6 Former Riverhawks Flying Together at NCAA DII Level
ARNOLD, MD – Spring sport highlights have already begun to flood headlines and news outlets for the 2018 season. Recently, Newberry College men's lacrosse of Newberry, South Carolina have broken into the NCAA DII scene with 6 Riverhawk alumni leading the debut. Stone Boone, Bradley Chambliss, Dylan Mansur, Jeremy Ross, Dan Sullivan, and Justin Messersmith have all found themselves apart of the Wolves' first ever NCAA men's lacrosse roster. Furthermore, the first ever official goal of the Wolves' program history will go down in the record books scored by Stone Boone, assisted by Dylan Mansur.
Getting their start at AACC, the 6 former Riverhawks, once sat down together for the first time in their pre-season meeting with the Riverhawk Athletics staff. A point of emphasis directed at each student-athlete during these introductory meetings is, "your goals, are now our goals." A simple message, yet delivered from the core of the athletic department's objective in guiding student-athletes to success.
Anne Arundel Community College Athletic Director Duane Herr elaborates,
"Committing to a college is a major life decision. Committing to then join an athletic program is arguably as big, if not bigger a decision. We strive to ensure our athletes make the best possible decision for them. We understand they have personal and team goals accompanied with personal and family values fueling their each and every decision.
I think the mission of our program sums it up:
When student-athletes choose AACC Athletics, our priority is to promote, challenge, educate and provide them with the opportunity to transfer into four-year institutions. Whether our student-athletes strive to earn a degree with advancement to a career field, continue their academics toward a bachelor's degree at a four-year institution, or continue to pursue both academics and athletics; we want to champion them to reach those goals. So ultimately, we want to have the same goals as our athletes so we can work toward them together."
AD Herr certainly understands the opportunities that AACC athletics can provide. The Glen Burnie native himself chose AACC for the start of his higher education journey, while also choosing to pitch for the men's baseball team. This decision ultimately awarded Herr with a scholarship opportunity to pitch for the NCAA Division I Tigers of Towson University.
The Riverhawk athletic department is delighted that Boone, Chambliss, Mansur, Ross, Sullivan, and Messersmith, have each found a place to continue their academic and athletic careers. Seeing them continue their success at an institution and new team together only solidifies how proud AACC is to have assisted in fostering the bond these teammates have built.
Former Coach to the now Wolves, and current head coach at AACC, Joe Stanilaus adds, "It was truly an honor to coach these guys for a season. We wish them nothing but continued success both on and off the field. The Newberry program is off to a wonderful start in regards to building a winning program, as well as culture."
Janay Boone, Athletic Communications Assistant for the Newberry Wolves, was also quick to notice the apparent union these teammates shared, as she recently sat down with each of the former Riverhawks to learn more about their decision to continue to play together at Newberry College. To read what Janay discussed with each athlete check out her article posted on the Newberry Wolves website here.
The Newberry Wolves will be looking to make a statement among the competitive NCAA DII field, and speaking from the accolades of the 6 AACC Riverhawk products they have acquired – the Wolves will be a force to reckon with.
Know of a former AACC student-athlete continuing their success at the next level? Pass along any information or contact information to Riverhawk Sports Information Specialist Zach Malone - zemalone@aacc.edu!