SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The 14th Annual Friends of Skidmore Athletics Benefit and Hall of Fame Induction will take place on Oct. 7 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Williamson Sports Center.
The event will be part of the College's Homecoming celebration.
Individuals entering the Hall of Fame will be Jaime Cumpelik Balocca '99 (women's basketball), Douglas Pilawa '12 (diving), Jared Tendler '00 (golf), and Katie Weber '07 (field hockey, women's lacrosse).
Team honorees are the 2010 field hockey team and the 2010-11 men's basketball team.
Individuals entering the Hall of Fame will be Jaime Cumpelik Balocca '99 (women's basketball), Douglas Pilawa '12 (diving), Jared Tendler '00 (golf), and Katie Weber '07 (field hockey, women's lacrosse).
Team honorees are the 2010 field hockey team and the 2010-11 men's basketball team.
Cumpelik Balocca was the first Skidmore women's basketball All-American and continues to be the program's all-time leading scorer with 1590 points. Cumpelik averaged a program record 18.1 points per game and is among the program's all-time leaders in rebounds (7th, 748), assists (6th, 284), and steals (2nd, 397). Honored as UCAA and ECAC Rookie of the Year in 1996, she was named UCAA First Team All-Star three times (1996, 1997, 1998) and earned UCAA Weekly honors an astounding 35 times.
Douglas Pilawa set the standard for Skidmore Diving. He was the first diver to be named All-America, finishing ninth on both boards in the 2012 NCAA Division III Championships. A two-time Liberty League Diver of the Year, he was the UNYSCSA Diver of the Year and Skidmore Senior Athlete of the Year. Selected a 2012 COSIDA Academic All-America, he was recognized with the Timothy Brown Scholar-Athlete Award that year.
Jared Tendler was a three-time golf All-America. During his career, he captured first place nine times, finished in the top five 20 times, and powered into the top ten 31 times. A four-time All-District selection, he captained the team his junior and senior years. The 2000 team won seven tournaments and finished third in the NCAA Division III Championships.
Katie Weber was a top athlete in both field hockey and lacrosse. She was captain of both her senior year. In field hockey, she was a First Team All-Liberty League and All-Academic Liberty League (2004, 2005, 2006) selection. She captured First Team All-Region honors (2004-2006), adding on First Team All-State and Third Team All-American in 2006. Team captain and MVP her senior year, Weber represented Skidmore in the National Senior All-Star game. In lacrosse, she was Liberty League Rookie of the Year, All-Region Second Team, and All-Liberty League in 2004, and Liberty League All-Academic (2005, 2006, 2007).
The 2010-11 men's basketball team completed the transformation of the program from a floundering program into a nationally competitive force, laying the groundwork for a new culture of achievement on the basketball court. The first team to capture the Liberty League Conference Championship title, the team powered Skidmore's first foray into NCAA tournament play. In the process, they put Men's Basketball "on the map." The team launched a remarkable run of four Liberty League championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances over the next seven years.
This powerhouse 2010 field hockey team team rewrote the program record book on the way to an NCAA Division III Final Four Appearance. The team had an unprecedented 19-game winning streak on the way to the NCAA tournament. Handily capturing the Liberty League Championship title, the women finished with a program-best 20-2 record.
Nationally ranked second in winning percentage (0.0909) and assists per game (3.18), they were third in points per game (12.18). This dynamic and close-knit team boasted three All-Americans, five All-Region selections, eight Liberty League honorees, and three ECAC All-Stars.
