JUNE 12, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

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TOP STORY
1. Penn State Harrisburg Names Gravante to Lead Men’s Lacrosse

“Longtime NCAA Division I head coach Tom Gravante has been named Penn State Harrisburg’s first men's lacrosse head coach, Director of Athletics Rahsaan Carlton  announced.  

Gravante will take charge of a Penn State Harrisburg men's lacrosse program set to begin NCAA competition in the spring of 2027. He brings with him three decades of Division I coaching experience after spending 28 years as the head coach at Mount St. Mary's University and two more as an assistant at Bucknell University.”

» Field Awareness. “During his 28 seasons as head coach at Mount St. Mary's, Gravante led the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and eight conference tournament and regular season championships. A seven-time coach of the year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and Northeast Conference (NEC), Gravante amassed 178 victories during his time at Mount St. Mary’s.”

» What They’re Saying. “The opportunity to launch and represent a new Division III program under the Penn State family is beyond exciting," Gravante said. "It's a chance to build a competitive program from the ground up, rooted with integrity, hard work and passionate commitment to the young men who choose Penn State University for their student-athlete experience. I look forward to working with the current faculty, administration and staff to help my assistants and I build a competitive and respected men's lacrosse program at Penn State Harrisburg.”

COACHING
2. Middlebury Honored as IWLCA DIII National Coaching Staff of Year

“Led by head coach Kate Livesay and assistants Olivia Seymour and Amy Patton, the Panthers claimed their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship with a 10-9 victory over Tufts in the title tilt. Under their guidance, Middlebury tallied its fourth undefeated regular season in a row, owning an 89-2 mark over the past four campaigns.

The program collected multiple major awards, including the IWLCA National Player and Attacker of the Year, five IWLCA All-American honorees and eight IWLCA All-Region selections. At the conference level, the team boasted the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year, five all-conference selections and the coaching staff of the year for the second straight campaign. The squad finished in the top-10 nationally in clearing percentage (fourth - .891), total defense (sixth - 6.64) and scoring margin (10th - 8.82). The Panthers have tallied double-digit goals in the last 72 games and have won 53 consecutive games away from Peter Kohn Field. Middlebury finished the year 21-1 and No.1 in the final IWLCA Division III Poll.”

Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year

• Wesleyan (Berkshire)

• Rowan (Boardwalk)

• Salisbury (Chesapeake)

• St. John Fisher (Empire)

• Denison (Great Lakes)

• Gettysburg (Metro)

• Middlebury (Pilgrim)

• Colorado College (West)

» Read More

NEWS
3. Emory Wins Directors’ Cup

“Emory University becomes just the seventh different institution to take home the Learfield Directors' Cup, capturing first for the 2024-25 year with 1,198.75 overall points. The Eagles scored in 18 total sports (3 of 4 countable sports), including 12 teams with top 10 finishes. One score was omitted from the final standings, men's cross country. Emory claimed the title in women's golf and added third place finishes in men's golf and women's tennis.”

Conference Leaders

» Final Leaders

FINANCES
4. Guilford College Scrambles For Cash to Keep Its Accreditation

by Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

“Guilford College is scrambling to raise cash and balance its budget amid an anticipated decline in enrollment revenue. The college needs to provide a balanced fiscal 2026 budget by December in order to remain accredited.

Describing the institution as “between the proverbial rock and a hard place,” Acting President Jean Bordewich said this week in a community message that the institution’s fiscal 2026 budget will “almost certainly” need cost cuts to meet a projected revenue dip.”

» Why It Matters. “Come December, Guilford will have been on probation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for two years due to financial issues. That’s the maximum time allowed for an institution to be on probation with good cause, per the accreditor’s policy. To stay accredited, the historically Quaker college must show it has the financial resources and ability to manage them to sustain its mission. Accreditation loss would mean Guilford would no longer be eligible to receive federal student aid funds.”

» Backstory. “Founded by North Carolina Quakers in 1837, Guilford has suffered from declining enrollment in recent years along with many other private liberal arts colleges. Between 2018 and 2023, fall headcount declined 23.4% to 1,208 students. And that number is down 57.3% from 2010. With the shrinking student body has come financial struggle. In fiscal 2024, the college reported a total operating deficit of $2.4 million.”

» Read More

FEATURE
5. Arcadia’s Triple Threat: Morganne Dee, Division III 3-Sport Student-Athlete

by Olivia Brown, NCAA

“If Morganne Dee isn't busy, she isn't productive.

So what keeps the Arcadia student-athlete busy? Try playing three collegiate sports — field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse — while maintaining a near-perfect GPA, working a 20-hour-a-week internship and balancing friendships with over 85 teammates.

The Lancaster, New York, native had a childhood filled with competitive dance, softball, soccer, swimming and, eventually, the three sports that would define her college career.”

» The Big Picture. “By the time she finished high school, Dee said she was not ready to give up any of her three favorite sports. She could at least try to play all three, right? She narrowed her path to the Division III level, so when the ice hockey coach at Arcadia reached out, Dee contacted the field hockey and lacrosse coaches, too. All three eagerly welcomed her.”

» Why It Matters. “Dee said playing three sports gave her a mental edge to adapt, manage pressure and stay focused in high-pressure situations. "It made me a better-rounded player and person," she said. "You're constantly learning, adjusting and growing.”

» What They’re Saying. "She is one of the most elite athletes I've worked with, all while maintaining one of the highest GPAs on our team," Kelsey Koelzer, Arcadia's women's ice hockey coach said. "Every single coach couldn't wait to get her back for the portion of their season that she was eligible to play."

» Worth Noting. “By the end of her senior year, she had earned multiple All-Middle Atlantic Conference first-team and Offensive Player of the Year honors in both field hockey and ice hockey, while maintaining a starting position and scoring 142 career goals on her lacrosse team.”

» Continue Reading

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings 

NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN - J’Vonte Hudson named assistant men’s lacrosse coach

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