SEPTEMBER 15 at Rider* 12 p.m. 16 at Monmouth 11 a.m. 21-23 at Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational (Annapolis, Md.) 9 a.m. OCTOBER 14 19-21
at Fordham at ITA Regionals (West Point, N.Y.)
1 p.m. 8 a.m.
FEBRUARY 1 COLGATE (Armonk Indoor Sports Center) 16 at Navy 17 vs. Howard (Annapolis, Md.) 24 WAGNER (Queens College Indoor Tennis Center)
6 p.m. 10 a.m. 9 a.m. 1 p.m.
MARCH 2 at Niagara* 3 vs. Fort Wayne (Niagara University, N.Y.) 8 at NJIT 11 HOUSTON 30 at Army
6 p.m. 9 a.m. 6 p.m. 12 p.m. 3 p.m.
APRIL 4 at Loyola* 5 at Saint Peter’s* 7 at Marist* 9 at Siena* 14 FAIRFIELD* 27-28 at MAAC Championships (West Windsor, N.J.)
3 p.m. 4 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 1 p.m.
*-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match Home matches in CAPS played at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center unless noted
2011-12 SEASON REVIEW
The Manhattan College women’s tennis team came within one match of qualifying for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament in 2012. The Jaspers posted a thrilling 4-3 victory over Saint Peter’s on April 12, but saw their postseason hopes dashed with a 4-3 loss to Niagara three days later. Overall, Manhattan ended up with a 5-13 record, including a 2-5 mark in MAAC play. All five of the Jaspers’ victories came at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including back-to-back triumphs over Rider and Monmouth to begin the season. Manhattan also posted dominating wins over Hartford (6-1) and St. Francis (NY) (7-0) before the dramatic finish against Saint Peter’s. With the match even at 3-3,
M A N H A T T A N
Alyssa Rosello came back from one set down to post a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory that clinched the win for the Jaspers. Manhattan’s contest with Niagara also came down to the final singles match, but Niagara prevailed, knocking the Jaspers out of the postseason. After the season, Rosello and Christina Ton were recognized by the conference’s head coaches with a selection to the All-MAAC Second Team at No. 3 doubles. Rosello also became the first Manhattan player named to the All-MAAC singles squad since 2006. She earned a place on the All-MAAC Second Team at No. 6 singles. Rosello took over the No. 6 position late in the season, finishing 6-5 overall and 4-4 in dual matches. Other top performers for the Jaspers
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included Lili Johnson, who played No. 1 singles in all 18 dual matches, and Brianna Turano. Johnson recorded nine singles victories, while Turano, playing mostly in the No. 4 position, led the team with 10 singles wins. The duo was also Manhattan’s top doubles team. Johnson and Turano played together at No. 1 doubles in every dual match, posting a 9-9 record, including a 4-3 mark against MAAC opponents. In addition to their exploits on the court, the Jaspers excelled in the classroom. Johnson and Ton were both recognized for their academic success with selections to the MAAC All-Academic Team.
T E N N I S
2012-13 ROSTER Name
Class
HT.
Hometown/Previous School
Bricketto, Caitlin
So.
5-4
Coral Springs, Fla./Kaplan College Prep
Clark, Catherine
So.
5-4
Salem, Conn./Bacon Academy
Johnson, Lili
Sr.
5-5
Tulsa, Okla./Booker T. Washington
Leischen, Ava
Sr.
5-9
Newburgh, N.Y./John S. Burke Catholic (Clarkson)
Maffei, Megan
Sr.
5-3
Stony Point, N.Y./Albertus Magnus (Caldwell)
Rosello, Alyssa
So.
5-10
Garden City, N.Y./Garden City
Tsao, Stephanie
Sr.
5-8
Scarsdale, N.Y./Yonkers
Turano, Brianna
Jr.
5-3
Nutly, N.J./Mt. St. Dominic
Head Coach: Scott Blumberg (South Florida ’82), 7th Season
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SCOTT BLUMBERG Head Coach • Seventh Season (South Florida ’82) Now in his seventh season as head coach of the women’s tennis program, Scott Blumberg came to Riverdale with an accomplished background in tennis and in the field of education. Blumberg is currently the Dean of Students at P.S. 93 in the Bronx, and he has worked for the New York City Board of Education for 20 years. He attended the University of South Florida, where he was a standout member of the Bulls’ tennis team and
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earned a B.A. in Health Education. Upon graduating from South Florida, Blumberg played on the professional tour for several years. He has also held several different national and sectional rankings over the years. Before coming to Manhattan College, Blumberg was a tennis pro at Club Fit at Jefferson Valley and the director of tennis at Twin Oaks Swim and Tennis Club in Chappaqua, N.Y.
M A N H AT TA N 2012-13 TENNIS
LILI JOHNSON 5-5 • Senior • Tulsa, Okla. • Booker T. Washington 2011-12: Earned a place on the MAAC AllAcademic Team…Played at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles in all 18 dual matches…Teamed with Brianna Turano to go 9-9 in doubles, including 4-3 against MAAC opponents… Began the season by winning four of her first five singles matches…Dropped a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 decision to Navy’s Darien Sears in the first round of the Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational (Sept. 23), then came back to win a pair of consolation matches the following day… Picked up a pair of wins at Holy Cross on Oct. 16…Pulled out a 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles against Providence on March 3…Secured a 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 victory for Manhattan’s only match win at Army on March 23…Put together a six-match winning streak (singles and doubles combined) from April 3-12, notching both singles and doubles victories against Siena (April 3), St. Francis (NY) (April 11) and Saint Peter’s (April 12)…Helped the Jaspers secure the doubles point with an 8-2 win in the No. 1 position against Niagara on April 15. 2010-11: Appeared in the No. 1 singles position 15 times, missing the other two dual
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matches due to injury…Played doubles with four different partners, splitting time between No. 1 and No. 2…Picked up six singles wins and seven doubles victories…Lost a total of one game in singles play on the season’s opening weekend, winning 6-0, 6-1 against Rider (Sept. 18) and 6-0, 6-0 at Monmouth (Sept. 19)…Teamed with Christina Puleo for a pair of doubles wins that weekend…Rallied for a 6-4, 0-6, 11-9 singles win at Army on Feb. 26…Started playing doubles with Brianna Turano on April 9, when the duo posted an 8-3 victory at Albany…Also notched a 6-1, 6-3 singles win in that match…Went 3-1 with Turano as her doubles partner, including Manhattan’s only match win at Loyola on April 11, an 8-6 triumph at No. 2 doubles. 2009-10: Played at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles in all 17 dual matches…Went 8-9 at No. 1 singles and 7-10 at No. 1 doubles… Reached the singles consolation final at the season-opening NJIT Invitational (Sept. 1113)…Had a six-match singles winning streak from Sept. 12-Oct. 12, including a 4-0 mark
in dual matches…Finished the fall season with an overall singles record of 9-2 (4-0 in dual matches)…Opened MAAC play with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Rider (March 24)…Also had a 6-1, 6-2 win over Siena (March 27) and a 6-2, 6-0 victory in the win at Saint Peter’s (March 31)… Rallied from a set down to post a 4-6, 6-2, 10-7 win at No. 1 singles against NJIT on April 5… Teamed with Stephanie Tsao to post an 8-7 victory in No. 1 doubles at Niagara on April 18. BEFORE MANHATTAN: Won four varsity letters at Booker T. Washington High School, playing mostly at No. 1 and No. 2 singles…Led Booker T. Washington to the state championship as a sophomore after a state runner-up finish during her freshman campaign…Held the No. 1 ranking among Oklahoma high school players…Played No. 1 singles on the Missouri Valley intersectional team. PERSONAL: Daughter of John and Victoria Johnson…Brother, Milo, played tennis at Virginia…Has another brother, Axel…Born on March 24, 1991. M A N H AT TA N 2012-13 TENNIS
AVA LEISCHEN 5-9 • Senior • Newburgh, N.Y. • John S. Burke Catholic (Clarkson) BEFORE MANHATTAN: Played No. 1 singles at John S. Burke Catholic High School…Served as team captain at Dutchess Community College… Also a member of the tennis team at Clarkson University before transferring to Manhattan. PERSONAL: Daughter of Frederick and Sheila Leischen…Majoring in civil engineering…A certified ski/snowboard instructor…Born on December 13, 1990.
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M A N H AT TA N 2012-13 TENNIS
MEGAN MAFFEI 5-3 • Senior • Stony Point, N.Y. • Albertus Magnus (Caldwell) 2011-12: Played No. 3 doubles with Christina Ton in the first two matches of the season…Notched an 8-4 victory over Rider (Sept. 17) and an 8-2 win against Monmouth (Sept. 18)…Dropped only singles match in the Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational. 2010-11: Appeared in six singles matches and five doubles contests…Won first collegiate singles match, 6-4, 6-0, against St. Francis (NY) on Sept. 23…Also posted an 8-3 victory at No. 1 doubles against St. Francis (NY).
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BEFORE MANHATTAN: Earned four letters in tennis at Albertus Magnus High School…A three-time all-county and all-league selection…Named team MVP following both her sophomore and senior seasons. PERSONAL: Daughter of Michael and Mary Maffei…Sister, Melissa, graduated from Manhattan in 2005… Also has a brother, Michael…Majoring in education…Born on May 1, 1991.
M A N H AT TA N 2012-13 TENNIS
STEPHANIE TSAO 5-8 • Senior • Scarsdale, N.Y. • Yonkers 2011-12: Saw action mostly at No. 5 singles, playing in 12 matches…Opened the season with a three-set victory at Holy Cross on Oct. 16…Played No. 3 doubles with Catherine Clark against Hartford on Feb. 26 and recorded an 8-4 win…Also earned a 6-0, 6-1 singles victory against the Hawks…Secured a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles against Niagara on April 15. 2010-11: Played doubles 16 times, mostly at No. 2, and appeared in 13 singles matches… Put together a 2-1 record at No. 5 singles… Won at both No. 5 singles (6-1, 6-1) and No. 2 doubles (8-0) in the season-opening victory at Rider on Sept. 18…Notched victories in both singles (6-1, 6-2) and doubles (8-1) again the next day at Monmouth…Moved into the No. 4 singles position against St. Francis (NY) on Sept. 23 and posted a 6-1, 2-6, 10-5 victory… Teamed with Christina Puleo for a 9-8 victory at No. 1 doubles in the win over Hartford on March 5…Also registered a 6-0, 6-1 singles triumph against Hartford…Paired with Christina Ton for an 8-6 win that clinched the doubles point at Albany on April 9.
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2009-10: Played doubles in all 17 dual matches, making 12 appearances at No. 1 doubles, two in the No. 2 position, and three at No. 3 doubles…Teamed with three different doubles partners…Also appeared in the singles lineup in 15 dual matches, mostly in the No. 5 position…Reached the doubles final at the NJIT Invitational in her first collegiate tournament (Sept. 11-13)…Advanced to the singles semifinals at the same tournament… Notched first dual match singles win with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the No. 5 position against Rider on March 24…Also won her doubles match against Rider…Recorded victories in both singles and doubles in MAAC matches at Saint Peter’s (March 31) and Niagara (April 18)…Ended the regular season on a twomatch singles winning streak…Tallied a 6-1, 7-5 triumph at St. Bonaventure on April 17, then rallied after losing the first set to post a 3-6, 6-1, 10-5 win at Niagara the next day... Teamed with Lili Johnson for an 8-7 win at No. 1 doubles in the Niagara match.
BEFORE MANHATTAN: Played six years of varsity tennis at Yonkers High School…Went undefeated at No. 1 singles three times and twice earned all-league honors…Twice earned all-league selections…Named a scholar-athlete four times and received the Wendy’s High School Heisman in 2008…Won a gold medal with the Hudson Valley squad at the 2008 Empire State Games…Helped softball team win a pair of league championships…Chosen Best Offensive Player on the softball team as a senior…Also served as captain of the track & field team…A member of both the National Honor Society and National Italian Honor Society…Selected music student of the year as a senior…Served as Vice President of the Student Government. PERSONAL: Daughter of Percy and Grace Tsao…Has two brothers, Duke and Kevin… Majoring in computer engineering…Has worked at a ball girl at the US Open since 2007…Certified as a tennis instructor for junior development by the Professional Tennis Registry…A published poet…Born on October 29, 1991.
M A N H AT TA N 2012-13 TENNIS
BRIANNA TURANO 5-3 • Junior • Nutley, N.J. • Mount St. Dominic 2011-12: Played in every dual match, appearing at No. 4 singles 17 times and once in the No. 5 position…Went 9-9, including a 4-3 record in the MAAC, at No. 1 doubles with Lili Johnson…Earned a teamhigh 10 singles victories…Posted a 4-2 singles mark in MAAC play…Won first three singles matches of the season…Tallied a 5-2 singles record during the fall campaign…Picked up Manhattan’s only match win at Fairfield on Oct. 5, a 7-6, 6-3 triumph at No. 4 singles… Notched victories in both singles and doubles at Holy Cross on Oct. 16…Secured a 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 singles triumph for Manhattan’s only match victory at Navy on Feb. 19…Had a 6-0, 6-0 singles win against Hartford on Feb. 26 and another against St. Francis (NY) on April 11…Helped the Jaspers notch a 4-3 win over Saint Peter’s on April 12 by picking up victories in both singles and doubles... Recorded six straight wins from April 3-12, sweeping her singles and doubles matches against Siena (April 3), St. Francis (NY) (April 11) and Saint Peter’s (April 12). 2010-11: Tallied a team-high seven singles victories…Posted a 3-2 singles record in
MAAC play…Finished with a combined doubles record of 10-8, including a 3-3 mark in conference action…Had a 5-4 record at No. 6 singles…Also played five matches in the No. 5 position and at No. 4 once…Won first three matches of collegiate career, all by 6-0, 6-0 scores…Went on another threematch winning streak from March 5-April 6… Claimed a pair of wins at Saint Peter’s on March 27, including the Jaspers’ only singles victory in the 5-2 loss…Picked up Manhattan’s only match victory in a 6-1 loss at NJIT on April 6, notching a 1-6, 6-4, 10-7 win at No. 6 singles…Teamed with Christina Ton at No. 3 doubles for most of the season, going 7-7… Started the season by winning five of first six doubles matches… Paired with Lili Johnson for the final four matches of the season, and the tandem went 3-1 together.
Essex Coference honors as a senior after being named First Team All-NHC as a junior…Twice chosen Second Team All-NHC…A two-time Second Team All-Non Public and Third Team All-Essex County selection…Also played golf. PERSONAL: Daughter of Pat and Cindy Turano…Has one sister, Nicolette, and one brother, Ryan…Majoring in business management…Born on May 18, 1992.
BEFORE MANHATTAN: Played No. 1 singles at Mt. St. Dominic Academy…Qualified for the New Jersey state championships as both a junior and a senior… Earned First Team All-Super
CAITLIN BRICKETTO 5-4 • Sophomore • Coral Springs, Fla. • Kaplan College Prep 2011-12: Appeared at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles (with Hilary Valenzuela) in every dual match…Won first two singles matches of collegiate career, 6-1, 6-2 over Rider (Sept. 17) and 7-5, 6-4 against Monmouth (Sept. 18)…Also earned doubles victories against the Broncs and Hawks… Swept both singles and doubles matches in a 6-1 win over Hartford on Feb. 26…Didn’t surrender a game against St. Francis (NY) on April 11, winning 6-0, 6-0 in singles and 8-0 in doubles.
BEFORE MANHATTAN: Trained at the Evert Tennis Academy while attending Kaplan Preparatory School…Named an athletic scholar as a junior at Kaplan, receiving the award from Chris Evert…Played in numerous ITF and USTA-sanctioned junior tournaments in Florida. PERSONAL: Daughter of Joseph and Kathleen Bricketto…Has three brothers and three sisters…Majoring in business…Born on October 30, 1992.
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CATHERINE CLARK 5-4 • Sophomore • Salem, Conn. • Bacon Academy 2011-12: Saw action in seven singles matches at the No. 6 position…Teamed with four different doubles partners…Notched a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles in collegiate debut against Rider on Sept. 17…Registered a victory in the consolation round of the Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational on Sept. 23…Earned a pair of victories against Hartford on Feb. 26, recording an 8-4 triumph with Stephanie Tsao at No. 3 doubles, then a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles.
BEFORE MANHATTAN: Played four years of varsity tennis at Bacon Academy…Posted a 15-1 record and reached the ECC quarterfinals as a senior…Advanced to the second round of the State Open in 2011…A three-time ECC Medium Division all-star…Earned three first team all-area and three first team all-county selections….Named Bacon’s Most Improved Player as a freshman. PERSONAL: Daughter of Krista Clark… Majoring in communications…Won scholarships for journalism and Spanish in high school…Born on January 26, 1993.
ALYSSA ROSELLO 5-10 • Sophomore • Garden City, N.Y. • Garden City 2011-12: Earned Second Team All-MAAC honors in both singles and doubles…Teamed with Christina Ton at No. 3 doubles 10 times…Saw action in 11 singles matches, including four straight starts in the No. 6 position to end the season…Notched a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles in collegiate debut against Monmouth (Sept. 18)…Rallied for a pair of victories, including a 9-7 triumph, in the consolation round of the Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational (Sept. 25)…Appeared at No. 5 singles for the first time against St. Francis (NY) on April 11 and recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win…Clinched the Jaspers’ 4-3 victory over Saint Peter’s (April 12) with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 6 singles…Also recorded an 8-2 doubles victory against Saint Peter’s… Secured two wins against Niagara on April 15, including a 6-3, 6-2 singles triumph.
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BEFORE MANHATTAN: A six-year varsity player and two-time team captain at Garden City High School…Named Most Improved Player after helping Garden City win the conference championship as a senior… Regularly played in USTA junior tournaments, earning the No. 2 ranking in Long Island… Represented Long Island at the 2010 Empire State Games in Buffalo. PERSONAL: Daughter of Robert and Joanne Rosello…Brother, Reid, plays lacrosse at Hobart…Majoring in communications…Won a number of awards for photography…As a senior in high school, organized a charity drive for Global Gears that collected over 300 pounds of used sports equipment for less fortunate communities…Born on May 25, 1993.
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2012 STATISTICS Overall Record: 5-13, MAAC: 2-5 SINGLES
No. 1
Lili Johnson
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
Overall
7-11 7-11
Hilary Valenzuela 3-15 3-15 Caitlin Bricketto 4-14 4-14 Brianna Turano 8-8 1-0 9-8 Christina Ton 0-1 1-3 0-3 1-7 Stephanie Tsao 3-8 3-8 Alyssa Rosello 1-0 3-4 4-4 Catherine Clark 2-5 2-5 Overall
7-11 3-15 4-14 8-9 6-11 6-12 34-72
DOUBLES
No. 1
Johnson/Turano
No. 2
No. 3
Overall
9-9 9-9
Bricketto/Valenzuela 4-14 4-14 Rosello/Ton 2-6 2-6 Maffei/Ton 2-0 2-0 Clark/Ton 0-2 0-2 Clark/Tsao 1-1 1-1 Clark/Rosello 0-1 0-1 Ton/Tsao 0-1 0-1 Overall
9-9 4-14 5-11 18-34
RESULTS Date Sep. 17 Sep. 18 Oct. 2 Oct. 5 Oct. 16 Feb. 3 Feb. 18 Feb. 19 Feb. 26
Opponent RIDER* MONMOUTH at Fordham at Fairfield* at Holy Cross at NJIT vs. Seton Hall at Navy HARTFORD
M A N H A T T A N
Result W, 7-0 W, 5-2 L, 0-7 L, 1-6 L, 3-4 L, 0-7 L, 0-7 L, 1-6 W, 6-1
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Date Mar. 3 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 3 Apr. 11 Apr. 12 Apr. 14 Apr. 15 Apr. 17
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Opponent PROVIDENCE at Army LOYOLA* SIENA* ST. FRANCIS (NY) SAINT PETER’S* BRYANT NIAGARA* MARIST*
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T E N N I S
Result L, 0-6 L, 1-6 L, 0-7 L, 2-5 W, 7-0 W, 4-3 L, 0-7 L, 3-4 L, 0-5
METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE With 10 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is in its 31st year of competition during the 2011-2012 academic year. The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College and Saint Peter’s College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981 with members competing in the sports of men’s cross country and men’s soccer. On January 2, 1982, Army traveled to Iona for the first MAAC men’s basketball game and the MAAC story had begun. Today, Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Loyola University Maryland, Manhattan College, Marist College, Niagara University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s College, and Siena College. In addition, associate members include the University of Detroit Mercy, Jacksonville University and Virginia Military Institute in men’s lacrosse. St. Francis (N.Y.) College, Villanova University, VMI and Wagner College are all associate members of the MAAC Women’s Water Polo League. Drake University, Robert Morris University and Sacred Heart University compete in women’s rowing, while the University at Albany, Boston University and the University of Hartford began competition in women’s golf in the spring of 2010. The MAAC will support 24 sports and championships during the 2011-2012 academic year. The MAAC Basketball Championships move to Springfield’s MassMutual Center to host the 2012-2014 championships. By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, the MAAC has been able to attract a number of NCAA Championship events. Most recently, the MAAC and Rider co-hosted the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The MAAC, Canisius College and Niagara University successfully hosted the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. All three parties hosted the event in 2004 and 2007. The MAAC and Rider University co-hosted the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Regional at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, N.J., after recording the third highest attendance figure for the women’s championship with the First and Second Rounds in 2006. The MAAC and Rider will work together to co-host the 2012 NCAA Rowing Championships at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, New Jersey.
The MAAC prides itself on the accomplishments of its studentathletes in the classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991 graduate of Canisius, was the first recipient of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In the fall of 1998, Erin Whalen, a member of the Iona women’s rowing team, was awarded one of the nation’s 32 Rhodes Scholarships for academic achievement and civic leadership. Jose Vargas, a Loyola student, was also awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1999. First-class facilities are the rule with MAAC schools, as teams regularly play in top-notch arenas, such as Madison Square Garden, the IZOD Center, HSBC Arena, Times Union Center, the Arena at Harbor Yard and the Sun National Bank Center. The other MAAC championships boast their share of outstanding locales as well, such as the Reverend Harold Ridley, S.J., Athletic Complex at Loyola, where the women’s soccer championship will be contested in the fall of 2011, and Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York, home of the 2012 MAAC Baseball Championship. This year, the MAAC will take its men’s championship to Orlando, Florida, where it will conduct its post-season event at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships will be held at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course. In the past several years, a number of the MAAC schools have also enjoyed success in NCAA Championships. MAAC schools have made a total of 77 NIT appearances and 47 NCAA appearances. In addition, Iona and Rider participated in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, with the Gaels advancing to the championship game. The Manhattan women participated in the Women’s Basketball Invitational, reaching the semifinal round of the tournament. The MAAC currently possesses 13 automatic bids to NCAA Championships in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and women’s water polo. In 2007, the Marist women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to the eventual National Champion, the University of Tennessee. In the fall of 2009, the No. 11 Iona men’s cross country team finished tied for eighth place at the NCAA Championship race, extended the Gaels’ streak to eight straight Top 10 national finishes. Iona softball, Manhattan track, Manhattan baseball and Loyola lacrosse have also flourished on the national stage. The MAAC has also been a leader in the forefront of technology, expanding the notoriety of the league into cyberspace. In 2007, the league reached an agreement with JumpTV, Inc., now NeuLion, Inc., to design the MAAC web page. MAACSports.com has been a great success, providing fans with up-todate contest results, live and on-demand video and an online merchandise store. The MAAC, in conjunction with NeuLion, launched an iPhone app in February 2011. The league is looking to expand its offerings with Android and iPod apps, scheduled for release during the 2011-12 academic year. The MAAC President for the 2011-2012 academic year is Rev. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., the President of Fairfield University. The Vice-President is Dr. Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., the President of Saint Peter’s College. Jim Paquette, Director of Athletics at Loyola University Maryland, will chair the Committee on Athletic Administration, and Theresa Berg, Associate Athletic Director/ Senior Woman Administrator at Niagara University will serve as Vice Chair.
MAAC ASSOCIATE SPORTS In June of 1995, the MAAC continued to develop opportunities for studentathletes as the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Leagues. The men’s league began competition in the spring of 1996, while the women’s league commenced in the spring of 1997. The men’s league consists of four MAAC schools -- Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, and Siena – and three associate members – Detroit, Jacksonville and Virginia Military Institute. The women’s league consists of MAAC institutions Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Niagara and Siena. In 2002, the MAAC added the MAAC Women’s Water Polo League. The league is currently made up of three MAAC schools – Iona, Marist and Siena – as well as four associate members, St. Francis (N.Y.), Villanova, VMI and Wagner. Sacred Heart started participating in MAAC Women’s Rowing in the spring of 2008. Drake University joined the league for the 2010 MAAC Championship, while Robert Morris began competition in the spring of 2011. In the summer of 2009, the MAAC added three associate members – Albany, Boston University and Hartford – to women’s golf, with the programs starting competition against MAAC members Fairfield, Niagara and Siena in 2009-2010.
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Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., is the 19th president of Manhattan College, having assumed the responsibilities of the position July 1, 2009. O’Donnell came to Manhattan after five years of service as the dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham University. Before coming to New York, O’Donnell spent 17 years at Loyola College in Maryland (now Loyola University Maryland), where he served as a professor of English and, from 1999-2004, as director of the university-wide honors program. An active scholar, his teaching and research interests focus mainly upon poetry, especially of the British Romantic period, and on religion and literature, particularly contemporary American Catholic writers. He has authored two books on the poetry of William Wordsworth and coedited The Work of Andre Dubus, a collection of essays published as a double issue of Religion and the Arts. In addition, O’Donnell has published articles, essays and reviews in some of the leading journals in his field. At Manhattan, he continues to hold a faculty appointment, as he did at Fordham and Loyola, as professor of English. As the first president of the College not to be a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, O’Donnell is treading new ground at Manhattan College. He has experience in such transitions, however, as he was also the first layperson to serve as dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. His publications and lectures demonstrate a keen engagement in issues of faith and education, specifically Catholic higher education. From 1994–2000, he served as editor of the national
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magazine Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, and he was a member of the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education from 1993–2000. In addition, he is currently on the board of trustees at La Salle University and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), and has served as a board member for the Lilly Fellows Program and for Collegium, a consortium of Catholic universities that strives to strengthen faculty understanding of and participation in the mission of Catholic higher education. A native of Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley, Dr. O’Donnell earned his B.A. with highest distinction and honors in English at The Pennsylvania State University in 1981, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in English and American literature and language. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships, grants, awards and honors. O’Donnell is married to Angela O’Donnell (formerly Alaimo), a poet and writer who teaches at Fordham, where she serves as associate director of the Francis and Ann Curran Center for American Catholic Studies. The couple has three sons: Charles (a graduate of Saint John’s University, Minnesota, and a teacher in the St. Paul, Minnesota, public schools), Patrick (a 2009 graduate of Columbia University, currently pursuing graduate studies), and Will (a graduate of Fordham).
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A 1968 graduate of Manhattan College, Byrnes enters his 25th year as director of athletics. Since his arrival back to Riverdale in May of 1988, Byrnes has presided over a renaissance period in Manhattan College athletics. During his tenure, the men’s and women’s basketball programs have earned eight NCAA Tournament bids (four women, four men). Additionally, the Jaspers have appeared in five postseason and preseason National Invitational Tournaments (NIT). Women’s soccer and men’s and women’s lacrosse began competition at the Division I level under Byrnes, and 14 different teams have won conference championships-men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track, men’s and women’s outdoor track, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, volleyball, men’s tennis, softball and baseball. In addition, to date, 27 student-athletes have received All-America honors for both athletic and academic achievements. Before returning to Manhattan, Byrnes spent 13 years with the Morrison-Knudsen Company, one of the largest engineering and construction firms in the nation. A native of Garrison, New York, Byrnes earned his undergraduate degree in physical education with a minor in biology. He also holds an M.B.A. from City University in Seattle, Washington. As an undergraduate, Byrnes was a member of the Jaspers’ club football team. Byrnes served as team captain and played both defensive tackle and offensive
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end. He spent one season as an assistant coach and helped guide Manhattan to a 6-2 overall record in 1969. Upon graduation, Byrnes began a teaching and coaching career at Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, New Jersey. He also served as the school’s director of athletics from 1970-73. Under his leadership, Queen of Peace registered state tournament appearances in baseball and basketball, while also capturing the Parochial “B” State Championship in football (1972). In addition to his responsibilities at Manhattan, Byrnes served two stints (1997-99, 2004-06) as president of the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association, at one time the sponsoring body of the NIT. He also served on the NCAA Championship Committee in 1999-2000. He is currently the chair of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Committee and the Committee on Athletic Administration, as well as a member of the ECAC Officials Negotiating Committee. In recognition of his years of outstanding contributions to Jasper athletics, Byrnes was inducted into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Byrnes resides in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, along with his wife, Rosemary. He is the father of five children: Bob, Carolyn (Manhattan ’97), Brian (Manhattan ’99), Darren and Brigid.
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