Athletes of the Year

[Dane Pound]

The University announced the Athletes of the Year today as voted by the head coaches. Gary Jones was the male athlete-the third time in a row for football and second straight for Jones.

 

GARY JONES AND ANDEE LINDGREN NAMED UALBANY'S 2003-2004 ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

     Albany, N.Y. – Gary Jones, an All-America football running back, and Andee Lindgren, an all-region and all-conference softball pitcher, have been chosen as the University at Albany's 2003-04 Male and Female Athletes of the Year, as Director of Athletics and Recreation Lee McElroy announced on Thursday, June 3. The athletes were selected in voting by the head coaches of UAlbany's 19-sport intercollegiate athletics program.

     Jones, a senior tailback from Ravena, N.Y., was named to the 2003 Associated Press Division I-AA All-America squad as a third-team selection. He made his second straight appearance on the Associated Press team, and also earned the same recognition from The Sports Network and Football Gazette. Jones was also chosen the Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, as he finished second among the NEC's all-time scorers with 252 points and third in career rushing yards (3,033).

     Jones, who led the Great Danes to a share of their second conference championship and a 7-4 record, broke his own single-season rushing record with 1,524 yards and scored a league-leading 19 touchdowns. He ranked sixth among the NCAA Division I-AA rushing leaders at 138.6 yards per game, plus was fifth nationally in scoring (10.4 points/game) and 16th in all-purpose yardage (153.6 ypg). Jones ran for 100 or more yards against eight opponents, including a career-high 242 against Stony Brook on Oct. 25. The UAlbany standout established or tied 12 school records, and is the all-time leader in rushing yards, touchdowns scored (42), rushing touchdowns (40) and all-purpose yards (3,639).

      Lindgren, a senior from La Habra, Calif., was chosen as the 2004 America East Conference Player of the Year. She posted an 18-4 record on the mound, and ranked 28th nationally with a 1.04 earned run average. Lindgren set the school's single-season record with 179 strikeouts and led the conference in K's at 8.08 per seven innings. A first-team all-conference player for the second straight year, she led the league and is 11th among the NCAA Division I leaders with a .430 batting average. Lindgren, who also played first base, set a UAlbany record with 18 doubles and owns the second-best mark in school history with 34 RBI.

     Lindgren, a second-team All-Northeast Region selection for the second consecutive year, helped UAlbany capture the America East regular-season title and the No. 1 seed for this spring's postseason tournament. The Great Danes tied the single-season standard for victories with a 34-18 record. Lindgren finished her career as a pitcher with a 38-10 won-loss mark with 40 complete games, 13 shutouts, 350 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA. She batted .368, third on the all-time list, with 102 total hits, 54 RBI and a school-record 25 doubles.

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University at Albany Athletes of the Year

2003-04: Male: Gary Jones (Football), Female: Andee Lindgren (Softball)

2002-03: Male: Gary Jones (Football), Female: Teresa Covert (Track & Field)

2001-02: Male: Chris Phillis (Football), Female: Amy Di Micco (Field Hockey)

2000-01: Male: Michael Oliva (Baseball), Female: Dawn Di Micco (Basketball/Lacrosse)

1999-00: Male: Todd Cetnar (Basketball), Female: Megan Buchanan (Basketball)

1998-99: Male: Steve Checksfield (Baseball/Football),

Female: Kelly Poynton (Softball) & Xiomara Davila Diaz (Track & Field)

1997-98: Male: Joe Savino (Football), Female: Rafaela Nikas (Lacrosse/Volleyball)

1996-97: Male: Jomo Forrester (Soccer/Track) & Anthony Vitti (Football),

Female: Tonya Dodge (Cross Country/Track)

1995-96: Male: Dennis King (Cross Country/Track), Female: Debbie August (Lacrosse)

1994-95: Male: Jeffrey York (Track & Field), Female: Melinda Cook-Carpenter (Softball)

1993-94: Male: Jason Graber (Basketball), Female: Lynda Nealis (Basketball)