2015-16 Annual Report
Dear Friends, Progress. We all have our own definition in our personal and professional lives. In different stages of growth, progress can be defined as reaching one’s ultimate goal, clearing a major hurdle or simply taking the first step in the right direction. Collectively as the Department of Athletics and individually as 20 varsity programs, the Fairfield Stags experienced tremendous progress during the 2015-16 year, striving toward and achieving our goals in athletics, academics and in the community as men and women for others. Sometimes, progress happens quickly. This past year, we saw our volleyball program – a team featuring nine freshmen and just three returning studentathletes – surge to a MAAC Championship and go toe-to-toe with No. 3 Texas in the NCAA postseason. And our field hockey team celebrated its inaugural season as a member of the MAAC with a conference title and NCAA trip. Other times, progress is gradual. Head Coach Bill Currier took over the Fairfield baseball program five years ago, building a roster than has twice won a program-record 32 games including a landmark 2016 season that saw the Stags win the MAAC Championship and reach the NCAA postseason for the first time in program history. This is progress that is easy to see. There will be rings, banners, highlights and reunions to celebrate these accomplishments for years to come. But not all progress will be commemorated with the pomp and circumstance of a MAAC Championship. Many of our teams are in the midst of their journey, taking strides toward that goal achieved by three of our programs this past year. To highlight just a few examples, Head Coach Sydney Johnson engineered one of the nation’s biggest turnarounds on the basketball court as an infusion of new talent and the growth of our veteran core saw the Stags improve from seven to 19 wins. Our swimming and diving programs, under the direction of Head Coach Janelle Atkinson-Wignall, broke 13 program records this past season. Similarly, the men and women of our cross country teams continue to post faster, more competitive times both personally and among their peers in the MAAC. These are some of the many examples of the progress highlighted in the pages that follow. The progress of our student-athletes extends beyond athletics and into the classroom, where we have maintained our high standard of excellence within the MAAC, the nation and among Fairfield’s overall student population. Six of our teams – women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s soccer and men’s and women’s tennis – earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards with Academic Progress Rates within the top 10 percent in the nation in their sports. Those six programs led an exemplary showing by our entire department that includes a 97 percent Graduation Success Rate in the most recent national report. A total of 319 of our student-athletes earned a 3.0 grade-point average or higher in the spring semester, including 176 Dean’s List students posting at least a 3.5 GPA and 24 recording a perfect 4.0 for the semester. All of these numbers mark an increase from the fall of 2015. Progress. In our community, Fairfield University and Lucas the Stag have reached new heights in terms of being visible, recognizable and indelible figures on the local, tri-state and national levels. Whether it’s the annual Fairfield Half Marathon, a memorable day in New York City and at Citi Field or a national television broadcast on SNY and ESPN3, the Fairfield Stags are represented with pride. Whether it’s the progress of our department as a whole, one of our teams or one individual, we all share in the success of Fairfield Athletics and our student-athletes. I would like to personally thank our student-athletes for their commitment to the University’s ideals – in athletics, academics and beyond – as well as the commitment of our coaches, staff, administration, faculty and friends to enriching their experience in their four years at Fairfield. I invite you to explore all of our successes, our milestones and our progress from the 2015-16 academic year and to join us for many more in 2016-17 and beyond. Go Stags!
Gene Doris, Director of Athletics
Over 300 Fairfield student-athletes, coaches and administrators gathered at the Quick Center for the Arts on Monday, April 25 for the 2016 Fairfield Athletics Awards Ceremony. The ceremony included the presentation of the department’s major awards, as well as recognition of all of the graduating seniors and a look back at the 1990-91 women’s basketball team celebrating the 25th anniversary of its MAAC Championship season. “Each year, I marvel at your accomplishments as students and as athletes,” said Fairfield University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. in his remarks. “I admire the way that you embrace our commitment to the integrity that is paramount amongst our ideals as a Jesuit institution.”
Male Athlete of the Year
Marcus Gilbert, men’s basketball Female Athlete of the Year
Julie de Paeuw, field hockey Male Freshman of the Year
Kevin Duncan, men’s golf Female Freshman of the Year
Kelly Cordes, women’s swimming and diving Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Matt Turner, men’s soccer Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Ann Burgoyne, field hockey William Wallin Memorial Award
Erin Connors, field hockey Shelby Lapoce, women’s lacrosse ECAC Certificate of Appreciation
Casey Timmeny ’99
Volleyball Sporting one of the youngest rosters in the nation in 2015, the Fairfield volleyball team overcame an 0-2 start to league play to win the Stags’ conference-record eighth MAAC Championship. Fairfield won 10 straight matches to conclude the regular season, extending that streak to a dozen with victories over Manhattan and Marist in the conference postseason. Led by Head Coach Todd Kress, who won his program-record fourth MAAC Coach of the Year Award in 2015, the Stags visited No. 2 Texas to open the NCAA Championship. Fairfield went toe-to-toe with the host Longhorns before falling 3-0 to conclude the season with a 21-10 record. Skyler Day ’18 and Megan O’Sullivan ’17 were tabbed as First Team All-MAAC, and Oyinkansola Akinola ’19 earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors. In the postseason, Megan Theiller ’18 was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the MAAC Championship after a 22-kill performance in the Stags’ championship win over Marist.
Field Hockey In its first season as a member of the MAAC, the Fairfield field hockey team rose to the top of the conference as the 2015 MAAC Champions. Under the direction of Head Coach Jackie Kane ’87, the Stags defeated host Monmouth in the semifinals and shutout in-state rival Quinnipiac in the finals to earn the team’s first NCAA Championship berth since 2001. Fairfield capped its ninewin campaign with a loss on the national stage to No. 15 Boston University. Fairfield was lauded individually for its historic campaign with three major MAAC year-end awards. Julie de Paeuw ’17 was named the 2015 MAAC Player of Year, Ann Burgoyne ’17 was selected as the 2015 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year and Ruth Smalbraak ’19 was tabbed 2015 MAAC Rookie of the Year. Burgoyne and de Paeuw were also selected to the All-MAAC First Team with All-MAAC Second Team laurels going to Smalbraak, Erin Buckley ’18 and Maclaine Matties ’17.
Men’s Soccer Fairfield men’s soccer posted an even record of 6-6-6 in 2015, tying for third in the MAAC standings with a 5-3-2 conference mark. The Stags’ place on the ledger was their best since their most recent MAAC Championship season in 2011. Fairfield was led by seven goals from Dominic Marshall ’17 and a strong finish to the outstanding goalkeeping career of Matt Turner ’16. Following the campaign, Turner was invited to a tryout and ultimately earned a contract with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Turner was also named to the All-MAAC Second Team alongside his teammates Marshall and Angus Hastings ’18, and Diego Casielles ’19 earned a place on the All-MAAC Rookie Team.
Women’s Soccer Leading a young Fairfield women’s soccer team on the pitch in 2015, Head Coach Jim O’Brien piloted the Stags to a number of individual plaudits. Karolyn Collins ’16 was a Second Team AllMAAC selection, totaling 12 points while spending time at forward, in the midfield and on the back row. In addition, Jenny Jacobs ’19 was one of two freshmen in all of Division I to earn NSCAA National Player of the Week honors in 2015. Jacobs netted a hat trick in the Stags’ season-ending win at Saint Peter’s, capping her team-leading total at six goals. Her 13 total points put her one off the pace set by Brenna Brown ’17, who racked up five goals with four assists this past fall.
Cross Country The 2015 Fairfield cross country season was highlighted by the return of the Stags’ annual home meet, the Fr. Leeber, S.J. Invitational. The men’s team tied for first place at the event, led by Sam Daly ’17, while the women were paced to a third place performance by Sami Carey ’18. At the close of the meet, Fairfield held the newly-dedicated Fr. W. Laurence O’Neil, S.J. Award Ceremony. In the spring, Scott Daly ’19 qualified for the USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships in the 10,000-meter run. Daly, the first Stag to ever qualify for the event, clocked in with a time of 31:48 as Fairfield competed at the CCSU Invitational. He ran against the nation’s best track and field performers aged 19 and younger in Clovis, Calif. on June 24-26.
Men’s Basketball Head Coach Sydney Johnson engineered one of the nation’s biggest turnaround seasons in 2015-16. The Stags finished the year with 19 wins – after posting seven victories in the previous campaign – en route to an appearance in the MAAC Championship Semifinals and a return to the national postseason landscape in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). Fairfield’s slate included wins over MAAC Champion Iona, CIT Champion Columbia and Patriot League regular season champion Bucknell. The Stags also picked up an overtime win over crosstown rival Sacred Heart as a part of a doubleheader sweep of the Pioneers at Webster Bank Arena. The Stags’ success this past winter saw Fairfield add the MAAC’s top-scoring freshman class – combining to score more than 33 points per game – to a group of veterans led by Marcus Gilbert ’16. A First Team All-MAAC and Third Team All-Met talent, Gilbert scored 20 or more points in 12 games, highlighted by a 32-point, 10-rebound showing in Fairfield’s statement win over Iona. His senior season lifted him to fourth on Fairfield’s all-time scoring list with 1,661 points and second all-time in program annals with 242 made three-pointers. Also earning individual laurels for Fairfield was Tyler Nelson ’18, who collected Third Team All-MAAC honors after netting 16.0 points per game fueled by 66 three-pointers. He was also ranked second on the squad with 2.9 assists per contest. Curtis Cobb ’19 represented the Stags’ highly-touted freshman class with a spot on the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Women’s Basketball Fairfield women’s basketball maintained its place as a consistent contender in the MAAC in 2015-16. The Stags went 11-9 in the conference – their ninth consecutive winning MAAC record under Head Coach Joe Frager – as a part of a 16-15 overall tally. Fairfield finished fourth in the MAAC standings and was rewarded with a berth in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). In the non-conference season, the Stags picked up a win over eventual NEC regular season champion Sacred Heart – joining Harvard as two WNIT qualifiers bested by Fairfield in 2015-16. Kristin Schatzlein ’16 led the individual honorees as the first Fairfield guard selected as First Team All-MAAC since 2008. Schatzlein netted 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, graduating ranked third in program history with 218 career three-pointers. Fairfield’s post combo of Kelsey Carey ’17 and Casey Smith ’17 both collected Third Team All-MAAC recognition. Carey and Smith were the Stags’ two leading scorers last winter with 12.1 and 11.6 points per game, respectively.
Swimming & Diving Fairfield swimming and diving set or broke 13 Fairfield program records over the course of the 2015-16 season. Eight individual records and five relay records were eclipsed, with the bulk of them being set at the 2016 MAAC Championships in February. The freshman class made their presence felt as two rookies set individual records and the class as a whole was a part of five relay records throughout the season. Connor Daly ’16 and Daniel Pires ’17 were the main authors in the rewriting of the individual record books. Daly swam his best at the 2016 MAAC Championships setting four individual records. The senior set records in the 200 freestyle (1:41.84), 200 butterfly (1:50.78), 200 IM (1:50.42), and 400 IM (4:00.10). At the Championships he was also a part of the 200 medley and 400 medley relay records. Pires set both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving records at Iona on January 30. He scored a 336.90 in the 1-meter and a 327.40 in the 3-meter. The junior was also a three-time MAAC Diver of the Week and a MAAC Student-Athlete of the Week.
Tennis Fairfield men’s tennis compiled a 4-3 record in MAAC play, earning the fourth seed in the MAAC Championship before falling to No. 1 Monmouth Hawks in the semifinals. The No. 1 doubles team of Brad Orban ’18 and Ofir Solomon ’16 was tabbed as First Team All-MAAC while the rookie duo of Anthony Caputo ’19 and Jeffrey Rodgers ’19 earned Second Team All-MAAC laurels at No. 2 doubles. Both duos excelled at the highest level in the MAAC, each grabbing wins when the Stags challenged eventual MAAC regular season co-champions Monmouth and Marist. For Fairfield women’s tennis, Nicole Aragones ’18 led the way with six singles wins, competing primarily at the No. 1 spot. Cecilia Parla ’19 added three wins in her rookie campaign, logging a winning record in the MAAC at 3-2. The doubles action was led by Aragones and classmate Sarah Stuhlmann ’18 with three doubles wins in conference play.
Men’s Lacrosse The 2016 season for Fairfield men’s lacrosse featured milestones both for the team and several exceptional student-athletes. The Stags reached the CAA Championship Game for the first time in program history to cap their fifth straight winning campaign at 9-8. In addition to five consecutive winning seasons, the Stags have never finished below .500 either overall or in conference play in eight years under the direction of Head Coach Andy Copelan. Fairfield’s share of the 2016 CAA regular season crown was the team’s third in a row – the Stags are one of five teams in the nation with three straight regular season titles. The Stags’ win over eventual MAAC Champion Quinnipiac marked a victory over a squad that went on to reach the NCAA postseason, a feat the club has accomplished in six of the last seven seasons. Colin Burke ’19 and TJ Neubauer ’16 led the individual honorees with Honorable Mention All-America selections by the USILA. Both All-NEILA and First Team All-CAA picks, Burke was also the CAA Rookie of the Year and the first-ever freshman voted CAA Player of the Year. Goalkeeper Tyler Behring ’17 joined Burke and Neubauer on the All-CAA First Team. Second Team All-CAA laurels went to Charlie Schnider ’16, Andrew Eidenshink ’17 and Will Fox ’18.
Women’s Lacrosse The Stags completed the spring with an overall record of 9-9 and a 4-4 MAAC tally, reaching the MAAC postseason for the 11th straight season. Fairfield garnered the fifth seed in the tournament, topping host Niagara in the First Round before falling to the eventual MAAC champion, Canisius. Four student-athletes earned All-MAAC honors, led by First Team selections Melissa Laible ’16 and Alex Fehmel ’17. Fehmel was also an IWLCA Second Team All-Northeast Region honoree. Riley Hellstein ’17 was tabbed for Second Team All-MAAC laurels, and Lily Crager ’19 was unanimously selected to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Hellstein and Colleen Reynolds ’16 etched their names in the Fairfield record book with their performances this season. In the season opening win over LIU Brooklyn, Hellstein grabbed eight draw controls to tie a single game record. Later in the spring, in the win at New Hampshire, she had nine points with seven goals on the day, both one shy of the program standard. Reynolds, in her final year as a Stag, grabbed a single-season program record 55 draw controls during the 2016 campaign.
Baseball An historic season for Fairfield baseball concluded with the team’s first-ever trip to the NCAA postseason. 2016 MAAC Coach of the Year Bill Currier led the Stags to the MAAC Championship and tied the program record with 32 victories in the spring of 2016. Fairfield posted the biggest offensive showing in MAAC Championship Series history with an 18-2 win over Siena to clinch the title. The Stags were tabbed for the NCAA Championship Lubbock Regional, where they squared off with nationally-ranked foes Texas A&M and Dallas Baptist. Jake Salpietro ’16 clubbed a MAAC-high 10 home runs to pace the offense, earning First Team All-MAAC honors for the second time in his career. He was the MVP of the MAAC Championship after hitting 9-for-13 in the Stags’ three-game run to the conference crown, also garnering Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week laurels for his postseason performance. Mac Crispino ’17, Kyle Dube ’17, Kevin Radziewicz ’18 and Troy Scocca ’17 all earned Second Team All-MAAC honors for the Stags. Fairfield was the top seed in the MAAC Championship after earning the MAAC regular season title outright in dramatic fashion. On the final day of the regular season, Brendan Tracy ’16 smacked a walk-off grand slam to guide the Stags to victory over in-state rival Quinnipiac.
Softball After securing a MAAC Championship berth for the sixth consecutive season, Fairfield softball wrapped its 2016 campaign with a record of 27-23. The Stags also posted a 12-8 MAAC record, marking their ninth straight year with a mark of .500 or better against conference foes. Fairfield’s signature win this spring was a victory over eventual MAAC Champion Marist, snapping the Red Foxes’ 17-game winning streak. Lauren Filicia ’16 capped her outstanding career with a First Team NFCA All-Region selection. The 2016 graduate of the University earned the award for the second straight season to go along with her third consecutive First Team All-MAAC recognition. Filicia hit .408 in her senior campaign with the Stags, fueled by a 26-game hitting streak in which she hit .516 with 14 multi-hit performances. Pitcher Lauren Falkanger ’16 earned Second Team All-MAAC laurels after recording 14 wins in the circle, and Courtney Hankins ’19 launched four home runs with a team-leading 39 runs batted in to land on the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Rowing The men’s varsity 4 qualified for the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship – the first Stags’ boat to compete at the national event – to highlight a strong showing for the Fairfield rowing programs. The MAAC Championship vessel featured Travis Day ’16, Jack Santoro ’18, Casey Fuller ’18 and William Quentin ’18 as its oarsmen. Kara Reese ’18 served as coxswain at the conference meet, and Olivia Vita ’16 took the helm for the IRA race. The Stags’ women’s varsity 4 also took gold at the MAAC Championship. The young crew of Allison Sloan ’19, Maggie O’Donnell ’19, Cat Clough ’19, Colleen Sheridan ’17 and coxswain Katie Clark ’19 comprised the winning team. Fairfield’s varsity 8 on the men’s and women’s teams both captured gold at the Spring Metropolitan Championships. The women went on to win the overall Met Championship as the second varsity 8 also won its race with the second varsity B boat and the varsity 4 each placing second.
Golf A sweep of the 2015 ECAC Championship this past September highlighted the campaign for the Fairfield men’s and women’s golf programs. The Stags’ men’s team overcame a two-shot deficit after day one to overtake Bryant and win the ECAC crown by a single stroke. Kevin Duncan ’19, the University’s Male Freshman of the Year, earned individual medalist honors with a two-day 142 on the par-71 course. Duncan also won the individual NEIGA Championship in the fall of his freshman campaign. The women’s team repeated as ECAC Champions, led by Jackie Schofield ’17, who edged teammate Michelle Applegate ’16 by one stroke to earn medalist honors. Molly Hair ’18 followed in third place as the Stags ran away from second-place St. Francis Brooklyn by 69 strokes. Spring performances were highlighted by an All-MAAC third-place performance by Eric Austin ’18 at the MAAC Championship. Olivia Brooks ’16 also earned All-MAAC laurels with a sixth-place outing.
Hall of Fame Fairfield University inducted six new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Monday, May 2 at the historic Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield. The class featured Ben Andrews ’11 (men’s rowing), James Brown ’69 (men’s basketball – posthumous induction), Michael Bocklet ’07 (men’s lacrosse), Amy Hanson Ostella ’97 (women’s tennis), Paul Sheehy ’85 (men’s rugby) and Sabra Wrice ’08 (women’s basketball). The Hall of Fame ceremony was a part of the 2016 Fairfield Athletics Hall of Fame Golf Outing. For the second straight year, proceeds from the event have been directed toward the Fairfield Athletics Sports Performance program. Contributions will enhance the strength center within the Thomas J. Walsh Jr. Athletic Center to maximize studentathlete performance in athletic competition.
896 Donors to Athletics $1.6M towards Athletics Facilities
Friends of Athletics
SUPPORTING FAIRFIELD STUDENT-ATHLETES
$2.6M Major Gift Commitments 35 Friends of Varsity Athletics events
2015-16 MAJOR PROJECTS George R. Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall • Women’s Soccer Locker Room • Alumni Diamond (in progress) Men’s Basketball Locker Room • Baseball Locker Room (in progress)