(Posted February 18, 2003)

Huntingdon, Pa. - Senior Cyndi Long (Emmaus/Emmaus) a member of the Juniata College women's swimming team, and Craig Biller (Penn Cambria/Loretto) a junior guard for the Eagles men's basketball team have been named the Juniata College "athletes of the month" for January.

Long was a key performer for the Eagle swimming team during January. The Eagles had three dual-meets and one tri-meet during the month, and came away with a record of 3-1. Long earned three individual first-place finishes for the month, and was a member of four winning relay teams. Her individual victories came in events as varied as the 100-meter butterfly, the 800-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle. She earned second, and third-place finishes in the 200-meter butterfly during the month. Long also claimed victories as a member of a 200-meter medley relay, 400-meter medley relay and 400-meter freestyle relay teams.

For the season, Long leads the Eagles in total points earned with 108.5 points. She has finished in the top-five in events on 20 occasions this season, including 13 first-place and four second-place finishes. With Long leading the way, the Eagles have enjoyed the most successful regular-season in the program's history. Juniata earned 10 dual-meet victories in the regular campaign including a 6-2 record against MAC opponents. The 10 dual-meet wins are the most in the program's history. Juniata earned dual-meet victories over Lycoming, the defending conference runner-up, and Widener who was selected to finish fourth in the MAC preseason poll. Juniata will compete at the MAC Championships Feb. 14-16.

Biller has stepped into the starting lineup in his junior season and has made an impact for the Eagles. The junior guard averaged 18.7 points per game during the month of January, including twice scoring a career-high 26 points. He reached the 20-point plateau in five of Juniata's nine games during the month. He shot 53 percent from the field for the month and 46 percent from three-point land, including going 5-7 from long range against Pitt-Greensburg and 4-7 against Lebanon Valley. Biller's 168 points in the month are more than he scored his entire freshmen and sophomore seasons combined. He also made 33-36 free throws during the month.

Through 20 games, Biller is leading the Eagles in scoring at just under 16 points per game. He leads the team in three-point shooting percentage, is fourth in field goal percentage and is second in assists. Also his 90-percent free-throw percentage not only leads the team it ranks him sixth in NCAA Division III. Biller had scored in double figures in 16 of Juniata's 20 contests and had hit at least one thee-pointer in 16 of 20 games.

With Biller providing the offensive spark, Juniata had a record of 11-9 through 20 games. The Eagles were also 6-4 in the Commonwealth Conference, and in contention to earn the school's first conference postseason berth since the 1988-89 season. The top-four teams in the Commonwealth Conference earn a bid to the postseason. Juniata was in fourth place in the standings through 20 games.
The Juniata College "Athlete of the Month" award is sponsored by McDonald's of Huntingdon and Mount Union. Barb and John Eastman, who own and operate the local McDonald's restaurants, provide the winners with plaques.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.