Taylor Gradinjan, a sixth-year graduate student, led the FGCU women’s basketball team back to the NCAA Tournament AGAIN!
NO. 1 - SUMMER 2018
WINGS UP WOMEN
NEWSLETTER
WINGS UP WOMEN
Our Purpose The mission of Wings Up Women is to raise funds to reach and sustain NCAA full scholarship allowances for all women’s teams and to empower FGCU female student-athletes to maximize their full capabilities to become future leaders.
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Through a minimum $150 tax-deductible gift, FGCU Athletics’ goal is to generate at least 100 donations in order to initially fundraise a one-year athletic scholarship valued at $15,000. However, the department will gladly accept any donations above and beyond to help female student-athletes continue to achieve at a high level in and out of their competitions. Although meeting all required Title IX expectations, the majority of FGCU’s women’s teams are not yet fully funded at the NCAA maximum and all have higher limits than their male sport counterparts. In addition to scholarship and revenue enhancement, Wings Up Women was created to help maintain the outstanding levels of Eagles’ achievements both academically and athletically, and to encourage “Paying It Forward” for future generations of FGCU female student-athletes. Previously, Wings Up Women has held multiple events on campus, including networking nights and luncheons. The networking nights are designed for interaction with FGCU’s female student-athletes, community members and professional leaders. Professionals from the health and fitness, public relations, university services, business and technical services fields have all been in attendance in the past. Wings Up Women has also held luncheons in an attempt to create and maintain relationships between FGCU’s female student-athletes and community members and professionals in Southwest Florida.
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Women Lead FGCU To Sherman Day Trophy For the fourth-straight year, FGCU won the Sherman Day Trophy as the ASUN Conference’s top women’s athletic program, and the Eagles narrowly missed claiming the Bill Bibb Trophy for the fourth-consecutive season as the league’s top overall athletic program. With three ASUN regular-season championships and a trio of other top-three performances, FGCU’s women (75.42 percent; 133.5 points out of a possible 177) edged out Kennesaw State (73.85 percent; 144 of 195) with league trophies in basketball, tennis and a split title in soccer. The Green and Blue finished as regular season runner-ups in softball, beach volleyball and third in volleyball to guide FGCU to its fifth title in six seasons. Kennesaw State (70.8 percent; 240 of 339) won its first all-sports trophy, finishing just more than one percent ahead of FGCU (69.23 percent; 216 of 312) as the Eagles were aiming for their fifth overall crown in six years. The race between the Eagles and Owls was so close that one flip in position in the final standings of any sport (i.e.: FGCU finishing 2nd instead of 3rd and KSU finishing 4th instead of 3rd) would have given FGCU a fourth-consecutive title. North Florida (72.73 percent; 120 of 165) earned the Jesse C. Fletcher Trophy for the top men’s athletic program while FGCU finished fourth. It marked the first time in the history of the awards that each of the three trophies were won by different institutions. The trophies are awarded yearly to the most successful school(s) in the conference in terms of athletic accomplishments. In team sports, points are awarded based on a school’s regular-season finish. In individual sports, such as cross country and golf, points are awarded based on tournament results. “We are extremely proud of another overall strong year, in particular in winning our fourth-consecutive Sherman Day Trophy,” FGCU Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh said. “We also extend our congratulations to Kennesaw State in squeezing us out of a similar accomplishment for the cumulative Bibb Trophy. We will work hard to recapture it again next year.” Points for the all-sports race are awarded on a descending basis in three-point increments and are established according to the number of teams participating in each sport (i.e.: 1st place in an eight-team sport: 24 points; 2nd place: 21 points, etc.). In the event of a tie, the schools split the combined points. The final all-sports standings are based on percentage as not all schools field every sport which the ASUN sponsors. Each institution’s percentage score is determined by the aggregate calculation of each institution’s points earned divided by the maximum
points available to that institution. In addition to the aforementioned women’s regular-season titles and top-3 finishes, the men’s basketball team brought home its second-straight outright regular-season championship to lead the charge on the men’s side. Soccer (2nd) and tennis (T-3rd) each finished in the top-3 of their respective sports to aid in the men’s point totals. Kennesaw State joins FGCU as the only current ASUN members to have won the Bill Bibb Trophy. However, FGCU remains the only current league member to have won the trophy consecutively. Former league member ETSU claimed the title six-consecutive years from its inception in 2006-07 through 2011-12. The Eagles ended ETSU’s run with a 1st-place finish in 2012-13, starting the current stretch of four triumphs in six years (2nd place in 2013-14 along with 2017-18). After claiming a department-record 10 conference championships last year, FGCU’s 15 teams combined to win seven more conference regular season and tournament titles in 2017-18: Women’s Soccer: Regular Season & Tournament Men’s Basketball: Regular Season Women’s Basketball: Regular Season & Tournament Swimming & Diving: CCSA Tournament (no regular season; not factored into ASUN all-sports race) Women’s Tennis: Regular Season Since joining the ASUN and Division I in 2007-08, FGCU has won an incredible 70 conference regular season and tournament titles – inclusive of nine CCSA swimming and diving crowns – for an average of more than six per season. Furthermore, in only seven years of D-I postseason eligibility since 2011-12, FGCU has sent 22 teams to the NCAA Tournament, while men’s golf (2012, 2013, 2015), swimming and diving (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and men’s tennis (2014) have had an individual(s) participate in their respective NCAA Championship, bringing the total NCAA appearances for FGCU to 33.
SHERMAN DAY TROPHY 1) FGCU: 75.42 percent – 133.5 of 177 2) Kennesaw State: 73.85 percent – 144 of 195 3) Jacksonville: 66.41 percent – 127.5 of 192 4) North Florida: 62.68 percent – 133.5 of 213 5) Lipscomb: 62.31 percent – 121.5 of 195 6) Stetson: 58.47 percent – 103.5 of 177 7) USC Upstate: 35.38 percent – 69 of 195 8) NJIT: 19.61 percent – 30 of 153 (Represents percentage of possible overall points that can be earned)
Holbert’s Battle With Lupus In the summer of 2016, FGCU women’s golfer Kelsy Holbert had just wrapped up her first year as an Eagle, and she was walking down the beach with her friends and family. Little did she know that she would sustain an injury that would change her life forever. Holbert, after falling and hitting her knee, suffered significant swelling that would not subside. The FGCU athletic training staff worked overtime to figure out why she was not healing from her injury. During this time, Holbert went through several tests and bloodwork to determine what was going on. In August 2016, Holbert was finally diagnosed. She had Lupus, an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Holbert had no idea what to expect, as Lupus effects each person differently. She didn’t know what this would mean for her golf career and more importantly her life from then on, as certain forms can potentially be fatal. Over the course of the past two years, doctors and the FGCU trainers have worked hard to keep Kelsy healthy and on the course. Since the diagnosis, Holbert has helped lead the FGCU women’s golf team to two of the best years in program history. She has earned eight individual top-25 finishes, including a season-best 72 and a top-10 finish at the 2017 ASUN Championship. She helped the team earn its first outright tournament championship in a decade this past year and has counted scores in 71 percent of her rounds. On top of that, she has amassed a 6-01 record in match play and will be a co-captain of the team this coming year as a senior. Each day, Holbert must monitor her symptoms closely. For her, she must be careful of exposure to sunlight, as well as dealing with the swelling in her knees and joint pain. She is currently on five different prescriptions where she takes two pills over six days of the week, and then she takes 10 pills each Wednesday. On top of that, she must see her doctor every three months and have bloodwork done every other month to monitor her health. “Through all of this Kelsy has had an amazing attitude and outlook on life,” FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. “She is the heart of our team and a constant reminder that there are bigger things in life than just sports.”
FEATURE
Ashley Parks Wins Eagle Scholar Athlete Award most in program history, with her leadership. In the ASUN final, she assisted on the game-winning, overtime goal by Varin Ness. She missed just 23 minutes during the season, finishing with 1,723 minutes played.
Ashley Parks Defender
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shley Parks concluded her storied five-year career with the FGCU women’s soccer team by being tabbed as the co-winner of the prestigious 2018 Eagle Scholar Athlete Award along with baseball’s Mario Leon. The award is presented to a graduating senior student-athlete(s) and recognizes the ability of the winner(s) to combine athletic and academic success (minimum 3.20 GPA) with community service. On the field, the St. Louis, Mo. native finished her career tied for the program’s all-time record for most appearances (84). In the process, she helped spearhead the Eagles to four consecutive ASUN championships and NCAA appearances. As a senior, she was named First Team All-ASUN and ASUN Defensive Player of the Year. She earned a spot on the ASUN’s All-Tournament team and All-Academic team. Following the season, she earned her second straight United Soccer Coaches Association Second Team All-Region award while also being named CoSIDA All-District IV First Team. Parks anchored the FGCU backline and helped the Eagles post one of the best seasons in program history, holding opponents to just 14 goals, or 0.72 per game. The Green and Blue posted 11 shutouts, the second
All that came after she suffered a knee injury in her third year on campus in the fall of 2015. In her first season back in 2016, she helped the Eagles hold opponents to an ASUN best 17 goals and was named First Team All-ASUN and NSCAA Second Team All-Southeast Region. She started every match and played nearly 1,900 minutes. “Ashley persevered through a devastating knee injury in her junior year and could have easily forgone playing an additional fifth year, but her will and determination prevailed. She has excelled athletically and academically, and is an incredible leader who is a deserving winner of this award. FGCU women’s soccer will be forever grateful for her contributions.” After graduating with a 3.48 undergraduate GPA in which she was named to the Dean’s List four times and the President’s List once, Parks completed her master’s in accounting and taxation in just one year with better than a 3.8 GPA. Among joining several prestigious professional societies, she has received nomination to become a Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society member, which is comprised of business students in the top 10 percent of their class. Parks was named the Lutgert College of Business Graduate
Student of the Year, was a two-time ASUN All-Academic Team member and received an FGCU Athletics Female Student-Athlete of the Month selection. Parks has volunteered at the Harry Chapin Hunger Walk, Habitat for Humanity, Spring Bling, Kowiachobee Animal Preserve and has planted trees as part of the Family Gardens Organization, among many other community service projects in Southwest Florida. On campus, Parks participated in Night at the Nest, women’s soccer clinics and the Susan G. Komen fundraiser, in addition to tutoring accounting students and helping freshmen move in to South Village.
FEATURE STORY
“Taylor has meant so much to our program. She has had an excellent career, and she’s been great on the court and in the classroom.”
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KARL SMESKO - FGCU HEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH
aylor Gradinjan didn’t take any shortcuts during her time with the FGCU women’s basketball program and completed her career as one of the most memorable student-athletes in program history.
The Cudahy, Wisc. native, who is the only Eagle to ever spend six seasons with the Green and Blue, overcame a pair of ACL injuries to open her career. In the classroom, she completed a bachelor’s degree in exercise science with a 3.78 GPA before getting a master’s degree in health science and administration with a 4.00 GPA. In her first season on campus in 2012-13, Gradinjan scored 12 points in her collegiate debut and earned a starting spot in just her fifth game against nationally-ranked South Carolina. It was in that game, however, she tore her ACL and missed the rest of the season. In the 2013-14 preseason, after working her way back, she tore it again in the preseason and would have to wait another whole year to get back on the court. “The first time was absolutely unbearable,” Gradinjan said. “I was like ‘nobody touch me,’ but the second time was just ‘that’s the pop.’” The time away from the game helped allow Gradinjan to become a smarter player on the court, and it allowed her the ability to ultimately get a master’s degree while still playing the game she loves.
“When I tore my ACL the second time, I didn’t stop and hang up my jersey because I not only needed to see my team triumph, but I wanted to lead the way,” Gradinjan said. “Life and leadership are all about rising to the challenges that mark our paths. Many of the lessons you learn as a student-athlete such as patience, time management, work ethic, etc. can be applied to much more than the sphere of the sport. Basketball gave me vision not only for the game, but for life. With the attributes I have learned, I know I am capable of making my visions become a reality.”
goals made (89) and attempted (230), while shooting a third-best .387 from long range. She averaged 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists while starting 35 games. The program’s all-time leader in career games played (148) also concluded her career sixth in points (1,234), fifth in field goals made (424) and attempted (1,057), second in 3-point field goals made (299) and attempted (803), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.372), eighth in rebounds (498), 16th in assists (177), 12th in steals (114), second in games started (126) and second in minutes played (3,769).
It wasn’t easy, but Gradinjan said the support she received meant a lot.
Following her senior season, Gradinjan earned a spot on the prestigious ten-member DI-AAA Athletics Directors Association scholar-athlete “I just remember having to sleep on my back team, representing the eighth consecutive year all the time, and I hated that. But I had plenty of that an FGCU women’s basketball student-athleteammates and friends come and decorate my te has earned a spot on the team (encompasses room and bring me things. They were really good the 100 D-I institutions that don’t sponsor fooabout it. The support made all the difference tball). through it all because it can get dark sometimes.” “Taylor has really excelled on the court and in Gradinjan was able to get back on the court the classroom,” FGCU head coach Karl Smesko for the 2014-15 season. She started 16 of 34 ga- said. “It is great to see her earn such a prestimes played and averaged 6.3 points. Her played gious honor as she is a wonderful person with a helped the Eagles advance to the NCAA Tour- bright future ahead of her.” nament, and she buried a pair of 3-pointers to help her team defeat Oklahoma State for the Gradinjan joined previous DI-AAA team memprogram’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. bers from the Green and Blue including: Jordin As a sophomore, she was one of three players Alexander (2017), Stephanie Haas (2015, 2016), to start all 39 games, averaged 9.6 points Sarah Hansen (2012, 2013, 2014) and Courtney per game on a career-high 90 3-point field Chihil (2011, 2012). In addition to that, Jenna goals made, and she helped lead her team Cobb won a post-graduate scholarship in 2015. to a runner-up finish in the WNIT, which included a semifinal home win over Michigan. “We are extremely proud of Taylor being recognized with this high honor,” FGCU Director As a junior, Gradinjan’s eight points per of Athletics Ken Kavanagh said. “Like her fellow game allowed the team to make another Eagle predecessors, Taylor epitomizes the defiNCAA Tournament appearance, and she even nition of scholar-athlete and her significant conhit the game-tying 3-pointer in the final se- tributions on and off the floor will certainly be conds at Miami, before a controversial no- missed.” -call on what appeared to be her taking a big charge ended the season. Gradinjan also is a three-time ASUN All-Academic Team member, and she landed a spot on Then, as a senior, Gradin- CoSIDA’s Academic All-District team as a junior. jan led the best 3-point The three-time FGCU scholar-athlete of the monshooting team in NCAA th was also a two-time team captain and led the history in 3-point field Green and Blue to a 122-26 record in her 148 career games. Behind Gradinjan’s leadership, FGCU finished 31-5 overall in 2017-18 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where the Eagles knocked off fifth-seeded Missouri in the first round and advanced to the second round for just the second time in program history. They captured the eighth ASUN regular season championship in program history and claimed a fifth ASUN tournament title. The Green and Blue earned the No. 1 ranking in both the CollegeInsider.com and espnW mid-major polls during the season and concluded the year No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
SUMMER ABROAD: EAGLES FLY TO EUROPE Becoming the first FGCU program to venture overseas, the FGCU volleyball team visited Europe May 21 through June 1.
The journey concluded with a pair of matches in greater Pula, Croatia (resort area on the Adriatic Sea) over three days before spending the final 24 The trip commenced in Budapest, hours in the historic canal city of Hungary, where they spent three Venice, Italy. nights and competed against local club teams. The Eagles went 5-1 in their The group then traveled by bus and briefly stopped in Vienna, Austria for lunch and sightseeing (some were chaperoned by Eagles women’s basketball standout Lisa Zderadicka). Following that, the team proceeded to Maribor, Slovenia for two more matches over three days where they did some sightseeing followed by being able to experience alpine slides and bike riding while having lunch and dinner high above on the mountains.
matches and used the memorable venture as a way to experience the world while getting better and preparing for a championship run in 2018. For more information on the trip, including blogs, photos and video from the trip, visit www.
#EaglesInEurope Blog Day 1
We had such a great start to the #EaglesInEurope trip! We landed in Budapest at 9 a.m. this morning and went straight to practice at the MTK Club facility. It was great to get some touches and wake up our bodies after the long trip. After practice we went straight to lunch, which started with fresh chicken salad and ended with a couple sweet crepes. Later that afternoon we had a chance to see the Buda Castle, including the beautiful Matthias Church and multiple overlooks of the Dunube River and downtown. After sightseeing, we had dinner back at the hotel and started our recovery from the long journey from Fort Myers and our flight from Miami via Philadelphia.
Day 2
In the morning, we toured the Pest side of Budapest, where we saw St. Stephen’s Basilica, The House of Parliament, downtown and the Jewish ghetto. In the evening, we took on MTK Budapest, which is a young, junior 17-18 year old club team and defeated them 25-23, 23-25, 25-12 and 25-10. The opening set was back-and-forth until we scored the final three points after a 22-all tie. The second set saw MTK Budapest battle back from 20-17 and 22-20 deficits. We pulled away in the final two sets to take the win and closed the match on a 16-4 run.
Day 3
We visited Hero’s Square, or Hosök tere, which was built on the 1,000th anniversary of Hungary and the Dohány Street Synagogue, where 70,000 Jews were tragically killed during World War II and another 600 were taken to concentration camps. The Dohany Synagogue is known as the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world behind New York City. We then played MTK Budapest for the second time and picked up our second win in four sets. We got off to a fast start and won the first two sets 25-10. Cortney VanLiew got on a roll serving and scored nine straight in the second set to open up an 18-6 lead. MTK Budapest captured the third set 25-22, but the Eagles prevailed 25-15 to capture the victory.
Day 4
We traveled to Vienna, Austria and caught up with fellow Eagle Lisa Zderadicka of the women’s basketball team who was there. Although it was a short stay there, it was beautiful and filled with history! We started at the Hofburg Palace, which is the former imperial palace and currently home to libraries and museums for the public.
Across from the Hofburg is the Museum Quarters with a beautiful courtyard, large art museums like the Leopold and the Modern Art, plus the center for dance, the Architekturzentrum Wien. Next, we toured St. Stephen’s Cathedral and were given time to browse around Stephansplatz, take a trip up the 343 steps to the top of the South Tower and buy a bratwurst from a local street vendor. After that, we stopped at the Wiener Staatsoper, which is the Vienna Opera House. Vienna is known across the world as the “City of Music” and is famous for artists like Mozart and Beethoven. We also visited Mozart’s Monument inside the Hofburg Palace grounds. He performed at the age of six on Oct. 13, 1762 for Emperor Franz I and Empress Maria Theresia. In the evening, we traveled to Maribor, Slovenia, where we will spend our next three days!
Day 5
We started the day off with practice in the morning. The team took a ski lift up the mountain where they host the World Cup ski races and rode the Alpine Slide down! Coach Botsford and Coach Zielinski, along with a couple others, decided to go for a hike instead of the lift and got the full experience. Haha. After an enjoyable lift with beautiful views, the team had lunch at the top. The Alpine Slide was a blast! We zig zagged down the mountain twice and had a handle to control the speed. The trick was to lean into the curves and speed up half way through the turns! Many of the girls loved it so much they opted to go for a third ride down. After the Alpine Slide we had a friendly match against the Slovenian National Team. Although they prevailed, it was great competition and we are excited to play them again tomorrow. After the match we took a gondola ride up to the top of the mountain and had dinner at Mirc’s Mountain Hut. It was so beautiful! We enjoyed a traditional Slovenian meal outside with a scenic view down upon Maribor.
and we took a boat over to the island. There are only 23 families that own houses on the lake and allowed to own boats to send tourists over to the island. After lunch, we drove to Pula, Croatia and had dinner at our hotel on the Adriatic Sea!
Day 8
We spent the day in beautiful Pula! We had a morning practice and then enjoyed the day cliff jumping into the Adriatic Sea, which is adjacent to our hotel! The water is so clear you can see the bottom and all of the fish beneath you. It is also very salty and great for floating. Tonight we played the Croatian Junior Select Team, won all five sets (25-9, 25-22, 25-17, 25-20, 15-8) and had dinner with them afterwards at a family restaurant in a small town nearby owned by one of their parents.
Day 9
We spent the day in downtown Pula! We visited the historic Coliseum Amphitheater and toured the inside. After that, we walked to the Public square, the Temple of Augusta and the Arch of Sergii, which is the entrance to the city. Tonight we are playing another match against the Istria Select Team and again having dinner at the Danijeli Restaurant on our way back to the hotel.
Day 10
A great day in Venice! We woke up in Pula and made the three-hour bus trip to Venice, Italy. We had five hours to explore the city! Piazza San Marco, Saint Mark’s Basilica and Rialto Bridge are a few of the hot spots where we spent time during the day. We ended the day with a pizza dinner at the Ristorante Pedrocchi and are excited to head home to share our memorable trip with family and friends!
Day 6
We started the day off with a beautiful bike tour around Maribor! Our guide led us up and down the beautiful hills of the town and into the city center. We had lunch in their square downtown and had some free time to explore. In the afternoon we played another match against the Slovenian National Team and won 4 out of the 5 sets! We then took a bus ride to a dinner and wine tasting at the Doppler Winery. Afterwards, Cortney VanLiew (with help from Karissa Rhoades) drew our FGCU logo on a wall for college teams that have visited.
Day 7
We went to Bled, Slovenia. There is a beautiful lake
“It’s very different. It’s definitely helping us improve our skills and be able to adapt to different playing styles. It’s been a great experience in seeing how other countries play.” Amanda Carroll
#WINGSUP
WOMEN’S TEAMS LEAD THE WAY ONCE AGAIN FOR FGCU
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YEAR IN REVIEW
he women’s sports at FGCU once again won several ASUN championships and represented our department in the postseason.
In the classroom, the women’s teams spearheaded an overall record breaking 3.35 athletics GPA (compared to 2.99 for the general FGCU undergrads) with a combined 3.46 cumulative GPA, including a 3.52 spring term GPA. The Green and Blue also had five teams earn NCAA Public Recognition Awards - women’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, beach volleyball and women’s cross country. It is an award presented to teams that finish within the top 10 percent of their sport in multi-year APR, which essentially requires a perfect 1.000 score in a non-football sport. The four-year APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or academic term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport. In fact, FGCU women’s tennis became the first team in department history to earn the NCAA Public Recognition Award in three consecutive seasons. Women’s cross country and women’s basketball each earned the award for the second consecutive year. Women’s sports at FGCU own all nine of the department’s NCAA Public Recognition awards all-time.
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Here is a review of how each team did in 2017-
Women’s Basketball Finishing 31-5 overall and advancing to the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles knocked off fifth-seeded Missouri in the first round and subsequently advanced to the second round for just the second time in program history. Along the way, the Green and Blue captured the eighth ASUN regular season championship and fifth ASUN tournament title in program history. The Eagles recaptured the NCAA’s single season 3-point field goal record with 431 from long range, while earning the No. 1 ranking in both the CollegeInsider.com and espnW mid-major polls during the season. FGCU knocked off No. 21 DePaul in Las Vegas for the program’s first-ever win over a ranked team in the Division-I era. They weren’t done, though, as the Green and Blue also defeated No. 20/23 Kentucky and No. 17/15 Missouri in the NCAA Tournament to conclude the year No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Following the season, seniors Rosemarie Julien and China Dow were named First Team All-ASUN, while sophomore Tytionia Adderly earned a spot on the second team. Senior Taylor Gradinjan joined Sarah Hansen as just one of two student-athletes in program history with three ASUN All-Academic team selections. Head coach Karl Smesko earned his eight ASUN Coach of the Year award in 11 seasons of eligibility.
In the summer, Julien signed a training camp deal with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, and senior Jessica Cattani accepted a graduate assistant coaching position at Western Kentucky University.
Women’s Cross Country The Eagles opened the season placing fifth in Boca Raton at the FAU Invitational, putting two runners in the top-20 with Carley Lutzow crossing the finish line sixth overall. Due to Hurricane Irma, the squad’s next meet of the season was canceled, and the Green and Blue went on to cap September by placing 14th at the Mountain Dew Invitational in Gainesville. Meanwhile, Lutzow continued to put the final touches on her stellar season crossing the finish line third in the final individual meet of the season at USF en route to conference First-Team honors at the ASUN Championship where she aided the Green and Blue to a seventh place finish while ending the race seventh overall. It all culminated in her setting at new personal-best time at the NCAA South Regional Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Women’s Golf FGCU captured the program’s first outright tournament win in 10 years and had six top five finishes over 10 events. Natalia Nassar became the program’s first-ever ASUN Freshman of the Year, and the Green and Blue had three different players capture ASUN golfer of the week recognition for the first time. The aforementioned tournament win came in the MSU Citrus Classic, giving the program its first outright title since 2008 in the SIU Spring Lake Invitational. The most recent share of a first-place finish came in 2013 when the Green and Blue tied for first in the FGCU Invitational. Overall, the team produced seven sub-300 rounds – led by a 290 in the second round of the Pat Bradley Invitational. That round tied the program record for lowest round set in 2016, and the 895 team score in the event was the third-best 54-hole score in program history. Individually, Ailsa Clark’s second-round 69 in the event tied for the fourth-best round in program history. The Eagles finished the year with a 305.24 stroke average over 25 rounds, which is the second lowest in program history behind the 201617 team’s 302.31. In fact, they have now recorded the three best season averages over the past three years.
Katie Puisis (3) and Karissa Rhoades (1) celebrate the match winning point that gave them the program’s single season wins record.
Softball The Eagles turned in a 37-19 record, going 12-6 in league play. Holding an RPI ranking as high as No. 33 during the 2018 campaign, FGCU finished the year No. 39 at the conclusion of the ASUN Championship - the highest rank of any team not selected for an at-large NCAA berth. The campaign also witnessed the program and founding coach Dave Deiros earning his 600th career victory in the Eagles 16th year. At the plate, the Eagles were fueled by First Team All-ASUN honoree Racquel Fournet. The junior recorded a .361 batting average, leading the Eagles in RBI (33), hits (60), and doubles (14). Another First Team All-ASUN member, Riley Randolph, led the pitching rotation with 18 wins and fanned 148 batters while posting a 1.68 ERA. Heading into 2019, the Eagles have a lot to look forward to in the circle. With each member coming back, the staff will look to capitalize even more as they finished the season 16th in the nation with a cumulative 1.93 ERA. In addition, freshman Taylor Bauman led the nation in saves with 15, four more than any other player in the country.
Women’s Swimming and Diving Carley Lutzow earned First Team All-ASUN recognition by finishing third individually at the ASUN Championships.
Women’s Soccer FGCU overcame adversity in 2017 to remain atop the ASUN Conference. After a 7-1 start to the season, Hurricane Irma kept the team in Arizona for a week before returning to Fort Myers. Once back, the Green and Blue moved their conference unbeaten streak to 49 games, the fourth longest in NCAA history, before falling to Lipscomb 1-0. FGCU claimed a share of its eighth straight regular season title, which is the longest in the nation. The tiebreaker resulted in going on the road for the conference tournament for the first time in program history. In the championship rematch against host Lipscomb, the team fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit and won the crown in double overtime behind a Varin Ness goal in the 106th minute. With the victory, the Green and Blue made it four-straight and six of the past seven seasons with an NCAA Tournament berth FGCU’s historic season, which came to an end with a loss at South Florida in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, came full circle when the Eagles earned 11 All-ASUN selections, the most in conference history and the maximum a program can earn. Among those were six first team selections including the ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, Melissa Weck, and the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, Ashley Parks. Later, the team would again earn the maximum number of honors when five players were selected to the All-Southeast Region team, joining South Carolina and Central Florida as the only teams in the nation with that many.
During the regular season, the Green and Blue posted a 7-2 overall record while going 2-0 in Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) action. The Eagles captured their fourth-straight CCSA crown and ninth in a span of a decade. At the conclusion of the championships, Gracie Redding was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Swimmer as Dave Rollins earned his second-consecutive Coach of the Year award. Christina Kass Elmgreen went on to represent FGCU at the NCAA Swimming Championships where she competed in the 100 and 200 butterfly events.
Women’s Volleyball The FGCU women’s volleyball team finished 22-10 overall and 10-4 in ASUN play while displaying that they’ll be a team to be reckoned with in the coming years. With one senior on the roster, the Green and Blue advanced to the ASUN championship match for the second consecutive season. At one juncture, the Eagles won eight straight matches and 22 consecutive sets. During that stretch, junior Amanda Carroll broke Brooke Youngquist Sweat’s career kills record. Carroll also earned ASUN Co-Player of the Year and Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year recognition. Furthermore, Snowy Burnam earned the ASUN’s Freshman of the Year.
Beach Volleyball The FGCU beach volleyball team won a program-record 15 matches for the second straight season, compiled a 15-11 record overall and achieved a program-record 7-3 finish in conference play this past year. Along the way, the Eagles picked up the program’s first win over a ranked team in a 3-2 decision over No. 15 Florida Atlantic. Juniors Karissa Rhoades and Katie Puisis earned First Team All-ASUN recognition after breaking the program’s single season wins record with 17 as the No. 2 pair, while Snowy Burnam became just the second student-athlete in NCAA history to be named the ASUN’s Freshman of the Year in both indoor and beach volleyball. In fact, Burnam teamed with fellow freshman, Kayla Whetstone, to set a new freshman win mark for the program at the No. 4 pair. The team’s No. 3 pair of senior Ashley Glickert and sophomore Giovanna Borgiotti won a program record eight straight matches and finished the season with 16 wins.
Women’s Tennis The Green and Blue capped the 2018 campaign with a 10-8 overall mark, and went undefeated for the second-straight season in ASUN competition finishing 6-0 before having their season come to an end in the ASUN Championship semifinals. Some of the season highlights included the Eagles defeating their first Big 10 opponent in Minnesota (4-3) to go along with the aforementioned conference unbeaten streak. In total, the Eagles garnered 13 conference awards, including Courtney Vernon’s third-straight and second-consecutive outright Coach of the Year honor and the Player of the Year in sophomore Maja Ornberg. Dominating all season long on court No. 1, Ornberg produced a 12-1 record in the top slot while going 14-3 in dual play. Julia Ascúa, pictured at right, notched the Eagles’ only other First-Team nod making her a three-time conference selection while also landing on the ASUN All-Academic team for a second-straight year.
Maja Ornberg became the program’s first-ever ASUN player of the year.
Wings Up Women HELP US REACH OUR $15K GOAL!
WHAT IS WINGS UP WOMEN? The group’s mission is to raise funds to reach & sustain NCAA full scholarship allowances for all women's teams and to empower FGCU female student-athletes to maximize their full capabilities to become future leaders.
Female student athletes have a 3.43 cumulative GPA and are performing at the top in the classroom & on the playing fields
WAYS TO GIVE Through a minimum $150 tax-deductible gift, FGCU Athletics' goal is to generate at least 100 donations to initially fundraise a one-year athletic scholarship valued at $15K. However, any donations above & beyond will be more than welcome!
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