Article on Mason's Inaugural A10 Season

[Pikapppatri8]

Great write up on GoMason.com. Despite our disappointments with basketball - still decent to reflect on how well we do in our first year over all and how smart a move it was to get into the A10.

Go Mason You Bitches.

http://www.gomason.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25200&ATCLID=209535879

After competing in the Colonial Athletic Association since 1985 as a founding member, a year ago George Mason joined the Atlantic 10 Conference and made an immediate impact bringing home four team championships -- men's soccer, women's indoor and outdoor track and field and baseball. Competing in 20 of the 21 league sponsored sports, in its inaugural season, the Patriots led the conference with the most championships as Massachusetts won three team titles and a handful of schools each brought two championships back to campus. On July 1, the A-10 and the Patriots welcome Davidson to become a 14-member conference for the 2014-15 competition season.

In the first championship of the 2013-14 season, Bethany Sachtleben earned the distinction of becoming Mason’s first individual A-10 Champion after winning the women’s 5k at the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships. Michael Conway and John Holt also had top-15 finishes at the conference championships helping their team to a third place finish and joined Sachtleben in earning All-Conference honors.

With World Cup fever lurking, the Mason men’s soccer team created their own excitement on the pitch this past fall, as they were crowned the Patriots inaugural Atlantic 10 Conference team champion. The Patriots ended the regular season with a 12-3-6 record and the number two seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, where they went on to defeat Saint Joseph’s, vcu and Saint Louis for the programs 11th NCAA Tournament berth. There Mason defeated William & Mary on penalty kicks in the first round before falling 1-0 to New Mexico in the second round. Five Patriots were selected as All-Conference award winners while four were named to the All-Mid-Atlantic Region team and three to the All-State team. Freshman goalkeeper Steffen Kraus highlighted the group by being voted the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and was named a Division I NSCAA All-American, the seventh in program history.

The women’s track and field team made a statement in their first season in the Atlantic 10, taking both the Indoor and Outdoor Conference titles. At the outdoor championships the Patriots tabbed four first place finishes led by Mandissa Marshall in the pole vault where she won both indoor and outdoor titles. Marshall finished ninth overall in pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning All-American honors. Head coach Andrew Gerard was voted A-10 Women’s Coach of the Year in both seasons. The men’s track and field team finished second overall at both the indoor and outdoor Atlantic 10 Championships. The Patriots competed in the 4x400m relay in addition to five individual events at the Outdoor NCAA East Prelims with the 4x400m relay advancing to the Outdoor NCAA Finals where they finished 17th overall in the semi-finals, failing to qualify for the finals. The finish earned the team an All-American honorable mention.

It was a milestone season for the George Mason baseball team, winning its first ever Atlantic 10 Championship and making its seventh NCAA Regional appearance. Mason ended the season with an overall record of 34-22 (A-10, 16-9), winning four consecutive games over Dayton, Saint Joseph’s and twice over vcu at the Atlantic 10 Tournament to earn the A-10 crown. The Patriots traveled to Houston, TX for the NCAA Regional round where they fell to nationally-ranked Rice and Texas A&M. Mason senior Chris Cook earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team honors, while teammates Anthony Montefusco and Jared Gaynor were tabbed A-10 Second Team. Freshman Tyler Zombro was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.

Mason student-athletes excelled off the playing field as well earning 11 Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team honors. The student-athletes were nominated based on their athletic and academic performance and voted on by the leagues sports information directors. The Patriots also had more than 120 student-athletes earn selection to the A-10 Commissioners Honor Roll based on earning a 3.5 GPA or better (on a 4.0 scale).

The Patriots will look to build on their conference success with a new leader in the athletic department, Brad Edwards, who begins his tenure as athletic director on July 1. He replaces Tom O’Connor, who retired in March after 20 years at the helm of the Patriots athletic department.

George Mason Atlantic 10 Team Champions

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Indoor Track and Field

Women’s Outdoor Track and Field

Baseball


George Mason Atlantic 10 Individual Champions

Women’s Cross Country

• Bethany Sachtleben

Men’s and Women’s Swimming

• 400-yard IM--Fernando Rubio
• 200-yard backstroke--Melissa Davis
• 200-yard butterfly--Daniel Camozzo

Women’s Indoor Track and Field Champions

• 4x400m Relay--(Caela Williams, Daianna Barron, Taylor Wheaton, Dominique Graham)
• High Jump--Dominique Graham
• Pole Vault--Mandissa Marshall
• Long Jump--Chantel Richardson

Men’s Indoor Track and Field Champions

• 60m Dash--Ayo Raymond
• 200m Dash--Adrian Vaughn
• 1000m Run--Craig Morgan
• 60m Hurdles--Anthony Williams
• 4x400m Relay--(Angel Coburn, Taylor Sykes, Jordan May, Adrian Vaughn)

Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champions

• 5,000m Run--Bethany Sachtleben
• 100m Hurdles--Shavon Briscoe
• 4x400m Relay--(Caela Williams, Taylor Wheaton, Daianna Barron, Dominique Graham)
• Pole Vault--Mandissa Marshall
• Long Jump--Chantel Richardson

Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Champions

• 200m Dash--Adrian Vaughn
• 400m Dash--Adrian Vaughn
• 110m Hurdles--Anthony Williams
• 400m Hurdles--George Empty
• Men’s 4x100m Relay--(Ayo Raymond, Adrian Vaughn, Da’Quan Smalls, Bernard Freeman)
• 4x400m Relay--(Angel Coburn, Adrian Vaughn, George Empty, Zamier Johnson)
• Triple Jump--Jimi Tele

Atlantic 10 All-Conference Awards

First Team All-Atlantic 10

• Brooke Blankenship—Softball
• Michael Conway—Cross Country
• John Holt - Cross Country
• Chris Cook—Baseball
• Jimmy Davis—Men’s Tennis
• Betheny Sachtleben—Cross Country
• Taylor Washington—Men’s Soccer
• Tiffany Webb—Softball
• Kevin Yerks—Golf

Second Team All-Atlantic 10

• Jared Gaynor—Baseball
• Zach Haapaoja—Men’s Soccer
• Alex Herrara—Men’s Soccer
• Joe Hill—Men’s Tennis
• Lyndse Hokanson—Women’s Soccer
• Steffen Kraus—Men’s Soccer
• James Lange—Men’s Tennis
• Anthony Montefusco—Baseball
• Rachel Obregon—Lacrosse
• Cassie Robbins—Rowing

Third Team All-Atlantic 10

• Taylor Brown—Women’s Baskeball

All-Rookie Team

• Sarah Hardison—Women’s Soccer
• Zach Herstek—Men’s Soccer
• Jalen Jenkins—Men’s Basketball
• Steffen Kraus—Men’s Soccer
• Melissa Lobaccaro—Women’s Lacrosse
• Ayo Raymond—Men’s Indoor Track and Field
• Chantel Richardson—Women’s Indoor Track and Field
• Chantel Richardson—Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
• Jacquelyn Spalding—Women’s Lacrosse
• Tyler Zombro—Baseball

A-10 Rookie of the Year

• Steffen Kraus—Men’s Soccer
• Ayodeji Raymond—Men’s Indoor Track and Field
• Chantel Richardson—Women’s Indoor Track and Field

Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year

• Andrew Gerard—Women’s Indoor Track and Field
• Andrew Gerard—Women’s Outdoor Track and Field

All-Academic Conference Team

• Chris Cook—Baseball
• Melissa Davis—Swimming and Diving
• Amanda Denger—Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
• Lyndse Hokanson—Women’s Soccer
• Taylor Hunt—Baseball
• Paige Impink—Swimming and Diving
• Megann Kaiser—Indoor Track and Field
• Joey Kelly—Swimming and Diving
• Stuart Lampen-Crowell—Men’s Outdoor Track and Field
• Jennifer Nakamura—Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
• Jason Wellington—Men’s Outdoor Track and Field

Most Outstanding Performer

• Bethany Sachtleben—Cross Country Championship

Men's Track Performer of the Year

• Adrian Vaughn

 

[Pablo]

Great write up on GoMason.com. Despite our disappointments with basketball - still decent to reflect on how well we do in our first year over all and how smart a move it was to get into the A10.

Go Mason You Bitches.

Is it fair to say that Mason was the William & Mary of the A10 last season?

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Meh - W&M. I think it is still good to focus on the successful accomplishments in the new Conference. I liked the article.

 

[wijg]

Meh - W&M. I think it is still good to focus on the successful accomplishments in the new Conference. I liked the article.

While it is a nice idea that any team we have do well, and I don't mean to take anything away from those teams, but how much of this is a drop in the level of competition in non-basketball sports?

The a-10 is a basketball focused conference, so that is what we should be focused on. If basketball is good, the other sports being good is icing on the cake. If our basketball team is no good, the others are of little consequence.

 

[GMUgemini]

While it is a nice idea that any team we have do well, and I don't mean to take anything away from those teams, but how much of this is a drop in the level of competition in non-basketball sports?

The a-10 is a basketball focused conference, so that is what we should be focused on. If basketball is good, the other sports being good is icing on the cake. If our basketball team is no good, the others are of little consequence.

We should be competitive in every sport we support regardless of the conference we are in otherwise what's the point of spending money and scholarships to field the team?

 

[JamesMason]

We should be competitive in every sport we support regardless of the conference we are in otherwise what's the point of spending money and scholarships to field the team?

Title IX

 

[Pikapppatri8]

While it is a nice idea that any team we have do well, and I don't mean to take anything away from those teams, but how much of this is a drop in the level of competition in non-basketball sports?

The a-10 is a basketball focused conference, so that is what we should be focused on. If basketball is good, the other sports being good is icing on the cake. If our basketball team is no good, the others are of little consequence.

And how many years were we tops in CAA basketball and everyone was commiserating about how we didn't do too much in other sports. We should be competitive in all - that helps marketing and branding and fund raising.

 

[GMUgemini]

Title IX

Title IX (and Division 1 requirements) explains 14 of our 22 sports.

It's not like we are fielding an 83 scholarship football team.

 

[wijg]

And how many years were we tops in CAA basketball and everyone was commiserating about how we didn't do too much in other sports. We should be competitive in all - that helps marketing and branding and fund raising.

I never complained about that. I'll take the good in basketball bad in all other sports over the opposite 100% of the time.

 

[wijg]

Title IX (and Division 1 requirements) explains 14 of our 22 sports.

It's not like we are fielding an 83 scholarship football team.

Exactly, get rid of the other 8 sports. In your own words "...what's the point of spending money and scholarships to field the team?"

 

[GMUgemini]

Exactly, get rid of the other 8 sports. In your own words "...what's the point of spending money and scholarships to field the team?"

Because we are a university and it's more than about the bottom line, but about attracting a diverse and talented base of students who will give back to the university both directly (through donations) and indirectly (by becoming top professionals in their fields). We have and have had Olympic athletes coaching and playing on some of these pointless non-revenue sports and it would be a shame to lose these kinds of students because we are too cheap.

Oh, and if the Patriot Club numbers are any indication, the alumni who played for our non-revenue sports give back to the athletic department at a higher percentage than those who played for our revenue sport.

 

[wijg]

Because we are a university and it's more than about the bottom line, but about attracting a diverse and talented base of students who will give back to the university both directly (through donations) and indirectly (by becoming top professionals in their fields).

That is pretty much the definition of bottom line, so I am not sure what your point is. Even if I take what I think were trying to say (before you contradicted yourself) Universities are not intended to just waste money either.

We have and have had Olympic athletes coaching and playing on some of these pointless non-revenue sports and it would be a shame to lose these kinds of students because we are too cheap.

One man's cheap is another man's prudent use of scarce dollars. You called them pointless, not me. I find them fun, but they are not a prudent expenditure of money. There is really only one reason to have sports at a university and that is for marketing (and marketing related) purposes. All other purposes could be done more cheaply without all the overhead that goes into running a sport. The only sport that has any chance to pay off from a marketing standpoint (that we have) is basketball.

Oh, and if the Patriot Club numbers are any indication, the alumni who played for our non-revenue sports give back to the athletic department at a higher percentage than those who played for our revenue sport.

Percentage means very little if the total dollars are not there.

 

[GMUgemini]

If you want some really big publicity, cut 8 sports next year and see what happens. especially if the motivation is to service the men's basketball team (as most on here would like).

It's not a waste of money if it supports the mission of the University. When you solely chase the ghosts of revenue sports you do things like the University of Miami allowing a booster to take players on yachts with prostitutes or Oregon allowing the CEO of Nike to design your academic support building, or UMD and overextend yourself building brand new arenas or expanding stadiums without the demand being there.

Basketball and football service a particular audience. There are other audiences, other avenues through which to market your university and being able to market your university to a swimmer like Kate Ziegler is a good thing.

 

[KAOriginal]

There are other audiences, other avenues through which to market your university and being able to market your university to a swimmer like Kate Ziegler is a good thing.

What the new AD should do is get her to do a swimsuit calendar.........we can ignore that she transferred.

At 6' thats alot to look at......

 

[GMUgemini]

What the new AD should do is get her to do a swimsuit calendar.........we can ignore that she transferred.

At 6' thats alot to look at......

I believe she was still at Mason during the London games (and was a volunteer coach of the swim team, since she went pro at 18). She also didn't fare too well there, but that's ok. It's still a great marketing opportunity we probably did nothing about.

I believe we had two other Olympians in the 2010 London games and Verberg came very close to making it four.

 

[wijg]

It's not a waste of money if it supports the mission of the University.

I think you are missing the point. The only thing a sports program achieves possibly better than other avenues is marketing. The other missions of the university can be more cost effectively supported by other programs that don't have the high overhead.

You are making the age old mistake of only looking at the immediate effects, only looking at the seen and not the unseen. Operating sports programs takes probably 10 or more times the amount of money to use to achieve results that other programs could do. So all the money spent to get the athletes in sports that add little or no marketing value, it could have been spent to get 10 other students. I suggest you read Bastiat's "That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen" or for a an even better one stop shop and a pretty fast read, Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson".

So while it is sad to affect the one athlete by taking a sports scholarship away from a program with a poor return (the seen), you are not factoring in the 10 people that were affected by spending the money imprudently on a poorly returning sports program (the unseen).

 

[GMUgemini]

I think you are missing the point. The only thing a sports program achieves possibly better than other avenues is marketing. The other missions of the university can be more cost effectively supported by other programs that don't have the high overhead.

You are making the age old mistake of only looking at the immediate effects, only looking at the seen and not the unseen. Operating sports programs takes probably 10 or more times the amount of money to use to achieve results that other programs could do. So all the money spent to get the athletes in sports that add little or no marketing value, it could have been spent to get 10 other students. I suggest you read Bastiat's "That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen" or for a an even better one stop shop and a pretty fast read, Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson".

So while it is sad to affect the one athlete by taking a sports scholarship away from a program with a poor return (the seen), you are not factoring in the 10 people that were affected by spending the money imprudently on a poorly returning sports program (the unseen).

I don't think that's necessarily true. The retention rate and graduation rate of student-athletes is higher than the general student population as well as their participation and support of the university post-graduation.

Think beyond athletics as a marketing arm of the university and take a more holistic approach to them and understand that they are part of the overall education and undergraduate experience of the students. The mission of a university is to educate the whole student. And physical education has long been part of the philosophical mission of a university. It's why Ivy League schools offer more sports than, say, a vcu.

I'm guessing by "programs" you mean men's basketball? Or do you mean university programs outside of athletics? More student affairs programs perhaps?

Let's keep in mind that athletic funding is siloed and supported by earmarked student fees, donations, sponsorships and ticket revenue. The money saved by cutting 8 sports isn't leaving the athletics department and going into the general fund.

 

[wijg]

I mean any program, sports or otherwise. I don't care what fund cut money goes into. I am looking at it holistic, more so than you. That is why you can't see what's colossal misuse of funds that spending on sports we don't have to have is.

Name one goal of the university that men's golf serves that couldn't be served more cost effectively in some other manner.

 

[GMUgemini]

I mean any program, sports or otherwise. I don't care what fund cut money goes into. I am looking at it holistic, more so than you. That is why you can't see what's colossal misuse of funds that spending on sports we don't have to have is.

Name one goal of the university that men's golf serves that couldn't be served more cost effectively in some other manner.

Most Universities believe in educating the whole student, not just job training. Most of them also used to require PE as part of their gen ed requirement, but dropped it probably due to cost. There are things a person learns being a part of an intercollegiate athletics team that you cannot learn in any other way (to include intramural sports, which aren't all that competitive and don't require any kind of dedication, discipline or sacrifice).

And I would ask you what's the difference between men's golf and women's lacrosse, or men's volleyball and men's wrestling, or men's swimming and diving and men's soccer. Not a single one of those sports generates any significant revenue or direct/indirect marketing to the university. How do you justify cutting one over the other, valuing one student-athlete over the other?

 

[wijg]

Most Universities believe in educating the whole student, not just job training. Most of them also used to require PE as part of their gen ed requirement, but dropped it probably due to cost. There are things a person learns being a part of an intercollegiate athletics team that you cannot learn in any other way (to include intramural sports, which aren't all that competitive and don't require any kind of dedication, discipline or sacrifice).

And I would ask you what's the difference between men's golf and women's lacrosse, or men's volleyball and men's wrestling, or men's swimming and diving and men's soccer. Not a single one of those sports generates any significant revenue or direct/indirect marketing to the university. How do you justify cutting one over the other, valuing one student-athlete over the other?

I'll answer your question, hopefully you will actually answer mine.

There is little difference, I would cut them all if I could.

You were the one lecturing about the mission of the university and why we need the extra sports. So please, what lofty goal of the university is men's golf serving that could not be served in a much more coat effective manner in some other way, thus benefitting more students?