A Final Message from the Desk of Director of Athletics Scot Dapp
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College Director of Athletics Scot Dapp gives his latest update from the AD Desk as the Greyhounds take a break from the action for the holidays.
Summertime 2015 - July 31, 2015As we roll into the month of August, the anticipation of a new year of Greyhound Athletics starts to grow. Before looking ahead, however, allow me to take a moment and reflect back to our very successful spring season. Lets start with our men’s & women’s track teams who continued their dominance of the Landmark Conference as they swept the outdoor Conference Championship. Head Coach, Jesse Baumann, and his staff were named the Coaching Staff of the Year for both sports. Head Softball Coach, John Byrne ’82, surpassed the 700 win mark spring as he led his team to the Landmark Conference Championship which earned the Lady Hounds an automatic bid to the D-III NCAA playoffs. This was the 6th Landmark Championship for Coach Byrne and his team and their 15th appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Lady Softballers won the Regional Tournament in Rochester, NY which advanced them to the Super Regional Tournament where they lost a hard-fought three game series to the host team, DePauw University. Our Men’s Golf team finished 2nd in the Empire 8 Conference Championship and Head Coach Kevin Edwards ‘96 was named the Conference Coach of the Year. For the 7th straight year, the Hound baseball team, led by Head Coach Paul Engelhardt, qualified for the the Landmark Conference playoffs. After beating Elizabethtown College in the opening round of the tournament, the Hounds succumbed to Catholic University in the Championship round. Under the guidance of Tennis Director, Art Smith ‘68, both the men’s and women’s team had good seasons. The men qualified for the Landmark Championships losing to Goucher College in the semifinal round, but their successful season earned them a bid in the inaugural ECAC D-III Championships. The Hound netmen won the championship by defeating United States Merchant Marine Academy. In a coaching note, Justin Potts ‘00, was named the new head coach of our men’s basketball team. Justin succeed long-time coach Jim Walker who retired at the end of the school year. As you can see it was an exciting and successful spring for the Hounds. There will be added excitement next year as LACROSSE IS BACK! Yes, both the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs return to varsity status in the spring of 2016. Coaches Dave Carty and Kristen Schuster have been hard at work this past year recruiting and organizing as they prepare to to bring lacrosse back to where it belongs. THE HUB FIELD PROJECT In April, the Moravian College Board of Trustees put their stamp of approval on the new turf field project. The current HUB field is the home venue for both of our soccer programs and will be also be the home of women’s lacrosse program in the spring of 2016. Having three teams use this field and adding the wear and tear of use from the non-traditional seasons for these sports makes it nearly impossible to maintain a suitable playing surface. Throw in the bad weather problems than can and do occur, it makes it obvious that an artificial turf field is the only way to accommodate this multi-use space. One further reason why such a venue is needed is our field hockey program. Right now the Hound field hockey girls are the only ones in the Landmark Conference whose home field is a grass field. Our coach has a hard time finding teams willing to come here to play and high school prospects are not excited about going to college and playing field hockey on a grass surface. This new lighted, turf field is a real necessity and will create a real WOW! factor for Greyhound athletics. Construction is slated to begin right after graduation in May of 2016 and will be ready for play by the start of the 2016 fall season. I want to mention one other important fact about this facility which involves the name of the field. I know if you are a soccer player or golfer who attended Moravian College any time after 1968, you are familiar with the name John Makuvek. In fact, Coach Mak is recognized by many, many Greyhound athletes from all sports. Last spring, the college announced that the new field would be called The John Makuvek Field. This is a great way to honor a man who gave so much to the College and especially to Greyhound Athletics. Naturally, this is a significant cost associated with this project and I would hope that alums from the sports who will call this facility their home will be willing to support the project. The same would hold true for those who want to help honor Coach Mak. Keep an eye on the Greyhound sports website as this fund-raising campaign will kick off in the near future. MOVING ON Many of you may already be aware of the the fact that I have announced my retirement from Moravian College. After 28 years, 24 as the head football coach and the last 4 as the AD, I felt it was time to, as they say, “fade into the sunset.” I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this community for this length of time. When I stepped onto campus as the new head football coach in July of 1987, I never imagined that I would still be here in 2015. Like any job there have been highs and lows along the way. As a coach I certainly wish I could have put a few more numbers in the Win Column and a lower number in the Loss Column. I wish there were a few more football championship banners hanging here in the gym. However, when I think of all of the student-athletes whom I have had the pleasure of coaching and who allowed me to be a part of their Moravian College careers; well, those are all W’s and it is a big number. I swell with pride when I see how all of those young college students have grown into solid and productive citizens of their communities. I have always said that the won-loss numbers may say something about a coach, but by looking at the athletes he or she has coached and seeing where they are later in their lives, that is the real way to judge a coach. I do not even know if there is a way to adequately thank all of the people who have helped make my 28 years as a Hound so memorable - I guess I will just say “Thank You”. I will miss being part of the day-to-day activities of Moravian College, but I remember a member of the Greyhound Hall of Fame ended his acceptance speech on the night of his induction by saying “Four Years at Moravian - Forever a Hound.” In my case, I will amend his statement with my own - Twenty Eight Years at Moravian - Forever a Hound - not quite as catchy, but I think you get my point.
Scot Dapp
Spring Season Battles the Snow - March 23, 2015The calendar says we should be enjoying the spring season, but the snow on the ground prevents that enjoyment. Mother Nature seems confused and the spring sport coaches are not having much success getting her on the right track. Hopefully, the recent 6 inches of the white stuff that hit us the day before the official start of spring will be the last we see, but it would be helpful if we could start seeing some temperatures above the 50 degree mark. Winter Sports Let me first reflect back to our winter sports which were highlighted by our men’s and women’s indoor track teams both winning their respective Landmark Conference Championships. For the women, it was their eighth straight championship and for the men it was their sixth. Coach Jesse Bauman and his staff were honored by the Conference by being named Coaching Staff of the Year for both the men’s and women’s teams. The women’s basketball teams was young with only one senior, but battled hard throughout the year and were rewarded for their efforts by earning a berth in the ECAC post-season tournament. A heart-breaking 2-point loss in a semifinal game ended their season. The men’s team was also young with only two seniors playing this year. It was a tough year for the Hounds but their effort never waned. Head coach Jim Walker, announced he will be retiring at the end of the school year bringing an end to a 36-year career leading Hound basketball. Coach Walker has been an outstanding member of Moravian College and Greyhound athletics since he first arrived on campus. If anyone has earned time to relax and enjoy retirement, it is him. A search for a new basketball coach is underway. In a two-week period we received over 220 applications. The Search Committee has a tough task ahead of them, but I am confident that they are up to the challenge. We hope to name a new coach by the end of April. Spring Sports I have already alluded to the problems the weather is causing to our spring sport teams, but they were able to travel south over spring break. Our baseball, golf, softball, and tennis (women’s & men’s) all spent some time in Florida and got in some much needed work both practicing and playing games and matches. The toughest part of all of their trips was coming home to see our fields and courts still covered with snow. Even that darn groundhog that predicted six more weeks of winter was a little short on his prediction. Come on spring….. Updates I want to mention a few things with regards to items happening with Greyhound Athletics:
SAVE DATE: Homecoming 2015; Saturday, October 24th Scot Dapp
Happy Holidays 2014 - December 15, 2014The campus is slowly starting to empty as we are currently in exam week. The fall season has absolutely flown by and we have already begun our basketball and indoor track seasons. Even those sports will be taking a break for the holidays before starting back up in January. While the fall sports were not as successful as we were hoping, there was certainly no lack of effort from any of our teams and we had a number of outstanding individual performances including a 17th place finish in the NCAA Division III Country Championships by senior Dillon Farrell. His results earned him All-American status. Remember, you can get updated information about all of the Greyhound teams by going to our web site: www.moraviansports.com. HALL OF FAME: On Friday, November 14th, four former Greyhound greats were inducted into the Greyhound Hall of Fame. John “Sandy” Hutchison ’64 (golf); Pat Egan ’97 (cross country & track); Janelle Brey Greer ’04 (softball); and Melissa Soroka Williams ’04 (softball) now have their plaques hanging in the Hall of Fame lobby of Johnston Hall. The 2004 Softball team, which finished 2nd in the nation that year, was also inducted that evening and Dennis Robison ’68, was presented the Robert M. Herbstman Award. It was a very enjoyable evening and you can see some of the pictures in the photo gallery on our web site: http://moraviansports.com/information/HOF/index. If you want to nominate a deserving Greyhound alum for next year’s class, here is the web site link to get you to the procedural information and the nomination form: http://moraviansports.com/information/HOF/Hall_Fame_Intro. JOHNSTON HALL In my last update, I mentioned the amazing renovations that took place this summer around the Johnston Hall gym. Over the past couple of months a number of alums have stopped by and were in awe of the work that took place. “Wow” was usually the first word that was uttered. I really get a kick out of some of the older alums (you know, like the ones who were students when I first started coaching here). As I would walk them down the new coaches corridor (10 offices; 7 that are brand new), they would comment that “this is where the old weight room was” or “there was a wall here and you could not get to the other side of this area” or “I thought the Conference Room was here”. The bottom line, everyone who has stopped by, has been very impressed. One other major improvement is the addition of new scoreboards on either end of the gym. Thanks to financial support from our good friend and Hall of Fame member Fred Reinhard, these totally digital scoreboards add a nice touch to our facility. While I am on the subject of our gym, I want to inform you that we are “live streaming” our basketball games over the internet this year. Once again, I would direct you to links on our web site: Women’s Basketball - http://moraviansports.com/sports/wbkb/2014-15/schedule or Men’s Basketball - http://moraviansports.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/schedule - here you will find the team’s schedule and if the word “video” appears with the scheduled game, it is being streamed. This is a great way to see the game as it happens. CONFERENCE CONFUSION I think I have discussed this subject at some point in a previous update, but I often find myself explaining to alums (once again, the “older” ones) the conference affiliation for our Greyhound teams. So, let me try again to clear the confusion. From 1945 until 2007, the Moravian College Greyhounds were members of the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference - often referred to as simply, “The MAC”. Total membership in the MAC over the years has ebbed and flowed with teams leaving and others joining. One big change took place in 1983 when eight MAC members chose to leave the conference but only in the sport of football, forming their own league that was called the Centennial Football Conference. Rival Muhlenberg was one of those departing teams so from 1983 until 2007, the Moravian-Muhlenberg football game was a “non-conference” game. As a note, I have heard differing stories on why the Greyhounds were not a part of that original Centennial Football Conference. In 1992, the Centennial Football Conference was expanded to an all sports conference for those eight schools and a few other colleges, including some from the MAC, also joined. Thus, that year, the Centennial Conference was formed while the Greyhounds remained in the MAC. That change meant that though all of our teams continued to play many of those Centennial schools, they were all “non-conference” games. In 2007, we were invited to join the Centennial Conference but only in the sport of football. (Fellow MAC colleges, Juniata and Susquehanna were also invited to join). Our administration decided to accept the invitation, but in doing so, another problem was created. At some point in time after the eight schools pulled out to form the Centennial football conference, the MAC by-laws were changed and a rule was created that said if a college left the MAC for another conference in a sport that was offered by the MAC, that school would have to withdraw in all sports. Basically, if we decided to leave the MAC in football to play in the Centennial, then all of our sports would be out of the MAC. Since the Centennial Conference was not looking for new members in their entirety that would mean the rest of our sports would be without a conference affiliation, thus becoming independent. Being independent for sports teams is a nightmare especially when it comes to scheduling games. It also puts teams at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. Knowing that we faced this problem, as were Juniata and Susquehanna, our administrators put their heads together, contacted some other Division III colleges and formed a new league which was named The Landmark Conference. So, starting in 2007, the Greyhounds became part of the Landmark Conference which was made up of these schools: Catholic University, Drew University, Goucher College, Juniata College, the University of Scranton, Susquehanna University, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Since only five of the member school have football teams, the Landmark Conference does not sponsor football, therefore the Greyhounds, Juniata, and Susquehanna continue as associate members of the Centennial Conference in football only. Still confused? Let me add one more thing, the Landmark also does not sponsor the sport of men’s golf so our golf team competes as an associate member of the Empire 8 Conference. Another note - this year Elizabethtown College left the MAC to join the Landmark Conference. Summing up, if you look a game schedule for any of our teams (except football) and see they are playing schools that were conference opponents when you played (eg. Muhlenberg, Ursinus, Franklin & Marshall, etc. - Centennial schools; or Albright, Wilkes, Widener, etc. MAC schools), these are now non-conference games. Pretty simple, don’t you think????? ARE YOU CONNECTED? After our Hall of Fame dinner, one of the inductees mentioned that he had not been back to campus in a very long time. A former player of mine stopped by my office a few weeks ago and mentioned that he wishes he could get back here more often. While many of our alums are in the area and visiting campus can happen very easily, many more now live a great distance away making a campus visits few and far between. In today’s day and age, there are so many ways to stay connected to and informed about your alma mater. The most obvious of these is our web sites; www.moravian.edu takes you to the main Moravain College site and www.moraviansports.com will direct you right to our athletics web site. As you saw earlier in this update, I provided a number of links in these web sites that would take you directly to a certain page, but you can certainly browse through so much more. When you add in the use of the various modes of social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, etc. staying connected and informed is easy. I will admit that I am far from an expert in using any of those aforementioned social media items, but I can navigate a web site with relative ease. My point is that Greyhound athletics has a long and storied history and many of you who are reading this are part of that history. You put in your time, gave your effort, and hopefully created some lifelong memories, and then moved on to the next stage of your life. You may have gone through a number of stages since you left here, BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A HOUND! Please come and visit when you can and refresh some of those memories. Otherwise make periodic checks to our web sites and/or social media venues to keep up to date as to what is happening here in the Land of the Hounds. You’re forever welcomed! Before closing, I do want to mention our Blue & Grey Club. To better put it, I want to “thank” our Blue & Grey Club. This organization does wonders in supporting all of our athletic teams throughout the year. Under the direction of current Blue & Grey President, Kurt Poling ‘89, the Club is becoming more vibrant and visible than ever before. Like any supportive organization, its success is based on its membership; the larger the membership, the stronger the Club. At a recent Blue & Grey meeting, it was mentioned that we have over 4,100 alums in our database who were members of one or more varsity teams during their tenure as a Greyhound. That is a nice size group of Hounds that share a unique bond. The bad news that came out of that meeting is only10% of those 4,100 alumni are members of the Blue & Grey Club. Yes, I am going to make a request, make that a plea, that if you are not a Blue & Grey Club member, please consider changing that fact. If you are unsure as to what this organization does, guess what? - of course, by the wonders of technology, you can go to the web site to get this information AND you can become a member and help to increase that membership percentage. Here is the link: http://www.moravian.edu/default.aspx?pageid=3474. If you need further information or have other questions, you may contact Anisa Albertson, Assistant Director of Advancement Operations, in the Moravian College Office of Institutional Advancement who is the liaison to the Blue & Grey Club. Her contact information albertsona@moravian.edu and 610-861-1369. Finally, on behalf of Moravian College Greyhound Athletics, I want to wish all of you a very Happy and Blessed Holiday season. Scot Dapp
Fall 2014 Update - September 3, 2014HOUNDS UNDERWAY Labor Day has passed and we are already in our 2nd week of classes for the 2014-15 school year. To say that we here in Greyhound athletics had a hectic summer, is putting it mildly. I want to give a quick preview of our fall season, but I first need to look back to not only this summer, but also this past spring. SUCCESSFUL SPRING Our Greyhound teams had a very successful spring season led by our women’s track team who won the Landmark Conference Championship. Their win gave the women a clean sweep of the Landmark championships: cross country; indoor track; and outdoor track. Our men’s team just missed the championship finishing in a close second, but did send three team members to the NCAA national championships. The Hound baseball team finished second in the Landmark playoffs, but received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and actually earned the top seed in their regional. This makes it two years in a row that the team has been in the NCAA post-season tournament. They were unsuccessful in moving past the regional tournament, but it was a great year for this team. Our softball team and both our men’s and women’s tennis team qualified for the Landmark Championship playoffs to cap off excellent years. This season was the final one for women’s tennis coach Dawn Ketterman Benner who retired after 43 years here at Moravian College and after a stellar career coaching the women netters. Art Smith ’67, who has coached the men’s team the past three years, will assume the head coaching duties for both teams. We had a number of our spring team athletes earn post-season honors both from the conference and other organizations. These honors came for not only athletic accomplishments, but also academic prowess. You can find more information about teams and accomplishments of our student-athletes via our web site: www.moraviansports.com EVENTFUL SUMMER I mentioned that it was a hectic summer and it was for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it began in late April when much-needed and long overdue renovations to Johnston Hall were started. A number of us had to relocate our offices to various area of the campus – I spent my summer in a small office in the lower level of the library. I was right next to the Archives (is there a message there somewhere?) What took place? Well, new heating and air conditioning was added where none had existed; new offices were added in spaces that had been empty for a number of years; new windows were installed around the entire building, and storage spaces were refinished and reorganized. In essence, the venerable Johnston Hall received a major face lift and the place looks great. I should also mention that in the past two weeks, we have replaced the old, often malfunctioning scoreboard in the gym with a brand new one. Those of us who were residing in other parts of the campus for summer returned to Johnston Hall on August 7th, just a few days before most of our fall sport teams were returning for their preseason camp. Like any move of this magnitude, we are still putting the final touches around the building and that process will go on for a while. If you are in the area, please stop by; my guess is that you will be impressed with what you see. In addition to the renovations, there was also some work to be done to fill coaching positions. I already mentioned that there was a change in our tennis program, but there were a number of other spots to fill. You probably were aware that we are reinstating our lacrosse programs and we hired a head coach for each of our teams. Kristen Schuster will head our women’s program and Dave Carty will lead the men’s team. Both of them will spend the year recruiting, organizing, fundraising, and working with our club teams. We will go full varsity status in the 2015-16 school year. In a matter of two weeks in June, both our women’s soccer coach and our Fitness Center Director / Strength Coach departed for other positions. Jeff Ykoruk was hired to take over the women’s soccer team and has, as they say, hit the ground running. He has done a great job in making the transition a smooth one though I am not sure he has had anytime to sleep since arriving on campus. Zach Houghton was hired to serve as our Strength Coach and to direct our Fitness Center. Just like Coach Ykoruk, Zach arrived and was hard at work almost immediately. He was here less than a week when teams began arriving for their preseason camp which meant he was scheduling workouts with each of those teams while trying to organize the school year schedule for the Fitness Center – his energy level is amazing. Abbey Bedoya was added to our Athletic Training staff filling a void that had opened unexpectedly. Abbey joins Matt Mazzi who was also a recent addition to that staff. It seemed like every time we completed one hiring, I found myself organizing a search committee for another position. I was very pleased by the work done my all of the members of our various search committees and I am very pleased with the additions to our staff. THIS YEAR AND BEYOND Now that I gave a look back, allow me to look ahead. The excitement and energy that was emerging on our campus last year has continued this year. Most of our fall sports teams have already begun their seasons and the coaches are all optimistic about their team’s quest for a championship. Each team’s schedule is on their home page of the aforementioned web site and I hope you will have chance to see one or more of our teams in action this fall. With the upcoming addition of our lacrosse teams, we have had to, once again, take a hard look at our facilities. We are currently doing a feasibility study for putting a lighted, artificial turf field on a section of the HUB field. This venue would serve as the practice and playing site for our soccer teams and field hockey team in the fall and our lacrosse teams in the spring. It would also allow us to add activities to our intramural program which is often limited due to lack of open space. Such a facility is much needed and would enable us to match or exceed facilities of many of our competitors. You will hear more about this project as we proceed. A new year always brings a new level of excitement and I want to see that excitement be passed along to our strong and faithful Greyhound alums. Whether you are near or far, in today’s age of high tech social media, it is not hard to stay in touch with what is happening on campus and with your favorite Greyhound team. Our web site is always loaded with team information and a schedule of upcoming events. If you are a fan of Twitter or Facebook, you can connect back with us through those venues. The key here is to “connect”. When was the last time you have been to campus? When was the last time you checked out the web site of the college or Greyhound athletics? If you had to think about those answers, it has been too long. Homecoming this year is the weekend of October 18th. You could start of the Homecoming celebration by coming in on Friday (Oct. 17th) and playing in the annual Rocco Calvo Golf Outing. Information about this outing can be found under Alumni Events on the college web site: www.moravian.edu. What a great way to “tee off” our Homecoming weekend. On Friday, November 14th, the Greyhound Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony will take place. John “Sandy” Hutchison ’64; Pat Egan ’97; Janelle Brey Greer ’04; and Melissa Soroka Williams ’04 are the Class of 2014 inductees who will be honored that night. The 2004 Softball team, which finished 2nd in the nation that year, will also be inducted and Dennis Robison ’68 will be recognized as our Robert M. Herbstman Award winner. More information including how to purchase tickets can be found under the Hall of Fame link on the www.moraviansports.com web site.
BLUE & GREY CLUB I could not end without mentioning our Blue & Grey Club. I know that many of you are current and long-time members of this Club and I appreciate the support you have shown over the years. This organization is such a benefit to Greyhound athletics as they are able to provide support in so many ways. Obviously, the financial support is the most visible and I cannot express how often that support comes into play. While budgets are often very tight, the Blue & Grey provides a bit of a safety net and will often supplement the needs of teams throughout the year. Information about the Club and its activities can be found on the “Blue & Grey” link under the Inside Athletics tab on our athletics web site. If you are not a member, please consider joining – it is another way of connecting back to your alma mater. I hope you had an enjoyable summer and I wish you the best for the fall. Please stop by if you are in the area; it is always great to chat with Hounds from the past. As a good friend once said, “You are four years at Moravian, but you are Forever a Hound. Take care, Scot Dapp
Winter 2014 Update - April 10, 2014I know that calling this a “winter update” when we are in the month of April would usually sound a bit strange, but considering the enduring winter weather we faced here, it is appropriate. I do think that I can finally say that spring has arrived, but even though it is now April, I say that with caution. With that said, I do need to look back to the actual winter months to reflect on our winter sports programs. Our indoor track teams, men and women, led by Coach Jesse Baumann and his staff once again dominated the Landmark Conference Championships. For the women it was their 7th straight indoor championship as the Lady Hound tracksters have won every championship since the Landmark Conference was formed. For the men, it was their 5th straight title and they have won 6 of the 7 indoor championships in the short history of the Landmark Conference. The men had two student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Senior long jumper/triple jumper, Kris Joint and soph pole vaulter, Ryan Karnopp competed in the meet that was hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University. Both earned All-American honors in their events as they represented the Greyhounds in fine fashion. Our men’s basketball team had an up and down season, but ended it on a high note with a thrilling win against conference rival Catholic University in front of a loud and boisterous home crowd in Johnston Hall. Coach Jim Walker spent a great deal of time at the free throw line during the season. Yes, your read that right…Coach Walker participated in a national fund raising effort for Coaches vs Cancer as he shot free throws for an hour for 24 straight days. Pledges were made for every 1,000 foul shots Coach Walker made and by making over 16,000 shots, he raised over $3,300. The Lady Hounds had a great year which included the 500th victory for veteran coach Mary Beth Spirk. Despite losing one of her top players in early December due to a season-ending injury, Coach Spirk led the Hounds to a berth in the conference playoffs. Though they had a tough loss in the championship game, the Lady Hounds still earned an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. It was a once and done venture in the playoffs, but the final record of 20 & 8 was a great accomplishment for the team. Senior Katie O’Rourke capped off a stellar career by being named to the Landmark Conference All-Stars 1st team. Katie was also named as the Landmark Scholar Athlete of the Year for Women’s Basketball and was an Honorable Mention All-American for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Always at the forefront of many of our community service projects, the Lady Hounds once again set a high standard for fundraising. For the 6th straight year, the Lady Hounds led the nation in Division III by raising over $12,500 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund – Play 4Kay contest. I have to say that our student-athletes do a fantastic job in the area of community service. Visiting area elementary and middle schools; taking part in the Read Across America Program; running free sports clinic for kids; and more. Just recently our Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized and conducted a Special Olympics basketball tournament. Over 70 of our student-athletes assisted and we had around 60 Special Olympic participants. I should also add that the Greyhound Football Team will be hosting their annual Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive on Thursday, April 24th. If you happen to be around our campus that day, please stop by Johnston Hall between 4 and 7:00pm. The registration process takes about 10-15 minutes. Our spring sports have had a tough time dealing with the weather, but most of their opponents have had the same problems. Game and match schedules are constantly being juggled, but we trudge along. Most of our spring teams traveled south during our spring break the first week of March which did enable them to get outside for the first time and to get some much needed practice time and to play some games and matches. As a dedicated Athletic Director, I felt it was my duty to also travel to Florida at that time to see our Hounds teams in action. Do not even think I was just trying to get away from our snow covered ground for a few days. I did indeed get to see our baseball team and our men’s and women’s tennis teams play but the day I was scheduled to see the softball team in action - it rained. Besides seeing the teams play, I took time to visit with some Greyhound alums who are now residing in Florida. I was meeting most of these alums for the first time and it was great for me to hear some interesting stories from years gone by and it gave me the opportunity to tell some of them about what is taking place on campus now and the changes that have taken place. One of my former players and a member of our Hall of Fame, Doug Durepo ’94, took in one of the Hounds baseball games with me. John “Sandy” Hutchinson ’64 joined me as I watched our women’s tennis team play a match; sounds like John still has the touch on the golf course. I spent some time with Scott Kelyman who was not a Moravian grad but his father, Jim Kelyman ’61, is a Hound. Jim lives over on the east coast of Florida so I was unable to get to see him, but Scott is the Facilities Manager for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays so since I was in the neighbored I arranged to see him. I made sure I left a Greyhound baseball hat for his dad. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking with Barry Shollenberger ’65 and Bill Hershey ’60. Both are Hound Hall of Famers and had some great stories about their playing days. I told them they would be shocked to see how our athletic venues have changed since their era. Don DeVanzo ’75 stopped by to see the softball team the same day I was there so he too had to endure the rain. Don is able to make periodic visits back here so there was less updating to do with him, but it was great to see him. There were a couple of alums, Tony Falco ’57 and Brad Bazin ’87, with whom I spoke, but we were unable to coordinate our schedules for us to meet. Hopefully, I will catch up with them the next time. It is hard to believe that there are only two weeks of classes in this semester. Campus is hopping right now as we prepare for the official inauguration of our new President, Dr. Bryon Grigsby ’90. Dr. Grigsby is a common fixture at many of our athletic events and even found time to serve as a “Guest Coach” for both our men’s and women’s basketball teams. Our spring sports teams have been playing well and all of them are aiming for berths in their conference playoffs. As long as we get some cooperation from good old Mother Nature, it should be a good spring for the Hounds. What lies ahead? That is always a good question and I can only think back to a statement someone made that basically said that if you stand still too long, it is no different than going backwards. I know the Dr. Grigsby wants to see our entire campus move ahead and I certainly feel the same way about Greyhound Athletics. Our Blue & Grey Club has been a great asset to our program over the years and this organization is as important now as it ever was. That raises the question: “Are you a member of the Blue & Grey?” If the answer is “no”; then the next question is, “Why not?” Please go to their web page www.moravian.edu/blueandgrey At that site you can learn all about the Club and how you can become an active member. While you are on that site, check the information about the upcoming Blue & Grey Golf Classic which is coming up on May 7th. It is a great event and the biggest fund raiser we have for the Blue & Grey Club. That same site also provides information on the Engraved Brick Project at the Blue and Grey Pavilion at Calvo Field. This is a great way to memorialize friends, teammates, family members, etc. Our annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner will take place on Friday, November 14, 2014. If you would like to nominate someone as a possible inductee, you need to do it soon as the nomination period closes at the end of April. Go to www.moraviansports.com/information/HOF/index for all the information about nominating a former Hound. During my conversations with some of the alums that I met in Florida, I often found I was listening to what things looked like on campus during their time here at Moravian College. For people like Barry Shollenberger and Bill Hershey, most of their athletic careers were spent playing right outside of Johnston Hall on the HUB field for both football and baseball. Then, of course, there was the venerable Johnston Hall with the sky lights in the roof and the hard as brick surface on the basketball court. We have certainly come a long way since then but there is still more to do. Some work is being planned for Johnston Hall this summer. This work includes the addition of much needed office space for coaches and an upgrade to the heating and ventilation system in the building. Discussions have continued with regards to the re-instating our men’s and women’s lacrosse programs. Obviously, there are number of factors that go along with this process but things are moving in a positive direction. Another ongoing discussion topic is the construction of an addition artificial turf field. The lengthy winter-like weather we had this spring really pointed out the need for this facility. We have turned our focus for the location of this facility to the HUB field. This location makes sense for a number of reasons and would serve as the practice and playing site for our men’s and women’s soccer teams; our field hockey team, and our lacrosse teams when we get them back up and running. These types of fields are a far cry from the old “astro-turf” fields many of you may remember. The can complement, in fact, accentuate the aesthetics of the surrounding area. I should also add that a field of this type in this location would also service general student usage especially via our intramural program. We have come to a day when many potential student-athlete recruits who played outdoor sports, get to college having rarely (sometimes never) played their sport on natural grass. These recruits almost anticipate that they will do the same when they get to college. So whether it is having an edge in bad weather conditions, having an edge in the recruiting wars, or reducing year-in year-out maintenance costs, we really need this facility to become a reality. That’s about all from me – I’ll try not to take so long before my next update. Please continue to follow the Hounds via our web site www.moraviansports.com YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO US! Every Day is a Great Day to be a Hound! Scot Dapp
Fall 2013 Update - October 10, 2013Our annual Homecoming festivities have come and gone and it was a great weekend for all of you who were able to return to campus during the weekend. The initial event of the weekend was the Rocco Calvo Alumni Golf Tournament on Friday morning. The outing was held at the Bethlehem Municipal Course and we had over 90 participants. The foursome of Ken Rampolla, Dan Nigito, Bob Ternosky, and Bob’s son Andy took home the first place plaques shooting an amazing 15 under par in the scramble format. I’m proud to say that my foursome stayed in the running until we teed off on our first hole – it was all downhill (and in the woods) from there for my group. The bottom line was that everyone had a great time and it was certainly a near perfect start to the Homecoming weekend.
HALL OF FAME Now that Homecoming has passed, our focus turns to our next major event – our annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony. On Friday, November 8th, here in Johnston Hall, the Greyhound Hall of Fame will add four new members. Ron Berta (baseball & football), Class of 1968; Ray Reimer (football), Class of 1989; Emily Schertzer (cross country & track), Class of 2002; and the late Coach Doug Pollard will be honored that night. The 1995 Greyhound Softball Team will also be inducted that evening and Dianne Shefski Harper, Class of 1990 will receive the Robert M. Herbstman Award. Without any doubt this is a worthy group of inductees and I hope that all of you who are friends and/or former teammates of any of these inductees and honoree will be able to attend the dinner and join in the celebration. Every track and field athlete has to have special place in your heart for Coach Doug Pollard as he was the foundation of our track and field program building it from its inception into the power house that it remains today. I certainly cannot overlook Doug’s huge contribution to the Greyhound football program during his years as an assistant coach, and I know that he is held in high esteem by so many of you former Hound gridders. I do not know of a better way to honor Doug’s memory than to be in Johnston Hall on November 8th as he takes his place in the Greyhound Hall of Fame. You can register for this event on-line by going to this link: https://secure.www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/MVN/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=157912 Basketball Season Ready to Start Our fall sports are all past the mid points of their seasons and in just a couple of weeks, our basketball teams will begin their practices. On Friday, October 18th, these squads will tip-off the 2013-14 season with their annual Midnight Madness activities. Both teams will open their seasons in mid-November participating in tournaments: the men will be at Johns Hopkins, while the women will fly to Texas to play in the Southwestern University Tournament. History Lesson I recently met with a group of our current student-athletes and discussed how things have changed around our campus and in our athletic programs since I first arrived in 1987. To most of this group, they must have felt like I was giving them an ancient history lesson, but I do think it gave them a much clearer perspective on how far we have come over the years. With that said, I told them that while we have come a long way, we cannot stand still as doing so is, in essence, going backward. We continually need to improve and upgrade our athletic facilities. On campus, some major renovations have been made to the Collier Hall of Science with more to come and Comenius Hall definitely needs some work. Goals When I first took over as the Athletic Director, I stated that a major goal I had was to add a second artificial surface field to accommodate the increasing demands our teams have for playing and practice space. I also want to see our lacrosse programs revived as varsity sports. These are two major goals, but I have a “wish list” of many more items. As is so often the case, items on my wish list are usually surrounded by dollar signs. The same is true for the wish list of the College. I have always felt that successful athletic programs have a strong supporting system from their alums. This support can take many forms, and yes, financial is one of those forms. Our Blue & Grey Club does a fantastic job in providing support to our teams. They are able to do so mainly by getting new members to join the Club and old members to continue to participate. If you are not a member of the Blue & Grey Club, I would encourage you to join. If you are a member, thank you for your support and I hope that support continues. You can find information about the Blue & Grey Club at the following link: http://www.moravian.edu/blueandgrey Please follow the Hounds throughout the year. Our website www.moraviansports.com has stories and updates for each of our teams. Stop by if you are in the area or drop a note to the head coach of your team. Remember, no matter how long it has been since you roamed our campus as a student, you are Forever a Hound! Take Care, Scot
Hot Time in the Summer - July 22, 2013It seems like only yesterday that I was in Washington DC, on a cool and dreary spring day in May watching the Greyhound baseball team defeat Scranton to win the Landmark Conference championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Regional Tournament. Yet, here I am in the middle of July sweltering through a record-breaking heat wave knowing that in less than a month some of the Greyhound athletes will be converging on campus to prepare for their 2013 campaign. Before I look to the upcoming season, I do want to take a quick look back at the 2013 spring. It was a good spring for Hound athletics, highlighted by the aforementioned accomplishments of our baseball team. Our men’s & women’s track teams swept the Landmark Conference Championship - that makes it 6 straight times these teams brought home the championship trophy. Head Coach Jesse Baumann and his staff were named the Landmark Coaching Staff of the Year for Men’s Track and Field. We had a plethora of spring student-athletes receive post season honors for both athletic and academic endeavors. Our annual Senior Athlete Banquet saw Micah Leonard (Track & Field) and Travis King (Football and Track & Field) named as the Greyhound Outstanding Senior Athletes. Eileen Black (W. Soccer) and Nick Hurff (M. Soccer) were honored as the Outstanding Senior Scholar Athletes. At the banquet, John & Mary Ann Williams, long-time employees at Moravian, were named the recipients of the H.T.D. Gillespie Award recognizing their long and avid support of Greyhound Athletics. Many of you “old-timers” remember the days when all of the Greyhound teams were members of and competed in the Middle Atlantic Conference. This spring the MAC announced their 2nd class of inductees into their Hall of Fame and Moravian’s outstanding women’s basketball player, Kathy Beck Dekorte ’92, was named as a member of that class. We plan to honor Kathy at one of our women’s basketball game this upcoming season – key an eye open for the announcement of that date. I have to mention the biggest news that has taken place on campus and it is not from Greyhound athletics, but the entire campus and that is the arrival of our new President, Dr. Bryon Grigsby ’90. As Dr. Thomforde headed into a well-earned retirement, Dr. Grigsby, as they say, has hit the ground running. I can say that the new President has some lofty goals set for the College and he knows that reaching these goals requires help from all aspects of Moravian: the current campus community and our loyal and enthusiastic alumni. Do not hesitate to jump on the wagon; it is going to be a great ride. As I mentioned, the start of the 2013 fall sports season is right around the corner. Schedules for all of our teams are on the web site so check it out and make plans to see the Hounds in action. All of our coaches all filled with optimism about the upcoming year and I know that each coach will enter the year with a “championship” mindset. When was the last time you came to campus? If you have to think about that answer, it has been too long. I first came to Moravian in 1987 as the head football coach. It is very difficult for me to talk to our current student-athletes and try to describe what our campus, and especially our athletic facilities, looked like back then. I’m not sure some of them believe me I do know that understanding the rich heritage of Moravian College and Greyhound athletics is important to these current Hounds. You as alums are important to us and we want to hear from you and we want to see you. Yes, I know everyone has a busy schedule, one that never seems to slow down. Maybe if you put a visit to campus on your calendar, you may even be able to make it work. A very obvious date would be Homecoming – October 4 & 5. I have a great idea: get in touch with three of your former teammates to create a foursome to play in the annual Rocco Calvo Homecoming Golf Tournament. It is the opening event of Homecoming Weekend and a great way to “tee off” your Homecoming visit. Look, if you cannot make it for Homecoming come back whenever you can. My main point is that all of you became a Hound when you first stepped on campus and whether or not it was five years ago or fifty, you are forever a Hound and your teams welcome your support You can also help by simply spreading the word of Greyhound Athletics. Do you remember the days when computers and cell phones did not exist? – ancient history… Word of mouth is still one of the best modes of communication though today that word is often transported via texting, tweeting, friending, and others. There are so many forms of social media today that is hard to imagine how we all got by in those days of yore. If you are reading this message from me, I first want to say “thank you” for doing that. Next, I want you to take a few minutes and check out the rest of our web site especially the home pages of the team or teams you played on while you were here. Finally, do me a favor and get in touch with one or more of your former teammates / classmates and ask them if they have read this message – if not, tell them to please take a few minutes and do so. You could almost be the cause of an epidemic of Hound nostalgia – how great would that be? I also want to mention, if you have not heard, that on Friday, November 8th of this year, we will be inducting four new members into our Greyhound Hall of Fame. Ron Berta ‘68; Ray Reimer ’89; Emily Shertzer ’02; and the late Coach Doug Pollard will join this elite group of Greyhound athletes. The 1995 Softball Team will also be honored that evening as well as Diane Shefski Harper ’90, who will receive the Robert M. Herbstman Award. Let me close by saying that I have now been the Director of Athletics here for two years. Since the first day I stepped into this office, one of my goals was to try to connect and reconnect with as many Greyhound alums as possible. I firmly believe that all of our teams have a better chance to be successful when they have a strong foundation of support from their alums. The memories being created by today’s Hounds are no different than the memories you have of your time here. Do not let the connection fade; you are a Hound Forever. Stay Cool, Scot
Transitioning From Winter to Spring Sports - March 8, 2013Winter into Spring As we wind down our week of spring break, many of our spring sports are gearing up for their seasons by competing in sunny Florida. Before we discuss those teams, allow me to look back at how things have been going in Greyhound athletics over the past couple of months. Our men’s & women’s basketball teams both had successful seasons as both qualified for the Landmark Conference playoffs and then participated in their respective ECAC tournaments. Coach Mary Beth Spirk received well-deserved Coach of the Year honors and she is very optimistic for the future as she loses only one starter from this year’s line-up. Our indoor track teams (men’s and women’s) swept the Landmark Indoor Championships and Head Coach Jesse Baumann and his staff were named Coaching Staffs of the Year for the both teams. Three members of the track team (two women; one man) qualified for the NCAA Indoor Nationals and are heading to compete at North Central College in Illinois. As the basketball and track teams were finishing their seasons, other Hounds were heading south. Our baseball, golf, men’s tennis, and softball teams all traveled to Florida to open their 2013 season. The women’s tennis team traveled to Virginia for their spring trip. These spring trips provide our teams with a great opportunity to go focus on their game, play against some great competition, and grow together as a team. Changes Taking Place Since my last message, a number of changes have taken place around campus, or at least, will be taking place. The biggest news was the announced retirement of President Chris Thomforde. Dr. Thomforde will begin to enjoy his well-earned retirement in June and we in Athletics certainly wish him well. His successor will be Dr. Bryon Grigsby. Some of you may recognize that name as Dr. Grigsby is a 1990 Moravian graduate who participated in both soccer and basketball during his time here. Julie Del Giorno, the President’s Chief of Staff is also leaving Moravian In her position as the Chief of Staff, one of Julie’s main duties was to oversee Athletics and she has been a great advocate for us. She is leaving Moravian to take a newly created position of Chief Integrity Officer for Athletics at Penn State University. This is a great opportunity for her and we wish her the best. While changes can occur often, it does not mean our goals in Athletics should change. All of the coaches are heavily engaged in recruiting activities as they try to fill their rosters with quality student-athletes. The recruiting process in Division III seems to be never-ending and most coaches will tell you that it takes a year or two to actually be able to judge the quality of a recruited class of players. It has always amazed me that despite the fact that Moravian College is the 6th oldest college in the nation, so many high school students and their parents have heard nothing or very little about us. When I say that, I am not talking about potential recruits from distant states, I am talking about these families that are located within a couple hours of our campus. A few years back, the College had the motto “A Hidden Treasure.” To be honest, it seems like we are still hidden. Alumni Ambassadors How do we become “unhidden”? I do not think there is neither a single answer nor a simple answer to that question, but I do know that the best sales people we have are our current student-athletes and our Greyhound alums. Since taking over as the AD, I have heard some of the coaches talk about an alum from their team who sent the name of a potential recruit from their area to the coach; or how an alum spoke to a recruit and helped sell the great attributes of “Houndland” to the recruit. You cannot deny the power of the “word of mouth”. All of our teams can benefit from a strong group of Alumni Ambassadors. The best part about being such an ambassador is that it costs nothing, all you have to do is speak often and speak loudly about the great experiences you had while you were a Hound and spread the news about Moravian College. Connect and Reconnect When was the last time you were on campus? If it has been a number of years since you have been here, you may be surprised at some of the changes that have occurred. Once a month, I meet with a group of student-athletes (the group is comprised of one player from each team), and we discuss various aspects of athletics and the college. In one of these meetings, we talk about our athletic facilities. I enjoy seeing the group’s reaction when I tell them what things were like when I first came to Moravian in 1987 (gosh, I am old!). The softball field, the baseball field, the football field, and the track were a far cry from what they are now. These students think I am making it up when I tell them that the roof of Johnston Hall was half skylights and that the gym floor was practically impossible to mar. The term “fitness center” did not exist, but we had weight rooms, if you want to call them that. And then there is our Breidegam Field House – a.k.a. the ARC – that building now stands in the area formerly known as “Otis Place”. If you were on campus back then and did not live in one of those houses on Otis Place, you probably attended one or two parties there. My point is that while these current Hounds may have a hard time visualizing what things were like 15+ years ago; if it has been years since you have been on campus, it may be equally hard for you to visualize how things have improved. I think the connection between our current student-athletes to players from the past is very important. Connecting and reconnecting to Greyhound alums help form a solid foundation for every team. How can you connect, or I should say ‘reconnect’ to your old team? Following your team on our website is a pretty easy thing to do. Does the current coach of your team have your updated contact information? Each coach’s contact information is on the web site, so take a minute and send your info to that coach. The person coaching your team now may not be the coach you had when you were here, but that does not mean he or she does not want to hear from you. I still enjoy meeting and talking to former Hound football players who were here long before I became the head coach. The ideal way to connect would be to visit the campus. I know that getting back here for many of you may not be an easy task, but it would be great if you find the time to make it happen. Many of the coaches schedule alumni games or functions – a perfect time to return. Just know that you are welcome to come to campus and “reconnect” at any time. How to Make it Happen How can I reach out to the hundreds, maybe thousands of Greyhound alums of whom we have lost track? If you are reading this message, than you are not in that group. Despite all the advanced technology in communications, there are still too, too many people who do not know what is happening back at their alma mater. I’ll be the first to admit that facebook, twitter, etc. are not venues I use, but I do know that our web site can be read by anyone with a computer. You can help spread the message for me. Many of you may remember a fad that was around years ago called a “chain letter”. Too young to remember that; in essence, you would receive a letter that told you to make copies of the letter and then send it to maybe ten people. The letter you received also contained a list of names and on the copies you would send, you took off the top name and put your name at the bottom. As the chain of letters continued, eventually your name would get to the top and you would get money, good luck, or maybe baseball hats (yep, I got suckered into that one). No, I am not saying start a chain letter, but maybe you could start a type of chain and contact some of your old teammates with whom you stay in touch. If they have not checked our web site, encourage them to do so. If they have, ask them to pass along the message to others. Text, tweet, Facebook, e-mail; it does not matter what method is used, but start the chain and play it forward. Hey, almost forgot, the telephone also works. Help Comes in Many Forms When I became the AD, I quickly developed a fairly long “wish list” of things I felt we needed to help the Greyhound teams stay in the race to be the best. Do not get me wrong; while I think we have some great things going for us, I think it is important to keep forging ahead. As the saying goes, “if you are standing still, you may as well be going backward.” At least I think someone said that at one time. You are probably thinking that now is when I hit you with the “please send money” message. Well, I am not going to do that. Well sure, if you want to send money, we will put it to good use, because the majority of the items on my wish list do have a dollar sign in front of them. Both the college web site www.moravian.edu and the Greyhound sports web site www.moraviansports.com contain links to how you can contribute financially; if you are so inclined. One of the biggest things on my wish list is to reach out to as many Greyhound alums as possible and get them interested in becoming involved; in connecting or reconnecting; and/or in bringing the past and the present together. That is my message for now. Our coaches would love to hear from former players; I would love to hear from Hounds of the past; and Greyhound athletics wants to know that you have our backs. As we head into our spring sports season, please check the web site for the schedules of these teams. We may be playing a game or match or competing in a meet in your area. Can’t make back to campus to see the Hounds in action… maybe you can see them in a town near you. HAVE A GREAT SPRING! Scot Dapp
Hounds Complete the Fall Sports Season - December 5, 2012The fall semester of the 2012-13 school year is coming to an end and this gives me a chance to take a quick look back at the just completed fall sports season. Hurricane Sandy forced some juggling in our sports schedules, but compared to some of the devastation that took place in other areas, we were spared any major problems. My thoughts and prayers go out to those still recovering from that event. There were a number of bright spots with our fall teams highlighted by our Men’s Cross Country Team who repeated as Landmark Conference Champions. The coach of that team, Jesse Baumann, was named the Conference Coach of the Year. Our Volleyball Team and Women’s Soccer Team both made it to their respective conference playoffs and earned spots in ECAC tournament play. Brienne Smith, the 3rd-year coach of the Women’s Soccer Team, was honored as the Conference Coach of the Year. With the fall sports all completed, we now turn our attention to the Hound basketball teams. Both the men’s and the women’s team have had great starts to their seasons and Coach Mary Beth Spirk and Coach Jim Walker are very optimistic about their respective team’s chances in the very competitive Landmark Conference.
In early November, we welcomed four new members to the Greyhound Hall of Fame. Tony Jaso, ’50; Tara Wartman McClimon, ’97; Heidi Wolfsberger Peoples, ’02; and Fred Reinhard will have their plaques added to the Hall of Fame lobby of Johnston Hall. Jaso was a standout football player for the Hounds while McClimon and Peoples excelled in cross-country and track. Fred is a true friend to Greyhound athletics and is a Life Time member of the Moravian College Board of Trustees. The 1989 Greyhound Men’s Track Team was also inducted that night and we had 20 team members and coaches in attendance for the induction ceremony and dinner. William Marsh, Class of 1956 was the 2012 recipient of the Robert M. Herbstman Award and received his award at the dinner. You can find more information about our honorees on the Greyhound web site: www.moraviansports.com (click on the tab for “Inside Sports” and then the link for the Hall of Fame). The Hall of Fame link also provides information on how you can nominate someone for the 2013 Hall of Fame class. Our web site is a great way for all of you to get up with what is happening with Greyhound athletics: read about what has taken place with our teams or the athletic department in general and learn about upcoming events. There is also a link where we want to post newsworthy items about our Greyhound alums – young and old. To do that we need to hear from you, so feel free to drop me an e-mail or even an old fashion letter. My e-mail address is dapps@moravian.edu and my mailing address is: Scot Dapp Another important link on our web site is the one for our Blue & Grey Club. I cannot begin to tell you how important this club is to Greyhound Athletics. Membership to the Blue and Grey is at an all-time high, but all of us would like to see it grow even more. Go to www.moravian.edu/blueandgrey to learn more about this organization and how you can become a part of what they do throughout the year. Finally, this is the time of year when family and friends take center stage and to the Greyhound Family, I want to wish all of you a very Happy, Healthy, and Blessed Holiday season.
Hounds Are Off and Running - September 18, 2012We are already a month into the 2012-13 school year and our fall sports teams are well into their seasons. Volleyball, men’s & women’s soccer, and field hockey have had a number of non-conference games and are now preparing to head into the all-important conference part of their schedules. Our cross-country teams have competed in a couple of invitationals and have a few more before getting to the Landmark Conference Championships later in October. The football team had a tough opener against a very strong Ithaca team but rebounded the next week to defeat conference rival McDaniel. All of their remaining games are Centennial Conference games. Our men’s & women’s tennis teams and our golf team have the unique set-up of having split seasons as they have matches in the fall and then will continue in the spring. The women’s tennis team already has a victory over rival Muhlenberg under their belts. You can find details about all of the games/matches that have taken place so far by going to each team’s home page on the web site.
In each of these aforementioned events, the common thread was the enthusiastic showing of the alumni participants. All of our teams plan to host some type of alumni event this year and will work with our Blue & Grey Club to make it a special and enjoyable time. Strong support from a team’s alums is vital in the success of a program. It was nice to hear alums, who had not been back to campus in a long time, say how much they enjoyed themselves in these events. Please keep your eyes and ears open for your team’s event. If you are one of those that have not been back to campus in quite a while, why not plan to change that this year? Homecoming 2012 is right around the corner October 12 – 13. The Rocco Calvo Golf Tournament is the “tee-off” event of the Homecoming festivities; taking place on Friday morning at the Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course. Why not get a foursome together and start the Homecoming weekend with some long drives, accurate chip shots, and perfect putts OR, if you are like me, some wayward drives, chip shots into a bunker, and three or four putts per green. (Information about this event can be found on the college web site: www.moravian.edu ). If a visit at Homecoming does not fit your schedule, look for a time that does and plan to come back. I have talked to so many alums over the past year whom are shocked to hear about all the changes that have taken place on the campus. They are even more shocked (pleasantly shocked, I might add) when they view these changes in person. Our web site www.moraviansports.com provides an easy way to keep up to date with your former team and athletics in general, but there is no better way to rejuvenate that Greyhound Pride than to be here in person. If you have made it to one of our football games, you saw that the Blue & Grey tent has been replaced by a permanent Blue & Grey Pavilion. The Blue & Grey Club hosts it game-day hospitality event in the Pavilion for all Blue & Grey Club members. What’s that???? You say that you are not a member of Blue & Grey Club…well, shame on you, but that is an easy fix. Go to either of the web sites mentioned above and you can find information about this all-important organization and how you can become a part of it. There are also a couple of other new additions down by Calvo Field. For the first time in many years, we do not have to sell game tickets from a card table on the sidewalk. Two new permanent ticket booths have been erected and they keep our ticket sellers safe from the elements.
Our tennis courts, long suffering from reoccurring cracks, received a bit of a face lift this summer and only time will tell if the upgraded repair job makes a difference when that first freeze occurs. Even if the cracks do not come back, the courts are still in a tough location being directly between our softball and baseball fields. This problem was recognized years ago and the relocation of these courts was seen as a solution. The problem still exists so working on the solution needs to be brought back into the picture. As I said, it will take time, but I am confident we can continue to move in the right direction. Homecoming or anytime – come back to see us. The coaches and team members always enjoy seeing Hounds from the past. Greyhound Pride is a past; present; and future quality
The Year in Review - July 11, 2012It has been a year since I made the move from the Football Office to the Athletics Director’s office. I will admit that the year has flown by and to say it has been an interesting year for me is a very drastic understatement. The most often asked question posed to me this past year is whether or not I miss coaching; again, a bit of an understatement. When you do something you love doing for over 30 years and then stop, you are not human if you do not miss it. The day-to-day interaction with the players and the thrill of competition on games days are the two biggest voids I have experienced, but this job has presented me with a host of new challenges that have helped to fill those voids. I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by a very supportive staff and administration who have help guide me through this transition.
Speaking of our web site, this was a much needed addition to Moravian athletics and I thank of Blue & Grey Club for funding this project to make it possible. In today’s age of technology, getting information out to our alums can take on many forms. This new web site is a step in that direction. “WOW!” This exclamation is usually the first word out of the mouth of visitors to our campus when they first see our brand new Fitness Center. This 10,000 square foot facility was initiated by the Moravian College Board of Trustees in February of 2011. Ten months later, in December, the facility was up and running and a few weeks later, the College staged its grand opening. The space that housed our old Fitness Center was converted into a Performance Center where many of our teams are able to work on specific training programs designed by our Fitness Center Director. Both of these areas provided Greyhound athletics and Moravian students with a much needed boost. You can see numerous photos of these two facilities on our web site, but it is much better if you can see them in person. When I look at the new Fitness Center and Performance Center it is hard not to think about the state of athletic facilities when I first came to Moravian 25 years ago. For those of you who were here back then and even before, I am sure you can understand my astonishment. Just think – the Breidegam Field House (the ARC) sits on the site many of you remember as the row home on Otis Place. A 10,000 square foot Fitness Center – remember the single universal gym in the back of Johnston Hall or the free weight room equipped with a bench or two a stack of weights where the heat and humidity caused just about every piece of equipment to be covered in rust? How about the skylights in the roof of Johnston Hall which allowed the sun to glare on the old floor that was harder than concrete – the skylights are long gone and the floor was also replaced years ago (just had it repainted this summer and it looks great).
I mention these things because in some conversations I have had with some of our Greyhound alums, I have found that they are unaware of some of the changes that have taken place. The face of Moravian College campus as a whole has taken on a new look over the years: the Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic sits in the area where row homes once lined Monocacy Street across for the HUB. The HUB itself has undergone a couple of renovations since I came here (remember the old “MC’ or was it “EmCee”?). The Hurd Living and Learning Center (the HILL) is a beautiful addition to our south campus and provided much needed living quarters for our growing student population: new buildings, renovations of old buildings, new facilities – all part of the changes made to keep us moving ahead. I have a number of goals I would like to accomplish as the Athletics Director. Some of these goals are long range and some I would like to see happen sooner than later. One thing I would like to do is increase and improve the connections with our Greyhound alums. I have repeatedly encouraged our coaches to reach out to the alums from their specific sport to update them on what is taking place with the current team and to encourage them to come back to campus, especially if they have been absent for a long time. Our Blue & Grey Club is growing and more solid than I have seen it in years. I have to credit that growth and increased stability to Gary Carney, our Vice President for Institutional Advancement. I know that Gary will be quick to pass that credit to Lindsey Hughes in his office who oversees the Club. The leadership of Gary Martell, Class of ’76, as the current President of the Blue & Grey Club has also been instrumental in helping get this very important organization headed in the right direction. Just as I mentioned how you can learn much about of teams, coaches, and student-athletes, via our web site; you can also get more information about the Blue & Grey Club and other aspects of Greyhound athletics like the Greyhound Hall of Fame and Greyhound Alumni who are making news. I encourage you to take some time and navigate your way through this vault of information. Let me close now by saying that the formula for success by our teams contains many aspects. One of these is a strong foundation of support from our alums. If you have not been back on campus for a long time, please try to find time this year to pay us a visit. Feel free to send an e-mail or even one of them “old-fashion” hand-written notes to the current coach of your sport – I know he or she would love to hear from you (contact information for each of our coaches can be found in our web site. Finally, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or thoughts you want to pass along. My e-mail address is dapps@moravian.edu. I will do my best to respond as quickly as I can. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
An Unforgettable Day - October 29, 2011It was Saturday, October 29, 2011. If you decided to leave your house and go watch a race, a look at the weather would have made one think they were going to watch the Iditarod in Alaska. It was snowing, and snowing hard, with temperatures in the low 30’s. The cold, stiff wind made it seem much colder than what the thermometer was showing. This, however; was not a day for dog sled races and we were not in Alaska. This was Bethlehem, PA, on the Goodman Campus of Lehigh University and the races were the Men’s and Women’s Landmark Conference Cross Country Championships.
Other Hound runners included Devon Bedell (Fr); Jessie Goldberg (Fr); Megan Hallowell (Sr); Emma Pacheco (Jr); Jennifer Smilgis (So); Jennifer Parodi (So); Alyssa Tallon (Fr); and Amanda Smilgis (So). Cadee’s first place finish garnered her the Landmark Conference Runner of the Year Award. Rockwell, Ruggiero, and DelCasale earned First Team All-Conference honors. Lambright’s finish made her a 2nd Team All-Conference selection. More importantly, the Lady Hounds were the #1 team, winning their first ever Landmark Conference Cross Country Championship.
Senior Matt Lutcza was the defending champion and he ran a valiant race but fell short of repeating, finishing just over a second behind the 1st place runner, Ian Quinlan of Susquehanna. Junior Dan Noble took 4th place and freshman Alec Duncan finished 6th. Lutcza, Noble, and Duncan all earned All-Conference First Team honors with their finishes. Duncan added the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year title to his award list. Dylan Martin, a junior was a 2nd Team Landmark All-Conference selection based on his 10th place finish. Other runners for the Hounds were Dillon Farrell (Fr); Corey Schauerman (Fr) and Eddie Garcia (Fr). This contingent of Hound harriers followed the lead of their female counterparts by winning the team title; their first ever Landmark Conference championships. It was a freak October snow storm; you could call it a “Halloween Trick” because it was certainly no “treat” to run in this weather. The Moravian runners, both men and women, ignored the elements and returned to campus as Champions. In Alaska and the Iditarod race it is all about the Huskies that pull those sleds. On this unforgettable day in Bethlehem, it was all about the Greyhounds.
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Our softball coach, John Byrne, hosted an alumni gathering and had a nice turnout by many of his former players. Summer Miller did a great job in organizing the event for Coach Byrne. The tailgate area at the football game that was hosted by our Institutional Advancement Office was buzzing throughout the duration of the game as was the Blue & Grey Pavilion. The worst part of the day for me was trying to say hello to so many of my former players who were on hand. I found myself starting a sentence of a conversation with one former Hound only to have to stop and turn to say hello to another passerby. Believe me when I say that it was absolutely great to see so many of you throughout the Homecoming weekend. I only wish I had more time to chat with each and every one of you.
The teams still have a few games scheduled prior to a short break for the Holidays. If you get a chance, please come see the Hounds in action. Each team’s schedule can be found on their home page on our web site. Why not start the new year off right and come watch the action in Johnston Hall when the Hounds host the annual Basketball Tournaments on January 2nd & 3rd.
A few of our teams, with assistance from our Blue & Grey Club, hosted alumni events this fall. Field Hockey alums showed flashes of their old skills as they teamed up to play Coach Amy Endler’s current team. Cross Country coach, Jesse Baumann held a 2-mile race for alums and current Hound harriers which he hopes will become an annual event. By the number of alums who participated, I do not think he will have a problem in doing that. Finally, our men’s tennis team also had a match with alums and there was definitely some good tennis played in that event. 
The mention of these new additions is evident of some of the changes that have taken place just in the past month or so. In my last message, I talked about our new Fitness Center and Performance Center which still elicit raves from first-time visitors. There is more to be done, and it will take time. Our field hockey field had to relocate two home games over to Lehigh because of the poor conditions of their game field. They will play three of their home games at Calvo Field on Saturdays when the football team is away. The Betty Prince Field is in a nice location, but we are now the only team in the Conference that has a grass field. The bottom line is that, another turf field would solve practically all of our field scheduling problems and create a venue that would enable us to expend our intramural programs and even possibly our athletic offerings.
Looking back at the past 12 months, I feel pleased with what took place with Moravian College athletics. We had teams reach conference playoffs, win conference titles, participate in ECAC post-season tournaments, and participate in NCAA post-season tournaments. We had individual student-athletes excel on the field, on the courts, and in the classroom. All of these honors and more news about our teams and student-athletes can be found in the athletics web page 
The Steel Field complex has had a complete makeover in the past 10-15 years. The artificial surface turf on Calvo field will enter its seventh year of use this fall as will the 8-lane Mondo surface Breidegam track. For some you “old-timers” in softball, the wooden benches along the baselines and small backstop, have been replaced with one of the nicest softball facilities around. A similar makeover has taken place with our baseball field, Gillespie Field.
Moravian was the host team for these races as the Conference was piggy-backing off the Patriot League Championships hosted by Lehigh. By the time the Landmark women lined up to start their 6K race, 1:00pm, there was already 4 inches of snow on the ground and it was still coming down. 72 women representing 8 Landmark colleges took off on the sound from the starter’s gun and headed over fields and through woods. A little over 24 minutes later, Moravian senior, Cadee Rockwell, who ran as if she was running on the beach, crossed the finish line in first place. Her senior teammate, Kristina Ruggiero, put on a big push in the last half mile to finish second. Freshman Claire DelCasale was the next Hound runner to cross the finish line coming in at 7th place with fellow freshman, Emily Lambright finished in the 11th spot.
A very short time after the women’s race was completed, it was time to start the men’s 8K race. The weather was getting worse, in fact, the race course had to be altered as the weight of the wet and heavy snow caused a tree to fall across one of the paths in the woods. Despite the ever-declining conditions, 82 Landmark Conference runners took on the challenge.