From the Desk of Jackie Nicholson - Executive Director of Athletics

Dear Tiger Alumni Fans and Supporters:

The Department of Athletics is set to wrap up another exciting and rewarding academic year. Our student-athletes, coaches and administrators performed extremely well on and off the field while navigating our first full season of competition in almost two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

We featured 450 student-athletes that achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average for the academic year, bringing the overall departmental GPA to a 3.42.

Two-hundred sixty student-athletes were named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team, including women’s volleyball standout Katie Hobler, who landed College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First-Team Academic All-American honors on her way to graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

The men’s swimming & diving team won its first ever Liberty League Championship, while the men’s lacrosse team won its 10th-straight Liberty League crown. Coach Coon and his Tigers continue their national title defense this weekend hosting NCAA Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal games on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The department is already looking forward to 2022-23 for all our programs as all signs are pointing to another competitive and fun-filled year. However, your support is critical for us to achieve both academic and athletic success. There are many way you can support our student-athletes, including purchasing season men’s and women’s hockey season tickets, attending home and away athletic events, and donating to our various initiatives throughout the year. Let’s make 2022-23 the year of the “Tigers.”

Thank you for your commitment and support – we couldn’t do it without you!

Jackie Nicholson
Executive Director of Athletics

P.S. - Don’t forget to join us for the 39th Annual Tiger Open Golf Tournament on Monday, June 6, 2022 at Penfield Country Club. There is still time to register a foursome and join us for a great day of competition and fun! And be sure to bid on one of the great items already available in our online silent auction!

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Needless to say the past couple seasons have been a challenge for both RIT tennis programs.  Between fighting through the restrictions of COVID, to a coaching change, it is an understatement when saying it has been an uphill battle.  This year has been about laying the foundation of this program, and with a return to normalcy, both groups are excited about seizing the opportunity and setting a tone for years to come.

With an amazing group of veterans and a talented core of freshman and sophomores, our future is bright.  A foundation is built on good habits and strong leadership, and this season was about developing both. With a new coaching staff starting in the spring, we focused on building the desire and tools to compete on a weekly basis. Off the court, we began work with a sports psychologist to help both teams understand how to compete what it takes to handle the stress of competition.

Our seniors have embodied this in every way shape and form, and helped guide the both programs to team and individual accolades.  The men earned their first victory over Vassar in program history to open the season. The senior women again proved to be the backbone of the lineup, anchoring our success by winning the most matches in both singles and doubles. They have passed the torch to our younger players and they have accepted the mantle of leadership with open arms. Our foundation is strong and both teams are hungry.

Next season will be another test. Both teams will play a combined nine nationally ranked teams as well as the top opposition in our region.  If we stick to who we are and to a development mindset, I know our future will be bright.

Go Tigers!
Tom Linhart - RIT Men and Women's Tennis

An Update from RIT Cheerleading

My name is Katie Post and I just completed my seventh year as head coach for the RIT cheer team.  To say it has been an amazing experience is an understatement!

When I took over the program in fall of 2015, I had some big dreams and huge goals for the Tigers.  I set my sights on becoming one of the top performers at the National Cheer Association championships and, this year, we did it!

It was such a surreal experience to see the Tigers in first place in the Advanced Small Coed Division III prelims - wow! While we ended up finishing second, it was still a huge honor as we have developed such a strong program and watched it grow over the last seven years. 

We had two squads this year - an intermediate team and an advanced team – and were asked to showcase at various local events, host clinics and even attend and speak at conferences.  It was amazing to see how far our program has grown.

Coaching is such a rewarding experience, but developing a highly competitive and successful program from what was a sideline club team is just the beginning.  The relationships with these athletes and getting them to believe in themselves is what is most important.  I have been given this opportunity to share my passion and my art with them and hope this experience will have a long-lasting impact. While their college experience goes fast, I hope all the lessons our team members learn and the memories they make will last a lifetime.

Get ready for next year - we have big plans for the future of the RIT cheer team!

Katie Post - RIT Cheerleading

Tigers In The Crowd