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Lady Cougars fall in double-overtime

By Andrew Crofts

The fifth-seeded Genesee Community College women’s basketball team traveled to fourth-seeded Erie Community College on Wednesday night for the play-in round of the Region III Division II tournament and the right to move on to the weekend‘s final four at Mercyhurst North East. The two teams split the regular-season series with one win apiece, each team winning on the road.

The Lady Cougars opened the game by taking a 5-0 lead less than a minute in. Their press-defense kept Erie off the scoreboard for more than the first three minutes of the game before the Lady Kats converted on two free-throws to end the drought. Erie scored five more unanswered points to grab the lead, a lead they would hold on to for quite some time. Trailing 14-9 halfway through the opening twenty, Jasmine Armstead (Rochester, NY) hit her second three-pointer of the half as the shot-clock expired to draw Genesee back within two. The Lady Cougars would then struggle, scoring only seven points in the final ten minutes of the first half, and trailed 26-19 at the break. They were just 8 of 38 shooting from the field in the opening twenty minutes.

(#14 Nanase Akagami looks for #15 Carrie Blunt in GCC's double-overtime loss to Erie Community College on Wendesday night)

ECC scored the first eight points of the second half and took their largest lead at 34-19 with 17 minutes remaining in regulation. After Genesee head coach Christie McGee-Ross called a timeout, the Lady Cougars started to come back. Carrie Blunt (Syracuse, NY) and Nicole Laird (Alexander, NY) combined to score GCC’s next seven points and trimmed the Erie lead to ten. The Lady Kats extended their lead to 13 before Genesee made another push. Blunt and Armstead each hit two free-throws and cut the lead to single digits with just over ten minutes to play. After a Rachel Kohlhagen (Attica, NY) layup got GCC to within four, Blunt tied the game at 48 with back-to-back short jumpers. Erie then used a timeout to their advantage, going on a 9-0 run after the stoppage to take back the lead. Blunt then went back to work and scored two straight baskets to make it a 57-52 game with just over four minutes remaining. A Chyna Lennox (Moseley, VA) free-throw and another three-pointer from Armstead followed an ECC basket to get GCC back to within three before the Lady Kats went on a 7-0 run in a two-minute span to once again take a double-digit lead at 66-56. Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) then converted on four straight free-throws to make it a 66-60 game before Blunt and Lennox each scored a bucket, making it 66-64 with less than a half-minute to play. After an ECC free-throw, Lennox banked one in with 14 seconds left to bring GCC to within one at 67-66. The Lady Cougars sent Erie back to the free-throw line where they converted both freebies to take a three-point lead with ten seconds left. Needing a triple to tie, Genesee was unable to get a good look from three-point range and instead settled for a layup from Blunt, cutting the ECC adavntage to one at 69-68 with under three seconds to play. The ensuing inbound was then stolen by Kohlhagen who was fouled while shooting as time expired. With no time left on the clock, the sophomore missed the first free-throw but made the second to tie the game at 69 and send it to overtime.

(Chyna Lennox (yellow) puts in two of her 14 points on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Region III Division II women's basketball tournament)

Lennox gave Genesee the lead to start the extra session with a quick basket, and the Lady Cougars led 75-72 with just over two-minutes to play after a couple of Jalessa Rogers (Syracuse, NY) free-throws. An ECC basket made it a one-point game with 30 seconds to play before Armstead once again extended the lead to three, going two-for-two at the free-throw line. Erie transitioned quickly, however, and tied the game at 77 with a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining. Lennox gave GCC the lead back with a layup with ten seconds to play, but the Lady Kats were able to get the equalizer with five seconds left and sent the game to double-overtime, the score all tied at 79.

The Lady Cougars played the majority of the second overtime without their top-three scorers. Blunt and Golden each fouled out in the first overtime and Armstead followed less than a minute into the second overtime. Genesee never had a lead during the second extra-session and were outscored 12-7. It took ten extra minutes, but the Lady Cougars eventually fell to the Lady Kats, 91-86.

Blunt led all scorers with 31 points and also collected 21 rebounds. She scored 27 of her 31 points in the second half and the first minute and a half of overtime before fouling out. Armstead finished with 15 points and eight boards, Lennox tallied 14 points and also collected nine rebounds, Rogers chipped in with 11 points and Golden nabbed 12 rebounds and finished with four points.

The loss ends the season for Genesee. They finish the year with a 9-22 overall record and were 4-7 in conference play during the regular season and tournament play. With the win, Erie Community College moves on to the semi-finals of the Region III Division II tournament and will play the number one seed Mercyhurst North East Lady Saints on Saturday afternoon at Mercyhurst North East.

LEGO and robotics aficionados invited to GCC maze race

By Daniel Crofts

The following is a press release from Chantal Zambito:

Calling all NXT/RCX Robotic Clubs, Groups, Teams, and Enthusiasts!

If you are between the ages of nine and 14, you are invited to Genesee Community College, in Batavia, to participate in a friendly maze race. Whether you are a novice or an experienced user of the NXT/RCX Robotic software, this is for you.

The event will take place on Thursday, March 15, in conjunction with Tech Wars. Registration will begin at 9 a.m., with the events lasting from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

The teams will create a catapult to a launch marshmallows from a designated point. The three teams with the furthest launch will receive a prize, and all teams will receive a certificate of participation. The best distance will be taken from each group’s three launches.

Come and look at the 2011 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge Missions, projects, and presentations from local teams. Information on how to get a Robotics Club started at your school or in your community will be available at the event.

If you are interested, the registration deadline is Feb. 18.

For a map of the launch pad, registration form, or more information about the NXT Challenge at GCC, contact Chantal Zambito at gcc.robotics2011@yahoo.com. For more information about Tech Wars go to http://www.techwarsgcc.org.

Lady Cougars roll Niagara

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College women’s basketball team closed out the regular season with a victory at Niagara County Community College on Saturday afternoon, cruising past the Lady Thunderwolves 90-52.

Jasmine Armstead (Rochester, NY) put the Lady Cougars in front 4-0 early on, scoring the first two baskets of the game. NCCC took it’s only lead with 12 minutes to play in the first half when they made a 7-0 run to take a 12-9 advantage. Genesee responded with a 19-0 run of their own and regained the lead for good. Carrie Blunt (Syracuse, NY) scored 14 points in the opening twenty minutes and started a 19-3 run to end the half for GCC, giving the Lady Cougars a 52-27 advantage at the break.

Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) scored 12 points in the second half to keep Genesee comfortably in the lead, as the Lady Cougars gave up back-to-back NCCC baskets only one time during the final twenty minutes. Chyna Lennox (Moseley, VA) played well inside, scoring ten of Genesee’s 52 points in the paint. Blunt finished the afternoon with 20 points and 13 rebounds, Golden added 19 points, Armstead tallied 14 points and Lennox ended with 17 points and grabbed eight boards.

Genesee finishes the regular season with a 9-21 overall record and a 4-6 conference record. They will now move on to the Western New York Athletic Conference Tournament. The first round will send Genesee to Erie Community College on Wednesday night to take on ECC, with the winner moving on to the weekend’s final four which will take place at Mercyhurst North East.

Genesee earns #2 Seed

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College men’s basketball team controlled their own destiny on Saturday afternoon when they traveled to Niagara County Community College. A win and the Cougars would earn the second seed and a first-round bye in the Western New York Athletic Conference Tournament and a free pass into the semi-finals. A loss and the Cougars would host a play in game on Tuesday night for the right to move on to next weekend‘s final four. Not wanting to have to play the extra game, Genesee defeated NCCC for the second time this season, beating the Thunderwolves 80-70.

The Cougars trailed only once in the game when NCCC jumped out to a 3-0 advantage on their first possession. Mike Glenn (Fairport, NY) and Kenton Chan-Man (Brooklyn, NY) quickly erased that deficit with back-to-back three pointers to give Genesee the lead. Genesee held Niagara in single-digit scoring for more than the first eight minutes of the game and opened up a 21-9 lead. Donte Meredith (Bronx, NY) came off the bench to score eight first half points to help the Cougars to a 40-25 advantage at half time. Tyshawn Ferguson (Chicago, IL) cancelled out a number of NCCC scoring chances by taking four first half charges.

Glenn extended the Genesee lead to start the second half by scoring the Cougars first five points before having to leave the game due to injury. GCC held their largest lead at 20 points when they led 55-35 with twelve minutes to play. Niagara made a mid-half run to cut the lead to ten before Kevin Nascimento (New York, NY) and Meredith hit back-to-back three’s to extend the lead once again. The Thunderwolves did score the game’s final seven points, but ran out of time and could not mount a comeback.

Meredith finished with a game high and career high 18 points, Ferguson recorded a 14-point 14-rebound double-double, Chan-Man netted 14 points, Nascimento added 12 points and six rebounds, Glenn scored 11 points before leaving the game and Deylon Bovell (Brooklyn, NY) chipped in with ten points.

The Cougars finish the regular season with an 18-11 overall record and a 10-4 record in conference play. The win gives GCC a first round bye and a pass until Saturday, when they will play the winner of Niagara County Community College and Mercyhurst North East. That game will be played on Tuesday night at Niagara County Community College.

Lady Cougars fall to Alfred State

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College women’s basketball team dropped their final regular season home game of the season to Alfred State College on Tuesday night, falling to the Lady Pioneers 86-74.

After an even start, Genesee took it’s first lead late in the opening twenty minutes, when back-to-back baskets from Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) and Jalessa Rogers (Syracuse, NY) gave the Lady Cougars a 21-17 advantage with six minutes left to play. Golden scored ten first half points before The Lady Pioneers closed the half on a 14-7 run and held a 31-28 lead at the break.

Genesee fell further behind to start the second half as Alfred State increased its lead to twelve at 53-41 behind 13 quick points from Haley Witchella. GCC fought back and got an old fashion three-point play from Rogers to make it a six point game with about four minutes left to play before Witchella and the Lady Pioneers took back control and extended their lead back to twelve for the win.

Rogers scored 15 second half points and had 17 total in the ball game. Golden finished with a team high 18 points and also grabbed nine rebounds, Chyna Lennox (Moseley, VA) chipped in with 14 points and Jasmine Armstead (Rochester, NY) added nine points. Witchella finished with 34 points, 27 in the second half, and 26 rebounds for Alfred State.

Genesee falls to 8-21 on the year and will finish out the regular season on the road Saturday when they travel to Niagara County Community College for a 1pm start.

Glenn's 37 helps GCC down Alfred State

By Andrew Crofts

It took a comeback on “Sophomore Night” for the Genesee Community College men’s basketball team, but the Cougars earned a conference win in their final regular season home game of the season against Alfred State College on Tuesday night, 85-82.

Mike Glenn (Fairport, NY) got the Cougars off to a fast start by scoring 16 of the team’s first 18 points of the game. Despite the hot start from Glenn, the Cougars struggled, only shooting 29% from the floor in the opening twenty minutes. The Pioneers took advantage of GCC’s poor shooting and six first half three-pointers of their own to grab a 13-point, 43-30 lead at the half.

Alfred State held their largest lead at 15 points early in the second half before the Cougars made their comeback. Genesee made a 12-4 run in a four-minute span to trim the Pioneer lead to one at 56-55 with just over nine minutes left to play. After an Alfred State basket, Tyshawn Ferguson (Chicago, IL) and Kenton Chan-Man (Brooklyn, NY) each capitalized on three-point plays to give the Cougars the lead back at 61-58. Chan-Man went on a stretch where he scored nine straight points to extend the GCC lead to nine, and went 4-4 at the free-throw line down the stretch to help the Cougars hold off the visitors.

(#21 Mike Glenn scores 37 points in GCC's win over Alfred State)

Glenn finished with a game high and a season high 37 points and also grabbed seven rebounds. Chan-Man finished with 25 points, Ferguson added nine points and Deylon Bovell (Brooklyn, NY) chipped in with eight points and nine boards. Genesee improves to 17-11 on the season and will close out the regular season this Saturday at Niagara County Community College at 3pm.

Genesee snaps losing Streak

By Andrew Crofts

Riding a two-game losing streak, the Genesee Community College men’s basketball team needed a win against Jamestown Community College on Saturday afternoon to keep their hopes for a top seed in the Western New York Athletic Conference playoffs alive. The Cougars got that win, downing the Jayhawks, a team that defeated them by three earlier in the season, 68-59.

Genesee fell behind early thanks to four-of-six shooting from three-point range for Jamestown. A Kevin Nascimento (New York, NY) layup tied the game at 20 with four minutes to go in the first half before Mike Glenn (Fairport, NY) scored the final seven points in the opening twenty minutes to send GCC into the locker room with a 30-25 lead.

Glenn finished a 10-0 run of his own by hitting his first three-point shot attempt to start the second half to give the Cougars a 33-25 lead. Genesee did not trail in the second half but saw their lead drop to as low as six, when Jamestown made it a 55-49 game with 2:30 remaining, before Tyshawn Ferguson (Chicago, IL) completed a three-point play to stretch the lead back to nine. GCC finished the game off at the free-throw line and snap their short two-game losing streak, beating the Jayhawks to even the season series at one win apiece.

Five Cougars finished the afternoon scoring in double figures, led by Kenton Chan-Man (Brooklyn, NY) and Glenn who each finished with 18 points. Ferguson ended with 12 points and Deylon Bovell (Brooklyn, NY) and Nascimento each finished with 10 points.

Genesee improves to 16-11 on the season and are now 8-4 in conference play. They will host Alfred State College on Tuesday night at 8pm for their final regular season home game of the year.

Comeback win for Lady Cougars

By Andrew Crofts

Trailing by 14 with a little over eleven minutes to play, Genesee Community College women’s basketball Coach Christie McGee-Ross called a timeout to get her team to calm down. The result, a 38-15 run to end the game on Saturday afternoon, earning a 73-64 victory over visiting Jamestown Community College.

The Lady Cougars began the afternoon by shooting only a little better than 23 percent from the floor in the first half. They trailed by ten at the break, 29-19.

The pivotal timeout in the second half came with 11:32 to go in the game and Genesee trailing 49-35. After the timeout, Carrie Blunt (Syracuse, NY) and Jasmine Armstead (Rochester, NY) combined to go on an 8-0 run to inch the Lady Cougars closer. With 5:30 remaining, GCC trailed 49-55 before Jalessa Rogers (Syracuse, NY) and Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) scored four points each in a span of three minutes, eventually tying the game at 57-57. Chyna Lennox’s (Moseley, VA) free-throws with 1:40 left gave GCC a 61-60 lead, their first since a 9-8 advantage just eight minutes into the game. Genesee would not relinquish the lead and closed out the game at the free-throw line, earning their third conference victory of the season.

The Lady Cougars saw two players end the afternoon with double-double’s. Golden tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds and Blunt had 11 points and 15 boards. Rogers grabbed 15 rebounds to go along with six points, Armstead finished with a game high 21 points and Lennox chipped in with ten points. Genesee improves to 8-20 on the season and are now 3-5 in conference play. They will host Alfred State College on Tuesday night at 6pm for their last regular season home game.

Health career job fair March 8 at GCC

By Billie Owens

Genesee Community College will host a Job Fair dedicated to careers in the health career industry from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 inside the William Stuart Forum.

The event is designed to introduce potential new employees to employers, and also provides health care businesses an opportunity to present their trade and services to the local community. More than 25 local and regional health care companies and four year schools will be available to answer questions, accept resumes and distribute material relating to their company / school.

Nursing, physical therapy assistants and respiratory care, polysomnographic technology, veterinary technician, and fitness and recreation management businesses will all be represented.

"With the increasing need for qualified health care professionals, this Health Careers Job Fair gives students and employers a great opportunity to connect," said John McGowan, Career Services Center coordinator.

The job fair is FREE and open to the general public. For a current listing of registered employers / schools, please visit the Career Services Web page at www.genesee.edu.career/events. Employers interested in attending the fair should contact the Career Services office at 585-345-6888 to register for this event.

So far, the following employer representatives will be available to distribute career information and other printed materials, answer questions, and receive resumes: (This list is subject to change.)

All Creatures Animal Hospital
Catholic Health System
Erie County Medical Center Corp
Finger Lakes DDSO
HomeCare & Hospice – Warsaw
Jewish Home of Rochester
Lifetime Assistance, Inc.
Monroe Community Hospital
Monroe Veterinary Associates
New York Army National Guard
NYS Veterans Home at Batavia
Orleans Community Health (Medina Memorial Hospital)
PSA Healthcare
Rainbow Preschool
Rehab Resources & Little Lukes
Thompson Health
United Memorial Medical Center
Unity Health System
University of Rochester Medical Center (Strong Memorial Hospital) – Physical Therapy
Wesley Gardens
Daemen College
Keuka College – Accelerated Studies for Adults Program
Roberts Wesleyan College
St. John Fisher College – Wegmans School of Nursing
The College at Brockport – Army ROTC
The College Network
Trocaire College
University of Rochester School of Nursing

Tuesday is 'Foam Finger Night' at college basketball games

By Billie Owens

Genesee Community College and the campus radio station 90.7 WGCC will host "Foam Finger Night" on Tuesday, Feb. 21 during the men's and women's basketball games against Alfred State College.

The first 50 Genesee fans to the women's game and the first 50 people to the men's game will receive a limited edition WGCC/Cougars foam finger.

Additional foam fingers will be sold for $5, with all proceeds going to the college radio station for new sportscasting equipment. Donations will also be accepted.

"It will be a lot of fun," said WGCC sportscaster Jon White, who will also be broadcasting the games on the radio. "I hope it brings a lot of excitement and a lot of people out to support the Cougars and watch two very good basketball games."

Tuesday will also mark the last regular season home game for both the men's and women's basketball teams. They will honor each member of their sophomore class with a pregame ceremony, recognizing their accomplishments as a member of the program.

Both teams are currently ranked third in their respective Western New York Athletic Conference Coaches Poll and are fighting for better position in the post-season, which begins on Feb. 28.

Admission for both games is free of charge. The women's game will begin at 6 p.m. and the men's game will follow at around 8 p.m. The pre-game ceremonies will begin approximately 15 minutes before tip-off of each game.

Dry spell hurts Cougars

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College men's basketball team hoped to avenge a February 2nd loss to Monroe Community College on Tuesday night, going on the road to face their Western New York Athletic Conference rival.

The Cougars began the night by not allowing Monroe a basket for the first five minutes of the game. Genesee only managed four points during that time and when Monroe finally did score, it was the beginning of a 12-0 run that gave the Tribunes a 12-4 lead with eleven minutes left to play in the first half. Trailing by eight with about five minutes left, Mike Glenn (Fairport, NY) drew Genesee back within two at 20-18, scoring back-to-back three pointers. The Cougars kept pace and Kenton Chan-Man (Brooklyn, NY) sent the game into halftime all tied at 26 with a last second layup.

After an even start to the second half, the Tribunes scored on back-to-back three point possessions and the Cougars trailed 49-43 with eleven minutes remaining in the game. GCC did not go away and Glenn was able to tie the game at 49 with a dunk that even brought the MCC crowd to their feet, and then gave Genesee a 52-49 lead after converting on an old fashion three-point play. Monroe then went on a 10-0 run in a span of two minutes that gave the Tribunes a 59-52 lead with just over six minutes to play. The Cougars went two more minutes without scoring a basket before a Tyshawn Ferguson (Chicago, IL) layup ended a nearly four minute drought. Genesee did fight back and trailed 66-64 with 18 seconds left to play. Sending Monroe to the free-throw line, the Cougars missed an opportunity when the Tribunes missed both free throws. Unable to grab the rebound, GCC had to send Monroe back to the free-throw line where they were able to close out the game. The Tribunes sweep the season series with GCC, winning Tuesday night 70-66.

Glenn finished with a game high 27 points. Chan-Man was the only other Cougar in double-figures, finishing the night with 12 points. Dijon Wright (Philadelphia, PA) had a strong night down low, grabbing 14 rebounds.

Genesee falls to 15-11 on the season and 7-4 in conference play. They will host Jamestown Community College on Saturday at 3pm.

Comeback falls short for Lady Cougars

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College women's basketball team was hurt by a slow start at Division I Monroe Community College on Tuesday night, and fell to the Lady Tribunes 73-62.

Both teams met just twelve days ago with Monroe beating Genesee 84-30. Tuesday night began similiarly as Monroe turned a 25-15 lead with ten minutes to play in the first half into a 47-22 lead at the intermission. Genesee struggled offensively, shooting just 23% from the floor in the opening twenty minutes. The second half was a much different story for the Lady Cougars, as they showed life before ultimately running out of time. Trailing 50-23, Genesee started to get things going when Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) scored four straight points to inch GCC closer. Carrie Blunt (Syracuse, NY) scored 16 of her team high 18 points in the final half and the Lady Cougars eventually made it a four-possession ball game. The deficit was too much, however, as GCC eventually ran out of time. Genesee outscored Monroe 40-26 in the second half and shot better than 48% from the field.

Blunt also grabbed eight rebounds for GCC, Golden finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, Chyna Lennox (Moseley, VA) scored 13 points and Jalessa Rogers (Syracuse, NY) added nine points.

The Lady Cougars fall to 7-20 on the season and will host Jamestown Community College on Saturday afternoon at 1pm for their next contest.

Lady Cougars snap losing Streak

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College women's basketball team snapped a five game losing streak at Erie Community College on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Lady Kats 73-53.

Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) led the way for Genesee with 21 points and 10 rebounds and was 12-13 from the free throw line. Chyna Lennox (Moseley, VA) added 15 points, Jalessa Rogers (Syracuse, NY) had 10 points and eight rebounds and Jasmine Armstead (Rochester, NY) chipped in with nine points.

Genesee trailed by one point early on in the contest, but never trailed again after that. They lead 35-28 at the half and had a lead as large as 20 with three minutes remaining. The Lady Cougar bench outscored the Lady Kats bench 19-9 and GCC recorded 30 points in the paint.

The win is the first since January 19th for GCC, when they defeated Niagara County Community College. The Lady Cougars improve to 7-19 overall and are now 2-5 in Western New York Athletic Conference play. They head to Monroe Community College on Tuesday for their next contest at 6pm.

Genesee falls at #8 Erie

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College men's basketball team led #8 Erie Community College by as many as 15 points in the first half on Saturday, before the Kats turned it around on their home floor to beat the visiting Cougars, 99-89.

GCC defeated Erie 101-94 back on January 26th when Erie was ranked #7 in the NJCAA Division II National poll. The Cougars got off to a fast start and led by 15 halfway through the first half before the Kats responded. Erie took a 54-49 lead into halftime.

Erie extended their lead in the second half to as many as 19 points behind balanced scoring. The Kats had a total of five players in double-figures. The Cougars never regained momentum in the second twenty minutes and lose for the third time in the Western New York Athletic Conference this season (7-3).

Deylon Bovell (Brooklyn, NY) led the way for Genesee with 28 points. He was six of eight from three-point range. Tyshawn Ferguson (Chicago, IL) had a strong afternoon scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds and Kenton Chan-Man (Brooklyn, NY) finished with 24 points.

The Cougars fall to 15-10 on the season and will travel to Monroe Community College on Tuesday night for an 8pm start.

Bovell scores 30 in Cougar Victory

By Andrew Crofts

Deylon Bovell (Brooklyn, NY) scored a season high 30 points on Thursday night as the Genesee Community College men’s basketball team defeated Mercyhurst North East for the second time this season.

The Cougars built a 15 point, 19-4 lead about seven minutes in with Michael Glenn (Fairport, NY) scoring seven points, including an old fashion three-point play, in the early going. GCC kept their 15 point cushion and had a 33-18 lead with eight minutes to go before the Saints made a push and drew within nine to close the half. Genesee led 48-39 at the break.

The Saints kept pace during the start of the second half and were within seven before the Cougars took control, going on a 7-0 run at one point and scoring 19 of the next 26 points. GCC never had a lead drop below 14 and cruised to the 21-point, 102-81 victory.

(Deylon Bovell slams home two of his game high 30 points)

Bovell scored 16 of his 30 points in the second half and was five of six from the field during the second twenty minutes. Kenton Chan-Man (Brooklyn, NY) scored 22 points, Glenn finished with 20 points, Tyshawn Ferguson (Chicago, IL) added 11 points and nine rebounds and Terryl Coombs (Brooklyn, NY) grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Cougars previously defeated the Saints 96-68 back on January 11th.

Genesee improves to 15-9 on the season and are 7-2 in conference play. They will travel to Erie Community College on Saturday afternoon for a 3pm tip.

Shooting drought dooms Lady Cougars

By Andrew Crofts

A cold stretch to start the second half doomed the Genesee Community College women’s basketball team on Thursday night, as they went nearly eleven minutes without a basket against visiting Mercyhurst North East.

The Lady Cougars trailed by just four at the half, getting nine points from Jasmine Armstead (Rochester, NY) and six points from Carrie Blunt (Syracuse, NY) in the opening twenty minutes and out-rebounded the Lady Saints 29-21.

Mercyhurst North East was able to increase their lead in the second half as Genesee started 0-23 from the field before Rachel Kohlhagen’s (Attica, NY) basket with nine and a half minutes remaining ended the drought. Despite being down as many as 15, the Lady Cougars made a push and got to within six with about three minutes to play. The Lady Saints were too strong, however, hitting four out of four free throws down the stretch and held off GCC to win 55-48.

(Jalessa Rogers' (white jersey) defense is not enough for struggling Lady Cougars)

Armstead finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Blunt tallied 13 boards and 11 points and Kayla Golden (Lackawanna, NY) chipped in with seven points and 14 rebounds.

The loss drops Genesee to 6-19 on the season and 1-5 in conference play. They will travel to Erie Community College on Saturday afternoon for a 1pm start.

Leisure Learning expands at GCC with new courses for adults 50 and older

By Billie Owens

Adults age 50 and over now have more opportunities to pursue leisure-time learning with new courses in history, languages, hobbies, travel, and other subjects at Genesee Community College. Thanks to an initiative of The BEST Center, 15 courses have been added to the Leisure Learning roster.

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Eunice M. Bellinger reported this to the Board of Trustees on Monday evening.

The courses are designed to help senior adults explore personal interests and build new skills, Bellinger said. They do not carry academic credit, and will be offered during the evenings and weekends, and the summer months.

Over the next four months, Leisure Learning courses will cover such topics as "Quick and Easy Italian," "Geocaching 101," "Quilting," "Watercolor," and a variety of courses in scrapbooking, Civil War history, and family law. A tentative schedule of upcoming Leisure Learning courses is available at http://www.genesee.edu/best/development/leisure-learning/.

The cost for each course varies, and ranges from $10 to $99.

The college is planning educational tours for interested residents. Housing at College Village will be available for out-of-area seniors who want to participate in Leisure Learning courses during the summer.

Faculty and staff are eager to share their skills and knowledge with the community in informal settings.

"We believe our new Leisure Learning program will bring the college's expertise to many residents over the age of 50 who are eager to learn, and eager to explore new interests," Bellinger said.

Area residents are also invited to complete a survey of their educational interests. It is available at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EGQ7R6K59/.

Country music's Ramblin' Lou Family Band and Canada's 'Polka King' to play at GCC

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee Center for the Arts is delighted to be welcoming the First Family of Western New York's country music scene, the Ramblin' Lou Family Band. Special guest will be Canadian "Polka King" -- Walter Ostanek.

They will perform at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19 in the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College in Batavia. Those who love country-Western music should get their tickets soon since this one-show-only event will likely sell out!

Ramblin' Lou Family Band has delivered a lifetime of good country music, family fun and entertainment across Western New York and the nation to audiences of all ages. They have, in fact, become a mainstay at Erie County Fair playing for more the 45 consecutive years! They also draw loyal audiences to many other local events including Canal Fest, West Seneca Town Park, Cheektowaga Seniors, and countless festivals.

Self-taught Ramblin' Lou sings and plays guitar; his wife, Joanie, a trained and accomplished musician, sings and plays lead guitar, their son, Lou Jr., plays the drums, while daughter, Linda Lou, sings and plays the bass. Lynn Carol plays keyboards.

Together, their cheerful disposition and down-home friendliness can't be beat. Through their many years of performing, audiences have consistently remarked how joy and happiness radiate from this fun-lovin' family and their talented friends.

Ramblin' Lou (whose seldom-heard last name is Schriver), grew up in Tonawanda and fell in love with the beat and melody of country music when he was a boy. He and his granddad would travel around Pennsylvania on Saturday nights entertaining the locals at fire halls with square dances. At the age of 9, he got his first guitar. As a teenager he approached a local radio station about a live music show and his original 15-minute program eventually grew to three hours.

He now owns and operates WXRL-AM (1300) radio and tours national country music events. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and the Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In addition, he and his wife are members of the "Walkway of Stars" in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lou is also in Nashville's D.J. Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 seniors (55+), $5 for GCC staff and high school students and $3 for GCC students. Don't wait long, tickets are going fast!

For ticket information or reservations, contact the Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office at 345-6814, or by email at boxoffice@genesee.edu. The Genesee Center for the Arts Box Office accepts cash, checks and credit cards. For door-to-door directions, sent via email, visit www.genesee.edu.

Cougars earn eleven first place Finishes

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College swimming and diving team hosted the “Last Chance Invitational” on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Jamestown Community College and Herkimer County Community College to the Genesee Aquatic Center.

While team scores and combined scores were not kept, the Cougars earned first place finishes in eleven events on the day.

The men’s 200 yard medley relay team of Yusuke Inami (Chikusei, Japan), Max Brady (Akron, NY), Robert Harder and Ben Tyx (Alexander, NY) kicked off the afternoon with a first place finish and a time of 1:49.42. Smith followed with victories in the 100 yard and 200 yard freestyle, beating out fellow teammate Brandon Schwab (Gainesville, NY) in the latter, who swam the second best time in the seven swimmer race.

(Robert Harder does his part in the 200 yard medley relay)

Inami continued his impressive season by breaking his own school record in the 200 yard IM, his sixth record of the year, with a finishing time of 1:58.23. He also earned the top time in the 100 yard breaststroke and was part of the winning 400 yard freestyle relay team.

Schwab beat the field in the 500 yard freestyle and Jake Rudnik (Pembroke, NY) was the winner of the 200 yard breaststroke.

Kylie Bank (Alexander, NY) topped the women’s 100 yard breaststroke and beat the field by more than five seconds, while Emily Mott (Oakfield, NY) earned a second place finish in the 100 yard butterfly and a third place finish in the 200 yard IM.

The meet concludes the regular season for the squad who will begin the post-season on February 17th at a time and location to be determined.

Grant will help fund job training for food-processing work

By Howard B. Owens

The county is scheduled to receive a $7,200 grant to help fund training for potential food-processing workers, as part of the Finger Lakes Food Processing Cluster Initiative.

The grant will likely assist Genesee Community College in developing food-training classes, said Scott Gage, director of the Job Development Center, and comes at a good time, with companies like Alpina opening factories in Batavia, along with existing businesses such as Yancey's Fancy in Corfu.

"Workers need to learn manufacturing techniques, process control, and health and safety issues," Gage said. "We’re seeing this as a tool to help us with these new businesses moving into the town."

Steve Hyde, CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, said there is an effort going forward from government agencies, schools and food-processing companies themselves to create a better trained work force for these types of businesses.

He said developing such tech-based job-training programs (and food processing is now a tech-based job) is hugely important for the region.

"We are better aligning education with industry needs," Hyde said. "If you really start being able to deliver (a better trained work force), boy, you are at a key strategic advantage (for attracting new businesses to the area)."

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