Alumni Celebrates 20 Years of Men's Lacrosse
Team Founders Add Something Special to 20th Year Celebration
The presence of team founders made the 20th year celebration extremely special. Terry McNiff ‘89, Pete Krawiec ‘89, Patrick Bennett ‘91, Mark Gagan ’91, Damon Foss ’92, Jim Hickey ’93, Eric Burns ’95 and Giles Imrie ’95 were all in attendance. “The recent alums were really looking forward to this year- to thank Terry, Pete and the rest of the guys,” said Burns '08. Long time Head Coaches Sasha Dansky and John “Britsky” Britton were also in attendance.
Alumni are Impressed with the 2009 Team
When the Lacrosse Alumni arrived for the 20th Year Celebration on Saturday January 31, 2009, a number of surprises were waiting for them. With a low and tight cut on the grass and the SMC insignia chalked on the field, the alumni experienced a first class playing venue from their alma mater, fitting for the important day.
Ending the game in perfect form, the SMC players impressed the alumni with a 7-5 win. The 2009 Gaels also took a knee along side alums to honor the 20th year of SMC Men’s Lacrosse and teammate Tom Gryczwynski ’91 who is currently battling Leukemia.
Celebration, Dinner & Silent Auction
The culmination of the events arrived at 6:00pm when alumni gathered in Dryden Hall to honor 20 Years of SMC Lacrosse. The audience listened intently as team founders Terry McNiff and Pete Krawiec '89 shared stories about the laying the ground work in '87 and '88 for the launch of the '89 team. Terry and Peter also relayed stories about coaches Tom Dalrymple & Joe Ianora, and college administrator- Father Label.
Recent alumni Chris Burns ‘08, Peter Burns ‘05 and Michael Jennaro ‘03 were extremely touching as they shared memories and wisdom with current players, and alumni.
Thank You from the 2009 Players and Parents
Thank you to each member of the alumni who contributed donations to the 2009 Men’s Lacrosse Team. Donations can also be made online by visiting our athletics giving page. Select other from the menu and complete the comment box to designate your gift to Men's Lacrosse. Your gift will directly support the travel & training goals of the team.
Alumni Game Roster, January 31, 2009
Alman, Rob- 2004 | Foss, Damon- 1992 Fritzsche, Justin- 2003 Gagan, Mark- 1991 Hickey, Jim- 1993 Imrie, Giles- 1995 Jennaro, Michael- 2003 Krawiec, Peter- 1989 Lebherz, Everett- 2005 Legnitto, David- 2005 Leonard, Brendan- 2003 McKeon, Bobby- 2008 McNiff, Terry- 1989 Minoux, Marshall- 2003 Oakes, Nate- 2002 Schenck, Chris- 2008 Van Donsel, Matt- 2004 Yongue, Marty- 2006 |
Locating 20 Years of Alumni
In October, the Department of Athletics and Recreational Sports launched a major Men’s Lacrosse Alumni search. “We searched every yearbook and Collegian from 1987 to the present, and started a list of names,” explains Kory Hayden. “We gathered addresses and emails and encouraged alumni share the Alumni Contact Form and SMC Men’s Lacrosse Website with teamates." The alumni who forwarded the invitation to teammates were extremely helpful in the search process. We will make this same effort every year, leading up to the 25th Year Celebration in 2014.
Annual Alumni Game, Save the Date
The annual alumni game is a longstanding tradition, and typically is announced by word of mouth. Next year's alumni game and dinner is already set for Saturday January 30th, 2010 at 2:00pm. In the meantime, stay connected with the team and alumni news by checking the Men's Lacrosse Alumni website regularly . Feedback and questions can be directed to Kory Hayden at khayden@stmarys-ca.edu, 925-631-4949.