Allegheny College Athletics - Bobcats Spoil Gators Season Opener

Tradition, Commitment, Excellence

Athletes of the Year

Women's Cross Country

Mia Symoniak was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the Allegheny Female Student-Athlete of the Year. An All-NCAC performer in Cross Country and both Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, she was chosen over five other nominees for the award.

Symoniak had a decorated year as the Allegheny women's top distance runner. During the cross country season, she placed ninth among 91 runners at the NCAC Championships to earn All-NCAC Second Team status. Symoniak finished 25th of 311 finishers at the Mideast Region Regional, claiming All-Region status.

Other in-season accolades included one stint as NCAC Runner of the Week after Symoniak took fifth out of 193 participants at Calvin's Knight Invitational. She was also honored as an Allegheny Athlete of the Week once and was the SAAC Female Student-Athlete of the Month in January.

During the indoor track campaign, Symoniak won the 5,000-meter run at the NCAC Championships while setting a new Allegheny and conference record (17:19.82). She also won the 5,000 individual race at the NCAC Relays and was first in the 3,000 at Mount Union's Jim Wuske Invitational. In her trip to Nationals, Symoniak finished 12th in the 5K.

During the outdoor season, Symoniak established her dominance in the 5,000 with another NCAC title. She also garnered NCAC Distance Runner of the Week honors after placing third in the 10,000 at Bucknell's Bison Classic. Symoniak was also an Allegheny Athlete of the Week.

Chris Marker

Men's Cross Country

Chris Marker was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the Allegheny Male Student-Athlete of the Year. An All-American performer in Cross Country, he was chosen over three other nominees for the award.

Marker, a junior, began his 2009-10 school year in fine fashion, claiming placing second at the NCAC Cross Country Championships, first at the Mideast Regional and 14th at the Division III Championships.

He was named to the All-NCAC First Team for finishing as runner-up among 109 finishers at the conference meet. At Regionals, he became Allegheny's first-ever individual region champion, placing ahead of 313 other runners, while the team won its first Mideast Region crown. At Nationals, the Gators took third place.

Marker was strong throughout the cross country season, placing first among 245 runners at Oberlin's Inter-Regional Rumble and second of 200 at Calvin's Knight Invitational. He was twice named Allegheny Athlete of the Week and once was an NCAC Runner of the Week after his performance at Calvin. The SAAC honored him twice as its Male Student-Athlete of the Month in September and October.

For the second consecutive year, Marker won the 5,000-meter run at both the NCAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field championship events. He set a new Gator record in the 5K when recording a time of 14:24.08 at Hillsdale's Gina Relays.

After winning the 5,000 at Washington and Lee's Carnival, he was honored as the NCAC Distance Runner of the Week. In April, the SAAC recognized him with his third Male Student-Athlete of the Month award.

Bobcats Spoil Gators Season Opener

Paterson reaches 100 career goals; Zanic hits 100 career points

3/9/2010 10:20:44 PM

Box Score

FROSTBURG, Md. – Elisabeth Hildebrand scored a team-high four goals, while Ali Kapustin netted a hat trick in the second half to help make the difference in a 14-12 win over Allegheny in non-conference women’s lacrosse action on Tuesday night.

The Bobcats (2-1) spoiled the Gators (0-1) season opener, using a five-goal run in just six minutes that spanned over the end of the first and beginning of the second half to take their first lead of the game that would not relinquish.

Jensen Paterson recorded her 100^th career goal on the night, scoring five times and dishing out one assist for a game-high six points, while winning eight draw controls to reach the 100 mark for her career. Christina Zanic came into the game just two points shy of 100 and she tallied to goals on free-position shots to hit the milestone.

In her first collegiate start in goal, Rebecca O’Shurak made a career-high 10 stops for Allegheny.

The Gators wasted no time getting on the board and taking a three-goal lead in the opening minutes. Paterson, Zanic and Caitlin Hubel each scored to make it 3-0 with just 4:09 into the game. Paterson’s goal came just 12 seconds after the opening whistle. Megan Dent-Carman got Frostburg its first goal at the 24:23 mark, but Hubel then assisted Meg Grossman less than one minute later for a 4-1 lead.

Both teams went goal-for-goal for the remainder of the half until Joanna McIntire and Chelsea Feeney netted the final two goals in the last 2:29 to knot the game at 7-all at halftime. These two goals were the start of a five unanswered goals scored by Frostburg.

Kapustin scored back-to-back goals to give the Bobcats their first lead at 9-7. Taylor Cassatt assisted Kapustin and then tallied her second goal of the game for a three-goal edge. Allegheny got within one thanks to goals from Grossman and Paterson, but Frostburg responded with two straight goals for a 12-9 lead.

Paterson and Grossman teamed up at the 9:19 mark to make it 13-12. The Gators would not find the back of the net for the remainder of the half and Ali Zinnel scored the final goal of the game for a 14-12 margin.

The Bobcats nearly edged the Gators in shots on goal (28-25), while Allegheny won draw controls, 16-12.

The Gators return to action on Saturday in the home opener against Alfred. Game time is 1 p.m.