2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
A LETTER FRO M AD M AR C U S BLO SSOM Fellow Crusaders, I hope these pages find you safe and healthy as we embark on one of the most unique and challenging academic years we’ve ever seen, not only on The Hill, but throughout this country. Six months later, we are still battling the global pandemic that cut short last year’s winter championship season and the majority of the spring season, and now has caused us to postpone our fall campaigns. As a country, we are also navigating an environment of widespread civil unrest. We, as Crusaders, are committed to affecting positive change in this environment by addressing issues of racial and social injustice close to home and outside our Holy Cross walls. These issues and all of their consequences, including the economic downturn that has impacted millions of Americans and American institutions, have caused immeasurable grief for so many, and our College is no exception. And while many institutions’ stories of 2020 start there, ours dates back further still, to January 15, when tragedy took the life of one of our own. The sadness of losing Grace Rett and the pain and heartache felt by all involved was not yet beginning to heal when this unforgiving virus pulled us apart in new and unsettling ways. Today, I doubt any one of us has been spared from the impact the events of 2020 have had on our families and communities, and our thoughts are with all those who have suffered pain and loss. Still, despite all of these challenges, we look forward to a bright and exciting future. We are resilient, and we will navigate these choppy waters together, as one team – Crusader Nation. Although the harsh realities of our lives today highlight the vital work of scientists, healthcare workers and all those on the frontlines who are guiding us through these difficult times, I believe in the importance of applauding our accomplishments, now more than ever. And so, within these pages, you will find the many great highlights of the previous academic year, presented to you this fall as we do every year, in a moment of celebration. Throughout every tribulation, our Crusaders never lost sight of their goals, and nowhere is that clearer than in their performance in the classroom. A cumulative GPA of 3.40 with more than 500 student-athletes recognized by their conference’s honor roll is a feat to be proud of under any circumstance, and our Crusaders overcame their challenges with poise and determination.
Despite losing nearly half of our competitive seasons, there was still much to celebrate in competition. We saw our first professional draftees in two different sports, including just the second player in Patriot League history to be drafted into the WNBA in Lauren Manis. Records toppled across nearly every sport that competed – you can read more about this inside – and we saw football raise a Patriot League Championship trophy at Fitton Field for the first time since 2009. With our work year in and year out, we have proven the dedication we have to our community. Last year, we devoted nearly 3,000 hours serving the communities in which we live and learn, and our commitment to our calling as men and women for others will not wane in the face of today’s global challenges. Rather, we will use that commitment as the foundation for the work that is to come, as our world faces questions that will push us to step outside our comfort zones and be the agents of change our society needs. This has been a year like no other. We have felt pain, disappointment and anguish. But we have also felt pride and togetherness, and your support has lifted us up in some of our most difficult moments. Last year, the Crusader Athletics Fund raised just shy of $2 million from over 3,600 alumni, parents and friends of Holy Cross Athletics. Your financial support put us in a position to achieve all the great accomplishments we are sharing with you here, and we sincerely appreciate your continued commitment to the success of our studentathletes and teams throughout a challenging year. I am thrilled to be a part of this community, and to lead this great athletics department and the incredible student-athletes who are dedicating themselves to excellence through a period of time that we will never forget. We press on and remain steadfast in our approach to achieving excellence and enhancing the overall experience of our more than 700 studentathletes, and we need the support of our entire community working hand-in-hand on these goals. I look forward to the future, and to the many challenges, memories and even greater successes that await. Go Cross Go!
Marcus Blossom Director of Athletics
TABLE OF C O N TE N TS
4 NEW TO THE HILL
5 PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS
6 CRUSADERS IN COMPETITION
8 CRUSADER ATHLETICS FUND
10 CRUSADERS IN THE CLASSROOM
11 A TRAGEDY REMEMBERED
12 CRUSADERS IN THE COMMUNITY
14 AWARDS & HONORS
15 CRUSADERS IN THE PROS
PHOTOGRAPHERS Avanell Brock, Tom Connelly, Peter Cooke, Pawtucket Red Sox, Joe Photos, David Rosenblum, Mark Seliger, Gil Talbot, Varsity Vantage Photography, Lauren Wilson
T EL L US WHAT YOU THI NK!
DESIGNER Katie Kingsley
CALL 508-793-2632
WRITE Office of Advancement One College Street Worcester, MA 01610-2395 EMAIL CrusaderAthletics@holycross.edu
NEW TO TH E HILL
Brett Nelson Nelson was named head coach of the men’s basketball program on July 3, 2019. Nelson came to Holy Cross after spending five years on the coaching staff at Marquette, serving as associate head coach during his final two seasons. Nelson played as an undergraduate at the University of Florida, where he was a two-time All-SEC selection and helped the Gators to the 2000 National Championship Game. He was named a third team AllAmerican in 2001.
Maureen Magarity Magarity was named head coach of the women’s basketball program on April 14, 2020. Magarity comes to Worcester after serving as the head coach at the University of New Hampshire for 10 years. She ended her stint with the Wildcats as the second-winningest coach in program history and was named the 2017 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year.
Ed Kahovec Kahovec, who took over as the program’s interim head coach in January, was officially named the 19th head coach of the Crusader baseball program on May 21, 2020. Kahovec now heads a staff he’s been a part of for four years, having previously served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2017-19. Prior to the season being cut short due to COVID-19, Kahovec led the 2020 squad through a promising start to the campaign, including victories over Old Dominion and UC Riverside, and a series win at CSU Bakersfield.
Kyle Bak Bak was named head coach of the women’s soccer program on May 29, 2020. Bak comes to Holy Cross after spending the previous six years as the associate head coach at Providence College and brings a combined 15 years of playing and coaching experience to The Hill.
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2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2 0 1 9 PAT R I OT LE AGUE
CHAM PS
he Holy Cross football team turned in a season for the ages in 2019, winning the Patriot League title for the seventh time in school history and earning its first NCAA playoff appearance since 2009.
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The Crusaders posted a 5-1 record in conference play, finishing the year alone atop the Patriot League standings. Holy Cross opened conference action by rallying from a 14-0 deficit to post a 21-14 victory at Bucknell. After dominating Colgate 31-10 in their next league game, the Crusaders earned another big road win as senior Domenic Cozier rushed for a season-high 190 yards in a 24-17 victory at Lehigh. Holy Cross would come up just short in its following contest against Lafayette (23-20), before scoring 35 fourth-quarter points to come back for a 49-27 victory at Fordham. Heading into the regular-season finale against Georgetown, the Crusaders controlled their own fate with a chance to wrap up the title. Cozier would rush for 161 yards and two touchdowns while Jacob Dobbs added seven tackles and two interceptions, as Holy Cross brought home the 2019 championship with a convincing 24-0 shutout win over the Hoyas. After being crowned the Patriot League champion, Holy Cross went on to make just the third NCAA playoff appearance in program history, taking on No. 14 Monmouth in the FCS First Round.
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CRUSADERS I N
COMPETITION
2019 SEPTEMBER 7 Senior Jackie Gonzalez shoots a 73 at the Fairleigh Dickinson Invitational, tying her own record for the lowest round in school history.
SEPTEMBER 8 Men’s golf posts the first of three top-five finishes on a 2019-20 season that sees the team improve its individual scoring average by more than two strokes from the previous year.
NOVEMBER 1 Women’s soccer defeats Bucknell, 3-0, for the first time since 2004. Women’s soccer qualifies for the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in 19 seasons, earning the No. 2 seed.
SEPTEMBER 17 Volleyball junior Sophie VanSeveren surpasses the 1,000 career digs mark in a 3-0 win vs. Hartford.
SEPTEMBER 20 Women’s cross country places third at the National Catholic Invitational in South Bend, Ind., the team’s highest finish at the meet in more than 20 years. The men place sixth for their best finish since 2009.
SEPTEMBER 21 Senior punter Cody Wilkinson averages 48.6 yards on eight punts at Yale, breaking a school single-game record for punting average that had stood for almost 30 years.
NOVEMBER 2 Senior Jenna Gasparrini finishes second at the 2019 Patriot League Cross Country Championship, while classmate Allison McArdle places seventh. Both earn All-Patriot League accolades. Senior tailback Domenic Cozier rushes for a season-high 190 yards in a 24-17 victory at Lehigh. He goes on to finish the year with an average of 6.3 yards per carry, the highest mark in program history. Field hockey qualifies for the Patriot League Tournament for the third time in the last four years.
FEBRUARY 5 Junior guard Austin Butler becomes the 52nd 1,000-point scorer in school history, eclipsing the mark on a putback with 11:12 remaining in the second half against Loyola (Md.). JANUARY 25 Men’s ice hockey completes its first-ever sweep over Air Force.
FEBRUARY 12 The Crusaders overcome a 24-point deficit vs. Lehigh, winning, 65-62, in the fifth-largest comeback in NCAA DI women’s basketball history.
FEBRUARY 23 The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams combine to break nine program records at the Patriot League Championship. Senior Kayleigh Hoagland sets two of them, breaking records in the 100 and 200 freestyle that had stood since 1995.
FEBRUARY 29–MARCH 1 Five Crusaders medal at the 2020 Patriot League Indoor Championship, led by long jump champion Allie Smiley. The senior is joined on the podium by second-place finishers Michael Pichay (triple jump) and Sydney McDonald (high jump), and third-place honorees Cymeria Robshaw (long jump) and Caroline Frey (400m).
OCTOBER 11 Men’s ice hockey defeats No. 6 Providence, 3-2, on the road in overtime.
NOVEMBER 3 Men’s tennis completes its fall season at 5-2, the best fall record in the program's 16year recorded history. Notable wins include a 4-3 topping of Sacred Heart and 6-1 victory over Rider.
MARCH 4 Manis becomes the first player in Holy Cross history – men's or women's – to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, scoring her 2,000th career point at home vs. Loyola (Md.).
OCTOBER 12 Women’s soccer defeats Navy, 1-0, for the first time since 2000.
NOVEMBER 9 Senior forward Lauren Manis opens the season with a 22-point, 21-rebound showing at Illinois, breaking the Holy Cross singlegame record for rebounds.
MARCH 6 Senior Katie Barbarick pitches just the third nohitter in program history, leading the softball team to a 3-0 win over St. Bonaventure.
OCTOBER 15 Gonzalez shoots a 76 at the Jupiter Women’s Invitational in the final round of her collegiate career. She finishes her four years with an average of 80.22 strokes per 18 holes, the lowest mark in school history by more than three strokes per round.
NOVEMBER 13 Women’s basketball earns an 80-71 home win over Boston College, the Crusaders’ first win over a Power 5 opponent since 2014.
MARCH 7 Smiley breaks her own school record in the indoor long jump at the ECAC Championship, placing second with a leap of 5.90 meters.
MARCH 8 The distance medley team relay of Kelsey O'Hara, Grace Hoelscher, Emily Koufos and Laura Turner places fourth at the ECAC Championship, running a school-record time of 11:50.48 – five seconds faster than the previous school record, set in 1984.
OCTOBER 19 Men’s golf posts its first tournament victory against Division I competition since 1998, capturing the Lehigh Invitational title.
NOVEMBER 23 The Holy Cross football team defeats Georgetown, 24-0, in its regularseason finale to clinch the 2019 Patriot League championship, its seventh title in program history.
OCTOBER 20 Men’s rowing places fourth out of 38 boats in the collegiate eight at the Head of the Charles (14:40.78).
2020 DECEMBER 1 Women’s ice hockey completes its first-ever Hockey East sweep, taking the three-game set from Merrimack.
MARCH 9 On the same day that women’s basketball advances to the Patriot League semifinal with a 52-33 quarterfinal home win over Lafayette, Manis also becomes the all-time program leader in career rebounds, just days after clinching the all-time Patriot League record in the same category. She graduates with 1,188 boards, also ranking third in program history with 2,020 career points. MARCH 10 Junior Luke Dawson (Pitcher), freshman Ben Dellacono (Rookie) and senior Chris Rinaldi (Player) sweep the Patriot League’s weekly awards for the first time in program history.
OCTOBER 22 Men’s soccer defeats Brown, 1-0 in overtime, for the first time in program history.
OCTOBER 23 Women’s soccer defeats Boston University, 2-1, for the first time since 1995.
MAY 5 Three players – Sean New (round 4, pick 22), Connor Waldron (round 6, pick 31) and Kevin Kodzis (round 8, pick 48) – are selected in the 2020 Major League Lacrosse Draft, the first collegiate draft picks in program history.
DECEMBER 7 Senior Caroline Frey breaks the first of three indoor school records, clocking a 39.66 in the 300 meters at the BU Season Opener. She goes on to set program records in the 400 meters (55.78) and 500 meters (1:13.63).
JANUARY 2 Women’s ice hockey associate head coach Meredith Roth is part of the coaching staff that helps lead the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team to a gold medal at the IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia.
APRIL 17 Manis becomes the first player in program history and just the second player in Patriot League history to be selected in the WNBA Draft, taken in the third round (33rd overall) by the Las Vegas Aces. MAY 6 Women’s ice hockey head coach Katie Lachapelle is named head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team.
MAY 13 New becomes the first player in Holy Cross history to be drafted into the Premier Lacrosse League, selected by the Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club with the seventh overall pick in the first round.
Becoming more. Is what we inspire our student-athletes to envision, to reach. Is our investment in the mind, body, spirit and community of every student-athlete. Is our commitment to enable our student-athletes to become their greatest possible selves.
Being more. Is what has always distinguished Holy Cross Athletics and the Holy Cross community. Is your generosity and belief in our mission over the past seven years. Is our calling. Admittedly, our goal was audacious, especially in this time of unprecedented transformation. Yet, over the past seven years, the Holy Cross community has remained legendary. You helped us reach, and exceed, a monumental milestone — our $400 million Become More campaign goal. You helped us become stronger. So our students, in turn, may become ever-engaged, lifelong learners; become ethical leaders; become more.
Thank you.
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In the highly academic environment of Holy Cross, our scholar-athletes are challenged to integrate mind, body, spirit and community thoughtfully, creatively and generously. Athletics provide a unique context in which our students learn resiliency, team spirit and leadership in ways which fulfill our mission to educate the whole person. — Phil Boroughs, S.J., president
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2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
$75 million
2,000 student-
The Become More campaign has truly transformed Holy Cross Athletics. From driving the first major investment in our athletics facilities since the late 1970s to growing the Crusader Athletics Fund, alumni and parents have invested $75 million into Crusader Athletics in seven years.The Luth Athletic Complex, a home worthy of both our history and our ambitions, now provides resources for our student-athletes consistent with top Division I programs regionally and nationwide. We had big dreams and bold plans, and this center is providing student-athletes with the spaces needed to develop as champions in the years ahead.
Since the start of the Become More campaign, 10,471 donors to the Crusader Athletics Fund gave an incredible $13.3 million to support our 27 varsity programs and our Division I athletics experience, impacting more than 2,000 Crusader student-athletes.
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athletes
113% Annually, 11% of the athletics department’s operating budget is generated by donations from alumni, parents and friends, and during the Become More campaign, CAF operating support doubled, growing by 113% in just seven years. In fiscal year 2020, despite the numerous challenges that face our world today, CAF raised $1.97 million from 3,600 Crusader supporters. CAF is a lifeline for Holy Cross Athletics, and every gift had and will continue to have a direct, immediate and lasting impact on our student-athletes’ experience.
Becoming more is something we strive for consistently. My goal is for our student-athletes, coaches and staff to get better every day while raising the bar throughout this growth process. We want to be great—to be champions. And, because of the generous support and commitment of our donors throughout this campaign, we are better positioned to do so. — Marcus Blossom, Director of Athletics
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The Crusader Athletics Fund is a lifeline for Holy Cross Athletics, and every gift had and will continue to have a direct, immediate and lasting impact on our student-athletes’ experience.
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CRUSADERS IN TH E C L ASSR O O M
98% GRADUATION RATE
BY THE NUMBERS
Holy Cross tied for seventh in the nation with an overall graduation rate of 98 percent, according to the Graduation Success Rate Report released by the NCAA. This marks the 13th-straight year in which the Crusaders have posted a Graduation Success Rate of at least 97 percent. The data used to calculate the Graduation Success Rate is from the four-class aggregate of entering classes from 2009 through 2012, for which the NCAA has compiled sport-by-sport figures.
15 TEAMS RECEIVE APR AWARDS, 14 PERFECT Fifteen Holy Cross teams received Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) public recognition awards from the NCAA. These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. Holy Cross finished seventh in the nation among all Division I athletic programs in the number of
FALL 2019
3.21 3.47 24 229 121
The highest team GPA of the term, recorded by women's soccer.
Teams that achieved an average GPA of 3.00 or higher
teams honored. Holy Cross also placed fifth in the nation for the most teams to post a perfect APR score of 1,000, with 14. The APR is an NCAA tool that provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation, and provides a measure of each team’s academic performance.
100% GRADUATION RATE Twenty-one of a possible 26 Holy Cross teams achieved a perfect 100 percent graduation rate: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's golf, women's golf, women's lacrosse, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming and diving, women's swimming and diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, women's indoor track and field,
Average GPA of all student-athletes
Student-athletes who achieved a GPA of 3.50 or higher Student-athletes who qualified for the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll
SPRING 2020
3.59 3.81
27 461 389
Average GPA of all student-athletes The highest team GPA of the term, recorded by women's cross country/track & field. Teams that achieved an average GPA of 3.00 or higher
Student-athletes who achieved a GPA of 3.50 or higher
Student-athletes who qualified for their conference's academic honor roll
women's outdoor track and field, and volleyball.
2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR
ACADEMIC HONORS The Crusaders had a total of eight Academic All-Patriot League selections, with two each from women’s cross country, field hockey, football and women’s soccer. That complimented 465 student-athletes named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, while men’s ice hockey saw 23 tabbed to the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic team, and women’s ice hockey had 22 selected to the Hockey East All-Academic team. In addition, 10 Crusaders across seven sports were recognized as Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars. (Note: Academic All-Patriot League teams were not selected for spring sports.)
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3.40 27 248 510
Average GPA of all student-athletes
Teams that achieved an average GPA of 3.00 or higher
Student-athletes who achieved a GPA of 3.50 or higher Student-athletes who qualified for their conference's academic honor roll
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
L
E the F I G H T
OV
A TRAGEDY
remembered Holy Cross Women's Rowing
n the morning of January 15, 2020, a van carrying members of the Holy Cross women’s rowing team collided with a pickup truck in Vero Beach, Florida, while the Crusaders were on a winter training trip.
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The unprecedented tragedy took the life of 20-year-old sophomore Grace Rett and injured numerous others, sending shockwaves through the entire Holy Cross community. Dismay and grief overtook Mount St. James, and in the days and weeks following, Grace was remembered at services in her hometown of nearby Uxbridge, Massachusetts, at Holy Cross’ St. Joseph Memorial Chapel, in Vero Beach, and at churches and gathering spaces around the country. Inside the suddenly somber halls of the Luth Athletic Complex, two
memorials grew as a community mourned. Flowers, stuffed animals and other gifts were left outside the Smith Sports Performance Center, while heartfelt messages, well wishes and written prayers covered the walls. A rowing machine — the same one on which Grace rowed for 62 hours and three seconds to set a world record for the longest continuous indoor row just three weeks earlier — stood solemnly, a flower-covered tribute constantly surrounded by friends, teammates and so many others who were touched by the warmth and passion with which Grace lived. The outpouring of support from Crusaders nationwide, the worldwide rowing community and from strangers near and far was overwhelming, and wrapped a heartbroken campus in compassion.
On campus, remembrances of Grace were everywhere. Moments of silence prior to the Crusader sporting events Grace was known to love so dearly. Purple wristbands worn across campus, emblazoned with HCWR and Grace’s personal mantra, Love the Fight. Patches of a purple heart between two crossed oars donned on the jerseys of every Crusader athlete. Purple laces, bows, and G.R. written in Sharpie on shoes, cleats and tape. An empty chair where she would have sat. And while the Crusaders injured in the tragedy have all returned home, many at the end of hospital and rehabilitation stays, the heartache and the healing — both emotional and physical — continues for the members of the women’s rowing team and the communities who support them.
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CRUSADERS IN TH E C O M M U NI T Y
Despite a shortened year on campus, Holy Cross student-athletes recorded
nearly 3,000 total hours
of community service through the Helper Helper program, an official partner app of the NCAA that tracks community service hours among institutions. Crusaders volunteered the most total hours with:
Girls Inc. of Worcester 201 hours
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Massachusetts 193 hours
with three student-athletes exceeding 100 hours of dedicated service within their communities.
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LADDER 5 On the morning of Nov. 13, Lt. Jason Menard – a firefighter at the Station of the Cross, Worcester’s McKeon Road station that supports the College – died heroically battling a four-alarm fire. In support of the Worcester Fire Department, Lt. Menard and the family he left behind, Holy Cross held the $5 for Ladder 5 fundraiser for six home events between Nov. 19-23, during which $5 of each specially priced ticket was donated directly to the Menard Children's Fund. The Crusaders held a moment of silence at all events that week, and, in an emotional moment prior to Holy Cross’ football game against Georgetown on Nov. 23, the Crusaders walked onto the field arm-in-arm with members of the Worcester Fire Department. Through the multi-pronged fundraiser, Holy Cross donated more than $6,700 for the Menard Children’s Fund while offering support and gratitude to firefighters across the city.
JENNA BARNES women’s soccer 132 hours MATTHEW ROBERTSON men’s rowing 130 hours CLARE HONAN volleyball 107 hours
For the second-straight year,
women's soccer (564 hours) led all Holy Cross teams in total hours, with volleyball (497) right behind.
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TEAM IMPACT & FRIENDS OF JACLYN Each year, these two programs – Team IMPACT, which partners children facing serious illnesses with college athletics teams, and Friends of Jaclyn, a multiprogram organization that pairs children battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers with teams to raise awareness and improve a child’s quality of life – play a huge role in the hearts of many of our programs, and 2019-20 was no exception. On their respective Team IMPACT Draft Days, new teammates Brody McDermott (age 6, baseball), Tristan Theerman (10, track & field) and Megan Bernard (15, women’s lacrosse) were welcomed onto Crusader rosters, while men’s hockey (Michael, 16) and men’s soccer (Geno, 12) continued their relationships with teammates drafted in years past. Through the Friends of Jaclyn’s Adopt-A-Child program, softball also welcomed a new member, two-year-old Conor Canavan.
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MANY MORE HOURS HOLY CROSS TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THEM.
The men’s lacrosse program celebrated its 20-year partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Massachusetts through the John’s Brothers program, a weekly mentoring program that pairs each member of the team with a child in the Massachusetts community. Senior Connor Waldron and his Little Brother Jespine were presented with the Linda Urbec Award, recognizing the match that best exemplifies the mission and goals of BBBS.
Baseball continued its long-standing partnership with Vs. Cancer, with many members of the team shaving their heads and raising more than $6,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Junior Cam Meyer was again one of the top fundraisers in college baseball, bringing in more than $3,600.
GO 4 THE GOAL For the fourth-straight year, softball partnered with Go 4 the Goal, a group dedicated to curing pediatric cancer, throughout the year. During the Fall 2019 semester, the team put together holiday gift baskets to donate to children in need and participated in a Go 4 the Goal round robin tournament with URI and St. Peter’s. The games included efforts in both fundraising and awareness, as the teams laced up with yellow laces to compete. The men’s and women’s basketball programs joined the fight as well. The teams wore their own gold laces during a Dec. 22 doubleheader, the same day they hosted a toy drive for local charities.
BENCHING FOR A CURE
Crusader volleyball played its annual Pink Game on Oct. 18 against American and continued the program's longtime partnership with Pink Hippy, a local nonprofit that provides holistic services and support for breast cancer patients, survivors and their families.
Throughout the year, the men's basketball team volunteered and donated food at the St. John's Food Pantry in Worcester, while also beginning new relationships with the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester as volunteers and mentors.
The women’s track & field team took part in Run Against Hunger, raising nearly $3,000 for No Kid Hungry, the fifth-highest total among participating colleges.
Men’s lacrosse also participated in the annual Rodman Ride for Kids, a 25-mile bike ride that raises funds for youth-focused social service organizations in Massachusetts. This year’s effort raised $17,792 in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Holy Cross teams took part in numerous fundraising events for the Black Lives Matter movement, aiming to address racial and social injustices through both physical challenges and traditional activism. Among those initiatives was the 24-Hour Collective Action Sign-Up, an effort organized by volleyball sophomore Skye Daval-Santos, who mobilized support via petitions, donations and phone calls to legislative offices. Many of her peers, both from fellow teams (track & field, women's rowing, women's soccer, softball, women's hockey and volleyball) and other campus groups (College
The 12th Annual Benching for Breast Cancer fundraiser, hosted in partnership between head strength & conditioning coach Jeff Oliver and HC for a Cure, took place on Dec. 13 in the Carol & Park B. Smith '54 Sports Performance Center. Around 450 students attended and raised more than $6,000, with proceeds going to Pink Revolution, a Worcester-based organization benefiting breast cancer research, education, screening and prevention.
Democrats, Eco-Action, Men Involvement Coalition and the Feminist Forum) participated in the effort. Multiple Crusader teams – men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s ice hockey, women’s rowing, field hockey, cross country, and track and field – also took part in physical fundraisers centered around engaging in 8:46 minutes of athletic activity or completing 8.46 miles in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The former, organized by Brown University women’s soccer on behalf of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, raised nearly $28,000.
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P OS TS EASO N
ACCOLADES MAJ OR AWARD S
ALL-PATRI OT LEAG UE
PATRIOT LEAGUE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Domenic Cozier, football
FIRST TEAM Lauren Manis, women’s basketball Jenna Gasparrini, women’s cross country Allison McArdle, women’s cross country Madeline Alderfer, field hockey Brett Boddy, football Domenic Cozier, football Brian Foley, football Chris Riley, football Benton Whitley, football Kelly Crowley, women’s soccer Allie Smiley, women’s indoor track and field
PATRIOT LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Joe Pridgen, men’s basketball PATRIOT LEAGUE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP & CHARACTER AWARD: Maegan Moriarty, women’s rowing ECAC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Joe Pridgen, men’s basketball WACBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Joe Pridgen, men’s basketball WACBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Manis, women’s basketball WAFA DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jacob Dobbs, football WAFA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chris Riley, football
AL L-AM E R I CAN S
FRE SHMAN ALL-AM ERI CANS
Chris Conlin, men’s lacrosse (honorable mention, Inside Lacrosse)
Ben Dellacono, baseball (Collegiate Baseball) Jacob Dobbs, football (first team, Hero Sports) Ayir Asante, football (honorable mention, Hero Sports)
COAC H OF TH E YEAR Bob Chesney, football (Patriot League) Casey Brown, women’s soccer (Patriot League) Steve Napoli, men’s golf (NEIGA)
AL L-ECAC FIRST TEAM Brett Boddy, football Chris Riley, football Caroline Frey, women's indoor track & field Grace Hoelscher, women's indoor track & field Emily Koufos, women's indoor track & field Christa Jay Moore, women's indoor track & field Kelsey O’Hara, women's indoor track & field Cymeria Robshaw, women's indoor track & field Allie Smiley, women's indoor track & field Laura Turner, women's indoor track & field SECOND TEAM Joe Pridgen, men’s basketball Domenic Cozier, football Brian Foley, football Benton Whitley, football
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AL L - NEW ENGLAND FIRST TEAM Domenic Cozier, football Chris Riley, football Sam Carroll, women's indoor track & field Paige Davis, women's indoor track & field Caroline Frey, women's indoor track & field Jenna Gasparrini, women's indoor track & field Gabby Harmon, women's indoor track & field Grace Hoelscher, women's indoor track & field Emily Koufos, women's indoor track & field Marina MacKinnon, women's indoor track & field Sophia Maynard, women's indoor track & field Allison McArdle, women's indoor track & field Sydney McDonald, women's indoor track & field Christa Jay Moore, women's indoor track & field Kelsey O’Hara, women's indoor track & field Cymeria Robshaw, women's indoor track & field Allie Smiley, women's indoor track & field SECOND TEAM Kelly Crowley, women’s soccer MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Will Hornyak, 800m
SECOND TEAM Avery LaBarbera, women’s basketball Emily Devine, field hockey Marica LaPlante, field hockey Ayir Asante, football Connor Degenhardt, football Jacob Dobbs, football Mark Ebo, football Derek Mountain, football Terrell Prince, football Corey Stefanik, football Carly Flahive, women’s soccer Sophia Lettieri, women’s soccer Sydney McDonald, women’s indoor track and field Michael Pichay, men’s indoor track and field THIRD TEAM Joe Pridgen, men’s basketball Bridgette Dwyer, women’s soccer Samantha Peters, women’s soccer ALL-ROOKIE Joe Pridgen, men’s basketball ALL-DEFENSIVE Lauren Manis, women’s basketball
COVID-19 UPDATE On March 12, the Patriot League Council of Presidents made the difficult and challenging decision to cancel all spring athletics practices and competitions through the remainder of the academic year. Due to the spread of COVID-19, this decision was in the best interests of the health and safety of students and the broader community. Holy Cross also announced that it would shift to distance learning for all classes for the remainder of the semester. This caused an abrupt end to the season of the women’s basketball team, which would have faced Bucknell in the Patriot League semifinals later that day. The seasons of the baseball, men’s golf, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, softball and men’s tennis squads also ended prematurely, while the women’s golf, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, women’s tennis, men’s outdoor track and field, and women’s outdoor track and field programs never even began their spring campaigns. Prior to leaving campus, several teams held impromptu gatherings or senior day ceremonies, in an attempt to bring closure during this difficult time. Teams would continue to stay connected in the following months through zoom meetings, phone calls and many other forms of remote togetherness. Many student-athletes went on to spend their spring and summer away from campus training with great enthusiasm in unique environments. As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to present significant challenges to our campus and community, Crusader student-athletes look forward to the time when they will once again be able to represent Holy Cross in competition and compete for championships.
CRUSADERS
I N T HE P R O S
BASEBALL Mike Ahmed 14 (Seattle Mariners organization) Declan Cronin ’19 (Chicago White Sox organization) Brendan King ’17 (Chicago Cubs organization) Nick Lovullo ’16 (Boston Red Sox organization) Kalif Raymond catches a touchdown pass for the Tennessee Titans as they defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 28-12, in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs on Jan. 11, 2020. Raymond became the first Holy Cross alum to score in an NFL postseason game since Bill Osmanski did so for the Chicago Bears in the 1940 NFL championship game.
M EN’S BASKETBALL Malcolm Miller ’15 (NBA, Toronto Raptors) Dave Dudzinski ’14 (Belgium) Jehyve Floyd ’19 (Greece) Matt Husek ’17 (Germany) Torey Thomas ’07 (France)
FO OTBALL James Murray ’17 (NFL, New York Jets) Kalif Raymond ’16 (NFL, Tennessee Titans) Chandler Fenner ’12 (CFL, Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
M EN’S I CE HO CKEY Scott Pooley ’18 (AHL / ECHL) Jake Bolton ’16 (ECHL / Norway) Peter Crinella ’19 (ECHL) Johnny Coughlin ’19 (ECHL) Ryan Ferrill ’18 (ECHL) Spencer Trapp ’19 (ECHL) Matt Ginn ’15 (England) T.J. Moore ’18 (Denmark) Nilan Nagy ’15 (Hungary)
WOM EN’S I CE HO CKEY Nicole Giannino ’15 (CWHL) Erin Hall ’17 (NWHL)
M EN’S SO CCER Alejandro Meleán ’09 (Bolivia)
WOM EN’S SO CCER Caroline Wallace ’19 (France)
VOLLEYBALL Mandy Sifferlen ’17 (Czech Republic)
PROFESSIONAL SIGNEES D RAFTED
SI G N E D
NAT I ONAL TEAM P E RFORM E RS
WNBA Lauren Manis ’20 (Las Vegas Aces)
NFL Jackson Dennis ’20 (Arizona Cardinals)
European Baseball Championship, B-Pool Liam Dvorak ’21, Ireland
Premier Lacrosse League Sean New ’20 (Whipsnakes) Major League Lacrosse Kevin Kodzis ’20 (Chesapeake Bayhawks) Sean New ’20 (New York Lizards) Connor Waldron ’20 (New York Lizards)
Swiss Basketball League Clayton Le Sann ’20 (Vevey Riviera Basket)
U18 European Baseball Championship Qualifier Jordan Petrushka ’23, Israel 2019 European Softball Championship Kelly Nelson ’22, Ireland National Indoor Field Hockey Team Marcia LaPlante ’20, Canada