Colonie’s Raimo earns golf scholarship

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bob Weiner

Daily Gazette Newspaper in Education Junior Golf Championship winner Macy Raimo has accepted a Division I scholarship to play at Monmouth next season.

Raimo, who posted a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to win the girls’ division last August at Schenectady Municipal, signed a national letter of intent on Wednesday. Raimo, a senior at Colonie High School, chose Monmouth over Hartford and Wagner.

“I was looking at Wagner, Southern Charleston, Hartford, Long Island University and St. Francis [N.Y.],” said Raimo. “It ended up being a choice among Monmouth, Hartford and Wagner. For me, my decision came after I went to the Monmouth campus. The girls on the team and the coach were awesome. The coach, especially, was extremely supportive of me. She wanted me to make the right decision for me.”

Raimo said Monmouth is trying to rebuild its women’s golf program.

“They’ve been a little further down than they would have liked,” Raimo said. “They brought in three freshmen last season, and they kind of had a rough fall season. With me coming in, she’s got four fresh players. Some of her seniors are walk-ons. The program is a little new, but I’m sure we will help turn it around. I’m planning on never having a rough season in college.”

Raimo, who played on the boys’ varsity golf team at Colonie, is coming off one of the Garnet Raiders’ best seasons.

“We finished 7-9. That’s the best we’ve finished in 15 years,” she said. “In the Suburban Council championship, I finished in the top 10, and I was in the top 15 at sectionals. My stroke average was 39.5. It was my best season in six years with the varsity.”

Her strength is her short game.

“Anyone who knows me will tell you that I make putts and chips from crazy places,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter what your swing is like if you can get the ball in the cup.”

Raimo said she can’t wait to play at Monmouth.

“We play in both the fall and the spring. They have a split season. In the spring, we go out west and to both Florida and Virginia. My coach hates the cold, and so do I.”

AROUND CAMPUS

— Kylie Strijek has signed a national letter of intent to play for the Siena College women’s golf team. A native of Linwood, N.J., Strijek was a second-team all-state selection. She placed in the top five in four IJGT events, including a 10th-place finish in the IJGT Tournament of Champions.

— SUNY-Cobleskill junior hurdler Daquan Coleman (Schenectady) posted an ECAC championship qualifying performance in the triple jump by finishing fifth at the Harvard Open Invitational last weekend. Coleman jumped 45-5 3⁄4. Senior distance runner Kane Seamon broke the school record in the 5,000 meters by finishing 10th in 15:45.98. Sophomore jumper Shorna Brown won the high jump in a school-record 5-7, while Meghan Lapoint (Colonie High School) finished fourth in a program-record time of 18:32.40 in the 5,000.

— Michael Grimes (Catholic Central) scored a game-high 25 points in SUNY-Oneonta’s 81-56 win over SUNY-Potsdam last week.

— SUNY-Cobleskill posted a pair of men’s basketball victories last weekend. Junior guard Craig Orner (Glenmont) averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 steals while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor.

— SUNY-Cobleskill’s women’s team ran its winning streak to three games with a win over Cazenovia. Chelcy C. Moore (Albany) had 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

— Saint Michael’s goalie Alysia Goldman (Ballston Lake/Hebron Academy) made 45 saves in an 8-1 women’s hockey loss to Norwich.

HONOR ROLL

UNION

Five members of the Union College football team have been selected to the ECAC Division III Northwest Football all-star team. Union had the most players selected of any school in the ECAC Northwest Region. Senior offensive linemen Colin Berry (Shaker) and Tim Furcillo were named to the offensive team, while defensive back Cam Johnson and linebacker John Peters earned defensive unit. Punter Blaise Ancona was named to the special team. Berry, Furcillo and Peters all were selected to the Liberty League all-star first team and the D3Football All-East Region team. All three players also represented the North Team in the Division III Senior Football Classic on Dec. 4 in Salem, Va.

The Union College men’s soccer team placed three members on the NSCAA⁄adidas All-East team. Senior defender Brendan Steiner and freshman forward Sebastian Jansen earned second-team accolades, while senior midfielder Ryan Banagan (Bethelehem) was named to the third team.

Union forward Rusmir Dzanko was named this week’s Liberty League co-forward of the week, sharing the honor with Hobart’s Adam Salzmann. Dzanko scored a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds in Union’s game at Western New England.

Junior Lauren McCormick (Catholic Central) was named the Liberty League women’s basketball co-forward of the week. This is McCormick’s second career weekly honor. McCormick averaged 22 points and eight rebounds in three games for the week.

Volleyball coach Sandy Collins recently hosted the annual team banquet at Delmonico’s Restaurant, and announced team awards for a program that posted 20 victories for the third straight season. The Coaches Award, presented to a player whose contributions don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheets, went to senior captain Cristina Liquori (Niskayuna). The Audrey Brennan Memorial MVP Award was presented to senior captain Veronica Mynders, who is ranked second in matches played with 147, third in games played with 520, 11th in career aces, first in career digs with 2848, first in career digs per game with 5.48, holds the single match digs record of 43, holds the single season digs record of 1,050 and holds the single season digs per game record with 7.1. She was the volleyball program’s first-ever NYSWCAA Defensive Player of the Year, and the volleyball program’s second ever AVCA All-American.

RPI

Safety Tim Acker was named to the Division III ECAC Northwest football all-star team. Acker was second on the team in tackles with 69, including 44 solos. The senior captain also led the Engineers in punt returns, averaging 6.5 per return, and in kick returns, averaging 20.3. He was eighth in the league in tackles, and holds team records for punt return yardage (317) and interceptions in a game (three).

Lincoln Field was named to the NSCAA/Performance Subaru Men’s NCAA Division III All-America soccer team. He led the Engineers in scoring with seven goals and four assists for 18 points.

Field was also named to the NSCAA Division III All-East first team. Jabel Prom and Brad Shelofsky were named to the All-East third team.

SAINT ROSE

Junior midfielder Amanda Deck was named to the NSCAA first-team All-America list for the second time. Katie Whiting and Kelly Guerin were also named to the first team, while sophomore Brittany Godin earned third-team honors. Deck posted a team-high 25 points on nine goals and seven assists, while Whitting and Guerin led a defensive unit that finished third in the nation in goals-against average (0.36). Godin added six goals and two assists.

SKIDMORE

Junior Doug Yeates was named to the NSCAA Men’s NCAA Division III All-East third team. An All-Liberty League first-team choice, Yeates topped the Thoroughbreds with 20 points aon nine goals and two assists.

SUSQUEHANNA

Jalon Scott (Albany High School) made the D3football.com All-East Region first team at defensive back. Despite playing most of the season with a cast on his right hand, Scott led the Liberty League in interceptions (six) and Susquehanna in pass breakups (eight) and passes defended (14). He is the only freshman on the All-East Region Team.