SUNY Potsdam Athletics

Bailey Weigel is one of the best two-sport athletes to ever compete for SUNY Potsdam. She battled for the Bears on the basketball court for four seasons and tore up the turf for the women's lacrosse team for three. In many of those contests, she made the difference between victory and defeat.
 
Weigel, who is from East Amherst, N.Y., had her love of sports instilled in her by her parents. They were both athletes themselves and both from the Southern Ohio area. Every time she traveled to Ohio to visit family, they'd be sure to attend a Reds game. She also grew up playing sports with her older brother Nick and lots neighborhood friends.
 
"I was a very big tomboy growing up," said Weigel. "I grew up with a brother and some close family friends who only had boys. So I was kind of the only girl in the backyard or the only girl on the blacktop and I kind of just grew up around sports in general. I realized early on that I was pretty athletic and could hang with the boys. So that's just sort of how my entire childhood was really. Just kind of outside with the neighborhood kids playing sports and then watching them on TV at night."
 
Weigel's mother Laura was a softball player and her father Mark played basketball and taught her the jump shot that is familiar to many Welsh Gymnasium fans. Mark also coached Nick's baseball team and Nick played the sport for Medaille College. So Weigel had sports in her blood and plenty of opportunities to compete.
 
When she was little, Weigel was a standout baseball player in her league, just one of three girls in with the boys. She admits her career on the diamond came to an abrupt end when she began to face real pitching and was hit by a pitch. At the same time she was exploring other sports, most notably basketball.
 
"I think I started playing basketball in third or fourth grade and immediately fell in love with the game," Weigel said. "I really do feel like I had a knack for it and most importantly, a really deep love for it."
 
She progressed on the court year-by-year, but it was making the JV team that made her first realize that she could really excel in the sport.
 
"That was always kind of like a big deal to be a middle schooler on one of the high school teams," said Weigel. "So I think that for me was really kind of the first indication that I was pretty good at that sport and could continue to improve and really actually do something there."
 
Weigel also played soccer in the fall and in seventh grade she started playing lacrosse for the first time, making her a three-sport athlete by middle school.
 
"I would say lacrosse came very naturally to me," Weigel said. "I think having a long history in basketball really helped me pick that sport up pretty quickly, just in the sense of one of my natural strengths has always been a hand-eye coordination. So I think that translated very easily to that sport. And I just kind of had a very natural knack for it."

Weigel enjoyed playing lacrosse, but as competitive as she was, she didn't believe she would be pursuing it at a higher level. That mindset allowed her to play more freely and put less pressure on herself than she did with her other sports.
 
As Weigel was preparing for her senior year of high school, she knew she wanted to pursue playing college basketball. She looked at schools around New York State and Pennsylvania and considered places like Buffalo State, Geneseo and Brockport. Weigel admitted Potsdam wasn't on her radar at first. Prior to her final year, she attended a high school basketball showcase which allowed her to compete in front of college coaches, one of which was former Bears head coach Tara Ruckh. Ruckh was impressed by Weigel's all around talent, her rebounding, work ethic, defense, shooting and communication with other players. But there was another factor that Ruckh noticed.
 
"When you're watching that stuff, it's not only about the scoring," Ruckh said. "It's about the other stuff, like her interaction with her teammates. Those shootouts, you get put on a team when you get there. So it's not like you're like have this chemistry with a team that's already established. It's basically a two-hour workout and they do skill work, stations and five-on-five games. Within that time frame, she's making buddies with everyone there and working well with people. She played a lot of the post spot for those teams. And I think that the hardest part as the post player for teams like that, is you have to rely on those guards to get you ball. So at shootouts, a lot of times the guards are trying to showcase themselves, so they don't share a lot. But it was something, the camaraderie that she was able to establish within a couple of hours of her being there, plus all the other things she brings to the table."
 
Ruckh quickly realized what Weigel could do for her program.
 
"This kid has everything that you want as a player," said Ruckh. "She's got good size, athleticism, ability to shoot out on the perimeter for us, but also being inside. I loved her in the high post. Those were things I was picturing for her. And then it was just a matter of, can we get her to Potsdam?"
 
After the showcase, Ruckh went to work.
 
"About a week later, I received a handwritten note from Coach Ruckh that she saw me play at the showcase and was really interested in recruiting me to come and play for Potsdam," said Weigel. "And I just remember how much that stood out to me in terms of the time and the care and the attention that she put into actually physically handwriting me a note. I think she was probably the only coach that I was recruited by to did that. And so, again, that really stood out to me enough for me to be like, hey, I should add, Potsdam to my list."
 
Weigel was now considering Potsdam, but didn't know much about the College yet and it was the farthest away from home of any school on her list. Fortunately for the Bears, Ruckh and Weigel's own academic ability were critical factors in winning her over.
 
"As I proceeded throughout my senior year, Coach came personally to see me play two or three times," said Weigel. "So in terms of attention and the time that she was dedicating to my recruitment, another thing that really stood out to me among the other coaches that I was being recruited by, you could just really tell how much she genuinely cared and how much she genuinely was interested in me as a person and as an athlete. So as I kind of proceeded through my recruitment process, these other schools just started to fall away and Potsdam was slowly rising to the top."
 
In the spring of her senior year, Weigel interviewed for and received Potsdam's Mt. Emmons Scholarship. The academic scholarship covered all her tuition and provided a housing and meal stipend as well. The award and Ruckh's persistence paid off and sold Weigel on coming to the North Country.
 
Weigel worked as a counselor at the Potsdam Basketball camp the summer before her freshman year. The camp gave her the opportunity to get to know the campus, Maxcy Hall and most importantly, some of her teammates. Now even more settled and excited, she arrived on campus in August 2011 to begin her outstanding career as a student-athlete.
 
Weigel's first basketball game with the Bears took place at Utica College on November 15. She just missed a double-double with seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds and added six assists and three steals. The solid performance was the first of a four-year trend, as she consistently put up strong numbers. Weigel scored 11 points in a 58-56 victory over Brockport in Welsh Gym on December 9. She played a critical role in a 57-51 upset of first place Oneonta at home on Valentine's Day, totaling 14 points on the night. Weigel completed her debut season with 6.0 points-per-game, 5.8 rebounds-per-game, 59 assists, 30 steals and 15 blocks, while playing in all 25 games with 22 starts.
 
"I knew her skill set would make an immediate impact," Ruckh said. "It was one of those things where when you're watching it, watching them play in high school, you're wondering how that's going to translate into the college game. And you picture where you think you can see her fitting in. And she really did. Then on top of that, the leadership part of things was starting to come out for her in her freshman year. And I think that that's a hard piece too, when you are a new person."
 
Weigel looked to be even better as a sophomore and she was, despite an illness holding her back. She started the first 13 games of the season, averaging 9.1 ppg. and 6.3 rpg. She picked up her first career double-double against Skidmore on November 19, before she was forced out of the lineup. She then took the next month to recover before launching her second college athletic career with the Bears women's lacrosse team.
 
On her trip to orientation to Potsdam as a freshman, Weigel ran into another freshman at a Dunkin Donuts near Watertown. That student turned out to be future Bears standout lacrosse player Margaret Wall. Wall and Weigel became good friends and roomed together their last three years at Potsdam. Through Wall, she also developed strong friendships with other lacrosse players like Katie Putnam and Emily Petit. The group proved to be some of Weigel's biggest supporters when she was on the basketball court and eventually convinced her to try out for the lacrosse team. After getting the ok from Ruckh, she was introduced to Bears women's lacrosse coach Lauren Bruce. The three created a schedule for Weigel that allowed her to properly manage her physical fitness and cover her school work.
 
Bruce saw the impact Weigel had with Ruckh's program and knew she would be an asset for lacrosse, but she didn't fully realize what she had until she hit the turf for fall ball in 2012.
 
"There's a lot of things that translate from basketball to lacrosse," said Bruce. "So I knew she'd have no trouble getting to goal because scoring in basketball is the same way as scoring in lacrosse, getting around opponents. I was blown away by her draws not only because of her height, but her ability to get up in the air. So that was something I didn't know I had until I had it."

Weigel opened her collegiate lacrosse career against Clarkson on March 6, 2013. She and close friend Wall led the Bears with three goals apiece. In a sign of things to come, Weigel recorded a game-high five draw controls. She continued to pick up momentum as the spring thawed out. Weigel posted 12 draw controls in a win against Southern Maine in Florida. She had five points in a blow out of Morrisville and seven in lopsided victory over Canton. Weigel finished the year with a team-leading 22 goals and 11 assists for 33 points as well as a program single-season record 96 draw controls. Her play earned her a spot on the All-SUNYAC second team in a sport she hadn't originally intended to play in college.
 
Fully healthy, Weigel entered her junior basketball season ready to take her play to new heights. She opened the year with a double-double on a then career-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds in a 78-77 victory at Utica. She added another double-double with 17 points and 11 boards in 74-67 victory at Oswego State three weeks later. On Valentine's Day, Weigel dominated the Lakers with a 17-point, 17-rebound showing in an 89-80 overtime victory in Welsh Gym. She tacked on her fifth double-double of the season four days later against Plattsburgh. Weigel finished the year with 10.9 ppg., 7.1 rpg., 79 assists, 40 steals and 28 blocks.
 
Just 13 days after the completion of her winter season, Weigel was back on the turf contributing a goal, an assist and five draw controls in a 10-8 lacrosse win at Clarkson. As she had already shown in basketball, Weigel was driven to better any previous performances in lacrosse. She had five goals, six points and 11 draw controls in a nail biter with RIT. She had another six points and a career-high 15 draw controls against New Paltz. Weigel recorded seven points at Brockport and reached double-digits in draw controls against Morrisville, Geneseo and Fredonia. She concluded her year with 33 goals, 21 assists, 55 points, 19 caused turnovers and another record 112 draw controls.
 
Weigel was better than ever on the basketball court as a senior. She added five more double-doubles during the 2014-15 season. She had 15 points and 10 rebounds to open the season at Utica. The next game she scored 19 points and hauled in 18 boards against Alfred State. Weigel registered a career-high 24 points at Fredonia in January. The season eventually wound down to an emotional Senior Day against Brockport on February 21. The game was tied at the half, but the Golden Eagles edged away for victory in the final 20 minutes. She scored 22 points and added 10 rebounds and five steals.
 
"The feeling in the gym that night was really special," Weigel said. "Playing with my other seniors and just having the undertones of knowing that's the last time you'll be on the court wearing a jersey is really just an indescribable feeling. And I was really lucky to be able to share that night with my other seniors. It's still one of the most special memories that I have."
 
As a senior, Weigel averaged 13.3 ppg. and 8.7 rpg., blocked 21 shots and recorded 54 assists and 34 steals. She finally claimed the All-SUNYAC status for basketball that had previously evaded her, earning a spot on the third team. Weigel closed her hoops career ranked seventh in scoring with 831 points, third in blocks (75), fourth in rebounds (595), seventh in assists (214) and seventh in steals (125) in 85 career games.
 
"Above all, she's a great person, so it made her a great teammate," said Ruckh. "The passion was always there. The emotion was there and the desire to win was always there. She would never take it for granted. She would always give you as much she could possibly give you. She had expectations for the team, but then would also follow that up in her own performance and work."
 
Weigel kicked off her final lacrosse season nine days later in South Carolina. She scored two goals, assisted on another and totaled three draw controls. Weigel topped her personal scoring record with nine points on four goals and five assists in a 17-6 victory over Morrisville. She had five points and 13 draw controls in a 17-12 win over New Paltz and claimed another 11 draw controls against Oneonta. One of the final standout moments in a career full of them came for Weigel in a 10-9 victory over Canton on April 9. The Bears trailed by three in the second half before going on a 5-1 run to earn the win. Weigel scored twice in the clutch, including the game-winner with just 27 seconds remaining. She finished the season with 33 goals, 22 assists, 55 points, 13 caused turnovers and another record 116 draw controls. In 45 career games with the lacrosse team, Weigel finished sixth in points (143), seventh in goals (89), third in assists (54), and first in draw controls (324). She earned her third and final all-conference nod that spring with a spot on the third team.
 
"So Bailey as a person, already impressed me her freshman year just being a basketball player," said Bruce." Just seeing her as a freshman, being a leader by example, because of how passionate and enthusiastic she is about everything she does. There is a lot of stuff behind the scenes that I don't get to see as a coach, like in the locker room. The pep talks, the conflict resolution, looking out for each and every one of her teammates. I think she did a really good job of always making sure everyone felt valued as a teammate."
 
As good as an athlete as Weigel was, she was a better student. She was routinely on the SUNYAC All-Academic team. In 2014, she was named a SUNY Chancellor Scholar-Athlete Award winner. The following year she earned the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence as well as being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 At-Large first team.
 
On May 5, Weigel was selected as the 2014-15 Female Maxcy/Molnar Award winner for the senior athlete of the year. Days later she graduated from Potsdam with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
 
Having had so much of her life revolve around sports, it was only natural that Weigel pursue a career in that field. With graduation approaching, she applied and was accepted to the Manhattan Sports Business Academy. The organization was an eight-week sports business immersion program that accepted 25 students per year. The MSBA partnered with organizations in the sports entertainment industry around New York City to provide internships for its students and give them a glimpse of the wide range of professional opportunities in the field.
 
Weigel was placed with the PGA Tour at the Barclays tournament in Edison N.J. as the tournament services coordinator. There she led the recruitment and registration of over 1,800 volunteers. She also cultivated partnerships with community charities and affiliations. Weigel also oversaw volunteer operations during the tournament, including player services, corporate hospitality, admissions, gallery control, and media relations.
 
The internship took place during regular business hours. In the evenings, she and her classmates would reconvene for professional development programming such as visiting the NBA league offices or meeting with league executives.
 
After completing the program, the MSBA hired Weigel as its marketing coordinator. There she revamped the companies social media presence across various platforms. She also developed and distributed marketing materials. In May 2016, the MSBA promoted Weigel to marketing manager. She served in that position for two and a half years, until an even bigger opportunity came along.
 
In November 2018, Weigel became the digital platform manager for the New York Knicks with the Madison Square Garden Company. There she leads all Knicks.com and Knicks Mobile App work, focusing on content publishing and platform development.
 
"It's a really exciting job," said Weigel. "During the season, that involves (Knicks) game coverage. I'm online every single game posting highlights and other content from the games specifically."
 
The pandemic hit the sports industry hard. Weigel feels fortunate that the teams continued to play and she was able to keep her job and then ultimately be a part of the reopening of New York City and Madison Square Garden.
 
Weigel's personal life is thriving as well. She's now engaged to her fiancée Melanie, a fellow participant in the MSBA program, and will be married two summers from now. They live with their pandemic puppy Finn in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, near Central Park.
 
Weigel's success is truly her own, but she is grateful for the experiences that Potsdam gave her.
 
"The possibilities at Potsdam are really limitless," Weigel said. "I think I'm walking proof of that, in terms of going in with a very specific idea of what I was studying. I was on the basketball team and by the time I graduated, I was really able to expand that into other opportunities. Whether it be playing another sport or picking up a couple minors. Potsdam truly sets you up for success in your life. So from a sports and a pure student standpoint, you really can't go wrong. It was the best decision I ever made."
 
Ruckh's feelings on her former player are shared by many that were fortunate enough to cross paths with Weigel at Potsdam.
 
"She was just special," Ruckh said. "I don't even know how to articulate that. She's just one of those people you know. I feel lucky to have been a small part of her life. I feel really lucky that I was able to do that. I'm just really proud of her."
 
Weigel is a successful and proud Potsdam alum, supporting her alma mater and former programs in person and from a far.