July 2003
This past year was a successful one for Gael Athletics. Our student athletes maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.04, highlighted by our men's tennis team who achieved a 3.43. Additionally, athletics more than doubled its fundraising results in 2002-03, bettering the record mark we set last year. Thanks to the support of trustees, regents, alumni, donors and friends, we raised more than $1.4 million for annual grant-in-aid, endowed grant-in-aid and program support. These funds are pertinent to the success of Gael Athletics. And although we weren't as victorious on the field/court as we would have liked, many teams improved as the year went on. We must build upon this improvement and translate it to success both on and off the field. It is the job of all head coaches, administrators and student athletes to focus on getting better every day. If we can accomplish this, I am confident we will receive the desired results.
As we prepare for an exciting and challenging year, we've experienced some changes within the athletic department the last few weeks. We believe these changes will be instrumental to the future success of Gael Athletics.
With the goal of becoming more competitive, we are pleased to announce the addition of five new grant-in-aid for the coming academic year, with one each going to women's basketball, women's soccer, men's soccer, women's volleyball, and football. Clearly, this is a positive step for Gael Athletics as it exemplifies our commitment to the improvement of all athletic programs. Additionally, head coaching positions for men's golf, women's rowing and women's tennis have been elevated to full-time effective July 1, 2003. This means that 13 of the Gaels' 14 head coaching positions are now classified as full-time.
We are thrilled to announce the hiring of our new head baseball coach, Jedd Soto. Jedd clearly distinguished himself from the other candidates during the interview process, as he was the unanimous choice of everyone involved in the selection process. He comes from Feather River Community College, where he posted a career record of 167-85, a .663 winning percentage. We look forward to working with Jedd and we have confidence in his ability to run a successful program both on and off the field.
Kari Sivesind was hired in June, becoming the new Assistant Director of Athletics for Student-Support Services. She replaces Mark Orr who was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics for Finance and Internal Affairs. Kari is a Moraga native, graduating from Campolindo High School in 1991. She comes to Saint Mary's from USF where she served as the Director of Academic Support for student athletes. We are also very excited to have Kari on board. She is a great addition to the staff, and is committed to the success of all Saint Mary's student athletes.
Currently, we are working hard to fill two positions within the department, Head Athletic Trainer and Head Softball Coach. The coaching position became available when head coach and former player Trisha Dean left the program to become the head assistant softball coach at Stanford University. We wish her the best of luck in the future and want to thank her for all her hard work. She will be missed. The search process has begun for both job openings, and we look forward to filling the positions with enthusiastic, motivated individuals who will embrace and value the traditions of Saint Mary's.
In closing, we would like to thank everyone for supporting Gael Athletics. Without your help, many of our achievements would not be possible. Please stay tuned - we expect this year to be best yet for Saint Mary's.
Go Gaels!
Carl R. Clapp
Director of Athletics
