Monday, August 25, 2014

Lycoming College athletics announces staff promotions

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – To begin the 2013-14 academic year, Lycoming College director of athletics Mike Clark has announced several administrative changes within the department. Women’s soccer coach Eric Lewis and women’s basketball coach and Senior Woman Administrator Christen Ditzler have each added the titles and responsibilities of assistant director of athletics. In addition, Joe Guistina has been promoted to associate director of athletics for communications.

The addition of two assistant athletic directors came after a study of the administrative setup of fellow Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) schools as well as the entire Division III landscape. It allows Lycoming to put a greater emphasis on the day-to-day athletics operations as well as areas such as compliance and facility management.


“I am extremely happy that Eric and Chris have welcomed their new roles within the athletic department,” Clark said. “Eric has quickly become an invaluable resource in our department. He has a long history with Division III athletics and he has previously served as a compliance coordinator, which makes him a natural fit for this role. Chris is someone whose everyday professionalism and organizational skills make her a natural fit for an increased role in athletic administration. She is someone who truly cares for all the athletes at this school and being able to expand her role is something that we feel is very important for the success of the department. Joe, likewise, has been an invaluable resource since I came on as AD and his promotion owes much to the amount of work that he does on a daily basis for the department.”

In 14 seasons as a head collegiate coach, Lewis has amassed an overall record of 140-130-18. In his first year as head coach at Lycoming in 2013, Lewis started a building process, which was highlighted by a 2-1 overtime win over Susquehanna University in the River Derby, the first time the Warriors won the trophy game at home. Lewis coached one All-American, four all-region student-athletes, six all-state performers and 19 All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) selections at Guilford College, where he spent 11 seasons before coming to Lycoming. Guilford played in two ODAC Tournament finals under Lewis, reaching the championship match in back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006.

Now entering her 23rd year at Lycoming College and her 22nd as head coach of the women’s basketball team, Ditzler is one of the most well-respected coaches and athletic administrators in the Middle Atlantic region. Along the way, the Warriors have reeled in more than 200 wins and posted eight appearances in the conference playoffs  on the hardcourt. Also the softball program's all-time wins leader, posting 235 wins from 1993-08, Ditzler also won 13 matches as the volleyball team's coach in 2000, leaving her seven wins away from becoming the first coach in Lycoming's school history to win 500 games entering the 2014-15 season.

Guistina is entering his fifth year at Lycoming College. He oversees all media relations efforts for the Warriors' 17 athletic programs, including serving as webmaster of athletics.lycoming.edu and keeping statistical records for all of the athletic department's teams. Since coming to Lycoming, Guistina coordinated and wrote "200 Memories: An athletics retrospective" to coincide with the school's bicentennial in 2012. He oversaw the launching of the school’s first web streaming platform and also helped implement a new athletics visual identity as well as launch the first redesign of athletics.lycoming.edu.