Sports SUmmary: Babers returns for 2022; Syracuse football players honored by ACC

Babers stays on as head coach

Orange football coach Dino Babers will return in 2022, Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack announced. Wildhack also said that Babers’ contract extends past 2022.

Other staff changes were made, however. Sterlin Gilbert (offensive coordinator), Reno Ferri (tight ends coach) and Vinson Reynolds (defensive line coach) will not be part of the 2022 Syracuse football program.

Next season will be Babers’ seventh at Syracuse. The team improved from 1-10 in 2020 to 5-7 in 2021, but still fell short of making a bowl game. Syracuse’s last winning season came in 2018 when they went 10-3 and won the Camping World Bowl.

Several Orange football players receive ACC honors

Four members of the Syracuse football team earned selections to the three Atlantic Coast Conference teams, with an additional four players receiving honorable mentions.

Running back Sean Tucker made the All-ACC First-Team offense, leading all offensive players with 187 voting points. His 1,496 rushing yards led the conference and placed him fourth nationally.

Tucker also received an honorable mention nod as an all-purpose player. His 1,751 all-purpose yards ranked second in the ACC and sixth in the country. Tucker finished the regular season with 12 rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores.

The Orange had a pair of first-team defensive players, with defensive end Cody Roscoe and linebacker Mikel Jones receiving the honors.

Roscoe finished third in the ACC with 8.5 sacks. Jones was the conference’s second-leading tackler with 110 total. Jones was also picked as the ACC Linebacker of the Week following his career-high, 16-tackle performance against Pitt.

Duce Chestnut made the All-ACC Third-Team defense at cornerback. The freshman had three interceptions, which was tied for second in the ACC. Chestnut’s eight pass breakups tied for third in the conference.

Offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron, center Airon Servais, defensive tackle Josh Black and cornerback Garrett Williams garnered honorable mentions for the Orange.

Men’s cross country runs to a top-20 finish at the NCAAs

The Orange men’s cross country team finished 19th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships at Tallahassee, Fla.

Joe Dragon was Syracuse’s top runner and crossed the 10k finish line 55th with a time of 29:43. JP Trojan finished 78th (30:00), while Aidan Tooker placed 90th (30:06). Northern Arizona won the overall team championship for the men.

DiGirolamo wins second defenseman of the month award

Jessica DiGirolamo was named the College Hockey America Defenseman of the Month for November. She also earned the same honor for October.

DiGirolamo tallied four goals and contributed four assists in November, which helped guide the Orange to a winning 3-2-1 record during the month. She leads the Syracuse defensive unit that ranks second in the CHA in shutouts.

Orange volleyball pair make All-ACC teams

Marina Markova was selected to the All-ACC first team and Polina Shemanova was chosen for the second team.

Markova, a junior, was first in the ACC with 492 kills, a figure that placed her 11th in the country. She also ranked second in the conference with 1,122 attacks.

Shemanova had 421 kills, good for third in the ACC. The senior also finished eighth in the conference with 373 digs. The Syracuse volleyball team finished 17-13 while playing in the challenging ACC.