Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association: Awards

William Smith’s Pat Genovese named Geppi-Aikens Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

The IWLCA has announced the final series of awards for the 2008-09 season, including the Diane Geppi-Aikens Lifetime Achievement Award, the IWLCA Service Award, and the President’s Cup for outstanding service to the game. In addition, the team community service awards were named along with the Assistant Coaches of the Year. William Smith’s Pat Genovese was named the recipient of the Diane Geppi-Aikens Lifetime Achievement Award, while Kim Basner, the NCAA Coordinator of Officials, earned the President’s Cup award for outstanding service to the game. Immaculata’s Jennifer Wong is the 2009 IWLCA Service Award honoree, recognizing that member of the organization who has provided exemplary service to the sport.            

The teams from the University of Cincinnati, the University of New Haven, and the Catholic University of America were cited for their Community Awareness. In addition, Vanderbilt’s Susan Ellis, Lock Haven’s Shannon Houck, and RIT’s Melissa Pearsall were named the 2009 Assistant Coaches of the Year.             

Genovese, who was inducted into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in November of 2007, has won more lacrosse games as a coach than any other person at the collegiate level. A three-time National Coach of the Year, Genovese has led her team to the NCAA Tournament 16 times and to the DIII National Championship game five times. She boasts a 362-133-1 career record, which ranks first all-time in total games coached. A three-time Regional Coach of the Year, three-time NYSWCAA Coach of the Year and three-time North/South All-Star Game head coach, Genovese has also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s national team program. She was inducted into the US Lacrosse Greater Rochester Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1998) as well as the SUNY Cortland Hall of Fame and the William Smith Hall of Honor. 

Kim Basner, the NCA Coordinator of Officials, has worked tirelessly on behalf of the collegiate game through her role as coordinator of officials and as a non-voting member of the NCAA rules Committee. Her presence and insight is valuable and her willingness to perform an often thankless job is underappreciated. With the expansion of the NCAA interpretation sessions for officials, the way the game is called has gotten more consistent. Kim has also been instrumental in the rules training video and in communicating interpretations to coaches and officials. She also assigns officials to every single NCAA tournament game for all three divisions.            

Jennifer Wong, the head coach at Immaculata University, is the Chair of the IWLCA Outreach Committee and also spearheaded Project IRM. Jen's work on Project IRM is quite impressive. She chaired the committee that chose the participants and mentors, and coordinated conference calls and in-person events. Her work has given nine minority coaches the opportunity to receive training and support as they pursue a career in coaching women's lacrosse. Her work has also provided several current coaches with the opportunity to mentor these young coaches and give back to the game.            

The University of Cincinnati participated in numerous events throughout the season, ranging from Winners Walk Tall, in which the team went into inner city schools and became character coaches and taught the younger kids all about the right decisions, to Bingo Night, at which the Bearcats helped manage and arrange a game night for the Kentucky Police and the elder community. The student-athletes also supported the American servicemen and women through projects such as Cell Phones for Soldiers and Adopt a Troop. The Bearcats also worked such events as Bras Across the Bridge to support breast cancer awareness and Pop Tab collections programs to support the Ronald McDonald House. Cincinnati focused on other youth programs as well, working the Kids’ Zone at each football game while promoting the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation at various games. In addition, the Bearcats helped out with specific events such as the Nearly Naked Mile and the Adopt a Family at Christmas program.             

The University of New Haven participated weekly in a Mentoring Program at Washington Elementary School during which the student-athletes were paired up with an "at-risk" fifth grade girl with whom they spent time with every Friday morning.  They also reached out to the community in their work with Project Homeless Connect. Student athletes greeted clients and gathered information from them to help assist them in finding the services they needed.  They also provided information on services available in the community and on that day served lunch as well as performed set-up and take-down duties. The Chargers participated in the “Up til Dawn” project that benefited the St. Jude’s Children Center. Students involved in Up til Dawn educated the community about St. Jude while raising money through a variety of activities.  At the end of the program, students host a finale event and stay "up til dawn" celebrating their achievements and honoring the patients at St. Jude. Student's "fight the yawn" in an effort to provide St. Jude patients the chance to grow up and go to college too. New Haven student-athletes continued to give back to the community by assisting at the Furniture Co-Op. Here they cleaned for and organized the event, which included sorting boxes, hanging clothes, washing furniture while later helping clients choose the furniture for which they were looking. The lacrosse players were also active in helping their own sport grow in the New Haven area, participating in a variety of clinics to help inner city Bridgeport start a lacrosse program. Kids and coaches worked clinics some in the summer and others in the fall and winter.  They also helped collect equipment for both boys and girls programs. Team also attended the "Gold Coast Cup and Family Day" in support of Bridgeport's new program. Student-athletes also worked by providing instruction and running lacrosse drills and games for youth.             

Catholic women’s lacrosse student-athletes were active in Habitat for Humanity . The team traveled to New Orleans over spring break and helped build two Habitat Homes through the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge for four days (while throwing in some practice and side trips in the evenings).  The Cardinals also supported Catholic’s Kids on Campus program for Halloween. They  brought neighborhood kids on campus to trick-or-treat in a safe, controlled environment.  The women helped pass out candy, set up Halloween decorations, face paint, guide trick-or-treaters throughout campus, and help recruit donations for the event from campus offices.            

Pearsall, a two-year veteran of the Tigers’ sideline, helped RIT to the Empire 8 final for the first time in school history. RIT head coach Jeff McGuigan said of his assistant, “Melissa brings a wealth of playing experience, and has adapted her knowledge into a teaching style that works well with our student athletes. She sought out RIT as a volunteer assistant and has put in hours and hours of time well beyond practice time.” The Tigers’ Kelsey Evans was named an IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American in 2009, the first time a women’s lacrosse student-athlete was so honored at RIT. “Melissa is responsible for the defense and goalies specifically,” added McGuigan. RIT ranked 18th in nation in scoring defense and Evans led the nation in save percentage and ranked eighth in the nation in goals against average.             

Houck helped the Lady Eagles win the PSAC title for the first time in 28 years, and the Haven also advanced to the NCAA Championship match in 2009. The former Lady Eagle was a student-assistant for her alma mater during the 2008 season before being promoted to a full-time assistant for the 2009 season. “Shannon runs our defense, is our strength trainer, manages study halls, instructs all individual skill sessions except goalkeepers.,” said Lock Haven head coach Kristen Selvage.  “Shannon has implemented two new zone defenses, a stall defense when we need the ball back and has fine tuned our man-to-man.  We had an amazing defensive performance last season. “           

“She dedicates herself around the clock to the functioning of this program and being my right hand.  While I am working tirelessly in my additional duties, volunteer duties, and fundraising duties, Shannon is the one that makes sure that we don't miss a beat.  She is proactive by taking the initiative to accomplish day-to-day tasks without question.  In the midst of a family tragedy of mine, she took over all of my responsibilities and went on the road recruiting.”            

Ellis has spent a decade with the Commodores, helping them reach the national semifinals for the first time in school history in 2004. In 2009 she helped head coach Cathy Swezey guide Vanderbilt back to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season.  Swezey said of her assistant, “Susan helped our team advance to the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row in 2009. She has contributed so much to the success of our program.  She is our defensive coordinator, and has done an amazing job developing players on defense. Susan coached a very young defense last year, and by the end of the season we went from giving up 22 goals to Northwestern to giving up 15 in the ALC tournament.”           

The Commodores spent the majority of the 2009 season ranked in the polls, and Swezey is quick to heap praise on her assistant for her contributions. “She is our travel coordinator, has a great recruiting eye and helped us bring in our current sophomore class (the best class we have ever recruited to Vanderbilt). Sue also is the kind of person who does things before you ask.  As a head coach, that quality is invaluable.  I don't have to worry about tasks that are given to her, they will be completed with out my follow up, and it allows me to focus on other things.”