Florida Atlantic University Athletics
From the Desk of Brian White
5/12/2021 2:00:00 PM | General
Dear Owl Fans:
FAU's spring commencement ceremonies took place on Howard Schnellenberger Field inside FAU Stadium recently. More than 70 of our student-athletes are expected to earn their degrees this spring and later this summer. In our vision statement, we say FAU Athletics will build "a culture of academic and athletic excellence and prepare its student-athletes for success in life." Building that academic culture and sending young men and women out into the world with their degree is a big piece of that vision.
The expectation of academic success has continued to grow within FAU Athletics. Our student-athletes have put together 12 consecutive semesters with a department average GPA of 3.0 or better and continue to graduate at a higher rate than the general student population.
Success in the classroom has also proven to translate to success in competition. There has been plenty to celebrate on the fields and courts over the past few months as well.
Our beach volleyball program won its first-ever conference championship last month. The Owls, led by Capri Grotowski, are ranked No. 12 in the nation as I write this and finished their season 20-10 overall, just barely missing a trip to the NCAA Championship tournament. Mackenzie Morris and Erika Brok earned the program's first-ever All-America recognition, while Savannah Pesante and Maylin Bouffard were named the Pair of the CCSA Championship tournament.
In addition to our success on the sand, many of our other squads have had successful springs. The men's and women's golf teams – led by Ryan Jamison and Aimee Neff -- have both steadily risen in the national rankings the past few years, with the women putting together their best C-USA finish ever this season. Justine Fournand was named the C-USA Women's Golfer of the Year and advanced to NCAA Regionals. Meanwhile, men's golfer Sully Zagerman finished 13th at the C-USA Championships, a program best mark. The men's and women's tennis teams, coached by Ricardo Gonzalez and Caroline Wheelen, each advanced to the C-USA Semifinals.
Spring football recently wrapped up in March, with an exciting Spring Game at FAU Stadium. Heading into our second season under head coach Willie Taggart, there is a great deal to be excited about for the 2021 football season. The Owls return 23 starters and 94 percent of their total production from last season, which ranks No. 4 in the nation. After recruiting one of the top classes in Conference USA and adding some big-time transfers, we will field one of our most talented teams ever in 2021.
On the court, head coach Dusty May and the men's basketball team secured their third-straight winning season, a first for FAU in its NCAA Division I history. The Owls advanced to the quarterfinals of the C-USA Championship Tournament.
Meanwhile, in women's basketball, we had the honor of handing over the keys of the program to a new head coach a few weeks ago. Jennifer Sullivan became the sixth head coach in the history of FAU women's basketball. Coach Sullivan comes to Paradise after a stint as an assistant at Tennessee, one of the most storied programs in all of women's basketball and has 16 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. We believe she is ready to lead the Owls to new heights. Please join me in welcoming Jennifer to Paradise.
Honoring Coach Schnellenberger
Earlier this spring, we lost a legend when the founder of FAU Football Howard Schnellenberger passed away on March 27. Recently, we announced that the 2021 FAU Football season will be all about honoring Coach. We're planning plenty of ways to remember the legacy of Coach Schnellenberger this season. Not all these plans are finalized, but I'm excited to share a few of them with you.
We are planning a celebration of life at FAU Stadium later this year and will share details on how you can take part when we get closer to the event. In addition, although the playing surface at FAU Stadium has been Howard Schnellenberger Field for several years, for the first time ever, Coach Schnellenberger's name will be emblazoned directly on the turf. We're planning special helmet decals and jersey patches, as well as adding some lighting to make sure Coach Schnellenberger's statue inside the stadium is always visible, day or night. FAU Football and FAU Stadium don't exist without Coach Schnellenberger and we will always remember his legacy.
Facility Updates Coming Soon
Keep your eyes open for some updates regarding facilities improvements that are coming very soon to FAU Baseball Stadium, the Tom Oxley Center and FAU Arena. We're very excited about these projects and look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
Football Tickets On Sale Now
You can help us honor Coach Schnellenberger all season long by joining us at FAU Stadium this fall. We can't wait to welcome our fans back to Howard Schnellenberger Field as head coach Willie Taggart and the Owls look to build on an 8-game winning streak here in Paradise. The Owls were a perfect 4-0 at the friendly confines of FAU Stadium last season and we are looking forward to even more Winning In Paradise in 2021.
Premium seating and season tickets are available now. I hope you'll join us this fall to support your Owls. Purchase your tickets now by clicking here. If you're interested in premium seating, please call Michael Graffin at 561.297.2683.
One More Golf Tournament Coming Up
If you're interested in getting out the golf clubs, supporting FAU student-athletes and having a great time doing it, we have one more golf tournament coming up this month. The Captain's Cup Classic will take place Monday, May 17 at Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club. Click here for more details. I look forward to seeing you on the links!
Thanks for all your support of FAU Athletics.
Go Owls!
Sincerely,
Brian White
Vice President, Director of Athletics
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FAU's spring commencement ceremonies took place on Howard Schnellenberger Field inside FAU Stadium recently. More than 70 of our student-athletes are expected to earn their degrees this spring and later this summer. In our vision statement, we say FAU Athletics will build "a culture of academic and athletic excellence and prepare its student-athletes for success in life." Building that academic culture and sending young men and women out into the world with their degree is a big piece of that vision.
The expectation of academic success has continued to grow within FAU Athletics. Our student-athletes have put together 12 consecutive semesters with a department average GPA of 3.0 or better and continue to graduate at a higher rate than the general student population.
Success in the classroom has also proven to translate to success in competition. There has been plenty to celebrate on the fields and courts over the past few months as well.
Our beach volleyball program won its first-ever conference championship last month. The Owls, led by Capri Grotowski, are ranked No. 12 in the nation as I write this and finished their season 20-10 overall, just barely missing a trip to the NCAA Championship tournament. Mackenzie Morris and Erika Brok earned the program's first-ever All-America recognition, while Savannah Pesante and Maylin Bouffard were named the Pair of the CCSA Championship tournament.
In addition to our success on the sand, many of our other squads have had successful springs. The men's and women's golf teams – led by Ryan Jamison and Aimee Neff -- have both steadily risen in the national rankings the past few years, with the women putting together their best C-USA finish ever this season. Justine Fournand was named the C-USA Women's Golfer of the Year and advanced to NCAA Regionals. Meanwhile, men's golfer Sully Zagerman finished 13th at the C-USA Championships, a program best mark. The men's and women's tennis teams, coached by Ricardo Gonzalez and Caroline Wheelen, each advanced to the C-USA Semifinals.
Spring football recently wrapped up in March, with an exciting Spring Game at FAU Stadium. Heading into our second season under head coach Willie Taggart, there is a great deal to be excited about for the 2021 football season. The Owls return 23 starters and 94 percent of their total production from last season, which ranks No. 4 in the nation. After recruiting one of the top classes in Conference USA and adding some big-time transfers, we will field one of our most talented teams ever in 2021.
On the court, head coach Dusty May and the men's basketball team secured their third-straight winning season, a first for FAU in its NCAA Division I history. The Owls advanced to the quarterfinals of the C-USA Championship Tournament.
Meanwhile, in women's basketball, we had the honor of handing over the keys of the program to a new head coach a few weeks ago. Jennifer Sullivan became the sixth head coach in the history of FAU women's basketball. Coach Sullivan comes to Paradise after a stint as an assistant at Tennessee, one of the most storied programs in all of women's basketball and has 16 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. We believe she is ready to lead the Owls to new heights. Please join me in welcoming Jennifer to Paradise.
Honoring Coach Schnellenberger
Earlier this spring, we lost a legend when the founder of FAU Football Howard Schnellenberger passed away on March 27. Recently, we announced that the 2021 FAU Football season will be all about honoring Coach. We're planning plenty of ways to remember the legacy of Coach Schnellenberger this season. Not all these plans are finalized, but I'm excited to share a few of them with you.
We are planning a celebration of life at FAU Stadium later this year and will share details on how you can take part when we get closer to the event. In addition, although the playing surface at FAU Stadium has been Howard Schnellenberger Field for several years, for the first time ever, Coach Schnellenberger's name will be emblazoned directly on the turf. We're planning special helmet decals and jersey patches, as well as adding some lighting to make sure Coach Schnellenberger's statue inside the stadium is always visible, day or night. FAU Football and FAU Stadium don't exist without Coach Schnellenberger and we will always remember his legacy.
Facility Updates Coming Soon
Keep your eyes open for some updates regarding facilities improvements that are coming very soon to FAU Baseball Stadium, the Tom Oxley Center and FAU Arena. We're very excited about these projects and look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
Football Tickets On Sale Now
You can help us honor Coach Schnellenberger all season long by joining us at FAU Stadium this fall. We can't wait to welcome our fans back to Howard Schnellenberger Field as head coach Willie Taggart and the Owls look to build on an 8-game winning streak here in Paradise. The Owls were a perfect 4-0 at the friendly confines of FAU Stadium last season and we are looking forward to even more Winning In Paradise in 2021.
Premium seating and season tickets are available now. I hope you'll join us this fall to support your Owls. Purchase your tickets now by clicking here. If you're interested in premium seating, please call Michael Graffin at 561.297.2683.
One More Golf Tournament Coming Up
If you're interested in getting out the golf clubs, supporting FAU student-athletes and having a great time doing it, we have one more golf tournament coming up this month. The Captain's Cup Classic will take place Monday, May 17 at Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club. Click here for more details. I look forward to seeing you on the links!
Thanks for all your support of FAU Athletics.
Go Owls!
Sincerely,
Brian White
Vice President, Director of Athletics
Â
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