Onondaga CC’s Zack Thomsen accepts scholarship to play basketball at West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Thomsen is 2nd Lazer this year to receive scholarship

SYRACUSE, NY. – May 19, 2008 – Onondaga Community College men’s basketball player Zack Thomsen (New Berlin Unadilla Valley) has accepted a scholarship to continue his education and play basketball at West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery, West Virginia. WVU Tech is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I school, and is a member of the Mid-South Conference, which had two schools advance to the NAIA Final Four this past season and is generally regarded as one of the premier NAIA conferences in the nation. The Golden Bears finished 11-16 this past season.

Thomsen becomes the 11th Onondaga player in the past 6 seasons to be offered an opportunity to play at a scholarship-level school. He joins Shane Williams (Camillus West Genesee), who accepted a scholarship to Lindenwood University last month, as the second member of the 2007-08 team to receive a scholarship. Thomsen was Onondaga’s co-captain and starting point guard for all 31 games. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.9 assists per contest. He also led the Lazers in assists, three-point goals made, three point percentage, free throw percentage, and minutes played. He had a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio, and his 51 turnovers on the season were the fewest ever for an Onondaga point guard and less than half of the number of turnovers recorded by opposing starting point guards. Thomsen was named to the Mid-State Athletic Conference All-Conference Team, was named 2nd Team National Junior College Athletic Association Region III All-Region, and was named to the Basketball Coaches Association of New York All-New York State Junior College 2nd Team. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the Anthony Torchia Memorial Classic, and was the Mid-State Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week ending January 27. Thomsen, a Mathematics and Science major with a 3.098 grade point average at Onondaga, will study Athletic Coaching Education at WVU Tech.

Onondaga completed the 2007-08 season with a 22-9 overall record. The Lazers were the Mid-State Athletic Conference regular season co-champions, and reached the Mid-State Championship Game and the Region III Quarter-finals. Onondaga has qualified for post-season play in each of the past 8 season.