2022 MAAC Tennis Championships Program
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STAFF DIRECTORY
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Office 712 Amboy Avenue Edison, New Jersey 08837 (732) 738-5455
Richard J. Ensor, Esq. .........................................................................................................Commissioner Jessica Grasso. ........................................................................................................Deputy Commissioner Lauren Eads.............................................................Senior Associate Commissioner/Chief Operating Officer Jordan Confessore....................................................................... Associate Commissioner/Men’s Basketball Hamilton Cook.......................................................... Associate Commissioner/Senior Minority Administrator Valerie McQuade.............................................................................. Assistant Commissioner of New Media Caitlin Lowe. ............................................................................. Director of Women’s Basketball Operations Kelsey Nugent. ................................................................................................. Director of Championships Jessie Holzman................................................................................................. Director of Championships Taylor Wood.............................................................................. Director of Championships and Compliance Max Felsenstein...................................................................................................... Director of New Media Gabrielle Harris........................................................................................................ Administrative Fellow Kate Tagliareni......................................................................................................... Administrative Fellow Conner Braddock. .................................................................................................... Administrative Fellow TABLE OF CONTENTS Championships Schedule.......................................................................................................................5 The MAAC Story...............................................................................................................................6-12 Meet the MAAC Commissioner.........................................................................................................13-15 Commissioner’s Cup............................................................................................................................18 Fairfield University........................................................................................................................22, 34 Marist College...............................................................................................................................26, 36 Monmouth University. ...................................................................................................................27, 37 Niagara University.........................................................................................................................28, 39 Quinnipiac University. ...................................................................................................................29, 40 Rider University............................................................................................................................31, 41 Siena College................................................................................................................................32, 43 MAAC Tennis Championship History..................................................................................................44-45
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
MAACSPORTS.COM
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2021-22 Championships Schedule Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Saturday, October 30, 2021 ESPN Wide World of Sports, Walt Disney World
Water Polo Saturday, April 23, 2022 – Sunday, April 24, 2022 Hosted by Marist College – Poughkeepsie, NY 2021 Champion: Marist College
2021 Men’s Champion: Iona College 2021 Women’s Champion: Iona College Women’s Soccer First Round: Sunday, October 31, 2021 Semifinals: Thursday, November 4, 2021 Finals: Sunday, November 7, 2021 2021 Champion: Monmouth University Men’s Soccer First Round:Sunday, November 7, 2021 Semifinals: Thursday, November 11, 2021
Women’s Lacrosse First Round: Saturday, April 30, 2022 at No. 3 & No. 4 Seeds Semifinals: Thursday, May 5, 2022 hosted by No. 1 seed Finals: Sunday, May 8, 2022 hosted by No. 1 seed 2021 Champion: Fairfield University
Men’s Lacrosse Semifinals: Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Finals: Saturday, May 7 , 2022 Hosted by No. 1 Seed 2021 Champion: Monmouth University
Finals: Sunday, November 14 2021 Champion: Marist College
Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Saturday, May 7, 2022 – Sunday, May 8, 2022 Hosted by Rider University - Lawrenceville, NJ 2021 Men’s Champion: Monmouth University 2021 Women’s Champion: Monmouth University
Volleyball Friday, November 19, 2021 – Sunday, November 21, 2021 Hosted by Siena College - Loudonville, NY 2021 Champion: Fairfield University Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – Saturday, February 12, 2022 Co-Hosted by Canisius College & Niagara University Erie Community College Buffalo, NY
Softball Championship Round: Wednesday, May 11, 2022 - Saturday, May 14, 2022 Rain Date: Sunday, May 15, 2022 Hosted by No. 1 Seed 2021 Champion: Manhattan College
2020-21 Men’s Champion: N/A* 2020-21 Women’s Champion: N/A*
Women’s Rowing Sunday, May 15, 2022 Cooper River Park Pennsauken Township, NJ 2021 Champion: Marist College
Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Saturday, February 19, 2022 – Sunday, February 20, 2022 Hosted by Manhattan College New Balance Armory Track and Field Center – New York, NY
2020-21 Men’s Champion: N/A* 2020-21 Women’s Champion: N/A*
Baseball Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 19 – Friday, May 20, 2022 Championship Round: Wednesday, May 25 - Saturday, May 28, 2022 Rain Date: Sunday, May 29, 2022 Clover Stadium, Pomona, NY 2021 Champion: Rider University
Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tuesday, March 8, 2022 – Saturday, March 12, 2022 Co-Hosted by Monmouth University & Rider University Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, NJ 2021 Men’s Champion: Iona College 2021 Women’s Champion: Marist College Men’s & Women’s Golf Friday, April 22, 2022 – Sunday, April 24, 2022 Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course Lake Buena Vista, FL 2021 Men’s Champion: Iona College 2021 Women’s Champion: Quinnipiac University Men’s & Women’s Tennis Saturday, April 23, 2022 – Sunday, April 24, 2022 Mercer County Tennis Center West Windsor, NJ 2021 Men’s Champion: Monmouth University 2021 Women’s Champion: Siena College
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The MAAC Story With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College, and Saint Peter’s College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981 with members competing in the sports of Men’s Cross Country and Men’s Soccer. On January 2, 1982, Army traveled to Iona for the first MAAC Men’s Basketball game and the MAAC story had begun.
being held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, midway through the third day of competition. This was the first time the championships were ever canceled. The last game of the season and championship had the Fairfield women’s basketball team defeat Siena 72-56 in the quarterfinals. The NCAA also cancelled the Division I 2020 Men’s and Women’s Championships and later all spring sports as college sports reacted to the health threats posed by the pandemic to its student-athletes, coaches, and fans. In 2021, the championships returned to Atlantic City as the first event hosted at the arena since the MAAC shutdown operations in 2020. The teams competed in a restricted manner that included daily PCR COVID-19 testing, practices hosted across town at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and with limited attendance by friends
of families who were seated in upper levels of Boardwalk Hall. In year of limited competition, the Iona College men and the Marist College women captured the championship trophies and moved on to 68 and 64 team fields hosted in Indianapolis and San Antonio within strict bubble environments. By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, and a top reputation for hosting events, the MAAC has been able to be awarded several future NCAA Championships. Along with Siena, the MAAC was chosen to host the 2020 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside Canisius and Niagara, the MAAC will host the 2022 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. In 2020 the MAAC was awarded additional future NCAA hosting opportunities including the 2023 Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2024 Women’s Basketball
Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. The MAAC supports 24 sports and championships during the 2021-22 academic year; in addition, the MAAC champion earns automatic qualification to the NCAA Championship in 15 sports. In addition, associate members include St. Bonaventure University in Men’s Lacrosse. La Salle University, Long Island University, St. Francis Brooklyn, Villanova University, Virginia Military Institute, and Wagner College in Water Polo. Drake University, Jacksonville University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, and Stetson University compete in Women’s Rowing. La Salle University, the University at Albany, University of Dayton, and the University of Hartford are members in Women’s Golf. On June 1, 2018, the MAAC announced that the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ was selected to host the 2020-22 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships. The MAAC Council of Presidents unanimously accepted the facility’s bid to host the championships at their May 30th meeting in New York City. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall will host the MAAC Basketball Championships for the first time in history and the Championships will return to the state of New Jersey for the first time since 2003, when they were played at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. A total of nine MAAC Men’s Basketball Championships and five Women’s Basketball Championships have been held in New Jersey, including the inaugural event in 1982 at what was the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford.
Regionals at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY which will be co-hosted with Siena College. The MAAC, alongside the Ivy League, was also selected to host the 2025 Women’s Rowing Championship Finals (Divisions I, II, and III) at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ. In 2026, the MAAC along with Canisius College and Niagara University will host the Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. In March 2018 the MAAC hosted the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Albany Regional with Siena College for the second time since 2015 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. The Albany Regional was the highest attended site out of the four regions with over 20,000 fans in attendance over the two days of competition. During the 2016-17 academic year, the MAAC hosted the NCAA Division I Cross Country Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park with Iona and Manhattan, the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY with Canisius and Niagara, which marked the fifth time that all three parties partnered for this same event (2004, 2007, 2010, and 2014), and the 2017 NCAA Division I, II, & III Rowing Championships with the Ivy League at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ. The MAAC, Canisius, and Niagara successfully hosted the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Second and Third Rounds at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC and Fairfield hosted the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. The MAAC and Rider co-hosted the 2012 NCAA Rowing Championships at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ and also co-hosted the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The MAAC and Rider co-hosted the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Regional at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, after recording the third highest attendance figure for the women’s championship with the First & Second Rounds in 2006.
In response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the MAAC canceled the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships that were
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In March of 2017, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the field of teams for the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic, a college basketball tournament held in conjunction with the MAAC, Sport Changes Life, Rory McIlroy’s Foundation, the Rory Foundation, and The SSE Arena, Belfast. The two-day tournament was held December 1-2, 2017 and featured Holy Cross, Manhattan, La Salle, and Towson. After a successful inaugural event, the Sport Changes Life Foundation announced the second annual Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic to be held November 29-December 1. The 2018 event featured an expanded field to eight schools. The schools competed in two four-team brackets, with campus round games in the United States leading into two tournament brackets in Belfast aptly named ‘Samson’ and ‘Goliath’ after the iconic Harland and Wolfe cranes in the Titanic quarter shipyard of Belfast. Marist represented the MAAC in the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic. In June of 1995, the MAAC developed new opportunities for student-athletes as the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse leagues. The men’s league began competition in the spring of 1996, while the women’s league commenced in the spring of 1997. Since their inception as associate sports leagues, both Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse have been upgraded to full MAAC sports. The men’s league currently consists of six MAAC schools (Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, and Siena along with two associate members Detroit Mercy and St. Bonaventure). The women’s league features competition among nine MAAC institutions (Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Niagara, Quinnipiac, and Siena). The 2017 Men’s Lacrosse Championship game aired on ESPNU and Sirius XM for the first time in history. In the spring of 2014, the MAAC expanded the championship field to six teams in Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Volleyball, Women’s Lacrosse, Softball, and Baseball. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MAAC canceled all spring sport competitions, practices, and other athletic related activities for the remainder of the 2020 Spring semester. Later the decision was made to move the fall 2020 sports into the winter of 2021 providing scaled back schedules and expanded championship formats as the pandemic continued to restrict athletic competition. This was the first time a season of sports competition was ever canceled in the MAAC. The MAAC Council of Presidents approved bylaws to launch an Esports League and Championships in 2020. The presidents approved Esports as an official MAAC co-ed club sport. The decision came after two years of evaluation and co-sponsorship of events with the ECAC, including the highly successful HV Gamer Con 2019 in Albany, NY. The 2020 MAAC Esports Championships were set to be held in the Adrian Phillips Theater at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 MAAC Esports Championship was held virtually. The 2020 Championships featured four games: League of Legends, Rocket League, Overwatch, and Super Smash Ultimate. The 2022 MAAC Esports Championship will take place at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, March 10-12. Academics and Athletics The MAAC prides itself on the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991 graduate of Canisius, was the first recipient of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In the fall of 1998, Erin Whalen, a member of the Iona Women’s Rowing team, was awarded one of the nation’s 32 Rhodes Scholarships for
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academic achievement and civic leadership.
As of May 2020, all 11 MAAC institutions and four associate members (Dayton – Women’s Golf, Hartford – Women’s Golf, LaSalle - Women’s Golf, and Villanova - Water Polo) had at least one team that posted multi-year APR’s in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. A total of 47 teams received top 10 percent recognition. Quinnipiac and Siena College led the MAAC in NCAA Public Recognition Awards, with both institutions naming seven programs to the list. Fairfield University and Marist College followed, both with six programs ranking in the top 10 percent of their sport. Iona and Niagara had four teams. Canisius, Manhattan, Monmouth, and Rider posted two teams. Saint Peter’s had one team in the top 10 percent.
First-class facilities are the standard within the MAAC, as teams regularly play in top-notch arenas, such as Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, MassMutual Center, KeyBank Center, MVP Arena (former Times Union Center), Webster Bank Arena, Mohegan Sun Arena, and Sun National Bank Center. In May 2018, the MAAC embarked on a historic feat as the conference hosted its annual Baseball Championship at Richmond County Bank Ballpark for the first time ever in partnership with the Staten Island Yankees, a Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. In the past several years, several the MAAC schools have enjoyed success in national postseason play. In 2018, Quinnipiac Women’s Basketball picked up its third NCAA Tournament win in the last two years. The Bobcats defeated Miami in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 UConn in the Second Round. In 2017, Quinnipiac won its first NCAA Championship game in program history and became the first MAAC women’s basketball program to advance to the Sweet 16 since Marist in 2007. The Bobcats defeated Marquette and Miami en route to their Sweet 16 appearance against South Carolina. In 2015, Siena’s Women’s Basketball team became the first MAAC Women’s Basketball program to make it to a postseason championship game. The Saints advanced all the way to the title contest of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) where Siena fell to Louisiana-Lafayette. In 2007, the Marist Women’s Basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to the eventual National Champion, Tennessee. The Red Foxes have recorded an additional five NCAA wins since their run in 2007. The Saint Peter’s Men’s Basketball team claimed the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) title, to become the first MAAC program to win a national postseason championship since Siena’s Men’s Basketball team in 2014. The Saints earned the league’s first basketball postseason championship in its history by winning the 2014 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). In 2013, the MAAC had a record six Men’s Basketball programs participate in postseason play – Iona (NCAA Championship), Niagara (NIT), Canisius, Fairfield, Loyola, and Rider (CIT). Canisius and Loyola both advanced to the Quarterfinal Round, while Rider reached the second round. In 2012, the MAAC had two teams advance to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time in 16 years, with Loyola earning the league’s automatic bid and Iona garnering an at-large bid. The MAAC has also been a leader in the forefront of technology, expanding the notoriety of the league into cyberspace. In 2017, the league reached a conference-wide agreement with SIDEARM Sports (extended in 2020), to design and host the MAAC web page. MAACSports.com has been a great success, providing fans with fresh content, up-to-date results, live and on-demand video, and an online merchandise store. The site was redesigned in the fall of 2021.
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MEET THE MAAC COMMISSIONER
In September 2011, the conference announced the launch of MAAC.TV, the league’s first broadband network. Eight schools (Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Rider, and Saint Peter’s) were part of the original network.
Aprovenleader inintercollegiate spo r t s , e v en tmana g emen t and sport law for over three decades, Richard J. Ensor was named the third Commissioner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in August 1988. Ensor has provided leadership through a national pandemic that shuttered sports in 2020 and through resulting financial and operational challenges as intercollegiate competition
It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women’s basketball. Under Ensor’s direction, the MAAC has focused efforts to showcase its member institutions in its annual men’s and women’s basketball championship. Since 1990 with the support of the MAAC Council of Presidents and the league’s athletic administrators and coaches the MAAC has held its premier event in state of the art playing facilities such as the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, and the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC announced in 2018 that Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ had been selected to host the 2020-22 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. The inaugural Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships in the world-famous venue was cut short when the COVID-19 Pandemic caused the cancellation of March Madness and all remaining college sports for the 2019-20 academic year. In 2021 the championships resumed competition, but the teams competed before limited audiences of friends and families as teams qualified for the NCAA that were conducted in single sites for all 64 or 68 teams in COVID-19 bubbles. The 2020 cancellation also ended the hosting of its inaugural coed Esports Championships in Atlantic City in the Adrian Phillips Theater, which is part of Boardwalk Hall. The MAAC did conduct the championships the following month for the following games online: League of Legends; Overwatch; Rocket League; and, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Marist College was the overall winner of the MAAC Esports Championships presented by New Jersey Army National Guard and was named the Program of the Year. MAAC champions will receive bids in the future to the national tournaments for the games under the MAAC’s membership in the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF). Instrumental in the expansion of MAAC sports offerings to reflect the MAAC’s commitment to Division I membership and diversity, Ensor guided efforts within the MAAC beginning in 1992 to add women’s soccer, in 1996 men’s lacrosse, and in 1997 women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor track and rowing. In 1998, the MAAC added outdoor track and field and women’s golf, and in 2002-03 it added women’s water polo. Esports was added in 2020. The league currently sponsors 23 sports and is awarded automatic or play-in bids to 15 NCAA championships [baseball, softball, tennis (m&w), golf (m&w), basketball (m&w), lacrosse (m&w), rowing (w), soccer (m&w) water polo (w), and volleyball (w)]. Additionally, MAAC men’s and women’s cross country have access to the NCAA championship through a regional qualifier race. Over half the MAAC sponsored sports now have direct access to NCAA Championships for the first time in the history of the
In May 2014, the MAAC continued to grow its partnership with ESPN by announcing the launch of the MAAC Branded ESPN3 Channel. All MAAC and school produced digital contact can be viewed through this channel. In the 2017-18 academic year the MAAC entered into a new eight-year agreement with ESPN and produced a total of 325 events on the ESPN family of networks. The first MAAC events on ESPN+ were men’s & women’s lacrosse games produced by Monmouth University. The 2018 Baseball Championship was the first MAAC championship to air entirely on ESPN+. As a part of the current MAAC-ESPN partnership ESPN+ will become home to hundreds of MAAC games, championships, and shows that are easily accessible to MAAC fans throughout the country. Under the ESPN agreement, 2019-20 marked the first year that all MAAC institutions will have school production facilities and by the end of 2024-25 the conference and schools will produce over 600 collegiate athletic events and shows on the ESPN family of networks. The MAAC President for the 2021-22 academic year is Rev. James J. Maher, President of Niagara University. The Vice- President is Dr. Patrick F. Leahy, President of Monmouth University, Commissioner Richard J. Ensor, Esq. serves as the league’s Secretary/Treasurer, Bill Maher, Director of Athletics at Canisius College, will chair the Committee on Athletic Administration, and Sarah Fraser, Senior Associate Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA at Quinnipiac University, will serve as Vice Chair.
remerged in 2021 in an environment of bubbles, testing and arenas with no fans. In a period of continuing conference realignment in intercollegiate athletics, legal and equity challenges and a pending revision of the NCAA Constitution and Bylaws, Commissioner Ensor continues to provide the MAAC with strong guidance and advocacy for its interests within the NCAA. During his tenure the MAAC has secured a stable membership base, expanded the number of championships conducted and developed an extensive marketing program cemented with broadcast agreements with ESPN, a web paged hosted by SIDEARM Sports and secured championship venues such as Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, NJ) and Disney Sports Attractions. During a time of tumultuous realignment, health and financial challenges within NCAA Division I conferences the MAAC remains a homogenous association of private institutions of similar size and funding, which are committed to student- athlete excellence both on the playing fields and in the classroom. The MAAC’s graduation rate is yearly in the top 25% of all leagues and the MAAC regularly receives NCAA Public Recognition Awards for its member schools placing in the top 10% in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate for student-athletes. Ensor is a past member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and past president of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA). He serves on the boards of the Sports Lawyers Association, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Sports Congress, and NACDA’s IAAA ADs. He has served multiple terms on the NCAA DI Council and has served as chair of the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee on which he will remain with a recent term renewal that concludes in 2023. Since 2017, Ensor has served on the Arizona State University Sports Law and Business Program National Advisory Board. In 2020, Ensor was named a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors for a three-year term. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women’s basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Photo Courtesy of Canisius Athletics
Photo Courtesy of Saint Peter’s Athletics
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people on both sides of the Atlantic so that they can live out their dreams and guide them as sport changes their lives. The foundation mission is built on inspiration, hope and victory. SCL works in disadvantaged communities to help young people find a path to a brighter future with the help of international student-athletes, the Victory Scholars, many of whom have played men’s and women’s basketball in the MAAC. Building on its success in Europe, the newly reformulated partnership from Belfast, now named Inspirus, announced in 2020 that college basketball will make its debut in the Middle East in future years. A 1975 graduate of Saint Peter’s University, Ensor has served in many administrative capacities in college sports including positions at his alma mater, Saint Louis University and Seton Hall University. In 1982, Ensor was awarded a Master’s degree in sports management with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. An attorney, Ensor graduated from Seton Hall University’s School of Law in 1987 and was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in June of that year. He has taught as an Assistant Professor in Sport Management at UMass, where his concentration was on sports marketing and sports law, and as an adjunct at Seton Hall School of Law. Ensor is a member of many professional associations, including the American Bar Association. In addition, Ensor is a member of sport-related associations such as the Sports Lawyers Association, the New Jersey Bar Association Sports Law Committee, the American Bar Association, Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, Philadelphia Sports Congress, NACDA and the CAANJ. In 2017, Ensor was first elected Treasurer of the Sports Lawyer’s Association and his term was extended another three years in 2020. He has published in the areas of Sport Law, and Sport Marketing. In 1994 Ensor served as chair of the New Jersey Bar Association Sport Law Committee. A member of the Collegiate Commissioner’s Association (CCA), Ensor served as President of the association from 2007-09. He will serve as chair of the CCA DI Subdivision for 2019-21. Ensor has been involved in NCAA governance since 1999 when he began a four- year term on the NCAA Division I Management Council, a segment of the new national governing system for the intercollegiate sports association. He represented the CCA DI membership on the Council from 2017-19. Ensor had previously served on the previous CAA Council and in January 1996, he served as Chair of the Division I-AA NCAA Convention/Business Session. Since 2016 he has served on the NCAA Nominating Committee. He previously served on the Division I Championships Cabinet where he chaired the exempted events subcommittee. Ensor has also served on the NCAA Division IAA Governance Committee and on NCAA committees dealing with playing season exemptions, athletic certification, and the regulatory culture of the NCAA, governance restructuring and antitrust issues. Ensor was appointed in 1996 and 2003 to a one-year term as the chair of the IAA commissioners. From 1999-2003 he
at all MAAC schools which will produce upwards to 600 broadcasts a year by 2025-26. Ensor has long championed as association with ESPN’s brand and the MAAC assisted with the launch of ESPN+ in April 2018, as it had done previously with ESPNU and ESPN3. In 2019 the MAAC announced a new sponsorship sales representation 8-year agreement with Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment which will manage the multimedia rights and negotiate and execute corporate sponsorships on the Conference’s behalf. Van Wagner will work to enhance event-driven experiences for the Conference while creating a year-round brand presence for sponsors, member institutions and their fan bases through sponsorship sales, promotions, event production, broadcast rights and marketing initiatives. The MAAC, along with Walt Disney World Resorts, enters its 23rd year of hosting MAAC Championships in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The championship operation at Disney allows the MAAC to provide its participating student-athletes, their families, and fans a world-class sports championship experience. During the championship weekend in Disney, student-athletes have access to the playing facilities, on- site hotels, theme parks, and an awards banquet held after hours in one of Disney’s theme parks. These are designed to provide lasting memories for the student-athletes, recruiting opportunities for the coaches and world-class broadcasts. The new agreement continues ESPN live broadcasting elements for all championships and events. ESPN’s state-of- the-art studios broadcast highlights of MAAC championships throughout all Disney World Resort hotel properties on the ESPN channels and MAAC.TV In conjunction with Disney Sports and ESPN the MAAC has co-hosted the ESPN Events Invitational (previously the Advocare/Old Spice Classic) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex since 2006. This eight- team tournament, which is held over Thanksgiving week, continues to draw elite Men’s Basketball teams to compete. One MAAC school is included in the field each year. Iona College will represent the MAAC in 2021. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships are also held annually at Walt Disney World. The golf hosting agreement at Disney’s Magnolia Course was recently extended through the 2024 championships. In 2017 the MAAC expanded it brand internationally with the launch of the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic in Northern Ireland. Manhattan College was the first MAAC team to participate in the MTE which was also the first regular season NCAA Division I basketball game ever played in Europe. The MAAC hosts with the BBHOF several basketball MTEs including the Mohegan Sun Classic and one-day events in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, Toronto and Atlantic City. The Belfast Classic developed out of the MAAC’s partnership with the Sports Changes Life Foundation in Belfast. The primary goal of the Sport Changes Life Foundation is to provide an opportunity for raising the aspiration of young
conference. (Up from 13 sports and two automatic bids in 1988). To award its fans, arena partners and membership, provide staff training and networking, the MAAC during Ensor’s tenure has been very aggressive in seeking out opportunities to host NCAA Championships in various sports. With member schools it has served as a co-host of the 1995, 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds at the Times Union Center and the KeyBank Center 2014 2nd & 3rd rounds, respectively, and the 2003 NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regional at the Albany, NY arena and the 2003 and 2019 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at the Buffalo venue. Additionally, the MAAC co-hosted the 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2016 NCAA Northeast Cross Country Regional at Van Cortlandt Park - Bronx, NY. In 2002, the MAAC was a co- host of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship at the Times Union Center, and it repeated as host in 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The MAAC co- hosted the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ in 2006 and then hosted the Trenton Regional at the same site in 2009. In 2013 the MAAC hosted the regional again, this time at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT, and in 2018 and 2019 it co-hosted the regional again at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY with Siena College. Upcoming hosting commitments include the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY, which will be co-hosted with Canisius College and Niagara University. In 2020, the MAAC was awarded additional future NCAA hosting opportunities including the 2023 Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2024 Women’s Basketball Regionals at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY which will be co-hosted with Siena College. The MAAC, alongside the Ivy League, was also selected to host the 2025 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship Finals (Divisions I, II, and III) at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ. In 2026, the MAAC along with Canisius College and Niagara University will host the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Ensor, who spearheads the league’s marketing efforts, has sought to tie the conference’s strong academic image into its marketing campaign. The MAAC has carved a well-earned niche as an athletic conference that balances quality academics and athletics. In 2016, the MAAC announced a new 8-year agreement with ESPN which includes broadcasts annually on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN+ including men’ and women’s basketball and championships from ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. The deal also formalizes the launch of ESPN3 school production facilities
served Secretary/Treasurer of the Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners Association. In 2007 Ensor extended his involvement with national issues when he was appointed to a 5-year term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. The committee is charged with annually selecting teams, seeding, bracketing and operating the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship including the Final Four. In 2019 Ensor completed a 2-year term as chair of the NCAA Division Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee, which is charged with guiding the governance of the sport within the association. His term was extended in September 2019 to a four-year extension on the committee. In September 2020, Ensor was named as a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions which is committed to preserving fairness and credibility within college sports. In 2001 Ensor was named by the American Football Foundation as its Commissioner of the Year and in 1999 he was presented a Distinguished Service Award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers and in 1998 was inducted into the Saint Peter’s University Hall of Fame. He also is a member of the Monsignor Donovan HS Hall of Fame. In 1996, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Sport Management Program named Ensor as the recipient of the VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 1989, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities named Ensor as one of the “Leaders of Service” in its Bicentennial Series publication. In 1993, Ensor was honored by NACWA as a “Good Guy” for his efforts regarding gender equity. In 2004 Ensor received a Mousecar award from Walt Disney World for his efforts to make dreams happen for the MAAC’s student- athletes participating in championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports. In 2016, he was honored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his leadership in basketball and contributions to the game. The WBCA has honored Ensor twice for his contributions to women’s basketball with the coach’s association’s Presidents Award in 2014 and as its Administrator of the Year in 2015. Ensor and his wife Deirdre, who are the parents of four children reside in Lanoka Harbor, NJ.
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THE MAAC’S DISNEY STORY
2021-22 DISNEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Saturday, October 30, 2021 ESPN Wide World of Sports Lake Buena Vista, FL
Men’s & Women’s Golf Friday, April 22, 2022 - Sunday, April 24, 2022 Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course Lake Buena Vista, FL 2021 Men’s Champion: Iona College 2021 Women’s Champion: Quinnipiac University
The MAAC and ESPN have an agreement with Disney through 2022, which includes ESPN live broadcasting elements for all championships and events. ESPN’s state-of-the-art studios broadcast highlights of MAAC championships throughout all Disney World Resort hotel properties on the ESPN channels and MAAC.TV. All MAAC contests for the hosted events are broadcasted by ESPN using on-site studios. Oftentimes, the ESPN studio is used as an innovation lab for the network and the MAAC is the beneficiary of this investment, whether it’s basketball or the rarely seen live transmission of the cross-country races. In conjunction with ESPN the MAAC has co-hosted the ESPN Events Invitational (previously the Old Spice Classic) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex since 2006. This eight-team tournament, which is held over Thanksgiving week, continues to draw elite men’s basketball teams to compete. One MAAC school is included in the field each year. Iona College will represent the MAAC in the 2021 installment of the ESPN Events Invitational. During the 2015 Invitational, two-time MAAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, Monmouth University’s Justin Robinson, set the tournament scoring record with 77 points over three games to claim MVP honors. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships are also held at Walt Disney World. The Men’s and Women’s Golf teams compete at PGA-caliber courses during the spring and rotate between Disney’s Palm and Magnolia Arnold Palmer managed courses. The golf hosting agreement at Disney was recently extended through the 2026 championships. For the sixth year in a row the 2022 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Golf Championships will take place at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Couse. Since relocating the championships to Orlando, not one round of golf has been scratched because of weather, allowing MAAC athletes to opportunity to focus on winning the trophy and moving on to the NCAA Regional’s. The 2021 champions were the Quinnipiac University (women) and Iona College (men). During the fall championship weekend, the MAAC Student- Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) heads down in Disney to volunteer at a local charity, assist in the championship operations, and hold its annual fall meeting. In addition, two MAAC SAAC commercials are produced at ESPN studios to be used during the season on MAAC school produced broadcasts. The MAAC has used this time to provide leadership training from the well-respected Disney Institute staff, or consultants in the field that understand the family entertainment, inclusivity and customer service principles that have made Disney a leader in entertainment, broadcasting and event management.
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), along with Walt Disney World Resorts, enters its 23rd year of hosting MAAC Championships in Lake Buena Vista, FL as part of the conference’s mission to provide the best experience for its student-athletes, their families and fans. For the 2021-22 academic year, MAAC men’s and women’s basketball returned to the stage when the MAAC/ASUN Challenge tipped off, featuring four MAAC and ASUN teams at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Field House from November 19-20. The 2021 Challenge marked the second time the conference has hosted a MAAC basketball event at the ESPN Complex, although a MAAC men’s team competes in the ESPN Events Invitational each year over Thanksgiving Week which is an NCAA Multi-Team Event sponsored by the MAAC. The 2021 Challenge featured two men’s and two women’s teams from each conference: Iona College, Manhattan College, Liberty University and the University of North Alabama on the men’s side; Fairfield University, Manhattan College, Florida Golf Coast University and Stetson University on the women’s side. All games aired on ESPN3 except for the men’s matchup of Iona College versus Liberty University which aired on ESPNU on November 19. With a rich tradition of competition at the complex, The Iona College volleyball program won the 2018 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship over Canisius. The Gaels clinched an automatic berth into the NCAA Volleyball Championship for the second time in program history. The 2018 tourney marked the 5th time the conference has hosted volleyball at the ESPN Complex. the 2016 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country took place on site with a course that winded through fields and a nearby wooded area. Iona College claimed victory in both championships. In 2017, the women’s soccer championship was hosted at the complex with Monmouth taking the crown. The MAAC’s operation at Disney allows the conference to provide its participating student-athletes, their families, and fans a world-class sports championship experience. During the weekend in Disney, student-athletes have access to the playing facilities, on-site hotels, theme parks, and for championships an awards banquet held after hours in one of Disney’s theme parks. These are designed to provide lasting memories for the student-athletes, recruiting opportunities for the coaches, and broadcasts produced by the award-winning ESPN production team housed at the facility.
2021 Men’s Champion: Iona College 2021 Women’s Champion: Iona College
Men’s Golf Champions 2000 Iona 2001 Iona 2002 Iona
DISNEY CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
2003 Loyola 2004 Loyola 2005 Loyola 2006 Siena 2007 Siena 2008 Loyola 2009 Loyola 2010 Loyola 2011 Loyola 2012 Loyola 2013 Loyola
Men’s Cross Country Champions 2000 Iona 2004 Iona 2008 Iona 2012 Iona 2016 Iona 2021 Iona
Women’s Cross Country Champions 2000 Marist 2004 Marist
2008 Iona 2012 Iona 2016 Iona 2021 Iona
Men’s Soccer Champions 1999 Fairfield 2003 Saint Peter’s 2007 Loyola 2011 Fairfield 2015 Rider Volleyball Champions 1998 Fairfield 2002 Manhattan 2006 Siena 2010 Niagara
Women’s Soccer Champions 2001 Loyola 2005 Fairfield 2009 Loyola
2014 Saint Peter’s 2015 Saint Peter’s 2016 Siena 2017 Saint Peter’s 2018 Iona 2019 Iona 2020 N/A* 2021 Iona Women’s Golf Champions 2000 Fairfield
2013 Monmouth 2017 Monmouth
2014 Siena 2018 Iona
* 2020 Championship Canceled due to COVID-19
2001 Siena 2002 Siena 2003 Siena 2004 Siena 2005 Siena 2006 Siena 2007 Siena 2008 Siena 2009 Siena 2010 Siena 2011 Siena 2012 Siena 2013 Butler 2014 Siena 2015 Albany
2016 Quinnipiac 2017 Quinnipiac 2018 Albany 2019 Albany 2020 N/A* 2021 Quinnipiac
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2021-22 Commissioner’s Cups Standings
Men’s Standings
2020-21 Champions Men’s Cross Country: Iona College Women’s Cross Country: Iona College Women’s Soccer: Monmouth University Men’s Soccer: Marist College Volleyball: Fairfield University Men’s Swim & Dive: Rider University Women’s Swim & Dive: Niagara University Men’s Basketball: Saint Peter’s University Women’s Basketball: Fairfield University Men’s Golf: Women’s Golf: Women’s Rowing: Men’s Tennis: Women’s Tennis: Women’s Water Polo: Women’s Lacrosse: Men’s Lacrosse: Men’s Outdoor Track & Field: Women’s Outdoor Track & Field: Softball: Baseball: Men’s Indoor Track & Field: Monmouth University Women’s Indoor Track & Field: Monmouth University
School
Points
1. Monmouth University
47.50 45.00 42.50 38.75 36.50 31.25 27.75 24.75 24.50 12.50 12.00 63.50 55.50 50.50 47.25 46.50 45.25 41.50 36.00 28.50 24.75 13.75 98.00 91.25 86.50 86.00 78.50 76.50 71.25 67.50 53.00 50.25 37.25
2. Rider University 3. Marist College
4. Iona College
5. Saint Peter’s University
6. Siena College
7. Fairfield University 8. Niagara University 9. Manhattan College 10. Canisius College 11. Quinnipiac University
Women’s Standings
School
Points
1. Fairfield University 2. Quinnipiac University 3. Monmouth University
4. Iona College
5. Niagara University
6. Siena College 7. Rider University 8. Marist College 9. Manhattan College 10. Canisius College 11. Saint Peter’s University
Overall Standings
School
Points
1. Monmouth University 2. Fairfield University
3. Rider University 4. Iona College 5. Marist College 6. Siena College
7. Niagara University 8. Quinnipiac University 9. Manhattan College 10. Saint Peter’s University
11. Canisius College
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FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY LOCATION FAIRFIELD, CT YEAR FOUNDED 1942 MASCOT STAG COLORS CARDINAL RED PRESIDENT MARK R. NEMEC, PHD ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PAUL SCHLICKMANN
SCHEDULE
RESULTS
SCHOOL WEBSITE
ATHLETICS WEBSITE
Name
Cl. Sr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Gr. Fr.
Ht. 6-2
Hometown
Kaya Gore
Izimir, Turkey
Sam Hodges
- -
Auckland, New Zealand
Andrew Immink Stefan Mitrovic Charlie Morkel
Glen Ellyn, IL
6-0 6-5
New Westminister, British Columbia
Cape Town, South Africa
Will O’Brien
-
Rensselaer, NY Montreal, Quenec
Jonathan Olive-Blanco
Jr. Jr.
5-10
Griffin Schlesinger
6-1 6-1
Cold Srping Harbor, NY
Keenan Shah
So.
Nairobi, Kenya
Head Coach: Jeff Bricker Assistant Coach: Matt Cook
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