Department of Athletics (574) 631-6107 Athletics Business Office (574) 631-8112 Media Relations (574) 631-7516 ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 2010–11 ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 2010–11 CONTENTS Media 2 Year in Review 36 Relations 58 Compliance Sports 20 Academics 40 UND.com 60 Performance Student Welfare Monogram Seasons in 24 and Development 44 Club 76 Review External Honors 28 Facilities 48 Affairs 100 and Awards Sports 32 Marketing 54 RecSports 112 Appendix FROM THE DIRECTOR We all want to be undefeated. That’s the ultimate goal · Particularly distinctive individual honors went to for anybody involved in athletics—you want to win women’s soccer All-American Lauren Fowlkes (she every time you take the floor or court or field. won an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship), foot- ball lineman Chris Stewart (he became a National It’s no different for all of us at the University of Notre Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete and Dame. With 26 varsity athletics programs and more attended law school during the 2010 season), former than 700 student-athletes, we understand we aren’t women’s basketball player Dr. Carol Lally Shields (she going to be perfect every time out. But that doesn’t was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America mean we aren’t going to attempt to make improve- Hall of Fame) and Irish women’s basketball head ments every day with every one of our programs. coach Muffet McGraw (she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame). We sit down during every off-season with every one of our head coaches. We want to know what it will take Several other teams chalked up first-time accom- to win championships—in particular, national cham- plishments. After several previous NCAA regional pionships—in their particular sports. Then we try to appearances, the women’s golf program in 2011 find ways we can help make that happen. advanced out of the regional and into the NCAA Championship finals for the first time. The men’s We sit down with every one of our graduating student- lacrosse team won its first 10 regular-season games athletes each year. Whether they were All-Americans and for the initial time became the number one team in or walk-ons, we want to know about their experi- the polls. ences—and we want to know how we can attempt to make those experiences even better for the next group Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team won a modern- of freshmen who join Irish rosters. record 27 games and earned a No. 2 NCAA seed (its best in 30 years), and Mike Brey was named national coach The 2010–11 athletic year at Notre Dame included of the year. In addition, Brian Kelly’s football squad some fabulous accomplishments, including one by won its final four games (including over No. 5 Utah and our women’s fencing team that did involve finishing rival USC), including an impressive defeat of Miami in unbeaten: the Hyundai Sun Bowl. 1 · Our women’s soccer team won the 2010 NCAA The various NCAA graduation rate comparisons again Championship after finishing 21–2–2—and Randy found Notre Dame’s name at or near the top of the Waldrum was named the national coach of the year. list in virtually every measurement. Every year that goes by, our student-athletes contribute more service · The men’s and women’s fencing teams both ranked hours to the campus and community than they did the No. 1 all season, finished 29–1 and 29–0, respec- year before. We broke ground for a new, on-campus tively, and then combined to win the 2011 NCAA ice facility, the Compton Family Ice Arena, and look Championship (producing nine All-Americans in forward to moving into that new home for hockey in the process). October 2011. · Muffet McGraw’s women’s basketball team enjoyed We understand that winning every game is a tall order a magical late-season run in defeating perennial for our teams, coaches and student-athletes. Yet we’re powers Tennessee and top-rated Connecticut and proud to say that winning championships is the goal finishing as the NCAA Championship runner-up. for all 26 of those sports every time they take the field. As we pursue those goals, both on and off the fields of · Jeff Jackson’s hockey squad advanced to the NCAA play, it’s our hope that the list of accomplishments a Frozen Four for the second time in four years. year from now will end up even more impressive than it was in 2010–11. · Notre Dame teams claimed BIG EAST Conference titles in women’s soccer (regular season), women’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s golf, softball (regular season) and rowing (its eighth straight)—to go with Midwest Fencing Conference crowns for both the Jack Swarbrick men and women. Vice President Director of Athletics · Our Irish squads produced 26 All-Americans—to go University of Notre Dame with five Academic All-Americans. A THLETICS 2010–11 IN MEMORIAM Declan Sullivan Junior, Long Grove, Ill. The Notre Dame football team paid tribute and honored the memory of junior Declan Sullivan from Long Grove, Ill., by wearing helmet decals emblazoned with a three-leaf clover and inscribed with his initials “DS” inside it following his death. Sullivan was a student worker in the video department who died tragically while filming football practice on Oct. 27, 2010. The entire campus community forever will remember Sullivan for his spirit, wit, dedica- tion and love of Notre Dame. 2 C HRISTINE HALFPENNY SET TO USHER IN NEW ERA AS IRISH WOMEN’s LACROSSE COACH Christine Halfpenny, women’s lacrosse head coach the last five seasons at the College of William and Mary where her teams achieved four straight 10-win seasons and a pair of regular-season conference titles, was appointed head women’s lacrosse coach at the University of Notre Dame on July 26, 2011. Halfpenny’s Tribe squads captured ground balls, draw controls and classes at Duke that ranked among Colonial Athletic Association caused turnovers (all per game) and the top four in the nation (including regular-season titles in both 2008 shooting percentage—and both the the No. 1-rated class in 2005 by and 2009—and she merited CAA 2010 and ’11 teams ranked in the Inside Lacrosse). The 2004 Duke coach-of-the-year honors in 2008. top 20 nationally most of those two team produced the top women’s Her teams combined for a 20-8 campaigns. lacrosse grade-point average in the record in league play (including four country (3.46). Her 2009 season featured a second straight conference tournament consecutive regular-season confer- Halfpenny also spent a season bids)—as William and Mary reached ence crown, finished off with five as an assistant women’s lacrosse double digits in victories each of the straight league wins (three against coach at her alma mater, Virginia last four seasons (10-7 in 2011 and ranked opponents) to end the Tech University, in 2003, directing 2009, 10-8 in 2010, 10-9 in 2008). regular season. Halfpenny saw her recruiting and serving as offensive Those four consecutive 10-win 2008 Tribe team finish the season coordinator. She began her coaching seasons matched the best previous ranked 20th after wins in eight of career as an assistant coach at stretch in program history. its last 11 contests (with four wins Brown University in 2001 and 2002. Notre Dame’s newest head coach coming against rated opponents, She has been actively involved in tutored two All-Americans at including top-10 foes Stanford and various camps and clinics nation- William and Mary, to go with 26 George Mason). Her first season in ally for more than a decade—and all-conference selections and 10 all- 2007 featured a victory over ninth- she served on the Intercollegiate region honorees. Her 2011 squad ranked James Madison. Women’s Lacrosse Coaches became the first in CAA history Association growth committee in 3 In the classroom, Halfpenny’s to receive awards for player of the 2002–03. players earned 59 combined CAA year, defensive player of the year Commissioner’s Academic Awards A four-year letter-winner in women’s and rookie of the year in the same from 2007–2010, as well as five lacrosse at Virginia Tech, Halfpenny season. William and Mary Provost Awards. started on the 1999 Hokie team that Her five seasons with the Tribe won the Atlantic 10 Conference Halfpenny came to Williamsburg produced single-season records for championship, finished 11–6 and in the summer of 2006 after points (347 in 2009), goals (244 in achieved a program-first top-20 three years (2004–2006) as the 2009), draw controls (269 in 2009), ranking. She received the coaches’ top women’s lacrosse assistant caused turnovers (third nationally award that year and was a two-time coach at Duke University. The in 2010 at 12.61 per game) and saves member of the athletic director’s Blue Devils won the 2005 Atlantic (211 in 2008). honor roll (1998, 1999). She gradu- Coast Conference postseason ated in 1999 with a degree in health Halfpenny’s most recent season in tournament title, won or shared and physical education. 2011 included All-America selec- three straight ACC regular-season tions Grace Golden (her second crowns and made three straight consecutive recognition) and Sarah NCAA Championships appearances, Jonson (her third straight) and a advancing to the national semifinals fourth straight advancement to in both 2005 and 2006. Halfpenny the CAA tournament.