Two Terrific Examples of the Pinnacle of a Molloy College Student-Athlete
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Volume 6 • Summer 2015 A MOLLOY COLLEGE PUBLICATION DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS MAGAZINE LIONS’ LAND Also: Support the Molloy Athletics Fund Club The See pages 14-15 Two Terrific Examples of the Pinnacle KIDS of a Molloy College Student-Athlete C ONTENTS Volume 6 • Summer 2015 4 The All-American Kids: Two Terrific Examples of the Pinnacle of a Molloy College Student-Athlete 6 Molloy Adds Women’s Bowling 7 Club Sports Review 8 Men’s Lacrosse Sees National Success 4 6 9 Katie Gallagher: National High Jumper 10 Fall Athletics Review 14 Molloy College Athletic Fund Club 16 Winter/Spring Athletics Review 21 Lions Academics 10814 9 22 Community Service: Molloy Athletes Give Back 24 2014-15 Accolades Round-Up 27 Faces in the Crowd 16 22 To Our Readers Dear Friends of Molloy College Athletics, This past year, every team worked hard to achieve success and in the process they became stronger as student-athletes, teammates and representatives of Molloy College. We had 70 student-athletes recognized Publisher as All-East Coast Conference selections, 2 Rookies of the Year, 2 Players Edward Thompson of the Year, 1 Goalkeeper of the Year, 9 All-Region/District selections, a Vice President for Advancement First Team All-American and a Scholar All-American. Executive Editors Ken Young Congratulations to men’s soccer, men’s basketball, softball, men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse Director of Public Relations for earning berths to their respective ECC Championship Tournaments this year. Individually, junior Katie Gallagher of the women’s outdoor track and field squad competed at the NCAA Jacquie Martin-Rath Division II National Championship in the high jump event on May 22, 2015. Assistant Director of Public Relations This same attitude extends to our three club teams and, most importantly, into the classroom. We Designers Francis Bonnet had 38 student-athletes named to the 4.0 GPA Club over the last year. Sixty student-athletes will Senior Graphic Designer be moving on to their future careers. Over the last four years their participation in athletics at Molloy has enriched our athletic history and increased our visibility and prominence within our Sara Palazzolo conference and region. Junior Graphic Designer Community service continues to be a big part of our Athletic Department. As a group we have Athletic Administration engaged in more than 1,925 hours of community service, which is seven hours per student-athlete. Susan Cassidy-Lyke We raised $19,405.25 overall – earning the East Coast Conference Cares Award. Of that total, Director of Athletics/ $13,154 went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Some of the other various charities we have Senior Woman Administrator worked with and raised money for include: the National Foundation for Cancer Research, the American Heart Association, Coaches vs. Cancer, the Wounded Warrior Project, the Lead The Michael Grasso Way Fund, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Winthrop Children’s Cancer Hospital, Associate Director of just to name a few. They continue to actively embrace community service as a responsibility of a Athletics Compliance Molloy student-athlete and have made a difference in the lives of many. In addition to many of the charitable endeavors we have participated in, we have also welcomed the community to our campus Jack A. Zolla and fields for engagement. This past year we participated in the East Coast Conference’s ongoing Director of Athletic Communications identity campaign for the second consecutive year. As part of this endeavor, we partook in a Clean Brianna Falese Up event in neighboring Hempstead and hosted a Night Out on the Mascot. The Clean Up event Office Coordinator involved over 50 student-athletes who painted fire hydrants, raked and weeded a village facility and gardened along Main Street. In December, at the second annual “Night Out on the Lion,” Daniel McGann we invited over 40 local children to Molloy for three hours of dinner, crafts and fun while Mom NCAA Faculty Athletic and Dad had a chance to enjoy a few hours of quiet time and/or shop for holiday gifts. Both these Representative events were great successes. Jim Zegers Assistant Director of Athletics- Over the last several years our connection with our athletic alumni has increased and we look to Sports Medicine expand on this in the future. They have come back to campus to see the great changes on and off our campus – especially with our new and improved athletic facilities. They continue to contribute Joe Fucarino in any way they can to help better our current student-athletes. We invite you to come and see Athletic Fund Coordinator first-hand how special our student-athletes are and why we are so invested in their success. Editorial Staff Sincerely, Contributing Writers: Susan Cassidy-Lyke Jack A. Zolla Joe Fucarino Susan Cassidy-Lyke Ken Young Director of Athletics MOLLOY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS SPONSORS: Mercy Medical Center LI Physical Therapy The Two Terrific Examples of the Pinnacle KIDS of a Molloy College Student-Athlete hen an intercollegiate Daktronics All-American Honorable Mention Team, Dak- tronics All-East Region First Team and NFCA All-East Re- athletics department gion Second Team. In addition, she was selected as the ECC Player of the Year and the school’s Sister Marie DeLourdes can boast having one Smith Female Athlete of the Year. W Leonard, a senior attackman on Molloy’s men’s lacrosse student-athlete with the following squad and a native of Hicksville, N.Y., has landed equally- accolades, it’s quite impressive: impressive accolades. Leonard was named to the All-East Coast Conference First Team, voted as an USILA Division East Coast Conference Player of the Year, All-Conference II First Team All-American and picked as an USILA Scholar selection, All-East Region selection, All-American selection, All-American. In addition, Leonard was tabbed the ECC Co- overall department Male/Female Athlete of the Year. When Offensive Player of the Year and the Molloy College Athletic classroom performance also ranks as excellent, you have a Director Male Athlete of the Year. special player on your hands. While one is impressive, Mol- Both Balinskas and Leonard also led the charge for their loy College can brag about having two – in Tracey Balinskas respective teams in earning berths to the ECC Championship and Joe Leonard. Tournament. Softball returned to the playoffs for the sev- Over the last month, Balinskas, a junior utility/pitcher enth straight year, while men’s lacrosse earned the program’s on the Lions’ softball team hailing from Edison, N.J., was first-ever postseason appearance in the second annual ECC named to the All-East Coast Conference First Team, Co- Championship Tournament. SIDA Capital One Academic All-District First Team, the This season, Balinskas ranked near the top of the confer- CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-America Third Team, ence in multiple offensive categories. She ranked second in 4 LIONS LAND • Summer 2015 home runs (12), hits (69), batting average (.416) and on-base While their on-the-field performances have been stellar, in percentage (.484), and slotted fifth with 39 runs batted in. the classroom, both Balinskas and Leonard have been equal- Balinskas finished atop the ECC leader board with 49 runs ly excellent. Balinskas is a biology and elementary education scored, 17 doubles, 128 total bases and a .771 slugging per- major who harbors a 3.76 grade point average, while Leonard centage. Her slugging percentage is among the best in Divi- finished with a 3.22 GPA, earning his bachelor’s degree in ac- sion II, currently as the 35th highest total in the nation. In counting last month. addition, she has pitched very well – ranking second in the “Joe has been a great part of our program and has set the conference with 120 strikeouts, fourth with 12 wins and ninth bar for players here and who will be here in the future,” said with a 3.58 ERA. Balinskas has racked up three All-ECC First Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Eric Petrullo after Leonard Team honors in as many years. broke the school record for career points. “He does well in Leonard, a senior, is currently tied for the top scoring title the classroom and works extremely hard on the field. He’s a in the nation with an average of 5.20 points per game to lead great kid from a great family and I’m very happy for him.” all of NCAA Division II, while tallying 78 points (third in the Tracey’s performance on the softball field this year was ECC). The Hicksville product tops the league with 47 goals exceptional. “Since her arrival at Molloy three years ago she and ranks second in Division II with 3.13 goals per game. He has been a key offensive and defensive player for the team,” also ranks third in the ECC with 31 assists. Leonard earns his commented Head Softball Coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke. “She is third All-League accolade in as many years, as he was named definitely one of the best all-around players I have coached. to the All-ECC Second Team in 2014 and the All-ECC First Tracey continues to be an example of the player we seek to Team in 2013. Leonard has accomplished numerous feats, in- represent Molloy both academically and athletically. I look cluding breaking program records, with only being in a Lions’ forward to coaching her one more year and her leading the uniform for three years as he was a transfer from Division I team to a championship.” St. John’s University. Leonard finishes his collegiate career as With Leonard’s tenure at Molloy now over, and Balinskas Molloy’s all-time career points leader with 217, is tied for the having just one year remaining, these two incredible student- program record for career goals with 118, and ranks second athletes have not only served as great role models on the field in school history with 99 career assists.