Johnson, Ridgeway named to D2 All-Region team
KUTZTOWN >> For the first time in program history, two members of the Kutztown University men’s basketball team were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) Division II All-Region Team, which was released on Monday.
Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./ Norristown) joined Marty Eggleston (1987-88) and Stephen Dennis (2009-10) as the only NABC All-Region First Team selections in program history, while Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) was selected to the Second Team to join that trio as the only ever Golden Bears to be named NABC All-Region.
The Atlantic Region, home to five of the top-10 teams in the NABC Division II Men’s Basketball Poll, is arguably the deepest Region in Division II men’s basketball.
Johnson’s honor comes a week after he was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Atlantic Second Team for a second consecutive year, joining Dennis (2008-09 & 2009-10) as the only player in KU men’s basketball history to be recognized as D2CCA All-Region twice in a career.
The accolades adds to a growing list for Johnson, who has also been selected All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East three times, including being voted the 2016 PSAC East Athlete of the Year and 2017 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year to become the first player in league history to receive both honors. He was also named the 2016 KU Male Athlete of the Year and was selected to the 2017 Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Media Organization’s Team of the Year.
Ridgeway was voted All-PSAC for the first time in his career in 2016-17, joining Johnson on the First Team.
Johnson and Ridgeway were a part of one of the most successful seasons in program history this year, helping Kutztown (264) end its season with the secondmost wins in a single season in program history, trailing only the 2008-09 team’s 28. Notably, the Golden Bears set the school record with 18 PSAC victories and tied a 100-year-old record with an 18game win streak.
Johnson led KU and was second in the PSAC with a 62.7 field goal percentage, which currently ranks 13th in the NCAA and fifth in the program’s single-season history. He also led the Maroon and Gold at 7.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, which were eighth and ninth, respectively, in the league. The twotime team captain’s 1.5 steals and 15.2 points per contest were 15th and 18th, respectively, in the conference’s rankings.
Johnson ends his career in the top-seven in program history in several statistical categories, including second all-time with 883 rebounds and 669 field goals. His 1,702 points rank third, while his 345 career free throws are fourth.
He is sixth all-time with a 59.8 field goal percentage and seventh with 124 blocks.
Ridgeway had the most prolific season by a point guard in Kutztown history, setting both the single-season and career assist mark in 2016-17, in addition to breaking the single-game school record with 14 assists three times.
Ridgeway ended the year with 260 assists, which placed him in fifth in PSAC single-season history. His 8.9 assists per game led the conference and currently rank second in the NCAA. He broke the previous single-season KU record of 170 assists in just 21 games and became the program’s alltime assist leader on Feb. 25 in a PSAC quarterfinal victory over West Chester.
Baseball
WILSON, N.C. - Despite holding a multi-run lead in both contests, the Kutztown University baseball team ended its Spring Break trip with a pair of one-run, walk-off losses at Barton on Saturday afternoon, falling 8-9 in the opener in nine innings before dropping the nightcap 6-7.
Ending its Spring Break trip 2-5, KU will head north over .500 at 8-7 on the young season.
In the opener Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./ Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)) became the first Golden Bear since March 5, 2011 to record five hits in a game, while his four runs scored were tied for the most by a Golden Bear since that same date. He also scored four runs earlier in the season on Feb. 26 vs. Bloomsburg. He finished a perfect 5-for-5 with two doubles, and in addition to the four runs, he also stole a base.
Santospago then went 1-for-3 with a walk and a key two-RBI double in a five-run fourth inning in the nighcap to complete his day 6-for-8 with three doubles.
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) was the lone Golden Bear with two multi-hit performances on the day. He recorded his second three-hit game of the season in the opener, finishing 3-for-4 with a careerbest three RBI, before going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the nightcap.
Ryan Clow (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) pitched admirably in relief in the first game to help give Kutztown a chance to comeback, throwing three innings without allowing an earned run. He scattered five hits, struck out two and walked two.
Softball
CLERMONT, FLA. >> The Kutztown University softball team (13-8) completed its last day of competition at the NTC College Spring Games on Friday with two tightly-contested victories over Dominican College (3-1) and the University of Bridgeport (3-2) at the Legends Way Ballfields.
The Golden Bears took a 10-day hiatus before returning to action against Bloomfield College in New Jersey on March 27. The first game of the doubleheader is set to start at 2:30 p.m.
Men’s Track & Field
Two Golden Bears finish in the top-six of their respective events Saturday to highlight the Kutztown University men’s track & field team’s final day at the 49er Classic.
Jared Luckanitz (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) led three Golden Bears in the 800m run. In a field of 86, Luckanitz finished in second place in a careerbest time of 1:52.59. Not only was it a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) mark, it jumped him up to second in school history. It was KU’s best time in the event in 20 years and was less than a second off the school-record.
Andrew Thompson (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) was 21st in the 800m in 1:58.07, followed by Jose Colon-Cruz (Pemberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) in 25th in 1:58.40.
Jhaloni Johnson (Flourtown, Pa./Springfield Township) finished in sixth place in the final of the 200m. He finished in 21.97 seconds for a solid showing in the first outdoor meet of the year.
In the field, Brandon Raguz (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) was the top finisher for KU with a fourth-place finish in the pole vault at 15-3, a PSAC height.
Women’s Track & Field
CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> The Kutztown University women’s track & field team had three field competitors finish in the top-10 of their respective events Saturday, highlighting the final day of the three-day 49er Classic.
Macey Tanseco (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) had the best overall finish for KU Saturday. She finished fifth in the shot put and posted a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) mark of 43-7.75.
Indoor national qualifier and conference champion McKenzie Fagan (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) opened her outdoor season with a seventh-place finish in the high jump. She cleared a PSAC height of 5-3 to lead three Golden Bears in the event. Shelby Samuels (Bensalem, Pa./ConwellEgan Catholic) and Rebecca Tooker (Sandyston, N.J./ Kittatinny Regional) both cleared 5-1.
Taylor Downey (Hammonton, N.J./ Hammonton) finished ninth in the javelin with a career-best throw. Her top throw measured 1254, a PSAC distance that improved upon her sixth-best mark in school history.