50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Binghamton University
Profile: Dr. Gina Bonante Pauline, Women's Swimmer, 1995-99
Brief: A native of Yonkers, N.Y., Gina Bonante swam at Binghamton from 1995-99. A three-time All-American in the butterfly, Bonante helped usher in BU's big jump from NCAA Division III to Division II in the late 1990s. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1999 and went on to earn her master's degree in sport management from West Virginia in 2000 and her doctorate in higher education from Ball State in 2006.
Gina's journey has taken her from Binghamton to West Virginia to Cape Cod, Mass. to Providence, R.I. to Muncie, Ind., and lastly to Syracuse. Currently she is the Undergraduate Director and an Associate Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University.
"Who would have thought that I would take my time at Binghamton and turn it into working at an institution where I get to mentor students and teach them about working in the sport industry," she says.
Accomplishments on Bonante's Hall of Fame plaque
As a freshman, Bonante won the first of her seven conference titles by capturing the 100 butterfly at the SUNYAC Championship. She added a second place finish in the 200 fly, helping BU earn runner-up team honors. In her sophomore season, Bonante won three conference crowns — the 100 fly, 200 fly and on the 400 medley relay. The team went 6-2 in duals and repeated as SUNYAC runner-up. As a junior and back in good health for the first time since early in her freshman year, Bonante qualified for the NCAA Championship in November — a rare early-season feat. She captured both the 100 fly and 200 fly at the Metro Conference Championship and was runnerup in the 50 free. At the NCAAs in St. Louis, Bonante set a school record in the 100 fly before earning All-America honors with a 10th-place performance in the 200 fly. In that elite race, Bonante shaved nearly one second off her own school record to become just the second-ever BU women's swimmer to become an All-American. Bonante's senior season was the University's first at the NCAA Division II level and she made it a memorable one. After rolling to a 9-3 dual meet mark, the Bonante-captained squad won the Metro team championship — the program's first-ever conference title. She won the 100 fly and 200 fly in school-record times and was named the meet's Most Outstanding Swimmer. At the NCAA Division II Championship in Buffalo, Bonante placed 10th in the 200 fly and 13th in the 100 fly to earn All-America distinction in both events. In all, Bonante won seven individual conference titles and graduated holding six school records. An active student who was also involved in mentoring, athletics communications and student-athlete welfare, she was selected as the Senior Merit Award recipient in 1999.
Catching up with Bonante ...
What was your high school sports background and what factors led to you coming to school at Binghamton?
I went to an All Girls High School, Maria Regina, where I played tennis and ran track. I swam for a small club team since the school did not have a swim team. I was attracted to Binghamton University due to the academics, campus, and athletic program. As soon as I went to visit the campus, I loved it and applied early decision.
What was your perception of the climate on campus, in terms of opportunities, facilities and overall treatment of women's athletics while you were here?
One of the unique things about the swimming and diving program is most of the times we practiced together so there really wasn’t a division between men’s and women’s sports. In fact, half of my time at Binghamton, I swam in the lane with the men’s team so really never felt a difference. The biggest change which I feel special to be a part of was the transition from Division III to Division I as most student athletes do not get the opportunity to go through this. The change occurred during my junior and senior year. During which, there was definitely a much more of a push to being able to recruit student athletes at a higher caliber than they had previously. Also, the idea of having scholarships was all new to the program as no one imagined seeing that change when they came to Binghamton. I think the team embraced it as a whole and were proud to be part of it .I enjoyed the opportunity to see Division III and Division II NCAA Championships as there were certainly differences between them but it was fantastic. Fun to be able to say that I am an All American in two different divisions as you don’t hear that much! Everyone always thinks I transferred schools before realizing the transition Binghamton has made.
As you reflect back ... what remain your fondest memories of being a student-athlete at Binghamton?
I have so many wonderful memories. I met my best friends through being a student athlete at Binghamton and got to live with them for 3 ½ years! You spend every waking moment with each other and truly develop a bond like no other. We got ourselves through the good times as well as the challenging times. Other great memories include the training trip to Florida each year! That stands out as the training was so intense but it was so much fun to be able to do that! The first year we drove to Florida in vans, which was quite the experience. After that first year they had us fly down as a team J. Other memories I have are truly the Championships won as a team and individually. I feel so blessed with what I was able to accomplish during my four years as I had so many people to support me every step of the way!
What skills and lessons from your own athletics background do you utilize in your career now?
I am going to answer this one indirectly I think. My experiences as a student athlete at Binghamton have had such a large impact on my life both personally and professionally. Professionally, I am in a career today that all started by me volunteering and interning in the Athletic Department at Binghamton University. I knew I loved being around sports but the idea to have a career in it was never even a thought until I spent some time in the athletic department in the sport communications department, marketing department, and academic support. Taking a class with Dr. Joel Thirer in sport psychology also opened my eyes. The skills and lessons from being a student athlete have truly shaped who I am from things as simple as time management to also learning how to persevere though obstacles and achieve your goals.
Anything else you want to share about the 50th celebration?
I am truly honored and humbled to be selected as part of this celebration as Binghamton has given me so much more than I could ever imagine! I am so thankful for so many people. From a professional standpoint, the athletic department administration including Joel Thirer, John Hartrick, Tim Fenton, and others for giving me a chance to get experience and find a career path that I absolutely would never have known about without them and it has taken me in so many different directions. Another very important person in my journey was my coach Benji Demotte. What I was able to accomplish with him for swimming would never have been possible as he figured out the best strategies for my training which were unconventional (e.g. swimming only butterfly in practice) while overcoming a significant injury early on. If someone would have told me that I could be an All American when I started at Binghamton I never would have believed them. The change that occurred during my four years is remarkable and that is thanks to the coaches and my wonderful teammates. I am eternally grateful for his support during my time there and believing in me. Benji was always so supportive of his swimmers and made sure that we were working hard but also having fun at the same time.
