Annual Report 2015/16
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CONTENTS Year in review 4 Academic points of pride 12 Athletes of the year 16 Athletics Hall of Fame 17 Infrastructure enhancements 18
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS Baseball 20 Basketball—men’s and women’s 22 Cross Country 24 Golf—men’s and women’s 26 Lacrosse 28 Soccer—men’s and women’s 30 Softball 32 Swimming 33 Tennis—men’s and women’s 34 Volleyball 36
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Year in review Spirit, service and strength are the attributes that define the Lynn University Fighting Knights brand. These qualities provide the foundation for the Fighting Knights identity, and we lived by them throughout the year. Fighting Knights spirit reached new levels during the 2015/16 academic year with record attendance at signature events, a lucrative apparel agreement, a new athletic program, successful recruiting and a historymaking career milestone for a longtime Lynn coach. Fighting Knights service touched countless lives as the teams gave back to their community with an exceptional number of community service hours. Fighting Knights strength showed itself on the field and in the classroom with six teams advancing to NCAA postseason play, several player of the year and coach of the year recognitions, and nationwide accolades for academic achievement.
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SPIRIT 8
Fighting Knights are proud to be part of the Lynn University family. We are loyal, honorable and fun.
Signature events
New athletics program
The Fighting Knights started a new tradition with the goal to become recognized as delivering the friendliest experience in college sports. Members of the athletics department staff greet every fan attending every event with “welcome to Lynn” or “thank you for attending.”
Lynn University added women’s track as an NCAA Division II Fighting Knights athletics program. This marks the first sport expansion since Lynn added lacrosse in 2012, and it increases the number of NCAA varsity sports sponsored by the university to 15—nine women’s and six men’s programs. Chris Wood was selected to coach the women’s track program, which will begin NCAA long distance competition during the 2017/18 season.
The department also advanced a new “Saturdays at Lynn” program, with mobile tickets, a kids’ entertainment zone and complimentary meals for mobile ticket fans. The Ninth Annual Family Fun Day drew a record crowd of over 2,000 attendees who turned out for interactive games and sports clinics with Lynn student athletes. The Fighting Knights hosted a Community Egg Hunt for Easter; more than 1,000 kids attended the event on the new Perper Intramural Field. The 24th Annual Frank A. Robino Jr. Golf Classic saw a 25 percent increase in attendance and raised more than $90,000 for student athlete scholarships.
Apparel agreement Lynn University has signed a deal that will extend its partnership with adidas through 2020. The four-year deal, worth more than $1 million in promotional allotment and price discounts, extends a pre-existing partnership between Lynn and adidas authorized dealer Baker’s Sports. As part of the deal, adidas will be the official athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand of all 15 NCAA Division II Fighting Knights teams through the 2019/20 season.
Chris Wood joined Lynn as head cross country coach and the school’s first director of sports performance. He will also lead the new women’s track program. Wood comes to Lynn from Pfeiffer University and brings over nine years of cross country and 13 years of strength and conditioning experience to the Fighting Knights.
History-making milestone Head coach for men’s and women’s tennis, Mike Perez, became the eighth collegiate tennis coach in history (and only the third active) to reach 1,000 career wins. As a Fighting Knight, Perez has won seven national championships, produced 179 All-America selections and been named SSC Coach of the Year 13 times.
Recruiting The Fighting Knights successfully recruited and promoted from within to fill several key leadership positions. Devin Crosby joined Lynn as athletics director. Previously he held leadership positions at several successful athletics programs at Kent State University, Northeastern University, University of Virginia and University of Houston. Julia Huddleston joined from Furman University as Lynn’s new head women’s basketball coach. She significantly boosted the program with the successful recruitment of seven student athletes, increasing the roster from five to 12. Adam Milewski was promoted from assistant coach to head coach of the women’s volleyball team. He joined Lynn in 2010 as volunteer assistant coach and was named assistant coach in 2014. Karli Heimbecker was promoted to head women’s golf coach. Heimbecker joined the Fighting Knights in 2015 as assistant coach and inherits a program that has won five national championships.
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SERVICE 10
Fighting Knights use their talents to build a better world. Lynn University educates and encourages students and athletes to fulfill their potential, achieve success and leave their mark.
Building traditions
Reading with men’s basketball
Lynn University’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) headlined another successful year as the Fighting Knights showcased their principles of spirit, service and strength throughout the community. Serving the South Florida area in many capacities, Lynn’s student athletes built upon service traditions while also launching new community initiatives. They strengthened relationships with Team IMPACT, Stratford Court Retirement Home, the Delray Miracle League and the American Cancer Society and continued to help other established organizations.
The men’s basketball team continued to give back to local youth during the preseason by volunteering at Boca Raton Elementary School as part of the Knight Readers mentoring and reading program. The Fighting Knights visited twice weekly for the entire fall semester in support of the initiative, which began in 2014–15.
Building upon a relationship that started by hosting a single Bingo Night six years ago, SAAC visited Stratford Court Retirement Home on numerous occasions. The Fighting Knights hosted bingo at least once a month and organized the 7th Annual Senior Prom for the residents. Among the other enterprises SAAC participated in this year were creating holiday cards in support of Cards for Hospitalized Kids and collecting caps for the Caps of Love movement.
Bonding through baseball The Lynn baseball team and Head Coach Rudy Garbalosa strengthened its bond with 12-year-old and three-year honorary team member Ari Cohen this season. Cohen joined the Lynn baseball family through Team IMPACT back in 2013. Along with welcoming Cohen weekly to team practices, this year the team presented Cohen with a Lynn batting helmet signed by the players and hosted the third annual Halloween costume game. On Feb. 25, the team attended the Boca Raton Synagogue to witness and celebrate Ari’s bar mitzvah.
Lacrosse spans the community The lacrosse team had a busy offseason out in the community, continuing several previous efforts while helping initiate others. Lynn University kicked off the campus-wide It’s On Us campaign in September during the school’s Know Your IX event. The university coordinated efforts with the One Love Foundation and its Yards for Yeardley movement. For the second consecutive year, the lacrosse program participated in the International Coastal Cleanup Day in Delray Beach and helped introduce the game of lacrosse to the local community by providing instructional clinics at the YMCA of Boca Raton.
Volleyball serves those in need Fighting Knights volleyball ditched the gym for the links this spring as they volunteered in the concessions booths at the PGA Honda Classic. Their work supported the Palm Beach County Quantum House.
Teams unite for Miracle League The baseball, softball and lacrosse programs supported the Delray Miracle League throughout the year. The Miracle League of the Palm Beaches conducts special baseball games for children with severe physical, mental and developmental challenges. Additionally, the softball team continued to walk in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. 11
STRENGTH 12
Fighting Knights play to win. Lynn University athletes are champions both on and off the field. Brains and brawn are a formidable combination.
Lynn University Athletics sent six teams into NCAA postseason play and collected several player of the year recognitions. Women’s tennis and men’s golf both garnered the title of Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Champions and traveled to Denver for the NCAA Division II National Tournament where golf finished as national semifinalists. Swimming finished a program-record fourth place at the SSC Championship and went on to send Thalie Carmigniani, Catalina Berraud-Galea and Rebecca Matthews to the NCAA Division II National Championship. The NCAA South Regional Tournaments also welcomed Fighting Knights baseball, men’s tennis and women’s golf teams into the postseason. Lynn University Athletics saw academic success as well. Seventy-five percent of our student athletes earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the 2015/16 academic year. Three student athletes were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and seven were named CoSIDA Academic All-District athletes.
2015/16 Achievements • Volleyball took down defending national champions Tampa 3-2 for the first time in program history. • Chris Hellmann repeated as SSC Player of the Year and SSC Offensive Player of the Year, and was also honored as a consensus All-American. He also became the first
in program history to repeat the honor of Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association South Region Player of the Year. Hellmann was drafted in the second round (29th pick) of the MLS Superdraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps. •
• Women’s tennis won its 10th Sunshine State Conference Championship. • Women’s tennis qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 20th consecutive season.
Swimmer Rebecca Matthews repeated as the 200 breaststroke national champion at the 2016 NCAA Division II National Championship. She also was named SSC Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive year.
• Swimmer Thalie Carmigniani became the first four-year all-conference honoree in program history. • Swimming placed a program-best fourth place in the SSC and also won a school-record seven individual medals, including six golds. • Lynn became the second school in history to receive both SSC Swimmer of the Year and SSC Freshman of the Year accolades in the same season. • • •
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Baseball’s John Silviano was named an All-American by three different publications and SSC Player of the Year. Silviano was also a Regional Player of the Year and a Tino Martinez Award Finalist.
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Men’s golf won its second consecutive Sunshine State Conference Championship. The team took first place in the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional to qualify for Lynn’s fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division II national championships, where they finished the season as semifinalists.
• Andrew Danna was named the SSC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year. • Head Baseball Coach Rudy Garbalosa earned his 500th career win. • Baseball’s Kyle Schindler and swimming’s Thalie Carmigniani and Rebecca Matthews were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
Men’s basketball player Fred Landers and women’s basketball player Charla Nelson-James both reached the 1,000-point milestone. Lacrosse claimed its first-ever national ranking in the 2016 USILA/Nike DII coaches poll.
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Christopher Lasprogata became the first player in lacrosse program history to make the All-SSC First Team.
• Clara Perez was named the 2015-16 Division II National and South Region Assistant Coach of the Year. • Coach Mike Perez was named SSC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year for the ninth time.
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Volleyball’s Marissa Tandron and Claire Angelich, softball’s Leanne Wright, baseball’s Kyle Schindler and Eric Schindler, and swimming’s Thalie Carmigniani and Rebecca Matthews were named to CoSIDA Academic All-District teams.
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Academic points of pride
Students with 3.0 GPA or higher
This year the department recognized the largest number of honor students in the past 20 years. One hundred ninety-one Fighting Knights earned a spot on the Student Athlete Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
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2015/16 • 75% of the student athletes (191 of 252) earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. • 51% of the student athletes (130 of 252) posted a GPA of 3.5 or higher. • 5% of the student athletes (14 of 252) received a perfect 4.0 GPA. • Women’s tennis had a department high 3.85 GPA for the academic year. • Women’s golf earned an impressive 3.78 GPA, while all women’s teams had a GPA of 3.0 or higher. • Men’s tennis had the highest GPA on the men’s side with a 3.45. • 13 of 14 teams received a 3.0 GPA for the academic year. • Baseball (3.17) and lacrosse (3.36), the largest rosters in the department, earned their highest GPA in team history.
Fall 2015 • 80% of the student athletes (193 of 241) earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. • 45% of the student athletes (110 of 241) posted a 3.5-3.99 GPA. • 55% of the student athletes (133 of 241) recorded a GPA of 3.5 or higher. • 9% of the student athletes (23 of 241) received a perfect 4.0 GPA. • 13 teams had a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. • Women’s tennis and women’s golf earned a department-high 3.8 GPA. • Men’s golf led the way for men’s teams with a 3.5 GPA. • Men’s soccer and women’s soccer each had five perfect 4.0 GPAs. • Six teams had a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. • The athletic department posted a 3.41 GPA in the fall.
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Team GPAs Department average 3.37 Women’s tennis 3.85 Women’s golf 3.78 Women’s swimming 3.59 Women’s cross country 3.48 Women’s soccer 3.48 Men’s tennis 3.45 Volleyball 3.44 Softball 3.43 Men’s golf 3.43 Men’s soccer 3.40 Lacrosse 3.36 Baseball 3.17 Women’s basketball 3.14 Men’s basketball 2.59
Team GPAs Department average 3.41 Women’s golf 3.80 Women’s tennis 3.80 Women’s swimming 3.71 Softball 3.52 Women’s soccer 3.50 Men’s golf 3.50 Men’s soccer 3.44 Men’s tennis 3.42 Volleyball 3.41 Lacrosse 3.39 Women’s cross country 3.35 Baseball 3.33 Women’s basketball 3.07 Men’s basketball 2.84
Spring 2016 • 70% of the student athletes (155 of 219) received a GPA of 3.0 or higher. • 48% of the student athletes (106 of 219) earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. • 10% of the student athletes (24 of 219) posted a perfect 4.0 GPA. • Women’s tennis tallied the highest team GPA with a 3.89, including four students with a 4.0 GPA. • Men’s tennis had a 3.47 GPA for the best men’s team GPA for the term. • 13 of 14 teams posted a GPA of 3.0 or higher, with all the women’s teams earning a GPA of 3.22 or higher. • Women’s golf and women’s tennis had their full rosters earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher. • The baseball team posted its first 3.0 GPA during their championship spring season. 17
Team GPAs Department average 3.31 Women’s tennis 3.89 Women’s golf 3.76 Women’s cross country 3.64 Women’s swimming 3.49 Men’s tennis 3.47 Women’s soccer 3.44 Volleyball 3.42 Softball 3.41 Men’s golf 3.34 Lacrosse 3.32 Men’s soccer 3.29 Women’s basketball 3.22 Baseball 3.00 Men’s basketball 2.33
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Athletes of the year
Athletics Hall of Fame
The Blue & White Athlete of the Year is the highest honor awarded to Lynn University student athletes who demonstrate athletic performance, campus leadership, coachability and participation in university activities. The selection committee considered athletes from the 2015 spring season and athletes from fall and winter sports in the 2015/16 academic year.
Lynn University has seen 54 names over 16 induction classes enshrined in its Athletics Hall of Fame.
Male Athlete of the Year Mateo Gomez (men’s golf)
Female Athlete of the Year Rebecca Matthews (women’s swimming)
Mateo Gomez became the first student athlete in program history to be selected for the All-Nicklaus Team and was one of 24 players from all collegiate divisions to be recognized for outstanding play during the 2015 season. He logged six top-10 finishes in 13 events, including individual runner-up at the NCAA Division II National Championship. Gomez posted the second-lowest stroke average (71.7) in program history and was named both a First Team All-SSC and Second Team PING/GCAA All-America Selection.
Rebecca Matthews repeated as 200 breaststroke national champion, helping the Lynn swimming team land 17th place at the Division II National Championship in Indianapolis. After qualifying as the No. 3 seed, Matthews finished more than a full second ahead of the runner-up, and her four First Team All-America accolades this year give her an unprecedented eight in her two seasons with the Blue & White. She was also voted SSC Female Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season.
This year the Fighting Knights paid tribute to four more alumni, Jean Alexandre (men’s soccer), Julia Jehs (women’s tennis), Daris Rodriguez (volleyball) and Paul Turner (former director of athletics), as the Class of 2016 was inducted at the Annual Student-Athlete Awards Show. The class of 2016 became the 16th class to be inducted into the Lynn University Athletics Hall of Fame. Women’s tennis leads the way with 11 members, followed closely by men’s soccer with 10, women’s soccer with eight and administrators/coaches with seven selections. Baseball is next with five picks followed by men’s golf with four; women’s basketball and men’s tennis each have three honorees. Men’s basketball, women’s golf, softball and volleyball all have two selections.
Scholar athletes of the year are chosen by the Division of Academic Affairs to be recognized for their devotion to academic pursuits at Lynn University.
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Jose Andres Miranda (men’s golf)
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Thalie Carmiginani (women’s swimming)
Senior golfer Jose Miranda was named a PING All-America selection as well as a Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scholar All-American. He earned a 3.75 GPA and was named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times.
Thalie Carmigniani earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors four times and CSCAA All-America honors six times. She earned a 4.0 GPA and was named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times. 19
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Infrastructure enhancements Lynn University continued to upgrade its facilities in the 2015/16 academic year. These renovations were put forth through generous donors and Blue & White funds. The largest upgrade was the resurfacing and painting of the gym floor in the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center.
Below is a list of additional upgrades to Lynn University’s athletics facilities: •
Dedicated the new Mary Ann and Harold Perper Intramural Field. The new intramural field features upgrades, such as a scoreboard and lights, that will allow Lynn’s Fighting Knights and club sports teams to practice and compete day and night.
• Added an additional access point to the Bobby Campbell Stadium press box • Re-sodded the field at Bobby Campbell Stadium • Added new speakers at Bobby Campbell Stadium • Added new speakers at the Lynn Baseball Field • Resurfaced the court in the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center to emphasize our new brand
The following projects are in progress and will be completed for the 2016/17 season: • Redesign the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center gym and lobby to include new painting, signage and video boards • Install new fences and windscreens at the baseball and softball facilities
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Here are the conference and national accolades for the baseball team during the 2015/16 season: All-SSC John Silviano C John Borup OF Ryan Donovan 1B
First Team Second Team Second Team
SSC Player of the Year John Silviano C ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region John Silviano C First Team
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS BASEBALL
ABCA/Rawlings South Region Player of the Year John Silviano ABCA/Rawlings All-America John Silviano C First Team Daktronics/D2CCA All-South Region John Silviano C First Team Frank Grandinette UT Second Team Daktronics/D2CCA South Region Player of the Year John Silviano Daktronics/D2CCA All-America John Silviano C First Team Tino Martinez D2 National Player of the Year Finalist John Silviano C
Lynn University’s 2016 baseball team earned numerous records and milestones as the Fighting Knights celebrated their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, and sixth overall. Head Coach Rudy Garbalosa won his 500th career game, and John Silviano smashed the program and conference home run record.
NCBWA All-South Region John Silviano C First Team John Borup OF Honorable Mention
Spirits rode high following a season-opening victory against the reigning national champion runners-up, Catawba. Those great feelings were only amplified after the Blue & White opened Sunshine State Conference play with consecutive road sweeps against Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern. Injuries hurt the squad late in the season, but victory No. 500 for Garbalosa, a high-scoring 16-15 competition against Embry-Riddle, helped punch Lynn’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Lynn now has the most NCAA postseason appearances (5) in the SSC in the last 10 outside of Tampa.
NCBWA South Region Player of the Year John Silviano NCBWA All-America John Silviano C
First Team
CoSIDA Academic All-District Kyle Schindler 3B First Team Eric Schindler OF First Team
Newcomers have played an integral role for the last several years, and this season was no different. A dangerous lineup from top to bottom, Lynn led all NCAA Divisions with 103 home runs to become the first school to hit over 100 home runs since BBCOR in 2011. Silviano was the face of the offense, slugging a school and SSC record 31 home runs. He also became just the third player in NCAA Division II history to hit over 30 home runs in a single season.
CoSIDA Academic All-America Kyle Schindler 3B First Team
The 2016 baseball most valuable player is John Silviano, and the most improved player is Jonathon Eisdorfer.
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MEN S ’ BASKETBALL
WOMEN S’ BASKETBALL
Lynn University’s men’s basketball team posted a 13-15 record and advanced to the semifinals of the Sunshine State Conference postseason in the 2015/16 season. A year after falling to Florida Southern four times, the Blue & White was finally able to pick up a victory against the Mocs with a 100-89 win on Jan. 23, as seven different Fighting Knights scored in double figures to knock off the defending national champions. The Fighting Knights would go on to win two of their final three conference games to end the regular season and lock up the No. 6 seed in the SSC Tournament where a career-night from senior Ben Berry helped lift the Blue & White to an 85-72 upset over third-seeded Rollins. Lynn was knocked out in the next round by the eventual champions, Eckerd, 64-61.
The Lynn University women’s basketball team posted a 4-23 record this season that ended in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. Making a return to her SSC roots after playing four years at Eckerd, first-year Head Coach Julia Huddleston earned her first career victory with a 58-53 result against Ave Maria. The Fighting Knights had their share of growing pains but were able to knock off Saint Leo 67-58 on the road for Huddleston’s first league victory and Eckerd 72-58 to qualify for the conference tournament. Although falling in the opening round, the Fighting Knights made it a game against 18th-ranked Nova Southeastern, leading the Sharks through three quarters before falling 80-74.
Senior Fred Landers capped his three-year stint in the Blue & White as 11th player in the program’s history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. Landers scored in double figures in all but three games this season, leading the team and ranking in the top five of the conference with over 19 points per game to help garner All-SSC Second Team honors.
On Feb. 20, senior center Charla Nelson-James became the 10th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points, adding to a career that lists her first in school history in blocks (with 200) and second in rebounds (with 810). She is also only the second player in program history with 1,000 points and 800 boards. Lynn also said goodbye to five seniors—Zachara Bailey, Shatorria Baker, Maddie Herr, Bria Huffmann and Tifani Kerison—in addition to Nelson-James.
Joining Landers in a large senior class was Berry, Russell Wilson, David Johnson, Dante Scholl, Pavle Raickovic and Denzel Richardson.
The 2015/16 women’s basketball most valuable player is Charla Nelson-James, and the most improved player is Shatorria Baker.
The 2015/16 men’s basketball most valuable player is Fred Landers, and the most improved player is Allen Baez.
Here are the conference and national accolades for the men’s basketball team during the 2015/16 season: All-SSC Fred Landers
Second Team
NABC Honors Court Allen Baez David Johnson
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CROSS COUNTRY Lynn University’s cross country team had a youthful season in 2015, culminating in a seventh-place finish at the Sunshine State Conference Championship. The Fighting Knights trotted out four underclassmen to go along with three upperclassman. Starting the season with a thirdplace finish at the FAU Invitational, the Blue & White participated in the UCF and Florida Southern Invitationals before ending the regular season at the Disney Cross Country Invitational. Lynn’s squad showed growth throughout the season and at the SSC Championship; all five runners set personal records in a 6K meet. The 2015 cross country most valuable runner is Aliye Muhammed Menzies, and the most improved runner is Tieri Erasito.
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MEN S ’ GOLF
WOMEN S ’ GOLF
The 2015/16 Lynn University men’s golf season was yet again impressive as the Fighting Knights tied a program record with six tournament victories, four different individuals claimed medalist honors, the team repeated as the Sunshine State Conference champions and Manuel Torres became just the second individual to win the SSC Championship in program history.
Lynn University’s 2015/16 women’s golf season was one of promise as a squad composed of six underclassmen and one graduate student posted six top-five finishes and a victory at the Lady Moc Classic. Close to their competition throughout the fall, the Fighting Knights broke through and put the rest of the Sunshine State Conference on notice with a playoff victory over top-ranked Rollins in Lakeland, Fla., while Jenny Ayala earned her first career individual victory.
After three disappointing finishes to begin the year, the Blue & White ended the fall with a dominating victory at the McDonough Cup. The squad proceeded to finish in the top five in every spring competition while collecting wins at the South Region Preview, Gary Freeman B-CU Invite and Bobcat Invitational before winning their second consecutive SSC Championship, and fourth overall in program history. Lynn continued its dominating play further into the postseason by taking first place at the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional, tying the school record for wins with six and qualifying for the school’s fourth consecutive national championship appearance. The Fighting Knights would become the first school in NCAA Division II history to advance to match play five times, where they fell to eventual national champions Saint Leo in the national semifinals. Additionally, Torres became the second golfer at Lynn to win the super regional, and first to win it outright. Mateo Gomez, Martin Cancino, Jose Andres Miranda and Torres combined for seven individual wins, setting a new school mark for individual victories in a season while also setting a new program record with four different winners. Gomez’s three wins was the second most for an individual season and gives him four in his career, tying him with Lynn Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Henrik Nystrom for the most in program history. Torres then joined another Lynn hall of famer, Keir McNicoll, as the only Fighting Knights winners of the conference title with a three-round score of 219. The 2015/16 men’s golf most valuable player is Mateo Gomez, and the most improved player is Manuel Torres.
Here are the conference and national accolades for the men’s golf team during the 2015/16 season: SSC All-Conference Mateo Gomez Manuel Torres Jose Miranda
Records are made to fall, and freshman Krissy Ortiz eradicated a record set by two-time national player of the year Jessica Bradley when she tallied a school-record seven-under par 210 to become the first freshman since 2011–12 to win a tournament. A week later, Ortiz notched her second consecutive tournament win, becoming the fourth golfer overall, and first freshman in program history, with consecutive victories.
First Team First Team Second Team
SSC Coach of the Year Andrew Danna
The Fighting Knights rallied for a fourth-place finish at the Sunshine State Conference Championship and made their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
All-SSC Championship Team (Top-Five Finish) Manuel Torres (1st) Martin Cancino (T-2nd)
The 2015/16 women’s golf most valuable player is Jenny Ayala, and the most improved player is Krissy Ortiz.
PING/GCAA All-South Region Martin Cancino Mateo Gomez Jose Miranda Manuel Torres PING/GCAA All-America Mateo Gomez Manuel Torres Martin Cancino Jose Miranda
Here are national accolades for the women’s golf team during the 2015/16 season: WGCA All-American Scholars Jenny Ayala Samantha Barber Cristina Gutierrez Nadia Luttner Krissy Ortiz
Second Team Third Team Honorable Mention Honorable Mention
Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scholar All-America Martin Cancino Jose Miranda Elliott Whitley 29
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LACROSSE It was a season of many firsts for the Lynn University lacrosse team in 2016. On the first road trip of the year, the Fighting Knights took out 12th-ranked University of Mount Olive to earn the program’s first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent. The following Monday, Lynn found its way into the national rankings for the first time ever, and would hang on in the nation’s top 20 for six of the next seven weeks. The squad also had the opportunity to play under the lights on the historic Johns Hopkins University Homewood Field. Lynn finished out the year with a 9-5 record, marking its highest win total. Featuring its biggest roster ever, the Fighting Knights utilized a nice balance of veteran leaders and talented freshmen out on the field. The three-headed monster in the attack of Anthony Rainone, Austin Jerhoff and newcomer Mikey Urso was a matchup problem for defenses all season long while graduate transfer Pat Brothers brought a whole new level of experience, leadership and talent in between the pipes. The lacrosse squad boasted six players earning All-Sunshine State Conference accolades. Christopher Lasprogata became the first player in program history to make the All-SSC First Team, sophomores Austin Jerhoff and Ian Magnan claimed All-SSC Second Team honors while Cody Bartusiak, Travis Quillin and Mikey Urso were named to the All-Freshman Team. Bartusiak also notched a National Defensive Player of the Week nod to close out the regular season. The 2016 lacrosse most valuable player is Pat Brothers, and the most improved player is Angelo Beacon-Paglia. Here are the conference and national accolades for the lacrosse team during the 2015/16 season: All-SSC Christopher Lasprogata Austin Jerhoff Ian Magnan All-Freshman Team Cody Bartusiak Mikey Urso Travis Quillin
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First Team Second Team Second Team
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MEN S ’ SOCCER The Lynn University men’s soccer team ended the year 9-4-2 overall and 4-3-1 in league play, qualifying for its fifth consecutive conference tournament. Over the course of the season, Lynn turned in solid performances against nationally ranked Palm Beach Atlantic and Tampa but also suffered heartbreaking defeats at the hands of Saint Leo, Florida Southern and Rollins. The season ended in the Sunshine State Conference Championship semifinals. Chris Hellmann dazzled with 17 goals and 13 assists for 47 points in becoming just the fifth player in the storied program’s history to collect 100 career points. He also became the first men’s soccer player in Lynn history, and third student athlete overall, to be named SSC Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. In addition to Hellmann’s honors, midfielder Lukas Zlatarits collected All-SSC recognition while Luca Puster put the South Region on notice with All-Region accolades as a freshman defender.
WOMEN S ’ SOCCER The 2015 women’s soccer season was a year filled with some missed chances as the squad finished with a 3-12-2 overall record and 2-6 mark in Sunshine State Conference play. Lynn kept it close throughout the year with eight games decided by a goal or less but posted a 1-5-2 record in those contests. The Fighting Knights had some big moments, tying third-ranked Keiser 1-1 and later upsetting seventh-ranked Barry 5-4 in overtime behind a hat trick from Emily Weisberg. Teammate Donish Cole added three goals in a 5-0 victory over Webber International in the following game, marking the first time since the 2008 season the women’s soccer program had multiple hat tricks in a season.
The 2015 most valuable player is Chris Hellmann, and the most improved player is Brian Thibault. Here are the conference and national accolades for the men’s soccer team during the 2015/16 season: All-SSC Chris Hellmann First Team Luca Puster Second Team Lukas Zlatarits Second Team
Cole ranked among the conference leaders in goals and points while collecting All-SSC and All-South Region accolades. Additionally, Caroline Duerr finished in the top 10 in the league in goals, and Lynn’s defense recorded the most shutouts since 2011.
SSC Player of the Year Chris Hellmann
The 2015 women’s soccer most valuable player is Donish Cole, and the most improved player is Emma Portsmouth.
SSC Offensive Player of the Year Chris Hellmann
Here are the conference and national accolades for the women’s soccer team during the 2015/16 season:
NSCAA All-South Region Chris Hellmann First Team
All-Sunshine State Conference Donish Cole Second Team
NSCAA All-America Chris Hellmann Second Team
NSCAA All-South Region Donish Cole Third Team
D2CCA All-South Region Chris Hellmann First Team Luca Puster Second Team D2CCA South Region Player of the Year Chris Hellmann D2CCA All-America Chris Hellmann First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District James Casserly First Team
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moment came on the final day when Matthews repeated as the 200 breaststroke national champion, giving her three national titles in her two-year career.
The ceiling of the Lynn University swimming program continues to rise following a fourth consecutive year of exceeding expectations. The Fighting Knights squeezed the most meet victories, gold medals, best Sunshine State Conference finish and a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championship in a span of six months.
The 2015/16 women’s swimming most valuable swimmer is Rebecca Matthews, and the most improved swimmer is Hannah Walsh.
Opening and closing the regular season by defeating Florida Tech in a tri meet, the Blue & White also earned wins over Rollins in two separate dual meets while taking first place out of five teams in the First Annual Lynn Sprint Invite. The three individual meet wins set a new program record while the five total victories are also a school record.
All-SSC Thalie Carmigniani Rebecca Matthews Catalina Berraud-Galea
All of this preparation paid off at the SSC Championship where Lynn finished a program-best fourth place overall while setting records of seven individual medals and six gold medals. Thalie Carmigniani became the first swimmer to win at least one medal all four years while closing out her career second in program history with eight medals, including winning her first gold in 2016. Catalina Berraud-Galea became the first freshman to win a gold medal in school history and tied the mark held by Carmigniani for medals by a freshman with two. And out of the 12 swimmers for the Fighting Knights, 11 set at least one personal-best time during the SSC Championship.
SOFTBALL Lynn University’s 2016 softball team was infused with youth across the board with five freshmen and seven underclassmen in total playing pivotal roles. The Fighting Knights collected big victories over 2015 NCAA Tournament teams Texas Woman’s University and Florida Tech to open the year, swept their season series with Chestnut Hill and recorded the most hits under Head Coach Amy Bellisari with 19 along with a season-high 10 runs to knock off Embry-Riddle on the road.
The conference tournament ended with the crowning of Rebecca Matthews as the first swimmer in SSC history to repeat as the SSC Swimmer of the Meet after winning gold in all four of her competitions. She leaves Lynn as the program leader in medals with seven gold medals.
Junior Leanne Wright belted her 12th career home run in 2016 and ranks among the Sunshine State Conference’s home run leaders with teammate and freshman Tori Rios, and senior Amanda Casillas has led the team in hitting since rejoining the squad midyear. Additionally, Francais Olexa and Katelyn Key have set career highs in every statistical category, including combining for 27 complete games.
At nationals, Lynn’s gritty performance continued with Matthews garnering First Team All-America honors for the 200 and 400 IM and the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Carmigniani earned honorable mention accolades in the 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke while Berraud-Galea joined Carmigniani as the only freshman to compete in the national championship, where she was a honorable mention selection in the 1650 freestyle. The crowning
The 2016 softball most valuable player is Francais Olexa, and the most improved player is Katelyn Key. Here is the conference accolade for the softball team during the 2015/16 season: All-SSC Hannah Tauscher OF
SWIMMING
Here are the conference and national accolades for the swimming team during the 2015/16 season:
First Team First Team Second Team
SSC Swimmer of the Year Rebecca Matthews SSC Freshman of the Year Catalina Berraud-Galea SSC Championship Medals Catalina Berraud-Galea 1000 Free Bronze Rebecca Matthews 200 IM Gold Rebecca Matthews 400 IM Gold Thalie Carmigniani 200 Free Gold Rebecca Matthews 100 Breast Gold Catalina Berraud-Galea 1650 Free Gold Rebecca Matthews 200 Breast Gold SSC Championship Swimmer of the Meet Rebecca Matthews SSC Woman of the Year Rebecca Matthews CSCAA All-Americans Rebecca Matthews Rebecca Matthews Rebecca Matthews Rebecca Matthews Catalina Berraud-Galea Thalie Carmigniani Thalie Carmigniani
200 IM 400 IM 100 Breast 200 Breast 1650 Free 200 Free 200 Back
CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Thalie Carmigniani Rebecca Matthews
Honorable Mention
CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large Thalie Carmigniani First Team Rebecca Matthews First Team CSCAA Scholar All-America Thalie Carmigniani First Team Catalina Berraud-Galea First Team Rebecca Matthews First Team 35
First Team First Team First Team First Team Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention
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WOMEN S ’ TENNIS The Lynn women’s tennis team opened its season in tremendous fashion starting in the fall, which was highlighted by a trip to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in Flushing, N.Y. First-year junior transfer Diana Bogolii and returning junior Rosalie Willig teamed up as the most formidable doubles duo in all of Division II. The Fighting Knights first won the Division II Small College National Championship before knocking off the winners from Division III, JUCO and NAIA to claim the first Super Bowl title in the program’s accomplished history.
MEN S ’ TENNIS Despite only half of the starting lineup returning this season, the men’s tennis squad fared well in 2016 while holding as a top-10 team in Division II. The Fighting Knights finished 16-8 on the season with a 4-2 mark in league play. The Blue & White showcased its perseverance time and again throughout the season, boasting a 5-2 record in matches that were decided by one point. Newcomer Jean-Baptiste Mateo has proven to be a valuable addition this year, winning his first 13 singles contests. Nationally ranked Pavel Mojha and Mehdi Laalej led the way with 14 solo victories to earn All-SSC singles selections while Jose Porfirio Ordonez and Danyang Xu have formed a consistent doubles pairing at the end of the lineup.
In the spring, the Blue & White boasted its second 22-win season in the past five years, finishing 22-4 overall and 6-2 in the SSC while holding a No. 5 national ranking throughout the entire season. After an early loss to the top-ranked and defending national champions Armstrong State, Lynn rattled off 12 consecutive victories including a flurry of dominating wins over highly ranked foes. Bogolii and Willig carried their consistent tandem play over to the spring, holding a 17-4 doubles record at the top flight while ranking in the top five nationally. In singles, all six Fighting Knight starters eclipsed at least 14 wins with Bogolii and Grace Mpassy securing a team-high 18 wins. Bogolii, Willig, Mpassy and Martina Gledacheva were each All-SSC selections while Mike Perez was named the SSC Coach of the Year.
The highlight of the season came on April 2 in a 5-1 victory over Florida Tech. The win vaulted Head Coach Mike Perez into the record books as just the eighth collegiate tennis coach and third active to reach the 1,000 career wins milestone. In the postseason, the Fighting Knights made it to the championship match at the Sunshine State Conference Tournament before falling to top-ranked Saint Leo and also secured their 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Following a tremendous stretch of play to close out the regular season, the Fighting Knights carried the momentum into another postseason run. Lynn collected its 10th Sunshine State Conference Tournament title, its first since 2009, hosted and won the NCAA South Region 2 Tournament and punched its ticket to the NCAA National Championships for the 18th time in the past 20 years.
The 2016 men’s tennis most valuable player is Jose Porfirio Ordonez, and the most improved player is Mehdi Laalej.
The 2015/16 women’s tennis most valuable player is Grace Mpassy and the most improved player is Carolina Cuevas.
Here are the conference and national accolades for the men’s tennis team during the 2015/16 season: All-SSC Pavel Mojha Mehdi Laalej
First Team Second Team
Here are the conference and national accolades for the women’s tennis team during the 2015/16 season:
Singles Singles
All-SSC Rosalie Willig Diana Bogolii Grace Mpassy Martina Gledacheva Willig/Bogolii
First Team First Team Second Team Second Team First Team
Singles Singles Singles Singles Doubles
SSC Coach of the Year Mike Perez ITA Regional and National Assistant Coach of the Year Clara Perez
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ITA All-America Diana Bogolii Singles Willig/Bogolii Doubles
VOLLEYBALL Under first-year Head Coach Adam Milewski, the Fighting Knights volleyball squad finished with a 14-15 overall record and 4-12 mark in Sunshine State Conference play. Despite some close setbacks in conference action, Lynn achieved arguably the greatest win in the program’s history, knocking off No. 1 ranked University of Tampa. After 18 years and 38 matchups, Lynn finally topped the defending national champion Spartans for the first time, consequently ending Tampa’s incredible 59-match Sunshine State Conference winning streak, which had started in 2011. The Fighting Knights were consistently one of the best serving teams in the nation, finishing the season ranked 21st in aces per set throughout Division II. Katie Knight made a smooth transition to the libero position for her junior season, anchoring the back line defense and finishing the year as the top server in the Sunshine State Conference. Junior Marissa Tandron completed her third campaign as the guiding hand of the offense from the setter position, ranking third in the SSC in assists per set. The 2015 volleyball most valuable player is Marissa Tandron, and the most improved player is Cleuza Porto. Here are the conference and national accolades for the women’s volleyball team during the 2015/16 season: CoSIDA Academic All-District Claire Angelich Marissa Tandron