Bucknell University Athletics
From the AD's Desk
11/20/2007 7:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 20, 2007
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, this is the time each year when I enjoy taking a few minutes to reflect on all that we have to be "thankful" for in Bison Athletics.
First and foremost, I am extremely thankful to be leading a department that is comprised of some of the hardest working coaches, staff and student-athletes in the country. I continue to be immensely impressed by what Bucknell student-athletes are able to accomplish, both on and off the field. Competing at the Division I level athletically is difficult, and our coaches demand nothing less than their best every single day. Yet, Bison student-athletes still find time to excel academically at a prestigious institution, and beyond the classroom they even squeeze in time for self-betterment activities and community service.
As some of you know, the Department of Athletics co-sponsors a monthly Women's Sports Luncheon, and we recently introduced a new opening segment called "In Her Own Words," where a student-athlete takes the microphone and tells the audience about something interesting she has done away from athletics. Already we have heard from Jenna Henderson, the Bucknell volleyball program's all-time kills leader who spent several weeks this summer volunteering in a medical clinic in Nicaragua with the Bucknell Brigade, and from Christy Totten, the all-conference cross country/track and field athlete who spent last summer job shadowing a zookeeper as part of her research for a novel she is currently writing.
There are many more stories just like these from the men and women who don the Orange & Blue, and I am thankful for each and every one of them. They make it easy for the department staff to work to their fullest in support of their endeavors.
Already this fall Bucknell has captured a Patriot League championship in women's cross country and a regular-season title in women's soccer. The men's soccer team had an outstanding regular season but unfortunately lost a heartbreaker in penalty kicks in the Patriot League semifinals.
The women's cross country title was Bucknell's third in a row and seventh overall in the Patriot League. Kevin Donner's teams have now won every Patriot League title in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track since the fall of 2005 - a perfect 7-for-7.
I am extremely thankful for what the new stadium facility at the West Fields has meant to our Bison soccer and field hockey programs. The Varsity Soccer Field grandstand was packed routinely throughout the fall. The crowds for the women's home game against Penn State and the men's nationally televised home game against Lehigh - both numbering well over 1,000 - made for some of the best gameday atmospheres at any sporting event during my tenure at Bucknell.
It's no coincidence that the two soccer teams combined for a 12-6-2 home record this fall. Ben Landis' women captured their second straight Patriot League regular season title, but unfortunately they were upset 1-0 by a good Navy team in the league championship game. The men's team not only defeated preseason favorite Lehigh 3-1 in that Fox Soccer Channel game, but Brendan Nash's squad also routed American 3-0 in front of a large home crowd on the final day of the regular season to clinch a postseason berth.
No one, including Coach Landis and his staff, are satisfied with the results of the just-completed football season, but a compelling upset victory on the road over Patriot League champion Fordham provided a glimpse of the future with our young Bison squad.
I am also thankful that what seems to be a very promising winter sports season is already upon us. Despite some key injuries, the men's basketball team jumped out to a 2-0 start in its quest for a fourth-straight 20-win season, then Pat Flannery's team led 23rd-ranked Villanova for most of the game before dropping a hard-fought 70-64 decision to fellow Bucknell alum Jay Wright '83 and his Wildcats. With season ticket purchases and Sojka Psychos registration both at an all-time high this year, I encourage all fans to plan ahead. If you are considering coming to a game this season but do not yet have a ticket, call the Campus Box Office (570-577-1000) or go ONLINE as soon as possible so you don't get shut out. Also, with construction on 7th Street in the area surrounding Sojka Pavilion expected to continue throughout the winter, I advise you to get to Sojka early on game nights. We don't want you to miss a second of the action!
The Bison women's basketball team is picked No. 1 in the Patriot League preseason poll after taking the regular-season title last season, and they feature the league's preseason player of the year in Hope Foster. Dan Schinnerer's men's and women's swimming and diving teams are both off to excellent starts early in the season, and barring injuries both should be in contention at the Patriot League Championships next February. Likewise, the indoor track and field teams are again strong. The women's team has won the last six league titles indoors, while the men's team looks to move up from third place a year ago.
Year No. 2 of the reborn Bison wrestling program kicked off this past weekend at the Navy Invitational. Dan Wirnsberger's squad, made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores, has a pair of returning NCAA qualifiers in David Marble and Andy Rendos, both of whom won their respective weight classes at Navy to start the season. With another nationally recognized recruiting class in hand, the Bison could be dangerous when the EIWA Championships come along in February. Coach Wirnsberger has also compiled one of the strongest schedules in the nation, with the dual slate including Michigan, Missouri, Stanford, Army and Lock Haven, as well as a trip to the Virginia Duals, where the field includes the likes of Oklahoma State, Illinois, Lehigh, Oregon State, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
The first home competition is set for Saturday, Dec. 1 against George Mason and Millersville. If you have not yet seen an event in Davis Gym, please come out and see the wonderful new scoreboard/video board, which was generously donated by Bill Graham. The messaging center is a terrific modern addition to the venerable arena, and it drew rave reviews throughout the recently completed volleyball season.
Once again I am very thankful that Bison student-athletes continue to pile up the academic honors. Kelly Hoffman (field hockey) and Gillian Nordquist (women's cross country) both received Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for their respective sports. Kelly was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection this year, and she is a double major in English and psychology with a 3.94 GPA. Gillian, who is also a double major in English/creative writing and Spanish and has a 3.91 GPA, was a second-team all-conference performer on Bucknell's league championship team.
The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America program is just underway, and already Bucknell has had five Academic All-District selections. Chelsea Brinkman and Lauren Stoller from women's lacrosse, Shannon Pitsch from volleyball, Ryan Walsh from football and Justin Wolf from men's soccer were all recently honored. Last year Bucknell had a school-record 20 all-district selections and three went on to earn national Academic All-America honors. Bucknell ranks fifth nationally with 114 Academic All-Americans since 1970.
Football senior Nick Mozal was selected as a finalist for Draddy Trophy, also known as the "Academic Heisman," by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Nick is a political science/economics double major who has maintained a 3.77 GPA. He is the president of the Bucknell Conservatives Club, visited New Orleans with Habitat for Humanity, and completed an internship on Capitol Hill this past summer. He will graduate in 3 ½ years before heading to law school.
The Bison athletics program as a whole once again performed very well in the NCAA's review of the Department of Education's graduation rate survey. Bucknell's four-class average graduation rate of 90 percent ranked fourth among all Division I institutions, while the graduation rate of 87 percent just for the student-athletes who entered school in 2000-01 ranked 10th in the nation.
The NCAA also released its own Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data, which differs from the federal graduation-rate formula in that the GSR factors in transfer students who do graduate, and does not penalize schools for losing transfers who leave in good academic standing. Those findings revealed that 16 Bucknell varsity programs, including men's basketball, boasted perfect 100 percent GSRs, factoring student-athletes who entered school between the 1997-98 and 2000-01 academic years. Of Bucknell's 23 varsity sports considered in the study (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field are combined, for GSR purposes), 20 had a GSR of 90 percent or better.
Bucknell's overall GSR of 94 percent also ranked favorably nationally. Notre Dame, Northwestern, Navy and Holy Cross had the highest mark of 98 percent.
Once again this year I remain exceptionally thankful to our alumni and fans who have shown Bison Athletics such wonderful support - both spiritually and financially.
With your help, Bucknell now boasts one of the finest soccer/field hockey facilities in the nation. Now we would like to expand that support to Phase IV of the West Fields revitalization project, which encompasses new facility complexes for both baseball and softball. The facilities of both programs have fallen behind their peers, and we intend to rectify that in the near future.
In recent weeks we have successfully completed the installation of the Lee Idleman Memorial, honoring Bucknell's 114 (and counting!) Academic All-Americans. The beautiful display is located in the corridor just outside Kinney Natatorium, and I encourage you to check it out on your way to a swim meet or basketball game this winter. The permanent exhibit pays tribute to the late Lee Idleman, a former Bucknell University trustee and generous benefactor, who was one of the leading proponents of our scholar-athlete model.
One "behind-the-scenes" nugget to share with you is that we will soon be working on relaunching a new and improved Bison Athletics Web site. While the revamped site will still be chock full of news and information, it will also feature an enhanced graphical element, particularly in the area of streaming video. The University site (Bucknell.edu) will also be undergoing a makeover, and both sites are expected to roll out next summer.
In the meantime, we have recently added a link on the left side of the current athletics site, called "Bison Vision." This area features several video shorts, including the most recent one that recognizes the All-American Sportsmanship Award that we were proud to accept this fall. More video clips will be added throughout the winter and spring seasons, so stay tuned!
In closing, I want to reiterate my sincere "thanks" to all of our wonderful supporters, and on behalf of the entire Department of Athletics & Recreation, please enjoy a safe and prosperous holiday season!
And as always ... GO BISON!
John P. Hardt
Director of Athletics & Recreation
Previous installments of "From the AD's Desk"
-- August 15, 2005
-- September 26, 2005
-- December 1, 2005
-- April 6, 2006
-- August 3, 2006
-- August 28, 2006
-- October 22, 2006
-- March 26, 2007
-- May 25, 2007
-- Aug. 8, 2007
