The 561 Academic All-NESCAC honors bestowed upon Jumbos during the 2021–22 academic year—139 fall, 187 winter, and 235 spring—were the most ever for Tufts. Each recipient carries a grade point average of 3.50 or better. Jumbo All-Academic team members who were also Most Outstanding Performers in their sport include women’s cross country’s Danielle Page, softball’s Sophia DiCocco and Josie Steinberg, women’s lacrosse’s Molly Laliberty, and men’s track’s Luke Botsford.
It’s especially gratifying that in a year when Tufts won the Directors’ Cup as the most successful athletics program in Division III, our student-athletes also delivered an outstanding 3.59 all-team GPA. The highest overall GPA was achieved by the women’s soccer Jumbos with a 3.77 mark, while the ice hockey team finished with the highest men’s GPA of 3.67. Women’s cross country, women’s tennis, and volleyball all have team GPAs over 3.70, while other top men’s teams include cross country (3.65) and golf (3.64).
Academic All-America® honors were earned by seven Jumbos in 2021–22, the most ever for Tufts. This award, which honors the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in athletics and academics, went to Jumbos Mati Cano and Travis Van Brewer in soccer, Cate Desler in volleyball, Claire Brennan in swimming, Isaac Gorelik in tennis, and Tara Lowensohn and Lia Rotti in track & field. Standouts include Gorelik, a national finalist for the Division III Commissioner’s Association Men’s Student-Athlete of the Year award, and Rotti, the USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year.
A total of 134 Tufts student-athletes earned 4.0 grade point averages in the fall, and then 143 did so in the spring semester. Most notable among nearly 20 Jumbos who carry 4.0 GPAs overall are track & field teammates Tara Lowensohn and Luana Machado, both of whom graduated in 2022 with 4.0s. Co-captains of the team, Lowensohn is now at Stanford pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry and Machado is a first-year student at Harvard Medical School.
A total of 21 Tufts University varsity and club sport student-athletes were inducted this year into the Tufts chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. The inductees were:
Travis Van Brewer of the men’s soccer team was one of just 21 male student-athletes nationally who compete at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels who were selected to receive an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Awarded for his excellence academically and athletically, Van Brewer used the $10,000 scholarship towards earning a Master of Science in civil engineering at Tufts with a concentration in structural engineering. Van Brewer was a key contributor to two of Tufts’ NCAA Championship teams.
Our strong partnership with Team IMPACT (TI) was reinforced this year with five new teammates “drafted” to Tufts teams. In total, eight teams are currently matched with inspiring young teammates, and this winter men’s and women’s basketball played a double-header to raise awareness for the nonprofit organization. Founded by Tufts alumni, TI works to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses by pairing them with collegiate athletic teams.
Ariel Zedric of the volleyball team was one of 12 campus recipients of a Tufts Alumni Association Senior Award, given for academic achievement, participation in campus and community activities, and leadership. Zedric was co-president of Athletes of Color along with Social Justice head of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She worked at the Office of Economic Empowerment for the state of Massachusetts, and was also the outreach coordinator for BabySteps, a statewide program that encourages families to start saving early for their children’s education.
Led by Matt Lane, a 4.0 student in quantitative economics, the men’s lacrosse team brought several men’s teams together to raise almost $50K for the Movember foundation. An NGO tackling men’s health issues like prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health struggles, the campaign spans the month of November and includes growing mustaches, among other creative and fun ways to raise money and awareness.
Tilly Rigby of the women’s tennis team was the Northeast Region recipient of the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award, for which community service is a key component. Rigby tutors local students in the Medford/Somerville communities. She is also actively involved with Jumbo Swipes, a student-run, nonprofit organization that coordinates students donating their meal plan swipes to fight food insecurity in Medford/Somerville.
In April a group of Tufts student-athletes participated in a clean-up of the Malden River, home of the Tufts rowing teams. Logan McLennan, a junior on the men’s rowing team, and RaiAnn Bu, a junior on the women’s track & field team, came up with the idea and were connected with the Friends of the Malden River to plan the event.
The Athletics Department and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee partnered with the Medford Family Network again this year to coordinate the 3rd Annual Jumbo Giving Tree. Their efforts provided gifts for four families (nine children) in need last holiday season. Members of the Jumbo community donated more than 50 gifts that were on the families’ wish lists and also provided more than $1,000 in gift cards.
The football Jumbos supported Hilinski's Hope Foundation, founded by Mark and Kym Hilinski to honor the legacy of their son Tyler. Tufts participated in the second annual College Football Mental Health Week, using their game against Bates College to focus on mental health initiatives to raise awareness of those like Tyler who may be suffering. Tufts joined more than 50 colleges and universities nationwide who participated in Mental Health Week. Jumbo wide receiver John Hilinski is a nephew of Mark and Kym.
In April a group of Tufts student-athletes collaborated with the nonprofit organization Strong Girls United on an event for community girls in grades K-6. Female student-athletes coached and mentored participants through activities that focused on teamwork, social connection, physical activity, and girls’ empowerment. Jumbos from the field hockey, volleyball, and women’s basketball teams as well as volleyball head coach Cora Thompson participated.
This year, expectations were high. But our achievements were even higher. For the first time, the Jumbos won the Learfield Directors’ Cup as the most successful NCAA Division III program in 2021–22, topping more than 440 colleges and universities in this national competition. The Directors’ Cup is awarded to the athletics program with the most broad-based participation and success in postseason competition, and the victory highlights the wide array of high-performing teams and student-athletes at Tufts. The Jumbos won with an overall 1,080 points, followed by Johns Hopkins, Middlebury, and MIT. As of the winter standings issued in March, Tufts was in second place, more than 220 points behind Johns Hopkins. But the spring sports season saw Tufts overcome that large deficit to top the list. Tufts’ win ends a streak of seven consecutive Directors’ Cups won by Williams College. Sixteen different Jumbo teams contributed to the scoring, including NCAA finalist women’s lacrosse and “Final Four” participants men’s lacrosse and men’s tennis. There’s no truer measure of collegiate athletics success than winning the Learfield Directors’ Cup. We lift it on behalf of all our athletics teams and many in the Tufts community who have helped bolster the Jumbos throughout the year.
In a remarkable set of winning performances, eight Jumbos made history individually by capturing NCAA championships in 2022. Within a period of seven days in March, the women's track & field and women's swimming teams won four national titles. Then in late May, the women's tennis team won the NCAA singles and doubles titles. Lia Rotti started the fun, exploding to win the triple jump at the NCAA Track & Field Championships. Teammate Jaidyn Appel then launched herself to victory in the NCAA high jump on the same day. At the NCAA Swimming meet, Claire Brennan became the first woman in Jumbo history to win a swimming national championship when she captured the 200 freestyle title. She then joined Katelin Isakoff, Abby Claus, and Mary Hufziger to win the NCAA 800 freestyle relay the next day. Topping it all off and then some, Tufts’ Elle Christensen persevered through a long day that didn’t end until midnight to win the NCAA Division III tennis singles title and then team up with Tilly Rigby to take the NCAA doubles crown later that day.
During a challenging season, the Jumbos persevered through great adversity to continue their ascent as one of the best teams in the country. Tufts won its second-straight NESCAC title, ending Middlebury College’s 42-game winning streak with a 9-8 victory in the final. The Jumbos then advanced to the program’s third-consecutive “Final Four” and second-straight NCAA Final to finish the season at 19-4 overall. It was a textbook example of teamwork and camaraderie.
In addition to producing both the NCAA singles and doubles champions in the spring, as well as the ITA New England doubles winners in the fall, the Jumbos earned their 20th NCAA Tournament berth as a team and played into the “Sweet 16.” They posted an excellent 17-4 final record. The rising success of women’s tennis isn’t just character building. It’s legacy building.
There’s a first time for everything. In the case of men’s tennis, make that two firsts. After earning its first NCAA team berth since 2004, Tufts won an NCAA Regional at Johns Hopkins and played all the way into the “Final Four” for the first time in team history. The Jumbos, who also advanced to the conference championship match for the second-straight year, finished with a 20-3 record and were ranked #4 in the final ITA national poll.
In their best season ever, the Jumbos were finalists for the Division III Women’s Team of the Year Award. Tufts had victories against Northwestern, Brandeis, and LIU squads that placed among the top 20 at the NCAA Championships. They won 11 of 14 Northeast Fencing Conference matches.
For the first time since 2012, the Jumbos hosted a NESCAC Tournament game and defeated Middlebury College by a 4-1 score. It was their third victory of the season against a Panther team that has won eight conference championships. The team’s 62 goals this season were the most by the Jumbos since 2015–16.
Under the guidance of new head coach Brandon Linton, Tufts’ dogged determination helped them overcome early injuries to finish as one of the top teams in NESCAC. The Jumbos won 11 of their last 13 regular-season games and recorded an 8-2 record in the conference to earn the #2 seed in the NESCAC Tournament. New blood and a love for the game will continue to help this team excel even more in seasons to come.
The team stunned host Johns Hopkins to win the NCAA Regional Championship and advance to the “Elite 8” for the third time in program history. The Jumbos handed the #1-ranked Blue Jays their first defeat since 2018 in the regional championship match. Earning a 21-6 record overall, Tufts finished the year ranked 10th nationally.
The Jumbos sent eight swimmers and divers to the NCAA Championship, and all came home as All-Americans after helping the team finish in a tie for 21st place. Earlier in the year, Tufts finished as the conference runner-up, marking the fourth-straight year they have been either first or second at the NESCAC meet.
First-year head coach Paul Svagdis led the team to a 24-12 finish for a strong .667 winning percentage. The Jumbos hit more home runs than any team in program history with 43 in 36 games to rank among the national top 25. That helped them score an average of nearly 9 runs per game. This team not only knows how to clear the bases, but also, a path to future success.
Tufts finished its season on the verge of the national top 10, earning the #12 position in the CSA rankings. It was their best national finish since 2008. They also had their best NESCAC season ever, playing in the conference championship match after earning the second seed in the tournament. The Jumbos are the team to keep an eye on as they march toward the Top 10.
Continuing their dominant run, the Jumbos won their 11th conference title since 2010 with a 20-11 final over Bowdoin. They advanced to the NCAA “Final Four” for the eighth time before finishing with a 19-3 record. Displaying a potent offense, the Jumbos led the nation in scoring with 20.27 goals per game.
In yet another year that demonstrates the Jumbos' enduring consistency, the team returned to the national stage by earning the 16th NCAA team berth in their history. Tufts placed third at the NCAA East Region Championship—the team’s best showing since 2015—which earned them an at-large berth into the NCAA Championship race, where they placed 30th.
Following an unlucky start to the season that included injuries to key starters and an overtime loss to eventual conference champion Williams College, the Jumbos finished with great momentum. They won their last four games and were the top offensive team in the league, with nearly 430 yards per contest.
For the first time since 2005, Tufts earned an invitation to the NCAA Championships. Finishing as the NESCAC runner-up earlier in the spring, the Jumbos then raced their first and second varsity boats at NCAAs and took sixth place nationally. In an exemplary demonstration of team depth, their third varsity boat won a bronze medal at the New England Championships.
NESCAC’s most-improved team, the Jumbos earned their best-ever #2 seed for the 2022 conference tournament. They followed that up with a strong performance at the team nationals, finishing as the Summers Cup runner-up. That earned Tufts a #18 final ranking, their best since the 2007–08 season.
On an historic day, the indoor team had two individuals win national championships leading to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA meet. It was the second-straight top 10 showing for the Jumbos, who were sixth outdoors last spring, and it was the best NCAA Indoor finish since 2009. The outdoor team had four achieve All-American performances. What a difference a day makes.
The outdoor team won the NESCAC title for the sixth time, outscoring Williams College 177.5 to 164. The Jumbos were first in eight individual events at the meet. They were also the New England Division III runner-up. Tufts competitors earned a total of eight NCAA invitations in the winter and spring seasons combined.
Following a fall season in which Talia Toland placed sixth at the national single-handed championship, the spring saw the Jumbos qualify nationally as a team. After advancing through the national semifinal regatta, the Jumbos finished as one of the top 18 teams at the ICSA national championship.
Continuing their run of NCAA success, the Jumbos made their 10th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament “Sweet 16” and finished with an overall record of 22-5. Ranked 11th in the final WBCA national poll, Tufts placed second for the NESCAC season and earned the program’s 13th NCAA berth.
In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final few events, Tufts defeated long-time rival Williams College to win the program’s first NESCAC Championship in school history. Continuing their momentum, 13 team members then qualified for NCAAs, and Tufts won an individual and relay national title. Their seventh-place NCAA finish was the program’s best since the team was sixth in 1982.
For the third time in the last four seasons and second year in a row, the Jumbos won the NESCAC Championship with a 2-0 shutout of Connecticut College. Tufts was then one of four teams in the country to host an NCAA Sectional round, and they advanced to the “Elite 8.” Their 15-2-4 season earned a #6 final ranking.
Tufts moved up to ninth place on the final day of the ICSA Dinghy National Championship after they had been 15th following the first day of racing. Ninth is the best team finish for the Jumbos at Nationals since 2015. Tufts also qualified for the Team Racing Nationals and placed 13th.
With their post-season hopes on the line, the Jumbos defeated Connecticut College 2-1 in the second overtime after being down 1-0 for 88 minutes of play. That clinched a NESCAC Tournament spot for the team. They followed that up with a strong 4-3 victory at Bowdoin in the regular-season finale and finished the year with an 8-7 record.
Upholding its reputation as a team to be reckoned with on the national scene, Tufts received its 16th berth into the NCAA Championships. The Jumbos advanced to the “Elite 8” for the seventh time and finished the year with a 15-5 record. They were ranked seventh in the final national poll.
In an exciting finish to the NCAA Regional Championship at home on Spicer Field, Tufts walked off with the title by scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth for a 3-2 win over Rowan. The Jumbos also won the NESCAC East Division pennant for the 18th time and went on to finish 36-12.
The Jumbos continued to propel themselves into national championship contention. Competing at the first-ever IRA Division III Championship at historic Mercer Lake, the Jumbos powered past NESCAC rival Trinity College down the stretch to finish as the national runner-up for 2022.
This year was one for the record books. Tufts won its first-ever NCAA Regional Championship and then finished top 10 at the NCAA meet once again. Their ninth-place finish at the national championship was the program’s sixth top-10 finish at NCAAs overall. This was the eighth year in a row Tufts ran at NCAAs. History does, in fact, repeat itself. Especially for the Brown & Blue.
Now firmly established as one of the top teams in NESCAC, Tufts placed second at the conference tournament in the spring. It marked their fifth-straight season as one of the top four teams in NESCAC. The Jumbos also won three regular-season tournaments during the year.
Out of the 15 club sports Jumbos poured their hearts into, more than half qualified for post-season play. Leading the way were Women’s Ultimate, who took home the New England Regional Championship, and the Men’s Ski Team, who were USCSA Thompson Division Champions.
JAIDYN APPEL, Women’s Track & Field, USTFCCCA East Region Field Athlete of the Year
LUKE BOTSFORD, Men’s Track & Field, Sabasteanski Award as NESCAC’s Most Outstanding Performer
ELLE CHRISTENSEN, Women’s Tennis, Honda Award Finalist for Tennis
ANNA CLARKE, Women’s Lacrosse, IWLCA National Midfielder of the Year
SOPHIA DICOCCO, Softball, NESCAC Pitcher of the Year
MOLLY LALIBERTY, Women’s Lacrosse, IWLCA National Goalkeeper of the Year, NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year
Emmett Adams
Men’s Swimming
Kyle Adelmann
Men’s Lacrosse
Duke Alf
Men’s Lacrosse
Jordan Andrew
Women’s Track & Field
Jaidyn Appel
Women’s Track & Field
Calvin Aroh
Men’s Soccer
Jack Boyden
Men’s Lacrosse
Mac Bredahl
Men’s Lacrosse
Claire Brennan
Women’s Swimming
Margie Carden
Women’s Lacrosse
Elle Christensen
Women’s Tennis
Anna Clarke
Women’s Lacrosse
Abby Claus
Women’s Swimming
Jillian Cudney
Women’s Swimming
Cate Desler
Volleyball
Sophia DiCocco
Softball
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony made a triumphant return in 2022. Six outstanding student-athletes and two memorable teams were inducted as the third class of Jumbo Hall of Famers on June 10 at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.
Upon leading the Tufts women’s swimming & diving team to a seventh-place finish at the national championship meet, Adam Hoyt was announced as the national Co-Coach of the Year for NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming. Tufts’ NCAA finish was the program’s best since 1982. The Jumbos also won NCAA individual and relay titles. Earlier in the season Tufts won its first-ever NESCAC championship, with Hoyt selected as the conference Coach of the Year.
Men’s tennis coach Karl Gregor led the men’s tennis team to the NCAA “Final Four” for the first time in program history and earned the Wilson ITA Division III National Coach of the Year honor. Earlier in the spring he received the NESCAC Coach of the Year award, and he was also the ITA’s Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Tufts finished 20-3 overall, and earned its first NCAA team berth since 2004.
John Casey, whose contributions to Tufts Athletics as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator spanned 45 years, retired in August 2021. A 1980 Tufts graduate who played football and baseball for the Jumbos, “Case” led the baseball program to more than 750 victories, including 10 regional and conference titles during 38 seasons as head coach. In January 2020, he was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The three-time NESCAC Coach of the Year was also part of the Athletic Department’s leadership team for almost 20 years.
Rocco “Rocky” Carzo, a legendary figure in Tufts University history as the former director of athletics and head football coach, passed away on January 16. He was 89. Hired as Tufts’ head football coach in 1966, Carzo was promoted to athletic director in 1973 and mentored countless Jumbo students and staff before retiring in 1999.
Tufts softball head coach Lauren Ebstein and assistant coaches Marly Becker, Hannah Leahy, and Kristina Haghdan were selected by their peers as the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. The Jumbo staff earned this award for the second-straight year after leading the team to a 36-12 record and an NCAA Regional title.
Kristen Morwick was selected as the USTFCCCA East Region Coach of the Year for both cross country and indoor track & field.
Joe Raho was named NESCAC women’s squash Coach of the Year for the second time.
The Jumbo men’s track & field staff featuring head coach Joel Williams and assistants Michael Schmidt, Stephen Fleagle, Ingrid Gustafson, Henry Hintermeister, Jon LeClair, and Lisa LeClair directed Tufts to a conference championship and were recognized as NESCAC’s Coaching Staff of the Year.
Tufts’ Hedy Veith was selected as the IWLCA Division III Outstanding Assistant Coach award recipient for the previous 2021 season. She was instrumental in the team winning its first-ever NESCAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Championship Game.
As jumps coach for the Tufts men’s and women’s track & field teams, Stephen Fleagle helped two Tufts women win indoor NCAA titles. He was honored as the USTFCCCA East Region Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
Nick White, who helped men’s tennis achieve its most successful season ever, was honored as the ITA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. He was soon after hired as the new head coach at Skidmore College.
Paul Svagdis, a 1993 Tufts graduate who played for Coach Casey, and who has been head baseball coach at Azusa Pacific University since 2002, returned to his alma mater as the new head coach.
Bob Sheldon, who retired as head coach of the men’s basketball team in December 2020 following 33 years leading the Jumbos, was selected for the NABC’s Division III Outstanding Service Award at the organization’s annual convention during the “Final Four” in New Orleans.
Vanese Barnes, a 2019 graduate of St. Joseph’s College in Maine, was hired for the new Tufts Athletics Future Leaders Fellowship assistant coaching position with women’s basketball.
Our Athletics Board of Advisors focuses on addressing the needs and objectives of the Department of Athletics. Partnering with Director of Athletics John Morris, the advisors act as ambassadors for the department; advise, counsel, and further its mission; and help secure essential resources to support our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. The Athletics Board is one of 10 boards at Tufts University: one for each school and an international board.
THEODORE R. TYE
Chair, A79, A06P, A13P, Trustee
Years of Service: 11, with 6 as chair
GREGORY H. ALTMAN
Ph.D., A97, EG02
Years of Service: 8
JOHN J. BELLO
A68, A13P, Trustee Emeritus
Years of Service: 19
CYNTHIA L. BORGER
J87, A19P
Years of Service: 5
JULIE M. BRADY
Esq., J89
Years of Service: 9
DAVID J. CUNNINGHAM
A98
Years of Service: 14
GREG C. DAVIS
A86, A19P
Years of Service: 5
JOHN DE JONG
A78, V85, Trustee
Years of Service: 1
CATHERINE BELDOTTI DONLAN
J90, A26P
Years of Service: 2
THOMAS J. FOLLIARD
A14P, A16P, A24P
Years of Service: 5
MICHAEL R. FRISOLI
A93, A25P, A26P
Years of Service: 7
JEFFREY B. GEWIRTZ
A91
Years of Service: 6
LISA R. GORMAN
J81
Years of Service: 2
MICHAEL A. HAYNES
A96, A26P
Years of Service: 9
ROBERT A. KELLER
A83
Years of Service: 6
DANIEL A. KRAFT
A87, A25P, Trustee Emeritus
Years of Service: 25
LISA A. LAX
J86
Years of Service: 20
JONATHAN W. MUGAR
A98, AG99
Years of Service: 18
KARA A. MURPHY
J97
Years of Service: 6
JOHN J. REGAN
A90
Years of Service: 17
DAVID B. RONE
A84, A25P, Trustee Emeritus
Years of Service: 2
JANICE SAVIN WILLIAMS
J79, Trustee Emerita
Years of Service: 3
ANTHONY B. SHROPSHIRE
A04
Years of Service: 2
V. HEATHER SIBBISON
J83, A13P, A16P
Years of Service: 12
ROBERT W. TISHMAN
A86
Years of Service: 24
JENNIFER M. TRAMONTANA
E99
Years of Service: 9
NANCY STERN WINTERS
J86, A26P
Years of Service: 20
As the legacy of Tufts Athletics continues to take shape, so does a new baseball stadium. Construction on this
$6.6 million project began in the summer of 2022. Steady progress is being made, and new synthetic turf and all
baseball support facilities (dugouts, batting cages, bullpens, fencing) will be completed in time for games to
be played in the spring of 2023. New bleachers, press box, and entrance plaza will be installed next summer, and
the stadium will be fully completed by the fall of 2023. The new stadium will be named “Sol Gittleman Park”
after Tufts’ longtime professor, provost, and Brighter World Campaign Co-Chair Sol Gittleman, H10, A85P.
Synthetic turf was installed for the 2021 football season and the new permanent lights and video scoreboard in
time for the 2022 season. The Baronian Fieldhouse now sports an enlarged football locker room with new lockers,
an expanded sports medicine suite, improved visiting team locker rooms, and visual branding elements. This
project was completed in time for the 2022 season.
Practice makes perfect. Reason enough that $160,000 was raised to create a new indoor practice facility for the
Jumbo golf team, repurposing two squash courts on the top floor of the Cousens Gym complex. One court was
converted into a chipping and putting surface and the other outfitted with a state-of-the-art golf simulator and
hitting net, highlighting five possible courses projected onto a large and durable screen.
#GIVINGTUESDAY
We raised $851,297 in donations, again setting a new
#GivingTuesday record,
representing over 23% of all donations raised, and our 3,781 gifts were nearly 39% of all gifts made university
wide.
CHALLENGE MATCHES
Twenty teams—10 men’s teams, nine women’s teams, and one club team—raised
over $658,730 from alumni, parents, and friends in 15 separate challenge matches.
FRIENDS GROUPS/ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
After a two-year hiatus, our community was able to gather
in person again to support the Jumbos at the
Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner at Gillette Stadium; Friends of Tufts Sailing Spring Alumni/Parent Gathering at
the New York Yacht Club; Men’s and Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Alumni Meet; game day tailgates, and team
alumni games, among other events that focused on alumni and parent engagement. These in-person events were in
addition to numerous Zoom gatherings that included alumni/student-athlete networking nights. Both provided an
opportunity for head coaches to give updates and answer questions about their programs.
FUTURE LEADER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
As our fellow in athletics administration enters his
second year, we received first-year funding for another
fellow to join women’s basketball as an assistant coach. This fellowship also creates opportunities for those
currently underrepresented in intercollegiate coaching ranks. In addition to master’s-level coursework, the
fellow will gain invaluable hands-on coaching experience with our nationally ranked women’s basketball program.
TUFTS ATHLETICS STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Established with a gift
covering the first two years, this program creates opportunities for those currently
underrepresented in the field of intercollegiate strength and conditioning coaching, with a meaningful pathway
to a successful career through practical work experience, network building, and professional development.
DICK HANSEN’S MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER ENDOWMENT
Established in 2021 with an initial funding objective
of $100,000, the total raised to date is $126,225. This
endowment, in memory of former Jumbo men’s soccer player Dick Hansen, E72, augments the annual operating budgets
for our men’s and women’s soccer programs.
THE FRIENDS OF TUFTS ROWING ENDOWMENT
Established in 2021 by rowing
alumni, the initial fundraising goal is $100,000, but the aspirational goal is to
raise $2 million+ to boost the program’s trajectory of success with increased access to equipment and
maintaining a modern fleet of shells, travel support to race the top crews nationally, upgrading indoor rowing
equipment, and enhanced recruiting.
The committee met remotely for their fall and spring meetings. Members conducted individual outreach to assigned prospects with an emphasis on the Baseball Stadium Project. Planning for in-person high-interest donor receptions and gatherings in FY23 commenced. Fifteen key alumni and parent volunteers make the Athletics Campaign Committee one of the university’s largest focused on helping us achieve our priority objectives.
John Bello, A68, A13P
Judy Leo Bongiorno, J90
David Cunningham, A98
Paul Glickman, A84, A16P, A22P
Edward Hattler, M.D., A80, A18P, A20P
Daniel Joseph, A88, A22P
Robert Keller, A83, Co-Chair
Bruce Mandell, A86
Dana Nielsen, A96
Russell O’Brien, A79, A20P
John Regan, A90, Co-Chair
Maggi Smeal, M.D., A18P, A20P
Neil Townsend, E87
Franco Vigna, M.D., M.P.H., FACOS, A89
Courtney Wang, A78, A17P, EG19P
Tufts Athletics is strengthened by operating and coaching endowed funds and bequest intentions created to support individual teams or programmatic areas, combined teams, and the overall student-athlete experience. These funds, with a combined market and overall value of more than $5.93 million, provide essential ongoing and future support for our varsity and club sports programs.*
Bequest for Athletics at the School of Arts and Sciences
Bill Gehling Women’s Soccer Endowment
Emma D. Blumstein Endowed Fund for Women's Rugby
Friends of Tufts Rowing Endowment
Ice Hockey Endowment
John C. Richmond, M.D. Athletic Trainer Endowment
Jumbo Baseball Endowed Fund
Jumbo Student-Athletes Endowed Fund
Kay and Bill Duryea Endowed Men’s Lacrosse Fund
Mike Daly Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Endowed Fund
Moslow Family Men's and Women's Rowing Endowment
Paige Family Endowed Fund
Richard A. Reines, M.D., A71, M76 Endowed Fund for Men’s Swimming
Richard “Dick” Hansen, E72 Men’s and Women’s Soccer Endowment
Trevor Azmy Russo '21 JumboCast Endowed Fund
Tufts Ultimate Frisbee Teams Support Fund
* Aggregate market value as of May 31, 2022