WELCOME TO JOE WALTON STADIUM The Robert Morris University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is here to serve your needs. Thank you for coming to the game.
FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE … TICKET INFORMATION: To purchase single game or season tickets, please contact the RMU Athletic Ticket Office at (412) 397-4949 or visit www.RMUColonials.com.
SEATING: Event staff are posted throughout Joe Walton Stadium. Please see them for assistance. All seats are general admission. CONCESSIONS: The refreshment stand is located in the plaza on the back side of Joe Walton Stadium. HANDICAPPED SEATING: Areas are designated at the top of the bleachers. See a member of the event staff for assistance. PUBLIC ADDRESS: The public address announcer is located in the press box. Please report emergencies to a member of the event staff. SMOKING: This is a non-smoking facility. Smoking areas are designated on either end of the plaza located on the back side of Joe Walton Stadium. RESTROOMS: Men’s and women’s restrooms are located in the portal of Joe Walton Stadium and behind the bleachers at the west end of the stadium.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For regular updates, statistics and information on each of RMU’s 16 intercollegiate sports, please log onto the official website for Robert Morris University athletics at www.RMUColonials.com.
Credits: “Independence Day Magazine” is a publication of the Robert Morris University media relations office. The magazine was written and edited by Jim Duzyk with special assistance from Marty Galosi and Ken Baker. Design and typography by Juris Silenieks of JR Graphics. Photos by Paul Berewsill, Jason Cohn, Tom Drost, Dave Hiteshue, Christopher Horner, Sylvan “Sly” Landers, Jim Schafer, Connie Karaffa, Peggy Shultheis and Glory Days Photography. Printing done by Reed & Witting Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. —1—
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2017 SCHEDULE DATE
OPPONENT
SITE
TIME
Sept. 2
DAYTON
Moon Township, Pa.
Noon
Sept. 9
@ Youngstown State
Youngstown, Ohio
2 p.m.
Sept. 16 VMI #
Moon Township, Pa.
3 p.m.
Sept. 23 @ North Dakota State
Fargo, N.D.
3:30 p.m.
Oct. 7
@ East Tennessee State
Johnson City, Tenn.
3:30 p.m.
Oct. 14
DUQUESNE *
Moon Township, Pa.
6 p.m.
Oct. 21
SACRED HEART *
Moon Township, Pa.
Noon
Oct. 28
@ Saint Francis *
Loretto, Pa.
Noon
Nov. 4
@ Wagner *
Staten Island, N.Y.
Noon
Nov. 11 BRYANT * %
Moon Township, Pa.
Noon
Nov. 18
New Britain, Conn.
Noon
@ Central Connecticut *
Home games bold and all CAPS | * Northeast Conference (NEC) game | # Homecoming | % Senior Day
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About Robert Morris University
Robert Morris University was founded in 1921 in downtown Pittsburgh as the Pittsburgh School of Accountancy. The school’s founder, educator and accountant, Andrew Blass, rented classroom space in the Blackstone Building. In 1935, the institution changed its name to the Robert Morris School of Business in honor of the Founding Father popularly known as the “financier of the American Revolution.” After leasing space at several Pittsburgh locations, including the William Penn Hotel, the school purchased a building of its own in 1959 at 600 Fifth Ave. Soon after that, in response to a new requirement that Pennsylvania accounting students have a college degree in order to become CPAs, Robert Morris became a nonprofit institution and junior college. At the same time, responding to a development boom near the new airport and Parkway West, Robert Morris acquired Pine Hill Manor, the Moon Township estate of Oliver Kaufmann, and began building a residential campus in 1963. The first students on campus lived in the Kaufmann mansion,
where today sits Massey Hall. By the end of that decade, Robert Morris had become a four-year college. The school continued to grow and expand, joining the NCAA Division I for intercollegiate athletics in 1977 and adding graduate degree programs and more bachelor’s programs as well. For decades, some students commuted or lived on the Moon campus and took classes there exclusively, while others studied entirely at the downtown building, usually in the evenings after work. The Fifth Avenue building was sold in 2010, though the university still offers classes in the Golden Triangle at its RMU Downtown location. In 2002, following approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the college became Robert Morris University. While alumni from the early days may still recognize some of the original buildings, a spate of recent and ongoing new construction — from academic buildings to residence halls to the football stadium — ensure that the institution continues to provide students with a vibrant, attractive residential campus community for living and learning.
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RMU FYI ■ RMU is ranked among national universities in U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2016. Moving up from the regional university category, RMU debuted at 188th on the list of almost 300 of the nation’s biggest doctoral research institutions.
■ Among those that request it, 90% of fulltime undergraduates receive financial aid.
■ Six degree programs are named 2017 Best Online Programs by U.S. News & World Report, including the bachelor’s degree program overall and the M.B.A, nursing, education, computer information technology and other business graduate programs.
■ RMU was one of the first 30 universities to be named a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries for its actuarial science program. High school students who want to enter RMU’s program must score at least a 670 on the mathematics portion of the SAT or 28 on the ACT.
■ The RMU Student Engagement Transcript allows students to formally document their participation in activities, including study abroad, community service, athletics and undergraduate research.
■ RMU had the first state board of nursing-approved doctor of nursing practice program in Pennsylvania.
■ The RMU School of Business is accredited by AACSB International – The Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Only 5% of business schools worldwide share this prestigious designation.
■ RMU is a residential university where 83% of freshman live on campus, as well as almost half of all undergraduates. ■ Robert Morris has an international student body, and 10% of RMU students come from another country, double the national college average of international students.
■ Robert Morris is part of the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, a $70 million federal initiative that includes Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State. ■ Four out of five RMU students complete at least one internship before they graduate, and most of them are paid. ■ RMU has three undergraduate computing degrees accredited by ABET-CAC.
RMU BY THE NUMBERS Founded: 1921 • Location: Moon Township, Pa. Enrollment: 5,199 (4,384 undergraduate, 815 graduate) Student Population: 55% male, 45% female, from 48 states and 39 nations Full-time faculty members: 168 • Full-time employees including faculty: 611 Athletic Affiliation: NCAA Division I • Varsity Sports: 16 Nickname: Colonials • Colors: Navy blue, white and red
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Dr. Christopher Howard President of Robert Morris University
Dr. Christopher B. Howard became the eighth president of Robert Morris University in suburban Pittsburgh on February 1, 2016. RMU is a nationally ranked university that combines academic excellence with a professional focus in more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across five academic schools. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate, nontraditional and online students from 48 states and 39 nations are enrolled at RMU, which sits on 230 scenic acres just 20 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Dr. Howard aims to make RMU the preferred strategic partner for corporations, organizations, professionals, and aspiring professionals in the Pittsburgh region and beyond. The university is now nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report, which also rates RMU among the top 10 percent of universities for online bachelor’s degree programs in the nation. In January 2016, Dr. Howard announced that RMU would build the UPMC Events Center and a student recreation and fitness center, a $50 million capital project that is the largest in RMU’s history. Dr. Howard is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he earned a B.S. in political science in 1991. A Rhodes Scholar, he earned his doctorate in politics at the University of Oxford and an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School. He received the Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award in the country presented to a senior college football player, and was inducted into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletic careers. Dr. Howard is a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and one of 13 members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. A retired Air Force reserve lieutenant colonel, Dr. Howard served as a helicopter pilot after earning his doctorate, and then became an intelligence officer for the elite Joint Special Operations Command. Defense Secretary William Cohen asked Dr. Howard to accompany a 1999 U.S. delegation
to South Africa as a politicalmilitary advisor. He was called back to active duty during 2003 in Afghanistan, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. Dr. Howard also served as the Reserve Air Attaché to Liberia. Prior to his appointment as president of RMU, Dr. Howard for six years was the president of Hampden-Sydney College, a private, liberal arts college near Richmond, Va. During Dr. Howard’s tenure as president, enrollment, retention, and alumni giving all increased at HampdenSydney. Previously he served as vice president for leadership and strategic initiatives at the University of Oklahoma, where he also served as the director of the Honors College Leadership Center and a President’s Associates Presidential Professor. Dr. Howard enjoyed a successful career in the corporate world, working in General Electric’s Corporate Initiatives Group as well as Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Corporate Associates Program. At both companies, Dr. Howard’s responsibilities included sales, marketing, international project management, strategic planning, internal consulting, and business development. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, ESPN. com, NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “On Being” and has been interviewed on CNN, PBS, and PRI’s “The Tavis Smiley Show.” OTHER HONORS AND APPOINTMENTS INCLUDE: ■ Member of the Board of Directors of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. ■ Member of the Committee on Infrastructure & Transportation ■ Member of the Regional Transportation Alliance of Southwestern Pennsylvania ■ Former member of the “MyVA” Advisory Committee, appointed by then Secretary of Veteran Affairs Robert McDonald. ■ Founder, former chairman, and current trustee of the Impact Young Lives Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarship and travel opportunities for South African university students of color.
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■ Named one of “The 20 Most Interesting College Presidents” by The Best Schools.
■ Former trustee of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars.
■ National Council of Advisors of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.
■ Former member of the National Intelligence University Board of Visitors.
■ Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow.
■ Selected by Steve Schwarzman to serve on the inaugural selection committee for the Schwarzman Scholars Program, a highly selective master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing aimed at fostering future international leaders.
■ Graduate of the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents. ■ One of the few college or university chief executives in the U.S. invited to join the Young Presidents’ Organization.
■ Former member of the Board of Trustees of The Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts.
■ Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
■ Former member of the Board of Trustees of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
■ Leadership Council for The Aspen Institute’s Franklin Project encouraging civic responsibility. ■ 2012 Honoree, Dominion Power’s Strong Men and Women: Excellence in Leadership Series.
ATHLETICS-RELATED APPOINTMENTS: ■ Member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
■ 2010 African-American Trailblazer in Virginia History by the Library of Virginia.
■ Member of the NCAA Honors Selection Committee.
■ Former member of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government.
■ Member of the National Football Foundation Awards Committee.
■ Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Centre College, Ripon College, and the Rush University College of Medicine.
■ Former member of the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame Selection Committee. ■ Former member of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council.
■ Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Christopher Newport University.
■ College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
■ Member of the Sigma Pi Phi, also known as the Boule, the oldest African American fraternity in the United States.
BUSINESS-RELATED ACHIEVEMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS: ■ Co-author with David Snider of the 2010 book Money Makers: Inside the New World of Finance and Business.
■ Honorary member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society serving AACSBaccredited business schools. ■ Honorary member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
■ Member of the OLO Systems Advisory Board and formerly on the Board of Directors of Converge, an IT de-manufacturing firm.
■ Gift made in the Howards’ honor at HampdenSydney College to create the Chris and Barbara Howard Chair in Rhetoric.
■ Former Senior Advisor on African Affairs at the Albright Stonebridge Group, an international advisory firm for Fortune 1000 companies. ■ Served as the youngest member of the annual Washington Post-Harvard University “America’s Best Leaders” selection committee.
EDUCATION-RELATED APPOINTMENTS: ■ Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues of the Council on Foreign Relations.
■ Former acting Managing Director of Endeavor South Africa, a global initiative that supports entrepreneurs in the developing world.
■ Advisory Board of the Morehouse College Research Institute. ■ Board of the Olmstead Foundation, which provides young military leaders the opportunity to achieve fluency in a foreign language and pursue their graduate studies at an overseas university.
PERSONAL
■ Future of Independent Higher Education steering committee for the Council of Independent Colleges. ■ Former member of the Board of Regents at Baylor University. ■ Former member of the Board of Directors at the American Council on Education. ■ Former member of the National Security Education Program Board, nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Dr. Howard is married to Barbara Noble Howard from Johannesburg, South Africa. Barbara is a Temple University graduate, Director of the Impact Young Lives Foundation, a member of the Virginia War Memorial Board of Directors, and a Trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Howards have two sons, Cohen and Joshua. Cohen is a 2016 graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South, and Joshua is a junior at Middlebury College.
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ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS From its fertile beginning as a men’s basketball junior college powerhouse to one of the most diverse athletic programs in the tri-state area, intercollegiate athletics and success at Robert Morris University go hand-in-hand. RMU offers 16 intercollegiate athletics programs, including the only men’s and women’s Division I ice hockey squads and Division I men’s lacrosse team in the Pittsburgh region. Over the last 41 years, the Colonials have claimed 45 conference regular-season championships and 46 league tournament titles. A total of 13 of RMU’s intercollegiate athletic programs have earned at least one tournament championship, with men’s basketball leading the way with eight Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament titles. Men’s basketball has also claimed 11 NEC regular-season championships, the most in school history, while softball owns eight and football and volleyball have each claimed six. For the fourth consecutive year in 2016-17, Robert Morris had a pair of programs earn automatic berths in the NCAA Tournament, as women’s hockey and women’s basketball each qualified. For hockey, it marked the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history after earning their second College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship, while women’s basketball earned its second straight, third in the last four
years and fifth overall. Individually in 2016-17, senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou concluded arguably the most impressive career in school history in any sport. During her four seasons in an RMU uniform, Stamolamprou helped the Colonials win three NEC Tournament championships and subsequent bids to the NCAA Tournament. Named the 2017 NEC Player of the Year, Stamolamprou was a two-time NEC ScholarAthlete of the Year (2016, 2017) for women’s basketball and was also the nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year by both Robert Morris and the NEC. Redshirt junior forward Brittany Howard was selected as the 2017 CHA Player of the Year, the first student-athlete from RMU to garner the top honor, while also claiming the CHA Scoring Trophy. While Stamolamprou and Howard were named the top players in their respective leagues, a total of five student-athletes from Robert Morris were named their league’s top rookie. Freshman forward Jaycee Gebhard of women’s hockey was selected as the CHA Rookie of the Year, while Lilly Harnish (outdoor track & field), Max Palmer (golf), Annie Sachs (women’s lacrosse) and Ryan Smith (men’s lacrosse) took the top rookie accolade in the NEC. It marks the most rookie honors in a single season in school history.
The exploits of the intercollegiate athletic program in 2016-17 has continued a trend that RMU has established since its move to Division I four decades ago. Since 1982, Robert Morris has sent 26 teams to the NCAA Tournament. Men’s basketball has made an NEC record eight appearances, while volleyball has participated in six. The Colonial men’s basketball program qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 1982, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2009, 2010 and 2015, while volleyball made five straight appearances from 1999 to 2003 before earning the automatic bid in 2015. The women’s basketball team has appeared in five NCAA Tournaments (2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017), while men’s soccer has appeared three times (1993, 1994, 2005). Softball (2005), men’s ice hockey (2014) and men’s golf (2015) have also earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Other programs to have claimed an NEC Tournament championship during that span include three in men’s golf (1995, 1996, 2015), two in men’s cross country (1986, 1987), men’s indoor track & field (1999, 2000) and women’s indoor track & field (1998, 2000) and one each in women’s tennis (1996) and men’s outdoor track & field (2000). The trend of success should come as no surprise. The men’s basketball program has appeared in a national postseason tournament seven times in the last 10 years, including three NCAA Tournaments (2009, 2010, 2015), three NIT’s (2008, 2013, 2014) and the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).
In 2013, Robert Morris became the center of the college basketball world by defeating defending national champion Kentucky in front of 3,444 fans at the Charles L. Sewall Center, the largest crowd in school history, in the first round of the NIT. In 2012, women’s ice hockey claimed its first College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship thanks to a 3-2 victory over Mercyhurst in the championship game at the RMU Island Sports Center. The football team earned the inaugural berth for the NEC in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs in 2010 by claiming its sixth NEC regular-season title. In 2000, football finished 10-0, the first perfect campaign for any sport at RMU. In the process, the team won its second straight NCAA I-AA Mid-Major National Championship, according to Don Hansen’s National Football Weekly Gazette. The program moved into its own on-campus stadium, named Joe Walton Stadium in honor of the program’s first head coach, in 2005. The women’s rowing team claimed two straight Margaret McNiff Trophies in the varsity four classification at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, Pa., in 2000 and 2001. Five teams achieved national rankings during the 1990s, with the 1994 softball team reaching No. 23, the 1994 men’s soccer team peaking at No. 16, the 1996 football squad finishing second in the NCAA I-AA nonscholarship ranks, the 1997 football team placing third and the 1999 football squad finishing No. 1.
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RMU’S CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS — Team — REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS (45) Sport
Year(s)
Men’s Basketball
1982, 2010, Women’s Basketball 2007, Football 1996, Men’s Ice Hockey # 2015, Women’s Ice Hockey * 2017 Men’s Lacrosse 2012 Men’s Soccer 1992, Softball 1997, Volleyball 1999,
1983, 2013, 2008, 1997, 2016
1984, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2008, 2009, 2014 2010, 2014, 2017 1998, 1999, 2000, 2010
1994, 1995, 1996, 2001 1998, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS (46) Sport
Year(s)
Men’s Basketball 1982, Women’s Basketball 1988, Men’s Cross Country 1986, Men’s Golf 1995, Men’s Ice Hockey # 2014 Women’s Ice Hockey * 2012, Men’s Soccer 1993, Softball 1991, Women’s Tennis 1996 Men’s Indoor Track & Field 1999, Women’s Indoor Track & Field 1998, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field 2000 Volleyball 1992,
1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2009, 2010, 2015 1991, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017 1987 1996, 2015 2017 1994, 2005 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2005 2000 2000 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2015
Note: All regular season and tournament championships were claimed in the Northeast Conference (NEC) unless otherwise noted. # Atlantic Hockey championship | * College Hockey America (CHA) championship Continued ➞
— Individual — MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (39) 55-Meter Tony Bunbury (1988) 55-Meter Hurdles DeLonte Perkins (1998) • Jim Baughman (1999) 200-Meter William Blake (1999) 500-Meter Jim Baughman (1999, 2000) • Joe Wagner (2005)
1999 VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY (1)
Mile Mike Booth (2006)
Steve Uhing (1987)
3,000-Meter Mike Booth (2006)
MEN’S GOLF (3) Paul Snyder (1986) • Bart Mease (1996) C.G. Mercatoris (2011)
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (30)
High Jump Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001) Jeff Witmyer (2005, 2007, 2008)
55-Meter Hurdles Jackie Gray (1991) • Genita Dickey (2000)
Long Jump Jarrad Pencek (2000, 2001, 2002)
60-Meter Hurdles Genita Dickey (2001) • Jordhanna White (2008)
Triple Jump Elliott Constantine (1989) • Cory Hunt (1993) Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) Nasim Siddeeq (2008)
200-Meter Genita Dickey (2001)
Pole Vault Eric White (2000, 2001, 2002) Josh Ghaly (2007) • Chris Spataro (2008, 2010) Jarad George (2009)
300-Meter Tiphani McKee (2001) 500-Meter Genita Dickey (2000, 2001)
Shot Put Patrick Mangan (1989) • Steve Mitchell (2014)
800-Meter Laura Rivera (1994) • Kerry McKinney (2002) 5,000-Meter Merel Van Steenbergen (2011)
4x400-Meter Relay Robert Morris (1999, 2000, 2001, 2014)
High Jump Michele Roth (2004) • Lilly Harnish (2017)
Distance Medley Relay Robert Morris (2006)
Long Jump Melitta Brown (2008) Triple Jump Brittany Humphress (2007) Yulia Vasilyeva (2013, 2014) Pole Vault Jessica Cooper (2000, 2001) Erica Schmidt (2010) • Casey Folga (2012) Olivia Loy (2013) • Bethany Ledford (2014, 2015) Weight Throw Nicole Downing (2004, 2005) Gabriella Rinehart (2010) • Rachel Boody (2017) 4x400-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2000, 2001)
C.G. MERCATORIS — 22 —
RACHEL BOODY
GENITA DICKEY
COURTNEY LENART
JARRAD PENCEK
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (40)
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (38)
100-Meter Hurdles Jackie Gray (1992) • Genita Dickey (2000) Jordhanna White (2008)
110-Meter Hurdles DeLonte Perkins (1998) Jim Baughman (2000)
400-Meter Hurdles Jackie Gray (1992, 1993) Genita Dickey (1999, 2000) Samantha Simile (2009)
400-Meter Hurdles Frank Bruno (1998, 1999) Jim Baughman (2000) 3,000-Meter Steeplechase Phillips Thompson (2008)
5,000-Meter Ericka Suhy (2001)
High Jump Brad Bruno (1991) Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001) Mark Caskey (2006) • Jeff Witmyer (2008)
High Jump Ericka Frazee (2006) Long Jump Melitta Brown (2008) • Tara Van Schie (2014)
Long Jump Jarrad Pencek (2000, 2001, 2002) Christian Lemke (2004)
Triple Jump Michelle Gawaldo (1998) Brittany Humphress (2005, 2006) Yulia Vasilyeva (2014) • Lilly Harnish (2017) Pole Vault Jessica Cooper (2000, 2001) Erica Schmidt (2009, 2010) • Casey Folga (2011) Bethany Ledford (2012, 2015)
Triple Jump Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) Adam Woodford (2005) • Nasim Siddeeq (2008) Richard Njenga (2014)
Discus Laura Buzzard (1999) • Nicole Downing (2004) Christina Roadman (2005) Aubree Ray (2012, 2014) • Rachel Boody (2017) Shot Put Jessica Guyett (2016) Hammer Throw Nicole Downing (2003, 2004, 2005) Gabriella Rinehart (2009)
Pole Vault Eric White (2002) • Josh Ghaly (2007) Anthony Trunzo (2010) Discus Marcus McCaleb (1997) • Collin Ray (2011 Hammer Throw Kevin Argauer (2009) • Steve Mitchell (2011) Brendan Morales (2013) Javelin Scott Fath (1993) • Chris Carper (2013, 2014) 4x100-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2001, 2004)
Javelin Courtney Lenart (2004, 2005) Stephanie Kuhn (2006, 2007)
4x400-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2001)
4x800-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2017)
4x800-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2014) — 23 —
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Craig Coleman, M.D. Director of Athletics
At the forefront of RMU’s golden age of intercollegiate athletics is Craig Coleman, M.D., who is in his 13th academic year as Director of Athletics at Robert Morris in 2017-18. He was named to the position Feb. 15, 2005. Led by Coleman’s guidance, the RMU department of athletics has continued to progress on both a regional and national level. Robert Morris continued its successful run in 2016-17, as the women’s ice hockey claimed the College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship, while women’s basketball claimed its second consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament title. Both teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, with women’s ice hockey earning its first appearance in program history. The success the two programs had for Robert Morris in 2016-17 marked the fourth consecutive year RMU has sent a pair of programs to an NCAA Tournament. Away from competition, the department of athletics continued to excel in the classroom with Coleman at the helm. Student-athletes who competed in 16 sports combined to post a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.391 during the 2016-17 academic year, with a total of 14 of RMU’s 16 programs finishing with team GPA’s of 3.0 or higher. The continued success for the Colonials in recent years is just part of a period of unparalleled growth for the department of athletics under Coleman’s leadership. In 2015-16, both volleyball and women’s basketball advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The year before, men’s basketball and men’s golf team earned automatic bids, while in 2013-14, women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey teams played in the NCAA Tournament. That year marked the first time in school history a pair of teams earned automatic berths to the
NCAA Tournament. During the 2012-13 campaign, men’s basketball and softball claimed NEC regular-season championships. The men’s basketball squad also became the center of the college basketball universe when it defeated defending national champion Kentucky in the first round of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in front of 3,444 fans at the Charles L. Sewall Center, the largest crowd in school history. The women’s ice hockey team claimed its first College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship in 2012. The Colonials snapped Mercyhurst’s streak of nine straight titles thanks to a 3-2 victory over the Lakers in the championship game of the 2012 CHA Tournament at the RMU Island Sports Center. In 2010, the football team earned the NEC’s inaugural bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs, the 12th straight year a program from Robert Morris earned an automatic bid in an NCAA Tournament. In addition, the men’s lacrosse program, in just its sixth year of existence, earned its first national ranking by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). Overall in Coleman’s 12 years as director of athletics at Robert Morris, programs have claimed a total of 22 regular-season championships and earned 15 automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament. RMU’s exploits academically during Coleman’s tenure have been just as impressive. In his first year as director of athletics in 2005-06, Robert Morris placed a total of nine student-athletes covering six sports on the ESPN The Magazine District II Academic AllAmerica Team, the most in school history. RMU also earned the NEC Institutional Academic Award in both 2012 and 2014. Coleman oversaw the development of a new
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Robert Morris athletics logo and mascot as well as the launching of the official website of RMU athletics at www.RMUColonials.com. Nine head coaches have been hired by Coleman, including a pair of men’s basketball head coaches (Mike Rice and Andrew Toole) and two in women’s rowing (Midge McPhail and Nelle Stahura). Also hired by Coleman are Dale Starr (volleyball), Paul Colontino (women’s ice hockey) and Caitlin Cotter (cross country and track & field). All the while, Coleman has built a winning softball program at Robert Morris over the past 27 years. During that period, RMU has won eight NEC regular-season championships and six NEC Tournament titles. In 2014, Coleman won his 600th career game when the Colonials earned a 10-0 victory in six innings in the first game of a doubleheader split at Mount St. Mary’s on April 6. Prior to his arrival as head coach in 1991, the Colonials posted just 19 victories in the previous three seasons. During his 27 years as head coach, the Colonials have posted an overall record of 674-611-5 (.524), including a record of 294-125-2 (.701) against NEC foes. In his first four years as head coach, Coleman guided the Colonials to an overall record of 119-62 (.657) and four NEC championships. In 1994, Robert Morris received its first national ranking in school history, regardless of sport, when the Colonials were ranked as high as No. 23 in the USA Today / National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll.
Coleman’s success as head softball coach has come not only on the field, but in the classroom, as well. His players include 18 Capital One District II Academic All-Americans, six NEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year for softball and numerous NEC Academic Honor Roll selections. In the spring of 2011, former Colonial Annie Dubovec (2008-11) became the first female student-athlete in Robert Morris history to be named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Under Coleman’s watch, the Colonials finished in the top five in Division I in team GPA six consecutive years from 2009 to 2014 according to the NFCA, including the top mark in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Overall, Robert Morris has finished in the top five of team GPA a total of seven times since the 1999-2000 academic year. Prior to being hired as RMU’s Director of Athletics, Coleman worked as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine from 1988 to 2005. He served as the Medical Director of several impatient units, residential treatment facilities and partial hospital programs at UPMC. Coleman earned his medical degree from The Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine in Hershey in 1983. In 1979, he earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a native of Philadelphia, Pa.
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UPMC EVEN
Coming Jan
Robert Morris University announced Jan. 10, 2017, the addition of the UPMC Events Center, a 140,000-square foot complex for the Colonials NCAA Division I basketball and volleyball teams, which will play in Peoples Court. The UPMC Events Center is the main part of a $50 million project that also includes a student recreation and fitness center on RMU’s Moon Township campus. The project will be funded largely through individual donations and corporate sponsorships, including sponsorships from UPMC, Peoples, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, PJ Dick, and PNC. The project also has received a grant through the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
NTS CENTER
nuary 2019
In addition to the 4,000-plus-seat Peoples Court, a practice court, locker rooms, a strength and conditioning center, offices for athletics, concessions and a souvenir shop, the UPMC Events Center will feature 11,000 square feet of conference and meeting space for campus events and outside organizations. Plans call for the center to open in January 2019. “With a new venue of this quality and size, RMU cements its status as a university on the rise,” said RMU President Chris Howard. “Not only is it a significant regional asset, it’s a facility worthy of the success for our athletics programs and reflective of our status as a nationally ranked university. This is a great day for the Colonial Nation.” Continued ➞
“UPMC is thrilled to be a leading partner with Robert Morris University in this exciting endeavor that will provide long-lasting health and wellness benefits to not only the RMU community but also to people and businesses in this entire region. We applaud and share RMU’s commitment to provide our communities with nothing less than world-class care and facilities,” said Jeffrey Romoff, president and CEO of UPMC. As part of a broader strategic collaboration with RMU, UPMC will become the exclusive provider of sports medicine to the university’s 16 NCAA Division I sports programs, and the UPMC Health Plan will administer the university’s employees’ health insurance benefits. UPMC already provides health care to RMU students at UPMC MyHealth@School, an on-campus health and wellness center that opened in the fall. The UPMC Events Center will bring the Airport Corridor an attractive new venue for public speakers, conventions, expos, concerts, graduation ceremonies and other family entertainment options. It also will host the university’s annual convocation and commencement ceremonies, which have outgrown their current location. All three teams that will play at Peoples Court — men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball — have won the Northeast Conference title and advanced to the NCAA tournament in the last three years.
Head Coach John Banaszak John Banaszak is the second head football coach in Robert Morris University history, and the 2017 campaign marks his fourth season at the helm. A trademark of Banaszak’s tenure at RMU has been stingy defense and electrifying special teams play. That was more evident in 2016, as the Colonials scored a team record five touchdowns via special teams and ranked in the top 30 of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in seven different defensive categories. Return specialists Warren Robinson and Dante Satcher became the first student-athletes with multiple return touchdowns in a season in team history. Satcher recorded the two longest kickoff returns in program history last season, going 99 and 100 yards for scores. RMU ranked seventh in punt return defense, allowing just 3.19 yards, and were 31st in the nation at 21.4 yards per kickoff return. Defensively, RMU finished in the top 30 in seven different categories, including 11th in red zone defense (.711), 14th in fumbles recovered (11), 16th in sacks (2.73 per game), 17th in third down percentage (.326), 27th in defensive touchdowns (3), 29th in rushing defense (131.7 yards per contest) and 30th in first downs allowed (194). Robert Morris showed signs of growth in Banaszak’s second season in 2015, as RMU won three games in which it trailed in the second half while a school record eight Colonials won Northeast Conference (NEC) weekly honors, including true freshman quarterback Mathew Barr, who was a two-time honoree. Under Banaszak, Kyle Buss became the first member of the Colonials to be named a finalist for National Freshman of the Year and was part of a program that achieved a threewin improvement from the season prior. During the 2014 campaign, Banaszak led the Colonials to the largest comeback victory in school history while also turning the squad into
one of the most disciplined in the country as RMU broke its program record for fewest penalty yards per game. He oversaw a youth infusion that saw a number of Colonials perform admirably in their first time on a collegiate stage. Four distinct Colonials were named NEC Rookie of the Week during the course of 2014, setting a new school record while simultaneously tying a league record that had only been achieved once previously. Banaszak officially became the RMU head coach in December 2013. He had been selected as Coach-In-Waiting in January 2012 at a press conference at the Charles L. Sewall Center, allowing for a simple transition following the 2013 campaign. He served as an assistant coach and assistant head coach for the Colonials for 11 years prior to taking over the top spot. At the end of the 2013 season, not long before Banaszak was set to move into his role as head coach, he was named as the Assistant Coach of the Year at the FCS level as selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He was one of five coaches selected, each at different levels of college football, for dedication to their teams and communities. He was the first Robert Morris coach, as well as the first from the NEC, to claim the honor. The 2013 season was Banaszak’s sixth as assistant head coach for Robert Morris. Among his numerous duties with the program, he was responsible for tutoring the defensive line and the special teams unit. Under Banaszak’s guidance in 2013, Robert Morris led the NEC in net punting, punt return defense and punt return average while also placing second in the league in kickoff coverage. The Colonials actually ranked third nationally in punt returns as Banaszak guided Antwan Eddie to a single-season school record 405 punt return yards.
— 36 —
Banaszak was also a key component in instructing an RMU defense that finished second in the NEC in total defense within league play. Robert Morris finished its regular season ranked among the top 25 nationally in a number of defensive categories including thirddown defense, first downs allowed, passing defense, red zone defense, passing efficiency defense, turnovers gained and total defense. He helped A.J. Holderman, a former fullback, enjoy a breakout campaign that saw him finish with 14.5 tackles for loss, the third-highest figure in RMU single-season annals. With Banaszak’s help in his assistant role, RMU led the NEC in total defense four times in 10 years (2004, 2006, 2009, 2010) and ranked among the top four spots nine times in 11 seasons. Banaszak was a key component to a 2010 defense that led the NEC in total defense, allowing an average of 312.6 yards per game, and coaching a defensive line that recorded 13 of RMU’s 21 sacks as the Colonials claimed the NEC’s inaugural berth in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs. In 2006, Banaszak helped tutor an RMU defense that led I-AA (now the FCS) in total defense, allowing an average of just 228.36 yards per game. Ten of the 13 players in school history to earn All-NEC recognition on the defensive line have come under the tutelage of Banaszak, including Nolan Nearhoof (2009-12), who was named the 2012 NEC Defensive Player of the Year after breaking both the school and league records for career sacks. Nearhoof would go on to earn All-America honors courtesy of The Sports Network, becoming the third Colonial defensive lineman to claim an All-America nod under Banaszak in a seven year span. Under Banaszak’s guidance, former defensive lineman Ray Gensler (2003-06) tied the RMU single-season school record for sacks with 11 in 2006 en route to earning All-NEC First Team honors. Gensler also established a then career record in sacks with 19 thanks to 11 in 2006, and the Robert Morris defensive line that season recorded 28½ of RMU’s school record 34 sacks. Former defensive linemen Jason Forrest (2002-05) and Mark Szymanski (2007-10) earned multiple All-NEC honors with the guidance of Banaszak, as Forrest was a three-
time All-NEC selection and Szymanski garnered All-NEC accolades twice. In addition, also earning All-NEC honors on the defensive line with the help of Banaszak were Will Weathers (2003), Babafemi Odumeru (2004), Matt Brunck (2006), Colyn Haugh (2006) and Forrest Mason (2013-15). As much as Banaszak’s presence has been felt on the defensive side of the ball, the same can be said on special teams. Eddie became the fifth different Colonial to win an award at return specialist in one decade’s time. Under Banaszak’s leadership, former Colonials Dante Settles (2000-04), Tyjuan Massey (2002-05), Mario Hines (2004-07) and Anthony Coleman (2008-11) garnered All-NEC honors at return specialist, the first players in RMU history to earn such a distinction. Banaszak helped Coleman establish Robert Morris career records for kickoff returns (110) and kickoff return yards (2,422), while Hines owns Robert Morris single-game records for kickoff (165) and punt (112) return yards. Banaszak has also tutored the four Colonials, Settles, Hines, Eddie and Robinson, to return a punt for a touchdown.
— 37 —
Continued ➞
Former punter Nick Schirztinger (200710) thrived under the tutelage of Banaszak, as he finished his career as arguably RMU’s greatest punter ever. Schirtzinger, a threetime All-NEC selection, owned Colonial career records for punts (230), punting yards (9,290) and average yards per punt (40.4) when he completed his career. Tony LaMancusa also performed well at punter under Banaszak as he earned his first All-NEC nod after the 2013 campaign. True freshman Connor Shennan also contributed in his first season on special teams in 2013 as his 61.8 average on kickoffs and 15 touchbacks helped the Colonials lead the league in both of those categories. Prior to RMU, Banaszak served as the 30th head coach in Washington & Jefferson football history, leading the Presidents to a record of 38-9 (.809) in his four seasons on the sidelines between 1999 and 2002. In each of those four campaigns, he was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and ranks third on the college’s all-time victory list. He helped W&J qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of his four years as the Presidents registered wins in three of those appearances. A graduate of Eastern Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation, Banaszak signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 1975
season and was one of only three rookies to make the defending Super Bowl champion team out of training camp. Primarily a special teams player on Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl X championship team, Banaszak started five games the following season and then started at both right end and inside tackle in 1977 before suffering a knee injury that forced him to the injured reserve list. Between 1978 and 1980, Banaszak started 45 regular-season games at defensive end as the Steelers won back-to-back Super Bowl championships. In Super Bowl XIII, Banaszak recorded six tackles, including a pair of sacks, and a fumble recovery in a 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, which garnered him Defensive Player of the Game honors. The following year in Super Bowl XIV, Banaszak finished with five tackles and a sack in a 31-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Upon completion of his stint with the Steelers, Banaszak spent the 1983 and 1984 seasons with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. He then moved on to serve as a player/ coach with the Memphis Showboats, also of the USFL, in 1985. While with the Showboats, Banaszak mentored former NFL standout Reggie White. Banaszak and his wife, Mary, have three children. They reside in McMurray, Pa.
— 38 —
— 39 —
ASSISTANT COACHES
Scott Farison
Mike Miller
Andrew Richardson
Cornelius Coleman
Alex DiMichele
Mike Brown
Steven Fiadewornu
Ryan Matviko
Nick McVay
Kevin Sonnie
LaRod Stephens-Howling — 41 —
ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS Numerical Roster
No. Name
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
WR
6-4
220 R-So. Troy, Ohio / Troy
2 Mathew Barr *
Yr.
Hometown / High School (and Previous School)
3 Drew Allen ***
DB
6-1
185
Sr.
New Castle, Pa. / New Castle
4 Warren Robinson **
WR
5-9
165
Jr.
Delray Beach, Fla. / American Heritage
5 Jimmy Walker
QB
6-2
220
Jr.
6 Harrison Dreher
RB
5-9
185
R-Fr.
Redlands, Calif. / Redlands (San Diego State) Clairton, Pa. / Clairton
7 Andrew Romanchak *
WR
6-2
205 R-So. Freeport, Pa. / Freeport
8 DeLano Madison *
WR
5-8
190
So.
Warren, Mich. / Brother Rice
9 Gerald Ferguson ***
LB
6-2
220
Sr.
Delray Beach, Fla. / West Boca
10 Joseph Uhatafe ***
LB
6-1
235
Sr.
11 Andy Smigiera ***
DB
6-1
205
R-Sr.
12 Tim Vecchio *
WR
13 Myles Canton
DB
14 Chase Bodeman
QB
16 Jalen Hill
WR
17 George Martin
QB
18 Adrian Gyebi
5-10 175
St. Petersburg, Fla. / St. Petersburg Catholic West Seneca, N.Y. / West Seneca East
So.
Harrison City, Pa. / Penn-Trafford
6-1
185
Fr.
Hyattsville, Md. / DeMatha
6-2
210
So.
Oregon, Ohio / Whitmer
5-11 165
Fr.
Potomac, Md. / The Bullis School
6-5
220
Fr.
Monongahela, Pa. / Ringgold
CB
5-11 165
Fr.
Wilmington, Dela. / Howard
19 Barry Amos
DB
5-11 170
20 Eldin Anu *
WR
21 Ryan Richards Jr. ***
DB
22 Jonathan Wanat *
FB
Fr.
Baltimore, Md. / Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Sr.
Columbus, Ohio / Westerville Central (Kent State)
5-9
180
6-1
200
Sr.
Buffalo, N.Y. / Canisius
5-10 210
So.
Silver Spring, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel
23 Devon DeFrances
LB
5-10 205 R-So. West Bloomfield, Mich. / St. Mary’s Preparatory
24 Tevaul Brown *
DB
5-11 170 R-So. Palm Bay, Fla. / American Heritage
25 Heavon Price
DB
5-8
180
Jr.
Rankin, Pa. / Woodland Hills (Marietta)
26 Alek Kwasniewski
DB
6-0
190
Fr.
Kings Mill, Ohio / Kings Jefferson Hills, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson
27 Jon Muehlbauer
DB
6-2
190
Fr.
28 Tyler Lamica *
LB
6-3
225
So.
29 Derek Albert
RB
31 Kirby Ames
DB
32 TJ Neal *
RB
33 Adam Wollet **
LB
5-11 200 6-1
R-Fr.
Rockford, Mich. / Grand Rapids Christian Hampton, Ga. / Strong Rock Christian
170
Fr.
5-11 190
So.
Aldan, Pa. / Mastery Charter Schools – Shoemaker Campus Delray Beach, Fla. / Village Academy
Jr.
Poland, Ohio / Poland Seminary
6-0
220
6-2
230
Fr.
New Castle, Pa. / Neshannock
5-10 175
So.
Germantown, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel
34 Frank Antuono
LB
35 Travon Stott *
DB
36 Cole Blake *
RB
6-0
220
R-Jr.
Crescent, Pa. / Moon Area
37 Nolan Burns
RB
6-1
205
Fr.
Jersey City, N.J. / Snyder Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brentwood
39 Jacob Thomas
DB
6-3
190
Fr.
40 Drew Hogan
DB
6-1
200
R-Jr.
41 Moses Onafuwa
LB
42 Matthew Holmes
TE
5-11 190
Endicott, N.Y. / Union Endicott
Fr.
Dundalk, Md. / Dundalk Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny
6-1
235
Fr.
44 David Steele **
LB
6-3
190
R-Jr.
46 Ben Walter
FB
6-1
230
Fr.
Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills
48 Adam Check **
K/P
6-1
190
Jr.
McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour
5-11 160
Fr.
New Kensington, Pa. / Kiski Area
R-Fr.
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Central Catholic
49 Nick Bisceglia
K
50 Eric McAllister
OL
6-1
275
51 Gee Stanley *
LB
6-2
200
So.
53 Zack Zamiska ***
DL
6-5
300
R-Sr.
Cleveland Heights, Ohio / Cleveland Heights
Miami, Fla. / Coral Gables Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake
54 Derian Smith
OL
6-2
240
So.
Homestead, Pa. / Steel Valley
55 Anthony Lang
DL
6-1
240
So.
Cleveland, Ohio / Holy Name
56 Brayden Thimons
LB
6-4
235
Fr.
Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands
57 Tosin Aroyewun
OL
6-0
280
Fr.
Silver Spring, Md. / Bethesda-Chevy Chase
— 42 —
No. Name 58 Izon Pulley
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Yr.
DL
6-4
255
R-Fr.
Hometown / High School (and Previous School) Germantown, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel
59 John Sheldon
OL
6-2
260
Fr.
Ridley Park, Pa. / Ridley Park
61 Trevor Hicks
OL
6-5
275
Fr.
Washington Courthouse, Ohio / Washington
63 Abraham Scotland
DT
6-5
240
Fr.
Beltsville, Md. / High Point
65 Patrick Banning
OL
6-2
325
Jr.
Philadelphia, Pa. / Neumann-Goretti (Valley Forge)
66 Mike Lamb **
DL
6-6
360
R-Jr.
68 Alex Minford
OL
6-2
290
Fr.
Lancaster, N.Y. / Depew Bridgeville, Pa. / South Fayette
69 Justin Boyette *
OL
6-6
335
R-Jr.
Lansdale, Pa. / North Penn
70 Rene Rodriguez *
OL
6-4
280
So.
Miami, Fla. / South Miami
71 Bussy Remaley
OL
6-3
280
Fr.
Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield
72 Conner Mundy *
OL
6-3
295
So.
Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville
73 Tyler Knight
OL
6-4
330
Jr.
Exton, Pa. / Conestoga (Valley Forge)
74 Dylan Young
OL
6-4
295
Fr.
Coral Springs, Fla. / Taravella
77 Matthew Fennell *
OL
6-4
285
So.
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Upper St. Clair
78 Adam Sedzmak
OL
6-5
315
Fr.
Struthers, Ohio / Struthers St. George, Va. / Blue Ridge
81 Jonkai Brown
TE
6-2
240
Fr.
82 Brandon Magee *
WR
6-1
185
So.
Manassas, Va. / Bishop O’Connell
83 Matthew Gonzalez *
TE
6-4
225
So.
Lakewood, Ohio / St. Edward
6-0
190
Fr.
Leetsdale, Pa. / Quaker Valley
5-11 170
Fr.
84 Zacchaeus Humphrey
WR
85 Janar Walker
WR
86 Tavin Allison
WR
6-1
195
R-Fr.
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills Detroit, Mich. / Dakota
87 Dalton Elliott
TE
6-4
240
Fr.
88 Reggie Green *
TE
6-3
225
R-Sr.
Cranford, N.J. / Cranford (Pittsburgh) Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway
Newnan, Ga. / Northgate
89 Aidan Howard
WR
6-4
210
R-Fr.
90 Chris Stanford *
DE
6-3
270
So.
Irwin, Pa. / Penn-Trafford
91 Anthony Falletta
DL
6-0
255
Fr.
Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell
92 Eddie Kachmarek
DL
6-6
225
Fr.
Hambleton, W.Va. / Tucker County
94 William Kirch
K
6-2
170 R-So. Athens, Ga. / Cedar Shoals
95 Artie Priore
DL
6-1
220
Fr.
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin
96 Greg Rose
DE
6-3
235
Fr.
Hyattsville, Md. / DeMatha
97 Justus Stubblefield
DL
6-0
270
So.
Waldorf, Md. / North Point
99 Amir Fenwick **
DL
6-1
270
Jr.
Clinton, Md. / Frederick Douglass
* letters earned
— PRONUNCIATION GUIDE — 6 7 8 10 11 12 20 22
Dreher – DRAY-er Romanchak – ROW-man-check DeLano – da-LAY-no Uhatafe – you-AH-tah-fa Smigiera – sma-GEAR-ah Vecchio – VECK-e-o Anu – AH-new Wanat – wah-NIT
24 25 27 28 31 33 34 49
Tevaul – tah-VALL Heavon – ha-VONN Muehlbauer – MULE-bough-er Lamica – lamb-ICK-ah Masson – MACE-in Wollet – WALL-it Antuono – ANT-you-on-oh Bisceglia – bi-SEG-lee-ah
57 58 71 86 92 94
Tosin Aroyewun – TOE-sin ah-ROY-ah-win Izon – EYE-zonn Remaley – ri-MAL-ee Tavin – TAY-vin Kachmarek – catch-MARE-ick Kirch – KERSH
— COACHING STAFF — Head Coach (position; season at RMU; alma mater): John Banaszak (special teams coordinator; fourth season as head coach, 15th season at RMU; Eastern Michigan ‘75) Assistant Coaches (position; season at RMU; alma mater): Scott Farison (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator; 16th season; Mercyhurst ‘01), Mike Miller (offensive coordinator; second season as OC, fifth season at RMU; Clarion ’92), Andrew Richardson (offensive line; 11th season; Penn State ’05), Cornelius Coleman (defensive line; fourth season; Waynesburg ’99), Nick McVay (receivers; fourth season; Otterbein ’13), Mike Brown (secondary; third season; Mercyhurst ’13), Alex DiMichele (linebackers; fifth year; Robert Morris ’11), LaRod Stephens-Howling (running backs; first season; Pittsburgh ’10), Kevin Sonnie (tight ends; first season, Edinboro ’14); Matthew Ferko (video coordinator); Morgan Torchia (assistant video coordinator)
— 43 —
2017 COLONIALS
WR • 6-4 • 220 • R-So. Troy, Ohio
#2 Mathew Barr
#3 Drew Allen DB • 6-1 • 185 • Sr. New Castle, Pa.
#4 Warren Robinson WR • 5-9 • 165 • Jr. Delray Beach, Fla.
#5 Jimmy Walker QB • 6-2 • 220 • Jr. Redlands, Calif.
#6 Harrison Dreher RB • 5-9 • 185 • R-Fr. Clairton, Pa.
#7 Andrew Romanchak WR • 6-2 • 205 • R-So. Freeport, Pa.
#8 DeLano Madison WR • 5-8 • 190 • So. Warren, Mich.
#9 Gerald Ferguson LB • 6-2 • 220 • Sr. Delray Beach, Fla.
#10 Joseph Uhatafe LB • 6-1 • 235 • Sr. St. Petersburg, Fla.
#11 Andy Smigiera DB • 6-1 • 205 • R-Sr. West Seneca, N.Y.
#12 Tim Vecchio WR • 5-10 • 175 • So Harrison City, Pa.
#13 Myles Canton DB • 6-1 • 185 • Fr. Hyattsville, Md.
— 47 —
#14 Chase Bodeman QB • 6-2 • 210 • So. Oregon, Ohio
#16 Jalen Hill WR • 5-11 • 165 • Fr. Potomac, Md.
#17 George Martin QB • 6-5 • 220 • Fr. Monongahela, Pa.
#18 Adrian Gyebi CB • 5-11 • 165 • Fr. Wilmington, Dela.
#19 Barry Amos DB • 5-11 • 170 • Fr. Baltimore, Md.
#20 Eldin Anu WR • 5-9 • 180 • Sr. Columbus, Ohio
#21 Ryan Richards Jr. DB • 6-1 • 200 • Sr. Buffalo, N.Y.
#22 Jonathan Wanat FB • 5-10 • 210 • So. Silver Spring, Md.
#23 Devon DeFrances LB • 5-10 • 205 • R-So. West Bloomfield, Mich.
#24 Tevaul Brown DB • 5-11 • 170 • R-So. Palm Bay, Fla.
#25 Heavon Price DB • 5-8 • 180 • Jr. Rankin, Pa.
#26 Alek Kwasniewski DB • 6-0 • 190 • Fr. Kings Mill, Ohio
#27 Jon Muehlbauer DB • 6-2 • 190 • Fr. Jefferson Hills, Pa.
#28 Tyler Lamica LB • 6-3 • 225 • So. Rockford, Mich.
— 48 —
#29 Derek Albert RB • 5-11 • 200 • R-Fr. Hampton, Ga.
#31 Kirby Ames DB • 6-1 • 170 • Fr. Aldan, Pa.
#32 TJ Neal RB • 5-11 • 190 • So. Delray Beach, Fla.
#33 Adam Wollet LB • 6-0 • 220 • Jr. Poland, Ohio
#34 Frank Antuono LB • 6-2 • 230 • Fr. New Castle, Pa.
#35 Travon Stott DB • 5-10 • 175 • So. Germantown, Md.
#36 Cole Blake RB • 6-0 • 220 • R-Jr. Crescent, Pa.
#37 Nolan Burns RB • 6-1 • 205 • Fr. Jersey City, N.J.
#39 Jacob Thomas DB • 6-3 • 190 • Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
#40 Drew Hogan DB • 6-1 • 200 • R-Jr. Endicott, N.Y.
#41 Moses Onafuwa LB • 5-11 • 190 • Fr. Dundalk, Md.
#42 Matthew Holmes TE • 6-1 • 235 • Fr. Imperial, Pa.
#44 David Steele LB • 6-3 • 190 • R-Jr. Cleveland Heights, Ohio
#46 Ben Walter FB • 6-1 • 230 • Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
#48 Adam Check K/P • 6-1 • 190 • Jr. McKees Rocks, Pa.
— 49 —
#49 Nick Bisceglia K • 5-11 • 160 • Fr. New Kensington, Pa.
#50 Eric McAllister OL • 6-1 • 275 • R-Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
#51 Gee Stanley LB • 6-2 • 200 • So. Miami, Fla.
#53 Zack Zamiska DL • 6-5 • 300 • R-Sr. Avon Lake, Ohio
#54 Derian Smith OL • 6-2 • 240 • So. Homestead, Pa.
#55 Anthony Lang DL • 6-1 • 240 • So. Cleveland, Ohio
#56 Brayden Thimons LB • 6-4 • 235 • Fr. Natrona Heights, Pa.
#57 Tosin Aroyewun OL • 6-0 • 280 • Fr. Silver Spring, Md.
#58 Izon Pulley DL • 6-4 • 255 • R-Fr. Germantown, Md.
#59 John Sheldon OL • 6-2 • 260 • Fr. Ridley Park, Pa.
#61 Trevor Hicks OL • 6-5 • 275 • Fr. Washington Courthouse, Ohio
#63 Abraham Scotland DT • 6-5 • 240 • Fr. Beltsville, Md.
#65 Patrick Banning OL • 6-2 • 325 • Jr. Philadelphia, Pa.
#66 Mike Lamb DL • 6-6 • 360 • R-Jr. Lancaster, N.Y.
#68 Alex Minford OL • 6-2 • 290 • Fr. Bridgeville, Pa.
#69 Justin Boyette OL • 6-6 • 335 • R-Jr. Lansdale, Pa.
#70 Rene Rodriguez OL • 6-4 • 280 • So. Miami, Fla.
— 50 —
#71 Bussy Remaley OL • 6-3 • 280 • Fr. Greensburg, Pa.
#72 Conner Mundy OL • 6-3 • 295 • So. Strongsville, Ohio
#73 Tyler Knight OL • 6-4 • 330 • Jr. Exton, Pa.
#74 Dylan Young OL • 6-4 • 295 • Fr. Coral Springs, Fla.
#77 Matthew Fennell OL • 6-4 • 285 • So. Pittsburgh, Pa.
#78 Adam Sedzmak OL • 6-5 • 315 • Fr. Struthers, Ohio
#81 Jonkai Brown TE • 6-2 • 240 • Fr. St. George, Va.
#82 Brandon Magee WR • 6-1 • 185 • So. Manassas, Va.
#83 Matthew Gonzalez TE • 6-4 • 225 • So. Lakewood, Ohio
#84 Zacchaeus Humphrey WR • 6-0 • 190 • Fr. Leetsdale, Pa.
#85 Janar Walker WR • 5-11 • 170 • Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
#86 Tavin Allison WR • 6-1 • 195 • R-Fr. Detroit, Mich.
#87 Dalton Elliott TE • 6-4 • 240 • Fr. Newnan, Ga.
#88 Reggie Green TE • 6-3 • 225 • R-Sr. Cranford, N.J.
#89 Aidan Howard WR • 6-4 • 210 • R-Fr. Monroeville, Pa.
#90 Chris Stanford DE • 6-3 • 270 • So. Irwin, Pa.
— 51 —
#91 Anthony Falletta DL • 6-0 • 255 • Fr. Aliquippa, Pa.
#92 Eddie Kachmarek DL • 6-6 • 225 • Fr. Hambleton, W.Va.
#96 Greg Rose DE • 6-3 • 235 • Fr. Hyattsville, Md.
#94 William Kirch K • 6-2 • 170 • R-So. Athens, Ga.
#97 Justus Stubblefield DL • 6-0 • 270 • So. Waldorf, Md.
— 52 —
#95 Artie Priore DL • 6-1 • 220 • Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
#99 Amir Fenwick DL • 6-1 • 270 • Jr. Clinton, Md.
— 55 —
RMU 2017-18 CHEERLEADERS
Alyssa Amadio
Katelynn Antoszeski
Adelyn Berdine
Kassi Blair
Jacqueline Bradshaw
Tara Cooney
Madison Davis
Callie Egan
Lauren Ferianc
Meghan Fitzroy
Christina Greaves
Austin Habovick
— 56 —
Courtney Kocenda
Natalie Konish
Shelby Krause
Erin Kunzmann
Lauren Michell
Amanda Moon
Marissa Morrell
Zhanna Parker
Kelsey Quinn
Julia Reitler
Jill Robbins
Michael Rogers
Samantha Ruschak
Chloe Schweiger
Emily Scraba
Victoria Siwula
Sage Steedle
Cortni Vicheck
Maya Wells
Brianna Wright
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RMU SHOW BAND
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“Go Colonials” — RMU FIGHT SONG — Everybody Cheer for Robert Morris Stand and show your spirit and your pride! Let’s shout an R-M-U to help our team in blue bring out the fire from deep inside! Let’s go Colonials take it for the win as you hear our shouts of loyalty! We shout all out about our team together to the final victory!
RMU Alma Mater Hail to thee, dear Robert Morris let the anthem ring. Hand in hand and with one voice, your praises we do sing. At your knee we learn and grow, O, shining White and Blue, We salute our days together. Hail to RMU! Ideals high to guide us onward, paths ahead made clear. Pride and loyalty forever, Alma Mater dear. Memories made and lives are changed here, all held fond and true. Hail to thee, dear Robert Morris! HAIL TO RMU!