Wilmington University Athletic News

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UBJECT: Wilmington Athletics Places 19 Student-Athletes on CACC Spring All-Academic Teams

DATE: May 30, 2017
djl

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has announced its 2017 Spring All-Academic Teams and 19 Wilmington University student-athletes across four sports were named to their respective teams.

Among the four sports Wilmington University offers in the spring, 143 student-athletes across the CACC were honored by earning All-Academic.

To be eligible for the All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must meet the following criteria: a) minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 at the end of the immediate preceding term (2016 fall semester); b) minimum of two semesters enrolled as full-time student at member institution; c) student-athlete must be second year student-athlete at member institution; and d) student-athlete must have been athletically eligible the season preceding the award and used a season of eligibility.

The Wildcats’ baseball team led the way for Wilmington with nine student-athletes earning All-Academic. Graduate student Mike Annone is baseball’s lone three-time honoree while junior Zach Rumford appears on the list for the second year in a row. Making their way onto the All-Academic Team for the first time are senior Rocky Ferrier, junior Chuck Delagol, and sophomores Zach Frederick, Regan Hidalgo, Dan Hyatt, Julian Kurych, and Brad Scull. The nine Wildcats are a part of 47 baseball student-athletes in the CACC named All-Academic.

The women’s lacrosse team placed five student-athletes on the CACC All-Academic Team, led by three-time honoree and senior Gabby Spalt. Junior defender Christina Ziegler earned a position for the second year in a row while graduate student Auryonah Nash appears on the list for the first time for lacrosse. Nash has been an All-Academic member while playing basketball for the Wildcats in years past. Junior Nicole Strong and sophomore Stephanie Jubb round out the Wildcats on the All-Academic Team. The five Wildcats are a part of 35 women’s lacrosse student-athletes in the CACC named All-Academic.

The softball team placed three student-athletes on the CACC All-Academic Team, led by three-time honoree and senior Colby Wyatt. Junior pitcher Danielle Bradley makes a return appearance on the All-Academic Team while sophomore All-CACC performer Jazmeen Llamas earns a spot on the All-Academic Team for the first time. The three Wildcats are a part of 53 softball student-athletes across the CACC named All-Academic.

The golf team rounds out the four spring sports for the Wildcats with two student-athletes named CACC All-Academic. Senior and CACC Golfer of the Year Miguel Sierkce earned a spot on the All-Academic Team while classmate and fellow All-CACC performer Freddy Braun joins him on the All-Academic Team. Sierkce and Braun are a part of eight golf student-athletes across the CACC named All-Academic.

AGATE:

2017 Spring CACC All-Academic Team

Golf:
Freddy Braun, Sr., 3.55 GPA, Business Management
Miguel Siercke, Sr., 3.51 GPA, Business Management

Softball:
Danielle Bradley*, Jr., 3.59 GPA, Accounting
Jazmeen Llamas, So., 3.67 GPA, Business Management
Colby Wyatt**, Sr., 3.93 GPA, Elementary Ed: K-6

Women’s Lacrosse:
Stephanie Jubb, So., 3.60 GPA, Middle Level Ed: 6-8
Auryonah Nash, Gr., 3.50 GPA, MS Organizational Leadership
Gabby Spalt**, Sr., 3.50 GPA, Behavioral Sciences
Nicole Strong, Jr., 3.61 GPA, Video & Motion Graphics
Christina Ziegler*, Jr., 3.67, Middle Level Ed: 6-8

Baseball:
Mike Annone**, Gr., 3.53 GPA, MS Health Sciences
Chuck Delagol, Jr., 3.57 GPA, Criminal Justice
Rocky Ferrier, Sr., 3.54 GPA, Communications
Zach Frederick, So., 3.50 GPA, Sports Management
Regan Hidalgo, So., 3.81 GPA, Middle Level Ed: 6-8
Dan Hyatt, So., 3.60 GPA, Business Management
Julian Kurych, So., 3.84 GPA, Business Management
Zach Rumford*, Jr., 3.73 GPA, Criminal Justice
Brad Scull, So., 3.67 GPA, Business Management

* -- Two-time honoree
** -- Three-time honoree

 

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SUBJECT: Former Wilmington Men’s Basketball Standout Tyaire Ponzo-Meek Signs Professional Contract in Germany

DATE: July 11, 2017
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - Coming off one of the best careers in Wilmington University men’s basketball program history, former player Tyaire Ponzo-Meek will extend his game to the professional ranks, signing a contract to play for the Ascherleben Tigers in Aschersleben, Germany.

The Tigers are a member of the Regionalliga North Division, the fourth tier of the German basketball league system. Last season, the Tigers went 12-6 and finished third in the North Division. Aschersleben is located just over two hours southwest of Berlin in the northeast portion of Germany.

The 2017-2018 season is set to begin on September 23 when Ponzo-Meek and the Tigers take on Weser Baskets Bremen/BTS Neustadt.

Ponzo-Meek already struck the record books by becoming the first two-time First Team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference performer in program history while also becoming the first men's basketball student-athlete to be named the CACC Player of the Year. He also became the program's first ever All-Region selection earlier this month when he was named First Team D2CCA All-East Region in a vote of the region's sports information directors.

The senior led the Wildcats to a program best 19-10 overall record, going 14-5 in the CACC. They earned the South Division's number two seed for the CACC Tournament, hosting their first ever playoff game at the WU Athletics Complex.

Ponzo-Meek led the Wildcats and was third in the CACC in scoring 20.1 points per game, finishing his career by scoring 10 or more points in 63 consecutive games. He was also third in the league in made free throws (136) and fourth in made field goals (195). He played the sixth most minutes per game (36.9) and had the eighth best assists to turnover ratio (1.9). Defensively, he was fifth in the CACC with 51 steals while also ranking 23rd in rebounds with 5.4 per game from his guard position.

For his career, Ponzo-Meek will leave the men's basketball program as the all-time leader in points scored (1,808) and steals (174) while also finishing second in rebounds (533) and assist (336). He scored 30 points in his final game, a feat he accomplished three times as a senior and six times as a junior.

Ponzo-Meek was signed in Germany through his signing agency Cro Pro Basketball Agency for player representation and SIMS Basketball Placement Agency.

A direct link to the Ascherleben Tigers homepage: http://asl-tigers.de/

 

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SUBJECT: Head Coach Christian Zwickert Fills Men’s Lacrosse Staff by Naming Five Assistant Coaches

DATE: July 27, 2017
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - Primed for the first men’s lacrosse season in Wilmington University athletics history, head coach Christian Zwickert has surrounded himself with a staff as he announces the hiring of five assistant coaches.

Being from Delaware himself, Zwickert has put together a local staff throughout the tri-state area by bringing in assistant coaches with experience in the First State, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Zwickert would like to announce the hiring of assistant coaches Jeremy Forester, Cory Malampy, Scott Plasse, Ronnie Sanna, and Adam Starrett.

Jeremy Forester:
Jeremy joins the Wildcats much like a number of student-athletes have here at Wilmington University, by way of St. Elizabeth’s in Wilmington. He is currently the Dean of Student Life at St. Elizabeth High School while also being the head lacrosse coach since 2005. He also currently coaches for the Delaware Silverbacks and Delaware Lacrosse Academy clubs, while helping at the University of Delaware Lacrosse Camp in the summer.

Cory Malampy:
Cory has the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania locked down for Zwickert and the Wildcats, as he most recently was the head coach of Neumann University in Aston, Pa., for three seasons (2013-15). He was also the Director of Lacrosse Operations at the Maplezone Sports Institute in Garnet Valley, Pa., from 2014-16. Malampy played at Widener University from 2006-10 and is still currently in the program’s Top 10 in both goals and assists. He helped lead the Pride to three MAC Championships and the NCAA Tournament as well. After his collegiate playing days, Malampy played on the USA Developmental Team, playing across Vermont, Quebec, Montreal, the Onondaga Reservation, the Tonawanda Reservation, and the Six Nations Reservation. He was later drafted into the North American Lacrosse League (NALL) to the Kentucky Stickhorses.

Scott Plasse:
Scott has been a long-term staple in the state of Maryland since his playing days at North Carolina State University (1979-82). He had his Wolf Pack ranked at high as sixth and eighth in the nation during his tenure at NC State. He then moved on to play at the highly competitive club level and coach at the High School and NCAA Division I level throughout Maryland. Most notably, Plasse was an assistant Coach at Mount St. Mary’s for over 10 years where he helped the team to three MAAC and one NEC Championships, as well as two trips to the NCAA Tournament. He had been an offensive and defensive coordinator, but thrived as the midfield face-off coach, having numerous Top 10 players statistically in the nation. At the high school level, Plasse coached at the Friends School, Dulaney High School, and the Oakland Mills High School, taking each team to multiple MIAA State Semifinal appearances. Plasse was also a three-time CALL All-Star and helped lead his Lax World team to three consecutive CALL Championships (1995-97) in club lacrosse. He was a three-time World Master’s Team Selection in 1998, 2002, and 2006, leading the team to two World Championships. He also won multiple tournaments while playing for The Green Turtle club team.

Ronnie Sanna:
Ronnie is another Delaware native for Coach Zwickert, having played and graduated from Salesianum High School. Sanna went on to be a four-year player at NCAA Division I Marymount University, earning a Bachelors of Health Science in 2012. Upon returning to the First State, Sanna started coaching at the high school level, becoming the assistant offensive coordinator and faceoff coach at The Tatnall School in 2013. He then took over at the offensive coordinator and faceoff coach across town at Caravel Academy starting with the 2014 season. Sanna also spent the 2016 season as Princeton University’s prospect coach. He currently works in the Red Clay Consolidated School District.

Adam Starrett:
Adam is another Delaware native joining the Wildcats’ staff. Starrett played for Zwickert at Wesley College, being a four-year starter as an attackman and midfielder. He was named the 2007 team captain at Wesley. He stayed in Delaware for his college days, earning All-State while at St. Mark’s High School. After his playing days, Starrett returned to his alma mater to coach at St. Mark’s High School while also becoming an assistant coach at the Delaware Lacrosse Academy for the Delaware Silverbacks. Most recently, Starrett was the head coach at Brandywine High School for three seasons (2012-14), being named the Blue Hen Conference Flight B Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2014. Starrett is a US Marine and Operations Iraqi Freedom veteran and currently works for the Middletown Police Department.

The Wildcats’ men’s lacrosse program begins practice this coming fall with their championship season slated to begin with the Spring 2018 season.

 

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SUBJECT: Four Wildcats, Women’s Lacrosse Team Earns 2017 IWLCA Zag Sports Academic Honors

DATE: August 7, 2017
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University women’s lacrosse team was one of 63 NCAA Division II programs named an Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Zag Sports Academic Honor Squad for the 2016-17 academic year.

In addition to the team earning the academic award, the Wildcats placed four student-athletes on the 2017 IWLCA Zag Sports Division II Academic Honor Roll. In order to be eligible for the individual honor, student-athletes must be a junior, senior, or graduate student and have earned a cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or greater. The Wildcats’ Stephanie Jubb, Gabby Spalt, Nicole Strong, and Christina Ziegler were honored with the individual academic award.

In order to qualify for the team award, the women’s lacrosse team must have posted a 3.0 or higher team GPA for the academic year. The Wildcats boasted a team GPA of 3.22 for the 2016-17 academic year.

The Wildcats are one of three teams in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference to earn the Academic Honor Squad award, and one of 63 across all of NCAA Division II. The IWLCA named 308 schools across all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA to the Academic Honor Squad.

 

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SUBJECT: Wilmington Men’s Soccer Tabbed Favorites in 2017 CACC Preseason Coaches Poll

DATE: August 9, 2017
djl

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - The Wilmington University men’s soccer team will have a target on its back to begin the 2017 season as the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference released its Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday.

The Wildcats earned seven first place votes and 156 total points to land atop the poll, garnering 19 more points than the rest of the field. The Wildcats finished 12-6-1 overall in 2016, going 7-4-1 in CACC play to finished third in the regular season. They advanced to the CACC Tournament Semifinals for the fifth year in a row before being ousted by eventual CACC Tournament Champion Georgian Court.

League rival Post University finished with 137 total point while earning one first place vote to finish second in the preseason poll. Caldwell picked up two first place votes and 127 total points for third while Georgian Court also garnered two fist place votes and 123 total points for fourth place.

Jefferson (formerly Philadelphia University) sits in fifth with 106 points while Goldey-Beacom picked up the final first place vote and 104 total points for sixth. Concordia comes in at seventh with 86 points while Dominican rounds out the predicted CACC Tournament field in eighth place with 85 points.

The rest of the CACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll includes Nyack (9th, 76 points), Bloomfield (10th, 66 points), Chestnut Hill (11th, 45 points), Felician (12th, 37 points), and Holy Family (13th, 35 points).

The goal is to be one of the top eight teams at the end of the regular season to take part in the CACC Tournament. The CACC Tournament Quarterfinals will be held on Monday, October 30 at the site of the higher seed with the winners advancing to the CACC Tournament Semifinals hosted by Georgian Court in Lakewood, N.J., on Friday, November 3. A champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 5.

For the first time in NCAA Division II, there will be an automatic qualification into the NCAA Division II National Tournament given to the conference tournament champions.

The 2017 season kicks off August 31 when the Wildcats host Millersville, the District of Columbia, and Bloomfield in the Wildcat Invitational at the WU Athletics Complex.

AGATE:

2017 CACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll

1. Wilmington – 156 points (7 first place votes)
2. Post – 137 (1)
3. Caldwell – 127 (2)
4. Georgian Court – 123 (2)
5. Jefferson – 106
6. Goldey-Beacom – 104 (1)
7. Concordia – 86
8. Dominican – 85
9. Nyack – 76
10. Bloomfield – 66
11. Chestnut Hill – 45
12. Felician – 37
13. Holy Family - 35

 

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SUBJECT: Wilmington Men’s Soccer Tabbed Favorites in 2017 CACC Preseason Coaches Poll

DATE: August 9, 2017
djl

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - The Wilmington University men’s soccer team will have a target on its back to begin the 2017 season as the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference released its Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday.

The Wildcats earned seven first place votes and 156 total points to land atop the poll, garnering 19 more points than the rest of the field. The Wildcats finished 12-6-1 overall in 2016, going 7-4-1 in CACC play to finished third in the regular season. They advanced to the CACC Tournament Semifinals for the fifth year in a row before being ousted by eventual CACC Tournament Champion Georgian Court.

League rival Post University finished with 137 total point while earning one first place vote to finish second in the preseason poll. Caldwell picked up two first place votes and 127 total points for third while Georgian Court also garnered two fist place votes and 123 total points for fourth place.

Jefferson (formerly Philadelphia University) sits in fifth with 106 points while Goldey-Beacom picked up the final first place vote and 104 total points for sixth. Concordia comes in at seventh with 86 points while Dominican rounds out the predicted CACC Tournament field in eighth place with 85 points.

The rest of the CACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll includes Nyack (9th, 76 points), Bloomfield (10th, 66 points), Chestnut Hill (11th, 45 points), Felician (12th, 37 points), and Holy Family (13th, 35 points).

The goal is to be one of the top eight teams at the end of the regular season to take part in the CACC Tournament. The CACC Tournament Quarterfinals will be held on Monday, October 30 at the site of the higher seed with the winners advancing to the CACC Tournament Semifinals hosted by Georgian Court in Lakewood, N.J., on Friday, November 3. A champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 5.

For the first time in NCAA Division II, there will be an automatic qualification into the NCAA Division II National Tournament given to the conference tournament champions.

The 2017 season kicks off August 31 when the Wildcats host Millersville, the District of Columbia, and Bloomfield in the Wildcat Invitational at the WU Athletics Complex.

AGATE:

2017 CACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll

1. Wilmington – 156 points (7 first place votes)
2. Post – 137 (1)
3. Caldwell – 127 (2)
4. Georgian Court – 123 (2)
5. Jefferson – 106
6. Goldey-Beacom – 104 (1)
7. Concordia – 86
8. Dominican – 85
9. Nyack – 76
10. Bloomfield – 66
11. Chestnut Hill – 45
12. Felician – 37
13. Holy Family - 35

 

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SUBJECT: Wilmington Women’s Soccer Picked Fourth in 2017 CACC Preseason Coaches Poll

DATE: August 10, 2017
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - The Wilmington University Women’s soccer team will be starting the 2017 as a fourth place team and looking to climb as the Central Collegiate Conference released its Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday.

The Wildcats received one first place vote along with 129 total points as they find themselves in fourth place. The Wildcats finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 11-9 and a fifth place finish with an 8-4 record in the CACC. They advanced to the semifinals before losing to Georgian Court, 2-0, ending their run at a CACC Championship.

Georgian Court has been tabbed number one with six first place votes and 161 total points, followed by Caldwell with four first place votes and 152 total points and Jefferson’s two first place votes and 139 total points. Holy Family sits in fifth with 125 points while Goldey Beacom comes in sixth with 96 points followed by Post in seventh with 81 points. Felician rounds out the predicted CACC Tournament field in eighth place with 79 points.

The rest of the CACC Women’s Preseason poll is as followed: Nyack (9th, 65 points), Chestnut Hill (10th, 46 points), Dominican (11th, 41 points), Concordia (12th, 39 points), and Bloomfield (13th 24 points).

The goal is to be one of the top eight teams at the end of the regular season in order to be one of the teams taking part in this year’s CACC Tournament. The CACC Tournament Quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday, October 31 at the site of the higher seed with the winners advancing to the CACC Tournament Semifinals hosted by Georgian Court in Lakewood, N.J., on Friday, November 3. A champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 5.

The Cats will kick off their 2017 season as they travel to the College of Saint Rose on Thursday, August 31.

AGATE:

2017 CACC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll

1. Georgian Court – 161 points (6 first place votes)
2. Caldwell – 152 (4)
3. Jefferson – 139 (2)
4. Wilmington – 129 (1)
5. Holy Family – 125
6. Goldey Beacom – 96
7. Post – 81
8. Felician – 79
9. Nyack – 65
10. Chestnut Hill – 46
11. Dominican – 41
12. Concordia – 39
13. Bloomfield – 24

 

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SUBJECT: Tasca’s Late Stops Preserves 1-1 Tie with Millersville in Men’s Soccer Season Opener

DATE: August 31, 2017
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - Junior goalkeeper Vinny Tasca make two point-blank saves in the second overtime to secure a 1-1 tie with Millersville in the 2017 season opener on Thursday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.

Playing in the second game of the Wildcat Invite, the Wildcats (0-0-1) knotted the game in the second half before sending the game into overtime. The Marauders (0-0-1) outshot the Wildcats, 3-1, in the overtime period, but couldn’t beat Tasca on the line.

Millersville got on the board first, using a handball in the box to bury a penalty kick. Kody Eberly beat Tasca to his left side for the 1-0 lead in the 41st minute.

The Wildcats came out of the locker room with passion, putting more pressure on the Marauders in the second half. The Wildcats eventually out shot the Marauders, 7-2 in the second half, and earned more corners, 6-2, than the visitors. But it wasn’t until the 79th minute that the Wildcats found the back of the net.

Sophomore midfielder Dimitrios Topouzlis slotted Lorne Bickley a through ball down the middle, allowing the reigning Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Year to be in on the goalkeeper alone. Bickley buried the breakaway to knot the game with 12 minutes showing on the scoreboard.

Millersville put the pressure on the Wildcats in the extra period, getting the only shot off in the first 10 minutes. Millersville’s Marcus Frangakis had an opportunity in close in the 104th minute, but Tasca somehow got a finger on the ball, redirecting out of play for a corner kick. Chase Flickinger had another chance on the near post in the 109th minute, but Tasca was there again to keep the came knotted at 1-1.

The Marauders otushot the Wildcats, 12-11, for the game while Tasca recorded 10 saves in goal for the Wildcats. Millersville’s Darian McCauley made three stops for the visitors.

The Wildcats and Marauders return to play on Saturday at the WU Athletics Complex for the final day of the Wildcat Invite. The Wildcats wrap up the opening season invitational against the University of the District of Columbia at 4:30 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.

 

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UBJECT: Joey Russo and Sergio Ronchel Sweep CACC Player of the Week Honors

DATE: October 25, 2017
djl

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - A pair of Wilmington University golfers were named Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Players of the Week after leading the team to a second place finish at the Dixie State Island Invite earlier this week.

Senior Joey Russo was named the CACC Player of the Week for a fourth place finish while freshman Sergio Ronchel was named the CACC Rookie of the Week for finishing tied for 10th overall.

Russo (Sewell, N.J.) moved up three spots on the leaderboard with a 71 (-1) second round score on Monday. He finished fourth overall with a 73-71 for a 144 (E) in the two rounds.

Ronchel (Huelva, Spain) finished tied for 10th, but had the best individual round of the tournament. He posted a first round 80 on Monday morning, but came back to shoot a 67 (-5) in the afternoon to jump 14 spots on the leaderboard. He finished with a 147 (+3) in the rain-shortened tournament.

The third and final round of the tournament was cancelled due to rains on the Big Island, putting the Wildcats in second overall. They shot a tournament low 284 in the second round, finishing with a 295-284 for a 579 (+3) for the day.

The Wildcats remain in Hawaii for another tournament this weekend, taking part in the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate at the Waikoloa Kings’ Course in Waikoloa, Hawaii.