Official Publication of Wayne State University Athletic Department Fall 2017
MEDAL OF
HONOR
The nation’s most recent Medal of Honor recipient, James C. McCloughan, sings God Bless America at Wayne State’s Veterans Game celebration.
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Rob Fournier, esq EDITOR Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate A.D./Media Relations GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amanda St. Juliana, Creative Services Coordinator WRITERS Cameron Weidenthaler, Assistant Sports Information Director PHOTOGRAPHERS Mark Hicks, WestSide Photographic Chuck Andersen Michael Dubicki Jason Clark
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PRINTING Whitlock Business Systems Madison Heights, Mich. SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION TO: Office of Development Wayne State University Athletics 5101 John C. Lodge, 101 Matthaei Detroit, MI 48202 athletics@wayne.edu The Warrior Within is compiled and edited by the WSU Sports Information Office.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS From the Athletic Director FOLLOW US
WSUATHLETICS.COM
Wayne State University Basketball Feature Story: Well Prepared
1-2 3 4-5
Fall Sports Recap
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Construction Update, "W" Week Information
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Feature Story: An International Connection, Alumni Weekends
8-9
Feature Story: Michelle's Memorable Trip
10-11
Feature Story: Classroom Warriors, Corporate Sponsor List
12-13
Donor List
14-15
Celebration of the Department of Athletics , Compliance Corner
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When Wayne State Wore A Special Uniform By Rob Fournier, esq, Director of Athletics It was one of those early summer days. A morning mist rose over the sloping hill. And it was peacefully quiet. The kind of quiet you only find in a cemetery. It was Memorial Day weekend. Three days when most Americans are thinking of picnics, summer vacations or the end of a school year. But a cemetery on Memorial Day holds other memories. It should for all of us. But for most, it doesn’t. Nestled in the slopes were reasons we can enjoy the languid afternoons, the camping trips, the Disney World. Sadly, those grave markers often hold memories of young people who too longed for those same wistful days. It was the America they knew. It became their sacrifice. As I walked the cemetery grounds that morning, I was absorbed by the stillness and the rows and rows of American flags that crisscrossed the landscape. A Boy Scout troop led by their adult chaperons dutifully placed flags according to their illustrated maps. They marked sites that had long ago been abandoned by visitors. Their works seemed neither anguished or diminished but measured and culpable. Their reverence belied the sacrifice of those they honored. Someone had taken the time to explain to the young people that what they enjoyed was a direct result of those they recognized. It was more than a flag in the ground. It would be good for all of us to remember that cost. That ultimate sacrifice can be understood by the fact that those same young people that morning have the chance to be anything they aspire to be based on their talents and hard work. It is also on display when you walk into a voting booth without the outcome already decided. Or it’s the simple realization that when you wake up in the morning, you can open the door, and walk out. That’s what freedom means. That is what those flags represent. It was in that same morning light that the idea of the Medal of Honor jersey first came to me. It seemed the perfect complement to our 100year anniversary of WSU athletics. A tribute to those who allow us to play kid's games. As I mentioned in my remarks to the football team when we unveiled the uniform, “we wear their names on our backs, because they have always had our backs.” And it was not just the football team. Every studentathlete would wear some uniform that acknowledged all that the Medal of Honor represents. The duty and sacrifice symbolized by that designation.
LETTER FROM THE AD
Anthony Pittman unveiling the Medal of Honor jersey to the football team.
Men's Basketball in their Medal of Honor warm-up uniforms.
Baseball pictured with their Medal of Honor jerseys.
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Men's golf in their Medal of Honor warm-up pullovers.
What I was not expecting was the reaction. From ESPN’s “like” to over 4 million followers, to the feature on College Football Game Day, to the NCAA acknowledgement of one the nation’s top uniforms. But more significantly was notes and emails from all over the country – from former recipients, from thankful family members, to soldiers in combat who reflected on the life of a person they knew…and sometimes lost. Likewise, the WSU student-athletes, many of who took the time to read the biographical sketches of the recipient whose name they proudly wore. Neither race nor gender made any difference. Just the sacrifice. It is what still makes America’s quest so necessary, so important, even today.
We are a country that remains unfinished…but we should not be a country that is ungrateful. Unfortunately, we have some who think more like the latter. That somehow America owes them something. I suggest they visit more cemeteries…those with flags.
I have met many of those unknown heroes of past generations. Those meetings have always reinforced to me their love of family, of country, of community. They saw the best in America. They saw its hope, they saw its opportunity, they saw its promise. But those same promises demanded a resolve, a purpose and a commitment. Those cemetery flags represented that…so did the Medal of Honor insignias…and I think, for many WSU student-athletes, they too understood that meaning. We are a country that remains unfinished…but we should not be a country that is ungrateful. Unfortunately, we have some who think more like the latter. That somehow America owes them something. I suggest they visit more cemeteries…those with flags. I have heard from so many Americans around the country through emails and notes, how significant the simple act of wearing a uniform with a Medal of Honor insignia and name has meant to them. These were heartfelt notes. Of the many, one had particular significance. The writer who knew war, who knew the cost of freedom, who had witnessed its sacrifice, mentioned that in US military cemeteries all over the world that distinguish the fallen Americans who never made it home, that each grave marker faces America. How poignant. In sixteen foreign countries, in places like Luxembourg, Manila, Tunisia, Normandy and Lorraine, that fallen hero glimpses back to America. Their cemetery sites are arranged without regard to race, color or creed. That is America. It is something worth remembering every day. 2
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TOP: Congressional Medal of Honor recipient James C. McCloughan was honored at the pre-game festivities during the annual Salute to the Armed Forces, First Responders and all those that help protect our freedom game in November. Pictured with him is his wife, Cherie, and the Director of Athletics Rob Fournier. LEFT: Close up of a women's volleyball Medal of Honor warm-up jersey.
LETTER FROM THE AD
WARRIOR BASKETBALL CHEER 2017-18 GAMEDAY TICKETS LOC L TICKETS ON SALE NOW! | 313-577-4430 | WSUATHLETICS.COM/TICKETS
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For more information or questions regarding tickets, please visit wsuathletics.com, send an e-mail to athletics@wayne.edu, or call (313) 577-4430.
"She was a go-getter and an excellent student and she represented Wayne State very well." GARY BRYCE, SOFTBALL HEAD COACH
WELL-PREPARED By STEVE KING The following feature first appeared in the football game program on Nov. 4, 2017. Jessica Stanich learned how to maintain a healthy work-life balance more than a decade ago during her undergraduate studies at Wayne State. A two-sport student-athlete – she played softball for two years and hockey for four – Stanich studied biology when she wasn't practicing, volunteering or spending time with family and friends. Little did she know that her jam-packed Wayne State studentathlete experience was perfectly preparing her for life today, where she is in the early days of working as an emergency medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after finishing her residency this past summer. "The training for athletics is equivalent to what I've been doing for residency," Stanich said. "To me, the residency is a little more important because it's learning about how to care for people, but what I learned training for sports in college, putting your head down to get through something tough – whether long shifts, long days or a mentally challenging case – it's where all the reflections, reassessments and trying to pick yourself up and be positive, sports taught me all of that." It's been a long and winding road for Stanich – who during her Wayne State days was Jessica Snelgrove (she is now married to another former WSU hockey player, Keith Stanich) – to get where she is today. Though she graduated with a degree in biology, she says she had no intention of being a doctor when she left the university.
Jessica Stanich, Women's Hockey & Softball
"After undergrad, I was able to reset and reassess what I wanted to do," she said. "As an athlete, your focus is on what you're doing in school or training for the next season. I didn't spend as much time reflecting on the academic end, so once (the final season of) hockey ended, that forced me to say, 'What do you really want to do?" Dentistry and teaching were among two ideas she considered as her next venture. She even took the Law School Admission Test and considered going to law school. Eventually, she connected with some Wayne State professors and doctors at St. John Providence and realized there was one career that could combine her love of education, science and lifelong learning: medicine. There was just one problem. Stanich was worried that in pursuit of a medical degree, she would
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FEATURE STORY: WELL-PREPARED
have to direct too much attention away from starting a family – an area of her life she was not willing to compromise. Thankfully, Stanich's mom, who worked at a bank, mentioned to a client – Dr. Minuchehr Kashef – that Jessica was considering going back to school to become a physician's assistant. Jessica was then able to shadow Dr. Kashef and Dr. Brian Mason and confirm that a career in medicine was something she really wanted to pursue – while being able to start a family and balance her personal and professional lives. As Stanich describes it, she "did fairly well in school, but not as well as I needed to in order to pass the rigorous curriculum of medical school," so there was a little extra work to be done. She got a research job working with Dr. Alan Hudson at Wayne State and then applied for a master's degree in medical science and took the Medical College Admission Test. She went to medical school at Wayne State, taking about a year off after her second year following the birth of her daughter.
(fall) and softball (spring) took place during different seasons, she was able to participate in both. But a grueling, September-to-May schedule – that also meant having to miss some off-season activities while she was playing the sport – caused Stanich to reconsider her two-sport status. She also had aspirations of graduating within four years and scheduling classes was getting considerably more difficult, with most afternoons, evenings and weekends off-limits due to practices and games. Stanich also wanted to fully embrace a leadership role on the hockey team; she was named co-captain prior to her junior year, the season in which she only played one sport. Though it was hard to say goodbye to softball, she says in hindsight, sticking to one sport and honing her leadership skills (she was named captain her senior season) turned out to be a great move for her future. One who was sad to see her leave the softball diamond was Wayne State coach Gary Bryce, who recalled Stanich as having good speed, a solid bat and a nice arm.
She graduated in 2014 and then matched with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for her residency training. The three-year training took a little longer, actually, as her son was born during that time frame, pushing the end of the residency back a few months. If it sounds like she's led a rather hectic schedule ever since her undergrad days, you're right. And that's why, at the recommendation of a chairperson at the Mayo Clinic, she took a couple of months off before starting her job as an emergency medicine physician. Now, she's ready to get to work at the Mayo Clinic, where she will teach residents and see patients. TWO-SPORT STAR Stanich's athletic career at Wayne State started with a bang in the fall of 2002. As a forward, she played in all 30 games and was tied for second on the team with five goals. Then, in the spring of 2013, she started 43 games in center field for the Warrior softball team and helped Wayne State reach the College World Series for the first time in school history. She hit second in the lineup for most of the season and recorded two outfield assists in the NCAA Regional. "The World Series was awesome," Stanich said, when asked of her favorite WSU athletic memory. "I can remember our regional championship tournament like it was yesterday and (Director of Athletics) Rob (Fournier) giving us a talk when we got rain delayed and when we won the (regional) championship and Rob doing a fist pump in the stands. "That's distinct," she said, laughing. "I remember that." She played both softball and hockey for two seasons before deciding to dedicate all of her athletic attention to the hockey team. Because hockey FEATURE STORY: WELL-PREPARED
"She was a go-getter and an excellent student and she represented Wayne State very well," Bryce said. "We lost a good softball player, but I also understand when tough choices have to be made." FAMILY TIES Playing two sports and pursuing a college degree helped prepare her for the frenzied journey of medicine. But there was something else that happened at Wayne State that also had a profound influence on her life today. While a freshman on the hockey team, she met Keith Stanich, then a senior on the men's hockey team, while the two participated in an athletic volunteering event. They then began seeing each other in passing at the hockey rink, and after Keith Stanich had exhausted his athletic eligibility, he continued to hang around the program while he finished up his coursework. "There were multiple arena passings that led to us meeting outside the rink," Jessica Stanich said. The two then began dating and married a few years after Jessica Stanich graduated. They now live in Minnesota with their two children – the oldest, now five, who just started playing hockey last weekend. Stanich says she is thankful for all Wayne State, including the athletic department, has done for her both personally and professionally. "Wayne State started all of it," Stanich said. 2017 FALL WARRIOR WITHIN
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FALL SPORTS RECAP
WOMEN'S TENNIS RECAP 2017 SEASON
CROSS COUNTRY RECAP 2017 SEASON
With four freshmen and another redshirt freshman on its roster, there was a lot of uncertainty entering the 2017 fall tennis season. The Warriors quickly eliminated any doubt.
The 2017 cross country season featured two young rosters and a new coach in Grant Lofdahl but it didn’t stop the Warriors from making progress throughout the campaign.
Mitrache went 9-3 overall in singles (8-3 at the first flight) and 9-4 at No. 2 doubles with redshirt freshman Khadija Da-Silva. Ghellere and Kuznetsova paired at the first doubles flight, finishing 8-5. Individually, Ghellere was 10-3 (8-2 at No. 4), while Kuznetsova was 14-2 (9-1 in the second flight).
The Warriors won the Lansing C.C. Invite and claimed second at the Titan Invite. The season culminated with a sixth-place finish at the GLIAC Championships and a 13th place result at the NCAA Midwest Regionals.
The women’s roster was comprised of six freshmen and Wayne State’s 10-3 season culminated with a just one senior, but the team still held its own with top second place finish at the GLIAC Tournament, a First Team competition. Junior Jackie Feist placed second overall in All-GLIAC selection for redshirt senior Andreea Mitrache, three meets (Detroit Titan Invitational, Louisville Classic and Lansing C.C. Invitational) and earned Second Team and Second Team All-GLIAC selections for senior Liz All-GLIAC and All-Midwest Regional Honors. Ghellere and junior Dasha Kuznetsova.
MEN’S GOLF RECAP 2017 SEASON 6
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The men’s side had three freshmen on its eight-runner roster, but continued to make strides at each meet. Redshirt senior Kevin Salter was 23rd overall at the Detroit Titan Invite and followed that with a 20th-place finish at the Lansing C.C. meet. At the GLIAC Championships, Salter was 45th.
The men’s golf team had its best fall in program history. The Warriors won four of the six varsity tournaments, including the GLIAC North Invitational, Kyle Ryman Memorial, Bucknell Invitational and the Motor City Invitational. The reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year, Brendan Seys picked up right where he left off and won three events and collected another third-place result. For the fall, Seys posted a stroke average round of 71.9 with seven of his 13 rounds being under-par and five of those were in the 60s.
FALL SPORTS RECAP
CONSTRUCTION
UPDATE
WSU Athletic Performance Center Work began on the Athletic Performance Center on September 19. The 11,500 square foot facility will be located between the Matthaei Building and the softball complex. It will provide our student-athletes with the latest equipment and conditioning equipment to prepare our teams for intercollegiate athletic competition. Work is expected to be completed by March 22, 2018.
WEEK OF EVENTS APRIL 14: Brunch will be served at 10 a.m. followed by a keynote speaker. In addition, the athletic department will recognize the women across the decades who have made a difference. APRIL 16: Women Leaders in College Sports Networking Event APRIL 17: Visit the Mort Harris Recreation & Fitness Center beginning at 10 a.m. for its annual Health Fair. Vendors from a variety of businesses and organizations will be on hand to provide information and education APRIL 18: Women Sports Foundation Title IX Lunch, Learn Presentation and After Work 5K Fun Run APRIL 19: Academic Recognition Luncheon
W Week Celebration WSUATHLETICS.COM/WWEEK
W WEEK | ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE CENTER UPDATE
APRIL 20: The Wayne State Athletic Department is collecting basic needs items including, but not limited to soap, socks, toothbrushes, toilet paper, feminine products and deodorant for its annual Basic Needs Drive. In conjunction with Wayne Cares and Covenant House Michigan, the drive collects small toiletry items to make basic needs bags to distribute later that day. If you would like to donate, please bring your items to the Matthaei Athletic Complex prior to April 20.
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Andrey Seryy, Wayne State Swimmer, 2009-2012
Manuela Ferreira, Wayne State Swimmer, 2012-2017
AN INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION
By KARL HENKEL
The transition from high school to college can be difficult for even the most prepared students. It can be even more challenging if a student is coming from a different country. And even more arduous if that student doesn't speak, write or read English as their primary language. Add in a full slate of practices, games and team events for those who are student-athletes and this scenario can feel a bit overwhelming. This is what Andrey Seryy, who swam for Wayne State from 2009-2012, experienced when he first arrived at the university from his native Russia. In fact, when Seryy began his first semester at Wayne State, it was also the first time he had ever even been to the campus. He could read but not speak English very well, and he said that he spent most of his first semester using online translators and getting his feet wet – figuratively – in the college experience. Thankfully for Seryy, and for the significant number of international students who are recruited by Wayne State teams each year, the athletic department offers many resources to help give these student-athletes the best chance to succeed. Just this year alone, there are student-athletes from Poland, Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia, Brazil, Ukraine, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and United Kingdom – mirroring the trend of the 8
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greater university's international student population, CONNECTING WITH THEIR PEERS comprised of people from more than 60 countries While many former student-athletes say around the world. these resources helped them during their early collegiate days, there's another resource Manuela Ferreira, who swam at Wayne State they said was equally as helpful – their fellow from 2012-2017, followed a similar path as Seryy, international student-athletes. stepping foot for the first time on the WSU campus when she arrived just ahead of her first semester. Ferreira said she benefitted from being surrounded by other international teammates "I walked in completely blind," she said. and other students on campus. (She had four Ferreira, from Colombia, said the program's international teammates during her freshman academic resources helped ease some of the season at Wayne State.) anxiety, especially around how a student-athlete must balance their academic, athletic and "When I arrived, there were other international volunteering schedules. students that were there to help me," she said. "And as a student-athlete, you get exposed to "Being an athlete, you're very recognized," she the city and the university, especially through said. "You're able to be the first one to register, volunteering. You get to meet people from which is helpful, especially for some of the more some of the other sports, and that's another competitive courses. And there are advisors there benefit." to help you choose which courses you should take." The congregate of international student-athletes Among the resources the athletic department offers also helps get newcomers accustomed to a new to incoming student-athletes is the Summer Bridge culture, which for some can be the most difficult Program, where student-athletes take degree part of their adjustment in coming to the U.S. applicable courses and get acclimated to campus life. There is also SOAR, or the Student-Athlete This was the case for Christer Tour of Sweden, Orientation and Registration Program, which is a who swam at Wayne State from 2006-2008 one-day program designed to introduce studentand who was a 2014 Wayne State Hall of Fame athletes and their parents, guardians and other inductee. guests to the university and athletic department. There is also a Survival Skills Course that teaches new "The most difficult part attending school in the U.S. student-athletes techniques in time-management, was the cultural difference, learning a new language, note-taking and critical-thinking skills. and adjusting to living in a new country," Tour said. FEATURE STORY: AN INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION
Inside the classroom, the international Warriors were among one of the most diverse student populations in the country – and also an understanding group of educators who understand the challenges that come with getting an education in a new country. Seryy said professors at the university were also helpful and eased any concerns about potentially getting behind with classwork during his transition period. They were very supportive of his academic and athletic goals, he said, and when he needed extra help or time to complete an assignment, his professors worked with him to make sure he had a fair opportunity. LIFE AFTER SPORTS Some college sports, like football and baseball, there are opportunities for student-athletes to improve their skills and possibly extend their athletic careers at the professional level. But for some other sports, like swimming or cross country, post-graduation athletic options are slim, and by the end of their Wayne State athletic and academic careers, the goal for the athletic department is to ensure it has provided a foundation for studentathletes so they can succeed off the playing field. Seryy, for example, now works in investment management at a firm in Stamford, Connecticut, after earning a degree in finance at Wayne State. Tour also works in the financial industry back in his native Stockholm, Sweden. Ferreira, meanwhile, still hasn't left Detroit – and not because she hasn't finished her degree. After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, she has now started her PhD at Wayne State. As for advice he would pass along to the next generation of international students, Seryy said it is important to figure out what you are good at and what you want to do so you can put together a plan. "No matter your background, you can do anything if you put enough effort into it," he said. "Do not pass up challenges. If you are persistent enough and push enough, you can achieve anything."
RAeLuUnMiNtIe WEEKENDS
Baseball Alumni Weekend Game 2017
ALUMNI WEEKENDS RECAP ni BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME- The Baseball Alum Game was held on Saturday, September 16 at Harwell Field. Following the game the alumni were invited to stay for the WSU Football vs. Saginaw Valley State game and participate in the Centennial of Celebration of Champions including the parade former student athletes at halftime. BASEBALL GOLF OUTING- The Baseball Golf Outing was held on Saturday, October 7 at the Lakes of Taylor Golf Course in Taylor, MI. There were over 100 alumni, family and friends of WSU Baseball who participated. WOMEN’S GOLF FUNDRAISER OUTING- The Women’s Golf team hosted its annual golf outing on Monday, October 9 at the Detroit Golf Club. The s. outing had a great turnout with over 100 supporter
Softball Alumni Game 2017
SOFTBALL ALUMNI GAME- The Softball Alumni Game was held on Saturday, September 30 at s the Gary L. Bryce Field. Alums, family and friend take ni packed the stands to watch the softball alum on the current WSU Softball team. Following the game, there was a potluck picnic. SOFTBALL MIXER ON THE MOUND- The Mixer at on the Mound was held on Saturday, October 21 Tony V’s Tavern.
Women's Basketball Alumni Game 2017
Stay tuned to find out when your program’s alumni event is being held during the 2017-2018 seasons!
FEATURE STORY: AN INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION | ALUMNI WEEKENDS RECAP
SWIM AND DIVE ALUMNI MEET- The Swimming and Diving team hosted its annual alumni meet . on Friday, October 20 in the Matthaei Natatorium nt Alumni competed in a meet against the curre team. Around 25 alums participated and were cheered on by fellow alumni, family and friends. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALUMNI GAME- The ni Women’s Basketball team hosted its annual alum game on Saturday, October 28 in the Matthaei d Center. Following the game, alumni were invite st to the tailgate before the football game again Ashland.
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Michelle's Memorable Trip By STEVE KING The following feature first appeared in the football game program on Sep. 9, 2017. Wordsmiths are always trying to find new ways to better describe things. Once in a while, their attempts go barreling into the net and come bouncing back at them just as hard. Darn. No point awarded on those. But much more often than not, the balls go over the net and land on the very spot on the court to which they were aimed. Boo-ya! Point, game, match. One such example of a shot hitting the mark squarely, like a bullseye – a really good example, actually -- is the term "story." It's not necessarily your "life" so much anymore as it is your story. It's a book – not just any book, but the official one – about you, a subject in which you're an expert. Knowingly or unknowingly, you've been writing it each and every day since you were born. But while every chapter – every page, every paragraph, every sentence and every word – is about you, there needs to be a foreword that serves as the pre-cursor of your story so as to explain how you got to be you, the roots of your story. It is your story before you were ever written into it. 10
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There has been a movement afoot these last several years for all of us to tap into our ancestry to find out everything we can about our forewords. For some, it's an easy search. Mom is from one nearby town, Dad is from another town just past that and the grandparents on both sides are from several little burgs in between the two. Being so close by, you can go there anytime you want to see and investigate your beginnings. And in doing so, what you learn becomes a very real and tangible part of you. For others, though, the search for information to place into that foreword is exceedingly more difficult – so much so, in fact, that for some people, completing it might be out of the question. That was the case with Wayne State University senior women's volleyball star Michelle Asiedu. Her own story – the chapter part of the book, minus the foreword -- is easy to trace. It was all written within this region. Born in Detroit to Solomon and Tina Asiedu, she and her family moved when she was four years old to Perrysburg, Ohio, a Toledo suburb that has produced two notable Detroit area sports personalities in Jim Harbaugh and Jim Leyland. When she was 7, the family migrated 13 miles away to Holland, a pindot-on-the-map town of just under 1,700 people. "Growing up in Holland was great, except for the fact that you didn't have any privacy because
everybody in a small town knows everybody else," Asiedu said with a laugh. And when you're an outstanding athlete, as Asiedu was in three sports, volleyball, track and basketball, at Springfield High School, that anonymity, however small it was before, shrinks even more. Asiedu's parents aren't originally from the next town, the next county, the next state or even the next continent. Neither are their parents and other relatives extending back through the generations. Ghana, a country located in northwest Africa that is approximately the same size as Michigan but with about three times more population. Located near the equator, the climate in Ghana is a tad different than that in Detroit. Ghana's all-time coldest reading is 59 degrees, while Detroit's is minus-17. Ghana didn't become its own country until 1957. America's story began in 1776. Asiedu's parents came to the United States from Ghana – her father dong so way back in 1974, when he was just 19 years old, and her mother in 1990 at the age of 25 – and their parents and other relatives still live there. When Asiedu got old enough to realize that there were never going to be any get-togethers with her relatives, she began to wonder what Ghana was like. Sure, she could Google it and study text, FEATURE STORY: MICHELLE'S MEMORABLE TRIP
photos and videos to answer a lot of her questions, but that wasn't going to tell the whole tale. "I wanted to know what Ghana was really like," she said. "You always want to know where your parents are from, and what it was like for them growing up. That's a part of you, really. I heard my mom and dad talk about Ghana a lot. They told me many things. But I always wanted to see it for myself." But how? She finally got that opportunity this past summer, leaving for Ghana July 7 and returning July 19. She spent nine days there as part of Wayne State's Medical Brigades. The Medical Brigades are a chapter of Global Brigades, which is the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. They provide relief where there is limited access to healthcare.
As good as she thought the trip was going to be, it turned out to be even better – more fulfilling, more enlightening, more educational and more personal – than she could have ever imagined.
"My dad and mom come from two entirely different backgrounds over there," Asiedu said. "My dad would tell you that his family was poor, but they weren't. They had more than that. They were average. They had good-paying jobs.
"I had a great time on that trip," Asiedu said. "It was an incredible experience." But she almost didn't go.
It was crazy in that when they got to Ghana and traveled by highway to their assignment, "People were coming up to us everywhere trying to sell us things," Asiedu said.
"I was on a bus going somewhere for volleyball last year and I got an email letting me know that the school was looking for people to go on a mission trip to Ghana in 2017," she said. "I was like, 'Oh, that's cool, but I can't afford a mission trip,' and I kind of more or less put it out of my mind.
It was fulfilling in that, according to a blog for the school she kept while on the trip, she was part of a team that was, according to that blog, "able to diagnose a set of twins with malaria. They were so happy and energetic despite their symptoms. It was inspiring to see."
The trip was such a positive experience, in fact, that Asiedu said she will go back to Ghana with her family to visit. Now, though, she is finishing up her volleyball career by playing one final year with the Warriors. It could be a season to remember, according to Asiedu.
"But then I heard about it again and I learned that I could do fund raisers – six to eight months of them – to help pay for the trip. That's when I decided to go."
It was enlightening in that, as part of her job, she taught sex education, and, according to her blog, "I learned that if you're 21 (like I am) and you don't have three kids already, you are considered cursed. There was this 26-year-old woman who is married and pregnant with her first kid, and she thinks there is something wrong with her."
The 5-foot-10 middle blocker, was an All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference honorable mention selection last season after finishing second in the league, and 32nd nationally, with a .353 hitting average.
With the financial part of it handled, Asiedu couldn't pass on this opportunity. All these years she had wondered about Ghana and what it would be like to go there. A psychology major with plans to someday become an occupational therapist in pediatrics, she was getting to visit her parents' homeland and do medical work, particularly with children, in a nice warm place. What could be more perfect than that, especially since she wants to relocate to another nice, warm place, the West Coast, at some point? That, at 21 years old, she was going to be visiting Ghana at about the same age her parents were when they left the country, was even more special. Asiedu knew she would be looking at things from the same young-adult perspective that they had back then. FEATURE STORY: MICHELLE'S MEMORABLE TRIP
She got to do real hands-on work. In her sixth-day blog, the final one she posted as she closed out the working portion of her trip, Asiedu wrote, "I was able to consult and diagnose patients today by myself. You are probably wondering why they trust me to do so, but the doctor here believes the best way to learn on these trips is to do it alone. I would make the diagnosis, leave the room and confirm with him, and we go back and go over everything. After that, we would write prescriptions." And, most importantly, it was personal in that she got to spend the final three days of her time in Ghana with her mother's family.
"On the other hand, my mom's family is very wealthy. When I was with them, I got driven around everywhere."
"I've been doing competitive volleyball since the seventh grade," said Asiedu, who decided during her junior year at Springfield to concentrate on that sport, a move that paid off handsomely with her being named a third-team All-Ohioan as a senior and getting a chance to play at Wayne State. "I would travel all over and play, and now it's coming to an end." It was easy to detect the emotion in her voice when she said that. Yes, in that it is the final part of that chapter of her story, this season is definitely going to be personal for her. Just like that trip to Ghana, which afforded Michelle Asiedu all the information she'll ever need for the all-important foreword to the book about her story. 2017 FALL WARRIOR WITHIN
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A+
3.21+
27
70.23%
PERFECT 4.0 WINTER SEMESTER
83% GRADUATION RATE
CUMULATIVE GPA FOR THE WINTER TERM
STUDENT-ATHLETES CUMULATIVE GPA 3.0+
By KARL HENKEL with the average GPA for the athletic department at of Athletics Rob Fournier stresses an equal balance The following feature first appeared in the football 3.25. During the fall, 73 percent of student-athletes of three pillars: academics, on-field success and game program on Oct. 14, 2017. had a grade point average better than 3.0. community service. Now-former softball player Lyndsay Butler set many on-field records during her playing days at Wayne State.
"The focus we have here is a true team effort," said Kim Clexton, Wayne State athletics academic advisor. "(Director of Athletics) Rob Fournier has very high expectations when it comes to academics – and the students also have high expectations for themselves."
On the field, Wayne State's best finishes in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Cup standings, which measures the overall success of athletic programs, have all come She set eight school records and ranks first in in the last 16 years, with the three best marks numerous other individual categories. coming in the last decade. In the community, Those expectations, Clexton says, are now a bit higher student-athletes have performed 60,630 hours of This past summer, she helped the university set coming off two extremely successful semesters. At the community service in the last six years. another record – though this time off the field. athletic department's first compliance meeting this fall, she brought up how most teams have grade point Academically, the department's five-year Butler was one of a record 27 Wayne State studentaverages above 3.0, but there are generally a couple graduation rate has increased steadily and now athletes to record a 4.0 grade point average during of teams who fall just short. She said the compliance sits at 76 percent, in line with the Division II the winter semester (which ends in May). Butler, who meeting turned into a bit of a pep rally as coaches average and well above that of the general WSU graduated with her bachelor's degree last December got fired up about a new target – having every team student population. and who is now pursuing a master's degree, was one average a 3.0 GPA or better. of three softball players to achieve perfect grades. Looking at the overall academic success of the "I told them, 'that's your goal, you get a 3.0 or athletic department, in the past year, Wayne State's Overall, 15 different sports were represented on the higher, your neighbor gets a 3.0 or higher and your 16 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 4.0 grade point average list, and nearly 70 percent team members get a 3.0 or higher,'" she said. "My sports had 186 conference All-Academic selections, of Wayne State student-athletes had a grade point question to them: 'How are you personally going a school record. That total blew away the previous average above 3.0. The athletic department's to make that happen for your team?'" single-year record of 161, set just one year prior. cumulative GPA for the term was 3.19. WELL-ROUNDED EFFORT On an individual student-athlete basis, the These results build on an equally successful fall While some schools might use the academic success Warriors just keep racking up academic honors. term, in which 25 Wayne State student-athletes had of its student-athletes to prop up its standing when 4.0 grade point averages – at the time, a record – on-field success is lacking, at Wayne State, Director 12
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FEATURE STORY: CLASSROOM WARRIORS
"I told them, 'that's your goal, you get a 3.0 or higher, your neighbor gets a 3.0 or higher and your team members get a 3.0 or higher. "My question to them: 'How are you personally going to make that happen for your team?' KIM CLEXTON, WAYNE STATE ATHLETICS ACADEMIC ADVISOR One indicator is the GLIAC Commissioner's Award. Each season – fall, winter and spring – the conference selects six male and six female student-athletes who excel both on and off the field. Last year, Wayne State had five recipients – swimmer Manuela Ferreira, basketball forward Michael Lewis, football tight end Trent Brodbeck, and softball players Kristen Lucas and Butler – bringing the department's total to 45. To put that in perspective, one in every eight awards since 2007 has gone to a Wayne State student-athlete; and the 45 total recipients is the second most of any GLIAC school.
to help with the transition from high school to a major university. The plan has three levels and is easily adjusted for individual interests, emphasis or priorities. Many student-athletes start by taking a first-year experience class to help them with their college transition. The class, Clexton says, focuses on areas like time management, note-taking, test-taking skills and stress management.
Clexton and Candice Howard, associate athletics director for academic support and Senior Woman Administrator, are able to watch how studentSome student-athletes have even been considered athletes respond during this class and can offer for some of the most prestigious academic awards in extra help or guidance if needed. the country. For instance, football's Manny Mendoza Student-athletes also have an orientation – in is a semifinalist for this year's William V. Campbell addition to the general student orientation – to Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. help them get acquainted with academic staff and resources. Even to be considered for this award is a significant There's even a summer bridge program for accomplishment; only 181 football players across student-athletes who might need a little extra all divisions (30 from Division II) are named as semifinalists. Wayne State, unsurprisingly, has had help with their transition from high school to a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in college; this eight-week course takes place before the fall semester, normally the first of studenteach of the past 12 years. athlete's career, begins. DREAM PLUS ACTION EQUALS REALITY Equally important in Fournier's athletic Ask Fournier about the string of successes, department: recognition of a job well done. whether on-the-field, off-the-field or in the Academically, this is done through an annual community, and he'll tell you it's a byproduct of luncheon each spring, where student-athletes setting goals and objectives and then working invite their favorite professors so both can be relentlessly as a department to meet them. acknowledged for their recent success. The academic success of student-athletes is If this year's group of student-athletes is able contingent on developing a plan to balance to meet or exceed Clexton's goal of every team classwork with rigorous class schedules – and it achieving a grade point average of at least 3.0, starts from the first day on campus. there will be plenty to celebrate at next spring's When student-athletes first come to Wayne State, academic luncheon. they are urged to create an academic road map FEATURE STORY: CLASSROOM WARRIORS | CORPORATE SPONSOR LIST
CORPORATE SPONSORS THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS Andiamo Ristorante Detroit Riverfront Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Carhartt Dearborn Sausage Delta Dental Detroit Sports Commission DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Detroit Downtown Happy’s Pizza Henry Ford Health System Joe’s Gourmet Catering and Events Sweet Lorraine’s Mac n’ Brewz McShane’s Irish Pub Michigan First Credit Union Smokey G’s Smokehouse Tony V’s Trinity Transportation Tropical Smoothie Café United Dairy Industry of Michigan
Thank You!
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HONOR ROLL OF DONORS The Wayne State University Department of Athletics would like to thank the following donors for their generous support of Warrior Athletics. These gifts help to provide scholarships, upgrade equipment and facilities. This list includes donations of $100 and more made to the Department of Athletics between October 1, 2016 – October 1, 2017. There are numerous financial opportunities to make a difference in the exciting and promising futures of Wayne State’s student-athletes and athletic programs. For more information, please call the Athletics Development Office at (313) 577-0241. Kem-Tec Land Surveyors Professor Lawrence and Mrs. Kathy Mann Mr. David Charles Kielty Mr. Mark and Mrs. Lisa Marana Ms. Ruth E. Korte Mr. David H. Mattingly Mr. Baumhardt and Ms. Krause Mr. Edward and Mrs. Coral Matus Mr. John and Mrs. Sandra Kurosky McLaren Health Care Corporation Laco Holdings, LLC Mary I. McLeod Foundation Paul LaMantia Mr. David L. Mendelson Ms. Heechong Lee Mr. Sean P. Moran ATHLETIC FOUNDATION CLUB Mr. Kurt and Mrs. Mary LeMerise Mr. Bryan Morrow and Ms. Michele Roy-Morrow Reverend David Lillvis and Ms. Meredith Hunt Mr. Vasilios and Mrs. Emily Moutzouros ($10,000+) Mrs. Carrie and Mr. Eric Lohr O'Brien & Co., P.L.L.C. Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Phyllis DeMars Mr. Alan Markle Mr. Enrico and Mrs. Barbara Odorico Detroit Tigers Players Home Clubhouse Mr. Richard and Mrs. Christine Marsack Mr. Michael R. O'Hara Scholarship Fund Mr. Kevin and Mrs. Mikalea McWilliams Mr. Jason Paul Doris J. and Donald L. Duchene Sr. Foundation Mr. James and Mrs. Merilyn Merkison Mr. William Pirret Mr. Rob and Mrs. Pamela Fournier Kelsey Meyers Mr. Martin Poissant Joanne Nicolay Foundation Mr. Ken Michalak Mr. Mitchell and Mrs. Angeline Ritter Mr. Donald and Mrs. Lila McMechan Mr. Sean M. Peters Mr. John Robertson Dr. Irvin and Dr. Pamela Reid Mr. Bryce and Mrs. Marlene Pitters Mr. Michael and Mrs. Poshale Russell Mr. Robert and Mrs. Mariemma Yousey Prestige Painting Inc. Mrs. Victoria and Mr. Robert Schuler ALL-AMERICAN CLUB Provision Insurance Group, LLC Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Debra Semelsberger Ronald C. Puzio, Jr. Mr. S. Gary Spicer, Sr. ($5,000-$9,999) Mr. Steven M. Ramaekers Ms. Jennifer K. Spicher Alro Steel Corporation Richard Renaud Mr. James Tamm and Ms. Kimberley Harrison Mr. Gary Bryce Ms. Ramza Saruna Mr. Randall Thompson Ms. Lois S. Cotton Paige Sickmiller Mr. Steven R. Valli Detroit Renewable Energy LLC and Subsidiaries Mr. Kirk Bradley Stambaugh Varsity Spirit Mr. Michael and Mrs. Judith Kneale Mr. James Stangl Vulcan Systems Mr. Henry and Mrs. Joy Kuchta Thunderbowl Entertainment Inc. Mr. John and Mrs. Deborah Walus Phi Gamma Chi Mr. Steven and Mrs. Patricia Toth Dr. William and Mrs. Linda Watt Mr. Blair and Mrs. Arlene Stanicek Mrs. Patricia and Dr. Robert Uhrin Mrs. Meredith and Mr. Matthew Weaver Michael J. Stoltenberg, M.D. Mr. Chris Vozza Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Weiss President M. Roy Wilson and Mrs. Jacqueline Wilson Mr. Brian Waldrop Mr. Claude and Mrs. Lynda Williams Mr. Randy Zylstra Mr. Paul J. Widdoes Paul B. Winters Brent Wisniewski DIRECTOR'S CLUB Mr. Scott and Mrs. Christina Wooster Mr. Brian Wittenberg ($2,500-$4,999) Mr. Terrance and Mrs. Sonia Woods VARSITY CLUB Dr. Paul Edward Andrews, Ed.D. ($500-$999) Barton Malow Company GREEN & GOLD CLUB Mr. John Aird and Mrs. Megan Lawler-Aird Mr. Eric Buszka ($250-$499) Dr. Britta M. Anderson Mr. David and Mrs. Andrea Croskey Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Virginia Abramson Ms. Theresa Ann Arist Mr. James and Mrs. Arnice Fuller Professor Robert and Mrs. Janis Ackerman Dr. Edward and Mrs. Karen Bernacki Mr. Angelo Louie Gust George N. Anthony, Jr. Best Block Company Mr. Robert and Mrs. Deborah Jackson Mr. Naif and Mrs. Sherrie Baidoon Mr. Christian R. Bilkovic Mr. H. Martin Letzmann Mr. Roderick Beard Mr. Clifford A. Brown Mr. Dennis A. Purgatori Mr. Paul Beaupre Mrs. Mary Beth and Mr. Dennis Buchan Siemens Industry Inc Mr. Daniel Bedogne and Mrs. Deborah Bedogne Mr. John Butler Mr. Donald and Mrs. Susan Urban Michael Berce Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Kay Carlson Mr. Eddie Beres Mr. Chris and Mrs. Sherie Charron CAPTAIN'S CLUB Ms. Courtney Berg Mrs. Joan Chura ($1,000-$2,499) Mr. David Berg Mrs. Rebecah and Mr. Jason Clark American Honda Foundation Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Gena Bjornson Mr. Charles and Mrs. Gina Cosner Mr. Jeff and Mrs. Julie Bellamy Mr. Michael J. Blaszczyk Mr. Derek Cowen Mr. Charles and Mrs. Lynn Binkowski Mr. Sam Brikho Mrs. Elizabeth and Mr. Kevin Darga Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Ruthann Block Mr. Kevin Brown Mr. Craig and Mrs. Lisa DeDamos Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Carol Ann Bolz Ms. Orletta E. Caldwell Justin Defrancis Mr. Thomas G. Bomberski Mr. James and Mrs. Anne Campbell Ms. Sharon DeLano Caterico Investments Inc. Mr. Barry Carter Mr. Joseph M. Delano Mr. Frederick and Mrs. Pamela Cavataio Mr. Michael and Mrs. Claudia Cenko Ms. Tracy Delano Powers Dr. William and Mrs. Susan Cirocco Mr. Michael and Mrs. Sora Chan Ms. Rebecca L. Dill Mr. Daniel J. Dempsey Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Jennifer Charron Mrs. Zenarr and Mr. Albert Dishmon Mr. Donald and Mrs. Freda Didlake Mr. Monte and Mrs. Tyra Clark Mr. Scott Patrick Dunn Ms. Laurene D. DuMouchelle Mrs. Jennifer and Mr. Frederick Coleman Mr. Michael Earley Edward I Fleischman Foundation Dr. William and Mrs. Betty Colovas Mr. James M. Edwards Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Erin Facione Mr. Todd and Mrs. Karen Conti Mr. Michael Flynn Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kristine Fisher Mr. James D. Cooper Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Sarah Garcia Mr. Craig Forhan Ms. Marsha A. Coosaia-Rodger Kanye Gardner Mr. Donald C. Galovich Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Linda Copacia Mr. David T. George Mr. James and Mrs. Carol Hayes Mr. Bob and Mrs. Donna Cunningham Mr. Steve and Mrs. Patricia Gergics Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Jennifer Homrich Ms. Lisa DePaulo Dr. Avery and Mrs. Nancy Goldstein Mr. Michael and Mrs. Kimberlei Horn Mr. Wrex R. Diem Mr. Donald Gotham and Mrs. Denise BreslinInterior Environments Mr. Gerald and Mrs. Diane DiPaola Gotham Bruce Michael Jacob, D.P.M. Mr. George and Mrs. Karen Ellies Mr. David and Mrs. Bertie Greer Mr. Leit and Mrs. Linda Jones Mr. William J. Ellison Mr. John and Mrs. Karen Hanley F. John Keogh, III Mr. Steven Fedewa Mr. David and Mrs. Holly Hayes Mr. Timothy Alan Koth Mr. Robert Z. Feldstein Mr. Gene and Mrs. Patricia Henssler Ms. Karen Sarah Lafata Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Ann Ferrari Mr. Christopher Hill and Mrs. Alyssa Riley Hill Dr. Steven and Mrs. Carol Lash Mr. Larry Fitzpatrick Mr. Darrin Hotts Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Sheila Leadbetter The Honorable Patricia and Mr. Donn Fresard Ms. Candice L. Howard Mr. Christopher M. Lovasz Mrs. Lisa Gentry and Mr. Andrew John Mr. Len Jacosky Mr. Joseph Michael Luttenberger Ms. Pamela A. Getner Ms. Nancy A. Juszczyk Mr. Angus J. MacKenzie Bold indicates Anthony Wayne Society member ----------Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please call the Athletic Development Office at (313) 577-0241 for corrections.
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Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Carmen Goldstein Mr. Kevin and Mrs. Margaret Green Mrs. Tracy Guschewski Mr. Jeff Hauptman Mr. Roy Henry Mr. Robert and Mrs. Karen Holmes Mr. David and Mrs. Karen Hooven Integrity Tool & Mold Inc. Mrs. Barbara Jairazbhoy and Mr. Vivek Jairazbhoy Mr. Ziad Jarbo Mr. Mike Jarbo Mr. J.M. Jung Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Devon Kelley Mr. Arthur and Mrs. Kathryn Ketelhut Mr. George H. Klaetke Mrs. Geraldine H. Koth and Mr. Raymond A. Koth Mr. Robert and Mrs. Grace Langas Law Offices of Brandt & Dehncke Mr. Peter C. Leonhardt Ms. Lauren Marie Lepkowski Mr. Daniel Lepri, D.D.S. Mr. Alan and Mrs. Linda Letkowski Mr. Mark E. Limback Mr. Aaron Isaiah Lipsey, Jr. Ms. Barbara Luyet Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Deborah Madeja Mrs. Michelle McCracken and Mr. David R. McCracken Mr. David McInerney and Mrs. Heather Mcinerney Ms. Sue McJunkin Mr. Jeffrey S. Meadows Meijer Gopinath Menta Ms. McCall Monte Mr. Larry and Mrs. Sandra Moore Mr. Timothy Morris Mr. Justin and Mrs. Erin Munson Mrs. Maggie and Mr. Chris Myers Mr. Michael Martin Naddaf Mr. Patrick W. Nelson Dr. Christy D. Nolan Mrs. Denise Norscia and Mr. Floyd Norscia Jason Novetsky, Ph.D. Gregory Oberstaedt Ms. Kathy Olszewski Ms. Rachel A. Parham Mr. Tom Philliben Alex Pierse Ms. Nancy Hutcheson and Mr. Joseph Pietrangeli Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Mrs. Winny and Mr. James Prentis Mr. Dwain A. Rittenhouse Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Trisha Robertson Mr. Donald Rose and Mrs. Janet Fedchyzhyn-Rose Mr. Christopher C. Rouen Mr. Cliff Russell Mr. James and Mrs. Rachelle Schneider Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Cheryl Schramm Mr. Lawrence Scott Mr. Robert and Mrs. Darlene Seals Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Julie Senkowski Mr. Jim Seys Mr. Brett and Mrs. Lisa Sheets Mr. Sanford and Mrs. Linda Simons Mr. Ralph Simpson Ms. Karen L. Sinclair Ms. Amanda Mae St. Juliana Dr. Deborah Stanifer and Mr. Arvy Kavaliauskas Ms. Gail H. Straith Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Sandra Strzalkowski Dr. Richard and Mrs. Lita Swanson The Mendelson Law Firm Mr. Peter and Mrs. Kimberly Tompson Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Janice Umstead Ms. Lisa Vaughan Mr. Ben Walker Mr. Rocky and Mrs. Patricia Walker Mr. Jon Weisman Mr. Larry and Mrs. Frances Weiss Mr. Andy T. Whitney Mr. Joel Robert Whymer
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
Mr. Dale and Mrs. Wendy Hartzell Ms. Mary Jane Hiestand Ms. Megan Hinchsliff Mr. Anthony D. Holt Ms. Allison Hoomaian LETTERWINNER'S CLUB Mr. Greg Hovde Ms. Vicki L. Ineson ($100-$249) Dr. Robert and Mrs. Gayle Inman Ms. Holly Abele Mr. Patrick and Mrs. Kathryn Izzo Mr. Matthew Akers Mr. Avery Jackson and Mrs. Genevieve Avery Mr. Scott and Mrs. Michele Alexander Mr. Leonard and Mrs. Kimberly Jacosky Ms. Fawne N. Allossery Mr. Paul and Mrs. Helen Janas Mr. Dennis and Mrs. Susan Ambo Mr. Frank Jeney AMC Detroit Inc. Ms. Carolyn Jereck Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Lilly Andrus Dr. Ted Johnson Mr. Michael Andrus Mr. Terrance J. Johnson Ms. Angela Baker Ms. Tina Joanne Kamppinen Ms. Helene Baron Mr. Steve W. Katsaros Mr. Richard J. Barryman Mr. Philip and Mrs. Jo Ellen Kazmierski Mr. Timothy J. Baywal Mr. Sean and Mrs. Adrienne Kelly Mr. Gerald and Mrs. Marlene Beard Mr. Richard and Mrs. Deanna Kent Dr. John and Mrs. Janice Bellefleur Mr. Paul and Mrs. Julie Ketterman Ms. Kimberly A. Birch Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Julie Kolbe Mr. Ray and Mrs. Martha Biscaro Dr. John Knapp and Dr. Carole Kowalczyk Mrs. Kathleen Bitonti Ms. Ann M. Lauer Ms. Nicole Blaszczyk and Mr. Andrew Stoll Ms. Linda LaVigne Mr. Robert O. Blenkle Mr. John Lennane Mr. Lawrence and Mrs. Mary Boes Mr. Frederick and Mrs. Barbara Levantrosser Ms. Lisa Bonza Mr. Warren and Mrs. Katheryn Lewis Mr. Brian Borden Mr. Scott and Mrs. Jeong Liles Mr. Donald and Mrs. Diane Bourdon Mr. Derek Lindsay Mrs. Evelyn and Mr. Brian Bowman Mr. Robert and Mrs. Janet Long Mrs. Joan E. Brantingham and Mr. Jay C. Brantingham Ms. Nancy Stacey Lopez Mr. Gregory M. Brecht Mr. Richard and Mrs. Phyllis Lowry Ms. Erin Renee Brown Mr. Charles and Mrs. Margaret MacDonald Ms. Milena Bundalo Mr. Lester Mack and Ms. Roma Honer Burke's Sport Haven, Inc. Ms. Aileen J. Malczewski Mr. Jonas Calvillo and Mrs. Magdalena Calvillo Mr. Celestino and Mrs. Kathleen Mangulabnan Camp Marketing Services, LLC Ms. Joanne Sarah Manley Mr. Dino H. Candela Mrs. Kathleen and Mr. Kirk Martin James Ciennik IV Mr. Timothy J. McDonnell Classic Cabinets & Interiors, LLC Jeffrey Melton Ms. Keiana Conley Mr. Timothy and Mrs. Lisa Mollohan Mr. Paul and Mrs. Leah Coonrod Ms. Katrina Montroy Jason Copeland Ms. Mary A. Moore Mr. Michael W. Cornelia MSR-Pallets & Packaging, LLC Mr. Peter and Mrs. Janis Cornwell Ms. Maryanne C. Murawski Mr. James L. Corte Ms. Sharon L. Murphy Mr. Kenneth Edward Cox Ms. Gloria O. Neal Mr. Derek A. Crombie Ms. Susan M. Neubauer Mr. James M. Croskey Mr. Terry and Mrs. Linda Newell Mr. Nicholas Culbertson Dr. Debra Beard and Mr. Phil Noakes Mr. Mark D. Daniell Ms. Debra Ogden Dr. Michael and Mrs. Pamela Davis Mr. John and Mrs. Cathy Olszewski Mr. Matthew J. Deighan Olympic Grille Ms. Lisa DeLor Dr. Michael and Mrs. Colleen Papciak Mr. Andrew Dold and Ms. Kyle Barrett Mrs. Susan S. Parsons and Mr. James A. Parsons Donelly Penman & Partners Olga Petrovic Mr. Dale Dwojakowski and Ms. Jennifer Kochanski Mr. Scott and Mrs. Mary Petrovich Ms. Kate Edge Mr. Larry Pilot and Ms. Lynne Widlitz Mrs. Sharon A. Elliot and Mr. Ernest Neill Elliot Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Katherine Pittel Mr. Christian R. Erard Mr. Allen and Mrs. Sandra Poppenhager Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Kelly Evans Mr. Dylan Powers and Mrs. Kathryn POWERS Al Faigin, D.O. Sharon K. Progar Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Shelley Feist Mr. Mark Quigg and Mrs. Marcela Novakosky-Quigg Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Patricia Ferrari Derek Ranck Mr. Richard and Mrs. Pamela Fischer Mr. Jeffrey Reardon Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Rachel Fishburn Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Susan Reardon Mr. Michael D. Fitzgerald Mr. Joshua Renel Daniel Fleming Mr. Allan and Mrs. Kim Richardson Mr. Walter and Mrs. Ella Forsiak Christopher Rockwell Mr. Charles and Mrs. Colleen Fort Mr. Javier Rodriguez Mr. Gerald and Mrs. Kathleen Freismuth Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Theda Rucker Ms. Beverly J. Freismuth Mr. Clifford A. Russell Mrs. Marcella Gargulinski Mr. Dennis Rybicki and Mrs. Dorne McKinnon-Rybicki Mr. Jeffrey J. Garvin Mr. Robert Ryland Mr. Phillip Gawel Mr. John J. Samonie Ms. Elizabeth Geddes Mr. Kenneth Scott Schmidt Mr. D. Todd and Mrs. Kelly George Mr. Christopher R. Sciotti Ms. Lindsay Gian Mr. Virgil and Mrs. Judith Seal Mr. Thomas R. Gijsbers September Shaw Ms. Sharon Gill Mr. Mark D. Sherbow Ms. Debbie Girard Mr. Michael and Mrs. Amanda Sherman Ms. Carole A Gist-Stramler Mr. Stanley J. Simek, Jr. Mr. Richard H. Goranowski Michael D. Singer, M.D. Ms. Keela Gracey Mr. David and Mrs. Stephanie Skown Mr. Michael Green Mr. Homer and Mrs. Judith Smathers Abdulfattah Ahmed Hadarah Ms. Stephanie Smilo Mr. James R. Haefner, Jr. Mr. Robert and Mrs. Karen Smith Mrs. Amy and Mr. Ronald Hammye Ms. Jo Ann Snyder Mr. Sean P. Harrinton Mr. James and Mrs. Margaret Sochocki Mr. Robert J. Hartwick Ms. Kerry Winkelseth Mr. Kelvin W. Wise Mr. Tom Wiseman Mr. Richard and Mrs. Kimberly Zavodsky
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
Mr. Robert L. Solomon Mr. Brendan Stacey Mr. Daniel Stacey Celia Staniak Mr. Joseph L. Stanley Mr. Duane J. Starzyk Mr. James M. Stevenson Mr. Nelson B. Stieper Mr. Randall S. Sung Justin Sylvester Mr. Milo and Mrs. Bertha Teer Dr. Nicole D. Teifer Mr. Crain Tenelshof and Ms. Debbie TenElshof Thav Gross Ms. Tanisha Thibodaux Ms. Denise A. Thomas and Ms. Donna A. Miller Ellen J. Tisdale, Ph.D. Mr. Bernard and Mrs. Mary Tockstein Mr. Elliott and Mrs. Patricia Trumbull Mr. Steven and Mrs. Laurie Turner Mr. Frederick and Mrs. Carrie Tyner Mr. Joshua and Mrs. Rachel Vagi Mr. David and Mrs. Susan Wachowiak Mr. Harvey R. Weingarden Mr. Calvin and Mrs. Barbara Wilde Mrs. Lauretta Williams Mr. Christopher and Mrs. Kerri Winkler Ms. Kimberle Winzeler Ms. Sara Wold Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Verna Worden Ms. Amanda Renee Yaklin Mr. Roger Zatkoff Gary Zielke Jr. Mr. Richard and Mrs. Lori Zoulek Mr. Michael A. Abdenour Mr. James and Mrs. Nancy Aird Taylor J. Arancibia Mrs. Faye Atanasoff Avon Animal Clinic Ms. Erin Baker Ms. Abigail Bault Mr. Thomas E. Beer Ms. Amanda Leigh Bennett Mr. Robert M. Berce Ms. Patricia L. Biscaro Karen Bitterle Ms. Shirley Bodi Mr. Steven M. Booth Mr. Conklin B. Bray Talisha Bridges Leslie Brown, Jr. Ms. Sandra Brown Ms. Jacqueline M. Bruno Teri Bueno Ms. Christine E. Bussang Mr. Allen and Mrs. Marlene Cameron Dr. Alan and Mrs. Joannides Carbajo Ms. Katie Cardinali Mr. Donaciano and Mrs. Elissa Carrizales Mr. Mark R. Childers Mr. Scott and Mrs. Sung-Ae Chung Mr. Roger and Mrs. Seung Chung Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Heather Conley Steven Conway Mr. Aaron Cornett Mr. Richard F. Corona, Jr. Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Elise Coyle Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Joan Craig Mr. Anthony Cyr Mr. Robert Kenneth Dace-Smith Ms. Laurie C. Dalin Mr. Tom and Mrs. Carol Deane Mr. Douglas E. DenDooven Ms. Adrienne DesRocher Ms. Jennifer Dinkins Ms. Mollie E. Drake Mr. Roy Dudas Tyler Duncan Mr. Gavin Fernsler Ms. Linda Finamore Mr. Chad Finkbiner Mrs. Mary Jo Finn Cloutier Ms. Lisa Fiore Mr. William J. Givans, Jr. Mr. Curtis Golson Dr. Kirk and Mrs. Cynthia Goodlow Mr. Wayne and Mrs. Andrea Goryca Mr. Kirk Grant Ms. Karen Graunstadt Mr. John and Mrs. Debra Green Bradley Griffith Mr. Douglas Guldan
Mr. George K. Haley Mrs. Terry L. Hansen and Mr. Roger L. Hansen Mr. Evan William Hansinger Mrs. Carol Sue Harris and Mr. Roby Harris Ms. Mary Haselcamp Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Kristen Henson Ms. Cheri Hinshaw Ms. Tammy Hollins Mr. Matt Inch Mr. Charles Jaeger Ms. Kristina Karle Ms. Karen Karle Mr. Jordan Kidd Ms. Claudia Z. Killeen Ms. Jessica Kingston Ms. Samantha Rene Koehler Ms. Kathleen M. Kost Mr. Bob and Mrs. Kathy Lake Mrs. Jacqueline and Mr. Bernard Lane Mr. Ray and Mrs. Joan Lapworth Ms. Yvonne Lapworth Mr. Robert Latva Ms. Jeanette Lawrence Mr. Greg Leonard Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Susan Liddicoat Frank Lietke Mr. Daniel Mayfield Mr. Timothy P. McIntyre Ms. Jennifer A. Mckenzie Mr. James and Mrs. Mary McKinlay McNamara's Heating & Cooling Mr. Gary Merrill Mr. Michael G. Miller Mr. Edwin Miller Ms. Brooke Miller Ms. Norene Minghine Mr. Michael Molenda Mr. Michael and Mrs. Lou Morton Ms. Nichole Nemec Ms. Bernadine Nowinski Professor Frank and Mrs. Maria Okoh Mr. Ryan D. Oshnock Mr. Peter and Mrs. Diane Owens Mr. Dave and Mrs. Jill Paswater Ms. Rose Paterson Mr. Todd and Mrs. Karla Petersen June Randall Ms. Amy S. Roberge-Heitman Mr. Brent Rosebrook Mr. George W. Rourk Ms. Melania Rourk Mr. Dennis B. Royal Mr. Rondell Demetri Ruff Ms. Mary Y. Saviski Ms. Elizabeth Schnur Mr. Victor Sharpe Ms. Michelle Shell Shore Pointe Buile, LLC Ms. Kristine E. Sikkema Ms. Kim Simmons Gail Singer Ms. Dianna Skvarce Ms. Ursula Sliwka Mr. James and Mrs. Mary Ann Smith Smokey G's BBQ Smokehouse LLC Dr. Joel and Dr. Margaret Smoller Ms. Sandy Soson Mr. Michael J. Southers Charles Stamboulian Mr. Otis and Mrs. G. Stanley Pat Stevens Ms. Amber Stocks Ms. Simona Sukugiu Ms. Janet S. Sutherland Mr. Tim and Mrs. Carol Szymanski Mr. Paul and Mrs. Wendy Tackett Mr. Carl and Mrs. Michelle Taylor Ms. Kristin Tober Mr. Guest Tockstein Ms. Jennifer Tucker Mr. Nick and Mrs. Laura Tumbarello Mr. Dennis and Mrs. Cynthia Vogel Mr. Salvatore J. Warner Ms. Rose Wegienka Cameron Holt Weidenthaler Mr. LeRon and Mrs. Brittney Williams Ms. Connie Williams Mr. Robert and Mrs. Jennifer Wilson Ms. Isabelle M. Wright Mr. Michael and Mrs. Marie Zalucki Ms. Kathleen Ziegler
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Celebration of the Department of Athletics 100th Anniversary WSU Board of Governors Duly Resolved October 6, 2017 WHERAS, the Board of Governors of Wayne State University is committed to providing a high quality education and opportunities for excellence to its students; WHEREAS, the Board of Governors recognizes the benefits and impact of participation in athletics on the well-being of individuals, communities and societies; and WHEREAS, the Department of Athletics values not only strong competitors, but strong academics and community service as well, resulting in students ready to succeed, focused on their goals, and committed to their communities; and
collective accomplishment of its most recent class. The overall cumulative GPA for all student athletes was 3.21 at the end of the 2017 winter semester. 70 percent of athletes have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, and 27 student athletes had a perfect 4.0 GPA for that semester, a school record; and WHEREAS, The Department’s commitment to community service from its athletes has grown exponentially, with more than 60,630 community service hours recorded in the last six years alone; and WHEREAS, The Department of Athletics is poised to take its significant achievements forward, building on a passion for success, and a commitment to the future.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Governors extends its deepest congratulations to Athletic Director Rob Fournier, to all members WHEREAS, the Department’s commitment to excellence has resulted in of the coaching staff, support staff, and to our students, for the celebration a number of milestone achievements, including: 11 national titles; 141 of this milestone in the history of the university, and for the tremendous conference titles; 64 recipients of Academic All-American honors, 40 of those accomplishments of the Department of Athletics. in the last 17 years; 621 athletes designated as All-Americans since the inception of that award in 1926; and 3 National Players of the Year; and Sandra Hughes O’Brien, Chair • David Nicholson, Vice Chair M. Roy Wilson, President WHEREAS, the Department’s commitment to academic achievement, and the importance of success in school for all of its athletes, is shown by the
Are You A Booster?
Want more information? Contact Kelsey Meyers Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance & NCAA Liaison 313.577.1366 kelsey.meyers@wayne.edu
We want to remind you of what is acceptable when dealing with our current and prospective student athletes. First, it is important to determine if you must follow the rules surrounding a representative of athletics interest. You are considered a “Representative of Athletics Interest” or “booster” if you: • Are or have been a member of any organization promoting Wayne State University Athletics. • Have ever made a donation to the Athletic Department or any booster organization. • Have ever assisted in evaluating or recruiting prospects. • Have ever helped to arrange or have provided employment to enrolled student-athletes, prospects, to their parents or relatives. • Participated in a Wayne State athletics program. • Once you become a representative or athletics interests, you retain this status FOREVER.
Please keep in mind, it is possible to jeopardize a student-athlete’s eligibility with just one act of kindness! Please ask before you act. 16
2017 FALL WARRIOR WITHIN
CELEBRATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS | ARE YOU A BOOSTER?
W CLUB LEVELS Athletic Foundation Club* $10,000+
All-American Club*
MEMBER BENEFITS
Director’s Club*
• Support a student-athlete’s education • Provide facility improvements • Warrior Within magazine • Invitations to special events* • Access pass to “W” Club hospitality tent/lounge* • Access to VIP Parking* • “W” Club auto window decal* • Tax deduction
$5,000 - $9,999 $2,500 - $4,999
Captain’s Club* $1,000 - 2,499
Varsity Club* $500 - $999
Green and Gold Club* $250 - $499
Letterwinner’s Club $100 - $249
Friends of the Warriors $50 - $99
*VIP hospitality access at home football and basketball games.
* Only available at certain giving levels. • All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. • Member benefits will start the month the first gift is made and go through the proceeding 12 months and is renewable each year.
HOW TO DONATE • Call (313) 577-0241 to make a credit/debit card donation or WSU Payroll Deduction • Send donation form or check to: Director of Development, 5101 John C. Lodge, 101 Matthaei, Detroit, MI 48202 • Give to athletics online at WSUATHLETICS.COM
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID DETROIT, MI PERMIT NO. 3844
WARRIOR WITHIN 5101 John C. Lodge 101 Matthaei Detroit, MI 48202
1918
2018
SAVE THE DATE
Centennial Celebration of Champions The Wayne State University Athletics Department is celebrating 100 years. JOIN US FOR OUR 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME AGAINST NORTHERN MICHIGAN! SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2018 HISTORICAL FACT The first men’s game was January 19, 1918, and the first home women’s game was January 21, 1975. For more information about this event and the entire basketball homegame schedule visit WSUATHLETICS.COM/100YEARS.
WAYNE STATE ATHLETICS W S U AT H L E T I C S . C O M / 1 0 0 Y E A R S