Cardinal News
CARDINALS HAVE PRESENCE AT COMMENCEMENT -- posted Monday, December 15 2008
An innovative UIW program in accounting allowed former basketball player Paul Connolly to earn both his bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time.
Former soccer player Allie Melancon received both a bachelor's degree in religious studies and one in kinesiology.
Jackie Sova, a former basketball player, earned her degree in kinesiology with highest honors, magna cum laude.
On December 12 and 13 Incarnate Word conducted its annual fall commencement ceremonies on campus and as it has in the past the Cardinals’ athletic department had a presence at the ceremonies.
Twenty UIW athletes were among those who walked across the stage, shook hands, received their diplomas and moved their tassels to the other side of their caps.
Some of the Cardinals received a bachelor’s degree, some a master’s, one of them was awarded both and another earned two baccalaureate degrees as the Incarnate Word athletic department continues to encourage its student-athletes to keep graduation as their number one goal.
Dreeban School of Education
Master of Arts in Teaching
Matt Taylor (baseball), secondary education
Bachelor of Arts
Becky Moritz (softball), interdisciplinary studies
Melissa Perez (softball), interdisciplinary studies
H-E-B School of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
Daniel DaGian (tennis)
Master of Science
Paul Connolly (basketball), accounting
Bachelor of Business Administration
Gil Ben Nachum (soccer), marketing
Paul Connolly (basketball), accounting
Sachi Maekawa (swimming), international business
Antario Williams (basketball), sports management
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Master of Science
Courtney Jackson (basketball), kinesiology
Bachelor of Science
Jason Gant (basketball), kinesiology
Allie Melancon (soccer), kinesiology
Daniel Orosco (track/swimming), athletic training
Kim Robinson (basketball), kinesiology
Jackie Sova (basketball), kinesiology, magna cum laude
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Morgan Moszee (track)
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Bachelor of Arts
Allie Melancon (soccer), religious studies, cum laude
School of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering
Bachelor of Arts
Viviana Hernandez (basketball), mathematics, cum laude
Bachelor of Science
Kyle Gillespy (soccer), engineering management
Corrie Gonzales (softball), biology
Jeff Jamnik (baseball), meteorology
Ieasha Sledge (basketball), biology
HEARTLAND BECOMES AUTOMATIC AGAIN -- posted Thursday, September 18 2008
With the move of three of its member schools from provisional to full status in the NCAA’s Division II, the Heartland Conference has regained its automatic qualifications for post-season play where applicable.
For Division II conferences to have automatic berths in post-season competition they must have at least six schools competing in a particular sport. The Heartland was in that position until 2007 when Montana State / Billings departed the league. At the same time, three schools—Newman of Kansas, Texas / Permian Basin, Texas A&M International—were in the process of moving to Division II but were still on the provisional list.
This past summer those three schools were waived through a portion of the waiting period and were granted full membership in Division II. That action pushed the Heartland to nine qualifying members, including, of course, Incarnate Word. With that action completed the Conference petitioned for the return of its automatics and on September 16 the NCAA gave its approval.
Now, Heartland champions will move on to post-season play in those sports where the NCAA offers automatic qualification slots. In the case of Incarnate Word and the Heartland, those sports include volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball. Other sports sponsored by UIW and the Heartland will continue to advance based on team records and rankings through their individual seasons.
2008-2009 UIW ATHLETES OF THE WEEK -- posted Wednesday, September 10 2008
During the year at Incarnate Word, members of the athletic department select a female and a male athlete of the week.
These selections are based on performances on the field or court for the preceeding seven days. At the end of the year, those athletes selected on a weekly basis become eligible for UIW's athlete(s) of the year.
Aug. 29-Sept. 8
Men--Dustin Lemley, soccer
Women--Kim Kvapil, volleyball
Sept. 9-Sept. 14
Women--Edie Weise, volleyball
Men--No Action (Hurricane Ike)
Sept. 15-Sept. 21
Women--Kim Kvapil, volleyball
Men--Ian Ankney, soccer
Sept. 22-Sept. 28
Men--Dustin Lemley, soccer
Women--Sarah Nordman, volleyball
Sept. 29-Oct. 5
Women--Paulina Alexander, swimming
Men--Aliaksandr Yatsko, swimming
Oct. 6-Oct. 12
Men--Sean Reeves, swimming
Women--Spencer Ladd, volleyball
Oct. 13-Oct. 19
Women--Maggie Callahan, cross country
Men--Robert Langat, cross country
Oct. 20-Oct. 26
Women--Jessica Wilde, diving
Men--Patrick Cardenas, swimming
Oct. 27-Nov. 2
Women--Kim Kvapil, volleyball
Men--Franz Mitterdorfer, soccer
Nov. 3-Nov. 9
Women--Kim Kvapil, volleyball
Men--Gil Ben Nachum, soccer, and Jamie Scope, soccer
Nov. 10-Nov. 16
Men--Carlos Gonzalez, soccer
Women--Nia Torru, basketball
Nov. 17-Nov. 23
Women--Nikki Brown, basketball
Men--Pierce Caldwell, basketball
Nov. 24-Nov. 30
Women--Nia Torru, basketball
Men--Jawan Bailey, basketball
Dec. 1-Dec. 7
Women--Nia Torru, basketball
Men--Jawan Bailey, basketball
Dec. 15-Dec. 21
Women--Cinnamon Kava, basketball
Men--Jawan Bailey, basketball
Dec. 29-Jan. 4
Men--Chris Patterson, basketball
Women--Hayley Harvey, basketball
Division II ADA Announces Academic Winners -- posted Thursday, August 14 2008
The Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) announced the inaugural recipients of the DII ADA Academic Achievement Awards and Incarnate Word is represented with 38 student-athletes.
Presented by WeatherPORT, the Academic Achievement Awards is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level. To qualify for recognition the athletes must have a grade point average of 3.50 or more, must have attended a minimum of two years at the school and must have been an active member of an intercollegiate team in the last year.
Sixty-seven institutions participated in the 2007-08 awards program and 2188 student-athletes were recognized. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) had a record number 214 student-athletes honored, followed by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 212 nominees. The Heartland Conference including Incarnate Word had five schools participating with a total of 182 student-athletes on the list.
The honored Cardinals were:
Garrett Bell, basketball
Jeff Boyer, soccer
Ashton Caffrey, soccer
Sarah Carswell, tennis
Carla Flink, volleyball
Josh Hood, baseball
Kim Kvapil, volleyball
Jeff Langston, baseball
Callye Lawrence, soccer
Allison Melancon, soccer
Nadia Pope, tennis
Kortni Richter, volleyball
Amanda Sparks, softball
Jacqueline Utz, swimming
Emily Van Vleck, synchro
Catelyn Vasquez, volleyball
Dustin Walls, baseball
Erin Whitt, softball
Drew Hamilton, baseball
Nia Torru, basketball
Jordan Lambkin, golf
Sasha Kiger, golf
Sean Reeves, swimming
Craig Bartlett, soccer
Tom Morrill, soccer
Jamie Scope, soccer
Lianah Flores, soccer
Rebekah Garza, soccer
Mallory Smith, soccer
Erin Dunne, synchro
Alba Passanissi, tennis
Michael Cortez, track
Rose Caldwell, track
Hayley Watts, track
Emily Kopecki, volleyball
Stephanie Shea, volleyball
Stephanie Tomasik, volleyball
Lesley Murray, swimming
UIW AMONG TOP DIVISION II ATHLETIC PROGRAMS -- posted Thursday, June 12 2008
UIW finished among the top quarter of Division II athletic programs according to NACDA.
UIW AMONG TOP DIVISION II ATHLETIC PROGRAMS
The US Sports Academy-sponsored Director’s Cup is a totally objective look at how athletic programs in the NCAA Division II fared over the course of the 2007-2008 schoolyear, and Incarnate Word achieved a place in the top one-quarter of the 292 schools which compete at this level.
The Director’s Cup is a product of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). The program awards points to schools which advance to post-season play, and by extension how far they advance. The year is divided into fall, winter and spring seasons.
The dust has now settled on the Division II athletic year and among the 230 programs which scored points, Incarnate Word was number 64 in the nation. The Cardinals picked up 114 points in the spring to go with 73 from the fall and another 85 in the winter for a grand total of 272.
The UIW points came from women’s soccer (quarterfinals) in the fall, men’s and women’s swimming in the winter and men’s and women’s (quarterfinals) tennis in the spring.
“This all is a testament to the quality of Incarnate Word’s coaching staff,” Athletic Director Mark Papich said. “It also is a statement about the quality of student-athletes who come to compete at the University after being recruited by our staff.”
Grand Valley State of Michigan was the runaway winner for Division II with its 1028.75 points. Runnerup was Abilene Christian of Texas with 808.00 points. Rounding out the top three schools was Minnesota State / Mankato with 788.75.
Other than ACU at number two and UIW at 64, the only other school in Texas to finish in the top 25 per cent was St. Edward’s (58th), a fellow member of the Heartland Conference with Incarnate Word.
As for the Heartland, the top finisher was Lincoln of Missouri in 48th place. Then came St. Edward’s and Incarnate Word. St. Mary’s at 131st was the only other league team to rack up points.
UIW MOVES FARTHER UP THE NACDA LADDER -- posted Wednesday, May 28 2008
The first report of the spring has been released and Incarnate Word has jumped up 11 spots on the listing of all schools in the NCAA Division II based on points accumulated in national competition for the Director’s Cup.
After the winter standings the Cardinals were 62nd in the nation. Now, Incarnate Word has moved to 51st among the 222 schools which have registered points in either regional or national competition. The annual Director’s Cup is sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the US Sports Academy (USSA).
The Cardinals began the year with 73 points registered by the women’s soccer team which reached the national quarterfinals.
Then came 85 points over the winter from a combination of men’s and women’s swimming at the national championships.
Those combined 158 points added to 114 points in the spring has given UIW a grand total of 272.00. The spring points were 50 from men’s tennis and another 64 from women’s tennis which reached the quarterfinals nationally.
Grand Valley State of Michigan would appear to have an insurmountable total of 965.75. Second place Minnesota State / Mankato has totaled 753.00 while third place Abilene Christian stands at 608.00.
Among Heartland Conference schools, only St. Edward’s is ahead of Incarnate Word. SEU is currently 44th with 288.00.
The final NACDA/USSA standings will be announced in mid-June.
CARDINALS EARN UIW DEGREES -- posted Monday, May 12 2008
The Cardinals athletic department was well represented May 10 when Incarnate Word conducted its annual spring commencement ceremonies on campus.
UIW President Louis J. Agnese Jr. presented degrees to Cardinals student-athletes who had completed their coursework in fields as varied as were the teams for which they played.
“It is with immense pride,” Cardinals Athletic Director Mark Papich said, “that we congratulate our student-athletes on completing their degrees. Seeing them cross the stage at graduation reminds us all just why we work in this environment; their successes in the classroom and in their sport combined play a significant part in reaching their goals.”
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH
Master of Arts in Administration
Leah Bowen (softball staff), sports management
Calynn Nimmo (basketball staff), sports management with distinction
Master of Arts
Miguel Martin (tennis), communication arts
Master of Science
Jonathan Edwards (soccer), kinesiology with distinction
Nick Evans (soccer), kinesiology with distinction
Frenchellen Gilliam (volleyball), accounting with distinction
SCHOOL OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA AND DESIGN
Bachelor of Arts
Natalie Chase (synchro swimming), communication arts
Megan Quirie (golf), communication arts
Kortni Richter (volleyball), fashion management, cum laude
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Bachelor of Science
Chris Alfieri (baseball), kinesiology
Hector Delgadillo (baseball), kinesiology
Tiffany Lopez (basketball), kinesiology
Jason Miori (baseball), kinesiology
Jason Munoz (baseball), kinesiology
Emily Van Vleck (synchro swimming), kinesiology, magna cum laude
Joe Villa (baseball), kinesiology
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Hannah Werchan (volleyball)
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Bachelor of Arts
Callye Lawrence (soccer), philosophy, cum laude
Ricky Mahler (baseball), English and psychology
Dustin Walls (baseball), English and history, summa cum laude
H-E-B SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION
Bachelor of Business Administration
Tanya Edge (golf), international business
Frenchellen Gilliam (volleyball), accounting
Chase Holliday (tennis), marketing
Justin Krawitz (baseball), sports management
Ryan Luton (baseball), sports management
Blake McAnelly (baseball), marketing
Jacqueline Utz (swimming), sports management, cum laude
CALL US THE CARDINALS -- posted Thursday, May 20 2004
SAN ANTONIO--With fanfare and excitement, the University of the Incarnate Word announced today that its new mascot would be the Cardinals, in honor of the birds known for a proud crest, black mask and brilliant feathers.
The red-and-black bird, which is indigenous to the San Antonio area, easily rose to the top of the list of potential mascots, earning 30 percent more votes than the next highest candidate: the Saints. It will replace the Crusaders mascot, which had been in place since 1980.
"Of the various finalists, we decided that the Cardinals were the most fitting mascot for the University for several reasons," said Dr. Louis Agnese Jr., president of UIW. "Because they'e indigenous to the area, cardinals have been part of the Incarnate Word campus since its founding in 1881. Their rich hues represent our school colors. And as birds, cardinals symbolize an ideal we promote that through a college education, all of your dreams can take flight."
More than 4,000 ballots were cast by alumni, students, faculty and staff in the University's online poll to determine a new mascot. The 46 selections ran the gamut, with nominations for everything from the Angels to the Wolves, from the Fire Ants to the Geckos. The top four vote-getters were Angels, Cardinals, Pumas and Saints.
