Eagles Club Extra! Volume 1, Edition 1

The Eagles Club Extra!

will always be evolving,

and is another benefit

included with your Eagles

Club membership. In turn,

we look forward to getting

feedback from our

members on ideas for

future editions.

The Eagles Club Extra! is

now the official source of

all things FGCU Athletics

just for Eagles Club

members!

Each addition will

recap athletics &

academic successes of

our Green & Blue student-

athletes and is designed

to keep all of our

Eagles Club members in-

the-know of what’s going

on with FGCU Athletics!

Monthly features will

include student-athlete

and donor profiles, sport

capsules, event

calendars, & special

Eagles Club initiatives.

Hoping that all had a wonderful summer, it is hard to believe that we are already a full month into our academic and athletic calendars. In turn, it is great to see that we are off to another strong start. In particular, we have witnessed Men’s Soccer earning another national ranking by beating archrival USF and tying former national champion Akron in front of a Soccer Complex record crowd of over 1,500. Fellow four-time

defending A-Sun champion Women’s Soccer’s early successes includes recording two milestone victories over Arizona and Miami, while Men’s & Women’s Cross Country each already have a meet title under their belts. Volleyball has also blended well under new head coach Matt Botsford– one of many new Green & Blue faces we hope that you will get to know.

Excited for another overall outstanding year both in the classroom and within our competitive venues, we are so appreciative of the continued valued support of all those who comprise our growing Eagles Club. You remain a vital constituency in our being able to compete with the best and we look forward to sharing many more memorable occasions throughout the 2014-15 year.

God Bless & Go Eagles!

Ken

Being a dual-sport collegiate athlete is a rarity in itself, but competing for two teams in the same season is practically unheard of. The simple thought of a daily schedule filled with a full load of classes and two different team practices is enough to scare most away, but not FGCU senior Brooke Sill (Lake Zurich, Ill).

A second-year member of the women’s soccer team, Sill, at the suggestion of head women’s soccer coach Jim Blankenship, decided to pick up an additional sport and join the women’s cross country team, where she has instantly become one of the squad’s most valuable members.

After a few minutes of celebrating a 2-1 soccer victory over Miami in Coral Gables on Aug. 29 with her teammates, Sill hopped in a car and traveled four hours to De Bary, Fla., where she arrived after midnight for

before.

Dedication and talent like this is uncommon, so be sure to catch Sill and her women’s soccer teammates at one of their remaining homes games!

Read more about Brooke here.

Photo Credit: Jason Roberts.

the 8 a.m. meet. Then, in the first competitive race of her life, Sill outpaced the entire field to place first overall in the Stetson Hatter 5k with a 19:36.56 and help the Eagles win the team title. After her first-place finish, Sill got back on the cross country bus, traveled back to Fort Myers and then the next day made her way to Tampa with the women’s soccer team to play USF.

Five days, a few practices and two soccer games later Sill did it again, leading the Green and Blue in the South Florida Invite 5k, as she placed fifth overallwith a 18:42.37, almost a full minute faster than the weekend

By Sara Roberts

Scott Brewster was tabbed

in July as the Director of

Corporate Sales for FGCU

Athletics. He is the first

individual to solely handle

these duties full time.

Since 2012, Brewster has

fostered relationships

throughout the state and

nationally by serving as a

senior account executive for

the University of Florida

Gator IMG Sports

Marketing. While working for

the Gators, Brewster

developed, pitched and

closed sponsorship

packages designed to meet

clients’ objectives and then

coordinated with vendors

and appropriate university

personnel to ensure all

contract fulfillment was

executed within the scope of

the project and on time.

Prior to his time at IMG,

Brewster spent two years

with the Charlotte Checkers,

a minor league hockey

franchise where he served

as the director of corporate

services before being

elevated to the director of

corporate partnerships for

the 2011-12 season. In that

role, Brewster generated

new corporate partnerships

while retaining current

relationships, in addition to

generating new group and full

-season ticket packages. As

the director of corporate

services, Brewster developed

and sold integrated corporate

partnership opportunities

while managing and tracking

inventory for 60-75 partners.

Brewster began his

professional career as a

partnership activation

specialist with the Cleveland

Cavaliers in 2004.

Brewster graduated from

Bowling Green State

University in 2004 with a

Bachelors of Science in

Sports Management and

Marketing. He is currently

pursuing a Professional

Masters of Sports

Administration from Ohio

University. A native of Akron,

Ohio, Brewster and his wife,

Nayrouz, have a 2-year-old

son, Adam.

Allison Bass begins her first

year as the Eagles Club and

Special Events Coordinator.

Her primary role is to help the

department continue its focus

on generating external

revenue for the betterment of

its 250 student-athletes. In

this capacity, Bass will work

closely with the Eagles Club

Advisory Board to serve the

600 plus Eagles Club

members, while also bringing

additional focus to FGCU’s

annual fund and fundraising

event efforts.

Bass comes to FGCU from

the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill where

from May 2013 through July

2014, she served as the

graduate assistant for The

Rams Club. In that role, Bass

was on the front line of the

customer service experience

for more than 15,000 UNC

Athletics donors regarding

membership and solicitation.

She also collaborated with

other staff members to

implement more than 30

Rams Club special events

throughout the course of the

year. On gamedays, she

oversaw The Rams Club Patio

pre-game tailgate for football

and assisted with Rams Club

hospitality for other sports,

including men’s basketball.

Continued from page 3.

Prior to her time with the Tar Heels,

Bass was the event management

program coordinator for the University

of Georgia Athletic Association from

May 2010-June 2012. Amongst her

duties for the Bulldogs, she created

and facilitated season-long game

management plans for swimming and

diving, equestrian and softball home

events. She also coordinated with

appropriate personnel to ensure a safe

and enjoyable game atmosphere, and

led hosting responsibilities for several

SEC and NCAA championships.

Bass has also worked as a marketing

intern with the Florida Panthers and

Sunrise Sports and Entertainment

where she generated themes and in-

game promotions to be used during

hockey season and created and

distributed promotional items for

concerts at the arena.

A native of Miami, Bass graduated

cum laude from the University of

Georgia in 2010 with a Bachelor of

Business Administration after majoring

in Marketing and minoring in History.

She received her Master of Arts in

Exercise and Sport Science with a

concentration in Sport Administration

from the University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill in May 2014.

Please read the 2014-15 Booster

Newsletter from FGCU Compliance. It will

keep you informed with information about

being a booster, and keeping our student-

athletes compliant! Find the newsletter

here! Follow FGCU Compliance on

Twitter @FGCU_Compliance. Please

contact Alex Masse, Director of

Compliance, at [email protected] if you

have any questions.

Mark your calendars! The Eagles Club

Membership delivery night will be Friday

October 17th, beginning at 5:00 pm in

Alico Arena. You will be able to pick up your

member packet, golf polos, parking, and

Men’s & Women’s basketball season tickets

(if applicable).

Alico Arena will be the place to be on that

evening as Volleyball hosts fellow A-Sun

power Lipscomb at 6:00 pm. After the

match, Dunk City After Dark II will feature

Men’s & Women’s Basketball in an event

that will be broadcast on ESPN3. That

evening will also include our annual “Hoops

& Halloween” component where fans (young

and old) are encouraged to wear costumes

and the Eagles will provide candy and

autographs. Don’t worry if you are unable to

attend on October 17, as we will have other

opportunities to receive all of your Eagles

Club gear!

Q: Favorite moment so far at FGCU?

A: My sophomore year in the A-Sun Championship when we defeated Mercer in double

overtime.

Q: Why FGCU?

A: I came to FGCU because I loved the coaching staff and when I got here I fell in love

with the school. My grandparents were from Fort Myers so I had a connection to the

area. I wanted to be a player and not necessarily a number.

Q: Tell us about working within the FGCU Athletics department.

A: I work for facilities and operations and get to help with equipment and all the other

sporting events that go on. I get to help with graduation. I think my favorite part about

the job is that I’ve gotten to know so many more student-athletes just by being involved.

Q: Dream job after college?

A: An Athletic Director at a Division I university.

Q: How did you start playing soccer?

A: I was 4 and my sister was playing in a league. I would go to the practices and my mom couldn’t get me to sit there with her. I would go out and practice with my sister’s team instead. Eventually the coach told me I could join the team.

Q: What is the biggest thing people pick on about New Jersey that isn’t true?

A: People think that everyone in Jersey is like Jersey Shore, which is not true.

Q: Favorite food?

A: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

Q: Least Favorite Food? Why?

A: Bananas. I don’t like the smell, consistency, anything about them.

Q: Do you call it Soda or Pop?

A: Soda.

By: Jason MacBain

Caption describing

picture or graphic.

Continued from page 5.

Q: Can you talk about the impact Night at the Nest has had on the department, your team and your

involvement?

A: For the past three years, I’ve been involved with the Night at the Nest setup. The past two years I’ve gotten to carry around the puppy that gets sold. That’s always exciting because everyone comes and talks to you. Last year I was able to make a speech at Night at the Nest. I got to know a lot of people who come to our games or that don’t come to our games but know people who do. I’m going to give a speech again this year. Night at the Nest was huge for not just women’s soccer but all of our programs because people are so generous and want to see our programs succeed. It’s a really positive environment to be around.

Q: If you weren’t playing soccer, what sport would you play?

A: I’d be running cross country.

Q: Goal for this year? Yourself and team?

A: For me and I think my team as well, we would like to go undefeated in regular conference play. Last year we went undefeated but we tied two games. We would like to go undefeated with no ties and no losses. We would like to win the A-Sun tournament and win the first round of the national tournament. I’ve been to the national tournament twice, so I’d like to end my career by at least winning the first round.

Q: Who is the funniest person on your team?

A: That’s a three-way tie between Kaitlin Parker, Ally Kasun and Emma Blackwell. They are the three

characters of the TV show Workaholics.

Q: Favorite class you’ve ever taken?

A: Principles of Rhetoric and Argumentation at FGCU with Professor Maddux.

Read more about Mel here.

Eagles fans are encouraged to purchase tickets for the GulfCoast Showcase at Germain Arena which are available through the FGCU Ticket Office. You can purchase the three FGCU Men’s Basketball games sessions for as low as $51 per person. The tournament will run from Monday-Wednesday, November 24th-26th and the Eagles open against Marist at 6:00 pm.

We are offering a new group sales package for FGCU Women’s Basketball games for the 2014-15 Season. Groups of 20 or more will receive a $10 ticket + a group T-Shirt.

Please call the Alico Arena Ticket Office for more information at 239-590-7145.

Oct. 3 7 PM Volleyball vs. UNF

Camper Reunion Night All Campers In Their Camp T-Shirt

Get In Free

Oct. 4 6 PM Volleyball vs. Jacksonville

Pink Out Ticket gets you into MSoc v.

Stetson Free

Oct. 4 7 PM MSOC vs. Stetson

Mad Hatter Night- Wear a crazy hat & win a prize

Ticket gets you into VB v. JU free

Oct. 10 7 PM WSOC v. NKU

Pink Out Youth Night– Kids 12 & under free

Eagles Club Tailgate

Oct. 12 1 PM WSOC v. Lipscomb

Oct. 14 7 PM Volleyball v. FAMU White Out

Oct. 17 6 PM Volleyball v. Lipscomb Blue Out

Oct. 17 DUNK CITY AFTER DARK II Hoops & Halloween

Oct. 18 6 PM Volleyball v. NKU Your ticket gets you in to WSOC vs.

JU free

Oct. 18 7 PM WSOC v. Jacksonville Ticket gets you in to VB vs. NKU free

Oct. 21 7 PM MSOC v. FAU White Out

Oct. 22 7 PM WSOC v. Palm Beach Atlantic ½ price tickets if wearing blue, green,

or FGCU gear

Oct. 24 7 PM MSOC v. North Florida

Pink Out Eagles Club Tailgate

Kids 12 & Under get in free

Oct. 25 11 AM Swim v. Miami

Oct. 25 7 PM WSOC v. Stetson Senior Night

White Out

Your membership card

admits you and your

immediate family into the

Eagles Club Tailgate and

they will happen rain or

shine.

These fun activities are

just another amazing

benefit of your Eagles Club

membership!

Ten tailgates will be hosted

throughout the 2014-15

season! These events will be

a great way to show your

Eagle Spirit and meet other

FGCU fans!

The tailgates will take place

near each sport’s facility and

will be held prior to Men’s &

Women’s Soccer Men’s &

Women’s Basketball, Softball,

& Baseball - each having a

different theme, there will be

food & drinks on a first-come,

first serve basis, so get there

early to maximize your fun!

10/10 WSOC

10/24 MSOC

11/17 MBB

12/3 MBB

12/19 WBB/MBB

1/10 WBB/MBB

1/24 WBB

2/28 WBB

3/20 Baseball

4/3 Softball

Photo Credit: Linwood Ferguson/Captive Photons

Photo Credit: Linwood Ferguson/Captive Photons

For the first time in program history the FGCU Men's Soccer team, winners of the last four A-Sun regular-season championships, was nationally ranked by the only official poll the NCAA recognizes. The Eagles checked in at No. 24 in the year's second installment of the NSCAA/Continental Tire National Poll.

The Eagles went unbeaten through the first three games of the season for the first time in program history as the Green and Blue defeated rival USF (2-0) and tied against Portland (0-0) and Akron (1-1).

Individually, junior defender Rodrigo Saravia (Guatemala City, Guatemala/ College Internacional Montessori) was named as one of the top 100 players in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. Listed as No. 90 on the season’s first list, Saravia is only one of two players from A-Sun that was on the list. A first team All A-Sun performer in 2013, Saravia was also named the A-Sun Preseason Co-Player of the year, as voted by the conference coaches.

The four-time A-Sun regular season champion FGCU Women’s Soccer team (8-3) is off to an impressive start of the season, including wins over Pac-12 member Arizona, their only loss to date, and ACC foe Miami. The Eagles were picked by the A-Sun coaches to earn a fifth-consecutive regular season championship.

Sophomore forward Tabby Tindell (Ocala, FL/ Trinity Catholic) was voted as the Preseason Co-Player of the year after putting together one of the greatest individual seasons as a freshman, established single-season program records in points (34), goals (15), goals per game (0.75), shots (71), shots per game (3.55), shots on goal (44) and shots on goal per game (2.20). Tindell is currently leading the conference in goals (10) and points (24) this season and has already established a new Eagle career goals mark (27) in less than a season and a half.

The FGCU cross country teams saw tremendous success in early competitions this season, garnering two individual first-place finishes, two top-10 finishes and two first-place team results. On the women’s side, senior Brooke Sill (Lake Zurich, Ill.) crossed the finish line first in her first collegiate race at the Stetson Hatter Invite, recording a 26:32.33 time. Claiming the first first-place finish of the season for the men was junior Nathan Kandie as he recorded a 26:32.33 time, also at the Stetson Hatter Invite. The women’s team captured first place at the same event, while the men’s team also claimed first-place at the South Florida Invite.

Women’s Golf wrapped up its first tournament of the season at the Kansas Sunflower Invitational, finishing in eighth place as a team. Junior Mei Khuan Yong (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/ S.M.K. Cochrane) led the way for the Eagles as she saw a 24th-place finish after carding a team-best score of 230 (78-79-73). The Green and Blue travel to Columbia, MO for the Johnie Imes Invite on Sep. 29th.

Volleyball has already clashed against some of the best in the country to begin the early stage of the season. Senior middle blocker Olivia Mesner (Boca Raton, FL/ Spanish River) set the program record with her 53 career solo blocks at Ohio State, while senior setter Gigi Meyer (Gainesville, FL/ Bucholz) became the program leader in assists (3,166).

Men’s Tennis finished the 2013-14 campaign with four fall individual tournament victories, program-record 12 dual-match wins, and a second-straight semi-final trip to the A-Sun conference tournament. To open the 2014 season, the Eagles sent six players to compete in the Bedford Cup hosted by UNF on Sep. 12-15, then four more to the Georgia Tech Invite a week later. Individually, senior Jordi Vives (Barcelona, Spain/ IES Ferran Tallada) listed a FGCU record No. 35 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason rankings, the only ranking system the NCAA recognizes. Vives was also selected to compete in the ITA Men’s All American Championships hosted at University of Tulsa in late September. Vives ended his junior campaign with an overall record of 35-5, including an 8-0 mark in A-Sun play. He was named A-Sun Player of the Year, the first from FGCU to earn this honor, and won his first-round match in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship.

Men’s Golf included eight returners for the 2014-15 campaign, as the Eagles teed off to open their season at the Saint Mary's Invitational, held at the Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course on Sep, 12. The Green and Blue head to Notre Dame (Sept. 28-30) before preparing for their biggest event of the fall hosting the Homewood Suites-Hilton Garden Inn Classic at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero on Oct. 28, welcoming Florida State and University of Florida.

The 2013-14 academic year was

very exciting for our student-

athletes, coaches and

administrators. We announced the

partnership of the FGCU

Department of Intercollegiate

Athletics and the Office of

Undergraduate Studies, creating

the Student-Athlete Learning

Center. A joint endeavor that

promotes academic success for

our student-athlete population by

providing programs and services

that assist students in becoming

skilled, independent learners who

achieve their academic goals.

With the great new partnership,

the FGCU student-athletes once

again excelled in the classroom.

The 2013-14 academic year

brought an overall record GPA of

3.30, once again exceeding the

FGCU general student population’s

of 3.02. The Women’s Golf team

also made history, combining for an

unbelievable 3.92 Spring GPA, the

highest ever recorded for an Eagle

Team!

Furthermore, we had 172 student-

athletes exceed a 3.0 GPA for the

year, earning them a spot on the A-

Sun or CCSA All Academic honors

list. Including 68 Conference

Scholars (3.40 GPA or above), 3

Commissioner’s Scholars (3.60-

3.79 GPA), and 2 President’s

Scholars (3.80 or above). One of

those President’s Scholar

recipients, Sarah Hansen

(women’s basketball) claimed the

annual FGCU Eagle Scholar

Athlete Award that is bestowed

upon to a graduating student-

athlete and recognizes their

contributions athletically,

academically, and their

community service. Sarah was

also FGCU’s first ever DI

Academic All American and was

also named to FGCU’s Student

Hall of Fame and was

nominated for a Rhodes Scholar

appointment.

FGCU – “Where winning

extends beyond the

competitive venues and into

the classroom”.”

By: Brian Boveington

Photo Credit: Linwood Ferguson/Captive Photons

Both Garry & Suzanne live in LaBelle, Florida. Garry worked for a major corporation in the Midwest, and then transitioned into teaching. He retired after 17 years as an educator. Suzanne is a retired RN. Both Garry & Suzanne are wonderful, long time supporters of FGCU Athletics & the Eagles!

How did you become involved with FGCU?

Garry: I was a student at FGCU when the athletics program was founded. I was getting my Master’s in Education.

Suzanne: We loved college athletics while living in Missouri, and missed them! We wanted to connect to the community through athletics.

Favorite FGCU sport to watch?

Suzanne: Can’t Pick Just One!

Garry: We try to get to as many as we can!

Favorite FGCU Moment:

Garry: The run to the Sweet 16 was amazing to watch and be a part of. I also enjoyed watching Chris Sale pitch, knowing he was going to become a major leaguer.

FGCU Family Tradition:

Suzanne: Garry’s never missed a FGCU Men’s Basketball home game!

What FGCU team would you be a starting player on?

Suzanne: I’d swim

Garry: Basketball

What do you value from being an Eagles Club member?

Garry: We’ve made some great friends through the Eagles Club. We even have dinner to keep friendships going in the off season and to keep up with FGCU!

Suzanne: We’ve found some travel partners to the away games too.

Why do you continue to support FGCU?

Suzanne: Why not? It’s a great school, and the coaches are amazing people. The student-athletes are good people and work hard!

Garry: We feel like supporting FGCU is a contribution to our family. FGCU is our extended family, and everyone wants to help their family. Being an Eagles Club member is one way to help our family.

Garry & Suzanne in Dallas at the NCAA Men’s Sweet 16 Appearance

Have a special activity or happening

related to FGCU Athletics?

The Green & Blue News will

highlight positive happenings for

FGCU Athletics & the Eagles Club.

To be featured, send your

announcement & associated

pictures to [email protected].

To start the Green & Blue News off

on the right foot, let’s acknowledge

that Graham Diemer has been

promoted to Assistant Athletics

Director for Advancement.

Congrats Graham!

Send us your pictures of you and

your family showing your Eagle

Spirit! The best photos each

month will be showcased right

here in the Eagles Club Extra!

Refer a friend and be entered into our

monthly drawing!

Join Online Here!

Call The Eagles Club at 239-590-7107

or send a check to:

FGCU Athletics

C/O Eagles Club

10501 FGCU Blvd. South

Fort Myers, FL 33965

Membership Levels:

$250 White Eagle

$500 Green Eagle

$1,000 Blue Eagle

$1,500 Varsity Club

$2,500 Coach’s Club

$5,000 Director’s Club

$15,000 Eagle Scholarship Society

For more information, please visit:

fgcuathletics.com/donate

To send in your picture, email

the picture to

[email protected].

Pictures can be of your family

wearing their Blue & Green

FGCU gear across the globe,

or anywhere you show your

FGCU pride!

Entries will be based on the level

your new Eagles Club member

joins at:

1 for White Eagle, 2 for Green

Eagle, 4 for Blue Eagle, 6 for

Varsity Club., 10 for Coach’s

Club, 20 for Director’s Club, and

60 for Eagles Scholarship

Society.

To send in your picture, email the picture to [email protected].

Pictures can be of your family wearing their Blue & Green FGCU gear across the globe, or

anywhere you show your FGCU pride!

The revised FGCU Fight Song is now in place! Show your Eagle spirit & memorize the lyrics so we can sing proudly for FGCU!

Hail to the Eagles, Hail to the Eagles

Soaring through the sky so blue

Fight! Fight! Fight! With integrity and might

We bleed Green & Blue, GO EAGLES!

Hail to the Eagles, Hail to the Eagles

Lead us on to victory!

Fight for the goal;

Give heart and soul

Fly for F-G-C-U!

F-G-C-U, FGCU, Fight, Eagles, Fight!

Check out some recent articles that feature our successes on campus and in the community!

FGCU Student-Athletes Test New Medical Procedure: click here. (NBC)

College volleyball: With dad Urban Meyer in attendance, FGCU senior gets early sendoff:

Click here. (Naples Daily News)

FGCU outlines Alico Arena enhancements: Click here. (News Press)