Valpo Bowling Recognized For Academic Excellence
Five members of the Valparaiso University bowling team earned All-Academic recognition from the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) for the 2016-17 campaign, while the Crusaders also earned academic honors as a team from the NTCA. The Crusaders have had at least three bowlers honored each year of the program’s existence.
A quartet of graduated seniors – Savannah Carr (Buckeye, Ariz./Youngker), Alyssa Meade (Chesterfield, Mich./L’Anse Creuse North), Olivia Wirtz (Battle Creek, Mich./Harper Creek [Vanderbilt]) and Lauren Wolski (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) – all received the All-Academic honors. Carr and Meade each earned the award in all four seasons of their Crusader careers, while Wolski was a three-time recipient. Sophomore Kendra Tryniski (Fulton, N.Y./Fulton) also earned All-Academic recognition for the second time in as many years. Bowlers must maintain at least a 3.4 cumulative GPA for the academic year to earn the All-Academic award.
As a team, the Crusaders posted a 3.38 cumulative GPA to earn the NTCA team academic award for a second straight year. Valpo was one of 37 programs to be honored for the team’s work in the classroom by the NTCA.
Valpo Athletics Bids Farewell to Stephen Anthony
The Valparaiso University athletics department says goodbye today to senior associate director of athletics Stephen Anthony, who has served Valpo student-athletes for nearly 20 years as a coach and administrator, as he departs for an administrative role in the athletics department at Michigan State University.
“We are very appreciative for the many ways Stephen has served the student-athletes and coaches here at Valpo,” said director of athletics Mark LaBarbera. “He has succeeded at coaching young women in two sports, has succeeded in mentoring young coaches, and has succeeded in carefully managing departmental resources. His steady leadership and passion for success will be missed. We wish him all the best at Michigan State.”
Anthony arrived at Valpo in 1998 as the head coach for the women’s soccer program and spent 10 seasons leading the Crusader women’s soccer team. A three-time Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year, Anthony won 78 matches during his tenure. He guided Valpo to a pair of Mid-Con regular season titles, as well as the 2005 Mid-Con Tournament crown and the program’s first berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Anthony stepped away from coaching to move into an administrative role as associate director of athletics for business services in January of 2008. He would return to coaching for the 2009-10 season, however, as he helped to start the Valpo bowling program and led the Crusaders through their inaugural season of competition. Under his tutelage, Valpo finished its first season of competition with 68 victories and ended the year ranked 10th nationally. His initial recruiting class helped form the foundation of a squad which would eventually reach the NCAA Tournament in 2012.
Anthony was promoted to his most recent title of senior associate director of athletics for finance and administration in October of 2016. He was responsible for the management of the athletics department’s business operations, including supervision of ticket operations, and was directly involved with the department’s long-range budgeting and capital project planning.
Anthony served as sport administrator for numerous Valpo teams during his tenure, including most recently the softball, women’s golf, women’s tennis and bowling programs. Outside of Valpo, Anthony has frequently worked with the NCAA as a site representative for NCAA soccer tournament matches.
113 Valpo Student-Athletes Named to Horizon League Academic Honor Roll
Valparaiso University student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom, as 113 Crusaders earned a spot on the Horizon League Spring 2017 Academic Honor Roll, as released today by the league office.
In all, 983 student-athletes were named to the Spring Academic Honor Roll, with the 113 representatives from Valpo ranking second among league institutions.
Candidates for the Honor Roll must meet three criteria in order to qualify: 1) participation in at least one of the League’s 19 sports during the most recent (or current) season; 2) completion of three semesters as a full-time student at the same member institution; and 3) a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale).
