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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Fort Hays State players take relief effort personally
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
In a shining example of student-athlete character, 13 Fort Hays State University football players went to Greensburg, Kansas, May 10 to help alumnus Shawn Starr recover from a devastating tornado.
Currently the athletics director at Greensburg High School, Starr was Fort Hays State’s middle linebacker in 1994 and 1995. His home was destroyed May 4 when an EF5 tornado leveled the small farming community of 1,800.
Fort Hays State coach A.J. Blazek said within two days of the disaster, coaches and players gathered three huge boxes of everything from tennis shoes to gym shorts to dress shirts and leather jackets. “It was amazing what our players did for an ex-Tiger they never knew or played with,” he said. Three days after that, the players arrived to help clean up Starr’s neighborhood.
“They helped me pick up debris from my yard and the neighbors’ yards and move it to the curb so clean-up crews could haul it away. The help they provided just shows the type of character athletes Fort Hays State wants in its football program,” Starr said.
Lagano and his 5-year-old daughter Alex walked by the Links of Love display, the NYIT SAAC’s campaign to support the division’s Make-A-Wish fund-raising initiative. When Alex inquired about the links, Lagano explained that the money raised from selling links was donated to help sick children, some who were her age.
Alex took her father’s words to heart and together they created a “Change to Enter” donation jar. Each time a family member or guest entered the family room of the Lagano’s home, they were required to put money into the jar.
The effort raised $10, which Alex donated during NYIT’s Lions and Burgers and Bears Barbecue sponsored by the SAAC in April as the Bears hosted the Dowling College Golden Lions for both lacrosse and softball. The nearly $700 raised at the event went toward the Make-A-Wish fund-raising campaign and helped the SAAC eclipse its $1,000 annual fund-raising goal.
“Alex is always eager to donate spare change to charity collections,” said Sal, “but this was so special and touching because it came from her. As parents we couldn’t be prouder.”
Midfielder Brody Savoie has been serving on high-alert missions with a Marine reserve unit in Iraq since January. Gone but far from forgotten, Western New England marked each win throughout the magical season with a heartfelt wave of Savoie’s No. 15 jersey. The Golden Bears also brought the jersey to midfield during pregame introductions.
Savoie joined the Marine Reserves during his freshman year and is serving with the GSMTCO 6th Motor Transportation Battalion of Providence, Rhode Island. Goalie Chris Body, Savoie’s roommate last year, said news that the midfielder was heading to Iraq was devastating.
“But Brody never complained. He even practiced with us during our fall season, though he knew he wasn’t going to be here this spring,” said Body.
Western New England head coach John Klepacki called Savoie a role model and said the junior turned his own going-away party into a pep talk for the rest of the players. “He gave them goals to achieve and told them to respect and cherish what they have as it is special. Brody continues to e-mail us with words of encouragement.”
The Golden Bears clearly took that encouragement to heart. Western New England advanced to the quarterfinals of this year’s NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship with a perfect 17-0 record before falling to State University College at Cortland, 12-10.
Earlier this spring, Western New England student-athletes also sold T-shirts to raise money for care packages that were sent to Savoie and other troops overseas.
Currently the athletics director at Greensburg High School, Starr was Fort Hays State’s middle linebacker in 1994 and 1995. His home was destroyed May 4 when an EF5 tornado leveled the small farming community of 1,800.
Fort Hays State coach A.J. Blazek said within two days of the disaster, coaches and players gathered three huge boxes of everything from tennis shoes to gym shorts to dress shirts and leather jackets. “It was amazing what our players did for an ex-Tiger they never knew or played with,” he said. Three days after that, the players arrived to help clean up Starr’s neighborhood.
“They helped me pick up debris from my yard and the neighbors’ yards and move it to the curb so clean-up crews could haul it away. The help they provided just shows the type of character athletes Fort Hays State wants in its football program,” Starr said.
Toddler’s small change makes big difference
The NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has raised thousands of dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation since committing to support the organization in 2003. But no donation was as special as the one given by the daughter of New York Institute of Technology head men’s basketball coach Sal Lagano.Lagano and his 5-year-old daughter Alex walked by the Links of Love display, the NYIT SAAC’s campaign to support the division’s Make-A-Wish fund-raising initiative. When Alex inquired about the links, Lagano explained that the money raised from selling links was donated to help sick children, some who were her age.
Alex took her father’s words to heart and together they created a “Change to Enter” donation jar. Each time a family member or guest entered the family room of the Lagano’s home, they were required to put money into the jar.
The effort raised $10, which Alex donated during NYIT’s Lions and Burgers and Bears Barbecue sponsored by the SAAC in April as the Bears hosted the Dowling College Golden Lions for both lacrosse and softball. The nearly $700 raised at the event went toward the Make-A-Wish fund-raising campaign and helped the SAAC eclipse its $1,000 annual fund-raising goal.
“Alex is always eager to donate spare change to charity collections,” said Sal, “but this was so special and touching because it came from her. As parents we couldn’t be prouder.”
Lacrosse team inspired by player’s service
Three years ago, the Western New England College men’s lacrosse squad was a sub-.500 team. But the 2007 season played out quite differently for the Golden Bears, who rode a perfect record and a top-three national ranking into the NCAA championships despite missing one team member who has played a key role in revitalizing the program.Midfielder Brody Savoie has been serving on high-alert missions with a Marine reserve unit in Iraq since January. Gone but far from forgotten, Western New England marked each win throughout the magical season with a heartfelt wave of Savoie’s No. 15 jersey. The Golden Bears also brought the jersey to midfield during pregame introductions.
Savoie joined the Marine Reserves during his freshman year and is serving with the GSMTCO 6th Motor Transportation Battalion of Providence, Rhode Island. Goalie Chris Body, Savoie’s roommate last year, said news that the midfielder was heading to Iraq was devastating.
“But Brody never complained. He even practiced with us during our fall season, though he knew he wasn’t going to be here this spring,” said Body.
Western New England head coach John Klepacki called Savoie a role model and said the junior turned his own going-away party into a pep talk for the rest of the players. “He gave them goals to achieve and told them to respect and cherish what they have as it is special. Brody continues to e-mail us with words of encouragement.”
The Golden Bears clearly took that encouragement to heart. Western New England advanced to the quarterfinals of this year’s NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship with a perfect 17-0 record before falling to State University College at Cortland, 12-10.
Earlier this spring, Western New England student-athletes also sold T-shirts to raise money for care packages that were sent to Savoie and other troops overseas.
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