2000-09: A New Century
A Master in the MakingOne of the most successful golfers in the long history of the Allegheny men’s program remains 2001 graduate Nathan Smith. The Brookville, Pa. native burst onto the scene as a freshman for the Gators, winning NCAC individual medalist honors after a four-round total of 293, before going on to finish 13th at the 1998 NCAA Division III Championships and being named both an All-American and the District II Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore in 1998-99, Smith won five different tournaments, including his second straight NCAC championship, en-route to earning All-America honors for a second consecutive season and being named the District II Player of the Year. In 1999-2000, he again earned All-NCAC, All-District, and All-America honors, before closing his career in stellar fashion by finishing as runner-up at the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championship with rounds of 73-69-70-71 to become just the second player in program history to earn four consecutive All-America awards.
Since his graduation, Smith has developed into one of the most recognized amateur golfers in the world. He has captured a record four USGA Mid-Am Championships, and appeared in four Masters'. In 2004, he was paired with golf legend Arnold Palmer in Arnold’s last round at Augusta National, while in 2010, Smith finished just two strokes off the Masters’ cut, ahead of such notables as Justin Leonard, Jim Furyk, and Vijay Singh. In May 2015, Smith teamed up with Todd White to win the inaugural USGA Four-Ball Championship. He was a first-ballot inductee into the Allegheny Hall of Fame in 2011, and is a 2015 inductee into the Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.
The Rise of Ream While many college football teams rarely enjoy the fortune of having a perennial All-American running back, Allegheny was blessed to have two in less than a decade. Just five years after the graduation of Stanley Drayton came the arrival of Shane Ream, who was nearly as impressive in the Allegheny backfield. A local product, Ream played for the Gators from 1998-2001, and remains the school record holder in career rushing yards (4,037) and touchdowns (60). After scoring 20 touchdowns during his first two seasons, ream blossomed into arguably the nation’s most explosive back as a junior in 2000, when he ran for a school-record 1,636 yards and led the nation with 27 touchdowns en-route to earning CoSIDA All-America honors. Though playing just eight games as a senior in 2001, Ream ran for 983 yards (122.8/gm) and 14 touchdowns, becoming the program leader in both categories. A 2012 inductee into the Allegheny Hall of Fame, Ream still holds five single-season program records (scoring, rushing yards, rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards) and four career records (scoring, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards).
Olympic PrequelArriving at Allegheny as a sought-after wide receiver recruit for the football team, Jeremy Scott shifted his focus toward track and field after suffering an injury, and the move paid immediate dividends. In both 2000 and 2001, Scott was the NCAC champion, and NCAA runner-up, in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault. As a junior in 2002, he broke through and won NCAA Division III National Championships in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault, becoming Allegheny’s first ever track and field national champ. He graduated from Allegheny as the NCAA’s all-division indoor pole vault record-holder, and in 2003, he became just the second Division-III athlete (behind legendary hurdler Edwin Moses) to compete at the world indoor championships. He has gone on to enjoy a prolific professional pole vault career, being the top-ranked indoor vaulter in both 2011 and ’12, while he earned a trip to the Olympic Games in 2012. He was named to the Allegheny Hall of Fame in 2013.
Making Millennial HistoryA year removed from winning the 1999 NCAC baseball championship, the Gators post the best season in program history with a 38-10 record and a berth in the 2000 NCAA Division III College World Series. Allegheny went 2-2 at the College World Series, upending Chapman, 4-2 before defeating Wartburg, 3-2 in a 10-inning affair that saw Scott Swinchok throw a complete game with 11 strikeouts, and Brian Zorman coming through with a walk-off single.
Senior Jeff Mountain earned his second career NCAC Pitcher of the Year accolade, as well as earning All-America honors after going 10-1 with eight complete games, 89 strikeouts, and a 2.87 ERA. Classmate Brad Hensler also earned All-America accolades with a .432 batting average, 73 hits, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 54 runs batted in to compliment a .728 slugging percentage. Ben Couch, who would lead the Gators to a 31-11 record the following year, earned a spot on the All-Region First Team listing and graduated with a program record 216 hits, was also a member of the 2000 squad. Hensler would close his illustrious career, one that would place him into the Hall of Fame in 2010 with a program-record 34 home runs, as Mountain, a fellow 2010 Hall of Fame inductee, finished as the program record holder with 26 wins.
Kajder Sets the Gold Standard2004 graduate Vicki Kajder is the most recent Allegheny Volleyball student-athlete to earn a spot in the Allegheny Hall of Fame, earning the honor in 2014 as a first ballot inductee. A four-year member of the program, Kajder earned All-American honors in 2003 and can still be seen throughout the Gator record books. She burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2000, earning First Team All-North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors. Kajder again earned All-NCAC honors as both a sophomore and junior during the 2001 and ‘02 seasons before enjoying her finest season as a senior in 2003, as in addition to earning her fourth straight All-NCAC nod; she was also named both All-Region and All-America. She led the conference with 1,596 assists and 129 service aces, which both remain single-season Allegheny records to this day. That season, she also set a program mark with nine service aces in an October match against Ohio Dominican. Kajder graduated as the school’s all-time leader in career assists (4,836) and aces (292), while ranking third in career digs (1,660).
The Ross RegimeThe 130-year history of Allegheny athletics has certainly produced its share of legendary coaching figures. The most recent addition to the list includes a track and field/cross country coach that enjoyed an unparalleled amount of success over a 14-year period spanning the late 1990’s and early 21st century. Upon taking over an already healthy track/cross country program in 1997, Bill Ross led the teams to unparalleled success, both at the conference and national level.
Between 1997 and 2010, Ross presided over a total of 32 NCAC championship-winning teams between men’s and women’s indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross country. while coaching a total of 40 All-Americans and earning a total of 32 NCAC Coach of the Year accolades. On the men’s side, Ross saw his teams produce a clean sweep - winning NCAC team titles in cross country, indoor, and outdoor - each year between 2004 and 2007, while the Gator women performed the feat in 2002. The Gator women’s outdoor track and field team won eight of 10 NCAC team championships between 1999 and 2008, while his men’s cross country squad captured the NCAC title each year between 2004 and 2009.
His teams were just as successful on the national front, as he saw his athletes earn a total of 40 All-America awards during his 14-year tenure. He led the Gator men to four top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division-III Cross Country Championships, highlighted by third-place efforts in both 2006 and ‘09, while the Gator women’s cross country team won the 2004 Mideast Regional championship. Ross mentored a number of star pupils during his tenure as a Gator coach, as Jeremy Scott won both the indoor and outdoor national pole vault championships in 2002, Leah Shouey turned in four top-eight performances at the national championship in mid-distance events, Amy Schuckert was an eight-time NCAC Mid/Distance MVP, Chris Marker was the 2009 Mideast Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, and Liz Earley turned in second and fourth-place finishes in the hammer throw at the NCAA Championships.
The Start of Something SpecialThe 2002 season signified the start of a truly dominant era for Gator men’s cross country. The team claimed its third NCAC championship, and did so in the tightest race in conference history, as the Gators edged second-place Kenyon 47-49. Each of Allegheny’s top four runners finished among the top nine at the NCAC championship race, led by senior Dan Princic, who took fourth (25:31), and sophomore Jeff Conroy, who placed fifth (25:50). Head coach Bill Ross was named the NCAC’s Coach of the Year, while freshman Chris Carrier was named the NCAC Newcomer of the Year. Following the conference meet, the Gators went on to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time in 25 years, placing 24th.
In the Nick of TimeGuard Nick Catanzarite was the first Allegheny basketball superstar of the 21st century, donning the Blue and Gold from 1999-2003. The Strongsville, Ohio native’s name can be found all throughout the Gator record book. He graduated as the program’s second all-time leading scorer, with 1,535 career points, while his 252 career steals and 82.5 percent mark from the foul line remain program records. As a junior in 2001-02, Catanzarite was named Honorable Mention All-NCAC after finishing sixth in the league in scoring with an average of 16.6 points per game. His senior season was even more impressive, as he totaled 549 points, the second most in team history, while averaging 3.8 steals per game and shooting an eye-popping 85 percent from the foul line (139-for-164) en-route to earning First Team All-NCAC laurels. Behind Catanzarite and under first-year coach Rob Clune,, the 2002-03 Gators put together one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in program history, as they finished 16-12 overall/10-6 NCAC and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAC tournament one season removed from an 11-14 record.
Back to the Big TimeAfter opening the 2003 campaign with a 1-1-1 record, the Gator women’s soccer team embarked on a 14-game winning streak, highlighted by a convincing 3-1 win over two-time defending national champ Ohio Wesleyan in the penultimate game of the regular season to end with a 15-1-1 overall record, and 8-0 mark in the NCAC. Despite falling in the NCAC tournament opener to eventual champ Denison, the Gators, who ascended to a ranking of 17th in the end of season national coaches’ poll, earned an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament for the first time in 15 years. Though they were edged 1-0 in the opening round by Wilmington College, the season was a memorable one, as six Gators were named All-NCAC, including first teamers Jill Malone, Sharon Greene, and Lauren Moser, while the trio was joined on the NSCAA All-Region squad by Jen Bilec. Moser went on to earn First Team All-America honors for her efforts on defense, as she helped lead a back line that surrendered just 11 goals in 19 games, while posting 10 shutouts.
Back On TopUnder second-year head coach and Allegheny Hall of Famer Mark Matlak, the 2003 Gators began the season in less-than-stellar fashion, losing their first three games. However, once the conference slate started, the Gators went to work, winning seven straight games to end the regular season, highlighted by a 27-21 victory over Wittenberg in week six that marked the Gators’ first win over the Tigers in six seasons. After capturing the NCAC title, the Gators traveled to Montclair State (N.J.) for the first round of the NCAA playoffs. The Gators jumped out to a 19-7 halftime lead, but Montclair roared back in the second half to eventually win 20-19 on a 52-yard field goal with two minutes left in regulation. Matlak was named NCAC Coach of the Year.
Hreha, Anderson Dive into HistoryAllegheny opened up the 21st century by boasting arguably the two top divers in the history of the NCAC in John Hreha and Kelley Anderson. Hreha became the first diver in NCAC history to sweep the individual boards during all four of his season (1999-2003), earning All-America in both the one and three meter each year. During his senior campaign, Hreha posted a score of 590.35 in the one-meter, a conference mark that still stands. At the 2003 NCAA Division III championships, Hreha finished second in the nation in the one-meter for the third time, while he also turned in his fourth consecutive top-five finish in the three-meter.
Anderson, who was a Gator from 2000-04, began her career by being named both the NCAC Newcomer and Diver of the Year after finishing first at the NCAC championships in both boards. A year later, she replicated the feat, before making her first of three straight trips to the NCAA Division III Championships, where she earned All-America in both dives with a seventh-place in the one-meter, and 10th in the three meter. When all was said and done, Anderson became the first female diver in conference history to be a four-time Diver of the Year and win eight championships between the two boards, while she finished her career with a total of six All-America nods. Hreha and Anderson were each named to the NCAC's All-Decade Team in 2003, and were inducted together into the Allegheny Hall of Fame in September 2014.
Reimer Ushers Gators into 21st Century During her seven years at the helm of the Allegheny program (1999-2006), head coach Jennifer Reimer finished the season with a sub-.500 record on only one occasion, closing out her Allegheny career with a 120-67 record, which currently stands as a program record in coaching wins. In her first season at Allegheny, Reimer’s Gators went 20-6 with a 13-3 record in NCAC play, finishing the season as regular season NCAC Co-Champions. Throughout her career, Reimer coached an NCAC Newcomer of the Year (Courtney Steding, 02-03), seven All-NCAC First Team selections, and a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Jen Kankowski and Meredith McDonough.
Sister ActUnder head coach Bill Ross, the Allegheny track and cross country programs enjoyed a run of unprecedented success in the early 2000's. At the forefront of this time of prosperity were twin sisters Lindsey and Leah Shouey, who were cross country and distance running dynamos. The pair combined to earn 32 All-NCAC accolades between cross country, indoor, and outdoor track. The 2001 NCAC cross country Newcomer of the Year, Leah won a total of seven NCAC championships, and was named the NCAC's Outdoor Distance MVP in 2003 and the Indoor MVP in 2004, graduating as the conference record holder in the 1,500. Ten years after graduating, she remains the school record-holder in the mile (4:55.4), and is a four-time All-American, earning the honor twice in the 1,500 and once in both the mile and 5,000. Lindsey won the 2001 outdoor conference championships in both the 800 and 1,500, before taking the indoor title in the 1,500 in 2003. The duo were also part of the second-fastest performances in school history in both the distance medley relay (12:14.36, 2003) and the 4x800 relay (9:59.70, 2003).
Upstart Gators Shock the NCACThe Gators women's lacrosse team posted the first winning season in program history in 2004, going 8-6 overall and advancing to the NCAC tournament championship game as the #4 seed by upsetting top-seeded Denison 11-10 under second-year head coach Paul Bonus. Emily Deering and Ashley Rogerson picked up IWLCA All-West Region honors as the Gators placed six student-athletes on the All-NCAC listing, including first team notations for both Deering and Rogerson. Bonus ended the season as the NCAC Co-Coach of the Year, earning the first such honor in program history.
NCAC GoldUnder first-year coach Sandra Sanford, the 2004 Gators captured the first NCAC softball tournament championship in team history, as they defeated Ohio Wesleyan in the tourney title game. After throwing six shutouts and posting an 0.57 ERA with 149 strikeouts, sophomore Giannina Coccaro was named the NCAC Pitcher of the Year, and was one of five Gators to earn All-NCAC accolades, joining outfielder Sarah Johnston, infielders Shawn Gledhill, Jessica Monti, and April Tantalo, and designated player Christine Harvey. Coccaro, who also went on to earn NCAC Pitcher of the Year honors as a senior in 2006, threw a pair of no-hitters in her career, and remains one of just three players (joining Machuga and Jodi Robinson) to do so multiple times.
Big BenBen Rathfon ushered the Gator golf team into the 21st century in fine fashion, putting together a stellar four-year career between 2001 and 2005. Just the third four-time All-American in program history, Rathfon won a total of 12 tournaments in his career, tying 2001 graduate Nathan Smith for most in team history. The 2002 Regional Rookie of the Year and NCAC Championship medalist, Rathfon remains the only Gator golfer to be twice named the NCAC Golfer of the Year, earning the accolade after both the 2003 and 2005 campaigns. Averaging 75.6 per 18 holes for his career, he owns three of the top-10 single-season scoring averages in program history, while his two-day total of 143 at the 2004 Ocean City Classic remains the fourth best in team history.
Region's Best
Two years after coach Bill Ross led the Gator women's cross country team to its first NCAC championship in six years, 2004 saw Allegheny reclaim the Mideast regional championship for the first time since 1994. With four runners among the top 17 finishers, the Gators topped the 35-team field with a score of 99, 40 points ahead of second-place Dickinson. Senior Leah Shouey’s eighth-place finish led a contingent of four Gators to earn All-Region accolades, as Leigh Ciofani finished 13th, Scarlett Graham 16th, and Lindsey Shouey 17th. The Gators went on to finish 21st at the NCAA Division III National Championship, paced by Leah Shouey, who finished 43rd in the 220-runner race. How "Sweet" It is!After entering the 2004 NCAC men's soccer tourney as the fourth seed, the Gators won the conference championship in penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw against Denison to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history; The Gators then went on to win their first two NCAA games by PK's, including a home victory in the second round over Carnegie Mellon, before falling to eventual national champ Messiah in the Sweet 16. Head Coach Angelo Panzetta was named NCAC Coach of the Year while defender Eric Sloan is tabbed the NCAC's Newcomer of the Year. A total of four Gators earned All-NCAC accolades, with striker Josh Johnson earning First Team plaudits after scoring 28 points (11 goals, 6 assists), along with Ben Montgomery, who totaled four goals and four assists at midfield. Forwad Marc Sciulli (two goals, three asssists) and midfielder Sloan were both Second Team honorees, while defender David Recker earned an Honorable Mention nod. In 2013, Sloan and Montgomery were each named to the NCAC 30th Anniversary All-Time Men’s Soccer Team.
UnbeatableBetween 2003-10, Allegheny enjoyed arguably the most dominant stretch in NCAC cross country history. Over the span, the Gators won seven NCAC championships, and boasted the NCAC individual champion six different times. The first NCAC Runner of the Year in program history, Kevin Pool was twice the NCAC champion (2003, 2004), and was joined by Chris Carrier (2005), Marco Dozzi (2006), Ryan Place (2007), Jeramie Parker (2009), and Chris Marker (2011). Head coach Bill Ross was named the NCAC Coach of the Year in each season between 2004 and 2009, while Brent Wilkerson was named the Coach of the Year in his inaugural season at the helm in 2010.
In addition to their conference success, the Gators also fared quite well both regionally and nationally. In 2003, Pool was named the first All-American in program history after taking 10th at the NCAA Division III National Championships, before earning his second All-America accolade in as many years with a 17th place finish in 2004. In 2006, the Gators finished a program-best third at the NCAA Championships, and boasted two All-Americans, as Place finished sixth at nationals and Dozzi 23rd. Led by Chris Marker, the 2009 Gators won the first NCAA Mideast regional championship in program history, as the junior finished first at the regional race, before helping the Gators to another third-place finish at nationals. For the second time in four years, the 2009 Gators boasted a pair of All-Americans, as Jeramie Parker finished 11th and Marker 14th at the National Championships. In 2010, Allegheny claimed its seventh straight conference crown and went on to finish 15th nationally, as Marker was named the NCAC Runner of the Year, while Parker was All-America for the second straight season, finishing 13th at the NCAA race.
| Year | NCAC finish | NCAC ROY | NCAC COY | Reg finish | NCAA finish | All-Americans |
| 2003 | 2nd of 10 | Kevin Pool | | | | Kevin Pool (10th) |
| 2004 | 1st of 10 | | Bill Ross | | | Kevin Pool (17th) |
| 2005 | 1st of 10 | Chris Carrier | Bill Ross | 3rd of 40 | 24th | |
| 2006 | 1st of 10 | Marco Dozzi | Bill Ross | 2nd of 39 | 3rd | Ryan Place (6th)
Marco Dozzi (23rd) |
| 2007 | 1st of 10 | Ryan Place | Bill Ross | 2nd of 41 | 7th | |
| 2008 | 1st of 10 | | Bill Ross | 2nd of 43 | 10th | Tony Dipre (25th) |
| 2009 | 1st of 10 | Jeramie Parker | Bill Ross | 1st of 45 | 3rd | Jeramie Parker (11th)
Chris Marker (14th) |
| 2010 | 1st of 10 | Chris Marker | B. Wilkerson | 5th of 47 | 15th | Jeramie Parker (13th) |
Announcing Their PresenceIn its first season of existence, the 2006 Allegheny women’s golf team captured six tournament titles during the regular season, before being selected to compete at the NCAA Division III Championship, one of just two first-year programs to earn the honor. The team takes ninth at nationals, led by Alison Bruckner’s 31st-place individual finish. Head coach Jeff Groff became just the fourth coach in Division III history to have both his men’s and women’s teams finish in the top-10 at the national championships, as the Gator men placed 10th.
Earley ReturnsCompeting in the shot, disc, weight, and hammer, Liz Earley won a total of nine NCAC championships, while earning four All-America honors. In outdoor track and field, Earley won the NCAC hammer throw championship in all four seasons, and set a new conference record three times, including her heave of 172’9” at the 2008 conference championships that still stands today. She was a two-time All-American in the hammer, finishing fourth in 2007 before taking second in the nation at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Earley was also a four-time All-NCAC outdoor performer in the shot, capturing the conference title in both 2007 and ‘08, while she won the 2006 discus championship before finishing runner-up in her final two seasons. In indoor, she finished no lower than second in the shot put at the NCAC Championships, including wins in both 2007 and ‘08, while she was a two-time All-American in the weight throw, as she finished fifth in the nation in 2007 and third a season later. She remains the school record holder in both the weight and hammer throws, while ranking second in the shot.
Deering the Dominant DefenderThe Gator women's lacrosse team advanced to the NCAC Tournament Championship for the second time in program history with Lynn Zlotkowski as the head coach. Defeating Ohio Wesleyan, 9-7, in the NCAC semifinals, Allegheny closed out the year with a 9-7 overall record. Emily Deering closed an incredible career by earning NCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, ending a dominant four-year run that saw Deering score four All-NCAC honors, four All-Region awards to go along with the major NCAC honor.
A MakeoverThe outdoor home of Gator sports since 1949, the Robertson Athletic Complex began to show signs of wear and tear at the turn of the new millennium. In February 2006, thanks to a donation of $1 million from 1948 alum and former four-sport athlete Frank B. Fuhrer, plans were announced for a major renovation of the facility.The primary benefactor was the football stadium, which was subsequently renamed in honor of Mr. Fuhrer. The worn cinder track gave way to a brand new, eight-lane track, while the old natural grass surface was replaced by brand new Field Turf, the same model used at the time by 22 of the NFL’s 32 teams. The surface of the field was widened to allow use by soccer and lacrosse, while state of the art lighting and a brand new scoreboard were also added.
“Allegheny College is my school,” Fuhrer said in a February 2006 interview with the Meadville
Tribune. “It’s an honor to help in some small way to provide Allegheny’s athletes with a first-rate stadium.”
Construction began in mid May, and the facility was ready for the 2006 football season. The first football game in the new facility took place on Sept. 16, 2006, and the Gators routed Hiram 52-7 in front of an estimated 2,900 fans. The Gators’ first points on the new turf were scored by Mario Tarquinio on a 53-yard touchdown run. Six weeks later, the Gators would again make news, as they hosted Ohio Wesleyan in the first regularly scheduled night game in NCAC history on Oct. 28. On a snowy night, the Gators defeated the Battling Bishops 30-13.
Distance DominationThe Allegheny track and field team’s penchant for churning out distance and mid-distance runners was punctuated by a two-year stretch between 2008 and 2009. In ‘08, the Gators nearly swept the distance events at the NCAC Outdoor Championships. In the 1500, Ryan Place finished first in a conference-record time of 3:55.64, less than two-tenths of a second ahead of teammate Tony Dipre. Allegheny’s Matt Smith won the NCAC steeplechase title, while the Gators’ Jakeb Zimmerman finished first and Ryan Hansen second in the 10,000 meter run. The Gators also boasted two of the top three finishers in the 5,000, with Matt Hoy taking second and Hansen third. At the 2008 NCAA Championships, the Gators produced two All-Americans in the 5,000, as Place took fourth and Chris Marker seventh.
A year later, the Gators replicated their success at the conference outdoor championships. Dipre, named the NCAC’s Mid/Distance MVP, won the NCAC title in the 1500 in a conference-record time of 3:54.19, while Marker also set a new conference mark in the 5,000, winning in a time of 14:59.90. Zimmerman completed the trifecta by winning the conference title in the 10,0000. On the national front, Dipre earned All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a fourth-place finish in the mile, while Jeramie Parker finished seventh in the 1,500 at the national outdoor championships to garner his first All-America laurel.
