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Tom McElroy Director of Athletics |
Thank you, Team URI
It’s been just one year since I joined URI as director of athletics, and nearly every day I am reminded that, in many ways, the athletic program is the front door to the University. Many people are introduced to URI for the first time when they attend a basketball game, participate in an athletic camp, or watch their children compete in a sporting event at our athletic facilities. Once they’re here, they often take the time to explore campus and learn about the rest of what the University has to offer.
Our student-athletes and coaches are excellent ambassadors to these visitors. But they couldn’t be as successful as they are without the support of those I call Team URI—the faculty and staff, alumni and benefactors, administrators, advisors and others who bleed Keaney Blue. In my short time here I’ve been proud to join all of them in celebrating numerous individual and team accomplishments. Among this year’s highlights:
º Men’s track won an unprecedented fifth straight Atlantic 10 outdoor title, its third-consecutive New England outdoor crown and also won the New England indoor title. The women’s team won its fourth straight A-10 outdoor championship and won the Atlantic 10 indoor crown for the fifth time in the last six years;
º The golf team qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the 14th straight year;
º The baseball team won the A-10 championship and qualified for the NCAA championships for the first time ever;
º Both men’s and women’s ice hockey club teams reached the national final four;
º The sailing team represented the United States internationally;
º Four student-athletes were named All-Americans and two others earned Academic All-American honors;
º A record 144 student-athletes made the Dean’s List in the spring semester (3.3 GPA or higher), and 18 had perfect 4.0 GPAs;
º Nine varsity teams had GPAs over 3.0 last spring, and more than half our teams had GPAs of 2.9 or higher.
º 84 student-athletes were honored with awards and honor society inductions based on academic performance and/or community service, including URI’s first NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship (Joy Hess, field hockey) and the National Courageous Student-Athlete Giant Step Award (Destiny Woodbury, track & field).
We have a great deal to look forward to in the coming year as well. Thanks to Tom Cataldo ’71 and Kurt Wicks ’73 for helping to raise more than $325,000 in two months for our Meade Stadium Renovation Project. Once they reach $500,000, President Carothers has agreed to match it with University funds, and we’ll be well on our way to providing a new scoreboard and refurbishment of the east stands. We hope to have new west stands in 2006.
In May the University hosted an NCAA Certification Review Team, following a year-and-a-half of University self-study led by Abu Bakr, Harry Amaral, Lynne Derbyshire and Judith Swift. The timing on this process was excellent for me as I got to immediately meet and work with a wide range of faculty and staff to gain their insights as we formulate a strategic plan for URI athletics. The NCAA’s recertification report will be made official later this summer, but I’m certain that Team URI will have many reasons to be proud of the University’s athletic commitment to rules compliance, equity and student welfare, and academic integrity.
I want to offer a personal thank you to Henry Pedro ’76, who is completing his second term as president of the Rhode Island Rams Athletic Association, for his many years of outstanding dedication to URI athletics. RIRAA is charged with assisting the Athletic Department in promoting URI athletics and is the official fund raising organization for the department. Henry led the association to its second consecutive year of record-breaking donor support, and has helped to build a dedicated membership—1,000 strong and growing.
As we prepare for another year of Rhody athletics, you can easily keep up to date on all the action and successes on URI’s athletics website, http://www.gorhody.com. Thanks again for all you do, Team URI.
