NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

(senior, Lake Worth, Florida) was selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-South Region Second Team. Ranked No. 6 in the South Region, the Sharks Baseball team concluded their regular season with a third place SSC finish at 14-8 and 31-21 overall record. Sharks’ first baseman Bryan Cook (senior, Rockledge, Florida) was named SSC Player of the Year, in addition to being named to the SSC First Team. Cook was also named to the ABCA/Rawlings South Region First team and the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America First Team. He was then named South Region Baseball Player of the Year and an ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-American. He was projected to be a top 10-round pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball Amateur Player Draft. The No. 12, nationally ranked Sharks tennis team concluded their season with a 14-8 record and reached the NCAA South Regional Tennis Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Junior Ulia Talalenko (Naples, Florida) was named a first team All- Sunshine State Conference honoree. Playing in the No. 1 singles position, Talalenko concluded the season 16-3 overall. The NSU Women’s Golf team captured the 2008 Sunshine State Conference Women’s Golf Championship, as well as the NCAA South Regional title for the first time in program history. The No. 2, nationally ranked Sharks advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship and were national runners-up, finishing just seven strokes behind Rollins College. The National Golf Coaches Association named NSU women’s golfer Sandra Changkija (freshman, Orlando, Florida) PING NGCA Division II Player of the Year and Division II Freshman of the Year. Changkija was also on the Duramed FUTURES Tour NGCA Division II All-American First Team, where she was joined by teammate Maria Garcia-Austt (sophomore, Montevideo, Uruguay). NSU has had back-to-back recipients of the National Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards, as Garcia-Austt swept both awards last season. The No. 5-ranked NSU men’s golf team also advanced to the NCAA Division II men’s Golf National for the first time in program history. The Sharks placed fifth, eight shots behind the leaders, among 20 teams. The NSU men’s golf team’s Greg O’Mahony (junior, Tequesta, Florida), and Constantin Schweirz (junior, Tegernsee, Germany), were named to the GCAA Division II PING All-American Third Team. The NSU Women’s Rowing team won its second consecutive Sunshine State Conference Rowing Championship by posting first place finishes in both Varsity 8 and Varsity 4 races, sweeping the title. Women’s rower Monica Henderson (senior, Orlando, Florida) was selected Sunshine State Conference Rower of the Year while John Gartin , head coach, earned SSC Coach of the Year honors. The varsity 8 boat was also named the SSC Boat of the Year. The Sharks were invited to the NCAA Women’s Rowing National Championships for a record-setting fifth consecutive year. NSU captured the women’s division of the Sunshine State Conference Mayor’s Cup, presented to the school that has posted the highest combined finishes in the regular season standings, among the nine SSC member institutions. The NSU Department of Athletics appreciates the support of its fans and the university administration. The success of our teams and student-athletes, both on the field and in the classroom, are a direct reflection of this support. We graciously say, “Thank you.” n 35 horizons robert M. prior is associate director of athletics, communications, and external operations.