Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Slaven Gujic
Coro: A year worth rewinding
6/12/2018 10:04:00 AM | General
GCU makes fruitful foray into full Division I membership
Grand Canyon's bold voyage into uncharted territory began in August.
For nearly 10 months, the Lopes explored new Division I terrain and proved to be the adventurous type for new experiences and conquests.
What began in August with Madison Cox's game-winning overtime goal in front of 3,208 fans at GCU Stadium ended this month when the last javelin landed from the throw of Jesse Newman, a sophomore surprise who became the Lopes' highest individual finisher of the athletic year.
In its first year of full Division I postseason participation, GCU put together the most impressive Western Athletic Conference all-sport performance to snatch the WAC Commissioner's Cup from defending three-time champion New Mexico State.
In all, the Lopes claimed eight WAC Player of the Year awards, six WAC Coach of the Year awards, four WAC Freshman of the Year awards and 20 All-WAC first team spots. Baseball repeated as WAC regular-season champion. Women's golf won a WAC Tournament title. Track and field dominated, sweeping indoor and outdoor WAC championships for men and and women.
GCU is turning the page from the successes of the 2017-18 athletic year to the promises of 2018-19, but the past year deserves a rewind and a bow. It was just five years ago that the Lopes dipped their toes into Division I transition waters, but their first year as a Division I full member made a splash.
FALL
The men's soccer team ranked 18th in Division I for home attendance with 1,602 fans per game and had players who were drafted by Major League Soccer for the first time. Amer Sasivarevic was a third-round pick and Niki Jackson was a fourth-round pick after closing his career with the second-most goals (41) in WAC history.
The women's soccer team recorded the athletic department's first WAC Tournament victory of the year, knocking off third-seeded UT Rio Grande Valley at home with nine freshmen playing. The Lopes placed two players, junior McKenzie Cook and senior Blakely Fraasch, on the All-WAC first team.
The volleyball team went undefeated in the Syracuse Tournament and had a freshman, Teagan DeFalco, who finished second on the team in kills, aces and digs. It moved into GCU Arena, where its average attendance topped 1,000 for the first time.
The cross country teams, with only one senior, took 25th among men's teams and 28th among women's teams at the NCAA West Regional.
WINTER
The men's basketball team posted its third consecutive season of at least 22 wins and reached the WAC Tournament championship game. Joshua Braun became the school's No. 2 all-time scorer while Alessandro Lever made the All-WAC first team and was named WAC Freshman of the Year. GCU was 14th in the nation for attendance percentage of arena capacity (99.6 percent).
The women's basketball team, in its first year under head coach Nicole Powell, finished two games out of first place in the regular season with the all-around play of senior Brie Mobley, who was named to the All-WAC first team.
The swimming and diving program qualified three individual swimmers and three relay teams to the NCAA Championships. Junior Mark Nikolaev became GCU's first student-athlete to garner Division I All-America honors when he took 10th in the 100-yard backstroke to make the All-America second team. He and Estela Davis Ortiz were WAC Swimmers of the Year.
SPRING
The track and field team, led by WAC Coach of the Year Tom Flood, won men's and women's WAC Indoor Championships titles for the third consecutive year and then also earned a team title sweep at the WAC Outdoor Championships. Senior Scott Marshall tied for 13th at NCAA Indoor Championships in the pole vault to make the All-America second team. Senior Tarasue Barnett was ranked first in the nation for discus. Marshall, senior long jumper Marcus Flannigan and sophomore Jesse Newman qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship, where Newman came within one spot and five inches of being on the All-America first team for javelin in just his fourth year in the sport.
The baseball team captured its third WAC regular-season title in four years, winning every regular-season conference series for the second consecutive year and boasting the WAC Coach of the Year (Andy Stankiewicz) and WAC Player of the Year (Quin Cotton). Senior pitcher Jake Wong became GCU's highest drafted player in 29 years when the San Francisco Giants selected him 80th overall. The season also marked the opening of Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, drawing 3,749 fans on opening night against TCU.
The softball team also opened GCU Softball Stadium, where it went 21-11 and drew a crowd of 1,403 for the visit of defending champion Oklahoma. The Lopes won five of their final six WAC regular-season games and then made a run to the WAC Tournament championship round. Senior Laynee Gomez was named to the Academic All-America second team.
The women's golf team won the WAC Tournament in dramatic fashion, clinching the trophy on the final putt by individual champion and WAC Freshman of the Year Siripatsorn Patchana. Senior Deanna Salvatori ranked among the top 100 golfers in the nation and Lauren Giesecke won WAC Coach of the Year
The men's golf team sent senior Vinnie Murphy, a two-time WAC Player of the Year, to an NCAA regional as an individual qualifier. The Lopes claimed three team tournament titles.
The tennis teams each reached the WAC Tournament semifinals as head coach Greg Prudhomme was named Southwest Coach of the Year by the U.S. Professional Tennis Association. The men won a Division I program-record 16 matches and claimed a team tournament title for the first time.
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The men's volleyball team posted its third consecutive season of at least 17 wins and stayed in the national top 15 all season. It finished No. 14 in the rankings but No. 5 nationally for average attendance (1,101 per game).
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The beach volleyball team closed the decorated career of Molly Turner, who became an All-American and national team player at GCU. Turner and partner Hannah Towne were quarterfinalists in the USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships.
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Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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For nearly 10 months, the Lopes explored new Division I terrain and proved to be the adventurous type for new experiences and conquests.
What began in August with Madison Cox's game-winning overtime goal in front of 3,208 fans at GCU Stadium ended this month when the last javelin landed from the throw of Jesse Newman, a sophomore surprise who became the Lopes' highest individual finisher of the athletic year.
In its first year of full Division I postseason participation, GCU put together the most impressive Western Athletic Conference all-sport performance to snatch the WAC Commissioner's Cup from defending three-time champion New Mexico State.
In all, the Lopes claimed eight WAC Player of the Year awards, six WAC Coach of the Year awards, four WAC Freshman of the Year awards and 20 All-WAC first team spots. Baseball repeated as WAC regular-season champion. Women's golf won a WAC Tournament title. Track and field dominated, sweeping indoor and outdoor WAC championships for men and and women.
GCU is turning the page from the successes of the 2017-18 athletic year to the promises of 2018-19, but the past year deserves a rewind and a bow. It was just five years ago that the Lopes dipped their toes into Division I transition waters, but their first year as a Division I full member made a splash.
FALL
The men's soccer team ranked 18th in Division I for home attendance with 1,602 fans per game and had players who were drafted by Major League Soccer for the first time. Amer Sasivarevic was a third-round pick and Niki Jackson was a fourth-round pick after closing his career with the second-most goals (41) in WAC history.
The women's soccer team recorded the athletic department's first WAC Tournament victory of the year, knocking off third-seeded UT Rio Grande Valley at home with nine freshmen playing. The Lopes placed two players, junior McKenzie Cook and senior Blakely Fraasch, on the All-WAC first team.
The volleyball team went undefeated in the Syracuse Tournament and had a freshman, Teagan DeFalco, who finished second on the team in kills, aces and digs. It moved into GCU Arena, where its average attendance topped 1,000 for the first time.
The cross country teams, with only one senior, took 25th among men's teams and 28th among women's teams at the NCAA West Regional.
WINTER
The men's basketball team posted its third consecutive season of at least 22 wins and reached the WAC Tournament championship game. Joshua Braun became the school's No. 2 all-time scorer while Alessandro Lever made the All-WAC first team and was named WAC Freshman of the Year. GCU was 14th in the nation for attendance percentage of arena capacity (99.6 percent).
The women's basketball team, in its first year under head coach Nicole Powell, finished two games out of first place in the regular season with the all-around play of senior Brie Mobley, who was named to the All-WAC first team.
The swimming and diving program qualified three individual swimmers and three relay teams to the NCAA Championships. Junior Mark Nikolaev became GCU's first student-athlete to garner Division I All-America honors when he took 10th in the 100-yard backstroke to make the All-America second team. He and Estela Davis Ortiz were WAC Swimmers of the Year.
SPRING
The track and field team, led by WAC Coach of the Year Tom Flood, won men's and women's WAC Indoor Championships titles for the third consecutive year and then also earned a team title sweep at the WAC Outdoor Championships. Senior Scott Marshall tied for 13th at NCAA Indoor Championships in the pole vault to make the All-America second team. Senior Tarasue Barnett was ranked first in the nation for discus. Marshall, senior long jumper Marcus Flannigan and sophomore Jesse Newman qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship, where Newman came within one spot and five inches of being on the All-America first team for javelin in just his fourth year in the sport.
The baseball team captured its third WAC regular-season title in four years, winning every regular-season conference series for the second consecutive year and boasting the WAC Coach of the Year (Andy Stankiewicz) and WAC Player of the Year (Quin Cotton). Senior pitcher Jake Wong became GCU's highest drafted player in 29 years when the San Francisco Giants selected him 80th overall. The season also marked the opening of Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, drawing 3,749 fans on opening night against TCU.
The softball team also opened GCU Softball Stadium, where it went 21-11 and drew a crowd of 1,403 for the visit of defending champion Oklahoma. The Lopes won five of their final six WAC regular-season games and then made a run to the WAC Tournament championship round. Senior Laynee Gomez was named to the Academic All-America second team.
The women's golf team won the WAC Tournament in dramatic fashion, clinching the trophy on the final putt by individual champion and WAC Freshman of the Year Siripatsorn Patchana. Senior Deanna Salvatori ranked among the top 100 golfers in the nation and Lauren Giesecke won WAC Coach of the Year
The men's golf team sent senior Vinnie Murphy, a two-time WAC Player of the Year, to an NCAA regional as an individual qualifier. The Lopes claimed three team tournament titles.
The tennis teams each reached the WAC Tournament semifinals as head coach Greg Prudhomme was named Southwest Coach of the Year by the U.S. Professional Tennis Association. The men won a Division I program-record 16 matches and claimed a team tournament title for the first time.
Â
The men's volleyball team posted its third consecutive season of at least 17 wins and stayed in the national top 15 all season. It finished No. 14 in the rankings but No. 5 nationally for average attendance (1,101 per game).
Â
The beach volleyball team closed the decorated career of Molly Turner, who became an All-American and national team player at GCU. Turner and partner Hannah Towne were quarterfinalists in the USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships.
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Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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