2006 Green and Gold Club Archives
The Green and Gold Club will honor an outstanding male and female athlete each month. In-season coaches nominate athletes based on their performance during that month, and final decisions are made by the director and assistant director of athletics.
2007 & 2008 Green and Gold Club
March/April 2008
 Senior Justin Hayes, a captain for the men's lacrosse team, was selected for tallying 36 points (21 goals and 15 assists) in only four games. From Hudson, Ohio, Hayes is among the top point leaders in the country in the NJCAA and has collected 31 ground balls. "Justin is one of the best players in the country and will go to one of the top schools in Division I next fall," said lacrosse coach Rich Dommer. Hayes is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa international honor society.
 Makenzie Sager, Johnstown, is a second year player for the women's lacrosse team. In the team's only game in March, Sager was scored one goal for the Generals. Women's lacrosse coach Dianna Ste-Marie said "Makenzie's shooting skills and attack vision have improved 100% from last year, and I expect many more goals from her this season."
February 2008
Swim team captain James Wheeler holds 13 school records, several of which he has set this season. Wheeler placed first in the 200 yard backstroke and 200 yard individual medley event at the Mountain Valley Conference Championship Meet. At the Region III/Northeast District Championships, he placed seventh in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke. Coach Vicki Brown said “James is a huge asset to our team. He sets a good example in practice by working hard and encouraging his teammates to do the same. James pushes himself and others to achieve their best and never gives up.” Wheeler is a graduate of Holland Patent High School.
 Theresa Lazarus, a 5’11’’ freshman guard from Unadilla Valley High School, averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game during the month of February. Lazarus was named to the All Region III second team and earned First Team All Mountain Valley honors. She was the Generals’ leading scorer tallying 14.2 point per game. Herkimer ended the season in the quarterfinals of the Region III Championships with a record of 17-12. “Theresa had an outstanding freshman year and has a very bright future ahead,” said Coach John Campagna.
December 2007/January 2008
Senior Michelle Johnson, Richmondville, led the women’s basketball team to an
8-1 record during the month of January.She became the College’s all-time leading three-point shooter connecting on 109 three-point field goals in her career to date. She averaged 12 points per game in January and is currently ranked ninth nationally in three-point shooting percentage at 39 percent. Coach John Campagna said “Michelle is a very good defender and is great in transition from defense to offense.” Johnson is a graduate of Cobleskill-Richmond High School.
 Freshman basketball player Kevin Kucel, Gloversville, scored 17 points and had seven assists and seven rebounds to lead the Generals to a 56-50 victory over SUNY Cobleskill. He leads the region in free throw percentage (87.4) and averages 12.5 points, 5.2 assists, and 48% for three-point field goals. Coach Matt Lee said “Kevin has helped lead the Generals to a # 3 ranking in the NJCAA national poll. He is a hard nose player who makes the players around him better.” Kucel was named Fulton County’s Athlete of the Year in his senior year at Gloversville High School.
November 2007
Freshman swimmer Kelcy Newman, Newport, NY, was the female selection. Newman has set two school records, in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, so far this season. She also has swam to three first-place finishes, two in the 100-yard breaststroke and one in the 200-yard breaststroke and has qualified for nationals in four events (100 and 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle).
Swim coach Vicki Brown said "Kelcy brings strength and incredible swimming technique to the team. She will prove to be a strong contender at the regional and national levels."
 Men's basketball player Akeem Flagg was also named to the Green and Gold Club. A senior from Utica, Flagg helped lead the Generals to a 7-2 record during the month of November, with an average of 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Flagg led the team in a 76-74 conference win over Schenectady County Community College with 17 points, 15 rebounds and seven steals.
"Akeem has a lot of potential. If he continues to work hard on and off the court, he will have many opportunities when he graduates from Herkimer," said coach Matt Lee.
October 2007
 An Yamada, a senior from Chiba-ken, Japan, led the women's tennis team to a 7-2 season record and a second place finish at the Region III tournament where she captured two individual championships at the first singles and first doubles flights. Head Coach Katie Scanlon said "An is a very talented and well-developed tennis player. She has mastered heavy topspin from the baseline and can mix up her shots with a perfectly executed slice. She's also not afraid to approach and play the net, and she plays with no emotion which gives her an edge over her opponents." Yamada finished the season with a 10-1 singles record and an 8-1 doubles record. She earned two spots on the All Region III team, first team All-Region for first singles and first team All-Region for first doubles.
 Senior midfielder Pete Givas, of Liverpool, helped the Herkimer Generals win the program's 19th Region III men's soccer championship. Givas was voted Region III Final Four MVP, made the all-tournament team and was named to the first team All-Region III. Earlier in the month, he was selected Region III Athlete of the Week and NJCAA Division III National Player of the Week. Head Coach Pepe Aragon said, "Pete was the 'general' of our defense this season."
September 2007
 Ivan Guarin, captain of the men's soccer team, is the first male athlete to be selected this year for HCCC's Green and Gold Club. Guarin currently leads the Generals in points with seven goals and seven assists. The senior from New Rochelle, New York had four goals and five assist in three games last week. "Ivan is the general of our offense. He is one of the most talented midfielders to have played for me," said head coach Pepe Aragon.
 Dana Gentile, Utica, a senior captain for the women's soccer team, was also selected. Gentile is currently leading the nation in scoring with 71 points, including 31 goals and nine assists. This past week, she had five goals and one assist to lead the team to an 8-1 victory against Region III rival SUNY Delhi. Coach Amy Brelinsky said "Dana is a tremendous asset to our women's program. Her speed and deceptive moves make it difficult for opposing teams to contain her during a game.
April 2007
 Jolene Quinta is a first-year physical education major from Watertown and a graduate of General Brown High School. She is leading the women's lacrosse team in goals and assists, and currently set a school record against Nassau for number of goals scored in a game (10). She has 39 goals, 14 assists and 30 ground balls on the season. "Jolene is an outstanding athlete who works hard every practice. She has improved immensely since the beginning of the season and has stepped up as a leader for the team. She is a game time player and it has been a great experience working with this true athlete," said head coach Brandi Ostrander.
Track team captain Damion Smikle is a senior sports and recreation management major at HCCC. He is the number-one runner in the 100 and 200-meter events on the team, and one of the top sprinters in the region. Smikle has qualified for Nationals in the 100, 200 and 400 Relay. This past weekend at the Conference meet, he won both the 100 and 200-meter events. He was the anchor leg on the winning 4x100 relay, and ran a leg on the 4x400 relay that placed second. "We were behind on the 4x100 relay when Damion received the baton, caught the runner and went past to win the race. Damion is one of the top sprinters in the region," said head coach Sharon Howell.
March 2007
 Men's lacrosse player Dave Brock, of Ontario, Canada, was selected for his leadership on and off the field. A freshman, Brock plays attack for the Generals. He has scored a total of 24 goals and seven assists in only six games so far this season. "Dave is a unique athlete. I can play him the whole game and not have to worry about how he is doing physically or mentally," said head coach Rich Dommer. Brock is a Liberal Arts and Sciences: General Studies major at Herkimer.
 Melissa Brennan, a freshman women's lacrosse player from Penn Yan, was also selected. An attack player for the Lady Generals, Brennan has scored 11 goals and four assists in four games. Head coach Brandi Ostrander said "Melissa is an outstanding athlete with high levels of skill and knowledge of the game. She is able to see the field and know her teammates better than any athlete I have had the privilege to work with." Brennan is a 2006 graduate of Penn Yan Academy and a Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Science major at Herkimer.
February 2007
 Christina Dunadee, Ilion, was selected for her outstanding performance at the Region III/Northeast District and Mountain Valley Conference championship swimming meets. At the Region III/Northeast District meet, Dunadee helped the team improve their score from last year by 129 points. She placed second in the 200-yard freestyle relay, third in the 400-yard freestyle relay, and third in the 200 and 400-yard medley relays. At the Mountain Valley Conference championships, she placed first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:28.07, second in the 200-yard breaststroke, second in the 100-yard freestyle, and third in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Dunadee holds school records for the 200-yard fly with a time of 3:39.39, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay. She also qualified for Nationals in the50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle. Head swim coach Laura Gilliam said "Chrissie is an amazing asset to our team. Although it is only her first year swimming, she is faster than many experienced swimmers. Her work ethic and dedication is quite evident." A senior General Studies major, Dunadee was named to the President's List for the fall 2006 semester.
 Men's basketball player Kevin Cook, Brooklyn, helped clinch the first Mountain Valley Conference title for the Generals since 1987 with a three-point shot to beat SUNY Cobleskill. Cook averaged 7.3 points per game during the regular season. "Kevin really matured as a person and a player the second half of the season," said head coach Matt Lee. A graduate of Dr. Susan S. Mckinney High School, Cook is a senior General Studies major at Herkimer.
January 2007
 Men's swimmer James Wheeler, Holland Patent, has been selected for his outstanding performance at the Mountain Valley Conference championship meet. Wheeler placed second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:14.42, first in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 6:08.91, and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:00.04. He holds school records in the following events: 500-yard freestyle, 1000-yard freestyle, 1650-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 400-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard backstroke. Wheeler transferred to HCCC from St. John Fisher last fall.
Head swim coach Laura Gilliam said "James always works hard in practice and is a great role model for his fellow swimmers. His work ethic not only pushes the other swimmers to work harder but it also shows with his success in the pool." Wheeler will compete in the Region III championships February 16-18 at Monroe Community College. He has also made the cut for nationals in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 26.31.
 Women's basketball player Michelle Johnson, Cobleskill, was selected for scoring 77 points in eight games and averaging almost 10 points per game in January. A freshman at Herkimer, Johnson made 21 three-point field goals during this stretch and is among the leaders in the region in three-point shooting percentage at 35.4%. "Michelle gives us an offensive spark with her long range capabilities," said head coach John Campagna.
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