Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/807315
2 Crusader Nation • Spring 2017 AD's Corner Hello Friends: Please enjoy this spring issue of Crusader Nation. It has been an excit- ing year to date for Holy Cross Athletics. I am proud to report the tradition of the genuine student-athlete is alive and well on Mount St. James. At the end of the fall term, 22 of our 27 athletics teams had a semester Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better. Our student-athletes continue to rank among the nation's best for their achievements in the classroom. The Crusaders' overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 97 percent for all student-athletes tied us for the 17th best mark in the country in 2016 which marked the 10th straight year in which Holy Cross posted a GSR of at least 97 percent. I am pleased to announce that we are ahead of schedule in the construction of the Luth Athletic Complex. Work inside the new indoor center con- tinues to move forward briskly, and areas for sports performance and sports medicine are advancing ahead, along with new offices, meeting rooms, and locker rooms. When completed, the Luth Complex will be a world-class facility for our student-athletes, a center- piece of the campus, and a major recruiting tool. You can stay updated on the project and find additional information by visiting: GoHolyCross.com/Construction Since our last issue, we have wrapped up the winter sports seasons. Our Men's Basketball team finished 5th in regular-season standings (an im- provement of 4 places over last season), while the Women's Basketball team finished up the regular season in 7th place. Women's freshman forward Lauren Manis '20 was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year. The Men's Hockey team finished the regular season in 5th place, while the Women's Hockey team finished the season in 2nd place in the New England Hockey Conference, as well as 2nd in the NEHC Open. The spring seasons are off to a fine start and we have high hopes for continued success. The Men's Lacrosse team opened the season with two first-evers in program history, with wins against Lehigh and Bucknell. Women's Lacrosse also defeated Ohio State and has had their best start to a season in 10 years, since the last time they won a Patriot League title. Finally, as we approach the end of our fiscal year, we have raised 65 percent of our $1.75 million goal for the Crusader Athletics Fund. CAF is crucial to the success of our athletics programs, as support from the Fund enables our teams to perform and compete at the highest level. Our student-athletes are provided a quality Division 1 experience in many ways through the generous support of the Holy Cross com- munity. We will need the entire Holy Cross Athletics community to help us reach this lofty goal in 2017. I hope you will consider joining me in being a part of a record-breaking year for Crusader Athletics by making your gift before June 30. Please show your support before June 30 by returning the enclosed envelope or by visiting goholycross.com/CAF. Go 'Saders! Nathan Pine Director of Athletics In This Issue 3 Coach's Game Plan Jen Lapicki, Head Softball Coach 5 Paying it Forward Courtney Moore '92 Women's Cross-Country/Track & Field 6 Student Spotlight Jack McGovern '17, Men's Lacrosse 7 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT... Tess MacKay '17, Women's Lacrosse Brandon Thornhill '19, Men's Track & Field 8 " I Love Holy Cross" Challenge You did it! 10 Student-Athlete Development 13 Calendar 14 Catching Up With... Fr. Boroughs as Patriot League President 15 What I was Thinking Julia Maloney '18 16 Why I Give Crusader Nation P H O T O G R A P H E R S David Beyda, Dao Chung, Tom Rettig, Mark Seliger, Gil Talbot D E S I G N E R Michael Grinley T E L L U S W H A T Y O U T H I N K : Write Crusader Nation Office of Advancement One College Street Worcester, MA 01610-2395 Email CrusaderNation@holycross.edu Call 508-793-2415 Send ideas, thoughts, and comments. We want to hear from you!