Leaders and
Champions FFFFFFF
Welcome from
DAVID WILLIAMS
M i s s i o n S tat e m e n t
We prepare student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship and victory.
e closed our welcome in this space last year by writing “…we hope you capture our sense of pride and the feeling that tomorrow will be better than today.” I am pleased to be able to report that feeling became reality. We are better today than we were one year ago and this report will outline many of the reasons why we remain so enthused about our direction. We are making progress. We spent the month of June following our baseball team through the NCAA Regional, Super Regional and finally, the College World Series in Omaha. The national attention this tremendous team earned for our department and university was significant, plus it was exhilarating to many of us to experience baseball’s biggest stage. Ten other Commodore teams earned NCAA post-season berths with three more finishing among the nation’s top 10. These top 10 finishes represented a high-water mark for our department. It was a busy year in every respect. The unexpected resignation of football coach Bobby Johnson ultimately led to our hiring the dynamic James Franklin to lead our program. We have the utmost confidence in James and are eager to continue working with him as we bolster our football future. During the post-season, our fine cross country coach Steven Keith earned the dual role as head coach of our women’s track and field program while Derek Greene was named to lead our women’s soccer program. Academically we once again enjoyed a stellar year. Our cumulative grade point is now nearing 3.1 for our 325 student-athletes and we have audacious goals that we continue to pursue —goals that some might question as unattainable. We strive for greatness. We remain on fiscally sound footing, despite the challenges that today’s economy presents. While we still need to increase our giving revenue, our National Commodore Club had its best year in terms of both membership and total giving in many years. We began last year with 10 department goals, some academic, some performance-based, others regarding community service. Our student-athletes exceeded recent contributions of service and our department staff met its goal of four major service projects. We also crafted a new mission statement, which provides the theme for this year’s report. “We prepare student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship and victory.” We know you are as proud to be a Commodore as we are. Let’s work together to make more good things happen.
David Williams II Vice Chancellor for University Affairs and Athletics General Counsel and Secretary of the University
Special Achievement FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Brittni Hamilton National Amateur of the Year National Bowling Writers Association
Jason Esposito First-team All-American American Baseball Coaches Association
Molly Kinsella First-team Academic All-American CoSIDA
John Jenkins State Player of the Year Tennessee Sports Writers Association
Grayson Garvin SEC Pitcher of the Year SEC Baseball Coaches
Ally Carey First-team All-American American Lacrosse Coaches Association
Sonny Gray First-team All-American American Baseball Coaches Association
Academic Excellence FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
For the fifth consecutive year the combined grade point average for our 325 student-athletes exceeded 3.0. This year’s cumulative total is 3.083. H Baseball.....................................3.016
Men’s Basketball.......................2.638 H Women’s Basketball..................2.884 H Bowling......................................3.232 H Men’s Cross Country.................3.314 H Women’s Cross Country............3.491 H Football......................................2.778 Men’s Golf.................................3.208 H Women’s Golf............................3.396 Lacrosse....................................3.438 H Soccer.......................................3.426 H Swimming..................................3.295 H Men’s Tennis..............................3.353 Women’s Tennis.........................3.250
Track and Field..........................3.012
H Top 10 percent in national Academic Progress Report
The men’s and women’s tennis teams completed a memorable Study Abroad opportunity in South Africa.
Commodores on the SEC Academic Honor Roll A Record High! F FY 2000................................ 90 F FY 2004................................ 149 F FY 2007................................ 170 F FY 2008................................ 179 F FY 2009................................ 186 F FY 2010................................ 180 F FY 2011................................ 201 Football’s DeAndre Jones participated in a Vanderbilt Study Abroad program, traveling to Morocco.
Members of the men’s basketball team enjoy Commencement. It’s the first time that “walking” is a good thing!
Special Academic Achievement FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
NCAA Postgraduate Award Soccer’s Molly Kinsella won a $7,500 scholarship.
SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Award John Stokes (football) and Molly Kinsella (soccer) won $7,500 scholarships from the Southeastern Conference.
Molly Kinsella
The women’s tennis team enjoys a Study Abroad trip to South Africa.
The baseball team won on and off the diamond.
Dean’s List Success 99 student-athletes made the Dean’s List (3.5 or higher GPA) during the fall 2010 semester and 68 earned the same distinction during spring 2011
3.0 Club 100 Commodores earned a 3.0 or higher GPA during the fall 2010 semester and 130—40 percent of all student-athletes—were over 3.0 in spring 2011
Additional Academic Recognition F Ten Vanderbilt teams were recognized among the nation’s top 10 percent in multiyear Academic Progress Rates (the SEC had 23 total): baseball, women’s basketball, bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s golf, soccer, swimming and men’s tennis.
F Megan Grehan became the first Vanderbilt women’s golfer to make the National Golf Coaches Association All-Scholar Team for four consecutive years.
F Ryan Haselden was named SEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men’s golf.
F Molly Kinsella became Vanderbilt’s first ESPN first-team Academic AllAmerican since 2002. She was also a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Finalist and the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for soccer.
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C l a ss o f 2 0 1 1 The Class of 2011 received their diplomas and have gone professional, most of them in something other than sports. Here is a look at what some of our most recent graduates are doing.
Vanderbilt commodores • Vanderbilt commodores
Nicole Adams (SO) – planning to move to Ethiopia to work with a missions organization at a Christian Soccer Camp
Taylor Hill (BS) – signed a professional baseball contract with the Washington Nationals
Rachel Bachtel (SO) – took a position as assistant women’s soccer coach at Villanova University
Taylor Jackson (WTK) – enrolled at Howard University Law School
Adam Baker (MTN) – enrolled in medical school at the University of Kentucky Curt Casali (BS) – signed a professional baseball contract with the Detroit Tigers Bram Chisholm (MCC) – accepted a position with Teach for America in Kansas City, Mo. Katie Dean (SO) – moving to Zambia, Africa, after taking a position with Grassroot Soccer
Bryan Johns (BS) – signed a professional baseball contract with the Boston Red Sox Megan Kinsella (SO) – enrolled in St. Louis School of Nursing in the Accelerated Generalist Master’s in Nursing Program Molly Kinsella (SO) – enrolled in pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee, Memphis
Jennifer Molchan (SW) – enrolled in physical therapy school at the University of Florida Bryant Salcedo (MTN) – took a position as sourcing specialist with the Ettain Group Rebecca Silinski (WBB) – enrolled in graduate school at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College; graduate assistant for Women’s Basketball John Stokes (FB) – enrolled in medical school at Vanderbilt Aaron Westlake (BS) – signed a professional baseball contract with the Detroit Tigers
Where are they now? FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Chantelle Anderson
Dominic de la Osa
Greg Martin
Bryn Sedlacek
Basketball, 2003 Assistant basketball coach, Virginia Tech
Baseball, 2008 Graduate student in accounting, Florida International University
Football, 1978 Los Angeles County deputy district attorney
Lacrosse, 2006 Asia analyst at iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, Beirut, Lebanon
Derrick Byars
Jamie Duncan
Ronnie McMahan
Greg Smith
Basketball, 2007 Cholet Basket of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague
Football, 1998 Owner of three small businesses in Delaware and Florida
Basketball, 2003 Associate dean of students, Montgomery Bell Academy, Nashville
Football, 1990 Hedge fund business analyst, Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy, New York
Eileen Bouldin
Hillary Hager
Jessica Mooney
Carlos Thomas
Swimming, 2007 Completed master’s degree at Washington University and teaches English in Korea
Basketball, 2005 AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
Basketball, 2010 Graduate student at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College
Football, 1992 Assistant professor of information systems and operations management, Southern University, Baton Rouge
Nick Cromydas
Alan Herline
Davis Nwankwo
Greg Thomas
Tennis, 2009 Founder and CEO of Athliance, LLC, San Francisco
Football, 1987 Associate professor of surgery and biomedical engineering, Vanderbilt University
Basketball, 2006 Faculty, Gonzaga College High School, Washington, D.C.
Baseball, 1999 Vice president, wealth management, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, San Diego
Mallory Crosland
Nicole Jules
Amanda Scott
Derrick Wilcox
Golf, 1999 Senior producer, broadcasting, PGA of America, Palm Beach
Basketball, 2006 Women’s athletic director, basketball and volleyball head coach, University School of Nashville
Cross Country, 2009 Studying mechanical engineering at Cambridge University
Basketball, 1990 Pharmaceutical sales, Nashville
Champs Life Skills Balancing academic success, athletic competition and personal growth along with student life can be very challenging for studentathletes. The Life Skills Program represents the comprehensive commitment by the Vanderbilt Athletic Department to foster the total growth and development of our student-athletes. Fiscal Year 2010-11 Highlights
F Student-athletes donated about 3,600 hours of their time toward community service.
F The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee worked diligently to address student-athlete issues and needs.
F The annual Black and Gold Banquet, honoring student-athlete excellence on and off the field, was an exciting night for all who attended. Former Commodore and current sports broadcaster Willy Daunic served as emcee.
SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award Recipients The Southeastern Conference annually honors excellence in community service with post-graduate scholarship awards. Basketball’s Rebecca Silinski and cross country runner Bram Chisholm both earned scholarships. NCAA 2011 Career in Sports Forum Jordan Coleman (basketball) and Natalie Wills (lacrosse) attended the NCAA Career in Sports Forum. The forum is a four-day event through which selected student-athletes explore and
are educated on careers in sports, with a primary focus on intercollegiate athletics. Through the use of dual tracks, participants examine the key functions of a coach or administrator within sports. Foundational skills such as communication, networking, recruiting, managing culture, transitioning and budgeting are covered. Community Service Activities
F Vanderbilt hosted the annual StudentAthlete Field Day in conjunction with the Black and Gold spring football game. Each team set up a sport skills station for kids to rotate through.
F Commodore student-athletes participated in the Southeastern Conference’s “Together We Can” food drive, visited the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, hosted a holiday party for underserved children, volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and raised money for Vanderbilt’s Dance Marathon. Career Development
F Life Skills partnered with IMG corporate sponsor New York Life for a Career Boot Camp in the fall. The workshop featured information
specific to helping student-athletes use their transferable skills as an athlete to succeed in interviews and resume writing.
F Life Skills also partnered with Career Athletes to provide online resources for the student-athlete’s post-graduation career plans.
F In conjunction with the Vanderbilt Career Center, resume workshops and career counseling sessions are ongoing.
Top 10 Team Finishes Four teams registered top 10 NCAA Tournament finishes this year, which boosted Vanderbilt into 56th place —among the top 20 percent in the Director’s Cup, the national all-sports standings.
Bowling • Women’s Golf • Women’s Tennis • Baseball
Baseball Vanderbilt’s athletic season ended in late June, 750 miles from campus in the Midwestern city of Omaha, with the eyes of a baseball-loving nation watching. The Commodores not only achieved a longstanding goal of reaching the College World Series, they battled their way into the national semifinals. Needless to say, the achievement marked an all-time program best. It was a year in which three teams in the SEC East Division—Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida—ran away with the league race and in the end dominated the College World Series as well. Some called the trio the “Beasts of the East” but most simply called them terrific. All three made the Final Four in Omaha, and the CWS alltournament team was 100 percent SEC. Vanderbilt’s thrilling NCAA Regional and Super Regional championships were played before a packed and passionate Hawkins Field crowd. It became a season in which the “sold out” sign was seen frequently as fans flocked to watch this gifted group of student-athletes. Among those cramming into “The Hawk” were professional scouts, and in the Major League Draft Vanderbilt set an SEC record with 12 men selected, nearly onethird of its roster! While their achievements on the field made big headlines during a year to remember, this team’s community involvement and academic accomplishments were also a source of pride. They ranked among the upper 10 percent of all baseball teams in Academic Progress Report ratings. The team’s unique combination of talent, camaraderie, leadership and hard work took them to Omaha, and according to Coach Tim Corbin, gives them the makings of a legacy team.
Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Ba
Season highlights F The Commodores reached the College World Series for the first time in school history, advancing to the national semifinals.
F The team won the first College World Series game played in TD Ameritrade Park, with President George W. Bush throwing out the honorary first pitch.
F In the SEC Tournament’s title game, Vanderbilt defeated South Carolina but lost to Florida.
F The team matched the school record with 54 wins and set a program best with just 12 losses.
F Vanderbilt set an SEC and school record with a nation-leading 12 players selected in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft.
F Junior left-hander Grayson Garvin set the school’s single-season wins record (13) and was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year.
F Four Commodores—Garvin, Sonny Gray, Jason Esposito and Aaron Westlake—were named to the All American second team, more All Americans than any other program.
F T.J. Pecoraro, Kevin Ziomek, Tony Kemp and Conrad Gregor were named to Freshman All-American teams.
F SEC coaches voted outfielder Tony Kemp the league’s Freshman of the Year.
seball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball • Baseball
Tournament Team
Women’s Basketball Make it a dozen! The 2010-11 season marked the 12th consecutive 20-win season and 12th straight NCAA Tournament bid for this perennially powerful program. The victory over Southern Illinois gave Coach Melanie Balcomb her 200th win, a milestone that she reached faster than any coach in school history. The Commodores advanced to the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal round for the fifth consecutive time behind the steady play of Jence Rhoads, Hannah Tuomi and company. Vanderbilt fans also enjoyed the season with attendance jumping the program into the nation’s top 20.
Season highlights F Senior Jence Rhoads received honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press and was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference for the second straight year. She finished her career as the only player in school history with 1,100 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds.
F The program was among the top 10 percent nationally in the Academic Progress Report.
F Rhoads and Hannah Tuomi each topped 1,000 career points.
F In January the Commodores were involved in the second women’s basketball game ever to be featured on ESPN College GameDay, playing at Tennessee.
F Former Commodore Chantelle Anderson had her jersey retired on Feb. 13 with Vanderbilt hosting its first women’s basketball reunion.
F Stephanie Holzer was named the SEC’s Sixth Woman of the Year and joined Jasmine Lister on the SEC All-Freshman Team. Holzer was also named honorable mention All-SEC by the league’s media.
F Rebecca Silinski was Vanderbilt’s nominee for the SEC’s Brad Davis Community Service Award, received the A.D. Hancock–Walter Nipper Basketball Sportsmanship Award and was named to the 2011 SEC Women’s Basketball Community Service Team.
WOMEN’S Basketball • WOMEN’S Basketball • WOMEN’S Basketball • WOMEN’S Basketball • WOMEN’S Basketball
Men’s Basketball • Men’s Basketball • Men’s Basketball • Men’s Basketball • Men’s Basketball • Men’s Basketball Tournament Team
Men’s Basketball With Memorial Gymnasium sold out for the season, the Commodores once again had a thrilling year with some of the SEC’s finest student-athletes. The Black and Gold were rated among the nation’s top 25 nearly the entire year, knocking off non-conference opponents such as Marquette, St. Mary’s and North Carolina and showcasing a league triumph over Kentucky. In all, the Commodores defeated five future NCAA Tournament teams. While the 2010-11 season was memorable, the postseason announcement that three gifted Commodores eligible to go pro were all returning to Vanderbilt for another year signaled that more Memorial Magic is yet to come.
Season highlights F Vanderbilt reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.
F The team reached the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the 11th time in program history.
F The Commodores finished third at the 2010 Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November.
F First-team All-SEC guard John Jenkins led the conference in scoring and was named men’s basketball Player of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.
F Center Festus Ezeli earned secondteam All-SEC honors after a breakout season in which he finished among the conference leaders in blocks and field goal percentage.
F Ezeli set a VU single-season block record with 87 and is five blocks short of Will Perdue’s career blocks record.
F Forward Jeffery Taylor was named to the All-SEC second team and the All-Defensive Team.
F Guard Brad Tinsley recorded the first triple-double in school history in the season-opening victory over Presbyterian.
Bowling Coach John Williamson’s bowling team registered the first of Vanderbilt’s four top 10 finishes this year. The Commodore bowlers had an amazing run, with a thrilling come-from-behind performance. At the winter holiday break, many thought Vanderbilt’s slow start in fall tournaments would doom its chances for a sixth straight NCAA Tournament bid, which goes to the nation’s top eight teams. However, the team regrouped and surprised many by winning Arkansas State’s Mid-Winter Classic. That championship set a powerful spring season in motion and when Vanderbilt’s name was indeed called to participate in the NCAA Championship, it marked the biggest turn-around in NCAA bowling history. The Commodores peaked in Detroit, topping Nebraska in the NCAA semi-final and setting up a national championship game with a veteran Maryland-Eastern Shore team that was televised on ESPN. While the Hawks prevailed, four games to two in the best-of-seven format, the national runner-up finish was the program’s second-best in its history, exceeded only by the 2007 NCAA title.
Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowlin
ng • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling • Bowling
Season highlights F Junior Brittni Hamilton was named the United States Amateur Female Bowler of the Year by the USA Bowling Writers.
F In May, Hamilton captured the Intercollegiate Singles Championship, a national tournament that determines the best individual bowler at all levels of collegiate bowling.
F Three Commodores—Jessica Earnest, Brittni Hamilton and Samantha Hesley—were named to National Ten Pin Coaches Association All-American teams.
F The Commodores captured the team championship at the Holiday Classic in Birmingham in addition to the MidWinter Classic in Arkansas.
F Eight bowlers were named to the annual SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll as the team continues to shine in the classroom.
F Sophomore Jessica Earnest was named to the Junior Team USA and competed in the Dominican Republic during the summer.
F Bowling was one of 10 Vanderbilt teams ranking in the top 10 percent in the national Academic Progress Report for its sport.
Men’s cross country • Men’s cross country • Men’s cross country • • Men’s cross country • • Men’s cross coun-
Men’s Cross Country The men’s cross country team was led by Chris Baker, who topped all Vanderbilt runners in his final three races of the season and was named the Most Valuable Runner. Baker and Jenner Kizer recorded top 10 finishes as the team placed fourth in the Belmont-VU Opener. Academic success has always been the hallmark of this program and once again there were notable achievements. The Commodore team earned Academic AllAmerica distinction for the fifth time in a row and Bram Chisholm was selected as Vanderbilt’s male nominee for the SEC’s Brad Davis Community Service PostGraduate Scholarship.
Season highlights F The team is one of 10 Commodore programs rated among its sport’s top 10 percent in the Academic Progress Report, which considers both progress toward a degree and roster retention.
F Cross country alumnus David Latimer was voted into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame during the summer. The former Rhodes Scholar became the program’s first representative to be so honored.
Tournament Team
Women’s Cross Country The women’s cross country team had a stellar season! The Commodores were third at the SEC Championships, their best finish in program history. Coach Steven Keith’s team also had a highwater mark with its third place result at the NCAA South Regionals, narrowly missing qualification to the NCAA Championship.
Season highlights F Jordan White became just the second Vanderbilt female runner to qualify for the NCAA Championship.
F Alexa Rogers was named the team’s Most Valuable Runner after finishing among the team’s top three in each event of the season.
F White and Rita Jorgensen earned All-SEC honors with finishes at the SEC Championships.
F White, Rogers and Louise Hannallah were named NCAA All-Region for their top finishes at the NCAA South Regional.
F Liz Anderson was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
F The women’s team was 23-3 versus SEC competition over the season.
F The team won their first two meets of the season, the Belmont-VU Opener and the Commodore Classic.
F The Commodores were named an Academic All-American Team for the fifth consecutive year. The team compiled a 3.44 cumulative GPA during the fall semester.
women’s cross country • women’s cross country • women’s cross country • • women’s cross country • • women’s cross
Football It was a most unusual season on and around the football field. Longtime head coach Bobby Johnson surprised everyone in July by announcing his retirement, effective almost immediately. Assistant Head Coach Robbie Caldwell was promoted to the program’s front office, where he led the Commodores to victory in the season’s third game at Ole Miss. When Caldwell resigned at season’s end with two victories, an extensive national search ensued. On December 17, 2010, Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos and Vice Chancellor David Williams introduced Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin as Vanderbilt’s 27th head coach at a press conference in the Board of Trust Room at the Sarratt Student Center. The dynamic Franklin immediately began hiring a first-rate staff of assistants, and his work in just six weeks of recruiting was lauded by experts as exceptional. Throughout the spring, Franklin spoke of “changing the culture” and fans responded by turning out in the largest numbers in a decade to watch the Black and Gold Spring Game.
Football • Football • Football • Football • Football Season highlights F Defensive stars Casey Hayward and Chris Marve earned All-SEC acclaim while Hayward and tight end Brandon Barden were cited by Associated Press for their play.
F Walker May, Kenny Ladler and Wesley Johnson all were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
F John Stokes and John Cole were named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District IV first team and Stokes was Vanderbilt’s nominee to the Southeastern Conference for the H. Boyd McWhorter Award.
Football • Football • Football • Football • Football
men’s Golf • men’s Golf • men’s Golf • men’s Golf • men’s Golf • men’s Golf
Men’s Golf The Commodores narrowly missed qualifying as a team for the NCAA Tournament but did send Adam Hoffman as an individual. He placed 28th at the East Regional; his season was highlighted by a medalist performance at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate, his first career title. Ryan Haselden earned a number of prestigious awards, including being named the SEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the first Vanderbilt golfer to receive that honor. At the end of the year, assistant coach Justin Emil was selected as head coach at Rice and head coach Tom Shaw named Dusty Smith, previously an assistant at Lamar, as his replacement.
Season highlights F Trey DelGreco was named to the 2011 SEC Golf Community Service Team for his work as part of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and Habitat for Humanity.
F Freshman Mills Rendell advanced to the sectional qualifying round of the 2011 U.S. Open Championship in May.
F The Commodores opened the spring season with a fifth-place finish at Mobile Bay Intercollegiate.
F The team’s best finish came as runners-up at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate. F Trey DelGreco and Ryan Haselden were named Cleveland Golf/Srixon AllAmerica Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Haselden is the only two-time All-American Scholar in program history.
Women’s Golf The women’s golf team, like the Commodore bowlers, peaked at just the right time. Much was expected from Coach Greg Allen’s team, who finished seventh in 2010. Junior Marina Alex entered the season as the defending SEC champion while senior Megan Grehan gave the Commodores veteran leadership. But things didn’t click immediately. Not only did the Commodores finish seventh in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, they also needed to win a play-off with Florida State to earn the eighth and final qualifying spot in the NCAA East Regional. It was at the NCAA Championship in College Station, Tex., that things came together. In the 24-team finals field, Vanderbilt ended the first day in eighth position, then improved to fifth after day two. The team actually cracked the top four at one point in the tournament before ending up in a tie for 10th place, making the first time in program history the team registered back-to-back top 10 finishes.
Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Wome
Season highlights F The team earned a berth in the national championship for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time overall.
F Marina Alex was named to the AllSEC second team after leading the Commodores with two top 10 finishes and one top five and posting the two lowest rounds of the season.
F Megan Grehan was named to the 2011 SEC Golf Community Service Team and the All-SEC second team.
F The team’s best finish was sixth, achieved two times—at the NCAA Fall Preview in September and at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in March.
F Grehan was named to the National Golf Coaches Association AllScholar Team for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first Commodore women’s golfer to be named to the team in every year of her enrollment.
F The women’s golf program was among the top 10 percent nationally in the Academic Progress Report.
en’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s Golf • Women’s
Lacrosse The lacrosse team is always a factor in the powerful American Lacrosse Conference and was once again in 2011. In only its 10th year of existence, the league has produced the national champion team six times in seven years. From top to bottom, every game seems to come down to the wire. Led by All-American Ally Carey, Vanderbilt posted an 8-8 season worksheet. Included in that record were victories over No. 7 Stanford, conference foe Johns Hopkins and regional rival Notre Dame. Five of Vanderbilt’s losses were by margins of three or fewer goals, including an 8-7 defeat at the hands of No. 6 Florida. The squad missed NCAA postseason play for the first time since 2006 after suffering a 14-13 loss against Ohio State in the ALC Tournament, hosted in Nashville for the first time.
Season highlights F The lacrosse team had 28 studentathletes recognized on the 2011 ALC Academic Honor Roll, a conference record.
F Ally Carey earned first-team AllAmerican and first-team All-ALC honors for the second consecutive year.
F Carey was nominated for the 2011 Tewaaraton Award after finishing in the top 10 nationally in ground balls, caused turnovers and draw controls.
F Courtney Kirk was named to the IWLCA’s All-West/Midwest Region second team and the All-American Lacrosse Conference second team after leading the Commodores in assists and points.
F Brandi Byner was named ALC Rookie of the Week and received IWLCA AllWest/Midwest Region second team honors after starting 15 of 16 games in her freshman season.
F Sophomore goalkeeper Chelsea LACrosse • LACrosse • LACrosse • LACrosse • LACrosse • LACrosse • LACrosse •
Pasfield was named ALC Defensive Player of the Week after her performance against Johns Hopkins.
Soccer • Soccer • Soccer • Soccer • Soccer • Soccer • Soccer • Soccer • Soccer
Season highlights F Molly Kinsella finished her career among the school’s all-time top 10 in goals, assists and points. She also was named third-team All-South Region and SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
F The team advanced to the SEC Tournament for the second time since 2006 and played top-seeded Florida close in a hard-contested quarterfinal loss.
F Catherine Wearn was Vanderbilt’s representative on the SEC Women’s Soccer Community Service Team.
F Goalkeeper Rachel Bachtel, the school’s all-time saves leader, started every game of the season and recorded seven shutouts, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors in October.
F Defender Claire Romaine started
Soccer The soccer team overcame an assortment of injuries and setbacks to post an SEC mark of 4-5-2 after breaking even at 4-4 in non-conference play. The Commodores were particularly effective against SEC West programs, beating Mississippi State, Alabama, LSU and Arkansas and battling to a draw against Auburn. Senior Molly Kinsella earned a rare honor after the season when she became the first Vanderbilt studentathlete in nine years to be voted a firstteam ESPN Academic All-American.
every game and was honored as a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team.
F The program was among the top 10 percent nationally in the Academic Progress Report.
Season highlights F Twelve swimmers were named to the annual SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.
F Erika Deardorf set two school records with her 1650-yard freestyle (an NCAA “B” cut time) and 1000yard freestyle times at the 2011 SEC Championships in Florida.
F Jess Eccher broke the school record in the 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard individual medley and 100yard backstroke at the 2011 SEC Championships.
F Senior Anna Fargo was named the school’s Student-Athlete of the Month in March 2011.
F The team notched the lone win of its dual meet schedule with a 160.5136.5 victory over Marshall in January.
F The Commodores took second place at the Western Kentucky Invitational in November.
Swimming • Swimming • Swimming • Swimming • Swimming • Swimming • Swimming • Swimming • Swimming
Swimming Coach Jeremy Organ methodically continues to build this new program with what is still one of the youngest teams in the NCAA. The Commodores were led in the pool by Erica Deardorf and Jess Eccher. During the season they defeated Marshall in a dual meet and claimed second place at the Western Kentucky Invitational. The team remains one of the best academically on this campus and among all NCAA swim teams, rating in the top 10 percent in the Academic Progress Report.
Tournament Team
Men’s Tennis Playing one of the most challenging schedules in collegiate tennis, Coach Ian Duvenhage’s Commodores finished their year with a 13-9 record and plenty of momentum heading into next year when the nation’s top-ranked freshman recruiting class arrives on campus. Vanderbilt again reached the NCAA Tournament but fell to Virginia Tech for the second consecutive year. Among the memorable moments during the season were wins against Washington, Indiana, Michigan and LSU.
Season highlights F Blake Bazarnik was named the ITA Ohio Valley Rookie Player of the Year after posting a 19-13 record.
F The team finished the season ranked No. 38 nationally.
F No. 1 singles player Ryan Lipman was named to the All-SEC first team and selected to the NCAA Individual Tournament for the second consecutive year.
F Adam Baker was selected to the AllSEC second team.
F Alex Zotov finished runner-up at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships.
F The program was honored for finishing among the nation’s top 10 percent in multiyear Academic Progress Rates.
F The 2011 signing class was ranked No. 1 in the country in January by tennisrecruiting.net.
F The program is among the top 10 percent nationally in the Academic Progress Report.
Men’s Tennis • Men’s Tennis • Men’s Tennis • Men’s Tennis • Men’s Tennis • Men’s Tennis • Men’s Tennis
Women’s Tennis The women’s tennis team is no stranger to the NCAA Sweet 16. They’ve been there a dozen times during the Geoff Macdonald era. But this year the Sweet 16 tasted sweeter, perhaps because it marked the first time in three years the Commodores made it past the second round. Or perhaps because Macdonald and his assistant coach Aleke Tsoubanos did one of their finest coaching jobs with a very young team. How young was it? The No. 1 singles player the last portion of the season was a freshman, Alex Leatu. There were just two seniors on the roster. Then again, some of the satisfaction may have stemmed from the team rebounding from a decisive loss to Tennessee during the regular season to beat the Lady Vols on their home courts to advance. The improvement is a Macdonald hallmark. It was a team without a superstar, although Keilly Ulery was often a showstopper with her patented come-from-behind, three-set victories. At any rate, the team’s strong finish not only put a black and gold bow on the 2011 season but also bodes well looking to the future.
Season highlights F The team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the 12th time under Geoff Macdonald and 16th time overall.
F No. 1 singles player Alex Leatu was named the Ohio Valley Player to Watch by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and selected to the AllSEC second team after clinching four matches for the Commodores.
F Fourth-year assistant coach Aleke Tsoubanos was named the Ohio Valley Region Assistant Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.
F Leatu and Rachael Dillon competed in the NCAA Doubles Championships.
F Chelsea Preeg was named to the All-SEC second team for the second straight year.
Women’s TENNis • Women’s TENNis • Women’s TENNis • Wome
en’s TENNis • Women’s TENNis • Women’s TENNis • Women’s TENNis • Women’s TENNis
Tournament Team
Track and Field For those paying close attention to Southeastern Conference women’s track and field it is apparent that Vanderbilt continues to make progress. The point production at the SEC Tournament was not what the team wanted to achieve, but seven Commodores, the majority freshmen, registered ninth place finishes during the indoor and outdoor championships, just short of scoring. With the distance runners continuing to improve and the field event competitors making a solid contribution, there is a very strong foundation from which to build. This will be the mission of Steven Keith as he takes over leadership of the overall Track and Field program with the resignation of D’Andre Hill in July 2011.
Season highlights F Liz Anderson was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team as the top freshman in the 5000 meters.
F Freshman Brionne Williams followed up her ninth-place finish at the SEC meet placing 18th in the high jump at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in May and was invited to compete at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships.
F Rita Jorgensen was fifth in the 800-meter run at the SEC Outdoors and third place in the one-mile race Indoors. She broke the school’s 13-year-old record time in the 800meter run with her 2:05.54 effort.
F Katherine Hendricks and Meagan Martin both cleared 12' 8" while placing ninth at the SEC meet. This mark was a new school record and qualified both vaulters for the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
F The team qualified a record seven individuals to the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
F Williams capped off her season by placing fourth in the Junior Women’s High Jump at the USA Outdoor Championships. She ranks second on the school’s career list with her 5' 8¾" high jump.
At h l e t i c s D e v e l o p m e n t & n at i o n a l c o m m o d o r e c l u b FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Financial Years 2007–2011 $3.0M $2.9M $2.8M
$2.92M
$2.9M $2.8M
$14.0M
$2.75M
$2.7M
$12.0M
$2.7M
$10.0M
$2.6M
$8.0M
$2.5M
$6.0M
$2.4M
$4.0M
$2.3M
2007
2008
$15.1M
$16.0M
2009
2010
2011
$2.0M
$9.0M
$8.1M $5.8M
2007
NCC Giving
$5.6M
2008
2009
2010
2011
Athletics Gifts
S h a p i n g t h e F u t u r e o f Va n d e r b i lt At h l e t i c s It was an eventful and productive year in athletics development. The staff of the National Commodore Club was appreciative of the many that helped the NCC reach 13-year highs in the categories of NCC giving, NCC membership and new members. The boost in membership came largely from the grass roots Commodores on Board drive with current members welcoming 1,042
new members during the year. Major gift fundraising for Phase 2 of the McGugin Renovation project was completed after receiving gifts totaling $4.2M. This project is another step in helping provide the facilities our coaches need to recruit and train the best and the brightest student-athletes from around the world. At the end of the fiscal year, two long-time and treasured development
3,282
3,300 3,200 3,009
3,000
1,042
800
669 590
600 500
2,635 2007
770
700
2,818
2,800
882
900
3,022
2,900
2,600
1,100 1,000
3,100
2,700
the next level. The staff will continue to focus on the increasing fiscal needs of our coaches and student-athletes as we build a financial foundation for the future. All decisions will be made with the goal of providing our student-athletes with the best possible experience while maintaining the integrity of Vanderbilt University.
officers retired from the university. Executive Director Christy Passmore and Lucy Jones will be remembered and missed for their decades of loyalty and outstanding service. Mark Carter, the director of development, was promoted to replace Passmore. In the coming months and years, Carter and his staff will provide information on what steps will be needed to take the athletic program to
2008
2009
2010
NCC Membership
2011
400
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
NCC new membership
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Revenue (FY11) Ticket income (14.29%) Gifts (6.16%) Endowment income (4.31%) University subsidy (29.67%) SEC revenue (38.45%)
D e pa r t m e n t o f S t u d e n t At h l e t i c s D i v e r s i t y S tat e m e n t
Game expenses and guarantees (5.70%)
The Department of Student Athletics will promote, embrace and value multiculturalism and diversity among its staff and student-athletes and provide a comfortable environment for the understanding of, respect for, and sensitivity to multiculturalism and diversity. A five-person standing committee was created in 2007 and it meets regularly to discuss diversity issues and develop ways to educate and inform the athletics staff on the
Recruiting, uniforms and team travel (10.41%)
Commodores Online
Sponsorship/signage royalties (2.66%) Other (4.46%)
Expenses (FY11) Salaries and fringes (37.70%) Scholarships (24.42%)
Debt service (3.79%) Plant (6.26%) Supplies and expenses (11.71%)
Vanderbilt’s official athletics website, vucommodores.com, saw an increase of 33 percent in unique visitors during FY11 from FY10 according to official traffic documentation compiled by CBS, who hosts our site. An average of 150,389 unique visitors come to the site every month, up from 113,001 a year ago. A unique visitor is defined as a unique IP address that enters or reenters a website each day. A visitor that returns within the same day is only counted once.
wide variety of diversity topics that exist on campus and in our society. In 2010 the standing committee was supplemented by 15 other athletics staff volunteers who represent every corner of the department including head coaches, game operations personnel, athletic trainers and other administrators. The Student Athletics Department is proud of its leadership role in this important area.
While overall traffic on the site was up during the year, the baseball team’s appearance in the College World Series drew a monthly high of nearly a quarter million unique visitors and approximately 1.4 million page views. More and more people are coming to vucommodores.com first for coverage and commentary on Vanderbilt’s 16-sport program.
Class of 2011 FFFFF
HALL OF FAME
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Lamar Alexander
Carl Hinkle
Track and Field
Football
[1960 –1961]
[1935 –1937]
Long before he launched a decorated political career during which he has represented the state of Tennessee with distinction on the national and international stage, United States Senator Lamar Alexander was a Vanderbilt studentathlete. Alexander was a member of the track team, running the one-mile relay, 440-yard dash and 440-yard relay that would set a school record. He carried his affinity for physical exercise into his political life when he walked 1,000 miles across the state of Tennessee wearing a red and black plaid shirt during his successful campaign for governor in 1978. He would become a university president, the United States secretary of education and the senior senator from the great
Playing on both sides of the line from 1935 to 1937, Carl Hinkle led the Commodores with his toughness, endurance and penchant for the big play. Hinkle helped extend the culture of success left by legendary head coach Dan McGugin. As team captain in 1937, Hinkle played every minute of seven of his team’s nine games in his senior season, leading the Commodores in tackles and finishing among the team leaders in interceptions. He was the SEC’s Most Valuable Player and an All-American and finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting in 1937. Hinkle is one of five Commodore players enshrined in the National College Football Hall of Fame. He became a decorated pilot in World War II and retired from the Air Force
state of Tennessee.
Tyler Griffin Soccer
[2004 –2006] Goalkeeper Tyler Griffin led the Commodores to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths while rewriting the Vanderbilt record book in the process. During her most dominant run in 2005, she allowed just one goal while her team went on an 11-game winning streak. At one point she didn’t allow an opponent’s goal for 559 minutes, a Vanderbilt record that will be difficult to break. She was the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, Vanderbilt’s Female Athlete of the Year, a three-time All-SEC and two-time SEC All-Academic honors recipient. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics.
as a colonel.
John Ingram Lifetime Achievement John Ingram has followed in the generous tradition of the entire Ingram family by donating his time and resources as chairman of the Shape the Future campaign for Vanderbilt Athletics, affirming his role in the direction of the entire athletics department. A former graduate student at Vanderbilt, Ingram has helped drive numerous athletic projects. He played a vital role in the facility upgrades to Vanderbilt Stadium, McGugin Center, Memorial Gymnasium and Hawkins Field that have helped Vanderbilt become more competitive in the athletics-rich Southeastern Conference. His athletics fundraising interests go beyond facilities. In 2006, Ingram played a key role in an effort to raise $25 million for athletics endowment, a goal that has been achieved. He is also a tireless advocate for Commodore student-athletes and coaches. John Ingram’s door is always open to former student-athletes seeking his advice and counsel in the business world.
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HALL OF FAME
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Peter Lamb
Scotti Madison
Will Perdue
Tennis [1977–1980]
Baseball [1977–1980]
Basketball [1984 –1988]
Scotti Madison arrived on campus to play both football and baseball, but it was his dominance on the diamond that ultimately propelled him to be regarded among Vanderbilt’s all-time greats. The first baseball player in school history to be selected as a first-team All-American, Madison graduated with numerous school records including career and singleseason home runs, single-season batting average and single-season walks. He is also the only Vanderbilt player ever to be named to the All-SEC first team for two different positions, honored as an outfielder in 1978 and as a catcher in 1979 and 1980, when the Commodores captured the SEC Championship. Madison
Will Perdue’s tremendous senior season in 1988 helped lift the Vanderbilt basketball team to several milestones, including the program’s first 20-win season ever, first NCAA Tournament berth in 14 years and first Sweet 16 appearance in 15 years. He blossomed into a dominant player in his final two collegiate seasons, averaging 17.4 and then 18.3 points per game and drawing honors and recognition on the regional and national stage. In 1988 he became the school’s first Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year as well as the league’s Player of the Year and AP All-American. The 7-foot center became a first-round draft choice and won four NBA championships playing with the likes of Michael Jordan and David Robinson for 13 years.
Peter Lamb’s exceptional ability made him the first tennis player to be offered a full athletic scholarship at Vanderbilt and landed him considerable public attention during his collegiate career. A native of South Africa, Lamb became the first nonwhite player to represent South Africa in international Davis Cup play. As a member of the team, he competed against the United States in the 1978 North and Central America Zone Final, a match held in Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gymnasium. Lamb’s selection was controversial and protesters called for the United States to refuse to play the South Africans in response to the country’s segregation system of apartheid. His play would help him rise above the controversy and become a three-time All-SEC performer, two-time SEC singles champion and a six-year professional.
David Latimer Cross Country [1994 –1998] Cross-country runner David Latimer concluded an eventful undergraduate career at Vanderbilt with a flourish when he became the school’s first recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship in 14 years. Latimer, a double major in physics and mathematics, lettered in cross country in his junior and senior seasons and represented the team in the season-ending SEC Championships and District IX Championships. He was named Vanderbilt’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1998. Those athletic accomplishments supplemented his already impressive academic resume—his undergraduate work in theoretical cardiac electrophysiology was published in multiple conference journals—helping him earn the chance to study at Oxford following his Phi Beta Kappa graduation from Vanderbilt. Latimer continued his academic work following his return to the United States and is currently a physics professor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.
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played professional baseball for 10 years.
Sheri Sam • Basketball [1992 –1996] Sheri Sam’s Vanderbilt career began and ended with postseason success—she was a freshman when the Commodores reached the Final Four in 1993 and a senior on the 1996 team that made the Elite Eight. In between those runs, Sam grew from a spot contributor off the bench into a finalist for the Naismith Trophy. She led the team in points, rebounds and steals in her final two seasons, earning All-SEC acclaim twice. After averaging 20.4 points per game in 1996, Sam became the third player in school history to be named a Kodak All-American. She was a member of USA Basketball’s 1996 Jones Cup team, which won a gold medal, and went on to enjoy a long professional career that included a WNBA championship in 2004.
Commodores in the pros F Starting quarterback Jay Cutler was one of four former Commodores who played key roles in the Chicago Bears’ run to the NFC Championship Game. Vanderbilt’s NFL presence continues to grow as more young players join teams through the draft and free agency while veterans such as Jonathan Goff and Jovan Haye emerge as consistent contributors on their respective teams.
Football Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler, Earl Bennett, D.J. Moore, Chris Williams Arizona Cardinals: Curtis Gatewood New York Giants: Jonathan Goff Tennessee Titans: Jovan Haye, Jamie Winborn (UFA) Kansas City Chiefs: Reshard Langford Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Myron Lewis Minnesota Vikings: Thomas Welch
Leaders and champions • Leaders and champions • Leaders and champions
Baseball F Two-time All-Star pitcher David Price won the Warren Spahn Award presented to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball following the 2010 season.
F Pitcher Mike Minor remains one of the Atlanta Braves’ most highly touted prospects.
F Despite an injury that sidelined him early in the 2011 season, third baseman Pedro Alvarez has played an important role on a young Pittsburgh Pirates team that enjoyed its best first-half in years.
F Vanderbilt has 20 former players currently part of minor league systems.
F Golfer Brandt Snedeker earned his second PGA Tour victory since turning pro in 2004 after capturing The Heritage in late April. Snedeker has five top 10 finishes in 2011. Luke List has worked his way up the money list on the Nationwide Tour since turning pro in 2007.
F In his ninth year as a professional on the ATP World Tour, Bobby Reynolds is currently ranked among the top 150 tennis players in the world. Reynolds won the Leon Challenger in April.
F Former All-American tennis player Julie Ditty competes primarily on the International Tennis Federation Women’s Tour and in 2011 has captured two doubles titles on the ITF circuit.
F Ten former men’s basketball studentathletes are playing professionally in European leagues.
Football facilities have undergone several recent enhancements. The splendid team locker room was completed during the spring.
Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. “Vanderbilt� and the Vanderbilt logo are registered trademarks and service marks of Vanderbilt University. Produced by Vanderbilt University Creative Services and Vanderbilt Printing Services, 2011.