Autumn 2016

(Pictured above is Lauren Schmetterling ’10, fourth from left.)

Rio Olympics: Schmetterling ’10 wins gold 

The U.S. Women’s Eight, with crew member Lauren Schmetterling ’10, won the gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Women’s Rowing final.

The Americans finished the race in 6:01.49, defeating silver medalist Great Britain by 2.5 seconds at Lagoa Stadium.

Schmetterling is the first Colgate athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics, and the third Olympic medalist. Dick McGlynn ’70 scored a silver with the U.S. Hockey Team at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, and Frank Castleman 1906 won the silver in the 200-meter hurdles at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. Schmetterling is also the first Patriot League student-athlete to win an Olympic medal in the 26-year history of the league.

Rio marked her first Olympic appearance after winning gold medals at the 2013 and 2014 World Rowing Championships.

The U.S. Women’s Eight has now won three straight gold medals dating back to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and four gold medals overall.


Labbe named to Canadian Development Team

Shae Labbe '19 skating in Canadian hockey uniform

Photo by Hockey Canada Images

Just weeks after being invited to the ice hockey selection camps in Calgary, Alberta, Shae Labbe ’19 was chosen as a member of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. The team played a three-game series against the United States in August.

“It’s hard to put into words the feeling of wearing the maple leaf,” said Labbe, who hails from Calgary. “This experience allowed me to learn from and grow alongside some of the best players and coaches Canada has to offer. Being in such a competitive environment teaches you what it means to be a high-performance athlete and what it takes to make it to the next level.”

In the series, the Canadians won the first two games, clinching the series win, but fell to the United States in the final game. “I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned back to Colgate and help the team continue our success this season,” Labbe said.

In her first year as a Raider, Labbe tied for third in points on an offense-laden Colgate team, finishing with 26 points from 11 goals and 15 assists. She helped Colgate achieve a No. 8 national ranking in the final NCAA 2015–16 polls.


Victory Scholar

Randyll Butler ’16 in uniform playing basketball

Photo by Bob Cornell

Basketball player Randyll Butler ’16 is one of 23 athletes who participated in the Victory Scholar Program in Northern Ireland this summer. The opportunity gives postgraduates the chance to continue playing the sport they love while teaching the game to local youth and attending Ulster University.

“[Being able to] continue my education, play basketball, and help disadvantaged youth is ideal,” said Butler, who is working toward her master’s degree. “It’s always a positive to work with the little guys — seeing them smile makes my day.”

Nominated for the program by the Patriot League, Butler attended the celebration dinner with fellow scholars at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. The evening featured the program’s new ambassador, golf champion Rory McIlroy.

“Not every young person has the opportunities and advantages I had growing up,” McIlroy said. “I hope we make a difference in many young lives and are a force for positive change in communities most in need.”


Golf All-America scholar

Ryan Allison '17 making a putt

Photo by Bob Cornell

Ryan Allison ’17 continues to set the standard for Colgate Golf both on and off the course. He was named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon Division I All-America Scholar for 2015–16.

This latest honor from the Golf Coaches Association of America capped a standout junior season for the native of Melbourne, Fla. An economics major, Allison was one of five members selected for the 2016 Men’s Golf Academic All-Patriot League Team. He also is a three-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and Colgate Raider Academic Honor Roll.

On the course, Allison set the Colgate scoring record at 73.15 and was second all-time in relation to par at +1.88 (record +1.70). He finished inside the individual top 25 in all 11 tournaments, posting four top-10s and 10  top-20s.

During the Patriot League championship, Allison posted his best career result, with a tie for 11th place. This year’s performance included the first hole in one of his collegiate career during the second round.

To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a junior or senior, compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level, participate in 50 percent of his team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in Division I, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.


Houston named NAAC Rising Star

Taurian Houston

The National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) selected Taurian Houston, Colgate’s assistant athletics director for compliance, for its 2016 Rising Star Award.

“I’m honored to be recognized by my peers for trying to make compliance more advocacy [than] enforcement,” Houston said.

A compliance specialist who came to Colgate in 2015 from Dartmouth, Houston manages all of the department’s guidelines for NCAA, Patriot League, and ECAC Hockey compliance. He also serves on the university’s Faculty Affairs Committee and Equity Grievance Panel and as athletics liaison to the Equity Diversity Office. Houston also holds the title of adjunct professor in the sports management program at nearby Morrisville State College.


Preseason picks

Four Colgate student-athletes — Kyle Diener ’17 (football), Eliza Doll ’18 (soccer), Kathleen Harris ’17 (volleyball), and Ethan Kutler ’17 (soccer) — earned elite preseason Patriot League honors this year. Harris was the pick for overall player of the year, while Diener earned the nod for defense, Kutler for offense, and Doll for midfielder.

All four earned All-Patriot League honors last season, with Harris, Diener, and Kutler selected for first teams. Kutler was the league’s offensive player of the year last season in men’s soccer.


New GoColgateRaiders.com

Screenshot of the new New GoColgateRaiders.com homepage

Colgate’s athletics site has recently been relaunched with responsive design to improve the user experience. Whether you’re using a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone, the site will adjust to your device for optimal viewing. The new site also improves integration with the Patriot League Network for streaming video, as well as Colgate’s live stats platform.

Another new Colgate feature is the Raiders Fan Zone, a social media feed pulling together Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The Fan Zone is sortable by type and customized for each sport on its home page.


Remembering Stanley Krohn

Nov. 6, 1916–July 1, 2016

Stan Krohn with men's ice hockey coach Don Vaughan

Known by his Colgate family as “Stan the Man,” Stanley Krohn, Colgate’s oldest athletics staffer, has died at age 99. Krohn was an usher for Colgate men’s hockey games for 21 years. He worked 382 consecutive games in his career, never missing a single match.

His dedication to the university earned Krohn a legion of fans in the stands and on the ice, as well as accolades from the university. In 2007, he received the Silver Puck Award in honor of his service to the Colgate hockey program.

Feb. 19, 2011, marked one of the most meaningful demonstrations of appreciation for Krohn. It was senior night, and the men’s hockey team was hosting

Harvard. At the start of the game, Colgate’s three graduating seniors pulled a surprised Krohn onto the ice from his seat behind the team’s bench. As Krohn walked onto the ice, fans all around the rink — many dressed in “Stan the Man” T-shirts — rose to their feet to greet him with cheers. The seniors then asked him to perform the ceremonial puck drop. Later that evening, following a 2-1 win against the Crimsons, fans approached an emotional Krohn, asking if he would sign their shirts. He happily obliged.

One of Krohn’s biggest fans was Don Vaughan, Colgate’s men’s hockey coach. Krohn joined Colgate in 1980 (after retiring from his 25-year career for Pabst Blue Ribbon Co.), and when Vaughan arrived at Colgate a year later, they became fast friends.

“He was pretty special,” Vaughan told the Utica Observer-Dispatch. “I’m happy we were able to be a small part of his life.”

A quiet man, Krohn was wont to share many details of his younger years as a member of the 8th Air Force during World War II. He flew 23 missions over Europe on a B17 Flying Fortress as a flight engineer and ball turret gunner.

Vaughan noted that Krohn was reminded of his service in 1998 when he boarded a plane for the first time since the end of the war in order to attend an away game at the University of Michigan. Krohn looked silently out the window for the entire 50-minute trip, and he later told the coach that he was surprised by how quickly and smoothly the plane could fly.

“I told him that’s because no one was shooting at us,” Vaughan said.

Despite his reluctance to tell his war stories, Krohn never failed to share his opinions on Raider hockey with Vaughan and the team before games. He hated penalties, loved when Colgate beat rival Cornell, and always advised the Raiders to be selfish with the puck.

Krohn’s wife of 55 years, Betty, predeceased him in 1998. He is survived by three daughters, a sister, 17 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

— Brianna Delaney ’19