ZAGS UNITED 2021-22 ANNUAL REPORT GONZAGA ATHLETICS
ABLE OF CONTENT
Contributors: Josh Cox, Holly Ellis, Steffany Galbraith, Connor Gilbert, Dale Goodwin, Barrett Henderson, Chris Johnson, Lindsey Lessing, Emma Moon, Shannon Strahl, Chris Standiford, Devon Thomas, and Grace Whiteley. Photos courtesy of: Zack Berlat/Gonzaga University, Trevor Bowen, Lily Kaneshige, Emma Moon, Nick Tomoyasu, Torrey Vail, Mike Wootton, ESPN Images, NCAA, USA Today, and West Coast Conference.
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PASSING THE TORCH 1
A sit-down discussion with Gonzaga’s new Athletic Director
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Gonzaga Athletics Announces Staff Evolution
TOP MOMENTS 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Women’s Basketball Baseball Men’s Basketball Women’s Rowing Women’s Track & Field Women’s Cross Country Women’s Soccer Men’s Track & Field Men’s Cross Country Men’s Tennis Volleyball Women’s Golf Men’s Soccer Men’s Golf Women’s Tennis Men’s Rowing
YEAR IN REVIEW 11 13 15 17 18 19 21
Celebrating 50 Years of Title IX Harlan Douglass Steps Up for the Zags DEI & Social Justice Academics & Graduation Life Skills Student Leaders Remembering a Great Zag: Danny Evans
VISION STATEMENT The driving forces behind the pursuit to distinguish ourselves at the highest level of intercollegiate competition.
PASSING THE TORCH A sit-down discussion with Gonzaga’s new Athletic Director
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For the first time in 24 years, Gonzaga University had a new Athletic Director in the 2021-22 academic year. Chris Standiford officially started his new role on Sept. 1, 2021. But the GU alum has been employed in the Bulldogs’ Athletic Department since 1993 and worked under former Athletic Director Mike Roth for 30 years. “I think working with Mike and learning from him formed me as a person and as a professional”, Standiford said. “That experience was the best gift anybody can give somebody else, which is, experience and wisdom, and the opportunity to walk with somebody through something without having the responsibility. You get to see how somebody does something and he provided that to me for my whole career. I’m incredibly grateful for it. When you think about the things that he taught me, not necessarily about particular situations and what decision is the right decision, but about values and how to guide the decision-making process. To make sure that you’re considering the right things when making a decision, not necessarily, ‘Hey, I’ve seen this before, this is a prescriptively, how you do it.’ It’s about making sure that the process you go through to make a decision is value oriented, people oriented, and that ultimately you understand your obligations.” The 2021-22 academic year was not only challenging at Gonzaga University, but across the country. Coming out of a worldwide pandemic dealt many uncertainties. For the college landscape, it was trying to return to some normalcy.
games because their attendance was spectacular. You could feel the energy change in our student-athletes by having their fellow students around them along with our fans. It was great.” Through the trying times and adversity, Gonzaga Athletics has celebrated all-time best performances in the classroom, in the community and in competition.
THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES, BUT CHALLENGES REALLY ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT YOUR LEADERSHIP TO OTHERS AND TO HELP. EVERYBODY IS GOING THROUGH THESE THINGS. THEY’RE NOT ABOUT ME, THEY’RE ABOUT US. “It’s the people,” Standiford answered when asked what makes GU special. “I think that’s always been the answer. It always will be the answer. It’s values. It’s institutional alignment. It’s about having a belief that anything can be accomplished at Gonzaga and not seeing what is preventing something from happening, but just seeing the path to getting there. I think that is the secret sauce.
“I think it’s been a great year,” Standiford said. “There have been challenges, but challenges really are opportunities to present your leadership to others and to help. Everybody is going through these things. They’re not about me, they’re about us. It’s been an opportunity to help navigate individuals, or groups of people through it. And I really relish that opportunity and hope I did a good job, but I learned a lot also. I don’t think of it as a year that was particularly difficult or challenging because I think we all went through the same things together.” On campus, the University returned to in-person classes, while Gonzaga Athletics welcomed back fans as student-athletes got back on the field of competition. “I was thrilled first and foremost, but emotional as well, welcoming our fans back to watch our student-athletes,” Standiford said. “I remember at Kraziness in the Kennel when the band started playing and the energy just came up in the building in a way we hadn’t felt in a long time, 18 months or whatever it had been. For me, it was a path back to normal and it created routines that were familiar. That is the essence of what normal is, and for our students, they obviously missed coming together at basketball
Chris Standiford with Gonzaga University President, Thayne McCulloh
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SHANNON STRAHL Shannon Strahl enters her 23rd year with Gonzaga University Athletics and began the duties of Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer on Sept. 1, 2021. She is also the Senior Woman Administrator for GU.
I am so grateful for this opportunity. For President McCulloh to believe in me and to trust me with this endeavor means the world. And words cannot express how much I appreciate our staff. From our senior staff to our coaches, to everybody in our department that is contributing every day to the success of our student-athletes and helping grow the University’s brand. I think it’s an incredibly large endeavor at which we do a really, really good job. Everybody’s contributions are appreciated.” It’s a different time in college athletics as there have been a lot of changes to the national landscape, and Gonzaga understands the challenges that lie ahead.
“I don’t think people can possibly understand the enormity of the job that she’s taken on,” GU Director of Athletics Chris Standiford said. “It is very difficult to try to manage the dayto-day operations of so many different areas. She is incredibly skilled at her level of organization, her feel for people, and just her love of this place. We are incredibly fortunate to have her serving that role. I also think that her humility and her care for everybody in this department is representative of what we all see as an attribute of a Zag.” Strahl previously served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance and Student Services. She was a fouryear letter winner in the sport of women’s soccer and recipient of the 1999 Female Student-Athlete of the Year, awarded to the department’s most outstanding female student-athlete. A two-time graduate of Gonzaga, Strahl earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1999 and Master of Business Administration three years later. “What an amazingly difficult, rewarding, challenging, exciting and emotional year,” Strahl said. “From the changing landscape of college athletics, to the pandemic, to the loss of a beloved coach and friend, our student-athletes and staff have continue to face significant adversity. What I love about Gonzaga, though, is that we know we can count on each other no matter what. Having spent more than half of my life on this campus, I am eternally grateful to work everyday with colleagues who share my same passion for this place and its people. While times remain uncertain, it is an incredible feeling to know how committed everyone is to working hard every day in support of our students. And the best reward of all is witnessing the remarkable things our student-athletes are capable of, even in the hard times, and the wonderful human beings they truly are. I consider myself lucky to be a part of this.”
Chris Standiford with Gonzaga Baseball Head Coach Mark Machtolf and trainer Eric Gunning at NCAA Regionals “We are going into an incredibly uncertain time in college athletics,” Standiford said. “I want to make sure that we do everything we can to steer us on the best possible path to future success. I want to continue the success that we’ve had, but also find ways to reach new heights for all our programs and to continue to put basketball on the pinnacle of Division I. There are some huge challenges ahead, but with the support of our amazing boosters, our University’s administration, and some of the best coaches and student-athletes in the country, there’s no reason that we can’t find a path to get there. And I really relish that opportunity and hope I did a good job, but I learned a lot also. I don’t think of it as a year that was particularly difficult or challenging because I think we all went through the same things together.”
CHRIS STANDIFORD
Athletic Director
SHANNON STRAHL Deputy Athletic Director Chief Operating Officer 3
GONZAGA ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES STAFF EVOLUTION Gonzaga Director of Athletics Chris Standiford announced several changes to the athletic department, filling out the Senior Leadership Team and adding and/or promoting within the department. “I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of an evolving athletic department,” Standiford said. “We have such a great staff and it’s exciting to reward people who have given back so much. On behalf of our tremendous student-athletes, I can’t thank our support staff and people behind the scenes enough.”
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM • • • • • • • • • •
Bill Drake – Associate AD / Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Heather Gores – Associate AD / Internal Operations Jared Hertz – Senior Associate AD / Major Gifts Chris Johnson – Senior Associate AD / Revenue Generation Rob Kavon – Associate AD / Facilities & Event Operations Krista O’Brien - Assistant to the Athletic Director Rian Oliver – Senior Associate AD / Compliance & Student Services Shannon Strahl – Deputy AD / Chief Operating Officer Devon Thomas – Senior Associate AD / Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & External Operations Kim Vore – Senior Associate AD / Business Operations
STAFF ADDITIONS AND PROMOTIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Chris Combo - Ticket Manager Holly Ellis - Director of Creative Services / Graphic Design Steffany Galbraith – Assistant AD / Academic Services Andrew Gardner – Life Skills Coordinator Scott Garrison - Assistant AD / Compliance Barrett Henderson – Assistant AD / Communications Tommy Heppler – Ticket Coordinator Seth Johnson - Assistant Director of Facilities & Event Operations Steven Karr – Video Broadcast and Production Coordinator Zeb Klemke – Director of Business Operations Taylor Lane - Director of Creative Services / Creative Video Lindsey Lessing – Assistant AD / Marketing & Creative Services Mike Nelson – Director of Athletic Facilities & Event Operations Justin Pugh - Academic Coordinator Tyler Seth - Associate Director / Fitness Center Kendall Smitley – Associate Head Athletic Trainer Sarah Staudle - Compliance Coordinator Josh Therrien – Assistant AD / Health and Performance Rhian Thomas - Assistant Director / Rudolf Fitness Center Tyler VonDracek - Assistant Director / Fitness Center Grace Whiteley - Sports Information Director
AARON LEWIS | MEN’S SOCCER After being named the head coach for the 2021 season, Aaron Lewis has been retained as head coach of the men’s soccer team. Lewis came to GU after six seasons as the men’s soccer head coach at Corban University. During his first year at the helm, the men’s soccer team was one of the most improved teams in the country, finishing the season at 7-10 and 2-5 in West Coast Conference play. This was the first season that the Zags won seven games in a season since 2016. In WCC play, Gonzaga won its first opening game against San Diego on the road, marking the first conference opening win for the Bulldogs since 2015.
NATALIE PLUSKOTA-HAMBERG | WOMEN’S TENNIS Before being named the head coach at GU, PluskotaHamberg spent four seasons overall as an assistant coach for the Zags, from 2016-18 and again from 2019-21. She also spent a season as an assistant coach for Arkansas out of the SEC. Pluskota-Hamberg’s first season with the Zags was the most successful in Gonzaga history as she assisted the Zags to a programbest 17-4 record in 2017, reaching the WCC Championships final for the first time in school history. During the regular-season, the Zags finished second in the conference, and they ended the year with a fifth-place ranking in the ITA Northwest Regional Rankings, another program high.
DJ GURULE | MEN’S TENNIS Prior to switching roles, Gurule was the women’s tennis coach for 17 years at Gonzaga. During his tenure, he oversaw profound growth of GU women’s tennis. In his first year with the men’s program, multiple Gonzaga men’s tennis records were broken, including the best home record with a perfect 11-0. The Bulldogs also earned a program-record 18 dual wins, which breaks the previous record of 16 from the 2018-19 season. The overall 18-6 (.750) record is the best dual record in program history, ahead of the current 10-4 (.714) record set in 2019-20. The Zags also set a new record with 9 dual sweeps this season and broke the program record for the longest winning streak, which was set in the 2017-18 season, by winning eight straight duals between March 8th and April 9th.
KATIE WILSON | VOLLEYBALL Wilson arrives in Spokane after having spent the last seven seasons at the University of Notre Dame. In 2018, she was elevated to Associate Head Coach for the Fighting Irish. She has spent five of the last six seasons with setting, passing, outside hitters and offensive coordinator as her primary coaching responsibility. During her tenure as an assistant coach, Wilson played a major role in the improvement of the Notre Dame program, as the team went from a 7-25 record in 2015 to back-to-back 22-win seasons in 2016 and 2017. In Wilson’s seven seasons with the Irish, Notre Dame has reached the NCAA Tournament three times (‘17, ‘19, ‘20). 4
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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TH NCAA APPEARANCE
Earned an NCAA Tournament First Round win over No. 8 Nebraska 10th WCC Tournament Title and fourth under head coach Lisa Fortier Melody Kempton named Most Outstanding Player at WCC Tournament Yvonne Ejim named WCC’s Sixth Woman of the Year Lisa Fortier earned her 200th win at the helm Rainbow Wahine Showdown Champions in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Kaylynne Truong was named Tournament MVP Kayleigh Truong and Melody Kempton named to the All-WCC First Team Yvonne Ejim named to the All-WCC Second Team Cierra Walker was selected to the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association (ADA) 20th Annual Scholar Athlete Team Melody Kempton now holds the record for best career field goal percentage in WBB program history at 53.7%
BASEBALL
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HIGHEST RANKING UNDER COACH MACHTOLF
Entered the Top 25 for the second straight year Rose to No. 10 in the national polls Three-game sweep of No. 4 Oklahoma State Sixth-straight 30-win season under Head Coach Mark Machtolf Boasted one of the nation’s most talented pitching staffs, ranked in the top-25 in ERA Won all nine of its West Coast Conference series for the first time ever Won the WCC Regular Season Championship for the sixth time in program history Matched its record for most West Coast Conference wins in a season at 20 Mark Machtolf was named the WCC Coach of the Year Connor Coballes was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year Cade McGee was the WCC Freshman of the Year Advanced to the NCAA Tournament for 12th time in program history
MEN’S BASKETBALL
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STRAIGHT SWEET 16’S
LONGEST ACTIVE STREAK IN THE NATION
28-4 final record and ranked No. 1 in the final regular season AP and coaches polls; national best 114 straight weeks in AP poll 23rd straight NCAA Tournament Appearance One-seed for the third straight NCAA tournament, and the fourth time in the last five tournaments 10th straight WCC Regular Season Title and third straight WCC Tournament Title Drew Timme was named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award National Player of the Year Timme and Chet Holmgren were named to the Wooden AllAmerican Team Timme and Holmgren were both a consensus Second Team All-American Timme was the WCC Player of the Year and Holmgren was the WCC Newcomer and Defender of the Year Rasir Bolton was selected to the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association (ADA) 20th Annual Scholar Athlete Team
WOMEN’S ROWING
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STRAIGHT WCC CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
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Ranked No. 1 in preseason WCC polls with four Zags chosen to the preseason team Swept Seattle University in the lone home spring regatta Had a rare regatta against University of Minnesota in California Swept the West Coast Conference Championships by placing first in all their races Katie Sierhuis won WCC Newcomer of the Year, Megan Chalfant won WCC Co-Rower of the Year, and Sailor Hawes won WCC Coxswain of the year Four Zags were tabbed to the All-WCC First Team including, Megan Chalfant, Grace Dojan, Hannah Cooney and Katie Sierhuis Placed 18th overall at the NCAA Championships
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WOMEN’S TRACK
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TIMES RANKED IN THE TOP 10 OF PROGRAM HISTORY
Three runners qualified for NCAA Regionals in Fayetteville, AR — Kristen Garcia in the 10K, Alicia Anderson in the 1500m and 5K, and Elisabeth Danis in the 5K Kristen Garcia finished the season ranked No. 4 in the West Region in the 10K after breaking the program record at the Stanford Invite Ellie Armbruster broke program records in the 100, 200 and 400m races as a freshman Alicia Anderson ran a personal record, and the program’s second-fastest time, in the first round of the 1500m
WOMEN’S XC
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TH PLACE AT NCAA WEST REGIONALS PROGRAM BEST
Climbed into national rankings at 29 Placed second at WCC Championships Kristen Garcia represented program at NCAA Championships
WOMEN’S SOCCER
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WINS IN 2021 SEASON
MOST IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Set program single season records for most goals (47), assists (39), points (131), shots (387), shots on goal (196) and shutouts (12) Program high No. 16 national ranking after program best 10-1-0 start to season Jordan Thompson was named First Team All-West Region, Erin Healy was second team Thompson became the first-ever Zag selected in the NWSL Draft Thompson graduated as the winningest player in program history
MEN’S TRACK
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TH BEST STEEPLECHASE EVENT SQUAD IN THE NATION
Four runners qualified for NCAA Regionals in Fayetteville, AR — Cullen McEachern and Cooper Laird in the Steeplechase, Evan Bates in the 5K, and James Mwaura for 5K and 10K James Mwaura broke the program record in the 5K and 10K and finished in the Top 10 in the West in both events Seven runners put down times that rank in the Top 10 in program history in their respective events Mwaura advanced to the 10K national final in Eugene for the 2nd straight year after a 12th-place finish in the semifinals Mwaura earned the 4th All-American honor of his career and 2nd track All-Amiercan with a 15th-place finish in the Men’s 10K final at the NCAA Championships
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MEN’S XC
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PROGRAM’S BEST RANKING
Placed second at WCC Championships Fifth at NCAA West Regionals Placed 26th in second-ever team appearance at national championships James Mwaura the first All-American in program history
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MEN’S TENNIS
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PROGRAM’S HIGHEST OPENING ITA DIVISION 1 RANKING
Finished 6-3 in conference play and fourth in the WCC regular season Advanced to the semifinal round of the WCC Championship Best home record with a perfect 11-0 Earned a program-record 18-6 (.750) dual wins, breaking the previous record of 16 from the 2018-19 season Set a new Gonzaga men’s tennis record with nine dual sweeps this season Broke the program record for the longest winning streak, which was set in the 2017-18 season, by winning eight straight duals between March 8th and April 9th. Matthew Hollingworth and Sasha Trkulja were ranked 25th in ITA doubles rankings, the highest ranking for a doubles team in program history 8
VOLLEYBALL
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ZAGS EARNED ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Two Zags were among seven players to earn All-Tournament honors at the StarkVegas Classic: Cara McKenzie and McKenna Marshall Hosted the Gonzaga Invitational over Labor Day weekend Swept Portland on GU’s Senior Day with a 3-0 victory Kennedy Croft and Cara McKenzie were both named to the All-WCC Honorable Mention team
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WOMEN’S GOLF
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RD TIME QUYNN WAS NAMED ALL-WCC
Quynn Duong named All-West Coast Conference for third time in her career Duong placed fifth at WCC Championships Won the Hobble Creek Fall Classic, led by second-place finish from Chaewon Baek Third-place team finish at Coeur d’Alene Collegiate, led by seventh-place finish from Mary Scott Wolfe
MEN’S SOCCER
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WINS IN THE SEASON FIRST TIME SINCE 2016
One of the most improved teams in the country Went on a four-game winning streak that included three shutouts Won their opening WCC game against San Diego, marking the first conference opening win for the Bulldogs since 2015 Junior Demitrius Kigeya and senior Frankie Ljucovic both earned Second Team All-WCC, while freshman Caleb Kiner was named to the All-Conference Freshman Team
MEN’S GOLF
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FINISH AT HBU HUSKY INVITE
Placed second at the HBU Husky Invitational led by a secondplace finish from Magruder Finished year with a 293.04 team scoring average for the season, which ranks second in program history Charlie Magruder’s 72.91 season scoring average ranks third all-time at GU Zach Stocker carded a team season-low 66 in the final round of the WCC Championships
WOMEN’S TENNIS
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WINS AT HOME IN FEBRUARY
Bulldogs won six home matches in February to stay undefeated at the Stevens Center during the month. Cate Broerman was tabbed to the honorable mention singles team for the WCC for the second-straight season Recorded the highest team GPA in both the fall and spring semesters Winning record at home for 8th straight season
MEN’S ROWING
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TH STRAIGHT FAWLEY CUP TITLE
Won the their sixth-straight Fawley Cup against Washington State 1V8 boat ranked No. 25 in the IRA polls, marking the first time the Zags had been ranked since 2019 Had its best finish in program history in the Copley Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic, finishing third overall
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TITLE IX:
At GU, the presence of women in sports represent historical steps towards equality as well as a burgeoning tradition of female leadership that has become instrumental to the Athletic Department’s future. “To look at history to recognize what we’ve accomplished is an important part of what this is about, because it also shows us where we’re going,” said GU Athletic Director Chris Standiford. “It’s hard to know where you’re going without knowing where you’ve come from. So I think it’s a time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished, but also a day to be empowered and excited about what lies ahead.”
HISTORY OF WOMEN’S SPORTS After Gonzaga began admitting female students in 1948 and formed the Women’s Athletic Association from 1955-56, women’s basketball became GU’s foundational women’s sport opportunity in its first season in 1961. Back then, the women drove themselves to games, had to wait to play until the men’s team was done practicing, and played in front of empty stands. But a surge of seismic changes was soon to come. Before Title IX’s implementation in 1972, only one in every 27 girls participated in sports. In the five decades since, that number has soared to two in five. Both women’s and men’s participation opportunities have increased every year since Title IX was passed, culminating in a record number of male and female student-athletes participating in NCAA championship sports in 2015-2016. However, women’s overall participation still hasn’t reached the level of men’s involvement recorded in 1971-1972. With that expansion has come plenty of competitive success. Women’s teams at GU have combined for 21 WCC Championships and 23 NCAA Postseason berths since 1990, and GU now employs 12
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity reciving Federal financial assistance. through a single lifetime. Fortier remembers growing up in her hometown of Grass Valley, Calif. playing basketball with boys of her age because there wasn’t a girls’ team to join. Now, she gets to watch her seven-year-old daughter play with her own club. Deputy Athletic Director Shannon Strahl, the highest-ranking female employee at GU Athletics and a former Zags women’s soccer player, has seen the same changes since her time as an athlete in the 90’s. “When I broke into this business, there weren’t very many women generally in college athletics and Gonzaga was not different either,” Strahl said. “So being on the front end of that, understanding that puts a responsibility on us as trailblazers to keep showing that path and to encourage young women to get into this business and to continue to make it the great thing that it is.”
SUCCESS AFTER SPORTS
HEAD + ASST. COACHES
Only 17.9% of professional athletes are female — a number that has continued to increase in recent years, but still leaves a disproportionate gap between them and their male counterparts. But what Standiford prides himself on is how Gonzaga prepares female athletes for success after their athletic careers have concluded, be it through life skills and wellness programming, professional development, or simply through the Jesuit lens of caring for the whole self.
13 female head or assistant coaches amongst its eight women’s sports. Female athletes now comprise 52% of GU’s athletes, a subset that Standiford says can’t be ignored.
“There is no greater classroom than competition — there is no greater camaraderie,” Standiford said. “There’s no greater cohort of people than teammates and teams and coaches and leaders.”
“I think that a diversity of people always makes for the best environment possible,” he said. “The perspectives of our studentathletes can only be understood and supported by people that have lived experiences similar to theirs, and that’s a large part of our population.”
For Head Women’s Tennis Coach Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg, instilling confidence in her athletes is paramount for the same reasons.
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POSTSEASON BERTHS SINCE 1990
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A CHANGING GAME An increase of over 1000% in youth women’s sport participation since Title IX’s institution laid the groundwork for changes at all levels of athletics that far exceed a quantifiable phenomenon. For GU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lisa Fortier, the pathways to empowerment flow through sports, and the empowerment of athletes has formed a new generation of female leaders in sporting spaces. “The opportunities that women have to play sports are really allowing people to look to them as leaders,” Fortier said. “It’s an avenue for leaders to be developed and leadership characteristics to be developed and confidence to be developed and teamwork. It’s just a different way to promote and develop all of those characteristics that are so important, and it’s newly-charted territory for women.” The changes seem less gradual when they’ve been experienced
“As a former female athlete and now as a coach, I think that my role is vital,” Pluskota-Hamberg said. “I strive to just empower them — I try to get them to be as confident as they can. Oftentimes females doubt themselves and doubt their worth, so for me, I just try to empower them and encourage them and help them understand they can do anything.”
AN EYE TO THE FUTURE NCAA-affiliated programs are now fielding on average one more women’s team than men’s in their athletics programs and viewership and attendance at NCAA women’s sports events is rising yearly, but the women’s overall sport participation rate is still 10.5 percent lower than that of female undergraduates nationwide. “People keep doing things that nobody thought was possible,” said Rian Oliver, Senior Associate AD of Compliance & Student Services. “... There are still leaders out there that are crossing through those sort of artificial barriers that have been set. So I’m just excited to see that continue and see people have a seat at the table … who knows what the future holds.”
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HARLAN DOUGLASS STEPS UP FOR THE ZAGS LONG-TIME SUPPORTER DONATES TO GONZAGA ATHLETICS
A Spokane native and long-time supporter of Gonzaga Athletics with a fondness for basketball, Harlan Douglass has followed the success of the Zags first-hand over the years. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to surge, Douglass stepped up to keep a jewel of Spokane shining brightly. With a commitment to match all gifts to Gonzaga Athletics’ ZAGS UNITED campaign, Douglass not only helped keep Gonzaga Basketball among the nation’s elite programs but supported the entire Athletic Department amid trying economic times. “What Gonzaga basketball and Gonzaga Athletics means to the community is tremendous and being a part of maintaining that positive influence in Spokane is what I hope to achieve,” Douglass said in a 2021 interview. “I’m grateful for the spotlight that the Zags’ national success has brought to my hometown, so providing the support that I can in this way will hopefully help GU Athletics keep moving forward.” With the matching component of ZAGS UNITED, Harlan was keen to generate support from others in the community who have the desire and resources to help position Gonzaga Athletics to manage the current climate and prepare for future success. Gonzaga received $3.2 million in gifts to ZAGS UNITED, which concluded on Feb. 1, 2021, and with the match was able to replace 85 percent of traditional revenues associated with basketball gamedays. On top of the match, Douglass gave an additional $1.8 million to the Athletic Department for a total gift of $5 million.
WHAT GONZAGA BASKETBALL AND GONZAGA ATHLETICS MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY IS TREMENDOUS AND BEING A PART OF MAINTAINING THAT POSITIVE INFLUENCE IN SPOKANE IS WHAT I HOPE TO ACHIEVE. -HARLAN DOUGLASS 13
THANK YOU The gift allowed the Zags to continue to operate at a high level, and bridged the economic gap created in the wake of COVID-19, allowing the Athletic Department to maintain all scholarship commitments and focus on supporting its top priority: studentathletes. Through additional support from Douglass totaling $2 million, Gonzaga has established the Harlan Douglass Student-Athlete Support Fund and the Harlan D. Douglass Endowed Scholarship for Volleyball. A regular attendee at Gonzaga Volleyball matches to watch his granddaughter Morgan Douglass compete (20132016), Dougalss also generously donated to support each women’s program in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX. He has previously given to the McCarthey Athletic Center Arena Campaign, where there is a section named after him and his late wife Maxine and has contributed to other campaigns supporting Gonzaga Athletics. Douglass’s ties to Spokane span his entire life, and he’s always admired the success of Gonzaga Basketball. He was raised in Spokane and graduated from Rogers High School in 1956. Harlan was ready for the business world, and as his career took off through
hard work, a strong business acumen and a desire to develop real estate, he watched the Zags blossom into a national powerhouse in men’s basketball. Harlan became a season ticket holder in 1994 and has been a passionate supporter of the program ever since, supporting both the Men’s and the Women’s Basketball programs. During his 60-plus years as a developer, Douglass has assembled a real estate empire that includes owning, constructing, and leasing over 250 commercial buildings, about 2,000 apartment units, and several self-storage complexes across seven states. After his development endeavors were well established, Douglass took up distance running and endurance events, competing in marathons and triathlons. He even qualified to participate in the Ironman world championships in Hawaii one year. “Each year Gonzaga Athletics shines a light on Spokane through its national recognition and consistent success at the highest level,” Douglass said. “You can go anywhere in the country wearing a Gonzaga Bulldogs shirt and hear a ‘Go Zags’ from someone else passing by. That’s pretty amazing for a small city and university tucked in the Inland Northwest. I will continue to support Gonzaga Athletics, and I hope others will do so as well, because their success is such a wonderful asset to our community.” 14
GONZAGA ATHLETICS CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AS WELL AS SOCIAL JUSTICE. In October, Gonzaga Athletics welcomed back Devon Thomas as the Sr. Associate Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion / External Operations. The newly-created senior leadership role is designed to establish a more active role in consciously and intentionally working in areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in concert with the institution as Gonzaga continues to strengthen its commitment. While dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion has become a national trend, Gonzaga Athletics is at the forefront within the West Coast Conference, having developed a senior administrator position designed to educate, plan and support student-athletes and staff in alignment with the University’s DEI efforts. “We are grateful to now have a position dedicated to this important work, and Devon brings wisdom and passion to be impactful to these initiatives”, Standiford said. “The institution has significant diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and we’re no different in terms of understanding the importance of this area,” Strahl said. “We’re excited about the ability to partner with other campus resources and continue to help our student athletes and our staff grow.”
“I’m so excited to be a part of Gonzaga taking the intentional action of addressing Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion by creating a senior leadership role.” Thomas said. “Our ability to complement the important programing already taking place throughout the institution while addressing the specific needs of students, coaches, and staff will enhance the experience of the Gonzaga Athletics community for years to come.”
Thomas described his newly-created senior leadership role in two parts. The first being DEI, which is meant to act as a conduit between student-athletes and staff to provide more opportunities for open dialogue, and create a safe environment for creating synergies while collaborating with the very talented people throughout Gonzaga doing the heavy lifting in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space. This past season, Thomas and Women’s Basketball worked together to produce an impactful, creative video leading into the national anthem each home game. The goal was finding a way for student-athletes to use their platform in calling attention to the change that needs to occur and show their support. The idea and script were later used by the West Coast Conference at the WCC Basketball Tournament.
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Devon Thomas: Senior Associate Athletic Director / Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & External Operations
ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS, COACHES, AND STAFF WILL ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GONZAGA ATHLETICS COMMUNITY FOR YEARS TO COME. -DEVON THOMAS Spearheaded by Shyh Saenz, SAAC’s Diversity & Inclusion Chair, SAAC organized the first-ever SAAC Social Justice Series. Studentathletes were provided an opportunity to watch and analyze episodes from HBO’s ‘The Shop: Uninterrupted’. A series initiated by Lebron James, the show included a variety of professional athletes, artists, actors, politicians, and other celebrities. Hosted in a barbershop and meant to reflect the safe and honest space of that environment, guests would speak in an open forum across current social and cultural topics that they have experienced or witnessed. Following an episode, student-athletes discussed social justice themes that jumped out at them. The program allowed studentathletes their own safe space to discuss difficult topics such as racism, classism, sexism, and others. The Zags listened to one another, shared with their peers their own experiences or those of their community members, and how they were affected by all of it. They shared challenges, solutions, and hope, building community with one another throughout the SAAC Social Justice Series.
Shyh Saenz (Women’s Soccer): SAAC Diversity & Inclusion Chair
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ACADEMIC
98% 100
GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE HIGHEST IN THE WCC AND SECOND IN THE COUNTRY
98%
NCAA AVERAGE GSR: 90%
96%
WCC AVERAGE GSR: 91%
95%
94%
93%
90
92% 88%
82%
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TEAM
GPA (FALL/SPRING)
DEAN’S LIST PRESIDENT’S LIST (FALL/SPRING) (FALL/SPRING)
BASEBALL
3.45 / 3.49
20 / 18
6/5
MEN’S BASKETBALL
3.01 / 2.90
0/2
3/1
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 3.40 / 3.37
3/3
3/5
MEN’S XC/TRACK
3.36 / 3.45
9/8
6/8
WOMEN’S XC/TRACK
3.58 / 3.53
13 / 12
15 / 16
MEN’S GOLF
3.71* / 3.46
3/0
4/5
WOMEN’S GOLF
3.44 / 3.46
3/3
1/1
MEN’S ROWING
3.38 / 3.28
10 / 9
5/5
WOMEN’S ROWING
3.62 / 3.58
18 / 18
17 / 13
MEN’S SOCCER
3.37 / 3.26
15 / 7
3/6
WOMEN’S SOCCER
3.44 / 3.61
8 / 11
11 / 11
MEN’S TENNIS
3.56 / 3.72
3/3
4/5
WOMEN’S TENNIS
3.73 / 3.81
3/4
5/4
VOLLEYBALL
3.27 / 3.52
2/4
6/5
DEPARTMENT
3.45 / 3.46 110 / 102 89 / 90 *new or tied team record
Morgan Greene (Women’s XC & Track) received the Fr. William Costello Outstanding Senior English Major Award, the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was the first student-athlete to win the William A. Garrigan Award; given to the member of the graduating class who has achieved the highest cumulative grade point average for four years of undergraduate work at Gonzaga. Morgan earned a perfect 4.0 GPA for her collegiate career. 17
92%
Released in December 2021, Gonzaga posted a 98% GSR, the highest in the WCC and tied for second in the country. When it comes to showing what our student-athletes are achieving academically, the distribution of majors is as compelling as anything. Almost 20% of our undergraduate studentathletes are majoring within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences or the School of Nursing and Human Physiology, 31% are within the College of Arts & Sciences, 26% are within the School of Business, and 17% are within the School of Education. Nine percent of our student-athletes are in graduate programs. This year we inducted 37 studentathletes across 12 teams and 15 different majors into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national honor society recognizing collegiate student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition.
Theo McDonald (Men’s Tennis) was Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as one of five seniors recognized at Academic Convocation for the School of Business Administration Excellence Award. Theo earned a perfect 4.0 GPA for his collegiate career.
LIFE SKILLS
Men’s Golf broke their team GPA record in the fall
CAREER DEVELOPMENT The Life Skills Program prepares student-athletes for their futures following graduation and life after sport through a variety of career development programs. Close relationships and collaboration with GU’s Career and Professional Development department further support student-athletes with their career planning.
STUDENT-ATHLETE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SAAC is comprised of representatives from each Gonzaga athletic team whose main purpose is to serve as a student-athlete voice regarding student-athlete welfare within Gonzaga’s Athletic Department, the WCC, and the NCAA. As role models, SAAC also strives to develop leaders through Gonzaga’s long standing Catholic, Jesuit, and humanistic traditions by being firmly committed to service, opportunity, and social justice.
The tenth Senior Student-Athlete Resume Book was published, featuring portfolios of the graduating class of 2022. Each of their resumes displays the unique achievements and accolades they earned as a Zag. The goal of the Resume Book is to assist student-athletes in networking with GU alumni, supporters, and constituents, as they pursue their future careers.
SAAC OFFICERS
An example of this is the two Mental Health Movie Nights SAAC provided this year. Both documentaries focused on the lives of professional athletes and their struggles with mental health and life after sport. Following the showing student-athletes had an opportunity to discuss. The first movie was Alive: The Drew Robinson Story and the second was The Weight of Gold with Michael Phelps.
The annual Senior Networking Social was held in the fall, an event that helps prepare our senior student-athletes for life after graduation. They had the opportunity to practice networking and self-promotion skills with athletic department constituents and invited guests.
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
SECRETARY
MEDIA & PROMOTIONS CHAIR
Women’s Tennis
Baseball
Women’s Rowing
Volleyball
Cate Broerman
Kailee Jackson
Grayson Sterling
Rhea Jansen
STUDENT-ATHLETE WELLNESS CHAIR
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAIR
VOLUNTEER CO-CHAIRS
Women’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer
Men’s Soccer
Allison Pelstring
Shyh Saenz
Kupa’a Fernandez & Johnny Hansen
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STUDENT LEADERS STUDENT-ATHLETES CONTINUE TO SERVE THE SPOKANE COMMUNITY Gonzaga’s student-athletes have truly shown what it means to be a Zag this year as they volunteered in 37 events during their busy schedules. Even with these all these events, some of those student-athletes have also taken it upon themselves to go above and beyond.
The baseball team alone volunteered 16.5 hours per person with Grayson Sterling being a part of that push. “Within the community of Gonzaga, we have accomplished a number of different community service events,” baseball’s Grayson Sterling said. “I have done multiple neighborhood clean ups for the local Logan neighborhood. As a team we have done shampoo drives, warm clothes drives, and a river clean up down by the law school. I have always been involved supporting other athletic teams competitions.” Along with organizing an Easter egg hunt and trunk-or-treat event, helping with the opening of the new Gonzaga Family Haven, and volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, the Podium, Transitions: Help for Women, Spokane Public Schools and Read Across America; some outreach highlights throughout the academic year include:
2,429
HOURS SERVED
Women’s Tennis completed nearly 14 service hours per athlete this year 19
37SAAC
SERVICE EVENTS
LETTERS TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS
1,700 4,632 1,251
CLOTHING
SNACK
TOILETRY
ITEMS FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES
ENCOURAGED LITERACY LOGAN NEIGHBORHOOD
THRU A VIDEO + BOOK DONATION TO LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Baseball served 665 hours in the community, the most of any team this year A Zag that went above and beyond SAAC this year was men’s basketball’s Rasir Bolton, who went on his own to donate to the Spokane community. “It’s something I like to do — giving back to people cause you know, some people are doing worse than you. I’m blessed for the situation I’m in,” Bolton said. One example was after a game versus Northern Alabama, Bolton went out to give hand warmers and bus passes to those in need, along with getting the message out that the convention center was open during the cold winter months.
SAAC service event with Habitat for Humanity “It is hard for me to find time out of my busy schedule to set up things such as this, so Gonzaga athletics make it possible for me to find a time for me to be present and to do this stuff,” women’s basketball student-athlete Yvonne Ejim said. “I have had a lot of opportunities to help in the community. We are also able to bring new ideas to them, so I am never limited in what I want to help with.”
Bolton also teamed up with Spokane Quaranteam and helped fill backpacks to those experiencing homelessness later on in the season. Him and the team packed up over 25 backpacks to distribute to the Spokane area. The Zags look onward to continue making an impact in the community around them, as it is important to the student-athlete experience.
Part of the experience with volunteering in the community starts with SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), where the goal is to develop leaders throughout the program. Cate Broerman, the 2021-22 president for the committee, also emphasizes how important it is to give back to the community at GU. “I think you just have a greater appreciation for the people that put so much work into you and the people that are trying to make you a better person, so you want to give back to them and help them out as much as you can,” Broerman said. “I personally love SAAC because it is a great place to make friends on different teams, but also a place you can give your opinion. We want to constantly improve the Gonzaga student-athlete experience here.”
I BELIEVE GROWING AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS AN ATHLETIC COMMUNITY IS A GOOD STEP FOR US TO TAKE. - YVONNE EJIM (WOMEN’S BASKETBALL)
Rasir Bolton led the Men’s Basketball team in volunteering efforts across the Spokane community 20
REMEMBERING A vans E y n an GREAT ZAG D There are a plethora of words that have been used to describe Danny Evans, Gonzaga baseball’s associate head coach who passed away in April at age 41 after a yearlong battle with melanoma. But “Zag” is always a common refrain, one that seems to sum up so many aspects of what makes the fallen coach irreplaceable. Not everyone who’s been a part of GU Athletics gets that distinction by default, and it certainly doesn’t just pertain to winning – even if Evans has been a cornerstone of one of the most successful periods in program history. There’s something intangible and intricate about what makes someone a great Zag, but there was always a universal understanding that he had it. “For one, he was an inherently incredibly positive person,” said Zags pitching coach Brandon Harmon, who played for Evans before coaching alongside him for a decade. “That energy just rubbed off on every aspect of the program, whether it’s behind closed doors or on the field.” In over two decades at GU, Evans was offered plenty of chances to jump ship for opportunities other coaches would dream of. But Gonzaga was his home; a place where he met the love of his life, found his dream job and raised his family. Spokane was where he was given a shot at building something special, and he valued that more than anything. He never left – and the program, the school, and hundreds of lives he became a part of are better for it. Put simply, Evans wanted to make GU baseball a program that everyone was as proud to be a part of as he was. “Danny loved his job, he loved the Zags,” said his wife Kellie, his high school sweetheart who joined him at GU. “There has been one
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constant since we met, every connection, every memory, every triumph and every heartbreaking moment of this last year … Gonzaga means more to our family than anything.” And in that regard, his fingerprints are everywhere. An alumni network that now spans hundreds of former players and friends of the program was an undertaking spearheaded by him, and the Zags’ transformation into perennial contenders — and now, national powers — in a warmweather WCC came largely because of a bevy of premium players that continued to flow through Spokane and an airtight culture that only begot more success. He even led the effort in creating an LLC for the program’s summer camps, finding new Zag baseball fans wherever they went throughout the northwest and establishing a constant presence amongst the northwest baseball community. But all of that almost didn’t happen. The summer before Evans’ freshman year of college, he told then-assistant coach Mark Machtolf that he was going to junior college in Arizona instead of GU, feeling it was in his best interest as a player. Machtolf would have nothing of the sort. He told Evans that he was going to come play at GU, or at least he’d have to come to Spokane and tell him to his face. That was how strongly he and head coach Steve Hertz felt about him. “Not only is he our kind of guy, we absolutely have to have him,” Machtolf remembers telling Hertz. Five years later, when Hertz retired and Machtolf assumed head coaching duties, Evans was just as important of a target, this time as an assistant coach. And just the same,
it took some mulling over. Evans was freshly graduated, finding himself in an interstitial period where he wasn’t sure where his path would lead next. But after sleeping on it, he was in. Machtolf remembers his words that next day, at all of 21 years old: “You know what – I think I’m going to give this coaching thing a try.” “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God that he made that decision,” Machtolf said. “There was an intervention that somehow led me to think that he was a guy that I needed by my side, and man, did I need him.” From that point on, he was indispensable. He was eventually promoted to lead assistant and recruiting coordinator, becoming an ardent ambassador of the “Zag Way” and one of the premier recruiters on the West Coast.
THERE HAS BEEN ONE CONSTANT SINCE WE MET, EVERY CONNECTION, EVERY MEMORY, EVERY TRIUMPH AND EVERY HEARTBREAKING MOMENT OF THIS LAST YEAR … GONZAGA MEANS MORE TO OUR FAMILY THAN ANYTHING. -KELLIE EVANS Maybe it’s because the pitch was relatively simple, and Evans himself was a testament to its legitimacy: “Come to this amazing school, this amazing community, and your life will never be the same,” as Kellie remembers.
Evans was nothing if not consistent. He wasn’t the type to treat two different people two different ways, and it didn’t matter who you were when you spoke with him. He had time, and as Harmon said, “A gift for making you feel good when you talked to him.” “While the rest of us vacillate between the best version of ourselves and the worst version of ourselves and everywhere in between, he just managed to be the very best version of himself, all the time,” said Jared Hertz, GU’s Senior Associate AD for Major Gifts, who was Evans’ teammate in undergrad. “And that was his baseline.” The vigor with which he promoted his program endeared him to everyone who he ran into in baseball spaces — the dozens of scouts and coaches who poured out condolences and memories of their interactions with him after his passing is evidence enough. At a Celebration of Life held in honor of Evans on May 12, Machtolf made a promise
– there wouldn’t be a team that he coached that wouldn’t know the kind of man, the kind of father, the kind of coach Evans was. Because ultimately, the standard he set remains foundational to the program’s culture; a sort of gritty servant leadership that lifted up those around him in ways they couldn’t have imagined. Someone who saw every day as a great day to be a Zag. His former player and fellow assistant coach Cory Lebrun had a promise as well, echoing the sentiments of the dozens of former players and friends who came back to Spokane to remember him. “If I could tell Danny one last thing, it’d be that we’ve got your back,” he said. “Everything here is taken care of. You’ve taught us the right way - we’re going to continue that legacy every day.” The truest of Zags – and an unreservedly great man, above all else – deserves nothing less.
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THESE ARE THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE PURSUIT TO DISTINGUISH OURSELVES AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INTERCOLLEGIATE COMPETITION. DIVERSIFIED GREATNESS As a department, we have a responsibility to be equitable in the opportunities we provide our student-athletes and coaches because we expect greatness on multiple layers—individually, throughout each team, and throughout the department entirely. Isolated successes are not enough. In the absence of greatness at one or more of these layers, we fail in our pursuit. Society embraces a winner, and we believe achievement breeds inspiration—of the self, of peers, and of the community. Our student-athletes— our leaders— must inspire. And so they all must achieve. Without achievement, our student-athletes have less of an opportunity to impact our institution’s mission and have less of an opportunity to extend greatness beyond their sport. Finally, without greatness throughout our department, there is no distinction between “us” and “them.”
PASSION FOR SUCCESS Success must not be defined simply by winning or losing games, matches, races, or contests. Instead, we believe there are many components that must coexist for success to truly be achieved. Strong academics, social consciousness, accountability, leadership, commitment to community, and diversified greatness for all eighteen (18) of our sports comprise the foundation. It is the courage to take risks, to refuse to see limitations, and to sustainably prevail across all programs that define our success. It is the contribution of many individuals to create a deep and varied culture combined for a common goal—a broad-based, nationally-renowned athletic program.
STUDENT-CENTERED PHILOSOPHY The student-athlete is central to our department. Through athletic scholarship, we are affording the opportunity to a uniquely-talented student to be part of a caring, supportive, disciplined environment where they will be formed into a better individual, a better leader, who in turn impacts his or her team, our institution, and the greater community during and after their educational careers. We are educators of young people, and the teachable moments often happen in ways unrelated to the outcome of the game. It is in the process of winning or losing that our student-athletes learn discipline, work ethic, social responsibility, character, and what it means to be a teammate, a citizen, and a role model. It is through these educational experiences that we work to develop the mind, body, and spirit of each student-athlete so they can learn from failures and capitalize on successes. As coaches, as staff, and as a university community, we encourage and expect our student-athletes to reach beyond what seems possible. It is our responsibility to ensure that each student-athlete has the resources and support to rise to that challenge. 23
VISION STATEMENT
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Department of Intercollegiate Athletics 502 E. Boone Ave. Spokane, WA 99258-0066 www.gozags.com