Summer 2016

Double gold at Dad Vail

(Pictured above, L to R: Assistant coach Ian Terrell, Matt Oakley, Brandon Gardner, Ben Halligan, Peter Rex, Caleb Tansey, and coach Khaled Sanad) 

Colgate rowing produced two gold medals during the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia in May.

The Raiders took top honors in both the Freshman 4+ and Singles. Clarke Cady-McCrea ’17 — who, two years ago, helped Colgate capture its first Dad Vail gold medal in the Varsity 4+ — rowed to victory in Singles.

The Freshman 4+, meanwhile, swept through three races to capture first-place honors and the Lindy Cup. On board were Caleb Tansey, Peter Rex, Brandon Gardner, Matt Oakley, and Ben Halligan (coxswain). They began the competition with a time of 7 minutes and 0.939 seconds that not only won the heat but also was the fastest of all six heats.

In the semifinals, Colgate again was the fastest entry, with a time of 7:02.837. In the final, Colgate topped Michigan and Georgia Tech to capture the Lindy Cup in a winning time of 7:27.481.


Eighteen teams earn perfect APR scores

Colgate’s athletics department is once again a leader in academic achievement in Division I, with 18 teams earning perfect NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores of 1,000 for 2014–15.

In addition, Colgate received 13 NCAA Public Recognition Awards and saw 11 teams record perfect multi-year APR scores. The latter number places Colgate among the Division I top 10, joining Boston College, Brown, Bucknell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Lafayette, Notre Dame, Pennsylvania, and Stanford.

The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement; teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for postseason competition and can face penalties for continued low academic performance. The APR measures eligibility, graduation, and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport. The most recent APRs are based on scores from the 2011–12 through the 2014–15 academic years. See a complete list of Colgate teams that have earned recognition.


Keeping kids fit

Taking part in a global effort to motivate children to exercise, women’s soccer team members led the All Children Exercise Simultaneously (ACES) program at Sherburne-Earlville Elementary School in April.

In “the world’s largest exercise class,” millions of children exercise together to promote proper health and fitness habits. This year’s theme was hard work and perseverance. Members from the Colgate women’s basketball and track and field teams also joined the event.


Raiders return to Pathfinder Village

Colgate soccer players work on drills with residents of Pathfinder Village

Members of the men’s soccer team led a soccer clinic at Pathfinder Village, a facility for people with Down syndrome.

This spring, the men’s soccer team hosted a soccer clinic for clients of Pathfinder Village, a facility in Edmeston, N.Y., for adults and children who have Down syndrome. Pathfinder serves adult residents as well as commuter students who attend classes during the day.

Led by Garrett Esper ’18, the soccer players continued a special bond that Colgate has formed with Pathfinder over the years. Numerous teams have spent the day at the facility. At the spring soccer clinic, there were drills, games, and a lot of laughter for not only the residents but also the student-athletes.


ECAC HOF honors for Kollevoll

Olav Kollevoll ’45

Olav Kollevoll ’45

Former student-athlete, coach, and administrator Olav Kollevoll ’45 was posthumously inducted into the ECAC Hall of Fame during the organization’s gala in April.

A three-sport athlete at Colgate, Kollevoll earned six varsity letters in baseball, football, and ice hockey. He was a two-time letter winner in ice hockey, serving as team captain during the 1943–44 season while also helping the squad record its first undefeated season in 1942. He was a three-time letter winner in baseball and captained the team in 1943. He lettered once in football.

After graduating from Colgate with a degree in mathematics, Kollevoll served in World War II as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. After completing his military service, he began a professional baseball career. He rose as far as the Triple-A level in the Boston (now Atlanta) Braves organization before retiring due to injury. He also participated in the 1947 World Hockey Championships as a member of the U.S. National Team.

Following his playing career, Kollevoll turned his focus to coaching the baseball and ice hockey programs at St. Lawrence University. During his time in Canton, N.Y., the Skating Saints were considered among the nation’s elite, earning several trips to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Kollevoll returned to Colgate in 1957, serving as head coach of the ice hockey program from 1957–65, amassing an 82-65-2 record and coaching a pair of ECAC playoff teams. He also served as an assistant football coach and freshman baseball coach at Colgate from 1955 to 1962.

The 1968 recipient of Colgate’s Silver Puck Award, Kollevoll also served as the administrative assistant to Director of Athletics Everett Barnes. He left coaching in 1965 to assume the duties of director of athletics at Lafayette College. During a 25-year career with the Leopards, he served as president of both the ECAC and the East Coast Conference and chaired numerous ECAC and NCAA committees.

Kollevoll received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the ECAC in 1991. He was inducted into the Colgate Hall of Honor in 1995 and Lafayette’s Maroon Club Hall of Fame in 1992. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 87.


Clifford kicks off Golden ’Gates

During the ninth annual Golden ’Gates all-sports banquet, guest speaker Carrie Clifford ’93 relived her days as a Colgate lacrosse player while the current student-athletes celebrated their most recent season.

“We didn’t have these coach buses that you guys travel to games in. We had two maroon vans with a cassette tape for our psych mix,” teased Clifford, an actor and writer who has worked for MTV News, performed at Chicago’s Second City, and appeared in feature films (including the upcoming Super Troopers 2) and TV shows like The Office.

“You already have so many skills that will prepare you for life after Colgate,” she said on a more serious note. “People love hiring college athletes. One obvious reason is you know how to work as a team.”

A crowd of more than 600 gathered in Sanford Field House to hear Clifford speak and witness the awards ceremony for student-athletes, coaches, and scholar-athletes. Among more than 500 student-athletes, two were named Colgate’s Athletes of the Year: Jake Melville ’17 (football) and Annika Zalewski ’18 (ice hockey). Colgate recognized two Rookies of the Year who made immediate impacts on their respective teams: Bailey Larson (ice hockey) and Aram Ouligian from men’s soccer. Josie Stockill ’16 (women’s basketball) and Chris Noda ’16 (cross country/track and field) were recognized as Scholar-Athletes of the Year. A neuroscience major from Napier, New Zealand, Stockill was one of five named to the Women’s Basketball Academic All-Patriot League Team. Noda, a biochemistry major with a 3.87 cumulative GPA, is from St. Louis.

As for coaches, football’s Dan Hunt and women’s ice hockey’s Greg Fargo shared the Howard N. Hartman Award for coach of the year.

And lastly, the John LeFevre ’41 Appreciation Awards went to Sherburne-Earlville Elementary School Principal Toni Halladay and Colgate Director of Annual Giving Jen Stone.


Coach McKinnon retires

Cross country/track and field coach Arthur McKinnon consults a clipboard with an athlete

Pre-meet meeting with cross country/track and field coach Arthur McKinnon, who retired this spring

After 28 years with the Raiders, cross country/track and field coach Arthur McKinnon — who is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable track and field mentors in the Patriot League and the Northeast — has retired.

McKinnon oversaw both the men’s and women’s programs at Colgate the last two seasons, after serving as coach of the men’s cross country and track and field teams since 1988.

“It is with great appreciation that I thank Colgate University for the very special journey I have been provided,” he said.

McKinnon also thanked the Track & Field Association and alumnus Harry H. Lang ’48. McKinnon helped create Colgate’s Harry H. Lang Cross Country Course, one of the few that host the Patriot League championship races and also host of the annual Harry Lang Invitational that begins the cross country season.

In 2001, McKinnon guided the cross country team to victory at the IC4A Championship, and the Raiders finished second in 2002. He was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 1991. In 1990, his cross country squad finished second at the conference meet and was runner-up at the IC4A University Division Championship — Colgate’s best finish since 1962.

Before coming to Colgate, McKinnon coached at Dartmouth College, The Huntington School, and Marta Malden Catholic High School. He spent 20 years in private and public education as a teacher, guidance counselor, and as the director of the Hartford (Vt.) Area Vocational center.


Teammates look on eagerly as Gillian Murray ’17 takes a swing

Teammates look on eagerly as Gillian Murray ’17 takes a swing at the April 2 Colgate vs. Army softball game, which the Raiders won (2–1). They went on to finish their season 7–11. (Photo by Bob Cornell)