UALBANY HIRES MAIRIN DUDEK AS ASSISTANT SOFTBALL COACH

     Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany head softball coach Chris Cannata has hired Mairin Dudek as an assistant coach as announced on Friday, March 23.
     Dudek, a three-year starter at Ithaca College, comes to UAlbany after a one-year stint as the head softball coach at Fisher College, an NAIA program in Boston, Mass. While at Fisher, Dudek also served as the sports information director and was involved in creating the program's Athletics Hall of Fame. As a coach for the Falcons, Dudek was named the Sunrise Conference Coach of the Year and her team earned the league's team sportsmanship award.
     Prior to her time at Fisher, Dudek served as the head coach at Wheelock College, an NCAA Division III school in Boston. The 2005 Wheelock squad earned the President's Cup Award for the highest team grade point average.
     Dudek earned a bachelor's degree in sport management from Ithaca in September 2002. A four-year letterwinner and two-time captain, Dudek was a member of the 2002 Division III national championship team and participated in four Division III World Series. She was also named to the 2001 and 2002 Northeast Regional All-Tournament team.
     UAlbany won the America East Conference title and reached the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year in 2006.