Phenoms Under 40 - CUA Magazine - The Catholic University of ...

also had the chance to be a marquee guyon what has great potential to become achampionship team.”They start ’em young at CatholicUniversity. This past year, for example,freshman Mary Swarthout of Rockville, Md.,made a big mark in two sports: lacrosseand field hockey, becoming the secondhighestscorer on both teams. She wasnamed the Landmark Conference Rookieof the Year in lacrosse and CUA’s Rookieof the Year in field hockey.“Mary is an incredible athlete,” sayslacrosse coach Meghan McDonogh, “and Ibelieve she could have made any team inthe country. The team calls her PositivePolly. She’s a unique athlete because she’sconstantly thinking, ‘How can I help myteam next?’ ”Megan Rizzi of Mont Vernon, N.H., isanother 2008–2009 freshman who wasnamed conference Rookie of the Year —in her case, in the sport of softball. Shestarted all 34 games for CUA and led theteam with a .430 batting average. Her 14Jason Banzhafdoubles, five home runs and 30 RBIs werealso team highs, while her six stolen basesmake her a threat on the base paths. Herachievements got her named to the All-Landmark-Conference Second Team.As for 2008–2009 freshman and soccermidfielder Michael DiMarco, a lot of universitiesnoticed his stellar play in high schooland attempted to recruit him, says men’ssoccer coach Travis Beauchamp. At CatholicUniversity, DiMarco got the opportunityto start in 18 of the year’s 20 contests,was fourth on the team in goals, and tiedfor third on the team in assists. He wasrewarded for his efforts by being namedthe conference Rookie of the Year in men’ssoccer.“I liked the idea of going to a smallCatholic school in a big city,” says DiMarco,who hails from Voorhes, N.J. “After talkingto DI coaches and to friends who went toDI universities, I knew it would be easierto jump right in at CUA. I didn’t want tosit out my first year or two.”“Michael is very grounded in his faith,and is a member of the Honors Program,”says his coach. “Everyone on the teamrespects him. He just makes us better.”— K.J.Brianna PetersonWomen’s LacrosseThe women’s lacrosse team finishedthe regular season with a 15-3 recordand won the Landmark Conferencetournament. Ranked 10th in the nation,the team qualified to play in the NCAADivision III national tournament for thesecond straight year.In the first-round NCAA tournamentgame on May 6, the Cardinals beatMessiah College 9-8. Three days later,the Cardinals defeated the Universityof Mary Washington 19-14.The following day — in the Elite 8round — CUA was pitted against theNo. 1 team in the country, SalisburyUniversity. Salisbury won that match18-14.With its 2008 and 2009 NCAAtournament performances, the teamhas established itself as one of the mostsuccessful women’s sports teams inCUA’s history, according to AthleticDirector Mike Allen.BaseballFor the second year in a row, themen’s baseball team won theLandmark Conference Tournamentchampionship — this time with an11-3 victory over the U. S. MerchantMarine Academy on April 30. TheCardinals ended the season with a22-20 record.FootballSPORTSHORTSThe CUA football team finished the2008 season with its first postseasonwin since 1935, and will look tocontinue its success in 2009. “We’llprobably have the best offensive anddefensive lines since I’ve been a coachhere,” says Dave Dunn, who took thehelm in 2006. “We’ll be more athleticin some positions, and should makequite an impact in the conference.”S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 11