Stony Brook University

#4 Anastasia Warren scored 12 points during Saturday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Seawolves came out victorious in the first Empire Clash as of the season as they defeated in-state SUNY rival UAlbany, 58-47, on Jan. 22 at Island Federal Arena. Stony Brook improves to 15-2, 6-1 America East on the season as it was led by three student-athletes scoring in double figures.

With the win, the Seawolves extend their winning streak to six games in a row. The six-game winning streak is Stony Brook’s second-longest streak of the season (won seven-straight games to start the season from Nov. 9-28). The Seawolves are now winners of eight out of their last nine games.

Stony Brook is one of 18 teams in the nation with 15 wins on the season. The Seawolves’ 15 wins are the most in the America East. The Seawolves moved into sole possession of first-place in the America East following today’s result.

Senior guard Anastasia Warren led the Seawolves with a team-high 12 points. Warren was followed by graduate forward India Pagan and junior guard Gigi Gonzalez. Both Pagan and Gonzalez each tallied 10 points apiece.

The Seawolves’ defense limited the Great Danes to 47 points on 33.9 percent shooting from the field, 14.3 percent shooting from three, and forced 21 turnovers. The Seawolves scored 25 points off turnovers as a result of their tenacious defensive effort.

#15 Anthony Roberts plays defense during Saturday's game. Photo by Jay Bendlin/Stony Brook Athletics

Powered by a consistent attack throughout, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team (12-6, 4-1 America East) earned its third win in a row, knocking off UAlbany 86-78 at SEFCU Arena on Jan. 22.

The team shot 62.5 percent in the second half and hit four of their six shots from outside to keep their rivals at bay and set up a first-place clash with Vermont on Wednesday night. Anthony Roberts and Jahlil Jenkins paced five Seawolves in double figures, finishing with 18 and 16 points, respectively. They combined to shoot 13-for-21 from the field.

UAlbany jumped out of the gates to a 21-12 advantage at the 12:27 mark of the first half, but Stony Brook would respond with a 10-2 run to cut it down to one. After the hosts hit a three, the Seawolves doubled them up the rest of the way en route to a 40-35 halftime lead.

The Seawolves came storming out of the gates in the second half on a 10-4 run, opening up a double-figure lead that would only get as close as four the rest of the way to secure their third win in a row.

“Very, very, very well-played game for us. I think Albany came out and played super hard. They were prepared and excited,” said head coach Geno Ford. “We kept talking in those timeouts to weather the storm and stick with our gameplan. We’ve had a little tendency to get disjointed when things aren’t going well for us but tonight we didn’t do that and hopefully that’s a big sign of growth for us going forward. I thought Albany played well. The difference in the game was 3-point shooting. Excited for our guys. It was a really hard-fought win.”

Up next, the team welcomed the Vermont Catamounts on Jan. 26 for Round 2 of a series between the top two preseason teams in the America East. Results were not available as of press time.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook University football head coach Chuck Priore has named linebacker Reidgee Dimanche, wide receiver Delante Hellams Jr., offensive lineman Kyle Nunez, and defensive back Randy Pringle as the Seawolves’ team captains for the 2022 season.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to work with our four captains for the 2022 football season. Reidgee Dimanche and Kyle Nunez are returning captains and they did a tremendous job in the 2021 season as leaders. They are joined by Randy Pringle and Delante Hellams Jr., which gives us great leadership. All four guys are sixth-year players and it’s awesome that we have that kind of leadership. Being a captain is about being yourself, you got elected for a reason, it’s probably because you’re a quality person, you set the examples correctly, and you love playing the game on the field. We are going to continue to strive to be successful that way with their leadership as a football program,” said coach Priore.

Dimanche is a returning captain and finished the 2021 season with 79 tackles (41 solo, 38 assists), 5.5 tackles for loss, a half of a sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 11 games. The linebacker was second on the team in total tackles and ranked 13th in the CAA.

Dimanche recorded a pair of 10-tackle games in 2021. He first made 10 stops in the Seawolves’ 24-3 win at Colgate on September 11. Two weeks later, Dimanche tallied 10 tackles against Fordham on September 25. The Hamilton, N.J. native registered six or more tackles in 10 out of 11 games this past season.

Hellams Jr. recorded 31 receptions for 357 yards in 2021. The wide receiver tallied at least one catch in every game this past season for the Seawolves. Hellams Jr. registered a season-high 66 yards on four receptions on October 2, at Rhode Island. He hauled in a season-long 36-yard reception against the Rams en route to his season-best 66-yard performance. The redshirt senior posted a season-high five receptions in the homecoming win over Richmond on October 23..

Like Dimanche, Nunez is a returning captain. Nunez earned All-CAA honors for the fourth year in a row and was tabbed to the Second Team for the third time in his career. The redshirt senior helped lead the Seawolves to 10 100-plus yard rushing performances in 2021. The team ran for 200 yards or more in three games and racked up a season-high 321 rushing yards in the, 36-14, win over UAlbany to reclaim the Golden Apple.

Nunez helped the running game average 176.1 yards per game, the second-most in the CAA and the Seawolves rushed for 19 touchdowns as a team, which were tied for the second-most in the conference.

Pringle finished the season with 47 tackles (27 solo, 20 assists), three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and blocked kick. Pringle led the team in interceptions and was tied for the sixth-most in the CAA. His 47 tackles were good for the fourth-most on the team this past season. The defensive back helped the Seawolves earn a homecoming win over Richmond as he recorded a pair of interceptions in the win. The following week, Pringle recorded an interception in the road win at Maine on November 6. The Brooklyn native tallied a season-high eight tackles on October 9 at Towson.

Pollytia Panagiotou, MD

Pollytia Panagiotou, MD, has joined North Country Primary Medical Care, an internal medicine practice in Stony Brook Medicine’s expanding network of community practices and physicians located at 43 Radio Avenue in Miller Place.

Board certified in both internal medicine and obesity medicine, Dr. Panagiotou’s approach is to control disease with medicine and lifestyle changes to help her patients lead healthy lives and empower them to avoid preventable conditions. “We are very excited to have Dr. Panagiotou be a part of our community physician network,” said Juan Carlos Bucobo, MD, FASGE, President of Stony Brook Medicine Community Medical Group. “Dr. Panagiotou is a bright, energetic primary care physician who is a breath of fresh air to the beloved community of patients previously cared for by Dr. Dhillon. Her experience in obesity medicine and primary care will be a great benefit to our patients.”

 Dr. Dhillon provided care in the community for more than 20 years until his passing in early 2021.  

 “I am very excited to join Stony Brook Medicine and continue the legacy of patient-centered care that Dr. Dhillon provided,” said Dr. Panagiotou. “It is indisputable that he left a noteworthy impression on his patients and I will strive to do the same. My goal is to inspire patients to achieve a higher level of health and provide the care they are accustomed to at North Country Primary Medical Care.”

 Dr. Panagiotou received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Montclair State University and her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. She then completed her residency in internal medicine at Overlook Medical Center. Dr. Panagiotou is fluent in Greek and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

The practice is currently accepting new patients and has office hours Monday through Friday. For more information, call 631-821-8911.

#15 Anthony Roberts, during last Wednesday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook was not able to overcome its hot-shooting hosts, as Vermont knocked off the Seawolves in a battle of the top two teams in the preseason poll Jan. 12 at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington.

Tykei Greene and Anthony Roberts each led Stony Brook with 13 points, as Stony Brook was not able to fend off a Vermont attack that drilled 19, 3-pointers en route to the win.

The Seawolves came out hot in the first half, making eight of their own 3-pointers on 13 attempts but went just 1-for-10 in the second 20 minutes of action and were not able to make it up inside the arc. With the loss, Stony Brook fell to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in America East play.

“Vermont played great. They came in shooting 29 percent from three as a team but were able to hit 15 of their first 21, so have to give them a lot of credit. We played very well offensively in the first half, shooting 56 percent from the field and yet we were still down double figures. We have a quick turnaround coming so we can’t sulk over a poor result,” said  head coach Geno Ford. 

The Stony Brook men’s basketball game versus New Hampshire, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15, was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the New Hampshire program. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at Island Federal Arena. To exchange your tickets, call 631-632-9753.

Renowned New York City based dance company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 5 for a spectacular evening on the Main Stage featuring their two newest full length pieces performed on the same program for the very first time, in celebration of Black History Month. The show starts at 8 p.m

Under the artistic direction of dance Icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, (both former principal dancers with ALVIN AILEY DANCE and star choreographers), COMPLEXIONS will perform two monumental pieces, “WOKE” and LOVE ROCKS”, born out of the current crisis’ we are facing in the world. Through dance, COMPLEXIONS confronts this moment in time and the question of what it means to exist in today’s society and how we connect in spite of it.

“WOKE” is a physical reaction to the daily news. A bold and dynamic socially conscious one act ballet featuring the full company that examines our humanity in conjunction with today’s political climate.

LOVE ROCKS, which also features the full company, is set to the powerful music of Grammy Award-winner Lenny Kravitz. It is a fun, thrilling and moving dance and a tremendous compliment to “WOKE”.

Dancing these two pieces together in the same program is a challenge for the company. Complexions Dance is working overtime through extreme pandemic conditions to create this unique program for the Staller Center as they present it to the University community and greater Long Island region.

Tickets range from $42 to $58. For more information or to order, visit www.stallercenter.com,  call 631-632-ARTS or email [email protected].

Major Sponsors are News 12 – Campolo, Middleton & McCormick – Danfords Hotel & Marina – Friends of the Staller Center – Hilton Garden Inn – Island Federal – Jefferson’s Ferry – Renaissance – Stony Brook Medicine – Suffolk County – WLIW – Paul W. Zuccaire Foundation.

COVID GUIDELINES

The Staller Center prioritizes the safety of its patrons, staff and students, and will enforce strict Covid-19 protocols for the Fall 2021 season. At this time, visitors must show proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event (children ages 12 and under are exempt when accompanied by a parent or guardian who meets the requirements). Additionally, each audience and staff member must wear a mask while inside the venue. All audience members will be advised to not attend if they feel unwell, have symptoms of Covid-19 or have recently been exposed to someone with the disease.

With these guidelines, the Staller Center ticket policy for return or exchange of tickets will be liberalized to accommodate patrons who cannot attend due to the above.

ABOUT THE PERFORMER

Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive and respected performing arts brands in the World. Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission to bring unity to the world one dance at a time.

Complexions has received numerous awards including The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It has appeared throughout the US, including the The Joyce Theatre and Lincoln Center in NYC, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Paramount Theatre/Seattle, The Music Center/Los Angeles, Winspear Opera House/Dallas, The Cutler Majestic Theater/Boston, The Music Hall/Detroit, and has toured extensively around the world to venues including The Bolshoi Theater, The Kremlin, The Mikhailovsky Theater, and the Melbourne Arts Center.

The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world—and all its constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole.

Together, Rhoden and Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 27 years since its inception, the company has continued to awaken audiences to a new, exciting genre with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Their work has borne witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.

With stunning gifted dancers and powerful choreography, Complexions has been hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.”- The Guardian

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team (13-2, 4-1 America East) came out strong to pick up a win over New Hampshire (3-12, 0-4 America East), 71-53, on Jan. 16 at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham.

With the victory, Stony Brook extended its winning streak to four games in a row and are winners of six out of its last seven games. The Seawolves were paced by four student-athletes who scored in double figures to lead the team to their league leading 13th win of the season.

The Seawolves’ scoring was led by graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool and senior guard Anastasia Warren both finishing with 12 points. Wool and Warren were joined by junior guard Gigi Gonzalez and graduate forward India Pagan each chipping in with 10 points apiece.

Stony Brook took a 29-22 lead into halftime after Pagan made a layup to take back the lead with 6:27 left to play in the second quarter. The Seawolves did not let up as they held the lead for the reminder of the game.

Wool pulled down her 500th career rebound with 7:51 left to play in the third quarter which led to a pass to Pagan who converted a layup to help extend the lead for Stony Brook. The Seawolves’ lead grew to as large as 20 points with 25 seconds left to play.

With the win, Stony Brook improved to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in America East play.

“I’m happy to get a dub on the road. I thought New Hampshire played really hard. It’s not easy to get conference wins — especially on an opponent’s home court,” said Stony Brook head coach Ashley Langford after the game.

The team returned home to Island Federal Arena to face-off against New York foe Binghamton on Jan. 19. Results were not available as of press time.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook University men’s lacrosse head coach Anthony Gilardi has named Mike McCannell, Christian Lowd, Dylan Pallonetti, Michael Sabella, and Wayne White as team captains for the 2022 season.

“We could not be more excited to announce our captains. There is no greater honor on a team than being elected a captain by your teammates. This group is everything Stony Brook lacrosse is all about, they work hard, are tough, and love playing lacrosse. We are excited to see how far we can go with the leadership of these men,” said coach Gilardi.

McCannell recorded 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists) in 2021 and was tabbed to the All-America East First Team. He was tied for fourth in the America East in assists and ranked sixth in the league in assists per game (1.36). The Orangeville, Ontario native scored a season-high five goals in a 22-8 win on April 24, 2021.

Lowd saw action in all 14 games last season and picked up 39 ground balls, which were the second-most on the team. He recorded 10 caused turnovers and scored his first career goal at UMass Lowell on March 20.

Pallonetti was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2021. He became the first student-athlete in America East history to win the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. Pallonetti recorded 55 points (36 goals, 19 assists) in his first season on Long Island. He ranked second in the America East in goals, second in points per game (3.93), and tied for fourth in assists per game.

Sabella had a standout season in 2021 as he was named to the All-America East First Team, America East All-Rookie Team, and America East All-Championship Team. He picked up 23 ground balls and registered 14 caused turnovers.

White appeared in 12 games, recorded eight points, which included three goals and five assists, and picked up nine ground balls. White scored the tie-breaking goal with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter to help lead the Seawolves to a 14-8 win over Bryant on February 20, 2021.

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Stony Brook is slated to play a total of 14 games, seven of which will take place at LaValle Stadium and it is set to host 2021 NCAA Tournament teams Rutgers, Syracuse, and Vermont.

“We are excited to announce our 2022 schedule. We have a very challenging non-conference slate that is designed to prepare us for a tough conference schedule. We are looking forward to the Long Island Cup event hosted at Hofstra this year. It is going to be a great event to highlight Long Island lacrosse as well as great preparation for the America East Tournament,” said coach Gilardi. “With the return of fans to LaValle Stadium, we are looking forward to big home crowds as we have one of the best home slates in recent years highlighted by 2021 NCAA Tournament teams Rutgers, Syracuse, and Vermont.”

The Seawolves begin the 2022 campaign with a pair of home games at LaValle Stadium. Stony Brook first welcomes Fairfield to Long Island on February 12, followed by a meeting with Robert Morris on February 19.

After playing two home games to get the season started, Stony Brook takes part in the LI Cup being hosted by Hofstra on February 25, and February 27. The Seawolves go head-to-head with New York foe St. John’s on February 25, and their opponent on February 27, will be determined following the opening round of the tournament.

Stony Brook returns home to host perennial NCAA Tournament contender Rutgers out of the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in 2021, where they fell to No. 1 North Carolina, 12-11, in overtime. The Seawolves are 6-6 all-time against Rutgers and it will be the first time that they host the Scarlet Knights since March 11, 2016, when they picked up a 15-6 win.

Following the meeting with Rutgers, Stony Brook travels to Providence, R.I. to face Brown on March 12. The Seawolves are back on Long Island for back-to-back home games, first against UMass Lowell in the America East opener on March 16.

The Seawolves then welcome national power Syracuse to LaValle Stadium on March 19. It will mark the second time in history that the teams play each other and the first time that they square off on Long Island. Stony Brook fell to Syracuse last season in the first-ever meeting between the teams at the Carrier Dome. The Orange advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, where they fell to Georgetown in the opening round.

After the two-game homestand, the Seawolves play four out of their final six games of the regular season on the road. Stony Brook heads to UAlbany on March 26, and then travels to play at Dartmouth on April 5. The Seawolves are back home to play host to NJIT on April 9.

Stony Brook travels to play at Binghamton on Friday, April 16, and at UMBC on April 23. The 2022 regular season finale is a rematch of the 2021 America East semifinals between Stony Brook and Vermont on April 30. Vermont went on to win the America East Tournament and earn the league’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament where it fell to Maryland in the opening round.

The 2022 America East men’s lacrosse tournament is set to take place from May 5-7, and will be hosted by the tournament No. 1 overall seed. The top four teams from the regular season will advance to the conference tournament.

The Seawolves return All-Conference selections Dylan Pallonetti, Mike McCannell, Michael Sabella, David Estrella, and Austin Deskewicz to their 2022 roster. In addition to being an All-America East First Team and All-Rookie selection, Pallonetti was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He became the first student-athlete in America East history to win the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.

Coach Matt Senk. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Baseball head coach Matt Senk has a long resume as he enters year 32 at the helm. National Coach of the Year, College World Series participant, New York State Baseball Hall of Famer, and now, he’ll be enshrined in another Hall of Fame.

The Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame announced its 20-person Class of 2022 and the College World Series participant will be honored at the ceremony on May 18 at East Wind in Wading River.

Coach Matt Senk

“I cannot thank Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director Chris Vaccaro and the induction committee enough for this incredible honor,” Senk said. “Undoubtedly, recognition such as this never happens if not for the unbelievable opportunity Stony Brook University gave me 32 years ago. Also, without the endless support of so many people involved with the Stony Brook Athletic department over those years; from equipment managers to athletic directors and everyone in between, I sincerely thank all of you. Most importantly, all of the amazing assistant coaches and young men that chose to be part of either our Patriots or Seawolves baseball program. Without all of you, this unquestionably could not have happened. For that, I am so proud and humbled to accept this induction in your honor.”

Senk joined the Seawolves program for the 1991 campaign and has posted 871 wins, including a program-record 52 en route to Omaha. That total is good for 17th-most among active Division I baseball coaches. In 30 full seasons on Long Island, Stony Brook posted 25 winning seasons and 15 seasons of 30 wins or more. Senk has led his team to six America East tournament titles and seven NCAA Tournaments and is coming off a regular season championship during the most recent campaign.

During his tenure, the Seawolves have had 27 players drafted into the major leagues, including six-time all star Joe Nathan. Stony Brook has also had four draft picks inside the top five rounds, including first-rounder Travis Jankowski. Five of those draft picks made appearances in the major leagues, including Jankowski who is currently in the Phillies organization.

Stony Brook is set to open the 2022 campaign on February 18 with a three-game set at McNeese State. The schedule is highlighted by 2021 Super Regional participant South Florida and regional top-seed Old Dominion before diving into its 30-game league schedule.

Members of the men's track & field team compete during last Saturday's meet. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University men’s track & field team got the 2022 Indoor season started at the Fordham Alumni Meet on Jan. 8 in the Bronx. The Seawolves got the season off to a strong start with five total wins in their season opener. 

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Aiden Smyth earned a win in the mile as he clocked a time of 4:16.03 to lead the way for the Seawolves. Smyth later joined the DMR team and helped the Seawolves to a win in that event with a time of 10:34.03. On the field, Darnell Paul recorded a win for the Seawolves in the shot put as he tallied a mark of 13.10m.

Timothy Weber won the 1000 meter run for the Seawolves as he crossed the finish line with a winning time of 2:32.32. Aiden Smyth picked up a win for Stony Brook in the mile run with a final time of 4:16.03. Conor Malanaphy finished right behind Smyth in second-place as he clocked a time of 4:18.44.

Darnell Paul took first-place in the shot put with a mark of 13.10m. Paul then recorded a mark of 12.45m in the weight throw. Michael Fama won the 3000 meter run as he crossed the finish line in 9:05.59.

The Stony Brook DMR team comprised of Malanaphy, Nicolas Lavazoli, Weber, and Smyth picked up the win as they combined for a time of 10:34.03. 

Anthony Urbancik earned a second-place finish in the 60 meter dash with a final time of 7.24. Urbancik later took second in the 200 meter dash as he clocked a time of 24.42.

The Stony Brook University women’s track & field team also got the season off to a strong start as they compiled five first-place finishes with Jada Hodge and Grace Weigele leading the way. Hodge picked up a win in the 60 meter dash, while Weigele won the 1000 meter run and helped Stony Brook’s DMR team to a first-place finish. Nicole Garcia earned a win in the mile and then joined Weigele to guide the Seawolves to a win in the DMR. 

Jada Hodge got the Seawolves off to a quick start in the 60 meter dash as she took first-place with a final time of 7.98. Nadja Ashley followed behind in second-place as she crossed the finish line in 8.13.

Grace Weigele earned a first-place finish in the 1000 meter run as she clocked a winning time of 3:07.85. Tara Hauff finished right behind Weigele in second-place with a time of 3:09.82. Nicole Garcia put together a standout performance in the mile run as she won the race with a time of 5:19.16. Merrick Hemond won the 3000 meter run with a first-place time of 11:22.70.

The Seawolves’ DMR team comprised of Weigele, Enyero Omokeni, Hauff, and Garcia tallied a first-place finish as they clocked a combine time of 12:51.45. Marina Magoulas recorded a mark of 9.44m in the shot put and then tallied a mark of 14.60m in the weight throw for a second-place finish.

“Today was all about taking another step towards normalcy. It felt good to be competing in an indoor meet for the first time in two years. Overall, we had some nice performances, notably, Nicole Garcia and Aiden Smyth who on top of winning their mile races, both anchored the DMR relays to wins. Other athletes that got their indoor season of to a winning start were Jada Hodge, Darnell Paul, and Grace Weigele,” said track and field head coach Andrew Ronan. 

“But now we need to focus on building towards the championship part of our season at the end of February. Each meet we compete in from this point on is going to get more competitive so we need to work on getting better individually and as a team every week,” he said.

The Seawolves are back in action on Saturday, January 15, when they compete in the Penn Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.