St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Spring Sport Programs Are Thriving
4/2/2024 2:31:00 PM | Baseball, General, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Softball, Women's Golf, Women's Tennis, Women's Track and Field
The Red Storm is coming off one of its most impressive stretches for its spring sports
QUEENS, N.Y. – Spring has sprung in Queens as St. John's Athletics rose to the occasion with one of the most impressive weekends across its in-season sports.
Easter weekend provided the Red Storm faithful several memorable moments with streaks being broken, record-setting performances and the continuation of hot starts for spring teams. St. John's racked up six major weekly awards from the BIG EAST while two others earned honor roll nods for their outstanding contributions. The Johnnies were featured on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 twice last week after remarkable plays that captured national attention for the softball and baseball programs.
Five of the seven spring sports teams that were in action this weekend are led by head coaches who have held their posts at St. John's for five seasons or less. Red Storm baseball coach Mike Hampton embarked on his fifth season leading the storied program, Aliann Pompey is in her third year directing the women's track & field program, men's golf coach Phil Wildermuth and men's lacrosse coach Justin Turri are in their second seasons and Michelle DePolo is in her first season leading the St. John's softball program.
"To be sure, I could not be more proud of this group of head coaches, who were all recruited and identified via a robust, strategic hiring process," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg. "I'm also very impressed with our sports administrators and our executive staff who have dug in to help elevate these programs. It's a great period of growth for all of our sports, but particularly our spring sports which are thriving after coming out of COVID-19 restrictions with new leadership. I hope our fans and alumni find their way to campus this spring to support our teams and help us build more success."
Baseball
Men's Lacrosse
Belson Stadium played host to a momentous feat for the St. John's men's lacrosse program on Saturday under the direction of second year Head Coach Justin Turri.
Having gone 2,891 days without a conference win, St. John's erased an early five-goal deficit to take down Marquette, 13-9, for its first BIG EAST triumph since April 30, 2016. The five-goal comeback victory was the program's largest since March 23, 2019, and snapped a 35-game losing streak for the Red Storm in conference action.
Junior attacker Brian Kelly led the Red Storm to victory with a four-goal, five-point showing and earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors. Goalkeeper Kyle Munson settled down after Marquette's early opportunities, allowing just four goals over the final 49:28 of the game while posting 13 saves. For his efforts, Munson was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
The Red Storm boasts a 4-2 record over its last six games, marking the best stretch for the lacrosse team since the 2018 season.
Softball
After blanking Iona earlier in the week, St. John's Softball Head Coach Michelle DePolo guided her Red Storm squad to one of the program's most defining series victories in Chicago. Entering a weekend slate against one of the Johnnies' toughest opponents all-time, St. John's swept DePaul for the first time in program history with three-straight shutouts. Up until Saturday, the Johnnies had never held a BIG EAST opponent scoreless in three consecutive games.
Ana Serafinko and Loreley Francia dominated the Blue Demons in the circle and both received BIG EAST weekly honors following their success. Serafinko, who was named conference's Player of the Week, opened the weekend with a grand slam in her first at-bat before posting the team's first no-hitter since 2017 with a 9-0 run rule victory on Thursday. The two-way standout became just the second Division I player in the last six seasons to hit a grand slam and toss a no-hitter in the same game. Serafinko followed up her no-hit effort with a one-hit, seven-strikeout showing in the team's 3-0 victory on Saturday. She also launched a two-run homer in her first plate appearance.
Francia, who held Iona off the board with 10 strikeouts earlier in the week, retired eight more batters on strikes in her complete game shutout, 4-0, on Friday against the Blue Demons. The reigning BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week surrendered just five hits and one walk in two games with 18 total punchouts.
The Red Storm pitching staff currently boasts a BIG EAST-leading 2.35 ERA. The program's eight conference wins this season already matches last year's overall total in BIG EAST play. St. John's 8-4 start in league action is also the team's best since going 11-1 to open the 2019 season.
Women's Track & Field
Back on campus, the St. John's track & field team shined in its first outdoor home meet of the season, welcoming St. John's Hall of Famer Jim Hurt back to campus for "The Big Hurt" on Saturday at DaSilva Field.
His successor Aliann Pompey has been instrumental in the program's recent achievements, seeing her athletes reach the podium's top spot in all 14 events on Saturday. Furthermore, the Red Storm secured the top two spots in 11 competitions.
Eight student-athletes set personal records in Queens, including four in the same 200-meter dash with Ava Mabry-Spencer (25.80, 1st), Kara Sampath (26.63, 3rd), Maddie Kelso-Heap (27.02, 4th) and Fia Viklund (27.31, 5th). Leilani Robinson, the 4x100-meter relay squad of Brooklyn Chestnut, Delicia Bent, Tea Siehou and Cassandra Lemus-Sodji, and Ruth Smith all secured meet records with winning marks in their respective events.
Jamora Alves also continues to develop at a high level, claiming her first win of the outdoor season with a 48.03-meter hurl in the discus at the Monmouth Spring Opener on Friday. Alves' throw was nearly four meters better than the second-place finisher.
Men's Tennis
St. John's men's tennis team also felt the winning aura this weekend, jumping into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Top 75 National Rankings at No. 75. After earning its first ranked win of the season with a 4-3 triumph over then No. 75 Monmouth on Wednesday, the Red Storm produced a decisive 7-0 sweep at Villanova this past Saturday.
In pursuit of his fifth straight BIG EAST Tournament final appearance and third conference title in five seasons, men's tennis Head Coach Dillon Pottish continues to spark solid outcomes and get the most out of his players.
Ryota Kaneda and Adam Groves went 2-0 in doubles play last week to secure BIG EAST Doubles Team of the Week. The duo posted matching 6-1 victories in their doubles matches against Monmouth and Villanova, having won four straight matches as a pair.
Ignacio Vinas also won a pair of matches for the Red Storm last week to secure BIG EAST Singles Player of the Week. After falling a set behind and storming back, Vinas earned a come-from-behind victory over Gabriel Burner to clinch the match for the Red Storm over Monmouth. The junior continued his strong play against Villanova, earning a straight-set victory to help the Red Storm to its fifth-straight sweep over the Wildcats.
Men's Golf
On the fairways, the St. John's men's golf team earned an impressive second-place finish at the Southern Invitational with 5-under, 847.
Second-year Head Coach Phil Wildermuth, who scheduled the Red Storm to play the final round of the 2024 Doc Gimmler on the world-renowned Bethpage State Park Black Course in September, saw his team shoot 8-under, 276, in the opening round. After breaking even in the second go-around, the Johnnies' two-round score marked the team's second-lowest score since the 2007 season. As a group, St. John's accumulated 31 birdies during its first 36 holes in Palm Beach, Fla.
Fueled by impressive performances from Peicheng Chen and Thomas Finn, the duo struck once again at the Falls Club, finishing second and fourth, respectively. Chen, who earned the win in last year's field, turned in consecutive rounds of 3-under, 68, and carded a total score of 8-under, 205, for second place in the event. The junior fired in 14 birdie putts and recorded an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole in the opening round.
Finn opened play with a season-low, 6-under, 65, in his first go-around, the lowest score ever by a Red Storm freshman since Chen shot a 64 in the opening round at the MacDonald Cup on Sept. 24, 2022. After bogeying the first hole of the day, the freshman standout ripped off seven birdies and didn't log another bogey for the remainder of the round. The Locust Valley, N.Y., native finished the invitational in fourth place with 3-under, 210.
Women's Golf
The women's golf spring season is in full swing as the Red Storm is less than three weeks away from the 2024 BIG EAST Championships. Head Coach Ambry Bishop-Santillo has led her group through a competitive schedule with three tournaments in Florida against top programs from across the nation.
Sophomore Xuan Khue Minh Doan has excelled in her first season in Queens, leading the Red Storm with the team's top finish in all seven events to date. The Wofford transfer has recorded four top-15 finishes and was named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week on Feb. 16. The Red Storm will be back in action this weekend when they travel to compete in the Rutgers Invitational in Piscataway, N.J.
Women's Tennis
Despite an extended layoff, the St. John's women's tennis team will also look to make a return to the BIG EAST Tournament championship match this season. Head Coach Lauren Leo has been vital to the Red Storm's success since her arrival in 2015.
Earlier this season, the Red Storm earned a come-from-behind 4-3 win over UNC Wilmington in March. St. John's handed the Seahawks their first loss of the season behind valiant individual efforts from Alicia Gómez, Noemi Babikova and Mouna Bouzgarrou. Bouzgarrou rallied to a 6-6 tiebreaker in the final set, earning a 7-3 victory in extras and claiming the team's match-clinching point.
All St. John's home events are free admission and open to the public. For more information on event times and dates, visit RedStormSports.com.
Easter weekend provided the Red Storm faithful several memorable moments with streaks being broken, record-setting performances and the continuation of hot starts for spring teams. St. John's racked up six major weekly awards from the BIG EAST while two others earned honor roll nods for their outstanding contributions. The Johnnies were featured on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 twice last week after remarkable plays that captured national attention for the softball and baseball programs.
Five of the seven spring sports teams that were in action this weekend are led by head coaches who have held their posts at St. John's for five seasons or less. Red Storm baseball coach Mike Hampton embarked on his fifth season leading the storied program, Aliann Pompey is in her third year directing the women's track & field program, men's golf coach Phil Wildermuth and men's lacrosse coach Justin Turri are in their second seasons and Michelle DePolo is in her first season leading the St. John's softball program.
"To be sure, I could not be more proud of this group of head coaches, who were all recruited and identified via a robust, strategic hiring process," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg. "I'm also very impressed with our sports administrators and our executive staff who have dug in to help elevate these programs. It's a great period of growth for all of our sports, but particularly our spring sports which are thriving after coming out of COVID-19 restrictions with new leadership. I hope our fans and alumni find their way to campus this spring to support our teams and help us build more success."
Baseball
The St. John's baseball team has flourished through the first 25 games of the season, boasting a 19-5-1 record, its best since the start of the 2017 campaign. Featuring series wins over No. 2 Florida and Sam Houston, the Red Storm returned to Queens hungry for more. Head Coach Mike Hampton, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the program, saw his team rattle off 13 straight wins, the longest stretch since the 2015 campaign.
Additionally, the Johnnies have shined at Jack Kaiser Stadium with an unblemished 14-0-1 record in Queens. The team's 14 consecutive wins at The Jack to open the season is the fourth-longest home winning streak in program history, marking its best start since the 1981 season (16-0).
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week Xavier Kolhosser set the tone early for the Red Storm on Friday in its series opener against Winthrop with a seven-inning, 10-strikeout performance en route to the squad's third shutout of the season, 6-0. Second baseman Anthony Brienza landed on the league's honor roll after logging three triples, seven RBIs and his first collegiate home run in two contests against the Eagles on Saturday. The Marlboro, N.J., smacked a streak-saving two-run triple in the seventh inning of the second contest of the doubleheader, knotting the game at six and preserving Johnnies' undefeated mark at home with a tie.
Men's Lacrosse
Belson Stadium played host to a momentous feat for the St. John's men's lacrosse program on Saturday under the direction of second year Head Coach Justin Turri.
Having gone 2,891 days without a conference win, St. John's erased an early five-goal deficit to take down Marquette, 13-9, for its first BIG EAST triumph since April 30, 2016. The five-goal comeback victory was the program's largest since March 23, 2019, and snapped a 35-game losing streak for the Red Storm in conference action.
Junior attacker Brian Kelly led the Red Storm to victory with a four-goal, five-point showing and earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors. Goalkeeper Kyle Munson settled down after Marquette's early opportunities, allowing just four goals over the final 49:28 of the game while posting 13 saves. For his efforts, Munson was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
The Red Storm boasts a 4-2 record over its last six games, marking the best stretch for the lacrosse team since the 2018 season.
Softball
After blanking Iona earlier in the week, St. John's Softball Head Coach Michelle DePolo guided her Red Storm squad to one of the program's most defining series victories in Chicago. Entering a weekend slate against one of the Johnnies' toughest opponents all-time, St. John's swept DePaul for the first time in program history with three-straight shutouts. Up until Saturday, the Johnnies had never held a BIG EAST opponent scoreless in three consecutive games.
Ana Serafinko and Loreley Francia dominated the Blue Demons in the circle and both received BIG EAST weekly honors following their success. Serafinko, who was named conference's Player of the Week, opened the weekend with a grand slam in her first at-bat before posting the team's first no-hitter since 2017 with a 9-0 run rule victory on Thursday. The two-way standout became just the second Division I player in the last six seasons to hit a grand slam and toss a no-hitter in the same game. Serafinko followed up her no-hit effort with a one-hit, seven-strikeout showing in the team's 3-0 victory on Saturday. She also launched a two-run homer in her first plate appearance.
Francia, who held Iona off the board with 10 strikeouts earlier in the week, retired eight more batters on strikes in her complete game shutout, 4-0, on Friday against the Blue Demons. The reigning BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week surrendered just five hits and one walk in two games with 18 total punchouts.
The Red Storm pitching staff currently boasts a BIG EAST-leading 2.35 ERA. The program's eight conference wins this season already matches last year's overall total in BIG EAST play. St. John's 8-4 start in league action is also the team's best since going 11-1 to open the 2019 season.
Women's Track & Field
Back on campus, the St. John's track & field team shined in its first outdoor home meet of the season, welcoming St. John's Hall of Famer Jim Hurt back to campus for "The Big Hurt" on Saturday at DaSilva Field.
His successor Aliann Pompey has been instrumental in the program's recent achievements, seeing her athletes reach the podium's top spot in all 14 events on Saturday. Furthermore, the Red Storm secured the top two spots in 11 competitions.
Eight student-athletes set personal records in Queens, including four in the same 200-meter dash with Ava Mabry-Spencer (25.80, 1st), Kara Sampath (26.63, 3rd), Maddie Kelso-Heap (27.02, 4th) and Fia Viklund (27.31, 5th). Leilani Robinson, the 4x100-meter relay squad of Brooklyn Chestnut, Delicia Bent, Tea Siehou and Cassandra Lemus-Sodji, and Ruth Smith all secured meet records with winning marks in their respective events.
Jamora Alves also continues to develop at a high level, claiming her first win of the outdoor season with a 48.03-meter hurl in the discus at the Monmouth Spring Opener on Friday. Alves' throw was nearly four meters better than the second-place finisher.
Men's Tennis
St. John's men's tennis team also felt the winning aura this weekend, jumping into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Top 75 National Rankings at No. 75. After earning its first ranked win of the season with a 4-3 triumph over then No. 75 Monmouth on Wednesday, the Red Storm produced a decisive 7-0 sweep at Villanova this past Saturday.
In pursuit of his fifth straight BIG EAST Tournament final appearance and third conference title in five seasons, men's tennis Head Coach Dillon Pottish continues to spark solid outcomes and get the most out of his players.
Ryota Kaneda and Adam Groves went 2-0 in doubles play last week to secure BIG EAST Doubles Team of the Week. The duo posted matching 6-1 victories in their doubles matches against Monmouth and Villanova, having won four straight matches as a pair.
Ignacio Vinas also won a pair of matches for the Red Storm last week to secure BIG EAST Singles Player of the Week. After falling a set behind and storming back, Vinas earned a come-from-behind victory over Gabriel Burner to clinch the match for the Red Storm over Monmouth. The junior continued his strong play against Villanova, earning a straight-set victory to help the Red Storm to its fifth-straight sweep over the Wildcats.
Men's Golf
On the fairways, the St. John's men's golf team earned an impressive second-place finish at the Southern Invitational with 5-under, 847.
Second-year Head Coach Phil Wildermuth, who scheduled the Red Storm to play the final round of the 2024 Doc Gimmler on the world-renowned Bethpage State Park Black Course in September, saw his team shoot 8-under, 276, in the opening round. After breaking even in the second go-around, the Johnnies' two-round score marked the team's second-lowest score since the 2007 season. As a group, St. John's accumulated 31 birdies during its first 36 holes in Palm Beach, Fla.
Fueled by impressive performances from Peicheng Chen and Thomas Finn, the duo struck once again at the Falls Club, finishing second and fourth, respectively. Chen, who earned the win in last year's field, turned in consecutive rounds of 3-under, 68, and carded a total score of 8-under, 205, for second place in the event. The junior fired in 14 birdie putts and recorded an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole in the opening round.
Finn opened play with a season-low, 6-under, 65, in his first go-around, the lowest score ever by a Red Storm freshman since Chen shot a 64 in the opening round at the MacDonald Cup on Sept. 24, 2022. After bogeying the first hole of the day, the freshman standout ripped off seven birdies and didn't log another bogey for the remainder of the round. The Locust Valley, N.Y., native finished the invitational in fourth place with 3-under, 210.
Women's Golf
The women's golf spring season is in full swing as the Red Storm is less than three weeks away from the 2024 BIG EAST Championships. Head Coach Ambry Bishop-Santillo has led her group through a competitive schedule with three tournaments in Florida against top programs from across the nation.
Sophomore Xuan Khue Minh Doan has excelled in her first season in Queens, leading the Red Storm with the team's top finish in all seven events to date. The Wofford transfer has recorded four top-15 finishes and was named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week on Feb. 16. The Red Storm will be back in action this weekend when they travel to compete in the Rutgers Invitational in Piscataway, N.J.
Women's Tennis
Despite an extended layoff, the St. John's women's tennis team will also look to make a return to the BIG EAST Tournament championship match this season. Head Coach Lauren Leo has been vital to the Red Storm's success since her arrival in 2015.
Earlier this season, the Red Storm earned a come-from-behind 4-3 win over UNC Wilmington in March. St. John's handed the Seahawks their first loss of the season behind valiant individual efforts from Alicia Gómez, Noemi Babikova and Mouna Bouzgarrou. Bouzgarrou rallied to a 6-6 tiebreaker in the final set, earning a 7-3 victory in extras and claiming the team's match-clinching point.
All St. John's home events are free admission and open to the public. For more information on event times and dates, visit RedStormSports.com.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Tennis
INF
/ Baseball
/ Men's Golf
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Men's Golf
P
/ Softball
ATT
/ Men's Lacrosse
/ Women's Track and Field
RHP
/ Baseball
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Golf
G
/ Men's Lacrosse
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
P
/ Softball
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
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