Pioneer Points
Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis
- September 6, 2011
Though the anticipation of students returning to campus is starting to spread throughout the Athletics Department, the real excitement of the fall season is already upon us: Last week marked our first competitions in soccer, volleyball and cross country. With just a few weeks of practice under their belts, our student-athletes all got off to a great start, with both soccer team picking up home victories, volleyball posting a perfect weekend to win the Humboldt State Tournament and cross country performing well at the Notre Dame de Namur Battle of the Bay in Belmont.
All the action and success of the first week of competition has only increased our excitement about our first season as an active member in Division II this year. With our first opportunities to compete for conference and NCAA championships looming at the end of the fall campaign, we're eager to see how the season unfolds. We're also gearing up for a big event this month to celebrate Pioneer Athletics' 50th Anniversary.
The 2011-12 campaign also marks the 50th anniversary for intercollegiate athletics at Cal State East Bay. In honor of the many accomplishments of Pioneer student-athletes, coaches and staff since the implementation of the program, the Athletics Department is holding a celebration weekend Sept. 23-26, 2011 and inviting all Pioneer alumni and the university community to attend.
The weekend is set to include a Pioneer alumni barbecue, alumni games and the 15th annual Cal State East Bay Golf Classic, being held at Monarch Bay Golf Club in San Leandro on Sept. 26. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Richard and Susan Sherratt Athletic Scholarship Endowment, which provides financial support for student-athletes who otherwise may not have the opportunity to attend Cal State East Bay and participate in intercollegiate athletics.
Throughout the weekend we'll be honoring both current and former student-athletes, coaches and staff for their contributions to the success of the program. Among the honorees are the 1988 NCAA Division II National Championship women's soccer team and current Pioneers who have garnered conference, regional or national recognition.
In addition, fans and alumni alike can find out more about the many impressive victories, championship teams and star student-athletes in Pioneer history by visiting our website for "50 Stories for 50 Years" to read a new tale of Cal State East Bay Athletics lore every weekday until the event.
We welcome all of our Pioneer alumni, faculty, staff and students to attend the weekend celebration. The department would be nothing without the support of the university community and we'd be delighted to share in the celebration with you. To register for events, including the golf tournament and alumni games, visit our website at . Can't wait to see you there!
Looking ahead, our water polo and swimming teams are proud to be holding their second annual Swim for Wishes on Saturday, Oct. 15. at the Pioneer Pool on the Hayward campus. The Swim for Wishes is a community exercise event that aims to have participants swim a mile or more to encourage fitness and support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
For a small registration fee, participants are invited to swim and enjoy music, games, prizes and breakfast snacks. All proceeds from the event will go to the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Council's chosen charity, Make-A-Wish, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The event was a great success last year and we hope to include even more participants this year, so visit our website, sign up and swim!
We look forward to seeing you out at our events this fall, especially the 50th Anniversary Celebration, 15th annual Golf Tournament and our Swim for Wishes.
See you there and go Pioneers!