As we’re kicking off the spring sports season at SUNY Cortland, it’s important to note what our sports teams have looked like in the past.
This year, men’s baseball, women’s softball, and men’s and women’s lacrosse have recently started their seasons. Men’s and women’s track and field are about halfway through their competitive seasons. Women’s golf kicks off with their first tournament of the season on April 6th in Hagerstown, Maryland, and women’s tennis kicks off on the same day, in Canton, New York.
For many students on campus, 2004 is a distant, foggy memory from their childhood. For other students, it wasn’t even a part of their childhood. For reference, 2004 was the year that Shrek 2, Spiderman 2, and The Incredibles were released. Facebook was launched in 2004, and the Nintendo DS was released in the United States for the first time. The Cortland campus itself lies in a very similar state than it did 20 years ago.
In 2004, Cortland men’s baseball had a solid season, finishing with a record of 29 wins and 16 losses. They were 15-5 in home games, 10-4 in away games and a dominant 13-1 in SUNYAC matchups. Josh Young and Neal Heaton Jr. led the team with 55 hits each on the season. Josh Young also led the team in scoring, with 45 runs scored. On the defensive side of the field, Matt Miller led all pitchers with a 1.87 ERA and 69 strikeouts.
While men’s baseball was putting together a well-played season, the women’s softball team was dominating their competition. With a 37-9 record throughout the season, the team left little to desire. They had a commanding 17-2 home record as well as an 11-3 away record. They were 18-2 against SUNYAC competition. Lara Stone led the team in both hits and scoring, with 60 hits and 40 runs on the year. Defensively, Stephanie Adamshick led the effort in pitching, with a 1.02 ERA and 165 strikeouts.
The men’s lacrosse team finished their 2004 season with a 15-3 record, with their weakest games coming at home, an uncommon situation within most sports. The team was undefeated in away games with a 6-0 record but went 8-3 at home. Kyle Lambert was the leading scorer with 5 goals. Bryan Scipione was the leading goaltender with a save percentage of .616, and 101 total saves.
The 2004 women’s lacrosse team had a similar performance to the men’s team, finishing with a 13-6 record. In-home games they had a 7-3 record, and in away games they had a 5-2 record, with a 1-1 record on neutral grounds. Sara Gorman was the leading scorer for the Red Dragons, with 46 goals on 114 shots. Regina Grosso was the primary goalkeeper for the team, finishing the season with a .528 save percentage, as well as 130 saves.
2004 was a down-year for Cortland within its track and field program, despite a few standout athletes making their presence known regularly. Nick Wetherby completed a 10.69 second 100-meter race, which to this day stands at 4th in school history. Wetherby also had a 21.84-second 200-meter race, leaving him currently at 7th all-time. In the long jump, Dave Hock was able to complete a 6.91-meter jump, which places him currently at 9th all-time within Cortland records.
In the past, women’s golf would only play during the Fall semester. The team attended 5 tournaments, with its best placement coming in at 2nd place out of four teams. In the other tournaments, the team scored 3rd of 6 teams, 6th of 7 teams, 13th of 16 teams, and 6th of 6 teams. Overall, the 2004 season was a poor season for Cortland Women’s Golf, but that lack of success would not last forever.
Women’s tennis on the other hand had a great season, with an 8-2 dual record in the 2004 season. They would go on to win the SUNYAC Championship, eventually placing 5th in all of New York State. Laurie Dorscheid was the most successful out of the singles competitors, with a 14-5 personal record. Andrea TerBush was the most successful of the doubles competitors, with a 17-2 record.
Overall, 2004 was a fairly successful season, where hard-working Red Dragons pushed their teams to victory consistently. Twenty years later, in 2024, Cortland’s Spring sports teams are ramping up their seasons, hoping to gain the same successes that they had in 2004.