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George Mason

Monday, March 25, 2013 1:20 p.m.

George Mason move to Atlantic 10 becomes official

by Elizabeth Traynor
basketball

Former Colonial Joe Katuka attempts to get around two George Mason defenders at a game two years ago. Hatchet File Photo

Load up your SmartTrips, because it’s official: the Patriots are coming to the Atlantic 10.

The league announced George Mason’s addition, after the news broke last night, today. It will join the league in all sports starting July 1.

“I am honored and excited to welcome George Mason to the Atlantic 10 conference. They are a perfect fit for our league with world-class academic programs and a nationally successful intercollegiate athletic program,” A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a release. “The addition of [George] Mason further strengthens our footprint, enhances our brand and will allow us to continue to build on our national prominence and success in men’s basketball and all sports.”

The Patriots are the newest faces among an often-changing cast of A-10 characters. The shake-up started with the announced departures of Temple and Charlotte, which were then replaced by Butler and VCU. But the Big East break-up gave rise to the recent developments that will see the Bulldogs and Xavier depart the Atlantic 10 next season.

George Mason will likely pay $1 million in early exit fees to leave the Colonial Athletic Association in favor of the A-10, a switch VCU made last year. Their men’s basketball (19-14) team is currently competing in the College Basketball Invitational and will host Houston in the quarterfinals tonight.

“Our partnership with the Atlantic 10 is one that we have considered carefully and we have concluded with confidence that the time is right to join the A-10,” George Mason president Ángel Cabrera said. “We are confident that our new partnership with the A-10 is critical to helping us build on our past with optimism for a future that influences the landscape of the national capital region and to new markets introduced to us through this valuable relationship with colleges and universities in the A-10.”

The Patriots also bring an added edge to competition with the Colonials: in addition to being a District rival, former GW assistant head coach Roland Houston is now with George Mason. His departure from the Colonials, following the fire of former head coach Karl Hobbs, was one of a chain of cascading events that ultimately resulted in Erik Copes playing for the Patriots instead of GW. At the time, Copes was regarded as the best recruit Hobbs ever brought to Foggy Bottom.

Former Colonial athletic director Jack Kvancz also served as George Mason’s athletic director for 12 years.
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Sunday, March 24, 2013 7:52 p.m.

Report: George Mason to join Atlantic 10

by Elizabeth Traynor

The Colonials are finally getting a crosstown conference rival: George Mason is coming to the Atlantic 10.

basketball

Former Colonial Joe Katuka attempts to get around two George Mason defenders at a game two years ago. Hatchet File Photo

Steven Goff, The Washington Post’s beat reporter for the Patriots, tweeted that the program will join the A-10 effective July 1. His tweet came on the heels of press releases released by both George Mason and the Atlantic 10 touting “major announcements” tomorrow.

The addition is the latest in a series of changes for the A-10 amid the shaky world of conference realignment. It started with the announced departures of Temple and Charlotte, who were then replaced by Butler and VCU. But the Big East break-up gave rise to the recent developments that will see the Bulldogs and Xavier depart the Atlantic 10 next season.

George Mason was a founding member of the Colonial Athletic Association, its current league, in 1985, and will rejoin VCU, another former C.A.A. member, in the A-10. Early exit fees from the C.A.A. total $1 million, the same as the A-10.

The Patriots’ men’s basketball team is currently competing in the College Basketball Invitational, and will host Houston in the quarterfinals Monday. The team has a 19-14 overall record this season. George Mason last made the NCAA tournament in the 2010-11 season. In 2006, it made the Final Four.

The Patriots also bring an added edge to competition with the Colonials: in addition to being a District-rival, former GW assistant head coach Roland Houston now coaches for George Mason. His departure from the Colonials, following the fire of former head coach Karl Hobbs, was one of a chain of cascading events that ultimately resulted in Erik Copes playing for the Patriots instead of GW. At the time, Copes was regarded as the best recruit Hobbs ever brought to Foggy Bottom.

In the end, the quick addition of George Mason to the A-10′s ranks is hardly surprising. Athletic director Patrick Nero previously told The Hatchet that the league was ready to answer decisively should programs depart. The searches for VCU and Butler, he said, created a short list of other potential additions, a list George Mason was long rumored to lead.

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Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 9:24 a.m.

Women’s tennis senior earns Performer of the Week Award

by Nick Ong

Senior Mimi Hamling was named the Atlantic 10 women’s tennis performer of the week Monday.

tennis, mimi, hamling

Senior Mimi Hamling reaches for a hit at a game against Saint John’s University last season. Hatchet File Photo

Hamling earned the award after going undefeated in weekend action, winning both her singles and doubles matches, while leading the Colonials to a 1-1 weekend.

Against Georgetown Saturday, Hamling nabbed a three-set victory over the Hoya’s No.3 singles position, Madeline Jaegar, by scores of 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.  Despite Hamling’s efforts, the Colonials would go on to lose to the cross-town rival Hoyas 4-3.

Looking for a different outcome Sunday against George Mason, Hamling did her part, holding her opponents scoreless on the day as GW successfully swept the Patriots, 7-0.  Teamed up with junior Leah Pascarella at the No.2 doubles position, the duo easily downed GMU’s Ashley Delaney and Maya Hicks, 8-0.  Later, this time at the No. 4 singles spot, Hamling blanked her Patriot’s opponent, Kiersten Pappas, 6-0, 6-0.

This marks the first Performer of the Week award for Hamling, despite having earned the league’s Rookie Performer of the Week three times during her freshman season in 2009-10.

Hamling now looks to lead the Colonials into their first A-10 matches of the season, as they take on Saint Joseph’s on Saturday, Feb. 16, and Duquesne on Sunday, Feb. 17.

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Friday, May 11, 2012 12:44 p.m.

Washington Post: George Mason will not join Atlantic 10

by Elizabeth Traynor
women's basketball, Danni Jackson, George Mason University, Battle of the Orange Line

Then-sophomore forward Danni Jackson battles against George Mason opponents in the Smith Center. Hatchet File Photo

George Mason plans to remain in the Colonial Athletic Association, after being listed as a potential new member of the Atlantic 10, Steven Goff of The Washington Post tweeted today.

“[George Mason athletic director Tom] O’Connor: ‘we felt it was in our best interests to stay,’ citing history, geographic strength. ‘Good things in the CAA moving fwd’,” Goff tweeted.

Goff added that O’Connor said the Patriots were never officially offered A-10 membership, nor did they apply, but they did meet with league representatives before ultimately deciding to remain in the CAA.

George Mason’s addition would have been the second new member of the league, following Butler’s planned transition to the A-10. Following the departures of Charlotte and Temple, VCU remains on list of potential new programs for the conference.

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Tuesday, May 1, 2012 9:11 p.m.

ESPN: Butler’s move to A-10 official

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then-sophomore forward David Pellom drives to the net against Temple last season. Butler will reportedly replace Temple in the A-10. | Hatchet File Photo

Butler will officially join the Atlantic 10 Wednesday, ESPN.com reported today, ending months of speculation about the Bulldogs’ move to the league.

The Bulldogs will leave the Horizon League to formally ask for admission to the Atlantic 10 and serve as the A-10′s replacement for Temple, which will head to the Big East in 2013.

“Butler will officially join the Atlantic 10 for the 2013-14 season Wednesday, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiation process told ESPN.com Tuesday night,” Andy Katz reported.

This season, the Butler men’s basketball team went 20-14 overall, falling in the semifinals of the Horizon League championship to Valparaiso before earning a postseason CBI bid.

Prior to this year, Butler made five straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, starting with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2007. The Bulldogs made it to the title game in the NCAA tournament in 2010 and again in 2011, falling to Duke and Connecticut, respectively.

“The A-10 pulled off a coup in basketball realignment that is akin at its level to the ACC getting Syracuse and Pitt from the Big East in the power six,” Katz wrote. “The A-10 had to replace a legitimate tradition-rich basketball school in Temple with a comparable school and did so with Butler.”

Changes to the A-10′s roster of programs likely will not end with Butler’s move. VCU and George Mason remain on the list of potential additions to the league, and CBSSports.com reported Tuesday that Charlotte will likely leave the Atlantic 10 and is considering a move to Conference USA once it adds a football program in 2013.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:09 p.m.

VCU, George Mason join list of potential additions to A-10

by Elizabeth Traynor
women's basketball, Danni Jackson, George Mason University, Battle of the Orange Line

Then-sophomore forward Danni Jackson battles against George Mason opponents in the Smith Center. CBSSports reports the Patriots are interested in joining the A-10. | Hatchet File Photo

VCU and George Mason have had meetings with the A-10 about their interest in joining the league, CBSSports.com reported Monday.

The pair joins Butler on the list of colleges considering joining the A-10. Butler, VCU and George Mason all compete in “one-bid” leagues where traditionally only the program that wins the conference tournament earns a NCAA tournament bid.

This year, the Atlantic 10 advanced four programs to the NCAA tournament and another four to the NIT. The A-10’s high profile in the postseason is an attractive selling point, director of athletics Patrick Nero said.

He added that the league intends to only add programs that will continue to add to the conference’s success.

“It is an ongoing process. I think the hope is that we’ll start to have some decisions made in the next month or two. And we’re definitely looking at the biggest criteria that who brings the highest value in men’s basketball,” Nero said. “So it will be a school that people will say, okay, they have a great men’s basketball program, that makes sense.”

After Temple announced March 7 it would leave the league for the Big East in the 2013-14 season, speculation began over the programs that would serve as the Owls’ replacement. Temple’s departure from the league was expected, Nero said. CBSSports.com also reported March 13 that Charlotte, an A-10 program that will be adding a football team in 2013, received an “informal invitation” to join the Sun Belt league. The 49ers’ football team will compete as an FCS independent for two seasons and would be eligible to join the Sun Belt in 2015.

The Atlantic 10 is proactive in discussing potential departures from the league, Nero said, and any additions would be programs that ultimately underline the strength of the league’s men’s basketball competition.

“I think we all felt like the Temple departure was imminent, and so it’s almost like, whew, that’s over with. Time to move on,” Nero said. “And so we’re moving on and I think within the next month or two, the conference will have some announcements that will show that we’ll be as strong as ever.”

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Thursday, March 1, 2012 12:48 p.m.

Women’s lacrosse team matches best start in program history

by Elizabeth Traynor
hilary quinn, lacrosse, lax

Senior midfielder Hilary Quinn recorded a team-high four ground balls in the Colonials’ two games last week. | Hatchet File Photo

The Colonials picked up an 11-6 victory at District-rival George Mason yesterday, improving to 3-1 on the season.

Both teams combined for six goals over the first nine minutes of the game, after GW scored three of the first four, but saw the Patriots quickly tie it up. Senior Sarah Phillips broke the stalemate at the 14:17 mark, beginning a 6-0 Colonials run to close the half. During that time, senior Megan Seidman scored twice and added two assists. Her second goal was the 100th of her career, and made her just the third GW player in program history to reach that mark.

George Mason came out of the break on the attack, scoring twice over the first 80 seconds of play. Undaunted, the Colonials defense held the Patriots scoreless for the rest of the game, keeping them to just four shots over the rest of play.

Seidman scored two goals, for a season-high four goals and six points, in the second half. Her four tallies came on five shots, while Phillips earned four points on a goal and three assists, causing three turnovers. Freshman Rachel Mia and senior Casey Disharoon each added two goals, with Disharoon adding three ground balls and three draw controls. Junior goalie Jess Hicks recorded a career-high seven saves.

GW next heads to Bucknell Saturday at 1 p.m.

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Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011 11:54 p.m.

Colonial Athletic Association gauging GW interest in joining league

by Elizabeth Traynor

The Colonial Athletic Association has contacted GW about joining its league, The New York Times reported Sunday, with sources also saying the A-10 is also actively seeking to add new members to its ranks.

The move is a sign of the growing instability in collegiate sports conferences, highlighted by the departures of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Texas Christian University from the Big East. The Times says officials from “basketball-heavy leagues” like the C.A.A. and the A-10 are watching the actions of the major conferences while exploring their options to add potential new members.

The article adds that Stuart Rabinowitz, president of C.A.A. member Hofstra University, and the president of the C.A.A. Council of Presidents and Chancellors, has contacted GW, as well as A-10 rivals Charlotte and Richmond and Boston University, to “gauge informally their interest in joining the C.A.A.”

“There’s a lot of informal conversations going on,” C.A.A. commissioner Tom Yeager said to the New York Times. “Athletic directors are running into each other in the press box on Saturdays, and I think it’s a nonstop topic of conversation. We’re not going after anyone.”

The article also states that the Atlantic 10 is reaching out to different universities about joining the league, including District-rival George Mason and upcoming BB&T Classic opponent Virginia Commonwealth University, both currently C.A.A. members.

The C.A.A. is an NCAA Division I college athletic conference, comprised of 12 members across the East Coast. It already has A-10 ties- in 2007, all of the Atlantic 10′s football programs joined the C.A.A. football conference on a football-only basis. The league has produced 16 national  champions in five different sports, and George Mason and VCU became the first two programs from the conference to reach the NCAA tournament Final Four in 2006 and 2001, respectively.

The C.A.A. also counts several A-10 universities among its associate members, including St. Joseph’s (men’s lacrosse), Dayton (women’s golf), Massachusetts (men’s lacrosse), Rhode Island (football), Richmond (women’s golf, football) and Xavier (women’s golf). Rhode Island will be leaving the C.A.A.’s football conference for the Northeast Conference beginning in 2013.

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Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 5:59 p.m.

Candace Silva-Martin named D.C. Challenge most valuable player

by Elizabeth Traynor
jamie armstrong volleyball

Sophomore Jamie Armstrong, right, sets up for a spike during the D.C. Challenge. The Colonials swept the tournament to clinch its title. | File Photo

Candace Silva-Martin, the junior libero, was named the D.C. Challenge’s most valuable player, two days after the Colonials defeated Georgetown to clinch the tournament title. Senior MacKenzie Knox and sophomore Jamie Armstrong were also named to the All-Tournament Team after GW swept the Challenge.

Silva-Martin posted 53 digs over the course of the tournament, establishing GW’s defense in its three victories over American (3-1, Aug. 26), George Mason (3-1, Aug. 28) and Georgetown (3-2, Sept. 13). She added contributed 12 assists, five service aces and two kills as the Colonials clinched the Challenge.

Knox earned 27 kills against seven errors for a .323 attack percentage during the tournament, posting a team-high 11 blocks.

Armstrong hit a team-high .375 for the tournament with 29 kills, nine digs, three aces and eight block assists, and posted her best match of the tournament against American, when she earned a career-high 14 kills against just four errors for a .417 attack percentage.

Next, GW travels to the San Diego Invitational, opening Sept. 16 against Indiana at 8 p.m. and then facing No. 17 San Diego and UC-Santa Barbara Sept. 17.

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Friday, Aug. 26, 2011 5:29 p.m.

Evening half of Saturday volleyball games postponed

by Elizabeth Traynor

The evening half of Saturday’s D.C. Challenge has been postponed because of the threat of Hurricane Irene.

The event kicks off this year’s volleyball schedule, starting with a match at American tonight. Play was originally scheduled to continue at the Smith Center for four matches Saturday, but the American vs. George Mason and GW vs. Georgetown games originally scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, will be made up at a date to be determined.

The games scheduled for earlier Saturday, GW vs. George Mason at 11 a.m., and American vs. Georgetown at 1 p.m., will go on as scheduled.

 

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