Two �97 Gridders Signed as NFL Free Agents
Tight end Seth Thomas has signed a free-agent contract with the National Football League�s Carolina Panthers, and will report to rookie camp this week in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dan Gmelin, a split end, has agreed to terms with the San Diego Chargers, and is expected to sign a deal in the near future.
Thomas, a first-team Division II non-scholarship All-American, was courted by five teams, including the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, before making his decision on Monday.
"The last 24 hours have been a roller coaster of emotions," said Thomas, who was a key figure on Albany�s 1997 Eastern Football Conference championship team. "I am just thankful it ended on a high note. I could not be happier; this is a legitimate opportunity to make the active roster of an NFL team."
A 1998 Snow Bowl East All-Star, Thomas caught 39 passes for 656 yards and six touchdowns as a senior. He was chosen to the Daktronics, Inc. All-Northeast Region squad.
Gmelin is expected to compete for a San Diego roster spot as a punt-kick returner and receiver, and received a call from General Manager Bobby Beathard on the final day of draft about the Chargers� intentions to sign the UA split end.
Gmelin finished his career as the school�s all-time receiver with 136 catches for 2,243 yards and 17 TDs. He was among the nation�s top punt returners, and averaged 15.3 yards per attempt.
Thomas and Gmelin are the first Albany players in the football program�s 25-year history to make an NFL camp.
Women�s Lacrosse Tops Notable Foe
Sophomore midfielder Dawn DiMicco tied the school�s single-game record by scoring seven times and assisting on another to lead Albany past Shippensburg, 18-10, in a battle of top-five Division II teams last Saturday.
Albany (9-2), ranked fourth nationally, tallied six consecutive goals to break a 2-2 tie. Rafaela Nikas had two goals and two assists in that stretch. Shippensburg, rated third in the latest national poll, closed within 10-6 early in the final period. However, DiMicco scored twice in a run of four straight goals to hand the Great Danes their seventh consecutive victory.
Men�s Lacrosse Wins Three Straight
Senior attackman Mike McCarthy had a season-high four goals and added three assists in Albany�s 15-5 triumph over Sacred Heart on April 18. Albany has won three straight to improve to 5-2, and are ranked ninth in the this week�s STX/USILA Division II poll.
The Great Danes used a seven-goal third quarter to break open a tight contest. Dan Small had three goals, including his 14th of the season, and John Baumann scored twice in the period.
Trufant 2-Hitter Leads Twin Sweep
Sophomore right-hander Jason Trufant threw his second shutout of the season, a two-hitter, in the second game to lead Albany to a doubleheader sweep against Sacred Heart. The Great Danes won the nightcap, 12-0, and the first contest, 13-7, in the New England Collegiate Conference twinbill. Albany (13-9, NECC 8-2) is one game behind first-place Massachusetts-Lowell in the conference standings.
Trufant, who allowed singles in the fifth and sixth innings, struck out six and walked one in posting his fifth victory of the season. Michael Oliva had three hits and scored twice, while Jim Lovett his a two-run homer. In the opener, the Great Danes came from behind twice in the contest. Shortstop Mike Negron cleared the bases with a triple in a six-run seventh.
Two UA Track & Field Records Fall
Luis Soto and Flavia Cass set school records in the men�s long jump and women�s discus, respectively, as Albany hosted at five-school meet at University Field. The Great Danes easily outpointed Plattsburgh, Marist, St. Rose and Siena in the men�s and women�s team competition.
Soto went 24-feet, 3.50-inches in the long jump to break an Albany standard he set in Puerto Rico one month ago. Cass established a record in discus with a mark of 122-0, and added a pair of first-place finishes in the shot put and hammer throw. Samantha Cohen also went 24:25.94 in the 5,000-meter racewalk to eclipse her own record.
Tennis Players Reach Finals
Erinn Langford and Jennifer Hahn reached the Flight III doubles final at the Great Dane Classic over the weekend. The Albany duo dropped a straight-set decision to the tournament�s top seed. Pace�s Patricia Thomas and Lynsey Allen were 6-2, 6-1 winners. In addition, Langford advanced to the quarterfinals in Flight III singles.
Poynton Shutout Lifts Softball to 22-9
Kelly Poynton fired a two-hit shutout, her sixth of the season, in the second game to lift Albany to a NECC doubleheader sweep over Sacred Heart. The Great Danes won the nightcap, 2-0, and the first contest, 2-0.
Poynton, a junior, allowed two singles with seven strikeouts and two walks in upping her record to 12-3 overall. Albany (22-9, NECC 9-1) is tied for first place in the conference standings with New Haven. In the opener, Jessica Hansen had a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings, before Sacred Heart�s Diana Saccente broke it up with a single up the middle in the seventh. Hansen won for the eighth time this spring with an eight-strikeout, no-walk effort.