Athletics PArtnershiP Athletics Lehigh University Department of Athletics 641 Taylor Street Bethlehem, PA 18015-3187 www.lehigh.edu www.lehighsports.com ANNU A L REPO R T 2006-2007 Athletics PArtnershiP Athletics Lehigh University Department of Athletics 641 Taylor Street Bethlehem, PA 18015-3187 www.lehigh.edu www.lehighsports.com ANNU A L REPO R T 2006-2007 ATHLETICS From Joe Sterrett ‘76 Goodman Dean of Athletics Dear Athletics Partners, We are now several years into our “Shine Forever” capital university. It is heartening to know campaign for Lehigh, and therefore, several years into our that the university will support and efforts to implement a strategic plan for athletics that was de- endorse, as an institutional priority, veloped in concert with the campaign planning and affirmed our efforts to expand self-generated by the NCAA Self –Study process that we completed a couple resources such as ticket sales, camp of years ago. Clarity of purpose has not been a question; in income, external events income, cor- our varsity programs we aim to recruit outstanding scholar- porate partnership income, merchandising, concessions, and athletes, provide high quality coaching and support services, most significantly, charitable gifts. The latter element is some- and win championships as we endeavor to promote student- what remarkable in that we are coming off a year where we athlete learning and develop leadership. In our non-varsity achieved a challenging annual fund raising goal of one million programs, our plan identifies the need for a comprehensive dollars, yet still we envision an enormous upside to this area, examination of scope, priorities, and resource requirements primarily because our participation rates have so much room in the aim of ensuring opportunities that effectively meet the to grow. interests and aspirations of an active campus community. Achieving a clear understanding about this approach to We have determined that the scope of our varsity program athletics funding was an essential step to the process of fairly is appropriate, so the key evaluations and actions need to be and thoughtfully evaluating the effectiveness of our staffing focused on strategies, resource adequacy, and effectiveness structure. As we began to re-evaluate the financial goals that in achieving intended results. College athletics operates in ought to be a part of this now clear financial model, the first an incredibly dynamic and always competitive environment. consideration had to be whether we have sufficient staffing This requires a vigilant approach to evaluating our ability in place to take on the inevitably higher revenue expectations to achieve our intentions and a willingness to determine the that will need to be adopted. Concurrent with the evaluation limits of institutional willingness and/or capacity to invest in of the administrative organization was the need to fairly and people or facilities or program support at or beyond the levels thoughtfully assess the level of support we have provided that others have elected to invest. At an institution such as those varsity sports programs that have demonstrated the Lehigh, where investment in the academic experience and in capacity to influence revenue generation, either directly or providing a high quality and safe campus life are non-negotia- indirectly. ble priorities, the challenge for the athletics program has not The challenges are obvious–the proverbial “bar” has been been one of determining how to allocate traditional budget raised. And it should be raised, for no matter how much resources but instead one of identifying and then maximizing anyone feels has been achieved, the reality is that we are funding sources that are supplementary to budgetary alloca- coming off our poorest competitive year of the last 18, and our tions. revenue generation effectiveness has not been where it needs This summer, working very closely with President Alice to be. Given our now defined financial model for the future, Gast, we were able to determine that the athletics resource we have to do better. So the “net” outcomes of the “summer of needs at a competitive level in our league would clearly 2007” included numerous advancements and exciting changes exceed what could be reasonably funded by the institutional (described further on page 12). budget. This conclusion was not a surprise since we (the I told our staff last spring, at our end of the year meeting, that Athletics Department) now contribute about 50% of the an- I had some serious thinking to do over the summer months, nual operating resources (excluding financial aid and physical and that there were some important decisions that needed to plant expenses) that are spent on the Lehigh Athletics pro- be made. I have fulfilled that pledge over the course of the gram. However, it was critically and strategically important summer of 2007. Now, I am inspired to move ahead, to reach the point of collective agreement that this “depart- aggressively and yet purposefully and strategically. Our staff mentally-generated” funding model was going to have to be is on board and is already doing some really great things. Our the expected approach to funding athletics for the foreseeable hope is that you will choose to join us as well. future. Even more important, though, was receiving an affir- mation from President Gast that athletics at Lehigh, managed With sincere thanks for your past and continued support, and evaluated within the academic and competitive param- eters that Lehigh has adopted, are indeed a priority for the Joe Sterrett ‘76 Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics ATHLETICS Academic Achievements Four Lehigh student-athletes honored with the distinguished Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award Jenni Schappert ‘07 (women’s cross country), Gwen Dwyer captain, and a three-time first team all-league selection for the ‘07 (women’s tennis), Tom Gilbert ‘07 (Men’s Swimming) Mountain Hawks. and Christy Smith ‘08 (women’s lacrosse) were all recognized A native of Philadelphia, Dwyer was one of three Patriot during the 2006-2007 school year with Patriot League Scholar League women’s student-athletes to earn a perfect 4.0 in the Athlete of the Year awards. This award is voted on by mem- spring semester, joining Lehigh teammate Francesca Murasko- bers of the Patriot League schools and given to one athlete per Blank ‘07 and Holy Cross’ Natalie Lin. Dwyer was a mem- sport. To be eligible for Scholar-Athlete of the Year, student- ber of the Dean’s List and a four-year member of the Patriot athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above, be a League Academic Honor Roll. She was also active in the starter or a key player in their sport Lehigh community, working with the Fellowship of Christian and be at least a sophomore. Athletes and Amnesty International. On the court, Dwyer played first singles and doubles and Jenni Schappert ‘07 was selected continually performed at a high level against the opposition’s as the 2006 Patriot League Scholar- best players. She finished her senior season with a 10-9 record Athlete of the Year for women’s cross at first singles. Dwyer’s Lehigh career ended with 40 singles country. Schappert posted three of the wins and 39 doubles wins, and she ranks among Lehigh’s top six times for the Mountain Hawk career leaders in both categories. women last season and was the top Dwyer’s honor marks the first time a student-athlete from finisher for the women in all four races Lehigh has been named Scholar-Athlete of the Year in wom- she competed in. An international en’s tennis. relations major with a 3.87 cumulative grade point average, Schappert is the The concept of the multi-sport athlete at the Division I college programs’s first-ever Scholar-Athlete level has become increasingly rare. In this era of specialization, of the Year. young student-athletes Following a remarkable junior generally focus on maxi- season where she became the first- mizing their potential in ever Lehigh female athlete to compete one sport on the college at the NCAA Championship Meet, level. Christy Smith ‘08 Schappert kicked off her final year in has emerged as an excep- the Brown and White by finishing first tion to the rule. The senior at the Lehigh Valley Cross Country Championships and the from Downingtown, Penn- Lafayette Dual—the first two meets of the Mountain Hawks’ sylvania is one of three season. She won the Lehigh Valley Cross Country Champi- Lehigh student-athletes onships, completing the race in a time of 22:31. Two weeks who play field hockey in later at the Lafayette Dual, Schap- the fall and lacrosse in pert shaved nine seconds off her the spring; but what sets time. The North East, Md. native Christy apart is the success ran Lehigh’s top 6K time of 21:27 she’s experienced. Christy at the elite Paul Short Invitational is an all-region performer where she finished 24th out of 237 in field hockey, and is the competitors. She capped off her reigning Patriot League career by finishing fourth overall at Scholar-Athlete of the Year for lacrosse; and oh by the way, the Patriot League Championship she carries a 3.88 grade point average in industrial engineer- Meet by completing the course in a ing. It’s an extraordinary time commitment, but one she time of 23:47. clearly balances well. It doesn’t hurt to have a pair of supportive coaches, both of Gwen Dwyer ‘07 was named the whom successfully mastered the field hockey-lacrosse double 2007 Patriot League women’s ten- in college. Field hockey coach Julie Mazer played both sports nis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as at West Chester, and lacrosse coach Liz Ota ’95 was a second- voted on by the league’s sports in- team All-America at Lehigh.