My Final Thoughts:

I have had a blast at Binghamton since I transferred here three years ago, and following Binghamton University athletics has been no small part of my fun. As an avid sports fan, I instantly gravitated to the athletics program, and since joining Pipe Dream last year, I have had the privilege to cover golf, women’s basketball and softball.

Now that I am graduating I can happily say that I think the athletic program is in better shape than when I got here.

Golf has made a huge jump since Bernie Herceg was hired after last season. They won three tournaments this year with only one senior, J.J. Shearer, on the roster. Competing in the newly formed America Sky conference next year has an added benefit, as the winner will receive a berth in the NCAA tournament. Herceg has a core of strong, mostly local, underclassmen players that have an excellent chance of making the big dance within the next two seasons.

Women’s basketball is on the rise as well. As an interim head coach, Nicole Scholl did a fantastic job in what looked to be a rebuilding season. The 14-17 record was misleading when looking at the team’s progression through the season. The players bought into Scholl’s more up-tempo game style and by the end of the season they took the first place team, Boston University, to the brink twice. Laura Franceski, the lone contributing senior on the team, will be missed, but America East Rookie of the Year Andrea Holmes returns along with everybody else. Scholl needs to be signed to a long-term contract; she has assembled the talent to win a conference championship. Another season or two of coaching under Scholl could put the Bearcats in the NCAA tournament.

The resignation of head softball coach Ali Brian was unfortunate but necessary. The 22-106 record over the last three years is not acceptable for a softball program that had previously been competitive in the America East. But the record has no reflection on the character of the team. All my encounters with the team have been very positive, which has made my job as a reporter rather easy. All is not gloom and doom on the field either: the nucleus of the team consists of underclassmen and only two players, Sandy Meadows and Michelle Olivieri, are lost to graduation. The future remains bright for softball.

What made my job as a reporter so enjoyable was the helpfulness of the players and coaches. Herceg and Scholl were especially helpful, as they always took my calls when I needed a last-second quote for my game recaps, which helped turned my bland articles into enjoyable reads.

I also have to thank this year’s sports editors. These guys really did a great job with the sports page, and they truly cared about the quality of my articles, which pushed me to become a better writer.

I have truly enjoyed the privilege of covering athletics for Pipe Dream. I may never write another article again, but the experience has taught me how to act in a professional manner while still enjoying my job immensely. I wish good luck to all future Pipe Dream sports writers, and I hope they love it as much as I did.