ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn State Altoona men's basketball coach Alan Seretti, a Pittsburgh native and Montour High School graduate, was the subject of a feature story by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Rich Emert that ran in Thursday's edition of the paper.  The article documented Seretti's climb through the high school and college coaching ranks and highlighted his accomplishments at Penn State Altoona.  Seretti is set to begin his fourth season as head coach of the Lions.

To read the story online, click the link below.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08248/909051-450.stm

ALTOONA, Pa. - The Penn State Altoona men's basketball team will be one of 13 squads to compete in the first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) College Basketball Holiday Festival at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, from January 1-5, 2009.  The event, which features seven men's and six women's teams within the ECAC, will be played at The Milkhouse Arena at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

"We are very excited to participate in the first ECAC Holiday Tournament in Orlando," said fourth-year head coach Alan Seretti. "It is a great opportunity to represent the Penn State Altoona community on a national stage and play in an event put on by an organization as well respected as the ECAC. The trip will also be a great challenge for our players as we will have the chance to compete against some of the best teams in the country before beginning the second semester of conference play."

The Lions are in a four-team bracket with Neumann College, Johns Hopkins University, and Roger Williams University.  Altoona opens the tournament against the Neumann Knights on Saturday, January 3, at 7:30 PM.  The bracket championship game is slated for Monday, January 5, at 2:30 PM while the consolation game is set for Sunday, January 4, at 2:30 PM.

Altoona is fresh off a 14-13 campaign in 2007-2008 that featured the program's second-ever trip to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals. Seretti's squad lost only two seniors to graduation and will return a large group of talented and experienced players for the upcoming season.

Information for family, friends, and fans interested in going to Orlando will be available in the coming weeks.   

Neumann Knights:  Located in Aston, Pennsylvania...Enrollment of 3,084...Compete in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference...Finished 2007-2008 season at 10-15 overall, 8-8 PAC...Advanced to conference playoffs where they lost in first round to Misericordia...Went 1-1 in neutral site games...Had three seniors on 16-man roster...Coached by second-year bench boss Mike Gallagher...CLICK HERE for athletics website.

Johns Hopkins Blue Jays:  Located in Baltimore, Maryland...Enrollment of 6,200...Compete in The Centennial Conference...Finished 2007-2008 season at 16-10 overall, 12-6 Centennial...Six of its 10 losses came to teams who made the NCAA Division III Sweet 16...Advanced to conference playoffs for sixth straight season...Went 1-2 in neutral site games...Had three seniors on 13-man roster...Coached by 22-year veteran Bill Nelson...CLICK HERE for athletics website.

Roger Williams Hawks:  Located in Bristol, Rhode Island...Enrollment of 3,775...Compete in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC)...Finished 2007-2008 season at 17-11 overall, 11-2 TCCC...Lost in conference championship game...Went 1-1 in neutral site games...Had no seniors, return all 10 players in 2008-2009...Coached by Mike Tully, who also serves as the athletic department's Assistant AD for Academic Services...CLICK HERE for athletics website.

ROARING SPRING, Pa: The third annual Penn State Altoona Intercollegiate Sports Invitational Golf Tournament was held on Friday, August 1, at Iron Masters Country Club in Roaring Spring.  The outing, which benefits the Lion men's and women's basketball and men's and women's golf teams, featured more than 60 golfers representing over 30 different businesses.  The winning team, Dudurich Investment Associates, fired a four-man scramble score of 20-under (52).  Penn State Altoona athletics would like to thank the following people and groups for making the Intercollegiate Sports Invitational a success:

Seretti Contracting
Comet Marine Supply Company
Joyce Seretti
Neen Barnes
Tapwatr
ProActive
Dudurich Investment Associates
Budget Beverage
INCA
Altoona First Savings Bank
C & G Bank
Andrews & Beard
Rea, Rea, and Lashinsky
Martin Oil
Empower Business Solutions
Empire Communications
Systems, Inc.
Richard Johnston
J. Kirk Kling, Attorney at Law
Reilly, Creppage & Co. Inc.
Hotel Belmar
MacAbee's
Gulish Garden Center
Central Hydraulics
Rodney Berkheimer
Best Way Pizza 6th Avenue
Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania
Durbin Companies
Building II
Mama Randazzo's
Texas Hot Dogs
Reliance Bank
Little Caesar's Pizza
DelGrosso's Amusement Park

Additional Thanks to:

Allegro Restaurant
McAleer Plumbing
Lakemont Park
Mike's Court
Jack DeFillip
Jason Kent
Dick's Sporting Goods
Denny's Restaurant
TGI Friday's
Krispy Kreme
Hooters
Ponderosa
Al's Tavern
Tijuana Flats
Pleasant Valley Lanes
Iron Masters Country Club
Penn State Altoona Book Store
Altoona Curve
State College Spikes

Penn State Altoona men's basketball coach Alan Seretti, women's basketball coach Donna Kling, and golf coach Tom Koehle will host the third annual Penn State Altoona Sports Invitational Golf Tournament on Friday, August 1, at Iron Masters Country Club in Roaring Spring. The tournament, which featured more than 60 golfers last year, benefits the men's and women's basketball and men's and women's golf programs at Penn State Altoona. The 12:45 PM Shotgun Start is $80 for an individual round of golf and dinner or $350 for a corporate foursome, dinner, and tee sign sponsorship. An individual tee sign sponsor is $100. To get more information or to register for the 2008 Penn State Altoona Intercollegiate Athletics Golf Tournament, CLICK HERE.