Fennern named NACWAA Administrator of the Year In celebration of the success, achievements, and advancement of women leaders, the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) awarded its 2016 Administrator of the Year Awards in October in Kansas City, Mo. Among those honored was Saint Mary’s Athletic Director Nikki Fennern, who has worked at St. Mary’s since 2001, first as Nikki Fennern a coach and then as athletic director since 2006. The Administrator of the Year Award is presented each year and honors NACWAA members for significant contributions made in athletic administration. Recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by the NACWAA Awards Committee for their service during 2015-16. “Each year, NACWAA is thrilled to celebrate and honor such extraordinary women who live out our mission each and every day,” said Patti Phillips, NACWAA CEO. “We are continually inspired and energized by their commitment and dedication to intercollegiate athletics and the advancement of women both in our industry and beyond.”
“I am very honored and humbled to receive this award from such a great organization as NACWAA,” said Fennern, who had four teams play in the conference post-season tournaments last season, including two—baseball and women’s basketball—that reached the MIAC Playoff title game. “I am blessed to be surrounded by a university administration that supports the athletic experience; great coaches and athletic staff members who work so hard day-in and day-out to advance the department; and, most importantly, student-athletes who strive for their best every day in the classroom, on the field of competition, and in the community. “I am thankful to all of my mentors and co-workers who make an award like this possible.” Fennern is an active NACWAA member who embodies the mission of advancing women in collegiate athletics. As the director of athletics at Saint Mary’s, Fennern is committed to the education of students both in the classroom and on their respective playing surfaces. Under her guidance, Saint Mary’s athletics enjoyed one of the best years in recent history last school year. On top of encouraging athletic success, Fennern also leads, mentors, and provides vision for her staff, while being a positive role model for studentathletes and up-and-coming young administrators. “Nikki has many gifts and talents, as well as an incredible drive and desire to champion for the experience of Cardinal student-athletes,” said Chris Kendall, Saint Mary’s associate vice president of Campus Services. “She is a tremendous asset to Saint Mary’s University coaches, faculty and staff, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but mostly, to every student-athlete who puts on a Cardinal uniform. Nikki is truly a great source of Cardinal Pride.” ≠
Cardinals’ Pollari named MIAC’s Coach of Year Heading into the 2015-16 season, not too many coaches around the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference were familiar with the name Brent Pollari. They are now. Pollari guided the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota women’s basketball team to a second-place regular-season finish in 2016—and the No. 2 seed in the conference playoffs— in his first year as the Cardinals’ head coach, and was named MIAC Coach of the Year. “Being named Coach of the Year is a great honor, but this is a team award,” said Pollari, who took over the Cardinal program in late August—a team that lost four starters and six of their top offensive performers from a year ago. “I felt so bad for our players after not being selected for the national tournament. Hopefully this shows everyone on this team the respect they have earned from the coaches in our league— and the realization of what a special season they had.” The Cardinals, picked to finish seventh in the MIAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, set out to prove the naysayers wrong—rattling off eight straight wins to open the season, and putting together a 13-1 mark through their first 14 games. Saint Mary’s survived the minefield that was the MIAC schedule, compiling a 14-4 record en route to qualifying for its fifth straight conference post-season berth. The Cardinals earned a first-round bye and bounced Gustavus 78-70 in the MIAC Playoff semifinal before dropping the title game to St. Thomas.
“I can’t say enough about what a special season this was,” said Pollari, whose squad finished 21-6 overall. “They were determined to outperform our preseason ranking and I am extremely proud of what they accomplished.” ≠
Brent Pollari
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