By Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
The St. Bonaventure University Women’s Swimming and Diving Team has taken up a challenge to raise $10,000 for the program. If the team can reach that total, an anonymous donor will match it, giving the team another $10,000.
The idea for the challenge itself was hatched by our donor, and it was presented to me as a challenge: ‘Listen, we will write a check as long as you can find a way to match it,’” said head coach Brian Thomas. “It was certainly something I was really excited about when the idea was hatched.”
Thomas said he has goals for the challenge besides just collecting the money.
“First and foremost, I think we really wanted to try to engage our alumni a little bit more than had been done in the past on the women’s side, get them a little more involved and feel like they really never left,” Thomas said. “Our major donors are probably parents and alums, really in no particular order there.”
Senior Bridget Jordan, who swims butterfly and freestyle, said because of the size of the school, the money will help the program keep pace.
“Seeing as we are a smaller A-10, let alone Division I, program, I think this money will help us in a variety of different ways that will allow us to remain up to speed with some bigger schools that may have more money and/or better facilities and resources,” Jordan said.
Though he said he believes the Bonnies have all the necessary things to remain a competitive program, Thomas said the money could allow him to bring in a few things to help raise the team’s level even higher.
“One big ticket item is an underwater camera system that would be integrated into the pool deck, basically have everything slung via a cloud where I could pull it up in the office, the swimmers could pull it up when we’re on a bus ride and really stream line things that way,” Thomas said. “Another thing we’d really like to do is supplement our budget in terms of nutrition, in terms of sports performance, streamlining our strength and conditioning program, and there are a lot of different ways to do that now.”
Jordan said the improvements the money can provide will lead to increased success when racing.
“I believe that this challenge will put us in the competitive position in the conference to compete at a much higher level than we have in the past,” Jordan said. “Although we pride ourselves in being able to compete without having some of the bells and whistles that other teams in the conference or NCAA have, we would still greatly benefit from a revamping of our program.”
But Jordan understands that the team is limited in its ability to get the money together, so it must look to others to help lead the charge.
“I think our main focus right now is to get the word out about the challenge. Since much of the time that we spend at school is devoted to our academics as well as swimming, we simply do not have the time to fundraise all of this money by [ourselves],” Jordan said. “Luckily, we have the advancement office and different support staff who are helping us out so that we can remain focused on our training. Obviously the team will do smaller activities throughout the year to supplement some of the funds, but it is through works behind the scenes that this challenge will be met.”
Tristan Mulcahy, the university’s director of athletics advancement, explained how raising the money would be a significant upgrade from the program’s usual funds.
“A $10,000 challenge is very important to our athletic department, and specifically swimming, where last year, as a whole for the program, they brought in $8,000,” Mulcahy said. “With this challenge, that could be an extra $10,000 to their program, so that’s a big bump in their overall donations for the year.”
Mulcahy said he has a goal of his own when it comes to the challenge, one that is about the people giving along with the money.
“A guy came forward, really wants to help not just the athletic department, but the school in general; he wants to see the school advance,” Mulcahy said. “For us, we only have 1,200 donors, last year it was 966, so the biggest thing for me is to keep growing the donor base and increase our dollars every year, and I think people like this will keep coming forward.”
The money must be raised by the end of the year.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
