LA ­SALLE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS 2016–17 ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Dear Friends of La ­Salle Athletics:

“Momentum” is defined as the strength or force As a department, we signed the first all-inclusive gained by motion or by a series of events. Actions apparel agreement in our history with Under that lead in one direction yield more results in Armour. The deal will provide uniforms and training the same direction. And La Salle Athletics had a gear for all of La Salle’s sport programs, and shows number of events in 2016-17 that will no doubt a commitment to providing the best of the best for lead to results next year and beyond. our student-athletes.

Academically, our student-athletes continued to The 2016-17 year also brought record revenues excel and posted a cumulative 3.13 grade point to the athletic department. The three areas of average. La Salle student-athletes generated corporate sales, athletic development, and ticket graduation success rates higher than the national sales revenue from men’s basketball generated average, and six programs – men’s basketball, all-time highs that we hope will continue to grow. women’s basketball, women’s rowing, field hockey, softball and volleyball – boasted perfect scores in These successes could not have been the most recently released results. accomplished without terrific support from our alumni, fans, and friends. We are thankful to have Our Explorers continued to be leaders in the so many wonderful people who contribute to our community, logging an incredible 1,354 hours of programs, and we look forward to your continued service. New partnerships with Athletes Helping support in the future. Athletes and other local groups were developed, while long-standing partnerships with Logan On a personal note, I could not be more thrilled Elementary School and Big Brothers Big Sisters to have had the interim tag removed from my continue. title, and to be here on a more permanent basis. I am very excited with where we are heading as On the basketball court, our men’s and women’s a department and as a University, and hope that programs combined for the fourth-best you come to campus soon to experience some improvement of any school in NCAA Division I. “Momentum” for yourself! Led by the Atlantic 10’s leading scorer Amy Griffin and A-10 Coach of the Year Jeff Williams, the Let’s Go Explorers! women’s team won 17 games and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The men’s team improved its win total by six games from the prior year, including a road victory over eventual A-10 Tournament champion Rhode Island. Bill Bradshaw, ’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation

BY THE NUMBERS

2 1 34 SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA NCAA INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIER ATLANTIC 10 ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTIONS HONOREES 1 1 ATLANTIC 10 POSTGRADUATE SCHOLAR 8 ATLANTIC 10 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION ALL-PHILADELPHIA BIG 5 PLAYERS 6 TEAMS RANKED IN TOP 10% NATIONALLY IN NCAA ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE

2 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY NEW SCHOOL RECORDS

Justin Guerre P.J. Acierno Jessica Bryant Aleksandar Nikolic Michelle Hagarty

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SOFTBALL WOMEN’S SWIMMING WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD AND DIVING Amy Griffin Michelle Hagarty Jessica Bryant Single-Game Field Goals Made (18) Career Home Runs (28) Hannah Elliott Indoor Triple Jump (36’8.5”) 200 Backstroke (2:00.91) Outdoor Triple Jump (38’5.5”) MEN’S GOLF MEN’S SWIMMING Olivia DiStefano Amber Jenkins AND DIVING P.J. Acierno 100 Backstroke (54.80) Indoor 300m (41.49) Single-Season Scoring Average Record Fabian Bergman Mone’t Gist (74.0) 100 Backstroke (47.41) MEN’SCK TRA AND FIELD Indoor 60m hurdles (8.76) Lowest 9-Hole Score (29 [-5]) 200 Backstroke (1:43.25) Justin Guerre Relays Team Cameron Fadley 60m (6.89) 4x100 Mitchell/Bryant/Osley/Jenkins Lowest 36-Hole Score (281) 200 Individual Medley (1:47.73) 300m (35.21) (47.73) Lowest Season Scoring Average (301.7) Aleksandar Nikolic 200 Free (1:38.87) LACROSSE Relays 200 Free - Odtallah/Forsgren/Gregory/ Anna Gordon Bartosiewicz (1:22.04) and Allee Ilgenfritz 400 Free - Bergman/Fadley/Nikolic/ Career Games Played (66) Forsgren (2:59.47) 800 Free - Nikolic/Gravel/Bergman/ Forsgren (6:36.57) 200 Medley Relay - Bergman/ BY THE NUMBERS Mladenovic/Fadley/Odtallah (1:29.42)

24 2 120 NEW SCHOOL RECORDS ACADEMIC ALL-AREA PLAYERS ATLANTIC 10 FALL COMMISSIONER’S HONOR ROLL MEMBERS 13 4 % ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE SENIORS WHO RECEIVED TOP STUDENT 88 SELECTIONS AWARDS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS 11 NATIONAL TEAM ACADEMIC AWARDS

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 3 MEN'S BASKETBALL

La ­Salle men’s basketball great Lionel Simmons, ’90, was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in November.

La ­Salle hosted No. 1 Villanova in front of a packed 2016-17 La ­Salle Explorers house at the Palestra in December.

B.J. Johnson All-Big 5 First Team NABC Second Team All-District La ­Salle retired former standout Larry Cannon’s famed Seniors Jordan Price, Hank Davis and Cleon Roberts No. 20 in a ceremony at the Palestra during the La ­Salle graduated with bachelor’s degrees in May. – Villanova game.

4 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY UNDER ARMOUR PARTNERSHIP EXTENSION

La ­Salle University announced a new partnership agreement with Under Armour in March that will make the Baltimore-based global leader in performance footwear, apparel and equipment the official outfitter of La ­Salle Athletics beginning July 1, 2017.

As part of the multi-year partnership, Under Armour will provide uniforms and training footwear and apparel for all of La ­Salle’s Division I teams and 449 student-athletes. The agreement, which also extends to coaches and administrators and expands upon the outfitting deal already in place with the men’s basketball program, marks the first time the La ­Salle University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has entered into an all- sport agreement.

“We are very excited to announce this partnership with Under Armour, the most innovative athletic brand in the world,” La ­Salle Director of Athletics and Recreation Bill Bradshaw, ’69, said. “This relationship shows a commitment to our student- athletes by outfitting them with the best footwear, apparel and equipment available.”

La ­Salle joins the growing Under Armour roster of NCAA partners that includes Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Maryland, Texas Tech, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Boston College, Utah, South Carolina, and Auburn.

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 5 ATLANTIC 10 AWARDS

Atlantic 10 First Team Atlantic 10 Second Team Rachel Hartman Christoff Ras Field Hockey Men’s Swimming Kendall Kreider Dylan Yurasits Field Hockey Men’s Diving Abbey Lawrence 800 Freestyle Relay Field Hockey Men’s Swimming Anna Gordon 400 Medley Relay Lacrosse Men’s Swimming Amanda Ryan 4 x 800 Relay Women’s Rowing Men’s Indoor Track Colman Kennedy Fran Ferruzzi Matt Robinson 4 x 800 Relay A-10 First Team A-10 Cross Country All-Conference Men’s Soccer Men’s Outdoor Track Men’s Soccer Men’s Cross Country Fabian Bergman Ifetayo Taylor Men’s Swimming Women’s Indoor Track Cameron Fadley Distance Medley Men’s Swimming Women’s Indoor Track Mattias Glenesk Men’s Swimming

Atlantic 10 Third Team Fabian Bergman Kaitlin Poiesz Men’s Swimming Women’s Indoor Track Allee Ilgenfritz Kaitlin Poiesz Cameron Fadley Mone’t Gist A-10 First Team A-10 Cross Country All-Conference Men’s Swimming Women’s Indoor Track Lacrosse Women’s Cross Country 400 Freestyle Relay Distance Medley Men’s Swimming Men’s Indoor Track

Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Matt Holt Devin Corah Baseball Volleyball Pat McCarthy Katie Wood Men’s Soccer Volleyball Jessica Bryant Amy Griffin Stephen Lewandowski Women’s Outdoor Track A-10 First Team A-10 Cross Country All-Conference Women’s Basketball Men’s Outdoor Track A-10 HIGHLIGHTS

Fabian Bergman Stephen Lewandowski A-10 100 Backstroke Silver Medal Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track A-10 200 Backstroke Silver Medal* 1500m Champion A-10 800 Freestyle Relay Silver Medal* A-10 400 Medley Relay Silver Medal A-10 400 Freestyle Relay Bronze Medal* A-10 200 IM Bronze Medal

*Also set new school record

6 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY PHILADELPHIA HONORS

Philadelphia Men’s Philadelphia Big 5 Philadelphia Big 5 Philadelphia Soccer 6 Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Big 5 Baseball Colman Kennedy B.J. Johnson Amy Griffin Luke Reilly All-Star First Team First Team, Leading Scorer All-Big 5 Matt Robinson Jordan Price Adreana Miller Matt Holt All-Star Second Team Leading Free Throw Shooter All-Rookie Cameron Keys All-Rookie

NCAA QUALIFIER 1-METER DIVE

Luke Reilly Amy Griffin All-Big 5 Big 5 First Team

Dylan Yurasits

Jordan Price Matt Robinson Big 5 Second Team Soccer 6 All-Star

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 7 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

MATT ROBINSON TANAWAN SUKONTHAPANICH AMANDA RYAN Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Academic Excellence Award De La ­Salle Service Award CHRISTINA BASCARA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year DIDOU Y KNOW?

La ­Salle’s NCAA graduation success rate (GSR) is higher than the general student body and the Division-I national average.

Men’s basketball, women’s cross country, men’s 6 tennis, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s Spring 2016 Team GPA Award | Women’s Soccer TEAMS track and field teams were recognized in the top 10 percent nationally in their sport in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate.

received Team Academic Awards from their 12 respective coaches associations. PROGRAMS

2016 Team GPA Award for Spring and Fall | Men’s Soccer Explorers were named to Academic All-Conference 13 teams, while Kaitlin Poiesz and Josh Brooks were EXPLORERS also named The Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area.

earned Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll 244 in the fall. STUDENT- ATHLETES

Fall 2016 Team GPA Award | Volleyball

8 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Academic All-Conference NCAA Public Recognition Award Christina Bascara Men’s Basketball A-10 Softball Women’s Cross Country POSTGRADUATE Fabian Bergman Men’s Tennis SCHOLARSHIP Men’s Swimming Women’s Tennis Jeff Brady Men’s Track and Field Men’s Water Polo Women’s Track and Field Tom Del Conte Men’s Water Polo Perfect Graduation Success Rates Hannah Elliott Women’s Swimming Men’s Basketball Jerry Gravel Women’s Basketball Men’s Swimming Field Hockey Stephen Lewandowski Women’s Rowing Men’s Track and Field Softball Sophie Lozowski Volleyball Field Hockey Toni Massetti Lacrosse Katie O’Grady Field Hockey Kaitlin Poiesz Women’s Cross Country Matt Robinson Men’s Soccer Suzanne Swanicke Christina Bascara Softball

Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Kaitlin Poiesz Women’s Cross Country Josh Brooks Men’s Rowing

National Team Academic Awards Men’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country Men’s Golf Men’s Soccer Men’s Track and Field Women’s Track and Field Field Hockey Lacrosse Women’s Soccer Men’s Swimming and Diving “Seize the Days” – Senior men’s basketball player Hank Davis outlined the keys to balancing the responsibilities of a student-athlete for NCAA Championship Magazine in January. Davis is attending Women’s Swimming and Diving the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University after graduating with degrees in biology and Volleyball chemistry in May.

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 9 COMMUNITY SERVICE

Project Teamwork is the Athletic Department’s community service The service completed by our student-athletes this year has and outreach program. Explorers forged new partnerships this year strengthened La ­Salle’s bond with the local community. Over the past with organizations like Athletes Helping Athletes while continuing year, our student-athletes have embodied La ­Salle’s tradition of giving long-standing partnerships with organizations like Big Brothers Big back to the community and what it means to be a Lasallian. Sisters.

Our men’s and women’s basketball teams partnered with Athletes Helping Members of the volleyball team take a break from beautification at Logan Athletes to host special needs athletes from Bucks County as Honorary Elementary during the annual Fall Day of Service, which saw over 150 student- Captains for games in January. athletes volunteer their time.

10 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SERVICE

La ­Salle student-athletes spent time with some of the 1,200 third grade students Student-athletes walked over 100 kids from Logan from the School District of Philadelphia who visited campus as part of Junior Elementary and CORA Services around campus for a Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Step to Success program. Halloween Trick-or-Treat event.

Twenty-five student-athletes visited Logan and Francis D. Pastorius Elementary schools to celebrate Read Across America. Members of the La ­Salle cheer and dance teams handed out water at the starting line at the Broad Street Run in May. La ­Salle had a total of 115 students volunteer to help the event run smoothly.

Six teams volunteered at La ­Salle’s 5th Annual Community Health Fair in October. Members of the rowing team (right) played hockey with local kids while women’s soccer (left) operated a face painting table.

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 11 ATHLETIC ADVANCEMENT

NEW NAME THANK YOU! TruMark Financial® gift earns naming rights

Look at the impact YOU are making. TruMark Financial® Credit Union entered into a multi-part relationship with La Salle in 2017. One component with a significant Merci, Grazie, Mahalo, Gracias. impact on athletics was a sizeable gift to the University for naming rights to its major athletic facility. The Tom Gola Arena at the There simply aren’t enough ways to thank you for the impact Hayman Center will now be known as the Tom Gola Arena at you have on La Salle’s 25 student athletic teams. the TruMark Financial Center.

Your loyal support enables our student athletes to experience TruMark Financial will also provide free financial literacy workshops success in their respective sports, in the classroom, and in the and affordable financial products and services at a new student- community. operated full service branch in the La Salle Union. Personal finance presentations for students on topics such as saving, borrowing, investing, and budgeting will also be offered.

ATHLETIC ADVANCEMENT Your Contribution to La Salle Athletics BY THE NUMBERS FY ’17 Annual Support FY ’17 (June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017)

About $5 of every $8 raised goes to support La Salle’s men’s basketball program. The remaining $3 go to support all other 1,217 programs. GENEROUS DONORS SUPPORTED LA SALLE ATHLETES Thank you! 18 INCREASE IN ATHLETIC ANNUAL SUPPORT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR Baseball Track/Cross Country $62,206.68 $46,820.35 21 Swimming DONATIONS OF $10,000 OR MORE WERE GIVEN and Diving TO LA SALLE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS $38,134.65 Women’s 465 Men’s Basketball Lacrosse LA SALLE ATHLETES – IN 25 NCAA DIVISION I SPORTS – All other sports $515,952.92 $24,589.00 BENEFITED FROM DONOR SUPPORT $115,135.40 50 MORE $5,000-10,000 DONATIONS WERE RECEIVED THAN IN FY ’16 OVERALL

Total: $802,839 57 PERCENT MORE SUPPORT WAS RECEIVED DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAN IN THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS

“I remember our fabulous run to the Sweet 16 and all of the positive media reporting and the ground swell of support La Salle received on both a local and national level. How much fun was that? We need strong athletic programs.” —Greg Webster, ’81

12 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ADVANCEMENT

New in 2016–2017: Courtside SuperSeats THANKOU Y FROM OUR ATHLETES

“I was able to travel to Oregon to compete in the Olympic Trials. Thank you.”

—Chris Sanders, Track and Field/Cross Country

“ We were able to travel to play teams outside our “ There is not a more exciting place to watch a La Salle conference. Additional basketball game than in our new SuperSeats. The courtside competition strengthens us location provides a unique fan experience and we were as a team. Thank you.” extremely pleased with the response we received from our fans when we introduced them last year.” —Allee Ilgenfritz, Lacrosse —Bill Bradshaw, ’69 Director of Athletics

In addition to their courtside tickets, SuperSeat holders earned: “Being able to charter flights • guaranteed reserved parking near the arena allows us to minimize travel • complimentary access to the hospitality room on the second floor time so we can maximize of the TruMark Financial Center (formerly the Hayman Center) our time in the classroom. prior to tip-off, during halftime Thank you.” • complimentary access to all campus alumni receptions —Amar Stukes, What else? A Courtside Concierge who provide donors with box Men’s Basketball scores, halftime stats, roster cards, game programs, giveaways, and food/drink delivery directly to the seats. “ We were able to train in SuperSeat holders were also placed at the very top of the list for Florida and go to the Penn almost every basketball-related event and opportunity. This year, State Invitational. Thank one of the most coveted benefits was access to individual tickets, you.” additional SuperSeats, and reserved parking for the December 6, 2016 game against Villanova at The Palestra. —Sydney Szopo, Swimming and Diving The SuperSeat Experience is just one of the ways La Salle has strengthened its commitment to its marquee sport. To learn more about SuperSeats, contact Kale Beers ([email protected] 215.951.1545) or Brian Quinn ([email protected] 215.951.1543) for more information. “Our athletes work very hard on the court and in the classroom, and your support is a crucial aspect of our success. Thank you.”

—Caitlin Schweihofer, Head Coach, Volleyball

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 13 EXPLORERS IN THE PROS

NOT PICTURED: Rasual Butler, ’02 Men’s Basketball Ball Hogs (BIG3) Tom Fazzini, ’16 Baseball Salina Stockade (Kan.) Joe Farrell, ’16 Men’s Soccer Rochester Rhinos Ramon Galloway, ’13 Men’s Basketball Sean Quigley, ’08 John McCarthy, ’14 Tyrone Garland, ’14 Turkey KIMbia Athletics Philadelphia Union Breidablik (Iceland) Vernon Goodridge, ’09 Men’s Basketball Mexico Rodney Green, ’10 Men’s Basketball Argentina Darnell Harris, ’08 Men’s Basketball France Sam Mills, ’14 Men’s Basketball Australia Courtney Niemiec, ’14 Women’s Soccer Leigh Gray, ’13 Ebony Wells, ’16 Ryan Richter, ’11 North Carolina Courage Geelong Galaxy (Australia) NUIG Mystics (Ireland) New York Cosmos Reggie Okosa, ’02 Men’s Basketball CORPORATE PARTNERS Paraguay Joey Raver, ’16 Baseball Admark 360 Dunkin Donuts La ­Salle University School Run Around Washington Wild Things (Pa.) AG Administrators Elliot Lewis of Nursing and Health Sand Barrens Golf Steve Smith ’06 Al Wolf/WBC Inc Enterprise Sciences Secret’s Limo Allied Universal Event Medical Staffing Lex Electric Septa Men’s Basketball AllRisk Solutions Long & Foster Sheet Metal Workers France Allstate Everlasting Fence Marino Construction Union Jermaine Thomas, ’06 Amtrak Explorers Den Metropolitan Flag & Sherwin Williams Men’s Basketball Army Recruiting EZ Storage Banner SipShopSave Montenegro Army ROTC Famous Dave’s Monihan Realty Sorrento’s Michelle Verzi, ’08 Avalon Golf Club Franklin Institute Mutual of Omaha Sprinkler Fitters Beneficial Bank Fresh Grocer Northeast Equitable St. Clair Women’s Soccer Biondo Green Parrot Mortgage Standard Digital Australia Bricklayers Union Hampton Inn Northeast Regional Steamfitter’s 420 Jerrell Wright, ’15 Broom Street Software Health Mats Council Carpentry Stifel Men’s Basketball Buck Hotel Herr’s NovaCare Storage King Hungary Bush Auto Holy Redeemer Office Depot Stout’s Charter Services Steve Zack, ’15 Carfagno Chevrolet IBEW Paddy Whack’s Tague Lumber Certa Pro Painter iFly Painter’s Union Talamore Country Club Men’s Basketball Citizens Bank Independence Blue Cross Party Center Third Base Lukoil Academic Sofia (Bulgaria) Clifton Larsen Allen JD McGillicuddy’s Pearle Vision Thrifty Irishman Coca Cola Kampus Klothes Pennant Financial Total Technology College Hunks Moving La ­Salle Alumni PGW Under Armour and Hauling Association PJ Whelihans Valley Forge Sports Courtyard Marriot La ­Salle University School Plumbers Union Valpak DJ Keating of Business Raven’s Claw Varsity Athletic Apparel DMG Securities Reinhart’s Carpets Victory Golf Pass Dole Remax Western Pest

14 LA SALLE UNIVERSITY 2017-18EAD H COACHES

Rob Irvine Dr. John Giannini Chad Hamilton Scott Yurgalevicz David Miller Men’s Soccer Men’s Basketball Men’s and Women’s Men’s and Women’s Baseball Tennis Golf

Tom Madden Michelle Marks Salmi Paul Macht Jamie Platt Paul Royal Men’s and Women’s Field Hockey Men’s and Women’s Men’s and Women’s Women’s Soccer Rowing Water Polo Swimming and Diving

Tom Peterson Caitlin Schweihofer Brooke Darreff Candace Taglianetti Jeff Williams Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Softball Bossell Women’s Basketball Cross Country Women’s Lacrosse Men’s and Women’s Track and Field

Head women’s basketball coach Jeff Williams earned First-year men’s soccer coach Rob Irvine led the Explorers Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Honors. to a 4-0 record to begin the season, their best start in almost 20 years.

ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 15