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Women's soccer team honored for sportsmanship
The actions of members of the women's soccer team following the death of a member of the Bowling Green team during the first round of the Mid-American Conference Championship Game last fall has earned the UB team the Citizenship Through Sports Award.
The award, sponsored by the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, recognizes selected athletes for their contributions to the highest ethical standards in sport. The team received it recently during the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention.
UB was nominated for the award by Bowling Green in recognition of UB team members' actions following the death of Leslie Dawley, a member of the Bowling Green team who collapsed and died on the field during the first-round match of the MAC Championship on Nov. 5. The game was halted and resumed the following day.
Prior to the start of the Nov. 6 game, UB chose to warm up on an adjacent practice field. The team did not want to disturb the area where Dawley had collapsed less that 20 hours earlier and wanted to give Bowling Green some time to reflect as a team. During player introductions, each UB player handed a single yellow rose to her Bowling Green counterpart, exchanging hugs and tears. Following the introductions, the teams joined hands in a circle in the middle of the field for a moment of silence to honor Dawley.
In an excerpt from the nomination letter, Bowling Green representatives wrote: "Everyone that was involved with the events of Nov. 5 and 6 at Bowling Green State University will not soon forget the character and sportsmanship that was displayed by the University at Buffalo's Women's Soccer Team and coaching staff. It is this type of character and sportsmanship that makes collegiate athletics so great. These acts of compassion by the Buffalo players and coaching staff were not lost on the more than 700 fans that filled the stands that day and a number were heard to comment that they had never witnessed such sportsmanship."
Jean-A. Tassy is head coach of the UB team.
Three men's tennis players named ITA Scholar-Athletes
Three UB men's tennis players have been named ITA Scholar-Athletes, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced last week. Sophomores Josh Liederman and Rohan Raikar and freshman Joe Popielarczyk were three of 200 Division I men's tennis players to receive the academic honor.
Liederman carries a 3.696 cumulative grade-point average, and had a perfect 4.0 GPA during the spring semester. He was UB's Most Improved Player during the 2002-03 season after compiling an 18-17 singles record and a 10-10 doubles record.
Raikar is a pharmacy major with a 3.603 cumulative GPA. He posted nine singles wins and 14 doubles victories this past season.
Popielarczyk has a 3.903 cumulative GPA, including a perfect 4.0 in his first semester of college in the fall. He posted a 5-8 singles record and a 6-8 doubles record in his freshman campaign.
In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a student-athlete must be a varsity letter winner, have a GPA of at least 3.50 during the current academic year and have been enrolled at his/her university for at least two semesters
Swimming and diving programs honored
The men's and women's swimming and diving programs were honored recently by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for their academic performances during the 2002-03 school year.
The men's team was named a 2003 Academic All-American Team for the spring semester. The Bulls, under head coach Budd Termin, were recognized in the commendable category with a team grade-point average of 2.904, ranking the Bulls 28th out of the 37 Division I men's programs that were honored.
The list included two other Mid-American Conference schools—Eastern Michigan (3.08) and Ball State (2.814).
On the women's side, sophomore Jennefer Brankovsky was named a CSCAA Academic All-American.
An exercise science major with a 3.657 cumulative GPA, Brankovsky was named MAC Swimmer of the Year and to the All-MAC First Team following the league meet during which she set three UB school records and won two individual titles—the 200 individual medley and the 200 breaststroke. Both of her winning times were school records, as was her time in the 100 butterfly preliminary heat. All three of her school records also were NCAA "B" cut times.
Brankovsky was an Academic All-MAC selection and UB's Female Athlete of the Year.