(January 30, 2007) ?C Over 200 Fordham University student-athletes were honored for compiling a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher at the Fourth Annual Breakfast for Champions held on January 28th in the McGinley Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by the Fordham Athletic Department with assistance from the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and the Office of Academic Advising.
Rick Mina, CBA ??79, the President and CEO of Foot Locker, was the keynote speaker. A former football Ram, Mina spoke of how being a Fordham University student-athlete made a difference in his life and on the importance of teamwork, whether on the playing fields or in the boardroom.
??Student-athletes at Fordham have two things that make them special,?? Mina told the students. ??You have the knowledge and understanding of teamwork and with that you can meet adversity head-on and not give up.??
He highlighted his message with personal experience, explaining how he was asked to take over as the President and CEO of Champs Sports, a division of Foot Locker, in 1999, after sales had dropped. He quickly assembled a team of trusted associates who helped turn the company around into the second largest mall-based specialty athletic retail concept in the U.S., behind Foot Locker.
Following Mina??s remarks, Kevin Meyer, CBA ??08, a member of SAAC council, presented him with a bag of Fordham gifts and spoke of the different community service projects that SAAC has worked on over the year, including a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise funds for AIDS awareness and the relationship between Fordham student-athletes and St. Barnabas hospital. He then introduced Leah Jerome, FC ??07, a fellow SAAC council member, who presented Prescott Loveland, President of Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC), with a check for $1,000 for the Mtongwe Community Initiative, which provides funding, support groups and peer education to those in Mtongwe affected by AIDS. Mtongwe is a community in Kenya affected by one of the highest AIDS rates in the world.
Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, wrapped up the brunch thanking Mina for his contributions to the university as well as praising the student-athletes for their success.
??You are the pride and joy of the university,?? McShane told the student-athletes in attendance. ??We are so grateful and proud that you represent Fordham so well and we hope that you will continue to do so.??
Since the Rams were celebrating the fourth annual Breakfast for Champions, 19 student-athletes were recognized as four-year Breakfast attendees. They are Jonathan Almy (Water polo), Chris Baracewicz (Swimming), Ben Burge (Swimming), Brenna DeJoy (Cheerleading), Candice Drinkwater (Track & Field), Ben Ehrman (Tennis/Squash), Peter Jannen (Football), Michael Holtz (Swimming), Michael Kirwan (Track & Field), Leah Jerome (Women??s Soccer), Benjamin Marzolf (Swimming), Jeanette McDonald (Rowing), Megan Murphy (Cheerleading), Michael Rosado (Tennis), Jennifer Roussil (Rowing), Doina Sandor (Tennis), Winslow Tandler (Swimming), Leigh Waterbury (Track & Field) and Peter Zipf (Tennis/Squash). The final tally of 209 student-athletes honored is 44% of the entire student-athlete population at Fordham.
Below are the members of the Fordham women??s track and field and cross country teams who were recognized at the 2007 Breakfast of Champions:
Kerry Blatt
Bridget Carroll
Caitlin Doherty
Candice Drinkwater
Danica Dupuy
Catherine Groene
Marie Gunderson
Emily Kolodgy
Margaret McGowan
Brigid Moriarty
Kristin Pezzuti
Jacqueline Prevete
Vanessa Spoto
Leigh Waterbury
