Fall 2019: West Chester Athletics By the Numbers

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - All 12 West Chester University athletic teams that competed in the fall have a lot to be proud of. As a collective, the Golden Rams rank fifth in Division II and second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference based off of points that are earned by advancing to and through the postseason. Let's take a look at the West Chester University athletics 2019 fall season by the numbers:
 
2,078: Libero Shaye Whiteman (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg) completed her collegiate volleyball career with 2,078 digs.
 
918: Men's golf tied for first at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships on October 20 but ultimately took second with 918 team points after a playoff determined the winner. Junior Chris Warner (Medford, N.J. / Shawnee) finished in third place following the playoff, falling just short of becoming the first known golfer in PSAC history to win back-to-back individual titles.
 
240: Five of a potential seven West Chester fall teams earned points towards the 2019-20 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, which ranks every Division II athletic program based off of how far their teams advance in the NCAA postseason. With 240 points, the Golden Rams rank fifth of about 300 schools.
 
95: Women's cross country had five runners finish in the Top 25 at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship meet on October 25, placing second as a team with 95 points. It was the best finish for the Golden Rams since 1983. They also took 4th of 22 teams at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships on November 9. Junior Alissa VandeBunte (Center Valley, Pa. / South Lehigh) and freshman Sydney Galster (Kennett Square, Pa. / Unionville) earned all-region honors for West Chester.
 
74: Football completed the 2019 season with a 9-3 record and its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Golden Rams have 74 wins and just 23 losses over the past eight seasons. Running back Ja'Den McKenzie (Morton, Pa. / Springfield-Delco) was named this season's PSAC East Division Freshman of the Year, and senior safety Jarey Elder (Allentown, Pa. / Parkland) is the 2019 PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year.
 
53: Senior cross country runner Josh Coakley (Honey Brook, Pa. / Twin Valley) qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships for the second year in a row and finished 53rd of 263 runners. Last season Coakley became the first West Chester men's cross country athlete since 1990 to qualify for nationals.
 
18: Led by PSAC Defensive Player of the Year in sophomore Craig Potts (Stewartstown, Pa. / Kennard-Dale) and freshman goalie Daniel Good (Exton, Pa. / Downingtown East), West Chester men's soccer allowed just 18 goals in 20 games this season. The Golden Rams finished the fall with a 14-5-1 record and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row.

18: The National Field Hockey Coaches Association named senior forward Katie Thompson (Washington, N.J. / Warren Hills) the Division II National Field Hockey Player of the Year on December 16. Her 18 assists were six more than any other player in Division II this season.
 
17: Women's soccer made the NCAA Tournament for the 17th year in a row in 2019. The Golden Rams advanced to the Round of 16 with wins over Concord University and Slippery Rock University. Senior Jenny Bail (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley), junior Hannah Zach (Doylestown, Pa. / Central Bucks East) and sophomore Jenna Peters (Fairless Hills, Pa. / Pennsbury) all had two goals in this year's NCAA Tournament.
 
12.44: The nine West Chester teams competing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this fall accumulated 12.44 points on average in the conference's Dixon Trophy Standings, leaving the Golden Rams in second place a third of the way through the year.
 
12: Volleyball won 12 straight matches to begin the season, falling three shy of the 15-0 start in 2007, the best under 14th-year head coach Kassie Bellaver.
 
11: Rugby completed its first ever undefeated season with an 11-0 record. Their senior captains were Harley Divine (Alexandria, Va. / West Potomac), Haley Spangler (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg) and Juah Toe (York, Pa. / Central York).
 
7: Seven Golden Rams earned All-American honors following their fall 2019 campaigns: Midfielder Jenny Bail (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) of women's soccer, graduate defensive end Ch'aim Smith (York, Pa. / York Suburban) of football, and field hockey senior Caitlin Kelly (Coatesville, Pa. / Bishop Shanahan), senior Katie Thompson (Washington, N.J. / Warren Hills), senior Kat Roncoroni (Lebanon, N.J. / Vorhees), junior Caitie McNamara (Buderim, Australia / Nambour Christian College) and junior Marre Corver (Aarlanderveen, Netherlands / Scala College).
 
6: Senior Meghan O'Mara (Sayville, N.Y. / Sayville) took first place in all six tournaments that the women's golf team competed in this fall, eventually claiming the Pennsylvania State Athlete Conference individual crown on October 20.
 
4: Women's tennis went undefeated in four dual matches this fall. Doubles pairings of Elaina Rochford (West Chester, Pa. / Henderson) and Elaina Lee (Pottstown, Pa. / Owen J. Roberts) as well as Shannon Nixon (Wyncote, Pa. / Cheltenham) and Julia Mowrey (Bethlehem, Pa. / Notre Dame) did not lose in any of the dual matches in the second and third spots, respectively.
 
2: In four dual matches, men's tennis has already blanked two opponents with a 9-0 win over Arcadia University on September 17 and a 7-0 victory against Penn State Berks on October 11. It's the first time since 2015-16 that men's tennis has recorded two shutouts over the course of a season. Freshman Andre Zequeira (Humacao, P.R. / The Palmas Academy) and sophomore Chris Succi (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) are 3-1 in the No. 1 doubles slot this season.
 
2: Two West Chester teams won a National Title this fall. Field hockey defeated Saint Anselm College 2-1 at Millersville University on November 24 to complete its season with a 20-1 record and win its third National Championship game of the decade. Rugby came back to beat Brown University 15-14 at Harvard University on November 17 and claim its first National Intercollegiate Rugby Association Tier II Title in program history. Sophomore fullback Lauren Madalian (Randolph, N.J. / Randolph) was named the game's Most Valuable Player by the ESPN broadcast.