The next in a series for the Big Five athletic teams looking back at the bright, shining stars of the 2023-24 season.
We will name a team of the year and student athlete of the year for each school. In addition, we will list an honor roll of teams and student athletes. Team recognition will be noted by a championship, postseason advancement, and / or a significant achievement. To be named as a player one should have a national award or honor, a league accolade, significant achievement, or a team record.
Let’s take a look back at the past season at McCarthy Stadium, The Tom Gola Arena, or on the rivers for La Salle University.
Team of the Year
Men’s Rowing
A successful and historic season for the Rowing program. The year culminated with the first ever appearance and victory for La Salle at the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-On-Thames, London, England. The Varsity Eight competed for the Temple Challenge Cup. In the round of 16 La Salle defeated the University of Birmingham by nearly three lengths with a winning time of 7:01. Harvard ended the season for LSU in the next round. The lineup for the Explorers was Coxswain – Joey Evans, Stroke – Johann Kroll, 7 – Viktor Susic, 6 – Joel Bevenour, 5 – Derek Cushman, 4 – Tristano Pitetti, 3 – Thomas Saady, 2 – Luke Iannelli, 1 – C.J. Higginbotham.
The Coxed Four took part in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup. They lost to the University of Edinburgh by less than a length. The lineup was Coxswain – Trevor Fawcett, Stroke – Predrag Cvetkovic, 3 – Marlon Bayer, 2 – Nick O’Neill, 1 – Robin Hamann.
Prior to Henley La Salle competed in the Reading Town Regatta in England. Here the Coxed Four earned a victory with a winning time of 2:46 and a margin of 2 lengths. The Varsity 8 won their semifinal race but lost in the final by less than a half a length.
During their season La Salle experienced success. The Varsity Eight finished 17th overall at the IRA National Championships. The Varsity Eight D finished second in their final (5:57.873) and placed fifth in the C race.
All three boats medaled in the Dad Vail Regatta. The Second Varsity Four won gold in the Betty Shaw Shell and were awarded the Ken Shaw Trophy. The Varsity Eight won silver and the Secon Varsity Eight earned bronze. La Salle had a pair of wins at the Bergen Cup (Varsity Four and Second Varsity Eight).
So much success for the La Salle athletics Team of the Year.
Student Athlete of the Year
Christine Mancini – Women’s Cross Country and Track
The youngest of Mancini sisters to run for La Salle made her mark by setting the school record in the 800m, then breaking it later. She set a record in the event at the Virginia Challenge with a time of 2:03.56. Mancini took home the Women’s 800m title at the league championship for the second consecutive year. A time of 2:04.37 set a facility record at George Mason Stadium. On a bigger stage at the NCAA East Region Preliminaries, she clocked a time of 2:02.89 to establish the new program mark. Mancini ran a 2:06.76 in the NCAA quarterfinals. She now owns the top three times in program history. In Cross Country Mancini covered the 6k course in 20:51.4, the best time of any Atlantic 10 runner who entered the IC4A/ECAC 6k championship race. She placed fourth.
Team Honor Roll
Women’s Soccer
The Explorers finished second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and played for the league title this past season. La Salle fell to Saint Louis for the second time in the final. Coach Paul Royal was named as the Coach of the Year. The team placed three points behind league titlist Saint Louis. They were one point ahead of Dayton 25 – 24 in the standings. The team went 8 – 1 -1 in the league and 4 – 0 – 1 at home in the A10. La Salle defeated Rhode Island and Dayton en route to the final. The highlight of the season was an 11-game unbeaten streak for the Explorers that was ended by the Bilikens in the championship game. On offense LSU scored 35 goals, 5th in the A10, for 1.67 goals per game, and took 116 shots on goal. The winning margin was less than a goal per game (.48), so much rested on the defense. They allowed 25 scores during the season (1.19) and 112 shots required a save. Goalie Michela Auguadro was scored upon 20 times. She made 6.79 saves per game in 19 games for a .798 save percentage. Auguadro recorded 9 shutouts.
Women’s Field Hockey
The team posted a 13 – 5 record overall, the most by an Explorers team since 1981. Their 5- 2 conference record qualified La Salle for a league tournament berth, the first since 2011, with a #4 seed. Coach Martu Loncarica was named the A-10 Coach of the Year. Clara Larripa and Tatum Johnson made the league First Team. The ride ended in the conference tournament falling to Saint Joseph’s. The team averaged 2.63 goals per game while allowing 1.63. The positive shots on goal differential was 165 – 116. Five Explorers finished with 10 or more points: Johnson, Larripa, Sol Espona, Julianna Smyth, and Sophia Wasyliw. The team record at home was 5 – 1. 2 – 0 in the league.
Student Athletes Honor Roll
Gwenna Goode – Women’s Cross Country and Track
Goode won Gold in the Atlantic 10 Championships 3k Steeplechase with a time of 10:19.48 in being named the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer at the meet. Goode became the first La Salle freshman to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Preliminaries since 2015 running in the Steeplechase. She would finish 28th overall.
Felix Jedbratt – Men’s Swimming
The sprint specialist used the Atlantic 10 Championships swim meet to set new La Salle records. In the 50-yard Free Jedbratt broke his program record in the preliminaries with a time of :19.75. He would set a new standard in the event with a time :19.62. He finished second and earned a silver medal. More school records were to fall. Jedbratt finished with a silver in the 100-yard Free with a program record time of :42.95. In the 400-yard Relay Jedbratt led off for the team which would finish in thrid place and did set a La Salle record with a time of 2:56.52.
Clara Larripa- Field Hockey Forward/Midfielder
In her rookie season Larripa from Buenos Aires made the conference First Team tying for the league lead in goals with 12. She also posted 3 assists to total 27 points. Larripa had 45 shots, 29 on goal for a .644 percentage. 4 goals were game winners. She was named to the First Team All-Region by the NFHCA.
Tatum Johnson – Field Hockey Forward
Johnson was named to the Atlantic 10 First Team for the second year in a row, and in addition is on the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second team. She scored 11 goals, second-best on the team, and assisted 6 times for 28 points, most on the squad. Her offensive stats rank her league top five in goals and third in total points. Her 54 shots taken and 31 on goal led the team.
Haley Gschrey – Women’s Soccer Forward
The forward led the Explorers in most offensive categories and was named to the Atlantic 10 Second Team and All-Tournament Team. Gschrey was at the top of the list for La Salle in goals scored with 8, ranking 4th in the league, points at 18, shots (49) and shots on goal (20). She had 6 game winning goals which was the most in the conference. Gschrey played in all 21 games this past season.
Francesca Co’ – Water Polo
Co’ made the All-MAAC First Team in the sport for the second consecutive year. She leads the team in goals 99, the second most goals scored in a single season since 2022. Co’ is also the team leader in shots with 236, in assists at 26, and heads the field blocks deflecting 12. The Explorers (15 – 19) went to the MAAC Quarterfinals but lost to Iona, the Blue Division second seed.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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