2001-2002 Athletic Teams Post the Best Season in History

July 22, 2002

BOCA RATON, FL - The 2001-2002 FAU athletic season is a tale of a celebration that began with the kickoff of the Fighting Owl's inaugural football game and ended some eight months and 13 days later as the baseball team reached the NCAA super regional tournament.

More than 25,000 fans witnessed the inaugural football game on September 1, 2001 when the FAU Fighting Owls took to the gridiron under the leadership of legendary head coach Howard Schnellenberger. The Fighting Owls would post a 4-6 record, which included a 31-28 victory over Bethune Cookman ranked No. 22 team in the country.

By November, the Lady Owls began to soar with the women's soccer team advancing to the championship match of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. FAU's volleyball team hosted the A-Sun Championship using the home crowd to surprise the number two seed and take the first two games in a best of five in the championship game.

Seasons changed and the surprise of the year was in the making. Women's basketball, playing its most difficult non-conference schedule to date, would rise to compete in the conference championship. Building a sizable lead in the championship game against Georgia State, the Lady Owls suffered a painful last second defeat after witnessing the lead trickle away following an injury to the team's leader.

The men's basketball team dazzled the conference by defeating many of the league's perennial leaders including 13 games decided by five points or less. The men's team captured the conference tournament, an NCAA berth and the hearts of the nation as the young team thrilled the country with their "run-n-gun" style against Alabama in the first round of the NCAA's showcase known as "March Madness".

Winter sports ended on the national scene as freshman Marion Reiff was the first FAU diver to ever qualify for the NCAA Division I national meet. Reiff, a former Olympian, finished 10th in the platform diving event.

Spring boasted the Owls traditional athletic powers. The baseball team made national headlines with 27 consecutive victories - the longest winning streak in the country. Although a regular season conference victory slipped away, the undaunted Owls entered the NCAA regional tournament with a vengeance. One week later, the Owls celebrated in front 3,800 stunned Alabama fans, after upsetting the Crimson Tide 6-5 in the last inning. The baseball team ended its season 46-21 after losing to Georgia Tech in the super regional tournament.

Behind the arm and bat of Nikki Myers, the Lady Owls softball team made its own climb to a top ten national ranking. Myers was among the 10 finalists for the Softball Player of the Year and ended her collegiate career with a Team USA tryout in California. The Lady Owls completed an historic year with the best regular-season finish at 56-10, captured their six-consecutive conference title, and held the No. 1 seed heading into the regional tournament.

The tennis teams joined the baseball and softball teams to give FAU four nationally ranked teams. The Owls were just one of ten schools nation-wide to hold that honor in the same week. The women tennis team concluded their best regular season in the program's history while the men climbed to a top 50 national ranking.

Without a doubt, the 2001-2002 season was the best athletic season in the history of FAU. Efforts are underway to secure and even greater place in sports history for the 2002-2003 season. Make sure you are part of it. For information on FAU athletics www.fausports.com

2001-2002 Athletic Achievements

2002 NCAA Regional Champions
Baseball

NCAA Tournament participants
Men's Basketball
Softball
Baseball
Diving

Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Champions
Men's Basketball
Softball

Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year
Sidney Green, men's basketball
Joan Joyce, softball

Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year
Jessica Polus, women's golf
Nicki Meyers, softball

Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year
Tim Sobczak, men's soccer
Candice Freel, softball
Vicki Briggs, track

Regional Academic All-American
Danielle Castro, women's soccer
Kristy Halvorson, women's basketball
Ginny Mathews, softball

Independent All-American Team
Andy Rosas, football
Mauratae Johnson, football

Independent Team
Andy Rosas, football
Mauratae Johnson, football
Doug Parker, football
Anthony Jackson, football

Atlantic Sun Conference First Teams Danny Core, baseball
Chris Pillsbury, baseball
Tim McNab, baseball
L.J. Biernbaum, baseball
Raheim Brown, men's basketball
Tamica Pierce, women's basketball
Jessica Polus, women's golf
Jonas Kolstad, men's soccer
Rhonda Jones, women's soccer
Lisanne Peart, women's soccer
Nikki Myers, softball
Pam Mazzarella, softball
Ninya Ybarra, softball
Ginny Matthews, softball
Doug Devriendt, men's tennis
Martin Jirak, men's tennis
Alena Dvorakova, women's tennis

Atlantic Sun Conference All Freshman Team
Vicki Briggs, track
Tim Sobczak, men's soccer
LaKeita Lee, women's basketball
Paul Rifenberg, men's golf
Jessica Carafiello, women's golf
F.J. Schofield, men's tennis
Alena Dvorakova, women's tennis
Jeff Fiorentino, baseball
Derek Hutton, baseball
Brandi Hermann, women's soccer
Janine Alyward, women's soccer
Candice Freel, softball
Ram Mazzarella, softball
Jennifer Piazz, softball

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