2 0 1 4 - 1 5 T u f t s U n i v e r s i t y A t h l e t i c s A n n u a l R e p o r t

achievement. M O R E T H A N J U S T C O M I N G I N F I R S T .

from john morris Note

Dear Friends of Tufts Athletics,

As we kick off our fall seasons in what we expect to be another historic year for the Jumbos, I am pleased to share with you this Annual Report for 2014–15. This report highlights a year of outstanding achievements by our coaches, student-athletes, and staff, none of which could have been accomplished without the tremendous support we receive from President Tony Monaco, the university community, and our generous alumni, donors, and friends.

In the classroom, our Jumbo student-athletes excelled once again. Nearly 150 finished the spring semester with cumulative grade point averages of 3.75 or higher. A total of 275 Jumbo student-athletes received Academic All-NESCAC honors last year, and we led the conference in the spring with 132 honorees.

In the community, the Jumbos again demonstrated their commitment to active citizenship and service leadership by volunteering to more than 30 different charitable causes during the year.

And on the field of play, our teams earned three NCAA national championships for the first time in school history and our fourth consecutive Top 10 finish in the Learfield Sports Direc-tors’ Cup. The 2014–15 year also included some amazing individual accomplishments—chief among them were junior track athlete, Mitchell Black, winning two individual NCAA champi-onships in the 800m, and senior softball pitcher, Allyson Fournier, receiving an unprecedent-ed second Honda Award, recognizing her as the most outstanding athlete in all of Division III.

All of these successes are built on Tufts’ tradition of excellence and our commitment to the mission of Tufts Athletics—to strive for excellence on and off the field and provide Tufts student-athletes a dynamic, transformational experience that begins on the playing field and continues throughout their lives.

The athletics department remains on fiscally sound footing. Our annual giving increased significantly last year, both in terms of participation and total giving. Continuing this upward trend in support is essential to carrying out our mission and achieving even greater success in 2015–16 and beyond.

It is a privilege to lead the Jumbos during this time of historic success. As you read through this report and take a moment to celebrate last year’s many achievements, please know that we are always looking forward. We expect to continue to build on our successes in the year ahead and always represent Tufts University with Jumbo Pride!

Thank you for your support of Tufts Athletics. Excellence is Brown and Blue—Go Jumbos!

John Morris

Director of AthleticsTufts University

first

Campus

• Tufts athletes achieved a cumulative 3.33 grade point average during the 2015

spring semester.

• A total of 146 student-athletes earned grade point averages of 3.75 or higher

during the 2015 spring semester.

• Thirty-four student-athletes recorded perfect 4.0 grade point averages for the

spring 2015 semester.

Conference

• 275 Jumbos earned NESCAC All-Academic honors in 2014–15, awarded to varsity

letter winners with a cumulative grade point average of 3.35 or better.

• Tufts’ 132 NESCAC Spring All-Academic recipients were more than any other

school in the conference.

• Women’s basketball senior Hayley Kanner was both

NESCAC’s Player of the Year and a winter

All-Academic honoree.

Students

National/Regional

• Baseball’s Bryan Egan was one of five Jumbos to earn Capital One Academic

All-America® recognition in 2014–15. The chemical engineering major was one of

the top run producers in Division III with 42 RBIs in 32 games.

• Fencing’s Sarah Innes-Gold, one of several Jumbos selected for Capital One

Academic All-Region® honors, was a four-time NCAA Qualifier in her sport. A

Phi Beta Kappa student, she was Tufts’ Durkee Scholarship recipient for promise

and achievement in chemistry.

• Many Tufts teams were honored for their academics by their national coaching or-

ganizations, including women’s soccer receiving a Team Academic Award from the

National Soccer Coaches Association of America after compiling a 3.49 cumulative

grade point average.

ways than one

Community service is a core value of Tufts University Athletics and a tradition that

we proudly uphold each year. Tufts athletes supported dozens of worthy causes

during the 2014–15 academic year, including:

Team IMPACT

Founded by a group of Tufts alumni, Team IMPACT works to improve the quality

of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses by pairing them

with collegiate athletic teams. In 2014–15 six teammates were a part of the Jumbo

Family: Joli Vega, women’s soccer; Shannon Curley, women’s basketball; Jacob

Beranger, men’s lacrosse; Matt Govostes, men’s soccer; Ethan Cafferky, sailing;

and Catherine Malatesta, field hockey.

Active in more

Level the Field

Now an annual commitment made by Jumbo athletes, Level the Field works to

empower inner-city youth by providing a unique opportunity to work with high

achieving collegiate student-athletes both inside and outside of the classroom.

Members of several 2014–15 teams mentored middle school students in nearby

East Somerville with lessons about the importance of communication, teamwork,

sportsmanship, and leadership.

Adopt a Family

In conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families, the

Tufts Athletics Department shared the true spirit of the holiday season

with 13 local families this past December.

Teams and department staff donated

more than $4,200 for holiday gifts

delivered directly to families. While

players raised money, went shopping

for the gifts, and donated other toys,

members of the Student-Athlete Advisory

Committee (SAAC) and department staff teamed

up for a massive gift-wrapping session.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters

For more than 60 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay has

worked to ensure that every child has the support from caring adults that they

need for healthy development and success in life. Tufts teams such as baseball,

field hockey, men’s ice hockey, men’s cross country/track & field, women’s cross

country/track & field, women’s lacrosse, and women’s soccer have raised funds or

developed positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of

young people ages seven through high school.

Tufts athletes also volunteered for (list by name):

ways than oneActive in more

Alzheimer’s Association

American Heart Association

Autism Speaks

Coaches vs. Cancer

Community Swim Lessons

Cradles to Crayons

Mystic Lakes Reservation Clean-up

Malden River Festival

Medford Youth Lacrosse

Pan Mass Challenge

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Play4theCure

Relay For Life

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Soccer Without Borders

Special Olympics

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Swim Across America

Tufts Alumni Foster Children’s Holiday Party

Tufts 10K

Ted Mullin “Hour of Power”

The Cannonball Foundation

The Perseverance Foundation

Fan the Fire

Fan the Fire is Tufts University Athletics’ own initiative that

celebrates Jumbo pride and the dedication to active citizenship

shared on our campus. In its fourth year during 2014–15, Fan the

Fire featured four special events centered around Jumbo

home games in which we partnered with

local charities to raise support and

awareness for these causes.

of champions

Of more than 1,200 schools that compete in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, Tufts was

one of just four to win three NCAA team championships during the 2014–15 year—

joining Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin-Lacrosse.

Men’s Soccer

• Tufts won the 2014 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship with a 4-2 vic-

tory over Wheaton (Ill.) on December 6 in Kansas City, Missouri.

• The Jumbos’ run to the NCAA title featured six victories on the road during the

tournament, an unprecedented feat in NCAA DIII.

• During the tournament, Tufts eliminated Messiah in the quarterfinals. The Falcons

were the two-time defending champions and winners of nine of the last 11 NCAA

titles.

• The Jumbos went undefeated in NESCAC (7-0-3) to claim the #1 seed in the con-

ference tournament. Tufts finished 16-2-4 overall, setting a new program record

for victories.

• Senior defender Sam Williams was selected as a First Team All-American.

Home

Softball

• Tufts won the 2015 NCAA Division III Softball Championship with a 7-4 victory

over Texas-Tyler on May 25 in Salem, Virginia.

• The Jumbos became the first team to win three consecutive NCAA titles in the

34-year history of the tournament.

• The 2015 team finished with a perfect 51-0 record, the best ever in NCAA DIII

Softball history.

• The Jumbos will carry an NCAA record 53-game winning

streak into the 2016 season.

• Tufts won its fourth straight NESCAC title and 10th overall,

while Allyson Fournier, Cassie Ruscz, and Raven Fournier

received All-American honors.

Men’s Lacrosse

• Tufts won the 2015 NCAA Championship with a 19-11 victory over Lynchburg

College on May 24 in Philadelphia.

• The Jumbos, making their fourth appearance in the NCAA final overall, captured

their second straight NCAA title and third overall since 2010.

• For the second straight year, Tufts won on the road at #1 ranked and previously

undefeated RIT in the NCAA semifinals. Their 19-12 win over the Tigers was the

Jumbos’ third NCAA semifinal win at RIT overall.

• Tufts won its sixth consecutive NESCAC championship with a 16-4 victory at Am-

herst. The Jumbos defeated Middlebury 23-9 in the conference semifinals.

• Jumbos John Uppgren, Cole Bailey, Garrett Read, Conor Helfrich, Cem Kalkavan,

Garrett Clarke, and Alex Salazar were All-Americans.

of championsHome

Tufts Athletics won a total of five NCAA titles during 2014–15 as men’s track junior

Mitchell Black added both the indoor and outdoor 800 meters national champion-

ships.

Men’s Track

• Black won the 2015 NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in the 800 meters on

March 14 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with a 1:51.94 time.

• He became the undisputed king of the 800 meters for 2015 by winning the NCAA

Division III Outdoor Championship in the event with a 1:52.57 time in Canton,

New York, on May 23.

• During the indoor season, Black became just the fourth runner in DIII history to

run a sub-1:50 in the 800, timing 1:49.16 at Boston University’s David Hemery

Valentine Invite on February 13.

• Black was selected as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associ-

ation National Track Athlete of the Year for the indoor season.

• At the NESCAC Championship outdoors, Black won the 800 meters

and was second in the 1,500 to help the Jumbos win their

third consecutive conference title.

Learfield Sports Directors Cup

Tufts University’s varsity athletics program finished ninth among more than 400

NCAA DIII schools in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, in which points

are awarded based on each institution’s finishes in NCAA events. This marks Tufts’

fourth straight year in the Director’s Cup top 10 and seventh overall.

of the restThe best

In addition to our NCAA Championship teams, all of Tufts’ other sports programs

enjoyed significant achievements during the 2014–15 seasons.

Jumbo Accomplishments

• Women’s basketball advanced to its second straight NCAA “Final Four,” won

NCAA regional and sectional titles for the second year in a row, and repeated as

NESCAC champions.

• Women’s crew’s varsity eight placed sixth in the Grand Final at the 2015 NCAA

Division III Rowing Championships. The team made its first NCAA appearance

since 2006.

• For the first time since 2011, women’s lacrosse received an NCAA berth and

advanced to the Round of 16. Tufts’ two First Team All-Americans—Emily Wright

and Caroline Ross—were as many as any team in the country.

• Volleyball played in its seventh NCAA Tournament and earned a first-round win

over Springfield College. Senior leaders Isabel Kuhel and Hayley Hopper re-

ceived All-American accolades.

• Men’s track & field had a 15th place finish at the NCAA indoor meet and tied for

24th outdoors. Three-time All-American Mitchell Black was joined by teammates

Drew DiMaiti, Alex Kasemir, and Francis Goins in earning national honors.

• Women’s cross country placed 16th at the NCAA Championship Race, led by an

All-American performance from Kelly Fahey.

• Men’s swimming & diving tied for 23rd at the NCAA Championship as Michael

Winget (5th in 200 backstroke) and Matt Rohrer (6th in 3-meter diving) earned

All-American status.

• Men’s cross country ran in the NCAA Championship for the fourth straight year

and 13th overall, placing 22nd.

• Women’s track & field had eight NCAA qualifiers in the indoor and outdoor

seasons combined, including Marilyn Allen, who broke the school’s 32-year old

100-hurdles record.

• Football posted a perfect 4-0 record at home, including

a 27-20 victory over Williams College, and enjoyed

its best season since 2008.

• Baseball won the NESCAC East Division for

the seventh time and finished with a 26-10 record.

• Men’s basketball earned a home-court berth into

the conference tournament for the third time in

the last four seasons.

of the restThe best

• Hockey defeated eventual NCAA champion Trinity College 2-1 in the quarterfinals

of the NESCAC Championship.

• The men’s tennis team’s #4 seed in the conference tournament was the pro-

gram’s best since the 2005–06 season.

• Tufts sailing posted two top-10 finishes at the team racing and dinghy nation-

al championship events. Seniors Alec Ruiz-Ramon and Sam Madden garnered

All-American honors.

• Golf won the Johnson & Wales Invitational on April 19, with freshman Taylor Nor-

dan taking individual medalist.

• Field hockey finished their year ranked 10th in the national poll, and senior

Brittany Norfleet was a Second Team All-American.

• Women’s tennis finished the year ranked #24 as a team by the Intercollegiate

Tennis Association.

• Eight members of the women’s fencing team qualified for the NCAA Regional

Championships.

• Women’s squash won the Epps Cup at the College Squash Association’s Team

Championships with victories over Haverford, Connecticut College, and William

Smith.

of the rest

• Women’s soccer senior Catharine Greer was named to the Capital One Academic

All-District® Team while also becoming an All-Region selection on the field for

the third straight season.

• First-year Anna Kimura broke the women’s swimming school record in the 200

breaststroke with a 2:21.94 at the 2015 NESCAC Championship.

• Men’s squash finished the season ranked #28 in the nation by the College

Squash Association.

• Noel Wanner was hired as the school’s first full-time head coach for men’s crew

and team participation numbers doubled.

The best

2014–15 Annual Awards Recipients

• HOUSTON AWARD

Best Male Athlete

Mitchell Black, Men’s Track

John Uppgren, Men’s Lacrosse

• SARGENT AWARD

Best Female Athlete

Allyson Fournier, Softball

• FOBERT AWARD

Top Athletic/Academic Performance

Sam Williams, Men’s Soccer

Hannah Foley, Women’s Basketball

• KENNEY AWARD

Positive Attitude/Persistence

Tom Palleschi, Men’s Basketball

Chris Schoenhut, Men’s Lacrosse

Emma Peabody, Women’s Crew

• SPIRIT, SPORTS, SERVICE AWARD

Kyle Slinger, Baseball

Carla Kruyff, Women’s Soccer

by example

Four leaders of Tufts University teams were honored as National Coaches of the

Year in their respective sports during 2014–15, while six were voted the confer-

ence’s best by their peers.

Leadership

Men’s Soccer Coach Josh Shapiro

National Soccer Coaches Association of America / FieldTurf NCAA

Division III Coach of the Year and D3soccer.com National Coach of

the Year

Women’s Basketball Coach Carla Berube

Women’s Basketball Coaches Association / United States Marine

Corps NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year

Men’s Lacrosse Coach Mike Daly

United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association F. Morris Touch-

stone Award as Division III National Coach of the Year

Softball Head Coach Cheryl Milligan

National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Coaching Staff

of the Year

2014–15 New England Small College Athletic Conference Coaches of the Year

Josh Shapiro, Men’s Soccer (1st time)

Brad Snodgrass, Diving (7th time)

Ethan Barron, Men’s Track & Field (6th time)

Carla Berube, Women’s Basketball (5th time)

Cheryl Milligan, Softball (8th time)

Cora Thompson, Volleyball (4th time)

improvements

Field of dreams

Winners of back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2013 and 2014, the Tufts softball

team made its title runs without playing any games at home, as Spicer Field did

not meet certain criteria to host national competition. In 2015 that was no longer

the case as Spicer underwent a renovation that included a new playing surface,

deeper fences, new dugouts and scoreboard as well as a press box and bleachers.

The Jumbos hosted and won the NESCAC Championship, an NCAA Regional, and

an NCAA Super Regional, on their way to winning a third consecutive national title.

Home

Home Court Advantage

Prior to 2009, the Tufts basketball teams could not host NCAA Tournament games

at Cousens Gymnasium because the court was too short. That summer, Cous-

ens underwent a major renovation that rotated the court in order to lengthen it to

NCAA standards. The change was especially beneficial in 2014–15, as women’s

basketball hosted the NESCAC Championship, an NCAA Regional, and an NCAA

Sectional for the second straight year. The home court advantage helped the Jum-

bos advance to back-to-back NCAA “Final Fours.” The new Cousens was also the

site of the NESCAC Volleyball Championship in November.

$537,380

Capital Gifts Annual Gifts

$581,358$623,635

$1,358,437

2012 2013 2014 2015

$535,630 $580,358 $555,135 $1,060,437

$1,750$1,000

$68,500

$298,000

Total Contributions

opportunitiesProviding

Both annual and capital gifts help support the Athletics Department and the indi-

vidual teams by providing necessary resources and budget enhancement to enable

our teams to compete successfully in-conference and nationally.

Capital Donors Annual Donors

2012 2013 2014 2015

775

777 780

840

1,292

2

779 775

65

1,284

8

1

Total Donors

with Allyson Fournier

During her four-year career at Tufts, Allyson Fournier,E15, became arguably the best pitcher in the history of NCAA Division III Softball. However, her life at Tufts involved so much more.

Fournier helped Tufts become the first Division III softball team to win three NCAA titles in a row, and the first team to have a perfect season (51-0) while winning the championship. Fournier recorded the first-ever perfect season for an NCAA Division III pitcher with a 35-0 record in 2015. She hurled five no-hitters, setting a new NCAA Division III single-season mark.

At the conclusion of her career in May, Fournier signed to pitch professionally with the Pennsyl-vania Rebellion of the National Pro Fastpitch League. She was also named the 2015 Honda DIII Athlete of the Year as presented by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards for the second time.

Her achievements at Tufts were not limited to the softball field. She was also a chemical engi-neering major who earned the university’s nomination as NCAA Woman of the Year. She partic-ipated in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving on the development commit-tee. She was also a F.I.T. Pre-Orientation Leader and helped with Tufts’ Fan the Fire initiative, promoting spirit, sports, and service.

Q: Looking back on your decision to attend Tufts, what stands out?

A: I could not have asked for a better environment to grow and learn. I was able to stretch my wings as high as I could imagine. I had an outstanding experience during my time at Tufts, on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. I’m so glad I made the choice I did.

Q: How do you put what you and the team accomplished into perspective?

A: It’s what you dream of when you’re a kid. It’s what you want to do when you play sports. I can’t even describe the feeling. The first time we won the title was incredible. The second time it was like “wow, this is unreal.” And the third time, well I can’t even believe that it actually happened.

Q: What was it like to become the first Division III player to compete in the National Pro Fastpitch League this past summer?

A: Playing in Division III, you watch the women that play Division I on TV and you think they’re like heroes or something. To become a teammate or opponent of these players I’ve idolized was surreal. The biggest thing I tried to do was use what helped make me successful at Tufts. Just get on the mound and throw, try not to think too much, trust what I’m doing, and go right after hitters.

Q: What does the future hold?

A: I don’t know if I’m ready to stop playing softball because I’ve been playing for a long time and I love it. That’s something that is hard to think about. Playing professionally allows me to pursue that passion and later move on to great things in engineering. I have had all of these opportunities afforded to me because of these four years I spent as a Jumbo at Tufts.

Q&A