Posing with the school's first Division I conference championship trophy are (from left) men's swimmers Magnus Lofgren, Chris McGuire and Robert Kaczynski. The trio combined to win nine events at the America East Championship.

Men's swimming captures BU's first America East Championship

The men's swimming and diving team became BU's first team to win a Division I conference champion- ship when it captured the 2003 America East Championship Feb. 14-16 in Maine. The Bearcats outdistanced runner-up Boston University by nearly 100 points to claim the program's fourth conference title in the last five years. Head coach Benji DeMotte, MBA '02 was named America East Coach of the Year, and junior standout Chris McGuire -- one of six international swimmers from five different countries on the roster -- was named the meet's Most Outstanding Swimmer. "This is unbelievable," said DeMotte, who was tossed into the pool by his team in the traditional victory celebration. "These guys swam out of their minds. This was a season where the athletes did everything right, and this is how it's supposed to end. It's nice to have it finish up like it should. We're very proud to be the first Binghamton team to win a conference title at the Division I level."

Huijue Cai qualified for the NCAA Championship in two events and led the women's team to a school-record 11 dual-meet victories and a third-place finish at the America East Championship.

Women's swimming advances to NCAAs DeMotte's women's swim team was nearly as impressive as the men's squad, winning 11 of 15 dual meets during the season and placing third at the conference championship. Junior Yun Qu and fellow China native Huijue Cai won three events between them at the America East Championship and both advanced to the NCAA Championship, making Binghamton the only New York school to send swimmers to the national meet for the second straight year.

Anthony Green (left) led the men's basketball team to a fourth-place finish in the America East and was named a first team all-star.

Men's basketball draws national attention

The men's basketball team enjoyed a dramatic improvement from last season, going 14-13 and placing fourth in the America East. Coach Al Walker's Bearcats played to sellout crowds in West Gym (2,275+ fans) and had three games televised live across the Northeast. Seven-foot sophomore center Nick Billings continued to draw national attention for his shot-blocking prowess and ranked second in the country at the end of the regular season. Billings was named America East Defensive Player of the Year and was also a second-team all-star, while senior point guard Anthony Green was honored as a first-team selection for being one of the league's top five players. The Bearcats went 9-7 in conference play -- just one game out of third place.

Binghamton has now completed its two-year waiting period and will be eligible to compete at the 2004 America East Championship. The tournament winner receives an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

Women's basketball posts nine wins

The women's basketball team advanced to the America East post-season tournament for the second straight year, and despite having a young roster that included 10 underclass students, BU won nine games for head coach Laurie Kelly and associate head coach Rich Conover, who filled in for Kelly during her maternity leave.

The Bearcats defeated in-state rivals Cornell, Army and Manhattan along with conference foes Stony Brook and Albany. Junior point guard Kate Townley led the entire conference in assists for the second straight year and represented the Bearcats on the all-star team. In addition, freshman guard Jen Blues was named to the America East All-Rookie Team.

Wrestler advances to NCAA Championship

For the second straight year, a Bearcat wrestler advanced to the NCAA Championship. Sophomore 141-pound Josh Ruff was runner-up at the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, earning a berth to the national tournament. Senior 157-pound Joe Privitere concluded his outstanding four-year career with 97 career wins -- the second-highest win total for any individual in school history. The Bearcats, who earlier in the season crowned seven all-state wrestlers, will return eight of 10 starters for coach Mike Fusilli next season.

Sophomore wrestler Josh Ruff went 16-1 in dual matches, setting the school record for most dual wins in a season. Ruff won 29 matches overall and advanced to the NCAA Division I Championship.

Indoor track captures Division I title

The indoor track teams had a busy season that spanned five months. Under coach Mike Thompson's tutelage, senior Frank Savinon provided the biggest highlight by capturing the 800 meters at the America East Championship, becoming the first male track athlete to win a Division I conference title.

-- John Hartrick