Golden Eagle Talon Club Membership Guide 2023-2024

A STATEMENT FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Wendy Snodgrass

On behalf of our coaches, student-athletes, and the rest of our Golden Eagle family, I want to thank you all for your contributions to our athletics programs at Clarion. When you give to Clarion athletics, you are doing more than changing a number on a balance sheet; you’re directly impacting the lives of more than 400 student-athletes by helping to give them the tools they need not just to compete, but to become champions.

It is a privilege and an honor to lead an athletic department that has the support of so many people from across the world. Whether our student-athletes and coaches are stepping onto the field of competition or into their communities, they proudly represent a Clarion tradition that was forged by people like you.

We thank you for all that you have already done, and all that we hope you will continue to do.

Benefit Levels The Golden Eagle Talon Club

Welcome Letter

Recognition on Talon Club Athletic Website

Golden Eagle Talon Club Magnet

Personal Thank-you from Student-Athlete

Invitation to Talon Club Spring Luncheon

Golden Eagle Talon Club Shirt

Invitation to Clarion 1867 Giving Society Events Invitation to President's Pavilion and

ANNUAL GIVING LEVELS AND BENEFITS

Giving levels are determined by the total amount donated to any Clarion Golden Eagle Athletics fund during the athletic season. Here are a few examples of how it works:

1. James from Pittsburgh gives $600 toward football and $150 toward baseball. His total annual gift to Clarion Golden Eagle Athletics is $750, which would put him at the All-Conference level for the current athletic season.

2. Michelle from Clarion gives $1,000 toward women’s basketball and $1,000 to the Swimming & Diving Golf Outing. She also gives $500 to the Clarion Golden Eagle Tippin fund. Her total gift is $2,500, which would qualify her for the All-American level for the current athletic season.

3. Adam and Diane from Chicago donate $99 to the Wrestling Annual Scholarship Drive. This qualifies them as Captain-level donors for the current athletic season.

FAQs

What is the Golden Eagle Talon Club?

To put it simply, it’s a way for Clarion Golden Eagle Athletics and the Clarion University Foundation, Inc. to thank you. Hundreds of alumni and friends provide support to one or more of our 16 athletic programs each year. The Golden Eagle Talon Club is our official athletic giving society and lets us recognize your support in a way we’ve never done before.

Why the name "Golden Eagle Talon Club"?

One of the most essential attributes of the golden eagle is its talons. When you see an eagle – either hunting or simply landing on its perch – it leads with its talons. Without them, the eagle cannot survive. By supporting Clarion Golden Eagle Athletics, you are LEADING the charge for current and future student-athletes to be successful. Without YOU, our athletic program cannot survive.

HOW IT WORKS

When you donate $99 or more to any Clarion Golden Eagle Athletics fund, you will become a member of the club. During each athletic season (July 1 through June 30), we will keep track of your total giving to Clarion Athletics program funds. As your total level of giving rises during that time window, so does your rank in the Golden Eagle Talon Club.

But I want my money to go to MY sport!

WE DO, TOO! We are not asking you to do anything different from what you are already doing. Our goal is to let our supporters know they are appreciated. We are all part of a team, and the Golden Eagle Talon Club is the team name. Continue to donate in the same manner as you have in the past – to scholarships, annual funds and/or fundraising events. It all counts!

Bree Kelley

Head Swimming & Diving coach Bree Kelley became the first woman in the history of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to earn a Swimming Coach of the Year award when she was named the PSAC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year.

Heath Calhoun

Diving coach Heath Calhoun was named the CSCAA Division II Women’s Diving Coach of the Year, marking the 17th time a Clarion women’s diving coach has won the award.

David Bocci Connor Cary

The Clarion men’s Swimming & Diving team sent two athletes – David Bocci and Connor Cary – to the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, where both earned All-American status. Bocci became a First Team All-American with his eighth-place finish in the 200 Fly, while Cary was a Second Team All-American after taking 12th in the 100 Fly. Bocci was named the PSAC Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Year.

Will Feldkamp Seth Koleno

Wrestler Will Feldkamp led a contingent of three Golden Eagle wrestlers at the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, placing seventh in the nation at 184 pounds to become an All-American. Feldkamp and Seth Koleno won their respective weight classes at the 2023 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Wrestling Championships, marking the first time the Golden Eagles have had two MAC champions in the same season.

The Clarion athletic department honored 251 student-athletes – comprising 66 percent of the student-athlete population as Clarion Scholar-Athletes at the Bob Carlson Scholar-Athlete Luncheon in February. The latter number represented the highest percentage of scholar-athletes in the 29-year history of the event.

Luna Castellanos

Freshman diver Luna Castellanos won national championships in the 1-Meter Dive and the 3-Meter Dive at the 2023 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, earning her College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division II Diver of the Year honors. She is the 17th women’s diver in program history to win the award.

Shelly Jones

Shelly Jones set the school record in the indoor shot put in January, hitting an NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a throw of 13.71 meters.

cross-country

The Golden Eagle Cross Country team cracked the regional rankings in the fall, checking in as high as ninth in the NCAA Atlantic Region.

Track & field

The Golden Eagle Track & Field team placed ninth at the conference championships, their best finish since the 2008 season.

Scott McManamon

Baseball’s Scott McManamon earned First Team All-PSAC West honors at shortstop and was a consensus All-Region selection – making him the first to do so since 2012. McManamon broke the program record with 11 home runs, a total that tied for the PSAC lead, and was the only player in the conference to record double-digit home runs and 20-plus steals.

FELDKAMP KOLENO

BOCCI CARY

The cumulative athletic department GPA was 3.38 in the Fall and 3.43 in the Spring, giving Golden Eagles a 3.40 GPA for the year; In Spring 2023, 74 student-athletes achieved 4.0 while 252 came in at 3.2 or better.

The Golden Eagles were made up of 214 PSAC Scholar-athletes in 2022-23.