Terrier Volume 76, Number 1 - Spring 2012 | Page 18

Terrier Sports

Terrier Sports

John Thurston Introduced as New Head Women’s Hoops Coach

Amelia Tonyes
Men’s Water Polo Team Hosts
Reaches Elite Eight Wounded Warrior Project
at Intercollegiate
his spring, the
St. Francis
Singles Bowling
College Men’s
Championship
Water Polo team

A

fter serving the past two seasons
as associate head coach, John
Thurston is now the new head
women’s basketball coach. Thurston replaces
Brenda Milano who resigned after completing her ninth season leading the Terriers.
“I’m excited about the impact John will make
as head coach,” explained St. Francis College
Athletic Director Irma Garcia ’80. “In just
two seasons, he’s helped make great strides in
all facets of the program. Our recruiting has
improved tremendously and he’s brought
fresh ideas with regards to practice, preparation and game strategy.”

Thurston brings more than 35 years of
men’s and women’s coaching experience to
the sidelines in Brooklyn Heights. He is one
of only a few coaches who have been a Head
Coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII and NAIA
levels. “I would like to thank President
Dugan, the members of the Board of Trustees
and most especially AD Irma Garcia for the
opportunity they have given me to lead this
program,” Thurston said. “I want to personally thank Brenda Milano for her support
without which this opportunity would not
have occurred. I look forward to continue
working with the outstanding young women

Freshman Jaymee Veney
Named to NEC Women’s
Basketball All-Rookie Squad

F

reshman forward Jaymee Veney ’15 was recognized by the
Northeast Conference head coaches as one of the top rookies
on the circuit, naming her to the NEC All-Rookie squad. The
6-foot native of Fairborn, OH, averaged 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in
her first season as a Terrier. She ranked in the Top 20 in the league in
rebounding and finished second in field goal percentage at 49.5
percent. Veney notched two double-doubles on the season, scoring a
season high 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds against Delaware
State on Dec. 11. Veney started 23 of the 29 games she played this
season, reaching double figures in 13 of them. “Jaymee was always an
outstanding
rebounder but
what surprised us
was how quickly
her offensive game
developed,” said
Terriers head
coach John
Thurston. “Her
ability to score
facing the basket
combined with her
explosiveness will
hopefully allow
her to become one
of the top players
in the NEC.”

T

John Thurston, Irma Garcia ’80, and Brendan J.
Dugan ’68.

on our team. Their enthusiasm, desire and
work ethic are the building blocks upon
which we will base our program.”

Men’s 4 x 800 Relay Team
Enjoys Record-Setting
Season; Competes at
Penn Relays

T

he records continued to fall for the Terriers’ men’s 4 x 800
relay team consisting of Paul Gilhuley ’13, Joseph Gilhuley
’13, Brian Nersten ’13, and Rafal Ksepka ’12 . The foursome
competed at the prestigious Penn Relays in the Championship
of America Race in April and followed up with a gold medal
and race record at the 2012 Northeast Conference Track & Field
Championships. The race ended a successful season that saw
the Terriers take home third-place honors in the finals of the 2012
ECAC/IC4A Championship held in Boston, MA, where the team
broke its own school record by five seconds with a time of 7:27.70.
The team’s previous record was set back on Feb. 3 at the New Balance
Invitational. The team also won the Metropolitan Championships in
April with a time of 7:39.42 at Rutgers University.
Brian Nersten ’13, Joseph Gilhuley ’13, Paul Gilhuley ’13, and Rafal Ksepka ’12.

A

second-place finish at a U.S. Bowling
Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate
Singles Championship Sectional
Qualifier sent Junior bowler Amelia Tonyes
’13 to the national singles championship in
Lincoln, NB, this April. After earning a bye
in the first round with an average of 193.8
pins over six games, Tonyes earned a spot in
the quarterfinals with a head-to-head victory
over a Calumet College bowler. In the
quarters, Tonyes started strong, winning
the first game, but dropped the second two
ending her run to the championship.
A transfer from Suffolk Community
College, Tonyes has excelled in the classroom.
Studying education with a focus on mathematics, she has made the Dean’s List each
semester at St. Francis and was nominated for
the Northeast Conference Women’s Bowling
Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Tonyes
was also named Female Student-Athlete
of the Year at the 2012 St. Francis College
Student-Athlete Awards Dinner.
Amelia Tonyes ’13

worked together with
injured veterans to
help teach them
activities including
scuba diving. The
three-week program
took place in the
College’s Aquatics
Center and was sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project and the Handicapped Scuba
Association. Members of the team assisted the warriors and instructors both in and out of the
water ensuring that the veterans learned in a safe and inviting environment. “This project is a
tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to get involved with wou