Now in its second year of full NCAA Division I membership, the Seattle University athletics department hit its stride during the 2013 fall season, winning two WAC championships, an NCAA Tournament match, and several postseason athletic and academic awards.
“In my 31 years working in collegiate athletics, I have never been part of a season as successful both academically and athletically as the fall season Seattle U just completed,” Bill Hogan, Director of Athletics, said. “The honors just kept coming in throughout the fall, and our fans are excited not only by what just happened, but also about the possibilities of the future in our other sports.”
The women’s soccer program started the season 2-2-2 before putting together a 15-match winning streak that lasted from Sept. 20 through Nov. 10, including seven consecutive shutouts. The Redhawks swept through the WAC regular season and tournament to win both titles and advance to the NCAA Tournament, clinching the first-ever NCAA tournament for a women’s team at Seattle U. Julie Woodward was named WAC Coach of the Year, Stephanie Verdoia earned WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, and nine players were voted either First Team or Second Team All-WAC.
The honors did not stop with the team’s play on the field, as Verdoia, Julia Besagno, and Jacqui Wallis all earned Academic All-America recognition. Seattle U was the only school to have three representatives on the women’s soccer Academic All-America teams.
Not to be outdone, the men’s soccer team put together a streak of its own once it hit conference play, finishing at the top of the WAC regular season standings with a 7-0-3 league mark before victories over Air Force and San Jose State gave Seattle U the league tournament title. In the NCAA Tournament, the Redhawks defeated Creighton in snowy Omaha, 2-1, before falling to second-seed Washington in front of a standing room only crowd at Husky Soccer Field.
Head coach Peter Fewing was named WAC Coach of the Year, Miguel Gonzalez was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Kyle Bjornethun was named WAC Freshman of the Year. Seattle U also led all WAC teams with five All-Conference honorees, including three on the first team and two on the second team.
Under first-year head coach James Finley, the Seattle U volleyball team put together a winning league record at 9-7, good enough for sixth place in the regular season standings and a spot in the WAC Tournament. The Redhawks defeated Utah Valley in an exciting five-set contest to advance to the semifinals. Martina Samadan earned Second Team All-WAC and WAC All-Tournament honors, while Iris Ivanis was voted WAC Freshman of the Year to go along with her Second Team All-WAC award.
The Redhawk cross country program became the first Seattle U squad to host a Division I conference postseason event, as the 2013 WAC Cross Country Championships were held at Jefferson Park Golf Course on a blustery Saturday. The Seattle U women finished in second place as a team and featured four all-conference performers, including WAC Freshman of the Year Lila Rice. A young Redhawk men’s squad took fourth place in the competition.
Thanks to all of those results, Seattle U currently leads the WAC Commissioner’s Cup standings with 33 points, almost seven full points ahead of Idaho and Kansas City. The Redhawks are also tied for ninth among Division 1-AAA schools (Division I schools without football) in the NACDA Learfield Sports Director’s Cup standings with 75 points.
Seattle U earned 38 Academic All-WAC honors for the fall sports, second-most in the league. The women’s soccer and women’s cross country teams led the way for Seattle U with 12 representatives each, both leading the WAC in their respective sports. Seattle University student-athletes combined for a 3.25 grade point average during the fall 2013 quarter, including 47 that earned President’s List recognition with a GPA of 3.9 or above and another 124 that made the Dean’s List for GPAs between 3.5 and 3.899.
The winter sports are heading towards conference championships, starting with the track and field team at the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Moscow, Idaho, Feb. 26-28 and the swim team at the WAC Swimming and Diving Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 26-March 1. The men’s and women’s basketball teams will return to Las Vegas, Nev., for the WAC Basketball Tournament at the Orleans Arena March 12-15, with all-session tickets currently on sale through the Seattle U Athletics Ticket Office at (206) 398-4678.