Four Cougars Earn All-American Honors in Men's Lacrosse

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Hnidy

BATAVIA, NY (05/25/2016)(readMedia)-- The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) named four members of the national champion GCC men's lacrosse team to its list of 2016 All-Americans, which was announced by the association on Tuesday.

Sophomore defender Reed Hnidy (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) and freshman attacker Pat Van Bortle (Fairport, NY) were both named to the All-American First Team and sophomore attacker Jacob Bomberry (Six Nations, ON) and sophomore midfielder Mike Caternolo (Churchville-Chili, NY) were named to the All-American Second Team.

Hnidy, a team captain and All-American selection in 2015, was also named to the All-Region III and All-Western New York Athletic Conference (WNYAC) first teams this season and currently ranks third all-time in the program's history with 186 career ground balls. He added nine points in 2016, scoring four goals and assisting on five and caused 55 turnovers, which led the team. Hnidy was recently named a State University of New York (SUNY) Scholar Athlete and is committed to Lake Erie College (OH).

Van Bortle led the country with 69 goals this year and tallied the second highest points total in single season for the Cougars, finishing the spring with 118. Named to the all-region and all-conference first teams this year, Van Bortle scored the game-winning goal in the NJCAA National Championship game in overtime to help GCC defeat Onondaga CC, ending a seven-year title run by the Lazers. He was one of only two freshmen to garner first team All-American honors this year.

Bomberry, an All-American Second Team selection last season and team captain this year, finished the spring with 60 goals and 37 assists, totaling the sixth highest single season points total at GCC with 97. The 60 goals were third highest in the country and he leaves the program third all-time in career points with 175, fourth in goals with 101 and fourth in assists with 74. Bomberry was also named to the all-region and all-conference first teams this year.

Caternolo leaves as the career leader in ground balls (275) and face-off win percentage; winning better than 69% of the face-offs he took (437 for 626). He collected 24 ground balls in a game against Hudson Valley CC on Apr. 1 to set the single-game school record and his 237 ground balls in 2016 were the second highest total in the country. Also named all-region and all-conference, Caternolo is committed to Belmont Abbey College (NC).

Genesee captured the program's first-ever national championship this spring and finished the 2016 season with a 15-4 overall record. The Cougars became just the third different team to win the national championship in the last decade.

Genesee Community College athletics program endeavors to provide a quality and competitive intercollegiate athletics program consistent with the National Junior Collegiate Athletics Association (NJCAA) philosophy and the overall educational mission of Genesee Community College. Participation in collegiate athletics should be an extension of the total educational experience for the student athlete. The inherent philosophy emphasizes the athletic setting as a classroom used to teach character, commitment, work ethic, respect for differences, and the importance of sacrifice, teamwork, and cooperation.

For further information and pictures go to Genesee's Athletic webpage, which is updated regularly with game results, team rosters, photographs and information about Genesee's overall athletic program. http://www.geneseeathletics.com