KUTZTOWN, Pa. - Avalanche, Kutztown University's golden bear mascot, earned the title of Mascot Madness Champion Monday evening with a 15-vote victory over Rocky of Slippery Rock University.  More than 12,000 votes were cast in the one-day championship round.  A celebration with Frank Brogan, chancellor of the State System of Higher Education, will take place at a future date.
 
With more than 8,000 votes registered April 1-3, Avalanche beat West Chester's Rammy by only 13 votes to advance to the championship round.  KU beat Bloomsburg in the first round of competition the previous week.
 
Monday marked the fourth round of competition in the State System's Mascot Madness. Avalanche had a bye in the first round, and all three of the remaining rounds were decided by less than two percent.
 
Quarterfinals: Avalanche (Kutztown) advanced past Roongo (Bloomsburg), 50.7% - 49.3%
Semifinals: Avalanche (Kutztown) advanced past Rammy (West Chester), 50.1% - 49.9%
Championship: Avalanche (Kutztown) defeated Rocky (Slippery Rock), 50.1% - 49.9%

Born on Blue Mountain in northern Berks County, Avalanche came to KU in October 2005.  He lives in the clock tower of Old Main and is a cheerology and bearobics majors.  He is named in honor of the nickname of then Kutztown State College's sports teams from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. In 1961, Golden Bears replaced Golden Avalanche as the nickname for Kutztown's sports teams, and Golden Bear mascots soon followed. Most recently, Goldie and Griz served as KU's Golden Bear mascots. With their "graduation," however, a new mascot was sought.

Avalanche was created by the Raymond Entertainment Group (REG), a company based out of Newark, DE, specializing in creating mascot characters. The CEO of REG is David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic. His company has created mascots for the NCAA, University of Delaware, Lakewood BlueClaws, Cincinnati Reds, fellow Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference member Millersville University and many others.
 
For more information about Avalanche, visit his website at www.kutztown.edu/Avalanche.