July 12, 2018
State System’s Board of Governors recognizes NCAA champions from five universities
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today recognized individual student-athletes from Clarion, Millersville, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities, as well as the field hockey team from Shippensburg University, all of whom brought home National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II national championships in the last year.
The field hockey team from Shippensburg University won its second consecutive NCAA
title last fall, defeating LIU Post 4-1 in the championship game. The team finished
the season with a record of 17-4. It was the school’s third overall title and marked
the 24th time in the past 27 years a team from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
has won the NCAA Division II field hockey championship.
Four members of the team—senior forward Emily Barnard (Vestal, N.Y.), redshirt junior
goalkeeper Ally Mooney (Spring City, Owen J. Roberts H.S.), senior forward Mary Spisak
(Boiling Springs, Boiling Springs H.S.), and freshman midfielder Jazmin Petrantonio
(Saenz Pena, Argentina) —were named to the All-Tournament Team for their outstanding
play during the championship weekend. Barnard, Petrantonio and senior midfielder Brooke
Sheibley (Dillsburg, Northern H.S.) were named to the 2017 NFHCA Division II All-America
teams—with Petrantonio being named the 2017 Longstreth/NFHCA Division II Atlantic
Region Player of the Year. The team’s coaching staff, led by first-year head coach
Tara Zollinger, was named the NFHCA’s National Coaching Staff of the Year.
In addition to the athletic honors, Madison Scarr (Lewisburg, Lewisburg Area H.S.),
who scored the first goal in the NCAA championship final, was the recipient of an
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, the 10th student-athlete from Shippensburg University
to receive the prestigious academic award.
Christina Sather (Mechanicsburg, Cumberland Valley H.S.) of Clarion University of
Pennsylvania won the 1-meter dive at the 2018 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving
Championships held in Greensboro, N.C. The junior diver also finished third in the
3-meter dive and was named the College Swimming Coaches Association of America’s Division
II Women's Diver of the Year. She is now a six-time All-American, having also placed
among the top finishers at the national championships as both a freshman and sophomore.
Sunflower Greene (Lancaster, Conestoga Valley H.S.) of Millersville University of
Pennsylvania finished first in the shot put at the NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor
Track and Field Championships held in Pittsburg, Kansas. Greene won the event with
a toss of 53 feet, 4¾ inches, breaking her own PSAC record. She also finished second
in the outdoor championships held in Charlotte, N.C. Only a junior, Greene is a four-time
track and field All-American, earning the honor twice each in the indoor and outdoor
seasons, tying Millersville Hall of Fame member Priscilla Jennings for the most track
and field All-America finishes in program history.
Courtney McQuaide (Saltsburg, Greensburg-Salem, H.S.) of Slippery Rock University
of Pennsylvania won the pole vault competition at the NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor
Track and Field Championships in Charlotte, clearing 3.95 meters with her final successful
vault. A redshirt junior, McQuaide’s championship performance completed her comeback
from a serious injury two years ago that caused her to miss an entire year of competition.
She earned her second straight first team All-America honor.
Georgia Wright (Doncaster, England) of West Chester University of Pennsylvania repeated
her championship performance of a year ago, again winning both the 1,000- and 1,650-
yard freestyle events at the Division II Swimming and Diving Championships held in
Greensboro. Only a sophomore, Wright already is a seven-time All-American. She also
was named the PSAC Swimmer of the Year for her season-long performance and outstanding
swimmer at the PSAC Championships after winning four individual events and setting
three conference records. As a team, West Chester won its 12th straight conference
title this year and interim head coach Steve Mazurek was named PSAC Coach of the Year.
Outgoing Interim Chancellor Karen M. Whitney honored
The Board recognized the contributions of outgoing Interim Chancellor Dr. Karen M.
Whitney for her service as president of Clarion University of Pennsylvania and to
the State System. Newly appointed chancellor, Dan Greenstein, will take office Sept.
4.
Dr. Whitney served as president of Clarion University for seven years before accepting
the role of interim chancellor last September. As Clarion’s president, Dr. Whitney
provided “outstanding leadership as she guided the university through extraordinary
challenges while maintaining the institution’s commitment to serving students and
ensuring their success,” according to a resolution adopted unanimously by the Board.
She also “advanced the mission of the entire State System through her leadership of
the Council of Presidents and her enthusiasm in shepherding the implementation of
the System Redesign as interim chancellor.” She was awarded the title president emeritus
by the Board due to her extraordinary service to the System.
Shapira re-elected Board chair; Maser, Smith elected vice chairs
The Board re-elected Cynthia D. Shapira of Pittsburgh to a third term as chair. David M. Maser of Philadelphia and Samuel H. Smith were elected vice chairs. All three will serve one-year terms.
Ms. Shapira is president of the Shapira Foundation, leading the development and implementation
of the foundation's various initiatives, including the Onward Israel and Comprehensive
Excellence projects. She served as vice chair of Governor Tom Wolf's transition team
and serves on the Governor's Advisory Board on Education and Workforce Development.
She also is a member of the board of the Say Yes to Education Foundation. She was
appointed by Governor Tom Corbett to the Pennsylvania Commission on Women and was
a member of the 2012 Pennsylvania Electoral College.
She was recognized by Gov. Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf as one of this year's
Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania, an award that honors women who have shown
distinguished service through their professional career and/or voluntary service.
She is a trustee of Brandeis University and serves as a board member of the Allegheny
County Airport Authority. She previously was chair of the Pennsylvania Center for
Women in Politics at Chatham University and served on the boards of Point Park University,
the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Pittsburgh Promise, United Way of Allegheny County
and WQED Pittsburgh.
She is immediate past chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. She was
a management consultant for twenty years in the non-profit and education sectors,
including 10 years as executive vice president of Pappas Consulting Group, Inc. She
has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wellesley College and a Master
of Public Administration degree from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Mr. Maser is Of Counsel with Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, a nationally known securities
and consumer class action law firm. He has worked in both law and government for 25
years and has been involved with multiple presidential campaigns and numerous other
federal, state and local campaigns.
Mr. Maser also is active in his community, serving as chairman of Philadelphia 3.0;
as a founding member and chairman of the Board of the Garces Foundation; and as a
member of the Pennsylvania Society and the Union League of Philadelphia.
This is his fifth term as vice chair. He also is chair of the Board’s Student Success
Committee.
Mr. Smith served as a state representative for nearly 30 years, representing portions
of Jefferson and Indiana counties. He served four years as Speaker of the House from
2011 to 2015.
He is chairman of the Council of Trustees at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and
serves on the Punxsutawney College Trust, which supports IUP’s branch campus. He has
a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Pennsylvania State University.
This is his first term as vice chair. He also is chair of the Board’s Audit and Compliance
Committee.