SUNY Cortland Athletics

It’s difficult to think about SUNY Cortland Athletics over the past 25 years and not have the name Mike Partigianoni come to mind. “Parge” has served as the Red Dragons’ equipment room supervisor since 1987, and, to date, has dedicated 33 years of service to the College.

Partigianoni was hired at Cortland in 1980 and worked for five years as a cleaner and janitor in various campus buildings. He moved to the mail room in 1985, and two years later was assigned to his current role.

Under Partigianoni’s supervision, the Athletics equipment room orders game uniforms, equipment, practice clothes and other inventory for Cortland’s 25 varsity teams. The operation, which includes work-study students, issues equipment and uniforms to the student-athletes. It also washes laundry for Athletics, Athletic Training and Intramurals, among other groups.

In 1992, Partigianoni received the Fraser Stokes Award for outstanding service to SUNY Cortland Athletics. He also received the 2013 John L. Sciera ’52 Award, a service award from Cortland’s athletic trainers. In 2009, he assumed the role of assistant equipment manager for the New York Jets during their summer training camp at Cortland. He assists the Jets with laundry, issuing practice gear and fixing equipment problems for the players and coaches.

A Cortland native, Partigianoni graduated from Cortland High School in 1974. He was inducted into the Seven Valley United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Hall of Fame in 2001 and has eight perfect games and eight 800-series to his credit. He is the first left-hander in Cortland to bowl a 300 game.

Partigianoni’s late brother, Greg, had a record of 53-32-1 as SUNY Cortland’s head baseball coach from 1984-86, and his mother, Angie, worked as a secretary at the College for 29 years.

“Parge’s dedication to Red Dragon Athletics goes above and beyond his everyday duties,” said Cortland head athletic trainer and former basketball player Sonya Comins ’96. “There have been many times when Parge has come in early or stayed late to accommodate teams for competition or travel. He has also been helpful in assisting the athletic training staff with equipment modifications and padding to aid student-athlete safety. He has certainly become and continues to be part of the SUNY Cortland Athletics culture.”

UPDATE: Partigianoni retired from SUNY Cortland in June 2015.