With the conclusion of the annual athletics banquets, the 2023-2024 competition cycle has officially concluded. The past year was full of excitement both on the court and on the field, with exciting changes to come.
The year got off to a hot start with the addition of new Athletic Director Brandon Padgett in April 2023. Padgett came to Shenango with over ten years of NCAA Division I coaching experience and brought a renewed vision to the department that saw an immediate impact.
Fall 2023 competitions were kicked off by our women's volleyball team in August. While the team finished with a 2-19 record, the team spoiled rival Penn State Beaver's senior night and saw several program records set.
"Through the adversity of the season, the team came out much stronger and more capable," Director of Student Affairs Andy Puleo said. "We have some exceptional players that we will be welcoming back, and a lot of exciting new student-athletes coming in."
"There were definitely some excellent players to build upon, and the unbelievable job of recruiting that was done by Sports Information Director and recruiting coordinator Evan Gruver, in conjunction with new Head Coach Andrew Frank, has put us on a path toward success," said Athletic Director Brandon Padgett. "We are bringing a roster of young women to campus that is much larger, very talented, and ready to meet the challenges of a new season head on. I cannot wait to see what this team does this coming fall!"
The team has a lot to look forward to with 10 new players joining the squad next fall.
The golf team competed in several local tournaments, performing well over the course of the season, with players shooting career lows throughout. Senior Gianna Effinite consistently competed at a high level and was named the 2023 USCAA National Female Golfer of the Year.
"This past golf season was a lot of fun to watch," said Padgett. "With the influx of players to the roster, the team got drastically stronger in a short period of time, and our roster continues to grow with talented players for this upcoming year. Growth has been the focus, and that is exactly what is happening, and it is exciting to see!"
Men's and women's basketball offered excitement this past season too, with the women's team qualifying for the USCAA National tournament for the first time in program history. The men's team finished with a 9-20 record while the women's team finished 18-9.
"Qualifying for the USCAA National Tournament for the first time was an amazing accomplishment," Padgett said. "With so many players returning, the 2024-2025 edition of this team should be even better! I am really looking forward to seeing just how high this team can climb, and to see our staff continue to build upon this past year's success."
Padgett also noted the resilience of the men's basketball team throughout a challenging season and is looking forward to the future with the forthcoming announcement of a new head coach.
"Their talent level is high, and combined with the new coaching staff, next year could be something special to watch."
Finally, the men's baseball team launched their inaugural season earlier this year. Head Coach Carmen Nocera brought in over 30 new student-athletes to campus and made the most of the talent on the field, finishing the year with a record of 18-12, and even breaking into the USCAA top 15 in the middle of the season.
"Being a first-year program is difficult, and this team excelled at a level that is not indicative of a first-year program," Padgett reflected. "We are extremely excited about what the future holds for this team. Coach Nocera and his staff did an exceptional job managing this extremely young roster, and the recruiting has been, and continues to be at a high level."
Academics has been a strong focus from the beginning of Padgett's tenure at Shenango, and the student-athletes responded by achieving a combined grade point average of 3.113, which is quite impressive, especially with the addition of a brand-new team with so many first-year students. "I could not be prouder of the overall effort that our student-athletes put forth this past academic year. It took time for them to adjust to the much more rigorous academic standards, but they did it. I know that their grades will continue to improve, as we work to increase academic support options at their disposal."
The upcoming 2024-2025 season will be the first for the new Cross Country program added at Penn State Shenango this spring. Visit the Shenango Athletics website for updates throughout the summer as we prepare for competitions to resume in August.