Laura Guncheon ’02
A native of Port Allegany, PA, Laura played for two years on the softball team and four years on the volleyball team at Pitt-Bradford from 1999-02. She received her bachelor’s degree in administration of justice in December 2001.
The words that best describe Laura are athletically gifted and incredibly intelligent. As a multi-sport athlete, she earned the respect of her teammates not because of her quiet leadership but from her ability to dominate her opponent. Laura embodied the team concept by being the “go to” teammate who always seemed to answer the call. She was a player who would always strive to better her game but never at the expense of her teammates.
As a three-year captain on the volleyball team, Laura is the Lady Panthers’ career leader in kills with 1,566, 207 aces and 1,595 digs. She ranks second in games played with 411 and is fifth in blocks with 171. She holds the single-season record for kills at 480 and 68 aces in 2001. In 1999, Laura set the school mark for kills with 31 in one match.
Laura was the 1998 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year and was named to the AMCC first team all four years in volleyball. In 2001 she was honored as the league’s Most Valuable Player and was named Pitt-Bradford Female Athlete of the Year her junior and senior seasons. Laura did not just excel athletically but academically as well. She had eight consecutive appearances on the dean’s list with four semesters of a 4.0. She was awarded the Pitt-Bradford and AMCC Female Scholar- Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002 as she ended her career with an overall GPA of 3.96.
Eric Haynoski ’04
A native of Bradford, PA, Eric played on the baseball team at Pitt-Bradford from 2000-03. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications in December 2003.
There is no doubt that Eric led by example. He had an ability to transform himself between the white lines. His intensity on the field was matched by no other player. As a dual-positioned player for the Panthers, he left everything he had on the field each game.
Eric was a pitcher and left fielder on the baseball squad. He was named Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference honorable mention as a freshman, conference co-MVP, first team in his sophomore year and first team as a junior pitcher. Despite a season- ending injury, he earned second team during his senior year. Eric holds career school records for batting average with .381, on-base percentage at .447 and fewest walks allowed per nine innings at 2.51 on the mound. He is fifth in career runs scored with 85 and logged the third-lowest pitching ERA at 4.94.
His .475 batting average in 2001 was ranked second in the nation and is still the highest in Pitt-Bradford’s history. Eric led the Panthers to back-to-back AMCC championships in 2001 and 2002 and earned the Panthers their first NCAA appearance in 2002.
