The 2012 John “Doc” Joiner homecoming weekend will begin this Friday, Sept. 28, with collegiate and alumni games occurring throughout the college wide event. On Friday night, there will be a golf clinic at the Athletic Center at 5 p.m. and a baseball alumni social at 7 p.m.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Softball field will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m., where athletes, coaches and others in the Le Moyne community can come together to support the new addition to the athletic program. This modern field was a project years in the making, finally reaching completion just before the fall semester began.
“One of the things envisioned was the opportunity to make the whole North end of campus sophisticated,” stated athletic director, Matt Bassett. “As you drive up the road, you get a modern perspective of the college.”
Not only does the field help bring a more modern change to athletics at Le Moyne, but it also allows more members of the community to access the field. The addition allows for more seating, and has helped solve the water problem that constantly plagued the old field.
“I have been here for five years and the softball field was in disrepair because of the water it would retain. It was costly just to keep water and puddles cleaned up,” Bassett explained. “There was not enough room for spectators, and golf carts had to be used to provide handicap access. We knew we had to rebuild it. It was part of the plan before the final touches were even made on the turf.”
Carol Jones, an alumna of the softball program and current president of the Dolphin Athletic Association, will be throwing the first pitch of the alumni game after the ceremony.
In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, there will also be swimming and diving, softball, lacrosse and basketball alumni games throughout the day.
The women’s soccer team will be playing UMass-Lowell at 12 p.m., while the women’s tennis team will face Queens College at 1 p.m. at Skytop.
Another main event on Saturday is the Gold Wave Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 6 p.m. The Hall of Fame will be inducting the new class of 2012: Michael Montesano ‘95, Susan Reilly ‘88, Ted Grant ‘51 and the 2004 Men’s Lacrosse National Championship team. Ted Grant is a special inductee into the hall of fame, who did not play on a team at Le Moyne, but has been a constant leading supporter to the athletics program.
“He has been one of the most generous contributor in dollars, time and heart in the athletic program,” said Bassett. The induction of the lacrosse team marks the second team to be inducted into the hall of fame, with the induction of a former men’s basketball team last year.
“Two years ago, the bylaws were rewritten to expand different recognition of people who help out individual athletes, honorary for service and teams,” Bassett added, discussing the different qualifications for being inducted into the hall of fame.
On Sunday, Sept. 30, the Athletic Center will be holding a Cross Country Fun Run at 9:30 a.m., turf field dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. and the women’s volleyball team against UMass-Lowell at noon. Men’s lacrosse and volleyball alumni games will be occurring throughout the day as well.
For more information on homecoming events this weekend, visit www.lemoynedolphins.com.
