Sports Highlights
Wrestling Coach Amato to Retire
Assistant Coach Gaydos Elevated to Head Position
Sebastian Amato has announced his retirement as head coach of the
Trinity wrestling team after 19 seasons. Four-year Bantam assistant
coach Michael Gaydos will replace Amato, becoming the fifth head coach
in the history of the program.
In 2001, Amato was selected as the New England College Conference
Wrestling Association (NECCWA) Coach of the Year after guiding the
Bantams to their only NECCWA Championship title. Amato’s wrestlers
followed that performance with the program’s only NECCWA Duals
Championship title, which was instrumental in the team’s only bid to
the National Duals Championships in Cleveland in 2003-04. This winter,
Amato’s Trinity squad fought through several injuries to key veterans
to post an 8-14 dual mark, and came together at the end to finish
seventh in the NECCWA Championships and 20th in the NCAA Division III
National Championships. mato finishes his career with a record of
189-194-4, including a 152-80-4 mark (.655) in the past 10 years.
Amato transformed the Trinity wrestling program into one of the finest
in the region. He has coached numerous New England honorees (including
six this winter), seven New England champions, nine All-Americans, and
11 Academic All-Americans. In addition, the 2003-04 squad earned
awards for posting the best grade-point average in the region and the
ninth best nationally. Amato was inducted into the Western New England
College (his alma mater) Athletic Hall of Fame this fall and the
NECCWA Hall of Fame this spring.
“I felt that this was the right time for me and for Trinity wrestling
to have a change in leadership,” Amato says. “I want the time to spend
with my family as my children grow up and get involved in sports and
other activities, and with Coach Gaydos more than ready to take over
as head coach, this transition will be smooth for me and for the team.
We stuck it out through some tough years early, which has made the
success of the last nine years even more satisfying. I will miss the
camaraderie with the other coaches and helping the wrestlers mature as
athletes and as people. My time at Trinity has really kept me young.
It’s been a blast!”
Trinity Women Win First ECAC Rowing Title, Second Straight NESCAC
Crown
The women’s first varsity eight crew
finished first with a time of 6:37.08 in the grand final of the
Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) National Invitational
Regatta on Lake Quinsigamond in Massachusetts to win the Bantams’
first ECAC Championship title and their second consecutive New England
Small College Athletic Conference Championship (NESCAC) crown. The
Bantam men’s first varsity eight was edged by less than a second in
the grand final by Michigan at the ECAC Regatta, posting a time of
5:50.91.
The Trinity women earn the NESCAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division
III National Championship Regatta later this month in California,
giving the Bantams a third consecutive appearance in that event.
Trinity was 9.40 seconds ahead of second-place Ithaca in the grand
final and won its preliminary heat by 10 seconds at 6:43.22 and its
semifinal race by eight seconds at 6:38.15.
Michigan finished the men’s race at 5:50.06, besting the Bantam men’s
varsity eight by 0.84 seconds to claim the title. Trinity won its
preliminary heat with a time of 5:56.58 and placed third in its
semifinal heat with a time of 5:56.04 to qualify for the grand final.
Student-Athletes Receive Prestigious Awards
The College honored its 2005 student-athletes during the annual
Athletic Awards Ceremony. Eight student-athletes and one recently
retired Trinity staff member were selected to receive this year’s
honors. President Jones and Athletic Director Rick Hazelton presented
the athletes with their awards, as selected by their peers, coaches,
and athletic staff.
Women’s lacrosse co-captain Beatrice Gratry ’05 was awarded the
Trinity Club of Hartford Trophy as the College’s most outstanding
senior female athlete.
Men’s squash co-captain Bernardo Samper ’05 as awarded the George
Sheldon McCook Trophy as the College’s most outstanding senior male
athlete.
Field hockey and women’s basketball player Jessica Baker ’05 received
the Susan E. Martin Award as the College’s most outstanding senior
female scholar athlete.
Men’s soccer co-captain Rob Bialobrzeski ’05 received the Eastern
College Athletic Conference Award as the College’s most outstanding
senior male scholar athlete.
Women’s squash tri-captain Maria Restrepo ’06 was named the Board of
Fellows Award recipient as the College’s most outstanding junior
female scholar athlete.
Baseball player Erik Paisley ’06 was named the Bob Harron Award
recipient as the College’s most outstanding junior male scholar
athlete.
Men’s lacrosse tri-captain David Chapman ’05 received a Robert E.
Bartlett Award as the male student athlete who has combined excellence
in athletics with devotion to campus and community service.
Women’s swimming and diving co-captain Kate Mortensen ’05 received a
Robert E. Bartlett Award as the female student athlete who has
combined excellence in athletics with devotion to campus and community
service.
Women’s basketball manager Emma Kruskal ’08 was selected as the Larry
Silver Award recipient for her outstanding contributions as a student
to the Trinity athletic community in a non-playing capacity.
Retired Assistant to the Athletic Director Janet Willard was selected
as the Bantam Award (for an unprecedented second time) recipient for
her outstanding contributions as a non-student to the to Trinity
athletic community in a non-coaching capacity.
Men's and women's cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor
track and field co-captains Christina Kane ’05 and James Sullivan ’05
were presented with Blanket Awards for having earned at least nine
varsity letters during their Bantam athletic careers
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