Long history of Champions
Skylar Blankenship
Sports Editor
The Vikings have a history of reaching championships at the national level.
Hudson Valley has competed in intercollegiate athletics and has built a department of 18 men’s and women’s teams since 1953.
Currently competing in the winter season are the men’s ice hockey team, men’s and women’s bowling teams and basketball teams.
In 2001, the men’s ice hockey team continued onto the conference Regional III championships. They were named the national champions the same year, defeating MSU-Bottineau 5-2 and 9-7.
This year the men’s ice hockey team went to nationals winning against Mohawk Valley 8-4 in their final of the round robin tournament.
This year, Evan Perkins, a forward HVAC major, made the the all-rookie team. Taking spots on the first all region team was Adam Hosmer and Kyle Constanty, a forward civil engineering major. Chris Breault, a forward criminal justice major, made the second all region team.
Nate Muller, sophomore goalie, made the all tournament team and first all region team, ranking second in the nation with a .919 save percentage and ranked third in goals-against average.
Coach Lancto, the ice hockey team’s head coach, was named region co-coach of the year.
The women’s bowling team has gone to the conference championships 19 times in the last 28 years. They were regional champions in 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 1995, 2006 and 2010, they were national champions.
In previous years, the national single-event championship for women’s bowling was held by Victoria Jensen in 2012, Victoria Dunn in 2010 and Kristina Jenkins in 2006.
This season the women’s bowling team finished in second place at the regional tournament. Kyla Day, a freshman criminal justice major, and Kaitlyn Goodermote, a sophomore business administration major, finished second in women’s doubles event.
The men’s bowling team has attended the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference championships over 20 times in the last 31 years. The team has won the regional championship seven times.
This season the men’s bowling team finished in fifth place at the regional tournament. Garrett Bartlett, a freshman HVAC major, finished fourth place in the singles event with a 1592 total.
The women’s basketball team continued onto the conference championships from 1986 through 2002. They were regional champions in 2002 and 1993, with Latasha Johnson named the national tournament’s MVP in 1993.
The women’s basketball teams from 1988-89 and 1992-93 were both inducted into Hudson Valley’s Hall of Fame in 1995 and 2003 with final records of 25-3 and 25-2, respectively.
Kali Szczepanski, a guard and criminal justice major, earned a spot on the 3rd all conference team with a 13.6 points per game average.
The women’s basketball team did not continue onto any championships this season.
Since 1983 the men’s basketball team went to the conference championships nine times. In 2009 and 1999 the team were Region III champions.
This season the men’s basketball team lost against Onondaga Community College 97-95 in a sub-regional game. The team’s record for the season is 18-11.
Earning a spot on the 2nd All-Conference team for 2017 is Kevin Lenehan, an individual’s major and center and Elijah Lott, a criminal justice major guard. Brandon Palmer, a guard and business major earned a place on the 3rd All-Conference team.
Lenehan also earned a place on the 3rd All Region team.