2023 MAAC Rowing Championship 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 Whitney Swab...........................................................Senior Associate Commissioner/Chief Operating Officer Jordan Confessore......................................................................Senior Associate Commissioner/Basketball Hamilton Cook..........................................................Associate Commissioner/Senior Minority Administrator Valerie McQuade.........................................................Associate Commissioner of Marketing & Broadcasting Caitlin Lowe...............................................................Director of Women’s Basketball Operations & Rowing Kelsey Nugent..................................................................................................Director of Championships Steve Connelly.................................................................................Director of Digital Media/Broadcasting Samuel Watkins Jr. ........................................................Interim Director of New Media for Communications Mia Kness........................................................................................................Director of Championships Tim Dezzi....................................................................................Director of Compliance & Championships Brian Davis..............................................................................................................Administrative Fellow Muhammad Amjad...................................................................................................Administrative Fellow TABLE OF CONTENTS Championships Schedule.......................................................................................................................5 The MAAC Story...............................................................................................................................6-12 Meet the MAAC Commissioner.........................................................................................................13-15 Commissioner’s Cup............................................................................................................................18 Championship Bracket.........................................................................................................................19 Canisius College..................................................................................................................................20 Drake University..................................................................................................................................23 Fairfield University..............................................................................................................................24 Jacksonville University.........................................................................................................................25 Marist College.....................................................................................................................................29 Sacred Heart University.......................................................................................................................30 Stetson University...............................................................................................................................31 Championship History...........................................................................................................................32
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
MAACSPORTS.COM
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2022-23 Championships Schedule Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Saturday, October 29, 2022 Crossings of Colonie Course - Loudonville, NY Hosted by Siena College 2022 Men’s Champion: Iona University 2022 Women’s Champion: Quinnipiac University
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Men’s & Women’s Tennis Saturday, April 22, 2023 – Sunday, April 23, 2023 Mercer County Tennis Center - West Windsor, NJ 2023 Men’s Champion: Siena College 2023 Women’s Champion: Quinnipiac University
Water Polo Friday, April 28, 2023 – Sunday, April 30, 2023
Women’s Soccer First Round: Sunday, October 30, 2022 Semifinals: Thursday, November 3, 2022 Finals: Sunday, November 6, 2022 2022 Champion: Quinnipiac University Men’s Soccer First Round: Sunday, November 6, 2022 Semifinals: Thursday, November 10, 2022 Finals: Sunday, November 14 2022 Champion: Quinnipiac University
McCann Natatorium - Poughkeepsie, NY 2023 Champion: Long Island University Women’s Lacrosse First Round: Sunday, April 30, 2023 Semifinals: Friday May 5, 2023 Finals: Sunday, May 7, 2023 2023 Champion: Fairfield University Men’s Lacrosse First Round: Saturday, April 29. 2023 Semifinals: Thursday, May 4, 2023 Finals: Saturday, May 6, 2023 2023 Champion: Marist College
Volleyball Wednesday, November 16 - Saturday, November 19 ESPN Wide World of Sports - Lake Buena Vista, FL 2022 Champion: Quinnipiac University Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Wednesday, February 8, 2023 – Saturday, February 11, 2023 Co-Hosted by Canisius College & Niagara University
Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Saturday, May 6, 2023 – Sunday, May 7, 2023 Morgan Track - Emmitsburg, MD Hosted by Mount St. Mary’s University 2023 Men’s Champion: Rider University 2023 Women’s Champion: Rider University Softball Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - Saturday, May 13, 2023 Rain Date: Sunday, May 14, 2023 Hosted by No. 1 Seed 2022 Champion: Canisius College
Erie Community College - Buffalo, NY 2023 Men’s Champion: Rider University 2023 Women’s Champion: Fairfield University
Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Saturday, February 18, 2023 – Sunday, February 19, 2023 Hosted by Manhattan College New Balance Armory Track and Field Center – New York, NY
2023 Men’s Champion: Rider University 2023 Women’s Champion: Rider University
Women’s Rowing Friday, May 12, 2023 Fish Creek - Saratoga Springs, NY 2022 Champion: Jacksonville University
Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tuesday, March 7, 2023 – Saturday, March 11, 2023 Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, NJ
Baseball Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - Saturday, May 27, 2023 Rain Date: Sunday, May 28, 2023 Clover Stadium - Pomona, NY 2022 Champion: Canisius College
2023 Men’s Champion: Iona University 2023 Women’s Champion: Iona University
Esports Thursday, March 9, 2023 - Saturday, March 11, 2023 The Showboat Hotel - Atlantic City, NJ 2023 Champions: Rocket League: Fairfield University League of Legends: Iona University Overwatch: Mount St. Mary’s University Super Smash Bros. Ultimate & Valorant: Quinnipiac University
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Men’s & Women’s Golf Friday, April 21, 2023 – Sunday, April 23, 2023 Disney’s Palm Golf Course - Lake Buena Vista, FL 2023 Men’s Champion: Siena College 2023 Women’s Champion: Quinnipiac University
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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 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 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.
would go on to become the Cinderella of the tournament, making MAAC and NCAA history along the way. A No. 15 seed, Saint Peter’s became the first MAAC program (men or women) to advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, defeating No. 2 Kentucky (85-79 OT), No. 7 Murray St. (70-60), and No. 3 Purdue (67-64). The Peacocks were also the first ever 15 seed in NCAA history to advance to the Elite Eight. By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, and a top reputation for hosting events, the MAAC has often hosted NCAA Championships. In 2023, the MAAC and Siena College will host the NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2024
Women’s Basketball Regionals at the MVP Center in Albany, NY. 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 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
Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. The MAAC supports 24 sports and championships during the 2022-23 academic year; in addition, the MAAC champion earns automatic qualification to the NCAA Championship in 15 sports. Associate members include Long Island University, Sacred Heart University, Virginia Military Institute, and Wagner College 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, Long Island 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.
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 and 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second 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 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. 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 2022, the MAAC brought its first women’s basketball games to Ireland when the MAAC ASUN Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenge was conducted in the National Basketball Arena located in Dublin. The Marist and Rider women’s teams competed in this first ever regular season women’s games hosted in Europe alongside the men’s teams from Niagara and Rider.
On June 1, 2018, the MAAC announced that Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ was selected to host the 2020-22 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships. In 2020 Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall hosted the MAAC
Basketball Championships for the first time in history and the Championships returned 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. In 2022, the MAAC returned to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, successfully completing the championships with no COVID limitations for the first time since moving to Atlantic City. Saint Peter’s men and Fairfield women captured the championship trophies and moved on to the NCAA March Madness field of 68. Saint Peter’s
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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. In 2022, the MAAC held its first in-person Esports Championships at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City. Team champions were Iona (Rocket League), Marist (Overwatch and League of Legends), and Quinnipiac (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). Marist was named the 2022 Program of the Year. Esports returns to the Showboat Hotel in 2023 as the sports continues to grow at member schools. 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 academic achievement and civic leadership. Despite the challenges of a global pandemic in recent years, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom at high rates. Following a one-year hiatus, the NCAA announced the latest four year Academic Progress Rates (APR) and 41 MAAC teams achieved perfect APR scores (1,000) – 30 women’s and 11 men’s, while 10 league sports saw an increase in their average rate since the last annual report was announced in 2020. According to the 2020-21 data, Siena College led all MAAC institutions with six teams earning a perfect mark. Fairfield University and Iona College followed with five teams apiece, while Marist College was next with four perfect scores. Five conference programs recorded three flawless scores; they included Canisius College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, and Rider University. Manhattan College registered two teams with a score of 1,000, while a quartet of associate member teams achieved perfect scores. Women’s lacrosse had the highest MAAC multiyear average at 995, while women’s rowing (+7) and men’s cross country (+6) had the highest improvements in women’s and Academics and Athletics
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men’s sports, respectively, and men’s basketball improved by five-points, jumping to 971 from its 2020 score. Overall, the MAAC’s four-year average remained static from the last report in 2020 (983), which ranked tied for 15th nationally amongst the other 32 Division I conferences. 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 October of 2022, the MAAC announced three-year partnerships with Clover Stadium for the MAAC Baseball Championship and SPIRE Academy for the MAAC Men’s and Women’s
Swimming & Diving Championships. The Clover Stadium agreement made Pomona, NY the home of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 MAAC Baseball Championships. The SPIRE partnership made Geneva, Ohio the host site for the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships for 2024, 2025, and 2026. In the past several years, several the MAAC schools have enjoyed success in national postseason play. Saint Peter’s Men’s Basketball made March Madness history in 2022 when they became the first ever 15-seed and MAAC Men’s Basketball program to reach the Elite Eight. The Peacocks defeated second-seeded Kentucky, seventh-seeded Murray State, and third-seeded Purdue on their historic run. 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. In baseball in 2021, the MAAC received its first at-large selection to a NCAA regional in conference history when Fairfield Baseball earned the third-seed in the Austin Regional. The Stags made it all the way to the Austin Regional Final, defeating fourth-seeded Southern and second-seeded Arizona State. Fairfield began the regular season 28-0 in conference play and finished 39-5 overall.
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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.
MEET THE MAAC COMMISSIONER
A proven leader in intercollegiate sports,eventmanagement 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 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, 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. 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 MVP Arena (former 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),
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. In May 2014, the MAAC continued to grow its partnership with ESPN by announcing the launch of the MAAC Branded ESPN+/3 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 had school production facilities and by the end of 2024-25 the conference and schools will produce over 700 collegiate athletic events and shows on the ESPN family of networks. The MAAC President for the 2022-23 academic year is Rev. James J. Maher, President of Niagara University. The Vice President is Judy D. Olian, PhD, President of Quinnipiac University, Commissioner Richard J. Ensor, Esq. serves as the league’s Secretary/Treasurer, Marianne Reilly, Director of Athletics at Manhattan College, will chair the Committee on Athletic Administration, and Elizabeth Donohue, Associate Director of Athletics/SWA/Compliance at Marist College, will serve as Vice Chair.
Photo Courtesy of Canisius Athletics
Photo Courtesy of Saint Peter’s Athletics
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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 at all MAAC schools which will produce over 500 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. Siena College represented the MAAC in 2022. 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 2023 the
MAAC will conduct the championships at the Palm Course at Disney as the Magnolia Course completes a major renovation and upgrade to the Magnolia Course. 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. In 2022 the MAAC/ASUN Challenge was conducted in Dublin Ireland. Four men’s and four women’s teams competed in the two-day event. 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,
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 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. In 2022, the MAAC, Canisius College, and Niagara University co-hosted the 2022 NCAA 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 Regionals at the MVP Arena 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.
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 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.
Ensor, who spearheads the league’s marketing efforts, has sought to tie the conference’s strong academic image into
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THE MAAC’S DISNEY STORY
2022-23 DISNEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Volleyball November 16-19, 2022 ESPN Wide World of Sports Lake Buena Vista, FL 2022 Champion: Quinnipiac University
Men’s & Women’s Golf Friday, April 21, 2023 - Sunday, April 23, 2023 Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course Lake Buena Vista, FL 2023 Men’s Champion: Siena College 2023 Women’s Champion: Quinnipiac University
Justin Robinson, set the tournament scoring record with 77 points over three games to claim MVP honors. In 2021 the Iona University team upset top 20 ranked University Alabama on Thanksgiving Day. The MAAC has hosted in recent years a series of men’s and women’s basketball tournaments most recently the 2021 MAAC ASUN Basketball Challenge. Designed to provide neutral site non-conference scheduling opportunities against other conferences the MAAC will again host these basketball events at The ESPN Sports Complex in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The MAAC and ESPN have an agreement with Disney through 2026, 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. 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 2023 championships. For the seventh year in a row the 2023 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 2022 champions were the Quinnipiac University (women) and Rider University (men). During the fall championship weekend, the MAAC Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) traveled down to Disney to volunteer at a local charity, assist in the championship operations, and hold its annual fall meeting. In addition, two MAAC SAAC commercials were 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 and continue developing action items to combat this year’s theme of mental health.
Men’s Golf Champions 2000 Iona 2001 Iona 2002 Iona
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), in partnership with Walt Disney World Resorts, enters its 25th year of hosting MAAC Championships in Lake Buena Vista, FL at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. In 2022 the MAAC Volleyball Championship was held at the complex for the 6th time from November 16-19, 2022. Quinnipiac took home the championship trophy. In 2021 the complex hosted the cross country championships which saw the Iona University squads capture both the men’s and women’s trophies. The championships which were broadcast live on ESPN3 took place on site with a course that winded through fields and a nearby wooded area. The MAAC’s operation at Disney fulfills the conference’s core mission to provide its 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 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. With a rich tradition of competition at the complex, The Iona University 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. In 2017, the women’s soccer championship was hosted at the complex with Monmouth, taking the crown. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This year, the MAAC and ESPN Events hosted the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational (previously the Old Spice Classic) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort. The eight-team tournament was held over Thanksgiving and included Florida State, Ole Miss, Memphis, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Stanford, and Siena College representing the MAAC. The NCAA multi-team exempt event was first held in 2006 and it has become one of the top ranked early season events for teams to test themselves against some of the best teams in the nation. During the 2015 Invitational, two-time MAAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, Monmouth University’s
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 2022 Rider 2023 Quinnipiac Women’s Golf Champions 2000 Fairfield
2013 Monmouth 2017 Monmouth
2014 Siena 2018 Iona 2022 Quinnipiac
* 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 2022 Quinnipiac 2023 Quinnipiac
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2022-23 Commissioner’s Cups Standings
Men’s Standings
2022-23 Champions
School
Points
Men’s Cross Country: Iona University Women’s Cross Country: Quinnipiac University Women’s Soccer: Quinnipiac University Men’s Soccer: Quinnipiac University Volleyball: Quinnipiac University Men’s Swim & Dive: Rider University Women’s Swim & Dive: Fairfield University Men’s Indoor Track & Field: Rider University Women’s Indoor Track & Field: Rider University Men’s Basketball: Iona University Women’s Basketball: Iona University Men’s Golf: Siena College Women’s Golf: Quinnipiac University Men’s Tennis: Siena College Women’s Tennis: Quinnipiac University Women’s Water Polo: Long Island University Women’s Lacrosse: Fairfield University Men’s Lacrosse: Marist College Men’s Outdoor Track & Field: Rider University Women’s Outdoor Track & Field: Rider University Women’s Rowing: Softball: Baseball:
1. Iona University 2. Siena College 3. Rider University 4. Marist College 5. Manhattan College 6. Qunnipiac University
66.50 62.58 53.75 46.50 45.00
44.08 7. Mount St. Mary’s University 42.25 8. Fairfield University 40.83 9. Niagara University 33.00 10. Canisius College 22.00 11. Saint Peter’s University 20.50
Women’s Standings
School
Points
1. Quinnipiac University 2. Fairfield University 3. Siena College 4. Iona University 5. Niagara University 6. Rider University
86.75 80.25 60.00 57.75 55.25 50.75 46.75
7. Marist College 8. Canisius College 40.25 9. Mount St. Mary’s University 39.75 10. Manhattan College 32.50 11. Saint Peter’s University 18.50
Overall Standings
School
Points
1. Quinnipiac University 2. Iona University 3. Siena College 4. Fairfield University T5. Rider University
130.83 124.25 122.58 121.08 104.50
T5. Marist College
93.25
7. Niagara University 88.25 8. Mount St. Mary’s University 82.00 9. Manhattan College 77.50 10. Canisius College 62.25 11. Saint Peter’s University 39.00
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CANISIUS COLLEGE
LOCATION BUFFALO, NY YEAR FOUNDED 1870 MASCOT GOLDEN GRIFFINS COLORS BLUE AND GOLD
SCHEDULE
PRESIDENT STEVE K. STOUTE, JD ATHLETIC DIRECTOR BILL MAHER
SCHOOL WEBSITE
ATHLETICS WEBSITE
Name
Position Coxswain
Cl. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Gr.
Hometown
Mary Banks Katie Bapst Caitlin Barry Jaime Bennett Julie Ducato Maddie Folsom Eliza Hanson Sophie Hartzell Emily Haskins Hannah Kenefick Morgan Marsallo Emma Maturo Olivia Merolle Addie Naylor Gianna Perugini Mackenzie Harmon
Lancaster, N.Y. Clarence, N.J.
Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower
Orchard Park, N.Y. Alden, N.Y. Buffalo, N.Y. Lancaster, N.Y. Syracuse, N.Y. Batavia, N.Y. Buffalo, N.Y. Syracuse, N.Y. East Aurora, N.Y. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse, N.Y. Latham, N.Y. Newfane, N.Y. Trinity, Fla. Denver, Colo. Perrysburg, Ohio Rochester, N.Y. Hamburg, N.Y.
Coxswain
Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr.
So. So. So.
Coxswain
Jr. Fr. Fr.
Coxswain
Cece Reiser Alice Schmidt
Rower Rower
So.
Fr.
Macey Schneider Kaleigh Schwab Destiny Severn
Coxswain
So. So.
Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower Rower
Jr.
Buffalo, N.Y. Depew, N.Y.
Brianna Shaw
So. Sr. So. So.
Brianna Sorrentino
West Seneca, N.Y. East Aurora, N.Y.
Brooke Urmson
Skylar Vles
Lancaster, N.Y. / Lancaster
Lucy Winkelmann
Jr.
St. Louis, Mo. / Ladue Horton Watkins
Head Coach: Kerri Brace Assistant Coach: Matt Cosmann Graduate Assistant: Michaela Hess
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