Owl News Fall 2015

FOR THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY | FALL 2015

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A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

DEAR OWL CLUB MEMBERS:

offer my greetings as we embark on the 2015 –16 academic year.

Let me start by saying that my first full year here at the Director of Athletics was extremely quick, yet was also an extremely enjoyable experience.

The wins, losses and life lessons that comprise the athletics experience are an integral element of our roles as administrators, coaches and mentors. However, there is no debate that ensuring the academic success of our studentathletes is our highest priority, and always will be.

With that said, I am ecstatic to report that our department enjoyed its most successful year ever in the classroom during the recently completed academic year. Our student-athletes combined for an average cumulative grade point average of 3.07. Nearly half of our 400 student-athletes were recognized at either the conference, regional or national levels — and in some cases all three — for their work in the classroom. In addition, seven of our teams were recognized by their respective national coaching organizations for exceptional academic prowess.

I want to congratulate all of our programs and thank our coaches, staff and partners within the university community for doing everything in their power to make sure that our

students have a successful experience that ultimate leads to a SCSU diploma.

As you can see from the rest of this newsletter, our summer was certainly filled with plenty of energy and excitement. The hirings of former NBA World Champion and Connecticut legend Scott Burrell as our men’s basketball coach and alumnus, National Champion and two-time All-American Kate Lynch as our women’s basketball coach received extensive notoriety in the city and beyond. Even Dick Vitale touched on the hiring of Coach Burrell in his weekly column on ESPN! We are thrilled to have both Scott and Kate as part of our team here at Southern and look forward to great times ahead for both programs.

From a facility standpoint, I am excited to report that Phase III of improvements at Moore Field House is now complete. This includes additional individual team locker rooms, along with a conference room and ancillary space.

We have outstanding athletic facilities here at SCSU which mirror the tremendous infrastructural growth across the larger campus setting as a whole.

In addition, we also enjoyed another outstanding year in 2014–15 with regards to community outreach, as our student-athletes, coaches and staff participated in nearly 125 separate events totaling more than 4,000 total hours. Our department is proud to contribute to the volunteer efforts of the campus community and its consistent recognition as a part of the

Go Owls!

Kate Lynch ’08 Named Head Women’s Basketball Coach

The all-time leading scorer in the history of the Southern Connecticut State University women’s basketball program is returning home, as Kate Lynch ’08 was introduced as the Owls head coach on June 29.

Director of Athletics Jay Moran made the announcement in a press conference at the Michael J. Adanti Student Center.

“We are ecstatic to have Kate return to Southern Connecticut as our head women’s basketball coach,” Moran said. “She had an indelible impact on this program during her time as a student-athlete, highlighted by a National Championship in 2007. I am confident that her experiences as a studentathlete at SCSU, along with her outstanding CONTINUED ON PAGE

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President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

In addition, homecoming is set for the weekend of October 17, so be sure to mark the date on your calendar.

Thank you for your continued support of Owls’ athletics. I hope that you and your family have an enjoyable conclusion to your summer and I look forward to seeing you on campus for a home contest very soon. Go Owls!

Jay Moran, Director of Athletics

Nutmeg State Legend, Former UConn and NBA Standout Scott Burrell Named Head Men’s Basketball Coach

One of the greatest all-around athletes in Connecticut sports history, Scott Burrell, has been named as the next head men’s basketball coach at Southern Connecticut State University, as announced by Director of Athletics Jay Moran.

Coach Burrell was introduced to the campus community in a press conference in the Ballroom of the Michael J. Adanti Student Center on Monday, July 13.

“Scott Burrell is synonymous with athletic excellence, as he has demonstrated a proven track record as a winner as a scholastic, collegiate and professional athlete —in both CONTINUED ON PAGE

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SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

Morin Inducted Into Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame

Gary Morin, Professor of Exercise Science and Director of the Southern Connecticut State University Athletic Training Education Program, has been elected to the Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. He was inducted during the business meeting at the CATA Annual Symposium on May 21.

The Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) strives to improve the quality of health care for athletes, patients and clients and enhance the profession of athletic training, through leadership, education, and cooperative efforts with other organizations and allied health professions.

This award for lifetime achievement honors dedicated members that have contributed to athletic training by their leadership, service, scholarship, promotion of the profession and

professionalism at the local, state, district and national level. A Hall of Fame candidate exemplifies the mission statement of the CATA by their conduct and advancement of the profession.

He is in his 26th season as a member of Southern’s athletic training staff and was the Owls’ head athletic trainer for 12 seasons. Prior to that, Morin also spent three years as the head athletic trainer at American International College and was also an athletic trainer at the University of Massachusetts.

Morin earned a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University, a master’s degree in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in Sports, Leisure and Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut.

Gary Morin has been inducted into the CATA Hall of Fame.

Three Owls Selected To NABC Honors Court

Three members of the Southern Connecticut State University men’s basketball team have been selected as honorees for the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ 2014 –15 Honors Court — Luke Houston, Tylon Smith and Lucas Van Nes. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. Student-athletes must be a junior or senior academically and a varsity player, have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher, matriculated at least one year at their current institution and be the

member of a NCAA or NAIA institution with a NABC member coach.

For Houston and Smith, it was their second consecutive selection to the NABC Honors Court.

Houston previously earned All-ECAC and AllNortheast-10 Conference Honors in 2015 after finishing the season averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He ranked fifth in the NE-10 and 26th in the nation by shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range and led the team with 56 steals. He was also named to the league’s All-Academic Team and was a finalist for both the NE-10 Male Scholar-

Luke Houston, Tylon Smith and Lucas Van Nes were named to the NABC Honors Court.

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Athlete of the Year and the NE-10 Man of the Year awards.

Smith captured both Academic All-America (from Capital One/CoSIDA) and All-America (from the NABC and Basketball Times) laurels earlier this winter, in addition to All-ECAC, All-Region and All-Conference accolades after averaging 18.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He collected the latter three of those honors for the second straight year. In addition, Smith was also selected to play in the Reese’s Division II College All-Star Game in Evansville, Ind. Smith was also named to the NE-10 Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team for the second straight year.

Van Nes saw action in 21 games for the Owls this past season in a reserve role and averaged 0.7 points and 1.0 rebounds per game. He was also selected to the Northeast10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for his work in the classroom.

A record number 1,000 student-athletes from 350 colleges and universities earned NABC Honors Court distinction.

SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

Sarah Brochu Named A Nominee For 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award

Sarah Brochu, who concluded her senior season as a member of the Southern Connecticut State University women’s soccer team last fall, has been named as one of 480 student-athletes nominated for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

Previously named a nominee for the 2015 Northeast-10 Conference Woman of the Year award and the 2015 Northeast-10 Conference Outstanding Female ScholarAthlete Award, Brochu capped a stellar career on the pitch with All-America laurels, just the fourth player in program history to earn such an honor. She was named the Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year. Brochu earned All-New England, All-Region and All-Conference honors four times in her career. Brochu was also honored extensively for her work in the classroom, including selections as a Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award recipient, a three-time NE-10 Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team selection and as a NSCAA Academic All-Region honoree.

Brochu was also a three-year team captain for the Owls.

Trio of Owls In NFL Camps

The Southern Connecticut State University football team continues to be represented prominently in the National Football League. Three former Owls were in NFL camps this summer —Ike Igbinosun with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jerome Cunningham and Carlif Taylor with the New York Giants.

In addition, three former Owls are on the coaching staffs of National Football League clubs. Jeff Stoutland is in his third season as the offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chris Palmer is the Senior Offensive Assistant for the Buffalo Bills. Tim Holt is the assistant offensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders.

Ike Igbinosun

Jerome Cunningham

Carlif Taylor

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Hill Captures Capital One/ CoSIDA Academic All-America Laurels

Sophomore Crystle Hill of the Southern Connecticut State University women’s track and field team has been named an Academic All-American by Capital One and the College Sports Information Directors of America, another accolade on a stellar academic year in the classroom and on the track.

Named to the Third-Team, Hill ran a leg of the NCAA champion 4x400 relay this winter during the indoor season and earned All-America honors in both the 400 meters and the 4x400 relay during the outdoor season. She also ran a leg of the New England champion 4x400 relay both indoors and outdoors. Hill collected All-New England honors as well in the 400 meters both indoors and outdoors and was the 2015 Northeast10 Conference champion in the 500 meters.

She was also recognized with All-Region honors eight times this year during the two seasons.

She advanced to the national ballot after earning First-Team Academic All-District honors earlier this spring. Hill was also named to the Northeast-10 Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Team and the Northeast-10 Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Team this past year.

She is a mathematics major with a 3.52 cumulative grade point average.

SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015 Lynch Named Head Women’s Basketball Coach CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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coaching acumen, will allow our program to return to national prominence.”

“It has always been a dream to return back to Southern Connecticut as its head women’s basketball coach,” Lynch said. “Today, that dream came true. I would like to thank Jay Moran and the entire search committee for providing me with this opportunity. I am eager to lead this program in the years ahead with the goal of cultivating an environment for our studentathletes that is just as enjoyable and successful as it was during my time here as a student-athlete.”

Lynch has enjoyed success as a coach at the Division I, II and III levels, along with the junior college ranks, since the conclusion of her playing career at SCSU. Most recently, Lynch spent the 2014 –15 season as the head coach at Molloy College. She guided the Lions to 11 victories last season, including a triumph over No. 10 nationally ranked Tampa.

Her three years prior to Molloy were spent as the head coach at the Community College of Rhode Island, where Lynch led the Knights to three straight Region XXI regular season titles. She was named the 2013 National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Coach of the Year after a 25-win campaign and a District N Championship.

Lynch started her foray into coaching as the Director of Basketball Operations at Fairfield University, where she worked alongside her former coach at SCSU, Joe Frager. She also spent a year as an assistant coach at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Her playing career at Southern Connecticut was arguably the finest in program history. A two-time All-American, Lynch remains the all-time leading scorer in Owls’ history (1,779 points) and ranks fifth all-time in rebounds (650). She also holds the career record for most field goals made (650) along with single-season records for games played, most field goals made, most field goals attempted, most free throws made and most points.

Lynch was a part of 103 victories over her four years at SCSU, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and two Northeast-10 Tournament titles.

Known for elevating her play in big games, she posted four double-doubles during Southern’s run to the 2007 NCAA title, and averaged 21 points and 10.7 rebounds per game over its national quarterfinal, semifinal and final victories. Lynch was also named the Regional Player of the Year as a senior and the NE-10 Player of the Year as a junior.

She was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in the spring of 2014 and the Northeast-10 Conference Hall of Fame later that summer. Lynch was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Lynch holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science/human performance from SCSU and went on to earn a master’s degree in sports management from Lasell College in 2014.

Kobylanski Recognized by CoSIDA as “Volunteer 15” Honoree

Michael Kobylanski, Associate Director of Athletics/Communications at Southern Connecticut State University, has been recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as one of just 61 honorees for the organization’s “Volunteer 15” program that was kicked off during the 2014–15 academic year.

The CoSIDA Volunteer 15 program is an initiative to get CoSIDA members more involved in their communities. The program is designed to help promote the great efforts and success our members have in their communities.

To qualify, CoSIDA members had to volunteer at least 15 hours during the school year. The program is administered by the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee.

Kobylanski was one of just 19 individuals to accumulate 50 hours of volunteer work in addition to his daily responsibilities at Southern Connecticut. Among his outreach efforts included time as a manager and coach for Cheshire Youth Baseball (Conn.), event management and media relations assistance at the 2015 Frozen Four in Boston, and assistance with SCSU programming such as the annual Leadership Dessert event and the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk.

Owls’ Student-Athletes Achieve Record-Setting Success In The Classroom

Southern Connecticut State University student-athletes excelled in the classroom during the 2014–15 academic year. As a group, the Owls’ nearly 400 student-athletes finished the academic year with a combined all-time high grade point average of 3.07.

In total, nearly half of student-athletes were recognized by either conference, regional or national organizations for academic excellence this past year.

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2014–15 By the Numbers SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

ACADEMICS

Individual Academic Highlights

375 selections to the

Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll— all-time single-year record

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College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/Capital One Academic All-Americans

5 College Sports Information

Directors of America (CoSIDA)/Capital One Academic All-District selections

16 Northeast-10

All-Academic Team selections

10 NFHCA National

Academic Team Members

8 USA Gymnastics

TEAM ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

7 Teams Recognized by

Respective National Coaching Organizations for Academic Success: • Women’s Soccer • Field Hockey

• Women’s Cross Country • Men’s Cross Country

• Women’s Track and Field • Men’s Basketball • Gymnastics

All-America Scholar Athletes

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of hours volunteered by SCSU student-athletes, coaches and staff to outreach efforts during the 2014-15 academic year

10

ECAC All-Academic Team Members

3 National Association

of Basketball Coaches Honors Court Members

11 United States Track and

Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Honorees

300 Division II institutions in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup, which measures overall athletic performance; 9th straight year with finish in top-20 percent

1 NCAA Individual Champion 1 NCAA Individual

National Runner-Up

6 NCAA Participants 1 New England Champion 1 ECAC Champion 4 Northeast-10 Conference

Championships

COMMUNITY SERVICE

National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women All-Academic Honorees

Finished No. 50 of over ATHLETICS

4,000 — approximate number 125

— approximate number of community outreach events that SCSU student-athletes, coaches and staff participated in during the 2014–15 academic year

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17 All-Americans 14 Northeast-10 Conference Athletes of the Year/ Championship Honorees

1 ECAC Rookie of the Year 1 ECAC Player the Year 3 Regional Athletes of the Year 3 Northeast-10 Coaches

of the Year

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Regional Assistant Coaches of the Year

2

Regional Head Coaches of the Year

SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

Owls’ Coach Tom Godek Participates In 7th Annual GNHCC ‘Chalk Talk’ Event

Southern Connecticut State University football coach Tom Godek participated in the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Sports Council’s seventh annual ‘Chalk Talk’ event on August 4 at Fornarelli’s Ristorante in New Haven in front of a capacity crowd.

All three area football coaches — Godek, Chris Pincince (University of New Haven) and Tony Reno (Yale University)—gathered together to discuss the upcoming campaign. Erik Dobratz of News8/MyTv9 served as the moderator for the discussion. The function provided an opportunity for local professionals to network and enjoy an exciting afternoon of college football chatter.

Owls’ coach Tom Godek took part in the seventh annual GNHCC ‘Chalk Talk’ event.

Burrell Named Head Men’s Basketball Coach CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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basketball and baseball — and now for nearly a decade, as a professional and collegiate coach,” Moran said. “We are thrilled to have Scott leading our men’s basketball program as we continue our quest for a National Championship. He is an excellent role model for our student-athletes and possesses a wealth of experience that is unparalleled.”

“Growing up in Hamden and spending the better part of my life here in Connecticut, I have had the ability to watch from afar as Southern Connecticut State University and its men’s basketball program have demonstrated tremendous growth,” Burrell said. “I am excited for the challenge of leading our young men in the years ahead, to be an integral part of the SCSU community, and to be a highly visible ambassador who is embedded within the city of New Haven and the Greater New Haven region as a whole. I would like to thank President Mary Papazian, Director of Athletics Jay Moran and the search committee for providing me with this opportunity.”

“In addition, I would also like to thank President John Lahey, Jack McDonald, Bill Mecca and the entire Quinnipiac University

administration for their tremendous support, personally and professionally. I am grateful to have been a part of Coach (Tom) Moore’s staff for the last eight years. It has been a pleasure working alongside Coach Moore, Coach (Eric) Eaton and Coach (Sean) Doherty at Quinnipiac.”

Burrell recently finished his eighth season as an assistant coach at nearby Quinnipiac University, a stretch in which the Bobcats claimed 143 victories and made four Division I post-season appearances. Burrell played an instrumental role in the Bobcats’ overall success and transition from the Northeast Conference to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

A first-round draft pick (20th overall) of the Charlotte Hornets in the 1993 NBA Draft, he also suited up with the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets in a professional career that ran from 1993–2006.

Burrell was a member of the 1998 Chicago Bulls team that won the World Championship and averaged 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game over his NBA career. He also spent five seasons playing professionally in Japan, Spain, the Philippines and China before entering the coaching ranks as an assistant with the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Developmental League.

He remains the only athlete in professional sports history to be drafted in the first round of

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two different sports. A three-sport scholastic standout at Hamden High School, he was drafted in the first round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners (and again drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays the following year), but enrolled at the University of Connecticut instead, where he developed into one of the Huskies’ all-time greats.

Burrell was the first player in UConn’s Division I history to top 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 275 assists and 300 steals in his career. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over his four seasons and set a new Huskies record with 310 steals. Burrell finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots and was eighth on the school’s all-time scoring list before heading to the NBA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in general studies from UConn.

Scott Burrell is synonymous with athletic excellence, as he has demonstrated a proven track record as a winner as a scholastic, collegiate and professional athlete…

SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

Three SCSU Teams Honored

By National Coaching Organizations

Award. The Owls recorded a team grade point average of 3.36 and finished No. 39 amongst all college women’s gymnastics programs across all three NCAA divisions. In addition, SCSU posted a higher team grade point average than notable schools such as Stanford, Cornell, Michigan State, Ohio State, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Penn State, Cal and Georgia.

The women’s track and field squad was lauded by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as an AllAcademic Team for its work in the classroom this past year. The Owls were honored for posting a team grade point average of greater than 3.0. In all, a total of 115 Division II women’s track and field programs were recognized with this honor.

By virtue of their outstanding academic work in the classroom, the Southern Connecticut State University men’s basketball, gymnastics and women’s track and field teams received recognition from their respective national coaching organizations earlier this summer.

The men’s basketball team was recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as a recipient of the 2014 –15 Team Academic Excellence Award. In total, more than 175 colleges and universities across all three NCAA Divisions and the NAIA, were recognized for outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better for the 2014 –15 season.

The gymnastics team achieved laurels from the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women with its annual Team Academic

Ten Members Of Gymnastics Squad Named NACGC/W Scholar Athletes

Ten members of the Southern Connecticut State University gymnastics team— Kathleen Aberger, Abigail Bensley, Meghan Cole, Rachel de la Torre, Jenny Kaufman, Samantha Menichini, Jennifer Rochefort, Emily Shelton, Christine Volz and Jasmine Zambrana— have been named 2015 Scholar Athletes by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women.

Student-athletes must have a either a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 or a current academic year GPA of at least 3.5 in order to qualify for the honor.

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SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

Seven Owls Named To USTFCCCA Track and Field All-Academic Teams

Seven members of the Southern Connecticut State University track and field programs –Elizabeth Bashir, Adriana Carrasco, Crystle Hill, Sarah Hill and Rachel Van Gilder of the women’s squad and Dean Bhatt and Luke Velez of the men’s team—have been named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division II indoor or outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard. In total, 450 women from 108 institutions and 239 men from 76 institutions earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for their combined academic and athletic accomplishments.

Elizabeth Bashir

Adriana Carrasco

Crystle Hill

Sarah Hill

Rachel Van Gilder

Dean Bhatt

Luke Velez

SCSU Athletic Department Concludes Year Ranked No. 50 In Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings

The Southern Connecticut State University athletic department concluded the 2014–15 academic year ranked No. 50 out of more than 300 eligible Division II institutions in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup rankings. The Owls finished among the top-20 percent in the standings for the ninth consecutive year.

Southern Connecticut finished No. 30 in the rankings in 2006–07, No. 46 in 2007– 08, No. 56 in 2008–09, No. 42 in 2009–10, No. 25 in

2010–11, No. 48 in 2011–12, No. 56 in 2012–13 and No. 49 last year.

The top school in each NCAA Division, along with the NAIA, is annually presented with the Directors’ Cup. The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on an institution’s finish in up to 14 sports—seven women’s and seven men’s.

Homecoming Weekend

Set for October 17 Mark your Calendars!

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SCSU OWL NEWS | FALL 2015

Owls Announce Winners Of 2014–15 Tim Greer Insurance Agency, Inc. Community Service Cup Awards

A

fter a spirited competition among all intercollegiate programs at Southern Connecticut State University, the women’s basketball team was recognized as the winner of the Tim Greer Insurance Agency, Inc. Community Service Cup for the 2014–15 academic year.

In addition, sophomore Christine Volz of the gymnastics team has been named the recipient of this year’s individual Community Service Cup award. The awards were presented at the annual Senior Athletic Awards banquet in late April.

The Tim Greer Insurance Agency, Inc. Community Service Cup provides a competitive format that allows student-athletes to gain an enriched experience through engagement with the oncampus and local communities by supporting ventures of traditional citizens, campus community members and peer students and student-athletes.

“I would like to congratulate the women’s The women’s basketball team claimed the 2014 –15 Tim Greer Insurance Agency, Inc. Community basketball team for claiming this year’s Tim Greer Service Cup. Insurance Agency, Inc. Community Service Cup team award and Christine for capturing our individual Community Service Award,” Director of Athletics and Spring Glen School running basketball drills and games. In addition Jay Moran said. “These individuals have made community service a the team took part in writing letters to the United States armed forces, priority through their assistance at numerous events throughout the course collecting and donating books, clothes and food to donate to local of the year. charities and continuous participation with reading and tutoring at “In addition, I would like to thank all of our programs for serving Beecher School and Clinton Avenue School in New Haven. as outstanding ambassadors for Southern Connecticut State University Volz was immersed in numerous events both on and off-campus. She through extensive community spent this past summer volunteering around the globe. She traveled to service efforts. As a group, our Kenya to work in orphanages and assist with health assessments and the student-athletes have volunteered elderly in the region. She also traveled to Cuba to complete painting approximately 4,000 hours of projects at local homes. When she finally returned home in Ohio, she their time to community service causes continued volunteering her time at a local Bible school. this past year. I commend all of She also assisted with on-campus events such as Friends of Rudolph and our coaches and student-athletes for volunteered her time towards local programs at St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen, their efforts.” the New Haven Animal Shelter and the American Red Cross.

The women’s basketball program The team champion was determined through a scoring system that assisted with numerous programs, both awards points based on the percentage of each team’s roster that on-campus and in Greater New Haven, participates in an event. Student-athletes can earn points by a variety of during the past academic year. The means, including: participation in community service events (on or off team helped with on-campus events campus), host pre- or post-game clinics and participation in campus such as Girls and Women in Sport Day. events. The individual winner was selected through event participation The Owls also conducted clinics at throughout the course of the academic year. the New Haven Boys’ and Girls’ Club

“As a group, our student-athletes have volunteered approximately 4,000 hours of their time to community service causes this past year.

I commend all of our coaches and student-athletes for their efforts.”

– DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JAY MORAN

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