Ridley Athletic Complex recently debuted
its brand-new, state of the art Daktronics scoreboard. The new addition, which
features 12 more horizontal feet than the last fixture and a 130 percent
increase in image resolution, makes for a much-improved viewing experience. The
scoreboard was introduced during a women’s soccer match against St. Francis,
but the game was cut short due to lightning.
Loyola also introduced its first-ever
branded charter bus on Aug. 14: a 56-passenger Van Hool featuring the popular
slogan “Unleash the Hounds” in bold grey lettering on the side. The bus also
includes the school’s motto, “Strong Truth’s Well Lived.”
Additionally, the men’s soccer team received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division I preseason poll, ranking as high as 23rd in the country.
The women’s soccer team also welcomes back Joe Mallia to the head coaching position. Mallia led the team to great success from 1998-2004, going 87-45-8 (54-4-5 MAAC) and collecting five conference championships.
The men’s lacrosse team fell to Penn State
in the national quarterfinal round on May 19, but several players received
All-American honors after season’s end. Pat Spencer ’19 won USILA Player of the
Year and the Tewaaraton Award, lacrosse’s equivalent of the Heisman trophy.
Spencer is the first Greyhound to win this award. His career in college athletics
isn’t over however, as he intends to use his final year of eligibility to play
for the Northwestern University men’s basketball team this winter.
Goalie Jacob Stover ’19 joined Spencer on
the All-America first team, while Chase Scanlan ’22 earned second team honors. Kevin
Lindley ’21 and Ryan McNulty ’20 were honorable mentions. Scanlan has since transferred
from Loyola, choosing to take his talents to Virginia. The men’s team also
enjoyed a trip to Portugal this summer, where they held lacrosse clinics for
local kids, took surfing lessons, and played two exhibition games against the
English Premiere Select Team.
The women’s lacrosse team fell to
Princeton in the second round of the NCAA tournament last May, but not before Hannah
Powers ’19 broke the program’s record for points with 317 over her four-year
career.
Kristen Yanchoris ‘19 also earned an
outstanding achievement, as she was named the Patriot League Female
Scholar-Athlete of the year. Yanchoris was then chosen to represent the Patriot
League as the nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Two members of the women’s lacrosse coaching
staff kept busy this summer, as head coach Jen Adams and assistant Stacey
Morlang Sullivan led the Australia U19 team in the U19 World Championships from
Aug 1-10 in Ontario, Canada. Adams and Morlang Sullivan have shared head
coaching duties for two years now.
Women’s tennis’ Kateri Martin ’21 earned
Patriot League First Team honors for the second year in a row. Martin is the
only Greyhound tennis player to have earned the honor.
The women’s volleyball team received the
Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association this July,
as they maintained a 3.718 cumulative GPA in the 2018-29 academic year. The
required cumulative GPA to qualify for the award is 3.30.
On the track, Heather Merrifield ’21
became the first Greyhound to win an ECAC Outdoor Track Championship on May 12,
winning the 400-meter hurdles. Senna Ohlsson ’21 was the first Greyhound student-athlete
to participate in the USA Track and Field U20 championships on June 22, finishing
10th in the 800m event. The women’s track and field team was also
included in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
All-Academic Team, the eighth year in a row they have received that honor.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving
teams both ranked top-30 nationally in the CSCAA Academic Polls released this
summer. The women had a 3.61 cumulative GPA, while the men averaged 3.42.
Two members of the men’s basketball team played in the FIFA U19 Euroleague Championships this summer. Incoming freshmen Santi Aldama and Golden Dike both represented Spain’s team as they won the tournament over Turkey on Aug. 4. Aldama was named MVP of the tournament, averaging 18 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
The women’s basketball team once again
found themselves on the WBCA Academic Top-25 list, making it four consecutive
years. Loyola ranked 13th in the country with a 3.608 cumulative
GPA.
The women’s rowing team finished ninth at
the Patriot League Championships on May 17, their best finish at the event yet.
Men’s golf’s Evan Brown ’21 earned Patriot
League First Team honors, and was also named to the PING All-Northeast Region
team on May 28.
A number of teams led the Patriot League
in Academic Honor Roll members for the 2018-19 academic year. To earn this
achievement, student athletes must maintain a 3.2 GPA in the spring semester,
and participate in a winter or spring sport.
Women’s Swimming and Diving – 34 honorees
Men’s Swimming and Diving – 25 honorees
Women’s Rowing – 15 honorees
Men’s Tennis – 13 honorees
Women’s Tennis – 10 honorees
Men’s Golf – 8 honorees
To view a full list of each team’s honorees, visit Loyola’s main athletics web page, loyolagreyhounds.com.
Featured Image Courtesy of Larry French