Alumni Professional Spotlight

Sergio Ibarra, MS, ATC, EMT

Sergio Ibarra is in his fourth season with San Diego State as an associate athletic trainer with his primary focus on the men’s basketball and men’s golf programs. He also provides assistance for SDSU’s other athletic teams. Ibarra handles all the medical needs for the men’s basketball squad throughout the entire year. He also supervises and coordinates all rehabilitative efforts in case of injury.

A certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), Ibarra comes to the Aztecs from his most recent stop as the head athletic trainer of the New York Cosmos Soccer Club, a North American Soccer League (NASL) team, in Uniondale, N.Y.  Ibarra has extensive collegiate experience with stops at the University of Bridgeport, Hofstra University, Westmont College, Elmira College and Santa Barbara City College. Along the way, Ibarra has also gained clinical experience throughout the state of New York and in California, more specifically Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

A former student-athlete, Ibarra was a four-year lacrosse player at Alfred University in Alfred, NY, where he ultimately earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic training in 2006. On his way to obtaining his degree, Ibarra was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and president of the Athletic Training Club in 2004-05. From Alfred, Ibarra went 75 miles east to Elmira College in Elmira, NY, where he successfully worked toward and obtained his master’s degree in Health Service Management in 2010.

Since graduating, Ibarra completed his EMT training as well as a Level 1 Dry Needling certification.  He is currently working toward Level 2 Dry Needling as well as full body ART.

Christopher Downey, MS, ATC, CKTP, MFDc

Chris Downey began his tenure at Binghamton University on August 3, 2015 as the Director of Sports Medicine and Athletics Healthcare Administrator. He oversees Sports Medicine, which includes ten full-time staff members and more than a dozen Sports Medicine Student Interns. Binghamton’s Sports Medicine staff provides medical care for more than 400 student-athletes across 21 sports.

A native of Binghamton, Downey went to Binghamton University after being at Onondaga Community College, where he served as Head Athletic Trainer for four years. At Onondaga, he oversaw the medical care for 15 teams and implemented all policies and procedures. Prior to that, he served as a Certified Intern Athletic Trainer at Binghamton University. Downey also held positions at Midwestern State University (Texas) and back in town as a volunteer with the Binghamton Senators AHL hockey team.

He graduated from Alfred University with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training in 2009 and then earned his master’s degree in kinesiology from Midwestern State University in 2011.

Downey is a certified and licensed Athletic Trainer and member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA) and New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA). He is fully certified in MyoFascial Decompression, Graston, and Kinesio Taping. He is the chair of the America East Conference Health & Safety Committee, an active member of the Student-Athlete of Concern Committee, Student of Concern Committee, and Student-Athlete Mental Health & Well-Being Committee.

Downey resides in Vestal with his wife Megan and two daughters, Reagan and Harper.

Matthew Oakes, MS Ed, ATC-L, ISAK Level 1

Oakes, pictured here with Sochi Winter Olympic Bronze Medalist Erin Hamlin, is currently at Alfred University where he is the program director of Health and Fitness Management as well as a clinical instructor in the Athletic Training Education Program. He brings a wealth of knowledge and skills in high performance sports having worked for USA Luge and USA Bobsled and Skeleton over the course of 5 years.

Oakes graduated Cum Laude from Alfred University in 2005 with a BS in Athletic Training. He went on to earn a provisional teachers certificate in Physical Education from Alfred and later his Masters Degree in Outdoor Recreation Education from SUNY Cortland (’11). During that time Oakes worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for a number of Alfred University and SUNY Cortland DIII teams. Oakes then spent time with University of Rochester Sports and Spine on two separate occasions gathering skills in clinical and outreach settings.

After two years with Team USA and the 2014 Olympics, which included Hamlin’s historic Bronze medal, Oakes went on to work for Balanced Chiropractic and Active Medicine in Shelburne, VT learning more valuable skills before returning in 2016 to Team USA for a run to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics where he supported history again when Chris Mazdzer claimed the Silver medal.

Currently Oakes is an active consultant and volunteer with USA Luge and USA Bobsled and Skeleton.

Jeff Andrews, MS, ATC, PES

Jeff Andrews, pictured here with LA Kings prospect Mikey Anderson, is in his third season with the Ontario Reign as Head Athletic Trainer. The Reign are the AHL affiliate of the LA Kings. He comes to the Reign from the  Binghamton Senators, former AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators, where he held the same position of Head Athletic Trainer since 2013. Andrews was also the Head Athletic Trainer with the ECHL's Elmira Jackals for two seasons from 2011 - 2013.  

Andrews is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS), and Active Release Techniques (ART) and is also licensed in the State of New York. Andrews also has clinical experience as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Elmira College, and Cayuga Medical Center Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance. 

A former student-athlete, Andrews was a four-year lacrosse player at Alfred University where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in athletic training and a minor in exercise science in 2007. Andrews also earned a Master's Degree in health service management from Elmira College in 2009.

Robert Minlionica, MPA, ATC, CES, PES, FMT

Robert Minlionica, an Alfred University Alumnus ('15, Honors) is now pursuing a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Logan University in Chesterfield, MO. Prior to continuing his education in Missouri, Robert worked as both a Summer and Seasonal Athletic Training Intern with the New York Jets of the National Football League.

After Alfred, Minlionica joined the Athletic Training staff at Kean University in Union, New Jersey as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer and ATEP Preceptor. At Kean, Robert worked primarily with Football and Men’s & Women’s Basketball. In 2017, he earned a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration.

Minlionica is a licensed Athletic Trainer in New York, New Jersey and Missouri. He is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), NYS Athletic Trainer Society (NYSATA), Athletic Trainers Society of NJ (ATSNJ) and American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Robert has continued his education in courses provided by Graston, RockTape, National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Motion Palpation Institute.

Jamie Perry, MS, ATC

Jamie graduated from Alfred University in 2013 with her Bachelor's in Athletic Training and a minor in Exercise Science. She then continued on to Winthrop University where she worked as a graduate assistant for two years while getting her Master's in Sport and Fitness Administration.

Following her Master's she was hired by Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA, as their assistant athletic trainer and after just 13 months, she was promoted to the head position! She currently oversees approximately 275 student-athletes in 16 different Division III sports.

Jamie is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), has started working towards her Active Release Technique (ART) certifications and is licensed by the state of Georgia.