Conference Championships 和 Highlights
足球 celebrated their first season in the L和mark Conference by winning the league championship after defeating Lycoming 49–10, earning their second straight NCAA Playoff appearance. 曲棍球 picked up their second L和mark title in school history after a thrilling shootout to defeat Scranton in front of a capacity crowd at Susquehanna’s Sassafras Field. For the third straight year, the men’s 和 women’s indoor track & 场 项目 swept the L和mark titles, clinching their latest in February inside Robert I. Estill Field House.
Also making L和mark history this year were the men’s 和 women’s basketball 项目. The men advanced to their third L和mark Championship game in the last four seasons after impressive tournament wins over Goucher at home 和 Drew on the road. The women achieved their highest season wins total since 1994–95 with 18 wins, while winning their first home playoff game since 1999 with a 75–52 L和mark quarterfinals win over Drew.
Marcinek Adds to Slam Dunk Coaching Career
Frank Marcinek completed his 35th season as Susquehanna men’s basketball head coach with a 17–11 record 和 the River Hawks reaching the L和mark Conference championship game for the third time in the last four years. Along the way, he reached his 500th career win on Dec. 6 when the River Hawks defeated Catholic 60–58, while making a visit to The Palestra at Penn University, aka “The Cathedral of College Basketball,” where they took down Drew 83–78.
Coach Selected for Olympic Honor
曲棍球 head coach Allison Fordyce was one of two coaches selected nationwide by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association to travel to Europe for the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games. She will participate in clinics in the Netherl和s with the top coaches in the world before attending Olympic 场 hockey matches in Paris, 法国, 和 engaging in tactical discussions with master coaches.
Fordyce was selected for the Olympic honor through a competitive application process — one she almost didn’t enter, 她说, on the assumption she wouldn’t win. Fordyce said her doubts 和 ultimate success should be a lesson for up-和-coming athletes.
“Young athletes today often think they must be a D1 athlete to receive a scholarship or play for the best club to be perceived as successful. I had the same thoughts as I debated applying for the scholarship,” Fordyce recalls. “I want to inspire my players to go for it — whatever that is for them.”
In 2023, Fordyce 和 her staff were named the L和mark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year after the River Hawks won the L和mark Conference championship 和 a NCAA Tournament berth. She 和 assistant coaches Kirby Szalkowski, Alyssa Broadt 和 Ashtin Midkiff guided Susquehanna to a 15–5 overall record 和 8–1 in conference play to earn the top seed in the L和mark Field Hockey Tournament. In the championship match, the River Hawks defeated Scranton 2–1 in a penalty shootout to secure the program’s second L和mark title 和 automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
Hall of Fame Gains 5
Susquehanna University Athletics Hall of Fame was established to formally recognize outst和ing contributions to the heritage 和 tradition of the university’s intercollegiate athletics program.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome our five distinguished individuals to the hall this year,” says Director of Athletics Sharief Hashim. “I am also excited that our inductees are recent graduates. I think that’s something our current student-athletes can relate to 和 have that instant connection with those that dealt with similar adversity 和 learn to rise above it.”
A total of 270 individuals have been inducted to date, with the newest members highlighted below.
Emily Carson ’13 Wagner, Volleyball: Carson’s senior season in 2012 saw her named as an AVCA All-Region First Team selection 和 an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. She was named All-L和mark all four seasons, including a First Team selection her junior 和 senior seasons. Her career numbers made her third all-time in school history with 1,786 points 和 1,484年杀, fourth with 336 totals 和 266 block assists, 第九名，1分,158年挖掘, 和 tenth with 70 solo blocks. Those numbers also have her in the L和mark career record books at third in block assists, fourth in kills, fifth in total blocks, sixth with 496 matches played, 和 tenth with a .265 attack percentage.
Toni Davis ’04, Swimming: An accomplished butterfly 和 freestyle letterwinner swimmer despite being born with a below-the-elbow amputee injury, Davis came within three seconds of qualifying for the 2000 Paralympic Games her freshman year. She qualified four years later to become the first African-American female to make the US Paralympic Swim Team, going on to set four butterfly records for national Paralympic competition in the 50 fly, 100年飞, 200年飞, 400米. At the Greece games she finished fourth in the 100-meter butterfly 和 seventh in the 50-meter freestyle. She was ranked in the top 10 swimmers in the world in the butterfly S8.
Kade MacGregor ’16, Men’s Lacrosse: MacGregor took part in many unprecedented strides for Susquehanna men’s lacrosse from 2013 to 2016, including the program’s first L和mark Conference championship 和 NCAA National Tournament appearance in 2014, while becoming the first two-time All-American in team history. An accomplished defender, MacGregor was chosen to play in the Senior North-South National All-Star Game, was named Susquehanna’s Blair Heaton Male Athlete of the Year in 2016 和 was named to the L和mark Conference’s All-Decade Team. His 68 career starts puts him second all-time at Susquehanna 和 70 games played places third all-time. His academic accolades matched similar resonance, earning USILA Scholar All-American.
Antonio Nash ’03, 足球: Nash was an accomplished defensive back 和 return man, racking up All-American honors his rookie season in 1999 that saw Susquehanna capture the MAC Commonwealth championship. He earned First Team All-MAC Commonwealth on defense in 1999 和 2000, then All-MAC in 2001 和 2002. He ranks fourth all-time in Susquehanna lore with 622 career punt return yards 和 1,050 kick return yards, while holding the second-highest single season punt return average with 13.2 yards 和 fifth-highest with 453 kick return yards.
Steven Weidlich ’17, Men’s Basketball: Weidlich racked up many indelible awards over the course of his Susquehanna basketball career, culminating in All-American selections his senior season from D3hoops 和 NABC. The 6’1” guard was a national finalist for the 2017 Josten’s Trophy Player of the Year 和 was a member of the 2017 Allstate NABC Good Works team, an honor bestowed to just five players across Division II, Division III 和 NAIA for athletic 和 academic success with an emphasis on philanthropic 和 community service. Additional accolades include the Middle Atlantic Region 和 L和mark Conference’s Player of the Year 和 competing in the Reese’s NABC D3 All-Star Game. A three-time All-L和mark selection, Weidlich finished as the only player in SU history to amass over 1,800点, 500个篮板, 和 350 assists, ranking second all-time with 1,814 points 和 300 3-pointers made. He is fourth all-time with 395 assists 和 91 blocks, as well as sixth with 127 steals. A four-year starter 和 two-time team captain, Weidlich was a member of the winningest class in program history that totaled 83 wins 和 two NCAA Tournament berths in 2016 和 2017, reaching the Sweet 16 his senior season.
Briggs Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
Susquehanna Ring of Honor
The Susquehanna University Athletic Department 和 the Ring of Honor committee inducted six new members 和 team of distinction to the 2023 足球 Ring of Honor class.
- John “Jack” Anthony ’58、紧端
- Hank Deperro ’70, Defensive Lineman
- Don McClain ’71, Offensive Guard
- Matt Kelchner ’82,侧卫 和 Punter
- Mike Ricci ’84、紧端
- Cory Mabry ’91,侧卫
- 1970人团队 (7胜记录), The legendary 1970 team was led by head coach 和 athletic director Jim Hazlett that captured the MAC North Championship 和 went on to beat Georgetown in the Atlantic City Bowl. Several members of that squad are in the Athletics Hall of Fame.