75th Anniversary - Great Moments/Performances - Binghamton University Athletics

On Dec. 1, 1961, senior forward Jim Davis pours in 26 points and 20 rebounds to lead Harpur to a 78-60 win over Utica in the season opener. Under Hall of Fame coach Frank Pollard, Davis and fellow future Hall of Fame inductee Mickey Greenberg steer the team to a 14-3 record and postseason invitation.
On March 5, 1963, senior guard Mickey Greenberg scores a school-record 45 points (SR 35 in second half) against Utica College. Greenberg averages 25.1 points for the season, second-highest in program history.
On Dec. 13, 1969, men’s basketball junior forward Tom Gomulka equals the school record with 45 points (21-of-22 FT) against Geneseo. Gomulka averaged a school-record 28.7 points for the season and later becomes the only player in program history to lead the team in scoring as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.
On Nov. 11, 1972, men’s soccer defeats No. 2 Hartwick 2-1 in front of an estimated 6,000 fans on the road, ending Hartwick’s 58-game home unbeaten streak which dated back to 1963. Hall of Famer Feyyaz Baskent made 18 saves, including a late penalty kick and Binghamton scored twice in the game’s first seven minutes.
On March 8, 1975, the wrestling team caps an outstanding showing at the NCAA Championship at John Carroll (Ohio) with four All-Americans and a fifth-place national placement. It’s the first of seven top-10 and 12 top-20 NCAA finishes in a 14-year span for the wrestling program between 1975-88.
On March 5, 1977, freshman 142-pound Steve Cavayero becomes Binghamton’s first NCAA champion when he wins 7-6 in the championship match at West Gym. Binghamton hosted the two-day championship – the first time the school hosted an NCAA Championship in any sport, and the wrestling team placed 12^th nationally.
On March 4, 1978, sophomore 142-pound Steve Cavayero wins his second straight NCAA wrestling title when he rolls to four major decisions at the championship, hosted by Wheaton (Ill.). Binghamton places fifth in the country.
In November 1980, men’s soccer wins two NCAA tournament games to reach the national quarterfinals – the furthest postseason advancement of any Binghamton team in program history. The Colonials defeated visiting Clarkson 4-3 in 2OT and then defeated host Ithaca 1-0 in overtime. In the NCAA quarterfinals, visiting Binghamton lost at Babson 2-1.
On Feb. 24-25, 1984, wrestling advances seven individuals to the NCAA Championship, which Binghamton hosts in West Gym. The Colonials crown one national champion (junior 177-pound Tom Pillari), five All-Americans and place third in the nation – the highest national finish of any Binghamton team in school history.
On Feb. 4, 1986 men’s basketball senior guard Mark Jones establishes an NCAA record by converting 21 consecutive field goals spanning three games. Three days earlier, he made a single-game school-record 13 straight shots in a win at New Paltz (13-for-13 FG).
On Dec. 7, 1988, ice hockey goalie Jeff Randazzo makes 89 saves vs. Hamilton. He faces 108 shots in a 19-1 Binghamton loss and the feat is noted in the USA Today newspaper the following day. It ranks third all-time in the NCAA Record Book for most saves in a game.
On Feb. 10, 1990, men’s basketball senior guard Chris Jackey registers the only “triple double” in program history when he collects 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 75-71 win at Plattsburgh.
Sharpshooting guard Chris Jackey scores 30 or more points 15 times during his record-setting men’s basketball career (1986-90). He holds the career scoring record with 1,721 points.
In June 1990, catcher Dan Gray is selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, becoming Binghamton’s first MLB draft selection.
In October 1991, senior tennis player Lisa Denerstein captured the No. 1 singles title at both the SUNYAC and New York State Championships, becoming the first Binghamton player to do so in program history. With the pair of titles, Denerstein earned a No. 7 regional and No. 21 national ranking.
In November 1991, junior cross country runner Art Gunther overwhelms a field of 164 elite runners to win the ECAC Championship, contested on Binghamton’s home course that weaved through the nature preserve. Gunther finished 30 seconds ahead of the field, covering the five miles in a course-record 26:06.
On Jan. 25, 1992, women’s basketball junior guard Robyn Lebel totals 33 points (15-of-27 FG) and 10 rebounds in a road game at Union College.
On Jan. 31, 1992, women’s basketball junior guard Marlo Foley records the program’s first “triple-double” with 14 points, 10 assists and 10 steals in a 71-46 win over Elmira.
On April 13, 1992, baseball senior RHP Mitch Roy tosses a seven-inning no-hitter in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Oneonta. He also goes 5-for-5 at the plate in the pair of games.
On Dec. 12, 1992, junior forward Jen Gaeta pours in 24 points and a school-record 23 rebounds to steer women’s basketball to a 74-48 home win over Plattsburgh.
On May 18-21, 1993, the golf team finishes fourth at the NCAA Division III Championships in San Diego, Calif. despite playing the final three rounds one man down, requiring the team to count every players’ score without being able to drop the highest.
On Dec. 7, 1993, senior forward Jeff Merrill tallied 36 points (13-of-17 FG) to lift men’s basketball to an 80-70 win at New Paltz.
On Feb. 14, 1994, men’s basketball coach Dick Baldwin is featured in Sports Illustrated in a lengthy profile written by Alexander Wolf.
On Feb. 24, 1994, senior forward Jen Gaeta posts 36 points and 17 rebounds in a 72-67 win over Fredonia in the SUNYAC women’s basketball quarterfinals at Potsdam.
The 1993-94 men’s swim team completes a perfect season with an 8-0 dual meet mark and a first-ever SUNYAC championship. The Colonials also won the in-season Union Invitational, set 12 school records, crowned seven conference champions and produced a first team All-American (diver Avi Shaprut).
On Nov. 22, 1995, women’s basketball set multiple records with a 99-6 season-opening home win over York College (N.Y.). Binghamton led 43-0 at half to tie an NCAA record for fewest points allowed and also tied the NCAA record for fewest points allowed in a game.
On March 1-2, 1996, junior 118-pound Jason Goldman wins six consecutive matches at the NCAA Division III Championship at Cortland to place third in the nation and become an All-American. After an overtime loss in his opening match, Goldman outscored opponents 44-6 with two pins and along the way defeated the reigning NCAA runnerup and three All-Americans.
On March 23, 1996 at Emory University (Ga.), junior distance swimmer Matt Feinberg shaves 16 seconds off his school record and finished as NCAA runnerup in the 1650 freestyle Feinberg passed several swimmers in the closing laps and finished just 0.13 behind the race winner. He also placed eighth in the 500 free to take home two All-America honors.
On May 4, 1996, sophomore Charlene Cook pitches a no-hitter in BU’s 3-0 win over Brockport in a SUNYAC tournament elimination game, hosted by Binghamton. She faced one over the minimum batters, retiring Brockport in order from the second to seventh innings to record the program’s first no-hitter in its 18-year history.
On May 12, 1996, men’s tennis upends undefeated, top-seeded and national No. 5 Williams 4-2 at the Cornell Reis Tennis Center to earn a trip to the eight-team NCAA Finals. Junior second singles player Dave Rosenthal provides the clinching point with a stunning comeback win over the region’s No. 3 player.
On May 10, 1997, baseball junior first baseman Andy Fiedler goes 4-for-5 with six RBI and is named tournament MVP after leading baseball to a 16-8 win over Oswego in the ECAC championship game.
On May 24, 1997 at Wisconsin-La Crosse, sophomore Monique Hacker successfully defends her NCAA triple jump championship with a dominating performance. Amid a steady rain that affected all other competitors, she jumped a stadium-record 40-feet-8 ¾ on her first attempt. Any of her five jumps would’ve been long enough to win the crown and her winning margin was a comfortable 1 ½ feet. After the meet, Hacker’s college haul had consisted of three NCAA titles and eight All-America honors in a 10-month span.
On Oct. 3, 1997, senior setter Jocelyn Torres accumulates a school-record 81 assists in BU’s 3-1 win over Colby in the Bates Invitational. She is named AVCA National Division III Player of the Week.
On January 7, 1998, women’s basketball defeats host and reigning NCAA champion NYU, 62-58 in overtime to end the Violets’ 37-game home win streak.
On March 13-14, 1998, track & field standout Monique Hacker earns enough points by herself at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship, at Brandeis University, Mass., for Binghamton to place third as a “team.” She wins the national triple jump title and finishes runnerup in the 55 hurdles.
On Feb. 27, 1999, sophomore guard Bess Greenberg scores 38 points in the NECC championship game, leading women’s basketball to an 80-68 win over host Franklin Pierce. Greenberg scored 20 of BU’s first 26 points and hit 14-of-16 free throws to earn MVP honors and deliver a championship in the team’s first year as a Division II member.
On March 12, 2000, junior guard Bess Greenberg scores 35 points on 13-of-15 shooting to lead women’s basketball to a 108-72 win over visiting Philadelphia University in the ECAC championship game. She adds seven assists and six steals and is named championship MVP.
On March 24, 2001, baseball senior RHP Jeff Montani fires a seven-inning no-hitter at Lehigh.
Multi-sport athlete Andrew Verkey achieves the rare feat of competing as a student-athlete at all three NCAA divisional levels when he plays basketball from 1997-2000 (Divisions III and II) and then plays lacrosse in 2001 (Division I).
On Dec. 16, 2001, men’s basketball draws national attention and an ESPN highlight by taking ACC power North Carolina to the final buzzer in a 61-60 loss in Chapel Hill. Senior forward Jeffrey Daws hits a career-high six 3-pointers (19 pts.) and BU had three potential game-winning shots in the closing 10 seconds.
On Feb. 9, 2003, sophomore center Nick Billings nearly produces a triple-double with 19 points, a school-record 10 blocks and eight rebounds against Boston University in front of a sellout West Gym (2,675).
On Nov. 15, 2003, men’s soccer edges Northeastern 3-2 in a shootout at West Gym Field to capture the program’s first America East title and accompanying NCAA tournament berth. The game was tied 1-1 after regulation and two overtimes. Tournament Most Outstanding Player Stef Gonet made a crucial penalty kick save in the shootout.
On Nov. 22, 2003, men’s soccer defeats host and 13^th-ranked FDU 1-0 in Teaneck, N.J. in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Freshman midfielder Joey Neilson scored the game-winner in the 82^nd minute and Stef Gonet posted his 16^th shutout of the season as BU beat a ranked opponent for the first time in its Division I tenure. The Bearcats advanced to the second round where they lost at No. 4 St. Louis 1-0 in overtime four days later, despite 10 saves from Gonet.
In 2002-03, the golf team wins seven tournaments – the most of any collegiate team in the nation at any level. The Bearcats won the America East and ECAC titles, produced a 161-40-4 record against the field (80%) and earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I regional berth.
In 2002-03, despite playing just 23 minutes a game, sophomore center Nick Billings compiles a school-record 117 blocked shots to rank second in the entire nation (4.3/game). He is named America East Defensive Player of the Year and his blocks total ranked third all-time in conference history.
On Jan. 31, 2004, men’s basketball hosts Hartford in the first game played at the Events Center. Behind 27 points (24 in second half) from senior captain Brandan Carter, Binghamton posted a 75-68 win in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 4,660.
On May 1, 2004, baseball junior first baseman Jamie Boyer goes 5-for-7 with five home runs and six RBI in a doubleheader at Albany.
In spring 2003-05, men’s tennis defeats archrival Stony Brook 4-3 in three successive and hotly-contested America East championship matches, earning an NCAA Regional berth as the conference champion.
On Dec. 20, 2006, men’s basketball junior guard Richard Forbes scores a game- and career-high 27 points off the bench (9-of-13 FG) and men’s basketball shoots 71% in the second half to stun ACC member University of Miami on the road.
On Jan. 31, 2007, junior guard Mike Gordon banks an inbounds pass off a defender and scores the game-winning layup at the buzzer as men’s basketball stuns Stony Brook 66-65. One night later, the play is featured at No. 6 on ESPN SportsCenter Top Plays.
On March 8, 2009, junior guard D.J. Rivera steals the inbounds pass with 11 seconds left and his dunk propels men’s basketball to a 72-67 win over New Hampshire in the America East semifinals. The Wildcats were setting up for a potential game-winning possession when Rivera’s heroics advance BU into the championship game. He scores 26 points and added eight rebounds.
On March 14, 2009, senior center Reggie Fuller tallies a game-high 19 points (7-of-7 FG) with 10 rebounds to lead men’s basketball to a 61-51 win over UMBC in the America East championship game, played in front of a raucus, standing-room-only Events Center crowd of 5,342. Junior guard D.J. Rivera is named Most Outstanding Player after scoring 54 points in three tournament games.
On March 19-21, 2009, junior 184-pound wrestler Josh Patterson wins five matches at the NCAA Championship in St. Louis to become the program’s first Division I All-American with a seventh-place showing. Patterson leads the entire nation in wins (46) and pins (22) in 2008-09.
On April 25, 2009, junior second baseman Jim Calderone registers a school record eight RBIs in a baseball win over visiting NJIT.
On May 30, 2009, baseball records its first-ever NCAA postseason win with an 11-6 victory over No. 30 George Mason at the East Carolina Regional.
On May 30, 2009, junior outfielder Joe Charron goes 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in baseball’s first-ever NCAA Regional appearance at East Carolina.
On May 31, 2009, freshman first baseman Dave Ciocchi drives in five runs against host East Carolina in the NCAA Baseball Regional.
On November 20-21, 2009, third-seeded volleyball knocks off No. 2 New Hampshire and then No. 1 and host Albany to capture the America East championship.
On Jan. 31, 2010, junior runner Erik van Ingen becomes the first Binghamton athlete to break the four-minute mile barrier when he wins the Penn State National Open in 3:59.58. The time earns him a spot in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship in March, where he places 11^th.
On March 18-20, 2010, sophomore 157-pound wrestler Justin Lister storms through the NCAA Championship bracket en route to a fourth-place finish at Nebraska-Omaha. Unseeded, Lister becomes the first BU wrestler to reach the semifinals and pins two of the top-four seeds (Penn State, Virginia Tech foes) in dramatic fashion.
On March 30, 2010, senior attackman Jeff Rurey scores a school-record eight goals in a home game against Lehigh. The Bearcats call 16-15 in overtime.
On May 27, 2010, sophomore RHP Mike Augliera fires a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts, lifting baseball to a win over Maine in an America East tournament elimination game.
In Fall 2010, tennis All-American Sven Vloedgraven wins his second straight ITA Northeast Region singles titles and is the No. 1 ranked player in a region featuring more than 400 college players.
On March 3, 2011, seniors Greer Wright (31 pts.) and Moussa Camara (30, SR 8 three-pointers) combine for 61 points to lead men’s basketball to a 91-65 win over UMBC in the America East first round. The Bearcats drain a tournament-record 17 three-pointers.
On July 18, 2011, Scott Diamond becomes first Binghamton baseball player to reach Major Leagues when he makes his debut for the Minnesota Twins. In front of 40,000 fans at Target Field against Cleveland, Diamond pitches 6.1 innings.
On March 7, 2012, junior midfielder Kristen Stone tallies a school-record seven goals in BU’s 17-16 double overtime win over host Marist.
On May 23, 2012, senior RHP Mike Augliera fires a nine-inning, 1-hitter to beat Albany in the opening game of the America East baseball tournament.
In 2012, Scott Diamond is named Minnesota Twins Pitcher of the Year and Most Outstanding Rookie after winning 12 games and posting a 3.54 ERA in 27 MLB starts.
In a five-day span in 2013 (May 22, May 26), senior RHP Jake Lambert pitches a combined 17 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts to carry baseball to the America East championship. Lambert is named tournament MVP after firing a complete-game two-hitter against Albany and then coming back four days later to clinch the title with eight shutout innings in a 4-0 win over Maine.
On May 23-25, 2014, baseball wins four straight games and pulls out an 8-7, 12-inning win over top-seeded Stony Brook to capture its second straight America East title. They become just the second team in conference history to stave off elimination in four straight games and advance to the NCAA Regionals for the third time in six years.
On May 25, 2014, freshman catcher Eddie Posavec delivers a 1-out, bases-loaded, walkoff single to deep left field to give baseball an 8-7 America East championship game win over Stony Brook in 12 innings. The title game is the longest in the 25-year history of the America East.
On May 25, 2014, sophomore second baseman Reed Gamache goes 5-for-6 with two RBI in the America East championship game win over Stony Brook.
Between March 3-5, 2017, baseball completes a four-game series sweep of No. 19 Virginia Tech on the road. It’s the first time the ACC-member Hokies have lost a four-game series at home. Binghamton finishes the regular season with a 30-11 record and RPI of 58 out of 299.
On August 27, 2018, Murphy Smith makes his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays after working 10 years in the minor leagues. Smith enters in the seventh inning at Baltimore and retires all four batters he faces. He becomes the oldest player (31) in Toronto history to make his MLB debut and becomes the second Bearcat baseball player to reach the pinnacle of professional baseball (Scott Diamond).
On Dec. 21, 2018, men’s basketball senior guard J.C. Show drains a corner three-pointer at the buzzer to beat LIU-Brooklyn 68-67 in BU’s first-ever game at the Barclays Center (home of NBA Nets).
On March 2, 2019, men’s basketball senior guard J.C. Show hits a school-record 10 three-pointers (10-of-14) for 30 points and an 83-60 road win over Maine.
On May 23-25, 2019, Baseball sophomore center fielder Shane Marshall sets an America East record by homering in four consecutive postseason tournament games in the America East tournament, hosted by Binghamton. He bats above .400 over the final three months of the season to finish with the third-highest average in program history (.376).
On Sept. 22, 2019, women’s soccer junior midfielder Dora Hayes drills a highlight-reel 35-yard goal to beat Vermont. The goal is featured at No. 6 on ESPN’s list of Top Plays.
On Dec. 7, 2019, sophomore guard Sam Sessoms scores 40 points to lift men’s basketball to an 84-79 home overtime win over Boston University. It’s the most points any player has scored during BU’s Division I era.
In 2019-20, sophomore men’s basketball guard Sam Sessoms becomes just the seventh player in America East history to eclipse 1,000 points in two seasons. He leads the conference in scoring (19.4 ppg.), is second in assists (4.8) and finishes his two years at Binghamton with 1,151 points.
In 2021, the men’s swimming & diving team produced a perfect 5-0 dual meet season and then captured the program’s first America East title in 18 years by edging 12-time champion UMBC. The three-day meet was hosted by NJIT and broadcast live on ESPN+.
In spring 2021, junior distance runner Emily Mackay produces two record-setting All-America performances in a four-month span. With COVID-19 condensing the sports seasons, Mackay became BU’s first Division I female cross country All-American when she placed 14^th in a field of 252 at the NCAA Championship, held March 15 in Oklahoma City. Then on June 11, Mackay earned first team All-America track honors after placing seventh in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She ran a school-record time (15:42.38) and passed several runners on the final lap.

75th Anniversary - Great Moments/Performances

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