The Liberty League is celebrating its 25th anniversary during the 2019-2020 academic year. Originally founded as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) in 1995, the conference was renamed the Liberty League during the summer of 2004. Each Thursday throughout the year, the Liberty League will be celebrating its silver anniversary by recognizing outstanding teams and individuals from its rich 25-year history.
Few Liberty League programs have matched the run of success that Skidmore College has demonstrated in women’s tennis. The Thoroughbreds are one of three conference teams to have won Liberty League/UCAA women’s tennis championship titles and they have done so in dominating fashion, claiming 15 championships, including the last nine straight dating back to the spring of 2011.
However, this most recent run wasn’t Skidmore’s first streak of winning conference championships with the Liberty League, then UCAA, as the Thoroughbreds won the league’s first six titles from 1996 through 2001.
During this time, Skidmore had its best season in program history during 1997-98 where the team posted a 21-1 overall record, which included 19 straight victories en route to an NCAA Division III Championship title. Skidmore’s lone loss was to Amherst College in the regular season dropping a 5-4 decision to the Mammoths in the fall, a loss the team would avenge in the NCAA semifinals.
Skidmore cruised through the NCAA Tournament, beating Luther 6-3, Emory 6-3, Amherst 5-2, and defending national champion Kenyon in the championship match 5-1.
After winning the team championship, Jamie Levine dominated opponents on the way to the NCAA Division III singles title. She also advanced to the NCAA Doubles semifinal with Inke Noel. Levine won the 1998 championship in just 47 minutes with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kenyon’s Caryn Cuthbert.
Levine is Skidmore’s first (and only) NCAA individual champion and she finished her career with a 129-19 overall singles record. She was also recognized as a six-time All-American (four times in singles, twice in doubles). Levine was part of a squad that won four New York State titles and four UCAA championships. She appeared in four NCAA tournaments as an individual, advancing to the singles semifinals during her rookie campaign in 1995 and the championship match for three consecutive seasons (1996, 1997 and 1998). She was the individual runner-up in 1996 and 1997 before winning the singles championship title her senior year. Levine was the recipient of the 1998 Skidmore College Senior Athlete award and she was selected as the 1998 Honda Award Sports nominee in Tennis.
The 1998 Skidmore Women’s Tennis team, one of seven teams to win a Division III national championship as a member of the Liberty League/UCAA, was comprised of six student-athletes—Levine, Noel, Ann Gruber, Lisa Powers, Samantha Brophy and Heather Wood.
In 2004, Skidmore created its Athletics Hall of Fame and both the team as well as Levine (as an individual) were honored as part of the Hall of Fame’s first class of inductees.
25th Anniversary Spotlight Series:
10/24/2019 - 1999 St. Lawrence University Men's Soccer
10/31/2019 - Sara Artus, Clarkson University, Volleyball (2008-2011)
11/7/2019 - Ali Marpet, Hobart College, Football (2011-2015)
11/14/2019 - 1997 William Smith College Field Hockey
11/21/2019 - Grant O'Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cross Country/Track & Field (2015-2019)
11/28/2019 - Andrew Franks, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Football (2011-2015)
12/5/2019 - 2013 William Smith College Women's Soccer
12/12/2019 - John Coleman, Clarkson University, Basketball and Baseball (2011-2015)
12/19/2019 - Nickie Griesemer, Ithaca College, Swimming & Diving (2013-2018)
1/2/2020 - Kelly Donnelly, Skidmore College, Women's Basketball (2014-2018)
1/9/2020 - Richie Bonney, Hobart College, Men's Basketball (2010-2014)
1/16/2020 - Taryn Cordani, Ithaca College, Cross Country/Track & Field (2014-2018)
1/30/2020 - Amr Khalifa, St. Lawrence University, Men's Squash (2012-2016)
2/6/2020 - Cydni Matsuoka, Vassar College, Women's Basketball (2010-2014)
2/13/2020 - Edvinas Rupkus, Skidmore College, Men's Basketball (2015-2019)
2/20/2020 - Kevin Makarowski, Union College, Men's Swimming & Diving (1993-1997)
2/27/2020 - Kyle Bartlett, University of Rochester, Women's Track & Field (2015-2019)
4/9/2020 - Heather Ingraham, Vassar College, Women's Track & Field (2012-2015)
4/16/2020 - Stephen Goodridge, University of Rochester, Men's Golf (2004-2008)