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4SUNYAC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS

102SUNYAC ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS

10SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

2ECAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Athletics Enhancement Fund

Coach Don Axtell

Axtell was the baseball coach at SUNY Oneonta for 30 years and led the program to many successful seasons during his tenure. His teams won or shared 10 SUNYAC titles and, Axtell is the last coach to lead the Red Dragons to a conference championship, which came in 1993. Along the way he guided Oneonta to its only two ECAC Championships, which he did in 1974 and 1975 and was selected as SUNYAC Coach of the Year four times with the last coming in 1989. Axtell won more than 400 games during his career with a better than .500 winning percentage.

The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) honored Axtell in 2007 by naming the conference Pitcher of the Year Award in his honor. Red Dragon hurlers have won the award three times the last coming in 2014 when Steve Ascher was selected.

A native of Waverly, N.Y., Axtell was a high school standout basketball and track & field athlete while lettering one year in baseball. Axtell was inducted into Waverly’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.

Axtell was a scholarship basketball player for Duke University during the 1952-53 season before being drafted into the Army where he served during the Korean War.

Axtell attended Ithaca College from 1957-60 and received a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1960. While at Ithaca, Axtell was a member of the football and basketball teams. Prior to his arriving in Oneonta in 1965, he taught and coached for five years at Lavonia and Clarkstown High Schools and Delhi Tech.

Axtell left a legacy of excellence at Oneonta being inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001 and, in the fall of 2014, his No. 14 was retired.

Coach Don Axtell Athletics Enhancement Fund

To permanently honor Coach Axtell’s legacy, the Coach Don Axtell Athletics Enhancement Fund has been established through the College at Oneonta Foundation. The goal is to raise $50,000 to name the new baseball field scoreboard after Coach Axtell. Once endowed, this fund will provide annual support for student athlete opportunities, its programs and the special needs of intercollegiate athletics.

Individuals who contribute at least $1,000 towards the initial $50,000 will be recognized on a permanent plaque adjacent to the new scoreboard.

I want to support the Coach Don Axtell Athletics Enhancement Fund!

Name:Address:City: Zip:Cell #:Email:

Gift Amount:Method of Payment Cash Check enclosed(payable to SUNY College at Oneonta Foundation)

Credit Card (circle one):Visa MasterCard AmEX DiscoverCard#Exp. DateSignature

You can also make your donation online at www.oneonta.edu/give

Giving Levels: All-Star ($1,000-4,999)MVP ($5,000-9,999)Legend ($10,000+)

Hello to all. My name is Rick Yandoli and I am a 1977 graduate of O-State and someone who had the privilege of playing baseball for Coach Don Axtell.

Coach Axtell is a truly remarkable man. He left a lifelong impact on my life, as I know he has for many others as well. He has meant the world to me for so many reasons and those who had the opportunity to play for him, certainly remember the important lessons that he taught us through baseball that had tremendous application to our own lives.

Among the many things that Coach Axtell stressed to his players was the importance of pride, hard work, perseverance, accountability, teamwork, and a quest for excellence. His dedication to upholding these standards is unmatched and unquestionably is what set him apart from all of his peers on and off the field. His work ethic, vision, integrity, sincerity, and moral aptitude were all vital components in helping him achieve the tremendous record and legacy that he amassed over his 30 years of coaching baseball at Oneonta State. Without question, he put Oneonta State on the map while also playing a major role in helping the college achieve the great “Brand Status” that it currently enjoys as an institution.

As some of you might know, there is a vehicle in place to recognize Coach Axtell for all of his excellence and to also acknowledge his legacy. The Coach Don Axtell Athletics Enhancement Fund has been created with the identified goal to raise $50,000 to name the new baseball field scoreboard after Coach. This is a well-deserved honor for Coach Axtell and we could not think of a more appropriate way to honor this great man and coach. Please also note, that once endowed, the fund will provide annual support for student athlete opportunities and for its various programs. If you would like to contribute to the Coach Don Axtell Athletics Enhancement Fund, please visit oneonta.edu/give.

As we embark on this important endeavor to honor Coach Axtell, it would also be prudent to recognize the truly fantastic things that have been achieved at Oneonta State over the years while also celebrating the positive and rewarding elements that are presently in place now at our great institution. This fund will continue to provide unquestionable value to all students for many years to come.

I’m looking forward to work towards making this initiative for Coach Axtell a successful one and to secure recognition forever.

My best to all and lets rock and roll and get this done.

Thanks very much for your time and consideration.

Rick YandoliAthletics Hall of FameClass of 2013

“Anyone who knows Coach Axtell, worked with him or was coached by him knows he is a man of great integrity and compassion and was beloved by his student athletes. Rick’s call to action is a splendid affirmation to this truth. This fund will serve to support student athlete initiatives that promote greatness, the greatness that Coach Axtell expected and delivered for 30 years.”

Thank you in advance for your support!Tracey RanieriSUNY Oneonta Director of Athletics