Ron Petro is in his 12th year as the director of athletics and recreation at the University of Rhode Island. There have been many firsts and accomplishments during his tenure; the most significant is the completion of the Ryan Center and the Boss Ice Arena. The completion of the state-of-the-art facilities, which opened on time and on budget, was a momentous step forward for the athletic and recreation programs.
As a member of the Ryan Center Building Committee, it was Petro's comprehensive involvement in the construction project that helped create a fan-friendly atmosphere and gave the Rams a home court advantage. He has currently turned his attention to supervising the completion of the URI Athletic Hall of Fame that will open this fall. Under his guidance, plans for construction of stands on the west side of Meade Stadium, a state-of-the-art weight training facility, athletic training and academic centers are moving forward.
The 2002-03 season was one of the most successful in history as three teams won Atlantic 10 crowns: women's soccer, women's outdoor track & field and men's outdoor track & field. Jim Baron (men's basketball), Frank Leoni (baseball), Laurie Feit-Melnick (women's outdoor track & field), John Copeland (men's outdoor track & field) and Geoff Bennett (women's soccer) were earned Atlantic 10 coach of the year honors while Tom Drennan (golf) was named New England coach of the year.
Buoyed by record attendance figures, the men's and women's basketball had extraordinary seasons in their first season at the Ryan Center. The men's team posted a 19-12 mark winning five games in the final seconds and advanced to the second round of the NIT. Petro's persistence and networking paid off as both NIT contests were played at the Ryan Center. Hosting the Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament provided the catalyst for coach Boe Pearman's team to reach the tournament's championship game for the first time.
It was a banner year as a number of student-athletes excelled, as well. Baseball players Reid Willett (Chicago Cubs) and Jared Trout (Oakland A's) were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Women's soccer standout Melanie Kasparek was named second-team All-America and first-team Freshman All-American while men's soccer's Peter Benevides was named NSCAA All-New England. Andre Reid was named Most Outstanding Field Performer and Eric Groce nabbed Rookie of the Year honors. Pascale Delaunay was tabbed Most Outstanding Field Performer in women's outdoor track & field while Jen Haigh finished 14th at the NCAA East Regionals in the javelin. Women's harrier Kristen Coon was named the Atlantic 10's Most Outstanding Rookie. Gymnast Emily Domenick qualified for the NCAA Championship and Marilyn Woodford was named first-team All-New England. Golfers Kenneth Fahey, Chad Spencer, Michael Carbone and David Spitz earned All-New England accolades.
Wins and losses however, are not the only winning numbers under Petro's leadership. The percentage of student-athletes on the Dean's List has increased from 12.5 percent to 27 percent. The overall grade point average has risen from, 2.55 to 2.94. Student-athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate that the student body.
In addition to the team and individual accomplishments, it was also a record-breaking year for athletic fundraising. More than $360,000 was collected from donors to the Rhode Island Rams Athletic Association. A total amount of nearly $1,000,000 was collected through booster club donations and events.
During the Petro era, nine Rhode Island teams have combined for 21 conference titles in men's basketball, golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field and volleyball.
Shortly before Petro took over, on July 9, 1992, Rhode Island finished eighth in the race for the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Cup, awarded to the league's winningest program. Under Petro's direction, the Rams are coming off three second-place finishes, their best showing ever, and a first-place finish in the men's competition.
He has been president of six different conferences, including the Atlantic 10, and has served on numerous NCAA, ECAC and Atlantic 10 committees. This year is the president of the Atlantic 10 Football Conference and vice-president of the Atlantic 10, chairing the championship committee and is also a member of the Division I Men's Golf Committee and the I-AA Football Governance Committee. Last year, he was presented with the prestigious National Football Foundation's Contribution to Amateur Football Award from the Rhode Island Chapter. He was also recognized by Word's Unlimited for the Story of the Year: the opening of the Ryan Center.
Petro, a native of Yonkers, N.Y., came to Rhode Island from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he put the Great Alaska Shootout on the basketball map during his eight years as athletic director (1984-92). He found a program on NCAA probation and, before he left, saw seven of its nine varsity teams reach the NCAA tournament. He fought for and won membership in the prestigious Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and he served the community as vice president of Anchorage's Olympic Organizing Committee in its bids for the 1994 and 1998 Winter Games.
Petro gained valuable experience at Marist, where he served as athletic director for seven years (1977-84) and head men's basketball coach for 18 seasons (1966-84). As athletic director, he took Marist from NCAA Division III status to Division I. As basketball coach, he won 225 games, three league titles and an NAIA district crown.
As a player, Petro starred at Manhattan in basketball and baseball (1959-63), earning admission to the school's Hall of Fame in 2000. He received a bachelor's degree in physical education and added master's degrees in physical education from Penn Sate (1964) and in administration and supervision from Southern Connecticut State (1975).
Petro lives in Narragansett, R.I., with his wife Sally. The couple has three daughters and a son.
