The Gaels of Saint Mary’s College are hot and flying high with a national ranking and one of the top program on the West Coast.   

But on Feb 2, 2012 the Gaels program is ranked #1 in youth outreach and opportunity.  Each year Saint Mary’s College (SMC) provide North Bay Youth Academy (HYA) discounted tickets so educational programs, youth groups, and parents of 1st generation college bound youth can afford a college experience.  HYA_”O”Zone Youth Night (http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0322/Ozone-Means-Opportunity.html) honors the hard work, effort, and determination of a Gael player each year.

Rob Jones, Gael star power forward is the HYA_”O”Zone Youth Night player who will be honored by over 450 youth at this years game. Rob support of youth in all communities and the effort he made in speaking to the young people during HYA_Cilsa Youth Outeach Day. Rob took the time to express the need for academic intellect, “as sport can only take you so far.” Please join us on February 2, 2012 and join the youth of San Rafael High School, San Jose Middle School (Novato), Bay Area Cool Kids, St Leo the Great, Moreau Catholic High School, & Hamilton School (Novato).

We appreciate the corporate partners who make this happen each year: MartinLand Co, Hayward, SportClips Haircuts (Pleasant Hill), PFG, Ltd., Rob Morris Photography, Moylan’s (Novato), Crown Concord Fiat.

the following taken from the SMC website:

http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/athletics

Entered the season as a preseason all-WCC selection … listed by many media outlets as one of the top players on the West Coast … registered seven-straight double-doubles and eight-straight games of double-figure rebounds to open the season … named WCC Player of the Month for November … set career-high with 31 points at San Diego to go with 12 rebounds for 10th double-double of the season … named WCC Player of the Week for his effort against the Toreros … handed-out career-high eight assists in home win over Gonzaga to go with 11 rebounds … scored 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the season opener against Fresno Pacific … scored 24 points to go with 15 rebounds in the home win over BYU … went 10-for-10 from the free throw line against the Cougars … scored 24 points in Shamrock Office Solutions Classic final against Weber State and was named Tournament MVP … shot 4-for-4 from behind the three-point arc against the Wildcats … matched career-high with four steals against Kennsaw State.

Support the work of Kai Edwards on September 25th, and his youth outreach for Ladies Soccer……..(article originally printed by St Mary’s College of California

http://www.smcgaels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=21400&ATCLID=3660224&Q_SEASON=2011

The fifth head coach in the 29 years of women’s soccer at Saint Mary’s College, Kai Edwards enters his third season as the Gaels’ head women’s soccer coach in 2011. In 2010 Saint Mary’s finished the season with an 8-7-4 overall record and went 2-4-1 in West Coast Conference play, marking the Gaels’ first winning season since 2001.

Mark Orr, Athletic Director and Kai Edwards, SMC Head Coach enjoy the kick-off barbecue in the Grove

Edwards also continues to emphasize the school’s history of excellence in the classroom, guiding the program to a second straight NSCAA Team Academic Award, and landing four student-athletes on the WCC All-Academic Team. On the field in 2010, five Gaels were awarded all-WCC honors, marking the most since Saint Mary’s placed six players on the 2002 all-league squad. Freshman midfielder Jordan Marada earned first-team All-WCC honors and was selected to the league’s all-Freshman team. She became the first freshman women’s soccer player to earn first-team all-WCC honors since 1992. Fellow freshman Brianna Campos also broke onto the collegiate soccer scene quickly, earning second-team all-WCC honors as a forward. In 2009, the attack minded Edwards improved the team’s goals per game average nearly half a goal per game, moving from 1.00 to 1.45 in just one season. The Gaels also jumped 63 spots in the national ratings percentage index, moving into the top 100, and were ranked in the top 10 in the West Region (NCAA/NSCAA) throughout the majority of the season. The Gaels also earned a Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Gaels improved to 9-11 overall with three players earning all-WCC honors. Jessica Menzhuber was a first team all-conference selection and a third team NSCAA All-West Region honoree. Daelyn Paul was an honorable mention all-WCC selection, and joined Christina Tognetti on the conference’s all-freshman squad. Edwards moved Menzhuber from defender to forward for her senior season and she responded by leading the Gaels with 26 points on 11 goals and four assists. She finished fourth in the WCC in goals and points and helped the Gaels score at least one goal in 19-of-20 games. Paul had an outstanding freshman campaign, as she was second on the team with 16 points on five goals and a team-high six assists. In 2009, the Gaels had key victories over top-30 teams Texas (2-1) and San Diego (2-1). During the middle of the season, SMC won seven of 10 games, with its three losses during that stretch coming to No. 10 Texas A&M (2-1), No. 9 California (4-1) and No. 1 Stanford (1-0). Edwards came to Saint Mary’s after spending two seasons as the associate head coach for the women’s soccer program at UC Santa Barbara. Edwards served as the Gauchos’ recruiting coordinator and played an instrumental role in UCSB’s 2008 recruiting class, which was ranked 38th in the nation by Soccer Buzz Magazine, the highest in program history. The affable Edwards joined the UCSB coaching staff in the spring of 2007, after spending one season at Sonoma State, where he helped guide the Seawolves to a 12-6-3 record and a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in 2006. Prior to his one season as an assistant at Sonoma State, Edwards spent two years as an assistant at Division II Western Washington. Heavily involved with the Region IV Olympic Development Program, Edwards has his USSF “A” license and his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma. An offensive-minded coach, each team Edwards has coached has increased its goals per game average each year of his tenure. Edwards, a graduate of Sonoma State, played two seasons for the Seawolves. As a senior in 2003, he scored five goals and had four assists, and in 2002, he was a member of Sonoma State’s NCAA Division II National Championship team. Prior to his two years at Sonoma, Edwards played soccer for two years at San Francisco State where he was a team captain. As a high school player at Rolling Hills Prep in San Pedro, Calif., he was a first-team all-State choice, once scored 11 goals in a single match and still holds the school’s record for goals in a game, season and career. Professionally, he played for the Seattle Sounders Select team, Surrey United in Canada and semi-pro for the Bellingham Blaze indoor team. Edwards also competed on the U.S. National Tae Kwon Do team.

Policy Advisor to the White House Office of Science and Technology, Douglas Rand, will deliver the keynote address at the May 14, 2011 Cogswell College Commencement Ceremony. Mr. Rand is a leading architect of the Startup America initiative and other federal policies to promote entrepreneurship. Rand?s appearance will coincide with the first phase of the College?s launch of its highly innovative entrepreneurship degree programs for undergraduate and community college transfer students, as well as its first Masters degree program.

As an entrepreneur himself, Rand understands the critical role that innovative and resourceful people play in driving the economy forward and creating jobs.

Startup America is a White House initiative to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. This coordinated public/private effort brings together an alliance of the country?s most innovative entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, foundations and other leaders working in concert with a wide range of federal agencies to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of America?s entrepreneurs.

The Cogswell Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is unique in that it has been created from the ground up specifically to educate entrepreneurs and to accelerate the growth of their business, in contrast to most entrepreneurship programs that are centered in corporate-focused business schools. Initiated by entrepreneurs, the WASC accredited program focuses on hands-on and experienced based education, with even first year students immersing themselves in the launch and growth of new companies.

Cogswell fuses this innovative program with its highly regarded digital media and engineering degree programs thus promoting entrepreneurship in all areas, but with a particular focus in the dynamic and creative digital media industries. From the advent of animated film to the proliferation of serious game applications ? artists and engineers, working together, continue to push the boundaries and turn ?what if? into something tangible.

Doug Rand is a particularly fitting speaker for Cogswell?s commencement as he is both an entrepreneur and leader in publishing and the arts. Prior to working at the White House, Douglas Rand was Co-Founder and CEO of the innovative publishing company Playscripts, Inc. as well as a Co-Founder of the live theater review aggregator StageGrade. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Yale School of Management. He received a master?s and undergraduate degrees from Harvard where he studied evolutionary biology. Rand has also authored numerous articles covering subjects from insects to politics to theater.

Cogswell College was founded by a 19th century innovator and entrepreneur, Henry Cogswell, who in 1887 donated $1 million to found a coeducational vocational high school in San Francisco that was designed to educate students who could serve the changing needs of the industries of their day. Currently located in the heart of Silicon Valley ? in Sunnyvale, California ? Cogswell?s graduates work throughout the digital media industries, not only in established companies but also in new entrepreneurial ventures. A significant percentage of Cogswell alumni are the CEOs of companies they founded.

(article orginally published http://www.cogswell.edu/news/news050211.php)

May 2, 2011