Kristina Santaga: Driven to Boston

This article appeared originally on Edgewood.edu and is reproduced for our Eagle fans here. Enjoy!

There may be a challenge out there that Kristina Santaga ’13 isn’t capable of meeting, we’re just not sure what it is.
The Green Bay native graduated with a BS in Biology in 2013. She was two-sport athlete – soccer and track & field – and today she’s in the College’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

On Monday, April 14, she was among the thousands of runners in the Boston Marathon. This year marked the first Boston Marathon since a terrorists’ attack near the finish line in 2013.

“I had so many of my fellow nursing students follow my run and text me before and after my race,” she says. “It was such an amazing experience to be there this year, so inspiring.”

“I ran proudly in an Edgewood College jersey and heard the crowd yell ‘go Eagles’ throughout my race. Being cheered as an Edgewood Eagle means a lot to me and helped me when it got tough,” she says.

“I kept thinking that, without Edgewood College and the wonderful professors, coaches, and staff, I wouldn’t be so driven to follow my passions. The compassionate, encouraging, welcoming, and spiritual atmosphere at the Boston Marathon reminded me of the Edgewood College atmosphere every day I arrive on campus.” 

Spring Break in Florida!

The Edgewood College softball team spent their spring break in Florida at the Gene Cusic Classic and brought home a record of 6-3. After dropping their first two games, the Eagles won six in a row, their longest win streak since 2008.

The Eagles flew out of Milwaukee and continued a tradition on the ride to the airport from Madison. All freshman picked out a number for their karaoke single and serenaded the team.

After a long week, the team was rewarded with a day off. The Eagles hit the beach and then went out for dinner at Bahama Breeze. There is not enough room in this post for all of the pictures and selfies that were taken, but here are a few samples...

 Edgewood College is scheduled to kick off their conference schedule the weekend of March 29 in Illinois. The Eagles play Benedictine University on Saturday and then Aurora on Sunday, March 30. Hopefully the weather will cooperate! Live stats can be found on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com.

John Fahey: "I wouldn't trade it for any job in the world"

This article appeared originally on Edgewood.edu and is reproduced for our Eagle fans here. Enjoy!

Hometown: Oregon, Wis.
Academic: Business, Marketing concentration ‘08
Notable: Video Scout - Golden State Warriors (NBA)

Four years of basketball at Edgewood College may not have led John Fahey to a career as a professional basketball player, but that did not stop him from ‘making it’ in the NBA.

“I am currently in my fourth season with the Golden State Warriors. As a Video Scout I’m in charge of breaking down upcoming opponent game film: play sets, play calls, player tendencies and team tendencies. We create all the film the team watches prior to games and practices as well as assist coaches during team meetings, film sessions, workouts, and practices. It’s an extremely involved job that requires long hours. Most days tend to be about 14-16 hours a day in the office. But it allows such exposure to the game and a tremendous environment to learn that at no point in my four years have I ever once considered my job work. I wouldn’t trade it for any job in the world.”

Fahey credits Edgewood College for many of the skills he uses day in and day out. “I graduated with a Business Marketing degree. My time at Edgewood College helped me prepare for my next step regardless of my concentration in school. As a student-athlete I learned how to build relationships and work together on and off the court, which has proved to be very important in all aspects of life, especially my field. I had some amazing teachers and coaches at Edgewood College that had a large impact on helping me reach this position, and become the person I am today.”

Like most things in life, Fahey’s job comes with challenges, but it is the rewarding aspects that make his position with the Warriors a true dream job. “The most challenging part of my job would be the amount of work that you put in on a daily basis to prepare for upcoming opponents. With games almost every other day and even sometimes back-to-back nights the preparation we put into games is extremely detailed and very time consuming.”

“There are some very rewarding parts of my job as well. The relationships that I’ve built and the places the game of basketball has taken me stand out the most. I’ve had the opportunity to work with people who’ve been role models to me since I began watching the game. I’ve also enjoyed the chance to get to know these people on a personal level, and learn from their journeys. It’s crazy to think that a small orange ball has taken me all over the U.S. and even as far as China this year for two pre-season games against the Los Angeles Lakers, something I never imagined. But at the end of the day being the competitor I am, being part of a team is something that will always drive me. To be able to do something I love and be with a group of coaches and players all fighting for the same goal: to be the last team standing in June. Now that would be something special.” 

#UniteToFight: Jim & Catherine Gainey

We would like you to meet Jim and Catherine Gainey. They met at Edgewood College, fell in love and got married. They have two beautiful children.

And they have a story to tell about their journey on their life touched by cancer. Hear their story and then make the decision that you will #UniteToFight with Jim, Catherine and Edgewood College at Jam the Gym on February 8.

Denay Hering: "I came back a different person"

This article appeared originally on Edgewood.edu and is reproduced for our Eagle fans here. Enjoy!

Denay Hering, a senior Education major from Lake Mills, Wis., had a winter break that was decidedly short on snow. She travelled with a group from UW-Madison to Kenya, to work with the Jirani Project, a nonprofit organization designed to support and provide education for vulnerable Kenyan children. 

“On this trip, something that truly amazed me was how at home I felt in a place that I had never been before,” she says.  “I have never felt happier and more invested in my days than I did while in Kenya. This trip has had such an effect on me that I intend to return in order to pursue my dream of teaching in a different country.”

The group’s work consisted of facilitating a camp for children – much like summer camps anywhere around the globe. “Our job was to create activities from morning until night for the group of nineteen children for about 5 days,” she says. “We provided an array of activities for everyone throughout the camp which included both educational activities and physical games. Everyone had a great time with each other and no one was afraid to act goofy which made it all the more fun.”

Even half a world away, the track and cross country student-athlete felt right at home. “One thing the kids LOVED to do was to play capture the flag. They could have played that all day long. You think us student-athletes are competitive? Play capture the flag with these kids and you’ve never seen people at each others’ throats over a simple game. I was in my element to say the least.”

“At the camp, we all felt comfortable around each other very quickly. This allowed us to form deeper relationships with one another that I’m confident will remain strong for the rest of our lives,” she says. “The kids I met at this camp have left a permanent mark on me. I have never met such resilient and loving people in all of my life. All of the adults and children associated with the Jirani Project were such warm and kind-hearted people who helped to make it a life-changing experience for me.” 

“This experience has taught me so much about myself and has changed my perspective on life. I didn’t expect such drastic changes in the way I think, the way I reflect, and the way I view our society. To see people coming from virtually nothing, yet having such joy in their everyday lives puts the way we live here in perspective. It is astounding what the human spirit can do even in the most heart-wrenching of circumstances. It was truly inspiring for me to recognize that and it has caused me to sit down and think about the way I live my life here.  It is a lesson that everyone can and should learn from. Although I’ve been back for almost a week now, I’m confident that this trip will continue to have me reflecting on my life here and what I can do to make it more joyful like what I experienced in Kenya. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to have such an incredible experience in which I came back a different person that I am proud of.”

Aliou Traore: "I took it as a challenge"

This article appeared originally on Edgewood.edu and is reproduced for our Eagle fans here. Enjoy!

If you want to meet someone who takes full advantage of every opportunity, you should meet Edgewood College senior Aliou Traore.

Take a look at his Eagles’ soccer career, for example. After playing minimal time off the bench in two years at Edgewood College, Traore earned a start in the Eagles second to last regular season game of the year.

All Traore needed was an opportunity. He was able to not only score his first career goal, but the first three of his Eagles career. Traore tallied a hat trick in the first 25 minutes but credited teammates with the performance.

“It felt good as I took it as a challenge. Having the opportunity to start a game was a challenge to show that I can play the game. I love this game and I know I am capable of playing well despite my handicap. I want to say that my teammates also help me scoring those three goals.”

The “handicap” Traore speaks of is his main reason for being in Madison. A native of Gagnoa, Ivory Coast, Traore elaborated on his journey. “My move was due to the fact that my brother who has been in Madison over 15 years found a doctor that could help with my arm here in Madison. But as you can see he was not able to help because the nerves had suffered significant damages which led to the amputation. It was my decision to amputate.” Traore has just one arm after an incident left him paralyzed in his right arm, and he was the one to decide to amputate. A tough decision for any young adult to face, but Traore has not let that stop him from doing the things he loves.

“I am involved with the AAM, and I’ve been accepted to be a board member of the AAM – African Association of Madison." Prior to Edgewood College, Traore spent two years at Madison College. “At MATC I founded a club called the ASA – African Student Association - and was the president for two and a half years.”

Following his time at Madison College, Traore looked to Edgewood College to complete his undergraduate degree. “Edgewood College would accept most of my credit and offered scholarships (including the Transfer Partnership Award, designed especially for transfer students from Madison College and UW System 2-year colleges). If it was not for the scholarships, I don’t think I would have been here. I am also so grateful for the Predolin Scholarship.”

Even as graduation approaches, Traore has developed a strong affinity for his major, Business. “Some of my favorites would be Accounting classes such as Accounting I and II, my Business Capstone, and Fraud and Forensic Accounting.”

Both on the field and in the classroom, Traore has made the most of his opportunities. He’s had a positive impact on those around him here, and after graduation, he’s ready for more of the same. 

Jake Zadra: Your Education Is What You Make It

This article appeared originally on Edgewood.edu and is reproduced for our Eagle fans here. Enjoy!

Jake Zadra ‘13 has heard it a few times already. When he tells people that he actually majored in History at Edgewood College “I usually get some funny looks. On the surface, I might think that’s a weird combination.”

The ‘weird combination’ for Jake is a Bachelor of Science degree in History, with minors in Biology and Chemistry. By all accounts it has worked well. Mr. Zadra graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2013, and this fall learned he’ll begin his next chapter in August 2014 at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where he’ll study to become a doctor.

“Studying History has taught me a lot, and it’s going to make me a better doctor. It really honed my critical thinking skills, for one. And when you study History, you study people. And in medicine, you work with people – so in that way, I’m going to be a better doctor for it.”

That’s a great challenge for anyone, but his record shows he’s ready: he’s a volunteer with the Ski Patrol at Devil’s Head Ski Resort; spent more than 300 hours performing research in the UW-Madison Orthopedic/Biomechanics lab as an intern; captained the Eagles baseball team; was named a Capital One Academic All-American student-athlete; and served as vice-president of the History Club.

Today, he works in the ER at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, and “runs” with the Blooming Grove (Wis.) Fire Department as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician).

Some of his professors said Jake “took a true multidisciplinary, liberal arts approach to his education.”  He puts it this way: “Coming to Edgewood College your options are endless. Your education is what you make it. You can choose to study something you love here, and you’re going to get a fantastic education that will benefit you no matter what field you choose to go into.”

Photo: Associate Professor Jim Goll, Jake Zadra ’13, and Assistant Professor Brenda del Moral, Dominican Honors Convocation, 2013

Podcast: 2013 Eagle women's soccer season review

The 2013 Edgewood College women's soccer team won their first conference title since 2006, for their 10th conference title in history. The Eagles advanced all the way to the NACC Tournament championship match. Listen as head coach Tim Alexander talks about the 2013 team.

2013 Women's Soccer review:


Direct link

Podcast: 2013 men's soccer season review

Edgewood College head men's soccer coach Tim Alexander visited with Director of Athletic Communications David Petroff to discuss the 2013 season. The Eagles reached the NACC Tournament as the sixth seed, but the pulled off a thrilling run all the way to the championship match. Listen here:

2013 Men's Soccer review:


Direct link

Podcast: 2013 Eagle volleyball season review

Edgewood College head volleyball coach Paul Schlomer sat down with Director of Athletics Communications David Petroff to talk about the Eagles 2013 season. Edgewood College won their second straight conference title and advanced to the NACC Tournament championship match for the second consecutive season.

2013 Volleyball review:


Direct link

#Tweagles Talk: Samantha Himmelspach

Are you not getting enough puppy pictures in your daily diet? Well, good news - Samantha Himmelspach will provide plenty. Take a look at the Eagles' defensive specialist in this edition of #Tweagles Talk!

Sam Himmelspach (Volleyball) - @SHimmelspach

4,860 Tweets / 507 Following / 256 Followers

Q. What is your Twitter handle and how did you come up with it?

A: @SHimmelspach, Really not that creative just mashed my name together

Q. How often do you check Twitter?

A: Usually two to three times a day on average, sometimes I forget all about it though!

Q. What would you say is your average number of Tweets?

A: On average I usually tweet about 2-3 times a day! However, I tweet the most after big wins for ECVB (@ECEagles_VB) or if Cute Emergency (@CuteEmergency) is really upping their game on cute puppies for the day! (I retweet those often)

Q. Which of your teammates has the best Tweets and why?

A: I would say that the teammates with the best tweets are Katie Wedvick (@kwedvick) and Jessi Martin (@JessiMartin_11) mainly because all three of our tweets are of cute puppies and the obnoxious amount of food we like to eat!

Q. The people I follow in volleyball are…

A: Everyone on the team that has one! The only one who I think I don't follow (because she doesn't have one) is Lindsey Swansby! Along with the coaches, who have displayed their struggles with the twitter world!

Q. Someone who you wouldn’t think I follow is…

A: The entire casts of Scandal (@ScandalABC)and Grey's Anatomy (@GreysABC). However, the people who know me probably aren't that surprised by that!

Q. The people whose tweets you can’t miss…

A: Liz Evans (@MITSUK0_) because all she does is make fun of herself for being tall and awkward; especially around attractive men!

Q. I wish _____ was on Twitter.

A: Paul Schlomer because I wish the entire world was informed on all the crazy facts and metaphors that we as a team are subject to everyday!

Q. What Edgewood College coach or athlete do you wish was on Twitter?

A: Other than Paul, I would have to say Lindsey Swansby, mainly because she's a quiet girl but the one-liners that come out of her mouth are something nobody should miss!

If you have not seen the Edgewood College volleyball team in action this season, get to the Todd Wehr Edgedome this Saturday for a big Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match against Dominican University! Gametime is at noon. If you can't make it Saturday, take a look at the rest of the Eagles' schedule to plan an outing. 

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Summer of the Eagles: Summer baseball leagues

Andrew Lauritzen

A number of Edgewood College baseball players are gaining experience and honing their skills in collegiate summer leagues.

Rising senior pitcher Trevor Koehn played the first half of the season with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League. Koehn made five appearances and got stronger nearly every time out of bull pen. He went 1-1, picking up his first win on June 30 when he threw three innings of shutout ball, which gave the Rafters the chance to rally from behind for an 8-6 victory over the La Crosse Loggers. Koehn had a 3.68 earned run average in 14.2 innings pitched, while striking out seven batters. The Northwoods League is generally considered one of the nation's top wood bat collegiate summer leagues.

Andrew Lauritzen picked up right where he left off at the end of his freshman season for the Eagles. Laurtizen, playing for the Olympia (Wash.) Athletics in the Puget Sound Collegiate League, leads the entire PSCL in batting average (.500) and is third in slugging percentage (.553) as of July 7. Laurtizen's team is currently fourth in the PSCL with a record of 7-11.

Ryan O'Dell, who will be a senior next season, is playing again for the Oswego (Ill.) Cats in the Chicago Suburban Baseball League. Last summer O'Dell and the Cats won the AABC Illinois State championship, the AABC North Central Regional Championship and advanced to the AABC Stan Musial World Series where they placed fourth. O'Dell is currently hitting .291 and is second on the team with 14 runs batted in. O'Dell's team has won 11 of their last 13 games and is in second place with a 13-8 record.

Other Eagles are playing in the legendary Home Talent Baseball League, an adult amateur circuit based in south central Wisconsin that began in 1929. Ben Jennings is playing for Black Earth, who currently leads the Northern Section, Jared Raupp is on the Monroe team and Peter Hefty is playing for Hollandale. Hefty ranks eighth in the Western Section with a .361 batting average.

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Summer of the Eagles: Coaches vs. Cancer

MADISON, Wis. - Edgewood College men's basketball head coach Justin Meyer, along with four other collegiate basketball coaches from Wisconsin teamed up to beat cancer last May. Coach Meyer was joined at the Coaches vs. Cancer Wisconsin Gala by UW-Madison coach Bo Ryan, UW-Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter, UW-Parkside coach Luke Reigel and UW-Platteville coach Jeff Gard.

Now in its sixth year, the Coaches vs. Cancer Gala, held at the University of Wisconsin's Kohl Center raised $690,000 to support the American Cancer Society's mission to save lives. The 2013 gala included both a silent and live auction including memorabilia, sporting events tickets, gift certificates to local business and luxury vacation getaways.

This year's total made the Coaches vs. Cancer Wisconsin Gala the number one fundraising Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising event in the nation this year.

Summer of the Eagles: Ben Pratscher

No more classes, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks, right? (Well, not our Edgewood College professors. We love you!).

Summer is certainly meant to be a time for our Edgewood College student-athletes to take a break from their academics, recharge their batteries and without question, have some fun. For many Eagles, like Ben Pratscher, summer is a chance to give to others who could use a helping hand.

This summer Ben, an Edgewood College men's tennis player, was hired to the staff of the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). ASP recruits volunteers to work with low-income families in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and Virginia to renovate sub-standard housing and provide a warm, dry and safe place to live.

You can read all about Ben and his work with ASP on his blog "The Life of a Staffer." Follow the link and read about Ben and his volunteer teams working to put families in need in homes they can depend on.

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Eagle women's tennis featured on NBC-15

The Edgewood College women's tennis left for Chicago on Wednesday to prepare for their fourth NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in the last five years. NBC-15 of Madison caught up with head coach Ben Oestreich and the team on their last practice before the trip. Special thanks to Robb Vogel and Hobie Artigue for the coverage...

Eagles tops in NAC on social media

Nobody wins every conference title, but Edgewood College is currently winning the Northern Athletics Conference social media race! As of May 3, 2013, here are the total number of Facebook likes and Twitter followers on each member school's main athletics account...

FACEBOOK LIKES

Edgewood	1,429
Aurora	1,310
Benedictine	1,182
Concordia Wis.	1,111
Lakeland	867
Wis. Lutheran	739
Dominican	577
Alverno	329
Concordia Chi.	307
Rockford	295
Marian	249
MSOE	233

TWITTER FOLLOWERS

Edgewood	937
Concordia Wis.	778
Lakeland	745
Benedictine	672
Wis. Lutheran	646
Aurora	635
Concordia Chi.	528
Marian	486
MSOE	381
Dominican	376
Alverno	285
Maranatha Baptist	98
Rockford	89

Thanks to all the Edgewood College Eagles fans who use social media to follow our teams! Spread the word and keep the Eagles on top!

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Dave Pallone's visit to Edgewood College

On Friday, April 26, former Major League Baseball umpire Dave Pallone visited Edgewood College to talk to Eagle student-athletes on sexual orientation in life and athletics. Both WISC-TV 3 and WMTV NBC 15 covered his lecture in Anderson Auditorium....

Openly gay umpire talks sports, sexuality barriers (Courtesy of WISC-TV 3)



Here's the story from Hobie Artigue from WMTV NBC-15. (Direct link)

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#Tweagles Talk: Tiffani Pierce

It has been a while since we have posted a #Tweagles talk, but you don't want to miss out on this one!   Get to know the Edgewood College softball team after following this student-athlete!

Tiffani Pierce (Softball) - @Tifferssniffer

3,520 Tweets / 191 Following / 151 Followers

Q. What is your Twitter handle and how did you come up with it?

A: @Tifferssniffer, It was an old AOL screen name made by my sister and a friend. 

Q. How often do you check Twitter?

A: Probably every 3 hours.

Q. What would you say is your average number of Tweets?

A: Maybe two on average a day.

Q. Which of your teammates has the best Tweets and why?

A: Karlie Klossner (@KKlossner) has the best tweets because she uses very inspirational quotes that helps the day going.

Q. The people I follow in softball are…

A: Jessica Spitzer (@Jessie_Rae10), Carlene DeCoster (@carlenedecoster), Charnette Leikness (@CLeikness), Alexis Unser (@Lexi_unser), Karlie Klossner (@KKlossner), Rachel DeJongh (@ratcheldejongh), Jackie Diesch (@JDiesch), Taylor Buchanan (@TaylorBuchanan2), Taylor Harbort (@taylorrrh21), and Caitlin Lowe (@Caitlinlowe), a softball player from University of Arizona and played on the USA team.

Q. Someone who you wouldn’t think I follow is…

A: Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow), she is too funny!

Q. The people whose tweets you can’t miss…

A: I don't have one specific person, everyone I follow is entertaining.

Q. I wish _____ was on Twitter.

A: Things Charlie says because Charnette Leikness (@CLeikness) says the funniest things that should be documented.

Q. What Edgewood College coach or athlete do you wish was on Twitter?

A: Mike Metcalf, assistant softball coach and head of security, he always has something hilarious to say. 

Follow Tiffani and the rest of the Edgewood College softball as they make a run at the Northern Athletics Conference tournament. The Eagles have doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday and the rest of their schedule can be seen here. 

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WISC-TV3: Coaches react to Rutgers basketball video

Edgewood College head men's basketball coach Justin Meyer was featured in a WISC-TV3 piece by Mary Jo Ola about the incident regarding the Rutgers coaching situation.

Original link to WISC-TV3: http://www.channel3000.com/news/Coaches-react-to-Rutgers-basketball-video/-/1648/19602520/-/lfk1nwz/-/index.html
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Separated at birth?

The Eagles' Carlene DeCoster (left) and actress Ellen Page (right)

If you attend an Edgewood College softball game this season for the first time you might hear “Here we go, Juno” or “Come on Juno!” from the Eagles dugout. Don’t bother looking at your program. There’s no one named Juno there. Junior Carlene DeCoster (@carlenedecoster) was tagged with the nickname her freshman year that has stuck with her throughout her time here at Edgewood College. Where did it come from?

Have you ever seen the movie Juno with the actress Ellen Page? Well, that is her in the picture (on the right) and this is where the pseudonym all began. DeCoster says you can give the credit to teammate and starting shortstop Jessica Spitzer, who recognized DeCoster’s looks and even voice to be like that of the talented actress. The entire year the whole team continued to call her “Juno” and eventually it stuck.

When asked about the alias, DeCoster replied “If anyone on the softball team calls me Carlene, it is super weird and I feel like I’m in trouble or something. Half the time I don’t even respond to Carlene anymore.”

Would she legally change her name? “I might consider it. I’ve had this conversation with multiple people before. I love the nickname Juno, however, I’m not really sure what my family would think.”

Now this is not just for the softball team only, but it has traveled to school as well. “I would say that a decent amount of the people that I’ve met at school call me Juno and probably half of them think it’s my real name. Since all the softball girls call me that, other people just think it’s my real name.”

Even at a summer waitressing job DeCoster tricked her entire table. “I had a table that was legitimately convinced I was Ellen Page’s twin or something. The crazy lady called me Juno the entire time they were there and she kept pulling up a photo on her phone and creepily holding it up to me and going on about how much I look like her. It was extremely weird.”

Now the next time you head out to Ceniti Park in Verona to cheer on the Eagles, you can join in the cheers as well. Soon enough, you might find it difficult to call her Carlene as well.

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