Highlights from Scranton Athletics

With the Lady Royals’ 46-43 victory over Cabrini College on Dec. 17 in Radnor, women’s basketball head coach Mike Strong etched his name into the record books. The victory was his 758th, which set a new record for career victories in NCAA Division III women’s basketball history. The win moved Strong past former St. John Fisher head coach Phil Kahler, who retired in 2008.

“I’m very humbled and very proud,” Strong said. “This achievement is for all the players, assistant coaches and staff. It’s a celebration of all of us.”

Strong called the victory somewhat “bittersweet” because it came against Cabrini third-year head coach Kate Pierangeli Pearson ’04, who was a two-time All-American for the Lady Royals under Strong in 2003 and 2004.

Following the record-setting victory, Strong’s career record stood at 758-163, with an astounding winning percentage of .823.

That was the message inscribed on T-shirts worn throughout the University’s raucous student section, and the men’s basketball team didn’t disappoint, defeating Juniata College 78-70 to capture its second consecutive Landmark Conference championship Feb. 25. But the Royals weren’t done yet, recording three victories in the NCAA Division III tournament and advancing to the Elite Eight! It was March Madness at its best!

The University’s women’s soccer team won its second straight Landmark Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the 13th time in school history. The Royals dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 decision in overtime to Ohio Northern in the first round. Junior Amanda Kresge was named Landmark Conference defensive player of the year, while juniors Sarah Gibbons, Jessica Sciscione and Sydney Parker, and sophomores Samantha Russo and Kelsy McAnelly each earned all-conference honors.

Chris Wasnetsky ’12 (Dunmore/Bishop O’Hara) competed in the NCAA Division III men’s cross-country championships for the third time in his career Nov. 19 at Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winnecone, Wisc. The four-time, first-team All-Landmark Conference selection is now one of two runners in Scranton history to qualify for nationals three times, joining two-time All-American and recent Wall of Fame inductee Joseph Fent ’01.

Gretchen Kempf ’13 (Warrington/ Central Bucks South) played a leading role in the field hockey team’s 12-win season – the program’s most victories since 1998 – that included a semifinal berth in the Landmark Conference tournament. After scoring a team- and Landmark Conference-leading 16 goals, Kempf was named the conference’s offensive player of the year and was selected second-team All-South Atlantic region by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

Thanks, in part, to the play of Julia Crilly ’15 (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute), the volleyball team posted its first winning record since 2008 and qualified for the Landmark Conference tournament for the second straight year. Crilly was voted the conference’s rookie of the year and a second-team selection after leading Scranton to a 17-win season.