Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Another WVIAC honor for Dalton

Pitt-Johnstown senior forward Andrea Dalton, a Trinity High School graduate, was named the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season Monday after averaging 18.3 points and 12 rebounds in three UPJ victories.

Dalton began the week with a 17-point, 15-rebound performance against Wheeling Jesuit. Three nights later in a victory at No. 1-ranked West Liberty, the top-ranked team in the Atlantic Region, Dalton had 28 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Trailing by 14 points with 4:54 to play (70-56), Dalton sparked the improbable comeback with 13 points in the final 4:28, including the game-winning basket. Pitt-Johnstown dealt West Liberty its first home loss.

Dalton ended the week Saturday with a solid 20-point, seven-rebound performance in a win over Alderson-Broaddus.

Milestone for Conte

California University's Mike Conte (pictured) became the all-time winningest coach in Vulcans history with his 396th victory Sunday against Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, N.C.

One of only three head coaches in school history, Conte surpassed the 395 wins set by his predecessor Chuck Gismondi (1980-96).

Conte has guided the Vulcans to a 396-271-4 (.593) overall record with six PSAC West titles, two PSAC tournament championships (2004, 2010) and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances (2007, 2010).

Conte is four victories shy of becoming the 50th active NCAA Division II head coach to reach the 400-win milestone. He would then join Slippery Rock’s Jeff Messer and Mansfield’s Harry Hillson as the only active head coaches in the PSAC with 400 victories.

Conte started his coaching career as an assistant coach in 1994. He has mentored five PSAC West Athletes of Year and three All-Americans. During his tenure, the Vulcans have set 11 school records highlighted by the winningest team in school history in 2007 (36-17). Conte has also coached 14 players that have gone on to play professional baseball, including outfielder Sam DiMatteo who will be in spring training with the Washington Nationals this month.

A native of Brownsville, Conte was an all-conference outfielder with Virginia Tech before playing in the Oakland Athletics' system for five seasons.

Monday, February 14, 2011

New digs for PSAC

California is not the only school in the PSAC that will have a new basketball arena next season. Indiana will move into the 4,000-seat Ed Fry Arena at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. It will house the Crimson Hawks' basketball and volleyball teams. For concerts, seating capacity will be roughly 5,000.

Here is a video of the KCAC. For NCAA Division II, it's quite an impressive arena:

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Palumbo gets PAC honor


Angela Palumbo, pictured, a sophomore from Washington and a Trinity High School graduate, was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer of the Week. Palumbo recorded three individual wins for Grove City in a 160-130 victory over Westminster, sweeping the 50- (24.38), 100- (53.45) and 200-meter (1:58.25) freestyle races. At the Pitt Quad on Saturday, Palumbo was the top Division III finisher in the 100, placing third in 54.11. She was fifth in the 50 (24.72).