FIRSTS
Four Shenandoah University students participated in the 2015 CLARION National Case Competition held at The University of Minnesota in April, Shenandoah’s first team to participate in the national competition. Second-year physical therapy student Krista Eskey, second-year occupational therapy student Sarah Marshall and second-year physician assistant studies student Rebekah Payne, the winners of Shenandoah’s first-ever Inter-professional Case Competition, along with second-year pharmacy student Spencer Blohowiak, represented the university at the national competition. The full video of their presentation is available here. Read more about the competition here.
The No. 8/10 Shenandoah University baseball team claimed the university’s first-ever ODAC Championship with a 4-2 victory over Virginia Wesleyan on April 26, at Lynchburg City Stadium. Junior Darrell Thompson threw a complete game six-hitter for the Hornets (27-8-1) in the winner-take-all championship game of the tournament. Thompson picked up tournament MVP honors as a result of his performance. Shenandoah, which won the USA South title in 2010, defeated the second-seed (Virginia Wesleyan) third-seed (Randolph-Macon), fourth-seed (Bridgewater) and sixth-seed (Eastern Mennonite) in earning its first ODAC title in three years of league play. John Wilt, Billy Arens and Michael Scimanico joined Thompson on the All-Tournament team. Read more here.
Students from Shenandoah’s Going Global First-Year Seminar and James Wood High School raised more than $900 on April 10, for the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project (NAOP). Their “Barefoot Mile” event drew more than 50 participants. NAOP works on behalf of HIV/AIDS orphans in rural Uganda to end systemic deprivation, poverty, and hunger through a holistic approach to community development, education, and health care.
NEWS
Seniors Ryan Parker and Elizabeth Jensen, as well as Student Accounts Office Administrative Assistant Donna Aclin, received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award during the university’s commencement ceremony on May 9. Parker, a native of Callao, Virginia, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and will begin graduate study in the occupational therapy program at Shenandoah University. He traveled to Haiti to assist those in need and helped to make Shenandoah University’s first Out of the Darkness Campus Walk a success, raising over $14,000 for suicide prevention programs. Jensen, a Fork Union, Virginia, native, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She served as a first-year seminar mentor, traveled to Kenya as a summer intern with Hope Shines, helped establish the Council for the Exceptional Child chapter at Shenandoah University, traveled to Staten Island, New York, as part of an early response team with Shenandoah University after Hurricane Sandy, and initiated the first Shenandoah University Barefoot Mile to raise funds for the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project. Jensen will attend the University of Louisville in the fall to earn a master’s degree in social work. Aclin, a Cross Junction, Virginia, resident, has been a consistent volunteer for Shenandoah University at the Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter for the past two years. She has stepped in to lead a staff and faculty team or a student group to provide dinner to the shelter’s guests.
Associate Professor of Chemistry Diep Ca, Ph.D., junior nursing major Katelyn Gregory and senior dance major Erin Puskar attended the 2015 Alpha Chi National Convention in Chicago in March. Gregory presented her research, Puskar performed a theatrical contemporary dance solo, “Delusions of Grandeur,” and Dr. Ca served as a chemistry judge. Puskar won the Alpha Chi National scholarship, a very competitive scholarship for senior undergraduate students. Only two scholarships are awarded each academic year to about 300 chapters. She also won a prize in performance for her dance solo, which was the only prize awarded for a performance, and was one of 28 prizes in all disciplines chosen from more than 400 presentations and performances. Puksar was also recently selected for a summer 2015 internship with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where she is serving as an education department intern, participating in youth dance programs and earning her certification to teach dance to those with Parkinson’s disease.
Eight James R. and Mary B. Wilkins Appreciation Awards were presented to outstanding employees during May’s full faculty and staff meetings. The Wilkins Appreciation Awards are presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the reputation of the university, implemented major cost-saving ideas, shown outstanding leadership in difficult situations, and/or achieved distinction or special recognition in the recipient’s occupation or profession. The 2015 Wilkins Award winners faculty recipients included Assistant Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences Richard Pierce, Ed.D.; Adjuvant Adjunct Professor of Nursing Jennifer Matthews, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Psychology Wendy Carlson, Ph.D.; and Assistant Professor of Nursing Karen Gonzol, M.S.N. Staff recipients included Coordinator of Experiential Learning and Clinical Contracts Joanna Filson (Physician Assistant Studies); Student Records and Licensure Coordinator Annette McCracken (School of Education & Human Development); Director of Media Relations Emily Burner (Office of Marketing & Communications); and Residential Facilities Manager Matt Webster (Physical Plant). (PHOTOS: Lee Graff and Jason Lopez)
The Office of Marketing & Communications (OMC) won three Telly Awards for excellence in video production, one Communicator Award of Excellence, four Communicator Awards of Distinction, and one silver ADDY in the Consumer Website category. The 36th annual Telly Awards competition received more than 13,000 entries, from video professionals around the globe. Two of the 2015 Telly Awards (one in the Education category and the second in the Health & Wellness category) were for the OMC-produced Health & Life Sciences video, which was created for the gala opening of the new facility. The other was awarded for 30-second television spot promoting the “Shenandoah & You” campaign. “With the type of non-broadcast video production done at Shenandoah University, this award is the equivalent of an Emmy for broadcast video/television,” said Director of Video Production Rick Ours. Shenandoah University has now received 13 Telly Awards in the last 10 years. In addition, Shenandoah University’s Conservatory website received a silver ADDY in the Consumer Website category. The website was designed by a team made up of OMC staff members and representatives from MGH, a full-service marketing communications agency based in Baltimore. The 41st annual ADDY Awards are hosted by the American Advertising Federation of Baltimore. The ADDY competition is the industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting more than 50,000 entries every year in local ADDY competitions. The Communicator Award of Excellence was for a Health & Life Sciences video. The remaining Communicator awards were also for HLSB video, the “Shenandoah & You” video, and a video produced for last year’s United Methodist Church annual conference.
Center for Teaching and Learning Instructional Support Coordinator Virginia “Ginny” Armagh coordinated and managed the SU Student Project and Research Symposium held on April 23. “SUpr Summit 2015: Totally Worth It!” received a record number of entries and was a huge success. Compared to just 14 project entries last year, 41 posters at the symposium were presented by more than 70 undergraduate and graduate students. Projects and research spanned disciplines from across the university as students of all majors shared their work including empirical research, works in progress, portfolios and graduate theses. The poster session was judged by faculty volunteers from a variety of schools, and provided a chance for students to present their research, connect with other students and faculty members, and try their hand at presenting. This year, participants from the 2015 GCP groups were also on hand to talk about their trips and what they learned while traveling abroad. Judges recognized four outstanding projects in undergraduate and graduate individual and group projects, and the students received awards. Four additional projects received honorable mentions. Check out the video about the summit on Shenandoah University’s YouTube channel.
The 88th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Grand Feature Parade on May 2 included the Shenandoah University float, which was designed and constructed by alumnus and Armstrong Concert Hall Production Manager Michael Jones ’02. Grand Feature Parade floats are judged early Saturday morning, and the Shenandoah float won first place in the Communities Participation Non-Professionally Built category. This is the fifth straight year that Shenandoah has placed in this category. The float also won the Lion’s Award for second place overall. Check out video of the Buzzin’ Dozen Pep Band’s performance on the float here. (PHOTO: Cathy Kuehner)
Shenandoah Conservatory welcomed Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater to campus April 13-14 for a special residency for artists and health care professionals to explore the role the arts play in health care. The two-day residency featured multiple masterclasses and workshops that allowed actors, dancers and health care professionals to collaborate and further discuss the role of the arts in health care and the healing of the whole person. The masterclasses and workshops culminated in a special lecture demonstration and performance. (PHOTOS: Gerson Medina)
The Chesapeake Forests Program, an initiative of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, highlighted university efforts to reforest the four short tributaries running off the Blue Ridge Mountains through the Shenandoah River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield and into the Shenandoah River. According to a post on the organization’s blog, “these tributaries were likely significant sources of pollutants into the Shenandoah River” when the property was a golf course. Thus, the desire to create a riparian forest buffer, which would “significantly reduce the amount of nutrients reaching our waterways, and also help stabilize stream banks, sustain fish habitat, reduce air pollution, and increase in-stream processing of nutrients.” Cool Spring Manager Gene Lewis worked with the Alliance to have Shenandoah University classified as a “non-typical, high priority” landowner in order to participate in the USDA FSA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), the existing primary federal cost-share program for riparian forest buffers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. As a result, 600 trees were planted at the Cool Spring river campus in early April. Read more about the effort on the Chesapeake Forests Program blog.
Author, adventurer and marathon runner Rosie Swale Pope visited Shenandoah on March 16, and threw out the first pitch at the Hornets baseball game before delivering a speech to nearly 60 university community members in Halpin-Harrison Hall. Senior business major and Hornets pitcher Matthew Wilson gave her a crash course in throwing a baseball in just 15 minutes, as she had never thrown a baseball in her lifetime. Rosie was a quick study, and her first pitch was a strike right down the middle. Adjunct Associate Professor of Music/French Horn Joe Lovinsky, also known as 100 Mile Joe, presented her with a shirt from his March 2014 run and introduced Rosie to the audience. During her speech, she talked about what to do in times of adversity, and said, “you can always make things 20 percent better by the way you think about it. You can’t help the storms outside, but you can help if the weather is smiling inside.” Afterward, she was interviewed by Rachel Charlip, a reporter from WHAG-TV, the NBC affiliate in Hagerstown, Maryland. Follow Rosie on Twitter and Facebook for updates on her solo, unsupported jog from New York City to San Francisco. (PHOTOS: Scott Spriggs)
Shenandoah’s April production of “The Vagina Monologues” raised a record amount for The Laurel Center of Winchester, Virginia. A total of $2,215 — the most any Shenandoah Take Back the Night event has ever raised — will contribute to The Laurel Center’s mission to stop the cycle of domestic and sexual violence. Over the course of a three-night run, more than 350 tickets were sold; two out of three performances were sold out. “The Vagina Monologues” was directed by Sarah Celec, and Kaedy Fischer served as assistant director.
Students voted for their 2015-16 Student Government Association executive officers on April 6. They selected sophomore business administration major Daniel Hillgren as president; junior chemistry/psychology major Annamarie “Annie” Everett as vice president for undergraduate affairs; and MBA student Myles Hairston as vice president for graduate affairs. (PHOTOS: Office of Student Engagement)
ARTS & SCIENCES
English minor Madison (Maddi) Armstrong’s ’15 original one-act play, “The Thing with Feathers,” was produced by The Playwright’s Performance at Shingleton Black Box on April 16. Armstrong wrote the play as an Independent Study in Autobiographical Playwriting under the direction of Associate Professor of English Michelle Brown, Ph.D.
Environmental studies undergraduates organized and presented “Full Retreat: A Natural Journey through the Cool Spring Battlefield” on April 19. Presented through nine stations along a 1.5-mile pathway, the program highlighted watershed ecology, wildlife, fire in the changing landscape, rare plants, nesting eagles and herons, and other natural features of the university’s River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield. Nearly 100 people attended.
Five College of Arts and Sciences students received fellowships to support summer research projects under faculty supervision. Chad Smith ’15 (Biology/Chemistry) received the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC)/Carilion Program Fellowship to study “The Effects of Glutamate Treatment on Protein Expression in a Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Model System” with Assistant Professor of Biology Beth Cantwell, Ph.D. Kathleen Lasick ’16 (Biology/Chemistry) will examine the “Expression of Proteins Involved in Synchronization of the Biological Clock” under the direction of Dr. Cantwell with a VFIC General Program Fellowship. Sydney Vonada ’16 (Environmental Studies) received a VFIC/MEADWESTVACO Fellowship to study “A Basis for Preservation Management: Characterizing the Ecological Communities of the Cool Spring Campus, Clarke County, Virginia” under the direction of Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology Woodward “Woody” Bousquet, Ph.D. Warrington Fellowships will fund the work of Craig Hollander ’16 (Biology) “Is Trophic Dominance Always Advantageous? Parasitism in Alpha- and Beta-bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus),” working with Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Michael Zimmerman, Ph.D., and Chris Ciszek ’16, (Biology/Chemistry) “Comparison of Endophyte Populations within the American and Chinese Chestnut Trees” working with Assistant Professor of Biology Laurel Rodgers, Ph.D.
Two psychology majors gave presentations at the Carolinas Psychology Conference at Meredith College in April. Amina Benyoussef ’15 presented “Undergraduate Perceptions of Cyberbullying” and Jacob Belkin ’14 presented “Social Perception through Instagram.” Associate Professor of Psychology Scott King, Ph.D., supervised both research projects.
During Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s April 7 visit to Winchester, members of his cabinet held meetings throughout the community. Secretary of Health and Human Resources William A. Hazel (top left) paid a visit to the Winchester Active Living Center, and Associate Professor of Psychology Scott King, Ph.D., and students from “The Adult Years and the Aging Process” psychology class were invited to the luncheon as special guests. Former Virginia Delegate Bob Brink, who is currently the deputy commissioner for the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services in Virginia, also attended. (PHOTOS: Roberta Lauder)
The March 21 “Out of the Darkness” Campus Walk, organized by the Psychology Club, Concern Hotline and other community groups, raised $14,855 for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.
Sophomore Political Science major Emmy Jo McGuire chairs the UVote outreach program, ensuring each student at Shenandoah University has the opportunity to register to vote. This project is supported by the Center for Public Service and Scholarship. Her team of 10 student members offer this opportunity throughout the year as well as during welcome week. Last year, 94% of incoming students registered to vote.
On Saturday, March 28, the University’s McCormick Civil War Institute under the guidance of Professor Jonathan A. Noyalas ’01, Ph.D., hosted a sell-out conference that examined the end of the Civil War and the conflict’s legacies. The conference was held at the University’s Cool Spring Campus and featured four lectures, a panel discussion, and tour of the University’s portion of the Cool Spring battlefield.
BUSINESS
Dr. Markus Rodlauer, deputy director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Asia and Pacific Department (APD), spoke at Halpin-Harrison Hall at the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business on April 23 as part of the school’s ongoing Distinguished Lecture Series. Rodlauer, who has been with the IMF for more than 10 years, offered the presentation “China at a Crossroads – Reform and Rebalance, or else…?” which addressed China’s economic outlook and policy challenges in the global context, and gave a practical look at the IMF’s work with China. “The mission of the Byrd School of Business is to produce successful, principled leaders, with a global perspective,” said Dean and Professor of Management Miles Davis, Ph.D. “Having Dr. Rodlauer as a part of our Distinguished Lecture Series helps us fulfill that mission. His experience with the IMF and working in China gives him a unique perspective that we are honored to have and offer to Shenandoah University and the greater community.”
CONSERVATORY
Shenandoah Conservatory graduate student Alexander Bernstein was awarded second prize at the 2015 Dublin International Piano Competition (DIPC) on May 26. He competed against 62 other pianists from around the world and advanced through all four adjudicated rounds. In addition to the monetary prize awarded to competition winners, Bernstein will receive substantial support from the organization in establishing a career as a concert pianist. Bernstein was also awarded the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Prize for best performance of a piece by the commissioned Irish composer in the semifinal round. Recipients of this award are given the opportunity to perform with the RTÉ NSO in an upcoming concert. He was also the first prize winner in the graduate category of Shenandoah Conservatory’s 2015 Student Soloists Competition earlier this year. His achievement culminated in the performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra later in March. Bernstein is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma (Piano). He studies with Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Chair of Keyboard Division and Professor of Piano John O’Conor, Ph.D., D. Mus., Mus. D. Bernstein completed his master’s degree in piano performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin in 2012 under the tutelage of O’Conor and his bachelor’s degree in music from Harvard University in 2010. Read more here.
Music therapy graduate student Richard Lewellen, MT-BC, presented a lecture, “Group-Singing Music Therapy Protocol as an Adjunct Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease,” at the 44th Annual Voice Symposium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May. His lecture addressed the use of a choir to aid in the development of proper breath support and vocal production in Parkinson’s patients with speech-motor problems. Lewellen is the founder and director of New Leaf Music Therapy in Frederick County, Virginia. A fully-licensed organization, New Leaf addresses concerns from childhood developmental disability to Alzheimer’s, mental health to pain management, and more. Therapists at New Leaf are most (if not all) graduates of Shenandoah Conservatory’s music therapy program and pursue continuing education opportunities to maintain certification. Lewellen is currently pursuing Master of Music in Music Therapy and anticipates graduating December 2015.
Sopranos Elena Flores ’15 and Savanah Stricklin ’15 will perform in a German Lieder program in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, this summer. The focus of their work will be songs of Johannes Brahms. Flores and Stricklin were students of Adjunct Assistant Professor of Voice (Soprano) Lucy Hoyt, D.M.A.
Undergraduate and graduate arts management students are engaged in a variety of exciting summer internships. Undergraduate Zachary Thayer ’16 is interning with the general manager at Music at Menlo. and fellow undergraduate Megan Smallwood ’16 is interning with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Four students in the Performing Arts and Leadership master’s degree program are in the following internships: Brian Farrell ’16, with the director of education at The American Shakespeare Center; Sara Litz ’16 with the managing director at Quantum Theatre in Pittsburgh; Harrison Schonberger ’16 and Eva Zitterkob ’16 with the Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy; and Erin Puskar ’16 at Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago.
Dance Students attended the American College Dance Festival Association’s Mid-Atlantic Conference at Towson University in March. The dancers took a variety of classes in a variety of styles — modern, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, and even an aerial class — from professors from universities like Towson, Virginia Commonwealth University and Radford. Senior dance major Nicole Michael performed her solo work “The Right Place (Part 2)” in the informal concert. Senior dance major Erin Puskar presented her piece “Homines in Machina” for adjudication, which was described as “energetic and well crafted” and “very intriguing” by adjudicators. Assistant Professor of Dance Maurice Fraga, M.F.A., also presented his work “Quartetto” for adjudication, which was described as “choreographically sophisticated and very rich in content” by adjudicators. (PHOTO: Tiffanie Carson)
Senior dance major Michele Boyd ’15 was invited to present her choreography at the DanceWorks Festival in Inwood, West Virginia, in March 2015. Boyd was one of only two student choreographers presenting work at a concert alongside dances by professional choreographers — most with regional and national reputations. Boyd’s choreography and dancers received high praise from Joshua Legg ’99, Shenandoah Conservatory alumnus and JoshuaLegg/DanceProjects artistic director. “Michele’s dance, ‘How We Are Made: Semi-Automatic Replay,’ is an artistic response to the national tragedy of school shootings (Sandy Hook, in particular). A number of the audience members commented on the level of integrity in the work. I would also commend Michele’s cast for their integrity as well. They are also current SU dance majors: Joy Chappell ’16, Breanna Dancy ’15, Kelly Hobbs ’17, Layna Lamons ’14, and Madison Shifflett ’18. The work is thoughtful without being judgmental, and is based on observation rather than emotion, making the work moving in a mature, artistically appropriate manner. These students represented SU quite well with the quality of art they brought to the performance, and the manner in which they interacted with everyone else at the festival. I can convey that festival organizers were pleased. Suffice it to say, I was a proud alumnus last night.” The DanceWorks Festival was hosted by the Berkeley County Arts Council in association with the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Department. The festival was held on Saturday, March 21 at Musselman High School. Boyd and the dancers were invited guest artists, under the company Cameron Dance Arts, of which Boyd is the Artistic Director.
Shenandoah Conservatory welcomed Artist-in-Residence Chang-hai Wang from Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in April 7-10. A renowned violist, Wang currently serves as a professor at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, one of China’s leading conservatories. During his residency, Wang worked primarily with viola students, offering individual lessons and a viola masterclass. He also coached several chamber music ensembles. The relationship between Central Conservatory of Music and Shenandoah Conservatory began in spring 2014 when Central Conservatory of Music invited Director of Instrumental Chamber Music and Professor of Viola and Chamber Music Doris Lederer; Professor of Flute Jonathan Snowden, A.G.S.M., and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Voice Aimé Sposato, D.M.A., to present masterclasses and work with their students. Additionally, three of Wang’s students — Dan Zhang ’11, Artist Diploma (Viola); Wenran Meng, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance (Viola), and Yuan Qi — have studied with Doris Lederer.
The Shenandoah Conservatory Horn Studio welcomed Robert (Bob) L. Watt, the first African-American horn player ever hired in a major American symphony orchestra, in April. Watt was hired by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1970, from which he retired in 2008. Watt is also the author of the book, “The Black Horn,” a memoir that shares his experiences. Watt was a guest artist, teacher and lecturer for the day at Shenandoah Conservatory, working with horn students during their private lessons throughout the day and will speaking during that evening’s horn studio class.
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Twelve athletic training graduate students served as medical staff volunteers for the D.C. Cherry Blossom 10-mile run on April 12. The medical staff was assembled by Polly Porter MPAS, PA-C, ATC and National Sports Medicine Institute specialists Dr. Timothy Johnson and Dr. Dave Johnson from the National Sports Medicine Institute in Landsdowne, Virginia.
Shenandoah University’s Physician Assistant program earned seven years of continuing accreditation, the longest possible. The next review will occur in March 2022.
NURSING
The Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing and the Rho Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) hosted its annual research and scholarship symposium, “Changing Trends in the Healthcare Climate: The Forecast for Nursing” on April 24. The event featured keynote presentations by Peter I. Buerhaus, Ph.D., RN, FAAN; Valere Potter Distinguished Professor of Nursing and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Health Workforce Studies at the Institute for Medicine & Public Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Anne Belcher, Ph.D., RN, AOCN, FAAN, ANEF, associate professor and co-director of the Office for Teaching Excellence at The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Watch the video recap of the event. (PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Scott Spriggs and Rick Ours)
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
The Shenandoah Valley Writing Project (SVWP) received $20,000 from the U.S. Department of Education through a Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Teacher Leadership Development Grant. The grant money will be utilized to expand and develop teacher leadership, in order to improve the teaching of writing and learning in schools around the Shenandoah Valley. The funding will provide new learning opportunities for a minimum of 20 teacher-leaders through August 2016. “It is great to have the SEED grant to support teachers who are working to improve student learning in their classrooms,” said Director of Teacher Licensure and Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Mary Bowser, Ed.D., who serves as principal investigator and site director for the SVWP. “It’s a win-win for both teachers and students.” Read more here.
ATHLETICS
Eight Shenandoah University student-athletes earned academic honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) in selections announced by the organization on March 23. Senior Sarah Wohld, along with juniors Kelani Bailey, Sarah Brock and Katelyn Gregory and freshmen Morgan Lingo, Elizabeth Pardo, Jenna Rampale and Moriah Woods all earned NFHCA honors for maintaining at least a 3.3 GPA through the fall 2014 semester. The eight have an average GPA of 3.74 with both Gregory and Rampale posting a perfect 4.0 and earning the Scholar of Distinction honor. Six of the eight have at least a 3.77 GPA.This is the third straight NFHCA selection for Wohld, Bailey, Brock and Gregory.
Junior field hockey player Kelani Bailey earned her first-ever national championship by winning the USA Racquetball Collegiate Singles championship in late March at Arizona State. Bailey, a three-year starter and two-time All-ODAC honoree for the Shenandoah University field hockey team, won the singles title by downing top-seeded Elizabeth Simmons from the University of Arizona 15-5, 15-7 in the championship match. The national championship adds to an impressive racquetball career in which Bailey has won one world title and finished second on one other occasion. Her championship also carries an automatic appointment to the U.S. National team.
Three members of the Shenandoah University men’s golf team earned All-ODAC honors in selections announced at the league’s banquet on April 20, as part of championship weekend. Head Coach Scott Singhass was named the Jack Jensen Coach of the Year while juniors Evan Cocke and Doc Schulte were named to the league’s first and second team, respectively. Singhass earned the program’s first-ever Coach of the Year award after leading the Hornets to three top three finishes this season including a tie for the championship at the Glenn Heath Shipbuilders Memorial on April 13.
Senior Liz Bereit led a five-player contingent of Shenandoah All-ODAC women’s lacrosse honorees in selections announced by the conference office on May 5. Bereit, a four-time All-league performer, was named first team All-ODAC at midfield as well as the Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s lacrosse. Classmate and fellow co-captain Juli Carbone, as well as junior Miranda Rudacille and freshman Cortney Gensemer earned second team honors with freshman Rachel Levy rounding out the five honorees with a third team nod at goalkeeper. Carbone was picked on defense with Rudacille and Gensemer at attack. Bereit was also selected for third team Capital One Academic All-America. Bereit, who graduated last month Magna Cum Laude with a 3.92 GPA as a sports management major, is the 16th student-athlete in school history to be named Academic All-America. She is the third women’s lacrosse player, after Deanna Estes ’98 and Courtney Beard ’07, to be selected. A four-time All-league selection, Bereit was also named first team All-Chesapeake Region this spring after leading Shenandoah with 51 goals and 19 assists for 70 points. She also was named ODAC Player of the Week on two occasions this season and led the squad in groundballs, draw controls and caused turnovers. Read more here.
Lisa Mitro ’15 earned VaSID College Division All-State honors for softball in selections announced by the Virginia State Sports Information Directors Association. Mitro, who was named first team All-ODAC in April as a designated player, earned second team All-State honors as a DP/Utility. Mitro batted .299 with 23 hits in 77 at-bats at the plate and had a team-high six wins in the pitching circle this past spring.The Richmond, Virginia, native had 24 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched and also posted eight complete games.
Junior Ryan Mossman leads three Shenandoah University baseball players in All-Region selections announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) on May 20. Mossman, a pitcher/outfielder, was selected to the ABCA/Rawlings second team All-South Region as a utility player while second baseman Billy Arens ’15 and junior pitcher Darrell Thompson earned third team accolades. Read more here.
J.J. McDaniel ’15 and Billy Arens ’15 both earned D3baseball.com All-Region honors in selections announced by the website on May 18. Both men were selected to the third team All-South Region. Read more here.
Junior Darrell Thompson was named to the 2015 NCAA Division III Baseball Mideast Regional All-Tournament team in selections announced on May 16, following the completion of tournament play. Thompson, who was named ODAC Tournament MVP after winning two games in that tourney, finished the year 7-1 with 57 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings.Frostburg State won the regional with an 8-4 win over La Roche. Shenandoah was eliminated from the tourney by a loss to FSU; this is the second straight year that the eventual tournament champion has ended the Hornets’ season. Read more here.
The women’s cross country team led the Shenandoah University Athletic Department academically for the spring 2015 semester in team grades released by the department on May 26. Coach Andy Marrocco’s nine-woman roster had a 3.49 average GPA this past spring to lead the department’s 21 teams. The cross country team was one of 12 teams in the department, and eight on the women’s side, that posted at least a 3.0 team GPA. Indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, softball, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball joined cross country from the women’s side while the men’s golf, cross country, lacrosse, and baseball all broke the 3.0 barrier for the men. Golf, with a 3.37 GPA, had the highest men’s team GPA.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics honored 217 student-athletes for their spring 2015 academic achievement in selections announced by the department on June 1. The 217, with at least one representative from all 21 of the department’s intercollegiate athletic programs, were named to the Athletic Director’s List for earning at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Within that group, 153 earned Dean’s List accolades for posting a 3.25 GPA or above. Finally, 23 of those honored had a perfect 4.0 GPA. Read more here.
Jaclyn Mohlmann ’13, ’15, completed her intercollegiate athletics career on May 22, by finishing 12th in the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Mohlmann, thanks to an 1,841-point second day, scored a total of 4,540 points to finish 12th in the 22-woman event. Read more here.
Rising senior Kelani Bailey was one of 200 student-athletes who participated in the 2015 NCAA Career in Sports Forum in June in Indianapolis. Bailey, a two-time All-ODAC honoree for the Hornets field hockey program, is one of two student-athletes from the league to be selected to the sixth-ever forum. Bridgewater‘s Kevin Morris, a member of the Eagles men’s soccer team, will also represent the league. The student-athletes, selected from all three NCAA divisions, went to Indianapolis to gain a broader scope of the career tracks available within the sports business. Participants were selected from those who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in sports, and who were viewed as leaders on their campus, after being invited to apply to attend the forum after a nomination by athletics administrators at their respective schools. Read more here.