NEW PALTZ — After a two-year hiatus, Alan Dunefsky will be back in the dugout for his 12th year as coach of the SUNY New Paltz softball team when the season starts March 21 in Virginia.
In 1998, Dunefsky led New Paltz to a 12-10 record and its last SUNYAC Tournament appearance. Prior to that, he was a fixture on both the softball and women’s volleyball sidelines at New Paltz from 1982-91. His 1988 softball squad went 16-6 and won the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) Championship.
In the 1980s, New Paltz was a perennial New York State Tournament participant, and twice qualified for the SUNYAC Tournament (1987 and 1989). Dunefsky has mentored numerous All-Conference players, including four-time All-Conference third baseman Kathleen Mahon (now Mulvihill), the first New Paltz woman to get 100 hits in a season. Dunefsky has coached all of the female athletes currently enshrined in New Paltz’s Hawk Hall of Fame.
When he’s not on the softball diamond, Dunefsky, a 1969 New Paltz graduate, continues to serve in his longtime role as the university’s Director of Recreational Sports.
Dunefsky replaces Richard Thornton, who guided the Hawks to a 20-14 record and the NYSWCAA Tournament championship game in 1999. Thornton has taken on administrative responsibilities and will continue to coach women’s basketball at the university.
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Note to editors: A photo of Alan Dunefsky can be downloaded from the SUNY New Paltz web site at http://www.newpaltz.edu/news/images/dunefsky.html.
