Allegheny College Athletics - Gators defeat Grove City in season opener

Tradition, Commitment, Excellence

Athletes of the Year

Men's Cross Country

Chris Marker was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the Allegheny Male Student-Athlete of the Year. An All-American performer in Cross Country, he was chosen over three other nominees for the award.

Marker, a junior, began his 2009-10 school year in fine fashion, claiming placing second at the NCAC Cross Country Championships, first at the Mideast Regional and 14th at the Division III Championships.

He was named to the All-NCAC First Team for finishing as runner-up among 109 finishers at the conference meet. At Regionals, he became Allegheny's first-ever individual region champion, placing ahead of 313 other runners, while the team won its first Mideast Region crown. At Nationals, the Gators took third place.

Marker was strong throughout the cross country season, placing first among 245 runners at Oberlin's Inter-Regional Rumble and second of 200 at Calvin's Knight Invitational. He was twice named Allegheny Athlete of the Week and once was an NCAC Runner of the Week after his performance at Calvin. The SAAC honored him twice as its Male Student-Athlete of the Month in September and October.

For the second consecutive year, Marker won the 5,000-meter run at both the NCAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field championship events. He set a new Gator record in the 5K when recording a time of 14:24.08 at Hillsdale's Gina Relays.

After winning the 5,000 at Washington and Lee's Carnival, he was honored as the NCAC Distance Runner of the Week. In April, the SAAC recognized him with his third Male Student-Athlete of the Month award.

Mia Symoniak

Women's Cross Country

Mia Symoniak was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the Allegheny Female Student-Athlete of the Year. An All-NCAC performer in Cross Country and both Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, she was chosen over five other nominees for the award.

Symoniak had a decorated year as the Allegheny women's top distance runner. During the cross country season, she placed ninth among 91 runners at the NCAC Championships to earn All-NCAC Second Team status. Symoniak finished 25th of 311 finishers at the Mideast Region Regional, claiming All-Region status.

Other in-season accolades included one stint as NCAC Runner of the Week after Symoniak took fifth out of 193 participants at Calvin's Knight Invitational. She was also honored as an Allegheny Athlete of the Week once and was the SAAC Female Student-Athlete of the Month in January.

During the indoor track campaign, Symoniak won the 5,000-meter run at the NCAC Championships while setting a new Allegheny and conference record (17:19.82). She also won the 5,000 individual race at the NCAC Relays and was first in the 3,000 at Mount Union's Jim Wuske Invitational. In her trip to Nationals, Symoniak finished 12th in the 5K.

During the outdoor season, Symoniak established her dominance in the 5,000 with another NCAC title. She also garnered NCAC Distance Runner of the Week honors after placing third in the 10,000 at Bucknell's Bison Classic. Symoniak was also an Allegheny Athlete of the Week.

Gators defeat Grove City in season opener

Simone registers double-double

11/17/2009 8:32:40 PM

Box Score

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Emilie Simone had a double-double with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead three players in double figures and the Allegheny women’s basketball team past Grove City 61-49 in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday night.

Simone scored 12 of her 14 points in the first half, going 7-for-9 from the field for the game and collecting two blocks to go along with three steals. Jill Gregory and Laura Magnelli also scored in double digits for the Gators (1-0), who posted their second straight season-opening victory. Gregory finished with 13 points and Magnelli added 12 points, all tallied in the second half and off the bench.

The Wolverines’ (0-1) Christine Slater led all players with a game-high 17 points and matched Simone’s 10 rebounds.

Allegheny held a slight three-point lead at halftime and used an 11-for-14 showing from the charity stripe in the second stanza to pull away for the victory.

Grove City managed to keep an edge over the Gators for a majority of the first half, posting its largest margin off a jumper by Slater for a 10-5 lead with 12:38 left in the half. Allegheny got within one on four occasions, before taking a 17-16 advantage at the 5:54 mark. Simone hit to buckets in the paint and Heidi Goeller recorded her second field goal of the game to push the lead to 19-16.

After the Wolverines regained the lead off a Laura Miller lay-up, Simone drove in for back-to-back layups and Lauren Donahoe added two points to make it 27-22.

The Gators opened the second half with a 10-2 run to take a double-digit lead at 39-28. Gregory started with a layup and Britni Mohney recorded Allegheny’s first triple of the night. Magnelli scored five straight points on two free throws and a three-pointer and Gregory finished the spurt with another layup for an 11-point lead.

A Magnelli triple gave the Gators their largest lead at 46-32. The closest the Wolverines got down the stretch was eight points with 1:51 remaining in the game.

Mohney handed out a game-high five assists, made four steals and contributed six points. Donahoe registered eight points in the win.

The Gators return to action this weekend when they face Pitt-Greensburg on Friday for the Allegheny Classic. Tip-off is 7 p.m.