On July 4, 2010, we at The Record explored the hazy world of college recruiting and how local athletes and their families have dealt with the experience.

To read those stories, click here.

Today, ESPN announced it has released an online package targeted at high school-level athletes and offers information on the recruiting process. To view that, click here.

ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook wrote a succinct 1,000-word column on the major priorities high school athletes looking for a college scholarship should pursue. To read that column, click here. It's worth the read.

Personally, the most important fact I learned while researching our July 4 project was that not every scholarship is a full ride. In fact, most scholarships offer athletes just a fraction of their tuition costs. Here is an excerpt from my story:

Aside from major basketball and football recruits, most NCAA Division I and Division II scholarship players are not paying for tuition solely with their athletic prowess — a full ride. The average athletic scholarship is in the neighborhood of $10,000, according to a 2008 report in the New York Times. Take out the basketball and football scholarships and that figure drops to $8,707.

Depending on whether a student-athlete attends a private or public university, their scholarship may cover 25% or less of the cost of tuition. That doesn’t even take into account room and board, food, books and travel expenses.

Most college baseball teams have fewer than a dozen scholarships to award, meaning that many players split the value of a full scholarship.

Here are the keys that I uncovered in my investigation, some of which overlaps Easterbrook;s column:

Of all the parents and coaches contacted for this story, many have presented a checklist of priorities that all those beginning to embark on a college scholarship journey should consider. Depending on the source, they go something like this:

1) Develop good study habits and time-management skills in high school.

2) Play for the highest-quality travel team that will accept them and take as many private lessons as the family can afford.

3) Recognize what level of college athletics is best for the student-athlete. (Division III schools cannot offer athletic scholarships, but may be able to award an equal package in academic and financial aid).

4) Pick a school and an academic major that fits the student-athlete in case an injury prematurely ends an athletic career.

5) Make a decision based on the coach after selecting the right school. Coaches are always free to leave, which can leave a player out of luck if the replacement has different ideas on how to run the program.

6) Finally, do not get hung up on the dollar amount offered in scholarships. Which school will give your child the best chance to succeed after graduation?

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Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas on the college recruitment process? Would you like to join other parents and athletes in a live chat on the blog on the topic? If so, what day and time best for you?

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High school football central on www.troyrecord.com

I was over at the University at Albany today covering New York Giants training camp...and it also turned out to be the first day of practice for the UAlbany football team, so I caught up with a pair of seniors that played their high school football in Rensselaer County.

I also have some local notes below the UAlbany content.

Chris Blais figures to be a major part of the UAlbany defense in 2010 after missing the entire 2009 season with a pair of hand injuries. (Photo provided by UAlbany).

ALBANY – Chris Blais didn't play a single snap for the University at Albany football team in 2009 – he just heard that sound twice in his right hand.

Blais, a senior outside linebacker who played high school football at La Salle Institute, tore a ligament in his right hand during the 2009 preseason. He had that surgically repaired and was working to come back for the Great Danes' game against Monmouth in week eight when he broke two bones in the same hand and had to sit for the remainder of the season.

Not only was it frustrating for him to be off the football field as a player, it made life hard for the natural right-hander off the field as well.

"Everything I did, brush my teeth, make food, it was a little bit difficult to do," Blais said after Monday's practice, the first of the season for UAlbany. "After about two or three weeks, I started to become ambidextrous. I started to use my left hand and I could throw a football with my left hand, but it was still really difficult to do everything."

For video highlights from practice, check out http://www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

Blais didn't sit idly by during the 2009 campaign. He served as a sort of assistant coach to Akeem Cedeno, who was in charge of the linebackers and is currently the tight ends coach.

For that dedication to the team, UAlbany head coach Bob Ford mentioned Blais specifically as a leader to look for on this year's squad. The Great Danes are dealing with the absence of 17 seniors, many of whom Ford described as "franchise" players, including running back David McCarty, quarterback Vinny Esposito and wide receiver Tim Bush.

"The coaches say that it's never a rebuilding season, it's a reloading season," Blais said. "We lost our whole linebacker corps, but we have guys that can step in and that are ready to go. We have guys that got some time last year and aren't afraid to get in there and know what they're doing."

On the other side of the ball, Hoosick Falls native Jason Poore enters his senior season as the Danes' top returning wide receiver. He caught 26 passes for 243 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2009.

"It's big. I have a big opportunity to make something happen this year," said Poore. "With Bush leaving, we need someone to fill in all of his catches and all of the plays he made."

Poore is one of UAlbany's few returning skill players, but he said that a solid group of 25 players were together for regular spring and summer workouts that made the first day of practice a little less nerve-wracking. Picked No. 3 in the Northeast Conference preseason coaches' poll, Poore and the Danes are also glad to have the target off their backs for once.

A season ago, the Great Danes went 7-4, finishing second in the NEC standings.

"Every year our goal is to win the conference and hopefully make the playoff game," he said. "This year, if we win our conference, we get an automatic (NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs) bid. Now that we're No. 3, not everyone is gunning for us. Now we can go start hunting people out."

Jason Poore, a Hoosick Falls native, spends part of every summer lifting weights with the Panthers in the high school weight room. (Photo provided by UAlbany).

I will have a video to post here in a few minutes.

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I had a short story last week on the 11-and-10-year-old New York State Little League tournament that's currently being played at Twin Town Little League's complex on Williams Road in North Greenbush that just didn't make our print edition.

Here is an update:
On Saturday, Geddes beat Orchard Park with a score of 19 - 6 and Pearl River beat Saratoga American 11-1.  Then on Sunday, Pearl River beat Massapequa 8-5 to win Pool A, and Mid Island beat Geddes 13-4.

Pool play continues tomorrow with Orchard Park playing Mid Island at 6:00 PM and Saratoga American playing Massapequa at 8:00 PM.  The winner of the 8PM game tomorrow, plays against Pearl River on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, with the other Semi-Final game at 8:00 pm.

The Championship Game will be played at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, August 11th!

The games played on both Tuesday and Wednesday will be broadcast by Time Warner.

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In other baseball news this weekend, the Albany Athletics of the Twilight League clinched a trip to the AABC Stan Musial World Series in Houston, Texas.

Here is an update sent to us by the A's:
Tournament co-MVP Jason Martin hit an RBI double in the first inning, a solo homer in the third inning and a two-run single in the 6th inning to lead Albany to an 11-7 victory over the Long Island Storm. Jim Shook, tournament co-MVP, came on in relief in the 5th inning to stave off a Storm rally and threw 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn his second tournament win. Shook went 2-1 in the tournament and threw 16.2 innings over 3 games, fanned 15 batters and yielded 12 hits. Martin went 10-for-16 in the tournament and hit three home runs and drove in 10 RBI. 

Mike Zgorzelski helped stake Albany to a early 5-0 victory after hitting a three-run homer in the first inning. Dan Barbero helped extend the lead with an RBI single and a solo homer, and Martin finished had a big two-run single in the 6th to extend an 8-7 lead to 10-7.

Albany, now 35-8-1 overall, won its first Regional Championship and heads to Houston, Texas for the AABC National World Series to face the Dallas Royals, winner of the South Plains Region, on Wednesday at 4 pm at Baseball USA Complex (www.smws.us). Albany becomes only the 3rd team in the Twilight League's 80 year history to earn a trip the World Series (Apex Printing-1989, Sons of Italy-1973).  The Storm, meanwhile, were the national runner-up last year and had won the World Series in 2006.

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In 15-and-under baseball news, the Troy Renegades lost to D-Bat Sharp, 6-1, in the Final Four of the AABC Ken Griffey Jr. World Series in Owasso, Okla. last weekend.  

D-Bat Sharp went on to win the tournament championship. 

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In tennis news, Matthew Kandath (Albany Academy and Stanford) is doing very well at the USTA National Championship in Kalamazoo, MI.

Since Friday: 18-and-under singles play:

In the first round he defeated Christian Heaney-Secord: 6-1, 6-1

In the second round he defeated Austin Akers: 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

Kandath lost in the third round to Dennis Novikov 7-6 (5), 6-3.

His 18u doubles partner is Jack Sock.  If you recall, he and Jack made it to the semifinals of the Junior US Open in 2009.

Doubles Action:

First round was a Bye

Second round they defeated Andrew Pecht and William Spector: 6-2, 6-3

Third round they defeated Dominic Cotrone and Zack McCourt:  6-1, 6-1

Here's the link to follow along at home:   http://ustaboys.com/draws.html




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Tommy Kahnle throws a pitch for the South Troy Dodgers during the summer of 2008. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

LATHAM — Tommy Kahnle’s travels on the road to professional baseball made a brief pit stop in the Capital Region Thursday.

Kahnle, a right handed pitcher who was drafted in the fifth round of the Major League First Year Player Draft by the New York Yankees in early June, spent most of this summer on Cape Cod. He pitched for the Brewster Whitecaps and the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League, hoping to improve his case for signing a professional contract.

This week, he did just that, reaching an agreement with the Yankees. Kahnle, who spoke with The Record Thursday via telephone, chose not to disclose the terms of the deal.

Kahnle stopped home on his way back from Cape Cod Thursday and will head to Staten Island Friday to report to the Yankees’ short season Class A team in the New York-Penn League. He will take a physical Monday and plans to be in uniform in the Staten Island bullpen that night.

Kahnle’s first professional homecoming will happen in two weeks when the Staten Island Yankees come to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy for a three-game set against the Tri-City ValleyCats on August 13-15.

“It’s going to be cool playing in my hometown,” said Kahnle. “I grew up watching the ValleyCats.”

Kahnle made 13 appearances on the Cape this summer with Brewster and Bourne, striking out 14 and walking nine in nine innings. He made three saves for Brewster.

A former three-sport star at Shaker High School, Kahnle spent his summers playing for the South Troy Dodgers, whose home field is just a hop, skip and a jump from Bruno Stadium.

He then attended Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., where as a freshman, he served as the team’s closer during its playoff run and threw the pitch for the final out in the NCAA Division II championship game victory over Emporia State.

Growing up as an only child, Kahnle started playing baseball when he was five years old and always dreamed of making it as a professional baseball player. Still, he had to thrive at Lynn to really believe he had a chance at the professional level.

“It was when I was a freshman in college when I realized it was possible,” he said.

Kahnle finished his freshman year with a 7-4 record, five saves and a 4.54 ERA in 20 appearances, 13 of which were starts.

A 6-foot, 225-pound flamethrower, Kahnle’s fastball has been clocked consistently in the mid 90 miles-per-hour range and has maxed out at 98.

Lynn used him as a starter during his sophomore season this spring, in which he finished with a 2-7 record and a 5.06 ERA in 74 and two thirds innings pitched.

Scouts, however, like his fastball in short-term bursts, feeling his inconsistency with the changeup and curveball limits his effectiveness as a starter.

“All the scouts have profiled me as a reliever,” Kahnle said. “I expect to be in the bullpen. That’s what I’m told.”

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Former Rensselaer High School football star Kenny Plue (pictured) has been named one of 63 players named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's best interior lineman.

Plue, a junior at Purdue University, has made 18 career starts and will be the Boilermakers' most experienced lineman when the season starts in 2010.

As a sophomore, he was an honorable mention selection by the Big 10 head coaches and was named Purdue's Most Improved Offensive Player. He started all 12 games at right guard.

For the full preseason watch list, click here.

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Jaime Schultz, a former tri-sport star at Maple Hill High School, was named to the Big South Conference second team All-Conference team after his freshman baseball season at High Point University in North Carolina.

Here was the blurb from High Point's press release:

Schultz, a freshman from Castleton, N.Y., posted a 5-0 record with a team-high 65 strikeouts to earn second-team All-Conference honors. Schultz started the year as a reliever, but moved in to the starting rotation during conference play, posting a 2.70 ERA against Big South opponents. Four of his five wins have come in league play, with victories over Liberty, UNC Asheville, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian. He has had a career-high eight strikeouts in each of his last two starts, a win at Presbyterian and a no-decision at Charleston Southern.

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High Point University freshman Jaime Schultz, a former Maple Hill High School student, has been pitching well of late for the Panthers. (Photo courtesy www.highpointpanthers.com)

After winning two games in relief earlier this season, Jaime Schultz has been moved up to the No. 2 spot in the High Point University rotation. He has made three starts and won all of them and is now 5-0 this season.

Click here to read a recap of his latest win.

Schultz won New York State Class C soccer and baseball championships as a senior at Maple Hill and took the basketball team to the state championship game.

He was named The Record's Soccer Player of the Year in 2008 and the Baseball Player of the Year in 2009.

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Another former Section II star is also playing baseball in the Big South this year.

Albany High grad Mike Hughes has made five appearances - with one start - for Coastal Carolina University. He has a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings pitched.

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Schaghticoke native Jen Mineau, The Record's Softball Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, was named Fordham University's Female Athlete of the Year.

Troy native Shannon Jones, The Record's Softball Player of the Year in 2009, was named to the All-MAAC second team after a solid freshman season at Siena College.
To read the press releases sent to us from their respective schools, scroll down.

Schaghticoke’s Jen Mineau Named
2010 Hobbs Award Winner at Fordham Athletics 76th Block F Dinner

NEW YORK -- As the 2009-10 season begins to wind down, the Fordham University Athletic Department held its 76th annual Block F Awards Dinner at the Villa Barone Manor on May 6th to honor Fordham University’s student-athletes for their accomplishments during the academic year.

Among those honored were Caitlin Napoli (Hauppauge, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central) who were co-winners of the Claire and Jack Hobbs Award as Fordham’s top female student-athlete.

The Claire & Jack Hobbs Memorial Award is presented to the Female Athlete of the Year who has achieved outstanding athletic accomplishments. The award is named in honor of the late Claire and Jack Hobbs. Jack was a 1938 graduate of Fordham College and a 1941 graduate of Fordham Law, and he and his wife were avid Fordham followers.

Mineau, a sophomore record-setting pitcher with the softball team, is enjoying the finest year ever for a Fordham softball pitcher. Through 51 games this season, Mineau (29-5), has broken the records for strikeouts in a single game three times, (18, 19 and then 22) and the single season strikeout (420) and shutouts (14) records and is on pace to set Fordham’s single season ERA record with her current ERA of 0.65. She’s been named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week five times (Feb. 22, March 1, April 26th and May 3rd) and was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Division I Player of the Week on May 4th after tallying her second-straight 3-0, three shutout week.

In 226.2 innings pitched Mineau’s allowed just 103 hits and 27 runs, 21 earned, in 41 appearances. She has had the four best strikeout performances in Fordham history, including a 22-strike out performance in a 5-3, nine-inning win at La Salle on April 18th.

Through games of May 2nd, Mineau leads the NCAA Division in strike outs (13.0/seven innings) and is ranked second in the country in ERA and walks allowed (0.71/seven innings) and is tied for eighth in wins.

On April 7th, Mineau was announced as one of collegiate softball’s elite as she was named a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist by officials from the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. She is the only sophomore and the lone representative of the Atlantic 10 on a list selected out of 20 schools and seven Division I conferences and is the only player selected from the Northeast Region.

In the first weekend of play, Mineau set two Fordham records as she pitched a seven-inning perfect game in the 10-0 season-opening win against Morehead State on February 20th. The seven-inning perfect game was the first ever in Fordham’s 25 year history and was the second perfect game and third no-hitter of Mineau’s career.

Mineau also has two wins over ranked teams to her credit, beating No. 8 Georgia Tech and shutting out No. 22 Texas A&M.

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Shannon Jones Named to MAAC Softball Second Team
Rookie is the Only Saint Honored at Year-End Banquet

LOUDONVILLE -- Freshman Shannon Jones was named to the MAAC Softball Second Team Thursday evening at the pre-Tournament awards banquet held in Buffalo, N.Y. Jones batted .344 in 50 games this season, and her 55 hits were the third most in a season in program history.

Jones batted third in the Saints' lineup and played shortstop, starting 50 of the team's 51 games. She finished the year 55-for-160 (.344) with six home runs, 12 doubles, 33 RBI and 12 runs scored. She earned one MAAC Rookie of the Week honor (3/22).

The Saints finished the year with a 14-37 record and a 7-9 league mark. Head Coach Deanna Parks announced during the season that she will not return next year. The school is in the process of hiring her successor.

We received a number of college notes today.

Troy High senior lacrosse player Nic Capano, who will graduate as the program's all-time leader in goals and assists, will compete for Division II Dominican College.

Former Catholic Central High School softball player Nicole Hedrick was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year award at Alfred University. She posted a 17-3 mark with a l.47 earned run average and 104 strikeouts this season.

La Salle Institute senior pitcher and outfielder Zach Ferris has accepted an academic scholarship at the University of Hartford and has earned a roster spot on the 2011 team.

Siena College freshman Shannon Jones (left) and Sage Colleges graduate student Kellie Jones (right) once played together at Troy High School. The sisters are now at opposite ends of their college careers, with Kellie just finishing and Shannon just getting warmed up. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record).

My coworkers Andrew Santillo and Ed Weaver have been busy the last few days keeping up with former Section II stars now playing in college and beyond.

For Andy's story on the Jones sisters from Troy, now softball stars on the collegiate level, click here.

For Ed's story on former La Salle football player Scott Sicko, who is now working out at Dallas Cowboys camp, click here.

For Ed's story on former La Salle running back David McCarty trial at Tampa Bay Buccaneers camp, click here.

Marisa Abbott, a senior at High Point University in North Carolina, won the Panthers Women's Cup as the top female athlete at High point for the 2009-10 school year.

A former soccer goalkeeper superstar at Tamarac High School, has a long list of accomplishments at High Point, which you can read by clicking here.

This fall, she lead High Point to the Big South championship, earning tournament MVP after posting a shutout in every playoff game. She owns High Point records in saves and shutouts (season and career) and finished her career as the school's all-time winningest goalie.

For the full press release, click here.

Troy High graduate Meg Beditz is the starting right fielder for the Oneonta State softball team as a sophomore.

Beditz started five games a season ago, getting just 24 at-bats. This season, she's already doubled her number of plate appearances, starting 20 of the Dragons' 21 games. Oneonta is 11-10 overall and 3-3 in SUNYAC play.

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A number of former Troy High softball players are also starring on Siena College's team.

The Saints, click here to see their full roster, are off to a 4-27 start this season, but are packed with local talent.

Troy's Shannon Jones and Courtney Brinkman join Lindsey McKeever (Mechanicville), Mandy Ferro (Shenendehowa) and Courtney Mahan (Catholic Central) on the roster.

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If there is anyone else we should be keeping track of, please let me know.

Former South Troy Dodgers pitcher and Saratoga Central Catholic and University of Richmond graduate Tim Stauffer has made the San Diego Padres' opening day roster. (AP photo).

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the news today. Click here for their story.
Stauffer, a Saratoga Springs native, is in competition for the fifth starter spot with a handful of other players. He would be used out of the bullpen if he doesn't fit in the rotation.

If you're looking for a good book to read, The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream by Jim Collins is worth the effort. Stauffer was one of the main characters in the book, which chronicled a summer with the 2002 Chatham A's in the Cape Cod League.

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In other news, multiple media sources have confirmed Siena College men's basketball head coach Fran McCaffery will take the job at Iowa.

Do you think it is even possible the Saints would look to any of the area's high school coaches as possible replacements?

Current Albany Academy head coach Brian Fruscio served as an assistant at Siena for a season and previously served as a head coach at Southern Vermont.

Marist's women's head coach, Brian Giorgis, previously coached at Our Lady of Lourdes High in Poughkeepsie. He translated that success to the MAAC, as the Foxes have been the class of the league in recent seasons.

It seems highly unlikely, but could the same thing happen with the Siena men? Sound off in the comments if you have an opinion.

The College of Saint Rose's men's basketball head coach, Brian Beaury (right), watches his team from the bench during a recent game. Saturday, he was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record).

GLENS FALLS – In 1991, Brian Beaury was the driving force behind the creation of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, serving as the first committee chairman and developing criteria for nominees.

Saturday, he answered the Hall's call.

The College of Saint Rose's longtime men's basketball coach was inducted into the Empire State's Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Glens Falls Civic Center Saturday morning.

Beaury just completed his 24th season as the head coach at Saint Rose and has posted a 517-218 career record. He has reached the postseason in each of his 24 years at the helm.

“I think it's the family atmosphere that makes me go to work every day,” Beaury said. “Over the years, it's been a comfortable place for me to go. It continues to grow and I've seen so many changes at Saint Rose.”

His Golden Knights teams have made three NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances and advanced to the Final Four in 1998.

“I'm a Saint Rose guy,” said Beaury. “I met my wife there. I raised my kids there.”

The Hall currently has 121 members. Players were picked in the initial years, but recent classes have reflected the many coaches that have shaped basketball at the high school and college levels in New York.

Beaury, however, gives all the credit to the players that have competed for him over the years. Many of those have gone on to become successful coaches themselves, including University at Albany head coach Will Brown and local high school coaches such as Scott Hanrahan at Maple Hill.

Former Saint Rose player Ben Goodwin coached a Brewer, Maine team to the state championship game this season, as did Hanrahan, for the second straight year.

And just minutes after Beaury's induction, another of his former players, Sean Organ, watched as his Averill Park High girls team competed in the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions Class A title game.

“It's become so much of an extended family and that's the thing that has made it so enjoyable all these years,” Beaury said. “It continues to be a great place to work and I have great people to work with.”

Will former Bishop Maginn star Taran Buie return to Albany for a college basketball game next season? (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Our Ed Weaver was snooping around at the Times Union Center today at the NCAA Hockey regional and uncovered the following scoop of major interest to local high school basketball fans. I've pasted it below.

Ed Weaver
The Record

ALBANY -- Brigham Young University and Penn State University - Jimmer Fredette vs. Talor Battle - will play at the Times Union Center on Dec. 18 - maybe.

A local TV report and items on both schools' websites that refer to the game on Friday were "way too premature," says TU Center General Manager Bob Belber.

"(Former Bishop Maginn High School boys basketball head coach) Rich Hurley called me and asked about playing the game here," Belber said. "He said Dec. 18 was the only date they had. I told him I was holding that date for another group, but that I would try to clear the date."

Hurley was the Bishop Maginn coach when Battle was competing for the Griffins. Battle averaged a team-best 18.5 points per game for the Nittany Lions, who finished 11-20.

His younger brother, Taran Buie, who starred on Maginn’s 2008 New York State Class AA championship team, is set to join the Penn State team this fall.

Fredette is a Glens Falls High School graduate who averaged a team-best 22.1 points per game for BYU, which finished 30-6 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Belber explained that another production is booked in the TU Center on that date - he declined to identify it - and said the facility is attempting to "flip-flop dates" with another venue to open Dec. 18 for the Penn State-BYU game.

"That was (Thursday)," Belber said. "Today, it's (on local TV) and on both schools’ websites. I called Rich and said, ‘what are you doing?’

"It would be a really big event," Belber said. "Both kids grew up here, went to school here, they have a big following. We're trying to clear that date, but we probably won't know anything until Tuesday."

Tommy Kahnle, seen here pitching for the South Troy Dodgers in the summer of 2008, pitched a no-hitter for Lynn University Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

The press release from the Lynn University sports information department:

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Lynn University redshirt sophomore Tommy Kahnle pitched the program's first no-hitter in 11 years as part of a doubleheader split with Saint Leo to kick off the Sunshine State Conference slate on Saturday. The Fighting Knights dropped the opener 9-7 before Kahnle's no-no in the seven inning second game downed the Lions 7-0.
A day off the Knights' last no-hitter on March 12, 1999, the accomplishment is just the third in program history and the second done by just one pitcher. The no-hitter in 1999 against Bridgeport was shared by Michael Mendez, Roddy Barnes and Billy Horn. Lynn's other no-hitter came in 1988 as Jim Soricelli shut down Ramapo.

Kahnle (1-1) struck out seven and walked five and hit one in the victory. He faced just five batters more than the requisite 21 in the game.

Backing their pitcher's attempt at history, the Blue and White (9-12-1, 1-1 SSC) came alive at the plate. Lynn scored seven runs on 11 hits as four players recorded multiple hits.

Senior first baseman Chris Chavez paced the LU offense with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with a pair of runs scored and batted in each. Fellow seniors Einar Atencio and Kyle Holloway both added a pair of base knocks while junior Patrick Roedel also had two.

Saint Leo (11-12, 1-4 SSC) claimed the opening nod of the twinbill with steady late-inning production. Lynn jumped out to a 4-1 lead over the first four innings before the Lions clamped down and outscored the Blue and White 8-3 over the next four stanzas.

Richie McVey and Holloway both homered in the loss while Holloway, Dane Derstine and Matt Noble each recorded multiple base hits.

The Knights' pitching staff combined for 13 strikeouts, including seven by starter Dan Wright (2-3) and five by Evan Ellison in relief.

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Kahnle, a Shaker High grad, also spent a number of summers at Geer Field in Troy playing for the Dodgers.

As a freshman, he closed out the National Championship game against Emporia State as Lynn, a Division II school, won its first ever national title.

Former Hoosic Valley High School star Kayla Ryan was named a second team All-SUNYAC selection today. From the Oswego Sports Information office:

OSWEGO - Oswego State sophomore forward Kayla Ryan has been named to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women’s Basketball All-Conference Second Team as voted on by the league's coaches. Ryan ranked fourth in the league in steals at 2.56 per game and tenth in scoring at 11.3 points and blocked shots at 0.78 per contest.

The Schaghticoke native paced the Lakers in overall scoring for the second consecutive season with 325 points (12.5 ppg) and was second on the squad with 168 rebounds (6.5 rpg). On the defensive end of the floor, she led the team with 60 steals.

A pair of former Wasaren League rivals recently earned accolades on the collegiate level.


Shea Bromirski, a Cambridge native and a sophomore at the College of Saint Rose, was named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Star second team. (Photo above courtesy of Saint Rose)

Bromirski has canned 45.4 percent (69-for-152) of his 3-pointers that help him produce a team-leading 15.3 points per-game.

Saint Rose will host first round conference tournament games this Saturday and Sunday. The men’s squad will meet Southern New Hampshire on Saturday, while the women’s team will welcome Merrimack College to the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium on Sunday. Tip-off for both games is 1:00 pm. Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for children and seniors, $1 for students from other NE-10 institutions, and are free for anyone who holds a Saint Rose ID.

Former Tamarac High standout Steve Hunt, seen here in a high school game against Catskill during the 2008-09 season, had a wonderful first season at Hudson Valley Community College. (Photo - J.S. Carras - The Record).

HVCC Freshman Steven Hunt, a Wynantskill native, has been named Third-Team All-Mountain Valley Conference. Hunt is averaging 11.3 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Vikings.

Hudson Valley defeated Schenectady County Community College 86-67 in a Region III Division III National Junior College Athletic Association playoff game today in Watertown.
HVCC will face Herkimer in a semifinal game Saturday at 1 p.m. in Watertown.

Former Troy High standout Mollie Danahy, pictured above, was named a second team Liberty League All-Star this afternoon after a fantastic season at William Smith College.

The following information comes from a press release sent to us by the William Smith Sports Information Department:

A guard, Danahy started all 24 games. She leads the conference and ranks 21st in the nation in steals (3.75 spg). Danahy also ranks third in the league in assists (3.83 apg) and 12th in scoring (10.9 ppg), free throw shooting (.692), and three-pointers made (21). Her 90 steals this season are eighth on school’s single season list. Danahy registered a season-high eight steals at Skidmore, the most in a game by a Liberty League player this season.

Danahy reached double figures in scoring 14 times, including season-high 23 points against East Region No. 1 Ithaca. She was named the Liberty League Guard of the Week after leading Herons to a win at SUNYAC regular season champion Cortland. Danahy dished out a season-high seven assists in back-to-back games against Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

Danahy was the 2007-08 Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year.

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If you know of any other former local stars excelling on the college level, please pass that information along and I will do my best to keep track of them here on the blog. I will add more posts like this in the future to the "College Notebook" label below.