Dear Alumni and Friends of ESU Athletics,

Please allow me to take a few moments to let you know about some of the great things that are going on in the East Stroudsburg University Department of Athletics. Our program is succeeding academically, athletically and financially thanks to the work of our administrators, coaches and student-athletes, and also due to the commitment and loyalty of our alumni, friends and parents.

The success of East Stroudsburg's athletic program can be partially measured by its extensive participation in both PSAC and NCAA post-season play. In the 2007-08 academic year, ESU sent its men's soccer team to the NCAA Tournament and sent a record number of athletes to the NCAA Track & Field Championships, with five during the indoor and eight during the outdoor season.

The Warriors also excelled in the classroom, leading the PSAC by a wide margin with 10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II selections. Seven of the honorees were also All-PSAC in their sport. Representing ESU were Danny Drago (men's soccer), Sam Shuman (football), Chris Bach (men's basketball), Monika Fogelsanger and Jackie Yandrisevits (women's basketball), Kristen Halvorsen (softball), Sean Carr (wrestling), Julian Taibi (men's tennis) and Trina Carito and Kristen Morby (women's track & field).

The men's soccer team, led by All-American Danny Drago, won its 15th PSAC championship in 26 years with a 1-0 double overtime victory against Lock Haven and made the 21st NCAA tournament appearance in school history. Head coach Jerry Sheska earned Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors and has guided the Warriors to 13 of the last 16 conference crowns.

High jumper Lynn Mayer was an All-American in both indoor and outdoor track & field and was joined by Rusty Smith (indoors, 55m hurdles) and Iuri Pinto (outdoors, 1500m) to give ESU three individual All-Americans for the first time in school history.

ESU claimed a total of six All-Americans in 2007-08 - Drago, Mayer, Smith, Pinto and field hockey players Karleigh Bowen and Nikki Trunzo.

Five other teams made PSAC postseason appearances - women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, softball, women's lacrosse and men's tennis.

The women's soccer team advanced to the PSAC semifinals for the first time since 1998, led by PSAC East Coach of the Year Rob Berkowitz and PSAC East Player of the Year Brittany Staub. The basketball programs both qualified for the PSAC tournament for the third straight year, making ESU and California the only two PSAC schools to accomplish that on both the men's and women's side.

Women's lacrosse head coach Lynne Elphick, the PSAC Coach of the Year, guided her team to 11 wins to match the school record and made the PSAC tournament for the first time in three years. The softball and men's tennis teams both went to the postseason for the second straight season.

Men's basketball player Chris Bach was named to the PSAC Winter Top 10 for his athletic and academic accomplishments last season. The PSAC also recognized Al McCormick as the women's tennis Coach of the Year, and Katie D'Ambrosia as the Rookie of the Year.

Many new athletic initiatives have also taken place, including three major projects at Eiler-Martin Stadium, where our football, soccer and track & field teams compete. In the last three years, the facility has been upgraded with an all-weather track, lights and artificial turf to give ESU one of the premier venues in the PSAC. Other initiatives include the installation of artificial turf at Whitenight Field (field hockey and lacrosse), dugouts at the Mitterling Baseball Field, and the complete renovation of the athletic training room. The coaches and I feel very strongly that the student athlete's achievements and facility upgrades could not be possible without your support and generosity.

Winning National and Conference Championships is our ultimate goal! As you all know, competing and succeeding are very different.

Looking back...ESU has succeeded at a high level of competition as is evident with the 66 conference championships won, 29 NCAA postseason appearances, more than 240 NCAA All-Americans and 500 All- Conference student athletes.

Looking forward...the cost of success in the competitive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and NCAA will create challenges for ESU athletic teams unless scholarships and facilities continue to be enhanced.

At this time I would like to invite you to join the Warrior Athletic Club or renew your existing membership. The Warrior Athletic Club, now in its 5th year, is one of the largest annual fundraising programs for men's and women's intercollegiate athletics at ESU. There are many benefits to joining the club including receiving season tickets, Warrior sports wear, name recognition in sport publications, tax deduction and much more.

As a Warrior Athletic Club member, your contribution will provide the student-athletes with "the gift of education" by supplementing their cost for tuition, fees, textbooks and room and board as they earn a degree from a nationally recognized university. You also give the student athlete the opportunity to participate in the highly competitive PSAC, NCAA Division II and Division I in wrestling.

The climb to be the best always seems to come with sacrifice and a sincere commitment. Please join "the team behind the team" and help the Warriors continue to build on the achievements of the past while adding momentum to the future.

Thank you in advance for your investment in ESU through The Warrior Athletic Club. I am grateful for your generous support, which will strengthen the East Stroudsburg University athletic program. If you have any questions about The Warrior Athletic Club, ESU Athletics or want to become more involved please don't hesitate to call me at (570) 422-3642.

Yours in Championship Athletics,

Tom Gioglio, Ed.D.
Director of Athletics