Albertus Magnus College Director of Athletics Jim Abromaitis, in conjunction with Vice President for Academic Affairs Sean O'Connell, has announced that the Falcons' women's soccer program has been named the winning team of the annual Sister Charles Marie Brantl, O.P. Award. The annual award goes to the team with the highest cumulative grade point average (GPA) from the previous academic year.
The Albertus women's soccer team, which had a team GPA greater than 3.2 during the 2012-13 academic year, had a successful season in 2012 as the team made its first-ever appearance in the ECAC Tournament and its fourth-consecutive GNAC postseason appearance. The Falcons were also 2012 NSCAA Ethics/Sportsmanship Award Winners as they earned the NSCAA's Silver Team Ethics Award.
The Falcons also had their first-ever All-New England Region selection in former soccer standout Samantha Farley en route to finishing the year with an 11-7-2 overall.
During a career of distinction at Albertus Magnus College that lasted nearly 35 years as a professor, Administrative Council member, and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Sister Charles Marie Brantl, O.P. was a fervent advocate for the cause of the Albertus Magnus athletic program. Aside from being a tremendous supporter of the varsity sports teams at Albertus, Sister Charles was also on the College's Administrative Council when it voted to construct the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center in 1989.
From her early days as a professor until her retirement in the spring of 2011, Sister Charles was one of the biggest fans of Albertus Magnus Athletics, making her a natural choice to be honored by the naming of an important academic award.
The first-ever recipient of the Sister Charles Marie Brantl, O.P. Award was the Albertus Magnus men's volleyball team from the 2011-12 academic year.