Former Hudson Valley Athletes Making Their Mark
CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Friday, November 21, 2003
Several former Hudson Valley Community College student-athletes are having standout seasons with their respective professional and college teams. The following players have made significant contributions to their current clubs:
Men's Basketball
Markael Brace (Albany)
Through two games this season, Markael Brace is showing he can play at the NCAA Division II level with North Carolina Central University. He had 11 points and four assists in the Eagles' opening game win over Mount Olive College. Brace, who led Hudson Valley with 21.2 points per game last year, followed that up with an eight point, two assist performance in a loss to Pfeiffer University. He is shooting 58.3 percent (7-for-12) from the floor this season.
Women's Basketball
Lindsey Bradt (Albany)
Lindsey Bradt had 14 points, six rebounds and three assists in Saint Michael's College's opening game win over Green Mountain College. Bradt, who is Hudson Valley's all-time leading scorer with 1,164 points, is looking to recover from an injury she suffered after the first 11 games a year ago.
Tanya DeLaMater (Troy)
An All-Region III performer for the Lady Vikings a year ago, Tanya DeLaMater leads Green Mountain College in scoring thus far this season. She is averaging 10.3 points, four rebounds and two assists per game.
Football
Dan Bailey (Albany)
Dan Bailey started every game at guard for Iona College this season. The Gaels, who finished the year with a 6-5 record, averaged 342.3 yards of offense per game.
Derrick Black (Tarboro, NC)
Hudson Valley's career interception leader, Derrick Black has 29 tackles and four interceptions for Appalachian State University this season. Black, who earned First Team All-Southern Conference honors in 2002, also is averaging 22.2 yards per kick return.
Francis Brown (Camden, NJ)
An All-Northeast Football Conference performer a year ago with Hudson Valley, Francis Brown has 25 tackles for Western Carolina University this season. He had a season-high six tackles against Duke University on September 6.
Keith Hill (Pittsburgh, PA)
A former linebacker at Hudson Valley, Keith Hill has recorded 10 tackles in 10 games at defensive end for the University of Pittsburgh. The Panthers are 7-3 and ranked No. 21 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. He led Hudson Valley with 70 tackles in 2000.
Buchie Ibeh (East Orange, NJ)
Buchie Ibeh has caught four passes for 55 yards so far this season for Temple University. He had six catches for 113 yards for Hudson Valley in 2002.
Gary Jones (Ravena)
Gary Jones has had a stellar career at the University at Albany. In only two seasons, he established a school record with 3,033 rushing yards, including 1,524 yards this past season. Jones rushed for 1,046 yards and 17 touchdowns in his final year at Hudson Valley.
Huey Whittaker (Spring Hill, FL)
A pre-season All-Conference USA selection, Huey Whittaker is leading the University of South Florida with 33 catches for 429 receiving yards. In his three-year career with the Bulls, Whittaker has caught 111 passes for 1,360 yards.
Kelly Wiltshire (Saint Laurent, Quebec)
One of the most consistent linebackers in the Canadian Football League, Kelly Wiltshire was the leading tackler for the Ottawa Renegades in 2003 with 79 tackles. He was named to the East Division All-Star team for his efforts. Wiltshire had been named the CFL's Defensive Player of the Week seven times during his career. He played at Hudson Valley in 1992 before playing three years at James Madison University.
Ice Hockey
Jason Vasco (Clifton Park)
Hudson Valley's top goaltender during its national championship run in 2001, Jason Vasco has started one game in net for SUNY Plattsburgh this year. Vasco made 23 saves in a 9-2 win over SUNY Brockport. Plattsburgh is 5-0 this season and ranked seventh in Division III.
Men's Soccer
Chris Mahigian (Troy)
Last year's SUNYAC First Year Player of the Year, Chris Mahigian once again was a big factor in helping SUNY Cortland qualify for the NCAA Division III tournament. Mahigian made 13 starts on defense for the Red Dragons, registering a goal and two assists.
Volleyball
Angela Von Wergers (Albany)
A basketball and volleyball player at Hudson Valley, Angela Von Wergers had 139 kills for the Ferrum College volleyball team this fall. She is expected to play basketball for the Panthers this year as well.