver '98
Kathryn Merrill Sloboda '96
Mary Patrick Smith '97
Ellie Ulrich Zuehlke '96
 
1999 Baseball Team
Drawing on a rare combination of brotherhood, raw talent, and sheer grit, this team achieved the most dramatic reversal in program history. With the guidance of new head coach Ron Plourde, the team transformed Thoroughbred Baseball from perennial underachiever to
Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Conference champion, laying the foundation for today's nationally competitive program. This dynamic team not only delivered Skidmore's first UCAA Championship title by trouncing the University of Rochester, they defeated arch-rival and NCAA Division III contender RPI for the first time in team history. In one year, the Thoroughbreds literally "flipped" a 3-9 conference record with 25 losses in 1998 to 9-3 with 18 wins and a championship title.
 
TEAM MEMBERS
Ross W. Aresco '00
Justin Arpey '00
Brian B. Burton '00
Adam M. Cavise '00
Quincey L. Dong '01
Brandon T. Duber '01
Peter G. Dutchick '02
Keith J. Friedman '99
Michael R. Geller '02
Richard J. Greeney '99
Seth A. Hagymasi '02
Matthew P. D'Abate '95, Coach
Justin R. Kinney '03
Bryan A. Marchinkoski '01
Andrew T. O'Dell '02
Cal L. Perry '01
Jason M. Strochak '99
Clifton E. Watkins '00,
Co-Captain
Nicholas G. Welz '00,
Co-Captain
Ron Plourde, Head Coach
Harry Lomasney, Coach