Hitting the Links:10/7/2010

Hello, AExtra fans!

Today, the Links would like to point out a few things that America East schools have been doing off the court/field. America East teams day in and day out that the conference is for more than just athletics. Players and coaches often participate in community service projects (AExtra even published an article this week showing Boston University men's basketball players participating in a breast cancer walk). Student-athletes often prove that they are students first and athletes second. Today, the Links brings you just a sampling of these exploits from America East student-athletes.

On Sunday morning, more than 125 Stony Brook student-athletes participated in the 17th-annual Walk for Beauty. The event, sponsored by Stony Brook University Medical Center and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, raises money to go to breast and prostate cancer research.

Another group of America East student athletes involved in a run/walk last weekend was the Vermont men's basketball team. The team ran in the Kevin Roberson 5K Memorial Run/Walk last Saturday. Proceeds from the event go to the Kevin Roberson Scholarship Fund, set up to assist "eligible student-athletes in pursuit of their athletic and academic passions."

Vermont lacrosse is also getting into the charitable spirit. This upcoming Sunday, the Catamounts host the Catamount Classic-Lacrosse for a Cure, a fall lacrosse tournament to benefit testicular cancer research. In the first two years of the event, nearly $60,000 has been raised and donated. Two other America East lacrosse teams, Albany and Hartford, will also be playing in the event.

Another way Albany is getting involved in the fight against cancer is through Coaches vs. Cancer. This year, the head coach for the Great Danes men's basketball team, Will Brown, will team up with Siena head coach Mitch Buonaguro at the Coaches vs. Cancer Basket Ball in Troy, N.Y., on November 3. For more on this story, check out the blog post at the Albany Times Union.

Academically, two America East softball teams and their players have been recognized recently for their achievements in the classroom. The Binghamton University softball team was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) as the program with the eighth-highest team grade point average in the nation. Additionally, nine players from last year's squad earned NFCA scholar-athlete honors, recording GPAs of at least 3.5 for the 2009-10 academic year. Albany had seven of its softball players named to the NFCA scholar-athlete list.

This is just a view of activities and publications of the exploits of America East student-athletes this week. All year, the young men and women of America East teams work to make an impact in the community and in the classroom. We here at AExtra, through both features and the Links, will continue to showcase how those scholar-athletes from all nine universities make their collective presence felt.

Until tomorrow, this is the Links, signing off.