Indianapolis, IN – Three Marywood University student-athletes have been selected to attend the 2010 NCAA Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis, Indiana from May 11-14, 2010. Women’s soccer players Andrea Barker and Meghan Coyle, along with men’s lacrosse player George Downey IV, were among 408 student-athletes picked from all three divisions of the NCAA to attend this year’s conference.
Barker, a junior on the women’s soccer team from Binghamton, NY, recently completed her third outstanding season for the Pacers, captaining Marywood to a 14-3-1 mark (9-0-1 CSAC). Barker was named to the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Third Team All-Region a year after garnering Second Team honors as a defender. Named to the First Team All-Conference squad the past two seasons, Barker was named the CSAC Co-Player of the Year in 2008. A standout in the classroom as well as on the field, Barker, an English and Secondary Education major, was named to the 2009 NSCAA College Scholar All-East Region Second Team and is a three-time conference All-Academic selection.
Coyle, a junior captain on the women’s soccer team from Endicott, NY, has enjoyed one of the finest careers ever by a Marywood goalkeeper. Coyle already owns career records for shutouts (21), goals-against average (0.92), and save percentage (.830) while also setting program-bests in consecutive scoreless minutes and shutouts in a season. Named a First Team All-Conference selection in 2009, Coyle was named the CSAC Tournament MVP after backstopping Marywood’s run to it’s first-ever conference championship and NCAA berth in 2008. An Elementary and Special Education major, Coyle was named to the CSAC All-Academic squad both of the last two years.
Downey, a junior men’s lacrosse player from Palmyra, PA, is starting his third season as a midfielder for the Pacers a year after being named to the CSAC All-Conference Honorable Mention squad. Marywood’s top face-off man for the past two seasons, Downey has won 57 percent of the draws he has taken in his career while scoring 23 goals and handing out nine assists for 32 points. Downey led the Pacers to a 13-3 win over Randolph College on Sunday afternoon in the Pacers’ season-opener, scoring a team-high five points on three goals and two assists while winning seven of 10 face-offs. Downey is majoring in Business Management.
The NCAA Career in Sports Forum is a four day event through which selected student-athletes will explore and be educated on careers in sports, with a primary focus on collegiate athletics. This Forum will be provided to participants at no cost. The NCAA covers airfare, lodging and meals during the Forum. Through the use of dual tracks, participants will examine the key functions of a coach or administrator within sports. Foundational skills such as communication, networking, recruiting, managing culture, transitioning and budgeting will be covered with participants.
The Forum will be conducted in a two year rotation for NCAA sponsored sports, with the inaugural Forum open to student-athletes who have interest in coaching the sports of: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Football, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Track and Field, Volleyball, and Wrestling. The administrator track will cover the areas of: Academics, Compliance, Facilities, Life Skills, Marketing and Promotions and Sports Information.
Marywood’s trio represents eight Colonial States Athletic Conference student-athletes who will attend this year's Career in Sports Forum. Also selected from CSAC schools were Cabrini College’s James Barraclough and Maryellen Anastasio, Cedar Crest College’s Lauren Seale, and Neumann University’s Dorian Long and Stephanie Marone.