Fall 2023 Sports Preview

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By Pia Perthen, Sports Editor

After a tough ending and sad news for some of Saint Leo University’s athletic teams and athletic department employees in the Spring 2023 season, the Saint Leo Lions are trying to make the best out of the fall 2023 season and have already started it with a bang.

Due to the operational changes Saint Leo had to make last semester, the following sports sadly will not continue this year on campus: men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s and women’s swimming.

Additionally, the previous Director of Athletics, Francis Reidy, is not returning to Saint Leo this semester. Instead, Marcal Lazenby, a valuable member of the Saint Leo Athletic Department since August 2017, has been announced as the Interim Director of Athletics and has been implementing the motto “One Pride” since the beginning of the fall 2023 season.

Academically, the Saint Leo Lions are trying this season to tie on their success from last semester as Saint Leo placed No. 195 of the 1,678 student-athletes on the Spring Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Commissioner’s Honor Roll presented by Barnes & Noble College.To be eligible for this award, a student-athlete must post a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00.

Men’s Golf:

The Saint Leo men’s golf team finished their Spring season with a second place in the 2023 SSC Men’s Golf Championship in Miami Beach, Fla., and a No. 15 out of 20 teams at NCAA Regionals at the Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie, Fla.

Francois Cilliers, Alex Heck, and Jake Nash made it on the 2022-23 GCCA All-American Scholar Division II list. To be selected for this honor, male golfers must participate in 50percent of their team’s competitive rounds, play under 78.0 strokes, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2.

The Saint Leo Lions had a solid start to the fall 2023 season as grand senior Jake Nash won the Griffin Invitational in Petersburg, Va., and helped lead the team to win the tournament in the team category.

Head Coach Chris Greenwood said after the tournament, “It’s always nice to get a win. It is special to win the Griffin Invitational.”

In addition, sophomore Enzo Barbaglia took home the win at The Shark Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with a total score of -7 (206 strokes).

Barbaglia has his first collegiate win in the books. (Photo was provided by SLU Athletics Department)

Men’s golf hopes to continue their success and will play their next tournament, Copperhead Championship, on Oct. 22 – Oct. 24 at Innisbrook Resort, Fla.

Women’s Golf:

Last year the Lions ended their 2022-2023 season at the 2023 SSC Women’s Golf Championship where they tied for fourth at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Saint Leo, Fla.

Additionally, the women’s golf team found success both on and off the course in five athletes, Laurence Lamer, Elena Verticchio, Pia Perthen, Maya Cote, and Ana Valentina-Guarderasbeing named WGCA All-American Scholars. For an athlete to be named to this list, they must carry a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and have competed in at least 50 percent of tournament rounds.

“Looking back at last season, I’m proud of the progress we made as a team. It is motivating to see how far we have come, and it fuels our determination for the new season,” Head Coach Lyndsey Bevill said as she reflected on the 2022-2023 season.

These words turned out to be true, as the women’s golf team started the fall 2023 season with immense success.

Sophomore Olivia Deakins won their opening tournament, DBU Classic, at the Robinson Ranch WildHorse Golf Club in Texas, with an outstanding total score of -9 with rounds of 67, 67, and 73. Marking this Olivia Deakin’s first collegiate win, she also got awarded with SSC Player of the Week. The team was second before the final day and ended up in seventh place after the final round.

Women’s golf had a solid fall 2023 season start, with Deakins shooting some low rounds in Texas. (Photo was provided by SLU Athletics Department)

The female Lions are continuing their season from Oct. 9 – Oct. 10 at Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega, Ga. for the 10^th Annual LeeAnn Noble Memorial, followed by their home tournament on Oct. 16 – Oct. 17 at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club.

Saint Leo women’s golf will end the fall 2023 season with The NCAA Preview on Oct. 30 – Oct. 31 in Orlando, Fla.

Men’s Soccer:

The Saint Leo University men’s soccer team concluded its fall 2022 season as the Lions fell to Lynn University 2-0 at Bobby Campbell Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. The Saint Leo Lions finished their season 7-9 with two conference wins.

After the finish of their last fall season, the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) announced its Academic All-District, as Graduates Ricardo Ceballos and Miguel Fernandez, along with Sophomores Luca Tiozzo, Noah Kvifte and Sebastian Inigo, were selected to represent the Saint Leo University men’s soccer team.

The 2022 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Brett Parker, the Lions opened their 2023 season at home versus the Auburn Montgomery Warhawks on September 1 which resulted in a 0-1 loss.

The season’s first conference game was on September 20 away at Tampa, where the Lions won 1-0.

After ten games, and as of Oct. 4, the men’s team’s overall records are 3-3-4 (wins-ties-losses).

Ricardo Ceballos has been awarded the SSC Defensive Player of the Week due to his fantastic efforts versus Tampa and Florida Tech. This will be Ceballos’ second time receiving this award and the first time this season.

Ceballos has been awarded the SSC Defensive Player of the Week and the Lions have achieved overall records of 3-3-4 (as of Oct. 4). (Photo was provided by SLU Athletics Department)

Their next home games will be on Oct. 14 against Lynn University and Oct. 21 against Embry-Riddle University. The Lions will close their regular season versus Rollins on November 3 at home.

Women’s Soccer:

The Saint Leo women’s soccer team is coming off a successful 8-6-2 fall 2022 season that saw them reach SSC postseason play, and they had four times the number of wins than in the previous season.

Same as for the men’s team in fall 2022, the College Sports Communicators announced its Academic All-District team, as graduates Maitane Bravo, Raylyn Straubmuller, and Caitlin Strong, along with seniors Nina Mueller, Alexa Guido, and Jill Sutherland were selected.

The Lions kicked off their fall 2023 season under the lead of Head Coach Ged O’Connor as they travelled to Palm Beach Atlantic to take on the Sailfish on September 2 and tied with 1-1.

Women’s soccer has had a solid start into their season and are trying to continue their success. (Photo was taken by Hailey Latlief)

Their first conference game of the season was held on September 20 at the Saint Leo Soccer Field against the University of Tampa, where they tied 0-0.

The team and their alumnae will be hosting a Leukemia Awareness Night in honour of Saint Leo alumna Jasmine Johnson, who fought to bring awareness to the cause throughout her lifetime. Johnson, a two-time All-South Region selection for the Lions, battled leukaemia in 2009 until her untimely passing in May 2020.

In a lead-up to the evening game, Saint Leo student-athletes will host two stations on campus from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18^, to allow students, faculty, staff, and community members to join the registry and get swabbed.

Afterward, the Lions will play Eckerd College on the Saint Leo Soccer Field.

The Lions will finish the regular season versus Rollins on the road on October 31 with a 7p.m. start time in Winter Park.

Volleyball:

The women’s volleyball team closed out their 2022 regular season on the road against the University of Tampa with an overall record of 12-19 (wins-losses) and an SSC record of 5-15.

Like soccer, the College Sports Communicators announced its Academic All-District Team in fall 2022, as seniors Elizabeth Sandoval, Skylar Singleton, and Ally-Reese Williams, along with junior Jeanette Henderson, were selected to be on the list.

The Lions opened the 2023 season against Edward Waters on September 1. Under the lead of Head Coach Natalia Koryzna, the Lions swept the Tigers 3-0 and kicked off the season with an early 1-0 record. Their current record after 13 games is 8-5, and an SSC record of 3-4 as of Oct. 6.

The Lions are locked in and are giving their best on and off the volleyball court. (Picture was taken by Hailey Latlief)

The first conference game of the season took place on September 15 in Lakeland, Fla., where the Lions lost against Florida Southern College 0-3.

Upcoming home games are on Oct. 13 vs. Barry University, Oct. 14 vs. Lynn University, and Oct. 31 vs. the University of Tampa in the Marion Bowman Activities Center on the Saint Leo campus.

The volleyball team will close out the regular season in a matchup versus Lynn University on November 17 as the squad will travel to Boca Raton.

For the latest news, updates, and information about sports, visit the Saint Leo athletics website. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, or YouTube.

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