DU Pioneer sports teams stayed busy this past summer as they enjoyed the off-season. Here is a recap of what they’ve accomplished.
On August 31, the women’s basketball team posted on their Instagram that they will be sending DU gear, including t-shirts, shoes, sweatpants, socks and jackets to Houston in light of the recent hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast and took 44 lives. They continue to train hard and work for their goals, while sending their thoughts and prayers to those suffering in the disaster with the hashtags: #HoustonStrong and #DenverWBB
In a preseason poll, the DU men’s soccer team was picked no. 1 in the NCAA Division 1 Summit League. Now ranked no. 4, DU’s soccer stars trail behind Stanford, Wake Forest and Maryland. With two preseason wins under their belt, the soccer team has now gone 37 wins in a row for regular games averaging two goals per game, and only allowing an average of 0.5 goals scored by the opposition. Heading into regular season games, the men’s soccer team is ranked seventh in the nation. Redshirt Sophomore, Dan Mooney (Indianapolis, Ind.) was named last week’s Defensive Player of the Week.
In their first weekend, volleyball went a spotless 3-0, and senior right-side hitter Kayla Principato (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) was named Offensive Player of the Week. She won the same award in October of 2016. Her summer training with the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis with Team USA Volleyball paid off as she led the Pioneers in a stunning offensive performance. The senior played in all 11 sets of the weekend, and started the three matches. Her kill percentage was an impressive 0.447. Principato recorded a season-high of 20 kills against the College of Charleston, which included two crucial hits that tied the game and led the girls to an overall victory 26-24 after trailing in the set. Her performance was flawless. Principato is a highly awarded player, being named to the Summit League All-League Team in 2015 and 2016, and the All-Tournament Team in 2015.
On August 2, 35 men and 30 women of the DU men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were awarded for their academic achievements to the 2016-17 All-Academic Team by the BIG EAST conference. In order to be considered for this honor, athletes must have competed in a BIG EAST-sponsored event, must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 from the preceding year and have competed in a minimum of three consecutive quarters of academic work.
Junior swimmer, Bailey Andison (Smith Falls, Ontario) had a notable performance at the World University Games, and finished 10th in the 200 IM on August 22 in Taipei. Her time was 2:15.28. Andison finished 2:15.60 in the semifinals, getting eighth and sending her into the final round where she improved her time by 0.32.
Five DU gymnasts were named scholastic all-Americans from the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women on July 24. The athletes include: Nikole Addison (Fort Myers, Fla.) with a 3.50 GPA in Psychology, Grace Broadhurst (Broomfield, Colo.) with a 3.67 GPA in Biology, Julia Ross (Henderson, Nev.) with a 3.74 GPA in Journalism, Rachel Fielitz (Walden, N.Y.) with a 3.90 GPA in Psychology and Leah Lomonte (Katy, Texas) with a 4.00 GPA in Psychology. Lomonte, with her 4.00, is a four-time winner of the honor, and she is the Big 12 Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
