Hofstra Athletics 2011-12 Annual Report - GoHofstra.com

Hofstra student-athletes did not limit their accomplishments to just their athletic
achievements, as several earned recognition for their work in the classroom and the
community. Candice Bellocchio of the women’s basketball team was the recipient
of the 2012 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award, which is given to the student-athlete
who “embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in
conjunction with her academic and athletic achievement.” It is named after former
James Madison athletic director Dean Ehlers, who was a founding member of the
conference, served as its first President, and was a recognized leader through his
membership on numerous NCAA Committees. Bellocchio was heavily involved in
community service endeavors during her tenure at Hofstra and through her hard work
and leadership was able to make a difference in the lives of many people. Bellocchio
was also selected as the Nassau County Sports Commission Female College Athlete
of the Year based on her athletic, academic and community service achievements.
Brandon Shin
Steve Bonanno was the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in wrestling and also
earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic and CoSIDA
Academic All-America honors as well. Andrew Gvozden was the CAA Scholar-
Athlete of the Year in men’s lacrosse and a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse
Association (USILA) Scholar All-American. Jill Maier (women’s lacrosse) and Olivia
Galati (softball) were named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective
sports, while Brittany Butts of the women’s soccer team was a third team regional
All-Scholar selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA). Fifteen field hockey players were named to the National Field Hockey
Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad, while Hofstra was also the
recipient of the National Academic Team Award for earning a cumulative 3.0 or higher team grade point
average. Four women’s lacrosse players were named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches
Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Roll, while seven tennis players earned Intercollegiate Tennis
Association (ITA) All-Academic accolades and two golfers were selected Scholar All-Americans by the
National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA).
Jenna Masnyk
In May President Stuart Rabinowitz announced that Jeffrey A. Hathaway would be Hofstra’s new Vice
President and Director of Athletics. Hathaway replaced Jack Hayes, who resigned after eight years to
become Director of Athletics at Brown University. Hathaway had served as Director of Athletics at the
University of Connecticut from 2003 to 2011, and was also the NCAA Division
I Men’s Basketball Committee Chair during the 2012 NCAA Tournament and
served on the committee for five years.
Other exciting events of the 2011-12 athletic year included the largest
individual commitment in Hofstra Athletics history as men’s lacrosse alumnus
James C. Metzger ’83, a former All-American, pledged $1.5 million to the
department in December 2011. His contribution will establish a men’s lacrosse
program endowment as well as support
the capital improvement fund, which
benefits all 17 sports.
In January 2012 author Chris Vaccaro
’07 released “Hofstra Athletics”,
part of Arcadia Publishing’s
Images of Sports series. The
book captures nearly 200
images of student-athletes,
coaches, administrators,
facilities and many other
aspects of the Hofstra
community.
P.J. Gillespie
Jared Hammer
In July 2012 Hofstra hired former Northwestern
standout Shannon Smith as its new women’s
lacrosse coach. Smith, a U.S. National Team
member, was a three-time All-American for
the Wildcats and the 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy
recipient as the top player in the sport. Smith
was also the Honda Award recipient in
Women’s Lacrosse in 2011 and was part of
three National Championship teams during
her playing career at Northwestern.
Shannon Smith
2011-12 ANNUAL REPORT 7