SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

junior Toni-Anne Cavallo takes on all challenges and succeeds

The demands of student-athletes throughout the academic year can be very exhausting leaving only the brief time away from campus during the summer for some much needed rest and relaxation. TCNJ's Toni-Anne Cavallo took a different approach this past summer using part of her vacation to take on a challenging course of a different nature.

Fresh off of winning her second straight national championship as part of TCNJ’s women’s lacrosse team this past May, Cavallo enrolled in Marine Officer’s Candidate School in Quantico, VA. The demanding six-week course pushed her both mentally and physically and successfully completing the school is just another achievement TCNJ’s student-athlete has accomplished since setting foot on the Ewing campus.

Her athletic background, which includes a pair of national titles in lacrosse and a trip to the championship game in women’s soccer, prepared the junior for the physical fitness aspects of the course, but Cavallo quickly learned that she needed to be equally in tune mentally.

“It’s a pretty selective program with people from all over the country. Physically I was fine, but it was hard mentally. In the beginning, I had a hard time,” she admitted.

Even with the busy schedule of playing two sports, Cavallo remains focused on her academics. At the midway point of her college career, she boasts a grade-point-average of 3.0 majoring in health and exercise science while carrying a minor in marketing.

 “Success in the classroom and on the field is what the student-athletes at TCNJ strive to achieve,” stated TCNJ women’s lacrosse head coach Sharon Pfluger. “Toni-Anne is a great role model for other student-athletes. I have always been very impressed by her work ethic and ability to meet the challenges set for her and I am thrilled she is part of our lacrosse family.”

When the course in Quantico began, 800 candidates were in the program and by the end of the six weeks only 600 were graduated. It was during the graduation ceremony that Cavallo was cited for her outstanding effort during being one of 14 candidates presented with Certificates of Achievement. She was recognized by the commanding officer on behalf of the Marine Corps for being the most physically fit female.

One of the main aspects of the officer’s school is helping the candidates become leaders. Having successfully completed that course, Cavallo is now looking to utilize what she learned as her role as a leader evolves on the two teams’ programs she represents at TCNJ.

 “You are learning to be a leader,” she said of the course. “I think being there, I found what kind of leadership style I would like to take and I find myself leading by example and that is what the Marines are all about. Leading by example and you see that through their actions there. All of the platoon sergeants and gunnery sergeants, they are the ones being hard on us, but everything they tell us to do, they are doing as well. We’re going on a four-mile run; they are going on a four-mile run.”

With the soccer season only a few weeks old, TCNJ head coach Joe Russo has noticed the difference Cavallo since she completed officer’s school. 

“She is more self confident and more assertive,” the coach explained. “Even though she is not one of our officially named captains, she is a leader. She leads by example and she has a relentless work ethic.”

Her success in athletics is an impressive one as the two teams she competes on boasted an impressive combined record of 71-7-2 during her first two years. Cavallo, however, isn’t the only one in her family to enjoy the many successes on the field as her twin sister Christine also plays soccer and lacrosse at TCNJ.

In lacrosse, Cavallo is a midfielder that has averaged more than a point per game in her career and last season netted a career-best 22 goals. In the upcoming season, she is expected to move into a more prominent leadership role and that is something Pfluger feels she will be well prepared for.

 “Toni-Anne's experiences this summer at officer's school will greatly benefit her and the team. She learned so much and pushed herself incredibly hard,” Pfluger continued. “I believe she gained tremendous confidence challenging herself to not only complete, but also to excel in an extremely demanding program. This will, most definitely, help her lead the lacrosse team with her fellow upperclassmen.”

She also plays a vital role for the Lions on the soccer field as a key reserve for one of the country’s top defensive teams. TCNJ posted 20 shutouts last season and so far this season the team is on pace to challenge that impressive number having five shutouts in their first six games.

Cavallo was interested in the military prior to attending college, but settled on TCNJ because she didn’t feel comfortable making that type of commitment at that time. By completing the school, she was able to get a taste of the military experience and now has until December to decide if she is going back to Quantico for a second six-week course next summer.

Even with all of the success she has already had at TCNJ, Cavallo keeps looking ahead and keeping both teams she plays at the highest level possible.

“I think the more successful you are, the more you want it,” the junior said. “You get that national championship (in lacrosse) and you lost the national championship (in women’s soccer) by one goal, I think that gives us even more incentive to get there again. I just keep striving and us as a team.”

Sports Briefs:

• TCNJ’s athletic department will hold their sixth annual 5K Race-Walk this month. This year’s run-walk will take place on Sunday, October 15 on TCNJ’s campus, commencing at 3:00 p.m.  The start and finish will be the Loser-Music Building Quadrangle on the campus of TCNJ. The entry fee donation will be $10 and registration will take place at 2 p.m. For more information on the event, please contact the athletic department at 609-771-2230.
• TCNJ’s head women’s soccer coach Joe Russo who is in his 17th season with the Lions recorded his 300th career victory as the Lions defeated Montclair State on September 23. He becomes the eighth women’s coach in the NCAA to earn his 300th win, while becoming just the fourth Division III coach to have 300 or more wins.
• TCNJ’s women’s tennis players, freshman Jackie Shtemberg and junior Christina Contrafatto will compete October 12-14 at the ITA National Championships in Fort Myers, Florida. The pair will compete in the ITA Division III National Doubles Championships and by virtue of their winning the 2006 ITA Northeast Championships, have already secured ITA All-America honors for 2006. Shtemberg will also compete in the singles tournament at the ITA Nationals after also winning the ITA Northeast Singles Tournament.
• TCNJ’s field hockey team earned the No. 1 ranking in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III poll on Tuesday, October 3. The Lions promptly defeated the defending NJAC Champions and No. 10 ranked Rowan University Profs that evening and stand at 10-0 and 2-0 in the NJAC as of October 9.
• TCNJ’s head football coach, Eric Hamilton has been appointed to the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. Mission Statement:  The mission of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) is to provide expertise and leadership to the Association in order to promote a healthy and safe environment for student-athletes through research, education, collaboration and policy development.  Subcommittees Charges:  The CSMAS has two subcommittees, the Drug-Education and Drug-Testing Subcommittee, and the Sports Sciences Safety Subcommittee.  The Drug-Education and Drug-Testing Subcommittee provides the NCAA membership direction on alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse prevention programs, research and grants, and oversees the NCAA drug-testing program.  This committee is charged with hearing drug-test appeals.  The Sports Sciences Safety Subcommittee provides guidance on sports specific health and safety research and policy issues.  This subcommittee also edits the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook.  Hamilton was appointed as the Division III Football Rules Committee representative.
• TCNJ’s women’s tennis team has extended their NJAC win streak to 116 matches after sweeping through the league this fall. With their perfect 5-0 record this fall in conference play, the Lions won the program’s 24th consecutive NJAC Championship.
• TCNJ has once again been selected as the winner of the Collegiate Athletics Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ) Cup for the 2005-06 year, a repeat honor for the athletic program that won the award in 2004-2005. The presentation will be made in conjunction with the CAANJ Fall Luncheon on October 18 at the Holiday Inn Hotel (Somerset, NJ). With this latest CAANJ Cup, TCNJ’s athletic department has now won seven titles as the top Division III collegiate athletic department in the state.
• TCNJ’s Athletic Director, Kevin McHugh currently serves as the president of the CAANJ for the 2006 year and will become past president of the organization at the annual meeting later this month.
• On Saturday, October 14 TCNJ’s athletic teams will partake in a pair of athletic events in conjunction with Homecoming 2006. At 11:00 a.m., TCNJ’s No. 4 ranked women’s soccer team will host the No. 17 ranked Thunder of Wheaton College (IL) in TCNJ’s Soccer Complex. At 2:00 p.m., TCNJ’s football team will host William Paterson University in Lions’ Stadium. For more information about the homecoming festivities, please check out the following link: http://www.tcnjalumni.org/s/144/index.aspx?pgid=13&cid=97&sid=144&gid=1&event_id=153