07/01/2003

This is the third in a series reviewing the year in athletics at colleges in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. The others were Providence College (6/17) and Brown (6/24).

Any description of the year in athletics at the University of Rhode Island must begin and end with the Ryan Center. Opened last summer after much discussion and feverish construction, the gleaming 8,000-seat, $54-million arena was a smash hit.

So were the basketball teams that call it home.

"I feel good about that," director of athletics Ron Petro
said last week. "It was very successful. People forget that it was only a year ago that we were dedicating this, and success was expected. We completed a building we had been working on for three years. We completed it on time and under budget. And we started with very nice events for the community."

URI President Robert L. Carothers
made it clear from the beginning that the Ryan Center is a showcase not only for the school and its students but also for the state and its people. Rhode Islanders trekked from all over for a community open house last June and oohed and aahed their way along the broad concourse, through the luxury suites and across the floor. They fell in love with the place.

Administrators worked out early kinks with parking and ticketing.

"Everything was brand new. It was a matter of finding mistakes and fixing them," Petro said.

The Ryan Center experienced its first memorable moment the first time it opened its doors for a men's basketball game. The Rams sent a near-capacity crowd home giddy after upsetting USC with last-second heroics. Similar thrillers against St. Joseph's, Duquesne and Seton Hall also made the Ryan Center highlight video.

"All last-second shots, four spectacular finishes, just storybook," said Petro, a former basketball coach and a man who has witnessed the highs and lows of URI hoops since 1992.

The women's basketball team did its job with an unexpected run through the Atlantic 10 Tournament at the Ryan Center. The Rams capitalized on their home-court advantage and reached the championship game. They lost the final to George Washington in Washington, D.C.

Pittsburgh, ranked No. 2 nationally at the time, drew the first official Ryan Center sellout. By the end of the season, the men had drawn almost 100,000 and the women almost 14,000.

USC, Pitt, the A-10 women's tournament -- Petro scheduled them all with an eye toward the opening of the Ryan Center. Providence College will make the trip this coming basketball season.

"When you're planning, it's nice to see all this come to fruition," Petro said. He is optimistic that this is just the beginning

"I have high expectations for continued success. Coach (Jim
) Baron
has brought in some good kids. Their grades are good. We have 16 home games next year. Coach (Boe
) Pearman
has everybody back from her women's team."

Another new facility, the $12-million Boss Ice Arena, also was a resounding success. URI's club hockey teams got a new home and hockey and skating fans got the first indoor arena in South County.

Petro also lauded golf, baseball, track and women's soccer. The golf team made its 12th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regional. The baseball team qualified for the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time in 19 years. The outdoor track teams won A-10 championships. The women's soccer team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Their success is part of the reason URI finished second in the A-10 Commissioner's Cup standing.

Fund-raising has improved under the direction of Louise Rosarbo
. The R.I. Ram Athletic Association collected almost $400,000 and various booster clubs $500,000 for the fiscal year that ended yesterday.

"We're looking at $900,000 for enhancements of individual programs," said Petro.

The A.D. has received a one-year contract extension and is eager to launch several projects that will enhance URI's status as a Division I program. He wants to add a grandstand to the Ryan Center side of Meade Stadium and is projecting completion for the 2004 season. He would like to build a weight room in a courtyard behind Keaney Gym, expand the training room in Keaney and renovate the football offices. Target date is the 2005-2006 academic year.

Here's the summary:

MEN'S BASKETBALL: 19-12, 10-6 Atlantic 10. Tied for first in A-10 East; most-improved team in New England; reached second round of N.I.T.; Baron named A-10 coach of year.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: 16-15, 5-12 A-10. Shayla Johnson
made A-10 all-defensive tea and Denise King
all-tournament team; broke total attendance record of 7,038 set in 1996.

BASEBALL: 26-26, 16-8. Tied for first in A-10 East; made A-10 Tournament for first time since 1984; Reid Willett
drafted by Cubs, Jared Trout
by Athletics; Frank Leoni
named A-10 coach of the year.

WOMEN'S SOCCER: 16-6-1, 10-1. Set school record for wins; won A-10 regular season and reached second round of NCAA Tournament, losing to UConn, 2-1, in overtime; freshman Melani Kasparek
made second-team All-America; Geoff Bennett
named A-10 and Northeast Regional coach of the year.

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK: Won second consecutive A-10 championship; Andre Reid
was outstanding field performer, Eric Groce
rookie of the year and John Copeland
coach of the year.

WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK: Won third consecutive A-10 title; Pascale Delaunay
named outstanding field performer.

FOOTBALL: 3-9, 1-8. Freshman Jayson Davis
set quarterback rushing record with 697 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kicker Shane Laisle
was All-Atlantic 10 and A-10 All-Academic.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Finished 10th at A-10 meet.

GOLF: Made 12th consecutive NCAA appearance. Won fourth straight New England championship; Tom Drennan
won seventh consecutive NCAA East Regional coach of the year award.

MEN'S SOCCER: 11-6, 6-2. Finished fifth in A-10; Peter Benevides
of Bristol made All-New England.

MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING: Finished seventh at A-10 meet.

MEN'S TENNIS: 14-8, 7-7. Finished 11th at A-10 Championships; Nick Barbera
was 8-1 in singles.

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK: Finished second at the A-10 meet. Colin Aina
won the long jump and 55 hurdles.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Finished third at the A-10 Championships. Freshman Kristen Coon
was fifth and named most outstanding rookie performer; finished 11th at NCAA Northeast Regional.

FIELD HOCKEY: 1-17, 1-5. Jess Weber
and Kelly Johnson
names All A-10.

GYMNASTICS: 6-18. Emily Domenick
finished 19th in all-around at NCAA meet.

WOMEN'S ROWING: finished second at ECAC Metro Championship and second at A-10 championships. Marilyn Woodford
made All-New England.

SOFTBALL: 21-22, 8-8. Finished fifth in A-10; pitcher Jenna Thurston
of Swansea and Case High School was rookie of the week four times.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING: Finished seventh at A-10 Championships.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: 7-7, 2-2. Finished 10th at A-10 Tournament.

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK: Finished second at A-10 Championships and fifth at New Englands.

VOLLEYBALL: 11-16, 7-7. Finished sixth in A-10.

How do they rate?

How do local colleges fare nationally? That's the purpose of the NACDA Directors Cup, a collaboration between the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors and USA Today.

Schools that qualify for national championship tournaments in 12 men's and 12 women's sports become eligible for a NACDA ranking. Teams receive points based on their finish in those national competitions. Of the 318 schools in NCAA Division I, 268, or 84 percent, scored points.

Stanford finished first with 1,420.5 points. Texas was second with 1,094 and Ohio State third with 1,074.8. Brown tied with Colorado State for 90th place, each with 184 points. Providence College was No. 101 with 169.5. URI tied with Idaho for No. 182 with a 70.5.

In Division II, California-Davis was first with 857 points. Bryant was No. 104 with 146. Of the 283 schools in Division II, 215 (76 percent) scored points.

Williams College won the Division III Directors Cup with 1,158.25 points. Wheaton was No. 21 with 405.25. The rest of the Division III schools here were near the bottom of the pile: Roger Williams No. 203 with 55; Johnson & Wales and Salve Regina tied for No. 211 with 50; UMass-Dartmouth No. 245 with 25 and Rhode Island College No. 275 with 18.5.

There are 424 Division III schools, and 281 (60 percent) scored points.

Anchor away

Rhode Island College's third annual Anchor Club Golf Day is scheduled for July 21 at Pawtucket Country Club. The cost is $150 for the usual round of golf, refreshments and favors. Call the RIC athletic department at 401-456-8007 to register.

Mike Szostak can be reached at mszostak@projo.com