A regular column by Athletic Director Bill Husak.
November 2002
Success on the competitive fields and in the pools has been our primary focus this month. We are excited about the performance of all of our teams, but in particular our men and women's soccer teams and men's water polo team have the promise before them of post-season play.
Our men's soccer team is currently in first place in the WCC, nationally ranked at #11 and fully expects to qualify for post-season play. The team has developed steadily into a national power under Paul Krumpe during his tenure at LMU. After reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time ever last year, this year's team has consistently been ranked in the top 20 and has set new milestones for the program.
Two programs that are vying to get into the tournament are women's soccer and men's water polo. The women's soccer team is enjoying one of its best seasons ever and is hopeful of an NCAA at large bid. If that were to happen, it would be a first for this program. What is even more remarkable is that this team is comprised of 13 freshmen. They have blended quickly with the returning core of athletes to field a team that is not only formidable this year, but should be a force in future years as well. The men's water polo team qualified for its first ever NCAA tournament last year and hopes to repeat again this year. The team has attained its highest national ranking in history at #7 and we hope to even improve upon that before the year is out.
What is extremely exciting is that we will be hosting the NCAA Men's Water Polo Final Four. Our campus or program has never been the site of an NCAA Final Four. As I write this article at the beginning of November, we have already pre-sold over 700 seats. The Burns Recreational Center Pool has additional grandstand seating that has been erected to accommodate 2,600 fans for the tournament. We expect this event to be a sell-out and if the pace of ticket sales continues, all seats will be pre-sold before the first day of the tournament. Get your tickets now if you wish to be a part of this historic even for LMU and our athletics program.
We are also on the verge of beginning our basketball season. Both women and men's teams should be exciting to watch. The men's team will have seven freshman and nine new players who will be donning the Lion jersey for the first time. I have watched them practice and have seen their first exhibition game. It is very enjoyable to watch Coach Steve Aggers bring so much young talent together and observe improvement from practice to practice. Coach Julie Wilhoit's team will be exciting to watch for a totally different reason. She has developed a mature team with class balance that has resulted in a very talented and competitive squad. Watch for great achievements from this club as we compete for the WCC Championship and national recognition.
All of the accomplishments mentioned above could not happen without your support. Joining the LionsFund, attending our games and being a part of our special events creates that excitement and commitment to LMU athletics that means so much to our coaches and athletes. Our capital campaign, which I will share with you in December, will further create a margin for excellence in our program and establish a foundation for consistent success for years to come. I hope to see you at a ball game in the near future. Till then, best wishes to all of our fans and?
Go Lions!
