Greetings Tiger Nation!

It was another banner year for the TU Athletics program–and our student-athletes have given us a roaring reason to celebrate. This past season featured myriad individual and team accomplishments, both in and outside of competition. Now, as the 2018-2019 season ends, we truly begin to appreciate the scope of our success.

Our women's basketball team completed its best season ever, winning the CAA championship and earning its first-ever appearance in NCAA tournament. Head coach Diane Richardson was named CAA Coach of the Year, while Kionna Jeter and Nukiya Mayo were named to the All-CAA first and second teams, respectively.

However, they weren't alone in dominating the conference. Men's lacrosse also won the CAA championship and were ranked No. 1 in the country for first time in program history. In March, faceoff specialist Alex Woodall was the number one overall selection in the Major League Lacrosse draft, and defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich was picked shortly after at No. 3.

Back in the fall, our football team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs, appearing in the postseason for the first time since 2013. Quarterback Tom Flacco finished fifth in voting for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the FCS offensive player of the year.

But even when the game clock stops, our Tigers are still going strong. TU led the nation in community engagement, earning the NCAA Division I national championship in the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Competition for fall 2018. Giving back to our communities is paramount among our student-athletes, coaches, administration and staff, and I couldn't be prouder of how they represent this institution and the Greater Baltimore area.

Additionally, the Tigers continue to impress me with their commitment in the classroom. As a department, we earned the highest finish among the Greater Baltimore area Division I schools in the 2018-19 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup. Overall, Towson was 138th in the standings out of all Division I schools–posting a top-150 finish for the fourth time in six years. From an individual standpoint, 314 student-athletes finished the year with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher–about 65% of all student-athletes. In the Spring 2019 semester, 163 student-athletes made the Towson Dean's List for achieving a 3.5 GPA or higher, including 28 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0. In March, 288 Towson student-athletes were selected to the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Honor Roll for high academic marks.

We are always looking to enhance the student-athlete experience for all 19 of our programs. TU is home to some of the best facilities in the region–and we have taken tremendous strides forward with our facility enhancement projects. The new TU Field Hockey Complex opened last fall, and we're finishing up Phase I of our lower fields project in time for the fall semester. This project includes new practice space for all our field sports and a new home for Towson soccer.

Looking back on this year, there is no doubt our Tigers are becoming a part of something legendary–and the legacy we are building at TU is one that will live on for years to come.

Five years ago, we created a vision to become Greater Baltimore's premier collegiate brand. What started as a blueprint for success transformed into a national model. Through academic excellence, leadership development, and putting student-athletes first, there's little doubt that we are indeed Building Greatness. As we move into the 2019-20 seasons, I look forward to having you join TU Athletics into previously unforeseen heights and newfound possibilities.

Thank you for believing in our mission of academic success, competitive excellence, and inspiring our student-athletes to be champions in competition and in life. I look forward to meeting many of you at one of our upcoming events or games next season. I wish you, Tiger Nation, a safe and healthy summer!

Go Tigers!

Tim Leonard
Director of Athletics
Towson University