Eile Guenego
Ithaca College athletics poses a new home for local athletes from both Ithaca and Lansing High Schools. First-year student track and field runner Caden Sitts and sophomore transfer Ben Ruth both competed at Lansing and Ithaca High Schools, respectively.
When sophomore baseball player Benjamin Ruth stepped onto Ithaca College’s campus for the first time, it was not as a high school student exploring options; it was after transferring from a Division I program and realizing that maybe, the best place for him had been in his backyard all along.
The pitcher, who graduated from Ithaca High School in 2023, initially committed to Niagara University. But after redshirting his first year and dealing with an injury, Ruth began exploring new possibilities.
“I was a bio major at Niagara, but I know the [physical therapy] program here is really good,” Ruth said. “When I decided to transfer, I came and visited. … I liked everything I saw. The coaches, the facilities — it just felt like a good place at home.”
Ruth said he was not quite sure what it would be like to attend college in the same town he had grown up in. To his surprise, he said being a “local” did not have to mean feeling stuck.
Although Ruth lives off campus with his family, he said coming to the college each day is like stepping into a different world.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m at home, if that makes any sense,” Ruth said. “I thought it was going to be like, ‘Oh, I’m staying with my parents. … I go to class and I come home,’ but college offers so much more. It’s been way more of a full experience than I thought it would be.”
Striking a balance between staying close to home and still getting the full college experience is something first-year cross country runner Caden Sitts can relate to since he graduated from Lansing High School in 2024.
Despite only being a 20-minute drive from home, Sitts said he finds himself on campus just as much — if not more — than a typical student.
“I don’t really go home that often,” Sitts said. “Even though I’m in the same area, I still feel like I’m away at college, which is what I was hoping for.”
For Sitts, the decision to attend Ithaca College came partly from academics — he is studying sound recording technology with a concentration in voice — and partly from an existing connection with Matthew Scheffler, Lansing High School’s track and field coach. Scheffler also coached the Bombers’ pole vaulting squad for 18 years before retiring in August 2024.
Prior to Sitts’ commitment to the college, Scheffler had arranged for him to meet with Jim Nichols, former track and field head coach. Through that connection, Sitts was able to tour the Bombers’ facilities and find out more about what the track program has to offer.
“[Sitts] was interested in music, and IC has a great program for that,” Scheffler said. “He was also a distance runner, so I connected him with the head coach, Coach Nichols at the time. … I just told him, basically, I thought it was a great fit for him. And, you know, he thought the same after coming out and visiting.”
Sitts’ connection with Scheffler was imperative in his decision to run for the Bombers. He said having a familiar face to vouch for the program added an air of certainty when Sitts was still on the fence.
“I was considering a few SUNY schools and it was kind of up in the air if I wanted to continue running or not,” Sitts said. “I’m still not sure if I would have continued running if I didn’t have that connection here with Scheffler.”
Scheffler said many local students hesitate to consider the college because of its proximity to home. However, some of the college’s most decorated track athletes were products of local high schools. Pole vaulting national champions Dom Mikula ’24 and Meghan Matheny ’23 graduated from Trumansburg High School and Lansing High School, respectively.
Having experienced so much of the program’s success, Scheffler said he tells many of his athletes to focus on how they can thrive within the campus community.
“A lot of kids think, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go somewhere so close,’” Scheffler said. “But what I have to remind them of is, it’s a great college, a great program — and that’s really what you’re looking for. It doesn’t matter how close.”
That small nudge from a familiar face made a big difference — a theme echoed in Ruth’s story as well. Though he did not decide to attend the college right out of high school, Ruth had long known of head baseball coach David Valesente. When it came time to consider a transfer, Ruth said their pre-existing relationship offered a sense of stability in a moment of uncertainty.
“I’ve known of [Valesente] for a while,” Ruth said. “He’s a really good coach, and I know the baseball team here is always a national contender. I felt like it could be a good fit.”
Ron Amato, Ruth’s baseball coach from Ithaca High School, also did his time in Bomber threads playing football and baseball from 1997-2001. Although not an Ithaca native himself, Amato said it is important to him to keep the pipeline from the high school to the college alive and continue strengthening the city’s athletics community.
The baseball team has also seen its share of local talent. Ben Light Senior Athlete of the Year award recipient Buzz Shirley ’22 and College Sports Communicators All-District catcher Gil Merod ’23 also graduated from Ithaca High School and were coached by Amato.
When Ruth transferred to the program that gave Amato so much, Amato said he could not have been happier to have him back in town.
“It’s always nice to see our guys continuing their athletic careers past high school,” Amato said. “There’s such a small number of kids that move up to the next level, so when they do — and they choose to stay local — it’s special. I’ve always been in full support of that program.”
Amato said although it can be difficult to connect with his alumni during their busy collegiate seasons, he finds going to the college’s alumni events and catching up with his former players is one of his favorite parts of the job.
“The more we can get athletes to stay local, the better,” Amato said. Watching that transition from the original coach Val now to his son David — and then going to alumni events and seeing our former players now in the college program — it’s been a really good connection from the high school to IC.”
Even beyond the comfort of familiar names and places, both athletes found that staying local has allowed them to offer something unique to their teammates: insider knowledge. Ruth said his fresh perspective is something both he and his teammates appreciate.
“I definitely know all the spots,” Ruth said. “People ask me where the best food is, where to go. Everyone goes down to The Commons, which is cool, but I’ve been there a million times. So I tell them about other places, and it’s kind of fun helping make their experience better.”
Sitts has also found that his deep-rooted familiarity with the area can come in handy sometimes, but it also comes with the surprising realization that there is still more to discover. Perhaps, if not for his coach’s influence, Sitts said he may have never realized all that Ithaca has to offer.
“It feels like I know the area pretty well, but I’m still learning new things, which is really cool,” Sitts said. “I didn’t expect that.”