In 2017, the 5th Annual Mascot Madness tournament, our campus representatives have come ready to play. 38 of the strongest, most energetic, campus representatives have put in long hours cheering on their teams, raising school spirit, and showing New York the great things about SUNY schools.
So what makes these guys tick? We had a chance to talk to each of them to get the answers ourselves. Read on to learn a little something about each of this year’s participants, arranged by the bracket they are competing in. Then, be sure to cast your votes in each round.
Below are the Region 3 participants.
General Herkimer – Herkimer County CC | Victor E Bull – UB | Ram-bo – Farmingdale State College | Benji the Bengal – Buffalo State College | Victor – Hudson Valley CC | Privateer Pete – Maritime College | Hugo – SUNY New Paltz | Eddy Rondack – SUNY Adirondack | Tripp – Niagara County CC | Falco – Dutchess CC
Herkimer County Community College – General Herkimer
- What is your name?
General Herkimer
- What school are you from?
Herkimer County Community College
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
My favorite place to hang out is amongst the crowd of any sporting event! Our athletic facilities are fantastic and full of wild and prideful fans!
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
The first ever intramural football game was played in 1967!
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
Our on campus cafeteria offers a splendid selection that could help anyone fuel their day towards greatness! My personal favorite are the submarine sandwiches made to order!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
Fort Herkimer Church is a place to visit displaying the great Revolutionary War history of the area. According to the Herkimer County Historical Society “Fort Herkimer Church was a defensive structure during the American Revolutionary War, serving as a center for colonial militias.—During the Revolution, the church included a swivel gun mounted on its tower as well as a palisade (stockade of wall logs) surrounding its exterior.”
- One superpower you would want?
The power to inspire student-athletes with Championship level pride and work ethic!
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
I’m mostly like Happy! I’ve been told my smile is as big and bright as his and my passion is making those around me equally as joyous!
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
My favorite topping would be crushed musket balls. The crushed ammunition reminds me of a significant time of my life where I heroically helped guide my troops in the Battle of Oriskany back in the American Revolution. It makes me feel tough and ready for battle on game day!
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
I’m a master of all races! Three legs, two legs or one I’m up for the challenge. I would want to be paired up with anyone who feels they can keep up with my level of competitive spirit and passion in everything they do!
Follow: @HerkimerGeneral
University at Buffalo – Victor E. Bull
- What is your name?
Ring that cowbell! My name is Victor E. Bull, Victor for short! If you’re looking for me you can catch me cheering on our Bulls, spreading UB pride with True Blue in the student section! GO BULLS!
- What school are you from?
University at Buffalo! There’s no love like the love our students have for UB and Buffalo itself. We pride ourselves on the diversity of our students, which makes us so unique and special! Whether it’s academics, athletics or the arts we are a campus full of UB pride and I’m always there ringing that cowbell and motivating our Bulls!
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
Ahhh there’s nothing better than relaxing and unwinding on a Friday afternoon in the pastures by Lake LaSalle! Ask any student on campus, this is by far the most peaceful spot to watch that un-BULL-ievably beautiful Buffalo sunset (and there’s plenty of grass and shrubs to snack on too)!
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
Now there’s nothing more unpredictable than that Buffalo winter weather, even though we love looking at our winter wonderland of a campus! Most people don’t know that most of our buildings are connected by tunnels or hallways so I can get to all of my classes without ruining my True Blue gear!!
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
Come on now, I can’t just pick one! UB has some of the best food around! I love to graze through the dining halls to discover new and delicious food everyday! Sizzles is one of my absolute favorite eateries on campus because of their outstanding Buffalo chicken wings!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
Living in Buffalo is so exciting because there’s always something fun to do no matter what season it is! I love heading out to canalside to go ice skating in the winter! Buffalo’s Canalside has the most un-BULL-ievably beautiful ice rink! After skating,I usually head over to 716 Restaurant to grab some Buffalo wings! I also love catching a Sabres game at the Keybank Center right next to 716! We love our Bulls, but we also love the Buffalo Sabres! UB offers cheap tickets to students, which makes for great weekend plans!
- One superpower you would want?
It would be my greatest Victor-E to have the ability to fly! Bulls flying?!? YES! Then I could watch every UB game (home and away)… and maybe even dunk!
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
Happy, of course! I’m so very love-a-BULL.
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Mmmmm these questions are making me hungry! I’d have to say Buffalo chicken, BLUE cheese and lots of hot sauce! Nothing tastier than some Buffalo style chicken!!!
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
Victor E. Knight. Great minds (names) think alike!! As Victor squared we would work together side-by-side to win the race!
Farmingdale State College – Ram-bo
- What is your name?
Ram-bo
- What school are you from?
Farmingdale State College
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
Nold Hall Gym
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
Our school has a very successful Aviation program and our own fleet of planes
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
POP’s Dining
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
Go Karting, NYC, Beach, Adventureland, Driving Range
- One superpower you would want?
Healing so our athletes can be better, faster, and stronger.
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
Happy
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Leafy Greens
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
Wolfie from Stony Brook University
Buffalo State College – Benji the Bengal
- What is your name?
Benji the Bengal
- What school are you from?
The Buffalo State
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
The Varsity Weight Room – getting my swole on
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
Although we are located in the middle of the city of Buffalo, we have a beautiful park-like campus.
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
Salsarita’s! Steak burritos with extra queso please!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
I love walking, shopping and stopping for refreshments in the neighboring Elmwood Village. I also enjoy ice skating at the vibrant Canalside district downtown.
- One superpower you would want?
X-Ray vision
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
Sneezy. I have a lot of allergies (ie. Blue Devils, Golden Eagles, Red Dragons, Hawks, Cardinals, etc.)
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Golden Eagle meat
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
Sabretooth of the Buffalo Sabres… That cat is alright!
Hudson Valley Community College – Victor
- What is your name?
My given name is Victor, but all my friends call me Viking. I know that’s a simple nickname, and it’s pretty obvious, but it says it all: I have the strength and knowledge to defeat my competitors, and I’ll never shy away from the chance to forge ahead and discover my own path.
- What school are you from?
You might think all Vikings hail from the Arctic Circle, but I’m actually from Hudson Valley Community College, in Troy, New York. Even though sometimes in the winter you could mistake it for the Arctic Circle!
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
I like to hang out with the students in the Campus Center. I’m always challenging them to a game of foosball or ping pong. I typically win—Vikings are naturally great at conquering obstacles, so I really can’t help it– but if I’m feeling nice, I may give my opponent a few points to make it a close game.
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
It’s a bigger campus than you may think, and there’s more going on than meets the eye. I think we put the “community” in community college. Did you know that Hudson Valley has more than 50 active clubs and organizations on campus, plus 16 sports teams? That’s not even counting pickup football games on the quad or ping pong tournaments that break out in the campus center. There’s so many things to do, no one has to feel like they’re missing out on the college experience.
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
It depends what I’m in the mood for! I like the PRIME Pit Stop in Williams Hall. It’s hard to find good barbeque where I’m from, way up north, but I love a good pulled pork sandwich.
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
In the summer I like to catch a baseball game at Joe Bruno Stadium to cheer on the Tri-City ValleyCats. My friend Southpaw, the ValleyCats mascot, and I go way back. We have supported each other for years.
- One superpower you would want?
I would like the ability to read people’s minds. As a Viking, I like to play mind games and psych out my opponents to help my team charge forward to victory! Reading people’s minds would make me an even stronger competitor.
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
Surprisingly I most identify with Bashful. Despite being the “Big Man” on campus, I have a shy side most people don’t see. While I boast my proud Viking identity on campus, I am bashful in my personal life.
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Anchovies. You might think they’re gross, but fishing is part of the Viking tradition! They remind me of the seafaring lifestyle I left behind back home.
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
I would team up with Southpaw from the Tri-City ValleyCats (a Houston Astros minor league baseball team that calls Hudson Valley home). This cool cat and I became fast friends about 10 years ago and we hang out together during home games at “The Joe.” Between Southpaw’s left dominance and my right dominance, we would balance each other out and win the race.
Maritime College – Privateer Pete
- What is your name?
Ahoy! My name is Privateer Pete!
- What school are you from?
I’m the mascot at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx.
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
My favorite spot to hang out on campus is the Olivet Pier, just along our Training Ship the Empire State VI.
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
What most people don’t know about Maritime College is that our campus is located on a peninsula and has one of the best views of New York City.
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
My favorite on-campus eatery is the Mess Deck of course! There are so many great food options including the soft serve yogurt machine!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
Since our campus is surrounded mostly by water, our students have the chance to sail and kayak on the East River.
- One superpower you would want
I would like to have the ability to talk to fish, just like Aquaman.
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
Doc, he’s got great leadership abilities just like our students at Maritime College.
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
I have to admit…I’m a fan of anchovies on my pizza.
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
I would team up with Red from Oneonta, I could jump on his back and we can fly to the finish line…as long as we don’t get caught…oops!
SUNY New Paltz – Hugo
- What is your name?
Hugo the Hawk
- What school are you from?
SUNY New Paltz, but I was born in a nest overlooking Lake Minnewaska in the majestic Shawangunk Mountains of New Paltz. After I learned to fly, I decided to visit the SUNY New Paltz campus to look for some squirrels to eat, and I’ve been here ever since!
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
Hawks Nest.
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
SUNY New Paltz is among the largest graduate metal programs in the country and has earned the distinction of being the #1-ranked public university metal program.
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
Element 93. In my spare time, I like to cook and experiment with recipes. I’ve asked the folks at this fine dining restaurant if they’d consider putting my deep-fried mouse nuggets with lizard chutney on the menu. I can’t imagine why they turned me down!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
Fly up to the Shawangunk Mountains. In fact, my favorite New York State destination is the Catskill Mountain range. But every once in a while, I enjoy escaping from the country by flying down to New York City and catching a Broadway show. My favorite play is “Bye-Bye Birdie.”
- One superpower you would want?
Time travel.
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
Happy, of course.
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Bird seed.
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
I can only pick a fellow champion, so Baxter the Bearcat from Binghamton.
Follow: @HugotheHawk
SUNY Adirondack – Eddy Rondack
- What is your name?
Hi there! My name is Eddy Rondack.
- What school are you from?
SUNY Adirondack
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
When I need to take a paws from my busy schedule, you can find me in the Wolf Den with some Einstein Bros. bagels.
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
You can zipline through class or take part in some teambuilding exercises on our adventure course – #wolfpack!
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
When I’m feeling ravenous, the Culinary Arts Center is paws-down, the best place to eat on campus! Our culinary arts students serve up three-course gourmet meals for lunch and dinner – you can’t beat it!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
You can prowl the Adirondack Mountains by foot, but it is much more fun to take in the views from a hot air balloon! You can ride the roller coasters at the Great Escape or you can see beautiful, Lake George on one of the famous steamboats. We are also just a short distance from Saratoga Springs!
- One superpower you would want?
I am already super cool and I pity the super fools.
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
I like to call myself Eddy RonDOC because I am the leader of the pack.
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Pineapple, because I like to ham it up.
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
Lucky for me, we have SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury right on our campus! If Burghy and I team up, we can take the Adirondacks by land and by sky!
Niagara County Community College – Tripp
- What is your name?
Tripp – The Thunderwolf
- What school are you from?
Niagara County Community College
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
My favorite place on campus to hang out is the gym during our basketball games…I love to get the crowd pumped up by throwing “T’s for three’s” into crowd whenever we make a 3 pointer…Who doesn’t like a free T-Shirt???
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
The school nickname “Thunderwolves” represents the “Thunder” of nearby Niagara Falls and the Wolf is an animal that once roamed the local area in mass quantities. So I would like to travel to Niagara Falls and roam amongst the tourists. It’s nice having one of the Seven Wonders of the World in your backyard!!
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
My favorite on campus eatery is definitely Tim Horton’s, us Western New Yorkers like our hot coffee and Donuts in the morning and Timmy Ho’s is famous for that and so much more!!!
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
Living near one of the Seven Wonders of the World is awesome!!!…So in my spare time I like hanging out at Niagara Falls. The brink of the falls is about 15 minutes from campus so it’s great to be so close to something tourists travel 1000’s of miles to see!!
- One superpower you would want?
I guess my one superpower would be to have Super Speed!…Anyone who has been to a game and seen me in action knows that I like to have fun! You will always find me cheering on the team, charging up the crowd, break dancing, tossing t-shirts into the stands, or giving high fives to the youngsters. Sometimes I have difficulty fitting this in because there are so many pictures being taken of me with my adoring fans, I may be known as an animal predator, but I am a real Lady killer as well.”…so the super power of Super Speed would allow me to Dance, Entertain, and pose for pictures all within split seconds of one another!!
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
I certainly would not be “Bashful” and I am no “Dope”…so I guess the dwarf I most resemble is “Happy”, Happy is the joyous dwarf and is usually portrayed laughing and I love making our fans laugh!!
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
In my case, Wolves will eat just about anything, but when I am not munching on Kats or Jaguars, I enjoy Buffalo Chicken Wings, so my favorite pizza topping would be a Buffalo Chicken Finger Pizza!! That’s what being from Western New Yorker is all about!!
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
I think I would team up with one of the fastest, and coolest Mascots in the world…”Chester Cheetah” the official mascot for Cheetos brand snacks…..Why not team up with one of the fastest animals on the planet and in this case, if you don’t win, he can at least hook you up with some fantastic snacks!!”
Dutchess Community College – Falco
- What is your name?
Falco
- What school are you from?
Dutchess Community College
- Favorite place to hang out in your campus?
The biology lab. I like to stand still and pretend to be a specimen … and then suddenly start screeching and flapping my arms just to scare the heck out of everybody.
- One fact about your school/campus that most people don’t know?
DCC has an Aviation Science program. Sometimes I join a few other winged friends of mine to form a “V” around a student mid-flight and pretend we’re in the movie “Top Gun.”
- Favorite on-campus eatery?
The deli. Sometimes I use my talons to help put holes in the Swiss cheese.
- Cool thing to do in the surrounding area?
I like to fly back and forth over the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Hudson River and snatch any loosely affixed toupees.
- One superpower you would want?
Honestly, I’d be satisfied with decent English language skills. You’d be surprised how difficult it is to order Chinese food over the phone using a series of yells and screeches.
- Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you?
I’ve got a pollen allergy.
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
Mice-arella cheese.
- Which mascot would you team up with in a three-legged race?
Maybe Blaze the Dragon from SUNY Cortland. I figure if we fall behind in the race, he could start a small fire to distract the other contestants.
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