Athletics in a Flash: Fall 2022
This past athletic season has been deemed historic at Saint Francis University. For the first time in Red Flash history, all five Fall teams competed in Northeast Conference (NEC) postseason play after their respective 2022 season with one team clinching an NEC championship title.
2022 Fall Postseason Appearances:
- Football (NEC Champions, Advanced to FCS First Round of Playoffs for second time in program history)
- Men’s Soccer (NEC Quarterfinals)
- Women’s Soccer (NEC Quarterfinals)
- Women’s Volleyball (NEC Semifinals)
- Field Hockey (NEC Semifinals)
Red Flash athletics currently leads the rankings for the 2022-23 NEC Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup and the Joan Martin Women’s Cup. Achieving this status means that SFU has risen above their NEC competition by earning the most points in the NEC.
Points are determined by the success of each NEC sponsored sport team's final regular season standings. In all other sports, points are awarded based on the finish at NEC Championship events. The last Commissioner’s Cup and Joan Martin Womens Cup was won by the Red Flash in 2017-18.
Individual Success
Standout performances from Red Flash athletes were recognized in the NEC, with athletes being selected to both the All-NEC First and Second Team, and receiving All-Conference Honors.
All-NEC First Team selections:
- Football: Cole Doyle, Donnell Brown, Makai Jackson, Elijah Sarratt, Alex Schmoke, Sebastian Benjamin, Travell Cook, Gregory Reddick, Tre’Quan Dorsey, Seth Osborne
- Field Hockey: Eva Valentini
- Women’s Soccer: Tomke Dziesiaty
- Women’s Volleyball: Madi Tyus
All-NEC Second Team selections:
- Football: Bailey Iboleon, Marcel Mami, Willie O’Hara
- Field Hockey: Dolores Zavaleta
- Women’s Soccer: Corinne Renninger
- Women’s Volleyball: Emma Fenton, Maggie Hogan
All Conference Honor selections:
- Men’s Cross Country: Zachary Kohler
- Women’s Cross Country: Monica Gregg
Football, 2022 NEC Champions
With a 9-3 overall record and undefeated 7-0 conference record, the Red Flash football team recorded the highest winning percentage in Division I program history with a percentage of .750. The nine wins this season were the most in Division I program history, breaking the previous record set in 2015 and 2016 by two. Francis’ nine-game winning streak marked the longest in program history since 1971-72.
Chris Villarrial was named NEC Coach of the Year, a 3-time award honoree. Coach Villarrial was also named as a national semifinalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the nation’s top FCS coach.
Donnell Brown (DL) was earned the NEC Defensive Player of the Year title and was named Stats Performed FCS Third Team All-America. Brown was also named to the Hero Sports Sophomore All-American Team along with teammate Alex Schmoke (K), while Elijah Sarratt (WR) was selected to the Hero Sports Freshman All-American Team. Team quarterback, Cole Doyle, was awarded the NEC Offensive Player of the Year title, while also being 1 of 30 finalists for the Walter Payton Award.
As a team, SFU football earned four of the five major Northeast Conference yearly awards. 10 First Team All-NEC selections (listed above) broke the previous program record of seven set in 2015 and 2016, earning seven more selections than last season alone.
Success from the Classroom and in the Community
In addition to a remarkable 2022 athletic season(s), student athletes also excelled academically while making a difference in the community.
14 student athletes gained the honor of being named to the College Sports Communicators All-District Team (must have a 3.5 GPA and play in 50% of competitions), moving on to the national ballot.
- Rita Kendziora, Lauren Pyle, Corinne Renninger, Savannah Schoonmaker (Women’s Soccer)
- Ahmed Abd-Elazem, Lorenz Ender, Maximus Rigby, Dallan Schoenberger (Men’s Soccer)
- Mark Conrad, Colt Jennings, Justin Sliwoski (Football)
- Emma Fenton, Maggie Hogan, Maggie Means (Women’s Volleyball)
Noteworthy Academic Achievements:
- Received the NEC Institutional Academic Award for the sixth time, securing the most award wins in the NEC (awarded annually to the top academic institution in the Northeast Conference).
Noteworthy Community Achievements:
- NEC Building Communities Award (3-time champion): awarded to the institution demonstrating the highest dedication to making an impact in its community through the efforts of its student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
- 8,568 total community service hours completed.
- 7,860 canned and non-perishable items collected in NEC SAAC week-long food drive (3-time champion). The number of items collected in 2022 set a new record. All items are donated to the Dorothy Day Outreach Center.
- $7,009.00 raised in NEC SAAC Money Wars two week-long competition. All proceeds benefit either the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation or Seedz for Needz.