WLAX Honors Professors Prior to B1G Win
Apr 27 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Prior to the program's first home Big Ten win last Thursday in thrilling fashion over No. 15 Ohio State, Rutgers women's lacrosse showed its support and gave thanks to esteemed members of the Rutgers University faculty.
Each of the program's seniors picked one to two professors to recognize prior to the game as a gesture of appreciation for the positive impact they have had on the graduating class. The seniors then thanked professors for their continued support of our Rutgers student-athletes.
"Academic success is our number one priority and our student-athletes would never be able to have such a fulfilling experience if it weren't for the dedication of the faculty at Rutgers," said head coach Laura Brand-Sias. "We were honored to have the opportunity to highlight some of the people that have impacted our senior class so greatly."
Captain Halley Barnes (Garnet Valley, Pa.), majoring in communication, nominated professor Jack Grasso from the Rutgers School of Communication & Information. Defender Addington Elliott (Rumson, N.J.), a human resource management major, selected professor Len Garrison from the Rutgers Department of Human Resource Management. Defender and history major Madeline Hulsey (Sherwood Forest, Md.) nominated professor Jerald Goldstein from the Rutgers School of Communication & Information.
Attacker Kim Kolodny (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and midfielder Kristin Kocher (Medford, N.J.), both students in the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, nominated professor Sue Coletta. Additionally, Kocher invited professor Greer Burroughs and Kolodny welcomed Tom Stephens, professor in the Rutgers Spanish Department and NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative for the department. Kolodny is majoring in psychology, while Kocher is enrolled in the Master's program for elementary and special education.
Captain Taylor Pennell (New Egypt, N.J.), a sports management major, invited professor Marian Rosenwasser to the ceremony. Finally, communication major Nikki McMonagle (Moorestown, N.J.) invited professor Brian Manetta from the Rutgers Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations.
In addition to the eight professors honored, the program welcomed Dr. Mary Chayko, the team's faculty mentor, from the Rutgers School of Communication & Information.
"It is great when our coaches recognize the effort and dedication of our faculty. It was Coach Brand's idea to honor these faculty prior to the game for creating an impact on our student-athletes and this event succeeded in bringing our student-athletes and faculty together," said Rutgers Athletics Academic Services Coordinator, Gilah Rosenberg. "Our students chose professors who have impacted their collegiate career. Some of our students were in their classes when they were first- and second-year students and to see that they remember the professors and had built lasting relationships is something that we all can be proud of."
The Rutgers University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics recently received public recognition from the NCAA in women's lacrosse, earning citations for the program's multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 1,000.
Rutgers women's lacrosse earned an APR Public Recognition Award by finishing in the top 10 percent among NCAA schools in each of the last four seasons dating back to the 2011-12 academic year. In each of those seasons, the program scored a perfect 1,000.
The program has also earned distinction as an Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor squad for nine consecutive years, awarded to teams with GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The Scarlet Knights conclude the regular season at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday, April 30 at noon against Michigan. With a win and an Ohio State loss in its season finale, the Scarlet Knights will obtain the No. 4 seed for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Northwestern from May 5-8 in Evanston, Ill.
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