EARLY YEARS
Spring 1948: Local athlete Joan O’Connor tries out and makes the men’s tennis team at Triple Cities College. She goes 1-1 in singles matches.
1958: After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wellesley College, Jessie A. Godfrey is hired at Harpur College and begins a 32-year career as the primary administrator for women’s physical education and athletics. Godfrey becomes a pioneer in women’s athletics on the local, regional and national levels and her five-decade career is grounded in the principles of equal opportunity for women in intercollegiate athletics.
1958: The $2.4 million Harpur Gymnasium (East Gym) opens and is the first facility built at the new Vestal campus. It has a basketball court and swimming pool and serves as the primary home for women’s athletics for 30+ years.
1969: Swimming & diving is elevated from club status to become the first women’s intercollegiate athletics program at Binghamton. The squad begins competition during the 1969-70 academic year under the direction of head coach Janet Hill. With a roster of five student-athletes, the team practices in the East Gym pool and competes in three dual meets.
The 1970s
1971: In the spring, women’s tennis makes its intercollegiate debut and goes 6-2 for head coach Marge Chmiel.
1971: Volleyball becomes an intercollegiate sport at Binghamton. The team goes 8-4 in its first season for head coach Margo Anderson.
1972: Title IX of the Educational Amendments is enacted as part of a federal law. This landmark legislation states “No person in the United States, shall on the basis of gender, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance.”
1973: Swim captain Liz O’Connell becomes the first recipient of the John Bilos Alumni Award for career achievement
1973: In her third year with the department, Jeanne Mathias takes over the volleyball coaching reins and begins a successful 19-year tenure before stepping down after the 1991 season
1973: Women’s basketball becomes an intercollegiate sport at Binghamton and Roslyn Hurley begins the first of her three years at the helm.
1974: SUNY Binghamton is admitted to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and begins competing in the conference.
1974: Athletics administrator Jessie Godfrey begins a prominent national role as an executive member of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), the equivalent national association to the NCAA.
1975: The volleyball team finishes the season 25-8 and advances to the AIAW Regionals.
1977: Swimmer and future Hall of Fame inductee Susan Numann is selected as the first female Athlete of the Year
1977: The volleyball team makes its second trip to the AIAW Regionals in three seasons.
1977: Women’s cross country becomes an intercollegiate sport. The team goes 7-1 in dual meets during its inaugural season under the guidance of Mindy Gaffney and Gary Truce.
1978: Swimmer Margaret Glenday is the first female student-athlete to receive a Foundation Award for outstanding career athletics performance
1979: Softball becomes an intercollegiate sport at Binghamton. The team goes 6-7 in its inaugural season for head coach Carol Stanley.
1979: Women’s track & field becomes an intercollegiate sport under the tutelage of head coach Gary Truce. The team goes on to record a sixth-place finish (out of 18 teams) at the 1980 New York State meet the following spring.
The 1980s
1980: The women’s basketball team records its first winning season, finishing the year with a 10-7 record.
1982: Basketball and softball player Eileen Andreassi is named the inaugural recipient of the Jessie Godfrey Award, named for the Hall of Fame administrator who served Binghamton for 32 years and presented for career achievement and leadership.
1983: The women’s cross country team wins its first SUNYAC championship crown and places a program-best fifth overall at the NCAA Division III Championships.
1983: Alice Willis and Marilyn Milligan of the women’s cross country team become the first female athletes in Binghamton history to earn All-America honors. Willis places 12th at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships while Milligan finishes 21st.
1984: Administrator Jessie Godfrey becomes the first female president of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)
1984: Alice Willis becomes the first Binghamton track & field All-American (male or female) as she places fifth overall in the 1,500 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.
1985: Women’s soccer becomes an intercollegiate sport at Binghamton, going 6-7-0 in its first season under head coach Hristos Dimitriou.
1985: The women’s tennis team wins its first of 12 SUNYAC titles.
1985: Helene Thomas becomes the first women’s basketball player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career. She graduates having scored a program-record 1,018 points.
1986: Crystal Joseph of the women’s track & field team earns a pair of All-America honors in the high jump. She places fourth in the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships and was the runner-up at the ensuing outdoor meet.
1987: Crystal Joseph of the women’s track & field team earns her second career runner-up performance at a national meet, placing second overall in the high jump at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.
1989: The women’s cross country team places 14th overall at the NCAA Division III Championships.
The 1990s
February 23, 1990: Alicia Brennan of the women’s basketball team concludes her career with a then school-record 1,229 points and program-best 837 rebounds.
May 5, 1990: The women’s track & field team wins its first-ever SUNYAC title, winning the conference’s outdoor meet.
March 16, 1991: Scott Rogers (men’s diving) and Jennifer Zeboris (women’s 100 freestyle) become the first two All-Americans in the history of the Binghamton swimming & diving programs.
October 21, 1991: Lisa Denerstein of the women’s tennis team becomes the first player in program history to capture a New York State singles title.
November 9, 1991: The women’s soccer team competes in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in program history. The squad completed the season ranked No. 17 in the nation.
Fall 1992: Sheryl Sousa takes over the reins of the volleyball team and coaches for five years before turning her attention to her role of associate director of athletics. Sousa’s 1994 and 1995 volleyball teams win 40+ matches. She departs campus in 1998 to return to her alma mater, Brandeis, and becomes that school’s Director of Athletics in 2004.
November 7, 1992: The women’s soccer team earns a share of its first-ever SUNYAC championship after playing to a scoreless overtime draw against Geneseo in the title game.
March 6, 1993: Jen Gaeta of the women’s basketball team finishes the season with 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. She is an honorable mention All-American after leading the squad to a 22-6 record and its first-ever appearance in the ECAC Division III Tournament.
November 21, 1993: For the first time in program history, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams compete at the NCAA Division III Championships.
December 2, 1994: Nikki Lesko becomes the first women’s soccer player in program history to earn All-America honors.
November 12, 1994: The volleyball team concludes its season with a program-record 41 wins. Lauren Caiaccia is named an AVCA Regional All-American.
March 1, 1995: The women’s basketball team makes its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.
May 13, 1995: The softball team concludes its season with a school-record 37-win campaign, a SUNYAC title and its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
November 10, 1995: The volleyball team competes in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in program history.
November 18, 1995: Sarah Bunting of the women’s cross country team earns All-America honors with a 29th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships.
March 1996: Binghamton University announces that it will elevate its athletic program to the NCAA Division II level in the fall of 1998.
May 3, 1996: Melissa Cohen ’90, Margaret Glenday ’78, Crystal Joseph ’87 and Alice Willis ’85 are voted inaugural members of the Athletics Hall of Fame. They join seven male inductees in a ceremony/dinner held in the West Gym Foyer
May 25, 1996: Monique Hacker of the women’s track & field team wins the first of her school-record five national titles, winning the triple jump at the NCAA Division III Championships. She led Binghamton to a sixth-place team finish at the meet.
July 15, 1996: Track & field standout Monique Hacker is featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”
November 9, 1996: For the third time in five years, the women’s soccer team earns a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
March 1, 1997: The women’s basketball team upsets top-seeded Geneseo 71-65 to win its first-ever SUNYAC Tournament and earn its third straight trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
May 6, 1997: The women’s tennis team wins its 10th consecutive SUNYAC championship. During its Division III era, the program captured 12 SUNYAC titles.
Feb. 14, 1998: The women’s track & field team places a program-best third at the NCAA Division III indoor championships. The men’s track & field team places a program-best eighth at the same meet.
March 7, 1998: The women’s basketball team receives a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III Tournament and hosts its first-ever second-round game against Elmira.
May 11, 1998: The softball team concludes its season with its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
May 23, 1998: On Binghamton’s final day as a NCAA Division III athletic program, Monique Hacker captures her fifth and final women’s triple jump crown at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
November 15, 1998: The women’s soccer team wins the ECAC Division II championship with a 1-0 win over Merrimack in the finals at the West Gym Field. Binghamton finishes the season ranked No. 20 in the nation.
February 27, 1999: The women’s basketball team upsets Franklin Pierce to win the NECC Tournament and advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Bess Greenberg, who was named the NECC Player of the Year following the regular season, is also named the tournament MVP.
March 13, 1999: The women’s swimming & diving team places 26th overall at the NCAA Division II Championships. Gina Bonante earns All-America honors in a pair of events (100 fly, 200 fly).
May 2, 1999: The softball team wins the NECC championship with a 3-2 victory over host UMass-Lowell in the title game.
May 6, 1999: Binghamton University makes the decision to begin NCAA Division I compliance. The decision sets the stage for Binghamton to become a Division I member in September 2001.
May 13, 1999: Binghamton University captures the NECC Presidents’ Cup for overall success.
May 27, 1999: The women’s track & field team places 24th at the NCAA Division II Championships. Kate Mullins earns All-America honors in the pole vault for the second time in her career and Monique Hacker ends her career with two more All-America honors.
August 27, 1999: Binghamton University unveils its new nickname and logo. Known as the Colonials since 1946, the university teams become known as the Bearcats.
October 10, 1999: The women’s tennis team captures its first of two consecutive NECC championships. The tournament was held at the West Gym Courts.
October 23, 1999: The women’s cross country team wins the NECC Championship.
November 20, 1999: The volleyball team wins its first of two consecutive ECAC Division II championships. Binghamton sweeps Merrimack in three games in the title game at the East Gym.
The 2000s
March 12, 2000: The women’s basketball team finishes the season with a 27-2 record, which was punctuated by a 108-72 victory over Philadelphia in the ECAC Division II title game at the West Gym. Bess Greenberg earns All-America honors following the season as she averaged a school-record 21.3 points per game.
May 13, 2000: The baseball and softball teams sweep the ECAC Division II titles. The baseball team won the finale 11-8 at Dowling while the softball team beat Mansfield 1-0 at the East Gym Complex.
June 7, 2000: The groundbreaking ceremony for the Events Center takes place. Attending the event are New York Governor George Pataki and State Senator Thomas Libous.
Fall 2000: Former All-Big Ten distance runner at Oklahoma Annette Acuff is hired and begins a standout career as head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track & field coach. She enters her 20
th year in 2019 and is the longest-tenured female coach in school history.
November 18, 2000: The volleyball team captures its second straight ECAC Division II championship with a five-set win over C.W. Post. The tournament was held in the West Gym.
March 3, 2001: In the track & field teams’ first-ever appearance at a ECAC Division I meet, Kate Mullins places seventh overall in the pole vault at the indoor championships.
March 10, 2001: Bess Greenberg of the women’s basketball team scores her 2,000th career point in an ECAC semifinal game against Dowling at the West Gym. She concluded her career with 2,024 points.
April 18, 2001: Binghamton University is formally admitted into the America East Conference.
August 31, 2001: Binghamton begins its Division I era with a pair of soccer games. The women’s soccer team is at the Robert Morris Tournament.
October 12, 2001: Binghamton’s Bearcat mascot is named “Baxter.” The announcement was made at Midnight Madness.
December 6, 2001: Tracy Kasmarcik of the women’s soccer team becomes the first Binghamton athlete to earn All-Region honors at the Division I level. She ranked No. 11 in the nation with 15 goals during the 2001 campaign.
February 24, 2002: After years as a club team, the women’s lacrosse team makes its intercollegiate debut with a game at Lehigh. Head coach Susan Frost and her roster of 25 student-athletes compete in the America East Conference.
March 6, 2002: Sarah Cartmill of the women’s basketball team becomes the first Binghamton athlete to be named an America East Conference Player of the Year.
March 23, 2002: Yun Qu becomes the first Binghamton athlete to earn All-America honors during the Division I era. She places 13th in the 200 butterfly at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.
March 21, 2003: The women’s swimming & diving team sends a program-best two athletes to the NCAA Division I Championships. Huijue Cai competed in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly while Yun Qu took part in the 200 butterfly.
January 28, 2004: In the final basketball game ever played at the West Gym, the Binghamton women’s team defeats UMBC 61-48.
May 12, 2004: Jessica Chellis of the softball team earns first-team all-conference honors for the third year in a row.
November 7, 2004: The women’s soccer team becomes the first Binghamton female team to win an America East title, beating Maine 2-0 in the championship game at the West Gym Field.
May 1, 2005: Zeynep Altinay of the women’s tennis team concludes her season with a 30-4 record (all at first singles) and is named the America East Player of the Year for the first of two times in her career.
November 19, 2005: The volleyball team wins its first-ever America East Tournament title and earns a bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament.
February 1, 2006: The athletics department hosts the inaugural “Celebrating Women’s Athletics” luncheon and fundraiser. It's titled "National Girls and Women in Sports Day Luncheon" and University President Lois DeFleur delivers the keynote speech. In subsequent years, the event features prominent female Olympic and professional sports speakers and raises money for the Binghamton Bearcats Athletic Association (formerly UAC/BUAC) Women’s Scholarship Fund. The event draws nearly one thousand attendees and will see its 15
th rendition in Spring 2020.
March 15, 2006: In what is called the Upset of the Year by the IWLCA, the women’s lacrosse team defeats American 12-10 at the Spring Fling in West Palm Beach. Fla.
November 18, 2006: Katie Radzik of the women’s cross country team wins the season-ending ECAC Division I Championship Meet.
March 9, 2007: Binghamton hosts the America East Women’s Basketball Tournament for the first time. In their quarterfinal game, the Bearcats rally from 17 points down to beat Boston University 63-58.
May 6, 2007: Kim Williams is named the Most Outstanding Female Track Performer at the America East Outdoor Championships.
September 18, 2007: The women’s soccer team hosts Syracuse in the first game ever played at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
October 9, 2008: In the first-ever Binghamton game to be televised live by Fox Soccer Channel, the women’s soccer team hosts Boston University at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
November 1, 2009: The women’s soccer team reaches its second America East title game in five years, winning the decisive penalty-kick shootout against Maine in a semifinal game at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The two squads had battled to a 0-0 tie before Binghamton won the shootout 4-2.
November 21, 2009: Making its third trip to the conference finals in five years, the volleyball team upsets top-ranked and host Albany to capture its first America East Tournament championship since 2005.
The 2010s
February 23, 2010: The women’s tennis team earns its first-ever Division I national ranking, appearing at No. 74 in the ITA weekly poll.
April 28, 2010: Deannie Plemon of the softball team reels off a school-record 17-game hitting streak en route to earning first-team all-conference and second-team all-region honors.
October 26, 2010: Anna Edelman of the women’s tennis team is the runner up at the ITA Northeast Tournament.
November 19, 2010: Michelle McDonough of the volleyball team concludes her career with a program-record 1,469 kills. During her career, she was a three-time, first-team all-conference selection.
February 20, 2011: In a rare double, head swimming and diving coach Sean Clark and his staff earn the America East Coaching Staff of the Year honors on both the men’s and women’s side.
May 1, 2011: Beth Moore and Ali Castligle of the women’s lacrosse team end their careers in record-breaking fashion. Moore finishes with a program-record 119 goals while Castigle ends with a school-record 152 points.
May 11, 2011: Jessica Phillips of the softball team is named the America East Co-Player of the Year after leading the conference in batting (.435) and home runs (14).
February 18, 2012: Jessica Hennig of the women’s track & field team win the 400 title at the America East Indoor Championships for the third consecutive year. In the process, she becomes the first track athlete to three-peat at a Division I era conference meet.
March 4, 2012: Andrea Holmes of the women’s basketball team ends her career with 1,557 points, the third-high mark in program history and the highest total since Binghamton moved up to the NCAA Division I level.
September 21, 2012: Binghamton formally opens its new softball complex as well as its outdoor tennis facility.
November 17, 2012: The volleyball team becomes just the second program in school history to win three America East Championships. The Bearcats sweep top-seeded and host Albany in the finals.
May 2, 2013: Katherine Hunsberger becomes the first Binghamton women’s lacrosse player to be named first-team all-conference.
May 5, 2013: In a meet hosted by Binghamton, the women’s track & field team is the runner-up at the America East Outdoor Championships, its highest finish ever at a Division I conference meet.
May 10, 2013: The softball team wins its 30th game of the season in the first round of the America East Tournament, which was held at the Bearcats Sports Complex. It marked the first time the program has reached that win total since 1995.
February 25, 2014: The men’s and women’s track teams both earn runner-up honors at the America East Indoor Track Championships. It marked the first time both teams have finished that high at the same conference meet.
May 21, 2014: Binghamton is named the host school for the 2015 and 2016 America East Women’s Basketball Championships.
February 13, 2015: Caitlin Kelly of the women’s swimming & diving team breaks the America East Championship record in the 50-yard freestyle.
May 9, 2015: The softball team wins its first-ever America East title with a 9-3 win over top-seeded Stony Brook in the title game.
May 29, 2015: Keishorea Armstrong qualifies for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She is the first Binghamton female ever to advance to the meet.
November 28, 2015: Alyssa James of the women’s basketball team breaks both the school and America East Conference records with nine blocks at Xavier.
May 7, 2016: The softball team wins its first-ever America East regular-season title with a doubleheader sweep over Hartford on Senior Day at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
October 22, 2017: With a 3-2 overtime win over Hartford, the women’s soccer team wins a share of the America East regular-season title just one season after finishing last in the conference.
October 25, 2017: Women’s soccer junior forward Kayla Saager is named America East Striker of the Year after leading the conference in goals (11), assists (7) and points (29).
Dec. 2, 2017: The 1983 women’s cross country team becomes the first women’s team inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
June 7, 2018: Keishorea Armstrong concludes her track & field career at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with her third All-America honor in the long jump.
Dec. 7, 2019: The 1999-00 women’s basketball team is inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
