Friday, April 19, 2013: Opponents step up in a time of need

   Leading off today: Albany CBA assistant lacrosse coach Rich Scully passed along a great story today, expressing his gratitude to a couple of opponents in the aftermath of former CBA multi-sport standout Torey Williams' death in a motorcycle accident on April 6.

   CBA played Suffern the day after Williams' death, but memorial services and related obligations derailed a planned swing through Western New York to take on St. Francis last Friday and St. Joe's last Saturday.

   The St. Francis game had to be scrapped, but St. Joe's graciously agreed to play Sunday at 4 p.m. instead. On top of that, Syracuse CBA coach Ric Beardsley and AD Buddy Wleklinski offered to fill the opening in the schedule with a game -- a Brothers vs. Brothers clash -- last Monday.

   "When we arrived in Syracuse they informed us that there were 'retiring' their uniform #3 in honor of Torey for the game and coach Beardsley gave each CBA Albany player a #3 sticker for their helmet," Scully wrote. "CBA Syracuse was also wearing the sticker. Prior to the start of the game both 'Brothers teams' met at midfield for a 'team' picture. It was an awesome moment and will be remembered by our players for a long time to come.

   "It was great to receive such huge displays of sportsmanship when you take into consideration we had never played St. Joe's before and last played CBA Syracuse in 1998."

   Albany CBA ended up losing both games to slip to 5-2 for the season, but came out a winner in a larger sense.

   Siena success: Siena College coach Ali Jacques, fresh off her first season at the school, had a productive week on the recruiting trail.

   Albany point guard Emia Willingham-Hurst signed her letter of intent to attend Siena and play basketball at the college next fall, and Penfield junior Margot Hetzke announced she'll sign her letter of intent later this year. The 5-foot-11 forward has led the Patriots to three straight Monroe County league titles and has 1,461 points and 743 rebounds with a season to go.

   Swimming rules revisions: High school swimmers in the breaststroke event will now be permitted to use a single butterfly kick on the start or turn at any time prior to their first breaststroke kick, the swimming and diving committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations announced this week.

   “It was extremely difficult for officials to observe and consistently judge the initiation of the arm stroke on the start and turns,” Becky Oakes, NFHS director of sports and staff liaison to the committee said in the announcement. “The committee wanted to provide consistency for the swimmers as to when the butterfly kick is permitted and the observation by the officials across all lanes for a legal or illegal use of the butterfly kick. Swimmers may now use the butterfly kick in the location that best benefits the individual swimmer before the breaststroke kick.”

   In a procedural change, competitors will no longer be disqualified on the starting blocks if an illegal suit is

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discovered. Instead, the swimmer in violation will be disqualified at the conclusion of the heat.

   “Having swimmers step down from the platform prior to the start of a race is not the most desired way to enforce a penalty,” Oakes said. “It is awkward for the swimmers to get up and down from the platform, and it may disrupt the focus of the other swimmers who are within the rules.”

   How cool is this? "Track Coach" is the official technical publication of USA Track & Field, which is to say it's the officially endorsed "how-to" manual. The Spring 2013 edition was recently published, and it features an extensive interview with Bill Aris, coach of the immensely successful boys and girls cross country programs at Fayetteville-Manlius.

   Distressing statistic: The New York Daily News was reporting recently on the growing trend of local high school basketball players picking the junior-college route rather than heading to prep school to gain eligibility at a four-year college.

   As enlightening as the story was, it was hard to read beyond the fourth paragraph:

   "And for a city whose public school league produced just one Division I boys player last year who was academically eligible — Wings Academy’s Justin Jenkins (Fairfield) — junior college has become more than just a popular option — for some it’s essential."

   One academically eligible D-I player? One academically eligible D-I player from the entire PSAL? Are you freaking kidding me?

   That's completely unacceptable in too many ways to count.