Saint Leo Adding Programs

Lacrosse and swimming teams for both genders will be phased in at the Division II school over the next three years.
By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer
Published August 3, 2004

ST. LEO - In just four seasons, the women's soccer program at Saint Leo has evolved from a winless team to playoff contender. More important, the team afforded local prep stars a chance to play close to home.
Two fledgling programs at the Division II school also are all about opportunity. Saint Leo is adding men's lacrosse and women's swimming. They will be club sports in 2004-05 and NCAA-sanctioned sports a year after that.
Those sports are precursors to women's lacrosse and men's swimming teams to be added in 2006-07. The four additions would give Saint Leo 17 sports.
"The moves aren't about starting a sport to increase our enrollment," Saint Leo athletic director Fran Reidy said. "It's can we be competitive and is there interest (in lacrosse and swimming) in the high schools."
Perhaps no one is more familiar with the Saint Leo pool than Russ Rosenbauer, who has coached Pasco High's swim team since its second season in 1999 and founded the East Pasco Piranhas Swim Club in 2000. Both teams call that pool home and Rosenbauer is happy that high school swimmers can compete at the next level close to home.
"I'm thrilled because it's going to add another program in our area," Rosenbauer said. "Now there's going to be some options for high school kids. In Florida, it's pretty limited."
Major universities such as Florida and Florida State offer competitive swimming, but Tampa is the closest Division II option. And Florida Southern, where 2003 Times and Sunshine Athletic Conference boys swimmer of the year Craig Hilgenberg (Land O'Lakes) is headed, added swimming last season.
"Division II swimming is going to give kids more options," Rosenbauer said.
For Autumn Yanchunis, a 2002 Wesley Chapel graduate and that school's most accomplished swimmer, Saint Leo was not an option. But Yanchunis, coming off her sophomore season at Wingate (N.C.) in which she set six school records, is all for another choice for local swimmers.
"It'll really expand the program in Pasco County," Yanchunis said. "I think it will open the doors for many swimmers who want to stay close to home, and for some out-of-staters."
Saint Leo is interviewing for swimming and lacrosse coaches and Cyle Sage, Saint Leo's cross country coach who also heads the triathlon program there, "is a strong candidate" for the swimming job, Reidy said.
"(Competitive swimming) will help Cyle in his recruitment," Reidy said, "because a lot of people come here for the triathete experience."
As for lacrosse, Saint Leo has fielded a club team for two years. The sport is growing in Florida but Reidy expects the initial roster to be filled with northeasterners since that's where the sport is played in high school.
"There's a tremendous interest in it," Reidy said, noting a handful of youth programs in the Tampa Bay area. "We are going to be a leader before it gets started anywhere else."
There are no college lacrosse teams in Florida, but Reidy said Saint Leo primarily will play northeastern teams traveling here. Some games also could be played against Wingate (N.C.) and Presbyterian (S.C.), both of the South Atlantic Conference.
POSTSEASON AWARD: Saint Leo's September Harrison, a 2004 Saint Leo graduate, was named to the women's basketball All-America Division II third team.
As a senior, Harrison set school season records for points (610) and scoring average (21.8). She also led the Sunshine State Conference in scoring and was second in rebounding (9.4 average) last season.
A three-year starter, Harrison played guard and forward and finished with 1,252 career points and 603 rebounds.
DUNCAN CHOSEN: Saint Leo second baseman Denyve Duncan was selected to participate in the Presidential Fellows, a program among independent universities that trains student leaders and includes campus government activities.
Duncan, who will be a senior, led the SSC in hitting last season at .403 and is a two-time All-America. A psychology major from Dunedin, she was the conference's co-player of the year.