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THE TYEE DIFFERENCE YOUR SUPPORT THEIR FUTURE OUR HUSKIES It s too much I ve been named a starter pressure I m really homesick I made the Dean s List We ve got a shot at the title team down looking up to me This injury isn t healing fast enough Dad s got I m letting my They re all cancer My girlfriend broke up I can t balance with me everything My grades are slipping SPRING 2016 INSIDE THE MIND OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE PAGES 4 AND 5 WOMEN S BASKETBALL TEAM CREDITS FANS FOR A SWEET RUN PAGE 1 PLUS A BUSY DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE ACKERLEY ACADEMIC CENTER DEFENSIVE BACK PUTS HIS VALUES ON THE LINE PAGES 2 AND 3 BASKETBALL ALUM FOLLOWS HER HEART SIX DECADES WITH THE HUSKIES ARE A FAMILY AFFAIR

YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE BEST IS YET TO COME Dear Tyee Club members In my 18 years with Husky Athletics I ve seen the tangible results of the generosity of Tyee Club donors every day In my first few months in this new role I ve become more convinced than ever that you are responsible for all the great things that happen here We highlight two examples in this issue of the magazine the Ackerley Academic Center and our sport psychology program When our donors came together led by the Ackerley family to build that center and invest in even more academic support we were creating a culture of academic excellence that is second to none in the conference Today every coach sets the highest expectations for classroom performance and every student has the support to meet them Our sport psychology program is one of the best examples of how Husky Athletics puts the well being of our student athletes first Fewer than half of NCAA Division 1 athletic programs have sports psychologists on staff You make it possible for us to do what s right for our student athletes As I ve met with our coaches been inspired by our student athletes and visited with so many of you these past few months I ve also learned one more thing The best is yet to come Sure we have challenges and financial hurdles to overcome in order to remain committed to diversity and supportive of all sports and to be competitive in our conference and nationally But there s a remarkable sense of dedication and hopefulness among everyone who cares about Husky Athletics We are all committed to providing our student athletes with the best possible experience to building winning teams and to fueling Husky pride With your continued support we ll succeed THE TYEE DIFFERENCE Published by the University of Washington Tyee Club VOLUME 1 NUMBER 2 SPRING 2016 Tyee Club members support the academic and athletic experiences of more than 650 student athletes in 22 men s and women s sports Your gifts account for nearly 25 percent of the funding we need to recruit the most sought after student athletes hire the best coaches develop championship teams and build facilities that make the fan experience second to none You make all the difference Go Huskies Jennifer Cohen Interim Director of Athletics WRITING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT Teresa Moore and Liz Murtaugh Gillespie Moore Ink PR Fundraising Communications GRAPHIC DESIGN DavidOwenHastings com THE UW TYEE CLUB Graves Hall Box 354070 Seattle WA 98195 4070 Read about Josh Fredendall and the UW Athletics sport psychology program on pages 4 5 tyeeclub uw edu 206 543 2234 uwtyeeclub org

A FIRST EVER FINISH IN THE For the first time in Washington history the Husky Women thrilled fans and wowed the nation in a remarkable run to the Final Four The Huskies beat higher seeded Maryland Kentucky and Stanford to earn their place as one of the four best teams in college basketball before falling to Syracuse in the semifinal game FINAL FOUR Our team s chemistry on and off the court was so special and enabled us to excel during competition I am humbled by the amount of love and support we received throughout the season I feel so blessed to be a student athlete at the University of Washington ALEXUS ATCHLEY I ll always remember the little moments we shared as teammates and best friends We are so much more than a team We are family And your all around support is giving us an amazing education alongside building a top basketball program You are our foundation KATIE COLLIER I m so proud of my teammates and how we fought and worked hard to accomplish what we did To make a run that deep is pretty remarkable And we all know we wouldn t be able to do what we did and do what we do year after year without our fans CHANTEL OSAHOR To end my Senior year with a run to the Final Four it is a feeling that is hard to put into words The support I have had through my career from fans to my teammates and coaches it has been incredible Who could ask for more TALIA WALTON Husky fans and donors played a huge role in our success Their belief in us made all the difference in the world I m most proud of the people young and old that we were able to inspire not just by basketball but the way our team played together KELSEY PLUM We were true to our motto of ONE all season long we came together all while setting a decade high GPA This experience would have not been possible without generous donations of time and money from our supporters Thank you for being there for us long before the rest of the country fell in love with us HEAD COACH MIKE NEIGHBORS U WT YEECLU B O RG 1

ON TOP OF THEIR A GAME ACKERLEY ACADEMIC CENTER KEEPS HUSKY ATHLETES THRIVING IN THE CLASSROOM It s 8 a m an eager line of student athletes waits outside the Ackerley Academic Center As soon as the doors open they bound inside walking past a wall festooned with purple Dawg tags like the bronze silver and gold ones that top students earn for GPAs of 3 25 and higher Throughout the day dozens more will stream in Some make a beeline for the study lab with a row of computers and a wall decorated with Academic All Star plaques on one side cushy study booth dens on the other Some head to a tutoring session or chill in a lounge check email or chat up teammates after practice Faith Morrison a junior on the gymnastics team has a checklist posted in a learning specialist s office that helps 2 T HE T Y E E DI FFERENC E S PR I N G 2016 her stay on top of her many assignments She loves this place It helps her focus and make the most of her precious time Being so close to where we practice I can fit in studying in between the hustle and bustle of school and gymnastics When I m on a roll it s great to stay here and get things done says Faith an English major who s on track to graduate a year early this spring The Ackerley Academic Center named in honor of the Ginger and Barry Ackerley family whose generous support made it possible debuted in 2005 on the second floor of the Conibear Shellhouse a physical representation of Husky Athletics deep commitment to students academic success Late last summer after outgrowing that space it moved uphill from the waterfront to a building that used to house a sports medicine clinic The center s new home has 10 tutoring rooms the original had just three each equipped with a computer large table whiteboard and touch screen smart TVs that make it easy for students to edit documents and collaborate on projects

Now more centrally located to practice facilities the Ackerley Center sits next door to Alaska Airlines Arena and the Office of Student Athlete Academic Services where students can meet with advisors or mental health specialists The Ackerley family who owned the Seattle SuperSonics NBA basketball team for many years blessed the move with enthusiasm They re thrilled that students are making such great use of the facility The UW has done such an exceptional job of making our center so accessible and so popular with students says Kim Ackerley Cleworth president and executive director of the Ginger Barry Ackerley Foundation Not a lot of student athletes advance to the professional level she adds It is extremely important that they get an excellent education so they ll have options outside their athleticism Now more than ever the Ackerley Center affirms a core value that Husky Athletics and our student athletes share their success in the classroom is paramount We ve always said We want you to get great grades and a world class education at the UW says Associate Athletic Director for Student Development Kim Durand Now we can say Here are the fantastic facilities and academic support to make sure you can do that Gymnast Faith Morrison meets with Associate Athletic Director for Student Development Kim Durand About 50 tutors work at the Center leading some 450 sessions per week Four learning specialists on staff meet regularly with students athletes all over the academic spectrum some struggling with learning disabilities others eager to inch their GPAs closer to 4 0 The Ackerley Center has been a real key resource for us says Lisa Bruce a learning specialist The students have exceeded our expectations the way they ve gravitated toward it It s full and lively yet a very studious environment YOUR SUPPORT STELLAR STUDENT ATHLETES AMAZING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT As a Tyee Club donor you fuel our student athletes success day in and day out in so many ways in their sports in the classroom and in life Here are just a few examples TOP DAWGS Husky student athletes with the highest GPAs earn Dawg Tags celebrating their academic achievement bronze for GPAs of 3 25 to 3 49 silver for 3 50 to 3 74 and gold for 3 75 to 4 0 Here s our winter quarter Dawg Tag tally 78 17 151 125 107 teams earned a 3 0 or better two quarters in a row and an all time high that includes more than two thirds of our student athletes student athletes made the Dean s List up from 125 in the fall 3 39 Beach Volleyball earned the highest team GPA followed by Women s Cross Country 3 35 Men s Golf 3 19 and Men s Soccer 3 17 MOST IMPROVED Women s Beach Volleyball and Men s Golf increased their team GPAs more than any others from fall to winter quarter 5 student athletes earned a perfect 4 0 GPA An Academic All Star wall in the John and Kathy Connors Study Lab celebrates top student athletes U WT YEECLU B O RG 3

MINDING THE GAME UW ATHLETICS SPORT PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE NATION BOOSTS STUDENT ATHLETES MENTAL WELLBEING ALONG WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE Dr Cassie Pasquariello works with student athletes Nicole Harris and Kaid Tipton during a Sport Psychology and Leadership class When tennis player Julija Lukac arrived at Washington from her native Serbia in 2011 she was brimming with confidence filled with excitement about college life and armed with a truly wicked serve It didn t take long for all three to falter Julija could carry on conversations in English but studying tough subjects in a foreign language was terribly difficult Cultural differences along with being more than 5 000 miles away from mom and dad also began to overwhelm her 4 T HE T Y E E DI FFERENC E S PR I N G 2016 It was really scary recalls the 2015 graduate who majored in finance Seeing the sports psychologist played a crucial role in my survival at UW I wound up having a very good experience academically and athletically but without the resources that UW gave me I don t know if it would have been possible The NCAA s Chief Medical Officer recently proclaimed mental health as the top medical issue facing student athletes But it wasn t always so Five years ago Husky Athletics blazed the trail as one of the first programs in the country to hire a full time sports psychologist Still less than half of NCAA programs employ sports psychologists At Washington we fundamentally believe that when we recruit student athletes we will do everything we can to help them grow personally professionally in their competition and to prepare them to become incredible humans That includes emotional and mental health states Cassie Pasquariello PhD who leads the UW program

Sport psychology is a field with relatively few specialists like Cassie who was a studentathlete before completing her degrees internship and fellowship She sees young men and women Julija Lukac about typical problems like relationship woes the sudden loss of a family member or difficulties adjusting to life away from home But she also helps with issues unique to athletes injuries performance stress or struggles over no longer being the big fish they were in high school If you ve defined yourself as an athlete your whole life and you get here and you can t play because you re not good enough or you re injured it s difficult to see yourself as something else she explains That culture is hard to explain to a mental health provider who doesn t live it The sport psychology program conducts team workshops on performance excellence team chemistry leadership and communication and teaches classes on substance abuse eating disorders and dating violence Cassie also trains and supports peer advocates who are chosen by their teammates as the peers they turn to for help The key to the program s success she says whether student athletes are facing serious crises personal problems or performance issues is the universal embrace of the program by executives coaches trainers physicians and virtually everyone who comes into contact with student athletes JUST RUB SOME DIRT ON IT Pitcher Josh Fredendall came to Washington as a junior in 2011 and was on tap for the Major League Baseball draft before his senior year Then he felt a pop in his elbow while warming up for a PAC 12 series game Two surgeries and three years later he graduated with a degree in political economy dubbed the old man by teammates but still happy to have survived such a difficult time thanks to the help of sports psychologist Cassie Pasquariello I m not really good at talking about feelings The social construct of a male athlete is hold it in just rub some dirt on it there s no crying in baseball But it felt good to make that leap and I m so thankful I did For two years Josh wasn t able to practice or travel with the team I kept thinking about what could have been I d been a baseball player since I was 4 and now the chances of pro ball were slim You go down the rabbit hole when you have all this time and you re doing rehab 2 hours a day I had so much anger and resentment This department is full of people who really care about them and their overall wellness Cassie says Finally in his sixth year he was healthy enough to play But the feelings didn t go away For Julija and countless others the care pays off and not just while they re in school Talking with Cassie I didn t know I could address my feelings as opposed to holding them in I found it so easy to talk through really deep things and not be judged and find understanding meaning direction and drive Before I was walking aimlessly down a road trying to find the right path I would definitely say the reason I was really able to enjoy my last year of baseball was addressing these issues with Cassie Staying mentally healthy is so important in whatever we face no matter if it s on the court or in school or in life Julija says I realize that more than ever now that I m on my own Today Josh is living in Seattle rooming with former teammates working as a financial planner and still attending UW baseball games forever a Husky U WT YEECLU B O RG 5

ALL IN THE FAMILY LIFE LOVE AND THE HUSKIES SPAN THREE GENERATIONS FOR THE SYMONS CLAN When Chandler was diagnosed with diabetes as a child understandably occupying much of his parents attention Crary craved some special time of his own He wrote a letter to then UW basketball coach Marv Harshman asking if he could be a ball boy Marv quickly wrote back and agreed The Symonses and Harshmans became such close friends that Margaret delivered the eulogy at Marv s funeral in 2013 With basketball seats at mid court and on the 50 yard line in Husky Stadium Tom and Margaret have made dozens of friends taken photos with every head coach since the 60s and counted their blessings to be able to support such fine young student athletes Their teenage granddaughter Genevieve now dreams of playing Husky basketball We ve seen a lot of ups and downs over the years Tom says Winning or losing these kids will grow into better people because they participated It s good discipline for them The couple realizes that the donations connected to their season ticket purchases fund something far greater than the thrills they experience at the games With his UW business degree fresh in hand in 1953 Tom Symons paid 18 for two football season tickets and 1 a game for two basketball season tickets He s never missed a season opener since After more than six decades and countless rewarding relationships the Huskies are almost as much a part of the Symons family as all the kids and grandkids Tom met an equally passionate fan on the UW campus and married Margaret in 1963 Throughout their lives with four kids two of them Washington graduates but all of them big time UW fans along with 14 grandchildren they ve made Husky Athletics a real family affair Thumbing through years of old Christmas photo cards Margaret smiles at pictures of Crary Chandler Wade and Maggie in front of Hec Ed Pavilion or a group of young grandkids with the dog statue at Husky Stadium A recent photo shows the entire 24 member Symons clan who all attend a Husky basketball game together during the holidays 6 T HE T Y E E DI FFERENC E S PR I N G 2016 Husky sports lead to a better society Margaret states Every year it s a contribution you re glad to make because you know that it s an investment that will pay off It s a legacy that doesn t stop with the kids while they re playing here but will live on when they leave You re making a difference in lives Tom adds and that feels good

A MATTER OF VALUES FRESHMAN TEVIS BARTLETT PUTS HIS VALUES ON THE LINE FOR THE HUSKIES AND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL WRESTLERS Most student athletes stay busy enough in the off season with classes and homework workouts and conditioning and socializing with friends Freshman linebacker Tevis Bartlett is getting a jumpstart on his future career by adding another big commitment to that hectic schedule a job as a middle school assistant wrestling coach Each weekday when football and class obligations are over Tevis drives nearly an hour to the far south side of King County to Cedar Heights Middle School in Covington He spends two hours coaching and then dives into three hours of homework before hitting the road back to the dorm I love being around the kids and the sport says Tevis who plans to follow in the footsteps of his parents who are both educators Seeing kids change for the better because you cared having an impact by helping to set them up for the real world after sports and after school that s what draws me toward teaching and coaching honors as a high school quarterback and defensive back he also graduated at the top of his class with a 4 0 GPA A lot of universities recruited him Choosing Washington came down to a matter of what Tevis describes as an alignment of values A lot of the things Coach Pete talked about were the same things we talked about in my family how you handle yourself as a person your character how important school is recalls Tevis whose scholarship is supported by the Brix Family Endowed Scholarship for Football We re building great football players and a great football team here but Coach Pete always says that we re also building men for life That made the decision to come here easy when those values line up When it comes to values commitment and caring the wrestlers at Cedar Heights Middle School couldn t have a better role model Tevis grew up in Wyoming and was a wrestler long before he was a football player starting the sport as a little boy and ultimately earning multiple state and national wrestling titles And while football came a little later it soon emerged as an even bigger passion He not only earned All State U WT YEECLU B O RG 7

FACES AND PLACES Husky coaches and staff surround a long time fan Bush Hamdan Jordan Paopao Chris Petersen Ikaika Malloe Anne Gittinger Rich Rasmussen Keith Bhonapha Chris Strausser Jonathan Smith and Aaron Knotts at Dawg Days in the Desert Dwayne and Terese Clark Leona and Lorenzo Romar at the UW Dinner Series event 8 T HE T Y E E DI FFERENC E S PR I N G 2016 Kristen Glant Chantel Osahor and Doug Glant at the UW Dinner Series event The Londons Kyle Scott and Michele at the Baseball First Pitch Dinner Kelsey Plum Chuck Barbo and Katie Collier at the UW Dinner Series event Jennifer Cohen Doug and Nancy Boyden at the UW Dinner Series event President Ana Mari Cauce and Tyee Board Chair Craig Suhrbier at the YWCA Luncheon

FOLLOWING HER HEART Kayla Burt is making yet another amazing comeback this time as a student in a rigorous UW nursing program Decked out in Husky purple scrubs she spends two busy days a week doing clinical rotations at Seattle area hospitals and three full days in class The former basketball player made her first and most famous comeback with a heart defibrillator that was implanted in her chest after her heart stopped for five minutes on New Year s Eve 2002 Returning as co captain two years later she led the Huskies in scoring and assists But her college basketball career ended her senior year after her defibrillator went off in the middle of a game Finishing out her full scholarship Kayla earned her first bachelor s degree in communications that same year and moved on grateful for every game she played every lesson she learned on and off the court Being a student athlete you work with a group of people FORMER HUSKY BASKETBALL STAR RETURNS TO STUDY NURSING GRATEFUL ONCE AGAIN FOR SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT who have a common goal Kayla says You re asked to step up in ways you didn t think you were capable of You have to be an effective communicator a leader You have to have discipline and mental toughness to succeed in athletics at the college level All of those things are true of the best nurses too As a nursing student Kayla is building on several years of experience working as an EMT I ll never forget the first time I did CPR she says I was looking at this lifeless person and I pictured that s what I looked like when I had my cardiac arrest It felt like it was coming full circle My life was saved and now I have the ability to render care to someone who needs it Kayla s on track to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in August with support from a Scott Greenwood Memorial Scholarship The post graduate scholarship awarded annually to an outstanding Husky who excels in athletics academics and community service honors the memory of a former Husky football player who died of cancer at age 35 In an impromptu acceptance speech at a Husky Athletics luncheon she told the room full of loyal donors how grateful she was for their support yet again I won t let you down she remembers saying Who would ever doubt her U WT YEECLU B O RG 9

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U S POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE WA PERMIT NO 62 THE UW TYEE CLUB Graves Hall Box 354070 Seattle WA 98195 4070 ELECTRONIC CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED tyeeclub uw edu 206 543 2234 uwtyeeclub org A SUPER SEASON FROM TRACK FIELD TO GYMNASTICS TO BASKETBALL YOUR HUSKIES OUTDID THEMSELVES THIS SEASON 18 FEET AND 1 2 INCH Senior Jax Thoirs soared to his first national championship in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships 1ST AND 2 418 AND COUNTING Junior guard Kelsey Plum became the Huskies all time leading scorer in Women s Basketball and became the first WBCA All American in UW history one of just 10 players selected to what is considered the most prestigious All American team in the women s game 10 T HE T Y E E DI FFERENC E S PR I N G 2016 6 AND 13 47 Men s Track placed 6th overall the best in school history and Women s Track placed 13th their second best finish ever at the NCAA Indoor Championships It s the first time both teams have finished top 20 in the same year let alone top 15 Jax Thoirs took home the individual NCAA title for the men s pole vault Senior Andrew Andrews netted 47 points against Washington State on Senior Night the second highest single game point total ever by a Husky Men s Basketball player 10 As this magazine goes to press Husky Athletics is ranked No 10 in the 2016 17 Learfield Directors Cup measuring athletic performance of all NCAA programs 3RD The Gymnastics team placed third in NCAA regional competition Allison Northey and Joslyn Goings were named to the All PAC 12 First Team as all arounders and Kaitlyn Duranczyk earned All Pac 12 Second Team honors on bars